be numbred sinner although thou know not the number the time that 's kept under Gods lock and key hee hath pleased to let thee know the sinfulness the cursedness the brevity the vanity and anxiety of thy life under a thousand dangers and maladies but not to know the computation of thy life except in the grosse that the days of a man are threescore and ten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it may be fourscore albeit not one of twenty attain to live so long v. 10. and if so yet then is their life but labour and sorrow Quest But why blessed Lord may the eternall soul say hast thou concealed this from us Ans That wee should every day wait the good pleasure of our God till our change come Job 14.14 Answ 2. That wee should every day be willing to hearken to the counsel of our good Lord to be prepared to die happily that every prayer we put up that every sermon wee hear should bee poured forth and hearkned unto as our last Ans 3. That every tender and opportunity of mercy bee entertained by us as our last as 't is for ought we know Ans 4. That without the least procrastination we should enter the narrow gate while 't is opened unto us and seek the Lord very humbly Is 55.6 Lu. 19.42 and cordially while he will be found of us that wee should know the things of our peace in the day thereof Ans 5. That we should in due season gratefully accept Jesus Christ's sweet love while he makes such ravishing applications to us Cant. 5.2 saying open to me my sister my love my dove mine undefiled one and come with me from Lebanon my Spouse come away dear heart from the dens of Lions and from the mountains of Leopards So that the Lord by his absconding and darkning deaths time from our eyes doth discipline a poor soul as he did the wise Virgins seasonably to getoyl and lamps our vessels full and lamps burning and to get our loins girt Exod. 12. Mat. 25.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 13.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our staves in our hands that wee ever shaking off all rusty bedrid-security may bee ever upon our watch being so much advised of death so near for ought we know which way soever we go or whatsoever we are about 2. Solidly Now to the solid preparation of which I am to speak before which I must needs promise a few things to awaken wretched sinners fearfully beguiled in so great a business as is our solid preparation 1. For it is lamentable to see how poor sinners do sin away pretious mercies and implunge themselvs into deaths gulf Ephes 2.2 and into the jaws of hells destruction living in sinful lusts being acted by a satanical spirit of disobedience until they be in the jaws of hungry death who devoureth them as the old world while they were eating and drinking rioting drowning and even damming themselves in the days of Noah or as a deaf and merciless Serjeant seizing on a gallant walking the streets in the pride of his heart but suddainly arrested and dragged violently to the Counter or some nasty prison Luk. 12.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so do great multitudes befool themselvs into deaths Counter never to be delivered till they have payd the utmost farthing which cā never be while they promise to themselvs through vain confidence long life and happy days and that all shall be well with them at the last though one foot is in the grave and they be ready to drop down as they go poor creatures who boast their faith so strong and their hope so well anchored Lu. 18.11.12 because somtimes they cry God mercy do confide in the formality of some duties and an empty profession of Religion void of the life of faith and of the power of godliness whom a deceived heart hath so long fed with ashes Isa 44.20 and their deluded souls with a lye in their right hand unto all whom I must say in the words of the Prophet O self-deceiver O self-destroyer the Lord hath rejected thy confidence Jer. 2.37 Mat. 7.23 nor shalt thou prosper in them for the Lord Christ will never own thee but will profess he never knew thee and say depart from me ye workers of iniquity 2. Others live to their dying hour in a state of unregeneracy unbelief hardness of heart Mat. 23.27 Ezek. 8.3.14.16 after the course of the world and keep an in-side as corrupt as the sepulchers of rottenness of which our Saviour spake as vile as that Image of jealousy or that idol Tammuz said to be that idol which their women did yearly lament with unseemly ceremonies not to be named or as those who worshipped the Sun Job 31.26 27 28. and had renounced God and his worship But O beguiled soul who hath so bewitched thee that thou dost dream that thou maist live a slave a vassall to base lusts within and to ungodliness without and that all thy days and be saved at last that thou maist live the life of the wicked Numb 13.10 yet dye the death of the righteous certainly these be men and women of no understanding he that made them will have no mercy on them Isa 27 11. and he that formed them will shew them no favour Did not the Ministers of Christ ordinarily tell thee what a self-deceiver thy heart was and what a deceiver sin was worse then the harlot and that the way of sinners Prov. 7. Deut. 29.19 would bee bitterness in the end and how unsafe nay how desperate it would be when a sinner dayly hearing these things blesse himself saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of mine own heart God sayes Isa 48.22 there 's no peace to the unregenerate soul no peace to the unbeliver to the stone-hearted sinner neither here nor hereafter But thou sayest I shall have peace Quest How shall this be tried I Answ When death comes the horrour trembling and astonishment of spirit which will more or lesse seize upon them shall pass the umpire but a sad one and that which is the beginning of endless and everlasting woes O reader be moved as I professe my self oft troubled within me to hear men and women boast like a Pharisie their faith hope and great expectation saying they shall dye in the arms of mercy because God made them and they have lived under and professed the Gospell have been taken and reputed good christians among men by these and other meerly externall works and insufficient grounds do they too too shallowly conclude that it must needs go wel with them at the last Joh. 3.3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Heb. 12.14 O let such lay to heart the word of him which shall stand Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven If any man bee in Christ
dye I must O my celestiall soul tho halt also great cause to curse thy wretched body for being so ill a servant to thee so pretious a piece of Gods creation in that thou art now affraid to depart at thy great Lords command As the parting of soul body is violent and very sad so more sable shall be their meeting at the resurrection when the sin-accusing conscience shal deliver up soul and body to the righteous judge of quick and dead Act. 10.42 when that judg shal deliver the guilty sinner and the law shall judge and bind him over to death eternall and to hell where the worm dyet not Esa 66.24 Mark 9.43.44 and the fire never goes out but must abide an eternity of weeping howling and gnashing of teeth Pretious Saint far otherwise and â—ull of blisse is the state of every blessed Simeons soul and body in the approach and very article of death when he shall sweetly sing or use this Prosopopoeia or words to the same effect Thou body of mine the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be with thee in thy departure in thy death and in thy grave for hee hath shut thine eyes and bound thy jaws and bid thee abide a while in peace bee thou content to sleep in death and to rest in hope on such a bed of roses for er'e long thy dust and clay shall live and thou shalt arise with Christ's blessed body Isa 26.19 thou that dwellest in the dust shalt awake sing for thy dew is as the dew of herbs the earth shal cast out the dead in her And thou my happy soul shalt return a glorified soul to be united for ever to thy incorruptible immortall and glorified body to be joined to the great Congregation in heaven where God Christ and the Spirit and all Angelicall natures shal for ever honour thee and all other glorified ones with that very glory which Christ Jesus had with the Father John 17. before the world was Suffer this exhortation then I beseech you to take hold on your hearts sweetly to submit to your all-wise God and Father even in every state and condition of life and death which I shal amplifie under these three heads 1. Of health 2. Of sickness 3. Of death 1. In our health and prime of our life whil'st green and flourishing like a bay tree must be an holy resignation of our selves into the hands of so good a God Eccl. 12.1 1 Chron. 28. betimes wee must remember our Creator in the days of our youth then we must learn to know the Lord God of our fathers as good David gives in counsell to his young son Solomon and this submission must bee a totall resigning of soul and body to the Lord a lesson not taught in any school below heaven none of the Moralists none of the Philosophers could attain it being onely found in the school of grace which among other things doth teach Psal 34.9 10. Mat. 28. 20. 2 Cor. 12.9 Isai 41.10 Isai 33.16 that no good thing shall be wanting unto such and that bee our condition never so strait yet God and Christ are with us and his grace shall be sufficient for us he will uphold us and help us with the right hand of his righteousness and our amunition is made of rocks in pregnable round about us Isai 27.9 and lastly God will so order all his good providences for us that they shall all work together for our good as Israel's pressures in Egypt Joseph's casting into the pit and twice selling to bee a slave as the rod of Ashur and the furnace of Babylon Now in thy submission to the good pleasure of thy heavenly Father thou must not be over hasty after fruition but with an holy patience must possesse thy soul during thy stay in this world for as thou so those fore-named promises have their set determinations by an unchangeable decree as Noah's time in the Ark Gen. 8. Job 14.14 and Job waits his appointed time all his days and so did Simeon here in the text 2. In sickness wee must submit to the Lord's visitation and say Lord it is thy hand and thy holy wil be done in me upon me I wil use the Physitian a good ordinance of thine but I will recumb in thee alone I will honour the Physitian for my necessity but I do commend my self to thy all-wise dispose who if thou shalt please to add to my days and to piece out my frail life a little longer I will by the assistance of thy grace indeavour to live and to be an instrument of thy praise but shalt thou see it good to end my pilgrimage and to take me home Oh that 's best I will sing Hallelujahs to thee for ever But by the way consider the poor and the Lord will strengthen thee upon the bed of languishing Psal 41.1.3 10. and will make all thy bed in thy sickness and bee mercifull to thee and raise thee and requite thee men may visit thee deceitfully flatteringly speaking good words unto thee and whispering evill in their own bosom and say when shal he dye v. 5. v. 8. and his name perish an evil disease say they cleaveth fast to him and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more but the Lord shall visit thee upon the bed of sickness with a visit speaking pardon of sin peace of conscience thy reconciliation to himself with joy in the holy Ghost even joy unspeakable and full of glory Giving to the poor though it be thy duty Pro. 19.17 yet it is called a lending to the Lord who will repay it with more consideration then the principal it self Thou puttest thine almes into the poor mans hand and the Lord makes thee payment ten thousand-fold into thy heart and soul But least I be thought to digresse this sick man or woman must submit patiently readily unto the gracious hand of the all-wise Lord God and that in the name and worthinesse of his sweet saviour Jesus Christ devoutly praying as David did in the words of faith Psal 71.1 In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion Deliver me in thy righteousness Correct me not in thine anger O Lord nor rebuke me not in thine indignatioÌ„ Jer. 10.24 Psal 6.2 heal me O Lord for my bones are vexed Psal 22.11 Bee not far from me for trouble is nigh at hand lay no more on me then thou shalt give me strength to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 Cast me not away when my strengh faileth mee and so will the Lord answer Because he hath set his love upon me Psal 71.9 therefore will I deliver him I will be with him in trouble Psal 91.14.15.16 I will deliver him and honour him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation And for thy comfort know who hast a mansion with God that thy God
hoc loco constituto templo novo claritas splendor absque nube refulget patres omnes sub nube suerunt omnes in mosen baptizati sunt nube sed jam quia revelationis tempus absque nube in facie Christi gloriam dei contemplamur nunc non inter Cherubim lux est sed illucescit resulgiet ipsa quoque terra a gloria Dei quemad modum terrena Credentium corda incomprehensibili lumine gratiae adimplentur aeterno templo dedicato haec terra in Adamo maledicta est tribulos gignit faedissimis enim cogitationibus discerpitur cor hominis intranti in novum hoc templum suum gloriae Dei perlustris eadem efficitur nos enim pridem peccatores regenuit in spem vivam Ecolamp Mag. Basiliensis Episc in Ezek. 43. and with his faith about the veracitie of that promise and about his Lord Christ wrapped up in the promise for his use mean while doth the Lord bring in Christ himself in person who was the soul and marrow of the promise and so his believing soul was even here gratified with a blessed vision whereof more fully in that which followeth namely Simeons delight Simeon sight and desire I shall amplifie this truth by two necessary questions Q. Quest 1. What this so working sight is Q. Quest 2. What this desire is A. Answ To the first I answer that after a sinner hath taken some good notice of his miserable self out of Christ Eph. 2.12 out of Covenant a stranger to the Common wealth of Israel without God and in a miserable pickle confounded in himself as Ephraim much afflicted and greatly humbled before the Lord. Jer. 31.19 I say after such a sight of himself when a wretched sinner comes to see Christ in the gospell as in a christall glass chosen of God and the beloved Son of God 2 Cor. 5.19 in and by whose mediation God did reconcile himself to the world And when a sinner comes to see himself in his Christ as his Christ as one in whom hee he hath a speciall interest and propriety as blessed Thomas did see Christ when he cryed out my God and my Lord and when thou comest to see him who hath made thy peace with his Father by his most pretious blood upon his Crosse And to see him who hath procured thy justification thy adoption and purchased his Fathers everlasting love for thee and hath given thee to be an heire of Heaven a coheire with himselfe and provided rich mansions of endless glory Such seeing Liking must needs breed likeing such will breed desires longing even to be sick of love after the fuller enjoyment of him who is the Author and finisher of thy salvation It is to see the Lord Christ A. 2 cloathed in our nature for us and to see him in both natures our mediator and advocate with the Father to see him our King our Priest our Prophet mightily enabled to carry on and to compleat the work of our redemption to the uttermost it is to see him who as he was promised by all the Prophets to come into the world Act. 10.43 so I see him come indeed to make satisfaction to divine justice for me to pay my debt and to set open heavens doors to me and to pave for me a new and living way to go to God by him Heb. 7.25 A. 3. It is to see my gratious Lord reaching out both his armes of his love to receive me into the blessed bosome and tendering the pretious self to be made of God to my soul wisdom righteousness 1. Cor. 1.30 sanctification redēption to see him my joy life the life of my life the soul of my soul my crown and glory to see him owning me to be his beloved spouse dying for me respecting more my spirituall life then his own naturall life and he dyed once that I should live for ever it is to see him who chose to be accursed that I might be blessed who was content to be condemned as a vile malefactor that I might be acquitted justified and saved It is to see him who suffered the torments of hell for me that I might for ever enjoy the glory of heaven Think now blessed soul hadst thou been in Simeons case place whether thou wouldest not have said and sung as Simeon did Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2. Question What this desire is Desire is the wing of the soul 1. a strong desire Pher. whereby it moveth towards some good where it loveth to feed it self and to be satisfied with the thing desired Job 39.29 as the Eagle lookes on the pray afar off the Eagle is sharp-sighted to discover the pray swift of wings to hasten to it armed with strength to seize upon it so our desires according to our apprehension of the objects goodness does convocate all the powers and faculties of the soul to promote and procure the good beloved and desired as in the text Simeons love and desire is fixed upon Christ the best good in heaven and earth 2. Hag. 7. and therefore is called the desire of all Nations Well might Simeon desire what he did for as it is said of a Roman Emperor neminem unquam dimisit tristem So the Lord Christ never sent any longing Simeon away empty who comes to him as Simeon did sub ratione boni jucundi to finde enough in Christ to fill up all desires and all the vacuities in the soul Nothing comparable to Christ thought Simeon Exod. 33. nothing but Christ said the blessed Martyr nothing but thy glory said Moses shew me thy glory like Anselms bird tied to the ground with a string and ascending to the length of the thread raising her selfe and flying upwards Oh! so is my soul said he sighing groaning and desiring to depart to be with Christ as Paul to see the Lords salvation as Simeon This desire is a restless desire of a poor weary heavy laden soul A restless desire very low in a vale of misery and valley of teares exiled from her native soile where troubles and griefs croud in like Jobes messengers as the waves of the Sea Rom. 7.24 one at the heels of another Which made the Apostle to aske who shall deliver me from the body of this death The consideration of which made an Heathen to say to his Schollers that if it were offered which Sr Robert Harley said oft in his old age him to be young again he would not accept such an offer so troublesome did he count this present condition to be But the pretious servants of the Lord have more cause to desire death for that they do live under a better hope and do see their celestial soules under the miserable captivity of sin and satanicall thraldome combating continually with the lusts of the
perswade us that death is an end to such of all their troubles when as 't is most certain that death is the beginning of woes and their entrance into eternall death Observe that Satan would have us dye when we are most unfit to die But O distressed soul know that Gods method is repent and die believe and die pray and die be renewed in thy heart and life and die be sure of thy Salvation as Simeon and then be willing to die get Christ into thy soul and then die Job 2.9 which a godly man would have controverted and not said curse God and die but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blesse God and live not curse God and die I conclude my answere it 's not lawfull to wish for death absolutely but with an holy submission unto our Lord's will To wish for death because we are troubled grieved imprisoned aflicted is an ungodly wish for God hath much work for his Servants to do in their aflictions as well as in their consolations We must glorifie God in our sickness in bonds imprisonments persecutions and fiery trials and this we must strive to do and not presently wish to die and leave our worke this made Simeon keep well to his conditions To die God's Servant To die in peace To die according to the Word but upon other tearms Simeon may not Simeon did not desire to die The second Corallary Very terrible are the thoughts of death to wicked men who under such as their apprehensions are cannot be willing to dye dreadfull are the commemorations of their God-opposing grace-dispising mercy-refusing spirit-quenching life with a thousand abominations charged on them by their own consciences Oh! 1 Thes 5.19 these be daggers at such a ones heart begun even here to be gnawed upon Esa 66.24 Mark 9.44 45 46 47 48. Jude 15.1 The sting of a sin-awakened conscience will not let them be willing to dye by the worme that never dies Poor soul how canst thou desire to die whom such works do follow Oh the sting of a sin-awakened soul is inexorable every word of the tongue is ready to sound out damnation damnation and every colour which the fancy presents is sable even as black as hell 2 The fear of an approaching judgment Heb. 9.27 Wretched sinner how canst thou desire to die who knowst of an approaching judgment after death to be managed by that just and powerfull Judge whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sun Rev. 1.14 Rev. 2.18 Rev. 19.12 to manifest before the world of men and Angels all thy sinfull thoughts idle and wicked words an account for every talent with all unrighteous actions whensoever wheresoever or howsoever committed against God men or thy self Nor is this all but this righteous Lord God must and will have an exact account of Adam's transgression Coll. 3.10 of the depravednes of thy degenerate nature which was originally dignified with God's own Image and moreover Mat. 25.15 to 29. thou must be accountant for every talent in those three great farmes viz the farme of nature the farme of the world the farme of the Gospell how thou hast received in these talents how thou hast laid them out Luk. 16.2 and what good improvement thou hast made to the glory of thy Lord. Oh! how wilt thou who hast been so unprofitable a seruant once dare to desire death in order unto their appearance before the great God of heaven and earth If Pauls preaching of righteousnesse and judgment to come before Felix did beget such trembling how is it possible thou canst desire to die especially whiles thou art to come before so impartiall a Judge who cannot 4. The thoughts of an impartiall Judge who will not be blinde frighted or corrupted nor varie one silable from the exactest Justice to retribute to every one according to that he hath done 2 Cor 3.10 in the flesh whether it be good or evill Impenitent sinner Ps 1.5 this Judge hath said the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment since thou foreknowest thy miscariages before that impartiall judge it is not possible that thou canst desire to die The consideration of being friendles 5. The thoughts of being Christless and friendles at that day graceles and Christles at that great and notable day and before the barr of that majestical tribunal without an advocate when gvilty conscience shall most hideously cry out Just Oh Lord is all thy charge against me Oh what will become of my poor soul who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness Jude 4. who despised Jesus Christ coming to save me Mat. 22.3.9 Cant. 5.1 Oh what shal I now do who was so sweetly invited to the feast of grace to eat of those delicates which mercy would have set before me Job 8.13 Job 6.19.20 Isa 6.5 How can I desire to breath out mine anxious soul when all my hopes shal perish nor know I what wil becom of her Rev. 6.16.17 Wo is me wo is me I am undon for even he the Lord Jesus Christ whom I have so provoked is now my Judg inexorable Mountaines fal on me hils cover me hide me from the angry presence of such a vengeance-taking Majesty Yet mountains will not do it nor can hils cover me astonished as I am what shall I do which way shall I look Ma◠15.22 then happily the soul may think to say Lord Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me v. 23. Pro. 21.13 Phil. 2.7.8 but neither will that serve my turn for he will say who art thou that criest after me sinner sinner 't is now too late time was Zach. 7.13 Esa 58.1 Esa 65.12 Luke 19.41 I came to thee in my condescending mercy time was I cryed unto thee lifting up my voice like a trumpet time was I wept over thee bemoaning and bewailing thy misery I stood long at the door of thy heart and thine ears saying open Cant. 5.2 Cant. 2.10 open to me wretched sinner nay I called thee my love my dove my spouse Yea I stood knocking till my head was wet with the dew and my locks with the dropping of the night but as thou wouldst none of me then Mar. 7.23 Rev. 2.21 Mat. 8.12 Luk. 13.18 so neither may I know thee depart from me thou wouldst not weep nor mourn nor repent in the time thereof therefore now thy portion is weeping howling gnashing of the teeth Oh! this shall cut thee to the very heart to see Abraham Isaac and Jacob received into the Kingdome of God and thy self cast out to see those whom thou cursedst saved and those whom thou abhorredst glorified Thou who wast ashamed of Christ Mar. 8.38 and of his word the son of man shall be also ashamed of thee when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels The delivery up of such condemned ones to Satan Then also consider the delivery
fear death nor to avoid it's snares for death of it self is not good nor is it naturall to us but cruell and horrible but basely to fear death rather then to glorifie the name of God in our sufferings this is a great sin to bee afraid to dye after an evill life and out of Christ to such death is the terrible of terribles such cannot bee well willing to dye but when God shall in the way of his good providence call us to dye either by a naturall death or to seal unto his truth under persecution to dye a violent death then we may welcome death and the instruments of death as Historians say Saint Andrew did Salve crux pretiosa susci pe nunc Discipulum cúm priùs sustinueris Magistrum Thus M. John Philpot embraced the stake in Smithfield who with a gladsome Spirit said I kindly salute thee precious cross be content to bear me the Disciple who hast formerly born my Master every Simeon is carried above the apprehensions of naturall and morall men in death and hath very grand considerations neither basely nor sinfully to fear death and therefore subscribes unto her with heart and hand Answ 2. The fear of death in the Saints and the fear of death in others are very diverse the one is acted by sinfull-self whom such an one seeks to preserve for fear of greater wrath the other is acted by gracious self who seeks to know the minde of God in his death to subscribe to it and to serve divine providence as in life so in death whom if the Lord shal recover or deliver he gives himself to God again if the Lord hath determined death shall take place hee resigns up soul and body with an holy contentment Mat. 26.39 under the good pleasure of his heavenly Father Let Pagans and Infidels who never believed who never feared God fear to dye or despair in death because they dye without hope Eph. 2.12 Collos 1.20.21 Eph. 1.10 because they have no faith nor do lay hold on that reconciliation which Jesus Christ hath made between the Lord and gracious souls but let Christians rejoice and be glad ever giving thanks unto the Father of mercies Col. 1.1.2 who hath made them meet to be pertakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Which inherirance for scituation is the Empyrean heaven far above all heavens where is Christ himself to entertain and glorifie all those who sleep in him where is nothing but glory for all such poor souls dying in the Lord as the King of Glory to be with all vessels of glory to accompany us thrones of glory to sit on an eternal wait of eternal glory 2 Pet. 2.1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An enterance shall be administred to you abundantly or according to the originall richly Phil. 1.23 to put on crowns of glory to wear a kingdō of glory to possess here the soul of the departing one cries out in a blessed ecstasie I have enough blessed Lord I come I come having so abundant an entrance made for me into celestiall triumphs blessed be God who hath made me thus willing desirous rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord where I am assured to find peace without intermission or perturbation health without sickness plenty without want wealth without poverty and everlasting life without death Of which holy City said Austin when shall I come into thy golden streets when shall I see and enjoy the heavenly society of blessed souls and that glorious Jubilee Fain I would come to fruition but Oh how am I detain'd anon will death come behold she stands at the door and knocks bid her come in that I may bid her welcome to whom I am ready to answer as Rebekah did Gen. 24. to her old near and dear relations who were so loath to part with her I will go with the man so say I even withlong-looked-for death my harbinger and friend Oh death I willingly go along with thee whom my Lord hath made so necessary and serviceable to me in my happy translation Acts 10. for me thinks I see Heaven open as Peter in his vision and the son of man like as Stephen did see him standing at the right hand of God Oh my soul thou art in a rapture divine to contemplate the things in heaven which are so unspeakable and ful of glory True I shall in death be taken from my deerest friends but let not that retard my souls willingnesse to dye for it s not improbable but I may know my gracious friends in heaven since our divine knowledg there shall not be diminished but enlarged hence some conclude we shall joyfully know the Patriachs and Apostles of our Lord and this seems the more rationall because Peter and James Mat. 17.13 and John at the transfiguration knew Moses and Elias whom they knew not before so shall the sun of righteousness irradiate the Saints with the celestiall beams of his transcendent glory The last thing in our submission in the point of death is to shut our own eyes and to bind up our own jawes when the departing soul utters her last words blessing God for that land of promise which like Moses shee sees at a distance Deut. 34.4 Jos 23.6 8 11.14 so Joshua about to dye shuts his own eyes exhorting the people to fear and serve the Lord so did Stephen who calling on the name of the Lord fell asleep so did Simeon gathered up disposed and prepapared himself most sweetly singing Lord now lettest thou c. Our blessed Saviour doth as it were shut up his own eyes and bind up his jaws in that he sweetly submitted himself to the hand of death saying Lu. 23.45 Father into thy hands I do commend my spirit and so do all wel prepared souls take care to dye under an holy resignation of their bodies to the grave for a time of their departing souls into the hands and bosom of Jesus Christ who is our Reuben to take care of our Benjamin that is Gen. 42.37 of our immortall souls to convey them safely unto our Fathers house Thus of the third Exhortation which is wisely to submit unto the Lord God in every estate in our health in our sickness in the approaches of death and and at the point of death 4. Exhortation 4. Exhort To friends not to grieve over-much at their departure who dye in the Lord. It is lawful commendable it is just and honorable to have sad thoughts at the losse of such friends If the very Egyptians mourned for old Jacob seventy days that with a great sore lamentation Gen. 53. 1 Sam. 15.35 2 Sam. 13.37 2 Chro. 35.24 if Samuell mourned for Saul and David shall not we much more mourn when the Saints are taken from us All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah Surely then it is not onely naturall and morall but it is religious
dy Ibid. 4 Hee lades them with sweet apprehensions of infinite love 133 How to entertain the approach of death 134 And death it self in the article of death 135 136. Whether it be sinfull to fear death 137 Ans Not simply unlawfull 138 Basely to fear death a sin 138 Who lead an evill life must needs fear death Ibid The Saints fear death and others but from divers principles 139 It 's not improbable but we maâ— enjoy relations after death 142 How to shut up our own eyes and bind up our own jaws in death 143 4 Exhortation Let not friends grieve over-much for them that dye in the Lord. 144 Friends may weep a while but not too long ibid. 145 Friends may use laudable ceremonies about the dead 146. Friends may be at cost with the dead ibid. 147. Friends may keep sad mourning seats Ibid. Rules of advice to living Friends 1. To mourn with moderation 149. 150. 2. With timely pacification 151 152 153. 3. To be satisfied with the goodness of God yet continued to thee who survivest 154. 4. To be comforted again 156. 5. Our mourning not without a good mixture of joy 158 159. 6. Labour an holys acquiescence in the al-suffiency of thy Lord God 180 161 162 163. Imprimatur EDMUND CALAMY The Author's Letter to Sir ROBERT HARLEY about the beginning of his long sickness Honorable Sir AS I do much bless God for the Religious stedfastness in such vertiginous times when so many reeds have been shaken with every wind so I am confident you will ever bless God for that your house was built upon the Rock and for the excellencies of Christ and of his attractive loves to your soul who made you sick of love after the more full injoyment of him who is a head of fine gold and a Cluster of Camphere the Lord your righteousness the chief of ten thousand who hath invited you to repentance unto life and to more daily communion with his excellency Pardon my boldness Gracious SIR possibly God will use my little Talent to warm your heart with the shining love of Jesus Christ so peerless so sweet so chast so full so unchageable so adequate and magneticall in all his Mediatoriall works upon your soul I say upon your soul so miraculously saved by the Lord and pulled out of the suburbs of Hell so unexpectedly so undeservedly so freely in the day of your souls first love espousall to his blessed self Time was Noble SIR that your Honour walked in the way of your own heart bathed and rolled in a worldly Paradise of princely favour when your thoughts were too much I presume taken up about additionalls with which to enamell your present state with worldly contentments whose emptiness together with your Christlesseness the God and Father of all your mercies discovered in his own time to that your pretious soul and withall did let down some beams and glimpses of the unum necessarium more necessary then to be born to live to be fed and clad I mean Jesus Christ and him crucified when heavens infinite mercy caused the day to break and the shadows to flye away presently upon which you must confess with godly Junius statim mihi alio facies apparuit when you then heard with other ears understood with another intellect saw with other eyes spake another language and with a new tongue read the Scripture with another spirit and understood with another sense and understanding yea and acted by other principles then before old things then vanished away all things became new But how I answer by that power of God that exceeding greatness of power which raised Christ from the dead and set him at the right hand of God SIR thus you came to know Jesus Christ and him Crucified which is above all knowledge especially to know our selves to be Crucified with him Oh! that is wisedom indeed and knowledge most transendently excellent for it will make a man wise to salvatioÌ„ Besides thus to know Christ and thus to know him for our selves is of most excellent use to us at present since it is not onely an informing and speculative knowledge but a conforming and reforming a practicall and operative knowledge which works mightily on the unregenerate part perswading that also by degrees to bee Crucified with Christ and to live more intirely by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us Pretious soul this life by faith is life indeed the present life naturall is a death to this life but the believers spirituall life that is a life purchased at the dearest rate viz. by the most unvaluable blood of Christ It 's to live in God the Father spiritually to live in Jesus Christ by the mysticall union and by the sanctifying Spirit of God breathing this life into dead souls and quickening our dead dry bones enabling impowering us to cry Abba Father by the Spirit of his Son and loosing the tyed tongue to say from our own particular interest O Lamb of God which takest away my sins all my sins the sins of all my liâ—e nay all my other mens sins all the sins of my vile nature nay my sins of the first Adam and all this blessed Jesus as freely as ever the rain did fall or the Sun did shine never to impute any one of them to me but acquitting and absolving thy poor creature meerly for thy mercies sake to justifie me for ever before the eyes of thy glory nor is this all O Father of mercies says the pardoned soul but thou dost also richly engratiate thy poor servant to be the beloved Spouse of thy dearest Son and to confer that grace of Adoption to bring me nigh to thy self by the blood of Christ yea to confer sanctification on mee that I might also partake of thy divine nature of a Briar to make me a sweet Rose of a Lyon a Lamb of most deformed defiled abominable within and without to make mee lovely comely fair as the Moon beautifull as the Sun so to take me into thy most holy Covenant with thy self and to give me a propriety in all things in heaven and earth Thus life is mine and death is mine the world is mine things present and things to come all is mine I am Christ's and Christ is Gods a very strange Paradox a very large Inventory yet no larger then the New Covenant in which God hath said I will be your God and you shall be my people that 's proof enough for qui habent habentem omnia habent omnia here is a Bee-hive of the sweetest honey much beloved in the Lord before your the effectuall calling like the wandring Bee your honour went from flower to flower from one tree to another and found but little sweetness if any at all and what ever it was you were content to forsake that too for Christ but then you said as Jacob in another case I have enough my son Joseph is yet alive
a religious respect We may illustrate the point by these following considerations only first observe that we are not delivered from the necessity of dying naturally no Heb. 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that statute must stand that all must be subject to the necessity of dying believers and unbelievers nor are any delivered from subjection to sickness and diseases nor scarce any from pains at the hour of death nor from seperation of soul and body but all Simeons deaths be comfortable in these respects 1. The sting of sin is death a poysonfull sting but Jesus Christ on his Cross did take away this sting of death he disenabled death to hurt his redeemed ones nay our Lord did insult over death Hosea 13.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying by his Prophet I wil redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O O grave I will be thy destruction and by his Apostle O death where is thy sting c. insomuch as death is now made the Saints friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who before through fear of death were all their life subject unto bondage 2. As our Lord hath delivered us from the sting and fear Heb. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so also from the curse of death by which our death had been a dreadfull inlet and passage to the second death nay he hath delivered us from the curse of sickness pain and mortality c. like that meal cast into the pot of bitter pottage 2 King 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the sons of the Prophets cryed out Death in the pot Death in the pot Rom. 8. so doth Jesus Christ heal and sanctifie our very trouble and afflictions that they shall do us more good and work together for the best to us viz. to bring down the tympany pricke the bladder of pride to crucifie or quench our lusts to cool our rash anger and raging passion to unmask our hypocrisie and generally to beat down the body of our corruptions and to help us to put off the old man more and more which as the Apostle and Saints do more lay to heart so they do more earnestly groan to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven 2 Cor. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. By death the Saints be delivered from the dominion of death which was very high and imperious and did extend to the souls as well as the bodies of men Now the satisfaction of Christ which he made to divine justice and the redundancy of his merits dayly presented to his Father have prevailed to cut deaths dominion short and to loose the bands of death from off us as easily as Sampson did loose the green cords wherewith he had been bound But why then be the Saints of God punished at all with a temporall death Ob. Death is not properly a punishment An. nor inflicted by the Lord in wrath First for that in the forgiveness of sin wrath is quite taken away and God blots out their transgressions for his name sake Secondly death is turned into a blessing by the hand-worke of Jesus Christ opening a new and living way unto that rest which remaineth to the people of God Heb. 4.9 Ps 116.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretiosa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi bono habilis Thirdly pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Death is compared to a common gate in a city castle or garison at which the prisoner enters as the way unto his dungeon but the friends honour'd ones albeit they come in at the same gate do obteine princely and noble entertainment so death is common to all godly and ungodly to the one it is a door of entrance into life to the other a door of entrance into eternall death Q. Why do any truly godly ones fear deaths since it is so friendly to them A. Because some of God's pretious ones have through abundance of naturall fear many and strong misgivings of heart yet do much expostulate with themselves about it saying Why art thou cast down Oh my soul Psa 42.5.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are thou so disquieted within me trust still in God c. Some of Gods dearest servants have very strong apprehensions of death and the circumstances there-about and but low and weak apprehensions of Jesus Christ and so their eyes be too much fixed on their outward things which they leave behind them and two little on their Father into whose hands they should commend themselves and all that they call theirs and too little on Jesus Christ at the right hand of God for them and lastly too little on those masions of glory which the Lord Jesus hath prepared for them to each of whom our Lord may say as to Peter why art thou fearfull Mat. 14.31 O thou of little faith Come give me thy hand come rely depend and believe more strongly and thou shalt not fear to tread on the sinking waters of death Little faith breeds great feares May not a wicked man desire to die Q. 2 Yes but not as a wicked man A. but as a discontent and so the godly and wicked may both have desires to die For the godly Elias a gratious servant of God sick of great impatience sits him down under a juniper tree 1 Kings 19.4 and saith it 's enough Oh Lord take away my life for I am no better then my Fathers So good Jeremiah curseth his birth-day Jer. 20.14 and repents him that ever he lived or had been preserved to be then alive 2. A wicked man also though not as such anone but in some desperate condition may be willing to die as wicked Saul 1. Sa. 31.4 ashamed to live and astonished to think of his reproach spake to one 2 Sa. 17.23 and another to kill him So Ahitophell wearie of his life went home set his house not his soul in order Mat. 27.35 and hanged himself So Judas his horrible guilt forced him out of his wicked life So some notorious malefactours have laid violent hands in prisons and else where on themselves rather then live longer to be made examples and monuments of publique shame But these wretches be acted much by Satan himself or by his instruments as when Job's wife comes to her husband with Job 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedictiones Dia holi sunt maledictiones curse God and die What ever Job's wife was otherwise I 'le not insist but sure I am now she was an instrument of Satan Where by the way observe That Satan is restless to bring the deare Servants of God to think and speak evill of him in their extremities Satan will perswade us to ease our selves mitigate our grievances by evill meanes saying sin and die curse God and die Observe he sometimes suggests that it is not sinful to seek or wish ones owne death He would
up for thee so vile a wretch I say didst think it was halfe true which was told thee of the desirablenes and excellency of Jesus Christ to all believers in and after their blessed change Loe now what ever discovery here hath been made all the tongues of men and Angels are not able to reveile the hundredth part of thy beatificall fruition in the bosome of glory who dost depart this fraile life in the true relation of a dear Servant of God who dyest in that blessed peace according to the Word of God Thus much of this sweet consolalation Which divides it self into six particulars 1. That Death is spoiled of it's power to hurt us and of a conquered foe is made a friend 2. Saints cannot miscarry in their death because Christ is with them 3. All the godly have the first fruits of glory in hand 4. The saints honour glory and immortality is already prepared and reserved for them in heaven 5 Death is an haven after a storm a rest to all laborious saints a sure hiding place and sanctuary to soul and body 6. The saints promised and hoped for happiness coms sure at last Which happiness hath been amplified 1. In the matter blessedness in God enjoyed 2. In the manner the beholding of Gods face Next followeth the exhortation which is four-fold 1. To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon 2. To prepare for an happy death Solidly Timely 3. To submit to God's dispose in life or death 4. Not to mourn overmuch for them that dye in the Lord. 1 Exhortation Let all gracious Simeons be truly thankful for their sight of Christ with any glimpse of true faith Mal. 4.2 this is Oculata fides or faith illightned with a beam of the Sun of righteousnesse holding forth glorious things laid up in store for the admirers of Jesus Christ for all those whom he hath drawn near unto himself with the sweet honey-combs of his matchless love Cant. 1.4 Cant. 4.10 and with the sweet savour of his costly oyntments and with that untold unvaluable mine of evangelicall grace Look on blessed Saint fix thine eyes upon that Covenant-goodness into which thy poor soul is admitted and be thankfull which Covenant was the birth and product of God the Fathers everlasting love and mercy to all his seeing Simeons Deut. 7.7 the Legacy of free grace of the Father Son and Holy Ghost richly enamelled with royall priviledges and most gracious promises comprehending all those jura regalia of the remission of sin Rom. 9.4.5 of justification before God of adoption and son-ship And by the way observ that Remission of sin which Christ did bleed out for thee who scarce ever didst bleed out a tear for him 't is a choice mercy bestowed on none Rom. 11.23 but such as are vessels of mercy viz. Gods pretious people those blessed ones whom God makes the objects of blessedness Exo. 34.6.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and proclaims himself in his glory as to Moses the Lord the Lord God mercifull c. and shall not such be thankfull Believing Simeon faith doth as it were antidate thy happiness and make things to come as if they were present and as one sayes substantiates things not yet seen and appropiate them to thy self Ps 60.7 as Gilead is mine Manasseh is mine These places were not then conquered but God had spoken in his holinesse and that was assured to Davids soul hee had made a sure Promise Psa â—32 7 Isai 55.3 Acts 2.30 Covenant and Oath to David and so a believer may say heaven is mine heaven is mine God and Christ everlasting glory is mine Faith looks on the promise as fulfilled already and put into its hand in the full assurance of it and after a sort into perfect enjoyment as when the Spirit brought Ezekiel in the visions of God to Jerusalem Ezec. 1.1 his body was commorant in Babilon's captivity by the river Chebar even then his spirit is said to be in Jerusalem for his spirit did lift him up between heaven and earth Ezec. 8.3 and brought him in those visions to Jerusalem The soul may be in sweet communion with God in heaven when the body may be in the earth Every Simeon's soul is in a sense in heaven already sweetly solaced in the beatificall Vision Mat. 5.8 Rev. 15.3 Rev. 2.17 Rev. 22.1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. â— 9 and singing the song of Moses and the Lamb tasting the heavenly Manna and bathing her self in those rivers of pleasure which the Lord hath put within Christ's purchase and prepared for them that love him to which our blessed Lord doth point as a means of this enjoyment Mat. 6.21 Lay up your treasure in heaven for where your treasure is there will also your heart be A Simeon may be below Col. 3.2 and yet his affections above as Paul doth exhort set your affections on things above and not on things beneath so that a gracious soul is under a double consideration of earth and of heaven whose mind is not said to be where he is but where he likes and loves best and therefore have some of the Ancients wont to say that even here below the soul fetcheth many a flight to heaven with those dove-like wings of silver Psal 68.13 and those feathers of yellow gold in the Psalm 68.13 to see the God of Glory to speak with Jesus Christ at Gods right hand to present her petitions by her gracious Advocate and Mediatour at heavens Throne in expectation of a most gracious answer Again the soul flies up to heaven to visit those innumerable Angels and to contemplate the Patriarks and Prophets happiness to admire the Apostles honour to congratulate all the Assemblies of the first born and to salute the spirits of just men made perfect Rev. 4.1 this Saint John saw a door in heaven opened and he heard a voyce as it were of a trumpet talking with him which said come up hither and immediatly he was in the Spirit and behold a Throne was set in heaven and one sate on the Throne whence the Prophet John by a call from heaven coms up but how not Corporally but Spiritually then the Spirit lifted up the good man in sweet meditation and most holy affection as Simeon here whose gladded and thankfull heart breathed out this Song in the text Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. Then O believer put on thy white robes of holiness Rev. 7. â— 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s but a little while when with Elijah thou shalt ascend joyfully when those earthly raggs shall fall off and thy Christ shall cloath thee over with his bright garment of Glory bear up then blessed Saint rejoice and be thankful in hope of the glory of God it 's a duty becoming thee to be thankfull Rom. 5.2 See what argument Christ useth to raise up the drooping hearts of his
dejected Disciples Lu. 24.17 What manner of communications are these while you walk and are sad Joh. 17. What are you so sad are you not advised that I must depart and glorifie my Father Joh. 14.3 and that when you go hence I must and will prepare mansions of glory for you do not you consider what I am to you and what you are to me whom I have so and so honoured already and am in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and that you shall shortly in three days expect my Resurrection from the dead Mat. 16.21 1 Cor. 15.20 Joh. 14.1 an assured evidence of your Resurrection you my beloved Disciples be not troubled at my death and departure Judg. 8.2 nor at your own but praise and give thanks for certainly the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim which you enjoy are infinitely better then all the vintage of Abiezer the earnest and first fruits which even now you live spiritually upon Eccle. 1.2 chap. 12.8 do excell and transcend all the glory and vanity of things sublunar or below 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. and before in Deut. 7.7 And indeed my beloved Disciples consider what moved me and my Father to own you rather then others so undeservedly when wee passed by so many of the great men and nobles of the world to make you vessels of honour and to give you an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Rom. 9.21 2 Tim. 2.21 1 Pet. 1.4 What am I said David and my Fathers house that I should be son in law to a King 1 Sam. 18.18 whence was it that the mother of my Lord should com unto me Luk. 1.43 sayd Elisabeth to the Virgin Mary Great was the joy in the hearts of the four lepers of the great and besieged city of Samari◠2 Kings 7.3 to the 12. whom the Lord so wonderfully relieved and enlarged Alas all these were but as nut-shells and oyster-shells compared with the mercies of blessed Simeon whose mercies as they be reall celestial and lasting for ever so they do call for reall and angelicall prayses Heavens candidates bee glad at deaths approach thou art next apparent to glory and indeed be thankful for it may bee thou maist bee one of the next souls who may be gloriously ushered in thither nay in a sense thou art in heaven already thy faith is there thy hope is there thy conversation is there while thy eye is fixed on thy Christ there and thou art daily translated from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Eph. 1.3 and all this is sealed to thee by the Spirit of promise of which more fully afterwards mean while do but open thy eyes and thou canst not but be really thankfull fiducially to see all the prophesies and all the promises to thee accomplished although thou see it but a far off And now that thou maist be thus thankful let me be assistant to thee in four or five directions Direction Luk. 2 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Study thou poor mortall to praise and magnifie thy God and thy Christ in the highest as the Angells did at the nativity of Christ high mercies do cal for high praises thankfulness may be in carnal earthly men for good turns done them yea and gladness in the beast that receiveth fodder But O thou saved by the Lord thou must act higher even from a principle of Covenant-grace reached out to a lost and dead sinner by the hand of unconceivable mercy procured by the Lord Jesus saving thee so mightily and wonderfully not out of the common store-house of divine providence but out of the Ark of the Covenant or bosom-love of thy Lord Jesus Christ Therefore O blessed soul thy thankfulness must be super-abounding and thy whole soul be poured out in this duty with holy vows and fixed resolutions as that sweet singer of Israel Psal 116. I will love thee I will serve thee Psal 116 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgivings and I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the Courts of the Lords house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem praise ye the Lord Lo what a pattern of high and reall thankfulness is here presented unto gracious Simeons 2. To be more real in our thankfulness for such salvation-mercies as Simeons here was we must look farther then the superficies and out-side of a mercy for as God in his workings of good providence hath a wheel within a wheel so he hath oftimes a mercy within a mercy and when wee are called to such a piece of thankfulness as is here required wee must brighten the souls eye of faith and by the prospective of divine promises covenant-goodness we must dive deep and look far to see if it were possible not onely the hand of mercy stretched forth to us but the very heart of Gods mercy opened to us Genesis 6. compared with 1 Pet. 3.19 nay through that mercy the soul must look on the Lord himself for else we do but see the Ark of preservation as the old world did not the covenant-goodness of God in that Ark nor his Church in that Ark nor his Christ there nor all the saved of the Lord even thy self there spiritually in the heart of God and Jesus Christ you must look into the inside of your mercies else you will but see the bush on fire and it preserved but not the good will of him that dwelt in the bush Exod. 3.2 Deut. 33.16 for one may observe the Lords faithfulness in keeping covenant and promise and not look on Jesus Christ the promoter of the covenant by and with whom the Lord made such a covenant therefore wee must throughly look as well on the in-side of the mercy whence a mercy comes originally on Gods mind aim end as on the mercy it self reached out to us we must look on Gods mind towards us in the mercy how to walk act before him in fom sutableness expectatiō to the mercy we do enjoy to live more holily to worship more devoutly to act faith in Gods al-sufficiency to trust in him more to recumb depend more to be the Lords more entirely thē ever before For as in many mercies there is a good out-side but a better in-side so in the carriages of the people of God there is not only a more out-side-carriage before the Lord but a more intern spiritual cordial acting of a thankful soul to serve the Lord more sincerely more absolutely more graciously and more holily as David not onely throughout the 116 Psalm but also Psalm 42.5 after more experience of the Lord and a farther inspection into his gracious dealing with him hee sayes O my soul trust thou in God for I shal yet give him thanks and praise him for the help of his countenance so vers 11
he must be a new creature Without holiness no man shall see the Lord who is not ingrafted into Christ the true vine shall be cas out Joh. 15.4.5 Rom 8.17 Gal. 6.7 1 Cor. 6.9 none but adopted sons can inherit whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor thievs nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God But all such as have not made their peace with God timely and really let them be ascerteined that merciless and impartial death shall snatch them away from their dwellings and relations Mar. 9.44.46 48. into the blackness of darknesse for ever where the worm dieth not thrice repeated Then let none dare protract time and think to be prepared in a moment in the time of sicknesse and the hour of death indeed God may then shew mercy I had almost said a miracle as on the thief Luk. 23.43 but such miracles are very rare in Scripture for strait is the gate Mat. 7.13.14 and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few they be that find it Some are so combred with the world that they never will bee at leisure to prepare to die do think and speak of it but never do it like the banquerout who says he will pay all his debts but takes no more care of it then of his ending day Pro. 9.17 Some are tickled with sins stolen waters of pleasures and profits till wounded and slain Prov. 7.23 as the young man going after his harlot like an Ox to the slaughter or a fool to the stocks Till a dart strike through his liver for her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death CPoor sinfull man death is coming on the wing every day nearer and nearer and thou art insensible of its certain approach Eccles 12. nay death's harbingers are with thee already who do weaken thy silver cord and spend the marrow of thy frail life who do dimme thine eyes deaf thine ears whiten thine hairs and thou incogitant perceivest it not and these messengers of death will ere long be break the golden bowl from which all parts enjoy their vitall spirits And sinfull man suppose thou be young and lusty flourishing like David's Bay tree thou art no more sure to live a day longer then he of an hundred years old who creeps on all four as we say for so soon as the hopefullest man begins to live in that very instant he begins to die death gnaweth on every man's root of life till sooer or later she lays us all in the dust The besotting folly and uncorrigible madness of sinfull men living as if they were in covenant with death and hell making lies their refuge Isa 28.15 and hiding themselves under falshood have made me too long in this preparatory to this second exhortation whom the Lord notably answereth as if viva voce your Covenant with death shall be disanull'd Isa 28.18 your agreement with hell shall not stand And thus I come to the exhortation it self Solidly and Timely to fall upon the work of preparation which consists of these four heads 1. An holy desire to live well 2. To be well principled in matters of Religion 3. To bee much in conference with death 4. To set all things in order for death The first head Many do like heaven well but not the way thither many desire glory to come when they can enjoy earthly glory no longer whereas a right holy desire as Simeons was will take all due care to get into and to keep heavens milky way not to accumulate that high degree per saltum but be glad to go Christ's way saying Father I have glorified thee on earth Joh. 17.4 5. and now glorifie thou me in heaven A presumer or intruder would live in sin till his dying day and then be forgiven and taken into Abraham's bosom but the true desirer is glad as Saint Paul Act. 20.21 to go God's way of repentance of amendment and of believing unto salvation as low Zacheus did when he welcomed Christ into his house and heart The presumer desires faintly to dye but 't is when he cannot live nor sin any more but the well prepared soul after days and years of much serving God after much sore travell through hot afflictions strong temptations and many fiery trialls Psal 42.1 Gen. 32.26 28. 1 Sam. 1.13 is fervent in desiring death and restless as the Hart after the water brooks like Jacob who will not leave wrestling till he prevail nor Hannah cease praying till the Lord had granted her the desire of her soul 1 Sam. 1.13 Gal. 4.19 Piè vixit ergo libēter vult mori Psa 90.12 The soul was restless till whole Christ was formed in her and now she desires to die with groaning desires she had lived well and therefore she would dye such be ever numbring their days and so do apply their hearts to wisdome to which end 1. Thou must accept the time of thy repentance laid out for thee by the Lords own hand Rev. 2.21 Jezebell had her time so had the old world Sodom and Gomorrah and the Jewes so had Corazin ank Bethsaida but they accepted not that time In our repentance their must bee Godly sorrow for sin for all the sins of our natures 2 Cor. 7. of our hearts and lives aggravated by many sad circumstances of the matter the manner measure time when how oft lived in against means Lament throughout to have avoided such sins against light and counsell to the contrary yea and it may be against our vows never to do so or so with very great large desires of pardon and reconciliation to God in and through Jesus Christ and a restlesness upon thy spirit till thy soul be satisfied that thou art pardoned and accepted and thy evidence for heaven sealed with the blood of Christ together with strong engagements upon thy whole man never to return again to folly but to keep an holy vigilancy ever upon thy soul with solemn covenanting thy self to be the Lords and not thine own any more as thou wast in the day of thine impenitency 2. And whereas in many things we sin all even the most righteous sins oft every day we must renew our repentance often as David did Hezekiah Peter other◠yea so oft that we may be said to walk humbly before the Lord in an humble holy conversation labouring never more to be deceived by the presumption pride and daring boldnesse of our unregenerate part and so the longer thou thus walk'st humbly and penitently before the Lord the better stil is thy preparation which made one to say well that good men are best at last even when they are dying so great a dependance hath a gracious death upon an humble and
language bearding the Ministers and saying thou lyest thou limb of Antichrist thou son of the whore of Babylon thou deceiver of the people and thou persecutor of us thou sayest the Scriptures be the Word of God which we deny thou sayest men have originall corruption after grace which wee deny thou saist we are not perfect but we are thou saist our spirit is not infallible from the light within us but that infalliability we do and shall still maintain Now my beloved Reader farr be it from any well principled soul to bee moved or shaken with any such imposters 1 Tim. 6.10 1 Tim. 1.19 to err from the faith or to hearken to such Apostates who are reprobate concerning the faith Oh let none be bewitched with such a generation of men so diabollically enchaunted but let 's from time to time have recourse unto our ground-work laid out before us in the Word and let 's call to mind what was our judgment before these errors and blasphemies did so daringly stare us in the face again let us well consider what was the judgment of the ancients viz. of solid sincere Christians and orthodox Martyrs who dyed in and for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the exhortation of the blessed Apostle 2. Tim. 1.13 holding fast the form of sound words in faith and love Where the Apostle would have these two things 1. That our judgments and understandings be clear and evidentiall giving faith and credit unto the divine authority of those grounds of truth which are founded upon the holy Scriptures bearing witness to them 2. That our love unto the truth of Christ be entire for those who are not thus soundly grounded in their understandings and judgments do lye open to Jesuitick frauds and may be easily deceived by them who lye in wait to that purpose Eph. 4 14. Act. 20.30 of whom we have some sprung up among our selvs and those likewise who receive not the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 nor in love to Christ as the holy and pure the powerfull Rom 1.16 and wonder-working Word of God to save souls such I say may easily fall away albeit they may be full of other learning and have attained excellent parts for such have been highly esteemed much praised of men and much used in the Church of God Thus much of the second branch viz. to be well principled in matters of religion 3. An holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death in in every Simeon Quest Consider what death is to such Answ It is a degree of happiness yea an inlet to full happiness before when none could be said to bee happy but when a Christian shall meditate that death is an haven after much fowl weather Acts 2.26 Psal 16. Rev. 14.13 Mat. 25.34 1 Pet. 5.4 Rev. 2.10 Rev. 21.4 a bed of rest after sore labour a taking possession of our glorious inheritance nay of inthroning with a Crown of Glory and the putting an end to all groans complaints and sins the dismissing of a blessed soul out of a loathsome prison and when he shall meditate that death is but the putting off of old rotten ragged cloaths our day of Jubilee with many more heads of sweet meditation how will he who would prepare to dye wel be fitting himself with deepest considerations what course hee must take to dye happily These meditations carry gold in their wings and are strong Rhetoricians to perswade a poor dying creature Act. 8.37 Rom. 10.10 Gal. 2.20 o believe in the Lord Jesus with all his heart to live in the faith and to live by the faith of the Lord Jesus who hath loved him and given himself for him 2 Tim. 4.7 1 Tim. 1.19 Isa 38.3 to keep faith and a good conscience towards God and men and to walk before God in truth as Hezekiah did with a perfect heart these divine meditations bee of excellent use to open and set before uâ— all the sweet covenant-mercies assured to the godly in death to unclaspe the book of all the consolations and divine promises and to fill the soul with a wonderfull longing and desire upon desire after those sweet enjoyments 2 Tim. 4.8 which be laid up for the Saints at the happy dissolution of soul and body Come on then immortall soul and by holy meditation now and then walk with death half an hour and say Oh death I must come into thy quarters and territories shortly But Oh the atheisme the pride of heart and infidelity which like a dung-heap wreaks up abominable stink at the perceiving of which my heart doth tremble and I am horribly afraid Oh that I could spend the remainder of my days in weeping and ringing of my hands and in tearing off the hair of my head but yet what will that avail mee but Oh death mind me rather yea O Father of mercies possess my soul of true repentance and with an humble prostration of my self at the foot-stool of thy mercy-seat restlessly crying mercy mercy Oh death minde mee how inexorable thou art and that I may bee truly humbled and that the great God of heaven will not be dallied withall Gal. 6.7 at the hour of death Oh death what is the matter that thou art so terrible No may death say I am terrible only unto hypocrites and unbelievers Rom. 6.23 Lu 12.46 Rev. 21.8 1 Cor. 15.55 to wicked and unprepared souls others do and may take comfort in my approaches to them well knowing that I have no sting in my hand no victory or conquest over them but am a friendly harbinger to receive them unto a blessed peace who dye in the Lord after when they shal sin no more nor shall need to repent Rev. 14.13 nor weep nor fear death any more Rev. 7.17 nay death may tell thee shee is thy approved friend and that shee will be the death and burial of all thy foes corruptions â—fflictions of all thy cares thy fears thy tears adversaries will put a finall end to all thy conflicts and encounters Thus in thy meditation of death remember that to be young and flourishing is no priviledge against death nor to be beautiful nor to be rich nor to be strong nor to be learned nor to be beloved of Kings and Princes nay remember that no time no place no presence no power no business is any security against death yet alas the most dye sooner then they did expect and before they were well provided and in thy mediâ—ation of death and conversing with it whatsover be thy outward comforts and glory as honours lands goodly houses men and maid-servants attending friends or companions making merry with thee as Belshazzars Princes yet when death comes like the sun-set Dan. 5.1 all must and will extinguish and depart though relations sadly weep and howle never so loudly about us when they see us speechless and throatling cold-sweating and strugling for life
or see us die as one going to sleep O meditate on these things now while the glasse runs and hath at least some sands in it that it shall never repent thee to have soundly repented nor to have graciously lived and orthodoxly believed to have self-denyed for Christ taken up his Cross Maâ— 16 2â— Maâ— 19. â—8 Phil. 1.21 followed him in the regeneration to have been the servant of Christ to have lived to Christ dyed in Christ But then will every tongue say not O that I had lived longer but O that I had lived better O that I had sinned lesse and believed more O that I had prayed more Mar. 9.24 been more in duty more in Christian communion conversed more with the Scriptures been more in the promises studied more the covenant of grace sanctified the Lord's day more taught and better educated my family c. So shalt thou never repent any good but rejoyce that ever thou hadst any gracious breathings and wilt say O welcom death and blessed bee my God and Father who now calls for his child and servant I come I come Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. farewel my body and you my friends take this body of mine which I so long governed so ill to your dispose and Lord take my soul into the arms of thy mercy since now thou callest me according to thy word So much of the third viz. our holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death 4. The fourth is to set all things in order for an happy death here comes in many things very considerable 1. The soul must be set in order as thy understanding by saving illumination to know the things that belong to thy peace Luk. 19.42 thy will in order to be a sanctified will in its desires dominions and endeavours thy affections in order to fix them upon their right holy objects thy faith in order patiently to wait for the due accomplishment of all the pretious promises which in Christ are made over to a sanctified soul no more of setting the soul in order having said so much already 2. The body must be set in order 3. The estate must be set in order 1. The body is a sinfull mortal decaied naturall body Rom. 6.6 subject to a thousand mâ—lâ—dies and miseries which must be mortified and crucified of its reigning domineering power and all the organicall parts must be subj cted unto Jesus Christ till when the body is not in order to dye he that will dye happily must keep a daily funerall of his transgressions errours and sinful miscarriages towards God self and men that albeit they may have a kind of slavish being in us yet they must have no dominion over us 2. The members of the body must becom the meÌ„bers of Christ Rom. 6.12 as the eye to see the tongue to speak 1 Cor. 6.15 the hand to work the foot to walk for Christ and all the parts to suffer with Christ before we can be in order to dye 3 The body must be kept as a chast virgin for Christs use 1 Cor. 6.15.19 and the holy Ghosts use whose Temple it is wee must be sanctified bodies as well as sanctified souls but the dear servants of God have much ado with their bodies to subdue tame and bring under their untruly members of which Saint Paul did sorely complain and said to will is present but to perform that which was good hee found not Rom. 7.18 The reason was because his unregenerate paâ—t took so great advantage from and by the inordinate pravity of the body which is become so prone to serve the mind and will in every sinfull motion within and like tinder so naturally proclive to catch at any temptations and allurements to sin from without 1 Thes 5.23 that the blessed Apostle Paul does pray that the Thessalonians bodies as well as their spirits and souls be sanctified throughout and preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 4. The body as well as the soul must be in covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost before it can be in order to die but then though death may kil yet death cannot hurt the body for God is the Saint God and father in death and when the body lies reposed in the grave Psal 116.15 Gen. 50.25 Exod. 13.19 Jos ult 32. precious in the Lords sight is the death of his Saints and God sets a great price even upon their bodies and bones though the Saints themselvs in their sufferings have a low estimate of their bodies which I think hath so steeled and resolved them to under-go and cheerfully to wade through the bloody persecutions of most cruell and butcherly Neroes knowing the Lord God his covenant-goodness even unto their bodies should they be burnt to ashes or torn with wild beasts as multitudes were served in the primitive times since Fox Martyrol Again the Lord Christ is their head even in the grave and they be his members upon which he also sets a great price so as when the soul departs to God who gave it even then the bodies of the Saints have after a sort a principle of life within them do but sleep when they bee dead do belong to Christ by covenant whom he wil raise up Eccl 12.7 Isa 26.19 Mar. 9.21 1 Cor 11.30 chap. 15.20 Eph. 1.19 by that very exceeding greatness of power whereby his own mortall body was raised up and not onely awaken them but introduce their own souls and receive them up to himself to be for ever with him in glory Col. 3.4 Nor is it possible that any one member of Christ Ps 34.20 can loose one muscle nerve artery bone or sinew one eye one limb or one hair of the head but shall arise a compleat beautifull and well-featured body however his or her body was mangled and deformed here before or at the time of death and buriall and since for the bodies in covenaÌ„t to be united to Christ a perfect body according to the Apostle a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Nor will Christ suffer one part never so little to be wanting for Christ must account for our bodies to his Father who of terrestiall must make them celestiall of corruptible 1 Cor 15.41 42 43 44. incorruptible of dishonorable glorious of weak powerfull and of natural must make them spirituall bodies 3. The holy Ghost is in CovenaÌ„t w th our bodies whose work it is and will be to fil those old mansions with such a plenitude of the spirit as those glorified bodies shall be capable of Ps 16.9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hope Prov. 7.27 and at present do live in hope of though they groan a while with the rest of the creature so then the body must be in Covenant with God before it is well ordered to lye down in
think that we do give or bee bountifull and good benefactors when we do but our duty and therfore that word which we call alms the word in the Syriack tongue is called Justice Mat. 6.2 When thou doest thy justice which wee read alms because alms is a fruit of justice Vide Alex. Alens de generali Restitutione speciali Satisfactione Parte Quarte Quest 24. membrum per totum but things to bee restored bee a due debt comminicatio ista non est gratuita sed ex justitia debetur Quest What if there be not enough to pay all Answ If the creditors bee equall then pro toto if not then the poor must bee paid the first If there bee not any thing left then bee of a willing mind and leave it upon Gods account beseeching him to bee thy restorer whose is all the earth and the fullness thereof The next thing respects the persons related to a family and so parents and other relations must take care of persons whom they leave behind on whom they are to bestow 1 holy admonition and 2 good counsell 3 with faithfull prayer 1. For admonition so they are to advise and instruct them the best they can how to walk prudently and graciously towards God and men as did Isaac and Jacob Isaac called Jacob unto him and blessed him Gen. 49.1 to 19. when he sent him to Padan Aran to Bethnell So Jacob the father of the twelve Tribes called them all one by one and blessing he blessed them as some of the Rabbins say was the custome of the holy Patriarchs to call their children before them some considerable time before their death to acquaint them with their covenant-interests with the knowledg of pretious and speciall promises to be expected to instruct them in holy aphorismes and good documents of faith and manners so did Moses almost throughout the 33 of Deut. naming the Tribes one by one from the sixth verse to the end so did dying Joshua a little before his end Jos 23.2 call all the tribes of Israell and spake more especially to their elders heads Judges and officers and said unto them v. 3 I am old and stricken in age you have seen all that the Lord hath done unto these nations because of you be ye couragious v. 6. keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses v. 8. 1 Kin. 2.1 and cleave unto the Lord your God and so David called and instructed Solomon his son 2 3 4. charging him to be strong to shew himself a man and to keep the charge of the Lord his God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes that he may prosper and that the Lord may continue his promising word that he had made to David concerning his son Solomon Let Magistrates Ministers Parents and other relations lay this to heart that good men wise and godly men have made their death-beds to be their pulpits and oratories to prophesie to preach in and to give sweet and wholesome instructions to their relations Quest But why at such a time of pain and sickness and sorrow Answ Not because the work is to be left alone till then though then especially it may not be left undone Not because as some philosophers say the soul upon deaths approach Xenoph. lib. 8. Plat. in apolog is more divine and supernaturally inspired but because at that time the words and wholsome admonitions of a dying Magistrate Minister Father or friend do probably make a deeper impression upon affectionate and religious minds And to let such relations understand the religious care of Godly ancestors that their posterity might do well with such golden legacies and live upon the covenant-goodness of the Lord God of their Fathers Great is the difference between the carnall worldling and the gracious believer the one looks no farther then the temporall good of his relations the other to their spiritual and eternall welfare Like wicked Achitophell peradventure he will put his house in order but without any due regard 2 Sam. 17.23 to his own or their souls such persons may and do oft call their friends children and relations about them as Ishai did in calling forth his sons first coms Eliab then Aminadab then Shammah but David the anointed of the Lord 1 Sam. 16. was called last of all so when death comes near first the Phisition is called for and he comes but his Art cannot deliver from the unsatiable grave next like Ahaziah he is remembred of some God of Ekron some good witch wizard or white devill to enquire of but if he help not in the third place a wise and cunning Lawer is sent for to entail and perpetuate his lands to his lawfull heirs and to help him make his will and to bequeath his moveables to children and friends mean while how sad and comfortless is this dying creature Oh how much is he cumbred about his many things Luk. 10.41 wishing heartily longer life not to grow better but to grow richer lastly when all hope is past then he sends for a Minister one it may be of his own carnal and earthly mind and before him confesseth his sins in the grosse to have been great and many then aâ—ks God and all the world forgivenesse repeats his good works tells of his keeping his Church of receiving at Easter of his care to pay every one his own of his just and honest dealing with all men he sayes the Lords prayer the Creed and the Ten commandements and if the Minister be one of those daubing flatteres Ezech. 13.10 he magnifies his goodness and happy estate making the poor wretch vainly confident of a very good posture in which to dye praying to God for him to have mercy on his soul and to receive him into his Kingdom and so leaves the deceived soul presuming that Christ saies to him Luk. 23.43 to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And if he preach his funerall sermon he extolls him for an eminent Saint and well he may for he is well paid for his pains And thus do many wretched sinners leave the world they know not how having it may be feared put nothing in order for an happy death But as for holy admonition sweet and pious counsell how to be prepared to dye happily themselves and to leave their relations under a gracious frame of heart is the least of such mens care who should bee advised first to serve the Lord God and to walk before him with an upright and perfect heart and in their particular callings to serve his providence and glory wirh all integrity in holiness and righteousness all their day Luk. 1.75 The second thing is holy and faithfull prayer of persons neer their end for and in behalf of their relations I shall onely instance in Parents prayers for their children who are to bless them in the name of the Lord as resigning up their
and father doth ordinarily fit his children for death in their sickness presenting to them the unloveliness and vanity of all things below the blessed interest which the Saints do enjoy in their Christ the happy change which they do make who dye in the armes of their Jesus and that such shall for ever be quit of all sinfull society yea of sinfull flesh no longer to abide among dead men nor among the tombs of dead ones shall never have cause to hang up their harpes upon Babylons Willows tree Ps 137.2 never be interrupted in singing our Hebrew song and therefore doth our gracious Father in sickness and otherwise open the narrow hearts and deaf ears of Simeons souls and then speak to them saying come my pretious ones suffer me now to dispose of you let me new mould you and transfigure you for your disease and so dear heart I do First make thee weary of thy body of death weary of the worlds blandishments and painted glory and weary of thy sinfull selfe Secondly I do sanctifie every pain and grief every crosse and trouble and make them become sanctified mercies Ps 131.2 whiles I do wean thee to be lesse in love with things below nay I cause that every decay of thy naturall strength every dimnesse of thy eye every dulnesse of thy ear every weakness and sicknesse of thy natural body shall tend to such a blessed change that at last the soul and body are made willing to depart for a time to attain unto Phil. 1.22 and enjoy a glorified cure Thirdly I do not only prepare thee to this submission but I do also make thee desire and long to dye I do so spiritualize and order thy soul that sicknesse shall be as welcome to thee as health death as life to thee who livest upon God in God and to God Dost want health of body I do satisfie thee with health of soul art near to death be it so then thou art nearer to life even a glorious blessed and eternall life sick man I am thy Lord God and I do assure thee by thy interest in my self through my son I am better to thee then ten healths as Elkanah was to Hannah then ten sons 1 Sam. 1.8 I am better to thee then many lives thy life here was but a breath or rivullet of life but in thy death thou art admitted to live for ever in him Joh. 14.6 Ps 36.9 who is life it self and to thee the fountain of life Fourthly in sickness the Lord speaks to his holy ones to be of good chear from the deep meditation of the love of God shed abroad in their hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 Joh. 1.16 from the fulness al◠sufficiency of Jesus Christ their dearest friend their Lord King who coms leaping skipping over the mountains to solace himself in and with them whom he had so wonderfully delivered from the dens of Lyons Cant. 2.8 Cant. 4.8 and mountains of Leopards or what else hath been formidable to them Come look on me and to me lean and rely on me pour out thy soul into my bosome Isa 45.22 Mic. 7.7 who will assuredly give her sweet repose untill the great day of my second coming Cant. 8.5 Act. 7.59 when thou shalt be received soul and body to be for ever in mansions of eternall glory Cant. 3.11 to keep a most triumphant Jubilee with the Lord for ever Mal. 3.17 Act. 3.19 3. In death wee must submit to our Lord Joh. 14.2 3 and that in two things In the approach Act. 7.54 c. and point of death Precious soul in the approach of death Heb. 11. 2 Chron. 6.42 Ps 25.6 Ps 119.49 Psa 22.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7.25 act faith in the Lord Jesus as Stephen did and as those Martyrs did faith will plead thy covenant-interest and perswade to roll thy self upon the free grace of God so fully represented in the promises faith bids thee look on thy Lord and saviour interceding thy cause at heavens throne Set hope on work to take faster anchor-hold on Jesus Christ Psal 18.2 Deut 32.4.31 2 Sam. 22.47 Ps 62.2.7 Ps 89.26 Ps 39.13 the rock of thy salvation Set prayer on work and pour out thy soul saying O Lord spare a little till I may recollect my self and bee sweetly composed to rejoyce in the approach of my my change Lord give me to welcome death with all ready entertainment as Gods messenger to deliver me from my prison Ps 142.7 Job 4.19 and house of clay wherein my celestiall soul the espouse of Christ is confined and imprisoned and say O Christ I come Luke 16.22 Lord Jesus send some of thy blessed Angels to receive carry my soul into Abrahams bosom as one of the fathers doth personate a dying Saint O holy trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost which in unity of nature art one the self-same God into thy hands I do commend my spirit into thy hands O blessed Saviour my King my priest and my Prophet do I recommend my self unto thee sweet Jesus do I a dying servant of thine come who camest into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief unto thee blessed Lord who wast conceived and born of the virgin Mary sufferedst diedst was buried and laid under the power of death Acts 1.24 for me to alleviate my death and make it stinglesse and curs-lesse who wast raised up from the dead didst miraculously ascend art now set down at thy fathers right hand for me to come again at the end of the world to be judge of all men Angels even to be my judg to justifie absolve me before all the world and to invest me a poor and miserable creature with that very glory which thy humane nature hath now in heaven and which thy self hadst with the Father before the world was into thy hands gracious redeener into thy hands O eternall spirit do I recommend my self who dost even ravish my heart by applying and sealing all the Covenant-goodnesse and gracious promises of life and of salvation even to me even now about to breath out my last breath of life Thus dying soul in thy submission un-thy Lord God set faith hope and prayer on work Quest The learned have a question whether the Saints in death do fear death having cōmission in some cases of persecution in one City to flye unto another and Christ saying Mar. 10. go not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter ye not Act 9.25 and Saint Paul escaped out at a window at the fear of death and Christ himself often shunned the Scribes and Pharisees and Rulers who sought to kill him Joh. 7.1 1 King 19.3 so did David shun Saul and Elias the wicked instruments of wicked Ahab and Jezebell Answ To all which I answer that 't is not simply unlawfull to