Eccldialles 7d• The day 1(deMh i; better the, the day th41 one i4 borrJe. Hefc words are a rule or A t/'~:=''-=;;;;::1)1 prttept laid downbySAt.... nfor weighty caufes. For in the Chapters go– ing before h(e fees fonh the vanity ofalcreatures vnder heauen : and that atlargeinthe veryparticulars. Now men hereupon might take occa– fion of difcontentment in refpell of their e– fiatc in this life i therefore Sal•mon in great wifedome here takes a new courfc:,andin this chapter begins to lay down< certaine rules of diretHon and comfort, that men mtght hauefomewhat wherwirh to annc themfelues againft the troubles and mifcries of this life. The firft rule is in this thirdverfe, that ag..J n11m~ is bttttrthen"pretUsuoyntment : that is,a name gotten and maintained by godly con- B uerfation, is a fpeciallblefiingofGod, which in the middeft of the vanities ofthis life, l!li· niftreth greater matter ofreioycingand com– forttotheheartofman, then themoftpreti– ousoyRtment can doe to the outward lenf~•· Now fome men hauing heard this firft rule concerning a good name , might obiefr and fay, thatrenowneand good report in this life alfoards fiender comfort: confidering that af– terit followes death, which is the mifcrable end of all men. But this obieaion the wifc: man remoouethby afecond rule in the words which I haue in hand, faying, that tht day of death u betterthmtb•day that on• u born•, That wee may come to the true and pro– per fence of this precept or rule, three points arc to beconfidercd. Firft,what isdeath here mentioned. Secondly, how it can be truely C &id; that the day ofdeath is betterthen the day of birth. Thirdly, inwhat refpea it is better• F<>r the lirft, death is adepriuation oflife as a punithment ordained of God and impofed OR man for his finoe. Firft, 1uy,itis a depri– uationoflife,becaufe thevery nature ofdeath is the abfence or dcfe&ofthat lifewhich God vouchfafed man by his creation. I adde fur– ther,that death is apuni!hmet, more efpecial– lyto intimate the nature and qualitie ofdeath: and to fhew, that it was ordained as ameanes of execution of Gcds iufiice and iudgement. And thatdearhisa puni1bment; 'Pa~<l plainly R.om,,, auoucherh when he faith, thatbyon. manjinn• 11· e•trtdintothtwott.i, Anddwhbyjinne. Anda– game,thatde4thUthefti.pend;wages•r allowance ofjinne. Furthermore, in euery punithmcnt\ ,here be three workers: the ordainerofit,the procurer, and thee~ecutioner. Theordainer ofthis punithment isGodin the efiate ofma~s innocencie; by a folemne law then made In thefe .very words, In thtdaythoH eateftthirtof, thou#>altdiethtdeath, G(n.o 17• Butitmaybe allcadged to the contrary, thatthe Lord faith bythe Prophet E<echiel, E<t<h. 33•t 1. thathe willnot the dtath ofajinn<r, and thereforethat heis no ordainer of death•.The anfwcr may e:fflly be made, and that fundry waies, Firft, the Lord fpeakes not-thi• to all men, otofall men, but to hisown people the Church ofthe !ewes , as appeares by·this claufe prefixed, verfc: 10. Sonntof t~U~~Jfoyvntothth•Hft•f lf– rAtl, (9-c. Againe, the words are not fpoken abfolutcly, but onely in way ~f comparifon, in thatof the twainehee ratherwihthecon– uerfion and repentance ofa finner, then his death and deftroBion. Thirdly,thevery mea– ningofthe words impon rhus much,that God · doth take nodelight ot pl•afim in the death of afinncr, as it istheruine.and dcj/rHflitmof the creature. Andyctallrhis hindersnotbutthat · Gocfin a new regard and confideration may · both will and ordaine death, namely, as it is a due a:nd deferuedpunilhment, tending to theexecutionof iufiice : inwhich iu!lice 6od is as good as in his mercy. Againe, it may be obie<'ted , that if deathindocde had beene ordained of God, then .A"dam thould haue beene deftroyed, and that prefenrly vponhi~. fall.For the very words are thus, (]en. 2· '7· WhmfoeuerthoH {halt <at••fth•forbidd<n ft~<iu, thoujhalt ctrtRin•ly dit• .A"nfw. Sentences of Scripture are eirher Legall or Euangelicall, the Law and the Gofpel beeing two fcuerall and dillinCI parts of Gods word. Now this formerfentcnce is Legall, and mufl bee vn-. derftood with an exception borr0wed from the Gofpell or the couen,nt of grace made with .Adam, and reuealed to him afterhisfall.' The exception is this : Thou thalt certainely dye whenfoeuer thoa eateft the torbidden fruit, except! doe furthergiuetheeameanes ofdeliuerance from death, namely, the feede · ofthe woman to bruife the ferpents head. Se– condly, it may be anfwered, that .A"damand all hispofieritiedied, and that prefemly afier his fall , in that his bodie was made morrall a.nd his foule became IUbiea to the curfe oi· the Law. And whereas God would not Vtter· ly defiroy .AJ.m at the very lirrt, but onely impofc: on him the be~;innings ofthe firft and the fecond death: heo did the &me in great wifedome,that in the middcl! ofhisiufiice he might make a way to mercio : which thing Tt 2 could
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