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
thy consolation as Simeon did sigh long for weep pray Joh. 2.8 Mat. 5.12 Heb. 10.35 Heb. 11.36 Luk. 16.22 Joh. 14.2.3 Hab. 2.3 and sit down in patience many wearisome dayes nights weekes months and yeares before the great and promised reward before the bosome of Abraham the mansion prepared or the vision of God comes but at last it comes and tarries not then bear up tossed back a while Christ is with thee in the ship Mat. 8.26 and thou canst not miscarry and in his appointed time shall be thine eeverlasting calme Go on then blessed soul in the strength of the Lord fear no death but comfort thy heart with the things already apprehended Phil. 3.13 and with infinite more behind concerning which observe the blessedness of such as die in the Lord. Rev. 14.13 1. The matter of this blessednes God enjoyed 2. The manner the beholding Gods face The matter lies in the glorious manifestation of God's majesticall presence Deu. 5 4. a little glimps whereof Israell had in the mount Exod. 33. vlt. Isa 6.5 and Moses when God put him into a clift of a rock and shewed him his back parts and the prophet Esai when he cryed out woe is me I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hostes These did not neither could see Gods face and live but some thing God shewed to their understandings out of which they did conclude as they were able the greatnesse glory and majestie of God's presence but after death the blessed saints of God shal see more of God viz face to face and know as they are known 1 Cor. 3.12 of which more in the next 2. The manner of a saints beholding God is by an immediat and angelicall knowledg of the essentiall glory of the Lord God almighty and by a full enjoyment of the great Jehovahs beatificall presence Then shall we see the likenesse of God or see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 and then shall we know and see him to in an immediat union to and communion with God this is that which the godly-wise have much studied viz the matter manner of the saints happiness after death which I shall endevour to set out a little more 1. And so it is called light and life Psal 36.9 Col. 1..12 as the Psalmist a fountain of life in which we shall see light which is there opposed to the darknesse of condemnation not an amazing light Acts. 9. as was Sauls at his conversion but a rejoicing light and a glorious light inabling us to look with undazling eyes upon the sun of righteousnesse in the face It is called a kingdom which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Luke 22.29 whether we are admitted free denisons under celestiall priviledges A kingdom without stirrs commotions or the least alterations not once needing councells nor armes Rev. 21.23 nor the light of the moon nor the sun but the lamb shall be the light thereof It 's called a crown in a fuller sence then any crown else Kings their crownes may be of gold Rev. 2.10 1 Cor. 9.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 4.8 but this a crown of life a crown incorruptible a crown of righteousness which shall never bee taken off the heads of the saints but they shall reign crowned forever in their inheritance of infinite extent 1 Pet. 1.5 and reserved in heaven for them as before 2 Cor. 5.1 It 's an eternall house not subject to dilapidations nor to be amended by reparations nor additions a house full of all provisions Luk. 22.30 even to satiety and fulnesse full of joyful company such as the glorious Trinity blessed saints and Angels full of plesant melody perfect harmony and one continued feast of glory Psal 16. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the very right hand of God Sure I am this will comfort all Simeons in their desire to die And now to set out the manner a little more also how this blessed vision of God is communicated after death Godly and learned divines have wont to gather it from the analogie of Scriptures It 's a vision of intelligence wee shall see him saith the Scripture John 3.2 that is we shall know him spiritually and celestially without the least interposition of any cloud upon our understanding We shall know him saith the Scripture immediatly 1 Cor. 13.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 2.9 and not through a glass as below where believers see him who is invisible not through any lattesse but we shal be with him within the heavenly house of his glory and be ful of God as I may say and full of Christ and full of the Holy Ghost and never see night or darkness more Rev. 22.5 for God himself will bee all unto us and we shall reign with Christ for ever Soul doth not this use of consolation seat very high and canst chuse but with Simeon to desire to dye Psal 32.11 and to be glad in the Lord and rejoyce evermore All that I will add shal be this blessed soul thy glory shall be satisfactory and filled up to the top yea it shall mount above all thy desires In thy everlasting acquiescence and tranquility In thy eternall pleasures and consolation Rev. 7.17 First thy tranquility shal overflow as a mighty river at thy beholding the face of God Rev. 21.4 all enemies shall be destroyed Heb. 4.9 all perturbations shal finally cease Rev. 14.13 This is the rest and peace of all holy Simeons The second is thy eternal pleasure and sweet consolation which also floweth from the blessed beholding of Gods face Such shall be the Saints delight in God In thy presence Lord saith the Psalmist is fulnesse of joy not a mixed joy as of the Church on earth like the sweet smell of the prickie rose which somtimes runs into the flesh but like the joy of the Angels at the birth of Christ Luk. 2.10.13.14 who sang without interruption saying glory to God on highest on earth peace good will towards men Pleasure and joy in heaven be inviolable no man can take it away Joh. 16.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 19.1.3.6 Rev. 14.3 Exo. 15.1 Rev. 15.3 ever full of the sweetness and blessedness which is in God himself praising and magnifiing God with everlasting hallelujahs and singing the song of Moses and of the lamb without ceasing to all eternity Come pretious servant of God is not thy hony-combe full yet doth not this cup of consolation overflow Didst ever think in the daies of thy vanity when thou wast moved to look into thy wretched estate and damnable condition that thou mightest get out of that gall of bitterness Acts 8.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and bond of iniquitie and when moved with the matchles love of God with the sweetnesse and fulnesse of God in Christ laid
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
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
my soul is yet alive alive to God in Jesus Christ and with old Simeon you are daily singing forth this Cantionem Cygneam Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Lo the budding of Simeon's Almond tree one bud is Simeon is a volunteer to death not dragged thither by fatall necessity nor his soul thrust out of doors with a violent hand but willing now or when-ever his Master shall please So good Old Abraham dyes in a good old age full of years and full of grace scarce an empty corner in his soul both instances had enough of days and years therefore did breathe and pant after eternity And now celestiall soul hearken a while and you shall hear the Spirit of Christ sweetly whispering Arise my love my dove my fair one and come away why tarriest thou To whom the redeemed doth joyfully answer Be it so O blessed Saviour I do only tarry thy leisure I come Lord I come but in thy time and according to thy Word not before mean while Lord help me to act faith in thy rich promises and in a blessed reliance of most holy recumbency to sit at the footstool of thy great mercy admiring the honour thou do'st to all thy holy ones and magnifying thy grace to thy Saints differing onely in degrees from glory for grace is glory militant and glory is grace triumphant And to conclude Honourable SIR Holiness in heart and life is greater honour then to be born the son of a King for the holy ones of the Lord have as it were the blood Royall of heaven running in every vein and the remembrance of every such one after death is as a pretious ointment powred out or as the smell of the Wine of Lebanon bear up then souldier of Christ against all discouragements in your journial towards heavenly Canaan what if you do meet with temptations and trialls nay with fiery Serpents in the way follow your Captain Christ Jesus who for the joy and crown set before him did endure the Crosse and despise the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the most high Wonder not O warrier of Christ if bullets of temptations and fire balls of hellish terrours threaten to destroy your faith which if they hit they cannot hurt you Jesus Christ in whom we are more then conquerours takes all the blows and gives you most insultantly to triumph over them and to read down ally our spirituall adversaries and to be gainers by them all in the day of your blessed change when you shall bee clothed upon with the same glory which Christ himself had from the Father by speciall donation and the very day of your death you shall be with Christ in Paradise as a Bride welcomed by the Bridegroom when your honour shall for ever sit with the King of Saints in heavenly places congratulated by innumerable Angells and by the generall Assembly and Church of the first born enrolled in heaven by the spirits of just men made perfect and with whom your blessed self shall make one saying Hallelujah salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God Amen Hallelujah Yours FINIS Books lately printed for Tho. Parkhurst c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming virtue and formal duties And the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between 2. The blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the Unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had By that late burning and shining Lamp Mr Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Somerset Folio Mr. John Cotton his practical Exposition on the first Epistle to John second Edition corrected and inlarged in Folio A Theatre of flying Insects wherein especially the manner of right ordering the Bee is excellently described with discourses H storical and Physical concerning them with a second part of Meditations and Observations Theological and Moral in 3 Centuries upon the same subject by Samuel Purchas M. A. in 40. Catechizing God's Ordinance in sundry Sermons by Mr. Zachary Crofton Minister of Buttolphs Aldgate London the second Edition corrected and augmented A Religious Treatise UPON Symeon's Song OR Instructions advertising how to Live Holily and Die Happily LUKE 2.29 30. 29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word 30. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation SIMEON here may be stiled God's white Swan Eccl. 12.5 singing his owne Epitaph now in the time when his Almond-tree did sweetly blossom It is Simeons Funeral Song Cantus F◠nebris of which Songs I onely finde two in Scripture so sadly do the most lay down this Earthly Tabernacle when as the dear Saints of God should then rejoyce with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 and full of Glory You read of one in the Old Testament and that was good Old Moses 120. Deu. 31.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 30 Duter 32. through out yeares old who calleth his instructions before his death giving to the people a song which he requireth to be written for the use of the Children of Israel when the Lord should put a period to his days on earth The second was Simeons Song here whose days were protracted till he should see the Lord 's Christ bodily Galatians and spiritually at once Both great men and honourable as say the Ecclesiasticall Histories both Holy and Godly men Moses was God's Servant and so was Simeon Both honoured with a Religious and Blessed memoriall Moses dies with fixed eyes upon true Canaan but Simeons eyes are fixed upon Christ The Spirit of God knowes as well the time of our Spirituall joyes as of our effectuall calling and the actings of our repentance and of our Faith See here this good old man is now excited to take the opportunity to act his own joy to personate that which believers should act much more then they doe namely to look believingly on the Lord Jesus their joy and consolation as Simeon did Who First took him up in his armes whom he had before entertained in his heart and so is even raptured in the superabounding love of his Lord Christ the blessedest arme-full that ever the good Old man had in all his life Observe that Simeon declares his joy by a Holy Elegie off blessing God for this so magnificent and long expected a mercy as this sight did contein That he looks of all else and will needs die out of hand to be forever in the possession of this beatificall Vision Observe the forme of the holy Elogy verses 29 30 31 32. called Simeons Song as if he had said I fear not sin nor dread I death I have lived enough I have my Life I have seen enough I have my light I have sorrowed enough
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
all blessed Simeons do see their salvation future as present so doth faith prevent time and is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Luk. 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house as when Christ called Zacheus from the tree salvation is actually begun then in a believing soul who is said to have his conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 while he is below Whence he looked for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.18 And when death comes believers do not dye but sleep nothing of them dyes but their sins their imperfections and afflictions yea the very being of sin is done away as when the house is pulled into pieces all the ivy roots in the wall are destroyed Reason 3 Death opens a door to believers to be received into Christs armes into the bosome of glory Our loosing from the body is to be joyned to Christ 2 Cor. 5.8 and that is very sweet here is a mysticall union to Christ but no glorious presence no that 's the crowning mercy which is kept till after death Now judge you here you are a prison there enlarged here you are absent from your head your husband your Lord and King eternal but by death the soul is put into the hands of the blessed Angells and by them is presented to Jesus Christ to be for ever with the Lord in glory This Simeon foresaw and therefore said Lord now lettest c. Which dvides itself into these Reason 4 three heads 1. The conflict between soul and body in death 2. The necessity of death in regard to soul and body 3. The blessed advantage which soul and body finde in death 1. Great is the conflict oft times the spirit may be willing when the flesh is unwilling which two twins do a great while stand at loath to depart Jacob was not by Ge. 45.26 and by willing to leave his Countrie and the Land of Promise to goe to his Joseph Israel not by and by willing to go out of Egypt Exo. 5.21 though it were to terminate a long and tedious captivity in Egypt Exo. 12.40 Phil. 1.23 of 430 yeares Pauls Cupio dissolvi did not by and by break forth till the weight of sin carnal conflicts the buffettings of Satan and manifold persecutions did load and weary his pretious soul together with a tedious mortality but then this gratious servant of the Lord became willing to put off his body of sin and death together and with Simeon to say Lord now lettest c The same hand which doth take down our earthly Tabernacle doth build for us a surer and eternall habitation made without hands in the Heavens at which change 2 Cor. 5.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 12.7 the soul is taken to God that gave it till the last day when soul and body shal be made capable of those higher enjoyments which Jesus Christ hath dearly purchased and prepared for them a tast whereof our Lord was pleased to give unto Peter Mat. 17.2 James and John in the transfiguration and unto St. Paul when he was raptured into the third heaven 2 Cor. 12 2 both which some have thought to be more comprehensive then this vision of old Simeon here and yet all the dear Servants of God do in some aspect see Christ before they die and amidst some fears and misgiving thoughts do abundantly long to see him more 2. the necessity of death in regard to soul and body No mortall wants any thing so much as immortality and wants do necessiate men to desires stormes drives many goodly shipps into harbours war doth force the stoutest men to holdes and forts so the soul and body of the Lord 's gratious ones much pinched with the sence of their wants of glory to come and of their beatificall fruitions promised them be necessitated with blessed Simeon to desire to die that they may passe over troublesome Jordan to enjoy the promised blessings of celestiall Canaan where soul and body shall be refreshed enriched Ps 24. and eternally glorified with Jesus Christ their everlasting King of glory which thing our Saviour doth sweetly breath out by St. John Joh. 17.24 in that prayer of his Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory q. d. that they may behold my transforming glory 1 Cor. 13.12 Can the glory of grace that comes by Christ represented to us as in a glasse so transforme a soul as Simeons in the text hath the glory here by mediums such a power then what will it be when we shall behold it without meanes Something Simeon did reach after in his holy wish which he could not comprehend here below though he had his Lord Christ in his armes but he will rejoyce in God his faviour he will believe Job 14.14 and hope well he will expect and wait with holy Job till his change come when he knew his joy shall transcend the joy of harvest or that of men dividing the spoile 1 Pet. 1.8 it being a joy so unspeakable and full of glory See then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that death is necessary to prepare the soul and body for immortality of which more in the third branch of this fourth reason as followeth 3. The blessed advantage which soul body find in death after death Phil. 1.12 presently the soul begins to be in it's prime for whilest she was in the corruptible body she was ruled by corrupt sence and violently carried by loose appetite driven and compelled against it's own gratious desires to give way in some part to a body of sin for she can hardly look out at the eys but looks upon a baited hooke nor hear by the eare but there is the serpents voice nor the tong taste but there is some gall in that honey nor the hand touch but there is a defilement nor the foot tread but there 's a net and every sense a member of the body ready to be a Judas to the soule to betray her with a kiss Now what wise Simeon will not be willing to depart to exchange a dungeon for a pallace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 copper for gold base beggery for high honour a short lease of base heath of barren and craggy rocks Gen. 3.23 1 Pet. 1.4 for the garden of Eden a paradice nay for an inheritance inmortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and incorruptible For as one said to live here is to be halfe dead at least death hath the all of a great part of our lives and dead works I think have above the one halfe of the most sanctified ones here who yet do die dayly 1 Cor. 15.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may live the more to Jesus Christ For the body the body of death as Paul calls it is but let
fall into the earth to sprout and grow like the corne in the ground to grow incorruptibly spiritually as the Apostle at large speaking of the advantage which the body hath by a blessed death after when til the resurrection the glorified Soul shall not need to return back again into the body both do sweetly repose in their present state till the second appearance of our Lord Phil. 3.21 who shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his most glorious body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Co. 15.42 43. according to his mighty working Thy body in death is made a great gainer in three particulars for it is laid down in corruption but it shall rise in incorruption it 's sowne in dishonour but it is raised in glorie Yea with exact comelines of stature with beautifull proportion where was deformity either by the excess 1 Co. 13.10 or defect of any part there all deformity shall be don away Commonly a litttle before death the body looks pale wan earth-like nay sometimes one may smell earthlinesse and there is a kind of loathsomnes even to dearest and nearest relations immediatly upon the departure of the soule the body begins to be unsavourie as well as unlovely and could the dead body speak it might say to the grave thou art my house To the worm thou art my Mother Job 17.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ge. 23.4.6 and Sister And sweet friends as Jonathan and David will look out a burying place to burie their dead out of their sight But yet in the day of their resurrection the bodies of all blessed Simeons shall rise in great splendour and glory Mat. 6.28 like the lillie root which lies in the winter in the ground but in the summer riseth a well clothed flower very glorious so shall the bodies of the Saints be glorified like the very body of Christ Isa 26.10 now at the right hand of God in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor 15.43 Consider the then constitution of thy new fraile body it was Sowne in weaknes but will be raised in power All constitutions of bodyes be not alike but were thy body of Goliah's strength Goliahs ' yet one languishing sicknes will make thee non able to turne in thy bed or put on clothes or lift thy hand to thy head or set one foot on the ground before another to go But the day is coming blessed saint when thou shalt be raised in a most healthful constitution never more to need meat drink clothes physick-art or any helpe no more weariness sickness hunger cold or nakednes Mat. 22.30 but thou shalt be as the Angels and Saints in Heaven 3. Consider now that thou art a naturall body but thou shalt be raised a spirituall body called so because it shall no longer need any naturall meanes or helps for the presevation nutrition and conservation but shal be wholy delighted in God and in an immediat communion with him shall be filled with God Thou shalt as it were be spirituallized with the nimbleness of a Spirit Aug. so as in a very short time thou maist move from place to place So that saith one where every soul would be by and by it shall be there and you read that suddenly after the resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our bodies shall be caught up to meet the Lord Christ in the aire which is the beginning of this agility and glory Thus much of the reasons which are 1. From Simeon's deliverance 2. From Simeon's eye of Faith 3. From his imbraces with Christ The 4th consists of these 3 heads 1. The conflict between soul and body 2. The necessity of death 3. The blessed advantage the soul and body find in death in three particulars Application in four Corollaries 1. The first contains matter of instruction with some necessary doubts and objections answered 2. Matter of terrour to wicked men 3. Comfort to the Godly wise 4th Exhortation which runs into 4. branches To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon To prepare timely and solidly for an happy death To submit gratiously to the Lord's dispose of us in life or death To be moderate in mourning at the losse of godly friends Whatsoever death may be to others Corollary yet to all good Simeons it 's a desirable and a singular blessing Such through death do look upon glory on the other side of death who are not sadded at the separation of soul and body because of their eternall conjunction of soul and body with Christ Ignatius his grinding pains were but the mill in which hee was ground to be the finer meal for Christ Jesus his own use Though Christ's soul and body were parted as far as heaven and the grave could be distant yet neither of them sayes one were parted from the deity nor from the Father I confess to naturall men death is terrible and they think with Solomon that a living dog is better then a dead Lyon Eccl. 9.4 and that the basest life is better then any death Indeed they cannot but fear death who fear not God who believe not in Jesus whose wickedness doth cut off all hopes of happiness after death and no marvail for their conscience stings them at the remembrance of death and death is like that murderer 2 Kings 6.32 Which was sent to take away Elishah's head It 's the most unwelcom messinger that ever knockt at their door Or as Belshazzar's hand-writing Dan. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 9. when 't was interpreted whith made him appale tremble for the conscience tels them that no good can come to them by the hand stroak of death nay such do die whiles they be alive by the checks and chidings convictions and condemnations of their evill conscience But what ever it be to wicked men yet to blessed Simeons death hath another face and presence to such it is but their trusty messenger to carry them to their Fathers house to be possessed of their eternall inheritanc◠or else it 's but as Josephs ratling chariot wheels Ge. 45.27 ready to carry Jacob unto his Joseph unto his Jesus For such be sure to dye 1. Comfortably 2. Blessedly First comfortably for out of this eater comes meat and out of this strong comes sweetness Jud. 14.14 as in Sampsons riddle Though I walk through the vallie of the shadow of death saith holy Daniel I will fear no evill Ps 23. for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe do comfort me q. d. I am in the hand of my heavenly Father where can bee no miscarriage Secondly as they bee sure to dye comfortably so also blessedly as Saint John Revel 14.13 Luke 23.43 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for that very day their soul shall be with Christ in Paradice And so life which keeps the soul from heaven absent from the Lord is a losse to a Saint in
hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God direction 3. To be very reall in our thanks we must much revolve in our mindes and consider our great unworthiness and that we are unfit for any mercy as Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies that we are then dead doggs as Mephibosheth humbly spoke to King David 2 Sam. 9.8 we must call to mind the number the kind the nature and the good of a mercy the freeness the fulness and choiceness of it and the suitableness of the loving kindness and be thankfull to admiration as David was often and as Simeon was here for his vision which was so adequate to his soul and bodies welfare here and hereafter in life in death and at the last judgment this will make a soul sing and say Luk. 1.69.70 Blessed be the Lord God who hath raised up such Salvation for so miserable a creature as I was and to say with holy David Bless the Lord O my soul Ps 103.2 forget not all his benefits and the better to recollect these mercies Christians must bee carefull to keep records of singular mercies of the year and day the matter the manner the measure the instruments as David did most sweetly for that out of these records shall be made up the song of Moses and the Lamb. 2 Sam. 8.16 2 Kgins 18.18 Joah the son of Asaph was Hezechiahs Recorder Psal 105.6 7 8 9 10 11. Read the 105 Psalm it 's wholly filled with rich enumerations of the Lord 's wonderous works from Abraham to the time of the planting of the Lords people in Canaan and they are bid to remember his marvellous works and the judgments of his mouth how he had remembred his Covenant for ever the Word which he commanded to a thousand generations his Covenant with Abraham his Oath with Isaac and confirmed the same to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant c. true thankfulnesse as its long-lived and written with infallible characters so it takes care to eternize the praises of the Lord and sayes as thankfull Job Job 19.23 24. O that my words were printed in a book that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever have we done so that not God looses his glory and thy soul is too short in thy reall thanks direct 4. 4. Real thanks must be all to God self is little regarded so as Gods name and glory may be exalted Many are somewhat thankful when self is much concerned and wil praise the Lord Psal 68.4 when dangers be over Psal 107. when enemies be defeated cut off and destroyed when afflictions be over and sickness turned to health that now they may enjoy again their honor their ease their pleasure their estates in the world their corn and wine then they will give God thanks and blesse his name Hab. 1.15 they rejoyce and are glad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but still their thanks go no farther then self is concerned which the Prophet cals a sacrificing to their own nets and a burning of incense to their own dragg but such their thanks seldom goes higher then themselvs But I must tell them that those thanks which do begin and end in self bee not reall Christian thanks but true thanks do draw out the soul to bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and the Gospells for the manifestations of his glory power wisdome truth and all his goodness to his Church and for the prosperity of Sion when it goes well there O then thankfull souls will insult for joy and bee full of praises as the Israelites were at the bringing home of the Ark And David danced before the Lord 2 Sam. 6.12 14 15. 1 Kings 8. and was girded with a linnen Ephod And Israel brought up the Ark with showting and with the sound of the trumpet and at the dedication of the Temple as on the contrary when it goes ill with the Church and people of God it goes also ill with gracious souls 1 Sam. 4.13 14 15 vers 19. as with Eli and Phineas wife when the Ark was taken and when the glory was departed from Israell who called her son Icabod And thus so publike spirited was she that her life seemed to be bundled up in the wellfare of the people of God direction 5 True reall thankfulness does acquiesce in God can repose in the Lord his alsufficiency covenant goodness for such a one doth see all the enemies of his salvation ever fall down before the Lord 1 Sam. 5.4 Josh 6. to the 20. Gen. 3.15 Rev. 6.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 4. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Dagon did before the Ark irrecoverably to be demolished like the walls of Jericho such do see the seed of the woman break the serpents head and Christ himself riding conquering and to conquer do see Kings bound in chains and nobles with fetters of Iron in this consideration doth David lay himself down in peace who as from time to time his soul did recollect the Lords manifold great and glorious mercies conferred upon him so he said I will trust in him and he shall be my God for ever this he said after a long enumeration of Sea land-mercies he engageth himself in voluntary vows to devote and consecrate himself to the Lord that shall be all his work for time to come and he will wholly be the Lords not his own so had the Lord obliged his servant that he is at a stand what returns of thankfulness to make but at last concludes to offer thanks to pay his vows and to be for ever realizing the praises of his soul by declaring them and exemplifying them and improving them untill they do empty themselves into beatificall hallelujahs and he himself do sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven Thus of real thankfullness Which sees fiducially into all the Lords covenant-goodness doth substantiate things not seen make things absent as present Thus wee have seen what bee true reall thanks which wil be found in some measure in all thankfull Simeons 1. There be very high praises of God and his Christ 2. They look far and search deep in the heart and in-side of the mercy 3. There 's humble acknowledgments of self-unworthiness 4. God hath the all of true thankfulness as all came out from him so it empties it self into God again 5. It acquiesces and reposeth in the Lord. All this did abundantly shine forth in godly men and so they do in every truly thankfull soul Thus of the first exhortation The second exhortation is to prepare for an happy death Solidly and Timely Exhort 2 ◠to prepare for an happy death Psal 90. Be we all exhorted to prepare for an happy death 1. Timely 2. Solidly 1. Timely thy days
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
fear death nor to avoid it's snares for death of it self is not good nor is it naturall to us but cruell and horrible but basely to fear death rather then to glorifie the name of God in our sufferings this is a great sin to bee afraid to dye after an evill life and out of Christ to such death is the terrible of terribles such cannot bee well willing to dye but when God shall in the way of his good providence call us to dye either by a naturall death or to seal unto his truth under persecution to dye a violent death then we may welcome death and the instruments of death as Historians say Saint Andrew did Salve crux pretiosa susci pe nunc Discipulum cúm priùs sustinueris Magistrum Thus M. John Philpot embraced the stake in Smithfield who with a gladsome Spirit said I kindly salute thee precious cross be content to bear me the Disciple who hast formerly born my Master every Simeon is carried above the apprehensions of naturall and morall men in death and hath very grand considerations neither basely nor sinfully to fear death and therefore subscribes unto her with heart and hand Answ 2. The fear of death in the Saints and the fear of death in others are very diverse the one is acted by sinfull-self whom such an one seeks to preserve for fear of greater wrath the other is acted by gracious self who seeks to know the minde of God in his death to subscribe to it and to serve divine providence as in life so in death whom if the Lord shal recover or deliver he gives himself to God again if the Lord hath determined death shall take place hee resigns up soul and body with an holy contentment Mat. 26.39 under the good pleasure of his heavenly Father Let Pagans and Infidels who never believed who never feared God fear to dye or despair in death because they dye without hope Eph. 2.12 Collos 1.20.21 Eph. 1.10 because they have no faith nor do lay hold on that reconciliation which Jesus Christ hath made between the Lord and gracious souls but let Christians rejoice and be glad ever giving thanks unto the Father of mercies Col. 1.1.2 who hath made them meet to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which inherirance for scituation is the Empyrean heaven far above all heavens where is Christ himself to entertain and glorifie all those who sleep in him where is nothing but glory for all such poor souls dying in the Lord as the King of Glory to be with all vessels of glory to accompany us thrones of glory to sit on an eternal wait of eternal glory 2 Pet. 2.1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An enterance shall be administred to you abundantly or according to the originall richly Phil. 1.23 to put on crowns of glory to wear a kingdō of glory to possess here the soul of the departing one cries out in a blessed ecstasie I have enough blessed Lord I come I come having so abundant an entrance made for me into celestiall triumphs blessed be God who hath made me thus willing desirous rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord where I am assured to find peace without intermission or perturbation health without sickness plenty without want wealth without poverty and everlasting life without death Of which holy City said Austin when shall I come into thy golden streets when shall I see and enjoy the heavenly society of blessed souls and that glorious Jubilee Fain I would come to fruition but Oh how am I detain'd anon will death come behold she stands at the door and knocks bid her come in that I may bid her welcome to whom I am ready to answer as Rebekah did Gen. 24. to her old near and dear relations who were so loath to part with her I will go with the man so say I even withlong-looked-for death my harbinger and friend Oh death I willingly go along with thee whom my Lord hath made so necessary and serviceable to me in my happy translation Acts 10. for me thinks I see Heaven open as Peter in his vision and the son of man like as Stephen did see him standing at the right hand of God Oh my soul thou art in a rapture divine to contemplate the things in heaven which are so unspeakable and ful of glory True I shall in death be taken from my deerest friends but let not that retard my souls willingnesse to dye for it s not improbable but I may know my gracious friends in heaven since our divine knowledg there shall not be diminished but enlarged hence some conclude we shall joyfully know the Patriachs and Apostles of our Lord and this seems the more rationall because Peter and James Mat. 17.13 and John at the transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they knew not before so shall the sun of righteousness irradiate the Saints with the celestiall beams of his transcendent glory The last thing in our submission in the point of death is to shut our own eyes and to bind up our own jawes when the departing soul utters her last words blessing God for that land of promise which like Moses shee sees at a distance Deut. 34.4 Jos 23.6 8 11.14 so Joshua about to dye shuts his own eyes exhorting the people to fear and serve the Lord so did Stephen who calling on the name of the Lord fell asleep so did Simeon gathered up disposed and prepapared himself most sweetly singing Lord now lettest thou c. Our blessed Saviour doth as it were shut up his own eyes and bind up his jaws in that he sweetly submitted himself to the hand of death saying Lu. 23.45 Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit and so do all wel prepared souls take care to dye under an holy resignation of their bodies to the grave for a time of their departing souls into the hands and bosom of Jesus Christ who is our Reuben to take care of our Benjamin that is Gen. 42.37 of our immortall souls to convey them safely unto our Fathers house Thus of the third Exhortation which is wisely to submit unto the Lord God in every estate in our health in our sickness in the approaches of death and and at the point of death 4. Exhortation 4. Exhort To friends not to grieve over-much at their departure who dye in the Lord. It is lawful commendable it is just and honorable to have sad thoughts at the losse of such friends If the very Egyptians mourned for old Jacob seventy days that with a great sore lamentation Gen. 53. 1 Sam. 15.35 2 Sam. 13.37 2 Chro. 35.24 if Samuell mourned for Saul and David shall not we much more mourn when the Saints are taken from us All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah Surely then it is not onely naturall and morall but it is religious
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
bee assured of mirth without mourning of life without death of an immortal crown without any cross at all The fourth concerns thy consolation Consola and so bee comforted who tookest all due care to walk as a Christian with holy tender and abounding affections towards thy dear friend when and while he or shee lived with thee ask thy self what Christian communion thou had'st what care and watching over thy friend in all good offices of love didst discover thy self a friend to his soul did'st admonish exhort reprove or comfort him according to thy best ability and his necessity wa st much in prayer by humble seeking God to beg every blessing which thy friend did want did'st do all the offices of love to thy friend in his sickness or under any need of thy help if thou wast sincere in this matter thou mai'st be comforted and blesse the Lord who gave thee such an heart and now that the Lord hath taken thy friend into an higher story of divine favour be better perswaded well knowing that God calls thee now to other work upon which to attend and leave thy friend to the Lord betake thy self to serve his good providence among the living who do survive Somewhat wee see of this in David 2 Sam. 12. while the child was very sick David besought God for the child hee fasted and went in and lay all night on the earth nor would he bee raised from the earth by the elders of his house neither would he eat bread with them On the seventh day the child dyed of which when David had heard then he arose from the earth he washed and anointed himself changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and when hee required they set bread before him and he did eat At which carriage of his his servants much marvelled saying what thing is this that thou hast done thou did'st fast and weep when the child was alive and when it was dead thou did'st arise and eat bread and David answered while the child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said said who can tell whether the Lord will bee gracious to mee that the child may live but now hee is dead wherefore should I fast can I bring him baek again I shal go to him but hee shall not return to mee And David comforted Bathsheba Thus there is a time to be born Eccl. 3.2 and a time to dye a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance Fiftly our dolorous mournings 5. A sweet mixture of joy and sorrow in our mourning must not be without some mixture of joy the losse of beloved friends may seem desperate and irrecoverable and the sorrow is the more exuberant but yet there is joy again which doth surmount in the gracious soul to allay it's bitternesse who can loose nothing of the creature but it is made up in God repaid in Christ with a great overplus therefore sorrow may not alwaies abide upon his spirit if he sorrow that any stream of his comfort is cut off it is but turning him to the fountain and he hath all made up to him again and he rejoyceth blessing God who saith to him as Elkanah to Hannah am not I to thee instead of more friends so says God to the mourner I am to thee instead of all more then all And thus as fast as doth thy sorrow abound so fast and faster do thy consolations superabound That dear friends be dead that is sad to hear of or to see but that mortality is put off to put on immortality that 's joyful that death hath swallowed up our friends may grieve us but that death is swallowed up of life that doth rejoyce us that friends be departed seems to begin a desolation but that they be delivered from their body of sin from grinding pains from destroying diseases from unruly lusts and sinful passions from strong and dangerous temptatitions from fiery darts from Satans wiles and methods all this is matter of joy you who exceed in your mournings for your loving parents and dear friends taken out of this world I may fear you believe somewhat in this worlds glory to be very lovely and truly good and more excelling then the Scriptures ever spake of and therefore you so mourn at your friends being bereaved of and taken away from that good when as indeed all that is below and sublunar is fading and perishing and all that is below Jesus Christ and the glory to come Eccles 1.2 stained vanitie emptinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a melancholly lump of vanity and vexation of spirit which made the Psalmist say that every man in his best estate is altogether vanity you seem to forget that the whole creation groans under this vanity and travelleth in pain together till now and not onely they Rom. 22.23 but our selves also which have the first fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our bodyes when God sees good to take away our gracious friends he takes them from such vanities and perturbations as under which they do groan that we might not onely be satisfied with his dispensation but blesse God and say be it so Lord according to thy word When you think of your friends long languishing sickness sore pains wearisome days and nights and of the cruell stroak of death then like Heshbons pools our eyes be full of water and like house-spouts tears run down our cheeks but man of sorrow recollect thy self and wisely consider that by deaths hand all pains sicknesses and sorrows are finallized and there shall never be one tear sorrow or pain more thy body is laid to sleep as in a sweet bed of roses till the generall resurrection and thy soul is at perfect rest and ease is carried by the blessed Angells into thy Lords armes of sweatest embraces and hath the same entertainment as Christs humane soul and body had after his blessed ascention whom the Angells brought to the Antient of days Dan. 7.13 so doth Christ present the souls of his Saints departed to the father Do'st grieve and canst not be comforted Oh change thy minds affection as thy friend is changed for he is received into heaven with the same acclamations as Christ himself was welcomed only it shal be according to thy measure and capacity By this time I hope I have wiped off all tears from thy eyes put a sweet handkerchiefe into thine hands to do it thy self Then meditate much and say it oft blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord or rather that sleep in the Lord that they may live for ever Pretious soul do not mourn unmeasurably for such who are triumphant in heaven being cloathed in long white robes and washed in the blood of the Lamb who at the generall restauration of all things shall claspe and imbrace
be numbred sinner although thou know not the number the time that 's kept under Gods lock and key hee hath pleased to let thee know the sinfulness the cursedness the brevity the vanity and anxiety of thy life under a thousand dangers and maladies but not to know the computation of thy life except in the grosse that the days of a man are threescore and ten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it may be fourscore albeit not one of twenty attain to live so long v. 10. and if so yet then is their life but labour and sorrow Quest But why blessed Lord may the eternall soul say hast thou concealed this from us Ans That wee should every day wait the good pleasure of our God till our change come Job 14.14 Answ 2. That wee should every day be willing to hearken to the counsel of our good Lord to be prepared to die happily that every prayer we put up that every sermon wee hear should bee poured forth and hearkned unto as our last Ans 3. That every tender and opportunity of mercy bee entertained by us as our last as 't is for ought we know Ans 4. That without the least procrastination we should enter the narrow gate while 't is opened unto us and seek the Lord very humbly Is 55.6 Lu. 19.42 and cordially while he will be found of us that wee should know the things of our peace in the day thereof Ans 5. That we should in due season gratefully accept Jesus Christ's sweet love while he makes such ravishing applications to us Cant. 5.2 saying open to me my sister my love my dove mine undefiled one and come with me from Lebanon my Spouse come away dear heart from the dens of Lions and from the mountains of Leopards So that the Lord by his absconding and darkning deaths time from our eyes doth discipline a poor soul as he did the wise Virgins seasonably to getoyl and lamps our vessels full and lamps burning and to get our loins girt Exod. 12. Mat. 25.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 13.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our staves in our hands that wee ever shaking off all rusty bedrid-security may bee ever upon our watch being so much advised of death so near for ought we know which way soever we go or whatsoever we are about 2. Solidly Now to the solid preparation of which I am to speak before which I must needs promise a few things to awaken wretched sinners fearfully beguiled in so great a business as is our solid preparation 1. For it is lamentable to see how poor sinners do sin away pretious mercies and implunge themselvs into deaths gulf Ephes 2.2 and into the jaws of hells destruction living in sinful lusts being acted by a satanical spirit of disobedience until they be in the jaws of hungry death who devoureth them as the old world while they were eating and drinking rioting drowning and even damming themselves in the days of Noah or as a deaf and merciless Serjeant seizing on a gallant walking the streets in the pride of his heart but suddainly arrested and dragged violently to the Counter or some nasty prison Luk. 12.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so do great multitudes befool themselvs into deaths Counter never to be delivered till they have payd the utmost farthing which cā never be while they promise to themselvs through vain confidence long life and happy days and that all shall be well with them at the last though one foot is in the grave and they be ready to drop down as they go poor creatures who boast their faith so strong and their hope so well anchored Lu. 18.11.12 because somtimes they cry God mercy do confide in the formality of some duties and an empty profession of Religion void of the life of faith and of the power of godliness whom a deceived heart hath so long fed with ashes Isa 44.20 and their deluded souls with a lye in their right hand unto all whom I must say in the words of the Prophet O self-deceiver O self-destroyer the Lord hath rejected thy confidence Jer. 2.37 Mat. 7.23 nor shalt thou prosper in them for the Lord Christ will never own thee but will profess he never knew thee and say depart from me ye workers of iniquity 2. Others live to their dying hour in a state of unregeneracy unbelief hardness of heart Mat. 23.27 Ezek. 8.3.14.16 after the course of the world and keep an in-side as corrupt as the sepulchers of rottenness of which our Saviour spake as vile as that Image of jealousy or that idol Tammuz said to be that idol which their women did yearly lament with unseemly ceremonies not to be named or as those who worshipped the Sun Job 31.26 27 28. and had renounced God and his worship But O beguiled soul who hath so bewitched thee that thou dost dream that thou maist live a slave a vassall to base lusts within and to ungodliness without and that all thy days and be saved at last that thou maist live the life of the wicked Numb 13.10 yet dye the death of the righteous certainly these be men and women of no understanding he that made them will have no mercy on them Isa 27 11. and he that formed them will shew them no favour Did not the Ministers of Christ ordinarily tell thee what a self-deceiver thy heart was and what a deceiver sin was worse then the harlot and that the way of sinners Prov. 7. Deut. 29.19 would bee bitterness in the end and how unsafe nay how desperate it would be when a sinner dayly hearing these things blesse himself saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of mine own heart God sayes Isa 48.22 there 's no peace to the unregenerate soul no peace to the unbeliver to the stone-hearted sinner neither here nor hereafter But thou sayest I shall have peace Quest How shall this be tried I Answ When death comes the horrour trembling and astonishment of spirit which will more or lesse seize upon them shall pass the umpire but a sad one and that which is the beginning of endless and everlasting woes O reader be moved as I professe my self oft troubled within me to hear men and women boast like a Pharisie their faith hope and great expectation saying they shall dye in the arms of mercy because God made them and they have lived under and professed the Gospell have been taken and reputed good christians among men by these and other meerly externall works and insufficient grounds do they too too shallowly conclude that it must needs go wel with them at the last Joh. 3.3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Heb. 12.14 O let such lay to heart the word of him which shall stand Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven If any man bee in Christ
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