when they shall be fuller of â—lory and rest than ever they â—ere of troubles and miseries We are here set in a warfare Act. 3.19 asâ—aulted with fightings without and errors within 2 Cor. 7.5 Exoothen machai esoothen phoboi we are compast â—ith an unruly body of flesh we â—re laden with corporal maladies â—ains infirmities pestered with â—piritual faintings qualms and â—eak fits that if we had not betâ—er comfort brought us for the fuâ—ure to free us from these cumâ—ersom anxities a servant of God â—ere of all men most miserable but â—weet Death looses our Chains â—nd sets us free Upon this ground â—id the Holy Father build that â—ghing prayer of â—is to God Domine solve hanc tunicam ita mihi gravem ponderosam da mihi leviorem Nazianz. O Lord saith he â—elp me off loose â—nd unbuckle this â—eavy Coat meaning the flesh full of infirmitie which lies with such a pondeâ—â— pressing weight upon my shouldâ— and give me a lighter and easier gâ—ment meaning the garment eternal life so pleasant so easâ— and free from all troubles whiâ— death brings us and clothes withal If there were 〈◊〉 such Sugar at the bottom the Christians Cup and the bâ— Wine kept to the end of the Feaâ— he had the worst fate of all meâ— but he may with a patience digâ— these earthly troubles because tâ— Lambs Supper shall make amenâ— for the worlds sharp Dinner Psal 27.15 I hâ— utterly fainted saith David 〈◊〉 that I believed verily to see the goâ— ness of the Lord in the Land of thâ—â—ving That is meant of this liâ— much more may thoughts of etâ—nal life keep us from fainting Tâ— hope of death is the hope of 〈◊〉 life it is necessary we die that 〈◊〉 sorrows may die Use 2 Must the very Righteous dâ— let it lead us to consider of aâ— conclude that universal deluge Gen. 2.17 â—riginal corruption wherein all â—ankind lies drowned It is too â—rue that being made of dust sin ends us to returâ— to dust again Who will defend nature to be imâ—aculate and unwounded â—eaths Weapons could not enter â—lesh had not our original impuâ—ity weakned us and strengâ—hâ—ned â—im Man first brought sin into â—he world sin brought death Rom. 5.12 Let one be so bold as to defend naâ—ure to be untainted unless he â—an bring this Argument to â—rove it Here is one free from â—eath Ergo free from that sin We are born Heirs and Coheirs annexed with Adam of sin â—nd death Pray we and strive we against Original lust yea repent we of this sin as that which put death in office and reached the dart into his hand Use 2 This might stir us up that seeing all men even the Righteous must die that we should labour to die Righteous The Righteous mans eye is all on God in his life and Gods eye as at other times so especially is set on him at his death to fetch him to a blessed Mansion We must die but oh that that last Act were made the Axle-tree Deut. 32.29 on which all the actions of our life might turn about by continually thinking on our later end A paper newly written is kept from blotting if dust or sand be cast upon it The remembrance that we are but dust and ashes often and daily cast upon our hearts and meditations would keep us in an holy watchful course that our lives should not be stained with so many blots of impiety and neglect of Gods worship Death indeed shall come to all but our lives are that which makes death bitter or sweeâ— unto us For he shall come to the wicked and rigtheous in a different manner 1. To the wicked and unrighteous he shall come as a man of War to a man where sin lives as long as he lives where Sataâ— sways the Scepter of his Monarchy in his Soul living impenitently in fleshly lusts deaths message is astonishing to such a one Such a sinful wretch looking approaching death in the face his Conscience cries a loud 1 Kin. 21.20 1 King 14.6 Hast thou found me O mine enemy as Ahab to Elias To whom death answers with no better answer than Ahijahs to Jeroboams wife I am sent to thee with heavy tidings a hard message I have brought thee thy wages of sin which is death And then doth the desperate sinner tremble and quake Rom. 6.23 remembring how bad a life has made way for death and death to torment then too late his sins affright him and he cries out but one day longer to repent as did that man in his death O spare me Chrysaorius in morte clamabat Inducias usque mane Gregor Hom. 12. in Evang. and give me but respite and truce till the morning that I die not in my sins and for my sins O where are those many hours neglected in vanity 2. But to the Godly and Righteous Soul his appearance and face is glorious and amiable he speaks a comfortable language to him I cannot hurt thee thy Saviour has taken thy weapons from me 1 Cor. 15.55 his death was my death was my death for his Children I come but to be thy Bridge that thou mayest pass over me into eternal life So great a difference is there 'twixt the Godly and the wicked Christian get thy debts paid in Christ and thy Bond cancelled in his blood get into the croud and touch but the hem of his Garment by faith to draw vertue holiness and his righteous-making merits then shall there be no terrour in deaths Vizard that will sweeten the bitterness of the Grave unto thee and finding that thou art righteous and accepted in Christ thou mayest challenge him O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory O! by repentance keep thy Soul from dying and the death of the body wilâ— be a blessed prelude to immortality And so much for a general viewâ— of the necessity of death to the very righteous Doct. The Souls of the Saints at their death are gathered to the Lord and by the Lord into blessedness This Conclusion has inclusively in it two parts 1. That in this life there is a mixture of good and bad 2. That in death God gathers the Souls of the righteous into aâ— happy unmixt society by themselves Eccl. 3.20 Do not all go to one place saith Solomon yes for bodies in death the Grave is the common receptacle of good and bad a Murderer and a Martyr may be laid in one Grave together but for Souls they change Countries The Sanctum Sanctorum is for those Souls which have been Kings and Priests to God the Righteous are gathered into Heaven but the wickeâ— they shall be gathered into another place they shall be turned into Hell into the Company of all them that forget God Psa 9.17 This Phrase of being gathered together in death may be an allusion to the custom of the Jews who in death are said to be gathered to their
Lords mercy for the other we must depart because of that abomination Who is so mad as to set a fire on his house because he finds some Spiders webbs in it Here will be always in the Church good and bad Shepherds sound and unsound Members It is the time she must be militant when she is Triumphant there shall be none in her but those that are sound and righteous Abuses have bin and will be in the purest Church she must suffer Cramps and Convulsions in Schismes and Sects that good members may be approved The fanning time is not yet come when God will blow away all the Chaffe these spots and wrinkles will be in her face till the last day when Christ will present her to his Father without spot or blemish In the mean time pray we that she may be purged and seek we for as pure a congregation as may be though we could thrust our selves into Noahs Ark Gods Church in a little compass we should find among those eight Righteous Souls one Cabbin full of Beasts and dung something in our judgment offâ—nâ—ive either crossing orders decency or doctrines verity And for our parts let us be so wise as to let God use his own Fann and not to separate our selves because the time is not yet come hearkning to these directions 1. Joyn we our selves to the soundest and best parts of Christs Body 2. Remember we to build up our selves in Christs sufficiency to be a careful Superintendent and Governour of his Church to amend what is amiss censure no farther then the Lord censures 3. Though he say to the Church of Ephesius he has something against her Pâ—ev â— 2.4 yet he doth not unâ— church her he still loves her as a true Church which had many good things in her 4. Lastly wait and waiting meditate or that time when there shall bâ— gathered a glorious Church together and all her chalk stones that are now in her shall bâ— stampt to powder and she builâ— upon preceious stones free from all fault and the least blemish Christ immediately in his own person governing That shall not be Domecratia but Theocratia as Josephus calls the Government of the Jews common-wealth and Church Use 2 Are the Saints Souls gethered together in death this in the mean while may be a Plaister for their sore among whose griefs this is not the least that they cannot live here but among wicked and ungodly men The Child of God would have all like himself and O how it vexes his righteous Soul from day to day to see such Waves of impiety drown them among whom he lives 2 Pet. 2.7.8 It is a good tryal of our Hearts sincere love to the Lord Jesus when we are often in the Prophets ditty O that I had Wings like a Dove to flie away and be at rest from seeing or hearing the Lord dishonoured It grieves him that he lives or living that he has eyes to see it As that Bishop of Chalcedon Maris in the Primitive Church who being blind and meeting with thaâ— Arch enemy of Christ Julian thâ— Apostate Socrat. hiâ—s Eccl. lib. 3. cap. 10. who called him reproachfully a blind wretch anâ— askt him whether his Galilaeaâ— God would not cure him hâ— presently replied I thank my Goâ— that I have no Eye-sight to see sucâ— a sworn Enemy of Christ as thee But how will this medicine bâ— applyed to do us good even thus that we apply our selves to submit to the Lords will and pleasure in patiently undergoing this that we must converse amongst wicked men for if all the Saints should live together it would be Heaven upon earth There is no such holy ground our seat can stand on but we shall find cause to sing that tune Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech to have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar Pâ— 120.5 Sit à te justus râ—motus nescio quot milibus manqiuâ—â—d simâ—l habiâ—atis siunuÌ„â—ot â— aba is Aug. in Psal 101. We must content our selves for a while the time doth not yet appear when none but the righteous shall live together Gods Children seem to be fa off us and we grieve that there is such a distance often times betwixt us notwithstanding how far soever they live from us we have the benefit of their best society their communion and fellowship in pity and Prayers though Bodies be severed we have the best conjunction of their wills and Hearts to ours We must rest in Gods pleasure who out of this mixture fetches much benefit to his Church 1. The godly are dispersed into several Angles and Corners of the World like the Levites all over the Land to work the fear of God in the hearts of wicked men where they live 2. We must remain among those that are stangers to God that our patience may have the perfect work in bearing their reproaches daily which they have cast upon us 3. That our conversation in holiness may ashame and convince them Heb. 11.7 as Noahs preparaing an Ark condemned the World Use 3 4. God hereby takes occasion to make our Crown the more glorious because we keep the faith in the midst of hinderances and continue to hold fast his name and worship though we dwell where Satans Seat is Rev. 2.13 It is a secret in Gaâ—denings Art Satione rerum foetidarum prope flores odore evadent suaviorce ut si allium prope rosam collovaveris Ioa. Camerar Med c. in Centur. Symbos feu Emblem to Sow and Set Roses near the unpleasant smelling Garlick as a means to bring forth Roses far sweeter and more fragrant then others not so planted So is it in grace they that honour the Lords name being amongst wicked men where are least incouragements these Roses are the Lords sweetest flowers their devotion is most acceptable to the Lord. Thirdly this may lend comfort to the Friends of some dying and to the person dying 1. To the Friends of men dying 1. Commonly we send away those that we love swiming in our Tears and make the Coffin as it were a Boat This is the drink-offering of natural affection And what is the burden of our grief but this why they are gone away from us whose love and society was sweet and dear unto us What then if they loved us why then do not we love them would we have them out of Heaven and the company of the blessed to whom they are gathered we our selves shall discontinue but a small time then shall we have their blessed society again Our Souls and theirs by death shall meet and be gathered together never more to be parted As Saul and Jonathan if we loved one another in our lives 2 Sam. 1.23 so in death we shall not be divided Away then with that tearing of Hair and immoderate sorrows for a dead Child sweet Wife or loving Husband departed this life they are gathered to the Lord and his flock of
blessed ones Do we envy their happiness would we have them break off their blessed company for ours and have their Souls re-inspired into these Clay-Tabernacles and then to live again below in these smoaky Houses of sin and vanity No let us set a period to our plaints and say Blessed be God who hath delivered these our Friends from all mundane miseries and gathered them so near unto himself 2 Sam. 12 23. We shall go to them but they shall not come to us as David said of his dead Child 2. To the person dying Death indeed seems terrible but shall we fear it as that which destroys all our joy What is there else that we need fear if we fear God Doth thy Conscience witness within thee that all thy indeavours have bin to honour the Lord in thy life never start then for fear of death all the harm he will do thee is a gathering of thy Soul unto the Lord and to the society of the blessed Socrateâ— could fly to this to sweeten his poysoning Cup of death to which he was condemned saying Count ye it not an high matter to have conference in another life with Orpheus Musaeus Homer Hesiod Xenophon O how shall I swimm in abundant pleasures when I shall meet with Palamedes and Ajax and other fasly condemned Truly saith he I would willingly often go out of this life if it might be to find these men my Companions Lo Christian blush before the Heathen who could warm himself with these poor Chipps and this cold comfort How far sweeter will be the Heavenly inhabitants when thou shalt see Adam Abel Abraham that glorious Friend of God and Father of the faithful Moses and Elias those pickt out by Christ to conferr with at his Transfigurations There shalt thou see David and Samuel Paul who hath filled the world with sweetness by his honied leaves Paulus John the darling of Christ yea that Jewel of women Mary the blessed Mother of Christ and Christ himself the Lord of Glory with all the faithful Saints that ever the world had yea all our dead Friends departed in the faith of Christ Would he go often to see such blind Heathens whose Heaven it is to be suspected is Hell and shall we be afraid once to be transported into such a glorious Clew of Heavens Citizens Go out therefore undaunted O my Soul fear not death thou goest to God thou art gathered to Christ to Angels to Saints glorified to the society of the Spirits of just men made perfect Shall the Souls of righteous c. Use 4 Learn we farther from it these things 1. It will teach us what becomes of the wicked in their deaths they also are gathered together among themselves as the Godly among themselves to make a bundle of life so are these Tares bound up in the bundle of death to feed eternal fire Hear O drossy Hearts you sons of Abaddon have a great mercy that you live mixt with Saints whose examples might be made unto you at occasion of blessedness but from their lives you will not learn holiness you shall not be always together hereafter you shall be seperated and go Goats with Goats The righteous when they die go to Heaven Gen. 30.25 and the blessed Canaan that is their own place as the earthly Canaan was called Jacob and so wicked men when they die they go the Kingdom of perdition that is their own place as Judas when he perished They have a place of their own Act. 1.25 where no righteous man shall come among them they have wrought for it and they shall have it the place of darkness and horrour Which made the Prophet cry out O Lord Ps 26.9 gather not my Soul with sinners nor my life with bloody men O what mirth and joy is here upon earth Drunkards made songs of me Psal 69.12 when a knott of lewd and licentious livers that hate Christ and laugh at his Word do meet together and he is the happiest counted of this unhappy Crue that can coyn some scurrilous and base jest upon a Christian that walks after Pauls rule circumspectly strictly Eph. 5.15 or as they call it precisely yet these blind wretches in their death shall wish to be the Dogs that might but lick the Crumbs which fall from the Table of these Children of the most High whom they have despised and reviled O sinner learn betimes the way of the righteous Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. If thou diest unreconciled to God thou shalt not have part with the righteous thou shalt be gathered among thy miserable Companions as the faithful are gathered into Abrahams bosome so shalt thou be gathered into Judases bosome the Patriarch of them that perish with Cain Perditorum Patriarcha Saul Demas Herod Julian c. And all that wicked crue which hated Christ 2. Seeing the Righteous shall be gathered together hereafter let it exhort us to love their companions in Heaven seek out the Godly man affect his society talk with him walk with him for he walks with God As he that rubbs his hands on Musk or Civit shall savour of it so by thy society with the righteous Cant. 5.5 thou shalt get a savour of good things his conference will quicken up thy Graces his zeal provoke thee his hands drop myrrhe upon thee 3. Hate all wicked associates partners in sins shall be partners in sins scourge As thou desirest not to be gathered with the wicked men and their black Angels hereafter so hate thou to be gathered into their counsel and company here When the Righteous go from among us some Judgment is to be feared is coming towards us It is to be suspected that some great evil is ready to fall on that people out of whom God selects them When mercy gathers the godly some judgement is like to come and scatter the ungodly God in this may be compared to a careful Husband whose House beginning to burn here he snatches his Plate there he gathers up his Jewels conveys away his Trunks of Linnen and Goods oâ— most worth as for baggageâ— wood-vessels and other cheap anâ— baser Furniture he lets that burâ— because he has saved that he loveâ— the best Thus doth God wheâ— a sinful nation is kindling hiâ— wrath against it in some judgmenâ— the Lord before it begin or in thâ— beginning takes and snatcheâ— away here an holy man and therâ— an holy woman he gathers uâ— these his Jewels and choiceâ— Plate to lay them out of thâ— reach of the fire that only thâ— wicked may perish in those flameâ— their own sins have kindled Seâ— it in Lot so long as he is in Sodoâ— their Table is not spread for Godâ— hot banket of fire and Brimstoneâ— but assoon as the Lord has goâ— him out Gen. 19.22 Non posse se dixit quod sine dubio porerat per potentiam non poterat per justitiam Aug. cont Gaud. l. r. cap. 30.
Soul-rusting pride and fashions strange Whose brood's Court Lunaticks in monthly change How many traps alluring baits do lie And rest in naked breasts for an adulterous Eye Tinctur'd by you not she knew not your toys Nor dieted her Soul with Dunghils joys Smells as foul earth your Sophistrie she fled Which makes a two-fac'd Monster with one Head An Act calls God Bungler Blush stars and Sun Art perfects that face Heaven had not well done Three things were deemed precious 〈…〉 Eye Time Faith Christs Blood for which her prayers did vie In first the second by second third she got 'Bove both Indie's treasures a surpassing lot Put to the Trial Temptations hotest flame She du'd endured stood withstood quencht orecame And from Whales belly out of sorrows Hell Of Gods supporting Grace could wonders tell O Heavenliest Art that sweet Experience She could decline Afflictions in each Tense What Present Past and future fruits they bring How Saints do sometimes sink then float and swim Yet here 's not all more Virtues could I pick To puzzle and gravel all Arithmetick Which makes me pity that poor Sâ—agyrite When he did his Ethnick Ethick Volumes write VVhere all the moral Virtues he could count The number of eleven did not surmount Our living Volum fair printed had far more Our little VVorld saith his great world was poor For whose dear sake Grammarians may define Virtue always of Gender femenine Thy death sham'd not thy life thy dearest friend On his day chose thee to him to ascend Thy green years promis'd life Virtue full grown Pronounc'd thy field was ripe fit to cut down Living each one had part of Joys in thee Dying like griefs as having from our Tree Best branch rent off O loved Spousess câ—ys one Dear Daughter another Sister Companion Kind Lady these all Friend boâ—â—â— tyed and true With love engrain'd that never chang'd the hew Thy Battel 's ended Lawrel decks thy brows Deaths livery ours the fadest Cypress boughs Had death spar'd thee a while and given leave ' Mongst us thy friends some legacies to leave Our griefs had lower ebb'd Lo I desire For Legacy some coals of thy hot fire Of Zeal to heat my freezing frigid heart Or else of thy Humility a part ' Gainst innate Pride O thou mightst well have given Thy Love divided amongst six or seven Thy worlds contempt had been an excellent gift That eight or nine amongst us might it shift And knowing our hasty spirits when thou slipt hence Why didst thou not bequeath thy Patience Thou knewst how many walk'd with that bad note Of busie scullers in anothers boat Couldst not thou say Friend take thee this bequest Handle thine own Oars that becomes the best I leave thee it ' cause I lov'd it Thus good heart Thou mighst have given us every one a part I see Death will engross say what we list He scorns our Laws will be a Monopolist I 'le not Chide fate nor curse dire destiny Nor challenge Death to field nor rage and cry O hateful Heavens when Providence will must Have the perledst Mortals once to kiss the dust Here Heart from sighs our Eyes from brackish tears Body from weakness Mind from horrid fears Can't be priviledged Earths Cushions pillows best Be stufft with thorns or life is stuck and drest VVith netles briars Blest be thy Pylat Death VVho hence from Pirats on these Seas beneath Sin Misery Vanity doth our Souls transport Into Heavens blessed Harbour Rests true Port. VVhere neither boistrous North West South or East Raises ambitious VVaves nor yet that Beast Leviathan below can Cables break Or with Temptations make our Pinnace leak VVhere we forget those Threnodies of grief VVeep watery Eyes and VVho can send relief For me Imparâ—dis'd Soul to thee once dear Assistant witness in thy assaults of fear And sore Soul-combates were Saints power to mind As mind here was I should not stay behind For reason and religion both this prove Heaven doubles Gr ce and so it doubles Love Some curious Eyes did look I should rehearse Some light-heel'd lines in a wit-woven verse VVisemen will think the match is very base To lay on cloth of Gold a Buck-rams lace Or motleys purls and edge The sobred Grave Hate feathred leightness and substantials crave Her aims o'rclimb'd the Stars who gravity Sleight neither know themselves nor her nor me Nor eare I what capriccious Judges think Who say here it flatteries mart and Oile for Ink I 'le glew these lines on envious slaunders barr And Twelve of Malice's Clients that would marr A VVorld of honesty shall empaneld be To vent galls verdict ' gainst this verity Truth fears no blasting breath come slander speak Or bite thy lips in anger till th' Heart break Had she no faults yes some thou more none 's free Adam fell once we often sometimes she VVhen Marbles moulder and pounded are to dust Yet fresh shall be the Memorial of the Just When in my Memory enrolled I find thee not Well may I doubt all virtue I hove forgot Sanctities pen writes such an Epicede Quaint'st brains mere Pernasian doth exceed Ermins are vermin base in Arms and Coat Where Grace powders not life with holy note Good Day thou hast gotten bidst us Good night Leaving thy virtuous pattern to guide us right An holy course chalks th' way to Heavenly light Let vain World dress its Carps spit spite fume laugh A Gracious life leaves fairest Epitaph The Epitaph on the Lady Mary Gryffith FRom mothers womb unto earths womb the grave Through th' Worlds desert some years I wandered have Nature gave being Grace well-being Death th' best Heavens happy Being to Soul to Body rest I lie here waiting till the last shrill-voic'd Trump Shall breath new life into this dead Clays lump Then shall be at once two Nuptials solemniz'd Of Body to Glorious Soul and both to Christ O Mortals learn of me make Christ your scope By Prayers and Tears I came to rest in Hope FINIS
Spirit his power to sustain him his Grace to quicken him all earnestly desired these are the substance of this holy Psalm what the Father saith of that Verse Monachus qui non vigilat hunc versum non potest dicere Hieron in Psal 77. Psal 77 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking c. a sleepy Monk cannot say that Verse the same may I say in another kinde a sleepy secure Christian that mourns not for his sins and by faith and patience not earnestly trusting and waiting upon God cannot truly say this The Psalm is a congress for a Combat or a pitched field 'twixt faith and distrust the old and new man in the Soul of a sanctified man distrust of the flesh arms it self with a multitude of sorrows and fainting with waiting for Gods delayed help Faith in the new man comes strengthened with a multitude of Gods mercies against the multitudes of miseries waiting to spie Gods face though he do for a while hide it yea as winning the Battel Ver. 9 10 stedfastly concluding Though thou hide thy face yet art thou my God and my hiding place Here about Gods help we have David requesting and reasoning with God The request are two the reasons two to move the Lord to grant his re-requests 1. Request is for audience and that speedily Hear me speedily O Lord. And that is backt with reason why What haste why begest thou for so speedy hearing He gives the reason My spirit fails I can hold out no longer 2. Request is for light of Gods countenance Hide not thy face from me 2. Reason for that is the present peril he is in even ready to die If thou hide thy face Lord I shall perish and accompany them that lie in the pit We may frame him to our understanding as if he thus pleaded with the Lord Sum and Sense How long O Lord wilt thou shut out my prayers look upon me and behold how low I am brought O hear me quickly lest my tired spirit give over lest my faint heart which has now no more strength to subsist without thy help do quite break off as drowned in the whirl pit of my deep sorrows Now at length O Lord after my long waiting send and let shine the light of thy countenance upon me which may glad my Soul shew me thy face which may raise me up again else if thou still delay what is there can keep me alive any longer from the company of them that are laid in the grave and sleep under the câ—oâ—s of death my life without sense of thy love being worse than death .. Doctr. First request Hear me speedily David he is in trouble and he betakes him to prayer Prayer is the sovereign Remedy the Godly flie to in all their extremities The Saints in sorrows have fled for comfort and healing unto Prayers and Supplications Heaven is a shop full of all good things there are stored up blessings and mercies this the Children of God know who flie to this shop in their troubles begging for help from this holy Sanctuary Psal 77.2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord. When any vexation makes our life grievous unto us what should we seek but help of whom should we seek but of the Lord how should we seek Psal 116.3 4. but by prayer My sore saith he ran and ceased not so his Soul ran and ceased not to pray to the Lord. When the sorrows of death compassed him and the pains of hell got hold upon him what was his course then he got hold of the Lord and prayed unto him right humbly Then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my Soul We have to confirm this for a sure and saving way Precept Practice Promise Performance 1. Precept God commands us to pray at all times especially in sad times Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me He commands us to depend on him for deliverance and calling upon him is the best dependance 2. Practise the Godly have walked in this way which God has prescribed All Davids Psalms will witness that he coupled his troubles and prayers together Psa 6. Psal 38. So Hezekiah Esa 38.2 at hearing the message of death sent to the Lord a message of Prayers So Nehemiah in Jerusalems destruction Nehem. 1.4 5. sought succour to her distress by prayer 3. Promise the Lord hath armed us in our Petitions with hope Esa 65.24 John 16.23 which is made up of sure Promises we shall not pray to one that is deaf assoon as we can finde our tongue we shall finde his ear Every humble praying sinner shall have a hearing and helping Saviour 4. Performance all Saints are ready to subscribe We prayed the Lord has performed and delivered This poor man cried Psal 34.6 and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles This poor woman even Hannah prayed 1â— aâ— â— 19 2â— and the Lord heard her he gaver her Samuel the thing she asked of God as the name signifies All the Saints cry and by experience witness the Lords performance upon their prayers we have swimmed say they in all Seas of sorrows ready to sink but prayer hath held up our heads I was in the stocks I prayed and am delivered saith Joseph in the Lyons den by prayer I muzzeled those cruel Beasts that they did not bite saith Daniel our bed was made in the fire our coverings violent flames prayer prevailed with the Lord to cool all this heat say the three Children God has thus performed he will still perform our evils are no greater God is not deafer he can still deliver for he is as strong he will still deliver for he is as loving and gracious he must hear and deliver us for he is faithful and will not deny his Seal and Promise which he hath given us Use Away then with all broken reeds learn we not to lean on or to trust to vain confidences flying to carnal remedies in our evils Is there any evil which the Lord hath not wrought Are we in some trouble the arm of Heaven sent it the arm of flesh cannot remove it Has God wounded thee seek not then to the Devil or the Witch his Agent for a Plaister Art thou in poverty trust not to unlawful shifts they may raise thee up again in the world they cast thee twice as low in the world to come O the folly of worldly men who think with pleasures to drown their sorrows with mirth to stop the mouth of Conscience and to laugh away the burden of their evils Jer. 3.23 In vain is salvation hoped for from the mountains if God wound worldly comforts are but foolish Physick There is no way like this to fly to him by Prayer when we trust to earthly helps we take no notice of Gods hand Secondly 2 Use Lawful means
grave not shaking the hands of others but wringing their own hands in a woful farewel the fingers pidling with the bed-clothes Animam quod imodo inter dentes habentem August id Epist Joan. tract 10. Aristaeas Proconnesis Hujvs animam corvi specie visam ex ore evolantem tradiderunt Plin. Hist lib. 7. Jo. Franc. Picus Mirandula praenot lib. 9. cap. 2. Maximus Tyrius Platonicus Serm. 22. and the Soul now standing upon the lips like a bird ready to take her flight and if it were visible should be seen like his soul which was said to be seen to flie out of his body in shape and colour of a Crow that then at last alas too late it should come to this sober and sad reckoning O let me die the death of the righteous and let my later end be like unto his Num. 23.10 Children when they are asleep look the prettiest the Godly man is a fool in his life yet the worlds deepest heads would be no wiser in their deaths his last sleep has form and comliness in it Our Prophet intends iâ— these words to tel us as much thaâ— under the hard shell of death hâ— findes a sweet kernel of life hâ— is taken away from evils anâ— troubles quietly to rest as if he were laid in his own Bed chamber This Prophet has many drops to comfort Gods Servants he writes like an Evangelist our Saviour and his Apostles dwelt much in his leaves for he spake the Gospels Language of consolations Verse 3. Musculus in Praefat. ad comment in Esay the New Testament has honoured him above other Prophets with quoting his Prophesie 60 times from Chapter 40. to the end of the whole Prophesie it is like Canaan full-stream'd with milk and hony almost altogether consolatory This very Chapter among the rest is not so short as sweet having goodly beams come from it First It gives a bright and clear beam to stand like a light over the grave of the Rightâ—â—â—s to let us see how they are buried in â—eace to the third verse Secondly a sharp piercing â—eam of reproos for conviction of the ungodly of divers sins mocking of the Holy Idolatry c. to the thirteenth Verse Lastly an heating beam of comfort promises of favour reconciliation and peace to stay the tears of all Zions mourners to the end of the Chapter These words otherwise may be named the short Table or view of the Child of God in his life and death 1. In his life and so he is described two ways 1. God-ward so he is righteous Life 2. Manward so he is merciful 2. In his death which we consider two ways 1. How expressed Death 2. How respected 1. Expressed two ways he is said to 1. Perish 2. Be taken away out oâ— the world 2. Respected two ways 1. Of God he respectâ— them with care to free them from the evil to come 2. Of wicked men theiâ— respect is respectlesness set out Two ways by two Phrases of careless neglect 1. They never take it to heart 2. They little consider or minde it Or more briefly the whole may be summed into these two Heads 1. Gods Judgment in the death of the Righteous taking them away to himself when he means to punish the world 2. The worlds want of judgment and consideration of Gods end of it None considers it none lays it to heart Let some light of explication make clear the words The righteous Rom. 3.10 Eccl 7.20 Righteousness is hard to finde Are there some Righteous is it not the voice of the Scripture there is none righteous no not one Not a Just man upon earth True when we name Righteousness we call to mind our lost Pearl God made man Righteous This Apple of our eye was given away for an Apple of the Tree of Knowledge If we speak of men Righteous and Just in respect of their deeds among men we mean upright and honest dealing if we speak of Righteousness in respect of God then we mean no more a righteousness of inherence that is gone but of adherence and cleaving to Christ by faith Christs Righteousness and merits are imputed to us Just and righteous is that stile holy and good men are honoured withal in the Scriptures denoting fruits of righteousness in an upright life according to that 1 Joh. 3.7 Mat. 1.19 Act. 10.22 he that doth righteousness is righteous Thus Joseph is called a Just man so Cornelius where the word Just notes the universal and general carriage in uprightness holiness and Gods fear Perisheth This word sounds harshly as to die miserably untimely but surely the righteous so perish not unless the Prophet speak after the opinion and in the phrase of the ungodly Wisd 3.2 Perishing is taken for any ordinary or natural kind of death as well as violent Job 34.15 Prov. 31.6 to him that is ready to perish that is ready to die In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die or perish and their departure is taken for misery yet to perish is expounded afterward to be nothing else but to be taken away and depart this life No man layeth it to heart No man that is very few or none mind to take care for the worlds loss of the Righteous their hearts are nothing at all moved or toucht with it Things that come near the heart most affect us To lay to heart is a common phrase in Scripture and is expounded after by the word consider It is used again verse the eleventh Thou hast not remembred me nor laid it to thy heart It seems to imply three things First to understand the thing we would consider Secondly To consider and earnestly to think of the causes and consequents of it Thirdly to be affected with it upon that consideration so as the heart joys in it if it find it good is greatly grieved and sorry for it finding it evil the affection of sorrow arising in a matter deplorable of joy in a thing comfortable So then none lays it to heart is thus much None considers at all Gods anger intended to the world in the death of the godly none repent of their sins or stand in fear of some ensuing Judgment Mic. 7.2 Psal 12.1 Significat pro natura loci vel benigne acceptum a Deo vel benignum erga alios Tarnov in Psal 4. ver 4. Merciful men The word signifies Good or kinde men and it is Translated Good or Godly in other places To shew us that Mercy is a great part of Godliness It is taken passively for one that has receiv'd mercy from the Lord or Actively for one that shews mercy to others in which acception it stands here Are taken away Colliguntur are gathered together so the Patriachs dying are said to be gathered to their fathers which is not so meant of their bodies which were it buried in Tomb purchased by their Kindred for a burial place to that family but especially it is meant of the Souls
of the faithful which in the death of their bodies are gathered to the blessed number of the righteous Heb. 12.23 glorified in Heavens gathered to the rest of the spirits of Just men made perfect This taking away or gathering may be considered doubly as a gathering out or a gathering in This is selectio potius quam collectio First A gathering out which is when there is a mixture of things good and bad together when we pick out one sort from the other it is a gathering or selecting collection As when the Net catches all kind of fishes the good are pickt out and the bad cast away Sometimes they are thus gathered when danger is likely to seize on al together then that which is good gathered out that the danger may not fall on it Thus the righteous are mixt in this world with ungodly men and the Lord picks his Children from among the rest he is preparing plagues for the world and before hand he takes care for his by gathering them out of the danger so that phrase imports from the evil to come 2. A gathering in Both these gatherings in the Parable of the Draw-net Mat. 13.47 48. which is after the picking out to lay that which is good in a better place by themselves Thus the Righteous separated from the world by death are gathered like the good fishes into a vessel by themselves into one blessed society and unmixt company into heavenly glory where no wicked men shall enter among them any more And of this gathering is this Colliguntur they are thus taken away None considering Before none laying it to heart for so they are both taken one for another Consider your ways Hag. 1.5 in Haggai in the Original is set your heart on your ways A facie mali From the evil to come From the face or presence of evil From the evil of sin lest if he should live any longer he might be infected with the sins of wicked men But the truest is from the evil of punishment Wis 4.11 wherewith God means to plague the wicked world that they may not smart with the sinners When God has a quarrel with the earths Inhabitants he takes his Children from among them that he may be revenged upon those who have provokt him Thus the meaning of the words appearing the Prophet seems to speak to his people and in them to us after this manner O how great and graceless is our security Sum and Sense of words Which careless and sinful security is plain in the verse foregoing Esa 56.12 with what hasty feet do all men run to their pleasures How blinde are we that cannot see the Land falling under the hand of the Lords severe Judgment Do we not daily see the Lord fetching away by death his dearest and holiest Servants Surely therein he would signifie to us that his intentions are to bring punishments upon us he taking his own out of the way that they may not see nor feel the vengeance which the world has deserved and shall undergo Yet where is there a man that thinks of this or lays it to heart or takes notice what the Lord is about to do when he takes the righteous from among us From the words like clay thus tempered and prepared we may make up these five Vessels 5 Conclusions or Doctrines or extract these evident Conclusions First that Righteous and holy men are also merciful men Secondly Gods most Righteous Servants must die as well as others Thirdly The Souls of the Saints in their deaths are gathered to the Lord and by the Lord into blessedness Fourthly When the Righteous go from among us some Judgment is to be feared is coming towards us Fifthly The secure wicked world is little mov'd with the removal of the Godly None considers it none lays it to heart How easily these rise we need not fly to Reasons to demonstrate it Righteous men are merciful men 1 Doct. Our Saviour hath enjoyned it them and they lay up his sayings in their hearts Luke 6.39 Be ye merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful These have received mercy of the Lord and are thereby transformed into such a merciful and pitiful nature as his is If we should ask fire why it burns It must be answered It is the nature of fire Why doth the Sun shine It is the nature of the Sun to do so How is it the Godly man is so merciful It is the nature of him I mean the new nature that is ingrafted in Christ to be like affected to the misery of othors as he has found Christ to him These may truly say We cannot but do it the love of God constrains us to it 2 Cor. 5 14. There are no Graces poured by God into a good mans heart as water into a Tub or Pond which keeps all to it self and lets the ground be dry about it but every gracious man is a Spring a Fountain that sends forth streams to water the eatth and feeds the rivulets that flow from it When we once come to Christ the great Spring he makes us little Springs to others Zac. 13.1 Joh. 4.14 The waters that I give saith Christ shall be in him that receives it a Well springing up to everlasting life yea might some say it springs up for himself yes and for others also for out of his belly shall these waters flow to the benefit of others The woman of Samaria had no sooner drunk of this water of Christs receiving her to mercy Joh. 7.38 but it burst and flowed out of her belly in pity she laboured the salvation of her Neighbours crying earnestly on them Come and see a man c. Come and taste of that mercy which I have tasted of in Christ Joh. 4. the Prophet David has the very words of this conclusihn the Righteous is merciful and liberal that is he shews his mercy by his liberality Elsewhere he sings the Marriage song of these two in God Psal 37.21 Mercy and truth are met together and as sweet is Righteousness and Mercy Piety and Pity conjoyn'd in a Christian A sweet pair and lovely couple of young Pigeons not the offering of the poor but this Offering to the poor which the Lord loves better than a fat Bullock laid on his Altar With such sacrifices of mercy for he loves mercy better than sacrifice is God well pleased Hos 6.6 Heb. 13.16 This mercy is an holy affection of the heart sympathizing with them that are in misery and a liberal and holy action of the hand helping and refreshing those in misery Piteous affection that is the root actions of liberal distribution and relief that is the fruit which like the fruit of the Vine Judg. 9.13 chears both God and man Misery which is the object of Mercy is corporal or spiritual 1. Mercy looks at them both to the bodies sickness nakedness poverty beggery there mercy will
fierce wrath overwhelmâ— them it stays not long after hiâ— departure The Lord said before I can do nothing till thou come hitheâ— that is out of Sodom into Zoaâ— Why could the Lord do nothing while Lot was there Because 1. Either Lot with his prayers bound the Lords hands as it were that he should not smite 2. Or because the Lord will not destroy the righteous with the wicked Justice indeed crys against sinners Tumble them down into the Sea of thy wrath Mercy then stands up and saith nay Aut Serva aut fepata but rather save them for the righteous sakes or at least free them from the vengeance let not the Wheat be burnt with Chaff The like is manifest iâ— Josiah he is like Wheat among Tares The Lord purposes to burn the sinful Tares with a judgment but he first plucks up the Wheat from that evil to come I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gather-into thy Grave in peace 2 Kings 22.20 and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place Josiah goes and Judgment comes When the Leaves fall fast off the Trees then we say Winter is at hand so when we see not Leaves only but the fruitfullest branches even righteous men cut off from the Tree of this life we may judge there is some Wiâ—ter-weather of Judgements aboâ— to fall on the World Reason We may take Solomons reasoâ— Righteousness exalts a nation Prov. 14.34 bâ— sin is a reproach to any people If thâ— Righteous and righteousness coâ—tinue in it it is likely to flourisâ— but if nothing but sin and sinneâ— be left wrath is not far off 〈◊〉 cannot prosper Weeds are fence about in a Garden for the Herâ— sake and wicked men may than God for the holy men that liâ— among them for they are bettâ— unto them than the Roman Tutelâ— Gods wrath is held off for the sakes they build Walls abouâ— the place where they dwell wiâ— their Prayers and Righteouness Q. It may be demanded Câ— there no wrath seize on a natioâ— or place or people while tâ— righteous are alive and remaâ— among them A. Yes But not upon tâ— righteous in that nation it is nâ— wrath to them and if it do fall upon the people or place First it is a long time deferred and kept off it comes not till after Gods long patience even for their sakes 2. When it comes it comes not so sore the cup of Gods fury is cast in a lesser mould and he puts in fewer dreggs gathers less Gall and Wormwood to imbitter it for their sakes 3. It continued the shorter for their sakes God sounds a reâ—â— at the sooner to the Hosts of his wrath for their prayers Esay 62.9 7. that are continually sounding in his Ears They will not let him alone untill he let the land alone and pull back his wrath Neither doth the death of the Righteous foretel Judgments but besides that look at their usage in the world and it will prove the best Almanack to prognosticate it fair or foul weather that is likely to come on the Church or Common-wealth Look we into the Skie of the Righteous it is an infallible Astronomy if their Skie be fair if the righteous and holy be advanced and honoured with high places either in Church or Weal-publick it is a sign of fair Weather God means a blessing to that land for they will maintain truth and equity that they shall like streams run in the streets when God means to bless a people he sets up such even Aegypt shall not want a blessing whilest Joseph is the Governour See Iere. 22.3 4. 2 Chron. 9.1 On the contrary if the Skie be lowring if good men be the dispised Branches of the Land if they that fear God be not set up and honoured but wicked Heads and Governours not fearing God get all the power into their hands foul-weather cannot be far off the Lord has a purpose to punish that people When aâ— King arose that knew not Joseph and he was not in favour in the Egyptian Court as before then the Egyptian Sun declined towards setting and not long ofter wrath fell on them and rooted them out in sore plagues and drowning in the Red Sea King Solomon has long since observed it who had the best insight into matters of kingdoms Pro. 22.2 When the Righteous are in Authority the people rejoyce God smiles upon that Land But when the wicked bear rule the people mourn some Judgment lies at the door The Application of this and the last conclusion shall be joyned together Doct. 5 The secure wicked world is little or nothing moved with the removal of the Godly None considers none lay it to heart and says to himself Sure these are taken away from some evil to come Our consideration is never so much to seek as in matters 'twixt God and us In a private loss of a dear friend we can mourn and take on and lay it to heart but in a publick dammage where Gods Church is cast into danger there we fear not at all take no care for it When we see one great stone after another fall out of the Wall we consider it and say This Wall will not stand long The righteous the best and strongest stones of ouâ— wall Esay 26.11 are dayly falling and dropping into the Grave and yet no man regards it sensual security still makes the land drunk It is the Lords complaint that we have no eyes his Judgments are far out of our sight Lord when thy hand is lifted up Jer. 5.4 they will not see Surely these are poor and foolish peole for they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgement of their God It is the plague of the world that they shall have Eyes and see not and hearts which consider not the things of God Has the World neither Eyes nor Heart yes but none for God These things are hid from their eyes and far from their Hearts Their Eyes and their Hearts are but for their coveteousness and for to purvey for these earthly things Jer. â—2 17 The Reasons among many may be judged these Reas 1 There is an evil disease of deep-sleep and security lies upon the World Am. 6.3 Esay 28.15 whereby they mind nothing of this nature and are prone to put far from them the evil day making covenants with death 2. Act. 17.21 There is the Athenians disease of curiosity which makes us inquire after novelties and the Lords dealings are altogether neglected not thought upon The Lord in Judgment suffers it 1 The. 5.4 that evils may overtake the wicked before ever they thought on them The righteoâ—s are not regarded in their lives Job 12.4 and therefore are dispised and little consideration had of them in their deaths So far are the ungodly from thinking they are taken away from evil to come that they lay it another