army is as good as a fighting army Moses did as much good by prayer as the soldiers in the valley when they fought with Amelek they are favorites with God in heaven therefore S. Paul saith It is needfull for you that I abide in the flesh Gracious men are publique treasures and store-houses wherein every man hath a share a portion they are publique springs in the wildernesse of this world to refresh the soules of people they are trees of righteousnesse that stretch out their boughs for others to shelter under and to gather fruit from You have an excellent picture of this in Daniel in the dreame of Neâ—â—chadnezar the Magistrates there are compared to a great tree where in the birds build their nests and the beasts shelter themselves so a good Magistrate especially if he bee in great place is as a great tree for comfort and shelter Oh beloved the lives of good men are very usefull A good man saith the Philosopher is a common good because as soone as ever a man becomes gracious hee hath a publique minde as he hath a publique place nay whether he hath a publick place or no he hath a publique minde It is needfull therefore that there be such men alive If this be so then we may lament the death of worthy men because wee lose part of our strength in the losse of such Gods custome being to convey much good by them and when there is scarcity of good men we should say with Micah Woe is mee the good is perished from the earth they keepe iudgements from a place and derive a blessing upon it howsoever the world iudgeth them and accounts them not worthy to live yet God accounts the world unworthy of them they are Gods Iewels they are his treasure and his portion therefore we ought to lament their death and to desire their lives and we ought to desire our owne lives as long as we may be usefull to the Church and be content to want heaven for a time Beloved it is not for the good of Gods children that they live as soone as ever they are in the state of grace they have a title to heaven but it is for others when once we are in Christ we live for others not for our selves that a father is kept alive it is for his childrens sake that good Magistrates are kept alive it is for their subjects sake that a good Minister is kept alive out of the present enjoying of heaven it is for the peoples sake that God hath committed to him to instruct for as Paul saith here in regard of my owne particular it is better for mee to bee with Christ. If God convey so much good by worthy men to us then what wretches are they that maligne them persecute them c. speake ill of those that speake to God for them doth the world continue for a company of wretches a company of prophane blasphemous loose disorderly livers Oh no for if God had not a Church in the world a company of good people heaven and earth would fall in pieces there would bee an end presently It is for good people onely that the world continues they are the pillars of the tottering world they are the stakes in the fence they are the foundation of the building and if they were once taken out all would come downe there would bee a confusion of all therefore those that oppose and disquiet gracious and good men are enemies to their owne good they cut the bough which they stand on they labour to pull downe the house that covers themselves being blinded with malice and a diabolicall spirit take need of such a disposition it comes neare to the sinne against the holy Ghost to hate any man for goodnesse because perhaps his good life reproacheth us such a one would hate Christ himselfe if he were here how can a man desire to bee with Christ when hee hates his image in another therefore if God convey so much good by other men that are good let us make much of them as publick persons as instruments of our good take away malice and pride and a poisonfull spirit and all their good is ours what hinders that wee have no good by them pride and an envious spirit c. A second thing that I observe hence is this Holy and gracious men that are led by the Spirit of God can deny themselves and their owne best good for the Churches benefit They know that God hath appointed them as instruments to convey good to others and knowing this they labour to come to Pauls spirit here to desire to live to have life in patience and death in desire in regard of themselves for it were much better for a good man to bee in heaven out of misery out of this conflicting condition with the devill and devilish minded men The reason is because a good man as soone as he is a good man hath the spirit of love in him and love seeketh not its owne but the good of another and as the love of Christ and the love of God possesseth and seizeth upon the soule so selfe-love decayes what is gracious love but a decay of selfe-love the more selfe-love decayes the more we deny our selves Againe Gods people have the spirit of Christ in them who minded not his owne things If Christ had minded his owne things where had our salvation beene Christ was content to leave heaven and to take our nature upon him to be Emanuâ—l God with us that we might be with God for ever in heaven hee was content not onely to leave heaven but to be borne in the wombe of a Virgin he was content to stoope to the grave he stooped as low as hell in love to us Now where Christs spirit is it will bring men from their altitudes and excellencies and make them to stoope to serve the Church and account it an honour to bee an instrument to doe good Christ was content to be accounted not onely a servant of God but of the Churches My righteous servant c. Those that have the spirit of Christ have a spirit of selfe-deniall of their owne we see the blessed angells are content to be Ministring spirits for us and it is thought to bee the sinne of the devil pride when he scorned to stoope to the keeping of man an inferiour creature to himself The blessed Angells doe not scorne to attend upon a poore child little ones A Christian is a consecrated person and he is none of his owne he is a sacrifice as soone as he is a Christian he is Christs he gives himselfe to Christ and as he gives himselfe so he gives his life and all to Christ as Paul faith of the Corinths they gave themselves and their goods to him when a Christian gives himselfe to Christ he gives all to Christ all his labour and paines and whatsoever hee knowes that Christ can serve himselfe of him for his Churches
farre better And is it much farre better to die that we may be with Christ than to live here a conflicting life Why should we then feare death that is but a passage to Christ It is but a grimme servant that lets us into a glorious pallace that striks off our bolts that takes off our rags that wee may bee clothed with better robes that ends all our misery and is the beginning of all our happinesse why should we therfore be affraid of death it is but a departure to a better condition It is but as Iordan to the children of Israel by which they passed to Canaan it is but as the red-sea by which they were going that way therefore we have no reason to feare death of it selfe it is an enemy indeed but now it is harmelesse nay now it is become a friend amicable to us a sweet friend it is one part of the Churches joynture death All things are yours saith the Apostle Paul and Apollos life and death death is ours and for our good it doth us more good than all the friends we have in the world it determines and ends all our misery and sinne and it is the suburbs of heaven it lets us into those joyes above It is a shame for Christians therefore to bee affraid of that that Paul here makes the object of his desire But may not a good Christian feare death I answer Not so farre as a Christian is led with the spirit of God and is truly spirituall for the spirit carryes us upward but as farre as wee are earthly and carnall and byassed downward to things below wee are loath to depart hence In some cases Gods children are affraid to die because their accounts are not ready though they love Christ and are in a good way yet notwithstanding because they have not prepared themselves by care as a woman that hath her husband abroad and desires his comming but all is not prepared in the house therfore she desires that he may stay awhile so the soule that is not exact that is not in that frame that it should be in saith Oh stay awhile that I may recover my strength before I goe hence and bee no more seene but as farre as wee are guided by the spirit of God sanctifying us and are in such a condition as we should be in so farre the thoughts of death ought not to be terrible to us nor indeed are they Beloved there is none but a Christian that can desire death because it is the end of all comfort here it is the end of all callings and employments of all sweetnesse whatsoever in this world If another man that is not a Christian desire heaven he desires it not as heaven or to â—e with Christ as Christ he desires it under some notion sutable to his corruption for our desires are as our selves are as our aymes are no carnall worldly man but hath carnall worldly aymes a worldly man cannot goe beyond the world it is his spheare a carnall man cannot goe beyond the flesh therefore a carnall man cannot desire heaven a man that is under the power of any lust can desire nothing but the satisfying of that lust heaven is no place for such none but a child of God can desire that For if we consider heaven and to bee with christ to be perfect holines can he desire it that hates holinesse here can he desire the Image of God upon him that hates it in others and in himselfe too can he desire the communion of Saints that of all societies hates it the most can he desire to be free from sinne that ingulfes himselfe continually in sinne he cannot and therefore as long as he is under the thraldome and dominion of any lust he may desire heaven indeed but it is onely so farre as he may have his lusts there his pleasures honours and riches there too if he may have heaven with that he is contented but alas brethren heaven must not be so desired S. Paul did otherwise he desired to be dissolved to be with Christ hee desired it as the perfection of the Image of God under the notion of holinesse and freedome from sin as I said before Which is farre better Againe we see that God reserves the best for the last Gods â—aâ—t workes are his best workes the new heaven and the new earth are the best the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best spirituall things are better than naturall A Christians last is his best God will have it so for the comfort of Christians that everyday they live they may think My best is behinde my best is to come that every day they rise they may thinke I am nearer heaven one day than I was before I am nearer death and therefore nearer to Christ what a solace is this to a gracious heart A Christian is a happy man in his life but happyer in his death because then he goes to Christ but happiest of all in heaven for then hee is with Christ. How contrary to a carnall man that lives according to the sway of his owne base lusts he is miserable in his life more miserable in his death but most miserable of all after death I beseech you lay this to heart mee thinkes considering that death is but a way for us to be with Christ which is farre better this should sweeten the thinking of death to us and we should comfort our selves daily that we are nearer happinesse But how shall we attaine this sanctified sweet desire that Paul had to die and be with Christ Let us carry our selves as Paul did and then we shall have the same desires S. Paul before death in his life time had his conversation in heaven his minde was there and his soule followed after there is no mans soule comes into heaven but his minde is there first It was an easie matter for him to desire to bee with Christ having his conversation in heaven already Paul in meditation was where he was not and he was not where he was he was in heaven when his body was on earth 2. Againe S. Paul had loosed his affections from all earthly things therefore it was an easie matter for him to desire to be with Christ I am cruciâ—ied to the world and the world is crucified to me c. If once a Christian comes to this passe death will be welcome to him those whose hearts are fastened to the world cannot easily desire Christ. 3. Againe holy S. Paul laboured to keepe a good conscience in all things herein I exercise my selfe to have a good conscience towards God and men c. It is easie for him to desire to be dissolved that hath his conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ free from a purpose of living in any sinne But where there is a stained defiled polluted conscience there cannot be this desire for the heart of man naturally as the Prophet saith
thou wilt serve thy selfe of my credit and reputation I will adventure it for thee If thou wilt have my life of thee I had it to thee I will restore it I will not limit thy Majesty come of it what will I leave it to thy wisedome use mee and mine as thou wilt onely be gracious to my soule that it may goe well with that and I care not Thus wee should wholly resigne our selves to the Lords disposall and thereby wee shall exceedingly honour his Majesty and cause him to honour us and to shew his presence to us for our good which hee will assuredly doe if we absolutely yeeld up our selves to him But if a man will have two strings to his Bow and trust him so farre but not so farre so hee may bee kept from this danger or that trouble c. this is not to deale with God as an Omnipotent Creator For hee that doth a thing truely in obedience to God will doe it generally to all his commands so farre as the reason of his obedience reaches his trust extends hee that commits any thing to God will commit all to him he chooseth not his Objects but upon the same ground that hee commits his soule to God when hee dies hee commits his estate liberty and all hee hath while he lives Hee can never relye on God for greater matters that distrusts him in lesser Againe a man that truely trusts God will commit all his wayes unto him hee will take no course but what hee is guided in by the Lord hee lookes for wisedome from above and saith Lord though it is not in mee to guide my owne way as thy Word shall leade mee and the good counsel of thy Spirit in others direct me so I will follow thee Hee that commits not his wayes to God will not commit his comforts to him God must bee our Counsellor as well as our Comforter Therefore the Wise man bids us Acknowledge God in all our wayes and leane not to our owne wisedome Most men looke how safe their counsels are not how holy and agreeable to God is this to trust in him Will God save us at last and yet suffer us to live as wee liâ—t now Deceive not your selves hee that will have his soule saved must commit it to GOD before hand to bee sanctified Againe those that commit themselves aright to God will commit their posterity to him their wives and children c. Why doe not men make their Wils and commit their goods to them Oh but how doe they resigne them how covetous and full of distrust are they I must leave such a childe so much and so much and why I pray you because God cannot blesse him else Oh fearefull Is God â—yed to meanâ—s cannot heblesse with a little as well as with a great deale Is not the earth the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Why must God have so much in hand or else hee cannot inrich and raise up thy Children Oh consider he hath declared himselfe to bee the father of the fatherlesse and lookes to the Widdow in a speciall manner he doubles his Providence there hee provides for all but takes speciall notice of them therefore quiet thy selfe they are in covenant with God and God is thy God and the God of thy seed also therefore if thou wilt commit thy soule why not thy Wife Children goods c. Looke into the course of Gods people in all times those that have left but little with honest dealing God hath blessed the same exceedingly whereas those that have left great matters ill gotten in stead of a blessing have often left a curse and a snare behinde them Why then should men take indirect courses and wound their consciences for worldly pelâ—e Consider 1. thy children are Gods and not thine hee gave them to thee at first and he can provide hereafter when thou artgone thou art the father of their body but he is the father of their soule 2. He provided for them before they were borne doth not hee provide care and affection in the Mothers heart doth not he provide suck in the Mothers breasts and will hee not care for them now they are borne as well as he did before they came into the world it is Atheisme to thinke such a thought Those that commit themselves to God in one thing will doe so in all things otherwise they deceive their owne soules for it is a universall Act that runnes through their whole life Committing is an Action of trust and there is a kinde of entercourse of trust betweene God and a Christian continually Lastly those that commit themselves to God wil be faithfull stewards in whatsoever hee hath trusted them withall Thou committest thy selfe and thy health and estate to God and at length thou wilt commit thy soule when thoudiest unto him very well but what doth God trust thee withall hath hee not trusted thee with a Body and a soule with a portion of goods with place time strength and abilities to doe good Hast thou not all thou hast from God as a Steward to improve for thy Masters advantage If ever thou expectest the performance of what thou hast put in him bee faithfull in that trust which hee hath committed to thee Those that have misused their bodies and wounded their soules in their lives how can they commit theÌ„ to God at their deaths How dares the soule looke up to him when the life hath beene nothing else but a perpetuall offending of his Majesty I beseech you let us learne this wholesome lesson great is our benefit thereby Hee that trusts in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion that cannot bee moved wee may be shaken but shall never be removed The earth is shaken with Earthquakes but the earth keepes its owne Center still Our best peace is in God and our chiefest safety in his protection I laid mee downe to rest because thou Lord watchest over me saith the Prophet and Returne O my soule to thy rest for the Lord hath beene very beneficiall to thee Is it not a good thing to have a sweete security of soule that whether I sleepe or wake whether I bee at home or abroad live or die I have a Providence watching over mee better then mine owne When I yeeld my selfe up to God his wisedome is mine his strength is mine whatsoever hee hath it is for me because I am his What a heaven upon earth is this that a Christian out of a holy familiarity with God can resigne up his soule to him upon all occasions Set heaven and salvation aside what greater happinesse can be desired How sweet is a mans rest at night after he hath yâ—elded himselfe to God by faithfull prayer I beseech you let us bee acquainted with the practise of this duty and labour to bee in such a state as God may owne us and receive our poore soules to himselfe Let us keepe them pure and undeâ—iled