comfort in this That his mercy endures for ever therefore rejoyce alwayes and in all things give thanks for that is the love of God to thee in Christ Jesus Isa 43.25 Thus saith the Lord I even I am he that putteth away thy iniquities for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Isa 53.4 Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be confounded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth Ver. 7. For a little while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Ver 8. For a moment in my anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer Ver. 9. For this is unto me as the waters of Noah for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee Ver. â—0 For the mountains shall remove and the hills shall fall down but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee Ver. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy children Ver. 17. But all the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne this is the heritage of the Lords servants and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Eph. 2.8 For by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Sing praises unto the Lord ye his Saints and give thanks before the remembrance of his holinesse for he endureth but a while in his anger but in his favour is life weeping may abide at evening but joy cometh in the morning 1 Chron. 16.34 Praise the Lrod for he is good for his mercy endures for ever Ver. 41. And they were appointed to praise the Lord because his mercy endures for ever 2 Chron. 5.13 And they praised the Lord saying for he is good because his mercy lasteth for ever Chap. 7. ver 3. And they bowing themselves worshipped saying for he is good because his mercy lasteth for ever Ver. 6. And the Priests waited to praise the Lord because his mercy lasteth for ever Chap. 10. ver 21. And they went before the men of Arms saying Praise ye the Lord for his mercy lasteth for ever Ezra 3.11 Thus they sang when they gave praise unto the Lord For he is good for his mercy endures for ever Psal 118.4 Let them that fear the Lord say that his mercy endures for ever Psal 106.1 Praise the Lord because he is good for his mercy endures for ever Read Psal 136. Psal 117.12 For his loving kindnesse is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endures for ever Psal 138.8 Praise ye the Lord the Lord will perform his work towards me Psal 28.21 O Lord thy mercy endures for ever forsake not thou the works of thy hands forsake me not O Lord be not thou farre from me my God Psal 71.9 Cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth Amen VIII A third Comfort in Death Thou maist rejoyce because blessed are they which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 Say thou with Paul Phil. 1.21 Christ is to me both in life and death advantage Ver. 22. And whether to live in the flesh were more profitable for me and what to chuse I know not Ver. 23. For I am greatly in doubt on both sides desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Eccl. 4.12 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sunne and behold the tears of the oppressed and none comforteth them and loe the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them and none comforteth them wherefore I praised the dead which now are dead above the living which are yet alive Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his the death of the righteous is greatly to be desired Psal â—8 14 God is our God for ever an ever he shall be our guide unto death Psal 116.15 Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Prov. 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Love the Lord thy God and therein thou shalt have comfort and great joy in all conditions whatsoever for love is stronger then death and our God will destroy death for ever Isa 25.8 Hear with great joy the word of the Lord to them that love him Hoseah 13.14 I will redeem them from the power of the grave I will deliver them from death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction repentance is hid from my eyes Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Chap. 8. ver 2. For the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God IX A fourth Comfort in Death Our Saviour Jesus died in pain farre greater then ours and also a most ignominious and shamefull death and all for our sinnes it were happy for us that we could imitate in some measure his sufferings for us because his purity in the least degree or part we cannot He suffered most freely for us contrary to the cry and call of our rebellions even at that time against him when he could have got as much honour in our condemnation and have been rescued from those sufferings by more then twelve legions of Angels He hath willingly suffered to parchace eternall life for us as we ought truly to beleeve Therefore this being his appointed Crosse for us let us take it up carry it and follow him therewith rejoycing that we through his mercy are accepted of him as worthy to obtain and doe his service much more may we rejoyce that we in his goodnesse should have promise to raign with him for ever Amen Besides our blessed Saviours incarnation in coming from his Throne of eternall God-head to take upon him the form of a servant his being laid in the manger not having whereon to rest his head his many weepings and sorrowings for the sinnes of the world Read with true sorrow and repentance that thy sinnes should cause him such a death
was gathered to his people And Chap. 49. ver 26. Jacob saith I am ready to be gathered to my people bury me with my fathers Observe There is no sign or shew of sorrow in him for he might well rejoyce to exchange earth for Heaven And Ver. 33. Then Jacob made an end of giving charge to his sonnes and plucked up his feet into the bed and gave up the ghost and was gathered to his people It is an infinite and an incomprehensible mercy of God that his love in Jesus is to call us in his good time from our disserving rather then serving of him here and that with thousands of fears cares and griefs to be gathered to his servants our fathers and nearest friends in peace XII A seventh Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our entrance into the true communion of Saints By the Gospell we are joyned to the Angels and Patriarchs even in this life much more shall we be united to the true heavenly serving our eternall mercy with them when we shall cease from sinne Heb. 13.22 23. Ye are come to the mount Sion and to the City of the living God the celestiall Jerusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first-born which are written in Heaven And to God the Judg of all and to the spirits of just and perfect men Ver. 24. And to Jesus the mediator of the new Testament Col. 1.9 The Apostle saith For this cause we pray for you and do desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding Ver. 10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Ver. 11. Stengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfllunesse Ver. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Ver. 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne Ver. 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinnes Ver. 15. Who is the Image of the invisible God the first-born of every creature Ver. 16. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him Ver. 17. For he is before all things and by him all things consist Ver. 18. And he is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preheminence Ver. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Ver. 20. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in Heaven Ver. 21. And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight 1 Thes 3.12 13. The Lord increase you and make you abound in love one towards another and towards all men to make your hearts stable and unblameable in holinesse before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints Jude ver 14. Behold the Lord cometh with thousands of his Saints Rev. 7.9 I beheld saith the Apostle and behold a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe clothed with long white robes and palmes in their hands Ver. 14. And an Elder said unto me These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their long robes and have made their long robes white in the blood of the Lambe Ver. 15. Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the throne will dwell amongst them Ver. 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them neither any heat Ver. 17. For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall govern them and shall lead them unto the lively fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes XIII An eighth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our ceasing from sinne and the entrance into our eternall rest and peace Heb. 4.9 10. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God For he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his Chap. 6. ver 20. Let us study therefore to enter into that rest least any fall through disobedience Into which peace the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus that is made a High-Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec Job 3.13 For so should I now have lyen and been quiet I should have slept then and been at rest Ver. 14. With the Kings and Counsellors of the earth which have builded themselves desolate places Ver. 17. The wicked have there ceased from their tyranny and there they that laboured valiantly are at rest Ver. 18. The prisoners rest together and hear not the voice of the oppressors Ver. 19. There are small and great and the servant is free from his Master XIV A ninth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going to doe the will of God our most loving and mercifull Father in Jesus Christ without sinning against his most blessed and sacred Majesty In dying we doe the will of God Heb 9.27 For it is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgement Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sinne Joh. 14.28 When our Saviour had acquainted his Disciples of his departure from them by his passion they were sorrowfull For which our Saviour seemed to reprove them and said If ye loved me ye would rather rejoyce because I said I goe unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. XV. A tenth Comfort in Death It is the love of our good God unto us to take us away from the evill to come therefore rejoyce at this his gracious call of infinite mercy to that heavenly mansion which our blessed Saviour hath prepared for us in his Fathers house Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions or dwelling places if it were not so I would have told you I goe to prepare a place for you 1 King 11.11 12. The Lord said to Solomon I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it because of David thy Father but I will rent it out of the
saved where then shall wretched sinners appeare Beleeve not every spirit but prove the spirits if they be of God Do not understand that thou maist beleeve but beleeve that thou maist understand Faith is the assurance or substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seene Lord what I have been pardon what I am amend what I shall be direct Those sharpe corrections which the body wound if rightly used do make the soul more sound The sweetest Comfort AS a deare Mother comforteth her Son whom she hath borne So will I helpe and comfort thee at evening and at morne Isa 63.13 Nay though a Mother should forget compassion to have Yet is my mercy towards thee even when thou canst not crave Isa â—9 15 Colos 3.4 When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Ver. â— Mortyfie therefore your members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is colatry Ver. 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience Ephes â— 3 But fornication and all uncleannesse or covetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you Ver 4. As it becometh Saints neither filthynesse neither foolish talking neither jesting which are things not comely but rather giving of thankes Mark 7.21 For from within even out of the heart of man proceed evill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers Ver. 22. Thefts covetousnesse wickednesse deceit uncleannesse or wantonnesse a wicked eye back-biting pride foolishnesse Chap. 4. ver 1â— The lusts of the world and the flesh enter into the heart and choake the Word and it is unfruitfull Therefore in true zeal and faith pray O Lord my God for Christ Jesus his sake Matth. 6.13 Leade me not into temptation but deliver me from evill Endure thou with patience and in the strength and mercy of thy Saviour resist thy temptations wherewith the world the flesh and the Devill joyne in desire to destroy thee Jam. 1.12 For blessed is the man that endureth temptations Ver. 13. For when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Let no man say when he is tempted that he his tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evill neither tempteth he any man 1 Cor. 10.13 Know that there hath no temptation taken you but such as appertaineth to man and God is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tempted above that you be able but will even give the issue with the temptation that you may be able to beare it Selah 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soul 2 Tim. â— 2â— Flee also from the lusts of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith love and peace with all them that call on the Lord with pure hearts Amen The Sunne that 's set may rise againe and freshly gild his glorious traine But man is sicke and dies and where are all his pleasures priz'd so deare Yet a ter some few times are past he shall receive a raising blast Eccl. 7.2 Who can tell man what 's good at need in his vaine life and daies Or who shall after him succeed his works and all his waies I see Eccl. 4.8 most vaine of vanities which to relate breed's fear One spares no toyles no paines nor lies for wealth yet hath no Heire Mat. 25.26 c. O humbly begge of God most high that he would give thee grace To use thy Talent in the way of his just Stewards race Job 7 7. Remember well thy brickle life thy bubble shade-like spanne Hast fit thee for eternity ' gainst these few sands be runne Prov. 13.7 8 9. Two things I humbly begge my God do not thou me deny Before thou strike me with thy rod before I fall and die Put farre from me all vanities and all dissembling lies Feed me with food convenient thy lawes to exercise Least I be full and thee deny and say who is the Lord Least I be poor and steale and take thy Name in vaine O God Amen as is thy good will in Jesus Of worldly rest It 's good to want fly fullnesse here least here thou hast thy fill Of worldly wish that without care thou doest or good or ill For good so done is wickednesse if from a maxime right It be not with true humblenesse to God as in his sight Take heed therefore of worldly things whatever doth appeare To make thee say for they have wings it 's good for to be here Least so thou say Know it is good to fly the vaine excesse For outward joyes at highest flood are full of emptinesse Then fill thy soul with wisdome pure and thou shalt plainly see That 's onely good that doth assure good of eternity The Devill hath a secret snare in all our thoughts words and actions a tare at least among the Corne Therefore watch and care to prevent him at your perill On the L M.W. dying in Child-bed the Infant living My dearest Childe the daily growing love Of thy deare Father will not have thee stay To beate impetuous waves like wandering dove From worldly tumults I will take away My sweetest lilly yet least no Phaenix be I l'e leave a root a little branch of thee That hence may grow such fruit as thou didst beare Such hopes of piety such vertuous flowers Such innocence such humble waies to share Such piety adorn'd thy daies and houres Such full preparednesse for heavenly joyes That wrong it were to put thee off with toyes Therefore my dearest welcome to thy houre Let all my Angels shew there glad rejoyce Let thine alli'd who are and are to come Then thankes and praise send forth in joyfull voice For well you know my dearest onely Sonne No longer suffr'd then his work was done So all my Children if I take them thence Where sin doth raigne where sorrowes multiply If of my love I make them soone commence Their lasting blisse their joy eternally This they must know to be their onely good Thus would I have my actions understood Another on the same L.M.W. CAn dearest love more to the life appear Then when the Child beset with mortall dread When outward meanes will not preserve from fear Sorrow and sin will not be vanquished To take the most assured change of death Which unto Saints is perfect life and breath For in this life we nothing perfect have But sin and sorrow which bespot the soul And since our great Creatour will her save From sin which in us doth his Image foule His will be done and his dispose be blest Most due it is that we therein should rest Knowing assured here is no abide Nor solid dwelling here to habit in As Saints have gone before the Gate is wide We shall succeed her if not barr'd by sinne Then shall we meet and perfect blisse partake