Cato resolv'd to dye that he might not behold Victorious Caesar whom by all means possible he had endeavoured to ruine And * Cicero in Tuscul quest lib. 1. Cicero saith expresly of him that the reason of his Choice was just and that Cato ought to dye rather than see the face of a Tyrant But we have not so learn'd Christ for 3. We must not designedly precipitate or hasten our Departure nor wilfully neglect any probable means to preserve our Lives how desirous soever we are to be with Christ We acknowledge God as the Author and Owner of our Lives and shall we presume to dispose of what is his without a declaration of his consent and order to authorize us Are we bound by the sixth commandment to preserve the life of our Neighbour and may we be negligent and careless of our own Is not every man nearer to himself than any other can be And is not self-murder a violation of the Law of Nature and condemned by a general suffrage And can we suppose it a sufficient Justification of our selves that we profess a desire to be with Christ whereas we may not do this or any other evil though the greatest good may come of it He that hasteth to be rich even in this sence shall not be innocent Prov. 28.16 We must be intirely devoted to serve and glorisie the Redeemer as long as we live and rather dye upon the Spot than quit our Station without the order of our General and yet we must not shipwrack our Health or expose our Lives to hazard without a Warrant from Heaven 4. A Sincere Desire to be with Christ is consistent with some Fear of Death and a reproveable Vnwillingness to depart and be dissolv'd The Example of Christ himself is usually urg'd in vindication of a natutal sensitive fear of Death viz. the discovery thereof which he made in his Agony and Prayer in the Garden A Socinian only will assert that therefore he was more affected with the fear of Death than many of the Martyrs have been because of the exquisite Temper and tender constitution of his Body and that there was nothing but what was natural and ordinary in his case Whereas he was to conflict with the Wrath of God and bear the Curse and be wounded for our Transgressions c. otherwise his own Innocency and perfect Resignation to the will of his Father and the prospect and assurance of Victory and Reward would certainly have prevented his Terrible Agony and bloody Sweat and importunate Cries that if possible the Cup might pass from him However I doubt not but a Timerous Temper may render some Persons extreamly apprehensive of the pains of Death and on that account unwilling to depurt though they are truly desirous to be with Christ Others through the weakness of Faith or overmuch concern in the Affairs of this Life c. though they grant it unspekably better to be present with the Lord and have chosen it as their Portion and sinal Happiness may yet be loth to pass through the dark Valley They cannot joyn with the Apostle in desiring to be dissolv'd though they can speak it from their very hearts that they desire to be with Christ And that desire is so far prevailing as to keep them upright and yet not efficacious so as to conquer the fears of interposing Death How unwelcom was the message of Death to an upright Hezekiah even then when he could plead his Integrity before the Lord he turn'd his face to the wall and wept and besought the Lord that he might not dye as is evident by Isa 38.3 5 v. compar'd But I dare not say his unwillingness to dye at that Time was a sinfull weakness because he might well be concern'd for the Kingdom after his decease least the faithful should be staggered and the People revolt to Idolatry there being no visible Successor to advance the Reformation so hopefully begun for Manasses was not then born being but twelve years old when he began to reign and we know that Hezekiah had fifteen years added to his Life 2 Kings 20.6 5. Though we desire to be with Christ we must not be Peremptory as to any determinate Time but referr our selves to Gods good pleasure for the season of our departure Though with Job we should be ready to answer when God doth call yet with humility and Resignation we must expect his summons and wait till our change come Job 14.15 though the dayes of our appointed Time should be longer than ordinary Although in a dutiful observance to our Heavenly Father we should be willing to return home as soon as he shall please to call us and the felicity of his Presence should render it desireable yet his Soveraign will and unerring wisdom must be practically acknowledg'd in reference to the Season He alone of whom and to whom are all things is fit to determine how long we shall tarry or how soon we shall depart even the Light of Nature may teach us this And therefore when ever we pray Thy Kingdom come we must not limit the Holy One of Israel by prescribing the Time Seneca Epist 24 61. but immediately subjoyn with respect to that Thy will be done 6. Not the Time only but the Kind and Manner of our Dissolution must be referr'd to God Some have wisht for a Sudden Death and others have pray'd against it Some have desired to dye by one disease and others by another Some holy persons of a timerous Temper and a tender Body would choose to depart by a Consumption not only as allowing them a longer Time to prepare for Death but as an easier kind of Death than several others Whereas besides the uncertainty and deceitfulness of that disease 't is more than possible that the Languishment of that pining sickness may be as irksome and insupportable as the shorter pains of more violent distempers But God is the Judge to whom we must submit as the wise disposer of all events not only of the Time but the Manner of our departure not only how long we shall sojourn in this earthly Tabernacle but what shall dissolve and pull it down 7. Our Desire to depart and to be with Christ must not be Rash and hasty but the result of many Serious and deliberate thoughts comparing both states together and understanding the difference The Apostle knew his duty in compliance with the Will of God and therefore for the service of his Master and the advantage of the Philippians was willing to Live But he knew withal it was far better in it self to depart that he might be with Christ and as such he desired it And a due Comparison between our present and our future life our inconveniencies and sufferings in this world and our Felicity in the next is proper to regulate and quicken our desires to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. Therefore 2. In what respects is it far Better to be with Christ
one time he complain'd of his Service and Burthen and desired rather to die than bear it any longer Num. 11.14 15. At another time he spoke with indecent Passion unto the Israeltes and then God pronounc'd the Arrest which you read Num. 20.12 That he should not bring the Israelites into the Promised Land Now the executing of that Sentence did glorifie God because it manifested his Holiness which could not behold the desiling Blemishes that were in Moses who was one of the most eminent Favourites of God 3. The Divine Sovereignty and Dominion are honour'd by the Obedience and Resignation of Sick and Dying Believers When a Christian exercises that Submission unto the Orders of God that he willingly drinks the bitterest Cup which his Father gives him how Honourable must this be unto God I This last act of Obedience Crowns the whole Christian course certainly there is no Spectacle more grateful unto God than a Christian chearfully yielding back his Soul unto him who gave it 'T was a resigning Obedience that rendred the Death of Christ a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour unto God who was in a most eminent manner glorified by it Though a Dying Christian cannot offer an Attoning Sacrifice yet he is a kind of Holocaust when his Death is perfum'd with a chosen Submission unto the disposing Will of God On this Account the Death of the Saints or as the Hebrew word imports the Favourites is precious in the sight of the Lord Psal 116.15 4. The Powerful Grace of Christ is honour'd by the inward support and refreshment which sick and dying Christians receive from him at a time when the Daughters of Musick are brought low and all the Pleasures of Life are without relish then to feel an invigorating strength which renews the inner Man when the outer decays and is salling down this magnifieth the powerful Grace of God who giveth power to the Faint and to them that have no Might encreaseth Strength Isa 40.29 A Principle of Natural Courage will afford some Support but 't is Divine Grace alone which can enable a Christian to triumph over the Pain and Danger of a Mortal Sickness 2 Cor. 5.6 5. Especially God and Christ are glorified in the Victory which a Christian gains over Death This last Enemy is a very Formidable one An Alexander who could Encounter the vast Armies of Asian Monarchs who had despised the Terrour of Battels in his last Sickness was so afraid of Death that his Court was sill'd with Diviners and Victims and all imaginable Methods were try'd to preserve his Life When therefore a Christian though of the tender fearful Sex is raised above the Fear of Death is confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 6.5 This doth highly Honour the Grace and Power of the Redeemer through whom alone it is that a Christian is more than a Conqueror Rom. 8.36 37. 6. The Redeemer is glorified in that Blessedness which he immediately confers upon the Souls of his deceased Friends No sooner had the Israelites pass'd the Red Sea and got upon free Land but they send up their joyful Praises and mention how gloriously God had Triumphed over their Enemies What Heart can conceive the Songs of Praise which Celebrate the Lamb and him who sits upon the Throne when one believing Soul is set free from the House of Bondage and transplanted into the Heavenly Countrey when a Soul that is Imprison'd and Fetter'd in a House of Clay is received into the heavenly Habitations which the Redeemer hath prepared Surely if those who heard of the Conversion of Paul glorified God in him or on his account those who were Witnesses and Spectators of a far more surprizing Change could not be wanting in their Admiration and Praises of that God who Crowns with unfading Glory 7. The Death of a Christian brings glory unto the Redeemer as it is the Occasion of that astonishing Operation which will raise the dissolved Body and transform it into the likeness of his own most glorious Body The sinal Conquering of the last Enemy must be exceeding glorious unto that Power which effects it The Raising of Lazarus and re-instating his Body in a perishing Life did glorifie the Redeemer and this he had his Eye upon in making this Answer What then must be the Raising of a Corrupted Body unto a blessed Immortality By which the Children of the Resurrection are made like the Angels of God Read and consider that memorable passage 2 Thes 1.10 Let us now briesly reflect upon the 2. Evidence which I propounded viz. How the Sickness and Death of Christians glorifie God with respect unto them who survive whether they be more nearly or distantly related And 1. God is thus glorified on such Occasions because he manifests his Divine Power in compensating and supplying that Loss When useful and serviceable Christians are removed by Death nothing but Almighty Power can fill up such a void empty space and raise up others to carry on his Work so that the Church resembles that Poetical Tree in which as fast as one Branch was broken off another did spring in the same place Thus when Moses dies God finds a Joshua who was qualified to succeed him When a David is laid unto his Father's and sees Corruption God sills his Throne with a Solomon 2. The Exercises of Graces in surviving Relatives or Acquaintance doth glorifie God on such Occasions When holy Job upon the surprizing Death of all his Children at the same time doth Adore the Sovereignty of God and blesseth his Name when he took his dearest Comforts away this did effectually refute the reproaching Accusation of Satan and brought a singular Honour to God who is also 3. Glorified in the Comforting of those who are troubled and cast down by such Providences This is one glorious Character of the blessed God That he comforteth those who are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 Did not his Hand bind up the Wound no other could do it all the Consolations which a Creature can present are weak and ineffectual things but the supports of the heavenly Comforter are never more sensible than under the sense of afflictive Providences 2 Cor. 1.3 4. In the 4. And Last place The Sickness and Death of Christians bring Glory unto God as they are serviceable unto the Souls of them who survive As those Fruits that fall from the Tree and lye about it make the Soyl more fruitful such sorrowful Providences being excellent Instructions about our Duty and powerful Arguments to excite us unto our great Work What the Apostle saith concerning his Bonds was equally true concerning his Death They were for the furtherance of the Gospel Phil. 1. How many have owed their Conversion and Establishment unto the Counsels and Examples of dying Christians The Histories of every Church abound with such Instances I should now have shewed 3. On what accounts this Consideration is sufficient to Quiet and
Purity than others it doth not therefore become them to do as others on the like occasions lest the honour of God's Name and Worship should by that means be abated For all that were employed about or assisted at Funerals by the Ceremonial Law must needs be Vnclean not only by touching a dead Body but abiding in the same House or eating of the Funeral Banquet c. Num. 19 So that if the Priests had been allowed to be ordinarily present at Funerals and comply with the usual Rites and Customs of Mourning they must either neglect their Sacred Work or perform some part of it with polluted hands And because the Unclean were not to converse with others till after their purification this would have been a publick Inconvenience to the People unto whom by their Office they were to be serviceable on all occasions Upon the like reason it is required of the Nazarites or such as separated themselves to the Lord by a Vow Num. 6.6 7. He should not make himself unclean no not for his kindred if they dye The Service of God to which he was so particularly devoted was to be preferr'd before any Expressions of his Affection to his own Relations And doubtless so far as these Testimonies of our Love to deceased Relatives would hinder us from or in our Sacred work even Ministers under the Gospel are obliged to endeavour to deny themselves Which is the principal ground of my not desisting from preaching as formerly any longer than my imperfect health obliged me to Thirdly Here is a Prohibition of Mourning according to the usual expressions of Funeral Sorrow First It is more generally laid down Secondly by an Enumeration of some of the most solemn Rites used by the Jews on such occasions Bind the Tyre of thine head upon thee put on thy Shoes upon thy feet cover not thy Lips and eat not the bread of Mourners First The Prohibition is express'd in more general Terms Thou shalt not mourn or weep or let thy Tears run down forbear to cry make no mourning for the Dead Tho' some of the (d) Valer. Max. l. 2. c 6. Heathens refused to make solemn Mourning for their Dead yet many of them in the Neighbourhood of Judea were very extravagant and Superstitious in such things And the Jews too apt to imitate the Pagan Rites are often reproved on that account and have many particular Institutions of their Law to prevent their symbolizing with the Gentiles Lev. 19.27 Chap. 21.5 Deut. 14.1 2. c. And some of the Heathen being immoderate in their Sorrow for the Dead may probably be referr'd to in those Laws of God by Moses which make the persons to be unclean who touched a dead Body or came into the House c. God would put such a note upon it the better to keep up their Faith and Hope of the Resurrection of the Dead which the Custom of excessive Mourning might by degrees have lessen'd The time of Mourning among the Jews was sometimes longer sometimes shorter according to the Dignity and Quality of the Person deceased We read of Mourning for the Dead ordinarily seven days and sometimes for a month or thirty days Among the (e) Diod. Sic. l. 2. c. 3. 5. Gen. 50. c. 3. Egyptians for seventy days Gen. 50.10 Deut. 21.13 Num. 20.29 Deut. 34.8 1 Sam. 31. ult among the (f) Herberts Travels l. 2. p. 238. For the time and manner of Mourning among the Jews see Buxtorf of Synag Jud. c. 29. Steph. Menochio Economia Christiana l. 8. c. 2. Schickardi Jus Regium Hebr. c. 6. theor 19. Joseph Antiq. Jud. l. 4. c. 8. Dr. Lightfoot in Math. 19.23 Joh. 11.19 2d Vol. Persians seven Among the Romans the time of Mourning ordinarily lasted but Nine Days as appears by their Novendial or Nine Days Sacrifices which they offered to the Manes or Ghosts of the Dead Tho' (e) Rosin Antiq. Rom. l. 5. c. 39. Polyd Virgil de Justis Parental l. 6. c. 9 10. some of them continued it longer for Ten Months or a Year which time on many particular Occasions was to be contracted and afterwards was left to Discretion and Inclination But saith God Thou shalt not Mourn or WEEP The word signifies Weeping with lifting up the Voice He must not vent his Sorrow or ease his Heart by Tears or Sighs or Cries For it follows Forbear to Cry make no Mourning for the Dead i. e. Do not Lament and Sigh or lift up thy Voice but restrain and curb thy Sorrows and all the ordinary Expressions of them There were solemn mourning Lamentations among the Jews Thus for Josiah 2 Chron. 35.24 It is threatned against Jehojachim That they should not lament for him when he died Jer. 22.18 saying Ah! my Brother And the contrary promised as a Favour to Zedekiah Jer. 34.5 The first solemn Lamentation or Cry was at the Closing of the Eyes by those who had assisted the Deceased during that last Sickness And then by those Relations unto whom the first News came of such a Person 's Death They lift up their Voice and with Cries and Tears repeated several times the Name of the Deceased Thus did David when he received the Tydings of Absalom's Death O my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would to God I had died for thee O Absalom my Son my Son 2 Sam. 18.33 There was likewise a Solemn Lamentation before the Burial in the presence of the dead Body or before the Effigies of it exposed in a publick place Which is called Mourning over the Dead This the Jews should not be allowed saith God concerning their own Children slain by the Sword Ver. 23. of this Chapter It was also (f) Joseph de Bell. Jud. l. 3. c. 15. Bellonius de Mendicato bectu Such Women hired to lament at Funerals the Geeeks also had Plato de Leg. Dial. 7. customary to hire Persons on purpose who were to act the part of Mourners artificially to express and to excite to Sorrow to provoke and assist Grief by their Lamentations and Funeral Songs Such we read of Jer. 9.17 under the Name of the Mourning Women and Cunning Women and such as are skilful of Lamentation Amos 5.16 By mournful Postures and Actions tearing their Hair and beating their Breasts forcing Tears and by doleful Tunes assisting the Sorrow of the Mourning Relations These Lamentations were often in Verse insomuch that what we translate to Lament and Wail in divers Passages may be rendred to Sing Ezek. 32.18 Mic. 2.4 c. So David wept over Jonathan and Saul and lamented over them 2 Sam. 1.18 and bad them teach the Children of Israel the Vse of the Bow Which some will have to be a Musical Instrument used on such Occasions though it is more probable that by the Vse of the Bow he meant to match the Philistines in Archery and so to be avenged for Saul's Death for by their Archery he was slain Or in general the Use of the
he was perfectly indifferent to Live or Dye v. 19 20. For to me to live is Christ and to dye is gain v. 21. His Life he hop'd might advance the Honour of Christ and his Death would be subservient to the same design By his further service if he live and by his sufferings if he dye by his Ministry supposing his Life and by his Martyrdom in case of his death But if I live in the flesh this saith he is the fruit of my labour v. 22. or it is worth my Labour to glorsie the Redeemer by continuing in this World Yet what I shall choose I wot not For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better To Depart or be dissolv'd The Original word is used both by Christian and Heathen Writers for a departure from any place to return home Luke 12.36 And when the same Apostle speaks of his approaching death he tells us that the Time of his departure was at hand 2 Tim. 4.6 Having a desire to depart a vehement and earnest desire as the word imports and to be with Christ to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 with that merciful Saviour who had compassion on me when as an ignorant Blasphemer I persecuted his Members who call'd me to be an Apostle and enabled me by his Grace to own his Truth in the face of Dangers and hath hitherto comforted me in all my Tribulation I desire to depart that I may be with him With him not with the blessed Angels or departed Saints though their Society will make a part of the heavenly Joy Not the former they are but ministring Spirits and menial Servants employed under him and though they shine as Stars yet he is the enlivening Sun from whom they derive their Lustre and borrow their glory Not the latter they have no Blessedness but by his Donation and Purchase no Crowns of Life but what He puts on Therefore 't is not to be with them only or chiefly that made them thus groan to be dissolv'd thus earnestly desire to depart but to be with Christ Which is far better simply and in it self more desirable by much more better the Comparative being double in the Greek Text and yet I wot not what to choose for I am in a strait betwixt two On the one hand his Love to the Philippians who needed his presence many false Teachers being at that time crept in among them made him willing to abide in the Flesh and deferr his own Felicity for a time upon their account v. 24. But the Glory of Christ's presence on the otherâ— and his own unspeakale advantage by it made him desirous of a Departure and therefore though he determines for the former and was content to live and 't is probable had some secret intimation from Heaven that all his Work in this World was not yet sinish't yet he grants the latter to be simply more eligible having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far Better Which words are not more suitable to a Funeral Solemnity than expressive of the dying Thoughts and Temper of our deceased Friend and were chosen by her as the Subject of my present Discourse That I may comprehend the Substance of the Text according to the desire of the Dead for the Benefit and Instruction of the Living let us consider 1. When and how far it is Warrantable for a Christian to desire Death 2. In what respects to depart and to be with Christ is far better than to abide in the Flesh 3. On what Grounds and Principles a Christian may expect a future Blessedness with Christ after his departure so as to encourage and excite his desires after it 4. Whence it comes to pass that even those who acknowledge it far Better to be with Christ than to continue in the Body are yet Vnwilling to depart in order to it and what Remedies are proper to the case of such 5. The Application of the whole particularly with respect to the sad Occasion of our present Meeting 1. When and how far is it Warrantable for a Christian to desire to be dissolv'd This Inquiry may be answered in the following Propositions 1. Our Dissolution and Departure as a natural or penal evil as contrary to Nature or as the Punishment of Sin cannot possibly be the Object of a rational Desire If God hath promised a long Life as the Encouragement and Reward of our Obedience and threatned an hasty death as the punishment of Impiety If it be universally true that the Soul of Man desires Union with the Body and unavoidably dreads a separation from it If torturing pains and loathsome Diseases are the usual Antecedents of dying If the Corruption of the Body and it's Imprisonment in the Grave till the general Resurrection be the certain Consequent of our dissolution We cannot but think of Death as a matural Evil and as such decline and fear it Much less desirable will it appear if considered as the Wages of Sin and the fruit of Gods Displeasure and the Just Sentence of his Vindictive Justice but how far our dissolution in this latter Notion of it is changed by the death of Christ in reference to Believers is another question and will more properly be considered under the third Inquiry 2. Our dissolution and departure ought not to be desired Only as a freedom from Temporal Evil as preventive of present suffering or delivering us from it The Apostle doth not mention the uneasie Circumstances of a Prison or the continual hardships to which he was exposed from the malice of his Adversaries as the ground of his desire to depart but to be with Christ He knew very well that a Christian may serve the end of Gods glory and be useful to others in a state of suffering and therefore when he saith in another place We that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burden'd he adds the limitation in the following words not to be uncloth'd but cloth'd upon that Mortality may be swallowed up of Life not meerly to avoid the inconveniencies of our abode in so poor a dwelling but to come to the possession of the Building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.3 4. Not meerly to find relief and deliverance from our present burdens when through melancholly or discontent we are weary of Life Job 7.13 Jon. 4.3 when we have set our Hearts on somewhat we cannot obtain or struggle with some Difficulties we cannot master or are impatient under bodily Pains or quite dispirited by the sad prospect of approaching Calamities in such a case to wish for Death and desire to depart is unbecoming the Character the Encouragement and Hopes of a Souldier of Christ Much Iess will the Gallantry of a Roman or a Philosopher legitimate the desire of Death only to prevent Slavery or avoid Disgrace or miss the sight of an unwelcome object As
by Satan by his Sinful suggestions his subtile devices and snares and his siery darts and by that means our Integrity assaulted our peace of Conscience unsetled and our Perseverance indangered Our Conflict with him is so difficult and the issue of the Battel as to what depends on us so very uncertain that we are often ready to throw down our Arms and give up all as Lost For though he be a conquer'd and baffled Adversary through the Victory which our Captain hath obtain'd against him yet we cannot now Triumph over him as hereafter we shall And is it not far better to abandon this world of which he is the God 1 Cor. 4.4 and get above that Air of which he is the Prince Eph. 2.2 that we may be with Christ Moreover how doth our depraved Nature continually cast forth mire and dirt what remaining Filthiness is there yet to be purg'd what powerful Lusts to be mortified and subdued which indispose us for Spiritual duties and derive a damp and deadness upon all our Religious Exercises which cool our Zeal and abate the servour of our Spirits in the service of our Redeemer which weaken our Considence in Prayer and shame our faces before the Lord in secret And is it not far better to part with the body of Flesh that thereby we may be rid of this body of sin and death Rom. 7.24 and be like our Saviour in perfect purity Do we not complain of our Ignorance of Divine Truths and the blessed Mysteries of the Gospel notwithstanding all our means of knowledge of our earthliness and unbelief of unbecoming Thoughts of God and holy things of proud Imaginations and carnal reasonings against his Works and Word of languishing and imperfect Graces to be recovered and perfected c And is it not better to be with Christ where that which is imperfect shall be done away Is not God dishonour'd and provok't by our frequent Omissions and slight Performances of Duty do we not resist and quench and sadden his Holy Spirit and are we not often griev'd by God's rebukes and frowns by the wounds and smart regrets of our own Conscience so that we remember God and are troubled and cry out in the bitterness of our Souls Hath he forgotten to be gracious and will he be merciful no more Are not our holy Purposes inconstant and our best Resolutions wavering and unstedy and very quickly very easily shatter'd by the breath of a small Temptation Have we not a constant Watch to keep over our Hearts and wayes a perpetual War to manage with the infernal Trinity the World the Flesh and the Devil and do we know his rage and malice and serpentine policy with the Multitude Strength and Power of his Temptations How often we have been foil'd already and how soon we we may be so again and shall we not be desirous of a sinless state in the presence of Christ where no Tempter no Temptation shall ever be admitted Yea had we no corruption or Sin of our own to be delivered from yet our concern at God's dishonour by the sins of others should make us willing to depart as much more desireable than our abode on earth Job 24.9 Which is given into the hands of the wicked and defiled by it's Inhabitants Isa 24.4 Where the very Air is infected with Oaths and Blasphemies prophane discourse and filthy talk Where the very Being of a God is question'd his Providence deny'd and his Authority mockt Where the Gospel of Christ is disparag'd and despised his Laws contradicted his Worship polluted his Institutions subverted and his holy Name made a cloak for Licentiousness and his faithful Servants trampl'd on by the soot of Pride and scorned by men at ease and forc't to own his Truth with the peril of their Lives And can we say It is good to be here or is it not not far better to forsake such a Place and Company that we may be with Christ 3. Let us consider what are the grounds and Principles by which a Christian is assured of this Blessedness in the presence of Christ after his dissolution This Inquiry is necessary because the discourse of our future bliss with Christ cannot be supposed to have any effect or influence upon us to make us desire our departure while we disbelieve or make a doubt of the matter I hope it were needless to prove the Possibility of the Souls existence in a state of separation from the Body Whether in the Body or out of the Body 2 Cor. 12.2 would not have been a doubt to this great Apostle if he could not possibly have liv'd but in it neither could he desire to depart that he might be with Christ if after his departure he should not be at all And supposing the existence of the Soul notwithstanding the dissolution of the Body we have as full an assurance as the nature of the thing is capable of that holy Souls shall be present with the Lord in glory when absent from the body 1 Thes 4.17 Joh. 17.24 Mat. 24.25 Rev. 3.22 c. But because the Text hath a special relation to Christ and to be with him is that Blessedness on the account whereof 't is desireable to depart I shall only mention his Death and Resurrection as a sufficient ground to confirm our Faith in the certainty of being with him and to excite our Desires of a departure in order to it 1. The Death of Christ He hath cancell'd the Hand-writing against us and put away Sin which is the sting of Death by the Death of the Cross Eph. 1.7 A way is now open for us into the holy of holies by his blood Heb. 10.19 not for our Prayers only but our Persons He hath wounded the Head of the old Serpent even by permitting him to bruise his Heel by crucifying his humane Nature which was only Vestigium Deitatis As Benaiah slew the Egyptian with his own Spear 2 Sam. 23.21 Having destroyed death and him that had the power of it and delivered those who were all their life-Life-time subject to bondage through the fear of death Heb. 2.15 He hath set his foot on the neck of this Adversary disarm'd it of it's weapon and rob'd it of it's sting and abolish't the ugliness and poyson of it He hath dismounted Hell and Damnation from behind him that sat on the Pale-horse Rev. 6.8 Whether the first Adam were buryed in Calvary where the second was crucified as some affirm I need not enquire we know that his Death was our Victory and his Cross may be our Triumph since the Devil is conquered and death Sanctified and the Grave perfum'd by his burial so that we need not be afraid to lodge in a Sepulchre where our Lord himself hath slept Yea since the effusion of his Blood there is an amiable ruddiness in the Face of Death for that which was the Instrument of Justice is now the messenger of Peace and Joy that which was the gate of Hell is the way
to Life He hath brought sweetness out of the Strong and meat out of the Eater 1 Cor. 3.21 and therefore Death as well as Lise is reckon'd in the Inventory of the riches of the Saints All things are yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. His Resurrection and Exaltation his rising from the Dead not only discovers the possibility of our Resurrection and gives us a pledge and assurance of it as declaring the sufficiency and acceptation of his Sacrifice that therefore the Dead in Christ shall live and with his Dead Body arise Rom. 8.14 Isa 26.19 But being punctually effected according to his prediction and promise it confirms the Truth of all his Word and seals the promise of eternal Life unto all Believers He hath open'd the Prison doors and loos'd the bands of Death and roll'd away the heavy Stones from the Graves of his people he is now become the first fruits of them that sleep in Jesus And hath the Keyes of Death and Hell Rev. 1.18 even the two most formidable enemies are under his Dominion who though once he were dead doth now live for evermore And for this very end did God raise him up that our faith and hope might be in him in reference to the Blessedness of another Life 1 Pet. 1.21 Yea saith the Apostle concerning that he raised him from the dead no more to see corruption Act. 13.34 God said I will give you the sure mercies of David or an Everlasting Covenant which Death shall not dissolve Isa 55.3 And his being risen is the Ground of our Faith and Hope that the Promise shall be fulfill'd For the Resurrection of Christ is the evidence of the validity and efficacy of his Death and Sacrifice and a sufficient proof that his precious Blood shed upon the Cross was the blood of an Everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 Establishing a Covenant of Grace and making it truly Everlasting for we know that he is a Priest for ever after the power of an endless Life Heb. 7.16 And therefore know to our unspeakable Satisfaction Incouragement and Joy in whom we have believed and that he is able to keep unto that day what we have committed to him 2 Tim. 1.12 to perfect what he hath begun Phil. 1.6 and at last present us blameless before the presence of his glory with exceeding Joy Jude 24. v. For our Life being hid with him in God we are fully assured that when he who is our Life shall appear we shall appear with him in glory Col. 3.3 4. and because he lives we shall live also and when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 4. Let us consider Whence it comes to pass that notwithstanding the Blessedness of being with Christ and our assurance of it by his Death and Resurrection that yet we are so backward and unwilling to depart What is the true reason why so many of those who acknowledge it far better to be with Christ yet cannot say with the Apostle That they desire to be dissolv'd that they may be with him 1. The weakness of Faith concerning the Invisible World and the future Glory of the Saints is the reason why so many Christians are unwilling to dye They are very sensible of the inconveniencies of their present abode they complain to God and men of Corruption Temptation and Sin and they hear of a blessed Deliverance from all these by Death and a perfect Felicity in the presence of the Redeemer after their dissolution but unbelief makes them stagger at the Promise They are not fully satisfied that such a transcendent Glory will be consequent to Dying Did they but soundly believe the Testimony and Revelation which God hath given in his Word concerning it they would choose to be absent from the body Some of the Ignorant Heathens have been desperate in their Choice of death only as the Period of present Calamities but others who were doubtful of the Consequence have yet entertained it with an hearty Welcome As Socrates for instance who profess'd That he ought not to fear death because he could not tell whether it were good or evil And shall not we who understand the Grounds and Principles the greatness and certainty of a future Blessedness after Death be as willing to depart A confirmed Faith is therefore necessary and adviseable in the present case and the rather that thereby we may quench the fiery darts of Satan who if he cannot hinder us of our Crown would rob us of our Joyful Prospect of it if he cannot prevent out future Glory would render us dejected in our passage thither if he cannot prevail to exclude and banish us for ever from the Presence of Christ would darken our present comfort by the desire and Hope of it but more especially at the prospect and approach of Death for that is his hour and the power of darkness But by this shield of Faith we may be able to stand even in that evil day of our dissolution Eph. 6.11.16 2. The Pains of Death They pray that God would hasten his Glorious Kingdom and bring them to it and believe it to be most eligible to be with Christ yet are loth their own Prayers should be answered and the end and object of their Faith obtain'd through the discouraging apprehensions they admit of a dying hour Would we not be with the the Lord and know him better and Love him more and enjoy him fully and shall we stick at a little pain as introductory to so great a Happiness A Pain that will speedily convey us to Eternal ease and rest which thousands of Holy Souls in Glory have indur'd more of than we can fear But suppose the Agonies of Death are ne're so frightful to Flesh and Blood hath not our Redeemer a Rod and Staff to comfort us in the dark Valley Ps 23.4 Doth he not know what it is to dye and how much we dread it doth he not understand our weakness remember our frailty pity our infirmities and bid us ask for support and Strength yea hath he not promis'd that when Heart and Flesh shall fail that he will be the Strength of our Hearts and our Portion for ever Psal 73.26 Shall ignorant hopeless Heathens without God in this world without the expectation of being with Christ in the next be so desirous of Immortality as to dispatch themselves and be their own Executioners to force an escape from the Body And shall we resist and struggle draw back and fear object and be unwilling when our Saviour calls us to endless and unspeakable Felicity Is not this the last Experiment of our Faith and Patience and holy Resolution the last essay of our Christian Courage Are not the antecedent pains of dying the fruit of sin no less than the throws and pangs of Travelling Women and are the latter tolerable in hopes of Children and their own deliverance and may we not support the Former by the assistance
of a greater and better Hope Are they at all considerable and worthy our fear if put in the ballance with the promised Salvation to sollow on our departure Are they comparable in the Nature of Evil to the blessed Life they lead us to in the Nature of Good or comparable to the gripes of Conscience which unpardon'd Sinners meet with in Life and Death yea do we not think them greater and make them worse by our foolish fears than most do find them Is not the Sting of Death remov'd and the Heavenly Mansions prepar'd and promis'd And is it a reasonable Request that God should vary from his settled Course and sixed Law upon our sole Account Will nothing else content and please us but that Heaven must descend to Earth or we be in a moment translated thither to prevent our Pain and supersede the necessity of our Dissolution which we fear will be so attended As a proper Remedy in the present Case let us samiliarize the Thoughts of Death by frequent serious Meditation Let us view it oftner in our way that it may not meet us with so much Terror at our Journeys end Let us admit the Thoughts of a Departure with particular Application to our selves and improve the Funerals of our Friends as a seasonable memento that our own is near Let us lay open the Picture of Death naked to our view and urge it to our Hearts with the infinite Glory that immediately succeeds and take in the Death and Promise of Christ as our assurance of it And this will reconcile us more to a Departure and help to overcome our unreasonable fears of Pain and Sickness antecedent to it 3. The weakness and declension of our Love to Christ is another ground of our Unwillingness to depart and to be with him To a degenerate Soul that is destitute of the Love of Christ an Everlasting Distance would be more desireable than a Local Presence For that could not make him happy he would still be as far remov'd from Bliss by being with the Lord as the Centre of a Milstone in the bottom of the Sea would be from moisture But the Company and Converse of those we Love must needs be Eligible and the more we love them the stronger will still be our desire of being with them and the more impatient shall we be of every delay And is it not the sease and secret language of our Hearts Whom have we in Heaven but Christ And are we not desirous to forsake this Earth to enjoy his Presence Certainly the growth and strength and exercise of Holy Love to Christ would even render our Dissolution grateful in order to it and make our Hearts rejoyce at the approach of Death as it did old Jacob's to see the Waggons that are sent to fetch us to our beloved Jesus who is Lord of that Countrey whither we are going 4. Immoderate Love to this present World and our Temporal Life Were we crucified to fleshly Pleasures and sensual Joys to worldly Honours and earthly Riches we should less regret the Thoughts of Dying and more heartily desire to be with Christ For as the Pangs of Death are not ordinarily so violent and intolerable to one whose strength is wasted by a pining Sickness as to him who is Arrested suddenly in his full strength and vigour so will he more easily leave this World who for some time past hath been dying to it Were we more crucified to the World and the World to us by the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 we should not so affectionately hug the Carkass of a dead Enemy whom we our selves have crucified and slain but wait for the Time and long for the happy Hour when we shall leave it and be gone to our Eternal Rest Let us therefore make use of all the Christian methods of Mortification and look on this World as a strange place and our selves as Pilgrims and Strangers here as Exiles from our own Countrey and hastening to it And we cannot but wish our selves at home and desire a departure as necessary thereto and in the interim sigh to think of the vast disproportion and difference between the slender Entertainments of our Inn and the plentiful Provisions of our Father's House 5. Blotted Evidences and the want of Assurance concerning our Title to the Heavenly Glory And this we all pretend as the reason of our Unwillingness to Die A Sadducee is loth to die lest he should not be at all an Vnprepared Sinner for fear of being Miserable and a Doubting Christian because he knows not whether Happiness or Misery shall be his Portion after his Departure For were we well assured we should be with Christ for ever we could not be so backward and unwilling to be dissolv'd Had we any better grounds to hope that Sin was pardon'd and God our Covenant-Father that Heaven would be our Inheritance and we should not come into Condemnation we might rejoyce to think of our departure when and how it shall please God to call us When the Psalmist could say The Lord is my Shepherd he could boldly venture upon Death and walk through the Valley of Darkness without fear of evil Psal 23.4 6. But when Distress had brought his Sin to remembrance and made him doubt of his Condition he cries O spare me a little longer that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more seen Psal 39.13 Could you say with the Spouse of Christ in the Canticles My Beloved is mine and I am his Cant. 6.3 you might chearfully joyn your Amen when you hear the Spirit and the Bride say in the Revelations Come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 20.22 Therefore Try your State and Examine your selves a-fresh and endeavour with your utmost Care and Diligence to obtain a well grounded Assurance founded on the Testimony of a good Conscience by comparing the Promises of Remission and Eternal Life with the requisite Qualifications and Conditions of them For if our hearts condemn us not we shall have considence towards God 1 Joh. 3.21 even in a dying hour To which end let us endeavour by daily Acts of Repentance to obtain a daily Pardon Let us sum up our Accounts at the foot of every Page I mean reflect every Night on the Passages of the preceding Day that we may rest on our Beds with the sense of a daily Pardon and be as sit to die as we are to sleep 6. Our fond Affections to our Friends on Earth may make us loth to die though we hope to be with Christ in Heaven But is not his Bosom more desirable than the Arms and Embraces of our dearest Friends and nearest Relations Must we not abandon and hate them all for his sake Luke 14.26 i. e. use them as contemptible and hated things if they keep us from him Have we not solemnly engag'd to do so by our Covenant with God and shall we not stand to our Agreement Is there no difference between our Friends on Earth
receiveth Heb. 12.6 But the Usefulness and Necessity of such Providences and the Wisdom and Faithfulness of God therein may be made conspicuous to a considering Mind And it is frequently acknowledged by the Experience of those who are exercised in this kind That it is no more than is needful that we should sometimes be in heaviness by such Dispensations As will appear by considering a few things First Such Providences are proper to Awaken Repentance for our many Omissions and Failings in the Relation we stood to them whom God hath taken from us How seriously should we reflect Did I discharge the Duty of my Place to such or such a deceased Relative Did I value and prize such a Mercy as I ought Did I thankfully Improve such a Blessing as I might It is our fault and folly as well as our unhappiness that we seldom know how to prize and use such Mercies till God hath depriv'd us of them And that neglect is no way to be retriev'd but by a penitent sense of our Error in compliance with the Call of God That Call of God I mean which he gives us by their Removal And it is part of the Wisdom of God's Government to order our Tryals and Afflictions for the kind for the manner and for the season of them as may best serve to convince us of our Sin and promote our Repentance For Example Children should consider upon the Death of Holy Parents in what Instances they failed of hearkning to their Counsels and following their Instructions Admonitions and Examples of paying that Honour Reverence Duty and Obedience which God commands They should then remember consider and mourn to think how often their Miscarriages against God and them was a Grief and Burthen to their Souls and made them walk softly They should recall the Vanity of their Childhood and review the Stubbornness and Frowardness and Intractableness of Youth and the many particular provocations they were guilty of while their Parents lived against their frequent Reproofs against the cry of their prayers and the meaning of their Tears against their many Warnings and Compassionate Calls to Repentance against all the methods God used to awaken humble and reform them Is not this the voice of such a Rod to many Children when their godly Parents are taken away by Death And the like Reflections should Parents make when God removes their grown Children whether they have answered their Trust and been faithful to their Souls solemnly dedicating them to God endeavouring to instruct them in the Principles of Religion and Educating them in the Christian Faith and saving them from the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil endeavouring by all means to make Religion amiable and Sin odious and practical Godliness lovely by their own Circumspect walking by keeping up the Authority of God and his daily Worship in their houses by faithful Instructions and prudent seasonable Reproofs and fervent Holy Prayer to God for them and with them c. The like for other Relations when the Desire of our Eyes is removed as a Dear Husband or a beloved Wife God expects we should reflect and consider whether we enter'd into such a Relation as becomes CHristians marrying in the Lord Whether we did walk as Heirs of the Grace of Life together whether by tenderness and Affection by Meekness and Wisdom by Watchfulness and Prayer by Counsel and other Assistance we faithfully performed the Duty of that Relation We ought to reflect in such cases How much more good we might have received and done with reference to the Deceas'd How much more we might have contributed than we did to the furtherance of their Grace and Holiness their Knowledge and Comfort their peace of Conscience and meetness for Heaven or what Advantage and Increase of our own we might have had by their means and did not improve You that are now Happy in one anothers Affection remember this before a parting time do come for such thoughts as these will be apt to follow us under such providences and it is fit they should And if we have the warning of their Approaching Change by Sickness it may then be proper to reflect how we then demean'd our selves whether we were duly sensible of it what was the Temper of our Spirits in prayer for them and what our carriage and deportment toward them and toward God with relation to their case How far we expected and prepared for a Separation by Death what solemn acts of Resignation of them and of our selves to the Will of God our Spirits were formed to what impressions their Sick-bed Discourses their Dying Speeches Comforts or Counsels with their last Agonies had upon us what Duty lyes upon us at such a time in reference to these things is sufficiently obvious But how far we then comported with it ought seriously to be inquired when God hath removed them by Death that wherein we have failed we may be awaken'd to Repent which is one Design of God by such a stroke Secondly To testifie his Displeasure for our fond Inordinate Affections to those Relatives he snatcheth from us and to prevent the like as to those that survive God is Jealous of his Honour and he will not bear a Rival and if the Desire of our Eyes lay too near our Hearts and rob him of our Delight and Love and Time no wonder if he make a Separation When Jacob's Affection to his Joseph and Benjamin were so excessive that his Life was bound up in theirs he and his must then be parted And the good Old Man be brought to say with a doleful accent and aking Heart Joseph is not and Simeon is not and must Benjamin go too all these things are against me A Husband a Wife a Mother a Father a Child a Friend which is as thy own Soul Any of them All of them must go if we Love them too well i. e. if we value them too highly if we delight in them excessively if we rejoyce in them more than in the presence of God if we place the satisfaction of our Minds the solace of our Lives too much in their Company if we love them not only in the Lord or in subordination to him if we reckon too much content in their Continuance if we are too unwilling to part with them at the Call of God c. This we may be sure of God will break that from us from which we would not be broken or turn it to our Cross And that stroke which makes the breach should teach us to moderate our Affections to surviving Friends to Possess Enjoy and Use all things and persons in this World as if we used them not because the time is short and the fashion of the World passeth away 1 Cor. 7.31 That we may be brought to speak it as the inward sence of our very Hearts Lord I see all Earthly Comforts are withering Gourds how quickly how easily how suddenly are they gone O let me henceforward
much otherwise it was with them not long ago And can we wish them back again while we sigh and weep and mourn we know all Tears are wiped away from their Eyes and they are singing the Song of the Lamb. They are now seeding on the pleasant Fruits of Paradise and would we have them back again to eat the Bread of Affliction and drink the Waters of Affliction Would we they should return from the state of Triumph after Victory to engage again in new Combats From the Port and Haven of Eternal Rest to be tost again upon a Tempeltuous Sea And this because they were 〈◊〉 Kindred and our Relations for you do not mourn that the Prophets and Apostles 〈◊〉 all the Faithful mentioned in Holy Scripture or since in former Ages that they are gone to Heâ—â—â—n The ancient Christians kept Days of Thanksgiving for the safe Departure of such But how dear soever they were to us we shall go to them they shall not come to us We are very unkind if we desire they should have Tarryed longer when God hath made them ready they are gone to better Friends than those they have lest behind And if you Loved me said Christ you would rejoyce that It said I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The Friends they have left are imperfect Sinning Sorrowing troublesome and unsuitable compared with those they meet above And there only our Friendship and Affections to one another will be without any mixture of Grief or Sin without any Infirmity Suspicion Discontent or other allay by their Weaknesses Sins or Sufferings There shall we have all our Wishes and Desires for our Friends as well as for our Selves and converse continually together without being weary of one anothers Company they had once such a vile Body as we have and such disorderly Passions such Errors and Mistakes and Actual Sins as we are guilty of they were troubled with such Temptations Doubts and Descrtions as we complain of but their probationarry State is now over their Warfare is accomplish'd their Work done their Race ended their Course finish'd and they are enter'd into the Joy of the Lord Oh let us remember that they are so while we Weep and Mourn partly for their Departure and more it should be for our unfitness as yet to be with them But we have the same God and Saviour the same Way and Rule the same blessed Recompence of Reward propos'd and promis'd and prepar'd the same Grace and Assistance offered to enable us to Persevere and Overcome It is but a little while since they had as malicious Enemies to oppose and conquer and as difficult a work to mind as we and were as unlikely to hold out as some of us their inward and outward Troubles were like to ours their bodily Weaknesses and Spiritual Distresses like to ours but they have overcome them yet a little while and we hope we may do so too And it is but a little while let us not then grieve immoderately being our selves to follow so soon after to partake we hope in that Blessedness with them for ever which we have often joyned together in Prayer to ask of God for them and for our selves And this we need not question if we choose the same Felicity * Mr. Baxters Life of Faith ch 26. as our End and Christ as the Captain of our Salvation to direct and lead us in the way thither if we build on the same Word of Promise and follow the Conduct of the same Spirit of Holiness if we live in the exercise of the like Grace and are conform'd to Christ our Head in Spirit Purpose and Behaviour and hold on in doing and suffering his Will with constancy to the Death If we do thus we shall shortly be with them and because we were wont to mourn with them when they mourned and to take part in their Afflictions let us do so in their Joys also Thanking God for their Deliverance and Rejoycing in their Felicity Fourthly The last Argument for our Support is the Belief and Hope of the Resurrection of the Dead when we shall meet them and all the Children of the Kingdom in the presence of the Lord. We know that those who sleep in Jesus he will bring with him and openly absolve and own them before all the World and give them the full possession of the promised Inheritance We are bid to Comfort our selves and one another with such joyful words 'T is Comfort that there is a Redeemer and that he is their Redeemer as well as ours that he Lives and will come again and that we know this on certain and infallible grounds and that when he shall appear we shall be like him by seeing him as he is It is Comfort that even these Bodies that must be buried out of sight and putrifie in a silent Grave shall be raised and enlivened and made like the glorious Body of our Redeemer Thô Death devour their Beauty and the Grave hold them Prisoners for some thousands of years tho they should be burnt to Ashes or devour'd by Worms Beasts or Fishes however crumbled and divided into little parts and these scatter'd and dispers'd into a thousand distant places yet he will raise and re-unite and restore them fresh and spritely beautiful and glorious That Power which at first did form and fashion them in the Womb hath engaged to do it This Corruptible shall put on Incorruption and this Mortal put on Immortality and Death be swallowed up in Victory What was sown in Weakness shall then be raised in Power our Bodies shall then be Active and Nimble quick and free easily passing in a little space to a great distance and readily obeying the Motions of our Glorified Spirits What was sown a Natural Earthly Body shall be raised Spiritual suited to the spiritual State and Life and work of Heaven not needing the supplies of Food or Physick or any of those things which now employ so much of our Time and Care in reference to the Body In a word they shall be raised in Glory however vile they now are as the Bodies of our Humiliation And shall shine brighter than the Sun in it's Meridian Splendor with a Glory suitable to the Excellency of that Power exerted in their Resurrection suitable to the Dignity of our Glorified Souls suitable to the Glory of that Place where they are to inhabit and of the Noble Services wherein they are to be employed and especially suitable to their Excellent Exemplar the Glorious Body of Christ whose Resurrection and Exaltation is the Cause Pattern and Pledge of ours And this we may depend upon for our Lord hath not only left us the Earnest of his Spirit to assure us of the Resurrection that our Mortal Bodies shall be quicken'd by the same Spirit that raised him from the Dead but he hath carried the Earnest of our Flesh into Heaven with him to assure us that all his Friends Favourites and
affecting manner to the faithful discharge of his Duty by that Consideration I charge thee before God and before the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his Appearance and his Kingdom or when he shall appear in his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 The Jews knew and granted that the Messiah was to come as a Judge by the Traditional Prophecy of Enoch which began with those words The Lord shall come This they understood long before the Incarnation of our Saviour So that they were wont to begin their Writs or Instruments of the Greatest Excommunication with those words of the Prophecy of Enoch The Lord shall come As if besides all other Punishments they bound over the Excommunicated Person to the last great Assize to be Judged by the Messias And the Apostle seems to allude to this 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha i.e. Accursed with that great and terrible Excommunication The Lord shall come For so they call it from the first words as we often give Names to Writs and other Instruments by reciting the first words of them He shall come again he shall be revealed from Heaven in slaming sire with his mighty Angels to render vengeance to them which know not God and obey not the Gospel c. 2 Thes 1.7 9. We shall all be made to stand before his Judgment-Seat 2 Cor. 5.10 14. Rom. 14.10 And every one shall then give an account of himself to God and receive according to what he hath done in the body whether it be good or whether it be evil He is delegated and appointed by God for this Work and every way fitted and qualified to undertake it Acts 17.31 II. The Suddenness and Vnexpectedness of his Coming again The hour of it no man knows no not the Angels of God in Heaven It will surprize Mankind as the Deluge did the Old World in the days of Noah The time of it is lock'd up in the Treasuries of Heaven and we have no Key that will open it Neither the time of Christ's coming to Judge the World or the time of his calling us by Death to come to him is certainly known Behold I know not the day of my death we may every one say with Isaac Gen. 27.2 The Knowledge of this time and Season he hath reserved in his own power it belongs not to us it is no part of our Priviledge to know it Acts 1.7 If it had been fit and becoming adviseable and expedient for us to understand it if it had been for our Advantage to know the precise time of our own Death or of the Final Judgment if it would have added any whit to our Spiritual Stature and Growth in Grace if it would not have much better promoted our Watchfulness and serious Diligence and forwarded our Preparations to have remained Ignorant he would not have drawn such a Veil over that Day and Hour But would have left it written in fair Characters But he every way consulted our Interest and the general Good of the World by hiding this Knowledge from us God's Government of the World and the Magistrates influence under God for the Good of Men would very much be weakned if every Man did certainly know before-hand the time of his Death Our Usefulness to others would be very much check'd and the necessary Preparation for being so if we knew we should not out-live such a Year or such a Stage of our Lives Our Joys and Sorrows with respect to our Relations and Friends would then be immoderate our Carriage in Prosperity and Adversity would be more unbecoming our Dependance upon God and his Providence the Redemption of our Time the Contempt of this World and the Preparation for another would all be very much hindred by the certain knowledge of the time of Christ's Coming to call us to Judgment Therefore he tells us That in an hour we think not of the Son of Man cometh It shall be suddenly when he is not expected and therefore All should be Ready It is sometimes represented by the travailing Pangs of a Woman with Child which may over-take her at a distance from her own House when she looks not for it 1 Thes 5.3 'T is set forth by the surprize of a Thief entring the Window of a House by Night when the good Man of the House little expected him Rev. 16.15 Behold I come as a Thief blessed is he that watcheth And again we are told As a snare shall it come upon all that dwell upon the face of the earth Luk. 21.35 When Men are careless and secure and confident of Long-life when they are busie in pursuit of great things for themselves in this World when they are big with mighty Projects and Designs for hereafter when they enlarge their Imaginations to contrive the Satisfactions they shall have for many years to come in the Pleasures and Dignities and Wealth which they count upon before-hand when they say in their Hearts Our Lord delays his Coming I have yet time enough to get ready Then shall this day overtake them when they think not of it The Lord of that Servant will come in a day that he looked not for him and in an hour that he is not aware Luk. 12.46 III. The Necessity and Obligation of being Ready because of the Certainty and Suddenness of the Coming of Christ Where I shall First Consider the Nature of this Readiness and Explain something of it Secondly Shew the Force of the Argument and amplifie it in several Considerations to urge it the more effectually upon All to make Ready I. What is the Nature of this Readiness In the general it is expressed by Two or Three Evangelists under the term of Watching Which as the summary Preparation for the Coming of Christ takes in all the Duties of a Christian with respect to the Affairs of his Soul and the Everlasting World as awaking out of Security foreseeing our Danger providing against it carrying it suitable to the Expectation of the Appearance of Christ from Heaven Looking for Waiting for Praying for Hastning to or hastning of the Coming of the Day of God It comprehends an awaken'd Heart an active Faith a lively Hope a diffusive Charity and persevering Diligence in all the Fruits of Righteousness That we may perfect Holiness in the Fear of God lay up a good Foundation against the time to come and at last lay hold of Eternal Life That we may have Confidence at Christ's Appearance and be able to stand before the Son of Man with exceeding Joy This in general under the Name of Watching and being Ready is the Duty of all 2. Besides this General Account we may consider some of the Particular Metaphors under which our Lord represents himself or is set forth in Scripture when he comes again First As a Bridegroom And so our Readiness consists in our Accepting him and Choosing him in such a Relation I have espoused you
degree as we ought Is our Love to Christ so sprightly and vigorous that we could heartily welcome any Messenger to call us to him Be the Instrument what iâ— will and the Manner and Circumstances of our Departure as God shall please and the Warning never so short and sudden Are we ready to go presently at the first Call That were it not for doing Service in our Places which God who needs not our Help can do by other ways we should rather choose to be with Christ as far better Could we Answer to such a Call of God as Samuel Lord here I am thoudidst call me O let me pass through the dark Valley that nothing may keep me longer at such an uncomfortable distance from my Lord and Saviour that where he is I may be to behold his Glory This Readiness Habitual and Actual we have need to look after because the Son of Man comes in a time when we think not of him And therefore II. To urge your Diligence and Care to be Ready for the Coming of Christ let me amplifie and enforce the Argument in this Text by several Considerations As I. That whether Ready or not Ready e're long our Lord will come Our particular Judgment by Death which shall confine us to the eternal and final one is at no great distance We are hastning to this Day of God whether we believe and mind it or no As Passengers in a Ship to the end of their Voyage whether they sleep or wake whether we be wise Servants or foolish faithful Stewards or unfaithful whether we expect the Coming of our Lord and Prepare for it or do not He will shortly come and call us to an Account O how soon shall you and I be gone What a Change will a few days make in this City and in this Congregation We may judge of it by what it hath made in few years past In less than Twenty Years what Changes in Families and Churches and Cities and Nations Husbands and Wives parted Parents and Children Friends snatch'd away out of the Bosom of their Friends Those we loved and lived familiarly with Called before us and gone home And we are hastning after a pace whether our Readiness and Preparation do or do not answerably hasten One Relation and another Acquaintance drops into the Grave Some are ready and some unready One Pastor after another is removed to Heaven and the Pulpits where they preach know them no more and others will start up in our rooms and are preparing to fill our Places who succeed any of those whose Funerals you Remember And after a sew Lords's-Days more and at most after a few Summers and Winters more you and I shall be called likewise whether we be Ready or not Ready 2. When once thou art called to thy particular Judgment by Death nothing more can be done to get Ready for the Coming of Christ Eccl. 9.10 John 9.4 What if you were now leaving this World and how near and sure is such an hour You would then be sensible that now or never is the time to prepare and get Ready Awake therefore and Mind it without delay that you may not cry for more Time when time is gone and for the mercy of God when it is too late O how shall my unprepared Soul Appear before my God! How shall I pass into Eternity unready What shall I do to meet my Lord with Comfort as if you had never heard till that time that you must dye and come to Judgment O what Hearts of stone have Sinners that can hear these things so often and not resolve without delay to get Ready That will not consider the Judge is at the Door his Vengeance at their back his Wrath pursues their sins and woe be to them if it overtake them Before their Friends have laid their Bodies in their Graves or wrap'd them in their Burying cloaths their Souls shall feel that God is in earnest and that now is the only time to get ready for Judgment 3. When men think not of it and least expect his Summons the Lord doth often come When thou art most regardless of Death thy Head and Heart taken up with other things the Hand-writing on the Wall may appear and strike thee into a sit of trembling a Voice from God may be heard Come away Man or Woman Come away thy Time shall be no more this Evening or the next Morning this Night or the next Day thy Soul shall be required of thee Believe it no Place no Age no Time no Portion of thy Life is certainly exempted Do not then put off thy being Ready lest thy Resolutions for hereafter should bare longer date than the time of thy Life 4. All the Time of our Lives is little enough to get Ready for the Coming of Christ 'T is little enough to learn to Live says the Moralist it is short enough be sure to learn to Dye Ask those who have taken most Pains and spent most of their Time to get Ready Yet after all their Prayers and Tears after all their Watching Striving Running and Preparedness they complain they are Vnready still unready for the Spiritual Coming of Christ when they are to meet him at his Table much more Vnready for his last Coming Therefore let us give Diligence that we may be found of him in Peace without spot and blameless And if the question be seriously ask'd of all of you one after another ARe you prepared for Death are you Ready for the Coming of Christ or are you not How few will have the Heart or Face to say they are The best will say they need further Preparation But what must they think and say of themselves who own they are habitually as to their State unready no way sit to Dye I cannot say my peace is made with God I have not yet enter'd into Covenant with him I have not subjected and yielded my self to Christ I have not taken on his Yoke or I have cast it off after I took it on I am yet a Stranger to him or I have shamefully left him after some Acquaintance And will you put it any longer to the venture when your Lord may call within an hour 5. God is now ready to Assist you by his Grace if you will awake and Mind your Work but if you delay he may justly refuse and withdraw it And if once the case comes to that you can no more make Ready for Death and Judgment than if you were already dead it being as possible for us to Repent without life or after we are dead as to Repent without Gods Grace while we are living Therefore they that promise for themselves that they shall Repent and Prepare for the coming of Christ some time hereafter they resolve they will they must not only promise for themselves but for God too that he will wait their leisure and dance attendance after them through all the Stages of their Delays and yet be as ready to
And do we not our selves Hope and have we any better greater Thing we hope for than to possess that Happiness with Christ which we believe she is possessed of Is it not then unreasonable to make that the Subject of immoderate Mourning and excessive Lamentation as to our departed Friends which is the principal matter of Hope and Comfort as to our own Souls And shall we for the sake of a lesser good which we suppose to our selves by their living longer desire to deprive them of a Greater which they cannot attain but by dying Let us rather be awaken'd edifi'd and encourag'd by their Examples who by Faith and Patience and Perseverance are gone to inherit the Promises and by their Funerals be excited to foresee and make Ready for our own Oh that the Call of God by this Breach among us may be understood and obeyed For this it speaks to every one in particular Be you also Ready Amen THE END The SAINTS Desire to be with CHRIST A SERMON PREACHT Upon the DEATH OF M rs Ann Barnardiston DAUGHTER of Nathanael Barnardiston Esq late of Hackney A SERMON PREACHT Upon the DEATH OF Mrs. Ann Barnardiston DAUGHTER of Nathanael Barnardiston Esq late of Hackney Who Departed this Life the 30th of Decemb. 1681. at the Age of Seventeen With a brief Account of some Remarkable Passages of her LIFE and DEATH By John Shower Minister of the Gospel Psal 103.15 As for man his dayes are as grass as a flower of the field so he flourisheth V. 16. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more The Second Edition LONDON Printed for J. Dunton and A. Chandler 1691 TO The much Honoured M rs Elizabeth Barnardiston MADAM THe sad Occasion of the Sermon and your Relation to Her whose Dying Request was fulfilled in my Preaching it doth style the Dedication yours Though what I have mention'd of your Excellent Daughter is less than others would have said on the same Subject yet having given an Account of her Preparedness and Willingness to Dye methinks that should be considered as a sufficient Argument to mitigate your Sorrow and prevent its Excess 'T is the Apostles Instruction concerning them who sleep in Jesus that we ought not to sorrow as do others who have no hope Such were the Aegyptians and 't is observ'd of them that they mourned longer for the death of old Jacob than his own Son Joseph did I know the Time of her Death gives an Accent to the Calamity That before your Mourning Weeds were laid aside for one of the best of Husbands who hath a good Report of all Men and of the Truth it self you should be forced to continue the same or put on more for the Loss of such a Child in the Prime of her Youth and Strength and Beauty A Loss for which you do not mourn alone since many others are partners of your Grief not by sympathy only as pittying you but from a due Respect and Affection to her and their own Concern at her Departure But as your Afflictions abound God can make your Consolations by Christ abound much more And such Losses as these though some of the smartest and most afflictive to humane Nature may turn to your Spiritual Gain And even this Rod like that of Aaron may blossom and produce the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness If in the want of their Company God himself be more depended on as your All in all If their removal out of this World promote your Mortification to it if their being taken up to Heaven assist your Preparations and excite your Desires to follow God hath already made good his Covenant Promise in a very peculiar manner to those whom he gave and hath taken from you and I trust will do so as to those who remain that they may know and serve the God of their Fathers with a perfect Heart and see the Felicity of his Chosen That they may tread in the steps of their departed Relatives and bear up the Name of God in their respective Stations to his Glory and your Comfort and their Salvation And if God should not make your House to grow yet he hath made an Everlasting Covenant with you well ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 I wish the following Discourse may contribute any thing to your Support or at least be accepted as an Expression of my Obedience in complying with your request thus to make it publick And as a Testimony of my unfeigned Respect to the Memory of the Deceased with a serious desire of some benefit to others also by such a remarkable Instance of an Early Piety of an Exemplary Life of a peaceable Death Which God grant who alone can bring Good out of Evil all whose Works are perfect and whose Wayes are Judgment I am London Jan. 25. 1681 2. MADAM Your most Affectionate Humble Servant John Shower TO THE READER Reader I Being Earnestly desired both by the Relations of the Deceased Gentlewoman and by the Preacher of the following Funeral Sermon to Testifie what I knew of the Gracious and wonderful workings of the Holy Spirit upon the Heart of this Person during Her Life I could not but yield to their Importunate Requests And upon this Occasion I must declare That having Known her from her Childhood and having very much observed her Conversation of late and being called to give her several Visits in her sickness I do believe upon the whole that God did give her a sound Repentance for and a Full Remission of all her sins through the Mediation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I can assure thee Reader who ever thou art that she had an awakened sight of her sins accompanied with a great measure of Godly Sorrow for them I discerned also in her a deep Humiliation and I heard her open her self-Condemnation thereupon I found in her also a clear Knowledge of the Nature of the Now Covenant together with a Right Apprehensionof the Nature of that Faith which is required of all men and is through Grace bestowed upan some Penitents whereby the Soul doth attain to an Interest in that Covenant It being thereby united unto Christ and consequently doth partake of the Benefits of his Merits and doth receive the Fruits of his Atonement with the Inhabitation of his Spirit Saving Faith and True Repentance are alwayes inseparable and their Conjunction doth evidence and speak them to be true and saving both These I do believe were united in the Soul of this deceased Person And therefore I have very great Hopes of her State All Faith which is pretended to where Repentance is wanting I account to be nothing but a presumptuous Confidence and all seeming Repentance which is not Accompanied with some Faith in the Divine Goodness and in the promises made thereof by our Lord Jesus is no other than the Repentance of a Cain or a Judas his despair Our Lord Jesus did as it were Epitomize the
but such as are Taught of God and have their spiritual sences exercised so as to be acquainted not only with the form of Godliness but also with the Power thereof these men do say that the Character which the others do give of this eminent persons teaching are most true and they do further also say that it is extraordinary Clear and convincing most Evangelical and Scriptural greatly practical and profitable and yet very Sublime and Spiritual Now Reader consider whether many if any such have finally miscarryed whose Natures were gentle and easie to be entreated whose hearts were Soft and Tender who had the Benesits of such Education and such Example who enjoyed such Teaching abroad as well as such Counsel at home and all accompanyed with fervent Prayer unto God for a Blessing which I am sure that she did not want it being reported of her Father that his Custom was with the Psalmist 119.164 Seven times a day to pray unto the Lord and to praise him Moreover I am informed that this deceased Gentlewoman was observed to spend much time in Closet Prayer of late consider then I say whether we may not hope considently that the Grace of God had savingly and effectually wrought upon her who was both visibly in Covenant with God and whose heart also God had disposed and prepared by such special Means of Grace which he had bestowed upon her And this is yet more evident if we reflect upon God's dealing with her in her last Sickness whereby God did seem to seal Instruction deeply upon her Soul Her distemper was one of the worst sort of Small Pox At her first being taken she had strong apprehensions that she should dye she therefore did fall closely upon the work of Examination desiring the assistance of some Ministers therein and she was visited by many she opened her case to us all and God was pleased to make her to suspect and be jealous of the worst and to confess and condemn herself for her Sins both of Omission as well as Commission and humbly to inquire after the only way of Pardon And it pleased God so to bless these last helps as that none of us who visited her do doubt but the same Spirit who convinced her of Sin and of Righteousness did at length seal her up to the day of Redemption The Alpha the first Beginning and Foundation of all practical Religion is that act whereby a Soul doth deliberately resolvedly freely and expressely dedicate and devote it self unto God and his Service Thus the Saints in 2 Cor. 8.5 The Omega the last concluding and consummating work of a devout Soul is to commit and commend its Spirit into the hands of God as to a faithful Creator thus did Stephen Acts 17.59 Yea thus did our Lord Jesus himself Luk. 23.46 Thus also did this blessed Person she did I hope begin well in an early Consecration of her self to God I am sure she did end well and 't is the end that Crowns the work she did reckon that she had not fully Finished her Course nor rightly laid the Top-stone of her spiritual Building so as to cry Grace Grace unto it untill she had most devoutly and humbly offered up her Soul to God in Prayer by the assistance of some Friend and Minister Accordingly although it were midnight and although my Habitation was far from hers yet in the very last Agonies of her Death she did send for me and with the clearest use of her Reason and the most servent desires of her Soul she did entreat me that I would in her Name solemnly and expresly furrender and give up her Soul into the Arms and Bosom of her Saviour in whose precious Blood she did hope that all her sins were now fully washed away I did readily obey the Call and did comply with her desire for I did and do judge that this desire of hers proceeded from some extraordinary Impulse and work of the Holy Ghost And Reader thou walt think as I do if thou shalt read and observe the effect and consequence hereof as it is related to thee in the close of the following discourse Almost such another extraordinary Impress as it may be thought was made upon her Spirit on occasion of this Author 's presenting her with a * Exhortation to Touth to prepare for Judgment 11 Eccl. 9. Funeral Sermon which he had preached but a little kefore she was taken sick which Sermon she having received and read and diligently considered she was heard to say That she did think that her own change would not be far off and that she could wish that the Author might preach her Funeral Sermon also and she then named the Text now insisted upon and said That she hoped that God would make her Funeral Sermon as profitable to other young Ones as the Former Sermon had been to her self Her Prognosticks were too true as to the shortness of the time which she lived after those words were spoken by her God grant that her hopes be not frustrated but that all her dying words may prove truely prophetical and especially those which related to the profitable success of the Sermon here before thee The Author hath done his part like himself as well in this as in the former Discourse Oh that he might find as diligent and as considering Readers as she was many excellent Considerations very subservient and conducing to thy Conviction and Salvation are proposed herein but all will be in vain and to no purpose without thine own Meditation and the Spirits application Concerning the Discourse I must say no more and I can do no less than to allude to the words of the Holy Ghost Eccl. 12.9 And moreover because the Preacher was wise therefore in this Discourse he hath Taught the People Knowledge and hath given good heed and sought and set in order many Arguments for thy preparing for Death and moreover for preferring of Death before Life The Lord convince thee by them and also carry thee comfortably through all Time to Eternity My Paper is short and my Time shorter I must therefore conclude for the Sermon is wholly Printed and stops only untill I have told thee that I am Thy Friend and Souls Servant S. Fairclough THE SAINTS DESIRE TO Be with Christ PHIL. I. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better SAint Paul writing from Rome to the Church at Philippi in this Chapter acquaints them with his Bonds and other Discouragements which he tells them by their Prayers and the Assistance of the Spirit of Christ obtained thereby would turn to his Salvation and the furtherance of the Gospel and had already been attended with some considerable success in that kind V. 12 13 14. to fortifie and confirm the Professors of the Christian Faith and to propagate and promote it even in the Court of Caesar and in other places And if Christ might be magnified
and our beloved Saviour How often is an unactive Pity vouchsafed in the room of Succour when they need our Assistance or we intercede for theirs We know if they are unholy they shall for ever be banish'd from the Presence of Christ and we may well be ashamed to be unwilling to die on their account And if they are holy tho' we shall not return to them yet we know that they shall shortly come to us And cannot God instruct them in his Fear order their Conditions dispose of their Affairs provide for their Comfort and answer all our Prayers in reference to them after our departure yea hath he not often done so Have we any Friends on Earth that are every way so accomplish'd as alway to delight and please us Or are we so perfectly wise and good as never to disgust and disoblige them Is there not some Selfishness Design and private Interest some Hypocrisie Flattery and Dissimulation some Inequality Unsuitableness or Inconstancy in our Friendships here Are not the Best of those we love Ignorant and Mistaken Erroneous Deceived Weak and Impotent and as likely to desile and grieve us by their Corruption as to edifie and rejoyce us by their Grace But hereafter when that which is imperfect is done away they shall all have suitable Qualifications to recommend them to our most sincere and constant Affection and be every way more fit for our Content and Joy We shall then be never weary of each others Company we shall fully understand one anothers Mind we shall live in perfect Harmony and full Satisfaction without the dread of Absence or fear of Separation Now if we have some Friends we have many Enemies but in the presence of Christ there shall be none but Friends and such as shall for ever be so their Persons being more amiable and their Society more desirable than now it can be Now if we are pleased with their Converse we may quickly lose it and the desire of our eyes be taken from us by a sudden stroke Ezek. 24.16 that we know not how to value or love them till 't is too late And shall we be unwilling on their account to depart and be with Christ since they are hastning after us and after a few days absence we shall meet them again and dwell with them for ever 5. The Application remains which shall be only in Four Particulars as Inferences from what hath been said 1. We may hence take notice of the great Efficacy and Power of the Christian Faith and Hope That notwitstanding our fondness and affection to the Body and the contrariety of Death to our sensitive Inclinations that yet this Faith and Hope can urge us to desire a Dissolution in order to it 2. We may hence inferr That the Soul doth not sleep in the Grave with its Companion the Body until the Resurrection but immediately pass into a state of Bliss For the Apostle to abide in the Flesh was more expedient for the Philippians For him to live would be Christ Ver. 21. i.e. For the advancement of his Glory How then was it better to depart or in what strait could he be whether he should choose a longer Life or a present departure if no Blessedness were expected till the Final Judgment And why doth he mention his being with Christ as that which made Death desirable Is not the Presence of Christ with us on Earth and our serving the Ends of his Glory in this World much more eligible than to sleep in the Grave till dooms day 3. Is it better to depart and be with Christ than abide in the Body Then the Fable of Purgatory is hereby Exploded Were we to be transported by our Dissolution only from lesser Pains to greater or from a Life of Sorrow to a State of Suffering such as the Romanists imagine their Purgatory to be equivalent to the Torments of Hell in the Extremity of them though different in Duration how were it far better to depart that we may be with Christ 4. Is it the Object of a Christians desire to depart and be with Christ And is that far better than to continue in the Body Then let us not Grieve immoderately at the departure of those who have obtain'd their wish and enjoy their desire Did they long to be with Christ and choose to be dissolv'd in order to it And is it their unspeakable Satisfaction that they are so And do we express our Love and Kindness to them by repining at their Felicity Shall their desired Repose and Rest and Happiness be our Torment Grief and Sorrow Would we that contrary to their own well-grounded Inclinations they should continue longer here on Earth or return back again from Heaven meerly to gratifie our fond Affections Have they obtain'd a speedy Victory after a short Conflict and receiv'd the Crown of Life as soon almost as they begun their Christian Race the glorious Recompence of Reward though they had wrought but one hour in the Vineyard when others must labour twelve And shall we mourn like utter Strangers to the Christian Faith and Hope Would we delay the Glory of God in their Salvation and deser their Felicity in the blessed Presence of the Redeemer and be content that a Voice should be wanting in the Heavenly Quire rather than we be Sadned by their departure Would Parents have their Children continue in their Swadling-Cloaths Or when advanc'd to riper Years wish them back again to Infancy and hinder their Possession of that Inheritance which they are born to and dispos'd to enter on and enjoy Are not you your selves hastning to the Grave and hope e're long to be with Christ And is it not a refreshing Thought to consider that your Treasure is there before you with their Father and your Father with their God and Saviour and yours I mean your Holy Clidren and Friends whom you dearly Love The Primitive Church was wont to Solemnize the Funerals of Holy Persons with singing Psalms and Hymns of Praise to God for their Deliverance and Felicity obtain'd by Dying And shall we refuse to be comforted for the Death of those who sleep in Jesus and desired to do so as if in this Life only we had Hope in Christ Something 't is true of Grief and Sorrow must be allow'd to Nature Duty Custom and Contracted Friendship and the Honour of the Deceas'd for they are reckon'd to die miserable who are hurl'd into the Grave without the attendance of a Sigh or Tear or Funeral Lamentation But our Assurance of the future Glory they possess with Christ which they themselves preferr'd to a longer abode on Earth should wipe our Eyes and prevent Excess We mourn that they are gone and desire their Company but we know they do not wish themselves back again for the sake of ours no they are gone to better Friends above than those they have left below And were it not for the weakness of our Faith and Hope in reference to the Invisible
World were it not for the remaining Power of unmortified Selfishness and our immoderate Love of this present Life were it not for the remisness of our Love to Christ and the blessed Saints we could not but desire to be with them rather than wish that they should be longer with us Therefore instead of an intemperate Mourning at their departure let us imitate their Examples and propound their holy Lives and Deaths as our Pattern and Encouragement § 1. SInce the Honour of Gods Grace may be very much advanced by our taking notice of the Influence and power of it in Believers Since to praise and imitate the holy actions of our departed Friends is almost the only Communion we can now have with them and their Example though they are dead may yet speak to the Instruction and Comfort of the Living I shall conclude with some brief account of that Excellent Person whose decease gave occasion to our present Meeting § 2. And knowing the usual Flattery of Funeral Orations I shall pass over the Advantages of her Birth the Credit of her Family the Sweetness of her Temper the best Soyl for the Fruits of the Spirit and the many other natural and acquired Accomplishments which rendred her Amiable to all that knew her and only mention some Passages that may either magnifie the Grace of God or be proper for our imitation and encouragement And therein shall deliver nothing but either upon my own knowledge or from the particular Account I have received from her nearest Relations and those Reverend Ministers who assisted with their Prayers and Counsel during her Sickness § 3. Through the Blessing of God on a Pious Education and other means of Grace and in answer to the fervent Prayers of her Holy Parents for the fulfilling of Gods Covenant Promise to them and to their seed we have great reason to believe that she had chosen the Favour of God as her Felicity and End almost as soon as she was capable of making a deliverate choice § 4. And a Life of Seventeen years whereof so great a part is lost by Infancy and Childhood is certainly very short for the growth and ripening of such fruits of the Spirit as she discover'd A Time and Age when Vice and Vanity are wont to blossom and sprout forth in others When the Thoughts of Death and Judgment are usually rejected as unwelcome Intruders before their Time and serious preparation for it deferr'd to a reputed more Convenient Season § 5. But before that Age her diligent and delightful reading of the Holy Scripture and valuation of it above other Books was very admirable and exemplary Making this Bread of Life her daily food and tasting such sweetness and reaping such benefit by it that even at midnight while others slept she would often spend several hours in reading the Bible Lamenting on her death-bed the loss of Time by other Books which could not assist her to a better understanding of her duty and the Mind of God or take off her Affections from the Love of this World and prepare her Soul for the Heavenly Glory § 6. Notwithstanding this secret serious Piety her Humility and Modesty was such as not to make a great noise and show to others as if the Form of Godliness were the principal or only thing to be regarded § 7. For several weeks before her last Sickness she was observ'd less to regard the World than formerly more Seriously to be devoted to God and more to dislike vain Company and idle Talk especially if it carried with it a Tendency and design to disparage others and in all respects so to demean her self as if she had receiv'd some secret Revelation from God that her Time would be but short and her change was near § 8. Though before she fell sick she was fearfull enough of that * The small Pox. Disease whereof she dyed yet having taken her Bed and knowing the Distemper she profess'd her self intirely willing to acquiesce in the Will of God And was displeas'd with any who would have tamper'd with her Face or discours'd to that purpose § 9. Yea during the whole three weeks of her Sickness she continued in such a frame notwithstanding the loathsomness of the Disease notwithstanding the Troublesome Prescriptions of Physicians notwithstanding her own Pains of which her Constitution Breeding and Age considered she could not but be very apprehensive And with an admirable Patience and Resignation to the Will of God with a great contempt of the Vanities of the World and an holy Indifference even to Life it self she desired to Depart And that not meerly to be eas'd of her Pain but to be with Christ and the blessed Society above or to use her own words To be with her Heavenly and her Natural Father And gave this excellent reason for her desire Lest if restored to health she should meet with some prevailing Temptations that might turn away her Heart from God and Heaven and therefore she had rather be with Christ than put it to the Venture § 10. Her Victory over this World was likewise evident by the particular charge she gave to those about her to let some young Gentlewomen of her Acquaintance know from her how contemptible the best of this World will be when they come to dye and entreat them in her Name as her last request and the expression of her special kindness to their Souls that they would not overvasue it § 11. As an instance of her submission to the good pleasure of God and satisfaction in his order she desired that her Mother and the whole Family might joyn with her in singing the latter part of the 39 Psalm Ver. 9. I was dumb and opened not my mouth because Lord thou didst it When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a Moth. Surely every man is Vanity Selah c. Which she repeated by heart according to the Metre § 12. As an instance of her joyful Hope of Glory in the presence of Christ after death she made those who attended in her Sickness frequently to read over the 1 Thes 4. chap. in the close whereof the glorious Appearance of Christ to Judgment is set forth and the Happiness of the Saints describ'd by being ever with the Lord with this addition Wherefore comfort one another with these words ver 17 18. § 13. With the free use of her Reason to the very last God was pleas'd to give her the great Blessing of a Tender Conscience and therefore she did not slightly overlook even little Failings without a penitent observation and some of them such as no man in a judgment of Charity would reckon sinfull Every thing that look'd like undutifulness to her Mother she heartily begg'd her Pardon for though nothing considerable of that kind can be remembred to make her need forgiveness thankfully owning the strictness of her Education the seasonable Reproofs of a discreet Parent and even
But tho he would not heal and recover sick Lazarus he sends a most excellent Remedy unto his Sisters to cure their mistakes to ease and heal their minds which was the intention of this Reply unto their Importunate Message This sickness is not unto Death but for the Glory of God c. In which we are called to consider 1. The Manner 2. The Design 3. The Import of this Answer I would make a few Reflections upon the two former and then shall insist upon the last as most suitable to our present Affair I. As to the Manner of this Answer 'T is easie to perceive the obscurity and dubiousness of the former part This Sickness is not unto Death For the Event did at least seem to contradict the literal meaning of this Declaration which expresly denies that the sickness of Lazarus was unto Death and yet Laxarus dyeth This seeming contradiction must render this part of the Answer dubious and dark unto those to whom it was sent Indeed notwithstanding this obscurity there was a most certain Truth in this part of the Answer which speaks of such a Death as truly answers that Character viz. Such a Privation of Life as puts a final Period unto it on which account it can truly be said of the Dead That their places know 'em no more and that they go the way whence they shall not return Job 8.10 c. 16.22 As also That they see corruption Acts 13.36 The Body quite losing that Organization that makes it a fit Habitation for a humane Soul This is the primary and proper notion of Death and under which the Spirit of God speaks of it See Rom. 5.12 14. 1 Cor. 15.21 26 54 56. Not to mention several other places Unto such a Death the sickness of Lazarus was not his Death was not a final Period but only a short interruption or cessation of Life which like some Rivers which run under ground for a space only for a while disappear'd and then was again brought to light This being granted we cannot deny that there is some darkness in the manner of expression Had it so pleased the Redeemer he could have spoken in a much plainer Language he could have said Tho this sickness shall deprive Lazarus of his Life yet it shall soon be restored to him again tho' he shall truly die yet he shall not long remain under the power of Death for I design to work a Miracle to raise him from the dead Thus could the Redeemer have expressed himself had it so pleased him but he chooseth to speak obscurely not only to these Sisters but afterward to his Apostles when he said Our friend Lazarus sleepeth v. 11. Which Metaphorical and dark way of speaking led them into a mistake as we read v. 13. Many other instances of this kind might be produc'd as that which this Evangelist relateth Ch. 16.16 17 18. And as the Language so the Carriage of Christ hath obscurity in it his ways are unsearchable and his footsteps are not known both with respect unto visible Providences and invisible dealings with the Soul Many there are whom Christ really loveth who walk in darkness are brought into a kind of a Labyrinth where they are strangely perplext and are tempted to conclude that their Lord hath quite forsaken and cast 'em off when he retains the kindest and most gracious purposes toward ' em As God did toward Abraham when he commanded him to go out of his Countrey and yet did not acquaint him with the Place which was design'd to be his Inheritance Heb. 11.8 Thus was Abraham try'd and so are the Children of Abraham as indeed this conduct of God is admirably suited unto the state of Probation in which we now are All that darkness and perplexity which at any time we are brought into are design'd by God to try and discover the sincerity and constancy of our obedience And 't is our grand concern to stand out this Tryal to undergo this Probation aright and then whatever darkness there is now in the dealings of Christ he will after a while scatter every Cloud and will be an everlasting Light unto us 'T were easie to make large Reflections upon this Subject but your own Meditation can supply this defect Nor may I dwell long upon the II. Observable in the Text The Design of this Answer made by Christ which was to afford present Support unto the dejected Sisters of Lazarus He whose Eye discerns the most hidden and distant Objects knows how their tender Hearts were disquieted and that such a Spectacle as a deceased dying Brother must wound and afflict their Souls and the more when their Expectations were disappointed as to the speedy visit of Christ What! might they be apt to argue not make so charitable so seasonable a Visit to one whom he loveth to one who needs his help and must perish without it Is this Kindness to neglect a distressed Friend till Life and all be gone Such disquieting Thoughts would begin to rush into and disorder their Minds Now 't was to still this Tempest that the Redeemer sends this Reply to ' em This Sickness is not unto Death but for the Glory of God c. q. d. Though the Danger and Progress of this Sickness joyn'd with my seeming Neglect of their Brother will be an Occasion of Trouble unto them Sorrow and Fear will take hold of their Spirits yet let not their Hearts be troubled there is no just ground of disquieting Fear notwithstanding the dismal Appearances this Matter will have a happy and honourable Issue When our Lord Jesus doth not grant the expected Relief yet he always provides Support and Consolation for his faithful Followers When He determin'd to send away the Multitudes who had followed him into the Wilderness he resolves that he will not send 'em away fasting lest they should faint by the way Mat. 16.32 Though they must for a time be deprived of his Presence yet he takes care that they might not faint and perish This was his Carriage toward his Apostles in general and more particularly toward the Apostle Paul who when he besought the Lord thrice that the Messenger of Satan might depart from him tho' this Request was not granted tho' the Thorn in the Flesh was not removed yet this most supporting Answer was given to him My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 Sometimes the Carriage of Christ bears an Aspect of Unkindness and Neglect but even at such a time his Heart is fill'd with Love and his Hand is employ'd to Support 'T is worthy our notice what care the Spirit of God hath taken to remove the Suspition of Unkindness in the Redeemer toward his Friend Lazarus whom he refus'd to Visit and Recover as his Sisters requested and expected for in the Verse which immediately follows this Answer of Christ the Evangelist adds this cautioning Remark Now Jesus loved Martha and her Sister and Lazarus His not complying with their intimated Desire of
having their Brother speedily Recover'd did not proceed from Unkindness or want of Affection tho' there was appearance of them No he bore the same Love unto a sick and dying Lazarus as if he had wrought a Miracle to prevent his Sickness and Death 'T were easie to enlarge upon this Head but I must proceed unto the III. And Principal Observable in the Text The Import and Sence of this Answer And if it be remembred that the Sickness of Lazarus was Mortal there will be found these two General Propositions contain'd in it I. The Sickness and Death of those who are the Friends of Christ do bring a peculiar Glory unto God and the Redeemer II. This one Consideration is sufficient to quiet and support the Followers of Christ under those sorrowful Providences I need not spend time to prove how evidently these Truths are contain'd in this Answer of Christ which though given in a particular Case yet carrieth such a general Instruction as reacheth unto Christians in all Ages of the World 'T is granted that there were singular Circumstances that attended the Sickness and Death of Lazarus and a most glorious Miracle was wrought in raising him from the Dead But notwithstanding there are other grounds which justifie the general Conclusions which are drawn from the words In which 't is manifest as has been observ'd our Lord design'd to quiet and ease the troubled Minds of Lazarus's Sisters who had now a sorrowful Prospect of losing a beloved Brother And in order to this he thought it enough without mentioning his miraculous Raising from the Dead only to inform them That the threatning Sickness of their Brother was for the glory of God and that the Son of God might be glorified thereby This one Consideration when it sinds due Entertainment in and hath a right Operation upon a believing Soul is able to still all the disquieting Motions that Sorrow and Fear have raised there I have not design'd a distinct handling of these Two Propositions 't will be as useful to joyn both together in a plain and instructive Method And therefore shall 1. Give a short Account of the Glory of God and Christ 2. Shew how the Sickness and Death of those who are the Friends of Christ does contribute unto it 3. On what Accounts the Consideration of this hath such a quieting and supporting Insluence upon a Christian and after ward draw some instructive Inferences from these memorable words As to the 1. The Nature of that Glory which belongs unto God and Christ On which I shall only make a very few Remarks because it may be hoped that few Christians are unacquainted with this common Subject Glory in its general Idea or Notion is nothing but some great Excellence manisested and acknowledged whence 't is that it makes so very strong an Impression upon Intelligent Creatures and the desire of it hath so universal an Influence More particularly 1. The Glory of God is the Manifestation of the great and adorable Excellencies which are in the Deity both absolutely and relatively considered When the Virtues as the Greek Expression is 1 Pet. 2.10 of God are shown forth so as to be acknowledg'd and esteemed by his Creatures When his inflexible Justice and spotless Purity his unsearchable Wisdom and infallible Truth his Almighty Power and inexhaustible Goodness do shine forth and are set in a just Light then the Glory of God appears in open view Numb 14.21 God sweareth that all the Earth should be filled with the Glory of the Lord because he intended to display his Justice and Holiness in punishing and consuming the murmuring Israelites Thus 't is said Psal 102.16 When the Lord buildeth up Zion he shall appear in his Glory because that Work would manifest the Power and Veracity of God 2. The Glory of Christ is the shewing forth that Excellence which belongs unto his Mediatory Office accordingly when he wrought his first Miracle at Cana he is said to have manifested forth his Glory Joh. 2.11 All the Evidences which bear Witness unto his Priestly or Regal or Teaching Offices do glorisie the Redeemer 2 Pet. 1.17 3. It must be remembred that the Glory of the Deity is distinct from that of the Redeemer yet they are never separated from much less opposed unto each other 'T is otherwise as to the Glory of God and of a Creature these do often disagree and clash against each other When Herod accepted an undue Honour from a flattering Crowd this took away the Honour that was due unto God Acts 12.23 but the Honour that is given unto Christ doth bring Glory unto God Joh. 17.1 These two are so inseparably joyn'd together that they can never be put asunder Let us now enquire 2. How the Sickness and Death of those who are the Friends of Christ do bring Glory unto God and the Redeemer While our Eye is sixt only upon the dark side or Supersicies of this Object we shall be tempted to put such a Question as once Nathanael did concerning Nazareth Joh 1.46 Can any good thing come from such Evil Can so barren a Soil produce such precious Fruit as the Glory of God Can this dark and dismal Cloud send forth such a refreshing Light At the first view it seems dishonourable unto God when these Bodies which are his Temples are demolish'd and laid in the Dust This I say seems a disparagement unto him who rais'd and dwelt in ' em When these pleasant Plants which stood in the Courts of God are overturn'd this seems a damage unto the Heavenly Husbandman But notwithstanding these Objections of Sense 't is undeniably true that the Sickness and Dissolution of Christians do really contribute unto the Glory of God and Christ The Evidences which confirm this do relate both unto those Christians who are remov'd by Death and unto those who survive 1. With respect unto the Dying Friends of Christ themselves Their Sickness and Death do many ways bring Glory unto God and the Redeemer 1. The Divine Veracity or Truth is glorified by executing the Primitive Sentence which hath been given against all the Posterity of fallen Adam Gen. 3.19 Dust thou art and unto Dust thou shalt return A peculiar Glory redounds unto God when these Declarations which signifie his Councel and Purpose are punctually accomplisht As on the contrary nothing is more dishonourable in its own Nature than Falshood which is counted even by Lyars themselves an intolerable Reproach Compare Num. 14. ver 21. with ver 35. The Death of every Christian doth seal unto the Truth of God 2. The Divine Holiness and hatred of Sin are honour'd by the Sickness and Death of those Christians who have provok'd the Anger of God though they die in Peace We have memorable Instances in Moses in Josiah and the Corinthian Christians some of whom were cut off by Death though not Condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.30 32. Concerning Moses we read that by his unadvised Language he offended God At
Support a Christian under such sorrowsul Providences Of this I shall give this Threefold Account 1. That Love which a Christian bears unto God and Christ makes their Honour dearer unto him than any Interest of his own and consequently the advancing of that will sweeten all the Crosses that can oppress him When Jeptha's Victory over the Amonites had got him more than ordinary Honour this was so pleasing to his Daughter that she was willing to endure the harsh Effects of her Father's Vow Judg. 10.36 Such a temper there was in the Apostle when he could declare that his chief Expectation and Design was that Christ might be magnisied in his Body whether by Life or Death Phil. 1.20 2. A Christian knows that when God and Christ are glorified then the grand Purpose and End of God are attained We are sure that the blessed God cannot design any Gain or Prosit to himself in his Actings but his design is to get himself Glory and it must be very delightful unto God when this Councel of God is accomplish'd 3. A Christian obtains his own chief Request when God is glorified all his other Petitions are subordinate unto this He remembers that the Hallowing or Glorifying of God's Name stands in the very first place in that Exemplar Prayer which Christ hath left unto the Church and therefore when God doth glorifie himself though in a way that is grievous unto the Humane Nature yet a Christian Rejoyceth And now it were easie to draw many instructive Inferences from this Answer made by Christ As 1. It will follow from hence that the surprizing Death of the most holy and useful Persons Applicat is no Objection against the Providence and Government of God 'T was usual among the Heathens to Accuse their Gods yea some of 'em proceeded to deny the Existence and Providence of a Deity because some excellent and vertuous Persons were taken away by a surprizing Death The Epicurean who disputes against Providence thought his Queries unanswerable when he ask'd Why if there was a Providence the two brave Scipio's were Routed and Slain by the Carthaginians Cicer. de N. D. l. 3. with several such like Questions which were more tolerable in the Gentiles who knew not God but it is inexcusable in those who have the Oracles of God committed unto them to think or speak at such a rate 2. What adorable Wisdom belongs unto the blessed God who can glorifie himself by those very events that seem most dishonourable unto him 'T is observed by the Apostle that the foolishness of God is wiser than men 1 Cor. 1.25 i. e. In those very events which seem inconsistent with Wisdom wherein God seems to act foolishly yet in them he infinitely surpasses all the skill and Wisdom that are in men The Divine Wisdom can build Trophies upon those very places which seem to swallow it up The cutting off the natural Branches the casting away the Body of the Jewish Nation at the first view appear'd dishonourable unto the Truth and Fidelity of God but the consideration of this event draws from the Apostle that admiring Exclamation Rom. 11. v. 33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 3. How vast is the distance between the Thoughts of God and those of Men Isa 55.8 The subject of the Text gives a memorable instance The Sisters of Lazarus might be apt to conclude that their Brothers Sickness and Death would be on various accounts dishonourable unto Christ 1. As they seemed to import Unkindness or Impotence in Christ who on this occasion carry'd it as if he either neglected his Friend or was unable to help him And 2. As they seem'd to argue the unprofitableness of Christs Service When Lazarus was Dead and laid in his Grave those who knew the Friendship of the Redeemer unto him would be tempted to speak on this manner How little advantage hath poor Lazarus got by his Acquaintance with and service unto Christ who if he had Power to Recover and prevent the Death of his Sick Friend has been guilty of strange unkindness But in the conclusion the Sickness and Death of Lazarus did bring a far greater Honour unto Christ than his recovering would have done That Miracle which was wrought in raising him from the Dead did exalt the Name of Christ and encreased the number of his Followers take heed therefore of leaning unto your own understanding but whenever the ways of God have a perplexing obscurity in them imitate the Practice of the Psalmist Psal 73.17 Go into the Sanctuary and view them in Scripture light this will discover a refreshing brightness in those Events which have the most horror in them 4. How real and great a difference doth Converting Grace make between a Christian and the unbelieving World The latter are wholly insensible unto the consideration us'd in the Text the glory of God and Christ have no efficacy to quiet and support their minds Arguments taken from their own Reputation or Interest have some force to moderate Sorrow and keep it from excess but the glorifying of God by their Crosses is an Argument which hath no strength with them whereas it hath the greatest with a Christian to whom nothing else need be represented Our Saviour well understood to whom he made the Answer in the Text they were his sincere Disciples who were capable of perceiving the force of this Consideration which afterward our Saviour repeats unto Martha v. 40. Thou shouldest see the glory of God Unto a Martha this would be a grateful and transporting spectacle when a Judas had far rather see thirty pieces of Silver than this glory of God Let us try our selves by this Rule this will discover our State and our Character and whether our Patience under Tryals be a Christian Grace or but a Philosophick Virtue this latter groweth from other Principles when therefore our Minds are quieted under dejecting Providences without having recourse unto the support of the Text 't is a sad evidence that we are alienated from the Life of God If the consideration of his Glory cannot over-ballance the Pain and Loss that we are expos'd to we are very unlike to our Redeemer whose troubled Soul was composed with this Thought that his Fathers Name would be glorified by his accurs'd Death John 12.27 28. 5. Let us whom this sorrowful occasion hath drawn together and all who but hear of it give diligence to correspond with the design that God hath in this severe Providence Surely he hath not made this breach only to open a passage unto Sorrow and Compassion much less to furnish us with new matter of discourse No he designs that we should glorifie him in our Hearts and Lives more than we have formerly done And this leads me unto that particular Application which I propounded to spend some time in and which will assist us in making that Improvement of this Providence as will bring glory unto God All that I
shall add will fall under these following Directions 1. Let us justifie this severe Providence of God 'T is highly dishonourable unto him when we blame and accuse his ways as if they were not equal as on the other hand 't is Honourable to God when we subscribe every Arrest that our Heavenly Judge hath pronounc't 'T is related concerning Aaron that when his two Sons were cut off he held his peace Lev. 10.2 3. He made no Objections against that tremendous severity of God when he understood that He had glorified himself by that Act. Blessed be God who enableth the Relict of the Deceas'd thus to glorifie God May this Instance of his Resignation very much exalt the Name of God and bring Reputation unto strict and serious Religion Let this conclusion be deeply fix'd in all our Souls that however severe the dealings of God are they are always Righteous and Equal 2. Let us Honour and Imitate the Holy Example of the Deceas'd Friend of Christ the worthy Mrs. Shower None I hope will expect a large Historical account of her Life or a Funeral Encomiastick this latter she needs not for her own Works praise her in the gate and are a more valuable Monument than any made by Art Her Parentage and Beauty her Wit and Charms of Conversation tho' even those were Gifts from above must now be pass'd over in silence for all these are Praeda Mortis a Prey unto Death and the Grave which consideration ought to cure the undue Esteem of them that many professing Christians discover and perhaps few places are more guilty of this Vnchristian Error than this City where it seems to be the chief Ambition of many to out-vye others in every thing rather than in real Holiness which is the only Ornament that Death cannot spoil us of accordingly I shall only take notice of those Excellencies which do fit the dignifying Character of Lazarus unto her One whom Jesus loved And however useful and honourable the Love of our Acquaintance and Fellow-creatures may be unto us yet at last this Character of Sick and Dying Lazarus will be more valued than any the most admir'd Titles of Honour To make good this Character it will not be necessary to Describe her in her Personal and Relative Capacities in both which those who knew Her will acknowledge that she had not many Equals 'T will be enough to draw the few following Lineaments 1. The Holy Wisdom which did shine in her Conduct and which she discover'd both in leaving her Native Land to enjoy the advantages of Living in a Religious Family to which she was related and in the Choice that she made when she changed her Condition Neither the prejudices of the Age or the Advantage of other offers could hinder from accepting One as the Partner of her Life from whom she could expect the best assistance in the Service of God and the concerns of her Soul and this she did at a time when there was no prospect of that Tranquility which now encourageth Persons of his Character and Profession 2. Her Conscientious Attendance upon the Publick Worship Of this I am capable to give Witness having had the opportunity of Living a considerable time under the same Roof and have observ'd how Her Love unto the Solomn Assemblies made Her overcome many difficulties which are pleaded by others in excuse of their neglect neither the Heat or Cold of the Season nor the hazard to her Health especially when great with Child could induce her to lose any Opportunity of waiting at the Gates of Wisdom such Advantages were pleasant and such Seasons were refreshing unto her Soul 3. The Acquaintance she had with Secret Religion She was not one of those Professors who shut up their Religion within the Temple Walls where they take it up and leave it at their departure No she made many secret Visits unto her Heavenly Bridegroom and from him obtain'd that Wisdom and Modesty and other Virtues which adorn'd her Conversation 4. Her submission unto the disposing Will of God and the comforting hopes she had do compleat the Character of one whom Jesus Loved in this World and hath now receiv'd in the other where she is plac'd out of the reach of Sin and Sorrow of Child-bearing Pains and Child-bed Sickness and where no Clouds shall ever interrupt the Light of God and of the Lamb But if we desire to meet her there we must imitate her Faith and Holiness And 3. Lastly Let us glorifie God by receiving the Instruction which this sorrowful Providence presents to us 1. Concerning the Vncertainty of Life when so bright and Vigorous a Flame is suddenly Extinguisht who can entertain a just expectation of a long Life What folly must it be to reckon upon many years when our Lives are in so perpetual hazard Let us number our days aright and fix upon our Hearts that Conclusion which David made 1 Chron. 29.18 Our days on the Earth are as a shadow and there is no abiding which consideration had no question a strong influence upon that famous Liberality toward the Service of God which is related in that Chapter and it would make us more active in his Service 2. Learn the Vanity of Creature-assistances could the Love of a Husband or the Counsels of Physitians or the Service of Friends have been Effectual there had not been an occasion for this sorrowful Solemnity 'T is become Natural to us to place an undue confidence in Created helps exceeding apt we are to trust in Riches or Wisdom and in the means of Health when in themselves they are empty and broken Cisterns which will send us away disappointed and asham'd 3. The necessity of speedy Preparation for Death and Judgment every Funeral presseth this upon those who are witnesses of it Many of you have lately heard * From my Br. S. on those words Matt. 24.44 Be you also ready the Nature and Importance of this great work and so many have discoursed concerning it that I need not enlarge It hath not been without a design worthy of the Wisdom of God that our Deceas'd Friend should not be called out of the World by Death until she was known unto two Societies in this City whereby her Death is rendred more Instructive And now that a Funeral Sermon hath drawn Multitudes to attend here you will receive no advantage from it yea 't will prove very hurtful to you if you do not seriously engage that you will give all diligence to prepare for Death and Eternity This work is never unseasonable and nothing can be pleaded to excuse the neglect of it You who are Young and in the Flower of your days do not put off this Affair say not as the negligent Jews once did concerning the Rebuilding of their Temple The time is not come Hag. 1.2 The approach of Death will make you of another mind when you hear the sound of that Messengers Feet who will bring you to Judgment you will then conclude that this is the one Thing necessary that all the Concerns of Trade and Offices of Civility are meer Trifles in comparison with this work upon which your everlasting Welfare depends What meanest thou then O Sleeper arise and call upon God and stir up thy self that thou perish not look often down into the Chambers of the Grave dwell by solemn Thoughts in the Valley of the Shadow of Death Be not afraid lest this should make thee Melancholly or Distracted for this path leads unto the most desireable Joy Tho no Distractedness is to be feared in comparison of the Madness which unrepenting careless Sinners are guilty of and whom Death will find unprepared And when a view of your Latter End has compos'd and awaken'd your Souls then put the Question to your selves which you find 2 Pet. 3.2 Seeing that all these things shall be Dissolved or are Dissolving what manner of Persons ought we to be in all manner of Conversation and Godliness FINIS Books lately Printed PRactical Discourses on Sickness and Recovery in several Sermons as they were lately preached in a Congregation in London by Timothy Rogers M. A. after his Recovery from a Sickness of near two years Continuance Early Religion or a Discourse of the Duty and Interest of Youth by the same Author Both Printed for J. Dunton
than to abide in the flesh what is the difference between What we are and What we shall be that the expectation of the Latter should even make Death and dissolution desireable in order to it And here it will be necessary to consider 1. The Expression of our Felicity after death here used by the Apostle Being with Christ 2. In what respects 't is far better to Depart and be absent from the Body that we may be present with him 1. The Expression of our future blessedness by being with Christ Till we are present with the Lord and see him face to face and know as we are known we must content our selves with such Representations of it as God is pleas'd to reveal in his Word Such as our ignorant earthly minds can bear and may be most affected with But when once the vail of darkness is remov'd by death we shall see him as he is and all our Faculties be purified and inlarg'd and suited to the blessed company and work above We shall see him whom our Souls love and reap a Happiness by doing so bigger than our present Hopes and far above our highest thoughts about it For in his presence is fulness of Joy and at his right hand are Everlasting pleasures And can we imagine that a Blessedness purchas'd by infinite Merit contriv'd by infinite Wisdom and prepared by infinite Power and bestow'd at length through infinite Grace will in any thing be defective Doth not our Apostle describe it best by assuring us it cannot be describ'd that 't is greater than we ever saw beyond what we ever heard and far above what we can ever think Doth not the very hopes of seeing him revive our drooping hearts Oh what will be the Glory of that blessed sight is not the pledge and Assurance of it by the Harbinger of his holy Spirit exceeding comfortable Oh what transcendent Satisfaction will his presence give us We now comfort our selves with the Contemplation and one another with the Discourse of it and if our dark Faith and our faint Hopes can give us such a Joyful prospect of what shall be consequent to our dissolution into what ravishing Joy shall we enter by the open Vision and full enjoyment Is the encouragement and support of a Christian now from his presence with us here and will it not be far better to to be present with him above to be for ever with the Lord When we shall never question his Love to us or doubt of ours to him but have a full assurance of the one and a glorious exercise of the other And because our knowledge will be still encreasing our flames of Love shall still rise higher But what additional bliss the Soul shall have by the Resurrection of the body and the great Transactions of the Judgment Day we know but in part Blessed be God we know so much in this imperfect state enough to excite our desires and quicken our preparations and encourage our Perseverance And let 's bless him more that he hath prepared such a glory for us in the presence of the Redeemer as we cannot fully understand till death convey us to him But to be with Christ is not only eligible in it self as expressive of our future Glory but much rather to be desired if considered comparatively Therefore 2. In what respects is it preferrable to an abode in the flesh so as to make us rather choose to depart that we may be with him than continue in the Body and be absent from the Lord 1. Is not a state of Rest and Joy much more desireable than to be continually harrass'd with Trouble and Sorrow We ordinarily begin this World in Tears and solemnize our own Nativity as we do the Funerals of our dearest Friends as if we were then sensible of that universal Curse which hath afflicted Mankind since the first Transgression and had a clear prospect of the miseries we are born to and must afterward suffer And in all the Portions of our little time what and how many do we every where encounter How many things are there which we find are wanting both as to our Accomplishments and Enjoyments and how much are we disappointed if we look for satisfaction from the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life which saith the Apostle is all that is in the world 1 Joh. 2.16 Earthly Pleasures Wealth and Honour Do we not find that what doth rejoyce and please us one day appears with another Face when we view it next or if we think it would please us still 't is gone e're we are aware and with all our skill and power we cannot protract it's duration Do not evil accidents overtake us on a sudden and our most probable designs miscarry in the birth as if all things were governed by Chance and there were no Intelligent Director to oversee and regulate the Affairs of the World and the Actions and Conditions of men Insomuch that the Race is not to the swift nor the Battle to the strong nor Bread to the wise nor Riches to men of understanding nor Favour to men of skill but time and chance happens to them all Eccl. 11.9 Our Pleasures flatter and deceive us and our Afflictions trouble and disquiet us We are imposed upon by our Senses and misguided by our Passions cross'd in our Desires and frustrated in our Hopes griev'd by present evils or perplext with the sears of future and our Spirits for the most part discompos'd either by personal or relative Calamities Some rueful Spectacle is ever now and then presented before our Eyes some evil tidings or unpleasant sound doth grate our Ears We bewail the wants of the poor which we cannot supply or envy the prosperity of the Wicked which we cannot hinder or grieve at the Afflictions of the Righteous which we cannot remedy We have some suffering Friend with whom to sympathize some distressed or deceased Relation to lament some unhappiness of our own or of those we love to be concerned for Besides the Treachery and unfaithfulness of our seeming Friends the Hatred and Malice of our open Enemies the scandalous Actions of professing Christians their Divisions and Animosities among themselves and their despiteful usage and entertainment from the World the Complaints of the miserable the Groans of the Sick the Cries of the Oppressed and our own bodily infirmities weaknesses and pains c. enough one would think to make us desire to depart and render us extreamly willing to lay down and dye if God think sit that we may be at rest especially having the expectation of being for ever with the Lord. For otherwise even * M. Anton. lib. Arr. Epict. lib. 4. c. 10. Boâ—th Consol Philosâ—â— Heathens have spoken excellently of the Advantages of Death as the period of our present Sorrows 2. Is not a state of Holiness and Perfect purity far better than a Life of Temptation Corruption and Sin How are we now buffeted