the 5 foolish Virgins Let your Lamps be both Lighted and Trim'd and burning Your Lord coms in an hour that you look not for Mat. 24.44 and 25.16 Paul was ready i. e. prepared to be offer'd up 2 Tim. 4.6 Job is ready and prepared All the daies of his appointed time waiting till his change com Job 14.14 Set your houses and hearts in order Isa 38.1 Never rest till you have gotten a Well-grounded assurance of your real interest in Christ and of your undoubted title to Heaven through him Fight the good fight Keep the Faith Be indeed dead mortified crucified To the World and all in it Then may you with Paul in an Holy Triumph set your Foot on the Head of This stingless Serpent 1 Cor. 15.55 2 Tim. 4.7 8. and breath forth your Soul into your Gods Bosom in the Swan-like Song of good old Simeon Domine nunc dimittas Lord now Lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace and sleep and rest in peace Luk. 2.19 20. 2. Particularly To the DISCONSOLATE RELICT and near Relations of our Worthy Friend Deceased 'T is Tru It is and can not but be A day of darkness of clouds and thick darkness To you and us It hath pleased the Allwise God To take from you The guide of your youth the desire of your eies the delight of your Soul and from us and our Society A very considerabl Pillar For this we do and cannot but truly mourn But yet both you and we must remember that we mourn as becomes Believers not as those that hav no hope but according To the Apostles Advice 1 Thess 4.13 14. Something I suppose you expect concerning our dear Friend departed I confess I hav not the art of embalming the dead And whilest I utter any thing of them would not willingly giv the least occasion To Any To cry out assomtimes they did of that great Lawyer Now Now He pleads not for the Caus but his Fee However had I not been so happily prevented by that fair full proportionat character which that Reverend and Faithful Minister of Christ gave of him to that solemn Assembly that waited on his Herse To his Grave 'T is more than probabl that I should hav ventur'd at som dashes at least with my Ruder Pencil which now to do after such an Apelles would bee not so much To add a gloss and lustre as a Blot and soil To so well drawn a Picture And yet for All this I should not be able To stem the Tide of my Affections did I not greatly fear that should I giv them the least rein they would soon transport me into som Excesses concerning my dear faithful and Friendly Gaius For such He was to me and mine from the first hour we saw his face which is now near 23 years which A Malevolent Capricio would not stick To censure for Paint and Flattery However before I Take my leav of his Ashes Giv me leav To Tell the World that he liv'd and died with a perfect Antipathy against Popish Principls and Practises dreaded the Return of Popery as much if not more than Death bewailed and abhorred the Debaucheries of the Times and place wherin he lived A cordial well-wisher to the best of Men and Interests What A sober Citizen he was and How Tru An Englishman let the Common Council speak amongst whom he sate for many years and his Vote was alwaies for Truth and peace and soberness both in City and Kingdom As for his charity The backs and Bellies of the poor Orphans of Christs Hospital may be instead of Tongues to declare it As for his justice in Commerce and Trade that sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Christian Profession The whol Circl of his Acquaintance To my utmost Observation giv him this Attest That his Word to Him was as Obligatory as His Bond and what he spake with his Mouth he would faithfully fulfil with his Hand A false Tongue and Ballance were both an abomination to Him He had learnt that from the God of Truth and Righteousness He durst not go beyond or defraud his Brother in any matter as well Knowing That his just All-seeing God would avenge that A Word to his Mournful surviving-half and I shall dismiss both the Text and this Assembly Your nearest dearest Bosom Friend is now gon to sleep to sleep in Jesus It cannot be long you know not how soon you may from Heaven be called to mingl Ashes with him Whatever you clearly saw and dearly lov'd as Truly good in him take it for your Copy Never forget that good God that gav you so large an Interest in his Heart and Hand Your God by Him has fill'd your Hand with power O may the same God fill your Heart with grace most faithfully to improve your All for him who hav so graciously received your All from Him Fix and keep your ey steady on Luk. 12.48 FINIS
ye beloved of the Lord and know that the time is shortly coming when ye shall lie down quietly in your Beds and not have one waking moment or distracting dream When once you are gone down to this bed the grave when the Curtains of darkness ar drawn about you you shall never open your eies any more till the Morning of Eternity dawns and breaks forth in lustre on you Behold to your Everlasting comfort That which is To others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A King of Terrors to you is the King or chief of Comforts what is DEATH to others is but A SLEEP a sweet sleep to you You may safely play on the Hole of this Asp on the Den of this Cockatrice nay handl this Asp it self This Death that was once A Serpent is now none or if it be 'T is a Serpent without A Sting T' hath left its sting in the side of Christ 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. What that foolish Agag cracks out falsly you may in holy Triumph cry out Truly surely The bitterness of Death is past 1 Sam. 15.32 See how Death it self is even embalm'd and clothd in such soft and silken Language that It carries even A sweetness and beauty in it 'T is A sleep no more than A sleep 2. Sleep tho' it chains up the senses for a Time yet it dissolvs not the union between the Soul and the Body So neither doth Death the Spiritual mystical union betwixt Christ and Tru Believers nor indeed betwixt Believers themselves I. Not between God in Christ and Tru Believers Tho' Abraham Isaac and Jacob be dead To others They are not so to God Mat. 22.32 God is not the God of the dead but of the living The Relation of God to Abraham and of Abraham to God was as strong when dead as living The Sleep of the Wife breaks not the Marriage Knot between her and her Bridegroom The union betwixt Christ and Believers out-lives Death Tho' Death triumphs over the Natural union between the Body and the Soul yet not over the mystical union between the Soul and Christ Let them liv they liv in and to Christ Let them dye they die to and sleep in Christ 1 Thess 4.14 Living and Dying they are the Lords Ro. 14.8 II. Nor yet between Believers themselvs As Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 that are future So It is a clear Reflection on things that are past By Faiths ey we may easily look on the pale face of the first Martyr Heb. 11.4 and with Faiths ear Tho' he be dead yet hear him speaking Is a Godly Sarah dead 'T is possible for her surviving spiritual Daughters to convers with her as tho' aliv mark her outward dress her inward ornaments how she Trusted in God and obeyed her Husband 1 Pet. 3.1 to 7. There is not A Saint of God that dies but leaves A glass behind him in which when ere you pleas to be Truly serious you may behold their face and conversation The succeding Jews did so nearly convers with Jacob that was dead 2000 years before that they thought themselvs to be present with him and his God at Bethel Hos. 12.3 4. By his strength he had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us The Holy Exampls of the dead what ar they but the Spiritual Heb. 12.23 lively monuments of the Spirits of just men made perfect now living 3. Sleep is A refreshing reviving Enjoyment A man lies down in weakness sleeps and rises up in Strength Like A Giant refresht with Wine mounts up like an Eagl runs and is not weary walks and faints not 'T is Reported of Antaeus A Giant of Italy that as oft as he was weary he would but touch the Earth and immediately he rebounds and rises with renewed strength The Death of a Believer is like the Death of a grain of Corn. It dies only to spring up in more lustr beauty fruitfulness Joh. 12.24 if It dy it bringeth forth much fruit As by sleep A Believers Body is refresht so by Death his Body is refin'd 1 Cor. 15.42 43. It is sown in corruption It is raised in incorruption It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory It is sown in weakness It is raised in power Use 4. OF EXHORTATION TO TRU BELIEVERS in General Is your Death no more than a sleep 1. Away then with all inordinate immoderate slavish sinful (a) Heb. 2.15 fear of Death 'T is Tru Job 18.14 Death to Nature is the King of fears and it hath its poisonous sting with which it will wound the wicked whom it ushers into Hell But now To prop you up against this sinking fear of Death Know 'T is no wors to you than FALLING ASLEEP Even Gods own peopl ar too too much like foolish Children afraid to put off their cloaths and go to bed in A dark Chamber All this while we utterly mistake the case of our dissolution We take it for An Enemy it provs a Friend There is no littl pleasure in that wherein we suppose the greatest horrour Who is afraid after the weary toiles of the day to take his rest by night Or what is more refreshing to the spent Traveller then a sweet sleep It is our infidelity and unpreparedness that makes Death any other than advantage I grant indeed A bloody Cain A foolish Nabal an Apostat Saul An intemperate Felix and that Ranting company mentioned Rev. 6.15 16. may justly fear Death The Conscience of Unregenerate men brings in A black Bill of Inditement against them and convinces them of Rebellion against their Lord and Soverain and then no wonder if as arraigned and condemned Malefactors they live in continued fear of the Ax or Gibbet 'T is no wonder If their evil Conscience be To them like the hand-writing on the Wall to A Carousing Belshazzar Dan. 5.5 6. and makes their countenance to change to caus the joints of their loins to be loosed and their Knees to smite one against another But Believers Through infinite Mercy That 's not your case Death to YOU is not A summons To Eternal Death but A gentl Lullaby and softer Hush To A Sweet sseep and that in order to A Resurrection An Awaking to An Eternal Life 2. Adore bless lov the Lord Jesus for his infinite lov and mercy To you and All other sound Believers in that by his Painful shameful Accursed Death he hath pluckt out the sting of Death and alter'd both its Name and Nature That which once was death is now but A SLEEP A Cooling A refreshing shadow of Death and no more Heb. 2.14 15. 1 Cor. 15.55 56. 3. Carry it so while you liv that your Death may be A sleep A sweet sleep when you die Eccl. 5.11 The sleep of A Labouring man is sweet The sleep of A diligent Servant of A Laborious Husbandman of A painful Tradesman O how sweet is it
Observation of Jerom an Antient Father and the Resolution of the 3d. Christus non ploravit Lazarum mortuum sed ad hujus vitae arumnas ploravit resuscitandum Toletan Council concerning Christs weeping over Lazarus Joh. 11.35 That it was not so much becaus he was dead as becaus he was to be raised up again to feel the burthens and afflictions of this Life Gods Jonahs find this Life to be a stormy passage A tempestuous Sea-Voiage wherein they meet with many Whales many Leviathans Death sets them safe on shore puts them into safe harbour whilst here the Archers sorely griev Gods Saints shoot at them hate them draw out their Swords after them strong Bulls of Bashan beset them round the Plowers plow upon their backs they make long their furrows But there the weary is at rest Job 3.17 There the wicked cease from troubling No need now to fear A Gardners Prison Bonners Stocks or Cole-house nor a flaming Smithfield Lucius to Urbicius I thank you with all my heart that by death will free me from wicked Governours Here Gods Peter's no more dread the Cross nor Paul's the Ax nor James's the Sword nor Gods Elijah's a cursed-painted Jezabels bloody threats In A Word the whol Army of Gods Noble Martyrs are here past all fear of halters Cyprian God be blessed for this Goal delivery racks wheels stakes gibbets the most exquisite Torments that either PAPISTS or DIVELS can invent or are ready to inflict 3. From Passions and inward perturbations griefs Anxietys Here in this Life Babylas Now will God wipe away all Tears the Believers pulse beats slow and faint his heart pants his eies moisten'd and his cheeks blubber'd with tears you may read the Anguish of his Soul in his Countenance But in Death every tear dried up in the eye wiped off the cheek All sorrow and sighing flown away Rev. 21.4 The Saints Baca is turned into A Berachah sighing into singing misery into mercy 4. Pic. Mirand Death is welcom not so much as an end of Troubl as of sin From sins iniquities corruptions Whilst here the poor sin-pester'd Saint cries out of the Law in his Members warring against the Law of his mind against the body of sin and death You may hear his out-cry as of a person on a Rack Rom. 7.23 24 But now he that is dead is freed from sin Ro. 6.7 1 Pet. 4.1 Not the least spot or wrinkle left in his Soul Eph. 5.27 Not one Agag spared alive Every Egyptian not sprawling but stark-dead upon the shore The end of a Saints Living is the Non ultra of a Saints sinning With this that good Martyr held up his head when he encouraged his fellow with telling him that my Lord of London he meant that BLOODY Butcher Bonner was sending of them there where they should sin no more 5. From Temptations assaults trialls combates Satans winnowing c. Not an Adam no not in the Paradice of the Church but hath an Eve in his bosom Chast Joseph attaqu'd by a Potiphars-Wife A Messenger now and then from the lowest pit to buffet us 2 Cor. 12.7 A damp arising from Satans deepest Mine to choak us Anakims To Wound Daughters of Heth to Troubl Daughters of Midian to Allure us Snares Ginns Traps Limetwiggs 1 Pet. 5.8 Satan going about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour This world is the poor Saints Gymnasium Arena Wrestling place And Tho' It be the Saints Honour at length to Conquer yet It is and cannot but be the Saints Troubl thorn pain so long to Conflict But now Death puts the Saints into so peaceabl an Estate as that he is not only without foil but fighting Not only the Accuser but the Tempter of the Brethren is cast out Rev. 12.10 Thus we see The Paralel betwixt sleep and death with Respect to Rest Let us see next how they suite in 2. Resurrection or Awaking Natural Sleep is not perpetual We sleep and awake again Believers tho' they sleep they shall arise again as men awaken'd out of sleep This is expressed in the Words immediately following our Text. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go to awaken him out of sleep i. e. to rais him from the dead The Apostle Paul is much upon this Metaphor see 1 Cor. 15.18 20 51 52. Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise Job 19.26 27. Although after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God c. Death may yea shall prevail over the whol outward Man Death spends both skin and reins swallows up both flesh and bones And yet for all this this Total Consumption of the Body of Man is no impediment no barr in the way of Faith to stop us from a firm Belief of our Resurrection As Death shall triumph over Jobs Body so Jobs Faith triumphs over Death He that believes in Christ yea tho he were dead tho' totally corcupted and consumed yet shall he live again John 11.25 I have done with the proof of our Point the Improvement follows Use 1. Of INFORMATION Is Natural Death a sleep and no more hence 't is easy To inferr not only the Truth of that great Articl of our Faith the Resurrection of the Body but the facility and easiness of Accomplishing it After Natural sleep men use to awake again So after Death the Bodies of men shall be awaked i. e. rais'd up out of their Graves to life at the last day And 'T is most just that those Bodies which hav been the Souls Copartners in doing good or evil should therefore participate in the reward and punishment which cannot be done without a Resurrection But the white I aim at here is the facility of the Accomplishing it How easily is a living man awaked out of a shallow slumber or deep sleep Much more easy with God by his Almighty power and voice To revive and rais the dead at the last day 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. Use 2. Of TERROUR to and mourning over unregenerate unbelieving impenitent ones living and dying in their sins and lusts Poor wretched Creatures 'T is Tru you must dy certainly and you may dy speedily but Know that your Death is but A sleep You must wake again and when you wake you will awake dead-sick Those Bodys of yours must hereafter be awaked and rais'd out of your Graves at the last day and united again To the Soul that both Souls and Bodies may be cast together into Hell Torments for ever Joh. 5.27 28. Mat. 25.33 Oh how well were it for such if their Souls and Bodies might utterly perish and be abolished by Death as the Bodies and Souls of Brute Beasts How happy is A dead Lion abov An ever-living-or-rather-an ever-dying damned-unbelieving Caitif Use 3. OF SUPPORT AND CONSOLATION TO SOUND Believers Precious Souls 1. You complain of sad and unpleasant lives of dark and gloomy daies of black and restless nights Cheer up