A Sovereign Antidote Against the Fear of Death, Tract · Meditation 8
MEDITAT. VIII. The Miſeries Death frees us from.
OH my Soul, what ſaiſt thou yet? wilt thou ſubmit to God, even to the death, and leave it to Gods diſpoſe what death thou ſhalt dye, whether a natural death or a violent? thou ſeeſt neither can hurt thee if thou be prepared, either will undo thee if thou be not; and therefore thou needſt not to fear it: nay it will do thee much good, and therefore thou maiſt deſire it, with ſubmiſſion to thy Makers will; thou maiſt ſing with Paul that Swan-like ſong, Cupio diſſolvi, I deſire to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt which is beſt of all! There are three things eſpecially which make thy life uncomfortable to thee; and that is Sin, Sorrow, and Temptations; and from thoſe, or either of thoſe, thou canſt never be freed by any but death: ſin is the cauſe of miſery, and temptations the cauſe of ſin; while thou art in the world, thou art under the tyranny of ſin, and while ſin lives, ſorrow never dies; for afflictions follow ſin, as the ſhadow doth the ſubſtance, or the effect the cauſe; and while there is a Devil in hell, and thou be on earth, thou canſt never be free from his aſſaults. 'Tis true, in the Creation the ſoul was made innocent, and the body ſpotleſs, but by the Devils inſtigations Man loſt his integrity, ſinned againſt God, and ſo loſt his Image; and in the room of Original righteouſneſs ſtamped upon his ſoul, he hath Original ſin; ſo that thy whole man, ſoul and body, is polluted, and that in all the powers and faculties of the ſoul, and the body is become the inſtrument to act the ſ…s the ſoul conceives: thou broughteſt a poyſonful Nature with thee into the world, which thou canſt not be ſtript of while thou art in the world; yea before thou couldſt ſin, thou waſt ſinful; and before thou couldſt act reaſon thou waſt guilty of Treaſon againſt thy God; thou broughteſt the ſpawn of all ſin with thee, as a Wolf brings his wolviſh nature into the world, or a Toad or Serpent a noxious quality, though when young they cannot reduce it into act. Corruption hath naturally a ſeat in the ſoul; from within come murders, adulteries, &c. It poſſeſſeth the nobleſt powers and faculties of it. Now a Swine in the Garden is not ſeemly, much leſs in the Parlour, or the Bed-chamber: it takes up its reſidence in the heart, which is the room wherein Chriſt himſelf ſhould lodge. This original corruption, with which thou art tainted, is virtually every ſin, for it is the Spawn of it: there is no ſin acted, but the ſeed of it lyes here; and hence it is thou art ſo diſpoſed to evil, and ſo averſe from good: there is no ſin ſo bad, but thou haſt an inclination to it, if this ſeed be watered with a temptation, if the reſtraining or Sanctifying grace of God prevent not; and no duty ſo good, but this ſets thy heart againſt it: the very Praiſing of God, that Angelical duty, is oppoſed by this original ſin. This ſin of Nature, this original corruption, is univerſal, and that makes it much worſe; univerſal in reſpect of Time, even from the fall to the end of the world; no day free from this ſin; ſome ſin reigns moſt in ſome Ages, this in every Age. Alſo in reſpect of Perſons, no meer man was ever free ſince the fall, no ſon of Adam or daughter of Eve: other ſins ſome perſons may be, and are little infected with, but this all ſtand infected with. And in reſpect of Parts, 'tis univerſal alſo; no power of the ſoul, no member of the body free from it; and 'tis continual and perpetual, without any Intermiſſion; thou canſt not leave it behind in one duty. 'Tis ſaid, that ſome Serpents when they go to drink, lay by their poyſon, as alſo when they go to generate: This I know not, but this I am ſure of, thou canſt not lay aſide thy ſinful nature; yea, when thou makeſt thy Addreſſes to God himſelf, thou mayſt haply lay aſide the acting of ſin, but not being ſinful; for couldſt thou leave thy ſin behind thee, thou mighteſt have more ſweet communion with thy God in one Duty, than now thou canſt have in all thy duties; for 'tis ſin that ſtains all thy duties, and makes them ſignifie little to thee: and wert thou not in Chriſt, God would hate them, and throw them back into thy face with diſdain: 'tis thy ſin that makes thee take ſo much pains in duty to keep thy heart to God, this hides his face from thee, that thou canſt ſcarce have a glimpſe of him in an Ordinance; this is the Root upon which all other ſins grow, the Spring that feeds all the ſtreams of vice; and hence they iſſue: and this is it upon which the Devil faſtens all his temptations: the want of this made the Devil ſucceſſeleſs in his tempting of Chriſt; his fire fell upon wet Tinder; and this is the miſery of it, this ſin never dyes for age, but the longer we live the ſtronger it grows: ſome ſins are in a decaying condition as to the Act, when age diſables an Adulterer, and ſome others, but this decayes not: yea and we propagate it alſo to our Poſterity, our children receive it from us, and ſo it will be propagated from one generation to another to the worlds end. Oh the horrid nature of this ſin! 'tis the Image of Satan, which he ſtampt upon us when the image of God was loſt, and this cannot be raſed out, but by death: here thou art troubled with a hard heart, a ſtubborn will, diſordered affections, unruly paſſions, vain thoughts, idle imaginations, which thou canſt not ſhake off more than thy very Nature: this makes thee ſo unlike to God, ſo like to Satan whoſe Image thou beareſt, and whoſe work thou doeſt; this makes thy duties ſtink in the noſtrils of God, and thy whole man, Soul and Body out of order; this hinders thy communion with thy God, and makes him a ſtranger to thee; it makes thee act as an enemy to him, and him to thee, and thy iniquity hides his face from thee. Theſe are the Anakims that terrifie thee, theſe are the ſons of Zerviah that are too hard for thee, theſe are the Caananites which are thorns in thine eyes and pricks in thy ſides, theſe ſins of thine are the cauſe of all thy trouble; thou hadſt never had aking head, or aking heart, or loſs, or croſs, or any thing to trouble thee, had it not been for ſin, but from theſe thou canſt not be freed one moment: no Prayer, no Duty, no Action, but ſavours of them; this thou art ſenſible of, this burden thou groaneſt under, and lookſt upon ſin as thy greateſt enemy; and well thou maiſt, for nothing could hurt thee but for this; this it is that makes the ſoul vulnerable, which otherwiſe man nor Devil could not hurt; this thou haſt preached againſt, ſpoke againſt, prayed againſt; thou haſt railed upon it, and called it all that naught is; well now let us ſee whether thou waſt in Earneſt or in Jeſt, whether all this was in ſincerity, or hypocriſie; death comes now to free thee from this bondage, eaſe thee of this burden, and brings a potion to cure thee when all other Doctors have left thee, and can do no good: he will bring thee where ſin and ſorrow ſhall be no more; for into heaven they ſhall never enter: art thou willing of the ſeperation, to give ſin a bill of divorce, and put it away? wilt thou ſhake hands with it, and bid it adieu for ever? this potion will purge the ſoul from all the reliques of this diſtemper, and cleanſe the heart which is the fountain of all thy actions, and make all the ſtreams thence proceeding run clear, and fetch away all thoſe groſs humours of ſin, that filthy lump that lyes upon thy heart, and preſſeth it down, and lyes as a clog upon it; it will caſt out all thoſe unclean Spirits, and cleanſe thoſe Augean Stables from all pollution: this is the only Phyſitian in the world that can do it, and God the great Phyſician of Souls hath approved of his Recipts, and ſent him to thee upon this errant, to heal thee of the wounds of ſin, and to reſtore thee to thy primitive purity, wherein thou waſt created: what ſaiſt thou, wil't give him entertainment or no? The Devil and the damned would take a potion a thouſand times bitterer upon the like condition: help thou canſt not have, till thou art purged, nor to Heaven thou canſt not go, for no unclean thing ſhall ever enter there; purged thou canſt not be without death; for then Chriſt will waſh thee clean with his own blood, and ſprinkle thee with clean water, and preſent thee to his Father without ſpot or wrinkle, or any ſuch defiling or deforming thing, and cure thee of all thy ſoul diſtempers and bodily infirmities, which ſhall never more ſeize upon thee, he will ſay to ſin and ſorrow as unto the unclean ſpirit, Go out of him, Mar. 9.25.and enter no more into him. Theſe ſins be they that keep thee under the hatches, that thou canſt not ſerve God without diſtractions, but death will unpinion thy wings, and let thy ſoul at liberty, and then thou ſhalt never be troubled with vain thoughts or imaginations more, thou ſhalt never ſpeak vain word more, or do any ſinful action more: what wouldſt thou give for thy freedom from ſin for one month, or one year? and what now wilt thou give for a perpetual freedom? what doſt thou yet hang back, and art not willing to ſuffer one hours pain for it? is this thy Love to God, which thou haſt profeſſed, that when thou art put to thy choice, thou chooſeſt ſin before him? is this thy hatred of ſin, that now thou art loth to leave it when it comes to the trial? is this the fruits of thy prayer, preaching and profeſſion? Art thou now at a ſtand, whether to deny thy God or thy Sin, and art inclined to chooſe ſin rather than God? and hadſt rather be preſent with ſin, and abſent from God? and hadſt rather live in the ſuburbs of Hell, than dye and come to Heaven? and hadſt rather enjoy ſin for ever, than God for ever? for till death hath paſſed over thee, thou canſt not be free from ſin, neither canſt thou enjoy Happineſs: for Sin was born with thee, and will dye with thee; it hath an indwelling in the ſoul, Pſal. 51.5.thou waſt ſhapen in iniquity and conceived in ſin. 'Tis as natural to thee as to live, 'tis thy very nature, 'tis thy very ſelf; thou maiſt as well ſhake off Nature, yea ſhake off ſelf, as ſhake off ſin; it ſticks cloſer than the skin to thy back, or the fleſh to thy bones; theſe may be ſeparated, but ſin cannot till the great ſeparation between the body and ſoul, and then the ſame ſtroak that lets out thy life, will let out thy ſin, and all thy miſery; which is the conſequents of ſin: this hath cauſed thee many a ſigh and ſob, and ſorrowful hour, and many a prayer, many an affliction, and many a laſh of his rod, and hindred thee many an hours Communion with thy God, it hath ſpoiled thee many a duty, and made thy life a very burthen; it hath broke thy peace many a time with God, and wounded thy conſcience, and made God hide his face from thee, and many a time he hath whipt thee home: and now art fallen in love with it, that thou wilt not leave it, and rid of it thou canſt not be till death let out thy life? 'tis only in the Grave thou wilt be at reſt, and hid from ſin, which then cannot find thee, nor any miſeries which now are the effects of ſin nor from the temptations which are the inducements to ſin; and doſt thou yet tremble to part with ſuch an Enemy? thou haſt pretended Enmity to ſin, and been at Daggers drawing with it, and art now reconciled to it? it hath been thy trouble to have it, and is it now thy trouble to leave it? many a poyſoned Arrow the Devil hath ſhot at thee, and wouldſt ſtill be his Butt to receive his Arrows and venomous Shafts? Theſe Hell-hounds haunt thee, and will hunt thee till thou art in thy Grave; there they will loſe the ſcent and can follow thee no longer; here is thy Borough, thy hiding place, where thou art ſhut in by God, and ſecure; Here the weary are at reſt, here the Priſoners are ſecure, and hear not the voice of the Oppreſſour; here thou ſhalt be freed from all that is called miſery. Sin is an imperious Tenant, or Inmate, it will not out till the houſe be pull'd down; yea, will turn the Landlord out of doors; Oh what hard hap had man to admit of ſuch a Gueſt! but this is thy comfort, ſin is but a Tenant at will; not at thy will, but the Will of God, who will ſhortly pull down the Houſe, and ſet thee at liberty; and Oh! thy madneſs, that though thou canſt no other way be rid of it, yet art unwilling to dye, and be happy. In Heaven, Paul ſhall never cry out, O wretched man that I am! who ſhall deliver me from this body of Death? Here the unclean converſations of the wicked, ſhall never vex the Soul of righteous Lot: David here ſhall never water his Couch with his tears, nor Jeremy wiſh his heart full of water, and his eyes a fountain of tears, to weep day and night for the deſtruction of his people. There is nothing here that can procure miſery, for here ſin ſhall be ſhut out, for no unclean thing ſhall ever enter. But it is not ſin only, but ſorrow alſo as well as ſin ſhall be done away; for when the cauſe is removed the effect ſhall ceaſe. It was ſin that brought Death into the World, and all the forerunners of it, yea all the concomitants and conſequents of it; here thou art troubled with a ſickly body, ſubject to many infirmities, many pains, aches, griefs and troubles; ſcarce a waking hour free from pain, and from head to foot ſcarce a free part, but one pain or other doth moleſt it, ſome pain, ache or grief attends it; every ſenſe as 'tis an inlet to ſin, ſo 'tis to pain and miſery, to let in one trouble or other into the Soul, and help to affect the heart with ſome fear, or care, or grief, or trouble, and theſe conſume it as the ſcorching Sun the tender Flowers. Oh how tender a piece is this duſt-heap thy Body! more brittle than glaſs it ſelf; a little cold or heat ſoon moleſts it: how many tender Membranes, Sinews, Arteries, Veins, Muſcles, &c. are therein contained, and every one ſubject to obſtructions, extentions, contractions, diſlocations, &c. and upon this diſtempers neceſſarily follow: well maiſt thou ſay with Job; Job 3, 4.13, 14, 15.I am made to poſſeſs moneths of vanity, and weariſom nights are appointed to me: When I lye down, I ſay, When ſhall I ariſe, and the night be gone? and I am full of toſſing to and fro, unto the dawning of the day. When I ſay, my Bed ſhall comfort me, and my Couch ſhall eaſe my complaint; then thou ſcareſt me with Dreams, and terrifieſt me through Viſions; So that my Soul chooſeth ſtrangling, and Death rather than Life. What bitter pills, what nauſeous potions doſt thou take when ſugered with the hopes of health! what crying out, Oh my Back! Oh my Head! Oh my Heart! Oh my Bones! Oh what would I give for a little eaſe, a little reſt, a little ſleep, for a Stomach! my Stomach nauſeates my meat, when others want meat for their craving Appetite; and how hard a thing is it to keep up this poor, old, decaying, ruinous Cottage in repair; one Wall or other is continually ready to fall to ruine, and at which door Death will enter is not yet known; and when it comes it will but deſtroy thy body, which for the Materials of it are no better than the body of a Beaſt, which ere long will fall, for Death is all this while undermining it, and the rational Soul doth only keep it from putrefaction, and Death is but a departing of the Soul from it to Glory; and why ſhouldſt be troubled to have the Priſon-walls pull'd down, and the Priſoner ſet at liberty? why art unwilling to lay aſide this fleſh, which hath taken part with Satan againſt thy God, and is at preſent a temptation to thee, with Peter, to deny thy Maſter? why chooſeſt thou to live in a darkſome naſty Priſon, where thy Wings are pinioned, that thou canſt not mount up to thy God, where thou hadſt thy Original; this body is but a clog at thy heels, and never was intended for thy dwelling place, but only as a Tent, or Pavilion, an Inne or reſting place for a night, where like a wayfaring man thou maiſt reſt for a while and away; but here thou haſt no continuing City, thou art paſſing on to another place, Phil. 3.21.to a Manſion, a Houſe not made with hands, but eternal in the Heavens, which Chriſt at his departing provided for thee, when this Tabernacle ſhall be built into a Temple, for God ſhall change this thy Vile body, that it may be like unto his Glorious body; and why then doſt content thy ſelf in this dirty Cell, when thou maiſt have ſuch a glorious habitation? doth thy heart ake to think that the time is coming it ſhall never ake more? or doſt thou weep to think all tears ſhall be wiped from thine eyes, and thou ſhalt never weep more? or is it a matter of grief, think'ſt, that thou ſhalt never grieve more? and art afflicted to think thy afflictions are at an end? what unnatural ſorrow is this! art thou ſick to think that in Heaven thou ſhalt never more know what ſickneſs means; or that thou ſhalt never more have an aking Head, or an aking Heart? here thou wilt be freed from whatſoever may be properly called Evil, and ſhalt want nothing that is really good. Here Chriſtians themſelves prove ſtumbling-block's in each others way, which cauſeth tears from the eyes and ſorrow from the heart, but there the fire of love will conſume the thorns of contention; here corruptions like thorns ſerve to keep the fire of contention alive, and thoſe flames are more like to burn up their graces than their droſs; for the diviſions of Reuben there are great thoughts of heart, Judg. 5.15.but here is no ſuch thing; Ridley and Hooper here accord, Luther and Calvin are made Friends; thoſe Rivers of pleaſure at Gods right hand quench all the ſparks of contention, pride and ignorance hath kindled among the godly, and there is no bone of contention thrown among them; there is nothing but ſweet peace, and concord, and what was weak is there made ſtrong; and as no contention, ſo no ſorrow upon that account. Every ſon of the firſt Adam came into the world crying, and every ſon of the ſecond Adam while he is in the world hath cauſe to cry. God had one Son without ſin, but none without ſorrow: Chriſt himſelf was a man of ſorrows and acquainted with grief: God chaſteneth every ſon he receiveth, and ſcourgeth thoſe he loveth. Heb. 12.8.If we be not chaſtized, we are baſtards and not ſons. But at death thy ſorrow ſhall ceaſe, and thy joyes commence; there ſhall be no more pain, no more death, for ſorrow and ſighing ſhall fly away. But as thou ſhalt have an everlaſting freedom from all helliſh flames, which is the portion of the wicked, and their cup, put into their hands by God; ſo ſhalt thou have everlaſting freedom from all temporal ſorrow, which is the godly mans cup and lot while they are here, put into their hands by their loving Father: here thou ſhalt be freed from ſin, the world and the Devil, thy mortal, thy ſworn enemies; thou ſhalt never more have a pale face, a languiſhing body, trembling joynts, a dim ſight, or any infirmity or deformity; there ſhall be none that ſtoop for age, or any immature youth; but all perfect men and women in the prime of their age, as 'tis conceived about the age and ſtature of Chriſt, as Divines think the Apoſtle alludeth to that when he ſaith, Eph. 4.13.Till we come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt: Unto ſuch a ſtature that we ſhould have been at had there been no infirmity or defirmity had hindred; here we ſhall have no peccant humour, no languiſhing diſeaſe, no carking care, no griping grief, no fretting fear, no conſuming evil; nay nothing that bears the name of evil; the Wormwood and the Gall ſhall there ceaſe for ever, and ſickneſs and diſeaſes ſhall be no more, no predominancy of humours, no hurtful quality ſhall accompany our bodies when they are glorified. Exod. 14.13.When this corruption ſhall put on incorruption, and this mortal ſhall put on immortality, then may we ſay of ſin and ſorrow, as Moſes of the Egyptians, Theſe your enemies which you ſee to day, ye ſhall ſee them no more for ever. For as no unclean thing ſhall ever enter Heaven, nor ſhall any thing that beſpeaks ſorrow or ſuffering; we ſhall deal by theſe when we aſcend into Heaven, as Abraham did by his Servants when he went to offer his Son Iſaac in Sacrifice, leave them at the foot of the hill: for if ſin enter not, there is no place for ſorrow, but unſpeakable glory, tranſcendent Joyes, pleaſure for evermore; and though the glory there be inconceivable, yet the faculties of the Soul ſhall be enlarged to receive it without offence; now we cannot behold the Sun in its luſtre, but 'tis an offence to the eye, but then thou ſhalt be capacitated to behold a glory ten thouſand times greater than the Sun, with delight; and ſhall not this death which ends all our ſorrows and miſeries, and uſhers us into this glory, be welcome to us? Nay, but this is not all; thou haſt not only a crazy tottering ruinous houſe to live in, but thou liveſt among bad Neighbours alſo, and there is little comfort in a bad Neighbour-hood: the houſe where thou dwelleſt is haunted with evil Spirits, and thou canſt have no freedom day nor night; theſe continually trouble thee, day and night, and infeſt thee even in thy holy duties; while ſin, that is the Devils daughter, and his darling, lives there, her Father will not be abſent, and his preſence is uncomfortable to a godly man; he is thy ſworn enemy, and thou canſt not be rid of him; though thou giveſt him never ſo many foils he will not deſiſt, neither canſt thou make any peace with him, but upon harder terms than the men of Jabeſh Gilead were offered by Nahaſh the Ammonite, to put out their right eyes; but nothing but the everlaſting damnation of body and ſoul will ſerve him; many a blaſphemous temptation, and many a poyſoned arrow he darts into the Soul; many a foul ſuggeſtion, and fain would he make a rape of her; he frequently ſtorms the chief Fort: Oh the hourly danger that thou art in by reaſon of his temptations and thine own corruptions; for this is as Tinder to the fire, ready to catch upon all occaſions; and many a time he enters the breach, and if he were not beat back again would deſtroy the Fort of the ſoul; many a ſnare and gin he layes for thee, and baits his hooks according to thy inclination, ſometimes with one Bait, ſometimes with another; like as a cunning Angler doth for Fiſh, or the Fowler for Birds; and what he finds moſt taking, that he uſeth moſt; ſometimes he moves thee to preſume, if that prevail not, to deſpair; ſometimes to neglect Duties, if that ſerve not, to truſt in them, or be proud of them; ſometimes to be proud of thy Enjoyments, at another time to deſpond or murmur at thy wants or diſappointments; ſometimes he baits his hooks with thy Relations, and either perſwades thee to Idolize them, or moves them, as he did Peter to tempt Chriſt, Maſter ſave thy ſelf; and this proved Spira's ruine, and I doubt not hath ruined many in this age. He doth what he can to fly-blow all thy Duties, and render them odious to God, and takes advantage by every action thou doſt, making thee to neglect it; or he foiſts in ſome by or baſe ends of his own into it, or makes thee pride in it; if things ſucceed to thy mind, he puffs thee up with pride; if thou meet with diſappointments, he makes thee repine, and makes thee believe the world is a bad pay-maſter, yea God himſelf a hard Maſter, and that thou deſerveſt better at his hand: and as to thy calling, ſometimes he perſwades thee that thou takeſt a great deal of pains for little or no profit, and haſt no competent reward for thy labour, and therefore 'tis better give it over, and live at eaſe; ſometimes he perſwades thee thy calling is honourable, and would lift thee up above thy brethren; a thouſand are the ſhares which he layes in thy way to entrap thee, and although thou ſhouldeſt repell them, yet 'tis a great trouble to be thus continually haunted by them, as it is for a Chaſte woman to be alway troubled with the unclean motions of a filthy Adulterer: and as the Devil, ſo the world layes traps for thee, ſometimes in pleaſures, ſometimes in riches, ſometimes in one thing, ſometimes in another, as may moſt ſuit with thy inclinations; ſometimes the world ſmiles upon thee, and ſo ſeeks to enſnare thee by her Syren ſong: Sometimes ſhe frowns upon thee, to make thee deſpond, and ſometimes threatens thee, to drive thee from thy duty; and thy own heart is the moſt treacherous enemy, ready to open and to let them in. Now in this deſperate danger who is it can live delightfully? who is it can delight in ſuch a Neighbourhood, when the moſt righteous is a thorn and the moſt upright is as a thorny hedge. Can any wiſe man delight to live among ſuch mortal enemies, whom nothing will ſatisfy but the ſouls ruine? canſt contentedly ſuffer atheiſtical thoughts darted into thy ſoul, concerning God, under-valuing thoughts of Chriſt, of Scripture, of divine Providence, &c. If thou give them no entertainment, they muſt needs be thy trouble; but the danger is, if the Devil find thee unarmed, and ſo thou cloſe with his temptations. Is it not much better for thee to be where the Devil, the world, and the fleſh cannot reach thee, and ſhall never more moleſt thee? now this is in Heaven, for he is caſt out thence, and his place is no more found; thou maiſt bid them defiance, for they cannot reach thee; now when death comes, thy victory is won, the battel is over, and the Crown is thine, and the enemy will quit the field. Now thy life is tormenting by reaſon of ſin, and the conſequent of ſin, and 'tis no ſmall mercy to be delivered from the danger, which while thou art on this ſide Heaven thou canſt not be; and then there ſhall be no corruption within; and ſo no danger of temptation without, the Devil himſelf as well as ſin is there caſt out, and his place is found no more there; here he is alwaies caſting floods out of his mouth to drown the woman, and though he cannot drown the Church, he may affright her; Chriſt that Man-child was not free from his temptations, though he was well able to reſiſt them; but he layes many a ſtumbling-block in thy way, and many times thou haſt ſtumbled at them, and much ado thou haſt had to keep on in that path which is called holy, that narrow path that leadeth unto life; many times thou treadeſt beſide it, ſometimes on the right hand, and ſometimes on the left, and 'tis well if at laſt thou thred the narrow and ſtrait gate, which thou art not like to do if thou deny Chriſt to ſave thy life; thou canſt not open thy eyes, but the Devil preſents ſome object or other to divert thy mind, he fits his baits according to mens diſpoſitions; he baits his hooks to take the wanton with a beautiful harlot; he hath a Bathſhebah for David, a wedge of Gold for Achan, a Companion for the Drunkard; one vanity or other draws away the heart from God, as the Indians are inticed with Feathers and Shells and other Gewgaws to part with their more rich Merchandize. Job 31.1.Well may Job make a covenant with his eyes not to look upon a maid, for by looking many times comes luſting; and if thou open thy ears, thou let'ſt in ſome ſin or ſorrow to the heart; for either thou wilt hear ſomething that may excite ſome luſt or other, pride, paſſion, covetouſneſs, uncleanneſs, &c. or thou wilt hear ſwearing, ribald talking, lying, ſlandering, or ſuch like, which may provoke thee to indignation or ſorrow; and thy other ſenſes alſo are Floodgates to let in ſin or ſorrow; yea 'tis much adoe to uſe lawful things lawfully; thy table, thy meat and thy drink, the cloaths thou weareſt, the houſe thou liveſt in, the means thou enjoyeſt, all become ſnares, and every ſenſe becomes a caterer for the fleſh; latet anguis in herbas; danger lies in all theſe, and poyſon is mixt with all our dainties; and hadſt thou more, the danger would be more, for the Devil will uſe his utmoſt endeavour to make it all to be Fuel for pride, or luſt, or ſome other filthy vice; he can bait his hooks, and that to purpoſe, with any thing lawful or unlawful, licitis perimus omnes; for if he can perſwade us either to uſe unlawful things, or lawful things in an unlawful way, he hath his deſire, and we are taken in his ſnares; but when thou comeſt to Heaven thou art freed from all theſe Temptations. Well may he bark at thee, as a Dog barks at the Moon, but cannot reach thee, or pull thee out of thy Orb; he may ſhake his Chain, but he can neither hurt thee, nor fright thee. And thus thou ſeeſt Death cannot hurt, but will much advantage thee; it will free thee from thy ſin, and from thy ſorrow, and put thee out of the reach of all thine Enemies; for neither the Devil nor his Inſtruments can then do thee hurt: thou art ſet out of the reach of wicked men, as Lazarus was out of the reach of Dives: What ſayeſt thou? wilt yield to go when God calls thee, and welcome the Meſſenger that is ſent for thee? O my God, let me not make a fooliſh choyce, let me not undo my ſelf; I am too apt to indulge the Fleſh, and too apt to venture the Soul upon the Pikes of danger; I am too apt to live by Senſe and not by Faith; my reaſon tells me I ſhould go when thou calleſt, my Faith tells me I ſhall loſe nothing by it: Lord, the Spirit is willing, but the Fleſh is weak; I live among many Enemies, and thoſe perſwade me to favour my ſelf, but I know thoſe that are Friends to my ſin, are Enemies to my Soul; Lord I have devoted my life and all that mine is, and paſs'd away mine Intereſt in it for Chriſt; Lord, take what thine is, and diſpoſe of me and mine as thou ſeeſt fit, only, Lord, give me in ſuitable Qualifications for what I have to do or Suffer, and then command what thou wilt; prepare me for Heaven, and then ſend for me when and by whom thou pleaſeſt.