End 1. Peace with God the highest most blessed and most glorious Peace Being justified by Faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 The holy Soul lives in this peace with God and dies in this Peace with God too The Wicked live and die in a State of enmity with God all along they are Enemies to God and God an Enemy to them there 's is no Peace no reconciliation betwixt God and them But sincere Christians both living and dying have peace with God they have in Life a God reconciled to them through Christ and at Death they go to a reconciled God and Father not to an angry an hating an hostile God but to a pacified and loving God to a God that is their Friend Oh this is the great Happiness of God's People the End of such is this Peace 2. Their end is peace as to Peace from God Peace in themselves and with themselves the Peace of Conscience Gaudium in fine sed Gaudium sine fine Bern that Peace which is called the Peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 Oh when Death comes to lay his Arrest his cold hands upon an upright Christian when he is going the way of all Flesh when the Grave is opened and ready to receive him when he is just dropping into the House of rottenness even then through the Grace of God he has inward Peace Serenity and Comfort The * Plato in Phel p. 84. Swan sings and dies dies singing the godly Man dies rejoycing Sampson found Hony in the Lyon so 't is here Prov. 14.32 But the Righteous hath hope in his Death that Hope that riseth up to Peace The Wicked is driven away in his Wickedness in the former Branch of the Verse God deals with him in a terrible manner drives his Soul out of his Body whether he will or no ay but 't is not so with the godly the Righteous hath hope in his Death There is hope in thine End Jer. 31.17 I do but allude to this Text for the End in it is not that which I am at present speaking of Good old Simeon he died with this Peace Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in Peace there might be something special and peculiar in his case Luke 2.29 but as to the substance so it reaches to all Gods People It is said of Moses Deut. 34.5 He died according to the Word of the Lord the Jewish Interpreters carry it he died at the Mouth of the Lord and they say that when he came to die God kissed out his Soul See Bishop Hall 1 V. 959.960 he gave in such manifestations of his Love and Mercy to him as that he even kist his Soul out of his Body and surely here was Peace at the End So it was with Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.3 with holy Paul I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand now see his peace I have fought the good Fight c. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown c. 2 Tim. 4.7.8 So with various Martyrs as might be shewn in several Instances Here three Questions should be resolved 1. Q. Hath the Upright Man Peace only at his End The End of that Man is Peace Hath he no Peace while he lives but only when he comes to die 2. Hath every Vpright Man this Peace 3. Is it only the Vpright that have this peace Do we not see many die with a great deal of Peace who yet are far from being in the Number of these Upright and perfect Ones But I will rather reserve the Answering of these Questions to the Application when I shall have first finish'd the Doctrinal part 3. Lastly Take this End here for the blessed State and Condition that follows after Death in the World above And certainly here 's Peace in the highest Notion of it The End of the Perfect Man is this Peace Gracious Persons such who have feared God and lived a Holy life they die leave this World enter upon an everlasting State What a kind of State is that Oh it is a State of Peace He shall enter into Peace Isa 57.2 It is not only he shall go out or die in Peace that follows in the next Branch They shall rest in their Beds each one walking in his Vprightness but he shall enter into Peace into a State of Peace Heaven is such a State 't is a place of Peace and much of the Happiness of Heaven lies in the Peace that is there enjoy'd In the glorified Condition there is nothing but Peace there all is Peace Therefore Peace is often brought in as one great Ingredient into and Part of the Heavenly Felicity 2 Rom. 9.10 Tribulation and Anguish upon every Soul that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile but Glory Honour and Peace to every Man that worketh good Rom. 8.6 To be carnally-minded is Death but to be spiritually-minded is Life and Peace it is Peace at present and it ends in Peace in Heavenly Peace hereafter Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule Mercy and Peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God Peace in the large acceptation of it takes in all Good whatever It is the abridgment of all Good the Sum and Center of all Felicity So the Jews us'd it in their Common Salutations Peace be unto you that is all Good all Mercy Thus Heaven is a State of Peace there being in Heaven the concurrence and possession of all good There 's nothing that the Soul of Man in its utmost cravings can desire but it shall have it in Heaven There 's not the presence of the least Evil nor the absence of the least Good Then take this Peace in the stricter Acceptation of it so the glorified Condition is a Condition of Peace There is Peace with God Peace with Men and Peace with a Man 's own self Peace with God Oh there are no breaches with God in Heaven we have too much of These here but above there 's nothing of them All is Amity and Peace with God there Peace with Men how are all the Saints united and agreed there there 's no discord or contention nothing but Oneness Harmony and Love There Luther and Calvin the greatest Dissenters are fully reconciled The World is in flames here but there all these shall be fully quenched We that cannot agree now while upon Earth shall perfectly agree in Heaven whatever our Differences may be in this lower Region they shall all vanish in Heaven there we all shall be of one mind And 't is no small part of the happiness of the godly to be taken into this Peace Further the Saints there have peace in and with themselves All those Passions and perturbations of mind that here pursue and vex them shall all there cease there 's no inward Commotions or Storms all is sedate and calm within in the Thoughts and in the Conscience Storms are only in the lower Region
As Abner spake to Joab concerning the Sword 2 Sam. 2.26 The Evil of Sin and the Good of Holiness will never be fully understood till we come to lie upon a Death-bed We have strange Notions about These whilst all is well with us judging there 's but little goodness in the one but little Evil in the other Ah but Sickness and Death will undeceive us and alter our apprehensions about them You that take sinful profane Courses now how will your Souls wish then that you had lived otherwise that you had never been so loose so vain so atheistical so debauch and vitious that you had not so prophaned the Sabbath so neglected God lived in such excess of Riot Uncleanness Whoredom and whatever is naught How wilt thou then cry out Oh would to God I had lived a better Life That I had not closed with Sin as I have done that I had not opposed and derided Holiness oh that I had spent my Time better and hearkened to the good Counsel that Ministers gave me and so on But what will this avail or signifie when the Soul shall be in this distress Nothing at all Pray think of this and reform your Course before it be too late This being the great Motive to Sincerity Peace at the End here are Three Questions to be answered 1. Q. Hath the Upright Godly Man no Peace before his End Hath he only Peace at his Death None in Life Is all his Peace and Comfort reserved for a dying Hour Answ Not so He hath peace in Life as well as at Death He liveth with it hath it abiding in him if he doth not lose it by sining against God Great Peace have they that love thy Law Psal 119.165 The work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace Hebr. Peace Peace whose mind is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 The perfect Man has perfect Man Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you Joh. 14.27 These things have I spoken that in me ye might have peace Joh. 16.33 2 Cor. 6.10 Yet always rejoycing A good Conscience is a Continual Feast But why then is it said the End of that Man is Peace 1. Because then Especially and Eminently the People of God have this Peace They need it more then than at other times and therefore they have more of it then Oh when they are grappling with the pangs of Death just launching out into boundless Eternity how do they then want this Peace Wherefore then the gracious God vouchsafes it to them in an higher degree than before 2. Because then their Peace is of the greatest use and efficacy to work on Others to draw them in to God and to make them think well of his Ways Therefore it pleases God sometimes to let his People be without this Peace in their Life time because then it would not so much be taken notice of but when they come to die when many Eyes are upon them to observe what comfort they have then then they have it And by this Spectators are brought to judge well both of the Persons and also of the Practices of these that are so full of Comfort in such a time of need 2. Q. Have all Vpright Souls this Peace at their End Is the End of every Godly Man Peace Do all such when they come to die die with this Comfort Answ I dare not say so I have reason to believe that many live without this Peace and die too without this Peace who yet are truly Gracious Some want it in Life but then possibly they have it at Death As the Martyr Now he is come he is come Some have it in Life but then want it when they come to die God at the last withdrawing their Peace and causing their Sun to set in a dark Cloud thus it sometimes fares with some whose Grace here and Salvation hereafter I dare not question Others go without it in the sensible part of it both in life and in Death that 's fad indeed True Grace is in their Hearts but yet this Peace from God is not in their Hearts It pleases God very much to shew his Soveraignty in his various dealings with his People as to sensible Comfort But then this we may say as to every Sincere and Upright Christian 1. Ordinarily and commonly he has this Peace at his End 't is but now and then that God varies his Method in this 2. The root of this Peace is in him although he may not-have the Blossoms of it Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the Vpright in heart Psal 97.11 3. He hath Faith to rely upon Christ in a dying hour though he may not have the Peace and comfortable effects of Faith then Oh though he is much in the dark yet he cleaves to Christ holds fast upon Christ and goes out of the World with this If I perish here I will perish Oh says he I have little Peace Light and Comfort but I dye resting upon Christ let God do with me what he pleases 4. Whenever God denies this Peace to dying Upright Persons it is for some special Reasons he designs some other way to glorifie himself And if he will glorifie himself any way though that Way may be painful to us we must submit to it 5. If it be not Peace in Death it shall certainly be Peace just after Death It may be Trouble in a dying hour even to the Godly but as soon as ever Death has done it's Work I am sure then they have Peace Thou mayst die without it but in Heaven thou shalt certainly have it As soon as ever the Soul is out of the Body it is fill'd with Peace 3. Q. Is this the End of that Man only Is Peace limited and peculiar to that Man Do not we daily see many Sinners and wicked Persons die in Peace They go out of the World like Lambs as we commonly express it have no troubles no commotions no disturbance at all upon their Spirits all is quiet Wherefore then is it made such a special and peculiar Priviledge in the Text to the Upright Answ I deny what is alledg'd The Persons spoken of may have a seeming an imaginary Peace but assuredly they have no real and true Peace There 's a vast difference between the real Peace of a godly Man and the Counterfeit Peace of Sinners in a dying hour The Peace of the One is but stupidity insensibleness security and presumption but the Peace of the Other is a well-grounded Peace Peace rightly bottom'd upon the due application of Gods Mercy in Christ and upon the faithful Testimony of an enlighten'd Conscience It is quite otherwise in the Peace of the presumptuous Sinner that dies quietly though he hath lived wickedly We see many a Man is fast asleep in his Bed unconcern'd undisturb'd even when his House is on Fire and he is just ready
and chusing in Duties something he will do something he will omit No but he * Num. 14.24 Ps 119.6 follows Godly fully and has respect to all the Commands of God 3. Constancy and fixedness in what is Good Hos 6.4 Mat. 13.21 The Upright man his Righteousness is not like the Morning dew that goeth away not like the Fruit that grew up but had Root and therefore dured but a while he is one that is uniform constant and fixed in what is Good 4. Walking always as under Gods Eye Gen. 17.1 and doing all as in the sight of God 5. The making of the glory of God the Supreme and ultimate End in all actions Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do 1 Cor. 10.35 doing all to the Glory of God Here 's the Perfect and Upright Man 1. He is one that whatsoever he doth in the things of God he doth it from an inward Principle 2. He is one that is Vniversal in his Obedience 3. He is one that is steady and persevering in the good ways of God 4. He is one that wherever he is and whatever he doth he always looks upon himself as under God's Eye 5. He is one who in all his Actings intends and aims at Gods Glory as his Supreme End But I am straitned by the Time and must not enlarge upon these Heads Vse 3. The third Use shall be to excite and urge all to endeavour after the Qualification and Character here laid down I would improve the Opportunity which the present sad Occasion gives me to be earnest with you to labour after Sincerity Oh Sirs I beseech you Hear Pray Read Meditate mortifie Corruption use all Means for the attaining of it What a world of Arguments might I set before you to raise and elevate your desires and endeavours after it Sathan Sin the World the Flesh all have their Arguments against it such as they are but they are all weak and fallacious of no weighth if compared with the Arguments which I might set before you for it Upright Walking sincere Godliness is a thing that God is highly pleased with and takes singular delight in Such as are Vpright in the Way are his delight Prov. 11.20 God hath a very open Hand and Heart to upright Christians he thinks nothing too much to give to them or to do for them Psal 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk Vprightly No good thing What a comprehensive Expression is that Poor and Afflicted Sincerity is infinitely better then Rich and Prosperous Wickedness it may not appear so at present but it will be found to be so at last Pro. 28. â—6 Better is the Poor that walketh in his Vprightness than he that is perverse in his ways though he be Rich. The Upright Man does not only do good to himself but to his Posterity also Mercy is entail'd by him upon his Offspring Prov. 20.7 The just Man walketh in his Integrity and his Seed are blessed after him Such who are Upright with God God will be Upright with them with the Vpright thou wilt shew thy self Vpright Psal 18.25 But passing by these Motives this One in the Text methinks may be enough to prevail with you to close with and endeavour after Sincerity and real Holiness Is the End of the Perfect and Upright Man Peace Such Peace as has been described Oh who would not be Such a Man that he may partake of Such an End Holy Paul look't upon all his Sufferings as nothing Acts 20.24 if he might but finish his Course with joy Such an high Sense had he of this Peace at his end It is precious at all times but most precious in a dying hour Oh when the King of Terrors the most terrible of all terribles Job 18.24 shall approach us then to be above affrighting Fears to have all paecate and quiet within What a blessed thing is this How does it * Magna res est diu discenda cum advenerit hora illa inevitabilis aequo ammo exire Sen. Ep. 30. concern us all to make sure of it The poor besotted Sinner who slighted this Peace when Death was at a distance from him now upon it's near approach to him if Conscience be not quite seared and he void of all sense of Eternity what would he give for it had he a Thousand Worlds at his dispose he would willingly part with them all for a little of this inward Peace But alas in his Life he knew not the way of Peace Rom. 3.16 and therefore in his Death he must not have the Blessing of Peace What an Incentive to Holiness is the bad End of bad Men they all say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodot Whoever looks upon us let him learn to be Religious according to the Inscription upon Seunacherib's Statue or Tomb in one of the Aegiptian Temples And can it be otherwise with them Can it be imagined that he who has lived a Wicked Life should die a comfortable Death No no! He that lives ill cannot die well unless it please God to work some great Change at the last If it be Sin in the Life allowed and unrepented of it will be dread and horror in the Death 'T will not be enough for us when we come to die to wish for a peaceable and happy Death the Death of God's People this Balaam did Numb 23.10 Oh saith he Let me die the Death of the Righteous and let my last End be like his he knew that to be a good End and therefore he desir'd that his might be like it but that would not bring him to the attianment of it I say 't is not enough for us barely to wish for this End but we must take the right Course and use those Means that have a proper tendency to it Such as fervent and frequent Prayer Serious Repentance thorough Mortification of Sin Holy and Upright walking with God for there 's no separating of the Means from the End Oh that I might this Day prevail with you with every one of you to resolve for sincere Godliness Mark the Perfect Man the End of that Man is Peace God seems to single out this Man from all other Persons to lay his Hand upon him and say Ay this is Man the only Man who shall have Peace Others may presume upon it but this Man only shall enjoy it Here 's Certainty as to him and also Exclusion as to others the End of that Man is Peace of that Man only Others are altogether Strangers to it If thou art not such an one as that Man there will be no Peace for thee at thy End whenever it shall come and God knows how soon it may come Shall we not all endeavour upon this to be Upright Holy and Good To bid adieu to Sin for will not that be bitterness in the latter End
to drop into the Flames Or he is at Sea in a Storm yet insensible of any danger though the Waves threaten to swallow him up every Moment Such a thing is the Peace of these Men all is quiet within when alas there is but one poor breath between them and Hell They are dropping into Eternal Flames but they see not their danger and therefore are without trouble But the Peace here promised to the Godly Man is a quite other Peace a real Peace not a flashy Peace a well-grounded Peace not a presumptuous Peace And fuch Peace the Godly only have at their End they only are within that blessed * Ps 85.10 Link Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Vse 4. I Should in the last place have turn'd my Discourse to these Perfect and Vpright Persons Three things I should have urged upon you who are such 1. To admire and adore the Goodness of God Oh that it should please him to reward imperfect Grace imperfect Obedience imperfect Holiness with this blessed Peace Not only with Peace in Life but in Death too Ay and with that Peace too which infinitely surpasseth what we have here the Heavenly peace what matter of admiration is this The End of that Man is Peace but why so not from any Merit or Worthiness in him or in his Holiness Uprightness but meerly from the infinite dignation and grace of God Oh let him be adored for this by all Saints 2. To presevere in upright Walking with God You are in a good way oh hold on it You shall not lose by an Holy life sincerity shall not be in vain to you you shall be a Gainer by it while you live when you come to die and then in Heaven to all Eternity Pro. 23.18 Surely there is an End and thine expectation shall not be cut off There is an End this end by Death is sure and certain and whenever it shall come thine expectation shall not be cut off thy hope in God as for other good so for inward Peace shall be accomplisht oh hold on in the good ways of God! 3. Be as chearsul as ever you can Living or dying let this Peace that you have be made as visible to Others as may be As your light of Grace should shine forth so your light of Comfort should shine forth too Let it appear Male vivit quisquis nescit benè mori Sen. de Tranq you have liv'd well by dying well Men are to mark and observe you in your Course and in your End that your End is Peace if you walk dejectedly live and die dejectedly what will become of this marking What will Men have to observe about you to make them in love with Religion Oh amongst other things you must improve your Peace for God to credit his Service and Ways But I must not further stay upon these things I would say something upon the sad Occasion that is before us the Death of a worthy Member of this Society Mr. Martin I think I may say with a great deal of Confidence this Scripture was verified in him He was indeed an Upright and Perfect Man a truly pious Man one that was very sincere in his Profession I have known him long somewhat above Forty Years and in all my knowledge and observation of him abating humane infirmities I never saw any thing in his Conversation or Carriage but what did speake him a down-right Godly Man In his Calling in his Trusts in his Relations in all the personal Duties of Religion he carried it like one that did sincerely fear God this many of you know as well as my self And I question not but when Death made its seizure upon him which it did very suddenly for it dispatched him in one Night and a sew hours in the Morning just about the time when he used to come hither to wait upon God in his Ordinances he went to Heaven But I say at his Death and End I question not but he had this Peace In the midst of all his Pains and Agonies which indeed were very sharp yet all was quiet and calm within And I do less question but that he is entred into the Heavenly Peace Oh he is there in the full fruition of God and of all Good in God receiving a full Answer to all his Prayers reaping the fruit and benefit of all his Holy walking with God He fully knows what the Peace of Heaven is of which we have been speaking but very imperfectly this day Well his Life was good and his End was good and what can I say more and what can you expect or desire more Let this comfort us under this very sudden and very afflictive stroak of Providence You especially his near and dear Relations let it comfort you Your Loss is his Gain Your loss is great his gain is far greater you have lost the Comfort of a Creature but he is full of Comfort in the enjoying the ever-blessed God Be you at Peace in this respect i. e. be patient quiet submissive considering who has made this breach upon you and what a blessed state your near and dear Relation is now put into He is not lost but advanc'd Cur doles si periisse non credis Tertull. We in this Congregation have a great loss being depriv'd of one that was discreet and prudent considerably active and useful to us upon many Accounts Let me hereupon commend three things to you 1. Pray to God that he will make up this breach That now when such a Mnason such an old Disciple of Christ is taken away it would please God to work upon some Young Ones in his room to bring them in to God It 's sad to see how many old Professors die and we have but few young Converts brought in to succeed them in what is good If the old Plants be pluckt up and there be no young Ones set in their stead the Plantation is like to come to nothing 2. Let the suddenness of his Death quicken and awaken you to a speedy and serious preparation for your own Death He was in all appearance in very good Health a few hours before he died In hoc fallimus nur quod moriem prospicimus Sen. Ep. 1. ad Lucil. he went to Bed well but never came out of it more no sooner was he laid down in it to sleep but violent pains surpriz'd him which put a speedy Period to his Life Oh Sirs are we prepared for such a sudden Change Shall we have such Memento's of our frailty and yet be secure We cannot assure our selves of a long sickness that Death will make its slower steps towards us we may be cut off in a Night yea in a Moment oh let us always watch and be ready 3. Let us follow the good Example of this good and Holy Man that living as he did we may die as he did and experience this as to our selves that our End is Peace May we but so live and so die we shall not need much fear to die God make us all wise unto Salvation FINIS