language bearding the Ministers and saying thou lyest thou limb of Antichrist thou son of the whore of Babylon thou deceiver of the people and thou persecutor of us thou sayest the Scriptures be the Word of God which we deny thou sayest men have originall corruption after grace which wee deny thou saist we are not perfect but we are thou saist our spirit is not infallible from the light within us but that infalliability we do and shall still maintain Now my beloved Reader farr be it from any well principled soul to bee moved or shaken with any such imposters 1 Tim. 6.10 1 Tim. 1.19 to err from the faith or to hearken to such Apostates who are reprobate concerning the faith Oh let none be bewitched with such a generation of men so diabollically enchaunted but let 's from time to time have recourse unto our ground-work laid out before us in the Word and let 's call to mind what was our judgment before these errors and blasphemies did so daringly stare us in the face again let us well consider what was the judgment of the ancients viz. of solid sincere Christians and orthodox Martyrs who dyed in and for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the exhortation of the blessed Apostle 2. Tim. 1.13 holding fast the form of sound words in faith and love Where the Apostle would have these two things 1. That our judgments and understandings be clear and evidentiall giving faith and credit unto the divine authority of those grounds of truth which are founded upon the holy Scriptures bearing witness to them 2. That our love unto the truth of Christ be entire for those who are not thus soundly grounded in their understandings and judgments do lye open to Jesuitick frauds and may be easily deceived by them who lye in wait to that purpose Eph. 4 14. Act. 20.30 of whom we have some sprung up among our selvs and those likewise who receive not the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 nor in love to Christ as the holy and pure the powerfull Rom 1.16 and wonder-working Word of God to save souls such I say may easily fall away albeit they may be full of other learning and have attained excellent parts for such have been highly esteemed much praised of men and much used in the Church of God Thus much of the second branch viz. to be well principled in matters of religion 3. An holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death in in every Simeon Quest Consider what death is to such Answ It is a degree of happiness yea an inlet to full happiness before when none could be said to bee happy but when a Christian shall meditate that death is an haven after much fowl weather Acts 2.26 Psal 16. Rev. 14.13 Mat. 25.34 1 Pet. 5.4 Rev. 2.10 Rev. 21.4 a bed of rest after sore labour a taking possession of our glorious inheritance nay of inthroning with a Crown of Glory and the putting an end to all groans complaints and sins the dismissing of a blessed soul out of a loathsome prison and when he shall meditate that death is but the putting off of old rotten ragged cloaths our day of Jubilee with many more heads of sweet meditation how will he who would prepare to dye wel be fitting himself with deepest considerations what course hee must take to dye happily These meditations carry gold in their wings and are strong Rhetoricians to perswade a poor dying creature Act. 8.37 Rom. 10.10 Gal. 2.20 o believe in the Lord Jesus with all his heart to live in the faith and to live by the faith of the Lord Jesus who hath loved him and given himself for him 2 Tim. 4.7 1 Tim. 1.19 Isa 38.3 to keep faith and a good conscience towards God and men and to walk before God in truth as Hezekiah did with a perfect heart these divine meditations bee of excellent use to open and set before uâ— all the sweet covenant-mercies assured to the godly in death to unclaspe the book of all the consolations and divine promises and to fill the soul with a wonderfull longing and desire upon desire after those sweet enjoyments 2 Tim. 4.8 which be laid up for the Saints at the happy dissolution of soul and body Come on then immortall soul and by holy meditation now and then walk with death half an hour and say Oh death I must come into thy quarters and territories shortly But Oh the atheisme the pride of heart and infidelity which like a dung-heap wreaks up abominable stink at the perceiving of which my heart doth tremble and I am horribly afraid Oh that I could spend the remainder of my days in weeping and ringing of my hands and in tearing off the hair of my head but yet what will that avail mee but Oh death mind me rather yea O Father of mercies possess my soul of true repentance and with an humble prostration of my self at the foot-stool of thy mercy-seat restlessly crying mercy mercy Oh death minde mee how inexorable thou art and that I may bee truly humbled and that the great God of heaven will not be dallied withall Gal. 6.7 at the hour of death Oh death what is the matter that thou art so terrible No may death say I am terrible only unto hypocrites and unbelievers Rom. 6.23 Lu 12.46 Rev. 21.8 1 Cor. 15.55 to wicked and unprepared souls others do and may take comfort in my approaches to them well knowing that I have no sting in my hand no victory or conquest over them but am a friendly harbinger to receive them unto a blessed peace who dye in the Lord after when they shal sin no more nor shall need to repent Rev. 14.13 nor weep nor fear death any more Rev. 7.17 nay death may tell thee shee is thy approved friend and that shee will be the death and burial of all thy foes corruptions â—fflictions of all thy cares thy fears thy tears adversaries will put a finall end to all thy conflicts and encounters Thus in thy meditation of death remember that to be young and flourishing is no priviledge against death nor to be beautiful nor to be rich nor to be strong nor to be learned nor to be beloved of Kings and Princes nay remember that no time no place no presence no power no business is any security against death yet alas the most dye sooner then they did expect and before they were well provided and in thy mediâ—ation of death and conversing with it whatsover be thy outward comforts and glory as honours lands goodly houses men and maid-servants attending friends or companions making merry with thee as Belshazzars Princes yet when death comes like the sun-set Dan. 5.1 all must and will extinguish and depart though relations sadly weep and howle never so loudly about us when they see us speechless and throatling cold-sweating and strugling for life
flesh 1. Jo. 2.16 the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life with troubles of divers kinds with discontents every moment under the emptinesse of the creature the groaning creature which we do too much rely upon besides what troubles what wants what feares what doubts what losses what crosses is every day filled up withall what malice and envie from the men of the world for godlyness sake if but in appeareance Ps 35.19 What slanders lyes and mischievous reports shall be vented and sent abroad to blur and cloud a gratious conversation As David complaines of mischiefe divised and contrived against him a poor innocent without any cause on his part What unrighteousnesse oppressions what self-seekings what vain-glory confusions divisions what rendings of Christs seameles coat enough to make any good Simeons heart to ake and his eyes like the pool of Heshbon to stand full of tears of water and under all these abominations as branches of the curse together with the vanity all things are exposed vnto even the unreasonable creatures do groan yea Rom. 8.22.23 the whole creation groaneth together under its vanity and the dear servants of God cannot but be very sensible and be willing to draw forth their desires after that glorious liberty and happier condition laid up for them in the safe hands of Simeon's Lord. Nay this good old man had learned under what vanity all things below Christ did groan how far from home they were and under how perillous and sojourning a condition How obvious they lay to the grudgings of the worlds Naballs and how their ears are daily beaten with the barkings of balaamitish curs who drive designes to set the world their earthy god above Jesus Christ these things ran much in Simeons heart Besides the personall evils and sufferings of decrepit old age of languishing sickness under a world of bodily infirmities the seizure of mortall diseases which do ascertain death not to be farr of And although we know that we must dye yet wee know not how soon The pinching pains and incessant dolours of a worn-out decaied body at the best but of a crazy constitution supported like an old house with the propps and buttresses of art and nature ready every moment to fall about our ears making us wish in the morning Deu. 28.67 would God it were even and at even would God it were morning All which laid to heart makes blessed Simeon desire to dye and live no longer but to dye in the arms of mercy no matter how soon to wish to sigh to groan and heartily to long for a principle of faith and hope to depart in peace Good old Simeons desire is the desire of restlesness after that which is above all desirable even rest and salvation in Heaven with the people of God who rest from their labours Rev. 14.13 and their works follow them Ah soul had'st thou but a sweet taste of this blessed rest remaining to the people of God! Heb. 4.9 Gal. 5.22 hadst but the fruits of the Spirit in any gracious measure thou wouldest bid all adieu and couldest willingly part with all on earth such as honour pleasures profits friends neerest and dearest relations with all thy earthly interests and contentments yea with all thy lands revenues and life it self and wouldest sigh and groan within thee as old Simeon did after the fuller enjoyment of thy Lord and dearest Christ waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of thy body 3. A desire of Contentment 3. a desire of contentment Rev. 12.1 Good old Simeon hath enough of life Rev. 12.1 being clothed with the Sun hee can now tread the moon under his feet And as Saint Paul have a low esteem of all things beneath Christ Phil. 3.8 and can say Psa 116.7 as David Return to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And hence doth gracious Simeon desire to acquiesce in his Lord and to dye by his statutum est who is life it self to possesse him possessing whom he is assured to possesse all things therefore said well-contented Simeon Lord let me be translated hence in thy good time to be inseperably with thee to all eternity 4. of Admiration 4. A desire of admiration Simeon might well admire the glory and excellency of that Salvation on which his eye of faith was so fixed and stand amazed Malac. 4.2 at the raies of this Sun of righteousness which shines not into every soul and saith Oh! the pretiousness of this salvation which is so attractive as to draw out my soul out of my body my soul and body out of this present evill world but for blessed ends blessed be thou my Lord that I may worship thee in Heaven as the four beasts did and the four and twenty elders when they fell dow before the Lamb And sung a new son saying Revel 3.9 thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Blessing honour glory and power be unto him and unto the Lamb for ever and ever So much in answer to the two Questions 1. What this sight is 2. What this desire of Simeon is Reasons why all Christ-seeing Simeons may desire to dye Because old Simeon found himself delivered from the curse of the first Covenant Gen. 2.14 which was eternall death as it holds proportion with the blessing in Paradise eternall life and he found himself delivered from the wrath to come by him who was to dye and to destroy him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 Job 33.24 He found himself delivered from going down into the pit death was in it self the sentence of the law and the recompence of an offended God but old Simeon found the jaws of death broken and this beast of prey now becomes unable to hold him no more then it was able to hold Jesus Christ and therefore all Simeons may insult in their death over death and say Hosea 31.14 used by the Apostle 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Death doth deliver us from and periodize all wrongs vices infirmities bodily pains and labours all the piercing cares of this life and all vain pleasures As after Noah had been tossed but one year upon the waters Gen. 8.4.20 how glad was he to land on Mount Ararat so old Simeon after many years wearisome days and nights fluctuating on the waters of worldly perturbations O how glad was the good old man of a resting place where he could say hîc ero salvus as the long sick man did write upon his grave stone hîc ero sanus Reason 2 Because
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
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
nevertheless upon his own errand to glut and satiate his pride and ambition verse 7. therefore saith the text he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so but it is in his heart to destroy and out off nations not a few For hee faith are not my Princes altogether Kings Is not Calno as Carchemish is not Hamath as Arpad is not Samaria as Damascus shall I not as I have done into Samaria and her Idols so do to Jerusalem and her Idols c. The like I might say of rayling Rabshakeh and cursing Shimei they intending one thing and God intending another according to the counsell of his own will thus he gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Isa 42.24 Now as in the days of our life so when we come to dye we must look over our estates and review all our outward things and search narrowly into our receits and in come that whatsoever unrighteousness hath brought in whatever oppression wrong and injustice hath accumulated to our wealth we must charge upon our selves and not only repent before God but make restitution to the parties injured if we know them or else in generall to the Church and poor who are Gods receivers in such cases as did Zacheus Luk. 19.8 behold Lord said that good man in the day of his repentance The half of my goods I give unto the poor and if I have taken any thing from any man by fals accusation I restore him four fold It would bee too long to consider what restitution is who must restore and when yet a word or two very briefly 1. What restitution is Restitution is an act of Justice not arbitrary but necessary as the law provided and as the casuists and civillians do agree 2. Who must restore The deteiner so justice both divine and humane doth require and Gods law stands stil in force upon that soul that doth not his best by repentance and restitution to prevent the Justice of it Many rich men do fill their houses with the spoils of the poor Isa 3.14.15 and prey upon the needy making their advantages out of the poors necessities as many buyers and sellers biting usurers oppressing land-lords who live by an unlawfull calling or unlawfully in their calling Poor wretch how canst thou be ready to dye and put thy house in order Mic 6.10 who hast as Micah speaks the treasures of wickedness in thy house some it may be hundreds some thousands wrapped up in their estates of which if every bird had his feather every other man had his own little or nothing would be thine Oh! this will pinch close one day and gnaw hard upon the consciences of gripulous fists and great gainers who have made too much hast to be rich when in obedience unto divine command they must make restitution before they can truly repent or dye preparedly This is Durus sermo to all sacrilegious Cormorants who devoure the Churches patrimony and do take God's Deo-datum's to themselves Such devourers must make restitution else it will be a snare to devoure holy things 3. When we must restore Answ Speedily as when Abimelech rose early to restore Sara to Abraham Say not come again to morrow Gen. 20.8 Deut. 24.13 when we do repent till when we cannot say we have truly repented the Scripture saith to day before to morrow that is with all due conveniency when thou art setting thy house in order with Zâ—cheus then set penitentially upon the work Oh! tarry not till death compell thee to part with all because thou couldst not detain them longer The godly wise and holy ancients say no restitution no remission and then no promise of pardon no hope of mercy nor good acceptance of any duty else Who is in a capacity to restore and doth not is out of heavens way If the wicked give again that that hee hath robbed the Prophet saith he shall surely live Ezech. 33.15 and not dot dye therefore in setting thy house in order make restitution least it's want shall make void Jam. 5.1.2 shal curse and blast all the rest God shall cross thy will and deny to bless those goods and lands which thou bequeathest to thy heirs and legators Judas seemed very conscious of this sin Mat. 27.4.5 therefore he quickly brought again the thirty pieces of silver which he had so wickedly gotten but yet Judas could not find pardon then what wil such do who come short of Judas Possibly thou talkest of setling thy estate by gift deed will or otherwise and so committest thy soul to God and thy ill gotten goods into the hands of heirs and executors but be not deceived God will not be mocked such heirs shall not bee the better but the worse and such goods have a curse in them Deut. 28. and shall prove so to the generation that shall come after thee who may truly say 16 17 18. God hath cursed our friends bounty and blessings Mal. 2.2 Object But to salve all somewhat is given to the poor somewhat to the Ministers some boons at the funerall and somewhat to pious uses for ever But all this will not deceive the all-knowing God to steal a pound and give a penny therefore said the Father Dare te put as tollere noli thou think-thou givest when thou first robbest and takest away give saith Austin but be sure thou give of thine own else thou canst not set thy house in good order to dye I have been somewhat longer in this because so many millions of men in our age do in all probability dye desperately in this particular The Lord open the eyes of the living seriously to lay these things to heart 4. To whom restitution is to be made 5. Vpon what account it must be Ans To the persons to whom the wrong is done if he be dead or cannot be heard of then to him or them to whom it shall be due by law Thus Naomi did perform the office of a kinsman unto Ruth she being the next of the posterity of the dead Ruth 3. ver 2. Upon what account must restitution be made Ans Not as alms benevolence or charity but as an act of just restitution Not as a free gift but as a due debt and as that which God calls for which law and conscience calls for to have done as that which is the right of theirs to whom wee make restitution In many cases injuries are so done by the cunning sleight of deceivers by fraud and policy and so would up with deceitfull hearts and sleight of hand and witty contrivances that the laws of nations and common wealths cannot find out means to give every one his own but the all-seeing God knows what is unjustly done though it be in the dark and he looks that in the day of our repentance and preparation to dye blessedly that we make just restitution what possibly wee may And in the day thereof we must not
dye I must O my celestiall soul tho halt also great cause to curse thy wretched body for being so ill a servant to thee so pretious a piece of Gods creation in that thou art now affraid to depart at thy great Lords command As the parting of soul body is violent and very sad so more sable shall be their meeting at the resurrection when the sin-accusing conscience shal deliver up soul and body to the righteous judge of quick and dead Act. 10.42 when that judg shal deliver the guilty sinner and the law shall judge and bind him over to death eternall and to hell where the worm dyet not Esa 66.24 Mark 9.43.44 and the fire never goes out but must abide an eternity of weeping howling and gnashing of teeth Pretious Saint far otherwise and â—ull of blisse is the state of every blessed Simeons soul and body in the approach and very article of death when he shall sweetly sing or use this Prosopopoeia or words to the same effect Thou body of mine the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thee in thy departure in thy death and in thy grave for hee hath shut thine eyes and bound thy jaws and bid thee abide a while in peace bee thou content to sleep in death and to rest in hope on such a bed of roses for er'e long thy dust and clay shall live and thou shalt arise with Christ's blessed body Isa 26.19 thou that dwellest in the dust shalt awake sing for thy dew is as the dew of herbs the earth shal cast out the dead in her And thou my happy soul shalt return a glorified soul to be united for ever to thy incorruptible immortall and glorified body to be joined to the great Congregation in heaven where God Christ and the Spirit and all Angelicall natures shal for ever honour thee and all other glorified ones with that very glory which Christ Jesus had with the Father John 17. before the world was Suffer this exhortation then I beseech you to take hold on your hearts sweetly to submit to your all-wise God and Father even in every state and condition of life and death which I shal amplifie under these three heads 1. Of health 2. Of sickness 3. Of death 1. In our health and prime of our life whil'st green and flourishing like a bay tree must be an holy resignation of our selves into the hands of so good a God Eccl. 12.1 1 Chron. 28. betimes wee must remember our Creator in the days of our youth then we must learn to know the Lord God of our fathers as good David gives in counsell to his young son Solomon and this submission must bee a totall resigning of soul and body to the Lord a lesson not taught in any school below heaven none of the Moralists none of the Philosophers could attain it being onely found in the school of grace which among other things doth teach Psal 34.9 10. Mat. 28. 20. 2 Cor. 12.9 Isai 41.10 Isai 33.16 that no good thing shall be wanting unto such and that bee our condition never so strait yet God and Christ are with us and his grace shall be sufficient for us he will uphold us and help us with the right hand of his righteousness and our amunition is made of rocks in pregnable round about us Isai 27.9 and lastly God will so order all his good providences for us that they shall all work together for our good as Israel's pressures in Egypt Joseph's casting into the pit and twice selling to bee a slave as the rod of Ashur and the furnace of Babylon Now in thy submission to the good pleasure of thy heavenly Father thou must not be over hasty after fruition but with an holy patience must possesse thy soul during thy stay in this world for as thou so those fore-named promises have their set determinations by an unchangeable decree as Noah's time in the Ark Gen. 8. Job 14.14 and Job waits his appointed time all his days and so did Simeon here in the text 2. In sickness wee must submit to the Lord's visitation and say Lord it is thy hand and thy holy wil be done in me upon me I wil use the Physitian a good ordinance of thine but I will recumb in thee alone I will honour the Physitian for my necessity but I do commend my self to thy all-wise dispose who if thou shalt please to add to my days and to piece out my frail life a little longer I will by the assistance of thy grace indeavour to live and to be an instrument of thy praise but shalt thou see it good to end my pilgrimage and to take me home Oh that 's best I will sing Hallelujahs to thee for ever But by the way consider the poor and the Lord will strengthen thee upon the bed of languishing Psal 41.1.3 10. and will make all thy bed in thy sickness and bee mercifull to thee and raise thee and requite thee men may visit thee deceitfully flatteringly speaking good words unto thee and whispering evill in their own bosom and say when shal he dye v. 5. v. 8. and his name perish an evil disease say they cleaveth fast to him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more but the Lord shall visit thee upon the bed of sickness with a visit speaking pardon of sin peace of conscience thy reconciliation to himself with joy in the holy Ghost even joy unspeakable and full of glory Giving to the poor though it be thy duty Pro. 19.17 yet it is called a lending to the Lord who will repay it with more consideration then the principal it self Thou puttest thine almes into the poor mans hand and the Lord makes thee payment ten thousand-fold into thy heart and soul But least I be thought to digresse this sick man or woman must submit patiently readily unto the gracious hand of the all-wise Lord God and that in the name and worthinesse of his sweet saviour Jesus Christ devoutly praying as David did in the words of faith Psal 71.1 In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion Deliver me in thy righteousness Correct me not in thine anger O Lord nor rebuke me not in thine indignatioÌ„ Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.2 heal me O Lord for my bones are vexed Psal 22.11 Bee not far from me for trouble is nigh at hand lay no more on me then thou shalt give me strength to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 Cast me not away when my strengh faileth mee and so will the Lord answer Because he hath set his love upon me Psal 71.9 therefore will I deliver him I will be with him in trouble Psal 91.14.15.16 I will deliver him and honour him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation And for thy comfort know who hast a mansion with God that thy God
and father doth ordinarily fit his children for death in their sickness presenting to them the unloveliness and vanity of all things below the blessed interest which the Saints do enjoy in their Christ the happy change which they do make who dye in the armes of their Jesus and that such shall for ever be quit of all sinfull society yea of sinfull flesh no longer to abide among dead men nor among the tombs of dead ones shall never have cause to hang up their harpes upon Babylons Willows tree Ps 137.2 never be interrupted in singing our Hebrew song and therefore doth our gracious Father in sickness and otherwise open the narrow hearts and deaf ears of Simeons souls and then speak to them saying come my pretious ones suffer me now to dispose of you let me new mould you and transfigure you for your disease and so dear heart I do First make thee weary of thy body of death weary of the worlds blandishments and painted glory and weary of thy sinfull selfe Secondly I do sanctifie every pain and grief every crosse and trouble and make them become sanctified mercies Ps 131.2 whiles I do wean thee to be lesse in love with things below nay I cause that every decay of thy naturall strength every dimnesse of thy eye every dulnesse of thy ear every weakness and sicknesse of thy natural body shall tend to such a blessed change that at last the soul and body are made willing to depart for a time to attain unto Phil. 1.22 and enjoy a glorified cure Thirdly I do not only prepare thee to this submission but I do also make thee desire and long to dye I do so spiritualize and order thy soul that sicknesse shall be as welcome to thee as health death as life to thee who livest upon God in God and to God Dost want health of body I do satisfie thee with health of soul art near to death be it so then thou art nearer to life even a glorious blessed and eternall life sick man I am thy Lord God and I do assure thee by thy interest in my self through my son I am better to thee then ten healths as Elkanah was to Hannah then ten sons 1 Sam. 1.8 I am better to thee then many lives thy life here was but a breath or rivullet of life but in thy death thou art admitted to live for ever in him Joh. 14.6 Ps 36.9 who is life it self and to thee the fountain of life Fourthly in sickness the Lord speaks to his holy ones to be of good chear from the deep meditation of the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Joh. 1.16 from the fulness al◠sufficiency of Jesus Christ their dearest friend their Lord King who coms leaping skipping over the mountains to solace himself in and with them whom he had so wonderfully delivered from the dens of Lyons Cant. 2.8 Cant. 4.8 and mountains of Leopards or what else hath been formidable to them Come look on me and to me lean and rely on me pour out thy soul into my bosome Isa 45.22 Mic. 7.7 who will assuredly give her sweet repose untill the great day of my second coming Cant. 8.5 Act. 7.59 when thou shalt be received soul and body to be for ever in mansions of eternall glory Cant. 3.11 to keep a most triumphant Jubilee with the Lord for ever Mal. 3.17 Act. 3.19 3. In death wee must submit to our Lord Joh. 14.2 3 and that in two things In the approach Act. 7.54 c. and point of death Precious soul in the approach of death Heb. 11. 2 Chron. 6.42 Ps 25.6 Ps 119.49 Psa 22.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7.25 act faith in the Lord Jesus as Stephen did and as those Martyrs did faith will plead thy covenant-interest and perswade to roll thy self upon the free grace of God so fully represented in the promises faith bids thee look on thy Lord and saviour interceding thy cause at heavens throne Set hope on work to take faster anchor-hold on Jesus Christ Psal 18.2 Deut 32.4.31 2 Sam. 22.47 Ps 62.2.7 Ps 89.26 Ps 39.13 the rock of thy salvation Set prayer on work and pour out thy soul saying O Lord spare a little till I may recollect my self and bee sweetly composed to rejoyce in the approach of my my change Lord give me to welcome death with all ready entertainment as Gods messenger to deliver me from my prison Ps 142.7 Job 4.19 and house of clay wherein my celestiall soul the espouse of Christ is confined and imprisoned and say O Christ I come Luke 16.22 Lord Jesus send some of thy blessed Angels to receive carry my soul into Abrahams bosom as one of the fathers doth personate a dying Saint O holy trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost which in unity of nature art one the self-same God into thy hands I do commend my spirit into thy hands O blessed Saviour my King my priest and my Prophet do I recommend my self unto thee sweet Jesus do I a dying servant of thine come who camest into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief unto thee blessed Lord who wast conceived and born of the virgin Mary sufferedst diedst was buried and laid under the power of death Acts 1.24 for me to alleviate my death and make it stinglesse and curs-lesse who wast raised up from the dead didst miraculously ascend art now set down at thy fathers right hand for me to come again at the end of the world to be judge of all men Angels even to be my judg to justifie absolve me before all the world and to invest me a poor and miserable creature with that very glory which thy humane nature hath now in heaven and which thy self hadst with the Father before the world was into thy hands gracious redeener into thy hands O eternall spirit do I recommend my self who dost even ravish my heart by applying and sealing all the Covenant-goodnesse and gracious promises of life and of salvation even to me even now about to breath out my last breath of life Thus dying soul in thy submission un-thy Lord God set faith hope and prayer on work Quest The learned have a question whether the Saints in death do fear death having cōmission in some cases of persecution in one City to flye unto another and Christ saying Mar. 10. go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not Act 9.25 and Saint Paul escaped out at a window at the fear of death and Christ himself often shunned the Scribes and Pharisees and Rulers who sought to kill him Joh. 7.1 1 King 19.3 so did David shun Saul and Elias the wicked instruments of wicked Ahab and Jezebell Answ To all which I answer that 't is not simply unlawfull to