Word of God into his hand and falls a Reading of it where he meets with some things Commanded by God which possibly through ignorance or heedlessness he did not take notice of before to be his Duty Conscience at such a time takes part with the Word of God and by its Admonitions helps forward the Convictions of the Word upon the Heart of a Sinner that so there may be an Obediential Conformity thereunto Here now Conscience is a Faithful Monitor At another time when a Sinner hath not only through carelessness but through wilfulness and presumption fallen into the Commission of some great and horrid Sin possibly at such a time some Friend comes to him and deals plainly and freely with him by reproving him sharply and severely for his Sin Conscience now joyns in with the Reproof and becomes as true a Friend unto the Sinner as any he hath if he will but hearken unto him here now Conscience thunders out both the Threatnings of the Law and the Vengeance of the Gospel telling the Sinner that they that do such things are worthy of Death nay that they deserve Hell for because of these things sake says Conscience cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience Conscience here now shews it self an exact and upright Reprover But then there is another Office that Conscience hath and that is to be an Accuser and this Office it commonly makes use of when it is throughly awakened upon a Death-bed for when a Man comes to lie upon a Sick-bed and sees the Visions of Death and the Grave before him the Charges of Conscience at such a time upon a Sinner are most quick and smart for Conscience being just as it were a going to give up its Accounts unto the Great God the Judge of all Flesh where it will speak nothing but the Truth begins now to give the Sinner some Account of what it must and will say before the Tribunal of God then And this is one Reason why Conscience is so strict and so severe in its Charge against the Soul that it will let nothing pass that comes into the mind of a Sinner without leaving some stinging Remembrances of its former guilt even such as are more bitter than Death it self This now makes Dying to be so hard and difficult a Work O happy Souls are they who at such a time have their hearts sprinkled from the Evil of an Accusing Conscience by the Blood of Jesus Christ for they only can have Peace and Comfort in the hour of Death This Work of dying though it be so hard and difficult a Work yet is it that we must all undergo for Death is continually hastening towards us The Blessed Apostle St. Paul thought Death always to be near it made such speed to him that he lookt upon himself always as a dying Man and therefore he tells us That he did die daily 1 Cor. 15.31 and in Rom. 8.36 For thy sake says he we are killed all the day long we are counted as Sheep for the Slaughter And if we make Hezekiah's Reckoning to be our own though he was under a fit of Sickness when he said it but we are in Health yet we shall not be much mistaken in the Account when he tells us From day even unto night says he thou wilt make an end of me What though Death hath not laid his cold hands upon us by some Mortal Disease yet may he not lie in Ambush for us and cut us off suddenly Time hath Wings and flies away swiftly from us and truly Death doth not creep but with the same swiftness posts towards us Man is wasting and consuming every day his Body wastes his Strength wastes his Parts waste his Time wastes yea his very Life wastes and whither tend all these Consumptions and Wastings but only to the hastening of Death neither will these end till they terminate in Man's Dissolution But though Man in this Life is always hurrying on unto Death yet how few are there that consider how suddenly themselves or others may die we easily and slightly pass over the Thoughts of Death and the suddenness of its approach because it is that we have no mind to We would not yet die our selves and therefore we will not think we shall Guests that are unwellcome to us we either keep them out of our Houses or turn them out as soon as we can Such are the Thoughts of Death either of our own or others and therefore if possible we endeavour to keep them out of our minds altogether but if sometimes they will thrust in upon us we turn them out again as soon as we can filling our Thoughts with some other things But alas this will not do always for the Thoughts of Death will return again upon some occasions or other God by some Providence may be will awaken Conscience and stir up Thoughts of Death in our minds let us do what we can to hinder them yea though we do what we can to stifle them but this is no thanks to us for of our selves we will not be brought to think of or regard how suddenly others do and our selves may die till by some sad Providence we are brought to the Sick bed of some Friend whom Death hath bedewed with cold Sweats and rackt with Convulsims so that he lies gasping and dying before us till our Eyes be brought thus to Affect our Hearts our Hearts are seldom Affected as they ought with the Sence of our Mortality Now as Death comes suddenly upon many so commonly it comes violently upon wicked Men their Souls are not surrendred or delivered up unto God but they are rent and torn from them by Force and Violence A wicked Man cannot commend his Soul into the Hands of God when he is dying Indeed we have a form of making the Wills of dying Men wherein the Person that lies upon his Death-Bed says I commend my Soul into the Hands of God which in the Judgment of Charity because we have nothing to do to Censure Mens Eternal State in the General we must not wholly Condemn yet it is to be feared that few that say those words do it heartily and sincerely and upon such Grounds as God will accept and receive when they leave their Bodies There are some who have lived in Sin all their Days yet have strong presumptions of the Mercy of God upon their Death-beds God is a merciful God say they and therefore with boldness and confidence they commend their Souls unto him relying upon his Mercy for Salvation But such are strangely Ignorant of the method of God in saving Sinners and by Custom in Sin and the Judgment of God upon them for it they are become insensible their Consciences are seared and asleep and so neither their Sin nor the misery they are liable to for Sin doth in the least trouble them But otherwise the Death of a wicked Man is violent he doth not resign up his Soul unto God but it is
difficult Work Death continually hastning towards us yet few consider how suddenly themselves or others may Die. Death comes violently to Wicked Men yet no Man dies before his time however in Scripture some are said so to do An Exhortation to prepare for Death with Motives to quicken Christians thereunto and Directions to help them therein HAving spoken something of the Life of Man as it hath Relation unto the Subject I am speaking to which by Reason of Sin is become short frail and uncertain I shall now consider the State of Man under Death which is the end of his Temporal but the beginning and entrance upon his Everlasting State which that Christians may with the more profit and advantage meditate upon I shall reduce all that I have to say of it unto three particulars The State of Man under Death is a State that admits of no returning unto Life a State that admits of no amendments and a State that is fixed and determined First The State of Man under Death is a State that admits of no returning unto Life again When once the Sun of this Life is set it will arise no more upon thee for ever Are not my Days few says Job Cease from me that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return And Job 10.20 When a few Days are come says he I shall go whence I shall not return Job 16.22 That 's a strange Journey indeed that admits of no return That which pleaseth us while we live is the hopes of returning to our Homes again but when we die we take a Journey whence there is no returning for there is no recovery out of the Grave when once we are Dead Indeed it is a fundamental Article of the Christian Faith to believe the Resurrection of the Dead for the Scripture tells us that all Men shall stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive according to what they have done in the Body Now if there be not a Resurrection of the Dead how can this be therefore our Lord tells us plainly John 5.28 that the hour is coming when all that are in their Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth but this time is not yet come and till this time comes the sentence of Death is irreversible upon all And though God hath already stretched sorth his hand to the Grave for the raising of some Persons from the Dead miraculously yet as those few that have escaped Death make no breach upon this general Truth that all must Die so it doth not at all infringe this general Truth that God will not now by the manifestation of the same miraculous Power raise any from the Grave because some have been raised and recovered out of it Secondly The State of Man under Death admits of no amendments or alterations Life is the Time of Working in Death we receive the Reward of our Work Our Lord tells us of himself I must Work the Works of him that sent me while it is Day for the Night comes wherein no Man can Work Joh. 9.4 Death puts an end to all Works whether they be Natural Civil or Religious There is no eating or drinking nor any pleasure to be taken in any outward enjoyments in the State of Death there is no buying or selling or getting gain when we are Dead nay Death puts an end to all Spiritual Works those Duties that upon Earth were the Saints exercise in the Grave there is an end of them there is a dying and perishing for ever in respect of Faith and Repentance in respect of praying and hearing the Word these are Heavenly Works but the Time for the performance of them is while we are here upon Earth None of these Labours are in Heaven or in Hell no nor in the Grave whither we are all going In Heaven there is nothing but rest in Hell though there be no rest yet there is no labour In Hell there is nothing but Wages in Heaven there is nothing but Reward our whole Work lies in the few Days that are on this side both What we do for the obtaining of Heaven or for the avoiding of Hell it must be done now for there is no Work no Device in the Grave whither we are all going Thirdly The State of Man under Death is a State that is fixed and determined He that dies under the Guilt of Sin shall never have it forgiven him The Blood of Christ that was appointed for the Pardon of Sin and for the Justification of a Sinner shall never make God propitious to a Soul that dies under the Guilt of Sin though that Blood now speaks better things than the Blood of Abel and crying aloud to Heaven nay in Heaven for Mercy hath obtained Pardon and forgiveness for thousands of Souls now in Glory yet hath it no virtue in it that shall be applicable to any Sinner for the remission of his Sins when once the Sentence of Death is executed upon him There is a Sacrifice appointed by God to take away Sin in this Life even the Blood of Christ that cleanseth from all Sin and now he intreats and beseecheth Sinners to come unto him that they may have Life by him but those that will not now accept of his Gracious offer but continue in Sin and Disobedience all their days and die under the Guilt thereof there remains no more Sacrifice for them and it is impossible they should ever be Pardoned because the Sufferings of Christ were never Ordained as an Expiatory Sacrifice for their Sins His bleeding and dying upon the Cross will do them no good at all now the Time and Season of Mercy and Grace with them is gone and past for ever Nay let me add a dreadful word unto all such instead of any Benefit and Advantage that will come to them by the Blood of Christ it is that which cries loudly against them for the Wrath and Vengeance of God to fall upon them to Eternity Besides he that dies under the guilt of Sin dies also under the filth and pollution of Sin from whence he shall never be cleansed We read in Scripture of a Refiner's Fire but Hell Fire is not of this Nature it enrageth the Sinner but it doth not Refine him No that Sin or Holiness that accompanies Men out of this World shall abide with them for ever he that dies in a State of Sin his guilt remains upon him for ever there are no Seasons of Grace to be enjoyed in another World nor are there any Operations of the Spirit of God vouchsafed to Renew and Change Men hereafter Whilst we are in this World though the Law Condemns us for our sin and guilt and the Gospel disowns us for our filth and pollution yet even such as we have been Washed have been Justified have been Sanctified and so may we for the Blood of Christ is still a Fountain open to wash in for Sin and for uncleanness and the Infinite though Provoked
Majesty of Heaven condescends so low as to entreat us with more Earnestness and Affection to pity our own Souls and accept of a Pardon then Guilty Condemned Sinners desire to obtain it but when this Life is at an end there shall be no more Offers of Mercy but the Blood of Christ shall then be a Spring shut up and a Fountain Sealed that none can wash in it and be Cleansed Death Seals up the State of a Sinner for ever You know what Abrabam tells the Rich Man in Hell in Luke 16.26 Between us and you says he there is a great Gulf fixed so that they that would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence The State and Condition that Men enter upon after Death is fixed and unalterable Therefore O Sinner what thou dost for God for Heaven for thy Soul do it quickly for this is the only Time and Season for thee to work in and as thou now Sowest so thou shalt Reap for ever The State of Man under Death being thus it greatly concerns all Men to wait for Death Job tells us it should be his Practice Job 14.14 All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change comes Now waiting as it relates unto Death may include three things Meditation Expectation and Preparation First Meditation He that waits for the Accomplishment of any Worldly Business especially if it be of Concernment to him how busie will his Mind and Thoughts be in musing upon it He now that is waiting for the coming of Death considering both the certainty of it that it will come and the uncertainty of it when it will come and believes withal that Eternal Happiness or Eternal Misery will be that State to which Death will bring him cannot but have his Thoughts much taken up about it This will make a Soul Truly and Spiritually Wise and therefore the Psalmist Prays Lord teach us to number our Days that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom He that is truly Wise will Meditate of Death and he that Meditates of Death will be truly Wise The more we number our Days and think of our Time the fewer Sins we shall have to number for as a Copy is then safest from blotting when dust is thrown upon it so are we from Sinning when we remember we are but Dust Secondly Waiting includes in it Expectation That which we wait for we are in Expectation of and that Man may be said to wait for Death that in every Action of his Life in every Alteration of his State and Condition saith to himself well I must Die when though his Bones are full of Marrow though Riches come in upon him like a Flood yet saith he I must die I have no abiding Place here I am but a Stranger and Sojourner in this World as all my Fathers were I have now Wife and Children Friends and Lands but I cannot enjoy any of these for ever no nor my Life it self for I have but a Lease of it and that but a short one too which will soon expire I expect Death daily even in the midst of all my Enjoyments I am but a Steward of all that I have here and I must shortly be called to an Account such and such are gone before me and I am following after The other day Death snatched away such a dear Relation from me this day it hath seized upon such a Friend and Acquaintance and to morrow the same Messenger may come for me It is that I expect and therefore I wait for it Thirdly Waiting includes in it Preparation He that waits for Death ought to be preparing for it This now is exceeding Requisite because it is above the reach of Words to express how much depends upon this Preparation it is that our whole Life should have respect unto every thing that we do ought to have a tendency in it to make Death Comfortable But of this Preparation for Death I shall speak more hereafter in its proper place This waiting for Death by way of Meditation on it by way of Expectation of it and by way of Preparation for it is very necessary considering what an Important difficult Work the Work of dying is and this will appear if we consider two things First what Death is Secondly what Death doth First what Death is and here are three things considerable Death is a Deprivation Death is a Desolution and Death is a Destruction All which make Death terrible and the Work of dying difficult First Death is a Deprivation It strips us of all those Comforts that in this World did Refresh us Friends Relations Lands Houses these have often delighted us while we live yea it may be too much by setting our Affections inordinately upon them and now what Grief of Soul doth it create to us violently by Death to be torn from them but part we and they must whether we will or no and that for ever Job tells us We came naked into the World and we shall return naked out of it The Apostle indeed seems to intimate as if some Men in our days could scarcely believe it and therefore to beat Men off from such a conceit he tells them 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing with us into this World this is true and all Men will grant it and says the Apostle it is certain we shall carry nothing out of it Death makes all lie equal in the Dust Secondly Death is a Dessolution In Life Soul and Body are united and live lovingly together there is a near union between them a union which because of their long Acquaintance and Co-habitation together is become so dear that no union can be more desirable as to the continuance of it nor no union more dreaded as to the Dissolution of it except it be the Spiritual union between Christ and the Soul There are several kinds of unions and generally Love is the ground of them all There is an union of Friendship between one Friend and another whom Love hath united so strongly that they seem to Act as if one Soul animated them both so Jonathan loved David even as his own Soul This is a strong union There is also a Relative union between Parents and Children so Jacob loved Benjamin so that it is said his Life was bound up in the Life of the Lad This is a stronger union than the former There is also a Marriage union between a Man and his Wife and this is a stronger union than either of the former Man and Wife making but one Flesh as the Scripture speaks But yet there is a union that is stronger and nearer than any of these Vnions and that is the Vnion between Soul and Body for these two make but one Person Now all dis-unions are uncomfortable and some dis-unions are dreadful and as some dis-unions are dreadful so those dis-unions are most dreadful which rend that from us that is nearest and dearest to us
at all for the Great Judge of Heaven and Earth before whom thou and I are now going to appear knows all these things that I have now told thee of to be true and will quickly undeceive thee whatever thy hopes are now and make thee know these things unto thy everlasting confusion unless out of the infinite Riches of his Grace and Mercy he give thee Repentance presently which thou canst have very little hopes of now at Death since thou didst not turn to him in thy Life Secondly Consider when thou comest to die thou wilt then have to do with God himself immediately It is true while we are here in the Body we have to do with God and all our Affairs whatsoever are transacted under his Eye and in his presence therefore we read in Heb. 4.13 That all things are naked and open unto the Eyes of that God with whom we have to do There is no Prayer we make no Sermon we hear no Holy Duty we perform no Mercy we enjoy no Affliction we lie under nor any Action we do in our whole lives but we have to do with God in it But when we come to die we have to do with God in another way and manner than what we have to do with him in this World here we have to do with God in Duties and Ordinances but it is in such a way as is becoming our present state of distance from him of which I may say as the Prophet doth in another case it is neither clear not dark insomuch that Faith it self hath much a-do sometimes to discover God unto the Soul and no wonder then if a Carnal Eye cannot discern him But when as the Wise Man speaks the Soul shall return to God that gave it the Soul then goes into the immediate Presence of God having to do with him in such an immediate way and manner that there is nothing in the Eye of the Soul to obscure or hinder the sight of the Divine Presence no vail of Flesh between God and it but naked Majesty and Glory discovers it self to the Soul with the rays of its own light which is so full of wonder and astonishment that we know not now how to conceive of it much less to express it And if a holy Prophet seeing but a Vision of God crys out Wo is me I am undone for I am a Man of unclean Lips and mine Eyes have seen the King the Lord of Host Isai 6.5 O how much more may it overwhelm a Soul when stripp'd of its Body to see not only a Vision of God but to see God himself as it were face to face But this is not all for the Soul is not by Death barely brought before the Great and Glorious God but it is brought before him to be judged to an Eternal State In this Life we come into the presence of God upon a Treaty of Peace between God and our Souls God is now in Christ reconciling Sinners unto himself and is willing not to impute their Sins and Trespasses unto them and if they will accept of his terms they may make Peace with him for he saith now unto Sinners let them take hold of my strength and so make Peace with me and they shall make Peace with me but if Sinners will not throw away the Weapons of their Rebellion out of their Hands I mean their Sins out of their Hearts whereby they fight against God but Death comes and strikes them dead with their Weapons in their Hands I mean in the embracements of their lusts God and they must treat after another manner not upon terms of Peace but upon terms of Judgment for away they go immediately after Death before God as a Judge the Spirit then returning unto God that gave it to receive a determinative sentence of Happiness or Misery for ever And who would not then be always prepared for the stroke of Death that carries the Soul into the presence of such a Judge who hath power to and who will determine its everlasting State Thirdly As a farther Argument to perswade Christians unto a preparation for Death Consider the misery of those who when Death comes upon them are unprovided for it And this I shall do in these following particulars briefly First An unprepared Sinner at Death loseth all his outward comforts and enjoyments In this Life it may be Providence did abound towards him with variety of outward enjoyments as Riches Relations Pleasures Profits and the like but Death is now come and hath swept away all of these things that were desirable It was a doleful expression of Ahraham unto the Rich Man in Hell Luke 16.25 Son remember thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things Oh what a cutting word was this to his Soul when he was passed into another World And will it not wound thy Soul as deeply O Sinner who hast not made thy Preparations for Eternity when thou comest to pass through the Valley of the Shadow of Death to consider thou hast received all thy good things already yea and having received them if thou couldst always live with them and keep them always with thee it might be something to thee but alas thou canst not for when Death comes it will turn thee out of all thy possessions and enjoyments when thou diest thou shalt take nothing in thy hand with thee of all thy labour as the Wise Man speaks Eccl. 5.15 The things of this World will not go one step with thee beyond this present Life and think O Sinner if thou canst what a doleful thing will it be for a poor Soul to be 〈◊〉 down naked upon the vast Ocean of Eternity having nothing to relieve and support it self with all its Riches and Treasures being left behind it in another World Secondly The Misery of an unprepared Sinner for Death appears in this that then he shall be deprived of all the Seasons and Opportunities of Grace It is no mean Mercy to thee O Sinner hadst thou a Heart to improve it that thou now enjoyest the Ordinances of Life and Salvation that thou hast the tenders of Mercy the entreaties of Ministers the motions of the Spirit invitations to come unto Christ leave and liberty to cast down thy self at the Feet of God and by Prayer and Supplication seek his Face and be as earnest and fervent as thou wilt or canst be for Mercy But let me tell thee at Death the door of Mercy will be for ever shut there will be no Praying or Preaching or Hearing in the Place whither thou art going no declaring this loving kindness of God in the Grave nor this faithfulness of his in Destruction Now the Ordinances of God though precious to others yet are they tedious and irksome unto thee the Church of God to thee is little better than a Prison the Sabbath-day is the longest day in the Week in thy Account thou wouldst fain be rid of it the Commands of Christ which to a Gracious Soul are
Conscience was then awakened under Horrors and Desperation If you have not others have and what hath been their dying words Oh that God would pardon their sins that he would Sanctifie and Save their Souls that he would spare them a little space that he would grant them a little time longer that they might recover their Strength that they might Repent of their Sins and Reform their Lives or else that he would graciously manifest his Love and Favour to their Souls and receive them to his Mercy This is the Language these are the Thoughts and Cares of Men upon a Sick bed when they see death coming near them and staring them in their Faces And if this were thy Case and Condition O Sinner that thou didst now lie tumbling and tossing upon a Sick-bed yea upon a Death-bed would not these things be in thy mind would not the same Thoughts and Cares possess thy Soul and the same words and discourses fall from thy Mouth why let the same Care the same Thoughts the same words take up some part of every day and hour of this Life now for thou knowest not but that this moment thou art as near death as if thy Friends and Relations yea and thy Physicians also despaired of thy life and had given thee over for dead O if we could thus spend every day as if it were our last we should then hardly be brought to the doing of any thing but what we would be willing death should find us doing and how exceedingly would this further our Preparations for a dying hour Sixthly He that would be in a readiness for a dying hour must frequently meditate of his own death and of the death of Christ To Meditate of our own death will make us Studious to prepare for it and to Meditate of the death of Christ will Arm us against the Fears of our own Deaths He that by frequent Meditations of his own death and of the death of Christ hath made death familiar to his Soul is not only prepared for death but in a great measure also freed from the fears of death As to the considering of our own death the Scripture is often in calling upon us to lay the thoughts of it to our hearts Oh that my People were wise says God that they understood this that they would consider their latter end And though a Man lives many years and rejoyces in them all yet let him remember the days of darkness for they shall be many Eccle. 11.8 By days of darkness we are to understand death or the State of death during the abode of our Bodies in the dark Grave or in the darkness of the Grave He that frequently ponders of his ways will at length be brought to turn his feet unto God's Testimonies as David speaks of himself So he that often thinks upon death will by the serious thoughts of it be stirred up to make some timely preparation for it this being the end to which the Contemplations of death doth tend This is that Wisdom which Solomon tells us the Living gain by going often to the House of Mourning even so to lay to heart the thoughts of death so as to make preparation for it It is sad that the Goodness and Mercy of God should occasion our forgetfulness of him and of our selves and yet it is commonly so with us When God lays his Afflicting hand upon us especially under some smart stroke we are then brought to seek God as the Prophet speaks In their Affliction they will seek me early There is some tendency in Afflictions to make us mindful of God and of our own Interest and Concerns which is the design God aims at in Afflicting us But when God is pleased to open his hand towards us as the Psalmist speaks and fill us with his Blessings then we are very prone to forget both him and our selves we forget God because when we are full we are ready to deny God and say who is the Lord and we forget our selves because we return not that Duty and Obedience which such Goodness and Mercy should engage us to And because the Streams of Mercy now run pleasantly about us we consider not how many the days of darkness are that will overtake us shortly but put far from us the thoughts of death and the Grave and this is the Reason why when death comes it finds us so unready and unprepared and we so troubled and discomposed in our Spirits and under so many fears and doubts as to our Spiritual and Eternal concerns Frequently therefore O Christian make thy private Retirements Commune with thy self alone visit Death and the Grave in thy thoughts take a walk now and then in the Valley of the Shadow of Death suffer not thy thoughts to be estranged from such Meditations If thou findest thy self shy and unwilling to engage in such a work yet bring thy heart to it inure thy self to the thoughts of Death in general and of thine own death in particular And that thou mayest not be afraid of it to the Meditation of thine own death joyn the Consideration of the death of Christ who hath Conquered death took away its Sting By dying he slew death was the death of death as it was Prophesied of him in Hosea 13.14 O Death I will be thy Plagues O Grave I will be thy Victory He now that by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is interested in his death may say when ever the time of his departure comes thanks be to God through Christ I am ready and prepared for it Muse therefore much upon the Death of Christ for herein lies thy support and comfort O Soul against thine own Death Seventhly He that would be prepared for death must labour for an assurance of a better life always living by Faith in the Contemplation of the Glory and Happiness of Heaven He that is assured of an Eternal Life in Heaven need not nay will not much fear a Temporal death here upon Earth Christians the time is coming when you and all things and persons in this World must take your leaves one of another and part for ever what then O Christian will bear up thy Spirit at such a time why nothing less than the sense and hopes of the love of God and of thy Interest in Christ some Evidences of a work of Grace upon thy Soul which is an earnest and foretaste of Heaven and Glory These are the only things that will bear up thy Soul in a dying hour When a Man hath attained to some well grounded Assurance of his Interest in God and Christ and thereby of his Right and Title unto Heaven then are things in a good posture with him and he in a readiness for Death and the Grave And how light will that Soul make of death that hath the assured hopes of Heaven and Glory to encourage him to go through it He that by Faith lives in the daily Contemplations of the Glory and Happiness of