his neck brake and he dyed 1 Sam. 4.18 So that good King Josiah 2 King 22.19 20. was suddenly cut off in War 2 King 23.29 30. So the Prophet that came out of Judah whether Shemaiah mentioned 1 King 12.22 or some other Prophet I know not neither ought we curiously to enquire or positively determine any thing where Scripture is silent yet he was a true Prophet as appeareth by his title 1 King 13.1 call'd a Man of God by the Message it self and confirmation thereof by miracles ver 4 5 6. And as a true Prophet so questionless a pious Man yet because he was too credulous in believing the lie of the old Prophet and did eat and drink contrary to God's Command a Lion met him and slew him v. 24. So blessed Stephen stoned in a popular fury was put to a sudden and violent death Act. 7.57 59. Let us not conclude any to be in a damnable state meerly because they die suddenly Indeed God threatens the Wicked with sudden destruction as Job 15.32 33 34. so Job 22.15 16. Psal 37.35 36 38. 55.23 Prov. 10.27 Eccl. 7.17 and elsewhere And I know that wicked men many times are suddenly cut off in their wickedness when they might have lived much longer as to the course of nature But all that die suddenly are not to be reputed wicked men For the Godly as you have heard may dye sudden violent and untimely deaths And the Wise-man tells you Eccl. 9.1 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him All things come alike to all there is one event to the Righteous and to the Wicked c. The Barbarians seeing the Viper on Pauls hand thinking the venom would presently have invaded his heart and vital spirits so that he would have died presently rashly concluded him to be a Murtherer and that Divine vengeance would not suffer him to live Act. 28.3 4 6. Let not Christians like these Barbarians be rash censurers of any that dye suddenly seeing that Gods dear and peculiar People may dye so 2. Consid A sudden death is best if we be prepared for it Octavius Augustus as oft as he heard of any man that had a quick passage out of this world with little sense of pain he wished for himself and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Similem Sueton. such an easie death Suddenness saith that Prodigy of Learning Mr. Hooker because it shortens grief Eccles Polit. pag. 277. should in reason be most acceptable and therefore Tyrants use what art they can to encrease the slowness of death That monster of cruelty Caius Caligula would not permit those that he put to death to be speedily dispatched his command was this Ita feri ut se mori sentiat Sueton. Strike so that they may feel themselves dying and endure the pains of an enduring death Quick riddance out of Life is often both requested and bestowed as a benefit We read Judg. 8.20 21. that Zeba and Zalmunna chose rather to fall by Gideon than by Jether his son either because it was more honorable to be killed by a man like themselves rather than by a boy Mr. Fuller in his Coment on Ruth 1 Chap. Or rather as a learned Divine observes Because the Childs want of strength would cause the more pain And he adds Better to be speedily dispatched by a violent Disease than to have ones Life prolonged by a lingring torture And Erasmus somewhere saith Si pio homini deligere fas esset mortis genus nullum arbitror magis optandum quà m subitum If it were lawful for a godly man to choose the manner of his death I think a sudden death most to be desired and he gives this reason of it because Non potest malè mori qui benè vixerit he cannot dye ill that hath lived well For though death be sudden in its self yet in regard of his preparation for it and expectation of it to him it is not sudden Improvisa nulli mors cui provida vita Sad indeed it is to dye as Onan Absalom Amnon Ananias and Sapphira and several others that we read of in Scripture who were suddenly snatcht away in their wickedness From such a sudden death Good Lord deliver us For it is a speedy downfall to the bottomless-pit of Hell But if a man live as he ought to do in continual expectation of death and so set his house and his soul in order surely sudden death is best for him for it prevents much torturing pain which others met with upon their beds of languishment and besides this it is a speedy passage into Life Eternal 3. And lastly Consid Be thy Friends death never so sudden and violent it is that death which God in his providence hath allotted him God ordaineth our end by an immutable decree See Jer. 43.11 When he commeth Dr. Abbot on Jonah 4.3 4. Lect. 26. pag. 543 he shall smite the Land of Egypt and deliver such as are for death to death and such as are for captivity to captivity and such as are for the sword to the sword This intimates that by the Providence of the Lord who did set that King on work several persons in their times are determined to their several ends We must not attribute any friends death as the Philistines would their destruction to Chance 1 Sam. 6.9 Homer speaking of Achilles that slew many worthy Grecians saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad α. v. 5. Joves will was fulfilled Homer though blind as some report yet saw the hand of God in their destruction And Mr. Fuller in his Coment on Ruth 2.3 4. some observe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fortune is not used in all his Works It was only the ignorance of true causes that made the name of Fortune Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia sed te Nos facimus fortuna Deum Juven Sat. 10. For there is nothing fortuitous in it self seeing Gods Providence orders all events Indeed some things are said to happen in Scripture Ruth 2.3.4 Luke 10.31 but this is spoken not in respect of God but in respect of us because oft-times they come to pass not only without our purpose and forecast but even against our intentions and determinations but yet those things which thus fall out are ordered by the secret working of Gods providence We read 1 Kings 22.34 A certain man drew a Bow at a venture or according to the Orig. in his Simplicity 2 Sam. 15.11 not intending to bit Ahab yet God's purpose was to have Ahab slain and accordingly it came to pass for he smote the King of Israel between the joynts of the harness and the King dyed vers 37. Thus providence orders even casual events Christ's death with the manner was decreed by God Acts 4.27 28. Of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together
Father See his holy indignation against such as prophaned his Temple John 2.15 16 17. so John 4.34 He counted it his meat to do the Will of him that sent him and to finish his Work When his Mother and Brethren would have taken him off from Preaching he would not then own them for he said Who is my Mother or my Brethren Mark 3.33 Not that he did despise them but preferred the Service of God before them see Luke 2.48 49 50 51. so should we be zealous for God's Glory We should be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord or according to Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we should be seething hot in Spirit Rom. 12.11 We should have a zeal for God and the duty that we are to perform This God calls for Rev. 3.19 And Christ died to redeem unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 Moses was zealous Exod. 32.19 so was Phineas Numb 25.11 so was David Psal 69.9 so St. Paul Acts 17.16 and so are all true Christians in some measure zealous St. Cyprian speaks of Christians in his time that were Tanquam Leones ignem spirantes Like Lyons breathing forth the Heavenly fire of Zeal 7. There was in Christ compassion to his Enemies When his Enemies came to take him one would have thought he should have call'd for fire from Heaven as Elijah did 2 Kings 1.10 and thereby have consumed his Adversaries But this was against the loving Nature of Christ as well as against the * Omne leve sursum tendit Nature of Fire that it should descend to destroy them Luke 9.54 55 56. Nay Christ would not onely not destroy them but he useth means to reclaim them from sinful courses that he may save them This good Samaritan would gladly have healed their spiritual Wounds How passionately doth he complain John 5.40 Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life And again Mat. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how oft would I have gathered thy Children together even as an Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings which would have been for your safety and yet ye would not When his Enemies hearts became like to Clay more hardned by the Sun-shine of those favours which should have melted them he then grieved for the hardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 and like a Judge passeth Sentence with tears in his eyes Luke 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known there he weeps even thou there he weeps again at least in this thy day he goes on still weeping the things that belong unto thy peace now he weeps a main and tears do so fast trickle down his cheeks that they hinder him from speaking and he breaks off abruptly as men do in a passion but now they are hid from thine eyes Our Saviour here shed tears for them who were about to shed his blood Yea we find him praying for his Enemies when they had given him the worst that malice could invent or cruelty impose Luke 23.34 Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Then said Jesus When said he this Why even then when he was suffering the painful shameful and accursed death upon the Cross Yea some think he prayed for his insulting Enemies before he provided for his weeping Mother John 19.26 27. Let us then pity and pray for our Enemies so did Stephen Acts 7.60 This Christ commands by Precept as well as commends by Pattern Matth. 5.44 c. Let us bless them that curse us Rom. 12.14 Nay we should mourn for them in affliction as David did Psal 35.13 14. In a word if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Rom. 12.20 21. 8. There was in Christ love to the godly He loved them with a love of complacency and delight John 13.1 He bare a constant love towards them They were like golden Letters engraven indelibly upon his heart His love to them appeared by his accompanying with them by counselling reproving comforting clearing their innocency c. Matth. 9.14 Mat. 12.3 4. rejoycing in their welfare Luk. 10.21 taking what is done to them as done to himself be it good or bad Mat. 25.40 45. Acts 9.4 praying for them Luke 22.31 John 17.9 11 17 20 21. But his dying for them was above all an eminent instance of his love Gal. 2.20 He thought nothing too dear to part with for their sakes He shed his precious Blood in great plenty for them 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Acts 20.28 When our Saviour shed but a few tears for Lazarus the Jews collected thence his love towards him John 11.35 36. Surely Christ's shedding his precious Blood in great plenty for the Elect is a manifest token of extraordinary love towards them Let us imitate Christ in love to the godly Let us delight in them and accompany with them as David did Psal 16.3 119.63 Let us sympathize with them Rom. 12.15 Let us pray for them so did St. Paul for the Colossians Col. 1.9 10 11. and for the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.23 In a word We should be ready to lay down our lives for them if need require 1 John 3.16 Hereby we perceive the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren And this unfeigned love to the godly is as sure a note to know whether a man be in the way to Heaven as pronouncing the word * Judg. 12.6 Shibboleth was to know an Ephramite from a Gileadite Here what St. John the beloved Disciple saith 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Be ye therefore as St. Paul saith Ephes 5.1 2. followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour 9. There was in Christ thanksgiving When Christ are Victuals he lift up his eyes and gave thanks John 6.11 23. He was thankful for Spiritual Blessings Mat. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes This is spoken by Christ after the seventy had returned and told him what good success they had as may be gathered from Luk. 10.17 21. He did thankfully acknowledge God's mercy in revealing Gospel-Mysteries to poor simple Creatures that knew no more in Gospel-Mysteries then Babes knew in Worldly-Businesses And John 11.41 Jesus lift up his eyes and said Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me Indeed Christ's whole life was a glorifying of God John 17.4 I have glorified thee on Earth Let us imitate Christ in thankfulness Let
of the World out of a confused Chaos and made Clay and Spittle likely to put out sight a means to recover it this God I say can bring it to pass that what thou thinkest will undo thee shall be a means to promote thy eternal good Oh the admirable harmony of Divine Dispensations in reference to mans Salvation To shut up this you know several herbs have several qualities some of them very bitter yet if a skilful simpler have the mixing of them he will make you a pleasing and wholsom sallade so there are many interchangable passages of Providence and some of them very bitter to flesh and blood yet divine Wisdom and Goodness will so order the matter that they shall in the end be both pleasing and profitable Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations For vers 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Indeed we read Psal 36.6 Gods judgements are a great deep And again Psal 77.19 Gods way is in the Sea and his path in the great waters and his footsteps are not known Which words some apply to the bringing of his People through the Sea and the waters returning to their course of which you read Exod 14.28 29. Others apply the words to the interchangable passages of Providence in reference to his Church the administration of the World and of every mans Salvation And so Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out Gods wayes are many times cryptical full of Meanders we cannot trace them they are a compendious heap of intricacies oft going contrary to mans judgment and expectation and to our apprehended rules of common right Yet all his wayes are judgment that is justice and equity for he is a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 Much may be above us because our ignorance is such that we cannot see a reason of his wayes but nothing is unreasonable or evil that proceeds from an holy wise loving and just God I end this with that of the Psalmist Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord how rugged and severe soever to flesh and blood are mercy and truth to such as keep his Covenant and his testimonies They may seem cruelty but indeed they are mercy though thou can'st not see it for the present yet thou may'st hereafter Another crys out 7th Apology answered This relation of mine dyed in the best of his age in the prime of his strength in the acuteness of his parts his Sun set at noon-day he fixed a Period where we made account of a Comma hoping at least half the Sentence of his Life was behind but it was broken off in haste and this troubles me Answ We do not much lament the death of Old persons because we know they could not live long Every mans Life as one saith is a Lease and an old mans Life is an old worn Lease ready to drop into the Land-Lords hand We expect a Taper should go out when the Wax is spent but to see the Lamp of a friends Life extinguished in its brightest and strongest lustre This troubles us But 1. Consid 'T is ordinary for man to dye in his full strength Job 21.23 24. One dyeth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones are moistned with marrow c. King Edward the 6th that hopeful Prince fell asleep before noon and was laid untainted in the Bed of Honour So that good King Josiah died before he was 40 years of age as may be gathered from 2 Chron. 34.1 Nay Christ himself was cut off before he attained one half of the age of man described by Moses Psal 90.10 Nay David tells us Psal 39.5 Every man at his best state whether of age or honour is altogether vanity It being so ordinary for man to dye at or about the vigour of his age it should be the less troublesom 2. Consid If thy Friend had lived to old age what is that but an age of misery a stage of vanity an hospital of Diseases The dayes of Old Age are called Evil dayes by the Wise man Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them q. d. The dayes of old age bring so many aches and troubles along with them that if they be lengthened into years yet a man can find no pleasure or content but whole years together shall be full of weariness and sorrow Nay the very strength of the years of an Old man is labour and sorrow saith Moses Psal 90.10 Old people are oft-times a trouble to themselves and others 3. And lastly consid Thy Friend must at last have died Man's Life is by some fitly compared to a Lamp which may be soon extinguished by some fall or violent blast but if it escape these there is but a set proportion of oyl which will soon be consumed and then it goes forth of its own accord The Clock though it goes slowly strikes surely at last And the Sun in the longest day of its perambulation at last goes out of sight He that walks longest over the graves of others comes at last to his own So that if thy Friend had not died now he must have dyed some other time And if another time why not now Another cryes out 8th Apology answered This Relation of mine was loth to die he died comfortless desperate words idle vain talk unseemly gestures and speeches proceeded from him and this troubles me Answ Was your Relation loth to dye 1. Consid Many of Gods dear Children have at some time or other been loth to depart So was David Psal 55.4 5. and Psal 102.24 And Hezekiah Isa 38.1 And Peter out of a sudden apprehension of death and fear of it denyed his Lord and Master The Godly cease not to be Men by becoming Christians as men they are sometimes afraid of Death which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malum corruptivum destructive to nature God hath imprinted saith a Dr. Abbot Lect. 6. on Jonah p. 126 127. judicious Divine a passionate love betwixt the soul and the body that they grieve to leave one another So that the spirit may be willing yet the flesh is weak What man is he whom God's Spirit hath not in a great measure mortified that feels not in himself oft-times an horror and a quaking to think of his dissolution 2. Consid Thy Friend though he might fear the pain of death yet he might rejoyce at the gain of death as many a man desires the Haven yet trembles at the voyage The pangs of death might a little affright him yet being dead if a good man let us not question his happiness Christ
not sown It is love and kindness indeed to follow God in a Wilderness of temptations and tryals to love him even when we groan under sad Distempers and can feel nothing as it were but signs of his displeasure The World is apt to think that Believers love God only for what they gain by his service as though their love to God was purely mercinary as the Devil said Doth Job fear God for nought c. Job 1.9 10 11. so Job 2.4 5. The Devil said Skin for Skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life but put forth thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face God as you read afterwards suffered the Devil sorely to afflict Job vers 6 7 8. Yea Job's Wife took the Devils part as you see vers 9. The Devil handed over a temptation to him by his Wife hoping thereby to prevail with Job as he did by the Wife prevail with Adam Gen. 3.6 But the Devil could not nor Job's Wife that crooked Rib that cross piece to help him cause that good Man to curse his God See how sharply he rebukes her for her folly vers 10. Thou speakest as one of the foolish Women speaketh What shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil In all this or hitherto did not Job sin with his lips And though we read afterwards of his cursing the day of his birth Chap. 3. and of other rash speeches proceeding from him Chap. 6. and elsewhere Yet his resolution was Not to let go his integrity so long as he lived Job 27.5 6. Here was a full proof of the sincerity of his love to God and strength of his Christian courage For if thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Prov. 24.10 4. And lastly Prayer Sickness sets Prayer awork like trouble Psal 18.4 5 6. Psal 88. per totum Psal 116.3 4. so Isa 26.16 Lord saith the Prophet in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them When God visits his People with sickness or some such like affliction then especially they visit him with prayers Prayers which before did but as it were drop out now and then a prayer are in time of trouble frequently and fervently put up unto God Christ in his agony prayed more earnestly Luk. 22.44 Thus when the outward man is ready to perish or decay through sickness or some such like affliction then the inward Man is renewed i. e. gathereth strength Isa 40.31 by daily pressures 2 Cor. 4.16 As the * Depressa resurgit Ps 92.12 Palm-tree the more it is drepressed the more it flourisheth As Jacob said to Laban Gen. 30.30 It was but little which thou hadst before I came but it is now encreased to a multitude And the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming So may sickness say to many a child of God It was but little in comparison which thou hadst before my coming but little Faith Patience Love to God Devotion c. but now it is much encreased Divine Graces like Torches in a dark night shine brightest ' midst manifold afflictions Let us now come to Use and Application which through Gods blessing may be most profitable Vse 1 1. This consideration should be a Cordial to comfort us in sickness It should make thee and me patient under sickness when God is pleased to send it Nothing befals us but what befals God's dearest Servants David Job Hezekiah Paul Epaphroditus and others as you have heard even the bravest-spirited the wisest the holiest have been sorely visited with sickness There is no temptation i. e. affliction hath taken you but what is humane so the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as it is rendred common to Man 1 Cor. 10.13 Yea to the best of men and being thus ordinary it may be the better endured Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris So then as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses I add with so many examples of good men in sickness Let us run with patience Heb. 12.1 As Phocion said to one that was condemned to the same death with him Art thou not glad to fare as Phocion doth So shall not we be glad or at least be content and patient under sickness seeing we fare no worse than God's dearest Servants do Nay let us cast our eyes abroad and we shall find many our betters by far in Grace far more afflicted than our selves be with sickness Our sickness being neither so violent nor so permanent as theirs Now shall not we be content to sip of that bitter Cup which they drink so deeply of Epaphroditus's sickness besides the violence thereof was cloathed with this sad circumstance that he was * Muscul in loc Procul à suis remotus He was far from home in a strange place But we at home amongst friends and acquaintance who are at hand to give friendly visits and to minister to our necessities Vse 2 2. This consideration should strike terrour into the hearts of impatient wretches If sickness and pain be the condition of Gods dear Servants here what will be the portion of the wicked hereafter in the day of their visitation If they who shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 be in such a sick condition that they know not what to do which way to turn them for ease how easeless and painful will their condition one day be who are Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 see 1 Pet. 4.17 For the time is come it may be rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Original that it is the season that judgment begin at the House of God and if it first begin at us what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God Now in this life judgments i. e. chastisements Psal 7.11 befall God's dear Servants for their sinful infirmities who are here called the House of God for they are the Temples of the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 and if judgment begin at us first what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel However for the present they live become old yea are mighty in power as Job speaks Job 21.7 And their Houses are safe from fear neither is the Rod of God upon them vers 9. Yet their end will be sad vers 30. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath So the Psalmist whether Asaph or David it is uncertain stumbled at the prosperity of the wicked Psal 73.2 3. He saw they lived merrily here and when they died they died without much pain in their sickness for saith he vers 4. There are no bonds that is See Dr. Hammond in Psalm 73.4 no pangs in their death q. d. Their death is not caused by those violent and painful
assaults as other mens frequently are So vers 5. They are not in trouble us other men neither are they plagued like other men This stumbled him as you may read afterwards but at last he recovers himself having made his resort to the Sanctuary of God vers 17. He learned out of his Word that God governed all things wisely and had Judgments in store for them as you may read vers 18 19 20. God lift them the higher that their fall might be the greater Tolluntur in altum Ut lapsu graviore ruant So then though wicked men sleep securely in sin yet their damnation sleepeth not 2 Pet. 2.3 When they say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a Woman with Child which comes suddenly certainly and painfully and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5.3 The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 Jesus Christ will come upon these with a vengeance and they shall be punished with everlasting destruction as you may read 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. I end this with that of David Psal 11.5 6. The Lord tryeth the Righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup. They shall be continually drinking the bitter cup of divine fury There shall be no Lucida intervalla no respite no breathing fits as the Righteous have here in their sickness but their pains shall be continual without either intermission or mitigation Vse 3 3. This consideration should keep us from censuring those for the greatest sinners that are in this kind the greatest sufferers Indeed we live in a censorious Age. The World judgeth those most wicked that are most afflicted we are apt to conclude that God hates those most whom he visits with most sickness Thus the Barbarians dealt with Paul who seeing the venomous Beast hang on his hand said among themselves No doubt this Man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live Acts 28.4 Thus David's Enemies by the sharpness and violence of his Distemper concluded God was become his Enemy * Verbum Belial effusum est in ipso i. e. punitur divinitùs ob scelus aliquod commissum Muscul in locum Psal 41.8 Job's three Friends were to blame to accuse Job for an Hypocrite because God had sorely visited him with sickness he calls them truly Forgers of lies and Physitians of no value Job 13.4 They forged lies both of God and Job and like unskilful Physitians applyed Corrasives instead of Cordials And elsewhere he calls them Miserable Comforters Job 16.2 They came as Comforters freely offering themselves he sent not for them Job 2.11 But they were pitiful ones in that sence that Job calls them Miserable comforters for by their censures and bitter speeches instead of lessening they did encrease his burthen instead of easing they did aggravate his grief And God himself was highly displeased with Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar in as much as by their perverse disputings and false reasonings they had wronged even God himself Job 42.7 8 9. Let us then know that God's dear Children as Epaphroditus a dear Servant of the Lord here did may lie under great afflictions and dear affections at the same time Job 1.8 and 2.3 Job even now mentioned whom God boasts of again and again as a None-such for piety was smitten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Job 2.7 with such an angry burning Boyl as God plagued the Aegyptians with Exod. 9.9 10. and after threatned to punish a rebellious people with Deut. 28.27 If Job had measured God's displeasure by the sadness of his Distemper he might have concluded indeed that God had hated him and cast him off but upright Job doubted not of God's favour under his saddest tryals We read of one Lazarus the Brother of Mary and Martha John 11.3 that was in his extream sickness beloved of Christ And we read of another Lazarus Luke 16.20 who was poor and pitiful lying at the rich mans gate full of sores yet after death carried by Angels into Abrahams Bosom vers 22. Let the words of the wise man shut up this Eccles 9.1 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked c. Vse 4 4. Let this consideration keep us from weeping immoderately when Godly Friends depart this life They are freed from those sicknesses and pains which here they groaned under Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from pain and pains-taking The World to them is as Aegypt to the Israelites a place of pains and sorrow Exod. 3.7 When they die God wipes away all tears from their eyes See Rev. 21.4 There shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things as sin sickness c. are passed away If the dead in the Lord could speak they would say to surviving Friends that follow them to the Grave with sorrowful hearts as Christ did to the Daughters of Jerusalem that followed him to his crucifixion sorrowing Luk. 23.28 Weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children Ye are in the Valley of Tears toss'd upon the Waves of a troublesome World subject as to sin so to sickness and sorrow But as for us we are at the Haven of Eternal-rest Weep not for us but weep for your selves and your Children Indeed did we but seriously consider the manifold miseries that God's dear Servants are subject unto whilst in this World we would give thanks rather then murmer when God by death sets them free The Church in the Funerals of the Dead hath taught us as much We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother or Sister out of the miseries of this sinful World 5. and last Vse But fifthly and lastly for I hasten This consideration me-thinks should put Christians upon sympathizing one with another This God calls for Rom. 12.15 1 Pet. 3.8 see Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversitie as being your selves also in the Body In the Body that is say some as Members of the same Body Rom. 12.5 for so believers are Ephes 5.23 30. so Col. 1.18 they are Members of Christ's Mystical and Spiritual Body And as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 12.25 26. The Members should have the same care one for another and if one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it So then if we take it in this sence you are members of the same Body and therefore ought to sympathize one with another Others there are that by this expression being your selves also in the body understand it thus as being