Grievances and perplexities that are apt to distract us in our lives and also taken notice how fraile and fading all sublunary things are And likewise having endeavoured to raise some matter for satisfaction in our deepest exigences from the consideration of those nobler things that are of a more durable and heavenly concernment I shall next survey that condition which of all other seemes most terrible and is therefore termed the KING of Fear and that is Death it self whose very name is attended with trembling in respect of which all the afflictive incidences of mans life carry little or no proportion And so it is indeed more formidable then I can expresse to those that have not some assurance of a better life that are not furnished with spiritual Armour for this last encounter But I shall make it appear it 's much otherwise to those that have an interest in CHRIST who consider the unavoidable necessity of it grounded upon that unalterable Eternal Decree of Heaven And that * Heb. 9.27 all men are appointed once to dy They are so farre from desiring an exemption from that condition that they are said in Scripture to wait and long for it There are two especial daies for which the Children of GOD are said to wait The first is the day of death wherein they go to the LORD The second is the day of appearing wherein the LORD shall come to them They sojourne in the body more weary of it then David was of his dwelling in the Tents of KEDAR they waite with patient * Job 14.14 Job till the day of their change come and desire with the Apostle to be * Phil. 1.23 dissolved and be with CHRIST yea they pray for it so often as they mention that petition * Mat. 6.10 Lu. 11.3 Let thy Kingdome come They labour after death so far as it may be a meanes to abolish sin that CHRIST their KING may alone reign in and over them It is neverthelesse true that wicked and irreligious persons put the remembrance of death far from them yet for all that it comes upon them suddenly as * 2 Kings 23.24 Jehu furiously came upon Jehoram though they run to their Chariots that is their Refuges of vanity Death's dart surely overtakes them But the good Israelites of GOD desire to be ever prepared with their * Exod. 12.11 loines girded and their staves in their hands ready to take their journey from EGYPT to CANAAN whensoever the Majesty of the Most High GOD shall command them As fowles desirous to fly stretch forth their wings so do these extend their affections towards HEAVEN * Gen. 18.1 Abraham sate in the dore of his Tabernacle when the Angell appeared to him * 1 Kings 19.9 Elias came out to the mouth of his Cave when the LORD appeared to him so should we rejoice and be glad to come oâ—â— of the Cave and Tabernacle of thâ—â— wretched body that we may meâ—â— with the LORD of Glory This Messenger DEATH cures all our Maladies and rescues us from all our fears and dangers This is that Cherub that stands Centinell at the Gate of Paradise There 's no entrance but under his hand Thereâ— no passage to those glories above but through the Gates of Death here below But that which renders death yet more desirous to the Godly is the second day which they are said to wait for And that 's CHRISTS second coming The Apostle gives this as a Token of the rich Grace of GOD bestowed on the Gorinthians * 1 Cor. 1.7 that they waited for the appearance of CHRIST yea he gives it out as a mark of all those that shall be glorifyed when he saies * 2 Tim. 4.8 There is laid up for me a Crowne of Righteousnesse and not for me only but all those that love Christs second appearing And again * Heb. 9.28 CHRIST was offered to take away the sins of Many and unto them that look for HIM shall HE appear without sin unto salvation Amongst the Jewes as the day of * Lev. 25.10 Jubilee drew nigh so the joy of those that were in prison encreased for that it brought them an assurance of relief Much more cause have we to rejoice the neerer the day of our Eternall Jubilee approaches when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and sorrow and mourning shall fly away for ever But to encounter a little further with this great Combatant first I say that Death which the righteous suffer is not total for it can never strike the whole man but onely the weakest part his body the more excellent part the soul is partaker of Eternal Life Nor secondly is it perpetual for our soules shall not abide under the Bonds of Death the spirit of Christ that dwells in us shall raise us up and cloath us with Immortality There is begun in the Children 〈◊〉 Light a life which no death is eveâ— able to exstinguish though it maâ— invade the vital natural powers 〈◊〉 the body and suppress them one after another and at last break in upon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet that man 〈◊〉 GOD which dwells in the Body shall escape with his life Though the Tabernacle is cast down which is the worst our enemy can do yeâ— he that dwelt in it is removed to better As the Bird escapes out oâ— the snare of the Fowler so the soul iâ— death flies away with joy to her Maker The dissolving of the body to the Children of GOD is but the unfolding of the net and breaking open the Prison wherein they have been detained that so they may be delivered from that Captivity Here 's comfort in abundance for all those whose consciences can give evidence of their well-led lives And for those also whose peace is made with GOD through CHRIST by meanes of those two powerful Mediatours steadfast faith and unfained repentance The Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romanes gives us this assurance * Ro. 5.1 That being Justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ The efficacy of whose death effectually applyed to our souls will sufficiently season and sanctify death unto us For how can we possibly fear that enemy whom our Redeemer hath already conquered As in the battel betwixt our * Gen. 3. Saviour and Satan Satan's head was bruised and he did no more then tread on the heele of our Saviour so shall it be in the conflict of all his members By the power of the Lord Jesus we shall be more then Conquerours The * Ro. 16.20 God of our peace shall tread downe Satan under our feet There is a seed of immortal life in our soules which no power of the Enemy is ever able to overcome So soon as we lanch forth of this life we arrive at the blessed Haven of everlasting happynesse where there is a Glory for all those that are heires of
the Promise which is both infinite and incomprehensible 14. PARAGRAPH THus I have in some measure made it evident how advantageous the day of dissolution is to the Children of God and therefore cannot but wonder how any upon solid grounds can desire a continuance in this valley of tears especially if they consider also the many miseries and inconveniencies that aâ— incident both to soul and body iâ— this life and the irreconcileable enmity that is betwixt them in theâ— Conjunction As the Apostle Paul of serves in his Epistle to the Galation * Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusts against the spirit and 〈◊〉 spirit against the flesh and these 〈◊〉 contrary one to the other so that 〈◊〉 cannot do the things we would such and so many continued jarrâ—â— are betwixt them that they are evâ—â— prone to exhibit Articles of impeachment against each other The soul it complaines of that Original guilt and corruption which was translated upon humane nature through Adams transgression wherewith it was not tainted nor defiled as it came only from the Immaculate hands of its pure Creator And then again the soul saies had it been single without this earthly Partner it had never had that propension to sin nor that inclination to rebellious actings against the Majesty of Heaven nor that aversnes and indisposition to good Nor had its understanding as to those spiritual things which pertain to God been so eclipsed and benighted at the noon-day of such Glorious Dispensations Nor had it been lyable to such distracting cares and such discomposing passions which bring forth stormes and terrible Tempests that dayly threaten its ruine and destruction These such like complaints hath the soul against the body the spirit against the flesh There is amongst many more another particular which we have just cause to resent with much reluctancy This burden of flesh this house of clay retards our glory and for a time secludes us from our Celestiall Mansion * 2 Co. 5.1 6. For we know saies that Great Apostle that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of GOD an house not made with hands eternall in the Heavens And a little after that saies While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord from that Lord which inhabites that Celestiall house before mentioned to all eternity O! Of what excellent use it would be if we seriously considered that word ETERNITY It is of that extent that no men nor Angels are able to expresse being so farre beyond the reach of all conception For if all men in the world were exact Arithmeticeans and were imploied all their lives to adde number to number and multiply years the product of all their labours and the total summe of all their Accounts in respect of time would not carry the least proportion to ETERNITY Or if the mighty masse of whole earth were contracted into one heap all that translated into such sand as lies by the sea-shore one single small Bird would remove it all grain by grain before ETERNITY lookes towards an end Having already taken notice of those disadvantages that unavoidably attend us during the time that our souls and bodies are conjoined that is our pilgrimage in this world We have so little cause to keep our desires at a distance from our dissolution especially if we have any comfortable assurance of an interest in heaven that on the contrary we may justly rejoice when that day approaches and the houre drawes nigh wherein we shall be happily freed not onely from the guilt but also which to a good soul is fingular comfort the temptations and occasions of sinne Then shall that interposing veile be either made transparent or drawn quite from our eyes that we may with clearnesse and perspicuity discern the glorious sunshine of God's favour and passe under the tender appellation of dear Children and * Rom. 8.17 if children then heires heires of God and joint-heirs with Christ being freed from the spirit of bondage again to fear and filled with the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 15. PARAGRAPH ANd that we may be capable of such a Celestiall Estate It concernes us first to be truly humble to harbour a mean esteem of our selves and to set a rich value upon every mercy we receive and let the leat mercy which is more then we deserve be an engagement upon our soules to walke in a more constant course of Holynesse to the Glory oâ— HIM that is the Author of all ouâ— good That spirit is far from Christian that stands upon termes with his maker that dare look upon the least blessing with a disdainful aspect or upon the greatest crosse with indignation It is an humble soul and a meek spirit that are highly acceptable to God and where these dwell Grace ever attends them and that in a full measure He that hath a sense of his own unworthynesse and considers sinne as it offends the mercifull God of Heaven lookes upon every exemption from evil as a mighty mercy and every chastisement for sinne as a blessing And if precept will not engage us to be humble we have the most powerful and prevailing example that ever was exposed to imitation and that 's our Saviour Christ with what abundance of humility HE endured all HIS suffering Holy Writ makes plentiful mention Who then would not be willing to tread in his Saviours steps as knowing that it is the surest way to glory He that humbles himself shall undoubtedly be exalted as in the General Epistle of St. James * Jam. 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and HE shall lift you up And again God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble And that which will further conduce to our happinesse is a state of self-resignation He that in the midst of all adverse conditions can cast himselfe into the hands of his God shall not faile to find support and comfort HE best knowes how to dispose of us Natural men in their exigences are prone to make application and have recourse to those which have greater Authority and power then themselves though they have no assurance of relief from them but certainly they have no sense of their own happinesse that will not trust themselves with the Lord who does not only allow but sollicit their relyance on him Witnesse that Text in the Epistle to the Philippians * Phi. 4.6 Be careful saies the spirit of God for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God There is no affliction can possibly seize on us whereof our heavenly Father takes not strict notice and weighs every dramme thereof in the scale of his Divine Providence which I have before more particularly insisted on which consideration alone is sufficient to preserve our spirits from sinking He that can steadfastly believe needs not fear for he shall have deliverance
of due coâ—sideration of the vanity of earth things What considerate man woâ—â— doate upon that goblin honor tâ—â— cannot be fitter compared then 〈◊〉 meer shadow which upon the 〈◊〉 interposure of a cloud is quite gone without so much as leaving the least mention where it was To this purpose observe the words of a learned Author The same Sun saies he sees Haman adored in the Persian Court like some Earthly Deity and like some base vermine waving upon a Gibbet Do we see the great and glorious Cleopatra shining in the pompous Majesty of Egypt Stay but a while and you shall see her in the dust and her two children whom she proudly stiled the sun the moon driven like miserable Captives before the chariot of their Conquerour * Psal 49.12 Man being in honour abides not saith the Psalmist he perisheth but his greatnesse as more frail then he is oftimes dead and buried before him and leaves him the surviving executor of his own shame Much more of vanity might be discovered in this trifling shadow Honour Another thing which surprises the eye of the world is Beauty and that if rightly considered is but a sading flower which the revolution of one daies time beholds both its glory and ruine its birth and burial It 's no other then a light touch of natures tincture cast upon the skinne and how suddenly that's wiped off with a little sicknesse or other casualty experience tells us He that had the choise of many thousand faces as well as a plenitude of all other enjoyments could say towards the period of his Proverbs * Prov. 31.30 that favour is deceitful and beauty is vanity whereof wee may be very credulous since we know not a more valid authority then this of the wise-mans that will maintain the contrary Nor does Strength and Vigour of bodie which is more chiefly appropriated to our own sex carry with it a lesse proportion of frailty then the former for though we could susteine and hold it up to its ultimate tearm till hoary old age seize upon us Alas that 's but a short time it greetes us before we be aware often letting us know by its decaying effects that it hath us by the hand it shrivels our flesh that before was brawney weakens our sinues that lately were strong and criples our joints that were nimble and active and steales away though almost by insensible degrees that natural heat and vigorous warmth whereby every part became enlivened and comfortably refreshed But it may be observed that many times either solitary sicknesse or some wasting malady prevents the decayings and debilitations of age and so subjects the stoutest man to a low condition and pulls the strongest upon his knees causing him to confesse with the holy Preacher that * Eccles 11.10 youth as well as childhood is vanity Another thing which seizes many and hurries them headlong to their own ruine unless well grounded upon pious principles is an Excesse of worldly Pleasures which may not improperly be called vanity in the abstract a meer extempory flash far more imaginary then real which for the most part dies in the birth But admit them petmanent yet the consideration of those direful effects they produce administers matter enough for a loathing detestation of them ground enough to deterre every consciencious Christian from an eager pursuit after them or delight in them One would tremble to think what dangerous incendiaries they are to lust and that so emasculates all the powers of the soul that its noblest operations become brutish It begets a wanton eye a lascivious eare obscene talk unclean and filthy jests besides many other secret abominations not to be conceived without horrour much lesse to be mentioned Therefore if we look upon sensual pleasures as they are in themselves vain and transitory or in their vile consequenses base and impious they deserve not to have harbour in a sober mind but rather to be ejected and utterly banished from our thoughts as contemptible and unworthy of our notice Thus I have plainly laid down the vanity and short continuance of these last mentioned earthly felicities and we may be satisfyed that all other temporal enjoyments are subject to the same fate and mortality What can we fix our eyes upon that does not admonish us of our frailty Do not all our fellow-creatures dy for us or by us The brightsome cheerful day dissolves into dark and melancholy night The fruit-bearing-trees and other pleasant plants of the earth suffer an Autumnal nakednesse The beautiful face of that common mother of us all doth once in each twelve moneths time resemble death Oh! what a stupendious height of madness is it in any worthles miserable mortal to think he can extract a continuance of happiness out of an inch of time That Chymistry or sacred art is onely proper to him to whom all things are possible That Almighty power can draw forth the vast spaces of eternity out of a moment of time can contract the swelling Ocean into the compass of a nut-shell and the capacious Earth into a grain of sand and is able to accomplish those things which are tenne thousand degrees beyond the reach of all humane capacity and imagination Do we then upon serious consideration manifestly discern the fading transitorinesse of accumulated Riches of adored Honour of shining Beauty of vigorous Strength of delightful Pleasures yea and of Life it self and whatever else can be esteemed as dear and precious to us in this world and can we upon second thoughts so fix our hearts on them and doat after them as to be troubled and dejected with our parting from them Sure it betraies a great measure of folly in any one to bewaile and afflict himself for the losse of that which he knowes must certainly decay and vanish yet such is the nature and condition of earthly-minded-men whose wills are so vitiated affections misguided and understandings dark'ned that they cannot see further But wise Christians will value good things according to their continuance and therefore set their hearts upon those unspeakable and invissible comforts of a better life as knowing or at least truly believing that the things which are not seen are both happy and eternal Therefore let 's be perswaded as a counter-ballance to the Creatures vanity having already seen how fraile and transitory all outward and earthly enjoyments are though their enticements be never so many and seem to hold forth promises of a faire and pleasing nature stead fastly so six our soules on those things which are of a more Celestiall concernment those inestimable Riches that are treasured up in heaven where neither moth nor ruff can ever possibly corrupt nor theeves breake through and steale which are beyond all thoughts of diminution or decay Oh that we could satisfy our selves with an holy and humble contemplation of those unspeakable and unparallell'd joies wherewith the glorifyed Saints and Angels are perpetually happied and whereof