The Resolved Christian Exhorting to Resolution, Book 2 · Chapter 3
Chap. III. Comforts for ſuch condemned perſons, who feare & dread the rigor of the puniſhment they are enioyned to ſuffer.
What a man muſt doe to be eaſed of the painefull apprehenſion of death. Sect. I.
AS God in this life doth puniſh the tranſgreſſions of his ſeruants with temporall puniſhments, leſt they ſhould bea1. Cor. 11.32 condemned with the world: So now on your part, ſeeing you hauehave broken his lawes, and that the Magiſtrate hath found you out in your ſinnes, the Lorde will no longer forbeare the puniſhment due vntounto your deſert; which certainely is very neceſſarie for the ſaluatiō of your ſoule, for ſo much as God turneth all thinges to thebRom. 8.28 beſt for them that louelove him, although your corrupt iudgement and fraile fleſh may peraduenture iudge otherwiſe. Now then learne to be wiſe, and take counſell what is beſt to bee done. The worſt that your ſinnes can doe vntounto you, is to lay vponupon you, the iuſtcRom. 6.23 reward of death. The remedie is, of neceſſitie to make a vertue, and to beare that wiſely which you muſt needs abide. If you will hauehave the heart that ſhall contemne the force of death, prepare your ſelfe, not in your owne wiſedome, which you hauehave found to be fooliſhnes alreadie, for it hath deceiued you, but in the wiſedome of the Lord, that your hope may be ſure. Aboue all things, ſtriue to attaine vntounto true repentance, the firſt part whereof muſt bee and2. Sa. 24.10 Ioſh. 17.20 Acknowledgement of ſinne, the firſt part of true repentance. humble confeſſion of whatſoeuer thinges your conſcience can vtter, more then is reuealed. Wherefore ſpeake openly the trueth, conceale nothing, and ſo ſhall you ſhunne the diuell, who euer is an enemie vntounto trueth.eProv. 28 13 He that hides his ſin (ſaith Salomon) ſhal not proſper, but he that confeſſeth & forſaketh them shall hauehave merciemercy. If we will find forgiuenes of our ſinnes, let vsus caſt off the cloakes of ſhame, and confeſſe before heauen and earth, that wee hauehave ſinned, and what we hauehave done. God will oncefApoc. 20, 12 reueale the ſecrets of all hearts, but if wee ſpeake the trueth now, and ſhrinke not, then ſhall we reioice that there is nothing of ours hid. Better ten thouſand times to receiue the reproach of fleſh, and glorie of the Lorde, than to turne away for one houre, and afterward receiue euerlaſting confuſion. Iohn Baptiſt preached to ſuch asgMath. 3.6 cōfeſſed their ſinnes. When the loſt Sonne calledhLuke. 15.21. heauen & earth to witneſſe his great iniquitie, then he found hope of pardon. When the good Thiefe that was hanged with Chriſt, had confeſſed in the hearing of all the Iewes;iLuk. 23.41. We are rightly puniſhed, and receiue things worthie of that wee hauehave done; then entred he into Paradiſe. It was the practiſe of old Adam tokGen. 3.8 hide his ſin, but you are borne anew; this was thelGen. 4.14. ſin of Caine, but you are of a better ſtocke. And therfore if you hauehave bene partaker of any coū ſell, diſcloſe the conſpiracies of the wicked, vnburden your own conſcience, make your hart glad, caſt off the burden of your ſecret ſinnes, purge the eies of your mind, that you may ſee Chriſt; let true and vnfained repentance breake forth in holy confeſſion, ſhame the Lords enemies, and make the Church of God reioice: and loe, your death will bee comfortable vntounto you, the holy ſpirit of God will ſtrengthen you and hold you vp, you ſhall not bee diſmaide, yourm1. Cor. 10.13 temptations ſhalbe no greater then you ſhall be able to beare, and to ouercome them: and then ſhall you be bleſſed, then ſhal the cloſing of your eies, bee the beginning of your light, and then ſhal death be your entrance into life.
How God ordinarily behaueth himſelfe towards the Elect in this life. Sect. II.
Phiſitians are wont to giuegive bitter potions & ſharp medicines to their curable patients; But vntounto him that is vncurable, they giuegive what potion the Patient himſelf affecteth and liketh beſt:1. Cor. 11.32. Euen ſo God doth chaſten & correct his elect children, and doth iudge them here, that they bee not condemned with the world; whereas he letteth the reprobate run on in his owne luſt, whither his fancie will leade him, that his iudgement and condemnation may be the greater.aPſal. 89 30 If his children (meaning Dauids) forſake my law and walke not in my iudgements. b31If they breake my ſtatutes and keepe my commandements. c32Then will I viſit their tranſgreſſion with the rod, and their iniquitie with ſtrokes▪ And again,dReuel. 3.19 Pro. 3.11 Heb. 12.5 as many as I louelove, I rebuke & chaſten. And for the Reprobate he ſaith,ePſal. 81.12 I gaue them vp vntounto the hardneſſe of their heart, and they hauehave walked in their owne counſels: Which is a certaine and vnſallible token of their condemnation. Wherefore humble your ſelfe vnderunder Gods rod, and ſubmit your necke vnderunder his yoke, knowing that he dealeth mercifully with you, as a kinde and louing Father. Though the aſſault of death bee ſtrong, violent, and bitter, to the triall of your faith, yet call to minde that Chriſt hath ouercome death and hell, hee hath broken the ſtrength of this battaile, hee hath confounded the captaine of this hoſte, and ſet vppe the ſongs of triumph vntounto all beleeuers, that we may hauehave the fulneſſe of ioy, and ſay with gladneſſe;f1. Cor. 15, 55 O death, where is thy ſting?
That the continuance of torments ſhould not make vsus afraid, or vnwilling to die. Sect. III.
Obiection.
Alas, the torments which I am enioined to ſuffer, are intolerable, I ſhall die of a lingring death, how ſhall I bee able to endure it? If I ſhould die quickely, it would not grieue me ſo much.
Anſwere.
YOur lingring from Reſolution doeth aggrauate the greatneſſe of your deferued puniſhment, whereas if you were prepared and reſolute, your paines would not ſeeme halfe ſo grieuous vntounto you. Wherfore for your comfort, and that you may attaine vntounto this reſolution, I will inſiſt vponupon one example, and apply the ſame vntounto you particularly, if you will giuegive eare and marke it well. Dauid the Kinga2. Sa. 24.2 ſent Ioab to number all the people of Iſraell and Iudah, from Dan euen to Beer-ſheba; b3Ioab would diſſwade him from his purpoſe:c4 Notwithſtaending the Kings word preuailed againſt Ioab and againſt the Captaines of the hoaſt, ſo ſaith the Text. Well, the people wered9 numbred, and God wase11 therefore offended. Now to you: When you were firſt tempted to commit ſuch an heinous offence and foule deed as you hauehave done: Doubtleſſe the ſpirite would hauehave diſſwaded you from your euil intent, and your conſcience did pricke you, and ſhew you the grieuouſneſſe of the fact, notwithſtanding you gaue no eare to Ioab, to the ſpirit, and to your owne conſcience: but wilfully, hauing no regarde of your honeſtie, and credit, neither weying the anger of God, committed your ſelfe to the daunger, and perpetrated the fact, wherefore God is iuſtly offended with you. Then followeth the intent. What was Dauids intent when hee cauſed the people to be numbered? Surely he meant no harme, but of Policie to number them,f2. Sa. 24.2 to know the number of the people, that he might know his power. But what was your intent? The betraying of your country; the deſtruction of your Prince; The murdering of your Brother; the robbing of your neighbour; or ſuch like? You cannot denie it: So then, if God was iuſtly angry with Dauid, how much more might he iuſtly condemne and vtterly forſake you? your fact being farre more horrible and wicked, then was the offence of Dauid. Now to Dauid againe; Wheng2. Sa. 24.9. Ioab deliuered the number and ſum of the people vntounto the king, all was well, thought Dauid. But alas, good man, it was not long ere God had awakened out of his ſleepe, and began to beſtirre himſelf. How then fared it with Dauid? then Dauids heart ſmote him, ſaith the text. Thus we ſee when ſinners promiſe moſt eaſe and reſt, moſt quietneſſe and plentie of Peace vntounto themſelues, euen then beginneth the tragedie, when it is leaſt looked for. His heart was ſmitten: Oh in what a caſe was hee then! his heart aked, his ſpirite groaned, his ſoule bled, for ſorrow that he had ſo grieuouſly offended the Maieſtie of God; his conſcience cried out againſt him, Who can declare what things he felt within? yet was not his ſin ſo grieuous as yours. But what did he in this agonie? did he deſpaire? No, he humbled himſelf before the face of god, & acknowledged his offence, ſaying,h2. Sa. 24.10 I hauehave ſinned exceedingly in that I hauehave done, Therfore I beſeech thee now Lord, take away the treſpaſſe of thy ſeruant, for I hauehave done very fooliſhly. You heare how he ſtepped vntounto the heauenly throane, humbly confeſſing his treſpaſſe, and deſiring forgiueneſſe and merciemercy, and therfore obtained merciemercy. But I pray you, when you had committed the deed, did you not thinke that all was well, that it ſhould neuer hauehave beene knowne? Ah, but ſweet meate muſt hauehave ſower ſauce. Well, when GOD had awakened, when you were taken, what remorſe of conſcience did you ſuffer? were you diſquieted in ſpirit, and ſorrie you offended God, as Dauid was? If you were not, you ought to bee, the Lord giuegive you grace to doe ſo. It remaineth then, that you proſtrate your ſelf before the face of almighie God, acknowledging your offences, and craue merciemercy and pardon for the ſame by the merits of Chriſt, and doubtleſſe you ſhal hauehave merciemercy as Dauid had. But how had Dauid merciemercy? The Lorde condemned him not (as he might iuſtly hauehave done) neither did hee vtterly forſake him, yet he puniſhed him, & that moſt grieuouſly, with temporall puniſhment, by an offer that was made. Fori2. Sa. 24.11. The worde of the Lorde (ſaieth the text) came vntounto the Prophet Gad Dauids ſeer, ſaying, k12Goe and ſay vntounto Dauid: thus ſaith the Lord, I will offer thee three things, chuſe thee which of them I ſhall doe vntounto thee. l13ſo Gad came vntounto Dauid and ſhewed him, & ſaid vntounto him, wilt thou that ſeuen yeares famine shal come vponupon thee in thy land, or vvilt thou flee three moneths before thine enemies, they follovving thee, or that there bee three daies peſtilence in thy land? Novv aduiſe thee, and ſee, vvhat anſvvere shall I giuegive to him that ſent me? m14And Dauid ſaid vntounto Gad, I am in a vvonderfull ſtrait. Let vsus fall novv into the hande of the Lord (for his mercies are great) and let mee not fall into the hand of man. Thus we ſee how Dauid, when hee heard the definitiue ſentence of puniſhment denounced againſt him, when hee was in a hard ſtraight, did not fret and fume, ſtampe, and ſtare, & crie out againſt the Lords iuſtice, neither did he ſhew any token of impatiencie, but wholly recommended himſelfe vntounto the Lord, with a firme faith, and a liuely hope, (n2. Sa. 24.14 for his mercies are great, ſaith he) Bleſſed Dauid therefore. Euen ſo, it is not for you to bid the Lord battaile (as it were) by your impaciencie, by your wailings and weepings, by your mutterings and murmurings, or by any other your diſcontentments, but after the example of Dauid, commend your ſelfe into the Lords hands, and truſt in his mercies, for his mercies are Great. Now to the puniſhment.o2. Sa. 24.15 So the Lord ſent a pestilence in Iſrael, from the morning euen to the time appointed, & there died of the people from Dan euen to Beer-sheba, ſeuentie thouſand men. A grieuous certainly and bitter puniſhment, Yet your puniſhment is leſſe, although your offence were greater. Wherefore you are to thanke God, and greatly to praiſe his holy name, for that he hath ſhewed you more and greater merciemercy, then hee hath ſhewed to his owne ſeruant Dauid.
That God oftentimes dealeth more mercifully with vsus, then we do perceiue he doth. Sect. IIII.
Obiection
Yea, But Dauid himſelfe died not, the plague did not touch him, and therefore my puniſhment is greater, and far more grienous, then was his.
Anſwer.
CErteinly the puniſhment due vntounto your tranſgreſſion and offence, is, or ſhould be greater, then that which was due vntounto Dauids, if the Lord in his iuſtice ſhould deale with you; yet hauehave not you ſo grieuous a puniſhment enioyned you to ſuffer, as Dauid had; the Lord therein dealing more mercifully with you. Touching that you ſay, Dauid himſelfe died not; true it is indeed, and yet was his puniſhment neuer the leſſe, for ſo much as Dauid was a King; and vntounto Kinges the liues of their Subiects are as precious and deare, as their owne liues, yea and more too; for the King often times, putteth himſelfe & his Kingdome in danger, in the defence of his Subiects. Yea, the holy ghoſt ſaith, thata2. Sa. 24.17 Dauid ſpake vntounto the Lorde (when he ſaw the Angel, that ſmote the people,) and ſayde; Beholde, I hauehave ſinned, yea, I hauehave donne wickedly: But theſe poore Sheepe, what hauehave they donne. Let thine hand, I pray thee, be againſt me, & againſt my fathers houſe. Therby declaring the care, that he had, for the preſeruation of his innocent Subiects, yelding himſelfe to ſuffer the puniſhment due vntounto his offence. So then, by this example, you ſee how God puniſheth the breakers of his ordinances and lavves in this world, with temporarie puniſhment, to theb1. Cor. 11.32 end he may find nothing in them worthie of blame or reuenge, in the worlde to come. Wherfore you muſt not iudge harder of your caſe, then you hauehave cauſe: you are but one ſtep from the heauenly Ieruſalem, & that is, to die willingly & wel: ſpeake forth the ſecrets of your hart, & giuegivecIoſh. 7.19 God glory: commit your ſelf wholy vntounto his wil whom you hauehave offended, euen God, and aske forgiueneſſe and pardon, through the merits of Ieſus Chriſt our Sauior, & you ſhal find comfort in your ſufferings, and afterward, euerlaſting happineſſe;d2. Sa. 24.14 for his mercies are great.