are not to rob spoil and take away the substance and estates of wicked men meerly quà wicked because the Israelites robbed the Aegyptians unless we had immediate Authority and command for it from him who is the absolute and Supream Lord of the Creature Psa 75.7 and may dispose of the whole Creation to whomsoever he please as they had We may not offer up our Sons and Daughters in sacrifice to God because God tempted Abraham to offer up his Isaac for tryal of his obedience and Self-denyal Nor yet again may any man or woman take a Wife or Husband of Whoredome as the Prophet did Hos 1.2 whether in vision only or in reality we enquire not here uness we had the same special dispensation and allowance from the Supream Law-giver Thus Negatively We are not to follow the Saints 2. Affirmatively Therefore we are to imitate the Saints in their graces only and in their holy Conversations in the world and in whatever they did in a way of obedience and conformity to the revealed will of God the standing rule of the word A more distinct and particular account whereof I shall give before I finish this discourse 3. 3 Qu. How we must imitate the Saints Querie How must we imitate the Saints of God Answer Here again our Negative Rule meets us scil We are not to follow the Saints Universally not all over And the reason is because all that is in the Saints is not Sanctity All that is in the Godly is not Godliness Saints have their infirmities and in them they are not to be imitated The best of men are but men at the best Affirmatively Therefore our imitation of the Saints it must be but With limitation 1. A limited Imitation And that Limitation one of the best of men that were but men the great Apostle hath given us in his own Person 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me How as I am of Christ If we find holy Paul not following Christ he doth not require us to follow him It was Jehosophat's honour that he made choice of the first wayes of David to walk in Indeed we have these intermediate Copies written for our learning God therein condescending to our infirmity lest our tender eies should be too much dazled in continual beholding the transcendent brightnesse of the Supream light 1 Joh. 1.5 But God and Christ and the Spirit are the Supream Original Standard of our Conformity The Father Mat. 5.48 Be you perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation The Holy Ghost Rom. 8.7.14 They that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit And again As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God Next to these the Saints and Angels in Heaven are our lights of a second magnitude Petit. 3d. Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven These are our exact and perfect Exemplars in which there is no defect or imperfection But all our Earthly Patterns be they never so excellent have their errours and deficiencies which may mislead us if we follow them without due limitation And therefore all these inferiâ—ur Patterns are to be reduced to the Original Standard and Exemplar and wherein they are found either erroneous or defective we are to correct and perfect them by the Original we must by faith eye the Pattern in the Mount we may imitate our terrestrial Copies but we must not terminate in them The Saints are good Leaders but not infallible useful Copies but such as have need to be corrected by the Original Our imitation of them therefore must be bounded by Scripture-limitation 2. Uniform Nemo agit unum nisi sapiens caeterimultiformes sunt Sen. Ep. Phil. 4.8 2. Our Imitation of the Saints must be exact and uniform though we are not to imitate the Saints in all their actions yet we are to imitate them in all their Graces and gracious conversation Whatsoever things are true whatsâ—ever things are just Whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise in the Saints and Servants of God these things we must think of and in these things we must labour to be like unto them We must take heed of Partiality in our following the Saints of preferring one before another one Saint before another or one Grace in the Saints before another unless it be such Saints and such Graces as God himself hath preferred by putting upon them more abundant honour some special remark of excellency we must take heed of picking and chusing taking what vve please and rejecting what we list according to our own private fancies and interest We must follow them in every path and in every step wherein they have fâ—llowed the Captain of their salvation Whether in their doing-work or in their suffering-work St. Paul's charge to Timothy will not in this case be improper for us I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 5.21 and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by Pa tiality To this end 3. Vigorous 3. Our Imitation of the Saints must be a vigorous and industrious Imitation Truly to follow the Saints fully and exactly is not a business of an easie and ordinary dispatch it will require a vigorous and industrious intention and contention of our spirits as a work that will take up all the faculties of our souls and parts of our bodies Our Judgments to discern according to the word what is to be chosen and what to be eschewed in the Patterns we propound to our selves Our Undeâ—standings to discover the beauty and amiableness of the Graces and Holiness that is in the Saints Our Memories to keep alwaies before our eyes these excellent Presidents lest at any time we let them slip we shall stand in need of such Looking-glasses continually to see our faces in we shall want our Guides at every turning to tell us the way when we are turning to the right hand or to the left Our Wills and Affection to love our Guides to take delight and complâ—cency in beholding these beautifull pieces if we see no beauty in the Saints why we should desire them we shall never be zealous imitators of their Persons Our Consciences we stand in need of the impartial Testimony of an awakened conscience to accuse or excuse us according to our fidelity or neglect in this duty of so great concernment Moreover it will cost us much prayer meditaâ—ion often reflection upon our selves watchfull observation self-denial mortification c. Yea much labour and pains even of the outward man much fasting striving wrestling and watchfulness to carry on this great important duty of imitating the Saints Surely a slothful lazy
an Ecclipse of the light of his Fathers Countenance at what time He cried out to the astonishment of Heaven and Earth My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But much more in vouchsafing her some immediate irradiations of his face and favour on the evening before she died at what time a gracious intimate friend sitting at a little distance from her Bed-side forbearing to speak to her knowing her to be very much spent and supposing her to be in a slumber at length she opened her eyes as if it had bin out of a sleep and seeing her friend whom she loved sitting by she bespake her thus Oh my dear friend are you there I have had a full answer of all my prayers God hath not denyed me any of the requests of my soul but hath fully satisfied my desires Hathe he so said her friend Then I hope he hath heard you in that you feared meaning the fear of death To your God and my God to your Father my Father These Words she often used which formerly had held her in some bondage Heb. 2.14 She replyed He hath He hath I know whom I have believed and I am now going to him and I shall see him shortly with these very eyes You that have prayed to God for me I desire you would joyn with me in giving him praise for this gratious answer of peace vouchsafed me poor me She added moreover she did not desire prayer for the Continuance of life but that she might he resigned up to God in prayer Eph. 1.6 and might be accepted in the beloved And resigned up she was in a solemn manner first by several godly Ministers then present and last of all by that hand which by the power of the Holy Ghost had Midwived her into Christ in her Regeneration during all which time her spirit accompanied that solemn transaction with strong and vigorous affections to the extream expence of her natural spirits and when all was finished being asked whether she had gone along with the Petition which had bin lifted up to God for her She answered Yes I bless God I have they were very sweet and precious The Lord return your kindness and love into your bosom a thousand fold Whereupon leaving her to try what rest she could take being very much wasted in her spirits we had not bin long in our Beds ere we were call'd out in hast to take our last leave of her but her precious soul impatient of longer distance from her Beloved did upon her Lords day in the morning as early as the light might serve to denominate it day take its flight to the mountains of spices there to celebrate an eternal Sabbath in the bosom and embraces of her Heavenly-Bridegroom A Second thing she did upon her Dying-Bed was before the Lord Jesus Christ his Elect Angels and those Christians which were about her to make a full and clear Profession of her Faith Wherein though she took the Creed commonly called Apostolical for her Text Yet she did not content her self to do it in that steril verbal way of a literal repetion as the mode of most ignorant people is but upon evey Article and Clause as she went enlarged her self in so spiritual and savory a Paraphrase of her own as did marvelloufly affect the hearers in so much that they afterward accused themselves of robbery against their own souls that they had not taken the paines to make that legible to their eyes which she had made audible to their eares Her third and last dying work was to give Counsels and Instructions to her surviving Relations that were about her which were so full serious and suitable that she seemed as indeed she vvas to be acted above her self her spiritual and Heavenly self acting the weak Organ of her body as long as there was any passive capacity left in it In a word she hath left as many Mourners behind her as knew her whether good or bad The worst in the place where she lived have given her this Testimony That if she be not gone to Heaven never any went thither which puts us to find out a new exposition of our Lords Text Woe unto you Luk. 6.20 when all men shall speak well of you c. As for you Beloved remember the Text and make it your work to be her followers to imitate her in her Graces and gracious Conversation vvhose Faith follow Heb. 13.7 It is time to conclude But though I have given you divers Motives in the Grounds and Reasons of the Doctrine yet for your special provocation and encouragement who are of her Family and dear Relations give me leave to add some special Incentives and Considerations to quicken you to a vigorous imitation of so excellent a Pattern It were a fruitless sorrow to go to the Sepulchre with Mary to weep there Joh. 11.13 It is a more profitable work to enquire how vve may recruit our loss how we may expound Sampsons Riddle to get meat out of the Eater and out of the strong sweetness hovv to make a gain of our great affliction and that is the thing I would gladly press upon you in a fevv Motives and Considerations First Without a serious imitation of her pious example that which was our mercy and priviledge in the enjoying of her will turn to our sin and the aggravation of our loss Heb. 11.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is said of Noah He cocondemned the World c. How his Preaching and his Pattern being not followed should rise up in judgement against that Reprobaâ—e generation Mat. 12 21 22. and condemn them so likewise our Lord tells the impenitent Jews that the Men of Niniveh and the Queen of the South should rise up in judgement with that generation and condemn them i.e. The example of those poor Infidels not prevailing with them to move them to repentance and timely and serious diligence in the great concerments of salvation having Christ himself a greater then Jonas or Solomon to be their Preacher should in the day of judgement rise up as a witness and an aggravation of their obstinate impenitency Dear Sirs We have had the light of this most excellent pattern shining within our Walls for diverse years last past some of us more some fewer give me leave to tell you even weeping 〈…〉 it leave no bettering influence upon us 〈◊〉 will give in a judicial testimony against 〈◊〉 in the great day She hath bin a witness from God to us if by a practical improvement of what we have seen divine and excellent in her we receive not her testimony she will be a witness for God against us when our Lord shall come to call us to an account And O how terrible will that be What a dreadful addition to our misery when to the loss of such a blessing shall be added the Curse of our non-improvement of it Friends it had been better never to have been Mother to
such a Child never to have been Husband to such a Wife never to have been adopted to such a Mother or Servant to such a Mistris never to have enjoyed fellowship with such a friend then when all is done to have her come in as a witness against us in the great day of Judgement Oh to have bin possest of such a mercy so many years as it were for no other end then to render our sin the greater and our condemnation the more grievious that the very remembrance of her should add to our torment this will be intollerable Oh that the serious consideration of our danger might awaken us to a fruitful contention of being like her A Second Motive 2. Motive It will prevent a double sin 1 Envy This will prevent a double sin The first is that whereby we are very apt to envy the praises of them which are better then our selves The Scripture observes such a baseness in our degenerate natures Jam. 4.5 the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy It is usual in Scripture to call the bent and strong inclination of the soul either to good or evil Spirit so it calls a worldly frame of heart the spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2.12 Hos 4.12 Isa 19.14 An whorish disposition the spirit of whoredome frowardness of heart a perverse spirit c. So here a malignant disposition towards others a spirit lusting to envy carrying men strongly to fret and envy at the graces or praises of our brethren We have it as soon as we come into the world and it is an hard matter to kill it wholly before we die our selves it is almost an epidemical disease We cannot bear the praises of them that out-shine us And there is pride and self-love at the bottom of it whereby we are ready to think that those Eulogies and Commendations which are ascribed to others are due rather to our selves the Laurel of praises would better become our Temples Hence Saint James having mentioned envy speaks in the verse immediately following of pride as the root of that bitter fruit God resists the proud c. Hence the humble mans question is Who am I The proud mans question is Who am I not Am not I as good as such a one Wherein am I inferiour to such and such Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses Num. 12.2 hath he not spoken also by us Thus Aaron and Mirian envyed Moses Jam. 4.5 Ad solamen calamitatis suae non desinit perditus perdere Men. Fel. Oct. It is a sin as the Text that dwelleth in the Saints but it reigns in the wicked the Devils proper sin He is an envious spirit envying God his glory and the Saints their felicity and honour the Devil first envyed us the favour of God and ever since we have envyed one another Well it is our disease Yea but an holy imitation of our betters will help us to mortifie and cure it by an humble and conscientious reflection upon our selves Thus I am ready to envy them which excel in grace but am I as careful to imitate them their graces and excellencies will carry them to heaven but my envy may sink me to Hell from whence it came while I should imitate the Saints in their graces behold I imitate the Devil in envying those graces Ah what will become of such a wretch as I am A second sin 2 Sin Flattery which Imitation of those that excel us will happily prevent is that whereby we are prone to rest in a sleight commendation of their persons If we give them a few good words If we can but say Oh such a Minister was an excellent Preacher he had a rare gift in prayer a man of admirable parts and of singular piety c. Such a man was a man of great worth and incomparable abilities Such a woman was a woman of a meek spirit one that had much communion with God an holy woman of large bowels and compassions to the afflicted Church and people of God c. I say if we can but give them a good Character though we never contend after an holy imitation of their virtues we think we have done enough and there 's an end But my Beloved know we thus much First that Commendation without Imitation is but an unprofitable Complement Jam. 2.16 just such another thing as in the matter of Charity is as Saint James his Be ye warmed be ye filled and give them neither fire nor food c. or like an handful of flowers strewed upon the Graves of the dead which makes the Corps smell never the sweeter Secondly Yea Commendation without Imâ—tation is but our Condemnation we condemn our selves of gross hypocrisie while we commend them for if we believe that precious which we commend why do we not imitate them If we do not why do we commend them Thou Hypocrite why doth thy tongue belie thy heart or thy life contradict thy tongue Out of thine own mouth thou shalt be condemned For the curing therefore of this vanity apply we our selves to a sincere and industrious following of their gracious examples If we did really believe that conformity to them were our duty and that such choice Patterns whether of the departed or of the surviving Saints were a talent for which we must be responsable to our Lord as well as for the Word and Sacraments and other helps to salvation that our non-improvement of our Patterns as well as of our Precepts will render us unprofitable servants it would frighten us out of our torpor and sluggishness and make us tremble to satisfie our selves with a frigid and fruitless commendation of their shining excellencies A Third Motive By a faithful imitation of her vertues 3. Motive Imitation makes the absent person present we may still enjoy our lost Relation Imitation like Faith brings the object and the faculty together The Limner draws not his Picture without the Person or the Effigies before him Imitation makes absent persons to dwell together by our imitation of our deceased Relation we may preserve our converse with her and she being dead will yet speak with us that in a more excellent manner then while she was yet in the body We may have Communion with her pure spiritual unmixt self her self abstracted from what ever was carnal or terene in her a communion of an higher more Angelical nature advantage then that which the best of Saints are capable of in this lower region what Prelation the Apostle ascribeth to the Communion which the Apostles and other Saints had with Christ after his Ascention above that which they attained while he was with them on earth namely that whereas the converse they had with him in the dayes of his flesh was but after the flesh in a Civil Natural Humane way such as poor weak ignorant indigent servants have with a rich powerful wise bountiful Lord they converst not with him in his
woâ—â—â— not want one hour of the Communion withâ—â— innumerable company of Angels the general â—â—sembly of the first born which are written 〈◊〉 heaven Heb. 12.22 23 24. and with God the Judge of all 〈◊〉 with the spirits of just men made perfect 〈◊〉 with Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenaâ—â— I say she would not want one houres Comâ—â—nion in Heaven which she now possesseth 〈◊〉 a thousand of the best daies that ever she spâ—â—â— with us in the Land of the living And lastly This continual beholding 〈◊〉 example will dry up the stream of our sorroâ— while thereby we shall in Gods way seâ—â— to our selves a future fellowship with her glory God hath linked Grace and Glâ—â—â— together by an unseparable connexion that if we carefully mark every step of Saints holy feet of which they have left any print and endeavour to tread exactly in them It will infallibly bring us to their glory what God hath joyned together all the Powers of darkness shall never be able to put asunder Here is work Christians in finitely to bear its own charges and compensate your labour with unspeakable reward A fifth Motive 5. Motive The greatest honour we can do her Ea demum est vera religio imitari quem colis Lactant. An exact imitation of her eminent graces is the greatest honour we can lawfully put upon her As it is our truâ—st worshipping of God to labour to be like him so to imitate our gracious friends is the highest veneration they are capable of should we bring Oxen and Garlands to do sacrifice unto her as Jupiters Priests would have done to Barnabas and Paul Act. 14.13 Or should we pray unto her and worship her as the Papists do to their Saints and Images we pay her an honour not due which would be a fruitless piece of Idolatry as to her Sacrilegious as to God and pernicious as to our own souls Whereas conscientiously to insist in her steps and to set her up as a pattern for our religious imitation 6. Motive The greatest expression of our thankfulness to God will be a laudable Testimony before men that she was highly honourable in our eyes and a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased And this hints A Sixth Motive Carefully to follow her pious example is the best thankfulness we can render to God for her Two things are to be done if we would be thankful The first is to see God in those graces and qualifications wherewith she was beautified To commend her for her holiness meekness love to God and his Saints fellow-feeling with Gods suffering people her faith patience her wisdom temperance prudence mercy c. and no more were to magnifie Her but to neglect God as if she had made her self to differ or had shined by vertue of a self-born light She was thus and thus I but who made her so Here 's our thankfulness to acknowledge God the fountain whence all these streams of perfection did emanare and issue forth So it was with those they returned glorifying of God who had given such gifts unto men This is right to see God and to admire God in the gifts and graces of his servants to look upon all the excellencies of the Saints as so many Reflections of the divine nature in them To overlook God in the graces of the Saints is pride and ingratitude but to deny God were Atheism And as often as we call to mind the graces of our dear friend or friends let us contemplate and admire the infinite fulness that is in Jesus Christ of whose fulness they received and grace for grace and yet in comparison of whom her brightness was but darkness and her perfections pardon the word but small sparks of that â—un of Righteousness but little drops of that â—mmense Ocean of divine fulness that dwells in Him The second expression and testimony of our â—hankfulness after our owning of God and aâ—cribing all the glory to God I say the second â—hing is To write after her Copy to imiâ—ate those virtues for which we would be â—hankful while we labour to be like her we do â—eally bless God in expressing the true end and design of divine Grace in leaving such a piece of heaven so long in our Custody improvement of mercies is our best thankfulness for mercies while we do indeed make use of such living Directories for our better glorifying of God we do offer him praise and ordering our conversations aright we shall in the end see the salvation of God A Seventh Motive 7. Motive Hereby we shall entail Religion upon our Family A severe and constant imitation of her worthy example will be a blessed expedient of entailing Religion upon our family while each surviving Relation Oh that it might be out honour shall really endeavour in our persons to derive down a prâ—ctical memorial of her Piety we shall keep Religion alive in the Family and teach our posterity how to glorifie God Although Saints do not propagate Saints by natural Generation yet may even the barren womb and dry lâ—ynes thus propagate Saints bâ— spirâ—â—â—â— Imitation of the holy lives of them thaâ— have gone before us Thus the Fathers to the Children may make knowâ— Gods truth Isa 3â— 19 The Grandmother Lois to the Mother Eunice and the Mother Eunice to her Son Timothy 2 Tim. 1.5 propagate the Faith Certainly holiness may be transferred by Pattern as well as by Precept from one generation to â—nother and it is not education will do it withâ—â—â— example the eye is the more creditable Infâ—â—â—â—â— then the ear Teach we our Children and Eâ—â—â—â—â— so that they may see us If our practice câ—â—â—â—dict our â—â—â—â—epts we bid them as it were 〈◊〉 â—â—lieve â—s and take the next course to make thâ—â— Atheists Let us labour by both to leave an 〈◊〉 Seed in our Families of whom we may comfortably say when we come to die as our Lord 〈◊〉 upon the Cross My seed shall serve him it shall bâ— counted to the Lord for a Generation Ps 22.30 Eighthly and Lastly By this means throuâ—â— divine Grace We shall provide for Death 〈◊〉 Comfort As in reference to our dear Relation who is gone before us Her Graces and graciouâ— life testifieth comfortably concerning Her thâ—â— she is blessed in her death Heb. 1â— 23 she dyed in the Faith So our sincere and vigorous imitation of those graces will bear a Comfortable Death-Bed Testimony of our future blessedness also Conformity to her in Grace will by Scripture warrant conclude a future Conformity to her in Glory wâ— being followers of her in Faith and Patience as she was a follower of Abraham and other Believer in their several generations we shall together with them and her Vid. Motive 4.3 Branch inherit the promisâ—â— But this hath bin already hinted and thereforâ— we shall insist on it no further Soli Deo Gloris FINIS