the Eye Of th' Understanding Scripture-light to see The light of truth he unto them doth show That truth from error they may clearly know He shows what 's right what 's wrong what 's good what 's ill For to inform the Mind reform the Will. He takes them by the arms learns them to go And holds them that they reel not to and fro If thou art weak thy help on him is laid Who mighty is in straits a present aid Thou filthy art without unclean within He is a Fountain opened for sin Thou art diseased this Physician can Heal all Diseases incident to Man. This Man 's the Peace in midst of Enemies The heart's support under Infirmities He is the Ark in midst of a Deluge When wrath pursues a City of Refuge If thou art dead he 's life if lost salvation If comfortless he 's Israel's consolation Jesus is All by Jesus Name alone To Men is given God's salvation All they which are in him are justified Regenerate adopted glorified Come come to him and then thou shalt be free From condemnation and accepted be As Just through his Obedience to the Death Imputed to thee and receiv'd by Faith. Thy sins and guilt shall never thee confound Though they be sought for they shall not be found They are renew'd who are in him that 's true Old things are past and all things are made new Christ lives in them and Christ in them is found And to his Image they are all conform'd They die to sin they live to him who died And rose that they might be all sanctified As many as receive him who doth come To them they all the Sons of God become They have his Spirit they have access free To Grace and Abba Father they may cry They by his Name are call'd by him protected Provided for they 'r chast'ned and corrected Yet not cast off their Father's power and love Keeps-them to their inheritance above They all are Heirs of life perpetual Heirs and joynt-heirs with Christ the Heir of all They persevere and never fall away From Grace in which they firmly stand for ay For God's Foundation standeth ever sure He knows his own his love doth still endure There 's none there 's nothing whatsoever that Them from the love of Christ can seperate He will not leave them he doth promise make That he will not them leave nor them forsake They shall not leave the Lord for in their heart He puts his fear that they may not depart None can them pluck away they firmly stand As holden in the Son 's and Father's Hand Christ's Intercession which doth still prevail Procureth that their Faith shall never fail They persevere in Grace in Grace they grow From Christ in them moe benefits do flow Assurance of God's favour and his grace In midst of trouble inward rest and peace Of Conscience the joy of God's salvation Which makes them glory even in tribulation Their Souls at death are perfectly made free From sin to glory pass immediately Their bodies sleep in Christ in whom they have Rest till the Resurrection in the grave Then their vile body so by Death deform'd Shall to Christ's glorious body be conform'd The Soul and Body being unite shall be For ever with the Lord and clearly see His Glory in his Light they shall see Light There is no darkness there there is no Night Shadows are fled the Lattess here below Did well through which the Lord himself did show But when the perfect day is come and grace Is crown'd with glory they see face to face Not in a glass nothing doth interveen To mar their sight they see as they are seen And known there needs no Candle there Nor Moon nor Sun these lights are darkness where God's Glory shines and where the Lamb 's the light He fills the eye and perfect makes the sight In his own glory they his glory see And like him are because they perfectly Behold him as he is The Light Divine Inlightens them that like the Sun they shine They see his love it 's in their heart and eye That he is God their Soul doth taste and see And in his love the Spring of Life Divine They Water drink that 's better far than Wine Rivers of pleasures in upon them flow And fill their Soul throughout and overflow Yet do not drown These living waters give Eternal life to all who in them live Their love is perfect God's love makes abode In them they dwell in love and dwell in God. And then a whole Burnt-offering they prove Wholly inflam'd but not consum'd by love They 'r free from sin free from all that defiles From all temptations from all Satan's wiles No spot remains Holiness is perfect Here they lov'd cleanness there they wake in white No trouble 's there dishonour nor disgrace But perfect Glory Honour Rest and Peace There is no grief nor ought that can annoy Christ's Joy's in them they enter into Joy. No doubts perplex them nor suspicious fear For God's Name is in all their Fore-heads clear Come now to Christ and then he unto whom Thou comest will kindly thee invite to come Into his Kingdom yea he will thee own As a Joynt-Heir and thee with Glory Crown And which doth pass all admiration Thou shalt be fet with him upon his Throne They who will not come now must then be gone From Christ to Hell and to destruction For when the Lord whom now they will not hear Shall as great Judge at the great day appear His words shall thunder terror through their heart When they shall hear the dreadful Doom Depart Depart ye curst to fire unquenchable With Satan and his Angels execrable Where there is endless weeping fruitless tears Gnashing of teeth through anguish and where fears Consuming terrors horrors do abound Shame and contempt eternally confound There they who would not look to Christ the Light Shall be for ever shut out from his sight In utter darkness in an endless night Blackness of darkness shall them still affright They who despise his love shall drink his wrath And streams of Brimstone kindled by his breath The wine is wrath the wrath of God without All Mixture is unto them pour'd out Of Divine Indignation's dreadful Cup. They swallow wrath and wrath them swallows up With wrath and fury they are fill'd and drunk And in a lake of fire and brimestone sunk Their torments smoak ascendeth up for ever They have no rest their torment ceaseth never Now life and death are set before thee chuse What thou wilt take what thou wilt refuse Wilt thou fool turn eternal life to death Wilt thou refuse God's favour chuse his wrath And turn from Jesus Christ to go to Devils Refuse all good and chuse all sorts of evils Darkness prefer to light wilt thou refuse Rivers of pleasures streams of brimstone chuse If thou the God of Truth Love Mercy Grace Forsake and lying vanities embrace Thy conscience the worm that doth not die
back And not their face to thee and thus forsake The Spring of living waters and in vain Dig Cisterns which no waters can contain To love the loathsome lying in their blood To overcome their evil with thy good Of these who sought thee not lo thou art found Where sin aboundeth Grace doth more abound O wonderful that thy delights should be With Sons of Men from all Eternity Since thou art Love thy love must wondrous be For all is wonderful that is in thee Thy love most High doth far surpass in height The highest reach of Men or Angels sight It s endless length no finite eye can see For it is from and to Eternity But O the depth past diving Who can sound How low Love stoops O lowliness profound That the most High who cloathed is with light To which none can approach should from the height Of Glory which doth Heaven of Heavens transcend Unto the lower parts of Earth descend To take up fallen Man yea to take on Frail Humane Nature So that now the Son Of God is Man the Word is Flesh and thus Behold God is become like one of us In likeness of Man's sinful flesh God sent His own His only Son with this intent That he for us an Offering should be And bear our sins in 's body on the Tree All we like wandring sheep had gone astray The Lord on him did our transgressions lay The blameless Lamb dies for the Sheep who stray And did restore that he took not away He who is blest did bear the curse that we Who cursed are in him might blessed be He who knew no sin was made sin for us That we in him might be made righteous The Prince of life did die that so the dead In sins might by his death be quickened He taken was and bound to set us free He was condemn'd that we absolv'd might be He quietly did stripes and wounds endure That by his stripes he all our wounds might cure The trouble of his Soul his Agony Procur'd our Peace and Soul's Tranquility His Soul was exceeding sorrowful That we might joy that our joy might be full He was forsaken of his God that we Unto God's prefence might have access free His blood was shed Justice to satisfie To purge away all our iniquity His flesh is meat his blood is drink indeed On which poor hungry thirsty souls may feed He 's God and Man a Mediator meet To make the Peace and God and Man unite The fullness of the Godhead bodily Dwelleth in him what then can wanting be He 's full of Grace and Truth that empty we May from his fullness have compleat supply To us a Child is born a Son is given To us he came di'd rose and went to Heaven He 's all for us all who obey his call Shall find all in him who fills all in all In him is all that needy souls require All their salvation all their desire Why stayest thou O my soul Canst thou refuse What sayest thou What pretend'st thou for excuse Thy call is clear thou maist yea thou must come Thy Soveraign calls God faithful is by whom Thou called art unto Communion And Fellowship with Jesus Christ his Son. The Son invites thee spreading out his Hands He shews himself cries knocks and waiting stands Ho every one who thirsteth come he cries Come come he double triple multiplies Come unto me hear and your soul shall live Come weary souls I rest to you will give The Spirit says Come whosoever will Take living water freely drink thy fill Thus thou must love or hate come or rebel And all who hate Christ love Death Wrath and Hell. All who despise his Love revenging Wrath Shall them pursue unto Eternal Death Thus thou hast heard his voice now lift thine eyes Behold him who Behold behold me cries Behold the true God who is over all God blest for ever consubstantial With God the Father God's own only Son The Father 's daily delectation The brightness of the Father's Glory bright His Person 's express Image light of light Immanuel that 's plainly God with us God-Man One Person Great and Gracious The Lord of Lords the Prince and King of Kings The Sun of Righteousness who in his wings Hath Healing yea hath Life for he 's the Light Of Life who gives unto the blind their sight The great High-Priest who by the Eternal Spirit Offered himself a Sacrifice compleat All in him lovely is in him is all That lovely is All Good we should him call He 's God yet Man and near of kin to us Most High yet lowly Great yet gracious We sent not for him yet behold he 's come Think who he is who cometh and to whom He had no need of nothings who are less Than nothing Fullness comes to emptiness We made the breach we sinned yet his Grace Prevents us seeks our love intreats for peace This Plot of Love the Gospel doth reveal God was in Christ the world to reconcile Unto himself and then a Ministry Of Reconciliation we do see Intrusted to his Messengers of Peace To publish and make Offers of his Grace If we his Messengers slight and abuse We God himself despise slight and refuse He who despiseth them doth God contemn Since God himself beseecheth us by them Again my Soul consider thy estate While thou from Christ continues separate Lo thou art blind naked miserable Thou canst not help thy self but Christ is able To help and save even to the uttermost Those who are self-destroyed dead and lost His Name is Jesus He did get that Name Which speaks salvation because he came To save his people from their sins and from The dreadful everlasting wrath to come His Name is Christ that is to say anointed For he to save is fitted and appointed As it 's his Office so it is his Joy To save the lost and Satan's works destroy If thou art poor wouldst thou do him a pleasure Come with thy emptiness unto his Treasure Where thou wilt find Riches unsearchable Fine tried Gold and Substance durable Thy eyes are blind come unto him for he Hath Eye-salve which doth make the blind to see Art thou asham'd of thy vile nakedness Here 's fine white Raiment perfect Righteousness Thou art a Fool of wisdom destitute Like a wild Asses Colt a stupid Bruit Lo he is wisdom and is wisdom made Unto the foolish who no wisdom had Thou art by Nature darkness of the Night He is that light which maketh darkness light Thou errest and wandrest going still astray He is the truth the leader and the way The way of life the true new living way By which unto the Holiest come we may And by the blood of Jesus which makes peace With confidence may access have to Grace The true the faithful witness the Amen Is given for a leader unto men A just Commander and a gracious Guide From strangers on the Earth he will not hide But open up the Scripture clear
it brings death temporal death spiritual and death eternal Now because all men are poisoned with the poison of sin therefore all men must sleep of the sleep of death It is sin that hath poisoned all mankind Thirdly As a man when he goeth to sleep puts off his Cloaths and goeth naked into bed so it is with us when we come to die We came naked into the World and naked we must return As we brought nothing with us into the World so we must carry nothing with us out of the World And therefore Death in Scripture is called nothing else but an uncloathing of our selves as 2 Cor. 5.4 Death to a Child of God is nothing but the putting off of his Cloaths The Body of man is Animae vestimentum it is the Soul's cloathing and Death is nothing else but the uncloathing of the Soul It is just like a man going to bed and putting of his cloaths St. Peter calls it the putting off of our earthly Tabernacle 2 Peter 1.14 Our Bodies are the Souls Tabernacles and death is the putting off of this Tabernacle Beloved when we come to die we shall be stript naked of Three things First We shall be stript naked of all our Worldly Honour Riches and Greatness Secondly We shall be stript naked of our Bodies And Thirdly Which is above all we shall be stript naked of our sins and that is the happiness of a child of God he shall put off not only his mortal body but the body of sin Fourthly In the Fourth place observe As no man knoweth the time when he falls asleep a man falls asleep before he is aware so no man can tell the certain time when he must die There is nothing so certain as that we must die nothing so uncertain as the time when we shall die Death comes suddenly even as sleep comes on a man before he is aware Fifthly Observe as Children and Infants because they do not know the benefit of sleep are very loth to go to bed yea many times the Mother is fain to whip the Child to bed even so it is with most of God's People because they do not study the benefit of death That death puts an end to all our miseries and sins and opens a door to let us into everlasting happiness and that we shall never see God or Christ until we die I say because God's People do not study the benefit of death therefore they are like to little children loth to die Job 18.14 loth to go to bed and therefore Death is called the King of Terrors Death is terrible to many of God's Children because they are but Infants in Grace and because they do not know the benefits of death Sixthly Observe as when a man is fast asleep he is free from cares and troubles Let it thunder as it thundered not long since as you know yet a man that is fast asleep he hears it not Let the House be on fire while the man is asleep he sees it not neither is he troubled at it So it is with the death of God's Children When God's Children sleep the sleep of death they are free from the thunders of this World and from all cares and troubles they go to their Graves as to their Beds and rest in quietness and are not sensible of any troubles that are in this World for Abraham knows us not Isa 63.16 so 2 Kings 22.20 Thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evil that I will bring upon this place When a Child of God sleeps the sleep of death he doth not feel nor is he sensible of any of the calamities or sad providences of God upon the Earth Seventhly When a man goeth to sleep he goeth to sleep but for a certain time in the morning he awakes out of his sleep So it is with the sleep of death and therefore death is called a sleep because we must all awake in the morning of Resurrection We are in the Grave as in our Beds and when the Trumpet of God and the voice of the Arch-Angel shall sound we shall all arise out of our Graves as out of our Beds Death is but a sleep for a certain time Eighthly Sleep is a great refreshing to those that are weary and sick and when the sick man awakes he is more lively and chearful than he was before he fell asleep and therefore sleep is called Medicus laborum redintegratio virium recreator corporum the great Physician of the sick Body the renewing of man's Spirits the reviver of the weary Body And so it is with death When God's People awake out of the sleep of death they shall be more active for God than ever they were before When you lie down in the Grave you shall lie down with mortal Bodies as 1 Cor. 15.42 43. It is sown a mortal body but it shall rise up an immortal body it is sown in dishonour but it shall rise up in honour it is sown a natural body but it shall rise up a spiritual body Nithly As in the morning when we rise out of our Beds we then put on our cloaths so in the morning of the glorious Resurrection we shall put on a glorious Body like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ We shall put on Stolam Immortalitatis the Garment of Immortality Tenthly As no man when he lieth down to sleep knoweth the direct time when he shall awake so no man can tell when the Resurrection shall be They do but cozen you who say That the general Resurrection shall be such or such a year For as no man can know the minute when he shall awake out of his natural sleep no more can any man know when we shall arife from the sleep of death Eleventhly As it is a very easie thing to awake a man out of sleep it is but stirring of him and you will awake him quickly so it is with the sleep of death It is as easie for Jesus Christ to awake us out of the sleep of death as it is for you or me to awake a man out of his sleep in Bed Nemo nostrum tam facile excitat dormientem de lecto quam Christus jacentem in Sepulchro Twelfthly As when a man riseth in the morning tho he hath slept many hours nay suppose he could sleep twenty years together yet notwithstanding when he awakes these twenty years will seem to be but as one hour unto him So it will be in the day of Judgment all those that are in their Graves when they awake it will be tanquam somnus unius horae as the sleep of one hour unto them Lastly And most especially as sleep seizeth only upon the Body and the outward Senses but doth not seize upon the Soul. The Soul of man is oftentimes most busie when the man is asleep And God hath heretofore revealed most glorious things to his children in dreams when they have been asleep God
appeared unto Abraham and many others in dreams The Body sleeps but the Soul awakes So it is with the sleep of death it is the Body that dies but the Soul doth not die There are some men that are not afraid to teach you that the Soul sleeps as well as the Body and that when the Body dies and falls asleep the Soul likewise continues in a dull Lethargy Veternoso somno correptus neither capable of joy nor sorrow till the Resurrection Beloved this is very uncomfortable and a very false Doctrine They endeavour to prove it from my Text They say That when Stephen died he fell asleep It is true in regard of his Body he fell asleep but his Soul did not fall asleep That which was stoned fell asleep which was his Body only for when he was stoning he saw Jesus Christ standing ready to receive his Soul into Heaven Lord Jesus saith he receive my spirit Stephen's Soul could not be stoned tho his Body was stoned So when Jesus Christ was crucified his Soul was not crucified I mean when his Body was killed Indeed he did endure torments in his Soul which made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But yet his Soul did not die So when Stephen died his Soul went to Christ It is true when a child of God dies the Soul goes to sleep How is that The Soul goes to sleep in a Scripture sense that is it goes to rest in Ahraham's Bosome O blessed Sleep it goes to rest in the Embraces of God it goes into the Arms of its Redeemer it goes to the Heavenly Paradice it goes to be always present with the Lord. But take heed you do not say that the Soul sleeps in this sense viz. That it lies in a strange kind of a Lethargy neither dead nor alive neither capable of joy nor sorrow until the Resurrection Tho Stephen's Body fell asleep yet his Soul did not fall asleep but immediately went unto Jesus Christ in Heaven Thus I have given the Explication of the Words Now give me leave to make some Application of all unto our selves Use 1. If the death of God's children be nothing but a falling asleep then let this comfort us against the death of our godly Friends tho they die unnatural and violent deaths tho they be stoned to death tho they be burnt to ashes tho they be sawn asunder Here is a message of rich consolation which as a Minister of Christ I hold unto you this day viz. That the death of a child of God let it be after what manner soever it will it is nothing but a falling asleep He goes to his Grave as to his Bed And therefore our Burying-places are call'd our Dormitoria Sleeping-houses A child of God when he dies he lies down in peace and enters into his rest And as a man when he is asleep is free from all the cares and troubles that he hath in the day-time so the People of God when they are fallen asleep they are free from all the miseries and calamities crosses losses and afflictions that we are troubled withal Therefore give me leave to say to you as Christ did to the Women that followed him to the Cross bewailing and lamenting of him O daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children So I say weep not for those that are dead in the Lord that are fallen asleep in Jesus Christ They are at their rests they do not know the troubles that we are troubled withal Abraham remembers us not they are not sensible of our miseries and afflictions Let us weep for our selves and for the miseries that are coming upon us and let us know that when God's children die they do but lie in their Beds until the morning of the Resurrection and then they shall put on Stolam Immortalitatis the Garment of Immortality and their Bodies shall be made like unto the glorious Body of Jesus Christ And know one thing more which is all in all viz. That when the Body of a child of God falls asleep his Soul immediately goes into the Arms of Christ and there lives for ever in the Embraces of Jesus Christ Tho the Body falls asleep yet the Soul is received into Abraham's Bosom I beseech you comfort one another with these words Use 2. Let me beseech the people of God that they would look upon death not as it is presented unto us in Natures Looking-glass but as it is set down in a Scripture-dress Nature presents death in a very terrible manner and it is true death is very terrible to a man out of Christ but to you that are in Christ the sting of death is taken away Death is nothing else but a quiet and placid Sleep putting off our cloaths and going to Bed till we awake in the morning of Resurrection Death to a child of God is nothing but a putting off his Earthly Tabernacle a going from an Earthly Prison into an Heavenly Palace a hoising up Sail for Heaven the letting of the Soul out of Prison as a Bird out of a Cage that it may fly to Heaven a change from a Temporary Hell to an Eternal Heaven a going out of Egypt into Canaan and therefore called 2 Pet. 1.15 not mors hominis but mors peccati not the death of the man but the death of his sins it is Sepultura vitiorum it is the Pilgrim's Journeys end the Seaman's Haven an absence from the Body and a presence with the Lord. Let all God's People look upon death through Scripture-Spectacles and consider it as it is sweetly represented in this Text. Remember blessed Stephen stoned to death and yet falling asleep and remember also that Excellent Saying of St. Austin That a child of God should be as willing to die as to put off his cloaths because death is nothing else to him but a Sleep and a departure from misery to everlasting happiness Use 3. Is to beseech you all every night when you go to Bed to remember this Text and especially these Four things First When you are putting off your cloaths remember you must shortly put off your Bodies And Secondly When you go into your Beds remember that it will not be long before you go into your Graves And Thirdly When you close your Eyes to sleep remember that it will not be long before death must close your Eyes And Fourthly When you awake in the morning remember that at the Resurrection we must all arise out of the Grave and that the just shall arise to everlasting happiness but the wicked to everlasting misery It is the saying on a Heathen man That the whole Life of a man should be nothing else but Meditatio Mortis a Meditation of Death And it is the saying of Moses Deut. 32.29 O that men were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Beloved it is the greatest part of Wisdom every day to remember our latter
find A hiding place to hide him from the wind And they whom a tempestuous storm doth beat With pleasure to a covert make retreat Tho thirsty when in a dry place they see Rivers of waters thither they will flee If travellers see a great high Rock stand In a Sun burnt and scorched weary land Tho they be weary yet they mend their pace To find in its cool shadow some solace The drowning man longs at the Rock to be The chased man into a strength doth flee Yet all these things when they together twist Are but meer shadows when compar'd with Christ He is the Truth true Light true Life true Food A refuge from all ill He 's all that 's good To buy this Pearl all things are wisely sold For it 's a treasure that cannot be told Riches unsearchable in Christ do meet In this one Pearl all treasures are unite Earth's Riches upon which poor worldlings dote Tho they appear to be yet they are not They are uncertain yea uncertainty And certainly they will make wings and fly They are but shadows when they seem to stay And are found nothing when they flee away These many things to nothing do amount When in Death's shadow men cast the account Oft-times in life these Riches take their wing When death is come they signifie nothing Except to vex the rich they cannot free From death nor him in death accompany But here true wealth riches unsearchable Eternal riches substance durable With many things vex not thy heart or head Since in one Pearl all good is treasured Rest not in hear-say come himself behold And thou shalt see much more than hath been told Buy without price or money O! cheap rate And calculate for our poor mean estate Sure it 's free grace which hath this match made Where all things good may be for nothing had Put to thy hand fear not thou maist be bold Since he himself commands thee to take hold Since sweetness better by the taste than eye Or ear is known O come and taste and see How good the Lord is eat that which is good Fatness and Marrow soul-delighting food Drink wine that 's well refined on the Lees Drink poverty away and miseries Be filled with the Spirit do not fear Lest thou exceed there is no excess here Drink thirsty soul and drink abundantly He who drinks most liveth most soberly This drink doth not the sence and head confound It clears the eyes makes mind and judgment sound It doth not pervert but right the heart And from all evil to all good convert They reel not for the Spirit doth them lead They safely go their paths are stablished Their Mirth 's not madness it is solid pure Ends not in sadness but doth still endure They who are filled with the Spirit rejoice Make melody to God with heart and voice They Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs do sing Give thanks to God through Christ in every thing These Joys begin the perfect melody Which is above come taste and sing and see Ah carnal wretch who knows no other Feasts But such as common are to men with beasts Who seeks no better meat nor better drink Than what corrupts and turns to filth and stink Thy belly is thy God thy glory shame Thy pleasure is the shadow of a dream Which goes in coming when it comes it goes And leaves a filthy stain upon the soul It leaves a sting for thy vexation And guilt which binds to condemnation Thy momentary mirth thy pleasures vain Brings on most real and eternal pain Thy fill is emptiness thy mirth is madness The laughter of a fool that ends in sadness Thy fleshly lusts tho they seem to delight Against thy soul most fiercely they do fight Their fond embraces are death's cruel grasps Their seeming sweetness is the gall of Asps The money 's spent for that which is no bread But is the bane whereby thou' rt poisoned Thy labour 's spent for vexing vanity Which doth torment but cannot satisfie When wilt thou come unto thy self and say Ah! I am famished I pine away With hunger I am cheated poisoned I feed vile lusts by them I 'm murthered I hear of bread indeed and bread to spare And of a Feast where all things ready are Since I am called shall I not make haste And run before I die But Oh! the Feast And the Feast-maker are just at my hand Before the door tho closed he doth stand He knocks and doth me lovingly invite Since he 's so near alas shall we not meet If any man what ere he was before My voice hear and to me open the door I will come in and sup with if he Poor thing have nothing he shall sup with me These are his words if I had ears to hear Lord open them give me the hearing ear Since Lord thou art so near do not depart Stand not without ah shall a door us part Make the King's Keys or since thou' rt not for breaking Right the split lock it is of thine own making I have it split it will not budge nor gee For any thing that can be done by me Lord thou canst mend it put thy hand within Open my closed heart thou know'st the gin When David's Key in thy Almighty Hand Doth open none can shut or thee withstand Come in O mighty one and dispossess Satan and Lust which do my soul oppress Of thy own goodness Lord the Feast provide Enlarge my heart and my mouth open wide And fill it for both hunger and the fill Proceed from the good pleasure of thy will. Without thee I am nothing nothing have And nothing good can think will do or crave Unless thy Spirit help my infirmity And grace perfect all that concerneth me I cannot come except that I drawn be Draw me O Lord and I will come to thee O wretched sinner cry for mercy cry When Christ the Son of David is so nigh Blind Bartimeus heard that Christ past by He takes the tide and doth for Mercy cry Many did think his crying a disgrace And charged him that he should hold his peace But he the more did lift his voice and cry O Son of David mercy have on me Jesus stood still he thought it not a shame To be thus call'd but answer'd to his Name The Beggar being called made no stay But in his haste did cast his Cloak away He seeks for sight obtaineth his request He came in faith in love he follows Christ Let nothing which Devils or Men can say Scare thee cast all impediments away Since the great Master calls make no delay Turn a deaf ear to all who him gain-say Do as the woman of Canaan did From whom Christ tho retir'd could not be hid She crieth out Have mercy on me Lord Christ hears her cry but answers not a word And when he speaks his words discourage more Than did the silence which he kept before I am not sent but to Israel 's lost sheep Says
makes changes strange of things It life from death sweet from bitter brings Peace out of trouble out of darkness light Out of the Eater meet from grief delight What of it self did to destruction tend Grace makes it in salvation to end As for Christ's Cross be not at it offended For it can never be enough commended O! it 's a holy pleasant stately thing To be conform'd to him in suffering Remember oft his oft repeated word The Servant is not greater than his Lord It is enough and very fair that he Who 's a Disciple as his Master be Is thy condition mean canst thou not find Accommodation unto thy mind Hast thou no harboury no house nor hold To shelter thee from storms look and behold The First-begotten to the world brought in In an Out-house and not into the Inn. He unto whom the Angels worship paid Is in a Manger not a Cradle laid Foxes have holes and each fowl hath its nest Christ had not whereupon his head to rest Want'st thou wherewith to buy thy daily bread Some of their substance to him ministred Or art thou from thy Native Soil exil'd Christ driven was to Egypt when a child Art thou reproached Vile iniquities Were cast on him calumnies and lies Vile drunkenness sensual gluttony Collusion with Devils blasphemy Madness deceit and friendliness to vice And all that crafty malice could devise Was charg'd on him whom they proclaim'd abroad An Enemy to Coesar and to God. Do Friends turn Foes or do they faint and flee From thee in straits to Jesus turn thine eye His own Disciples did leave him alone They to their own were scattered and gone He was by Judas traiterously betrayed By Peter thrice most shamefully denied Art thou a Prisoner and hardly used Pursu'd to death and scornfully abused Christ as a Thief was apprehended bound As a mock-King in purple cloath'd and crown'd With pricking Thorns a Reed put in his hand As a mock-Scepter then they do command That he hood-wink't should tell who did him smite To shew at him as Prophet their despite They spit on him and scourge him cruelly And lead him out upon a Cross to die A lingring shameful painful cursed death On which he bore our sins and divine wrath These were the weights that did his soul distress His sweat was blood when bruised in this press The Cross as Christ hath left it we may say Is light Christ took its greatest weight away He wrath the bitterness of death drunk up And left no vengeance in his peoples cup For wrath and death he love and life puts in Which Marab's waters make more sweet than wine Take up his burden it is light and meet And drink his cup it healthful is and sweet To bear about the dying of sweet-Jesus Will not us kill but quicken strengthen ease us They 're highly honoured who suffer shame For Jesus sake and for his glorious Name Reproach for Christ is Riches much more great Than Egypt's Pleasures Treasures Honours State Shame for him honour is and loss is gain In death for him is life and ease in pain When all day long they 're killed for his sake Like sheep for slaughter burned at a stake They Conquerors and more than Conquerors prove Through him who them eternally doth love Turn thine eyes from the dark side of the Cross On which appears dishonour pain and loss And turn upon the lightsome side thine eye Where pleasure gain and glory thou maist see Christ's own Example will us best direct How of the Cross to take a right prospect The Son of man is glorified he said And God in him is also glorified If God in him thus glorified be God shall in him himself straight glorifie He Glory saw in being crucified He saw God by his suffering glorified He saw the heavenly glory to ensue Keep still this Triple Glory in thy view Sigh not then at the Cross as sad and sorry But shout in triumph Glory glory glory Live to God's Glory for his Glory die It is thy Glory God to glorifie If by thy death God glorified be Thou shalt in Glory live eternally They who with Christ do suffer with him reign And bearing palms eternal triumph sing If for the Name of Christ reproach'd thou be The Spirit of God and Glory rests on thee These momentary crosses which are light Work endless Glory of exceeding weight Yet go not from thy way to seek a cross Follow thy calling to God's way keep close That Cross which thy wise Lord for thee thinks meet Is in thy way in the great King 's High-street That thou must take it up or else go wrong Medling in what doth not to thee belong If in thy sufferings thou wouldst have delight See that thy call be clear the cause be right Take up thy Cross in Christ's Name and his strength That of thy race thou maist run all the length Pray to be strengthen'd by his glorious might To suffer with all patience and delight Tho thou wert burned yet if thou hast not Love burning will not profit thee a Jot Unto thy hungry Enemy give food Love those who hate thee vanquish ill with good And pray that those who do impoverish thee With the true riches may enriched be That they who cause thee wander far abroad May from their wand'ring be reclaim'd to God. Those who from Earth pursue thee till thou die Endeavour to draw them to Heaven with thee Our blessed Lord when hanging on the tree Prayed for those who did him crucifie He to his Father for their pardon pray'd And did say for them all that could be said How far was Stephen from leaving of his death On those who ston'd him witness his last breath He kneel'd and cri'd this sin Lord do not lay To their charge Thus in love he slept away O lovely blessed sleep O sure 't will be A heavenly thing in love to live and die Love is the way to Heaven love is the flame In which the soul surmounts the starry frame This is the work and life of Saints above To love and loved be for God is love He 's light and love he freely doth impart Light to the mind and goodness to the heart With his resplendent Glory fill thine eye And in his goodness place thou all thy Joy. Come see and taste Come come and taste and see With goodness fill thy heart with light thine eye The Father Son and Spirit Persons three Who are in Essence one do call on thee To come from dolesome darkness unto light From ill to good from sorrow to delight From death to life from guilt to righteousness From the vile filth of sin to holiness From want to fullness from weights which thee load To rest and ease from Satan unto God From Hell to Heaven from lusts base drudgery To that high service God to glorifie Not that we can unto his Glory add For it is boundless He hath ever had And hath and shall have to
end That man is the only wise man and happy man in life and death that is ever mindful of his end But before I make an end I must propound one Question viz. whether the death of the wicked be not in Scripture compared to a Sleep as well as the death of the godly I answer That wicked men in Scripture are said to fall asleep when they die It is said of Idolatrous Jeroboam that he slept with his fathers of Baasha and Omri those wicked Kings that they slept with their fathers But then the Question will be In what respect is the death of the wicked compared to a Sleep Ans Even as a man which is asleep sometimes hath no benefit rest or ease thereby when the sick man awakes he is many times more sick than he was before he went to sleep Some men are much disquieted in their sleeps by hideous and fearful dreams Nebuchadnezzar when he was asleep had a most scaring dream and was amazed therewith So it is with a wicked man death to a wicked man is a Sleep but it is a terrifying Sleep The Soul that goes immediately to Hell where it is burned with fire that never shall be quenched and where the Worm that never dies is always gnawing upon it The Body that indeed lies asleep in the Grave But how Even as a Malefactor that sleeps in a Prison the night before he is to be executed but when he awakes is hurried and dragged to Execution So the wicked man falls asleep in death but when he awakes he awakes to everlasting damnation but a child of God when he sleeps the Sleep of death he sleeps in his Father's House and when he awakes he awakes to everlasting happiness Use 4. And this makes way for the Fourth and last Use which Use is of very great consequence and that is to beseech all that you labour so to live that when you fall asleep you may sleep an happy Sleep There is the Sleep that the wicked man sleeps when he dies and there is the Sleep that the godly man sleeps when he dies Now I beseech you labour so to live that when you fall asleep your Sleep may be an happy Sleep unto you that when you awake in the morning of the Resurrection it may be a good awaking for you But then the great Question will be How shall I do this Ans I shall give you Four or Five helps for this First If you would sleep an happy Sleep at death then you must labour to sleep in Jesus Christ It is said 1 Cor. 15.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ And 1 Thes 4.14 If we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him What is it to sleep in Jesus To sleep in Jesus is to die in the Faith of Jesus Christ 2. To sleep in Jesus Christ is to die with an Interest in Jesus Christ to die as a Member united to Christ as our Head For you must know that the dust of a Saint is part of that man who is a Member of Jesus Christ and every believer when he sleeps in the dust he sleeps in Jesus Christ that is he lies in the Grave and his dust is part of Christ Mystical and Christ as an Head will raise it up and cannot be compleat without it Now then if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep labour to get a real Interest in Christ labour to live in Christ while you live and then when you fall asleep you shall be sure to sleep in Jesus There are many that would have Christ to receive their Souls at death and that say with dying Stephen Lord Jesus receive my spirit But if ever you would have Christ to receive your Souls when you die you must be sure to receive him into your Souls whilst you live If ever you would have him to receive you into Heaven you must receive him into your hearts No man makes a Will but he saith Imprimis I bequeath my Soul to Jesus Christ my Redeemer But how dost thou know that Jesus Christ will accept of this Legacy If thy Soul hath not Christ's Image upon it if it be not regenerated and renewed Jesus Christ will never own it Thou maist bequeath it unto Christ but the Devil will claim it Beloved if ever you would reign with Christ when you die he must reign in you whilst you live and if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep you must live in Jesus that you may sleep in Jesus 3. In the Third place if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep at death then you must take heed of overcharging your self with worldly cares A man that is full of cares cannot sleep They lay as the Proverb is all their cares under their Pillow they labour to shut all cares out of their mind O take heed that you do not murder your selves by the cares of the World. Beloved a man that eats out his heart with Worldly Cares will never sleep an happy Sleep the Cares of the World will choak all the good Seed of the Word of God And therefore as men when they go to sleep lay aside all Worldly Thoughts so if ever you will sleep an happy Sleep take heed of overmuch carking and caring for the things of this World And remember what you have heard this day and that will regulate and moderate all your cares Naked you came into the World and naked you must go out of the World. Why should we take care for that we know not who shall enjoy after us 4. If ever you would sleep an happy Sleep when you die you must take heed of sucking too much of the pleasures of this World. A man that eats a full supper will sleep very disquietly Therefore they that would sleep quietly use to eat light suppers For when a man's stomach is over-charged it takes away his quiet Sleep from him So if you would sleep an happy Sleep when you come to die O take heed of sucking too much the Pleasures of this Life take heed of eating too large a Meal of Worldly Delights and of Creature-Comforts These Worldly Pleasures will make the Sleep of Death unquiet unto you O! let not Dalilah's lap deprive you of Abraham's bosome Remember that David by Bathsheba's Embraces lost the Embraces of God I mean the sence of the Embraces of God the joy and comfort of them Fourthly If ever you would sleep an happy Sleep in death then labour to work hard for Heaven while you live O how delightful is Sleep to a weary man When a man hath taken pains all the day as the Traveller that hath travelled all the day or the Plowman that hath been at work all the day how quietly how soundly doth he sleep in the night O beloved if ever you would sleep an happy Sleep at death then work out your salvation with fear and trembling and give all diligence to make your calling
Shall torture thee to all eternity Now tell me Soul what thy Objections are Is it Christ's Yoke Rod Cross that doth thee scare His Yoke is easie and his Burthen light His Laws not grievous but the Soul's delight All his Commandments are holy just good And better far than thy appointed food They sweeter than the Honey-Comb shall prove For all his Laws are summed up in love The love of God who is the chiefest good And of our Neighbour our own flesh and blood To the in hatred is on Earth a Hell But it 's a Heaven on Earth in love to dwell Shouldst thou not love the Lord with all thy heart Who goodness is and doth good impart With all thy soul since he 's the God alone Which to the soul gives satisfaction With all the mind for he doth fill the mind And cannot be by finite thoughts confin'd With all thy strength Thy Powers are not able Him to desire as he is desirable Tho all thy soul to th' utmost thou extend It cannot boundless goodness comprehend Love sweetly joins the heart to God alone And other gods before him will have none It will have none on Earth or Heaven above But God for its desire delight and love The Spouse disdains this is love's holy pride By Christ's companions to turn aside To please the Lord love doth the soul dispose And with his will in every thing to close Love worship's God according to his mind And loves to be within his will confin'd Love fears his Jealousie and stands in awe To take ought from or add ought to his Law. It casts all worship forged by man's will And doth the sale of Idol-mongers spill Love God and then his glorious Name to thee As precious Ointment poured out will be Strongly yet sweetly Love will thee restrain From taking his most holy Name in vain Love God so Sabbath-days from morn till night Shall be by thee accounted a delight These Sabbaths of the Lord are holy blest Love's tristing times Feast-days and days of Rest Then the beloved blesseth Saints with grace And glory then they see his lovely face He entertaineth them in holy rest Days in his Courts of all days are the best From love to God neighbourly love doth flow From this sweet root this pleasant plant doth grow Since man was made in Gods similitude Since all men are of the same flesh and blood It 's for God's honour and our own behoof That we our Neighbour as our selves should love The light of Nature cries it's righteous To do as we would men to do to us If thou thy neighbour love thou wilt delight To keep him blameless and to do him right Love turns Superiors to Fathers kind And makes them of a condescending mind Love bounds their wrath moves to commiseration Love tempers rigour pleads for moderation When Justice matcht with Mercy sweetly reign Then all of Justice and of Mercy sing Blest is the land in which the law of love Doth rule in those below and those above Love maketh Equals deal with one another As every one were one another's brother Where Love prevaileth in inferiors It makes them kindly honour higher powers Love envies not superiors higher place But doth in God's Order still acquiesce Love maketh Subjects patient and mild Like to a kindly tender hearted child Who tho injur'd with grief and shamefac'dness Conceals his Father's faults and nakedness Love maketh man abhor man's blood to shed â—ince God hath man in his own Image made To sinful Anger Hatred Envy Spite Malice Revenge Love is most opposite Pure love destroys vile filthy lusts and flies From Fornications and Adulteries â—t purifies the heart and guards the eye And will not wrong a Neighbour's chastity He who is loving seeks his Neighbour's wealth And wrongeth none by Rapine or by stealth Love is most tender of a Neighbour's Name It thinks no evil and will not defame It loveth truth and doth abhor all lies False-witnessing reproaches calumnies Love is contented well with its own lot And what belongs to others covets not It 's opposite to the first inclinations Which tend to ill to sinful delectations Since Love's the end and sum of all the Law It 's pleasant in Love's easie yoak to draw The Law of Love is holy good and just But Oh! the lawless Law of sin and lust Like to a stinking humour spoils the taste Of Lust-sick men that the sweet food distaste To man's stiff Neck which galling lust doth spoil The Yoak seems hard which softer is than Oil. Yea no meer man is able since the Fall To keep these perfect Laws but breaks them all And every sin deserves God's curse and wrath Both in this present life and after death Yet O poor sinner turn not desperate Since with the Father there 's an Advocate Even Jesus Christ the Righteouss who hath Fulfill'd the Law appeas'd revenging wrath He hath the Law establisht answered All that it did demand or threatned Justice hath found a Ransom in the Son Full satisfaction for transgression He under lay the curse that he might free All from the curse who unto him do flee Come unto him who is the Lord's salvation And thou shalt not come into condemnation For all sins of omission and commission Thou shalt receive a full and free remission He will take off thy rags of filthiness And cloath thee with white robes of righteousness Was ever Traitor so perverfly mad To slight a pardon when it might be had To seek for cautioneis poor debters run Wilt thou an able off'red Surety shun Art thou with sins too heavy burden prest Come weary soul and Christ shall give thee rest Art thou for foughten and quite out of breath With the old man that man of sin and death Groan unto him that he may pity thee Say I 'm opprest Lord undertake for me He who cri'd out O wretched man am I Within a little sung of Victory Cry Help Lord sins prevail against me do Purge me subdue them and them quite undo Since without him thou canst do nothing right Be strong in him in the power of his might When thou com'st up out of the wilderness Lean upon him lean on him all thy stress Would thou have peace and comfort come to Jesus He is the peace and he alone can ease us By Faith receive him to dwell in thy heart He will thy conscience purge and ease its smart Take him as off'red in the Gospel-Call With this great gift the Father giveth all Stay wholly on him rest on him alone For to accomplish thy salvation To save thee from all sin and misery And with all goodness thee to satisfie Is not this work of Faith the hearts delight Is not this labour ease this burden light A hungry thirsty man will never think That it 's a grievous work to eat and drink It 's easing to a man with loads opprest To be disburden'd and to find a rest The wind tost traveller is glad to