in the downie bosom of Abraham as heaven is expressed to be Luk 16.23 When children in their parents absence and at distance from their own dear home are evilly intreated at the cruel and merciless hands of strangers how do they double their haste in their retreat homeward in expectation of ease and quiet in their tender Parents bosom where they heare nothing but comfort and remember nothing less then former miseries even so do the Saints of God they know that whilest they are at home in the flesh they are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 and in that interim do sit in Captivity as sometimes the Israelites by the waters of Babylon Psal 137.1 and are scornfully made to sing the song of the Lord in a strange land Vers 4. but when they come to dye they know they shall be gathered to the glorious society of Angels holy spirits in heaven where they shall sing uninterrupted Haleluiahs to God and the Lamb for ever and this brings me to the Third and last general observable in the words Thirdly something after Abrahams death He was gahered to his people St. Augustin understands by people the blessed quire of Angels Quaest 226. in Gen. who together with the Saints make up one body reconciled by the blood of Christ Col. 1.20 others understand by the phrase the state of the dead as being aequivalent to sleeping with his fathers being buryed in the dust where all they were and this opinion is not much amiss yet if we would more gently draw milk from the brests of the Scripture we may understand by the words the state of Abrahams soul after death for 't is not said his body was gathered to his people but he was bearing denomination from the better part He that is according to his soul he was gathered to such spirits of just men as were gone before him to heaven from whence we may observe that The souls of men dye not Obs. but after dissolution go to their severall proper places There are certain proper receptacles for the souls of men after death the souls of good men go to their people in heaven the souls of wicked men go to their like accursed crue in hell the souls of good men go to the glorious Pallace of the Son of righteousness as was Christs prayer to his father Iohn 17.24 but the souls of wicked men go into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels and heaven is proper for those and hell for these as Judas is said to have fallen from his Apostleship * Act. 1.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go to his proper place so that the case is very plain that the souls of men dye not with their bodyes and so much is demonstrable not only by that marvelous light which shines from the Sun of righteousness in the meridian of the Scriptures but by that light in the Lamp of the soul which remains unextinguished by the fall of Adam take notice of in the first place the 12. of Ecel 7. then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it note also the 12. of St. Mark 26. where our Saviour told the Sadduces who denyed the resurrection that God was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who certainly were alive as to their souls because our Saviour told them that God was the God of the living and not of the dead Vers 27. Note also 2 Cor. 12.2 where we read that St. Paul was caught up to the third heaven but whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell It seems St. Paul thought his soul might have a being either in or out of the body note yet a clearer place than all in 2. Cor. 5.8 where we find that the Apostle desir'd to be absent from the body that he might be present with the Lord. And now if there be any so far drowned in their naturall corruption as to deny the scriptures then let them heare those of their own Tribe averring this truth Pythagoras thought when the soul had left one body it did presently inform another and so ad infinitum most of the Poets beleived an Elysian Field where the souls of good men had a pleasurable repast after death and * in Lact. ◠Cicero affirm'd castos animos puros levi quodam facili lapsu ad Deos id est ad naturam sui similem pervolare that chast and pure souls did make their flight to the Gods of whose Divine nature they did participate and thus the very heathen thought nay the immortality of the souls of men is so cleare a truth that the very Devil himself cannot deny it as appears by one of his Prophetesses Sibylla Erythraea in Lactare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They which fear the true God inherit everlasting life and eternally inhabit the most and fruitful garden of Paradise And now my brethren since this is a truth so manifest out of the blessed word of God and by confession of all sides it may be matter of First comfort to some Secondly reprehension to others Thirdly instruction to all First this may be comfort First to such whose dearest friends relations are dead in the Lord as this our friend doubtless is such as they are not amissi onely praemissi not lost or utterly perish'd but sent before us thither whether the Lord grant we may follow for they have exchanged a Hadadrimmon or valley of tears for a glorious seat of pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore Psal 16. they have only left of serving the Lord at a distance and are gone to waite on him at his own court Secondly comfort to such who for conscience sake are under the hands of implacable persecutors who can but kill the * Mat. 10.28 body and are not able to kill the soul and if their bodies only suffer which suffer for an advantage they may be killed but not hurt as a Philosopher once said of a Tyrant occidere potest laedere vero non Seneca he may kill me but he cannot hurt me Julian that bloody Apostate in slaughtering the Christians pretended that if they looked upon their condition as so good after death he did them no wrong to send them the sooner away and truly no more hedid not for he did but send them away from such incarnate Devills as he was unto a glorious company in heaven they were but ground with the teeth of such furious beasts the better to make bread for Angels as saint Jgnatius Thirdly comfort to such who with the holy Prophet in Psal 31.10 have spent their life with grief and their years with sighing for their sins and who have walked soberly righteously and godly in this present world and have been painfull and faithful labourers in the Lords Vineyard having born the heat of many laborious
Abrahams Image In one of his SONNES OR THE PICTURE OF A Good Old MAN Represented in a SERMON upon the Third of November anno Dom. 1657. in West-Newton at the Funeral of John Dethick Esquire Father to the late Lord Mayor that was of London in the Year 1655. By WILLIAM KNAPP Master of Arts of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge now Rector of VVest-Newton in Norfolk HEB. 11 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Languet amore sponsa Christi prae magno faciei ejus videndi desiderio vitae taedium patitur vix praesentis exilâ—i moras sustinet Rupert in Cant. LONDON Printed by Peter Cole Printer and Bookseller and are to be sold at the Sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhill neer the Royal Exchange 1658. To the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir JOHN DETHICK Knight all Grace and Happiness Sir YOUR friends which were present at the Sermon which I preached at your aged Fathers Funerall comparing what I had said of him of my owne particular knowledg with those expressions of your affection which they had formerly apprehended from you were verily perswaded that the Sermon would have made a very gracefull sound in your eares and Sir what with their incessant importunitie and the sence that I have of my obligation to you I am bold to present you with it that so I may represent him to your thoughts in whose precious memory you may so far delight your self that through his reverend antiquitie and goodness he was the Glory and Comfort of the Country round about him as for my part I took my acquaintance with him as a blessing from God and thus much I may say as in the sight of God that when ever I went to visit him as I was by a strange and extraordinary motion excited to doe it frequently what through the observation of his outward and inward forme I had the thoughts of faithfull Abraham renued upon my spirit so that to speak the truth I loved him in the truth and not I only 2 John 1. but also al they that have known the truth as St. John speakes of the Elect Lady I confess Sir the piece of work which I presume to tender to your acceptance is but leane and dry and unfit to abide the test of your Judicious Eye yet Sir give me leave to hope that as the reviving of his memorie from whose loynes you sprang was part of my aime in this so the very mention of his Worth may somewhat counterpoyze its imperfection and this hope I do also feed my self withal that I deserve not your displeasure in making hast to please you But this is that which I also feare that your candid disposition which knows not to give any other than a favorable interpretation will not let me understand my errors however Sir I beseech you where ever you do discry them know them to be rather the errors of love not any love of errors I blesse God whatever weakness of mine may appear to a criticall eye the sincerity of my desire is in this as in all others the indeavors of my profession that I may be instrumental to the glory of God in the building up of Men in the Faith and Fear of His Name and to this purpose I had rather be the meanest vessel in His Sanctuary than sit equall in glory to the greatest Potentate I had rather be of use to the adding though it be but a litle Goates hair to the building of the Temple than have al the affluence of the Earth added to my Estate for though the Calamities of this inferior world may Eclipse the external lustre of my profession Yet I question not but if the almighty shal deigne me the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or help of his holy spirit either towards the reducing of any of the lost Sons of Adam 2 Cor. 6.1 or towards the confirmation of any of the Saints in their most holy Faith I may shine as the Stars for ever and ever And as we in our profession Dan. 12 3. are consecrate to such spiritual and eternal purposes so I desire in this present work of mine to drive on such a design If therefore Sir by this slender oblation of mine together with the example of your worthy Father whom I have proposed to your imitation you shal so recount with your self the returne of the Body of Abraham that great Patriarch and friend of God to the dust of the Earth and the sweet and peaceable resignation of his Soul into the hands of his God and if you shal also so far recal to mind his being gathered to his People in Heaven as lightly to esteeme of the vanity of this transitory life and more and more to prize the Rock of your Salvation the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only new and living way to the new Jerusalem and Bosome of Abraham then shall I attaine my most ambitious aimes who am Sir Yours in all Humble Observance William Knapp Abraham's Image In one of his SONNES OR The PICTURE of a good Old MAN GEN. 25.8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost and dyed in a good old age an old man and full of years and was gathered to his people TO preach a Sermon of death in the presence of a dead corps is a kinde of Pleonasmus in our concionatorie office This sad spectacle here before us is Death's Emphasis of mortality to all flesh and by preaching J may augment its expression and truly this is one end of three of this so solemn a meeting in the house of God Whereof The First is to difference the bodies of Saints from those of beasts and such as are worse than beasts which without respect are drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of our Cities as was that of Jehoiakim Jer. 22.19 The blessed incarnation of Christ may be sufficient to re-minde us of some discriminative respect even to the bodies of his servants after their souls have made their retreat into the bosome of Abraham and for this so laudable a custome we have an authentick example in 1 Sam. 25.1 where we finde that Samuel dyed and all Israel were gathered together and lamented him and buried him The Second is to represent the Virtues of the deceas'd to the view of others for imitation 2 Sam. i 26 2 Chron 35 Thus David commended Jonathan for his more than foeminine affection The holy Ghost King Josiah for his integrity St. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes the Patriarchs and Prophets and thus our Saviour himself commanded that where ever the gospel should be preached there that which the woman had done to him should be told for a memorial of her Matth. 26.13 And therefore Brethren if J speak in commendation of this our deceased brother according to his desert I do but my duty The soul of a just man after death lives with God and 't is pitie but the virtues of his mind should do
so too in the memory of men Pingitur in tabulis formae peritura Venustas Owen Vivat ut in tabulis quod perit in facie sayes the Epigrammatist We oft take care that the beauty of the outward man when it decayes should live in pictures as this our dead friends picture was drawn to the life at London in the time of his sons Mayoralty and truly I think it as meet to delineate the beauty of his soul and show it to the world Virtus nihil erubescit praeter quam abscondi In the life of a man Virtue is asham'd of nothing but of being hid and godly men will show themselves in the exercise of goodness and after their death when they can no longer show themselves 't is but charity for us to continue their worth in a good report Concerning this Gentleman therefore I shall do both him and you this right as to speak a little and with the number of his Virtues I shall not rank his descent and parentage though I finde nobility of birth to be a special jewel in the diadem of a Prince in Eccles 10.17 Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the son of Nebles For though his Progenitors were Gentlemen Knights of great quality yet I am not making an Oration in a Hall but a Sermon in a Church where nothing but matters divine and of edification to the precious soul are seasonable and comely In order whereunto let me propose for example the sobriety righteousness and godliness of this deceased Gentleman those three Virtues which like so many stars of highest magnitude the grace of God fixeth in the firmament of the Saints conversation Tit. 2.12 First he lived soberly in this present world making no * Rom. 13 14. provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof but living temperately using the creatures to that end for which they were created to help not to overburden Nature and truly to this moderation of his which was known to all men we may next under the good pleasure of God whose soveraignty is over all events ascribe the length of his dayes The French say of the English and truly not undeservedly that we dig our graves with our own teeth God hath inriched our Nation with a plenty above others and commonly we turn it into luxury and riot 't is a sottishness of many men to think by a lautitious fare and over-high eating and drinking to plump their bodies into a proportion of beauty and raise the operations of Nature for so they usually destroy it as too much fuel puts out the fire Arist Li. Phy. according to a principle of natural Philosophie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too much is Natures enemy 'T is reported of old Parr who was 152. yeers of age that using but mean and moderate dyet in the Countrey he kept himself in health but coming up to the Court at London the dainties which he was tempted to at the Kings table soon overthrew his body But this our deceased friend was once requested prevail'd with to go to London where his friends thought their eyes bless'd in so venerable a piece of antiquitie and to gratifie the favour of his society they tender'd to his acceptance all those varieties which that citie could afford But he being then as formerly temperate in all things so resisted the temptation of excess as he returned into the countrey in perfect health If ever therefore my Brethren you desire to see many days and that your bodies may be in a sweet subserviency to your souls and your souls to God live as this our departed friend did soberly Secondly he lived righteously or justly as to his dealings with men he dealt well with himself by living soberly and well with others by living righteously He paid those twofold debts which all men especially Christians are concern'd in 1. Debts of Justice according to the Apostles rule in Rom. 13.7 where he sayes Render to all their dues tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome fear to whom fear honor to whom honor and thus did he and that not for †Rom. 13.5 wrath but for conscience sake 2. He paid his debts of charity and mercy which J call debts because J finde the Apostle does in Rom. 13.8 and therefore the discharging thereof is the true badge and cognizance of a Christian as Ioh. 13.35 Coloss 3.12 To satisfie debts of Justice men are taught as commonly the fear of God is by men Esa 29.13 and hereunto they may be constrained by the dint of the law of a Common-weal but to love one another men are taught of God 1 Thess 4.9 which being a duty not onely in deed and word but extending it self to a charitable heart is onely found in the spiritual law of Christ he therefore is the onely true Disciple of Christ who loves as in the sight of God who is the searcher of the heart and whose soul melts with a tender compassion towards all men especially towards the * Gal. 6. io houshold of faith and such as beare about them the marks of the Lord Jesus And thus did our friend who did not so much poure forth his charity out of his purse as out of the bowels of mercy not so much out of the hand as heart as much of this temper J am sure appeared by the distribution of his estate which he gave not to such as were already furnished with a plenty as commonly men do with purpose onely to transmit an airie name to posterity but to such as he thought might stand in some need and thus he alwayes desir'd that his estate might be rather supplemental than ornamental And now Brethren as in time of his life his hand was alwayes open to give to the poor so he lent the Lord and the Lord who is a debtor to no man return'd him what he gave in a manifold blessing God blessed him as he did Gen. 24.1 Abraham in all things he blessed him with a numerous issue of sons and daughters whereof the youngest of his sonns he liv'd to see advanc'd to a place of the greatest eminence in our Metropolitan city as good old †Gen. 46.6 Iacob saw his son Joseph in Aegypt God also blessed him with a considerable estate to supply both his and also the wants of others But above all God blessed him with a portion of divine grace whereby he was enabled to live not onely soberly and righteously but also in the third place godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwayes offering up to God as a royal priest the holy sacrifices of prayer and praises and alwayes waiting with old Simeon to see the salvation of the Lord through his holy ordinances Of which gracious temper of his not onely I my self having sometimes discern'd him to weep at a Sermon but also the whole town of Kings-Lynn where he spent great part of his latter dayes can give sufficient testimony For there as he lived under
strive with flesh Gen. 6.3 Have therefore my Brethren a care I say again that you approve your selves faithfull as in the sight of God in all your severall places and stations that your latter dayes may be your best dayes and when you come to dye you may dye if the good hand of providence shall lengthen out your lives so long in a good old age especially too considering that when you dye you must give up that same depositum which the Lord hath put into your hand to use for his glory even your immortal souls and this all men must doe whether good or bad but with this difference some do it actively others passively these do it as being made to do it but the Saints of God sweetly resign up their souls as here faithful Abraham and this brings me to the second general observable in the words Secondly something at his death he gave up the Ghost He did freely expire his soul was not taken from him as the rich fooles in the Gospel Luke 12. to whom God said thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Indeed the death of all flesh in the old world as Gen. 7.21 and the death of Ishmael Verse 17. of this Chapter is express'd by the same word all gave up the Ghost yet because all give not up the Ghost in the same manner we may therefore interpret the word seeing it will clearly admit of such an interpretation to such a sense as may befit the quality of such a person and say that Abraham gave up the Ghost by the way of freedom and willingness so from hence observe that good men when they dye they dye willingly Observ and this interpretation we may justifie upon a fourfold account 1. Good men freely resign their souls inregard of that gratious temper frame of their spirits whereby they do cheerfully submit to all the determinations of God dispensations of his providence God does whatsoever he pleases both in heaven earth whatsoever pleases him pleases them I remember once what a good man said that he could have what weather pleas'd him either wet or dry whilest I was museing at the presumption of his words he told me he meant that certainly we should have what weather pleas'd God and what pleas'd God pleased him and so 't is the best way to yeild to the government of Divine will which is the creatures chiefest rule according to * Voluntas Divina summa regula Dav. against Hoard Aquinas 'T is B. Davenants Opinion and it savors of grace that as t is a certain appointment of God for all men once to dye as Heb. 9.27 so if any man were as sure to dye eternally or could see his name blotted out of the book of life 't would be an act of an irrational and irregular wit to be discontented for t is the perfection of the creature to lye patiently under the infinite absolute soveraigntie of God but all men are not of such a temper 't is some mens work to call his glorious attributes of wisdom and mercy and justice into question and they are alwayes charging him foolishly Chap. 51.20 if God lay any cross upon them they are like wild bulls in a net as the Prophet Esay found some furious and full of wrath against God so that as all sicknesses and diseases and other previous dispositious to death so especialy death it self they undergo with a great deal of discontent against God but the Saints of God and all the true sonnes of Abraham do captivate all their fleshly reasonings in the unsearchable wisdom of the most high and undergo all events not with a Stoicall apathy in regard of an inevitable fate in them but with a passion of love in the heart to God whose blessed hand they know deals out nothing to them unadvisedly or without mercy nay even when he comes unto them with his black rod of death And therefore hereupon they have that Lesson alwayes ready to say with the Prophet David in 2 Sam. 15.26 behold here we are let him do unto us what seemeth him good Secondly They give up their souls freely in regard of that rest which they shall assuredly find from all their labours as Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours the wafaring man having numbred many wearisome steps in the heat of the day comes with haste in his mind in expectation of a quiet repose at night so the Saints of God being scorched with the heat of adversities desire to hasten into the shadow of death as Iob speaks Chapter 7.2 and upon this same account Iob himself wished for the grave for there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Chapter 3.17.18 Obj. But may good men desire to dye How then comes life to be a blessng a blessing to be desir'd Answer I answer VVhen once we have obtained of God a sight of the salvation of Jesus Christ we may say with old Simeon Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for our eyes have seen thy salvation yet alwayes with a holy subjection to the blessed will of God for we may not be our own carvers in any thing neither may we wish for death but conditionally and with respect to the Lords good pleasure and thus we may both wish and long for a repose in the grave 't was the earnest prayer of the holy Prophet that God would grant him space to recover his strength in before he went away from hence and should be no more Psalmes 39.13 and when he had recoverd that strength of divine grace which fortified his soul against all the dark and uncomfortable suggestions of Satan and had been refreshed with the clearer irradiations of Gods countenance then even then did he wish with a holy resignation of his will to Gods that he had wings like a dove that he might flee away from hence and be at rest Psalm 55.6 his soul then was in a condition apt enough to have taken her fligh to heaven and would fain have been delivered from the burden of the flesh David was too sensible of the vanity and vexation of all things here below to desire any long stay our souls whilst they are in the flesh are in a condition not unlike to the dove before she had set footing in the arke never at rest for whilest we are in the flesh we are under a body of sin and how wretched we are then heare how the Apostle sighs it forth Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7.24 Whilst we are in the flesh we are under the miserable fruits of sin even those numerous outward troubles and inward tears which keep our poor souls in bondage Heb. 2.15 but he that is dead is
free from sin which is the Saints greatest freedom free from the motions infections seductions of sin and all those scourging scorpions of miseries which issue forth of the womb of sin as so much is intimated by the term which St. Mark gave the diseases which our Saviour cured in Mark 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as had scourges And now because of this freedom which the Saints know they shall then finde by giving up their souls they do give them up therefore willingly and freely but thus the wicked do not because they leap but out of the frying pan into the fire as we say they go from some glimps of comfort or rather but shadows of joy to an utter darkness of miserie they go from the Jayle to the Dungeon from a better to a worse prison and they having a * Heb. 10. fearfull expectation of this fiery wrath and indignation from God are very loth to die and therefore never die but a violent death even when they die quietest upon their beds Thirdly all the true sons of Abraham resign their souls freely in regard of that faithfull account that they know they can make before the tribunal of the heavenly Judge of all things done in the flesh Obj. Ah but what sayes the Apostle Rom. 3.20 there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Oh then what shall become of us who stand guilty before the Lord of infinite swarms of unclean thoughts vain and idle words wicked and rebellious actions such as hath often greived the good spirit of grace and re-crucified the Lord of life and put him to an open shame Oh blessed God can we for shame lift up our face to God 'T is true Vae laudabili hominum vitae si remotâ misericordiâ discutias eam sayes St. Aug. Answer VVoe were to man in their most laudable course of life if God should enter into judgement with them and lay aside his mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ certainly had not the precious blood of that immaculate Lamb of God quenched the consuming fire of his anger we had dwelt with everlasting burnings certainly had not that universal faithful High Priest offer'd up himself on our behalfe to his fathers justice and had he not been touched with our infirmities to become an earnest advocate with God we had been undone for ever but having such a powerful God-man to stand our friend and plead our cause we may * Job 22.26 lift up our face we may be as bold as a Lyon for through faith in his name our sins which are as crimson are made as white as wool Esa 1.18 God who spun out the curious web of mans salvation out of the tender bowels of his compassion clears us from all sin for Christs sake and through him we are presented faultless before the presence of divine glory so that though at the last day all our sins shall be examined and lay'd before us and we shall see them again and know how often we have by them peirc'd the precious sides of Christ yet we shall see them as once the Isrealites did their Aegyptian pursuers after their entry into the red sea Exo. 14.13.30 all slain with the blood of the Lamb Rev. 5.9 Obj. But did Christ bear the sins of the whole world upon the cross so as all sins shall be forgiven and consequenty all be able to make a good account to the Judge of all men Answer I answer There 's balme enough in Gilead I mean in the blood of Christ and if application be made thereof 't will most certainly cure all the most greivous wounds of the soul for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleiveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iohn 3.16 so that 't is faith it seems that gives a saving interest in Christ Jesus 't is faith whereby 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God who is good to all becomes the Saints own and proper good as God promised to be to Abraham Gen. 17.7 And now this faith which is the life of the new creature must be as the spirits in the head and heart able to actuate the whole man unto royall and peculiar servics and then when a man of such a faith shall walk in Christ according as he hath received him Colos. 2.6 shall be sorrowful for his sins when ever he doth sin not onely as cursed things deserving the wrath of God but as unclean things against the spirit of holiness and shall also after such tripings mind his peace in the way of Gods law and walk more worthy of God then I say such a man shall be able to make a good account to God and appear with joy before the judgement seat of Christ for thus he may plead Oblessed Jesus I know if thou beest strict to mark what by me hath been done amiss there is matter enough to condemn me to utter darkness for my very righteousness is as filthy rags I acknowledge thine infinite free grace to bring me into thy knowledge and to make me to walk with some observation of thy law but yet I beseech thee look not upon what I have done for no clean thing can come out of an unclean rather pardon me that I have entertained thy holy spirit in so foul a room as my heart and look upon me as thou hast satisfied thy Fathers justice for all my sins and hast abundantly merited for me a seat with thy self in heavenly places And thus the Saints of God may plead before the Judge of the quick and the dead and they being comfortably perswaded and assured of this by the glorious obsignation of the spirit of adoption they are ready with the holy Prophet David in Psal 42.2 to say My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God And hereunto when they dye they give up their souls with chearfulnesse and thus have I done with the third reason why all the true sonns of Abraham do as Abrabam did who gave up the Ghost freely I come to the Fourth Fourthly because they know they shall not onely be delivered out of the Prison of a corrupt body but into the glorious liberty of heaven they are assured that when they come to give up their souls they shall not only be able to look their Judge in the face with a fair account of what they have done in the flesh but shall be made to sit with him together in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 When a poor prisoner having sat a long while in darknesse and in the shadow of death being * Psalmes 107.10 bound in affliction and iron shall be made to understand that his pardon is sued out and not only so but that he is made worthy to sit upon the Bench with the Judge Oh how joyfull does he come forth of prison And thus do the sons of Abraham they know when they dye their souls shall lodge
dayes in the service of God let them know that when they dye their hope is not at an end for if it should be the most precious Saints of God of all men would be the most miserable 1. Cor. 15. No certainly they have not their pains only for their labour as we use to say but if they sowe in tears they shall reap in joy if they go forth weeping and bear in their hearts the precious seed of Gods holy word they shall doubtless return with rejoyceing they shall return with the sheaves of their souls so laden with much grain of grace as shall render them only fit to be layd up in the Barne of heaven and there they shall be and possess themselves for ever with the joy of their Master Math. 25.21 Secondly this may be matter of reprehension to others and to those First who are Atheists in Judgement and Epicures in practice who say in their hearts like fooles there is no God and live as if there were neither heaven nor hell there are some who think if they be but half good in this life they shall be made up perfect in purgatory there are others who care not to be good at all presuming that as they live like beasts so they shall totally perish like beasts tâ—lium stultorum plena sunt omnia all places now a dayes are full of such fooles and some having wickedly armed their fancies with a few ends of Poetry and a little of the out side of Philosophy go go too and fro like the Devil himself seeking whom they may devour into such blind and pernicious perswasions but if such men would but look into the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus they might soon spie out the immortality of the soul nay if such men would but con over their own Bible for so I call their bookes of Poetry a little more ingenuously they would find that Noctes atque dies patet atri janua Ditis when ever such as they are dye the Devil is ready to receive their souls This may be matter of reprehension to all earthly muck-wormes who by endeavouring with such an over-anxious care to feather their own nests acknowledge nothing more than that felicity confines it self within the limits of this transitory world otherwise why should old men oftentimes who have one foot already in the grave lay out the choyce of their thoughts and affections that way 't is indeed a wonder and that to the more ingenuous sort of heathen as Tully Potest enim quicquam esse absurdius Desenct quam quo miâ—us vitae restat eo plus viatici quaereres can there be any thing more absurd than when a man hath traveled out the journey of his life almost to an end that then he should lay in greatest provision for the way certainly such men in all their gatherings remember not that their souls shall be gathered unto another life after this either unto a life in hell or a life in heaven which life onely deserves the name of life for in that of hell the soul is in perpetuall dying Oh therefore how does it concern men rather to lay up in store such a foundation of faith as that when they come through death to let go their hold of this vain and empty world they may lay hold on eternall life 1. Tim. 6.19 hence then this may be in the next place matter of instruction to all Thirdly then since there is a certain day of death for all men as well for the friends of God as Abraham was Esay 41.8 as for his greatest enemies since no man can redeem his life from the hand of the grave and that after this life is ended another wil certainly follow as we fall in death so we shall lye to all eternity let us gird up the loines of our minds and fit our selves for our Christian race and in it be alwayes looking at the Lord Jesus Christ the Author and finisher of our faith le ts have a care of making all the * Prov. 18 10. haste we can into the strong tower of his great name le ts be careful that we desire him here as a Christ for grace Government in his service that at the great and terrible day of the Lord we may have him to be a Jesus to shelter us from the fire of Gods anger 'T is certain the Lord hatl * Act. 17 31 appointed a day to judge the world in and therefore le ts remember that of St. Cyprian Qualem te invenit Deus cum de hoc mundo evocat In Ser. de Mer. talem pariter Judicat as death leaves thee so judgement will find thee and if thou beest an aged man and dyest in thy sins what account wilt thou be able to make to God for so many dayes mispent what wilt thou think when thou shalt peep out of thy grave and see all the world in a flame about thy eares Will not the noise of the last Trump strike thee into horror and amazement to think that then thou must be hailed before the Tribunal of Christ to give an account of that talent of thy soul which he hath put into thy hands to use to his glory and shalt have nothing to say why the terrible curse should not be executed upon thee Wilt thou not then rather wish that with Michaiah thou had'st alwayes eaten the bread of affliction or with Esay had'st continually gone barefoot so that thereby thou had'st gotten interest in the Lord Jesus Then think upon these things in time you my deare brethren that are young remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth you that are old despaire not you are yet alive and under the call of God to faith and if you have but faith as a grain of mustard-seed you may say to the mountaines of your manifold sins be ye removed into the midst of the Sea and they shall be removed so far out of the sight of God Micha 7.19 this the Lord hath graciously promised in that immaculate Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world Iohn 1.29 and therefore 't will be but just for God to forgive such sins Iohn 1.9 nay he doth not onely allure us to himself with the promise of remission of sins but of eternall life in the fruition of his face for ever Oh blessed God! Me thinks then if there doth remain such a blessed rest for all the people of God how should we strive to enter in since when the bodies of Gods Saints shall drop to the earth their souls shall be carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom be gathered to the innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12.22.23 to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect how should we endeavour to be one of that number With what violence of devotion should we
presse forward for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.14 Oh me thinks what should hinder the manifestation of our love to him in the oblation of all holy sacrifices to his name whom neither iniquity transgression nor sin could constrain to despise the workmanship of his hands but notwithstanding our enmitie against him by wicked works he should prepare an habitation for us eternal in the heavens and not onely so but prepare for us a way thither a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say the flesh of Christ in whom whosoever whether young or old approacheth unto the living God God will in no wise cast out Heb. 10.21 Having therefore such an high-priest over the house of God let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as ye see the day approaching the day what day the day of Judegement which particularly is after the dissolution of soul and body but generally is at the end of all the world which though both dayes are certain yet because 't is as uncertain when will be the one or the other it concerns us to make use of the present time and whilest 't is called to day be a working out our salvation with fear and trembling that when the Lord shall be pleas'd to demand our souls we may freely and with alacrity resigne them up into his hands as into the hands of a most wise mercifull creator and redeemer And now what shall I say more as to the text unless I should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 show you this diseased Gentlemans picture in the words Abraham before he dyed was 175. yeares of Age our friend was aboue 90. An age that did as kindly ripen him for the Grave as that of Abrahams in regard of which therefore that may be said of him which was said of holy Job chap. 5 26. That he came to the Grave as a Shocke of Corne cometh in his season Abraham before he dyed was a good old Man his goodness stands upon record in these four particulars First In his meek and peaceable disposition towards men as appeared in that he would rather remit of his right than stand to contend with his Cousen Lot Gen. 13.9 And this disposition was in our Friend I know it in one particular my selfe Secondly Abraham acknowledged that of whatsoever he possessed God was the Lord by paying into the hands of his Priest his tribute of Tythes Gen. 14.20 And this Reverence to God the Lord had taught this Son of Abraham here departed He never would dare to rob God of what he claimed as peculiar to himself He alwayes made a conscience of paying that to the Stewards of the mysteries of God which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 9.14 A reward for the glad tydings of the Gospel whether it were by Tythes or otherwise Thirdly Abraham when he saw three men at his door in the heat of the day most freindly invited them in and gave them entertainment and this was the fruit of his Hospitality that he entertained Angels unawares Heb. 13.2 And this disposition in our Father Abraham was drawn to the life in this his Deceased Son and 't was known to be in him wheresoever he was known and no question but by the entertaining the needy members of Christ as frequently he did he entertained those three persons which some interpret Abraham did Father Son and holy Ghost But then Fourthly Abraham by the eye of Faith saw the day of the Lord Jesus Christ at almost two thousand yeares distance and so did this his Son in whose soule so firm and lively a Faith was wrought in Christs blessed Incarnation Crucifixion Resurrection Ascension Session with and Intercession to the Father that certainly as in the time of his life he thus saw Christ in part so now he sees him Face to Face Now as it appears that Abraham before he dyed was a Good old Man so when he dyed he freely resigned his Ghost to God assuredly knowing that as God promised so he would be as good as his word to him in becoming his exceeding great reward and thus did this his Son whose willingness to depart this sinfull life and to be with God he delivered to me upon his Death-bed in many comfortable expressions And thus when Abraham had given up the Ghost he was gathered to his people even to the spirits of those just men who dyed before him as to his Soul and to his Wife in the Cave of Machpelah as to his Body and thus was his Son we trust as to his Soul he is beholding the face of God and Christ upon whose redundant merits he devolved himselfe and as to his body we see that he is here brought to his wives whom he buried here and to his eldest Son and Daughters whose Souls together with his we trust are joyned to the Quire of Angels in the glorious and eternall kingdom of God To which the Lord bring us all through the blood of sprinkling Amen Quid enim nisi vota supersunt FINIS Over-sights in the Printing PAge 12. l. 3. 5. for a friend r. a kin for beatifie r. beautifie p. 13. l. 15. 16. for erripere r. Arripere for superiore superior p. 15. l. 29. for actae r. actae p. 20. l. 26. for teares r. feares p 21. l. 26 27. for man r. men for enter r. enter p. 23. l. 6. 7. mind his peace r. mend his pace p. 27. l. 2. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 28. l 20. for much graine of Grace r. such graine of p. 32 l. 32. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diseased Gentleman r. deceased