old books and tattered clothes and for banishment I count the whole earth mine and for death that will but hasten me to God to whom I live and with whom I would fain be he could not daunt him with dying tydings yea but now tell the other of death and you trouble him you put him into Belshazzars fits when he saw the hand writing upon the wall Dan. 5.6 His countenance was changed his thoughts troubled him Luk. 2.29 Phi. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.8 the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another the Saints of God are brought in in Scripture as men rather desirous of then dreading a dissolution Lord now let thy servant depart said good Simeon I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ said the Apostle Paul We are willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord Looking for and hastening to the coming of Christ not dreading it 2 Pet. 3.12 Rev. 22.20 2 Tim. 4.8 1 Cor. 1.7 fearing and flying it and the whole troop of Saints are brought in crying come Lord Jesus yea they are said to love the appearing of Christ and to wait for him from Heaven yea but now are wicked men thus affected towards death no and can ye blame them they should be mad if they were death hath too ghastly a countenance for them to look at with such an eye there is nothing to them so dreadful in all the world as death Now if you would know the reason of this the Doctrine contains it the Saints know they shall gain by it but not so the wicked man Obj. But I have here an objection to answer methinks I heare some say but are the Saints thus affected to death and do wicked men dye thus trembling we often see the contrary as to both the Saint fearful and the wicked daring in point of death for answer to this as to both thus and first for the gracious heart Sol. 'T is possible a pretious Saint of God to meet death with some reluctancy and that from a double cause 1. First they consist of two principles flesh and spirit imperfectly sanctified now the flesh may prevail and so far a natural fear of death surprize for the present but let the spiritual and sanctified part prevail and so far death's fear abated there is a mixture of unbelif with faith so much unbelief so much unwillingness but so much faith so much desire and the more faith the less fear or 2. There may be a certain unpreparedness at present in a souls apprehension for death and that may cause some unwillingness apprehending some unfitness evidences not so clear assurance clouded O spare me a little that I may recoâ—er my strength before I go hence and be no more seen as a Spouse that is to marry an Husband she would be prepared for his coming and though she may exceedingly desire his coming yet because things not so ready as she would have them perhaps she may not so desire his coming at that present so the gracious heart not but that he looks at death as gain not because he would not be with Christ with whom he accounts it best being but perhaps would be more fitted for his presence which he hopes to be if God spare him but still with a sweet and holy submission to the Lords good will and pleasure Obj. Yea but then for wicked men do not we often see them go to death without any such car and affrightment no such terrours upon their spirits as you speak of Now to this I Answer First 't is possible they may be ignorant of death and its consequences dye like fooles and beasts without regard to what followes thinking when dead there is an end of them say not such are scarce to be found among Christians for I l'e tell you the ignorance of thousands is most lamentable and dreadful Or Perhaps they deceive themselves with vain hopes if it shall be well with them and God will be gracious to them the Hipocrite along time deceived others and 't is just with God he should at last deceive himself their hope may last till death it self gnawes it asunder (a) O quam multi cum hac spe ad aeternos labores bella desendunt Eph. 4. as one sayes many goe down to Hell with a vain hope of Heaven Or 3. Perhaps they are dead before they dye the Apostle speaks of some that are past feeling feared they are senseless and not awakened Nabal like their hearts dead as a stone as one sayes Many go down to Hell waking not till they feel those flames about their ears could you speak with any or all these but an hour after death they would sing another song Now you must know 19. 1 Sam. 25.38 when we speak of death being so terrible to sinners we speak of sinners with their eyes opened their consciences a little enlightned and awakened and to these the tydings of death are killing I warrant you they cannot look it in the face with their own faces smiling and truly you cannot blame them for what should make a wicked man willing to dyer first at the best they are uncertain what shall become of them as Aristotle when ready to dy cryed out I dye doubtfully and whither I shall go I know not (b) Dubius morior quo vadam nescio and Adrian the Emperour animula vagula c. quos nunc abibis in locos oh my poor soul what places art thou now going into why what then can make them willing is it to be rid of some pain they feel nay then they are well helpt up no no they may often in a rage call for death as they do but when it comes to they dare not dye and you cannot blame them 't is only the Saint of Christ dares dye and the reason why the one welcomes the other dread deaths approach 't is the Saint believes a gain the other dreads a loss by a dying time And that 's a second Use Vse 3 Again thirdly do Gods Saints gain by dying let it be for comfort and support to all Gods number what a soul-comforting point is this to all you whose faces are heaven-ward to you to live is Christ why then to dye shall be gain And there is a threefold account whereupon you may bottome comfort from this honey truth as First here is comfort against your own death how may this kill in every good heart the fear of dying doest thou upon thy receiving the sentence of death in thy self shrink and give back for shame remember thy self thou'lt get by it I tell thee Friend it comes for no harm but good to thee It was a worthy Speech that Artabanus gave Xerxes that mighty Emperour of Persia who viewing his huge Army of at least a thousand thousand Men drinking up Rivers as they went and commanding Hils and Seas to give way unto them he fell a weeping because it came
he is come and we have done the work he shall never trouble us more though the gripe that he gives us with his cold hand may make us winch and tremble yet this may support us having layed his hand upon us he will lead us to the gates of that Kingdome into which himself shall never be admitted to assault us more and will not our condition then be much bettered yes surely that 's a second They change subjection to a sinning condition for an impossibility of sinning what a happy gain this will be as I do not look to perswade the carnal heart that knowes no other heaven but what the pleasures of sin or delights of a vain world afford so I shall not need to tell the gracious heart to whom sin is indeed a burthen you remember St. Paul's dolorous cry Rom. 7.24 as a man pained and crying for ease and help wretched man that I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sensu miseriae tangor the word signifies a man heavily opprest and burthened (a) Qui calamitatum luctuoserum oneribus permitur assidue Mr. Leigh Crit. Sac. with mournful calamities or as the same Author like one who haveing striven a long time is at last like to be overcome with his adversaryes unless he be helped thus he cryes out for help and deliverance Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me now comes Death and he does it he sets this same poor strugling and almost worne out Captive free t is true grace destroyes the power rule and dominion of sin but it must be death that destroyes the being and dwelling of it oh what would not a gracious heart give that it might not offend God what a gain the gracious heart accounts it to have power but against some one corruption appears by his many tears fervent prayers and strong cryes for a victory well death comes and that brings him a compleat conquest as Moses told the Israelites at the red Sea concerning those cruel and oppressing enemies of theirs the Egyptians that had so wasted and harrased them with their burthens and concerning whom they were now in such a great fright they being at their heeles with all Pharaohs Chariots and horsemen and Army an huge host if Josephus speaks right for he sayes besides all his Chariots he had 50000 horsemen and 200000 footmen but what sayes Moses to them Exod. 14.13 Your enemies which ye have seen to day ye shall see them no more for ever so may I say to the dying Saint of all his corruptions and lusts these enemies of thine that have cost thee so much they that have bedewed thy cheeks with tears so often that have brought thee upon thy knees so often that have foiled thee so often be of good chear thou shalt now see them no more for ever never more troubled with a temptation to sin never old man dwelling in thy bosome more to afflict and disquiet thee Oh! oh what a gain is this to the heart truly gracious And this advantage does the Saint of Christ make by dying that 's a third thing Yet again in the fourth place they change comforts at best but fading and subject to loss for durable and eternal so long as we live here all our comforts are fleeting and withering the best of them ebbing and flowing do we speak of outward comforts alas they are poor looseable things autdeserunt aut deseruntur they either go from us or we from them what one said of fortune (a) Vitrea est cum splendet frangitur its glassy when it shines it breaks may be said of the world with all its best things how many have these times presented us with that were once stored with them to good sufficiency but now stript and can call little their own so for comfortable friends relations these are comforts but alas but loosable thou hadst a dear wife dear husband dear sisters brothers but death hath made a breach they are gone and hath left thee mourning for them like Rachel weeping for her children and refusing comfort because they are not but what stand I mentioning these go to the best of their comforts internal and spiritual comforts their apprehensions of Gods love their evidences of a Christ-interest the comforts of Christ's spirit in comparison of which the gracious soul counts all the world as a little dung and which he had rather keep than his very life why even these while we are on this side the Holy Land while we live here they are ebbing and flowing sometimes present and the soul is lifted up t is in heaven while on earth by and by all lost and soul all amort crying perhaps after its beloved but cannot come at him I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone Cant. 5.6 How common this with precious Saints this was that which holy Aust experienced and did fortifie his soul against Ne timeas osponsamea (b) Ne timeas osponsa mea si pautisper a te retrabat faciem suam tibi venit recedit venit ad consolationem recedit ad cautelam do not fear O my soul if he withdraw himself from thee he is coming and going he comes unto thee for thy consolation and goes away for thy warning and which of all the Saints have been so happily guarded with divine graces as to preserve his comforts at all times green and flourishing no no the best of our comforts tho' they cannot be lost quoad dei benevolentiam in respect of Gods good will yet they may be quoad sensum 〈…〉 in respect of our sense and apprehension tho' Gods loving kindness cannot yet our sense of it may be lost and taken from us which makes it very dark and gloomy with the poor soul and turns his songs into Lamentations yea but now comes death and that puts us into possession of such comforts or puts us so into possession of our comforts as that they are out of fear of losing any more when once we take possession of our comforts above our tenure of them shall run parallel with the long line of Gods eternity there we shall see his face and alwayes shining it shall never be more eclipst there we shall enjoy our beloved and we shall be parted no more will not here be a happy gain why thus shall we be gainers in respect of our estate by dying and that 's the fourth thing And lastly they change an estate of need and want yea continual want for an estate of fulness and all plenty so long as we live below we are alwayes wanting something take me a wicked man that the world hath espoused for its choisest favourite or take me the child of God that he hath most enriched let me see the face that will say he wants nothing as for the wicked man that hath most I warrant thee yet he wants somewhat hath he wealth he wants health wealth and
health wants honours good name children hath he all these and thinks he wants nothing ah poor heart he don't know his wants he wants God without whom all his enjoyments nothing worth quid prodest diviti quod habet si Deum qui omnia dedit non habet what will a wicked mans All do him good whiles without God the giver of all good he wants grace more precious than Gold he wants pardon of sin peace of conscience set him by set him by he is a poor wanting creature but give me the Saint of God 't is he we would speak to come friend thou hast other manner of riches than the other but dost thou want nothing oh God help me Sir want yes I have an hard heart and would have it softned I have strong corruptions and would have them subdued I have weak graces at best and would have them strengthned I beleive and scarce beleive hope and scarce hope sometimes have comforts sometimes none my wants are great lo here a wanting world nothing but wants while in this world but now comes death and he goes where he shall want nothing for temporals no need of them nothing for spirituals all perfect t is the saying of one (a) Eacilius exponi potest quid non sit in caelo quam quid sit in caelo t is easier to tell what is not in heaven than what is in heaven I cannot tell you what the riches of it are but to be sure there be no wants there Rev. 7.16 17. they shall hunger no more thirst no more and chap. 21.23 That City hath no need of the Sun or Moon the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof No no the Saints needy dayes are gone now their wanting time is over here 's nothing but what is desirable and here 's every thing that is desirable yea fulness of all desirableness and eternity to compleat all when once death hath wasted them over upon that shore they shall find nothing wanting to compleat their everlasting blisfulness as I remember one speaking of hell sayes n = * Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferrea vox omnes scelerum comprendere formas Omnia paenarum percurrere nomina possem Non mihi si centum c. which is Englished briefly thus No heart of man can think no tongue can tell The direful pains ordain'd and felt in Hell So may I say of Heaven Had I a thousand tongues I might not express its full happiness will glorious Robes please will princely Attendance please will delicious Feasting please I could fetch Scriptures to attest all these 〈…〉 dark resemblances of that glory but what spend I words when the Apostle who was a little eye witness and ear witness when he was caught up into Paradise 2 Cor. 12.4 yet concludes its fulness of happiness thus 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Now whether to change a barren countrey which is alwaies in want for such fulness of estate and unutterable plenty be not a gainful change judge you but this change do Christs Saints make by dying And thus I have shew'd you in these five particulars that Saints gain by dying in part of estate and condition one step farther and we shall come to the use As they make a gain of death in the change of their place as they make a gain by death in respect of their estate and condition so they gain in the change of their company in this respect also death makes them gainers and this I shall hold out unto you in these three particulars First they change unholy company for company that is holy and pure unholy company why the Saints associate not themselves with such here Ps 6.8 Psal 119.115 Ps 120.5 Psal 16.3 doth not the Psalmist banish such his society away from me ye wicked doth not he complain Wo is me that I dwell in Mesech does he not profess all my delight is in the Saints that dwell on earth I answer t is true he does so and the like do all Saints desire as man is a sociable creature so by his society you may judge of the man wicked men are for company like themselves and Saints for Saints society the righteous are abomination to the wicked and the wicked are abomination to the righteous Canaanites are thorns in the Israelites sides and pricks in their eyes I would as soon guess at a man bound for heaven or hell by his companions as by most marks I know it was the speech of a good woman lying upon her bed of sickness and under some trouble of spirit her comforts eclipsed Lord sayes she I hope thou wilt not send me to hell for there be the wicked and thou knowest I never loved their company upon earth Gods Saints had rather be in a desart then with debauched companions Psal 55.6 O that I had wings like a dove then would I flee away yea wander far off and remain in the wilderness but though these be not the Saints companions by way of choice or option yet so long as their converse and walk lyes here in the world they must have to to do with ungodly ones t is true their fellow Saints are their dear associates the company they delight in but they cannot sometime avoid sinners company too for then as St. Paul sayes 1 Cor. 5.10 they must go out of the world yea but now comes death and that sets them among company pure and perfect now they are for Mount Sion the city of the living God the heavenly Hierusalem the innumerable company of Angels the general assembly the Church of the first born and with God the judge of all with the spirits of just men made perfect with Jesus the mediator c. Heb. 12.22.23 Now they are in the kingdome which no unclean thing enters where are shut out all dogs and sorceres and whoremongers murderers Idolaters lyars with the rest of that cursed rabble this is Gods holy place where must come none but holy persons called the Inheritance of the Saints in light Coll. 1.12 the inheritance undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 where they shall have no wicked Belialite to vex persecute trouble mock reproach or bark against holiness and holy persons no they are gone by themselves to a place of their own and shall never more disquiet thee in thy eternal and uninterrupted enjoyment of thy long wished for rest and peace Oh what a gainful change is this to hearts truly gracious company well amended that 's the first thing Then secondly they change company of an inferiour and lower rank for Princes and Kings society nay indeed none come there but Kings all crowned persons Rev. 1.6 He hath made us Kings and Priests to God such they were here though their glory was obscured but now they go to have their