change its present dwelling to become not only a Companion but a Banquet for Worms Some they hope that their Sun is not yet arrived at its Meredian and for them to think of Dying is as if you would bid them go to Bed at Noon Day When they have settled thire Affairs in the World their Years are come in which they have no Pleasure when Old Age hath Snowed upon their Heads and devoured their sensual Pleasures then to think of Dying is a suitable Doctrine But while their Blood is Sparkling in their Veins it is not a convenient Season Nay even the Believer tho' he is in safety as to his Spiritual state is apt to shiver at the first view of this King of Terrors as Job calls him tho' with the Apostle he groan under the weight of his tiresom Tabernacle yet when he sees the Hand that must deliver him he desires rather that the Mortal Body might be cloathed with Immortal Glory but tho' we fly from Death like Moses from his Rod when turned into a Serpent yet when we frequently take it up by the Hand of Faith we see there is no harm nor danger in it To lay Death to Heart is to acquaint our Thoughts with Dying Secondly To be duly affected with our concernment in it he will not pass it over with a slight apprehension like a Natural Man beholding his Face in a Glass and straightway forgetteth Jam. 1. what manner of Man he was But he will work it upon his affections Inditurus est illud animosuo Trem. I know there are many who Laugh at Death and treat their dissolution with Contempt and Scorn like Gaal of old who disdain'd Abimelech when at a distance VVho is Abimelech that we should serve him And yet at the first attack cowardly Judges 9. 38. fled before him Some are like the sleepy Drunkard at ease in their Sins and never lift up their Eyes till in the midst of Hell Flames That profession which serves many to keep up a Reputation in Religion will prove too slender a defence against the Arrows of this King of Terrors There are Three things which one Mr. Sedgwicks Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Srâ—â—g 1656. said many Years ago Prognosticate approaching judgments because not duly regarded First An unconcernedness of Spirit when the Foundations of the Christian Religion are overturned and destroyed to see the Corner-Stone pull'd out and we not affected Secondly To see the generality of Professors contenting themselves with an empty Name without the power of Religion No Man stiring up himself to takehold of a departing Isa 64. 7. God Thirdly To see the Ministers of Christ despised and contemned The 2 Chro. 36. 15 16. Lord had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But when they mocked the Messengers of God c. Then Wrath arose and there was no remedy If the Ambassadors of Peace be rejected the Herald's of War will follow them And have we not the same Symptoms still remaining There are some things that are of great Moment and very uncertain as to our enjoyment of them and therefore we should be deeply affected with them one is the offers of the everlasting Gospel O that Luk. 19. 42 thou hadst known in this thy Day c. the Waters of Life will not always run wast by your Doors If God's to Day be too soon your to Morrow may be too late Another is the inward striving of the Spirit My Spirit shall not always Gen. 6. 3. strive with Man When you are under conviction take heed how they wear off If they leave thee short of a thro' closure with Christ thou art undone for ever and I may add our own Life Is it not a Vapour that appeareth for a little while and Jam. 4. 14. then uanquisheth away And yet an eternity depends upon it surely then Ex hoc momento pendet Eternities the laying Death to Heart is not practised till our affections are duly affected with our concernment in it and that Thirdly And Principally by resolving in sincerity to make ready for it The Heart by Sin is become both desultory in its Meditations and deceitful in its Resolutions I doubt not but this Day there are many in the Chamber of utter Darkness that in their way thitheâ— had their secret purposes to reform their Courses only for the present they had not leisure We forget that Sin like Dalilah hath cut our Locks and so purpose in our own Strength and go out in the Srength of our Resolutions and thence all our purposes are snapt asunder like Sampson's Wit hs when outward temptations fall in with indwelling corruptions but to resolve in sincerity is with full purpose of heart depending upon the Lord and the power of his might to prepare to meet this formidable Enemy and that with respect unto I st Our Spiritual State 2dly With respect unto our present frame the former is our safety and the latter our comfort every Believer dies safely but he that is actually ready imbraces Death triumphantly and even before the Fight can sing the Victory First Then to prepare with respect unto your state and this includes Three things I st To be united unto Christ and cloathed with his righteousness I know there are many witty expressions and fortifying considerations scattered in the Writings of Heathens to arm us against Death's assults But alas All of them can't make an Armour of proof for a dying Man the Sting of Death will pierce thro' all of them nay bring in the righteousness which thou hast done and that too will prove too scanty a Garment to cover thy shame There is but one impregnable foretress where this Enemy can never hurt you and that is the Rock Jesus There is but one Robe that will effectually secure as well as adorn thee against this Enemy and that is his Righteousness Death will find out every Man 's standing whether it be in the first or second Adam if in the former than all your Sins are upon your Souls and tho' now they seem light and sit easy yet every one of them will be heavier than a Milstone to sink thee into endless misery this the Apostle knew when he desired to be found in him not having his own righteousness Phil. 3. 9. c. to be found in him Notes his Spiritual union with Christ not having mine own righteousness which is of the law To signify the insufficiency of all he could call his own But that which is thro' the faith of Christ Thereby owning that as he had no confidence in the flesh so his rejoycing was in Christ Jesus and his Righteousness it s in him and with him only that you can dwell in safety and through him you must obtain the Victory 2dly When your covenant state between God and you is secured It was this that made the Psalmist 2 Sam. 23. 5. of Israel sing so sweetly when stepping
into Eternity He views his Family and there finds nothing to support his departing Spirit but when he Reads over the Charter of the Covenant he begins the Songs of Zion tho' not yet past the swellings of Jordan Here he saw that peace between God and him which would abide in Death and out-live the Grave They that are without the Bond of the Covenant who have never given their Heart and Hand to be the Lord's they may be dejected and there is cause for it But Why Ps 49. 5. should I fear in the day when the iniquities of my heels compass me about tho' not only Infirmities but many Iniquities lay seige against the believers Soul yet why should I be dejected For the Lord will redeem my vers 15. Soul from the power of the grave my God will receive me What tho' Death seem never so terrible it hath lost its Sting Christ by his Cross hath turned those Waters of Marah into a refreshing Stream to all that are in Covenant with God thro' him As in the first Covenant Death is the Messenger of Justice to drag the Sinner to execution so in the New Covenant it is the Messenger of a Father to fetch his Children to those Mansions Christ hath prepared for them tho' death is continued in its natural conception as it is a dissolving of our Frame and Union between Soul and Body yet it is not continued in its moral notion as a penal satisfaction Death it self is put into the Believers Inventory Death is yours 1 Cor. 3. 22. Death is to every Man according to the Covenant in which it finds him if there be a Covenant of Peace between God and Thee then thou may'st go out boldly and meet death as a real Friend tho' in the Array of a formidable Enemy 3dly When your Hearts are sanctfied and renewed We are saved Tit. 3. 5. by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Christ's Righteousness will never be a defence to any but his own Image If we take his Robe to cover us in our Sin we do but deceive our own Souls As death will wipe away all Tears from the Believer's Eyes so it will take off the paint of Hypocritical Professors then elevated strains shall not go for true Godliness nor fair Words pass for Charity nor an empty Name for the power of Religion he only shall appear an Israelite indeed that is without Guile and hath true Grace or Wisdom in the hidden parts As Hypocrites tho' they are embellish'd with many glistering Ornaments in the externals of Religion yet they are always loathsom to God because of their unseen uncleannesses so tho' Believers have many visible Infirmities and Imperfections yet they are always glorious with the truth of Grace within tho' like the Ark covered with coarse Skins yet pure Gold within then do we truly lay death to heart in preparing for it when Sin in its dominion is cast out of the heart for he is a Jew which is one Inward and Gospel Circumcision is Rom. 2. 29 that of the heart in the spirit where these three are secured that Soul's state is safe The second preparation is to be actually ready for death The former is and hath been the care of every true Believer but the neglect of this latter makes the message of death strangely surprizing to many real Christians instead of going out of the World like the Patriarch saying I have waited for thy Salvation or like old Simeon Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace Luk. 2. 29. they cry out like him O spare Psal 39. 13. me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more tho' the Believer's Righteous Soul while here is vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked yet like Lot he is ready to linger when God calls him out of this Sodom of a World Would you then die not only in safety but with joy instead of being dragg'd forcibly go out willingly and while others have their Souls taken from them thou like thy Redeemer give up thine into the hand of thy heavenly Father for this purpose be conscientious in these four things 1. Let not the things of this World fix upon your Heart and Affections it 's difficult keeping the Heart chast for God when the Affections are intangled in the World tho' your necessity will oblige you to drink of this Jael's Cup yet beware of sleeping in her Tent beware of its Syrene Songs and Meretricious Smiles tho' neither Earth nor Hell shall keep the Believer out of Heaven yet they make many go halting thither Maintain as much as possible the same opinion of your earthly enjoyments while living as Men generally have 〈◊〉 when dying Look upon them rather as Talents committed to Servants to improve for their Master's use than as absolutely your own as they are free Gifts which we never deserved so be thankful to the Donor and as they are Talents so we should be faithful because we must give an account to our Lord and Master So use this world as not to abuse it 1 Cor. 7. 31. nor to have thy heart abused by it When thou seest the Kingdoms of this World and the Glory thereof beware of falling down and worshiping let not the dust of the Earth blind the eye of thy Faith nor the pleasures of it divide thy Love whatever be the delight of your Eyes be sure that nothing but God in Christ be the delight of your Hearts 2dly Keep your Loyns girt and your Lamps Burning As we are to stand actually ready for whatsoever service our Lord may appoint us whether doing or suffering so we must in order thereunto keep every Grace in exercise It was very surprising to the Wise Virgins when the mid-night cry came to go out and meet the Bridgroom to find their Lamps untrim'd tho' there was Oyl in their Vessels As Gall. 2. 20. we are to live by the Faith of the Son of God for daily influence so we are to walk by Faith as the eye to direct our Practice Let it 2 Cor. 5. 7. be your care to say with the Spouse At our gates are all manner of pleasant Cant. 7. 15. fruits which I have laid up for thee O my beloved There you have plenty and variety All manner of c and they are at the Gate that is actually ready and all for the Beloved As all Grace is derived from Christ's fulness so it 's devoted to him for his service Let there be Faith to follow him in dark Providences patience to wait for him under delays meekness to guard thy Spirit from being ruffled by the scurrilites of a sordid World Love which makes every duty easy and this is the way to have an abundant 2 Pet. 1. 11. entrance into thy Master's joy 3dly Dye dayly unto Sin It 's Sin that will be the Achan and troubler of thy camp This will make thee fly
to which your Souls and Hearts are devoted make it your work in preparing He that does not prepare what to say tempts God to come out of his ordinary Course to his assistance he that depends upon his own Preparations makes a God of his Gifts Let it be your work in delivering shew that your Business is rather to profit Souls than please the Ear beware of an affected Niceness in expression and shun a sor did rudeness least it cause a loathing of spiritual Food Let it be your work in Living as well as Preaching beware of pulling down with your hands what you build with your mouths in a word if the Ministry be thy work thou'llt give thy self to it and thereby in a little time do much for God And what if discourag'd by the World seeing your labour is not in vain in the Lord it will be more Honour and Glory in the Day of Christ to have been an Instrument in bringing one Soul to Heaven than if thou hadst conquer'd a World and brought it under thy power and what if you seem to labour in vain and spend your strength for nought when your judgment Isa 49. 4. is with the Lord and your Reward with your God The last Exhortation is to you that are Hearers Is God by Death removing your Useful Guides and Instructors from you Lay this to Heart First In being cautious to whom you commit the Care and Conduct of your Souls How shall they teach you the Mysteries of Salvation who themselves are ignorant of them It s an easie matter to run into the Ministsy but not so easie to be a Minister What was opprobriously said of old may be here applied Many Servants 1 Sa. 25. 10. run away now a days from their Masters I wish there were no cause to say many run from that which is their service into that they were never called nor sent of God There is an universal complaint that the Spirit is much withdrawn but if you view Mens running in this great Work of the Ministry without regard to the ordinary ways for attaining Qualifications for such an undertaking you must allow that either the Ministry is become a more easie business to discharge than ever it was judg'd to be formerly or that there is an Extraordinary Effussion of the Spirit by which Men of a suddain are qualified for it or else we are under a dreadful Judgment I am not such a superstitious Adorer of Learning as to lessen or Exclude the Work of the Spirit I know the Spirit can qualifie Persons for his Work but then what others must seek in an ordinary way that he does by his extraordinary power and when extraordinary Operations are not to be expected at least are professedly own'd in the present posture of Affairs to be departed we are to seek in the ordinary way to attain such Qualifications as are needful in that work the neglecting of which is but a gratifying the Designs of those who are several ways assaulting our Religion which are chiefly Two 1. Advancing Reason above and against Revelation As if like the Moon it never shin'd so brightly as when in opposition to the Sun they appeal to this as the supream Judge for Faith and Practice as if it were not our truest Reason to prefer the Mind and Word of an infinite Being before our own finite understanding Much more intolerable is this Arrogance when they have so debas'd and debauch'd their Rational Powers that they are not able to judge in things of a Man and yet will appeal to them only as the great and supream Decider of all Matters relating to God and the Christian Religion 2. By decrying a Standing Ministry in the Church of God Every one of the Lord's People are Prophets Would to God the Spirit of the Prophets appear'd in all that profess and claim the Priviledge A Standing Ministry is a Humane Invention and a piece of meer Superstition and the Idol Learning is only to make ignorant People credit and rashly receive what they impose upon them As the former is manag'd among the Men of Letters so the other is calculated for the People of a lower size I grant that great Clerks are not always Wise Men that Christ's fiercest opposers have been found amongst those who have been Head and Shoulders taller than others in Natural Knowledge But because some that have their Eyes abuse them shall I chuse a blind Man for my Guide You may as soon expect to see a Man bred up at Plough or Cart to steer a Ship in a Storm thrô Shelves and Rocks without dashing as ignorant Ministers maintain the Preaching of the Gospel without falling into dangerous if not damnable Errors therefore be very cautious to whom you commit the Conduct of your Souls Secondly Pray for your Ministers It may be you don't profit under their Ministry because you deny them a share in your Prayers their Work is great their Temptations many and their Strength in themselves small Never say you love 'em while you are not concern'd to ingage God to succeed them pray that God would give them the Tongue of the learned to speak a Word in season to thy condition and that he would give thee the hearing ear and the understanding Pro. 20. 12 heart both which are the gift of God Thirdly Maintain Affection and Esteem for your Ministers Let them not have cause to complain These are the wounds I receiv'd in the Houses of such and such Professed Friends I ask you not superstitiously to idolize Men or Ministers yet let them be highly esteemed for their works 1 The. 5. 13. sake Thô they are but earthen Vessels yet they are intrusted with the most precious Treasure What if their Persons are no more nay possibly less than other Men yet their Office calls for Respect and Honour They are Ambassadors of Christ and by the Law of Nations Ambassadors are to have civil Usage beware of Prejudice for he that is prejudic'd against the Person will not without a Miracle be edified by his preaching if Abab hate Micaiah he will be inraged rather than instructed by his admonition and warning therefore maintain Affection and Esteem for them Fourthly Lay to heart what you are frequently hearing from your Ministers while living let not their Doctrine which drops like the Rain be only like a Shower upon a Rock where no Impression is made or a Tale that is told but like Mary lay up what thou hearest in thy heart that when thy Minister is remov'd thou mayst be able to recollect and ruminate upon what was formerly deliver'd by him for thy Soul's Edification Oh beware of loosing your Seasons of Grace it may be there are some here th◠Morning that may never hear anothe◠Sermon and will it not be a cutting consideration to think that of all you have heard of dying you were never affecte◠with it nor mov'd to prepare for Deat by it We have lost many Eminent Ministers and is all lost you have heard from them Let not your Souls be like broke◠Cisterns that let out the pure water and keep nothing but the Mud and Corruption of this world Labour to make them the Store-house of Divine Truths giving most earnest heed lest at any time you should Heb. 2. 1. let them run out And this is the true means to keep your Soul both waking and working which is the right way of watching and waiting for the coming of our Lord. FINIS