health wants honours good name children hath he all these and thinks he wants nothing ah poor heart he don't know his wants he wants God without whom all his enjoyments nothing worth quid prodest diviti quod habet si Deum qui omnia dedit non habet what will a wicked mans All do him good whiles without God the giver of all good he wants grace more precious than Gold he wants pardon of sin peace of conscience set him by set him by he is a poor wanting creature but give me the Saint of God 't is he we would speak to come friend thou hast other manner of riches than the other but dost thou want nothing oh God help me Sir want yes I have an hard heart and would have it softned I have strong corruptions and would have them subdued I have weak graces at best and would have them strengthned I beleive and scarce beleive hope and scarce hope sometimes have comforts sometimes none my wants are great lo here a wanting world nothing but wants while in this world but now comes death and he goes where he shall want nothing for temporals no need of them nothing for spirituals all perfect t is the saying of one (a) Eacilius exponi potest quid non sit in caelo quam quid sit in caelo t is easier to tell what is not in heaven than what is in heaven I cannot tell you what the riches of it are but to be sure there be no wants there Rev. 7.16 17. they shall hunger no more thirst no more and chap. 21.23 That City hath no need of the Sun or Moon the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof No no the Saints needy dayes are gone now their wanting time is over here 's nothing but what is desirable and here 's every thing that is desirable yea fulness of all desirableness and eternity to compleat all when once death hath wasted them over upon that shore they shall find nothing wanting to compleat their everlasting blisfulness as I remember one speaking of hell sayes n = * Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferrea vox omnes scelerum comprendere formas Omnia paenarum percurrere nomina possem Non mihi si centum c. which is Englished briefly thus No heart of man can think no tongue can tell The direful pains ordain'd and felt in Hell So may I say of Heaven Had I a thousand tongues I might not express its full happiness will glorious Robes please will princely Attendance please will delicious Feasting please I could fetch Scriptures to attest all these 〈…〉 dark resemblances of that glory but what spend I words when the Apostle who was a little eye witness and ear witness when he was caught up into Paradise 2 Cor. 12.4 yet concludes its fulness of happiness thus 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Now whether to change a barren countrey which is alwaies in want for such fulness of estate and unutterable plenty be not a gainful change judge you but this change do Christs Saints make by dying And thus I have shew'd you in these five particulars that Saints gain by dying in part of estate and condition one step farther and we shall come to the use As they make a gain of death in the change of their place as they make a gain by death in respect of their estate and condition so they gain in the change of their company in this respect also death makes them gainers and this I shall hold out unto you in these three particulars First they change unholy company for company that is holy and pure unholy company why the Saints associate not themselves with such here Ps 6.8 Psal 119.115 Ps 120.5 Psal 16.3 doth not the Psalmist banish such his society away from me ye wicked doth not he complain Wo is me that I dwell in Mesech does he not profess all my delight is in the Saints that dwell on earth I answer t is true he does so and the like do all Saints desire as man is a sociable creature so by his society you may judge of the man wicked men are for company like themselves and Saints for Saints society the righteous are abomination to the wicked and the wicked are abomination to the righteous Canaanites are thorns in the Israelites sides and pricks in their eyes I would as soon guess at a man bound for heaven or hell by his companions as by most marks I know it was the speech of a good woman lying upon her bed of sickness and under some trouble of spirit her comforts eclipsed Lord sayes she I hope thou wilt not send me to hell for there be the wicked and thou knowest I never loved their company upon earth Gods Saints had rather be in a desart then with debauched companions Psal 55.6 O that I had wings like a dove then would I flee away yea wander far off and remain in the wilderness but though these be not the Saints companions by way of choice or option yet so long as their converse and walk lyes here in the world they must have to to do with ungodly ones t is true their fellow Saints are their dear associates the company they delight in but they cannot sometime avoid sinners company too for then as St. Paul sayes 1 Cor. 5.10 they must go out of the world yea but now comes death and that sets them among company pure and perfect now they are for Mount Sion the city of the living God the heavenly Hierusalem the innumerable company of Angels the general assembly the Church of the first born and with God the judge of all with the spirits of just men made perfect with Jesus the mediator c. Heb. 12.22.23 Now they are in the kingdome which no unclean thing enters where are shut out all dogs and sorceres and whoremongers murderers Idolaters lyars with the rest of that cursed rabble this is Gods holy place where must come none but holy persons called the Inheritance of the Saints in light Coll. 1.12 the inheritance undefiled 1 Pet. 1.4 where they shall have no wicked Belialite to vex persecute trouble mock reproach or bark against holiness and holy persons no they are gone by themselves to a place of their own and shall never more disquiet thee in thy eternal and uninterrupted enjoyment of thy long wished for rest and peace Oh what a gainful change is this to hearts truly gracious company well amended that 's the first thing Then secondly they change company of an inferiour and lower rank for Princes and Kings society nay indeed none come there but Kings all crowned persons Rev. 1.6 He hath made us Kings and Priests to God such they were here though their glory was obscured but now they go to have their
into his mind that within an hundred years not one of that goodly Company would be found alive to whom he answered thus I would quoth he that were the worst for we endure more sorrow by retaining life neither is there any one of these or of all men living besides so happy upon Earth that he does not often cast in his mind how much more pleasure there is in dying then there is in living I am sure the Saints of God may truly say so dost weep to think of death I tell thee my friend thou wilt get more by dying then ever thou shall get by living I have read of Trophonius and Agamedes (a) Venerantes Deum petieâ—unt mercedem operis laboris sui nihil certi sed quod ess toptinum homini who having built a Temple to Apollo as they were worshipping god in the same they beg'd a reward of their labour and pains and they would not ask any certain or particular good thing but only asked quod optimum esset homini that which should be best for man and sayes the Author presently upon the request mortui sunt reperti they were both found dead beloved for Gods Saints it were the greatest good indeed I desire sayes the Apostle to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multo magis melius much more better or best of bests Phill. 1.23 and that 's the first branch of your comfort namely against your own death 2. Then Secondly here is matter of comfort and support against the loss of your godly relations 't is true 't is hard to flesh and blood to part with near and dear relations and not to express immoderate sorrow truly but that we are inconsiderate at such a time if we would set their gain against our loss it would be matter of great support I am not against the sending our gracious friends to the graves with tears and grief next to tears for Gods dishonour and the Churches sufferings I know no better use tears can be put to then to lament the departures hence of good men and good women to let the world know its great loss by their removal wither related to us or not and if nature somewhat exceed for relation sake I think it either no offence or very pardonable I plead not against our sorrowing but excess of it as (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naturales irrreprehensibiles Turbari lonum est sed non perturbari i. e. nimiopere turbari Maerori succumubere animum despondere one sayes these passions of grief and sorrow they are natural and unreproveable but when they break their bounds and become inordinate then sinful therefore Bernard distinguisheth between turbationem perturbationem 't is good sayes he to be troubled but not over-troubled when we give way to the excessive breaking out of those passions sitting down and sinking in our sorrowes and leâ—ting our greifs so swallow us up that with Rachel we refuse to be comforted this I condemn and would strengthen you against I pray thee friend what is the cause of those thy excessive greifs at the departure of thy gracious friends is it thy own loss or their loss thy own be quiet man he that took away one might have taken away more nay all had he pleased is it their loss nay there thou art mistaken they have lost nothing but every way gained Oh could our dead husbands dead wives dead Parents dead friends I mean dead in Christ that have changed a poor earthly Tabernacle for a Princely Pallace Sorrows for Joyes Earth for Heaven Travel for Rest behold us here lying in tears for them they would say to us as sometimes Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem weep not for us but for your selves we are well never so well nay till now never well oh the gain that the Saints have by death may bear up the spirits of their dearest friends at their parting with them that 's a second branch of comfort 3. And lastly here is comfort against all deaths Harbingers your Crosses Afflictions Persecutions and tryals that on this side Heaven you meet withall all changes and chances all troubles and losses wherewith this life is laden from the womb to the tomb from the Cradle to the Grave man is born to trouble as the sparks flye upward and if the Saints should scape them that were strange indeed I hope while you live in your enemies countrey you do not expect it but be of good chear none of them all can harm thee how prove you that Sir why thus if the King of terrours cannot harm thee none of his petty underlings shall do it if death be thy gain these shall not be thy loss run therefore your race though afflicted with hope and patience thou mayest say of the worst of troubles or troublers as he of that Tyrant He may kill me but he cannot hurt me It was a bâ—ave speech of Damindas when some told him now Phillip was broke into their Country they were afraid of suffering grievious things (b) O Semi vir inquit quid nobis poterit acerbe accidere qui mortem contemnimus O you half spirited men what need we fear suffering who have learned to despise even death it self why so here death shall be your advantage therefore none of these shall be your prejudice that 's a third Use then Vse 4 4. Fourthly and lastly I have only a word of Exhortation and Councell wherewith I wil shut up all that 's too fold 1. To all that hear me and my Councell to you is as ever you expect to have death do you a kindness so look you be found of this Saints number of this same poor scorned company of Saints believe it those be they that can hold up their heads in death when others have cause to tremble and look ruefully these be they shall get by death when others shall loose all and whatever your opinion of them be now you 'l wish to be of them one day I know not that ever I met with that man that would not have dyed a Saint though he lived a very Devil then with Baalam Oh that my Soul might dye the death of the Righteous and my last end be like His but don't cozen your selves holiness in Life hope in Death and happiness of death follow each other If not of this number as sure as the Lord lives death will not pleasure you but ruine you That 's the first 2. To the Saints themselves and my councell is that you would endeavour after a full assurance that your death shall be thus benefiâ—â—â—â— to you to know in your selves as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10.34 not only by Guess Conjecture or Hear-say but be able to say as the Apostle here to me to dye is gain without which you 'l never be able to dye like your selves but timerously and doubtfully which though we cannot say but may be sometime the case of
8. Though in the form of God and thought it no robbery to be equall with God Yet made himself of no reputation but took upon him the form of a Servant c. So this his disciple outwardly great inwardly little rich in the World poor in Spirit which grace though it made her nothing in her own yet it greatned her in the eyes of God and good men Math. 18.4 Whosoever shall humble himself as a little child the same is greatest in the kingdome of Heaven 4. She was a woman full of mercy and pitty a sister-grace to the former which the Apostle Paul coupling together we will not part Col. 3.12 Put on as the Elect of God humbleness of mind and bowels of mercy Mercy is described by Saint Aust (a) Alienae miseriae quaedam in nostro corde compassio quasi possumus subvenire compellemur to be a compassionate felow-feeling of anothers misery that puts me upon helping him so far as I am able a grace that none ever lost by as they say the Dutch have a Proverb Thefts never enrich Almes never impoverish and Math. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy an hugely honouring grace that makes God the giver of our All indebted to us for a little of it again and we shall find him a sure pay-master and how largly was this Saint of Christ stored with this her estate was large and I am perswaded her heart larger no question but what with lawfulness she might she did this way Non pereunt sed pluriunt pauperibus impensa and she hath lamented it that she could do no more then she did for such as feared God and made it her great wonder that some should have such estates and do so little good with them her will was to do good to all especially the houshold of Faith and where there is a will comfortable is that saying of Aust (b) Quicquid vis non petes factum Deus computat what thou wouldest do thou canst not yet God sayes t is done and a greater then Austin warrants it 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be a willing mind t is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 5. She was admirable for her patience that grace that enables a Soul cheerfully and quietly to submit its will to Gods and to bear what ever befals it in its course towards Heaven sweetly and contentedly because God will have it so her affliction was long and sometimes sharp yet who ever heard a repining word from her how silently submissive to the divine pleasure her pain might sometime force her to groan but never to grumble having learned Jobes lesson cap. 2.10 Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and shall we not receive evill or good old Elies 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good or that of a greater or better then either John 18.11 The cup that my Father hath given me shall I not drink it though so wasted tâ—at she became a pittiful Anatomy of frail mortality yet a perfect pattern of christian patience 6. She was of a most meek and peaceable frame of spirit her adorning was not plaiting the haire c. but with the ornament of a meek quiet spirit which is in the sight of God great price 1 Pet. 3.4 .. Queen Elizabeth was used to say that next to the Scripture she knew no book that did her so much good as Seneca de Clementia and her Clemency was such that her brother King Edward was used to call her his sweet sister Temperance I cannot say that our sister had so much Learning as to read that Book but sure I am as to the practice she had so learned that that none could exceed her and from a better Master then all Senecaes Math. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart 7. She was a constant frequenter when able and an affectionate lover of Gods Word and Ordinances It is a great argument of an heart truly gracious when it can say with holy David Ps 26.8 Lord I have leved the habitation of thy House and the place where thine Honour dwelleth How often have I seen her at the place of Gods Service in such weather which hardyer then she and much her inferiours would have pleaded as a tolerable excuse for their absence and when there how curious and attentive in hearing bringing as Bishop Hall cales them Aures bibulas and I may add Animam magis bibulam thirsty Ears and a Soul more thirsty how rellishing were Gods saying truths to her at all times yea sweet as David sayes Ps â—19 103 How sweet are thy words unto my tast yea sweeter then honey to my mouth 8. She was one of a most tender conscience that Jewell of Jewels and infallible character of a true child of God that soul-feasting grace a good conscience is a continuall feast that countenance cheering grace Prov. 15.13 A merry heart maketh a cheerfull countenance and well might her countenance be cheerful when her conscience was kept quiet and peaceful Eusebius reports of the Martyrs under Severus that comming forth after a long and hard Imprisonment they looked more like those that came out of a shop of sweet Oyntments then out of a Prison they carryed in their countenances (a) Divinum nescio quid in vultibus praeserentes a certain divine Aspect no question but it was that within that made their faces shine without oh how pleasant would this our Sister be during her Lucida intervalla her Mitigations of her distemper pleasant in her speeches pleasant in her actions which gave all to see there was peace within the cause of this pleasantness without this tenderness of conscience she evidenced by universall care to please and fear to offend her good God in any thing I may truly say of her as Acts 24.16 Her care was to keep her conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man I have read of Liâ—ius Drusus being about to build a stately House the Workman told him that he would so contrive it that that none should over look him or see what was done in his house to whom Drusus made this answer (b) Quin tu potius si quid in te art is est ita compone domum meam ut quicquid agam ab omnibus in spici omnibus nay rather if thou hast any art shew it in so contriving my house that whatsoever I do may be beheld of all truly I think could such an house been built an Inhabitant fitter then this our sister to have dwelt in the same could no where have been found I have known her long but know not that ever I heard reported of her any one action or heard from her any word unworthy the best of Eyes or Ears 9. In a word for her general practise of godlyness I hope and question not in the sincerity of