DEATHS DELIVERANCE.

THe heaviest afflictions are sweet mercies to Gods Servants; their greatest losse doth prove their chiefest gaine; as the red Sea to Israel, proved aExod. 14.28, 29. grave to their enemies, a passage to them from their [Page 2] Egyptian bondage: as Sampson hadJudg. 14.14. honey in the Lion, sweet out of the sowre, meate out of the eater; so the Lords people have light out of dark­nesse, joy out of heavinesse, peace out of trouble, life out of death; the wounding arrow, the piercing sword, that sticks in their sides, doth prove a launcing knife; the deadliest poy­son a sweet purgation; the most mor­tall enemy doth the labour of a kinde and loving friend; as Pharaohs burdens, fury, violence, and high hand, drove Israel from working in an iron fornace, from living under a mi­serable and slavish bondage: so ene­mies, afflictions, sorrowes, troubles, sicknesse, violent diseases, and death it selfe, turne to the singular good of all that love the Lord; for if they perish, if they dye, if they lay downe their life; oh! it is for their advantage, though others, it may be, doe not con­sider it; for thus the Prophet here hath it:

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and mercifull men are [Page 3] taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken from the evill to come.

This Text is to a good man, like the Travellers Inne, bed, and place of re­pose, after his long and wearisome journey; like the Mariners haven after many violent and stormy Tempests; like theEx. 9.20 houses wherein the Egyptian Cattle were preserved from the grie­vous haile, one day threatned, and the next day inflicted; for so the Prophet saith.

The righteous is taken from the evill to come: he shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightnesse.

In the words we may consider;

1. Quis. Of whom the Prophet here speaketh, of the righteous and mer­cifull man.

2. Quid. What he saith of him, he perisheth, is taken away, the latter word doth well explaine the former.

3. Quare. Wherefore, hee is taken away from the evill to come.

4. Quomodo. How, in what man­ner, [Page 4] he is taken away in peace, he layeth downe his life in the feare of God, re­steth in his grave, as on a bed, till the morning of the Resurrection.

5. Qualiter. How the surviving men are affected with it, they lay it not to heart, they consider it not.

These be the streames flowing from this fountaine, because time will not give us leave with Gideons many thou­sands to bow downe upon our knees, and drink a full draught of these wa­ters, we shall be constrained with his 300. souldiers toJudg. 7.6. lap a little, and so away.

To begin therefore with the two first of these jointly; Quis and Quid, who perisheth, who is taken away, The righ­teous: Gods people are righteous Jo. 13.10. in­choativè, as the morning, the dawning of the day is light, but hath darknesse mingled with it: as Lazarus came forth of his grave, he was risen, but hisJo. 11.44 grave-cloth bound him. So Gods peo­ple are risen to a new conversation out of the grave of sinne, but their corrup­tions are yet in some degree remaining [Page 5] in them, a great hindrance to their holy walking. 2. They are righteous Mat. 5.6. Psa. 119.5. affectivè, they desire it, hunger and thirst after it. 3. They are righteous Is. 32.15. effective, righteousnesse is their worke, their fruit, their walke. 4. They are righteous 1 Cor. 5.21. Rom. 4.6. imputativè, and so they be perfectly righteous, not a part, but the whole righteousnesse of Christ is impu­ted to them. They are asGen. 27.15. Iacob in E­saus their elder brothers garment, and so they win the blessing from God, as Iacob obtained the blessing at the hands of his Father Isaak.

The righteous man here is most pro­perly the man which doth holy and righteous workes; that walketh con­stantly, and conscionably in the way of righteousnesse; whose exercise is withAct. 24.16. Paul, to keep a conscience void of offence towards God, and towards man; this man perisheth, is smitten with the arrow of temporall death, falleth in this warre, &c.

Mercifull men, or men of kindnesse, or godlinesse, as the word also signifi­eth, men easilyLuk. 6.36. moved to grieve at [Page 6] the miseries of others, and to succour them: men mercifull, even as God is mercifull; for in mercy there is the affe­ction of pitie, and the effect of helpe and succour: the men thus righteous, thus mercifull, thus qualified, are ta­ken away by death, whence ob­serve,

Doct. That such as be most holy and gracious, are subject to a bodily dissolution, as well as others. The sithe cutteth the beautifull, and sweet smelling flower, as soon as the fearne; the Axe hew­eth downe the good tree, as well as the barren, being once laid to the root of it: so is death impartiall; as the DelugeGen. 7.19. over-flowed the meadowes, orchards, gardens, as well as the wil­dernesse, the most fruitfull, as well as the more barren parts of the earth: so death spares none. God hathHeb. 9.27. appoin­ted it, the sentence is irrecoverable, and how Eccles. 2.16. dyeth the wiseman? saith Sa­lomon, as the foole. What is become of all the Saints that lived before us? Have they not all drunk of this cup? Have they not all runne this race? [Page 7] Heare what the wise man saith,Eccle. 8.8. There is no man (whether rich or poore, high or low, young or old, holy or unholy) that hath power over the spirit, to retaine the spirit, neither hath he power in the day of death; and there is no discharge in that warre, neither shall wickednesse deliver those that are given to it. The proofe of this is as needlesse, as to prove the going downe of the Sunne from our Horizon, which every eye may daily behold and see: neither is it strange, for

There is some sinne, some corrup­tion in the best, there is that seed Reasons. 1 which bringeth forth death, as the moth eates the garment, the worme in the tree makes him moulder, the leak in the ship letteth in the water, untill at length it sinke: so sinne where it once entreth, once taketh up his abode, death doth ensue and follow after, as the threed followeth the needle, asRuth. 1.16. Ruth followed Naomi, as Ionathans Armour-bearer said to him,1 Sam. 14.7. turn thee, behold I am with thee, according to thy heart: so may death say to sinne, for [Page 8] which way soever that turnes, or go­eth before it, death doth without faile ensue and followRom. 5.12. after it. This is theRom. 6.23. wages belonging to it, the payment never faileth: as Salomon saith of o­ther buildings,Eccl. 10.18. by much slothfulnesse the building decayeth, and through idle­nesse of the hands the house droppeth through: So may I say of these our earthly Tabernacles, through our cor­ruptions these weake buildings of our bodies doe decay, and through the sinne which is within us, this house droppeth through, till at length it fal­leth to the ground, commeth to the grave; sinne is the mother, and death the daughter,Lam. 3.42, 43. Lam. 3.42, 43.

Reasons. 2 This sutes with the present condi­tion of Gods people, they are1 Pet. 2.11. Pil­grims, this is not theirHeb. 11.9, 14. Country, now they are1 Cor. 9.24. Travellers, and tend every day to their journies end and as Is­rael could not come to Canaan, but through the1 Cor. 10.1. Red Sea, no more can Gods people attaine their journies end, but by death; when the prison walls are beaten downe, then they [Page 9] who are kept in fetters there, may goe forth,2 Cor. 5.1, 2. We know (saith the Apostle) that if our earthly house of this taberna­cle were dissolved, wee have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eter­nall in the Heavens.

This maketh them also in some sort Reasons. 3 conformable to Christ their head; Our Lord and Master hath drunke of this cup, trodden this path before us, and the Mat. 10.24. Disciple must not looke to bee above his Master: but, as in other things, so in this we must be made like him, to this we areRo. 8.29. ordained, wee must first be like him in his sufferings, and then we shall be like him in his raigning.2 Tim. 2.11. It is a faithfull saying, if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him, if we suf­fer we shall also raigne with him: There­fore as Gideon said unto his Souldiers,Judg. 7.17. Looke on me, as yee see mee doe, so doe yee: so must we looke on our Gideon, our Christ, our Captaine, and doe as wee have seene him doe before us.

This workes the utter destruction Reasons. 4 of sinne in them, as Sampson by hisJudg. 16.30. death destroyed the Philistines his [Page 10] enemies, so the righteous by their death destroy their corruptions; sinne is like a subtile Fox, that cannot bee taken till his holds be destroyed; like ivie in the wall, which cannot be to­tally taken away, till the stones be pul­led asunder: Israel could not be freed from theExo. 14. Morte pec­cati prae­cisionem homo lu­cratur, ne malum im­mortale esset, ita poena ipsi in miseri­cordiam cessit. Nazian. Orat. 38. Egyptians, till they came to the red sea; no more can Gods people of their sinnes, till they come to the grave: by death doe the righteous gaine the cutting off of sinne; and death which was a punishment, is turned to a mercy to all that walke upright­ly.

But Christ hath dyed for them, and their sinne is forgiven, Gods Justice is fully satisfied, how then can God bee just in bringing death on them? Quest. Shall the principall be arrested and cast into prison, when the surety hath formerly paid the debt for him.

Resp. Christ who hath paid the debt for us, was freelyJoh. 3.16. given of God to us; given, not instantly to conferre upon us an actuall freedome from all evills, but in due time, after we have beene [Page 11] exercised with variety of tryalls. God doth not onely give Christ, but also apply him unto us, and when there is a full application of Christ to belee­vers, then there shall be a compleatEphes. 1.14. redemption from all evils: and thus though Christ have paid the ransome, yet God doth us no wrong, in suffe­ring us to be exercised with many troubles, because there is not yet a full application of this ransome; and because God gave him in such a way and manner to bring his chosen to sal­vation, as seemed best to his own wis­dome. God promised Canaan to Isra­el, but yet he led them through the red sea before he brought them thi­ther, and in so doing, did them no wrong.

Death to the people of God is not 2 evill, the curse is taken away: Death is like Moses Exod. 4.3, 4. serpent, it may at first sight make the people of God afraid, as that did him; but as Moses after­wards tooke the Serpent in his hand, and it did him no harme, so is death to the righteous. like a Serpent without [Page 12] a sting, like a Souldier overcome, and his weapons taken from him,1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. O death (saith Saint Paul) where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? the sting of death is sinne, the strength of sinne is the Law, but thankes be unto God, which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

3 Death is ordained of God to be the destruction of sinne in his children; as David cut off1 Sam. 17 50, 51. Goliahs head with his owne sword, so will God destroy sin by death, which is held as a sword in sinnes hand.

4 Death is to Gods people as the red sea to Israel, the destruction of the e­nemies of their salvation, an end of all miseries, a passage to everlasting life: so that Gods people have freedome from the evill, but not from the neces­sity of dying; and herein is the won­derfull power, wisdome, and good­nesse of God very clearely seene, even in changing the nature of death, and making it to his people so usefull, which in it selfe is so hurtfull.

Ʋse. Doe the godly the dye, are not [Page 13] the righteous exempted? must they taste of this cup? It is then in vaine for the wicked, unrighteous, unmerci­full, to dreame of escapall: As the Apostle said in another case,1 Pet. 4.17. if judg­ment begin at the house of God, what shall bee the end of them which obey not the Gospel of God, and as our Saviour also said in another case,Luk. 23.31. if they doe thus to the greene tree, what will they doe to the dry? So in this case, if death seize upon, and spare not Gods family, the house-hold of faith, the holy and righ­teous,Isa. 61.3. trees of righteousnesse, Trees of Gods owne planting, as the Prophet calleth them, where then be the hopes of the prophane mans delive­rance: If holinesse, if being in Christ, in covenant with God, preserve not the righteous, the mercifull man from death; Oh thinke not then, O profane man, that riches, honour, worldly a­bilities will preserve thy life, these be shields of no strength to defend us from the darts of death, foundations of sand, unable to beare us up▪ like that whereon the foolish man built his [Page 14] house,Mat. 7.27. Mat. 7. Whereon when the Windes blew, and the waves beat, it fell, and great was the fall thereof: such will be the end of all that build upon the sand of earthly powers, whose very strength is weaknesse. It was neither the strength, nor height of the tree, nor fairenesse of the leaves, nor abundance of the fruit, nor ex­tent of the shadow, could preserve it from the sentence of theDan. 4.12, 13, 14. woe, the which Nebuchadnezar beheld com­ming downe from Heaven in his visi­on: so death (when it once commeth, when the God of Heaven sends it) will shake off the leaves, break downe the branches, take away the beauty of the fairest, the might of the strong­est, not regard the wealth of the rich­est, but new downe the Tree, and cast the body into the grave.Ps. 82.6. I have said (saith the Lord of them that be most rich, most potent, most mighty on earth) yee are Gods, and all of you are children of the most High, but yee shall dye like men, and perish like one of the [Page 15] Princes. As the fire burnes both the shrub and Cedar; so death spares nei­ther poore nor rich. The Lords wrath will seaze upon all the wicked alike, as theIs. 5.24. the fire devoureth the stubble, & the flame consumeth the chaffe, so their root shall be rottennesse, and their blossome shall goe up as dust, because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of Hoasts: and woefull, miserable and wretched will their death be. For

It shall end all their joyes, then 1 theirJob 18.5, 6. Candle will be put out, as theDan. 5.5. hand writing in the wall marred Bel­shazzars feast, so will death marre the wicked mans mirth.

It will rob him of all his pompe, asDan. 4.30. 2 Nebuchadnezar was turned from his glorious Palace, to eate grasse like an Oxe; so will death turne the profane man out of all his dignities, bring hisIsa. 14.11. pompe to the grave, and make him aMat. 25.41. companion with the Devill and his angels.

It will leave him as an abomination upon the earth, his memory shallProv. 10.7. rot, 3 as a dead beast casteth an ill savour [Page 16] when he dyeth, so the man that is inPsal. 49.23. honour, and knoweth not, is igno­rant of God, destitute of his feare, void of his grace, shall be like the beast which perisheth.

4 It shall be the beginning of those miseries which never shall have end, it shall intangle them in that snare whence there is no escaping, and bring them to those burnings, where is noLuk. 16.24. quenching; to thatJude v. 7. fire which is everlasting, it shall cast them into thatRev. 21.8. lake, from whence there is no out-going. To this slaughter-house must thou come, O riotous, O covetous, O uncleane and carnall man, and though thou doest escape a little while; yet it will not be long: thou mayest cheereEccles. 11.9. thee in the dayes of thy youth, and walke in the wayes of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, but for all these things, God at length will bring thee to judgement. Gel­lius saith of Sejanus horse, no man ever sped well that was owner of him: Such a horse is sinne, no man ever speeds well at last, but [Page 17] takes a fall that rides this horse, and is carried head-long to destruction; over-whelmed with everlasting torments, before he is aware of it, over-taken as a woman by her1 Thess. 5.3. travaile, it will come as a theefe in the night season. As Absaloms, servants fell on Amnon and murdered him, when his heart was2 Sam. 13.28. merry with wine: so when the hearts of men are merry with the plea­sures of sinne, when they be satiated and glutted with worldly and fleshly delights, then sorrow, shame, death, everlasting woes, the servants of sinne shall fall upon them, as Absaloms ser­vants upon Amnon. The pleasures of sinne are but for aHeb. 11.25. season, they be but aPs. 39.5. spanne long, as the afflictions of the righteous be but for aRom. 8.18. moment, so theJob 20.5. pleasures and triumph of the wicked: and one houres tor­ment in Hell, will swallow up the pleasures of a thousand yeeres on earth.

Are the righteous subject to a 2 bodily dissolution? Are they taken away as well as others? Then let [Page 18] the Saints and holy servants of God learne, not to set their hearts on things here below, but to be as1 Pet. 2.11. strangers upon the earth; to live as Tenants at will, in a continuall preparednesse to depart. The Lord pressed the Pro­phet to this, by presenting before him the changes which hee would worke; Behold (saith the Lord)Jer. 45.4, 5. that which I have built, I will breake downe, and that which J have planted, I will pluck up, even this whole land: and see­kest thou great things for thy selfe? seeke them not: to this the Apostle perswa­deth the people of God, by the con­sideration of their new conditions:Col. 3.1, 2. If ye be risen with Christ, seek the things which are above: To this hee urgeth the Hebrewes, by setting the in­constancie of their outward estate before them, Wee have no Heb 13.12, 13. continu­ing Citie here, but seeke one to come; therefore let us goe forth without the Campe, bearing our reproach, let us forsake the Earth, deny our selves, be willing to be dissolved, that wee may enjoy our desired home. [Page 19] And this was of old the exhortation of the Prophet,Mica. 2.10. Arise you and depart, for this is not your rest: And therefore as our Saviour said unto the Disciples concerning Judas,Mat. 26.46.rise, let us be going, behold he is at hand that doth betray mee: So let me say to you of death, arise, let us goe hence, let us take our hearts from things here below, for death which will take our life from us is at hand: And as Matthew Mat. 9.9. arose from the receipt of custome, and followed Christ: So let us arise every man from his sinne, from his prophane way, from his evill custome, and become sincere, humble, diligent, and constant fol­lowers of the Lord Jesus; and as the Virgins at the cry of the Bridegroomes comming, arose Prov. 6.10, 11. and trimmed their lampes: So we (Beloved) hearing now the cry of the comming of death, O let us break off our sleep, cast away our security, prepare our lamps, get the oyle of saving grace into our soules: Let us not like the sluggard cry, yet Prov. 6.10, 11. a little more sleep, a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands upon the [Page 20] bed of sinne, lest, as poverty came on him as an armed man, so death come on us as an armed man, and take us unprepa­red, and then we be undone for ever. O therefore seeke not peace, seeke not fulnesse, seeke not felicity here; as the Angel said of our Saviour,Luk 24.5, 6. he is risen, he is not here, why seeke ye the living among the dead: so may I say of these things, why seeke yee them here below, they are not here, they are above, our God, our Christ, our Heaven, our home it is above, and there, O there let our hearts for ever be.

Are the righteous subject to a bodily dissolution? Are the merci­full men taken away? Then comfort your selves all ye that feare the Lord; there is a Physitian comming will heale all your diseases; a Deliverer at hand which will open all prisons; a Conquerour which will overcome all enemies: Therefore let mee charge you in this case, as Moses char­ged Israel at the waters of the Red Sea, Exod. 14.13. Exodus 14.13. Feare, not, stand still, waite a while, the day [Page 21] of death will come, and when that day commeth, the enemies which you see, the miseries and troubles which you undergoe, you shall see them, feele them, undergoe them no more for e­ver. It was Plutarchs comfort given to his Souldiers, entring into a dangerous and bloudy battell, that they should suppe [...], in a place invisible; the word signifieth, in heaven, in a place of peace and rest no doubt hemeant. So let us encourage our selves, whatsoever be our miseries, troubles, disasters, in the dayes of our life, yet in the Sunne-set, in the evening of our age, when death commeth, we shall sup with the Lambe of God Christ Iesus, and there will be great joy indeed: for that is theRev. 19.7, 8, 9. marriage feast of the Lambe and our soules, Be therefore patient;Heb. 10.37. Hee that shall come; will come, and will not tarrie. The Lord will remove us when it shall be most for his glorie and our good: the righteous shall die, the merci­full men shall be taken away from the evil to come. And thus are we come to the third thing.

The Lord seeth there be many mise­ries, many plagues, and great troubles, as warres, famines, pestilences, strange and fearfull alterations comming; and to the end holy, righteous, and good men may not see these evils, feele these miseries, God doth take them away. Whence two things present them­selves to our consideration, 1. That death is a sweete mercie, a great kindnesse to Gods holy servants. 2. That the death, and taking away of holy persons, is a feare­full prediction of ensuing evils. First, a word or two of the former of these.

Doct. That death is a sweete mercie, a great kindnesse to Gods holy servants. It is Salomons Aphorisme, Eccle. 7 1 the day of a mans death, is better then the day of a mans birth: It is our Saviours proposition,Reve. 14.13. blessed are they that die in the Lord: It is Saint Paules conclusion,Phil 1.23 to depart and to be with Christ is farre better. For

Reas. 1 By death they are delivered from many incumbent evils, inward and out­ward, [Page 23] arising from the flesh, from Sa­tan, from the world: as the Husband­man at the harvest removeth the tares from the wheate; as Abraham turned scoffing and persecutingGen. 21.14. Ismael out of the house from Isaac, so God at the day of a good mans death, takes away, turnes out whatsoever might annoy him.

By death they are delivered from all ensusing miseries: thus before the Lord Reas. 2 brought evill upon the house of Ierobo­am, he tooke away his yong sonne, be­cause in 1 King. 14 10, 11, 12, 13. him was found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel, there­fore the Lord would take him away, he should not see the evill ensuing.

By death they are brought to the fru­ition Reas. 3 of all good,Reve. 1.4, 5. all teares are wiped a­way, and in GodsPsal 16.11. presence there is ful­nesse of joy, and at his right hand pleasures for evermore.

This, Vse. if time would giue leaue to in­sist upon it, would therefore teach us, and worke in us, 1. Carefull preparation for death. 2. Vehement longings after it. 3. Chearefulnesse in entertaining [Page 24] it. 4. Moderation in our sorrow for them that be departed, mourning for our owne losse, but rejoycing in their gaine: but to passe by this, let us come to the second point.

Doct. The death and taking away of holy per­sons, is a fearefull prediction of ensuing evils. When Noah was entred into the Arke, then theGen. 7.12 13. Deluge came. When Lot was gon out of Sodome, thenGen. 19.24. fire and brimstone fell upon it and burned it. When the Lord had determined the destruction of Ieroboams house, (as you heard before) first he tooke away his child, in whom there was some good thing found. Thus when the Lord in­tended to bring evill upon2 Kings. 22.16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Ierusalem, and upon the people, he would first ga­ther good Iosiah the King, (whose heart was tender, and humbled himselfe at the hearing of the Law) to his Fathers, and into his grave with peace, and then the evill should come. When 2 Chro. 24.18, 24 Iehoiada was dead, Ioash left the House of the Lord God of his Fathers; then the Syrians came with a small Companie, and God delive­red a very great Host into their hands, [Page 25] & they executed judgement against Ioash. The truth of this is moreover manifest, by five benefits arising to the place where good men are.

Their presence doth draw the love Reason. 1 and favour of God to the place where they are; they are deare to God as theZach. 2.5, 8 apple of his eye, and he will bee a wall of fire about the place where they bee: and many times doth God spare the wicked, as the Husbandman spareth theMar. 13.30. tares, for the wheate growing with them. Thus the Family was spared for Noahs sake; and God would have spared So­dome and Gomorrah, if there had beeneGen. 18.32 ten righteous there: the Lord gaveActs. 27.24 Paul all them that failed with him, they were delivered from the storme for his sake. And surely, as Paul said to theVers. 31. Centurion and the Souldiers, of the Shipmen; except these abide in the shippe yee cannot be saved: so may I say to you of the holy, righteous, and faithfull servants of God, unlesse these a­bide amongst us we cannot be in safetie, we shall certainly bee exposed to many miseries: for as the Prophet said to Ieho­ram, [Page 26] were it not for good 2 Kin. 3.13 Iehosaphat I would not looke towards thee; so certaine­ly were it not for the presence of the holy, the mercifull, the righteous, the Lord would not looke towards us, at least with any fauourable and shining countenance.

Reason. 2 Gods blessing doth attend the place where they are for their sakes, as the house of2 Sam. 11.6 Obed-Edom was blessed for the presence of the Arke; so doth God prosper the Kingdome, Towne, Fami­ly, where the righteous are for their sakes: thus Laban Gen. 30.30 prospered through the presence and service of Iacob; and God blessedGen. 29.3, 23 Potipheas house for Iosephs sake.

Reason. 3 Their performance of religious and holy duties doth cause God to be graci­ously present in the place where they are; if the Father have a child in a Towne, or Family, he will often visit that place, he will not be strange, but loving and kind to the people dwelling there. So God, where his Children are, there will he be graciously present, those places will he visit and there [Page 27] will shew much kindnesse, and bestow many favours; for where two or three be gathered together in his Mat. 18.20 Name, in his feare, according to his word, to invo­cate and worship him, there will he be: for it is among theRev. 1.13. Candlesticks in the Church, among the beleevers, where the light of the truth shineth, where du­ties of godlinesse are exercised, that Christ walked, and shewed himselfe gra­ciously present.

They are a safegard to the place and Reason. 4 people where they are, better then all walles, and Castles; then all Armour and Munition; able to doe more by their prayers, then the Souldiers with all their weapons; as Origen saith, one holy man praying, can doe more then in­numerable sinners can doe with fighting. Thus Moses Exod. 17 11. prevailed more by his prayers, then Ioshua with all his Soul­diers against the Amalekites: and when the Emperour Marcus Aurelius was like to lose his Army through want of water, the Christians in his Army prevaled with God, and obtained raine. As they procure many favours, so they [Page 28] also prevent many evils, which would otherwise fall upon the place wher they live:Psal. 106 23. He would (saith the Psalmist) de­stroy them, had not Moses his servant stood before him in the breach to turne a­way his wrath, lest he should destroy them. So that as Nabals servants said of Da­vid and his men,1 Sam: 25.15, 16 The men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed wee any thing as long as wee were conversant with them: when wee were in the field, they were a wall unto us both by night and by day: so may every King­dome, Towne, and Family say of the holy and righteous servants of God, They have beene very good unto us, and wee have had no hurt while wee have been conversant with them; they have beene a wall unto us, both by night and by day.

Reason. 5 Their example, their counsell, their instruction, their wisedome, their blamelesse walking, is of great force to restraine others from much evill, to allure and draw them (at least) to the outward performance of many good duties: as Husbands are wonne by the [Page 29] conversation of the wives, while they be­hold their chaste conversatiō coupled with feare; 1 Pet. 3.1, 2. wonne to approue of, and attend upon that word of God, which teacheth their wives to live so chastly, to walke so circumspectly, and to order them­selves every way so holily, so meekely, so blamelesly, so that men that are strangers to the power of a godly life, are strongly wrought upon, and very much affected with, and wonne by the religious and gracious conversation of the Lords faithfull people. Even Saul will1 Sam. 10.10 prophesie, when he is among the Pro­phets: the coldest stone will grow hot and full of burning being among the stickes in the fire: and Iustin Martyr cōfessed he was first turned to Christ by Christian Religion, through the admi­ration he had to behold the innocent and godly life of a Christian, hearing them pray for their good and preserva­tion, who to the utmost endevoured and wrought their ruine: thus forcible, thus effectuall, thus prevalent is the ex­ample of a godly conversation. Now by the death of Gods people there is a [Page 30] removall of these priviledges, and so the place of their former abode is ex­posed to many miseries: for when the godly are removed, when the righteous are taken away,

1 Then Religion and piety faileth, and they become like a people withoutEphes. 2.12. the Covenant, without God and Christ in the world.

2 Then good Government and even Civility falleth to the ground, like a House without a foundation, then all runneth to ruine like a Shippe without a Pilot: Therefore when the Lord would bring confusion upon Jerusalem for her sinne, what doth hee? He taketh from Jerusalem andIsa. 3.1, 2, 3 Judah the stay and staffe, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, the mighty man, and the man of warre, the Iudge, and the Prophet, and the Prudent man, and the Ancient, the Captaine of fifty, and the Honorable man, and the Counsellor, and the cunning Ar­tificer, and the eloquent Orator, and I will give Children to bee their Princes, and Babes shall rule over them.

Then there is none to stand up in the 3 gappe, to turne away the wrath of the Lord from them, but as Souldiers rush in at the breaches made in the walles, when none are standing there to keepe them out; so will all manner of plagues and miseries rush in upon the people, when the righteous, who should stand in the gap, are taken away from them: therefore when the Prophets saw vanitie, and a lying divination, when they for­sooke the word of the Lord, and flatte­red the people in their sinne, then the Lord said, O Israel thy Prophets are like Ezek. 13.4, 5. foxes in the De sarts, yee have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge, for the house of Israel to stand in the battell, in the day of the Lord. And againe in another place the Lord by the same Prophet saith,Ezek. 22 30, 31 I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the Land, that I should not de­stroy it, but I found none: therefore have I powred out mine indignation upon them, I have consumed them all with the fire of my wrath, their owne way have I [Page 32] recompenced upon their heads.

Vse. This then discovereth the folly and impiety of such as love not, desire not, delight not in the presence of Gods holy and righteous people; whose delight is not in then thatPsal. 16.3 excell in vertue, as Christs is; whose eyes are not upon thePsa. 101.6. faithfull in the Land, as Davids was, but rather wish and labour their removall. Many there bee, to whom the presence of the righteous is like the1 Sam. 6 1, 5. Arke to the Philistines; as that was a burden to their Land, and their God, & therefore they sent it away; so are the people of God a burden, a trouble to many profane persons, a crosse, a contradiction to their doings, and there­fore desire, and labour their absence: and what doe they hereby, but in the strength of their impiety, and multi­tude of their folly, involve themselves in remediles and irrecoverable miseries. The Sodomites tooke offence at Lots presence, but what became of them when Lot was gone? Did not theGen. 19.24. fire and brimstone instantly consume them? The presence of Moses was irkesome to [Page 34] Pharaoh, he was charged no more to looke him in theExod. 10.2, 8. face, but what en­sued? what was the issue of it? were not all theExod. 11 5. first borne in Aegypt there­upon destroyed. Pharaohs servants con­ceived Israel to be aEzod 10 7. snare, to be instruments of much evill, endevoured their removall; but when Israel was gone, what became of them? Did not theExod. 14 Red Sea swallow them the very day of Israels out-going. Thus you see how usually it fares with profane persons upon the removall of the righ­teous: and is it not strange that not­withstanding all this they should still distaste their presence, still wish and worke their absence? Doe they not hereby plainely declare, and publikely proclaime, 1. That there is no1 Ioh. 5.1 love of God in their soules, for how can a man love the father, and hate the presence of the child? 2. That they have no union with Christ; doe the living mem­bers in a body naturall, hate and wish each others removall? was it ever heard (saith the Apostle) that a man did Ephes. 5 29 hate his owne flesh; 3. That there is no saving [Page 35] grace, no presence, no powers of the spirit in such; doth not every thing agree with, and rejoyce in its like? Doe not waters agree and flow together in one Chanell? And had these men the spi­rit of holinesse in them, could they grieve at the presence of Gods people? Surely it is impossible; for the Spirit of God is a Spirit ofPhil. 2.1, 2 fellowship, love, peace, joy, making men of one ac­cord, and of one minde; and when the righteous are gone, when the mercifull men are taken away, who shall stand in the gap then? Shall the profane, shall the worker of iniquity? What can he doe; In what account are his prayers? The blind man could see and say this; God heareth not Ioh. 9 31. sinners; their prayers are an Prov. 28.9 abomination in his presence, as Salomon doth assure us.

This must therefore teach us deepe­ly 2 to bewaile, and much to lament the losse of godly men, when they are taken from us; and to feare the evils like to ensue upon their departure; O Beloved, let us not, I beseech you, be like them of whom the Propht here speaketh, that [Page 36] did not consider, that did not lay to heart the taking away of the righteous from ensuing evils. Let us not be like Ephraim, whose strength was devoured by Hos. 7.9 strangers, and he knew it not, that had gray haires here and there, and much weakenesse comming upon him, and yet he knew it not: O let us not be unsensible of the declining and decay of our strength and stay, and of the miseries which are comming on us; let us not be like a man in a Lethargy, that hath no feeling of the cutting off, and taking a­way of a member from him: but rather as David upon the fall of Abner refused to eate till the Sunne was gone downe, saying to his servants,2 Sam. 3.35, 38, 39. know ye not that there is a Prince, and a great man fallen this day in Israel, and I am this day weake, and these men the sonnes of Zervi­ah be too hard for me: may not wee say the like in this behalfe; is not the Church of God weake, are not the ene­mies thereof too strong? Was not the man now fallen amongst us a Ruler, an eminent man in this place? And is there not in this regard great cause of [Page 37] mourning? Doubtlesse there is. For whensoever a good man doth fall; 1. The Church of God on earth doth lose one member. 2. The place where they lived doth lose one Pillar, and so, like a house whose pillars faile, is much weakned. 3. Hereby we loose his pre­sence, which was a whetstone to setPro. 27.17. edge upon us, whose face was, as Ia­cob said of Esaus, as the Gen. 33.10. face of God un­to us. 4. Hereby we lose his prayers, which were as buckets to bring much water out of the wells of Salvation to us. 5. Wee lose his instructions and counsels, which were as a shining Lampe, as a comfortable Guide to us in the way. 6 Wee lose his com­forts, which were wont to be as the Apothecaries oyntments, as the sweete flowers of the Garden to our nostrils, as the Dove with her Olive Gen. 8.11 branch to Noah; as the Wagons which Ioseph sent to old Iacob, the reviving of ours, as they were theGen. 45.27, 28. reviving of his heart. 7. We lose his helpe and assistance, which was wont like a strong arme to make our heavy burthen light, as a fountaine of [Page 38] living water to refresh us, as a firme & sure anker to stay us: & therfore as Israel Deu. 34.8. wept 30. dayes for Moses, so have you great cause of sorrow and lamentation now for the taking away of this Moses, this servant of the Lord here before us: and also at other times whensoever the righteous doe thus perish, are thus taken away from the evils ensuing.

And now to say no more, here you see a shining starre in your Horizon set, a maine Pillar of your house fallen, a choice flower of your Garden taken a­way, a man eminent for his endow­ments, well known, & sufficiently tryed for his abilities: a man of whom; 1. For his Religion, for his uprightnesse towards God I thinke I may say of him, as the Lord himself of Iob, Iob 1.1. He was a per­fect and upright man, one that feared God, and eschewed evill, a man that held fast hisIob. 2.3. integrity, though there wanted not occasions and meanes to move and shake him; as Satan moved God against Iob without cause to destroy him; a man he was like the tree growing with­in the Courts of the Lords house,Psal. 92.12. bea­ring [Page 39] much fruit in his old age. 2. For his publike Government, hee was like them prescribed by Iethro Exo. 12.21 to Moses, an able man, a man fearing God, a man of truth, & hating covetousnesse: a man in whom there was a sweet and powerfull concurrence of all requisite vertues for his calling and office and accordingly he proved a carefull Watch-man over this Towne and people: he did not like the evill servant hide hisMat. 25.30 talent in a nap­kin; but his care, study, labour, travell was (I am perswaded) for the publike, common, and true good of this place and people. 3. He was in his domesticke Government likeGen. 18.19 Abraham, a man commanding, and teaching his children and household after him to walke in the wayes of the Lord; a man like David walking in the middest of hisPsal. 101.3. house with a perfect heart. 4. Hee was to­wards Gods people kinde, loving, & amiable, shewing that hisPsal. 16.3. delight was in them that excell in vertue. 5. Hee was in his conference & cōmunication, wise, grave, holy, full of heavenly dis­course,Pro. 1 [...].7 his lippes did disperse knowledge. [Page 40] I speake these things not to disparage any living, but to encourage such as knew him, to a carefull imitation of what was found praise-worthy in him. The richer his endowments, the grea­ter your losse; the more should bee your griefe, the greater your care to la­bour the reparation, and to stop the breach which God hath made by his fall: and whatsoever you have lost in him, labour to repaire and increase in your selves. 1. By growing in all grace, by being filled with all goodnesse, drawing nearer to God, in all things make his counsell yourPsal. 73.24. guide now, that he may receive you to his glory at the last. 2. By being diligent, faithfull, careful, con­scionable in the imployment you have received, that so when you shall be as he is now, you may heare that sweete and comfortable saying of our Saviour,Mat. 25.23. Well done thou good and faithfull ser­vant, thou hast beene Ruler over few things, I will make thee Ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy LORD.

ELIAHS FIERY CHARET OR, The holy mans Tryumph after DEATH.

THE sorrowes of Gods people are often like the waves of the Sea, one rowling upon the backe of another; like stones in a building, when one is fallen, another tumbles after: Wee multiply [Page 2] our transgressions, and God doth mul­tiply our miseries; we are sometimes like men cast into a deepe and dead slumber, and God must strike not once but twice before we will awaken: our hearts are often very senselesse, stony, stupid; and therefore as Moses stroke the rockNum. 20.11. twice, that waters might come forth, so doth God often strike us, sometimes in the feete, in our Inferiours; some­times in the sides, in them that are most deare unto us; sometimes in the armes, in them that be our chiefe Assistants; sometimes in the head, in them that are our Governours sometimes in the face, in the eye the tenderest part, in our Pa­stor: and all this the Lord doth to draw from us the teares of true repentance.

I have beene to you of this place of late a Messenger, like2 Sam. 18 Cushi to David, bringing nothing but sad and sorrow­full tydings of the fall of your friends and acquaintance; like the Messengers comming to Iob one after another, withIob. 1. tydings of taking away the sheepe, oxen asses, the death and slaughter of his servants, sonnes, and daughters. It was but on Tuesday last I brought you [Page 3] heavy tydings of the death of a pious and eminent Magistrate, and now am come again with the like sad and dole­full message, of the death and depar­ture of your holy, faithfull, and pain­full, Pastor: Of whom whiles they lived, I may say as David did of Saul and Ionathan, 2 Sam. 1.22. from the blood of the slain, and the fat of the mighty, the bow of Iona­than turned not backe, and the sword of Saul returned not empty: so these, The sword of the one in the Magistracie, and the Bow of the other in the Ministery prospered and prevailed mightily: of that sweet communion which was be­tweene them, of the unparallel'd inte­grity of their conversations, agility, in­dustry, un-weariedns in their callings, I may speak againe in the lāguage of Da­vid touching Saul & Ionathan, 2 Sam. 1.23. They were lovely & pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swif­ter thē Eagles, they were stronger thē Lyons. And as to you who lately enjoyed the benefit, the comfort of their presence, labours, abilities, I may say once againe with David there, Ver. 24. Yee daughters of Israel weepe over Saul, who clothed you [Page 4] in scarlet with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparell; how are the mighty fallen in the midst of battel? So in this case; O Town, O People, O Congregation, weepe over these men, who lately sought your welfare, study­ed your good, were instruments of your peace, of your honour, of your en­richment: whose endevours, whose de­sires, whose labours were to adorne you with the choisest ornaments, and to fill you with the sweetest delights. O how are these mighty men fallen in the middest of this Battell! And touching him whose corps lyeth now before us, we may all say as David of Ionathan, Verse 26. Wee are distressed for thee, O holy, and godly Pastor, O zealous and and painfull Minister, very pleasant hast thou beene to us, thy love to us was wonder­full, passing the love of Women; O how is this mighty man fallen! and the wea­pons of his war perished! And as Elisha in the Text upon the sight of Eliahs translation, so may we beholding the dissolution of this our Eliah, cry out, my Father, my Father, the Charet of Israel, and the Horsemen thereof.

The words declare and set before us Eliahs translation, ascension into Hea­ven, signifying (in all probability) the Ascension of our Saviour: for as Elisha waited to see the translation of Eliah, so the Disciples waited, and beheld theActs 1.10, 11. Ascension of Christ. It shadowed also our Resurrection. Enoch was translated before the Law, Eliah under the Law, Christ under the Gospell; to shew that the Believers of alages, before the Law, under the Law, under the Gospell, shall in the appointed time ascend into hea­ven: and it likewise is a divine, evident and assured testimony, that all Gods holy people after the passage of this earthly pilgrimage, shall enjoy life e­verlasting in the Kingdome of Heaven.

In the words some things require a little explication; By the Charets of fire, and Horses of fire, is meant the Angels of God likened to Charets and Horses. 1. For their strength. 2. For their valour. 3. For their fight­ing for the Church of God, and against the enemies thereof. 4. For their readi­nesse, speed, and quicknesse in the ex­ecution of Gods counsels. 5. For their [Page 6] order, submission, and subjection unto God, they are not like horses in an o­pen field running whither they list; but like horses in a Charet, going when whither, and which way the Lord will have them. They are said to bee Horses of fire, & Charets of fire, to shew that they are zealous, fervent, earnest, and full of life and power, as the burning fire, in the execution of their office. Thus by the Prophet Zacharie they are likened toZach. 6.1, 2. horses and Charets comming out be­tween the mountaines, to shew that they come forth with resolution, courage, preparednes in a speedy manner to ex­ecute Gods Will and Counsell, which is firme like the Mountaines: and by the Apostle they are stiled aHeb. 1.7. flaming fire, and by the Prophet Isajah they are calledIsa. 6.6. Seraphin, ab urendo; to shew their fervor in the way and worke wherein the Lord doth set them: and for this also they are resembled to the wind, because as the wind is a strong and speedy messenger, so are the An­gels of the Lord: and herein we may clearely see, that the more strong, cou­ragious, speedy, obedient and fervent [Page 7] we are in our callings, the more doe we resemble the holy Angels.

The words thus explained, fall a­sunder into two generall parts.

• 1. Eliahs Translation. ‘Behold there appeared a Charet of fire, and horses, of fire, and parted them a­sunder, and Eliah went up by a whirle wind into Heaven.’
• 2. Elisha's Lamentation. ‘And Elisha saw it, and he cryed: my Fa­ther, my Father, the Charets of Israel, and the Horsemen thereof: And he saw him no more: and hee tooke hold of his own cloths, and rent them in two pieces.’

In the first of these, Eliahs Translation, we may consider;

• 1. Motus: he went up.
• 2. Terminus a quo, from whence hee went up, from the Earth.
• 3. Terminus ad quem, to what place he went, into Heaven.
• 4. Instrumenta motus, a Charet of fire, Horses of fire, and a whirle winde.

In the second; Elisha's Lamentation. There is,

• [Page 8]1. Motivum: an Inducement to this lamentation: and this is three­fold: the 1. externall, hee saw it; the 2. internall, his affection: my Father, my Father: the 3. mixt, or experimentall, drawne from the defence ministred to Israel by Eliah, whereof Elisha was very sensible, and therefore called him, the Horsemen and Charet of Israel.
• 2. Here is Gradus, the degree of his griefe, nor a little, but much, hee cryed.
• 3. Incrementum doloris, the increase of his sorrow, that hee should see him no more.
• 4. Signum, the signe of his griefe and sorrow, hee tooke hold of his owne Cloths, and rent them in two pieces.

Thus you see the words are like a Tree of many branches, each bearing his particular fruit, of some of which we will take a more slender, of others a fuller taste: and first to begin with the first thing noted in Eliahs Transla­tion.

The terminus à quo, from whence he ascended, from the earth: when Eliah, and Elisha were walking together, the Charet of fire, and Horses of fire parted them asunder, and Eliah went up to heaven, he was carried up from the earth: thereby shewing,

That the earth is not the abiding place of Gods people; Doct. Heb. 13.14. We have no continuing City here (saith the Apostle) but seeke one to come: 1. This is an enemies countrey, Satan is stiled the 2 Cor. 4.4. God of this world: here we areIohn 15.19. hated, and there­fore as Jacob, when he beheld that La­ban's countenance was not towards himGen. 31.2 as before, that he had ten times chan­ged his wages, tooke his wives, chil­dren, ca [...], and returned to his owne Countrey; so we beholding how the world doth frowne upon us, how it doth exercise us with many changes, we should willingly forsake it, and gladly go to our heavenly home. 2. Our Christ, our Jesus isLuk. 24.6 risen, ascended, he is not here, and therefore as the Bee resteth not till he returne to his Hive, as theGen. 8.9. Dove found no resting place till she came againe unto the Arke, no [Page 10] more should we till we returne to our God, and our Jesus, and have the full fruition of their blessed presence in the heavens. 3. Our portion is not in this life, the men of the world have theirPs. 17.14. portion here, our1 Pet. 1.4. Inheritance is reserved for us in the heavens: O there­fore let us not labour for the bread which doth Ioh. 6.27. perish; let us not lay up for our selves treasure upon Mat. 6.19 20. earth, where the rust and the moath corrupt, and where theeves break thorough and steale, but let us lay up for our selves treasure in heaven. For this is the terminus ad quem; the place where­unto we must move, as Eliah here did.

It is not long since Eliah ranne1 Kin. 18.45, 46. on foote, and Ahab rode in his Charet; but now Eliah he hath a Charet, a Charet of fire, and Horses of fire, a bright, a glorious, and shining Charet, a com­pany of blessed Angels to carry him into the holy and highest heavens. Let Ahab ride now, Eliah shall ride at the last. Gods people shall have their Charets one day as well as others. And here note:

Doct. That the future estate of Gods servants [Page 11] shall be very glorious, though for the present it be contemptible, and ignominious in ex­ternall appearance: the greatest honour of Gods servants is reserved till after their departure out of this earthly pilgrimage. Now indeed like Eliah, they walke on foote, but [...] last they shall be like Eliah in his fiery Charet; how they be like Ioseph in prison, then they shall be like Ioseph ruling in the sec [...] place in the Kingdome; for [...] they shall be next to God and Christ in the Kingdome of Heaven. [...] Salomon had seene of old,Eccl. 10 7 servants upon horses, and Princes walking as ser­vants upon the earth: so now, men that are slaves to their owne lusts, bond­men to Satan; servants, yea drudges to the world, these are on horse-backe, exalted, preferred, endowed with earthly riches, worldly honours, but they who are Kings and Priests to God, these walke like servants on foote, these are in a low and despised estate for the most part; but there is a day comming wherein the Lord will dispell all the clouds of ignominy now covering them, and cause a glorious Sunne to [Page 12] shine upon them: they shall then have a very glorious dwelling,2 Cor. 5.1 a dwelling in the heavens, a dwelling made without hands, a City whoseHeb. 11.10. builder and maker is God, a dwelling so rich, so beautifull, so sumptuous, that in comparison here­of, theDan. 4.30 Palace whereof Nebuchadnez­zar so boasted, is but a base Cottage. Then they shall have aLuke 25.43. Paradise, in respect whereof the most delightfull places, the pleasantest garden upon earth, are but a barren wildernesse: then they shall have treasure, in resp [...] whereof the choisest jewels are [...] dung and drosse, such a tree to gather fruit from, as in regard thereof, the chiefe Vines are but brambles, and thornes, and briars, such a well-spring to drinke of, as in comparison thereof, the sweetest Wine is but slimy water, as it is very fully expressed by ourRev. 22.1, 2. Sa­viour, Rev. 22.1, 2. for then as Cyprian saith, Nihil deerit, nihil oberit, omne de­siderium eorum Christus praesens implebit, non senescent, non tabescent, non putrescent ampliùs, perpetua san [...], foelix aeteruitat beatitudinis illis sufficientiam confirma­bunt [...]e then nothing shall be wanting, [Page 13] there shall be nothing which shall hurt: the blessed face and presence of Jesus Christ shall fully satisfie all their de­sires, &c. For

Then there shall be deliverance from all sin, then there shal be gardens with­out Reasons. 1 weeds, trees without either super­fluous branch, or withered leafe, then there shall be garmentsEph. 5.26 without either spot or wrinkle, as2 Sam. 14 25. Absolon was said to be without bodily blemish, from the crowne of the head to the sole of his feete; so shall Gods people at last be without all blemish both in their soules, and also in their bodies; now they are as the Moone bright and glo­rious, yet as the Moone, so they have their spots, and are subject to spirituall waxings, and wanings, but at last they shall be as the Sun, wholly, unchange­ably pure, glorious, in an estate more excellent then the estate of Adam in his innocency: in him there was a posse cadere, a possibility to fall, but Gods people shall be confirmed as the Angels of God, so that they shall be free from a possibility to be drawne to sinne.

Then there shall be a discharge from all weaknesses, maladies, distem­pers, disorders of nature, evils and in­conveniences whatsoever; then there shall be a cessation from allRev. 21.4. labour, a removall of all sorrowes, theRev. 21.4. first things shall passe away, the miseries, troubles, and changes attending this life shall be gone, like a Land floud that passeth by, like a cloud driven away by the wind, they shall be wasted away in death, done away in the grave, as the2 King. 5.14. Leprosie of Naaman in Iordan: they shall have an absolute and blessed free­dome from all evils both inward and outward, of the body and of the soule, for theyRev. 7.16 17. shall hunger no more, neither shall thirst any more, neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heat, for the Lambe which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall leade them unto living fountaines of water, and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes.

Reasons. 3 Then they shall have victory over all enemies, then all adversarie powers shall vanish like smoake before the Sunne, and flie like the1 Sam. 17 Philistin be­fore Israel: now as Israel had theIude 2.2. Ca­naanites, [Page 15] so have we them that be thornes in our sides, and prickes in our eyes, now we are2 Cor. 12 7. buffeted by Satan, now we are troubled with the pricke in the flesh: but thenRom. 16 20. Satan shall be tro­den under our feete, then our enemies shall be made ourMath. 22 44. foot-stoole, then we shall have a perpetuall tryumph, we shall not feare an enemy, nor loose a friend.

Then they shall have the fruition of Reasons. 4 all good, a glorious dwelling, a City of pure gold, the foundation of the walles garnished with precious stones; and the gates thereof of pearles, as our Saviour at large describeth it,Revel. 21 17, 18, 19. Revel. 21. to shew that nothing is so precious, so bright, so glorious, so rich, so deare to us, as can sufficiently set out the transcendent and unconceiveable ex­cellency of that heavenly City: then also shall we have the sweete commu­nion of the Saints; were the dwelling never so glorious, should a man be constrained to dwell alone, it would prove a great abatement of his con­tentment, delight, and comfort: there­fore for the filling up of the joy of his [Page 16] servants, God hath provided for them not onely glorious mansions, but also the comfortable communion of his Saints and Angels: they shall Mat 8.11 Heb. 12.22 23. sit downe with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, they shall come to an innumerable company of Angels, to the generall Assembly, and Church of the first borne, &c. And which is most of all, more then all the rest, they shall have the blessed vision of God: a glorious house, the company of the children, there is little; without the presence of the Master of the house, the Father of the Family: so heaven, so the communion of the Saints, were little; should we not also behold the face of God; for as the frui­tion of the husbands presence, the sence of the husbands love doth more solace, satisfie, rejoyce, and delight the wife, then the statelinesse of the dwel­ling, the presence of all her compani­ons: so the fruition of Gods face and favour, the Lord filling the soule with his celestiall brightnesse and glory, we seeing him face to face, and he becom­ming all in all unto us, this is much more then all the rest; and herein stan­deth [Page 17] the perfection, the consummati­tion of our happinesse, therefore our Saviour saith,Rev. 22, 3, 4. there shall bee no more curse, but the Throne of God, and of the Lambe shall bee in it, and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face.

But if the future estate of Gods ser­vants be so honourable, Quest. so full of all satisfaction, so glorious; why are they so willing to continue upon the face of the Earth? Will any man desire to continue in a wildernesse, when hee may live in a glorious Paradise? to a­bide in an enemies Country, when he may enjoy all fulnesse in his fathers house? to live in a prison, when he may partake of the sweetest free­dome?

The people of God desire long life; Resp. 1. Sometimes for the making of theirPsal. 39.13. peace with God more fully before they finish this earthly pilgrimage. 2. Sometimes they may also glorifie God with their bodies, which by death arePsal. 6.4, 5. disabled to doe God any service. 3. Sometimes that they may among menPsal. 30.10. Psal. 84.10 11, 12. celebrate and praise God for his bles­sings and favours bestowed upon [Page 18] them, that they may be an encourage­ment to Gods people, anornament to Gods truth, a terror to the adversaries of it here upon earth. 4. Sometimes that they may perfect some good Worke which they have begun, do good to o­thers in their places and callings: thusPhil. 1.23. Paul, though he knew it was better for him to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, yet he was willing to live longer, be­cause it was good for them that hee should continue with them: so that though the people of God sometimes for such causes doe desire continuance here, yet it no way denieth this truth, that their future estate in the Heavens is very glorious. And if so be, their future estate be so glorious, so pleasant, so comfortable, as we have clearely seene it is, Then first,

Ʋse 1 This must teach the people of God patience under their present burthens, troubles, tryals, miseries; the joy is behind the glory, the Crowne is 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. layd up for hereafter; here like Israel we have but a little taste, a fewNum. 13.13. Grapes in the way, the full Vintage is reserved till at last; here we are like Sampson, the [Page 19] Honey we have is in theJudg. 14.14. belly of a Lyon, but hereafter we shall have sweet without sowre, light without darke­nesse, rivers of joy without a tempest: therefore as the servant patiently en­dureth the heate of the day, in ex­pectation of his wages in the evening; the Souldier the dangerous and dead­ly wounds of the battell, in expectati­on of a Crowne; the husband-man the heate of the Summer, the cold of the Winter, comforting himselfe with the comming of a full and liberall harvest: let us doe the like in this case, here is a wages, a crowne, a harvest, which will abundantly answer all losses, la­bours, hardnesse, reproaches, and what­soever doth for the present annoy us. As our Saviour said in another case, a John 16.21. Woman when shee is in travell hath sor­row, because her houre is come, but as soone as she is delivered of the child, shee remem­breth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is borne into the World: so in this case the people of God are now often in great anguish, like a woman in tra­vell but when this life is ended, when our regeneration and new birth shall [Page 20] be fully accomplished, we shall meete with that which will swallow up all our former griefe and trouble, and make it as if it had never beene: and as Salomons mother said in that case,Pro. 31.6 7. Prov. 31. give strong drinke to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that bee of a heavy heart; let him drinke and forget his poverty, & remember his misery no more: so here is a cup of consolati­ons, here is sweet wine, here is a more pure river, whereof when wee once come to drinke our full draught, we shall forget our poverty, we shall re­member our misery no more: there­fore let us according to the charge of the Psalmist, Ps. 37.5, 6. commit our way to God, trust in him, and the Lord shall bring it to passe, hee shall bring forth our righteous­nesse as the light, and our judgement as the noone day: and in all our troubles, tryals, and against all adversary powers, let us say as the Prophet Micah Mica. 7.8 9. doth, rejoyce not against mee, O mine e­nemy, when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkenesse, the Lord shall bee a light unto mee: I will beare the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, [Page 21] untill he plead my cause, and execute judg­ment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousnesse. And reckon also with theRom. 8.18. Apostle, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us: & evermore to re­member that of S. Paul to the Corinthi­ans, that 2 Cor. 4.17, 18. our light afflictions which are but for a moment, worketh for us a far more ex­ceeding & eternall waight of glory: while we look not at the things which are, but at the things w^ch are not seene, for the things which are seen are temporall, but the things w^ch are not seene are eternall: thinke I be­seech you of these things and let pati­ence have herJam. 1.4. perfect work in all tryals, troubles, changes, where with the Lord shall be pleased to exercise you.

This must teach the children of Ʋse 2 God constancy in the way and worke of God: there is a blessed Price at the end of this race, there is joy, peace, glory, fulnes, unutterable,Isa 64.4. inconceive­able: O therefore bee not like Gideons many thousands whichJudg. 7.5, 6, 7. fainted, which bowed downe upon their knees, and drunke of the waters, and so were discarded [Page 22] as unfit for the battell: be not afraid of any losse, of any trouble, of any in­convenience, having given your names to God; O bow not downe againe to the World, be no more as servants to your lusts, or drudges to the earth: I beseech you say not with the sluggard,Prov. 26.13. there is a Lyon in the way, a Lyon in the streete, feare not the Lyon of oppositi­on, of reproach, of earthly losse, or transitory trouble, but goe on in the way of God, be faithfull in the Cove­nant of the Lord, be couragious in the service of our God: and then as the spirit of the Lord cameJudg. 14.5, 6, 8. mightily up­on Sampson, so mightily, that he rent the Lyon in pieces which roared against him, and found at length a Honey combe in the belly of him: so shall the Lord inable you to vanquish all oppositions, and draw very sweete comforts from your present disquietments. Let not the pro­verbe take hold of you,2 Pet. 2.22. the Dog is re­turned againe to his vomit, and the Sow to her wallowing in the mire; be not like1 Tim. 1.19.20. Hymeneus and Philetus; like unskil­full and cowardly marriners, that flie back or make shipwracke with every [Page 23] tempest: doe not with2 Tim. 4.10. Demas forsake Paul, leave the Ministery, become a stranger to the word, and forsake God, and goe back againe to this present World: be not like the disciples, which followed Christ for theJohn 6.66. loaves, but af­terwards went backe, and came no more to him: but like Gideons 300. Souldiers, goe yee on without fainting, without bowing down to the World: resolve in this, as Hester did in that case,Hester 4.16. Hester 4. If I perish, I perish, what­soever you loose, whatsoever you en­dure, here is an ample recompence: be you faithfull, be you upright, be yee constant as Eliah was, and you shall at last have a fiery Charet as Eliah had. Walke with God without wavering, asGen. 6.9. Noah did, as he ceased not frō building the Arke, whatsoever discouragement was ministred, no more doe you cease to ad grace to grace, as the builders doe stone to stone, till you attaine per­fection: and then as Noah had his Arke, was preserved in it when others pe­rished, so shall you have safety, peace, joy, comfort, and everlasting tryumph, when others shall perish in the deluge [Page 24] of Gods judgements. Be constant as1 Sam. 17 33.34. David was, and then as he overcame the Beare, the Lyon, the great Goliah, and enjoyed the Crowne at length, so shall we the Crowne of glory at the last, if weRev. 2.10 be faithfull unto the death: therefore with Moses seeing him that isHeb. 11.26, 27. invisi­ble, and having an eye to the recompence, let us chuse rather to endure affliction with the children of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season: and know­ing that we have anHeb. 10.34. abiding substance in Heaven, let us with the primitive Christians take the spoyling of our goods joyfully. This is the property of true grace, this is peculiar to the man that is truely pious,Prov. 4.18. to shine more and more like the light unto the perfect day: the Trees of Gods planting be known from all other trees, by bearing Ps. 92.13. much fruit in their old age: this is that which hath the promise, who shall reape but hee that Gal. 6.9. fainteth not? And who shall bee saved, but he that1 Mat. 13.13. continueth to the end? That corne alone which holdeth out unto the harvest, is gathered into the garner.

Ʋse 3 Is the future estate of Gods servants [Page 25] so pleasant, so eminent, so transcen­dently glorious? Then this must cause the children of God to entertaine death with all cheerefulnesse; how ter­rible so ever in it selfe, though it be as the Philosopher saith, [...], of all fearefuls the most fearefull; or as Iob stiles it, theJob. 18.14 King of terror: though looked upon in it selfe, it be to the people of God, as once the face of Esau, a terror to Iacob, yet look­ing upon the glory, dignity, and ful­nesse of all blisse which doth attend it, it should be to the people of God, as the face of Esau was at last to Iacob, e­ven as theGen. 33.10, 11. face of God: in the thought of this we should rejoyce, as the hire­ling in his thoughts of the Evening; as the traveller in the thoughts of his bed: as the warriour in the thought of the day of his triumph. For I may say to you of death, as Hugh Laverock said to his fellow Martyr Iohn a Price of the Lord of Londō: Be of good comfort my bro­ther, for my Lord of London is our good Physitian, he will cure thee of all thy blind­nesse, and me of my lamen [...]sse this day: so beloved, all yee that truly feare God, [Page 26] all that put away all filthinesse of the flesh, and perfect holinesse before him in feare, be of good comfort. Death will be your very good Physitian, it will cure all your diseases, end all your mi­series, set you free from all troubles. And therefore as the people came rea­dily toJohn 5.4 5. Bethesda to be healed of their infirmities; as we come cheerefully to the Physitian; so should wee to the grave; for what is death to the people of God? what is it to them to die? but as the Inhabitants leaving of an old and ruinous house, the Musitians laying downe of a Lute whose strings are broken, the Carpenters putting a­side of a worne Instrument, unfit for any longer service, or imployment; what is Death to Gods children, but as a guest making hast out of his Inne to his long, his lovely, and desired home; as the putting off of a worne, rotten, and ragged suite of apparell, to put on rich, and comly rayment; for while we live, we are likeZach. 3.3, 4, 5. Josua the high Priest, clothed with filthy garments, but when we die, then we are like Iosua with a fair Mitre upon his head, and comely rayment [Page 27] about his back. And therefore we should earnestly desire to be2 Cor. 5.8. absent from the body, that wee might bee present with the Lord. For the day of Death to the body is (as one saith) the birthday of eter­nity to the soule: Seneca who saw the immortality of the soule, the future fe­licity of it, but as through a Cloud, by ifs, and ands, yet professeth, that when hee thought but a little of it, and had some pleasant dreames thereof, hee loathed himselfe, and all his trifling greatnesse: Socrates also sweetned his cup of poyson, with his discourse of the soules Immortality, to the amazement of the beholders: how much more should christian, and sanctified soules be ravi­shed, affected, & enflamed with the me­ditation of it! O how should this cause us to thirst after death, as2 Sam. 23, 15, 16. David after the waters in the wells of Bethlem, and to breake thorough all difficulties, to attaine that immortall, and ever-bles­sed estate which to the people of God attendeth this life, as Davids Wor­thies brake thorough the hoast of the Philistins, to fetch them, waters; and as Laurence Saunders kissed the stake, and said [Page 28] wilcome be the crosse of Christ, well-come be everlasting life: my Saviour began to me in a bitter cup, and shall I not pledge him? so should wee entertaine death, as a very well-come guest, as a very deare friend, our soules should say within us, welcome bee death, welcome bee everlasting life, my Saviour is gone before me, and shall I not goe after him? As the Lyon desires to goe out of the grate, the Eagle out of the cage, and the prisoner out of the prison-house, so should we with Paul desire to bePhil. 3.23. dissolved, and to bee with Christ.

Ʋse 4 This should moderate our griefe and sorrow conceived at the departure of our godly friends: For,

1 Freedome1. This is the day of their Freedome, who is not comforted to see his friend come forth of prison, to see him set free from all persecution and trouble? Af­ter Eliah went up in his fiery Charet, Iezabel could no more make him flie, she had no more power to molest and persecute him.

2 Honour.2. This is the day of their Honour, now with Eliah they ride in their fiery Charet into heaven; now as Salomon [Page 29] said of theEccles. 4.12. poore wise child, may I say of all that are2 Ti [...] [...].12. wise unto salvation though poore, though afflicted, during their abode on earth, yet now they shall come out of prison, out of a trou­blesome, and low estate, to2 Tim. 2.11, 12. reigne with Christ in his kingdom. And I may wel say to all that sorrow for their religious deceased friends, as William Hunter said to his Mother, when hee was to suffer Martyrdome: For a momentany paine, I shall have a crowne of life, and may you not be glad of that? So they for a slen­der, troublesome, contemptible con­dition, have a full, a peaceable, a glo­rious estate in heaven, and have in that respect great cause of rejoycing.

3. This is the day of their Ioy, 3 Ioy. now they areHos. 2.19 2 Cor. 11.1, 2, 3. betrothed, but then the Mar­riage betweenRev. 19.7. Christ and their soules shall be consummate; as the Marshals wife of France said to her husband at the stake, Be of good cheere, your wedding was but a shadow, an earnest of the blessed marriage, which the Lambe will now con­summate. This then is the Marriage day of the godly, and who will not rejoyce, at least a little with his friend on his Marriage day?

[Page 30] 4. Recom­pence.4. This is the day of their Recom­pence, now theirRev. 14.13. workes follow them; now is their harvest; though hereto­fore they havePs. 126.5, 6. sowne in teares, yet now they reape in joy.

5. God gave our godly friends to us but for a season, we are tenents at will, the Lord may put us out at his plea­sure of all our possessions, and there­fore we should learne with Iob to sub­mit our wills to Gods will, and say,Job. 1.21. the Lord gave, and the Lord taketh, bles­sed be the name of the Lord.

6. We shall shortly 2 Sam. 12 23. goe to them, they cannot returne to us, it is but a little while, and we shall for ever have1 Thes. 4:13.14.17. their fellowship in the Heavens.

7. God will be instead of all, God will be to the widow, to the woman that hath no husband, instead of a hus­band, to the fatherles child instead of a father, &c. As Elkāa said to Hannah grie­ving at the barrennes of her wombe, because she had no children;1 Sam. 1.8. Why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I to thee better then ten sonnes? So may I say in this behalfe, to every woman, every [Page 31] child, every parent, every friend, why weepe ye? why eate ye not? why are your hearts grieved? Is not God to you in stead of ten husbands, ten children, ten friends? surely in God is all fulnesse; and as the Sun is instead of all Candles, so should the Lord be to us instead of all others, and infinitly more then all helpers, guides, staies, friends, and com­forters: Let then the thought of their advantage, who are gone the way of all flesh before us, and the meditation of Gods constant, and never failing good­nesse, mitigate the sorrow, and sad­nesse which doth usually attend our losse in this behalfe; let their gaine as­swage the griefe of our losse, and also quicken us to a carefull preparation, that whensoever the day of our disso­lution shall come, we may also have a fiery Charet with Eliah to carry us into the heavens.

Thus are we come to the last thing noted in Eliahs translation, and ascen­sion: the instrumenta motus, the Angels of the Lord: whence observe; Doct.

That the holy Angels carry the soules of the righteous at the day of their death into [Page 32] the heavens: they nowPsa. 34.7 encampe about them, they nowHeb. 1.13 minister for their good, and at last will carry their soules to heaven, as they carriedLuke 16 22. Lazarus into Abrahams bosome.

The ground of this their attendance upon the righteous, floweth from the Communion, and conjunction of Gods faithfull people with the Lord Jesus; a woman joyned in wedlocke with the Prince, is honoured, reverenced, atten­ded, not onely by the common subjects, but also by the greatest Nobles in that Princes Court; so the Spouse of Christ, true believers, being married to Christ, are served, attended, waited on, not onely by the common creatures, but also by the glorious Angels: O the dig­nity whereunto man through Christ Jesus is advanced! O that the Name of God might be magnified by us, accor­ding to the honour he hath bestowed upon us!

Thus from Eliahs Ascension: let us descend unto, and looke upon Elishas Lamentation: wherein you may re­member was presented to us a three­fold motive. The first externall: he saw [Page 33] Eliah ascending, and thereupon cryed. Wherein you may see; That the sight of dying or departing is very forcible to move the affections of the surviving; Note. Lam. 3.51 mine eye affecteth my heart, was the saying of the Church in her Lamentations: but this I must now passe by.

The second motive was his internall affection: My Father, my Father: Note. Where also learne; That Gods holy Ministers are spirituall Fathers: and therefore they must be to Gods people, as fathers to the children; and must be loved, reve­renced, honoured by the people; as children love, reverence, honour them that be fathers over them.

The third motive was next;Note. drawne from the experience, Elisha had of the safety, and defence ministred to Israel, by the presence of Eliah among them, therefore calling him the Horsemen of Israel, and the Charets thereof; because as the horsemen and charets are the strength of the people, and the instruments of their defence: so may we hereby learn; That Gods faithfull Ministers are a singular stay and defence to the people where God hath set them: but because time will not [Page 34] give leave to speak of these particulars, I will from the degree, increase, and signe of Elishas sorrow, and from his affection, crying, renting his cloths, mourning as for a father, propose unto you this observation.

Doct. That the death and departure of Gods faithfull Ministers ought to be deeply & af­fectionately bewailed by Gods holy servants; as2 Sam. 3.22. David lamented, and all the people wept over Abner when he was slaine, being a great man in Israel, a man that went forth to gather all Israel unto Da­vid, so have we great cause to mourne for, and bewaile the death of the spiri­tuall Captaines and Leaders, which are sent forth to gather the people unto God, and to2 Cor. 5.18.19. reconcile them, and bring them into Covenant with the Lord: thus Elisha here bewailed the translation of Eliah; and King Ioash afterwards in the same words lamenteth2 Kings 13, 14. Elisha. Now E­lisha was fallen sicke of his sicknesse whereof he died, and Ioash King of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said; O my father, my father, the Charets of Israel, and Horsmen thereof. And this is a part of the Churches lamentation,Lam. 1.19 20. My Priests [Page 35] and mine Elders gave up the ghost in the Cty, behold O Lord, for I am in distresse: and this was a principall part of the peoples complaint, a great aggravation of their affliction,Psa. 74.9 We (say they) see not our signes, there is no more any Prophet, neither is there any among us that know­eth how long: and when Paul departed from the people of God at Ephesus, this was their great griefe, that they should see him no more, for at his departure from them it is recorded,Acts 20.37, 38. that he knee­led downe, and prayed with them all, and they all wept sore, and fell on Pauls necke, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more: and that the people of God should thus deepely, thus affectio­nately bewaile the death and depar­ture of Gods Ministers, there is great cause: for

Then they are without a Guide, as Reasons 1 children without a father to instruct, & governe them; as a Ship without a Pilot to conduct them; as an Army without a Captaine to order them; as Sheepe without a Shepheard to lead them: so that as in the day of the King of Israels [Page 36] fall, the Prophet in vision, saw the peo­ple scattered like sheep without a1 King. 22 17. shep­heard, and as men having no master: So when the faithfull Minister of God, the spirituall Pastor is taken away, then are the people scattered abroad, asMat. 9 36 sheep having no shepheard; then they are as travel­lers without a guid: then they are as the Syrians, 2 Kings 6 18, 19. that had their eyes put out, & went they knew not whither, into their enemies City, when they thought they had beene travelling to their owne Countrey; so people, when the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell are taken from them, they be as men without eyes, they thinke they are in a good, when they are in a very evill estate; in the way to life, when they be in the very gates of death; for the Ministers are the eyes of the people, therefore calledIsa. 30.10 Seers; and as Moses said to Hobab, Numbers. Leave us not I pray thee, for as much as we are to encamp in the wildernesse, and thou mayest be instead of eyes to us; so may the people say to the Minister of God, Leave us not we beseech thee, for as much as we are to travell thorow the Wildernesse of this World, and thou maist be to us instead of eyes: in stead of [Page 37] eyes to teach us to discerne the things which differ, to foresee evils to come, to shew us the mysteries of salvation, to guide us into the wayes of peace; & therefore as it would grieve a man to have his eyes put out, so it should much grieve us to have the Ministers of God, our spirituall eyes, taken from us.

Then they are without spirituall food, as children that have lost their Father, their Mother, their nurse, are often without bodily food; for the Mi­nisters of God are their spirituall1 Cor. 4.16. Fa­thers, the1 Thes. 2.7. Nurses which must draw forth the breasts of spirituall consola­tions to nourish them, the shepheards which mustJer. 3.15. Joh. 21.16.17. feede them with know­ledge and understanding, theMat. 13.52. stewards which must bring forth old and new out of their treasury, which must open and apply both the Law and the Gospell to their conscience:1 Cor. 4.1. faithfull stewards, 2 Tim. 2.15. dividing the word aright, giving every one his portion, and that in due season. Without these there is a spirituall fa­mine, a famine not of bread and water, but which is farre worse, aAmos 8.11. famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Without [Page 38] these the people at the best are but like the sheepe brought by Labans daugh­ters to the well, but could not drinke, till Iacob rolled away the Gen. 29 8 10. stone; for what else doth an un-teaching Minister, but gather the people to the well, call them to the word, to heare the Scrip­tures; but are unable to roll away the stone, to give theNeh. 8.8 sence as Ezra did, to divide the word, and give them waters out of the wells of life: and therefore as it would much trouble us to bee in a bodily, so should it much more dis­quiet us to bee under a spirituall fa­mine.

Reasons 3 Then they be without their spiritu­all comforter, as children when their parents are gone, then their Comforter is gone: the faithfull Ministers are the Comforters of Sion, these have the charge given to minister consolation to the people;Isa. 40.1, 2. comfort yee, comfort yee my people, (saith our God) speake yee comfor­tably to Ierusalem, &c. These are the sonnes of Act. 4.36 Consolation, these are the Doves which bring the Olive branch of peace to the soule in the deluge of trouble: their voyce through Gods [Page 39] blessing doth appease the troubled conscience, as theMat. 8.25 26. voyce of our Saviour appeased the stormy tempest: these under God are the Physitians which heale our wounded soules, when all the World cannot cure us, nor minister any peace or comfort to us, as our Savi­our cured theMark. 5.39. woman of her bloudy issue, after that shee had spent all that she had up­on the Physitians, and yet was not healed: for these are the men to whom God hath given theIsa. 5.40. tongue of the learned, to minister a word in due season; when these therefore are gone, the Instruments of our comfort are gone, our starre is set, we are left in darkenesse, and are as the Church when she had no Comforter. Lament. 1.9.Lam. 1.19.

Then they are without the meanes Reasons 4 of their spirituall freedom, easily taken and kept in the bondage of Satan; when the Parents are gone, strangers use to make a pray of the children; so when the Ministers of God are taken away, when the spirituall Parents are removed, then sin, Satan, and the world easily make a pray of the people; for the faithfull Ministry of the Gospell is [Page 40] the thunder by which the divell must be cast down to the ground likeLuke 10.18. light­ning: this is the warlike weapon which is mighty thorough God to cast downe the strong 2 Cor. 10 4.5. holds of sinne; as the walles ofJos. 6.20. Ierico were throwne downe by the sounding of the Rammes hornes, so the walles of sinne, the strong holds of Sa­tan are overturned by sounding forth the trumpet of the Gospell. Before Philip came to Samaria, Satan had the possession there, but when he came and preached the Gospell, then theActs 8.8 9. un­cleane spirits went out of many that were possessed with them; thus is the Ministry of the word an instrument of victory to Gods people over the ene­mies of their salvation: but when the Ministry faileth, then Satans Kingdome is erected, then his throne flourisheth; when the gardener is taken away, then the garden becommeth a wildernesse; when the shepheard is gone, the flocke is scatered, the wild beast maketh a pray of it; as the Psalmist saith in ano­ther case,Psal. 104 20, 21. the Lord maketh darkenesse, & it is night, wherein all the beasts of the for­rest doe creepe forth, and the Lyons roare [Page 41] after their prey; so here when the Lord taketh away the light of the Gospell, bringeth darknesse, a spirituall night upon us, then sinne, and satan the1 Pet. 5.8 roa­ring Lyon creepe forth, then they make a prey of the soules of men, then they fill them full of all uncleannesse, then the faithfull City becommeth an har­lot, a denne of darknesse, a lodge of all uncleannesse: behold this in the Churches, once eminent, & famous for their knowledge, faith, and holinesse, but now very sinkes of sinne, and all abominations.

Then they are without their defence, Reasons 5 as a child when the father is dead, when the parents are gone, is in a sort with­out a Protectour; as a flocke without a shepheard, lyeth open to the mouth of every Dog, Fox, Beare, Lyon, Theefe: therefore are the Ministers stiled, the Horsemen and Charets of Israel, because they are the strength and safegard of the place where they are: where the word of God is purely and sincerely taught, there God is after a peculiar manner present, shewing his power in the defence of the place and people: to [Page 42] the Minister of God hath made a very gracious promise,Ier. 1.18, 19. Behold (saith the Lord to Jeremy) I have made thee this day a de­fenced City, and an iron Pillar, and brasen wall against the whole Land, against the Kings of Judah, against the Princes thereof, against the Priests thereof, and against the people of the Land: And they shall fight a­gainst thee, but they shal not prevaile against thee, for I am with thee to deliver thee. And the Lord is not onely a defence to the Ministers themselves, but also to the place and people where they are; thus when the Syrians compassed the City Dothan where Elisha was, then were the mountaines full of Charets and Horses, the Angels of the Lord like an Army standing in the defence of Elisha, 2 Kings 6 16, 17. so that the Syrians could hurt neither Elisha nor the place where he was: thus also when the2 Chro. 11.13, 14, 16, 17. Priests, the Levites, and such of the Tribes of Israel, as set their hearts to seeke the Lord God of Israel, came to Jerusalem, then they strengthned the Kingdome of Iudah, and made Rehoboam strong, even so many yeares as he wal­ked in the waies of David and Salomon. It is not so much the number of the [Page 43] people, the great abundance of riches, and other munition and furniture, as holy and faithfull Ministers, pious and religious people, that are the strength, stay, & instruments of safety to a King­dome, place or people: therefore when Iehosaphat sent forth them that taught in Iudah, and had the booke of the Law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the Cities of Judah, and taught the people; then it is said,2 Chro. 17.9. the feare of the Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the Lands that were round about Iudah, so that they made no war against Iehosaphat: yea they did not onely forbeare to an­noy and hurt him, but then also the Philistines brought Iehosaphat presents, and tribute silver, and the Arabians brought him flockes, seven thousand and seven hundred Rammes, and seven thousand and seven hundred He-goats: behold here the blessed safety, the great defence ministred to the place & peo­ple, where the Lord giveth faithfull and teaching Ministers to instruct them: see and consider in this, the singular good attendant upon, and derived unto the places which the Lord endowes [Page 44] with sanctified and able Pastors; they by their labours convert many to true holinesse, fill the soules of many with much goodnesse, make them very fruit­full in the good workes of all righte­ousnesse, bring them to be Gods deare favourites; they by their prayers also previle with God for the removall of much evill hanging over, and for the procuring of much good to the place and people where the Lord doth set them: and thus they are instrumentally a singular defence unto them, but these being removed, the people become like a City having neither wall nor watch­man.

Reasons 6 Then they are without their honour, for as the Parents be in some sort the honour of the children, as well as the children be the crowne of the pa­rents; so are the Ministers and ordinan­ces of God the crowne and glory of the people, which enjoy them: therefore Moses tels Israel, that there was no Nation so Deut. 4.6 great as they, because there was no Nation had God so nigh unto them, that had such statutes as they, and this was their wisdome and understanding to keepe them: and [Page 45] therefore also when the Ark, which was to Israel a testimony of Gods presence, as the Ordinances of God are now to us, when this Arke I say was taken from them, the wife of Phineas refused to be comforted, saying, the1 Sam. 4.21, 22. glory was departed from Israel: for as the stars be the glory and ornament of the heavens, so are the Ministers of God theRev. 1.19 starres in the right hand of Christ, the ornaments and glory of the Church: a great priviledge, a rare favour are Gods ordinances where he doth vouchsafe them:Psal. 147 19, 20. He sheweth his word (saith the Psalmist) unto Iacob, his statutes and his judgements unto Israel: he hath not dealt so with any Nation, and as for his judgements, they have not known them.

Then they are in great danger of A­postacy, when Moses was but a few daies Reasons 7 absent from the people, they erected aExod. 32 1, 2. golden calfe to goe before them: when Iehoaida dyed,2 Chr. 24.2, 17, 18. Iehoash soon turned aside from the way of God to Idols, the soul­diers will soone go backe, if their Lea­der be once gone; the ship will quickly miscarry, make shipwracke, if there be no Pilot in it.

Reasons 8 Lastly then, they are, in a manner without religion, without piety, yea without God and Christ in the world: when the people were without the Law, and a teaching Priest, they were said to be2 Chro, 15.2, 3. without God. The taking a­way then of the faithfull Ministers be­ing no lesse then a depriving of the people of their guides, food, comforters, meanes of spirituall freedome, instru­ments of defence, this robbing them of their glory, exposing them to the dan­ger of Apostacy, and making them like men without God in the World, we cannot but confesse that the death and departure of Gods faithfull. Ministers ought to be deepely and affectionately bewailed by Gods holy servants.

Ʋse. This therefore serveth for the just and sharpe reproofe of all such as doe not heartily, feelingly, and affectiona­tely bewaile the departure, death, and want of Gods faithful ministers, the re­moving of these cādlesticks, the going out of these bright and shining lights: many of us now are like Israel of old, weary of our heavenly Manna, as they ofNum. 11.56. theirs, and as they fell a lusting [Page 47] after the onions, and flesh pots of Egypt' so doe many of us after the old Egyp­tian doctrine, though the Gospel was never taught amongst us, opened to us with such clearenesse, power, evi­dence, and demonstration of the spirit as now, yet because it hath been long continued, many begin to loath it, to grow very weary of it, to take, at least, no pleasure in it. It was Seneca his ob­servation of old, Sol spectatorem non ha­bet, nisi cum deficit, nemo observat Lunam, nisi laborantem, adeò naturale est magis nova quàm magna mirari; the Sunne hath no beholder except eclipsed, no man observeth the Moone, unlesse when she is in travell; so naturall it is unto us to admire new things, rather then great things: The doctrine which is stiled Popish we reject, because it hath an old name, but let the same doctrine come under a new name, a doctrine as like the Popish, as one egge is like a­nother, as the Sunne that shines now, is like that which shined many yeeres agoe; or rather if yee will, as the bramble which groweth now, is like [Page 48] the bramble which grew a hundred yeeres since; though a man might say to the teachers and embracers of it; as the Prophet to Jeroboams wife disguising her selfe,1 King. 14. come in, come in, thou wife of Jeroboam, why fainest thou thy selfe to be another then thou art? So we in this case, for as she was the same woman, onely her apparell and gesture was changed, so let this be the same doctrine with that which we call Po­pish, yet because under a new name, a little disguised, somewhat arrayed in another apparell, it will be by some highly esteemed, strongly imbraced, the fall of truth and faithfull Mini­sters of God not at all bewailed: and what doe men by this declare, but that 1. They were never ofIoh. 18.37 Ioh. 2.19. the truth. 2. That they never unfainedly1 Thes. 2.10 loved the truth. 3. That they never1 Pet. 2.2, 3 felt the saving power nor heavenly com­forts of it, if they had tasted the sweetnesse of it, been acquainted with the joy and peace which this mini­streth, had they seene the beauties, the glory and excellency of God in it, then [Page 49] as Peter beholding the glorious trans­figuration of our Saviour, said,Mat. 17.4. It is good being here, let us build three Taber­nacles, &c. so would they say, it is good being under the Gospel, it is pleasant, it is comfortable being here, let us build our Tabernacle here, O let us dwell under this forever.

This must therefore move us to be­waile 2 the losse of Gods faithfull Mi­nisters, the removing of these com­fortable and shining Candlesticks; as the childe bewaileth the losse of his parent, the Traveller the losse of his Guide, the Patient the death of his Physitian, the Army the fall of their Generall; and as all Israel was gathe­red together, and1 Sam. 25.1 lamented the death of their Samuel: so have you great cause to lament the death of your Sa­muel, the departure of your faithfull Pastor: As Ionah was much grieved at theIonah 4.6, 7, 8. withering of the Gourd, which was a shadow over his head, a comfor­table protection and refreshment to him, so have you great occasion to be grieved much at his withering, at his [Page 50] dissolution, who was a shadow, an in­strument of much, of sweet refresh­ment (whiles he lived) to your soules. And as Hagar sate downe andGen. 21.16. wept because her bottle was empty, so have you great cause now to sit downe and weepe, because the well which was wont to send forth waters of con­solation, is now dryed up: for now you may behold how your Eliah, like him of old, though not in body, yet in soule is gone in his Fiery Charet into Heaven; he who shined like the Sun to you of this place for some yeeres, is now gone downe from your Horizon, whom your eyes shall see no more till the morning of the Resurrection: theMat. 13.22. Tree whose fruit lately fed you, whose branches lately shadowed and refresh­ed you, is now withered, dead and dry, no more fruit to bee gathered from him: he that was in some respect the Father, the Charets and Horsemen of this place, is now like Eliah parted a­sunder from you; he that stood likeGe. 29.8, 10. Jacob, to roll away the stone from the Well, to open and give you the sence [Page 51] of the Scriptures, can now no more doe that office for you: He that lately stood like aIsa. 60.6. Watchman upon your walles, to awaken you, to warne you, is now by death put to silence, and can no more call upon you: hee who of late like a good Steward brought out of his store-house old and new, brake the bread of life amongst you, hath now given account of his stewardship, and shall no more bee steward over you. God gave you a great blessing in him, the Lord grant there be no curse attend his removall. Sure I am as the people said of David, 2 Sam. 18.3. thou art worth ten thousand of us; so may we say of him, he was worth a great number of them that doe survive him: the grea­ter was his worth, the more should be your griefe, yet as our Saviour said to the daughters of Jerusalem, Luk. 23.28. Daugh­ters of Jerusalem weep not for me, but weep for your selves and for your children; so may I say to you, weep not for him that is now departed frō you, but weep for your selves & for your children, for the great losse you have taken; as for the gaine which hee hath gotten, the [Page 52] crowne which he hath won, there is cause of rejoycing: for hee you well know, was a man in whom there was a rare confluence of all vertues, as of lines meeting in one Center, streames running into one Ocean; there was indeed a singular compleatnesse in him, his soule was a rich store-house, a glo­rious garden, having jewels and flow­ers of all sorts, a Tree laden with all kind of fruits: I may say of him as Horace in another case, —Micat inter omnes Iulium sydus, velut inter ignes Luna minores: and as the people said of1 Sam. 10.22. Saul in regard of his endowments, He was the head and shoulders above ma­ny others: For

1. The Lord enriched him with much knowledge, according to the prophesie hee was filled with this, as the Sea withIsa. 11.6 waters, his Lampe was full of this oyle; hee was as our Savi­our said of the Baptist, a bright and shi­ning Iohn. 5.35. light, the Lord gave him the tongue of the learned to minister a word in Isa. 50.4. due season. 2. The Lord repleni­shed him with such a rare dexterity, [Page 53] singular wisdome, to discerne, advise, and give counsell fit for every estate and undertaking: of whom I may say in this behalfe, as Pharaoh ofGen. 40.38, 39 Ioseph, Can we finde such a man as this was, a man in whom the spirit of God was; surely there are few so discreet and wise as he was. 3. He was diligent and labo­rious in his calling, a good Steward, ever breaking the bread of life amongst you, a loving Nurse alwayes drawing forth his breast unto you; he was not a cloud without raine, a Well with­out water, he did not hide his talent in a napkin; hee did not put his light under a bushell; but as the Sun doth often visit the earth, so did hee this place: as Paul said of the Macedoni­ans in regard of their contribution to the Saints, to 2 Cor. 8.3. their power, and beyond their power they were willing: so this man in his calling was willing to his power, and as some conjecture, be­yond his power in regard of his bodi­ly infirmities. 4. He was not onely diligent in his calling, but also profi­table in his teaching, it was notIer. 23.28 chaffe, [Page 54] but good wheat which hee sowed a­mongst you, not the sand of humane devices, but the firme and sure Rocke of Gods Word, did he lay as a founda­tion for you thereon to build; hee sought not with humane eloquence, vaine flashes, idle quirks, phantasticall conceits, and1 Cor. 8.3. inticing words of mans wisedome to please men, but his labour was to speake and preach in the demon­stration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith might not stand in the wisdome of men, but in the power of God: and this indeed is not the least part both of the wisdome and fidelity required of Gods messengers to stoop to the capa­citie of the people, to present the coun­sell of God plainely to their under­standing. Bonorum ingeniorum est insig­nis indoles (saith Augustine) in verbis verum amare, non verba: quid enim prodest clavis aurea si aperire quod volu­mus non potest, aut quid obest-lignea, si hoc potest, quando nihil aliud quae­rimus nisi ut pateat quod clausum est? This is a singular property of wise­dome, in words to love the truth, and [Page 55] not the words: what doth a golden key profit if it cannot open what we would have unshut; what doth a wooden key hurt or hinder, if it can open, when as wee desire no more but that which is shut may be opened, that which is hid­den may be unfolded? he is surely in Gods schoole the best scholler in Gods Church the most eminent and worthy teacher, that doth with most cleare­nesse, plainenesse, power, fulnesse and evidence of the spirit open and apply Gods counsels to the consciences of the hearers. 5. He was also in his discourse very holy, and profitable, a seeds-man alwaies sowing, a light alwaies shining, very constant in doing good by his communication. 6. Hee was in the or­der of his conversation very sincere and upright, so farre as ever I observed, and I am perswaded it was the joy and2 Cor. 1.12. rejoycing of his heart, that he had his conversation in sincerity and upright­nesse, and not in fleshly wisedome. 7. Hee was very friendly to Gods people, with them hee delighted to converse, Gods image, true goodnesse [Page 56] in them, was a load-stone very power­full to move and draw his affection. 8. He was open-handed to such as nee­ded, ready out of his fulnesse to powre plentifully into such vessels as hee found empty. 9. By his conversation he gave a good example, hee did not build with one hand and pull downe with the other, but his doctrine and his conversation were at a sweet agree­ment, like Ruth and Naomi they went hand in hand together. 10. He was not one in publike, another in private, but every where the same; as they said of Valerins Court, so may wee say of his house, it was a Church of God in re­garded of the holy orders orderly there observed, and religious duties there performed. Now therefore walke ye in that light which hee hath caused to shine unto you, bring forth the fruit of that seede which he hath sown among you, and build up that sacred and sa­ving truth which hee hath proposed and set before you. And now lastly;

3 If the death, departure, & losse of Gods faithfull Ministers bee so deeply to be [Page 57] bewailed, if our estate without them be so wretched, so uncomfortable; then you must shew your selves very care­full in repairing the losse which you have now sustained, doe not ye say as Galienus the Emperor when hee had lost Aegypt, cannot wee bee without the hempe and flaxe of Aegypt; and when he had also lost France, two great and mighty Countries, cannot the Lord (said he) stand sine sagis trabeatis, without these souldiers cassockes which France doth send us. Beloved, I beseech you do not so say of the departure of Gods Ministers, doe not slight the losse of them, as if it were but the losse of a lit­tle flaxe, hempe, or a few souldiers coates; but looke upon it I intreate you, and consider it, and be affected with it, as with one of the greatest losses could ever be sustained, and ac­cordingly declare and shew your wise­dome, circumspection, care diligence, faithfulnesse, and conscionablenesse for an able supply. And for your better direction in this behalfe, let it be your care.

[Page 58]1. To goe to God, and by prayer & fasting seeke his counsell and assistance, as the people in the dayes of Ezra byEzra 8.21. prayer and fasting sought of God a way for them and their little ones; so doe you now by prayer and fasting seeke of God an able and faithfull Minister, to guide both you and your little ones in the way that leadeth to peace and ever­lasting happinesse. As the people after the death ofJud. 1.1. Ioshua, went to God and as­ked him, who should goe up for them to fight against the Canaanites, so must you now after the death of your spirituall Leader, goe to God, and aske of him, who shall goe up for you to fight for you in this warre against sinne and Sa­tan: this is not more holinesse then is requisite, for thus the Disciples sought to God byAct 1.24 prayer and fasting, to di­rect them in the choice of a successour in the roome of him that fell.

2. Seeke not too much to please your selves, be not too indulgent to your owne affections, but let your speciall ayme be at the glory of God, and the generall and saving good of the people [Page 59] of this place: let that man which in all probability, and upon good evidence will be most zealous for Gods glory, and doe best service to the people of this place, be without any by or sinister respect the man of your choice. This doe, or else for any thing I know God may require the bloud of this people at your hands.

3. Bee carefull that the man whom you choose be a man after Gods owne ^h heart, a holy man, a man able to feed you with knowlege and understanding, a man experienced in the worke of Gods word upon his owne soule: for as Christ was made like unto us in allm things sin excepted, that he might have compassion on us in all our estates and conditions; so it is requisite the Minister of God should be made like the people in all things, I meane in being sensible of the bur­then of sinne, of the trouble of an affli­cted conscience, of the buffetings of Satan, of the worke of Gods word and spirit upon his owne heart: and then shall he be fit to compassionate, com­fort, teach the people, and know how to minister a word in due season.

[Page 61] 4 4. Remember that of the Lord to Samuell, 1 Sa. 16.7. judge not after the outward appearance; and take this for a sure rule, that God doth not alwayes doe the greatest works by men of greatest earth-abilities: the Lord over-turned the Mi­dianitish hoast by aJud. 7.23 barley cake, byJudg. 6.15. Gedion whose family was poore in Ma­nasseh and that was the liast in his fathers house: the Lord caused theExod. 17 6 waters to come forth out of the rocke, by no o­ther, no worthier instrument, then the stroke of a rod. It was not in Sauls armour, but with a1 Sa. 17.54. sling and a stone that God enabled David to over­throw Goliah, and delever Israel. They were Trumpets neither of gold nor sil­ver, butIos. 6.20 rams hornes, contemptible things in the eyes of men, which God caused the Priest to sound, and at whose sounding the walles of Iericho fell. And the Psalmist telleth us, that God hath ordained strength out of the [...]. 8.2. mouthes of babes, and sucklings: and the Apostle layeth it downe as a generall and con­stant rule, the 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28, 29. foolishnesse of God is vvi­ser then men, and the weakenesse of God [Page 62] is stronger then men: for yee see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble men are cal­led, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife: and God hath chosen the weake things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen; yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are: and he rendreth the reason of the Lords so doing, that no flesh should glory in his pre­sence: Thinke on these things, and be not wise in your owne eyes; this have I spoken not as vnder-valuing abilities humane, but as advising that you fa­sten not your eyes too much upon them, least they prove a sandy founda­tion. And as for him that shall succeed your now deceased Pastor, my prayer is, that as the spirit of Eliah was doub­led upon Elisha, so the spirit of this man may be doubled on him that shall in this place succeed him, that hee may prove to you as a bright and a shining [Page 62] starre to leade you, as the starre led the wise men to Christ Iesus; and as the fie­ry pillar conducted Israel form Egypt to Canaan, so may he lead you from the Egypt of sinne, and bondage of Satan, to the heavenly Canaan, that place of glory, rest, peace, and all fulnesse, which God hath provided for his children in the holy and higest heavens.

Laus Deo soli.