a very able and godly ministrie so their doctrine distill'd upon his heart as dew upon the grass as the soft showers of heaven upon the tender herb and brought forth the fruit of love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness and that which is the lustre of them all temperance As for his love he did first pitch it upon God and then upon man for Gods sake and upon such especially as did nearest communicate as he thought of the likeness of God He was tender in point of censuring others whose judgment differ'd in matters rather of the superstructure than the foundation of faith or in matters intricate and of controversie and not opposing an holy life Difference in judgement in such affairs should not with him make a breach of charity especially if the parties so erring were consciencious in their outward conversation seemed desirous to prove all things and hold fast that which was good according to the Apostles rule 2 Thes 5.21 And where hee found any going astray there he would seek to reduce them with the spirit of meekness b Eph. 4.15 speaking the truth in love and pitying rather than insulting over their infirmities And as touching his own faith 't was strongly built upon the Scriptures which were to him as c Gen. 24.65 Isaac to Rebecca velum oculorum the veyle of his eyes he desir'd to confine his sight within that blessed compass When between the Ministers of Lynn there was a difference about the extent of divine grace he carried himself with an amiable wisdome and circumspection for he became an Auditor to both parties accounting that whatsoever was propounded in the name of God and his Son Jesus Christ might well deserve audience and when he had well weighed their opinions hee concluded that God had a peculiar people whom he knew from the beginning of the world and into whose hearts he purposed by his determinate counsell so to put his fear that they should not depart from him as Ier. 32.40 yet so as not to lay any violent constraint upon the liberty of their wills but to make them willing in the day of his power in the beauties of holiness and to draw them with a certain omnipotent facilitie who otherwise through natural corruption would never become subject to the divine will When once he and I had discourse concerning the Universalists I told him that the sacred Trinitie of Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost as they had a d Gen. 1.26 Psal 8.3 Luke 1.51 finger in the creation of man and of the whole fabrick of heaven and earth so they had an arm in the redemption of man and were all equally sharers therein 't was the Fathers good pleasure to send the Son into humane flesh and the Son 's good pleasure to take it upon him to work salvation for men and the Holy Ghost's pleasure to work that salvation in them which the Son works for them so that unless the sun of righteousness did arise upon the hearts of men by the healing power of his spirit neither could they discern nor would they imbrace the way of their eternal peace and because this gracious work of Gods spirit is found in some and not in others we therefore say God loves some more then he does others and though many bee call'd yet few are chosen that there should be any one I told him 't was the infinite free mercy of God in Christ Jesus and this he certainly did believe and was not this faith of his like that of Abraham yes verily in this hee was a true son of Abraham and therefore as God was to Abraham a shield and an exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 so he was and is to him he was a shield to defend him from the fiery darts of Satan and to keep him safe from the dominion and condemnation of sin and he is now questionless his exceeding great reward giving him a crown of righteousness in his glorious and eternal kingdome where we will leave him to the reward of his working and betake our selves to the working out of our reward who are yet but labourers in the Vinyard here below or rather strangers in this wilderness of sin and sojourners as all our fathers were whereof to have a more firm and active remembrance is The third and last end of this our funeral concourse Hereunto therefore let me beseech you friends to receive with meekness and reverence that portion of divine Writ before rehearsed out of Gen. 25.8 which words do present themselves to ordinary view in three obser vables 1 Something before Abraham's death 2 Something at his death 3 Something after his death First Abraham before he dyed was an old man a good old man and full of yeers the words are a compendious but a full narrative of Abraham's life Abraham was a great man in yeers and he was as good as great and therefore was said to have dyed in a good old age they which liv'd before him liv'd much longer even above eight hundred yeers yet we read not that they dyed in a good old age and they which liv'd after him liv'd not so long so that Abraham was remarkable in yeers and as much in goodness God made him great in yeers and his grace crown'd his yeers with goodness From whence therefore we may draw a twofold observation 1. Observ 'T is a blessing from the Lord to live long God blessed Abraham with length of yeers length of yeers comes within the compass of Gods promises now all his promises are exceeding great and precious God promis'd Solomon that if he would walk in his ways and keep his statutes he would lengthen his days 1 King 3.14 And this the Lord annexed to the fourth Commandment as a reward of obedience to father and mother Exo. 20. and the contrary is the just doom of all blood-thirfty and deceitful men they shall not live out half their days Psa 55.23 Now as in other gifts of God so in this God has a further intendment of grace to all his people when the Lord reaches forth his hand in any gift of his he does it to draw a man to himself in the knowledge of and sweet communion with him The Lord * 2 Cor. 6.1 labours for the advantage of men both in his word and works and thus he does in the gift of a long life The Lord in his Sabbaths intends a peculiar sequestration of our selves unto his divine service not only that thereby we should symbolize or betoken the God of our creation or redemption but that we should benefit our selves in a fuller knowledge of God and the way of salvation for to that purpose the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mark 2.27 and as upon all such dayes of rest Use we ought to be moving to God-ward in a more speciall manner so likewise upon all other dayes when we have a vacancie from our secular
callings ought we to be enquiring after God We ought to passe all our time of sojourning here in his fear and so to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts to wisdom as Psal 90.12 And so much as we see of the goodness of the Lord in the length of our dayes so much we ought the more to be led to repentance and to do good length of dayes are a talent from the Lord which he puts into our hands to improve and not to lay up in a napkin nor yet to drive away as some by vain and unprofitable sports do their time There should be * Apelles nulla dies sine linea no day but we should be doing something and that something should be to purpose If we would be every day geting a little more knowledge of God and be every day endeavouring after a further strength of grace Oh what fruitfull Olive trees might we become in the house of our God within the compass of a long life 'T was said of an old man Mr Audlâ—y sometimes high Sherff of this County that he should say As for his part he had no covetous intention to scrape up much in the World but only a certain humour to trie how much a man might get with frugality and good husbandry within the limits of a mans age whether the old Gentleman were covetous or no we may not say but this we may that he was every day geting a little and at length he raised his estate to a mountanous bulck Thus might that man raise his spirituall estate whosoever he be that endeavors to go on from strength to strength he may arive at perfection in Christ Jesus 'T is true our lives are short at the longest and all arts and sciences whether human or divine are long at the shortest and extend themselves to infinite branches of knowledge and therefore but a short time we have to compasse them in Ah but may we not attain to more knowledge of God by industry than idleness and do more of the work of the Lord by putting our hand to it than into our bosom as * Prov. 19.24 Solomon spake Besides if the Lord see we be industrious may not he do by us as * i King ii 28. Solomon did by Ierobâ—am prefer us and that unto such a competency of knowledge as may serve both his and our turne may be not bring us unto a soul-saveing knowledge in the redemption of Jesus Christ and then we are well enough Oh therefore as we grow in years let us grow in grace and as dayes are added to our years so let us add amendment to our dayes and now since this is our duty they are much too blame 2 Use who turn this grace of God into wantonness and throw away those precious houres which the Lord affords them to be afeeding their faith with the contemplation of his truth and promises 'T is both a wickedness and folly for men to misspend their years a wickedness to abuse the loving kindness and long suffering of God whereby he * i Pet. 3.20 waites for the return of men into that fold from whence at first they went astray and a folly to let go that which lost is irrecoverable But men consider not this but lull themselves asleep in carnal securitie and dream that their decay hastens not because they see not their time a going when in the mean while they are swiming down the dead sea of eternal misery Let me advice you therefore my dear Brethren that if you be young you sleight not the present tenders of grace upon presumption of living longer God may require your souls this night for ought you know and if you be old think not that you have your Supersedeas from the workes of piety and that you are honourable enough because of your gray heads no think not that your being old makes you a friend to the * Dan. 7.9 Ancient of dayes so much as your being good 'T is not yeares that beatifie a man but a mans goodnesse that beautifies his years and this brings me to the second observation 2. Good men only makes their old age good We never read of any but good men that died in a good old age We read of three such and they were all good Abraham Gideon and David Old age is good in it self not as ti 's a decay of nature for so ti 's an effect and fruit of sin which is derived upon all men as they are the sons of Adam to whom God said that in the day that he did eat of the forbidden fruit he should surely dye Gen. 2.17 and so he did as being subiectum corruptionis subject to corruption or as * 22.2 dae q. 164. Aquinas senescendo moriebatur he died by growing old which he did begin to do the first day of his disobedience and then began the very heavens to wax old as doth a garment then began man the master of the house for whose use both the heavens and the earth were built and the house it self nutare in ruinas to incline to ruine but old age is good as being annorum multiplicatio a further length of years but this though good in it self is not good to wicked men it had been better for them if they had not been born as our Saviour speaks Matth. 26.24 therefore much worse that they should live so long to multiply sin to the great defaceing of the Image of God greiving his holy spirit and wronging of their own souls Ephe 4 30 Soli ergo viro bono contingit senectus bona as Philo a good old age is only proper to a good man and to such t is good in a three-fold respect 1. As 't is honourable and of a reverend esteem among men 't is a goodly sight to see a good old man his age is a crown of glory when 't is found in the way of righteousness Pro. 16.31 'T was the chiefest lustre of the honour which Job found in the time of his prosperity that to him the aged arose and stood up Job 29.8 for them to stand up to him when men of the noblest quality will account it their duty to stand up to them this was honor indeed as 't was a laudable custome among the Lacedemonians to rise up in reverence to the aged whence the Roman Orator call'd their city Cic. de Sen. honestissimum senectutis domicilium the most comely seat for old age old age bears before it a certain authority but what sayes the same Orator non cani non rugae repente authoritatem erriperepossunt sed honeste acta superiore aetas not gray haires nor wrinkles do presently become aweful but when they are found in conjunction with vertue And thus good old men meet with us arm'd with such through-experience of arts and sciences and exercitations of goodness as they cannot chuse but strike us into a reverentiall fear of them and thus their
dayes in the service of God let them know that when they dye their hope is not at an end for if it should be the most precious Saints of God of all men would be the most miserable 1. Cor. 15. No certainly they have not their pains only for their labour as we use to say but if they sowe in tears they shall reap in joy if they go forth weeping and bear in their hearts the precious seed of Gods holy word they shall doubtless return with rejoyceing they shall return with the sheaves of their souls so laden with much grain of grace as shall render them only fit to be layd up in the Barne of heaven and there they shall be and possess themselves for ever with the joy of their Master Math. 25.21 Secondly this may be matter of reprehension to others and to those First who are Atheists in Judgement and Epicures in practice who say in their hearts like fooles there is no God and live as if there were neither heaven nor hell there are some who think if they be but half good in this life they shall be made up perfect in purgatory there are others who care not to be good at all presuming that as they live like beasts so they shall totally perish like beasts tâ—lium stultorum plena sunt omnia all places now a dayes are full of such fooles and some having wickedly armed their fancies with a few ends of Poetry and a little of the out side of Philosophy go go too and fro like the Devil himself seeking whom they may devour into such blind and pernicious perswasions but if such men would but look into the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus they might soon spie out the immortality of the soul nay if such men would but con over their own Bible for so I call their bookes of Poetry a little more ingenuously they would find that Noctes atque dies patet atri janua Ditis when ever such as they are dye the Devil is ready to receive their souls This may be matter of reprehension to all earthly muck-wormes who by endeavouring with such an over-anxious care to feather their own nests acknowledge nothing more than that felicity confines it self within the limits of this transitory world otherwise why should old men oftentimes who have one foot already in the grave lay out the choyce of their thoughts and affections that way 't is indeed a wonder and that to the more ingenuous sort of heathen as Tully Potest enim quicquam esse absurdius Desenct quam quo miâ—us vitae restat eo plus viatici quaereres can there be any thing more absurd than when a man hath traveled out the journey of his life almost to an end that then he should lay in greatest provision for the way certainly such men in all their gatherings remember not that their souls shall be gathered unto another life after this either unto a life in hell or a life in heaven which life onely deserves the name of life for in that of hell the soul is in perpetuall dying Oh therefore how does it concern men rather to lay up in store such a foundation of faith as that when they come through death to let go their hold of this vain and empty world they may lay hold on eternall life 1. Tim. 6.19 hence then this may be in the next place matter of instruction to all Thirdly then since there is a certain day of death for all men as well for the friends of God as Abraham was Esay 41.8 as for his greatest enemies since no man can redeem his life from the hand of the grave and that after this life is ended another wil certainly follow as we fall in death so we shall lye to all eternity let us gird up the loines of our minds and fit our selves for our Christian race and in it be alwayes looking at the Lord Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of our faith le ts have a care of making all the * Prov. 18 10. haste we can into the strong tower of his great name le ts be careful that we desire him here as a Christ for grace Government in his service that at the great and terrible day of the Lord we may have him to be a Jesus to shelter us from the fire of Gods anger 'T is certain the Lord hatl * Act. 17 31 appointed a day to judge the world in and therefore le ts remember that of St. Cyprian Qualem te invenit Deus cum de hoc mundo evocat In Ser. de Mer. talem pariter Judicat as death leaves thee so judgement will find thee and if thou beest an aged man and dyest in thy sins what account wilt thou be able to make to God for so many dayes mispent what wilt thou think when thou shalt peep out of thy grave and see all the world in a flame about thy eares Will not the noise of the last Trump strike thee into horror and amazement to think that then thou must be hailed before the Tribunal of Christ to give an account of that talent of thy soul which he hath put into thy hands to use to his glory and shalt have nothing to say why the terrible curse should not be executed upon thee Wilt thou not then rather wish that with Michaiah thou had'st alwayes eaten the bread of affliction or with Esay had'st continually gone barefoot so that thereby thou had'st gotten interest in the Lord Jesus Then think upon these things in time you my deare brethren that are young remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth you that are old despaire not you are yet alive and under the call of God to faith and if you have but faith as a grain of mustard-seed you may say to the mountaines of your manifold sins be ye removed into the midst of the Sea and they shall be removed so far out of the sight of God Micha 7.19 this the Lord hath graciously promised in that immaculate Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Iohn 1.29 and therefore 't will be but just for God to forgive such sins Iohn 1.9 nay he doth not onely allure us to himself with the promise of remission of sins but of eternall life in the fruition of his face for ever Oh blessed God! Me thinks then if there doth remain such a blessed rest for all the people of God how should we strive to enter in since when the bodies of Gods Saints shall drop to the earth their souls shall be carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom be gathered to the innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12.22.23 to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect how should we endeavour to be one of that number With what violence of devotion should we
old age is good as being honourable 2. As 't is profitable Length of years in a good man is not much unlike the long Bagg of an old Usurer out of which may be drawn a comfortable abundance length of years is an old mans treasure out of which he can draw things both new and old as our Saviour speaks of the Scribe instructed unto the kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.52 Youth is like the spring hopeful for fruits to come middle age like the autumne signifying their maturitie and old age like winter which argues they are reaped and layd up ad varios usus depromendos to be forth coming upon all occasions a good old man hath been so frequently exercising his faith and hope upon the promises of God as he can now rely upon them with a great deale of comfort and complacency a good old man hath been so frequently clothing the backs and feeding the bellies of the poor and fatherfess as he hath now gained himself a throng of friends to make supplication for him Luke 16.9 and to help him in the day of his infirmities Oh my brethren what a great deal of difference there is between old wicked men and old good men They have a long time been sowing the wind and in their old age they reap the whirle-wind as in Hosea 8.7 they sowe vanity and reap vexation of spirit they have been spining of the Spiders web of many vain and triviall pleasures and works of the flesh with which because they cannot * Esa 59.6 cloth themselves they lie the more naked open to the fierceness of divine wrath but these these have been so continually hastning through faith into the great name of Jesus as now they are * Prov. 18. 10. to wer'd in so great a strength as that they are safe against all the batteries of the powers of darkness these have made so faithfull and so fruitfull an improvement of their former dayes that their old age is to them as Mount Nebo to Moses Deut. 34. from whence they can look into the holy Land and see the Lord ready to receive their souls as soon as their bodies which are ripe for dissolution drop to the earth and thus the old age of good men is good to them as being profitable 3. As being pleasurable and delightfull a man would think it strange at the first sight that that age which hath such a ponderous clog of sinfull infirmities and wherein Solomon sayes a man will say he hath no pleasure in it Eccle. 12.1 should taste any delight 'T is true I confess wicked old men having spent their former days in the profanation of Gods blessed name in abusing his creatures to gluttonie and drunkenness and in sheding no other tears for their sinns but those of the tanker have at last nothing but horrors of conscience and preoccupations of Hell being afraid they shall step as soon in there as into their graves which they drawing neer by reason of their age are so much the more in trouble but good old men have such joyous reflections upon the long experience that they have had of the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living how the Lord hath born them as an Eagle upon the wings of his mighty power and delivered them from many dangers which otherwise would have overwhelmed them as they are in their old age comfortably sustain'd with such apprehensions think we that a Souldier having been long in the wars and been led by the gracious hand of God through many difficulties and hazzards of life does not upon thoughts of such deliverances sit down in his old age with comfort certainly if old covetous men can delight themselves in recounting their golden Elizabeths and Iacobus's which they have in heapes before them then how many thousand times more do the Saints of God joy themselves in telling over their mercies which they have frequently been enriched withall and no wonder therefore that the Psalmist in sense hereof breaks forth so pathetically in Psal 104.34 my meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Beside Conscientia bene acta vitae multorumque benefactorum recordatio jucundissima as Cicere the review of a well spent life and those many works of piety and charity whereby eyes have been given to the blind and feet to the lame and the poor delivered that cryed Iob 29.12 and the fatherless and him that had none to help cannot chuse but solace the heart of an old man and he being sensible of all those blessings which he hath received from God to have been evidences of his loving kindness in this life and but beginnings of more love in the life to come cannot but possess himself with such a joy in the Holy Ghost as shall make his old age pleasurable Use Since then old age is good onely upon these several accounts be therefore carefull in the service of God before hand that it to you may be honourable profitable and pleasurable Alas yeares make no man good of themselves The Latines have a common Proverb and t is true barba non facit Philosophum that specious formalitie and appearance of years is no infallible sign of goodness a man with a beard and no wit showes that he hath more haire than wit and then he is the more contemptible for his but seeming beauty 't is with years as 't is with the outward things of the World they are good non quod bonos faciunt sed de quibus bona facimus August not that they make any man good but that good may be made of them and thus ought we to do and if we grow not better by this gift of God we shall grow worse more hardened in sin more miserable more abominable Solomon in the 25. of Ecclesiasticus reckons up three sorts of men which his soul did hate a poor man that is proud a rich man that is a lyar and an old adulterer that doateth he might have added a forth worse then all a poor old wicked man if a man be old and poor he is like never to be rich and no great matter and if he be old and wicked he is like never to be good but this is sad enough There may be I confess great possibility but very small hopes with many 'T is true he that bore upon the cross all the crimson and bloudie sins of the unconverted part of the lives of the Saints wherein they drew iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart-ropes may bear the many sins in the long life of an old man and through the sent of those Soveraigne waters which come from the Sanctuary of Christs blood the dry bones of their carrion souls may live But Oh! do not such men run a great hazzard in the willingness of God to give them a portion in Jesus Christ after so many grievous repulses of his spirit who hath said I will not alwayes
strive with flesh Gen. 6.3 Have therefore my Brethren a care I say again that you approve your selves faithfull as in the sight of God in all your severall places and stations that your latter dayes may be your best dayes and when you come to dye you may dye if the good hand of providence shall lengthen out your lives so long in a good old age especially too considering that when you dye you must give up that same depositum which the Lord hath put into your hand to use for his glory even your immortal souls and this all men must doe whether good or bad but with this difference some do it actively others passively these do it as being made to do it but the Saints of God sweetly resign up their souls as here faithful Abraham and this brings me to the second general observable in the words Secondly something at his death he gave up the Ghost He did freely expire his soul was not taken from him as the rich fooles in the Gospel Luke 12. to whom God said thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Indeed the death of all flesh in the old world as Gen. 7.21 and the death of Ishmael Verse 17. of this Chapter is express'd by the same word all gave up the Ghost yet because all give not up the Ghost in the same manner we may therefore interpret the word seeing it will clearly admit of such an interpretation to such a sense as may befit the quality of such a person and say that Abraham gave up the Ghost by the way of freedom and willingness so from hence observe that good men when they dye they dye willingly Observ and this interpretation we may justifie upon a fourfold account 1. Good men freely resign their souls inregard of that gratious temper frame of their spirits whereby they do cheerfully submit to all the determinations of God dispensations of his providence God does whatsoever he pleases both in heaven earth whatsoever pleases him pleases them I remember once what a good man said that he could have what weather pleas'd him either wet or dry whilest I was museing at the presumption of his words he told me he meant that certainly we should have what weather pleas'd God and what pleas'd God pleased him and so 't is the best way to yeild to the government of Divine will which is the creatures chiefest rule according to * Voluntas Divina summa regula Dav. against Hoard Aquinas 'T is B. Davenants Opinion and it savors of grace that as t is a certain appointment of God for all men once to dye as Heb. 9.27 so if any man were as sure to dye eternally or could see his name blotted out of the book of life 't would be an act of an irrational and irregular wit to be discontented for t is the perfection of the creature to lye patiently under the infinite absolute soveraigntie of God but all men are not of such a temper 't is some mens work to call his glorious attributes of wisdom and mercy and justice into question and they are alwayes charging him foolishly Chap. 51.20 if God lay any cross upon them they are like wild bulls in a net as the Prophet Esay found some furious and full of wrath against God so that as all sicknesses and diseases and other previous dispositious to death so especialy death it self they undergo with a great deal of discontent against God but the Saints of God and all the true sonnes of Abraham do captivate all their fleshly reasonings in the unsearchable wisdom of the most high and undergo all events not with a Stoicall apathy in regard of an inevitable fate in them but with a passion of love in the heart to God whose blessed hand they know deals out nothing to them unadvisedly or without mercy nay even when he comes unto them with his black rod of death And therefore hereupon they have that Lesson alwayes ready to say with the Prophet David in 2 Sam. 15.26 behold here we are let him do unto us what seemeth him good Secondly They give up their souls freely in regard of that rest which they shall assuredly find from all their labours as Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours the wafaring man having numbred many wearisome steps in the heat of the day comes with haste in his mind in expectation of a quiet repose at night so the Saints of God being scorched with the heat of adversities desire to hasten into the shadow of death as Iob speaks Chapter 7.2 and upon this same account Iob himself wished for the grave for there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Chapter 3.17.18 Obj. But may good men desire to dye How then comes life to be a blessng a blessing to be desir'd Answer I answer VVhen once we have obtained of God a sight of the salvation of Jesus Christ we may say with old Simeon Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for our eyes have seen thy salvation yet alwayes with a holy subjection to the blessed will of God for we may not be our own carvers in any thing neither may we wish for death but conditionally and with respect to the Lords good pleasure and thus we may both wish and long for a repose in the grave 't was the earnest prayer of the holy Prophet that God would grant him space to recover his strength in before he went away from hence and should be no more Psalmes 39.13 and when he had recoverd that strength of divine grace which fortified his soul against all the dark and uncomfortable suggestions of Satan and had been refreshed with the clearer irradiations of Gods countenance then even then did he wish with a holy resignation of his will to Gods that he had wings like a dove that he might flee away from hence and be at rest Psalm 55.6 his soul then was in a condition apt enough to have taken her fligh to heaven and would fain have been delivered from the burden of the flesh David was too sensible of the vanity and vexation of all things here below to desire any long stay our souls whilst they are in the flesh are in a condition not unlike to the dove before she had set footing in the arke never at rest for whilest we are in the flesh we are under a body of sin and how wretched we are then heare how the Apostle sighs it forth Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 Whilst we are in the flesh we are under the miserable fruits of sin even those numerous outward troubles and inward tears which keep our poor souls in bondage Heb. 2.15 but he that is dead is
presse forward for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.14 Oh me thinks what should hinder the manifestation of our love to him in the oblation of all holy sacrifices to his name whom neither iniquity transgression nor sin could constrain to despise the workmanship of his hands but notwithstanding our enmitie against him by wicked works he should prepare an habitation for us eternal in the heavens and not onely so but prepare for us a way thither a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say the flesh of Christ in whom whosoever whether young or old approacheth unto the living God God will in no wise cast out Heb. 10.21 Having therefore such an high-priest over the house of God let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching the day what day the day of Judegement which particularly is after the dissolution of soul and body but generally is at the end of all the world which though both dayes are certain yet because 't is as uncertain when will be the one or the other it concerns us to make use of the present time and whilest 't is called to day be a working out our salvation with fear and trembling that when the Lord shall be pleas'd to demand our souls we may freely and with alacrity resigne them up into his hands as into the hands of a most wise mercifull creator and redeemer And now what shall I say more as to the text unless I should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 show you this diseased Gentlemans picture in the words Abraham before he dyed was 175. yeares of Age our friend was aboue 90. An age that did as kindly ripen him for the Grave as that of Abrahams in regard of which therefore that may be said of him which was said of holy Job chap. 5 26. That he came to the Grave as a Shocke of Corne cometh in his season Abraham before he dyed was a good old Man his goodness stands upon record in these four particulars First In his meek and peaceable disposition towards men as appeared in that he would rather remit of his right than stand to contend with his Cousen Lot Gen. 13.9 And this disposition was in our Friend I know it in one particular my selfe Secondly Abraham acknowledged that of whatsoever he possessed God was the Lord by paying into the hands of his Priest his tribute of Tythes Gen. 14.20 And this Reverence to God the Lord had taught this Son of Abraham here departed He never would dare to rob God of what he claimed as peculiar to himself He alwayes made a conscience of paying that to the Stewards of the mysteries of God which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 9.14 A reward for the glad tydings of the Gospel whether it were by Tythes or otherwise Thirdly Abraham when he saw three men at his door in the heat of the day most freindly invited them in and gave them entertainment and this was the fruit of his Hospitality that he entertained Angels unawares Heb. 13.2 And this disposition in our Father Abraham was drawn to the life in this his Deceased Son and 't was known to be in him wheresoever he was known and no question but by the entertaining the needy members of Christ as frequently he did he entertained those three persons which some interpret Abraham did Father Son and holy Ghost But then Fourthly Abraham by the eye of Faith saw the day of the Lord Jesus Christ at almost two thousand yeares distance and so did this his Son in whose soule so firm and lively a Faith was wrought in Christs blessed Incarnation Crucifixion Resurrection Ascension Session with and Intercession to the Father that certainly as in the time of his life he thus saw Christ in part so now he sees him Face to Face Now as it appears that Abraham before he dyed was a Good old Man so when he dyed he freely resigned his Ghost to God assuredly knowing that as God promised so he would be as good as his word to him in becoming his exceeding great reward and thus did this his Son whose willingness to depart this sinfull life and to be with God he delivered to me upon his Death-bed in many comfortable expressions And thus when Abraham had given up the Ghost he was gathered to his people even to the spirits of those just men who dyed before him as to his Soul and to his Wife in the Cave of Machpelah as to his Body and thus was his Son we trust as to his Soul he is beholding the face of God and Christ upon whose redundant merits he devolved himselfe and as to his body we see that he is here brought to his wives whom he buried here and to his eldest Son and Daughters whose Souls together with his we trust are joyned to the Quire of Angels in the glorious and eternall kingdom of God To which the Lord bring us all through the blood of sprinkling Amen Quid enim nisi vota supersunt FINIS Over-sights in the Printing PAge 12. l. 3. 5. for a friend r. a kin for beatifie r. beautifie p. 13. l. 15. 16. for erripere r. Arripere for superiore superior p. 15. l. 29. for actae r. actae p. 20. l. 26. for teares r. feares p 21. l. 26 27. for man r. men for enter r. enter p. 23. l. 6. 7. mind his peace r. mend his pace p. 27. l. 2. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 28. l 20. for much graine of Grace r. such graine of p. 32 l. 32. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diseased Gentleman r. deceased