of a smoaky Cottage that it may be built a stately Palace as the Southsayers said upon the burning of the Capitol by lightning the Gods did suffer it to be that it might be built better and more gloriously Now these are the actings of faith required in him who would dye to the Lord. Now a Person may dye in the Lord and be blessed who yet doth not thus dye to the Lord for these actings may be suspended either 1. Through our inadvertency not considering what duty is incumbent upon us to glorifie God in dying 2. Through violence of diseases depriving or at least dulling and stupifying the memory understanding reason which are necessarily required to these actings 3. By some fit of desertion whereby we come to doubt of our evidences which alone can make us cheerfully to submit Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace now and not till now because now mine eyes have seen thy Salvation And thus I have done with the first thing which needed to be explained who they be that are said to dye in the Lord. II. I shall now speak to the second what that blessedness is which they who dye in the Lord shall have This is an hard thing if not impossible to do the Scripture speaks of it as that which is inexpressible unutterable See 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul rapt up into heaven heard words unspeakable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it is not possible for a man to utter yea which is more unconceivable 1 Cor. 2.9 it hath not entred into the heart of man 'T is in vain to expect that it should be spoken with the Tongue which cannot be conceived by the heart As soon may the Earth and Sea be put into a Pot as the bliss of glorified Saints into the understanding as soon may you hold the whole earth in the hollow of the hand as comprehend heaven in the heart Much hath been spoken and written concerning it doubtless to the great chearing of the hearts of Saints insomuch that some have been ravished with the newes of it that they have in a kind of impatiency been weary of life and longed for death saying come Lord Jesus come quickly yet I believe that when a Saint comes to heaven he will say in the words of the Queen of Sheba 1 King 10 6 7. It was a true report that I heard upon earth of heavens glory but behold the half was not told me The Apostle in the place before describes it Negatively Eye hath not seen c. The eye hath seen much the ear hath heard more than ever the eye saw and the heart of man can conceive more than ever the eye saw or ear heard yet the heart cannot conceive this Surely the full and perfect knowledge of this blessedness is only to those Saints who are comprehenders of it The blind man may say much of light but nothing comparably to him who beholds the light much may be said of the sweetness of honey by what is reported of it but it is nothing to what may be said from the tasting and eating of it See 1 Joh. 3.2 it doth not yet appear what we shall be or what glory we shall have till we come to see this light and eat of this honey I might therefore shut up this part in silence wishing you to wait till this glory shall be fully revealed but because something may be expected upon the method before laid down it being one of the three things promised to be explained and besides much is said of it in the Scripture to the unspeakable consolation of believers making them bear up and be of good chear under present evils whereof this life is full whiles they have an eye to the recompence of reward I shall therefore as the Lord shall enable me give you a brief collection of what is held forth in Scripture concerning this blessedness I cannot go round about Sion and tell all the Towers may I at least but point out some The Israelites rejoyced but to see some clusters from Canaan and it may refresh our hearts whilest we behold some parts or pieces of this glory laid down before us They waited for Gods time to take possession of that earthly Canaan and so must we 't is but tarry till death comes Death will put us in possession of the heavenly Canaan then it shall be said to Saints as to Abraham Genesis 13.17 Arise walk through the Land in the length and breadth of it Beleevers shall be blessed when they die but wherein doth this blessednesse consists I Answer to the making up of blessednesse it is required 1. That it be full 2. That it be lasting Fulnesse implies 1. The absence of all evil 2. The presence of all good 1. Then Saints dying are out of the reach and danger of evill Prastat non esse quà m miserum esse of what may be called evil even the very appearance of evil Though there were no good in Heaven yet it is very considerable that there is no evil Now evil is two fold 1. Of sin 2. of punishment but neither is in Heaven 1. There is no sin there this is the grand evil a poysonous weed that growes every where but in Heaven 'T is said that no venemous thing will live in Ireland I am sure it is true of heaven This weed took rooting in paradise but it was the earthly Paradise and not the heavenly whereof Christ speaks Luke 23.43 and whereof St. Paul speaks 2 Cor. 12.4 The best of Saints carry sin about with them one need not tell them so they know it to the great grief of their heart it being that which often fetcheth water from their eyes and blood from their Souls Hearken but to their Closet doors and you shall hear sad complaints against it and mourning over it This is that stone tyed to the birds legg Anselm as one well resembles it upon seeing boys play which pulleth it down when it attempts to fly aloft This is that Pharaoh which keeps Gods Israel in bondage and hinders from serving God as they should and as they would There is indeed a principle of grace in beleevers and there is also a body of sin and in this respect they are like to the tribe of Manasse half in the Land of Canaan half on the other side Jordan But death will convey them into the heavenly Canaan Col. 3.5 and the Jordan of sin shall be quite dryed up may not this be one reason why the Apostle calls sins our members which are upon earth members because of the dear love we are apt to bear to them they are as dear as the members of our body as an eye and hand and earthly because they shall not be in Heaven These sins by the power of grace are mortified in Saints whiles they are upon earth but in Heaven they shall be nullified there shall not be an hoof left behind Here they are cast down there
which is in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ Now these phrases denote that blessed and heavenly union which beleevers have with the Father and the Son through the Spirit 'T is hard to declare and open what this union is it is easier to say what it is not than what it is It is usually for distinction sake called mystical meaning 1. That it is real not putative and imaginary 2. Spiritual it is so real that the Scripture speaks as if the beleever had a subsistence in the Deity Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if we hold the beginning of our Confidence The word which is translated Confidence signifies Subsistence This and some other Scripture-expressions have made some speak a great deal too high saying beleevers are deified and some in our dayes blasphemously saying beleevers are God-ded in God and Christed in Christ I do acknowledge it is a most transcendent priviledge for a poor sinful creature to be united to the eternal Son of God but what ever this priviledge is we are to look upon it as a very great mystery Christiani esse est inesse the perfect knowledge whereof is reserved for Heaven Well so it is undeniably beleevers are in Christ united to Christ yea all Beleevers this union is essential to a beleevers being it is that which constitutes a beleever It is a strong union which nothing can dissolve it is not possible that these ligaments and tyes by which the eternal Son of God and a poor beleever are knit together should ever be broken See Rom. 8.35 Who shall separate so we may say what shall separate for the Apostles induction is of things as well as of persons surely if any thing could do it then Death is the likliest but Death cannot Verse 38. Death separates a Man and his estate a Man and his relations bury my dead out of my sight yea Death breaks the union of Soul and Body but not of the Soul and Christ no nor yet of the Body and Christ for that part which sleeps which is the Body sleeps in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 This union out-lives Death It is with a beleever dying as with Christ dying Death broke not the Hypostatical union between divine and humane nature in Christ though it disunited Soul and Body his death being a true death yet not God and Man in Christ So Death disjoynes not a beleever and Christ though it disjoyn all other things Now then the meaning of the phrase may be clear Even that they who are in the Lord Christ that is united to him while they live shall be blessed when they die they were in the Lord whiles they lived still remain in the Lord though they dy therefore certainly shall be blessed They die and so are not in the world they die and so are not in the Body but for all this they are in Christ though they sleep it is in Jesus thus we read of the dead in Christ 1 Thes 4.16 Such as were in Christ when they dyed and those Saints Heb. 11.13 Dyed in Faith which is all one with the phrase now before us for by Faith we are united to Christ This might suffice for the opening of the first particular who they are that may be said to die in the Lord but before I pass this it may not be impertinent nor useless to take notice of one phrase which comes very near this but is not the same Romans 14.8 We read of a dying to the Lord There is a dying in the Lord as in the Text and a dying to the Lord as in that place to the Romans Dying in the Lord respects our habitual estate being such as are united to Christ but Dying to the Lord refers to our actual deportment in the great work of dying To dying in the Lord it sufficeth to be true beleevers truly engrafted into Christ Now dying to the Lord requires the exerting and putting forth some acts of Faith which are Four 1. When Death comes to see the hand of the Lord in it not so much the malignity of the disease confluence of bad humours or what ever may be of the second causes the eye of Faith still looks unto the Lord Life is of his giving and Death is of his sending our undoings are the Lords doings Psalm 46.8 See what desolations the Lord hath wrought whether national or personal in the earth or in the house and family it is the Lord he singles out particular persons Death is as the casting of the lot The lot is cast into the lap but the disposing is from the Lord. The lot is cast and such a Tribe taken then such a Family then such a person perhaps Jonathan a young Man a good Man is taken so the lot is cast such a Parish such a Family such a person and still the disposing is from the Lord. 'T is not the drawing a bow at a venture 1 King 22 34. 2 King 9.5 but every Arrow is levelled and hath its particular errand as the Prophet said to John I have an Errand to thee O Captain This is to die to the Lord to see the Lord comming to our particular selves and saying as to Aaron Come up and die 2. To submit willingly to his hand and to all those diseases whereby as by Axes and Hammers he is pleased to demolish thy Cottage yea to submit cheerfully and welcome death as a messenger that bringeth good tidings Welcome fire and faggot said some of the Martyrs they imbraced and kissed the stake Oh how cheerful were they How apt are we to bemoan our selves when tidings of death come as if some dreadful evil were upon us though indeed 't is a very childish thing children cry when they should be had to bed Dying to a believer is but a going to bed Isai 57.2 To dye to the Lord is willingly to submit saying if the Lord please he can turn my captivity and rebuke sickness and send health If he say he hath no pleasure in me in my life breath temporal being here am I let him do what seemeth him good 3. Whiles under his hand to lye breathing out thy last breath sweetly to his glory to lye blessing God to lye calling upon others to love God and to get into Christ Not only not to be moved by the pains of sickness and pangs of death to do or speak any thing to the dishonour of God but to open our mouth to his glory and the shewing forth his praise God hath made death to work for a believers good let them endeavour it may work for his glory 4. To give glory to God in a firm belief that the promise of eternal life and salvation shall now be made good to them expecting blessedness immediately upon the dissolution yea to look beyond the grave and mouldring dust unto the resurrection of the body being assured that it shall rise a glorious body death being but the pulling down
this life when of a sinner one is made a Saint where yet a sinful unregenerate part remains but oh how most admirable when shall be made a perfect Saint in whom is nothing that is called sin no appearance of evil no defect no blemish as is said of Absalon from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head This change will be in mind will and affections 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Mind shall be light without any darknesse there shall be no mistakes no doubtings here though it be given to the godly to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God yet they need pray a prayer for the healing of their ignorances Truths indeed which are necessarily required to be known in order to salvation are plain so that he who runs may read the wayfaring Men though Fools shall not err therein Isa 35.8 Yet other truths are dark making darkness their pavilion Of these the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 3.16 Saying in the Scriptures are some things hard to be understood Thus the Scriptures are compared to a River where a Lamb may wade yet again so deep in other places that an Elephant may be drowned Such mysteriousness is there in many truths that the most knowing Saints may be called a generation of seekers seeking more and more to find out the meaning of thē which shews that there is much darkness remaining in their minds There is Ignorance as well as Knowledge in the best yea more Ignorance then Knowledge in the best as in the best garden are more weeds then flowers In this sense we must allow new lights not as some who call old errors new lights but new discoveries of what before we knew not whiles the knowledge of these heavenly truths is dropt into us Son of Man drop thy word by which expression is meant that our knowledge comes to us by little and little Dies posterior prioris Discipulus Thus the Word of God is precept upon precept line upon line now a little and then a little But when Saints shall come to Heaven the dark side of the cloud shall be taken away they shall be of the same Intellectual complexion and stature as the Angels are There all doubts shall be solved Vbi Lutherus cum Zuinglio optimè convenit in vit Geyn truths cleared consciences satisfied controversies ended As Satan carried Christ upon a Mountain and in a moment shewed him all the glory of the world So Christ at death takes the Soul and carries it to the heavenly Syon and in a moment will shew it all the glory and excellent mystery of divine truths 'T is in this case as with a dull yet diligent Scholar he is continually poring upon his Book conning his Lesson and fain would he but cannot beat it into his head then comes the Master who by his skill makes it facile to him and brings him quickly to understand it so that even he now wonders at his own dulnesse And certainly when a child of God comes to Heaven he will much wonder at his own dulnesse to understand slowness to beleeve This is the first in Heaven the Mind shall be fully and clearly enlightned Now a word of the other two 2. The Will shall be bowed to a perfect conformity to Gods Will without any Rebellion in Heaven the Children of God shall be enabled perfecty to keep the Commandements of God No meer Man since the fall is able perfectly in this life to keep them but shall be able in another life because the Will shall be brought into perfect conformity to Gods Will the Authentick and original Copy here Grace is mixed some Faith much Unbeleef some conformity Necessitas immutabilitatis non coactionis libertas a coactione est essentiaalis voluntatis proprietas secus enim voluntas esset noluntas much Rebellion We wear a linsy welsey Garment as to our spiritual condition but then the Will shall be made a Mountain of holiness an habitation of righteousness The Will shall be swallowed up of Gods Will so that we shall not be able to sin yet no force which is inconsistent with the Will but then shall the day of Gods power shine forth to make the Soul perfectly willing to that which is good and to that onely then we shall be confirmed in goodness and holiness 3. And lastly the Affections shall be throughly sanctified and freed from all disorder The exorbitancy and disobedience of these Affections make sad work here in the most gracious Souls that oft though we know to do good Jam. 4.17 Rom. 1.18 yet we do it not which becomes sin even out of measure sinful that though we know the truth yet we with hold it in unrighteousness whereby our actions becomes unrighteous in the highest degree Now in Heaven they shall quietly comply with and give obedience to right reason they shall be as obedient as the Centurions Servant who went and came at his Masters beck The Affections are the Souls Officers but here they oft become proud exactors but there as Isa 60.17 The Lord will make these Officers peace and these exactors righteousnesse The Affections are the Souls feet the Souls wings to help the Soul with expedition to do the Will of God but alas whether do they often carry and hurry the Soul even to commit sin with greediness to rush into sin as the Horse rusheth into the battail They are fiery metl'd Horses 't is hard to sit them they often cast their Rider Hagar like they contend against their Mistress but in Heaven the bond Woman shall be cast out there shall be no Remora of a fleshly part The Mountain of the house of the Lord shall be set on the top of all our mountaines Grace perfected in glory shall arise against the house of evil doers and against the help of them that work iniquity at our very entring the Heavenly Canaan this Jordan or stream of vile Affections shall be dryed up Thus have I done with one part which shewes wherein the blisse of glorified Saints consists they shall have the perfection of grace and holinesse Now 2. They shall have the fulness of blisse and happiness What one said of England is very true of Heaven Verè hortus deliciarum verè puteus inexhaustus it is a garden of delights a fountain of good things which cannot be emptied It was the saying of one of the Popes who yet went near to have drawn it dry but it may without question be fitly applyed to Heaven Surely the children of God shall live an happy life in Heaven Thus we read of eating and drinking and feasting it shall be with them as with that rich Man they shall fare delicately every day We read 1 King 4.22 What daily provision was made for Solomon 30. Measures of fine Flower 60. Measures of Meal 30. Oxen 100. Sheep c. Yet a glorified Saint shall infinitly surpass Solomon when he shall come to sit down with
a Soul in Heaven before it was quite gon from the earth The summe of all is this that Believers shall have perfect bliss and happiness They shall live in Heaven where shall be pleasures mirth singing and rejoycing above what we are able to express or to conceive This shall suffice for the first branch of the second part by way of Explication They who dye in the Lord are blessed Blessedness must be full that is there must be no evil and there must be all good the perfection of grace and holiness with the fulness of bliss and happiness But now 2. As it must be full so it must be lasting and enduring and so indeed the bessednesse of Saints shall be not onely for a long time but for ever It shall be Eternal such as is the Eternity of our Souls which had a beginning but shall have no ending called Eviternity to distinguish from the Eternity of God A parte post non a parte ante who alone is the first and last without beginning without ending This bliss hath a beginning henceforth saith the Text but shall have no ending it is Eternal Eternity at the very naming of it is enough to amaze our thoughts in studying to know what it is It is the continuance of any good thing which makes it a full good Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years said the rich Man in the gospel He glories not so much in the abundance of his goods as in the hope of their continuance How do Men rejoyce in the purchase of an estate because they have that not by lease for term of years but the Deeds run to them and their Heirs for ever Though indeed it is not for ever but far short of that For besides what may happen in the interim at the great day all the Evidences shall be undoubtedly burnt and it is more than probable from divers Scriptures the Land also Heb. 1.11 Isa 51.6 Matth. 24.35 2 Peter 36.10 12. Rev. 21.1 To be sure the propriety in these pronouns Mine and Thine shall cease Yet the hope Men have of its continuance for some long time doth much content them David took it as a great favour that God would bestow a Kingdom upon him to raise him from following the sheep to be King over Israel 2 Sam. 7.18 Yet Verse 19. He saith This was but a small thing that which made the mercy great was that God had spoken of continuing it for a great while to come he adds and is this the manner of Man O Lord God he seems to be much transported in admiring the continuance of his Mercy though it were not so much to him in person but to his posterity Let a thing in it self be never so excellent yet the fear of losing it darkens all the excellency of it Earthly treasures are therefore less to be accounted of because Thieves may break thorough and steal them What true content could the rich Man take in his abundance when once he heard This night all should be gone Corneliam nescie an faeliciorem talem virū habuisse an miseriorem amisisse Et invito processit vesper Olympo 'T is spoken to the humbling of the great ones upon earth that though they live like Gods yet should die like Men Though the good thing be great yet if not lasting t is not ful yea the greatness of it greatens the misery upon the losing When a Scholar hath been reading a good Book it troubles him to see Finis When the people of God have been keeping a day of Prayer in Communion with God it saddens them much that they should break off because the day is done But now the blessedness of Saints is not onely a great good as hath been shewed but a lasting good it shall have no end 1 Thess 4.17 They shall be for ever with the Lord Rev. 3.12 He that goeth in shall go out no more some interpret it of a Beleever in this life Notat gloriae stabilitatem Pisc in loc Isa 33.20 to prove no falling from grace some again interpret it of the state of glory The life of glory is such a life to which immortality is essential 2 Tim. 1.10 We read of life and immortality that is to say immortal life Heaven is a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken The blessednesse of Beleevers shall be eternal but what is Eternity I shall shew you how a learned and holy Divine illustrates it to the meanest capicity Suppose saith he the whole World were a Sea Mr. Perkins on the Creed and that every thousand years expired a bird must carry away or drink up one onely drop of it in processe of time it will come to passe that this Sea though very huge shall be dryed up but yet many thousand millions of years must be passed before this can be done Now if a Man should enjoy happinesse in Heaven onely for the space of time in which this Sea is drying up he would think his case most happy and blessed but behold the Elect shall enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven not onely for that time but when it is ended they shall enjoy it as long again and when all is done they shall be as far from ending of this their joy as they were at the beginning And now by what hath been said we may in some measure understand what is that blessedness which the Saints and Children of God shall have it is great and full it is also lasting yea everlasting which cannot be said of any thing here below The best of the worlds excellencies are fading and quickly blasted No day so pleasant but ends in a darknight No Summer so fruitful but ends in a barren Winter No Body so fair but will be changed by death from Beauty to Deformity In the dayes of Noah they were eating and drinking but the flood comes and sweeps them all away Great mirth was among the Philistins but their banquetting-house becomes their burying-place The Monarch of Babel whose head was of Gold had the feet of clay Sic transit gloria mundi All the pomp of the world is like Jonahs gourd now flourishing and anon fading there is that worm in the root of all worldly comforts as will blast them But the mercies and joyes and comforts of Heaven are not such they are eternity mercies eternity joyes eternity comforts take away the lastingness or rather everlastingness and we blow up Saints happinesse Thus much for the explication of the second thing viz. What that blessedness is which they who dye in Lord shall have Now a word of the third thing and so I will come to the Application Therefore 3. Having shewed who they be who dye in Lord and what the bessedness is that they shall have it remains to shew in the third place when they shall be made partakers
and be put in possession of it and that is immediately upon their death for so saith the Text Henceforth they are blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle Paul reckons upon his being with Christ immediately upon his departure Phil. 1.23 Now Christ as he now is so he then was in Heaven in glory The coÌ„verted Thief is promised he should be received into Paradise as soon as he was dead Luke 23.43 This Paradise must be the heavenly one for of the earthly one we may say as they of Moses his Body no Man knowes where it is to this day Again in 2 Cor. 5.8 We may see that the Apostles expectation was to be present with the Lord as soon as he should be once absent from the body Stephens prayer Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit was in vain or could have no comfortable return if the Soul doth not at death presently goe to blessedness He doth not pray nor expect that his body should be received to the Lord but his Soul or Spirit he knew his body should go to the grave and he knew also his Soul should go to God according to what Christ promised John 14.3 That where he is there his members should be also If the Children of God do not enter into glory presently at death they are most lamentably deceived and sadly frustrated in what they conceive strong hopes and go forth in full assurance of Doctor Preston used to say it is but wink and be with God the closing of the eyes by death would bring the Soul to the light of life When Basil that couragious Christian was threatned with death by the Tyrant he prayed to God the Tyrant might not change his intentions lest he should lose his expectation he expected to change misery for glory Taylor the constant Martyr coming within two fields of the place where he was to be burned Mr. Fox Act and Mon. comforted himself that he was within two stiles of his Fathers House which was in his meaning Heaven Another Martyr embracing the stake said This day shall I be maried to Iesus Christ One of the Antients reproved the immoderate mourning at the death of godly people thus Cypr. saying why should we put on black cloaths when our Friends put on white That is the Robes of glory calledin the Revelations the fine linnen of Saints I might heap up instances of this kind the constant expectation of them that dyed in faith is at death to enter into their Masters joy And though they do not say as I have read of a blasphemous Monk give me eternal life which thou owest me yet in hope of present possession of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath graciously promised they can say with Hilarian Go forth my Soul go forth why tremblest thou thou hast served Christ thus many years and dost thou now fear death I shall add further the earnest desires longings after death in some of the Children of God surely they promised themselves present blessednesse Saint Paul was not onely willing to die but did desire it yea vehemently See 2 Cor. 5.2 We groan earnestly Some Saints having their hopes raised up to the fruition of this glory have been almost impatient Come Lord Iesus come quickly and why are the Chariot wheeles so long a comming they even longed to be as we may say fingring of it so as never did a rich Heir long more to be in the possession of his Lands They have thought every day ten every year twenty saying in the words of the Psamist Make haste Lord make haste So then I may say and so conclude this poynt if the people of God do not immediately at death enjoy blessednesse they are the most miserably deluded people of any in the world Away therefore with that wretched doctrine of the Souls sleeping in death being altogether Anti-Scriptural Oh that it might for ever lie dormant and awake no more It tends much 1. To the imboldening of sinners in a way of sin See Matth. 24.48 The evil Servant that reckoned of his Masters delaying his comming thereupon grew very bold in more and more sin 2. To the sadning of the hearts of Gods people Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick This shall suffice to be spoken to the third and last thing and also to the whole by way of Explication the Application follows In the Application of this poynt I shall speak to four uses 1. Of Information 2. Instruction 3. Consolation And 4. Exhortation 1. By way of Information according to the rule of contraries Oppositorum eadem est Scientia if they who are in Christ when they die are blessed then those who are not in Christ when they die are cursed upon different accounts Death hath a different complexion it is like the Red-sea which to the Israelites was a passage to Canaan Aliis vehiculum aliis Sepulchrum but to the Egyptians a place of drowning to their utter desturction To such as are in Christ the day of their death is better then the day of their birth being their encrance into everlasting joy but to others it will be the saddest day that ever came being the beginning of their sorrowes 'T is appointed for all to die in that respect all are alike but it is not appointed for all to die in the Lord in that respect there is a great difference of persons Some die in their sins John 8.24 Some are taken away in their iniquity Ezek 33.6 These are cursed when they die Psalm 9.7 The wicked shall be turned into Hell which place seemes to be commented upon and explained Psalm 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. I might here inlarâ—e upon the state of the damned after death in the same Method as before of the state of the glorified Before the bright side of the Cloud now the dark side A little briefly When Saints die they are freed from all evil but when sinners die they lanch into a Sea of evils 1. They will find the absence of all good A godly Mans miseries terminate with this life so do a sinners comforts I have read of the old Arcadians that they would weep bitterly when the Sun did set fearing it would never rise more sure I am sinners dying have cause to bemoan themselves sadly for when the Sun of their life is once set it will be perpetual night of darkness and misery They may weep as those did at Pauls parting Acts 20. shall see the Face of comforts no more they have their portion in this life and when once they die they shall be alarmed with that memento Luke 16.15 Remember thou hast had thy good things implying they shall have them no more 2. There will be to them not onely no good but all evil as 1. The evil of sin there is sinning in Hell in Heaven there is none on
Paul thence presseth they should be contented to suffer because they should be glorified Ridlie the Martyr cheered up his fellow saying Rom. 8.17 though we have a bitter break-fast yet we shall have a sweet Supper meaning in glory From these passages I may infer to your comfort who are Christians indeed that be your present burthens never so heavy yet glory yea I may say one half hour in glorie will make amends for all Some persecutors have been very witty to invent most exquisite torments yet the hope of blessedness hath made them to be as nothing The Martyrs in their undaunted courage made no more of them then Sampson of the Philistins wit hs or like the Leviathan in Job Iron is but as straw and Brass as rotten wood Job 41.27 All their troubles and sufferings are but light they are heavy in themselves but the weight of glory makes afflictions light See 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Oh Christians do but make experiment when you are apt to droop and find your Spirit is overwhelmed run to this as to your Aqua Vitae bottle take but a sip of it and it will refresh you you shall be blessed Write blessed are c. Yea saith the Spirit Oh then lift up the Hands which hang down and the feeble Knees There is no Cup so bitter but this will sweeten it no Fire so hot but this will slack and quench it I say again do but make experiment God hath provided many supports for his drooping people but I may say as David of Goliahs sword None like to this no support like the remembrance of glory One leaf of the tree of life is better then clusters of worldly comforts Be thy burthen what it will how heavy soever yet the calling to mind future blessedness will make it light and easie Gen. 21.19 But alass Saints droop and with Hagar are ready to faint when there is a Well of water by them but they see it not at least have not skill to draw The Lord open your eyes as he did hers But you will say when shall we have this blessednesse and glory I Answer at Death you shall have it not now but afterwards See John 13.36 Christ said to Peter whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards Christ went to Heaven thither Peter should come at length when he dyed Death is in a sort a cause of this happinesse that is without which it will not be And indeed see how graciously God hath ordered it Death came as a curse Mal. 2.22 but it is turned into a blessing God threatneth to the wicked to curse their blessings and promiseth to the godly to bless their curses Death with one hand holds forth a Sword even over Believers to slay their Body it smites one and other hip and thigh But observe its other hand with that death opens a door of glory Who would think that Death should do this 'T is as in Sampsons riddle Edulium ex edente out of the eater came meat it is a riddle indeed but a very truth And whereas Death is dismal and dreadful the King of fears it becomes now an Anchor of hope the valley of Berachah or blessing So that the Saints can welcome it and say as David of Ahimaas He is a good Man 2 Sam. 18.27 and bringeth good tidings They can wait for it Job 14.14 He was an expectant all his dayes yea wish for it thus Paul I desire to be dissolved Phil. 1.23 They can stand as Abraham in the door of the Tabernacle to speak to the Angel or with Elijah in the mouth of the cave to meet the Lord coming to them by death Now how comes this to pass even because they know they must be as it were beholding to Death to do them this favour and kindness to bring them to their blessedness This sure affords strong Consolation to the Children of God I shall carry on this use of Consolation a little further to the particular case of any who may be excercised in the loss of godly Friends they die in the Lord and therefore are blessed But you will say this was matter of comfort concerning those who dyed under that persecution to which this relates But mark the voice from Heaven said Write intimating it is of use in all ages for what is written is for the Churches Learning and comfort to the end of the World Blessed are the dead that die now in the Lord. The Apostle in 1 Thess 3.4 Holds forth this blessedness which Saints shall have after this life is done makes it a main argument of comfort to those that survive having lost their godly friends verse 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words and chiefly with the words immediately preceding that they are dead in Christ and so shall ever be with the Lord. This is comfort indeed and it is but sorry comfort where this hope is not fixed sure this foundation and no other will bear up the building of comfort Heathens indeed who knew nothing of the blessedness of such as die in Christ had their consolatory addresses to their afflicted Friends They would tell them Death was that which none could avoid therefore in vain it was to grieve Mors ultima linea rerum They told them it was the common lot of all things Not onely Men but famous Cities flourishing Kingdoms had their periods Anaxagoras comforted himself at the death of his Children saying he begat them but mortal ones Heri vidi fragilem ftangi hodiè mortalem mori Epictetus seeing a Woman weeping for her pitcher which she had broken and next day for her Son being dead stayed her mourning telling her it was all one her Son was but as an earthen pitcher Little better are those comforts wherewith carnal Christians labour to relieve themselves and their Friends in these cases as thus Death is the way of all the earth the house appointed for all living Josh 23.14 Job 30.23 Psalm 119.109 Jam. 4.14 Isa 40.6 we carry our lives in our hand Our life is as a vapour which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away All flesh is grass and the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the field the grass withereth the flower fadeth These are Scripture-truths indeed and not taken out of Heathen Philosophers or Poets They are such as rightly used and applyed may be comfortable to relieve under the losse of Friends and dear relations But their intendment is not so much for Consolation as for Instruction to us that hearing of the frailty of this life we may prepare for eternity Nor indeed in themselves absolutely can they afford any solid comfort because they speak onely to the condition and state of the Body But when the state of the Soul after Death comes to be weighed 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.12 John 3.3 Rev. 20 10 Psal 9.17 as that all must appear before the