are but a weak man and I am persuaded that another Winter will set my Mother hard to it And as for you my Grand mother it will not be long till you will be with me Therefore make ready and settle your Concerments in the world assoon as you can that you may not be toyled in the world and then table your selves with Mr. Nicholson Then she calling to mind that Mr. Nicholson was sent for asked If he was come But he being gone upon a Visit of the like nature three Messengers were sent for him before he came which made her think the time exceeding long for his coming and often prayed and desired others to pray that she might live to see his face his precious face that had been so Instrumental for the good of her Soul Then she cried again This Death is hard to abide Pray pray that my Passage may be easy Then she called to their man Andrew saying Where is that Promise I even I will blot one thine iniquities for my Names sake and will not remember thy Sins Then he turned to the place Isa 43.25 And many a time did she go over these words I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my names sake and will not remember thy Sins Then pausing a little said Here will I rest for I have nothing else to rely upon but Christ in a Promise As for all my best Duties that ever I performed in all my life I quit them all as Physicians of no value and do freely cast my self at the feet of Christ And if I perish I 'le perish there This was unspeakable satisfaction to her Father that now those Sermons that sometimes with difficulty she had heard and those Duties she had performed and which had cost her many a Tear should now be all disowned by her as to Justification when she was going to look grim Death in the Face And this her father affirms of his own knowledg she was of such a broken frame of Spirit that seldom or never did she come from her private Retirements but with red Eyes and watery Cheeks And sometime upon particular occasion he hath joyned with her in Prayer when she would have poured out her Soul in such a melting frame of Spirit Heavenly language and powerful Arguments as would have caused him to have groaned in his Spirit and blessed the Lord for those eminent Endowments of Gifts and Graces he had endued her withal Presently she cries again Oh my Father this Death is hard to abide Pray pray that my Passage may be easie Then suddenly with much ardency of Spirit with Hands and Eyes lift up to Heaven said Lord Jesus put forth thine Arm and take me by the Hand and say Come up hither Then she enquiring again for Mr. Nicholson she was told he was not come She prayed again That if the Lord will she might live to see him Then beholding her Father she said How comes it that my Father is without a Cap Then she called for one and sat up and opened it with her own hands and then put it upon his Head who said It was the last that ever his dear would put him on Then she desired to be remembred to all her natural Relations leaving a word of Exhorto them all namely That they should come off from the world and make sure of Christ Then she desired to be remembred to all Christian Friends and named some of them saying Oh the Society of the Saints the Society of the Saints Were I to live again I would more highly value the Society of the Saints the least of Saints Then she asked her Father What day it was He told her Friday Then she said It will not be long till I shall be in Eternity of Felicity and I shall be interred upon the Lords day Then she asked If she might give them out her Grave-dress Which being referred to her liberty she called for her Desk and sat up and opened it with her own hand and laid aside her Shift and the rest of her Cloaths that she would carry with her to her Grave being all plain She desired her Aunt to put her Fore-headcloath low upon her Brow Then perceiving that this enflamed her Fatherwith Sorrow with the rest of her Relations she said Father Whether shall the Saints know one another in Heaven Who then gave her that satisfaction he could on the Affirmative and further called to mind that Mr. Bolton in his Joys of Heaven doth positively affirm the same by many Arguments as first That all Knowledg is desirable but to know one another in Heaven is most desireable 1 Corin 13.12 But then shall I know even as I am known Secondly The Disciples in the Transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they never saw before Ergo we shall know one another in Heaven with many more Arguments to that purpose which were so satisfactory to her that â—he blessed the Lord for that knowledg especially that she should know her dear Father again in Heaven She further enquired Whether the Sins of Saints should come into the Judgment of Discussion at the great Day of the Lord She then remembring Mr. Brooks in his Apples of Gold did speak fully to it and desired it might be read to her which accordingly was done And when she heard it she then blessed the Lord saying whom he loves once he loves to the end A Friend coming in and asking her how she did she said She was taking flight into another world Pray pray that my Passage may be easu Then said Come Lord Jesus take me to thy self hold me fast in thine Arms and let me not go Then she enquired again for Mr. Nicholson who presently came and after Salutation he fell down before the Lord to beg Mercy for her Soul After Prayer was done she desired that the Room might be spared that she might have a little private Converse with him He spent about half an hour with her which as he after told was mostly about some Doubts she had about the strength of her Corruptions and want of Assurance In the close of their Discourse she was still of that mind that she would die He told her others were fitter to judg in that Case than she And asked her how she knew it She then said She felt that that he did not feel So in the close of the Day she fell into a hoâ— Feaver and was violently in it for a season Dâ—ring which time the Tempter waited his opportunity knowing well he had but a little time tâ— do his work in so that through his Temptations and the violency of the Feaver for a smaâ—â— time she was under a damp Then in the close of the Evening the Doctoâ— came again who gave her some things that presently did loosen her Flegm and not looâ— after she fell upon a sweet sleep as the Doctoâ— and Mr. Wilkinson and others that sat with her said it was about two Hours she
slept When she first awaked she said Thou wicked Satan How durst thou tempt the Lord of Life After that she fell into a Slumber again and alwaies â—s she awaked she cried Sweet Christ pity me Sweet Jesus pity me Sweet Christ have mercy upon me several times going over those Petitions Then in the Twilight her Father going to â—er asked her how she did She fixed her eyes stedfastly upon him but never spake more Twice before Breath was out we fell down beâ—â—re the Lord and sent her to Heaven upon â—he wing of Prayer Thus it was apparent That the many Petitions she had put up to Heaven for her easie â—â—assage were granted her and her Entrance â—â—to her Fathers House in Glory where she hath â—â—ken up her everlasting abode to be ever with â—â—e Lord was about the Hours of Four or Five â—n the Morning August the Third 1672. Amen Amen Hallelujah A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of Mrs. MARY WILSON By George Nicholson Minister of the Gospel Psal 103.14 15 16 17 18 verses were sung Luke 12.40 Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye thinâ— not WHile the Lord Jesus was at his Setmon there started up a certain Person out of the Auditory that moved an unseasonable suit 〈◊〉 Him v. 13. Master speak to my Brother that he divide the Inheritance with me Like many poor Creatures that when they come to heâ—â— the Word of God they have their Hearts so stuffed up with the World as that the Word of God takes no place with them nor finds no â—oom in them such was this poor man now menâ—ioned that while Christ was Preaching he was proling for the world Well! His unseaâ—nable request though it did interrupt Christ â—n his present Discourse yet occasioned new proâ—table matter to flow out of his mouth For â—ster the Lord Christ had given him a particular â—heck for such a Proposal together with a denial 〈◊〉 gratifie him in such a request Ver. 14. He â—â—eth on and delivereth a seasonable and neâ—â—ssary Caution v. 15. Take heed and beware of â—â—ovetousness the which he backeth with a â—â—ong Argument in the same verse For a mans â—â—e consisteth not in the abundance of the things â—at he possesseth And to make the Caution to take hold of his â—â—arers He gives an instance by way of Parable 〈◊〉 a certain rich man that was covetously bent â—â—er the world who whilst he was racking his â—â—ains about his worldly Profits his life was cut â—â— his Soul required and he a Fool for his â—â—ins from v. 16. to the 20. v. The Applicaâ—â—â—n of which Parabolical instance ye have in 〈◊〉 21. So is he that layeth up Treasure for himâ—â—â—f and is not rich towards God Well in his â—â—â—lowing Discourse he applieth himself unto 〈◊〉 Disciples from ver 22. to the 30. wherein in he useth several Arguments with them to setch them off from the love of the world All which lye dispersed in the aforementioned verses which I cannot now stand to draw forth but must leave them for you to cull out at your leisure And that he may effectually take them off from the world he setteth before them and proposeth to them greater and better objects than the world could present them with As iâ— he should say If ye will lay out your selve and spend your strength and spirits about thingâ— Behold here are excellent things that are worth your pursuing after and labouring for Herâ— is the Kingdom of God the Righteousness oâ— God Bags that wax not old and Treasure iâ— Heaven that faileth not v. 31 32 33. Math. â—â— 33. Let your Hearts be taken up with thâ— things and never fear but all other things â—â— far as they are necessary for you shall be addâ—â— unto you And that they may receive thâ—â— Kingdom and Treafure which faileth not 〈◊〉 The Lord Christ directeth them to be ready 〈◊〉 waiting for the coming of Christ v. 35 3â— And this he presseth upon them by two conâ—â—derable Arguments The First is drawn from that honourable aâ—â— happy Welcome which such shall have at 〈◊〉 coming of Christ v. 37. Blessed are those Sâ—â—vants whom the Lord when he cometh 〈◊〉 find watckiâ—g Verily I say unto you that 〈◊〉 shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them The Second Argument is drawn from the uncertainty of the time of Christ's coming which is laid down by a familiar Comparison of a Thief 's coming to break up a House when the Good-man of the House is off his watch v. 39. And this know that if the good-man of the house had known what hour the Thief would come he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken thorow From which comparison of the Thief 's sudden and unexpected coming the Lord Jesus presseth them to be ready For as the Thief so he himself cometh at in hour when men think not Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an your when ye think not The words are a serious Exhortation delivered to his Disciples and his then present Auditory wherein we may take notice of these two general parts First An important Duty enjoined Be â—e therefore ready also Secondly A plain yet â—owerful Argument to press this Duty upon â—hem For the Son of Man cometh at an hour â—hen ye think not The words are so very plain as that we need â—ot spend much time about their Explication â—or shall we make knots where there are â—one The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here translated ready signifieth generally Preparation or Readiness according to the subject matter that it hath relation to so that be ye ready here is be ye prepared for the coming of Christ But that which will need a little unfolding is What we are to understand by this coming of Christ in the Text Answer There is a twofold coming of Christ First There is his coming to the particular Day of Judgment and that is at the Death of every Person For it is in the power of his own hand alone to fetch away the Souls of Men The Souls of Men are brought before Christ immediately upon the Death of the Bodies of Men to receive their Doom or Judgment Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the Judgment Secondly There is Christ's coming to the 〈◊〉 Judgment which is at the end of the World and the Resurrection of the Bodies of Men. Thâ—â— I grant is called signally The coming of Christ his Second coming Acts 1.11 1 Thes 4 1â—â— Heb. 9. last I know some Expositors would have this coming of Christ to the last Judgment to be intended here But I rather think it to â—â— meant of his Coming to the particular Judgment and that for this reason Because his Discipleâ—â— and the then Auditory to whom he spoke weâ—â— not like to live to see Christ's last Coming
that come under the lash of this Point First There is the Carnal Professour thaâ— justly falleth under Conviction who deceiveth himself with his fair pretences and meer shaâ—â— dows he looketh like one that is making ready for Christ and yet really and in good earneâ—â— he never endeavoureth to get his Soul furnisheâ— with those Preparations that would fit him sâ—â— Christ This poor man like the five fooliâ—â— Virgins hath his lamp but he hath no oyâ—â— it His heart is graceless and yet he goes oâ—â— till he see himself deceived when it is too lateâ— My Friends believe it for a truth It is not whâ—â—â— you appear to be by your Profession but whaâ—â— you really and actually are by powerful impressions within you and spiritual actions done bâ—â— you that will make you to be ready for tâ—â— Coming of the Lord Christ Do you think thaâ— the Lord Jesus will look upon your outward Profession to be all the Preparation he required when he shall come and call for your Souls Be not mistaken Whatever you think or judg in this Case the Lord Christ will be of another mind yea and will disown such to be ready for him Mark his own words Math. 7.21 22. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord â—hall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven But he â—hat doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and 〈◊〉 thy Name cast out Devils and in thy Name one many marvellous works But maâ—k what answer he returneth them And then will I proâ—ss unto them I never knew you Depare from â—eye that work iniquity Secondly There is the earthly Miser whose â—art is eaten out and devoured with the ca es â— the world This silly Muckworm cometh â—â—der the whip Alas This covetous Wretch â—â—ndeth at the widest distance from Preparaâ—â—n for the coming of Christ It is true he is â—â—king himself ready but what is it for onâ—â—for his Incomes from the world There is no â—â—n of greater Contrivance Care and Action â—â—n this wretch but all is spent and laid out â—ut his earthly Concerns His Thoughts â—ections Head Heart and Hand are all â—aged but still about his carnal Contemements Though he sometimes talk of Heaven and the Coming of Christ yet is he not at leisure to think leriously of either He cannot spare time from the world to prepare for Heaven and Christ See his Emblem or Portraicture to the life in the Parable of the Rich man recorded in Luk 12.16 17 18. where we have hiâ— Thoughtfulness Care Contrivance and Activeness set forth about his earthly Profits And tâ— speak the truth A worldly man looketh upon the world and his concerns in it to be 〈◊〉 greatest concerns As for Heaven and going to it he is willing to run the hazard this shall not trouble either his head or heart at presenâ— But if he must think of Heaven and the comâ— of Christ he will defer that till he hath do with all his concerns in the world and that when he cometh to die then he will cry 〈◊〉 mercy and ask forgiveness and this is all 〈◊〉 Readiness in his judgment that will be requisite to be minded Adde to these your Jovial Sirs that spâ—â—â— their days in mirth and in a moment go doâ—â— to the Grave That live as if their lives were be sacrificed to their lusts Poor men Tâ—â—â— put far from them the evil Day and all thouâ—â— of the coming of Christ Amos 6.3 4 5 6. 〈◊〉 men in the world are more unready for a dâ—â— hour than these And God many times coâ—â—â— upon these on a sudden and sweepeth them to the Grave in the midst of their Jollity read and tremble at those words of Christ Luk. 12.20 But God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy Soul be required of thee If you mark it was that very night after the poor Miser had been pleasing himself with the thoughts of what stores of Wealth and Pleasure he had laid up for his Soul against the time to come v. 19. I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry But this poor Fool is cut off in the midst of his pleasing thoughts before the morning The like you have in Belshazzar who in the midst of his Cups is fairly presented with the Finger of Death to cut him off Dan. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. Thirdly There is the Secure Sinner that is fast asleep upon his Pillow of ease who is not â—t all awakened either by the Threatnings of the Word or other Providential Alarms that â—â—e hath He hath many Spectacles of Mortaâ—ity before his eyes yet is he not at all startled â—â—r awakened by any of these to consider his ways these also are far from this Readiness to meet the Lord Jesus Poor secure Sinners what will you do in the Day when the Lord shall â—ome forth against you Do you think that then â—e shall be able to sit quiet and remain secure 〈◊〉 trow not When God shall arise and comâ—â—â—pon you he will awaken you to purpâ—â—â— When there was a cry made at Midnight 〈◊〉 hold the Bridegroom cometh the slumbering Virgins could sleep no longer They had been secure and sleepy under Ordinances and Prâ—â—dences before but when Christ cometh upon them they rouse up to purpose Matth. 25 â—â— will it be done to you There is not the secâ—â—â— rest Soul among you but when the Lord Chriâ—â— alarms you shall rise up with trembling yoâ—â— will be made to quake for fear at his appearance O then to prevent this awake your selves bâ—â—â— times and get ready that Christ may not coâ—â—â— upon you at unawares Fourthly The Presumptuous Sinner fallen under Reproof by this Doctrine who hardened himself in his Wickedness and sinneth with aâ— high hand and yet concludeth he shall haâ—â— peace though he walketh after the Imaginations of his own evil heart to adde Drunkenneâ—â— to Thirst But what saith the Scripture about this sort of men The Text is terrible Deut. 29â— 19 20. The Lord will not spare that man but bâ—â— anger and jealousie shall smoak against him 〈◊〉 then be not so foolishly mad as to hope for Mercy at the coming of Christ whilst ye go on aâ— so round a rate in Sin Though ye have made 〈◊〉 Covenant with Death and with Hell are at agreement yet because ye have made lies your refugâ—â— and hid your selves under falshood your Covenant with Death shall be disannulled and your agreement with Hell shall not stand The Hail shâ—â— sweep away your refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow your hiding place and when the overflowing scourge shall pass thorow then shall â—e be troden down by it Isa 28.15 16 17 18. Fifthly To add no more There is the languishing Professour that falleth under the rebuke of this Doctrine who though his condition be safe because of his
habitual Readiness the grace of Regeneration being found within him yet may he sadly smart for his Relapses before â—e give up the Ghost Hast thou not heard before what hazards even the Godly do run for want of actual Preparation Is it a small thing in thine account to be under the Trounâ—ings of Satan the hidings of God's Face the â—remblings of Conscience and the terrors of Death Remember therefore from whence thou â—â—rt fallen and repent and do the first works or â—â—se the Lord Christ will come unto thee quickly â—nd remove thee out of thy place except thou reâ—ent Be watchful and strengthen the things â—hat are ready to die which yet remain for thy works are not found perfect before God Rememâ—er therefore how thou hast received and heard â—nd hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt â—ot watch the Lord Christ will come on thee as Thief and thou shalt not know what hour he will â—ome upon thee Rev. 2.5 and 3.2 3. Use 2. Secondly Is it the great concernment â—f all that look to be saved to make ready against the coming of Christ Then it is thâ— greatest Folly imaginable to neglect making ready for Christ's Coming That man lies aâ—â— waies under the imputation of extreme Folly that neglecteth his principal Concerns Is 〈◊〉 not an arrant Fool that will not mind his moâ—â— necessary Concernments wherein his very lâ—â—â— and welfare is wrapt up Quae te dementia cepit That you may see the extreme folly and maâ—ness of men herein I will shew you it a litâ—â—â— more particularly and that very briefly First That man that neglecteth making reâ—dy for Christ's coming he hath no regard 〈◊〉 or care of his great Soul His Carelessness about making due Preparation to meet the Lâ—â—â— Jesus doth plainly speak forth thus much That whether his Soul sink or swim be saâ—â— or damned he mattereth it not He willâ—â—â— so much as trouble either his Head or Heart about it And is not this the greatest pieceâ—â— Folly that can be What man more madâ—â— foolish than he that setteth his Soul aside 〈◊〉 forgetteth or else careth not to do any thâ—â— about it that may tend to save it Our 〈◊〉 Jesus telleth us That the Soul of man is beâ—â—â—â— than the whole world for so much his woâ—â—â— do sound Math. 16.26 What is a man profâ—â—â— â—f he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul â—r what shall he give in exchange for his soul Now is that man any other than a simple Fool that neglecteth his Soul which the whole world cannot equalize the worth of or repair the loss of if he could enjoy it all to himself Secondly That man that neglecteth Preparation for the Coming of Christ he doth but treasure up wrath unto himself against the day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgement of God And is not he a Fool that provideth Instruments of Cruelty for himself And thus doth every one though they think it not that neglecteth to make ready for Christ's appearance I speak to such as never mind the work of Repentance but go on in a course of Sin these of all others are the greatest Fools in that they do all the while store up plagues for themselves Rom. 2.4 5 6. Thirdly The Folly of him that mindeth not making ready for the coming of Christ appeares in this That he doth but harden himself against â—he coming of Christ And is he not a grand Fool think ye that thus setteth himself against Christ Whoever hardened himself against God and prospered I do not think that every one that mindeth not to make himself ready to meet â—he Lord Jesus doth intentionally and resolredly harden himself against Christ for these â—re only that Atheistical and debanched Crew that are void of all Fear and Conscience that bid open defiance against Heaven Psal 73 9â— But my Friends after you have heard it to be your Duty to make ready against that time when you shall be called to appear before Christ iâ— you then neglect to do it it will be interpreted of Christ to be a hardening your selves against him Because you know it to be your Duty and yet will not do it And what a Madman 〈◊〉 he that will put himself into such a posture aâ— will bespeak him to be hardening himself against Christ Can their hearts endure or their hands be strong in the day that God shall deal with them Ezek. 22.14 Will ye provoke the Lord to jealousie are ye stronger than he Remember it was Israels overthrow in the Wilderness that they hardened themselves against God this made their Carkases fall there so that they never came to Canaan Psal 95.8 9 10 11. Heb. 3.8 9 10 11. I shall leave but that one place further with you and then consider of it Revel 6.14 15 16 17. And the Heaven departed at a Scroll when it is rolled together and every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great Men and the Rich men and the Chief Captains and the Mighty men and every Bondman and every Freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the Mountains And said to the mountains and Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand You see that Christ will make the stoutest of men to tremble that harden themselves against him Fourthly Their folly appeareth by this who neglect to prepare and make ready for Christ Jesus his Coming in that so doing they undervalue Heaven And is he not to be reckoned a prosane Fool that makes no reckoning of Heaven The poor Indians folly was seen in this That they were so willing to part with their Gold for some pieces of Brass or for other Toys and Trifles that were of no great value Now that man that taketh no care to make himself ready to come before the Lord Jesus his neglect doth plainly declare That Heaven beareth to price with him For there is no man that â—ometh within the sound of the Gospel â—ut he heareth That without Repentance no salvation and that without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. Now after the declaration â—â— all this in the ears of such a person If he shall sive in the neglect of looking after Repentance â—r the work of Holiness he doth evidently maâ—ifest That Heaven signifieth not much to him for he that will not carefully look after the heans and also use them that relate to such an â—nd his very neglecting of the means doth bespeak him to have no great regard to the end especially when he knoweth that it is not possible in an ordinary way to come to enjoy such an end without making use of such means And will not this prove a man to be a Fool Remember that Esau is called a profane person or as the
taken you into it who were as they are and is especially engaged to your Children by the tenour of his Covenant with you That nothing but their own willful refusal final impenitency obstinacy and infidelity can deprive them of his Salvation Bewail the Sins of any in your Family as if they were your own resist them by Instruction Admonition Reproof and Correction as the case requires and pray earnestly against them Especially teach all under your charge to eschew evil and do good by your own daily Practice and Examples And be sure you engage them and train them up in the constant Duties of Gods sacred Worship and Service Sixthly As Religion is your signal Profession so let your whole Lives in all the natural and civil actions thereof be influenced animated and as it were fermented by it Eat drink work walk â—ake sleep speak and be silent mourn and be merry by the Rules of Religion And let the lustre of it be conspicuous in all â—our civil Converses of Buying Selling Borrowing Lending Giving and Reâ—eiving Let your Principles Grounds Motives â—nd Ends be really religious not carnal â—nd selfish Be true and faithful Just and Upright Sober and Temperate Chast and Modest Courteous and Affable Compassionate and Charitable Meek and Peaceable Innocent and Patient Kind and Helpful Look that your relative Duties to Superiors Inferiors and Equals both in Church and State Rom. 13. 1 to 7. 1 Tim. 2.12 Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13 to v. 18. be religiously discharged and performed Honour the higher Powers Pray for them fervently pay Tribute willingly And be conscientiously subject in all true Loyalty Let his Majestie 's Eminent Clemency evident so signally in our precious Gospel-Liberty attract and ingage your Affections to him Let your Church-communion be glorious in all the holy Effects of mutual Love Watchfulness and Tenderness And keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 Let the Splendour of Religion in your Conversations evince the Purity 1 Pet. 2.12 and Power of Religion in your Consciences that God may be glorified and men may be edified by you Let none you live neer or meet with lack your possible and seasonable Help for the good of their Souls that need it and will but accept it And Finally Rom. 2.4 my Brethen whilst others despise the Riches of God's Goodness Forbearance and Long-suffering not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth them to Repentance But after their Hardness and impenitent Hearts treasure up unto themselves Wrath against the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Who will render to every man according to his Deeds See that you by patient Continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality And he will render unto you eternal Life at the End of this temporal Life The least glimps and foretaste whereof how glorious and ravishing it is they can best tell you that have had the Experience Oh! Let Christ and all of Christ his Natures Person Attributes Offices Obedience active Passive Conflicts Conquests Triumphs and Purchases and all of God in Christ be precious unto you for all are yours if you be his Let him be the fat and the sweet the hope and the help and the happiness of your whole life and death whether you live Rom. 14.8 live to him or whether you die die to him which only by holy living and dying you shall do and then whether you live or die you are his Though you can but dye once naturally yet you may dye dayly spiritually i.e. in (a) Phil. 1.21 23. Affection (b) Job 14 14. Expectation (c) Deut. 32.29 Preparation (d) Matth. 26.39 Submission and (e) Ps 31.5 Act. 20.22 23 24. Resignation I leave you to pick out the matter which I have couched in words for you use as concisely as I could that I might not too far transcend the bounds of an Epistle The ensuing Narratives present you with a worthy Example of a dear deceased Viâ—gin-Saint once a Member of your Fellowship now translated into the Celestia-Chore Early living and timely dying iâ— the Lord and to the Lord. Not permitteâ— by him to have other Husband than Himself in greatest mercy doubtless to herself Whilst others sought her He senâ— for her and unexpectedly but not unpreparedly took her from all her Relations and Lovers to marry her in Glory whom Hâ— had espoused in Grace Whose Piety Prudence Gravity Modesty with other Gifâ—â— and Ornaments natural and supernatural were illustrious in her above most of her Age and Sex But I 'le detain you no longer from the Natratives themselves And the seasonable and useful Sermon preached at her Funeral with some prom and Consolatory Letters from several Godly Ministers to her disconsolate Father upon the sad occasion of her Death All which I commend to your diligent perusal and to Gods Blessing thereupon for your Spiritual and Eternal Good I am A servent well-wisher oft your Souls prosperity and your Servant in the Lord for that end The Introduction THe Saints of God most Christian Reader are to be honoured both living dying and after death though not with the honour of Invocation which finds no letter of Command or Direction no letter of Promise or Acceptation no letter of Example or Practice in the whole Word of God but is a reproach to the Saints and a dishonour to God whose Name and incommunicable Title is The God hearing Prayers and therefore to him shall the desires of all flesh come and if all to him then none to Saints yet with the honour of benediction and imitation of their Vertues and Graces They they only are the most magnificent illustrious noble excellent ones in the world Psal 16.3 They are more noble than others Acts 17.11 They are Kings and Priests Rev. 1.6 They are more excellent than their neighbours Prov. 12.26 More excellent in regard of their Descent and Stock as having God for their Father In regard of their Inheritance Heirs of Heaven and Earth 1 Cor. 3.20 21. In regard of their Food they are fed with heavenly Manna they eat Angels food eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ and in regard of their Cloathing their Cloathing being of imbroidered Gold Psal 45.13 They have put on the Wedding-Garment the Garments of Salvation the white Robes of Christs Righteousness the white linnen yea Christ himself Whereas the unjust are men of no name vile persons though never so great Dan. 11.21 To be contemned and despised Psal 15.4 They deserve not the name of men Jerem. 5.1 They are not to be honoured in some Cases so much as with a Look or with a Word or with a Bow 2 King 3 14. Luk. 23.9 Esth 3.2 But the Godly are men of renown they want nothing that can make any truly honorable and noble they are admitted into the King of Heavens Service Servants of the great King Gods Attendants and Courtiers employed in
is described amongst other Qualifications by this also that He is a man that honours them that fear the Lord Psal 15.4 They honour them while living and when dead by an honourable Interment and after Death by honourable Thoughts of them by honourable Speech in the mention of them and by the Imitation of their Vertues and Graces and thus the memory of the just is blessed Prov. 10.7 When persons in After-ages shall remember them and the things memorable in them they shall bless them and highly esteem them they shall not be so much as mentioned or spokeâ— without praise or benediction This is Honour to their Memories The end therefore of the following Narrative of the holy Life of Mary Wilson next to the Glory of God the Edification of the Church iâ— general the use and benefit of that Body where of she was a Member and the profit and comfort of her Parents and other near and deaâ— Relations surviving is the advancement of heâ— Memory and an encouragement for others imitation who often follow Patterns more thaâ— Precepts And to present as exemplary thâ—â— the Piety and Holiness of her that is deceased for that end When persons that dye are persons of known worth and usefulness 't is not fit that their Graces should die with them and that Vertue should be defrauded of its publique honour And because God honours them that honour him the Church has been alwaies careful to preserve and embalm their Memories And so is that Promise made good and the Will of God served therein whose mind it is That the Memory of the Jusâ— should be blessed Prov. 10.7 and kept from rotting whereas the Name of the wicked roâ—â— together with their Carcases And if the Authors of the ensuing Narrative with its adjuncts had only designed in the Publication thereof to continue the Memory and Christian Example of that precious Saint and â—ervant of Christ whose Death gave occasion to â—hem nothing had been done unworthy a Chriâ—tian aim Praise and Publick honour being a Debt that is owed to the righteous a debt saith Nazianzen in one of his Funeral Orations that of all debts is most just And as the antient Church was wont to preserve the Memory of the Saints â—â— those famous Dyptichs So might they seek â—â— continue the Memory of her Graces in this â—ublick Record that though being dead she â—ight yet speak She really deserves both glory raise and honour Glory that she be accounted vertuous and gracious Praise an honorable â—ention of her for her vertues and Honour viz. a â—estification of the former good opinion by some â—utward signs as Commendation erecting of â—tatues or Pillars c. It 's said of Abâ—lom that in his life-time he had taken and reared â—p for himself a Pillar and called it after his own â—ame because he had no son to keep his name in â—emembrance 2 Sam. 18.18 Yet that Remembrance of his as Job saith proved like ashes The â—ollowing Narrative will be a far better Monument to preserve the Memory of her Name and â—he name of her Parents It hath ever been the custome of the Church â—â— God to write the story of the Lives of eminent and well-deserving persons and it's pity thâ— such Memorials should be lost and condemnâ— to an obscure privacy both for their own usefulness and for her sake that was the occasion â—â— them Certainly God 's Worthies deserve soâ—â— publique Monument to continue their Memoâ—â— and Example for the imitation of the Good anâ— the reproof of the Bad. The Apostle tells uâ—â— That dead Saints may yet speak Hebr. 11.4 thâ—â— is Preach by their Example But then theâ— must be some to continue the memory of thâ—â— example or else how should it speak ought oâ—â— instruction to future Ages Therefore the Apostle observes of Abel in thâ—â— forenamed place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He obtained witness that he was righteous which may be referred to the publick witness and testimony of the written Word where his usual titâ—â— and stile is righteous Abel Matt. 23.35 And â—â— had said before of all the Patriarchs v. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They obtained a good report to wit â—â— the Church by the Scriptures Now since thâ— Canon of Faith was closed up there is no reason that the Memory of the Saints should be lost anâ— therefore God hath in every Age stirr'd up some that can handle the pen of the Writer by some publick Record to consign their Example to the use of the Church though 't is true it 's confesseâ— that many have been forgotten who were otherâ—wise famous in their generations for want of â—are in this kind Besides the Lord hath not only given us his Word for a Rule but he hath given us Examples also as a Rule to walk by he hath given us his own Example to imitate Ephes 5.1 1 Pet. 1.15 16. And his Sons Example 1 John 2.6 Heb. 12.2 3. 1 Pet. 2.21 Mat. 11.24 Learn of me But besides these leading unerring Examples the Examples of the Saints are to be commended to our Imitation both in Doing and Suffering Whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our Learning Rom. 15.4 And Examples are written we are bidden To go forth by the footsteps of the Flock Cant. 1.8 Why hath the Holy Ghost set the Pens of so many on work to write the Lives of the Saints Why hath he kept a Record of them in his own Book but for Instruction and Direction of his People in after-time The Lord hath not registred one act of the Saints but it is useful for us The acts of the Saints are full of Practical Divinity and their sufferings and troubles are full of Pathetical Divinity as the Exhortation of St. James doth more than intimate Jam. 5.10 Hence those antient Saints and Believers in Hebr. 12.1 are called a cloud of Witnesses because there is a directive and leading vertue in them As there was a Cloud that went before the Children of Israel in the Day to lead them So this cloud of witnessâ— leads us up and down the wilderness of our Sorrows and in the dark night of our Sufferings That the gracious pious and holy actings â—â— the fornamed deceased Saint may be an addition to this Cloud for your direction and conduct â—â— in part the design of the following Narrative with the Additionals Read it and imitate Live as she in the Fear of God and Faith â—â— Christ and you shall dye as she in his favour and everlastingly partake of that Felicity which she is now possessing in Heaven A brief Narrative of the holy and pious Life and patient peaceful and Christian Death of MARY WILSON MAry Wilson was born at Crosfield in the Parish of Kirkoswold in Cumberland the nineteenth Day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Two Her Fathers name is Richard Wilson a person of exemplary Piety and of singular Sincerity and Integrity and a very useful Instrument
in the House of God in that Place and Office with which he is dignified in his careful and prudent management of that Power and Authority with which he is cloathed and to which he is advanced Her Mothers name was Mary Martendale descended from an honest wealthy and well-esteemed Parentage a great lover of Hospitality and of good Men For their outward Estate they have a competent Sufficiency an estate sufficient to preserve an honest report and repute amongst their Neighbours and to be helpful to them as occasion and opportunity serves and necessity calls for it Not so rich as by their Wealth to be exposed to envy nor so poor as by want to be liable to contempt more enriched they are with the love of their Neighbours and with the great esteem they have amongst them for their vertuous and Christian demeanour amongst them and helpfulness to them but most of all enriched in having so rich a Daughter who was Heir of a Crown and Kingdome and is now Possessor of the same While she lived she was a mirrour of Woman-hood for her time and now being dead a Pattern of true Christianity She was from a Child of a sweet and affable Disposition and exceeding loving and engaging to all People from her very Infancy she was a most dutiful and obedient Child to her Parents and to all her Superiours a great Reproof to Children for theâ—â— Disobedience in this present Age and a good Pattern for their Imitation But her surpassing love was mostly shewn to her Father above aâ— her Relations besides which was much manifested by her desirousness of being continually present with him So that assoon as ever she haâ— strength to go forth in his hand she would waâ—â— into the fields with him and begin to enquire who made such and such things which she bâ— held and observed Her Father then taking notice of it ender voured to inform her about the Creation of thâ— World and the Three Persons in the Trinity and in several other things bordering upon anâ— drawn from thence All which Instructions she â—â—dily apprehended drank in laid up and remembred even as fast as he could lay them open â—â—d out to her and never after forgot them to â—â—r dying Day Which may be both a Pattern â—â—d also an incouragement for Parents imitation â—â— teach their Children their trade to educate â—â—em vertuously while young and they shall â—â— continue and never depart from it Prov. 22.6 â—â— teach their Children the Knowledg of their â—â—eator in the days of their Youth from the â—â—atures and to learn them the invisible things â—â— the God-head by the things that are made and â—â—vious to their view and sight And that which may further encourage â—â—ents to instruct and teach their Children â—â— their Minority is this That God hath apâ—â—inted their Teaching and godly Education as means to make their Children Disciples and to â—â—ng them to actual Faith and Profession both â—â—ipture and Experience prove it Saith a Reverend Divine God commands the â—â— of this means to all Parents that they teach â—â—m the Law of God and Trade of their Life â—â—d to rehearse the Words of God and to whet â—â—m continually upon them that they may print â—â—m more deeply in their minds Deut. 6.7 And â—â—ng them up in the nurture and admonition of the â—â—rd from their Childhood Ephes 6.4 So that â—â—s is the first means for actual Faith which God hath appointed Now God will appoint â—â— means to be used from which he will ordinarily withdraw his Grace or deny his Blessing if â—â— be rightly used Certainly if-godly Education be as well â—â— Ordinance as Ministerial and publick Preaching and go before it then may men expect God Blessing on their endeavours in such education of their Children as well as on the publick Mâ—nistry God sets none upon vain and fruitleâ—â— Works and experience confirms it that Goâ—â— doth frequently bless this means before the puâ—lick Ministry comes Not to instance in all thâ—â— in Scripture that were Godly from their Childhood it 's commonly seen in our times that maâ— or at least many of the Children of Godly Pâ—rents that are truly sanctified did receive the â—â—ginnings of it in their youth And I doubt not said another Divine but if Parents did faithful discharge their Duty to their Children that Gâ—â— who set them on work would bless it and leaâ—â— but few to be first converted by the Ministry witâ—â— the Church the chief use of that being to guâ—â— and govern the Church and to build up the Disâ—â—ples and to convert those without as it was â—â— the Primitive times In the time of her Youth or rather Childhood at which time they generally speak â—â—â— sport and play like Children yet she was nâ—â—â— observed to be given to such Childish Play 〈◊〉 other Children though at that time she might have had her liberty some of the Servants in the Family upon a certain time going abroad to a Morriment so termed desired leave of her Parents that she might go along with them which â—he understanding readily refused to go It being asked her why she would not She reâ—lied I think God will not love me if I go to such Meetings Betwixt the Eighth and Ninth year of her Age â—he was sorely visited with the Small Pox insomuch that to an eye of reason Death did look â—er in the Face at which time in the hearing of many Persons she uttered much Heavenly Language to the admiration of those that heard â—er And when her Father took his sorrowful leave of her to go for the Doctor viz. Mr. â—ilpin she said My Dear Father Take no â—hought for me for if we never meet in this world I hope we shall meet in Heaven But it then â—leased the All-gracious God to bless the Means â—or her Recovery and to add to her days many â—ears that She might be more for his Glory â—nd her Soul might have more assurance of his â—ove Not long after her restoring to health about â—he ninth Year of her Age A Gentleman coming â—o her Father's house in Discourse with her Father he told him That there was a strong report â—hat the Parliament was about to put forth an Act for the Banishment of all the Non-conformists iâ— England she having overheard the Discourse the next day took occasion to speak to her Father about it and said Father In case that Aâ— come forth that you were speaking of yesternight must you go with the rest into Banishment He Father then told her if it proved so he knew nothing but he might Her Father then askeâ— her whether she would go with him or staâ— with her Mother and the rest of her Relations She replied She would not stay she would go aloâ—â— with her Father But he observing the Tears iâ— her eyes said My dear Child I am afraid â—â— this should come to pass it would prove a trouble to thee but thou seest I can no way help it unlâ—â—
to Grace â— mean of one Grace unto another but of degrees of Grace to the same Grace that is already received The former is plain from 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8. Add to your Faith vertue c. The latter is as plain from those Scriptures that enjoin the increase of particular Graces upon us 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ Jude v. 20. But ye Beloved Building up your selves in your most holy Faith 1 Thes 4.10 We beseech yeâ— Brethren that ye increase more and more that is in love Jam. 1.4 But let patience have he perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing And many more such instances might be given Now till this be done thou art not actually ready to meet the Lord Jesus There is a certain measure of Grace assigned and the period of time fixed for every Saint to come up to it in Ephes 4.13 and tâ—â— this be done we are not compleatly ready Thirdly Actual Readiness consisteth in this To have your Evidences clear for Heaven Tâ— be able to prove to your own Souls that you are in a state of Grace Till you be come up tâ— this length you are not so ready as you should be The Apostle enjoineth Saints To give â—â— diligence to make their Calling and Election sunâ— 2 Pet. 1.10 that is sure to themselves And when you have done this then are you ready for the Bridegroom 's coming When you can say with Paul and the other Apostles 2 Corinth 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens then are you actually ready and prepared for the Coming of the Lord. O then try your own selves your states and conditions to see whether Christ be in you or not Never think that you can be ready in any good measure till you understand something of this Can a man be ready to meet Christ that knoweth not whether he belongeth to Heaven or Hell to Salvation or Destruction Alas Such an one is yet short of that degree of readiness that should be attained in order to Christ's coming Fourthly There is also this in Actual Readiness to meet the Lord Jesus viz. A compleating of the work that God hath given us to do Every man hath his Generation-work set him of God to do and finish and till this be done no man is ready for the coming of the Lord. It is said of David Act. 13.46 That after he had served his Generation he fell asleep When a man hath done all his Generation-work he is then fit for Death and ready for Christ St. Paul foreseeing his Death hath these Expressions 2 Tim. 4.6 7. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my Departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Mark Paul saith he is ready to be offered as our Translation hath it though I know the Greek word may be translated otherwise But how proves St. Paul that he is ready Why For saith he I have finished my course c. As if he had said I have done all my Generation-work and therefore I am ready O Souls then and not till then are you ready to meet the Lord Jesus till you have done all the work which God hath given you to do in the world Most men God knoweth spend their time for very Vanity not considering that they have their task to do yet they think when they have lived as long as they can then there is no more but dying and entring into Glory Poor mistaken Soul Thou hast thy Generation-work to mind and also to compleat And if thou hast not set about it and brought it to its period thou art far from the Kingdom of God and consequently very unfit to die and unready to meet the Lord Jesus Be not deceived There is much to do before thou canst be ready for Christ Try then what thou hast done this way Hast thou wrought out thine own Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Hast thou filled up thy time with Duty Hast thou done all the work of thy Place Condition and Relation If not thou art not yet ready enough to meet the Lord Jesus Fifthly This Actual Readiness lies also in this viz. To have the Affections in subjection and under command and as it were brought under ones feet That when the Lord Jesus cometh with a Summons for the Souls appearance then the Soul to have so much power over it self as to say Arise let me go hence So that there needeth no more but Christ's Call and the Soul is ready to set forward and to take sits march to meet him this now is actual Readiness It is said of Abraham that when he was called to go into a place that he should afterwards receive for an Inheritance he obeyed Heb. 11.8 So when Christ giveth the Soul a Call to go from hence for the Soul then to have its Affections so subdued and so under command as forthwith to obey the Lord's Call this â—s Readiness indeed It is also said That the Witnesses upon a voice crying from Heaven to them Come up hither ascended to Heaven in a Cloud Rev. 11.12 So when Christ's voice from Heaven biddeth the Soul come up hither and the Soul upon the call ascendeth to Heaven this is Readiness in multis gradibus in many legrees to meet the Lord Jesus We read that when the Lord shall give the poor Jews a Call to return that they shall be so ready in their Affections to make answer to their Call as that they shall forthwith make this Reply Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Jer. 3.22 So when Christ saith Return ye Children of Men and we answer Behold we come unto thee then are we in a proportionable measure prepared to meet the Lord Jesus The Centurion told Christ That his Servants were so under his Authority that if he bid one of them go he goeth and if another come he cometh and if he bid the third do this he doth it Mat. 8.9 So if our Affections like the Centurion's Servants be so under Christ's and our Authority that if they be bid go they gp or come they come or do this they do it This is to be fitted for the coming of Christ Bâ—â— on the other hand now If the Affections be â—â— unruly unsubdued and masterful as that theâ— will not bend to the Call of Christ when eveâ— he summoneth any of us to appear before Hâ—â— we are not yet ready to meet the Lord Jesus Many Souls I know will pretend that if thâ—â— be to be ready then they are already prepared for they are as they pretend willing to depaâ—â— from hence when ever the Lord shall call theâ— But alas How far are such mistaken for let bâ— Christ Call for their Souls
and they wouâ—â— whatever they pretend to the contrary petitâ—â— for a Respite like the poor man in the Faâ—â— that wished for Death when he was overbuy thened with his sticks but when Death aâ— peared the man gets up with his Burden and away goeth he Poor men whatever they think or pretend they would find their Affections lime-twig'd with something or other that they cannot yet be ready to meet the Lord Jesus â— Sixthly There is this also in Actual Readiness to meet the Lord Jesus and that is To have the Affections elevated and upon the wing â—o meet the Lord Jesus The Affections are truly â—aid to be Alae Animae The wings of the Soul for they are the wings that carry the Soul after as desired Object Now when the Soul is â—eady to take its Flight to meet the Lord Jesus and mounteth upwards to meet him in the â—ay as if it would prevent Christ of the pains to â—â—me and fetch it this is Actual Readiness with â—â— Accent or Preparedness in summo gradu in â—e highest degree that man is capable of to â—eet the Lord Jesus We read of Elijah's â—cending to Heaven in a fiery Chariot so when â—e Soul hath its Affections like so many fiery â—hariots to carry it swistly on to meet the Lord â—sus here is Readiness indeed So we find â— Paul thus setting forth his desire to be with thrist Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having a â—hement hot and flagrant Affection to be with â—hrist which is best of all Seventhly To be Actually ready for the Coming of the Lord Jesus Is to have a suitable â—ame and temper of Spirit for a Dying Hour Thou art not prepared to meet Christ till thou art prepared to die Now I will shew you when a man is of a suitable frame of Spirit for a dying hour and take it in these Four Particulars First When a man is freely willing to bâ— disposed of by God this is a suitable frame 〈◊〉 Spirit for a Dying Hour When God sender his Messenger Death to summon a man to appear before the Lord and the man then is able to say Good is the Will of the Lord concerning me and let him do with me as seemeth good in hâ— sight Here is a man of a suitable frame of Spirit for a Dying Hour and consequently ready in a good degree to meet the Lord Jesus Thus the Man Christ Jesus shewed his readineâ— for dying in this suitable frame when he said Not my Will but thine be done Mat. 26.39 43. And good old Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And Daviâ— 2 Sam. 15.26 Behold here am I let him dâ—â— me as seemeth good unto him Secondly When a man can take complacence in God's so disposing of him this is to be of suitable frame of spirit for a Dying hour Thâ—â— is as I may say the highest pitch in this spiritual frame When a man cometh to this length as to take pleasure in God's taking him off bâ—â— Death this is to rise high in this Heavenâ— frame This I grant is rarely attained unto by those that are come up to some considerable legrees of Assurance that they are already passed from death to life Thus we find it was with Paul and those Saints of whom he speaketh 2 Cor. 5.1 We know saith he that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved â—e have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens here is his and their Assurance Now mark what followeth For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be â—â—athed upon with our house which is from Heaven Paul and the rest of these Saints with him â—ere so straitned in the Body as that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summo amore complectentes emâ—acing with the greatest delight as an hungry â—an his food or a naked man his cloaths their â—use which they were waiting for from Heaven â—ut how were they to come to be cloathed upon â—ith their house from above No other way ordinarily but by being uncloathed of the â—uses of their Bodies But could they be â—eased to have their cloathing of Flesh stript off â—em Not simply as such for this was against â—e Law of Nature which is for the preservation â—â— it self but yet as the Bodies uncloathing was â—e way and means to bring them to be cloathed â—â—th Immortality so they could take pleasure â—â—d delight in it This is no more than what â—â—ul hath elsewhere expressed Phil. 1.23 Having desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here translated to depart signifieth properly to be dissolved or to have the cords of Nature loosened the bands between the Soul and Body untied Now St. Paul saith It is his desire or as thâ— word is his fervent desire to be dissolved No that he simply took pleasure in the dissolution 〈◊〉 his compositum or union between his Soul and Body but as his dissolution would be the waâ— to bring him to Christ which he so much longeâ— for so he took pleasure or as Beza expound it contended in his desire to be dissolved So those Martyrs we read of in Heb. 11.39 would not accept of deliverance though theâ— were tortured or as the word is stretched form upon the Rack that they might obtain a beâ—â—â— Resurrection They would not thank their Adversaries for saving their lives or be beholden to them for their sparing mercy but rathâ—â— took pleasure in so cruel a Death as ordered 〈◊〉 them by the Almighty that they might obtain better Resurrection It is said of Aaron thâ—â— he received a commandment from the Lord 〈◊〉 die in Mount Hor Numb 33.38 But hâ—â— did he die Did he take complacency in thâ—â— disposal of the Almighty Yes as appeared from Numb 20.23 24 25 26 27 28. where 〈◊〉 is said That Moses stripped Aaron of his Garments not against the will of Aaron but with the free consent of Aaron as appeareth by 〈◊〉 freeness and readiness without the least reluctancy intimated to go with Moses unto Mount Hor to die there Aaron as far as we can gather any thing from the letter of the Text made no more of dying than a man doth of putting off his cloaths to go to Bed or of having them taken off that he may go to his rest which ordinarily is an act of complacency and delight to a man after his weariness and toilsome labour The same may be gathered from Moses himself Deut. 32.48 49 50. with Deut. 34.5 compared which is in excellent frame of Spirit for a Dying-hour Thirdly When a man can hang loose from and freely part with all his worldly comforts and enjoyments this is an excellent frame of Spirit for a Dying hour For a man to set his earthly comforts at his back and have only Heaven before his face this is a blessed temper of Spirit It is said of
Abraham That when he went to sacrifice up his Son Isaac to God he left his Young men with the Ass behind him Gen. 22.5 to when a man sacrificeth up his life to God for him then to leave all at the foot of the hill this â—â— a suitable frame of spirit for a dying hour It â—â— said of those Worthies in Heb. 11.15 That â—hey were not mindful of the Countrey from whence they came out They did not like Israel in the Wilderness think of Egypt or look â—ack like Lot's wife towards Sodom but they hung loose from the world and only fixed and fastened their Affections upon Heaven How did several of our famous English Martyrs in Q. Maries daies hang loose from their dearest comforts and Relations That when they were set before them sometimes for a Temptation or Aggravation of their sorrows and torments could easily overlook them and go on in their Suffering down to the Valley and Shadow of Death with the greatest chearfulness imaginable O blessed frame when a man is so dead to his Life Relations and all other worldly enjoyments as that he is not captivated in his Affections with it but hath in a holy manner so forgot it as that he is got above it here is a person indeed of a suitable frame of Spirit for a Dying hour How many are there that have the world set in their heart as the expression is Eccles 3.11 That have the very Essigies or Scheme of the world drawn upon their hearts as Calice was upon the heart of Q. Mary as she her self expressed it Alas such are like to have as sorrowful a parting with and from it as we may imagine the rich Fool had from his Goods laid up for many years in that night when his Soul was required of him Luke 12.19 20. Poor men These are far from this suitable frame of spirit for a Dying hour Fourthly When a man hath a rellish of Heaven upon his Spirit a taste and fore-taste of the fruit of the Vine that is drunk in that eternal Canaan this is a suitable frame of Spirit for a Dying hour A man is never fitter for Dying â—hen when his heart is in Heaven and his spirit â—lipt in the honey of Canaan When the grapes of Eshcol and Pomegranats and Figs of Canaan are tasted and leave such a tang upon the spirit behind them as sharpen the appetite and scent the Soul with the sweet odours and perfumes of Heaven here is a glorious frame of Spirit for a Dying hour When good Simeon that had waited for the Consolation of Israel had got Christ in his Arms He tasted so sweet to the spiritual Palate of the good man as that he is forward for dying Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine tyes have seen thy Salvation Luk. 2.28 29 30. Heaven dropt into the spirit of a man and the scent thereof retained puts a man into a right and suitable frame of heart for a dying Hour All the Pains Aches Troubles and Tortures that attend such cannot unframe them while Heaven and their Souls are thus incorporated together Nihil crus sentit in nervo cum animus â—est in coelo Tertul. And thus much shall serve for the opening of the first Particular viz. Wherein this Readiness to meet the Lord Jesus doth consist Secondly Now it followeth next in order to shew you Why it is the great Concern of all that would be saved to make ready for the Coming of the Lord Jesus GROUNDS First Because of the great hazard that all men run into that make not ready for the coming of Christ Let me explain this a little to you and that in Two Particulars First In reference to the wicked The hazard they run in not preparing and making ready for Christ's coming is most dreadful and dangerous They do inevitably expose their Soul to everlasting Ruine and Destruction It hath been shown you already that there is a Fundamental Readiness which positively lyeth in Regeneration and if the work of Regeneration pass not upon you before the coming of the Lord Jesus you are undone to all Eternity What is more plain from the infallible Scriptures than that unless a man be born again he cannot seâ— the Kingdom of God Doth not the Scripture tell you That no unclean thing shall enter into that Holy City of Heaven nor any thing whatsoever that worketh Abomination or maketh a Lie Rev. 21. last And what then will become of such Now see what the Scripture saith in this particular Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luk. 13.3 5. Now consider his all ye that forget God lest he tear you in â—ieces and there be none to deliver And you Hypocrites Though you have cleaner faces than he profaner sort in the world yet your hearts â—â—e as black as theirs and the hazard you run is â—â—ost dreadful Read at your leasure Mat. 25. â— 8 10 11 12. Were not the Five foolish Virgins shut out of the Bridegrooms Chamber â—h consider it seriously Is it nothing to venture â—our Souls and to expose them to so great a â—azard as you certainly do while you neglect regarding this Fundamental Readiness Secondly In reference to the Godly themselves â—â—en they expose themselves to hazard for want of Actual Preparation Though their Souls be â—â—fe in the main through their habitual Readiness so that they cannot finally miscarry yet â—ere are hazards they run through their Defectiveness in actual Readiness I will shew you in Four Particulars 1. They make their passage through this vally of Bacha exceeding difficult and dark their salvation at last is a surprizal to them And their fears at present cannot but be great upon them especially upon occasions when Eternity â—â— before them and they see themselves before â—e very face of it It cannot be otherwise but â—ose Souls that have had no due regard to actual Preparation for the coming of Christ unless they have lost all sense of their Souls and Eternity to come must have doleful Fears and inward pinching Perplexities especially when Death stareth them in the face When a man hath been lamentably off from the exercise of Grace and putting on the Wedding-garment and making out his title to everlasting life â—â— his conscience be awakened he must needs walth sorrowfully thorow the Valley of the shadow â—â— Death This is apparent from the Five was Virgins they were not actually ready when thâ—â— Bridegroom came upon them and then in what an hurry were they Mat. 25.7 then all thâ—â— Virgins arose and trimmed their lamps Theâ— arose with a fright like men that are suddenâ— alarmed out of their sleep at Midnight Nâ— question they were startled to purpose through the greatness of those fears that were upon then and were surprized with their Salvation And is it nothing to you O Saints to run this hazard or to bring upon your selves all this trouble and perplexity Assuredly you will be â—â— danger of
fear an After-clap to come upon you if you do not speedily awake and set about this Actual Readiness for the Coming of Christ The Apostle's counsel is To put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil Ephes 6.11 The Devil is subtle and wily not only to draw into sin but also to trouble for sin and especially he doth this in a Dying hour What is said of the natural Serpent is as true of the spiritual Nunquam nisi moriens producitur in longum that it never stretcheth it self to its full length but when it dies So the Devil never stretcheth himself forth at such a length to do thee a mischief as when thou art in a Dying hour for then he knoweth that his time is but short and that thou wilt quickly be beyond his reach Secondly It is the great concern of all thâ—â— look to be saved to make ready for the coming 〈◊〉 Christ because it is indispensably required of them God will not dispense with the want of Preparation in any Person whatsoever It is at your utmost perils if you get not habitual Readiness and endeavour not after actual Readiness against the day when Christ shall come to call for your Souls Do not the words in the Text run by way of command Be ye ready The Ver◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the Imperative Mood and importeth Authority in the person commanding And is it not your concernment to obey him Believe it you will find it to be to your cost if you do not observe what he giveth you in command to do You cannot now plead Ignorance in this Case for now you have heard and herein may read if you knew it not before that he requireth you to make ready And mark how it will fare with that Servant that obeyeth not Christs will after the knowledg of it Luk. 12.47 And that Servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many stripes There is no Dispensation for him but smart he must and that severely Thirdly Because Heaven is ready only for â—hem that are ready for it It is a fond Phancy â—hat many ignorant Souls have that they cannot â—â—iss of Heaven because there is an Heaven preâ—ared But mind though Heaven be made â—eady it is only for such as are made ready for 〈◊〉 There is a Meetness absolutely requisite in â—â—l those that must pass over into those Eternal â—ansions It is true Christ hath prepared a â—ace Joh. 14.2 3. and Salvation is ready in it If only it must be revealed in its time 1 Pet. 1. 〈◊〉 But the place of Glory and Salvation in it â—e only prepared for such as are made meet and â—ady for them Colos 1.12 Which hath made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the â—ints in light There is both a Jus hereditariâ—â— and aptitudinarium that is a Right of â—â—irship and a Right of Fitness or Meetness â—t must be come by before any Admission 〈◊〉 be expected or obtained into this Heavenly â—â—untrey And the latter viz. That of Fitness â—â—th in making ready for it that is in having work of Sanctification begun and wound up such a height or degree as may make the Soul table to it and meet for it Mark that Text Matth. 25.10 And they that were ready went with him to the Marriage and the Door was 〈◊〉 Not a Soul gets into Heaven but such as ready for it The Door is shut against all rest and no entrance can be had for them Now then my Friends are you not concerned upon this ground to make ready for the coming of Christ I am sure if you be concerned to look after Heaven you are also concerned to make ready for it Because where there is no Readiness for it there will be no Entrance got into it Fourthly Because the Lord Jesus cometh at an hour when we think not This is Christ's own Argument in the Text by which he presseth us to make ready for his Coming Christ's coming is set forth by the Similitude of the coming of a Thief whose coming is alwaies sudden and unexpected Luk. 12.39 Rev. 3.3 If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee at a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee So Christ's coming though cercain yet as to us is very uncertain And therefore it behoveth us to be always ready It is said in the Parable of the Ten Virgins that at Midnight the dead time of the Night as we say when we have the least expectation of any Comers there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him Matth. 25.6 The Lord Jesus cometh upon men at Midnight that is at an Hour when they look not for him when men are still and quiet and their expectations dormient And how dreadful is it to hear him cry at Midnight and men not ready to go meet him Christ cometh upon many at unawares and giveth them Summons to appear And is it not most sad to hear his Alarm and not be prepared to appear before him Wo to those Souls â—hat are no way ready when the Lord calleth Their Doom is like to be black and their Conâ—itions miserable See what Christ saith shall become of those Souls that look not for his coming â—nd so begin to be loose and careless and proâ—ne Luk. 12.45 46. But and if that Servant â—y in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming and â—all begin to beat the Men servants and Maidens â—nd to eat and drink and be drunken The â—ord of that Servant will come in a day when he â—oketh not for him and at an hour when he is not â—are and will cut him in sunder and will apâ—â—int him his portion with the Unbelievers Here â—sad work you see that follows in upon it the â—â—n is undone and cast away eternally O â—emble at it all ye that forget God and wait â—â—t for his coming Though you may forget the â—â—ing of Christ and neglect to prepare for it 〈◊〉 Christ will not forget to come nor to punish 〈◊〉 when he cometh upon you Watch thereâ—â—e for ye neither know the day nor the hour â—â—erein the Son of man cometh Matth. 25.13 And so much shall serve for the grounds of 〈◊〉 point The Application now followeth and â—â—e calleth for Brevity Thirdly By way of Application that I may bring the point home to you all Vse 1. First Is it so that it is the granâ— Concern of all that would be saved to make ready for the coming of Christ Then certainly there are many persons that will fall under â—â—â—â—nviction from this Doctrine I mean they 〈◊〉 be brought under a Doctrinal Conviction 〈◊〉 that they may be laid under a persona Conviction Assuredly Friends it is your concernment to measure your selves by thâ—â— truth but I will name a few sorts of Persona
snow-ball before a Summers Sun And since Death took possession of somthing of yours it hath been and dayly is creeping neare your self Howbeit with no noise of feet your Husbandman and Lord hath lopped off one branch already the tree it self is to be removed into the higher Garden the Lord fit you for your change and help you to bear these crosses for indeed they are great and many and give you a sanctified use of them and to make you white and ripe for the Lord's Harvest-hook by them I have seen the Lord weaning you from this world and its vanities it was never his mind that it should be your portion and let the Lord be praised that it is so you look the liker one of the Heirs of Glory let the moveables go why not They are not yours but fasthold on the Heritage Even our Lord Christ make your interest sure and give you to grow as a Palm tree upon Mount Zion howbeit shaken with winds and many sore blasts yet the root is fast I pray Him whose you are to supply your wants another way for though we cannot see the Lords design in this his wise Providence who ruleth all yet I verily believe this is not only good but best of all For wise Solomon saith Better is the end of a thing than the begiuning Yea Christ calls from Heaven and bids Write Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they rest from their labours and their works follow them And after Paul had seriously debated the Case whether to live or dye was better for him he concludes that of the two To die and to be with Christ was best of all And therefore my dear Brother this should teach us and work in us a careful Preparation for Death and vehement longings after it and chearfulness in entertaining it and moderation in our sorrowing for her that 's dead Mourning only for our own loss and that especially because the Death and removal of the Godly is a sad if not a sure presage of ensuing Evil. When Noah was entered into the Ark then the Flood came Gen. 7.12 When Lot was gone out of Sodome then it must be burnt When the Lord resolved to destroy Jeroboam house he took away the Child in whom there was some good thing found 1 Kin. 14.10 11 13. Thus when the Lord in ended to bring evil upon Jerusalem good Josiah must first be brought to his grave in peace Because his heart was tender and he humbled himelf at the hearing of the Law of God 2 Kin. 22.16 17 18 19 20. Wo is me therefore considering that even amongst us the righteous are taken away that in four or five Months time almost the tenth man on this side Hartside should be removed yet not considering at least not as they ought to do That The righteous are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57. When our Jacob for wrestling our Caleb and Joshuah for following the Lord and our Nathaniel and besides our Mary is removed How should this awaken us and the very thoughts of it make us tremble and our knees to smite one against another It s true they are beyond the Storm But the presence of the Godly in all Ages hath drawn the love and favour of God to the places where they were For they are dear to God As the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 And he will be a wall of ire round about the place where they are v. 5. Yea many a time doth God spare the wicked for the godly as the husbandman doth the tares for the wheat 's sake Matth. 13. As God would have spared Sodome and Gomorrah if there had been but ten nay five righteous persons Gen. 18.32 Act. 27.24 Besides the Prayers of the Godly in all Ages have been mighty prevalent with God both for the obtaining Mercies and also for the preventing miseries and keeping of judgments from the places where they liveâ— Psal 106.23 He would saith the Psalmist have destroyed them had not Moses his Servant stoeâ— before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Besides they are 〈◊〉 great force for the vanquishing and overcoming of Enemies Moses prevailed more by hâ—â— Prayers than Joshua with all his Soldiers againt the Amalekites Exod. 17.11 One godly man Prayers saith one can do more than a great soâ— of Sinners 〈◊〉 do with fighting So that as Nâ—hal's servants said of David's men so we may â—y of our dear friends that are removed from us they have been very good to us and we have had no hurt whilst we have been conversant with them They have been a wall unto us both by day and by night What cause have we then to fear that may follow the removal of them And then alas What have we lost that have lost â—uch good Examples as most of them were and 〈◊〉 particular your Daughter she one of a thouâ—â—d Her counsel her wisdome her blameless talking was of great use to restrain some from â—in and to allure and draw others at least to be outward performance of many good Duties â—â—d I think I may say that she exceeded most â—â—at ever I knew except Mrs. Catherine Rea of â—â—â—ma in her constant care to please God and â—qual respect to the keeping of all Gods Commandments and in her holy diligence to imâ—ove all opportunities for her Souls profit as 〈◊〉 Meditating Praying Reading Hearing and Conferring And then her Seriousness in Duties and great delight in both First and Second Table Duties What shall I say Her â—â—avity Chastity and Humility and her orâ—ering her self every way so holily so meekly â—â—d blamelesly So that to my knowledg it was a great Conviction to those that were in a great measure strangers to Godliness or any â—trictness and I 'le assure you I often wished that her Conversation had been better known to some and that it might have so been I did fully purpose to have sued for your Consent having gotten hers that we might have had heâ— a while amongst us That our Professors chieflâ— of her Sex whose Carriages and Conversation were not so answerable to the Gospel as they should be might have been convinced of thâ— evil of them and by her Gospel-conversation might have become more wise solid sober serious grave and more careful to provide so their eternal Welfare But alas it 's now to late the time is past and gone which maâ— make us mourn upon our own account But uâ— on their account this may not only reason 〈◊〉 into a Moderation of Sorrow but also cause 〈◊〉 to rejoice in that they are landed safe in Heaâ—ven where she also is even with Christ which is best of all she is now set at liberty and freâ— dome Who is not comforted to see and know that his Friend is brought out of Prison to 〈◊〉 his Friend set free from all Persecutions Siâ— Sorrow and Death and to live and rejoice wiâ—â— Christ 2 Tim. 2.11 12. And may
you 〈◊〉 be glad that she is now in a full peaceable yâ—â— gloâ—â—ous condition and state in Heaven Yâ—â— have great cause of rejoycing sith her joy 〈◊〉 begun which shall never end Now the Loâ—â— hath betrothed her to himself in Righteousneâ—â— and that for ever Hos 2.19 I cannot remeâ—ber that you were ever absolutely against her Marriage no nor that you were against it at all provided that she got a good Husband She hath now gotten a good Match indeed the Marriage betwixt Christ and her Soul is compleated and consummated 2 Cor. 11.2 Rev. 19.7 8. Let us be glad and rejoice in him sith she is now married to Christ and will you not rejoice at least a little with your Daughter on â—her Wedding-day She hath sown in Tears and now is reaping in Joy Psal 126.6 And let this also a little prevail with you God gave you your Daughter but during pleasure He might have taken her away the very first day he gave her and have done you no wrong We are Tenants at Will God may when his pleasure is put us out of Possession and therefore we should learn with Job to submit our selves and bless his Name when he giveth or when he taketh away You shall shortly go to her she shall not return to you It 's but a little while and you shall for ever have her company Wherefore comfort your self with these words 1 Thes 4.13 14-17 18. This is all that I can further do to recommend your Case to your Lord who hath engraven you upon the Palms of his Hands If I were able to do more you may believe me that I gladly would Now the God of all Grace confirm and stablish your heart in Truth and Peace till the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God be obtained and I pray that God may be to your Soul the God of all Consolation I pray remember my Love to your Wife and to all our Christian Friends with you My Wife hath her Love remembred to you and begs your Prayers Blacklough Aug. 27. 1672. Your unworthy Brother J. H. The Copies of two Letters written to Mr. Rich. Wilson that tender and sorrowful Father which lately buried his dear and hopeful Daughter Dear Friend I Was informed of the sad tidings of the Death of your Daughter and yesterday yours of â—ugust 10. came to my hand and the Relation 〈◊〉 the manner of her Death did somewhat allay â—â—e sorrow and since the Lord hath dealt bounâ—fully with her in giving her Grace and Gloâ—y you may sing I confess if you respect your â—ss it is so great that you may mourn and â—efuse to be comforted because she is not But â—nsider she was a Loan lent of the Lord. All 〈◊〉 Comforts are but lent Comforts and we are not to repine when God calls for them again but â—â—tiently to submit to Gods holy Will Seing it 〈◊〉 the Lord who hath done it who hath absoâ—â—ute Soveraignty over all his Creatures We â—â—st be dumb and say nothing and as Aaron â—â—ld our peace She is taken away in the flowâ—â— of her Age but God knew it the best time to â—op her and haply she is taken away from â—e Evil to come She is entered into peace â—ou may account your self more happy that once you did enjoy her than now miserable that she is so suddenly removed for she is not lost but gone before us We shall go to her she will not return to us The Lord hath delivered her from Sin and Sorrow and you froâ—â— Fear and Care concerning her How happy would you have esteemed youâ— self if she had been match'd to one who haâ— all desired Accommodations and to a Person who had been endowed with all possible Aâ—â— complishments both Sacred and Civil youâ— eyes seeing it Thus it hath been done to beâ— whom the King of Heaven had a delight to â—â—nour He hath betrothed her to Himself for eveâ— and this day of her Espousals may be the Day 〈◊〉 the gladness of your Heart For this hath in the bowels of it many glorrous Mercies God hath done it and that is enough to satisfie any Souâ—â— and he hath done it for ever His heart is so 〈◊〉 it that there shall never be any breach of 〈◊〉 Conjugal Love and Communion Yâ—â— have heard of the Patience of Job and haâ—â— seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is veâ—â— pittiful and of tender mercy and happily 〈◊〉 end of the Lord in this is for to draw you heart Heaven-ward Where not only youâ— Child but your best and chrefest Love is Be now more frequent in Heavenly Visiâ— and have your Conversation in Heaven aâ—â— where your Treasure is there let your Heart also Mourn not that you go Childless but rejoice that you do not go Christless Neither â—â—y I am bereft of the comfort of my life when â—â—e God of all comforts is yours David at â—â—glag comforted himself in the Lord his God â—o and do likewise for God is All-sufficient to apply all our wants and the Earth is never so â—â—id of Comfort but there is Comfort enough â—â—the God of Heaven in whom Wives Children â—nd every good thing are lodged You could not be assured though you say â—our Daughter never grieved you in all her â—â—me that you should alway have comfort in â—â—er But in the Lord Jehovah there is constant â—â—msort and constant joy Psal 37.4 You â—now the Comforts of the world are but cisterns and may fail Therefore wipe away all Tears and go to the Fountain God whose Favour is â—â—ter than Life and better than all in this life â—â—n whose Light we shall see light However sorrow not like them that have no â—ope The Egyptians bewailed Jacob Seventy Daies Joseph his son mourned but seven Daies Which teacheth Christians to keep a mean in Mourning we may sorrow but it must be with sobriety and in measure When David's Child was dead he arose from the Earth and went into the House of the Lord and worshipped And Job when his Children were dead he blessed the Name of the Lord. And indeed the People of God turn all their Afflictions and Crosses into Prayers and Praises Grace makes every condition work Glory to God as God makes every condition work together for good to them that love him And if we bless God in our Afflictions then our Afflictions are Blessings to us Unto the Righteous saith David there arise Light in Darkness Comfort in Troubles and Deliverances out of all Distresses are the fruit of Gods Grace therefore wait on God in the way of his Judgments and you shall yâ—â— find that he is good and can do you goodâ— Though others dye yet God lives and eveâ— lives to do good When therefore you look oâ— the right hand and see your Dearly-Beloveâ— gone then cry to the Lord and say Thou 〈◊〉 my Refuge and my Portion in the land of the â—â—ving And ever remember that of the Apostâ—â— Christ is all and in all
Death which is our burthen and which we groan under Rom. 7.24 She shall sin no more nor sorrow no more nor die no more though she be dissolved yet she is with Christ which is best of all she is perfectly holy and perfectly happy where she shall rest from her labours and her works shall follow her Râ—vel 14.13 There are three things that make Men and Women count themselves happy here below To have a good estate to have it in a good place and to have it by good Neighbours now all these three she and every one that dies in the Lord do eminently enjoy First Their Heavenly inheritance is exceeding great 2 Cor. 4.17 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard the like 1 Cor. 2.4 1 Pet. 1.4 Secondly 'T is in a good place Heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 which is an House and City made for them and builded by God and therefore must needs be good Heb. 11.10 Thirdly 'T is by good Neighbours God Christ the Holy Spirit Angels and Just Men made perfect Adam had a good inheritance and in a good place but he had an evil Neighbour of the Devil that troubled him and marr'd all but there are no ill Neighbours in Heaven whether she is gone and therefore perfectly happy You must not understand this as if I asserted that I had an absolute certainty and assurance of her happy state for its God's Prerogative alone to know certainly who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and therefore Grace is called the hidden man of the heart we cannot certainly know the good state of another 1. Because there is not any thing in Religion which can be exprest to another which may not flow from an Hypocritical as well as a sound and sincere Heart 2dly Peter was deceived in Simon Magus and calls Sylvanus a faithful Brother as he supposes 1 Pet. 5.12 Yet first the Scriptures speak of such marks of Grace whereby we may know that others belong to Christ John 13.35 whereby Christians are made manifest to others 1 Corin 11.19 and declared to be the Epistle of Christ 2 Cor. 3.2 3. Secondly There is such a sympathy and conformable working of God's Spirit in the Saints and their hearts answer eachâ— other as Face answers Face in a glass that they are but as one Soul Acts 4.31 yet this amounts not to an absolute but to a charitative at most but to a moral certainty so far as its possible for a man to perceive the gracious estate of another such a certainty yea as great a certainty as is attainable by the forementioned ways from whence it comes touching her happy state â—hath been no stranger to me nor to your self â—either and therefore sith your loss is not comparable to her gain sorrow not immoderatly look through your loss and see her gain beyond it and sorrow not as if you were without hope For if you should this first would â—ewray your ignorance of the blessed estate of God's Children after this life Secondly Such Sorrow is rather for hopeless Heathens than for Christians for Egyptians than for Israelites or â—osephs Gen. 50 3-7 or for Davids when â—hey fear that their Absoloms are dead in an unâ—â—generate estate Thirdly Her Death is no â—bolishing of Nature but a Sleep for a time and Resurrection and an awaking time to eternal Life to be satisfied with Gods likeness is certain wherefore comfort your self with these things â—ll these you have in 1 Thos 4.13 14 c. Psal 17. last Secondly Though your Loss be great yet his may lessen it and give some allay to it that it â— but a loss of her bodily presence for a time you have not lost your Friend but sent her a little before you praemittimus non amittimus saith one he is still your Daughter Abraham's wife is â—alled his wife though dead eight several times â—n the 23. Gen. to note saith Mr Calvin that â—he divorce of death is such that there remains nevertheless some conjunction and there iâ— other thing than the restoring to time tâ—â— maintains and preserves the law of mutual câ—â— junction and neerness to note out saith Parus on the place that death makes not any sâ— divorce betwixt godly Couples and Friends 〈◊〉 that there remains still a blessed conjunction 〈◊〉 twixt them which is founded in the hope of happy Resurrection now is it not better have a Daughter in Heaven than upon Earth Thirdly How can you say that your Loâ—â— great When you have lost nothing that 〈◊〉 your own she was God's first and last bâ— by Creation Redemption Adoption c. 〈◊〉 was never yours only you had the loan of 〈◊〉 God lent you her so many years as she liâ—â— and now He hath call'd for her and taken his own home again And will you be troubâ—â— and grieve and sorrow because he hath senâ— and taken his own home again If a man you any thing for a while will you grieveâ—vex and take on when he sends for it or 〈◊〉 it home again or will you be troubled that was made fitter for God when he call'd foâ— by Death than when you received her 〈◊〉 God at her first breath She received oâ— natural being at her birth but after a spirâ—â— being in the new Birth God making you iâ— mental herein that she might be meet for lowship with her Father in Heaven and partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in â—â—ht Colos 1.12 And are you troubled that â—â—d call'd for his own when fitted for him â—s she so good that she was too good for God â—â—d will you aggravate and greaten your sorrow â—on this account O wonderful For a David 〈◊〉 mourn immoderatly for his Absalom who â—â—bably feared that he was gone to a place of â—â—ment was no wonder at all But for you 〈◊〉 sorrow inordinately for her that is gone to â—aven a place of Pleasure and endless Joy is â—â—y strange and gone to her Father whose â—ughter she was and is none of yours For â—re is no earthly Comfort we enjoy that is our â—â—n only lent us and we are Stewards beâ—sted with it for a while at length God calls 〈◊〉 it again when he pleaseth only Grace when â—en us is our own because its never taken from 〈◊〉 this Seed remains in us till it be perfected Glory Luke 16.12 1 John 3.4 Fourthly Consider that though she be dead â—â—o you yet living even in her body as to God 〈◊〉 before him Luke 20.38 For though death â—â—aks the union betwixt the Soul and Body 〈◊〉 it breaks not the bond of the Covenant beâ—â—een God and her the Covenant is alive â—â—ugh she be dead Matt. 22.31 32. The â—â—tion of God to Abraham was as strong when was dead as when he was alive God is not God of the dead but of the living for all the Saints are alive to him though dead as to us yet they are alive to him as their Souls are alive so their bodies are as living bodies and though rotting in their
Graves yet he ownâ— them as much as if they were flourâ—shing in Stately Palaces neither can Death break the union between her and Christ this outlive Death Though Death triumph over the natural union of Soul and Body it can never break thâ— mystical union betwixt Christ and a Saint thâ— union betwixt Christ and her Body remains inâ—violable by vertue of which union it shall bâ—raised up again and united to her Soul and then she shall be ever with the Lord. Fifthly Consider that if God should have continued her with you for a long season in that pain and languishing condition which he could and might justly Whether you would not have had greater cause to sorrow and to be trouble with her presence in such pain than now you have for her absence in her freedome from it These things seriously considered and laid 〈◊〉 heart I should think might keep you from to much sorrow and trouble for your loss 3. As to Third viz. Your Sins which yâ—â— may possibly judg to have had an hand in this prâ—â—sent sad stroke to this I would say as follows First If this Afflictive Providence be for your gain and advantage that survive and remaiâ— alive and for hers that is deceased then yoâ— have no great cause to be troubled any further â—â—an as it may make the present Dispensation an advantage to you Now that it will be for her bod and great advantage you have no cause in â—e least to scruple or at all to suspect or question her Soul is in Paradise in Abraham's boâ—â—me and for her Body God hath rock't it â—leep and laid it in a bed where it shall rest and sleep till it awake to eternal Life Isa 57.2 and it will also be for your advantage for hereby you will be brought to search out and 〈◊〉 see those sins which lay latent and you saw 〈◊〉 before and to be sensible of them so as to have recourse to Christ for Remission and will not this be your gain Besides it will be as a â—ean to help you to avoid running upon the â—â—e rocks for the future so that hereby sins past â—ill be pardoned and for the future falling â—â—to them prevented which will be exceeding â—â—od for you and great advantage to you Secondly Consider that God threatned to lay very heavy stroke upon Eli and his Posterity or ever and actually executed the threatning and that for his Sin 1 Sam. 3.13 and yet see â—ow patiently he takes it and quietly submits 〈◊〉 his Will It 's the Lord saith he let him do that seems him good 1 Sam. 3.18 Do you laâ—our to be of the same frame quiet your self unâ—er the present sad Dispensation and freely â—bmit to his Will and that you may be moved â—ereunto let these things following be as inducements First Death is appointed for all It 's appointed once for all to die Heb. 9.27 We were all born to die it 's inevitable none can avoiâ— it none escapes it and therfore folly for a man to grieve for it or at it Secondly The time when every one shall diâ— is appointed All the days of my appointed tim will I wait saith Job ch 14.14 The bounds are seâ— over which none can pass v. 5. And is there nâ—â— an appoinâ—ed time to man upon earth Job 7.1 Thirdly The Saints have quieted themselve under sad Providences and quietly submitted because 't was the Lord that was the Author and Orderer of them Thus Aaron when his sorâ—â— were devoured by fire from Heaven held hâ—â— peace Levit. 10.3 Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 Hâ— zekiah 2 Kin. 20.19 when his Sons were take away laies Good is the word of the Lord. Thuâ— David 2 Sam. 15.25 26. and in Psal 39.9 was dumb because thou didst it And Christ him self Mat. 26.39 Not my will but thy Will â—â—done So should you endeavour to say and doâ— sith God hath not only appointed Death and the time thereof but laies on the stroke himself whatever be the meritorious cause or means by which is is done Fourthly It 's your Duty to quiet your selâ— and freely to submit to his Will For First 1. The Will of God is a Soveraign Will Hâ— hath absolute and unaccountable Dominion over his creatures as the Potter hath power over his â—lay I may say here as the Apostle in another case Who art thou that repliest against God Roman 9 20 21. It 's an uncreature-like temper to maintain reluctancy against the will of God 2. His Will is a most righteous Will the Lord never wills or doth any thing wherein he swerves from the rule of Righteousness or wrongs the creature in the least Job 34.23 Jer. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord. Non-subjection therefore to the Will of God must needs be an â—â—nrighteous thing 3. Gods Will is an Holy Will He wills nothing but in greatest Holiness neither doth He do any thing wherein he swerves from the rule of Holiness He is holy in all his works Psal 145.17 Habbak 1.13 14. 4. It 's a Will in conjunction with greatest Wisdome proceeding in all things according to wisest Counsels doing all things in truest order manner season and beauty In wisdome he made all things Prov. 3.19 20. He orders all things according to the counsel of his will Ephes 1.11 and makes every thing beautiful in its time Eccles 3.11 And though we do not know now yet we shall afterwards the beauty of all his Providences therefore 't is perverse folly to repine at his Will 5. To the Saints it is a gracious Will whatever the outside of any Providence may be Mercy is the inside to them Mercy is the Soul what ever the Body of it may be All his waies 〈◊〉 mercy to his Psal 25.10 All Providences woâ—â— together for good to those that love him Rom. 8 2â— Even those afflictive Dispensations towards his Children that proceed from Gods Fatherly diâ—â— pleasure and from Sin as the procuring cause the rise and principle is Love and the desigâ—â— and end their good Due chastisement given tâ— a Child by his Father is an argument that 〈◊〉 loves him a Father loves his Child when he corrects him yea when the correction proceed from fatherly displeasure for a Father neveâ— corrects his Child hut when he is displeased with him As a man so God may be much displease with and much love the same person at the same time And as it is your Duty to quiet your heart and freely to submit to his Will so also its youâ— Duty to bless God though the providential Dâ—spensation be sad There are many cogent Arguâ—ments to move you to it 1. You came naked into the world without a Daughter or any thing else and naked you shall return again this was one Argument that moved Job to bless God Job 1.21 22. 2. It s the Lord that hath taken away therefore bless the Lord as Job did Job 1.21 3. God's Will is done and fulfilled and youâ— Prayers are answered You prayed that