Condition in the World If Enjoyments are but small Temptations are the fewer Satan hath not such advantage to play his Temptations in a low as in a high and raised Estate in the World And certainly that 's the best Condition in which Sin can take the least advantage and by which we are disposed to do God the greater Service But 't is observable that Christ makes choice of that place for his ascension which was the place of his Agony Thus doth Christ take the House of Affliction in his way to Heaven And thus God in his Providence doth often bring his Josephs from the Prison to the Crown carries them through Bethany to Bethel Through the House of the Poor to the House of God Thus must the Captain of our Salvation be perfect through sufferings saith the Author to the Hebrews Heb. 2 10. He that descended is the same that ascended saith Paul Heb. 4.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As an ancient He descends as a Man but he ascends as God As Pride goes before a Fall so often comes Advancement behind it And so saith the wise Man Before Honour is Humility Prov. 15.33 Self-abasings are ever antecedent to God's advancings As God doth imploy his Wisdom to make his Children high so it shall be in such a way as withal may make his own-Name great And therefore doth then most frequently appear to help when his People to sight are almost past hope He suffers the ungodly to build high and even to touch the Heavens with their Heads In Obad. 4. To set their Nests among the Stars that when they come tottering down all the World may say The Lord was above them and for his own People he suffers them often to be reduced to Job's sad Condition to sit Mourning on a Dunghill that when they are advanced and set in high places all may see and sing and say the Finger of the Lord was there We must not then think it strange nor that God wrongs us if he bring us first to Bethany and then to Glory From the Dunghill to the Throne for all the World is but a great Dunghill Great Enjoyments will do us less hurt and sad Providences when they come will less afflict if with Children we begin our Lesson at the Cross Think of a Combat before a Crown that we run our course and so get the Prize by knowing this is not the Place of payment We are in a World that was never intended to be our Heaven and happy for us if we go not about to make it so That we do not as a Learned Man saith Pro summo bono bonorum infirma amplecti That we chuse not the lowest Goods for the highest Good Grasp at a Cloud instead of a Goddess and make Vanity an Idol He that considers how sad it were to have our Heaven here will rejoyce that he shall not have his Crown till he shall get above Thus much for the place where he ascended at Bethany on Mount Olivet 2. For the Persons that brought him going called to this glorious Sight They were his Apostles As you have also proved to your hand in 1 Acts. Which by the way though People must not deifie Instruments and make of Instruments efficient Causes yet People may by this be taught to give them more Honour and Respect than the World will now allow them It was necessary that all the Disciples all that then professed the Gospel should be ascertain'd of Christ's Ascension and of the Manner of it too And Christ might have done it by giving notice of the time that all might have been Eye-witnesses of his Glory for the Confirmation of their Faith But it must be all husht and those to whom the Dispensation of the Gospel was committed must only be called forth to see and so to deliver and attest it to the World which was indeed a deep Contrivance Our Wisdom would have thought it might have been more for the Advantage of the Gospel that all the living might have had a sight of his triumphant Departure That the Glory which he appear'd in at his departure might be as a Seal and Confirmation of those Gospel-Mysteries which he had Preached and that the Adversary might have seen it and been confounded But it pleased God rather that hereby the Ministry should be established for the Revelation of the Mysteries of the Gospel to his People and so upon sight of his Ascension they went forth and preached Mark 16.19 And in many of Christ's more notable Actions you may still find one of Christ's Eyes looking forth to the Establishing of Ministerial-Instruments for the dispensing of his Gospel-Blessings When he fed his People in the Wilderness he might with a far less Miracle have given every one his Portion with his own Hands But his Apostles must receive from him and the People from the Apostles so Ananias must be sent to heal and restore St. Paul when Christ could have easily done it himself and Philip must be sent to teach the Eunuch God will have Instruments imploy'd in his Work till we come where he shall be all in all And Christ waved the way that must have convinced all Beholders of him purposely to establish a Ministry And so we come to the manner of taking his Farewel He lift up his Hands and blessed them 1. Where we may observe by the way that Christ was then nearest his highest Glory when his Mouth was fullest of Blessings Whilst he blessed them he was parted from them A good thing to depart out of the World with a Blessing in our Mouths That is to go as Christ went Mouths accustomed to cursed Language will but ill dispose a Man to Divine Enjoyments Hellish Language makes but bad Preparation for Heaven's Glory And as Apostles should not only enjoy it being only then present so it will not be left to Christ only to do it Surely when Saints are near the State and Place where all their Works shall be blessing and praise they will before they go enter on their work God's People are always desirous to do good but at their departure when they are going to the City of the living God then are they more abundant in gracious Desires And as they are breathing out their Souls they breath out Blessings Thus did Moses Mouth run over with Blessings just before his Death Deut. 33.1 Let Reuben live and not die Hear Lord the Voice of Judah For Levi let thy Thumim and thy Vrim be with thy Holy one Bless his substance and accept the work of his hands c. He shut up his Life with the sweet Effusion of many Benedictions upon the People of God The same was Isaac's Care and Practice when he found his Age had brought him near Death and when Death would receive him was uncertain he bethinks himself of his last work to bless his Children before he died and so order'd Esau to provide for his Blessing before his decease Gen. 27. and afterward blessed
〈◊〉 sit down as an acknowledgment he had done his Work a very Scheme and Draught of Heaven as it were in a few words Christ is ascended the great Work of Redemption finished Not a Sin left now for a Believer to answer for but can you believe A Pardon purchased Heaven obtained and not a peny to be paid The Debt paid the Book crost Christ hath done all and that he hath we know that he is ascended His very ascension shews that you have now nothing to do but believe sins be many sins be great But can you believe Christ hath made the purchase taken possession Thou hast nothing to do but to walk to thine Inheritance all thy care is but that thou do not lose thy way Christ prepares all against thy coming 5. Something for thy Instruction thou hast too in these Circumstances that attended this glorious Ascension which are very remarkable which were pointed to in opening this Proposition 1. From the place whence Christ did ascend from Bethany on Mount Olivet 24 Luke 50 51. It was that place where Christ was taken when Judas did betray him The place of his Sufferings should be as it were the first step to his Glory He must ascend from Bethany the place where his Peace is disturb'd his Glory begun Bethany I then told you was a Compound in the Hebrew Language made of Beth and Inaniah and signified the House of Affliction or the House of the Poor very observable The House of Affliction was the place of his Exaltation He must go to Heaven out of the House of the Poor And truly My Brethren Bethany is ordinarily the way to Bethel The House of the Poor the way to the House of God And thus doth God often make his Peoples sufferings In-lets to Glory Comforts are never so well relished as when they come up in the rear of Crosses 'T is twice a happiness when a Man comes to be happy after he hath been miserable 2. Whilst he blessed them he was parted from them He sang his sweetest Tunes when he was nearest his end Whilst he was blessing his Disciples and was speaking to them things appertaining to the Kingdom of God he was taken away Acts 1.9 A worthy Presedent and Pattern for all that are drawing nigh their end to dress by The Kingdom of God was in his Mouth before he had it in possession Heaven was in him before he was in Heaven He was talking of God before he went to God Thus must all that hope to live with him speak much of him You must all die Brethren learn here what to do when you come to die make your dying times times of living Counsels Dying words often make a notable Impression on living Spirits And therefore when God seems to call for any of you begin at least to speak Heaven's Language before you go And that you may learn Heaven's Language before you come to die That 's the Reason Men are so speechless in respect of heavenly Discourse on their Sick-beds and Death beds because they use their Tongues so little to Matters of Heaven in time of their Health David had mostly God on his Tongue and Heaven in his Heart when he was in Health and hence it is that you hear of nothing else in his Mouth when he came to die as you may see when he was about to take his farewel 1 Chron. 28.9 3. When Christ was to depart he calls his Friends his Family about him All the Eleven were with him Acts 1. A good Example to all Men to call their Friends together to give them living Counsel when they are dying Men It is a comfort to a Man to die amongst his Friends and if his advice be good it may be their Happiness that he died amongst them Christ when he departed the World would have his Friends about him And what to do but to leave them a Copy what to do when he should be gone And so I come to a second way of improving this Proposition and that is by way of Consolation and truly in this one Doctrine there is so much lodged that all Believers may look on this Truth and without any censure of folly sing a Requiem to their Souls Soul now take thy rest thou hast much laid up in store for many years Now my Brethren this is the Top-stone of all our Happiness which being laid all the People of God may cry Grace Grace unto it Never could Comforts have been solid and permanent had not Christ ascended for by this ascension you heard before we enjoy a Christ when we do not see him and he owns us though we do not see him And hereby all his other Labours and Travels and Sufferings are made our perfect Mercy This finished all and this got all his death could not have given but an imperfect sound had he died and stopt there he had done you no good his Resurrection had been but half Comfort Our Pardons had been but little worth if he had not by this act of his Ascension made Proclamation of them Nor would our Enemies have abated much of their boldness and triumph had not this triumph of Christ thrown them on their backs Who is he that condemns it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is ever at the Right-hand of God Rom. 8.34 That we may have these cordial Pearls prepared in the Gospel to lie by us against our times of faintings which hasten on apace let us consider how many of them may be found In those ends which Christ did propound to himself in his Ascension for his Peoples advantage 1. Then this was the Mark in Christ's Eye when he did ascend he went up to Heaven that he might open and consecrate a way for us to the Throne of Grace Christ went up to Heaven that our Prayers might come thither a Mercy above any sum we can make Brethren Sin had thrust us out of God's Presence and shut the doors after us Christ now is ascended to open Heavens door again for us and bid us welcome into God's Presence Chamber what an unutterable Priviledge is it to have a clear Passage to Heaven in our Duties that poor contemptible Creatures that are afraid to speak to Men may yet boldly and freely converse with God Now that way might be made to go to God for us that the Sluces may be broken up for God's Mercy to come down upon us was one of Christ's ends why he did ascend Heb. 10.20 21. Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us let us draw near with a true heart c. Our hope to be heard in Heaven is Christ's being in Heaven for us What a taste of Heaven may we find in this Point before we get thither That we may now with boldness come since Christ is gone before Oh that Christ hath left us such an Incouragement to wait on God
have been in his Bed then in his Pulpit His Weaknesses were so very great although his bodily Disorders were sometimes violent yet then was he extreamly willing to spend the little remains of his Strength to instruct and profit you He often adventured into the Pulpit when his Distempers had exceedingly enfeebled him so that sometimes he has been seized by a fit of the Hipochondriack Passion in the midst of his Work to the sudden surprize of the Congregation for that was the Disease that attended him by frequent returns from the Confinement in the South gate-Prison in your City to the utmost Period of his Days The last time that ever he was in the Pulpit he laboured under a great deal of Weakness and a visible disorder of Body insomuch that his Legs trembled under him which I observing a little before he entred the Church entreated him to forbear Preaching for that Season and to permit me for once to supply his room or that he would allow me to apply my self to the Reverend Mr. Collings for his Assistance who had often made a very friendly Offer of it in case my Father 's great weaknesses should at any time disable him for his ministerial Work But he put me off with this Reply that he was loath to omit that Season because he was afraid he should never have on opertunity of Preaching more which was a sad Presage of what soon befel him yet he could not be disswaded from doing his Master's Business altho' he labour'd under such great bodily Infirmities but he ascended the Pulpit and entertained the Auditory with an excellent Discourse from the Song of Moses Deut. 32.1 which Song begins thus Give ear oh ye heavens and I will speak and hear oh earth the words of my mouth He designed several Discourses upon these Words but his Death prevented him From the consideration that Moses delivered that divine Song just as he was about to take his final Farewel of this World he thence observed this precious Truth Doctrine 1. That gracious Souls the nearer Heaven they are the more Heavenly will they be On this Truth he had Preached several Sermons but then farther remarking that this sweet Song delivered by Moses just before his departure had a manifest regard to the welfare of the Church of Israel he thence observed this other precious Truth Doct. 2. That good Men die with the Interest of God and Souls much upon their Hearts In his last Sermon he mostly insisted upon this Doctrine and concluded it with this Passage Oecolampadius when he fell sick at Basil sent not for the Physician but the Pastors of the Churches and notwithstanding his Pain and Weakness with much Life and Vigour besought them to continue constant and firm in the purity of that Doctrine they had professed and Preached and for other things he willed them to be less careful assuring them that the alsufficient God would provide for them and not be wanting When thus he had ended his Discourse he concluded all with these sad Words which he spake feelingly tho with a sweet Voice I believe this is the last Sermon that ever I shall preach to you or that ever you will hear from me Or Words to that purpose which proved a truth tho a doleful one For no sooner had he left the Congregation but he instantly repaired to his House betook himself to his Bed and from thence in a few days was carried to his Grave A vast Multitude of People attended his Funeral after his Interment the Reverend Mr. George Tross his worthy Successor preach'd his Funeral Sermon to a very numerous Assembly from those Words Zech. 1.5 Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever From which Text the Auditory were entertain'd with many suitable and profitable Truths which I wish may have a lasting Impression upon all that heard them My Endeared Father preach'd his last Sermon March 6. 1688. and exchanged this life for a better March 14 of the same Year Yhus he delivered as it were his own Funeral Discourse then went to his home and dyed Thus suddenly was he removed not without your sorrowful Resentment of so great a Loss may those excellent Truths that he taught you still have a room in your memories and a happy Influence upon your Practices and that will be the best way to secure his Name from Oblivion and to evidence your own Names to be written in the Lambs Book of Life Rev. 21.27 But before I can dismiss this Account of my Father I look upon my self obliged to reply to an invidious Objection that formerly many have made a Noise with to lessen his Esteem and procure his Discredit Viz. Obj. Mr. Hallet said they was a man of very mean Abilities that had little of a Scholar in him for he had never the Benefit of an Academical Tuition he was never graduated in any University never had a regular methodical Education and therefore wondred People were so fond of one of so little Learning To which I answer 1. I heartily rejoyce that I could never hear any thing objected against his Piety 2. I do most sincerely wish that the Persons that made a clamour with this Cavil were Possessours of a great deal more Learning than my Father was ever Master of 3. I may further add that I have known very many Persons that have had an Education in our Academies that have no great reason to boast of their acquired Abilities or to value themselves upon the account of their Clerkship Degrees and Colledge commons I am convinc'd do not inspire Men with Knowledge and Learning and I have reason to believe that Men may be wise and knowing altho they were never nursed up in those Seminaries for I have been acquainted with some that have been well skill'd in Arts and Sciences in the learned Tongues and Languages and yet had never the Advantage of an Accademial Instruction Such have profited more by their Diligence and their own private reading than many others by their Colledge Lectures and their little Debates in the Schooles I say this not that I would be thought to give a disparaging Character of an Academial Tuition but only to prove that Learning and skill in Sciences are not always confined to Persons thus educated and I am sure my Father was a plain instance of it But 4. I shall offer a farther Reply to this Objection in the Words of the learned and pious Mr. Baxter which you may find in the Preface to his Teacher of Households Speaking there of the learning that is to be met with in the Vniversities he thus expresses himself If any say there is no great or solid Learning to be got elsewhere let them think where great Augustine and most of the great Lights of the Church for Four hundred Years attained their Knowledge and whether the Scaligers Salmasius Grotius Selden and such others got not more by secret laborious Reading than by Academical Tutors