the Lord opened Heaven which made him say I saw the Visions of God The great Jehova Deodate in his Annotations did after a speciall manner Illuminate his understanding facultie and did reveal to him such divine and ravishing secrets as did far surpasse any human capacity with which some pretious Jewels of the Lords have been so spiritually transported that they have sweetly breathed out their celestiall souls into the armes or bosome of their Lord Christ their salvation as Simeon did desire here to doe One wel observed of late that there is nothing which hath so great an influence upon a holy man or woman nothing doth so much affect their hearts as a clearer discovery of the visions of God as when Job said I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee Job 42. And saith St. Augustin who is said to be 12. years old when our saviour suffered Euse Eccle. Hist lib. 3. Exo. 34.6 oft wished to have seen Christ in the flesh as Ignatius that blessed Martyr did 1. Ther 's a sight of God in his divine attributes and so he proclaimes himself in the hearing of all the peopl The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth c. Aquin. 2. There is a sight of God in his eminencie excellent greatness so appeared he to Moses out of the midst of a burning Bush and to Abraham Jsaak and Jacob by his Name Jah that deminutive of the Word Jehovah Exo. 3.2 Psa 68.4 or God Almighty and All-sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So by his name I am ver 14. This is my name saith he forever and this is my memoriall unto all generations ero qui ero Thus the Israelites saw him in his excellent greatness which he did so display before them 3. There is a sight of God's surpassing purity and holiness of his nature and so the Angels and soules of the Saints departed and now in Heaven do see him Isa 6.3 and so the Seraphims who cried one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory 4. Ther 's a sight of the plenarie blessedness and fulnesse of God Gen. 17.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filling all things of which God himself told Abraham saying I am the Almighty God walk before Mee and bee thou perfect 5. Ther 's a sight of Gods dominion and Soverainty Isa 6.5.6 at some glimpses of which said the Prophet Isaiah Wo is me for I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts c. 6. There 's a sight of God in his providences who doth so dispose of Ep. 1.11 Mat. 6.26.27 Rev. 4 11. and order all things according to the counsell of his own will that he doth whatsoever pleaseth him both in heaven and earth he provides maintenance and subsistence for the host of all his works vegetative sensitive or rationall whether animate or inanimate Mat. 10.30 For the Lillies of the field for the Foules of Heaven the very haires of our head are numbred Ps 74.17 Job 36 27. Job 37.10 He orders the day and the night Summer and winter Heat and cold and he maketh small drops of water By the breathing of God frost is given and the breadth of the waters is straitned 7. There is a sight of God in the face of Christ viz. a reconciled God and Father in Jesus Christ and which more fully to make known this God and Father 2. Cor. 4 6. hath commanded the light to shine out of darknesse to give the light of the knowlege of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ So that as the great body of the sunn gives light to the worlds hemisphere Mal. 4.2 so does God in Christ by the son of righteousness sending forth the blessed beames of Evangelicall grace and glory shine upon the Church Gloria Dei hic est perlucida refulgens Oecolamp in Eze. 43.2 and give saving light into darke sovles and doth blessedly break in upon blind men and women who before sate in mufled darknesse and in the shaddow of death Reader heed these things well for they carry light life and power in them 8. And lastly vosti haec fidei contemplatio tranfigurativa appellatur Theod. epus Cyâ—i de fide in Epiph. there is a sight of God in the person of Christ and that is when we do apprehend a Godhead filling the humane nature with most unutterable apprehensions of God his Divinity and when by the powers of rich grace we do come to apprehend our selves so farr interessed in the two natures of the second person for ever made one Christ as to conceive and believe our selves to be the chosen cum Deus sese suaque câ—gnoscibilia largius perfectius patefacit suis Mercer in Job 4.5 and beloved of God in Christ before the world was and by the mighty work of free grace do begin to finde our selves accepted beloved redeemed and saved by our Lord thus set before us whom blessed Simeon looks here on corporally and spiritually as his own Christ as his salvation by meanes of the most Holy and happy continuance thus many Prohets and Kings have desired to see Luk. 10.24 of all the three Persons in the Trinity whereat Simeons heart became wonderfully enlarged It being given in to him from above according to the promise of the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ Iunius in Isaiam Simeons sight here was not only ocular and intuitive but but intellectuall and fiduciall being Divinely revealed to him as the visions of Daniel Ezekiell and John for his sight was a manifold vision Epist ad smyrn Policarp of the Lords Christ in person in his natures in his offices so that Simeon was as it were transfigured Isa 22.1 Epo verò post râ—surrectionem in carne cum vidi ubi ignatius habet locum tempur personas quicum petro erant ipsa verba Christi as Peter James and John and carried into the vallie of visions to whom God pleased also to Communicate a vision of rapturing loves as to the Church in the Canticles and as unto blessed Jgnatius but after his resurrection when he appeared unto Peter and those who were with Peter his words be and I also after his resurrection saw him Simeon was communing with the promise Promisit sâ— deus compariturum in nube Levit. 16.2 Nubes fuit symbolum inhabitantis dei miserentis ac eos servantis quuÌ„ templo Salomonis sancto sanctorum primùm importaretur arca digressis commodùm sacerdotibus ex adytis nubes replevit domum domini nec sacerdotes subsistere poterant ut administrarent prae nube illa quandoquideme rat repleta gloria domini domus domini 1. Regum 8. verùm
perswade us that death is an end to such of all their troubles when as 't is most certain that death is the beginning of woes and their entrance into eternall death Observe that Satan would have 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 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 To die God's Servant To die in peace 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 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 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 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 sinner 't is 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 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
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 shal be laid in the grave and moultered to dust God is in covenant with that dust 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 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 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 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 1â— 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 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 innoceÌ„ 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 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 of Babilon my servant and the beasts of the field have I given also to serve him 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 oÌ„ 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 gâ—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
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 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 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 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 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 the goodnesse of God towards thee and towards thy lost friends Friends in Gods name mourn yet cōsider 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 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 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
יהוה A Religious TREATISE UPON Simeons Song OR Instructions advertising how to live holily and dye happily Composed at first for the use of the truly pious Sir ROBERT HARLEY Knight of the Honourable order of the Bath But since published by Timothy Woodroffe B. D. Pastor to the Church at Kingsland in Herefordshire Job 42.5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside over-against the great Conduit 1659. Christian Reader WEe having perused this ensuing Treatise bearing the Title of SIMEON'S SONG and being desired by the worthy AUTHOR to prefixe a line or two we can do no less then give it a kiss of peace and send it away recommending it to thee for a sound and savoury discourse and such as wanteth not a pleasant quickness to hold on thy appetite and we do believe that all who love the Lord and wait for the consolation of Israel that their eyes may see his salvation will upon perusall find it answer their time and pains and will then judge as do JOHN ROWE S. WOOD. TO THE Much Honoured Collonel Edward Harley Son and Heir to THE Renowned Sr ROBERT HARLEY Knight of the Honourable Order of the BATH Much Honoured Sir LEt my boldness crave your favourable acceptance to Epistle you and put your name in the frontispiece of this precursor to your Fathers happy departure â—hose tendency was to be serviceable unto his celestial transfiguration This Epistle is an historicall Narrative of him who was a worthy pattern of much goodness in life and therefore said to your self and others of his own flesh and blood Children I have taught you how to live and now I do teach you how to die his name but mentioned was and is as a pretious ointmeÌ„t poured out your religious fixedness in these changeable times your discreet zeal for the advanceing of your Lord Master's kingdom with your unfained love to the truth more then all arguments besides indigitated to me that yours must be the patrociny especially when I shal add the interest which you had in such a Fathers heart who is now departed from among the living and yet still lives with the Lord hee had great things in reversion held in capite from heavens magna charta and is now gone to take the plenary possession of them Whil'st Sir ROBERT HARLEY lived I dare say his enemies being Judges he much studied the art to live well and as years and weaknesses towards his dissolve did approach hee studied as much the art to dye well for his aim and end was to live in Jesus and to dye in Jesus to whom to live was Christ and to whom to dye was gain This blessed servant of the Lord was much ashamed that hee had lived so long before he lived to God but this he did also viz. most religiously sincerely bless God in my hearing that for forty years or thereabouts before his death his soul was fixedly resolved to live to God who I doubt not but he is blessing God with SIMEON that he departed in peace in a good old age and full of grace Ignobled greatness had no value in his heraldry he well foresaw that a Saint hath the richest coâ—t and that nothing in heaven or earth doth so honour and enoble a family or person as true Religion as God in Covenant as Christ in chief therefore saith Christ to his Church since thou wast pretious in my sight thou hast been honourable and so long shall an house stand before the Lord and their Almond tree â—ud and flourish observe O you Gentâ—y and the Lord Jesus will put the rod of power and authority into such hanas for else wâ—at is birth but a dunghill flower or parentage but a filthy cloth and all the titles of honour and embellishments of the worlds glory but sublunar and stained vanities all whose tendency is towards the dust But to be a son of grace and a true believer is more true honour then to bee Theodosius the Emperour this was the judgment of good old SIMEON in this Book Your religious Father I hope none will call this flattery was eminently known to be a Worthy indeed one of the Gospels great Worthies heavens favorite Christ's friend and Christ his friend for whose sake he cheerfully forsook all and exposed himself and all that he had on earth to the fury and malice of his and Christ's enemies and said oft in evill times hee would trust God with all Seneca said wel to Polibius Salvo Caesare non est de fortuna conqueri So this noble Patriot would not did not murmur and complain when brought very low nor durst he implead or pass an hard sentence against God under any check of providence but say God is good his will is best and blessed bee his name thus he acts dependance on Jehovah and his faith in the sure mercies of David then hee prays and looks up looks up and prays again he praies waits waits praies he hears believe then he humble his soul with fasting renewes his covenant with his God so keeps up his confidence mean while searcheth his soul after secret lurking corruptions if he could find any way of wickedness allowed in him that he might lay aside every weighty the sin which doth so easily beset us and run with patience the race that was set before him looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despised the shame is set down at the right hand of God Heb. â—2 1 2. It 's abundantly known he was of a publick spirit and layd out himself beyond his strength to bee doing good at every call of providence not only in a Parlamentâ—ry way wherein religious Sir ROBERT HARLEY was ever chosen by his country to be one in Gospel or Church-work within his sphere and capacity he had an inlarged and a pious heart together with a liberall hand however he did streighten himself and his and engâ—g his credit that hee might shew bowell-kindness to the despised but faithfull ministry of the Gospel and to the indigent members of our Lord Christ not onely in his native country but even to peregâ—ines exiles And since I have touched the Ministry his love to all the worthy labourers in the Lord's Vineyard is much known where-ever himself was well known and for his Country Hereford City and County must not bee silent to praise God for him whose pious care for their spirituall good hath excelled since they do enjoy many faithfull able and painfull Ministers mostly by his choice bounty and liberality who else in all probability had layen waste and old as many other places do or else had been under seducers not teachers of sound Doctrine under Idol shepherds dumb doggs and ignorant leaders who are destroyers not builders
dy Ibid. 4 Hee lades them with sweet apprehensions of infinite love 133 How to entertain the approach of death 134 And death it self in the article of death 135 136. Whether it be sinfull to fear death 137 Ans Not simply unlawfull 138 Basely to fear death a sin 138 Who lead an evill life must needs fear death Ibid The Saints fear death and others but from divers principles 139 It 's not improbable but we maâ— enjoy relations after death 142 How to shut up our own eyes and bind up our own jaws in death 143 4 Exhortation Let not friends grieve over-much for them that dye in the Lord. 144 Friends may weep a while but not too long ibid. 145 Friends may use laudable ceremonies about the dead 146. Friends may be at cost with the dead ibid. 147. Friends may keep sad mourning seats Ibid. Rules of advice to living Friends 1. To mourn with moderation 149. 150. 2. With timely pacification 151 152 153. 3. To be satisfied with the goodness of God yet continued to thee who survivest 154. 4. To be comforted again 156. 5. Our mourning not without a good mixture of joy 158 159. 6. Labour an holys acquiescence in the al-suffiency of thy Lord God 180 161 162 163. Imprimatur EDMUND CALAMY The Author's Letter to Sir ROBERT HARLEY about the beginning of his long sickness Honorable Sir AS I do much bless God for the Religious stedfastness in such vertiginous times when so many reeds have been shaken with every wind so I am confident you will ever bless God for that your house was built upon the Rock and for the excellencies of Christ and of his attractive loves to your soul who made you sick of love after the more full injoyment of him who is a head of fine gold and a Cluster of Camphere the Lord your righteousness the chief of ten thousand who hath invited you to repentance unto life and to more daily communion with his excellency Pardon my boldness Gracious SIR possibly God will use my little Talent to warm your heart with the shining love of Jesus Christ so peerless so sweet so chast so full so unchageable so adequate and magneticall in all his Mediatoriall works upon your soul I say upon your soul so miraculously saved by the Lord and pulled out of the suburbs of Hell so unexpectedly so undeservedly so freely in the day of your souls first love espousall to his blessed self Time was Noble SIR that your Honour walked in the way of your own heart bathed and rolled in a worldly Paradise of princely favour when your thoughts were too much I presume taken up about additionalls with which to enamell your present state with worldly contentments whose emptiness together with your Christlesseness the God and Father of all your mercies discovered in his own time to that your pretious soul and withall did let down some beams and glimpses of the unum necessarium more necessary then to be born to live to be fed and clad I mean Jesus Christ and him crucified when heavens infinite mercy caused the day to break and the shadows to flye away presently upon which you must confess with godly Junius statim mihi alio facies apparuit when you then heard with other ears understood with another intellect saw with other eyes spake another language and with a new tongue read the Scripture with another spirit and understood with another sense and understanding yea and acted by other principles then before old things then vanished away all things became new But how I answer by that power of God that exceeding greatness of power which raised Christ from the dead and set him at the right hand of God SIR thus you came to know Jesus Christ and him Crucified which is above all knowledge especially to know our selves to be Crucified with him Oh! that is wisedom indeed and knowledge most transendently excellent for it will make a man wise to salvatioÌ„ Besides thus to know Christ and thus to know him for our selves is of most excellent use to us at present since it is not onely an informing and speculative knowledge but a conforming and reforming a practicall and operative knowledge which works mightily on the unregenerate part perswading that also by degrees to bee Crucified with Christ and to live more intirely by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us Pretious soul this life by faith is life indeed the present life naturall is a death to this life but the believers spirituall life that is a life purchased at the dearest rate viz. by the most unvaluable blood of Christ It 's to live in God the Father spiritually to live in Jesus Christ by the mysticall union and by the sanctifying Spirit of God breathing this life into dead souls and quickening our dead dry bones enabling impowering us to cry Abba Father by the Spirit of his Son and loosing the tyed tongue to say from our own particular interest O Lamb of God which takest away my sins all my sins the sins of all my liâ—e nay all my other mens sins all the sins of my vile nature nay my sins of the first Adam and all this blessed Jesus as freely as ever the rain did fall or the Sun did shine never to impute any one of them to me but acquitting and absolving thy poor creature meerly for thy mercies sake to justifie me for ever before the eyes of thy glory nor is this all O Father of mercies says the pardoned soul but thou dost also richly engratiate thy poor servant to be the beloved Spouse of thy dearest Son and to confer that grace of Adoption to bring me nigh to thy self by the blood of Christ yea to confer sanctification on mee that I might also partake of thy divine nature of a Briar to make me a sweet Rose of a Lyon a Lamb of most deformed defiled abominable within and without to make mee lovely comely fair as the Moon beautifull as the Sun so to take me into thy most holy Covenant with thy self and to give me a propriety in all things in heaven and earth Thus life is mine and death is mine the world is mine things present and things to come all is mine I am Christ's and Christ is Gods a very strange Paradox a very large Inventory yet no larger then the New Covenant in which God hath said I will be your God and you shall be my people that 's proof enough for qui habent habentem omnia habent omnia here is a Bee-hive of the sweetest honey much beloved in the Lord before your the effectuall calling like the wandring Bee your honour went from flower to flower from one tree to another and found but little sweetness if any at all and what ever it was you were content to forsake that too for Christ but then you said as Jacob in another case I have enough my son Joseph is yet alive
hoc loco constituto templo novo claritas splendor absque nube refulget patres omnes sub nube suerunt omnes in mosen baptizati sunt nube sed jam quia revelationis tempus absque nube in facie Christi gloriam dei contemplamur nunc non inter Cherubim lux est sed illucescit resulgiet ipsa quoque terra a gloria Dei quemad modum terrena Credentium corda incomprehensibili lumine gratiae adimplentur aeterno templo dedicato haec terra in Adamo maledicta est tribulos gignit faedissimis enim cogitationibus discerpitur cor hominis intranti in novum hoc templum suum gloriae Dei perlustris eadem efficitur nos enim pridem peccatores regenuit in spem vivam Ecolamp Mag. Basiliensis Episc in Ezek. 43. and with his faith about the veracitie of that promise and about his Lord Christ wrapped up in the promise for his use mean while doth the Lord bring in Christ himself in person who was the soul and marrow of the promise and so his believing soul was even here gratified with a blessed vision whereof more fully in that which followeth namely Simeons delight Simeon sight and desire I shall amplifie this truth by two necessary questions Q. Quest 1. What this so working sight is Q. Quest 2. What this desire is A. Answ To the first I answer that after a sinner hath taken some good notice of his miserable self out of Christ Eph. 2.12 out of Covenant a stranger to the Common wealth of Israel without God and in a miserable pickle confounded in himself as Ephraim much afflicted and greatly humbled before the Lord. Jer. 31.19 I say after such a sight of himself when a wretched sinner comes to see Christ in the gospell as in a christall glass chosen of God and the beloved Son of God 2 Cor. 5.19 in and by whose mediation God did reconcile himself to the world And when a sinner comes to see himself in his Christ as his Christ as one in whom hee he hath a speciall interest and propriety as blessed Thomas did see Christ when he cryed out my God and my Lord and when thou comest to see him who hath made thy peace with his Father by his most pretious blood upon his Crosse And to see him who hath procured thy justification thy adoption and purchased his Fathers everlasting love for thee and hath given thee to be an heire of Heaven a coheire with himselfe and provided rich mansions of endless glory Such seeing Liking must needs breed likeing such will breed desires longing even to be sick of love after the fuller enjoyment of him who is the Author and finisher of thy salvation It is to see the Lord Christ A. 2 cloathed in our nature for us and to see him in both natures our mediator and advocate with the Father to see him our King our Priest our Prophet mightily enabled to carry on and to compleat the work of our redemption to the uttermost it is to see him who as he was promised by all the Prophets to come into the world Act. 10.43 so I see him come indeed to make satisfaction to divine justice for me to pay my debt and to set open heavens doors to me and to pave for me a new and living way to go to God by him Heb. 7.25 A. 3. It is to see my gratious Lord reaching out both his armes of his love to receive me into the blessed bosome and tendering the pretious self to be made of God to my soul wisdom righteousness 1. Cor. 1.30 sanctification redēption to see him my joy life the life of my life the soul of my soul my crown and glory to see him owning me to be his beloved spouse dying for me respecting more my spirituall life then his own naturall life and he dyed once that I should live for ever it is to see him who chose to be accursed that I might be blessed who was content to be condemned as a vile malefactor that I might be acquitted justified and saved It is to see him who suffered the torments of hell for me that I might for ever enjoy the glory of heaven Think now blessed soul hadst thou been in Simeons case place whether thou wouldest not have said and sung as Simeon did Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2. Question What this desire is Desire is the wing of the soul 1. a strong desire Pher. whereby it moveth towards some good where it loveth to feed it self and to be satisfied with the thing desired Job 39.29 as the Eagle lookes on the pray afar off the Eagle is sharp-sighted to discover the pray swift of wings to hasten to it armed with strength to seize upon it so our desires according to our apprehension of the objects goodness does convocate all the powers and faculties of the soul to promote and procure the good beloved and desired as in the text Simeons love and desire is fixed upon Christ the best good in heaven and earth 2. Hag. 7. and therefore is called the desire of all Nations Well might Simeon desire what he did for as it is said of a Roman Emperor neminem unquam dimisit tristem So the Lord Christ never sent any longing Simeon away empty who comes to him as Simeon did sub ratione boni jucundi to finde enough in Christ to fill up all desires and all the vacuities in the soul Nothing comparable to Christ thought Simeon Exod. 33. nothing but Christ said the blessed Martyr nothing but thy glory said Moses shew me thy glory like Anselms bird tied to the ground with a string and ascending to the length of the thread raising her selfe and flying upwards Oh! so is my soul said he sighing groaning and desiring to depart to be with Christ as Paul to see the Lords salvation as Simeon This desire is a restless desire of a poor weary heavy laden soul A restless desire very low in a vale of misery and valley of teares exiled from her native soile where troubles and griefs croud in like Jobes messengers as the waves of the Sea Rom. 7.24 one at the heels of another Which made the Apostle to aske who shall deliver me from the body of this death The consideration of which made an Heathen to say to his Schollers that if it were offered which Sr Robert Harley said oft in his old age him to be young again he would not accept such an offer so troublesome did he count this present condition to be But the pretious servants of the Lord have more cause to desire death for that they do live under a better hope and do see their celestial soules under the miserable captivity of sin and satanicall thraldome combating continually with the lusts of the
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 2. Saints cannot miscarry in their death because Christ is with them 3. All the godly have the first fruits of glory in hand 4. The saints honour glory and immortality is already prepared and reserved for them in heaven 5 Death is an haven after a storm a rest to all laborious saints a sure hiding place and sanctuary to soul and body 6. The saints promised and hoped 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 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 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 't is 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 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 â—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 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. â— 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 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 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. â— 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s 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
he must be a new creature Without holiness no man shall see the Lord 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 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 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 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 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 't is 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 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 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 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
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 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 birth-right 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 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 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 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 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 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 live one hour longer nor how to submit to death live I cannot but