what Christ and his precious servants of whom the world was not worthy ever had But what say you to pardon of sin interest in Christ the Covenant of Promises and an eternity of happiness in the presence of God after a few dayes are over O that ever a people intitled to sâ—ch mercies as these should droop under any temporal affliction or be so much concerned for the frowns of men and loss of trifles You have not the smiles of great men but you have the favour of the great God You are it may be cast back in your estates but thereby farthered in spirituals You cannot live so bravely plentifully and easily as before but still you may live as holy and heavenly as ever Will you then grieve so much for these circumstantials as to forget your substantials shall light troubles make you forget weighty mercies Remember the Churches true Riches are laid out of the reach of all its enemies they may make you poor but not miserable What though God do not distinguish in his outward Dispensations betwixt his own and others yea what though his Judgments single out the best and spare the worst what though an Abel be killed in love and a Cain survive in hatred a bloody Dioâ—ysius die in his bed and a good Iâ—siah fall in Battel What though the belly of the wicked be filled with hid Treasures and the teeth of the Saints broken with Gravel-stones yet still here is much matter of praise for electing Love hath distinguished though common Providence did not and whilest prosperity and impunity slay the wicked even staying and adversity shall benefit and save the righteous 5. Direct Believe that how low soever the Church be plunged under the waters of adversity it shall assuredly rise again Fear not for as sure as Christ arose the third day notwithstanding the Seal and Watch that was upon him so sure the Church shall arise out of all her troubles and lift up its victorious head above all its enemies there 's no fear of ruining that people that thrive by their losses and multiply by being diminished O be not too quick to bury the Church before she be dead stay till Christ hath tryed his skill before you give it up for lost the Bush may be all in a flame but shall never be consumed and that because of the good will of him that dwelleth in the Bush. 6. Direct Record the famous instances of Gods care and tenderness over his people in former straits Christ hath not suffered it to be devoured yet for above these 1600 years the Christian Church hath lived in affliction and yet it is not consumed many a wave of persecution hath gone over it and yet it is not drowned many designs to ruine it and hitherto none hath prospered this is not the first time that Hamans and Achitophels have plotted its ruine that an Herod hath stretcht out his hand to vex it Still it hath been preserved from supported under or delivered out of all its troubles and is it not as dear to God as ever is not he as able to save it now as formerly though we know not whence deliverance should arise Yet the Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations 2 Pet. 2. 9. 7. Direct If you can fetch no comfort from any of the former arguments then in the last place try whether you cannot draw some comfort out of your very trouble Surely this trouble of yours is a good argument of your integrity union is the ground of sympathy if you had not some rich adventure in that ship you would not tremble as you do when it is in danger besides this frame of spirit may afford you this argument that if you be so sensible of the Churches troubles Jesus Christ is much more sensible of and sollicitous about it than you can be and he will cast an eye of favour upon them that mourn for it Isa. 57. 18. 4. Season The fourth special Season of expressing our utmost diligence in keeping our hearts is the time of danger and publick distraction in such times the best hearts are but too apt to be surprised by slâ—vish fear it is not easy to secure the heart against distraction in times of common destruction if Syria be confederate with Ephraim how do the hearts of the house of David shake even as the trees of the wood which are shaken with the wind Isa. 7. 2. when there are ominous signs in the heavens on the earth distress of Nations with perplexity the Sea and waves roaring then the hearts of men fail for fear and for looking after those things which are comming on the earth Luke 21. 25 26. even a Paul himself may sometimes complain of fightings within when there are fears without 2 Cor. 7. 5. But my Brethren these things ought not to be so Saints should be of a more raised Spirit â—o was David when his heart was kept in a good frame Psal. 27. â— The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid let none but the servants of sin be the slaves of fear let them that have delighted in evil fear evil impius tantum metuit quantum nocuit O let not that which God hath threatned as a Judgment upon the wicked ever seize upon the breasts of the righteous I will send saith God faintness into their hearts in the land of their enemies and the sound of a shaking leaf shall chase them Lev. 26. 36. O what poor spirited men were these to fly at a shaking leaf which makes a pleasant and not a terrible noise and is in it self a kind of natural musick but to a guilty Conscience the whistling leaves are Drums and Trumpets but God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1. 7. A sound mind as it stands there in opposition to the spirit of fear is an unwounded Conscience not infirm'd by guilt and thâ—s should make a man as bold as a Lyon I know it cannot be said of a Saint what God spake of Leviaâ—han that he is made without fear there is a natural fear in every man and it 's as impossible to be wholly put off as the body it self is 't is a perturbaâ—tion of the mind rising from the 〈◊〉 of approaching danger and as 〈…〉 can approach us we shall find some perturbations within us 'T is 〈◊〉 my purpose to commend to you a 〈◊〉 apathy nor yeâ— to take you off frâ—m 〈◊〉 â— degree of cautional prevenâ—veâ—car as may fit you for troubles and be â—erviceable to your souls There is â—â—rovident â—ear that opens our eyes to 〈◊〉 danger and quickens to a prudent and â—â—wful use of means to preveâ—â— it Such was Iacobs fear Gen. 32. 7 9 10 c. but it is the fear of diffidence I perswaâ—e you to keep your hearts from that Tyrannical passion which invades the heart
to that will whence we proceeded and he that made us should dispose of us as he pleaseth he may doe what seemeth him good without our consent doth poor man stand upon equal ground that he should capitulate with his Creator or that God should render him an account of any of his matters it's every way as reasonable we be content however God dispose of us as that we be obedient to what ever he commands us But then if we persue this argument further by considering that Gods permissions do all meet at last in the real good of his people this will much more quiet our spirits Do the enemies carry away the good figgs even the best among the people into captivity this looks like a sad providence but yet God sends them thither for their good Ier. 24. 5. doth God take the Assyrian as a staffe in his hand to beat his people with those blows are smart and make them cry but the end of his so doing is that he may accomplish his whole work upon Mount Sion Isa. 10. 12. If God can bring much good out of the worst and greatest evil of sin much more out of temporal afflictions and it is as evident that he will as that he can do so For it is inconsistent with the wisdome of a common Agent to permit any thing which he might prevent if he pleased to cross his great design and end and can it be imagined that the most wise God should do so Well then as Luther told Melancthon desinat Philippus esse rector mundi so say I to you let infinite wisdom power and love alone for by these all Creatures are swayed and actions guided in reference to the Church It s none of our work to rule the World but to submit to him that doth non caeco impetu volvuntur rotae the motions of Providence are all judicious the Wheels are full of eyes it is enough that the affairs of Sion are in a good hand 2. Direct Ponder this heart-supporting truth in reference to Sions trouble That how many troubles soever are upon her yet her King is in her What Hath the Lord forsaken his Churches hath he sold them into the enemies hand Doth he not regard what evil befals them that our hearts sink at this rate Is it not too shameful an undervaluing of the great God and too much magnifying of poor impotent man to fear and tremble at Creatures whilest God is in the midst of us The Churches enemies are many and mighty let that be granted yet that Argument with which Caleb and Ioshua strove to raise their own hearts is of as much force now as it was then The Lord is with us fear them not Numb 14. 9. The Historian tels us that when Antigonus over-heard his souldiers reckoning how many their enemies were and so discouraging one another he suddenly steps in among them with this Question and how many said he do you reckon me for discouraged souls how many do you reckon the Lord for is he not an over-match for all his enemies is not one Almighty more than many mighties doth his presence stand for nothing with us If God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8. 31. What think you was the reason of that great Exploration Gideon made in Iudges 6. He questions vers 12. 13. he desires a sign v. 17. and after that another v. 36. and what was the end of all this but that he might be sure the Lord was with him and that he might but wriâ—e this Mâ—tâ—o upon his Ensign The sword of the Lord and of Gideon So then if you can be well assured the Lord is with his peoplâ— you will get thereby above all your discouragements and that he is so you need not with him desire a sign from Heaven lo you have a sign before you even their marvellous preservation amâ—dst all their enemies If God be not with his people how is it they are not swallowed up quick Do their enemies want malice power or opportunity no but there is an invisible hand upon them Well then as it is Exod. 33. 14. Let his presence gâ—ve us rest and though the Mountains be hurled into the Sea though Heaven and Earth mingle together fear not God is in the midst of her she shall not be moâ—ed 3. Direct Ponder the great advantages attending the people of God in an â—fflicted condition If a low and an â—fflicted stare in the World be really bâ—st for the Church then your dejections are not only irrational but ungrateful indeed if ye estimate the happiness of the Church by its worldly ease splendor and prosperity then such times will seem bad for it but if you reckon its glory to consist in its humility faith patience and heavenly mindedness no condition in the World abounds with advantages for these as an afflicted condition doth It was not persecutions and prisons but worldliness and wantonness that was the poyson of the Church neither was it the earthly glory of its Professors but the bloud of its Martyrs that was the seed of the Church The power of godliness did never thrive better than in affliction and never ran lower than in times of greatest prosperity when we are left a poor and an afflâ—cted people then we learn to trust in the Name of the Lord Zeph. 3. 12. What say ye Sirs Is it indeed for the Saints advantage to be weaned from the loves and delights of ensnaring worldly vanities to be quickned and prickt forward with more haste to Heaven to have clearer discoveries of their own hearts to be taught to pray more fervently frequently spiritually to look and long for the Rest to come mâ—â—e ardently if this be for their advanâ—â—ge experience teacheth us that no condition is ordinarily blest with such â—â—uits as these like an afflicted Condition And is it well done then to repine and droop because your father consuâ—ts more the advantage of your souls than the pleasing of your humours because he will bring you a nearer way to Heaven than you are willing to go Is this a due requital of his love who is pleased so much to concern himself in your welfare which is more than he will do for thousands in the World upon whom he will noâ— lay a Rod or spend an affliction for their good Hos. 4. 17. Matth. 15. 14. But alas We judge by sense and reckon things good or evil according to what we for the present can taste and feel in them 4. Direct Taâ—e heed that you overlook not the many precious mercies which the people of God enjoy amidst all their trouble 'T is pity that our tears upon the account of our troubles should so blear and blind our eyes that we should not see our mercies and grounds of comfort I will not insist upon the mercy of having your lives given you for a prey nor yet upon the many outward comforts temporal conveniences and accommodations which you enjoy even above
liberty or esâ—ate are hunâ—ed after and I cannot secure them O let me leave them in thy hand the poor leaveth himself with thee and doth his God fail him no Thou art the helper of the fatherless Psalm 10. 14. that is thou art the helper of the deâ—â—â—ute one that hath none to go to but God And that is a sweet Scripture Psalm 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord he doth not say his ear shall be priviledged from the report of evil tidings he may hear as sad tidings as other men but his heart shall be priviledged from the terrour of those tidings his heart is fixed 11. Rule Consult the honour of Religion more and your personal safety lesse Is it for the honour of Religion think you that Christians should be as timerous as Hares to start at every sound will not this tempt the World to think that whatever you talk yet your principles are no better than other mens O what mischief may the discoveries of your â—ears bâ—fore them do 'T was a noble saying of Nehemiah Chap. 6. 11. Should such a man as I flee and who being as I am would flee Were it not better you shâ—uld dye than that the World should be prejudiced against Christ by your example for alas how apt is the World who judge more by what they see in your practises than by what they understand of your principles to conclude from your timâ—râ—usness that how much soever you commend Faith and talk of Assurance yet you dare trust to these things no more than they when it comes to the tryal O let not your fears lay such a stumbling-block before the blind World 12. Rule He that will secure his heart from fear must first secure the eternal interest of his soul in the hands of Iesus Christ. When this is done then you may say now World do thy worst You will not be very solâ—citous about a vile body when you are once assured it shall be well to all eternity with your precious souls Fear not them saith Christ that can kill the body and after that have no power that they can do The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies and say is this the worst that you can do what say you Christians are you assured that your souls are safe that within a few moments of your dissolution they shall be received by Christ into everlasting habitatious Well if you be sure of that never trouble your selves about the instruments and means of your dissolution Object O but a violent death is terrible to Nature Answ. But what matter is it wâ—en thy soul is in Heaven whether it were let out at thy mouth or at thy throat whether thy familiar friends or barbarous enemies stand about thy dead body and close thine eyes alas it is not worth the making so much ado about nihil corpus sentit in nervo cum anima sit in coelo thy soul shall not be sensibâ—e in Heaven how thy body is used on earth no it shall be swallowed up in life 13. Rule Learn to quench all slavish Creature fears in the reverential fear of God This is a cure by diversion 't is a rare piece of Christian Wisdom to turn those passions of the soul which most predominate into spiritual Channels to turn natural anger into spiritual zeal natural mirth into holy chearfulness and natural fear into an holy dread and awe of God This method of Cure Christ prescribes in that fore-mentioned place Mat. 10. like to which is that in Isa. 8. 12 13. Fear not their fear But how shall we help it Why sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and your dread Natural fear may be allayed for present by natural reason or the removal of the occasion but then 't is but like a Candle blown out with a puff of breath which is easily blown in again but it the fear of God extinguish it then 't is like a Candle quencht in water which cannot easily be re-kindled 14. Rule Lastly Pour out those fears to God in Prayer which the Devil and your own unbelief pour in upon you in times of danger Prayer is the best out-let to fear where is the Christian that cannot set his probatum est to this direction I will give you the greatest Example in the World to encourage you in the use of it even the example of Jesus Christ Mark 14. 32. when the hour of his danger and death drâ—w nigh he gets into the Garden separates from the Disciples and there wrestles mightily with God in Prayer even unto an Agony in reference to which the Apostle saith Heb. 5. 7. Who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and tears to him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared he was heard as to strength and support to carry him through it though not as to deliverance or exemption from it Now Oh that these things might abide with you and be reduced to practise in these evil dayes that many trembling souls may be established by them 5. Seas The fifth Season to exert this diligence in keeping the heart is the time of straits and outward pinching wants although at such times we should complain to God and not of God the Throne of Gracâ— being erected for a time of need Hâ—b 4. 16. yet when the waters of relief run low and wants begin to pinch hard how prone are the best hearts to distrust the Fountain When the Meal in the Barrel and oylin the Cruse are almost spent our faith and patience are almost spent too Now 't is difficult to keep down the proud and unbelieving heart in an holy quietude and sweet submission at the foot of God 'T is an easie thing to talk of trusting God for daily bread while we have a full Barn or Purse but to say as the Propher Hab. 3. 17. Though the Fig-tree should not blossome neither fruit be in the Vine c. yet will I rejoyce in the Lord. Sure this is not easie The fifth Case therefore shall be this 5. Cafe How a Christian may keep his heart from distrusting God or repining against him when outward wants are eithâ—r felt or feared This Case deserves to be seriously pondred and especially to be studied now since it seems to be the design of Providence to empty the people of God of their creature-fulness and acquaint them with thâ—se straits which hiâ—herto they have been altogether strangers to Nâ—w to secure the heart from the fore-mentioned dangers attending this condition these follâ—wing Consiâ—erations through the blessing of the Spirit may prove effectual And the first is this 1. Consid. That if God reduce you to straits and necessities yet he deals no otherwise therein with you than he hath done with some of the choicest and holiest men that ever lived Your
therefore thou findest thy heart begin to be inflamed by revengful motions presently apply the following remedies and the first is this 1. Remed Urge upon thy heart the seveâ—e prohibitions of revenge by the law of God Remember that this is fâ—rbidden fruit how pleasing and luscious soever it be to our vitiated appetites O saith nature revenge is sweet O but saith God the effects thereof shall be bitter how plainly hath God interdicted this flesh pleasing sin Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recompense evil Prov. 24. 29. Say not I wâ—ll doe so to him as he hath done to me Rom. 12. 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil and v. 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath nay that 's not all but Prov. 25. 21. If thine enemy â—unger feed him if he thirst give him drink The word feed him as Criticks observe signifies to feed cheerfully and tenderly as birds doe their young ones The Scripture is a great friend to the peace and tranquillity of humane societies which can never be preserved if revenge be not deposed it was wont to be an argument urged by the Christians to prove their religion to be supernatural and pure that it forbids revenge which is so sweet to nature and verily 't is a thousand pities such an argument should be lost Well then awe your hearts with the authority of God in these Scriptures and when carnal reason saith mine enemy deserves to be hated let Conscience reply but doth God deserve to be disobeyed thus and thus he hath done and so he hath wronged me but what hath God done that I should wrong him if he dare be so bold to break the peace shall I be so wicked to break the precept iâ— he fears not to wrong me shall not I fear to wrong God O let the fear of Gods threatnings repress such sinsul motions 2. Remed Set before your eyes the most eminent patterns of meekness and forgiveness that your Soâ—â—s may fall in love with it This is the way to cut off those common pleas of the flesh for revenge as thus no man would bear such an affront yes such and such have born as bad and worse I shall be reckoned a coward a fool if I pass by this no matter as long as I follow the examples of the wisest and holiest of men never did any suffer more and greater abuses from men than 〈◊〉 did and never did any carry it more peaceably and forgivingly 53. 7. he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter c. This pattern the Apostle sets before you for your imitation 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. For â—ven hereâ—nto are ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who when be was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteou sly To be of a meek forgiving Spâ—rit is Christ like God like then shall you be the children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his 〈◊〉 to rise upon the evil and upon the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5. 45. How eminently also did this Spirit of Christ rest upon his Apostles never were thâ—re such men upon earth for true excellency of Spirit None were ever abused more or suffered their abuses better Being reviled say they we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat 1 Cor. 4. 12 13. Mr. Calvin though a man of a quick Spirit yet had attained such a degree of this Christ like forgiveness that when Luther had used some opprobrious language of him the good man said no more but this alâ—hough he should call me a Devil yet I will acknowledge him to be an eminent servant of Jesus Christ. I have often heard it reported of holy Mr. Dod that when â—ne inraged at his closs convincing docâ—â—ine pickt a quarrel with him smâ—te him on the â—ace and 〈◊〉 two of his teeth this meek servant of Christ spat out the teeth and blood into his hand and said see here you have knockt out two of my teeth and that without any just provocation but on condition I might do your Soul good I would give you leave to dash out all the rest here is the excellency of a Christians Spirit above all the attainments of Moral Heathens though they were excellent at many other things yet they could never attain this forgiving spirit it is the first office of justice said Tully to hurt no body unless first provoked by an injury whereupon Lactantius O quam simplicem veramque sententiam duorum verborum adjectione corrupit What a dainty sentence spoiled the Oratour by adding those two last words strive then for this excellency of Spirit which is the proper excellency of Christians do some singular thing that others cannot doe and then you will have a testimony in their Consciences When Moses out-did the Magicians they were forced to confess the finger of God in that business 3. Remed Consider well the quality of the person that hath wronged thee either he is a good man or a wicked man that hath done thee the injury if he be a good man there is light and tenderness in his Conscience and that will bring him at last to a sense of the evil he hath done however Christ hath forgiven him greater injuries than these and why shouldest not thou will not Christ upbraid him with any of those wrongs done to him but frankly forgives him all and wilt thou take him by the throat fâ—r some petty abuse that he hath done to thee Or is he a wicked man if so truly you have more need to exercise pity than revenge towards him and that upon a double account for 1 He is beside himself so indeed is every unconverted sinner Luk. 15. 17. should you go into Bedlanâ— and there hear one rail at you another mock you and a third threaten you would you say I will be revenged upon them no you would rather goe away pitying them Alas poor creatures they are out of their wits and know not what they doe Besides 2 there is a day coming if they repent not when they will have more miâ—erâ— than you can find in your hearts to wish them you need not study revenge Gods vengeance sleepeth not and will shortly take place upon them and is not that enough have they not an eternity of misâ—ry coming if they repent not this must be the portion of their cup and if ever they doe repent they will be ready to make you reparation 4. Rem Keep down thy heart by this consideration that by revenge thou canst but satisfie a lust but by forgiveness thou shalt conquer a lust Suppose by revenge thou shouldst destory one enemy I will shew thee how by forgiving thou shalt conquer three thine own lust the Devils temptation and thine enemies
this willingness is the immediate succession of a more excellent and glorious life 'T is but wink and you shall see God your happiness shall not be deferred till the Resurrection but as soon as the body is dead the gracious soul is swallowed up in Life Rom. 8. 10 11. When once you have loosed from this shore in a few moments your souls will be wafted over upon the wings of Angels to the other shore of a glorious eternity Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Did the Soul and body dye together as Beryllus taught or did they sleep till the resurrection as others have groundlessly fancied it had been a madness for Paul to desire a dissolution for the injoyment of Châ—ist For if this were so he injoyed more of Christ whilst his Soul dwelt in its flâ—shly Tabernacle then he should out of it There are but two waies of the Souls living known in Scripture viz. the life of faith and the life of vision 1 Cor. 5. 5. those two divide all time both present and future betwixt them 1 Cor 13. 12. If when faith fails Sight should not immediately succeed what should become of the unbodied Soul but blessed be God this great heart-establishing truth is evidently revealed in Scripture Luke 23. 43. â—ou have Christs promise Iohn 14. 3. I will come and receive you to my self O what a change will a few moments make upon your condition rouse up dying Saint when thy Soul is come out a little farther when it shall stand like Abraham in its tent door the Angels of God shall soon be with it the Souls of the elect are as it were put out to the Angels to nurse and when they dye these Angels carry them home again to their fathers house if an Angel were caused to fly swiftly to bring a Saint the answer of his prayer Dan. 9. 21. How much more will the Angels come post from Heaven to receive and transfer the praying Soul it self 4. Arg. Farther It may much conduce to thy willingness to dye to consider that by death God oft times hides his people out of the way of all temptations and troubles upon earth Rev. 14. 13. Write from henceforth blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord. T is Gods usual way when some extraordinary calamities are coming upon the world to set his people out of harms way before hand Isai. 57. 1. Merciful men are taken away from the evil to come So Mich. 7. 1 2. When such an evil time comes as is there described That they all lye in wait for blood and every man hunts his brother with a net before that God by an act of favour houses his people before hand dost thou know what evil may be in the earth which thou art so loath to leave thy God removes thee for thy great advantage thou art disbanded by death and called off the field other poor Saints must stand to it and endure a great fight of afflictions T is observed that Methusala dyed the very year before the flood Augustin a little before the sacking of Hippo. Paereus just before the taking of Heidelberg Luther observes that all the Apostles dyed before the destruction of Ierusalem and Luther himself before the wars brake out in Germany it may be the Lord sees thy tender heart cannot endure to see the misery or bear the temptations that are coming and therefore will now gather thee to thy 〈◊〉 in peace and yet wilt thou cry O spare me a little longer 5. Arg. If yet thy heart hang back consider the great advantage you will have by death above all that ever you enjoyed on earth And that 1 As to your communion with God 2 As to your communion with Saints 1. For your communion with God the time of perfecting that is now come thy Soul shall shortly stand before the face of God and have the immediate emanations and beamings forth of his glory upon it here thy Soul is remote from God the beams of his glory strike it but obliquely and feebly but shortly it will be under the line and there the sun shall stand still as it did in Gibeon there shall be no cloudings nor declineings of it O how should this wrap thy Soul with desires of being uncloathed 2. As for the injoyment of Saints here indeed we have fellowship with them of the lower form but that fellowship is so dissweetened by remaining corruptions that there is no satisfaction in it as it is the greatest plague that can befall an hypocrite to live in a pure Church so t is the greatest vexation to the Spirit of a Saint to live in a corrupt and disordered Church But when death hath admitted you into that glorious assembly of the Spirits of just men made perfect you shall have the desire of your hearts here you cannot fully close one with another yea you cannot fully close with your own Souls O what discords jarrings censurings are here what perfect blessed harmony there in Heaven each Saint loves another as himself thâ—y are altogether lovely O my Soul hast thee away from the Lyons dens from the mountains of Bether from divided Saints to those mountains of Myrhe and hill of Frankinsense thou art now going to thine own people as the Apostles phrase imports 2. Cor. 5 8. 6. Arg. If all this will not doe Consider what heavy burdens death will ease thy shoulders of In this Tabernacle we groan being burdened 1 With bodily distempers how true do we find that of Theophrastue the Soul pays a dear rent for the tenement it now lives in but glorified bodies are clogged with no indispositions death is the best Physician it will cure thee of all diseases at once 2 With the indwelling of sin this makes us groan from the very bowels Rom. 7. 24. But he that is dead is free from sin Rom. 6. 7. Hath justification destroyed its damning power and sanctification its Raigning power so glorification destroyes its very being and existence 3 We groan under temptations here but as soon as we are out of the body we are out of the reach of temptation when once thou art got into Heaven thou mayest say now Sathan I am there where thou canst not come for as the damned in Hell are malo obfirmati so fixed in sin and misery that their condition cannot be altered so glorified Saints are bonâ— confirmati so fixed in holiness and glory that they cannot be 〈◊〉 4 Here we groan under varioâ—â— trâ—ubles and afflictions but then the days of our mourning are ended God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes O then let us hast away that we may be at rest 7. Arg. If still thou linger like Lot in Sodom then lastly examine all the pleas and pretences for a longer time on earth Why art thou unwilling to dye 1. Object O I have many relations in the World I know not what will become of them when I am gone Sol. 1. If