and teaching them his way they that then wink not with the eye stop not the eare nor harden their heart against his discoveries calls and operations but listen and look to him in the power and grace preventing them and so turn at his reproofs and be converted they come to Christ and to God in and by him and are translated from a state of sin to a state of righteousness and from the power of Satan unto God to receive remission of sins and inheritance among the sanctified by faith in him Isa 42.18 19 and 45.22 23. Math. 13.16 16. Prov. 1.23 Joh. 6.44 45. Acts 3.19 and 26.18 Joh. 5.28 29. and these are all justified from all things from which they could not be justifyed otherwise and abiding in that grace into which they are called they shall have their portion among the Saints and righteous ones Act. 13.38 39. 1 Cor. 6.9.11 1 Joh. 2.24 25. 5. And for as much as this grace in Christ is prepared for all men and is in the Gospel declared and tendred to all he being the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and all invited and called to attend and listen to him that they might in the receit of this grace be saved there is a Doore opened and during the day of grace held open unto all so as by the grace afforded through Christ any man yeilding up to the calls of God and seeking and following on to know him may be brought into Christ and be justified and saved Isa 25.6 Rom. 3.22 23 24. and 5.18 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Isa 45.22 and 55. 1 2 6 7. Rev. 22.17 In a word 6. There is in Christ through his pretious Death and Sacrifice such plenteousness of redemption even forgiveness of sins and he so liveth for ever and makes such powerful intercession for transgressors and is so loving to man and patient toward sinners and God so loath any should perish having no delight in the Death of the wicked that as he calls such also and extend by and through Christ his holy Spirit to enable them to obey his calls so any wicked man obeying his call is by the blood of Christ washed from his sins and by his powerful intercession with God for him in coming to God by him who will in no wise cast out him that comes to him is accepted of God and saved Psal 130.4 7. Col. 1.14 Heb. 7.25 Isa 53.12 Ezek. 33.11 2 Pet. 3.9 15. Joh. 6.37 1 Cor. 6.11 These things considered it is not a vain thing for men even wicked men to wish desire seek and endeavour so as they submit to seek in the right way and in good earnest striving to enter the strait gate while it is yet open and not shut against them Luc. 13.24 25. to attain this end Deut. 3â— 46 47. But for men to wish and would desire and crave and yet be slothful and refuse to strive or to strive and labour in a wrong way rejecting the grace of God and his truth in the evidences and operations thereof or to wish to have the portion end and reward of the righteous and yet continue and keep on in the ways of errour and sin this is foolish absurd and bootless Such as Balaams wishing was who therefore notwithstanding this wish was slain by Israel and dyed the Death of and among the wicked Numb 31.8 The fluggard wishes and desires but hath not because his hands refuse to labour Prov. 13.4 and 21.25 and many in such ways as are wrong or when too late seek to enter and shall not be able Luc. 13.24 25. Rom. 9 30 31 32. But Seeing the wicked sometimes seeing the goodness of the death and latter end of the righteous in some measure desire them Que. Why do any wicked not endeavour it whence is it they become not righteous or walke not in the way to them To this many things might Ans Reasons of it be said I shall but touch upon some of them As to say 1. They see something of their end but not so fully and prevailingly as to make them love and like the way they walk in thereto because they wink with the eye and follow not on to know light comes upon them sometimes more than they desire but they desire not to minde much the light that comes upon them that they might get a further light into what it shews them They see and hate Joh. 15.24 and that because 2. They are sensual and love to please and satisfie their senses in present injoyments indeed because they apprehend sweetness and pleasure in the latter end of the righteous they desire them but because they feel and finde sweetness in the world and present ways of sin they love them and retaine them and being more affected with present sweets then futures the ways to which also would deprive them of much of what 's present they hold fast what they have or endeavour so to do though with hazzarding the loss of the other Nay because the light that discovers the end of the righteous reproves their ways and would deprive them of the pleasures of sin they therefore hate the light and put it from them or turn from it and so come not so to see as to be converted by it Joh. 3.19 20. Job 24.13 14 17. Math. 13.15 3. Winking with the eye and not abiding in or following the light Satan gets more power upon them to blind and harden them as 2 Cor. 4.4 stealing out the light or seed of life from their hearts Luk. 8.12 and so moving them to doubt of or disbelieve again what they have seen Gen. 3.1 3 4. or also filling them with strong delusions to believe lies 2 Thess 2.10.11 12. as perswading them 1. That they may have their present pleasures of sin and the future good things prepared for the just and righteous ones too Deut. 29.19 2. That they may repent soon enough hereafter Pro. 6.10 3. That God is gracious and will forgive their sins though they live in them upon the account of some outwardly religious injoyments or services or priviledges Jer. 7.4 5. Isa 28.14 15. and 66.1 3. Math. 3.7 8 9. Joh. 8.33 34. Math. 7.21 22. 4. Sometimes that there is no hope for them and that therefore they had as good sit still as strive to enter to no purpose Jer. 18.11 12. Or 5. That they are in the way already to that good end when they are not but quite out of it Pro. 30.12 Rom. 9.31 32. Rev. 3.14 15. and many such like deceits which God justly leaves them to for their having pleasure in unrighteousness and not receiving the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2.10 12. 4. Their pride oftimes hinders them from seeking after God or accepting of his salvation and submitting to the simplicity of his ways as Hos 5.5 and 7.10 Psal 10.4 Joh. 9.25 26 40. they love the praise of men more than the praise of God Job 5.44 and 12.43
nations for their sins yet they ever dwell as it were by themselves as a distinct people or nation from all those among whom they dwell not reckoning themselves with them and their dispersions all over notwithstanding the (b) Bishop Usher reckons up in his Annals as slain of them in sundry places in the wars under Titus and Vespasian 254490 besides in the siege of Jerusalem 1100000 in all 1354490 and Nâ—cephorus tells of millions of them destroyed in Adrians time yea 53 wyriads in one dey besides what were slain in the tumults in Traâ—ans time numerous multitudes of them that have at sundry times been in divers places slaughtered testifie their number to be exceeding great and such as Balaam might well say of them here Who can count their dust In the words of the Text we may consider 1. Who he was that spake the words Not Israel but Balaam It s he that 's meant of in the word me or my soul 2. The matter spoken And that is considerable 1. In general A good Wish or Desire 2. In particular That he might die the death of the righteous c. 1. From the first of these The person wishing Balaam a bad man we may briefly note Note 1. That good words may sometimes be in bad mens mouâ—hs As the Greek Proverb is Oftimes (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fool may speak seasonable sayings God is the Lord of Hosts All creatures are his And as in the former Chapter he put a mans voice into an Asses mouth as if she had had a mans understanding in her bruitish heart and a mans wit in her dull head So in this and the following Chapter he put divine words words of truth into the mouth of a wicked man As Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light so his ministers may be sometimes transformed into ministers of righteousness not onely through evil design of their own but also sometime by Gods over-ruling power and providence So the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he prophesied even when he was in his persecutions of David 1 Sam. 19.20 23. and Caiaphas spake by the instinct of the Holy Ghost in saving It behoved one man to die for the Nation c. John 11.50 51. Yea as sometime Satan may insinuate his words into good mens mouths as when Peter bid Christ favor himself So also God sometimes puts good words into evil mens mouthes And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origen in Gels lib. 7. This is God bieng a lover of mankinde hath made known the truth and what is to be known of him not eâ—lâ—y to those that are addicted to him but also to such 〈◊〉 are without his sincere worship or godlinâ—ss towards him though sâ—me doing things nâ—w â—hy of that knowledge live ungodlily 1. Because God is good to all and Christ the true Light that lighteth every one coming into the world and his Spirit judging or striving in man that they might be turned in to God and be saved As it is said God would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth for there is one God and one Mediator of God and man the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all a testimony in due time 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. Whence it is said Doth not wisdom cry and understanding lift up her voice As if he would say Can that be denyed or doubted of Prov. 8.1 2 4 5 c. Thence it is said That the heathen with-held the truth in unrighteousness for what was to be known of God was manifest in them for God shewed it them Though when they knew God they glorified him not as God nor were thankful but became vain in their imaginations letting in something of Gods light though rejecting the life and power of it and obeyed it nor Thence we finde good speeches in the Heathen though they liked not to be made good by Gods light and goodness discovered We may instance one in Juvenal to this purpose Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus quid Conveniat nobis rebusque sit utile nostris Nam pro jâ—cundis aptissima quaeque dubunt Dii Charior est illis homo quam sibi c. Leave 't to the Powers above to judge what 's meet They 'l give what 's good in stead of what seems sweet They love man better than man himself loves But this was still more evident in the Jews as is to be seen in Rom. 2.17 18 19 20 21 c. They knew and could speak of many excellent things though they that so spake abode still wicked and so the Gospel is as a Draw-net that being cast into the sea catches fishes good and bad Whence many receiving its light may speak well though not receiving its life and power they live ill Math. 13.47 48. and fail of the grace that God afforded them receiving it in vain Heb. 12.15 2 Cor. 6.1 2. For a testimony to others that they might have means of understanding and help in the way of God And so as Balaams Ass spake with a mans voice for his Masters sake so might Balaam have those divine Raptures and speak the language of Gods true Prophets for Moabs sake That they knowing who was the true God and seeing his great goodness to and the good condition of his people and who they were might have opportunity of joyning themselves to them and enjoying their happiness with them And it is thought by many Vident Chaldaei in Coelis qued Balaam reliquit in Scripturis orietur Stella ex Jacob c. Bern. in Concep B. Mariae Ipsa veritas cogente naturaetiam ab invilis pecteribus erampâ—t Laâ— lib. 2. cap. 1. that the Prophecies of this man out of the mountaines of the East preserved amongst the children of those Eastern Countreys gave that understanding to the Wise-men out of the East that are said upon the Birth of Christ to have seen his star and to come and worship him Mat. 2.1 2. 3. For the greater testimony to God and his truth while they have such force and evidence as to gain a confession from those that love them not but are their enemies As its an evidence of the strength of a mans Cause when the adversary cannot but acknowledge it An evidence of the righteousness of Gods Cause when he appeals to mens Consciences to be Judges in it Isa 5.3 4 Their Rock is not as our Rock saith Moses of the Nations our Adversaries themselves being Judges Deut. 32.31 4. In extraordinary Cases such as this was it is for the good and advantage of Gods choice people And so it is affirmed in Deut. 23.4 5. The Lord would not hearken unto Balaam but turned the Curse into a Blessing Because the Lord their God loved his people And in Josh 24.10 I would not hearken unto Balaam but he altogether blessed you and I delivered you out of his hand Whence also the Prophet Micah bids Israel remember what Balaam
be an aftertime is requisite and necessary and that it shall be so is most certain For 1. The righteousness and stedfastness of his Law and Doctrine his love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity and his righteousness in rewarding vertue and punishing sin and wickedness must be declared 2 Thes 1.4 5 6. Heb. 6.10 11. He is the righteous Lord that loveth righteousness Psal 11.7 And He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. pâ— Ajax Flag but hates all the workers of iniquity Psal 5.4 5 6. And therefore hath in his Law and Doctrine promised and proposed great rewards and blessings to the righteous and threatned great wrath and punishment to the wicked Levit. 26. Deut. 28. But 2. This Time is not the time in which these things are sufficiently manifested and fulfilled This is but the time of workings not of recompencing and rewarding All the time of this life is a time of work and labor and therefore there must be another time of reward For here neither are the righteous evidently rewarded with or enjoy the promised blessings Heb. 11.13 nor the wicked punished according to their wickedness so as may either sufficiently evidence Gods love and faithfulness to the one or his wrath and hatred against the other the truth of his threatnings True it is that God doth give some rewards or rather encouragements to goodness here in inward peace and comfort and oft-times in outward and signal preservations and deliverances from dangers and benefits conferred Especially to Societies and Companies of men as Cities and Nations doing righteously and cleaving to it For otherwise there would be no encouragements here to serve God and walk in his wayes that might induce the world thereto or such as are chiefly yet sensual But his service must needs be a sad and uncomfortable exercise and especially in communities or common bodies as Kingdoms Cities and Common-wealths as such which as one well observes shall never be restored into their publick capacities again to be as such rewarded Nor would it be known by experience or rationally thought that the giving such benefits here appertained to God or that he takes notice of mens righteous or evil doings if God should give such mercies to none that ask or desire them or that fear and serve him And again on the other hand true it is that some wicked men and especially Nations and Common-wealths for the reason above noted are punished here with severe and smart judgments for their wickedness as Egipt De civ Dei lib. 1 cap. 8. Si nulium peccatum nunc punires aperte diviniâ—as nulla esse divina providentia crederetur Babilon Jerusalem Pharaoh Saul Haman c. otherwise as St. Augustine also notes men would believe no Divine providence nor have sufficient evidence of Gods anger against wickedness to move them to beware of it and fear the judgements further threatned But yet neither are the encouragements here given to the righteous persons especially in their personal considerations such as either answer or evidence the greatness of Gods love to them or come up to such promises as The meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of Peace Psal 37.11 that they are blessed of the Lord and shall endure before him for ever And many the like nor are they common or general to all of them as to such at least as are outwardly and visibly testifyed Many of them in the eye of the world and to their own sense as some of themselves oftimes complain being plagued all the day long and afflicted every morning Mala corporis bona sunt anim Lact lib. 5. cap 7. So as they are ready to say and others to think that they in vain cleanse their hearts and wash their hands in innocency Psal 73.13 14. being as the Scripture saith else where oftimes killed all the day long and made as Sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8.36 Yea seem to the world to die miserably and receive no reward here for their love to righteousness and to God and Christ testified in their death As on the other hand the wicked oftimes prosper all their lives become old and grow great in power have none or no remarkable wrath testified against them either in their life their houses being safe from fear and they prospering in the world or in their Death having no bonds therein as Psal 73.3 4 5-12 Job 21.6 7 8 c. Yea and they of them that are punished here are not punished beyond what some one of their innumerable sins may deserve nay little more than what lays upon all good and bad commonly befalls them For what had Pharoah more than Josiah in being Drowned or Saul in being killed in the Battel or Haman in being hanged more than ordinarily is felt in men dying except the suddainness the frightfulness publickness and shame therein or some such concomitant making their falls exemplary and testimonies of vengeance Many a man that dies on his bed of the Colick or Stone or Strangury endures more torment yea and many righteous persons endure as suddain violent and shameful Deaths even for righteousness as many Martyrs and those mentioned Heb. 11.35 36 37. St. Lawrence on the Gridiron endured as much for Christ as Ahab and Keliah for Idolatry and Adultery whom the King of Babylon roasted in the Fire Jer. 29.22 23. as to what was visible Here all things happen to the outward eye promiscuously and to all alike as to the evil so to the good as to him that feareth the Lord so to him that feareth him not God now causing his Sun to shine on good and bad and his rain to fall on the just and on the unjust Matth. 5.45 he desiring the Death of none no not of the wicked invites them by his goodness long-suffering and forbearance to repentance And some of them doubtless are led to repent thereby though others harden their hearts there-against and in their impenitency treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelations of the righteous judgment of God Matth. 11.21.23 and 12.41 Rom. 2.4 5. and on the other side God often corrects both good and bad that he might exercise the faith of the one and more purifie and prepare them for his glory making them therethrough partakers of his holiness and that he might admonish and awaken the other to repentance that his soul might be kept from going down to the pit c. Job 33.29 and some are awakened thereby to repentance though some when Gods hand is lifted up will not see Deus non exclusit mala ut ratio virtutis constare posset Lact. Isa 26 9 10. though indeed the righteous have the greatest share of troubles and evils here for the greater evidencing and adding worth and luster to their faith and obedience And also for the preparing them for and magnifying or inhancing their after-rewards Their light and momentany
by Christ So as with respect to him namely Eph 2.4 5. And so 3. It springs from the infinite excellency of the person and the precious vertuousness of the abasement and obedience of the Lord Jesus to the death the death of the Cross and the force and prevalency of his mediation of the new Testament with God his Father in the vertues thereof that the called might receive the promise of the eternel inheritance Heb. 9.15 2 Thes 4.14 1 Pet. 5. 10. For though if man had abode in his innocency he I believe should have been very happy out of the love that God beares to righteousness and to man as his creature abiding righteous yet as it is no where said so neither find I sufficient ground to believe that he should have had the same happiness that now he shall have in and upon the account of Christ Jesus he not only delivering him from his sin but being made also such a righteousness to man as made in him as becomes a new and more glorious foundation of his future happiness then his owne personal righteousness as a pure creature could have been Therefore also it is said that Gods eternal purpose about the Gospel-contents were purposed in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.11 and that Christ at his coming shall be admired in all his Saints it being the glory of Christ that shall then be manifested in and upon them even that that he hath by the vertues of his abasement sufferings and death acquired into the nature of man for us and to be communicated by and with him to us 2 Thes 1.10 and 2.14 It s the great commendation and Manifestation of the strength and excellency of this foundation that it is counted worthy of and meet for such a glorious superstructure to be built upon it and that its able to support and uphold such a weight an exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Sure if our sufferings in and for him work for us such a weight of glory as some particular rewards of them in that Kingdom what did his sufferings for us work whence all our sufferings for him have their foundation motive and value but even the whole Kingdom it self and all its glory Such was his unspeakable love and grace in abasing himself so low at the will and appointment of his Father and suffering so great things for man that as he is accounted worthy to receive of God his Father highest dignity honor and glory in the manhood and for men even power and riches wisdom and strength honor and glory and blessing Rev. 5.12 so also such is the infinite prevalency of his mediation with his Father through the same that he obtains of him what he desires and such is his infinite love and grace to his that love and obey him that as his Father loves him so he loves them Joh. 15.9 and therefore aim'd at askes and obtaines of his Father for them the highest and most inconceivable happiness and glory that may be injoyed by them whence also we may say that 4 It springs from Christs unspeakeable love to them as his Members Spouse Inheritance which is such as that he thinks nothing too good or great for them that he hath in his power or may by his power and prevalency obtain of God for them Thence he tells them that he appoints to them a Kingdom as his Father appointed him that they may sit and eat and drink with him at his table in his Kingdom and sit on thrones c. Luc. 22.28 29. Rev. 2.26 27. and 3.21 and to give to them to sit with him on his throne and he gave himself for his Church that he may sanctify it with the washing of water in the word to present it to himself a Glorious Church c. Ephes 5.26 27. improving all the infinite vertues of his Cross and Sufferings and all the authority and power he hath with his Father and over all things for the advancing them to the heighth of happiness How great must that happiness needs be how great that glory that shall be to the heighth of Christs power and interest by which also they are prepared for that glory and brought to it too Whence the Spouse glories also my beloved is mine He and all that he is and hath and I am his to love delight in and make me happy as well as also to obey and serve him Yea 5. It springs from the love both of the Father and Son to them which leads them so to accept of any their breathings after them love and services to them as to reward them not after their worthiness in themselves but according to the graciousness of their own acceptance of them in their love to them and according to the infinite munificence and magnificence of so great and glorious persons so as they may shew forth the glory of their grace and love therein to them and upon them 6 It springs from the truth and faithfulness of God and Christ for whereas love and goodness led or moved God and Christ to promise so great and glorious recompences to them that overcome their corruptions and lusts and wills and enemies in the power of his grace given them in Christ and that do not through sloth cowardliness or contempt of the riches of his goodness unbelief or the like yeild themselves to them his faithfulness truth and power are ingaged to perform and make good these ingagements to them To which he hath bound himself both by promise and oath that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye they may have strong consolation that flee for refuge to the hope set before them Heb. 6.13.17 18. Now God is faithful and able to perform that that he hath promised and will not faile his righteousness shall be seen and glorified therefore in the performance to the heires of promise 2 Thess 1.5 6. 7. Lastly it springs also from the great wisdom of God that such and so great a reward and End was prepared for and is promised by him that he may induce and incourage the hearts of poor mortal creatures to obedience to the faith of Jesus and to the way and practise of righteousness For such is the power of corruption errour and ignorance in us naturally such the powerful influences of this world and its allurements upon us such the force also of its threats frownes and hardships to be met with in the way of God and such the force and violence of Satan in thrusting against us in and with all afore-mentioned and endeavouring to ruine us that did not God bid so high for us and our service he would have few that would deny themselves of the baits and encounter with and stand against the difficulties and discouragements they meet with But the veiw of such a price or prize kept in the eye may and doth and will allure and draw and keep up the heart in and through Christ Jesus to all
Abraham your Father and Sarah that bare you for I called him alone and blessed and encreased him Where by the Rock out of which ye were hewed may either be meant Christ and by the hole of the pit out of which we were digged the low estate of his abasement and sufferings out of which we were begotten of God to seek him and follow after righteousness or else the low estate out of which he digged or pulled us And then its the same with that in Heb. 12.2 Look to Jesus the Author and finisher of the faith and that in Eph. 2 11 12 13. Remember what you were before saved by grace and yet how by his grace and sufferings ye were saved Or else the next words explain the former namely Consider Abraham the father of us all as believers and Sarah our Mother the Type of the heavenly Jerusalem the Mother of us all Rom. 4.16 Gal. 4.26 how dry his body how barren her womb how alone they were and how likely so to have remained in respect to fruitfulness when God called them and yet his call and blessing upon them made them increase And so God will comfort Sion and will comfort all her waste places and make her wilderness like Eden and her desart those of her that are most desolate forsaken and forlorn in following after righteousness and seeking the Lord like the Garden of God Joy and gladness shall be found therein the voice of thanksgiving and melody And verse 4. His righteousness even the accomplishment of his promises is near his salvation or deliverance for saving is gone forth is on the way to you and draws nigh so that hold but on a little longer and you shall obtain them Beware of too wiâ—â—eying and looking upon the faults and offences pride slightings weaknesses and miscarriages of brethren Cant. 6 or of such as make profession and worship with us they may sometime occasion stumbling and turning aside If thy right eye offend thee there pluck it out and cast it from thee putting on charity which covers a multitude of offences 1 Pet. 4.7.8 Beware of evil company and fellowship with vain Cant. 7. empty and sinful persons Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers either as to marriage with such or as to holding great correspondency and intimacy or making leagues with them The Canaanites drew away Israel by such means from God A companion of fools is in danger to be destroyed Prov. 13.20 Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly nor stood in the way of sinners nor sate in the seat of scorners Be not therefore amongst wine-bibbers among riotous eaters of flesh a companion of Harlots or vain persons or bound up in friendship with angry furious persons lest they prove a snare to thee and undo thee 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16 17. Psal 1.1 Prov. 1.10 11.15 and 22.24 25. and 23.21 22. and 24.1 2. Lastly beware of the receiving the Grace of God in vain Cant. 8. or overly for that 's a great or main ground of and way to the failing in all the other particulars and in time of temptation and sufferings for the Gospel causes or occasions a falling off therefore give we diligence that we fail not of the Grace of God lest any root of bitterness spring up c. Math. 13.5 6.20 21. 2 Cor. 6.1 Heb. 12.15 16. But I shall forbear any further particulars only add some considerations over and besides what is said in the fifth Caveat for further helpfulness Consider the wonderful encouragement thou hast in God and Christ Help â— and the engagement thou hast thence to continue in the faith and obedience of him It may be seen in diverse particulars as 1. Consider what he hath already done for thee to manifest his love and goodness to thee and sufficiency to help and save thee Did he not devise and find out a way to help and save thee when thou wast wholly lost and his own Word Truth and Law stood against thee and it was above the reach of men and Angels much more of thine own power and wisdom either to help thee or to find out a way whereby God might help thee He was both infinite in wisdom and understanding to find out the way and in power to be able to bring it about and hath actually devised and made the way for thy welfare in his giving his only Son for and to thee as before hath been noted and Christ hath come forth suffered and dyed for thee to ransom thee from curse by being made a curse for thee and to obtain blessing for thee and give it to thee Now he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all while sinners and ungodly how shall not be also freely give us all things with him that may further conduce to our welfare and salvation 1 Rom. 8.32 if he hath reconciled us to himself being enemies by the Death of his Son how much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life Rom. 5.10 and Christ having laid down his life and shed his blood for thy redemption and justification what mayst thou not hope in him that he will do for thee and what art thou not obliged to do for his service and glory where is there any that so loves us and hath so done for us that we should turn from him to them had any paid a great debt for thee and freed thee from prison and taken thee home to him to maintain thee when else likely to have perished wouldst thou not be very confident of his after-freindship to thee and think thy self greatly ingaged to love him and be ready to do him service 2. Consider again what fulness and sufficiency is in him for us to help and succour us all along and in all tryals and temptations to save us from all enemies and bring us to the inheritance Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord nor are there any works like thy works saith David Psal â—â— 8 In Christ God hath provided all things for us pertaining to life and godliness all things are there ready Math. 2â— 4. in him it hath pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell yea all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him as in our Head and Saviour and in him we are compleat Coll. 1.19 and 2.9 10. Against the guilt of our sins there is in him through his blood plenteousness of redemption even forgiveness of sins that the conscience of them might not drive us by despair from him but that confessing them and repenting we might seek and obtain mercy in and by him Psal 130.4 7. 1 Joh. 2.9 and 2.1 2. Eph. 1.7 through that plenteousness of redemption in him thou maist oppose to the greatness of thy sins the greatness of his mercy and grace Psal 145.8 Eph. 2.4 5. against the multitude of thy sins the multitude of his mercies Psal 5.7 and 51.1 to all such
many years and of noted zeal and fervency in what she apprehended to be the truth and right way of God walking for diverse years with and of good note among some people called Independants amongst whom her love and liberality zeal and diligence in seeking after God according to their principles were conspicuous and her yet remaining works for them and their entertainment speak yet for her But it pleased God in process of time to open her understanding in the Scriptures of truth and righter way of the Lord in giving her to perceive his Grace in Christ to all mankind according to the received doctrine of the Church of England and freeness to impart it to all and interest any of all there-through in his everlasting Covenant in coming to him and to bring her into acquaintance with a people believing and walking therein Chiefly I think by means of her son in law Mr Jeremy Coleman Minister of Hethersest in Norfolke a man of a sweet and excellent spirit and usefully precious in his generation who some years before her though young was taken away as a chastisement to many yet surviving How readily she received the Testimony of the Grace of God in its extent and how well she relisht it and retained it and how blamelesly and uprightly she walked in it for divers years before her decease and untill her decease I suppose many can Testifie And so that she was so far as men may judge a truly righteous person because seeking and accepting of the Lord Jesus Christ only to be her righteousness in her generation to her capacities which were none of the meanest Her constancy in the faith of Christ her love to it her charity and liberality her blamelesness c. yet live in the memories of diverse though she be dead now some time since and long may they there live A woman she was that had a close therefore better than his that died unlamented and indeed worthy to be lamented in respect of others though to be rejoiced in in behalfe of her self The loss many have and will have of her is to be bewailed by us for as she was good and useful to many while she lived so now being dead that usefulness cannot but be missed Chiefly her onely son hath a loss of her whom she had a most motherly and affectionate care of being as yet in his minority and a little too much indulgence for his sake and to have seen him well disposed of and much more truly well disposed she could have been glad if God had pleased to have lived here yet a little longer otherwise for her self content to be dissolved and to be with Christ How gravely and graciously as I was informed I being then not there she did instruct and admonish him when her sickness began to seize on her and she thought death approached some yet can well rememberâ— and I pray God he himself may not forget it but may follow her good admonitions advise and practises as long aâ— he lives A loâ—â— the town and neighborhood had of her who may w◠〈◊〉 lament that one so useful to and among them 〈…〉 The good relief the poor had and the good 〈…〉 and matters of health the sick and 〈…〉 the good opportunities such as would had and more also might have had for receiving instructions in the Gospel and truth of God for their souls by her means as a countenancer and promoter thereof speak for lamentations upon her death her freinds and relations have the want and loss of her company and acquaintance (a) Chiefly her ouâ— Daughter 〈…〉 of Yaâ—moâ—h but she we trust is above the reach of loss and wants as to her self In many respects therefore her Death is greatly to be lamented but in respect of her death it self and in respect of her self in and by death cause of gladness and much rejoycing That she did well while she lived and lived so long as she did considering her weak body much craziness and often infirmities to do so much good as she did and that she dyed in the faith of Christ and hope of his glory to be revealed upon her and injoyed by her at the appearing again of the Lord Jesus these are matters to be rejoyced in and for Her righteous doing here is at and end but her righteousness in which she was righteous and which in that righteousness she did endureth for ever for she was righteous in that sense of righteousness too as it is taken for mercy and almsdeeds so that it might be said of her she dispersed and gave to the poor her righteouâ—ness endureth for ever and therefore her hâ—rn shall be exalted with honor Psal 112.7 The consideration of the goodness of her life but much more of the happiness of her death and of her state as dead put me in minde of what Balaam wisht and put me upon explicating it in order to the consideration of the desirableness of what he wished and desired Well she is gone and gone to the best place we trust that she could go to even to the presence of the Lord Jesus in whom and through whose grace she and what she did had allowance and acceptance and with whom she is above our wishing and praying for any thing more for her except that Gods Kingdom may come and therein the accomplishment of hers and all our happiness Being a woman that feared God and wrought righteousness as she was accepted of God so she may be praised of men for favour is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised and though I cannot say of her in all things as was said of that unparalel'd woman Prov. 31. yet we may say in her commendations she was doubtless among the daughters that did vertuously though I will not say that she eâ—â—elled all the rest Prov. 31 30 31. Let us also imitate whatsoever was truly praise-worthy in her giving diligence that we may die the death of the righteous by living their life that our latter end may be like hers ADieu adieu dear Friend that state possess Wherein the upright Souls have endless bless What others but desired thou hast gain'd What we yet pray for thou hast now obtain'd Freed from all earthly dross and worldly cares Thou hast that peace now which nothing impairs Thy righteousness which here thou followdst after Like Sarahs womb hath brought forth only laughter For nought but joy and happiness attends The Soul that on the Lord alone depends Who trusting in him doth what 's good how well He speeds at last no mortals tongue can tell But thou in part injoyst what we below Can see but glimmerings of not fully know Thy Race is run thy Goal's obtain'd and thou Art far above the reach of danger now Oh happy Soul But blest for ever be That precious Lamb of God that made thee free Free him to close with and believe on here Free now from sin