design and private interest some hypocrysie flattery and dissimulation some inequality unsuitableness or inconstancy in our friendships here Are not the best of those we love Ignorant and mistaken erroneous deceiv'd weak and impotent and as likely to defile and grieve us by their Corruption as to edifie and rejoyce us by their Grace but hereafter when that which is imperfect is done away they shall all have suitable qualifications to recommend them to our most sincere and constant Affection and be every way more fit for our Content and Joy We shall then be never weary of each others company we shall fully understand one anothers mind we shall live in perfect harmony and full Satisfaction without the dread of Absence or fear of Separation Now if we have some Friends we have many Enemies but in the presence of Christ there shall be none but Friends and such as shall for ever be so their Persons being more amiable and their Society more desirable than now it can be Now if we are pleased with their Converse we may quickly lose it Exek 24.16 and the desire of our eyes be taken from us by a sudden stroke that we know not how to value or use them till 't is too late And shall we be unwilling on their account to depart and be with Christ since they are hastning after us and after a few daies absence we shall meet them again and dwell with them for ever 5. The Application remains which shall be only in four particulars as Inferences from what hath been said 1. We may hence take notice of the great Efficacy and Power of the Christian Faith and Hope That notwithstanding our fondness and affection to the Body and the contrariety of death to our sensitive Inclinations that yet this Faith and Hope can urge us to desire a dissolution in order to it 2. We may hence inferr that the Soul doth not sleep in the grave with it's companion the Body untill the Resurrection but immediately pass into a state of bliss For the Apostle to abide in the flesh was more expedient for the Philipians for him to Live Ver. 21. would be Christ i. e. For the advancement of his glory how then was it better to depart or in what strait could he be whether he should choose a longer Life or a present departure if no Blessedness were expected till the final Judgment And why doth he mention his being with Christ as that which made death desirable Is not the presence of Christ with us on Earth and our serving the ends of his Glory in this world much more eligible than to Sleep in the grave till dooms day 3. Is it better to depart and be with Christ than abide in the Body then the Fable of Purgatory is hereby exploded Were we to be transported by our dissolution only from Lesser pains to Greater or from a Life of Sorrow to a state of Suffering such as the Romanists imagine their Purgatory to be equivalent to the Torments of Hell in the extremity of them though different in duration How were it far better to depart that we may be with Christ 4. Is it the object of a Christians desire to depart and be with Christ and is that far better than to continue in the body Then let us not Grieve immoderately at the departure of those who have obtain'd their wish and enjoy their desire Did they long to be with Christ and choose to be dissolv'd in order to it and is it their unspeakable Satisfaction that they are so and do we express our Love and Kindness to them by repining at their Felicity shall their desired Repose and Rest and Happiness be our Torment Grief and Sorrow would we that contrary to their own welgrounded Inclinations they should continue longer here on Earth or return back again from Heaven meerly to gratifie our fond Affections Have they obtain'd a speedy Victory after a short Conflict and receiv'd the Crown of Life as soon almost as they begun their Christian race the glorious recompence of Reward though they had wrought but one hour in the Vineyard when others must Labour twelve and shall we mourn like utter Strangers to the Christan Faith and Hope Would we delay the Glory of God in their Salvation and deferr their Felicity in the blessed presence of the Redeemer and be content that a Voice should be wanting in the Heavenly Quire rather than we be Sadned by their departure Would Parents have their Children continue alwayes in their Swadling-cloaths or when advanc'd to riper years wish them back again to Infancy and hinder their possession of that Inheritance which they are born to and dispos'd to enter on and enjoy Are not you your selves hastening to the Grave and Hope e're long to be with Christ and is it not a refreshing Thought to consider that your Treasure is there before you with their Father and your Father with their God and Saviour and yours I mean your Holy Children and Friends whom you dearly Love The Primitive Church was wont to Solemnize the Funerals of Holy Persons with singing Psalms and Hymns of Praise to God for their deliverance and felicity obtain'd by dying And shall we refuse to be comforted for the death of those who sleep in Jesus and desired to do so as if in this Life only we had Hope in Christ Something 't is true of Grief and Sorrow must be allow'd to Nature Duty Custom and contracted Friendship and the Honour of the deceas'd for they are reckon'd to dye miserable who are hurl'd into the Grave without the attendance of a Sigh or Tear or Funeral Lamentation But our assurance of the future Glory they possess with Christ which they themselves preferr'd to a longer abode on Earth should wipe our Eyes and prevent excess We mourn that they are gone and desire their company but we know they do not wish themselves back again for the sake of ours no they are gone to better Friends above than those they have left below And were it not for the weakness of our Faith and Hope in reference to the invisible world were it not for the remaining Power of unmortified Selfishness and our immoderate Love of this present Life were it not for the remisness of our Love to Christ and the blessed Saints we could not but desire to be with them rather than wish that they should be longer with us Therefore instead of an intemperate Mourning at their departure let us imitate their Examples and propound their holy Lives and Deaths as our Pattern and Encouragement § 1. SInce the Honour of Gods Grace may be very much advanced by our taking notice of the Influence and power of it in Believers Since to praise and imitate the holy actions of our departed Friends is the only Communion we can now have with them and their Example though they are dead may yet speak to the Instruction and comfort of the Living I shall conclude with some brief
Religious Exercises which cool our Zeal and abate the fervor of our Spirits in the service of our Redeemer which weaken our Confidence in Prayer and shame our faces before the Lord in secret And is it not far better to part with the body of flesh that thereby we may be rid of this body of sin and death Rom. 7.2 and be like our Saviour in perfect purity Do we not complain of our Ignorance of Divine Truths and the blessed Mysteries of the Gospel notwithstanding all our means of knowledge of our Earthliness and unbelief of unbecoming Thoughts of God and holy things of proud Imaginations and carnal reasonings against his Works and Word of languishing and imperfect Graces to be recovered and perfected c And is it not better be with Christ where that which is imperfect shall be done away Is not God dishonor'd and provok't by our frequent Omissions and slight Performances of duty do we not resist and quench and sadden his holy Spirit and are we not often griev'd by God's rebukes and frowns by the wounds and smart regrets of our own Conscience so that we remember God and are troubled and cry out in the bitterness of our Souls Hath he forgotten to be gracious and will he be merciful no more Are not our holy Purposes inconstant and our best Resolutions wavering and unsteddy and very quickly very easily shatter'd by the breath of a small Temptation Have we not a constant Watch to keep over our Hearts and wayes a perpetual War to manage with the Infernal Trinity the World the Flesh and the Devil and do we know his rage and malice and serpentine policy with the Multitude Strength and Power of his Temptations How often we have been foil'd already and how soon we may be so again and shall we not be desirous of a sinless state in the presence of Christ where no Tempter no Temptation shall ever be admitted Yea had we no corruption or Sin of our own to be delivered from yet our concern at God's dishonour by the sins of others should make us willing to depart as much more desirable than our abode on earth Job 24.9 〈◊〉 24.4 Which is given into the hands of the wicked and defiled by its Inhabitants Where the very Air is infected with Oaths and Blasphemies prophane discourse and filthy Talk Where the very Being of a God is question'd his Providence denyed and his Authority mock't Where the Gospel of Christ is disparag'd and despised his Laws contradicted his Worship polluted his Institutions subverted and his holy Name made a cloak for Licentiousness and his faithful Servants trampl'd on by the foot of Pride and scorned by men at ease and forc't to own his Truth with the peril of their Lives And can we say It is good to be here or is it not far better to forsake such a Place and Company that we may be with Christ 3. Let us consider what are the grounds and Principles by which a Christian is assured of this Blessedness in the presence of Christ after his dissolution This Inquiry is necessary because the discourse of our future Bliss with Christ cannot be supposed to have any effect or influence upon us to make us desire our departure while we disbelieve or make a doubt of the matter I hope it were needless to prove the Possibility of the Souls existence in a state of seperation from the Body Whether in the body or out of the body 2 Cor. 12 2. would not have been a doubt to this great Apostle if he could not possibly have liv'd but in it neither could he desire to depart that he might be with Christ if after his departure he should not be at all And supposing the existence of the Soul notwithstanding the dissolution of the Body we have as full an assurance as the nature of the thing is capable of that holy Souls shall be present with the Lord in glory when absent from the body 1 Thess 4.17 Joh. 17.24 Matth. 25.23 Rev. 3.21 c. But because the Text hath a special relation to Christ and to be with him is the Blessedness on the account whereof 't is desirable to depart I shall only mention his Death and Resurrection as a sufficient ground to confirm our Faith in the certainty of being with him and to excite our Desires of a departure in order to it 1. The Death of Christ He hath cancell'd the Hand-writing against us and put away Sin Eph. 1.7 which is the sting of Death by the Death of the Cross a way is now open for us into the holy of holies by his blood not for our Prayers only but our Persons Heb. 10.19 He hath wounded the Head of the old Serpent even by permitting him to bruise his Heel by crucifying his humane Nature which was only Vestigium Deitatis 2 Sam. 23 21. Heb. 2.15 As Benaiah slew the Egyptian with his own Spear Having destroyed death and him that had the power of it and delivered those who were all their Life time subject to bondage through the fear of death He hath set his foot on the neck of this Adversary disarm'd it of it's weapon and rob'd it of it's sting and abolisht the ugliness and poyson of it He hath dismounted Hell and Damnation from behind him who Sat on the Pale-horse Rev. 6.8 Whether the first Adam were buryed in Calvary where the second was crucifyed as some affirm I need not enquire we know that his Death was our Victory and his Cross may be our Triumph since the Devil is conquered and death Sanctified and the Grave perfum'd by his burial so that we need not be afraid to lodge in a Sepulchre where our Lord himself hath slept Yea since the effusion of his Blood there is an amiable ruddiness in the Face of death for that which was the Instrument of Justice is now the messenger of Peace and Joy that which was the gate of Hell is the way to Life He hath brought sweetness out of the Strong and meat out of the Eater 1 Cor. 3.21 and therefore Death as well as Life is reckon'd in the Inventory of the riches of the Saints All things are yours because you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2. His Resurrection and Exaltation his rising from the Dead not only discovers the possibility of our Resurrection and gives us a pledge and assurance of it as declaring the sufficiency and acceptation of his Sacrifice Rom. 8.11 Is 26.19 that therefore the Dead in Christ shall live and with his Dead Body arise But being punctually effected according to his prediction and promise it confirms the Truth of all his Word and seals the promise of eternal Life unto all Believers He hath open'd the Prison doors and loos'd the bands of Death 1 Cor. 15. â—0 and roll'd away the heavy Stone from the Graves of his people he is now become the first fruits of them that Sleep in Jesus And
to be with Christ to be absent from the Body â— Cor. 5.8 and present with the Lord with that merciful Saviour who had compassion on me when as an ignorant Blasphemer I persecuted his Members who call'd me to be an Apostle and enabl'd me by his Grace to own his Truth in the face of Dangers and hath hitherto comforted me in all my Tribulation I desire to depart that I may be with him With him not with the blessed Angels or departed Saints though their Society will make a part of the heavenly Joy Not the former they are but ministring Spirits and menial Servants imployed under him and though they shine as Stars yet he is the enlivening Sun from whom they derive their Lustre and borrow all their glory Not the latter they have no Blessedness but by his Donation and Purchase no Crowns of Life but what he puts on Therefore 't is not to be with them only or chiefly that made him thus groan to be dissolv'd thus earnestly desire to depart but to be with Christ Which is far better simply and in it self more desirable by much more better the Comparative being double in the Greek Text and yet I wot not what to choose for I am in a strait betwixt two On the one hand his Love to the Philippians who needed his prefence many false Teachers being at that time crept in among them V. 24. made him willing to abide in the flesh and deferr his own felicity for a time upon their account But the Glory of Christ's presence on the other and his own unspeakable advantage by it made him desirous of a Departure and therefore though he determines for the former and was content to Live and 't is probable had some secret intimation from Heaven that all his work in this World was not yet finisht yet he grants the latter to be simply more eligible having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far Better Which words are not more suitable to a Funeral Solemnity than expressive of the dying Thoughts and Temper of our deceased Friend and were chosen by her as the Subject of my present Discourse And that I may comprehend the Substance and Design of the Text according to the desire of the Dead for the Benefit and Instruction of the Living let us consider 1. When and how far it is warrantable for a Christian to desire death 2. In what respects to depart and to be with Christ is far Better than to abide in the Flesh 3. On what Grounds and Principles a Christian may expect a future Blessedness with Christ after his departure so as to encourage and excite his desires after it 4. Whence it comes to pass that even those who acknowledge it Far Better to be with Christ than to continue in the body are yet unwilling to depart in order to it and what Remedies are proper to the case of such 5. The Application of the whole particularly with respect to the sad Occasion of our present Meeting 1. When and how far is it warrantable for a Christian to desire to be dissolv'd This Inquiry may be answered in the following Propositions 1. Our dissolution and departure as a natural or penal evil as contrary to Nature or as the Punishment of Sin cannot possibly be the Object of a rational desire If God hath promised a long Life as the Encouragement and Reward of our Obedience and threatned an hasty death as the punishment of Impiety If it be universally true that the Soul of man desires Union with the Body and unavoidably dreads a separation from it If Torturing pains and loathsom Diseases are the usual Antecedents of dying If the Corruption of the Body and its Imprisonment in the Grave till the general Resurrection be the certain Consequent of our dissolution We cannot but think of Death as a natural Evil and as such decline and fear it Much less desirable will it appear if considered as the Wages of Sin and the Fruit of Gods displeasure and the Just Sentence of his Vindictive Justice but how far our dissolution in this latter Notion of it is changed by the death of Christ in reference to Believers is another question and will more properly be considered under the third Inquiry 2. Our dissolution and departure ought not to be desired Only as a freedom from Temporal Evil as preventive of present suffering or delivering us from it The Apostle doth not mention the uneasie Circumstances of a Prison or the continual hardships to which he was exposed from the malice of his adversaries as the ground of his desire to depart but to be with Christ he knew very well that a Christian may serve the ends of God's glory and be useful to others in a state of suffering and therefore when he saith in another place We that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burden'd 2 Cor. 5.3.4 he adds the limitation in the following words not to be unclothed but cloth'd upon that mortality may be swallowed up of Life not meerly to avoid the inconveniencies of our abode in so poor a dwelling but to come to the possession of the building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Not meerly to find relief and deliverance from our present burdens Job 7.13 Jon. 4.3 when through melancholy or discontent we are weary of Life when we have set our Hearts on somewhat we cannot obtain or struggle with some difficulties we cannot master or are impatient under bodily pains or quite dispirited by the sad prospect of approaching Calamities in such a case to wish for Death and desire to depart is unbecoming the Character the incouragement and hopes of a Souldier of Christ much less will the Gallantry of a Roman or a Philosopher legitimate the desire of Death only to prevent Slavery or avoid Disgrace or miss the sight of an unwelcome object As Cato resolv'd to dye that he might not behold Victorious Caesar whom by all means possible he had endeavoured to ruine â—icero in â—uscul â—est lib. 1. and Cicero saith expresly of him that the reason of his choice was just and that Cato ought to dye rather then see the face of a Tyrant But we have not so learn'd Christ for 3. We must not designedly precipitate or hasten our own departure nor wilfully neglect any probable means to preserve our Lives how desirous so ever we are to be with Christ we acknowldge God as the Author and Owner of our lives and shall we presume to dispose of what is his without a declaration of his consent and order to authorize us Are we bound by the sixth commandment to preserve the Life of our neighbour and may we be negligent and careless of our own is not every man nearer to himself than any other can be and is not self-murder a violation of the Law of nature and condemned by a general suffrage and can we suppose it a sufficient Justification of our selves that