11. f. bliever r. believer p. 15 l. 10. s ungodly r. undgodly p. 20. l. 15. f. diminutive read abbreviate p. 24. l. 10. tear out but p 28. l. 11 12. f. the r. his p. 24. l. 21. f. he r. who p. 48. l. 10. f. dvides r. divides p. 45. l. 21 f. tong r. tongue p. 45. l ult f. a. r. and. p. 48. l. 20. f. new r. now p. 59. l. 2. f. masions r. mansions p. 95. l. 85. r. 65. p. 65. l. 2. f. their r. thy p. 55. l. 12. f. back r. bark p. 77. l. penult andd 2 p 98 l. 22. f. not God r. God not p. 98. l. 23. f. is r. come not p. 99. l. ult f. Gospells r. Gospel p. 109. l. 19. r. do blesse p. 116. l. 17. f. their r. there p. 129. l. 19. f. u. r. us p. 131. l. 20. f. flictions r. afflictions pag. 142. l. 4. f. him r. them p 146. l. 5. f. namely r. named p. 154. l. 13. f. toto r. tanto p. 169. l. 11. f suddain r. suddainness p. 187. l. 12. f. espouse r. spouse p 192. l 8. leave out be with all and read entertain us p. 198. l. 24. f 3. r. 4. p. 199. l. 7. f. 4. r. 5. p. 100. f. 4 r. 6. ERRATA in the Quotation of the texts of Scripture In the Margine p. 23. l. 1. pro vosii lege visio p. 24. l. 21 p. tempur l. tempus p. 25. l 28. pro refulgiet l. refulget p. 37. pro Rev. 3.9 l. Rev. 5.9 p. 38. p. Gen. 2.14 l. Gen. 2.17 p. 39. pro Hosea 31.14 l. Hos 13.14 p. 73. pro Job 1.4 l. Job 14.8.9 p. 79. pro John 3.12 l. John 1.1 2.3 p. 206. pro Job 12.1 l. Job 1.21 Courreous Reader some few faults there are flipt in the Greek and diverse in the Hebrew by reason of the Authors far distance from the Press as also the unskilfulness of the Corrector to the Press in the Hebrew tongue therefore the judicious Reader as he meets with them is desired to mend them with his Pen. The Contents SImeon's Song in two parts Proposition Confirmation page 5. 6. How one may desire to dye in peace p. 6. The only time to dye in is with Christ in our arms p. 10. It 's an high honour to be the Lord's servant p. 11. Who dye the Lord's servants shall bee translated to a more celestial service p. 12. Death of a destroyer is made a deliverer of a curse a blessing p. 14. Who sees himself in Christ may wel desire to dye p. 17. 2. Questions What was Simeons sight What was Simeons desire Ans A strong restless contented admirable desire p. 26. 27 28. Reasons of this desire 1 Because the godly see themselvs in a safe condition p. 39. 2 Because they see future things as present and salvation actually begun p. 39. 3 Death opens a door of glory to such p. 40. 4 Because of the conflict of a saint in death 41. Because of the necessity of death 43. Because of the blessed advantage which soul and body find in death p. 45. And that in three particulars all defects shall bee done away 46. 2 The constitution shal then be changed 49. 3 All thy fruition shal be of God in God Ibid. Death to some is a singular blessing 51. To some the basest life is better then any death 52. The Saints dye comfortably and blessedly in many respects 54. Qu. Why do any truly godly fear death Ans In two respects 58. Qu. May not a wicked man desire to dye 59. Ans Yes But not as such Idem Death to wicked ones is formidable in six things from p. 35. to 63. Some find unconceivable comfort in death p. Shall man that dyes live again Ans Yes by weighty considerations 74. The matter of blessedness is God enjoyed 77. The manner is to behold God in his essentiall glory 78. An exhortation to unfained thanksgiving for many choice mercies made over to believers here below 83. What moves God to bee so gracious to such 90. Directions to stir up to thankfulness from p. 92 to 100. 2 Exhortation to prepare for a timely and happy death 103 God keeps thy time under his lock and key 104 Few provide solidly for death 108 Some flatter and sin themselves into a miserable death 69 Wicked men cannot dye in peace 70. It 's a very great miracle for an old impenitent to repent at the hour of death 72 The youngest is as mortall as the oldest 74 Who will dye well must accept the time of repentance 75 We must renew our repentance of ten 76 Sinners must hear Christs voice to day 77 Men may not trust to long life nor to late repentance 78 It 's dreadfull to bee to repent when the day of grace is past to a particular soul 79 To be well principled in the doctrinalls of true religion from p. 80. to 84 To hold solemn conference often with death 85 Wherein are many sweet meditations and weighty considerations from 86 to 91 All things must be set in order for death Ibid. 1 The body in four respects unto 96 2 The house must be set in order Ibid What 's meant by the house 97 God's Mete-yard lays out every mans estate 98 What wicked men do unduly get and wickedly possesse is in a sense the gift of God 100 In setting our house in order what is ill gotten must be restored 101 102 What is restitution 102 Who must restore Ibid. When 103. To whom restitution must be made 104. It must not be done as alms but as just debt 105 Of the care of persons related to a family 106 Relations must christianly be admonished 155 But why admonished at such a time especially 157 to 160 Godly persons can then pray for relations with much boldness and confidence 162 Concord among Children a sweet blessing 164 Parents dying should coÌ„mand the care of younger children to godly guardians 167 Goods desposed of by will or otherwise 168 In which regard must bee had to the first born 170 Obj. One is made great the rest undone Ans Nâ—t so God provides otherwise and good Parents do otherwise 172 3. Exhortation humbly to submit to the Lord both in life and death 174 Different is the carriage of men in the approach of death 125 A sweet Prosopopoeia of a gracious soul in death 176 We must submit to God In Health Sickness Death p 178 An holy resignation of soul and body in all states to the Lord 178 In sickness say thy will be done in mee and upon mee 180 Great differences between the visitation of God and of men Ibid. Who dye preparedly do confidently put themselves into Christ's hands Ibid God will fit all his for death before hand 183 By four things 1 He makes them weary of the world and sinfull self 134 2 He doth sanctifie every pain and dolour to them Ibid. 3 He makes them long for death and willing to
or see us die as one going to sleep O meditate on these things now while the glasse runs and hath at least some sands in it that it shall never repent thee to have soundly repented nor to have graciously lived and orthodoxly believed to have self-denyed for Christ taken up his Cross Maâ— 16 2â— Maâ— 19. â—8 Phil. 1.21 followed him in the regeneration to have been the servant of Christ to have lived to Christ dyed in Christ But then will every tongue say not O that I had lived longer but O that I had lived better O that I had sinned lesse and believed more O that I had prayed more Mar. 9.24 been more in duty more in Christian communion conversed more with the Scriptures been more in the promises studied more the covenant of grace sanctified the Lord's day more taught and better educated my family c. So shalt thou never repent any good but rejoyce that ever thou hadst any gracious breathings and wilt say O welcom death and blessed bee my God and Father who now calls for his child and servant I come I come Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. farewel my body and you my friends take this body of mine which I so long governed so ill to your dispose and Lord take my soul into the arms of thy mercy since now thou callest me according to thy word So much of the third viz. our holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death 4. The fourth is to set all things in order for an happy death here comes in many things very considerable 1. The soul must be set in order as thy understanding by saving illumination to know the things that belong to thy peace Luk. 19.42 thy will in order to be a sanctified will in its desires dominions and endeavours thy affections in order to fix them upon their right holy objects thy faith in order patiently to wait for the due accomplishment of all the pretious promises which in Christ are made over to a sanctified soul no more of setting the soul in order having said so much already 2. The body must be set in order 3. The estate must be set in order 1. The body is a sinfull mortal decaied naturall body Rom. 6.6 subject to a thousand mâ—lâ—dies and miseries which must be mortified and crucified of its reigning domineering power and all the organicall parts must be subj cted unto Jesus Christ till when the body is not in order to dye he that will dye happily must keep a daily funerall of his transgressions errours and sinful miscarriages towards God self and men that albeit they may have a kind of slavish being in us yet they must have no dominion over us 2. The members of the body must becom the meÌ„bers of Christ Rom. 6.12 as the eye to see the tongue to speak 1 Cor. 6.15 the hand to work the foot to walk for Christ and all the parts to suffer with Christ before we can be in order to dye 3 The body must be kept as a chast virgin for Christs use 1 Cor. 6.15.19 and the holy Ghosts use whose Temple it is wee must be sanctified bodies as well as sanctified souls but the dear servants of God have much ado with their bodies to subdue tame and bring under their untruly members of which Saint Paul did sorely complain and said to will is present but to perform that which was good hee found not Rom. 7.18 The reason was because his unregenerate paâ—t took so great advantage from and by the inordinate pravity of the body which is become so prone to serve the mind and will in every sinfull motion within and like tinder so naturally proclive to catch at any temptations and allurements to sin from without 1 Thes 5.23 that the blessed Apostle Paul does pray that the Thessalonians bodies as well as their spirits and souls be sanctified throughout and preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 4. The body as well as the soul must be in covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost before it can be in order to die but then though death may kil yet death cannot hurt the body for God is the Saint God and father in death and when the body lies reposed in the grave Psal 116.15 Gen. 50.25 Exod. 13.19 Jos ult 32. precious in the Lords sight is the death of his Saints and God sets a great price even upon their bodies and bones though the Saints themselvs in their sufferings have a low estimate of their bodies which I think hath so steeled and resolved them to under-go and cheerfully to wade through the bloody persecutions of most cruell and butcherly Neroes knowing the Lord God his covenant-goodness even unto their bodies should they be burnt to ashes or torn with wild beasts as multitudes were served in the primitive times since Fox Martyrol Again the Lord Christ is their head even in the grave and they be his members upon which he also sets a great price so as when the soul departs to God who gave it even then the bodies of the Saints have after a sort a principle of life within them do but sleep when they bee dead do belong to Christ by covenant whom he wil raise up Eccl 12.7 Isa 26.19 Mar. 9.21 1 Cor 11.30 chap. 15.20 Eph. 1.19 by that very exceeding greatness of power whereby his own mortall body was raised up and not onely awaken them but introduce their own souls and receive them up to himself to be for ever with him in glory Col. 3.4 Nor is it possible that any one member of Christ Ps 34.20 can loose one muscle nerve artery bone or sinew one eye one limb or one hair of the head but shall arise a compleat beautifull and well-featured body however his or her body was mangled and deformed here before or at the time of death and buriall and since for the bodies in covenaÌ„t to be united to Christ a perfect body according to the Apostle a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Nor will Christ suffer one part never so little to be wanting for Christ must account for our bodies to his Father who of terrestiall must make them celestiall of corruptible 1 Cor 15.41 42 43 44. incorruptible of dishonorable glorious of weak powerfull and of natural must make them spirituall bodies 3. The holy Ghost is in CovenaÌ„t w th our bodies whose work it is and will be to fil those old mansions with such a plenitude of the spirit as those glorified bodies shall be capable of Ps 16.9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hope Prov. 7.27 and at present do live in hope of though they groan a while with the rest of the creature so then the body must be in Covenant with God before it is well ordered to lye down in
displeasure or other mutining passion because the main interest of thy friend is laid up in God perhaps thou sayest Oh! it was my dear father my tender mother my sweet brother or sister my son or my daughter whose life and mine seem to be bundled together he or she was my right hand my right eye and will God take such an one from mee I had rather hee should take any one else yea my very self to have spared such an one thus foolishly do some passionate ones rangle with the just determinations of their omnipotent Lord God as churlish Nabal did with well deserving David 1 Sam. 25. Naball refused to part with some of his provisions to relieve David and his hungry souldiers by whom Naball and his flocks had been so preserved Naball answers with expostulations with pleading his propriety in his bread his water and flesh as thou dost thine in thy friends hence he concludes that Davids motion was very unjust and the most unreasonable that could have been made what saith he shal I take my bread my water and my flesh that I have killed and prepared for my sheerers and shall I send it to I know not whom nor whence they be There be many servants now adaies which break away every man from his master What is come upon me saies Naball Who is David who is the son of Jesse See we had need of this moderation when God sends crosse providences to us else we shall murmur against the Lord himself and this murmuring is a great sin The second rule is timely pacification we must not mourn over-much 2 Timely pacification or over-long when God takes away our friends Jer. 31.15 Mat. 2.18 this will be to call Gods wisdome into question it was Rachels fault that she refused to be comforted but it was Jobs high commendation that he was timely quieted and satisfied after the losse of so many friends and such an abounding estate from hence that it was the soveraign Lord God that had done it he composeth his mind and blesseth God not onely when he was full of children and wealth but when he was emptied of both and that by Satans malice and other malignant adversaries even then did Job blesse the Lord Job 12.1 and gave him thanks what for the death of his children what for the losse of his goods and estate what for the loss of his reputation amongst his hollow hearted friends no not simply so but from this consideration it is the great Jehovah the Lord of hosts let God do what he shall please with me with my relations and with all that I call mine yet I stil find abundant cause to thank him what when God shall thunder and lighten against him with storms and tempests from heaven from earth from hell what when hee shal shake the high Cedars as if he meant to pul them up and destroy them root and branch and make the earth to tremble as you may imagine when so many evills crowded in upon him when the grown up children of his own body were slain 1 Pet. 4.14 then to say blessed be the name of the Lord so timely to be content surely the spirit of glory and of God did rest upon humble and holy Job the servant of the Lord. The spirit is out of rest like Noahs dove hove ring about not finding where to rest the soul of her foot till she came to the Ark so the Godly-wise under their soaking afflictions go from place to place till they come to the Lords sanctuary and mercy seat where they find rich materialls of praising and blessing God in their afflictions and for their afflictions suppose it be losse of an eminent father or any other neere or dear relation of children as Jobs was Job 1.13 to the 20. they feasting one another to maintain and enjoy brotherly love and concord then to bee destroyed by a violent tempest beating down the house by the power and malice of the Devill who also but a little before had all his camells taken by plunder and his servants slain by the cruell sword a litttle before that also had his flock of sheep and his servants with them burnt with fire from Heaven and a little before that had his oxen plowing and his Asses feeding by them all violently taken away by the Sabeans which aggravating gradations might have eternized his sorrows but holy Job wel had learned that as God is not always chiding neither must we be always mourning besides he did assure himself that the rod of the wicked Ps 103.9 Ps 125.3 shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous and however it be yet God is good to his Israel Thirdly for satisfaction which respects the goodnesse of God towards thee and towards thy lost friends Friends in Gods name mourn yet cōsider that your friend that is dead did war a good warfare 2 Tim. 4.7 combate with implacable foes did fight the good fight did finish his course did keep the faith and was kept by the mighty power of God to salvation Consider he is now dead in the peace of God and is even now enjoying what was promised in Abraham's bosom is now reaping what he sowed and insulting over all his spirituall adversaries faith is now in fruition thy friends soul is now wearing that Crown of glory which Christ had purchased with his dearest blood And now consider is it any branch of religious reason now to be murmuring and complaining of our losse as if it had been irrepairable to our selves or our friends since our friend is with the Lord Rom. 8.37 is more then a conqueror through him that loved him and is rejoicing praising and magnifying the Lord as for other mercies so for death which came so seasonably and so graciously to deliver Christ's prisoner out of durance to discharge Christ's valiant souldier from fighting with spirituall adversaries who command to triumph for ever over them to live and reign with Christ in heaven and to bee enthroniz'd into a kingdom of glory and to be actually in the great assembly saying Rev. 19.1.3 and singing Hallelujah Hallelujah salvation power and glory bee to our God Hallelujah the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Well then let us be glad rejoice since living friends are no loosers by thy gracious friends departure and since deceased friends are such gainers put off your sable weeds and rejoice for such as you believe do dye in the Lord imitate their holy foot-steps Phil. 3.17 follow them as they followed Christ put on the milkie white garments of holiness and righteousness all your days till you can say you are gainers by death and shal in God's time be translated to be for ever with your friends Rom. 16.7 who were in Christ before you as Saint Paul spake went to heaven before you to see enjoy that salvation which Simeon spake of in the text where you shall
my soul is yet alive alive to God in Jesus Christ and with old Simeon you are daily singing forth this Cantionem Cygneam Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Lo the budding of Simeon's Almond tree one bud is Simeon is a volunteer to death not dragged thither by fatall necessity nor his soul thrust out of doors with a violent hand but willing now or when-ever his Master shall please So good Old Abraham dyes in a good old age full of years and full of grace scarce an empty corner in his soul both instances had enough of days and years therefore did breathe and pant after eternity And now celestiall soul hearken a while and you shall hear the Spirit of Christ sweetly whispering Arise my love my dove my fair one and come away why tarriest thou To whom the redeemed doth joyfully answer Be it so O blessed Saviour I do only tarry thy leisure I come Lord I come but in thy time and according to thy Word not before mean while Lord help me to act faith in thy rich promises and in a blessed reliance of most holy recumbency to sit at the footstool of thy great mercy admiring the honour thou do'st to all thy holy ones and magnifying thy grace to thy Saints differing onely in degrees from glory for grace is glory militant and glory is grace triumphant And to conclude Honourable SIR Holiness in heart and life is greater honour then to be born the son of a King for the holy ones of the Lord have as it were the blood Royall of heaven running in every vein and the remembrance of every such one after death is as a pretious ointment powred out or as the smell of the Wine of Lebanon bear up then souldier of Christ against all discouragements in your journial towards heavenly Canaan what if you do meet with temptations and trialls nay with fiery Serpents in the way follow your Captain Christ Jesus who for the joy and crown set before him did endure the Crosse and despise the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the most high Wonder not O warrier of Christ if bullets of temptations and fire balls of hellish terrours threaten to destroy your faith which if they hit they cannot hurt you Jesus Christ in whom we are more then conquerours takes all the blows and gives you most insultantly to triumph over them and to read down ally our spirituall adversaries and to be gainers by them all in the day of your blessed change when you shall bee clothed upon with the same glory which Christ himself had from the Father by speciall donation and the very day of your death you shall be with Christ in Paradise as a Bride welcomed by the Bridegroom when your honour shall for ever sit with the King of Saints in heavenly places congratulated by innumerable Angells and by the generall Assembly and Church of the first born enrolled in heaven by the spirits of just men made perfect and with whom your blessed self shall make one saying Hallelujah salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God Amen Hallelujah Yours FINIS Books lately printed for Tho. Parkhurst c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming virtue and formal duties And the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between 2. The blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the Unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had By that late burning and shining Lamp Mr Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Somerset Folio Mr. John Cotton his practical Exposition on the first Epistle to John second Edition corrected and inlarged in Folio A Theatre of flying Insects wherein especially the manner of right ordering the Bee is excellently described with discourses H storical and Physical concerning them with a second part of Meditations and Observations Theological and Moral in 3 Centuries upon the same subject by Samuel Purchas M. A. in 40. Catechizing God's Ordinance in sundry Sermons by Mr. Zachary Crofton Minister of Buttolphs Aldgate London the second Edition corrected and augmented A Religious Treatise UPON Symeon's Song OR Instructions advertising how to Live Holily and Die Happily LUKE 2.29 30. 29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation SIMEON here may be stiled God's white Swan Eccl. 12.5 singing his owne Epitaph now in the time when his Almond-tree did sweetly blossom It is Simeons Funeral Song Cantus F◠nebris of which Songs I onely finde two in Scripture so sadly do the most lay down this Earthly Tabernacle when as the dear Saints of God should then rejoyce with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 and full of Glory You read of one in the Old Testament and that was good Old Moses 120. Deu. 31.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 30 Duter 32. through out yeares old who calleth his instructions before his death giving to the people a song which he requireth to be written for the use of the Children of Israel when the Lord should put a period to his days on earth The second was Simeons Song here whose days were protracted till he should see the Lord 's Christ bodily Galatians and spiritually at once Both great men and honourable as say the Ecclesiasticall Histories both Holy and Godly men Moses was God's Servant and so was Simeon Both honoured with a Religious and Blessed memoriall Moses dies with fixed eyes upon true Canaan but Simeons eyes are fixed upon Christ The Spirit of God knowes as well the time of our Spirituall joyes as of our effectuall calling and the actings of our repentance and of our Faith See here this good old man is now excited to take the opportunity to act his own joy to personate that which believers should act much more then they doe namely to look believingly on the Lord Jesus their joy and consolation as Simeon did Who First took him up in his armes whom he had before entertained in his heart and so is even raptured in the superabounding love of his Lord Christ the blessedest arme-full that ever the good Old man had in all his life Observe that Simeon declares his joy by a Holy Elegie off blessing God for this so magnificent and long expected a mercy as this sight did contein That he looks of all else and will needs die out of hand to be forever in the possession of this beatificall Vision Observe the forme of the holy Elogy verses 29 30 31 32. called Simeons Song as if he had said I fear not sin nor dread I death I have lived enough I have my Life I have seen enough I have my light I have sorrowed enough
I have my joy sweet Babe let this Song be a Lullaby for thee and a Funerall for Me sleep thou in mine armes while I depart in peace Simeons resolve and willingness to die Simeon resolves to die willingly so freely doth his heart breath out and his tongue expresse what he had so well resolved on Simeons time in which he wills to dy neither sooner nor longer His time even now Lord no sooner nor no longer Lord say Amen to my desires Note his relation in which he stood in the word Servant answering relatively unto the word Lord and so 't is between a Master and servant And here let us observe Simeons humble acknowledgment of his relation Simeons humility in being the Lords Servant A Servant indeed he was both in heart and life both in word and deed an humble worshipper of the Lord God who as he had been graciously preserved by him in a 1000. dangers all his life long and much owned from his Mothers womb till now So he will now resigne up himself in death to the safe custody and farther favour of so good a Lord and Master In the words be two parts 1. A Proposition Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. 2. A Confirmation For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation In the first he proposeth the large desire of his soul as if he had said Lord long have I lived and have seen all the Vanity that is under the Sun and thought I could never have my fill But now Lord since thou hast made me see the emptines of the creature thy fulnes why do I live any longer in such a place as earth is In such a condition as mortals are Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace What depart out of thy publique service now in the Temple no but by thy leave but thou Lord permitting let my long imprisoned pretious soul depart this body and this body and soul depart out of this present world So now he desires death which is resolutio animae a corpore as the Philosophers call death who say that there is a strong ligament between the soul and the body which death doth unty and so deliver up the person either to a better Qui pacatum habent Deum et pacatam conscientiam illi in pace moriuntur or worse place Simeon here desires to depart in peace who as he was at peace with God and with his owne Conscience So he desiers to die in an holy calme and sweet peace Hitherto of the proposall next briefly of the Confirmation For mine eyes have seen thy saluation .. The happy death of every gratious Simeon is much exalted by the promises of God which in Christ Jesus are yea and Amen to the praise and Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 As if Simeon had said Domine jam moriar alacriter Lord I will now depart for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Lord now said thy Holy Oracle truth which was delivered me to believe Isa 5.2 All the ends of the earth shall see the Salvation of our God Isa 52.10 And I Simeon my selfe do see the person and the thing viz Christ and his Salvation which he shall bring to all Nations Nor is this all but he speaks of the Offices and actings of Christ saying which thou hast prepared before the face of all people Isai 49. out of Is 49. I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation to the ends of the earth Him whom man despiseth Him whom Nations abhor Kings shall see and arise Prices also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithfull And to be the glory of thy people Israell Here 's high exaltation of the Tribes of Israell because from amongst them shall Christ come according to the flesh and the consequent of Simeons Song was 2 Luke 33. 1. The parents of Christ they marvell especially considering what they lately heard from the blessed Angels 1 Luke 30. what the Shepherds reported of him 2 Luke 34. 2. Simeon blessed them and said to his Mother Mary behold this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israell Now as Solomons throne had six ascending Ivory steps over laid with gold 1 Kings 10 18. so here be six steps of ascent for the poor soul to come very near to a greater then Solomon even to the everlasting King of glory 2 Cor. 11.2 who hath a long time been preparing every gracious soul to be a Bride for himself and to enjoy the Lord Jesus in his blessed arms with everlasting conjugalls Where first note the time now presently without farther stay Secondly note his desire to enjoy and adore him more and more fervently Thirdly note his dutifulnesse in the appellation he givs himself the name of a servant Fourthly the dignity of his Master in the word Lord one of great command power and place Fifthly the ground of his request the word the infallible word let me dye according to thy word according to thy word of promise Sixthly the condition in which he did desire to dye and that was in peace Simeon now had the Lord Christ in his armes who made peace who came and brought peace who was peace and the very God Prince of peace Ah soul that 's the only time for thee me to die when we have gotten Christ into the arms of our faith then then not before we can sing with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for when Christ is thus in thine arms thou art in his arms also so reciprocally do these two lovers clip and embrace each other Now a word both of this proposall and confirmation in the manner of his speech The words be the humble prayer of a gracious servant to his Lord viz. to die presently in peace but according to the minde and with the good leave of his Lord Quest But who is Simeon here or what it Simeons condition Answ 1. A servant but an honourable one for he was the servant of the Lord of life and glory Answ 2. A servant bound by strongest obligations of oath and covenant Answ 3. A servant during life nay a servant for ever to a Master whose service is perfect freedome Joh. 8.36 but what freedome can such a servant ask or expect yes this great Lord hath a blessed freedome an everlasting jubilee to grant to all his servants that aged Simeon foresaw and that hee askes Mistake me not Simeon desires not askes not to be freed from the service of his Lord but askes to be translated into an higher into a more celestiall and evangelical service according to the faithfull word of promise made to him by his Lord and so heartily desires and prayes to depart from faith and hope to fruition from prayers to praises from feares and doubtings of a misgiving heart to a most sweet tranquility to fear
be numbred sinner although thou know not the number the time that 's kept under Gods lock and key hee hath pleased to let thee know the sinfulness the cursedness the brevity the vanity and anxiety of thy life under a thousand dangers and maladies but not to know the computation of thy life except in the grosse that the days of a man are threescore and ten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it may be fourscore albeit not one of twenty attain to live so long v. 10. and if so yet then is their life but labour and sorrow Quest But why blessed Lord may the eternall soul say hast thou concealed this from us Ans That wee should every day wait the good pleasure of our God till our change come Job 14.14 Answ 2. That wee should every day be willing to hearken to the counsel of our good Lord to be prepared to die happily that every prayer we put up that every sermon wee hear should bee poured forth and hearkned unto as our last Ans 3. That every tender and opportunity of mercy bee entertained by us as our last as 't is for ought we know Ans 4. That without the least procrastination we should enter the narrow gate while 't is opened unto us and seek the Lord very humbly Is 55.6 Lu. 19.42 and cordially while he will be found of us that wee should know the things of our peace in the day thereof Ans 5. That we should in due season gratefully accept Jesus Christ's sweet love while he makes such ravishing applications to us Cant. 5.2 saying open to me my sister my love my dove mine undefiled one and come with me from Lebanon my Spouse come away dear heart from the dens of Lions and from the mountains of Leopards So that the Lord by his absconding and darkning deaths time from our eyes doth discipline a poor soul as he did the wise Virgins seasonably to getoyl and lamps our vessels full and lamps burning and to get our loins girt Exod. 12. Mat. 25.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 13.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our staves in our hands that wee ever shaking off all rusty bedrid-security may bee ever upon our watch being so much advised of death so near for ought we know which way soever we go or whatsoever we are about 2. Solidly Now to the solid preparation of which I am to speak before which I must needs promise a few things to awaken wretched sinners fearfully beguiled in so great a business as is our solid preparation 1. For it is lamentable to see how poor sinners do sin away pretious mercies and implunge themselvs into deaths gulf Ephes 2.2 and into the jaws of hells destruction living in sinful lusts being acted by a satanical spirit of disobedience until they be in the jaws of hungry death who devoureth them as the old world while they were eating and drinking rioting drowning and even damming themselves in the days of Noah or as a deaf and merciless Serjeant seizing on a gallant walking the streets in the pride of his heart but suddainly arrested and dragged violently to the Counter or some nasty prison Luk. 12.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so do great multitudes befool themselvs into deaths Counter never to be delivered till they have payd the utmost farthing which cā never be while they promise to themselvs through vain confidence long life and happy days and that all shall be well with them at the last though one foot is in the grave and they be ready to drop down as they go poor creatures who boast their faith so strong and their hope so well anchored Lu. 18.11.12 because somtimes they cry God mercy do confide in the formality of some duties and an empty profession of Religion void of the life of faith and of the power of godliness whom a deceived heart hath so long fed with ashes Isa 44.20 and their deluded souls with a lye in their right hand unto all whom I must say in the words of the Prophet O self-deceiver O self-destroyer the Lord hath rejected thy confidence Jer. 2.37 Mat. 7.23 nor shalt thou prosper in them for the Lord Christ will never own thee but will profess he never knew thee and say depart from me ye workers of iniquity 2. Others live to their dying hour in a state of unregeneracy unbelief hardness of heart Mat. 23.27 Ezek. 8.3.14.16 after the course of the world and keep an in-side as corrupt as the sepulchers of rottenness of which our Saviour spake as vile as that Image of jealousy or that idol Tammuz said to be that idol which their women did yearly lament with unseemly ceremonies not to be named or as those who worshipped the Sun Job 31.26 27 28. and had renounced God and his worship But O beguiled soul who hath so bewitched thee that thou dost dream that thou maist live a slave a vassall to base lusts within and to ungodliness without and that all thy days and be saved at last that thou maist live the life of the wicked Numb 13.10 yet dye the death of the righteous certainly these be men and women of no understanding he that made them will have no mercy on them Isa 27 11. and he that formed them will shew them no favour Did not the Ministers of Christ ordinarily tell thee what a self-deceiver thy heart was and what a deceiver sin was worse then the harlot and that the way of sinners Prov. 7. Deut. 29.19 would bee bitterness in the end and how unsafe nay how desperate it would be when a sinner dayly hearing these things blesse himself saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of mine own heart God sayes Isa 48.22 there 's no peace to the unregenerate soul no peace to the unbeliver to the stone-hearted sinner neither here nor hereafter But thou sayest I shall have peace Quest How shall this be tried I Answ When death comes the horrour trembling and astonishment of spirit which will more or lesse seize upon them shall pass the umpire but a sad one and that which is the beginning of endless and everlasting woes O reader be moved as I professe my self oft troubled within me to hear men and women boast like a Pharisie their faith hope and great expectation saying they shall dye in the arms of mercy because God made them and they have lived under and professed the Gospell have been taken and reputed good christians among men by these and other meerly externall works and insufficient grounds do they too too shallowly conclude that it must needs go wel with them at the last Joh. 3.3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Heb. 12.14 O let such lay to heart the word of him which shall stand Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven If any man bee in Christ
he must be a new creature Without holiness no man shall see the Lord who is not ingrafted into Christ the true vine shall be cas out Joh. 15.4.5 Rom 8.17 Gal. 6.7 1 Cor. 6.9 none but adopted sons can inherit whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor thievs nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God But all such as have not made their peace with God timely and really let them be ascerteined that merciless and impartial death shall snatch them away from their dwellings and relations Mar. 9.44.46 48. into the blackness of darknesse for ever where the worm dieth not thrice repeated Then let none dare protract time and think to be prepared in a moment in the time of sicknesse and the hour of death indeed God may then shew mercy I had almost said a miracle as on the thief Luk. 23.43 but such miracles are very rare in Scripture for strait is the gate Mat. 7.13.14 and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few they be that find it Some are so combred with the world that they never will bee at leisure to prepare to die do think and speak of it but never do it like the banquerout who says he will pay all his debts but takes no more care of it then of his ending day Pro. 9.17 Some are tickled with sins stolen waters of pleasures and profits till wounded and slain Prov. 7.23 as the young man going after his harlot like an Ox to the slaughter or a fool to the stocks Till a dart strike through his liver for her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death CPoor sinfull man death is coming on the wing every day nearer and nearer and thou art insensible of its certain approach Eccles 12. nay death's harbingers are with thee already who do weaken thy silver cord and spend the marrow of thy frail life who do dimme thine eyes deaf thine ears whiten thine hairs and thou incogitant perceivest it not and these messengers of death will ere long be break the golden bowl from which all parts enjoy their vitall spirits And sinfull man suppose thou be young and lusty flourishing like David's Bay tree thou art no more sure to live a day longer then he of an hundred years old who creeps on all four as we say for so soon as the hopefullest man begins to live in that very instant he begins to die death gnaweth on every man's root of life till sooer or later she lays us all in the dust The besotting folly and uncorrigible madness of sinfull men living as if they were in covenant with death and hell making lies their refuge Isa 28.15 and hiding themselves under falshood have made me too long in this preparatory to this second exhortation whom the Lord notably answereth as if viva voce your Covenant with death shall be disanull'd Isa 28.18 your agreement with hell shall not stand And thus I come to the exhortation it self Solidly and Timely to fall upon the work of preparation which consists of these four heads 1. An holy desire to live well 2. To be well principled in matters of Religion 3. To bee much in conference with death 4. To set all things in order for death The first head Many do like heaven well but not the way thither many desire glory to come when they can enjoy earthly glory no longer whereas a right holy desire as Simeons was will take all due care to get into and to keep heavens milky way not to accumulate that high degree per saltum but be glad to go Christ's way saying Father I have glorified thee on earth Joh. 17.4 5. and now glorifie thou me in heaven A presumer or intruder would live in sin till his dying day and then be forgiven and taken into Abraham's bosom but the true desirer is glad as Saint Paul Act. 20.21 to go God's way of repentance of amendment and of believing unto salvation as low Zacheus did when he welcomed Christ into his house and heart The presumer desires faintly to dye but 't is when he cannot live nor sin any more but the well prepared soul after days and years of much serving God after much sore travell through hot afflictions strong temptations and many fiery trialls Psal 42.1 Gen. 32.26 28. 1 Sam. 1.13 is fervent in desiring death and restless as the Hart after the water brooks like Jacob who will not leave wrestling till he prevail nor Hannah cease praying till the Lord had granted her the desire of her soul 1 Sam. 1.13 Gal. 4.19 Piè vixit ergo libēter vult mori Psa 90.12 The soul was restless till whole Christ was formed in her and now she desires to die with groaning desires she had lived well and therefore she would dye such be ever numbring their days and so do apply their hearts to wisdome to which end 1. Thou must accept the time of thy repentance laid out for thee by the Lords own hand Rev. 2.21 Jezebell had her time so had the old world Sodom and Gomorrah and the Jewes so had Corazin ank Bethsaida but they accepted not that time In our repentance their must bee Godly sorrow for sin for all the sins of our natures 2 Cor. 7. of our hearts and lives aggravated by many sad circumstances of the matter the manner measure time when how oft lived in against means Lament throughout to have avoided such sins against light and counsell to the contrary yea and it may be against our vows never to do so or so with very great large desires of pardon and reconciliation to God in and through Jesus Christ and a restlesness upon thy spirit till thy soul be satisfied that thou art pardoned and accepted and thy evidence for heaven sealed with the blood of Christ together with strong engagements upon thy whole man never to return again to folly but to keep an holy vigilancy ever upon thy soul with solemn covenanting thy self to be the Lords and not thine own any more as thou wast in the day of thine impenitency 2. And whereas in many things we sin all even the most righteous sins oft every day we must renew our repentance often as David did Hezekiah Peter other◠yea so oft that we may be said to walk humbly before the Lord in an humble holy conversation labouring never more to be deceived by the presumption pride and daring boldnesse of our unregenerate part and so the longer thou thus walk'st humbly and penitently before the Lord the better stil is thy preparation which made one to say well that good men are best at last even when they are dying so great a dependance hath a gracious death upon an humble and
language bearding the Ministers and saying thou lyest thou limb of Antichrist thou son of the whore of Babylon thou deceiver of the people and thou persecutor of us thou sayest the Scriptures be the Word of God which we deny thou sayest men have originall corruption after grace which wee deny thou saist we are not perfect but we are thou saist our spirit is not infallible from the light within us but that infalliability we do and shall still maintain Now my beloved Reader farr be it from any well principled soul to bee moved or shaken with any such imposters 1 Tim. 6.10 1 Tim. 1.19 to err from the faith or to hearken to such Apostates who are reprobate concerning the faith Oh let none be bewitched with such a generation of men so diabollically enchaunted but let 's from time to time have recourse unto our ground-work laid out before us in the Word and let 's call to mind what was our judgment before these errors and blasphemies did so daringly stare us in the face again let us well consider what was the judgment of the ancients viz. of solid sincere Christians and orthodox Martyrs who dyed in and for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the exhortation of the blessed Apostle 2. Tim. 1.13 holding fast the form of sound words in faith and love Where the Apostle would have these two things 1. That our judgments and understandings be clear and evidentiall giving faith and credit unto the divine authority of those grounds of truth which are founded upon the holy Scriptures bearing witness to them 2. That our love unto the truth of Christ be entire for those who are not thus soundly grounded in their understandings and judgments do lye open to Jesuitick frauds and may be easily deceived by them who lye in wait to that purpose Eph. 4 14. Act. 20.30 of whom we have some sprung up among our selvs and those likewise who receive not the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 nor in love to Christ as the holy and pure the powerfull Rom 1.16 and wonder-working Word of God to save souls such I say may easily fall away albeit they may be full of other learning and have attained excellent parts for such have been highly esteemed much praised of men and much used in the Church of God Thus much of the second branch viz. to be well principled in matters of religion 3. An holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death in in every Simeon Quest Consider what death is to such Answ It is a degree of happiness yea an inlet to full happiness before when none could be said to bee happy but when a Christian shall meditate that death is an haven after much fowl weather Acts 2.26 Psal 16. Rev. 14.13 Mat. 25.34 1 Pet. 5.4 Rev. 2.10 Rev. 21.4 a bed of rest after sore labour a taking possession of our glorious inheritance nay of inthroning with a Crown of Glory and the putting an end to all groans complaints and sins the dismissing of a blessed soul out of a loathsome prison and when he shall meditate that death is but the putting off of old rotten ragged cloaths our day of Jubilee with many more heads of sweet meditation how will he who would prepare to dye wel be fitting himself with deepest considerations what course hee must take to dye happily These meditations carry gold in their wings and are strong Rhetoricians to perswade a poor dying creature Act. 8.37 Rom. 10.10 Gal. 2.20 o believe in the Lord Jesus with all his heart to live in the faith and to live by the faith of the Lord Jesus who hath loved him and given himself for him 2 Tim. 4.7 1 Tim. 1.19 Isa 38.3 to keep faith and a good conscience towards God and men and to walk before God in truth as Hezekiah did with a perfect heart these divine meditations bee of excellent use to open and set before uâ— all the sweet covenant-mercies assured to the godly in death to unclaspe the book of all the consolations and divine promises and to fill the soul with a wonderfull longing and desire upon desire after those sweet enjoyments 2 Tim. 4.8 which be laid up for the Saints at the happy dissolution of soul and body Come on then immortall soul and by holy meditation now and then walk with death half an hour and say Oh death I must come into thy quarters and territories shortly But Oh the atheisme the pride of heart and infidelity which like a dung-heap wreaks up abominable stink at the perceiving of which my heart doth tremble and I am horribly afraid Oh that I could spend the remainder of my days in weeping and ringing of my hands and in tearing off the hair of my head but yet what will that avail mee but Oh death mind me rather yea O Father of mercies possess my soul of true repentance and with an humble prostration of my self at the foot-stool of thy mercy-seat restlessly crying mercy mercy Oh death minde mee how inexorable thou art and that I may bee truly humbled and that the great God of heaven will not be dallied withall Gal. 6.7 at the hour of death Oh death what is the matter that thou art so terrible No may death say I am terrible only unto hypocrites and unbelievers Rom. 6.23 Lu 12.46 Rev. 21.8 1 Cor. 15.55 to wicked and unprepared souls others do and may take comfort in my approaches to them well knowing that I have no sting in my hand no victory or conquest over them but am a friendly harbinger to receive them unto a blessed peace who dye in the Lord after when they shal sin no more nor shall need to repent Rev. 14.13 nor weep nor fear death any more Rev. 7.17 nay death may tell thee shee is thy approved friend and that shee will be the death and burial of all thy foes corruptions â—fflictions of all thy cares thy fears thy tears adversaries will put a finall end to all thy conflicts and encounters Thus in thy meditation of death remember that to be young and flourishing is no priviledge against death nor to be beautiful nor to be rich nor to be strong nor to be learned nor to be beloved of Kings and Princes nay remember that no time no place no presence no power no business is any security against death yet alas the most dye sooner then they did expect and before they were well provided and in thy mediâ—ation of death and conversing with it whatsover be thy outward comforts and glory as honours lands goodly houses men and maid-servants attending friends or companions making merry with thee as Belshazzars Princes yet when death comes like the sun-set Dan. 5.1 all must and will extinguish and depart though relations sadly weep and howle never so loudly about us when they see us speechless and throatling cold-sweating and strugling for life
fear death nor to avoid it's snares for death of it self is not good nor is it naturall to us but cruell and horrible but basely to fear death rather then to glorifie the name of God in our sufferings this is a great sin to bee afraid to dye after an evill life and out of Christ to such death is the terrible of terribles such cannot bee well willing to dye but when God shall in the way of his good providence call us to dye either by a naturall death or to seal unto his truth under persecution to dye a violent death then we may welcome death and the instruments of death as Historians say Saint Andrew did Salve crux pretiosa susci pe nunc Discipulum cúm priùs sustinueris Magistrum Thus M. John Philpot embraced the stake in Smithfield who with a gladsome Spirit said I kindly salute thee precious cross be content to bear me the Disciple who hast formerly born my Master every Simeon is carried above the apprehensions of naturall and morall men in death and hath very grand considerations neither basely nor sinfully to fear death and therefore subscribes unto her with heart and hand Answ 2. The fear of death in the Saints and the fear of death in others are very diverse the one is acted by sinfull-self whom such an one seeks to preserve for fear of greater wrath the other is acted by gracious self who seeks to know the minde of God in his death to subscribe to it and to serve divine providence as in life so in death whom if the Lord shal recover or deliver he gives himself to God again if the Lord hath determined death shall take place hee resigns up soul and body with an holy contentment Mat. 26.39 under the good pleasure of his heavenly Father Let Pagans and Infidels who never believed who never feared God fear to dye or despair in death because they dye without hope Eph. 2.12 Collos 1.20.21 Eph. 1.10 because they have no faith nor do lay hold on that reconciliation which Jesus Christ hath made between the Lord and gracious souls but let Christians rejoice and be glad ever giving thanks unto the Father of mercies Col. 1.1.2 who hath made them meet to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which inherirance for scituation is the Empyrean heaven far above all heavens where is Christ himself to entertain and glorifie all those who sleep in him where is nothing but glory for all such poor souls dying in the Lord as the King of Glory to be with all vessels of glory to accompany us thrones of glory to sit on an eternal wait of eternal glory 2 Pet. 2.1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An enterance shall be administred to you abundantly or according to the originall richly Phil. 1.23 to put on crowns of glory to wear a kingdō of glory to possess here the soul of the departing one cries out in a blessed ecstasie I have enough blessed Lord I come I come having so abundant an entrance made for me into celestiall triumphs blessed be God who hath made me thus willing desirous rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord where I am assured to find peace without intermission or perturbation health without sickness plenty without want wealth without poverty and everlasting life without death Of which holy City said Austin when shall I come into thy golden streets when shall I see and enjoy the heavenly society of blessed souls and that glorious Jubilee Fain I would come to fruition but Oh how am I detain'd anon will death come behold she stands at the door and knocks bid her come in that I may bid her welcome to whom I am ready to answer as Rebekah did Gen. 24. to her old near and dear relations who were so loath to part with her I will go with the man so say I even withlong-looked-for death my harbinger and friend Oh death I willingly go along with thee whom my Lord hath made so necessary and serviceable to me in my happy translation Acts 10. for me thinks I see Heaven open as Peter in his vision and the son of man like as Stephen did see him standing at the right hand of God Oh my soul thou art in a rapture divine to contemplate the things in heaven which are so unspeakable and ful of glory True I shall in death be taken from my deerest friends but let not that retard my souls willingnesse to dye for it s not improbable but I may know my gracious friends in heaven since our divine knowledg there shall not be diminished but enlarged hence some conclude we shall joyfully know the Patriachs and Apostles of our Lord and this seems the more rationall because Peter and James Mat. 17.13 and John at the transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they knew not before so shall the sun of righteousness irradiate the Saints with the celestiall beams of his transcendent glory The last thing in our submission in the point of death is to shut our own eyes and to bind up our own jawes when the departing soul utters her last words blessing God for that land of promise which like Moses shee sees at a distance Deut. 34.4 Jos 23.6 8 11.14 so Joshua about to dye shuts his own eyes exhorting the people to fear and serve the Lord so did Stephen who calling on the name of the Lord fell asleep so did Simeon gathered up disposed and prepapared himself most sweetly singing Lord now lettest thou c. Our blessed Saviour doth as it were shut up his own eyes and bind up his jaws in that he sweetly submitted himself to the hand of death saying Lu. 23.45 Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit and so do all wel prepared souls take care to dye under an holy resignation of their bodies to the grave for a time of their departing souls into the hands and bosom of Jesus Christ who is our Reuben to take care of our Benjamin that is Gen. 42.37 of our immortall souls to convey them safely unto our Fathers house Thus of the third Exhortation which is wisely to submit unto the Lord God in every estate in our health in our sickness in the approaches of death and and at the point of death 4. Exhortation 4. Exhort To friends not to grieve over-much at their departure who dye in the Lord. It is lawful commendable it is just and honorable to have sad thoughts at the losse of such friends If the very Egyptians mourned for old Jacob seventy days that with a great sore lamentation Gen. 53. 1 Sam. 15.35 2 Sam. 13.37 2 Chro. 35.24 if Samuell mourned for Saul and David shall not we much more mourn when the Saints are taken from us All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah Surely then it is not onely naturall and morall but it is religious
the Lord opened Heaven which made him say I saw the Visions of God The great Jehova Deodate in his Annotations did after a speciall manner Illuminate his understanding facultie and did reveal to him such divine and ravishing secrets as did far surpasse any human capacity with which some pretious Jewels of the Lords have been so spiritually transported that they have sweetly breathed out their celestiall souls into the armes or bosome of their Lord Christ their salvation as Simeon did desire here to doe One wel observed of late that there is nothing which hath so great an influence upon a holy man or woman nothing doth so much affect their hearts as a clearer discovery of the visions of God as when Job said I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee Job 42. And saith St. Augustin who is said to be 12. years old when our saviour suffered Euse Eccle. Hist lib. 3. Exo. 34.6 oft wished to have seen Christ in the flesh as Ignatius that blessed Martyr did 1. Ther 's a sight of God in his divine attributes and so he proclaimes himself in the hearing of all the peopl The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth c. Aquin. 2. There is a sight of God in his eminencie excellent greatness so appeared he to Moses out of the midst of a burning Bush and to Abraham Jsaak and Jacob by his Name Jah that deminutive of the Word Jehovah Exo. 3.2 Psa 68.4 or God Almighty and All-sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So by his name I am ver 14. This is my name saith he forever and this is my memoriall unto all generations ero qui ero Thus the Israelites saw him in his excellent greatness which he did so display before them 3. There is a sight of God's surpassing purity and holiness of his nature and so the Angels and soules of the Saints departed and now in Heaven do see him Isa 6.3 and so the Seraphims who cried one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory 4. Ther 's a sight of the plenarie blessedness and fulnesse of God Gen. 17.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filling all things of which God himself told Abraham saying I am the Almighty God walk before Mee and bee thou perfect 5. Ther 's a sight of Gods dominion and Soverainty Isa 6.5.6 at some glimpses of which said the Prophet Isaiah Wo is me for I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts c. 6. There 's a sight of God in his providences who doth so dispose of Ep. 1.11 Mat. 6.26.27 Rev. 4 11. and order all things according to the counsell of his own will that he doth whatsoever pleaseth him both in heaven and earth he provides maintenance and subsistence for the host of all his works vegetative sensitive or rationall whether animate or inanimate Mat. 10.30 For the Lillies of the field for the Foules of Heaven the very haires of our head are numbred Ps 74.17 Job 36 27. Job 37.10 He orders the day and the night Summer and winter Heat and cold and he maketh small drops of water By the breathing of God frost is given and the breadth of the waters is straitned 7. There is a sight of God in the face of Christ viz. a reconciled God and Father in Jesus Christ and which more fully to make known this God and Father 2. Cor. 4 6. hath commanded the light to shine out of darknesse to give the light of the knowlege of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ So that as the great body of the sunn gives light to the worlds hemisphere Mal. 4.2 so does God in Christ by the son of righteousness sending forth the blessed beames of Evangelicall grace and glory shine upon the Church Gloria Dei hic est perlucida refulgens Oecolamp in Eze. 43.2 and give saving light into darke sovles and doth blessedly break in upon blind men and women who before sate in mufled darknesse and in the shaddow of death Reader heed these things well for they carry light life and power in them 8. And lastly vosti haec fidei contemplatio tranfigurativa appellatur Theod. epus Cyâ—i de fide in Epiph. there is a sight of God in the person of Christ and that is when we do apprehend a Godhead filling the humane nature with most unutterable apprehensions of God his Divinity and when by the powers of rich grace we do come to apprehend our selves so farr interessed in the two natures of the second person for ever made one Christ as to conceive and believe our selves to be the chosen cum Deus sese suaque câ—gnoscibilia largius perfectius patefacit suis Mercer in Job 4.5 and beloved of God in Christ before the world was and by the mighty work of free grace do begin to finde our selves accepted beloved redeemed and saved by our Lord thus set before us whom blessed Simeon looks here on corporally and spiritually as his own Christ as his salvation by meanes of the most Holy and happy continuance thus many Prohets and Kings have desired to see Luk. 10.24 of all the three Persons in the Trinity whereat Simeons heart became wonderfully enlarged It being given in to him from above according to the promise of the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ Iunius in Isaiam Simeons sight here was not only ocular and intuitive but but intellectuall and fiduciall being Divinely revealed to him as the visions of Daniel Ezekiell and John for his sight was a manifold vision Epist ad smyrn Policarp of the Lords Christ in person in his natures in his offices so that Simeon was as it were transfigured Isa 22.1 Epo verò post râ—surrectionem in carne cum vidi ubi ignatius habet locum tempur personas quicum petro erant ipsa verba Christi as Peter James and John and carried into the vallie of visions to whom God pleased also to Communicate a vision of rapturing loves as to the Church in the Canticles and as unto blessed Jgnatius but after his resurrection when he appeared unto Peter and those who were with Peter his words be and I also after his resurrection saw him Simeon was communing with the promise Promisit sâ— deus compariturum in nube Levit. 16.2 Nubes fuit symbolum inhabitantis dei miserentis ac eos servantis quuÌ„ templo Salomonis sancto sanctorum primùm importaretur arca digressis commodùm sacerdotibus ex adytis nubes replevit domum domini nec sacerdotes subsistere poterant ut administrarent prae nube illa quandoquideme rat repleta gloria domini domus domini 1. Regum 8. verùm
hoc loco constituto templo novo claritas splendor absque nube refulget patres omnes sub nube suerunt omnes in mosen baptizati sunt nube sed jam quia revelationis tempus absque nube in facie Christi gloriam dei contemplamur nunc non inter Cherubim lux est sed illucescit resulgiet ipsa quoque terra a gloria Dei quemad modum terrena Credentium corda incomprehensibili lumine gratiae adimplentur aeterno templo dedicato haec terra in Adamo maledicta est tribulos gignit faedissimis enim cogitationibus discerpitur cor hominis intranti in novum hoc templum suum gloriae Dei perlustris eadem efficitur nos enim pridem peccatores regenuit in spem vivam Ecolamp Mag. Basiliensis Episc in Ezek. 43. and with his faith about the veracitie of that promise and about his Lord Christ wrapped up in the promise for his use mean while doth the Lord bring in Christ himself in person who was the soul and marrow of the promise and so his believing soul was even here gratified with a blessed vision whereof more fully in that which followeth namely Simeons delight Simeon sight and desire I shall amplifie this truth by two necessary questions Q. Quest 1. What this so working sight is Q. Quest 2. What this desire is A. Answ To the first I answer that after a sinner hath taken some good notice of his miserable self out of Christ Eph. 2.12 out of Covenant a stranger to the Common wealth of Israel without God and in a miserable pickle confounded in himself as Ephraim much afflicted and greatly humbled before the Lord. Jer. 31.19 I say after such a sight of himself when a wretched sinner comes to see Christ in the gospell as in a christall glass chosen of God and the beloved Son of God 2 Cor. 5.19 in and by whose mediation God did reconcile himself to the world And when a sinner comes to see himself in his Christ as his Christ as one in whom hee he hath a speciall interest and propriety as blessed Thomas did see Christ when he cryed out my God and my Lord and when thou comest to see him who hath made thy peace with his Father by his most pretious blood upon his Crosse And to see him who hath procured thy justification thy adoption and purchased his Fathers everlasting love for thee and hath given thee to be an heire of Heaven a coheire with himselfe and provided rich mansions of endless glory Such seeing Liking must needs breed likeing such will breed desires longing even to be sick of love after the fuller enjoyment of him who is the Author and finisher of thy salvation It is to see the Lord Christ A. 2 cloathed in our nature for us and to see him in both natures our mediator and advocate with the Father to see him our King our Priest our Prophet mightily enabled to carry on and to compleat the work of our redemption to the uttermost it is to see him who as he was promised by all the Prophets to come into the world Act. 10.43 so I see him come indeed to make satisfaction to divine justice for me to pay my debt and to set open heavens doors to me and to pave for me a new and living way to go to God by him Heb. 7.25 A. 3. It is to see my gratious Lord reaching out both his armes of his love to receive me into the blessed bosome and tendering the pretious self to be made of God to my soul wisdom righteousness 1. Cor. 1.30 sanctification redēption to see him my joy life the life of my life the soul of my soul my crown and glory to see him owning me to be his beloved spouse dying for me respecting more my spirituall life then his own naturall life and he dyed once that I should live for ever it is to see him who chose to be accursed that I might be blessed who was content to be condemned as a vile malefactor that I might be acquitted justified and saved It is to see him who suffered the torments of hell for me that I might for ever enjoy the glory of heaven Think now blessed soul hadst thou been in Simeons case place whether thou wouldest not have said and sung as Simeon did Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2. Question What this desire is Desire is the wing of the soul 1. a strong desire Pher. whereby it moveth towards some good where it loveth to feed it self and to be satisfied with the thing desired Job 39.29 as the Eagle lookes on the pray afar off the Eagle is sharp-sighted to discover the pray swift of wings to hasten to it armed with strength to seize upon it so our desires according to our apprehension of the objects goodness does convocate all the powers and faculties of the soul to promote and procure the good beloved and desired as in the text Simeons love and desire is fixed upon Christ the best good in heaven and earth 2. Hag. 7. and therefore is called the desire of all Nations Well might Simeon desire what he did for as it is said of a Roman Emperor neminem unquam dimisit tristem So the Lord Christ never sent any longing Simeon away empty who comes to him as Simeon did sub ratione boni jucundi to finde enough in Christ to fill up all desires and all the vacuities in the soul Nothing comparable to Christ thought Simeon Exod. 33. nothing but Christ said the blessed Martyr nothing but thy glory said Moses shew me thy glory like Anselms bird tied to the ground with a string and ascending to the length of the thread raising her selfe and flying upwards Oh! so is my soul said he sighing groaning and desiring to depart to be with Christ as Paul to see the Lords salvation as Simeon This desire is a restless desire of a poor weary heavy laden soul A restless desire very low in a vale of misery and valley of teares exiled from her native soile where troubles and griefs croud in like Jobes messengers as the waves of the Sea Rom. 7.24 one at the heels of another Which made the Apostle to aske who shall deliver me from the body of this death The consideration of which made an Heathen to say to his Schollers that if it were offered which Sr Robert Harley said oft in his old age him to be young again he would not accept such an offer so troublesome did he count this present condition to be But the pretious servants of the Lord have more cause to desire death for that they do live under a better hope and do see their celestial soules under the miserable captivity of sin and satanicall thraldome combating continually with the lusts of the
thy consolation as Simeon did sigh long for weep pray Joh. 2.8 Mat. 5.12 Heb. 10.35 Heb. 11.36 Luk. 16.22 Joh. 14.2.3 Hab. 2.3 and sit down in patience many wearisome dayes nights weekes months and yeares before the great and promised reward before the bosome of Abraham the mansion prepared or the vision of God comes but at last it comes and tarries not then bear up tossed back a while Christ is with thee in the ship Mat. 8.26 and thou canst not miscarry and in his appointed time shall be thine eeverlasting calme Go on then blessed soul in the strength of the Lord fear no death but comfort thy heart with the things already apprehended Phil. 3.13 and with infinite more behind concerning which observe the blessedness of such as die in the Lord. Rev. 14.13 1. The matter of this blessednes God enjoyed 2. The manner the beholding Gods face The matter lies in the glorious manifestation of God's majesticall presence Deu. 5 4. a little glimps whereof Israell had in the mount Exod. 33. vlt. Isa 6.5 and Moses when God put him into a clift of a rock and shewed him his back parts and the prophet Esai when he cryed out woe is me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hostes These did not neither could see Gods face and live but some thing God shewed to their understandings out of which they did conclude as they were able the greatnesse glory and majestie of God's presence but after death the blessed saints of God shal see more of God viz face to face and know as they are known 1 Cor. 3.12 of which more in the next 2. The manner of a saints beholding God is by an immediat and angelicall knowledg of the essentiall glory of the Lord God almighty and by a full enjoyment of the great Jehovahs beatificall presence Then shall we see the likenesse of God or see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 and then shall we know and see him to in an immediat union to and communion with God this is that which the godly-wise have much studied viz the matter manner of the saints happiness after death which I shall endevour to set out a little more 1. And so it is called light and life Psal 36.9 Col. 1..12 as the Psalmist a fountain of life in which we shall see light which is there opposed to the darknesse of condemnation not an amazing light Acts. 9. as was Sauls at his conversion but a rejoicing light and a glorious light inabling us to look with undazling eyes upon the sun of righteousnesse in the face It is called a kingdom which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Luke 22.29 whether we are admitted free denisons under celestiall priviledges A kingdom without stirrs commotions or the least alterations not once needing councells nor armes Rev. 21.23 nor the light of the moon nor the sun but the lamb shall be the light thereof It 's called a crown in a fuller sence then any crown else Kings their crownes may be of gold Rev. 2.10 1 Cor. 9.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.8 but this a crown of life a crown incorruptible a crown of righteousness which shall never bee taken off the heads of the saints but they shall reign crowned forever in their inheritance of infinite extent 1 Pet. 1.5 and reserved in heaven for them as before 2 Cor. 5.1 It 's an eternall house not subject to dilapidations nor to be amended by reparations nor additions a house full of all provisions Luk. 22.30 even to satiety and fulnesse full of joyful company such as the glorious Trinity blessed saints and Angels full of plesant melody perfect harmony and one continued feast of glory Psal 16. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the very right hand of God Sure I am this will comfort all Simeons in their desire to die And now to set out the manner a little more also how this blessed vision of God is communicated after death Godly and learned divines have wont to gather it from the analogie of Scriptures It 's a vision of intelligence wee shall see him saith the Scripture John 3.2 that is we shall know him spiritually and celestially without the least interposition of any cloud upon our understanding We shall know him saith the Scripture immediatly 1 Cor. 13.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 2.9 and not through a glass as below where believers see him who is invisible not through any lattesse but we shal be with him within the heavenly house of his glory and be ful of God as I may say and full of Christ and full of the Holy Ghost and never see night or darkness more Rev. 22.5 for God himself will bee all unto us and we shall reign with Christ for ever Soul doth not this use of consolation seat very high and canst chuse but with Simeon to desire to dye Psal 32.11 and to be glad in the Lord and rejoyce evermore All that I will add shal be this blessed soul thy glory shall be satisfactory and filled up to the top yea it shall mount above all thy desires In thy everlasting acquiescence and tranquility In thy eternall pleasures and consolation Rev. 7.17 First thy tranquility shal overflow as a mighty river at thy beholding the face of God Rev. 21.4 all enemies shall be destroyed Heb. 4.9 all perturbations shal finally cease Rev. 14.13 This is the rest and peace of all holy Simeons The second is thy eternal pleasure and sweet consolation which also floweth from the blessed beholding of Gods face Such shall be the Saints delight in God In thy presence Lord saith the Psalmist is fulnesse of joy not a mixed joy as of the Church on earth like the sweet smell of the prickie rose which somtimes runs into the flesh but like the joy of the Angels at the birth of Christ Luk. 2.10.13.14 who sang without interruption saying glory to God on highest on earth peace good will towards men Pleasure and joy in heaven be inviolable no man can take it away Joh. 16.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 19.1.3.6 Rev. 14.3 Exo. 15.1 Rev. 15.3 ever full of the sweetness and blessedness which is in God himself praising and magnifiing God with everlasting hallelujahs and singing the song of Moses and of the lamb without ceasing to all eternity Come pretious servant of God is not thy hony-combe full yet doth not this cup of consolation overflow Didst ever think in the daies of thy vanity when thou wast moved to look into thy wretched estate and damnable condition that thou mightest get out of that gall of bitterness Acts 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bond of iniquitie and when moved with the matchles love of God with the sweetnesse and fulnesse of God in Christ laid
dejected Disciples Lu. 24.17 What manner of communications are these while you walk and are sad Joh. 17. What are you so sad are you not advised that I must depart and glorifie my Father Joh. 14.3 and that when you go hence I must and will prepare mansions of glory for you do not you consider what I am to you and what you are to me whom I have so and so honoured already and am in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and that you shall shortly in three days expect my Resurrection from the dead Mat. 16.21 1 Cor. 15.20 Joh. 14.1 an assured evidence of your Resurrection you my beloved Disciples be not troubled at my death and departure Judg. 8.2 nor at your own but praise and give thanks for certainly the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim which you enjoy are infinitely better then all the vintage of Abiezer the earnest and first fruits which even now you live spiritually upon Eccle. 1.2 chap. 12.8 do excell and transcend all the glory and vanity of things sublunar or below 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. and before in Deut. 7.7 And indeed my beloved Disciples consider what moved me and my Father to own you rather then others so undeservedly when wee passed by so many of the great men and nobles of the world to make you vessels of honour and to give you an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Rom. 9.21 2 Tim. 2.21 1 Pet. 1.4 What am I said David and my Fathers house that I should be son in law to a King 1 Sam. 18.18 whence was it that the mother of my Lord should com unto me Luk. 1.43 sayd Elisabeth to the Virgin Mary Great was the joy in the hearts of the four lepers of the great and besieged city of Samari◠2 Kings 7.3 to the 12. whom the Lord so wonderfully relieved and enlarged Alas all these were but as nut-shells and oyster-shells compared with the mercies of blessed Simeon whose mercies as they be reall celestial and lasting for ever so they do call for reall and angelicall prayses Heavens candidates bee glad at deaths approach thou art next apparent to glory and indeed be thankful for it may bee thou maist bee one of the next souls who may be gloriously ushered in thither nay in a sense thou art in heaven already thy faith is there thy hope is there thy conversation is there while thy eye is fixed on thy Christ there and thou art daily translated from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Eph. 1.3 and all this is sealed to thee by the Spirit of promise of which more fully afterwards mean while do but open thy eyes and thou canst not but be really thankfull fiducially to see all the prophesies and all the promises to thee accomplished although thou see it but a far off And now that thou maist be thus thankful let me be assistant to thee in four or five directions Direction Luk. 2 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Study thou poor mortall to praise and magnifie thy God and thy Christ in the highest as the Angells did at the nativity of Christ high mercies do cal for high praises thankfulness may be in carnal earthly men for good turns done them yea and gladness in the beast that receiveth fodder But O thou saved by the Lord thou must act higher even from a principle of Covenant-grace reached out to a lost and dead sinner by the hand of unconceivable mercy procured by the Lord Jesus saving thee so mightily and wonderfully not out of the common store-house of divine providence but out of the Ark of the Covenant or bosom-love of thy Lord Jesus Christ Therefore O blessed soul thy thankfulness must be super-abounding and thy whole soul be poured out in this duty with holy vows and fixed resolutions as that sweet singer of Israel Psal 116. I will love thee I will serve thee Psal 116 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgivings and I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the Courts of the Lords house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem praise ye the Lord Lo what a pattern of high and reall thankfulness is here presented unto gracious Simeons 2. To be more real in our thankfulness for such salvation-mercies as Simeons here was we must look farther then the superficies and out-side of a mercy for as God in his workings of good providence hath a wheel within a wheel so he hath oftimes a mercy within a mercy and when wee are called to such a piece of thankfulness as is here required wee must brighten the souls eye of faith and by the prospective of divine promises covenant-goodness we must dive deep and look far to see if it were possible not onely the hand of mercy stretched forth to us but the very heart of Gods mercy opened to us Genesis 6. compared with 1 Pet. 3.19 nay through that mercy the soul must look on the Lord himself for else we do but see the Ark of preservation as the old world did not the covenant-goodness of God in that Ark nor his Church in that Ark nor his Christ there nor all the saved of the Lord even thy self there spiritually in the heart of God and Jesus Christ you must look into the inside of your mercies else you will but see the bush on fire and it preserved but not the good will of him that dwelt in the bush Exod. 3.2 Deut. 33.16 for one may observe the Lords faithfulness in keeping covenant and promise and not look on Jesus Christ the promoter of the covenant by and with whom the Lord made such a covenant therefore wee must throughly look as well on the in-side of the mercy whence a mercy comes originally on Gods mind aim end as on the mercy it self reached out to us we must look on Gods mind towards us in the mercy how to walk act before him in fom sutableness expectatiō to the mercy we do enjoy to live more holily to worship more devoutly to act faith in Gods al-sufficiency to trust in him more to recumb depend more to be the Lords more entirely thē ever before For as in many mercies there is a good out-side but a better in-side so in the carriages of the people of God there is not only a more out-side-carriage before the Lord but a more intern spiritual cordial acting of a thankful soul to serve the Lord more sincerely more absolutely more graciously and more holily as David not onely throughout the 116 Psalm but also Psalm 42.5 after more experience of the Lord and a farther inspection into his gracious dealing with him hee sayes O my soul trust thou in God for I shal yet give him thanks and praise him for the help of his countenance so vers 11
the chambers of death which is by the way a rich comfort to the saints of God that God Father Son Holy Ghost are in Covenant with bodies Num. 23.10 Ps 102.13 14. as wel as souls yea when they shal be laid in the grave and moultered to dust God is in covenant with that dust with Ahrahams with Isaacs and Jacobs dust with the dust of their seed lying in their graves in which respect the saints bodies are said to sleep in their death to rest in hope Nay I verily believe there is more yet in the dust and bones of dead bodies that they have a kind of desire after resurrection 1 Thes 4.16 Isai 60.1 Isai 26.19 Joh. 5.28 go but into a vault of mens dead bones and tarry there an hour or two and they will draw much of your spirit and livelihood from you put you under great thirst till some days after and after the word of command from Christs mouth to arise to come forth to appear and to stand before Christ to receive their glorious enlargment and blessed investiture into that glorious Kingdom which their Lord Christ hath purchased for all that dye in Jesus Thus our bodies must be set in order before death in these four last mentioned respects 1. They must be mortified crucified bodies 2. Implanted members of Christs body 3. Kept chaste and holy for Christs use 4. Bodies in Covenant with God the Father Son holy Ghost The next duty in the third head incumbent to him that will dye well and preparedly is to set his house in order By the house may be understood the persons dwelling in family with us and more especially the children who are to be disposed of according to their rank condition and capacity as Noah prepared an ark Heb. 11.7 and so his care passed over every one of them Or by house is meant the affairs of the houshold and family thus Joseph is used by Potiphar to manage and order the affairs of his house and family Or else it is taken to dispose of the goods of the family Gen. 39.5 6. to divide and give to every one his portion or estate according unto right reason and natural affection that a mans posterity may more comfortably serve God in the state and condition in which the godly-wise shall see good to leave him thus Abraham before his death gave his Isaac the inheritance and to his other Children hee he gave gifts Gen 25.5 6. and legacies and sent them away while he yet lived and so gave up the ghost See Weams his exposition pag. 80. 81. on Job 5.26 and Gen. 29.8 and died in a good old age an old man and full of years and was gathered to his people to insist a little on this The all wise-disposing providence of our heavenly Father hath laid out the estate and condition of us in which we must serve him in the wel managing of our talents with which he hath intrusted us Mat. 25.15 and of which some have more and some have less of this lumber to possesse yea the very wicked have a just title under God as I prove out of Job Job 9.24 the earth is given into the hands of the wicked to raign and bear rule yea and to be Judges in it and God somtimes himself covers the face of such Judges as a condemned mans face going to execution earth is there put for all terrene and worldly things as the Psalmist even the heavens or the heaven of heavens is the Lords Psal 115.16 but the earth hath he given to the children of men The Lord by deed of gift hath providentially reached out all good things here below promiscously to all men by his own line or meat yard Num. 33.54 saving unto us all here is thy lot thy habitation thy land thy lease thy goods and thy estate thy bound dominion and possession Jos 1â— 6 chap. 18.10 hitherto shall they extend and no further here 's thy confinement with a non ultra yea what ever wicked men come to possess or inherit by adoption descent or succession from fathers grandfathers ancestours or other allyances yet all is the gift of God's common providence and for believers whatsoever they have comes in the name of Christs purchase for them and by speciall covenant and promise unto them Rom. 8.32 for as God spared not his own Son but gave him to dye for them how shall he not with him also freely give them all things which make for their good Earth is given to the sons of men to the just and to the unjust but heaven is given into the faints hands as it were Benjamin's mess I must go one step further yet and that is what wicked men do unlawfully get rake ring cheat rob plunder and by violence and oppression recover and injuriously wrest from others is in a sense the gift of God viz. he permitting them to range a while to prey upon the poor innoceÌ„ the fatherless orphant widow and stranger so he permitted wicked Ahab to kill 1 King 21. Jer. 22.13 and take possession of innocent Naboths Vineyard and he permits Shallum to build his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong to use his neighbours service without wages and saith to him by his Prophet thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for violence to do it all this did our all-wise God order in his common providence to last a while till Shallum had run his course and filled up the measure of his iniquity but then the Lord sends a cruel adversary like a ravening wolf of the evening to execute his just judgment upon Shallum according to that prediction in the seventh vers of the two twentieth of Jeremiah saying ver 7. I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut down thy choice Cedars and Shallum the son of Josiah King of Judah he shal dye in the place whither they have led him captive ver 12. and he shall see his land no more Now mark how the Lord speaks of this destroyer Nebuchadnezzar by name Jer. 27.6 I have given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babilon my servant and the beasts of the field have I given also to serve him And all nations shall serve him and his son named Evilmerodach 2 Kings 25.27 Jer. 52.31 Dan. 5.1 and his son namely Belshazzar the Lord disposed of those Countries by donat oÌ„ to him yet Nebuchadnezzar invades and spoiles and takes them and theirs by violence upon which say the annotations well that the great God of heaven and earth sent him against a people of the Lords wrath and gâ—ve him a charge to take the spoil Isa 10.6 and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets and he went
nevertheless upon his own errand to glut and satiate his pride and ambition verse 7. therefore saith the text he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and out off nations not a few For hee faith are not my Princes altogether Kings Is not Calno as Carchemish is not Hamath as Arpad is not Samaria as Damascus shall I not as I have done into Samaria and her Idols so do to Jerusalem and her Idols c. The like I might say of rayling Rabshakeh and cursing Shimei they intending one thing and God intending another according to the counsell of his own will thus he gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Isa 42.24 Now as in the days of our life so when we come to dye we must look over our estates and review all our outward things and search narrowly into our receits and in come that whatsoever unrighteousness hath brought in whatever oppression wrong and injustice hath accumulated to our wealth we must charge upon our selves and not only repent before God but make restitution to the parties injured if we know them or else in generall to the Church and poor who are Gods receivers in such cases as did Zacheus Luk. 19.8 behold Lord said that good man in the day of his repentance The half of my goods I give unto the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by fals accusation I restore him four fold It would bee too long to consider what restitution is who must restore and when yet a word or two very briefly 1. What restitution is Restitution is an act of Justice not arbitrary but necessary as the law provided and as the casuists and civillians do agree 2. Who must restore The deteiner so justice both divine and humane doth require and Gods law stands stil in force upon that soul that doth not his best by repentance and restitution to prevent the Justice of it Many rich men do fill their houses with the spoils of the poor Isa 3.14.15 and prey upon the needy making their advantages out of the poors necessities as many buyers and sellers biting usurers oppressing land-lords who live by an unlawfull calling or unlawfully in their calling Poor wretch how canst thou be ready to dye and put thy house in order Mic 6.10 who hast as Micah speaks the treasures of wickedness in thy house some it may be hundreds some thousands wrapped up in their estates of which if every bird had his feather every other man had his own little or nothing would be thine Oh! this will pinch close one day and gnaw hard upon the consciences of gripulous fists and great gainers who have made too much hast to be rich when in obedience unto divine command they must make restitution before they can truly repent or dye preparedly This is Durus sermo to all sacrilegious Cormorants who devoure the Churches patrimony and do take God's Deo-datum's to themselves Such devourers must make restitution else it will be a snare to devoure holy things 3. When we must restore Answ Speedily as when Abimelech rose early to restore Sara to Abraham Say not come again to morrow Gen. 20.8 Deut. 24.13 when we do repent till when we cannot say we have truly repented the Scripture saith to day before to morrow that is with all due conveniency when thou art setting thy house in order with Zâ—cheus then set penitentially upon the work Oh! tarry not till death compell thee to part with all because thou couldst not detain them longer The godly wise and holy ancients say no restitution no remission and then no promise of pardon no hope of mercy nor good acceptance of any duty else Who is in a capacity to restore and doth not is out of heavens way If the wicked give again that that hee hath robbed the Prophet saith he shall surely live Ezech. 33.15 and not dot dye therefore in setting thy house in order make restitution least it's want shall make void Jam. 5.1.2 shal curse and blast all the rest God shall cross thy will and deny to bless those goods and lands which thou bequeathest to thy heirs and legators Judas seemed very conscious of this sin Mat. 27.4.5 therefore he quickly brought again the thirty pieces of silver which he had so wickedly gotten but yet Judas could not find pardon then what wil such do who come short of Judas Possibly thou talkest of setling thy estate by gift deed will or otherwise and so committest thy soul to God and thy ill gotten goods into the hands of heirs and executors but be not deceived God will not be mocked such heirs shall not bee the better but the worse and such goods have a curse in them Deut. 28. and shall prove so to the generation that shall come after thee who may truly say 16 17 18. God hath cursed our friends bounty and blessings Mal. 2.2 Object But to salve all somewhat is given to the poor somewhat to the Ministers some boons at the funerall and somewhat to pious uses for ever But all this will not deceive the all-knowing God to steal a pound and give a penny therefore said the Father Dare te put as tollere noli thou think-thou givest when thou first robbest and takest away give saith Austin but be sure thou give of thine own else thou canst not set thy house in good order to dye I have been somewhat longer in this because so many millions of men in our age do in all probability dye desperately in this particular The Lord open the eyes of the living seriously to lay these things to heart 4. To whom restitution is to be made 5. Vpon what account it must be Ans To the persons to whom the wrong is done if he be dead or cannot be heard of then to him or them to whom it shall be due by law Thus Naomi did perform the office of a kinsman unto Ruth she being the next of the posterity of the dead Ruth 3. ver 2. Upon what account must restitution be made Ans Not as alms benevolence or charity but as an act of just restitution Not as a free gift but as a due debt and as that which God calls for which law and conscience calls for to have done as that which is the right of theirs to whom wee make restitution In many cases injuries are so done by the cunning sleight of deceivers by fraud and policy and so would up with deceitfull hearts and sleight of hand and witty contrivances that the laws of nations and common wealths cannot find out means to give every one his own but the all-seeing God knows what is unjustly done though it be in the dark and he looks that in the day of our repentance and preparation to dye blessedly that we make just restitution what possibly wee may And in the day thereof we must not
charge unto their heavenly Father to take care of them as Isaac and Jacob did Gen. 28.1 Gen. 48.15 16. chap. 49. Heb. 11.20.21 besides Parents know best what have been and are the ways and conversations of their children they know what have been their sins and infirmities what their defects and wants what is their present state and condition what mercies pardon and grace they do most need and by their neerness of relation to them and by their duty which they owe them and lastly their interest which they have in them they are much concerned to look to and study their welfare much every way as might bee shewed in Job's care of his children when they were grown up and dwelled in families of their own he sent and sanctified them Job 1.5 not only while they were little ones going to school and under their Parents roof Godly Parents near to death do see and read volums of divine and gracious providences flowing towards them and theirs from out the Ark of the covenant by virtue of which they are much invited to mind and presse the Lord with that successive goodness of his to the after generation and posterity of them that fear the Lord viz that their generations shall be blessed Psa 112.2 and upon this account do they with an humble boldness and much confidence put up their holy supplications and prayers that he will please to enrich and bless their children with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Eph. 1.3 that the Lord will be their portion Psa 16.5 Ps 73.26 Ezra 9.8 Eâ—a 56.5 Jer. 13.11 and ever give to them and theirs a place in his Sanctuary and a name better then that of sons and daughters that they should be unto the Lord for a people for a name for a praise and for a glory And for outward things they must commend them also to the blessing of the Lord in every state high or low rich or poor of marriage or single life that the Lord will please to lay them out such a condition as in which they may be most serviceable to God to the country they live in to neighbours relations and friends in all godliness and honesty and their Parents even while they do live may say of natural children as John doth of his spirituall children Joh. 5.3 4. I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in the truth And observe as Parents must take care of the particular concernments of every child who will bee ready to observe what Parents intend do or may bee like to do for them oft saying secretly to themselves what shall I do and what shall I do says another what will become of mee says one and of me says another and of me says a third when my Father and Mother are dead so must the soul of every one and the outward estate of each one be cared for by every wise holy and affectionate Parent Job he offered sacrifice for each one Lev. 4.13.14.15.21 Lev. 1.2 3 4. where mark that whereas some sacrifices were for the whole Congregation and some only for single persons so Job did not only offer a general sacrifice for al his sons but a particular sacrifice for every individual of them whatever their sin should be Parents when you draw neer to dye you must not only pray in generall that God will blesse your children but you must if possibly it may be set them before the Lord one by one Gen. 32.24 and wrestle with God by prayer for a speciall benediction to be upon the head of each one of them according to his or her age rank calling condition and habitation according to his or her temptations afflâ—ctionâ— and trialls that God will sanctâ—fie them unto himself and make them very instrumentall for his glory 1 Chron. 28.9 Esa 38.3 that they may know the Lord God of their Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind and that by such children God will raise up to his own name and unto his own glory an holy seed and faithfull generation to serve the Lord for ever and that such children may live in a most sweet and holy concord which as it is a great blessing unto Parents so the contrary it is a great heart-breaking to them as might be shewed in Adam Gen. 4. who when he had only two sons the one kills the other and in Abraham's family was scoffing Ishmael Gen. 21. in Isaac's family Esau hated Jacob Gen. 27. Jacob had twelve sons eleven of them hated and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites Gen. 37. intending never to see his face more 2 Sam. 13.28 David had an Absolon who caused his brother Amnon 1 King 1.5.18.25 to be murthered and Adonijah riseth against Solomon Look to it Parents be much in prayer to God that your children may bee sweetly bundled in the bond of love and charge it on them with strongest arguments shew them Ps 133.1 how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity v. 2. it 's like the precious ointment upon the head v. 3. that ran down upon the beard even Aaron 's beard that went down to the skirts of his garment 't is like the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion and tell them that there the Lord commanded the blessing and life for evermore Where there where this bond is kept inviolable Some would add a third thing much tending to the setting ones house in order namely the recommendation of children such as are under age unto the loving care of some godly wise and christian friends thus did old David comend the care of young Solomon his son to certain Princes to help Solomon in his reign 1 Chron. 22.17 18. when he should govern saying is not the Lord your God with you intimating thereby that they would be very usefull and helpfull to his young son such friends may bee of excellent use and benefit to fatherless children whom the Lord himself gives charge unto to deal friendly by them to be as fathers to the fatherless Psal 68.5 as God himself vouchsafes to be called But I leave this of Trustees and Guardians and come to the last thing concerning a man's setting his house in order and that 's about his last will and testament 'T is to be presupposed it hath been much of a Parents care to set a part somewhat for children in the management of outward things that they have layd up somewhat to distribute dispose of at their death And not without great reason 1. That the future as well as the present may be provided for 2. That peace in the dispose of the goods of the family may be provided for from out that true interest which Parents have in the goods of the family to bequeath and dispose the estate which the God of all
bee assured of mirth without mourning of life without death of an immortal crown without any cross at all The fourth concerns thy consolation Consola and so bee comforted who tookest all due care to walk as a Christian with holy tender and abounding affections towards thy dear friend when and while he or shee lived with thee ask thy self what Christian communion thou had'st what care and watching over thy friend in all good offices of love didst discover thy self a friend to his soul did'st admonish exhort reprove or comfort him according to thy best ability and his necessity wa st much in prayer by humble seeking God to beg every blessing which thy friend did want did'st do all the offices of love to thy friend in his sickness or under any need of thy help if thou wast sincere in this matter thou mai'st be comforted and blesse the Lord who gave thee such an heart and now that the Lord hath taken thy friend into an higher story of divine favour be better perswaded well knowing that God calls thee now to other work upon which to attend and leave thy friend to the Lord betake thy self to serve his good providence among the living who do survive Somewhat wee see of this in David 2 Sam. 12. while the child was very sick David besought God for the child hee fasted and went in and lay all night on the earth nor would he bee raised from the earth by the elders of his house neither would he eat bread with them On the seventh day the child dyed of which when David had heard then he arose from the earth he washed and anointed himself changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and when hee required they set bread before him and he did eat At which carriage of his his servants much marvelled saying what thing is this that thou hast done thou did'st fast and weep when the child was alive and when it was dead thou did'st arise and eat bread and David answered while the child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said said who can tell whether the Lord will bee gracious to mee that the child may live but now hee is dead wherefore should I fast can I bring him baek again I shal go to him but hee shall not return to mee And David comforted Bathsheba Thus there is a time to be born Eccl. 3.2 and a time to dye a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance Fiftly our dolorous mournings 5. A sweet mixture of joy and sorrow in our mourning must not be without some mixture of joy the losse of beloved friends may seem desperate and irrecoverable and the sorrow is the more exuberant but yet there is joy again which doth surmount in the gracious soul to allay it's bitternesse who can loose nothing of the creature but it is made up in God repaid in Christ with a great overplus therefore sorrow may not alwaies abide upon his spirit if he sorrow that any stream of his comfort is cut off it is but turning him to the fountain and he hath all made up to him again and he rejoyceth blessing God who saith to him as Elkanah to Hannah am not I to thee instead of more friends so says God to the mourner I am to thee instead of all more then all And thus as fast as doth thy sorrow abound so fast and faster do thy consolations superabound That dear friends be dead that is sad to hear of or to see but that mortality is put off to put on immortality that 's joyful that death hath swallowed up our friends may grieve us but that death is swallowed up of life that doth rejoyce us that friends be departed seems to begin a desolation but that they be delivered from their body of sin from grinding pains from destroying diseases from unruly lusts and sinful passions from strong and dangerous temptatitions from fiery darts from Satans wiles and methods all this is matter of joy you who exceed in your mournings for your loving parents and dear friends taken out of this world I may fear you believe somewhat in this worlds glory to be very lovely and truly good and more excelling then the Scriptures ever spake of and therefore you so mourn at your friends being bereaved of and taken away from that good when as indeed all that is below and sublunar is fading and perishing and all that is below Jesus Christ and the glory to come Eccles 1.2 stained vanitie emptinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a melancholly lump of vanity and vexation of spirit which made the Psalmist say that every man in his best estate is altogether vanity you seem to forget that the whole creation groans under this vanity and travelleth in pain together till now and not onely they Rom. 22.23 but our selves also which have the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodyes when God sees good to take away our gracious friends he takes them from such vanities and perturbations as under which they do groan that we might not onely be satisfied with his dispensation but blesse God and say be it so Lord according to thy word When you think of your friends long languishing sickness sore pains wearisome days and nights and of the cruell stroak of death then like Heshbons pools our eyes be full of water and like house-spouts tears run down our cheeks but man of sorrow recollect thy self and wisely consider that by deaths hand all pains sicknesses and sorrows are finallized and there shall never be one tear sorrow or pain more thy body is laid to sleep as in a sweet bed of roses till the generall resurrection and thy soul is at perfect rest and ease is carried by the blessed Angells into thy Lords armes of sweatest embraces and hath the same entertainment as Christs humane soul and body had after his blessed ascention whom the Angells brought to the Antient of days Dan. 7.13 so doth Christ present the souls of his Saints departed to the father Do'st grieve and canst not be comforted Oh change thy minds affection as thy friend is changed for he is received into heaven with the same acclamations as Christ himself was welcomed only it shal be according to thy measure and capacity By this time I hope I have wiped off all tears from thy eyes put a sweet handkerchiefe into thine hands to do it thy self Then meditate much and say it oft blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord or rather that sleep in the Lord that they may live for ever Pretious soul do not mourn unmeasurably for such who are triumphant in heaven being cloathed in long white robes and washed in the blood of the Lamb who at the generall restauration of all things shall claspe and imbrace