to tarry for the reward The delay of good hoped for is afflicting and pungent it maketh the heart sick without patience to support it So that the Christian must have the patience as well as the faith of the Saints Rev. 13.10 For if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Rom. 8.25 therefore it is said of Abraham After he had patiently endured he received the promise Heb. 6.15 God is graciously pleased to put us to our choice whether we will have our Heaven here or wait for it hereafter whether we will draw our comforts from the broken and impure Cisterns of the creatures or reserve our selves for those Crystal streams that flow from that pure and living Fountain of everlasting Consolations where our enjoyment shall be full and free without any danger of Epicurism or intemperance And were it not for our too hasty and impetuous desires after present wages though but brass and counters and a sinful impatience mingled with an infidelity and a distrust of God and his Promise for our future more comfortable allowance and satisfactory reward the use of a very little reason seasoned and improved by Grace might be armour of proof unto us against the destructive charms of sin and might put the controversie beyond dispute that Heaven is worth the waiting for and the satisfactions there are very sufficient to smooth all the wrinkles in the face of Religion here to take off the seeming severities of a holy life a renewed Repentance and necessary self-denial in themselves the most amiable and lovely duties and the best Credentials the surest Evidences we can provide both for our Conduct and our Title to the Celestial Canaan or heavenly Jerusalem which is that City which Abraham did look for 1. in his desires and 2. in his hopes and was well worth 3. all his pains and 4. his Patience too because it is a City that hath Foundations c. The Object whereunto this Act is referred is a City To condescend to the meanness of our capacity the Scripture doth express Heaven unto us by such things as our understandings can apprehend and gives it such Titles as may suit with and satisfie every mans Appetite and Inclination very often it is called a City The City of the living God Heb. 12.22 a City to come Heb. 13.14 the Holy City Rev. 21.2 and much of the happiness thereof may be conceived by us as it is represented under this Notion of a City wherein there are to be found such rare and peculiar advantages as are necessary and sufficient to compleat the bliss thereof I shall briefly recommend these five particulars to your present consideration This is a City where there is to be found 1. The best Society A City is a multitude of people that have the benefit of a mutual and near converse and quietly cohabit under the same laws and Government Company is the most pleasant thing of life without which there is no full content in any enjoyment no comfortable use of the greatest possessions If to live with vertuous persons here in whom there is sin to imbitter as well as grace to sweeten their converses unto us by reason of their manifold defects and imperfections be one of the chief ingredients to our present in happiness what will it be to live with them when they shall be perfected in goodness and in glory If he could cry out O praeclarum illum diem c. Cic. de Senect O the happy day when I shall depart out of this croud and sink into that council and society of blessed Souls and if Socrates rejoyced to dy because he thought he should then see Homer and Hesiod and other excellent men famous in their generations how much more should the Christian long to see Christ the eternal Son of God in his assumed nature and with him the glorious company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the Prophets the Noble Army of Martyrs and the whole Church of the First-born of which blessed Corona he himself shall make a part sitting down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all his pious friends departed whom he shall know and love in a greater degree than ever he did in this life This then is recorded as one of the singular Eminencies of that place that we shall be fellow-Citizens with the Saints Eph. 2.19 and be admitted into the fellowship of Myriads of Angels and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12.23 24. A Royal Society of perfect Virtuoso's free from all infirmities of pride Ignorance and self-seeking to exercise our Charity and Patience and without any sufferings to move our pity and compassion And the content that shall flow from this Communion and Acquaintance shall be durable and entire not subject to any prejudices or the bitter and disquieting thoughts of a sad parting any more 2. The most excellent Order As the Firmament without the Sun or the body without the soul so is a multitude without Order a rude indigested heap of people no formal Society Order is the essential Ornament of all Societies and the Beauty of Heaven The Inhabitants there are peaceable without any disaffection and orderly without the least confusion There is indeed an imparity or difference of degrees in Glory as well as in Grace There are Angels and Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims and all shine not with an equal Lustre There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars for one Star differeth from another Star in glory 1 Cor. 15.41 So it shall be among the Saints and at the Resurrection All shall be satiated but All not capacitated for the like reception He that employed his five Talents well shall be made Ruler over five Cities and he that hath but two Talents and improves them as he ought shall be proportionably rewarded he shall rule over two Cities But though there be a difference yet there shall be no disorder for he that hath least shall not be disdained nor he that hath most be envyed Every one shall have so much that he shall desire no more but will love and enjoy that good in another which he might seem to want in himself Therefore there will be no envy occasioned there by any unequal clarity because there shall reign in all an Oneness of Charity There will be in all one and the same blessedness of joy though there be not in all one and the same sublimity or height of glory There is no deceitful friendship or strangeness of affection no unkind thought carriage or affection there 's a Corporation of Saints uniformly and harmoniously conspiring to obey and magnifie their Maker where the King is Verity the Law Charity and the term Eternity 3. The most Soveraign immunities Paul as a Citizen of Rome escaped Scourging Acts 22.25 for such were not to be bound or
Foundation sufficient to underprop and secure it for ever so that we shall not need to be troubled with Anaxagoras his conceit that Heaven was made of stones and would one day fall upon mens heads 1. Christs Merit and Purchase this is one and a sure foundation for other foundation can no man lay than that that is laid Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 He is the chief corner stone Eph. 2.20 only by Christ is there such a place as Heaven and such a state as Salvation attainable for believers No created righteousness is able to support it self from ruin Angels are mutable Creatures created with a natural blessedness from which some did and all might have fallen now that the good Angels are immutable they owe it to Christ by whom they received a blessedness supernatural which by Creation they had not For though he be not properly a Redeemer or a Mediator of Attonement yet as some Divines say is he a Confirmer and supporter of Angels of him therefore the whole family in Heaven and earth is named Eph. 3.15 and by him hath God reconciled to himself all things whether they be things in heaven or things in earth Col. 1.21 As the Angels fell so man in innocency standing upon the foundation of his own righteousness that proved rotten and deceitful and the building of his happiness rear'd upon it was beaten down with the violent storm of the very first Temptation But the happiness of Heaven will be firm and certain because founded upon Christs perfect righteousness not the creatures changeable will and variable obedience He that bought us at so dear a rate will not trust us with our selves any more and our happiness shall be not in our own hands but in the safe keeping of a faithful Creator and most merciful Redeemer And oh with what kisses of love shall we embrace and hug those wounds by which he purchased the possession of that Inheritance for us with what ravishment of affections shall we sound forth that Song of Triumph and Thanksgiving to our Deliverer Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honour and riches and wisdom and strengh and glory Rev. 5.12 for he was slain and hath redeemed us to God by his bloud out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation ver 9. The other I shall mention is 2. Gods free love and goodness whereby he hath designed for believers an eternal Well-being in glory before they had a temporary being in Nature from the Abyss of everlastingness had he thoughts of kindness towards us and even then did lay contrivances of Bliss for us who since we were deserved nothing but damnation These are the everlasting arms that are underneath the Saints in glory Deut. 33.27 It is in this hand even of Gods love that the Souls of the righteous are Wisd 3.1 out of which none shall be able to pluck them Joh. 10.29 If once these arms impale us neither sin nor hell shall get us thence for ever The Sanctuary is inviolable the rock impregnable and we safely lock'd up to eternity So safe that they who would pass from hence cannot saith the Gospel Luk. 16.26 None certainly can be ever willing to lose that happiness or to have it suspended for a moment yet upon supposal that they could be willing and have a mind to exchange places they shall not be able the gulf of God's irreversible decree and kindness towards them is fixed and they shall never be able to alter it So that as the Bee sucks and satiates her self with the sweetness of the flower or as the child lies at the breast sucking and inclosed within the careful and tender arms of the loving mother so shall the happy Soul securely feed on the deliciousness of God's love with whom there will never be any variableness or shadow of changing And this assurance of the perpetuity of this happiness is that which heightens it Every moment will be sweeter to us in that we shall never be disquieted with the thought that our condition as happy as it is will have an end which thought like Gall and Wormwood poured into those rivers of pleasures would imbitter and allay the lusciousness of them to our taste And this assurance is built on this principal foundation of Gods love and immutable purpose which standeth fast 2 Tim. 2.19 and hath this Seal the Lord knoweth who are his he knoweth them so as to approve of them and preserve them in that happiness of Soul and body to all eternity which he himself hath ordained for them and doth conferr upon them and this leads to the second particular by which the excellency of this City is described and that is 2. It s Architect and Author whose builder and maker is God Every work receives its estimate and value from the skilfulness and reputation of the Author Any picture drawn by the hand of an ingenious Apelles or any piece of Sculpture carved by an inspired Bezaliel or Aholiab will affect the heart and command the eye into the greatest diligence and curiosity of observation Solomons Temple was a magnificent building The expence was great David having prepared 100000 Talents of Gold and 1000000 Talents of Silver besides Brass and iron without weight 1 Chr. 22.14 The labourers were many 17000 besides Overseers with Hiram and cunning Artificers 2 Chr. 2.14 The time spent in building was long 7 years notwithstanding all that help and preparation All which contributed to render it certainly a most admirable and glorious structure But here behold a more glorious than Solomons whose builder is God He doth not only say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole maker that word being more general and appliable to the whole Creation but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose Artist ad excellentiam operis refertur Zanchius which sets forth in a peculiar manner the excellency and beauty of this work Indeed any immediate work of God is stupendous and requires our wonder What a rare Fabrick is that great house we now dwell in which is of his making How is the floor dressed with herbs and flowers and trees and watered with Rivers and Springs and Seas what a rich Canopy is hung over the heads of Worms The visible heavens are the Sieling of this house and the Stars like golden Studs or sparkling Diamonds adorn that Sieling How vast and pleasant a building admirably beautified with astonishing workmanship in every part and fitted not only for our necessities but delight If we view mans body the mansion of his Soul what mysteries of the divine skill are to be found in the narrow compass thereof it is not a rude lump or mass of clay thrust together but a piece of so rare an Architecture and composed with so much curiosity and exactness that no hand but Gods could make any thing to equal it and the most curious piles in the world are but heaps compared unto it If Nature hath so much beauty in it how beautiful a thing
which by Gods blessing upon his Diligence and wise management he did plentifully enjoy he did expend and dispose in a commendable and fitting way being not like Israels empty Vine bringing forth fruit unto himself In his expences and entertainments he was gentile and free and yet frugal not addicted to the extremes either of a sordid parsimony or of a vain profuseness and foolish prodigality To my knowledge he was upon occasions offered very ready to contribute to the relief of the necessitous and to promote Charitable designs To his Parishioners he was loving and beloved of them To his Tenants and those with whom he dealt he was indulgent and tender not rigorously pressing them to the inconveniencies of bad Markets but forbearing long and often with those that were unable and if they complained or he conceived their bargain to be too hard he would return some part of what was due for their encouragement and ease This I have received from some of his Parishioners and others persons of understanding and credit and free from any designs who have expressed with sorrow upon this account their resentment of so great a loss and whose testimony weighs more with me than any uncertain Reports and uncharitable Censures which are apt to misinterpret the best actions to blast and sully the fairest Reputations There were several of his indigent neighbours that owed him at the time of his death several small portions of money which put together amounted to a very considerable sum for the discharge of all which he hath given a very punctual and strict command and to 63. aged people he hath ordered a good provision to be made of Cloath of meat and of mony upon this day of his Enterment which I doubt not but is fully performed according to his pious intention to Gods glory and the seasonable supply of their needs He was always of a very healthy constitution it was with him as with Moses Deut. 34.7 His eye was not dim nor his natural force abated his memory was fresh his judgment serene and perfect his complexion vigorous and lively without any infirmity that might render his life a burden unto him or any symptome that might threaten to him so unexpected and sudden a change But when it pleased God to visit him with this last distemper which was neither violent nor of long continuance he soon apprehended it to be the messenger of his dissolution and therefore he presently set his house and estate and his Soul in Order to a quiet and undisturbed departure When his judicious Physician came unto him whom he admitted to be sent for and whose prescriptions he observed for the satisfaction of his Relations more than his own he desired him to deal candidly and freely with him and truly to discover his Apprehensions of him professing that he had in his thoughts already parted with the world and was not afraid to die that if God should not think fit to restore unto him here the voice of joy and health he submitted entirely to his pleasure in confidence that through the Merits of his Saviour when this earthly Tabernacle should be dissolved there was prepared for him a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens He behaved himself during the time of his Sickness very piously and penitently and desired every day the attendance of an affectionate Brother the Minister of this Parish to assist him in his Devotions and upon Friday last he received his Viaticum the Holy Eucharist with great Humility and ardent expressions of his Faith and Repentance and Charity to all men and a renewed self-resignation into God's hands and a perfect detestation of the horrible corruptions of the Church of Rome both in her Doctrine and Practice touching the Nature and the Use of that Blessed Sacrament And having an inward Sentiment a Prophetick instinct as it were of the approach of his last enemy death he prepared himself to entertain that encounter which he did accordingly with an undaunted Spirit and a Christian Resolution Not many hours I suppose 2 or 3 before the Fatal Minute he ordered his Grand children to be brought unto him his sorrowful Son then attending in the room and in a grave and pathetical manner as old Jacob did before he died he imparted to them the best and last Legacy which he could bequeath and had in reserve for them his Fatherly and Priestly Benediction He retained the benefit of his Intellectuals and outward Senses entire unto the last and when this earthly house of his Tabernacle was dissolving his Soul quitted it without any groan or commotion or amazing circumstance and stole away in an easie and a quiet expiration His Lamp is now extinguished and he is gone unto his rest where we may comfortably hope he hath been entertained by that chief Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls with an Euge bone serve well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into thy masters joy Unto which state of Joy and Blessedness God Almighty bring us all through his Mercy and the Merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be ascribed of Men and Angels all Honour and Glory Thanksgiving and Praise both now and for evermore Amen FINIS