Death Unstung A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of THOMAS MOWSLEY An Apothecary who died July 1669. With a Brief Narrative of his Life and Death Also the manner of Gods dealings with him before and after his Conversion Drawn up by his own hand and Published By James Janeway Minister of the Gospel O Death where is thy sting Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 66. v. 16. LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman and are to be sold at his shop near the Lame-Hospital in Little-Brittain at the Chyrugions Arms. 1669. TO My Beloved HEARERS Especially Those of the Younger sort Grace and Peace Men Brethren and Fathers GOD that made your souls sets a very high value upon them and Christ that bought them though they cost his heart-blood thought them worth his purchase and that eternal glory or misery that is prepared for souls speaks them not to be inconsiderable Vpon this account it 's impossible that you and I should use too much diligence in the securing these souls for this cause the Ministers of Christ can easily over-look prisons banishment and faggots so that they may but be instrumental for the saving of souls and delivering them from the wrath to come This I hope is the ground that I am carrying on in this ensuing Discourse This may speak when I may not when I cannot I might give many reasons of my appearing thus in print I might tell the world of the desires of many that by reason of the multitude could only see but not hear I might speak of the want of time to deliver the fourth Part of what is here presented to you I might tell you of the importunity of some of the young men that would gladly write after this Coppy But I must profess all this would have signified little with me did I not find by that account which some give of the work of grace upon their hearts that the Lord hath owned my poor papers formerly Among others that poor penitent Murtherer Thomas Savage which makes me not without hope that the same Spirit which breathed life into my other Writings may please also to give a blessing to these I will not stand now to answer the Objections that may be made against the Publication of this Sermon I never met with this that it is impossible that it should be subservient to the salvation of a soul and therefore I think the cost answerable I must confess had it not been for a necessary Caution or two I should have eased you of the trouble of reading and my self of writing this Epistle The first is this Be not offended if you find in the Young Mans Evidences some expressions that may sound somewhat harsh and some tautologies remember that they are word for word from his own papers as he wrote them hastily consider also that he was but young and a servant too so that it seems almost incredible that one that had so much business should be able to redeem so much time as to do what he did of this nature Secondly I would it might be a little considered what a hurry I was in when this task was laid upon me and how little time to peruse my own Coppy I beg you therefore candidly to over-look many mistakes As for you my dear friends I suppose a pardon is easily granted As for others scorn not holiness contemn not the future blessedness and make sure of happiness in the life to come and then I can easily bear your slighting of me Young Men I may be bold with you I charge you as you value the comforts of another life forget not what an excellent example this precious Brother of yours gave you Read this ensuing Discourse with seriousnesness and let it be read again in your lives Brethren you are my Joy and Crown and if you stand fast I live O make not my boasting void How can I bear to think that any of you should perish For Gods sake and for your souls sake falsifie that Proverb A Young Saint and an Old Devil Brethren my hearts desire is that I may see you all with that blessed Saint at the right hand of Christ Remember your sands run apace and you are hasting into Eternity O make sure of that which will stand you in some stead when you die O secure somewhat to live comfortably upon in another world let your lives bespeak you persons resolved for Christ and Heaven upon any terms Let your loyns be alwaies girt and your lamps be burning Whatch ye be strong quit you like men Remember Christ Heaven and Glory are before you Sit not still till you are safe in the bosom of Christ Consider that many set out fair and look as if they were bound for Zion and yet founder in the way I say again make sure Sirs I expect ere long to pass upon Eternity let me beg of you as you hope for our good meeting in another world that you make Religion your business and labour to get every day nearer Heaven Endeavour not only to be Christians but solid experienced and examplary Christians that so you may prove the glory of your generation the credit of Religion and the Joy of gray-headed Saints Sirs you are now my hope your-love zeal and union my comfort go but on at this rate and you are made for ever Know this now the eyes of the world will be upon you nay that which is more the eye of God is upon you and will take notice how you improve such a Providence as this I beseech you look about and let the world understand that you are not nominal Christians but real Saints Will any of you send me sorrowing into the grave shall I lose my hopes and comforts and you your souls can you easily forget what was the practice of this Young Man do you remember what was the usual subject of his discourse did you not observe how holily meekly and diligently he served his great Master is there no weight in a Crown of Glory is there no desireableness in happiness is it a small thing to live in the society of God Saints and Angels I am perswaded you think these things considerable Well then act as persons that long for possession which that all of you may enjoy is and shall be the prayer of one that desires not to count his life dear so he may but finish his course with joy and meet you with comfort hereafter James Janeway July 28. 1669. Death Vnstung A Funeral SERMON Rev. 14.13 And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence-forth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them IT is none of the least works of a Minister of Christ to disparage sin and incourage holiness to set Life and death before our People and to present as much as in us lies
Touchstone and not to be satisfied till he findes that he hath got more than ever any Hypocrite yet had or can have The best of God's Children are most suspicious of themselves and afraid of their own deceitful hearts Do but see how David carrieth it in Psal 139. What is his great request that he must have granted or he can't be satisfied Is it not that God would deliver him from mistakes in matters of everlasting consequence so Psal 119.80 Pardon this tediousness upon these things if most of the Professors of the World did not split upon these Rocks I should pass these things over with silence Fourthly All that dye quietly are not happy after Death It 's no unusual thing for the wicked to carry their false peace with them to the Grave I have heard indeed many poor People boasting of their deceased Friends and pleasing themselves to think how happy they were Because they dyed like Lambs to use their own expression Alas alas how many thousands are there that dye like Lambs that are but Swine and have the Devil 's Brand upon their Foreheads It 's dangerous arguing from peoples carriage upon a Death-bed what their state is in another World such is the hardness of Mens hearts so dreadful the searedness of their Consciences and so great the subtilty of Satan that many are carried very quietly to Hell and fear nothing till they feel and are not brought to their senses till unspeakable horror and anguish doth it And on the other side how many of the precious Sons of Zion have seat in a Cloud how many of the dear Children of God may go out of the World thorow a painful Death are not their intellectuals sometimes impaired their reason Clouded and their Bodyes upon the Rack and yet in a moment they feel themselves swallowed up of that Glory and the doleful antecedents of their happiness did but make their rest more sweet and welcome and put an accent upon their bliss The truth of it is it hath not a little puzled some as well as David to construe God's dispensations to see the wicked dye quietly Psal 73.4 and the godly to have a strange Death but God will shortly resolve this Riddle and I think it were no very difficult thing for a serious understanding Man to give himself considerable satisfaction in this business May not the wicked dye quietly because his Conscience is quite seared and he may perswade himself that he hath made an agreement with Death and Hell may he not hope that there is no such place as Hell or if there is that it is tolerable may he not make himself believe that the Word of God is not true and invisibles are all but fansies or that God is so merciful as that he will not damn him and many such things the Devil helps his Servants with that so his service may not be disparaged and that he may have the better advantage to tempt others There is much also in the nature of the Disease and it may be God may try his own Children with acute pains and let Sathan buffer them to manifest the excellency of his Power and their Grace to try others of his Children whether for all this they will serve him and some Persons of admirable attainments and great experiences while in health may have some considerable Tryals upon a Death-bed that poor Christians which were ready to fear because they had not their enjoyments that therefore they had nothing at all might see that great Saints have their Tryals as well as they but I shall be far briefer in other things I come now to shew you who they are that are blessed at their Death and to give them a brief Description of those which dye in the Lord. First They are such who are made thorowly to understand that they were sometimes quite dead in sins and trespasses that they were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Grace Secondly They are Persons which are convinced of that misery of such a state and made to know that if they dye in their sins they must be buried in Flames Thirdly Vpon this they are out of love with their most beloved sins and count that which was their life joy and pleasure to be a very Death misery and Hell whereupon they set themselves in good earnest against sin as the greatest evil in the World they believe now That if they live after the Flesh they shall dye but if through the Spirit they mortifie the deeds of the Flesh they shall live Upon this account they use all the means that they can to get their corruptions weakned an inward principle Divine Life Now he begins to act them which is as contrary to Sin as Heaven to Hell a Spirit of ingenuity restrains them How shall they do this and sin against God They now see sin in its colours as it is contrary to the best good God they can see its killing and damning Nature in the Agonies and Sufferings of Christ and they feel the doleful effects of sin in their Soul and body both and upon this account they can say what have I to do with Vanity any more Shall I still hug this Serpent shall I still Sail with this Jonah in my Vessel and shall I after all this keep this Dalilah in my Bosom No but O that I could hate it Ten Thousand times more than I do There is an enmity raised in the Soul against sin which can't be satisfied till it see the Death of Sin now this is a Person that is fit for Death and Death it will as you shall hear afterwards do him a World of kindness in shewing him the Heads of all his Enemies 4. An other quality of this Person which is like to make such a blessed end is this he is one that is dead to the World Faith hath discovered a better Country to him it hath spyed that new Jerusalem and those blessed Regions and now the Soul thinks the World scarce worthy of a serious thought or look he takes himself to be a kind of Prisoner here and the whole World but a Dungeon if compared with that state of liberty and glory he now joyns with David and says Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I can desire beside thee This is the Man that is like to be a gainer by Death he who contemns Earth and makes Heaven his choice shall never finde himself a loser 5. Another property of the Man which shall be blessed at Death is this he is one that takes Christ for life and happiness Time was indeed he was of an other mind sin was his delight and none so despicable in his Eye as Christ but God in free and rich grace hath taken away the Scales from his Eyes and healed him of his miserable blindness and let him see such a loveliness in the Lord Christ as that now he is able to say
keep any guard over your self will you wrestle for this blessing O what courage and comfort should you be endowed with with what a chearful countenance may you meet death and how quietly lie down in your grave being supported with the hopes of a blessed Eternity and a glorious Resurrection But I shall a little alter my discourse and turn my self to the careless ones of the world which think little of death and less of eternity I had occasion before to bewail your condition and now I might renew my lamentations as fearing that what I have spoke or may speak will have very little operation upon you but however I cannot leave you thus but I must try once more how a plain compassionate exhortation will prevail O hat I could tell what words to speak that might each your heart O that I could express my self in such melting words that might break the very stones O that you may feel this exhortation Men Brethren and Fathers give me leave to lâ—t you understand how dearly I love you and to shew my affections in the most real demonstrations that may be Sirs I am come to bâ—g of you for Gods sake to be willing to live I beseech you despise not the blessing but accept Christ and salvation while they are offered Were it a thing possible to be happy any other way but by Christ and a holy life I should spare my labour If Glory could be obtained upon easier terms than the Gospel speaks of I should ease my self and you of this trouble And if any were like to be blessed after death but such as die in the Lord I should be the more indifferent in this matter but since that cannot be methinks those three weighty words Life death eternity should have a mighty influence upon you O let not a day pass without a few serious thoughts of this I need hot perswade you to love your lives nature teacheth you to do that but there is another life which is hid from the world which most forget O think of that that 's a life indeed a life of joy happiness and pleasure Death sounds oft in the ears every passing bell tells you that your breath is going and that your turn is coming and all the Coslins that are carried by your doors say prepare do your work quickly 〈◊〉 will shortly be too late But who understands the meaning of this Preacher who takes any thought of another life makes ready for death and looks into eternity O Eternity Eternity how rarely do men think of Eternity O that now some would begin to be wise Do you think your Sun will never set will your sands be never ran out and do you know what dying is then the keepers of the house will tremble the windows shall be â—hut and instead of the Daughters of Musick the voice of groaning lamentation and weeping It may be death will lay his cold hand first upon thy feet and bind them and they are as cold as the earth and what a damp doth this put upon thy spirit and then you cry once more send for the Doctor and he comes in haste O Sir a world for breath half my estate to preserve my life a day or two longer and what answer doth he make Sir 't is but a folly to flatter you all the art in the world will not keep you alive two hours longer what did you send for me for to a dead man and so he flings away in a rage and how doth the fainting Patient hear such tidings O what shall I do what will all forsake me can no body help me well send for a Minister and what saith he Sir how have you lived did you pray in your family do you know experimentally what Regeneration is what do you say Sir I do not understand that word What did you never hear a Sermon in your life were you born in England To be regenerated is to be born again do you know what that is O no that 's impossible Why then Sir you are in a lamentable condition indeed you cannot live an hour longer and if you die in this state you must go to Hell as sure as God is in Heaven O how doth that word strike the man to the heart and what a flame hath he within and what horrour is his soul filled with It cannot be imagined what Agonies the soul as well as the body now labours under O that I might die the death of the Righteous and are all my hopes come to this woe woe woe to me poor wretch whither am I now going where shall I now dwell who shall be my companions for ever O that I had but now a little of that grace which I despised in others but it 's now too late O my heart I am pained at my heart O my breath it is going it is just a going O what shall I do O 't is too late O what shall And thus his breath goes and his friends come round about him and one lifts up his hand and that falls down again like a log and others feel upon his nose and there 's no breath and then they say he is gone and so one closeth his eyes and others strip him and lay him out and two daies after he is put into the grave but where where is the soul And thus one goes after another and shortly all this generation will be served thus And thou O careless soul as little as thou mindest all this it may be thou mayest be the next and what will become of thee if death take thee unprovided Now Sirs what will you do will you go on just as you did will you put far from you the thoughts of the evil day will you shake off the sense of this as soon as you can I believe that this is none of the pleasantest discourses to some of you But I would have you to know that my business is not to please your fancy but to save your souls and to wake you out of your dead sleep and if I do but this I have enough Once more therefore I must ask you what you intend to do will you indeavour to live to Christ that you may die in the Lord or will you do as others do put off the thoughts of these things till it be too late Is this a question so hard to be answered Well methinks the very looks of some of you speak you to be persons resolved and by this time you are ready to ask how you shall do to be of this number that shall die in the Lord and be blessed how you may trade so as to get the most durable riches and how you may live so as to gain by death In general I answer If you would have death gain you must live to Christ make it your work and business to secure an interest in Christ let Religion run thorow all you do but for your fuller information in this matter I shall refer you to
you may do the Devils work as long as you can and that then God should reward you with Salvation no such matter You may more rationally expect that God should for your sake pull the Sun out of the Firmament than that he should remove holiness out of Heaven and bring Hell in its place If wicked Men will please themselves with their own Delusions and look for Glory still they must thank themselves when they see how infinitely they are disappointed but I leave these as despairing to convince them of their folly till Judgment and Flames make them to understand it 2. All that live upon the goodness of God here are not like to be blessed after Death There is a vast difference between common and special mercies many partake richly of God's common bounty that have not the least interesâ— in his love God gives this World often times to his greatest Enemies he gives Glory in an other World to none but his Friends and Children Nay let me speak it freely I am sure I have Christ and Scripture to warrant what I say That they which gain this World with their neglect of Heaven shall at their Death lose both Many receive temporal mercies that shall never enjoy Eternal Job 21.9 Luk. 16.25 O how greatly are they mistaken who think that Earl Lord Knight c. are words of any significancy after Death that hope that their honours here will procure them any real respect hereafter that reckon Gold and Silver will go currant in that Country Many that would be counted Persons of some depth and wisdome make a World of stir about trifles that drive a great Trade for that which is next to nothing and that lay in no better Provisions than Gravel Clay or Dung when they are bound for Eternity and yet how do they bless themselves and say I am rich and increased in Goods and have need of nothing Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry They think they make a very wise bargain when they sell their Conscience God and Heaven for a little of that which some call Riches not considering that a few Hours experience may make them know though it may be not cure this mistake O that I could but bring my hearers out of this Delusion O that their apprehensions were but rectified and that they might know the real worth of things and Persons O that I could but bring down the price of sublunary things and raise the things of that other World to their true worth Consider that that holiness as meanly as you think of it is the most excellent thing that that is the greatest Riches and Man's highest dignity God knows no difference between a Lord and a Beggar a Prince and a Subject He is no respecter of Persons If there be any difference it lies here that God hath more wrath in store for them that had greater ingagements and better advantages to serve him than other had I pitty the poor Lords of the World and I am confident he that knows the worth of Christ and the nature of his own Soul can't much envy them they swell like Bladders upon Water for a Moment and God blowes and where are they Now indeed they reckon themselves very secure and their houses are free from fear neither is the Rod of God upon them they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ Job 21. They think them Fools that can spare their Riches and want their greatness so they may but have an estate in invisibles and secure an Inheritance that will last for ever These are the Men that hate seriousness and holiness which is the beauty of Earth and Heaven too is undervalued by them And how can they expect sanctity should be delightful to them hereafter when it is abhorred now how can they look for Heaven when they dye when they thought it not worth their minding while they lived No no verily they have their reward they have now their good things and much good may they do them O let me rather gain Christ at Death though I loose all besides than possess Ten Worlds here and after all lose my Soul Could the mighty ones of the World have but one Hours discourse with one of their Brethren in Hell I believe their Judgments would be hugely altered and they would soon tell them that Riches and Honours and whatsoever else most Men do pursue let it be what it will below Christ will yield them but little happiness and comfort in another world Riches profit not in the Day of wrath Do but read Luk. 16.19 25. I am the larger that if possible I might prevent mistakes in matters of Eternal consequence Thirdly There are Thousands that seem to have a far better title to this blessedness that will fall short of it and they are Professors that call themselves by the Name of the Lord. Not all that are called yea and esteemed Christians are like to have any great benefit by Death To be Christned and to be Christians are two things not every one that weareth Christ's Livery shall have his Wages O how many Millions are there that have no better shelter than a meer Name to themselves from the wrath of God! Is it not more than possible to hear read pray and to be esteemed a Saint and yet to miscarry everlastingly How many seeming Saints shall gain nothing at Death but a thorow knowledge of their own folly And if to know what God's anger is be an advantage when there is no escaping of it and if to have their hearts wounded when there is no Cure to be had be any profit and if to be quite freed of Conscience searching Ministers be a happiness when they are out of the reach of their help or pitty then such may be esteemed blessed but if all this will but make the Flame hotter then I leave any serious Person to judg whether it doth not concern Men and Women to look after better security than this amounts to Did you ever well study Mat. 7.21 I hope you will believe Christ though you will not me read that Scripture and what saith Christ O consider seriously that to be an Heir of Glory is no such light matter as most judge it to be To be born to a Crown and a Kingdome and to have a good title to it is a dignity indeed but a Mad-man in Chains and Rags may say he is a King or a Lord. O please not your selves with fansies Sickness and Death is coming and then you will know better whether I had not some reason to be earnest with you in this matter I am most afraid of the confident Pharisee that trusts in his poor sorry Prayers and his own righteousness O that I could but shake him and his hopes before Death and Judgment doth it O that I could but perswade him to maintain a jealousie over himself and to search and try his Heart and to bring himself to the
witness to a lye Will goodness it self put a cheat upon poor Creatures and that in a matter of such vast consequence as Eternity Can we conceive that he which commands us not to deceive our Neighbour should deceive us Shall any that calls himself a Christian entertain such blasphemous apprehensions of the blessed Jehovah Well then if it be so that Children of God love solid and unexpressible joys many times even on this side Glory Doth not this then prove that hereatter they shall be happy and that beyond the apprehensions of Men and Tongue of Angels For the Saint in his greatest dimensions fullest enjoyments and tallest stature on this side the Grace is but a Childe a Dwarf a Worm in comparison of what he will be the next moment after his dissolution For the proof of this you may read over these and other Scriptures Psal 16.11 Psal 42.5 Luk. 16.22 2 Cor. 4.7 Revel 13.14 3. May I not bring in the wicked themselves as witnesses of the Saints happiness and their own misery the Saints wisdom and their folly what else is the meaning of Balaam's wish Why should he be so desirous to dye the death of the Saint and to have his latter end like his if he were not thorowly convinced of this that holiness were no madness piety no fancy and religion no delusion What is it that makes those in Mat. 26.8 to cry out so importunately Give us of your Oyl for our Lamps are gone out I am perswaded that all the Reprobates in Hell will one Day justifie the Children of God for their seriousness and wish a thousand times that they had had their scornes losses torments It is no unusual thing for them which have to do with dying Persons to hear them crying out with anguish when their time is spent and their sands are run out O you are happy O that I were but in the condition of the poorest and miserablest Saint upon Earth O that I had but prayed with fervency heard with seriousness and minded my Soul in good earnest Happy are they that have not all their work to do in a dying Hour O happy are they that have some Cordial to comfort them in a time of such distress O a Christ a Christ ten thousand Worlds now for that Christ which I despised These are things we are acquainted with Well then our Enemies themselves being Judges an Israelite indeed is a Person of true worth and without controversie his estate is and shall be comfortable blessed and glorious 4. How great are the absurdities that else would follow Would not the Devil boast that he hath done more for his followers than Christ hath done for his Would it not follow that Saints are the most miserable fools in the World then it would be to no purpose to deny ones self to fight with Beasts at Ephesus to bear the contradiction of sinners then Christ dyed for nothing or hath done his work by the halves then there is no credit to be given to the Bible God is worse than his word and the Scripture promises are false then Paul's confidence was madness and his boasting made void then all preaching is a cheat and the Ministers of Christ are Impostorâ— and the wicked are in the right then David would have better reason to say he hath cleansed his hands in vain and that his frequent devotions were to no purpose and his Songs at Mid-night but the dotages of an extravagant fansie and hours which were spent in Prayer and Meditation were purely lost What saist thou to this O Christian Would not this be sad news indeed if all thy hope should come to this But be of good cheer this is the doctrine which the Devil and his Ministers do preach as long as God is true you shall not be deceived as long as he is happy you shall not be miserable and till Hell hath got above Heaven you are well enough Go on therefore resolutely and let nothing daunt thee 't is but yet a little while and you shall see all this and more than this a thousand times made good to thee Fear not 't is God who hath spoken it and he commanded his Servant John to write and Jeave it upon Record That they which dye in the Lord are blessed and they shall rest from their labours and their works do follow them 3. The next thing which I promised to speak to was to shew wherein the blessedness of departed Saints doth consist But what work am I now about Who is sufficient for these things What Tongue can utter the least part of that Glory What Heart imagine its transcendent excellency And what Ears can bear it should such a one as Moses Enoch or Elias come sparkling in his Robes in the habit of a glorified Saint and should he but tell you what a sight he hath seen what melody he hears what imployment he is ingaged in what possessions he enjoys where would he endure it I am perswaded if in this mortal state God should let in the Soul the hundreth thousandth part of that Glory which Saints enjoy in Heaven it would in a moment sink a Man and make such Bodies as ours now are wither to dust I have seen a great many fine things in my time I have heard of more but I can easily imagine more than ever all the Princes of the Earth in their greatest splendour enjoyed and yet here I am at a loss and no wonder For it is beyond the reach of Saints and Angels in Heaven fully to conceive what their own happiness is and I believe it is no small part of their joy that they serve a Master who loveth to out-doe not only deserts and expectations but even the imaginations of his Creatures How then can such a poor Worm as I am mannage such a work as this is because I can't say all must I say nothing and pass this over with silence and admiration because this is a great deep which our Plummet can't fathom an Ocean that hath no shoar shall we therefore never sail in it God forbid O may it be my work in time and to Eternity to praise that infinite boundless excellency that is in my God Though these are matters which one would think should command attention and affection both yet if we consult the lives of all yea the highest experiences of the best notwithstanding these things are so frequently inculcated and so passionately recommended to our consideration yet where is the Man or Woman to be found that lies under the lively impressions of these things And therefore I shall think it not impertinent if I dwell upon that an Hour which will be the subject of your Meditation and Foundation of your comfort if ever you understand what Christianity in the life of it means This only by the by a little to quicken your attention I come now to my business to shew you wherein the Saints happiness after death consists 1. It consists in a
crazâ— Bodies that needed to be propped up by Aâ—â— have now no need of such helps the lame shaâ—â— leap the blinde see the weak shall be strong thâ— crooked strait they which were in deaths oft shaâ—â— be never in danger O happy alteration thâ— Grave will refine and alter our Bodies and theâ— shall there bury all imperfections and this mortâ— shall put on immortality and this corruptible incorruption There the weary shall be at rest Esa 61.3 33.24 60.18 Job 3.17 5. The blessedness of the deceased Saints consisteâ—h in their perfect freedome from all wants and fear of want Here they have their daily want and in the sweat of their brows they must eat their Bread The World in its best estate is made up of vanities and troubles How much need have we of the help of our fellow-creatures we can't live without the use of their bodies and lives we want their service to till our Grounds and to carry our weak Bodyes that can sometimes scarce go under their own burden What shift could we make if the influences of the Sun Moon and Stars were suspended what lamentable complaint should we make if God should seal up the Fountains of Water how soon should we faint if he should make the Heavens as Iron and the Earth as brass What Element can we want what Creature could we well spare But the time is coming that Day will shortly begin whose brightness will make the Sun dark and the Moon to disappear and all the Stars to leave their Spheres as useless O unbelief how miserably dost thou rob us of the comforts which the very fore-thoughts of that hour might bring in Dwell O my trembling Soul upon the Meditation of these things Is there no truth nor weight in â—hose Scriptures Es 60.19 Es 21.29 Give in thy Answer Why then art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Wait upon the Lord and be of good courage wait I say upon the Lord. 6. This happy Man shall be quite freed of whatsoever may argue an imperfect state Some of those very graces that are now so useful and necessary when their work is done shall be laid aside as useless I mean Faith Hope Patience desire all which speak something of imperfection shall then be swallowed up of love They now help to lead the Soul out of Egypt conduct thorow the red Sea and Wilderness and send Spices into Canaan and bring good tidings out of that Land they see Sihon Og and Amaleck discomfitted and their Power broken they go to the Borders of the promised Land nay they get up to Pisga and upon Mount Nebo there they bid the Soul farewell Faith like a skilful Pilot keeps close to the Ship till it see it out of danger Faith like loyal Barzillai brings in abundant provisions for the Soul in all its streights and comes with it to the banks of Jordan to the brink oâ— eternity but there there it takes its final leave and sends over young Chimham to wait upon the King at Jerusalem it sends love over into Heaven tâ— dwell there with the Lord for ever O blessed state when faith shall be swallowed up of sight Here we live by faith and not by sense or sight in glory we shall live by sense and sight and not by faith The shaddow shall vanish when the substance is come hope patience desire and fear shall all pass away and be swallowed up with an eternal fruition possession and security Happy are the People that are in such a case their clouds are quite blown over they need neither Wind or Sails now they are safe landed What think you now of a Child of God is it worth the while to be religious is holiness a folly now and yet this is not all come a little further and I will shew you greater things still All this is buâ— the privative part of their happiness I come now to touch a little upon the positive part but what an Ocean am I now lanching into who can tell all the priviledges of a Citizen of Zion what Pen can describe the honour and dignities of the Sons of God But that I may heighten your spirits and a little antedate your comforts I shall in the next place shew something of the positive part 2. The blessedness of those which dye in the Lord consists positively First in this that they shall enter into the Society of the Angels they shall leave any longer conversing with mortals and instead of weeping friends see themselves compassed with singing Angels How do you think that Lazarus was affected who instead of Beggars Crippels and Dogs had a Guard of Angels waiting upon him What an extasy of joy was he surprized vvith Luk. 16.22 This honour have all the Saints We think the sight of a King the look of a Prince the company of a Lord a great matter what are they it compared with the least of the Captains of the Lord's Host How vast is the difference between Flesh and Spirit and yet this favour the Lord is pleased to confer upon the least of his Children And how glad are the Angels themselves of the society of the poorest Saint they are glad even here to be doing offices of love for them many a danger they delivered them from many a mercy they conveyed from their Father to them but these earthly Bodyes were scarce capable of communications with such noble and spiritual Creatures but at Death they shall know their old friends and fellow-servants and bless God with them and for them for ever Heb. 12.22 And these Chariots and Horsemen of Israel shall carry up Joseph to his Fathers House and there the Sons of God shall shout for joy Time was the sight of an Angel would make a Saint tremble but then it shall make them to Triumph and what stories will they tell them of the providences of God toward them and joyn with them in the high praises of his goodness and love But all this is but little to what follows 2. At Death the souls of believers are made perfect in holiness How will they in a moment see themselves as white as Snow how glorious shall the Kings Daughter be when her beauty is perfect how lovelily will she look when she 's clad with innocent purity how excellent when her royal Husband the Lord Christ shall be infinitely taken with her Will he not then say thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the Lyons Dens from the Mountains of Leopards Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou with one Chain of thy Neck How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse c. Cant. 4.7 8 9 10. If the Lord see so much beauty here in his Church what will he do hereafter when he shall have wash'd away all her
this Congregation what a ghastly sight would it be should God strike all them dead which lye in their sins and know not Christ it is to be feared that the Assembly would be far thinner than it is should the Graves open and the Souls and Bones say to us make hast make hast up get your Souls dressed for within three Days you must lye in this black and cold Chamber with us How would this make most of our Faces to gather paleness and our joynts ready to knock one against another but what if another Voice should second it and one should come roaring out of Hell wrapped about with Flames and should say it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God they that dye in sin must be buried in Hell and if this very moment you do not turn you must take a place with us in those torments from which there is no redemption Would this move you why sirs is there not as much reason that you should believe God as the domned O what wonders are stupid sinners how unconcerned do they go up and down as if it were a very easy thing to prepare for Death and a needless thing to think of Eternity O you that know a little what the life and death of a Soul is come help us to mourn over our dead Doth not the very Aire smell of the dead Are not their numbers scarce to be computed who le Families Towns Cities and scarce one living Soul amongst them O where where is our pity how can we bear to see so many millions go to the Pit and not bestow one tear upon them what 's the matter O my Soul that thou art no more compassionate would Hester Jeremiah Paul nay would the King and Princes of Niniveh have been no more troubled if Souls had been in the same danger in their Days as they are in ours But that I may a little move my self and others let me commune a little with you you are yet in your senses and have the use of your understandings and are not brutes nor stones shall I have leave to reason the case a little with you do you never use your reason have you not a principle of self-preservation do you never consider whither you are going while you make hast to Hell Do you never think of Heaven and is it so frightful a place that you should be afraid of it will it undo you to be saved and is that blessedness which I have set before you so contemptible a thing that you will not so much as give the thoughts of it one Hours entertainment in your Soul Can you be contented without it and prefer your short lived pleasures before it if the case be so thank your selves if you have your choice blame not God if he deny you that which you thought not worth the accepting As for us Ministers we call God Angels and Men to witness that we have told you of your danger and if you will not take warning who can help it if we knew what in the World to do to prevent your ruine God forbid but that we should readily do it but if after all your threatnings perswasions and intreaties you will go on still why your blood be upon your own Souls but though I speak thus I hope better things of many here present and things that do accompany salvation I shall speak for your incouragement in the next Use USE IV Is it so that they are blessed that dye in the Lord why then should the believer be so much afraid of Death What though it be the King of terrors is it so to all Have not some handled this Serpent without any fear What have I been proving all this while Is there not one word of sense in all that hath been spoken get but this secured that you are a Child of God make but the King you friend and then neither his Serjeant nor his Porter will do you any hurt except to arrest your enemies and to open the Gates of his Palace to you and to admit you into his presence be counted an injury who would be afraid of everlasting rest why should any one be so loth to have his diseases healed why should we be so unwilling to receive that which we seem with much earnestness to ask Will the Prisoner choose always to live confined will he fall in love with his Chains or be angry with him that comes to knock off his shackles Is the miserable Captive afraid of his liberty why do you hear pray and read to what purpose do you strive watch and hope Is it all for that which you tremble to have what report doth faith bring of an other World Doth it tell you that it is a Land of Darkness and sorrow or that it is a place of joy pleasure and happiness and what still loth to depart is this World the more desirable of the two and are thy sins and carnal Companions more lovely than Christ If the case be so then why dost thou talk of believing Is this your faith the truth of it is if this be thy case thou hast no great reason to be over desirous of leaving this World for I perceive thou hast built thy House here and dost not take Heaven for thy Rest but in case of absolute necessity thou thinkest it a more tolerable place than Hell and Torments But thou art not the Person that I have now to do with I shall speak a word or two to such by and by my errant it is to thee O praying and believing Saint I would fain hearten thee up a little that thou may'st shew the World that Heaven is not so sorry a preferment as that one should hardly be perswaded to accept of it but that it is indeed what the Scriptures Ministers and the Children of God say it is O contradict not your profession and let the wicked see that you have got something in an other World and that your happiness begins there where theirs ends You work hard and will you be afraid when Night comes to receive your wages I hope you will not say that the Lord is a hard Master and that his wages are not worth the receiving Let the wicked trouble and the enemies of God fear and let the workers of iniquity be afraid of their appearance before their Judge But let not the faithful subject dread his King the Wife her Husband nor the Child his Father I would sain argue my self and others out of those slavish fears Consider sâ—rs that now death hath lost its sting and the Grave its bitterness and a Saint if he will but be as careful in keeping his watch as he ought may be able to speak the same Language as Paul did O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor. 15 55. And to me to live is Christ and to dye is gain I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ If Death
were like to make a seperation between Christ and thee I should then be far from blaming these thy fears but I should rather wonder that they are not a thousand times greater But me-thinks a Soul that hath had many a sweet kiss from Christ that understands what he is worth and that hath some good reason to say my beloved is mine and I am his me-thinks I say such a one should not desire that the Day of Marriage should be protracted Sure were this but cleared it were nothing to dye but life it self would be as considerable an exercise of patience as any thing in the World let me therefore again expostulate the case with thee and do what I can to shake off those unwarrantable fears What is it that you are so much afraid of Is it of pains why when you are dead you will feel none they be the living which feel pains and I believe there are few living but at one time or other feel as much pain as some do in their death and if their pains be acute they are like to be short and if they be not acute they may be the more easily born Are you loath to leave your friends I hope God's Saints and Angels are other guess friends than any you have here You have a fine House and sweet conveniences alas 't is but a Hog-sty or a Dunghil if compared with Heaven But how shall I do for my Children what will become of them when I am dead and gone Why do you make nothing of God's promise Is not he a Father to the Fatherless And is it not his command that we should leave our Fatherless Children with him Can't God take as good care of them as you O but the Grave is a doleful place and who can think with any comfort of being nail'd up in a Coffin and covered over with Earth and of rotting under ground Why Man is the Resurrection no comfort to thee if there were no such thing this arguing were the more excusable who are you I pray that you should be priviledged above all the Kings and Monarcks since the beginning of the World which of them have secured themselves from the power of Death which of them could retain their breath a moment when Death had received his Commission to stop it Are you better than Abraham Isaac and Jacob did not David see corruption and the Fathers where are they nay did not Christ dye and dye so bitter a death as I believe never any from the foundation of the World ever did Must God make thee the third that must be singled out from Man-kind to be translated to Glory do you walk as Enock and Elias did and if you do I know you would then be so humble not to expect this prerogative and so full of love to God as to be contented to die if it were a hundred deaths so you might but enjoy him for ever And what say you now is there not a root of unbelief at the bottom is there not something of Atheism in this hath not the world a prevailing interest in your affections do you think you have not had time enough yet to sin would you sain displease God a little more do you imagine that you have not sufficiently abused his goodness if not what is the matter O I want Assurance did I but know that I am indeed reconciled to God then O then I could die as willingly as sleep The truth of it is there can be no other reason that can bear any great weight except this and a desire to glorifie God more in bringing in souls to him As for this latter I wave it few of my hearers being so much concerned in that as Ministers are but as for the former I would upon this account put you upon the most speedy and serious diligence in this work I believe the Apostle had some reason on his side when he did so earnestly perswade the people of God to use all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure and to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling Why then should not every Christian without delay set upon this And then the next news we should hear would be Come Lord Jesus why are thy Chariot wheels so long a coming O that I might but come to eternal life though thorough the valley of the shadow of death 'T is our trifling with God that makes the thoughts of our appearing before him to be so dreadful Our formality deadness and coldness our worldly mindedness and laziness doth us a world of injury This this disturbeth our peace this strengthens Satan and blurs our evidences and makes us go desponding into another world and this brings me to the next Use USE 5 Is it so that they are blessed that die in the Lord c. be hence exhorted to live so as that you may die in the Lord. Will you take so much pains for a little gains in this life and will you take none at all for eternal blessings How many hazardous voyages have some of you made to Ginnee and the East Indies to get Gold and Spices how many terrible storms have you been in and what inconceivable hazards have you run that you might enjoy your selves in age and have something to carry you comfortably and decently to your graves O why should you not be as solicitous in your soul concerns Remember my dear friends that you are bound for another world and you must ere long sail into the Ocean of eternity Consider what your laiding is and whether it will return to any account when you come home to your great Owner Methinks you of all men should think Grace the best commodity and Christianity the best trade and the securing of everlasting happiness the greatest wisdom How can you live within a few inches of death and look the King of terrours in the face every day without some well-grounded evidences of your interest in Gods love O who would not labour to get out of danger who would not think it a blessed estate to be beyond fears who can take it to be an unnecessary work to secure a soul is not this the one thing needful what should a man get if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul But you Professors above all it concerns you to make as sure as can be possible of something better than you can have here below What a lamentable thing would it be for you to undergo so many reproaches for Christs sake to venture your liberties and to hazard your estates and after all to be left in woful uncertainties It would be a dreadful thing to lose the comforts of both worlds O make sure work your pains and cost here will pay its own charges be not daunted 't is a thing hath been done what do you say will you take some pains in the examining of your heart will you
the latter end of my Book of Acquaintance with God which is now reprinted at present my advice shall be that you would follow them who thorow faith and patience are the inheriters of the promise and propose to your selves the examples of the most eminent Christians such as this precious young mans whose Funeral Rites we are now solemnizing and because examples are very cogent and affect most more than precepts I shall present you with an account of some of this holy young mans practices and experiences Take them therefore as I have gathered them by my own experience and intimate knowledge of him and as I have collected them out of many sheets of his own writings But let it not be thought I beseech you that out of custom or flattery I speak such Funeral Commendations were he but a Common Christian I would have sorbâ—rn speaking any thing of this nature for sear of hardening sinners I must deal plainly I abho that cursed flattery in commending all that are buried as if to die and to go to Heaven were all one I know many rotten posts are guilded many Sepulchres that are full of bones and putrified flesh are painted and many Professors are extolled at their death who did no good whâ—le they lived except it were the giving some pitâ—ful pittance to the poor when they could keep it no longer I question not but that thousands are praised upon earth that are condemned in Heaven and many applauded for Saints that will be found among the Devils and damned Expect it not therefore as a thing like to be usual with me to commend dead persons As I would judge none so I dare commend but few This only by way of Apology I shall come to the thing promised to propose some imitable passages of the life of T. M. 1. First He began to â—ook Heaven ward betimes he was made to remember his Creatour in the daies of his youth his first convâ—ctions were at about twelve years old but they had no abiding impression upon him the great work was begun to purpose between sevenâ—een and eighteen I shall be the more brief here because you have the account more full from his own hand The change that was wrought upon him did express more of the power of God and the riches of his grace than ordinary The Lord made his work upon him very clear and distinct for he broke in upon his soul like an armed man and shook him terribly â—veâ— Hell and the â—â—rrâ—urs of God set themselves â—n array against him and the poison of his arrows drank up his spirits sin did appear in its colour to him â—s ugly as the devil and as dreadful as Hell it self so that the foundation was laid in very deep huâ—â—â—lity O then how frightful a thing was sin yea his beloved sin the sin of gaming was made most loathsome and abominable so that for that he loathed himself in dust ashes and looked upon himself as unworthy to tread upon Gods ground and had not God ordered it so as that the first Sermon he heard after this great conviction was upon that Scripture 1 Tim. 1.15 he had even fallen into despair but the thoughts of Gods having mercy upon the chiefest of sinners did a little support his soul and gave him hopes of a possibility of being saved 2. This put him upon strong groans and prayers that the Lord would pitty him as ever he would pitty any poor creature in the World O that he would pitty him hast thou not a blessing for me O God even for me what shall I do now I am without God Christ or Grace my condition is such I cannot bear it who can be contented to be damned O pitty me pitty me dear Lord I cannot tell what in the world to do mercy mercy mercy or I am lost mercy speedily or I am lost for ever And so he continued in a way of duty reading and praying and inquiring and resolving thus to do all his dayes and now farewell wicked company farewell sports and vanity and idleness the great business of minding his soul now swallows him up and after a while he hath a little more peace than he had but upon further enquiry and waiting upon the means he was convinced thaâ— all this would not do without the Righteousness oâ— Christ And this brings me to the next thing 3. He was deeply convinced of the absolute necessity and excellency of Christ and brought oâ— from his own righteousness to high prizingâ— and admirings of Christ take his own words And is it true indeed hath Christ done and suffered such things for thee O my poor sinful vile odious polluted soul and what wilt not thou love him now Oh think a little what put him upon aâ— this was it any self interest is he any gainer by thee he got nothing but grief pain and death O my soul it was free pure and undeniable love that caused him to do and suffer what he did consider again O my soul what cause was there that he should make thee a partaker of the benefit of his blood what wast thou Oh a motâ— loathsome sinner and what wilt thou not yet love him O Lord I am ashamed of my own heart that I cannot raise it to the highest pitch oâ— admiration of that infinite boundless love Oâ— love love love O that I could love thee O Lord I would fain be sick of love O that I could dyâ— sick of love to thee O that I could feel thee warming my heart with that quickning blood which thou sheddedst upon the Cross O what love is like to that O my soul it was shed for thee who was an enemy a rebel a despiser of Christ awake O blessed spirit and blow upon my soul and kindle a fire which may burn with love to Christ to all Eternity Amen Amen 4. He did upon this in a serious and solemn manner give up himself to the Lord in a Covenant I shall not repeat the words of this Covenant because they are taken verbatim out of my book of Acquaintance with God and he subâ—cribed his name to it and kept it as a witness before the Lord and to quicken his own soul to a â—ore close walking with God according to the Arâ—â—cles of that Covenant 5. After he was gone thus far his bowels began â—o yern over his Christless friends some of which I perceive by his letters began to abuse him for his seriousness and to deride his strictness and jeer at his holiness shall I give you a taste of his spirit I cannot do it in warmer words than his own which are as followeth Yours I received but whether I dare to thank you for it I know not for truly I cannot express the trouble that hath since seised upon my spirit Oh poor soul what shall I say unto thee Oh my bowels my bowels they yern towards thee I am pained yea I am pained while I think upon thy condition what shall I
entring into the world but I had no sooner imbraced the motion but that very day I felt a change in my poor soul viz. a too too much letting out my thoughts upon it which I most perceived in duty and the devil who long waited his opportunity did then I am afraid not only parley but get entrance through the treachery and deceitfulness of my wretched heart and he told me that I might lawfully settle my mind upon this it being a business of great concernment and that it would be but a little while and then I should return to my former temper in spiritual matters upon those delusions my silly heart gave way and I found too much willingness of soul to place its concerns in that matter and so I laying down my watch soon lost my former experiences and every day I found my comforts on the ebbing hand I secretly departed from God and darkened the light of his countenance that did shine sometimes upon my soul and had not infinite grace put a seasonable word into your mouth to prevent me how had I fallen and whither had I gone I could not have thought it possible that ever my heart should decline so strangely as it did I that formerly could serve my Master faithfully cheerfully and comfortably did it grutchingly and not out of love though I never fell so far through grace as to neglect any thing of his businesses yet 〈◊〉 lost the right principles of action and the art of spiritualizing of civil affairs and this lasted for about three moneths It is scarce to be thought what perplexities I brought my self into by my back-sliding from God I have not time to declare things and had I it would be very unwelcome to you true I hope I did enjoy some communion with God when I was engaged in duties especially in that to be admired Ordinance of the Sacrament and Prayer but yet my comforts and duty usually ended together I hope the experience that I have had of the treachery of my own heart will make me carry a fence of my weakness and folly so as 〈◊〉 throw my self wholly upon the wisdom of God I have thus opened my soul to you O that the Lord who first for his own name sake shewed mercy to me when I deserved none would now look upon me in my low estate and consult the same bowels of pitty and compassion which are infinite past the sins of finite creatures O that he would heal my back-slidings and love me freely God is the same and changeth not and my hopes are that he will again return and visit my soul in mercy After this the Lord was pleased to come in again and he found his former comforts in some measure returning after a great deal of pains with his own heart and wrestling with God Hear what language he begins to speak again Blessed be God for what I do enjoy it is ten thousand times more than I deserve I hope the dew of the sanctuary doth oft refresh me and the blood of Jesus is my cordial when I sit at his Table he visits me and his banner over me is love I may speak it to the glory of rich grace that my heart is in a better frame than it was and I am more free from distractions in duty but yet I am far from that frame that I was once in my distemper it lyeth in want of those strong affections to God and that which hath made me so silent to you is the fear of hypocrisie lest my tongue should at any time out-reach my heart I might be far larger and yet speak none but his words this I think may prove that he was a very curious observer of his own soul and took notice of the least departures of his heart from God or Gods absenting of himself from him I might tell you what pains he took to prepare for the Sacrament and what exactness he used afterwards in taking notice how his soul was affected when it was not raised what care did he use till he found a fresh wâ—râ—nth heat and life animating of him I might tell you how frequent he was in that rare duty of meditation I speak not this without book many sheets of his meditations which I have by me shew that he was no stranger to those spiritual duties which few understand and fewer practise 9. He was greatly desirous to be reproved and watched over that of the Psalmist was oft in his mouth and written in his Letter Let the Righteous smite me and it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me and it shall be excellent Oyl which shall not break my head 10. He was much exercised in acts of mortification and self denyal he laboured to keep under his body to have the command of his passions and affections very temperate drinking water c. 11. He was frequently praising of God and speaking well of his wayes indeed his deportment was such that he credited Religion and commended the service of his great Master and made people to believe that Religion was an excellent thing and he justified wisdom and was able to say her wayes were pleasantness and her paths peace 12. He was a very good Husband of time one would wonder how one could roll over such a deal of business as he did not in the least neglecting his Masters affairs and yet that he should write such packets of letters and pen so many Meditations and be so very helpful to his brethren the young men How many Books did he read over and read them to the purpose so as to make them his own some of them five or six times over and if he had no company to dicourse with when he went abroad he lookt oft into his Pocket Book which was called Making Religion ones business 13. He had a strong affection for the faithful Ministers of Christ and was concerned when the Cloud began to threaten them that he ingaged all the Prayers he could for them that the Lord would blow over this storm and I am ready to think that this might hasten his end 14. He was greatly afraid of spiritual pride to this end he desired me to keep a watch over him and beseeched me to discover it to him when I did at any time discern the actings of it but though he had great parts and gifts above his age yet the fence of former sins and his curious observance of his heart and the fence of free grace kept him very low 15. He seemed to be possessed with the thoughts of death and Eternity He had a strong impression upon his spirit of the neerness of his end for about half a year before he dyed And 16. He was much above the fears of death and from a deep fence of the reallity of invisibles and his propriety in them he thought long for possession and he could say I desire to be dissolved and to be with Jesus On the Lords Day before he dyed he