in gurgitibus fluminum Croâ—odilis feraliter inimicum hic itaque cum viderit Crocodilum aperto ore dormientem provolvitur in limo luti ut faucibus illius facilius possit illabi tunc in os Crocodili dormient is perniciter insilit deglutitus viscera ejus cuncta dilaniat donec es extincto de cadavere vivus victor erumpat Quid Crocodilus nisi mors Tartarus quid Hydrus nisi Christus quid limo obvolui nisi humanae carnis luto vestiri Petrus Damian lib. 2. Epist 18. water-Snake does the Crocodile 2. The death of the party or the death of us and this is twofold consisting First In the separation of the soul from the body and this is a little troublesome death especially to nature these two old acquaintance play loth to depart when the time comes Inducias etiam ad horam as he said Oh reprieve me though it be but an hour and 't will be sweet nay beloved a child of God himself may sometimes be so fearful of this King of terrors that at the approach of death he may be forced to cry quarter Job 28.4 So did David Oh spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more Psal 39.13 Secondly In the separation of soul and body both from God to all eternity Mâ—tth 25.41 and this is the bitternesse of death this is the dregs of death this is death armed Animae mors separatio est à Deo uti corporis mors est ipsius ab anima disjunctio Nicetas death with a sting and poyson too called in Scripture the second death Revel 20.14 death and hell were cast into the lake of fire this is the second death The death in the Text is to be understood of the death of the party for sin Anaxogoras Plutar. de consolaâ— aâ— Apol. consisting in the separation of soul and body one from another and so 't is appointed unto men once to die unto men i. e. unto all men a man and a mortal signifying one and the same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liban Sophist in D. mosth Apollog scio me genuisse mortalem said that Philosopher when newes came that his son was dead I knew I had begot a mortal it being as certaine that every man shall die as it is certaine that he lives Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Selah mark that says the Psalmist Cui nasci contigit mori restat Seneca he puts a note of attention and observation upon iâ— though it be an ordinary truth it deserves an extraordinary consideration and 't is not only asserted by Scripture but 't is sealed by the experiences of all the world And indeed who has not a speculative notion of this truth The practical improvement is the main considerable as Solomon saith for the living to lay it to heart Eccles 7.2 that 's the duty Use is 1. Of information 2. Of Exhortation 1. Hence we see the mischief and misery of sin it hath brought death and ruine upon all Adams posterity if sin had not been committed death had not been appointed he hath appeared saith the Apostle to put away sin as it is appointed to men to die viz. because of sin if we had not sinned we had not died upon the death of the soul came in the death of the body the kernel was corrupted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil Allegor lib. and the shell became rotten and withered Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die 't is in the Hebrew dying thou shalt die dying in eating thou shalt die for eating dying as the sin thou shalt die as the scourge dying as the crime thou shalt die as the curse dying in the soul thou shalt die in the body yea and in soul also to all eternity I know there are that deny this truth Audenter determinamus mortem non ex natura secutam hominem sed ex culpa Ter. ul de Anim. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Just Mattyr Resp ad Graeces that temporal death is the punishment of sin as Pelagians and Socinians upon different grounds and reasons which I shall here neither canvase much lesse go about to confute only propound to sober judgements that of the Apostle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he said Paul for my money Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death death temporal as well as eternal as is clear by that Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men viz. natural death temporal death 2. Is it so that death is the lot and portion of all men Then let us be exhorted seriously and in good earnest 1. Praevidere Providere To look for it 2. To provide for it 1. Be exhorted oh Christians to look for death for it 's certainly a comming Incertum est quo in loco te mers expectet itaque tu illam omni loco expecta Seneca Epist 26. God has not told us when we shall die nor where we shall die nor by what means we shall die nor how we shall die slowly or speedily lingringly or suddenly with the solemnity of a sicknesse or without in the field in the shop at the table in the bed no these things are lockt up within Gods Cabinet-councel It is not for you to know the times or the seasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrylost Homi de morte saith Christ which the Father hath put into his own power Acts 1.7 'T is not 't is not what 't is not lawful for you 't is not expedient for you 't is not indeed good for you to know these circumstances of time and place and manner only this you may know and do know that die you must all have died hitherto and you must follow expect it Art thou greater than our father Abraham which is dead said they John 8.53 so say I thou rich man thou strong man thou young man thou good man thou great man art thou greater than our father Abraham that 's dead Josh 23.14 Isa 40.6 I go the way of all flesh saith Joshua what man art not thou flesh mark all flesh is grass and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of grasse flesh withers soon but the goodlinesse of flesh sooner the beauty of flesh and the strength of flesh and the honour of flesh and the wealth of flesh alas it may be these things a great while before flesh be gone as the flower fades and is blown away before the stalke is dried up so true is that of the Psalmist Psal 39.5 Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah 2. Let me hence perswade you to provide for it as it is your wisdom to look for it so it will be your interest and security to provide for it
not made with hands 2 Cor. 5.1 4. A better manner we have their offerings were repeated and that often to note their imperfection every year new offerings ver 25. The high Priest entred into the holy place every year with the blood of others but our offering is but once and once for all not towards the end of the year but towards the end of the world verse 26. with 25. Nor yet that he should offer himself often for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And this he proves and illustrates in the two last verses 1. Laying down his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 for his medium and proof in the words of my Text. As it is appointed unto men once to die 2. Applying his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 for his illustration in the words following So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many c. q. d. There 's no man dies any more than once but our offering and sacrifice is a man the blood of Christ God-man therefore he must and can die but once It is appointed unto man once to die but after this judgment In the words there are two of those quatuor novissima Mors Judicium Gloria Gehenna Bern. in Seâ—m two of those four last things that the Ancients have advised us often to remember and consider Death Judgment Considera tres re non venies in transgressionem unde veneris è sordibus quo tandem sis abiturus inpulverem coram quo rationem es red diturus coram Sanct. Ben. Râ—f Akiba Particutare sigillatim statim dum moriuntur Carthus Heaven Hell here are two of them not only named but stated 1. The certainty of Death after sin He hath appeared to put away sin as it is appointed unto men once to die 2. The Celerity of Judgement after Death but after this Judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immediatè post as the phrase imports John 19.38 I le handle the first of these only The certainty of Death It is appointed c. Wherein you have three Doctrines observable 1. Death is the Lot and portion of all men sooner or later first or last It is appointed unto men to die 2. Death comes but once to men naturally It is appointed unto men once to die 3. Death ever comes by and never comes but by Gods appointment It is appointed unto men c. I shall God willing handle them all and therefore I can but paraphrase upon each particular 1. Doct. Death is the lot and portion of all men sooner or later for the evidence of which we must know that there is a threefold death mentioned in Scripture Mors triplex est Culpae Gratiae Naturae Ambr. lib. 5. in Luc. 1 A sinful death 2. A spiritual death 3. A penal death adeath of grace which is sinful a death of sin which is gracious and spiritual a death of the person which is penal or there is 1. A death in sin 2. A death to sin 3. A death for sin 1. A death sin sin Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in sins and this is a sad death this is a woful death many are thus dead and no body misses them no body knows them no body laments them saying ah my brother or ah sister ah my wife or ah husband Jer. 22.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo lib. de profugis ah my Lord or ah his glory there are thousands of these walking ghosts go up and down the streets every day and that without observation such a one was she as merry as she was 1 Tim. 5.6 The widow that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth the husband is dead the husband is dead every one knows that Oh but look to 't for Gods sake look to 't the widow may bedead also if she be not careful and watchful the widow that lives in pleasure is dead yea twice dead Jude 12. 2. A death to sin as Barzillai was dead to Davids Courtship to whom all his royal and pompous entertainment would seeme but as dry and saplesse things 2 Sam. 19.35 Can I discerne betweene good and evil Can thy servant taste what I eate or what I drink Can I hear any more the voice of singing-men or singing-women He was dead ey'd to his Pageants and dead pallated to his banquets and dead ear'd to his musick so dead to pride and dead to lust and dead to covetousnesse dead to the world and dead to self c. and this now is a good death this is a right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed this is an happy death Sneton in Augusto and oh that every living soul in the Congregation was thus dead oh that this Fvneral Sermon might be the Funeral of all your lusts this you have mentioned in Colos 3.3 for ye are dead i. e. dead to sin and in Rom. 6.2 so expounded How shall we that are dead to sinne live any longer therein 3. A death for sin the work turn'd into wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil Soluc Orat. 4. the crime made the punishment Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.21 The end of sin is death Culpa morique fuit paena morique fuit Death was our sin and it was fit Sin should be punished by it Now this last death is twofold or at least in reference to the subject thereof to be doubly considered 1. The death of the Surety or the death of Christ for us and this is a glorious death this is a Christians triumphant death we can boast of this death against all the world against all the Divels in Hell against all accusations of conscience against all exactions of Justice 2 Sam. 11.17 this will smooth the wrinckles of Gods brow and appease his anger and indignation as that of Uriah's did Davids Uriah the Hittite is dead also that pleased David so Christ our Sacrifice is dead also and that pleases God Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died Nay we can boast of this death even against death it self O death where 's thy sting O grave where 's thy victory thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.55 57. There are two parts of that triumphant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sung accordingly by both parts of a Saint O death where 's thy sting that the soul sings O grave where 's thy victory that the body sings Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory that both sing over the sting of death by sanctification over the stroke of death by resurrection and both through the death of Christ who by death has slain death as the * Hydrus est animal habitans
make a vertue of a necessity must you die oh be willing to die oh be ready to die That 's a gallant speech of the Apostles 2 Tim. 4.6 I am ready to be offer'd saith Paul i. e. I am ready to die saith he and the time of my departure is at hand oh if Pauls departure had been at hand and he had not been ready to depart it had been a very sad thing but here was Pauls comfort and safety death was ready for him and he was ready for death I am ready to die oh how unready are many men to die how unready is the drunkard to die how unready is the worldling to die how unready is the voluptuous person to die in one word how unready is the Christlesse man to die For the Lords sake Sirs make it your businesse to be ready to die that you may be able to say Why is his chariot so long a coming Judg. 5.28 and why tarry the wheeles of his chariot I am ready to be offered Three things must be done ere you can be thus ready to die 1. Exod. 10.17 2 Cor. 11.23 Mors complectitur omnis generis calamitates propter peccatum in hac vita tolerandas quae sunt mortis caduceatores nuncii Gerhard Make sure of Christ there is but one malady in the world and that 's sin and there is but one grief and pain in the world and that 's death and accordingly there is but one remedy in the world to cure this malady and to sweeten or remove this pain and that 's Christ Oh labour for an interest in him When Noah knew that the Flood was coming he gat him an Ark and he gat him into the Ark also Gen. 6.22.7.7 My Beloved let me tell you the Floods's a coming let me warn every man and woman this day as Noah did the old World that there is a Flood a coming possibly an universal deluge of wrath and judgement upon the whole Nation for the crying sins and abominations thereof however this is certain that thine and my particular flood is approaching to sweep us out of the Land of the living and to hurry us into the botom of the grave Death 's a coming be sure the harbingers of death are come already upon some of us Aches and Pains and Consumptions and other languishing diseases and old age and hark the sound of their Masters feet is behind them 2 Kings 6.32 Arca Noe est Christus Ecclesia Christi ita ut quiâ—unque ext a hanc Arcam inveniuntur regnante diluvis peribunt Aug. lib. 15. de Civitate Dci c. 26 Oh therefore get your Ark ready and get into your Ark hasten to the City of refuge before you be overtaken get Christ and make sure of Christ 't is dangerous trusting to opinion only and profession only and other mens Esteem only and a few groundless hopes only oh make sure work in this matter man thou canst never be too sure of Christ get into Christ if thou mean'st to escape 'T is not enough to be upon Christ by outward profession there are many thus who yet are damned notwithstanding a Saviour but you must be in Christ by justification and Renovation by a lively faith and an exemplary life Doubtless there were many of the old World that kept a great deal of scuffling and scrambling to get upon the Ark when they saw the Flood was come indeed and there happily they might sit a little but alas now comes a blast of wind and blows off one and then comes a wave of water and dashes down another and so they all perish in the deluge Gen. 7.23 only Noah and his Family who were in the Ark were saved Ah Sirs you must be in Christ you must be in the Ark if you mean to be saved from death and hell and the deluge of wrath to come Turn to that place in Rev. 20. ult Liber vitae idcirco rectè dicitur liber â—…gni quia cuncti Electi quorum nomina in illo scripta sunt non aliter quam per Agnum Iesum Christum Justificati renati conformes imagini suae facti salvabuntur Rupertus in Apocal. and compare it with ch 21. ult Whosoever was not found written in the Lambs book of life might in no wise enter into Heaven but was cast into the lake of fire why the Lambs book of life wah they must be justified they must be renewed they must be mortified they must be sanctified as well as elected they must be in the Lambs book of life as well as Gods book of life if they will escape death This Lamb has overcame death as David overcame Goliah namely with his own weapon All Israel feared the Giant till David came and he cut off his head with his own sword Just so 't is here to those that are out of Christ death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King of terrors as Job speaks Job 18.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bâ—â—…i Selenc Orat 32. and all have reason to fear him but Christ comes and he cuts off his head with his own sword he kils death by death get into Christ and you make a perfect conquest of death that you need not fear it Rev. 12.11 They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and then they lov'd not their lives unto the death then they were ready to die then they were willing to die then they fear'd not death they fear'd to live rather then to die they lov'd not their lives unto death Oh how should a poor soul tremble to die that 's out of Christ I do not know any such miserable spectacle in the world as a Christless dying man if a man was dying and not Christless he might be comfortable yea exceding joyful he might sing Simeons song Luke 2.29 Egredere anima mea now Lord let me be gone if a man was Christless and not dying it might be somewhat tolerable for happily the next meeting of Christ in an Ordinance might be towards him his time of love oh but to be a Christ-less dying man to be Christless and dying too that 's intolerable Awake awake oh soul thou art a dying God knows whether ever thou shalt hear a Sermon more oh get Christ and get into Christ and that speedily or thou art undone 2. Entertain thy thoughts much with premeditations of death before-hand think with thy self thus What if I should die now O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens Alex lib. 4. Stromat Wards Serm. what If I should die to morrow what if I should be the next corse that should be followed to the grave this would tune thy spirit into a dying frame this would make thee moderate thy joyes thy griefs thy cares thy loves all thy passions and affections enough soul enough I must die ere long and what needs all this I have read a story of one that observing a riotous young Prodigal
God of death fear him that has power to cast into Hell I say unto you fear him This consideration carried Luther on so vigorously and undauntedly in his work of Reformation Quid si me occidat Papa aut damnet ultra Tartara Occisum non suscitabit ut bis iterum occidat Luther Tom. 2 mihi p 270. that he could die but once and he mattered not for their cruelty and persecution what will the Pope do sayes he writing to his Father in his book de votis Monasticis perhaps he will kill me but potestne resuscitare can he raise me again to kill me a second time and so to slaughter me ore and ore again no that 's my Comfort Christians death is like an huge Monster that overthrows himself at one blow by his own bulk and striking once he can never recover himself for a second blow Come come said that precious Minister on Tower-hill 't is but one blow and then we are in Heaven wah fear not Christians death has but one blow and let him do his worst 2. It serves to instigate our care of death if we must die but once sure then we should labour to die well this should provoke us to be careful how we die that which is but once done methinks that should be well done of all Contracts you 'l look to your Marriage for that 's supposed to be but once done so it will be your wisdom to look to your dying for that 's but once in all your life you cannot correct your former death by an after-dying if you do not live well you may happily live better but if you do not die well there 's no second Edition of death Paraeus in loc and this is Paraeus his hint upon the place si semel tantum moriendum ut semel pie moriamur operam demus do it well saith he for you must never do it more Beloved to die well is 1. To die twice we use to say that which is well done is twice done and here Christians that must be twice done that 's well done you must first die unto sin Haec sunt que faciunt inviâ—â—â— mori 1 Sam 25.37 before you can well die unto nature if your lusts be not dead before you die your hearts will be dead when you come to die and you 'l have no heart to die Nabal his heart was dead when he came to die why he had living lusts and therefore he had a dead heart oh look to the work of Mortification those sins are deadly Quid saciet homo ut vivat mortificabit seipsum quid faciet homo ut moâ—iatur vivificabit seipsam Rabbini apud Buxtorf that are not dead they are mortal if they are not mortified the life of thy lusts must go for the life of thy soul Come come be not so foolishly pitiful to yong Absolom the gentlier thou handlest thy darling and bosom-lust the more it will prick and sting and wound thy conscience one day if thou wouldst die quietly safely comfortably do not threaten thy lusts or restrain them a little but kill them stab them thy life must go for theirs else no meeting of the first death and no freedom from the second death without a part in the first resurrection Col. 3.3 Ye aredead and your life is hid with Christ in God but you are dead first 2. To die well is To have nothing to do but to die when you come to die Says the Prophet to Hezekiah Set thine house in order for thou must die Isa 38.1 q.d. let every thing be done let all thy business be dispatcht let there be nothing wanting to entertain death alas Christians how much are mens houses and how much are mens hearts out of order usually when death approaches many men have every thing to do when they come to die then send for the Minister then receive the Sacrament then restore the bribe never before every thing to do when they come to die Poor souls is your glass run and your sun set and all your work to do what is your sick-bed made of brass and your cords of iron that it must bear the burden of your whole life Mat. 6.34 when sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Does your pain require all your groans and have you any left for your sin 't is egregious deceit Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with thy might Dum polles viribus or as the Syriack has it do it whilest thou hast might do it vigorously and do it speedily repent and repent heartily and quickly reform and reform vigorously and speedily for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest 3. To die well is To be sure to live well we must not think to have Lazarus's death and Dives's life like him in Plutarch that would live with Croesus as he said but he would die with Socrates no Balaams wishes are foolish and fruitless Numb 23.10 if you would die well Christians you must have a care to live well qualis vita finis ita if you would die quietly you must live strictly if you would die comfortably you must live conformably if you would die happily you must live holily Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Psalm 37.37 Doctr. 3. Death ever comes by and never comes but by Gods appointment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is appointed unto men to die Statutum est nimirâ—m fixo imm bili indispensabili Dei decrâ—to A Lapide statutum est it is the Satute-Law of Heaven more firm then the Medes and Persians 't is no Ordinance or Temporary Sanction that time may abrogate but 't is an Act and Statute of the supream Legislator never to be repeal'd All our deaths with all the circumstances thereof when where how why they are all foreknown and fore-appointed by God Thou turnest man to destruction says Moses and sayst return ye children of men Psal 90.3 whoever may be the instâ—ument 't is God alone that is the chief Agent in life and death he has potestatem necis vitae he spake at first and the creature was made he does but speak again Dicta Dei sunt facta verbâ— Dei sunt opera Greg. and 't is destroyed thou turnest viz. in that thou sayst Return if a Sparrow cannot fall to the ground without Gods appointment surely then not a body to the grave for ye are of more value than many Sparrows Mat. 10.29 Ver. 31. T is an excellent Note that Expositors give from that Zech. 6. the three first verses of the vision of Chariots of red horses and black horses and white horses and bay horses coming out from between two brazen mountains I turned and lift up mine eyes and looked and behold says the Prophet there came four Chariots out from between two Mountains Montes sunt duo
pillar in the building a good man is a prop in the place and Parish where he lives I have sometimes compared the great men of the world and the good men of the world to the Consonants and Vowels in the Alphabet The Consonants are the most and the biggest Letters they take up most room and carry the greatest bulk but believe it the Vowels though they are the fewest and least of all the Letters yet they are most useful they give the greatest sound of all there 's no pronounciation without Vowels Oh beloved though the great men of the world take up room and make a shew above others yet they are but Consonants a company of mute and dumb Consonants for the most part the good men they are the Vowels that are of the greatest use and most concernment at every turn A good man to help with his prayers a good man to advise with his counsels a good man to interpose with his authority this is the losse we lament we have lost a good man death has blotted out a Vowel and I fear me there will be much silence where he is lacking silence in the bed and silence in the house and silence in the shop and silence in the Church and silence in the Parish for he was everywhere a Vowel a good man in every respect He was good relatively and he was good personally He was relatively good a good Husband and a good Father and a good Master and a good Neighbour and a good Chapman and I am sure he was a good Friend Expertocrede Roberto He was personally good also which was the root of all he was a serious sober well-grounded experimental Christian he made as much conscience in receiving of good as he did in doing of good he knew that his love to himself must be the Standard of his love to others and though he was no self-lover yet he did truly love himself he remembred that of the Wise-man Prov. 29.24 Whoso is partner with wickedness hateth his own soul he was a lover of himself in this sense he loved his better part his soul his conscience his spiritual and eternal interest he durst never think of self-deceit without horror and astonishment A form of godliness he was never asham'd of oh but the power of godliness he incessantly endeavoured that he knew could not incur so much hatred from men as the want of this would indignation from God and therefore that Scripture I perceiv'd used to be very much and very close upon his spirit Psal 129.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Maximum amicitiae venenum superbia Placo ait nullum Regem non ex servâ— esse oriundum nullum non servum ex Regibus â—â—…odestia itaque familiaritas radix est altrix honestae famae Ant. Thysius I. C. As to his Civil conversation amongst men it is happily known unto most of you better than to my self his chearfulnesse his open-heartednesse his freenesse his kindnesse to his friend void of all affectation morosity pride conceitednesse and those other pieces of self that are the bane of civil and humane society he had learnt in things sinlesse and indifferent to be made all things to all men that he might not be burdensome to any For his trading in the world wherein God has blest him with a very plentiful estate I have observed how accurate how punctual how just and impartial he would be even to the dust of the ballance a great ornament to his Christian profession Though he might sometimes perhaps eate the bread of carefulnesse for beleeve it he was no sluggard or idlebee in his particular calling yet he abhorred and loathed from his very soul to eate the bread of violence or the bread of oppression or the bread of deceit and falshood and lies in his trading Insomuch that I have often heard him feelingly and passionately bewaile the great mysterie of iniquity that was in trading in London And he would have beene glad to have had more exact principles and rules drawn him forth for the government of his shop a rare thing He was so far from blinding conscience or bribing conscience or smothering conscience in this particular that nothing was more welcome to him than that which did but hit conscience and awaken conscience and direct conscience And I observ'd that when Providence cast me upon a large discourse on that subject how heedfully and delightfully he attended it and when I had spoken much about the nature offices and acts of conscience and about the defilement of that faculty and the necessity of its holinesse and renovation and had exhorted my people to get an holy conscience and to keep an holy conscience and told them I would proceed in to shew them how they must use an holy conscienceg all affairs of life and especially in buying and sellinth This good man waiting for this and coming often wiâ—…l a greedy appetite to make a meale of this dish and stcfinding me upon diversions and digressions on other occasional subjects at last he accosts me with this language chearfully I confesse it was but to me exceeding piercingly Sir said he When will you make conscience of preaching on conscience an expression that I received in the words of the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Methought they were non verba sed fulmina not words but thunderbolts that flew out of his mouth I took it then as a word from heaven and 't was a reproof that yet sticks in my sides faine would this good man have ransackt conscience to the bottome As to his religious conversation and that which did more immediately concerne the worship of God I have known him much more intimately of late than heretofore so that he might have said to me as Paul did to Timothy 2 Tim. 3.10 Thou hast fully known my manner of life purpose faith patience c. and I bless God for those family-repetitions conferences prayers I have enjoyed with him lately since God was pleased to make so sad a breach in my own family As to duty he would be spiritual in it he would be universal in it sometimes complaining he had lost a duty and lost a Sermon when he had not an opportunity to be present but he would oftner complain he had lost himself in a duty and lost his heart in a Sermon so sluggish and so dead as he said he was never satisfied in a Duty without communion with God in that duty He heard out of conscience and not out of curiosity and although the quicknesse of his apprehension and the pregnancy of his parts and the activity of his spirit being alwayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 digging into the mine of truth I say though these might be apt to betray him to temptations to gad up and down to hear and see what the new lights of the times could hold forth yet the sobriety of his judgement and the consciousnesse of his duty checkt that curiosity and he would hear without distinction any pious sober Orthodox Minister He did not judge of men by factions or parties whether they were Presbyterian or whether they were Episcopal or whether they were Independent but he judged then as he does now whether they were holy or no or whether they were sound or no or whether they were sincere or not sincere Not sincere did I say Nay herein his judgement was not positive and peremptory but only negative and suspensive his Reprobation pardon the expression was a pure and meere preterition he blotted no man out of his book of estimation only he did not take every man in And though he had an Eagles eye of judgement to discerne the depth and acumen of the highest yet he had a large skirt of charity to cover the infirmities of the meanest and weakest he esteemed all the Ministers of Jesus Christ for their work-sake He would be universal in duty as well as spiritual he was for prayer hearing conference fasting aye and Sacraments too 't is true it was a good while ere he saw the absolute necessity of that Ordinance of the Supper but when he was convinced oh how did he bewaile the neglect and how constant was his attendance ever after not missing one day but that which he was deprived of by sicknesse And now I come to the last scene of his life When God lockt him up and made him his close prisoner he was not long sick but he had it seemes beene troubled with a Chronick distemper that ushered in his death It was my unhappinesse not to visit him through ignorance of his condition for about a week of his sicknesse when I came to him I found him weak but exceeding sensible of his soul and everlasting state into which he was passing indeed he was insensible of his worldly affairs minded neither wife nor child nor any thing which was a wonder to me and that even then he should answer so solidly and pertinently to spiritual points which put me in minde of a passage I have read concerning Melancthon Carmin in vit Melancthom that he was so taken up with solicitous thoughts about the state of the Church and Reformation in his dayes that he forgat the death of his daughter This good man was so ravisht transported and swallowed up with thoughts of his soul and his God and his future happinesse that he minded not present enjoyments we then prayed and he was much strengthened and comforted as he whispered to us But afterwards we prayed again and then so vigorous was he in duty that eyes and hands and feet and all the parts of his body were so active and restlesse stirring and moving upward as if the soul would have carried the body along with it to heaven instantly here he wept much as it was observed though he had beene languishing for so many dayes together After the duty he exprest himself in the evennesse of a sober humble wained self-resigning spirit willing to go but waiting to be called and continuing in this temper a few dayes longer placide dormivit in Domino he slept sweetly in the Lord. FINIS