is come indeed Believers are engaged in a Warfare and they must stand to their Arms and be upon Duty till the Captain of their Salvation call them off in order to their crowning They have need of Patience that they may act and fight and suffer unweariedly Hark to the Apostle Heb. 10. 36 37. For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry All our life long by patient continuance in well doing we must seek for glory and honour and immortality and then upon our dissolution we shall lay hold of that life which is eternal In the second place I am to lay down the Reasons why 't is the Saints practise to wait for their change 1. Because the coming of it is so certain in it self and so uncertain as to the time when 't will be All our cares cannot prevent our Change Death will surely come The Decree concerning it is much more unalterable than those of the Medes and Persians Dan. 6. 12. But the time of its approach is concealed To some it comes in the evening of their Age to some at mid-day to some in the very morning of their time All graves are not of a length Some old and that 's no wonder some Infants and some in their greatest vigor have been struck down by Death and shall rise no more till the last day All therefore at all times should be watchful 2. The spiritual advantage is vastly great which follows upon serious waiting for their change Waiting for Death will make men flee from sin When Satan speaks of sin's pleasure and gain if answer be made O but at death will sin be thought pleasant and gainful This will be enough to silence him Waiting for Death will make this World contemptible When Esau was at the point of Death he cries out What profit will this birth right do me Gen. 25. 32. So if we have Death in our eye we shall cry out What profit will the World then do us when we are just about to leave it Again Waiting for death will keep our Affections moderate neither grief nor joy will be excessive about earthly things Christ will be the more prized and Heaven more longed for 3. The misery is inconceivable which falls upon them who never thought of Death so as to be prepared for it It is terrible in it self but hell following after it has ten thousand times a more terrible second Death is sent unto the ungodly in wrath as an Excecutioner they dye as malefactors The righteous indeed are cut down as Corn that is fully ripe that it may be gathered into the barn Mat 13. 30 But Death hews down the wicked as a man fells fuel for the fire they are evil trees that cumber the earth Luk. 13. 7. Cut it down why cumbereth it the ground And immediately they become eternal feul for those flames that never can be quenched Vse 1. Of Reproof to those who can't endure to think of Death or if they do make an ill use of it Many quite banish the thoughts of dying they are resolved to live wickedly and don't care to consider that such a life will end nor to consider how 't will end The Rich Man had Death quite out of his thoughts and reckon'd upon living many years in which he should take his ease eat drink and be merry When Death was entring in at his door and his Soul just ready to be required God calls this man a fool and after he was out of the World he saw reason to call himself by that Name for ever Others also are sharply to be reproved who because they must dye are resolved to indulge the Flesh while they may What profane frantick Epicures were they who said Let us eat and drink to day for we shall die to morrow Vse 2. Of Exhortation to the imitation of Holy Job in tbe Text. Let me perswade you all All the days of your appointed time to be waiting for your Change Have many a solicitous thought whither it is that Death will send you Ask your Souls whither they are likely to go when they dislodge and leave this Earthly Tabernacle Dye you must 't is dreadful to dye in sin and few dye otherwise Prepare I beseech you for that which you cannot avoid 'T is in vain when death is within view to plead thus O Death I never thought of thy approach none of my main work alas is done I am utterly unfit to go to the Judgment-Seat If I dye now I dye miserable and shall be miserable for ever Death comes at Gods command and whether you are prepared or unprepared when God says Strike it cannot hold its hand Think of this and let Death find you ready come when it will Two things you are here to be advised to 1. Let there be a looking to Jesus to take out the Sting of Death Believe in him that he may give you Victory over this last Enemy Christ can deliver you from the Curse of the Law now the Law the Apostle tells you is the strength of Sin as Sin is the Sting of Death Apply and relie upon the Blood of Jesus to be Justified and to be Saved from Wrath. The Apostle desired to be sound in Christ and if Death find you in him it may kill you but it can't hurt you nay if you are in Christ and live to him Death will be gain and greater gain than while you live you can conceive 2. Look unto Jesus to be freed from that bondage which is caused by the fear of dying Heb. 2. 14 15. You cannot be compleatly happy while you live because you will remain incompleatly Holy Study the vanity of every thing that makes you fond of Living Clear up your interest in Jesus Christ and preserve Conscience clear and peaceable And let your Eye be after your Risen and Ascended Lord who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore that so you may long to go to him to be with him in those mansions he is gone to prepare O beg for Conquest over your Fears and that you may see heaven plainly by the Eye of Faith and heaven open and Christ ready to receive your Spirits assoon as you have put off your sleshly Tabernacle Life is then lead in peace when Death ceases to be dreaded and becomes desirable An Epitaph upon Mrs. Martha Thompson Her Name was Martha but she had the Heart Of Mary for She chose the Better part In patience meekness humbleness of Mind She did Excel the most of Womankind She waited for her Change which being Come She 's at her Blisful and Eternal Home Her Friends lament they 've lost her whereas She Has bid Farewel World Sin and Misery FINIS Books Published by Mr. Nathanael Vincent Sold by T. Parkhurst 1. The Spirit of Prayer with directions to attain the Gift 2. Worthy walking the Call of the Gospel 3. Heaven or Hell upon Earth in a Discourse concerning Conscience 4. The little Childs Catechism with several short Histories 5. Mr. Janeway's Funeral Sermon 6. Mrs. Bakers Funeral Sermon 7. The True Touch-stone which shews both Grace and Nature
flames as are in Hell and yet even that is denied The ungodly that are taken out of the World had time afforded them but they were such Fools as to spend it all in Sin and Vanity and now no more shall be granted for further Trial after Eternal Punishment has overtaken them Vse 1. If a Change is coming which will put an end to Time See the vanity of things Temporal The Apostle thought them not worth his love nay not worthy of a look 2 Cor. 4. 18. We look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal The wise Man because of the Non-continuance of Earthly things charges them with a Non-existence that he might disgrace them and shew the unreasonableness of being eager after them Prov. 23. 4 5. Labour not to be rich cease from thy own wisdom Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle towards heaven And it may truly be said that Honours and Pleasures have as swift wings as Riches Vse 2. Study how vain you your selves are Let Man cease from himself from being conceited of himself from trusting in himself for his breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of Isa 2. ult Man was the Cause why the Creature was made subject unto vanity Rom. 8. Now the Philosopher says Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud est magis tale The fire that makes the water hot has a greater heat in it self and if Man was the cause of the Creatures Vanity certainly in a sense he is the vainest Creature This methinks should hide Pride from Man and make him very humble since the Psalmist speaks generally of all though in the most exalted Earthly State that they are Vanity in the Abstract Psal 39. 5. Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah Vse 3. Remain not under the guilt and dominion of Sin which will make Death a Change so very dreadful Come unto Jesus in whom both Strength and Righteousness is to be found that you may be delivered from Sins Power and escape Sins Punishment Remember that Sin is the very Sting of Death and merits Hell that all its gains and pleasures are deceitful Oh hasten from under the Curse it deserves and the bondage of it If you hear and believe on the Son of God he will make you free indeed from Sin which is indeed the greatest evil Remember Death both first and second are Sins Wages will you any longer serve it Oh change your Master quickly and have your fruit to holiness and the end eternal life Vse 4. Think it not strange when relations are taken away and sorrow not as without hope when you have good reason to hope that they sleep in Jesus Valerius Maximus l. 5. c. 10. tells that when Anaxagoras was told of the loss of his son he replied you tell me of nothing unexpected Ego enim illum ex me natum sciebam esse mortalem I knew my son to be but mortal If an Heathen speakes thus shall Christians shew less strength and patience that children and other relations dye is no marvel that they live so long and that the change of such frail creatures does come no sooner is the greater wonder The better our relations are their loss is the greater but yet the greatest loss may be born with greatest patience understanding how gainful death is to them It was the desire of that excellent Christian lately deceased that her Funeral Sermon might be preached on a Lords-day because more might hear and be awakened and made serious and profit by hearing It was far I am confident from her desire to be publickly commended but those that least desire do best deserve commendation There were several gracious qualities which God had endued her with which I think it useful to mention that others may be brought into an imitation 1. I begin with her humility She had low thoughts of her self was very sensible of her imperfections and that by the grace of God she was what she was Though her estate was very plentiful yet she did not affect a flanting garb but went like a daughter of Sion not of Sodom I never saw a Bull-Tower or a Curl upon her forehead She took more pains about her heart then to dress and adorn her head All that did observe her must needs acknowledg that she had very much of that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 2. She valued the Ministry and Ordinances of Christ at an high rate She felt the power of the Lord Jesus and saw his matchless beauty in his house at his table and therefore rightly judged it was good far her to â—e there It was the desire of her Soul to dwell in the Sanctuary of her God there she understood the end of the ungodly and that in their greatest prosperity they stand but in slippery places She lookt upon the counsels of God as a safe guide to glory she saw that in God as made her desire him above all and chuse him to be her portion for ever 3 She had her spirit and passions hugely under government If he that is slow to anger be of great understanding certainly she was a person of great wisdom Some were ready to question whether she could be angry This gentleness of Christ shining forth in her made her conversation very amiable A great eveness of spirit I observed in her very patient under her last sickness which truly was long tedious and very painful and as she did not murmur against God tho under his mighty hand so she was far from being easily provoked by any one 4. She was not at all talkative she knew an unbridled tongue will make all profession of religion vain She was swift to hear and slow to speak as well as slow to wrath A rare vertue for in multitude of words says Solomon there wanteth not sin An argument of prudence For says a greater than Solomon For every idle word which men shall speak they shall give an account thereof at the day of Judgment 5. She was well setled and establisht in the way of truth Temptations she sometimes met with to seduce her but upon trial was found not to be like a child tost to and fro with every wind of doctrine She was girt about with the girdle of truth had on the breast-plate of righteousness fought the good fight and kept the faith unto the end 6. She was a singular example of obedience to Parents I have heard her father say she was a child that never disobeyed him tho being an onely child her disobedience if it had been was more likely to be pardoned so good in all her relations that I wish her Father and her Husband grace from above to bear
them without the least interruption or Eclipse unto Eternity 3. There is a Change from ignorance and darkness much of which remained even in the children of light unto perfect knowledge Believers in this World who are most of all Enlightned do know but in part and therefore 't is their duty to be still growing both in Grace and Knowledge but when Death comes that which is perfect is come and that which is in part shall be done away 1 Cor. 13. 10. Heaven is called an inheritance in Light Oh what a full understanding will there be of the Works and of the Word of God! What clear views of God himself and Jesus Christ who lives and reigns at his right hand will be there vouchsafed All the ignorance that followed upon eating the Tree of Knowledge will be cured all strangeness and doubtings concerning God his Goodness and his Love will be at an end Glorified Saints see what Militant Saints can't bear 4. There is a Change at Death from incompleat grace to glorious and sinless purity and holiness The body of sin is put off when the Saints put off this Mortal Body The separated Souls of the Just ones have no External Senses nor any sensual and fleshly inclinations Death removes them out of the World so that nothing hence is any longer a Temptation they are also out of the Tempters reach and then they have a sight of their Lord as he is and this sight Transforms them into his likeness 1 Joh. 3. 2. Grace that was here only in the bud will then be full blown Holiness will be perfected and all filthiness both of the Flesh and Spirit cleansed away It may truly be said then concerning the Spouse of Christ O my love thou art all fair there is no spot in thee 5. There is a Change from War and Labour unto Rest and Triumph 'T is no easie matter to be Saved The Saints are put upon hard work and service they are to watch to pray to stir up themselves to lay hold on God They are to contend earnestly for the faith to strive to enter in at the strait gate They are to use an holy Violence that they may by a kind of storming take the heavenly Kingdom all opposition from the Worlds Rage and the power and wrath of Hellish Principalities they must break thorow But at Death their Warfare is accomplished they rest from their Labours Rev. 14. 13. They go then to their Lord and receive their reward which he has freely and faithfully promised and having been faithful in a little they are made rulers over much they have fought the good fight and finished their course and having been more than conquerors through him that loved them they sit down with him on his throne and are Crowned with Life and Glory and shall wear that Crown for ever 6. When the Saints dye there is a Change from all manner of Sorrow unto fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore Oh how glad will they be to see themselves safely arrived to the fair Haven after the many Storms which beat upon them in this World to perceive themselves safely secur'd in Heaven and that they are made pillars in the temple of God and shall go out no more Rev. 3. 12. When they come to see their Lord and Husband Jesus and God their Father and to the uttermost of their capacity they are filled with his Love and satisfied with his Image Oh then all tears will be dried up Sin and Sorrow are Eternal Strangers in the New Jerusalem Joy will be full and the fuller because 't will never end In the Second place follow the Arguments to prove That Death which is such a Change will certainly come 1. Death is merited by Sin It was upon the Sin of Man that that Sentence was past upon him Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread until thou return to the ground for out of it wast thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return Now all having Sinned Death passes upon all Rom. 5. 12. Assoon as Man became a Sinner presently he became Mortal Death had not been able to have entred into the World if Sin had not first got entrance If Man had never Sinned the Tree of Life was to assure him he should never have died 2. Death is appointed and the appointment is most firm and unchangeable let an exception be made of Enoch and Elias and them that shall be found alive at the Last Day and the appointment is general Heb. 9. 27. Constitutum est omnibus semel mori plerisque bis It is appointed unto all men once to die and the Second Death will be the Portion of the most that Live The Grave is called The House appointed for all the living that 's the dark and silent place where all the dwellers upon Earth must make their aboad until the Resurrection 3. Christ does not deliver those that are dear to him from the stroak of death though he does always from the Sting of it If there were any hope to be freed from tasting of Death that expectation must be from our Mediator but though he makes the bodies of Believers his own Members and the temples of his Spirit yet he suffers them to fall down to the ground that too visible a difference may not be made between the Righteous and the Wicked here and that his power may be glorified in raising them up again at the Last Day And certainly the Lords power and love will be exceeding Glorious when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal immortality In the Third place I am to make it manifest That Time comes to an end when this Change comes 1. One Argument shall be drawn from the Eternal Rewards which upon their dissolution are received by the Righteous The Saints in Heaven need no more time for their work is done Assoon as they depart they are with Christ they are cloathed upon with their house which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 2. They have no need more of a Day of Grace who have received an exceeding and eternal weight of Glory And truly 't is well for them that their time is over since they have made good use of it and time being over they are in Eternity and now their State and Happiness is fixed Rom. 6. 23. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. A Second Argument shall be drawn from the Everlasting Punishments which after Death are inflicted on the wicked We read Luke 16. That the Wicked Rich Man died and was buried and the next News we hear of him is That he was in Hell and shut up there so as never to come out more He does not pray for a release out of his Torments that was despaired of but onely for a little mitigation and truly it was but a small kindness that a drop of water could have done him in the midst of such