season and e're long 't will be when they themselves shall be no more They shall perish fayes the Psalmist But of the critical moment not a word in all the Book of Spheres What Tales soe're they tell of other Beings they will still keep their own counsel and whensoe're they break like to great Traders here on earth their breach shall be the worlds surprize Of that day knoweth none Their Prophecy in that is silent as their Harmony yet such a day there will be But the question is First What Heavens shall be no more Secondly How shall they be no more First What Heavens shall be no more Besides the Empyreal or Supreme Philosophers compute the number of the Orbs counting the Fire and Air to be eleven But the great Bishop of Hippo reflecting on the rapture of St Paul into the third Heaven where he had the glimpse of great unutterable glories concludes the Empyreal the Heaven of Gods more immediate splendor and the receptacle of the bless'd to see him as 't were face to face to be the third Heaven computing none besides excepting the Sydereum Aereum the Starry and the Aery But be they more or be they less the Heaven of heavens is generally exempted from dissolution which some conclude from Thy Throne is established for ever So that of all the rest although we cannot certainly determine what is their number yet we may conclude a little of their nature though we are insecure how many they be yet we may well be resolute what they shall be or rather what they shall not be They shall be no more But Secondly How no more They shall perish (t) Hebr. r. 11. Now what should be this perishing but their change For as mans death is call'd a change (u) Job 14.14 I will wait till my change come So the Heavens change is call'd a death or perishing for that the word perish imports no more in the forecited place to the Hebrews is evident from the ensuing Verse As a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed Nay this very place the Heavens shall be no more is in the vulgar Latin atteratur Coelum till the Heavens be worn away not annihilated Worn like an old Garment Psal 102. Man is the little world and as his Cloaths cover him so the Heavens cover the great world Tegit omnia Coelum Hence Ovid. when we Travel Lucretius tells us We change the cloathing of Heaven (w) Coelimutamus amictum Conformable to this is even the Septuagint in this of Job which renders it Till the Heavens be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No more be sow'd together unsow'd How has God cloath'd the Macrocosme as we the Microcosme with the best Cloaths on the outside We all at great Solemnities contrive to habit our selves after the newest fashion Lo then shall Christ appear in Solemn Triumph Lo then shall be the Marriage of the Lamb and then the world shall change its fashion too The fashion of this world passes away (x) 1 Cor. 7.31 When Sunday comes 't is generally entertain'd with Citizens best Cloaths Lo then the Sabbath of the Saints shall come then the Lords day the day of the Sun of Righteousness and then the Vniverse shall be aray'd in cleaner and more splendid Vestments Now Job's shall be no more is St Peter's shall pass away whil'st the Elements melt for fervent heat (y) 2 Pet. 3.10 Now whatsoever melts melts not to nothing but into substance of a purer nature so likewise to pass away is not to cease to be but to be vary'd in its place or properties Heaven and Earth shall pass away sayes our Saviour and there shall be new Heavens and a new Earth sayes St Peter (z) 2 Pet. 3.13 Both these are united Rev. 21.5 Behold I make all things new Now to make all things new is not to make all things nothing no more than mending is destroying To be no more than is to pass into new and 't is not needless to observe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to change is render'd Psal 90.9 by passing away or passing over from whence the world is stil'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change or passing over But you may ask What change is this 'T is not a change of substance but of accidents Heavens shall not absolutely cease to be but to be as they are so also the Elements All compound Beings except mans Body which must subsist with the Soul shall lay aside their Essence Birds and Beasts and Fish so likewise Trees and Plants which owe their Beings to their Compositions shall bid farewell to Nature when every Element shall challenge from them what each contributed to their composure Earth shall retreat to Earth Water to Water and whatsoever Fire or Air bestow'd for ever shall recede into its native properties But for more simple and unblended Natures their change shall be but a refining Some (a) Greg. Bed Gloss have conceiv'd indeed That Fire and Water should both be totally consum'd whil'st Earth and Air should be no more than mended But this the rest reject Aquinas (b) Aquin. in 2 Pet. 3. thinking that Fire and Water should but lose their heat and cold But that were neither to be Fire nor Water But that Lorinus candidly expounds him That by their losing heat and cold he means that heat and cold should be restrain'd from acting As is the change with the Elements so with the Heavens the variation's not of things but qualities Aristotle pronounced Heaven incorruptible and so it is indeed as to its fitness for duration which the Schools call its internals but not as to its power abstracted from divine disposure * Ab intrirseco Coelos esse incorruptibtlâ—s communis Scholasticorum est opinio i. e. secundum sabstantiam aptitudinem non dispositionem divinam actum Loâ— in Psal 102.19 for whatsoe're at first results from nothing by the same vertue may relapse into nothing or as the cause of its first being pleases be vary'd from its present being Therefore THOV shalt change them (c) Psal 102.26 By which change sayes Lorinus (d) De sola nonnulla renovatione per vacationem à moâ—u actu ministerio in res sublunares hominemque vitam ducentem mortalem Ibid. is meant some kind of renewing by a vacation from Motion and Action and influence on Sublunaries and on Man leading a mortal life And thus being alter'd they will better suit with the condition of renew'd Mankind In which St Austin tells us That at the general Conflagration those qualities of the corruptible Elements which agreed well enough with our corruptible Bodies shall utterly perish by Combustion And the same substance shall by miraculous change acquire qualities convenient for immortal Bodies to the end that the world being renewed for the better may the better suit with men renew'd for the better in their flesh (e) Conflagratione
to the living 't is that the Winds roar and that the Billows foam that the Masts crack and that the Cordage bursts that Clouds hide Heaven and the Waves the Clouds But it disturbs not Jonas for he sleeps Nor yet his Ancestors for they are dead This is that water of Lethe which the Heathens conceiv'd powerful to convey oblivion to the memory Thou Vanquisher of Ills Thou Calmness to the Mind c. sayes Seneca to Sleep (x) Tuque O Domitor somne malorum requies animi c. Sen. Herâ— Fur. And such a Sleep is Death For O Death acceptable is thy sentence to the Needy to him whose strength faileth and is vex'd with all things to him that despaireth and hath lost his patience sayes the son of Syrach Chap. 41. ver 2. 3. As to the desisting of motion and action how well may they be Twins In each of them there 's a defect of these The Body being ty'd in bonds of sleep it lies as buried in the interim the Soul whose power is independant on the Body perpetuates her action so when the term of mortal life is come down lies the Body all torpid and unactive but the Soul the invisible part does still retain possession of life in the behalf of the whole Man And in both cases too the Body shall again assume its former vigor to shew it was not lost but intermitted but of that more in a more proper place 4. Sleeping and dying are of one necessity and equally to nature indispensable Many men wake with coveting to sleep and their too eager hopes of some repose keeps them in long frustration Just so some live spite of themselves subsisting in opposition to their sierce desires of Expiration such was perplex'd Job Jeremy and Elias And others sleep whil'st they contend to wake such were the Apostles (y) Mark 14.37 Just so some Men embrace their Deaths whil'st they conceive they oppose it and meet it where they think they travel from it Yet all some time or other must partake of either unless Death prevent sleep at the first and Doomsday prevent Death at the last In vain 's the study to evade them 't is of a nature like the industry expended to procure the Philosophers stone they labour to convert what'ere they have into Gold and convert that little Gold they have into Nothing So we sollicitous to improve that little health we have into a treasure of inexhaustible life reduce that little life we have into death Like him who should contrive to watch long and drops asleep with the contrivance Not that I would men should neglect their lives or be indifferent in their conservation but that they should be careful of them with an assurance once to forego them and still be ready with alacrity to resign them For who is he that lives and shall not see death 5. Sleep equals all men of what age soever what strength or what degree and so does Death None in their dark Dominions can discern a Throne from a Pedestall The Corps of sleeping Bartimaeus has equal bliss with sleeping Herod and much more than Herod when awake So is dead Diogenes as happy as dead Alexander and much more than Alexander when alive Various wayes and different postures there may be of both in lying down but being laid their State is undistinguish'd (z) Mista Senum ac Juvenum deflentur Corpora Horat. Nulla distinctio inter Cadavera mortuorum nisi forâ—è graviùs saetent Divitum Corpora luxuriâ distenta Amb. Hexamer and promiscuous Some die distracted harass'd with wandring and benighted thoughts and these sleep like Ezekiel's Jews in the Woods (a) Ezek. 34.25 Some men expire in the pursuit of Fame oppress'd with Titles and voluminous Inscriptions and these sleep like Isaiah's Idolaters in Monuments (b) Isa 65.4 Some have short winter-lives a little day-light in them but much tempest these men expiring in the midst of cares seem to have troubled themselves to death and these like Jonah sleep in a storm (c) Jon. 1.5 Some are prescrib'd to death pursuing the directions of Physicians Deaths great Acquaintances and ty'd to their Receipts these sleep like St Peter among Soldiers and in Chains (d) Acts 12.6 Some are misguided by a flying fire by seeming honour into the Graves great precipice and dye of a disease call'd Valor these sleep like Sampson in Gaza (e) Judg. 16.3 which being interpreted is strength Fulness of bread sometimes may send another to the Grave and he sleeps like Boaz at a heap of Corn (f) Ruth 3 7. Whil'st Indigence perhaps destroys his Neighbours and they like Ruth sleep at his feet (g) Ver. 14. Others dye of Promotion and like smoke are taught to vanish by their exaltation and these sleep like Saul on the top of the House (h) 1 Sam. 9.26 Others dye weary'd out with Expectation and they sleep like Vriah at the Gate of the Kings house (i) 2 Sam. 1.9 Now though the method of Expiring varies the state of the Expir'd is all equality The low and weak can be but empty then And even the Proud when they have slept their sleep and those whose hands were mighty have found nothing Now therefore since that which we in rigorous Expression term Death in mild construction is but Sleep 1. Thrice happy they whom it defers not long Quick sleeps discover regular Constitutions 'T is much advantage to be early happy and to prevent the restlessness and tumbliâ—gs of weary Age with undelay'd repose For thus God giveth his beloved sleep sayes the Prophet (k) Psal 127.2 And those whom the Gods affect dye young sayes the Poet (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menand 2. That really in Death we may have rest as in sound sleep we must contend whil'st yet we are awake to perfect all our task in God our Masters most important service and work out our salvation whil'st we may Sleep we know seals up at once our industry and eyes no working then we in the morning therefore should contrive to make night no surprize That when it once grows heavy on our eye-lids we may not leave our duties unattempted or our attempts unaccomplished like interrupted and abortive structures which shew what Architects presum'd not what they did And so much more should we be sedulous to have our task determin'd ere we sleep by how much less we shall be capable to fill up its perfection when we wake For here indeed Death varies from the method of ordinary sleep in that what ere to day i. e. in our lives lies uneffected must be perpetuated so As the Tree falls so it must lie (m) Eccles 11.3 There is no borrowing of to morrows Sun to pay the arrears of this No no we shall not open once our eyes to wake till the Heavens close all their eyes and fall asleep nor shall our morning ere begin to be till the place where morning dwells
i. e. Fortitude or Valor For so is Virtus render'd when importing a single Virtue Some Grammarians will informs us that it signifies Manhood from Vir in the Latine and Courage from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of War in the Greek from whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Join to thy Faith Fortitude Fortitude that nothing may enfeeble thy Resolves That no bad Times prevail upon thy Principles though thousands on thy left hand tumble down and break the neck of Conscience to preserve the lives of their Estates or Liberties though at some other time even in thy greatest danger thou shalt discern the fall of a lov'd Friend submitting to the frequent menaces and haughty looks of an outlandish Foe yet still keep Fortitude that thou may'st stand in the evil day and when thou hast done all may'st stand But yet to this Virtue must be added 3. Knowledge whereby you may discern 'twixt good and bad and not be lead by an implicite Creed but have a Faith according to knowledge and be able to give a reason of the Faith that is in you In vain is Courage where there is no Sight what signifies stout Hands and ne're an Eye Not that we should with too much eagerness pursue Speculations nor read much that we may know how to talk much but study to know Christ and him crucifi'd For it is life eternal to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent therefore to wake to Happiness take Knowledge and to that add 4. Temperance By Fortitude Man overcomes another by Temperance himself Not only in affair of Eating of Drinking and of things of Pleasure but even of Passion too still entertaining from malevolent spirits whatever actions of hostility yet keeping still a temper that shall never vary with provocation To Temperance add 5. Patience which does empow'r a man to embrace Affliction Patience which overcomes by being beaten which lives on Death and dyes for want of danger for where no peril is no patience can be What although Children which are at once mens images and hopes lie down in Dust and Graves short as their Lives of a span long What though they fall greater and of nearer expectation of Manhood What although Wives though Husbands excellent Husbands languish groan and dye What although cruel and prolong'd Distempers poyson our Constitutions And what though much more cruel Tongues poyson our Reputations Yet still we must submit to Gods disposure and gratefully receive whatever he permits to be inflicted knowing that our Saviour enter'd not into joy but first he suffer'd pain that we following the example of his patience may when the Heavens shall be no more awake up after his likeness But add to Patience 6. Godliness which does enroll men Citizens of Heaven whil'st they are Sojourners on earth This does unteach remissness in Devotion and suffers not mans Temporal Calamity to hinder or disable Spiritual Piety This renders men zealous for Prayer and ardent in it forward themselves and instigating others Above all things make supplication sayes the Apostle First seek the Kingdom of Heaven sayes his Master That when ye shall be rais'd ye may awake to a new Heaven Take 7. Brotherly Kindness which teaches men not to exalt themselves but clips the wings of Arrogance It treats the lowest and the poorest affably instructing ev'n the powerful to bow and condescend to the necessities of the most abject All Mankind is our Brother earth and each man should be kind to his Brother earth that when he shall be waken'd from his Mother earth he may for ever live with God the Father of Heaven But above all take 8. Charity which loves God above all things for his own sake and her Neighbour as herself for Gods sake Which doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provok'd thinketh no evil which beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things (l) 1 Cor. 13. vea 5.7 Which relieves Friends and remits Enemies praying for those that despitefully use her This Virtue shall endure when Faith and Hope are superseded by Fruition this shall attend us when they shall be no more when the Heavens shall be no more when we shall be awaken'd out of our sleep Therefore be diligent to get these Virtues looking for Christs coming that you may be found of him without spot and blameless 2 Pet. 3.14 I have been long addressing to your Ears now I apply my self to your Memories Out of St Peter I have read you words how you may fit you for the Resurrection but if you 'll learn by Deeds then There 's the Text Read it and Read it well O make the old Rule true which tells us how much President instructs beyond Precept She dyed indeed and there 's our loss indeed but being dead she speaks there 's our advantage yea and still lives there 's her felicity She sought for Health Eternity she found In a strange Countrey she went to her long home and travel'd herself into everlasting rest Like Israel She went through Amalek to Canaan We all deplor'd that her infirmities would not dispense with her abode with us we coveted that She might reside with us but Providence deny'd it O let us then be sedulous to live with her that Providence invites to But of that life we must obtain fruition by this lifes imitation to accompany her in Heaven we must pursue her on earth What shall I say Get Faith get Virtue get Wisdom get Temperance get Patience get Godliness get Brotherly Kindness and get Charity And these be diligent to get and get them while 't is call'd to day when the night comes farewell to diligence to opportunity farewell For man lieth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more they shall not wake nor be raised out of their sleep Now to him that then shall wake us the Watchman of Israel that never slumbers nor sleeps be Honour and Glory evermore AMEN FINIS