life he altereth his course of dealing he turneth over the leaf and changeth his stile of a Lamb he becometh a Lion to the wicked and of a Saviour a just and severe punisher What can be said or done more to move us that is forewarned and seeth his own danger before his face and yet is not stirred and made more wary or fearful thereby but notwithstanding will come or slide into the same may well be pitied but surely by no means can be helped making himself incapable of remedies that may be used FINIS A SERMON Acts VII 60. And when he had said this he fell asleep THese words contain in them the happy closure and upshot of Stephen's life wherein we have Three Particulars First The Person that fell asleep Secondly The Speech he made when he fell asleep Thirdly What he did when he had finished his Speech First We have the Person that fell asleep and that was Stephen He was a man full of Faith and full of the Holy Ghost as you may see Acts 6.5 He was the first Martyr that ever suffered for the Cause of Christ Hence I might gather this Doctrine viz. That the best of men are subject to sudden and violent Deaths Stephen that was full of the Holy Ghost was stoned to death and John the Baptist that was full of the Holy Ghost from the very Womb was beheaded Peter was crucified and so was Andrew Isaiah was sawed asunder Jeremiah was stoned and Zacharias was slain between the Temple and the Altar But I shall pass this The Second part of the Text is the Speech that Stephen made when he fell asleep Hcc dicte obdormivit That is when he had finished his Prayer he fell asleep Hence observe this That it is an excellent way to close up our Life with prayer To die praying is a most Christian way of dying the stoned Stephen calling upon God. After this manner Christ died he prayed Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and having thus said he gave up the Ghost This he did that it might be a pattern to all Christians Prayer is a necessary duty at all times but especially when we are a dying And that for these Reasons First Because when we are to die we have most need of God's help for then the Devil is most busie and we most weak Secondly Because when we are to die we are to beg the greatest boon of God that is That he would receive us into his Heavenly Kingdom Now Prayer is the chief means to obtain this mercy for it is Porta Caeli Clavis Paradici the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into Paradice Therefore we have great reason to die praying Thirdly Because when a Saint of God is dying he is then to take his last farewel of Prayer In Heaven there is no praying but all thanksgiving There is no need in Heaven therefore no praying in Heaven now a Saint of God being to take his leave of prayer when he is to die therefore it is fit to die praying I beseech you remember this pattern in the Text St. Stephen died calling upon God. Let us die praying as that Emperor said Oportes Imperatorem stantem mori So may I say Oportet Christianum mori precantem It behoves a Christian to die praying Quest But what was the Substance of Stephen's prayer Ans He prayed for himself Lord Jesus receive my Spirit ver 59. Secondly He prayed for his persecutors Lord lay not this sin to their charge ver 60. I will not enter upon this part of the Text for it would swallow up all my time Therefore I shall wave it and come to the Third part which is that that by God's assistance I purpose to speak unto to wit what Stephen did when he had finished his Prayer When he had said this he fell asleep that is he died Behold here the Magnanimity the Piety and the Christian Courage of Stephen The people were stoning of him and gnashing their Teeth upon him and the good man dies with as much quietness of mind as if he had died on his bed He fell asleep while they were stoning him while he died he prayed and while he prayed he died But what made Stephen die thus quietly Read the 55th Verse and you shall see the Reason of it Being full of the Holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This made him die with such a sweet quiet and calm Temper he saw Jesus Christ standing at the Right Hand of God ready to receive his Soul and that made him to die with such an extraordinary quietness of mind Death in Scripture especially the death of God's Children is often compared to a sleep It is said of David 1 Kings 2.10 that he slept with his Fathers And it is said 1 Thes 4.3 I would not have you ignorant concerning them that are asleep that is concerning them that are dead And 1 Cor 11.50 For this cause many are weakly and sick among you and many sleep that is many die This Expression is a Metaphorical Expression and will afford us many rare and pretious Instructions And therefore the Grace of God assisting me I desire to spend the rest of the time in opening this Metaphor The Doctrine is this viz. That when a child of God dies though his death be never so unnatural and violent yet it is nothing but a falling asleep Or A Child of God though stoned to death though burnt to ashes though it be never so violent or unnatural is nothing but a falling asleep When he had said this he fell asleep Somnus est mortis Imago Sleep is the Image of Death There are many notable resemblances betwixt sleep and death some of which I shall speak of at this time First Sleep is common to all men no man can live without sleep A man may live long without meat but no man can live long without sleep So it is true with death Death is common too It is appointed for all men once to dis and therefore David saith he was to go the way of all flesh Statutum est omnibus semel mori omnibus est calcanda semel Lethivia All men must sleep the sleep of Death or else be changed which is a metaphorical death Secondly As sleep ariseth from the Vapours that ascend from the Stomach to the Head and tie the Senses and hinder their Operations so Death came into the World by Adam's eating the Forbidden Fruit and by the poysonful Vapour of sin that brought death upon him and all his Posterity By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Had Adam never sinned Adam should never have died But in illo die said God But in that day thou eatest the forbidden fruit thou shalt die the death Sin brings omni modam mortem all kinds of death
appeared unto Abraham and many others in dreams The Body sleeps but the Soul awakes So it is with the sleep of death it is the Body that dies but the Soul doth not die There are some men that are not afraid to teach you that the Soul sleeps as well as the Body and that when the Body dies and falls asleep the Soul likewise continues in a dull Lethargy Veternoso somno correptus neither capable of joy nor sorrow till the Resurrection Beloved this is very uncomfortable and a very false Doctrine They endeavour to prove it from my Text They say That when Stephen died he fell asleep It is true in regard of his Body he fell asleep but his Soul did not fall asleep That which was stoned fell asleep which was his Body only for when he was stoning he saw Jesus Christ standing ready to receive his Soul into Heaven Lord Jesus saith he receive my spirit Stephen's Soul could not be stoned tho his Body was stoned So when Jesus Christ was crucified his Soul was not crucified I mean when his Body was killed Indeed he did endure torments in his Soul which made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But yet his Soul did not die So when Stephen died his Soul went to Christ It is true when a child of God dies the Soul goes to sleep How is that The Soul goes to sleep in a Scripture sense that is it goes to rest in Ahraham's Bosome O blessed Sleep it goes to rest in the Embraces of God it goes into the Arms of its Redeemer it goes to the Heavenly Paradice it goes to be always present with the Lord. But take heed you do not say that the Soul sleeps in this sense viz. That it lies in a strange kind of a Lethargy neither dead nor alive neither capable of joy nor sorrow until the Resurrection Tho Stephen's Body fell asleep yet his Soul did not fall asleep but immediately went unto Jesus Christ in Heaven Thus I have given the Explication of the Words Now give me leave to make some Application of all unto our selves Use 1. If the death of God's children be nothing but a falling asleep then let this comfort us against the death of our godly Friends tho they die unnatural and violent deaths tho they be stoned to death tho they be burnt to ashes tho they be sawn asunder Here is a message of rich consolation which as a Minister of Christ I hold unto you this day viz. That the death of a child of God let it be after what manner soever it will it is nothing but a falling asleep He goes to his Grave as to his Bed And therefore our Burying-places are call'd our Dormitoria Sleeping-houses A child of God when he dies he lies down in peace and enters into his rest And as a man when he is asleep is free from all the cares and troubles that he hath in the day-time so the People of God when they are fallen asleep they are free from all the miseries and calamities crosses losses and afflictions that we are troubled withal Therefore give me leave to say to you as Christ did to the Women that followed him to the Cross bewailing and lamenting of him O daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children So I say weep not for those that are dead in the Lord that are fallen asleep in Jesus Christ They are at their rests they do not know the troubles that we are troubled withal Abraham remembers us not they are not sensible of our miseries and afflictions Let us weep for our selves and for the miseries that are coming upon us and let us know that when God's children die they do but lie in their Beds until the morning of the Resurrection and then they shall put on Stolam Immortalitatis the Garment of Immortality and their Bodies shall be made like unto the glorious Body of Jesus Christ And know one thing more which is all in all viz. That when the Body of a child of God falls asleep his Soul immediately goes into the Arms of Christ and there lives for ever in the Embraces of Jesus Christ Tho the Body falls asleep yet the Soul is received into Abraham's Bosom I beseech you comfort one another with these words Use 2. Let me beseech the people of God that they would look upon death not as it is presented unto us in Natures Looking-glass but as it is set down in a Scripture-dress Nature presents death in a very terrible manner and it is true death is very terrible to a man out of Christ but to you that are in Christ the sting of death is taken away Death is nothing else but a quiet and placid Sleep putting off our cloaths and going to Bed till we awake in the morning of Resurrection Death to a child of God is nothing but a putting off his Earthly Tabernacle a going from an Earthly Prison into an Heavenly Palace a hoising up Sail for Heaven the letting of the Soul out of Prison as a Bird out of a Cage that it may fly to Heaven a change from a Temporary Hell to an Eternal Heaven a going out of Egypt into Canaan and therefore called 2 Pet. 1.15 not mors hominis but mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sins it is Sepultura vitiorum it is the Pilgrim's Journeys end the Seaman's Haven an absence from the Body and a presence with the Lord. Let all God's People look upon death through Scripture-Spectacles and consider it as it is sweetly represented in this Text. Remember blessed Stephen stoned to death and yet falling asleep and remember also that Excellent Saying of St. Austin That a child of God should be as willing to die as to put off his cloaths because death is nothing else to him but a Sleep and a departure from misery to everlasting happiness Use 3. Is to beseech you all every night when you go to Bed to remember this Text and especially these Four things First When you are putting off your cloaths remember you must shortly put off your Bodies And Secondly When you go into your Beds remember that it will not be long before you go into your Graves And Thirdly When you close your Eyes to sleep remember that it will not be long before death must close your Eyes And Fourthly When you awake in the morning remember that at the Resurrection we must all arise out of the Grave and that the just shall arise to everlasting happiness but the wicked to everlasting misery It is the saying on a Heathen man That the whole Life of a man should be nothing else but Meditatio Mortis a Meditation of Death And it is the saying of Moses Deut. 32.29 O that men were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Beloved it is the greatest part of Wisdom every day to remember our latter
Christ The woman will not dive so deep To dispute his Commissions extent To whom he was to whom he was not sent But kindly came and humbly him ador'd Prest her suit and cries out Help me O Lord. It is not meet to cast to dogs the bread Says Christ with which the children should be fed She storms not at a Dog 's disgraceful Name But wifely makes advantage of the same Since I 'm a dog saith she for crumbs I plead Give me some crumbs Lord of children's bread Christ praised her great faith and did fulfil All her desire and gave her all her will. Tho Christ withdraw seek him he will appear He hears thy cry when he seems not to hear Tho he seem strange unto him kindly come Tho thou be call'd a dog yet seek a crumb If Satan say thou art a reprobate That by a dispute dark and intricate Concerning secret things and depths profound He may affright thee and thy mind confound Listen not to a lying murthering cheat Enter not with him on that great debate Come on Christ's call effectual vocation Will free thee from the fears of reprobation All whom he draws are called in effect And were from all Eternity elect But if thou say I fear the bitter smart Of a repenting prickt rent broken heart I must confess my sins with grief and tears And watch against my lusts with careful fears And thus my mirth is marr'd and my gladness Is turn'd to grief and melancholly sadness I answer that it is of God's free grace That for repentance there is any place Justice might say go weep in Hell and burn It 's grace that says Sinner repent and turn The pricking of the heart lets out the sin Which festers and destroys when kept within It 's for thy health that thy hard heart be rent That so thy vile impostume may be vent It 's not a Foe 's but a Physician 's wound God breaks the heart to make it whole and sound The Lord doth heal the broken in their heart Their pain is gain there 's pleasure in the smart There 's peace and safety in their watchful fears The Oil of Joy is mixt with Gospel-tears The Lord is broken by our whorish heart Should not our heart then break with grief and smart When Christ was bound our sins did make the bands They were the Nails that pierc'd his feet and hands They were the Thorns that tore and rent his head They were the Spear that made his heart to bleed The lashing Whips the Fists that did him beat They made his body weep a bloody sweat His outward pains the Agony within His troubled soul procured were by sin Look on him whom thou pierced Oh! look on still That grief thy heart and tears thine eyes may fill That kindly thou maist weep and mourn like one Who mourneth for a first and only Son. Sin is against the Lord breaks his laws It mars his Image and from God withdraws Thy sin doth vex and grieve the holy Sp'rit Should thou with grief for sin contrite They shall find mercy who confess and turn Comfort is promised to these who mourn The Oil of Joy the Lord for mourning gives And he the humble contrite heart revives If godly sorrow will not thee destroy It tends to life its tears are seeds of joy Gospel-grief which melts the heart aright Is sweeter far than all the world's delight And even godly grief the sweeter then All the delights of all the sons of men Who can the peace of God who doth transcend And pass all understanding comprehend Their Joy that 's full of glory who is able To express for it is unexpressable Christ calleth on thee Sinner to repent And he exalted is for this intent To give repentance and remission Imploy him to remove thy heart of stone They who are turn'd from sin to God by grace Find Wisdom's paths both pleasantness and peace The Word the Sacraments Prayers and Praise Are lightsome pleasant and delightsome ways Blessed is he who knows the joyful sound And who can say O Lord thy words were found I did them eat and thy word was to me My heart's delight and joyful melody Admire the Lord's low condescendency That he would speak and write to such as we And write so plainly that each hungry one Tho simple findeth food to live upon And so sublimely that the Learned might Not nauseate but search desire delight And in such useful sweet variety For to prevent loathing satiety Here Histories of grace and ancient things Of persons good and great of Saints and Kings Examples rare of Faith and Self-denial Of patience under the fiery Trial Of hope when Sense spoke nothing but despair Of Love over-coming ill with good O rare Of Fortitude join'd with a broken Sp'rit Of warlike courage in a heart contrite And wit to rule an Army and a Nation With wisdom that made wise unto salvation But O! the History of Histories So full of Miracles and Mysteries The Son of God his Incarnation His coming with life and salvation These good news are and will be ever fresh That God was manifested in the flesh And dwelt with us then on the Cross did die Rose from the Grave ascended up on high Much may be seen of God in the Creation But he 's more clearly seen in man's salvation For here appears God's wisdom manifold His spotless Justice doth it self unfold Suing the guiltless Surety till he died Not quitting him till he had satisfied Here Love shines bright as in its proper place Upon the Mercy-seat the Throne of Grace Lo this is love God who is Love did give His Son to death that Enemies might live His own beloved loving lovely Son Only begotten with his Father one In Essence one in Mind and one in Will who all his Father's Precepts did fulfil Who holy harmless spotless was yet he Got a command for the lost sheep to die To die both in their stead and for their good To wash away their sins with his own blood Christ lov'd the Father and he lov'd the sheep And so took pleasure this command to keep O matchless love it passeth all degree The Judge doth for the Malefactors die It was his meat to do his Father's will His work to finish Righteousness fulfil He went from place to place still doing good Healing the sick giving the hungry food Delivering from all maladies and evils Relieving them who were opprest with Devils He was most meek lowly in heart and mind Most merciful most affable and kind Easie he was to be intreated all Who call'd him found him ready on a call When called to a Marriage he went And made their water wine when wine was spent When call'd he went with Publicans and Sinners And even with Pharisees unto their Dinners All who did come for good got all they sought And often better than they askt or thought The man sick of the Palsie laid before Christ on a bed seeks health Christ giveth
Sword of Justice the blood-thirsty blade Pursues for blood rests not till blood be shed The blood of beasts cannot God's wrath appease Nor purge the Conscience nor give it ease Vile finite man could never satisfie For sin against God infinite tho he Should bleed for ever in this helpless case Christ cometh in for his poor sheep's release He saith I come I come behold and see As in the book it written is of me A Body Lord thou hast for me prepar'd Draw blood of me and let the sheep be spar'd I do delight even my hearts blood to shed For them that their sin may be pardoned Come all ye whom the fiery law doth charge With guilt and wrath and who your hearts enlarge For righteousness and who for pardon pant Come drink the blood of the new covenant This drink will quench thy thirst and scorching heat Which guilt and wrath do in thy soul beget Christ gives himself for food to intimate That he himself is ours in us and that He is one with us by a lively union And that our life consisteth in communion With him who gives us life and growth and strength And perfects what concerneth us at length This puts his loving kindness out of doubt That he comes in and will not stand without And comes in that he with his Friends may feast And gives himself for food to every guest He gives his flesh for bread and to make up The feast he pours his blood into the Cup. White others have but Bread and Wine for food Believers eat Christ's Body drink his Blood. He will not live without them he doth give Life unto them and Christ in them doth live Yea the life which they in the flesh do live They live it as they on the Son believe Behold again his Love behold him die Behold him leave his little ones a legacy In a most sure well order'd Testament And gives it sealed by a Sacrament This Testament containeth all that 's good All that is purchased by Jesus blood It cannot changed be it must endure The great Testator's death doth make it sure He dies to ratifie his latter Will He lives Executor it to fulfil He gave himself for them to them he gives Himself for them he dies for them he lives Yet still here 's more of love the loving art Is learned best from Christ's most loving heart He leaves a token of his love most kind To keep him and his death still in their mind A token which he will have to remain With them until he come from Heaven again He says This is my body for you broken Take this as of my love a sign and token Take eat and when this braken bread you see And take and eat it then remember me And drink this Cup and drink ye of it all As often as this Bread and Cup ye shall Eat and drink ye shew forth and do record The bloody breaking death of Christ the Lord. Since these Love tokens are most excellent Which do to us most clearly represent An absent friend to shew what he hath done For us what hardships for us undergone And those most charming and endearing prove Which represent his loveliness and love This Sacrament is an illustrious Symbol of love presenting Christ to us As broken bleeding dying in our stead Broken that he might unto us be bread Bleeding that he might us with drink relieve And dying that we by his death might live His Farewell Sermon register'd by John Is full of love and consolation Where you will find most kindly compellations Comforting Truths strengthening Exhortations And promises most great and precious Most fit for them most sweet and gracious His Sermon sweet in a sweet Prayer ends Where he them to his Father recommends And prays for all that should believe upon His Name through the Word that ye might be one As thou says he O Father art in me And I in thee they one in us may be I will that they whom thou hast given me Be with me that they may my Glory see I have declared unto them thy Name And will continue to declare the same That the love wherewith thou hast loved me May be in them and I in them might be Himself his Glory and his Father's love To him he gives to them and this doth prove He will no good deny but all impart Unto his Spouse who ravisheth his heart For her his hands feet side and heart did bleed These streams did from the Spring of Love proceed His bleeding hands feet side and heart do prove That our Lord Jesus Christ did die for love In suffering he acted finished His work his Father's will accomplished Payed the price Justice to satisfie His Prisoners to ransom and set free And when he ignominiously did die His Foes he vanquished most gloriously Heroick Facts which Histories record Are nothing to the acts of Christ the Lord Who the Red Dragons the old Serpent's head Bruised and all Hell's Powers vanquished Destroyed Death and took away its sting And rend'red it tho grim a harmless thing O'recame the world and made an end of sin And everlasting righteousness brought in To God he Glory gave to Earth brought Peace And towards worthless men good will and grace The feigned Loves which are in forg'd Romances Tho they be strain'd are dull and cloudy Fancies And nothing to his matchless wondrous love Which is all finite minds and thoughts above The Spirit did the Gospel oft indite And moved four Evangelists to write That we might often read and hear and see Of godliness the true great mystery That in beholding we might be transform'd Into Christ's Image and to him conform'd If thou take pleasure to read Prophesies Again into the Scripture turn thine eyes Where thou wilt find that in the days of old Things future were long e're they came foretold The Promises of Christ are there most clear And were fulfilled when he did appear They who had eyes to see could not mistake Him of whom Moses and the Prophets spake All circumstances here did meet and twift What they foretold fulfilled was in Christ The Promises so great and precious Assures us that the Lord is gracious His Word and Oath which ever do endure Do make his mercies to his people sure May worthless I these Promises embrace Thou maist for they are Promises of Grace If thou be miserable and impure They promise cleansing they are mercies sure As cleansing purgeth from impurity So mercy pities saves from misery If thou do thirst and hunger after all The Promises thine own thou maist them call The needy soul that longs for righteousness May claim the Promise fulness blessedness Since Christ hath blest the hungry thirsty foul Such sure are blest none can his Word controul Once close with Christ all Promises are then Thine for in him they are Yea and Amen If thou embrace all his Commands aright Thou maist in all his Promises delight Would you read laws in Scripture
makes changes strange of things It life from death sweet from bitter brings Peace out of trouble out of darkness light Out of the Eater meet from grief delight What of it self did to destruction tend Grace makes it in salvation to end As for Christ's Cross be not at it offended For it can never be enough commended O! it 's a holy pleasant stately thing To be conform'd to him in suffering Remember oft his oft repeated word The Servant is not greater than his Lord It is enough and very fair that he Who 's a Disciple as his Master be Is thy condition mean canst thou not find Accommodation unto thy mind Hast thou no harboury no house nor hold To shelter thee from storms look and behold The First-begotten to the world brought in In an Out-house and not into the Inn. He unto whom the Angels worship paid Is in a Manger not a Cradle laid Foxes have holes and each fowl hath its nest Christ had not whereupon his head to rest Want'st thou wherewith to buy thy daily bread Some of their substance to him ministred Or art thou from thy Native Soil exil'd Christ driven was to Egypt when a child Art thou reproached Vile iniquities Were cast on him calumnies and lies Vile drunkenness sensual gluttony Collusion with Devils blasphemy Madness deceit and friendliness to vice And all that crafty malice could devise Was charg'd on him whom they proclaim'd abroad An Enemy to Coesar and to God. Do Friends turn Foes or do they faint and flee From thee in straits to Jesus turn thine eye His own Disciples did leave him alone They to their own were scattered and gone He was by Judas traiterously betrayed By Peter thrice most shamefully denied Art thou a Prisoner and hardly used Pursu'd to death and scornfully abused Christ as a Thief was apprehended bound As a mock-King in purple cloath'd and crown'd With pricking Thorns a Reed put in his hand As a mock-Scepter then they do command That he hood-wink't should tell who did him smite To shew at him as Prophet their despite They spit on him and scourge him cruelly And lead him out upon a Cross to die A lingring shameful painful cursed death On which he bore our sins and divine wrath These were the weights that did his soul distress His sweat was blood when bruised in this press The Cross as Christ hath left it we may say Is light Christ took its greatest weight away He wrath the bitterness of death drunk up And left no vengeance in his peoples cup For wrath and death he love and life puts in Which Marab's waters make more sweet than wine Take up his burden it is light and meet And drink his cup it healthful is and sweet To bear about the dying of sweet-Jesus Will not us kill but quicken strengthen ease us They 're highly honoured who suffer shame For Jesus sake and for his glorious Name Reproach for Christ is Riches much more great Than Egypt's Pleasures Treasures Honours State Shame for him honour is and loss is gain In death for him is life and ease in pain When all day long they 're killed for his sake Like sheep for slaughter burned at a stake They Conquerors and more than Conquerors prove Through him who them eternally doth love Turn thine eyes from the dark side of the Cross On which appears dishonour pain and loss And turn upon the lightsome side thine eye Where pleasure gain and glory thou maist see Christ's own Example will us best direct How of the Cross to take a right prospect The Son of man is glorified he said And God in him is also glorified If God in him thus glorified be God shall in him himself straight glorifie He Glory saw in being crucified He saw God by his suffering glorified He saw the heavenly glory to ensue Keep still this Triple Glory in thy view Sigh not then at the Cross as sad and sorry But shout in triumph Glory glory glory Live to God's Glory for his Glory die It is thy Glory God to glorifie If by thy death God glorified be Thou shalt in Glory live eternally They who with Christ do suffer with him reign And bearing palms eternal triumph sing If for the Name of Christ reproach'd thou be The Spirit of God and Glory rests on thee These momentary crosses which are light Work endless Glory of exceeding weight Yet go not from thy way to seek a cross Follow thy calling to God's way keep close That Cross which thy wise Lord for thee thinks meet Is in thy way in the great King 's High-street That thou must take it up or else go wrong Medling in what doth not to thee belong If in thy sufferings thou wouldst have delight See that thy call be clear the cause be right Take up thy Cross in Christ's Name and his strength That of thy race thou maist run all the length Pray to be strengthen'd by his glorious might To suffer with all patience and delight Tho thou wert burned yet if thou hast not Love burning will not profit thee a Jot Unto thy hungry Enemy give food Love those who hate thee vanquish ill with good And pray that those who do impoverish thee With the true riches may enriched be That they who cause thee wander far abroad May from their wand'ring be reclaim'd to God. Those who from Earth pursue thee till thou die Endeavour to draw them to Heaven with thee Our blessed Lord when hanging on the tree Prayed for those who did him crucifie He to his Father for their pardon pray'd And did say for them all that could be said How far was Stephen from leaving of his death On those who ston'd him witness his last breath He kneel'd and cri'd this sin Lord do not lay To their charge Thus in love he slept away O lovely blessed sleep O sure 't will be A heavenly thing in love to live and die Love is the way to Heaven love is the flame In which the soul surmounts the starry frame This is the work and life of Saints above To love and loved be for God is love He 's light and love he freely doth impart Light to the mind and goodness to the heart With his resplendent Glory fill thine eye And in his goodness place thou all thy Joy. Come see and taste Come come and taste and see With goodness fill thy heart with light thine eye The Father Son and Spirit Persons three Who are in Essence one do call on thee To come from dolesome darkness unto light From ill to good from sorrow to delight From death to life from guilt to righteousness From the vile filth of sin to holiness From want to fullness from weights which thee load To rest and ease from Satan unto God From Hell to Heaven from lusts base drudgery To that high service God to glorifie Not that we can unto his Glory add For it is boundless He hath ever had And hath and shall have to
it brings death temporal death spiritual and death eternal Now because all men are poisoned with the poison of sin therefore all men must sleep of the sleep of death It is sin that hath poisoned all mankind Thirdly As a man when he goeth to sleep puts off his Cloaths and goeth naked into bed so it is with us when we come to die We came naked into the World and naked we must return As we brought nothing with us into the World so we must carry nothing with us out of the World And therefore Death in Scripture is called nothing else but an uncloathing of our selves as 2 Cor. 5.4 Death to a Child of God is nothing but the putting off of his Cloaths The Body of man is Animae vestimentum it is the Soul's cloathing and Death is nothing else but the uncloathing of the Soul It is just like a man going to bed and putting of his cloaths St. Peter calls it the putting off of our earthly Tabernacle 2 Peter 1.14 Our Bodies are the Souls Tabernacles and death is the putting off of this Tabernacle Beloved when we come to die we shall be stript naked of Three things First We shall be stript naked of all our Worldly Honour Riches and Greatness Secondly We shall be stript naked of our Bodies And Thirdly Which is above all we shall be stript naked of our sins and that is the happiness of a child of God he shall put off not only his mortal body but the body of sin Fourthly In the Fourth place observe As no man knoweth the time when he falls asleep a man falls asleep before he is aware so no man can tell the certain time when he must die There is nothing so certain as that we must die nothing so uncertain as the time when we shall die Death comes suddenly even as sleep comes on a man before he is aware Fifthly Observe as Children and Infants because they do not know the benefit of sleep are very loth to go to bed yea many times the Mother is fain to whip the Child to bed even so it is with most of God's People because they do not study the benefit of death That death puts an end to all our miseries and sins and opens a door to let us into everlasting happiness and that we shall never see God or Christ until we die I say because God's People do not study the benefit of death therefore they are like to little children loth to die Job 18.14 loth to go to bed and therefore Death is called the King of Terrors Death is terrible to many of God's Children because they are but Infants in Grace and because they do not know the benefits of death Sixthly Observe as when a man is fast asleep he is free from cares and troubles Let it thunder as it thundered not long since as you know yet a man that is fast asleep he hears it not Let the House be on fire while the man is asleep he sees it not neither is he troubled at it So it is with the death of God's Children When God's Children sleep the sleep of death they are free from the thunders of this World and from all cares and troubles they go to their Graves as to their Beds and rest in quietness and are not sensible of any troubles that are in this World for Abraham knows us not Isa 63.16 so 2 Kings 22.20 Thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place When a Child of God sleeps the sleep of death he doth not feel nor is he sensible of any of the calamities or sad providences of God upon the Earth Seventhly When a man goeth to sleep he goeth to sleep but for a certain time in the morning he awakes out of his sleep So it is with the sleep of death and therefore death is called a sleep because we must all awake in the morning of Resurrection We are in the Grave as in our Beds and when the Trumpet of God and the voice of the Arch-Angel shall sound we shall all arise out of our Graves as out of our Beds Death is but a sleep for a certain time Eighthly Sleep is a great refreshing to those that are weary and sick and when the sick man awakes he is more lively and chearful than he was before he fell asleep and therefore sleep is called Medicus laborum redintegratio virium recreator corporum the great Physician of the sick Body the renewing of man's Spirits the reviver of the weary Body And so it is with death When God's People awake out of the sleep of death they shall be more active for God than ever they were before When you lie down in the Grave you shall lie down with mortal Bodies as 1 Cor. 15.42 43. It is sown a mortal body but it shall rise up an immortal body it is sown in dishonour but it shall rise up in honour it is sown a natural body but it shall rise up a spiritual body Nithly As in the morning when we rise out of our Beds we then put on our cloaths so in the morning of the glorious Resurrection we shall put on a glorious Body like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ We shall put on Stolam Immortalitatis the Garment of Immortality Tenthly As no man when he lieth down to sleep knoweth the direct time when he shall awake so no man can tell when the Resurrection shall be They do but cozen you who say That the general Resurrection shall be such or such a year For as no man can know the minute when he shall awake out of his natural sleep no more can any man know when we shall arife from the sleep of death Eleventhly As it is a very easie thing to awake a man out of sleep it is but stirring of him and you will awake him quickly so it is with the sleep of death It is as easie for Jesus Christ to awake us out of the sleep of death as it is for you or me to awake a man out of his sleep in Bed Nemo nostrum tam facile excitat dormientem de lecto quam Christus jacentem in Sepulchro Twelfthly As when a man riseth in the morning tho he hath slept many hours nay suppose he could sleep twenty years together yet notwithstanding when he awakes these twenty years will seem to be but as one hour unto him So it will be in the day of Judgment all those that are in their Graves when they awake it will be tanquam somnus unius horae as the sleep of one hour unto them Lastly And most especially as sleep seizeth only upon the Body and the outward Senses but doth not seize upon the Soul. The Soul of man is oftentimes most busie when the man is asleep And God hath heretofore revealed most glorious things to his children in dreams when they have been asleep God
end That man is the only wise man and happy man in life and death that is ever mindful of his end But before I make an end I must propound one Question viz. whether the death of the wicked be not in Scripture compared to a Sleep as well as the death of the godly I answer That wicked men in Scripture are said to fall asleep when they die It is said of Idolatrous Jeroboam that he slept with his fathers of Baasha and Omri those wicked Kings that they slept with their fathers But then the Question will be In what respect is the death of the wicked compared to a Sleep Ans Even as a man which is asleep sometimes hath no benefit rest or ease thereby when the sick man awakes he is many times more sick than he was before he went to sleep Some men are much disquieted in their sleeps by hideous and fearful dreams Nebuchadnezzar when he was asleep had a most scaring dream and was amazed therewith So it is with a wicked man death to a wicked man is a Sleep but it is a terrifying Sleep The Soul that goes immediately to Hell where it is burned with fire that never shall be quenched and where the Worm that never dies is always gnawing upon it The Body that indeed lies asleep in the Grave But how Even as a Malefactor that sleeps in a Prison the night before he is to be executed but when he awakes is hurried and dragged to Execution So the wicked man falls asleep in death but when he awakes he awakes to everlasting damnation but a child of God when he sleeps the Sleep of death he sleeps in his Father's House and when he awakes he awakes to everlasting happiness Use 4. And this makes way for the Fourth and last Use which Use is of very great consequence and that is to beseech all that you labour so to live that when you fall asleep you may sleep an happy Sleep There is the Sleep that the wicked man sleeps when he dies and there is the Sleep that the godly man sleeps when he dies Now I beseech you labour so to live that when you fall asleep your Sleep may be an happy Sleep unto you that when you awake in the morning of the Resurrection it may be a good awaking for you But then the great Question will be How shall I do this Ans I shall give you Four or Five helps for this First If you would sleep an happy Sleep at death then you must labour to sleep in Jesus Christ It is said 1 Cor. 15.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ And 1 Thes 4.14 If we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him What is it to sleep in Jesus To sleep in Jesus is to die in the Faith of Jesus Christ 2. To sleep in Jesus Christ is to die with an Interest in Jesus Christ to die as a Member united to Christ as our Head For you must know that the dust of a Saint is part of that man who is a Member of Jesus Christ and every believer when he sleeps in the dust he sleeps in Jesus Christ that is he lies in the Grave and his dust is part of Christ Mystical and Christ as an Head will raise it up and cannot be compleat without it Now then if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep labour to get a real Interest in Christ labour to live in Christ while you live and then when you fall asleep you shall be sure to sleep in Jesus There are many that would have Christ to receive their Souls at death and that say with dying Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit But if ever you would have Christ to receive your Souls when you die you must be sure to receive him into your Souls whilst you live If ever you would have him to receive you into Heaven you must receive him into your hearts No man makes a Will but he saith Imprimis I bequeath my Soul to Jesus Christ my Redeemer But how dost thou know that Jesus Christ will accept of this Legacy If thy Soul hath not Christ's Image upon it if it be not regenerated and renewed Jesus Christ will never own it Thou maist bequeath it unto Christ but the Devil will claim it Beloved if ever you would reign with Christ when you die he must reign in you whilst you live and if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep you must live in Jesus that you may sleep in Jesus 3. In the Third place if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep at death then you must take heed of overcharging your self with worldly cares A man that is full of cares cannot sleep They lay as the Proverb is all their cares under their Pillow they labour to shut all cares out of their mind O take heed that you do not murder your selves by the cares of the World. Beloved a man that eats out his heart with Worldly Cares will never sleep an happy Sleep the Cares of the World will choak all the good Seed of the Word of God And therefore as men when they go to sleep lay aside all Worldly Thoughts so if ever you will sleep an happy Sleep take heed of overmuch carking and caring for the things of this World And remember what you have heard this day and that will regulate and moderate all your cares Naked you came into the World and naked you must go out of the World. Why should we take care for that we know not who shall enjoy after us 4. If ever you would sleep an happy Sleep when you die you must take heed of sucking too much of the pleasures of this World. A man that eats a full supper will sleep very disquietly Therefore they that would sleep quietly use to eat light suppers For when a man's stomach is over-charged it takes away his quiet Sleep from him So if you would sleep an happy Sleep when you come to die O take heed of sucking too much the Pleasures of this Life take heed of eating too large a Meal of Worldly Delights and of Creature-Comforts These Worldly Pleasures will make the Sleep of Death unquiet unto you O! let not Dalilah's lap deprive you of Abraham's bosome Remember that David by Bathsheba's Embraces lost the Embraces of God I mean the sence of the Embraces of God the joy and comfort of them Fourthly If ever you would sleep an happy Sleep in death then labour to work hard for Heaven while you live O how delightful is Sleep to a weary man When a man hath taken pains all the day as the Traveller that hath travelled all the day or the Plowman that hath been at work all the day how quietly how soundly doth he sleep in the night O beloved if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep at death then work out your salvation with fear and trembling and give all diligence to make your calling
and election sure The more you labour for Heaven the better the sweeter will your sleep be when you come to die And remember this as much sleeping in the day-time will hinder a man's Sleep at night so you that idle away way the time of your providing for Heaven in this your day you that sleep away the minute on which Eternity doth depend O! you will have a sad Sleep when death seizeth upon you Take heed therefore of sleeping whilst you live that so your sleep in the night of death may be comfortable unto you 5. And lastly If ever you would sleep an happy sleep when you die then take heed of the sleep of sin Sin in the Scripture is compared to a sleep Awake thou that sleepest that is thou that sinnest Sin is such a sleep as brings the sleep of death Sin brings the first death and sin brings the second death All miseries whatsoever are the daughters of sin If you would sleep an happy sleep and have an happy awakening at the Resurrection then take heed of the sleep of sin Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and Jesus Christ will give thee life Eph. 5.14 so Rom. 13.11 12 13. with which I will conclude and I pray you mark it well for it was a Text that converted St. Augustine Knowing the time beloved that it is now high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed The night is far spent the day is at hand Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying but put on the Lord Jesus Christ FINIS Books Printed for Richard Butler in White-Lyon-Court in Barbican A Practical and short Exposition of the Catechism of the Church of England by way of Question and Answer Wherein the Divine Authority and Reasonableness of every Question and Answer every Doctrine and Practice in it recommended are Evidenced and Improved against most Contemners of it and Dissenters from it with that Moderation and Plainness that it may engage all to adhere to and especially may instruct Children in the true Protestant Religion of the Church of England Humbly offered for the good of Schools and Youth By Nathanael Taylor M. A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or the Baptism of Infants Vindicated by Scriptures and Reasons Humbly offered in Order to a Composure of Differences at this Juncture of Time. By Nath. Taylor M. A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or an Alphebetical Martyrology containing the Trials and Dying Expressions of many Martyrs of Note since Christ Extracted out of Foxe's Acts and Monuments numents of the Church With an Alphabetical List of God's Judgments remarkably shown on many Noted and Cruel Persecutors Together with an Appendix of things pertinent to the understanding this Martyrology By N. T. M. A. T. C. C. Two Sermons of Hypocrisie and the vain hope of self-deceiving sinners Together with an Inspection into the Manners and Conversation of the People called Quakers whose fruits betel them to be Men of a Worldly Spirit hating true holiness and strangers to the simplicity that is in Christ All which is shewed in the following Treatise composed and published for the common good the startling and awakening of all Worldly and Opinionative Hypocrites of what Name or Sect soever and particularly the Quakers and the establishment and consolation of the upright and sound in heart in perilous and shaking times and intended for a further confutation of Quakerism By John Cheyney