3. A desire of Contentment.3. a desire of contentment. Rev. 12.1.

Good old Simeon hath enough of [Page 36] life,Rev. 12.1. being clothed with the Sun, hee can now tread the moon under his feet. And (as Saint Paul) have a low esteem of all things beneath Christ,Phil. 3.8. and can say,Psa. 116.7 as David, Return to thy rest, O my soul: for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. And hence doth gracious Simeon, desire to acquiesce in his Lord, and to dye by his statu­tum est, who is life it self; to possesse him, possessing whom he is assured, to possesse all things; therefore said well-contented Simeon, Lord let me be translated hence in thy good time, to be inseperably with thee to all eternity.

4. of Admi­ration. 4. A desire of admiration.

Simeon might well admire the glo­ry, and excellency of that Salvation, on which his eye of faith was so fixed, and stand amazed,Malac. 4.2. at the raies of this Sun of righteousness, which shines not into every soul, and saith. Oh! the pretiousness of this salvation, [Page 37] which is so attractive as to draw out my soul out of my body; my soul, and body out of this present evill world: but for blessed ends, blessed be thou my Lord; that I may wor­ship thee in Heaven, as the four beasts did, and the four and twenty elders, when they fell dow before the Lamb, And sung a new son, saying, Revel. 3.9. thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Blessing, honour, glory, and power be unto him, and unto the Lamb for e­ver, and ever.

So much in answer to the two Questions.

• 1. What this sight is?
• 2. What this desire of Simeon is?

Reasons why all Christ-seeing Si­meons may desire to dye.

Because old Simeon found himself delivered from the curse of the first Covenant,Gen. 2.14. which was eternall death; as it holds proportion with the bles­sing in Paradise, eternall life: and he found himself delivered from the wrath to come, by him, who was to dye, and to destroy him that had the power of death. Heb. 2.14.

Job. 33.24.He found himself delivered from going down into the pit, death was in it self the sentence of the law, and the recompence of an offended God: but old Simeon found the jaws of death broken, and this beast of prey, now becomes unable to hold him, no more, then it was able to hold Je­sus Christ: and therefore all Simeons may insult in their death over death, and say,Hosea 31.14. used by the Apostle. 1. Cor. 15.55. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? the sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, which gi­veth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Death doth deliver us from, and periodize all wrongs, vices, infirmi­ties, bodily pains, and labours, all the piercing cares of this life, and all vain pleasures.

As after Noah had been tossed but one year upon the waters,Gen. 8.4.20. how glad was he to land on Mount Ararat! so, old Simeon after many years, wearisome days, and nights, fluctuating on the waters of worldly perturbations, O how glad was the good old man of a resting place! where he could say hîc ero salvus, as the long sick man did write upon his grave stone, hîc ero sa­nus.

Reason 2 Because all blessed Simeons do see their salvation future, as present, so doth faith prevent time, and is the evidence of things not seen, and the sub­stance of things hoped for. Heb. 11.1. Luk. 19.9.

This day is salvation come to thy house (as when Christ called Zacheus from the tree) salvation is actually begun then in a believing soul, who [Page 40] is said to have his conversation in hea­ven, Phil. 3.20. while he is below. Whence he look­ed for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. 15.18.And when death comes believers do not dye, but sleep: nothing of them dyes, but their sins, their im­perfections, and afflictions; yea the very being of sin, is done away, as when the house is pulled into pieces, all the ivy roots in the wall are de­stroyed.

Reason 3 Death opens a door to believers to be received into Christs armes, into the bosome of glory. Our loosing from the body is, to be joyned to Christ,2 Cor. 5.8. and that is very sweet: here is a mysticall union to Christ, but no glo­rious presence, no, that's the crown­ing mercy, which is kept till after death. Now judge you, here you are a prison, there enlarged: here you are absent from your head, your husband, your Lord, and King eternal; but by death the soul is put into the hands of the blessed Angells, and by them is presen­ted [Page 41] to Jesus Christ, to be for ever with the Lord in glory. This Simeon fore­saw, and therefore said, Lord now let­test &c.

Which dvides itself into these Reason 4 three heads.

• 1. The conflict between soul, and body in death.
• 2. The necessity of death, in regard to soul and body.
• 3. The blessed advantage which soul and body finde in death.

1. Great is the conflict oft times, the spirit may be willing, when the flesh is unwilling: which two twins, do (a great while) stand at loath to depart: Jacob was not by,Ge. 45.26. and by willing to leave his Countrie, and the Land of Promise to goe to his Joseph, Israel not by and by willing, to go out of Egypt, Exo. 5.21. though it were to termi­nate [Page 42] a long, and tedious captivity in Egypt, Exo. 12.40 Phil. 1.23. of 430 yeares.

Pauls Cupio dissolvi did not by, and by break forth, till the weight of sin, carnal conflicts, the buffettings of Sa­tan, and manifold persecutions did load, and weary his pretious soul, together with a tedious mortality: but then this gratious servant of the Lord, became willing to put off his body of sin, and death together, and with Simeon to say, Lord now lettest &c The same hand which doth take down our earthly Tabernacle, doth build for us a surer and eternall habitation made without hands in the Heavens; at which change,2 Cor. 5.1. [...] Eccl. 12.7. the soul is taken to God that gave it, till the last day; when soul and body shal be made capable of those higher enjoyments, which Je­sus Christ hath dearly purchased, and prepared for them; a tast whereof our Lord was pleased to give unto Peter, Mat. 17.2. James, and John, in the trans­figuration; and unto St. Paul when [Page 43] he was raptured into the third heaven: 2 Cor. 12, 2, both which, some have thought to be more comprehensive, then this vision of old Simeon here; and yet all the dear Servants of God do (in some aspect) see Christ, before they die; and a­midst some fears, and misgiving thoughts, do abundantly long to see him more.

2. the necessity of death in re­gard to soul, and body. No mortall wants any thing so much as immorta­lity; and wants do necessiate men to desires, stormes drives many goodly shipps into harbours; war doth force the stoutest men to holdes, and forts: so the soul and body of the Lord's gratious ones, much pinched with the sence of their wants of glory to come, and of their beatificall fru­itions promised them, be necessitated (with blessed Simeon) to desire to die, that they may passe over trouble­some Jordan, to enjoy the promised blessings, of celestiall Canaan, where [Page 44] soul, and body shall be refreshed, en­riched,Ps. 24. and eternally glorified, with Jesus Christ, their everlasting King of glory. which thing our Saviour doth sweetly breath out by St. John, Joh. 17.24. in that prayer of his, Father, I will that those whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. q. d. that they may behold my transforming glory.

1 Cor. 13.12Can the glory of grace that comes by Christ, represented to us as in a glasse, so transforme a soul, as Simeons in the text? hath the glory here by mediums such a power? then, what will it be when we shall behold it without meanes.

Something Simeon did reach after in his holy wish, which he could not comprehend here below, though he had his Lord Christ in his armes; but he will rejoyce in God his faviour, he will believe,Job. 14.14. and hope well, he will expect, and wait with holy Job, till his change come: when he knew his joy shall transcend the joy of harvest, or [Page 45] that of men dividing the spoile:1 Pet. 1.8. it being a joy so unspeakable, and full of glory. See then, [...]. that death is neces­sary to prepare the soul, and body for immortality; of which more in the third branch of this fourth reason, as followeth.

3. The blessed advantage which soul & body find in, death, after death,Phil. 1.12. presently the soul begins to be in it's prime: for whilest she was in the corruptible body, she was ruled by corrupt sence and violently car­ried by loose appetite; driven, and compelled (against it's own gratious desires) to give way in some part to a body of sin: for she can hardly look out at the eys, but looks upon a baited hooke: nor hear by the eare, but there is the serpents voice, nor the tong taste, but there is some gall in that honey: nor the hand touch, but there is a defilement: nor the foot tread, but there's a net: and every sense a member of the body, ready to [Page 47] be a Judas to the soule, to betray her with a kiss.

Now what wise Simeon will not be willing to depart, to exchange a dun­geon for a pallace; [...]. copper for gold; base beggery for high honour; a short lease of base heath, of barren and craggy rocks,Gen. 3.23. 1 Pet. 1.4. for the garden of Eden, a paradice; nay for an inheritance inmortall, [...]. and incorruptible. For (as one said) to live here, is to be halfe dead at least, death hath the all of a great part of our lives, and dead works (I think) have above the one halfe of the most sanctified ones here, who yet do die dayly, 1 Cor. 15.31. [...]. 1 Cor. 7.24. [...]. that they may live the more to Jesus Christ.

For the body, (the body of death, as Paul calls it) is but let fall into the earth to sprout, and grow (like the corne in the ground,) to grow incor­ruptibly, spiritually, as the Apostle at large speaking of the advantage, which the body hath by a blessed death; after when, (til the resurrection) [Page 46] the glorified Soul shall not need to return back again into the body, both do sweetly repose, in their present state, till the second appearance of our Lord, Phil. 3.21. who shall change our vile bodies, and make them like to his most glorious body, [...] 1 Co. 15.42 43. according to his mighty working.

Thy body in death is made a great gainer in three particulars, for it is laid down in corruption, but it shall rise in incorruption; it's sowne in dishonour, but it is raised in glorie; Yea with exact comelines of stature with beautifull proportion, where was deformity (either by the excess,1 Co. 13.10 or defect of any part,) there all defor­mity shall be don away.

Commonly a litttle before death the body looks pale, wan, earth-like, nay sometimes one may smell earth­linesse, and there is a kind of loath­somnes, even to dearest, and nearest relations; immediatly upon the de­parture of the soule, the body begins [Page 48] to be unsavourie, as well as unlovely, and could the dead body speak, it might say to the grave thou art my house; To the worm, thou art my Mo­ther, Job. 17.14. [...] Ge. 23.4.6. and Sister. And sweet friends; as Jonathan, and David will look out a burying place, to burie their dead out of their sight.

But yet in the day of their resur­rection, the bodies of all blessed Si­meons shall rise in great splendour, and glory;Mat. 6.28. like the lillie root, which lies in the winter in the ground: but in the summer riseth a well clothed flower, very glorious: so shall the bodies of the Saints be glorified, like the very body of Christ,Isa. 26.10. now at the right hand of God in heaven.

[...] 1 Cor 15.43Consider the then constitution of thy new fraile body; it was Sowne in weaknes but will be raised in power. All constitutions of bodyes be not a­like, but were thy body of Goliah's strength,Goliahs'. yet one languishing sicknes, will make thee non able to turne in [Page 49] thy bed, or put on clothes, or lift thy hand to thy head, or set one foot on the ground before another to go.

But the day is coming (blessed saint) when thou shalt be raised in a most healthful constitution; never more to need meat, drink, clothes, phy­sick-art, or any helpe: no more wea­riness, sickness, hunger, cold, or na­kednes;Mat. 22.30 but thou shalt be as the An­gels, and Saints in Heaven.

3. Consider now that thou art a 3 naturall body: but thou shalt be rais­ed a spirituall body, called so, because it shall no longer need any naturall meanes, or helps for the presevation, nutrition, and conservation: but shal be wholy delighted in God, and in an immediat communion with him, shall be filled with God.

Thou shalt (as it were) be spiritual­lized with the nimbleness of a Spirit,Aug. so as in a very short time, thou maist move from place to place: So that (saith one) where every soul would be, by [Page 50] and by it shall be there, and you read that suddenly after the resurrection,1 Thes. 4.17. [...]. our bodies shall be caught up to meet the Lord Christ in the aire, which is the beginning of this agility, and glory.

Thus much of the reasons, which are;

• 1. From Simeon's deliverance.
• 2. From Simeon's eye of Faith.
• 3. From his imbraces with Christ.

The 4th consists of these 3 heads.

• 1. The conflict between soul and body.
• 2. The necessity of death.
• 3. The blessed advantage the soul and body find in death, in three particulars.

Application in four Corollaries.

[Page 51]1. The first contains matter of in­struction, with some necessary doubts, and objections answered.

2. Matter of terrour to wicked men.

3. Comfort to the Godly wise.

4^th Ex­hortati­on, which runs in­to 4. bran­ches.

• To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon.
• To prepare timely and solidly for an happy death.
• To submit gratiously to the Lord's dispose of us, in life, or death.
• To be moderate in mourning at the losse of godly friends.

Whatsoever death may be to o­thers,Corollary yet to all good Simeons it's a desirable and a singular blessing. Such (through death) do look upon glo­ry on the other side of death, who are not sadded at the separation of soul, and body: because of their eternall conjunction of soul and body with [Page 52] Christ, Ignatius his grinding pains, were but the mill in which hee was ground to be the finer meal, for Christ Jesus his own use.

Though Christ's soul, and body were parted, as far as heaven and the grave could be distant: yet neither of them (sayes one) were parted from the deity, nor from the Father.

I confess, to naturall men death is terrible, and they think with Solomon that a living dog, is better then a dead Lyon, Eccl. 9.4. and that the basest life is better then any death.

Indeed, they cannot but fear death, who fear not God, who believe not in Jesus, whose wickedness doth cut off all hopes of happiness after death: and no marvail, for their conscience stings them at the remembrance of death, and death is like that murderer, 2 Kings 6.32. Which was sent to take away Elishah's head.

It's the most unwelcom messinger that ever knockt at their door. Or as [Page 53] Belshazzar's hand-writing,Dan. 5.5. [...] Pro. 9. when 'twas interpreted, whith made him appale & tremble: for the conscience tels them that no good can come to them by the hand, & stroak of death; nay such do die whiles they be alive, by the checks and chidings, convictions, and con­demnations of their evill conscience.

But what ever it be to wicked men, yet to blessed Simeons, death hath a­nother face, and presence; to such, it is but their trusty messenger to carry them to their Fathers house, to be possessed of their eternall inheritanc [...] or else, it's but as Josephs ratling cha­riot wheels,Ge. 45.27. ready to carry Jacob unto his Joseph, unto his Jesus.

For such be sure to dye.

• 1. Comfortably.
• 2. Blessedly

First comfortably, for out of this eat­er comes meat, and out of this strong comes sweetness, Jud. 14.14. as in Sampsons rid­dle. Though I walk through the vallie of the shadow of death (saith holy Da­niel) I will fear no evill, Ps. 23. for thou art [Page 54] with me, thy rod, and thy staffe do com­fort me. q. d. I am in the hand of my heavenly Father, where can bee no miscarriage.

2 Secondly as they bee sure to dye comfortably so also blessedly, as Saint John, Revel. 14.13. Luke 23.43. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord; for that very day their soul shall be with Christ in Paradice. And so life which keeps the soul from hea­ven, absent from the Lord, is a losse to a Saint in a religious respect.

We may illustrate the point by these following considerations, only first observe that we are not delivered from the necessity of dying natural­ly; no,Heb. 9.27. [...] that statute must stand, that all must be subject to the necessity of dying, believers, and unbelievers, nor are any delivered from subjection to sickness, and diseases, nor scarce any from pains at the hour of death, nor from seperation of soul and body: but all Simeons deaths be comforta­ble in these respects.

1. The sting of sin is death, a poy­sonfull [Page 55] sting, but Jesus Christ on his Cross, did take away this sting of death: he disenabled death to hurt his redeemed ones; nay our Lord did insult over death,Hosea 13.14. [...] (saying by his Pro­phet) I wil redeem them from death, O death, I will be thy plagues! O O grave, I will be thy destruction: and by his Apostle, O death where is thy sting &c. insomuch as, death is now made the Saints friend, [...]; who be­fore (through fear of death) were all their life subject unto bondage.

2. As our Lord hath delivered us from the sting; and fear;Heb. 2.15. [...]. so also from the curse of death, by which our death had been a dreadfull inlet, and passage, to the second death: nay he hath delivered us from the curse of sickness, pain, and mortality, &c.like that meal cast into the pot of bitter pottage,2 King. 4. [...] when the sons of the Pro­phets cryed out, Death in the pot! Death in the pot!Rom. 8. so doth Jesus Christ heal, and sanctifie our very trouble, and afflictions; that they [Page 56] shall do us more good, and work to­gether for the best to us, viz. to bring down the tympany, & pricke the blad­der of pride; to crucifie, or quench our lusts, to cool our rash anger, and raging passion; to unmask our hypo­crisie, and generally to beat down the body of our corruptions; and to help us, to put off the old man more, and more: which as the Apostle, and Saints, do more lay to heart: so they do more earnestly groan to be cloa­thed upon, with our house which is from heaven.

2 Cor. 5.2. [...].3. By death, the Saints be delive­red from the dominion of death, which was very high, and imperi­ous; and did extend to the souls, as well as the bodies of men. Now the satisfaction of Christ, which he made to divine justice, and the redundancy of his merits dayly presented to his Father, have prevailed to cut deaths dominion short, and to loose the bands of death from off us, as easily [Page 57] as Sampson did loose the green cords, wherewith he had been bound.

But why then be the Saints of God punished at all with a temporall death?Ob.

Death is not properly a punishment,An. nor inflicted by the Lord in wrath. First, for that in the forgiveness of sin, wrath is quite taken away, and God blots out their transgressions for his name sake. Secondly death is turned into a blessing by the hand-worke of Jesus Christ, opening a new and li­ving way unto that rest which re­maineth to the people of God. Heb. 4.9. Ps. 116.15. [...] pretiosa [...], quasi bono habilis. Thirdly, pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.

Death is compared to a common gate in a city, castle, or garison, at which the prisoner enters, as the way unto his dungeon: but the friends, & honour'd ones (albeit they come in at the same gate) do obteine princely, and noble entertainment: so death is common to all, godly, and ungodly: to the [Page 58] one it is a door of entrance into life, to the other a door of entrance into eternall death.

Q. Why do any truly godly ones fear deaths, since it is so friendly to them?

A.Because some of God's pretious ones have (through abundance of naturall fear) many, and strong mis­givings of heart, yet do much ex­postulate with themselves about it, saying, Why art thou cast down, Oh, my soul? Psa. 42.5.11. [...] Why are thou so disquieted with­in me? trust still in God, &c.

Some of Gods dearest servants have very strong apprehensions of death, and the circumstances there-about; and but low, and weak apprehensions of Jesus Christ; and so their eyes be too much fixed on their outward things, which they leave behind them, and two little on their Father into whose hands they should com­mend themselves, and all that they call theirs: and too little on Jesus Christ, at the right hand of God for [Page 59] them: and lastly, too little on those masions of glory, which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for them: to each of whom, our Lord may say, as to Peter, why art thou fearfull,Mat. 14.31. O thou of little faith? Come, give me thy hand, come, rely depend, and believe more strongly, and thou shalt not fear to tread on the sinking waters of death.

Little faith breeds great feares.

May not a wicked man desire to die? Q. 2

Yes, but not as a wicked man,A. but as a discontent: and so the godly, and wicked may both have desires to die! For the godly Elias a gratious ser­vant of God, sick of great impatience, sits him down under a juniper tree, 1 Kings 19.4. and saith, it's enough (Oh Lord) take away my life: for I am no better then my Fathers.

So good Jeremiah curseth his birth­day,Jer. 20.14. and repents him that ever he li­ved, [Page 60] or had been preserved to be then alive

2. A wicked man also, though not as such anone, but in some desperate con­dition, may be willing to die, as wick­ed Saul, 1. Sa. 31.4. ashamed to live, and astoni­shed to think of his reproach, spake to one,2 Sa. 17.23. and another to kill him, So A­hitophell, wearie of his life, went home, set his house (not his soul) in order, Mat. 27.35 and hanged himself; So Judas his hor­rible guilt forced him out of his wick­ed life; So some notorious malefact­ours, have laid violent hands (in pri­sons, and else where) on themselves, rather then live longer, to be made examples, and monuments of pub­lique shame. But these wretches be acted much by Satan himself, or by his instruments, as when Job's wife com­es to her husband with,Job. 2. [...] Benedictio­nes Dia holi sunt male­dictiones. curse God and die.

What ever Job's wife was other­wise, I'le not insist; but sure I am, now she was an instrument of Satan.

Where by the way observe.

‘That Satan is restless to bring the deare Servants of God to think, and 1 speak evill of him in their extremi­ties.’

‘Satan will perswade us to ease our 2 selves, & mitigate our grievances by evill meanes; saying, sin and die: curse God and die.’

‘Observe he sometimes suggests that it is not sinful to seek, or wish 3 ones owne death.’

‘He would perswade us, that death 4 is an end to such of all their troubles, when as 'tis most certain, that death is the beginning of woes, and their entrance into eternall death.’

‘Observe that Satan would have 5 us dye, when we are most unfit to die.’

But (O distressed soul) know, that Gods method is repent; and die be­lieve and die; pray and die; be re­newed in thy heart and life and die; be sure of thy Salvation, (as Simeon) [Page 62] and then be willing to die; get Christ into thy soul and then die;Job. 2.9. which a godly man would have con­troverted and not said, curse God and die; but [...] blesse God and live. not curse God, and die.

I conclude my answere, it's not law­full to wish for death absolutely; but with an holy submission unto our Lord's will.

To wish for death, because we are troubled, grieved, imprisoned, aflict­ed, is an ungodly wish for God hath much work for his Servants to do in their aflictions, as well as in their con­solations. We must glorifie God in our sickness, in bonds, imprisonments persecutions, and fiery trials; and this we must strive to do, and not present­ly wish to die, and leave our worke: this made Simeon keep well to his conditions.

1 To die God's Servant.

2 To die in peace.

3 To die according to the Word: but upon other tearms, Simeon may not, Simeon did not, desire to die.

The second Corallary.

Very terrible are the thoughts of death to wicked men, who (under such as their apprehensions are) cannot, be willing to dye: dreadfull are the com­memorations of their God-opposing, grace-dispising, mercy-refusing, spi­rit-quenching life; with a thousand abominations charged on them, by their own consciences. Oh! 1 Thes. 5.19 these be daggers at such a ones heart, begun even here to be gnawed upon,Esa. 66.24. Mark. 9.44, 45, 46, 47, 48. Jude 15.1 The sting of a sin-a­wakened conscience, will not let them be wil­ling to dye. by the worme that never dies.

Poor soul! how canst thou desire to die whom such works do follow? Oh, the sting of a sin-awakened soul is inexorable! every word of the tongue is ready to sound out dam­nation, damnation, and every colour (which the fancy presents is sable, e­ven as black as hell.2 The fear of an ap­proaching judgment; Heb. 9.27.

Wretched sinner! how canst thou desire to die? who knowst of an ap­proaching judgment after death, to [Page 64] be managed by that just, and power­full Judge, whose eyes are ten thou­sand times brighter then the Sun,Rev. 1.14. Rev. 2.18. Rev. 19.12. to manifest before the world of men, and Angels, all thy sinfull thoughts, idle and wicked words,an account for every talent. with all un­righteous actions, whensoever, wheresoever, or howsoever commit­ted, against God, men, or thy self.

Nor is this all, but this righteous Lord God must, and will have an exact account of Adam's transgressi­on;Coll. 3.10. & of the depravednes of thy dege­nerate nature, which was originally dignified with God's own Image; and moreover,Mat. 25.15. to 29. thou must be accountant for every talent in those three great farmes; (viz) the farme of nature, the farme of the world, the farme of the Gospell: how thou hast received in these talents, how thou hast laid them out,Luk. 16.2. and what good improvement thou hast made to the glory of thy Lord. Oh! how wilt thou who hast been so unprofitable a seruant, once [Page 81] dare to desire death, in order unto their appearance, before the great God of heaven and earth?

If Pauls preaching of righteousnesse and judgment to come before Felix, did beget such trembling, how is it possi­ble thou canst desire to die? especial­ly, whiles thou art to come before so impartiall a Judge, who cannot,4. The thoughts of an im­partiall Judge. who will not be blinde, frighted, or corrup­ted, nor varie one silable from the ex­actest Justice, to retribute to every one according to that he hath done, 2 Cor 3.10. in the flesh, whether it be good or evill.

Impenitent sinner!Ps. 1.5. this Judge hath said the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment: since thou foreknowest thy miscariages before that impar­tiall judge, it is not possible that thou canst desire to die.

The consideration of being friend­les,5. The thoughts of being Christless, and friend­les at that day. graceles, and Christles at that great and notable day, and before the barr of that majestical tribunal; & without an advocate, when gvilty conscience [Page 66] shall most hideously cry out, Just, Oh Lord, is all thy charge against me. Oh what will become of my poor soul! who turned the grace of God into lasci­viousness, Jude 4. who despised Jesus Christ coming to save me.

Mat. 22.3.9. Cant. 5.1. Oh what shal I now do? who was so sweetly invited, to the feast of grace, to eat of those delicates, which mercy would have set before me!Job. 8.13. Job. 6.19.20. Isa. 6.5. How can I desire to breath out mine anxious soul? when all my hopes shal perish: nor know I what wil becom of her,Rev. 6.16.17. Wo is me! wo is me I am undon, for even he (the Lord Jesus Christ) whom I have so provoked, is now my Judg inexorable. Mountaines fal on me, hils cover me, hide me from the angry presence of such a vengeance-taking Majesty.

Yet mountains will not do it, nor can hils cover me, astonished as I am, what shall I do? which way shall I look?Ma [...]. 15.22 then happily the soul may think to say Lord Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me; v. 23. Pro. 21.13. Phil. 2.7.8. but neither will that serve my turn, for he will say, who art thou that criest after me? sin­ner, [Page 67] sinner, 'tis now too late, time was,Zach. 7.13. Esa. 58.1. Esa. 65.12. Luke 19.41. I came to thee in my condescen­ding mercy: time was, I cryed unto thee lifting up my voice, like a trum­pet: time was, I wept over thee, be­moaning, and bewailing thy mi­sery. I stood long at the door of thy heart and thine ears, saying, open, Cant. 5.2. Cant. 2.10. o­pen to me wretched sinner! nay I cal­led thee, my love, my dove, my spouse; Yea I stood knocking till my head was wet with the dew, and my locks with the dropping of the night: but as thou wouldst none of me then,Mar. 7.23 Rev. 2.21. Mat. 8.12. Luk. 13.18. so neither may I know thee, depart from me: thou wouldst not weep, nor mourn, nor repent in the time thereof, therefore now thy portion is weep­ing, howling, gnashing of the teeth.

Oh! this shall cut thee to the ve­ry heart, to see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob received into the Kingdome of God, and thy self cast out; to see those whom thou cursedst saved, and those whom thou abhorredst glorified.

Thou who wast ashamed of Christ,Mar. 8.38. [Page 84] and of his word, the son of man shall be also ashamed of thee, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the ho­ly Angels.

The de­livery up of such con­demned ones to Satan.Then also consider the delivery up of such condemned ones into the cruell hands of Satan, for immediatly-after judgment will succeed, an ever­lasting exclusion from God, from Christ,Mat. 25.41 46. [...]. Deum non videre om­nia gehennae supplicia superabit. Bern. Isa. 30.33. from the heavenly Jerusalem, and from eternall glory; together with a finall resignation of them in­to the merciless hands of evill angels, to dragg them into that burning To­phet, which the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle.

3. Corollary.

This commends matter of great conso­lation to all Christ-seeing Simeon's in sundry perticulars, as followeth.

Death is a conquered foe, dispoiled of his power,Hos. 13.14 1 Cor. 15.57. and weapons to hurt us. At the first sight death looks upon us [Page 85] with a pale, and gastly face: but up­on more judicious thoughts, pale death hath no hurtfull weapon in his hand; therefore in death the godly wise doth (through Christ) insult o­ver death, and say, O death I fear thee not: O welcom death, and long look­ed for, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath made death so hurtles, or rather friendly to me: and now, farewell honours, riches, pleasures, lands possessions, and inheritances; farewell husband, wife, children, and all my relations below; farewel thou ruinous, and in­firme body of mine, in which (till bowell-compassions covered me all over with a mantle of richest grace) I walked among the dead in destroy­ing waies, after the course of the world, Mat. 8.22. Luk. 15.13 Prou. 6.18. Prou. 2.18. Eph. 2.2.3. and after the spirit that workes in the children of disobedience: But now God hath look'd on me in a time of love, and said unto me live, Eze. 16.6. Hos. 2.19.20. and espous­ed me to Jesus Christ, and therefore I [Page 70] am glad of death, and that my body be dissolved, til my soul and body shal meet, and never part again.

a branch.Death is comfortable, because Christ is with us. David feared not the vallie of the shaddow of death; Ps. 23.4. be­cause his God was with him. Hosea 2.15 This vallie is like that of Achor to the peo­ple of God, which preceded their entry into the land of promise: where they tasted the first fruits of the land of Canaan: for death borders upon e­ternall life: at the end of this dark vallie is light, and glory: and thy God who owned, and guided thee thither, must bee unfaithfull if hee should leave thee,Ps. 71.18. when thou art old, or liest down in the grave.

Old Policarpe, he had better learn­ed Christ, for he had so oft tried him in other promises, that he now dares confide him in this.

This may further be illustrated by thy union to Christ, who is the Saviour of thy body; and by that compleatnes [Page 71] of Christ s mysticall body,Eph. 5.23. [...] Joh. 17.24 which may not want one of his members, but every one of those whom the Fa­ther hath given to him, must be with him, and behold his glory; which the Father had given him, as our Lord Christ prayes, John, 17.24.

Saint Paul would be dissolved to be with Christ. Thus then, that Christ is with the saints in death, and for ever, here is matchles comfort.

This consolation is considerable in the earnest of his spirit,branch which God giveth to his Simeons, Gal. 5.22. as the first fruits of everlasting glory. The saints of God do in their spiritual life much live upon the graces of the spirit, which are the earnest penny of that which is behind in the covenant of grace.

Now what is the earnest in compa­rison of this full summe?Numb 13.24. what were the grapes, pomgranets, and figs which the spies brought, to the good­nesse of the land of promise? no more is grace here, compared with that ex­ceeding, [Page 88] and eternall weight of glory. [...]. 2. Cor. 5.5. [...] ver. 6 Graines, and scruples carry no pro­portion with talents, this was the ground of the Apostles willingnes to die, he hath given us the earnest of the spirit, therefore we are alwaies confi­dent, knowing that whiles we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.

We are confident I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body; and to be present with the Lord.

4 Branch.Glory, honour, immortality, and everlasting pleasures at God's right hand, are sure to be conferred at the death of every blessed Simeon, accord­ing to the capacity of the seperated soul: all which saith Peter is prepared,1 Pet. 1.4. [...]. 5. Branch. & re­served for thee in heaven, as our Lord himselfe doth also tell us by saint John, I go to prepare a place for you.

Let Pagans, & Infidels, those that die out of Christ, fear death; but bles­sed Simeons have a cornucopia of com­forts to feed upon: for (after the ma­ny [Page 89] stormes, tempests, and tossings up and down,Act. 27.14. with the Euroclydon winds of this present world) death brings them into a safe port, and harbour, when they shall say each one to his soul, returne to thy rest, O my soul? for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. And each one to his body,Ps. 116.7. lie down, be content, sweetly repose, and rest from thy labours. But many will aske, If a man die, shall he live again, Q. Job. 14.14.10. as Job? Man dieth, and wasteth away, and giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

Unto which question holy Job himself makes the answer. First,A. from a comparison, a tree in the winter seeming dead in the ground,Job 1.4.8, yet through the sent of water, it will bud, and bring forth boughs, like a plant.

Secondly, Job believeth that God doth hide his saints for a time in the 2 grave, to remember them,ver. 13. & to bring them forth in their set and appointed time.

But thirdly, to make up the com­fort, God will most gratiously,v. 15. and mercifully change them (as I shall afterwards shew) he will call to his saints in the grave (dissolved into thousand atomes of dust) they shall hear his trumpets, and Arke-Angels voice, and shall come forth to the resur­rection of the just. And lastly thy living again is a work of the Lord's own desire as conducible to his own glory; the glory of his Son's kingdom, and the glory of the saints immortality, who died willingly, un­der so blessed a hope, Titus 2.13 of so happie a resurrection: to all whom lying in the chambers of death, doth the Lord speak by his Prophet, saying, (but somewhat allegorically) thy dead men, shall live together, Isa. 26.19. with my dead body shall they arise, awake, and sing ye that dwelt in dust: For thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Branch 6.All blessed Simeons must consider, [Page 75] that their deferred happiness comes sure at last, like a full vintage: possib­ly thou maist waight, and look long for thy consolation as Simeon did, sigh, long for, weep, pray,Joh. 2.8. Mat. 5.12. Heb. 10.35. Heb. 11.36. Luk. 16.22 Joh. 14.2.3. Hab. 2.3. and sit down in patience many wearisome dayes, nights, weekes, months, and yeares, before the great, and promised reward, before the bosome of Abraham, the mansion prepared, or the vision of God comes; but at last, it comes and tarries not, then bear up (tossed back) a while Christ is with thee in the ship,Mat. 8.26. and thou canst not miscarry: and in his appointed time, shall be thine e­everlasting calme.

Go on then (blessed soul) in the strength of the Lord, fear no death, but comfort thy heart with the things already apprehended, Phil. 3.13. and with infinite more behind, concerning which ob­serve the blessedness of such as die in the Lord. Rev. 14.13.

1. The matter of this blessednes, God enjoyed.

[Page 92]2. The manner, the beholding Gods face.

The matter lies in the glorious ma­nifestation of God's majesticall pre­sence;Deu. 5 4. a little glimps whereof Israell had in the mount, Exod. 33. vlt. Isa. 6.5. and Moses when God put him into a clift of a rock, and shewed him his back parts, and the pro­phet Esai when he cryed out, woe is me I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, &c. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hostes: These did not neither could see Gods face, and live, but some thing God shewed to their understandings, out of which they did conclude (as they were able) the greatnesse, glory and majestie of God's presence; but after death the blessed saints of God, shal see more of God (viz) face to face, and know as they are known, 1 Cor. 3.12. of which, more in the next.

2. The manner of a saints behold­ing God, is by an immediat, and an­gelicall knowledg of the essentiall [Page 93] glory of the Lord God almighty; and by a full enjoyment of the great Jeho­vahs beatificall presence. Then shall we see the likenesse of God, or see him as he is, 1 Joh. 3.2. and then shall we know, and see him to, in an imme­diat union to, and communion with God.

this is that which the godly-wise have much studied (viz) the matter, & manner of the saints happiness after death, which I shall endevour to set out a little more.

1. And so it is called light, and life,Psal. 36.9 Col. 1..12 as the Psalmist, a fountain of life, in which we shall see light which is there opposed to the darknesse of con­demnation; not an amazing light, Acts. 9. as was Sauls at his conversion: but a re­joicing light, and a glorious light, inabling us to look with undazl­ing eyes, upon the sun of righteous­nesse in the face.

It is called a kingdom which cannot be shaken, Heb. 12.28 Luke. 22.29. whether we are admitted [Page 78] free denisons under celestiall priviledges. A kingdom without stirrs, commotions, or the least alterati­ons, not once needing councells, nor armes,Rev. 21.23 nor the light of the moon, nor the sun, but the lamb shall be the light thereof.

3 It's called a crown, in a fuller sence then any crown else: Kings their crownes may be of gold,Rev. 2.10. 1 Cor. 9.25. [...]. 2 Tim. 4.8, but this a crown of life, a crown incorruptible, a crown of righteousness, which shall never bee taken off the heads of the saints: but they shall reign crowned forever in their inheritance, of infinite extent,1 Pet. 1.5. and reserved in heaven for them, as before.

2 Cor. 5.1.It's an eternall house, not subject to dilapidations, nor to be amended by reparations, nor additions, a house full of all provisions,Luk. 22.30 even to satiety, and fulnesse: full of joyful company, such as the glorious Trinity, blessed saints and Angels; full of plesant melo­dy, perfect harmony, and one conti­nued [Page 79] feast of glory,Psal. 16. ult. [...] at the very right hand of God. Sure I am, this will comfort all Simeons in their desire to die.

And now to set out the manner a lit­tle more also, how this blessed visi­on of God is communicated after death.

Godly, and learned divines have wont to gather it from the analogie of Scriptures.

It's a vision of intelligence: wee 1 shall see him, saith the Scripture,John 3.2. that is we shall know him spiritually, and celestially, without the least interpo­sition of any cloud upon our under­standing.

We shall know him, saith the Scrip­ture, 2 immediatly,1 Cor. 13.12. [...] Cant. 2.9. and not through a glass, as below; where believers see him, who is invisible, not through any lattesse, but we shal be with him with­in the heavenly house of his glory, and be ful of God (as I may say) and full of Christ, and full of the Holy [Page 96] Ghost, and never see night, or dark­ness more:Rev. 22.5. for God himself will bee all unto us, and we shall reign with Christ for ever. Soul! doth not this use of consolation seat very high? and canst chuse, but with Simeon to desire to dye,Psal. 32.11 and to be glad in the Lord, and rejoyce evermore;

All that I will add shal be this bles­sed soul! thy glory shall be satisfacto­ry, and filled up to the top, yea it shall mount above all thy desires,

1 In thy everlasting acquiescence, and tranquility.

2 In thy eternall pleasures, and con­solation.

Rev. 7.17.First thy tranquility shal overflow, as a mighty river at thy beholding the face of God;Rev. 21.4. all enemies shall be de­stroyed,Heb. 4.9. & all perturbations shal final­ly cease.Rev. 14.13 This is the rest, and peace of all holy Simeons.

The second is thy eternal pleasure and sweet consolation, which also floweth from the blessed beholding of Gods face. Such shall be the Saints [Page 81] delight in God In thy presence Lord, saith the Psalmist, is fulnesse of joy; not a mixed joy, as of the Church on earth, like the sweet smell of the prickie rose, which somtimes runs in­to the flesh: but like the joy of the An­gels at the birth of Christ,Luk. 2.10.13.14. who sang without interruption, saying glory to God on highest, on earth peace, good will towards men.

Pleasure and joy in heaven be in­violable, no man can take it away, Joh. 16.22. [...]. Rev. 19.1.3.6. Rev. 14.3 Exo. 15.1. Rev. 15.3. ever full of the sweetness, and blessedness, which is in God himself; praising, and magnifiing God with everlasting hallelujahs, and singing the song of Mo­ses, and of the lamb, without ceasing to all eternity.

Come pretious servant of God, is not thy hony-combe full yet? doth not this cup of consolation overflow? Didst ever think in the daies of thy vanity when thou wast moved to look into thy wretched estate, and dam­nable condition? that thou mightest [Page 82] get out of that gall of bitterness, Acts 8.23. [...]. and bond of iniquitie, and when moved with the matchles love of God, with the sweetnesse, and fulnesse of God in Christ, laid up for thee so vile a wretch; I say didst think it was halfe true, which was told thee of the desirablenes, and excellency of Jesus Christ to all believers, in, and after their blessed change?

Loe now, what ever discovery here hath been made, all the tongues of men and Angels, are not able to re­veile the hundredth part of thy bea­tificall fruition, in the bosome of glo­ry, who dost depart this fraile life, in the true relation of a dear Servant of God, & who dyest in that blessed peace & according to the Word of God.

Thus much of this sweet consola­lation. Which divides it self into six particulars.

1. That Death is spoiled of it's power to hurt us, and of a conquered foe is made a friend.

[Page 83]2. Saints cannot miscarry in their 2 death; because Christ is with them.

3. All the godly have the first 3 fruits of glory in hand.

4. The saints honour, glory, and 4 immortality, is already prepared, and reserved for them in heaven.

5 Death is an haven after a storm, a 5 rest to all laborious saints, a sure hi­ding place and sanctuary to soul and body.

6. The saints promised, and hoped 6 for happiness coms sure at last. Which happiness hath been amplified.

• 1. In the matter, blessedness in God enjoyed.
• 2. In the manner, the beholding of Gods face.

Next followeth the exhortation which is four-fold.

• 1. To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon.
• [Page 84]2. To prepare for an happy death.
  • Solidly.
  • & Timely.
• 3. To submit to God's dispose in life, or death.
• 4. Not to mourn overmuch for them that dye in the Lord.1 Exhorta­tion

Let all gracious Simeons be truly thankful for their sight of Christ with any glimpse of true faith,Mal. 4.2. this is Ocu­lata fides or faith illightned with a beam of the Sun of righteousnesse hol­ding forth glorious things laid up in store for the admirers of Jesus Christ for all those whom he hath drawn near unto himself with the sweet honey-combs of his matchless love,Cant. 1.4. Cant. 4.10. and with the sweet savour of his costly oyntments, and with that untold unvaluable mine of evangeli­call grace.

Look on (blessed Saint) fix thine eyes upon that Covenant-goodness into which thy poor soul is admitted and be thankfull: which Covenant was [Page 85] the birth and product of God the Fa­thers everlasting love and mercy to all his seeing Simeons, Deut. 7.7. the Legacy of free grace of the Father, Son, and Ho­ly Ghost, richly enamelled, with roy­all priviledges and most gracious pro­mises comprehending all those jura regalia of the remission of sin,Rom. 9.4.5. of justi­fication before God, of adoption and son-ship. And by the way observ, that Remission of sin, (which Christ did bleed out for thee, who scarce ever didst bleed out a tear for him,) 'tis a choice mercy bestowed on none,Rom. 11.23. but such as are vessels of mercy, viz. Gods pretious people, those blessed ones whom God makes the objects of blessedness,Exo. 34.6.6. [...] and proclaims himself in his glory as to Moses the Lord the Lord God mercifull &c. and shall not such be thankfull?

Believing Simeon, faith doth as it were antidate thy happiness, and make things to come as if they were present; and (as one sayes) substan­tiates [Page 86] things not yet seen and appro­piate them to thy self,Ps. 60.7. as, Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine: These pla­ces were not then conquered, but God had spoken in his holinesse, and that was assured to Davids soul, hee had made a sure Promise,Psa. [...]32.7. Isai. 55.3. Acts 2.30. Cove­nant, and Oath to David, and so a believer may say, heaven is mine, heaven is mine, God and Christ, ever­lasting glory is mine.

Faith looks on the promise as ful­filled already and put into its hand, in the full assurance of it, and (after a sort) into perfect enjoyment, as when the Spirit brought Ezekiel in the visi­ons of God to Jerusalem, Ezec. 1.1. his body was commorant; in Babilon's captivity, by the river Chebar; even then his spirit is said to be in Jerusalem, for his spirit did lift him up between heaven and earth,Ezec. 8.3. and brought him in those visions to Jerusalem. The soul may be in sweet communion with God in heaven, when the body may be in [Page 87] the earth. Every Simeon's soul is (in a sense) in heaven already sweetly so­laced in the beatificall Vision,Mat. 5.8. Rev. 15.3. Rev. 2.17. Rev. 22.1.2. [...] 1 Cor. [...].9. and singing the song of Moses, and the Lamb, tasting the heavenly Manna, and bathing her self in those rivers of pleasure which the Lord hath put within Christ's purchase, and prepared for them that love him: to which our blessed Lord doth point, as a means of this enjoyment, Mat. 6.21. Lay up your treasure in heaven, for where your treasure is there will also your heart be.

A Simeon may be below,Col. 3.2. and yet his affections above, as Paul doth ex­hort, set your affections on things above and not on things beneath; so that a gracious soul is under a double consi­deration, of earth and of heaven, whose mind is not said to be where he is, but where he likes, and loves best: and therefore, have some of the Ancients wont to say, that (even here below) the soul fetcheth many a [Page 88] flight to heaven with those dove-like wings of silver,Psal. 68.13. and those feathers of yellow gold in the Psalm. 68.13. to see the God of Glory, to speak with Jesus Christ at Gods right hand, to present her petitions by her gracious Advocate and Mediatour at heavens Throne in expectation of a most gra­cious answer.

Again, the soul flies up to heaven to visit those innumerable Angels, and to contemplate the Patriarks and Prophets happiness, to admire the A­postles honour, to congratulate all the Assemblies of the first born, and to salute the spirits of just men made perfect:Rev. 4.1. this Saint John saw, a door in heaven opened, and he heard a voyce, (as it were) of a trumpet talking with him, which said come up hither, and immediatly he was in the Spirit, and behold a Throne was set in heaven, and one sate on the Throne, whence the Prophet John (by a call from heaven) coms up, [Page 89] but how? not Corporally but Spiri­tually, then the Spirit lifted up the good man, in sweet meditation and most holy affection, as Simeon here, whose gladded and thankfull heart, breathed out this Song in the text, Lord now lettest thou thy servant de­part, &c. Then O believer! put on thy white robes of holiness,Rev. 7. [...].13. [...]. its but a little while when (with Elijah) thou shalt ascend joyfully, when those earthly raggs shall fall off, and thy Christ shall cloath thee over with his bright garment of Glory: bear up then blessed Saint, rejoice and be thankful in hope of the glory of God; it's a duty becoming thee to be thankfull;Rom. 5.2. See what argument Christ useth to raise up the drooping hearts of his dejected Disciples,Lu. 24.17. What man­ner of communications are these, while you walk, and are sad? Joh. 17. What are you so sad? are you not advised that I must depart and glorifie my Father? Joh. 14.3. and that when you go hence, I must and will [Page 90] prepare mansions of glory for you; do not you consider, what I am to you? and what you are to me? whom I have so and so honoured already? and am in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27. and that you shall shortly in three days expect my Resurre­ction from the dead, Mat. 16.21 1 Cor. 15.20. Joh. 14.1. an assured evidence of your Resurrection? you my beloved Disciples, be not troubled at my death and departure, Judg. 8.2. nor at your own, but praise and give thanks; for certainly the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim (which you enjoy) are infinitely bet­ter then all the vintage of Abiezer, the earnest and first fruits which even now you live spiritually upon,Eccle. 1.2. chap. 12.8. do ex­cell and transcend all the glory and vanity of things sublunar or be­low.

1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28. and before in Deut. 7.7.And indeed (my beloved Disci­ples) consider what moved me and my Father to own you rather then others, so undeservedly, when wee passed by so many of the great men and nobles of the world; to make [Page 91] you vessels of honour and to give you an inheritance incorruptible and un­defiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you.Rom. 9.21. 2 Tim. 2.21. 1 Pet. 1.4.

What am I (said David) and my Fathers house that I should be son in law to a King? 1 Sam. 18.18. whence was it that the mother of my Lord should com unto me? Luk. 1.43. (sayd Elisabeth to the Virgin Mary.) Great was the joy in the hearts of the four lepers of the great and besieged city of Samari [...], 2 Kings 7.3. to the 12. whom the Lord so wonderfully relieved and enlarged. Alas! all these were but as nut-shells and oyster-shells compared with the mercies of blessed Simeon, whose mercies as they be reall celestial and lasting for ever; so they do call for reall and angelicall prayses: Heavens candidates bee glad at deaths ap­proach; thou art next apparent to glo­ry, and indeed be thankful, for it may bee thou maist bee one of the next souls who may be gloriously ushered in thither; nay (in a sense) thou art [Page 92] in heaven already: thy faith is there, thy hope is there, thy conversation is there, while thy eye is fixed on thy Christ there, and thou art daily trans­lated from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord,Eph. 1.3. and all this is sea­led to thee by the Spirit of promise, of which more fully afterwards; mean while do but open thy eyes and thou canst not but be really thankfull, fidu­cially to see all the prophesies, and all the promises to thee accomplished, although thou see it but a far off.

And now that thou maist be thus thankful, let me be assistant to thee in four or five directions.

Direction Luk. 2, 14, [...]1. Study thou (poor mortall) to praise and magnifie thy God, and thy Christ, in the, highest, as the Angells did at the nativity of Christ; high mercies do cal for high praises, thank­fulness may be in carnal earthly men for good turns done them, yea and gladness in the beast that receiveth fodder. But (O thou saved by the [Page 93] Lord) thou must act higher, even from a principle of Covenant-grace, reached out to a lost and dead sinner, by the hand of unconceivable mer­cy, procured by the Lord Jesus saving thee so mightily and wonderfully, not out of the common store-house of di­vine providence, but out of the Ark of the Covenant or bosom-love of thy Lord Jesus Christ: Therefore (O blessed soul!) thy thankfulness must be super-abounding, and thy whole soul be poured out in this du­ty, with holy vows and fixed resolu­tions, as that sweet singer of Israel, Psal. 116. I will love thee, I will serve thee, Psal. 116, I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgivings and I will pay my vows unto the Lord, now in the presence of all his people, in the Courts of the Lords house, in the midst of thee O Jerusalem, praise ye the Lord: Lo what a pat­tern of high and reall thankfulness is here presented unto gracious Sime­ons.

[Page 94]2. To be more real in our thankful­ness for such salvation-mercies as Si­meons here was, we must look farther then the superficies and out-side of a mercy, for as God in his workings of good providence, hath a wheel with­in a wheel; so he hath oftimes, a mer­cy within a mercy; and when wee are called to such a piece of thankful­ness as is here required, wee must brighten the souls eye of faith, and by the prospective of divine promises & covenant-goodness, we must dive deep and look far, to see (if it were possible) not onely the hand of mer­cy stretched forth to us, but the very heart of Gods mercy opened to us;Genesis 6. compared with 1 Pet. 3.19. nay through that mercy, the soul must look on the Lord himself: for else, we do but see the Ark of preservati­on, as the old world did; not the co­venant-goodness of God in that Ark, nor his Church in that Ark, nor his Christ there, nor all the saved of the Lord, even thy self there, spiritually [Page 95] in the heart of God, and Jesus Christ; you must look into the inside of your mercies, else you will but see the bush on fire and it preserved, but not the good will of him that dwelt in the bush; Exod. 3.2. Deut. 33.16. for one may observe the Lords faith­fulness, in keeping covenant and pro­mise, and not look on Jesus Christ the promoter of the covenant, by, and with whom the Lord made such a covenant: therefore wee must throughly look as well on the in-side of the mercy; whence a mercy comes originally on Gods mind, aim, & end; as on the mercy it self reached out to us: we must look on Gods mind to­wards us, in the mercy, how to walk & act before him in fom sutableness & expectatiō to the mercy we do en­joy, to live more holily, to worship more devoutly, to act faith in Gods al-sufficiency, to trust in him more, to recumb & depend more, & to be the Lords more entirely thē ever before. For as in many mercies there is a good [Page 96] out-side but a better in-side; so in the carriages of the people of God, there is not only a more out-side-carriage before the Lord, but a more intern spiritual & cordial acting of a thankful soul, to serve the Lord more sincere­ly, more absolutely, more graciously, and more holily; as David not onely throughout the 116 Psalm, but also Psalm 42.5. after more experience of the Lord, and a farther inspection in­to his gracious dealing with him, hee sayes, O my soul trust thou in God, for I shal yet give him thanks and praise him, for the help of his countenance: so vers. 11 hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God.

direction3. To be very reall in our thanks, we must much revolve in our mindes and consider our great unworthiness, and that we are unfit for any mercy, as Jacob did, Gen. 32.10. I am not wor­thy of the least of all thy mercies, & that we are then dead doggs, as Mephibo­sheth [Page 97] humbly spoke to King David, 2 Sam. 9.8. we must call to mind the number, the kind, the nature, and the good of a mercy, the freeness, the fulness, and choiceness of it, and the suitableness of the loving kindness, and be thankfull to admiration, as David was often, and as Simeon was here for his vision, which was so ad­equate to his soul and bodies wel­fare, here and hereafter, in life in death, and at the last judgment: this will make a soul sing and say,Luk. 1.69.70. Blessed be the Lord God, who hath raised up such Salvation for so miserable a crea­ture as I was, and to say with holy David, Bless the Lord O my soul, Ps. 103.2. for­get not all his benefits! and the better to recollect these mercies, Christians must bee carefull to keep records of singular mercies, of the year and day, the matter, the manner, the measure, the instruments, as David did most sweetly, for that out of these records, shall be made up the song of Moses, [Page 98] and the Lamb.2 Sam. 8.16. 2 Kgins 18.18. Joah the son of A­saph was Hezechiahs Recorder. Psal. 105.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Read the 105 Psalm, it's wholly filled with rich enumera­tions of the Lord's wonderous works from Abraham to the time of the planting of the Lords people in Ca­naan, and they are bid to remember his marvellous works, and the judg­ments of his mouth, how he had remem­bred his Covenant for ever: the Word which he commanded to a thousand ge­nerations, his Covenant with Abraham, his Oath with Isaac and confirmed the same to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant &c. true thankfulnesse as its long-lived, and written with infallible characters; so it takes care to eternize the praises of the Lord and sayes as thankfull Job, Job. 19.23, 24. O that my words were printed in a book, that they were graven with an i­ron pen and lead, in the rock, for ever, have we done so? that not God loo­ses his glory, and thy soul is too short in thy reall thanks.

direct. 4.4. Real thanks must be all to God, [Page 99] self is little regarded, so as Gods name and glory may be exalted; Many are somewhat thankful when self is much concerned, and wil praise the Lord,Psal. 68.4. when dangers be over,Psal. 107. when enemies be defeated, cut off, and destroyed, when afflictions be over, and sickness turned to health, that now they may enjoy again their honor, their ease, their pleasure, their estates in the world, their corn, and wine, then they will give God thanks and blesse his name, Hab. 1.15. they rejoyce and are glad: [...] but still their thanks go no far­ther then self is concerned, which the Prophet cals a sacrificing to their own nets, and a burning of incense to their own dragg; but such their thanks sel­dom goes higher then themselvs. But I must tell them, that those thanks, which do begin and end in self, bee not reall Christian thanks; but true thanks do draw out the soul, to bless the Lord for Jesus Christ, and the Gospells, for the manifestations of [Page 100] his glory, power, wisdome, truth, and all his goodness to his Church, and for the prosperity of Sion, when it goes well there; O then, thankfull souls will insult for joy, and bee full of praises as the Israelites were at the bringing home of the Ark; And Da­vid danced before the Lord, 2 Sam. 6.12, 14, 15. 1 Kings 8. and was girded with a linnen Ephod. And Isra­el brought up the Ark with showting, and with the sound of the trumpet, and at the dedication of the Tem­ple; as on the contrary, when it goes ill with the Church, and people of God, it goes also ill with gracious souls,1 Sam. 4.13, 14, 15, vers. 19. as with Eli and Phineas wife (when the Ark was taken and when the glory was departed from Israell) who called her son Icabod. And thus so publike spirited was she, that her life seemed to be bundled up in the well­fare of the people of God

direction 5True reall thankfulness does acqui­esce in God, can repose in the Lord his alsufficiency & covenant goodness [Page 101] for such a one doth see all the ene­mies of his salvation ever fall down before the Lord,1 Sam. 5.4 Josh. 6. to the 20. Gen. 3.15. Rev. 6.2. [...]. Psal. 4. ult. [...] as Dagon did before the Ark, irrecoverably & to be demo­lished, like the walls of Jericho; such do see the seed of the woman break the serpents head, and Christ himself ri­ding conquering and to conquer, do see Kings bound in chains, and nobles with fetters of Iron; in this considera­tion, doth David lay himself down in peace, who as from time to time, his soul did recollect the Lords mani­fold great and glorious mercies con­ferred upon him; so he said, I will trust in him, and he shall be my God for ever; this he said after a long enume­ration of Sea & land-mercies, he en­gageth himself in voluntary vows, to devote and consecrate himself to the Lord, that shall be all his work for time to come, and he will wholly be the Lords, not his own, so had the Lord obliged his servant, that he is at a stand what returns of thankfulness [Page 102] to make, but at last concludes to offer thanks to pay his vows, and to be for ever realizing the praises of his soul, by declaring them and exemplifying them, and improving them untill they do empty themselves into bea­tificall hallelujahs, and he himself do sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven. Thus of real thankfullness: Which sees fiducially into all the Lords covenant-goodness, & doth substantiate things not seen, & make things absent as present. Thus wee have seen what bee true reall thanks, which wil be found (in some measure) in all thankfull Simeons.

1. There be very high praises of God and his Christ.

2. They look far, and search deep in the heart and in-side of the mercy.

3. There's humble acknowledgments of self-unworthiness.

[Page 103]4. God hath the all, of true thank­fulness, as all came out from him; so it empties it self into God again.

5. It acquiesces and reposeth in the Lord.

All this did abundantly shine forth in godly men, and so they do in eve­ry truly thankfull soul. Thus of the first exhortation.

The second exhortation is to prepare for an happy death, Solidly, and Timely Exhort. 2. [...] to prepare for an hap­py death. Psal. 90.

Be we all exhorted to prepare for an happy death.

• 1. Timely.
• 2. Solidly.

1. Timely, thy days be numbred (sinner) although thou know not the number, the time thats kept un­der Gods lock and key, hee hath [Page 104] pleased to let thee know the sinful­ness, the cursedness, the brevity, the vanity, and anxiety of thy life, under a thousand dangers, and mala­dies: but not to know the compu­tation of thy life (except in the grosse) that the days of a man are threescore and ten, [...] and it may be fourscore; al­beit not one of twenty attain to live so long,v. 10. and if so, yet then is their life but labour and sorrow.

Quest. But why (blessed Lord) may the eternall soul say, hast thou concealed this from us?

Ans. That wee should every day wait the good pleasure of our God, till our change come. Job. 14.14

Answ 2. That wee should eve­ry day, be willing to hearken to the counsel of our good Lord, to be pre­pared to die happily, that every pray­er we put up, that every sermon wee hear, should bee poured forth, and hearkned unto, as our last.

Ans. 3. That every tender and op­portunity [Page 105] of mercy bee entertained by us as our last (as 'tis for ought we know)

Ans. 4. That without the least pro­crastination we should enter the nar­row gate, while 'tis opened unto us, and seek the Lord very humbly,Is. 55.6. Lu. 19.42. and cordially while he will be found of us, that wee should know the things of our peace, in the day thereof.

Ans. 5. That we should in due sea­son gratefully accept Jesus Christ's sweet love while he makes such ravi­shing applications to us,Cant. 5.2. saying open to me my sister, my love, my dove, mine un­defiled one, and come with me from Lebanon my Spouse; come away (dear heart) from the dens of Lions, and from the mountains of Leopards; So that the Lord (by his absconding, and darkning deaths time from our eyes) doth discipline a poor soul (as he did the wise Virgins) seasonably to getoyl, and lamps, our vessels full, and lamps burning, and to get our [Page 106] loins girt, Exod. 12. Mat. 25.13 [...]. Mark. 13.33. [...] vers. 36. [...]. with our staves in our hands, that wee ever shaking off all rusty bedrid-security may bee ever upon our watch, being so much advised of death so near (for ought we know) which way soever we go, or whatso­ever we are about.

2. Solidly, Now to the solid prepa­ration of which I am to speak; before which I must needs promise a few things, to awaken wretched sinners, fearfully beguiled, in so great a busi­ness, as is our solid preparation.

1. For it is lamentable to see how poor sinners do sin away preti­ous mercies, and implunge themselvs into deaths gulf,Ephes. 2.2. and into the jaws of hells destruction, living in sinful lusts, being acted by a satanical spirit of dis­obedience, until they be in the jaws of hungry death, who devoureth them as the old world, while they were eat­ing and drinking, rioting, drowning, and even damming themselves, in the days of Noah: or as a deaf and merciless Serjeant seizing on a [Page 107] gallant, walking the streets in the pride of his heart, but suddainly arre­sted and dragged violently to the Counter, or some nasty prison;Luk. 12.20. [...]. even so do great multitudes befool themselvs into deaths Counter, never to be deli­vered till they have payd the utmost far­thing, w^ch cā never be, while they pro­mise to themselvs (through vain con­fidence) long life, and happy days, and that all shall be well with them at the last, though one foot is in the grave, and they be ready to drop down as they go (poor creatures) who boast their faith so strong, and their hope so well anchored,Lu. 18.11.12. because somtimes they cry God mercy, do confide in the formality of some duties, and an empty profession of Religion, void of the life of faith, and of the power of godliness; whom a deceived heart hath so long fed with ashes, Isa. 44.20. and their deluded souls with a lye in their right hand: unto all whom I must say in the words of the Prophet, O self-deceiver! O self-destroyer! the [Page 108] Lord hath rejected thy confidence, Jer. 2.37. Mat. 7.23. nor shalt thou prosper in them: for the Lord Christ will never own thee, but will profess he never knew thee, and say depart from me, ye workers of ini­quity.

2. Others live to their dying hour, in a state of unregeneracy, unbelief, hardness of heart,Mat. 23.27 Ezek. 8.3.14.16. after the course of the world, and keep an in-side as cor­rupt as the sepulchers of rottenness, of w^ch our Saviour spake, as vile as that Image of jealousy, or that idol Tammuz, (said to be that idol which their women did yearly lament, with unseemly ce­remonies, not to be named) or as those who worshipped the Sun, Job. 31.26, 27, 28. and had renounced God and his worship.

But (O beguiled soul) who hath so bewitched thee? that thou dost dream that thou maist live a slave, a vassall to base lusts within, and to un­godliness without, and that all thy days, and be saved at last; that thou maist live the life of the wicked,Numb. 13.10. [Page 109] yet dye the death of the righteous, cer­tainly these be men and women of no understanding, he that made them will have no mercy on them, Isa. 27, 11. and he that formed them, will shew them no fa­vour.

Did not the Ministers of Christ or­dinarily tell thee, what a self-deceiver thy heart was? and what a deceiver sin was? worse then the harlot, and that the way of sinners,Prov. 7. Deut. 29.19. would bee bitterness in the end, and how unsafe nay how desperate it would be, when a sinner dayly hearing these things, blesse himself, saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of mine own heart.

God sayes,Isa. 48.22. there's no peace to the unregenerate soul, no peace to the un­beliver, to the stone-hearted sinner, neither here nor hereafter. But thou sayest I shall have peace.

Quest How shall this be tried.

I Answ. When death comes the horrour, trembling and astonish­ment [Page 110] of spirit, which will more or lesse seize upon them, shall pass the umpire, but a sad one and that which is the beginning of endless and ever­lasting woes.

(O reader) be moved, as I pro­fesse my self oft troubled within me, to hear men and women boast (like a Pharisie,) their faith, hope, and great expectation, saying they shall dye in the arms of mercy, because God made them, and they have lived un­der, and professed the Gospell, have been taken and reputed good christi­ans among men: by these and other meerly externall works and insuffici­ent grounds do they too too shallow­ly conclude, that it must needs go wel with them at the last.

Joh. 3.3.5. 2 Cor. 5.17. Heb. 12.14O let such lay to heart the word of him which shall stand. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven. If any man bee in Christ he must be a new creature. With­out holiness no man shall see the Lord; [Page 111] who is not ingrafted into Christ the true vine, shall be cas out;Joh. 15.4.5. Rom: 8.17: Gal. 6.7. 1 Cor. 6.9. none but adopted sons can inherit, whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God; be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor effeminate, nor thievs, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extor­tioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

But all such as have not made their peace with God timely, and really, let them be ascerteined that merciless and impartial death shall snatch them away from their dwellings, and rela­tions,Mar. 9.44.46, 48. into the blackness of darknesse for ever, where the worm dieth not, thrice repeated.

Then let none dare protract time, and think to be prepared in a mo­ment, in the time of sicknesse, and the hour of death: indeed God may then shew mercy, I had almost said a miracle (as on the thief,Luk. 23.43.) but such [Page 112] miracles are very rare in Scripture, for strait is the gate, Mat. 7.13.14. and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few they be that find it.

Some are so combred with the world, that they never will bee at leisure to prepare to die; do think, and speak of it, but never do it; like the banquerout who says he will pay all his debts, but takes no more care of it, then of his ending day.

Pro. 9.17.Some are tickled with sins, stolen waters of pleasures, and profits, till wounded and slain,Prov. 7.23. as the young man going after his harlot, like an Ox to the slaughter, or a fool to the stocks, Till a dart strike through his liver, for her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

CPoor sinfull man) death is com­ing on the wing every day nearer and nearer, and thou art insensible of its certain approach;Eccles. 12. nay, death's harbingers are with thee already, [Page 113] who do weaken thy silver cord, and spend the marrow of thy frail life, who do dimme thine eyes, deaf thine ears, whiten thine hairs, and thou (incogitant) perceivest it not; and these messengers of death will ere long be, break the golden bowl, from which all parts enjoy their vitall spirits.

And (sinfull man) suppose thou be young and lusty, flourishing (like David's Bay tree,) thou art no more sure to live a day longer, then he of an hundred years old, who creeps on all four, as we say; for so soon as the hopefullest man begins to live, in that very instant he begins to die; death gnaweth on every man's root of life, till (sooer or later) she lays us all in the dust. The besotting folly, and uncorrigible madness of sinfull men, (living as if they were in covenant with death and hell) making lies their refuge,Isa. 28.15. and hiding themselves under falshood) have made me too long in [Page 114] this preparatory to this second ex­hortation, whom the Lord notably answereth (as if viva voce) your Co­venant with death shall be disanull'd,Isa. 28.18. your agreement with hell, shall not stand. And thus I come to the exhor­tation it self Solidly and Timely, to fall upon the work of preparation, which consists of these four heads.

• 1. An holy desire to live well.
• 2. To be well principled in matters of Religion.
• 3. To bee much in conference with death.
• 4. To set all things in order for death.

The first head.Many do like heaven well, but not the way thither; many desire glory to come, when they can enjoy earth­ly glory no longer: whereas a right holy desire (as Simeons was) will [Page 115] take all due care to get into, and to keep heavens milky way, not to accu­mulate that high degree per saltum, but be glad to go Christ's way, saying Father I have glorified thee on earth, Joh. 17.4, 5. and now glorifie thou me in heaven.

A presumer, or intruder would live in sin, till his dying day, and then be forgiven, and taken into Abra­ham's bosom; but the true desirer is glad (as Saint Paul, Act. 20.21.) to go God's way of repentance, of amendment, and of believing unto salvation, as low Zacheus did, when he welcomed Christ into his house and heart.

The presumer desires faintly to dye, but 'tis when he cannot live, nor sin any more; but the well prepared soul after days and years of much serving God, after much sore travell, through hot afflictions, strong temp­tations, and many fiery trialls,Psal. 42.1. Gen. 32.26, 28. 1 Sam. 1.13. is fer­vent in desiring death, and restless as the Hart after the water brooks; like Jacob, who will not leave wrestling till he prevail, nor Hannah cease praying [Page 116] till the Lord had granted her the desire of her soul. 1 Sam. 1.13.

Gal. 4.19. Piè vixit, ergo libēter vult mori. Psa. 90.12.The soul was restless, till whole Christ was formed in her, and now she desires to die, with groaning desires she had lived well, and therefore she would dye: such be ever numbring their days and so do apply their hearts to wisdome; to which end,

1. Thou must accept the time of thy repentance laid out for thee by the Lords own hand;Rev. 2.21. Jezebell had her time, so had the old world, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Jewes, so had Corazin; ank Bethsaida; but they ac­cepted not that time.

In our repentance their must bee Godly sorrow for sin, for all the sins of our natures,2 Cor. 7. of our hearts, and lives, aggravated by many sad circumstances of the matter, the manner, measure, time when, how oft lived in, against means,Lament through­out to have avoided such sins a­gainst light, and counsell to the con­trary, yea and (it may be) against [Page 117] our vows never to do so or so, with very great & large desires of pardon and reconciliation to God, in and through Jesus Christ, and a restlesness upon thy spirit, till thy soul be satis­fied, that thou art pardoned and ac­cepted, and thy evidence for heaven sealed with the blood of Christ, toge­ther with strong engagements upon thy whole man, never to return a­gain to folly; but to keep an holy vi­gilancy ever upon thy soul, with so­lemn covenanting thy self to be the Lords, and not thine own any more, as thou wast in the day of thine im­penitency.

2. And whereas in many things we sin all, even the most righteous sins oft every day, we must renew our repentance often as David did, Hezekiah, Peter, & other [...], yea so oft that we may be said to walk humbly before the Lord, in an humble & holy conversation, labouring never more to be deceived by the presumption, [Page 118] pride, and daring boldnesse of our unregenerate part, and so the longer thou thus walk'st humbly and peni­tently before the Lord, the better stil, is thy preparation; which made one to say well, that good men are best at last, even when they are dying, so great a dependance hath a gracious death upon an humble and holy life.John 9.4.

Prov 27.1. [...] Heb 4.7. [...], according to som c [...]i­tricks and that very judiciously, is Etymo­logized [...] thy day. Lev. 19.6, 7.As repentance must be solid, so it must be seasonable; for night will else come, upon thee, and therefore saith Christ, I must work, whiles it is called to day; Cras Cras is the voyce of a crow, and not of a Christian; loose not this day, talk not of to morrow to repent in; for Solomon wil tell thee, thou knowst not what to morrows womb may bring forth. To day then while it is called to day, hear Christs voyc bespeak­ing presentaneous repentance: Man­na must be gathered in the morning, the peace of offering be offered on the first▪ & second day, not the third. There [Page 119] be four ages of life, childhood, youth, middle, old age; the first and last are more incapable, but the other two, are best to repent in; trust not long life, nor late repentance, least thou be like unto some courtiers who usu­ally do all too late, rise too late, dress too late, dine too late, sup too late, and I fear (commonly) repent too late, and dye,Job. 20.11 Gen. 4 [...].9. [...] when (as Job speaks) their bones are full of the sin of their youth, and they must be necessitated to say few and evill have been the days of my life.

Many flatter themselvs and deceive others with perwigs,Not much different from that of the Poet — Scit te P [...]oserpina calvum, personam capiti de­trahet illa suo. Prov. 9.3. Pro. 1.28. and so seem ma­ny years younger then they be; but neither will God bee deceived, nor decaying nature deceived, no more then the Devill was by him that had coloured his hair, when he said I know thee well enough for all thy locks; Oh sinner it is present repen­tance God looks for; long hath hee knocked, cryed, and call'd, but thou [Page 120] would'st not hear, thou shalt there­fore cry, and call, and God will not hear, as in that of Matthew, How oft would I have gathered you, Mat. 23. 37. as the hen doth her chickens, and yee would not; now (it may be) you would, but I will not, I would have purged thee (saith God) but thou wast not pur­ged, thou shalt never be purged any more till I have caused my wrath to light upon thee,Ezech. 24.13, 14. I the Lord have spo­ken it, and it shall come to pass, and I will do it.

(Sinner) it's a dreadful thing to go unseasonably upon the work of repen­tance, (miserable creature) being about to dye, What wilt do? when God, and Christ, and the Spirit, be a­gainst thee? when all mercies shall be thine enemies, who shall bee thy friends? and when they shall conclude thy finall miserie, who shall pity thee? when they shall laugh at thy self-destruction, and mock when thy fear cometh? Prov. 1.26. therefore what thou doest, [Page 121] do quickly in thy repenting, and thy renewing acts of repentance: for (for ought thou knowest) death may come this very night, and by the Lords takers, may take away thy soul; Luke 12. albeit thou hast prepared many things for thy self, thy wife, thy children, and posterity; yet none shall do thee good, that art unprepared of that, which should do thee good indeed: whatever then thou delay, let it not be solid and timely repentance, hold not thy hand in thy bosom, saying,Pro. 6.10 vese 11. [...] as a man of a child. as the sluggard, yet a little sleep, a little slumber, till death come upon thee, as an armed man, that is irresistably, and inexorably, and cannot be avoided,Pro. 6.6. whom therefore God sends to the Ant, and Pismire to learn wisdom of that provident, but irrational crea­ture

To be prepared solidly and time­ly for death,head 2 we must be well princi­pled in the fundamentalls of true re­ligion, and well grounded in the do­ctrinals [Page 122] not only of repentance towards God, Acts 20.21 but also of faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. We must be rooted and built in Christ,Col. 2.7. and established in the faith, in that faith which was once gi­ven to thē Saints, Jude 3. and hath been recei­ved, believed, and maintained by all the Lords worthies since the primi­tive times,Heb. 11. Heb. 12. according to the Scrip­tures; in which we haue God him­self revealed, concerning whom wee must know out of those Scriptures the doctrine of

• 1. His nature.
• 2. His works. In his works we must know his works,
  • 1. Of Creation.
  • 2. Of Providence. In his Providence, consider
    • 1. His Generall.
    • 2. His speciall Providence. In his es­pecial providence, as it concerns man, so look on him, in his four-fold estate,
      • 1. Of Innocency.
      • 2. Of Corruption.
      • [Page 123]3. Of Grace.
      • 4. Of Glory.

Again consider man his estate of grace. And here behold him 1. un­der the means of grace,

• 1. Election in God.
• 2. Redemption in Christ.

2. Under the subject of Grace, The Church of God universall.

3. Under the de­grees of Grace,

• 1. Justification.
• 2. Sanctifiation.

4. In the state of Glory, viz.

• 1. His resurrection.
• 2. His last judgment.
• 3. Eternall life.

And more especially bee wee ex­horted.

1. To be sure we get a solid and [Page 124] distinct understanding of these funda­mentalls by heart.1 Cor. 1.3.10, 11. Ephes. 2.20, 21.22. Mat. 4 4. [...] v. 7. [...], 1 Thes. 5.21. [...]. Jam. 1.3.12. John 13.17. Rom. 15.4. 2 Tim. 3.17. 2 Pet. 3.17. Rev. 2.13. Gal. 3.1. Eph 4.14 [...].

2. Be we well able to prove them every one by diverse plain and unde­niable texts of holy Scripture.

3. Be very careful to be a gracious practitioner, by living upon, and walking up to, all those infallible and precious truths, which you have known to be the reavealed will, and mind of God, all which are writ­ten for your learning, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished to every good work: and pray daily, that God wil give you his holy Spirit, to live and dye in the faith of our Lord, and never to be lead away with the error of the wicked, nor to fall from your stedfastness; but to abide immovable upon the rock, even in violent storms, and persecutions, when seducers, blasphemers, and hereticks are abroad, and very solli­citous, to gain Disciples, to turn us off the foundation, and to carry us away [Page 125] with lies, and with every wind of Do­ctrine. (Dear hearts) we had never more need (now the beast, the dra­gon,Jud. 12. Rev. 16.31, 14. and the false prophets, are so busie) to bee advised, to bee well grounded, now when so many of Antichrists emissaries be every where croaking like frogs, [...]. in our very Congregations, to pervert souls, and to gainsay the precious truths of Christ, plainly and powerfully preached and maintained, by his faithfull Ministers; they come (I say) with foul mouthes, with railing, and reviling language, bearding the Ministers, and saying, thou lyest, thou limb of Antichrist, thou son of the whore of Babylon, thou deceiver of the people, and thou persecutor of us; thou sayest the Scriptures be the Word of God, which we deny; thou sayest men have originall corruption after grace, which wee deny; thou saist we are not perfect, but we are; thou saist our spirit is not infallible [Page 126] from the light within us; but that in­falliability we do and shall still main­tain.

Now (my beloved Reader) farr be it from any well principled soul, to bee moved, or shaken with any such imposters,1 Tim. 6.10. 1 Tim. 1.19. to err from the faith, or to hearken to such Apostates, who are reprobate concerning the faith. Oh let none be bewitched with such a generation of men, so diabollically enchaunted; but let's from time to time have recourse unto our ground­work, laid out before us in the Word; and let's call to mind, what was our judgment before these errors and blasphemies did so daringly stare us in the face; again, let us well consi­der, what was the judgment of the ancients, (viz.) of solid sincere Chri­stians, and orthodox Martyrs who dyed in, and for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the exhor­tation of the blessed Apostle,2. Tim. 1.13. holding fast the form of sound words, in faith [Page 127] and love. Where the Apostle would have these two things,

1. That our judgments and un­derstandings be clear and evidentiall, giving faith and credit, unto the di­vine authority of those grounds of truth, which are founded upon the holy Scriptures bearing witness to them.

2. That our love unto the truth of Christ be entire, for those who are not thus soundly grounded in their understandings and judgments, do lye open to Jesuitick frauds, and may be easily deceived, by them who lye in wait to that purpose; Eph. 4 14. Act. 20.30 of whom we have some sprung up among our selvs, and those likewise who receive not the truth in the love of it, 2 Thes. 2.10. nor in love to Christ, as the holy, and pure, the powerfull,Rom▪ 1.16. and wonder-working Word of God to save souls; such (I say) may easily fall away, albeit they may be full of other learning, and have attained excellent parts, for [Page 128] such have been highly esteemed, much praised of men, and much used in the Church of God. Thus much of the second branch (viz.) to be well principled in matters of religion.

3. An holy and solemn meditati­on of, and conference with death, in in every Simeon.

Quest. Consider what death is to such?

Answ. It is a degree of happiness, yea an inlet to full happiness, before when, none could be said to bee hap­py; but when a Christian shall me­ditate, that death is an haven after much fowl weather;Acts 2.26. Psal. 16. Rev. 14.13. Mat. 25.34. 1 Pet. 5.4. Rev. 2.10. Rev. 21.4. a bed of rest after sore labour; a taking possession of our glorious inheritance; nay of inthroning with a Crown of Glory, and the putting an end to all groans, com­plaints, and sins; the dismissing of a blessed soul, out of a loathsome pri­son; and when he shall meditate that death is but the putting off of old rotten ragged cloaths, our day of Ju­bilee, [Page 129] with many more heads of sweet meditation; how will he (who would prepare to dye wel,) be fitting himself, with deepest considerations, what course hee must take to dye happily? These meditations carry gold in their wings, and are strong Rhetoricians to perswade a poor dy­ing creature,Act. 8.37. Rom. 10.10. Gal. 2.20. o believe in the Lord Je­sus with all his heart, to live in the faith, and to live by the faith of the Lord Jesus who hath loved him, and gi­ven himself for him; 2 Tim. 4.7. 1 Tim. 1.19. Isa. 38.3. to keep faith and a good conscience towards God and men, and to walk before God in truth (as Hezekiah did) with a perfect heart: these divine meditations bee of excellent use, to open and set be­fore u [...], all the sweet covenant-mer­cies, assured to the godly in death; to unclaspe the book of all the consola­tions, and divine promises; and to fill the soul, with a wonderfull long­ing, and desire upon desire, after those sweet enjoyments,2 Tim. 4.8. which be laid up [Page 130] for the Saints, at the happy dissoluti­on of soul and body.

Come on then (immortall soul) and by holy meditation now and then walk with death half an hour, and say, Oh death I must come into thy quarters and territories shortly. But Oh the atheisme, the pride of heart, and infidelity, which like a dung-heap, wreaks up abominable stink, at the perceiving of which my heart doth tremble, and I am horrib­ly afraid; Oh that I could spend the remainder of my days in weeping, and ringing of my hands, and in tearing off the hair of my head, but yet what will that avail mee: but (Oh death) mind me rather, yea O Father of mercies possess, my soul of true repentance, and with an humble prostration of my self at the foot-stool of thy mercy-seat, restless­ly crying mercy, mercy; Oh death minde mee! how inexorable thou art, and that I may bee truly [Page 131] humbled, and that the great God of heaven, will not be dallied withall,Gal. 6.7. at the hour of death; Oh death! what is the matter? that thou art so terrible? No may death say, I am terri­ble only unto hypocrites, and unbe­lievers,Rom. 6.23. Lu 12.46. Rev. 21.8. 1 Cor. 15.55. to wicked and unprepared souls, others do and may take com­fort in my approaches to them, well knowing, that I have no sting in my hand, no victory or conquest over them, but am a friendly harbinger, to receive them unto a blessed peace, who dye in the Lord; after when they shal sin no more, nor shall need to repent,Rev. 14.13. nor weep, nor fear death any more:Rev. 7.17. nay, death may tell thee shee is thy approved friend, and that shee will be the death and burial of all thy foes, corruptions, [...]fflictions, of all thy cares thy fears, thy tears, & adversaries, & will put a finall end to all thy conflicts and encounters. Thus in thy medi­tation of death remember, that to be young and flourishing is no priviledge [Page 132] against death, nor to be beautiful, nor to be rich, nor to be strong, nor to be learned, nor to be beloved of Kings, and Princes; nay, remember that no time, no place, no presence, no pow­er, no business, is any security against death, yet alas! the most dye sooner then they did expect, and before they were well provided: and in thy me­di [...]ation of death, and conversing with it, (whatsover be thy outward comforts, and glory, as honours, lands, goodly houses, men and maid-ser­vants attending, friends, or compa­nions making merry with thee (as Bel­shazzars Princes) yet when death comes like the sun-set,Dan. 5.1. all must and will extinguish and depart; though relations sadly weep and howle never so loudly about us, when they see us speechless, and throatling, cold-sweating, and strugling for life, or see us die, as one going to sleep. O meditate on these things (now while the glasse runs and hath (at least) [Page 133] some sands in it) that it shall never repent thee, to have soundly repen­ted, nor to have graciously lived, and orthodoxly believed, to have self-denyed for Christ, taken up his Cross, Ma [...]. 16.2 [...]. Ma [...]. 19. [...]8. Phil. 1.21. followed him in the regeneration, to have been the servant of Christ, to have lived to Christ, & dyed in Christ.

But then will every tongue say, not O that I had lived longer, but O that I had lived better; O that I had sinned lesse, and believed more; O that I had prayed more,Mar. 9.24. been more in duty, more in Christian communi­on, conversed more with the Scrip­tures, been more in the promises, stu­died more the covenant of grace, san­ctified the Lord's day more, taught and better educated my family, &c. So shalt thou never repent any good, but rejoyce, that ever thou hadst any gracious breathings, and wilt say, O welcom death, and blessed bee my God, and Father, who now calls for his child, and servant: I come, I come (Lord) now lettest thou thy servant de­part, [Page 134] &c. farewel my body, and you my friends, take this body of mine (which I so long governed so ill) to your dispose, and (Lord) take my soul into the arms of thy mercy, since now thou callest me according to thy word. So much of the third, viz. our holy and solemn meditation of, and con­ference with death.

4. The fourth is to set all things in order for an happy death; here comes in many things very consider­able.

1. The soul must be set in order, as thy understanding by saving illu­mination, to know the things that be­long to thy peace; Luk. 19.42. thy will in order, to be a sanctified will, in its desires, do­minions, and endeavours; thy affe­ctions in order, to fix them upon their right holy objects; thy faith in order, patiently to wait for the due accom­plishment, of all the pretious promi­ses, which in Christ are made over to a sanctified soul; no more of setting [Page 135] the soul in order, having said so much already.

2. The body must be set in order.

3. The estate must be set in order.

1. The body is a sinfull mortal de­caied naturall body,Rom. 6.6. subject to a thou­sand m [...]l [...]dies, and miseries, which must be mortified, and crucified of its reigning domineering power, and all the organicall parts, must be sub­j cted unto Jesus Christ, till when the body is not in order to dye: he that will dye happily, must keep a daily funerall of his transgressions, errours, and sinful miscarriages, towards God, self, and men: that albeit they may have a kind of slavish being in us, yet they must have no dominion over us.

2. The members of the body must becom the mēbers of Christ,Rom. 6.12. as the eye to see, the tongue to speak,1 Cor. 6.15. the hand to work, the foot to walk, for Christ, [Page 136] and all the parts to suffer with Christ, before we can be in order to dye.

3 The body must be kept, as a chast virgin for Christs use,1 Cor. 6.15.19. and the holy Ghosts use, whose Temple it is, wee must be sanctified bodies, as well as sanctified souls, but the dear servants of God, have much ado with their bodies, to subdue, tame, and bring under their untruly members, of which Saint Paul did sorely complain, and said, to will is present, but to perform that which was good hee found not. Rom. 7.18. The reason was, because his unregenerate pa [...]t took so great advantage from, and by the inordinate pravity of the body, (which is become so prone to serve the mind, and will, in every sinfull motion within; and like tinder so naturally proclive to catch, at any temptations, and allurements to sin from without,1 Thes. 5.23. (that the blessed Apo­stle Paul does pray that the Thessalo­nians bodies, as well as their spirits and souls, be sanctified throughout, and [Page 137] preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4. The body as well as the soul must be in covenant with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, before it can be in order to die; but then though death may kil, yet death can­not hurt the body, for God is the Saint. God, and father in death; and when the body lies reposed in the grave,Psal. 116.15. Gen. 50.25. Exod. 13.19. Jos. ult 32. precious in the Lords sight is the death of his Saints, and God sets a great price even upon their bodies and bones, though the Saints them­selvs in their sufferings have a low e­stimate of their bodies, which (I think) hath so steeled and resolved them to under-go, and cheerfully to wade through the bloody persecuti­ons of most cruell and butcherly Neroes, knowing the Lord God his covenant-goodness, even unto their bodies, should they be burnt to ashes, or torn with wild beasts, as multitudes [Page 138] were served in the primitive times & since.Fox. Mar­tyrol.

Again, the Lord Christ is their head even in the grave, and they be his members, upon which he also sets a great price, so as when the soul de­parts to God who gave it, even then the bodies of the Saints, have (after a sort) a principle of life within them, & do but sleep when they bee dead, do belong to Christ. by covenant, whom he wil raise up,Eccl 12.7. Isa. 26.19. Mar. 9.21. 1 Cor 11.30. chap. 15.20. Eph. 1.19. by that very ex­ceeding greatness of power, where­by his own mortall body was raised up, and not onely awaken them, but introduce their own souls, and receive them up to himself, to be for ever with him in glory. Col. 3.4.

Nor is it possible that any one member of Christ,Ps. 34.20. can loose one muscle, nerve, artery, bone, or sinew, one eye, one limb, or one hair of the head; but shall arise a compleat beau­tifull, and well-featured body, how­ever his, or her body was mangled, and deformed here before, or at the time of death, and buriall, and since, (for the bodies in covenāt to be uni­ted [Page 139] to Christ,) a perfect body, accor­ding to the Apostle, a perfect man un­to the measure of the stature of the ful­ness of Christ. Eph. 4.13. Nor will Christ suffer one part, never so little, to be wanting, for Christ must account for our bodies to his Father, who of terrestiall, must make them celestiall; of corruptible, 1 Cor 15.41, 42, 43, 44. incorruptible; of dishonorable, glorious; of weak, powerfull; and of natural, must make them spirituall bodies.

3. The holy Ghost is in Covenāt w^th our bodies whose work it is, and will be to fil those old mansions, with such a plenitude of the spirit, as those glo­rified bodies shall be capable of;Ps. 16.9.10 [...] in hope. Prov. 7.27. and at present do live in hope of, (though they groan a while with the rest of the creature) so then, the body must be in Covenant with God before it is well ordered, to lye down in the chambers of death; which is (by the way (a rich comfort to the saints of God, that God Father, Son, & Holy Ghost, are in Covenant with bodies,Num. 23.10. Ps. 102.13, 14. as wel as souls, yea, when they shalbe laid in the grave, and moultered to dust, God is in covenant with that dust, [Page 140] with Ahrahams, with Isaacs, and Ja­cobs dust, & with the dust of their seed lying in their graves, in which respect the saints bodies, are said to sleep in their death, & to rest in hope.

Nay I verily believe there is more yet in the dust and bones of dead bo­dies, that they have a kind of desire after resurrection,1 Thes. 4.16. Isai. 60.1. Isai. 26.19. Joh. 5.28. go but into a vault of mens dead bones, and tarry there an hour or two, and they will draw much of your spirit and livelihood from you, & put you under great thirst, till some days after. and after the word of command from Christs mouth, to arise, to come forth, to appear, and to stand before Christ, to receive their glorious enlargment and blessed in­vestiture into that glorious Kingdom, which their Lord Christ hath purcha­sed for all that dye in Jesus. Thus our bodies must be set in order before death, in these four last men­tioned respects:

• 1. They must be mortified, crucifi­ed bodies.
• 2. Implanted members of Christs body.
• 3. Kept chaste and holy for Christs use.
• [Page 141]4. Bodies, in Covenant with God the
  • Father,
  • Son,
  • holy Ghost.

The next duty in the third head incumbent to him that will dye well and preparedly, is to set his house in order. By the house, may be under­stood the persons dwelling in family with us, and more especially, the chil­dren who are to be disposed of, accor­ding to their rank, condition, and ca­pacity, as Noah prepared an ark, Heb. 11.7. and so his care passed over every one of them.

Or by house, is meant the affairs of the houshold and family, thus Jo­seph is used by Potiphar, to manage and order the affairs of his house and family.

Or else it is taken to dispose of the goods of the family,Gen. 39.5, 6. to divide and give to every one his portion, or e­state, according unto right reason, and natural affection, that a mans po­sterity [Page 142] may more comfortably serve God, in the state, and condition in which the godly-wise shall see good to leave him; thus Abraham before his death gave his Isaac the inheri­tance, and to his other Children hee he gave gifts, Gen▪ 25.5, 6. and legacies, and sent them away, while he yet lived, and so gave up the ghost,See Weams his exposi­tion. pag. 80. 81. on Job. 5.26. and Gen. 29.8. and died in a good old age; an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people: to insist a little on this.

The all wise-disposing providence of our heavenly Father, hath laid out the estate and condition of us, in which we must serve him, in the wel managing of our talents, with which he hath intrusted us,Mat. 25.15 and of which some have more, and some have less, of this lumber to possesse: yea the ve­ry wicked, have a just title (under God) as I prove out of Job,Job. 9.24. the earth is given into the hands of the wicked to raign and bear rule, yea and to be Judges in it, and God somtimes him­self [Page 143] covers the face of such Judges, (as a condemned mans face, going to execution) earth is there put for all terrene and worldly things, as the Psalmist, even the heavens, or the hea­ven of heavens is the Lords, Psal. 115.16, but the earth hath he given to the children of men. The Lord by deed of gift, hath providentially reached out all good things here below promiscously to all men, by his own line or meat yard,Num. 33.54. saving unto us all, here is thy lot, thy habitation, thy land, thy lease, thy goods, and thy estate, thy bound, do­minion, and possession,Jos. 1 [...].6. chap. 18.10. hitherto shall they extend, and no further; here's thy confinement with a non ultra; yea, what ever wicked men come to possess, or inherit by adoption, des­cent, or succession from fathers, grand­fathers, ancestours▪ or other allyances, yet all is the gift of God's common providence, and for believers what­soever they have, comes in the name of Christs purchase for them, and by [Page 144] speciall covenant and promise unto them;Rom. 8.32. for as God spared not his own Son, but gave him to dye for them, how shall he not with him, also freely give them all things? which make for their good. Earth is given to the sons of men, to the just, and to the unjust; but heaven is given into the faints hands, as it were Benjamin's mess.

I must go one step further yet, and that is, what wicked men do unlaw­fully get, rake, ring, cheat, rob, plun­der, and (by violence and oppression) recover and injuriously wrest from others, is (in a sense) the gift of God, (viz.) he permitting them to range a while, to prey upon the poor innocē, the fatherless, orphant, widow, and stranger; so he permitted wicked. A­hab to kill, 1 King. 21. Jer. 22.13. and take possession of inno­cent Naboths Vineyard; and he per­mits Shallum to build his house by un­righteousness, and his chambers by wrong, to use his neighbours service without wages; and saith to him by [Page 145] his Prophet, thine eyes and thy heart are not, but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for op­pression, and for violence to do it, all this did our all-wise God order in his common providence to last a while, till Shallum had run his course, and fil­led up the measure of his iniquity; but then the Lord sends a cruel adver­sary (like a ravening wolf of the even­ing) to execute his just judgment upon Shallum, according to that pre­diction in the seventh vers. of the two & twentieth of Jeremiah saying, ver. 7. I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons, and they shall cut down thy choice Cedars: and Shallum the son of Josiah, King of Judah, he shal dye in the place whither they have led him captive, ver. 12. and he shall see his land no more.

Now mark, how the Lord speaks of this destroyer, Nebuchadnezzar by name,Jer. 27.6. I have given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King [Page 146] of Babilon, my servant and the beasts of the field, have I given also to serve him. 7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son named Evilmerodach, 2 Kings 25.27. Jer. 52.31. Dan. 5.1. and his son namely Belshazzar, the Lord di­sposed of those Countries by donat ō to him; yet Nebuchadnezzar invades, and spoiles, and takes them and theirs by violence: upon which, say the an­notations well, that the great God of heaven and earth sent him against a people of the Lords wrath and g [...]ve him a charge to take the spoil, Isa. 10.6. and to take the prey, and to tread them down, like the mire of the streets; and he went (nevertheless) upon his own errand, to glut and satiate his pride and am­bition:verse 7. therefore saith the text, he 8 meaneth not so, neither doth his heart 9 think so, but it is in his heart to destroy 11 and out off nations, not a few. For hee faith, are not my Princes altogether Kings? Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Sama­ria as Damascus? shall I not, as I have done into Samaria and her Idols, so [Page 147] do to Jerusalem and her Idols? &c.

The like I might say of rayling Rabshakeh, and cursing Shimei; they intending one thing, and God intend­ing another, according to the counsell of his own will, thus he gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers. Isa. 42.24.

Now as in the days of our life, so when we come to dye, we must look over our estates, and review all our outward things, and search narrowly into our receits and in come, that whatsoever unrighteousness hath brought in, whatever oppression, wrong, and injustice, hath accumula­ted to our wealth, we must charge upon our selves, and not only repent before God, but make restitution to the parties injured, if we know them; or else in generall to the Church and poor who are Gods receivers, in such cases, as did Zacheus, Luk. 19.8. behold Lord (said that good man (in the day of his re­pentance) The half of my goods I give unto the poor, and if I have taken any [Page 148] thing, from any man by fals accusation, I restore him four fold.

It would bee too long to consider, what restitution is? who must restore? and when? yet a word or two, very briefly 1. What restitution is?

Restitution is an act of Justice, not arbitrary, but necessary: as the law provided, and as the casuists and civillians do agree.

2. Who must restore?

The deteiner, so justice both divine and humane doth require, and Gods law stands stil in force upon that soul, that doth not his best by repentance, and restitution to prevent the Justice of it.

Many rich men do fill their houses with the spoils of the poor, Isa. 3.14.15. and prey upon the needy, making their advan­tages out of the poors necessities; as many buyers and sellers, biting usu­rers, oppressing land-lords, who live by an unlawfull calling, or unlawfully in their calling. Poor wretch! how [Page 149] canst thou be ready to dye, and put thy house in order,Mic, 6.10, who hast (as Mi­cah speaks) the treasures of wickedness in thy house? some it may be hundreds, some thousands, wrapped up in their estates? of which if every bird had his feather, every other man had his own, little or nothing would be thine. Oh! this will pinch close one day, and gnaw hard upon the consciences of gripulous fists and great gainers, who have made too much hast to be rich, when in obedience unto divine com­mand they must make restitution be­fore they can truly repent or dye pre­paredly. This is Durus sermo, to all sacrilegious Cormorants, who de­voure the Churches patrimony, and do take God's Deo-datum's to them­selves. Such devourers must make restitution, else it will be a snare to devoure holy things.

3. When we must restore?

Answ. Speedily, as when Abime­lech rose early to restore Sara to Abra­ham. [Page 150] Say not come again to mor­row,Gen. 20.8. Deut. 24.13. when we do repent, till when we cannot say we have truly repented; the Scripture saith to day before to morrow, that is, with all due conve­niency; when thou art setting thy house in order, with Z [...]cheus, then set penitentially upon the work; Oh! tarry not, till death compell thee to part with all, because thou couldst not detain them longer. The godly wise, and holy ancients say no restitu­tion, no remission, and then no pro­mise, of pardon; no hope, of mer­cy, nor good acceptance of any duty else. Who is in a capacity to restore, and doth not, is out of heavens way. If the wicked give again that, that hee hath robbed, the Prophet saith, he shall surely live, Ezech. 33.15. and not dot dye: therefore in setting thy house in order, make re­stitution, least it's want shall make void,Jam. 5.1.2. shal curse and blast all the rest, & God shall cross thy will, and deny to [Page 151] bless those goods and lands which thou bequeathest, to thy heirs and legators.

Judas seemed very conscious of this sin,Mat. 27.4.5. therefore he quickly brought again the thirty pieces of silver which he had so wickedly gotten; but yet Judas could not find pardon: then what wil such do who come short of Judas! Possibly thou talkest of setling thy estate by gift, deed, will, or other­wise, and so committest thy soul to God, and thy ill gotten goods into the hands of heirs and executors; but be not deceived, God will not be mocked, such heirs shall not bee the better, but the worse, and such goods have a curse in them,Deut. 28. and shall prove so to the generation that shall come after thee, who may truly say,16, 17, 18. God hath cursed our friends bounty and blessings.Mal. 2.2.

Object. But to salve all, somewhat is given to the poor, somewhat to the Mini­sters, some boons at the funerall, and [Page 152] somewhat to pious uses for ever. But all this will not deceive the all-know­ing God, to steal a pound and give a penny; therefore said the Father, Dare te put as, tollere noli; thou think-thou givest, when thou first robbest and takest away; give saith Austin, but be sure thou give of thine own, else thou canst not set thy house in good order to dye. I have been somewhat longer in this, because so many milli­ons of men in our age do in all proba­bility dye desperately in this particu­lar. The Lord open the eyes of the living seriously to lay these things to heart.

4. To whom restitution is to be made.

5. Ʋpon what account it must be.

Ans. To the persons to whom the wrong is done; if he be dead, or can­not be heard of, then to him or them to whom it shall be due by law. [Page 153] Thus Naomi did perform the office of a kinsman unto Ruth, she being the next of the posterity of the dead, Ruth. 3. ver. 2.

Upon what account must resti­tution be made?

Ans. Not as alms, benevolence, or charity; but as an act of just restituti­on. Not as a free gift, but as a due debt, and as that which God calls for, which law and conscience calls for to have done, as that which is the right of theirs to whom wee make restitu­tion.

In many cases injuries are so done by the cunning sleight of deceivers, by fraud and policy, and so would up, with deceitfull hearts, and sleight of hand, and witty contrivances, that the laws of nations and common wealths cannot find out means to give every one his own; but the all-seeing God knows what is unjustly done though it be in the dark, and he looks that in the day of our repentance and prepa­ration [Page 154] to dye blessedly, that we make just restitution (what possibly wee may) And in the day thereof we must not think that we do give, or bee bountifull and good benefactors, when we do but our duty: and ther­fore that word which we call alms, the word in the Syriack tongue is called Justice, Mat. 6.2. When thou doest thy justice, which wee read alms, because alms is a fruit of justice;Vide Alex. Alens. de generali Re­stitutione, speciali Sa­tisfactione. Parte Quarte Quest. 24. membrum per totum. but things to bee restored bee a due debt, comminicatio ista non est gratuita, sed ex justitia debetur.

Quest. What if there be not enough to pay all?

Answ. If the creditors bee equall then pro toto, if not, then the poor must bee paid the first; If there bee not any thing left, then bee of a wil­ling mind and leave it upon Gods ac­count, beseeching him to bee thy re­storer [Page 155] whose is all the earth, and the fullness thereof.

The next thing respects the persons related to a family, and so parents and other relations must take care of persons whom they leave behind, on whom they are to bestow 1 holy admonition, and 2 good counsell, 3 with faithfull prayer.

1. For admonition, so they are to advise, and instruct them, the best they can, how to walk prudently, and graciously towards God, and men, as did Isaac, and Jacob; Isaac called Jacob unto him, and blessed him, Gen. 49.1. to 19. when he sent him to Padan Aran, to Bethnell. So Jacob the father of the twelve Tribes, called them all one by one, and blessing, he blessed them, as some of the Rabbins say was the cu­stome of the holy Patriarchs, to call their children before them, [Page 156] some considerable time, before their death, to acquaint them with their covenant-interests, with the know­ledg of pretious, and speciall promi­ses to be expected, to instruct them in holy aphorismes, and good docu­ments of faith and manners; so did Moses, almost throughout the 33 of Deut. naming the Tribes one by one, from the sixth verse to the end; so did dying Joshua, a little before his end,Jos. 23.2, call all the tribes of Israell, and spake more especially to their elders, heads, Judges, and officers, and said unto them, v. 3, I am old, and stricken in age, you have seen all that the Lord hath done unto these nations, because of you, be ye couragious, v. 6. keep, and do all that is written in the book of the law of Mo­ses, v. 8. 1 Kin. 2.1, and cleave unto the Lord your God; and so David called and instructed Solomon his son,2, 3, 4.charging him to be strong, to shew himself a man, and to keep the charge of the Lord his God; to walk in his ways, and to keep his sta­tutes, [Page 157] that he may prosper, and that the Lord may continue, his promising word that he had made to David, concer­ning his son Solomon.

Let Magistrates, Ministers, Pa­rents and other relations, lay this to heart, that good men, wise and god­ly men, have made their death-beds to be their pulpits, and oratories, to prophesie to preach in, and to give sweet and wholesome instructions to their relations.

Quest. But why at such a time of pain, and sickness and sorrow?

Answ. Not because the work is to be left alone till then, though then especially it may not be left un­done.

Not because (as some philosophers say) the soul upon deaths approach,Xenoph. lib. 8. Plat. in apolog. is more divine, and supernaturally in­spired; but because, at that time, the words and wholsome admonitions, of a dying Magistrate, Minister, Fa­ther, or friend, do probably make a [Page 158] deeper impression, upon affectionate and religious minds.

And to let such relations under­stand the religious care of Godly an­cestors, that their posterity might do well with such golden legacies, and live upon the covenant-goodness of the Lord God of their Fathers.

Great is the difference between the carnall worldling, and the graci­ous believer; the one looks no far­ther then the temporall good of his relations, the other to their spiritual, and eternall welfare. Like wicked Achitophell, peradventure he will put his house in order, but without any due regard,2 Sam. 17.23. to his own or their souls, such persons may and do oft call their friends, children, and relations about them, as Ishai did, in calling forth his sons, first coms Eliab, then Aminadab, then Shammah, but David the anoin­ted of the Lord,1 Sam. 16. was called last of all: so when death comes near, first the Phisition is called for, and he comes, [Page 159] but his Art cannot deliver from the unsatiable grave; next like Ahaziah, he is remembred of some God of E­kron, some good witch, wizard, or white devill, to enquire of, but if he help not, in the third place, a wise and cunning Lawer is sent for, to en­tail and perpetuate his lands to his lawfull heirs, and to help him make his will, and to bequeath his move­ables to children, and friends: mean while, how sad, and comfortless is this dying creature? Oh how much is he cumbred about his many things? Luk. 10.41 wishing heartily longer life, not to grow better, but to grow richer; & last­ly when all hope is past, then he sends for a Minister, (one (it may be) of his own carnal and earthly mind) and before him, confesseth his sins, in the grosse, to have been great, and many, then a [...]ks God, and all the world for­givenesse, repeats his good works, tells of his keeping his Church, of re­ceiving at Easter, of his care to pay e­very [Page 160] one his own, of his just, and ho­nest dealing with all men: he sayes the Lords prayer, the Creed, and the Ten commandements, and if the Mi­nister be one of those daubing flatte­res,Ezech. 13.10. he magnifies his goodness, and happy estate, making the poor wretch vainly confident, of a very good posture in which to dye, pray­ing to God for him to have mercy on his soul, and to receive him into his Kingdom, and so leaves the decei­ved soul, presuming that Christ saies to him,Luk. 23.43 to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. And if he preach his fune­rall sermon, he extolls him for an e­minent Saint; and well he may, for he is well paid for his pains. And thus do many wretched sinners, leave the world, they know not how, [having (it may be feared) put nothing in or­der, for an happy death.]

But as for holy admonition sweet and pious counsell, how to be prepa­red to dye happily themselves, and [Page 161] to leave their relations under a gra­cious frame of heart, is the least of such mens care, who should bee advised, first to serve the Lord God, and to walk before him with an up­right and perfect heart, and in their particular callings to serve his provi­dence and glory, wirh all integrity, in holiness and righteousness all their day. Luk. 1.75.

The second thing is holy and faith­full prayer, of persons neer their end, for and in behalf of their relations; I shall onely instance in Parents prayers for their children, who are to bless them in the name of the Lord, as resigning up their charge unto their heavenly Father to take care of them, as Isaac and Jacob did;Gen. 28.1. Gen. 48.15, 16. chap. 49. Heb. 11.20.21. besides Pa­rents know best what have been and are the ways and conversations of their children; they know what have been their sins and infirmities, what their defects and wants, what is their present state and condition, [Page 162] what mercies, pardon, and grace they do most need, and by their neerness of relation to them, and by their du­ty which they owe them; and lastly their interest which they have in them, they are much concerned to look to, and study their welfare much every way; as might bee shewed in Job's care of his children when they were grown up, and dwelled in fami­lies of their own, he sent and sanctified them, Job. 1.5. not only while they were little ones going to school, and under their Parents roof.

Godly Parents near to death, do see and read volums of divine and gracious providences, flowing to­wards them and theirs from out the Ark of the covenant, by virtue of which, they are much invited to mind and presse the Lord with that succes­sive goodness of his, to the after ge­neration and posterity of them that fear the Lord, (viz) that their gene­rations shall be blessed: Psa. 112.2. and upon this [Page 163] account, do they (with an humble boldness and much confidence) put up their holy supplications and pray­ers, that he will please to enrich and bless their children, with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places in Christ; Eph. 1.3. that the Lord will be their portion, Psa. 16.5. Ps. 73.26 Ezra 9.8. E [...]a. 56.5. Jer. 13.11. and ever give to them and theirs a place in his Sanctuary, and a name better then that of sons and daughters, & that they should be unto the Lord for a people, for a name, for a praise, and for a glory.

And for outward things, they must commend them also to the blessing of the Lord in every state, high or low, rich or poor, of marriage or single life; that the Lord will please to lay them out such a condition, as in which, they may be most serviceable to God, to the country they live in, to neigh­bours, relations, and friends, in all godliness and honesty; and their Pa­rents even while they do live, may say of natural children as John doth of his spirituall children,Joh. 5.3, 4. I have no greater [Page 164] joy, then to hear that my children walk in the truth.

And observe, as Parents must take care of the particular concernments of every child, (who will bee ready to observe what Parents intend, do, or may bee like to do for them) oft saying secretly to themselves, what shall I do? and what shall I do says another? what will become of mee says one? and of me says another? and of me says a third, when my Fa­ther and Mother are dead?) so must the soul of every one, and the out­ward estate of each one be cared for, by every wise, holy, and affectionate Parent. Job he offered sacrifice for each one;Lev. 4.13.14.15.21. Lev. 1.2, 3, 4. where mark that whereas some sacrifices were for the whole Con­gregation, and some only for single persons, so Job did not only offer a ge­neral sacrifice for al his sons, but a par­ticular sacrifice for every individual of them, whatever their sin should be.

Parents (when you draw neer to [Page 165] dye) you must not only pray in ge­nerall that God will blesse your chil­dren, but you must (if possibly it may be) set them before the Lord, one by one,Gen. 32.24. and wrestle with God by prayer, for a speciall benediction to be upon the head of each one of them, according to his or her age, rank, calling, condition, and habitati­on; according to his, or her temptati­ons, affl [...]ction [...], and trialls; that God will sanct [...]fie them unto himself, and make them very instrumentall for his glory,1 Chron. 28.9. Esa. 38.3. that they may know the Lord God of their Fathers, and serve him with a perfect heart, and willing mind; and that (by such children) God will raise up to his own name, and unto his own glory, an holy seed, and faithfull generation, to serve the Lord for ever, and that such children may live in a most sweet and holy concord, which as it is a great blessing unto Parents, so the contrary it is a great heart-breaking to them, as [Page 166] might be shewed in Adam, Gen. 4. who when he had only two sons, the one kills the other; and in Abraham's family, was scoffing Ishmael; Gen. 21. in Isaac's family Esau hated Jacob; Gen. 27. Jacob had twelve sons, eleven of them hated and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites, Gen. 37. intending never to see his face more▪ 2 Sam. 13.28. David had an Absolon, who caused his brother Amnon, 1 King. 1.5.18.25. to be murthered; and Adoni­jah riseth against Solomon. Look to it Parents, be much in prayer to God, that your children may bee sweetly bundled in the bond of love, and charge it on them, with strongest ar­guments shew them,Ps. 133.1. how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell to­gether in unity; v. 2. it's like the precious ointment upon the head, v. 3. that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garment; 'tis like the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion; and tell them that there the Lord commanded the blessing, [Page 167] and life for evermore. Where? there where this bond is kept inviola­ble.

Some would add a third thing, much tending to the setting ones house in order; namely, the recommen­dation of children, (such as are under age) unto the loving care of some godly, wise, and christian friends: thus did old David comend the care of young Solomon his son to certain Princes to help Solomon in his reign,1 Chron. 22.17, 18. when he should govern, saying, is not the Lord your God with you? in­timating thereby, that they would be very usefull, and helpfull to his young son: such friends may bee of excellent use, and benefit to fatherless children, whom the Lord himself gives charge unto to deal friendly by them, to be as fathers to the fatherless, Psal. 68.5. as God himself vouchsafes to be called. But I leave this of Trustees, and Guardians, and come to the last thing concerning a man's setting his house [Page 168] in order, and that's about his last will and testament.

'Tis to be presupposed, it hath been much of a Parents care, to set a part somewhat for children in the management of outward things; that they have layd up somewhat to distri­bute, & dispose of at their death: And not without great reason. 1. That the future, as well as the present may be provided for.

2. That peace in the dispose of the goods of the family; may be provi­ded for, from out that true interest which Parents have in the goods of the family, to bequeath and dispose the estate, which the God of all the earth hath left, and intrusted them withall; which must bee done judici­ously and understandingly, in the time of good judgment, and perfect memorie, and that so plainly, that his meaning may not be mistaken, nor his words perverted, and the whole, kept free from all exception.

Here against, they do highly offend God and man, who (as they for the most part) have lived out of order themselves, so they do take no care, to make any will at all, to the great confusion and prejudice of their fa­mily and relations, to the defrauding of many of their right, to whom they owe and are indebted, whil'st they leave all undone: Others by a foolish delay, are surprized by the suddain of their death: Others tarry till they be prevented of understanding and speech: Others put the words of their will into such ambiguous terms, that occasion is given to intricating, and undoing-suits of law, even to the di­viding and estranging of the affecti­ons of near and dear relations, to the wasting of a great part of all, or more then all the estate, to the utter ruine of the surviving friends, and re­lations, with perpetual hatred, & evill will, which like a fire still burninig, cannot be extinguished in many ge­nerations. [Page 170] Oh! you who fear God, lay these thing to heart, and be pre-admonished, I hope a word to the wise is enough.

And now in setting thy house in order, bee very carefull to use an im­partial hand for the first born; Deut. 21.15, 16, 17. it is one of his prerogatives to have a double portion; upon this account, the birth­right was Joseph's, 1 Chron. 1.5.2. who was the first born of the true wife:Gen. 4 [...].3. non ad ho­minem, sed ad Deū at tinet, haere­des facere, Glanvill lib. 6. c. 17 the first born is the excellency of the fathers dignity, his might, the beginning of his strength, as Jacob to his eldest son; nay the Civillians say well, God sin­gles out and makes heirs, even his first born: This the law of nations doth give to the eldest.

So doth the law of our land, and for this I could easily lay down many weighty grounds of reason, and reli­gion.

Exo. 13.2. Ibid.1. As that God himself sets an high price upon the first born.

2. The Lord also laid a paternall, [Page 171] Priestly, and Ministeriall charge upon the first born.

3 God provides no land should be sold for ever,Lev. 25.25. for the land is mine, and yea are strangers and sojourners with me; but if necessity require any to sell his estate of land, then hee must sell it to one, that was next allied in blood unto him, and hee shall re­deem that which his brother sold, and at the Jubilee, he shall return to his possession, and bee no longer in bon­dage. Which though it be not our rule, yet the reason is weighty, why the heir should not be disinherited unless in some speciall cases, and those ex­traordinary,Gen. 21.10. Judg. 11.2. Judg. 9.18. Gen. 49.4. 1 Chr. 5.1. as illegitimacy in Ishma­el the son of the bond-woman, and Jephtha the son of a strange woman, and Abimilech the son of an hand­maid; or deboistness, as profane Reuben, who defiled his fathers bed, for which his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel. The common objection is, so shall the [Page 172] family be undone, to make the heir great, and leave the residue of the family low, and in a mean condition. This inconvenience was as incident to the families of the Tribes of Israel, as to the families in England, or any other nation; and yet God will have the prerogative of the elder, to stand, to be the heir, and more fully p ovi­ded for, because he is the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Not that the residue should be left de­stitute, but that a paternal & maternal care be had, in training up of children in some honest calling; and in setling younger children with some other e­state; in taking order, that portions may be raised out of the lands, where land of inheritance is considerable, if in the life of Parents other provisions have not been, or could not bee made. Yet so as the eldest may be a father still to brethren, and sisters, and may bee enabled to protect, and de-defend his own flesh and blood, from [Page 173] wrongs, and oppressions, according to his power or capacity; and lastly, that the elder brother, may be ena­bled cheerfully to welcome his bre­thren, and sisters, when (upon good will, or just occasions) they shall visit their brothers house as their head quarters; & that such relations might take, and give mutuall advice, in all occurrences, which shal be more con­siderable and weighty.

Thus of setting our house in order, wherein was shewed,

1. That all men good, and bad, have their estates laid out, by Gods meat yard of common providence; therefore wicked ones, as well as be­lievers must set their house in order be­fore they die.

2. In setting the house in order, e­vill-gotten goods, must be restored; where was shewed,

• 1. What restitution is.
• 2. Who must restore.
• [Page 174]3. When we must restore.
• 4. What must be restored.
• 5. To whom, and upon what account.

3. What due regard is to be had to the relations of him, who must set his house in order, & that in four things, In

• 1. Holy admonition, and instructi­on.
• 2. Faithfull and humble prayer for them, and blessing of them in the name of the Lord, to appoint Trustees and Guardians, where requisite.
• 4. Concerning his last will and te­stament.

3. Exhortation.

Humbly, and wisely, to submit to the Lord, as in life, so in death. Here I must premise a little of the different carriages of Simeons and Naballs, at the approach of death, and in the ve­ry article of death; some are discon­tented at every crosse providence, as Naball, 1 Sam. 25.3. whose heart dies within him; [Page 175] as mumuring Israel, who say would God we had died in the wildernesse, Numb. 14.2, 3. rather then be killed, in a war by the Cana­anites; some through impatience give bitter language towards God,Job. 1.9. Jonah 4.8. as Jobs wife to her husband, curse God & dye; and as Jonah who storms against God himself. But a gracious Simeon will let out his heart to God,1 Sam. 3.18. Job. 1.21. and say I com Lord, be it to thy servant according to thy word, It is of God, and let him do with me what seemeth him good; the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, and blessed be the name of the Lord.

Oh i'ts sad and dreadfull to hear, and to hear of wicked and awakened consciences, to chide themselvs out of this life, with horrible accusations saying, wo is me, wo is me, that ever I was born, woe is me, woe is me, such a sinner; Oh thou my wretched body, what cause hast thou to curse thy wicked soul, for being so ill a go­vernor and commander of me thy body! that now I know not how to [Page 176] live one hour longer, nor how to sub­mit to death; live I cannot, but dye I must.

O my celestiall soul, tho halt also great cause to curse thy wretched bo­dy for being so ill a servant to thee so pretious a piece of Gods creation, in that thou art now affraid to de­part at thy great Lords command. As the parting of soul & body is violent, and very sad; so more sable shall be their meeting at the resurrection, when the sin-accusing conscience shal deliver up soul and body to the righ­teous judge of quick and dead; Act. 10.42. when that judg shal deliver the guilty sinner, and the law shall judge, and bind him over to death eternall, and to hell, where the worm dyet not; Esa. 66.24. Mark 9.43.44. and the fire never goes out, but must abide an e­ternity of weeping, howling, and gna­shing of teeth.

(Pretious Saint) far otherwise and [...]ull of blisse, is the state of every blessed Simeons soul, and body in the [Page 177] approach, and very article of death; when he shall sweetly sing or use this Prosopopoeia or words to the same effect, Thou body of mine, the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thee, in thy departure, in thy death, and in thy grave, for hee hath shut thine eyes, and bound thy jaws, and bid thee abide a while in peace; bee thou content to sleep in death, and to rest in hope, on such a bed of roses: for er'e long, thy dust and clay shall live, and thou shalt arise with Christ's blessed body,Isa. 26.19. thou that dwellest in the dust, shalt awake & sing for thy dew, is as the dew of herbs, & the earth shal cast out the dead in her. And thou my hap­py soul shalt return a glorified soul; to be united for ever, to thy incor­ruptible, immortall, and glorified bo­dy; to be joined to the great Con­gregation in heaven, where God, & Christ, and the Spirit, and all Angeli­call natures, shal for ever honour thee, and all other glorified ones, with that [Page 178] very glory, which Christ Jesus had with the Father, John 17. before the world was.

Suffer this exhortation then (I be­seech you) to take hold on your hearts, sweetly to submit to your all­wise God, and Father, even in every state and condition, of life and death, which I shal amplifie under these three heads,

• 1. Of health,
• 2. Of sickness,
• 3. Of death.

1. In our health and prime of our life, whil'st green and flourishing like a bay tree, must be an holy resignati­on of our selves, into the hands of so good a God,Eccl. 12.1. 1 Chron. 28. betimes wee must re­member our Creator in the days of our youth; then we must learn to know the Lord God of our fathers, as good David gives in counsell to his young son So­lomon; and this submission must bee a totall resigning of soul and body to [Page 179] the Lord; a lesson, not taught (in any school) below heaven, none of the Moralists, none of the Philosophers could attain it, being onely found in the school of grace, which among o­ther things doth teach,Psal. 34.9▪ 10. Mat. 28. 20. 2 Cor. 12.9. Isai. 41.10. Isai. 33.16. that no good thing shall be wanting unto such; and that (bee our condition never so strait) yet God and Christ are with us, and his grace shall be sufficient for us; he will uphold us and help us, with the right hand of his righteousness; and our amunition is made of rocks in preg­nable round about us;Isai. 27.9. and lastly, God will so order all his good providences for us, that they shall all work together for our good, as Israel's pressures in Egypt, Joseph's casting into the pit, and twice selling to bee a slave, as the rod of Ashur, and the furnace of Babylon.

Now in thy submission to the good pleasure of thy heavenly Father, thou must not be over hasty after fruition, but with an holy patience, must pos­sesse thy soul during thy stay in this [Page 180] world; for as thou, so those fore-na­med promises have their set determi­nations, by an unchangeable decree, as Noah's time in the Ark, Gen. 8. Job. 14.14. and Job waits his appointed time all his days, and so did Simeon here in the text.

2. In sickness wee must submit to the Lord's visitation, and say, Lord it is thy hand, and thy holy wil be done in me & upon me, I wil use the Physitian, (a good ordinance of thine) but I will recumb in thee alone; I will honour the Physitian for my necessity, but I do commend my self to thy all­wise dispose: who if thou shalt please to add to my days, and to piece out my frail life a little longer, I will (by the assistance of thy grace) indeavour to live, and to be, an instrument of thy praise; but shalt thou see it good, to end my pilgrimage, and to take me home (Oh that's best) I will sing Hal­lelujahs to thee for ever.

But (by the way) consider the poor, and the Lord will strengthen thee upon [Page 181] the bed of languishing, Psal. 41.1.3 10. and will make all thy bed in thy sickness, and bee mer­cifull to thee, and raise thee, and requite thee: men may visit thee deceitfully, flatteringly, speaking good words un­to thee, and whispering evill in their own bosom, and say, when shal he dye, v. 5. v. 8. and his name perish, an evil disease say they cleaveth fast to him, and now that he lieth, he shall rise up no more; but the Lord shall visit thee upon the bed of sickness, with a visit, speaking par­don of sin, peace of conscience, thy re­conciliation to himself, with joy in the holy Ghost, even joy unspeak­able and full of glory. Giving to the poor, though it be thy duty,Pro. 19.17. yet it is called a lending to the Lord, who will repay it with more consideration, then the principal it self; Thou put­test thine almes into the poor mans hand, and the Lord makes thee pay­ment ten thousand-fold, into thy heart and soul.

But least I be thought to digresse, [Page 182] this sick man or woman, must submit patiently & readily unto the gracious hand of the all-wise Lord God, and that in the name and worthinesse of his sweet saviour Jesus Christ, devout­ly praying (as David did in the words of faith.Psal. 71.1. In thee O Lord, have I put my trust, let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness. Correct me not in thine anger (O Lord) nor re­buke me not in thine indignatiō: Jer. 10.24. Psal. 6.2. heal me (O Lord) for my bones are vexed. Psal. 22.11. Bee not far from me for trouble is nigh at hand; lay no more on me, then thou shalt give me strength to bear;1 Cor. 10.13. Cast me not away when my strengh faileth mee: and so will the Lord answer, Because he hath set his love upon me, Psal. 71.9. therefore will I deliver him; I will be with him in trouble, Psal. 91.14.15.16. I will deliver him and honour him. With long life will I satisfie him, and shew him my salvation. And for thy comfort know (who hast a man­sion with God) that thy God and fa­ther, doth ordinarily fit his children [Page 183] for death, in their sickness; presenting to them the unloveliness, and va­nity of all things below; the blessed interest which the Saints do enjoy; in their Christ; & the happy change w^ch they do make, who dye in the armes of their Jesus; and that such shall for ever be quit of all sinfull society, yea of sinfull flesh, no longer to abide a­mong dead men, nor among the tombs of dead ones; shall never have cause to hang up their harpes upon Babylons Willows tree, Ps. 137.2. never be interrupted in singing our Hebrew song: and there­fore doth our gracious Father in sick­ness and otherwise, open the narrow hearts, and deaf ears of Simeons souls, and then speak to them, saying, come my pretious ones, suffer me now to dispose of you; let me new mould you and transfigure you for your disease, and so (dear heart) I do

First make thee weary of thy body of death, weary of the worlds blan­dishments, and painted glory, and [Page 184] weary of thy sinfull selfe.

Secondly, I do sanctifie every pain and grief, every crosse and trouble, and make them become sanctified mercies,Ps. 131.2. whiles I do wean thee, to be lesse in love with things below; nay I cause that every decay of thy naturall strength, every dimnesse of thy eye, every dulnesse of thy ear, every weakness and sicknesse of thy na­tural body shall tend to such a blessed change, that at last, the soul and body are made willing to depart for a time, to attain unto,Phil. 1.22. and enjoy a glorified cure.

Thirdly, I do not only prepare thee to this submission, but I do also make thee desire and long to dye; I do so spiritualize, and order thy soul, that sicknesse shall be as welcome to thee as health; death as life to thee, who livest upon God, in God, and to God: Dost want health of body? I do satis­fie thee with health of soul; art near to death? be it so, then thou art near­er [Page 185] to life, even a glorious blessed and eternall life: sick man I am thy Lord God, and I do assure thee, (by thy interest in my self) through my son, I am better to thee then ten healths, as Elkanah was to Hannah then ten sons; 1 Sam. 1.8. I am better to thee then many lives, thy life here was but a breath or rivullet of life, but in thy death thou art admitted to live for ever in him,Joh. 14.6. Ps. 36.9. who is life it self, and to thee the foun­tain of life.

Fourthly, in sickness the Lord speaks to his holy ones, to be of good chear, from the deep meditation of the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the ho­ly Ghost, Rom. 5.5. Joh. 1.16. from the fulness & al [...] sufficien­cy of Jesus Christ, their dearest friend, their Lord & King; who coms leaping & skipping, over the mountains to solace himself, in, and with them, whom he had so wonderfully delivered from the dens of Lyons, Cant. 2.8. Cant. 4.8. and mountains of Leopards, or what else hath been for­midable to them: Come look on me, [Page 186] and to me lean and rely on me; pour out thy soul into my bosome;Isa. 45.22. Mic. 7.7. who will assuredly give her sweet repose, un­till the great day of my second com­ing;Cant. 8.5. Act. 7.59. when thou shalt be received, soul and body, to be for ever in mansions of eternall glory,Cant. 3.11. to keep a most tri­umphant Jubilee with the Lord for ever.Mal. 3.17. Act. 3.19.

3. In death, wee must submit to our Lord, Joh. 14.2, 3 and that in two things In the approach,Act. 7.54. &c. and point of death. Precious soul in the ap­proach of death,Heb. 11. 2 Chron. 6.42. Ps. 25.6. Ps. 119.49. Psa. 22.8. [...] Heb. 7.25. act faith in the Lord Jesus, as Stephen did, and as those Martyrs did: faith will plead thy covenant-interest, and perswade to roll thy self upon the free grace of God, so fully represented in the pro­mises; faith bids thee look on thy Lord, and saviour, interceding thy cause, at heavens throne.

Set hope on work, to take faster [Page 187] anchor-hold, on Jesus Christ,Psal. 18.2. Deut 32.4.31. 2 Sam. 22.47. Ps. 62.2.7. Ps. 89.26. Ps. 39.13. the rock of thy salvation.

Set prayer on work, and pour out thy soul, saying (O Lord) spare a little, till I may recollect my self, and bee sweetly composed, to rejoyce in the approach of my my change; Lord give me to welcome death, with all ready entertainment, as Gods mes­senger, to deliver me from my prison, Ps. 142.7. Job. 4.19. and house of clay, wherein my celesti­all soul (the espouse of Christ) is confined, and imprisoned, and say, (O Christ) I come,Luke 16.22. (Lord Jesus) send some of thy blessed Angels to receive & carry my soul into Abrahams bosom; as one of the fathers doth personate a dying Saint, O holy trinity Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, (which in unity of nature, art one, the self-same God) into thy hands I do commend my spirit; into thy hands O blessed Saviour my King, my priest, and my Prophet, do I recommend my self, unto thee sweet Jesus do I (a dying servant of thine) come, who camest into the world to [Page 188] save sinners, of whom I am chief; unto thee (blessed Lord) who wast con­ceived, and born of the virgin Mary, sufferedst, diedst, was buried, and laid under the power of death,Acts 1.24. for me, to alleviate my death, and make it sting­lesse, and curs-lesse, who wast raised up from the dead, & didst miraculously ascend, & art now set down at thy fa­thers right hand for me, to come again at the end of the world, to be judge of all men, & Angels, even to be my judg to justifie & absolve me, before all the world, and to invest me a poor and miserable creature, with that very glory, which thy humane nature hath now in heaven, and which thy self hadst with the Father, before the world was; into thy hands (gracious redee­ner) into thy hands (O eternall spirit) do I recommend my self, who dost e­ven ravish my heart, by applying, and sealing all the Covenant-goodnesse, and gracious promises of life and of salvation; even to me, even now about [Page 189] to breath out my last breath of life. Thus dying soul in thy submission un-thy Lord God, set faith, hope, and prayer on work.

Quest. The learned have a questi­on, whether the Saints in death do fear death, having cōmission in some cases of persecution, in one City, to flye unto another; and Christ saying,Mar. 10. go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not; Act▪ 9.25. and Saint Paul escaped out at a window, at the fear of death; and Christ himself often shunned the Scribes, and Pharisees, and Rulers, who sought to kill him; Joh. 7.1. 1 King. 19.3. so did David shun Saul, and Elias the wicked in­struments of wicked Ahab and Jeze­bell.

Answ. To all which I answer, that 'tis not simply unlawfull to fear death, nor to avoid it's snares; for death of it self, is not good, nor is it naturall to us, but cruell and horrible; but basely to fear death, rather then [Page 190] to glorifie the name of God in our sufferings, this is a great sin; to bee a­fraid to dye after an evill life, and out of Christ, to such, death is the terrible of terribles such cannot bee well willing to dye: but when God shall (in the way of his good provi­dence) call us to dye, either by a na­turall death, or to seal unto his truth under persecution to dye a violent death; then we may welcome death, and the instruments of death, as Histo­rians say Saint Andrew did,Salve crux preti­osa, susci pe nunc Disci­pulum, cúm priùs susti­nueris Ma­gistrum. Thus M. John Phil­pot embra­ced the stake in Smithfield. who with a gladsome Spirit, said I kindly salute thee (precious cross) be content to bear me the Disciple, who hast for­merly born my Master: every Sime­on is carried above the apprehensions of naturall and morall men in death, and hath very grand considerations, neither basely nor sinfully to fear death, and therefore subscribes unto her, with heart and hand.

Answ. 2. The fear of death in the Saints, and the fear of death in others [Page 191] are very diverse; the one is acted by sinfull-self, whom such an one seeks to preserve, for fear of greater wrath; the other is acted by gracious self, who seeks to know the minde of God in his death, to subscribe to it, and to serve divine providence, as in life, so in death; whom if the Lord shal recover, or deliver, he gives himself to God again; if the Lord hath determined death shall take place, hee resigns up soul and body, with an holy content­ment,Mat. 26.39. under the good pleasure of his heavenly Father.

Let Pagans and Infidels (who never believed, who never feared God,) fear to dye or despair in death, because they dye without hope, Eph. 2.12. Collos. 1.20.21. Eph. 1.10. because they have no faith, nor do lay hold on that reconciliation which Jesus Christ hath made between the Lord and gracious souls: but let Christians rejoice, and be glad, ever giving thanks unto the Father of mercies, Col. 1.1.2. who hath made them meet to be pertakers of the inheritance [Page 192] of the Saints in light. Which inheri­rance for scituation, is the Empyrean heaven, far above all heavens, where is Christ himself, to entertain, and glorifie all those who sleep in him; where is nothing but glory, for all such poor souls dying in the Lord; as the King of Glory, to be with all vessels of glory to accompany us, thrones of glory, to sit on an eternal wait of eter­nal glory,2 Pet. 2.1.11. [...], An enterance shall be admi­nistred to you abun­dantly, or (according to the ori­ginall) richly. Phil. 1.23. to put on crowns of glory to wear, a kingdō of glory to possess; here the soul of the departing one cries out, in a blessed ecstasie, I have enough (blessed Lord) I come, I come, having so abundant an entrance made for me, into celestiall triumphs; bles­sed be God, who hath made me thus willing & desirous rather to be absent from the body, and to bee present with the Lord; where I am assured to find peace without intermission, or pertur­bation; health without sickness; plen­ty without want; wealth without poverty, and everlasting life, without [Page 193] death. Of which holy City said Austin, when shall I come into thy golden streets? when shall I see, and enjoy the heavenly society of blessed souls, and that glorious Jubilee? Fain I would come to fruition, but Oh how am I detain'd? anon will death come, behold, she stands at the door and knocks, bid her come in, that I may bid her welcome; to whom I am ready to answer, as Rebekah did,Gen. 24. to her old near and dear relations, (who were so loath to part with her;) I will go with the man; so say I even withlong-looked-for death, my harbinger, and friend, Oh death I willingly go along with thee, whom my Lord hath made so necessary, and serviceable to me, in my happy trans­lation;Acts 10. for (me thinks) I see Heaven open, as Peter in his vision, and the son of man (like as Stephen did see him) standing at the right hand of God: Oh my soul! thou art in a rapture di­vine, to contemplate the things in [Page 194] heaven, which are so unspeakable and ful of glory.

True, I shall (in death) be taken from my deerest friends, but let not that retard my souls willingnesse to dye; for its not improbable, but I may know my gracious friends in heaven, since our divine knowledg there, shall not be diminished, but enlarged: hence some conclude, we shall joy­fully know the Patriachs and Apo­stles of our Lord; and this seems the more rationall, because Peter, and James, Mat. 17.13. and John, at the transfigurati­on, knew Moses and Elias, whom they knew not before, so shall the sun of righteousness irradiate the Saints, with the celestiall beams of his trans­cendent glory.

The last thing in our submission in the point of death, is to shut our own eyes, and to bind up our own jawes when the departing soul utters her last words, blessing God for that land of promise, which (like Moses) shee [Page 195] sees at a distance,Deut. 34.4. Jos. 23.6, 8, 11.14. so Joshua about to dye shuts his own eyes, exhorting the people to fear and serve the Lord, so did Stephen, who calling on the name of the Lord, fell asleep, so did Simeon, gathered up, disposed and prepa­pared himself most sweetly singing, Lord now lettest thou &c.

Our blessed Saviour doth as it were shut up his own eyes, and bind up his jaws, in that he sweetly submitted himself to the hand of death saying,Lu. 23.45. Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit, and so do all wel prepared souls take care to dye under an holy resig­nation of their bodies to the grave, for a time, & of their departing souls, into the hands and bosom, of Jesus Christ, who is our Reuben to take care of our Benjamin, that is,Gen. 42.37. of our im­mortall souls, to convey them safely unto our Fathers house. Thus of the third Exhortation, which is wisely to submit unto the Lord God, in eve­ry estate, in our health, in our sick­ness [Page 196] in the approaches of death, and and at the point of death.

4. Exhortation.

4. Exhort.To friends not to grieve over-much at their departure who dye in the Lord. It is lawful & commendable, it is just, and honorable to have sad thoughts at the losse of such friends. If the very Egyptians mourned for old Jacob se­venty days, & that with a great & sore lamentation;Gen. 53. 1 Sam. 15.35. 2 Sam. 13.37. 2 Chro. 35.24. if Samuell mourned for Saul, and David, shall not we much more mourn, when the Saints are ta­ken from us? All Judah and Jerusa­lem mourned for Josiah: Surely then it is not onely naturall and morall, but it is religious to mourn for old Sime­ons, you owe much honour to them, and may well mourn, you have lost so good a man or woman from your Christian communion,2 Sam. 3.38. such a Father such a Mother or dear relation, or that [Page 197] there is lost such an instrument of Gods glory, so serviceable to the Church, and state, such a light and blessing to the city or country he liv­ed in. The memory of the just shall be blessed, Prov. 10.7. Psa. 112.6. but the name of the wicked shall rot; the righteous shall bee had in everla­sting remembrance.

2. You may weep a while, and add to that sorrow fasting, and absti­nence, as the valiant men of Jabesh to the body of Saul, 1 Sam. 31.12.13. 2 Sam. 1.12. and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, who came to Jabesh and burnt them there. And took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days. And they mourned and wept, and fasted until even; and David fasted for Abner untill even.

3. Friends you may set apart long­er or lesse time for mourning and la­mentation, as David is said to lament with lamentation over Saul and Jona­than his son; and bad them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow; be­hold [Page 198] it is written in the book of Jasher, and so he continues his af­fectionate lamentation to the end of the chapter. But you will ask mee what was the use of the bow? the Rab­bins say, it was a title given to his la­mentation; others say, it was the close of every verse in this lamentation, when the children of Israel did sing the mournfull elegies of Saul and Jo­nathans death: but a late writer saith, that this mention of the Bow, was to intimate unto the Israelites how ex­ceeding necessary it was to discipline their children in the exercise of wea­pons, and especially of the Bow; be­cause therewith the dexterous Phili­stines had mostly prevailed against Saul and his army in this battail; for it is said, the Archers hit him, and hee was sore wounded of the Archers; 1 Sam. 31.3. and this I take to bee the most genuine sense, But now to return.

3. Friends, it hath been very lauda­ble, to wash the bodies of your noble [Page 199] and worthy progenitors, and other your relations; so you read,Act. 9.37. that they washed the body of Dorcas, which I be­lieve was a legall institution; yet somthing answerable to it, hath still been used among Christians.

4. Friends, before you bury your dead, you may be at cost with them, and bury them in sweet odours, and rich ointments, which is called em­balming of them,Jer. 34.5. and burning sweet odours for them; as for Zedekiah King of Judah, thou shalt dye in peace, with the burnings of thy Fathers, the former Kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee, and lament saying, ah Lord! after Joseph of Ari­mathea had obtained the body of our Saviour of Pilate; he and Nicodemus sent for of myrh and aloes an hundred pound weight, Joh. 19.38.39. and were at great cost to enbalm the body of Jesus. When Mary was at so great cost with Christ, she pouring a box of precious ointment upon his head, Christ doth apologize [Page 200] for her,Mat. 26.10. saying, why trouble ye the wo­man? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

5. Friends, you may keep solem­nities,Eccl. 30.18. and sad mourning feasts, and set meat upon the buriall of the just, which feast is called the bread of men, Ezec. 24.17. and a cup of consolation, to comfort those that were sad at heart. I could instance many customes of heathens, who did cut, and wound themselves, scratch the face, pull off their hair, prick and pinch their flesh, and lay on plaisters, to make it unseemly; some threw dust upon their heads, went bare-footed, rent their cloaths, put on sackcloath; and some have used minstrels with sad tunes; and the Irish loud ululations. Some at the funerall of noble men, have used a trumpet, and for children of the commonalty they used a pipe; and the Romans had their skilfull mourning women: but let us who have better learned Christ, bee wise and sober, and not betaken [Page 201] with the vain superstitions of hea­thens; yet let us interre them, with due respect had to their rank, and dignity; wee may provide costly Tombs, as Joseph of Arimathea did for Christ, and as they did for the Kings of Israel, who were buried in the City of David: but let none exceed their rank and ability, in burying their de­ceased friends, in which some have been so vain, as some of the sons of the Kings of Egypt, who spent vast trea­sures in their vain glorious pyrami­des; and in which some of the Ro­mans were so vain, that they made a law none should exceed such a cost; we must be wise, moderate, and so­ber in our mournings. As godly Sime­ons are not unwilling to dy, from their nearest relations, when God will: so neither may Christian friends lanch forth into immoderate sorrows, when the Lord hath qualified them for their blessed change, and given them to see the salvation of the Lord.

To draw to a conclusion, take these additionall rules, and directions, by way of advice, and caution. Friends, it becomes you not to be Stoically in­sensible, nor to grieve over-much; Saint Paul would not have his Thes­salonians ignorant concerning them that are asleep; 1 Thes. 4 13. that they may not sorrow, even as others which have no hope. The rules bee six, the first is,

• 1. For moderation.
• 2. For timely pacification.
• 3. For satisfaction.
• 4. For consolation.
• 5. Asweet mixture of joy and sorrow.
• 6. An holy acquiescence.

1 Modera.To the first, The Scriptures bid you mourn, but moderately, you may bee much affected, but manage it wisely; the two sisters of Lazarus did mourn, but with good mediocrity, for they knew he should rise again; Joh. 11.24. and our [Page 203] blessed Saviour groaned in Spirit, and was sore troubled, who yet well fore­knew that he should awake out of that dead sleep, wherein he had layen so many days. Remember then, that the Holy Ghost puts on holy rains up­on our affections of grief,Job. 1.21. the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, bles­sed bee the name of the Lord; where Job was moderated, by the all-wise-disposing soveraignty of God.

Again, a Saint never dyes, but (in a sense) God wants him, and hee whom God gave to be such a friend, the same God takes him again, be­cause hee needs him; you will say you have need he should have li­ved longer: but whoseneed must take place, yours or God's? yours, to whom such a friend was lent so long? or God's need, whose hee was? who must, and will have him nearer to himself, in a more celestiall imploy­ment, and that to all eternity; you must suffer this consideration to alter [Page 204] the streams of your grief, and to ex­change it into a sweet submission, unto your gracious Lord God. Friend, (or dear relations) suffer not your selves to be transported with swelling dis­pleasure, or other mutining passion, because the main interest of thy friend is laid up in God, perhaps thou sayest, Oh! it was my dear father, my tender mother, my sweet brother, or sister, my son or my daughter, whose life, and mine seem to be bundled to­gether; he or she was my right hand, my right eye, and will God take such an one from mee? I had rather hee should take any one else, yea, my ve­ry self, to have spared such an one: thus foolishly do some passionate ones rangle with the just determina­tions of their omnipotent Lord God; as churlish Nabal did with well deser­ving David; 1 Sam. 25. Naball refused to part with some of his provisions, to relieve David and his hungry souldiers, by whom Naball and his flocks had been [Page 205] so preserved: Naball answers with ex­postulations, & with pleading his pro­priety in his bread, his water, and flesh, as thou dost thine, in thy friends; hence he concludes that Davids motion was very unjust, and the most unreasona­ble, that could have been made, what saith he, shal I take my bread, my water, and my flesh, that I have killed, and pre­pared for my sheerers, and shall I send it to I know not whom, nor whence they be? There be many servants (now adaies) which break away every man from his master. What is come upon me saies Naball? Who is David? & who is the son of Jesse? See we had need of this mo­deration when God sends crosse pro­vidences to us, else we shall murmur against the Lord himself, and this murmuring is a great sin.

The second rule is timely pacifica­tion, we must not mourn over-much,2 Timely pacificati­on. or over-long, when God takes away our friends;Jer. 31.15. Mat. 2.18. this will be to call Gods wisdome into question, it was Rachels [Page 206] fault that she refused to be comforted; but it was Jobs high commendation, that he was timely quieted and satis­fied, after the losse of so many friends, and such an abounding estate, from hence, that it was the soveraign Lord God that had done it; he composeth his mind, and blesseth God not onely when he was full of children, and wealth; but when he was emptied of both, and that by Satans malice and other malignant adversaries, even then did Job blesse the Lord, Job. 12.1. and gave him thanks: what for the death of his children? what for the losse of his goods, and estate? what for the loss of his reputation amongst his hollow hearted friends? no, not simply so, but from this consideration, it is the great Jehovah the Lord of hosts, let God do what he shall please with me, with my relations, and with all that I call mine, yet I stil find abundant cause to thank him: what, when God shall thunder and lighten against him, with storms [Page 207] and tempests from heaven, from earth from hell? what, when hee shal shake the high Cedars, as if he meant to pul them up, and destroy them root and branch, and make the earth to tremble (as you may imagine?) when so many evills crowded in upon him? when the grown up children of his own body were slain?1 Pet. 4.14. then to say bles­sed be the name of the Lord, & so timely to be content, surely the spirit of glo­ry, and of God did rest upon humble and holy Job the servant of the Lord. The spirit is out of rest, like Noahs dove, hove ring about, not finding where to rest the soul of her foot, till she came to the Ark; so the Godly-wise, under their soaking afflictions go from place to place, till they come to the Lords sanctuary, and mercy seat, where they find rich materialls of praising, and blessing God, in their afflictions, and for their afflictions; suppose it be losse of an eminent father, or any o­ther neere or dear relation, of chil­dren, [Page 208] as Jobs was,Job. 1.13. to the 20. they feasting one a­nother, to maintain and enjoy bro­therly love and concord; then to bee destroyed by a violent tempest, bea­ting down the house by the power, and malice of the Devill; who also (but a little before) had all his ca­mells taken by plunder, and his ser­vants slain by the cruell sword; a litttle before that, also had his flock of sheep and his servants with them burnt with fire from Heaven; and a little before that had his oxen plowing, and his As­ses feeding by them, all violently taken away by the Sabeans: which aggrava­ting gradations might have eternized his sorrows, but holy Job wel had lear­ned, that as God is not always chiding, neither must we be always mourning; besides he did assure himself, that the rod of the wicked, Ps 103.9. Ps. 125.3. shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous; and how­ever it be, yet God is good to his Is­rael.

Thirdly for satisfaction, which re­spects [Page 209] the goodnesse of God towards thee, and towards thy lost friends. Friends in Gods name mourn, yet cō ­sider that your friend that is dead, did war a good warfare,2 Tim. 4.7. & combate with implacable foes, did fight the good fight, did finish his course, did keep the faith; and was kept by the mighty power of God to salvation. Consider, he is now dead in the peace of God, and is even now enjoying what was promised, in Abraham's bosom; is now reaping what he sowed, and insulting over all his spirituall adversaries; faith is now in fruition, & thy friends soul is now wearing that Crown of glo­ry, which Christ had purchased with his dearest blood. And now consider, is it any branch of religious reason, now to be murmuring and complain­ing of our losse, as if it had been irre­pairable to our selves, or our friends; since our friend is with the Lord, Rom. 8.37. is more then a conqueror through him that loved him, and is rejoicing, praising, [Page 210] and magnifying the Lord, as for other mercies, so for death; which came so seasonably, and so graciously to de­liver Christ's prisoner out of durance, to discharge Christ's valiant souldier from fighting with spirituall adversa­ries, who command, to triumph for ever over them; to live and reign with Christ in heaven; and to bee enthroniz'd into a kingdom of glory, and to be actually in the great assem­bly saying, Rev. 19.1.3. and singing Hallelujah, Hal­lelujah, salvation, power, and glory bee to our God; Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Well then, let us be glad & rejoice; since living friends are no loosers by thy gracious friends departure, and since deceased friends are such gainers, put off your sable weeds, and rejoice for such as you be­lieve do dye in the Lord, imitate their holy foot-steps,Phil. 3.17. follow them as they followed Christ, put on the (milkie white) garments of holiness and righteousness all your days, till you can [Page 211] say, you are gainers by death, and shal in God's time be translated, to be for ever with your friends,Rom. 16.7 who were in Christ before you, as Saint Paul spake; & went to heaven before you, to see, & enjoy that salvation which Simeon spake of in the text, where you shall bee assured of mirth, without mour­ning, of life without death, of an im­mortal crown, without any cross at all.

The fourth concerns thy conso­lation,Consola. and so bee comforted who tookest all due care, to walk as a Christian, with holy, tender, and a­bounding affections towards thy dear friend, when, and while, he or shee lived with thee; ask thy self, what Christian communion thou had'st? what care and watching over thy friend, in all good offices of love? didst discover thy self a friend to his soul? did'st admonish, exhort, reprove, or comfort him, according to thy best ability, and his necessity? wast much in prayer, by humble seeking God, [Page 212] to beg every blessing which thy friend did want? did'st do all the offices of love to thy friend in his sickness, or under any need of thy help? if thou wast sincere in this matter thou mai'st be comforted; and blesse the Lord who gave thee such an heart, and now that the Lord hath taken thy friend into an higher story of divine favour; be better perswaded, well knowing that God calls thee now to other work upon which to attend, and leave thy friend to the Lord, be­take thy self to serve his good provi­dence among the living, who do sur­vive. Somewhat wee see of this in David, 2 Sam. 12. while the child was very sick, 15 David besought God for the child, hee 16 fasted, and went in and lay all night on the earth, nor would he bee raised from 17 the earth, by the elders of his house, nei­ther would he eat bread with them; On 18 the seventh day the child dyed, of which when David had heard, then he arose from the earth, he washed and anointed [Page 213] himself, changed his apparell, and came into the house of the Lord, and worship­ped; and when hee required, they set bread before him, and he did eat: At which carriage of his, his servants 20 much marvelled, saying, what thing is this that thou hast done? thou did'st 21 fast, and weep, when the child was a­live, and when it was dead, thou did'st 22 arise and eat bread: and David an­swered, while the child was yet alive, I fasted, and wept, for I said said, who can tell whether the Lord will bee gra­cious to mee, that the child may live? but now hee is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him baek again, I shal go to him; but hee shall not return to mee? And David comforted Bathshe­ba. Thus there is a time to be born, Eccl. 3.2. and a time to dye: a time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Fiftly our dolorous mournings,5. A sweet mixture of joy and sorrow in our mour­ning. must not be without some mixture of joy, the losse of beloved friends may seem [Page 214] desperate and irrecoverable, and the sorrow is the more exuberant, but yet there is joy again, which doth surmount in the gracious soul to allay it's bitternesse; who can loose nothing of the creature, but it is made up in God, repaid in Christ, with a great o­verplus; therefore sorrow may not al­waies abide upon his spirit: if he sor­row, that any stream of his comfort is cut off, it is but turning him to the fountain, and he hath all made up to him again, and he rejoyceth blessing God, who saith to him, as Elkanah to Hannah, am not I to thee instead of more friends? so says God to the mour­ner, I am to thee instead of all & more then all; And thus as fast as doth thy sorrow abound, so fast and faster do thy consolations superabound.

That dear friends be dead, that is sad to hear of or to see, but that mor­tality is put off, to put on immortali­ty, that's joyful; that death hath swal­lowed up our friends may grieve us, but that death is swallowed up of life, [Page 215] that doth rejoyce us; that friends be departed seems to begin a desolation, but that they be delivered from their body of sin from grinding pains, from destroying diseases, from unru­ly lusts and sinful passions, from strong and dangerous temptatitions, from fiery darts, from Satans wiles and me­thods; all this is matter of joy: you who exceed in your mournings for your loving parents and dear friends, taken out of this world, I may fear you believe somewhat in this worlds glory, to be very lovely, and truly good, and more excelling then the Scriptures ever spake of, and there­fore you so mourn at your friends be­ing bereaved of and taken away from that good; when as (indeed) all that is below and sublunar is fading, and perishing, and all that is below Jesus Christ and the glory to come,Eccles. 1.2. stained va­nitie emp­tinesse [...] is but a melancholly lump of vanity and vexation of spirit; which made the Psalmist say, that every man in his best [Page 216] estate, is altogether vanity: you seem to forget that the whole creation groans under this vanity, and travelleth in pain, together till now, and not onely they, Rom. 22.23. but our selves also which have the first fruits of the spirit; even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodyes: when God sees good to take away our gracious friends, he takes them from such vanities and perturbations, as under which they do groan; that we might not onely be satisfied with his dispensation, but blesse God and say, be it so Lord ac­cording to thy word.

When you think of your friends long languishing sickness, sore pains, wearisome days and nights, and of the cruell stroak of death; then like Heshbons pools our eyes be full of wa­ter, and like house-spouts tears run down our cheeks; but man of sorrow recollect thy self and wisely consider that by deaths hand all pains sicknesses [Page 217] and sorrows are finallized, and there shall never be one tear sorrow or pain more; thy body is laid to sleep as in a sweet bed of roses, till the generall resurrection, and thy soul is at perfect rest and ease, is carried by the bles­sed Angells into thy Lords armes of sweatest embraces, and hath the same entertainment as Christs humane soul and body had, after his blessed ascen­tion, whom the Angells brought to the Antient of days; Dan. 7.13. so doth Christ pre­sent the souls of his Saints departed to the father. Do'st grieve and canst not be comforted? Oh change thy minds affection as thy friend is chan­ged! for he is received into heaven with the same acclamations as Christ himself was welcomed, only it shal be according to thy measure and capaci­ty By this time, I hope I have wiped off all tears from thy eyes, & put a sweet handkerchiefe into thine hands to do it thy self: Then meditate much, and say it oft blessed are the dead that dye in [Page 218] the Lord, or rather that sleep in the Lord that they may live for ever. Pretious soul do not mourn unmeasurably, for such who are triumphant in heaven, being cloathed in long white robes, and washed in the blood of the Lamb; who at the generall restauration of all things, shall claspe and imbrace us as we them being made like to Christ's most glorious body. Thou then who hast been long a mourner, gather up thy spirits, God hath provided thou shalt not want thy friend, himself will make up all to thee so far as is good for thee, as he did to Job before; his hand is not straightned, he can raise up better friends, and compose thy spirit with an holy contentment,Ambros. stantem lego, flen­tem non lego. as the Father says he did the spirit of the virgin Mary, who standing by the crosse of Christ, was not seen to let fall one tear.

Sixtly and lastly, be perswaded to quit thy surcharged heart of all sad disquietting thoughts; for immode­rate [Page 219] grief may not bee continued, without the sin of muttering, and murmuring against the all-wise pro­vidence of God, which is high rebel­lion against his wisedom, and dignity; as if thou (poor shallow creature) knewest better then he, what was, or what had been best: go to God in faith, cast thy selfe down before him, humbly, believingly, for there's e­nough in God, to make thee whole; go to him in humble prayer, com­mend thy case absolutely to him, and engage thy self determinately to bee at his appointment, in this thy present condition; and say, Lord, I am in thine hand, do by me thy servant, and mine, as shall se em good in thine eyes; And lastly, acquiesce sweetly in the sufficiency, and al-sufficiency of thy Lord God. And this is the fourth exhortation, wherein we had the ob­sequies of friends mourning for them, that dye in the Lord; in seven parti­culars, and rules unto mourners in six [Page 220] particulars. Thus have I endeavour­ed according to my weak measure and small talent, to raise up and re­vive departed Simeon, that in him I might set before you a gracious ser­vant of the Lord, who lived holi [...]y, and dyed happily; and left a sweet sa­vour behind him unto succeeding ge­nerations; that in ages to come the people of God may walk in the way which he had proved, and hold by the golden line of Simeon's faith, till they depart in peace, and their eyes do see their salvation, as Simeon did; which the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafe unto us, of his everlasting love, and infinite mercy. Amen, and Amen.