Apprehension was stupid and Sottish He answered Yes it was so Then being asked if he had not some Hope he replied that sometimes he was ready to think that if God had had a Purpose to destroy him he would have done it before now Not long after as he was going to Bed one Night he asked one what she thought of him as to his Living she answered she did not know what the Lord would do with him As to Sense you are not like to be long in this World he then being very weak And must I die then said he Oh I dare not die I dare not die Oh! 't is an awful thing to die c. Some short time after whilst he was in his bitter Complaints several Scriptures were laid afore him to encourage his Believing into Christ He said right if it had been in time but it is too late now He was answered it was not too late seeing the Lord had opened his Eyes on this side of the Grave and made him see his Need of Christ He said yes it is too late for I have had the proffer of Christ and the same Tenders of Salvation with others And I would not have Christ then and therefore it is just with God to deny him to me now But one added you can justifie God under all Oh! Ay said he Oh! Ay. He that hath born so many years Provocations at my Hands I will speak well of him 〈◊〉 long as I live however he deals with me Another time he desired that Scripture might be turned to Phil. 3.12 That I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Methinks said he it bears this Sense That Christ must first take hold of the Soul before the Soul can take hold of Christ A little before he kept his Bed he said to his Wife Dear What must I do There is no way for me but to close with Jesus Christ and I cannot do it I cannot do it I do not know either whether I am willing to be saved by Christ or no. May be if I should recover things would wear off Oh! I dread the Thoughts of it If I may but live till I have obtained Mercy I shall think I have lived long enough But Oh! the Thoughts how few find Mercy at last would make any ones Heart to ake It being on the Heart of his dear Relation to send to the Church of Christ at Rothwell to pray for him acquainted him with it asking him if it was not his Desire also He answered he thought of it some Days afore but durst not be so bold as to mention such a thing but did desire they should seek the Lord for him that he might close saveingly with Jesus Christ and have a true Godly Sorrow and Repentance never to be repented of Now we are drawing towards the Close of his Life The Friday before he departed he could scarce rise being exceeding weak but he began to be very earnest about his Soul He spake thus to Mrs. Bigg The Prayers of God's People are a great support to me I always had a great Esteem of the Prayers of God's People That Night he was confined to his Bed when he was laid in it he said very awfully I shall rise no more till the Trumpet sounds When in Bed he was complaining of the greatness of his Sins he was taken up by one saying Whether he thought his Sins so great as that there was not enough in Christ to pardon No says he I will not reflect such Dishonour on the Blood of Christ as to think so I know there is an effectual Plaister prepared but if not applied what then A little after he brake forth into this Expression As there is a fulness of sin in me so there is much more Fulness in Christ to pardon However that Night he continued very restless his Distress being such he could scarcely lay his Eyes together And in the Morning which was Saturday he spoke in great Agony I must die and have not the least bit of Hope Being then advised to venture on Christ and cast himself upon him as one able to save to the uttermost He with a Countenance that witnessed huge inward Grief replied it was too late His dear Relation answered him thus It is not too late God has opened your Eyes on this side the Grave and made you see your need of Christ therefore 't is not too late but he calleth you now He presently spake thus Shall I venture then upon Christ It was answered him He must Then having paused his Countenance more composed and cheary he spake resolvedly I can but perish then stopped Then his dear Wife observing his Words and countenance said Hope is a Dawning He quickly replied I hope it is and soon after burst forth into high Acclamations and Expressions of spiritual Joy and Admirations of the free Grace of God as Strength would permit But he was much afflicted that he had not Strength nor Breath to speak of God's free Grace to him that the World might know what God had done for him Notwithstanding he spake somewhat to this effect It troubles me that God should loose his Glory who hath not I hope suffered me to loose my Soul Oh that I had Breath to speak of Christ Methinks I could speak of Christ till Night I think I could speak of Christ a Year together And indeed all that Day when he had strength to speak it was excellently of Christ And once fetching his Breath with much Difficulty he said I shall breath out my last Breath with a blessed be God for Jesus Christ and little afterwards he would complain that he could love Christ no more That day there came a young Gentleman an Acquantance of his to visit him who found him very weak but when he had recovered a little Strength he addressed himself to him thus All that we have to do for God and our Souls Salvation is to be done here There is nothing to be done in the Grave and it is my Advice and my dying Counsel to all young Men that they labour to make sure of Christ in a time of Health and not put off so great a Work as I have done The following Day which was the Lords Day he was exceeding weak and pained in his Body and variously exercised in his Soul as appears by several Expressions that dropt from him at times Whilst he was complaining of his Illness he was told that however it was yet God is good He answered You shall never hear me say otherwise sink or swim saved or damned I will justifie him A little after being exercised in his Soul he cryed out How hard a thing it is to croud through the Throng of Sin and Guilt to Jesus Christ Sure Christ will not accept of such a filthy thing as I But said he again God's End in pardoning and saving Sinners is to glorifie his own free Grace and then why not towards me as well as another What a wonderful Word is that A Man may die with that Word in his Mouth The free Gift is of many Offences unto
loose vain Conversation to my inward Deadness and Enmity and when Death approached to bring me to a State of perfection in Glory didst represent him to me as a dreadful King of Terrors But now Death is come and has executed his Office I welcome him and laugh thee to Scorn Free Grace has disarmed him of the Sting that thou wouldst have given him against me I shall now no more be perplexed with thy Gripes I shall now plainly see my Redemption eternal and always the same without as much as a Cloud as big as a Mans Hand to interpose I shall never look off the Lord my Righteousness my Sanctification and Covering but always behold my Fathers reconciled Face in the Face of my beloved Jesus I shall never depart from him any more I shall now have perpetual Freedom and Enlargement of Soul before him I shall never have an hard Thought of him any more nor ever sin the least sin against him any more Farewell eternally O Guilt of sin thou canst not enter into Heaven where I am going Thus I spurn thee now mounting up into everlasting Glory DEATH triumphs over the Pollution of sin and makes a full End of Corruption and Iniquity Then may the Believer cry O filthy sink of Sin thou shalt defile me no more How often even since Conversion hast thou ravished my Virgin Soul How oftentimes a day hast thou scattered thy Filth in my Conscience and left an envenom'd Taint there How often when I was going to approach an holy God didst thou appear in my Soul in thy ugly Colours to terrify me and to turn me aside from the living God Yea and though I often saw the Righteousness of Christ covering me yet thou often filledst my Conscience with such a Cloud of Filth and Stench that that glorious Covering was hid from mine Eyes but now thou shalt blind mine Eyes no more I shall now have perfect uninterrupted Visions of that spotless beauteous Garment wrapping me round and that to all Eternity Not the least speck of thee shall enter into Heaven in my Father's House I am entring into there 's nothing but compleat Purity and Holiness There is not the least Atom of Dirt in the Streets of the Jerusalem above Here thou filthy Load I finally part with thee I shall never be defiled any more with thee Hallelujah Amen And thus the Believer triumphs over Sin that is the Substance of the Sting of Death Thirdly THE Believer triumphs over the Law which the Words of my Text call the strength of Sin and the Law or the Covenant of Works is the strength of sin though it be in it self holy just and good in a twofold Respect 1. It condemns the Soul and tortures the Conscience so drives the Soul farther from God and encreases the Enmity against him and thereby puts the Soul more under the Power of sin enlarging and strengthening sins Dominion over it Rom. 6.16 Sin shall not have Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Where 't is evidently implied to be under the Power of the Law is to be under sins Dominion and this is exemplified and proved plainly and clearly in the former Part of the seventh of the Romans which I cannot now stay to open 2. The Law judicially delivers the Soul up to the Will and Power of sin by way of Punishment Thus the Son of God is said to come in the Likeness of sinful Flesh and for sin or sinning to condemn sin in the Flesh Sin by the condemning Law has assigned it penally as Executioner a Power of sinning in the Soul from which Sentence only a crucified Jesus can free the Soul The Law therefore as it is the strength of sin is a sore Exercise to the Believer and the strength of the old Man or the Body of Death in his Soul all his life time but in his Death he may thus glory over it Thou Covenant of Works thou Killing Letter in my Conscience though I was much freed from thee by the Law of Righteousness which is of Faith yet thou didst still work there Gendring unto Bondage opposing the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Gal. 4.29 Thou that wast born after the Flesh didst persecute that that was born after the Spirit Gal. 4.30 But now the Bond-woman and her Son shall be quite cast out Thou didst all my Life time endeavour all ways to keep up Guilt in my Conscience and if at any time removed to do it away by Obedience to thee by legal Sorrow and Contrition by Resolutions to amend and greater Watchfulness for the future Whilst I was thereby diverted from making first Applications to the Blood of sprinkling so that my sin was rather oftentimes compounded for than in Faith washt away in that Fountain that is opened for Sin and for Vncleanness Whence I was not only diverted from continual Believing into a bleeding Jesus but had my Conscience rather stupified than healed my sin made little harmless and familiar and rather encouraged than a real dying unto it and hence oftentimes my Soul cast into a deep Lethargy But now I am absolutely freed from that Yoak of Bondage Mount Sinai in my Conscience and shall be made for ever to Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in that Liberty wherewith the Son hath made me free indeed John 8.36 Thus will the Believer in Death triumph over the Law as it is the Strength of sin Fourthly THE Believer in Death may glory over the Justice of God as it is armed with Vengeance against Sinners Though Believers are fully delivered in their life time from the stroke of Divine Justice yet they do oft times not so fully apprehend it But after Death the Believer shall see as he is seen apprehend as he is apprehended and then be enabled to rejoyce thus Divine Justice whilst I lived though thou wast my Friend in Jesus yet many times I dreaded thee as mine Enemy but now I plainly see thou art my Friend indeed and that it is just with thee to justifie me in the Lord my Righteousness Thy Sword that was pointed at my Breast and should have now thrust me down to Hell was received by my crucified Lord into his own Bowels and I am now made for ever to escape Being made more than a Conqueror through him that loved me My dying Saviour in Falling wrested thy Weapon out of thy Hand and made his blessed Body a Grove planted from thy poisonous Quiver so that there is not an Arrow now left to spend upon me I now come O Justice in the Right of my Lord to sit for ever down in his heavenly Mansions to sing Hallelujahs to that righteous and true God for ever and ever Fifthly THE Believer in Death may triumph over Satan Satan though a Soul is Translated out of his Kingdom yet through his restless Enmity is always seeking to devour He has Wiles Methods and cunning Devices of Temptations to ensnare imperious Suggestions fierce
the Deaf be unloosned the Lame shall leap as an Hart and the Tongue of the Dumb shall sing for Joy Isai 56 c. For the bodies of the risen believers that are now wrapt up in Dishonour shall be then cloathed with the highest Honour Fifthly THEN Weakness shall put on Strength and that that is sown in weakness shall be raised in power 1 Cor. 15.43 Then the Coward shall be valiant and the Feeble exceeding strong their Strength and Courage will be very near Angelick then We read that an Angel destroyed an hundred thousand in one Night and how great ineffably great will be the Strength and Power of the spiritual Bodies of the risen Saints in that day But having spoke of this dispersedly afore under other Heads I shall now add no more thereunto nor mention several other Advantages that the Bodies of the Saints shall arise with that I might insist on For these are sufficient to evince that Believers can triumph over the Grave in respect of their Bodies THUS having dispatchd the Doctrinal part I now proceed to the Application which I briefly intend to finish in three or four Inferences The two first will particularly relate to the last branch of the Doctrine The two last will respect the whole Doctrine in general 1. Infer THE first Inference is for the Comfort of Believers against Death If it be so that their dead Bodies can thus triumph over the Grave what else is there in their Death that seems terrible As for their Souls they are then instantly lodged in the Mansions prepared for them above But if their Bodies are thus also excellently provided for every thing in Death is to be contemned Nor need we shrink at the Pangs that usually attend Death they are but the Cracks of a tattered House blown up in order to be rebuilt a stately Edifice or rather a Groan or two at farewel between two parting Friends that have been long loving Companions together but now must be separated for a great season that they might meet again to the greater advantage of both and these are the Body and the Soul And Death is no less to be scorned coming by his terrible Messengers Fire Sword Gibbets Poison or the like When he uses Instruments he is generally more courteous and gentle in his Dealings and quicker of dispatch A torrid malignant Feaver or a Torture of several Weeks or Months by the Stone Gout or Strangury have dealt more cruelly with a Body in dissolving it than the Spanish Rack or Parisian Wheel have done So that consider Death in all its affrighting Circumstances it need not be at all frightful to the dying Believer 2. Infer THE second Inference is for the Comfort of Believers against the tiresome fatigue of Pains Sicknesses and Infirmities The comfortable Consideration is this That all Pains and Maladies prepare and hasten the Body for the place of refining as they are Nature's Sufferings so they are the effect of Grace mellowing the whole Man for Glory They in whom Grace shines most are commonly most infirm in their Bodies for the Souls that are most on the Wing for God whose Graces are most vigorous in their Exercise eat out soonest the Tenement of Clay As the painful feeling of the Body of Death within is the nailing of the old Man to the Cross by the new Creature and Corruption painfully felt and odiously seen is Corruption a mortifying proved by the Apostle Rom. 6.5 where he calls the Mortification of Sin a being planted into the likeness of the Death of Christ which was a painful and shameful as well as a cursed Death v. 6. he calls it the crucifixion of the old Man and the destruction of the Body of Sin that of Galat. 2.20 being added thereunto and compared with Romans 7. from the 15 vers to the end particularly vers 24. compared with vers 25. From all which places 't is evident that the painful feeling of Unbelief and the Body of Death within is Unbelief and the Body of Death crucified and the dying Tyger roaring in the Soul The inward Blows of that Nature we feel are Stabs at Heart given to inbred Corruption by the second Adam So the pains Believers feel in their Bodies are but as so many Blows the second Adam gives there to the first in order to drive him out and take up the whole Room for himself Comfort thy self then with these words thou sick Believer under thy tedious malady and sore pains or with such arguings as these These Pangs indeed are sharp but they will after yield peaceable and blessed fruits for 't is in order that that which is earthly may be done away that that which is spiritual may fill up all in all 't is for the refining of Flesh and Blood for Flesh and Blood as now circumstanced cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither Corruption inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15.50 I will be patient under my greatest pains then since their tendency is to eat out Corruption in my Body so that it might inherit eternal Glory together with my Soul in incorruption THE other remaining Inferences relate to the whole Doctrine as laid down in the first Sermon 1. Infer THAT the Doctrine is a cogent motive to Holiness in Life and powerful Godliness in Conversation If so be that a Believer can triumph over Death and the Grave in reference to his Soul and Body then the unspeakably free rich glorious Grace of God in Christ manifested in him and believed into must needs oblige the Man or Woman to all manner of holy Conversation When Men have said all they can against the Doctrine of Free Grace impiously branding it with the Names of Antinomianism and Licentiousness yet this is undeniable from the experience of the most Godly as well as from the Word of the Lord that nothing constrains to all manner of holy Obedience like the Love of Christ revealed to the Conscience and the Love of the Father in his Love All that are most godly can say what is said of the Woman in the Gospel they weep much and do much as she Luke 7.44 47. because they love much and they love much because much is frankly forgiven them This is certain that the inherent Holiness of the Soul is the Strength of the Soul and the Strength or inward Sanctification of the Soul depends upon looking to by Faith that Grace that is in Christ Thou therefore my Son be strong within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.1 5. in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus viz. at God's right hand 'T is not said Be strong in the Grace that is in your selves for that is to seek the living among the dead a living Christ in our dead Frames when he is never to be found there for he is risen and ever lives at the Father's right Hand to make intercession for his Children and a constant steady looking to him there always interceding and still full of Grace and Truth 't is
that will carry on the Work of Sanctification in the Soul The spiritual Life of a Believer is from Faith and maintained by Faith It is written The Just shall live by Faith Rom. 1.17 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10.38 Faith is said to purifie the Heart Acts 15.9 to sanctifie viz. the whole Man Acts 26.18 and Faith always respects Christ and his Grace The Blood of Christ i. e. pardoning Grace in the Blood of Christ received into the Conscience by believing is affirmed to purge the Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation and hath appeared to all Men in the Gospel but as revealed unto the Consciences of them that believe teacheth them that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts they should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Tit. 2.11 12. And the GOD of all Grace in manifesting his Grace to the Soul that he has called it to eternal Glory by JESUS CHRIST does go on to make perfect establish strengthen and settle the Soul Which Expressions comprehend all the Work of Sanctification in its several parts and degrees till it arrives to the fulness of the stature of a perfect Man in Christ Jesus 'T is apparent from these and several other places of the holy Scriptures that the Grace that is in us proportionably rises and falls to the believing Views we have of the Grace that is in the Heart of Christ towards us and in the Hand of Christ to give us To draw towards a close in this matter This is it I am at that our inherent Righteousness within us is begun and carried on by Faith in the imputed Righteousness of Christ without us These two are every way distinct yet so as the former still flows from the latter The All-wise GOD has so ordered it in the dispensation of his Grace that his free Grace shall be magnified and the Righteousness of his Son highly valued and advanced Were the only use of Christ's Righteousness and indeed that is a great use of it to secure eternal Glory for us we should be tempted to have little recourse to it by Faith for that being once done and our state secured corrupt Nature would be apt to insinuate to us there would be no great need of such frequent viewing that God-like Righteousness without us wherein we stand it being that that is so contrary to Flesh and blood But now our Holiness in every step of it depending upon the Righteousness of Christ being apprehended by the Soul in believing it must or it ought to necessitate us to have constant recourse by continued Acts of believing to this glorious Righteousness all the day long Since it is thus that every dram of true Gospel-Holiness flows into the Soul only this way The Apostle affirms it three times That now the just shall live by Faith which Life 't is evident he means to be a Life spiritual or Life of Holiness here And 't is necessary that the Work of Holiness be carried on continually and constantly and therefore that we believe in Christ and his Righteousness always The reason of all is this The Lord will have the Righteousness which is of Faith the imputed Righteousness of his Son always viewed believed in and admired by us So that hence you may believe the Doctrine of Free-Grace does not tend to Licentiousness as Satan in various Instruments clamours against it but the quite contrary Such undeserved superabounding Grace to pardoned Sinners being the main motive unto Holiness of Heart Lip and Life The Apostle plainly affirms Rom. 6.14 That the Souls being brought under Grace breaks Sin 's Dominion therein i. e. the Soul being brought in believing under the powerful influence of that Grace that Reigns through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.21 2. Infer The second and last use is for the encouragement of Sinners yea the chiefest worst and vilest to come to Christ from the glorious Grace that is held forth in the Doctrine The Believers that thus have and can triumph over Death and the Grave were once Sinners as you may be some of them as vile as the vilest of you Come you therefore and tast and see how gracious our Lord the Redeemer is Come you and joyn with us in a perpetual Covenant to serve the Lord. Accept of the peace of the Gospel and make a venture upon an offered Jesus Oh come you the worst of you and live the Life of Faith like the Just and you shall die the Death of the Righteous to triumph over all in Death Whatever your Objections can be this astonishing Free-Grace can answer them all Infinite Wisdom has permitted all along prodigious Mountains of Opposition to rise in the way of Grace on purpose that that Grace of God may declare it self boundless by triumphing over all Thus though it was designed from all Eternity that Free-Grace should have all the Honour in making the Elect happy Yet a Law for Life was set up that through the Breaches thereof Sin might be suffered to enter Sin that odious thing that was such an Affront to the whole Godhead and brought so great an eclipse on his manifestative Glory was suffered I say to enter that electing Grace might be magnified in mounting above it And the Law entered once again on Mount Sinai that so Sin might abound on purpose that Free Grace might super-abound and reign and triumph over all Free-Grace and electing Love does not only like Jordan overflow all its Banks but like the mighty Deluge cover the tops of the highest Mountains of Opposition in the World Therefore what Objections O Sinners can you have against bowing down to the Grace offered in the Gospel O harden not your Hearts but now hear ye his Voice Know assuredly this That objecting against your acceptance of the Grace of Christ be your Objections never so specious is no other but a gain-saying of Christ O do not rebell and gainsay against the wide-opened and stretcht-forth Arms of eternal Mercy and Compassion that now is extended to you Be thou the vilest on the face of the Earth yet as vile as thou has obtained Mercy There are on Record instances of Sovereign Grace greater than any of you can be What think you of Adam I durst almost engage to answer all thine Objections thou vilest Sinner from that single Precedent You say you are the greatest of Sinners you cannot be greater than he who was the Arch-Rebel and Traytor who led his whole Race into an horrid Rebellion against GOD yet he found Mercy Ay but your Sins are great not greater than his who in one Sin was guilty of the highest Ingratitude the most monstrous Unbelief and the most devillish Pride and Discontent c. besides his breaking the whole Moral Law in that one Sin Yet you may say My Sins are many I answer That first Sin of his was a pregnant Monster millions of Legions in it But you
Justification Then added And though my Flesh and my Heart faileth God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Another time being somewhat clouded and speaking of the Grace of God I cannot demand it nor have I deserved it But being asked if he would not accept of it Yes reply'd he very thankfully Towards Night he grew more distressed for several Friends being gathered about him he looked upon them dolefully and said Oh I tremble being asked at what he answered at the possibility of Perishing One then sitting by that knew how it was with him told him it was impossible he being helped through Grace to commit his Soul into such Hands It was said further None can pull you out of his Hands He speaks a little after Poor Hearts you are willing to hope the best I wish you are not mistaken You know said he to his Wife Dear oppressed Nature will cry out for Relief but being answered that oppressed Nature could not rest on Christ for Salvation or to this Effect he was silent Next Morning he was much complaining that he was to die and do Christ no Service in the World He cryed out Oh that I might live but one Year but may be if I should I would be wicked But yet said he I think verily if I know my Heart I am willing to imbrace Christ on his own Terms I think verily if I was to live the strictest Life as ever Saint lived yet I think I could embrace none but Christ A little after being full of Complaints as to his Soul it was told him Yesterday you could say though my Heart and my Flesh faileth c. He answered But I cannot say so to day Some time after his Faith began to mount up and being melted under the Sence 〈◊〉 God's Grace to him he said If I had strength I would soon make my Confession Town-Talk I need not tell the Town what my Life hath been they know that very well But I would have them know the difference between them that have Grace and them that have none Monday about Noon Mr. Bear came to visit him and asked him What art thee going now to Christ He answered Better now than ever But he was so weak and laboured with such Difficulty of Breathing that he could scarce speak which he expressed himself saying That if it were to save his Life he could not speak yet desired Mr. Bear that he would wrestle and strive with God in Prayer for him that he might be helped sincerely to close with Christ A little after finding his Weakness increase upon him he spake thus I am brought to the Dust of Death That Night which was the Night before he departed about nine a Clock he grew weaker and weaker and fetch'd his Breath shorter and shorter Being a little lifted up on his Pillow he lifted up his Hands and bad all farewell After which he drew his Breath as one just departing being as 't was thought past speaking was spoke to by a Friend thus putting him in mind of his own Expression Blessed be God for Jesus Christ whereat he was heard to say softly Amen Then his dear Relation added Christ the Fore-runner is for thee entred Then he with a pleasant Countenance nodded his Head being not able to speak And now Death indeed was in his Face in all its Symptoms and all concluded him just a dying when all of a suddain his Blood returned into his Face Vigor and liveliness into his opened Eyes and with a Voice exceeding loud as if he had rose from the Dead on purpose to give in his dying Testimony for free Grace he thus spake triumphantly I know that my Redeemer liveth and that with these Eyes I shall see him and not anothers Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come Lord Jesus come quickly These Words he spake with such Vehemence that he made the whole House to eccho when afore he could scarce be heard if one laid his Ear to his Mouth and then continued thus with no less Accent and Affection I am no more afraid to die than I am to shut my Eyes I am no more afraid to die than I am to go to sleep God loves me dearly and I love God dearly I am sure he will do me no hurt Lord strike the Blow and the Work is done I long to be gone I long to see Jesus Christ O that all the Town might ring of God's free Grace to me What at the last Hour too Who would have thought of this a few Weeks ago Nothing less than Eternity is sufficient to admire free Grace This is blessed Work indeed This is Dying indeed Thy Father said he turning to his Wife will wonder to see me in Heaven He little thinks I am so near him His Wife asked him if he thought she should ever come where he was a going He answered I do not question it thou nor the poor Children neither Through God's Grace his dying Prophesie is in a likely way to be accomplished in all of them You will not be long after me Come one Bosom will hold us all He that hath begun the good Work in them meaning his Children will carry it on till the Day of Jesus Christ A Friend hearing him speak so heartily said Sir I hope you may live still He replied Oh do not tell me so I do not love to hear of that Ear I would not come back again for thousands of Gold and Silver but what the Lord will I am wholly swallowed up in Gods Soveraign will After he was spent with speaking he said I can speak no more I hope you are all satisfied Fare you well expecting as it seems he should have gone immediately to Heaven But it pleased the Lord to order it otherwise and to continue him till the next Night though under some Regret for he presently added Oh! I thought I had been going so sweetly but I am here still and next Morning hearing some Friends discoursing about the Distress he had been in he said to them but the Lord has now fully satisfied me Yet by reason his Dissolution was delayed it occasioned further Temptation and a black Cloud arose upon his Soul after all this glorious Sun-shine He burst out into such bitter Expressions as these God has forsaken me and I am afraid 't is a sore Judgment of God upon me that I lye in such a Condition I am afraid least I have deceived my self with false Hopes Some time after the beginning of his Distress there appeared on him Convulsive Fits whereupon he said to his Wife I have Fits She answered I am afraid you have He added I am almost frighted out of my Wits Being asked at what He replied At the Awfulness of Death This Conflict lasted for some time but the Lord was pleased to return again as was perceived for his Soul was composed and still His Fits ceased though his Strength was gone that he could speak but litttle However this for Satisfaction was had from him a little before he departed He said would I was up His Wife answered That would be a pleasant Sight indeed to see thee up again to tell us what thou hast seen on this sick Bed He answered I have seen that here which hath made my Heart and the Hearts of many more glad It was then told him you may see now what Satan's Temptations are when God permits him he will rob a Child of God of his Comforts but that is all he can do And it is a great All too said he it was that which made my Life a Burthen to me Being asked if he did not believe he should have Comfort again He answered Yes but did not know when But it was not long before he had it to the full for now he fell into a sweet Sleep the best he had for many Days in which Sleep he quietly slept in Jesus Thus I have given you an Account of some of his Death bed Experiences in whom though now dead he yet speaketh to you the Living and invites you all to partake of the same Grace with him that you may enter into the same Glory â—e now is in Have a care as I cautioned you afore to suck Poison to the Ruine of your own Souls out of this Instance of God's Free Rich and Glorious Grace but make this Improvement of it to stir you up now to accept of and venture on the boundless Grace of God in Christ Jesus Consider what has been said and the Lord give you Vnderstanding in all things His EPITAPH Here lies interred The Body of Mr. John Bigg Who departed this Mortal Life When he had seen his thirty seventh Year On the twenty eighth Day of January Anno Domini 1689. Cropt in his full blown Age if we by Grace His time compute he liv'd but five Weeks space Dead whilst alive in dying Life begins Short Race of Life But what a Crown he wins In Sin him Death attacks but Grace steps in And makes him Triumph over Death and Sin Thus by Christ's Death in death he 's made to cry Death where 's thy Sting Grave where 's thy Victory Now to the only wise God be Glory and Dominion World without end Amen FINIS