Meditations tosíchinnDeath. 657 andeuer willbe gracious veto ni fn ehisSonne? Whatcauf ofrose is left, or can beewhere this is? What occafion or matter ofperplexity? This was the groundofthe Apoftles confidence , bee knew that fo foone as was gone hence,hefhould bewith Chrift. HeMat felt himfelfenow in Chrifhcould not but beaffurèd, thathe Mouldbee afterwards with Chrift : and howcould hee butthinke contentedly upondeath, who by the eye offaith faw ( likeSte e) heauen open, and Chrift ftandingat the, righthand oftheFather r ready tore= t Alts 7S6. ceiue him. Nowifit beequeftioned, whether the feruantsof God hase this affurance ? .it is certaine, that fooner orlater they all haue it in fornegracious meafure, hisPaidplainly, thatthey which are Chrifts, haue the fpiritofChrift °, and u Rom.Bg. within a fewverfes, that, that fpiritwhere it is, beareth witnefleof Adóption.. xterCiá. Secondly, thisproceedethfrom thecomfortable teftirnonyoftheir confcience touchingtheir formercareto glorifie God Manholy courfe. Hencecame hods comfort; I hase fought agood fightt : this encouraged v himtoexpe& that crowne of righteoufneffe, which the Lord referues for ally which louehisappearing. Thus HczekiA, thoughthe fuddennewes ofdeath fomewhat appalled himat thefidt ° yet hereinhe hadcomfort, that heefound vpon theexaminationofhisby-paicourfe, that hee hadwalked beforeGod in truth, and withaperfc& heart''. Neither is this fo, becaufe Gods children Z dfY3t build their hopesvpon defects, but becaufe they know good workes tobeethe way., and find by the Scripture,thatan holy lifeherc,is the firft fruitsof a glo- 41,4 a. to xificd ylifehereafter. Chap. VIII. ? he obietiions whichareandmay bemadeagainfl this,areof noforce to oaterehrom it. ere beeTomeparticulars, whichmayfeeme to impeach thistruth. Firft,wefee many worthyperfons,who hauemadea great, andeuen The çleering anextraordinary profefsion ofreGgion, andwho have alto linedvn- iweY=coa.,- k blameably, yet have had great feares in themfelues, in refpe&of junións, death; yea, andthat fpecially atthe timeofdeath, andintheirfcknes, when (ifeuer) they fhould haue made their comfortable expo&arionof it toap- peare. Here firft the rulemuff beeremembred, notto mdge accordingto ap. pearance b. '1 It isa feeblekind ofreafoningtofay, thatthis orthatman is merry bIoh 7á4: out peaceand comfort,becaufein hisficke fits, to shedes oftheftandersby he makes nothewthereof: Certaine itis,thatas aman mayhave peace with God, and yethimfelfefqr theprefent,byreafonoffome great tentation, notfeeleiti fo may either feeleit,orhein the way ofattainementto it;when asyetothers thatbeholdhim,benotable toperceiué it. Again, it mutt beknown, thatthe outwarddifturbances, which doemany timesaccompany fickneffe, doe happen unwell, and as ordinarily to thegodly; as tothe moltprofane ; fuch asare rauings,idle tàlkingandfuch like God bathmadeno promifethat fuchasferuehim faithfully, Ihas;.11be freed fromfuch fits. Did notDmud fay, that the Lords arrowes had light vponhim, fo that there was-no reft inhis bones? hedideuen roare forthegriefe ofhisheart Cohfiderfurther, thatwrth the belt ofGods feruants, Satan isvfaallymolt Ptal.;$.s, bufie, when theirend is neereft. Itis hismanner to haue great wrath , whenditecla:.,s hebath but fhort timed. Note itontheholy ftory=, howviolent heewas a- e marks -60 gainita psílifodpecfon,whenhe lawthtewas no remedy buthçensult nerds Lukcnis; depart;
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