The Christians Charter, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The first Prerogative; To Come.
BUt what are those things that are to come?Quest.
Answ. Answ.There are twelve things yet to come, the which I call twelve Prerogatives Royal, wherewith the Believer shall be invested. The first is set down in the Text which I will begin with. *foreign.1. Death is yours. Death in Scripture is called an Enemy, 1 Cor. 15.26. Yet here it is put in a Christians Inventory, Death is yours. 'Tis an enemy to the mortal part, but a friend to the spiritual. It is one of our best friends next to Christ; Death is a part of the joincture. When Moses saw his rod turned into a serpent, it did at the first affright him, and he fled from it; but when God bade him take hold of it, he found by the miraculous effects which it wrought, it did him and the people of Israel much good; so death at the first sight is like the rod turned into a serpent, it affrights; but when by Faith we take hold of it, then we finde much benefit and comfort in it. As Moses rod divided the waters, and made a passage for Israel into Canaan *Ex. 19.16.; So death divides the Waters of Tribulation, and makes a passage for us into the land of promise. Death is called the King of Terrours *Job 18.14., but it can do a childe of God no hurt; the sting is pull'd out *1 Cor. 15 55.; The Bee by stinging loseth its sting: While death did sting Christ upon the Crosse, it hath quite lost its sting to a Believer: It can hurt the soule no more then David did King Saul, when he cut off the lap of his garment. Death to a Believer, is but like the Arresting of a man for a Debt, after the Debt is paid; Death, as Gods Sergeant at Armes, may Arrest us, and carry us before Gods Justice, but Christ will shew our discharge; the Debt-book is crossed in his blood.
Quest. How is Death ours?
Answ. Two wayes.
1. It is the Out-let to Sin.
2. It is the In-let to happiness.
1. Death to a Beleever, is an Out-let to Sin▪ we are in this life under a sinful necessity; even the best Saint; There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good and sinneth not. *Eccles. 7.20.Evill thoughts are continually arising out of our hearts, as sparks out of a Furnace. Sin keeps house with us whether we will or no; the best Saint alive is troubled with In-mates; though he forsakes his sinnes, yet his sinnes will not forsake him. 1. Sin doth indispose to good; How to performe that which is good I finde not, Rom. 7. ver. 18. When we would pray, the heart is as a Voyal out of tune: When we would weepe, we are as clouds without rain. 2. Sin doth irritate to evil; The Flesh lusts against the Spirit *Gal. 5.17: There needs no winde of Tentation, we have Tide strong enough in our hearts, to carry us to Hell. Consider sinne under this threefold notion.
1. Sin is a body of death *foreign. Rō. 7.24., and that not impertinently. First, It is a body, for its weight. The body is an heavy and weighty substance: so is Sin a body, it weighs us down. When we should pray, the weights of Sin are tied to our feet that we cannot ascend. Anselm seeing a little Boy playing with a Bird, he let her flie up, and presently pulls the Bird down againe by a string: So, saith he, it is with me, as with this Bird; when I would flie up to heaven upon the wings of meditation, I finde a string tied to my leg; I am overpowered with corruption: but Death pulls off these weights of sin and lets the Soul free. Secondly, Sin is a body of death for its annoyance. It was a cruel torment that one *Meze…ti…usused, he tied a dead man to a living, that the dead man might annoy and infest the living. Thus it is with a childe of God, he hath two men within him, Flesh and Spirit, Grace and Corruption▪ here is the dead man tied to the living; a proud sinful heart is worse to a childe of God, then the smell of a dead Corps. Indeed, to a natural man sinne is not offensive, for being dead in sinne, he is not sensible of the body of death: but where there is a vitall principle, there is no greater annoyance then the body of Death: Insomuch that the pious soule oft cries out, as David, Wo is me, that I dwell in Mesek, and sojourn in the tents of Kedar *Ps. 120.5. So saith he, Wo is me, that I am constrained to abide with sin. How long shall I be troubled with inmates? How long shall I offend that God whom I love? When shall I leave these Tents of Kedar?
2. Sinne is a Tyrant, it carries in it the nature of a Law; the Apostle calls it the law in his members *Rom. 7.24.. There is the law of Pride; the law of Unbelief; it hath a kinde of jurisdiction, as Caesar over the Senate, perpetuam dictaturam *Vers. 15.. What I hate that do I: The Apostle was like a man carried down the streame, and was not able to beare up against it. Sinne takes us prisoners; whence are our carnal fears? whence our passions? whence is it that a childe of God doth that which he allows not; yea, against knowledge? only this, he is for a time Sinnes Prisoner: The Flesh oft prevailes (though in coole blood, the elder shall serve the younger;) whence is it, that he who is borne of God, should be so earthly? The reason is, he is captived under sin: but be of good chear, where grace makes a Combate, death shall make a Conquest.
3. Sin is a leprous spot. It makes every thing we touch uncleane: We reade, when the Leprosie did spread in the walls of the house, the Priests commanded them to take away the stones in the wall, in which the Plague was, and take other stones, and put in the place of those stones, and take other morter, Levit. 14.42. *Lev. 14.42.But when the Plague spread againe in the wall, then he must break downe the house with the stones and timber thereof, Vers. 45. *Ver. 45.Thus in every man naturally, there is a fretting leprosie of sinne, pride, impenitency, &c. These are leprous spots: now in conversion, here God doth, as it were, take away the old stones and timber, and put new in the roome; he makes a change in the heart of a sinner *Ezek. 36.26., but still the leprousie of sinne spreads; then at last, death comes and pulls down the stones and timber of the house, and the soule is quite freed from the leprousie. Sinne is a defiling thing, it makes us red with guilt, and black with filth *Quanta foeditas vitiosae mentis. Tull.; 'Tis compared to a menstruous cloath *Is. 30.22; we need carry it no higher. Pliny tells us that the Trees with touching of it, would become barren *Ejus tactu sterilescunt f…uges, ejus gustu in rabiem adiguntur canes. Plin.; and Hierom saith, Nihil in lege menstruato immundius; there was nothing in the Law more uncleane, then the menstruous cloath; this is sinne. Sinne drawes the Devils picture in a man; malice, is the Devils eye; oppression, is his hand; hypocrisie, is his cloven foot; but behold, death will give us our discharge, death is the last and best Physician *Ultimus morborum medicus mors.; which cures all diseases; the aking head, and the unbelieving heart. Peccatum erat obstetrix mortis, & mors erit sepulchrum peccati. Sinne was the Mid-wife that brought Death into the World, and Death shall be the Grave to bury Sinne; O the Priviledge of a Beleever! he is not taken away in his sinnes; but he is taken away from his sinnes. The Persians had a certaine day in the yeare, which they called vitiorum interitum, wherein they used to kill all Serpents and venemous creatures: *Brisson. de reg. persi. lib. 2.Such a day as that will the day of death be to a man in Christ. This day the old Serpent dies in a Beleever, that hath so often stung him with his temptations: this day the sinnes of the godly, these venemous creatures shall all be destroyed; they shall never be proud more, they shall never grieve the Spirit of God more; the Death of the body shall quite destroy the Body of death.
2. Death to a Believer, is an Inlet to happinesse: Sampson found an honey-combe in the Lions carcase; so may a childe of God suck much sweetnesse from death. Death is the gate of life; death pulls off our rags, and gives us change of rayment:Nemo ante funera foel…x. Solon. all the hurt it doth us, is to put us into a better condition. Death is called in Scripture a sleepe, 1 Thes. 4.14. Those that sleepe in Iesus: as after sleep the spirits are exhilarated and refreshed: so after Death, the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord. Death is yours. Death opens the portal into Heaven, as Tertullian speakes: The day of a Christian's death, is the birth-day of his heavenly life; it is his Ascension-day to glory; it is his Marriage-day with Jesus Christ. After our Funerall begins our Marriage; Well then might Solomon say, Better is the day of a mans death, then the day of his birth *Eccles. 7.1.. Death is the spiritual man's preferment, why then should he fear it? Death, I confesse hath a grimme visage to an impenitent sinner, so it is ghastly to look upon; it is a pursuivant to carry him to hell: but to such as are in Christ, Death is yours: It is a part of the Joincture. Death is like the Pillar of cloud *Ex. 14.19, it hath a dark-side to a sinner; but it hath a light-side to a believer: Deaths pale face looks ruddy, when the blood of sprinkling is upon it; in short, Faith gives us a propriety in Heaven, Death gives us a possession; Feare not your priviledge; the thoughts of death should be delightfull. Iacob, when he saw the Chariots, his spirits revived: Death is a Waggon or Chariot, to carry us to our Fathers house. What were the Martyrs flames but a fiery Chariot to carry them up to Heaven? How should we long for Death? This world is but a Desart we live in: Shall we not be willing to leave it for Paradise? We say, It is good to be here; we affect an earthly eternity: but grace must curb nature. Think of the priviledges of Death. The Planets have a proper motion, and a violent; by their proper motion they are carried from the West to the East; but by a violent motion they are over-ruled by the Primum Mobile, and are carried from the East to the West: So though naturally we desire to live here, as we are made up of flesh; yet grace should be as the primum mobile, or master-wheele, that swayes our will, and carries us in a violent motion, making us long for death. Saint Paul desired to be dissolved: and 2 Corinth. 5.2.2 Cor. 5.2. In this we groane earnestly, desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven: we would put off the earthly cloathes of our body, and put on the bright robe of immortality; we groane, foreign. 'Tis a Metaphor taken from a mother, who being pregnant, groanes and cries out for delivery. Austine longed to die, that he might see that head which was once crowned with thornes. We pray, Thy Kingdome come: and when God is leading us into his Kingdome, shall we be afraid to go? The times we live in should, me thinks, make us long for death: we live in dying times, we may heare as it were Gods passing Bell, ringing over these Nations. Foelix Nepotianus, qui haec non videt, as Hierome said in his time; Nepotian is an happy man, that doth not see the evils which befall us: they are wel that are out of the storm and are gotten already to the haven: To me to die is gaine *Phil. 1.21..
Quest. But who shall have this priviledge? Answ. death is certaine: but there are only two sorts of Persons, to whom we may say, Death is yours. 'Tis your preferment.
1. Such as die daily: We are not borne Angels, die we must; Therefore we had need carry alwayes a deaths-head about us. The Basilisk if it see a man first, it kills him; but if he see it first, it doth him no hurt: The Basilisk death, if it sees us first, before we see it, 'tis dangerous: but if we see it first by meditating upon it, it doth us no hurt: study death, often walke among the Tombs. It is the thoughts of death before-hand, that must do us good. In a dark night, one Torch carried before a man, is worth many Torches carried after him: one serious thought of death before-hand, one teare shed for sinne before death, is worth a thousand shed after, when it is too late. 'Tis good to make Death our familiar, and in this sense to be in Deaths oft: *2 Cor. 11.23.that if God should presently seal a lease of ejectment, if he should send us a Letter of Summons this night to surrender, we might have nothing to do but to die.
Alas, how do we adjourne the thoughts of death▪ 'Tis almost death to think of it. There are some that are in the very threshold of the grave, who have one legge in the earth and another legge in hell: yet put farre from them the evil day *Am. 6.3.. I have read of our Lysicrates, who in his old age dyed his gray hairs black, that he might seeme young againe. When we should be building our Tombes, we are building our Tabernacles: die daily, lest you die eternally. The holy Patriarchs in purchasing for themselves a burying place, shewed us what thoughts they still had of Death. Ioseph of Arimathea erected his Sepulchre in his Garden: we have many that set up the Trophies of their victories; others that set up their Scutchions, that they may blaze their honour: but how few that set up their Sepulchres? who erect in their hearts, the serious thoughts of death? Oh, remember when you are in your gardens, in places most delicious and fragrant, to keep a place for your Tomb-stone: die daily. There is no better way to bring sinne into a Consumption, then by oft looking on the pale horse, and him that sits thereon *Rev. 6.8.. By thinking on death, we begin to repent of an evil life; and so we disarme death before it comes, and cut the lock where its strength lies.
2. Such as are in Heaven before they die: death is yours. If we will needs be high-minded, let it be in setting our minde upon heavenly things. Heaven must come down into us before we go up thither. A childe of God breaths his faith in Heaven; his thoughts are there: When I awake, I am still with thee, Psal. 139.17. David awaked in Heaven, his conversation is there, Philip. 3.20. For our conversation is in Heaven. The Believer often ascends Mount Tabor, and takes a prospect of glory. O that we had this celestial frame of heart! When Zacheus was in the croud, he was too low to see Christ; therefore he climbed up into the Sycomore-Tree *Luk. 19.4: When we are in a croud of worldly businesse, we cannot see Christ: Climb up into the tree by divine contemplation: If thou wouldest get Christ into thy heart, let Heaven be in thy eye: Set your affections upon things above *Col. 3.2., Colos. 3.2. There needs no exhortation to set our hearts upon things below. How is the curse of the Serpent upon most men? Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life *Gen. 3.14. Those that feed onelyonly upon dust, Golden dust, will be unwilling to returne to dust: Death will be terrible.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad desired Moses that they might stay on this side Iordan, and have their portion there; it being a place convenient for their Cattel *Num. 32.41.: It seems they minded their Cattel more then their passage into the holy Land: so many Christians, if they may have but a little grazing here in the world, in their Shops, and in their Farms, they art content to live on this side the River, and minde not their passage into the Land of Promise: you that are in heaven before you die, Death is yours.
An earthly Saint, is a contradiction. foreign signifies a man refined and separated from the earth: if an Astronomer, in stead of observing the Planets, and the motions of the Heavens, should take a reed in his hand, and fall a measuring of the earth, would not this be counted a solecisme? and is it not as great a solecisme in Religion, when men that pretend to have Christ and heaven in their eye, yet minde earthly things? Phil. 3.19. Our souls, me thinks, should be like to a ship, which is made little and narrow downwards, but more wide and broad upwards: So our affections should be very narrow downwards to the earth, but wide and large upwards towards heavenly things. Thus we see death is a priviledge to believers; death is yours: the heire, while he is under age, is capable of the land he is borne to: but he hath not the use or the benefit of it, till he comes of age; be as old as you will, you are never of age till you die: Death brings us of age, and then the possession comes into our hands.