Altar will be heard for Vengeance against those that shed their Blood Rev. 6.9 and those that shed it will have their bellies full of Blood their Tyranny will be over and their Place shall no more be found in Heaven Rev. 18.8 It was a mistake of the poor Indians that refused to go to Heaven lest the Spaniards should torment them there Wicked Men may here take away their Lives but not their Graces their Heads but not their Crowns Christianity is pretended by many practised by few when serious Holiness is loaded with many reproachful Titles when their Innocency triumphs in their Enemies Consciences those that cast them out say Let the Lord be glorified Isa 66.5 They deal by them as Naboth was dealt with at Jezabels Fast God's Glory pretended Naboth's Death intended for his Vineyard but God that searcheth the Heart knows the bottom of the business But those that really suffer for Christ are truly blessed and have cause to rejoyce Mat. 5.11 for they serve the best Master who will not suffer them that either do or suffer for him to go without a Reward what is wanting in Possession shall be made up in Reversion an hundred fold They have something in hand some of Canaan's Grapes to bear up their Heads and Hearts but the best is behind The Primitive Christians were reproached that in their Meetings they used promiscuous Copulation a Slander not yet forgotten which did the Reporters really believe it would be the strongest Argument to make them turn Phanaticks as they stile them but their Innocency triumphs in their Enemies Consciences they are not able to prove against one single Person what they charge upon the whole Society many are the Reproachful Names they are loaded with like the Primitive Christians that were put into Beast skins and then thrown to wild Beasts to be baited and devoured but God knows his own though in a Disguise the best of Saints have been accounted the worst of Sinners but wronged Saints shall to Heaven when railing Rabshakehs come not there the vilest Sinners are sometimes drest up in the Garb of Saints but these Garments fit them not but God will undress them ere long and strip them of their borrowed Robes then their Paint and Plaister will not abide the fire and the dirt they threw into other mens faces will appear in their own In this Life the Godly may have unlawful Edicts made to force them to sin and to drive them from their Duties as Daniel and his fellows had and then they cry out If thou let this man live thou art not Caesar 's friend then those that dare not run with them into the same excess of riot are with Peter cast into Prison or with Jeremy into the Dungeon or with John banished into some remote Country or corner of the World or by Torments end their Lives whose Blood like the Blood of Abel will cry aloud to Heaven for Vengeance for precious in his sight is the death of his Saints Psal 116.15 What the Wit of Man or the Policy of Hell could invent hath been poured out upon the best of Men as in the Primitive Times and in succeeding Ages to this very day none out of Hell have suffered more than they but in Heaven they have a resting place when their Enemies shall be in endless easeless and remediless Torments then shall the Saints be set out of the reach of danger and all their Sufferings will be made up into a Crown of Glory for them for though they may nay 't is odds they will lose something for Christ they shall never lose any thing by him hence the Apostle adviseth us to rejoyce when we fall into divers temptations James 1.2 c. As their Sufferings abound so will their Comforts also for God hath Cordials against fainting Fits Now the Enemies Triumph when the Witnesses are slain but when they shall rise again their Mirth will be over they are now but carrying Faggots for their own burning or like Haman making Gallowses for their own Execution Now their Hands are full of Blood and their Hearts of Cruelty but then they shall have Blood enough even their own blood to drink for they are worthy Now God's People cannot Pray in their Families or sing forth God's Praises but one or other is offended but then they shall Trumpet out his Praise without controul when their Enemies shall wring their hands in the dolour of their hearts The thoughts of this Glorious Liberty made the Martyrs suffer joyfully the spoiling of their Goods yea to kiss the Stake and embrace the Flames and welcome Death as a Messenger of good News then all the Floods of Persecution will be dryed up and the Church call'd out of the Wilderness and the New Jerusalem shall come down from Heaven then there shall be no more Tortures or Torments for them to suffer no Schismatick wounded and a Saint found bleeding there will then be no more Divisions but perpetual Peace Love Unity and Concord Eternal Enjoyment of God in Glory Oh what a happy Change will this be who would not rejoyce in the fore-sight of this and welcome Death it self that must put us in the Possession of it 4. At Death a Believer is not only freed from the Devil the World and Sin and all his other Enemies but also from all the direful Fruits and Effects of Sin which he cannot be till Death sets him free and this will be to no small Advantage for though Sin in a Believer hath its Deaths-wound yet so long as it hath a Being and that will be while he hath a Being in the Flesh it will have its Fruits and Effects such as these Losses Crosses Sickness Sorrows and Death it self for these or some of these we shall be sure to have a share in while we live but at Death when Sin shall cease the Effects will cease also Sin and Sorrow always attend one the other as the Shadow doth the Substance but neither Sin nor Sorrow shall have any Being in Heaven all Bodily Griefs and Spiritual Maladies shall be removed and Death must be the Physician Our Bodies here are subject to many Distempers and each one will have a snatch at us as so many Angry Curs at a Passenger but some bite harder than others do and by reason of these Maladies we spend our days inter suspiria lachrymas between sighs and sobs no day nor hour passeth but something or other either doth or well may disturb our Peace or spoil our Sport No perfect Consolation is here to be expected in this Bochim or place of Lamentation for there should be some proportion between our Sin and our Sorrow some storms of Sighs if not a shower of Tears for all Constitutions are not prone to weep one hour's sin may disturb many a night's sleep as doubtless it did in David when he watered his couch with his tears yea made his bed to swim Psal 6.6 His Bed that was Witness of his
than our Idle Gallants that fare deliciously every day and are cloathed in Purple and fine Linnen in whom the Effects of Drinking and Drabbing do daily appear and if such like Debaucheries set an end to their Happiness and to their Lives also what wonder now if the World can do so little for the Body then much less can it do for the Soul for few bad Men are made good by it and few good Men better Men are never the better for Riches or Honour in God's Esteem many times the worse if they abuse their Talents Indeed the Papists Doctrine of Purgatory Pardons and Indulgences if true which they can never prove give the Rich a very great advantage over the Poor for though they dance with the Devil all Day yet for a little Money they may sup with Christ at Night or do the Devil's Work and receive Christ's Wages but a wonder then that so many Woes are denounced against the Rich and so many Blessings to the Poor And sure the Rich Glutton did not understand this Doctrine nay not in Hell for then he would have sent Lazarus to have told his Brethren which way to have prevented Hell and Purgatory also by Pardons Indulgences Masses c. But this Doctrine was brewed and broached long after this or else Christ would not have let his Apostles want Money to bring them out of Purgatory for doubtless they had some Venial Sins as well as others Besides this Men want many things to make them happy which are not sold in the World's Shop Gold tryed in the fire white Rayment spiritual Eye-salve Rev. 3.18 The World deals not in such Merchandize they must be bought of Christ for whoever thinks they are to be had elsewhere will find his mistake The Image of God we have lost in the Fall the World cannot restore it we are by Nature Enemies to God the World cannot reconcile us 't is not thousands of Rams nor ten thousand rivers of Oyl will do it Micah 6.7 The World is too thin a Garment to keep off the showers of Divine Vengeance we have sins to Pardon and none can forgive sins but God let the Pope say what he will to the contrary The Question at last will not be What Gold we have but what Grace we have 'T is not a Purple Robe but the Robes of Christ's Righteousness 't is not every Spot but the Spot of God's People not a spotted Face but Christ's Sheep-mark will procure us a station on the right hand of Christ We have many Spiritual Maladies and Christ alone must be our Physician and his Blood the only Potion none but he can bind up the broken Heart and speak Peace to the troubled Conscience We are by Nature Slaves to Satan and the World were it sold to the worth of it cannot Redeem one Soul out of his Bondage the World indeed are the Fetters that fasten us to him but cannot loose us and these are the Toys he allures us with as Children are with Rattles to be content in our Slavery We are by Nature strangers to God and 't is by the Blood of Christ not the World's Wealth we are brought home Ephes 2.13 We want Comfort and 't is the Spirit that is the Comforter In our Spiritual wants we can have no supply in our Distempers of Soul no help at our Death no comfort from the World it never did us much good but at Death and Judgment can do us none as many have too sadly experienced When we are lanching forth into the infinite Ocean of Eternity and look back upon the World which we have loved and trusted in for help we shall find our selves miserably cheated the thoughts then of former Enjoyments will bring us little Delight especially if we think of the after-reckoning and that our eaten Bread is not forgotten and our Silks and Sattins unpaid for When the Bridegroom comes the World cannot supply us with Oyl 't is not to be Sold in this Market neither with a Wedding-garment It must be the Oyl of Grace and the Robes of Christ's Righteousness and the Jewels of his Graces must do our work and this is our Misery all our Riches then will not pay the Debts it hath contracted nor undo the Bonds it hath tyed The World always shews most love where there is least need and yields us no help at the greatest necessity This may suppress our over-eager desire after it for if we would moil and toil let it be in a more Fruitful Soil Do not the Poor pass through this Life as comfortably as the Rich and sometimes with more content And think with Galeacius All the Wealth in the World is not worth one day's Communion with God and that may be had in the Cottage as well as in the Court Many Treasure up Riches and it proves like Snow-drifts the Sun shines upon it and it melts away and reaches not to Eternity But there are durable Riches other Riches before the cold Grave have their Bodies hot Tophet hath their Souls and their Wealth cannot save them and those that could never have enough have there Fire enough 'T is a sad mistake to think Riches Honours and Carnal Delights are the only Happiness for then Christ and his Apostles and followers had been most unhappy for Silver and Gold they had none no not to pay Tribute The Scripture measures not a Man's Happiness by the multitude of his Riches for such may be destitute of Grace and so is still Poor in the midst of Plenty Who is it that would have a filthy Itch upon him for the pleasure he takes in scratching Such is an immoderate desire after the World Yet consider 't is not the having an Estate but the over-greedy desire of it and the over-loving it makes it dangerous for a Man may make friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness for his own advantage if he improve it well and lay it not too near his Heart 'T is bad putting the Poor's part into a Child's Portion 't is better leave a Child a Bag to beg with than ill-gotten Goods to make up his Portion 5. As the Benefit the World affords here or hereafter is not great so the Danger it exposeth us to here and hereafter is not small which did our greedy Misers well consider they would not so greedily grasp after it For Riches are like Thorns the faster they are hug'd the deeper they wound yea many times pierce to the very Heart Of these Worldly things the Devil makes his choicest Baits when he fishes for Souls and most Men will be nibling at them He is like a cunning Fowler he stands behind the Bush when he exposeth his Baits to our view but 't is hard sometimes to see the Hand that holds it he suits his Baits to the inclination of every Person he hath a Companion for the Drunkard a Delilah for Samson a wedge of Gold for Achan Honour for Haman the World for Demas and Money for Judas yea so
Barrel as one saith or as Lime-stones or Tiles in a Kiln to be burnt The greatest Men are but as Passengers in an Inn the Goods they enjoy are but lent them for a Night and they may say of them as the Prophet of his Ax Alas Master for it is borrowed We should use these things as a Traveller doth his Staff which he keeps or throws away as it proves a help or an hindrance to him When we go to Bed we know not but we may wake in Eternity next Morning and then whose are these We should think never the better of our selves neither think we are the safer for them for they cannot better or secure us for what World we shall be in to Morrow we know not and then it will not be much to us whether we leave Poverty or Riches behind us Riches may make us more unwilling often more unfit to dye They are like to Winter Weather variable and uncertain or like the Sea ebbing and flowing a double uncertainty always accompanies them they may be taken from us or we from them sometimes our hopes are great and then soon dash'd Yet how soon can the Devil blow up the bubble of Pride with the wind of Vain-glory 'T is observed that a Covetous Man a Sick Man and a Discontented Man though they possess much yet can enjoy nothing when a Believer though he possess little yet he enjoys all things 2 Cor. 6.10 A Covetous Man cannot be Rich nor a contented Man Poor those that have God for their Portion want nothing and those that have not have nothing that is truly necessary If we search the World from end to end we cannot find Happiness in it and therefore in the loss of all Job was content as knowing his Redeemer lived and then his Happiness was not lost In the World we find a little Honey and many Stings a little bitter-sweet Pleasure and much Pain but in Heaven there is Treasure worth the enjoying And rivers of pleasures at God's right hand for evermore And a Heart in Heaven would be a good Evidence for Heaven if we love Pleasure we shall enter into our Master's Joy here Pleasure will be without mixture measure or end if Riches be desirable here are true Treasures if we sell all to buy this Pearl we make a good Bargain here we may have Wine and Milk without money and without price here is no danger of coveting too much the more we covet the more we shall have a true desire is the required condition of Enjoyment the better we love Heaven the better God loves us We are in continual danger of losing the the things of the World but Heaven cannot be lost if once made sure In a word the World daily exposeth us to the wrath of God and the pains of Hell and the loss of Heaven See then all these things considered whether the World be of so much worth as 't is usually taken to be and whether it be worth the Care Industry Pains and Diligence we usually bestow upon it Lesson 3. The shortness of your Daughter's Life the suddenness and unexpectedness of her Death teach us also the worth of Grace and the necessity of a good Conscience for these are the necessary Qualifications to fit us for Death and to give us an Interest in Glory We know neither the day nor the hour when our Lord and Master cometh and woe to us if we are found unprepared This Oyl must not be wanting when the Bridegroom comes nor the Wedding-Garment at the Marriage-Supper If a bare Profession of Religion would serve turn for Salvation then Christ's Flock would not be a little one but many are called but few are chosen There are many in the World that like Uriah carry Letters with them of their own Condemnation For if Religion be not good why do they Profess it If it be why do they not Practice it The Lamps of Profession without the Oyl of Grace will not serve turn 't is but sparks of their own kindling and notwithstanding these they will lye down in sorrow Isa 50.11 Christ must be apprehended by Faith and honoured by a Holy Life by all those that shall enjoy him He came to save us from sin as well as from Hell and never changeth the Relation but he changeth the Nature and Disposition also and is the Author of Sanctification as well as of Justification Rom. 8.30 For this Golden Chain cannot be broken There is nothing but the Life of Grace and the Death of Sin can make us fit for the Life of Glory for if Sin dye not before us we must dye eternally Now we know not whether we have a day to live or what may be in the Womb of the next Morning and is it not then time to look about us whether we are prepared to dye or no We usually prepare for a Journey before hand especially if it be long and for a Fair or Market before it comes The Souldier will not Encounter his Enemy without his Armour and dare we grapple with Death unprepared who is the King of Terrors and a Terror to Kings We have not Flesh and Blood to wrastle with but Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Ephes 6.11 12. And 't is a thousand times better to meet an Enemy without Armour than Death without Grace Now this is our time to get Grace and we know not how soon the Market will be over and Night come when no man can work Upon this little Inch of Time depends Eternity our Everlasting well as ill Being The greatest Weights hang upon the smallest Wyers Grace though it cannot pâ—event Death yet it sweetens it and steels the Heart against the dint of it this made Old Simeon sing that Swan-like Song Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. And Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And though Grace now be disrespected it will prove the best Flower in the Garland and the most Orient Pearl in the Crown This is the Key that must let us into Heaven when the World will prove a Bar to keep us out it will prove a Comfort at Death when the World will prove but Vexation Grace and Peace were the choicest Jewels the Apostle could wish to those he loved Heb. 3.25 1 Pet. 1.2 Riches Honours and Pleasures are not of so great a value but others are not of this mind The pleased Face of God cannot be seen but in this Mirrour when all other things vanish into smoak this will endure this fetches Water from the Fountain Light and Heat from the Sun and all that good is comes in at this Door Sin is the only Make-bate between God and the Soul and Grace the Reconciler Now that I may shew you something of the worth of Grace and the Necessity of it I beseech you observe well these following Considerations 1. Consid Grace and a good Conscience are abundantly useful and
Those are most like to neglect their Work that cast it out of sight and out of mind and those are likest to be surprized by an Enemy that neglect their Watch When the evil servant said in his heart my Lord deferreth his coming c. he was soon surprized and paid for his Folly Mat. 24.48 c. In the Psalmist's days there were many of whom he saith God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 And are there not many in our days of whom it may be said Death is not in all their thoughts Do not the shew of their countenance the course of their lives testifie against them and they declare their sin 〈◊〉 Sodom and hide it not The course of their Lives cannot consist with a believing Meditation of God of Heaven and Hell Death and Judgment no no they put far from them the evil day Amos 6.3 This cursed Security is the source of all manner of sin and wickedness for God is neither in their Head nor Heart and therefore they sin boldly I have heard of some foolish Creatures that will thrust their Heads into a Bush and then because they see no body they think no body sees them such apprehension many Men seem to have of Death they think themselves secure because they have got Death out of their minds but misreckoning proves no Payment Many like the Rich Man Luke 12.16 c. promised himself a longer Lease than God had sealed him but Christ calls him Fool for his labour Many mens Glasses are almost run out when they thought they were but new turned but those that reckon without their Host must reckon twice 'T is folly in a Tenant to forget his Rent-day and then imagine his Land-lord forgets it also or for a Malefactor to forget the day of his Execution and think others forget it as well as he This was Jerusalem's fault and it proved her ruine Lam. 1.9 She remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully and this proves many a man's ruine It was not in vain therefore that Moses prays Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom We are apt to make some Preparation for the Body what to eat and what to drink and wherewithal we shall be cloathed and neglect not Fairs nor Markets where wanted Necessaries may be had many prepare in the Day for the Night in the Summer for Winter in Health for Sickness in Youth for Age yea and for their Posterity after them And what stupid Madness is it not to provide in time for Eternity and remember not the days of darkness for they are many Eccles 11.8 'T is the greatest folly to mind trifles and neglect the main The thoughts of Death will not hasten it the sooner but it may hasten our Preparation for it it can do us no harm but much good Let no day therefore pass without some serious thoughts and meditation of it this will make it less formidable 'T is fabled of the Fox that when he first saw a Lion he trembled but in process of time he grew bolder Thus by better Acquaintance we should do with Death that is most amazing that comes unexpectedly Let us put the Question to our selves Did I know I should dye the next Week or Month how should I spend this time And let 's live so seeing for ought we know we may not live so long Sure our Time-wasting Gallants would then find something else to do than to divide their Time as many do between Swearing Roaring Drinking and Whoring Death will make a wonderful change both in the good and in the bad In the good 't is an outlet to all their Misery and an inlet to Heaven and Glory In the bad 't is an end of all their Felicity and the date of their Misery and can this on either side be such a contemptible change as not worth thinking of Should a poor Woman upon a fixed day be to be married to some Mighty Prince could she forget the day or neglect to prepare for it Can a Maid forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire c. Or were a Man upon an appointed day to go to Prison to Banishment or to Execution would it signifie nothing to him Were our Houses on fiâ—e over our Heads or were we pursued by a Lion or Bear or other ravenous Beast or some deadly Enemy that sought our Lives should we be so unconcerned And is not the Soul in a thousand times greater danger of Eternal Death than the Body can be of Temporal and yet shall this be slighted Is it not high time for us when the Sergeant waits to Arrest us to take Christ's Counsel and agree with our Adversary before we are cast into Prison Mat. 5.25 And not as ill Husbands do stay till we are arrested and cast into Prison I know there are too many that think God and Devil Heaven and Hell are but Fables these will know to their sorrow they are Realities and deserve our serious thoughts And 't is not enough to think of Death for many do so against their wills but they must prepare for it also let us consider every Evening what we have done in reference to Preparation the day past and whether we are a days Journey nearer Heaven as we are nearer our Graves This course is likely to fit us for Death and Judgment Lesson 7. The Seventh Lesson we may learn from this sad and unexpected Providence is Seeing all are under a necessity of dying to bring our minds to be willing to dye how and when God in his Providence shall think fit It is appointed unto all men once to dye and after death the Judgment Heb. 9.27 Now 't is our Duty to subscribe our consent to this Law He that hateth not his father mother wife and children brethren and sisters and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 These are Love-Tokens God hath given us to win our Love and when he requires them again 't is to try whether we love Him or his Gifts better 'T is as I shew'd before our Duty to submit as Aaron patiently to the death of our Relations and sometimes the Lesson proves hard enough but here is a further tryal we shall be put upon to submit to our own Death When Job bore the loss of his Estate and Relations so well the Devil would try him by afflicting him in his Body and Mind Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 2.4 As if he should say Any thing for his own Life Cattle Servants Children all shall go so he may sleep in a whole Skin I know the Lesson to be willing to dye seems hard to Flesh and Blood but we must have something more or we cannot dye well the same Reason that makes us submit to another's Death is good here I know there are greater Temptations lying at some mens doors than others 't is
saith Luther look to the Salvation of it A Child that hath a precious Jewel cannot put it safer than in his Father's hands the like we may say of our Lives and Souls if we 'l have the keeping and disposing of them our selves the Devil will rook us out of them but what is committed to God cannot be lost our Lives though laid down for Christ cannot be lost in him 't is but as the Seed sown Life eternal will spring up in the turn when temporal Life expires eternal Life begins My Father saith Christ is greater than all and none can pluck them out of my Fathers hands Joh. 10.29 There is nothing we can expend in God's Service but he can make satisfaction we may lose all we have for him but shall lose nothing by him if we deny to honour God in letting God dispose of our Lives as to the time and manner of our Death we shall lose them for nothing To live saith Paul is Christ and to die is gain he was in a strait whether to chuse life or death yet he knew to die was best for him Phil. 1.21 c. Janua vitae est porta coeli saith Bernard Christians should be so indifferent whether they lived or died as to submit their wills wholly to God's will to die for Christ is the way to a Crown of Martyrdom and the way to reign with Christ is to suffer with him a Self-resignation can do us no hurt but much good for if we are never call'd to suffer we shall not lose our Reward God takes the will for the deed as in Abraham's case And if we do suffer for him we shall reign with him and have white robes with palms in our hands and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes Rev. 12.11 7.9 And shall not we suffer something for this Honour or shall we after all this Profession of Religion declare to the World that all was but Hypocrisie and that we have more love to Sin and the World than we have to God Is not this the way to dishonour God discredit Religion harden Wicked men in Sin and endanger our own Souls 5 Cons In the last place to make us more willing to dye or to submit to God's Will whether for Life or Death are the Joys and Delights and Pleasures which believing Souls shall have in the Presence of God for ever and for ever and that immediately after Death for as then all tears shall be wiped away and sin and sorrow shall be no more so our Joys and Pleasures shall then commence 1 Joh. 3.2 Now we are the sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Great things we have in Hand but greater in Hope much in Possession more in Reversion our Happiness then will be in seeing and enjoying him which we cannot do on this side Death but what our Enjoyments shall be there no mortal man can come to know not the Apostle who was caught up into the third Heaven and heard unspeakable words that it was not lawful for a man to utter 2 Cor. 12.4 Yet he tells us 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for those that love him Yet he reserves not all for the Life to come some clusters of Canaans Grapes are bestowed in the Wilderness some Pisgah-sights of Glory on this side Jordan But 't is no wonder we cannot describe the Joys of Heaven when we are such strangers to many Secrets in Nature In the World Believers have such joy as no stranger shall meddle with Prov. 14.10 The Cock on the Dunghil knows not the Worth of these Jewels they are unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 they are a Harâ—â—el of Heaven and a Fore-taste of Eternal Life yea such as passeth all Understanding fitter to be believed than to be exprest to which all the Comforts which the World affords signifie nothing for what shall we compare with the Peace of a good Conscience and Joy in the Holy Ghost And yet this is but a small tast a branch of Canaans Grapes and nothing compared with what is behind to be eternally enjoyed But if the Saints Enjoyments so darkly resemble Heavens Glory what will the Epicure's Delights do which they chose for their Portion Not so much resemble it as a Muckhil doth the Sun in his Splendor The Drunkard delights in his Cups the Adulterer in his Queans and this they look upon to be the chiefest Happiness the covetous man makes Gold his God the ambitious man makes choice of that empty Bubble Honour and the voluptuous man contents himself with Pleasure these are the Syren Songs the Devil lulls them asleep with while he ruines their Souls these are the Circe's Charms which transforms them into Swine and makes them take up with Husks and Swill and to neglect that Nectar and Ambrosia which the Saints feed upon Have I need to shew that Happinese consists not in these things Is any so blind upon consideration as to affirm it Where is their Happiness then when their Cups and Queans are snatch'd and all other their Enjoyment leave them 'T is true Meat is delightful to the Hungry and Drink to the Thirsty Health to the Sick and Strength to the Weak but what is this to an hungring thirsting panting weary Soul Christ is better to it than all the World Stately Buildings curious Gardens pleasant Walks and the rest of the Delights of the Sons of Men mentioned by Solomon Eccl. 2.8 c. how little satisfaction can they yield they will prove but empty Husks if we feed upon them what are those to those Mansions of Glory provided for the Saints and the Rivers of Pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Yea I dare say many a poor Believer hath more solid Joy more Hearts Content more true Satisfaction in his poor Cell than many of those in the midst of all their Enjoyments What then will their Enjoyments be in Heaven when they shall receive their Portion Human Learning also is desirable and more beautiful saith Aeneas Sylvius than the Morning or the Evening-Star What hard Labour and Pains have many a man taken to find out Nature's Secret and at best have but groaped in the dark And many all 〈…〉 Mystery there is in the Book of God which no man living understands the Scripture being like the Waters of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47.2 c. where a Lamb might wade and an Elephant might swim but there our Ignorance shall vanish and all those difficulties disappear and we shall know as much of God himself as finite Capacities can comprehend Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now we know but in part but then shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 2 Cor. 3.18 Here we can see but by reflection for how can our Eyes behold God that cannot view the Sun in its splendor Moses himself could but view his Back-side and Paul was blinded with the Sight but the Beatifical Vision will not disturb us Now we behold the Works of God with admiration the Sun Moon and Stars and all the Host of Heaven the Earth also hanged upon nothing beautified with all Varieties the Sea bounden and barr'd by him and generally the whole Creation these are beautiful Objects and many inscrurable Mysteries we understand not but there we shall see and know far greater Mysteries in the Fabrick of Heaven it self His Works of Providence many times puts us to a puzzle how he governs all the World and preserves Peace among so many disagreeing Creatures especially how he preserves his own Church amidst their numerous Enemies and makes Provision for all the works of his Hands but when we are better acquainted with his Wisdom and Power these Wonders will cease The Work of Redemption and the manner of contriving it that he let fall the Angels irrecoverably without hope of Redemption the reason of his Electing Love and why he made a difference the Price that was paid the Blood of his only Son may cause admiration but when we know the whole Contrivance we shall admire his Wisdom Oh who would not long to be in that estate of Blessedness where these and all things else shall be made known to us which cannot be till Death Thus Madam I have made bold haply too bold to communicate to you my own Experiences and with what Arguments I have quieted my self under such sad Dispensations of Providence as at present you lye under and to shew you what improvement I have made or at leastwise desire to make of them and I hope I may truly say it was good for me that I was afflicted and I wish you may experimentally say the same I think I have learned more in the School of Affl ction of the sinfulness of Sin of the Vanity of the Creature of Worth of Grace the Miseries of the Wicked and the Happiness of the Godly than ever I did in any other School whatsoever And I wish you and all your Relations that are concerned in this Providence may gain as much as I yea terque quaterque manifold more I do not write these things to you as if you were ignorant of them no I am too well acquainted with you to be guilty of this Error but the best of us especially when under a Cloud and overpower'd with Grief have need of a Remembrancer to put 〈◊〉 in mind of what before we knew My humble Desire is and my Prayer shall be that you and your Relations by this Providence and these Oâ—servations upon it may be brought nearer to GOD weaned more from the World and your selves fitter to live and fitter to dye that when you come to dye you may have nothing to do but to dye and resign up your Souls into the Hands of God These are the unfeigned Desires of Madam your humble Servant Edward Bury Eaton Apr. 16. 16â—5