that those Young Ones are so c. Thus it appeareth that we now live in that last Iron Age even in the very Dregs of Time and we must expect ultima Senescentis Mundi deliria the last and the worst dotages of a decrepid and of a dying World c. The Second Part is the Duties which â—re to be done by all of us in our Old Age that we may not be deprived of â—hat Double Crown of Glory both of that â—n the Kingdom of Grace here and of that in the Kingdom of Glory hereafter seeing those two Crowns are the proper Dues of a Good Old Age by a Divine Promise wherein the great God hath made himself a Debtor unto all godly Aged Ones And if any of us be not such we shall not only lose the former of these Crowns to wit that of Respect and Reverence but be despised for our Dotage c. Let no Man take that Crown Rev. 3.11 â—n this Life but that which is worst of â—ll we shall lose likewise the latter and the better Crown in the Life to come Therefore to prevent this double loss many Duties are to be done The First Duty is We must examine â—ur States and Standings Godward c. whether we be still in the State of Nature and yet not broken off from the Wild Olive or we be in the State of Grace and now engraffed into that blessed and bleeding Vine the Lord Jesus Rom. 11.17 The great Apostle doth earnestly press us to the right doing of this first Duty 2 Cor. 13.5 where he useth a double Expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Try your selves and Prove your selves know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Wherein he alludeth both unto Goldsmiths and unto Lapidaries who have their Lydius Lapis or Touch-stone whereby they discover true Gold from thaâ— which is Copper or Counterfeit and Natural Diamonds from Artificial Bristol-stones And those double Terms of Art are to stir us up that we may redouble our diligence in that most needful yet much neglected Duty of Self-examination foâ— tho' the decisive and final Trial of our Eternal Estate doth immediately and solely appertain to God in the Court of Heaven yet the Disquisitive and Soul-Comforting part doth belong to our selves in the Court of our own Consciences And therefore as an Omission or an Error here is most easie so it is of mosâ— dangerous consequence in filling our Spirits full of doubts and fears what shalâ— become of our Souls when our Bodies drop down into the Grave Hereupon the Divine Precept is doubled both in this Apostles Charge and in that of the Prophets also Excutite vos iterumque excutite as Tremellius renders the words Zeph. 2.1 The Second Duty is That we should make good proof of our Graces especially of that Foundation-grace of Repentance unto Life as it is called Acts 11.18 granted unto us Gentiles for where right Repentance towards God is given 't is always accompanied with faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 This Grace of Repentance is so exceeding necessary that both our Lord himself and his Forerunner John the Baptist began their Ministry with this indispensable Doctrine Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 and Mark 1.15 Join Repent and Believe both together Now seeing the Tree is known by its Fruit whether it be good or bad Matth. 12.33 Luke 6.44 If we be no better than Bramble-Bushes no Grapes of Grace can grow upon us but if we be Trees of Righteousness of the Lord 's planting and watering as Isai 61.3 then shall we bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance Matth. 3.8 Now the true Notion and Nature of this Grace of Repentance is our turning from Darkness to Light Acts 26.18 and our returning from the faln Estate by the first Adam into a renewed Estate by the Second Adam As we are all Metaphorical Trees Aristotle calls Man Arbor inversa a Tree turned upward making the Head as Root and the Arms and Legs the Branches of this Tree c. Bernard calls Man Inversus Decalogus as quite contrary to God's Law therefore must he be turned up-side down as the Picture of the Horse and then right c. We have our Standing Time in our Life and we must have our Falling Time at our Death the Ax whereof is laid to the Root of us in those manifold Distempers which attend Old Age as if God were taking his Aim where to cut us up and how to hew us down Matth. 3.10 Now as all Trees be they strong Oakes or lofty Cedars must have their time of falling so all Mankind be they of never so robust a Constitution and be they of never so high either of State or of Stature must have a time of dying Heb. 9.27 and as Trees what way they mostly lean that way they usually fall whether it be Southward or Northward Eccles 11.3 So we ought to examine our selves which way our Wills and Affections do lean whether Southward towards the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 As 't is recorded of Abraham who walked with God that his Journyings were still towards the South towards the Sun Gen. 12.9 So all the Sons and Daughters of Abraham should hang Heavenward and should lean Southward then may there be good grounds of a lively Hope that when we die we shall fall upon the Right-hand of Christ among the fruitful Sheep and shall hear those comfortable words Come ye blessed of my Father c. Matth. 25.33,34 But if on the other hand we do not find that we have with David considered our former evil ways and turned our Feet our Affections towards God's Testimonies Psal 119.59 If yet we are not returned to God by Repentance but are still journying toward the North towards that cold Country where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth for cold tho' it be a fiery Furnace for heat Matth. 13.42,50 If we lean Northward and hang Hellward we shall surely fall upon the Left Hand of the Judge among the sâ—…nking Goats and receive that sad Sentence Depart ye Cursed c. Matth. 25.41 As the Tree where it falls Northward or Southward there it lies Eccles 11.3 even so where we fall at our Deaths whether Northward upon the Left Hand of our Judge or Southward upon the Right Hand of our Redeemer there we shall lie until the Resurrection-day for after Death comes the Day of Judgment Heb. 9.27 Then all both good and bad shall rise again c. The Third Duty of us Aged Ones is Not to dally or delay that weighty Work of making our Peace with God according to that Divine Counsel Acquaint now thy self with God and be at Peace with him and thereby good shall come unto thee Job 22.21 This great Duty must be now done we have been asleep or Strangers to God long enough Ephes 2.12 and 4.18 1 Pet. 4.3 Now is the accepted
of God in and of it self otherwise God would never have made it the matter of this exceeding great and pretious Promise which he was pleased to annex to the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Exod. 20.12 Matth. 15.4 Ephes 6.2,3 This Duty of Children to obey their Parents in the Lord the Apostle calls it a Right Duty Ephes 6.1 and commends it moreover as a Duty not only good before Men but acceptable also unto God 1 Tim. 5.4 This Fifth Commandment is called the First Commandment with Promise Ephes 6.2 that is the First Affirmative Commandment or the First in the Second Table or the First of all the Ten with such a Special Promise of Long Life in the Land of the Living that thou maist live long Ephes 6.3 As good Children do help to lengthen their Parents days so Joseph did Jacob's c. So God for encouraging them in their Duty doth promise to lengthen their Days and if at any time God take this Long Lease from them here he grants them a Freehold-Estate of a greater Value hereafter If God do deny to give them the Silver of a Temporal Life in this lower World he will be sure to pay them most plentifully with the Gold of an Eternal Life in the upper and better World whereas on the contrary such as are stubborn and undutiful Children as they shorten their Parents Lives and bring down their Gray Hairs with sorrow to their Graves So God often doth shorten the Lives of such wicked Children and cuts them off in the midst of their Days as God did to wicked Abimelech of whom it is said that the Lord rendred upon him the Evil which he had done unto his Father Gideon Judg. 9.56 Yea and Solomon saith the Eve that mocketh at his Father as cursed Cham did at Noah and despiseth to obey his Mother the Ravens of the Vally shall pick out that mocking Eye Prov. 30.17 God takes notice of the offending Member and appoints this Punishment for it and a sad one too if this be understood of the Infernal-Ravens those Black Devils of Hell those are cursed with a witness whom the Holy Ghost thus curseth with such emphatical expressions and in such exquisite Terms Those Ravens of the Vally are said to be most ravenous and the first thing they do to a Carcase is to pick out the Eyes as Horace saith Effossos Oculos Voret Atro Guttare Corvus And our Saviour adds to the saying of Solomon He that curseth Father or Mother let him die the Death Matth. 15.4 All this does make it manifest that as a short Life is a Curse so a long Life is a Blessing otherwise as on the one hand Godliness would never have left to it by the Lord so many precious Promises as these to name but a few of the many beside the afore-named 1. God promiseth to his people 1. That he will fulfil the number of their days Exod. 23.26 that is they shall dye full of days as Abraham Gen. 25.8 as Isaac Gen. 35.29 and as David did 1 Chron. 29.28 They all did fall like full-ripe Apples into the hands of God the right Owner and the great Gatherer of them 2. That He will take away Sickness from them Deut 7.15 that is he will bestow the great blessing of Health upon them which is the best of Temporal Blessings for a sickly Life is a lifeless Life and no better than a lingring Death Non est Vivere sed Valere Vita saith Martial Health is the Reward of Piety Prov. 3.8 3. That they shall be blessed in the City and blessed in the Country blessed every where Deut. 28.2,3 c. mercy and goodness follows them all the days of their Lives as David saith of himself Psal 23.6 as before he had said he asked Life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of Days c. Psal 21.4 and he describing the State of a godly Man in Psal 91. he reckons up the mighty Power of God in preserving his Person from manifold Calamities so far as it consists with God's Glory and the godly Man's good yea tho' he die of the Plague for the best are not exempted from common Calamities yet shall he be saved from the plague of the Plague and with long Life will I satisfie him Psal 91.16 4. Another Divine Promise is cleave unto the Lord for He is thy Life and the length of thy Days Deut. 30.20 Agreeable unto this is that Godly Wisdom shall add both length of Days and a long Life and Peace unto such as are blest with it Prov. 3.2 an thus God told wise Solomon seeing thou hast not asked long Life c. but Wisdom of me yet if thou wilt keep my Commands I will add length of Days to thee 1 King 3.11,14 Many more Promises of along Life might be added but to avoid prolixity this shall suffice adding only that length of Days is a transcendent priviledge and desirable in general by all Mankind This was David's Doctrine which he proclaimeth with a challenge to the whole World crying as it were with sound of Trumpet What Man is he that desireth Life and loveth many days that he may see Good Psal 34.12 Augustine brings all sorts of Mortal Men and Women who all unanimously answered to David's Question saying with much eagerness every one for themselves Ego Ego I would and I would c. All Persons do desire a long Life many happy Days and a comfortable Enjoyment of all But alas how few there be that take right Courses to obtain the true Happiness according to that wholesom Counsel which David doth prescribe for the compassing of it ver 13 14 15 c. Again 2 dly What a blessing is long Life may be farther demonstrated by the many direful Threatnings which the Lord hath denounced against wickedness as before his pretious Promises to Godliness c. that the Wicked shall not live out half his days Psal 55.24 and in many more Scriptures too long here to relate all shewing that a short Life is a curse c. yet know that in some cases it is a blessing as to those who are taken away from the evil to come 1 King 14.13 and Isai 57.1 Just as when a Fire breaks forth in an House then Men carry forth their Jewels but God conveys his Cabinet into a better World their Souls enter into Rest and pass to Heaven The Conclusion of this 1 st Point then is this That seeing a long Life is promised by the Lord to the Godly and short Life is threatned by Him to the Wicked therefore it must necessarily follow from these two aforenamed premises that a good Old Age and to go the Grave full of Years and full of Graces as well as Years as Abraham did is a great blessing of God as to its own Nature and Substance c. The 2 d Point I have
Back-burdens Now who would not but be disburdened and be at Ease and Rest in the Grave the Weary find Rest Job 3.17 but the Rest that is found in Christ Matth. 11.28,29,30 is for the Soul as well as Body c. Rev. 14.13 and who would not be willing to put off Rotten Rags and to put on Royal Robes c. Many more Cordials might be mentioned as 7 thly For me saith Paul to die is Gain Phil. 1.21 because Death to a good Man brings freedom from all Evil and a fruition of all Good And hereupon he 8 thly He desired to be dissolved c. ver 23. The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to launch forth to loose off from the Shore of Life and to launch out into the Ocean of Immortality and Glory this was all his Song he longed to be with Christ ever after he had been wrapt up to the Third Heaven 9 thly Yea and Old Simeon thought it best of all with Paul to die when he sang that sweet Song Lord now let thy Servant depart in peace c. Luke 2.29 as is largely spoke to before adding only this here he only saw the Lord's-Christ in weakness with an Eye of Sense but we see him in Glory with an Eye of Faith therefore may better depart not in Peace only but also in Joy and Comfort 10 thly How couragious was that Proto-Martyr Stephen against the Terrors of a most Terrible Death after he had seen the Heavens opened and Christ standing at the Right Hand of God Acts 7.56 The like Prospect we have offered to our Faith which is the Key that opens Heaven and may we but fix our Spiritual Eyes upon that Glorious Object this would wonderfully enable us to lay down our Mortal Bodies in peace and send up our Immortal Souls into the Hands of him that bought it crying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Lastly But thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 with 55 56. Thirdly The Cordials against Terrors of the Day of Judgment which surely follows Death Heb. 9.27 and which is called a Terrible and Dreadful Day very often in Scripture as that Day shall burn like an Oven Mal. 4.1 the Sun turned into Darkness and Moon into Blood Acts 2.20 and Elements shall melt with fervent Heat c. 2 Pet. 3.10 and the Lord will come in flaming Fire c. 2 Thes 1.7,8 and with Fire and Sword will God plead with all Flesh c. Isai 66.15,16 see likewise Joel 2.31 Matth. 25.31,32 Rev. 1.7 c. Now if a Crack of Thunder and a Flash of Lightning at the breaking of a single sorry Cloud do so affright us how much more when the whole Heavens break and drop down like Scalding Bell-Mettal about our Ears c. Yet Note well 1 st There is Comfort for the Chosen Ones they shall be caught up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and so shall ever be with the Lord and therefore comfort your selves c. 1 Thes 4,16,17,18 2 dly As Death leaves us so the Day of Judgment will find us as the Tree falleth towards the South or towards the North there it lieth Eccles 11.3 Even so as is before observed if we fall by Death upon the Right Hand of Christ among his pretious Sheep then are we called upon to lift up our Heads for the Day of our Redemption is come Luke 21.28 Ephes 4.30 that way the Tree leans that way it falls Oh that while we live we may lean to Christ 3 dly The due Observation of the main end of Life is to be useful to the end of our Lives wee should be ever ready Matth. 24.44 May we but become good Stewards then blessed is that Servant whom his Master shall find so doing ver 46. 4 thly Tho' we be conscious to our selves that our Obedience has been exceeding narrow to God's Commandments which are exceeding broad Psal 119.96 yet may we rejoice with Trembling Phil. 2.11 because our Judge is our Advocate who became sin for us c. that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 1 John 2.1,2 5 thly May we but upon good grounds be persuaded that we are justified by Faith then have we peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.1 this is known if we be sanctified by the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 For this latter doth evidence the former and having got God's Seal and Earnest which he never gives to a Reprobate then fear not Gen. 15.1 6 thly Be sure to have the Line of Scarlet Thread bound to our Windows as Rahab had Josh 2.18 this was the saving Colour a Red Cord Thus Israel's Door-posts must be Red with Blood when the destroying Angel passed over Egypt Rahab made haste and delayed not as Psal 119.60 So soon as she dismissed the Spies long before Jericho fell c. Oh could we get this Scarlet Line the Blood of Christ fixed upon our Hearts this Sign saved Rahab and made her famous Heb. 11.31 and Jam. 2.25 then our Joshuah will save us and say to us also Come ye blessed of my Father inherit c. Matth. 25.34 In the mean time we Aged Ones must be ever praying Lord cast me not off in my Old Age and forsake me not when strength fails me Psal 71.9 Laus Ei Soli tribuatur omnes Cujus Afflatu Labor extat omnis Fructus ut Vitae reserantur omnes orbis in Oras FINIS Christopher Nesse aetatis suae 56 1678 Minnister of the Gospel in fleet Street London
may learn from the Story of Balaam the Southsayer who was Satan's Servant when he cannot curse the whole Camp of Israel he will do his utmost endeavour to curse some part thereof Numb 23.13,27 The 4 th Cursed Character and Property of this Adversary of Mankind is he is uncessantly as well as universally mischievous 'T is said of the Scorpion that there is no minute of Time wherein he doth not thrust out his Sting but he keeps it in a continual motion for a speedy poisoning of all whatsoever he can reach with it as before even so this Old Serpent or Scorpion the Devil is restless night and day and puts forth his poisonful Sting without ceasing to wound us in our Heels according to his Commission Gen. 3.15 that thereby he may transfuse his Venom from our Heels to our Hearts c. And 't is his constant custom to Assault us both sleeping and waking for he keeps no holy day as the Vulgar saying is nor will he make any Truce or Cessation of Arms with us and he will set upon us both in our Natural and in our Civil Actions yea and most of all in those that are Religious He doth not only tempt us to excess in our Food and Raiment but he will disturb us also in the Duties of our particular Callings yet higher above all we meet with most Disturbances in the Duties of our general Callings so that we can never serve the Lord either publickly or privately without Distraction from this Adversary 1 Cor. 7.35 Neither Week-day nor Sabbath-day nay upon the Sabbath which signifies a Rest is this Satan the most Restless for while we are the busiest about God's Service and the concerns of our Souls then will he be a most Busie Devil with our Base Hearts to interrupt our Communion with Heaven c. This may have its Illustration from Drexelius his Vision whereof he gives us this account that he saw but one Devil at a Market upon the Week-day but he saw ten Devils present at a Sermon upon the Sabbath-day and being asked the reason of this difference of the number of Devils the good old Man thus answered That in a Market there was no need of any more than one Devil for there one Man would tempt another fast enough the Buyer the Seller and the Seller the Buyer c. but at a Sermon where all men do solemnly Devote themselves to God's Worship then ten Devils were few enough to distract them therein Thus we read how Satan thrust in among the Sons of God Job 1.6 2.1 1 Kings 21.10,13 As Satan ever since the Fall of Lucifer never had Rest Matth. 12.43,44,45 so he never would have Rest night or day unless he be in a sinner's heart c. The 5 th Cursed Character and Property of this our Adversary is that he is likewise irresistibly mischievous as to any Humane Power for Resisting him This is related before how the Innocentest Man Adam the strongest Man Samson and the wisest Man Solomon were none of them able to resist the Assaults of this strong Man Armed the reason is because his Angelical tho' now Diabolical Nature is too strong for any mere Humane Nature we are all as unable to withstand him 1. As the feeble Flye is the cunning Spider which most easily entangles her in his clammy Threads spun out of his own bowels whose first work is to intoxicate her as soon as entangled by infusing his poison into her head and then with more ease he draws her into his Den and there he sucks out her blood and her life both together Nor are we poor Mortals more able to resist this Strong Man Armed than 2. The silly Dove is to withstand the furious Assaults of the strong Eagle c. Thus the Devil is represented in Eph. 2.3 as a Prince-Fowl of the Air who hath the upper ground of us sorry Worms crawling upon the Earth and prying about like a Bird of prey to espy what silly Doves without hearts or understandings as Junius renders that Hos 7.11 as are wandring abroad for him to be preyed upon c. Nor 3. The simple Lamb can withstand the furious Lion when found wandring astray from the Sheepfold c. These similitudes do illustrate how Irresistible is our Adversary as to us to which many more may be added As 4. He is like the Hunter with his Nets 5. Like the Fowler with his Snares And 6. Like the Fisher-man with his Angling-Rods All these do most easily over-power the Beasts the Birds and the Fishes they meet with and so doth Satan over-power us yea and much more than so insomuch as he finds something in us which betrays us into his hands tho' it be otherwise said of our sinless Saviour to whom Satan came and found Nothing in him John 14.30 The 6 th Cursed Character of Satan he is everlastingly mischievous as he was a Murderer from the beginning John 8.44 so he will continue to be so to the end of the World as is hinted before Oh what a long Lease hath our Lord lent this Roaring Lion The number of this Infernal Beast is much above the number of the Apocalyptick Beast which was 666 years Rev. 13.18 or that longer Lease of 1260 years Rev. 11.3 This Beast hath already lasted above five thousand years and will ever last out-living all the Sons and Daughters of Men until Time shall be no more for as he is a Spirit so he cannot Die as we mortals daily Die c. therefore Man's Malady and Danger is like to last so long as there is a Man living to be tempted by this everlasting Tempter until our Lord chain him up c. CHAP. II. Man's Remedy and Deliverer HAving shewed at large Man's Malady and Danger in the first Chapter I come now in this second Chapter to shew Man's Remedy and Deliverer who is no other but our Blessed Lord whom Jacob calls his Redeeming Angel the Angel that Redeemed him from all evil Gen. 48.16 and who was named Jesus because he came into the World upon this only Errand that he might save us from our sins Matth. c. 1. v. 21. This Name Jesus may be derived from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sano to heal or rather from the Hebrew word Jashang which signifies to save from hence Joshua is called Jesus in Acts 7.45 for both those names do signifie Saviours and as that Joshuah saved Israel by bringing them out of the Wilderness into the Earthly Canaan so our Lord Jesus doth bring all the Israel of God his Redeemed ones out of the Wilderness of this present Evil World Gal. 1. v. 4. which is here below into that heavenly Canaan which is above And thus the Lord saith Vaani Jehovah Rophekah which signifieth I am a mighty Gyant like Healer of thee Exod. 15.26 upon which Text Tertullian makes this learned and Holy Descant Omnipotenti Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit Morbus unto such an All-sufficient
is related by the Holy Ghost and both these were done for the greateâ— Honour of this Lady as Sarah Hebrew signifies who was a Type of the Gospel-Church Gal. 4.22 to 31. and she was the Wife of that greatest of Patriarchs who is called the Father of the Faithful and whose Bosom is the Synonymon with Mansions of Glory Rom. 4.16 Luke 16.22 Yet his mourning for her was moderate and not as without Hope 1 Thes 4.13 Her Death had not made any such divorce from him but there still remained a blessed conjunction betwixt them therefore he calls her his Dead eight several times over in Gen. 23.3 c. to shew he had not lost her nor lost his interest in her and that he had only lent her to the Lord he had only bid her good night in hope to see her Alive again in the Morning of the Resurrection she was only faln asleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.13,14 the Union was not dissolved by Death As this consideration was comfortable to this Good Old Abraham so it was no less a comfort to that Good Prophet Ezekiel when the Lord took from him the Desire of his Eyes Ezek. 24.16 even that sweet Companion of his Life And this may likewise be the Comfort of all Godly Couples and of Friends also when God is pleased to make a separation one from another 't is only for a time and not for ever Our present meetings together in this World are joyned with some short parting 's asunder but our Hope in the Lord is we shall at last meet together again in a better World so as never to part asunder any more for then we shall be with the Lord for ever and for ever wherefore let us comfort one another with these words 1 Thes 4.17,18 Oh blessed Hour Oh thrice happy Union There is but a Sleep for a Time for a Night of Death only as by Sleep the Body is refreshed so by Death the Body is refined Let it be our care to cleave close to Christ at the instant of Death then shall we sleep in Jesus and he will be our Gain both in Life and Death Phil. 1.21,22,23 After this Night of Sleep comes the Day-Break of Eternal Brightness and after this Union here below cometh an Everlasting Communion in Heaven above Those Scripture Comforts should come home to our Hearts therefore ought we to comfort one another with them by Christian Communication and then may they afford us more strong Consolation than all the Comforts of Phylosophy of which Cicero said on his Death-Bed Nescio quo modo imbecillior Medicina quam Morbus est that is I know not how it comes that the Medicine is too weak for my Disease None can say so of those Sripture Cordials which the Lord doth ordinarily water with the Dews of his Divine Blessing The same Cordial did serve to satisfie Job likewise in the loss of his Children looking upon them not as lost but only lent to the Lord who had before but lent them unto him and had called his own only home to himself He still looked on them as his Dead as well as Living they were still his his Dead as Abraham's phrase was so oft of his Dead Wife after they were Dead and Buried How else could it be said that God gave to Job twice as much of every thing as he had before seeing he had but the same number of Children afterwards that he had before to wit Seven Sons and Three Daughters Job 42.10,13 He reckoned there remained still a blessed Union and Conjunction between him and them which was founded upon his hope of an Happy Resurrection In a word learn we to say our Godly Relations are not lost they are only gone before us and we are hastning after them they are only removed out of one Room into another out of the Out-houses and Kitchin of this World into the Presence-Chamber and Palace of Heaven They have changed their Place but not their Company as Good Dr. Preston said upon his Death-bed They are only gathered like Lillies Cant. 6.2 by the Hand of Christ who hath transplanted them into the Paradise of God Our Lord said to the penitent Thief this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice Luke 23.43 NB. Oh Matchless Love in our Dear Redeemer to speak thus lovingly to this poor Penitent while he was in horrible Torture himself upon the Cross and paying so unspeakably dear for Man's sin yet rejected he not this Malefactor's Petition ver 42. How much more may we now hope he will hear our Prayers and answer them with good words and comfortable Zech. 1.13 seeing the Debt is now all paid and the whole work of Redemption is now finished 3 dly Suppose the Third Natural Evil do come upon us to be as Lamps despised and a scorn to Young Scoundrils c. as Job complained before in our Old Age yet is there a blessed Remedy to this wretched Malady namely that pretious Promise commit thy way unto the Lord c. and he shall bring forth thy Righteousness in which way thou must still be found as the Light and thy Judgments as the Noon-day Psal 37.5,6 that is we must in the first place mind the Condition of this Promise to wit of rolling our selves upon the Lord as the Hebrew word signifies and depend wholly upon him both for safety and for success in all our undertakings Kimchi reads it Volue exonera unload thy self by casting thy Burden upon the Lord as David explains it Psal 55.22 that is ease thy Mind to God by Prayer and resign up thy All by Faith unto his care and conduct Trust also in him this is of the same import with Commit but repeated to take better impression and to beget more incouragement then whatsoever we commit to him he will bring it to pass in the general ver 5. Then follows the particular part of this Promise in the Second Place about Slanders ver 6. saying God will so oyl thy good Name which is as pretious Ointment Eccles 7.1 Prov. 15.30 and 22.1 that no defaming Infamy shall stick to it Dirt will stick upon a Mud-wall but it cannot do so upon Marble Suppose we be slandered without Cause as God tells Satan he slandered Job without Cause Job 2.3 with 1.9 and we lie under those Blacknings for a time but consider how the Earth lieth under Darkness all the Night long yet as the Morning by its sudden arising driveth away that Darkness so shall the Lord clear up our wronged Innocency and as the Moon wadeth from under a Cloud and from under an Eclipse by the interposition of the shadow of the Earth betwixt her and the Sun so shall we in God's time get over all our Evils of this kind or of any other if we still be found in the way of Righteousness God will clear up the innocency of his slandered Servants and bring it to light like the Sun at Noon-day but assuredly this will be done
it is indeed a Terror to Kings too the Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most formidable of Formidables and Nature in the best doth find it frightful enough yet our Lord saith I will not leave you Comfortless John 14.18 The First Comfort against the Fear of Death and that our Lord hath left us for our Relief is 1 Cor. 15.55 that Christ hath unstinged that Serpent and that now his Redeemed may triumph over it Moses first fled from the Serpent but being better informed he took it by the Tail and then it became an Useful Rod in his Hand Exod. 4.3,4 Thus Israel at first fled from Goliah as affrighted with the sight of such a Monster of Mankind but so soon as they understood that David had slain him and laid him along without his Head upon the ground then did they run as fast to him to trample upon him c. as they had before run away from him sore affrighted 1 Sam. 17.24,52 So could we but believe that Christ our Lord David had swallowed up Death in Victory as we are assured Isai 25.8 and that Christ's Death is the Death of Death Hos 13.14 then might we sing a Triumphant Song with the Apostle over both Death and the Grave c. A Second Breast of Comfort against the Fear of Death is that precious Promise of God Thou shalt not be afraid when Destruction or Death cometh Job 5.21 and thus God said to Old Jacob fear not to go down to Egypt for I will be with thee and I will bring thee back again c. Gen. 46.3,4 Accordingly our Saviour saith to his sanctified ones Isai 13.3 Fear not to go down among the Dead which is a going the way of all the Earth Josh 23.14 for I will go down with thee and I will assuredly also bring thee back again as one of my Children of the Resurrection Luke 20.36 as if he had said I will bring you without failure from the Jaws of Death to the Joys of Heaven as surely as Ezra and Nehemiah brought all the Captive Jews out of the Captivity of Babylon and we must consider for our Comfort that Death seizeth upon the Body only which we derive from the First Adam as Joseph's Mistress seized only upon Joseph's Garment his Person escaped so the pretious Soul is returned to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 A Third Breast of Consolation for Saints to suck against the Fear of Death is the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death to a Believer is as the Vally of Achor Josh 7.24,27 Israel's entrance into the Land of Promise a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 into the Heavenly Canaan there to sing Hallelujah's to the Lord for ever Death indeed to Sinners is but a Trap-door that drops them down into Hell Psal 9.17 When that Grim-Sergeant Arrests them by God's Permission and Commission in the Devil's Name and hurls them into an Infinite Ocean of Hell-fire Oh what Dreadful Skreaks doth that Guilty Soul give when it is hurried away and hurled into Everlasting Burnings Isai 33.14 and to swim naked as i◠Scalding Lead and Liquor for evermore But blessed be God 't is better with the Saints whose Debts are all paid by their Dear Redeemer they are not afraid of the Arrest of Death but looks upon it as God's Officer sent to give them possession of a Mansion of Glory and therefore their Hearts are not troubled when their Lord sends for them to be ever with him in Heavenly Happiness John 14.1,2,3,4 and 16.7 and 1 Thes 4.17.18 Oh how willing was Old Jacob to go down into Egypt when it was only to see his younger Son Joseph whom he had not seen for many years c. How much more willing yea desirous ought we to be to go up to Heaven a far better place than Egypt there to see our Elder Brother Jesus Christ How glad were those Three Wise Men of the East to take a long Journey when it was only to see the Babe of Bethlehem Christ in the Cradle c Now if we can but say as those Wise Men said We have seen his Star c. Matth. 2.2,11 how much more ought we to long for this Journey c. that we may behold our Lord Christ advanced upon the Throne of his Glory and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17.15 c. which is a Beatifical Vision a Sight far exceeding those Three Romam in Flore Paulum in Ore Christum in Carne which Father Augustin so earnestly wished to see namely Rome in its Glory Paul in the Pulpit and Christ in the Flesh Alas all those Sights are infinitely below the beholding him in his Glory 1 John 3.2 It was a good Prayer of the same Augustin saying Lord can no Man see thy Face and live O then let me die that I may see it c. A Fourth Cordial against the Fear of Death is Better is the day of our Death than the day of our Birth Eccles 7.12 'T is better every way For 1. Our Birth begins our Miseries but our Death ends them if we die in the Lord we are blessed Rev. 14.13 Whereas Man born of a Woman is born to trouble c. Job 14.1 Yea miserable so soon as warm in the Womb at Conception Psal 51.5 Birth is our entrance into this lower present Evil World Gal. 1.4 but Death in Christ is our entrance into the best and blessed World 2. We come crying into this World c. but some Saints have gone singing and triumphing out of it into a better World hoping that their Death was but the Day-break of Eternal Brightness c. A Fifth Cordial is that Death cannot separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.28 'T is so far from destroying the Union that it is called a sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 And as by sleep the frame of the Body is refreshed so by Death the Union of the Soul is refined Now when we are wearied with our days Labour we are not afraid to go take our rest When Lazarus died our Lord said our Friend Lazarus sleepeth John 11.11 and he said the same of Jairus's Daughter Matth. 9.24 and this is the frequent Phrase in Scripture to call Death a Sleep Job 7.21 2 Sam. 7.12 1 Cor. 11.30 Now as Sleep doth not separate Friends but only for a time betwixt good Night and good Morrow so no more doth Death which is but a bidding good Night for after sleeping in the Grave as in a Bed Isai 57.2 the Morning comes to rise again The Sixth Cordial is 2 Cor. 5.1,2,3 to 9. We know 't is not we think or we hope only this is the true Triumph of our Trusting in Christ our leaning upon the Lord Isai 50.10 that when our Clayie Cottages moulder down we have a Mansion of Glory to go to While we abide in those tottering Tabernacles we groan earnestly being Burdened ver 2.4 that is both with Sin and Misery whereof we have here our