his Ordinances oh labour to be in Christ Quest How is that Answ. By faith faith is the uniting grace it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Chrysostome speaks it is the vital radical cardinal grace this gives the interest Faith is the queen of the graces by faith we take Christ as a husband and give up our selves to him as a Lord faith is a Christ approptiating grace it hath both a relying and an applying faculty Christ is the Ring faith is the finger that puts on this Ring faith opens the Orifice in Christs sides and drinks in his blood * faith is both justifying and sanctifying it fetcheth blood out of Christs sides to pardon and water out of his sides to purge 1 John 5. 6. Oh with all gettings get faith Quest But there is much deceit about this grace The Cyprian Diamond saith Pliny looks like the true Indian Diamond but it is not of the right kinde it will break with the Hammer The Devil hath his bad wares and counterfeit graces to put off how therefore shall we know a true faith from a false and spurious Answ. I shall give you two differencing notes 1. True faith is ever found in an heart deeply humbled for sinne Acts 2. 37. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they were pricked at their hearts here was the first budding of faith you never saw a flower grow out of a stone nor faith out of an heart of stone Faith is an hearb that grows alwayes in a moist soile in a weeping eye and a broken heart Mark 9. 24. The father of the childe cried out with teares Lord I believe This flag of faith grows in the water 2. True faith is operative the Lapidaries say there is no precious stone but hath virtutem insitam some vertue latent in it so we may say of precious faith it hath hidden vertue in it 't is very operative it works out sin Acts 15. 9. It works by love Gal. 5. 6. it is full of good works James 2. 17. it makes the tongue speak for Christ the head study the hands work the feet runne in the wayes of his commandments faith comes with power upon the heart 2 Thes. 1. 11. The work of faith with power * it hath a restraining and constraining power by this we may know whether ours be a true faith or no I have read of a father who had three sonnes and being to dye he left in his Will all his estate to that son who could finde his Ring with the Jewel which had a healing vertue the case was brought before the Judges the two Elder sonnes counterfeited a Ring but the younger son brought the true Ring which was proved by the vertue of it whereupon his fathers estate went to him to this Ring I may compare faith there is a counterfeit faith in the world but if we can finde this Ring of faith which hath the vertue in it both purgative and operative this is the true faith which doth interest us in and intitle us to Jesus Christ and if we are in Christ while we live we shall be with Christ when we dye where faith gives a propriety death gives a possession Use 3. Here is then comfort in the death of our Religious friends * though they depart from us yet {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they go to Christ which is farre better we should mourne for them who are living yet dead in sinne and rejoyce for them who are dead yet live with Christ This our dear brother interred had holy pangs of desire which seemed no lesse strong than the pangs of he panted after God as his ultimate and supreme perfection he did often with joy repeat the words of the Text and seemed to roule them as honey under his tongue we may therefore entertain good hopes of him that he is placed in that Paradise of God which he thirsted after I wished him to look up to the merits of Christ I must saith he rest there or no where O what a comfort is this to think that our friends are not onely taken away from the evil to come * but that they are with Christ why should we be sad at their preferment they have their Crowne 2 Tim. 4. 8. their Throne Revel. 3. 21. their white Robes Revel. 7. 9. Why should we weep immoderately for them who have all teares wiped from their eyes they enter into the joy of their Lord and why should we be swallowed up of grief for them who are swallowed up of joy * they that dye in the Lord are not amissi but praemissi * they are not lost but sent a little before we shall shortly overtake them 'T is but awhile when godly friends shall meet in heaven and feast together at the supper of the Lambe Revel. 19. 9. 'T is but a while when the Saints shall lie together in Christs bosome that hive of sweetnesse that bed of perfume Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Revel. 14. 13. Why should we mourn excessively for them who are blessed Oh let us not weep at the felicity of our friends but rather long to depart and be with Christ when we shall drink of those Rivers of pleasure which run at his right hand for evermore FINIS AN ELEGY Upon the much lamented death of his dear Friend Mr. Stock MUses avaunt I need you not t' inspire My duller veins with your Poetick fire Such an occasion as a doleful Urn Cannot but make even Parrots Poets turn And dumb-born children speak like Croâ—sus son To see their Parents struck at every stone Can then turn Vocal Mourner such an Herse Will make Tully himself to poure forth Verse Oh happy they who knew thee not if there Be any such within our Hemispheare 'T was blessed ignorance thee not to know That kept them from the knowledg of their wo From direful fears from griefs soul-piercing dart From restlesse palpitations of the heart Methinks I dare not represent thy worth How vast it was nor set thy praises forth Friends tell not Cambridge that her crown is gone Nor London what great cause she hath to mourn Wake not that Lion grief and give no vent To those fierce streams of raging discontent Lest Jordan like they quickly overflow Their banks and drown us in this common wo His parts so high that if death had not shown Thy mortal state I had not fear'd to own Thee for some nobler creature and his fire Of zeal was such as glows in that best Quire Of Seraphims there was both light and heat And all that here below is wondred at Was Plato's doctrine true this was the man The Idea of a solid Christian When all the earth turn'd round and wheel'd about Reeling now here now there ever in doubt Drunk with opinions he still like the Sun Stood firme and fixed in his station His knowledge deep and large yet never made
be with Christ The Apostle had three great desires and they were all centred upon Christ One was to be found in Christ * the other was to magnifie Christ * the third was to be with Christ * Here observe two things 1. Paul doth not say I desire to depart and be in heaven but to be {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} with Christ it is Christs presence makes heaven * as the Kings presence makes the Court 'T is not the Cherubims or Seraphims which make Paradise the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. 2. From the connexion of the words having a desire to depart and to be with Christ we clearly see that the soul of a believer doth not sleep in the body after death a drowsie opinion but goes immediately to Christ * Upon the divorce of the soul from the body there follows an Espousal of the soul to Christ 2 Cor. 5. 8. Absent from the body present with the Lord * It were better for believers to stay here if they did not presently go to Christ after death For here the Saints are daily improving their graces here they have many praelibamina sweet tasts of Gods love so that it were better to stay here and Paul wished that which would be to his losse if the soul should sleep in the body and not go immediately after death to Christ * Which is farre better {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a believer is no looser by death His change is for the better a science that is grafted into a better stock and planted in a better soil is no wayes damnified A believer after death is set into a better STOCK Christ and is planted in a better soile Heaven this can be no losse but an advantage Well therefore may the Apostle say to be with Christ is far better In the words there are these three parts 1. Saint Pauls choice to be with Christ 2. The excellency of his choice it is farre better 3. The nodus or the strait he was in coarctor I am in a strait betwixt two this holy man was in a great dilemma he was straitned between service and reward * He was desirous of glory yet willing to adjourn his own happinesse and stay out of heaven a while that he might be a means to bring others thither * From the words thus opened there are three observations 1. It is the desire of a true Saint to remove from hence and be with Christ 2. To be with Christ is far better how much better it is we shall better understand when we are in heaven some Angel is best able to speak to this point 3. That which stayes a Saint here in the World is a desire of doing service This did cast the ballance with the Apostle and was the only tempting motive to keep him here awhile he looked upon his abode in the flesh as an opportunity of service Paul was willing to dye yet content to live that he might be a Factor for Christ upon earth I shall at this time insist upon the first proposition That it is the desire of a true Saint to remove from hence and to be with Christ this proposition hath two branches of each distinctly 1. It is the desire of a true Saint to be gone from hence having a desire to depart What a wicked man fears that a godly man hopes for I desire saith Paul to depart a sinner cries loth to depart he doth not say come Lord Jesus but Stay Lord Jesus he would live alwayes here he knows no other heaven but this and 't is death to him to be turned out of his heaven It was the speech of Axiochus the Philosopher when he was to dye Shall I be deprived of this light shall I leave all my sweet delights * David calls death a going out of the World Psal. 39. 13. A wicked man doth not go out but is drag'd out he is like a Tenant who hath gotten possession and will not out of the house till the Serjeants pull him out If a wicked man were put to his choice he would never come where God is he would choose the Serpents curse to eat dust Gen. 3. 14. but not return to dust If a wicked man might be voti compos have his wish he would serve no other God but his belly and to this he would ever liberally poure drink offerings But a soul enlivened and ennobled with a principle of grace looks upon the World as a Wildernesse wherein are fiery Serpents and he desires to get out of this Wildernesse Simeon having taken Christ in his armes cries out Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. 29. He that hath taken Christ in the armes of his faith will sing Simeons song Lord let thy servant depart David prayed to know the measure of his dayes Psal. 39. 4. because saith Theodoret he desired to hear the good news of deaths approach * The Saints of God have looked upon themselves as imprisoned in the body and have longed for a Jayle delivery * The bird desires to go out of the Cage though it be made of gold * Hiliaron chides himself that he was no more willing to die Go forth my soul what fearest thou * Ignatius was desirous of Martyrdom that he might gain the presence of Christ in glory * A Christian of the right breed is ambitiously desirous to put off the earthly cloaths of his body make his bed in the grave * how is this bed perfum'd with Christs lying in it a pillow of down is not so sweet as a pillow of dust a regenerate person looking upon himself as held with the earthen fetter of the flesh and his soul put into a movable Sepulchre * cries out with David O that I had wings like a Dove that I might flie away and be at rest Psal. 55. 6. And indeed no wonder a true Saint doth desire a dismisse and is so earnest to have his Passe to be gone from hence * if we consider how beneficial death is to a child of God it puts a period to all his evils in particular there are ten evils that death will put an end to 1. Death will put an end to a believers sinnes Sinne is the great incendiary it doth us all the mischief Sinne may be compared to the Planet Saturn which hath a malignant influence it is the wombe of our sorrows and the grave of our comforts * Sinne is the sinners bond Acts 8. 23. and the Saints burden Psal. 38. 3. How is a believer tyred out with his corruptions I am weary of my life saith Rebecca because of the daughters of Heth Gen. 27. 46. That which makes a child of God weary of his life is his proud unbelieving heart Saint Paul could better carry his iron Chain than his sinnes O wretched man that I
am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. When grace spurs the soul forward the curben bit of sinne checks it and pulls it back again There is much of the Old man in the new man * There is a party in every regenerate heart that is true to the Devil a party that will not pray that will not believe A Christian is like a bowle with a double byas he hath an earthly byas upon his will and a spiritual byas and these draw him several wayes the evil I would not that do I Rom. 7. 19. Sinne mingles it self with our holy things we cannot act either our duties or our graces without sin we are like children who cannot write without blotting the sweet Rose of grace doth not grow without its prickles * No wonder then a believer desires to depart death will free him from his spiritual distempers when he hath done breathing he shall have done sinning {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2. Death will put an end to a believers tentations Our whole life saith Austin is nothing but a tentation * we tread upon snares Satan is ever casting in the Angle of a tentation to see whether we will bite he knowes how to suit his tentations he tempted Achan with a wedge of gold he tempted David with beauty we cannot lock the door of our heart so fast by prayer but a tentation will enter * Sometimes Satan comes more furiously as a Red Dragon sometimes more slily as a Serpent sometimes he baits his hook with Scripture and tempts to sinne under a mask of Religion as when he tempts to evil that good may come of it * Thus can he transform himself into an Angel of light Is it not a grievous thing for a Virgin to have her chastity daily assaulted Is it not sad to have the Devils bullets continually flying about our ears No wonder then a believer is willing to depart death will set him out of gun-shot he shall never be troubled with Satans fiery darts any more though grace puts a child of God out of the Devils possession it is death onely frees him from the Divels tentation 3. Death will put an end to a believers fears Fear is the souls palsie there is torment in feare 1 John 4. 18. Cicero calls fear one of the three plagues of Mankinde and the best of the Saints {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} are haunted with this evil spirit they cannot rejoyce without trembling the believer fears lest his heart should put a cheat upon him he fears God doth not love him he fears lest he should tire in his march to heaven the best faith may sometimes have its fears as the best stars have their twinckling These fears as Socrates saith arme a man against himself they are very afflictive leaving sad impressions of melancholy behind No wonder then a believer longs to depart out of this life why should he fear that which frees him from fear the King of terrour makes all fear vanish 4. Death will dry up a believers tears Rev. 7. 17. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes weeping is nothing but a cloud of sorrow gathered in the heart dropping into water A Christian often hath none to keep him company but his own griefs and sorrows he sits as Israel by the Rivers weeping as soon as the child is born it weeps when Moses was born he was laid in an Ark of bulrushes where he did as it were baptize himself with his own tears Exod. 2. 6. And behold the babe wept ever since we looked upon the Tree of knowledge our eyes have watered there are many things to occasion weeping quidque facis lachrymis opus est 1. Our sinnes who can look into his own heart with dry eyes 2. Losse of relations which is like the pulling a limb from the body Joseph wept over his dead father Gen. 50. 1. Well then 't is not to be admired that a believer desires to depart from hence he shall leave the valley of tears the bottle of tears shall be stop'd his water shall be turned into wine his mourning into musick his lamentations into Hallelujahs death is the handkerchief to wipe off all tears 5. Death will put an end to a believers molestations man is born to trouble Job 5. 7. he is the natural heir to it This life is subject to injury * we do not as Seneca saith finish our troubles while we live here but change them Quisque suos patimur manes Every one hath his crosse to carry sometimes poverty pincheth sometimes sicknesse tortures sometimes Law-suits vex man is like a Tennis-ball bandied up and down by providence while wicked men are in the world never look for rest These troubled Seas as the Prophet calls them * will be casting forth their foam and mire upon the godly and well then may a believer say his Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart Death gives a child of God his quietus est * it sends him a Writ of ease Job 3. 17. There that is in the grave the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest 6. Death puts an end to a believers cares Care is vexatious and anxious it eats out the comfort of life the Greek word for care {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} comes from a primitive that signifies to cut the heart in pieces care doth fret as a canker it discruciates the minde it breaks the sleep it wasts the spirits this is the wrack which the soul is stretched upon 'T is hard I had almost said impossible to shake off this viper of care while we live all our comforts are careful comforts care is to the minde as a burden to the back it loads the spirits and with over-loading sinks them care is a fruit of the curse Adams want of care hath brought us to care have you not sometimes seen the bryar growing by the honey-suckle so that you cannot well gather the honey-suckle but you are scratched with the bryar Thus in gathering riches how is the head and heart prick'd with care and is there not great reason why a child of God should desire to depart is it good being among the briars death is the cure of care we are thoughtful and solicitous how to get such an estate how to provide for such a childe now death comes to a believer as a friend and saith Never perplex and distract thy mind thus I will free thee from all these heart-killing cares I will strike but once and that stroak shall relieve thee 7. Death will put an end to the night of desertion thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal. 30. 7. The soul in desertion is within an inch of despair in affliction the world is against a man in tentation Satan is against a man in desertion God is against a man Alstead calls desertion