Helps in practise are two; First, he that will bear with comfort the pangs of death, must labour that he may die in Christ, and that is, by faith, laying hold of the promise of God, touching ⟨p. 138⟩forgiveness of sins and life everlasting by Christ. All these (saith the holy Ghost) died in 1faith, namely, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Jacob on his death-bed, was blessing of his children, he brake forth into this heavenly speech, O Lord I have waited for thy 2salvation. In which words it is plain▪ that his faith rested on the mercy of God, & by hope he waited for his salvation. And our Saviour Christ saith, As Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, 3so must the son of man be lift up, that whosoever believeth in him, might not perish, but have life everlasting. Out of which words, the forenamed duty may be learned, that look as the children of Israel, being stung with fiery serpents, and that unto death, were healed by looking up to the brazen serpent, erected by Moses: so when we are stung with sin and death, we must ever remember by faith to look upon Christ. But specially when we are dying, then it is our part, to fix the eyes of our souls, by faith upon him; and thereby shall we escape death, and be made partakers of eternal life and happiness. Notable is the example of Christ, who as he was man, always fixed his trust and confidence in his fathers word, especially at his end. For when he was dying, and the pangs of death seized upon him, he cries unto the Lord, ⟨p. 139⟩My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and again, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: which words are full of faith, and do bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers love, &c. When David in an extremity, saw nothing before his eyes, but present death, the people intending to stone him, at the very instant (as the text saith) he comforted himself in the Lord his 4God▪ but how? by calling to mind the merciful promises, that God had made unto him, and by applying them unto his heart by faith. And Paul saith of himself, and the rest of the faithful, that they received, the sentence of death in themselves, 5that they might not trust in themselves, but in God.
Helpes in practise are two; First, he that will beare with comfort the pangs of death, must labour that he may die in Christ, and that is, by faith, laying hold of the promise of God, touching ⟨p. 138⟩forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting by Christ. All these (saith the holy Ghost) died in 1faith, namely, Abel, Enoch, Noe, Abraham, and Sarah, all laying hold of the promise of life by Christ. When Iacob on his death-bed, was blessing of his children, he brake forth into this heauenly speach, O Lord I haue waited for thy 2saluation. In which words it is plaine▪ that his faith rested on the mercy of God, & by hope he waited for his saluatiō. And our Sauiour Christ saith, As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, 3so must the sonne of man be lift vp, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, might not perish, but haue life euerlasting. Out of which words, the forenamed dutie may be learned, that looke as the children of Israel, beeing stung with fierie serpents, and that vnto death, were healed by looking vp to the brasen serpent, erected by Moses: so when we are stung with sinne and death, we must euer remember by faith to looke vpon Christ. But specially when we are dying, then it is our part, to fixe the eies of our soules, by faith vpon him; and thereby shall we escape death, and be made partakers of eternall life and happinesse. Notable is the example of Christ, who as he was man, alwaies fixed his trust and confidence in his fathers word, especially at his end. For when he was dying, and the pangs of death seazed vpon him, he cries vnto the Lord, ⟨p. 139⟩My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and againe, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: which words are ful of faith, and doe bewray what great affiance he placed in his fathers loue, &c. When Dauid in an extremitie, saw nothing before his eies, but present death, the people intending to stone him, at the very instant (as the text saith) he comforted himselfe in the Lord his 4God▪ but how? by calling to minde the mercifull promises, that God had made vnto him, and by applying them vnto his heart by faith. And Paul saith of himselfe, and the rest of the faithfull, that they receiued, the sentence of death in themselues,
- 1Heb. 11. 1•.
- 2Gen. 49. 1•.
- 3Joh 3 14. 15.Ioh 3 14. 15.
- 4•. Sam. 30. 6.
- 52. Cor. 1. •.
