hoc loco constituto templo novo claritas splendor absque nube refulget patres omnes sub nube suerunt omnes in mosen baptizati sunt nube sed jam quia revelationis tempus absque nube in facie Christi gloriam dei contemplamur nunc non inter Cherubim lux est sed illucescit resulgiet ipsa quoque terra a gloria Dei quemad modum terrena Credentium corda incomprehensibili lumine gratiae adimplentur aeterno templo dedicato haec terra in Adamo maledicta est tribulos gignit faedissimis enim cogitationibus discerpitur cor hominis intranti in novum hoc templum suum gloriae Dei perlustris eadem efficitur nos enim pridem peccatores regenuit in spem vivam Ecolamp Mag. Basiliensis Episc in Ezek. 43. and with his faith about the veracitie of that promise and about his Lord Christ wrapped up in the promise for his use mean while doth the Lord bring in Christ himself in person who was the soul and marrow of the promise and so his believing soul was even here gratified with a blessed vision whereof more fully in that which followeth namely Simeons delight Simeon sight and desire I shall amplifie this truth by two necessary questions Q. Quest 1. What this so working sight is Q. Quest 2. What this desire is A. Answ To the first I answer that after a sinner hath taken some good notice of his miserable self out of Christ Eph. 2.12 out of Covenant a stranger to the Common wealth of Israel without God and in a miserable pickle confounded in himself as Ephraim much afflicted and greatly humbled before the Lord. Jer. 31.19 I say after such a sight of himself when a wretched sinner comes to see Christ in the gospell as in a christall glass chosen of God and the beloved Son of God 2 Cor. 5.19 in and by whose mediation God did reconcile himself to the world And when a sinner comes to see himself in his Christ as his Christ as one in whom hee he hath a speciall interest and propriety as blessed Thomas did see Christ when he cryed out my God and my Lord and when thou comest to see him who hath made thy peace with his Father by his most pretious blood upon his Crosse And to see him who hath procured thy justification thy adoption and purchased his Fathers everlasting love for thee and hath given thee to be an heire of Heaven a coheire with himselfe and provided rich mansions of endless glory Such seeing Liking must needs breed likeing such will breed desires longing even to be sick of love after the fuller enjoyment of him who is the Author and finisher of thy salvation It is to see the Lord Christ A. 2 cloathed in our nature for us and to see him in both natures our mediator and advocate with the Father to see him our King our Priest our Prophet mightily enabled to carry on and to compleat the work of our redemption to the uttermost it is to see him who as he was promised by all the Prophets to come into the world Act. 10.43 so I see him come indeed to make satisfaction to divine justice for me to pay my debt and to set open heavens doors to me and to pave for me a new and living way to go to God by him Heb. 7.25 A. 3. It is to see my gratious Lord reaching out both his armes of his love to receive me into the blessed bosome and tendering the pretious self to be made of God to my soul wisdom righteousness 1. Cor. 1.30 sanctification redēption to see him my joy life the life of my life the soul of my soul my crown and glory to see him owning me to be his beloved spouse dying for me respecting more my spirituall life then his own naturall life and he dyed once that I should live for ever it is to see him who chose to be accursed that I might be blessed who was content to be condemned as a vile malefactor that I might be acquitted justified and saved It is to see him who suffered the torments of hell for me that I might for ever enjoy the glory of heaven Think now blessed soul hadst thou been in Simeons case place whether thou wouldest not have said and sung as Simeon did Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2. Question What this desire is Desire is the wing of the soul 1. a strong desire Pher. whereby it moveth towards some good where it loveth to feed it self and to be satisfied with the thing desired Job 39.29 as the Eagle lookes on the pray afar off the Eagle is sharp-sighted to discover the pray swift of wings to hasten to it armed with strength to seize upon it so our desires according to our apprehension of the objects goodness does convocate all the powers and faculties of the soul to promote and procure the good beloved and desired as in the text Simeons love and desire is fixed upon Christ the best good in heaven and earth 2. Hag. 7. and therefore is called the desire of all Nations Well might Simeon desire what he did for as it is said of a Roman Emperor neminem unquam dimisit tristem So the Lord Christ never sent any longing Simeon away empty who comes to him as Simeon did sub ratione boni jucundi to finde enough in Christ to fill up all desires and all the vacuities in the soul Nothing comparable to Christ thought Simeon Exod. 33. nothing but Christ said the blessed Martyr nothing but thy glory said Moses shew me thy glory like Anselms bird tied to the ground with a string and ascending to the length of the thread raising her selfe and flying upwards Oh! so is my soul said he sighing groaning and desiring to depart to be with Christ as Paul to see the Lords salvation as Simeon This desire is a restless desire of a poor weary heavy laden soul A restless desire very low in a vale of misery and valley of teares exiled from her native soile where troubles and griefs croud in like Jobes messengers as the waves of the Sea Rom. 7.24 one at the heels of another Which made the Apostle to aske who shall deliver me from the body of this death The consideration of which made an Heathen to say to his Schollers that if it were offered which Sr Robert Harley said oft in his old age him to be young again he would not accept such an offer so troublesome did he count this present condition to be But the pretious servants of the Lord have more cause to desire death for that they do live under a better hope and do see their celestial soules under the miserable captivity of sin and satanicall thraldome combating continually with the lusts of the
all blessed Simeons do see their salvation future as present so doth faith prevent time and is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Luk. 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house as when Christ called Zacheus from the tree salvation is actually begun then in a believing soul who is said to have his conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 while he is below Whence he looked for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.18 And when death comes believers do not dye but sleep nothing of them dyes but their sins their imperfections and afflictions yea the very being of sin is done away as when the house is pulled into pieces all the ivy roots in the wall are destroyed Reason 3 Death opens a door to believers to be received into Christs armes into the bosome of glory Our loosing from the body is to be joyned to Christ 2 Cor. 5.8 and that is very sweet here is a mysticall union to Christ but no glorious presence no that 's the crowning mercy which is kept till after death Now judge you here you are a prison there enlarged here you are absent from your head your husband your Lord and King eternal but by death the soul is put into the hands of the blessed Angells and by them is presented to Jesus Christ to be for ever with the Lord in glory This Simeon foresaw and therefore said Lord now lettest c. Which dvides itself into these Reason 4 three heads 1. The conflict between soul and body in death 2. The necessity of death in regard to soul and body 3. The blessed advantage which soul and body finde in death 1. Great is the conflict oft times the spirit may be willing when the flesh is unwilling which two twins do a great while stand at loath to depart Jacob was not by Ge. 45.26 and by willing to leave his Countrie and the Land of Promise to goe to his Joseph Israel not by and by willing to go out of Egypt Exo. 5.21 though it were to terminate a long and tedious captivity in Egypt Exo. 12.40 Phil. 1.23 of 430 yeares Pauls Cupio dissolvi did not by and by break forth till the weight of sin carnal conflicts the buffettings of Satan and manifold persecutions did load and weary his pretious soul together with a tedious mortality but then this gratious servant of the Lord became willing to put off his body of sin and death together and with Simeon to say Lord now lettest c The same hand which doth take down our earthly Tabernacle doth build for us a surer and eternall habitation made without hands in the Heavens at which change 2 Cor. 5.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 12.7 the soul is taken to God that gave it till the last day when soul and body shal be made capable of those higher enjoyments which Jesus Christ hath dearly purchased and prepared for them a tast whereof our Lord was pleased to give unto Peter Mat. 17.2 James and John in the transfiguration and unto St. Paul when he was raptured into the third heaven 2 Cor. 12 2 both which some have thought to be more comprehensive then this vision of old Simeon here and yet all the dear Servants of God do in some aspect see Christ before they die and amidst some fears and misgiving thoughts do abundantly long to see him more 2. the necessity of death in regard to soul and body No mortall wants any thing so much as immortality and wants do necessiate men to desires stormes drives many goodly shipps into harbours war doth force the stoutest men to holdes and forts so the soul and body of the Lord 's gratious ones much pinched with the sence of their wants of glory to come and of their beatificall fruitions promised them be necessitated with blessed Simeon to desire to die that they may passe over troublesome Jordan to enjoy the promised blessings of celestiall Canaan where soul and body shall be refreshed enriched Ps 24. and eternally glorified with Jesus Christ their everlasting King of glory which thing our Saviour doth sweetly breath out by St. John Joh. 17.24 in that prayer of his Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory q. d. that they may behold my transforming glory 1 Cor. 13.12 Can the glory of grace that comes by Christ represented to us as in a glasse so transforme a soul as Simeons in the text hath the glory here by mediums such a power then what will it be when we shall behold it without meanes Something Simeon did reach after in his holy wish which he could not comprehend here below though he had his Lord Christ in his armes but he will rejoyce in God his faviour he will believe Job 14.14 and hope well he will expect and wait with holy Job till his change come when he knew his joy shall transcend the joy of harvest or that of men dividing the spoile 1 Pet. 1.8 it being a joy so unspeakable and full of glory See then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that death is necessary to prepare the soul and body for immortality of which more in the third branch of this fourth reason as followeth 3. The blessed advantage which soul body find in death after death Phil. 1.12 presently the soul begins to be in it's prime for whilest she was in the corruptible body she was ruled by corrupt sence and violently carried by loose appetite driven and compelled against it's own gratious desires to give way in some part to a body of sin for she can hardly look out at the eys but looks upon a baited hooke nor hear by the eare but there is the serpents voice nor the tong taste but there is some gall in that honey nor the hand touch but there is a defilement nor the foot tread but there 's a net and every sense a member of the body ready to be a Judas to the soule to betray her with a kiss Now what wise Simeon will not be willing to depart to exchange a dungeon for a pallace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 copper for gold base beggery for high honour a short lease of base heath of barren and craggy rocks Gen. 3.23 1 Pet. 1.4 for the garden of Eden a paradice nay for an inheritance inmortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and incorruptible For as one said to live here is to be halfe dead at least death hath the all of a great part of our lives and dead works I think have above the one halfe of the most sanctified ones here who yet do die dayly 1 Cor. 15.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may live the more to Jesus Christ For the body the body of death as Paul calls it is but let
fear death nor to avoid it's snares for death of it self is not good nor is it naturall to us but cruell and horrible but basely to fear death rather then to glorifie the name of God in our sufferings this is a great sin to bee afraid to dye after an evill life and out of Christ to such death is the terrible of terribles such cannot bee well willing to dye but when God shall in the way of his good providence call us to dye either by a naturall death or to seal unto his truth under persecution to dye a violent death then we may welcome death and the instruments of death as Historians say Saint Andrew did Salve crux pretiosa susci pe nunc Discipulum cúm priùs sustinueris Magistrum Thus M. John Philpot embraced the stake in Smithfield who with a gladsome Spirit said I kindly salute thee precious cross be content to bear me the Disciple who hast formerly born my Master every Simeon is carried above the apprehensions of naturall and morall men in death and hath very grand considerations neither basely nor sinfully to fear death and therefore subscribes unto her with heart and hand Answ 2. The fear of death in the Saints and the fear of death in others are very diverse the one is acted by sinfull-self whom such an one seeks to preserve for fear of greater wrath the other is acted by gracious self who seeks to know the minde of God in his death to subscribe to it and to serve divine providence as in life so in death whom if the Lord shal recover or deliver he gives himself to God again if the Lord hath determined death shall take place hee resigns up soul and body with an holy contentment Mat. 26.39 under the good pleasure of his heavenly Father Let Pagans and Infidels who never believed who never feared God fear to dye or despair in death because they dye without hope Eph. 2.12 Collos 1.20.21 Eph. 1.10 because they have no faith nor do lay hold on that reconciliation which Jesus Christ hath made between the Lord and gracious souls but let Christians rejoice and be glad ever giving thanks unto the Father of mercies Col. 1.1.2 who hath made them meet to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which inherirance for scituation is the Empyrean heaven far above all heavens where is Christ himself to entertain and glorifie all those who sleep in him where is nothing but glory for all such poor souls dying in the Lord as the King of Glory to be with all vessels of glory to accompany us thrones of glory to sit on an eternal wait of eternal glory 2 Pet. 2.1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An enterance shall be administred to you abundantly or according to the originall richly Phil. 1.23 to put on crowns of glory to wear a kingdō of glory to possess here the soul of the departing one cries out in a blessed ecstasie I have enough blessed Lord I come I come having so abundant an entrance made for me into celestiall triumphs blessed be God who hath made me thus willing desirous rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord where I am assured to find peace without intermission or perturbation health without sickness plenty without want wealth without poverty and everlasting life without death Of which holy City said Austin when shall I come into thy golden streets when shall I see and enjoy the heavenly society of blessed souls and that glorious Jubilee Fain I would come to fruition but Oh how am I detain'd anon will death come behold she stands at the door and knocks bid her come in that I may bid her welcome to whom I am ready to answer as Rebekah did Gen. 24. to her old near and dear relations who were so loath to part with her I will go with the man so say I even withlong-looked-for death my harbinger and friend Oh death I willingly go along with thee whom my Lord hath made so necessary and serviceable to me in my happy translation Acts 10. for me thinks I see Heaven open as Peter in his vision and the son of man like as Stephen did see him standing at the right hand of God Oh my soul thou art in a rapture divine to contemplate the things in heaven which are so unspeakable and ful of glory True I shall in death be taken from my deerest friends but let not that retard my souls willingnesse to dye for it s not improbable but I may know my gracious friends in heaven since our divine knowledg there shall not be diminished but enlarged hence some conclude we shall joyfully know the Patriachs and Apostles of our Lord and this seems the more rationall because Peter and James Mat. 17.13 and John at the transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they knew not before so shall the sun of righteousness irradiate the Saints with the celestiall beams of his transcendent glory The last thing in our submission in the point of death is to shut our own eyes and to bind up our own jawes when the departing soul utters her last words blessing God for that land of promise which like Moses shee sees at a distance Deut. 34.4 Jos 23.6 8 11.14 so Joshua about to dye shuts his own eyes exhorting the people to fear and serve the Lord so did Stephen who calling on the name of the Lord fell asleep so did Simeon gathered up disposed and prepapared himself most sweetly singing Lord now lettest thou c. Our blessed Saviour doth as it were shut up his own eyes and bind up his jaws in that he sweetly submitted himself to the hand of death saying Lu. 23.45 Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit and so do all wel prepared souls take care to dye under an holy resignation of their bodies to the grave for a time of their departing souls into the hands and bosom of Jesus Christ who is our Reuben to take care of our Benjamin that is Gen. 42.37 of our immortall souls to convey them safely unto our Fathers house Thus of the third Exhortation which is wisely to submit unto the Lord God in every estate in our health in our sickness in the approaches of death and and at the point of death 4. Exhortation 4. Exhort To friends not to grieve over-much at their departure who dye in the Lord. It is lawful commendable it is just and honorable to have sad thoughts at the losse of such friends If the very Egyptians mourned for old Jacob seventy days that with a great sore lamentation Gen. 53. 1 Sam. 15.35 2 Sam. 13.37 2 Chro. 35.24 if Samuell mourned for Saul and David shall not we much more mourn when the Saints are taken from us All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah Surely then it is not onely naturall and morall but it is religious
In his declining days his Father of mercies exercised him with sore afflictions of bodily infirmities spirituall combates and conflicts and soking and grinding distempers of the stone in the bladder with Apoplexies and Palsie and other infirmities of age but O the sweet and invinceable patience O the humility the holiness contentation and wise moderation of himself and sweet composedness of his spirit He was naturally of an hasty dispositon but his conquest over such his infirmities those who waited much on him and others who much visited him do and must testifie that the Lord gave him a great measure of Christian patience meekness and self-deniall with that totall resignation of himself unto the will of his heavenly Father that indeed he was changed into another man and was of another spirit a good while before his change Near the Sun-set when the shadow must be long and his life short his sences of seeing and hearing seemed to have been renewed especially his hearing which had been much decaied for many years that surdity or privation was wonderfully restored and quickened to the great admiration not only of friends and relations visiting him but to the comfort of himself and all attendants about him reading and speaking to him enjoyed the benefit of another Patriarch to hear his gracious words which did daily improve to his dying day the losse of whom is very great and much bewailed not onely in his family and relations but in the Church of God yet so it pleased God This servant of the Lord had much of heaven on this side heaven whereby his bitter portion given him under sore afflictions and strong conflicts had much sweetning in them the various turns oâ— providence and the amazâ—ng alterations of Church and State made him live more upon God and less upon the creature when his Castle at Brampton was besieged and taken when his sweet and gracious consort yet of happy memory was taken to mercy and to rest from her labours when his children were taken prisoners his goods given to spoilers and robbers his family exposed to the cruell mercies of exasperated enemies and carried away captives his lands sequestred and all his revenues extinct yet even then good Sir ROBERT HARLEY assured his believing soul that nothing was slain dead lost spoiled and taken from him of all his proprieties which might have been better to him then the gain which this pretious soul found without them hee would long for nothing which hee found that the Lord thought good to deny him still he found stronger arguments to ballast his religious soul then to be overturned with such contrary winds the just shall live by his faith under dark and bloody providences The little which himself his had left them at that time he was very thankeful for he did want the rest with content which made him very rich whom the sword and cruell oppressor had made very poor Now much Honoured in the Lord and happy Son to such a Father after such a deliniation of so many specialls never to bee buried our eyes and hearts are towards you who do live to succeed such a president of grace and virtue our daily prayers to the Lord are for you and your posterity that the Lord who gave you such a Father will also give you to be always correcting and amending the copy and history with a wise and understanding heart to walk in his godly footsteps that you may as fair excell him in all wisedom as Solomon did good old David and will please to write on your heart and on your life in great capitall letters on a table of pure gold Holiness to the Lord that you may ever see and enjoy the Lord's covenant-goodness continued to sons and daughters of your own flesh and blood from generation to generation which is and shall be the daily prayer of Your most affectionate servant in the Lord T. W. From my house in Kingssland June 13 1658. When at deaths Gate my soul I do commend Into thy hands Salvation be mine end Deo Gloria Amen TO THE READER Christian Reader SSome have written Institutions to a christian life as Calvin Herlenius some of the emendation of life as Richardus Hampoll in his Speculum Spirituale others not a few De vita activa contemplativa as Ludolphus Saxonicus and the school-men but the right manner of dying well and the gracious encounter with death in its approach and the happy conquest in the article of death hath been very seldome heard of which gives me encouragement to cast in my mite into this treasury to make holy Simeon my happy president and indeed herein aestuebat ille senex beatissimus whose breathings of spirit did wax hot whil'st hee fixed his believing eye upon his Christ in four respects viz. as he was his peace his salvation his light his glory in the first he looked on him as his Mediatour in the second as his Redeemer in the third as his guide and teacher in the fourth as his crown of rejoicing In this Treatise you have Simeon's humble confession his faith unfained his blessed hope his constant love ravishing expectation under which hee doth happily repose himself till his departure out of his prison house of clay which he assuredly knew would not be long This Book was penned now and then a sheet as the Authors leisure from other studies permitted and were presented unto an aged eminent Servant of the Lords Sir ROBERTH HARLEY Knight of the Noble Order of the BATH being God's prisoner and confined to his Chamber by reason of manifold weaknesses and distempers of body with which the Lord pleased to exercise him for diverse years before his death being utterly disenabled to wait upon God in his publick Ordinances therefore among other mercies he gladly entertained these remembrances from a Minister of Christ who was very much his servant in the Lord the most of the papers were somtimes read to him in his Chamber by the Author himself which papers have bin since his death gathered up and now composed in this little Treatise for the use and benefit of such as do desire to live and dye blessedly as Simeon did Therefore judicious Reader accept of his good wil who hath indeavoured to pre-dispose prepare thy anxious soul for a blessed separation from the body and with good Simeon to depart in peace Thus I commend thee to God this Book to thy close perusal reading throughout hoping the Lord will please to make it very instrumental to thee to advance thy more happy comfortable dissolution and change which is the highest aim and utmost end of him who subscribes himself Thy Servant in the Lord's Work T. W. ERRATA in the Lines of the Book Page 2. Line 9. for giving read given pag. 2. lin 10. after people add p. 3. l. 20. for Elegie read Elogie lin 10. for off r. os l. 23. f. of r. off p. 14. l.
11. f. bliever r. believer p. 15 l. 10. s ungodly r. undgodly p. 20. l. 15. f. diminutive read abbreviate p. 24. l. 10. tear out but p 28. l. 11 12. f. the r. his p. 24. l. 21. f. he r. who p. 48. l. 10. f. dvides r. divides p. 45. l. 21 f. tong r. tongue p. 45. l ult f. a. r. and. p. 48. l. 20. f. new r. now p. 59. l. 2. f. masions r. mansions p. 95. l. 85. r. 65. p. 65. l. 2. f. their r. thy p. 55. l. 12. f. back r. bark p. 77. l. penult andd 2 p 98 l. 22. f. not God r. God not p. 98. l. 23. f. is r. come not p. 99. l. ult f. Gospells r. Gospel p. 109. l. 19. r. do blesse p. 116. l. 17. f. their r. there p. 129. l. 19. f. u. r. us p. 131. l. 20. f. flictions r. afflictions pag. 142. l. 4. f. him r. them p 146. l. 5. f. namely r. named p. 154. l. 13. f. toto r. tanto p. 169. l. 11. f suddain r. suddainness p. 187. l. 12. f. espouse r. spouse p 192. l 8. leave out be with all and read entertain us p. 198. l. 24. f 3. r. 4. p. 199. l. 7. f. 4. r. 5. p. 100. f. 4 r. 6. ERRATA in the Quotation of the texts of Scripture In the Margine p. 23. l. 1. pro vosii lege visio p. 24. l. 21 p. tempur l. tempus p. 25. l 28. pro refulgiet l. refulget p. 37. pro Rev. 3.9 l. Rev. 5.9 p. 38. p. Gen. 2.14 l. Gen. 2.17 p. 39. pro Hosea 31.14 l. Hos 13.14 p. 73. pro Job 1.4 l. Job 14.8.9 p. 79. pro John 3.12 l. John 1.1 2.3 p. 206. pro Job 12.1 l. Job 1.21 Courreous Reader some few faults there are flipt in the Greek and diverse in the Hebrew by reason of the Authors far distance from the Press as also the unskilfulness of the Corrector to the Press in the Hebrew tongue therefore the judicious Reader as he meets with them is desired to mend them with his Pen. The Contents SImeon's Song in two parts Proposition Confirmation page 5. 6. How one may desire to dye in peace p. 6. The only time to dye in is with Christ in our arms p. 10. It 's an high honour to be the Lord's servant p. 11. Who dye the Lord's servants shall bee translated to a more celestial service p. 12. Death of a destroyer is made a deliverer of a curse a blessing p. 14. Who sees himself in Christ may wel desire to dye p. 17. 2. Questions What was Simeons sight What was Simeons desire Ans A strong restless contented admirable desire p. 26. 27 28. Reasons of this desire 1 Because the godly see themselvs in a safe condition p. 39. 2 Because they see future things as present and salvation actually begun p. 39. 3 Death opens a door of glory to such p. 40. 4 Because of the conflict of a saint in death 41. Because of the necessity of death 43. Because of the blessed advantage which soul and body find in death p. 45. And that in three particulars all defects shall bee done away 46. 2 The constitution shal then be changed 49. 3 All thy fruition shal be of God in God Ibid. Death to some is a singular blessing 51. To some the basest life is better then any death 52. The Saints dye comfortably and blessedly in many respects 54. Qu. Why do any truly godly fear death Ans In two respects 58. Qu. May not a wicked man desire to dye 59. Ans Yes But not as such Idem Death to wicked ones is formidable in six things from p. 35. to 63. Some find unconceivable comfort in death p. Shall man that dyes live again Ans Yes by weighty considerations 74. The matter of blessedness is God enjoyed 77. The manner is to behold God in his essentiall glory 78. An exhortation to unfained thanksgiving for many choice mercies made over to believers here below 83. What moves God to bee so gracious to such 90. Directions to stir up to thankfulness from p. 92 to 100. 2 Exhortation to prepare for a timely and happy death 103 God keeps thy time under his lock and key 104 Few provide solidly for death 108 Some flatter and sin themselves into a miserable death 69 Wicked men cannot dye in peace 70. It 's a very great miracle for an old impenitent to repent at the hour of death 72 The youngest is as mortall as the oldest 74 Who will dye well must accept the time of repentance 75 We must renew our repentance of ten 76 Sinners must hear Christs voice to day 77 Men may not trust to long life nor to late repentance 78 It 's dreadfull to bee to repent when the day of grace is past to a particular soul 79 To be well principled in the doctrinalls of true religion from p. 80. to 84 To hold solemn conference often with death 85 Wherein are many sweet meditations and weighty considerations from 86 to 91 All things must be set in order for death Ibid. 1 The body in four respects unto 96 2 The house must be set in order Ibid What 's meant by the house 97 God's Mete-yard lays out every mans estate 98 What wicked men do unduly get and wickedly possesse is in a sense the gift of God 100 In setting our house in order what is ill gotten must be restored 101 102 What is restitution 102 Who must restore Ibid. When 103. To whom restitution must be made 104. It must not be done as alms but as just debt 105 Of the care of persons related to a family 106 Relations must christianly be admonished 155 But why admonished at such a time especially 157 to 160 Godly persons can then pray for relations with much boldness and confidence 162 Concord among Children a sweet blessing 164 Parents dying should coÌ„mand the care of younger children to godly guardians 167 Goods desposed of by will or otherwise 168 In which regard must bee had to the first born 170 Obj. One is made great the rest undone Ans Nâ—t so God provides otherwise and good Parents do otherwise 172 3. Exhortation humbly to submit to the Lord both in life and death 174 Different is the carriage of men in the approach of death 125 A sweet Prosopopoeia of a gracious soul in death 176 We must submit to God In Health Sickness Death p 178 An holy resignation of soul and body in all states to the Lord 178 In sickness say thy will be done in mee and upon mee 180 Great differences between the visitation of God and of men Ibid. Who dye preparedly do confidently put themselves into Christ's hands Ibid God will fit all his for death before hand 183 By four things 1 He makes them weary of the world and sinfull self 134 2 He doth sanctifie every pain and dolour to them Ibid. 3 He makes them long for death and willing to
I have my joy sweet Babe let this Song be a Lullaby for thee and a Funerall for Me sleep thou in mine armes while I depart in peace Simeons resolve and willingness to die Simeon resolves to die willingly so freely doth his heart breath out and his tongue expresse what he had so well resolved on Simeons time in which he wills to dy neither sooner nor longer His time even now Lord no sooner nor no longer Lord say Amen to my desires Note his relation in which he stood in the word Servant answering relatively unto the word Lord and so 't is between a Master and servant And here let us observe Simeons humble acknowledgment of his relation Simeons humility in being the Lords Servant A Servant indeed he was both in heart and life both in word and deed an humble worshipper of the Lord God who as he had been graciously preserved by him in a 1000. dangers all his life long and much owned from his Mothers womb till now So he will now resigne up himself in death to the safe custody and farther favour of so good a Lord and Master In the words be two parts 1. A Proposition Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. 2. A Confirmation For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation In the first he proposeth the large desire of his soul as if he had said Lord long have I lived and have seen all the Vanity that is under the Sun and thought I could never have my fill But now Lord since thou hast made me see the emptines of the creature thy fulnes why do I live any longer in such a place as earth is In such a condition as mortals are Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace What depart out of thy publique service now in the Temple no but by thy leave but thou Lord permitting let my long imprisoned pretious soul depart this body and this body and soul depart out of this present world So now he desires death which is resolutio animae a corpore as the Philosophers call death who say that there is a strong ligament between the soul and the body which death doth unty and so deliver up the person either to a better Qui pacatum habent Deum et pacatam conscientiam illi in pace moriuntur or worse place Simeon here desires to depart in peace who as he was at peace with God and with his owne Conscience So he desiers to die in an holy calme and sweet peace Hitherto of the proposall next briefly of the Confirmation For mine eyes have seen thy saluation .. The happy death of every gratious Simeon is much exalted by the promises of God which in Christ Jesus are yea and Amen to the praise and Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 As if Simeon had said Domine jam moriar alacriter Lord I will now depart for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Lord now said thy Holy Oracle truth which was delivered me to believe Isa 5.2 All the ends of the earth shall see the Salvation of our God Isa 52.10 And I Simeon my selfe do see the person and the thing viz Christ and his Salvation which he shall bring to all Nations Nor is this all but he speaks of the Offices and actings of Christ saying which thou hast prepared before the face of all people Isai 49. out of Is 49. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth Him whom man despiseth Him whom Nations abhor Kings shall see and arise Prices also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithfull And to be the glory of thy people Israell Here 's high exaltation of the Tribes of Israell because from amongst them shall Christ come according to the flesh and the consequent of Simeons Song was 2 Luke 33. 1. The parents of Christ they marvell especially considering what they lately heard from the blessed Angels 1 Luke 30. what the Shepherds reported of him 2 Luke 34. 2. Simeon blessed them and said to his Mother Mary behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israell Now as Solomons throne had six ascending Ivory steps over laid with gold 1 Kings 10 18. so here be six steps of ascent for the poor soul to come very near to a greater then Solomon even to the everlasting King of glory 2 Cor. 11.2 who hath a long time been preparing every gracious soul to be a Bride for himself and to enjoy the Lord Jesus in his blessed arms with everlasting conjugalls Where first note the time now presently without farther stay Secondly note his desire to enjoy and adore him more and more fervently Thirdly note his dutifulnesse in the appellation he givs himself the name of a servant Fourthly the dignity of his Master in the word Lord one of great command power and place Fifthly the ground of his request the word the infallible word let me dye according to thy word according to thy word of promise Sixthly the condition in which he did desire to dye and that was in peace Simeon now had the Lord Christ in his armes who made peace who came and brought peace who was peace and the very God Prince of peace Ah soul that 's the only time for thee me to die when we have gotten Christ into the arms of our faith then then not before we can sing with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for when Christ is thus in thine arms thou art in his arms also so reciprocally do these two lovers clip and embrace each other Now a word both of this proposall and confirmation in the manner of his speech The words be the humble prayer of a gracious servant to his Lord viz. to die presently in peace but according to the minde and with the good leave of his Lord Quest But who is Simeon here or what it Simeons condition Answ 1. A servant but an honourable one for he was the servant of the Lord of life and glory Answ 2. A servant bound by strongest obligations of oath and covenant Answ 3. A servant during life nay a servant for ever to a Master whose service is perfect freedome Joh. 8.36 but what freedome can such a servant ask or expect yes this great Lord hath a blessed freedome an everlasting jubilee to grant to all his servants that aged Simeon foresaw and that hee askes Mistake me not Simeon desires not askes not to be freed from the service of his Lord but askes to be translated into an higher into a more celestiall and evangelical service according to the faithfull word of promise made to him by his Lord and so heartily desires and prayes to depart from faith and hope to fruition from prayers to praises from feares and doubtings of a misgiving heart to a most sweet tranquility to fear
fall into the earth to sprout and grow like the corne in the ground to grow incorruptibly spiritually as the Apostle at large speaking of the advantage which the body hath by a blessed death after when til the resurrection the glorified Soul shall not need to return back again into the body both do sweetly repose in their present state till the second appearance of our Lord Phil. 3.21 who shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his most glorious body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Co. 15.42 43. according to his mighty working Thy body in death is made a great gainer in three particulars for it is laid down in corruption but it shall rise in incorruption it 's sowne in dishonour but it is raised in glorie Yea with exact comelines of stature with beautifull proportion where was deformity either by the excess 1 Co. 13.10 or defect of any part there all deformity shall be don away Commonly a litttle before death the body looks pale wan earth-like nay sometimes one may smell earthlinesse and there is a kind of loathsomnes even to dearest and nearest relations immediatly upon the departure of the soule the body begins to be unsavourie as well as unlovely and could the dead body speak it might say to the grave thou art my house To the worm thou art my Mother Job 17.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ge. 23.4.6 and Sister And sweet friends as Jonathan and David will look out a burying place to burie their dead out of their sight But yet in the day of their resurrection the bodies of all blessed Simeons shall rise in great splendour and glory Mat. 6.28 like the lillie root which lies in the winter in the ground but in the summer riseth a well clothed flower very glorious so shall the bodies of the Saints be glorified like the very body of Christ Isa 26.10 now at the right hand of God in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor 15.43 Consider the then constitution of thy new fraile body it was Sowne in weaknes but will be raised in power All constitutions of bodyes be not alike but were thy body of Goliah's strength Goliahs ' yet one languishing sicknes will make thee non able to turne in thy bed or put on clothes or lift thy hand to thy head or set one foot on the ground before another to go But the day is coming blessed saint when thou shalt be raised in a most healthful constitution never more to need meat drink clothes physick-art or any helpe no more weariness sickness hunger cold or nakednes Mat. 22.30 but thou shalt be as the Angels and Saints in Heaven 3. Consider now that thou art a naturall body but thou shalt be raised a spirituall body called so because it shall no longer need any naturall meanes or helps for the presevation nutrition and conservation but shal be wholy delighted in God and in an immediat communion with him shall be filled with God Thou shalt as it were be spirituallized with the nimbleness of a Spirit Aug. so as in a very short time thou maist move from place to place So that saith one where every soul would be by and by it shall be there and you read that suddenly after the resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our bodies shall be caught up to meet the Lord Christ in the aire which is the beginning of this agility and glory Thus much of the reasons which are 1. From Simeon's deliverance 2. From Simeon's eye of Faith 3. From his imbraces with Christ The 4th consists of these 3 heads 1. The conflict between soul and body 2. The necessity of death 3. The blessed advantage the soul and body find in death in three particulars Application in four Corollaries 1. The first contains matter of instruction with some necessary doubts and objections answered 2. Matter of terrour to wicked men 3. Comfort to the Godly wise 4th Exhortation which runs into 4. branches To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon To prepare timely and solidly for an happy death To submit gratiously to the Lord's dispose of us in life or death To be moderate in mourning at the losse of godly friends Whatsoever death may be to others Corollary yet to all good Simeons it 's a desirable and a singular blessing Such through death do look upon glory on the other side of death who are not sadded at the separation of soul and body because of their eternall conjunction of soul and body with Christ Ignatius his grinding pains were but the mill in which hee was ground to be the finer meal for Christ Jesus his own use Though Christ's soul and body were parted as far as heaven and the grave could be distant yet neither of them sayes one were parted from the deity nor from the Father I confess to naturall men death is terrible and they think with Solomon that a living dog is better then a dead Lyon Eccl. 9.4 and that the basest life is better then any death Indeed they cannot but fear death who fear not God who believe not in Jesus whose wickedness doth cut off all hopes of happiness after death and no marvail for their conscience stings them at the remembrance of death and death is like that murderer 2 Kings 6.32 Which was sent to take away Elishah's head It 's the most unwelcom messinger that ever knockt at their door Or as Belshazzar's hand-writing Dan. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 9. when 't was interpreted whith made him appale tremble for the conscience tels them that no good can come to them by the hand stroak of death nay such do die whiles they be alive by the checks and chidings convictions and condemnations of their evill conscience But what ever it be to wicked men yet to blessed Simeons death hath another face and presence to such it is but their trusty messenger to carry them to their Fathers house to be possessed of their eternall inheritanc◠or else it 's but as Josephs ratling chariot wheels Ge. 45.27 ready to carry Jacob unto his Joseph unto his Jesus For such be sure to dye 1. Comfortably 2. Blessedly First comfortably for out of this eater comes meat and out of this strong comes sweetness Jud. 14.14 as in Sampsons riddle Though I walk through the vallie of the shadow of death saith holy Daniel I will fear no evill Ps 23. for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe do comfort me q. d. I am in the hand of my heavenly Father where can bee no miscarriage Secondly as they bee sure to dye comfortably so also blessedly as Saint John Revel 14.13 Luke 23.43 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for that very day their soul shall be with Christ in Paradice And so life which keeps the soul from heaven absent from the Lord is a losse to a Saint in
a religious respect We may illustrate the point by these following considerations only first observe that we are not delivered from the necessity of dying naturally no Heb. 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that statute must stand that all must be subject to the necessity of dying believers and unbelievers nor are any delivered from subjection to sickness and diseases nor scarce any from pains at the hour of death nor from seperation of soul and body but all Simeons deaths be comfortable in these respects 1. The sting of sin is death a poysonfull sting but Jesus Christ on his Cross did take away this sting of death he disenabled death to hurt his redeemed ones nay our Lord did insult over death Hosea 13.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying by his Prophet I wil redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O O grave I will be thy destruction and by his Apostle O death where is thy sting c. insomuch as death is now made the Saints friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who before through fear of death were all their life subject unto bondage 2. As our Lord hath delivered us from the sting and fear Heb. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so also from the curse of death by which our death had been a dreadfull inlet and passage to the second death nay he hath delivered us from the curse of sickness pain and mortality c. like that meal cast into the pot of bitter pottage 2 King 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the sons of the Prophets cryed out Death in the pot Death in the pot Rom. 8. so doth Jesus Christ heal and sanctifie our very trouble and afflictions that they shall do us more good and work together for the best to us viz. to bring down the tympany pricke the bladder of pride to crucifie or quench our lusts to cool our rash anger and raging passion to unmask our hypocrisie and generally to beat down the body of our corruptions and to help us to put off the old man more and more which as the Apostle and Saints do more lay to heart so they do more earnestly groan to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. By death the Saints be delivered from the dominion of death which was very high and imperious and did extend to the souls as well as the bodies of men Now the satisfaction of Christ which he made to divine justice and the redundancy of his merits dayly presented to his Father have prevailed to cut deaths dominion short and to loose the bands of death from off us as easily as Sampson did loose the green cords wherewith he had been bound But why then be the Saints of God punished at all with a temporall death Ob. Death is not properly a punishment An. nor inflicted by the Lord in wrath First for that in the forgiveness of sin wrath is quite taken away and God blots out their transgressions for his name sake Secondly death is turned into a blessing by the hand-worke of Jesus Christ opening a new and living way unto that rest which remaineth to the people of God Heb. 4.9 Ps 116.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretiosa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi bono habilis Thirdly pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Death is compared to a common gate in a city castle or garison at which the prisoner enters as the way unto his dungeon but the friends honour'd ones albeit they come in at the same gate do obteine princely and noble entertainment so death is common to all godly and ungodly to the one it is a door of entrance into life to the other a door of entrance into eternall death Q. Why do any truly godly ones fear deaths since it is so friendly to them A. Because some of God's pretious ones have through abundance of naturall fear many and strong misgivings of heart yet do much expostulate with themselves about it saying Why art thou cast down Oh my soul Psa 42.5.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are thou so disquieted within me trust still in God c. Some of Gods dearest servants have very strong apprehensions of death and the circumstances there-about and but low and weak apprehensions of Jesus Christ and so their eyes be too much fixed on their outward things which they leave behind them and two little on their Father into whose hands they should commend themselves and all that they call theirs and too little on Jesus Christ at the right hand of God for them and lastly too little on those masions of glory which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for them to each of whom our Lord may say as to Peter why art thou fearfull Mat. 14.31 O thou of little faith Come give me thy hand come rely depend and believe more strongly and thou shalt not fear to tread on the sinking waters of death Little faith breeds great feares May not a wicked man desire to die Q. 2 Yes but not as a wicked man A. but as a discontent and so the godly and wicked may both have desires to die For the godly Elias a gratious servant of God sick of great impatience sits him down under a juniper tree 1 Kings 19.4 and saith it 's enough Oh Lord take away my life for I am no better then my Fathers So good Jeremiah curseth his birth-day Jer. 20.14 and repents him that ever he lived or had been preserved to be then alive 2. A wicked man also though not as such anone but in some desperate condition may be willing to die as wicked Saul 1. Sa. 31.4 ashamed to live and astonished to think of his reproach spake to one 2 Sa. 17.23 and another to kill him So Ahitophell wearie of his life went home set his house not his soul in order Mat. 27.35 and hanged himself So Judas his horrible guilt forced him out of his wicked life So some notorious malefactours have laid violent hands in prisons and else where on themselves rather then live longer to be made examples and monuments of publique shame But these wretches be acted much by Satan himself or by his instruments as when Job's wife comes to her husband with Job 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictiones Dia holi sunt maledictiones curse God and die What ever Job's wife was otherwise I 'le not insist but sure I am now she was an instrument of Satan Where by the way observe That Satan is restless to bring the deare Servants of God to think and speak evill of him in their extremities Satan will perswade us to ease our selves mitigate our grievances by evill meanes saying sin and die curse God and die Observe he sometimes suggests that it is not sinful to seek or wish ones owne death He would
up of such condemned ones into the cruell hands of Satan for immediatly-after judgment will succeed an everlasting exclusion from God from Christ Mat. 25.41 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deum non videre omnia gehennae supplicia superabit Bern. Isa 30.33 from the heavenly Jerusalem and from eternall glory together with a finall resignation of them into the merciless hands of evill angels to dragg them into that burning Tophet which the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle 3. Corollary This commends matter of great consolation to all Christ-seeing Simeon's in sundry perticulars as followeth Death is a conquered foe dispoiled of his power Hos 13.14 1 Cor. 15.57 and weapons to hurt us At the first sight death looks upon us with a pale and gastly face but upon more judicious thoughts pale death hath no hurtfull weapon in his hand therefore in death the godly wise doth through Christ insult over death and say O death I fear thee not O welcom death and long looked for blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath made death so hurtles or rather friendly to me and now farewell honours riches pleasures lands possessions and inheritances farewell husband wife children and all my relations below farewel thou ruinous and infirme body of mine in which till bowell-compassions covered me all over with a mantle of richest grace I walked among the dead in destroying waies after the course of the world Mat. 8.22 Luk. 15.13 Prou. 6.18 Prou. 2.18 Eph. 2.2.3 and after the spirit that workes in the children of disobedience But now God hath look'd on me in a time of love and said unto me live Eze. 16.6 Hos 2.19.20 and espoused me to Jesus Christ and therefore I am glad of death and that my body be dissolved til my soul and body shal meet and never part again a branch Death is comfortable because Christ is with us David feared not the vallie of the shaddow of death Ps 23.4 because his God was with him Hosea 2.15 This vallie is like that of Achor to the people of God which preceded their entry into the land of promise where they tasted the first fruits of the land of Canaan for death borders upon eternall life at the end of this dark vallie is light and glory and thy God who owned and guided thee thither must bee unfaithfull if hee should leave thee Ps 71.18 when thou art old or liest down in the grave Old Policarpe he had better learned Christ for he had so oft tried him in other promises that he now dares confide him in this This may further be illustrated by thy union to Christ who is the Saviour of thy body and by that compleatnes of Christ s mysticall body Eph. 5.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 17.24 which may not want one of his members but every one of those whom the Father hath given to him must be with him and behold his glory which the Father had given him as our Lord Christ prayes John 17.24 Saint Paul would be dissolved to be with Christ Thus then that Christ is with the saints in death and for ever here is matchles comfort This consolation is considerable in the earnest of his spirit branch which God giveth to his Simeons Gal. 5.22 as the first fruits of everlasting glory The saints of God do in their spiritual life much live upon the graces of the spirit which are the earnest penny of that which is behind in the covenant of grace Now what is the earnest in comparison of this full summe Numb 13.24 what were the grapes pomgranets and figs which the spies brought to the goodnesse of the land of promise no more is grace here compared with that exceeding and eternall weight of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 6 Graines and scruples carry no proportion with talents this was the ground of the Apostles willingnes to die he hath given us the earnest of the spirit therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. * 4 Branch Glory honour immortality and everlasting pleasures at God's right hand are sure to be conferred at the death of every blessed Simeon according to the capacity of the seperated soul all which saith Peter is prepared 1 Pet. 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Branch reserved for thee in heaven as our Lord himselfe doth also tell us by saint John I go to prepare a place for you Let Pagans Infidels those that die out of Christ fear death but blessed Simeons have a cornucopia of comforts to feed upon for after the many stormes tempests and tossings up and down Act. 27.14 with the Euroclydon winds of this present world death brings them into a safe port and harbour when they shall say each one to his soul returne to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And each one to his body Ps 116.7 lie down be content sweetly repose and rest from thy labours But many will aske If a man die shall he live again Q. Job 14.14.10 as Job Man dieth and wasteth away and giveth up the ghost and where is he Unto which question holy Job himself makes the answer First A. from a comparison a tree in the winter seeming dead in the ground Job 1.4.8 yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant Secondly Job believeth that God doth hide his saints for a time in the grave to remember them ver 13. to bring them forth in their set and appointed time But thirdly to make up the comfort God will most gratiously v. 15. and mercifully change them as I shall afterwards shew he will call to his saints in the grave dissolved into thousand atomes of dust they shall hear his trumpets and Arke-Angels voice and shall come forth to the resurrection of the just And lastly thy living again is a work of the Lord 's own desire as conducible to his own glory the glory of his Son's kingdom and the glory of the saints immortality who died willingly under so blessed a hope Titus 2.13 of so happie a resurrection to all whom lying in the chambers of death doth the Lord speak by his Prophet saying but somewhat allegorically thy dead men shall live together Isa 26.19 with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwelt in dust For thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Branch 6. All blessed Simeons must consider that their deferred happiness comes sure at last like a full vintage possibly thou maist waight and look long for
hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God direction 3. To be very reall in our thanks we must much revolve in our mindes and consider our great unworthiness and that we are unfit for any mercy as Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies that we are then dead doggs as Mephibosheth humbly spoke to King David 2 Sam. 9.8 we must call to mind the number the kind the nature and the good of a mercy the freeness the fulness and choiceness of it and the suitableness of the loving kindness and be thankfull to admiration as David was often and as Simeon was here for his vision which was so adequate to his soul and bodies welfare here and hereafter in life in death and at the last judgment this will make a soul sing and say Luk. 1.69.70 Blessed be the Lord God who hath raised up such Salvation for so miserable a creature as I was and to say with holy David Bless the Lord O my soul Ps 103.2 forget not all his benefits and the better to recollect these mercies Christians must bee carefull to keep records of singular mercies of the year and day the matter the manner the measure the instruments as David did most sweetly for that out of these records shall be made up the song of Moses and the Lamb. 2 Sam. 8.16 2 Kgins 18.18 Joah the son of Asaph was Hezechiahs Recorder Psal 105.6 7 8 9 10 11. Read the 105 Psalm it 's wholly filled with rich enumerations of the Lord 's wonderous works from Abraham to the time of the planting of the Lords people in Canaan and they are bid to remember his marvellous works and the judgments of his mouth how he had remembred his Covenant for ever the Word which he commanded to a thousand generations his Covenant with Abraham his Oath with Isaac and confirmed the same to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant c. true thankfulnesse as its long-lived and written with infallible characters so it takes care to eternize the praises of the Lord and sayes as thankfull Job Job 19.23 24. O that my words were printed in a book that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever have we done so that not God looses his glory and thy soul is too short in thy reall thanks direct 4. 4. Real thanks must be all to God self is little regarded so as Gods name and glory may be exalted Many are somewhat thankful when self is much concerned and wil praise the Lord Psal 68.4 when dangers be over Psal 107. when enemies be defeated cut off and destroyed when afflictions be over and sickness turned to health that now they may enjoy again their honor their ease their pleasure their estates in the world their corn and wine then they will give God thanks and blesse his name Hab. 1.15 they rejoyce and are glad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but still their thanks go no farther then self is concerned which the Prophet cals a sacrificing to their own nets and a burning of incense to their own dragg but such their thanks seldom goes higher then themselvs But I must tell them that those thanks which do begin and end in self bee not reall Christian thanks but true thanks do draw out the soul to bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and the Gospells for the manifestations of his glory power wisdome truth and all his goodness to his Church and for the prosperity of Sion when it goes well there O then thankfull souls will insult for joy and bee full of praises as the Israelites were at the bringing home of the Ark And David danced before the Lord 2 Sam. 6.12 14 15. 1 Kings 8. and was girded with a linnen Ephod And Israel brought up the Ark with showting and with the sound of the trumpet and at the dedication of the Temple as on the contrary when it goes ill with the Church and people of God it goes also ill with gracious souls 1 Sam. 4.13 14 15 vers 19. as with Eli and Phineas wife when the Ark was taken and when the glory was departed from Israell who called her son Icabod And thus so publike spirited was she that her life seemed to be bundled up in the wellfare of the people of God direction 5 True reall thankfulness does acquiesce in God can repose in the Lord his alsufficiency covenant goodness for such a one doth see all the enemies of his salvation ever fall down before the Lord 1 Sam. 5.4 Josh 6. to the 20. Gen. 3.15 Rev. 6.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 4. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Dagon did before the Ark irrecoverably to be demolished like the walls of Jericho such do see the seed of the woman break the serpents head and Christ himself riding conquering and to conquer do see Kings bound in chains and nobles with fetters of Iron in this consideration doth David lay himself down in peace who as from time to time his soul did recollect the Lords manifold great and glorious mercies conferred upon him so he said I will trust in him and he shall be my God for ever this he said after a long enumeration of Sea land-mercies he engageth himself in voluntary vows to devote and consecrate himself to the Lord that shall be all his work for time to come and he will wholly be the Lords not his own so had the Lord obliged his servant that he is at a stand what returns of thankfulness to make but at last concludes to offer thanks to pay his vows and to be for ever realizing the praises of his soul by declaring them and exemplifying them and improving them untill they do empty themselves into beatificall hallelujahs and he himself do sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven Thus of real thankfullness Which sees fiducially into all the Lords covenant-goodness doth substantiate things not seen make things absent as present Thus wee have seen what bee true reall thanks which wil be found in some measure in all thankfull Simeons 1. There be very high praises of God and his Christ 2. They look far and search deep in the heart and in-side of the mercy 3. There 's humble acknowledgments of self-unworthiness 4. God hath the all of true thankfulness as all came out from him so it empties it self into God again 5. It acquiesces and reposeth in the Lord. All this did abundantly shine forth in godly men and so they do in every truly thankfull soul Thus of the first exhortation The second exhortation is to prepare for an happy death Solidly and Timely Exhort 2 ◠to prepare for an happy death Psal 90. Be we all exhorted to prepare for an happy death 1. Timely 2. Solidly 1. Timely thy days
language bearding the Ministers and saying thou lyest thou limb of Antichrist thou son of the whore of Babylon thou deceiver of the people and thou persecutor of us thou sayest the Scriptures be the Word of God which we deny thou sayest men have originall corruption after grace which wee deny thou saist we are not perfect but we are thou saist our spirit is not infallible from the light within us but that infalliability we do and shall still maintain Now my beloved Reader farr be it from any well principled soul to bee moved or shaken with any such imposters 1 Tim. 6.10 1 Tim. 1.19 to err from the faith or to hearken to such Apostates who are reprobate concerning the faith Oh let none be bewitched with such a generation of men so diabollically enchaunted but let 's from time to time have recourse unto our ground-work laid out before us in the Word and let 's call to mind what was our judgment before these errors and blasphemies did so daringly stare us in the face again let us well consider what was the judgment of the ancients viz. of solid sincere Christians and orthodox Martyrs who dyed in and for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the exhortation of the blessed Apostle 2. Tim. 1.13 holding fast the form of sound words in faith and love Where the Apostle would have these two things 1. That our judgments and understandings be clear and evidentiall giving faith and credit unto the divine authority of those grounds of truth which are founded upon the holy Scriptures bearing witness to them 2. That our love unto the truth of Christ be entire for those who are not thus soundly grounded in their understandings and judgments do lye open to Jesuitick frauds and may be easily deceived by them who lye in wait to that purpose Eph. 4 14. Act. 20.30 of whom we have some sprung up among our selvs and those likewise who receive not the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 nor in love to Christ as the holy and pure the powerfull Rom 1.16 and wonder-working Word of God to save souls such I say may easily fall away albeit they may be full of other learning and have attained excellent parts for such have been highly esteemed much praised of men and much used in the Church of God Thus much of the second branch viz. to be well principled in matters of religion 3. An holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death in in every Simeon Quest Consider what death is to such Answ It is a degree of happiness yea an inlet to full happiness before when none could be said to bee happy but when a Christian shall meditate that death is an haven after much fowl weather Acts 2.26 Psal 16. Rev. 14.13 Mat. 25.34 1 Pet. 5.4 Rev. 2.10 Rev. 21.4 a bed of rest after sore labour a taking possession of our glorious inheritance nay of inthroning with a Crown of Glory and the putting an end to all groans complaints and sins the dismissing of a blessed soul out of a loathsome prison and when he shall meditate that death is but the putting off of old rotten ragged cloaths our day of Jubilee with many more heads of sweet meditation how will he who would prepare to dye wel be fitting himself with deepest considerations what course hee must take to dye happily These meditations carry gold in their wings and are strong Rhetoricians to perswade a poor dying creature Act. 8.37 Rom. 10.10 Gal. 2.20 o believe in the Lord Jesus with all his heart to live in the faith and to live by the faith of the Lord Jesus who hath loved him and given himself for him 2 Tim. 4.7 1 Tim. 1.19 Isa 38.3 to keep faith and a good conscience towards God and men and to walk before God in truth as Hezekiah did with a perfect heart these divine meditations bee of excellent use to open and set before uâ— all the sweet covenant-mercies assured to the godly in death to unclaspe the book of all the consolations and divine promises and to fill the soul with a wonderfull longing and desire upon desire after those sweet enjoyments 2 Tim. 4.8 which be laid up for the Saints at the happy dissolution of soul and body Come on then immortall soul and by holy meditation now and then walk with death half an hour and say Oh death I must come into thy quarters and territories shortly But Oh the atheisme the pride of heart and infidelity which like a dung-heap wreaks up abominable stink at the perceiving of which my heart doth tremble and I am horribly afraid Oh that I could spend the remainder of my days in weeping and ringing of my hands and in tearing off the hair of my head but yet what will that avail mee but Oh death mind me rather yea O Father of mercies possess my soul of true repentance and with an humble prostration of my self at the foot-stool of thy mercy-seat restlessly crying mercy mercy Oh death minde mee how inexorable thou art and that I may bee truly humbled and that the great God of heaven will not be dallied withall Gal. 6.7 at the hour of death Oh death what is the matter that thou art so terrible No may death say I am terrible only unto hypocrites and unbelievers Rom. 6.23 Lu 12.46 Rev. 21.8 1 Cor. 15.55 to wicked and unprepared souls others do and may take comfort in my approaches to them well knowing that I have no sting in my hand no victory or conquest over them but am a friendly harbinger to receive them unto a blessed peace who dye in the Lord after when they shal sin no more nor shall need to repent Rev. 14.13 nor weep nor fear death any more Rev. 7.17 nay death may tell thee shee is thy approved friend and that shee will be the death and burial of all thy foes corruptions â—fflictions of all thy cares thy fears thy tears adversaries will put a finall end to all thy conflicts and encounters Thus in thy meditation of death remember that to be young and flourishing is no priviledge against death nor to be beautiful nor to be rich nor to be strong nor to be learned nor to be beloved of Kings and Princes nay remember that no time no place no presence no power no business is any security against death yet alas the most dye sooner then they did expect and before they were well provided and in thy mediâ—ation of death and conversing with it whatsover be thy outward comforts and glory as honours lands goodly houses men and maid-servants attending friends or companions making merry with thee as Belshazzars Princes yet when death comes like the sun-set Dan. 5.1 all must and will extinguish and depart though relations sadly weep and howle never so loudly about us when they see us speechless and throatling cold-sweating and strugling for life
or see us die as one going to sleep O meditate on these things now while the glasse runs and hath at least some sands in it that it shall never repent thee to have soundly repented nor to have graciously lived and orthodoxly believed to have self-denyed for Christ taken up his Cross Maâ— 16 2â— Maâ— 19. â—8 Phil. 1.21 followed him in the regeneration to have been the servant of Christ to have lived to Christ dyed in Christ But then will every tongue say not O that I had lived longer but O that I had lived better O that I had sinned lesse and believed more O that I had prayed more Mar. 9.24 been more in duty more in Christian communion conversed more with the Scriptures been more in the promises studied more the covenant of grace sanctified the Lord's day more taught and better educated my family c. So shalt thou never repent any good but rejoyce that ever thou hadst any gracious breathings and wilt say O welcom death and blessed bee my God and Father who now calls for his child and servant I come I come Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. farewel my body and you my friends take this body of mine which I so long governed so ill to your dispose and Lord take my soul into the arms of thy mercy since now thou callest me according to thy word So much of the third viz. our holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death 4. The fourth is to set all things in order for an happy death here comes in many things very considerable 1. The soul must be set in order as thy understanding by saving illumination to know the things that belong to thy peace Luk. 19.42 thy will in order to be a sanctified will in its desires dominions and endeavours thy affections in order to fix them upon their right holy objects thy faith in order patiently to wait for the due accomplishment of all the pretious promises which in Christ are made over to a sanctified soul no more of setting the soul in order having said so much already 2. The body must be set in order 3. The estate must be set in order 1. The body is a sinfull mortal decaied naturall body Rom. 6.6 subject to a thousand mâ—lâ—dies and miseries which must be mortified and crucified of its reigning domineering power and all the organicall parts must be subj cted unto Jesus Christ till when the body is not in order to dye he that will dye happily must keep a daily funerall of his transgressions errours and sinful miscarriages towards God self and men that albeit they may have a kind of slavish being in us yet they must have no dominion over us 2. The members of the body must becom the meÌ„bers of Christ Rom. 6.12 as the eye to see the tongue to speak 1 Cor. 6.15 the hand to work the foot to walk for Christ and all the parts to suffer with Christ before we can be in order to dye 3 The body must be kept as a chast virgin for Christs use 1 Cor. 6.15.19 and the holy Ghosts use whose Temple it is wee must be sanctified bodies as well as sanctified souls but the dear servants of God have much ado with their bodies to subdue tame and bring under their untruly members of which Saint Paul did sorely complain and said to will is present but to perform that which was good hee found not Rom. 7.18 The reason was because his unregenerate paâ—t took so great advantage from and by the inordinate pravity of the body which is become so prone to serve the mind and will in every sinfull motion within and like tinder so naturally proclive to catch at any temptations and allurements to sin from without 1 Thes 5.23 that the blessed Apostle Paul does pray that the Thessalonians bodies as well as their spirits and souls be sanctified throughout and preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 4. The body as well as the soul must be in covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost before it can be in order to die but then though death may kil yet death cannot hurt the body for God is the Saint God and father in death and when the body lies reposed in the grave Psal 116.15 Gen. 50.25 Exod. 13.19 Jos ult 32. precious in the Lords sight is the death of his Saints and God sets a great price even upon their bodies and bones though the Saints themselvs in their sufferings have a low estimate of their bodies which I think hath so steeled and resolved them to under-go and cheerfully to wade through the bloody persecutions of most cruell and butcherly Neroes knowing the Lord God his covenant-goodness even unto their bodies should they be burnt to ashes or torn with wild beasts as multitudes were served in the primitive times since Fox Martyrol Again the Lord Christ is their head even in the grave and they be his members upon which he also sets a great price so as when the soul departs to God who gave it even then the bodies of the Saints have after a sort a principle of life within them do but sleep when they bee dead do belong to Christ by covenant whom he wil raise up Eccl 12.7 Isa 26.19 Mar. 9.21 1 Cor 11.30 chap. 15.20 Eph. 1.19 by that very exceeding greatness of power whereby his own mortall body was raised up and not onely awaken them but introduce their own souls and receive them up to himself to be for ever with him in glory Col. 3.4 Nor is it possible that any one member of Christ Ps 34.20 can loose one muscle nerve artery bone or sinew one eye one limb or one hair of the head but shall arise a compleat beautifull and well-featured body however his or her body was mangled and deformed here before or at the time of death and buriall and since for the bodies in covenaÌ„t to be united to Christ a perfect body according to the Apostle a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Nor will Christ suffer one part never so little to be wanting for Christ must account for our bodies to his Father who of terrestiall must make them celestiall of corruptible 1 Cor 15.41 42 43 44. incorruptible of dishonorable glorious of weak powerfull and of natural must make them spirituall bodies 3. The holy Ghost is in CovenaÌ„t w th our bodies whose work it is and will be to fil those old mansions with such a plenitude of the spirit as those glorified bodies shall be capable of Ps 16.9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hope Prov. 7.27 and at present do live in hope of though they groan a while with the rest of the creature so then the body must be in Covenant with God before it is well ordered to lye down in
the chambers of death which is by the way a rich comfort to the saints of God that God Father Son Holy Ghost are in Covenant with bodies Num. 23.10 Ps 102.13 14. as wel as souls yea when they shal be laid in the grave and moultered to dust God is in covenant with that dust with Ahrahams with Isaacs and Jacobs dust with the dust of their seed lying in their graves in which respect the saints bodies are said to sleep in their death to rest in hope Nay I verily believe there is more yet in the dust and bones of dead bodies that they have a kind of desire after resurrection 1 Thes 4.16 Isai 60.1 Isai 26.19 Joh. 5.28 go but into a vault of mens dead bones and tarry there an hour or two and they will draw much of your spirit and livelihood from you put you under great thirst till some days after and after the word of command from Christs mouth to arise to come forth to appear and to stand before Christ to receive their glorious enlargment and blessed investiture into that glorious Kingdom which their Lord Christ hath purchased for all that dye in Jesus Thus our bodies must be set in order before death in these four last mentioned respects 1. They must be mortified crucified bodies 2. Implanted members of Christs body 3. Kept chaste and holy for Christs use 4. Bodies in Covenant with God the Father Son holy Ghost The next duty in the third head incumbent to him that will dye well and preparedly is to set his house in order By the house may be understood the persons dwelling in family with us and more especially the children who are to be disposed of according to their rank condition and capacity as Noah prepared an ark Heb. 11.7 and so his care passed over every one of them Or by house is meant the affairs of the houshold and family thus Joseph is used by Potiphar to manage and order the affairs of his house and family Or else it is taken to dispose of the goods of the family Gen. 39.5 6. to divide and give to every one his portion or estate according unto right reason and natural affection that a mans posterity may more comfortably serve God in the state and condition in which the godly-wise shall see good to leave him thus Abraham before his death gave his Isaac the inheritance and to his other Children hee he gave gifts Gen 25.5 6. and legacies and sent them away while he yet lived and so gave up the ghost See Weams his exposition pag. 80. 81. on Job 5.26 and Gen. 29.8 and died in a good old age an old man and full of years and was gathered to his people to insist a little on this The all wise-disposing providence of our heavenly Father hath laid out the estate and condition of us in which we must serve him in the wel managing of our talents with which he hath intrusted us Mat. 25.15 and of which some have more and some have less of this lumber to possesse yea the very wicked have a just title under God as I prove out of Job Job 9.24 the earth is given into the hands of the wicked to raign and bear rule yea and to be Judges in it and God somtimes himself covers the face of such Judges as a condemned mans face going to execution earth is there put for all terrene and worldly things as the Psalmist even the heavens or the heaven of heavens is the Lords Psal 115.16 but the earth hath he given to the children of men The Lord by deed of gift hath providentially reached out all good things here below promiscously to all men by his own line or meat yard Num. 33.54 saving unto us all here is thy lot thy habitation thy land thy lease thy goods and thy estate thy bound dominion and possession Jos 1â— 6 chap. 18.10 hitherto shall they extend and no further here 's thy confinement with a non ultra yea what ever wicked men come to possess or inherit by adoption descent or succession from fathers grandfathers ancestours or other allyances yet all is the gift of God's common providence and for believers whatsoever they have comes in the name of Christs purchase for them and by speciall covenant and promise unto them Rom. 8.32 for as God spared not his own Son but gave him to dye for them how shall he not with him also freely give them all things which make for their good Earth is given to the sons of men to the just and to the unjust but heaven is given into the faints hands as it were Benjamin's mess I must go one step further yet and that is what wicked men do unlawfully get rake ring cheat rob plunder and by violence and oppression recover and injuriously wrest from others is in a sense the gift of God viz. he permitting them to range a while to prey upon the poor innoceÌ„ the fatherless orphant widow and stranger so he permitted wicked Ahab to kill 1 King 21. Jer. 22.13 and take possession of innocent Naboths Vineyard and he permits Shallum to build his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong to use his neighbours service without wages and saith to him by his Prophet thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for violence to do it all this did our all-wise God order in his common providence to last a while till Shallum had run his course and filled up the measure of his iniquity but then the Lord sends a cruel adversary like a ravening wolf of the evening to execute his just judgment upon Shallum according to that prediction in the seventh vers of the two twentieth of Jeremiah saying ver 7. I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut down thy choice Cedars and Shallum the son of Josiah King of Judah he shal dye in the place whither they have led him captive ver 12. and he shall see his land no more Now mark how the Lord speaks of this destroyer Nebuchadnezzar by name Jer. 27.6 I have given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babilon my servant and the beasts of the field have I given also to serve him And all nations shall serve him and his son named Evilmerodach 2 Kings 25.27 Jer. 52.31 Dan. 5.1 and his son namely Belshazzar the Lord disposed of those Countries by donat oÌ„ to him yet Nebuchadnezzar invades and spoiles and takes them and theirs by violence upon which say the annotations well that the great God of heaven and earth sent him against a people of the Lords wrath and gâ—ve him a charge to take the spoil Isa 10.6 and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets and he went
dye I must O my celestiall soul tho halt also great cause to curse thy wretched body for being so ill a servant to thee so pretious a piece of Gods creation in that thou art now affraid to depart at thy great Lords command As the parting of soul body is violent and very sad so more sable shall be their meeting at the resurrection when the sin-accusing conscience shal deliver up soul and body to the righteous judge of quick and dead Act. 10.42 when that judg shal deliver the guilty sinner and the law shall judge and bind him over to death eternall and to hell where the worm dyet not Esa 66.24 Mark 9.43.44 and the fire never goes out but must abide an eternity of weeping howling and gnashing of teeth Pretious Saint far otherwise and â—ull of blisse is the state of every blessed Simeons soul and body in the approach and very article of death when he shall sweetly sing or use this Prosopopoeia or words to the same effect Thou body of mine the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thee in thy departure in thy death and in thy grave for hee hath shut thine eyes and bound thy jaws and bid thee abide a while in peace bee thou content to sleep in death and to rest in hope on such a bed of roses for er'e long thy dust and clay shall live and thou shalt arise with Christ's blessed body Isa 26.19 thou that dwellest in the dust shalt awake sing for thy dew is as the dew of herbs the earth shal cast out the dead in her And thou my happy soul shalt return a glorified soul to be united for ever to thy incorruptible immortall and glorified body to be joined to the great Congregation in heaven where God Christ and the Spirit and all Angelicall natures shal for ever honour thee and all other glorified ones with that very glory which Christ Jesus had with the Father John 17. before the world was Suffer this exhortation then I beseech you to take hold on your hearts sweetly to submit to your all-wise God and Father even in every state and condition of life and death which I shal amplifie under these three heads 1. Of health 2. Of sickness 3. Of death 1. In our health and prime of our life whil'st green and flourishing like a bay tree must be an holy resignation of our selves into the hands of so good a God Eccl. 12.1 1 Chron. 28. betimes wee must remember our Creator in the days of our youth then we must learn to know the Lord God of our fathers as good David gives in counsell to his young son Solomon and this submission must bee a totall resigning of soul and body to the Lord a lesson not taught in any school below heaven none of the Moralists none of the Philosophers could attain it being onely found in the school of grace which among other things doth teach Psal 34.9 10. Mat. 28. 20. 2 Cor. 12.9 Isai 41.10 Isai 33.16 that no good thing shall be wanting unto such and that bee our condition never so strait yet God and Christ are with us and his grace shall be sufficient for us he will uphold us and help us with the right hand of his righteousness and our amunition is made of rocks in pregnable round about us Isai 27.9 and lastly God will so order all his good providences for us that they shall all work together for our good as Israel's pressures in Egypt Joseph's casting into the pit and twice selling to bee a slave as the rod of Ashur and the furnace of Babylon Now in thy submission to the good pleasure of thy heavenly Father thou must not be over hasty after fruition but with an holy patience must possesse thy soul during thy stay in this world for as thou so those fore-named promises have their set determinations by an unchangeable decree as Noah's time in the Ark Gen. 8. Job 14.14 and Job waits his appointed time all his days and so did Simeon here in the text 2. In sickness wee must submit to the Lord's visitation and say Lord it is thy hand and thy holy wil be done in me upon me I wil use the Physitian a good ordinance of thine but I will recumb in thee alone I will honour the Physitian for my necessity but I do commend my self to thy all-wise dispose who if thou shalt please to add to my days and to piece out my frail life a little longer I will by the assistance of thy grace indeavour to live and to be an instrument of thy praise but shalt thou see it good to end my pilgrimage and to take me home Oh that 's best I will sing Hallelujahs to thee for ever But by the way consider the poor and the Lord will strengthen thee upon the bed of languishing Psal 41.1.3 10. and will make all thy bed in thy sickness and bee mercifull to thee and raise thee and requite thee men may visit thee deceitfully flatteringly speaking good words unto thee and whispering evill in their own bosom and say when shal he dye v. 5. v. 8. and his name perish an evil disease say they cleaveth fast to him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more but the Lord shall visit thee upon the bed of sickness with a visit speaking pardon of sin peace of conscience thy reconciliation to himself with joy in the holy Ghost even joy unspeakable and full of glory Giving to the poor though it be thy duty Pro. 19.17 yet it is called a lending to the Lord who will repay it with more consideration then the principal it self Thou puttest thine almes into the poor mans hand and the Lord makes thee payment ten thousand-fold into thy heart and soul But least I be thought to digresse this sick man or woman must submit patiently readily unto the gracious hand of the all-wise Lord God and that in the name and worthinesse of his sweet saviour Jesus Christ devoutly praying as David did in the words of faith Psal 71.1 In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion Deliver me in thy righteousness Correct me not in thine anger O Lord nor rebuke me not in thine indignatioÌ„ Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.2 heal me O Lord for my bones are vexed Psal 22.11 Bee not far from me for trouble is nigh at hand lay no more on me then thou shalt give me strength to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 Cast me not away when my strengh faileth mee and so will the Lord answer Because he hath set his love upon me Psal 71.9 therefore will I deliver him I will be with him in trouble Psal 91.14.15.16 I will deliver him and honour him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation And for thy comfort know who hast a mansion with God that thy God
and father doth ordinarily fit his children for death in their sickness presenting to them the unloveliness and vanity of all things below the blessed interest which the Saints do enjoy in their Christ the happy change which they do make who dye in the armes of their Jesus and that such shall for ever be quit of all sinfull society yea of sinfull flesh no longer to abide among dead men nor among the tombs of dead ones shall never have cause to hang up their harpes upon Babylons Willows tree Ps 137.2 never be interrupted in singing our Hebrew song and therefore doth our gracious Father in sickness and otherwise open the narrow hearts and deaf ears of Simeons souls and then speak to them saying come my pretious ones suffer me now to dispose of you let me new mould you and transfigure you for your disease and so dear heart I do First make thee weary of thy body of death weary of the worlds blandishments and painted glory and weary of thy sinfull selfe Secondly I do sanctifie every pain and grief every crosse and trouble and make them become sanctified mercies Ps 131.2 whiles I do wean thee to be lesse in love with things below nay I cause that every decay of thy naturall strength every dimnesse of thy eye every dulnesse of thy ear every weakness and sicknesse of thy natural body shall tend to such a blessed change that at last the soul and body are made willing to depart for a time to attain unto Phil. 1.22 and enjoy a glorified cure Thirdly I do not only prepare thee to this submission but I do also make thee desire and long to dye I do so spiritualize and order thy soul that sicknesse shall be as welcome to thee as health death as life to thee who livest upon God in God and to God Dost want health of body I do satisfie thee with health of soul art near to death be it so then thou art nearer to life even a glorious blessed and eternall life sick man I am thy Lord God and I do assure thee by thy interest in my self through my son I am better to thee then ten healths as Elkanah was to Hannah then ten sons 1 Sam. 1.8 I am better to thee then many lives thy life here was but a breath or rivullet of life but in thy death thou art admitted to live for ever in him Joh. 14.6 Ps 36.9 who is life it self and to thee the fountain of life Fourthly in sickness the Lord speaks to his holy ones to be of good chear from the deep meditation of the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Joh. 1.16 from the fulness al◠sufficiency of Jesus Christ their dearest friend their Lord King who coms leaping skipping over the mountains to solace himself in and with them whom he had so wonderfully delivered from the dens of Lyons Cant. 2.8 Cant. 4.8 and mountains of Leopards or what else hath been formidable to them Come look on me and to me lean and rely on me pour out thy soul into my bosome Isa 45.22 Mic. 7.7 who will assuredly give her sweet repose untill the great day of my second coming Cant. 8.5 Act. 7.59 when thou shalt be received soul and body to be for ever in mansions of eternall glory Cant. 3.11 to keep a most triumphant Jubilee with the Lord for ever Mal. 3.17 Act. 3.19 3. In death wee must submit to our Lord Joh. 14.2 3 and that in two things In the approach Act. 7.54 c. and point of death Precious soul in the approach of death Heb. 11. 2 Chron. 6.42 Ps 25.6 Ps 119.49 Psa 22.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7.25 act faith in the Lord Jesus as Stephen did and as those Martyrs did faith will plead thy covenant-interest and perswade to roll thy self upon the free grace of God so fully represented in the promises faith bids thee look on thy Lord and saviour interceding thy cause at heavens throne Set hope on work to take faster anchor-hold on Jesus Christ Psal 18.2 Deut 32.4.31 2 Sam. 22.47 Ps 62.2.7 Ps 89.26 Ps 39.13 the rock of thy salvation Set prayer on work and pour out thy soul saying O Lord spare a little till I may recollect my self and bee sweetly composed to rejoyce in the approach of my my change Lord give me to welcome death with all ready entertainment as Gods messenger to deliver me from my prison Ps 142.7 Job 4.19 and house of clay wherein my celestiall soul the espouse of Christ is confined and imprisoned and say O Christ I come Luke 16.22 Lord Jesus send some of thy blessed Angels to receive carry my soul into Abrahams bosom as one of the fathers doth personate a dying Saint O holy trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost which in unity of nature art one the self-same God into thy hands I do commend my spirit into thy hands O blessed Saviour my King my priest and my Prophet do I recommend my self unto thee sweet Jesus do I a dying servant of thine come who camest into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief unto thee blessed Lord who wast conceived and born of the virgin Mary sufferedst diedst was buried and laid under the power of death Acts 1.24 for me to alleviate my death and make it stinglesse and curs-lesse who wast raised up from the dead didst miraculously ascend art now set down at thy fathers right hand for me to come again at the end of the world to be judge of all men Angels even to be my judg to justifie absolve me before all the world and to invest me a poor and miserable creature with that very glory which thy humane nature hath now in heaven and which thy self hadst with the Father before the world was into thy hands gracious redeener into thy hands O eternall spirit do I recommend my self who dost even ravish my heart by applying and sealing all the Covenant-goodnesse and gracious promises of life and of salvation even to me even now about to breath out my last breath of life Thus dying soul in thy submission un-thy Lord God set faith hope and prayer on work Quest The learned have a question whether the Saints in death do fear death having cōmission in some cases of persecution in one City to flye unto another and Christ saying Mar. 10. go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not Act 9.25 and Saint Paul escaped out at a window at the fear of death and Christ himself often shunned the Scribes and Pharisees and Rulers who sought to kill him Joh. 7.1 1 King 19.3 so did David shun Saul and Elias the wicked instruments of wicked Ahab and Jezebell Answ To all which I answer that 't is not simply unlawfull to
יהוה A Religious TREATISE UPON Simeons Song OR Instructions advertising how to live holily and dye happily Composed at first for the use of the truly pious Sir ROBERT HARLEY Knight of the Honourable order of the Bath But since published by Timothy Woodroffe B. D. Pastor to the Church at Kingsland in Herefordshire Job 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside over-against the great Conduit 1659. Christian Reader WEe having perused this ensuing Treatise bearing the Title of SIMEON'S SONG and being desired by the worthy AUTHOR to prefixe a line or two we can do no less then give it a kiss of peace and send it away recommending it to thee for a sound and savoury discourse and such as wanteth not a pleasant quickness to hold on thy appetite and we do believe that all who love the Lord and wait for the consolation of Israel that their eyes may see his salvation will upon perusall find it answer their time and pains and will then judge as do JOHN ROWE S. WOOD. TO THE Much Honoured Collonel Edward Harley Son and Heir to THE Renowned Sr ROBERT HARLEY Knight of the Honourable Order of the BATH Much Honoured Sir LEt my boldness crave your favourable acceptance to Epistle you and put your name in the frontispiece of this precursor to your Fathers happy departure â—hose tendency was to be serviceable unto his celestial transfiguration This Epistle is an historicall Narrative of him who was a worthy pattern of much goodness in life and therefore said to your self and others of his own flesh and blood Children I have taught you how to live and now I do teach you how to die his name but mentioned was and is as a pretious ointmeÌ„t poured out your religious fixedness in these changeable times your discreet zeal for the advanceing of your Lord Master's kingdom with your unfained love to the truth more then all arguments besides indigitated to me that yours must be the patrociny especially when I shal add the interest which you had in such a Fathers heart who is now departed from among the living and yet still lives with the Lord hee had great things in reversion held in capite from heavens magna charta and is now gone to take the plenary possession of them Whil'st Sir ROBERT HARLEY lived I dare say his enemies being Judges he much studied the art to live well and as years and weaknesses towards his dissolve did approach hee studied as much the art to dye well for his aim and end was to live in Jesus and to dye in Jesus to whom to live was Christ and to whom to dye was gain This blessed servant of the Lord was much ashamed that hee had lived so long before he lived to God but this he did also viz. most religiously sincerely bless God in my hearing that for forty years or thereabouts before his death his soul was fixedly resolved to live to God who I doubt not but he is blessing God with SIMEON that he departed in peace in a good old age and full of grace Ignobled greatness had no value in his heraldry he well foresaw that a Saint hath the richest coâ—t and that nothing in heaven or earth doth so honour and enoble a family or person as true Religion as God in Covenant as Christ in chief therefore saith Christ to his Church since thou wast pretious in my sight thou hast been honourable and so long shall an house stand before the Lord and their Almond tree â—ud and flourish observe O you Gentâ—y and the Lord Jesus will put the rod of power and authority into such hanas for else wâ—at is birth but a dunghill flower or parentage but a filthy cloth and all the titles of honour and embellishments of the worlds glory but sublunar and stained vanities all whose tendency is towards the dust But to be a son of grace and a true believer is more true honour then to bee Theodosius the Emperour this was the judgment of good old SIMEON in this Book Your religious Father I hope none will call this flattery was eminently known to be a Worthy indeed one of the Gospels great Worthies heavens favorite Christ's friend and Christ his friend for whose sake he cheerfully forsook all and exposed himself and all that he had on earth to the fury and malice of his and Christ's enemies and said oft in evill times hee would trust God with all Seneca said wel to Polibius Salvo Caesare non est de fortuna conqueri So this noble Patriot would not did not murmur and complain when brought very low nor durst he implead or pass an hard sentence against God under any check of providence but say God is good his will is best and blessed bee his name thus he acts dependance on Jehovah and his faith in the sure mercies of David then hee prays and looks up looks up and prays again he praies waits waits praies he hears believe then he humble his soul with fasting renewes his covenant with his God so keeps up his confidence mean while searcheth his soul after secret lurking corruptions if he could find any way of wickedness allowed in him that he might lay aside every weighty the sin which doth so easily beset us and run with patience the race that was set before him looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despised the shame is set down at the right hand of God Heb. â—2 1 2. It 's abundantly known he was of a publick spirit and layd out himself beyond his strength to bee doing good at every call of providence not only in a Parlamentâ—ry way wherein religious Sir ROBERT HARLEY was ever chosen by his country to be one in Gospel or Church-work within his sphere and capacity he had an inlarged and a pious heart together with a liberall hand however he did streighten himself and his and engâ—g his credit that hee might shew bowell-kindness to the despised but faithfull ministry of the Gospel and to the indigent members of our Lord Christ not onely in his native country but even to peregâ—ines exiles And since I have touched the Ministry his love to all the worthy labourers in the Lord's Vineyard is much known where-ever himself was well known and for his Country Hereford City and County must not bee silent to praise God for him whose pious care for their spirituall good hath excelled since they do enjoy many faithfull able and painfull Ministers mostly by his choice bounty and liberality who else in all probability had layen waste and old as many other places do or else had been under seducers not teachers of sound Doctrine under Idol shepherds dumb doggs and ignorant leaders who are destroyers not builders
my soul is yet alive alive to God in Jesus Christ and with old Simeon you are daily singing forth this Cantionem Cygneam Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Lo the budding of Simeon's Almond tree one bud is Simeon is a volunteer to death not dragged thither by fatall necessity nor his soul thrust out of doors with a violent hand but willing now or when-ever his Master shall please So good Old Abraham dyes in a good old age full of years and full of grace scarce an empty corner in his soul both instances had enough of days and years therefore did breathe and pant after eternity And now celestiall soul hearken a while and you shall hear the Spirit of Christ sweetly whispering Arise my love my dove my fair one and come away why tarriest thou To whom the redeemed doth joyfully answer Be it so O blessed Saviour I do only tarry thy leisure I come Lord I come but in thy time and according to thy Word not before mean while Lord help me to act faith in thy rich promises and in a blessed reliance of most holy recumbency to sit at the footstool of thy great mercy admiring the honour thou do'st to all thy holy ones and magnifying thy grace to thy Saints differing onely in degrees from glory for grace is glory militant and glory is grace triumphant And to conclude Honourable SIR Holiness in heart and life is greater honour then to be born the son of a King for the holy ones of the Lord have as it were the blood Royall of heaven running in every vein and the remembrance of every such one after death is as a pretious ointment powred out or as the smell of the Wine of Lebanon bear up then souldier of Christ against all discouragements in your journial towards heavenly Canaan what if you do meet with temptations and trialls nay with fiery Serpents in the way follow your Captain Christ Jesus who for the joy and crown set before him did endure the Crosse and despise the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the most high Wonder not O warrier of Christ if bullets of temptations and fire balls of hellish terrours threaten to destroy your faith which if they hit they cannot hurt you Jesus Christ in whom we are more then conquerours takes all the blows and gives you most insultantly to triumph over them and to read down ally our spirituall adversaries and to be gainers by them all in the day of your blessed change when you shall bee clothed upon with the same glory which Christ himself had from the Father by speciall donation and the very day of your death you shall be with Christ in Paradise as a Bride welcomed by the Bridegroom when your honour shall for ever sit with the King of Saints in heavenly places congratulated by innumerable Angells and by the generall Assembly and Church of the first born enrolled in heaven by the spirits of just men made perfect and with whom your blessed self shall make one saying Hallelujah salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God Amen Hallelujah Yours FINIS Books lately printed for Tho. Parkhurst c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming virtue and formal duties And the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between 2. The blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the Unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had By that late burning and shining Lamp Mr Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Somerset Folio Mr. John Cotton his practical Exposition on the first Epistle to John second Edition corrected and inlarged in Folio A Theatre of flying Insects wherein especially the manner of right ordering the Bee is excellently described with discourses H storical and Physical concerning them with a second part of Meditations and Observations Theological and Moral in 3 Centuries upon the same subject by Samuel Purchas M. A. in 40. Catechizing God's Ordinance in sundry Sermons by Mr. Zachary Crofton Minister of Buttolphs Aldgate London the second Edition corrected and augmented A Religious Treatise UPON Symeon's Song OR Instructions advertising how to Live Holily and Die Happily LUKE 2.29 30. 29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation SIMEON here may be stiled God's white Swan Eccl. 12.5 singing his owne Epitaph now in the time when his Almond-tree did sweetly blossom It is Simeons Funeral Song Cantus F◠nebris of which Songs I onely finde two in Scripture so sadly do the most lay down this Earthly Tabernacle when as the dear Saints of God should then rejoyce with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 and full of Glory You read of one in the Old Testament and that was good Old Moses 120. Deu. 31.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 30 Duter 32. through out yeares old who calleth his instructions before his death giving to the people a song which he requireth to be written for the use of the Children of Israel when the Lord should put a period to his days on earth The second was Simeons Song here whose days were protracted till he should see the Lord 's Christ bodily Galatians and spiritually at once Both great men and honourable as say the Ecclesiasticall Histories both Holy and Godly men Moses was God's Servant and so was Simeon Both honoured with a Religious and Blessed memoriall Moses dies with fixed eyes upon true Canaan but Simeons eyes are fixed upon Christ The Spirit of God knowes as well the time of our Spirituall joyes as of our effectuall calling and the actings of our repentance and of our Faith See here this good old man is now excited to take the opportunity to act his own joy to personate that which believers should act much more then they doe namely to look believingly on the Lord Jesus their joy and consolation as Simeon did Who First took him up in his armes whom he had before entertained in his heart and so is even raptured in the superabounding love of his Lord Christ the blessedest arme-full that ever the good Old man had in all his life Observe that Simeon declares his joy by a Holy Elegie off blessing God for this so magnificent and long expected a mercy as this sight did contein That he looks of all else and will needs die out of hand to be forever in the possession of this beatificall Vision Observe the forme of the holy Elogy verses 29 30 31 32. called Simeons Song as if he had said I fear not sin nor dread I death I have lived enough I have my Life I have seen enough I have my light I have sorrowed enough
and doubt no more from paines and dolours to perfect ease from miserable comforters to the God of all Consolations Job 16.2 Rom. 15.5 2 Cor. 7.5 Heb. 2.14 Heb. 12.23.24 from troubles without from fears within from sin death and him that had the power of death to eternall heavenly joyes to the great assembly to the lambs redeemed ones to perfect holiness and endless happinesse and to Jesus Christ himself to be partaker with him of heavens glory yea of that very glory which himself had with the Father before the world was Joh. 17.5 and to be possessed of that very glory which the humanity of Christ hath at this present time at the right hand of God Simeons eye of faith was poring to look through the dark cloud of his infirmities upon this dazling glory and so doth beg his freedome to be discharged of his earthly Tabernacle according to the word of his Lord. now I shall endeavour to summ up all and to mould the proposition of this ensuing Treatise in one most certain conclusion Doct. Such may upon just cause desire to dye who have seen the Lords salvation as Simeon did here Many have unjustly desired to dye upon unjust considerations as Cato Cleombrotus Lucretia and others quia Spiritus latenter jusserat lib. 1. cap. 21. but they may alone upon just grounds desire to dye who have an eye within the vaile and an eare to hear the spirit bid them now be willing to dye Those sacred Virgins who in the sack of Rome chose to prevent the barbarous heathen prostituting their bodies to uncleannesse by a volunta-murthering of themselvs had no warrant at all nor ought they under any pretence have fled unto so desperate a prevention this but by the way They alone who have had a gracious aspect upon the Lord can bee rightly willing to dye they who have so looked into the promise that they are assured God will shew them their Lord first believingly and then beatifically do also look upon death which was wont to be so formidable as very much changed for now death is no longer a destroyer but a deliverer no longer a punishment or a curse but a blessing yea death to a bliever is one legacy in that rich Inventory of the Epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.30 all things be yours death is yours While death was in the Devills power death was an enemy but Christ hath made it a friend and a blessing a bridge to passe over from the vail of tears into the Kingdome of glory As Haman provided for Mordicai so death intended a curse and mischief but accidentally it proves a blessing and to be desired Indeed to men without God and Christ out of Covenant and without the word of promise death is of all terribles the most terrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a most rigid executioner of divine wrath and vengeance but to the Godly so 't is a servant of the Lords and our servant to unlock Heaven gate and to admit the precious souls of Christs redeemed ones into Christs bosome such do quietly send away their souls to heaven whereas the ungoldly man or woman who is an unbeliever his soul is taken from him Luk. 12. Job 27.8 and as Job speakes will they nill they they would fain live longer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they must not they cannot so inexorable is death to them but every Simeon is willing to resign when his Lord shall please he dyes not because he must dye but because he willingly subscribes to the Lords fiat This Conclusion is confirmed by manifold witnesses To me to live is Christ 1 Phil. 21. to dye is gain But Paul was here in a great straight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 23. having strong arguments on both sides to desire life and to desire death therefore saith I am in a straight between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you that your rejoycing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me Another testimony of this truth proposed is in St. Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 5.1 For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our house which is from Heaven For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burthened not for that we would be uncloathed v. 4. but cloathed upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mortality might be swallowed up of life Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God v. 5. who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit so goes on Therefore we are alwayes confident v. 6. knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord For we walk by faith not by sight we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body u. 7. and to be present with the Lord. Quest But whence all this Q. Answ From the Apostles hope A. and expectation he had of Heaven that mortality might be swallowed up of life according to the testimony and earnest of the spirit of God that after this life he shall be cloathed upon with life and glory that then he shall be with the Lord Thus much his faith had shewed him And thus much for the confirmation We cannot see Christ in his coessentiality with the Father and with the Holy Ghost Such a sight of God here below would be inconsistent with a mortall and sublunar beeing and would swallow up the Creature man as the Schoolmen do affirm But here against doth Gregory object What may we not se who see the Lord 's Christ Especially seeing him God-man as Simeon here did no longer in the type but the truth it self qui videant videntem omnia quid non videant Greg. sol lib. 4 cap 33. St. Augustin doth well answere this and the like objections saying we can see no more of God and of Christ then God shall please to manifest unto us or then Christ shall please to reveale unto us as he did to Moses when God did put him in a clift of the Rock Exod. 33.22.23 what breaking forth of his glory the Lord shal please to discover unto us finite creatures those we may see Visione intelligibili videntar ea quae sunt à nobis intelligibilia Aug. But the Father goes on further we may see much of God with our intellect I meane of such things as are intelligible and thus many things of God and Christ do fall within our capacity and as we are able to bear them thus visions be some darker some more lightsome some persons have more day and some more night yet at the best our sight here is but obscure as the old man's sight through his spectacles I say some Saints have cleerer visions as Ezechiel to whom
perswade us that death is an end to such of all their troubles when as 't is most certain that death is the beginning of woes and their entrance into eternall death Observe that Satan would have us dye when we are most unfit to die But O distressed soul know that Gods method is repent and die believe and die pray and die be renewed in thy heart and life and die be sure of thy Salvation as Simeon and then be willing to die get Christ into thy soul and then die Job 2.9 which a godly man would have controverted and not said curse God and die but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blesse God and live not curse God and die I conclude my answere it 's not lawfull to wish for death absolutely but with an holy submission unto our Lord's will To wish for death because we are troubled grieved imprisoned aflicted is an ungodly wish for God hath much work for his Servants to do in their aflictions as well as in their consolations We must glorifie God in our sickness in bonds imprisonments persecutions and fiery trials and this we must strive to do and not presently wish to die and leave our worke this made Simeon keep well to his conditions To die God's Servant To die in peace To die according to the Word but upon other tearms Simeon may not Simeon did not desire to die The second Corallary Very terrible are the thoughts of death to wicked men who under such as their apprehensions are cannot be willing to dye dreadfull are the commemorations of their God-opposing grace-dispising mercy-refusing spirit-quenching life with a thousand abominations charged on them by their own consciences Oh! 1 Thes 5.19 these be daggers at such a ones heart begun even here to be gnawed upon Esa 66.24 Mark 9.44 45 46 47 48. Jude 15.1 The sting of a sin-awakened conscience will not let them be willing to dye by the worme that never dies Poor soul how canst thou desire to die whom such works do follow Oh the sting of a sin-awakened soul is inexorable every word of the tongue is ready to sound out damnation damnation and every colour which the fancy presents is sable even as black as hell 2 The fear of an approaching judgment Heb. 9.27 Wretched sinner how canst thou desire to die who knowst of an approaching judgment after death to be managed by that just and powerfull Judge whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sun Rev. 1.14 Rev. 2.18 Rev. 19.12 to manifest before the world of men and Angels all thy sinfull thoughts idle and wicked words an account for every talent with all unrighteous actions whensoever wheresoever or howsoever committed against God men or thy self Nor is this all but this righteous Lord God must and will have an exact account of Adam's transgression Coll. 3.10 of the depravednes of thy degenerate nature which was originally dignified with God's own Image and moreover Mat. 25.15 to 29. thou must be accountant for every talent in those three great farmes viz the farme of nature the farme of the world the farme of the Gospell how thou hast received in these talents how thou hast laid them out Luk. 16.2 and what good improvement thou hast made to the glory of thy Lord. Oh! how wilt thou who hast been so unprofitable a seruant once dare to desire death in order unto their appearance before the great God of heaven and earth If Pauls preaching of righteousnesse and judgment to come before Felix did beget such trembling how is it possible thou canst desire to die especially whiles thou art to come before so impartiall a Judge who cannot 4. The thoughts of an impartiall Judge who will not be blinde frighted or corrupted nor varie one silable from the exactest Justice to retribute to every one according to that he hath done 2 Cor 3.10 in the flesh whether it be good or evill Impenitent sinner Ps 1.5 this Judge hath said the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment since thou foreknowest thy miscariages before that impartiall judge it is not possible that thou canst desire to die The consideration of being friendles 5. The thoughts of being Christless and friendles at that day graceles and Christles at that great and notable day and before the barr of that majestical tribunal without an advocate when gvilty conscience shall most hideously cry out Just Oh Lord is all thy charge against me Oh what will become of my poor soul who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness Jude 4. who despised Jesus Christ coming to save me Mat. 22.3.9 Cant. 5.1 Oh what shal I now do who was so sweetly invited to the feast of grace to eat of those delicates which mercy would have set before me Job 8.13 Job 6.19.20 Isa 6.5 How can I desire to breath out mine anxious soul when all my hopes shal perish nor know I what wil becom of her Rev. 6.16.17 Wo is me wo is me I am undon for even he the Lord Jesus Christ whom I have so provoked is now my Judg inexorable Mountaines fal on me hils cover me hide me from the angry presence of such a vengeance-taking Majesty Yet mountains will not do it nor can hils cover me astonished as I am what shall I do which way shall I look Ma◠15.22 then happily the soul may think to say Lord Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me v. 23. Pro. 21.13 Phil. 2.7.8 but neither will that serve my turn for he will say who art thou that criest after me sinner sinner 't is now too late time was Zach. 7.13 Esa 58.1 Esa 65.12 Luke 19.41 I came to thee in my condescending mercy time was I cryed unto thee lifting up my voice like a trumpet time was I wept over thee bemoaning and bewailing thy misery I stood long at the door of thy heart and thine ears saying open Cant. 5.2 Cant. 2.10 open to me wretched sinner nay I called thee my love my dove my spouse Yea I stood knocking till my head was wet with the dew and my locks with the dropping of the night but as thou wouldst none of me then Mar. 7.23 Rev. 2.21 Mat. 8.12 Luk. 13.18 so neither may I know thee depart from me thou wouldst not weep nor mourn nor repent in the time thereof therefore now thy portion is weeping howling gnashing of the teeth Oh! this shall cut thee to the very heart to see Abraham Isaac and Jacob received into the Kingdome of God and thy self cast out to see those whom thou cursedst saved and those whom thou abhorredst glorified Thou who wast ashamed of Christ Mar. 8.38 and of his word the son of man shall be also ashamed of thee when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels The delivery up of such condemned ones to Satan Then also consider the delivery
up for thee so vile a wretch I say didst think it was halfe true which was told thee of the desirablenes and excellency of Jesus Christ to all believers in and after their blessed change Loe now what ever discovery here hath been made all the tongues of men and Angels are not able to reveile the hundredth part of thy beatificall fruition in the bosome of glory who dost depart this fraile life in the true relation of a dear Servant of God who dyest in that blessed peace according to the Word of God Thus much of this sweet consolalation Which divides it self into six particulars 1. That Death is spoiled of it's power to hurt us and of a conquered foe is made a friend 2. Saints cannot miscarry in their death because Christ is with them 3. All the godly have the first fruits of glory in hand 4. The saints honour glory and immortality is already prepared and reserved for them in heaven 5 Death is an haven after a storm a rest to all laborious saints a sure hiding place and sanctuary to soul and body 6. The saints promised and hoped for happiness coms sure at last Which happiness hath been amplified 1. In the matter blessedness in God enjoyed 2. In the manner the beholding of Gods face Next followeth the exhortation which is four-fold 1. To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon 2. To prepare for an happy death Solidly Timely 3. To submit to God's dispose in life or death 4. Not to mourn overmuch for them that dye in the Lord. 1 Exhortation Let all gracious Simeons be truly thankful for their sight of Christ with any glimpse of true faith Mal. 4.2 this is Oculata fides or faith illightned with a beam of the Sun of righteousnesse holding forth glorious things laid up in store for the admirers of Jesus Christ for all those whom he hath drawn near unto himself with the sweet honey-combs of his matchless love Cant. 1.4 Cant. 4.10 and with the sweet savour of his costly oyntments and with that untold unvaluable mine of evangelicall grace Look on blessed Saint fix thine eyes upon that Covenant-goodness into which thy poor soul is admitted and be thankfull which Covenant was the birth and product of God the Fathers everlasting love and mercy to all his seeing Simeons Deut. 7.7 the Legacy of free grace of the Father Son and Holy Ghost richly enamelled with royall priviledges and most gracious promises comprehending all those jura regalia of the remission of sin Rom. 9.4.5 of justification before God of adoption and son-ship And by the way observ that Remission of sin which Christ did bleed out for thee who scarce ever didst bleed out a tear for him 't is a choice mercy bestowed on none Rom. 11.23 but such as are vessels of mercy viz. Gods pretious people those blessed ones whom God makes the objects of blessedness Exo. 34.6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and proclaims himself in his glory as to Moses the Lord the Lord God mercifull c. and shall not such be thankfull Believing Simeon faith doth as it were antidate thy happiness and make things to come as if they were present and as one sayes substantiates things not yet seen and appropiate them to thy self Ps 60.7 as Gilead is mine Manasseh is mine These places were not then conquered but God had spoken in his holinesse and that was assured to Davids soul hee had made a sure Promise Psa â—32 7 Isai 55.3 Acts 2.30 Covenant and Oath to David and so a believer may say heaven is mine heaven is mine God and Christ everlasting glory is mine Faith looks on the promise as fulfilled already and put into its hand in the full assurance of it and after a sort into perfect enjoyment as when the Spirit brought Ezekiel in the visions of God to Jerusalem Ezec. 1.1 his body was commorant in Babilon's captivity by the river Chebar even then his spirit is said to be in Jerusalem for his spirit did lift him up between heaven and earth Ezec. 8.3 and brought him in those visions to Jerusalem The soul may be in sweet communion with God in heaven when the body may be in the earth Every Simeon's soul is in a sense in heaven already sweetly solaced in the beatificall Vision Mat. 5.8 Rev. 15.3 Rev. 2.17 Rev. 22.1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. â— 9 and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb tasting the heavenly Manna and bathing her self in those rivers of pleasure which the Lord hath put within Christ's purchase and prepared for them that love him to which our blessed Lord doth point as a means of this enjoyment Mat. 6.21 Lay up your treasure in heaven for where your treasure is there will also your heart be A Simeon may be below Col. 3.2 and yet his affections above as Paul doth exhort set your affections on things above and not on things beneath so that a gracious soul is under a double consideration of earth and of heaven whose mind is not said to be where he is but where he likes and loves best and therefore have some of the Ancients wont to say that even here below the soul fetcheth many a flight to heaven with those dove-like wings of silver Psal 68.13 and those feathers of yellow gold in the Psalm 68.13 to see the God of Glory to speak with Jesus Christ at Gods right hand to present her petitions by her gracious Advocate and Mediatour at heavens Throne in expectation of a most gracious answer Again the soul flies up to heaven to visit those innumerable Angels and to contemplate the Patriarks and Prophets happiness to admire the Apostles honour to congratulate all the Assemblies of the first born and to salute the spirits of just men made perfect Rev. 4.1 this Saint John saw a door in heaven opened and he heard a voyce as it were of a trumpet talking with him which said come up hither and immediatly he was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in heaven and one sate on the Throne whence the Prophet John by a call from heaven coms up but how not Corporally but Spiritually then the Spirit lifted up the good man in sweet meditation and most holy affection as Simeon here whose gladded and thankfull heart breathed out this Song in the text Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. Then O believer put on thy white robes of holiness Rev. 7. â— 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s but a little while when with Elijah thou shalt ascend joyfully when those earthly raggs shall fall off and thy Christ shall cloath thee over with his bright garment of Glory bear up then blessed Saint rejoice and be thankful in hope of the glory of God it 's a duty becoming thee to be thankfull Rom. 5.2 See what argument Christ useth to raise up the drooping hearts of his
dejected Disciples Lu. 24.17 What manner of communications are these while you walk and are sad Joh. 17. What are you so sad are you not advised that I must depart and glorifie my Father Joh. 14.3 and that when you go hence I must and will prepare mansions of glory for you do not you consider what I am to you and what you are to me whom I have so and so honoured already and am in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and that you shall shortly in three days expect my Resurrection from the dead Mat. 16.21 1 Cor. 15.20 Joh. 14.1 an assured evidence of your Resurrection you my beloved Disciples be not troubled at my death and departure Judg. 8.2 nor at your own but praise and give thanks for certainly the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim which you enjoy are infinitely better then all the vintage of Abiezer the earnest and first fruits which even now you live spiritually upon Eccle. 1.2 chap. 12.8 do excell and transcend all the glory and vanity of things sublunar or below 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. and before in Deut. 7.7 And indeed my beloved Disciples consider what moved me and my Father to own you rather then others so undeservedly when wee passed by so many of the great men and nobles of the world to make you vessels of honour and to give you an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Rom. 9.21 2 Tim. 2.21 1 Pet. 1.4 What am I said David and my Fathers house that I should be son in law to a King 1 Sam. 18.18 whence was it that the mother of my Lord should com unto me Luk. 1.43 sayd Elisabeth to the Virgin Mary Great was the joy in the hearts of the four lepers of the great and besieged city of Samari◠2 Kings 7.3 to the 12. whom the Lord so wonderfully relieved and enlarged Alas all these were but as nut-shells and oyster-shells compared with the mercies of blessed Simeon whose mercies as they be reall celestial and lasting for ever so they do call for reall and angelicall prayses Heavens candidates bee glad at deaths approach thou art next apparent to glory and indeed be thankful for it may bee thou maist bee one of the next souls who may be gloriously ushered in thither nay in a sense thou art in heaven already thy faith is there thy hope is there thy conversation is there while thy eye is fixed on thy Christ there and thou art daily translated from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Eph. 1.3 and all this is sealed to thee by the Spirit of promise of which more fully afterwards mean while do but open thy eyes and thou canst not but be really thankfull fiducially to see all the prophesies and all the promises to thee accomplished although thou see it but a far off And now that thou maist be thus thankful let me be assistant to thee in four or five directions Direction Luk. 2 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Study thou poor mortall to praise and magnifie thy God and thy Christ in the highest as the Angells did at the nativity of Christ high mercies do cal for high praises thankfulness may be in carnal earthly men for good turns done them yea and gladness in the beast that receiveth fodder But O thou saved by the Lord thou must act higher even from a principle of Covenant-grace reached out to a lost and dead sinner by the hand of unconceivable mercy procured by the Lord Jesus saving thee so mightily and wonderfully not out of the common store-house of divine providence but out of the Ark of the Covenant or bosom-love of thy Lord Jesus Christ Therefore O blessed soul thy thankfulness must be super-abounding and thy whole soul be poured out in this duty with holy vows and fixed resolutions as that sweet singer of Israel Psal 116. I will love thee I will serve thee Psal 116 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgivings and I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the Courts of the Lords house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem praise ye the Lord Lo what a pattern of high and reall thankfulness is here presented unto gracious Simeons 2. To be more real in our thankfulness for such salvation-mercies as Simeons here was we must look farther then the superficies and out-side of a mercy for as God in his workings of good providence hath a wheel within a wheel so he hath oftimes a mercy within a mercy and when wee are called to such a piece of thankfulness as is here required wee must brighten the souls eye of faith and by the prospective of divine promises covenant-goodness we must dive deep and look far to see if it were possible not onely the hand of mercy stretched forth to us but the very heart of Gods mercy opened to us Genesis 6. compared with 1 Pet. 3.19 nay through that mercy the soul must look on the Lord himself for else we do but see the Ark of preservation as the old world did not the covenant-goodness of God in that Ark nor his Church in that Ark nor his Christ there nor all the saved of the Lord even thy self there spiritually in the heart of God and Jesus Christ you must look into the inside of your mercies else you will but see the bush on fire and it preserved but not the good will of him that dwelt in the bush Exod. 3.2 Deut. 33.16 for one may observe the Lords faithfulness in keeping covenant and promise and not look on Jesus Christ the promoter of the covenant by and with whom the Lord made such a covenant therefore wee must throughly look as well on the in-side of the mercy whence a mercy comes originally on Gods mind aim end as on the mercy it self reached out to us we must look on Gods mind towards us in the mercy how to walk act before him in fom sutableness expectatiō to the mercy we do enjoy to live more holily to worship more devoutly to act faith in Gods al-sufficiency to trust in him more to recumb depend more to be the Lords more entirely thē ever before For as in many mercies there is a good out-side but a better in-side so in the carriages of the people of God there is not only a more out-side-carriage before the Lord but a more intern spiritual cordial acting of a thankful soul to serve the Lord more sincerely more absolutely more graciously and more holily as David not onely throughout the 116 Psalm but also Psalm 42.5 after more experience of the Lord and a farther inspection into his gracious dealing with him hee sayes O my soul trust thou in God for I shal yet give him thanks and praise him for the help of his countenance so vers 11
be numbred sinner although thou know not the number the time that 's kept under Gods lock and key hee hath pleased to let thee know the sinfulness the cursedness the brevity the vanity and anxiety of thy life under a thousand dangers and maladies but not to know the computation of thy life except in the grosse that the days of a man are threescore and ten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it may be fourscore albeit not one of twenty attain to live so long v. 10. and if so yet then is their life but labour and sorrow Quest But why blessed Lord may the eternall soul say hast thou concealed this from us Ans That wee should every day wait the good pleasure of our God till our change come Job 14.14 Answ 2. That wee should every day be willing to hearken to the counsel of our good Lord to be prepared to die happily that every prayer we put up that every sermon wee hear should bee poured forth and hearkned unto as our last Ans 3. That every tender and opportunity of mercy bee entertained by us as our last as 't is for ought we know Ans 4. That without the least procrastination we should enter the narrow gate while 't is opened unto us and seek the Lord very humbly Is 55.6 Lu. 19.42 and cordially while he will be found of us that wee should know the things of our peace in the day thereof Ans 5. That we should in due season gratefully accept Jesus Christ's sweet love while he makes such ravishing applications to us Cant. 5.2 saying open to me my sister my love my dove mine undefiled one and come with me from Lebanon my Spouse come away dear heart from the dens of Lions and from the mountains of Leopards So that the Lord by his absconding and darkning deaths time from our eyes doth discipline a poor soul as he did the wise Virgins seasonably to getoyl and lamps our vessels full and lamps burning and to get our loins girt Exod. 12. Mat. 25.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 13.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our staves in our hands that wee ever shaking off all rusty bedrid-security may bee ever upon our watch being so much advised of death so near for ought we know which way soever we go or whatsoever we are about 2. Solidly Now to the solid preparation of which I am to speak before which I must needs promise a few things to awaken wretched sinners fearfully beguiled in so great a business as is our solid preparation 1. For it is lamentable to see how poor sinners do sin away pretious mercies and implunge themselvs into deaths gulf Ephes 2.2 and into the jaws of hells destruction living in sinful lusts being acted by a satanical spirit of disobedience until they be in the jaws of hungry death who devoureth them as the old world while they were eating and drinking rioting drowning and even damming themselves in the days of Noah or as a deaf and merciless Serjeant seizing on a gallant walking the streets in the pride of his heart but suddainly arrested and dragged violently to the Counter or some nasty prison Luk. 12.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so do great multitudes befool themselvs into deaths Counter never to be delivered till they have payd the utmost farthing which cā never be while they promise to themselvs through vain confidence long life and happy days and that all shall be well with them at the last though one foot is in the grave and they be ready to drop down as they go poor creatures who boast their faith so strong and their hope so well anchored Lu. 18.11.12 because somtimes they cry God mercy do confide in the formality of some duties and an empty profession of Religion void of the life of faith and of the power of godliness whom a deceived heart hath so long fed with ashes Isa 44.20 and their deluded souls with a lye in their right hand unto all whom I must say in the words of the Prophet O self-deceiver O self-destroyer the Lord hath rejected thy confidence Jer. 2.37 Mat. 7.23 nor shalt thou prosper in them for the Lord Christ will never own thee but will profess he never knew thee and say depart from me ye workers of iniquity 2. Others live to their dying hour in a state of unregeneracy unbelief hardness of heart Mat. 23.27 Ezek. 8.3.14.16 after the course of the world and keep an in-side as corrupt as the sepulchers of rottenness of which our Saviour spake as vile as that Image of jealousy or that idol Tammuz said to be that idol which their women did yearly lament with unseemly ceremonies not to be named or as those who worshipped the Sun Job 31.26 27 28. and had renounced God and his worship But O beguiled soul who hath so bewitched thee that thou dost dream that thou maist live a slave a vassall to base lusts within and to ungodliness without and that all thy days and be saved at last that thou maist live the life of the wicked Numb 13.10 yet dye the death of the righteous certainly these be men and women of no understanding he that made them will have no mercy on them Isa 27 11. and he that formed them will shew them no favour Did not the Ministers of Christ ordinarily tell thee what a self-deceiver thy heart was and what a deceiver sin was worse then the harlot and that the way of sinners Prov. 7. Deut. 29.19 would bee bitterness in the end and how unsafe nay how desperate it would be when a sinner dayly hearing these things blesse himself saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of mine own heart God sayes Isa 48.22 there 's no peace to the unregenerate soul no peace to the unbeliver to the stone-hearted sinner neither here nor hereafter But thou sayest I shall have peace Quest How shall this be tried I Answ When death comes the horrour trembling and astonishment of spirit which will more or lesse seize upon them shall pass the umpire but a sad one and that which is the beginning of endless and everlasting woes O reader be moved as I professe my self oft troubled within me to hear men and women boast like a Pharisie their faith hope and great expectation saying they shall dye in the arms of mercy because God made them and they have lived under and professed the Gospell have been taken and reputed good christians among men by these and other meerly externall works and insufficient grounds do they too too shallowly conclude that it must needs go wel with them at the last Joh. 3.3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Heb. 12.14 O let such lay to heart the word of him which shall stand Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven If any man bee in Christ
he must be a new creature Without holiness no man shall see the Lord who is not ingrafted into Christ the true vine shall be cas out Joh. 15.4.5 Rom 8.17 Gal. 6.7 1 Cor. 6.9 none but adopted sons can inherit whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor thievs nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God But all such as have not made their peace with God timely and really let them be ascerteined that merciless and impartial death shall snatch them away from their dwellings and relations Mar. 9.44.46 48. into the blackness of darknesse for ever where the worm dieth not thrice repeated Then let none dare protract time and think to be prepared in a moment in the time of sicknesse and the hour of death indeed God may then shew mercy I had almost said a miracle as on the thief Luk. 23.43 but such miracles are very rare in Scripture for strait is the gate Mat. 7.13.14 and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few they be that find it Some are so combred with the world that they never will bee at leisure to prepare to die do think and speak of it but never do it like the banquerout who says he will pay all his debts but takes no more care of it then of his ending day Pro. 9.17 Some are tickled with sins stolen waters of pleasures and profits till wounded and slain Prov. 7.23 as the young man going after his harlot like an Ox to the slaughter or a fool to the stocks Till a dart strike through his liver for her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death CPoor sinfull man death is coming on the wing every day nearer and nearer and thou art insensible of its certain approach Eccles 12. nay death's harbingers are with thee already who do weaken thy silver cord and spend the marrow of thy frail life who do dimme thine eyes deaf thine ears whiten thine hairs and thou incogitant perceivest it not and these messengers of death will ere long be break the golden bowl from which all parts enjoy their vitall spirits And sinfull man suppose thou be young and lusty flourishing like David's Bay tree thou art no more sure to live a day longer then he of an hundred years old who creeps on all four as we say for so soon as the hopefullest man begins to live in that very instant he begins to die death gnaweth on every man's root of life till sooer or later she lays us all in the dust The besotting folly and uncorrigible madness of sinfull men living as if they were in covenant with death and hell making lies their refuge Isa 28.15 and hiding themselves under falshood have made me too long in this preparatory to this second exhortation whom the Lord notably answereth as if viva voce your Covenant with death shall be disanull'd Isa 28.18 your agreement with hell shall not stand And thus I come to the exhortation it self Solidly and Timely to fall upon the work of preparation which consists of these four heads 1. An holy desire to live well 2. To be well principled in matters of Religion 3. To bee much in conference with death 4. To set all things in order for death The first head Many do like heaven well but not the way thither many desire glory to come when they can enjoy earthly glory no longer whereas a right holy desire as Simeons was will take all due care to get into and to keep heavens milky way not to accumulate that high degree per saltum but be glad to go Christ's way saying Father I have glorified thee on earth Joh. 17.4 5. and now glorifie thou me in heaven A presumer or intruder would live in sin till his dying day and then be forgiven and taken into Abraham's bosom but the true desirer is glad as Saint Paul Act. 20.21 to go God's way of repentance of amendment and of believing unto salvation as low Zacheus did when he welcomed Christ into his house and heart The presumer desires faintly to dye but 't is when he cannot live nor sin any more but the well prepared soul after days and years of much serving God after much sore travell through hot afflictions strong temptations and many fiery trialls Psal 42.1 Gen. 32.26 28. 1 Sam. 1.13 is fervent in desiring death and restless as the Hart after the water brooks like Jacob who will not leave wrestling till he prevail nor Hannah cease praying till the Lord had granted her the desire of her soul 1 Sam. 1.13 Gal. 4.19 Piè vixit ergo libēter vult mori Psa 90.12 The soul was restless till whole Christ was formed in her and now she desires to die with groaning desires she had lived well and therefore she would dye such be ever numbring their days and so do apply their hearts to wisdome to which end 1. Thou must accept the time of thy repentance laid out for thee by the Lords own hand Rev. 2.21 Jezebell had her time so had the old world Sodom and Gomorrah and the Jewes so had Corazin ank Bethsaida but they accepted not that time In our repentance their must bee Godly sorrow for sin for all the sins of our natures 2 Cor. 7. of our hearts and lives aggravated by many sad circumstances of the matter the manner measure time when how oft lived in against means Lament throughout to have avoided such sins against light and counsell to the contrary yea and it may be against our vows never to do so or so with very great large desires of pardon and reconciliation to God in and through Jesus Christ and a restlesness upon thy spirit till thy soul be satisfied that thou art pardoned and accepted and thy evidence for heaven sealed with the blood of Christ together with strong engagements upon thy whole man never to return again to folly but to keep an holy vigilancy ever upon thy soul with solemn covenanting thy self to be the Lords and not thine own any more as thou wast in the day of thine impenitency 2. And whereas in many things we sin all even the most righteous sins oft every day we must renew our repentance often as David did Hezekiah Peter other◠yea so oft that we may be said to walk humbly before the Lord in an humble holy conversation labouring never more to be deceived by the presumption pride and daring boldnesse of our unregenerate part and so the longer thou thus walk'st humbly and penitently before the Lord the better stil is thy preparation which made one to say well that good men are best at last even when they are dying so great a dependance hath a gracious death upon an humble and
holy life John 9.4 Prov 27.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to som câ—itricks and that very judiciously is Etymologized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy day Lev. 19.6 7. As repentance must be solid so it must be seasonable for night will else come upon thee and therefore saith Christ I must work whiles it is called to day Cras Cras is the voyce of a crow and not of a Christian loose not this day talk not of to morrow to repent in for Solomon wil tell thee thou knowst not what to morrows womb may bring forth To day then while it is called to day hear Christs voyc bespeaking presentaneous repentance Manna must be gathered in the morning the peace of offering be offered on the first second day not the third There be four ages of life childhood youth middle old age the first and last are more incapable but the other two are best to repent in trust not long life nor late repentance least thou be like unto some courtiers who usually do all too late rise too late dress too late dine too late sup too late and I fear commonly repent too late and dye Job 20.11 Gen. 4â— 9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when as Job speaks their bones are full of the sin of their youth and they must be necessitated to say few and evill have been the days of my life Many flatter themselvs and deceive others with perwigs Not much different from that of the Poet Scit te Pâ—oserpina calvum personam capiti detrahet illa suo Prov. 9.3 Pro. 1.28 and so seem many years younger then they be but neither will God bee deceived nor decaying nature deceived no more then the Devill was by him that had coloured his hair when he said I know thee well enough for all thy locks Oh sinner it is present repentance God looks for long hath hee knocked cryed and call'd but thou would'st not hear thou shalt therefore cry and call and God will not hear as in that of Matthew How oft would I have gathered you Mat. 23. 37. as the hen doth her chickens and yee would not now it may be you would but I will not I would have purged thee saith God but thou wast not purged thou shalt never be purged any more till I have caused my wrath to light upon thee Ezech. 24.13 14. I the Lord have spoken it and it shall come to pass and I will do it Sinner it 's a dreadful thing to go unseasonably upon the work of repentance miserable creature being about to dye What wilt do when God and Christ and the Spirit be against thee when all mercies shall be thine enemies who shall bee thy friends and when they shall conclude thy finall miserie who shall pity thee when they shall laugh at thy self-destruction and mock when thy fear cometh Prov. 1.26 therefore what thou doest do quickly in thy repenting and thy renewing acts of repentance for for ought thou knowest death may come this very night and by the Lords takers may take away thy soul Luke 12. albeit thou hast prepared many things for thy self thy wife thy children and posterity yet none shall do thee good that art unprepared of that which should do thee good indeed whatever then thou delay let it not be solid and timely repentance hold not thy hand in thy bosom saying Pro. 6.10 vese 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a man of a child as the sluggard yet a little sleep a little slumber till death come upon thee as an armed man that is irresistably and inexorably and cannot be avoided Pro. 6.6 whom therefore God sends to the Ant and Pismire to learn wisdom of that provident but irrational creature To be prepared solidly and timely for death head 2 we must be well principled in the fundamentalls of true religion and well grounded in the doctrinals not only of repentance towards God Acts 20.21 but also of faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ We must be rooted and built in Christ Col. 2.7 and established in the faith in that faith which was once given to theÌ„ Saints Jude 3. and hath been received believed and maintained by all the Lords worthies since the primitive times Heb. 11. Heb. 12. according to the Scriptures in which we haue God himself revealed concerning whom wee must know out of those Scriptures the doctrine of 1. His nature 2. His works In his works we must know his works 1. Of Creation 2. Of Providence In his Providence consider 1. His Generall 2. His speciall Providence In his especial providence as it concerns man so look on him in his four-fold estate 1. Of Innocency 2. Of Corruption 3. Of Grace 4. Of Glory Again consider man his estate of grace And here behold him 1. under the means of grace 1. Election in God 2. Redemption in Christ 2. Under the subject of Grace The Church of God universall 3. Under the degrees of Grace 1. Justification 2. Sanctifiation 4. In the state of Glory viz. 1. His resurrection 2. His last judgment 3. Eternall life And more especially bee wee exhorted 1. To be sure we get a solid and distinct understanding of these fundamentalls by heart 1 Cor. 1.3.10 11. Ephes 2.20 21.22 Mat. 4 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 5.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 1.3.12 John 13.17 Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.17 2 Pet. 3.17 Rev. 2.13 Gal. 3.1 Eph 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Be we well able to prove them every one by diverse plain and undeniable texts of holy Scripture 3. Be very careful to be a gracious practitioner by living upon and walking up to all those infallible and precious truths which you have known to be the reavealed will and mind of God all which are written for your learning that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work and pray daily that God wil give you his holy Spirit to live and dye in the faith of our Lord and never to be lead away with the error of the wicked nor to fall from your stedfastness but to abide immovable upon the rock even in violent storms and persecutions when seducers blasphemers and hereticks are abroad and very sollicitous to gain Disciples to turn us off the foundation and to carry us away with lies and with every wind of Doctrine Dear hearts we had never more need now the beast the dragon Jud. 12. Rev. 16.31 14. and the false prophets are so busie to bee advised to bee well grounded now when so many of Antichrists emissaries be every where croaking like frogs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our very Congregations to pervert souls and to gainsay the precious truths of Christ plainly and powerfully preached and maintained by his faithfull Ministers they come I say with foul mouthes with railing and reviling
the earth hath left and intrusted them withall which must bee done judiciously and understandingly in the time of good judgment and perfect memorie and that so plainly that his meaning may not be mistaken nor his words perverted and the whole kept free from all exception Here against they do highly offend God and man who as they for the most part have lived out of order themselves so they do take no care to make any will at all to the great confusion and prejudice of their family and relations to the defrauding of many of their right to whom they owe and are indebted whil'st they leave all undone Others by a foolish delay are surprized by the suddain of their death Others tarry till they be prevented of understanding and speech Others put the words of their will into such ambiguous terms that occasion is given to intricating and undoing-suits of law even to the dividing and estranging of the affections of near and dear relations to the wasting of a great part of all or more then all the estate to the utter ruine of the surviving friends and relations with perpetual hatred evill will which like a fire still burninig cannot be extinguished in many generations Oh! you who fear God lay these thing to heart and be pre-admonished I hope a word to the wise is enough And now in setting thy house in order bee very carefull to use an impartial hand for the first born Deut. 21.15 16 17. it is one of his prerogatives to have a double portion upon this account the birth-right was Joseph's 1 Chron. 1.5.2 who was the first born of the true wife Gen. 4◠3 non ad hominem sed ad Deū at tinet haeredes facere Glanvill lib. 6. c. 17 the first born is the excellency of the fathers dignity his might the beginning of his strength as Jacob to his eldest son nay the Civillians say well God singles out and makes heirs even his first born This the law of nations doth give to the eldest So doth the law of our land and for this I could easily lay down many weighty grounds of reason and religion Exo. 13.2 Ibid. 1. As that God himself sets an high price upon the first born 2. The Lord also laid a paternall Priestly and Ministeriall charge upon the first born 3 God provides no land should be sold for ever Lev. 25.25 for the land is mine and yea are strangers and sojourners with me but if necessity require any to sell his estate of land then hee must sell it to one that was next allied in blood unto him and hee shall redeem that which his brother sold and at the Jubilee he shall return to his possession and bee no longer in bondage Which though it be not our rule yet the reason is weighty why the heir should not be disinherited unless in some speciall cases and those extraordinary Gen. 21.10 Judg. 11.2 Judg. 9.18 Gen. 49.4 1 Chr. 5.1 as illegitimacy in Ishmael the son of the bond-woman and Jephtha the son of a strange woman and Abimilech the son of an handmaid or deboistness as profane Reuben who defiled his fathers bed for which his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel The common objection is so shall the family be undone to make the heir great and leave the residue of the family low and in a mean condition This inconvenience was as incident to the families of the Tribes of Israel as to the families in England or any other nation and yet God will have the prerogative of the elder to stand to be the heir and more fully p ovided for because he is the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power Not that the residue should be left destitute but that a paternal maternal care be had in training up of children in some honest calling and in setling younger children with some other estate in taking order that portions may be raised out of the lands where land of inheritance is considerable if in the life of Parents other provisions have not been or could not bee made Yet so as the eldest may be a father still to brethren and sisters and may bee enabled to protect and de-defend his own flesh and blood from wrongs and oppressions according to his power or capacity and lastly that the elder brother may be enabled cheerfully to welcome his brethren and sisters when upon good will or just occasions they shall visit their brothers house as their head quarters that such relations might take and give mutuall advice in all occurrences which shal be more considerable and weighty Thus of setting our house in order wherein was shewed 1. That all men good and bad have their estates laid out by Gods meat yard of common providence therefore wicked ones as well as believers must set their house in order before they die 2. In setting the house in order evill-gotten goods must be restored where was shewed 1. What restitution is 2. Who must restore 3. When we must restore 4. What must be restored 5. To whom and upon what account 3. What due regard is to be had to the relations of him who must set his house in order that in four things In 1. Holy admonition and instruction 2. Faithfull and humble prayer for them and blessing of them in the name of the Lord to appoint Trustees and Guardians where requisite 4. Concerning his last will and testament 3. Exhortation Humbly and wisely to submit to the Lord as in life so in death Here I must premise a little of the different carriages of Simeons and Naballs at the approach of death and in the very article of death some are discontented at every crosse providence as Naball 1 Sam. 25.3 whose heart dies within him as mumuring Israel who say would God we had died in the wildernesse Numb 14.2 3. rather then be killed in a war by the Canaanites some through impatience give bitter language towards God Job 1.9 Jonah 4.8 as Jobs wife to her husband curse God dye and as Jonah who storms against God himself But a gracious Simeon will let out his heart to God 1 Sam. 3.18 Job 1.21 and say I com Lord be it to thy servant according to thy word It is of God and let him do with me what seemeth him good the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the name of the Lord. Oh i'ts sad and dreadfull to hear and to hear of wicked and awakened consciences to chide themselvs out of this life with horrible accusations saying wo is me wo is me that ever I was born woe is me woe is me such a sinner Oh thou my wretched body what cause hast thou to curse thy wicked soul for being so ill a governor and commander of me thy body that now I know not how to live one hour longer nor how to submit to death live I cannot but
bee assured of mirth without mourning of life without death of an immortal crown without any cross at all The fourth concerns thy consolation Consola and so bee comforted who tookest all due care to walk as a Christian with holy tender and abounding affections towards thy dear friend when and while he or shee lived with thee ask thy self what Christian communion thou had'st what care and watching over thy friend in all good offices of love didst discover thy self a friend to his soul did'st admonish exhort reprove or comfort him according to thy best ability and his necessity wa st much in prayer by humble seeking God to beg every blessing which thy friend did want did'st do all the offices of love to thy friend in his sickness or under any need of thy help if thou wast sincere in this matter thou mai'st be comforted and blesse the Lord who gave thee such an heart and now that the Lord hath taken thy friend into an higher story of divine favour be better perswaded well knowing that God calls thee now to other work upon which to attend and leave thy friend to the Lord betake thy self to serve his good providence among the living who do survive Somewhat wee see of this in David 2 Sam. 12. while the child was very sick David besought God for the child hee fasted and went in and lay all night on the earth nor would he bee raised from the earth by the elders of his house neither would he eat bread with them On the seventh day the child dyed of which when David had heard then he arose from the earth he washed and anointed himself changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and when hee required they set bread before him and he did eat At which carriage of his his servants much marvelled saying what thing is this that thou hast done thou did'st fast and weep when the child was alive and when it was dead thou did'st arise and eat bread and David answered while the child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said said who can tell whether the Lord will bee gracious to mee that the child may live but now hee is dead wherefore should I fast can I bring him baek again I shal go to him but hee shall not return to mee And David comforted Bathsheba Thus there is a time to be born Eccl. 3.2 and a time to dye a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance Fiftly our dolorous mournings 5. A sweet mixture of joy and sorrow in our mourning must not be without some mixture of joy the losse of beloved friends may seem desperate and irrecoverable and the sorrow is the more exuberant but yet there is joy again which doth surmount in the gracious soul to allay it's bitternesse who can loose nothing of the creature but it is made up in God repaid in Christ with a great overplus therefore sorrow may not alwaies abide upon his spirit if he sorrow that any stream of his comfort is cut off it is but turning him to the fountain and he hath all made up to him again and he rejoyceth blessing God who saith to him as Elkanah to Hannah am not I to thee instead of more friends so says God to the mourner I am to thee instead of all more then all And thus as fast as doth thy sorrow abound so fast and faster do thy consolations superabound That dear friends be dead that is sad to hear of or to see but that mortality is put off to put on immortality that 's joyful that death hath swallowed up our friends may grieve us but that death is swallowed up of life that doth rejoyce us that friends be departed seems to begin a desolation but that they be delivered from their body of sin from grinding pains from destroying diseases from unruly lusts and sinful passions from strong and dangerous temptatitions from fiery darts from Satans wiles and methods all this is matter of joy you who exceed in your mournings for your loving parents and dear friends taken out of this world I may fear you believe somewhat in this worlds glory to be very lovely and truly good and more excelling then the Scriptures ever spake of and therefore you so mourn at your friends being bereaved of and taken away from that good when as indeed all that is below and sublunar is fading and perishing and all that is below Jesus Christ and the glory to come Eccles 1.2 stained vanitie emptinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a melancholly lump of vanity and vexation of spirit which made the Psalmist say that every man in his best estate is altogether vanity you seem to forget that the whole creation groans under this vanity and travelleth in pain together till now and not onely they Rom. 22.23 but our selves also which have the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodyes when God sees good to take away our gracious friends he takes them from such vanities and perturbations as under which they do groan that we might not onely be satisfied with his dispensation but blesse God and say be it so Lord according to thy word When you think of your friends long languishing sickness sore pains wearisome days and nights and of the cruell stroak of death then like Heshbons pools our eyes be full of water and like house-spouts tears run down our cheeks but man of sorrow recollect thy self and wisely consider that by deaths hand all pains sicknesses and sorrows are finallized and there shall never be one tear sorrow or pain more thy body is laid to sleep as in a sweet bed of roses till the generall resurrection and thy soul is at perfect rest and ease is carried by the blessed Angells into thy Lords armes of sweatest embraces and hath the same entertainment as Christs humane soul and body had after his blessed ascention whom the Angells brought to the Antient of days Dan. 7.13 so doth Christ present the souls of his Saints departed to the father Do'st grieve and canst not be comforted Oh change thy minds affection as thy friend is changed for he is received into heaven with the same acclamations as Christ himself was welcomed only it shal be according to thy measure and capacity By this time I hope I have wiped off all tears from thy eyes put a sweet handkerchiefe into thine hands to do it thy self Then meditate much and say it oft blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord or rather that sleep in the Lord that they may live for ever Pretious soul do not mourn unmeasurably for such who are triumphant in heaven being cloathed in long white robes and washed in the blood of the Lamb who at the generall restauration of all things shall claspe and imbrace