Observation of Jerom an Antient Father and the Resolution of the 3d. Christus non ploravit Lazarum mortuum sed ad hujus vitae arumnas ploravit resuscitandum Toletan Council concerning Christs weeping over Lazarus Joh. 11.35 That it was not so much becaus he was dead as becaus he was to be raised up again to feel the burthens and afflictions of this Life Gods Jonahs find this Life to be a stormy passage A tempestuous Sea-Voiage wherein they meet with many Whales many Leviathans Death sets them safe on shore puts them into safe harbour whilst here the Archers sorely griev Gods Saints shoot at them hate them draw out their Swords after them strong Bulls of Bashan beset them round the Plowers plow upon their backs they make long their furrows But there the weary is at rest Job 3.17 There the wicked cease from troubling No need now to fear A Gardners Prison Bonners Stocks or Cole-house nor a flaming Smithfield Lucius to Urbicius I thank you with all my heart that by death will free me from wicked Governours Here Gods Peter's no more dread the Cross nor Paul's the Ax nor James's the Sword nor Gods Elijah's a cursed-painted Jezabels bloody threats In A Word the whol Army of Gods Noble Martyrs are here past all fear of halters Cyprian God be blessed for this Goal delivery racks wheels stakes gibbets the most exquisite Torments that either PAPISTS or DIVELS can invent or are ready to inflict 3. From Passions and inward perturbations griefs Anxietys Here in this Life Babylas Now will God wipe away all Tears the Believers pulse beats slow and faint his heart pants his eies moisten'd and his cheeks blubber'd with tears you may read the Anguish of his Soul in his Countenance But in Death every tear dried up in the eye wiped off the cheek All sorrow and sighing flown away Rev. 21.4 The Saints Baca is turned into A Berachah sighing into singing misery into mercy 4. Pic. Mirand Death is welcom not so much as an end of Troubl as of sin From sins iniquities corruptions Whilst here the poor sin-pester'd Saint cries out of the Law in his Members warring against the Law of his mind against the body of sin and death You may hear his out-cry as of a person on a Rack Rom. 7.23 24 But now he that is dead is freed from sin Ro. 6.7 1 Pet. 4.1 Not the least spot or wrinkle left in his Soul Eph. 5.27 Not one Agag spared alive Every Egyptian not sprawling but stark-dead upon the shore The end of a Saints Living is the Non ultra of a Saints sinning With this that good Martyr held up his head when he encouraged his fellow with telling him that my Lord of London he meant that BLOODY Butcher Bonner was sending of them there where they should sin no more 5. From Temptations assaults trialls combates Satans winnowing c. Not an Adam no not in the Paradice of the Church but hath an Eve in his bosom Chast Joseph attaqu'd by a Potiphars-Wife A Messenger now and then from the lowest pit to buffet us 2 Cor. 12.7 A damp arising from Satans deepest Mine to choak us Anakims To Wound Daughters of Heth to Troubl Daughters of Midian to Allure us Snares Ginns Traps Limetwiggs 1 Pet. 5.8 Satan going about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour This world is the poor Saints Gymnasium Arena Wrestling place And Tho' It be the Saints Honour at length to Conquer yet It is and cannot but be the Saints Troubl thorn pain so long to Conflict But now Death puts the Saints into so peaceabl an Estate as that he is not only without foil but fighting Not only the Accuser but the Tempter of the Brethren is cast out Rev. 12.10 Thus we see The Paralel betwixt sleep and death with Respect to Rest Let us see next how they suite in 2. Resurrection or Awaking Natural Sleep is not perpetual We sleep and awake again Believers tho' they sleep they shall arise again as men awaken'd out of sleep This is expressed in the Words immediately following our Text. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go to awaken him out of sleep i. e. to rais him from the dead The Apostle Paul is much upon this Metaphor see 1 Cor. 15.18 20 51 52. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Job 19.26 27. Although after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God c. Death may yea shall prevail over the whol outward Man Death spends both skin and reins swallows up both flesh and bones And yet for all this this Total Consumption of the Body of Man is no impediment no barr in the way of Faith to stop us from a firm Belief of our Resurrection As Death shall triumph over Jobs Body so Jobs Faith triumphs over Death He that believes in Christ yea tho he were dead tho' totally corcupted and consumed yet shall he live again John 11.25 I have done with the proof of our Point the Improvement follows Use 1. Of INFORMATION Is Natural Death a sleep and no more hence 't is easy To inferr not only the Truth of that great Articl of our Faith the Resurrection of the Body but the facility and easiness of Accomplishing it After Natural sleep men use to awake again So after Death the Bodies of men shall be awaked i. e. rais'd up out of their Graves to life at the last day And 'T is most just that those Bodies which hav been the Souls Copartners in doing good or evil should therefore participate in the reward and punishment which cannot be done without a Resurrection But the white I aim at here is the facility of the Accomplishing it How easily is a living man awaked out of a shallow slumber or deep sleep Much more easy with God by his Almighty power and voice To revive and rais the dead at the last day 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. Use 2. Of TERROUR to and mourning over unregenerate unbelieving impenitent ones living and dying in their sins and lusts Poor wretched Creatures 'T is Tru you must dy certainly and you may dy speedily but Know that your Death is but A sleep You must wake again and when you wake you will awake dead-sick Those Bodys of yours must hereafter be awaked and rais'd out of your Graves at the last day and united again To the Soul that both Souls and Bodies may be cast together into Hell Torments for ever Joh. 5.27 28. Mat. 25.33 Oh how well were it for such if their Souls and Bodies might utterly perish and be abolished by Death as the Bodies and Souls of Brute Beasts How happy is A dead Lion abov An ever-living-or-rather-an ever-dying damned-unbelieving Caitif Use 3. OF SUPPORT AND CONSOLATION TO SOUND Believers Precious Souls 1. You complain of sad and unpleasant lives of dark and gloomy daies of black and restless nights Cheer up
hearts and yet distemperd heats of the shallow Professors of this divided Age. We hav dispatcht the Subject proceed we to Secondly The PREDICATE of our Saviours Assertion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dormit i. e. mortuus est SLEEPETH i. e. is dead The Apostl makes use of that which we call an Euphemismus By a soft expression hinting that which is of a more harsh signification So to depart hence is To Die The Syriack Version renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jacet cubat decumbit is Laid down to sleep to rest himself on a bed of Earth on a pillow of Dust So the word is used 2 Sam. 7.12 Isa 14.8 and interpreted by the Septuagint But our Lords own Mouth is his Best Commentary What he Here calls Sleep ver 13.14 he most expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. most plainly without a Metaphor calls Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is dead From hence we gather This Note That Obs A Tru Believers Death is a Sleep A sweet a Blessed Sleep Not a Natural sleep such as that Mat. 28.13 is Luk. 22.45 Act. 12.6 of this the Discipls misunderstood the words of Christ ver 12 13. of this Chapter But a Metaphorical sleep Our sleep here is but a shorter Death and our Temporal Death but as a longer sleep None can Know the Estate of Life or Death so well as our Blessed Saviour who is Lord of Both. It is enough that he tells us that Death is no other than Sleep Quest But What is That that is said to sleep in Death Sol. 1. Negatively ' Not the Soul after its departure from the Body No The Bodies of men indeed Gen. 3.19 Almondo a Via My body dies my spirit livs The day of death to the body is the birth of Eternity to the Soul after Death return to the dust and see corruption Act. 13.36 But their Souls having an immortal subsistence and vivacity neither die nor sleep but immediatly return to God that gave them Eccl. 12.7 The Souls of Believers ar at their Death made perfect in holiness the spirits of just men ar then made perfect Heb. 12.23 and do immediatly pass into glory So our Blessed Saviour assures the penitent Thief that that very day he i. e. his Soul should be with him in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and Paul Knows that as soon as ever his Soul departs out of his body it will be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and that when this our earthly house of this Tabernacle is dissolved the Soul hath a building of God an house not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1.6.8 That as soon as we ar absent from the Body we ar present with the Lord. Not the Soul then but 2. Positivly The (a) Mat. 27.52 Body that and that only is said to sleep This Metaphor of sleep applied to Death is taken from the Body only Now the great Resemblance between a Believers (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. Death and Sleep appears in four Things 1. From those many Synonymical Texts that do all with one Mouth Eccho to this Truth David slept with his Fathers 1 Kin. 2.10 Solomon 1 Kin. 11.43 Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah 'T is Pauls usual Idiom to call death sleep 1 Cor. 7.39 and 11.30 and 15.6.18.20.51 a sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.13 14 15. Since the Fathers fell asleep 2 Pet. 3.4 the sleep of death Psal 13.3 Thus the Protomartyr Stephen his Death is exprest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 7.60 He fell asleep 2. From those Terms that are given to the Saints Graves They are call'd their Beds They shall rest in their Beds Isa 57.1 2. When a Believers Work is done all he hath to do is to go to Bed and take his rest on his Bed not of down but dust Hence the places of the Saints Burial both in Greek Latin French 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dormitoria Cemitieres i. e. sleeping places As in Dutch Gods-acre becaus bodies ar only sown there to be rais'd again which the Heb. express with a greater Faith by calling the Grave Beth-chaim the house of the Living 3. From that which is Contrary to Death viz. Resurrection It is call'd An Awaking When I awake with thy Likeness Psal 17.15 Many that sleep in the Dust shall Awake Dan. 12.2 To allude only to that Isa 26 19 20. Awake and sing ye that dwell in the Dust 4. From that notable Parallel that most clearly runs betwixt Sleep and Death which say judicious Divines appears principally in two things Rest and Resurrection 1. Rest Sleep argues Rest at least it tends to it and disposes for it They shall rest in their (a) Ut somnus mortis sic lectus imago sepulchri Beds Isa 57.2 Sleep on now and take your Rest Mat. 26.45 When A Believer dies he goes to his Rest to a sweet repose in his Bed of Earth Warm'd and Perfum'd for him by the precious Body of his Lord and Saviour A fivefold Rest from Labour Troubl Passions Sins Temptations 1. From Labour This Life is the day of the Saints Labour and Working his Death is the Night of his Resting The Sun ariseth and Man goeth forth To his Labour till the Evening Ps 104.23 When the Sun of A Believers Life ariseth he goes forth to his Labour till the Evening of Death Till Evening but no longer for then he shall rest from his Labours Rev. 14.13 A Christian here is like quick-silver Vidus Bressius If Gods Spirit say Tru I shall strait rest from my Labours my Soul is even taking VVing to fly to her resting place which hath in its self a principl of motion but not of rest is never quiet His Life is a continued motion his Death a continued Rest Here as a Ball upon the Racket as a Ship on the Waves a Strong man in his Race Death brings him To his Goal to his Port of Rest This life is but nois and tumult Death is silence 2. Troubls sufferings oppressions and these either publique or private I. Publique The Lord foresees a storm of Blood and Wrath to com in mercy he houseth A Believer before the Storm falls As the Egyptians hous'd their Cattle and Servants before that dreadful thunder Exod. 9.20 Isa 57.1 and hail came Merciful men are taken away from the Evil to com This the Lord is pleas'd To promise as A gracious Answer and Return To Josiahs praiers tears Humiliation reformation viz. that he should be gathered to his Grave in peace and that his eies should not see all the evil which God would bring upon Jerusalem 2 Chron. 34.27 28. II. Private and Personal Man is born to Troubl as the sparks fly upward They that will liv Godly must suffer persecution Affliction is the Lot of Gods Israel This World ever was and ever will be An Egypt to the Saints and here they must expect to find most cruel Task-masters This Life is so full of Trouble that 't was the
ye beloved of the Lord and know that the time is shortly coming when ye shall lie down quietly in your Beds and not have one waking moment or distracting dream When once you are gone down to this bed the grave when the Curtains of darkness ar drawn about you you shall never open your eies any more till the Morning of Eternity dawns and breaks forth in lustre on you Behold to your Everlasting comfort That which is To others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A King of Terrors to you is the King or chief of Comforts what is DEATH to others is but A SLEEP a sweet sleep to you You may safely play on the Hole of this Asp on the Den of this Cockatrice nay handl this Asp it self This Death that was once A Serpent is now none or if it be 'T is a Serpent without A Sting T' hath left its sting in the side of Christ 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. What that foolish Agag cracks out falsly you may in holy Triumph cry out Truly surely The bitterness of Death is past 1 Sam. 15.32 See how Death it self is even embalm'd and clothd in such soft and silken Language that It carries even A sweetness and beauty in it 'T is A sleep no more than A sleep 2. Sleep tho' it chains up the senses for a Time yet it dissolvs not the union between the Soul and the Body So neither doth Death the Spiritual mystical union betwixt Christ and Tru Believers nor indeed betwixt Believers themselves I. Not between God in Christ and Tru Believers Tho' Abraham Isaac and Jacob be dead To others They are not so to God Mat. 22.32 God is not the God of the dead but of the living The Relation of God to Abraham and of Abraham to God was as strong when dead as living The Sleep of the Wife breaks not the Marriage Knot between her and her Bridegroom The union betwixt Christ and Believers out-lives Death Tho' Death triumphs over the Natural union between the Body and the Soul yet not over the mystical union between the Soul and Christ Let them liv they liv in and to Christ Let them dye they die to and sleep in Christ 1 Thess 4.14 Living and Dying they are the Lords Ro. 14.8 II. Nor yet between Believers themselvs As Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 that are future So It is a clear Reflection on things that are past By Faiths ey we may easily look on the pale face of the first Martyr Heb. 11.4 and with Faiths ear Tho' he be dead yet hear him speaking Is a Godly Sarah dead 'T is possible for her surviving spiritual Daughters to convers with her as tho' aliv mark her outward dress her inward ornaments how she Trusted in God and obeyed her Husband 1 Pet. 3.1 to 7. There is not A Saint of God that dies but leaves A glass behind him in which when ere you pleas to be Truly serious you may behold their face and conversation The succeding Jews did so nearly convers with Jacob that was dead 2000 years before that they thought themselvs to be present with him and his God at Bethel Hos. 12.3 4. By his strength he had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us The Holy Exampls of the dead what ar they but the Spiritual Heb. 12.23 lively monuments of the Spirits of just men made perfect now living 3. Sleep is A refreshing reviving Enjoyment A man lies down in weakness sleeps and rises up in Strength Like A Giant refresht with Wine mounts up like an Eagl runs and is not weary walks and faints not 'T is Reported of Antaeus A Giant of Italy that as oft as he was weary he would but touch the Earth and immediately he rebounds and rises with renewed strength The Death of a Believer is like the Death of a grain of Corn. It dies only to spring up in more lustr beauty fruitfulness Joh. 12.24 if It dy it bringeth forth much fruit As by sleep A Believers Body is refresht so by Death his Body is refin'd 1 Cor. 15.42 43. It is sown in corruption It is raised in incorruption It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory It is sown in weakness It is raised in power Use 4. OF EXHORTATION TO TRU BELIEVERS in General Is your Death no more than a sleep 1. Away then with all inordinate immoderate slavish sinful (a) Heb. 2.15 fear of Death 'T is Tru Job 18.14 Death to Nature is the King of fears and it hath its poisonous sting with which it will wound the wicked whom it ushers into Hell But now To prop you up against this sinking fear of Death Know 'T is no wors to you than FALLING ASLEEP Even Gods own peopl ar too too much like foolish Children afraid to put off their cloaths and go to bed in A dark Chamber All this while we utterly mistake the case of our dissolution We take it for An Enemy it provs a Friend There is no littl pleasure in that wherein we suppose the greatest horrour Who is afraid after the weary toiles of the day to take his rest by night Or what is more refreshing to the spent Traveller then a sweet sleep It is our infidelity and unpreparedness that makes Death any other than advantage I grant indeed A bloody Cain A foolish Nabal an Apostat Saul An intemperate Felix and that Ranting company mentioned Rev. 6.15 16. may justly fear Death The Conscience of Unregenerate men brings in A black Bill of Inditement against them and convinces them of Rebellion against their Lord and Soverain and then no wonder if as arraigned and condemned Malefactors they live in continued fear of the Ax or Gibbet 'T is no wonder If their evil Conscience be To them like the hand-writing on the Wall to A Carousing Belshazzar Dan. 5.5 6. and makes their countenance to change to caus the joints of their loins to be loosed and their Knees to smite one against another But Believers Through infinite Mercy That 's not your case Death to YOU is not A summons To Eternal Death but A gentl Lullaby and softer Hush To A Sweet sseep and that in order to A Resurrection An Awaking to An Eternal Life 2. Adore bless lov the Lord Jesus for his infinite lov and mercy To you and All other sound Believers in that by his Painful shameful Accursed Death he hath pluckt out the sting of Death and alter'd both its Name and Nature That which once was death is now but A SLEEP A Cooling A refreshing shadow of Death and no more Heb. 2.14 15. 1 Cor. 15.55 56. 3. Carry it so while you liv that your Death may be A sleep A sweet sleep when you die Eccl. 5.11 The sleep of A Labouring man is sweet The sleep of A diligent Servant of A Laborious Husbandman of A painful Tradesman O how sweet is it