not another though my reins be consumed within me Though thou art sown in dishonour thou shalt be raiâ—ed in glory though thou art sown in weakness thou shalt be raised in power though thou art sown a natural body thou shalt be raised a spiritual body and fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ himself Thy dust shall live and thou shalt arise and be joyned to this soul and both joyn with the great assembly of the sirst-born in singing the praises of thy Master and Husband The Souldier is glad when he is called to receive his pay though the ways be deep and dirty through which he travelleth to the the place of Muster The Husbandman rejoyceth when his Fields are white to Harvest and with piping and shouting accompanieth his last load 〈◊〉 the barn O that my life might be so sanctified 〈◊〉 devoted to my God that at my death he may be my solace Ah Lord it matters not who be failing to visit me on my sick bed so thou be present with me Nay though mine enemies come and say When shall he dye and his name perish An evil disease cleaveth to him now that he lyeth down he shall rise up no more If thou pleasest to visit me with thy saving health I shall not be afraid when I walk in the valley of the â—hadow of death O when the Sun of my life shall be setting let the Sun of righteousness so arise upon me that I may be delivered from the power curse and sting of death and may find it through his merits to be my haven of rest after all my foul weather a bed of ease after my sore labour a release out of prison and my Iubilee to give me possession of an inheritance undefiled incorruptible that fadeth not away which is reserved in heaven for me Amen CHAP. IX Means whereby Christians may exercise themselves to Godliness A good Foundation Lâ—ving by Faith Setting God always before our eyes I Come now to the second thing promised namely to lay down the Means whereby Christians may come to make Religion their business First If thou wouldst exercise thy self to Godliness be sure that thou layest a good foundation in a renewed heart and nature I begin with this because it is the chiefest requisite and the baâ—is of all Godliness must first spring up in the heart before it can overflow in the life Other means are like those parts of the body the want of which may be supplied by others but this is like the heart which if wanting nothing can make up its want A dead man will as soon arise and walk as an unsanctified person make Religion his business Every thing will act according to that principle which is predominant in it Though for a time it may by violence work contrary to its natural inclination yet it will endeavour the removal of that force and return to its old course Fire moveth upwards and earth downwards both strâ—ving to overturn what standeth in their way because the place of fire is above of earth beneath A river may be stopped and hindred in its current but it will never cease till it hath overborn the dam and attained its former passage Water that is naturally sweet may be made brackish by the over-flowing of salt water but it will not leave till it hath workt out that saltness and returneth to his natural sweetness so every man whether good or bad will act according to his nature whether gracious or vicious A good man may be hindred in his holy course by temptations and the violence of the flesh but because his nature is gracious he will never be at rest till he hath forcibly broke through those impediments and got into his former way of Godliness An evil man may step into the path of piety through the example of others or good education or some slender convictions of a natural conscience but he will quickly be weary he will not hold out in it he will break through those obstacles because his nature the stream of his heart runs another way The Heart of man is like the Spring of the Clock which causeth the wheels to move right or wrong well or ill Hence it is that Gods precept is to this Make you a new heart and a new spirit and his promise of this I will put my fear into their hearts and they shall never depart away from me The fear of God in the heart will bind thee fast to God in thy life If the heart be throughly drawn to him the tongue and hand will not depart from him If the heart once set forward for God all the members will follow after the mouth will praise the ears will attend to him the eye will watch him the seet will go after him all the parts like dutiful handmaids in their places will wait on their Mistris There was a great Master among the Jews which bid his Schollars to consider and tell him What was the best thing or the best way in which a man should always keep One said A good Companion was the best thing in the world another said A good Neighbour was the best thing he could wish A third said A wise man or one that could for esee future things A fourth said A good eye that is a liberal disposition At last came one Eleazer and he said A good heart is better then them all True said the Master thou hast comprehended in two words all that the rest have said For a good heart will make a man both contented and a good companion and a good neighbour and help him to foresee things that are to come that he may know what is on his part to be done Indeed without this there can be no godliness all professions and performances are but a shew a shadow and where there is this there is all godliness in all manner of conversation As the King of France said of Dover that it was the key of England and if his son who then invaded the Britains had not that he had nothing So it may be said of the heart It is the key of the whole man it opens and shuts the door to Godliness and Wickedness and if grace hath not this it hath nothing The Philosopher when he would perswade the King to settle his residence in the midst of his Dominions and thereby keep all his people the better in subjection took a Bulls hide ready tanned upon which when he stood on any side of it still it rose up on the other but when he stood on the middle he kept down all alike The onely way to subdue sin is to do it in the heart that commands all otherwise though one unruly passion may be kept down another will rise up The Heart is the great Work-house where all sin is wrought before it s exposed to open view It s the Mint where evil thoughts are coyned before they are currant in our words or actions Out of the heart proceed
Law But thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 57 58. The Naturalists tell us of a precious stone called Ceraunias that glisters most when the Skie is Cloudy and over-cast with darkness Godliness friend will cast the greatest lustre on thee and put the greatest comfort in thee when thy time of trouble and day of death is come This this is the friend that is born for the day of adversity Therefore the sweet singer of Israel having this with him promiseth Though he walk in the valley of the shadow of death he will fear none ill Psal. 23. 9. Is not that worthy to be made thy business which will help thee to comfort and confidence at a dreadful day of judgement and cause thee to lift up thy head with joy when thousands and millions shall weep and wail The day of judgement will be a terrible day indeed the judge will come in flaming sire a fire devouring before him and behind him a flame burning His tribunal will be a tribunal of fire Out of his mouth did proceed a fiery Law and by that law of fire he will try men for their eternal lives and deaths The earth at that day will be consumed with fire and the elements melt with fervent heat If the cry of fire firè in the night now be so dreadfull and doth so afright and amaze us though it be but in one house and possible not very near us how dreadful will that day be when we shall see the whole world in a flame and the Judge coming in flaming fire to pronounce our eternal dooms Who can abide the day of his coming or who can stand when he appeareth Then the Kings and Captains and Nobles and Mighty Men will call to the rocks to fall on them and to the hills to hide them from the face that sitteth in the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb Rev. 6. 15. O Reader of what worth is that which will help thee as the three Children to sing in the midst of so many flaming fiery furnaces and preserve thee from being hurt or so much as toucht therewith Truely Godliness will do this for thee it will turn this day of the perdition of ungodly men into a day of redemption to thee As true Gold is not consumed by the hottest fire and the Salamander can live in the greatest flames so the godly man in the midst of all those fires and flames will live and flourish though millions of ungodly ones are scorched and tortured As he is a King now reigning over his stubborn lusts and unruly passions that will be his Coronation day wherein he will appear before the whole world in all his glory and royalty As he is a Husbandman now sowing to the Spirit that will be his Harvest-day wherein he shall reap the fruit of all his prayers and tears and watchings and fastings and labour and sufferings As he is compared to a Virgin betrothed to Christ now keeping his garments white and clean and devoting himself to the service and honour and commands of his Lord that will be his Marriage day wherein he shall be arrayed in fine linnen the righteousness of the Saints adorned with the jewels of perfect graces and solemnly espoused to the King of Saints the heir of all things and the fairest of ten thousands the Lord Jesus Christ. As he is a servant now doing not his own but the will of his Master in Heaven and finishing his work that will be the day wherein his Indentures will expire and he shall enjoy the glorious liberty of the Sons of God As he is a Son now yielding reverence and obedience to the Father of Spirits that will be the day wherein he shall be declared to be of full age and enjoy his portion and inheritance As he is a Souldier now fighting the good fight of faith warring a good warfare enduring much hardship as a good souldier of Iesus Christ that will be the day wherein he shall be called off the guard discharged of those tiresome toylsome duties incumbent on him in this life and receive his garland a Crown of everlasting life Little dost thou conceive Reader the worth of Godliness at that day Godliness will then be honoured and admired not onely by them that have it and rejoyce in it but also by the most prophane and carnal wretches and those who now despise and deride it Then the blind world who now shut their eyes and will not see and the atheistical world who harden their hearts and will not believe shall return and discern and see and believe a difference between the godly and ungodly between them that fear the Lord and them that fear him not O friend what wouldst thou give at that day that godliness had been thy business at this day Godliness will make the judge the Lord Jesus Christ thy friend the Father by whose authority he fits the King of all Nations thy friend the Iustices who will be upon the bench for he shall come with thousands of his Saints thy friends Godliness would make the law by which thou art to be tryed thy friend Godliness would make thy conscience which is to be brought in as the evidâ—nce thy friend Godliness would strike dumb all thy accusers Satan thy corruptions and suffer none of them to hurt thee as thy foes And is not Godliness worthy to be made thy business which will do all this for thee 10. Is not that worthy to be made thy business which will do thee good to eternity The fool is for good for many years but a wise man is for goods that will last to eternity In worldly matters we value those houses and goods highest which will last longest We will give much more for the fee-simple or inheritance for ever of a dwelling or lands then for a term of few years or for a lease for life though we can enjoy them but during life O why should it not be thus in spirituals Why should we not set the greatest price and take the most pains for that which is not for years or ages but for ever for that which we may enjoy and have full solid comfort in to eternity No good that is eternal can be little if it be but an humane friend whom thou lovest to enjoy him for ever or a bodily health to enjoy it for ever or near relations to enjoy them for ever will infinitely advance the price and raise the value of them but to enjoy a God for ever the blessed Saviour for ever the comforting Spirit for ever fullness of joy for ever rivers of pleasures for ever and exceeding weight of glory for ever a crown a kingdom an inheritance for ever which is the fruit of Godliness what tongue can declare what mind can apprehend the worth of these Alas frailty is such a flaw in all earthly tenures that it doâ—h exceedingly abate their value and should our
him under that he rise no more How many that should reprove others have their mouths stopt as the Dogs by the Thief with a piece of bread some kindness or other Or else as Erasmus saith of Harpocrates they hold their finger in their mouths and are affraid of giving offence they are rather like the reflection of a Looking-glass ready to imitate others sinful gestures and actions then rebuke them for them There is no reprover in the gate Nay Heathen exceed in this many of us The Great Philosopher tells us That is true love which to profit and do good to us feareth not to offend us and that it is one of the chiefest offices of friendship to admonish Euripides exhorts men to get such friends as would not spare to displease them saying Friends are like new wines those that are harsh and sowr keep best the sweet are not lasting Phocian told Antipater Thou shalt not have me for thy Friend and Flatterer too Diogenes when men called him Dog for his severe kind of reproving would Answer Dogs bite their enemies but I my friends for their good And are we so hardly drawn to this duty O how justly might the Lord reprove us cuttingly and set our sins in order before our eyes to our comdemnation for our backwardness to reprove others to their humiliation We have most of us cause with Reverend Mr. Robert Bolton to confess and bewayl our neglect herein SECT V. FIfthly By bearing each others infirmities Christians like the clearest fire will have some smoak whereby they are apt to offend each others eyes and to cause anger The best and most pious may sometimes be peevish Those brethren that love sincerely may too often quarrel True Members of the same body may by some accident be dis-joynted Though contentions argue them to have flesh yet they may arise where there is spirit Therefore the Holy Ghost commandeth Bear one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Here is the Commandment enjoyned and the Argument whereby it is enforced Galat. 6. 2. First The Precept Bear one anothers burthens There is a threefold burden that Christians must bear for each other I. The civil burthens of their miseries and sufferings Have a fellow-feeling with them in their afflictions Who is weak and I am not weak Who is afflicted and I burn not saith holy Paul Herod and his men of War will set a persecuted Christ at naught The Chief Priests and Elders will mock him when he hangs upon the Cross Luk. 23. 11. Mat. 27. 4. Edom rejoyced in the day of Ierusalem's trouble they cryed Aha so would we have it But the true seed of Iacob sigh for others sorrows they weep with them that weep Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them that suffer adversity If one part of the natural body be in pain the other parts are sensible of it When one branch of a Tree is torn and mangled in Summer the other branches are affected with it and out of Sympathy as it were will not thrive so well as formerly If one person of a family be sick how much do his relations from a principle of nature lay to heart his pain and illness Christians are all members of the same body branches of the same vine children of the same family and it would be monstrous and unnatural for them not to feel each others miseries and suffer in each others sufferings II. The Spiritual burthen of their iniquities and sins Whether more immediately against God Though we must not bear with them in their sins yet we must help to bear their sins with them We ought to sit on the same floor with them that are fallen down and to mourn with them and for them and to bear some of the weight This temper was so eminent in Ambrose he would so plentifully weep with the sinning party that a Great Commander under Theodosius beholding it cried out This man is onely worthy the name of a Bishop As Stags when they swim over a River to feed in some Meadow they swim in a row and lay their heads over one anothers backs bearing the weight of one anothers horns and when the first is weary another taketh his room and so they do it by course So Christians must be willing to bear each others weight whilst they are passing through those boistrous waters till they land at their glorious eternal harbour Or whether their sins are immediately against our selves If the teeth bite the tongue that seeketh no revenge When the feet through their slipping throw the body upon the ground it riseth up and all is well Some Christians are of such weak stomachs that they can digest nothing that looks like an unkindness or injury But it s the glory of a man to pass by offences Cyprian saith to bear with affronts is a ray of Divinity A noble-spirited man will disdain to take notice of petâ—y dis-respects he will over-come contempt by contempt But an heaven-born Christian hath higher principles and more sublime motives to forgive his offending brother I Paul the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with a long-suffering forbearing one another in love Ephes. 4. 1 2. And be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you verse ult It is reported of Cosroes the Persian King that he caused a Throne to be made for him like Heaven with the Sun Moon and Stars artificially placed above it and under his feet thick and black clouds and high winds and tempests He that would have an Heaven here I mean enjoy God and himself must of necessity trample these under his feet It is good advice which Bernard gives in such a case Dost thou hear that a brother hath said or done somewhat that reflecteth upon thee or is injurious to thee then saith he 1. Be hard to believe it He should have a loud tongue that can make thee to hear such a report I would give him little thanks in case the honour of God were not concerned that were the messenger to bring me such a sowr present his pains would deserve but a poor reward that brought me tidings of a discourtesie to rob me of my charity The evidence shall be very clear or I will write Ignoramus upon his Bill of Indictment But if the thing be so plain that it cannot be denyed then saith he 2. Excuse his intent and purpose Think with thy self Possibly he had a good end in it He spake as he heard or he did what he did upon some good ground and account Though the action seem to savour of injury yet certainly in his intention there was no evil Had I his eyes I should see his end was right and honest But if there should be no reason for hope that his purpose was good then saith he
not to judge presently of the Plague of Leprosie but to shut the person suspected up seven days and then to view him and if the case were not clear to shut him up seven days more and after that seven days more before he was condemned and what is the Gospel of this but to condemn rash censuring of any much more of the godly Hath not my God told me He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is a folly and shame to him Prov. 18. 13. Lord thou understandeth what an unruly member my tongue is how hard to be kept within the bounds of sobriety towards my self or charity towards others O be pleased to undertake for me and keep thou the door of my lips It is not good to speak evil of those whom I know bad but it s much worse to speak evil of those who may prove good Should I declare others failings upon certain knowledge it sheweth some want of charity but should I publish their faults upon a bare supposition it would argue a want of honesty O let me rather erre on the right hand in my charitable thoughts of those that are bad then on the left in my censorious opinion of those that are good For though he may be evil that speaks good of others upon knowledge yet he can never be good himself that speaks evil of others upon suspicion I Wish that I may be so far from speaking ill of them that are good that I may rather be silent then without a just cause and call speak ill of them that are evil Though the wicked like Dogs fall upon the Sheep of Christ with open mouth and strive to bury their good names in the open Sepulchre of their wide throats yet the Sheep of Christ do rather suffer their rage with patience then render reviling for reviling My God hath commanded me to bless them that curse me and to pray for them that despitefully use me and how contrary am I to his Precept if I pay them in their own coin and open my mouth in backbiting them because they are forward to slander me It is enough for them that have not a God to undertake their cause and revenge their quarrels to do it themselves If I be one of Christs members he reckoneth all the wrongs offered to me as done to himself and he will one day vindicate his own honour and mine to the full when the sinner shall answer for all his treasonable expressions with Hell flames about his ears The tongue that now is blistered with blasphemies against God and his people at that day will be in a light flame and beg in vain with Dives for a little water to cool it I may therefore be quiet in all such cases and commit my cause to him that judgeth righteously He that is robbed may not seek for reparation from the Country if the Felon at the Assizes be Convicted and Executed I need not fear but the Iudge of the whole earth will at the general Assize do justice upon those Thieves that steal away my credit and good name and so in the mean time may well be contented He that is sure of double interest hereafter may with the more comfort forbear his money at present Besides by declaring his faults onely to fill up a void space of time I injure both him and my self whether my report be true or false if my report be false I wrong him by slandering and murdering his name undeservedly and I wrong my self by contracting the guilt of so great a sin If the report be true I walk contrary to Gods comâ—mand speak evil of no man and so deâ—ile my own soul and set him at a further distance from Religion hardening his heart against any future reproof as judging it to proceed from malice and so I do what lyeth in my power to destroy his soul. Besides all this I may injure my hearers and make them accessary to my sin Lord thou hast given me my tongue that it might be a trumpet to sound thine honour and that therewith I might speak good of thy name and not to speak evil of others O let my glory sing of thee and not be silent open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise but let me prefer an unprofitable silence before sinful speaking Help me to take heed to my ways that I offend not with my tongue and to keep my mouth with a bridle that I may not wander from thy Commandments I Wish that I may to the utmost of my power be serviceable to the souls of my fellow-members The members of the natural body are not idle or unprofitable but give and receive nourishment for the increase of the whole body They do not seek themselves or their particular interests apart but the good of the whole and their own profit in relation thereunto Nay the eye watcheth for all the members and helpeth to adorn them and not it self the hands work to maintain and cover the whole remaining themselves naked Why should it not be thus in my Saviours mystical body My God hath given me and others graces and gifts for that purpose and commanded me Occupy till I come and should I suffer them to rust for want of use I should be found at last but an unprofitable servant The several creatures whether superiour or inferiour do all instruct me by their patterns in this lesson of improving my talents and forbid me to bury them in the grave of idleness If I look up to the highest heavens I may see with an eye of faith those Sons of God Angels his diligent Servants and putting forth those abilities which they have received both for the glory of their Creatour and the good of their fellow-creatures Though they are the eldest house and compared with us the first born of the creation yet they do not as the eldest sons of some men plead that priviledge to patronage and cloak sloth and idleness but as they have higher and more noble natures so they are more active and industrious then others as appears both by bearing their parts in the celestial quire and in being ministring spirits for the good of them that are heirs of salvation If I look to the natural Heavens there with an eye of sense I may see the great Candle and Luminary of the World not folding up those rayes and cherishing vertues which he hath received but communicating them freely for the warming and refreshing terrestrial bodies though he gains nothing by it but is many times requited with the darkning his glory by earthly vapours If I look lower I may observe the earth even wasting and wearing out her self to nourish and inrich others She hath received a power of fructifying and giving sap to that which groweth upon her and loe like a tender Nurse how liberally doth she give that milk to all that hang on her breasts though it tend to her own weakening The various inanimate and
my self when any reprove me for the evil in me let me accept it with thanks Make me able to say with that sweet singer of Israel Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent oyl it shall not break my head I Wish that I may by no means repine but always rejoyce at the gifts and graces of others If the other members of the body thrive the heart doth not grieve but is glad at it It s ordinary for younger brothers to boast and glory in the large estate and great possessions which their elder brothers have left them by their Fathers Why should not my soul be joyful at the great share of spiritual riches which the onely wise God hath given some of my brethren If a man love sweet smels the greater degree of them he observeth in any place the moâ—e he is refreshed with them He that delights in Pictures if he see one in a room exactly and exquisitely drawn above all the rest that shall have more of his eye and his heart Is not grace compared to sweet Oynments and shall not I be comforted the more for the greatness of its savour Is not the Image of my God amiable in mine eye and ought I not to delight most in that Copy which is nearest the Original Surely if I envy any their spiritual excellencies I shew my self too like a Child of the Devil There is hardly any worm that gnaweth that unclean spirit more painfully then the grace which God gives his Children Their sins are his utmost joy their graces are his extream greif Would I be found in Satans livery at the last O that I might be so far from murmuring at that double portion of the Spirit which my God bestoweth upon some of his people that I might bless God heartily for it and beg of God to add to it an hundred fold how great soever it is The pretty Birds sing the more merrily the higher the Sun mounteth in the Heavens I have cause to be the more chearful the nearer any ascend to Heaven and the higher they mount in holiness My love to my God to my Brother nay to my self all command me to it My love to my God He that loves his Soverain will rejoyce that he hath any Subjects eminent above others for duty and loyalty They that have much spiritual strength will do my God much spiritual service The more grace they have the more glory they bring to God It s an honour to the Father of Spirits when his Children keep open house according to their estates cloathing the naked feeding the hungry soul and relieving liberally such as are in want I am no Christian if I be not tender of my Gods honour and joyful when that is exalted in the World Besides Love to my brother should quicken me to this duty If I love him as my self I shall both grieve at his soul-losses and rejoyce at his spiritual gains Love delighteth in the welfare of the party loved The hotter the beames of grace are in the party beloved the more they rejoyce the heart of the lover Why should any mans eye be evil towards his Brother because Gods is good to him Have others the less because some have so much Or is it not my own fault that I am not as holy and gracious as he God is a Fountain of grace always running over but he derives it to us according to our capacities If I go to the Well of Salvation and receive but little of the water of life I may know the cause my Vessel was no bigger Nay Love to my self may make me glad at others gifts and graces The greater the Saints estate is the more he will relievâ— others As the Earth though it sucketh in so much water as will give her self a competent refreshment conveyeth many springs through her veins for the cherishing and refreshment of others So the Saints do not onely advantage their own but also others souls Lord though in Hell there be little else but murmuring and repining at the good of thy chosen yet in Heaven there is no emptiness in themselves no envying at others every Saint there hath his joy doubled for anothers joy and is glorified in anothers glory Suffer not thy Servant to make his heart a little Hell by filling it with grief at the good of thy chosen But O make it thy lesser Heaven be thou pleased to dwell in it and then I shall begin the work of eternity in time magnifie and bless thee for thy love to them and praise and bless them for their likeness to thee Finally I Wish that I may so carry my self in all my converses with the Children of God here that I may meet them in the Fathers house and sit down with them at the Supper of the Lamb. Lord if Communion with thy Saints be so pleasant and delightful on earth how pleasant and delightful will it be in Heaven Here my communion with them is imperfect my flesh will not suffer me to receive the good I might from them nor their flesh allow them to do the good they might to me But there shall be no evil no occasion of evil no appearance of evil no sin shall clog the chariots of our souls no flesh shall fetter us from running to embrace and delight in each other but all shall be free to rejoyce and refresh one another Every Saint shall be as it were a fountain of Communion in the sweetest mannerâ— and fullest measure from every one shall flow Riâ—ers of water of life and every one enlarged to rellish and receive If Jonathan beholding a little grace in David on earth loved him as his own soul how doth he love him in Heaven Here our Communion is much lamed by the defects in our bodily organs we cannot impart our minds without our members which being defective make our Communion so but there we shall be as Angels seeing each other without eyes hearing each other without ears and embracing each other without hands Here our Communion is interrupted our particular callings our eating our drinking our sleeping our many occasions call us from it But there is no calling but our general calling of worshipping and enjoying our God no feeding but on the tree of life that groweth in the midst of Paradise no drinking but of the Rivers of Gods own pleasures and no night no sleeping but that rest which remaineth for the people of God O what darkness what night can be there where all the righteous shall shine infinitely brighter then the Sun in his noon day lustâ—e Here our Communion is hindered by the differences that frequently arise â— like Children of the same Father we quarrel and wrangle but there they will all be like-minded having the same love being of one accord and one judgement There indeed Jerusalem is a City compact together and at unity within it self There Pauls desire is granted
home when thou art neither Master of thy time nor reason nor of thy natural abilities much less of supernatural grace which is indispensably requisite to this great work O that since I must dye once for sin I might dye daily to sin and as the Philistines that they might the better deal with Sampson cut off his Hair wherein his great strength lay so that I may the better deal with death I may by faith and repentance daily cut off and destroy sin wherein the strength of death lieth May I not say to thee O my soul as Joshua to Israel Prepare ye victuals for within three days ye shall pass over this Iordan to go to possess the Land which the Lord your God giveth you Prepare the spiritual food the flesh of Christ which is meat indeed and the blood of Christ which is drink indeed an heart weaned from the world longing to be with God for within a few days thou shalt go in to possess the land of promise Lord I know nothing more certain then death Sin hath deserved it my brittle body inforceth it thou hast decreed it and none can prevent it I know nothing more uncertain then the time when or the manner how Thou hast many ways and means to bring me to my grave not onely ordinary distempers of my body but thousands of casual dangers I cannot promise my self freedom from it in any place or condition Death may seise me abroad at home in company in solitude at bed at board Why should I not always provide for that extremity that enemy which I cannot avoid Why should I not ever be ready for that which may come at any time and will come at some time or other Surely I do not hasten my death by preparing for it but sweeten it exceedingly I â—hall not dye a moment the sooner but infinitely the better Should death overtake me in my sins alas where am I what will become of me for ever I may well salute it as Ahab Elijah with Hast thou found me O mine enemy for t will come to me as the Prophet to that King with doleful dreadful tidings T will bring me news of a dismal dungeon of darkness to be my habitation of Lyons and Scorpions and Dragons to be my companions of a never dying worm an unquenchable fire pure wrath without mixture full torments without measure to be my portion for ever and ever O teach me so to live above this vain empty life so to be crucified to this world so to make my peace with thy Majesty through the great peace-maker and Prince of Peace my Lord Iesus so to set my heart and house my spiritual and temporal concernments in order that I may be delivered from the paw of the Lyon from the teeth of this monster from the sting of this Serpent and though my body be destroyed yet my soul may escape as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler and mount up to thy self to enjoy that happy life which shall know no death I Wish that all the days of my appointed time I may exercise my self herein to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and towards all men There are but two which can afford me real comfort in a dying hour which always take the same side and joyn together God and my conscience Humane friends often stand afar off when they should be most near and I have most need Some of them are loth to come to a sick mans chamber Mournful objects must not disturb their jollity and mirth They are sworn enemies to sorrowful occasions and baniâ—h such foes their quarters or themselves from such coasts Others if they come to visit me love not to see my gastly countenance like not to hear my deep and deadly groans But be they never so full of pity they can onely sympathize with me they cannot relieve refresh me The most they can do is to accompany me to my grave and there they leave me But O the comfort which a loving God and a conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ and purged from dead works will afford me in a dying hour The smiles of a God and chearings of a good conscience will be musick indeed to welcom me to the shoar after all my tumblings and tossings in this tempestuous Ocean They will make my bed in my sickness help me to lye easie hearten me in my sighs and groans be my feast at my funeral bid me Be of good chear for my sins are forgiven me tell me that my Redeemer liveth and because he liveth I shall live also lodge my body in a grave as in a Bed of Spices and convey my soul into my Saviours Bosome and Embraces when my Houses Lands Honours Friends Wife Children leave me they will cleave to me nay when my breath life heart flesh forsake me they will not fail me yea when faith hope patience repentance shall bid me farewel weeping as Orpah did Ruth these like Naomi will stick to me go with me and seek rest for me O that my heart may be so upright in the service of my God that when I â—hall receive the sentence of death I may be able to say with good Hezekiah Remember now I beseech thee O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight O my soul what a friend shouldst thou be to thy God thy conscience how faithful to their warnings now in life if thou wouldst have them thy friends at death Hereby thou mayst be able to triumph in that hour of temptation to defie death it self and bid it do its worst Though it be the common gate through which the sinner goeth into prison where he meets with Chains and Fetters and cold and all sorts of miseries yet thou shalt go through it into the Kings Pallace where thou shalt have rivers of pleasures and 〈◊〉 entertainment If Jacob went down so joyfully 〈◊〉 Egypt when God had said to him fear not to go down for I will go down with thee and I will bring thee up again What needest thou fear to go down into the Grave when thy God hath undertaken to go down with thee thither and to bring thee up again Thy body may be turned into dust but thy God is in Covenant with thy dust and thy head the blessed Redeemer will not suffer one muscle or nerve or artery or vein of any of his members to be lost With what chearfulness mayst thou take thy leave of thy body Farewel sweet body thou hast been in some measure faithful to thy soul in the service of thy Lord Farewel I must bid thee goodâ—night till the morning of the resurrection Be thou content to go to bed and sleep in the dust and rest in hope for though after the skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh â—hall I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold him and