are weary oâ— the World but you will not be here always there is a day cominâ— which will be your last day here and there is not one of you can teâ—â— when that day shall come In the Morning the Sun arose upon Sâ—â—â—dom in all his Beauty and Splendor but before Night the City with all its Inhabitants were made a Sacrifice to revenging-Justice and burnt to Ashes How many Young ones are taken from us on 〈◊〉 sudden in their beauty and strength when their bones are full oâ— Marrow and their breasts of Milk and in that Providence God dotâ— speak to you that survive and gives you fair warning you had need be serious while you are Young for you mâ—â—die while you are Young there is great Reason why yoâ— should betimes be weaned from the world from the sins vanitiâ—â— and follies of it from the comforts and delights of it for it maâ— be you shall leave the World while you are Young Oh that sucâ— thoughts as these may be repeated and frequently return upon oâ— minds and make due impressions since you must be gone from hencâ— set not your hearts upon any of those things which are here thougâ— they seem never so admirable and you have found them never so dâ—â—lightful yet use them and love them as becomes them that are Pâ—â—â—grims and Strangers Often think of leaving all and so sit looâ— from all While you have these things in your hands keep them oâ— of your hearts and provide for your departure He that muâ—t gâ— and that at a minutes notice and cannot tell when that will be anâ— is undone if he be unfit had need lose no time but speed his prâ—â—paration as much as he can It is the great Command and most Grâ—â—cious Council of our dearest Lord Be ye ready Let other thinâ—â— alone take no thought what ye shall Eat and Drink or wherewiâ—â— ye shall be Cloathed bestow your thoughts and care and paiâ— about this that ye may be ready fit to dye and fit to appear bâ—â—fore your Judge For any thing that you or I can tell we may Dâ—â— presently for the number of our Months is with God not with uâ—â— our Breath is in our Nostrils and it may be stopt in a Moment 〈◊〉 every one therefore set their houses in order and let all labour to set their hearts in order as that though we should dye presentâ— yet we may dye preparedly and go to our Grave as a shock of Coâ—â— in its season It is no matter at all how quickly any of us dyes nâ— of what disease nor in what manner so that we be but fit to dyâ— he that is prepared to dye may very well be free to dye Secondly When Gracious and Holy Souls go from hence they go to Christ It was the joy of our Dearest Lord when he had the prospect of his nearly approaching Death that he could say Ioh. 17.11 Holy Father now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come unto thee I must leave the World and I must leave these too but I come unto thee So it may well be a matter of joy to a Godly man or woman when the day of their departure is at hand when they must say I shall be no more in the World my dear Relations and Friends I shall be no more with you we have so many years lived comfortably together and in the Fear of God and now we must part yet a little while and ye shall see my face no more and then they can say Now my dearest Iesus I come to thee Alas When Graceless and Wicked Wretches go out of the World they go to a company of ugly Devils and Damned Spirits they had a communion with Devils here and that out of choice and they shall have a communion with them hereafter whether they will or no. But as for you O Saints be glad and rejoyce you at Death shall go to Christ and let the consideration hereof promote your care of doing your present Duty Now labour for as great and intimate acquaintance with him as you can possibly get now let your hearts work and run out to him with the strongest vigour of an intire affection bid him most heartily welcome and use him with utmost kindness whensoever he comes to you when he doth by his Spirit at a Dyty at an Ordinance or any other time give you a Gracious visit be sure to make much of him and rejoyce in him and be his joy and then you may delight your selves in this assurance that when you go to him he will bid you welcome and to all Eternity rejoyce over you as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over his Bride Thirdly A being with Christ in Heaven is the best of beings This is the top of the Saints perferment this the highest round in the Scale of the Creatures happiness there is no imaginable life to be compared to a Life unto Christ in this World and a Life with Christ in the world to come there is no Company like unto his Company no Presence that hath in it such a fulness of Joy and Pleasures for evermore as are to be meth wit in his Presence and his Father's and Spirit 's It is good to be with Saints very good to sit under Ordinances but it is best of all to be with Christ in Glory When our Lord Iesus was transfigured upon Mount Tabor and had there with him Moses and Elias with three of his Disciples Peter in a Transport cryed ouâ— It is good Lord to be here But how good soever it was to be there it is unspeakably better to be with Christ now that he is gloâ—rified and in Heaven where he hath with him and innumerable comâ—pany of Angels the general Assembly and Church of the First-born As I said before so I say again Call to mind all the Comforts thaâ— this world is capable of affording you and let there be the fulleâ—â— confluence of them suppose that every step you take should be upoâ— Roses and every meal you sit at should be a Splendid Royal Feast made up of the Choicest Dainties a Composition of Delights Supâ—pose all the days you live should be Halcyon and every night you sleep should be sweet to you and each morning as soon as you awakâ— you should be entertained with glad tidings of great joy yet aâ— these things put together would not make up a life by the thousandth part so sweet as is a life with Christ. The Sun-shine of the Creature is nothing to the Shadow of a Saviour What then are hiâ— Beams What his Glory Paul tells you It is far better And upon this iâ— follows That Fourthly Death is desirable not indeed for its self because it is the fruit of Sin and a part of the Curse but upon the account of 〈◊〉 Consequences As Physick is not at all desirable for its self being bitter and unpleasant yet it is desirable for the sake of that Health and
all their Beauty comparable to God and Christ. Secondly It is better to be with Christ in Heaven than in anâ— State to be enjoyed here though it be as good as Spiritual and Gospâ—â— Enjoyments can make it and if any thing doth make it good indeed if any thing do render it grateful and delicious to an Holy Soul iâ— is these things these are the best and sweetest of all his Enjoyments these the Cream the Flower and Quintescence were it not foâ— something of these Earth would be an Hell to him yea and sâ— would Heaven be too Psalm 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but theâ— and there is none upon Earth that I desire beside thee Let the Ark which was the Symbol of God's presence and the place before which Israeâ— was to Worship be taken by the Philistines and the good Wife oâ— Phinehas thought it was not worth her while to out-live so great loss but being told that a man-child was born unto her she calleâ— it Ichabod and said the Glory is departed from Israel for the Ark oâ— God is taken and died presently It is the Gospel and Communioâ— with God in the ways of the Gospel that an Heaven-born Soâ—â— doth value a Nation by and it self by these are the things in whicâ— he placeth his chief Joy and from which he fetcheth his strongeâ—â— and most sovereign Cordials The good man tells us Psalm 84 1â—â— That He had rather be a door-keeper or as the Margin hath it chuâ—â— rather to sit at the threshold in the house of his God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness he had rather chuse to pick up the Crumbs under Christ's Table than to sit at the upper end of the Creatures Board when it is furnished with the choicest Dainties Where is the experienced Christian that doth not find himself at a loss for a word when he undertakes to tell others what God hath done for his Soul Who can express with how much ravishing delight he sits under the shadow of Christ at an Ordinance and how sweet his Food is to his Taste How he enjoys himself when he is led into the Banquetting-House and there hath he the Banner of his Saviour's love spread over him How greatly is he ravished when there is Peace spoken to him â—n a Sermon that passeth not only all expression but likewise all understanding How is he rais'd up to the highest Admirings and praises when Divine Love is shed abroad in his Heart by the Holy Ghost and an interest in Christ and the Covenant is Sealed to him â—t a Sacrament or when he finds his Sails after he had lain for a â—ime Becalm'd or Wind-bound filled with a fair or fresh Gale from â—he Spirit or his Soul inlarged in Duty so as to run the way of the Commandments and in its Holy motions made like unto the Chariâ—ts of Amminadib When the Spirit of God darts into him Beams â—f light and by them so irridiates his Graces that he can see them â—o be what indeed they are and bears such a plain and full Testimoâ—y to his filial Relation to God as he thereby is imboldened to go to â—he Throne of Grace and Cry Abba Father Then indeed is his â—oul satisfied as with marrow and fatness and then he doth with Triumphs sing The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places and I â—ave a Goodly heritage Yet to be with Christ is far better than all â—his and that upon a Threefold account viz. Upon account of 1. The Purity of that State 2. The Perfection of that State 3. The Immutability of that State First The Future State when the Saints shall be with Christ in â—eaven will be a Pure State In this life when things are at the best â—here is a mixture there is no Saint that hath so bright a Day as â—hat there is not in it something of a Cloud He that is washed in â—he fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness and hath made it â—he great part of his business to cleanse himself from all filthiness â—oth of Flesh and Spirit will upon a review find there is still need of washing his Feet He is indeed made light in the Lord and bâ— shines before men yet when his Candle burns most bright it stand in need of snuffing Suppose him to be truly Gracious yea eminently so there have been upon him plentiful effusions of the Spirit and out of the fulness of Christ he hath received Grace yea Gracâ— for Grace yet after all this there is in him Corruption as well aâ— Grace Dross as well as Gold and Flesh as well as Spirit Thâ— Apostle Paul as far advanced as he was toward Heaven and Glorâ— could not for his heart suppress his Complaints and Groans buâ— must give himself a little ease by uttering them and telling God anâ— Man what to his pain and sorrow he felt within viz. A Law iâ— his Members warring against the Law in his Mind which was 〈◊〉 powerful as to be often prevalent and bring him into Captivity 〈◊〉 the Law of Sin and Death which was in his Members and he coulâ— not chuse but in a pang of desire call and cry out for deliverance 〈◊〉 a poor Gally-Slave would from his Chain and Oar Romans 7. 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ— death They that have the Comeliness of Christ put upon them anâ— not without something of their own Deformities and may in thâ— case say as the Spouse did in another I am comely and black toâ— comely as the Curtains of Solomon yet black as the Tents of Kedâ—â— And Oh! How do the thoughts and consideration hereof maâ—â— them ashamed and blush to lift up their faces towards God But 〈◊〉 the Future State they will be clean every whit and without Spot 〈◊〉 Blemish or Wrinkle or any such thing Then there will be in theâ— nothing to offend God nothing to offend themselves nothing thâ— shall be a cause of displeasure to God or of grief to them nothinâ— that shall fully their beauty or eclipse their light nothing that shaâ—â— disturb their pleasant rest or retard their Holy motions The Inhâ—â—bitant shall not say I am Sick nor shall he say I am sinful He shaâ—â— neither be Sick of Love as the enamoured Spouse was nor Sick of Siâ— as the humble and broken-hearted Penitent is It is in that Statâ— in which the Church and her Children shall be Clear and Glorious 〈◊〉 the Sun here they are and while here they will be but as thâ— Moon with their Spots which yet they are not as some proud oâ— Secondly That Future State in which the Saints shall be witâ— Christ is a Perfect State Whatever some deluded Souls have anâ— do fancy to themselves in this World there is no such thing as peâ—â—fection to be attained to here tho that be not above the desire anâ— hope of the Babes in Christ the meanest and weakest Saints yet iâ— is out of the
which â—â—d had there prepared for them that love him He had a desire to â—â—art From whence by the way it will be worth our while to obâ—â—â—ve this That Paul's Desires were and so ours should be under the comâ—â—nd and conduct of Reason We should be rational in our affectiâ—â— and in our actions He was for that which was better the â—â—at and joint Cry of the many was Who will shew us any good 〈◊〉 4. So that if it be good let us have it though it be an infeâ—â—â—r good an unsatisfying good though it be a fading and transitoâ—â— good But a gracious Soul who hath been taught of God â—â—â—â—ghs considers and compares things and measures out his affeâ—â—â—ons to them according to that degree of Goodness which is in 〈◊〉 Upon less and lower goods he bestoweth a smaller love conâ—â—ding wisely That is enough for them as much as they deserve 〈◊〉 so his endeavour is to maintain and to carry toward them with 〈◊〉 indifferency of Spirit according to that Command 1 Cor. 7. â— 30. Let them that have wives be as though they had none and they 〈◊〉 weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they â—â—â—iced not and they that buy as though they possessed not And then they bestow a greater Love upon a better Good and the deareâ—â— Love upon the best and highest Good It is good to have Communiâ—on with the Saints upon earth and I love that saith David Psal. 16 O Lord my goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints those excelleâ—â— ones in whom is all my delight He had a love of Benevolence foâ— others but a love of Complacency for these Upon others he bâ—â—stowed his Pity upon these only he placed his delight It is bettâ—â— to draw nigh to God and to have fellowship with him in Ordinaâ—â—ces And David was more pleased with that Psal. 27.4 One thiâ—â— have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in 〈◊〉 house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Loâ—â— and to enquire in his Temple He loved the Habitation of God's Housâ— and the place where his Honour dwelt but of all things it is best 〈◊〉 be in Heaven It is better to be with him there than to be with 〈◊〉 people here better to see him face to face there than to see him the glass of Ordinances here and therefore saith our Apostle have a desire to depart a strong ardent and impetuous desire Iâ— almost long to be gone were there not one thing in the way I coâ—â—â— be impatient of any continuance here in this dirty world Having a desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to depart the Original Woâ—â— hath divers significations and accordingly is diversly rendred 〈◊〉 it signifies to be dissolved or resolved which is done when thiâ— mixed or compounded are separated and divided into the seveâ— principles or parts of which it did consist Man is the compouâ—â— made up of a Spiritual and Terrene part the Soul and the Body 〈◊〉 Death these two are divided the Soul and Body are parted the 〈◊〉 from the other Again the Word doth signifie to depart so by our Learned Trâ—â—â—slators it is rendred in the Text. I have so long had mine abode hâ—â— and truly to me it seems full long enough I can very willingly move to another and better Countrey I am with all my heart reaâ—â— to take my leave of Persons and Things here I wait but for 〈◊〉 word of Command and so will draw up mine anchor and loâ—â— from hence I will hoise up and spread my Sails and with all possâ—â— speed make toward another Port that Haven of Peace and Râ—â—â— which lieth in the uppermost Region Once more This word signifieth to return and so as some the Learned conceive Paul doth here refer to that passage of Sâ—â—mon in Eccles. 12.7 The body returns to dust and the spirit to God 〈◊〉 gave it If you please we will conjoin all these and you may 〈◊〉 â—ake them together I know there will be a Dissolution my Soul and â—ody which like two loving Friends have lived so long together and â—â—ken part one with another in Weal and Wo in Joy and Sorrow â—ust one day be parted that knot which now most strictly holds â—â—em together must be untied and I am not in the least troubled at â—â—at Dissolution since I am fully assured That it will be followed â—â—th a closer Union and fuller Communion between Christ and me When once I have dropt this mantle of Flesh I shall be taken up to â—â—e Father of Spirits I know that I must go from hence this world 〈◊〉 not my last home nor the place of my constant abode I am but a â—â—lgrim and Stranger here as all my Fathers were and I am ready 〈◊〉 be gone so soon as the Messenger comes that shall be sent for me 〈◊〉 us pleas'd with the thoughts of my Journey because it is but a deâ—â—rture from Earth to Heaven from Friends to a God from poor â—â—â—â—nty and leaking Cisterns to the Fountain of Being the Springâ—ead of Comfort the Infinite Ocean of all Delights I must return was sent by my great Creator to act my part in the world and â—â—en that is done and my time is spent I must go to him to give 〈◊〉 account how my time hath been improved and how my part hath â—â—en acted I must go from whence at first I came and I am heartily 〈◊〉 of it for then it will be better with me than it is 〈◊〉 I care not how soon for the sooner the better for â—â—ough my body must be laid up in a dark and lonely Grave 〈◊〉 there putrifie and become meat for worms and be crumbled into 〈◊〉 and so continue for ought I know hundreds of years yet 〈◊〉 Spirit my precious and Immortal Soul shall return to God that â—â—de it by whom it shall be graciously received and welcom'd and â—â—th whom it is best to be This was that which he desired And here â—ould have you exercise your Thoughts and Meditations upon that â—â—pression of his I desire it and shall I offer you mine which may â—ord you some Light and Assistance Let us see whether there be 〈◊〉 something of Greatness in it whether it be not a lofty strain 〈◊〉 a pitch as every man cannot flye no not every Good man 〈◊〉 so take these Three Things with you 1. He doth not speak of a bare Submission in the case nor 2. Of being only contented to depart But 3. Of a Desire he had to it First He doth not say I submit to the will of God herein If he â—ease to call me away and will not allow me a longer continuance â—â—re I submit He shall dispose of me This indeed is unquestionably our duty as in all other things so particularly in this It is 〈◊〉 revealed will of God that all the living shall die only some 〈◊〉 excepted and those