Heaven won by Violence: OR, A TREATISE Upon MAT. 11.12. Compendiously containing very nigh The Whole BODY OF Practical DIVINITY; And showing What a Sacred Violence is, and how it must be used and offered in Believing, Repenting, and all the Duties of your High Calling.  
Together with A New and Living Way of Dying, upon Heb. 11.1. added thereunto.  
By Christopher Jelinger: And Published, with the Dedications thereof, by some Christian Friends.  
London, Printed in the Year, 1665.   

To the Right Worshipful ANTHONY REEVE▪ The Mayor, And his Brethren The MAGISTRATES, And to all the Inhabitants of the populous Town of TOTNES; Mercy and Peace from God the Father, and from our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ.  
I Have been much solicited, & earnestly written to, to communicate these my Labours; because when I preached them first at your Town, it pleased God of his infinite Mercy, thereby to convert a poor soul then present, and one more elsewhere, from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan to God; which hath occasioned the coming forth of this Treatise, unto the public view of the World, by a Friend, whose desire it was to publish the same: For who can tell whether it may not be the Beneplacit, and will of God, that more souls be thereby won to God? The subject matter thereof, you see, is as apt as any, by the good blessing of God, to subject souls to the mighty Power of that Word which here I hold forth, and press, to make you press toward the Mark, for the Price of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus, to strive that you may enter into the narrow Way, which leads to Life, to offer a Sacred Violence to Heaven, to yourselves, nay, to God himself, blessed for ever, to take, to win, to get that great, that glorious, that spacious Kingdom of Heaven by Force; forcing yourselves to leave the World, to abandon Sin, to fight against Satan, and to lay hold on eternal Life.  
O Sirs, here is work for all your Town, for all this Country, for all England, for all your days. The Ancient of days so diffuse his holy Spirit into your hearts, that you may all become men of another spirit, labouring for Heaven: Heaven is worth the striving, the struggling, the painstaking, which in this Treatise is required, that you may be saved. Townsmen commonly are more at leisure to listen to such a discourse as this is, because they are not under such a pressure of worldly work, as those are which mansion in the Country; & therefore I hope you will afford some of your spare hours, to read that Lecture, which here is read from so precious a Scripture; and that you will not put off these tenders of my Love, and such a Theme as this is; like that unwise King of Macedon, who, when one tendered unto him, a Treatise tending to Immortality, said, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that is, I am not at leisure.  
I beseech you, Sirs, by the Mercies of God, in the Bowels of Christ Jesus, that you will be serious once, and set yourselves in earnest to that great Work which is here proposed, working out your Salvation with fear & trembling; for your time runs out apace in the Glass of time: and I have this confidence in you all, (2 Cor. 2.3.) that you would not willingly have the silver Cords of your lives broken, before your hearts, with sorrow for sin, be broken; nor would departed this evil world, before ye depart from sin, and have left the vanities of the world, and gotten a sound assurance of an other better world; nor yet cease to be retainers to the Sun created, before ye be retainers to the Sun of Righteousness; nor take your farewell of the Elements, before you have bid farewel to this present life's Allurements: And therefore why do ye linger? why do ye not break away from Satan by force? why do ye not once begin to have a low and abject esteem of this common way of existence, this retaining to the Elements, and become the Servants of Holiness? why do ye not strive to be the Children of Light, before ye cease to be maintained by the usury of light? 
Usura Lucis.  why do ye not set all things apart, to have your part in that holy taking of that great & glorious Kingdom of Heaven by Violence? I for my part, when I take a full view and circle of myself, do conceive, that without this I am nothing, my life nothing, my performing of duties nothing. Do you conceive so too, and then be doing as well as reading the things in this Book contained. Nay, my Beloved, do this especially; before ever you take this Treatise in hand to peruse it, resolve to be Assaulters, urgers, Pressers, Forcers of yourselves, and of Heaven by it: but withal, beg and pray before you read one line, & that upon your bended knees, seriously and ardently, that the great God of Heaven himself, will write these lines in your hearts, which I have written in this Book, that you may do them. O that you would hear me in this! For how many Books have been read in vain without this! This, this must make this my labour of love auspicious, your reading prosperous, and your laudable endeavours salutiferous. But I also myself will pray for you.  
O my God, bedew theresore these silent lines with thy Benediction, so as that this populous Town of T— may consider in this her day the things which belong to her peace, and tend to immortality, as they are tendered to it in this Book for all eternity.  
So prayeth Your most humble Orator to the Throne of Grace, Christopher Jelinger.   

ORATIO, SIVE POEMA Authoris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ad Jesum Christum Regem Coeli ac Terrae Potentissimum, Dominum suum Clementissimum.  

MAgno Nate Deo, Magni Dominator Olympi,  
Verbum subsistens, et Patris ore potens,  
Summum Sanctorum, Caput, Illustrissime Regum,  
Qui Mundum fulcis Numine perpetuo;  
Irrecitabiliter manans de Corde Parentis,  
Quo Mundus sumpsit Principe Principium;  
Ut Philomela suis attemperat Organa Cannis,  
Fitque repercusso dulcior aura melo:  
Sic mea Musa cupit te decantare per Orbem  
Terrarum totum, Divitiasque tuas:  
Non me linque ergo, Rex Prestantissime Regnam,  
Qui praesto es Sanctis, dasque Salutis opem:  
Sed me sustenta dextrae virtute potenti,  
Quae fulcit Sanctos angelicosque Viros:  
Et mihi Dux esto Cortus, Cursumque per auras  
Dirigito in Caelos, Christ beate, Tuos:  
Ut, ceu constructura favos apis, omnia linquens  
Floribus Instrepitans poplite mella rapit,  
Sic rapere ipse queam Coelestia mella, beatis  
Promissa in Coelis, Optime Christ, tuis.  
Pierideses, Christo nune vestras dicite laudes,  
Qui Sermo est Magni Progeniesque Dei:  
Christo, Cujus amor suavis mihi Crescit in horas,  
Dicite, sit semper Gratia Magnatibi;  
Sit lans excellens, celebris sit fama per Orbem,  
Atque in perpetuum Gloria summa tibi.    

Aliud ejusdem Authoris POEMA Ad Lectores Benivolos Eruditosque.  

O Fratres Chari, Coelestia quaerite Regna,  
〈◊〉 Sedes, Coelicolumque domos:  
Suffician● Menses, atque irreparabile tempus,  
Quod male praeterit, sufficiant que dies:  
Tempus quod vestat Vrbis, vivatur in altis,  
Cum Christo Coelis, angolicisque locis:  
Morbus ubi est nullus, nec egestas obsita pannis,  
Nec Mors Crudelis, nec violenta fames:  
Nec scelus infandum, aut languens maerensque Senectas,  
Aut Mars, aut ardens caedis amore furor:  
Nec tristis Metus, aut nummûm Vesana Cupido,  
Nec gelido terram rore pruina tegens:  
Sed fons in Medio quem vinum nomine dicunt  
Perspicuus, lems, dulcibus uber aquis:  
Osratres Sancti, huc spectent sitientia Corda,  
Atque oculi vestri, nocte dieque simul:  
Huc tendant cunctae vires vestrae, at que labores  
Ut vobis dentur Gaudia magna Poli:  
Vi rapitur Coeli Regnum, vi vincimur ipsi,  
Vi magnâ ipse Deus Vincitur Omnipotens:  
Propterea ingenti vi vim depellite, vestras  
Cogentes animas, ne pereant miserae,  
Sed potius penetrare que ant in Gaudia Coeli,  
Quoe Sanctis tribuet Filius ipse Dei.    

Heaven won by a Sacred Violence.  MAT. 11.12. 
And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence; and the Violent take it by force.  
THe Field which at present I desire to walk in, is this precious Scripture, chosen for the carrying on of the Work of the Lord among you.  
The Lord of Life put life into the handling of it, that we may all thrive by it abundantly. So be it.  
The Coherence.  
In the words foregoing these, we may see what Care, what Diligence, what Means Divine Providence did adhibit and use, to notify the Messiah of the World, to the World; by Prophets, first, in old time; and then by the Baptist in Christ's time, whose powerful & piercing Ministry, what effects it produced is here by my Text opened, and most clearly evinced.  
In a word, these words are a special Commendation, ushered in by a suspensive Conjunction.  
And, which connects the words here used, with those which are premised, and adds Light to Light, Lustre to Lustre: for in the words preceding these, the Greatness of the Baptist is generally only asserted, ver. 10. In these more especially, and that from the Power and Prevalency of his Ministry, which comes next to be viewed, in the special Commendation itself, comprised in the words following, From the days of John the Baptist, until now, etc. Where,  
1. We have Circumstances of Time, and of a Person.  
2. A Substance to be considered.  
First, Circumstances of Time; both from which, and to which.  
1. A Circumstance of Time, from which.  
[From the Days] not Years; for it was not long, nor many years, but some few only; and so but some days, as it were, rather than years, during which the Baptist preached; this wicked World not being worthy, nor willing of his Ministry. Briefly thus.  
From the Beginning of his preaching. For from that time, there was more labouring for Heaven than ever 
† Some did strive to enter Heaven before too, but not so generally, as you may see, Luk. 16.16.  before.  
2. The Time to which, [Until now]: Not for a little while only, but for some continuance; even till that very time wherein these words by Christ were spoken.  
Secondly, A Circumstance of a Person; of [John the Baptist.]  
1. Of John, which signifieth Grace; and therefore a name well becoming him that bore it; his Person as well as Preaching being so full of Grace, all favouring of Christ, savouring of Heaven.  
2. The Baptist; so called because of his 
* Baptista a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, made, facere & lavare aqua. See Mark 7.4.  dipping in, and baptising with * water; water being the element, for which was destinated, and about which was most employed, this glorious Instrument.  
Thirdly, A Substance, even the Substance, of the said Baptists great Commendation, which, as you see, is a most rare and singular setting forth of the most powerful effect of his Ministry, in these words, The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence, etc. Where we have,  

1. A Passion.  
2. An Action.   
I. A Passion; The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence.  
Where we have again,  

1. A Patient.  
2. The Passion itself, to consider.   
1st. A Patient, The Kingdom of Heaven.  
1. The Kingdom. A Kingdom properly is an 
* Langius, in sua Polyanth.  ampliated Commonwealth on Earth; but here no such thing is meant, as is earthy, but an heavenly; even a Kingdom, whose King is Verity, whose Law is Equity, whose Life is Felicity, whose Age is Eternity: for so it follows,  
2 Of Heaven, or Heavens.  
1. Heaven in the singular, because a Heaven 
* Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 5 p. 157 Aug. Conf. l. 8. c. 1. Lyra in Loc. Musc. in Loc. Rich. Baxter in Saints Rest, p. 19  is meant, which indeed is singular, it being a body all made of Glory, Glory made of Brightness, Brightness streaming from Happiness, Happiness destinated for Holiness; Holiness, I mean, elevated to that height of Splendour, which is over all the surface of that huge and shining place, which from every point doth pour forth whole Rivers of purest Light, for the Children of Light. 
* Cyril, Alex. Thes. l. 2. c. 4.  Cyril by Heaven, here understands Regeneration; But I do not see how he can make his Exposition hold.  
2. Of the Heavens, in the plural, as it is in the 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Original; where note, that there are two sorts of Heavens,  

1. Visible.  
2. Invisible.   
First, Visible; as,  
1. The airy Heaven, where the Fowls flee; which therefore are called, Mat. 6.26. 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Fowls of Heaven.  
2. The starry Heaven, where the Stars are, Gen. 15.5. a Body which is so clothed with shining Light, so beautified with a Canopy of gayest Colours, so embossed with glorious Jewels, so bespangled with sparkling Diamonds, the Stars I mean, whose Pulchritude is so admirable, Altitude so unmeasurable, Magnitude so unimagnible; and which is properly called, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I see, because it is to be seen, and so eminently to be seen.  
Secondly, Invisible, namely, to us now; I mean that highest Empyraean Heaven, with all its glorious Mansions, and their Dimensions; which also may be called Heavens, as part of the whole; by a Rule which we have in 
† Keckerm. in suo Syst. Log.  Logic, That which is competent to the Homogeneous whole, is also competent to the Homogeneous parts: So we call the parts of the great Sea, Seas; as the Balthick Sea, the British Sea: and so every arm of that Sea of Happiness, every branch of that endless Bliss, every beam of that Lustre, which is in that Mass of shining Light, every Mansion in that heavenly Father's House, and every part of that infinite Glory, which is over all that Kingdom of Glory, is a Heaven: And so Heaven above (here 
* Ut supra.  meant or the Empyraean Heaven, is a Kingdom of Heavens.  
Secondly, The Passion itself, [suffereth Violence.]  
1. Suffereth; Strange! can Heaven suffer? I answer, Not properly, but as it were,  
2. Violence. And what is that? It is a motion 
{inverted †} Tho. Aqu. in 5 Met. l. 6.  proceeding from an exterior agent, tending to that which by its own nature, it hath no aptitude unto: as here, what Aptitude hath any of us naturally, to win Heaven by force?  
II. An Action, [And the Violent take it by force.] Where we have,  

1. Actors.  
2. The Action itself to be viewed.   
1. Actors; [And the Violent.] In the 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Original, the Violent (so called in the English) are also invaders, endeavourers, urgers, and such as press hard; as these do, who are bend for Heaven, pressing and urging with the strongest arguments, and with all their might, and utmost endeavours, the God of Heaven.  
2. The Action itself, [Take it by force.]  
1. Take it.] The word in the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Original properly is spoken of wild Beasts, which take their prey; which here is applied to Men, who take Heaven as a prey, which they pursue till they have it.  
2. By Force.] To take a thing by force properly, and commonly, is take it by wrong. Whence in the 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Hebrew, Force is called by a name, which also signifies wrong and injury; and yet here is no wrong done to any, when Heaven is taken by the Saints forcibly, for it is their proper portion by Adoption, that glorious Habitation; and therefore when they seize on it by might, they do what they do in it, in their own 
* Understand a right derived from Jesus Christ, who hath a double right to it. Author vit Bern. l. 1. cap. 12.  right, 1 Pet. 1.3.  
But I desire now after all these Divisions, and Subdivisions, to come to some Compositions, or Conclusions. And,  
1. Let this be one.  
1. Doct. A powerful right Teaching, and Christ-preaching-Ministry, doth very much advance the winning of Heaven by a sacred Violence.  
2. Then take an other.  
Heaven must be taken by an holy Violence.  
For the first.  
I shall raise and resolve about it these two Queries.  
1. What such a Ministry is?  
2. Why such a Ministry doth so advance the winning of Heaven by an holy Violence?  
To the first I answer.  
It is a Ministry which poureth out itself in torrents of affection, lists up its voice like a trumpet, comes to the heart in the demonstration of▪ the Spirit; thunders out the Judgements of God against all that is called flesh, and not spirit, strikes at the very root of every tree which brings not forth fruit to God; labours mightily to desponsate souls to Christ, and therefore holds forth none, and nothing so much as Christ.  
To the second Query I answer thus, in seven Grounds.  
1. Such a Ministry will cry down sin.  
2. Will cry up Heaven.  
3. Will cry up Zeal.  
4. Will take away the Veil which is over all men's faces.  
5. Will take away all excuses and vain conceits.  
6. Will acquaint men with the absolute necessity of believing.  
7. Will inform them of that strictness of living which Christ requireth of all that will enter into Life everlasting.  
1. Ground. It will cry down Sin, according to that of Isa. 58.1. and Mat. 3.10. as thus; it will tell men, that they which do such things as they do, commit adultery and whoredom, and all manner of uncleanness, and lasciviousness, with greediness; do lie, steal, pour in strong drink, and will be drunk, and glut themselves with excessive eating, live in usury, in the sin of covetousness, of anger, of envy, of pride; without fear, without remorse, without repentance; are worthy of death, worthy of damnation, and shall never inherit the Kingdom of God; according to that dreadful Scripture, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. Thus such a Ministry cryeth out against all sorts of Sins and Sinners; who when they hear them cry out so, what sins will they not rather miss, that eternal Life they may not miss? And what evils will they not forsake, that Heaven they may take? When a man understands, that either he must lose his life, or his leg, or arm, or right hand, or right eye, though his leg be dear to him, his arm dear, his right hand dear, his right eye dear, yet will he lose any of these dear things, or all, rather than life; because his Chirurgeon tells him, that else he must die: So poor Sinners, when they are told by the Chirurgeons of their souls, that either they must lose their best beloved Sins, which are as dear to them as their legs, their arms, their right eyes, right hands, or lose Heaven if they will keep them; they will, with God's blessing, do any thing rather than die; forgo any sin rather than go to Hell; lose any profit rather than Heaven; Heaven being infinitely, absolutely, indisputably better than both their eyes, both hands, both legs, both arms; in a word, than all that is near or dear to them in all this world's circumference.  
2. Ground. It will cry up Heaven; as the Baptist came crying, and saying, Repent; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, Mat. 3.2. and as Christ himself came preaching, and saying in my Text, The Kingdom of Heaven suffers Violence; and Rev. 21.17. which when poor souls hear, how they will be startled with God's Blessing; how they will come, as those, Mat. 3.6. confessing their sins, and acknowledging their former of citances and neglectings of Life and Salvation, and being ready to do any thing to do well hereafter, and to be saved, as those, Luke 3.12.  
Beloved, if this were a Sea-town, and a Vessel should arrive here from beyond the Seas, and a Crier should be sent up and down to cry, That if any will buy, & take estates worth thousands, in a goodly Country, for a small matter, yea for nothing upon the matter, he may now be carried over in that Vessel, and buy, and take as much Land as he will, and as cheap as he can desire; O! how would those of your Town, who have but little or no estates, and are in want, and have but little or no money, with both hands embrace such an opportunity, & take such a proffer and advantage, and embark themselves to be gone, and to take such estates in so goodly a Country, and to inhabit such stately Seats? This now is the case of poor souls, we Ministers arrive with our Vessels, I should say our Gospel-preaching, which we carry in earthen-vessels, at your Towns, at your Parishes; at your Temples we turn Criers, being for that end sent, Isa. 58.1. and bid to cry; and cry up and down in your Towns and solemn Assemblies, Isa. 55.1. Ho, if any man will buy cheap, and take Heaven cheap, or an estate in Heaven, worth not only thousands, but whole worlds, and desires to have a goodly seat indeed, let him come with us, and sail with us, and go, and take Heaven, and take it freely; or thus (as I alleged the words above) Let him that is athirst, come; and whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely: and therefore how may we suppose that poor needy souls, and such as have no money, that is, nothing of their own to stand upon, Isa. 55.1, 2. and have any desires to be saved, and to be so well seated and provided for, will, by God's blessing, going with our preaching, strive and stir, and use all means possible, to purchase such an estate, and such a stately seat, at so cheap and easy a rate, going with us, and going away from all that they have, and from whatsoever is near and dear to them, to be so near to God.  
3. Ground. It cries up Zeal; saying, as it is written, Enter ye at the straight Gate; for wide is the Gate, and broad is the Way that leads to Destruction; and many there be which go in thereat: because straight is the Gate, and narrow is the Way which leads to Life; and few there be that find it, Mat. 7.13, 14. And, so run, that you may obtain, 1 Cor. 9.24. and, be zealous and repent, Rev. 3.19. which when it is earnestly & powerfully preached and pressed upon a people, and sounds into their ears, so awakeneth their slumbering Consciences, as that they cannot sleep, as they were wont in their Pues, nor be quiet, but must needs stir, and needs look about, and begin (with God's blessing) to take the same course that Saints take, that they may take Heaven; it being with them then, as it was with those dead dry bones in Ezekiel, for as there, when the Prophet prophesied, There was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone, ver. 7. So here, when God's Ministers prophesy, and preach with power, there usually will be a noise; whereas before all was quiet, one crying one thing, another another, and behold a shaking; for such Ministers make Drunkards, and Usurers, and unclean persons, and careless ones shake, in their seats; and then bone comes to his bone: my meaning is this, men come together, crying, and saying▪ What shall we do to be saved? as the Jailor, Acts 16.30. Again, bone comes to his bone, in that those which are out of joint, and out of order, and out of the Body of Christ, come to be restored, joined, jointed, united with God, with Christ, with Christians, I mean good Christians, that they may be saved: or thus, as when there is a fire in a house, seen, and cried by night, men will be startled at it, and roused, and raised; so when the Fire of Zeal is kindled in God's House, and cried, and seen by such as were asleep, it being night and dark with them, by reason of the darkness which is in them, they must needs be awakened, excited, troubled; like those in Acts 2.37.  
4. Ground. It will take away the 
* For all men before they come to Christ, are vailed; us Rebecca before she came to Isaac. Gen. 24.65. and like the Jews. See 2 Cor. 3. 14, 15, 16.  Veil, which is over all men's faces, in that it will make men see what they never saw, by reason of that blindness and ignorance which was in them, opening their eyes through the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Acts 26.18. by the plain and light-bringing Manifestation of the everlasting Gospel, preached as it ought to be preached, that all men that hear it, may see clearly what they are, and how it is with them, and especially showing them the Lord Christ, with these or the like words; Loc, the fairest of all men, Psal: 45.2. or, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, John 1.29. which when poor sinners hear, and see, O how they are taken with it! O how it works upon their spirits! O how they begin to long, to love, to desire to be with the Father of spirits! and how they be ravished with the Beauties of Christ, seeing what had not been shown and told them so before, and considering what they had not heard so before; as it is written, For that which had not been told them, shall they see; and that which they had not heard, shall they consider, Isa. 52.15.  
5. Ground. It takes away all excuses, vain conceits and opinions, which hinder the coming of Christ into their hearts; for some will say, that they cannot yet come to Christ, to be saved by Christ, either by reason of business, or because they are entangled with a wife, I mean Mistress Pleasure or Lust; like those, Luke 14.13, 19, 20.  
And besides these, there are many in many places, who have a conceit and opinion, that they are come to Christ already, and do believe in Christ when they do not, but are deceived by a mist, or black 
† ibi oculus qui per nebulam, aut aquam inspicit, res metitur falso modo, sic animus qui per opinionis nubem. Lips. de Const. l, 1. cap. 5.  Cloud of confused knowledge, and mistaken grounds; now this is done away in Christ, by a Christ-Preaching-Ministry, which brings them to, yea, into Christ, 2 Cor. 3.19. For this Ministry tells them, that no such excuses, pretences, lets, will serve to keep them from Jesus Christ; who is better than Ground, better than , better than all the profits of all the world, and is infinitely to be preferred before Wives, Sons and Daughters; for he can save us, but they cannot, so that he may better say the words of Elkanah, than any man breathing, or thing existing, Am not I better to thee than Ten Sons, and better than Ten Wives, and better than Ten Live, nay, better than Ten thousand Worlds, if there were so many. See 1 Sam. 1.8.  
Again, saith this Ministry, to take down their high Conceits and good Opinions of their present estates and conditions; You are merely deceived, as those, 2 Tim. 3.13. for you 
* As the Disciples took Christ to be a Spirit; so they contrariwise take that evil spirit, and his deceits, to be Christ, Mat. 14.26.  take Satan's delusions to be Christ, and a temporary or dogmatical faith for saving Faith, having your minds and consciences defiled, and denying God in your deeds, though you be Professors, and because you are to every good work Reprobates, as those who want that true saving Faith, which is so far above your temporary and dogmatical Faith, as Heaven is above the Earth, Tit. 1.15, 16.  
Moreover, saith this Ministry to such as think that they are in the state of Salvation, when they are all the while in the state of Hell and Damnation; Be not deceived; neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Effeminate, nor Abusers of themselves with mankind, nor Thiefs, nor ●…tous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor ●…tortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. and such are some of you. And it come to pass, saith this Ministry further (if there be any Wine-bibber in the same place where it is exercised) When be beareth the words of this Curse, that be blesseth himself, saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart; to add Drunkenness to Thirst; The Lord will not spare him, but then the Anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoak against that man, and all the Curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord shall separate him unto evil, Deut. 29.19, 2021.  
Now Drunkards, saith this Ministry, and all ye that live, and lie in any of the sins , Can you say, & say it truly, that such as you are in the state of Life, when God, who is Truth itself, saith you are in the state of Death? will ye say that ye are blessed, when he saith, that ye are accursed? will you harbour a conceit that ye shall be saved, when he tells you, that ye shall be damn? will you entertain an opinion, that Heaven is, and will be yours without contradiction, when the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, that that glorious Place and Kingdom, which we call Heaven, will be kept from you to an endless duration? O men befooled and unwise! You go to Heaven! saith this Ministry; if Toads, if Vipers, if Devils may go to Heaven, you may, continuing in your sins, wherein hitherto you lie wallowing, as so many Sows wallowing in the mire, 2 Pet. 2.22. which when it fills the ears of deluded souls, it also fills them with horror, with anguish, with grief, with trouble of mind, and vexation of spirit, and makes them cry out as a woman in travel, desiring to be delivered, and that by Jesus Christ, that they may be saved; and so such a Christ-preaching-Ministry, doth mightily advance the winning of Heaven by a Sacred Violence; Understand still, if God's Blessing go with it.  
6. Ground. It acquaints men with the absolute necessity of believing, I mean of believing savingly; for saith this Ministry, as Christ said once, Except you eat the Hesh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, namely, spiritually, and by a lively Faith, ye have no life in you, John 6.53. And be that helieveth not (namely, savingly) shall be damned, Mark 16.16. whatsoever the man be, learned or unlearned, bond or free, rich or poor, young or old, professor or no professor, for there is no respect of persons with God; so that if a man, being a professor, should give all his goods to the poor, pray and prostrate himself at and before the Throne of Grace oftimes in a day, peruse those sacred leaves which are in the Book of God, beyond all his neighbours, soar up by his strong elevations and high contemplations beyond the Moon, & beyond the Cassiopeia itself, into Heaven itself, as he supposeth, and talk like an Angel; yet if he want true saving Faith in Christ, he can never live, nor be, nor mansion hereafter with Christ, but must be without, where Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Liars are, as being unworthy of Lise, unworthy of Salvation, Rev. 21.8. which when it drums in people's ears, they are astonished at this Doctrine; as those, Mat. 7.28. and cry out, saying, O then, what will be come of us that believe not! O what shall our poor souls do! O that we had Faith! O that we could believe as these, and these, in the Son of God O that God would look upon us, and deliver unto us such a Faith, as he hath to others! Judas 2. O that we could obtain like-precious Faith with others! 2 Pet. 1.1. O that God would help our unbelief! Mark 9.24. O that the time were come for us to come to the Faith of God's Elect, which they have in Jesus! Tit. 1.1. O that by Faith we could eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his Blood, that we also, as well as others who believe in Jesus, might be saved! Joh. 6.53. And so such a Christ-preaching Ministry mightily advanceth the winning of Heaven by a Sacred Violence.  
7. Ground. It will inform them of that strictest way of living which Christ requireth of all that will enter into Life everlasting; For, saith this Ministry, as Christ said once, Except your Righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes & Pharisees, (who yet fasted twice a week, compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte, made long prayers, were no Extortioners, no Adulterers, no unrighteous persons, such as Thiefs, and Defrauders in bargaining, and Usurers are; nay, as some writ of them, lay upon boards, not beds, by night) ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of God: Mark; in no case, if you would give all your substance for it, would seek very much after it, would go so far to enter into it, as that it might be said of you, as Christ said to that young man, Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God, Mark 12.34. so you are not far from the Kingdom of God, yet shall ye in no wise enter, unless ye go farther, unless you go thorough, unless ye do more than Hypocrites do, and be more holy, more humble, more just, more heavenly, more patiented, more devout, more meek, more sober, and more truly pious than they are.  
Again, saith this Ministry with St. James, James 2.10. Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all. Observe; whosoever, without exception; whether he be a Jew or Christian, Minister or Hearer, a great man or a poor man, how big soever he look, how high soever he esteem and think of himself, nay though he be a man that is well esteemed by all his neighbours in the place where he liveth, for his almsdeeds, for his kind carriage, for his peacemaking among them, for his square deal with every man, and especially for the good order he keeps in his own family, for praying much and often, in and with his family, and apart; for reading, for repeating of Sermons, and for catechising his Sons, and Servants; yet if he offend in one point, if he omit or neglect any one needful Duty, live but in any one known sin, that one but will spoil all, and he will be guilty of all, and so die for it without mercy; As if a man should keep all the Laws of our Land, but kill one man, he dieth for it, if he had a thousand lives, by the Laws of the Land: So strict, saith this Ministry, is the Law of God; which when poor sinners are acquainted with, O what fears! O what doubts! O what stir! O what cares it raises and causes in men's and women's hearts! and O what source will not they use? and what pains, besides all them that they have taken, will they not take, that Heaven by Violence they may take? Some have made themselves Eunuches for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake, Mat. 19.12. And so I do verily believe, that some rather than they will be cut off from their hopes of Heaven, they will after they have heard & imbibed all this into their hearts, and ears, cut off all their members which they have upon earth, Col. 3.5. I mean their dearest sins; as Fornication, Uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and Covetousness, which is Idolatry; and that they will go as far as their legs, I mean the legs of Faith, will carry them, even so far as to the loving of their very enemies, the giving of their bodies to be burnt, the losing of their estates, their ease, their sinful and sensual delights, and the incurring of the hatred of all their friends, yea, of all the world, rather than go from Christ, and go from Life, and go from the World which is to come.  
The uses of the point will be these.  
1. use, will be one of Information.  
Then how desirable must needs such a Ministry be? You do all desire, and covet to have such servants and workmen as do their work so faithfully, so painfully, and so well, as that you may perceive, and see yourselves, how much they do advance your estates on Earth; and if so, how much to be desired then is that painful and powerful Ministry, which doth so labour to advance your spiritual estates, and your souls, that they may win Heaven? We read, John 5.4. that An Angel went down at a certain time, into that Pool, and troubled the waters, and that whosoever then first after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of what disease soever he had; and how much longed for the coming down of such an Angel was to the people then, especially to the lame, and to the blind, and to the impotent, and to the withered, ver. 3. I leave to you to judge. Now every powerful and Christ-preaching-Minister, is such an Angel: so he comes into the Pulpit; so he troubles the water, making the Word which he preacheth, to be troublesome to obstinate and impenitent sinners; and so he causes it, by God's blessing, to become wholesome to many a poor creature, that is blind, or lame, or impotent, or withered, which then and thereupon can, and will, being made whole and sound, even offer a Sacred Violence to Heaven itself, and strive to take it by force; and therefore O how lovely! O how amiable! O how desirable! O how much to be loved and longed for, must needs be a powerful & Christ-preaching-Ministry, and those Gospel-Angels which come to us in the Name of the Lord! O how welcome must they needs be to sinsick and sin-lame souls, though they trouble them a little first, because they come with healing in their preaching, and cure them at last, and make them to make out for Heaven.  
2. Use, is one of Exhortation.  
Is it so? Then, 1. Encourage such a Ministry.  
Quest. How?  
I answer:  
1. Hear it carefully; as Mat. 3.5. they came from all parts to hear the Baptist preach, even from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and all the regton round about Jordan: So when such Johns teach, let all the people that can, come and hear them, stirring up one another, as those in Isaiah, saying, Come ye, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us his ways; for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem, Isa. 2.3.  
2. Fellow, and do what such a Ministry teacheth; according to that famous Scripture, Jam 1.22. But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves: Mark; deceiving your own selves; so that you do but deceive your own souls, when you but come and sit before us, and do none of the things which are taught by us; when you say, What will this babbler say? when having heard us press the forwardness of the Saints, ye will not live as Saints; when having been told, how ye must force Heaven, ye mind nothing less than Heaven; when after ye have drunk in our Sermons tending to Life and Glory, ye will not so much as wag one foot, nor stir at all, that ye may drink in those ineffable Pleasures which flow and stream from Jehova's Face in the Kingdom of Glory. And besides, what encouragement do ye give us, as long as ye regard our words no more than fables, after they have been with all seriousness and sadness, tenderness & trueness, earnestness and eagerness, powerfulness and piercingness, faithfulness and ferventness, delivered, uttered, and preached by us. O it must needs be a deading of our affections, a cooling of our courage, a stupifying of our spirits, when after all our Gospel-Reports made by us, we must take up that sad complaint of Isaiah the Prophet, Who hath believed our Report? Isa. 53.1. Wherefore as those Sorcerers which heard Paul preach, were so affected with, and wrought upon with his preaching, as that they kindled a fire, and burned their books before all men, not at all regarding the price thereof, which amounted to fifty thousand pieces of Silver, nor the loss which thereby they sustained, because they would rather lose their Books, and lose their Gain, and lose all their Silver, than lose their Souls, and lose Life, and lose Heaven; Heaven being far more valued, more esteemed, more prized of them, than all their books which were burned by them. So do ye now go, and do likewise; ye need not kindle a fire for it, for I have kindled a fire for you already by this my preaching; for, is not my Word like Fire, saith God? Jer. 23.29. Do ye only bring, I'll not say your books, but your sins, which I have preached against in this Sermon, and burn them before all men; that is, let the Word which I have taught you now, so burn them up, as that we may see them no more, hear of them no more, be troubled about them and with them no more; as when a thing is burnt, we are troubled with it no more: O Sirs, where are those your books, I should say yoursins, which must be burnt? bring them hither, and burn them here before me, in and by this Fire which I have made for you; bring hither your Usury, your Pride, your Lusts, your Uncleanness, your Lasciviousness, your Anger, your onvious dispositions, your idle courses, your Drunkenness, your Gurmandizing, your Laziness, your Slothfulness, your Covetousness, which is Idolatry, and all the evils of your tongues, which, though little, are such unruly members; and let them all be eaten up by this Fire which I have now kindled, crying, and saying, Lord burn up these our Corruptions by this Sermon. O Sirs, do not your hearts already burn, as the Disciples hearts, when Christ opened the Scriptures to them? Luke 24.32. Do ye not feel this Fire? O that God would work now upon your souls! O that he would blow this Fire! O that he would cause his holy Spirit to blow upon your spirits! O that he would by his co-operation, make this Word of his, which I preach, and which is indeed like Fire, effectual to your salvation! O that he would make it burn up all your corruptions; and O that you would throw them all into the midst of this Fire, to be rid of them for ever, O for ever, and would never rake them up more! O happy day, that this day would then be for, and to your souls! O souls, souls, now stir, now struggle, now strive to be saved, though it be with the loss of your dearest and best-beloved sins; better, a thousand times better will it be, to suffer such a loss now, than to sustain a far greater, even the loss of your immortal souls▪ hereafter; and infinitely better it is, not to go home with your darling-Lusts, and bosome-Corruptions now, than to go to Hell for your sins hereafter for ever.  
But I must hasten to a second Exhortation.  
2. Exhortation. Esteem powerful and Christ-preaching-Ministers very highly then, for their works sake, and love them dearly. We have a notable place for this, 1 Thes. 1.12. And we beseech you, Brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. Catherina Senensis, did so prize, so estimate, and so affect such Ministers, as that she would kiss their very Vestigiaes', and the ground whereupon they did go, as they passed thorough the streets: I do not say that you must do so too, but only that you may do well to afford them the embraces of your love, and the honour of your high esteem, according to the aforementioned Apostolical Speech; which may command the obedience and submission of you all thereunto.  
3. Exhortation. Let them do nothing else then, or but little else than preach, and do you free them from all worldly cares, and distractions, by a sufficient maintenance afforded unto them, and by taking care for them, that they may take the more care for you, and that without distraction; it is pity, a thousand pities, that that Pilot which hath carried many Ships to Sea, and over the Sea safely, securely, successfully, should do any thing else, but carry Ships to and fro, from Port to Port, from Country to Country, from Land to Land; so it is great pity that that Minister, which powerfully and successfully preacheth Christ, and thereby advanceth much the taking of Heaven by a Sacred Violence, filling his Sails, I mean his Sermons, with the choicest Matter that he can possibly sinned out by the reach of his invention, and bringing many souls to Glory, should do any other thing than preach, and teach, that so doing, he may carry many a Vessel of Mercy, and many a Vassal of Sin and Misery, over those Seas of Duties, which they must sail over to that Haven of Happiness, which is called Heaven: Into which God of his infinite Mercy, bring us all. To himself alone be all Praise and Glory.  
The second Doctrine followeth.  
2. Doct. Heaven must be won by an Holy Violence.  
For the illustration whereof, I shall propose, and resolve these two Problems.  
1. Prob. What an Holy Violence used for Heaven is?  
2. Why Heaven must be won by an Holy Violence?  
To the first, I answer.  
That it is a forcing of Nature against Nature; a laying hold on God; a pressing into the Presence of God for God; it is praying with all our might; grappling with Satan to overthrow all his might; militating with Heaven for Heaven, that we may tower up into Heaven, and win Heaven, there to sing, there to rejoice, and there to triumph, for our there-enjoyed Felicity to all Eternity; we being taken up, when we have taken it, into that glorious KINGDOM, which surpasseth all the Kingdoms of the world for its Puissance, Grandeur, Magnificence, Splendour and Glory, it being the very Kingdom of Glory.  
2. Prob. To the second, I answer.  
That it must needs be so.  
1. Answer or Reason. Because Heaven lieth so far away from us, and the King thereof is as a Man of War; Exod. 15.3. The Lord is a Man of War. Now, were a little Army to march as far as China, which is Fifteen times as big as all France, and is part of the East-Indies (which is a great way off) and whose King never takes the field, as they 
* Speed reports this of him.  writ of him, under Five hundred thousand men at his heels, I say, were this little Army to take that great Kingdom, what need would there be of forcing the men of that little Army to make them go! scarce any would go, unless he be pressed, and forced to go: and again, how would those that go, be forced to force themselves, and to force that King, and to force his Kingdom to win it. This is our case; Heaven is much like that Kingdom of China, for it is a great Kingdom also, nay far greater, it lieth a great way from us; it hath a King which is called The Lord of Hosts, it is wholly at his command, and it cannot be overcome unless he be overcome; nor won, unless he be won; and we that are to take it, are but a little Army, called a 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  little, little Flock, Luke 12.32. and therefore you may well imagine, what striving, what forcing, what urging, what presling, what contending there is required of all us that will be saved; and what a Violence we must offer to Heaven, before we can win Heaven; and how we must be forced to go, before we will go to Heaven: O Sirs, do not you find it so by your own experience? do ye not see how ye must constrain yourselves to Duties, and in Duties many times? do not ye take notice of it, how you must even frequently, and most earnestly wrestle with the King of Heaven for Heaven?  
2. Answer. By reason of the many Enemies that lie betwixt us and it; as namely,  
1. High soaring and self-exalting imagination are betwixt us and it, 2 Cor. 10.5. which will keep us low, unless we bring them low, and will not suffer us to ascend, unless we make them to deseend.  
2. Powers and Principalities, Ephes. 6.12. Mark: Powers; not weak ones, but strong and mighty Adversaries; again, not petty ones, but Princely ones, and Proud ones, as standing upon their Greatness, even Principalities; which is more than if the Apostle had said, Princes; and those must be vanquished by such weak, silly simple creatures as we are; O the striving then! and O the stirring that will be required of us, if Heaven shall ever be taken and conquered by us!  
3. Rulers of the Darkness of this World, in Ephes. 6.12. which will absolutely keep us out of that other World, unless we put and keep them down in this World, and will rule us, so as to mke us lose Heaven for ever, unless we overrule them, and so take Heaven by force.  
4. 
* Ephes. 6.12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Spiritual wickedness in High places. The Original is, Wicked Spirits in Heavenlies'; which some understand of our Heavenlies'; that is, in our heavenly Duties of Prayer, of Fasting, of Meditating, and the like; for in and about these heavenly Performances, those wicked spirits are most busy with us, either to hinder us in them, or from them, or to make us proud upon them; all which Spiritual Wickednesses must go down, if we shall go up.  
The Uses of the Point will be these.  
Then, 

1. Be informed.  
2. Be convinced.  
3. Be startled.  
4. Be dissuaded.  
5. Be persuaded.    
I. Use. Be informed. And,  
1. Of the Power of Religion; for one should think that the hearing of this should quench Religion, and put it down; as one would have thought, that the fire which fell from Heaven, would have been quenched by the water which was in the trenches. 1 Kings 18.38. but as that Fire was not put out by all that abundance of water; so Religion will by no means be extinguished, or put out by all that abundance of difficulties, of oppositions, of powers, of enemies, 
† Superbia tumidis invidentia lividis, fallacia callidis à justitia penitus alienis. August. de Civ. Dei. l. 8. c. 22.  proud and crafty, and freighted with envy and malice, which it meets with, & must overcome by force to win Heaven; no, no, but it will bear up for all that, and stand to it, and even dare to look the proudest and the stoutest enemy it hath in the face, to encounter him, and to overpower him; For it is of the same resolution, that famous Captain 
* Paraenetical Treatise to the Princes of Europe, pag. 26.  Ferras was of, always bearing arms against the greatest Emperor of the world: O it is a strong, a stout, a mighty thing, this Religion! neither Men, nor Devils, nor Death, nor things present, nor things to come can over-match it.  
2. Of the strange Wisdom of God. A Father doth not count it wisdom to tell his Daughter, whom he intends to prefer to a rich Man, that he is hardly to be pleased, and very strict, and one that looks narrowly after every thing (and of the troubles of such a marriage) though he hear so much of him, because that would discourage her utterly. So Generals are not wont to tell Novices, and young Soldiers, of the dangers and hazards of War, of the impregnableness of their Enemy's Towns, of the height of their Walls, which they must scale, of the puissance, multitude, and sierceness of their Enemies, but rather of their weakness, and effeminateness (as 
* Curtius.  Alexander the Great did, when he encouraged his men against the Persians) lest they should be disheartened: But the Wisdom of God is wiser than the wisdom of men; for he, because he knows that hardships and difficulties foreshewn, do put men on hazardous, bold, and venturous attempts; therefore tells us beforehand, that it is no easy thing for a man to please God; that he doth most narrowly look after every Soldier of his, & after all his do; that Heaven cannot otherwise be taken, but only by Violence; and that therefore it is one of the hardest things in the world for any man to go about it. O Sirs, observe then, this great, this strange, this to be admired Wisdom of our God; who knows full well, that if he should not foretell us so much, we would be apt to say then, when we meet with dangers, with enemies, with difficulties, Non putaramus; that is, We did not think so; and so would basely and cowardly turn faces about, and run away. It is said of Laban, that when Jacob expected to have Rachel to be given him, to be his wife, and found that it was Leah, he told him, It must not be so done in our Country, to give the younger before the firstborn, Gen, 28.26. So, whereas men look for Rachel still, that is, all things fair, God contrarily tells them of Leah; that is, of things which are not so pleasing to them, not being so fair in their eyes; and saith in plain terms, as Laban said, It must not be so done in this Country, or in this world; to give men Rachel (I should say Heaven) before Leah; that is, before they have been matched up first to hardships, and used to things which they like not: Rachel is reserved for the last place, and Leah for the first. O the infinite and incomparable Wisdom of God in all this! for he knows that plaindealing is best: Satan deals with the Sons of men far otherwise, for he tells them of nothing, but of all fair first; and afterward, when he hath them at an advantage, and thinks that he can make them irrecoverably fall, of all bad, all lost, and therein he places and centres a great deal of his Serpentine wisdom: but the most wise God holds it better, and takes it to be far greater Wisdom, to tell men of the worst first, and of the best next, because that usually speeds best; and therefore let us here take up that rare Admiration and Exclamation of the Apostle, of and about the Wisdom of God; Rom. 11.33. O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God How unsearchable are his Judgements, and his Ways past finding out!  
3. Be informed, that no wonder it is therefore that so few are saved; as it is asserted, Mat. 7.13. Because straight is the Gate, and narrow is the Way which leads to lafe; and few there are that find it.  
Some wonder, that of six hundred thousand men, that went out of Egypt, but two should enter into the Land of Canaan, Deut. 1.36, 38. Numb. 14.38. But a wonder it is rather, that any did enter; for there, they heard were Anakims, huge Giants, Walls reaching as it were to Heaven, Chariots of Iron, Deut. 1.28. Josh. 17.16. And so it is more to be admired, that any one man is saved, and enters Heaven, than that but a few; for between us and it there are Giants also, that is, tall and mighty enemies, stronger than we; and men whose teeth and necks are like Iron; like those in Dan. 2.19. Isa. 48.4. and whose brows are of Brass; ibidem; and there are betwixt us and it, Walls, as it were, reaching to Heaven; that is, such difficulties, and such obstacles, as seem to be insuperable, and such as cannot be overcome by us. When 
† Chrysost. ad pop. Ant. hom. 40.  St. chrysostom preached once at Antioch, he had these dreadful words in his Sermon; How many do ye think there may be in this our City (now Antioch was an exceeding great and populous City) which shall be saved? it will be very offensive what I shall say, but yet I will speak it; There may not be among these thousands, one hundred; nay; of them I doubt also. And what would he say, if he did now live and preach among us?  

* Augustine in Psal. 48. p. 528.  So blessed Austin, in one of▪ his Sermons upon the Psalms, makes this speech, This People which in the midst of God's People, obtained mercy of what number was it? O how few are they! scarce any. And will God be contented with so few, say some, and destroy such a multitude? this they say, who promise themselves that which they never heard God say. How many be they that seem to keep God's Commandments? scarce will one, or two, or exceeding few be found; and will God save only these few? and damn all the rest? Far be it, say they, when he shall come and see such a multitude before him, and at his left hand; he will show mercy then, and grant his indulgence. Truly this same thing did the Serpent once promise the first man; Thou shalt not die. Thus that holy Man. And no wonder that both he and we say so, for as much as you see what a Force and Violence is here required of every man and woman that will be saved. But I had almost forgotten here to insert that dreadful Relation which one makes touching this matter, saying, 
† Considerate. of Eternity, p. 285.  Hieronymus Plautus reports of a certain woman, that hearing Bertoldus, a powerful man in the Pulpit, inveigh very much against a sin that she knew herself guilty of, fell down dead in the Church; after a while, by the blessing of God upon the Prayers of the Congregation, coming to herself, related unto them what she had seen in this trance, saying thus; Methought I stood before God's Tribunal, and sixty thousand souls more with me, called together from all the parts of the world to receive their final sentence; and they were all judged and condemned to eternal torments; but only three excepted. O what a fearful thing was this! I should hardly believe this woman's relation, but that I believe Christ, Mat. 7.14. O Sirs, do ye not tremble at this? do ye not fear then what will become of you for the most part? are ye not ready to cry out, saying as they said, Mat. 19.25. Who then of us will be saved? But do not marvel at it, that this is so reported, considering what a Force and Violence there must be offered to Heaven, by every one that will win Heaven.  
II. Be convinced. Whereof? That if ye take no pains, are not in trouble as other men, Psal. 73.5. do not strive, do not stir as for Life, to enter into Life, but live in ease, live in delights; if you be not acquainted with the Saints most mighty wrestle with Jesus Christ, both night and day; if their pressing and pricking themselves forward toward the Mark for the Price of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus, Phil. 3.14. be a strange thing to you; if our telling of laying siege (as it were) to Heaven, be a mere Riddle to you; if you do not know what a life it is, which Heaven forcing-Saints live, and what pains they ●ake, what trouble they undergo, what labours they exantlate, and what endeavours they use to win Heaven by Force; then be convinced, I say, that except you wheel about, and betake yourselves into an other narrower circle, and live a stricter life, you will never enter into Life. Here let me use this fit Comparison; Were a Traveller, being purposed to travel into a goodly Country, told by a skilful Guide, that in the way to it, there are many Mountains which he must go over, raggy Rocks which he must climb over, huge Waters which he must pass over, and withal, whole Brakes of Pricking Thorns, and piercing Briars which he must make his way over, and instead of all this, should find the quite contrary in the way which he takes and chooses, should meet with no such Mountains, no such Rocks, no such Waters, no such Thorns, should see nothing but pleasant Meadows, fair Gardens, fragrant Roses, and all plain, would he not say, Surely I am out of the way, for this is not the way I was told of, here is no such thing as was declared unto me? Now, my Brethren, ye are purposed to go to that goodly Country, which is called Heaven, or Heavenly, Heb. 11.16. are not ye? But do ye know the way, & what a way it is? if not, I will tell ye; It is a way bestrawn with Thorns, and not with 
† Itaque ne imposterum quidem Lipsi rosas cogita Sosamum, aut papaver, sed spinas, sicas, absinthium, et acetum. Lips. de Const. l. 1. c. 10.  Roses; with labours which are like Briars that prick, and not with Lilies which toil not, Mat. 6.28. a way full of Mountains; that is, of high and mountainous services; of Rocks, that is, of difficulties; of Rivers, of Waters, that is, great tribulations: and therefore if any of you meet with nothing here, but with pleasures, with delights, with ease, with all fair, all plain, all sweet, and with no wormwood, no bitter, no gall, no difficulties, no thorns, and live a lazy life, let him say likewise, Truly I am out of the way which I should go; for this is not the way which was shown me; sure, sure it is not the way to Heaven; and therefore if I go on thus, I shall never come to Heaven. Thus be convinced.  
III. Nay, be startled and astonished; as the Disciples, Mat. 19.25. when they heard what a hard thing it was for a Rich man to be saved; the Text saith, They were exceedingly amazed; saying, Who then can be saved? So be you, because it will go very hard with you, and because you must sweat and toil, and labour very hard before you can possibly be saved. Beloved, were ye in a deep and desperate Consumption, and to go against a hill as high as Caucasus, that highest Mountain of Asia; were ye like Pigmies, and yet to sight with a great Dragon; were ye as little Lambs, and yet to grapple with Lions; were ye, being so little, to take a City kept by a mighty Warrior; were ye told by the way, that ye must in your way, or march, break through an Army of Giants, who have destroyed thousands and thousands, and that very few have yet escaped them alive, how would ye be startled at it; saying, O how shall we poor silly creatures escape those mighty creatures whom they call Giants! O we shall never! This is just our case; we here present are, as it were in a deep Consumption, and have but little flesh, I should say, strength about us; as it is written, Thou hast a little strength, Rev. 3.8. and yet must go against the highest hill that is; I mean that holy Hill spoken of, Psal. 15.1. We Pigmies are to wrestle with a Dragon, I mean that old Dragon, the Devil, who of a Serpent is become a Dragon by his long standing, and growing in subtlety, and cunning; for he hath had almost six thousand years' experience, and thereby hath gotten a 
† Cui mille nocendi arts. Hieron. ad Hesiod. de vita Eremit.  world of skill and cunning to hurt us: We Lambs are to grapple with Lions;. I mean Satan's Angels, and must take Heaven kept by a King, who is styled a man of War, Exod. 15.3. and break by force thorough an Army of Giants; I mean spiritual Wickednesses in High Places, Ephes. 6.12. who have slain millions, and few yet did ever escape their hands; and they that freed themselves from them, and were saved, were delivered and saved merely by a miracle of mercy: wherefore be out of measure astonished, especially if you be far from being such Wrestlers, and Pain-takers, and Force-inferring, and Violence-using-Christians as ye ought to be, and cry out, saying, O then, who of us can be saved! who, O who of us that live such an easy life can enter into Life! And as for you that take pains, and use violence to take Heaven, yet be amazed at this, and say, O how hard will it be for us also to be saved, for of the very Righteous it is written, that even he is scarcely saved! 1 Pet. 4.18. O the Dissiculties that we must pass thorough before we can, or ever shall pass into Life, even. Life Everlasting!  
iv Be dissuaded.  
1. From rash censuring; If a Brother be fallen, be foiled, be overtaken in a fault, be not too bitter against him, nor too censorious; for we walk in a very narrow, narrow way, nay but upon the edge and brink, as it were, of a Hill, or Rock; yea, if we be such as we ought to be, and do as we ought to do, we do not only travel in such a narrow way, but meet with those that will jet us, and go to throw us down; I mean those Powers, Ephes. 6.12. and therefore even a godly man may be soon down, and fall grievously; witness David; so that we must not be so forward as we are apt to be, in 
† Non sic judices proximum, sed magis excusa, et dicito apud temet ipsum, vehemens fuit nimis temptatio. Basil. Serm. 40. supper Cant. fol. 145.  judging. See Mat. 7.1.  
2. From s●aring. And,  
First, If ye be Aliens yet from that strictness of living, and from that Forcing which here is required, and fearful withal, then cease to be so; for fearful ones are not fit for such an employment, nor indeed can be saved, if their fear be slavish only, and bear sway; as you may see Rev. 21.8. But the fearful shall have their part in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone. And therefore as Gideon made a Proclamation in his Camp, Judg. 7.3. Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and departed early from Mount Gilead; So I proclaim this day, and here in this place, and in these your ears, Whosoever among you is fearful, and yet hopes to vanquish all his enemies, which are many, and mighty, being Rulers and Princes, which as Princes have many soldiers & subjects under them, Ephes. 6.12. even 
* Improbos spiritus et homines pessimos. Aretius.  wicked spirits, and most wicked men, and to win Heaven, let him early and betimes departed from his hopes, unless he will departed from his fears.  
2dly, So if you be of the number of true Forcers and Endeavourers to take Heaven by Violence, but are pestered with a multitude of fears mixed with your confidences, though not allowed, I shall say unto you as Christ to his Disciples, Fear not little Flock, for it is your Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom, Luke 12.32. even that very Kingdom which you are going to take by Violence; for the Violent, saith Christ in my Text, take it by Force. Your fear is that you will not be able to hold out; but what saith the Apostle, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Phil. 1.6. And besides, rather than you should fail, or fall away, I say moreover, that God will either end your 
† Aut cito mors veniet aut victoria laeta Horat.  days before, or your dangers, and then you will be no longer Soldiers in Armour, but Gownsmen in long white Robes, Rev. 7.9. having Palms in your hands, and Crowns on your heads, as Conquerors; according to that of Paul, I have fought a good fight, and have finished my course, from henceforth is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing, 2 Tim. 4.7. O Sirs, how should this cast out Fear? It is true, we deserve no such thing, no, no; and our Do and Wrestle and Force come infinitely short of that height and heat of Zeal which is required of us: but let us comfort ourselves with this, that by his Mercy he saves us, and not by works of righteousness which we have done, Tit. 3.5. For my part, when I take a full view of myself, and consider my ways, and my great and mighty failings, am forced to say this, That I obtain Heavon and the Bliss thereof, as a felicity which I can neither think to deserve, nor expect as my due; For these two ends of us all, either as rewards, or punishments, are mercifully ordained, and disproportionably disposed unto our actions; the one being so far beyond our deserts, the other so infinitely below our demerits.  
V Be persuaded then, if you would win Heaven, to force, 

1. Yourselves.  
2. The Kingdom of Heaven itself.  
3. The King thereof himself.    
I. 
* I do not intent by this, to sow the seeds of Pelagianism, as if man had free will and power in himself, and of himself to believe, to repent, etc. but only to put men upon endeavours to be used with God, for God; according to Phil. 2.12, 13.  Yourselves, in, 

1. Believing.  
2. Repenting.    
Quoties enim bona agimus, Deus in nolis atque nolis cum ut operemur operatur. Concil. Araus. 2. Can. 9  
3. All the Duties of your high Calling.  
First, Believing, for there you must begin, because Faith is the mother-Grace, and the mother-Vertue, from which all other do spring; and without which our best actions are all sins, Rom. 14.23. When 
* Lucianus in Scytha.  Toxants saw his Countryman Anacharsis in Athens, he said to him, I will at once show thee all the wonders of Greece, Viso Solone vidisti omnia; that is, In seeing Solon, thou seest all, even Athens itself, and all the Glory of Greece. Semblably, whereunto I may say to you, That if you have Faith in Christ, you have more than all the Wonders of Greece, even all the wonderful Gifts of Grace. Grace your souls therefore, O dear Christians, with this rare and heedful Gift; and begin here, striving and labouring mightily to believe in Jesus, that you may be saved by the Faith of Jesus: O cry for this great Grace, as Children cry for Milk, because they live by it; cry and say, Lord help us to believe: And then strive more particularly to believe verily, and forcibly; that is, whether the flesh will give way to it, or no, that Christ will 
† I use this expression the rather alluding to our Marriages, because God himself useth it to set forth believing, and because it is most taking.  marry you to himself, and thereby save your souls; for that is one of the principal acts of Faith, to believe this, in that we are said to be married to God in Faith, Hos. 2.30. and by it, come to be one with God, and God in Christ with us, that we may be saved; even as two married persons, by marriage come to be one: See John 20.21. where this Oneness, or Unity, and Believing, are so conjoined.  
But here I must resolve a great Question.  
Quest. Suppose we should be persuaded by you to force ourselves thus to believe, will Christ have us if we will have him?  
Sol. O yes, for you have his Promise for it, which brings me to the principal thing that * begets Faith, and without which we cannot 
* To expect Faith without a Promise, is as if we should expect a crop of Corn without seed: For the Promise, is an immortal Seed, whereby the Spirit begets Faith. The Author of the Poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ.  expect any true Faith, even the Word of Promise.  
Quest. Where is that Promise?  
Answ. In the Prophet, Hos. 2.9. And I will betrothe thee unto me for ever: And ver. 20. I will even betrothe thee unto me in 
† Understand the Grace of Faith bestowed upon us. Jun. Tremel. in loc.  Faithfulness. Do ye hear this, O poor souls? In the Uses premised, I suppose ye were startled, and troubled not a little; for, for that end they were fitted, that thereby you might be 
* For none can prove or show precedent, that Faith was wrought in an instant at first, without any preparation going before. Roger's of Dedham, in his Doctrine of Faith. p. 63.  prepared for this, which puts you upon believing: But now be comforted, and now be persuaded, that Christ will have you, if you through the Riches of his Grace will have him: O Sirs, you may believe him, that what he promises, he will do, for it is impossible son God to lie, Heb. 6.18. Now here, you here and see his Promises; here it lieth in this Book; here I show it to you, showing you the Book, the Chapter, the Verse wherein it lieth, and shineth and sparkles above the brightness of any Ruby or Diamond. O believe, believe only; for why should ye not? If a woman have a man's promise that he will marry her, she believes him because of his promise; and will ye not believe God; having his Promise? Man may lie, and often doth lie; but God cannot, therefore give credit to his Word, and be married to him in Faith, and so make an end once of that great match which hath been so long hanging betwixt Christ and you. O cry to him, and say, Lord, I see thou wilt needs have me, and therefore I will have thee, and no other, for my dear and everlasting Husband; O come Lord Jesus, and marry me this day in Faith and for ever; O for ever, for so thou hast promised me.  
Here give me leave to give you a Caveat about the Lord's Promise. The Promise is likea Staff; and you know the backside of a man's hand cannot take a Staff, but let him turn the palm of his hand to the Staff, he may take it; so turn the rightside of your souls to the Lord's Promise, forcing them to believe, as Abraham, against hope, Rom. 4.18. that is, though you have but little, or no hope, when you look upon yourselves, and upon your great unworthiness, yet in hope, when you look upon God's unparalellable Goodness, and his, by you, undeserved Kindness, and you may take it; but we turn the backside of our hearts to the Promise, when the heart saith, O my stubbornness! and O my unworthiness! this is the wrong-side of the heart; and this will never let you take Christ, but rather be a let to you, which will ever hinder you from marrying Christ, and from believing in Christ; therefore beware of it. But I desire to use one artifice more, to draw you unto Christ, so as that this very time, you may by God's Blessing come to believe in Christ. I'll deal with you, as they dealt with Rebecka, when Eleazar was come to her to have her married unto his master's Son, they called for the Damsel, and asked her, Wilt thou go with this man, Gen. 24.58. So will I call to you now, being come for you to marry you to my Master's Son, even to Christ, that heavenly I saac, will you go with me? will you follow me? Will you come after me to my Master's Son, Christ? I mean the Son of God; Formerly I did but persuade you, but now I come nearer home to your hearts and bosoms, and ask you what you will do, expecting an answer: answer therefore, O ye men of T— and all you that hear me; and answer every one of you in his heart, what ye intent to do; lo, I give you time, what say ye? will ye go, or not? believe, or not believe? be married to Christ, or not be married? if you have a mind to it indeed by an overruling hand, and Power of God upon you, though flesh and blood be utterly against it, and say nay to it, yet do you say as Rebeccka, now after all this, every one of you, I will go, I will go. ver. 58. come what will come, though all my friends be against it; though my unbelief do gainsay it; though my sluggish flesh do dissuade me from it; and though sin and devils do as much as they can oppose me in it, O sweet Jesus, lo I come, though it be long first, yet now at last I come to take thee for my most dear and only Saviour, Lord and Husband; O take me sweet Saviour, and let me be thine, and be thou mine; as it is written, My Beloved is mine, and I am his; yea, and feed me among the Lilies; that is, with thy Lilies; or celestial Consolations, which for their cooling & refreshing, are like Lilies, Cant. 2.16. O souls, souls, is this your mind? your purpose, your resolution this day? if it be, then say all of you Amen to it, in your hearts, I entreat you, and bespeak you about it once more. O my God, if this people have such an heart given them this day, then blessed be thy holy name for it, now and for ever; if not, give them such a heart now, before I leave them, that by believing and loving, they may be in thee, and thou in them, I humbly and hearty obsecrate and beseech thee.  
II. Repenting; that is, sorrowing for sin, and confessing, and forsaking of sin: which parts of true and sound repentance in this place, I chief aim at, the one making us lower than we were, the other better, both are bitter; but better it is for all to taste of their bitterness now, than to suffer for the want of them hereafter.  
1. Force yourselves therefore to mourn, to grieve for your great and grievous sins now in this world; according to that in Joel 2.12, 13. that ye may not suffer for them in the world to come: nay, come, let us all weep and lament together, as we have all sinned together, that God may comfort us at that day, and wipe away our tears from our eyes; as it is written, Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted, Mat. 5.4. and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, Rev. 7.17. Now, our tears may do us good, being shed for sin; but if we forbear weeping till we come to the place of weeping, Mat. 24.51. what will that weeping then avail us? O nothing, nothing. When that great sinner, Marry Magdalen, wept, it was here, and it was for her great offences; and that made her so famous as she is, Luke 7.38, 50. O let her fame inflame us therefore, that we may weep so likewise, and that our end may be like hers, though she was a sinner, Luke 7.37. When 
* Amphilochius, apud Vossium de vita Ephr. p. 16.  St. Basil asked Ephreem, why he relused to be a Preacher, he said, Because he was a sinner; unto whom St. Basil replied, I would to God I were such a sinner: And so well were it for we, if we were such sinners as she, and others were, who so wept, and so repent.  
Again, Now force yourselves to leave what formerly ye did love, your sins I mean, which were as dear to you as your lives; and to confess them, according to these noted Scriptures, Jer. 3.12. Only acknowledge thine Iniquities: and Isa. 1.10. Cease to do evil. I join both Confessing and Leaving together: for so doth God himself, Prov. 28.13. and therefore do not you put them asunder, but confess and forsake. Among Men, he that confesseth, dyeth; but here, and before God, he that confesseth, liveth. So he that forsaketh; Prov. 28.13. He that covers his sins, shall not prosper; but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy.  
Now, when I say confess, I desire to be understood thus; confess with 
† A Corollary for Deprecations to be added to our Confessions.  Deprecations, added to your Confessions as a Corollary; like Daniel, who so confessed, Dan. 9.4, 19 As thus, Go and spread a Catalogue of all your main and known sins (having one in readiness before the Lord) and say, thus and thus we have done. Here descend to Particulars; and when you have so done, cry and say with Daniel, O Lord hear, O God forgive. And it shall come to pass, that if you shall so confess your Iniquities, and the Iniquities of your forefathers, and your uncircumcised hearts shall be humbled, that the Lord will remember his Covenant made with, and Promise made to his People, that he will forgive their Iniquity, and remember their Sin no more, Leu. 26.40. Jer. 31.31, 34. 1 John 1.9. Your fleshly hearts will be drawing back, as being very unwilling to confess so, even so much, and all that they know, for that is tedious to them; but do ye make them stand to it, and to hold out to the end of this great and mighty Work, and so labour to take Heaven by Force: And when that is done according to your minds, then forsake what you have confessed; according to that fore-alleadged passage, in Pro. 28.13. and do even with much indignation, and detestation, cast off the works of darkness, and walk for the future honestly, as in the day; not in Ryotting and Drunkenness, not in Chambering and Wantonness, not in Strife and Envying; for it is high time to awake out of sleep; the night is far spent, the day is at hand; according to that of the Apostle, Rom. 13.11, 12. O precious! O blessed! O wonder-working Scripture! for this Scripture it was which so much advanced blessed 
* Aug. Confes. 1.8. c. 1, 2, 3, etc.  Austin's to-be-admired Conversion; when in his Hoast's Garden, he heard a Voice, saying, Turn and read; and he had turned to that place, and read it, and wept, and cried, and was fallen all along under a Figtree, and had said, Why not now Lord? why not now? O my Brethren, as he did then being moved by that Voice, so do you, turn to this Scripture; read it; and having read it deliberately, either in a Garden, or in your Closets, and Chambers, fall all along upon your faces (I have done so myself in the like case, and in the beginning of my Conversion) and cry, and weep, and say, How long, Lord? how long? Why not now? why not now? O let this be the last day of our shame: O now let us be converted, now changed, now metamorphosed, now altered: Here be extraordinarily earnest; for the Conversion of a Sinner is a greater work than that of the Creation, as 
* August. apud vegam in Jer. 31.18.  Divines affirm, and no less than a miracle, even a stranger miracle than it was in the beginning to make the World; for there was nothing to hinder God in creating the great World; but in renewing this our little World, besides our own natural corruption, all things on earth, all Devils in Hell, are ready to withstand him. Therefore cry again, and say with Ephraim, every one of you, Lord turn me, and I shall be turned, Jer. 31.18. And if your sluggish hearts would have you to make an end before you have your errands end, and would be gone, force them to stay, and make them to make an end; that is, do not give over crying, and praying for your Conversion, till you be converted; nor let your hearts depart from the place, till you can and do departed from sin, and so cast off sin, which else will cast off you; and put off the works of darkness, which else will throw you into utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore. O Sirs, I have put you upon a hard task, but 
† For it is like necessity, which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉; as Thales.  Force will go far with it; and therefore force yourselves to it. O my God, work upon this People's hearts, and take them into thine own hand, like a Potter's vessel, and break them in pieces; and when thou hast so done, new-make them, and new-create them, effigiating them after thy own Likeness, and turning them from Darkness to Light, and from the Power of Satan unto God, I humbly entreat thee, Acts 26.18.  
III. All the Duties or Discharges of your High Calling.  
1. In Resolving. 
* Of this Resolution depends all our whole Service of God. Edm. Bunny, p. 1.  Resolution is a mighty thing, and puts us upon action, and brings mighty things to pass; and without it, little or nothing will be done. Beloved, What is the reason why so many men do not travel so far as others do, nor go to wars as thousands do? is it not because they are not resolved as others are? So that so many thousands do not travel to Heaven, nor will war for Heaven, it is because they are not yet resolved; For he that never resolves himself to do well, and to leave the dangerous state of sin, wherein he liveth, is far off from doing the same: but he that sometimes resolves to do it, although by frailty he performeth it not at that time, yet is that Resolution much accepted with God, and his mind the readier to return to the like Resolution, again to put it manfully in execution. Wherefore as the Lord by the Prophet Hosea, bids Israel to say, We will not ride upon Horses, nor will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods, Hos. 2.3. As if they should say, we will never more be so swift, and hasty, as to rush into sin, like a Horse into the battle, nor will we have any more to do with Idols. So do I bid you to say, and to resolve now, here before the Lord, after all your former endeavours used, and forementioned in the preceding Uses and Directions, We will never more, by the Grace of God, be so wild, so fierce, so hasty, so eager in the pursuit of sin and lust as we have been, nor will we have any more to do with those sensual delights, those filthy & lascivious courses, those unlawful sports those inordinate passions of anger and revenge, those vile thoughts, those vain and unclean communications, those covetous desires and practices, those bloody Oaths, those impure touches, those wanton gestures, those monstruous fashions; those scarlet and crimson abominations, which were our Idols hitherto, and to whom we said upon the matter, Ye are our God's. I add: neither will we walk one day or hour longer in that broad way; which is, as it were, between the two posts of delight and ease, and leads to destruction. I spoke but now of two posts; for so some 
† Jun. Tremel.  Expositors and Translators render and expound that place in Mat. 7.14. Enter ye at the straight Gate; for wide is the Gate, and broad 〈◊〉 Way which leads to destruction, and many g●… in thereat; or 
* In Syr. Translation.  per medium ejus, thorough the midst thereof; that is, say they, thorough that space which is betwixt two posts: In which sense the Hebrew word which the Syriack Translation here answers, is 
* 〈◊〉 apprimitur a Rab. Davide Kimchi. Hebraorum doctissimo.  read Zach 4.12. Again, Resolve, and say here in the presence of God, and of his holy Angels, every one of you, as Joshua once, As for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord, Josh. 24.16. Or thus; Let all this People say in their hearts, as God's People once with their lips; We also will serve the Lord, for he is our God, Josh. 24.18. Nay, but we will serve the Lord, Josh. 24.21. As if they should say, Nay, we will stand to it. O my Brethren, such Promises and Resolutions will put a mighty tye upon your consciences; for when a man makes a promise, he is bound, and his promise becomes a debt, which must be paid. So that though in my former direction, I persuaded you to leave Sin; yet now again I fall upon Sin, but in an other manner, showing how by the help of Resolution, you may be rid of it: and the same design I have for that, which I shall speak hereafter, concerning all those Duties which I shall press upon your Consciences, to tie you thereunto by such a Promise and Resolution as here I persuade you to. The Lord direct ye, and the Lord assist you in the making of it, that ye may not only make it, but also keep it. Amen. So be it.  
2. In Resisting. For though you do cry against Sin, and cry to be converted, and resolve against sin, never to commit it more, yet will it, like an 
† Improbitas Muscae.  improbous, and impudent Fly, return again; and therefore must be still resisted; as well as Satan, 1 Pet. 5.9. O dear Christians, do not you find by experience, how since you took that great work of Resolution in hand, which I formerly spoke of, and since you began to take Heaven by Violence, you met with open war, as it were, within yourselves, Sin warring against you in your members: as Paul also found it in himself, Rom. 7.25. and as most of the 
† Cypr. l. 1. c. 1. Aug. l. 1. doctr. Chr. c. 23. Greg. Mor. 4. c. 23. Cyril l. de orat. Orighom. 30. in Exo. Hilar. in Psa. 118. Bern. in Psal. 90.  Ancient Worthies can and do speak of it in their Books? and the reason of it is this; for that the Devil possessing quietly your souls before, lay still, and sought only means to content the same, by putting in new and new delights, and pleasures of the flesh; but when he seethe that ye offer to go from him, he gins straight to rage, and to stir up yourselves against yourselves, and to move sedition within yourselves. This in figure was shown by the Example of Laban, Gen. 31. who never so persecuted his Son-in-Law Jacob, until he would departed from him. And therefore I must needs put you upon resisting. O Sirs, as the Apostle said once to the Hebrews, Heb. 12.4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood▪ striving against sin; so may I say to most of you, with a little alteration; Ye have not yet resisted to the utmost, and as ye ought, striving against sin; and therefore I may well stir ye up as I do, even most earnestly, to resisting; saying, O strive, O stir as for Life against Sin; I mean against Pride, and against Lust, and against Passion, and against Worldliness; for all these sins will trouble you again, and again, and again; and therefore you must resist them again, and again. If you ask me, How? I answer as the Apostle, in the Faith, 1 Pet. 5.9. Believing verily, that God for Christ's sake will subdue them in you, and for you: for ye have a precious Promise for it, Rom. 6.14. Sin shall not have dominion over you.  
3. In Reading. Search the Scriptures, saith Christ, John 5.39. and that requireth labour: for so much the Original emphatically doth imply [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉;] and that our sluggish flesh doth not like: and therefore Reading & Searching is so much neglected by us: for where be the men that will not only read, but search the Scriptures daily? Acts 17.11. It is well if we read daily; many will not do that.  
Again, where be the Christians that will read the Scriptures in their journeys; as the Eunuch; Acts 8. (who was but a Jew) in his Chariot? it is well if we read them at home: And therefore I must needs stir you up as much as I am able, to this most excellent Duty, persuading you all, that after you have set up your Resolution for Heaven, and Eternal Life, you will also read as for Life; for therein is to be had Eternal Life, John 5.39. If the flesh draw back, do ye prick it forward; if it will not follow you, do ye follow it; if your eyes be heavy, and will not look into God's Book as you would have them, force them, and by that make them lively by compulsion, to read and to peruse the Book of Life, and of Salvation. O this kind of Reading and Searching, and Forcing! How will it 
* Like the men of Berea, who so became Nobles, Acts 17.11.  ennoble then your blood, and enable your minds to mind heavenly things? for such are the things comprised in this Book, called the great things of the Law, Hos. 8.12. Put yourselves to it therefore, and force your minds to this most noble exercise which will so ennoble your souls.  
4. In Relieving. And Relieving, 

1. The Bodies. of others.  
2. The Souls. of others.    
First, Their Bodies, with Food and Raiment, and such other necessaries as they do want; according to that noted Scripture, Heb. 13.16. But to do good, and to communicate, forget not; for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased: And that of our Saviour; Sell that ye have, and give Atms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a Treasure in the Heavens which faileth not, where no Thief approacheth, neither Moth corrupteth, Luke 12.33. Where note, that in the 
† 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod ab altero nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misericordia derivatur.  Original, there is a word for Alms, which (by a Metonymy) declares the Benefactors and Almes-givers merciful Disposition shown by his Donation, and that he gives his Alms as he ought; who by his giving, ostende's and showeth that he is affected with the misery of the Relieved: and therefore how few give Alms, and relieve the Needy as they ought.  
Again, Note here, that the Chaldeans and Syrians, and Hebrews, call Alms, Righteousness. Which 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  name is also retained in the Greek Testament, 2 Cor. 9.9. as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor; his Righteousness remains for ever; to show, that Almes-giving is a piece of Justice; and that he who gives Alms, is to observe the Rules of Justice; and to distribute to every one according to his need: as it is written, Acts 4.35. And Distribution was made to every man according as he had Need. And who do so? not one of an hundred. A little will serve with many, for many. Few will do as 
† Clerk in his Life, p. 251.  Luther; who when a poor Student came to his door begging an Alms, and his Wife pleaded Penury, gave him a Silver Bowl: and as 
* Idem in his Life, pag. 760.  Bernard Gilpin, who when he saw naked People, would pull of his , and clothe them. Ministers had need therefore to call upon men frequently, Give Alms, gives Alms; and give to every man as he hath need. And you had need to call upon your own souls for it; for O, how backward are they! and how unwilling to be drawn to it! With many, every penny of money which they give, when pressed to it, is as a drop of their blood, and they are as loath to spare the one, as the other. But I pray you consider this, you that are so backward to this.  
That man's Estate consists of three parts.  
1. Necessaries. 2. Decency. 3. Superfluity. God allows you the two former, but requires the third for the poor. If a man refuse to part with it, he forfeits the former too; and God ofttimes takes the forfeit. But I cannot yet so leave Charity, for it is so lovely, so comely, so exceeding goodly; O it ravishes with its Beauty, replenishes with its Bounty, and cherishes with its Benignity all that, need it, and come near it, where it is in truth; for it is just like fire, for so it warms the naked, makes lightsome the sadded, and with its comfortableness cherishes the destituted; and therefore make much of this Fire; O let it not by any means go out, but rather go and kindle it, go and feed it, go and keep it in; and let many be fed, be filled, be refreshed by it: nay, let it set yourselves on fire, that your hearts may burn with it like fire, which else will be as cold as a Key, and had need therefore to be heated with it, and inflamed by it.  
Secondly, Their Souls, you must feed with your lips; according to that in Prov. 10.21. The Lips of the Righteous feed many; namely, with wholesome admonitions, seasonable instructions, profitable reprehensions, and comfortable communications. O Beloved, what cause have we to inculcate this, such a time as this, wherein so many, who profess much, yet express little of that Goodness, that Sweetness, that Delightfulness, that Riches, that Happiness which is in God, in Christ, in his Word, in Heaven. So as that I may well and seasonably here take up that sad complaint which Isidore made in his time, speaking of Heaven; Though this Kingdom be Eternal, not a word of that; for what man is there, that spends the least part of a day in meditating upon that? that once makes mention of that? that instructs his Wife and Children of that? all our talk is but vain. But let this be mended; and because our bashful natures are utterly averse from such talk, let us oppose Grace against Nature, and force Nature, let us offer an holy Violence to ourselves, and constrain ourselves to talk better, and to talk more of Heaven.  

* Evagrius, 1.4. c. 14.  One Writes of some Martyrs, that though their Tongues were cut out, yet they did speak; and shall not we, that have our Tongues, and the use thereof lest us, speak? Oh speak, speak one to another, and that often; as those in Mal. 3.16. and when you do speak, speak the wonderful Works of God; as the Apostles did, Acts 2.11. or as 
† Nil nisi castum, vel Sermo Dei ex ejus ore processi●. Author vitae Hieronymi.  Jerome, of things chaste, and of God's Word▪ and begin so to do this very day, and after this very Sermon, as they at that day. O, do not defer it any longer, the sooner the better; the Matter in hand will furnish you with Matter, for it is of the great Kingdom of Heaven, which must be taken by Force; and therefore stir up one another, talking of it with your Wives, Children, Servants, Neighbours, Fellow-Hearers, saying one to another, as 
† Aug. Confess. 1.8. c. 1.  Austin once said to Alipius his friend, after he had heard much of some men's taking of Heaven by Violence; What is this? What suffer we under the Tyranny of Sin? Unlearned men (such as Authony, and others in Egypt, and Milan) do take Heaven by Violence; and we with all our Learning without Hearts, behold how we lie grovelling in flesh and blood; so, what do we suffer, say Heaven suffers, and suffers Violence, and we suffer it to be taken by others, and will not take it ourselves. O! come, come, let us also offer Violence to it, that by force we may take it, Heaven is high, but not too high for Forcers, Forcers will carry it; Thesore let us force our selves, and do our utmost to win it. Thus talk and speak one to another.  
5. In Fasting. For turn to me with Fasting, saith God, Joel 2.12. And what eminent Fasters have most of the Lords most Renowned Saints and Servants been? David, that man after God's own Heart, how did he chasten his flesh with Fasting, though it was to his reproach, Psal. 69.10. So Jehosaphat, 2 Chron. 20.3. how did he seek the Lord with Fasting? So Daniel, Dan. 9.3. how did he set himself to call upon his God with Fasting? So that great King of Nineveh, how did he humble himself before the King of Kings in Sackcloth and Ashes, and with Fasting, Jona. 3.6, 7. And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Joshua, Josh. 7.6. of Samuel and all Israel, 1 Sam. 7.6. and of Esther; and of Anna, which being a Widow of four-score and four years, (to shame many of our young and lusty people, that will not fast a day, unless it be by constraint, and by a command from the Higher-Powers) departed not from the Temple, but served God with Fast and Prayers, night and day, Luke 2.37. The like instances could be given in many others, who lived since Christ, and flourished in his Church like the Trees of Eden; but 
† Clerk in his life, p. 932.  Calvin only shall serve, who for ten years togegether fasted daily, and made but one meal a day, at night, spending all his time in and about the Things of God, and in Prayer; insomuch as that a very 
† Rivetus reports it.  Papist writing of him calls, him in Friend Un grand jeuneur, that is, a great Faster; and shall we spend our time in eating and drinking, and neglect so famous a Duty? Is that the way to Heaven? Is that to offer Violence to the Kingdom of Heaven? Because fasting is unsavoury to the flesh, as making the Belly to suffer, therefore forsooth we will not fast; but had we that sweet and gracious appetite which the prementioned Saints had, then fasting would be as pleasant to us as feasting; For it is the Souls feasting, because it brings gracious Souls to the greatest dainties, and they to a taste, with which no savouriness of Meats, no variety of Dishes, no sweetness of Wine, or Women can be paralleled. O sweet feasting then that comes by fasting; Fast therefore, and thereby feast your Souls often; O Beloved, and if the flesh draw backward, force it forward, and make it to suffer; for Heaven suffers, and suffereth Violence, and why shall not our sluggish flesh?  
6. In Considering, or Consideration which differs from Meditation; thus Meditation is an Agitation, and repetition of things 
* Langius in sua Polyanth. p. 296. Aquin. 2, 2. q. 18. a. 3.  proceeding from reason, and piece by piece, and tending to happiness to be enjoyed in the enjoyment of the everlasting Verity. Consideration is a more 
† Omnis operatio intellectus, Langius. p. 257.  general operation of the Intellect, whereby she looks and dives into things deliberately, to find out what she desireth and aught to know.  
Now this consideration how needful it is, you may perceive partly by God's express Command, in Psal. 45.10. Harken O Daughter, and consider; and partly by her Operations and Properties, for she is the Key which opens the Door to the Closet of our Heart, where all our Books of Account do lie; she is the Looking-Glass, or rather the very eye of our Soul, whereby she seethe herself, and looketh into all her whole estate, her riches, her good gifts, her defects, her safety, her danger, her way she walks in, her pace she holdeth, and finally the place, and end she draweth to; and without which, in short, she runs on blindly into a thousand brakes and briers, stumbling at every step into some one inconvenience or other, and is continually in peril of some great and grievous sin: and a thing much to be admired it is, that whereas in all things else, men confess, and see that nothing can be either begun, prosecuted, or well ended without consideration; yet in this great business of the Kingdom of Heaven, 
* E. B. p. 12.  no man almost thinks the same necessaty. Were a Mariner to make a Voyage from England to Jerusalem, albeit he had made the same once or twice before, yet would he not now take such a great Voyage in hand again without consideration, whether he were in the right or no, what peace he held, how near he were to Rocks and Sands which he must shun, and how near to his Voyages end; and think you dear Friends to pass from hence to the Heavenly Jerusalem, from men to God, from this miserable world, into that other blessed and pleasant world, and that by so many Hills and Hells; so many Gulfs and quicksands; so many Rocks and dangers never passed before, and this without consideration at all; ye are utterly deluded, if you conceive so, for this passage hath far more need of consideration then that, being much more subject to miscarriages, every sinful pleasure, every sensual delight, every vain thought, every idle word, every wanton look, every enticing sound, every provoking and unclean touch, and every temptation of men or Devils, being a Pirate lying ready to surprise, ready to spoil your poor Souls in their Voyage towards Heaven; wherefore let me persuade every one of you that would take Heaven by force, to force his Soul to consideration, for the Soul is, and will be as unwilling to it as some Debtors, who are deeply indebted, are to cast up their Accounts, to avoid trouble; for so men count it great trouble, to enter into a serious consideration of their estates, and of such like things, which is one of their greatest Follies; for as in things of this Life he were but a foolish Factor, who would never look into his own Account-book, whether he were beforehand, or behind; and as the Mariner were very much to be blamed for his folly, that for shunning of care and trouble, would go into his Cabin, and be merry, eat, drink, play, not caring for his Ship which way it did run, and letting it go whither she would: So it is madness and folly in the highest degree to shun consideration because of trouble, and to make good cheer instead of making Heaven by consideration sure, and to be negligent when you should be diligent; to get all things by consideration ready against the day of your account, which you must give to God, that you may give it up with joy, and mansion for ever with God. O good God, stir up this people's Hearts, that they may stir within them, yea boil, as it were, and boil over, so as to make them considerate; and be you, O my Brethren, now like a good Factor, who when he is sent by his Master beyond the Seas to a place of Traffic, there to trade for his Master's benefit, doth not spend his time in eating, drinking, gaming, dancing, and such like things, but rather goeth, and considers, wherefore am I here? am I not here to do my Master's service? And so goeth about his Master's business; so you being sent by your great Master in Heaven into this World to Traffic for him, as you may see Mat. 25.14, 15, etc. do not spend your time idly, or doing worse; do not drink yourselves drunk with the Drunken; do not glut yourselves with the Glutton; do not dilapidate and misspend your precious time with Carding, Dicing, courting of Wanton Women; do not give up yourselves to Chambering, and Lasciviousness, but rather retire yourselves, and consider every one of you with himself, Wherefore am I here? here in this place? here in this Town? hath not my great Master in Heaven sent me hither to look after his business, and to do him service in this place, and shall I do the Devil's business, and serve him? O God forbidden: Or thus, as 
* Author vitae Bernardi.  St. Bernard was wont ofttimes to call upon himself, saying to himself, Adquid Bernarde venisti; that is, Bernard, for what art thou come hither? menning to Claravall is, where his business lay. So say thou that hearest me this day, to thyself every day, calling thyself by thy name, John or Peter, Wherefore art thou come hither to this Town, or Parish? Camest thou not hither to serve thy God in this place, and in this Generation, that having door the Will of God here, thou mayest life with God hereafter; and so go about thy business, and his business; thine in the second place, and his in the first; and with all earnestness & eagerness, labouring as for life, to obtain by Force that ever-during Happiness, and ever-blessed Life.  
7. In Meditating. Meditation is with a man, as he that smells the Violets, the Roses, and the Orange-Flowers in a bundle; which is elegantly set forth in the Canticles, where the Spouse plaits up her Hair, trussing it up into a knot, to show, that we should not diffuse our thoughts into variety of conceptions, nor yet consider of divers things only, but should recollect our conceptions, rather into a Knot; the Knot I mean of Meditation, which I am now to speak of, and which is so much commanded, and commended to us in sacred writ; as Josh. 1.8. This Book of the Law shall not departed out of thy Mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night: and 1 Tim. 4.6. Meditate upon these things. And you know what the blessed Man's Commendation is, Psal. 1. That he Meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night: Which because it is a most difficult thing so to do both day and night, makes Meditation so rare as it is: For we Ministers can persuade, ten, twenty, nay, hundreds, to pray, to read, to give Alms, before we can make one to Meditate but one hour of the day; So rare is Meditation, and so rare Meditators. David tells us, that the Law of the Lord was his Meditation all the day long, Psal. 119.97. And 
Mathias Prideaux, in his Introduction.  one writes of one of the ancient Kings of England, that he spent Eight hours in Meditation every day. But where are such Davids, such Meditators now? Where shall we find them, where? So that we Ministers had need to press this also upon our People very much: and you had need to urge, to force, and to reinforce your dead and backward souls to this very much, and often; saying every one of you to his own soul, O my soul, Why art thou so averse from so high and heavenly a Duty? Is this to labour for Heaven? all the day long, not so much as to mind or mention Heaven? Is this to take it by Force? to let day pass after day, week after week, opportunity after opportunity, and yet never once to lay hold on any, or to redeem any part or portion of so much precious time, for any serious thoughts to be bestowed upon Eternity?  
O my Brethren, will ye therefore be discouraged from meditating, because it is difficult work, and because few there are that do it? O far be it from such as some of ye be, Pretenders, I mean, to the taking of Heaven by Violence: The more difficult the work is, the greater will be your glory, if ye set yourselves in good earnest to it, and the greater your reward; for by it we turn Eagles; and like Eagles, tower up, and draw night to the very Sun itself; the Sun, I mean of Righteousness, the Lord Jesus; nay, by it we are even clothed with the Sun; I mean, that Sun, like that Mystical Woman in Rev. 12.1. to whom were given two wings, as of a great Eagle, having about us the unspotted Righteousness of the Lord Jesus to cover our nakedness and unrighteousness; and by it we out-soar all humane blandishments, overlook all earthly contentments, transcend all sublunary Paradises, and emparadise ourselves in the Paradise of God, Where Fullness of Joy is, and Pleasures are for evermore, Psal. 16.11. Betake therefore yourselves to your wings of Meditation and Contemplation (which some say, is somewhat more & higher than Meditation) and fly aloft like so many great Eagles, even beyond the Moon, and beyond the Clouds, nay beyond the Sun itself, which is higher than the Moon, yea sar above all Heavens, I mean inferior Heavens; as Christ did, Ephes. 4.8. and strive to be there, even by force, where he now is, having your minds, your hearts, your conversations in that highest Empyrean Heaven. Heaven yourselves thus as dear Saints, and as other Saints have done before you, whose Conversation was in Heaven, Phil. 3.20.  
8. In Fimshing or Persevering. Be thou faithful unto Death, saith Christ, and I will give thee the Crown of Life, Rev. 2.10. and, I have fought a good sight, saith Paul, I have finished my course, 2 Tim. 4.7. Which therefore puts me upon Finishing: for it is not enough for a General to go into the field, and to charge an enemy; no, but he must overcome him, to win a Crown: So we, to overcome, and so to win the Crown of Heaven, must persevere, and hold out to the end of our Militia; for, he that shall endure to the End, the same shall be saved, Mat. 24.13. Hence Victory in the Hebrew, is called Netsach, [〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉] from Nuseach; signifying he hath insisted eagerly, urged vehemently, and continued indesinently to the very end of his undertaking; for Perseverance is needful in wars: Persevere therefore, most dear Saints, to the end, if you will have your errands end: It is confessed, that ye will meet with many lets, many discouragements, many taunts, many reproaches, many enemies, especially at parting; For as a Pirate will set upon a ship, then most, and soon, when it is richly laden, and near its Haven; so will Satan set upon us most busily and eagerly then, when we being freighted, and filled with the Fruits of Righteousness, are near▪ our end: but all this must not emasculate, nor dismay us, no, but we must keep on our pace, hold up our heads, pursue our intentions, be instant in our prayers, be constant in all our Christian Duties, and maintain our holy and pious Resolutions in despite of all, and be retarded by none of them all. Our own lazy souls will draw back most, and soon grow weary in every one of the several duties which I have mentioned formerly; but we must not cease to put them forward still, and that by Force: imitating in this that eminent Convert, mentioned formerly, blessed Austin I mean; whose words are these (after he had heard so much of those Worthies, which one Potitian, a Courtier, and a Captain, had spoken of to him, how they did take Heaven by Violence, leading constantly a most strict, austere, and virtuous Life, and had withdrawn himself a little) what did I not say against myself in this conflict (for he was put thereby into a grievous strait) How did I beat and whip mine own soul to make her follow thee, O Lord? namely, constantly; for many were her fits; but she held back, she refused, and excused herself; and when all her arguments were convicted, she remained trembling, and fearing, as death, to be restrained from her lose custom of sinning, whereby she consumed herself, even unto death. As he thus whipped and forced his own soul, so let us ours; for have not ours their many sits and shists too, drawing back, when we are almost persuaded, and make us give over in our several Performances of the Duties of Prayer and Meditation, and suchlike, when we are almost over; but hold them to it, as he did his, though they be never so averse, nay, though they do even tremble at it, and pine at it, and would rather not be, than lose then lo●se courses. O Christians, our Constancy will coronate all our labours, and remunerate all our good Endeavours used for Heaven; Heaven at last will pay for all▪ Wherefore let us neither faint nor fail, though never so much either discouraged or opposed.  
For a farther, manifestation and prosecution of all this that I have spoken, I'll use this familiar Comparison; There is a Rock in the midst of the vast and boisterous Ocean Sea, the proud Waves of which beat upon it, the fierce Winds beat against it, those immeasurable Seas of water which are in it, encompass it; but do either Winds, or Waves, or Waters move it; or are they able to remove it, or to break it? No, no, they cannot; they cannot. Now a true Christian is such a Rock: like Peter; whose Name signifies a Rock; and therefore no Winds of Persecution, no Waves of Temptation, no Seas of Affliction, should turn him aside from his Steadfastness, nor from his holy Conversation, nor from his going to take Heaven by Violence; but he ought to be as steadfast and unmoveable, as others be unstable, vain, light, and variable. We have a notable place for this, 1 Cor. 15.58. Therefore my beloved Brethren, Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. Do ye hear this Sirs, what is required of you? do ye see what ye must be? I believe you do; and therefore let every man here present, prove a constant man, and hold out firmly and strongly till he be unmanned by death, that he may be saved, and heavened after death everlastingly; which God in mercy grant.  
2. Be persuaded to force the Kingdom of Heaven itself.  
Q. If you ask me How?  
I answer; By a forcible Entry; striving,  
1. To enter in at that straight Gate; which is called Christ.  
2. To press thorough that narrow Way, of the difficultest and strictest of all good Works.  
3. To break thorough the Ranks & Files of your great and mighty Enemies, which are betwixt you and it.  
4. To pass with Courage and Patience through great Tribulations.  
1. Striving to enter in at that straight Gate; which is called Christ, Mat. 7.13. compared with John 9.10. where Christ himself saith, I am the Door. Many think that it is the easiest thing in the world to come to Christ, and by him to Heaven; but they are utterly deceived; for so straight and strict is Christ, as that he will not allow us so much, as a look cast upon a woman to lust aster her in our hearts, Mat. 5.28. nor any thing more in our ordinary communications, to bind them, than Yea or Nay; saying, Whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil; that is, as Expositors say, of an evil Conscience, or of the Devil, ver. 37. nor any private resistance to be made against evil; for 
* That is, resist not out of revenge any evil offered to you.  resist not Evil, saith he, ver. 39 nor any miscalling of any man, by the name of Fool, or the like; nor yet any passionate sit of anger, or the like; ver. 22. nor any one sin, else whatsoever it be; for Sin no more, saith he, John 9.11. and if thy right eye offend thee; that is, cause thee to sin; for the Original is, Scandalize thee; and sins are Scandals; that is, 
† Jun. in loc.  Stones at which we stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; and if thy right-hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee, Mat. 5.29, 30. to show, that 
* Christus hyperbolice docet resecandum quicquid nos impedit, ne obsequium Deo praestemus. Idem in loc.  any sin, though it be as dear or near as one's right eye, or hand, must be cast away from us, if we would not be Castaways ourselves, nor have the doom and sentence of Damnation passed upon us. And besides, O! what a hard thing it is by Faith to go into Christ, and to lay hold on Christ, to believe Christ, or a Christ is nothing to that? That poor man in the Gospel, Mark 9.24. how he wept and cried when he was to Believe in Christ? Take one Comparison more from a Rock. A man is Shipwrecked at Sea, but seethe a fair great Rock in the midst of the Sea, and strives to get upon it; but the Rock is high, and he can sinned nothing to hold by; and besides, when he comes very near it, the winds and waves of the Sea beat him from it; and if with much ado he get upon it, one wave of the Sea raketh over his head, and another, and another, and is like to wash him clean away, and to cast him back again into the midst of the Sea. This man is every man that goeth by Faith to lay hold on Christ; for he is one that hath suffered Shipwreck, as well as others, in our Father Adam; and Christ is like a Rock in the midst of the Sea, 1 Cor. 10.4. which this poor Ship-wrackt-man espies, and whom to he draws, and swims, and makes to lie hold on by Faith, to save himself in him, and by him; but Christ is high in his terms upon which he will be taken, as ye were told just now; and besides, when this poor man comes to fasten himself upon him, and to hold him, he can find no Faith to hold by, and so cries out, and saith, O I have no Faith, not so much as a grain of mustard seed, and therefore how can I lay hold on Christ! O I must needs be cast away, and be suffocated, and drowned in those merciless waters of woe and misery which are about me, and are even ready to swallow me, ready to drown me! O woe, woe is me because of Unbelief! for I cannot believe that ever Christ gave himself for me: If this man be told by one of a thousand, that he hopes better things of him, and that his striving to come to Christ, is an argument that there is Faith in him, though it be so little as that he seethe it not; he saith and replieth again, Yes, I cannot but acknowledge that some Faith there is in me, but I fear that it is but a dogmatical or historical, or temporary Faith, and so will by no means own any other true and Saving-Faith, which he saith still he wants: and if at any time he come somewhat near that great Rock, Christ, and gins to have some hopes, and some confidence that Christ died for him, and that he shall be saved by him, he is beaten off again by and by, either by Satan's suggestions, or his own doubting hearts tumultuations, so as that he is where he was again, and denyeth again all that ever he spoke and thought be o●●, concerning his Faith, and Christ; crying out, and saying, That he hath no pa●… 〈◊〉 Christ, because he cannot believe in Christ▪ and if afterwards he get with much ado ●●on that Rock, and begin to rely upon him by Faith, and think himself sure, there comes upon him, within a short time, such trouble of mind, and such a variety of new temptations, and doubts, which, like the waves of the Sea, are like to take him clear off, and to cast him back again into the Abyss and depth of that Sea of misery which he was in before; and that makes 〈◊〉 cry out again, O I shall never be saved! for whereas I thought verily I had Faith, true Saving-Faith, I now see clearly that I have none; and therefore must die, and be damned, and perish, and be engulphed in an Ocean of trouble and tribulation, anguish and affliction, to an endless duration.  
This hath been my very case once, and therefore I know all this to be so by mine own experience; and I do appeal for it to your experiences also, whether some of ye do not find it so in like manner, that it went with you when first you believed, as with that poor man in the Gospel, whose doubtings were such, and so many, as made him cry out with tears, Lord, help thou mine unbelief, Mark 9.24. So that it is one of the hardest things in the world to come to Christ by Faith, and at, and thorough Christ, to Life & Salvation; because straight is the Gate which leads to Life, Mat. 7.13. Strive therefore, O strive to enter in at the straight Gate, strive to lay hold on Christ; strive to get Faith, saying as that poor man said, Lord help our Unbelief: nay, with tears in your eyes, with sorrow in your hearts, with zeal as hot as fire, in your prayers, approach to the Throne of Grace for this Grace, and never let God go, till by Faith you can go, and go to Christ, and by Christ to Heaven. Heaven is large, that is certain, and a man shall have room enough when he is in it: but the Gate to it, I mean Christ, is so straight, so strict, so hard to be entered, as that without much striving, much stirring, much struggling, no flesh can be saved? Wherefore gird up the loins of your minds, elevate the thoughts of your hearts, and bestir yourselves at this Gate to enter; for there is no other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, Acts 4.12. As for Works, and Duties, and Performances formerly spoken of, they must all say, Salvation is not in us: so Resisting must say, It is not in me; so Reading, It is not in me; so Fasting, It is not in me; the like may be spoken of all the rest. Neither is there Salvation in any other, Acts 4.12.  
Object. You will say to me, Did ye not tell us of Believing, and Christ, already in a former direction; and therefore why do ye tell us of the same now again?  
Sol. I answer: When I spoke of Believing, and of Christ formerly, my design was to let you see the Necessity of Believing, and so to persuade you to it; but now my purpose is to make you see the Difficulty of it especially; that seeing what a hard thing it is to come to Christ, and by Faith to enter into Christ, and by Him into Heaven, you may strive the more, both first to lay hold on Christ, if never yet ye entered into Christ, and also afterward and always, even after all the duties premised, that you may not be deceived, thinking that thereby you may be saved; which is more than was yet declared by all that which hath been said of Faith and Christ, in the direction formerly mentioned.  
2. To pass through the narrowest way of the difficultest and strictest of all good Works; for, narrow is the Way which leads to Life, saith Christ. Mat. 7.13. And do not ye find it so? What a hard thing it is to pray continually, and without distraction; and to lift up holy hands, and without wrath and doubting, 1 Tim. 2.8. we being so apt to defile our hands with unclean touches, and to be at variance, and to fall out, and to be angry one with another, and so full of doubts.  
Again, What a difficult thing is it to love our Enemies, and our Neighbours as ourselves? Mat. 5.44. & 12.39. and to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect? Mat. 5.48. O Sirs, all this goeth against the stream, and against nature, and against flesh and blood; flesh and blood cannot endure it, say carnal men; nay, even good men say as those Disciples of Christ, John 6.60. This is an hard Saying: who can hear it? So these are hard Say; who can do them. But let them be never so hard, ye must do them: and do as they do in a certain Country, where with Horses they draw their Ships against the streams, and against that great River of Rhine; So, I say, ye must carry on these great Works against Nature, and against all objected and pretended Difficulties, with Resolutions and Endeavours suitable thereunto. I speak the less here, because this doth somewhat border upon that which hath been spoken already, though it be not altogether the same, because I aim at Difficulty most in this place.  
3. You must strive to break through the Ranks and Files of your great and mighty Enemies, which are betwixt you & Heaven.  
Q. What Enemies?  
A. The Devil. The World. The Flesh.  
1. The Devil with all his Powers, Eph. 6.12, whom you must oppose and overcome.  
1. By the Word of Promise, Rom. 16.20. And the God of Peace shall bruise (or as the Original hath it) tread down Satan under your feet shortly. Mark, 1. The God of Peace, and yet here is War; but the God of Peace makes peace, and therefore is called so. Again, Shall bruise Satan, according to that sweet promise, Gen. 3.15. The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head; which our first Parents so relished and esteemed, after they had once tasted it, as that they wrote it upon Pillars, as 
* Josephus and Melancthon in Chron. Char.  Josephus relates it, and from time to time resorted to it and them, as to their Meeting-place, for their Souls refreshing: Or, Shall tread down Satan under your feet; as the Elders of Israel upon the Necks of the Cananean Kings, as Conquered. Again, Shortly; ye fear ye shall never be freed from such and such Temptations, and from such Blasphemous Thoughts as are injected by him: It was my case once, for I thought so too, that I should never be delivered, but you shall, saith God, and I found it so. Make much of this promise therefore, and prise it above fine Gold, and above Rubies, and above Pearls, for it is more worth, and more than all England is worth, and embrace it, and be persuaded of it, Heb. 11.13.  
2. By the Word Promised, I mean Christ the Word Substantial, and God blessed for ever, for he is that Seed of the Woman which shall bruise the Serpent's Head, Gen. 3.15. He it is that hath spoiled Principalities and Powers, and hath made a show of them openly, Triumphing over them in his Cross, Col. 2.15. He it is, of whom it is said, that those which are now in Heaven, which they have won by force, have overcome him by his Blood, Rev. 12.10, 12. And he it is, which covers us in our Warfare against Satan, from top to toe, even throughout, with himself, as with an Armour of Proof, Rom. 13.14. It is said of 
† Xiphilin in vita Trajani.  Trajan the Roman Emperor, that he would cut in pieces his own Garments rather than his Shoulders should want a rag to cover their Wounds. Semblably whereunto Christ our Emperor so covers his Soldiers with himself, lest they should want an Armour to cover their Souls in the day of Battle; Take therefore, dear Christians and fellow Soldiers, the Lord Christ along with you as you go to encounter Satan, and go sprinkled with his precious Blood, and when he tempts you, and tells you that ye shall be damned, and also entices you to uncleanness, to lasciviousness, to wrath, to envy, to malice, to revenge, to swear, to lie; Oppose him with Christ, and show him his Precious Blood; Saying, Lo here is Christ, who will bruise thy Head; Lo the Blood of Christ which doth wash away all my sins, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1.9. And lo, the mighty Power of Christ, whereby I trust that I shall overcome all thy power, having put about me that strong and mighty Lord, that I may vanquish thee, and conquer all these thy Temptations, in the power of his Might, Ephes. 6.10. O Sirs! after 〈◊〉 mode and method deal with Satan, and he will slay from you. For he cannot endure the sight of that precious blood, but must needs pass by us, and let us alone when he seethe it; as that destroying Angel passed by those Houses, whose door-posts were sprinkled with the blood of the Paschal Lamb, Exod. 12.23. It is reported, that Satan one time came to a poor sinner diguised, as if he had been sent by God, and told him that he must confess to him all his sins, and that he is to write them down, and to carry them up to God; whereupon the poor man confessed as many as he knew; but told him withal, Writ this too underneath, The Blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all sin, 1 John 1.7. which when the Devil heard, he vanished immediately: So powerful is that Precious Blood to profligate that potent Adversary; which caused me therefore to write that very Sentence upon my Desk, when I was under great trouble of mind, that I might always view it in my Studies, and be comforted by it in my distresses.  
2. The World. The whole World lies in Wickedness, 1 John 5.19. which in Latin is rendered thus; In Maligno positus, quasi in 
* Royard hom. 2. in Eph. 6.  malo igne positus; that is, Is placed in an evil Fire, set on fire by the Devil, here called Evil: and therefore we must needs oppose it, and by no means agree with it, though we must pass through the fire, as it were, to overcome it: As some brave Warriors have charged their Enemies through the very Fire, in Towns set on fire.  
Object. You will say, That the World is strong and mighty, and that you find it so by woeful experience, what a mighty enemte it is; and that therefore you know not what to do to overcome it:  
Sol. To this I answer. 1. Remember what was said by Christ, John 6.33. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the World: So that you have to do with a conquered slave; and therefore fear not little Flock, for you shall overcome it, because Christ hath conquered it already for you, to make your conquest easy to you.  
2. Ponder the words of St. John, This is the Victory which overcometh the World, even our Faith, 1 John 5.4. Mark; He doth not say, it will, but it doth overcome the World. O the Power! O the Strength! O the Puissance of Saving-Faith! which is so victorious, saith he, as that it is a Conqueror over the World wheresoever it is; nay, is Victory itself. If then you have Faith, fear not, but use it, and use it against this vast, this vile, this vain, this false, this wicked World, believing verily, that it shall not prevail against you, because that Faith which is in you, is stronger than the World which is against you.  
3. The Flesh. For O, what an Enemy is it to all Flesh! O how it wars, how it combats, and, how it fighteth against the Spirit, that the best of us cannot do as we would! So that needs we must fight against it, and break by force through all the allurements and oppositions of it.  
Object. You will say, Why then saith the Apostle, We wrestle not against Flesh and Blood? Ephes. 6.12.  
Sol. I answer. His meaning is, as 
† Zanchius in loc.  some say, not simply; or, as others, not 
* Petr. Lombard, Thom. Aquin.  only; for than one Sword should be as long as an 
† Marlorat in loc.  other, and one man so strong as an other. The Flesh than must be conquered as well as Satan; for it is as great an Enemy to the poor soul, as he, if not greater: which caused the Apostle Peter to write thus; Dear Beloved, I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims, abstain from Fleshly Lusts, which war against the Soul, 1 Pet. 2.11. O the poor soul, how it is pestered with it! For when it would fast, and humble itself before God, the Flesh saith, I must feast, eat, drink, and be merry; when the Soul would fill itself with Heavenly Meditations, the Flesh saith, I must fulfil my Lusts, I must fill mine eyes with Adultery, and fulfil my desires with this and that woman's company, Embraces, Solaces; and I must be a little wanton, lascivious and extravagant this time, solacing myself with Loves: so that this lascivious and luxuriant Flesh of ours, must be kerbed, overcome, and mastered.  
Quest. You will say, But how?  
Answ. By Chastity and Sobriety; For Contraries are expelled by Contraries: 
Contraria, contrariis expelluntur.  Be saber therefore, I say, with the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. 5.8. The like may be said of Chastity, Be chaste; according to that of Paul, 1 Thes. 4.3, 4, 5. But I desire to insist on Sobriety most; for he that is sober, will be 
* Sobrietas est mentis, & sensus membrorum omnium corporis quo tutel●… castitatis; pudicitiaeque mun mentum. Aug.  chaste also, because Sobriety is nothing else but a 
† Sobrietas virtus est appete●t●s per quam pra●●e voluptates, ne appetuntur quidem. Aristot. de vi●t. et vit. Divis.  Virtue, whereby corrupt and depraved Pleasures are not so much as desired, but rather restrained. And therefore O blessed Soberness; how my soul is enamoured with it! O I love thee with my very heart, dear Soberness, for thou hast ravished me with one Chain about thy neck; and that Chain is a Concatenation of all manner of rare and ravishing Excellencies, which are all linked together in love, and make thee so exceeding lovely! O thine is freedom, and with thee is contentment; and by thee comes a most sweet immunity from great offences; offences else will come, if thou do not come, come, I mean, to keep them off. Come then, my Brethren, and become as sober as ever were any Saints; and sober in diet, sober in marriage, and sober out of marriage; and sober in apparel, apparelling yourselves with Humbleness; for that is wellpleasing to God. God grant that my speech may take, so as that Heaven at last you may take.  
4. You must strive with Courage and Patience to pass through fiery Trials, and great Afflictions: for, We must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God, Acts 14.22. And of the Saints in Heaven, clothed with white Robes, saith one of the heavenly Elders, These are they which came out of great Tribulation, Rev. 7.14. And when blessed Bradford was to go to the stake, to sacrifice his life to God by Fire, he took a Faggot in his arms, and embracing it, said, Straight is the Gate, and narrow is the Way which leadeth to Life, meaning fiery Trials, and great Tribulations. It is not so with the Wicked, which offer no Violence to Heaven; for their way is broad; which leads to Perdition, Mat. 7.13. God deals with them, as men with 
* Gregor. in Job.  Oxen; as the Oxen appointed to the slaughter, are by them let run a fatting at their pleasure, when others are kept hard to daily labour. In like manner the Tree that bears no fruit, is not beaten (as we see) but only the fruitful; and yet the other, as Christ tells, Mat. 3.7. is reserved for fire. The sick man that is past all hope of life, is suffered by the Physician to have whatsoever he listeth after; but he whose death is not despaired, cannot have that liberty granted.  
To conclude, The stones that must serve for the glorious Temple of Solomon, were he wed, beaten, & polished without the Temple, at the Quarry side, 1 Kings 6.7. that no stroke nor hammer might be heard within the Temple. Now S. Peter saith, 1 Pet. 2.5. that good Men are chosen Stones to be placed in the glorious Building of God in Heaven; where there is no beating, no sorrow nor crying, nor cross, Rev. 21.4. Here then, we must be beaten and he wed, and squared in the Quarry, of this World, here we must be fined, here polished; here we must feel the hammer, and pass through great Tribulations: and that requireth our Courage and Patience upon the consideration of Heaven, which will make amends for all. Be patiented, saith St. James, Jam. 5.7. and, Be not dismayed, saith God, Isa. 41.10. 
* Which the Lord addeth for our encouragement.  When thou passeth thorough the Waters (namely, of Affliction) I will be with thee; and thorough the Rivers they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest thorough the Fire, thou shalt not be burnt, nether shall the flame kindle upon thee: For I am the Lord thy God; the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour, Isa. 43. Which for our encouragement was even literally fulfilled in the three Children, upon whose Bodies the Fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed; neither were their Coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them, Dan. 3.27. And in 
* Euseb. l. 4. c. 14. Clerk in his Life, p. 7.8.  Polycarpus, who was so patiented and courageous, and whose body would not burn, when he was to be burnt with fire, the Lord having caused him to hear a Voice from Heaven, saying, Be of good cheer, O Polycarp, and play the Man: which Voice his hearers heard; who writ this of him; The Speaker no man saw; but the Voice many of us heard, say they. Let us be patiented therefore, and courageous also in all our Afflictions which we suffer: And the Lord give us patience & courage, that we may run through all these fiery Trials, which are to try us; and after we have been tried, as Gold is tried in the fire, we may obtain the Crown of Heaven, which is set before us; and which otherwise than by Fire and Violence, cannot be had by us.  
3. You must force the King thereof himself.  
Quest. If you ask me, How?  
Answ. By uncessantly violent Entreaties.  
This Answer consists of two Branches.  
1. By Violent Entreaties.  
2. By uncessantly Violent Entreaties.  
1. By Violent Entreaties; for the Effectual Fervent Prayer of a righteous Man avails much, Jam. 5.17. O it presseth into the Presence of God; it breaks through whole Hosts of hostile Powers; it chargeth through the thickest Troops of Oppositions; it mounts up beyond the Stars; it penetrates the Heavens; nay, it towers up beyond all aspectable Heavens, and never ceases towering, till it enters the very Heaven of Heavens; where it wrestles with the God of Heaven for Heaven, and never gives him over, till by Force it hath won Heaven. And therefore let this mighty Champion, which we call Wrestling, enter the Lists with God for you, that Heaven may be taken by you. Which God in mercy grant unto you.  
2. With Uncessantly Violent Entreaties: For, Pray continually, saith Christ, Luke 18.1. and With all Perseverance, saith the Apostle, Ephes. 6.18. which is much more; For in this Direction is a Climax, or Gradation, from much, to much more; For to pray Uncessantly, is as much beyond Violent Entreaties, as the Sun is beyond the Moon; in that as the Moon can have no light without the Sun, so we, without Perseverance in Prayer, can see no light of God's Countenance beaming upon us, no help to assist us, no strength to enable us, for high things to be attempted by us; there we may cry and roar in prayer, and yet in vain, unless we continue in prayer; and though we contend never so much, yet is it to no end, unless we contend so long by our violent Entreaties with God, till we have our errands end; O my Brethren, this is the very Life, the Soul, the Art, the Masterpiece of right Praying; by it we must needs carry Heaven; nay, with it we shall win the very God of Heaven, even by Force. Force yourselves therefore my Brethren; so to invocate the Name of God, and to draw near to the Throne of Grace, for Grace, even Grace to help in a time of need, Heb. 4.16. nay, go and strive by many Prostrations before the Throne of Grace, and mighty and uncessant encounterings with God, to become Overcomers of God; saying to God, as once Jacob said, I will not let thee go, tili thou bless me, Gen.  
1. By Violent Entreaties; for the Effectual Fervent Prayer of a righteous Man avails much, Jam. 5.17. O it presseth into the Presence of God; it breaks through whole Hosts of hostile Powers; it chargeth through the thickest Troops of Oppositions; it mounts up beyond the Stars; it penetrates the Heavens; nay, it towers up beyond all aspectable Heavens, and never ceases towering, till it enters the very Heaven of Heavens; where it wrestles with the God of Heaven for Heaven, and never gives him over, till by Force it hath won Heaven. And therefore let this mighty Champion, which we call Wrestling, enter the Lists with God for you, that Heaven may be taken by you. Which God in mercy grant unto you.  
2. With uncessantly Violent Entreaties: For, Pray continually, saith Christ, Luke 18. 1. and With all Perseverance, saith the Apostle, Ephes. 6.18. which is much more; For in this Direction is a Climax, or Gradation, from much, to much more; For to pray uncessantly, is as much beyond Violent Entreaties, as the Sun is beyond the Moon; in that as the Moon can have no light without the Sun, so we, without Perseverance in Prayer, can see no light of God's Countenance beaming upon us, no help to assist us, no strength to enable us, for high things to be attempted by us; there we may cry and roar in prayer, and yet in vain, unless we continue in prayer; and though we contend never so much, yet is it to no end, unless we contend so long by our violent Entreaties with God, till we have our errands end: O my Brethren, this is the very Life, the Soul, the Art, the Masterpiece of right Praying; by it we must needs carry Heaven; nay, with it we shall win the very God of Heaven, even by Force. Force yourselves therefore my Brethren; so to invocate the Name of God, and to draw near to the Throne of Grace, for Grace, even Grace to help in a time of need, Heb. 4.16. nay, go and strive by many Prostrations before the Throne of Grace, and mighty and uncessant encounterings with God, to become Overcomers of God; saying to God, as once Jacob said, I will not let thee go, tili thou bless me, Gen. 32.26. When a City or Citadel is beleaguered, the great Guns go off often; and when they cease, the Country concludes that it is taken. And so must our Prayers, which are our Canons, as 
* Bombardae Christianorum Luther.  Luther was wont to call them, go off often, when we go to win Heaven; that is, even indesinently the same time when we are about it; crying, as the little Children did once, Mat. 21.9. Hosanna, Hosanna; that is, Now save, now save, even again and again; first here in this Temple, from your very hearts; and when ye are come home, from your Closets, your doors being shut; and never give over crying so, and discharging your great Canons so, till you have won Heaven; that is, never come out of your Chambers, after they have been shut, till you have gotten some assurances from Heaven, that you shall have Heaven; concluding so, because God hath heard them, and as it were told them, that Heaven is taken by them.  
But here I must resolve two Cases of Conscience.  
1. Case. The first is; Sir, we have heard all this, and yet there is no stirring after all this, some will say; and therefore what shall we do in this Case?  
To this I answer in four Conclusions.  
1. There may be no stirring with some of you, because you are not yet effectually called, and spoken to, nor yet blown upon by the Spirit of God, John 6.44. like those dry bones in Ezek. 37.2. even very dry, so as that there was no stirring among them at all; till after, when the Prophet prophesied to them, and the Wind, that is the Spirit of God, which is like Wind, did breath upon them.  
2. Conclusion. There may be no stirring with some of you as yet, because your time is not come yet; some are called the third, some the sixth hour, some the ninth, some the eleventh hour, Mat. 20.3, 5, 6.  
3. Conclus. If there be no stirring with you, because you are not yet effectually called, nor have been blown upon by the Spirit of God, than you must pray to the Lord, that this my preaching now at last, may work upon you, and there may be a stirring among you: as thus; O our God, say, Let this man's preaching to us belike ezekiel's prophesying; For Lord, hast not thou sent him, saying, Go and prophesy to these dead dry bones, which are in that Town of T— that they may live? and wilt not thou bless his prophesying to our souls? O that there were a shaking among us, as there was among those bones! O most mighty God, let there be such a shaking, and such a stirring among us, now at last, after all this prophesying, that we may stand upon our feet, as a great and terrible Army with Banners, Cant. 6.11. and take Heaven by Force. Or thus, As Moses prayed, Numb. 14.17. And now I beseech thee, let the Power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken: So let every one of you now cry, and say to Lord, And now I beseech thee, let the Power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken. So let every one of you, now cry and say to the Lord; And now I beseech thee, let the Power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live, Ezek. 37.5. and, Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God; and they that hear, shall live, John 5.24. Lord, I am dead; cause me to hear his Voice, this hour, this time, that I may stir, and live: O this stirring, it is that which must work, must move our hearts, must remove our affections, must elevate our spirits, must collocate our souls in a capacity and ability to attain to high atchivements; and therefore I advise you so much, and persuade you so earnestly to beg it.  
4. Conclus. But if your time be not yet come; as it is said of those Figs, Mark 11.13. For the time of Figs was not yet; than you must even wait, till that Gospel-Angel shall come, which shall move the Waters; that is, your affections, so powerfully, as that you may stir; as those blind, and lame, and impotent ones, at the Pool of Bethesda, John 5.3, 4. and till the Spirit of God himself shall come, and move upon the waters of your affections effectually; as he did, Gen. 1.2. to produce and to bring forth a new Creation, even your Regeneration; which God in mercy grant.  
2. Case. The second Case is this, But suppose there be a stirring amongst us since you preached thus, so as that many of the things which you pressed, have been done among us; may not all that be in vain? and if so, what shall we do in such a case?  
I answer three ways.  

1. Granting.  
2. Discovering.  
3. Advising.   
1. Granting that you may stir, and do many things in vain; for, Many shall seek to enter, and shall not be able, saith Christ, in Luke 13.24. And did not Herod stir, and perform and reform many things in vain? Mark 6.20.  
2. Discovering; namely, the Causes why you may stir, and do many things in vain:  
For first, You may build without a foundation; that is, you may want a due deep and sufficient Humiliation, so much required, Joel 2.13. Jam. 4.9, 10. 1 Pet. 5.6.  
Secondly, You may refuse to go thorow-stitch: As Herod, who kept his Herodias, Mark 6.22.  
Thirdly, You may trust to your do; as the Pharisee did, Luke 18.12. Which you may know by these two Signs:  
1st. If you be proud upon your do, as the Pharisee, who so boasted of his fasting twice a week, and of his paying of tithes duly, Luke 18.12.  
2d. If you presume upon your do, so as that you make bold thereupon with one sin or other; as the Pharisees, who trusting in themselves, despised others, Luke 18.9. That sin of despising others, went with their trusting to their do, and in themselves. Beloved, if a base fellow abuse a King's Son, men are apt to say, Surely some body upholds this fellow, and he trusts to that, else he durst not do so: So we may say of men and women, that abuse the Son of God, with one sin or other, whether it be some base lust, or passion, or usury, or pride, or wrong, thereby doing despite to the Son of God, Heb. 10.29. and and to the Spirit of Grace; certainly those men trust to their do, to their prayers, to their going to Church, that upholds them, and upon that they are so bold to do as they do, else they durst not; they hope that these their do and duties will bear them out: as doubtless Herod thought so too, when he kept his Herodias, Mark 6.22.  
Fourthly, You may depend upon your say: As for example; Because you can say, and have said, Lord we believe; help our unbelief; and our Beloved is ours, and we are his: As I taught you in the foregoing directions to say, you may think that therefore you do believe, when you do not, but only say that you do believe. This is notably set out by St. James, What doth it profit, my Brethren, though a man saith that he hath Faith? Jam. 2.14. Mark: Though he say; Which showeth, that, as it is now, so it was then; there were men, who thought that they had Faith, because they could say, and did say, that they did believe: That was their Faith; and that is most men's Faith now 
‡ The World is now, as it was in Ages past. Rel. Medici. p. 12. : And therefore, O the infinite Deceits, and Fallacies of that old Serpent! O the unfathomable Mazes of his Devices! O the abyss and depth of his Subtleties! Thousands have been so deluded by him: and millions there are now in Hell, suffering the Vengeance of eternal Fire, because they have harkened to him.  
3. Advising, I say Advising you, that,  
It, 1. You want Humiliation, and have not yet been duly, deeply and sufficiently dejected, and so have built without a good foundation, you lay such a foundation yet, for else how can your building stand? If a House or Castle be not founded upon a sure Foundation, we know it cannot stand, but must needs totter, and come down: And so must all that which you do, come to nothing, if this Foundation be wanting; l●ke that Seed which wanted deepness of earth; whereby we may understand depth of Humiliation, Mat. 13.5. and therefore be humbled, nay deeply and sufficiently humbled, for all the evils of your ways; nay, for the evil even of your holy things, and do, and be not quiet till you be unquiet, nor rest till you cannot rest, nor give over, I mean humbling yourselves, till you be come over to that depth of sorrow, which your horrid miscarriages, and misdemeanours call for; In a word, as David and his men wept, till they could weep no more, 1 Sam. 30.4. So do you grieve till you can grieve no more; for 
* Nam ultra posse fiery, Non vult lex ulla requiri.  then God will require no more. See 2 Cor. 8.12.  
2. If you never went thorow-stich yet, then go farther, and thorough yet; for how many have come short of Christ, and Heaven, because they would not do a little more? even as some miss sometimes, and go without a good bargain, or purchase, because they will not give the other pound, or piece; nay, sometimes some part for a groat: O do not you so too; but if any thing be yet wanting, add it, if a little more be required, do it; if a little more must be given for Christ and Heaven, give it; O do not go without it for a small matter, give the other groat, I pray you; & let it not be said of you, that you left Christ, Life and Salvation for a groat, that is, for a small matter, because you would not do a little more, and go a little further; pray a little more, meditate a little more, and do somewhat else more, which ye never did yet. O Sirs, I must needs press you to this; for so runs my Commission, Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, Mat. 28.20. So that needs you must do all that, which in my former Directions I have taught you, and which Christ our Saviour hath any where enjoined you, though it be never so cross, and contrary to your depraved natures, if you would be saved.  
3. If you formerly trusted to your do, do so no more, but say as Israel was taught to say, Ashur shall not save us, Hos. 14.3. So Prayer shall not save us, Fasting shall not save us; could we speak with the tongues of Men and Angels, could we set open our eyes, like Sluices, with weeping, could we soar up in the pensiveness of our thoughts like Eagles, and thereby even peep into Heaven, yet should we not be justified thereby: And therefore we trust to be saved only by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and by his infinite, and by us undeserved, Mercy, Tit. 3.5.  
4. If you relied on your say, go farther hereafter, and do not only say, that you do believe, but labour to believe indeed; that is, never be satisfied in that point, nor think that you do believe, till you see Faith to be in you, by its effects wrought in you; I mean, 1. Love. 2. Holiness. And, 3. Pureness. For it is like Sarah, it will have out Hagar; that is, slavish and servile Fears, and all the Lusts of the Flesh, with the Affections thereof; and like Solomon, it will overly the Temple of the holy Ghost all with Gold; that is, it will make us all glorious within, nay, throughout, both within and without; even glorious in Holiness, Acts 26.18. and glorious in Love, Gal. 5.6.  
Need you Incentives after all my Directions, and Solutions given you? then take these.  
Consider that that Kingdom of Heaven, which I persuade you so much to take by Force, is a Kingdom which is, 

1. Very High.  
2. Very Great.  
3. Very Rich.  
4. Very Pleasant.  
5. Very Glorious.  
6. Very Durable.    
1. Very High.  
1. For its Distance from us.  
2. For its Terms upon which it must be taken by us.  
First, For its Distance from us: For how sar is it think you, from the Centre of the World, to the Sun only? 
* Minima solis distantia a centro mundi continet semidiametrum terrae millies & septuagies. Lambert. Dan. in Phys. Chrys. p. 2. tract. 4. c. 18. p. 160.  Astronomers tell us, that the Distance which is between them, contains the Semidiameter of the Earth, One thousand seventy times. And how far it is from thence to the Empyrean Heaven, who can tell? no man living. The Scripture therefore calls Heaven, Heights, Psal. 148.1. and saith further, that Heaven for Height is unsearchable, Prov. 25.3. So that no Thiefs can approach it, no Enemies assault it, no Wars reach it. There may be another reason given for this, why Heaven is above the reach of all its opposites, because it is not to be seen, being far above all aspectable Heavens, Ephes. 4.8. The 
† Fratres Roseae Crucis.  Brethren of the Red Cross, as they call themselves, give out (as I have read it in one of their own printed Books) that the house of their meeting is not to be seen, which I question, whether they speak true in it (though they say, that they are of the purest Protestants) But this is undoubtedly true, that the Heaven of Heavens is a place which by us here cannot be seen; for, the eye hath not seen the things (whereof this Heaven is one) prepared for those that love him, 1 Cor. 2.9. If then, ye will be a in safe & secure place indeed, which may not be liable to surprisals; then labour for this Kingdom, to take it by force.  
Secondly, For its Terms, upon which it must be taken by us: For what are the Terms upon which it stands, think ye? the Terms of it are such as these, They that will enter me, saith this Kingdom, must exceed in Righteousness, even the strictest Pharisees that ever lived; For except your Righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, saith Christ, Mat. 5.20. and ye must be perfect, as God is perfect, saith this Kingdom, according to Mat. 5.48. Now, if some men were to serve as Soldiers under a Captain, or General, who promises them, that they shall have for their Service, whatsoever they take, though it be a Kingdom, but that they must do more work than all other ordinary Soldiers, must wake when others sleep, must fast when others feast; they would all say, O what high and hard terms be these! And yet to win a Kingdom, be persuaded to serve such a General, and even force themselves to it, and take extraordinary pains for it, because the Terms proposed are so high, as that otherwise they cannot have it. And so should we force ourselves to win the Kingdom of Heaven, and take extraordinary pains for it, because of the high Terms of it, and because else we shall never enter it, unless we do more work than all other common Sonldiers among men, and keep ourselves waking, when other men are sleeping, and abstain from all manner of meat many times, and from all excessive eating and drinking at all times, and that even then, when others at their feasts are inebriciting themselves with strong drink, and glutting themselves with creature-delights, and varieties of dishes and dainties.  
2. A very great Kingdom. The World with the Kingdoms of it, is an extraordinary great thing: They writ that the 
* 
Mr. Bolton in his direct. for a comf. walk. p. 13.  
So Speed, Ambitum ejus quidam esse volunt Leucarum Gallicarum novem millium et amplius. Lamb. Danaeus in sua Phys. Christ. p. 2. tract. 3. c. 23.   compass of it is about one & twenty thousand English miles, and somewhat more: but Heaven is infinitely greater; for, Behold! Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee: as if he should say, though it be so extraordinary great, how much less this House which I have built, saith Solomon, 2 Chron. 6.18. Now there is a time when we may not seek great things for ourselves, Jer. 45.5. but at all times we may and should seek after the great Kingdom of Heaven, and now more especially, having been so much persuaded to it; and therefore go forth, O my Brethren, in the greatness of your spirits, and height of your hearts, to win, to take, to force this great Kingdom of Heaven, which I have so much extolled, and which cannot be otherwise taken, but only by Force. The Lord help you in the doing of it.  
3. A very rich Kingdom, for in it are Streets of Gold, and Gates of Pearls, Rev. 21.21. So as that that 
* Mr. Fox in his Acts and Mon.  blessed Woman-Martyr of Exeter might well say; when one offered her Money, and she refused it, I am going to a place where Money bears no mastery: all the Wealth of England, all the Gold of both Indies, all the Pearls in the Erythean Seas, are not to be compared with the Riches of it. Now if Riches be any thing esteemed by you, and ye desire to be rich indeed, then strive to win this Kingdom by Violence; for than you are made rich for ever by it, unutterably rich; for all the Riches of Solomon, all the Treasures of Hezekiah, nay, all the Treasures of Egypt, were as nothing to the Riches of it, 1 Kings 10.23. Isa. 39.2. Heb. 11.26.  
4. Very Pleasant, for there the Sun shineth always, I mean the Sun of Righteousness, which is the Light thereof, Rev. 21.23. and besides, there are Pleasures for evermore, Psal. 16.11. Mark; For evermore; and therefore far better Pleasures than here; for the Pleasures of Sin, and of this life, are but for a season, Heb. 11.25. like Jonas' Gourd, soon come, soon gone, Ionas 4.10. yea, like Lightning, which is gone sooner. No longer than meat is in the Glutons mouth, and drink in the Drunkard's throat, the Pleasure thereof lasteth, when both are down, the sweet gust thereof vanisheth; and therefore if you would enjoy better Pleasures, labour for Heaven, where there are Rivers of rarest Delights, Seas of sweetness, and Paradises of Pleasures for evermore.  
5. Very Glorious. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God, saith David, Psal. 87.3. So I, glorious things are spoken of thee, O Kingdom of Heaven, for in thee are those glorious Mansions which Christ hath prepared for his; in thee those glorious Saints, which shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father, Mat. 13.43. in thee those glorious Teachers, Virgins and Martyrs, which wear their Crowns & Aureoales upon their heads, like crowned Kings for ever and ever; in thee those glorious Armies of Christ's valiant Soldiers, who have in the strength of his Might, overcome and vanquished so many thousands of the terribly enraged Enemies of their souls; in thee those faithful men, whom all the delights of this World could not make so effeminate, as to draw them from the strength of their holy and heavenly Manhood; in thee those holy Women, who together with the World, have superated and overcome their own Sex; in thee those Children who have by their holy manners transcended their years; in thee those old men and women, whom here age had made weak, and yet the strength of their Virtues and Graces did not forsake; all wearing their Diadems of Glory, in the Kingdom of Glory: in thee those glorious and blessed Seraphims, who chant forth their melodious Ditties to the Sacred and ever-to-be-adored Trinity to all Eternity; in thee those glorious Joys which stream from Jehovah's neverfailing Love; in thee those glorious Rays, which beam from the Light of his Pleasant Countenance, to refresh all those blessed and crowned Inhabitants, who mansion and dwell with Christ in Glory; in thee is that glorious Body and Person of Christ himself, which is so decked with Majesty, and doth so shine and glister above the Splendour and brightness of that Fountain of all created Light, the Sun, I mean, in the spangled sky. O ye that love now glittering Glory, labour therefore for this Glory, for this is Glory indeed: Nay, all ye that hear me this day, whatever ye be, be for this Glory, let this Glory keep you waking, let this Glory set all your Brains working; for Glory is a mightily working thing, O it will, like a 
* Immensum Gloria Calcar habet.  Spur, even spur us on to high Achievements: And therefore O let this Glory prick ye forward, beyond all earthly things, towards Heaven, that by Violence ye may take it, with all the Glory of it. And thou, O sweet Jesus, do not let this People sleep, or slumber, till they have put themselves upon the taking of it, by a Sacred Violence.  
6. Very Durable, for it is an Everlasting Kingdom, Dan. 4.3. and chap. 7.27. even the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, so called, 2 Pet. 1.11. in which regard, it also exceeds and excels all the Kingdoms of the World, even infinitely and unspeakably: for they all shall have, & most have had their Changes, their Ends, their Zeniths, their 
* Quoniam in genium hoc omnibus creatis ut insita quadam vi; ad mutationem forantur et casum ut ferro consumens quaedam rubigo agnata est, ligno exaedens caries aut teredo, sic animalibus, opidis, regnis internae, et sue causa pereundi. Lips. de const. l. 1. c. 15.  Periods, but this shall have none. So the things thereof, and the happiness centred therein, shall have none; For my Salvation shall be for ever, Isa. 51.6. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion 
† Cum venerint in caelestem Jerusalem. Lyra in loc. sic Cyril Alex. in loc.  with Songs, and everlasting Joy shall be upon their heads, Isa. 35.10. The like is said of the Glory of it, that there is, and will be an Eternal weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4.17. And blessed are they that dwell in thy House, they will be 
* Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est sicut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et significat Aeternitatem.  still praising Thee, Selah, Psal. 84.4. and therefore shall the People (namely, thy People) praise Thee for 
† Quod extendendum ad beatitudinem Electorum in Coelis Lorin. in loc.  ever and ever, Psal. 45.17. which puts me upon Eternity; a Type whereof was once set forth at Constantinople, in the year 459. after this manner; A certain Fraternity was set up, called by the name of Acaemets, who were so called for their not sleeping, because they were always to praise God, both day and night, being divided into three companies, so as that when the first had made an end of singing, the second was to begin; when the second had done, than the third; according to that fore-alledged place, Psal. 84.4. And therefore O blessed Kingdom, which is thus Eternal, and in which there is singing for ever and ever; O incomparable Kingdom! for what Kingdom else is like to thee? in thee is Life without Death, Gladness without Sadness, Consolation without Perturbation; Stability without Mutability; O Kingdom to be desired of all men! as which hath no 
* O Regnum vere beatum carens morte, vacans fine, cui nulla tempora succedunt per avum. Aug. in med.  end; no night, no adversary that can destroy it: therein, O my soul, thou shalt enjoy Rest without labour, Joy without dolour, Life without end, and felicity through all eternity: O endless Kingdom! I can hardly make an end of praising thee; I must needs speak a little more yet of thee, saying, 
† Yesterday was with thee (never, But to day is present ever.  
† Non est in te heri, nec hesternum sed est idemhodiernum.  

Tibi Salus.  
Tibi Vita.  
Tibi pax Infinita.  
Tibi Deus omnia.   

Thou hast Peace that ever lasteth,  
Health and Life that never wasteth.    
O that this people were so affected with thee, as they ought to be; but herein appears most men's extremest both misery and folly, that whereas all men, or most, are for Land, rather than for Lease, if they can reach to it, because it is, as they say, for ever; and whereas they will be sure to have a pennyworth for a penny, and will give so too, yet they are not so wise, nor will be, in heavenly things; for this heavenly and eternal Kingdom they care not for; they prefer their holdings for their frail lives, and mere trifles, before Land for ever; and this Heavenly and Everlasting Kingdom, is worth nothing with them, nor will they give or do any thing considerable for it, as if it were not worth looking after, which makes me the more earnest to press this matter so as I do upon your Consciences, using such Incentives as these be, and especially this last. O my God, do thou work upon this people's hearts, and let the Spirit of Life come into the wheels of their souls; let him so move their affections, as that they may be lifted up; like those Wheels in Ezekiel, Ezek. 1.20, 21. because the Spirit of Life is in them. O let not all these my labours be utterly lost, but let some poor souls be now won to the Shepherd of souls.  
O Souls, Souls, are ye nothing moved yet with all this? I hope you are; nay, methinks you are by your attention; if ye be, then move, and move indeed; I mean so strongly, so vigorously, so effectually towards Heaven, to take it by Force, as that the world may see your change, your zeal, your forwardness, your labouring for Heaven; Heaven ye see is even at hand; as the Baptist said once, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, when he so preached it up, Mat. 3.2. it was so, and so it is now, and divers enter into it; nay, take it by Force; O do you so likewise, and so live for ever. So be it.  
To God alone be all Honour and Glory.   

A New and Living Way OF DYING: OR A TREATISE, Showing how Saints, after they have comfortably overcome Sin & the World by Faith, and after a New and Living Manner have lived an Holy and Heavenly Life by Faith, may die at last after a New and Living Way, by, in, and according to Faith; Upon that Famous Scripture,  HEBREWS 11.13. 
These all died in Faith.—  
And provided especially, for Preparation to be made by all men, against the Approach of Death, in these Sickly Times.  
By Christopher Jelinger.  
And Published by some Christian Friends.  
London, Printed in the Year, 1664.   

To The Virtuous Lady The Lady ANNE SEYMOUR, Grace and Mercy be multiplied.  
MADAM,  
MY great Respect, and thankful Mind which I bear to your Worthy-Self, and to your, Noble Family, for many Favours received, hath caused and compelled me to Dedicate this Tract to your much-honoured Name: and if it may but find entertainment and acceptance, I shall count my labour well bestowed.  
Only give me leave, Much Honoured Lady, to give you a short Account of this my present Undertaking. These late Times are and have been very sickly, and many every where are fallen asleep; and when the time of our departure will be, the Lord only knoweth: and we ourselves also know this, that it cannot be long before we likewise shall go to our long home, and be no more seen at our present homes, because our life is but a vapour, Jam. 4.14. and we fly away, Psal. 90.10. which not with standing, how few are there which prepare themselves for that time; Cogitantes de fine infinito, ut vivant in infinitum: Whence it cometh to pass, that most men, when after they have lived a careless life, they come to be unmanned by Death, they go Imparati in locum paratum, Unprepared to a place prepared, idque in aeternum, and that for ever; for that which ends All, is without end. And their nearest friends are much the cause of it; for the common fashion of Friends is to put their friends in mind of Death, when they doubt that they can live no longer; Zenas the Lawyer, and Luke the Physician, must have given them over, before they will send for Barnabas to give them good Counsel and solid Consolation against their dissolution. But I for my part will not deal so with my Christian Friends.  
My design in this Tract is this, To tell men plainly that shortly they must put off their caribly Tabernacles, & show them evidently, How they must die whilst they live, that they may live when they die; dying in, by, and according to Faith. This, this I aimed at when I penned this Treatise; which, if it be acted by Faith, will so work upon mens and women's precious souls, and do them so much good, as that they will even long to enjoy the chiefest good; and when their work here is done, will show them Heaven open for them; where there is health only, and no sickness; living, and no dying; incorruption, and no corruption; ease, and no pain; singing, and no sorrowing; For the former things are passed away, Rev. 21.4.  
Many, I confess, have written on this subject of Death, but you will find, that I have left the common road, as much as I might; for my principal aim in this Tract is, To put men upon that New and Living Way, which the Apostle speaks of, Heb. 10.20. and which must be taken by Faith; according to which we must die, to live for ever.  
That Great God, and Saviour, who can do whatsoever he will in Heaven and on Earth, so bless these my Labours to you, Madam, and to all that shall read them, as that both you and they may far the better for them here, and hereafter, for ever.  
So prayeth Your Ladyship's Most humble Servants, CHRISTOPHER JELINGER.   

A New and Living Way of Dying.  HEB. 11.13. 
These all Died in Faith.—  
ALmighty God (as one saith well) hath given to men three Mansions of a divers Quality;  
1. The World, wherein they live.  
2. The Grave, wherein they corrupt.  
3. Either Heaven, wherein they are crowned; or Hell, wherein they are tormented.  
In the World, their Companion is Vanity; In the Grave, the Worms; In Heaven, the blessed Angels; and in Hell, cursed Devils: I add, For like and like suit best one with an other; Good Men, I mean, with good Angels, and evil Men with Angels-Transgressors: and yet such is the folly of most men, that they would have perpetual habitations, and an ever-during happiness in this vain World, where neither such felicity, nor perpetuity is to be expected: for as all have sinned, so all for Sin must be by Death dissolved, even the best not excepted; as by those Worthies which my Text speaketh of, it appeareth. So that men should rather forecast, what course it were best for them to take, that being thrust out of those earthly Tabernacles, in which now they mansion, they might mount up into that most blessed and blissful House of God, which is not made with hands, Eternal in the Heavens, 2 Cor. 5.1.  
What this Course is which men should take, you will understand by my future Discourse, wherewith I shall, God willing, entertain your Christian Patience, declaring FAITH to be that most happy Instrument, which must bring you to such a firm, durable and glorious settlement, This ushered and conveyed those gracious Saints which my Text speaks of, out of their earthly and unstable habitations, into those heavenly Mansions above, and places of unexpressable Delights; for they all died in Faith; and the end of Faith is, as St. Peter tells us, the salvation of our Souls, 1 Pet. 1.9. I shall therefore call the whole ensuing Discourse, A New and Living Way of Dying, and show therein, how we may in a most sweet & comfortable manner, after an holy and heavenly walking, die at last, by, in, and according to Faith; Faith, I mean, unfeigned, lively and saving; In which the ancient Patriarches died, according to my Text, These all died in Faith.  
In the beginning of this Most Excellent Chapter, the holy Apostle describeth Faith by three several Effects.  
The first is, That it procreates and begets a sure and certain hope of things promised by Almighty God, ver. 1.  
The second is, That by Faith men please God, ver. 2.  
The third is, That we believe things to humane reason incredible, ver. 3.  
Which done, he illustrates and brighteneth the said Effects by Examples prompted out of the Sacred Book of God.  
And first of all, he produceth some Believers, who flourished before the Flood; as Abel, Enoch, Noah, ver. 4, 5, 6, 7. to prove both the second and third effect; the second by Abel and Enoch, the third by Noah.  
Afterwards he descends to a second Class of Examples, reckoning up such ancient Fathers as lived after the Flood, before Israel went down into Egypt; Abraham, I mean, Isaac, Jacob and Sarah, to confirm the first Effect, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.  
Having explained the said Examples, he superadds an Amplification, which beginneth with the words of my Text, declaring that the forementioned ancient Patriarches and Believers, were both most certain in their Hope, and constant in their Expectation of the Impletion of the Lord's Promise which he had made unto them; For they died in Faith, saith he, such was their constancy.  
And thus you may see the coherence of these words with the former.  
Two things we may note in the Text itself, which is a Sacred Narration. 

1. Qui.  
2. Quid.    
That is, 

1. Who they be that are spoken of.  
2. What is spoken.    
1. Who? All these. And who be these? I answer; We may understand 
* Eagnejus in loc.  either Abrabraham, Isaac, Jacob and Sarah, living after the Flood (for of such he spoke before;) 
† Defuncti sunt omnes isti] quipest diluvium fuerunt, vel omnes praeter Enochum translatum. Dionys. Carthus. in locum.  or all those Patriarches which lived both before and after, Enoch excepted.  
2. What is spoken of all these? That they died in Faith.  
Where observe with me again, two things.  

1. Quod.  
2. Quomodo.   
Or, 

1. That they died.  
2. How they died.    
1. They Died. This puts me upon Death. Aphilosopher called Secundus, being asked of the Emperor Trajan, What Death was? described it thus; Death is an eternal sleep, he should have said a long sleep) the dissolution of our bodies, the fears of rich men, the desire of poor men, an mevitable event, an uncertain Pilgrimage, a Robber of Mankind, the Mother of sleep, the passage of Life, the departure of the living, and a dissolution of all; thus he: But we may more briefly term it a departed breath, enlivened at first by breath cast upon it. Thus they died, and yet they were very good, gracious, and most eminent Saints; for Death favoureth none, but like a cruel Mower, cuts down flowers, even the fairest and goodliest; the very best and Holy Men, I mean, which are the very Stars of the Earth, as well as common grass; ordinary and common men, I mean, in the spacious and capacious field of the world.  
Doct. 1. Good Men then (as you see) must die, like other men. Death, like those merciless and inexorable Creatures, Fire and Water, spareth none, 
* Omnia sub leges Mors vocat atra suas.  all must away, both good and bad.  
This is the point which I will, 

1. Confirm and fortify.  
2. Vindicate.  
3. Explicate.  
4. Apply.    
I. I'll confirm it, 

1. By Scripture.  
2. By Experience.  
3. By Reason.    
1. By Scripture, which is full of such sad Examples, as will sufficiently evince the truth of this Assertion. Pervolve but the 5th chapter of Genesis, and you shall find that all those good Patriarches that lived before the Flood, died as well as other wicked and ungodly men. And then search for those that lived in succeeding Ages, besides those whom my Text makes mention of, as Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Samuel, David, Josiah, Hezekiah, Isaiah, etc. and you shall find them all dead, Acts 7.15.  
2. Nay do you but ask Experience what is become of such holy and heavenly men and women as you knew in your time, and it will tell you, they are all dead; or if you will 
* August. l. de Nat. et great.  view but the Graves and Monuments that are in this Church and Church-yard, and they will affirm the same.  
3. But I suppose that some of you do rather wonder why it should be so, than doubt whether it be so, seeing the truth of this assertion is so manifest and apparent; and therefore understand,  
1. Reas. That when Adam fell, it was not the man that fell, but mankind, Rom. 5.19. so that all, both good and bad, must therefore taste of death's cup; as it is written, Wherefore as by one man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin, so Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, Rom. 5.12.  
2. Reas. It is a favour afforded by Nature, Quod gravissimum fecit, fecit common, ut crudelitatem fati consolaretur aequalitas.  
That she hath made that common which is most grievous, that so Equality might solace the Cruelty of that fate which is altogether inevitable. And,  
3. Reas. That which thou sowest, is not quickened except it die, 1 Cor. 15.36. So that the Godly cannot be raised according to the order and method which God hath decreed & ordained in his Wisdom, for their entrance into his heavenly Kingdom, unless they be first by Death dissolved, and like seed, sown and interred in the ground from which they were first extracted. To this purpose also is that, 1 Cor. 15.50. Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; that is, 
† Calvin in loc.  our Bodies, as now they are corruptible, unless they die, and so be changed, being raised again by the Power of God, and made incorruptible.  
4. Reason. God's Word must needs be verified; Now God hath said, In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die, Gen. 2.17. So that even the best must needs die one way or other, that God may be true; but eternally they cannot die, because Christ died for them, to exempt them from that Death, Rom. 5.10.21. they must needs die temporally, though they neither can nor shall be under the tyrannising power of Death eternally.  
5. Reas. The Godly are compounded of Elements, as well as others; And there is a Rule in Philosophy, That whatsoever is made up of Elements, must be dissolved again into the same; for Composition is a beginning of a Combat, a Combat of a Separation, a Separation of a Solution; so that needs they must die as well as others.  
6. Reas. Christ himself, the eternal Son of God, died a temporal Death, to bring them to everlasting Life, John 3.16. and therefore how unreasonable a thing would it be, if themselves should be exempted from that Death, of the which he himself tasted? shall the Physician taste of a bitter cup for the Patient's sake, and shall not the Patient also himself drink of the same Cup too?  
7. Reas. Nay, how can they be conformable to the same eternal Son of God, their Lord and Saviour, as they must be even by the unalterable & eternal Decree of God, Rom. 8.29. if they should not die as he died, leaving us all an Example to follow after: As if he should have said, as much in effect, as once Gideon said to his followers, Judg. 7.17. As I do, so shall ye do; or, rather (mutatis mutandis) as I die, so shall you die after.  

The Third Prosecution.  
Object. You will say unto me, Why then was Enoch translated before the Flood, and Elias after? and why saith the Apostle, We shall not all sleep, 1 Cor. 15.51. if good men must die as well as others?  
To this I answer.  
Sol. Their very Translation was not without a kind of Death, for they were changed; and Death is but a change, Job 14.14. The same may be said of those, 1 Cor. 15.51.  
2d. Object. If you reply, But what meaneth then the Apostle by this Antithesis, when he saith expressly, We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed?  
Sol. I answer. These words have troubled some not a little; and therefore we shall find three differing Latin Translations.  
1. Some read the words thus, We shall not die, but we shall all be changed.  
2. Others read them thus, We shall all rise, but we shall not all be changed.  
3. Others thus, We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.  
The Cause of which diversity I conceive to be this, Because some were offended by the Greek Copies, as 〈◊〉 they did contradict that in Heb. 9.29. but we need 〈◊〉 go so far as they, a Distinction 〈…〉 all  
There is a twofold Death; 

1. Ordinary.  
2. Extraordinary.    
1. The Ordinary is a Solution of the Soul from the Body.  
2. The Extraordinary is an Abolition of man's corruptible Nature.  
Now then when the Apostle tells us, We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed; the sense of his words is not, that therefore some shall not die at all; but only that some shall not die an ordinary death, because their souls shall not be severed from their bodies; which notwithstanding it may be said, that they shall die a kind of death; which we call Extraordinary, because there cannot be a change without an abolition of the former corruptible Nature.   

The Third Prosecution.  
I should now set sail, and launch forthwith into the deep of your hearts, by some powerful Application, but that I must clear all things first behind me, before I can comfortably commit myself to such a vast Sea of Matter as is now before me, declaring what I mean by the Death of the Godly, when I say, They must die like other men.  
1. Some things their death hath common with the deaths of the Ungodly.  
2. Some thing it hath peculiar.  
I. The Commonness of both Deaths consists in six Respects.  
1st. Respect. As the Souls of the Ungodly are separated from their Bodies, so the Souls of the Godly; unless God take them away by a Death Extraordinary, like Enoch and Elias, Ecles. 12.7.  
2d. Respect. As the Dissolution, being natural, and not violent, followeth in the one, when natural heat faileth, the radical humour being by heat dried up and exhausted, like Oil in a Lamp, which also thereupon goes out, and is extinguished, so in the other. Hence it is that the Grecians have called the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because they are humourless.  
3d. Respect. As this Dissolution, when it is 
* Cic. l. 1. Tuscul. Quaest.  violent, happeneth in the one either by a casual substraction of the radical humour, or by a suffocation of the natural heat upon some opposition made inwardly or outwardly, so in the other. See 1 Sam. 31.6.  
4th Resp. As the dissolution of the one (if it be not sudden) happeneth 
* Suarez. Metaphys. Disputat. 11. to. 1. sect. 3. fol. 232.  two ways;  
1. By divers Alterations and Dispositions which precede the instant of Death, and corrupt the subject.  
2. By that destruction which it causeth in the very instant of death. So the other.  
5. Resp. As the Dissolution of the one is not only a separation of their souls and bodies, but also a dissolution of those things whereof their bodies were compounded; which also is aptly called, Corruption, 1 Cor. 15.12, so the Dissolution of the other.  
6. Resp. As the one leaveth this world, and goeth hence to some other place, so the other, Psal. 39.13. Acts 1.25. So that 
* Socrates apud Plat.  Socrates' description of Death, may well be received as very proper and pertinent; Death is the souls change of one place for another.  
II. The Peculiarity of the Death of the Godly, consisteth or will appear in sieve things.  
1. Though the Souls of the Godly be disjoined from their Bodies, like the souls of others, yet are they not so violently taken away like the souls of others, Luke 12.20. but rather surrendered with their good will and liking, Mat. 27.50. Acts 7.59.  
2. The death of the Godly is not only a dissolution of the soul and body, but also a separation of both from Sin, Rom. 6.7.  
3. It is an abolition of all humane Frailties, Rev. 11.4. so that one may truly say of it, as a Martyr said to his fellow-Martyr, of that bloody Bishop of London, My Lord of London will be our good Physician, and cure us both, etc.  
4. It is but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or Peregrination, as Socrates calls it; or a Transitus, and an Exodus, a going over, and coming out; not an Interitus, or going down; I say it is an Exodus, or going out; like the coming of Israel out of Egypt; for so the Godly do but leave this World, which is like Egypt, full of toil, and pass on even triumphantly, thorough the abhorred Confines of the King of Fear, being carried upon the wings of Joy, and in the arms of Angels, into the Celestial Canaan, which is full of unknown Delights, and endless bliss, Luke 23.43. Rev. 14.13.  
5. Nay it is a making, rather than a marring of them; a reparation, and not a destruction; In a word, a state of Perfection, and not of Perdition; for being dead, they are said to be made perfect, Heb. 12.23. So that the Hebrews have aptly termed Death in that regard, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words being inverted, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words signify Perfection, and Innocency, to show that Death shuts up and finisheth all Imperfection, and makes complete and perfect. When therefore I say, that the Godly also must die like others, I regard those six Respects, which their death hath common with the death of others; for otherwise, though they die as well as others, yet do not they die like others, in regard of those five Peculiarities, which here I have purposely specified, that the vast Difference which is between the Death of both, might appear, and be evidently seen of all.   

The Fourth Prosecution.  
Now for Application.  
1. Use. This may inform us of the Greatness of the Wrath of God against Sin, seeing that the very best cannot be exempted from Death's Tyranny, which God's flaming Wrath against and for Sin hath subjected us all unto. It is almost 6000 years ago, that Adam sinned by eating of the forbidden Tree, and yet could not all this length of time, make him forget that one Offence; no, no, Manet alta ment repostum judicium Paridis, said Virgil in another case; and we may say as much in this, The Lord remembers that Sin still, and keeps his Anger against it still, so as that no intervening Grace or Goodness in the holiest person, can make him let go his Wrath, or remit his first Mulct or Penalty, Death, I mean, once menaced and decreed: and yet as Moses complained once, Psal. 90.11. so may we now, Who knoweth, or understands, considereth and believeth, as Luther in Dutch rendereth the Original, the power of thine Anger, though we be even consumed by it, ver. 7. Wherefore in the first place let us learn, and lay to heart, the Power of the Lord's Anger; for you see by Moses' complaint, that scarce any knoweth it, or considereth of it:  
Whereupon it cometh to pass that Sin is,  
1. So slighted as it is in your Judgements.  
2. So embraced in your Affections.  
3. So multiplied in your Conversations; because you do not once seriously consider the Powerfulness and Greatness of God's Wrath, by which we are consumed one by one, the very best not exempted.   

The Second use.  
Must godly Men, who are like precious Wheat, die like other men? Then woe to the Ungodly, which are but Chaff; for what will become of them? if God so deal with the green wood, what will he do to the dry? if he be so severe against his own, for that old sin of Adam, how rigorous then will he be against Aliens? if they that are reconciled unto him by the death of his Son, yet must taste of Death's cup, what will be the end then of you that are yet unreconciled? Certainly my tongue is not able to express that unutterable and unspeakable Wrath, which will most certainly seize on you unreconciled Adulterers, Boasters, Idolaters, Liars, Cozeners, and on you, fierce, proud, envious, worldly and covetous Men and Women, for you must taste of a double Death, the first and the second, Rev. 21.8. Now how fearful and formidable the very first Death is, you know all, who ever saw a man unmanned, and laid in the dust to putrify, and to be meat for Worms, whereby you may easily conceive, how dreadful needs must be, and will be both, when one after another, as it were, shall require your souls, as it is written. Luke 12.19, 20. Thou fool, this night they shall require thy Soul from thee, as the Original hath it: Mark; They shall require it; and who be They, but the first and the second Death? as I conceive, one seconding the other.  
O think on this double Death, all ye Drunkards, and Fornicators, Swearers, Usurers, Epicures, Gurmands, Atheists and Hypocrites; and imagine in what a woeful plight your Souls will be, when those two Deaths shall so require them, and they shall be forthwith thrown and cast into that formidable Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the second Death, Rev. 21.8.  
Lamentable was the case of the Men of Sodom, when suddenly they saw and felt both Fire and Brimstone dropping down from Heaven upon their Bodies; but infinitely more grievous, woeful and deplorable will be your condition then, when these your immortal Souls shall begin to feel in a moment after their departure, that ever-during Fire and Brimstone, which the Lord in his Fury will rain upon them in that infernal Pit: for as the 
† Bonavent. Brevis. cap. 6. pag. 7.  peccant Spirit or Soul of man, subjects itself to the baseness of sin, perverting the Dignity of its Noble Nature; so the order of God's Justice requireth, that it, as well as the Body, should burn in the very dregs of worldly bodies; corporeal Fire and Brimstone, I mean, which never shall be quenched.  
This will be the Catastrophe of all your sports and delights, and profits of your sinful Life.  
It was a witty saying of a learned man, That Marriage was a short and sweet song, but that it hath a long and doleful close.  
So of all the Pleasure we take in sin, we may truly say, that it is a Song short for the time, and sweet for tune, as long as it lasteth, for it runneth much upon Quavers and Semiquavers, of Mirth and Jubilation, but the time suddenly changeth, and the tune is altered, for than followeth, without rest, the Sarges and Songs of sorrow and lamentation, which cannot be measured by any time, or uttered by any humane tongue: Hence when one who had lived but a lewd and ungodly life, was departing, as one 
* Doctor Hill in his Direction to die well, p. 123.  relates it of him, he cried out even in this World most lamentably, O lamentable Destiny! O infinite Calamity! O Death without Death! O those contival Cry, which shall never be harkened unto! our eyes can see nothing but sorrowful Spectacles, and intolerable Torments, our ears can hear nothing but Woe, woe, without end woeful. O thou Earth, why dost not thou swallow? O ye Mountains, why do not ye cover us from the presence of the Judge? How far do the Torments of Hell exceed all the tortures of this Life! O ye bewitching Pleasures of this World, how have ye led us blindfolded to the Horrors of Hell? woe, woe for ever unto us, who without hope are cast from the Favour of God, so that after ten thousand years we might be delivered! O that in any time we might have an end! But it cannot be; Our Temporal Pleasures have Eternal Pains, our Mirth is now turned into Mourning, and we are cast into Everlasting Fire. Thus he. I do not speak this to drive you to desperation, but to persuade you to an alteration, that you may change your Estates and Lives for better; praying God, All-powerful, to turn you, that you may be turned from your sins; and he from the fierceness of his Wrath, and so consequently may not come into that woeful, woeful place of Torments, which shall never have an End.  
The Lord touch your Hearts, that you may consider both your own Misery, and this blessed Remedy, and so may fly from that wrath which is to come.   

The Third use.  
If the Godly must die like other men, then let every one of us that is Godly, be more mindful of his own death, then usually the very best are; and let him make his particular application to himself; Then I also must die as well as other men, and moulder away into rottenness and dust, see Deut. 23.29.  
Plato that Princeps Philosophia, or Prince of Philosophy saith, There is Nulla Salutatis Philosophia, no wholesome Philosophy, sed perpetua Mortis Meditatio, but a perpetual Meditation of Death. It is, saith Scipio, The most honourable Philosophy to study a man's Mortality.  
The Meditation of Death, is the Life of the Wise; nay, it is the very Life of a Christian Life, say I, and the greatest wisdom of the Godly who is truly wise; And therefore (to help ourselves herein.)   

The First Help.  
Let us now and often pray with Moses the man of God, Lord teach us to number our days, that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom, Psal. 90.12.   

The Second Help.  
Let us take an occasion by every thing we see, to remember our latter end; for as King Philip's Remembrancer told him every day, Philippe memento Mori, Philip remember that thou must die; so every Creature almost that comes to our view, minds us of our Death, saying as much to each of us in effect, Remember man that thou also must die.   

I'll instance in Particulars.  
The First Instance.  
Our very Shoes we wear, being made of Skins of dead Beasts, tell us so much, and therefore when we put them on, let us remember that we also must die.   

The Second Instance.  
Our Victuals we eat, being the flesh of dead Beasts, say so much, and therefore we need not then a Deaths-head to put us in mind of Death, 
* Lang. Pol.  as in ancient time among the Egyptians, Death's Picture was showed to men at their Feasts▪ to mind them of Death: the Meat itself representing the Image of Death, is a sufficient remembrancer, whereby we may, if we will, yea, aught to remember our Mortality.   

The Third Instance.  
When we walk in the coloured Fields, and view the gay Diaperie of the Earth, we may thereby be put in mind of Death; for every Pile of Grass, and every fading flower there, tell us of it; so as that we might, if we did not turn our deaf ear to such Powerful Lectures, hear as it were, a Voice behind us, saying, All flesh is as Grass, and all the Goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field; the Grass withereth, the Flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it, Isa. 90.6. I pray you therefore take notice of this Lesson.   

The Fourth Instance.  
The Earth we tread on preacheth the same Lecture, telling us, that being compounded of that Element, we must needs return again unto it, according to that 
* Damasc. l. 1. de Fide. c. 4.  Philosophical Axiom, Whatsoever is compacted of Elements, must needs be dissolved again into the same; Wherefore as often as we do but look on the Earth, let us remember the Word of the Lord, Dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou return, Gen. 3.19.   

The Fifth Instance.  
The Corpse, Sepulchers, and Monuments of the Dead tell every one of us so much, saying as it were, Hodie mihi, Cras tibi, To day it is my turn, to morrow it may be thine; Wherefore I advise you to walk now and then up and down in a Church, or Churchyard, and to view such Sepulchers and Monuments of the deceased deliberately; for than you cannot but mind your own Mortality, reading theirs upon their silent Tombs, and memorial engraved with most legible Characters; not so much in Marble, as in the very dust wherein they lie, and unto which they are returned.   

The Sixth Instance.  
Your own frail Bodies consisting of contrary Elements, as Fire, Air, Water, Earth; I mean the four Humours, Choler, Blood, Phlegm, Melancholic, which are like them, combating and fight one against another, can tell you, that needs there must follow a dissolution; for, as I told you, Composition is the beginning of a Combat, a Combat of Separation, a Separation of a Dissolution.  
Wherefore, as in old time, one came after the ancient Emperors, riding in their Triumphant Chariots, crying with a loud voice, 
† Tertul. in Apol. adv. Gentes. cap. 33.  Respice post te, Look behind thee: So let me now come after all those high and hurtful conceits which you have had of your own Parts, Worth, Strength, Youth, Wealth, Health; and after all those applauding Flatterers, which have made you often too secure, saying with a loud Voice,  
Look but upon yourselves, and behold your Bodies, which a thousand ways may be on a sudden dissolved, though but one way they entered into this present World; for whilst you are speaking, walking, eating, writing, thinking, or sleeping; these four contrary Elements are ever fight, whereupon, as in other Battles, one party may prevail in an instant, and cause a great slaughter; so one of them may prove predominant, and cause a final dissolution of your weak and mortal Bodies; and this may fall out so, even suddenly and unexpectedly; as experience hath taught us by the sudden Deaths of many, who had not so much leisure as once to speak one word more after they were so suddenly and violently assaulted.   

The Seventh Instance.  
When you go to bed, you are even by that silent custom of yours thought and told you of your Mortality; for how can there be almost a more lively emblem of Man's dying, than  
1. His unraying of himself? which may mind him of the putting off his Body of Earth, 2 Cor. 5.4.  
2. His 
* Cum in lecto cubas sit tibi ipse jacentis habit is figura in Sepulchro Clausi. Isid. de summo bone.  lying down upon his Bed; which may put him in mind of his lying down in the Grave, which will be his Bed.  
3. His very sleeping, which may call to his mind his last and longest sleep, when he shall sleep in his Death, and rise no more till at that great and dreadful day of the last Doom, the shrill and loud sounding Voice of the Son of God shall awake him out of his sleep, saying, Surgite Mortui, venite ad Judicium, Rise O ye Dead, and come to Judgement. Hence the very 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Homer. Iliad. 14.  Heathen, as well as the 
† Chron. 21.1. Acts 1.60.  Penmen of Gods Holy Spirit have resembled Death to a sleep, and called sleep Death's 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Mnesimachus Com.  Mystery, and Death, Sleeps Brother. So 
† In Filiavel scient. bené moriendi. Fol. 47.  Synopa the Cynic, being nigh his end, and very sleepy, said to his Physician, awakening him, Ne mireris, frater fratrem autevertit, Wonder not at my sleeping, one Brother preceds another.  

* Pausan. in Lacon.  Pausavias' in like manner writes of the Laconiens, that they set up two Simulachres, for Death and Sleep as two Brethren.  
Wherefore I beseech you, that as often as you are going to bed, to take your natural rest, you will constantly remember by these three things, that one needful thing, which is Death, making a particular application of each emblem, as thus; let a Godly man say to himself,  
As now I go to my bed, so I must go to my Grave; and as I put off my , so ere long, nay this night it may be, I must put off my Earthly Tabernacle, which is my Body; and as I shall fall asleep, and know nothing that is done while I am asleep, so must I very shortly sleep up, and die, not knowing any thing that shall be done here about me, or with me, or to me; nor can or will any Sanctity or Godliness that is in me, be able to deliver me from the fatal stroke of Death, which will steal upon me like sleep; for the very Godly must die as well as others.  
And here let me press upon you a few Persuasives to this remembrance, which is so rare in the very best.   

The First Persuasive.  
Consider how secure the best of us are without it, like the people of Lais, before the Damtes came upon them and slew them, Judg. 18.27. so are we; no longer than death is before us, doth any thing almost go near us, or move us, as appears by many things. The instance but in a few:  
1. When the Plague doth cease in a place near us.  
2. When any other common sickness doth leave us or ours in our Families.  
3. When Wars or rumours of Wars threatening us do surcease among us.  
4. When a Funeral, which did mind us of Death, is forgotten again by us; how secure grow we by and by and slow to good! whereas as long as we were in some fear or danger, and so consequently mindful of our latter end, we were mightily stirred up to Duties.  
And therefore should we not for this very cause strive to remember our Mortality more than we do, that so doing, we might shake off that gross security, which is so common among us.   

The Second Persuasive,  
And do ye not see how strongly sin doth prevail against you, when such holy thoughts of Death are departed from you? Just as it was in the days of Moses with Issrael, so it fares with us now, when Moses was but gone out of their sight upon the Mount, they presently fell to Idolatry, and made a Golden Calf, Exod. 31.3, 4. So soon as Death is but a little departed out of our mind, we fall to Spiritual Idolatry, and make a God of the Belly, Phil. 3.19. Or of out Parts, or of our Money, Ephes. 5.4. Or of our Children, or of our Gardens, Houses, Walks, Friends. In a word, how foolish and vain are we, as Moses implieth, Deut. 32.29. Psal. 90.12.  
Do ye not find it so? can ye deny it? and had we not need then to keep Moses, I should say death, ever with us, and not to let him go out of our minds, that we might not so soon and easily fall to such Idolatry?   

The Third Persuasive.  
Consider we likewise how unquiet and how dubious we are most times, when we do put off the most needful remembrance of death. For, as thereupon it comes to pass that we grow secure and backward in Duties, and prone to sin; (as I have already showed) so can we not but (after that) even question our estates to God-ward, and interest in those unknown and unexpressable joys, delights and pleasures, which attend the Godly after Death, in Heaven's Kingdom: like Aristotle, who said, when he was dying, Anxius vixi, dubius morior nescio quo vado; so should we be forced to say in a manner, if in that Case, we should be assaulted by Death, Anxiously we have lived, doubtfully we die, we know not whether we shall go to Heaven or Hell.  
So true is that excellent saying of a wise man, that sine Meditatione Mortis tranquillo esse Ammo nemo potest, That without this Meditation of Death, none may be quiet or enjoy true tranquillity in his Mind.  
Let none therefore that is Godly, either refuse to pray (as I said) with Moses, Lord teach us to number our days, that we may be more wise and sober, or to be beholding to any Creature to be put in mind by it of Death.  
Forasmuch as you all see what need we had all so to do, that we may not be so secure, so prone to sin, and so doubtful as many times we are and have been.   

The Fourth use.  
Must Godly men die as well as others? then let none of us that is Godly build Tabernacles here, but rather let him live as a Pilgrim upon Earth, like those ancient Believers, Heb. 11.13.  
And as the 
* Chrysost. in Matth. 22. hom. 70.  Scythiens, who travel up and down, not having any fixed or certain mansion-house; so let him be in this present World, as without a House, without Lands, without Money, without a Wife, without Children, and without Friends; that is, if he have an House, Land, Money, Wife, Child, Friend, let him be so lose, so indifferent, so free, so un-engaged, unintangled, and untied in his affection, as if he had none, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. because he may, yea, must ere long be 
* Habui enim illos tanquam amissurus. Seneca Epist. 64.  without them: And if he have no great means, let him rather pass by them valiantly, than peruse after them inordinately, or wickedly; for if he had them, he would be forced very shortly to leave them, and to be gone, though he should be never so holy and godly; according to my Text, Those all died. Guerrius 
† Considerate of Eternity.  hearing these words read in the Church, Gen. 5.5, 6, 7, 8. And died, and died, was so wrought upon thereby, that he retired himself from the world, and gave himself wholly to his devotion, that he also might die the death of the godly. Let these words of my Text work in like manner upon you, I pray you, and then your hearing will make you as happy as his did him.   

How they died.  
2. You have heard of the death of these holy Patriarches that lived before and after the Flood; would you know how they died? then mark what followeth, [In the Faith,] or rather, According to Faith, as the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Original hath it, and both ancient and modern Interpreters translate it; and the meaning of this speech is, as 
† Gagueius in loc.  Expositors say, they died 
* Lyra in loc.  by and with 
† Calvin in loc.  Faith; that is, being 
* Piscat. in loc.  constant in the Faith, and laying hold on the Promises made to Faith: where by Faith, we must understand likewise not a dead, or historical, or temporary Faith, but a lively, saving, justifying Faith; which is first described in the very front or first verse of this Chapter; and then exemplified by so many Instances in the residue to the very end and period of it.  
Whence resultes this most profitable and useful Observation.   

The Second Doctrine.  
That the Saints of God being true Believers, do not only live by Faith, but also die in, by, with, and according to Faith.  
So did all those holy Patriarches that are mentioned by the holy Apostle, in the beginning of this Chapter; and so did the test whom he reckoneth up in the middle and ending of it; as you may note, ve●se 21, 22, 31, 39 So did Stephen the Proto-Martyr, uttering, when he was dying, with much confidence these very words, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit: Mark; first he calleth Christ Lord, implying him to be his Redeemer, and Owner, that bought him.  
Secondly, He commendeth into his hands his spirit, being persuaded that he was able to keep it, and to restore it. So 
* Such Examples are superadded for Illustration.  Babylas of Antioch, the Martyr; for he said when he was dying, Return, O my Soul, unto thy rest, because the Lord hath blessed thee; because thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling, I shall walk before the Lord in the Land of the living.  
So 
† Dr. Hill in his direct. to die well. p. 179.  Peter Martyr, for he said, My Body is weak, but my mind is well. There is no Salvation but only by Christ, who was given of the Father to be a Redeemer of mankind; this is my Faith in which I die.  
So blessed 
* Bagshaw in the life and death of Mr. Bolton. p. 34.  Bolton, who when he was dying, said to his hearers, I feel nothing in my soul but Christ, with whom I hearty desire to be.  
So Pareus (as the Preacher relates it in his Funeral-Sermon, which I heard myself) wrote to the same effect, when his speech was gone; This Catarrh hath taken away the use of my speech, but he shall never rob me of my Faith in Christ.   

The first Reason.  
And it cannot be otherwise.  
For,  
1. Their Faith can never fail them, Luke 21.32. being like mustardseed indeed, Luke 17.6. which being ing once 
* Hemin. l. 3. c. 24  sown in a garden, can hardly ever be rooted out again; so that needs it must show itself in death as well as life.   

The second Reason.  
2. In death the Saints of God had most need of the use of their Faith; by reason of,  
First, Satan; who then will be sure to sift them as he sifted Peter, Luke 22.31. and to bend all his forces against them, to make them either presume or despair.  
Secondly, Carnal Reason; which then will most of all discourage them, suggesting such reasonings as these;  

* Bernard Serm de Parm. 7 miserecord.  Who art thou, or how great is that Glory, and by which works thinkest thou to obtain it?  
Thirdly, Their own self-accusing Consciences; who then above all times, will most accuse them, Rom. 2.15. being stirred up by Satan; who is called the Accuser of the Brethren, Rev. 12.10.  
So that they cannot but then especially exercise their Faith: even as Soldiers in assaults, and sharpest conflicts, and battles, when they must either conquer, or die, will then use their chiefest weapon most of all, and so even die fight, if they must needs die: like 
† Plutarch.  Epaminondas, who so ended his days in a fight. I say, the Saints cannot but so in like manner, use their Faith, as their principal weapon, than most of all, and so consequently die in, with, by, and according to Faith.   

APPLICATION.  
For Application, I'll now deduce hence three Inferences.  
1. The Excellency of Saving-Faith.  
2. The Nullity of many men's pretended Faith.  
3. The Duty of all that will be counted godly, and to be truly ennobled with Saving-Faith.  
Of these in order.   

The first Inference.  
1. Great then is the Excellency of Saving-Faith, which holdeth out in death itself, when Strength, Physic, Friends, and all things else fail us. Saul and Jonathan, (said David after their death) were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their Death they were not divided, 2 Sam. 1.23.  
The same may be said of all the Godly, and their Faith, after their departure, that they were lovely and sweet companions in their lives, and that in their very death they were not divided; for, These all died in the Faith, saith the Apostle of the Godly; that is (as I shown in my former Exposition) with Faith, having Faith for their companion in their death and expiration.  
And therefore what do we talk of Silver, Gold, and earthly Jewels, that they are excellent and precious things? here is a Jewel indeed, a most excellent and precious thing, without all comparison, even Saving-Faith, which in death itself stands by us, and tells us in a manner, that whilst we breathe, it will never leave us nor forsake us; yea, abideth with us, (in some sort) as 
* 
Est etiam fides rerum, quando non verbis sed rebus ipsis praesentibus creditur, quod erit cum per speciem manifest am se contemplandam praebebit Dei sapientia. Aug. 2. quaest. Evangel. cap. 39  
Est enim duples sides; 1. Verborum in hac vita. 2. Rerum in futura. Vid. Lombard. 1.3. dist. 24. Ames. Medulla Theol. lib. 2. c. 6.   some say, even after death, which is more; whereas neither Silver, nor Gold, nor Gems, nor any other earthly thing can then stead us, when the last breath leaves us, & the pangs of death are upon us: O Faith, Faith, how admirable and amiable art thou therefore, and must needs be in the eyes of him that hath thee! for if heaps of Silver, and Gold, and Pearls, which in death we must leave behind us, be so precious, as usually they are in the estimation of those that possess them, thou must needs be, or shouldst be infinitely more precious in the judgement of him who so hath thee, as that in death itself he cannot lose thee!  
O that my soul were but condignly affected with thy transcendent Excellency, that so I might accordingly set that value and price upon thee, as befits thy most rare and admirable Eminency!  
And O that you also, my Beloved, were but thoroughly convinced of this stupendious Excellency of Saving-Faith! For then there is no question but you would labour more after so rare a Jewel as Faith is, if you did want it, and make more account and use of it than you do, if you have it.  
The Lord open your eyes, that you may see the Orient Splendour, and matchless worth of this rarest Pearl, which in death itself will not departed from ye.   

The Second Inference.  
2. This showeth the Nullity of many men's pretended Faith; for who will believe it, that they have or ever had true Saving-Faith, who before they come to die, live so loosely, as that Heathens and Turks themselves, who are professed Infidels, cannot well live more licensiously!  
Of this sort are they that,  
1. Hate and despise so the Power of Religion in all those that are most happily ennobled with it, 2 Tim. 3.12.  
2. Live so profanely themselves, as that Esau himself in his Profaneness, could not outstrip them, Heb. 12, 16. caring neither for God, nor Church, nor Teacher, nor Prayer, nor Bible, nor Sabbath, nor any other part of God's most holy Worship.  
3. Tear so the sacred Name of God with their bloody Oaths.  
In a word, those that are so disobedient to Parents, Husbands, Masters, and so angry, fierce and passionate in their speeches, so unfaithful, unjust and deceitful in their deal, so mendacious and false in their communications, so envious, covetous and ambitious in their hearts, and so lascivious, filthy and wanton in their lives; these, even all these (questionless) neither have now, nor ever had yet that true and Saving-Faith, in which, by which, with which, and according to which, the Godly, who only are true Believers, both live and die; for they rather live in their sins in general, and by their cozening, cheating, usurious lend, and lying in special, and according to their envious, lustful, covetous, ambitious, profane and atheistical hearts desire, than in, by, with, and according to Saving-Faith; and as they live, so they will die (unless God grant them Faith and Repentance before) in, with, and according to their sins. (Nam qualis vita, finisita; For as men live, so they die, usually.)  
My meaning is,  
1. As here they have no Faith, so in death they shall have no Comfort, nor Joy, nor Peace, Isa. 48.22.  
2. And as here they could not live without scoffing, deriding, swearing, cursing, cozening, lying, contending, whoring, and profaning of God's Sacred Name, Word and Sacraments; so after their death they shall not be able to live without suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire, for their boldness in sinning, Rom. 2.8, 9  
3. And as here they did even exceed in their drink, pride, malice, envy, wrath, strife, contention, lust, avarice, atheism, authotheism, polytheism and epicurism; so God will exceed in punishing, adjudging and condemning them to so much greater torments than others, as they have been greater and more heinous offenders than other; for God will render unto every man according to his deeds, Rom. 2.6. Mark; According; that is, proportionably. Hence 
(b) Bonaventura Brevil. p. 7. c. 7.  Bonaventure, because that infernal Fire burneth not, but according to the disposition of sin, and of that guilt and spot which preceding the improbity of lust, hath contracted: and because that is not equal in all, therefore it is that some are more burnt than others, in the same. This will be the catastrophe, end, and period of all such as do not, or will not live and die according to Faith, but according to their sinful desires: He that suffreth least in that Infernal Lake, suffers more pain than all they together; who either were troubled with the Stone, Gout, Colic, Strangury, or else were racked, skinned, boiled in Oil, roasted upon a Spit or Gridiron, burnt, starved, or buried alive: 
(c) Haec omnia quae hic patimur merus lusus ac risus sunt sicum illis suppliciis in contentionens veniant. Chrys. ad pop. Ant. hom. 49.  all these things which men here suffer, are but a mere play, sport, a laughingmatter, being compared with those unutterable, unexpressable, and unconceivable Tortures, which by any damned wrecth are to be endured in that horrid Dungeon, called Hell, to all eternity.  
And therefore conceive proportionably, how grievous, and how insufferable will be the burning of some among us, who having outmatched others in sinning, shall suffer to the very uttermost the vengeance of that merciless Fire, without ease or end. O my Brethren, how can you sit here so quietly under your Ministry, you that are guilty of such sins, as convince you to be both void of Saving-Faith, and also to be the persons that shall endure those unspeakable Tortures, and burn in those merciless Flames, which will torment you for ever and ever, so as that you shall have no rest, or ease neither day nor night?   

The third Inference.  
3. If godly men, being Believers, do not only live by Faith, but also die in, with, by, and according to Faith, than it behooveth us to die so too, whensoever we shall be called to that state, if we count ourselves to be of the number of the Godly, and will be certain of it.  
To help those which hearty desire to be informed herein, I'll in the next place set down such Principles as are most necessary to the right happy attaining to such a blessed Death.   

Four Principles.  
1. 
(d) These two Principles, the first and second, make mightily and mainly for that Preparation which is to be made against the day of Death.  They that will die so, must first live so, as that they may die so.  
2. 
(d) These two Principles, the first and second, make mightily and mainly for that Preparation which is to be made against the day of Death.  They must make comfortable provision for death.  
3. They must be sure that they have Faith.  
4. They must use their Faith according to that condition in which then they are. Of these methodically.  
For the first.  
1. They must live so; that is,  
1. As Abraham (who died in the Faith) left his own Country, and died 
(e) Mors Civilis nihil aliud est quam exilium civis. Dr. Vulteius Jurispr. l. 1. c. 24.  Civilly before he died Corporally, vers. 8. So must they leave their native soil, which is the Country of sin, and die to sin; mortifying the Body of sin, before Death approaching dissolves the body of earth, Col. 3.5.  
I am not ignorant of the extreme difficulty of this heavy Task, unto which I persuade the Godly; and therefore I'll labour to facilitate it as much as I may, affording a few Subsidies; which I desire God to bless unto you.   

The first Subsidy.  
1. Set Faith on work, that mighty Conqueror, and then the conquest will be very facile and easy; for, This is our victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith, 1 John 5.4.   

Quest.  
How shall I overcome sin by Faith?  

Answ.  
Believe verily that sin shall not overpower thee, though it trouble thee; Because,  
1. God hath promised thee that it shall not have dominion over thee, Rom. 6.12.  
2. Christ himself hath died for thee, that sin might not live, but die in thee, Tit. 2.14.  
2. Unsheathe against sin (when it assaults thee) the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: as Christ himself did, Mat. 4.  
3. Discharge the great Ordnance of Prayer against it: as Paul did, 2 Cor. 12.8.  
4. Famish it by detaining and withholding all such occasions from it, as usually feed it: like Joseph, Gen. 39.10.  
5. Over-awe it and affright it continually with the gresly remembrance of Death; for then, as all the men of Israel fled when they saw Goliath, that huge lump of flesh, with his deadly weapons about him, 1 Sam. 17.24. so all your sins will flee, as not daring to show themselves in the presence of death, who with his deadly arrows, may shoot you, and cut off the silver Cords of your precious and dear Life, in the very act of sin. So as that you may do well to reason thus with yourselves when fin doth entice you; would I do so if I were now to die? No, no; and therefore why should I yield to such an evil, in the which it may please God to cut me off by death, so as that I shall not be able to say so much as God be merciful unto me a sinner. See Eccles. 7.33.  
6. Assure yourselves that nothing will plague you more when you come to die, than such sins as did not die before you; for Satan will then be sure to muster them up before your face, when he cometh up with you to have his last bout with you, being indeed the craftiest and subtlest Adversary you have, Rev. 11.12. Brethren, what I tell you now of this Adversary, before you come to die, the Dying have found by experience, and confessed it as an infallible truth. O God, said the Earl of Essex, at the point of death, and Judge of all men, thou hast let me know by warrant out of thy Word, that Satan is then most busy, when our end is nearest.  
Moriantur ergo ante te vitia tua, Let thy sins die therefore before thee, that when thou art dying, they may not so torment thee.  
7. Mortify your sins by degrees one after another, for then your conquest will be far more easy than if you should set upon all at once. Nam virtus unita fortior; For united Forces are ever stronger. If you take a bundle of Arrows, you cannot easily break them, but take one by one, and you shall burst them quickly. It is proportionably so with your sins, which are like Arrows piercing the very soul, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. and therefore take one, and one, and break them by degrees, and then it will be an easy matter for you to burst the necks of all your sins in time; that is, as you are tempted now to one, then to another; being bend nevertheless against all in the purpose of your hearts.  
8. You must make this account, that you can never attain to a well-grounded and comfortable assurance of everlasting Bliss to be enjoyed after death, unless you may see the death of your sins in a competent sort before you; no, no; for he that will live when he dyeth, must die while he liveth; die, I mean, to sin, and to the world, Gal. 6.14. and therefore what certainty can you have of such a life, if you be not sure of a such death?  
9 On the contrary; persuade yourselves, that dying after the death of your sins, you may be sure you shall die as Conquerors; nay, shall live most certainly, and be new born, rather than forlorn; Like valiant Epaminondas, who dying after the conquest and slaughter of his enemies, said to his victorious Soldiers, 
(a) Nunc Epaminonda vascitur, quia sic moritur. Valer. Max.  Now Epaminondas is born, because he dieth after this manner.  
Die, die therefore, before you die, that you may be sure you shall not die, but live when you die: which the Lord in mercy grant unto you.  
2. As the Patriarches, Heb. 11.4, 8. so must you correspond with the Will of God in all good things.    

Particularly.  
1. As Abel offered, and offered a more acceptable Sacrifice than Cain, Heb. 11.4. so must you offer, and offer more acceptable Sacrifices and Services to God, than others; that is, you must pray, fast, sing, read, hear, visit, speak and give, etc. in a better manner than common, profane and civil men, and hypocrites, which you must transcend.  
2. As Abraham being commanded to go into a strange Country, went he knew not whither; so must you go even about those many strange duties unto which God leads us; as he sent him to a strange place: As for instance.  
1. The Duty of Reconciliation, Mat. 5.25.  
2. The Duty of not resisting Evil, ver. 26.  
3. The Duty of suffering evil men with patience, ver. 39.  
4. The Duty of loving our Enemies, ver. 44.  
5. The Duty of labouring after that Perfection which is in God himself, ver. 48.  
6. The Duty of not carking and caring so much for the things of this life, Mat. 6.25.  
7. The Duty of entering into the narrow Way which leads to Life, Mat. 7.13. With none of these we may dispense, but we must put ourselves upon them all, being called thereunto by that great God and Saviour, who can command all.  
3. As Abraham, being in a strange Country, dealt justly, paying for what he bought, and purchased most exactly (For the sacred Story relates, that he weighed his Silver to Ephron for a burying-place, that it might not want anything, Gen. 23.16.) so must you, 1 Thes. 4.6.  
As he instructed his household in the fear of God, Gen. 18.19. so must you, Ephes. 6.4.  
5. As he was liberal, expressing so much by his ready and cheerful entertaining of strangers (for he sat in his Tent door at noon, which was dinner time, looking out for strangers; whereas some will rather hid themselves from strangers, Gen. 18, 1.) so must you, Heb. 13.1,2,16.  
6. As Isaac was wont to exspatiate, and to walk out into the field to meditate, Gen. 24, 63, so let us in like manner duly and daily, either at home or abroad, John 1.8. 1 Tim. 4.15.  
More particularly let us meditate, on these four last things.  

1. Death.  
2. Judgement.  
3. Heaven.  
4. Hell.   
7. As those ancient Believers, who died in the Faith, did what they did in Faith, and by Faith, Heb. 11.4,8, etc. so do you; for whatsoever is not done in Faith, is sin, Rom. 14.23.   

Quest.  
If you ask me, How must we do things in Faith?  
Answ. Believing,  
1. That God will assist you, as he hath promised you, Ezek. 36.27.  
2. That he will accept of your good Deeds in and for Christ, in whom he is well pleased, Matth. 17.5.  
3. That he will graciously reward you, Heb. 11.6.  
Of these three Acts of Faith, together with your good Works, make a Confection, like that of, 1st. Stacte, 2ly. Onicha, 3ly. Galbanum, and 4ly. pure Frankincense, which after the art of the Apothecary was to be made in the time of the Levitical Law, Exod. 30.34, 35. that it may yield a sweet savour unto the Lord, who takes delight in Faith, which must be the chief ingredient in so sweet a composition.   

The Second Principle.  
You must make comfortable provision for the day of Death, like Mariners, who against a long and troublesome Voyage, provide sundry strong and Cordial Waters which may strengthen them when they navigate over the great Ocean, and meet with grievous Storms and Tempests.   

Quest.  
If you demand what I mean by this Comfortable Provision?  

Answ.  
Such seasonable and suitable Sentences as shall be able to support your fainting Hearts in that last and forest conflict, as Hos. 13.14. Luke 12.32. & 23.43. Rom. 14.7, 8. 1 Cor. 15.41, 42, 43. 2 Cor. 5.1, 2. 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. Rev. 14.13. Rev. 21.2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8.  
These precious Cordials, being well digested, will make us even long for Death, and cause us to be cheerful in Death; Like a King's Son, who being sent for to come home from a far, cold and barren Country, into which he was formerly banished, to take possession of a most rich, most spacious, and most flourishing Kingdom left him by his Father, cannot but take his journey, and go on in his way with much rejoicing.  
For so we are but sent for, when we must die, to come away from the barren and uncomfortable soil of this world, to be enstated in the most Glorious and Capacious Kingdom of Heaven.  
And therefore imprint them all in your memories, that so those everlasting Spirits of yours, breathed into your bodies by the All-powerful God, I mean your Souls, may feed on them, and fill themselves with them, and be revived by them; & so consequently with such Honey-sweet-Cordials strengthening them, may go hence, when the time of their departure is come, to God your Heavenly Father, as Sampson to his Father, with Honey in his mouth; for he came eating, Judg. 14.9.    

The third Principle.  
You must make it sure, that you have faith by an infallible Trial (2 Cor. 13.5.) trying yourselves often by these three never-deceiving Signs.  
1. A thorough Humiliation, Acts 2.37.  
2. A thorough Purgation from sin, even every known sin, so as that none reigns or rules in the heart, Acts 15.9.  
3. A thorough Sanctification, Acts 26.18. manifesting itself by a constant and earnest endeavour to walk in all God's Holy Commandments in general, Luke 1.6. and by love unfeigned in special, I mean that singular Love which the true Believer bears to God in Christ above all, seeking his Glory in all things, and more than all things; and to the Children of God, for God, Gal. 6.5. 1 John 3.14. Of which love St. 
* Aug. de Trin. l. 8. c. 7.  Austin saith truly, That a man knoweth more the love with which he loveth, than his Brother whom he loves.   

The Fourth Principle.  
You are to make use of your Faith, when death approacheth, as the state of a dying Believer requireth it; observing these ensuing Rules.   

The First Rule.  
A dying Believer must set his House in order, Isa. 38. and if he be free and of ability, and have not done so before, make his last Will and Testament, according to Faith, believing verily that God will be a Father to his Children (if he be a Father) and a Husband to his Wife (if a Husbard) and that he will bless that well-gotten Estate which he leaveth to his God-fearing Posterity, whether it be much or little, so as that they shall find content in it, and so far forth as his blessing of it shall make for their good.   

The Second Rule.  
He must according to Faith possess his Soul in 
* Cum e●i●● & Deus sit qui nos castigat & is misericordiae suae non obliviscatur, cur it a nos conficimur marere? cur solvimur in ejulator? Cur murmuramus & fremimus? Doctor Daniel Tisianus in Lament. 4.39.  Patience, eyeing by Faith such places as these, Isa. 26.3. Rom. 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.17. The consideration whereof caused an ancient 
* Aug. in Psal. 36. Cenc. 2.  Doctor to say most aptly, When thou dost consider what thou art to receive, all the things that thou sufferest here, imagine the most bitter pains & pangs which thou must undergo in thy last and sorest sickness, will be vile unto thee, neither wilt thou esteem them worthy for which thou shouldst receive it: Thou wilt wonder that so much is given for so small a labour. For indeed Brethren, for everlasting rest, everlasting labour should be undergone; being to receive everlasting felicity, thou oughtest to sustain everlasting sufferings: but if thou shouldest undergo everlasting labour, when shouldst thou come to everlasting felicity? So it cometh to pass, that thy tribulation must needs be Temporal, that it being finished, thou mayest come to infinite felicity. But yet Brethren, there might have been long tribulation for eternal Felicity. That for example; because our felicity shall have no end, our misery and our tribulations (add sickness in special) should be of long continuance; for admit they should continue a thousand years, weigh a thousand years with eternity! Why dost thou weigh that which is finite, be it never so great, with that which is infinite? Ten thousand years, ten hundred thousand, if we should say, and a thousand thousand, which have an end, cannot be compared with Eternity.  
So Macarius the Eygptian Anchorete, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Macar. Hom. 15.  Touching the Gift which Christians shall inherit, this a man may rightly say, that if any one from the time Adam was created unto the very end of the world, did fight against Satan, and undergo afflictions (add, or should be so long visited with the most grievous sickness) he should do (or suffer) no great matter in respect of the Glory that he shall inherit; for he shall reign with Christ without end.  
3. Let him give good instructions to the Survivers according to Faith; like Jacob, Gen. 49.2, 3, 4, etc. and like 
(e) Dr. Hill in his Directions to die well, p. 129.  St. Austin, who being near his end, said, Nature compelleth me to be dissolved; I according to the Scripture phrase, am to go the way of my forefather's: Now Christ inviteth me; now I desire to see celestial Sights. O keep you the Faith, think you also that ye are mortal men. Let this be your care to keep the Commandments of God, if you regard me, or keep any remembrance of me, your Father, think of these things, savour these things, do these things.  
4. Let him take his fill and farewell of Repentance, viewing, confessing and lamenting his sins as much as he can according to Faith; and in Faith; that is, believing verily, that he shall see them no more again for ever; even as the Children of Israel saw the Egyptians (of whom they were so much afraid) no more again for ever, Exod. 14.13.  
5. When he is brought to the very confines of that King of fear, so as that now forthwith he must yield up his Ghost, then let him even sleep up in Faith, and die in the Lord according to Faith, Rev. 14.13.  
I'll explicate my meaning herein by these few Directions.  
1. Let him now eye the Promises, formerly gathered for the same purpose; like those ancient Believers, Heb. 11.13.  
2. Let him labour to be persuaded of them, as they were. Ibidem,  
3. Let him even embrace the Lord Christ in the arms of his faith, as old Simeon embraced him in the arms of his body, believing verily,  
1. That he died for him in particular, that he might not die the death which is eternal, Gal. 2.20.  
2. That he purchased Heaven for him in particular, as the Author of his Salvation, Heb. 5.9. like sweet 
(b) Guillermus' de vita St. Bernard. l. 1. c. 12.  St. Bernard, who when he seemed to stand before God's dreadful Tribunal in a grievous sickness, told Satan, accusing him, That he for his part, was not worthy indeed of everlasting Life, but that his Lord and Saviour, Christ, having a twofold right to it, by inheritance, and by virtue of his passion, was contented with the one, and did impart unto him the other. So let him persuade himself in like manner, and answer the same Accuser of the Brethren in the same words, if he trouble him, as at such a time he is wont to do, with his accusations to drive him to desperation.  
3. Let him pray in Faith to the Lord, saying either with Stephen, the Proto-Martyr, Lord Jesus receive my spirit, Acts 7.59. or with Christ himself, Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit, Luke 23.46. and if God seem to be angry at that time, then let him interpose the Death of his Son between his Wrath and his own soul in his last prayers, saying, 
(c) Hosius in Confess. petrocoviens. c. 13.  I interpose the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ, betwixt me and thine anger; no otherwise do I contend with thee. And if he say to him, Thou art a sinner; let him answer, Lord, I put the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ, betwixt thee and my sins. If he say, Thou hast deserved Damnation; say, I set the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt me and my bad merits, and I offer his Merits instead of the merits which I ought to have, but yet have not.  
Thus I instruct the dying Christian to pray, as men were taught many hundred years ago; and therefore I beseech you, that you will lay up these say in your hearts; as Marry, the thrice blessed Virgin, the Shepherd's words, Luke 2.19. that so you may be able, with much readiness, to prompt them, and to make use of them, according to Faith, and in Faith, to your unutterable and endless Comfort; which the Lord of Life in mercy grant unto you.  
Let me add a few Incentives, and then I have done.  
So doing (as hath been showed in all these Rules and Directions) you shall purchaseto yourselves, 

1. Much Boldness.  
2. Much Quietness.  
3. Much Cheerfulness.    
1. Much Boldness.  
There is a twofold Boldness; 

1. A Well-grounded.  
2. A Groundless.    
The one is good, the other is bad.  
1. The good and Well-grounded, I mean, which proceedeth,  
1. From Righteousness, and an holy walking with God, which maketh a man as bold as a Lion, Prov. 28.1. For as the 
* Hemin. l. 1. c. 105.  Lion, being pursued by the Hunter, doth not hid, but rather show himself, and counteth it a great shame to flee; yea, 
* Isidore, Etymol. l. 6.  looketh the Hunter in the very face, and is not affrighted or daunted, but rather encouraged. So, careful holy Walkers, do not fly, or shrink, or fear, or hid their faces, but show themselves most when death is nearest, and are bold even to look him in the face; as we may note in the three Children, when they were threatened with death, yea, with a most grievous and extraordinary Death, Dan. 3.18. and in divers holy Martyrs: I'll instance but in one; 
* Ignatius Epist. ad Pim. de Smyrna per Ephes.  O that I might but once enjoy those Beasts, said Ignatius, which are prepared for me, and which I wish may quickly consume me, and not being terrified, abstain from me as they did from others; and if they will not touch me, I'll impel and urge them. Forgive me. I know what is expedient for me; let the Fire, the Cross, the constancy of Beasts, Abscision, Separation, confraction of all my Members, and a dissolution of my whole body, and all Satan's whips come to me, that I may win Christ. Thus he.  
2. From a holy Confidenc in God upon former experiences; for such as be so careful to walk so holily (as hath been formerly showed) cannot but find much sweetness in God, and receive many tokens of love and favour from God, Psal. 31.19, 20. so that needs they must be very confident in their lives, & bold at last in their death. The Hebricians call therefore Boldness, Betac, Confidence, because it proceedeth from it: and the 
(b) Aqum. 2. Sent. didst 26. q. 1. a. 3.  Schools define it by Confidence.  
II. Much Quietness; For,  
1. There can be no such discord, as is, and must be in careless providers for Death, between,  
1. The Law of God, and their own Consciences, because they strive to the utmost to agree with it, that it may not prove in the end their greatest adversary. So Austin understands our Saviour's speech, Mat. 5.25.  
2. Hope and Reason; for Reason itself cannot but reason for them upon such grounds drawn from holy Writ, as cannot be denied. For instance; that one pregnant passage 2 Pet. 1.10, 11. cannot but afford such a Premise, as must needs infer for them a most firm Conclusion, that entrance shall be ministered unto them (upon their diligence in making their Calling and Election sure by an Holy Walking) into the everlasting lasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Christ.  
3. God himself, and them: for, In every Nation, he that feareth him, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted with him, Acts 10.35. and as without Faith its impossible to please God, Heb. 11.6. so with and by Faith a man cannot but please God, and so be at peace with God, Rom. 5.1.  
2. They that shall follow these Rules, shall fix their minds upon the Lord's neverfailing Promises, according to one of the said Rules; and therefore they must needs be very quiet, stayed and firm, for the Promises are most firm, even Yea and Amen in Christ, 2 Cor. 1.20. and therefore they that stay themselves in them, must needs be so too; even as he that buildeth upon a Rock builded firmly, and as he that standeth upon a Rock stands firmly: Hence, when an holy Man was asked how he could pass his last sickness so without any trouble? he answered, That he did ever eye that excellent promise, in Esa. 26.3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because be trusteth in thee.  
True it is, that some holy Walkers and eminent Believers, as Mr. Glover, Mr. Peacock, and others, have been much troubled for all this in their latter end, which may seem to cross what I have said, but their trouble was not perpetual.  
For fi●st, They had comfort at last.  
2. Was rather a kind of peace, than a war; for their trouble was a war with Satan. Now our war with Satan, as Tertullian saith truly, Is our peace, because it brings peace at last.  
3. Was extraordinary, whereas ordinarily an holy walking and confidence, brings quietness; and so I desire to be understood.  
I close up therefore the prosecution of this second Incentive with a Speech, like unto that which an Hebrew Interpreter made to King Ptolemy, ask him, How he might be at rest when he Dreamt? Let Piety be the scope of all thy say and do; for by applying all thy Discourses and Works to excellent things, whether thou sleepest or wakest, thou shalt have quiet rest in regard of thyself. Thus he. And as he said to him, so say I unto you; would ye die and sleep up quietly? then do as he advised him, and put your trust in the Lord withal, and it will be so.  
3. Much cheerfulness (which is a higher degree of comfort, being Positive; whereas quietness is Negative comfort) I or,  
1. There is not such cause and matter of discomfort and sadness in such as do so carefully provide for death, and labour to die in and according to Faith, as in other lose and careless persons, who  
1. Quench the Spirit that should comfort them.  
2. Grieve the Spirit that should comfort them.  
Whereas careful providers for death rather,  
1. Blow up the good motions and workings of the Spirit, as much as in them lieth, by their careful and holy walking, and applying of the Lord's Promises; so that needs they must feel more joy and comfort than others that do not so, even as one that bloweth up Coals doth feel more heat than he which suffers them to go out.  
2. Please the Spirit of God, and cherish his motions by their conformity to his Nature, in that they labour to be as Spiritual as possible they may, and so consequently to partake of his Nature; so as that the Spirit, being pleased and cherished, cannot but please and cherish them again, as they please and cherish him; for if we that usually are very unkind and ungrateful, yet cannot but be kind to those that be kind to us, and make much of them as they make much of us; how much more will that most kind and holy Spirit of God cheer up those that cherish him, and make much of them as they make much of him? See Acts 9.31. how therefore they that walked in the fear of the Lord, are also said to walk in the Comforts of the holy Ghost.  
2. Such are most fit for comfort and joy. For,  
1. The muchness of Grace which is in them, and proceedeth from them, cannot but be evidently seen and observed by them, and cause them to joy in it, and to be even exceeding glad for it, like a man that hath and finds a treasure that was hid in his field, see Mat. 13.44. Now the finding of such a Treasure will cheer up the heart.  
2. The enlargement of their holy desires and endeavours cannot but procure joy, which is an 
Laetitia quasi latitia.  enlargement of the Heart, Psal. 119.32. and is given to holy and careful walkers, as a gracious remuneration from God, Psal. 97.11.  
3. Holy walkers and careful providers, for death cannot but attain to a most happy consecution of that good which they desire, even the enjoying of Christ by Faith, & a cognition or knowledge of the same consecution, which is 
* Delectatio requirit consecutionem boni convenientis et consecutionis cognitionem. Tho. Aquin. 1.2. q. 32. a. 1.  required unto delectation, as well as the consecution itself; so that they cannot but rejoice more or less, sooner or later, with that joy which is called, Unspeakable, and full of Glory, 1 Pet. 1.7, 8. or at least with a lesser degree of joy, if God, for causes best known to himself, be pleased to suspend and to deny that higher degree of rejoicing.  
4. They are in a manner in Heaven already, and Heaven is in them, in that they mind nothing almost but Heaven, as I shown that men ought so to do, so as that they cannot but joy in that which is so full of joy (enjoying the very same objective Happiness with the Saints in Heaven, though not the same subjective Happiness, as not being yet capable of it) for if he that is but in a Goldsmith's shop, cannot but receive some splendour from the Gold that is in it, how much more shall they that mind nothing but Heaven, and so have their conversation in Heaven, partake also more or less of that Joy & Blessedness which is in Heaven, and which the true Believer seethe, as it were, and beholds by his Faith; and seeing, admireth; and admiring, in a manner, possesseth; for, by Hope we are saved already, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.24. 
* Arist. 2. Rhetor. 11.  Aristotle saith expressly, That Admiration is the cause of Joy and Delectation, because it maketh us hope, that we shall acquire something which is delectable and joyful. And therefore conceive ye what Joy the vision & taking possession of Heaven itself, which is so rare and so full of admiration, must needs cause in a truly serious & savingly believing mind.  
For your greater delight and encouragement, I'll here set down some of those triumphant passages which some careful Providers for Death have uttered to this purpose, a little before they were by Death unmanned. I feel a light, said, 
* Fox.  Justus Jusbery, one of Christ's blessed Martyrs, which refreshes me with joy, far above that which I am able to express, desiring nothing more now then to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.  
So Adolphus Clarebachius, Martyr, at his death; I believe there is not a merrier heart in the world at this instant than mine. And for my part, said Mr. Deering, as concerning death, I feel such joy of spirit, that if I should have the sentence of lise on the one side, and the sentence of death on the other side, I had rather choose a thousand times (seeing God hath appointed the separation) the sentence of death, than the sentence of life.  
So Mr. John Holland, a fruitful Minister of God's Word, having the day before he died, continued his Meditation and Exposition upon Rom. 8. for the space of two hours, or more, said on a sudden, O stay your reading; what Brightness is this that I see; have ye lighted any Candles? No, said one, it is the Shunshine: Sunshine, said he? No, it is my Saviour's Shine; Now farewell world, welcome Heaven; the Daystar from on high hath visiced my heart: O speak it when I am gone, and preach it at my Funeral (for he spoke to a Minister, 
c Mr. Leigh in his Sermon, entitled, The Souls Solace against Sorrow, p. 17.  who relates it) God deals familiarly with men: I feel his Mercy, I see his Majesty, whether in the body, or out of the body I cannot tell, God he knows, but I see things unutterable; O what a happy change shall I make? from night to day, from darkness to light, from death to life, from sorrow to solace.  
Thus joyful holy Walkers, and true Believers, have been at their departure; and therefore be ye persuaded to trace their steps, and to follow as ye ought, those most needful Directions and Rules which were formerly delivered, that so living and so dying, by, with, and according to Faith, you may also be mounted, as the said Believers were, upon the wings of Joy, and feed as they did, on those ravishing and transcendent Comforts which God, like Manna, is wont to rain down upon his holy Walkers in this men devouring Wilderness, the World I mean, from which God in mercy bring us all, in the end of our days, to a World of Joy and Glory which shall never have an end. Amen.  
Soli Deo Gloria.  
FINIS.