in more especial manner of labours There is a man whose Labour is in Wisdom and in Knowledge and Equity Eccles 2.21 and in such things the Saints and holy men do labour too they labour in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 But here the word used signifies a toilsome labour yea as some note of it a painful wearisome spending labour Yea sometimes variety of Tribulations Calamities and Crosses so as sometimes to threaten Death And so we find the word Labour often joyned with Toil or words of Affliction as in Gen. 5.19 the Work and Toil of our hands are joyned together as Work and Labour here and toyl of the hands may well answer to labour here in Gen. 31.42 Jacob saith God hath seen my affliction and the labour of my hands when he speaks of that troublesome labour in which the Drought by day consumed him and the Frost by night and the sleep departed from his eyes vers 40. And the like is used of the rigorous and afflictive Service and Labour which the Israelites were put to in Egypt when they were made to grone under their Burthens so as their lives were bitter with hard bondage in morter and brick and in all manner of service in the field when all their Service that they served was with rigour Exod. 1.13 14. with 2.24 Of this Moses instructs them to say the Lord looked on our affliction and on our labour and oppression Deut. 26.7 and in Psal 90.10 it 's joyned with sorrows when it is said of men that if by reason of strength we attain to fourscore years yet then is our strength labour and sorrow where Labour cannot so properly signifie work and service for alas then men are past that but rather toil and exercise as Solomon joyns together Labour and vexation of heart Eccles 2.22 and Jeremiah complains Wherefore came I out of the womb to see Labour and sorrow Jer 20.18 And that which we read in the Text Trouble is in the Margin according to the Hebrew Labour Job 5.7 And surely especially in times of great Persecution there is labour and sorrow more abundantly to exercise them as both in Jeremiah's and the time here spoken of Yea labour and business is generally with exercise grief and trouble the portion here of them that will live godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.12 both in respect of civil and outward concerns for the body weaknesses infirmities sickness pain and in respect of the labours griefs and travails of the Soul for themselves and others temptations also from Sathan persecutions from men and much care and exercise of spirit that they might obtain the grace and favour of God with Christ and be found in him and serve their generation according to his will In which sense also 2. Labour first goes before and then Eating Rest or Reward follows after no injoyment of the blessed state of Rest but for the labourers 1 Cor. 9.10 The husbandman first labouring must be partaker of the fruits 2 Tim. 2.6 Six days shalt thou labour goes before the seventh is the Salbath of the Lord thy God the rest appointed by him namely for thee to rest in Exod. 20.9.10 there is Labour that we may be found in Christ or be accepted of him whether present or absent 2 Cor. 5.9 and labour in the Lord to be performed and undergone 1 Cor. 15.58 Through much affliction we must enter the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 Service to God and sufferings to be undergone both for and from God and the will of God in all to be done before we receive the Promise the recompense of reward Heb. 10.35 36. yea and there must be faithfulness in this too to the Death else no blessedness they that endure temptation and patiently continue in well doing are the blessed that shall have Everlasting life receive the crown kingdom Luke 22.28 29 30. Jam. 1.12 Rom. 2.7 But then it is spoken out plainly that 3. They that endure and are faithful to the Death and especially in such sad times of tryal so as to dye in the Lord they are blessed in this that they Rest from their Labours God is a merciful righteous God and he hath prepared and there remains a rest for his people Heb. 4.9 He that would have a Sabbath or day of rest for Servants and Cattel now one in every seven days that they might rest Deut 5.14 He will certainly give rest to his wearied tired toild People Children and Servants that have laboured and had no rest here He calls us to himself to give us rest for our Souls and to give us rest too with himself from our Labours Matth. 11.28 29. and his rest is glorious Isa 11.10 Rest from their sorrow and fear and hard Bondage wherein they were made to serve saith Isaiah 14.3 Rest with the Apostles when they that are at rest and ease here shall be disquieted even the Inhabitants of Babylon and the Persecutors 2 Thes 1.5 6 7. with Jer. 50.34 then shall they receive their sad things in tribulation that now trouble Sion when the Beast-worshippers shall have no rest day nor night then shall Christs faithful worshippers have perfect and perpetual rest with Christ Rev. 14.11 13. yea they that dye in the Lord thenceforth shall be herein especially blessed as their labours and troubles thenceforth are greater and sharper their dangers fears and griefs more abundant now they shall be eased of them all and by how much their Sufferings were sharper and their Labour more toilsome and grievous by so much will their Rest be more sweet and welcome and the greater the blessing Death in general puts an end to the exercises of this life as well as to its enjoyments to men whether they be good or bad as they be properly the exercises of this life though not always as to the kind in general they that joy in God here shall joy much more then as to their spirits and they that fear and grieve in their consciences for fear of Hell here dying in their sins shall much more fear and feel horrour in their Consciences then But as to bodily Pains and the Fears and Labours of this Life and pertaining thereto Death puts an end to them both to good and bad but yet not so to the Wicked as to give them rest or make them therein blessed they being reserved by it as in a Prison unto far worse miseries afterward and tormented at the present with restlessness and fears or horror not having Christ to be their rest But they that dye in the Lord are generally at rest And as to be out of and at rest from greater sorrows and sufferings is more desirable welcome and beneficial then to be out of smaller so they that from that time dye in the Lord shall be in their resting from their labours more happy and blessed then others But all that dye in the Lord in the proper sense before explicated enter into this rest for they are at home
perillous and calamitous time so that it will be a great mercy to be well gone out of it so as but to be and Dye in the Lord yea the sooner the better like that in Eccles 4.13 where the Wiseman considering the oppressions done under the Sun and beholding the tears of the oppressed and that they had no Comforter that on the oppressours side is Power but the oppressed have no Comforter He praised the Dead that were already dead more then the living which were yet alive This sense of the words suits well also with that reading or Translation of the word that some judge the righter here viz. that dye in the Lord speedily And this may also be so because of what results from those Calamities viz. 2. The great difficulty of holding fast the Faith and profession of it and danger of falling from it that will then be as our Saviour saith When the Son of man comes shall he find faith on the earth Luke 18.8 truely in a sense at other times men may dye in the Lord that is in an external Profession and acknowledgment of him according to truth crying Lord Lord and yet not be blessed not enter the Kingdom being not indeed and heartily doers of Gods will but it may be signified that Henceforth from the time of the Beasts sore Rage and the sad Persecutions thence ensuing none shall be able to make a right profession of the Faith so as to persevere to Death in it but such as be indeed Saints and persons indued with singular patience real and hearty keepers of Gods Commandments and therefore all that dye in the profession of the Faith then really Blessed and Happy Or else also 3 To signifie a more eminent degree of Blessedness to be the portion of those that then shall hold out so as to Dye in the Lord a blessedness proportionable to that very sad wo and misery threatened to to the Beast-worshippers vers 9 10 11. after the Preaching of the Everlasting Gospel and downfal of Babylon declared as those Beast-worshippers shall drink of the wine of the Wrath of God poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night A most dreadful Sentence able to deter any one from Worshipping him On the other side here is a like excellent manner of Blessedness signified to be the portion of those that dye in the Lord to allure the Servants of God or any of the People to whom the Gospel is Preached to the worship of God and constancy to Christ against the Beast that they that dye in the Lord shall upon their Death be blessed with a witness more abundantly blessed as the word Blessed sometimes seems to signifie as in Rev. 20.6 for as it 's an aggravation of sin when it is against light and warning and brings the greater and severer judgment whereas the times of ignoranâ—â— God winks at Acts 17.30 31. Heb. 23 10.20 29. So it 's an augmentation of Virtue to be good in the worst of times and to cleave to God and Christ against the greatest discouragements and oppositions and they that so do shall receive the greater blessedness as their reward But we shall have occasion to Consider wherein they may be said to be more chiefly blessed in speaking to the other part of the Text viz. 2. The Confirmation of this truth asserted which is twofold 1. By Authority 2. By Argument and Evidence 1. By Authority The testimony of authentick Witnesses is a good evidence of any matter of fact asserted or of any matter whereof they have sufficient cognisance Now here we have the Authority and Testimony of one that is as good as yea better then ten thousand even the Spirit which is the Truth Yea saith the Spirit By the Spirit is meant the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth for He is Emphatically The Spirit and is divers times so called in this Book as in Rev. 2. and 3. He is so called seven times viz. in the close of every Epistle where it is said Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And in Chap 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come And that he is a sufficient Witness to any thing he Saith and Testifies to is evident in that 1. He is perfect in understanding and knowledge being the Spirit of Wisdome Vnderstanding Counsel and Knowledge Isa 11.2 He that searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 Therefore He cannot erre or mistake And then 2. He the Spirit of Truth Joh. 14.16 17. yea The truth and therefore it is He that beareth witness to Christ and the things of him 1 Joh. 5 6. therefore he neither will nor can lie for he is one with the Father and with the Son one God And God cannot lie deceive or falsifie wickedness and falshood are an abomination to him and to his lips Prov. 8.7 8. therefore every one that hath an ear may well hear as he is bid what he saith And he saith to this Assertion Yea did men onely say it it might be questioned and if they say otherwise now it is no matter All men are too prone to lie but the Holy Spirit is to be firmely believed because what ever he saith is pure and true Now he in testifying of Christ in the Gospel witnesses nothing but Life to be in Christ and to be the portion of those that believe in him that the believer in him shall not perish whatever death come upon him or whatever trouble but shall have everlasting life yea in a sort he hath it for he that hath the Son hath life saith the Record which God gives us of his Son 1 Joh. 5.11 12. and in testifying of such as are righteous men and merciful taken away and perishing from among men in such an evil day when all the Beasts come to devour he saith they enter into peace and rest in their beds each one walking in his uprighteousness Isa 56.9 57.1.2 that testimony the Holy Ghost that spake in the Prophets and particularlarly in Isaiah Acts 28.25 beareth 2. By Demonstration Argument and Evidence evidencing in what they are blessed viz. That they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Wherein are two particulars First that they may Rest from their Labours Secondly And their Works do follow them or follow with them Wherein is implied Note 1. That they that dye in the Lord and especially from the time of the Beasts rage and the great exercise of the Saints patience have Labours and Services that in the time of their life they are imployed in indeed all things are full of Labour man cannot utter it Eccles 1.8 and the Saints have their portion of Labours more especially in or
down our resolutions and endeavours to walk with God but waiting upon him he will strengthen our hearts Psal 27.14 31.24 Yea and is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but will with the temptation give an issue that we may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 but also from this here proposed after the mention of the patience and constancy of the Saints in faith and obedience viz. The Blessed state of the dead that dye in the Lord that they then rest from their Labours and shall receive a good Reward Hold we fast therefore the profession of the Faith without wavering knowing that we shall have such a Rest and Recompence and that we have need of patience that after we have done the will of God we may receive the Promise And yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.23 35 36 37. let us not for want of a little longer holding on our way and induring Affliction loose so sweet a Rest and so wondrous a Blessedness as is in Christ Jesus set before us Remember we and be warned by Sauls example who for want of a little more patience an hour or two longer tarrying for Samuel lost his Kingdom 1 Sam. 10 8. 13.8 9 10 12 13. Behold we and learn of the Husbandman who waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth and hath long patience for it until be receive the former and the latter rain and be we also patient in seeking and waiting for the blessing of Heaven stablish we our hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh James 5.7 8. O that our eye may be so upon the blessed and glorious Rest to be injoyed by us at Night as that we may indure the heat and burthen of the Day or of that little small part of it that yet remains 8. And then here is a motive and Incouragement too to diligence in the work and service of the Lord and an Admonition to take heed of loytering and idleness or of doing badly because our works follow us Our Wealth will not follow us nor any Places or Dignities mens Honours shall not descend with them onely their Works that they may be disposed of and in the great day receive Rewards fully according thereunto let us then give diligence in good works to the full assurance of hope to the end and not be slothful but followers of those who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises seeing God is not unrighteous to forget any work or labour of love shewed unto his Name Heb 6.9 10 11 12. The sleep of the labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much Eccles 5.12 let us labour and be industrious in the work of the Lord and then whether we have much or little in this world we shall have a sweet comfortable rest and sleep when we go out of it unto God for he will so satiate the weary Soul and replenish every sorrowful Soul as that when it awakes it shall be able to say with Jeremiah My sleep was sweet unto me Jer. 31.25 26. to this end let us look diligently to our Lord Jesus cleave closely to him and abide in the believing views and remembrance of him who as He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 so he also is the root from whence we may derive all grace and virtue to make us fruitful Rev 22.16 Avoid we the counsel of the ungodly the way of sinners and the seat of the scornes and exercise our selves diligently day and night in the Law of the Lord the Gospel of our Salvation that so we may be as the Trees of the Lord full of Sap even filled with the fruits of Righteousness that are by him Psal 1.2 3. 104.16 Be we always stedfast unmovable from the hope of the Gospel and ways of Righteousness abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord our works shall follow us to be gloriously rewarded by him when we shall Rest from the pain labour and exercise attending them 1 Cor. 15.58 9. Lastly it affords Comfort also to us in behalf of such as Dye in the Lord that we may not immoderately Mourn for them as those that have no hope 1 Thes 4.16 17. Death takes them not away so as they perish from their Hope they shall Rise again yea God will bring them with Christ and they shall Rise First as is there said in the mean time they are at Rest and their good works are not lost but follow with them and they are Blessed Comfort we our selves and one another with these words yea Comfort we our selves in behalf of this our Sister deceased with them whose Decease occasioned as She also before it requested it our Consideration of these words Truely though she had here Weaknesses and Infirmities common to humane fallen nature and was not without all such defilements as spring from Passions and lesser sins for which God was pleased also to chasten her for ours and others admonition yet we may through the grace of God afforded to and received by her not doubt to say That she was a good Woman and God humbling her by his corrections and chastisements did her much good in the latter end and she shewed good proof of her profiting thereby her heart being much taken with and set for the knowledge of God and Christ in his Gospel as we might in some good measure perceive in that she was very attentive to it and desirous to have her Children though but Mother in-law to them mindful thereof also walking soberly and harmlesly as also in both her former Lying-in when she had a very weak time so as there was little hope of recovery for a great while she gave very good proof and evidence of her Faith and Patience so as to sing in her very great Weakness to God and his praises And in this last Lying-in whereof she dyed as in all her languishings and great weaknesses before it she behaved herself with so good hope in God and desires of being dissolved and being with him and with divers such Christian and gracious speeches and demeanours as gives us good hope comfortably to judge her one of those Dead that have dyed in the Lord and therefore to be Blessed as being at Rest from all her Labours Weaknesses Languishings and whatever Toyls Troubles or Temptations she here encountred with and that what good fruits are Works she brought forth and acted as she was not without such follow with her into Gods presence so as that through Christ and his Blood washing both her and them she shall receive for them a good Reward in the Kingdom and Inheritance to be revealed Bless we God That there is such a way made for us to be made good and to obtain through Christ so good hope for our selves and others that we may live and dye in the Lord and be ever Blessed And Bless we him for the good wrought in her and the good hope she expressed in Christ and God and that we have concerning her And let it be our great care so to believe on and abide in Christ that we living in and unto him while we are here may also Dye in him and injoy the Blessing here pronounced by this Voice from Heaven that said Write Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Blessed be God Epitaphium in Amicam suam D am REBECCAM JACKLER IMbecille fuit corpus quod terra repostum Jam tenet in gremio non temeranda suo Mens fuit variis curis obnoxia quare Hospitio fragili fessa domum petiit Quam proprio nostrum miserescens sanguine Christus Omnibus aptavit constituitq bonis Et nunc quam foelix cui nec jam corpus onustum Morbis nec curis mens agitata suis Mens etenim athereas per Christum ascensa cathedras Omnibus impetibus libera tuta manet Gaudia percipiens ibi talia qualia nullus Quantumcunque sciens hic habitans capiat Queis ei everso Christo veniente sepulchro Aeterno socius foedere corpus erit An Epitaph Upon his Deceased Friend Mrs. R. J. WEak was the Body which within its womb The consecrated ground doth now intomb Her mind expos'd to cares lothing at last So bad a lodging to that Home made hast Which Christ through his own Blood of grace prepared And gives to all good men as their reward And now how well in mind and body she This from Diseases That from cares being free Her mind the heavenly Seats through Christ her guide Ascended free from passions doth abide Such joys injoying as none here below However knowing perfectly can know Wherein when Christ hath quite or'e-turn'd the Grave It shall its Body partner ever have