of Deuteronomy allures and threatnes them to stedfastness in it appoynts them a successor to him and layes his hand on Josuae There are two acts we find performed by two eminent Saints in reference to the Church after their death and they that cannot doe the one to promove the good of it when they are gone may yet doe the other Moses leaves a written law to them to walk by Joseph acts faith on the promise I know the Lord will visit you and he will have them swear to carry up his bones If thou cannot writt books to be standing monuments of the Church's duties yet be with Joseph acting faith for the prosperity of it upon the promise and thus one way or another thou may promove the good of it when thou art gone But in the third place take a view of some consequences of Moses death I shall for brevities sake name but these three First The Lord takes the charge on him of burying his Servant Deut. last The Lord buried him in the plains of Moab His care of his Saints bodies ends not with their lives It is the Fathers will that he should lose nothing of what is given him but takes it up at the last day and gives it life eternal Mark it is not no man but no thing of any of them given him the body that did run and act and speak in his service he casts it not off at death as ane unprofitable old Servant but looks after it even though the bodies should be given to be food to the foules of Heaven Secondly This burial of Moses was so secret as no man knew of it the common and indeed the true reason was to prevent superstition which readily Israel would have fallen into with these precious relicts If the Lord ever had intended such a high esteem of the relicts of the Saints as some press he had never concealed the body of Moses We have reason to praise that we are not intoxicat with the poyson of those who adore the creature more then the Creator and delude the World with the forgeries of relicts which though true as they are not yet ought not to be committed Idolatry with the Lord did here as a wyse parcht take the knyfe out of the childs hand least he should cut his fingers with it Lastly This Moses though none knew what became of his body nor where it was layd yet we find him afterward appearing glorious on mount Tabor at the transfiguration It is in effect no matter what become of our bodies after death since the Saints may be assured one day to appear and be like his glorious body let Philosophers debeat where are they that are eaten by fish and these fish eaten by men and the bodies of these men turned into grasse and that grasse eaten by beasts c. though we can no more tell what is become of them nor Israel could tell what became of the body of Moses it is comfortable enough he will make them like his glorious body by the mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe This much for the things particularly observable in Moses death We come now in the second place to speak of death as a lot from which the most eminent servants cannot expect to be exeemed Observation That there are none how eminent soever in parts holyness or communion with God can expect to be exeemed from death Eminent was Moses in all these yet Moses is dead yea see through all the Scripture from Adam to Christ Enoch and Elijah excepted whose extraordinare translation supplied vicem mortis who are exeemed from it Neither need we insist on the reasons of this since it is decreed for all It is appointed for all men once to dy and after death to come to judgment Yea 2dly All are interested in Adams sin and so lyable to the punishment of it which in part is temporal death 3dly Actual sin influences this the wages whereof is death It is among the errors of Socinians to say death is only a natural fruit of the constitution of the body It is true it does indeed naturally follow on it but man being immortalized by Covenant before the fall the loss of that priviledge makes death to him a punishment and the wages of sin as the Apostle Rom. 6 last words it That which I shall insist a litle on is to answer this Question Why Christ hath not restored his Saints to ane exemption from death which by Adam's fall they have forfaulted Answer Though Christ hath not done this yet he hath done so much in reference to it that the Apostle is not afrayed to say he hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel We shall therefore insist a litle in opening the differences betwixt the death of the Saints through Christ and the death of others There be especially this threefold difference betwixt them 1. In respect of the persons dying 2dly In respect of death it self 3dly In respect of the consequences of it This Balaam observed when he said Let my end be as their end First In regard of the persons dying the difference is great especially in these three 1st The Servants of God though they dy yet they dy in Christ Revel 14 v. 13. Blessed are they that die in the Lord As they believed in the Lord and walked in the Lord and rejoiced in the Lord so they dy in the Lord death does not loose their union not so with others 2dly They dy in faith All these dy in faith Heb. 11. haveing a good report they dy in faith for themselves for the Church of God for their relations and in the faith of whatever promised not so others 3dly They die in obedience as Christ was obedient to the death so their very death is an act of obedience Goe up to mount Nebo and dy the doeing whereof was obedience as well as goe down to Aegypt goe in to Pharaoh or such like commands as Moses obeyed Not so others their soul is taken from them Secondly The difference is great in regard of death itselfe Mark especially these First Though the thing be a curse in it selfe it is a blessing to the man Blessed are they that dy in the Lord the curse is not only removed but converted it is now a priviledge 1 Cor. 3 last All things are yours and ye are Christs whither things present or things to come death or life Here death is theirs who are Christs as a Servant is his Masters Death is yours and ye are Christs 2dly The sting of death is removed 1 Cor. 15 55. It is now as a bee that cannot sting 2 Cor. 9 21. It may well bumb and make a noyse but sin and the hurtful sting of it is removed It is not so with others the sting and all remains 3dly The dominion of it is removed Rom. 5 14. there are some Psal 49. that death shall have dominion over not
general and follow it a little Observ That there is a mariage-relation betwixt Christ and beleevers He is the Brydegroom and they are the Bryde This point as it is clear here so it is frequently asserted in other Scriptures Psal 45. all throughout in a type of the mariage betwixt Solomon and Pharohs Daughter the same mariage is expressed there we have the Brydegroom in state all his garments smelled of mirrhe and aloes and cassia and the Bryde in rayment of needle-work brought unto the King Isai 54 5. The Lord comforts his afflicted people there with the representation of this mariage Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and no more remember the reproach of thy widdowhoode for thy maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name The same we have the Apostle asserting Rom. 7 4. for for ye are maried unto another that ye may bring forth fruit unto God In prosecuting this point we shall follow this method 1. Inquire a little in this Allegory of a mariage betwixt Christ and beleevers 2dly Enquire how can there be such a mariage especially parties and 3dly Shall apply it For the 1. of these there is nothing more sutable for a mariage-feast then to be inquiring into the nature of the mariage neither do we stretch the allegory beyond its scope when we find these four betwixt Christ and beleevers implyed in this mariage betwixt Christ and his Church 1. A near and a firme union which in mariage hath not a paralel 2. Intimat fellowship and communion which results likewayes from mariage 3. The performing the several duties of their several stations in their maried relation Lastly A reciprocal communicating of what belongs unto the one party unto the other All these four are in a mariage and all four concurre in this mariage betwixt Christ and his Church First There is an union betwixt them which though it be mystical yet ceases not therefore to be real it is frequently expressed in Scripture by similitudes taken from the union of the head and members root and branches fundation and building but that which I am to evidence is that it is the nature of a mariage-union and there be two properties of it will evidence this 1. In the Scripture wee find the union of many relations joyned togither to express this union alone take one place for all Mark 3. v. last For whosoever shall do the will of God the same is my brother my sister and my mother How nearly are they united that are stated in all these relations as brother sister and mother He that doth the will of God is so to Christ Beside 2dly The union betwixt Christ and his Church is not only nearer then that which is betwixt him and standing Angels he haveing united the humane natur to the divine But it is nearer then that which was between God and Adam Divyns say that betwixt God and Adam there was soedus amicitiae but not foedus conjugale there ws such an union while he stood as is betwixt two who are intimatly friends But this is foedus conjugale where the union is so near that the Church is not only called the Bryde of Christ or the body of Christ which is nearer but sometimes gets the name of Christ himself 1 Cor. 12 12. For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members are one body so also is Christ A strange name to be given to the Church so also is Christ but so near is the union that the Church hath the very name Christ given to it Is not this then a mariage-union But if we shall in the 2d place add to this the firmeness of the union neither adultery nor death can dissolve it which usually loose the mariage-union Not adultery Jer. 3 1. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers and yet in the 14. Turne backsliding Children for I am maried unto you the mariage not dissolved no not for adultery Yea death does not dissolve it The woman layeth the Apostle Rom. 7 2. is bound by the Law to her Husband while the Husband liveth but if the Husband be dead she is loosed but here death looseth not the law of the mariage Revel 14. Blessed are they that die in the Lord as they trusted in the Lord and walked in him and delighted in him so they die in him yea whither they live or die still they are the Lords so that the union is a mariage-union We come 2dly to shew the intimat fellowship and communion which concurs to make up this mariage and which is the 2d thing we proposed from the allegory It is true though the mariage-union be even in this life as firme and sure as ever it will or can be yet the mariage-communion is farr from the perfection it shall have there is notwithstanding real communion betwixt them Truely our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1 3. Truely it is not then a fancy and that truly there is such a mariage-fellowship betwixt them is evident among many things from these two 1. Their neer conversing togither 2dly Familiar communication of secrets one to another 1. Their familiar conversing togither which in the Scripture is holden out in these such like expressions of walking with them of dwelling in them in comeing to them and supping with them they with him of rejoycing over them to do them good as the Brydegroom rejoyceth over the Bryde and if all these be too little to express it he putts them in his bosome Isai 40.11 the Lambs that are not able to walk he puts them in his bosome Doth not all these laid togither evince a free a familiar conversing togither But if we shall add to this the 2d the free and familiar commutation of secrets the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and the Spirit of the Lord. Christ can tell his Disciples John 15 I call you not Servants but Friends because he had put them so farr on his secrets which usually is not done to meer Servants I have told you all sayes he I have heard of my father Is there not here a commutation of secrets upon Christs pairt The like is also upon the Churchs David puts it in one of his Psalmes All my complaint is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee My groaning there are many things wee groan for that we would tell none on earth But my groaning is not hide from thee Is there not then here a mutual commutation of secrets There be many other things wherein communion betwixt Christ and his Church consists but thir two tend most to prove a marriage-communion their familiar converse togither and their spiritual commutatione of secrets I go to the 3d. In the third place if we shall consider for constituting this marriage their mutual performing the duties of this relation we find them in Scripture proposed as paterns to all that are in
their portion but their gain is more noble they lay up to themselves where the moth cannot enter so that if riches and still to gain can commend one's life to be Gods Servant must be a high elogy Fourthly As it is gainful so exceeding pleasant to be his Servant We may say as the Queen of Sheba of Solomon's Servants Blessed are those Servants who stand by and hear the wisdome of thy words This is the scope of the whole Song to shew the delight of his Servants Take but a view of their pleasures in these three 1. What excellent walks they have 2dly What excellent company in these walks 3dly What sweet fellowship with this company First Their walks are sometymes to the Green Pasturs Psal 23. sometymes to the tillages sometymes to the gardens to see if the pomegranats bud sometymes to the banquetting house It is true they walk sometymes also down to the wilderness Hosea 2 14. ay but there they are allured and a door of hope opened to them 2. What excellent company in these walks Enoch walked with God Gen. 6. If to walk with the Wyse be in Solomons eyes so great a priviledge what to walk with the only wise God 3dly What sweet fellowship in these walks Sometymes they fit down under his shaddow sometymes he kisses them with the kisses of his mouth sometymes he sups with them sometymes he taks them in his bosome Esai 40 11. How pleasant a life must this be The Apostle thinks nothing Eph. 4. to call it the life of God Others like the elder Brother Luk. 15. get never a kid to make mirry with but they delight themselves in fatness Must it not then be a high elogy to be his Servant Lastly They dryve the sweetest life Sathan can tell God of Job Hast thou not set a hedge about him and about all he hath About all he hath is much Who is he that will harme you if ye be followers of that which is good Who is he It is such ane expression as that of Ahasuerus to Esther Who is he or where is the man that durst presume to doe this It is the highest act of boldness that ever the creatur attempted to be a persecuter of them who have salvation for walls and bulwarks and are sheltered under the faithfulness of God as a bird under the Feathers of the Dam Psal 71. Lay all togither and see if it be not a high elogy to be his Servant Application First Is it so great a priviledge to be his Servant It reproves the undervaluers of it Many cast at it as a bondadge even of such who call him Master and Lord but the lowest imployments in his service David preferred it to a dwelling in the tents of wickedness Some like Canaan are Servant of Servants and despyse their own mercy Rectify thy opinion of his service since it is the honour of Angels who are oftener in the Scriptures denominat from their service then their natures though most pure and excellent Spirits Secondly Is it such a priviledge to be his Servant Then study to doe his service acceptably There are these qualifications required in his Servants 1st They cannot serve two Masters for they must cleave to the one and leave the other Thou must give up with lusts with Sathan the World neither serve men in opposition to him these oppositions casts many out of his service and with Gideons 22000 they returne to their tents 2dly A Servant is not sui juris but at the Beck of his Master as the Centurions if he say to one goe he must goe ye must not stand and disput your duty his will is reason eneugh though it were to suffer for righteousness sake though it were to walk on a sea of trouble we ought to say with Peter Master if thou wilt bid me I will come unto thee 3dly His service must be done cheerfully Psal 110 3. It is true we are to serve him with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12 28. yet this is not inconsistant with cheerfulness He loves not to have it wrung out of us as service to ane austere and rigorous Master as the man who had the one talent called him but we are to rejoice in trembling 4thly We must study in every thing to doe him service Servants are to obey their Masters as the Servants of Jesus Christ directing and referring to his honour their most ordinary imployments Lastly We must not lay stresse on our service as if it deserved our fie When we have done all we are unprofitable Servants Yea though he say well done good and faithful Servant yet out reply ought to be When saw we thee hungry and sed thee Thirdly Here is consolation for his Servants Their priviledge is great though their service were never so low Especially since they are friends al 's well as Servants Yea he that doeth the will of Christ he is his Father his Mother his Brother his Sister Rejoice in your priviledge though it should have a mixture of the crosse with it SERMON II. On Josua 1 v. 2. Moses my Servant iâ— dead OFten the Lord makes his Servants honourable after their death who wrestled with much opposition in their life Here he writs Moses Epitaph himself Moses my Servant is dead The third particular in this description remains his end he is dead In handling this we shall First Consider somethings peculiar in Moses his death which may yeeld us ground of very useful instruction Secondly We shall speak of death as a common lot from which none of the most eminent Servants of God though as eminent as Moses can expect to be exeemed Moses is dead In the first place in Moses his death we shall take notice of these three things very remarkable in it 1. The cause of it 2. The manner and circumstance of it 3. Some consequences that followed on it In which three amongst other things we shall have a notable discovery of the justice mercy and faithfulness of God First Take notice of the cause of Moses death Ye have it set down in the 20th of the Numbers where at Meribah the people thristing and wanting water the Lord bids Moses v. 7 8. take his rod and speak to the rock and Moses smites the rock twyce with the rod for the which the Lord threatens him that he should not bring the congregation to the land which he had given them This was the cause of his death and in this I desire ye may mark these five things 1st How many proofs of faithful service to God had Moses given who was faithful as the Apostle testifies as a Servant yet all his former service cannot expiat this one sin but he must die for it It is the way of a great many upon commission of any sin they think to expiat it by their former or future obedience but though our service were as eminent as Moses's was it cannot at all make a mends for one sin to God It is
so in the Saints Prevail it may as they have prevailing sins which are not reigning so also death which is not ringing Now he that removes these three may he not be said to have abolished death Thirdly The difference greatest of all is in regard of the consequences of death Where 1. consider from what death liberates the Saints 2. To what by it they are advanced 1st They are taken away from the evil to come Esay 57 1. As Methusaleh was taken away before the flood They are taken away from the vexations of Spirit at the sins of others from the polutions they would be in danger of readily from the persecution and oppression to come 2dly By death they are delivered from the tentations of Sathan Grace here may influence their not yeelding to those tentations but it cannot deliver them from the tentation itself On the contrary if they are holy the more like they are to be tempted Christ Job Asaph and such like most tempted Not so others 3dly They are removed and delivered from the being of sin the Dominion of it is indeed removed in sanctification but now the being And what a priviledge is that Secondly Consider to what they are advanced by it to count which by particulars is impossible the exellency of it is so great being that which ear hath not heard eye hath not seen nor can it enter into the heart of man to consider From all which it is evident that though Christ hath not exeemed a Moses from death altogither yet there is such a difference betwixt their death and other's that in some considerable sense he may be said to have abolished death I shall not insist in applying so frequently pressed a point only since it is the common lot of all men let all prepare for it Our whole life is a scoole wherein we should be learning to die It is an eminent act of wisedome O that they were wyse to consider their latter end Even in our garden amongst our greatest pleasures we should be walking beside our grave like Joseph of Arimathea So live Christian as thou goe not out like a candle that leaves ane ill smell behind it FINIS SERMONS SERMON I. ROm. 2 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest hou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest Idols doest thou commit Sacriledge Pag. 1. SERMON II. Ephes 5 25. Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it Pag. 21. SERMON III. Jonah 1 6. So the Shipmaster came to him and said unto him What meanest thou O Sleeper Arise call upon thy God c. Pag. 40. SERMON IV. John 3 29. He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom c. Pag. 58. SERMON V. Isai 45 24. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength c. Pag. 77. SERMON VI VII Heb. 12 1. Wherefore seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doeth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Pag. 97. and 115. SERMON VIII Matth. 5 20. For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Pag. 133. SERMON IX Acts 26 28. Then Agrippa said unto Paul Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Pag. 152. SERMON X. Gen. 22 1. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him Abraham And he said Behold here I am Pag. 172. SERMON XI XII Josua 1. v. 2. Moses my Servant is dead Pag. 192. and 209. Courteous READER SOme few faults have escaped the Press yet such as it 's hoped will not marr the sense to the considering Reader Thy favourable acceptance of this first Part will procure the speedy publishing of some others Fare-well