and no wonder for it is not founded upon Honour Beauty wealth or any other sinister respect in the party beloved which is subject to Age or Mutability but only on the Grace and Piety in him which Foundation because it always lasteth the love which is built upon it is also perpetual Part thee and me Death is that which parteth one Friend from another Then the dear Father must part with his dutiful Child then the dutiful Child must forget his Dear Father then the kind Husband must leave his constant Wife then the constant Wife most lose her kind Husband then the careful Master must be sundred from his industrious Servant then the industrious Servant must be sundred from his careful Master Yet this may be some comfort to those whose Friends death hath taken away that as our Disciples Yet a little while and you shall not see me and yet a little while and you shall see me again So yet a little while and we shall not see our Friends and yet a little while and we shall see them again in the Kingdom of Heaven for not mittuntur sed praemittuntur we do not forego them but they go before us When thou art enter'd into the House of Weeping fall down on thy knees and say OH Lord our God in thee and by thee we live move and have our Being As thou didst at the first breath into Man the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul so when thou shalt be pleased to command that Breath again out of Mans Body then will he presently become a dead Carkass and so short is the Life of Man that many times he doth but cry and Die yea sometimes his Mothers Womb doth prove his Tomb so that he doth not once cry to tell the World that he did once Live Neither is the Thread of Mans Life at any time spun so strong but at one word of thy Mouth it is soon snapt in two Seeing therefore we do but Live to Die we beseech thee Oh blessed God let us Die to Live let us live well that so we may die well let Death never surprize us unlooked for or unprepared nor let it ever seize upon us in an unconverted unregenerate State Good Lord let us not so live as to be ashamed to live any longer or to be afraid to look grim Death in the Face when it comes to separate our Souls from our Bodies and to summon them to make their appearance before the great Judge of the Quick and Dead Let us with thy Servant Job wait all our appointed time untill our Change doth come Seeing it will be our greatest Wisdom to wait for Death which always waits for us and to expect that at all times which will come at some time and may come at any time Let us Pray and Preach and Hear and so spend our time as those who know and consider that all they do they do it for Eterninity and we shall never have but one Cast for Eternity Heaven and Glory is here to be won or lost for ever Blessed God thou hast taught us in thy Word that it is better to go to the House of Weeping than to the House of â—easting for that is the end of all men and thou hast said That the Living will lay it to heart Oh Lord we are this day come to the House of Mourning and Weeping and we have seen the end of one yea of many of our Friends and Acquaintance within a short space of time and in the Death of our Friends we may read our own Death and yet shall not we who are lest behind them in the Land of the Living lay these awakening instances of Mortality to heart shall we hear and see daily our nearest and dearest Relations giving up the Ghost and departing out of this into another World and yet shall we once think that we shall ever live to enjoy the Pleasures of this present evil World But seeing Lord this World is a dying World and all its glory is a dying Glory let our Minds and Hearts therefore be set upon the Glory of Heaven which is a never fading Glory Oh! did we believe and consider how much better â— Believers future Estate will be than his present State is then should we think that Timâ— is too long before we do and that Eternâ—â— will be too short when we shall enjoy our gracious Redeemer upon his Throne of Glory Let us ever live as those that have one Foot in thâ— Grave already Thousands and Millions yea innumerable Millions of Thousands are gone to their Graves before us and do we think thaâ— we that are but enlivened Dust animated Shadows dying Lumps of Clay can keep our Bodies from being a Feast for Worms or ouâ— Souls from seeking new Lodgings in another World Oh! let us therefore every day â—â— looking into our Graves and familiarize Death unto our Thoughts before it comes let us consider how many signal Admonitions thoâ— dost daily give us of our approaching end Iâ— not every Distemper and Sickness of Body as it were a little Death and a fair Warning to put us in mind of our last Change The Grey Hairs which are here and there upon our Heads the deep wrinkles which are engraven upon our Foreheads the loss of Teeth the Dimness oâ— Sight our Deafness in Hearing our Palsie hands our feeble trembling Limbs and the frequenâ— Sight of seeing Friends laid out in their Winding Sheets for Dead and carried to their Houses oâ— Clay the silent Grave are Circumstances anâ— Symptoms serving to remind us that the time draws near wherein we must die and that our departure is at hand Let us therefore live as dying Men and let us die as Living Christians let us set our House and our Heart in order remembring the Text It is appointed for all Men once to Die but after this the Judgment The Mourners being all come first sing the following Psalms and after that Read part of 1 Cor. Chap. 15. to bring your minds into a serious frame Psalm 39. I Said I will look to my ways for fear I should go wrong will take heed all times that I offend not with my Tongue As with a bit I will keep fast my mouth with fource and might Not once to whisper all the while the wicked are in â—ight I held my Tongue and spake no word but kept me close and still Yea from good talk I did refrain but sore against my will My Heart waxt hot within my breast with musing thought and doubt Which did increase and stir the fire at last these Words burst out Lord number out my Life and days which yet I have not past So that I may be certify'd how long my Life shall last Lord thou hast pointed out my Liâ—e in length much like a Span Mine age is nothing unto thee so vain is every Man Man walketh like a shade and doth in vain himself annoy In getting goods and cannot tell who shall
he sendeth you ye cannot chuse but thank him daily for his Blessings Let it be your care to ground your actions upon his written Law Undertake nothing which is not warranted by his Word and go forward in nothing by unlawful means or to a bad intent Begin all in him and continue in him and end in him and he himself will be your Reward If ye always preserve Religion in your hearts ye will always have quietness and content in your minds First make him your God and then distrust not his Providence no nor his love and compassion while ye remain his Children In whatsoever vocations ye shall lead your lives be sure that ye be conscionably industrious and laborious in them and then leave the event and the blessing to his good pleasure I would sain have you be his Children much more than ye are mine for ye have nothing from me but your sin and corruption but from him you must expect both grace and glory If therefore ye strive to bless and magnifie your God ye may be sure that your God will both bless and glorifie you his Children Remember that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no Sorrow with it Prov. 10. 22. Take heed therefore to your selves and let him be in all your thoughts for even for them ye must account at his great Tribunal Take heed unto your Words that they give none offence either to God or Man There is a sort of people who bless with their mouths but they curse in their inward parts Psal 62. 4. I would not have you be of the number of them for as they love cursing so it shall happen unto them they delight not in blessing therefore shall it be far from them Psal 109. 17. As they cloath themselves with cursing like as with a Garment so it shall come into their Bowels like Water and like Oyl into their Bones vers 18. Take heed also unto your Actions that there be not wickedness in the intent nor sin in the prosecution of them for howsoever they shall appear in the Fye of the World they will be strictly and justly examined by the righteous judge First be ye sure that ye bless your God and then ye may expect a blessing from him When ye have eaten and are full then ye shall bless the Lord your God Deut. 8. 10. Remember the Congregation of Israel how they blessed the Lord God of their Fathers and bowed down their heads and worshiped the Lord 1 Chr. 29. 20. Remember how the Levites encouraged the People unto it and said unto them Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious Name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Neh. 9. 5. Remember how the Psalmist moved them unto it when he cryed O bless our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Psal 66. 8. Be thankful unto him and bless his Naâ—â— Psalm 100. 4. Remember how David resolved â—â—ying I will bless the Lord which hath given me counsel Psal 16. 7. Remember how he decreed saying I will bless thee while I live I will lift up my hands in thy Name Psal 63. 4. Remember how he encouraged his Soul to this Duty saying Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Psal 103. 1. Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits vers 2. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy disease vers 3. Remember how he practised it when he blessed the Lord before all the Congregation and said Blessed be thou Lord God of Israel our Father for ever and ever 1 Chr. 29. 10. Thine O Lord is the greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord amd thou art exalted as head above all vers 11. Both Riches and Honour come from thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all vers 12. Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious Name vers â—3 And remember how Ezra blessed the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen Amen with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their Faces to the ground Neh. 8. 6. Thus if ye bless him if ye love him if ye honour him if ye obey him he will so bless you that ye shall delight in his Service and be filled with his Goodness Carry in your minds those words of the Psalmist Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee Psal 128. 1 2. Blessed is the Man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Jer. 17. 7. Remember how after the Death of Abraham God blessed his Son Isaac Gen. 25. 11. So he may you and so he will you when I your poor feeble Mother am stretched forth and returned to the Earth iâ— ye will hear his voice and observe his statutes If so you will do then the Lord your God will bless you in all the works of your hands which ye shall do Deut. 14. 29. He who created man in his own Image both Male and Female and blessâ—d them Gen. 1. 27 28. Even the same Lord will bless you if ye be Righteous Psal 5. 12. And with favour be will compass you as with a Shield Psalm 115. 13. He will bless them that fear him both small and great 2 Tim. 4. 6. And now my Children I have not much more to say to you for the time of my departure is at hand If you do heartily love your God I know that ye will affectionately love each other Ye will be observant to your Guardians and Instructors Ye will be courteous unto all Be not dismayed at any Cross or Affliction at any loss or poverty which may fall upon you Mat. 6. 33. but seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and then all other things shall be added unto you Deut. 28. 8. Then the Lord shall command the blessing upon you both in your store-Houses and in all that ye set your hands unto Exod. 23. 25. He shall bless your Bread and your Water and take away sickness from the midst of you Deut. 28. 3. Blessed shall ye be in the City and blessed shall ye be in the field vers 4. Blessed shall be the fruits of your bodies and the fruits of your grounds and the fruits of your Cattel and the increase of your kine and the flocks of your sheep vers 5. Blessed shall be your basket and your store vers 6. Blessed shall ye be when ye come in and blessed shall ye be when ye go forth c.
which doth much facilitate a Believers passage through Death into Glory I shall in the next place for a further Illustration of this truth present unto you the admirable carriage and department of some famous Christians since Christ his time as in Relation to their contempt of Death and earnest desiring to be with Christ in Glory and in this Relation I shall begin with Iâ—natiâ—â— who lived while Christ was upon the Earth and so proceed to several other remarkable Instances in successive Generations Ignatius when he was sent by Trajan the Emperour to Rome there to be devoured of Lyons for his free reproving of Idolatry instead of fearing Death he thus couragiously expressed himself I wish says he that I could see those wild Beasts that must tear me in pieces I would speak them fair to dispatch me quickly and if that would not do I would incite them to it Hierom of Prague the renowned Bohemian Martyr he uttered these words with much chearfulness at his very giving up the Ghost Hanc animam in flammis affero Christe tibi freely do I burn for the sake of Christ Oecolampadius lying upon his Death Bed and a certain Friend coming to him Oecolampadius asked him what news unto whom his Friend answered I know none but says he I can tell you some good news nam ego subitâ— cum Christo regnabor I shall suddainly be with Christ upon his Throne Melanchton a little before his Death he would often say capio ex hac vita migrare propter duas causas primum ut frurar desiderato conspectu filii Dei deinde ut liberer ab immunibus Theologorum odiis I desire to die to injoy a sight of Jesus Christ c. But what need I tell you of the resolute and undaunted Carriage of Christians in former ages we need look no further than upon the carriage of Christians in latter Ages Casper Obevian the famous Lawyer lying upon his Death Bed he would often say O Lord let not my journey be long deferred ere I be with thee I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ he had rather depart this Life and take but one Feast in Glory than take many fees and still live in this miserable World Strigelius the learned Suetzer falling sick he would often say Seperare se finem vitae suae ad esse He hoped this Sinful Life was now at an end that he might injoy God perfectly Grinâ—us the learned Helvetian died with these words in his mouth O praeclarum illum diem cum ad illud animarum concilium Caelumque profiscar Oh fairest day when I shall make a journey to Heaven that convocation of Souls should I but relate the dying Speeches of Mr. Rollock the learned and devout Scotch-man they would melt any Heart that shall hear them he breathed out these words with his Life I Bless God says he I have all perfect Sences but my Heart is in Heaven And Lord Jesus why shouldst thou not have it it hath been my Care all my Life time to devout it unto thee I pray thee therefore take it that it may live with thee for ever Come Lord Jesus put an end to this sinful miserable life haste Lord tarry not come Lord Jesus and give me that life for which thou hast redeemed me Nay further that I might Christians leave your Spirits in this sweet temper of contemning Death and desiring to be with Christ in Glory where I should much rejoice and indeed earnestly pray that I might meet you all I shall yet mind you of some remarkable instances in this kind even in our own Nation Mr. Cooper that famous Champion for the Truth when he was brought to be burnt at the Stake in Queen Mary's days and there having a box set before him with a pardon in it as soon as he perceived so much he cried out If you love my Soul away with it if you love my Soul away with it Dr. Taylor when he was brought to Hadly in Suffolk to suffer Martyrdom for his Profession of Christ the History says he was as merry in his going from London as though he had been a going to some Banquet or Bridal And when he was brought unto the place of Execution he kissed the Stake uttering these Words Now I am even at home Lord Jesus receive my Soul into thy Hands Before Mr. Bradford was Martyr`d his dear Wife came running into his Chamber and said Mr. Bradford I bring you heavy news for to morrow you must be burned your Chain it is now a buying but when Mr. Bradford had heard these Words he lifted up his Eyes to Heaven and said I thank God for it I have looked for this a long time this news comes not to me suddainly but as a thing that I waited for every day and hour the Lord make me worthy of it And when he was brought into Smithfield to be burnt where there was another young Man to suffer with him he turned himself to the young Man and said Be of good Comfort Brother for we shall have a merry Supper with the Lord Jesus Christ this Night Bishop Jewell lying upon his Death-bed he would often say Now Lord let thy Servant depart in Peace break off all delays Let me this day quickly see the Lord Jesus And observe further one standing by him and praying with Tears that the Lord would be pleased to restore this Godly Bishop unto his former Health he over-hearing of him seemed to be very much offended and replied thus I have not lived so that I am ashamed to live any longer neither do I fear to Die because I have a merciful Father And now truly Friends out of the tender Affection which I bear unto all your Souls I could heartily wish that this might be the dying Language of you all that you might every one be able to say from a good and clear Conscience at last I have not lived not so that I am ashamed to live longer neitheâ— do I fear to die because I have a merciful Father And further I do protest in the presence of God with Saint Paul in the 4th to the Phillip at the first Verse That it is my greatest joy and richest Crown if that ever since I came among you I have spoken any thing leading to mutual Love and Peace And if all my pains and endeavours among you in much weakness have taken any effect upon any of your Spirits to win you unto a love of Christ that so you may be holy here and happy hereafter I shall sincerely rejoice But I shall say no more at this time but only conclude with the words of Saint Paul Phill. 4. I pray mark the words for they will be the last I shall speak among you Verse 1. My Brethren dearly beloved and loâ—ged for my joy and crown so stand fast in the Lord my dearly beloved Verse 4. Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say Rejoice Verse 5. Let your moderation be known
unto all men The Lord is at hand Verse 6. Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God Verse 7. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus Verse 8. Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any Virtue and if there be any praise think on these things Verse 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do so I have received them from Christ those things do and follow And the God of Peace shall be with you THE EJACULATION GOOD Lord let our Souls be filled with breathings and pantings after Grace and Glory Let us be ever willing with St. Paul to depart and to be with Christ Let us dayly look and long to be in Heaven where we shall sit down in the same Throne with our blessed and glorious Redeemer where there will be no more sinning nor sighing nor more weeping for dead and dying Friends Let us long long to be there where time will be no more but all will be swallowed up in an endless Eternity of joy and delight Lord let us often ponder upon the blessed state above for certainly one deep and serious consideration of the never fading Glory of the other world is enough to wing our hearts with earnest desires as we have heard it did thy Holy Saints and Martyrs to depart and leave this vain world to be with Christ And good Lord let us when we leave a weeping House and the many instances of our dearest Friends going so often to the Grave before us shew that we must quickly follow be received into that Celestial Mantion above which will prove an eternal House of Joy The Eye that hath seen him shall see him no more SERMON XI Upon ACTS 20. 38. Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake That they should see his Face no more IN the latter part of this Chapter you have the Declaration of two things First You have declared the Carriage of the Apostle Paul that was he Preach'd while he was at the Church of Ephesus Secondly You have declared the Character of the Church of Ephesus when they were parting with this Blessed Preacher in the words that I have read and the verse before or the two last verses and it was full of Love and manifested in three things 1. They fell upon his Neck and kissed him that 's the close of the 3â— verse 2. They accompanied him unto the Ship when he was to launch into the Ocean They went with him as far as they could as some of them it may be will to the very edge of Eternity 3. They shew'd to him their Love by their Weeping and Sorrowing at parting They cannot part with dry Eyes They sorrowed most of all especially for this that they should see his Face no more It was not so much that Paul was to go from them but that they should see his Face no more From this practice of this Church I would lay down this Doctrine That it is the property and practice of the Saints and People of God to be sorrowful and affected at the final parting with their Pastors and Teachers This was that that most of all cut their Hearts That they should see his Face no more That Patriarch Jacob that wrestled and prevailed when he came to die as you read in Gen 49. and the last verse That he pull'd up his Feet into the Bed and he 's goone Now see what a Mourning there was for him in Gen. 50. 1. Joseph fell upon his Fathers Face and kissed him and verse 3. And the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days here was a mourning for Jacob and verse 10. They came to the Threshing floor of Atad which is beyond Jordan and there they Mourned with a great and very sore Lamentation And made a Mourning for his Father seven daies The young Prophet in the 1 Kings 13. who without doubt in the main was Faithful to God though seduced out of his way and out of his Life by an old Prophet whereby a Lion was appointed by God to destroy him but see now how the old Prophet was affected with it as soon as he hears it causeth the Ass to be Sadled and goes and brings the Carcase home to the City to Mourn and to Bury him and laid him in his own Grave in the 30. verse and brings all to Mourn over him and charges his Sons that when â—e was dead that they Bury him in the same Sepulchre where the Man of God was and lay his Bones besides his Bones I shall now instance in the New Testament it was so with them of Ephesas when they parted with Paul They should see his Face no more He had been such a Preacher that they could not part with him without Tears or with dry Eyes Devout Men also carried Stephen to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him When Christ was carrying to be put to Death there followed him a great multitude of People and Women which also bewailed and lamented him There was great lamentation Oh they could not part with Jesus Christ without lamenting That they should see his Face no more But it will be here objected in the next verse that Jesus Christ in Luke 23. 28. turn'd to those Women that wailed and wept and said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves That therefore there ought not to be weeping or lamenting for the departure of any Eminent Saint seeing he forbids it for himself it argues indeed we should not weep for them but for the want of them which is ours Why should those that are Hearers be deeply affected at the final departure of Holy Ministers I answer This arises from the love that is between them There is a mutual Love between a Faithful Preacher and a Sincere Hearer Where there is Love there is Mourning in the absence of it It 's said that Israel loved Joseph more than all his Children and therefore when News came to Jacob that Joseph was not Oh! saith Jacob ver â—5 I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning So David lamented for Absolon Oh Absolon my Son my Son Absolon and David lamented exceedingly for Jonathan in that 1 Kings I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan if you love your Preachers so as it s said of them that could pull out their Eyes for them while living you will even weep out your Eyes for them now dead I could tell you of a thing that I have lookt upon as a Piece of Prophesie it was Printed and Writ Ten Years before the Fire of London and it was this London look to it what Heaven 's a doing Thy Flames are coming
tell the World that he did once Live Neither is the Thred of Mans Life at any time Spun so strong or drawn out so long but at one word of thy Mouth it is soon snapt in two Seeing therefore we do but Live to Dye we beseech thee Oh Blessed God let us Dye to Live let us live well that so we may dye well let Death never surprize us unlooked for or unprepared nor let it ever seize upon us in an unconverted unregenerate State while we live that so when we Dye Corporally we may live Spiritually and Eternally with thee in a State of Glory Good Lord let us not so live as to be ashamed to Live any longer or to be afraid to look grim Death in the Face when it comes to separate our Souls from our Bodies and to summon our Souls to make their appearance before the great Judge of the Quick and Dead Let us with thy Servant Job wait all our appointed time untill our Change doth come indeed it will be our greatest Wisdom to wait for Death which always waits for us and to expect that at all times which will come at some time and may come at any time Let us Pray and Preach and Hear and so spend our time as those who know and consider that all they do they do it for Eternity and we shall never have but one cast for Eternity Heaven and Glory is here to be won or lost for ever Blessed God thou hast taught us in thy Word that it is better to goe to The House of Weeping than to the House of Feasting for that is the end of all Men and thou hast said That the Living will lay it to Heart Oh Lord we have this day been at the House of Mourning and Weeping and we have seen the end of one yea of many of our Friends and Acquaintance within a short space of time and in the Death of our Friends we may read our own Death and yet shall not we who are left behind them in the Land of the Living lay these awakening Instances of Mortality to Heart shall we hear and see daily our nearest and dearest Relations giving up the Ghost and departing out of this World into another World and yet shall we once think that we shall ever live to enjoy the Treasures and Pleasures of this present evil World But seeing Lord this World is a dying World and all its glory is a dying glory let our Minds and Hearts therefore be set upon the Glory of Heaven which is a never fading Glory Oh did we believe and consider how much better a Believers future Estate will be than his present State is then should we think that Time is too long before we do and that Eternity will be too short when we shall enjoy our Gracious Redeemer upon his Throne of Glory Let us ever live as those that have one Foot in the Grave already Thousands and Millions yea innumerable Millions of Thousands are gone to their Graves before us and do we think that we that are but enlivened Dust animated Shadows dying lumps of Clay can keep our dying Bodies from being a Feast for Worms or keep our Souls from being turned out of their Tenements of Clay from seeking new Lodgings â—n another World Oh! let us therefore every day be looking into our Graves and familiarize Death unto our Thoughts before it comes let us consider how many signal admonitions thou dost daily give us of our approaching end Is not every Distemper and Sickness of Body as it were a little Death and a fair Warning to put us in mind of our last Change The Grey hairs which are here and there upon our Heads the deep wrinkles which are engraven upon our Foreheads the loss of Teeth the Dimness of Sight our Deafness in hearing our Palsie-hands our feeble trembling Limbs and the frequent Sight of seeing Friends laid out in their Winding Sheets for Dead and carried to their Houses of Clay the silent Grave are Circumstances and Symptoms serving to remind us that the time draws near wherein we must Dye and that our departure is at Hand Let us therefore live as dying Men and let us dye as Living Christians let us set our House and our Heart in order remembring the Text It is appointed for all Men once to Dye but after this the Judgment SERMON VI. All Men both good and bad shall arise to Judgment ISA. xxvi xix Thy dead Men shall live together with my dead Body shall they arise Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust for thy dâ—w is as the dew of herbs and the Earth shall cast out the dead I might spend an hours work in delivering unto you the several opinions of Men concerning the meaning of these words I find such difference among the Learned about the Interpretation thereof Some would have them to bear this sense That the Prophet by the earth raising up of her dead signifieth the delivering of Gods people the Jews who being trodden on and oppressed by their enemies as dead should have a resurrection that is a reparation of their decayed Estate they should have a time of refreshing even as the Dew makes the leaves to spring that is they should have a time of deliverance Many other Opinions I might recite unto you But I will not trouble you with them at this time But because there is not one word in my Text but may very well fall upon the common place of the Resurrection as Junius and Tremellius Hyeron August Lyra and all the most judicious Interpreters have well observed I reduce whatsoever may be spoken of them to these two heads either to the Resurrection of the dead in Christ or to the Resurrection of those which are contemners and despisers of God both which as the Nothern Rivers have many turnings yet they all meet in the main Ocean so the Elect and the Reprobate though there be main difference and discrepancy betwixt them yet they all meet in the general Resurrection all I say must arise The Godly unto everlasting glory to eternal bliss and happiness The Wicked to perpetual Torments and Condemnation Having thus set the letter of my Text in tune and shewed you the general drift and scope of the words I proceed now to the particular meaning and interpretation of them Thy dead Men shall live c. As there hath been a Death so there must be a Resurrection Gods people that have dyed from the beginning of the World or shall die to the end of it hereafter are but as the seed sowen in the Earth They must endure rottenness for a while but being â—owen in dishonour they shall rise in glory The miseries they endured in this life â—hey were but the tokens and forerunâ—ers of Death But let them hope yea â—et them know assuredly that there will â—ome a day of refreshing when God â—hall say unto these bones I will cause â—reath to enter into you and you shall â—ive and will
that immortal In-mate which for a little season hath been cloystered up in thy clay Breast And dost thou soundly believe that there is a future state of Infinite joy and eternal Sorrow And hast thou throughly pondered the certain uncertainty of all temporal Enjoyments And art thou heartily perswaded that Heaven is only worth the looking after What sayest thou to these things Oh my Soul Let the matter be urged home is everlasting damnation by all means possible to be prevented Or may Hell be supposed to be a tolerable Habitation Or can a poor guilty Worm endure with ease the burden of infinite Wrath Or is endless glory no whit desirable Or will it not repent thee Oh my Soul hereafter when it is too late if thou now neglect so great Salvation as is freely offered to thee in Christ Jesus Dost thou know Oh Man that thou must shortly give up the Ghost And yet hast thou not had one serious deep thought what place of entertainment thy naked Soul shall find in another world when it is stript of its present fleshly case and cloathing Oh press thy Soul hard with these thoughts how it is like to go with thee when thou first steppest into Eternity What sayest thou Oh my Soul are the things of time only or chiefly to be minded And are the precious things of Eternity utterly to be forgotten or disregarded Hath the infinitely wise and gracious God only given thee opportunities and abilities to desire and hasten thy eternal ruin And hast thou no time capacity understanding or will to work out thy Salvation with fear and trembling Canst thou once suppose thou shalt ever be an Inhabitant upon the Earth Or is the Earth with the sensual delights thereof which thou must certainly forego more valuable than Heaven with its fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Or if thy judgment be clear in this case why doest thou no more think upon love and long to be dissolved and to be cloathed upon with that house which comes down from Heaven Will the enjoying of sinful pleasures or empty lying vanities for â— few minutes recompence the loss of Heaven â—t self Can any thing be counted an advantage when the Soul loseth God and it self â—n the getting of it Or can any thing be had upon Earth that will hold ever Awake Oh my drowsie Soul and let thy Conscience and Conversation no longer contradict one the other â—f thou judgest Heaven to be Heaven indeed and one moments Communion with God more â—orth than ten thousand Worlds then let thy Conversation be now in Heaven that thy Conâ—cience may not hereafter witness against â—hee Or tell me plainly Oh my Soul â—ost thou pretend that thou art really willing to â—o to Heaven and yet art unwilling for the preâ—ent through thy weakness of Faith to leave this Earth with all the sensible comforts of it Or â—oth thy natural timorousness or unpreparedness â—ut a check to the vehemency of thy Desires Or â—hat is it that thou so much stickest at Is there â— Lion in the way Wouldst thou not be detained one day one minute or moment longer from drinking thy fill at the Fountain of Living Waters and yet art afraid to pass over that narrow darksome Bridge of Death which leadeth thereunto Indeed Death is the King of Fears but yet a Serpent without a Sting may safely be put into thy Bosom Thou art then willing to be with thy glorious Redeemer upon the Throne only the sad Thoughts of giving 〈…〉 thy tender Flesh to be meat for the Worms thâ—…thing startles thee But weigh the matter well 〈…〉 thou be for ever happy and not be with Christ â—…st thou be where Christ is and not die Well thâ—… wâ—â—â—om death tho' not for thine own sake yet for his sake whose Messenger thou art and who hath sent thee to fetch me home to himself with whom I shall be as soon as ever I am but parted from thee Then I shall with joy look back upon thee O sad Messenger and triumph over thee saying Oh Death where is thy Sting Oh Grave where is thy Victory But thanks be unto God who hath given me the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Oh Death though thy looks be terrible and thy last gripe paâ—nful yet is thy Message comfortable and I was more afraid than hurt For I see though thou leadest me through a dark Entry yet it is my Fathers House And as soon as I had passed from thee or ever I was aware my Soul made me like to the Chariots of Aminadib So come Lord Jesus come quickly He 's carry'd by Angels into Abraham's Bosom Sermon II. Luke XVI 32. And it came to pass that the Beggar died and was carryed by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom The whole Parable runs thus THere was a certain Rich Man which was cloathed in purple and fine Linnen and fared sumptuâ—â—sly every day And there was a certain Beggar namâ—â— Lazarus which was laid at his Gate full of sores â—ed desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from â—e Rich Man's Table moreover the Dogs came and â—â—ked his Sores And it came to pass that the Beggar â—ed and was carried by the Angels into Abraham ' s â—â—som The Rich Man also died and was buryed â—nd in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in torments and â—th Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom c. Dearly Beloved In my Discourse upon these words I will not be over tedious but with as much brevity as I can I will unfold some of the weighty Truths contained therein And the Lord grant that they may be of general use to all persons that shall either read or hear them These words have Relation unto the precedent Verses in this Chapter wherein our Saviour Christ from the thirteenth to the seventeenth verse reproveth the Covetousness of the Pharisees by shewing unto them that no man can serve two Masters that is God and Riches All these things heard the Pharisees which were covetous and they mocked him Whereupon he aptly and fitly taketh occasion to relate this Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Hearken therefore now and I will speak of a great Rich Man that flourished here on Earth as a learned Divine observes In all pomp and abundance that shined in courtly purple Robes that was cloathed in Byssus and fine Silk and fared deliciously that was lodged softly that lived pleasantly But understand what became of this Rich Man his years being expired and his days numbred and his time determined he was invited to the fatal Banquet of black ugly Death that maketh all men sâ—bject to the rigour of his Law his Body was honourably buried in respect of his much Wealth but what became of his Soul That was carried from his Body to dwell with the Devils from his purple Robes to burning Flames from his soft Silk and white Byssus to cruel pains in black Abyssus from his Palace here on Earth to the Palace
teeth unto the Grave Wherefore let your Houses be daily perfumed by a Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer Praise unto Almighty God both which were appointed under the Law Exod. 29. 38. 39. And this shadowed what was to be performed under the Gospel God renews his Mercies to you every Morning and protects you from manifold dangers every Night whereunto you are subject and you be so ungrateful as to banish all his benefits out of your Memories who is every Moment so mindful of you As therefore beloved you tender the Salvation of your poor Souls look home and mourn for your Original sin steep your Eyes in Tears write Letters of discomfort upon the Ground as you go let the streams of your sighs and the sweet Incense of your Prayers rise up like Mountains before the Lord of Hosts and bedâ—wing your Cheeks with tears make your humble Confession unto God Almighty not of sin alone but of all your sins of what nature degree or height soever they be and by your unfeigned Confession so accuse your selves that you may not hereafter be accused of the Devil and so judge your selves that you be not judged of the Lord. In a word that you may escape all those torments which by reason of sin are incident both to Body and Soul seeing the night is far spent and the day is at hand while you have time set your Houses in order for you shall die and not live THE EJACULATION GOod Lord let us be always setting our Houses in order that we may be really willing and truly fit to die when Death shall seize us Let us be always a preparing for our last Change for it is the living only who are in a capacity to praise Thee The Grave into which we are all going is a place of silence where there is no praying to Thee nor praising of Thee neither are any that go down thither capable of securing their eternal well-fare in the Grave there is no Preaching nor hearing there we shall be altogether insensible of the actings of God and be altogether uncapable of acting any thing for God Oh! that we therefore who are within a few steps of our long and last home might seriously consider what a vain thing it is to dream that we shall ever enjoy our worldly Relatives or that we shall ever possess our worldly accommodations What need have we then to be setting our Houses in order for 't is certain we shall once die and how soon we know not Oâ— then let your Thoughts Words and Actions be such as may best become dying persons seeing all that would dye comfortable must set their Houses in order beâ—re they depart Look on every day as your last SERMON IX JAM 4. 14. What is your Life It is even a Vapour that appeareth for a little time and ufterward vanisheth away THere is nothing that doth evidently set before Mens Eyes the Deceits of the World and the vanity of things present as doth the due consideration of the uncertainty shortness and frailey of Man's Life for all humane Pride and the whole glory and pomp of the World having Man's Life for a stay and foundation can certainly no longer endure the same Life abideth so that Riches Dignities Honours and such like howbeit a Man may enjoy them for a small space on Earth yet do they never continue longer with him than unto the Grave The consideration whereof together with this present occasion offered have caused me amongst all other places of Holy Scripture to make choice of these words which I have now read unto you in which as in a most bright shining Glass we may behold both the frail Constitution of Man's Nature as also the short continuance of his Life here on Earth it being but a Vapour and What is your Life This whole Chapter containeth four Dehortations the first is from Lust unto the fifth Verse the second from Pride to the Tenth the third from speaking evil of our Neighbour to the Thirteenth the last from Presumption of words to the end of the Chapter to disswade from which sin he useth two arguments especially the first is drawn Ab incertitudine rerum from the uncertainty of things and that 's contained in the words immediately going before my Text the second is drawn á Vanitate Vitae from the vanity of Man's Life and that 's set down in the words of my Text. Which words contain two general parts a Question and an Answer What is your Life There 's the Question the Answer followeth in the next It is even a Vapour c. First of the Question What is your Life Wherein observe that Life is twofold for there is a Created Life and there is an Increated Life the latter is only to be found in God the former is a quality in the Creature whereby it liveth and moveth and acteth it self Now Created Life is twofold Spiritual and Natural Again Spiritual Life is twofold sometimes it is taken for the Life of Grace which God's Children only do enjoy in the Spiritual Kingdom of Christ in this World which by way of excellency is called the Life of God not so much for that it is from God as also all other kinds of Life are as because God liveth in them that are his and approveth this Life in them And it is called for the same respect the Life of Christ because Christ liveth in his through a super-natural Faith and Spirit and they live unto God and conform their Life unto his Will And it is called a new Life a Christian Life and a renewing of the Mind Will and Affections This Life is opposed to Death in Sin and to the old Man Sometimes it is taken for the Life of Glory whereby the Soul being ioyned again to her Body shall lead a Life which the Apostle calleth Spiritual not in respect of the Substance but of the qualities 1 Cor. 15. 44. whereby the Faithful shall live for ever and it is laid up in Christ and the end of the World shall be disclosed and which is opposed to the second Death and it is called Eternal Life Thus much of the Spiritual Life Now the Natural Life also is twofold for either it may be taken generally for the Life of all Creatures whereby they live move and have their being or more particularly for the Life of Man which natural Life in Man is the act and vigour of the Soul arising from the conjunction of the Body with the Soul this Life is given by God continued by Meats and Drinks and other necesary helps and ended by Death this is the Life properly meant in this place It is even a Vapour c. A Vapour according to the Philisophers is a thin fume extracted out of the Earth by the Sun in the night time but in the morning or afore it is scattered with the Wind or dispelled with the Sun or else if the Sun do not appear in his Brightness it falleth away of
Body and the Arms of the Tree they are joyned to the Root where the Sap lies all the Winter and by means of this conjunction the Root it conveys life unto all the parts of the Tree And the Bodies of Believers they have the Winter to when as they are turned into the Dust but their Life it is hid with Christ at last they are revived and raised up into Glory Now here you may observe the great difference of Tempters according to the various Complexions of Mens Spirits the Atheist he dares not die for fear of being put out of his being and the prosane Person he dares not die for fear of exchanging his present bad being for a worse â—ut the Believer he earnestly desires to die that besides this present temporal being he might enjoy a future eternal well-being Indeed to a wicked Man the best had been not â—o have been and this next best were to live long â— was ill with him that ever he was born and worse A Carnal Mans continual cry is this Dum Spiro Spero I love to live for my present hope is my only help for indeed such an one hath only help in this Life but a Christians common Expression is this Dum Exspiro Spero Expiration is my Expectation for such an one hath hope in the Life to come when a wicked Man dies he thinks he shall live worse but a Christian when he dies he knows he shall live better he cries with the holy Apostle for one to live is Christ and to die is gain Job 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth and he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Thirdly Death was never intended to be as a privation of good but as a priviledge for good to the Believer and it is attended with these several Priviledges First Corporal and Temporal Death it serves to set out the Beauty and Excellency of eternal Life It is Gods usual method to set out one contrary by another Contraria juxta se posita magis elucescurt In War God commends Peace to us In Adversity Prosperity in Sickness Health and in Death he commends eternal Life to us As the Limner lays the Foundation of a curioâ— Picture in a Dark Ground-work so God doth ofte times lay the foundation of our sweetest Mercies iâ— the greatest miseries and this he doth that â—â— Mercies may appear more lovely in our eyes aâ— thus he sets off the joys of Heaven by the troublâ— we meet with on the Earth It is said of Zeno thâ— he was wont to eat bitter things that he might tâ—â— better taste sweet and he would say sweet thinâ— were nothing worth if they were not so commenâ—ed to us And so bitter Death it is but an Eâ—gine devised by infinite Wisdom and for â—â— set out the Unspeakable sweetness of Everlasting Joys God could as easily have received all his redeemed ones into the immediate imbraces of Divine Love and Glory without letting them know what it was to be tempted to be afflicted or to die but only for the better sweetning and endearing fulness of Glory to them Secondly Deaths mortal Wound it is but preparatory to an immortal weight of Glory Death it is the midnight of all troubles and sorrows which is in Travel with a morning of everlasting Joy and Comfort Death it is the Saturday or last day of our Weekly labours which ushers in a Sabbath of eternal rest Rev. 14. 13. And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labours and their VVorks follow after them Here the Believer hath labour without rest but in Heaven he shall have rest without Labour Death tends indeed to a Believers perfect everlasting reign and rest The Believer Afflictions upon Earth they are fore-runners of Deliverances they are as throws to the Birth of future Comforts The Whale which swallowed up Jonah God appointed as the means of bringing himself to the Shore And so the trouble which we often times think may swallow us up it brings us to our harbour Death it lands us safely upon Glory One excellency sets out the state of a dying Christian in these Words Per Augusta ad Augusta per Spinas ad rosas per Procellas ad Portum per Mortem ad Vitam migramus Lastly Death it is as a Bridge that all Saints must walk over to the everlasting Hill of endless Peace to the perfection of Grace to the participation oâ— Glory to the full possession of Christ 1. Death it leads us to the perfection of Grace the believer would live that he might be more perfect but when he dies he is perfect indeed a dying life that is a dying to sin it frees us from a living Death well doing fits us for dying Holiness frames us for Happiness 2. Death it leads us to a participation of Glory the consummation of Grace is the incoation of Glory Grace that puts the Soul into a capacity of enjoying glimps of God as in a Glass darkly but glory brings the Soul ad visionem beaâ—ificam into an immediate converse with God face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a Glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then I shall know even as I am known 3. Death it leads us into a full possession of Christ Luke 23 43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise so saith Paul Then shall we be ever with the Lord comfort comfort ye one another with these words to be always with Christ will be very comfortable indeed Death that deprives us of commerce with men yet it delivers us up into an immediate communion with God and Christ and the blessed Angels Saints in Heaven shall be as the Angels nay saith John now are we the Soâ—s of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be we know that when he shall appear we shall â—e like him for we shall see him as he is Death speaks the sad disjunction of the Soul from the Body and the sure and sweet Conjunction of the Soul with Christ and therefore saith Paul and every Christian when he is in a right temper I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all And thus I have endeavoured to lay open before you those Soul supporting and Soul encouraging Arguments the consideration of which makes the believing Soul so willingly and so boldly to look Death in the Face to invade Death in its own Quarters which is indeed but as a Passage or Bridg whereby the Soul is carried over unto the Mountains of Mirrh and unto the Hill of Frankincense where it shall lie down with Christ on his Green Bed of Love which is perfumed all over with the fulness of increated Glory And thus having shewed you many Arguments the Consideration of
respect of Expectation or Preparation she had her Wedding-garment on and her Lamp trimmed with Faith and a good Conscience she was ready for Death and ripe for Eternity behold she is coming to the Grave and she comes as a shock of Corn from the Field in due Season Hopes of a joyful Resurrection SERMON XIII JOB 19. v. 25 26 27. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroyâ—s his Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Then I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not another though my Reins â—â— consumed in me AS if he had thus argued He that waites by Faith in the Redeemer of the Resurrection of his Body to eternal Life after Death hath done its worst is not a wicked man or an Hypocrite as you have charged me But such is my Faith I believe in the Redeemer and I look to rise after this body is consumed and eaten of Worns to an eternal happy Life therefore I am not such as you judge me to be neither wicked nor hypocrite You account me as rejected of God yet I know that God is my Redeemer I know that he lives for ever and that he is mine for ever and therefore do not think because I have no hope of this life that therefore I despair of life Do not take upon you that you only know these mysteries and that I am ignorant of them as my Friend Bildad concluded in the 18th Chapter this is the portion of Man that knows not God for even I also know that my Redeemer liveth and shall stand upon the Earth at the latter day In the former Verse we have considered and improved the Confession of Job's Faith in the Redeemer First As living or eternal Secondly As rising from the Dead or raising the Dead to Life Thirdly As judging both the Quick and Dead He in these two Verses enlargeth the Confession of his Faith concerning his own personal Resurrection Which First He asserts in the Close of the 26th Verse In my flesh shall I see God Secondly In the strong actings of his Faith he assureth himself of it notwithstanding all the difficulties that might obstruct and hinder it in the 26th Verse and in the Close of the 27th Though after my Skin Worme destroy this Body though my Reins be consumed within me yet I believe I shall see God These Impediments do not weaken my Faith Thirdly He declares the Benefit or Happiness which shall accrew unto him after the Resurrection of his Body which he doth First In those words I shall see God Secondly In those I shall see him for my self In both which Expressions he sets forth the Happiness of the Saints after the raising of their Bodies but of the Grave and the re-union of Soul and Body Fourthly He maintains the identity of his flesh or body in the Resurrection or that the same body which falls shall rise And this is in a twofold notion First An identity specificial it shall be the same Body in kind Secondly An identity numerical or individual shall be the same particular Body he had on Earth and laid down in the Earth Both which are evidenced and evinced from those passages in the Text I shall see him in my flesh Mine eye shall behold and not another I my mine and not another imply nothing if not himself or no other thing but himself From all we may collect how excellent a confession of Faith Job made about that great mystery of the Resurrection and how firmly his Soul was established in it Verse 26. And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body As if he had more largely said ` After I am dead and laid in the Grave where Worms do not only eat my Skin and consume this upper Garment but my whole Body also yea and not only the outward Limbs and Members of my Body but my very Bowels and Entrals Though my Reins be consumed within me though Worms devour and rottenness invade whatsoever I am or have of a Body though I am spent from Head to Toe from Skin to Reins without and within yet notwithstanding all this I believe that I shall rise again and see God in my flesh And mine Eyes shall behold and not anoother We have in this Text see and see and behold The word in the original is different from what we had before I shall behold him It signifies more thâ—n the bare seeing or the gathering in the Species of any object into the eye It signifies a very vehement beholding a critical discerning view and sight of the thing Whom I shall behold That is with deep intention both of Eye and Mind to find out and rejoyce in all the Excellency Beauty Glory and Worth that is in him A Man may come into a Room adorned with goodly Pictures he sees them in passage he â—ath a transient view of them and he takes some pleasure in this view Another beholds them to see the Workmanship how the lines are drawn and Features shadowed to the life he views with Skill and Art this pleaseth much and gives the accurate Beholder high contentment So here Mine eye shall behold him That is I shall even set my self to take a view of him to gather up as it were into my self the Idea's of his divine Perfections and so to receive all those delight and contents which riâ—e from such an excellent object Mine Eye shall behold and not another that is the â—ight which I shall have of God in my glorified State shall not be at the second hand but such I shall have my self The joy which I shall then receive shall not be of any report or narrative that others shall give me of the Glory of God I shall see with mine own Eyes not others or not by another The knowledge we have here is but like that which the Samaritans had of Christ by the Womans report but that which we shall have in Heaven shall be like that which they had of Christ when himself came personally among them and spake immediately Or we may illustrate it by that of the Queen of the South The knowledge which we have of God here and of his Glory and Excellency is like that of the Queen of the South in her own Country there she had a report of Solomon's Person of his Government of his Riches and Dignity and such a report as did not only affect and astonish her but provoke her to undertake that great Journey that she might see for her self and her Eyes behold and not another and when she came to the Court at Jerusalem and beheld Solomon in his Person and Attendance when she observed the service of his Table and heard his wisdom there was no more Spirit in hâ—r 1 Kings 10 5. thas is she was as one astonished whose Spirits are sunk and dissipated Where the natural Spirit doth not act it is
it to be something shall we think that he cannot raise up again that which now is after that it hath fallen Far be it from us Beloved to think so but rather let us stedfastly believe that he that made us of nothing is as able to restore us from nothing For what though this may seem strange unto us as indeed it is a matter very wonderfull the Budding of Arons Rod Numb 17. 8. was very admirable but the raising of our Bodies is more wonderfull yet let us remember that it is God that doth this Consider the Author saith Augustine and take away the doubt Fifthly the Justice of God requireth that it should be so For it is a special part of Gods glory to shew forth his mercy on the godly and his Justice upon â—he wicked in rewarding them according to their works as the Apostle saith God will reward every man according to his works to them that by continuance in welldoing seek glory and honour and immortality Life eternal but unto them that disobey the truth that be contentiouss and obey unrighteousness shall be indignation and wrath Rom. 2. 6. But in this Life God rewardeth not men according to their doings and therefore Solomon speaking of the estate of all men in this world â—aith All things come alike unto all and here is the same condition to the Just and Unjust c Ecclesiast 9. 2. Nay which is more here the Wicked flourish and the Godly are afflicted The Ungodly have hearts ease and all things at will whereas the Godly are oppressed with all kind of miseries and are as sheep appointed for the slaughter It remaineth therefore that here must needs be a Resurrection after this Life that the righteous man obtain a reward of Gods free mercy and the wicked Man be justly condemned â—â— everlasting pain and misery Lastly it is apparent from the Resurrection of Christ For he arose not fâ— himself as a private man but in our rooâ— and steed and for us and if he the heaâ— be risen then the members also muâ—â— needs rise again For we are united kint unto him by the bond of his spirit and his Resurrectioâ— is a sure pledg of our Resurrection â— being risen as the first fruits of them thâ— sleep see 1 Cor. 15. 20. â—o come then â—â— some use and application The first Use of Confutation This may serve in the first place â—â— confute the Adversary and gainsayer â— this Truth and Doctrine The Atheist scoff at the Resurrectioâ— to come esteeming death to be the lâ—â— end of all things The Philosophers couâ—â—ed it a strange thing and hard to â—â— believed Let Paul preach of the Resuâ—rection to come and he shall be countâ—â— but a babler for his pains see Acts. 1â— 18. he shall be esteemed and reputed â—â— Festus no better than a madman see Acâ— 26. 24. The Saduses they denyed the Râ—surrection to come Hymenaeus and â—hilaetus not discerning the spiritual Reâ—â—rrection from the body said The Resurâ—ection was past already see 2 Tim. 2. 18. The Thiliasts abusing that place Rev. â—0 5. Dream of a Resurrection but for a â—â—ousand years During which time they â—magin that Christ shall raign with the â—aints here on earth in great pleasure and â—elights All which are justly confuted â—â—om this very place The second Use of Instruction Secondly this should teach us not to â—ourn immoderately for the dead as men â—ithout hope since when Christ comes again â—e will bring them with him see 1 Thess 4. â—4 This should teach us also to strengthen â—ur faith in this Article of Christianity â—ere being nothing that seems more imâ—robable to the eye of humane reason â—en that the body should be raised again â— life after it hath lain along time rotten â—nd putrified in the grave 3. And that we may be fully assured â—ereof we must do three things 1st We â—ust pray to God for his spirit as the pledg â—it 2dly We must labour for a true and lively faith in Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life and in whom whosoever believeth he shall not dye John 11 26. 3dly We must be sure of the firsâ— Resurrection that the Body be dead iâ— respect of sin and the Soul be raised up tâ— a lively care of newness of life Shall we believe that they will raise our bodies anâ— shall we doubt whether he will give us fooâ— and rayment and bring us out of danger and distresses far be it from us Buâ— rather let us believe his promiss though there be never so greâ—t unlikelyhood oâ— the accomplishment in respect of outward means and apearance Thus diâ— Abraham the Father of the faithful Rom 4. 18. and so must we also if we would bâ— reputed the true children of Abraham The third Use of Consolation Thirdly this may serve to comfort uâ— against the natural fear of Death for â—â— there be a Resurrection of our bodies aâ—ter this life then Death is but a passage or middle way from this life to eternaâ— life If a begger should be commanded tâ— put off his old rags that he might be cloathed with rich and costly garments would â—e be sorry because he should stand naked â— while till he were wholy to be stript â—f his rags No suerly Well thus doth â—od when he calls a man to death he â—ds him put his old rags off him and â—orruption and be cloathed with the rich â—obe of Christs righteousness and imâ—ortal glory 2. Cor. 5. 1. Your mortal Bodies Doct. 2. In that the Apostle sayth â—at the Lord shall quicken our morâ—al bodies that is the same that now â—â—e mortal by reason of sin I note in the â—ext place to our comfort That the same â—odies that now we carry about with us shall â—â— raised up and none other for them the â—â—me I say in substance and the same in â—umber Sim. For as the wheels of a Clock being â—ken in sunder and the joynts thereof â—ade clean when it is joyned and set â—ogether again is the same in number so â—â—all the Essence and substance of mans â—ody be all one which though disolved â—â—all again be joyned together of God â—nd shall rise again the infermities thereof â—eing done away The Lord keepeth all the bones of the Saint saith David there shall not one of them bâ— broken Psal 34. 20. And the holy man Job is bold to say my self shall see him and mine eyes shaâ— behold him aud none other for me Job 1â— 27. see also concerning this Matter iâ— 1 Cor. 15. 25. Reas 1. Because God hath consecrateâ— bodies of the faithful to be temples untâ— himself 1 Cor. 3. 17. 2 Because Christ whose members wâ— are and to whose body our bodies shalâ— be conformed recieved again that body which he carried about with him Johâ— 2. 19. 3 Because every one shall bear in hiâ— body that which he hath done be it gooâ— or evil 2 Cor. 5. 10. 4 The justice of God requireth it shoulâ— be
the Comfort to his soul that one day he should rise again in which he should enjoy the glorious presence of his Redeemer See Job 19. 26. Secondly it may Comfort the Saints of God against the persecutions of the body yea and death it self We read of the Saints of God in the days of Antiochus that they were racked and would not be delivered and why so because they looked for a better Resurrection Heb. 11. 35. No doubt but they counted the Redemption from the rack a thing much to be desired yet they knew that the Redemption from Hell and the Resurrection to eternal life was much more to be sought for without which condition they would not be delivered and no marvel for what though the rack might rend their flesh and disjoint their Lims yet they knew well enough and were fully assured that at the Resurrection all should be conjoined and perfected again The EJACULATION GOod Lord let us when we die sleep in Jesus that we may obtain a Glorious Resurrection when this World shall have an end for though we are as we have heard but enlivened Dust gilded peices of Clay sinking Bubbles and dying shadows yet these dying Bodies of outs shall at the last day when the Trumpet shall sound arise ye Dead enter into Eternal Glory or Everlasting Peace Oh let us consider how glorious a Creature man was when he first came cut of his Creators hand for thou didst make him but a little lower than the Angels thou didst crown him with Glory and Honour thou didst make him the very Summons and Epitomy of the whole World he was made the very Master-peice of all thy works the very Flower and Miracle of Nature he was even then a small draught of the divine Nature and a bright Beam of the increated light But how Glorious indeed will he be when he shall be raised at the Resurrection and shall shine as a resplendent Sun in the Firmament of Glory Good Lord therefore let us not be strangers to the relish of Heavenly things but let us live as those who hope to be Heirs of Eternal Joys when this World shall have an end Let us look up to God and let us look out to Eternity let us consider that our hastening Time will soon have an end and we shall never more be trusted with another space of Time to prepare us for Heavens Glory Oh let us not therefore set our affections upon any things which we can carry no further with us then the Grave but let us live in a daily serious beleif and in a joyfull expectation of that endlest Glory and that Glorious Resurrection which will be the Portion of all those who live in the Love and die in the Faith of our Lord Jesus for thou hast promised a Glorious Resurrection to them that sleep in Jesus AN ELEGY Upon the Reverend Mr. John Dunton Author of the House of Weeping LIKE a bright Lamp whose mounting Flame aspires To its Original those Heavenly Fires Till the fomenting Oyl consume it turns Twinckling to Ashes and no longer burns So his Divineâ— Soul though clos'd within An interwoven case of flesh and sin Mounts to its pure Original and strives By lighting others to amend their lives 'Till nature quite extinct with fixt desires Of Heavens Enjoyments his blest Soul expires Farewel dear Sir had powerful art a Charm To snatch your Life from Deaths surprising Arm We would not fail to re-imbarque your Spirit Gon to possess what Glorious Souls Inherit In highest bliss that sweet Christaline Iste Where God and Saints for ever ever Smile T is lovely to be Humble Faithful Kind This was the Emblem of the Authors mind Who 's soar'd aloft leaving Earths dusty Round Where sweetest Joys in one ill hap are drown'd To those Harmonious Orbs where now he sings Melodious Anthems to the King of Kings Where in the glit'ring Rank of Angels bright He took his place with radiant Sons of light His race was long and nimbly he did run To reach Heavens Glory by that Setting Sun Which guilds the Spheres which garnisheth and braves The lower World which scores us out our Graves And being gon to th'place his heart design'd He here hath left a Weeping House behind Which dolefully like a loud Passing-bell Rings out to th' World the Authors last Farewel O. O. An EPITAPH upon the Author of this Book Mr. John Dunton who was Interred in the Chancel at Aston-Clinton Novemb. 9th 1676. IN spight o' th' Grave bright Saint thou shalt survive Our grateful Age will keep thy name alive Heav'ns great Ambassador on Earth thou 'st lain The League being struck Heav'n call'd thee home again Yet Death hath left of thee Great Soul behind So much that we our loss shan't quickly find Nor can thy Name a dull Oblivion know Thy Works will an Eternity bestow O're Time and Fate thou l't an Ovation have And now dost Triumph over Death and Grave S. A. FINIS Death-Bed THOUGHTS The PROEMIUM BVT Oh my Soul What ails thee to be thus suddenly backward and fearful no Friend hath more freely discours'd of Death in speculation no Tongue hath more extolled it in absence And now that it is come to thy Bed-side and hath drawn thy Curtains and takes thee by the hand and offers thee service thou shrinkest inward and by the paleness of thy Face and wildness of thine Eye bewrayest an amazement at the presence of such a Guest That Face which was so familiar to thy Thoughts is now unwelcome to thine Eye I am ashamed of this weak irresalution Whitherto have tended all thy serious Meditations What hath Christianity done to thee if thy fears be still Heathenish Is this thy Imitation of so many worthy Saints of God whom thou hast seen entertain the violentest Death with Smiles and Songs Is this the fruit of thy long and frequent Instruction Didâ—â— thou think Death would have been content with words Didst thou hope it would suffer thee to talk while all others suffer Where is thy Fath Shall Hereticks and Pagans give Death a better welcome than thee Hath God with this Serjeant of his sent his Angels to fetch thee and art thou loath to go Rouse up thy self for shame O my Soul and if ever thou hast truly believed shoke off this Vnchristian diffidence and address thy self joyfully for thy glory All motions tend to rest Return then to thy rest O my Soul for God hath dealt bountifully with thee But Lord spare me a little before I go hence and be seen no more that my DEATH-BED THOUGHTS may be all imployed in the Contemplating of that Eternity into which I am now a launching Sect. 1. The Daily Remembrance of Death HAppy is he who always and in every place so lives as to spend his every last moment of Light as if day were never to return Epictetur most wisely teaching this Death saith he and Banishment and all that we look upon as Evils let them be daily set before
none or very few Signs of Safety or Security What do all these things Admonish us but only this Remember O man that thou art a man think upon Eternity to which thou art hastening Go to prepare thy self thou art called to that Tribunal of God as thou didst live shalt thou be judged Sect. â—o What Answer is to be given to the Messenger of Death SAint Ambrose having received the News of his Death when his Friends bewailed him and begg'd of God to grant him a longer space of Life I have not lived as to be ashamed to lieve among you neither do I fâ—â—r to die because we have a graciâ—us God Saint Austin nothing troubled at the News of his Death He never shall be great saith he who thinks it strange that Stones and Wood fall and that Mortals die Saint Chrysostom a little before his Death in Exile wrote to Innocentius We have been these three Years in Banishment exposed to Peâ—â—ilence Famine continual Iucursions unspeakable Solitude and continual Death But when he was ready to give up the ghost He cryed out aloud Glory be to thee â—O God â—or all things Let a dying Christian imitate these most holy Persons and repeat these Sayings often to himself Thanks be to God Glory be to thee O God for all things I have watcht long enough among thornâ— Labour'd long enough in Storms Now because I see the end of my Watching and my Labour Thanks be to God Glory be to God for all things For Life is tedious Death a certain gain Sect. 21. Death is better than a sorrowful Life IT is better once to Die than to be always Dying We daily Die we have lost â—â—â— Childhood our Youth is gone All our Time even to Yesterday is slid away These things Gregory Nazianzene comprehending in a few words There is no good among men with which there is not something of evil mixt Riches are a Snare Poverty a Fetter Honour a meer Dream Empire dangerous Subjection troublesom Youth is the Summer of Life Grey hairs the Sun-set of Life Matrimony a Bond Children the growing Crop of Care Fulness breeds Petulance Want begets Impatience Whatever we behold in this World is like the World in a perpetual motion Whatever seemed stable is now doubtful 〈…〉 with the perpetual volubility of Day-night 〈…〉 Diseases Sorrows Pleasures and Calamities Death is most certain Elegantly St. Austin Death saith he is only certain all things else uncertain A Child once Conceived perhaps is born perhaps not but perishes in Abortion If he be born perhaps he grows up perhaps not perhaps he grows old perhaps not Peradventure he shall be Rich peradventure Poor perhaps he shall attain to Honour peradventure live Contemned perhaps he shall have Children it may be not perhaps he shall die in his Bed it may be slain in the Field But who can say perhaps he shall die perhaps not The first Book of Maccabees thus describes the Death of Alexander Then he fell sick and when he perceived that he should die Alexander had wished for several Worlds in hopes of Victory and thought with himself that he had performed Atchievements that deserved Eternal Annals Nevertheless after so many and such great Victories overcome at length he fell not only into his Bed but into his Tomb contented with a small Coffin Peter Alfonsus reports That several Philosophers flockt together and variously descaâ—ted upon the King â— Death One there was that said Behold now four Yards of Ground is enough for him whom the spacious Earth could not comprehend before Another added Yesterday could Alexander save whom he pleas'd from Death to Day he cannot free himself Another viewing the Golden Coffin of the Deceased Yesterday said he Alexander heaped up a Treasure of Gold now Gold makes a Treasure of Alexander This was their Learned Contention yet all ended in this Then he fell sick and died Thus forgetful of our selves what Mountains do we raise to our selves in Thought We revolve in our Minds Immortal I wish they were Heavenly Things whilst Death surprizes us in the midst of our vast Undertakings and that which we call Old Age is but the Circuit of a few Years Wherefore do we trust to Death Behold through what slight Occasions we lose our Lives Our Food our Moisture our Watchings our Sleep are unwholesome to us without their due measure A small hurt of a Toe a light pain of the Ear a Worm in the Tooth make way for Death The little Body of Man is weak frail subject to Diseases this Air these Winds those Waters offend him therefore let us believe the Son of Syras Death is better than â— bitter Life and Eternal Rest better than continual Sickness So that it is much better to be an Inhabitant on Earth than a Pilgrim in Heaven Sect. 22. The Happiness of Death BLessed are the dead that die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit that they may rest from their â—â—bours and their works follow them To die in the â—â—rd is the same thing as to die a Servant of the â—â—rd as the Scripture speaks concerning Moses Moses my Servant is dead As if God had said saith Cajetan Though he were once a Sinner and was not then my Servant nevertheless he died my Servant He so died that whatever he was or whatever he did was mine for a Servant wholly belongs to the Master And let such a Servant of the Lord sing that Song of Simeon at his death Lord now let thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word Altogether in peace and that Eternal in the beginning whereof all the Warfare of good men is at an end never more to be rekindl'd For such Servants of God die in the Lord who dying rest in the Besom of God and so resting sweetly sleep in death Thus Stephen among so many Showers of Stones in such in the midst of the Tumult and Dinn of the Enraged Multitude slept in the Lord. Thus Moses the Servant of the Lord died by the command of God Thrice happy and blessed are such that never more shall be miserable The death of the Just faith St. Bernard is good because of its Rest better because of its Novelty best of all by reason of its Security Blessed and again thrice blessed are such for their Works follow them They follow them as Children follow their Parents as Servants follow their Masters as Scholars follow their Teacher and Souldiers their Captain They follow them to the Tribunal of God to the Court of Heaven as Peers follow their Prince whither these Noble Servants are only admitted Sect. 23. The Farewel of a dying Person to the living which are to go the same way THere are many things of which it behoves me to Repent of Vertue often neglected and Time ill spent How much did it become me to have been more patient more submissive more studious of daily Death How small a Spark of Divine Love did glow in me Pity me O God pity me
these costly Piles of VVood. The Custom of burning the dead Bodies continued among the Romans but until the time of the Antonine Emperors An. Dom. 200. or thereabouts then they began to Bury again in the Earth Manutius de leg Rom Fol. 125 126. They had at these Burials suborned counterseit hired Mourners which were VVomen of the loudest Voices who betimes in the Morning did meet at appointed places and then cried out mainly beating of their Breasts tearing their Hair their Faces and Garments joining therewith the Prayers of the defunct from the Hour of his Nativity unto the Hour of his Dissolution still keeping time with the Melancholick Musick This is a Custom observed at this day in some parts of Ireland but above all Nations the Jews are best skilled in these Lamentations being Fruitful in Tears Tears that still ready stand To sally forth and but expect command Amongst these VVomen there was ever an old aged Beldam called Praefica superintendent above all the rest of the Mourners who with a loud Voice did pronounce these words Ire licet as much to say He must needs depart and when the dead Corps were laid in the Grave and all Ceremonies finished she deliver'd the last Adieu in this manner Adieu Adieu Adieu we must follow thee according as the course of Nature shall permit us The manner of these lamentings saith George Sandys in his Journal may of old appear by this Ironical personating of a Father following the Exequies of his Son introducted by Lucian in these words O my sweet Son thou art lost thou art dead Dead before thy day and hast left me behind of Men the most miserable To Mourn after the Interment of our Friends is a Manifest Token of true Love by it we express that Natural Affection we had to the departed with a Christian-like Moderation of our Grief whereby our Faith to God-ward is demonstrated For as God has made us living so hath he made us loving Creatures to the end we should not be as Stocks and Stones void of all kind and natural Affection but that living and loving together the love of the one should not end with the life of the other Our all Perfect and Almighty Saviour Christ Jesus wept over the Grave of dead Lazarus whom he revived whereupon the standers by said among themselves Behold how he loved him The Ancient Romans before they were Christians mourned nine Months but being Christians they used mourning a whole year clothed in black for the most part for Women were clothed partly in white and partly in black according to the diversity of Nations These Examples considered I observe that we in these days do not weep and mourn at the departure of the dead so much nor so long as in Christian duty we ought For Husbands can buy their Wives and Wives their Husbands with a few counterfeit Tears and a soure Visage masked and painted over with dissimulation contracting second Marriages before they have worn out their Mourning Garments and sometimes before their Copemates be cold in their Graves AN ACCOUNT Of the Death and last Sayings Of the most Eminent Persons from the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour down to this present time FVneral Orations have been anciently used both within and without the Church without among the Heathens within among both Jews and Christians David 2 Sam. 1. 19. sets forth the Praise of Saul and Jonathan his Son The Beauty of Israel is slain upon his high places And memorable is that Funeral Oration of Saint Jerom for his Paula and her Daughter Eustâ—chium And good reason since not only Life but the Death of Saints is precious in God's sight let it be so in ours if both the one and the other be spoken of we ought not nor can without Injury to the Pious Souls deceased bury in silence those Verâ—ues and Graces of God which were Eminently visible in their last Exit not only for God's Glory who was Author but also for Example and Comâ—ort of the Survivers And how can we doubt â—hat the Sound of the Praises of the Godly will â—ause the most Dissolute one time or another to â—ish Oh that I might die the death of the righteous â—nd that my latter end may be like his For these holy Purposes I design here to give you an account of the Death and last Sayings of the most Eminent Persons from the Crucifixion of our Blessed Saviour down to this present time It was a Custom in the Primitive Times to Transmit to Posterity what would be most Remarkabe and Exemplary to present as well as to future Ages And I hope such Precedents will not appear unnecessary since Divine Authority informs our weak Judgment that St. Luke made one Treatise of all that Jesus began to do and to teach Acts 1. 1. Which blessed Pattern was fully delineated by that holy Apostle for our Imitation and whose Holy Example we must endeavour to follow if we expect to be his Disciples It was the Wish and earnest Desire even of Dives when in Flames That Abraham would send Lazarus to his Brethren to warn them of coming to that dismal place of Torment as we find it Luke 16. for he conceived a Message from the Dead would operate more powerfully than the Arguments or Perswasions of the Living And in this following Account we may be said to allow you that which was denied to this Man while we Treat you with a seasonable Banquet Served up by Repentance through the Grace and Mercy of God even upon the Brink of the Grave THE Death of Christ and his Apostles c. The Death of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST NO sooner had our First Parents by eating the Forbidden Fruit forfeited their State of Happiness but the All-wise Creator out of the Abundance of his Mercy and Goodness found a means to rescue them and their Posterity from the Power and Malice of Satan and gave them a Promise That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpent's head Gen. 3. 15 All which was fulfilled by our blessed Lord and Saviour The Son of God and Second Person in the Trinity was born of the Virgin Mary and made Man whose Birth and Glorious Triumph over Death the Grave and Hell the Patriarchs and Prophets â—ll along had foreseen After our Blessed Saviour that Glorious Son of â—ighteousness had run his Course he undertook â—o satisfie his Father's Justice by making a Proâ—itiatory Sacrifice for the Sins of lost and undone â—an and suffered himself to be Tempted Beâ—â—ayed Scourged Spit upon Reviled Crowned â—ith Thorns and lastly submitting even unto the â—eath of the Cross all which had been exactly â—â—etold by the Prophets Though it happened not after the common manner but was attended with such dismal Darkness and terrible Earthquakes Insomuch that a Heathen Philosopher at that Instant declared That either the God of Nature suffered or the World was at an end But he could not long rest under the power of the
to reform the Churches into which many Errors had crept especially in Bulgaria so that continuing a Faithful Pastor for about three years he then yielded up the Ghost and exchanged for a better Life He was a Man of great Patience Mild and Meek in all his Actions exceeding most of his time in Learning He used to say That comes forward in the World goes back in Grace his Estate is miserable that goes Laughing to Destruction as a Fool to the Stocks of Correction The Death of ANSELM HE used to say That if he should see the shame of Sin on the one hand and the pains of Hell on the other and must of necessity chuse one he would rather be thrust into Hell without Sin than go into Heaven with Sin A while after his return to England he dyed in the Ninth Year of King Henry the 1. Anno 1109. Aged 76. The Last Sayings of NICEPHORUS HE was one of great Learning and Judgment He wrote an Ecclesiastical History in Greek and Dedicated it to Andronicus He used to say Christ asked Peter three times if he loved him not for his own Information but that by his threefold Profession he might help and heal his threefold denial of him He lived under Andronicus Senior 1110. The Death of BERNARD HE lived with great applause till the 63 year of his Age when retiring to his Monastery he fell sick and calling all his Disciples about him when he perceived them weep he comforted them saying My Fatherly love moves me to pity you my Children so as to desire to remain here but on the other side my desire to be with Christ draws me to long to depart hence therefore be of good comfort for I submit to the will of our Heavenly Father to whose protection I leave you And thereupon he resigned his Spirit into the Hands of his Redeemer dying Anno Christi 1153 and in the Sixty third year of his Age. Upon entring the Church at the Door he usually said Stay here all my Worldly Thoughts and all Vanity that I may entertain Heavenly Meditations The Death of PETER LOMBARD HIS usual Sayings were these There is in us evil concupiscence and vain desires which are the Devils Weapons bent against our Souls whereby when God forsakes us he overthrows us with deadly Wounds Let none glory in the Gifts of Preachers in that they edifie more by them For they are not Authors of Grace but Ministers The Instruction of words is not so powerful as the Exhortation of works for if they that teach well neglect to do well they shall hardly profit their Audience He dyed on the 13th of August 1164. and lyes Buried at Paris and has this Inscription upon his Tomb Here lyeth Peter Lombard B. D. of Paris who composed the Book of Sentences and the Glosses of the Psalms and Epistles The Death of Alexander Hales HE was Born at Hales in Gloucestershire carefully Educated of an Excellent Wit and very Industrious His Sayings were of Patience A Soul patient when wrongs are offered is like a Man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other who could wound but will heal Of Faith What the Eye is to the Body Faith is to the Soul it 's good for Direction if it be kept well And as Flies hurt the Eye so little Sins and ill Thoughts torment the Soul Of Humility An humble Man is like a good Tree the more full of Fruits the Branches are the lower they bend themselves He dyed Anno 1245. The Life of Bonaventure TO keep himself imployed he wrote the Bible over with his own Hand and so well used it that he could readily Cite all the material Texts by heart After this he was made Doctor of Divinity in which he continued for a considerable time doing all the deeds of Charity that lay in his power to perform likewise perswaded others to do the like So that at last spent with tedious Studies Nature decayed in him and he falling sick gave up the Ghost dying Anno Christi 1274 Aged 53 and was Buried in a Stately Sepulchre in the Cathedral The Death of Thomas Aquinas VVHen any one offered him promotion he was wont to say I had rather have Chrysostom's Commentary upon the Gospel of St. Matthew In all his Sermons he framed his Speech to the Peoples Capacities and hated Vice in any though he loved their Persons never so well He dyed as he was going to the Council Summoned at Lyons Anno Christi 1274. His usual Sayings were these of Spending our Time Make much of time especially in that weighty matter of Salvation O how much would he that now lyes frying in Hell rejoice if he might have but the least moment of time wherein he might get God's favour Of Death The young Man haâ—h Death at his Back the old Man before his Eyes aud that 's the most dangerous Enemy that pursues thee than that which marches up towards thy Fâ—ce Of Repentance Remember that though God promises forgiveness to repentant Sinners yet he doth not promise that they shall have to morrow to repent in The Death of John Wicklif HE was an English Man by Birth descended of godly Pâ—rents who sent him to Morton College in Oxford where he profited in Learning and in a short time was Divinity Reader in the University which he so well performed that he obtained a general Applause from all his Auditors he was a Man of great Piety often bewailing the vicious Lives of the Clergy After all the Persecution and Malice of his Enemies he dyed in peace Anno Christi 1384. But after his Death many of his Famous Writings were burned by the Popish Clergy The Death of John Huss IN Degrading him they were so cruel as to cut the Skin from off the Crown of his Head with Shears and to disannul the Emperors Letters of safe Conduct they made a Decree That no Faith should be kept with Hereticks After which they prepared for his Execution and put a Cap upon his Head painted with Devils the which he joyfully put on saying That since his Lord and Master wâ—re for his sake a Crown of Thorns he would not disdain for his sake to wear that Cap When he had put it upon his Head a Bishop standing by said Now we commit thy Soul to the Devil but Huss lifting up his Hands and Eyes to Heaven said Into thy Hands Lord Jesus I commend my Spirit which thou hast redeemed with thy most precious Blood Then they Burnt his Books at which he with a joyful Countenance said to the People Think not good People that I die for any Heresie or Errour but through the hatred and malice of mine Adversaries As he lifted up his Face in Prayer the Cap fell off whereupon a Souldier put it on again saying He should burn with his Masters the Devils whom he had served Then rising up said Lord Jesus assist and help me that with a constant and patient mind by thy most gracious