my design and desire is to prevent immoderation which will hinder and not further you in the Work and unfit you for your Duty you may you ought do mourn but not as those without hope for those that sleep in the Lord 1 Thess 4.13 Ingenious Children when one is beaten the other will cry but they must take heed of murmuring and repining against their Father Lute-strings when one is touched the other sound and 't is one of those Dues which we owe to our deceased Friends to lament at their Funeral 't is those usually that live undesired that dye unlamented It was a Judgment threatned against Jehoiakim that when he died he should not be lamented Jer. 22.18 But we must not Water our Plants so as to drown them and that Sorrow that disables us for our present Duty in our general or particular Calling is doubtless our sin Our chiefest care for our Relations should be while they are living and that is to make provision to our power for Soul and Body but for the Soul especially for alas what is a moment of time to Eternity But when God manifests by his Providence that 't is his Will to transport and transplant these Flowers into a better Soil though we should not be insensible of the stroak we should not murmure or repine under it or accuse the Hand that gave it but submissively resign them up to him who gave them or rather lent them to us David did what he could for his Son while he was living but ceased mourning for him when he was dead Our Tears though they may be shed upon other accounts yet 't is pity they should run profusedly in any other Channel but for sin It being the true penitential Tears that are the Holy Water that God affects and the Devil hates for if any â—oss or Cross that befalls us deserve one Tear our Sins deserve a thousand for sin is the cause of all our Losses and Crosses that befal us and without Repentance will be the destruction of Soul and Body and when we see such direful Effects and tast such bitter Fruits we should bewail the Cause and root up the Tree If our Sin lay heavy our Crosses would seem light if we bathed our Sins in our Tears we should not have so many left to pour out upon these Occasions Sin is the occasion of the Death of your dear Daughter and will be of your own Death for had it not been for sin she had not dyed By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed ever all for as much as all have sinned the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life Nay sin it was that put our sweet Saviour to death these were the Nails that pierced his Hands and his Feet the Spear that pierced his Side his Betrayer Accusers Judge and Executioners and can your Daughter be more dear to you than God's only and beloved Son was to him He laid down his Life for her and her Life is not too good to lay down for him he laid down his Life to purchase for her a Mansion of Glory and she laid down her Life to go to take Possession for there is no other way to enjoy it Madam In my present Address to you there are two things designed by me The first is to abate the swelling Tide of your Sorrow and to bring those Waters within their proper Bounds and Banks which I shall endeavour to do by giving you some few Considerations to Meditate upon that so when the violent Storm of Passion shall be allayed Reason may be spoke with which cannot many times be heard when Passion is raging and after that my intention is to point you out some of those many profitable Lessons which this Providence seems to hand out to us which if we can learn doubtless we shall gain by this loss or our gains will be greater than our loss for God's Rod hath a Voice and 't is our Duty to hear it Micah 6.9 Nay 't is like Jonathan's Rod 1 Sam. 14.27 it hath Honey at the end and if we taste of it it will open and enlighten our Eyes If God with Correction give Instruction we may well say as David It was good for me that I was afflicted before I was afflicted I went astray but now I learn to keep thy commandments Psal 119.67 Quae nocent docent is a Proverb and that Lesson is best learnt that is set on with whipping and best remembred Correction is seldom a sign of God's hatred many times of his love For whom he loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son that he receiveth If we endure chastening God dealeth with us as with sons for what son is he that his father chasteneth not And if we be without chastening then are we bastards and not sons Heb. 12.6 7 8. Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquities God will be sure to plow his own Ground whatsoever becomes of the wast and to weed his own Garden though others are let alone to grow wild the punishing Angel must begin at God's Sanctuary Ezek 9. And it was no sign of Love when God said Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 Since he hath made a match with Mischief let him have his belly full of it When Ignatius was thrown to the Wild Beasts to be devoured Now saith he I begin to be a Christian for Afflictions are the Gemms and Jewels with which God doth adorn his best Friends they are Pledges of our Adoption and Badges of our Sonship so that they are no signs of his disinheriting us and though he may seem to hide his Face yet 't is no sign of his forsaking us But now for the quieting your Spirit under your present Suffering and this dark Providence I beseech you ponder well these few following Considerations which well weighed may through God's Blessing quell those tumultuous Thoughts that swell in your Breast and I desire the Lord to bless them to this end 1. Consider who it is that hath done you this supposed Injury to take away your Daughter without your consent And here you may consider not only who it is but also what Interest he claims in her and then consider whether your Plea will hold good against him Is it not the great God of Heaven and Earth whose Power no Creature is able to resist whose Will is his Law and whose Glory is his End Is it not he that is called Omnipotent that doth what pleaseth him in Heaven and in Earth and none can resist him And is he a fit Match for you to grapple with Is it not he that measureth the water in the hollow of his hand and meteth out Heaven with his span and comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure that weigheth the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance To whom all
Dust by our Defection and to Dust we shall return at our Dissolution Our father was an Amorite and our mother an Hittite This may make us sprinkle the Dust of Humility upon our Heads 'T is said some Creatures are bred in Sugar we cannot boast of so sweet an Original but may look back to the slimy Clay and may say to corruption thou art my father and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister The greatest Persons are but a little Air and Dust tempered together but Soul and Soil Breach and Body a Pile of Dust and a puff of Wind. God need not to Muster an Army against us if he tread upon us we are left dead behind him if he with-hold our breath we dye and our thoughts perish he can with a frown turn us into Hell yea turn Heaven and Hell and all into nothing And are we able to grapple with him Nay this is not all we have not this our poor Being of our selves he it was that made the Clay of nothing and he it was that gave us our Shape and Being he was the Potter and we were the Clay in his hands he gave us a Being and 't is he that gives us a comfortable Being We are his Creatures and he made us the works of his hands and fashioned us And shall we thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not be our father that bought us Hath not be made us and establish'd us Deut. 32.6 Shall the pot say to him that made it Why hast thou made me thus Shall the ax exalt it self against him that heweth with it God hath more Propriety in us than we have in our selves or in any thing we enjoy yea in our Children these were given or rather lent us for a time and the Soul is but a Tenant at will in the Body Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your spirits which are God's 1 Cor. 6.19.20 He gave us our Being and can if he please quickly render us a non entity for when he lost his Property in us we find not nay yet more had we continued in our Integrity in which we were created we might have had more to say for our selves than now we have God made us in his own Image Holy and Happy but by our sin we brought not only Death but all Miseries attending it The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life Rom. 6.23 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 We are the sinful Off-spring of Adam and we have inherited our Fathers Corruptions Infants are no Innocents the first sheet wherewith they are covered is woven of sin and shame blood and filth Ezek. 16.46 The Image of God is lost and the Image of Satan set in the room Original Righteousness gone and Original Sin in the stead and by this means we have debased our selves below other Creatures and next to the faln Angels are become the most vile we became indebted unto God Ten Thousand Talents and cannot pay a Farthing and therefore we were sold Bond-slaves to Satan under the wrath of God the curse of the Law and liable to eternal Damnation and may justly expect every day to be cast into Prison till we have paid the utmost farthing And yet shall we contend with our Maker and complain of wrong when all that we have on this side Hell is free Mercy and Hell it self is no wrong Nay let us further consider that we our selves are guilty of this we accuse God for our Posterity received their contamination from us which occasioneth Death and other Miseries for had your Daughter not had sin she had not dyed and this God which we now quarrel is our greatest Benefactor and freely gives us all that we do enjoy We live and move and have our being from him we receive every good and perfect gift from him We cannot live a moment without him and yet shall we quarrel him He gives us our Being yea a comfortable Being and maintains us at his own Cost and Charges ever since we had a Being We have Meat nor Drink nor Cloathes to cover us neither Corn nor Wine Wool nor Flax Silver nor Gold but what is his Hos 2.8 9. Neither Wit nor Reason Limbs nor Senses Peace nor Plenty Health nor Strength Life nor Liberty but by his Gift and when he pleaseth can call for all or any of these from us for we have not a breath to breath but what he puts into us and are we fit to Challenge this great God to a single Duel when we cannot move a Tongue or Finger without his immediate Assistance for we are so far below him that if we do well we cannot benefit him if ill we cannot hurt him Job 35.7 The Sun would shine in its own brightness though all the World were blind so God will not cease to be Glorious though all the World were wicked What can we give him that is not his own And our offered Incense would have a bad savour if it did not smell strong of the hand that offereth it The Sun runs his course though the Atlanters curse him at his rising being scorched with his heat and also the Moon notwithstanding the barking of snarling Curs So God disposeth the Affairs of the World He ruleth let the earth be never so unquiet But to our business The Contention lies between God and us the Maker and Governour of all the World and poor Dust and Ashes Who shall have his Will and dispose of God's own Creatures the work of his own hands and you see on what disadvantageous ground we stand and may easily judge of the issue The Question in Controversie is Whether God can Lawfully and Justly take away any of those which we call our Relations though they are his Creatures and bring them out of this Vale of Misery unto these Mansions of Glory which he hath provided for those that love him without our leave and liberty and free consent without doing us wrong This we seem to deny when we mourn and over-mourn and grudge and repine when God makes his Will known in such Dispensations of Providence for if this be not it what is it He gave you your Daughter or rather lent her to you for a time and now requires but his own and that to consummate the Marriage between Christ and her Soul and you seem to forbid the Banes and deny your Consent to the Marriage Abraham was of another mind when he was commanded to Sacrifice his only Son which was a far greater Tryal this was his only Child but yours is not he must be the Instrument to take away his Life this is not required at your hands he did actively submit you only passively when you cannot resist what in this case we should do were we able
Grapes may be gathered from these Thorns and some Figs from these Thistles some Honey may be lick'd off these Briars for God's Rod like Jonathan's hath Honey at the end Sensible we must be of this Providence as doubtless Aaron was at his two Sons deaths but discontent we must not be God complains that Righteous persons perish and no man lays it to heart and merciful men were taken away and no man considers it Isa 57.1 Some use of such Providences we should make and get some benefits by these Tryals Now among the many Lessons this Providence holds out to us I shall only point out these seven following which if you and I can learn by it it will be happy for us Lesson 1. From this Lecture of Mortality your dead Daughter we may learn the cursed Nature of sin which was the cause of her Death and how little beholding we are to it that thus rends one Friend out of the Arms of another for whatever Distemper our deceased Friends dye of sin lies at the bottom and sets the Disease on work but for sin 't is probable we had never dyed For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life By one man's offence sin came into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all for as much as all have sinned Now shall we love the Tree and hate the Fruit Love the Cause and hate the Effect Shall we be like foolish Children that hate the smarting Plaister and consider not the Ulcerous Sore that makes it necessary We would have the Wound cured and yet not have the Weapon drawn out for fear of a little smart Had not Sin gone before Death had not followed many Men love the Drunkenness and hate the Surfeit But did we see sin in its own Colours it would be worse than the Effects for 't is the only Object of God's infinite hatred for he hates nothing but sin or for sins sake and yet sin seems lovely when we behold it in the Devil's Glass or through his Spectacles If we could strip the Devil himself of his vicious Qualities he would return to his former Angelical Glory yea into God's Favour for he hates nothing he hath made Man in his first Creation was made Holy and Happy and had Power given him so to continue and though by his Constitution he was Mortal yet by God's Blessing he had been Immortal for ought we know â—s the Soul is But by eating the Forbidden Fruit Gen. 2.17 in all probability he had suddenly dyed had not Christ interposed and become a Surety to his Father and so gained a longer Lease and paid the Fine however Man became obnoxious to Death and dye he must See how dangerous it is to play at the hole of the Asp and to ask Counsel at the Devil's Mouth for so Eve did and for that Offence all her Posterity must eat bread in the sweat of their brows till they return to the dust out of which they were taken No Greatness can excuse us no Wisdom can prevent it but the most dangerous Death is to dye in our sins Sin it is that makes us uncurable otherwise we had been so armed Death could never have entred or pierced the heart Rom. 5.12 And shall we hug this Viper in our Bosom that will sting us to Eternal Death For sin is the very sting of death without which Death were not so formidable Adam's Offence diffuseth it self to all his Posterity as Poison doth to every part of the Body and shall we love the Work and hate the Wages Actual Sin is the Fruit of Original Corruption and springs from this bitter Root and 't is the cause of all our Misery and shall we like the foolish Dog bite the stone and let the Passenger that threw it go free Let us turn therefore all our sorrow into sorrow for sin for all is little enough to run in this Channâ—l And let this be your Motive though not one of the greatest sin was the cause of your dâ—ar Daughter's Death and will ere long be the cause of yours also and happy will it be for you if this bitter Pill have this Operation upon you to make you hate sin with a perfect hatred 2. Nay 't is not only Death but also all the Miseries that accompany Life and are the fore-runners of Death which are the direful Fruits and Effects of Sin Could we see Sin in its own proper shape it would appear most hateful and detestable but the Devil hides its Deformity from us what he can and to this end lends us his Spectacles in which it appears lovely and amiable but we may best see it in the Effects It was this that turned Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradice and many thousands into Hell and can the Tree be good that brings forth such unsavoury Fruit This raced out the Image of God and engraved upon the Soul the very Image of Satan The Devil knows well enough that if we saw Sin in its own Colours we must needs hate it for who can fall in Love with Deformity it self And therefore misrepresents it as a deformed Hag paints her Face and covers her Deformity thereby to take her Prey and allure unwary Youth So the Devil deals by Sin and represents it in Vertue 's Colours but the Glass of the Word would shew it in its own shape Indeed there is nothing in the World that can fully resemble it yet in the Scripture 't is represented by the foulest things imaginable to filthy Ulcerous Sores James 1.21 To the Mire that Swine wallows in the Vomit of a Dog to filthy Rags Menstruous Cloathes deadly Poison a fretting Cancer or Gangreen 't is so infectious none can escape the Infection it infects the whole Man like the Leprosie in the Head the Thoughts Words Desires Affections and Actions are all polluted and unclean and smell of the Cask and stink in the Nostrils of God our Eating Drinking Buying Selling Trading yea Plowing is sin Prov. 21.4 And all our Religious Duties if not performed with the Incense of Christ's Righteousness are defiled Isa 1.11 c. and 66.3 Why Those Duties though commanded by God yet proceeding not from a right Principle directed to a right End and done in a right manner must needs be faulty Now sin though looked upon as a harmless innocent thing and when Men have put a fair Mask upon its soul Face looks lovely and the Devil hides its soul Visage as 't is said the Panther doth his deformed Head purposely to take his Prey yet still it remains ugly Pride covers it self with the name of Cleanliness Drunkenness is taken for Good-fellowship and Covetousness for Good Husbandry c. But the Effects are not so lovely let the Devil and his Instruments say what they will to the contrary for 't is the occasion of all the Miseries that ever befel Mortal Man We had never had aking Head or aking Heart or Loss or
Those are most like to neglect their Work that cast it out of sight and out of mind and those are likest to be surprized by an Enemy that neglect their Watch When the evil servant said in his heart my Lord deferreth his coming c. he was soon surprized and paid for his Folly Mat. 24.48 c. In the Psalmist's days there were many of whom he saith God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 And are there not many in our days of whom it may be said Death is not in all their thoughts Do not the shew of their countenance the course of their lives testifie against them and they declare their sin 〈◊〉 Sodom and hide it not The course of their Lives cannot consist with a believing Meditation of God of Heaven and Hell Death and Judgment no no they put far from them the evil day Amos 6.3 This cursed Security is the source of all manner of sin and wickedness for God is neither in their Head nor Heart and therefore they sin boldly I have heard of some foolish Creatures that will thrust their Heads into a Bush and then because they see no body they think no body sees them such apprehension many Men seem to have of Death they think themselves secure because they have got Death out of their minds but misreckoning proves no Payment Many like the Rich Man Luke 12.16 c. promised himself a longer Lease than God had sealed him but Christ calls him Fool for his labour Many mens Glasses are almost run out when they thought they were but new turned but those that reckon without their Host must reckon twice 'T is folly in a Tenant to forget his Rent-day and then imagine his Land-lord forgets it also or for a Malefactor to forget the day of his Execution and think others forget it as well as he This was Jerusalem's fault and it proved her ruine Lam. 1.9 She remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully and this proves many a man's ruine It was not in vain therefore that Moses prays Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom We are apt to make some Preparation for the Body what to eat and what to drink and wherewithal we shall be cloathed and neglect not Fairs nor Markets where wanted Necessaries may be had many prepare in the Day for the Night in the Summer for Winter in Health for Sickness in Youth for Age yea and for their Posterity after them And what stupid Madness is it not to provide in time for Eternity and remember not the days of darkness for they are many Eccles 11.8 'T is the greatest folly to mind trifles and neglect the main The thoughts of Death will not hasten it the sooner but it may hasten our Preparation for it it can do us no harm but much good Let no day therefore pass without some serious thoughts and meditation of it this will make it less formidable 'T is fabled of the Fox that when he first saw a Lion he trembled but in process of time he grew bolder Thus by better Acquaintance we should do with Death that is most amazing that comes unexpectedly Let us put the Question to our selves Did I know I should dye the next Week or Month how should I spend this time And let 's live so seeing for ought we know we may not live so long Sure our Time-wasting Gallants would then find something else to do than to divide their Time as many do between Swearing Roaring Drinking and Whoring Death will make a wonderful change both in the good and in the bad In the good 't is an outlet to all their Misery and an inlet to Heaven and Glory In the bad 't is an end of all their Felicity and the date of their Misery and can this on either side be such a contemptible change as not worth thinking of Should a poor Woman upon a fixed day be to be married to some Mighty Prince could she forget the day or neglect to prepare for it Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire c. Or were a Man upon an appointed day to go to Prison to Banishment or to Execution would it signifie nothing to him Were our Houses on fiâ—e over our Heads or were we pursued by a Lion or Bear or other ravenous Beast or some deadly Enemy that sought our Lives should we be so unconcerned And is not the Soul in a thousand times greater danger of Eternal Death than the Body can be of Temporal and yet shall this be slighted Is it not high time for us when the Sergeant waits to Arrest us to take Christ's Counsel and agree with our Adversary before we are cast into Prison Mat. 5.25 And not as ill Husbands do stay till we are arrested and cast into Prison I know there are too many that think God and Devil Heaven and Hell are but Fables these will know to their sorrow they are Realities and deserve our serious thoughts And 't is not enough to think of Death for many do so against their wills but they must prepare for it also let us consider every Evening what we have done in reference to Preparation the day past and whether we are a days Journey nearer Heaven as we are nearer our Graves This course is likely to fit us for Death and Judgment Lesson 7. The Seventh Lesson we may learn from this sad and unexpected Providence is Seeing all are under a necessity of dying to bring our minds to be willing to dye how and when God in his Providence shall think fit It is appointed unto all men once to dye and after death the Judgment Heb. 9.27 Now 't is our Duty to subscribe our consent to this Law He that hateth not his father mother wife and children brethren and sisters and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 These are Love-Tokens God hath given us to win our Love and when he requires them again 't is to try whether we love Him or his Gifts better 'T is as I shew'd before our Duty to submit as Aaron patiently to the death of our Relations and sometimes the Lesson proves hard enough but here is a further tryal we shall be put upon to submit to our own Death When Job bore the loss of his Estate and Relations so well the Devil would try him by afflicting him in his Body and Mind Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 2.4 As if he should say Any thing for his own Life Cattle Servants Children all shall go so he may sleep in a whole Skin I know the Lesson to be willing to dye seems hard to Flesh and Blood but we must have something more or we cannot dye well the same Reason that makes us submit to another's Death is good here I know there are greater Temptations lying at some mens doors than others 't is
She is dead also And would there not be another separation if she survived We are in this Life like Men in a croud almost thronged to Death and he that first gets out is best at ease and would you wish her again in the midst of the throng Now if you say as I believe you will these are not your desires to have her back Why then all these Tears these Sighs these Sobs if you imagine she is better than you This looks as if you envied her Happiness and would have her bear part of your Burden Nay immoderate Sorrow signifies that you have hard thoughts of her condition for who can mourn for those he thinks happier than himself Who mourns for his Childrens Advancement especially if he knew they were out of Danger this would look more like Envy than Love to mourn for another's Welfare If Galeacius that Italian Marquess when he was offered great Riches if he would renounce his Religion cryed out Let their Money perish with them that hold all the Wealth in the World worth one day's Communion with Christ How much more may a glorified Saint say so if he were tempted by the World's Splendour to leave his Coelestial Enjoyment that City of Pearl that Mansion of Glory the Beatifical Vision the Enjoyment of Christ those Rivers of Pleasures to come and make his abode in the World for any earthly Greatness how scornfully would a glorified Saint entertain such a Motion And how little would these Promises affect him The Martyrs that had comparatively but a little taste of Christ yet disrelished all things else in comparison of him and forsook all for him Yea loved not their lives to the death but laid them down at the Stake for his sake and in his cause But now they enjoy him in Glory what value think you they put upon him The greatest cause of sorrow for a dead Child is when we fear their miscarrying and are conscious of the neglect of our Duty to them in reference to their Salvation This we may mourn for and it may be a corrosive to our hearts and it should make us careful for the time to come But to mourn for those immoderately that we believe are translated into Glory and have the highest pitch of Happiness we could wish for them is our weakness or our sin or both Such Tears will neither glorifie God nor benefit us or our Relations living or dead but are spent in vain And seeing weeping cannot prevail with God nor with our departed Friends to return let us dry up those Tears and make no more such wast but turn them into a right Channel and mourn for sin which is the cause of their Death and of our Trouble 5. The last Consideration I shall commend unto you is to consider your own Condition the uncertainty of your Life and the hast that Death makes to post you after her yea you are following your lamented Daughter at the very heels For when your Part is play'd you will march off the Stage How soon a parting blow will be given to divide you from your other Relations you know not how soon Death will enter into your Lodgings had your Daughter lived 't is not likely you would have continued long together You have lived a considerable time the most People in the World die younger why then take it you so ill that your Daughter is stept over the Stile before you when you your self are ready to tread upon her heels and to tread out her foot-steps Yet a few years and then I shall go whence I shall not return Job 16.22 And your place will know you no more Job 7.10 The thread of your Life will soon be cut which can never be pieced and your Glass run out which will never be turned and the Day be over which will never dawn again Such Meditations of Death did always run in Job's mind he is much upon this Subject and had Death always in his Eye And the like would do you no hurt but much good O remember that my life is wind mine eye shall no more see good The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more Thine eyes are upon me and I am not As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more Job 7.7 c. Let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go hence whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shâ—dow of death Job 10.20 21. He knew that he had not long to trouble the World and therefore desired he might not meet with much Trouble in the World Death whether it strikes you or your Relations gives a parting blow and which ever goes first the other will not stay long behind Now is it worth the while to spend your days in sorrowing for your dead Daughter when she hath drunk that Health that you your self must so quickly Pledge Or to wish her again for so short an Enjoyment when one of these days you will enjoy her to Eternity when she shall be much more lovely than here she was If you place your Happiness in the Enjoyment of your Relations in this Life 't is a short-liv'd Happiness and you will shortly have occasion to say as one about to leave the World Spes fortuna vale te Farewel Hope and Comfort for ever But sure while God is present a Christian need not care much who is absent If we could be as sensible of the with-drawings of God from the Soul as of the departure of Friends and Relations it would prove our greater trouble If our hopes were only in this life we should of all men be most miserable Indeed there is cause of sorrow if they die unconverted and breath out their Happiness with their Lives But for the Godly they cannot only say Dum spiro spero While there is Life there is Hope but also Dum expiro spero I have Hope in Death it self Prov. 14.32 Death it self is a Door of Hope to give them entrance into the Paradice of God but to the Wicked a Trap-door to let them into Hell Both Godly and Wicked shall change their Place but not their Company for they shall have such Company they delighted in here Those that must leave all their Comforts behind no wonder if they are unwilling to depart Never had Adam more cause to be unwilling to leave Paradice or the Jebusites the strong Holds in Sion or the unjust Steward to leave his Office or the Devils to go out of the Demoniack when they knew they should never enter there again than a wicked Man hath to leave the World Solomon calls the Grave our long Home Man goeth to his long home Eccles 12.5 And well he may some haply may sleep there Six Thousand Years before the Resurrection but Heaven and Hell may be
Cross or any thing to molest us had it not been for sin yet are we apt to over-look it and yet have our finger always upon the Sore we cry out Oh my Back my Belly my Bones my Heart but seldom Oh my Sin we are like hâ—m that complains of the pain in his Foot but not of the Shooe that pincheth him of the Gout Stone Strangury Surfeit but not of the Intemperance that is the cause Pharaoh cries out Take away the Frogs the Lice the Darkness let there be no more Hail but not take away the Sin the hardness of Heart that brought them God when he threatens Death for sin threatens also all the Causes and Fore-runners of Death and all the Evils which accompany a sinful Life for these are the Natural Productions of sin and much worse Fruit it bears if Repentance prevent it not and like a mighty Wind blows it not down before it come to Maturity otherwise it will be bitter Fruit We have far greater cause to cry out Oh my filthy Sins Oh my Pride my Passion my Covetousness my Deadness Dulness Formality Hypocrisie c. than Oh my dead Father my Husband my Son my Daughter We should cease quarrelling God and turn the edge of our Anger Sorrow and Indignation against Sin and against our selves for our sin and so our Quarrel will be much more just 'T is a stubborn Child that when corrected for a known fault will rather quarrel his Father than acknowledge his own Guilt We are apt to cry out Oh my Loss Oh my Cross than Oh my Sin my Infidelity my inordinate Affections which forces God thus to Correct me Let us remove the Cause and the Effect will cease Thus you see whether we consider sin in it self in its pestiferous infectious Nature or whether we consider it in its direful Effects the Miseries that attend it we have more cause to bewail it than any Loss or Cross that can befal us for sins sake as the Cause is worse than the Effect 3. But this is not all for sin procures Spiritual Judgments as well as Temporal and these are far more deadly and dangerous for these Distempers reach the Soul when the other touch only the Body or Estate Sin defiles and deforms all the Powers and Faculties of Soul and Body Sin is so Infectious and Contagious and the Effects thereof so Malignant that the greatest and most dangerous Plague-sore even that which rendeth the Soul from the Body is not so dangerous 'T is sin that hardens the Heart and turns it into the Nature of a stone We read of a stony heart and of all the Plagues that fell upon Pharaoh this was the worst and a greater than this cannot befal a Mortal Man in this Life God complains of this That the house of Israel were impudent and hard-hearted Ezek. 3.7 c. And the great Gospel-promise is To take away thâ— stony heart and give them hearts of flesh And as it hardens the Heart so it blinds the Mind which by reason of sin is Naturally Judicially and Wilfully blind the Image of God consisted in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness these by the Fall were lost and Ignorance Wickedness and Profaness the very Image of the Devil were engraven in their stead 1 Cor. 3.14 And Men walk in Darkness till the Scales of Ignorance are wiped from their Eyes and Christ's Spiritual Eye-salve applyed Rev. 3.18 A natural maâ— cannot perceive the things of the spirit for they aâ—â— spiritually discerned Many also are Judicially blind God in his just Judgment giving them up to strong delusion to believe lies Mat. 13.13 c. They are Wilfully blind and God will not Cure them like Hagar they cannot see the Well of Water that is before them They are wilfully Ignorant that they may sin the more freely The God of this world hath blinded their eyes 2 Cor. 4.4 He draws a Curtain between them and the Light and holds his black hand before their faces and were they anatomized his Image would be found â—ngraven upon their hearts Light is come into â—â—e world and men love darkness rather than light â—ecause their works are evil They are willingly â—gnorant of what they are not willing to know â—hey have also cauterized Consciences seared with 〈◊〉 hot Iron and reprobate minds Rom. 1.28 And â—istempered and disordered Affections set upon â—rong Objects loving what they should hate â—nd hating what they should love fearing Men â—nd their threatnings and despising God and his â—hreatnings being given up to vile affections Rom. â— 26 1 Tim. 4.2 Yea they are given up to â—tubbornness of Will Judges 2.19 And of this â—e have Pharaoh for an Example that was beâ—ome Cannon-proof that all the Judgments â—rought upon Egypt could not work upon him â—uch are mentioned Jer. 44.19 that would bake â—akes to the Queen of Heaven let God himself say what he would to the contrary they will set up â—heir Post by God's Post and prefer their Dagon â—efore the Ark therefore God gives up such to â—trong delusions to believe lies Rom. 1.24 The Memory also though strong enough to retain what is bad yet 't is like a leaking Vessel that cannot retain any thing that is good In a word â—ll the Powers and Faculties of the Soul are polâ—uted and the Members of the Body are the unhappy Instruments to act the wickedness the Soul contrives So that a Toad or Serpent is not fuller of Poison than Man's heart is naturally of Sin and Wickedness and of noxious Qualities the Fruits and Effects of which if timely Repentance prevent not will be the loss of God's Favour which is better than life in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasureâ— for evermore Psal 16.11 The loss also of an Interest in the Blood of Christ will follow which is of more value than the World it self for such trample upon the blood of the Covenant as an unholy thing Heb. 10.29 Yea they do despight unto the Spirit of God and put themselves from under the favourable Protection of God and thaâ— Guard of Angels that God sends forth as ministring Spirits for the good of those that love him and makes Men uncapable of the sweet Communion of Saints which David made his chiefesâ— Delight on Earth Psal 16.2 It deprives them of the Peace of Conscience a Jewel of inestimable worth and brings many times such a Storm there that all the World cannot allay aâ— in Cain Judas Spira and many more that Bird in the Bosom when it sings sweetly makes better Melody than all the World can do Sin also deprives Men of all true Interest and Spirituaâ— Right to all our outward Enjoyments a Civiâ—â— Right we may have but a Covenant-Right we cannot have in a Natural condition for these things are not given but lent to a wicked Man and an Account will be required to the utmost Farthing In a word unrepented sin deprives Men of an Interest in God in
Barrel as one saith or as Lime-stones or Tiles in a Kiln to be burnt The greatest Men are but as Passengers in an Inn the Goods they enjoy are but lent them for a Night and they may say of them as the Prophet of his Ax Alas Master for it is borrowed We should use these things as a Traveller doth his Staff which he keeps or throws away as it proves a help or an hindrance to him When we go to Bed we know not but we may wake in Eternity next Morning and then whose are these We should think never the better of our selves neither think we are the safer for them for they cannot better or secure us for what World we shall be in to Morrow we know not and then it will not be much to us whether we leave Poverty or Riches behind us Riches may make us more unwilling often more unfit to dye They are like to Winter Weather variable and uncertain or like the Sea ebbing and flowing a double uncertainty always accompanies them they may be taken from us or we from them sometimes our hopes are great and then soon dash'd Yet how soon can the Devil blow up the bubble of Pride with the wind of Vain-glory 'T is observed that a Covetous Man a Sick Man and a Discontented Man though they possess much yet can enjoy nothing when a Believer though he possess little yet he enjoys all things 2 Cor. 6.10 A Covetous Man cannot be Rich nor a contented Man Poor those that have God for their Portion want nothing and those that have not have nothing that is truly necessary If we search the World from end to end we cannot find Happiness in it and therefore in the loss of all Job was content as knowing his Redeemer lived and then his Happiness was not lost In the World we find a little Honey and many Stings a little bitter-sweet Pleasure and much Pain but in Heaven there is Treasure worth the enjoying And rivers of pleasures at God's right hand for evermore And a Heart in Heaven would be a good Evidence for Heaven if we love Pleasure we shall enter into our Master's Joy here Pleasure will be without mixture measure or end if Riches be desirable here are true Treasures if we sell all to buy this Pearl we make a good Bargain here we may have Wine and Milk without money and without price here is no danger of coveting too much the more we covet the more we shall have a true desire is the required condition of Enjoyment the better we love Heaven the better God loves us We are in continual danger of losing the the things of the World but Heaven cannot be lost if once made sure In a word the World daily exposeth us to the wrath of God and the pains of Hell and the loss of Heaven See then all these things considered whether the World be of so much worth as 't is usually taken to be and whether it be worth the Care Industry Pains and Diligence we usually bestow upon it Lesson 3. The shortness of your Daughter's Life the suddenness and unexpectedness of her Death teach us also the worth of Grace and the necessity of a good Conscience for these are the necessary Qualifications to fit us for Death and to give us an Interest in Glory We know neither the day nor the hour when our Lord and Master cometh and woe to us if we are found unprepared This Oyl must not be wanting when the Bridegroom comes nor the Wedding-Garment at the Marriage-Supper If a bare Profession of Religion would serve turn for Salvation then Christ's Flock would not be a little one but many are called but few are chosen There are many in the World that like Uriah carry Letters with them of their own Condemnation For if Religion be not good why do they Profess it If it be why do they not Practice it The Lamps of Profession without the Oyl of Grace will not serve turn 't is but sparks of their own kindling and notwithstanding these they will lye down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Christ must be apprehended by Faith and honoured by a Holy Life by all those that shall enjoy him He came to save us from sin as well as from Hell and never changeth the Relation but he changeth the Nature and Disposition also and is the Author of Sanctification as well as of Justification Rom. 8.30 For this Golden Chain cannot be broken There is nothing but the Life of Grace and the Death of Sin can make us fit for the Life of Glory for if Sin dye not before us we must dye eternally Now we know not whether we have a day to live or what may be in the Womb of the next Morning and is it not then time to look about us whether we are prepared to dye or no We usually prepare for a Journey before hand especially if it be long and for a Fair or Market before it comes The Souldier will not Encounter his Enemy without his Armour and dare we grapple with Death unprepared who is the King of Terrors and a Terror to Kings We have not Flesh and Blood to wrastle with but Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.11 12. And 't is a thousand times better to meet an Enemy without Armour than Death without Grace Now this is our time to get Grace and we know not how soon the Market will be over and Night come when no man can work Upon this little Inch of Time depends Eternity our Everlasting well as ill Being The greatest Weights hang upon the smallest Wyers Grace though it cannot pâ—event Death yet it sweetens it and steels the Heart against the dint of it this made Old Simeon sing that Swan-like Song Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And though Grace now be disrespected it will prove the best Flower in the Garland and the most Orient Pearl in the Crown This is the Key that must let us into Heaven when the World will prove a Bar to keep us out it will prove a Comfort at Death when the World will prove but Vexation Grace and Peace were the choicest Jewels the Apostle could wish to those he loved Heb. 3.25 1 Pet. 1.2 Riches Honours and Pleasures are not of so great a value but others are not of this mind The pleased Face of God cannot be seen but in this Mirrour when all other things vanish into smoak this will endure this fetches Water from the Fountain Light and Heat from the Sun and all that good is comes in at this Door Sin is the only Make-bate between God and the Soul and Grace the Reconciler Now that I may shew you something of the worth of Grace and the Necessity of it I beseech you observe well these following Considerations 1. Consid Grace and a good Conscience are abundantly useful and
Mercy and like Solomon praised the day of Death before the Birth-day Eccles 4.2 Optimum non nasci proximum mori saith the Heathen but little knew what the result would be But a Christian doubtless call'd out by God should not go unwillingly Philpot the Martyr returns thanks to God he was so near the Gate of Eternal Life and who is it that being tossed with the Waves of Trouble would not land in a Haven of Rest 'T is a shame for a Christian when God gives a clear Call to linger with Lot in Sodom much more to look back with Lot's Wife till the Lord pluck them away by force and deliver them whether they will or no. Those that are weary of Sin or Suffering should say as Samuel Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Mistake not I say not that Death is eligible or any should desire it for its own sake no we should use all Lawful means to preserve Life but I reprove those that when the Will of God is manifest that they should dye submit so unwillingly Hath the World been so kind to us that now we cannot part Or is our Portion here so good that Heaven it self cannot make us satisfaction If we part with it doubtless we have then had better dealing than our dear Redeemer met with Are our Temptations so strong that we are ready with the Young Man Demas Judas and many others to break with Christ upon that account 'T is best to consider well before hand lest we Repent too late Hath God been training us up so long and have we not yet learnt this â—esson to be willing to dye Are we content to take this for our Portion And will we rather stay in the Wilderness than venture over this Jordan Will the Flesh-pots of Egypt give satisfaction as well as the Land of Canaan If God were not more willing of us than many of us are to go to him we might be long absent we should live long on this side Jordan if he did not force us over But though Death be not desirable is not the Presence of God desirable Is not Heaven worth having And is there any other way to it We profess we believe there is a reward for the righteous and a God that judgeth the earth but do we not in our works deny it The fear of Death discovers our Infidelity and as our little Faith so our little Love either we proclaim that we question whether there be a Reward or whether we have any Interest in it or it shews we have little love to it If we believe it and our Interest in it is it not a wonder we are not impatient of enjoying it and rather seek to shorten our Lives than prolong them by unlawful means Did we love our Husband as we should we should long for the time when he would fetch us He may well say as Delilah did to Samson How can you say you love me when your hearts are not with me 4. Consider If we chearfully submit our Wills to the Will of God and let him dispose of us as he pleaseth for Life or Death and make a resignation of our selves to God and be willing to part with Life it self if he and his Cause require it whether by a Natural or violent Death we shall then part with it to the most Advantage imaginable nay 't is the only way to save it and to deny it unto God is the way to lose it Mark 8.35 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel shall save it For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul We may read of many that refusing to lay down their Lives for Christ have had their Lives taken from them but lost their Reward We read in the Book of Martyrs of one Denton a Smith that had made profession of Religion but being call'd to suffer cried The Fire is hot I cannot burn but within a short time he was burnt in his own House and lost both his Life and his Reward And so shall those that deny their Lives to God when he requires them We may resign our Lives into the hands of God and so engage him to look to them and take care of them but we cannot rescue them out of his Hands or live longer than he determines for we cannot breathe without him and then what madness is it to stand in contention with him If we lose our Souls to save our Lives we shall make a bad Bargain for a Life saved by unlawful means will do us little good for a Life in God's displeasure is worse than Death it self and a Death in his favor is the beginning of Eternal Life and ushers us into Eternal Happiness The Martyrs in the flames were aware of this they cried out None but Christ none but Christ 'T is a dear Life that is bought with the loss of Christ he that exchanges his Soul for the World will with the Rich man Luk. 16. dye a Beggar but will not be able to purchase one drop of Water he that loseth an immortal Soul purchaseth an everliving Death and is it not our Interest to look to the main Jewel Where Self is renounced the Cross is easily born for 't is Self-love that makes it pinch us When God bids us Yoke 't is our best way to submit our Necks for there is no struggling out of his hands God will not require our Lives to our hurt or damage neither will it prove any Advantage to us if we deny them for if we lose them for his sake we shall find them and if we would hide them from him we shall lose them and Heaven to boot He that lays down his Life when God requires it will gain by the bargain when Death strips him of his Rags 't is to cloath him with Robes and pulls down his Cottage to bring him to a Palace 2 Pet. 1.14 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens This saith Latimer is the Sweet-meats of the Feast of a good Conscience there are other dainty Dishes but this is the Banquet The Soul wears the Body as a Garment which when 't is worn out shall be clothed with a better Suit There is no passing into Paradise but under Death's flaming Sword no coming to the City of God but through his dark Vault and strait Gate no wiping all Tears from our Eyes but with our Winding-sheet Our life is hid saith the Apostle with Christ in God Col. 3.3 and therefore not lost And again he tells us 2 Tim. 1 2. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Let him that died for my Soul
VERA EFFIGIES EDVARDI BURII EVANGELII MINISTRI AN. AETAT SUAE 66 ANo. DOM. 1682 Inventiue art dame-natures curious ape You see can counterfeit the bodyes snape Yet can noe more describe the mind then we Heavens glory by the spangled Canopy This shaddows out the house who there doth dwell Aske in the booke the picture cannot tell DEATH IMPROV'D AND Immoderate Sorrow FOR Deceased Friends and Relations REPROV'D WHEREIN You have many Arguments against Immoderate Sorrow and many Profitable Lessons which we may Learn from such Providences 1 Thess 4.13 14. But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope For if we believe that Christ died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him By EDWARD BVRY formerly Minister of Great Belas in Shropshire LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside 1693. TO THE Vertuous and truly Religious The Lady Wilbraham the Pious Consort of the Right Worshipful Sir Thomas Wilbraham of Weston under Lizard Barronet one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Stafford E. B. wisheth all Happiness External Internal and Eternal MADAM IT fares with me as 't is fabled of Pan that pretended Rural God who being admitted into Apollo's Presence to shew his skill upon his Oaten Pipe at the first he was bashful and timerous but being uncontrouled he grew bolder and Pip't louder This was my Case when I wrote the ensuing Letter which was in a dark and gloomy Day my Bashfulness and Sense of Vnworthiness when it was finish'd had like to have strangled it in the Womb and to have kept it from your sight fearing what Reception it might meet with but knowing what ever was wanting a good Meaning and an Intention to do good was not wanting and after some conflict in my self I resolved to put it to the venture and send it I did but your â—ind Acceptance beyond my Expectation made me Pipe louder and without your privity I sent it to the Press thinking that having past this Test and you approving of it others also might possibly do the same but had you past it by with a Check or Disrespect you had spoiled my Musick yet durst I not prefix your Name to it as thinking it unworthy of you But your kind Acceptance of it when it was Printed and Approbation doth make me yet bolder to prefix your Name and tell the World to whom it doth of right belong and this will be some excuse for me that you did not manifest your dislike nor forbid me to do it the Reasons why I did this and do now again Publish it were given you then there were many worthy Friends then and since that time that lay under the like Dispensation of Providence that you did viz. That had parted with their near Relations to whom I was willing to give a Word of Advice and Comfort but my Occasions would not permit me to Speak or Write to all neither was I able to do it to all that needed my Advice I therefore imagining what doth one good may benefit another also I made it publick this Letter may speak my Mind when I am absent even to those to whom I cannot come for I see Grace itself will not wipe off immoderate Tears but they sometimes flow like a mighty Torrent without Bank or Bottom and tho' here be some things peculiar to your Condition in the Letter yet in the general 't is of publick concern the Disease is common and the Receipt I hope will not be useless Most People first or last are concerned in parting with Relations here are Considerations to quiet them at least they see the Death of others as well as of their Relations and here are profitable Instructions to improve that for their own good and Direction how to prepare for their own Death These Considerations made me make that publick which at first was intended for private use and I hope this second Edition will give your Ladiship no Offence nor to read your Name in the Front when I sent the Letter to you I did foresee that I must shortly come into the Furnace again and so I did the very Week I received the printed Book I Bâ—ried my eldest Son as you had done your eldest Daughter and how soon I may have another Trial I know not The Lord grant I may learn the Lesson my self I am teaching others some Additions I have made at the Request of several which may be more needful to others then to you I hope they tend towards the perfection not imperfection of the Book But I forget my self the whole being but a Letter and that to your Ladiship I must not make the Gate too wide for the Building I shall cease further to trouble you when I have committed you and your dear Relations into the Hands of him that never leaveth his and subscribed my self MADAM Your much Obliged Servant EDWARD BVRY THE CONTENTS THE Introduction Five Arguments to quiet the Heart at the Death of Relations 1. Consider who did it that great God whose they are 2. Consider Who we are that are discontented Dust and Ashes 3. What wrong is done to us or our Relations 4. What Benefit are we like to have by mourning 5. Our own Condition is mortal and shall suddenly follow Seven Lessons To be learnt by the Death of Friends if all must die 1. Lesson How little we are beholding to Sin 1. It brought Death into the World 2. It is the cause of all the Misseries we suffer in the World 3. 'T is the cause of all Spiritual Judgment we meet with 4. It lays us under the Wrath of God and makes him our Enemy 5. T is the cause of eternal Death and eternal Damnation Second Lesson How little Good the world can do us in our greatest need 1. It cannot prevent Death tho' we had never so much of it 2. It cannot procure us a happy Life or give Content 3. The things of the World are uncertain and momentary 4. It can do us little good in our great Concerns here or hereafter 5. It exposeth us to a great deal of danger Third Lesson Of how great concern Grace and a good Conscience is 1. It helps exceedingly to bring us through the World with Comfort 2. It fits us to leave the World and takes away the Fear of Death 3. Without it we can neither please God nor enjoy him 4. It will procure us a good Name to succeeding Generations 5. It will bear up the Heart at Judgment and usher us into Heaven Fourth Lesson If all must dye then the Godly have nothing to Suffer 1. The Saints at Death shall be freed from all their Sins 2. From all the Causes of Sin Temptations of Satan and the World 3. From all the Devil's Instruments Persecutions and Tryal 4. From all the Effects of Sin Losses
Crosses Pains Sickness c. 5. They shall enjâ—y God Heaven and Happiness for ever Fifth Lesson If all must dye how little Certainty wicked men have of their Happiness 1. At Death they must leâ—ve behiâ—d all their Riches 2. They must bid 〈…〉 to all their Pleasures 3. They must lose all their Pomp Glory and Honour 4. After Death they â—hall lose their God their Soules their Heaven and Happiness 5. They shalâ— be thrown into endless â—aseless Torments Sixth Lesson If all must dye then we should prepare for our own Death 1. Consider seriously we muâ—t die 2 â—e have a great deal of Work to do ere we die 3. Many men as worldly-wise as we do miscarry 4. The dangâ—rous condition we are in while unprepared 5. Preparation for Death and our Evidences for Heaven can do us no harm Directions to Die well 1. Get an Interest in Christ and a title to Glory 2. Be sure to see Sin dead before you or your Souls will die 3. Mortifie and Crucifie the World and subdue it 4. Be sure to live well if you would die well 5. Learn to die daily have death always before your Eyes Seventh Lesson If all must die bring your minds to be willing to die 1. Consider Our Life is not at your own dispose but God's 2. The many miseries Death frees us from 3. 'T is unbeseeming a Christian to be unwilling to die when God calls 4. If we resign our selves to God we shall die to the best Advantage 5. The Joys of Heaven may sweeten Death itself The Conclusion DEATH Improved AND Immoderate Sorrow for Deceased RELATIONS And FRIENDS Reproved In a LETTER Consolatory to the Vertuous and truly Religious Lady Wilbraham of Weston in the County of Stafford at the Death of her Daughter the Lady Middleton of Chirk Castle MADAM LET it not be thought Presumption in me though the meanest of a Thousand if I make bold to give my Advice in the midst of so many much abler Counsellors and to prescribe you Physick when you have so many Learned Physicians at hand for haply I have more experienced that Distemper under which you labour than many of them and can write a Probatum est upon my Receipts Others may speak more of the Disease than I can yet few have felt the working of it in their own Bowels more than I even from my Youth up and I am at present making up a Dose for my self who am in daily expectation of paâ—ting with my Eldest Son as you have done with your Eldest Daughter he being one in whom I took no small content and from whom I expected much Comfort in my Age the Lord grant I may take the same Counsel I give to others When first I heard of your great and as I think unexpected Loss and how soon your Joy that a Man-Child was born into the World was turned into Sorrow that a Woman was taken out of the World I confess I was suddenly surprized with Amazement and cryed out How vain a thing is Man whose breath is in his Nostrils and how vain are all these transitory things we so much dote upon And how little can they do for us when we have most need And how foolish are we to spend our time and money for that which is not bread and our labour for that which satisfieth not When I saw so fair a Flower so lately budded and not fully blown so soon withered and dead and what need we had especially that were much older to stand upon our Guard not knowing the day nor hour wherein our Lord and Master comes When I had spent some time in these Considerations and bewailed the Publick Loss I began to consider your Condition who by reason of your tender and haply too tender Love and Care of your Children especially as I imagined of her who was your First-born and the beginning of your Strength and one who by reason of her Age and Maturity more fit for your more intimate Society I was afraid your Burden would not be easily born for I conceive you are better qualified to bear a heavy Burden of another Nature than this strong Affections many times breed strong Afflictions but God will have us hate Father and Mother Wife and Children and our own Lives for his sake These things considered I could not but sympathize with you in your Suffering and put my Soul as it were in your Soul's stead and so bewailed and condoled your Condition having many times my self felt the weight of your Burden I thought then with Job That to those that are afflicted pity is to be shewn by his friend Job 6.14 But barely to pity and not to endeavour to help is but a poor kind of Charity but it was out of my reach any other way to help than by Counsel and Advice and this I knew you needed not yet not willing to be altogether silent I resolved to communicate to you my own Experience and what it was that hath once and again calmed those tumultuous Thoughts that raged in my Breast But could I but imagine that your Sorrows were over your Griefs supprest your Trouble buried and your Burden eased I should not be so uncharitable as to take them again out of the Ashes or blow the fire that is too apt of it self to kindle but I fear the Flame is too great to be so soon extinguished and your Distemper too deeply rooted to be so easily removed and the Wound too great to be so easily healed Or that I could but imagine your Sorrows were moderate and no more than your Duty I should not put you to the trouble of Reading nor my self of Writing these following lines But I not only fear but also hear that you are a Woman of a sorrowful Spirit drench'd in Sorrow over-power'd with Grief and like Rachel weeping for your Daughter and will not be comforted because she is not And fearing as others of your Friends do what the event will be in parting with this dear Pledge or rather Piece of your self especially when I read Godly Persons have sometimes been strangely transported with Passion upon such Occasions as Jacob at the supposed Death of Joseph Gen. 37.33 when he refused Comfort and resolâ—â—d to go down to the Grave with him but he should have learned to bury his Children and Friends when alive by acting their Death to himself afore-hand He shewed his Fatherly Love to his Son but not his own Obedience to his Father The next that offers himself to our consideration is David a man after God's own heart yet not without his Faults and Failings we find him excessively mourning for the Death of rebellious Absalom that had kill'd his Brother Amnon forc'd his Concubines rebell'd against him and sought his Life yet when he was cut off by a deserved Death partly by the hand of God he mourns and over-mourns till he was soundly chidden and threatned by Joab and wish'd he had dyed for him 2 Sam. 18.33
to resist I know not Now though in plain words we do not say God doth wrong us yet our murmuring at the Providence yields some suspicion that these are our thoughts for if God will not at our Request alter his Eternal Decrees to please our Humour we are discontented and in effect we seem to quarrel him that he did not receive us into his Counsel when he made his Decrees and seem to say as Alphonso King of Arragon did affirm That if he had been of Counsel with God in the Creation he could have ordered things better than they were And we seem to think it was not well nor wisely done of God to determine the Death of our Relations without our knowledge or consent especially to call them out of the Vineyard so long before Night though it be but to give them their Wages Now if this be not the state of the Controversie between God and us I acknowledge I know it not and in such a case what Advocate shall we find to take our part or plead our Cause But let us for once suppose a possibility that we were able by fair means or soul to perswade God to altâ—r his unalterable Decrees that they might be more mutable than the Laws of the Medes and Persiâ—â—â— that altered not And suppose he should hang the Keys of Life and Death at our Girdles a Priviledge which no Man living ever yet enjoyed Suppose it were left at our dispose when and how and where our selves and Relations should dye do we verily believe we could manage the business better than he doth in whose hands it is And could we determine of a fitter time and know better their Work is done when they could be spared and when they are ripe for Glory This were presumption in us to think so doth not the chief Husband-man better know when his Corn is ready for the Barn and his Roses for his Bosom We should think it Presumption in a Son or Servant that should follow the Dictates of his own Will and prefer it before our just Command But were such a Priviledge granted us which is impossible that it ever should be we might be the first that repented it how oft-times have we seen an over-desired or over-cockered Child to be a Scourge to the Parents and to bring their gray hairs with sorrow to the grave Sometimes by their vicious and lewd courses which hath made them wish they had buried them in their Childhood sometimes by continual Sickness Weakness Pains or other Affliction Parents have been scourged for their inordinate desires Rachel so earnestly desired Children that if she had them not she must die in a pet God gave them to her but it cost her her Life There are many that by reason of Pains or other Afflictions long for death and dig for it as for hid treasures and rejoyce exceedingly when they can find the grave Joh 3.21 22. and their Friends are as willing to part with them as they are to go and long for their death as much as they desired their lives But can we indeed think it fit that our Wills should be the Rule of God's actings or that we are really wiser than he is God forbid haply we are loath to speak out that these are our desires but doth not our reluctancy make it out When a Child murmures and repines and cries and snubs when his Father Commands him to do a thing doth it not shew that if he durst he would disobey and that there is not a full resignation of his Will to his Fathers Will He that gives us our lives and the lives of our Relations is ever fittest to dispose of them Were Death at our dispose Heaven would be long empty our Friends should nor come there yet and our Enemies never our Friends should live too long and our Enemies die too soon But these things whatever we think or say to the contrary are determined by wiser Counsels yea an irreversible Decree 'T is appointed once to doe and after death the judgment Heb. 9.27 And we our selves shall ere long know by Experience that we are not secure from Death's Arrest and happy will it be for us if this Pursevant fetch us into Glory and not force us into Hell To prevent this 't is good to subject our Wills to God's Will in all things for we shall never have content or satisfaction in our mind till this be done but fears and jealousies what if this or that happen you see how vain it is to oppose our Wills to God's Will and think to resist him or struggle out of his hand 't is a thousand times easier to resist the Tide and keep it back when 't is coming in or to resist the universal Darkness that follows the setting of the Sun You have heard who 't is we contend with and that is God that can do what pleaseth him and who we are that oppose him those that cannot fetch one breath or move one finger without his assistance and what the issue of such a Contest will be is not hard to Divine 3. Cons We have already considered the Parties engaged in the Quarrel it remains that consideration be had of the wrong that is done that if it may be the Controversie may be ended In this Quarrel you are the Plaintiff and God the Defendant who hath done the supposed wrong and 't is much if the Judge of the whole Earth should do wrong and God seems to be willing to have it brought to the Tryal and to say as sometimes to his own People Micah 6.3 Oh my people what have I done unto you and wherein have I wearied you testifie against me God need not to give an Account of his Actions being a free Agent whose Will is his Rule yet is willing to put the Matter to an indifferent Judge as he doth the Controversie which he had with his Vineyard Isa 5.3 4. And now O Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah judge I pray you betwixt me and my Vineyard What could I have done more for my Vineyard that I have not done in it c. He is willing the World should judge whether his ways be equal or no he desires a Bill may be drawn up by the Plaintiff against him and his Charge may be known that he may answer for himself The like we read of Job 32.35 c. Oh that my adversary had written a book I would take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a crown unto me I would declare unto him the number of my steps c. Can you say be hath been a hard Master or a dry and barren Wilderness to you I know you will not you cannot but God may better say to you than Themistocles to his ingrateful Country-men Are you weary of receiving so many Courtesies from one man Or as Christ to the hard hearted Jews Many good works have I done among you for which of these do you stone me Why is it
that you complain and spend so many sighs and sobs and sorrowful tears Why is your Countenance cast down or why doth Discontent appear in your Face Why God hath taken away from you your Daughter which you loved and from whom you expected much comfort and that without your leave and â—iking and against your will But will this bear an Action Did not he love her as well as you And was he not as well able to prefer her Was not she his as well as yours Yea had he not a greater Interest in her She was his by â—â—ght of Creation did not he make her of nothing Was she not his also by right of Redemption when his only Son lost his Life to buy her out of Slavery She is Christ's by Donation being one that his Father gave to him which he will not lose John 6.39 And she hath also devoted her self to him and resigned her self and all she had to his dispose She is also his by Preservation 't is he that maintained her at his own Cost and Charges ever since she had a Being and paid you well for Nursing her Christ hath also a Matrimonial Right in her she being espoused to him In the time of the Law the Children begotten in Bondage were accounted the Master's and you being God's Servant he hath an Interest in your Children also She is his Daughter as well as yours his by Adoption What Interest you have was only given or lent you being but Instrumental in her production and will you yet dispute the Point which hath most Right to dispose of her She call'd him Father and so she was his Adopted Child as well as you Mother She was the Work of his hands he was the Potter she but the Clay and whose is the Pot but the Pot-makers He made her for his Glory and will you not give him leave to glorifie himself in her Salvation By a mutual consent she is married to Christ and if he demand his Wife will you deny her If any other lay any claim to her Body yet the Spirit returns to God that gave it He breathed into her the breath of Life and 't is he alone that restrains her breath She was yours indeed by Relation both you and she are God's by Purchase You are not your own but bought with a price And he that hath call'd her hence will ere long send for you after her This is no continuing City you look for and she hath found one above whose Builder and Maker is God While she was here she was a Tenant at will in a poor crazy Cottage a House of Clay subject to moulder about her eaâ—s Now she is commanded by the Landlord to surrender yet with a Promise of a better Habitation God hath commanded to pull down this Earthly Tabernacle and hath provided her a Palace A house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens whose builder and maker is God and hath exalted her from a Cottage to a Crown And is this the wrong that you complain of Hath not God much more cause to complain of you that do what you can to hinder her Promotion She was under Age but now comes to Inherit If you say you had her not long enough who shall be Judge her Father or you Do you pretend to any Promise of a longer time Produce it if you can if not lay your hand upon your mouth Could you have provided better for her than he hath done If not why do you envy her Happiness He hath sent for her home to his own Court provided a Husband for her married her to his Son who hath lodged her in his own Bosom And what wrong is in all this What cause of sighs and groans and showers of tears And he claims as great a Priviledge in you as in her and ere long if it be denied will distrain for it and try his Title and repining will do no good 't is much better to submit as David did who fasted and prayed when his Son was living but when he was dead comforted himself and said I shall go to him but he shall not come to me 2 Sam. 12.23 But perhaps if a separation must be you had rather have gone before her But must your Will needs be preferred before God's who gave you liberty to choose Indeed this was David's fault and failing till he was chid out of this Humour 2 Sam. 18.33 O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my son my son Jonah in a pet had rather have died than his Gourd should have withered he prayed for Death and told the Lord That he did well to be angry even unto death for the Gourd's sake but God had determined he should live and the Gourd should die Our Lives are not in our own hands nor in our Enemies hands but in the hands of God we cannot appoint God what to do or who to call for neither is it fit we should he knows best when our Task is done and when we are ready But you did expect she should have lived longer but what ground had you to build such an Expectation upon T is true she was young but do not far younger than she was feel the dint of Death Yea haply if it were well considered as many die before they come to her Age as live beyond it you your self buried one at a far younger age your knew she was Mortal and why should you promise her more time than God had promised her I am sure God never made any Promise to frustrate his Eternal Decrees she might indeed have lived longer even to the Age of Methusalem had God will'd it and she might also have died younger yea and never saw the Sun But who is it that he hath made of his Cabinet-Counsel Or who is it that can come to a composition for a Lease of his own or Friend's Life But is this all the thanks you render to God for sparing her with you to comfort you for about Twenty Years that you murmur Had it been more haply had it been Twenty more the thanks had been all one and your sorrow at the parting never the less and will nothing content except we be our own carvers But suppose you hoped she should survive you and what then Would not there have been grief at the parting But you would have had the burden cast upon her shoulders but God that bids us take up the Cross will have the making of it himself and lays it upon whose back he pleaseth and will not humour us so far as to let us have our will when it stands in competition with his own And truly this Cross is so perfectly of God's making that he that runs may read it But had he made use of any Instrument his Hand might have been seen in the Work But she was hopeful and could not be spared and is not this matter of Comfort to you which you make
the ground of your Grief The more Gracious the more Glorious the more Holy the more Happy the better she was the fitter for Heaven There are two things which may trouble us at the death of Relations the one is when we can see no Evidence of Grace the other when we have neglected our Duty to them especially to their Souls in their life-time The reason why David did so wofully bewail the Death of Absalom is imagined to be one or both of these When our Relations are fitted for Glory I think 't is no uncharitable wish to wish them out of a troublesome World in those Coelestial Enjoyments Paul did desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which was best of all But to wish those out of Glory that are in were both an unprofitable and uncharitable desire and argues more Passion and Self-love than well grounded Charity Now there is no going to Heaven but through the Gaâ—es of Death and 't is through Death's Portal that we must enter She hath paid the Debt we all owe and would you have her endure these Pangs and Pains over again You came not into the World together and it was unlikely that you would go together out and when ever a parting was it was like to be with grief She hath changed her Husband but 't is for the better an Earthly for an Heavenly she had a large Joynture before but 't is much amended 't is now advanc'd to a Crown and Kingdom She hath left her Relations behind but she hath better there Saints and Angels the Souls of Just Men made perfect There she can serve the Lord without distraction and sing Hallelujahs to Eternity without weariness here Corruption attended her best Duties there sin and sorrow shall be no more here she was troubled with Satan's Temptations there he cannot come to throw one Dart or shoot one Arrow at her here she was liable to Pains Aches Griefs and Troubles all these are there removed here she could scarcely open an Eye or an Ear but it let in sin or sorrow there all tears shall be wiped away and a sad or sorrowful thought shall never enter And what cause hath she to complain of wrong And if neither of you be wronged why is this wast Why so many sighs so many sobs so many sorrowful tears which might better run in another Channel Had she liberty â—o speak for her self it might probably be in such words as these which Christ upon the Cross spake â—o the Women that bewailed him Luke 23.28 Weep not for me but weep for your selves and for â—our children c. those that are yet in the Vale of Tears 't is the Church-Militant that deserves â—ity not the Church-Triumphant Lament raâ—her the condition of those that survive for you know not what their Sufferings may be the other are out of harms-way and safely landed in the Port of Heaven Now is there such a wrong done you or her that God takes her to himself before you were willing to part with her though he had a better Interest in her than you could pretend and made her fit for Glory and translated her thither You agree both in the thing but the Quarrel is about the time and the Controversie is whose Will must be obeyed or whose Judgment must be preferred which is the best time Many of the wiser Heathens have submitted with less contradiction Anaxarchus when told of the death of his two Sons answered I knew that they were Mortal Et stultus est qui mortem mortalium deflet Now in the present Controversie may not God say to you as sometimes he did to his People What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone from me What wrong have I done that you thus complain One of us must submit and must it be me Must I alter my Eternal Decrees for your sake or will there be no Peace to be had The Lord may say as Jacob did to Laban when he so fiercely pursued him Gen. 31.36 What is my trespass What is my sin Declare it before the world that they may be our judges Nay hath not God in this very Affliction sugared your Pill which might have been much bittered she might have been taken away in her younger years before you had such hopes of her Integrity or at least denyed you such Evidence of her Conversion then might you have feared she had been lost indeed or instead of one he might have taken all your Children when as yet two survive oâ— by the same stroke he might have taken away your dear Husband better to you than ten Sons as Elkanah said to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Or he might have suffered your Children to be a heart-breaking to you as too many in these days are by their vicious Lives and Conversations who bring their gray hairs with sorrow to the grave which makes them with with Augustiâ—â— that they had never married or had dyed childless These are not such rare Examples in our days but too frequent She dyed a Natural Death many now adays as well as Job Eli Aaron David and others in former times were not so happy as to say so of theirs Neither is there any guilt upon you as upon some that have cause to mourn for neglecting any means for the preservation of her Life when some be wickedly Accessory to their Childrens Death If there were any fault which yet I cannot accuse you of it was in the excess of your Love which I the more fear when I see the excess of your Sorrow and this is a fault which Indulgent Mothers are apt to run into But you 'll say you could more easily have born any other Burden or suffered any other Cross Why then it seems God hath let you Blood in the right Vein as he did the Young Man in the Gospel that was willing to do any thing Christ commanded but part with his Riches but Christ will have a full resignation of our selves and all that is ours or he will not own us No beloved Delilah must be retained the Cross that Christ appoints we must bear and must not pick and choose our own Burden Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple That is if he prize any of those before him or will rather part with Christ than with any or all of these he deserves not the name of a Christian for all we have in the World is given to us as Love-Tokens from God to signifie his Love to us and to oblige our Love to him and sometimes God calls back some of these Gifts to see whether we love him or his Tokens better God gave you liberty before she dyed to let her and you see the Fruit of her Womb a Son which though he soon called off the Stage yet at the Resurrection be shall stand in his lot But 't is
farther objected It was a good Woman And what then must not good Women dye If Death would spare the Gracious Heaven would be empty for no other shall go thither Was she too good to be the Child of God the Spouse of Christ an Inhabitant in Heaven a Companion for Angels and Glorified Saints But was not her Goodness freely given her by her Husband She had it not by Nature she was beautiful with the comeliness he put upon her and all this was in order to fit her for her Marriage But was not her Goodness your Comfort as well as her Reward Had that been wanting there had been more cause of Sorrow than now there is But she could not be spared For that it is best to let God alone with the Government of the World which he hath so wisely managed for above Five Thousand Years and never was yet put to a strait for want of Instruments for he that of stones can raise children to Abraham never wants Instruments to do his Work 'T is he that took her hence best knows whom he can spare doubtless he can raise Instruments as well as in former times and qualifie whom he pleaseth for the Work his Vineyard shall be drest or he will send Labourers in at the eleventh hour she is call'd out by the Owner of the Vineyard to receive her Wages who can send in more if he want Had she had more Work to do she had had more time to do it in her Father that loves her knows the World is infectious and he hath taken her out of the Corrupt Air lest she should take the Infection But she was in the Prime and Flower of her Age and 't is pity such Blossoms should be nipt but God best knows when his Roses are ripe and when they should be pluckt and when 't is the best Season to gather his Flowers and if he pluck this Rose in the bud to put into his Bosom what need this Complaint He takes not his People hence till they are ripe for Glory Though we know not the reason of his doings doubtless he hath wise and gracious ends in all his Actions 't is not necessary for us to be of his Counsel yet he condescends so far to us as to tell us All things shall work together for good to those that love God Rom. 8.28 And why may nor this dark Providence do you good Sometimes the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57.1 And this may be the present case and haply you may have more cause to mourn that you are alive than that she is dead we know not what Cup may be put into our hands haply such as you would not desire to see her drink However Troubles and Afflictions are so common to Men of all Ranks and Conditions that the Holy Ghost tells us That blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 To dye in the Lord is a Happiness to dye for the Lord saith Latimer is such a Priviledge that is not granted to the Angels in Heaven Mors privare potest opibus non operibus Death may deprive us of our Wealth except we have sent it before us to Heaven but not our good Works But this your Daughter was your first-born and was it not fit she should have the Precedency in her Death as well as in her Birth The first-born hath no Priviledge against Death more than the rest When Death knocks all must open yea God seems to claim a greater Interest in the first-born than in the rest Exod. 13.2 Our Saviour Christ was the first-born yea the only Son of his Father and as well beloved as your Daughter could be yet suffered Death for us And shall we think a Son or Daughter or our own Lives too good for him Abraham did not deny his Son his only Son when God required him yea was content to kill him with his own hands And till there be a through resignation of us and ours and all we enjoy to God's dispose till we are content to be what he would have us be and do and suffer what his Will is we are not in a Christian Posture and God if he love us will bring us to this and if one blow will not do it more shall Our stout Stomacks must stoop and we must bend or break the best way to get from under the Rod is Submission for we can neither grapple with God nor struggle out of his hands Let us now sum up all that is in Controversie between God and you and let us see whether it will be a considerable Charge God took away your Daughter without your consent and against your will laying more claim to her than you can and brought her out of a state of Misery which you had involved her in out of the Devil's Slavery from under the Curse of the Law and the Wrath of God and Eternal Damnation and that by the precious Blood of his own Son and by Regenerating her and Adopting her for his Child changing her Nature and giving her the disposition of a Child cloathing her with the rich Robes of Christ's Righteousness and decking her with the Graces of his Spirit Espousing her to his Son providing an Inheritance for her and when she came to Age hath transported her thither and gave her Possession of the purchased Inheritance those Mansions of Glory provided for her from all Eternity wip'd all Tears from her Eyes and all Sorrow from her Heart and all Sin from her Soul married her to his Son who lodged her in his Bosom gave to her the largest Fountain even a Kingdom of Glory And for this you mourn and will mourn and think you do well to mourn and like Rachel refuse to be comforted because she is not This is the wrong that draws Tears from your Eyes and sorrowful Sighs and Sobs from your Heart And may not God call Heaven and Earth to Witness against you that your Complaints are causeless and your Tears needless Had he taken her in her sins and cast her into Hell he had wronged neither the one nor the other though her condition had been deplorable but now he may say of her as sometimes of his Vineyard Isa 5.3 What could I have done more for her than I have done And what Reason can you give why you sorrow as one without hope for one that sleeps in the Lord Were it a deed of Charity could you prevail to wish her out of those Coelestial Enjoyments back again into a World of Troubles Vexations and Dangers and that only to bear you Company Do you think that all the Glory Splendour and Magnificence all the Riches Honours and Promotions the World ever saw would be a Temptation to her to leave the Beatifical Vision and those Rivers of Pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Alas these are no more to those Coelestial Enjoyments
called so much better for what is that space of time to Eternity 'T is called also The house of all the living because all that ever did or shall live shall there dwell together God hath provided all Men one House in the Womb and another in the Tomb one when they enter into the World and another when they go out and the Wise Man tells us The day of death is better than the dayâ— of ones birth Eccles 7.1 For man that is born of a woman is born to sorrow Job 14.1 therefore the Coffin is to be preferred before the Cradle An Ancient Father calls the days wherein the Martyrs suffered their Birth-days because then they began to live indeed their Marriage-day because then the Marriage was consummate between Christ and their Souls It was an Epicure that said Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas But 't is better saith Solomon to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting Eccles 7.2 Now through this Gate your dear Daughter is gone and you are stepping after her you are treading out her steps and others ere long will do as much for you you are but a Vessel of Clay and begin to crack your Pains and Aches and Decays in Nature may mind you that you are declining that you have one foot in the Grave and are you troubled that another hath stept in before you Yet a little while and you will enjoy her to Eternity when both of you will be stript of all Infirmities and Corruption which here renders Communion less delightful Where you shall be ever with the Lord and with the spirits of just men made perfect 1 Thess 4.17 Heb. 12.23 Blessed is that Day and happy will that Union be between Christ and the Soul and happy is that Man whether he die old or young that shall come to Mount Sion unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant c. Heb. 12.22 23 24. Oh what a Glorious Meeting will here be in Heaven how Happy and Glorious will that day be when we leave this wretched World and wicked Company to enjoy the Assembly of holy and happy Saints and Angels yea of God himself blessed for ever Now she that formerly was in her blood and no eye pityed her Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6. doth now shine by the Beauty her Husband hath put upon her as the stars for ever and ever and ere long you will meet where you shall never part Then will you solace your selves in each others Love and both in the love of your dear Redeemer When she will never repent that she died so young nor you that she lived no longer She is not lost but found she is but gone a days Journey before you and at Night you will Lodge together you will over-take her and find her in her Father's Cabinet among his Jewels She hath gotten the start and is at the Race end before you she hath won the Prize and is this matter of Grief or Rejoycing She hath cast her Ground and recovered the Hill and is at the Race end before you You came not together into the World and it was unlikely you should leave it together There was a probability you think she might have survived you but God determined otherwise Some Roses are taken in the bud some are full blown when others wither and fall but those that grow longest prove but fading Flowers and are of short continuance sic transit gloria mundi God is not engaged to shew us the Reason of his Actings his Will is his Law and 't is our Duty to acquiesce in it We cannot resist his Power and we pray his Will may be done let us not contradict our own Petition God knows best what is best and he tells us All shall work for the best to those that love God Rom. 8.28 and this may suffice us If you prefer your own Will before his or loved your Daughter better than your God you cannot be his Disciple If you had rather enjoy her Company than submit to God God will take it ill from you he took her hence when he saw her Work was done and left you as yet to moil and toil and sweat in the Vineyard Submission under his strokes is your best and wisest course contending against his Will is foolish and sinful foolish because you cannot resist it sinful because you ought not to resist love to God and the Creature cannot be both in the same Party in the prevailing degree we cannot serve God and Mammon 'T is your Wisdom rather to mind your own end than to lament hers The Scripture frequently minds us and not in vain for we are apt to forget it of our latter end and the brevity of our Lives And this if well minded would imbitter all Earthly Enjoyments and make us set a low value upon all Creature-Comforts Man that is born of a woman saith Job is of few days and full of trouble he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not Job 14.1 2. And what more fading than a Flower What more fleeting than a Shadow And sometimes 't is compared to a Weaver's Shuttle yea to a Post that hasteth away Your Glass is also running and the last Sand is ready to drop 'T is the Complaint of Old Themistocles that a Man must die even when he begins to live when he begins to be Wise Death calls him hence we usually spend the flower of our Age the strength of our Bodies and the vigour of our Spirits in sinful Vanities before we know why we live or what Errand we came into the World upon little considering that upon a little Inch of Time depends Eternity our everlasting well or ill Being many had their time before they begin their Work not considering that whether they sleep or wake work or play their Glass is running and their Time wasting Few and evil saith old Jacob are the days of the years of my Pilgrimage and yet few attain to the number of Years which he then had attained There is but a little time between our Spring and Fall and therefore our Lives may fitly he compared to Jonah's Gourd that sprung up in one Night and perished in another Death is stealing upon us tacito pede with a silent foot and 't is an absurd thing saith one to ask when we shall die but rather when we shall make an end of dying for every day Death seizes upon some of our Lives and gains ground upon us and steals upon us insensibly as the shadow doth upon the Dial till our Sun be set and whether sleeping or waking we are in continual motion we are like Men
Heaven and Glory and of the Beatifical Vision for withouâ— holiness we shall never see God Let us therefore leave off sorrowing for petty Losses and Crosses and turn the whole Torrent of our Sorrow into this Channel even against our sins 4. Nay the mischief of Sin ends not here it also exposeth us to the wrath of God and makes him our Enemy that otherwise would be our closest surest and fastest Friend and did we â—now what it is to have God for our Enemy it â—ould send us trembling to our Grave for when â—is Fury is kindled it sets on fire the foundation of â—he mountains Deut. 32.22 'T is better have all â—he World to grapple with than with God if â—e frown upon us no Creature dare smile If â—e be for us who can be against us Rom. 8.31 â—f God have a Controversie with us who dare â—ake our part or move a Hand or Tongue in our Defence We cannot grapple with him he is â—oo strong for us we cannot flye from him as â—onah thought to do he will over-take us neiâ—her can we hide our selves from him Psal 136 â— c. We cannot struggle out of his hand â—or he is the Almighty and we but despicable Worms if he tread upon us he leaves us dead â—ehind him Before him the Holy Angels cover â—heir faces and all the Infernal Spirits tremble â—n his hand is the soul of every living thing and the â—reath of all mankind Job 12.10 If he with-hold â—ur breath we return to our Dust for we have â—o more than what he puts into us how then â—hall we contend with our Maker Can Chaff â—nd Stubble grapple with a devouring Flame One blast of his Displeasure can blow us into Hell yea Heaven and Hell and All into nothing â—nd how are we like to make our Party good â—gainst him when we cannot move a Finger â—wag a Tongue or fetch a Breath without his â—ssistance Well but let us well consider whether our Cause be good What cause hath God given us to take up Arms against him Hath he â—een a hard Master to us Or with-held our Wages Jonah thought he did well to be angry but was soon convinc'd Job had a mind to quarrel him and seems of any other to have the best Cause but when the Contest began hâ— soon threw down the Cudgels and lays his hand upon his Mouth Hath not God been our greateâ—â— Benefactor and done more for us than all the World ever did or can do Is not he our beâ—â— Friend and shall we become his profest Enemies Many good works have I done among you saith Christ for which of those do you stone me John 10.32 God gave us our Being when we had none and shall we hate him for it We were tâ—â— Clay and he was the Potter and might have dash'd us into pieces with his foot He gave us Reason when he might have made us bruit Beasts as Dogs or Swine or more contemptible Creatures He hath given us Limbs and Senses when otherâ— want them Peace and Plenty yea Life and Liberty and hath made our Lives comfortable to us when we deserve not the Ground we tread upon or the Air we breath in and shall we flye at the Face of God and thus requite the Lord our Maker Nay hath not Christ suffered more for us than any other hath or can do We had sold our selves Bond-slaves to Satan and neither Man nor Angel could have redeemed us out of our Slavery or have paid a Ransom sufficient for us but Christ laid down his Life to free us from the guilt of sin from the filth of sin from the Punishment due for sin from the Curse of the Law the Wrath of God the Slavery of Satan and from Everlasting Damnation And hath he for all this deserved our Malice and Hatred He hath bestowed more upon us than the World hath to bestow 't is he that sends us so many Ambassages for Peace and rains Heavenly Manna so plentifully about our Tents he gives us Promises such as the greatest Kings upon Earth cannot make and make good to their greatest Favourites as of his Spirit his Graces his Son and his Glory And is all this nothing Shall we foster sin in our Bosom that hinders us in the Enjoyment of those promised Blessings and expose us to the wrath of God and the everlasting Destruction of Soul and Body and expose us also to all Miserie 's Temporal Spiritual and Eternal God forbid Well we cannot make our Peace with God till we break our League with Sin and if God be our Enemy and our Enemy he will be if we are at Peace with Sin then we may expect he will treat us as Enemies Well may we fear that every bit of Bread we eat will choak us and every drop of Drink we drink may be our bane and that every Creature may wait for a Commission to end our days that the Floods may drown us as they did the Old World or the Fire consume us as Sodom or the Earth swallow us up as Korah and his Complices or the greatest Judgments that ever we read fell upon Mortal Man may be our Portion Oh what need had we then to leave sorrowing for other things and turn all our Tears into the right Channel that it may drown our sins that expose us to these Miseries and Mischiefs 5. Nay but this is not all for Eternal Death as well as Spiritual and Temporal is the Reward of Sin the everlasting separation of Soul and Body from God which is called The second Death and this is far greater than all the Miseries before mentioned for if the sinner be not reconciled to God which cannot be before sin be mortified he shall be cast into the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 This is the Natural Fruit and Effect of every beloved sin even the everlasting Damnation of Body and Soul a thousand thousand rentings of the Soul from the Body is not comparable to one renting of the Soul from Christ Sin doth that for us that all the Men on Earth and Devils in Hell could never do even pull us out of the Arms of God This threw Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradice and Millions of Souls into Hell This brought Death into the World and is the very Sting of Death and if this Sting be not taken out it will sting the Soul to Eternity This imbitters our Lives as you have heard while we are in the World and opens the Door to let us out of the World and will open Hell it self to let us in and is the only bar to keep us from coming out But if Sin were mortified we might with Old Simeon depart in Peace and with Ambrose say I am not ashamed to live nor afraid to dye And with Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Death without his Sting is like Samson without his Hair or like the Drone-Bee without a Sting not
terrible he may hum but not hurt strike but not sting kill a Believer yet not hurt him the worst is to send him to his Father's House the sooner But what is this to those in whom sin not only lives but raigns It will bring sad tidings to such 't is indeed the cause of all the Crosses and cross Providences they meet with here in this World but brings forth far bitterer Fruit which will not be ripe in this World which Reprobate Wretches must feed upon to Eternity Whatever we suffer here we may thank Sin for it haply we have laid some Creature-Comforts too near our hearts Well the Achan must be removed or God will not be pacified But if we dye while â—in is alive our present Suffering though to the â—oss of our Relations Wealth Honours Pleaâ—ures yea and Life it self is but a Flea-biting â—o our future Torments Then sin how pleaâ—ant soever it look now will be found our greatest Enemy All Men in the World and the Devil â—o help them can but kill the Body 't is Sin onâ—y that kills the Soul and God casts both Soul â—nd Body into Hell for sin the loss of which is more than the loss of the World Matth. 16.26 The loss of it is incomparable and irreparable â—he Rich Glutton could not with all his Wealth Purchase one drop of Water to cool his tongue Luke â—6 24 c. The Soul it self is a Precious Piece next the Angels the most precious that ever God made being made in his own Image and the greatest and richest Purchase that ever was made â—nd cost the greatest Price the Precious Blood of the Son of God 'T is that which is most like â—nto God himself and fitted for Communion with him and of Enjoying him for ever 'T is â—ndued with excellent Faculties the Understandâ—ng Will Affections Conscience Memory and many more which make a Man differ from a Beast and resemble an Angel And for duraâ—ion it runs parallel with the days of Heaven with the longest times of Eternity neither is â—here any thing in the World to be compared to 〈◊〉 and there is nothing but sin can hurt or wound it and this alone makes it subject to Eternal Torments and rents it out of the hands of God and the arms of Christ when nothing else can do it Sin makes Men in a worse condition than the Beasts that perish which were in the Creation little lower than the Angels the one is thrown into the Ditch and so ends their Misery the other into Hell with the Devil and his Angels where they are ever dying and never able to dye ever suffering those insufferable Pains out of which is no hope of Redemption for when they have been there as many thousands of Years as there are Grass-piles upon the Earth Stars in Heaven Sands upon the Sea-shore and Hairs upon their Heads they are never the nearer going forth than they were the first day they were cast into it for a thousand thousand Millions substracted from Eternity doth not lessen the Account Oh the horrible Nature of Sin which plucks the Soul from the Eternal Embraces of her dear Redeemer and from those Rivers of pleasures at God's right hand for evermore and lodges it among the Devils and the Damned in those Eternal Flames to all Eternity in those Rivers of Brimstone kindled by the Wrath of God Isa 30.33 Here we may behold the deadly Fruits of Sin and shall we bewail the Death of Relations which indeed is the Fruit of Sin and shall we not bewail and prevent its more deadly and dangerous Effects when without Repentance our Souls as well as our Bodies are like Eternally to perish Lesson 2. From this Lecture of Mortality before us is this It may plainly shew us how little good the World will do us when we have most need and by this we may take a true estimate of its Worth or rather of its Vanity We use to say that is good that will do us good and 't is a Friend that will help in time of need I am sure the World will not cannot do it 't is true if we look upon it through the Devil's Spectacles it will look fair and so will an Old Hag in her Paint and Plaister but this is the way to be egregiously deceived but that there is really little worth in it observe with me these following Considerations 1. Consid Riches Honours Pleasures or whatever else the World can brag of cannot prevent Death though sometimes it doth hasten it The truth of this is evidently seen in this Providence for had it been a vast Estate sumptuous Buildings costly Apparel Men or Means Food or Physick that could have preserved her Life doubtless she had not dyed but this could neither prevent the Disease remove it or take away the Malignity of it For when Death comes and come it will it will neither be bribed nor baffled Diseases are God's Servants when he bids them go they go and when he bids them come they come and what he bids them do they do it like the Centurion's Servant Mat. 8.9 Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis If God strike the Creature cannot heal God hath the Keys of Life and Death at his Girdle and our way is to go to him and neither trust to Physicians as Asa or to Witches as Saul 'T is he that kills and makes alive and brings to the gates of death and back again Deut. 32.39 'T is he that passed that Decree more firm than the Laws of the Medes and Persians That all men should once dye and after death come to Judgment Heb. 9.27 By force of this your Daughter dyed and so will you ere long All that the Rich Man had Luke 12.19 20. could not bribe Death one Night neither can any Man Ransom his Brother from Death The Rich Cardinal Beuford found it true to his sorrow Though Money be the greatest Commander in the World it will be out of Commission in the World to come Death is a perfect Leveller it will Lodge the Poor and the Rich the Fair and the Foul the Young and the Old the King and the Beggar in the same Bed without Respect of Persons let the World say what it will to the contrary and Happy be those that are prepared or otherwise it will prove but a Trap-door to Hell Death regards not any however dignified or distinguished the King then must leave his Robes and the Beggar his Rags behind him the Scull of the one retains no impression of a Crown nor of the other of his Slavery Now great Men are like Capital Letters they take up more room and be more gorgeously adorned and clad commonly go before others but signifie the same thing So the greatest signifies no more than a Man and the meanest signifies no less Or like unto Counters some in the Account signifie Pounds some Shillings some Pence and some less but when they are in the Box they
are all of a value So here some pass for Kings and some for Peasants but when Death hath gotten them into his Box the Grave they are all alike Yet how much need have great Men of Philip's Monitor for they are apt to forget their Mortality See Job 3.17 c. Some of the wiser Heathens have accounted Mortality a great Mercy that poor Creatures may be freed from their Misery And so doubtless 't is for those that are prepared for Death for they rest from their Labours The Hebrew Proverb is That in Calvary there are Sculls of all sorts and sizes Kings and Captains Lords and Lozels one takes no more out of the World than the other Naked they come and naked they shall go Great Saladine had but his Shirt Now though Riches cannot prevent Death yet it may hasten it Rich Men many times are as Oxen in a fat Pasture fitted for the Slaughter sometimes they are butcher'd by others for their Wealth and many times they prove their own Butchers and kill themselves by Intemperance The Sun-shine of Prosperity quickly ripens the Fruit of Sin and when Sin is ripe Ruine is ready Bachus or Venus opens the Door for Death to enter Now what good will it do to have a fair Suit of Cloathes and a Plague-sore under it Or a dainty Dinner with a Surfeit How often is Intemperance which ends in Gouts Surfeits Dropsies and such-like Diseases the Fruits of a Plentiful Table These open the Door of Eternity and light them a Candle to find the way to Death Now these are Diseases Riches cannot cure Seeing therefore the World is of so little use when we have most need why should we so greedily grasp after and spend so much time about it as to neglect our greater Concerns and despond so much when we meet with disappointments And why should we suffer those Vultures carking Cares to breed in and feed upon our Hearts and eat out all the Comfort of our Lives What Recompence can the World make us for all our pains and broken sleeps we have had upon its Account It cannot warrant us a Comfortable Life nor a Happy Death nay not one day free from pain Let such as over-greedily grasp after it remember Solomon's words H◠〈◊〉 maketh hast to be rich cannot be innocent And at leisure read James 5.1 2 c. Luke 6.24 Yet consider 't is not the having Riches â—ut the over-loving of them that is dangerous for they are not evil of themselves but great Blessings if not abused and some of those Talents put into our hands to be improved by us but prove dangerous when abused over-loved or over-trusted in But seeing they can neither prevent Death nor Diseases the cause of Death we should not put too high a value upon them nor take them for our Portion 2. As the World cannot prevent Death no more can it procure a happy Life And why Because it cannot give Content and Satisfaction to the Enjoyer of it and how then can our Lives be Happy when we are not content with our Condition and satisfied with our present Enjoyments Content never did nor never will grow in the World's Garden neither can Satisfaction be found in any thing under the Sun If we seek it here Riches will say 't is not in me Honours 't is not in me Pleasure 't is not in me c. Can we expect the Sun in a Pail of Water Indeed if the Sun shine upon the Water we may see the reflexion of it but if the Sun be clouded all the Water in the World cannot shew it When God shines upon us he may be seen in every Creature if not the World cannot shew him Our Earthly Enjoyments caâ— do us no good bring us no Comfort without a Commission from God and could they satisfie us for the present it would be but a miserable Portion yea a great Judgment for what should we do at Death when they leave us God did never give us these for our Portion but only aâ— a Viaticum in our Journey Our deceitful Hearts haply may promise Content had we an Hundred Pounds per Annum but they will deceive us for our desires would be enlarged from an Hundred to a Thousand and so in infinitum till Kingdoms yea the World would be too little for us as it was to Alexander Covetous Men have a dry Dropsie the more they have the more they thirst Theocritus brings in the Cove-Man wishing he had a Thousand Sheep when this wish was obtained he cries out Pauperis est numerare pecus 'T is but a Poor Man that is able to number his Cattel And 't is no wonder He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver The World is of too base a Birth and Breeding to give the Soul content for two things are requisite to Satisfaction and both of those are wanting there must be Proportion and Propriety but what proportion is there between a Piece of Gold and an Immortal Soul It can neither feed it nor cloath it nor make it better And for Propriety this also is lost by the Fall that which we call our own is but lent us and we must be Accountable for it And 't is vain also for what Satisfaction can an Hungry Man take in a Pebble or a Thirsty Man in a dry Pumice-stone What Satisfaction had Haman in his Riches Honours or Preferments without Mordecai's bow or Ahab's Kingdom without Nabath's Vineyard Something is still out of Order some string or other out of Tune that marâ—s the Musick And no wonder Content is not to be found here for God himself could not find Adam a help meet for him If we could turn a heap of Diamonds into a Spiritual substance then it might bear some proportion to the Soul which is a Spirit but except we could change it into God the work would not be done for none but God can make the Soul happy These Earthly things are far worse than the Body how then can they be a fit Match for the Soul Gold and Silver Gemms and Jewels are but the Garbadge of the Earth they seldom make bad Men good or good Men better but oft-times they make both worse they seldom procure Content for the desire enlarges with the Estate as the Israelites Shooes did in the Wilderness with their Feet Solomon could had nothing in them but Vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 They are like Smoak they wring Tears from the Eyes but draw not Sorrow from the Heart or like Thorns the faster they are grasped the deeper they wound If God smile upon us they may bring us some Comfort if not all the Gold in the Indies will do us no good for this Coin is not currant in another World we may as well satisfie an empty Stomack with Air as a Covetous Man with Gold for the more Wood we lay upon the Fire the more furiously it burns a Ship may sink under its Burden before it be half full
is the Key of God's Treasury those that have it and know how to use it may fetch out what they please Job will trust God though he kill him though by Affliction he crush â—he very breath out of his Body yet will he not â—oose his hold he shall not be so short of him Dum spiro spero saith a Believer nay Dum exâ—iro spero The Righteous Man hath hope in his Death The Woman of Canaan would not be beaten off with two or three repulses like Jacob she wrastled with God till she got the Blessing Grace â—s to the Soul as Ballast is to the Ship it makes â—t more steady when otherwise it would be â—luctuating and wavering A Gracious Man like Caleb follows God fully and keeps himself unspotted in the World Grace keeps the Heart from desponding under the darkest Dispensations of Providence though Trouble hang long on â—et he that believeth will not make hast This â—â—ke a Skilful Physician will extract Soveraign Antidotes out of the rankest Poison David got good by Affliction If there be no help in the World Faith will make a Journey to Heaven and fetch help thence and engage God himself in the Quarrel or sue him on his own Bond. Thou hast said saith Jacob thou wilt do me good deny it if thou canst therefore I expect thou shouldst make good thy Promise Grace is the whole Armour of God wherewith we grapple with Sin the World and the Devil Ephes 6.13 The Shield that beats back the fiery darts of Satan A Catholicon an Universal Medicine against all Maladies of Soul or Body And as it helps us to bear all Burdens so 't is a qualification without which we are fit for no Relations no Offices or Places in Church or Common-wealth nor to perform any Duty to God or Man Though Grace cannot fit every Man for every Office Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius yet 't is such an Ingredient without which a Man is fit for no Place neither can he perform the Relative Duties of any such an Oâ—ye cannot Preach nor Pray Read nor Meditate as he ought or perform any Ministerial Function he is neither fit to be Magistrate Minister Husband Wife Parent or Child Master or Servant for without Grace he can never do the Duties of these Relations for all these Relations require Grace Now Grace being so necessary in the whole course of our Lives let us above all gettings get Grace 2. Consider if Grace be so necessary in the Affairs of this Life then doubtless 't is much more useful in the concerns of another when nothing else can stand us in stead If it will fit us to live it will much more fit us to dye and to leave the World it will bear up the heart under the direful Apprehensions of Death it self it will defend the heart against the venemous Darts thereof and keep the heart from desponding under the apprehensions of it When Gold and Silver Gemms and Jewels will do little good a Man armed and fortified with Grace will dare to meet this Enemy in the Field and treat him as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 15.55 O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory c. The bravest Challenge saith one that ever rang in Death's Ear for when the Heart is defended with this Shield of Grace no venemous Dart can ever pierce it the sting is to such taken out and they may put the Serpent into their Bosom 't is a conquered Enemy lying prostrate at their Feet or rather an Enemy to Nature but a Friend to Grace the same blow that kills the Body sets the Soul at Liberty Now he that hath his Soul garnished with Grace and his Conscience purged from dead works He that hath assurance of the Pardon of his Sin and an Interest in Christ in Heaven and Glory he will not be dash'd out of Countenance with the rugged looks of Death He that hath on the Wedding-Garment needs not fear when he is called to the Supper He that hath Oyl in his Vessel as well as a Lamp in his Hand needs not fear the coming of the Bridegroom nor the Servant that is watching when his Lord comes home Death may kill a Godly Man but cannot hurt him the worst it can do is but to send him to his Father's House the sooner Then Baca shall be turned to Baracha Sighs into Songs and Misery into Majesty then shall the singing of Birds be come then shall they take Possession of their Purchased Inheritance and those Mansions of Glory prepared for them John 14.2 Then they come to Age and shall receive their Kingdom the thoughts of this will comfort the heart of a dying Man and make him say with Old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. Luke 2.29 And with Paul Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ He that had been in the third Heaven no wonder if nothing would content him on Earth Some clusters of Canaan's Grapes we meet with in the Wilderness which makes us long to go over Jordan 'T is true no Man loves Death for its own sake neither can he it is an Enemy to Nature but when a Believer knows the only way to Paradice is under Death's Flaming Sword and the only way to be freed from all Sorrow is to suffer a little Pain that one blow will free him from Sin and Sorrow the Devil's Temptations and the World's Allurements and set him out of the reach of all his Enemies even in the Bosom of Christ himself Who would be afraid of such a blow Or who would fear the time when his loving Father should send a Messenger for him out of a troublesome World into Eternal Happiness to wipe all Tears from his Eyes and drive all Sorrow from his Heart Can those that really believe there is a reward for the righteous and that they are of that number fear the time when they shall enjoy it Can the Mariner after a dangerous Storm fear to enter into the desired Port or a Prisoner to enjoy his Liberty or a Sick Man his Health or a Weary Man his Rest Let those that enjoy their Pleasures Treasure and Promotions only for term of Life fear the Expiration of their Lease whose Lives do only defer their Torments Let those I say fear Death and well they may and did they but know the sequel it would send them trembling to their Graves But I fear many that yet have honest Hearts yet live at such uncertainty that they would willingly spin out the thread of their lives to a great length before they were willing to dye though it were accompanied with many Troubles many of them under pretence they are not yet prepared the more shame for them is not their main Work done Why then do they not set about it What have they done all this while If God should add Twenty Years more yet to their days will not this be their
That seeing all must dye the Righteous have not long to suffer for Death will set an end to all their Miseries and enter them into their Eternal Enjoyments of God and Glory and put them into the possession of those Mansions of Glory prepared for them by God before the foundations of the world And then any Man may judge whether there be any great cause why they should fear Death which is the only Cure of all their Miseries and the only Porter to open Heaven-gates to them It remains that we speak something of those whose Happiness expires with their Life and their Miseries commence at their Death Lesson 5. The Fifth Lesson this Providence teacheth is That seeing Men and Women may be taken away in the Flower of their Age and Death can put a period to their Lives then what a miserable condition are Wicked Men in when one day may put an end to all their Happiness and all their Hopes for both their Happiness and their Hopes is only in this Life and shall expire at their Death for whether they are Noble or Base Rich or Poor Young or Old by what Names or Titles soever they are dignified or distinguished if they have no better a Portion than the World can bestow upon them 't is at the longest for term of Life and at Death their lease expires Their Glory then will not follow them and their Pomp will take her leave Oh what a change Death will make among many of our greatest Gallants their Happiness depends upon a ticklish point and hangs but by the thread of their Lives and there are a thousand Diseases Distempers Casualties and Accidents ready to cut the thread and every Creature waits but for a Divine Commission to stop their breath and they are not sure of one day to an end The Experience of this very Age proves this point fully how many hundred thousands were in Ireland stript of all in a moment and left as poor as Job and many lost their Lives with their Estates The like may we hear of in other Countries in London an hundred thousand dyed in one Year and what a change did Death make to them that have their Portion only in this Life What the Wise Man saith Prov. 23.5 Rich's take wings and fly away We see by Experience many rich at Night and poor ere Morning bâ—t we also see many Rich Men snatch'd away from their Riches who are well o're Night and deâ—d in the Morning yet many Men hunt and havk after Riches and never overtake them and if they do cannot hold them many purchase them too dear even with the loss of their Souls and the shipwrack of a good Conscience and these make a hard bargain for the Soul is more worth than all the World Mat. 16.26 That a Wicked Man is not long to enjoy his Happiness is made out in the following Considerations 1. Consider at Death all Men of what Degree soever from the least to the greatest will leave behind them all these outward Enjoyments viz. Riches that very many so much glory in and trust to and cannot take with them the worth of a shoe-latchet Woe then to them that have no other Portion what will their poor Souls do to Eternity though now their Riches be their strong hold Prov. 18.11 yet can they not help in the evil day Zeph. 1.18 Yet here they are honoured as Gods but they are but Dung-hill Deities most Men dote upon them as much as the Athenians did upon Diana's Temple and Offer not only their Children but their Souls unto them But let their Attainments or Enjoyments be what they will at Death they must leave all behind them Kings and Emperours must leave their Crowns behind them and the Bishop his Mitre the Pope himself not excepted then those that have made a great hurly-burly in the World could not satisfie their Dust will be contained in a little Urn. At Death the Emperour must lay by his Robes and the Beggar his Rags for Death will lodge them in the same Bed and set them upon even ground The griping Usurer must leave his Gold and cease to fill his Bags with Silver when his own Mouth shall be fill'd with Earth Kings then must bid farewel to their Crowns and Kingdoms as Solomon to his Ivory Throne and our great Gallants their well-contrived Houses though they call them after their own names Psal 49.11 c. Haply they may leave them to Fools haply to Strangers haply to Enemies to enjoy It was the Speech of a good Man to a great Lord when he shewed him his sumptuous Buildings pleasant Gardens Walks Orchards and other Rarities Sir saith he you must make sure of Heaven or you will never be recompenced in the Earth for all the Pains and Cost you have bestowed here Yet many like the Rich Man in the Gospel Luke 12. sing a Requiem to their Souls and promise themselves long Life when haply they have not a day to live They put the evil day far from them and because they see not Death think Death heeds not them when he is even staring them in the Face They lodge Riches nearest their Heart and from it they expect their greatest Security but the Mortal Sithe is too hard for the Royal Scepter yet many consider it not but buy Faggots for their own burning for the rust of their Gold will eat their flesh as fire James 5.3 Here they have their Summer and their Winter Houses curious Parlours Banqueting-Houses Rooms richly adorned soft Beds and easie Couches but if they have no better Portion Death will strip them of this and lodge them in a stinking Dungeon and darksom Cell full of deadly Horror void of Light or Comfort a noisom sulphurous stinking Prison here are no curious Gardens or pleasant Walks for Recreation neither is there any thing to recreate the Eyes the Ears the Smell the Tast or the Touch the Object of Sight will be Infernal Devils and Damned despairing Wretches the Melody the groans and sighs the roaring yelling scrietching of damned Souls for the Taste pinching Hunger and parching Thirst or something that is worse their Smell is burning Brimstone and their Touch the scorching Flames Oh the Pains the Time the Cost and Charges many Men are at in adorning their Habitations Gardens Walks Orchards c. when all this while the poor Soul lyes neglected and slighted no Tree in the Orchard must grow disordered but must be pruned muck'd and manured when in the Soul nothing is in order no Weed must grow in the Garden when no Vice must be weeded out of the Soul Here they have pleasant Walks and Summer-shady Bowers their Rich Pastures Pleasant Meadows their Flocks and Herds their numerous Cattle both small and great and whatever their hearts can desire that can be purchased for Love or Money but Death will strip them to the skin and they shall carry nothing hence neither can they call ought their own but Tortures and
Torments Sighs and Groans Anguish and Sorrows Tears and Plaints Here they solace themselves and like the Rich Glutton go bravely clad and fare deliciously every day but there they cannot command a Cup of cold Water nay nor get it with begging to cool their Tongue Now they indulge their Flesh and please their Fancy and like Solomon Eccles 2.4 deny nothing to themselves that can be attained but ere long they will be forc'd as he was to say All is vanity and vexation of spirit ver 17. All these things must be left behind and were this the worst it were well but their eaten Bread will not be forgotten well had it been for many of them had they begged their Bread from Door to Door or earned it in the sweat of their brows for then so many abused Talents had not been charged upon them and so many abused Mercies to be answered for Here they have their Tables richly furnished with what the Earth the Sea the Air can afford and many new-invented Dishes to allure the Stomack and provoke the Appetite when their poor Brethren have not Bread to eat They have their great Attendants Musick of all sorts their wanton Songs their Plays and Interludes but Sighs and Groans will then be their chiefest Musick and finest Melody their Mirth will then be changed into Mourning and their Joy into Heaviness Oh Death what a change wilt thou make among our Lustful Gallants Here they burn in Lust one to another but there though they lye together in the same Bed of Horror their Lusting will be over Those that now think the Ground not good enough to tread upon and will not suffer the Sun to shine upon them nor the Wind to blow upon them for spoiling their Beauty shall then be heated more rudely in the Flames Those that think no Meat or Drink good enough nor any Attire fine enough will then be put into a courser Dress Hell Fire will spoil their Paint and Plaister and Beauty-spots their curled Locks and powder'd crisped Hair then one drop of Water will be better than all these here are no Masks nor Fans to shelter them from the scorching Flames their Bags of Gold and Precious Jewels must then be left behind Hâ—râ— the Maid will not forget her Ornaments nor thâ— Bride her Attire but those things there are out of Fashion Gold then is no currant Coin I am sure it cannot bribe Death 'T is said of Pope John XXI that he left above 200 Tun of Gold behind him and that another Pope when he was plunder'd by the French lost more Treasure than all the Kings in the World could raise in one Year in all their Revenues We see Riches are uncertain here and will certainly fail when we have most need of them Did griping Landlords that drink the Sweat the Tears if not the Blood of their Oppressed Tenants and make Musick of their Groans think of these Times and of these Things those Morsels they now swallow so greedily will have a poisonful Operation Many there are that instead of feeding the Hungry and cloathing the Naked pluck the Meat from their mouths and the Cloaths from their backs to maintain their own Pride and Luxury they put the Poor's Part into a Child's Portion haply into a Whore's Lap but the Lord of such Servants will come at an hour they are not aware of and give them their Portion with Hypocrites Mat. 24 last Now they have their Stage-Plays Morrice-Dances Wakes May-games and such Revels to drive Time away which alas flies too fast of it self but what Recreation have they invented to make Eternity seem short Death will dash all these Vanities out of Countenance Here sometimes a little of Hell-fire flash'd into the Conscience spoils the Sport but there will be not only flashes but flames Here they endeavour to drink away these Heart-qualms and allay these Dumps but in Hell they cannot do it The griping Usurer here hath a dry Dropsie the more Riches he drinks in the more he thirsts but there the Thirst will be allayed with Fire and Brimstone Here our Female Gallants spend their Time in their Glasses they must not have a Pin awry or an Hair amiss their naked Breasts and painted spotted Faces Oh what a change will Death make in their Garb and Ornaments And indeed could we but see the Deformity of the Soul through the garish Habit of the Body how leprous and deformed would many appear They would be ashamed to walk the streets Here they are set out like Puppets for to shew to allure unwary Youth for if there be no Wine in the Cellar why hangs the Bush But these gaudy Robes are too thin to keep off a shower of Divine Vengeance We may see how God approves of such Isa 3.18 c. Now Ten Thousand Pounds per Annum is thought too little but ere long a poor Urn will hold their Ashes and a dark Dungeon their Souls then they must be forced to say of all these things as the Prophet of his Ax Alas Master for it was borrowed God hath entrusted them with other mens Portions as well as their own but they have thought themselves sole Proprietors and abused the Talents given to another end but they must pay back every Farthing 'T is said of the Turk's Seraglio that 't is two Miles in compass and his Territories are wide and large and his Incomes great but Death can Scale these Walls as well as those of a poor Cottage Could Great Men renew the Lease of their Lives as Men do of their Estates doubtless there would be great Fines given but it will not be they make a great bustle in the World and seek to turn all topsy-turvy for a while and all to set themselves on high till Death the Leveller comes and equals them with their poor Neighbours for what is the difference now between Alexander and his meanest Slave And sometimes a Fool sometimes a Stranger sometimes an Enemy enjoyeth the Estate that they leave behind and they take nothing with them but Guilt upon the Conscience and Sin upon the Soul and the Rust of their Riches will eat their flesh like fire James 5.1 2 c. But mistake not 't is not all Rich Men that I speak of but those that abuse their Riches by loving them trusting in them employing them to maintain Pride Luxury or some other filthy Lust or with-hold good from the owners thereof those that mispend the Talents lent them for a better use for if the Servant that only hid his Talent was cast into outer Darkness what will become of them that wilfully waste it Pride is a Worm that often breeds in Riches and the never-dying Worm breeds in Pride Riches in themselves are great Blessings and if not abused will prove helps in Heavens-way Make friends saith Christ with the Mammon of unrighteousness But to many they are the greatest blocks in Heavens-way and this makes it so difficult a thing for Rich Men to
is to get Honour and whether it be by hook or by crook by fair means or by soul by Flattery Bribery Extortion sucking the Blood of Innocents treading upon other mens backs c. so they can ascend the steps of Honour they matter not when it proves oft-times a slippery standing and many break their Necks before they attain their end witness Haman Achitophel Herod and others Many like Diostrophes in Church and State love the Pre-eminence and some that are not fit for it they will be aut Caesar aut nullus they would rather be the Chief in a Town than the Second in a Kingdom Ambition is like the Crocodile of whom 't is said he grows as long as he lives and should he live longer he would grow bigger Nay do we not see the Successors take up Arms and espouse the Quarrel as we see between the Bishops of Rome Alexandria and Constantinople for the Pre-eminence and with us formerly between Canterbury and York Yea the chiefest Quarrels in the World hath been about Domination what horrible Wars Blood-shed and Devastations hath this caused The Bishops themselves have proved many times the troublers of Israel and were the Spirit of Pride and Tyranny once cast out what Happy Times might we promise to our selves Many seek to ascend to the top of Promotion that are not fit to stand upon the lowest Round of the Ladder and will rather set the Church and State on fire than be frustrated in their Hopes They care not whose back they tread upon so they may rise Honour is the Idol they worship the Shrine they bow unto which indeed is the emptiest of all Bubbles yet is it courted by many though enjoyed by few and never pays the Cost and Pains bestowed in the Attainment He that can avoid the Temptation of All this will I give thee and the Temptation of Rule and Domination is a rare Man like a black Swan Good Men are not free from this Itch the Apostles contended who should be greatest and the Sons of Zebedee would sit one on Christ's right hand the other on his left in his Kingdom few there be though meanly qualified but think themselves fit for higher Places I have read of some that lying upon their Death-beds gave large Money for Cardinals Hats that it might be engraven upon their Tombs for Posterity to read like unto Caninius the Roman when Maximus dyed the last day of his Consul-ship made suit to be made Consul for the rest of the day hence Tully calls him a vigilant Consul that never slept while he was in Office The Itch of Honour hath undone the World and made many a Man smart for it for were Princes content with their Paternal Inheritance what need so many Wars and Jars as are at this day How many Hundred Thousand Men lost their Lives before Alexander was setled in his Throne and the Contention ended between Caesar and Pompey and ere they were well warm in their Seats they were thrust out again one kill'd with Bodkins and the other not without suspicion of Poison And alas what had these for all their Labour but only a blast of Honour which if they miscarry will not cool their Tongues in Torment Did Men but see Pride and Ambition in its own Colours it would seem loathsom and dangerous the lowest degree sets it self against God being discontented with the Station wherein God hath placed them but the highest degree sets it self above God Pharaoh cries out Who is the Lord that I should obey him I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Sennacherib boasted no God could deliver out of his Hand but he was mistaken and 185000 of his Souldiers were slain in one Night by an invisible Hand Herod one of the Gang assuming to himself the Honour due to God was stricken by an Angel and devoured by Worms Lice as Josephus saith as his Grandfather was as also Maximus the Emperour and Philip King of Spain great Persecutors and that man of sin 2 Thess 2.4 that exalteth himself above all that is called God will have a fearful downfal Prosperity begets Pride and Pride feeds upon it and between them the Worm of Conscience that never-dying Worm is engendred The Ambitious Man hath commonly too high thoughts of himself and too low of others and thinks the World takes not sufficient notice of his Worth The Pharisee thanks God he was not such a one as the Publican when he was much worse these Men look upon themselves in a Magnifying-Glass and wonder at their own bigness but when they look upon others they turn the Glass and look upon them to be far less than they are but the best way is to look in God's Glass which will not deceive us Many think what others have whether of Riches or Honour is too much but what they have is always too little they are like the Rich Man in Nathan's Parable ready to spare their numerous Flocks and make use of the Poor Man's only Lamb but sometimes over-greedy griping gets little Xerxes though he had 127 Provinces not being content seeking to enlarge his Territories was slain and lost what he had like Aesop's Dog that lost his Meat by catching at the shadow and was contented with his length and breadth of Ground Great Pompey had scarce so much allotted him and our William the Conquerour was three days unburied before the Controversie was ended whose the Land was where he should be laid In this Life these things are uncertain but at Death they will be certainly taken from us and how short our Life is we little know a little Spider an Hair in Milk the Kernel of a Grape the prick of a Pin have put a period to the Life of some of our greatest Heroes and sent them packing into another World and then whose are those things that they leave behind Yet Domination is so sweet many will venture Neck and all to attain it Nero's Mother when she was told that if her Son were Emperour he would take away here Life made Answer She mattered not so her Son might Reign Which Prediction after fell out her Son ript up her Bowels that he might see the place of his Conception How many Hundred Thousand lost their Lives before Alexander was established on his Throne and the Controversie was ended between Caesar and Pompey as I have noted who should be greatest And when they came into their Thrones they were scarce warm before they were thrown out again one by Bodkins and the other not without suspicion of Poison We may well see the aspiring thoughts of Ambitious Men for when our Captain Drake had taken Domingo from the Spaniard in the Town-Hall he found the King of Spain's Arms and this Motto Totus non sufficet orbis signifying the World it self was not enough to suffice him but the greatest part hath not yet fallen to his share Ambition like a Serpent creeps into the Heart at a little hole but is hardly
Boys will be such indeed when they come there for Roaring and Yelling will be their best Musick and all shall dance after this Pipe and bear a share in this Consort Oh that Men would be wise before it be too late and Hell hath shut her Mouth upon them for then they will have no rest day nor night but it is the duration that makes up the Misery compleat Did the Torments endure but a Hundred or a Thousand Years though it were long yet it would be some comfort that an end would come but the word Never is a Hell in the midst of Hell Were a Man in perfect Health and Strength adjudged to lye upon a soft Feather Bed without stirring Hand or Foot for a Year's space though he had the comfort of Friends Meat Drink and other Necessaries it would be thought a great Punishment much more if he lay upon a red-hot Gridiron and could be preserved with Life But what is either of these to Hell-Torments or a Year to Eternity But their Torment must run parallel with the Life of God the days of Heaven and the longest line of Eternity and when they have past as many Thousand Millions of Years as there are Piles of Grass upon the Earth Stars in Heaven Hairs upon Man Beasts Sands upon the Sea-shore Feathers upon all Fowl and Scales and Fins upon all Fish yet will their Misery be no whit abated or any nearer to an end than the first day they were cast into it for were this innumerable Number taken from Eternity it is never the less Oh Eternity Eternity who can judge of thee or find thee out If the Earth were converted into Paper and the Sea into Ink and every Grass-pile into Pens and every Sand upon the Sea-shore were a skilful Arithmetician and all of them with their conjoyned Labours when they had cast up their greatest Sums and added them together yet would it not reach Eternity Nay if the whole Firmament were written from end to end with Arithmetical Figures it would fall short Oh what then but Horror and Despair will seize upon miscarrying Souls when all their hopes are dash'd then will they seek Death but shall not find it Oh that these pains would break my Heart and end my Life say they Oh that I might at last be extinct or that these Infernal Spirits would tear me in pieces till they had rent me to nothing Oh that I had never had a Being cursed be my Father that begat me and the Womb that bare me cursed be those Companions of mine that helped to undo me and betray me into my Enemies hands Such as these are like to be the wishes that Eternity will extract from tormented Souls O that the consideration thereof would make Men wise before it be too late But if Death find us unprepared this that I have described will be our condition for ever which God forbid Lesson 6. The Sixth Lesson that this Providence teacheth us is this That seeing this our Friend is taken away in the midst of her days in her full strength while her breasts were full of milk and her bones moistened with marrow Job 21.24 This teacheth all but especially us that are of greater Age that survive her how necessary 't is for us to make Preparation for our own Death for if God deal thus with the green Tree what shall be done to the dry Young Men may dye Old Men must dye for we know neither the day nor the hour wherein our Lord and Master will come 'T is good therefore to watch every day and every hour we know not when he will send his Messenger to us to Command us to give an account of our Steward-ship for we shall be no longer Stewards We usually say That should be well done that can be but once done but we can dye but once 't is appointed unto all men once to dye and after death the Judgment Heb. 9.27 Here is no room for a second Error as we say in War As the Tree falls so it lyes whether to the North or to the South so as Death leaves us so Judgment shall find us Now Death is no Fear-babe t is the King of Terrors and a Terror to Kings Hell is no Scare-crow neither Eternity a Jesting matter the Soul that is in danger is no Trifle but our chiefest Jewel and Salvation and Damnation are matters of Moment things of great Concern Now a Man would think that in Matters of such Concern it were not needful to use many words to make us mind it when we are earnest enough in lesser matters but 't is evident we are all faulty in some degree or other and the most altogether negligent Were but our Houses on fire over our heads we need not many Arguments to seek to save our selves and to quench the Fire Were we in danger of Drowning we need not many Arguments to perswade us to lay hold upon something or other to help us out Were we pursued with an implacable Enemy that sought our Lives or with a roaring Lion or ranging Bear we should double our Diligence and amend our Pace and use all means to escape the Danger And is the Soul so contemptible a thing that we matter it so little It is without our Diligence prevent it in danger to be drown'd in the Lake of Perdition and to be burnt in the Fire that never goes out and is pursued with those Infernal Furies that seek to devour her and yet we make but a little hast to rescue her But are our Houses our Estates our Bodies or our Lives to be preferred before the Immortal Soul the best part of Man And is a Moment of Time more to us than Eternity Do we take so much care what to eat and what to drink and wherewith to be cloathed and so little how the Soul is fed or cloathed decked or adorned This doubtlesly would bespeak our Folly Whatever the World dream or say to the contrary Heaven will be found to the Possessors of it a real Happiness and whatever Cost or Charge Pains or Labour we bestow a good Peny-worth and Hell will be found a real Misery and whatever we have into the Bargain we shall be losers the Rich Glutton found it so and many more here the worm dyes not and the fire never goes out One day in Heaven will make us forget all our Miseries on Earth and one day in Hell will make us forget all our fore-past Pleasures Now while we are unprepared for Death there is but the thread of our Lives between us and endless easeless and remediless Torments and this must needs be an uneasie condition to a considerate Man And which makes it the worse Death is always gnawing at this thread which if once broken all the World cannot piece it or yield us any relief Now in serious matters wise men should be serious Beggars when their wants are serious they will leave their Canting and beg in earnest as also
a Prisoner that begs for his Life and is not the life of the Soul of greater value 'T is the Immortal Soul that lyes at the stake while we are playing a Game at Folly God is in earnest his Messengers are in earnest and shall we who are most concerned and who are like to be the greatest losers be in jest Were it our Riches Honours Pleasures or such like that were in danger the matter were not much but 't is the Soul and need not we be in earnest But seeing 't is for Souls I shall back this Exhortation with these following Considerations 1. Consider seriously that we must dye but when we know not 't is our Wisdom to have Death always in our Eye and with the Apostle to dye daily 1 Cor. 15.31 Death comes never the sooner for our Preparation for it neither stays the longer if we expect it not the frequent thoughts of it will put us on to our Duty when the putting far from us the evil day Amos 6.3 will make us neglect it This cursed Security and hope of Impunity is the source of all the Wickedness in the World Because Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is wholly set in them to do wickedly Eccles 8.11 But this is not preservation but a reservation to a greater Evil this Forbearance is no Acquittance whatever we think of it Death is stealing upon us tacito pede with a silent foot and how soon he will enter our Lodgings we know not and then the Play is ended and we must march off the Stage This Motive haply may seem needless to mind Men of what they all know already but I think 't is not useless for though all Men will easily confess they must dye yet 't is not easie to make them consider of it or believe their Death is near nay if we look upon most mens Actions and manner of Living 't is easie to conclude that neither God nor Death are in their thoughts Were we but sure that Christ would come to Judgment within a Month whâ—t a Reformation should we see in the World Our Time-wasting Gallants would not then spend so much time in Hawking Hunting Drinking Whoring as now they do Holiness would not then be their scorn nor Religion their reproach and yet who knows whether it may not be within a Week Or could we be assured that Death would then Summon us to render an account of our Steward-ship in so short a time it would make the proudest of us to vail our Peacocks Plumes and entertain other thoughts of Death and Judgment and of Eternity than at present we have and we should not be so prodigal of our time as now we are but spend more of our time in hearing reading meditating and other Religious Exercises than now we do So that 't is the vain hopes of long Life which God never promised to any that encourages many in their wickedness and makes the Godly themselves the more secure 't is good therefore to view our Charter and see what time is granted us and not like the unfaithful Servant say My Lord deferreth his coming c. lest he come unawares and give us a Reward of our Folly the Poet shews these mens Folly that future their Repentance upon hopes of long life Fleres si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies Many would weep and lament did they know they had but a Month to live that now laugh and rejoyce not having a day to live of this sort was the Rich Man mentioned Luke 12.16 c. O vain World how dost thou cheat us O cunning Devil how dost thou delude us and hide from our Eyes our latter end How dare any Poor Man that hath not made his Peace with his God neither hath any assurance of his Love spend an hour in an Ale-house or a day in Vanity and not know but it is his last We have many Spectacles of Mortality daily before us younger and stronger than we go to the Grave before us and many Monitors of Mortality within us Pains and Aches Griefs and Troubles even gray Hairs to mind us of our Winding-sheets The Lord grant we may know the voice of the rod and of him that sends it The Rich Man Luke 12.16 promises himself a lasting Happiness in the World when he had not a day to live and no doubt we have many such in our Times But alas one Month or one Year for ought we know may make a great and considerable alteration in our Families and haply those may be taken away that thought they had many a fair Year to live and much Worldly Happiness to enjoy Sometimes Death strikes the Child in the Womb when he spares them that stoop for Age there is no Degree Age or Sex that is secure neither Rich nor Poor Noble nor Base Young nor Old Fair nor Foul Religious nor Profane can plead an Exemption from the Arrest of Death for all of us are dust and unto dust we must return Gen. 3.19 Eccles 12.7 Those Houses of Clay wherein we live will ere long moulder into dust about our Ears 2 Cor. 5.1 'T is our Wisdom therefore to look out for another Habitation a building an house not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens whose foundation and builder is God This Life of ours for the shortness and uncertainty of it is compared unto the most fleeting fading perishing things we can name as to Grass to the Flower of the Field a Bubble a Post a Weaver's Shuttle a Thought a Shadow the dream of a Shadow or if any thing be more vain and what manner of men then ought we to be 1 Pet. 3.11 The dimness of our Eyes the deafness of our Ears the rottenness of our Teeth the wrinkles in our Cheeks the feebleness of our Limbs and every decay in Nature warns us of our approaching ends Death shoots many Darts at us and at length will hit us to the heart It was Jerusalem's fault and folly and I wish it be not ours to forget our latter end Lam. 1.9 2. Consid Let us further consider that we have a great deal of Work to do before we can be fit to dye and but a little short uncertain time to do it in and therefore more Diligence is required and 't is work of the greatest Concernment if our time were in our own power and at our own dispose sure and certain or were our Work but a little or of little concern whether it were or no it might be some excuse to us for our Idleness and Time-wasting but this is not our case Were Pleasures the end why we were sent into the World as many of our Gallants of both Sexes seem to suppose then many in our times take an effectual course but endless Pleasures they mind not the way to Heaven will prove a little rougher God sent us into the World
did for Christ's sake till Christ be better to us than our Company and Relations as it was to Abraham we shall never leave all these for him the Martyrs loved not their Lives to the Death Rev. 12.11 and till we can look upon all these things with a self-denying Eye and hang loose to Creature-comsorts and can say of God as the Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee Then and not till then we are in a fit posture to live and to dye 4 Dir. If we desire to dye well we must be sure to live well for a good Life alwaies ends in a happy Death and a wicked Life presages an ill End Those that dance with the Devil all day seldom come to sup with Christ at night The Example of the penitent Thief I have already spoke to one Swallow proves not a Summer he that sails in the Road to Hell and changes not his Course is never like to land in the Port of Heaven he that runs down the Hill is not like to come to the top and he that swims down the Stream will not come to the Fountain Head By Nature we are born with our Backs upon Heaven and our Face towards Hell and till we repent we never change our Course A sinful Life will have a Tâ—agical End for he that walks in the broad way is not like to find the narrow Gate and that alone leads to Eternal Life Mat. 7.13 14. Strive to enter in at the streight gate for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able Wide is the gate broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat streight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Yea the Wicked let them be never so many go down to Hell and all the nations that forget God Psal 9.17 'T is our Duty whatever others do to be holy and like the Moon hold on our Course though Dogs bark at us and run our Race like the Sun though the Planters curse him at his rising for scorching them with his Beams Let us not swim down the Stream of the Sinner like dead Fish nor follow a multitude to do Evil The worse the Places are we live in the better let us be the more outragious they are in Wickedness the more couragious in Good let us be It matters not how small our Company is if good nor how great if bad 'T is better be with Noah in the Ark than with the whole World in the Flood The Way to Heaven no doubt will be rough and craggy like that of Jonathan and his Armour-bearer 1 Sam. 14.4 13. Sic petitur coelum Pains and Patience are necessary to those that travel this Road those that will to Heaven must sail by the Gates of Hell Strive saith Christ to enter yea strive to an Agony as the word imports The way to Heaven is up Hill to Hell down the Bank we may easily go down facilis descensus averin the other will cost much Pains and Sweat and when we come to the streight Gate there must be stooping and stripping He that walks the broad way will readily find the wide Gate he may go Hood-winckt to Hell and need not lose his way Now that the Life be good 't is necessary that the Heart be good for from this Fountain good or bad Water flows but naturally this is corrupt 't is not a few good Words or Wishes will serve the turn without Heart-reformation all other Reformation begins at the wrong end Where the Heart is neglected a corrupt Fountain cannot send forth sweet Water the Tree must be good or the Fruit will be bad Men gather not grapes off thorns nor fig off thistles Mat. 7.16 By Nature we are dead in trespasses and sins and we cannot act from a Principle of Life if we have it not till the Heart be seasoned with Grace all we do will savour of the Cask and till it be purged by Faith no good thing can thence proceed for without Faith 't is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 And when the Heart is reformed the Work is not done Heaven will not be had without Paines and Patience but Hell may be had with a wet â—inger 't is much ado to find Heaven-gate 〈◊〉 a man may find the way to Hell blindfold By Nature we bring forth soure grapes even grapes of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah Dan. 32.32 We hatch cockatrice eggs and weave spiders webs but we must be engrafted into that Noble Vine Christ before our Fruit will be good There must be Knowledge in the Soul before there can be Obedience to the Will of God for without knowledge the mind cannot be good but ignorant persons do the Devil the best service but neither the Blind nor the Lame must be offered in Sacrifice to God ignorant persons spoil all they take in hand we must know the Rule before we can work by it and when we know it we must not go aside to the right hand nor to the left and have respect to all God's Commands no Sin though never so dear to us must be forborn no Duty though never so difficult must be neglected all our Actions as to the Matter of them must be agreeable to God's word and to the Manner of them they must be performed as he requires sincerely and without Hypocrisie universally and constantly our Ends also must be Gods Glory the good of our own Souls and the Souls of others In short all our time must be spent in our general and particular Callings or some way or other in reference to it to fit us for the one or for the other and there must be a wise division of it between them neither must run away with the others share our relative Duties must be minded and we must live and act like Christians in such and such Relations the Trade of Holiness must go on we must treasure up Grace against a dying time when some treasure up Wealth and many wrath against the day of wrath This course may seem harsh to some but 't is the only safe way to Glory and the only way to a happy Death 5. Direct If we would dye well 't is our Wisdom with the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.31 to learn to dye daily to have Death always in our Eye and always be in a dying posture that Death may not sind us unprepared that we may not look upon Death as a stranger when he comes but as an expected Guest The frequent Meditations of Death will put us on to put our House or rather our Hearts in order with Hezekiah Isa 38.1 Death gives us many warnings to provide a new Habitation and we are unwise if we take it not for warning he is always eying us and 't is our Wisdom to be eying him that we be not surprized ere we are aware
easier to part with Poverty than Plenty Pain than Pleasure Sickness than Health and a Prison than Liberty but these Blessings were never given us to cross our Maker's Will Oh Death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that lives at ease in his Possessions and hath prospered in all things And yet the thoughts of Heaven may sweeten this also And that I may add some Sugar to this bitter Pill I add these Considerations 1. Consider our Life is not at our own dispose neither indeed is it fit it should be for God is absolute Lord of all the Works of his Hands he is the Potter we are the Clay if he dash us with his Foot who can call him to an Account For whose is the Pot but the Pot-makers And he made us for his own use and may do with his own as he pleaseth and we must hold our Tongues and say nothing if he do it Never had any Man such absolute Dominion over any thing he called his own as God hath over us yet we imagine those Beasts we call ours though we have but a subordinate Right to them yet we do them no wrong if we take away their Life we neither did nor can give it to them and hath not God a greater Propriety in us We let him alone with greater matters than our Lives and contradict him not He upholds the whole frame of Nature in Being the whole Fabrick of Heaven and Earth from returning to its Primitive Nothing and we seek not to take the Work out of his hands He maintains the Sun Moon and Stars in their incessant and unerring Motions who pour their Influences upon the Earth he hangs this huge and massy Globe upon nothing and we let him alone with this work he made those Glorious Lamps of Heaven for times and for seasons and for days and for years and the Sun knows his going down He it is that sets Bounds to this great and wide Sea yea Bars and Doors and saith Hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves cease Job 38.10 11. He forms the Light and he creates Darkness and he it is that hath the Keys of Life and Death at his Girdle He kills and he makes alive and doth whatever pleaseth him in Heaven and in the Earth Can all the Kings of the Earth with all their united Force repel the Universal Darkness that over-spreads the face of the World when the Sun is set or retain the Light while they have it And should they attempt it would they not proclaim their Folly Is it not he that provides Food for every living thing yea for thousand thousand of living Creatures Man takes no care of And shall we leave all these things at his dispose And why because we cannot take them out of his hand And are we exempt and must not our Lives be in his Hand or Power Shall he that Governs the whole World by his Power and Wisdom not be best able and fittest to dispose of us and of our Lives as well as others We have not a bit of Bread to eat but he gives it nor a Breath to breathe but he puts it into us and are we like to maintain our Lives without him or keep them against his will Is it not he that pulls down Kings and sets up Kings and disposeth of Kingdoms to whomsoever he will even to the worst of men Dan. 4.17 And doth not he best know when our Work is done and when 't is the fittest time to take us hence without advising with us or asking our Counsel Or would we only be excluded Or would we have all others have the like Priviledge If the first how came we from under the Law It is appointed unto all men once to dye and after death the Judgment If all Men must have the Priviledge of dying when they please the World will be too numerous to subsist Hell will be empty and Heaven will have few in it for most Men will live a miserable Life before they will dye though to go to Glory And is not it best to refer all this to Divine Wisdom that only knows the best time Were our Lives in our Enemies hands we should dye too soon if in our own we should live too long 't is best as it is in God's hand who best knows when our Work is done and when his Flowers are ripe and when we are fit for Glory Let us then with such Considerations as these quiet our selves under Divine Dispensations and with Paul say I am willing not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for Christ And let us breathe out Come Lord Jesus come quickly Even so Amen 2. Consider also the several Evils that Death frees a Believer from which none else can the thoughts of this may make a Christian more willing to dye yea with the Apostle to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 There is in every Man and Woman by Nature a Principle which cannot be obliterated to desire to be Happy and a cessation of Misery and though every Man living desire it yet few attain it for the greatest number whether through Ignorance mistake the way to it or through prevailing Corruption will not walk in the way that leads to it but grope after it where it never was nor can be found and seek it where it never grew and ten thousand times ten thousand have been thus deceived and undone in embracing a Cloud instead of Juno and adoring Riches Honours and Pleasures instead of Father Son and Holy Ghost and these have run themselves out of breath but all in vain and at Death have found they had mistaken their way when it was too late Some few indeed have sought after Happiness in a way of Holiness and these have it in sight and these meet with a Viaticum something to stay their Stomack in the way but their Feast their Wedding-Supper is prepared for their Journey 's end even the Marriage of the Lamb. For whatever conceit may possess the Heart of Man to the contrary true and compleat Happiness was never enjoyed by meer Man on this side Death for here we are Pilgrims and Strangers and this is not our Rest we are under Age and our Inheritance elsewhere This Life is cumbred with a thousand Miseries which cannot consist with compleat Happiness which cannot be found on this side the Grave and few find it beyond Now one part of our Happiness is to be freed from Misery for while we are under Affliction our Happiness is not compleat but till Death we cannot be freed from Suffering this alone must ease us of our Burden the thoughts of this might make us have gentler thoughts of it and look upon it through other Spectacles For that Messenger be unwelcome to a Prisoner that comes to knock off his Shackles and restore his Liberty Death is sent to tell us our Warfare is accomplished the Field
is won the Enemies are fled the Victory is ours and the Crown is ready it tells us our Work is done in the Vineyard and we must come to receive our Wages It tells us all our Pains Aches Miseries and Sufferings are at an end and God hath sent for us in his Triumphant Chariot to the Marriage of the Lamb and to lye for ever in his Bosom and inhabit those Mansions of Glory provided for us that for a Cottage we shall have a Crown and Robes instead of Rags and that a period is put to all that we call Trouble and will such a Messenger displease us This is the time that all tears shall be wip'd away and sin and sorrow shall be no more Rev. 7.17 and 21.4 God shall wipe all their tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain See also Isa 53.10 Their Bacha shall be turned into Barachah their Misery into Melody the Sighing into Singing and the Misery into Majesty and Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life whatever 't is that makes our Life uneasie shall be done away all that is called Trouble shall then vanish for sin and sorrow shall be no more Who would not bear one Fit of Sickness for Everlasting Health a little Pain for Eternal Ease a little Trouble for Eternal Freedom In this Life we are always under the Hatches sometimes pester'd with a sickly weakly Body subject to a thousand Infirmities languishing under Pains and Aches and Distempers hardly a day free but Death is the Physician that will Cure us of all this At other times we are full of â—â—â—rs and doubts concerning our Spiritual Estate questioning whether we have any Interest in Christ or Title to Glory whether the Soul be regenerate whether the Match were ever made up between Christ and us and whether all we have done be not in Hypocrisie and so lost labour whether God love us or not seeing he oft-times hides his Face from us Holy Men even David himself have sometimes such desponding thoughts upon God's with-drawings but Death will put all this out of question they need not then fear their Evidences when they are put into actual Possession nor God's Love when they enjoy the Beatifical Vision where they shall never see one wrinkle more in the Face of God Here they are pestered with the Devil's Temptations and 't is their trouble and grief that he foists in such foul Suggestions he lays Snares in their ways to entrap them Snares in all their Enjoyments in all their Duties in all their Actions in all their Relations in all they see or hear or come to know but then he shall never throw Dart more at us Here his Instruments do molest us some by cruel mocks and taunts scoffs and scorns some by Wrongs Persecutions and Tryals there we shall be out of their reach We can hardly open any Sense but we let in either sin or sorrow Our own Corruptions bring us no little trouble this makes us such strangers to God spoils our Duties and makes us scarce to have a glimpse of God in an Ordinance These and a thousand more troubles Death frees us from and yet shall we run from him as an Enemy and rather endure all this than feel his Dart We may stand amazed at our own Folly 3. Let us Consider how unbeseeming and uncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be unwilling to dye when God and his Cause requires it yea not to carry his Life in his hand and resign it up to him that gave it whenever he shall require it of him for he that laid down his life for us shall we deny our lives for him if he require it We have listed our selves Souldiers under him our General and when danger is near shall we run from our Colours We have made a Profession of our Faith and Trust and Confidence in him boasted of his Love to us of Power and Ability to save us and of the Reward we expected for oâ—r Faithful Service and now shall we let the World know there is no such matter that we dare not trust him with our Lives or Estates We find this was an Argument with those that returned out of Babylon Ezra 8.22 I was ashamed to require of the King a band of Souldiers and Horsemen to help us against the Enemy in the way because we had spokâ—n to the King saying The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him He durst not do it lest the Name of God should have been dishonoured by it and how dare we proclaim our fears and diffidence in the like case to God's dishonour 'T is a discredit to a Master when his own Servants dare not trust him Shall we that have had more Experiences of God's Power Mercy Goodness and Truth now forsake him or distrust him God hath communicated himself more to his People than to others and done more for them than for others and so laid a greater Obligation upon them than on the rest of the World and after all shall they prove treacherous It was a great aggravation to Solomon's sin that it was after God had appeared twice to him 1 Kin. 11.9 God may say to his revolting People as Christ did to the Jews Many good works have I done among you for which of these do you stone me John 10.32 'T is not so much for others to be afraid of the Journey that are strangers in the Country but we that have had so many to direct us in the way we that pretend there our Father keeps his Court that Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of us all that Christ is our Head our Husband and our elder Brother and shall be our Judge that the Saints departed are our Brethren and Sisters in Christ that Heaven is our Inheritance and those Mansions of Glory provided for us and shall we be afraid or unwilling of the Journey 'T is no wonder that others hang back that have their Portion in their hands at present for who will willingly lose what they have and are assured of no more 'T is no wonder that a Malefactor that hath deserved Death and is in expectation of it is loath to go before the Judge but 't is wonder an Innocent Man is not willing to be freed out of Prison The Grave it self is but a resting place in Job's account Job 3.13 Now should I have been still and have been quiet I should have slept then had I been at rest Ver. 17. There the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the Prisoners rest together thâ—y hear not the voice of the Oppressor the small and the great are there and the servant is free from his master c. Yea some of the Heathen upon the consideration of the troubles of Man's Life thought Mortality a
saith Luther look to the Salvation of it A Child that hath a precious Jewel cannot put it safer than in his Father's hands the like we may say of our Lives and Souls if we 'l have the keeping and disposing of them our selves the Devil will rook us out of them but what is committed to God cannot be lost our Lives though laid down for Christ cannot be lost in him 't is but as the Seed sown Life eternal will spring up in the turn when temporal Life expires eternal Life begins My Father saith Christ is greater than all and none can pluck them out of my Fathers hands Joh. 10.29 There is nothing we can expend in God's Service but he can make satisfaction we may lose all we have for him but shall lose nothing by him if we deny to honour God in letting God dispose of our Lives as to the time and manner of our Death we shall lose them for nothing To live saith Paul is Christ and to die is gain he was in a strait whether to chuse life or death yet he knew to die was best for him Phil. 1.21 c. Janua vitae est porta coeli saith Bernard Christians should be so indifferent whether they lived or died as to submit their wills wholly to God's will to die for Christ is the way to a Crown of Martyrdom and the way to reign with Christ is to suffer with him a Self-resignation can do us no hurt but much good for if we are never call'd to suffer we shall not lose our Reward God takes the will for the deed as in Abraham's case And if we do suffer for him we shall reign with him and have white robes with palms in our hands and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes Rev. 12.11 7.9 And shall not we suffer something for this Honour or shall we after all this Profession of Religion declare to the World that all was but Hypocrisie and that we have more love to Sin and the World than we have to God Is not this the way to dishonour God discredit Religion harden Wicked men in Sin and endanger our own Souls 5 Cons In the last place to make us more willing to dye or to submit to God's Will whether for Life or Death are the Joys and Delights and Pleasures which believing Souls shall have in the Presence of God for ever and for ever and that immediately after Death for as then all tears shall be wiped away and sin and sorrow shall be no more so our Joys and Pleasures shall then commence 1 Joh. 3.2 Now we are the sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Great things we have in Hand but greater in Hope much in Possession more in Reversion our Happiness then will be in seeing and enjoying him which we cannot do on this side Death but what our Enjoyments shall be there no mortal man can come to know not the Apostle who was caught up into the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words that it was not lawful for a man to utter 2 Cor. 12.4 Yet he tells us 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for those that love him Yet he reserves not all for the Life to come some clusters of Canaans Grapes are bestowed in the Wilderness some Pisgah-sights of Glory on this side Jordan But 't is no wonder we cannot describe the Joys of Heaven when we are such strangers to many Secrets in Nature In the World Believers have such joy as no stranger shall meddle with Prov. 14.10 The Cock on the Dunghil knows not the Worth of these Jewels they are unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 they are a Harâ—â—el of Heaven and a Fore-taste of Eternal Life yea such as passeth all Understanding fitter to be believed than to be exprest to which all the Comforts which the World affords signifie nothing for what shall we compare with the Peace of a good Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost And yet this is but a small tast a branch of Canaans Grapes and nothing compared with what is behind to be eternally enjoyed But if the Saints Enjoyments so darkly resemble Heavens Glory what will the Epicure's Delights do which they chose for their Portion Not so much resemble it as a Muckhil doth the Sun in his Splendor The Drunkard delights in his Cups the Adulterer in his Queans and this they look upon to be the chiefest Happiness the covetous man makes Gold his God the ambitious man makes choice of that empty Bubble Honour and the voluptuous man contents himself with Pleasure these are the Syren Songs the Devil lulls them asleep with while he ruines their Souls these are the Circe's Charms which transforms them into Swine and makes them take up with Husks and Swill and to neglect that Nectar and Ambrosia which the Saints feed upon Have I need to shew that Happinese consists not in these things Is any so blind upon consideration as to affirm it Where is their Happiness then when their Cups and Queans are snatch'd and all other their Enjoyment leave them 'T is true Meat is delightful to the Hungry and Drink to the Thirsty Health to the Sick and Strength to the Weak but what is this to an hungring thirsting panting weary Soul Christ is better to it than all the World Stately Buildings curious Gardens pleasant Walks and the rest of the Delights of the Sons of Men mentioned by Solomon Eccl. 2.8 c. how little satisfaction can they yield they will prove but empty Husks if we feed upon them what are those to those Mansions of Glory provided for the Saints and the Rivers of Pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Yea I dare say many a poor Believer hath more solid Joy more Hearts Content more true Satisfaction in his poor Cell than many of those in the midst of all their Enjoyments What then will their Enjoyments be in Heaven when they shall receive their Portion Human Learning also is desirable and more beautiful saith Aeneas Sylvius than the Morning or the Evening-Star What hard Labour and Pains have many a man taken to find out Nature's Secret and at best have but groaped in the dark And many all 〈…〉 Mystery there is in the Book of God which no man living understands the Scripture being like the Waters of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47.2 c. where a Lamb might wade and an Elephant might swim but there our Ignorance shall vanish and all those difficulties disappear and we shall know as much of God himself as finite Capacities can comprehend Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now we know but in part but then shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 2 Cor. 3.18 Here we can see but by reflection for how can our Eyes behold God that cannot view the Sun in its splendor Moses himself could but view his Back-side and Paul was blinded with the Sight but the Beatifical Vision will not disturb us Now we behold the Works of God with admiration the Sun Moon and Stars and all the Host of Heaven the Earth also hanged upon nothing beautified with all Varieties the Sea bounden and barr'd by him and generally the whole Creation these are beautiful Objects and many inscrurable Mysteries we understand not but there we shall see and know far greater Mysteries in the Fabrick of Heaven it self His Works of Providence many times puts us to a puzzle how he governs all the World and preserves Peace among so many disagreeing Creatures especially how he preserves his own Church amidst their numerous Enemies and makes Provision for all the works of his Hands but when we are better acquainted with his Wisdom and Power these Wonders will cease The Work of Redemption and the manner of contriving it that he let fall the Angels irrecoverably without hope of Redemption the reason of his Electing Love and why he made a difference the Price that was paid the Blood of his only Son may cause admiration but when we know the whole Contrivance we shall admire his Wisdom Oh who would not long to be in that estate of Blessedness where these and all things else shall be made known to us which cannot be till Death Thus Madam I have made bold haply too bold to communicate to you my own Experiences and with what Arguments I have quieted my self under such sad Dispensations of Providence as at present you lye under and to shew you what improvement I have made or at leastwise desire to make of them and I hope I may truly say it was good for me that I was afflicted and I wish you may experimentally say the same I think I have learned more in the School of Affl ction of the sinfulness of Sin of the Vanity of the Creature of Worth of Grace the Miseries of the Wicked and the Happiness of the Godly than ever I did in any other School whatsoever And I wish you and all your Relations that are concerned in this Providence may gain as much as I yea terque quaterque manifold more I do not write these things to you as if you were ignorant of them no I am too well acquainted with you to be guilty of this Error but the best of us especially when under a Cloud and overpower'd with Grief have need of a Remembrancer to put 〈◊〉 in mind of what before we knew My humble Desire is and my Prayer shall be that you and your Relations by this Providence and these Oâ—servations upon it may be brought nearer to GOD weaned more from the World and your selves fitter to live and fitter to dye that when you come to dye you may have nothing to do but to dye and resign up your Souls into the Hands of God These are the unfeigned Desires of Madam your humble Servant Edward Bury Eaton Apr. 16. 16â—5