past being dead the future unborn and onely the narrow compass of the present all that man can challenge We know not how soon death may overtake us when we are sent into the world the greatest part of our errand is to dye and the onely business of our life to prepare for death We are not certain to be Masters of one minute of time when we begin to breath the next moment may be our last How many have lien down to take a healthful sleep that have wak't in another world Death saith a learned man lies in wait for us in all places and there 's no escaping his tyranny Death borders upon our Births and our Cradles stand in our Graves How many have we seen carried from the Womb to the Tomb from the Birth to the Burial and what a short cut hath the longest liver from the Grave of the Womb to the Womb of the Grave Ever since the fall of our first Father death hath ranged through the world and made a general slaughter of mankinde sparing none The most eloquentest Orator that ever was could never charm him nor the potentest Monarch that ever breathed could never bribe him the greatest Warriour that ever was death hath civilized and made a green turf or weather-beaten stone cover that body that living a Lordship could not cloathe or the world contain the most famous persons that ever the world enjoyed hath death laid at his feet without regard either to Worth Dignity Majesty Youth or Age Sex or Condition he favours not the best nor spares the worst Samson with all his strength Absolon with all his beauty Josiah with all his zeal David with his conquests and Solomon with his glory Crasus with his wealth and Irus with his poverty Lazarus with his boyles and Dives with his bravery the Beggar with his rags and the Courtier with his robes all come under the rugged imbraces of this grim Sergeant He spared not Innocency it self but had the confidence to look the Son of the Highest in the face arrests him and keeps him three dayes his prisoner in the Grave The mortal Sythe is master of the Royal Scepter and it mows down the Lillies of the crown as well as the grass of the field death uses no civillity to Princes more then Pesants he findes them out in their Palaces and it may be in their most retired Closets and handles them no otherwise then the meanest person in the street Death saith a learned Divine suddainly snatcheth away Physicians as it were in scorn and contempt of Medicines when they are applying their preservatives and restoratives to others as it is storied of Caius Julius a Chyrurgeon who dressing a sore Eye as he drew the Instrument over it was struck by an Instrument of death in the act and place where he did it Besides diseases many by mischances are taken as a bird with a bolt while he gazeth at the bow Death is that King against whom there is no rising up which all men are sure to meet with whatever they miss of but when that 's unknown Of Dooms-day there are signs affirmative and negative not so of death every day we yield something to him our last day stands the rest run And how should this put us all in minde to prepare for death that he snatcheth us not away at unawares Whatsoever thou takest in hand therefore remember thine end saith the wise Man and thou shalt never do amiss No thoughts so wholsome as those of death and none so profitable as those of our end We read of Isaac that he brought his new Bride Rebecca into his Mother Sarahs Tent thereby to moderate those Nuptial pleasures with the thoughts of her Memory whose Corps but few dayes before were carried thence And King Saul was no sooner anointed but Samuel sends him by Rachels Sepulchre lest his new greatness of being a King might puff him up and make him to forget that he was a man We read of many heathens who did so much contemplate on their mortality as their discourses their houses and their tables should be constant Monitors of it The Aegyptians were wont to carry about their Tables a Deaths head at their greatest feasts and the Emperours of Constantinople on their Coronation day had a Mason appointed to present unto them certain Marble-stones using these words or to this purpose Choose mighty Sir under which of thesâ— Stones Your pleasure is ere long to lay your Bones And 't is storied of Philip King of Macedon that he caused a Lackey everâ— morning to awake him with that shâ— Memento of Sir remember that you arâ— a man Shall heathens be thus mindful 〈◊〉 their dissolution and shall we put thoâ—â— thoughts far from us surely no but â—â—ther cogitate of it and make every dâ—â— our last Certainly did we but considâ—â— that we are Men that all our actioâ—â— stand upon record and shall one day be impartially rewarded We should so demean our selves every day as men that endeavoured that no action of any day should be such as should stand against us at the last Young men remember this you that may promise your selves many dayes upon earth let not every day that is added to your life bring new sins with it but let grace be added to your dayes that so your last dayes may be better then your first and your burial day better then your birth as the wise Man speaks Make God the Alpha and Omega of all your actions and remember him in your work and he will remember you in the reward remember him as an Omniscient and Omnipotent God one that beholds all thy actions and will reward them remember him in thy youth and let him have thy best dayes as well as thy worst the blossoms of thy Youth as well as the leaves of thy Old age and be sure that thou spend the glory of thy years as well as the dregs of thy age in his service so shall thy life be prosperous thy death happy and thy resurrection glorious On the contrary if thou forget him now a day will come when he will not remember thee but strangely excommunicate thee with a depart from me for I know you not therefore ever bear this wholsome lesson in minde and forget it not Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth It may be some may think that Old Men come not within the verge of this exhortation and that Solomon had nothing to say to them when he directed his speech to the Young Man I answer that Old Men are more concerned to take notice of this then the Young man and thus I prove it Young Men are but newly come into the world and they must have some time to look about them Old Men are ready to leave the World and 't is not long ere they must render an account to God for all their actions 'T is but the dawning of the day with the Young Man but night begins to shew it self
the Midwife or rather the womb that brought death into the world and death must be the Grave to bury sin so the Mother is killed by the Daughter Again we may desire it as it brings us home to our Fathers house near our Head and our elder Brother so Saint Paul desir'd it Phil. 5.23 Secondly That none shall dye so but those that live so c. For as the effect follows the cause or the shadow the body so happiness is the attendant of holiness Would Balaam dye the death of the Righteous that was so far as a learned Author observes of him from living the life of the Righteous that he gave Pestilent counsel against the lives of Gods Israel and though here in a fit of compunction he seem a friend yet he was after slain by the Sword of Israel whose happiness he admires and desires to share in Carnal men care not to seek that which they would gladly finde some faint desires and short-winded wishes may be sometimes found in them but their mistake is in breaking Gods chain to sunder Holiness from Happiness Salvation from Sanctification the end from the means they would dance with the Devil and sup with Christ at night Live all their lives long in Dalilahs lap and then go to Abrahams bosom when they dye The Romanists have a saying that a man would desire to live in Italy a place of great pleasure but to dye in Spain because there the Catholick Religion as they call it is so sincerely profest And a Heathen being askt whether he would rather be Socrates a painful Philosopher or Craesus a wealthy King answer'd That for his life he would be Craesus but for the life to come Socracrates But stay not here and hereafter too you know what Father Abraham said to Dives in flames Son Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and therefore now must look for evil That King Balaks proffers were so liberal that Balaam was loath to forgo so fat a Morsel his mouth watred and his fingers itcht to be dealing with Balak he will ask God again and again to gain such a prize and his heart again is ravisht with Israels happiness he would fain please Balak if he might not displease God in it and partake of both but as Balak had not his will so neither had Balaam either his wages or his wish God oftentimes fools wicked men of their expectations that whilst they strive to gain the happiness of both worlds at once finde neither so here I know not how fitter to compare Balaam then to a stranger travelling a far Countrey beholds the state and magnificence of the Court but no interest in the King or to a surveyor of Lands that takes an exact compass of other mens Grounds of which he shall never enjoy a foot I shall see him sayes Balaam so shall every eye and those also that pierc't him but not as Abraham saw him and rejoyced nor as Job Chap. 19.25 The pure in heart onely see him to their comfort when Balaam beholds him it shall be with terror and though when he made this prayer his soul danc't on his lips ready to flye off yet was he never nearer heaven then those Pisgah Hills Had Balaams works been answerable to his words or his worth to his wishes he might have reacht his desires But as Saul who was once among the Prophets fell after from God so Balaam is not long in these raptures and therefore for all his devotion though he were not so wicked as to kill himself is nevertheless so unfortunate as to fall by the Sword of the Israelites even among the thickest of Gods Enemies the Midianites as you may read at large in the one and thirtieth Chapter of this Book of Numbers v. 8. There is no man so much an enemy to himself but would be happy if happiness were to be gain'd with wishing for Ask the wickedst man upon earth if he does not hope to dye well he will tell you he does and so he will if a word upon his death-bed will do it A Lord have mercy upon me but alas Heaven is not to be attained on such easie tearms Cain may be distracted for his Murder Balaam and Saul may Prophesie Ahab walk in Sack-cloth Judas Preach and do miracles and all to no purpose 't was not Esau's blubber'd eyes that could recover either his Birth-right or his Fathers blessing I cannot but reprehend their folly that spend their dayes in sin and vanity and at the point of death think to turn suddain penitents as if that would do how foully are they mistaken that think so for he that lives like a devil upon earth though under an Angels vail shall never be a Saint in Heaven So I have now done with the parts propos'd what remains but that I in brief give some short directions how to lead this happy life how to reach that happy death and so I le conclude For the certain and speedy attainment of which be pleased seriously to weigh these following instructions First be conversant in the Scriptures make that your day and your night studies and take notice of the lives of all Gods Saints and endeavours to track them in those steps which brought them to glory Make Abrahams faith and Jobs patience Eliahs zeal and Hezekiahs Integrity patterns of your immitation Let Joseph be an example of unconquer'd chastity and Moses of meekness and humility Let Davids troubles teach us to depend upon Gods Providence and Pauls perseverance not to be weary of his Corrections Remember the Character which our Blessed Saviour gave of the Baptist That he was a burning and a shining light Indeed the Saints of God in all ages have serv'd as Beacons on hills to give light to a crooked and perverse generation Oh that we could but learn by their examples to adorn our profession and we shall be no losers in the end What sayes David Marke the upright man and behold the just indeed he is worth the noting for the end of that man is peace He it is that may be truly said to leave this world like a Lamb and shall for ever be owned in a better for one of Christs fold But above all look upon him that is the Author and finisher of your Faith strive to immitate the blessed steps of the holy Jesus whose feet were ever running Gods Commandements whose hands were ever busied in works of Charity his eyes ever looking for Objects of Mercy whose Soul was ever yerning with bowels of Compassion whose discourse was alwayes gracious and guile never found in his lips And that we may be the better fitted to write after such blessed copies let us set a narrow watch over our thoughts words and actions that we offend in neither but remember that he is an Almighty and Omniscient God with whom we have to do and all things naked and bare to his all-seeing eye and that we may make a happy progress in
and swells highest in a joyfull imitation when she is in the Spring-tyde of her light either towards the heavens as in the change or towards the earth as in the full and as she doth wax or wain so doth he either flow into a Pleuresie or ebb into a Consumption of his waters And even thus is the World the Page of Fortune whose unconstant and ever changing motions do hurry about like spokes in a wheel the condition of all Mortalls We have it confirmed to us by a more then humane authority 1 Cor. 7.31 That the glory of this world passeth away An Hour-glasse doth change its posture every hour and that part which was even now above is now below that which was but now full is now empty nor can one side be filled but by emptying the other Such is the world every moment turn'd upside down and men are now full now empty Nor can they often fill themselves without the ruine and prejudice of others and although sometimes it be at the full of glory yet is it even then like her also mingled with the spots of adversity and subject to the change of every moment And therefore as 't is reported at the Consecration of the Popes the Master of the Ceremonies going before carries in one hand a burning Taper in the other a stick with some flax tied on the top thereof which he setting on fire cries with a loud voice Pater sancte Sic transit gloria mundi Holy Father so passeth away the glory of this world The plenty of Histories in this kinde exceeds our Arithmetick Every particular mans condition almost being a volumn of the worlds fraily and a constant witness of its inconstancy Adonibezek who had been the Triumphant Victor over 70. Kings and in his wanton cruelty had cut off their thumbs c. and made them pick up the crumbs under his table enforcing the Act and depriving them of thâ—â—â— power making them do that which hâ— had disenabled them to perform was ere long in full measure paid home for his cruel frolicks which made him cry out that he was justly requited Judges 1.7 Nabucadnezzars unparallel'd Metamorphosis who knoweth not who from a man and so great a King became a beast in nature now as he was in practice before to shew that when men sin against the light of nature they may sufferagainst the law of nature It is reported of Dimetrius one of Alexander the Great 's Captains that in the whole circle of his life being sixty four years after the measure of his age had stil'd him a man never continued three years in one condition Of Julius Caesar also that great awer of the world and victorious Martialist it is doubted whether in the whole course of his life fortune were an indifferent Arbitrer to him of good and evil success but in the sadness of his death no doubt all his lifes happinesse was exceedingly over-bâ—lanced who in the Zenith and highest erection of his glory with twenty three wounds the deepest whereof given him by his dearest Brutus in the Senate House yielded up his life a sacrifice to the peoples liberty The like unhappy change pursued the ever renowned and once highly advanc't General Bellizarius who after he had triumphed over the Persians and reduced to the Roman obedience all Africa and Italy so long possest by the Goths and Vandalls his wife that was given him for an help became the onely help to his destruction whose insolent behaviour against the Empresse like windes thrown upon the seas rais'd such billows of indignation in the Emperour that this mans fortune was put to utter shipwrack not onely to the loss of his goods but of the means by which he might get more his sight and forc't to beg his bread with a Da Obolo Bellizario Thus he that had made Armies fly Kingdoms quake and Kings his Captives is now an humble Petitioner to the meanest for a bit of bread 'T is storied of Dyonisius King of Syracusa that he represented the brittle felicity of his Kingdom to his Parasite Democles who had made his happiness to seem exceeding great through the multiplying-glass of his flattery by seating him in a Royal Throne at a sumptuous banquet with all the state and glory of the Kingdom about him but withal a naked sword hanging over his head onely held by a horse-hair which every minute threatned his destruction It was the custom of the ancient Romans in their triumphs for a slave to ride behinde in the Chariot with the Triumpher who did often whisper unto him to look behinde him there being likewise a Whip and a Bell tied to the Chariot to admonish him that notwithstanding the present exaltation his honour he might be brought to such a degree of calamity as to be scourged or put to death of which the Bell was the sign How hath the world frowned on those she sometimes smil'd and made them that seem'd the happiest most miserable Instance Pompey that famous Warrior for his eminency stil'd the Great who after all his victories and triumphs put to a violent death and that head taken off by the hands of a Traytour that had so oft been adorn'd with victorious Laurels and being dead denied a burying place Queen Cleopatra once so formidible as to be rather fear'd then contemn'd by her neighbour Princes she drank Jewels desolv'd a draught worth a Kingdom expir'd on a dunghill Guillemer King of the Goths who long reigned in so much prosperity but taken Prisoner by Bellizarius was reduc't to so much misery that he onely beg'd these things of the Conquerour Bread and Water the one to keep him from famishing the other from thirst a spunge to wipe his eyes and a harp to tune his sorrows to Andronicus Emperour of the East a man of such large and vast Dominions that his very name was terrible to all Neighbour-Kings all his glory is eclipst in one Battel and he delivered into the hands of those who think themselves happy in inventing and inflicting new tortures he is thrown into the common Goal where the best sents are the excrements of nature taken thence and derided and abus'd through the streets of the City put to open disgrace in the Market-place and to the further grief of so great a spirit the muddy brain'd Rabble are both his Judges and Executioners Alexander the Great who was said to conquer the World could not guard his own person from a violent and untimely death He that had vanquisht a world was himself overcome by an inferiour person in it poysoned to death and his corpse for thirty dayes denied a burying place his Conquests above ground gave him no title to a possession under ground So our William the Conquerour lay three dayes unburied he that had vanquisht Kingdoms living is denied six foot of ground being dead Coriolanus that famous Grecian who was once admir'd and fear'd of all murthered openly in the Market-place at Antium and none to pitty
the sentence pardons Ravens and layes hold on Doves the poor innocent afflicted whilest the wicked holds up his head gloriously If outward appearance therefore should be the judge woe were the portion of the Saints happiness the Sinners For as a late reverend Father of the Church of England observes if we should judge according to appearance we should think basely of the Saviour of the world himself Who that should see him sprawling in the Cratch flying into Egypt chopping of chips at Nazareth famished in the Desert tempted of Satan attended by Fishermen persecuted by his kindred betrayed by one servant abjur'd by another forsaken of all apprehended arraigned condemned buffetted spit upon scourged to blood scepter'd with a reed crown'd with thorns nail'd to the Cross hanging naked between two Theeves scorn'd of beholders seal'd up in a borrowed grave Who that should have seen his skin all dew'd with pearls of bloody sweat his back bleeding his face blubber'd and besmear'd his forehead harrowed his hands and his feet pierc't his side gushing out his head bowed down in death and should have heard with all his dying lips say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me would not have said he is despis'd and rejected of men yea in appearance of God himself Yet even in this while to the cutting off the sinnews of those stiff-necked Jews the Angels owned him for their Lord the Sages ador'd him the Star design'd him the Prophets foreshew'd him the Devils confest him his miracles evinc't him the earth shook the rocks rent the dead lookt out the sun lookt in answered at the suffering of the God of nature Even while he was despis'd of men he commanded the Devils to their chains whilest base men shoot out their tongues at him principalities and powers bowed their knees to him whilest he he hang'd despicably on the tree of shame the powers of hell were drag'd captive after the triumphant chariot of his Cross the appearance was not so contemptible as the truth of his estate glorious judge not therefore according to appearance should appearance be the rule woe were Gods people happy were his enemies Who that had seen Cain standing imperiously over the bleeding carkass of Abel Joseph in his bonds his Mistress in her dress Moses in the flags Pharaoh in the Palace David sculking in the wilderness Saul commanding in the Court Elijah fainting under a Juniper-tree Jezabel painting in her closet Micaiah in the prison Zedkijah in the presence Jeremiah in the dungeon Zedekiah in the throne Daniel trembling among the lions the Median Princes feasting in their bowers Johns head bleeding in a charger Herod smiling at the revels Christ at the Bar Pilate on the Bench the Disciples scourged the Scribes and Elders insulting would not have said O happy Cain Potephars Wife Pharaoh Saul Jezabel Zedkijah Zedekiah Median Princes Pilate Herod Elders miserable Abel Joseph Moses David Elijah Micaiah Jeremiah Daniel John Baptist Christ the Disciples Yet we know Cains victory was as woful as Abels Martyrdome glorious Josephs irons were more pretious then the golden tyres of his Mistress Moses reeds were more sure then Pharaohs Cedars Davids Cave in the Desert more safe then the Towers of Saul Elijahs Raven a more comfortable purveyour then all the Officers of Jezabel Micaiahs prison was the Guard-chamber of Angels when Ahabs presence was the Counsel-chamber of evil spirits Jeremiahs Dungeon had more true light of comfort then the shining state of Zedekiah Daniel was better guarded with the Lions then Darius and the Medean Princes with their Janizaries Johns head was more rich with the crown of his Martyrdom then Herods with the Diadem of his Tetrarch Christ at the Bar gave life and being to Pilate on the Bench gave motion to those hands that struck him to that tongue that condemn'd him and in the mean while gave sentence on the judge the Disciples were better pleased with their stripes then the Jewish Elders with their proud Phylacteries After this who that had seen the Primitive Christians some broiled on Gridirons others boyl'd in lead some roasted others frozen to death some flead others torn with horses some crasht in pieces by the teeth of lions others cast down from high rocks to the stakes some smiling on the wheel others in the flame all wearying their Tormentours and shaming their Tyrants with their patience would not have said of all things I would not be a Christian Yet even this while were these poor torturing stocks higher then their persecutours dying victors yea victors of death never so glorious as when they began not to be in gasping crowned in yielding up the ghost more then conquerours Judge not therefore according to appearance Afflictions they are the lot of Gods people here their crown is hereafter and by them are they fitted for the crown Iron is never cleaner then when it comes out of the furnace nor brighter then when it hath been under the sharp teeth of the file The sun never shines clearer then when it comes from under a cloud no coal more hot then that which hath been cover'd with ashes Though innocency be shaded in the obscurity of prisons yet nevertheless she comes forth in triumph radeating with glory God chastiseth every son whom he loveth the Son of his love was perfected by afflictions he bore his Cross before he wore his Crown The stones of the Temple were first hewen in the mountain before they were set in the building The sacrifices of the Law were first slain before they were offered The vessels of the Sanctuary were first to passe the fire before they were put to any service so must Gods lively stones 1 Pet. 2.5 reasonable sacrifices Rom. 12.1 vessels of honour 2 Tim. 2 22. pass the hammer the knife and the fire of affliction before they can be fit for the masters use God if in his divine wisdom he thought it best for us could bring his servants to glory without these trialls but that after our troubles here we shall be the better able to prize our rest hereafter should we have a glut of prosperity here we should be so wedded to this world that we should not take pains to enquire after a better Gods people never so devout as when exercised with afflictions It is good for me that I have been in trouble saith David for thereby have I known thy statutes Psalm 119.71 Adversity though it be more horrid in the view yet prosperity is more dangerous in the in the event A Summers sun-shine is the mother of more diseases then a winters Frost the one seeks to make a conquest on our Vertue by force and that makes us like a besieged City fortifie our selves more strongly for a Resistance the other by the treaties of Peace by the tribute of Gifts seeks to bring our minds into servitude and this melts our souls our too too easie souls into yelding The fire burns hotter for being blown on by the cold winde but the sun
their hearts and the Devil himself sometimes counterfeits an Angel of light Many make a fair profession of Christianity that speak well hear much and understand more upon examination you will finde by their actions that they have meerly a form of godliness but deny the power of it that at best will appear but like the Devil in Samuels Mantle We use to say that all is not gold that glisters and 't is as true that all are not holy that seem so all not Saints that have demure looks and specious pretences Our Saviour hath told us that the tree is known by his fruit and God that searches the reins knows the heart and judges of the outward actions by it Balaams words bespeak him both a Prophet and a Saint and he did as clearly prophesie of Christ as any Prophet of the Lord either before or after him and 't is thought by some that his Prophecy of a Star to rise out of Jacob c. drew those Persians King to attend the motion of that Star that appeared at our Saviours Incarnation 'T is most certain that Balaam spake so well that no man could speak better yet he could speak so bad that the Devil himself could not speak worse as when he advised the Moabites to send their Daughters to commit whoredom with the Israelites which occasioned the death of twenty four thousand Hebrews And so I pass from the Speakers description to the description of his Speech The speaker was Balaam and his speech or rather his prayer was Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like his Balaam is so taken with the rayes of that Glory he beholds at a distance that he grows impatient No more of life nothing in it so desirable No more of this world he sees more glory in the next and therefore courts death to convey him to that glory which he so much longs for Let me dye c. What could he not dye without asking leave without much intreaty death was ready to attend him and for want of help he might have been his own executioner and as King Saul did a long time after made his own sword to have given him his Mittimus to the grave No Balaam as bad as he was would not lay violent hands on himself he knew that God would not entertain any runnagate or straggling sons that came without his call That God who infus'd a living Soul into our Bodies when we began to be will not have that soul come forth till he require it 'T is written Revel 3.21 To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne To him that overcomes not to him that runs away to him that conquers not him that flies from his colours We are now but on our way not yet in our countrey In this world we must do our work in that to come we must have our wages Here we must fight under the Banner there we must receive if we deserve it the Crown This world is a Sea of trouble that a Haven of rest and those who to avoid the troubles of this rush themselves out by laying violent hands on themselves shall never reach the happiness of that For how can God afford Mercy to those who have none for themselves Balaam would dye but how There are saith one three sorts of death the death of Nature the death of Sin and the death of Grace or rather a gracious death or the death of the Just 'T is onely the last that Balaam sues for Let me dye sayes he but no death will serve his turn but that of the Just Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my latter end be like his My latter end he is not altogether for himself he hath some care of his posterity after him he knew that God would be Abrahams exceeding great reward and that he would be the same to his seed that he was to him be the God of his seed and of his seeds seed and in them should all the Nations of the world be blessed So Balaam prayes in respect of his own particular end and for his posterity those that were come or were to come out of his loins Let my latter end be like his Now for the further amplifying of this Prayer of Balaams I shall draw these following Conclusions from it First That the Righteous dye c. Secondly That their death is happy and attended with glory Thirdly That none shall dye so but those that live so or that a holy Life is the onely prologue to a happy Death Lastly I shall present you with some short Directions how to lead such a life how to reach such a Death and this shall be my conclusion That Death is a debt of Nature to be paid by all the sons of men is so known a truth that it needs no further proof then common experience the decree hath long since gone forth that all men must once dye So sure as death sayes our common Proverb and that 's so sure that nothing more certain For of all the Priviledges that Christ purchast for the sons of men he never granted this for he himself tasted of death and so must all those do that breathe upon this earth except those onely that shall be found alive at the day of judgement which shall not dye but be chang'd None are exempted from deaths rage no honey without this gall no exaltation without this humiliation all must pass through his black Gates ere they can enter into glory And this brings me from the first conclusion to the second from the certainty of death to all mankinde to the Happiness of it to the righteous Let my latter end be like his I cannot blame Lalaam for making such wishes and it had been well for him if it had fallen so he had then been eternally happy as now miserable Indeed death to a righteous man is but a sleep for so our Saviour stiles it it puts an end to our miseries and a beginning to our joyes it cures all diseases the aking head and the fainting heart Asa of his Gout and Mephibosheth of his lameness Lazarus of his Sores and Gehazi of his Leprosie finishes that life that was a kinde of death or a passage to it and gives birth to another not subject to mutation and serves as a short bridge to conduct the Pious soul to a spacious inheritance But it may here come within the verge of an inquiry whether the righteous may desire death 't is answer'd that it may de desired not for it self but for what it brings First we may desire it as it puts a period to sin there 's no offending of God in the Grave sin will be an inmate with the choicest of Gods Saints whilst they are here but is forc't to leave them when they leave the world For as one observes sin was