and doubt no more from paines and dolours to perfect ease from miserable comforters to the God of all Consolations Job 16.2 Rom. 15.5 2 Cor. 7.5 Heb. 2.14 Heb. 12.23.24 from troubles without from fears within from sin death and him that had the power of death to eternall heavenly joyes to the great assembly to the lambs redeemed ones to perfect holiness and endless happinesse and to Jesus Christ himself to be partaker with him of heavens glory yea of that very glory which himself had with the Father before the world was Joh. 17.5 and to be possessed of that very glory which the humanity of Christ hath at this present time at the right hand of God Simeons eye of faith was poring to look through the dark cloud of his infirmities upon this dazling glory and so doth beg his freedome to be discharged of his earthly Tabernacle according to the word of his Lord. now I shall endeavour to summ up all and to mould the proposition of this ensuing Treatise in one most certain conclusion Doct. Such may upon just cause desire to dye who have seen the Lords salvation as Simeon did here Many have unjustly desired to dye upon unjust considerations as Cato Cleombrotus Lucretia and others quia Spiritus latenter jusserat lib. 1. cap. 21. but they may alone upon just grounds desire to dye who have an eye within the vaile and an eare to hear the spirit bid them now be willing to dye Those sacred Virgins who in the sack of Rome chose to prevent the barbarous heathen prostituting their bodies to uncleannesse by a volunta-murthering of themselvs had no warrant at all nor ought they under any pretence have fled unto so desperate a prevention this but by the way They alone who have had a gracious aspect upon the Lord can bee rightly willing to dye they who have so looked into the promise that they are assured God will shew them their Lord first believingly and then beatifically do also look upon death which was wont to be so formidable as very much changed for now death is no longer a destroyer but a deliverer no longer a punishment or a curse but a blessing yea death to a bliever is one legacy in that rich Inventory of the Epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.30 all things be yours death is yours While death was in the Devills power death was an enemy but Christ hath made it a friend and a blessing a bridge to passe over from the vail of tears into the Kingdome of glory As Haman provided for Mordicai so death intended a curse and mischief but accidentally it proves a blessing and to be desired Indeed to men without God and Christ out of Covenant and without the word of promise death is of all terribles the most terrible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a most rigid executioner of divine wrath and vengeance but to the Godly so 't is a servant of the Lords and our servant to unlock Heaven gate and to admit the precious souls of Christs redeemed ones into Christs bosome such do quietly send away their souls to heaven whereas the ungoldly man or woman who is an unbeliever his soul is taken from him Luk. 12. Job 27.8 and as Job speakes will they nill they they would fain live longer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but they must not they cannot so inexorable is death to them but every Simeon is willing to resign when his Lord shall please he dyes not because he must dye but because he willingly subscribes to the Lords fiat This Conclusion is confirmed by manifold witnesses To me to live is Christ 1 Phil. 21. to dye is gain But Paul was here in a great straight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 23. having strong arguments on both sides to desire life and to desire death therefore saith I am in a straight between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you that your rejoycing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me Another testimony of this truth proposed is in St. Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 5.1 For in this we groane earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our house which is from Heaven For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burthened not for that we would be uncloathed v. 4. but cloathed upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that mortality might be swallowed up of life Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God v. 5. who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit so goes on Therefore we are alwayes confident v. 6. knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord For we walk by faith not by sight we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body u. 7. and to be present with the Lord. Quest But whence all this Q. Answ From the Apostles hope A. and expectation he had of Heaven that mortality might be swallowed up of life according to the testimony and earnest of the spirit of God that after this life he shall be cloathed upon with life and glory that then he shall be with the Lord Thus much his faith had shewed him And thus much for the confirmation We cannot see Christ in his coessentiality with the Father and with the Holy Ghost Such a sight of God here below would be inconsistent with a mortall and sublunar beeing and would swallow up the Creature man as the Schoolmen do affirm But here against doth Gregory object What may we not se who see the Lord 's Christ Especially seeing him God-man as Simeon here did no longer in the type but the truth it self qui videant videntem omnia quid non videant Greg. sol lib. 4 cap 33. St. Augustin doth well answere this and the like objections saying we can see no more of God and of Christ then God shall please to manifest unto us or then Christ shall please to reveale unto us as he did to Moses when God did put him in a clift of the Rock Exod. 33.22.23 what breaking forth of his glory the Lord shal please to discover unto us finite creatures those we may see Visione intelligibili videntar ea quae sunt à nobis intelligibilia Aug. But the Father goes on further we may see much of God with our intellect I meane of such things as are intelligible and thus many things of God and Christ do fall within our capacity and as we are able to bear them thus visions be some darker some more lightsome some persons have more day and some more night yet at the best our sight here is but obscure as the old man's sight through his spectacles I say some Saints have cleerer visions as Ezechiel to whom
up of such condemned ones into the cruell hands of Satan for immediatly-after judgment will succeed an everlasting exclusion from God from Christ Mat. 25.41 46. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deum non videre omnia gehennae supplicia superabit Bern. Isa 30.33 from the heavenly Jerusalem and from eternall glory together with a finall resignation of them into the merciless hands of evill angels to dragg them into that burning Tophet which the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle 3. Corollary This commends matter of great consolation to all Christ-seeing Simeon's in sundry perticulars as followeth Death is a conquered foe dispoiled of his power Hos 13.14 1 Cor. 15.57 and weapons to hurt us At the first sight death looks upon us with a pale and gastly face but upon more judicious thoughts pale death hath no hurtfull weapon in his hand therefore in death the godly wise doth through Christ insult over death and say O death I fear thee not O welcom death and long looked for blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath made death so hurtles or rather friendly to me and now farewell honours riches pleasures lands possessions and inheritances farewell husband wife children and all my relations below farewel thou ruinous and infirme body of mine in which till bowell-compassions covered me all over with a mantle of richest grace I walked among the dead in destroying waies after the course of the world Mat. 8.22 Luk. 15.13 Prou. 6.18 Prou. 2.18 Eph. 2.2.3 and after the spirit that workes in the children of disobedience But now God hath look'd on me in a time of love and said unto me live Eze. 16.6 Hos 2.19.20 and espoused me to Jesus Christ and therefore I am glad of death and that my body be dissolved til my soul and body shal meet and never part again a branch Death is comfortable because Christ is with us David feared not the vallie of the shaddow of death Ps 23.4 because his God was with him Hosea 2.15 This vallie is like that of Achor to the people of God which preceded their entry into the land of promise where they tasted the first fruits of the land of Canaan for death borders upon eternall life at the end of this dark vallie is light and glory and thy God who owned and guided thee thither must bee unfaithfull if hee should leave thee Ps 71.18 when thou art old or liest down in the grave Old Policarpe he had better learned Christ for he had so oft tried him in other promises that he now dares confide him in this This may further be illustrated by thy union to Christ who is the Saviour of thy body and by that compleatnes of Christ s mysticall body Eph. 5.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 17.24 which may not want one of his members but every one of those whom the Father hath given to him must be with him and behold his glory which the Father had given him as our Lord Christ prayes John 17.24 Saint Paul would be dissolved to be with Christ Thus then that Christ is with the saints in death and for ever here is matchles comfort This consolation is considerable in the earnest of his spirit branch which God giveth to his Simeons Gal. 5.22 as the first fruits of everlasting glory The saints of God do in their spiritual life much live upon the graces of the spirit which are the earnest penny of that which is behind in the covenant of grace Now what is the earnest in comparison of this full summe Numb 13.24 what were the grapes pomgranets and figs which the spies brought to the goodnesse of the land of promise no more is grace here compared with that exceeding and eternall weight of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 6 Graines and scruples carry no proportion with talents this was the ground of the Apostles willingnes to die he hath given us the earnest of the spirit therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. * 4 Branch Glory honour immortality and everlasting pleasures at God's right hand are sure to be conferred at the death of every blessed Simeon according to the capacity of the seperated soul all which saith Peter is prepared 1 Pet. 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. Branch reserved for thee in heaven as our Lord himselfe doth also tell us by saint John I go to prepare a place for you Let Pagans Infidels those that die out of Christ fear death but blessed Simeons have a cornucopia of comforts to feed upon for after the many stormes tempests and tossings up and down Act. 27.14 with the Euroclydon winds of this present world death brings them into a safe port and harbour when they shall say each one to his soul returne to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And each one to his body Ps 116.7 lie down be content sweetly repose and rest from thy labours But many will aske If a man die shall he live again Q. Job 14.14.10 as Job Man dieth and wasteth away and giveth up the ghost and where is he Unto which question holy Job himself makes the answer First A. from a comparison a tree in the winter seeming dead in the ground Job 1.4.8 yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant Secondly Job believeth that God doth hide his saints for a time in the grave to remember them ver 13. to bring them forth in their set and appointed time But thirdly to make up the comfort God will most gratiously v. 15. and mercifully change them as I shall afterwards shew he will call to his saints in the grave dissolved into thousand atomes of dust they shall hear his trumpets and Arke-Angels voice and shall come forth to the resurrection of the just And lastly thy living again is a work of the Lord 's own desire as conducible to his own glory the glory of his Son's kingdom and the glory of the saints immortality who died willingly under so blessed a hope Titus 2.13 of so happie a resurrection to all whom lying in the chambers of death doth the Lord speak by his Prophet saying but somewhat allegorically thy dead men shall live together Isa 26.19 with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwelt in dust For thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Branch 6. All blessed Simeons must consider that their deferred happiness comes sure at last like a full vintage possibly thou maist waight and look long for
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
In his declining days his Father of mercies exercised him with sore afflictions of bodily infirmities spirituall combates and conflicts and soking and grinding distempers of the stone in the bladder with Apoplexies and Palsie and other infirmities of age but O the sweet and invinceable patience O the humility the holiness contentation and wise moderation of himself and sweet composedness of his spirit He was naturally of an hasty dispositon but his conquest over such his infirmities those who waited much on him and others who much visited him do and must testifie that the Lord gave him a great measure of Christian patience meekness and self-deniall with that totall resignation of himself unto the will of his heavenly Father that indeed he was changed into another man and was of another spirit a good while before his change Near the Sun-set when the shadow must be long and his life short his sences of seeing and hearing seemed to have been renewed especially his hearing which had been much decaied for many years that surdity or privation was wonderfully restored and quickened to the great admiration not only of friends and relations visiting him but to the comfort of himself and all attendants about him reading and speaking to him enjoyed the benefit of another Patriarch to hear his gracious words which did daily improve to his dying day the losse of whom is very great and much bewailed not onely in his family and relations but in the Church of God yet so it pleased God This servant of the Lord had much of heaven on this side heaven whereby his bitter portion given him under sore afflictions and strong conflicts had much sweetning in them the various turns oâ— providence and the amazâ—ng alterations of Church and State made him live more upon God and less upon the creature when his Castle at Brampton was besieged and taken when his sweet and gracious consort yet of happy memory was taken to mercy and to rest from her labours when his children were taken prisoners his goods given to spoilers and robbers his family exposed to the cruell mercies of exasperated enemies and carried away captives his lands sequestred and all his revenues extinct yet even then good Sir ROBERT HARLEY assured his believing soul that nothing was slain dead lost spoiled and taken from him of all his proprieties which might have been better to him then the gain which this pretious soul found without them hee would long for nothing which hee found that the Lord thought good to deny him still he found stronger arguments to ballast his religious soul then to be overturned with such contrary winds the just shall live by his faith under dark and bloody providences The little which himself his had left them at that time he was very thankeful for he did want the rest with content which made him very rich whom the sword and cruell oppressor had made very poor Now much Honoured in the Lord and happy Son to such a Father after such a deliniation of so many specialls never to bee buried our eyes and hearts are towards you who do live to succeed such a president of grace and virtue our daily prayers to the Lord are for you and your posterity that the Lord who gave you such a Father will also give you to be always correcting and amending the copy and history with a wise and understanding heart to walk in his godly footsteps that you may as fair excell him in all wisedom as Solomon did good old David and will please to write on your heart and on your life in great capitall letters on a table of pure gold Holiness to the Lord that you may ever see and enjoy the Lord's covenant-goodness continued to sons and daughters of your own flesh and blood from generation to generation which is and shall be the daily prayer of Your most affectionate servant in the Lord T. W. From my house in Kingssland June 13 1658. When at deaths Gate my soul I do commend Into thy hands Salvation be mine end Deo Gloria Amen TO THE READER Christian Reader SSome have written Institutions to a christian life as Calvin Herlenius some of the emendation of life as Richardus Hampoll in his Speculum Spirituale others not a few De vita activa contemplativa as Ludolphus Saxonicus and the school-men but the right manner of dying well and the gracious encounter with death in its approach and the happy conquest in the article of death hath been very seldome heard of which gives me encouragement to cast in my mite into this treasury to make holy Simeon my happy president and indeed herein aestuebat ille senex beatissimus whose breathings of spirit did wax hot whil'st hee fixed his believing eye upon his Christ in four respects viz. as he was his peace his salvation his light his glory in the first he looked on him as his Mediatour in the second as his Redeemer in the third as his guide and teacher in the fourth as his crown of rejoicing In this Treatise you have Simeon's humble confession his faith unfained his blessed hope his constant love ravishing expectation under which hee doth happily repose himself till his departure out of his prison house of clay which he assuredly knew would not be long This Book was penned now and then a sheet as the Authors leisure from other studies permitted and were presented unto an aged eminent Servant of the Lords Sir ROBERTH HARLEY Knight of the Noble Order of the BATH being God's prisoner and confined to his Chamber by reason of manifold weaknesses and distempers of body with which the Lord pleased to exercise him for diverse years before his death being utterly disenabled to wait upon God in his publick Ordinances therefore among other mercies he gladly entertained these remembrances from a Minister of Christ who was very much his servant in the Lord the most of the papers were somtimes read to him in his Chamber by the Author himself which papers have bin since his death gathered up and now composed in this little Treatise for the use and benefit of such as do desire to live and dye blessedly as Simeon did Therefore judicious Reader accept of his good wil who hath indeavoured to pre-dispose prepare thy anxious soul for a blessed separation from the body and with good Simeon to depart in peace Thus I commend thee to God this Book to thy close perusal reading throughout hoping the Lord will please to make it very instrumental to thee to advance thy more happy comfortable dissolution and change which is the highest aim and utmost end of him who subscribes himself Thy Servant in the Lord's Work T. W. ERRATA in the Lines of the Book Page 2. Line 9. for giving read given pag. 2. lin 10. after people add p. 3. l. 20. for Elegie read Elogie lin 10. for off r. os l. 23. f. of r. off p. 14. l.
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
flesh 1. Jo. 2.16 the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life with troubles of divers kinds with discontents every moment under the emptinesse of the creature the groaning creature which we do too much rely upon besides what troubles what wants what feares what doubts what losses what crosses is every day filled up withall what malice and envie from the men of the world for godlyness sake if but in appeareance Ps 35.19 What slanders lyes and mischievous reports shall be vented and sent abroad to blur and cloud a gratious conversation As David complaines of mischiefe divised and contrived against him a poor innocent without any cause on his part What unrighteousnesse oppressions what self-seekings what vain-glory confusions divisions what rendings of Christs seameles coat enough to make any good Simeons heart to ake and his eyes like the pool of Heshbon to stand full of tears of water and under all these abominations as branches of the curse together with the vanity all things are exposed vnto even the unreasonable creatures do groan yea Rom. 8.22.23 the whole creation groaneth together under its vanity and the dear servants of God cannot but be very sensible and be willing to draw forth their desires after that glorious liberty and happier condition laid up for them in the safe hands of Simeon's Lord. Nay this good old man had learned under what vanity all things below Christ did groan how far from home they were and under how perillous and sojourning a condition How obvious they lay to the grudgings of the worlds Naballs and how their ears are daily beaten with the barkings of balaamitish curs who drive designes to set the world their earthy god above Jesus Christ these things ran much in Simeons heart Besides the personall evils and sufferings of decrepit old age of languishing sickness under a world of bodily infirmities the seizure of mortall diseases which do ascertain death not to be farr of And although we know that we must dye yet wee know not how soon The pinching pains and incessant dolours of a worn-out decaied body at the best but of a crazy constitution supported like an old house with the propps and buttresses of art and nature ready every moment to fall about our ears making us wish in the morning Deu. 28.67 would God it were even and at even would God it were morning All which laid to heart makes blessed Simeon desire to dye and live no longer but to dye in the arms of mercy no matter how soon to wish to sigh to groan and heartily to long for a principle of faith and hope to depart in peace Good old Simeons desire is the desire of restlesness after that which is above all desirable even rest and salvation in Heaven with the people of God who rest from their labours Rev. 14.13 and their works follow them Ah soul had'st thou but a sweet taste of this blessed rest remaining to the people of God! Heb. 4.9 Gal. 5.22 hadst but the fruits of the Spirit in any gracious measure thou wouldest bid all adieu and couldest willingly part with all on earth such as honour pleasures profits friends neerest and dearest relations with all thy earthly interests and contentments yea with all thy lands revenues and life it self and wouldest sigh and groan within thee as old Simeon did after the fuller enjoyment of thy Lord and dearest Christ waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of thy body 3. A desire of Contentment 3. a desire of contentment Rev. 12.1 Good old Simeon hath enough of life Rev. 12.1 being clothed with the Sun hee can now tread the moon under his feet And as Saint Paul have a low esteem of all things beneath Christ Phil. 3.8 and can say Psa 116.7 as David Return to thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee And hence doth gracious Simeon desire to acquiesce in his Lord and to dye by his statutum est who is life it self to possesse him possessing whom he is assured to possesse all things therefore said well-contented Simeon Lord let me be translated hence in thy good time to be inseperably with thee to all eternity 4. of Admiration 4. A desire of admiration Simeon might well admire the glory and excellency of that Salvation on which his eye of faith was so fixed and stand amazed Malac. 4.2 at the raies of this Sun of righteousness which shines not into every soul and saith Oh! the pretiousness of this salvation which is so attractive as to draw out my soul out of my body my soul and body out of this present evill world but for blessed ends blessed be thou my Lord that I may worship thee in Heaven as the four beasts did and the four and twenty elders when they fell dow before the Lamb And sung a new son saying Revel 3.9 thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Blessing honour glory and power be unto him and unto the Lamb for ever and ever So much in answer to the two Questions 1. What this sight is 2. What this desire of Simeon is Reasons why all Christ-seeing Simeons may desire to dye Because old Simeon found himself delivered from the curse of the first Covenant Gen. 2.14 which was eternall death as it holds proportion with the blessing in Paradise eternall life and he found himself delivered from the wrath to come by him who was to dye and to destroy him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 Job 33.24 He found himself delivered from going down into the pit death was in it self the sentence of the law and the recompence of an offended God but old Simeon found the jaws of death broken and this beast of prey now becomes unable to hold him no more then it was able to hold Jesus Christ and therefore all Simeons may insult in their death over death and say Hosea 31.14 used by the Apostle 1. Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory the sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Death doth deliver us from and periodize all wrongs vices infirmities bodily pains and labours all the piercing cares of this life and all vain pleasures As after Noah had been tossed but one year upon the waters Gen. 8.4.20 how glad was he to land on Mount Ararat so old Simeon after many years wearisome days and nights fluctuating on the waters of worldly perturbations O how glad was the good old man of a resting place where he could say hîc ero salvus as the long sick man did write upon his grave stone hîc ero sanus Reason 2 Because
all blessed Simeons do see their salvation future as present so doth faith prevent time and is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Luk. 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house as when Christ called Zacheus from the tree salvation is actually begun then in a believing soul who is said to have his conversation in heaven Phil. 3.20 while he is below Whence he looked for a Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.18 And when death comes believers do not dye but sleep nothing of them dyes but their sins their imperfections and afflictions yea the very being of sin is done away as when the house is pulled into pieces all the ivy roots in the wall are destroyed Reason 3 Death opens a door to believers to be received into Christs armes into the bosome of glory Our loosing from the body is to be joyned to Christ 2 Cor. 5.8 and that is very sweet here is a mysticall union to Christ but no glorious presence no that 's the crowning mercy which is kept till after death Now judge you here you are a prison there enlarged here you are absent from your head your husband your Lord and King eternal but by death the soul is put into the hands of the blessed Angells and by them is presented to Jesus Christ to be for ever with the Lord in glory This Simeon foresaw and therefore said Lord now lettest c. Which dvides itself into these Reason 4 three heads 1. The conflict between soul and body in death 2. The necessity of death in regard to soul and body 3. The blessed advantage which soul and body finde in death 1. Great is the conflict oft times the spirit may be willing when the flesh is unwilling which two twins do a great while stand at loath to depart Jacob was not by Ge. 45.26 and by willing to leave his Countrie and the Land of Promise to goe to his Joseph Israel not by and by willing to go out of Egypt Exo. 5.21 though it were to terminate a long and tedious captivity in Egypt Exo. 12.40 Phil. 1.23 of 430 yeares Pauls Cupio dissolvi did not by and by break forth till the weight of sin carnal conflicts the buffettings of Satan and manifold persecutions did load and weary his pretious soul together with a tedious mortality but then this gratious servant of the Lord became willing to put off his body of sin and death together and with Simeon to say Lord now lettest c The same hand which doth take down our earthly Tabernacle doth build for us a surer and eternall habitation made without hands in the Heavens at which change 2 Cor. 5.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 12.7 the soul is taken to God that gave it till the last day when soul and body shal be made capable of those higher enjoyments which Jesus Christ hath dearly purchased and prepared for them a tast whereof our Lord was pleased to give unto Peter Mat. 17.2 James and John in the transfiguration and unto St. Paul when he was raptured into the third heaven 2 Cor. 12 2 both which some have thought to be more comprehensive then this vision of old Simeon here and yet all the dear Servants of God do in some aspect see Christ before they die and amidst some fears and misgiving thoughts do abundantly long to see him more 2. the necessity of death in regard to soul and body No mortall wants any thing so much as immortality and wants do necessiate men to desires stormes drives many goodly shipps into harbours war doth force the stoutest men to holdes and forts so the soul and body of the Lord 's gratious ones much pinched with the sence of their wants of glory to come and of their beatificall fruitions promised them be necessitated with blessed Simeon to desire to die that they may passe over troublesome Jordan to enjoy the promised blessings of celestiall Canaan where soul and body shall be refreshed enriched Ps 24. and eternally glorified with Jesus Christ their everlasting King of glory which thing our Saviour doth sweetly breath out by St. John Joh. 17.24 in that prayer of his Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory q. d. that they may behold my transforming glory 1 Cor. 13.12 Can the glory of grace that comes by Christ represented to us as in a glasse so transforme a soul as Simeons in the text hath the glory here by mediums such a power then what will it be when we shall behold it without meanes Something Simeon did reach after in his holy wish which he could not comprehend here below though he had his Lord Christ in his armes but he will rejoyce in God his faviour he will believe Job 14.14 and hope well he will expect and wait with holy Job till his change come when he knew his joy shall transcend the joy of harvest or that of men dividing the spoile 1 Pet. 1.8 it being a joy so unspeakable and full of glory See then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that death is necessary to prepare the soul and body for immortality of which more in the third branch of this fourth reason as followeth 3. The blessed advantage which soul body find in death after death Phil. 1.12 presently the soul begins to be in it's prime for whilest she was in the corruptible body she was ruled by corrupt sence and violently carried by loose appetite driven and compelled against it's own gratious desires to give way in some part to a body of sin for she can hardly look out at the eys but looks upon a baited hooke nor hear by the eare but there is the serpents voice nor the tong taste but there is some gall in that honey nor the hand touch but there is a defilement nor the foot tread but there 's a net and every sense a member of the body ready to be a Judas to the soule to betray her with a kiss Now what wise Simeon will not be willing to depart to exchange a dungeon for a pallace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 copper for gold base beggery for high honour a short lease of base heath of barren and craggy rocks Gen. 3.23 1 Pet. 1.4 for the garden of Eden a paradice nay for an inheritance inmortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and incorruptible For as one said to live here is to be halfe dead at least death hath the all of a great part of our lives and dead works I think have above the one halfe of the most sanctified ones here who yet do die dayly 1 Cor. 15.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may live the more to Jesus Christ For the body the body of death as Paul calls it is but let
fall into the earth to sprout and grow like the corne in the ground to grow incorruptibly spiritually as the Apostle at large speaking of the advantage which the body hath by a blessed death after when til the resurrection the glorified Soul shall not need to return back again into the body both do sweetly repose in their present state till the second appearance of our Lord Phil. 3.21 who shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his most glorious body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Co. 15.42 43. according to his mighty working Thy body in death is made a great gainer in three particulars for it is laid down in corruption but it shall rise in incorruption it 's sowne in dishonour but it is raised in glorie Yea with exact comelines of stature with beautifull proportion where was deformity either by the excess 1 Co. 13.10 or defect of any part there all deformity shall be don away Commonly a litttle before death the body looks pale wan earth-like nay sometimes one may smell earthlinesse and there is a kind of loathsomnes even to dearest and nearest relations immediatly upon the departure of the soule the body begins to be unsavourie as well as unlovely and could the dead body speak it might say to the grave thou art my house To the worm thou art my Mother Job 17.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ge. 23.4.6 and Sister And sweet friends as Jonathan and David will look out a burying place to burie their dead out of their sight But yet in the day of their resurrection the bodies of all blessed Simeons shall rise in great splendour and glory Mat. 6.28 like the lillie root which lies in the winter in the ground but in the summer riseth a well clothed flower very glorious so shall the bodies of the Saints be glorified like the very body of Christ Isa 26.10 now at the right hand of God in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor 15.43 Consider the then constitution of thy new fraile body it was Sowne in weaknes but will be raised in power All constitutions of bodyes be not alike but were thy body of Goliah's strength Goliahs ' yet one languishing sicknes will make thee non able to turne in thy bed or put on clothes or lift thy hand to thy head or set one foot on the ground before another to go But the day is coming blessed saint when thou shalt be raised in a most healthful constitution never more to need meat drink clothes physick-art or any helpe no more weariness sickness hunger cold or nakednes Mat. 22.30 but thou shalt be as the Angels and Saints in Heaven 3. Consider now that thou art a naturall body but thou shalt be raised a spirituall body called so because it shall no longer need any naturall meanes or helps for the presevation nutrition and conservation but shal be wholy delighted in God and in an immediat communion with him shall be filled with God Thou shalt as it were be spirituallized with the nimbleness of a Spirit Aug. so as in a very short time thou maist move from place to place So that saith one where every soul would be by and by it shall be there and you read that suddenly after the resurrection 1 Thes 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our bodies shall be caught up to meet the Lord Christ in the aire which is the beginning of this agility and glory Thus much of the reasons which are 1. From Simeon's deliverance 2. From Simeon's eye of Faith 3. From his imbraces with Christ The 4th consists of these 3 heads 1. The conflict between soul and body 2. The necessity of death 3. The blessed advantage the soul and body find in death in three particulars Application in four Corollaries 1. The first contains matter of instruction with some necessary doubts and objections answered 2. Matter of terrour to wicked men 3. Comfort to the Godly wise 4th Exhortation which runs into 4. branches To be thankfull for this sight of Simeon To prepare timely and solidly for an happy death To submit gratiously to the Lord's dispose of us in life or death To be moderate in mourning at the losse of godly friends Whatsoever death may be to others Corollary yet to all good Simeons it 's a desirable and a singular blessing Such through death do look upon glory on the other side of death who are not sadded at the separation of soul and body because of their eternall conjunction of soul and body with Christ Ignatius his grinding pains were but the mill in which hee was ground to be the finer meal for Christ Jesus his own use Though Christ's soul and body were parted as far as heaven and the grave could be distant yet neither of them sayes one were parted from the deity nor from the Father I confess to naturall men death is terrible and they think with Solomon that a living dog is better then a dead Lyon Eccl. 9.4 and that the basest life is better then any death Indeed they cannot but fear death who fear not God who believe not in Jesus whose wickedness doth cut off all hopes of happiness after death and no marvail for their conscience stings them at the remembrance of death and death is like that murderer 2 Kings 6.32 Which was sent to take away Elishah's head It 's the most unwelcom messinger that ever knockt at their door Or as Belshazzar's hand-writing Dan. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pro. 9. when 't was interpreted whith made him appale tremble for the conscience tels them that no good can come to them by the hand stroak of death nay such do die whiles they be alive by the checks and chidings convictions and condemnations of their evill conscience But what ever it be to wicked men yet to blessed Simeons death hath another face and presence to such it is but their trusty messenger to carry them to their Fathers house to be possessed of their eternall inheritanc◠or else it 's but as Josephs ratling chariot wheels Ge. 45.27 ready to carry Jacob unto his Joseph unto his Jesus For such be sure to dye 1. Comfortably 2. Blessedly First comfortably for out of this eater comes meat and out of this strong comes sweetness Jud. 14.14 as in Sampsons riddle Though I walk through the vallie of the shadow of death saith holy Daniel I will fear no evill Ps 23. for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe do comfort me q. d. I am in the hand of my heavenly Father where can bee no miscarriage Secondly as they bee sure to dye comfortably so also blessedly as Saint John Revel 14.13 Luke 23.43 Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for that very day their soul shall be with Christ in Paradice And so life which keeps the soul from heaven absent from the Lord is a losse to a Saint in
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
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
the chambers of death which is by the way a rich comfort to the saints of God that God Father Son Holy Ghost are in Covenant with bodies Num. 23.10 Ps 102.13 14. as wel as souls yea when they shal be laid in the grave and moultered to dust God is in covenant with that dust with Ahrahams with Isaacs and Jacobs dust with the dust of their seed lying in their graves in which respect the saints bodies are said to sleep in their death to rest in hope Nay I verily believe there is more yet in the dust and bones of dead bodies that they have a kind of desire after resurrection 1 Thes 4.16 Isai 60.1 Isai 26.19 Joh. 5.28 go but into a vault of mens dead bones and tarry there an hour or two and they will draw much of your spirit and livelihood from you put you under great thirst till some days after and after the word of command from Christs mouth to arise to come forth to appear and to stand before Christ to receive their glorious enlargment and blessed investiture into that glorious Kingdom which their Lord Christ hath purchased for all that dye in Jesus Thus our bodies must be set in order before death in these four last mentioned respects 1. They must be mortified crucified bodies 2. Implanted members of Christs body 3. Kept chaste and holy for Christs use 4. Bodies in Covenant with God the Father Son holy Ghost The next duty in the third head incumbent to him that will dye well and preparedly is to set his house in order By the house may be understood the persons dwelling in family with us and more especially the children who are to be disposed of according to their rank condition and capacity as Noah prepared an ark Heb. 11.7 and so his care passed over every one of them Or by house is meant the affairs of the houshold and family thus Joseph is used by Potiphar to manage and order the affairs of his house and family Or else it is taken to dispose of the goods of the family Gen. 39.5 6. to divide and give to every one his portion or estate according unto right reason and natural affection that a mans posterity may more comfortably serve God in the state and condition in which the godly-wise shall see good to leave him thus Abraham before his death gave his Isaac the inheritance and to his other Children hee he gave gifts Gen 25.5 6. and legacies and sent them away while he yet lived and so gave up the ghost See Weams his exposition pag. 80. 81. on Job 5.26 and Gen. 29.8 and died in a good old age an old man and full of years and was gathered to his people to insist a little on this The all wise-disposing providence of our heavenly Father hath laid out the estate and condition of us in which we must serve him in the wel managing of our talents with which he hath intrusted us Mat. 25.15 and of which some have more and some have less of this lumber to possesse yea the very wicked have a just title under God as I prove out of Job Job 9.24 the earth is given into the hands of the wicked to raign and bear rule yea and to be Judges in it and God somtimes himself covers the face of such Judges as a condemned mans face going to execution earth is there put for all terrene and worldly things as the Psalmist even the heavens or the heaven of heavens is the Lords Psal 115.16 but the earth hath he given to the children of men The Lord by deed of gift hath providentially reached out all good things here below promiscously to all men by his own line or meat yard Num. 33.54 saving unto us all here is thy lot thy habitation thy land thy lease thy goods and thy estate thy bound dominion and possession Jos 1â— 6 chap. 18.10 hitherto shall they extend and no further here 's thy confinement with a non ultra yea what ever wicked men come to possess or inherit by adoption descent or succession from fathers grandfathers ancestours or other allyances yet all is the gift of God's common providence and for believers whatsoever they have comes in the name of Christs purchase for them and by speciall covenant and promise unto them Rom. 8.32 for as God spared not his own Son but gave him to dye for them how shall he not with him also freely give them all things which make for their good Earth is given to the sons of men to the just and to the unjust but heaven is given into the faints hands as it were Benjamin's mess I must go one step further yet and that is what wicked men do unlawfully get rake ring cheat rob plunder and by violence and oppression recover and injuriously wrest from others is in a sense the gift of God viz. he permitting them to range a while to prey upon the poor innoceÌ„ the fatherless orphant widow and stranger so he permitted wicked Ahab to kill 1 King 21. Jer. 22.13 and take possession of innocent Naboths Vineyard and he permits Shallum to build his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong to use his neighbours service without wages and saith to him by his Prophet thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for violence to do it all this did our all-wise God order in his common providence to last a while till Shallum had run his course and filled up the measure of his iniquity but then the Lord sends a cruel adversary like a ravening wolf of the evening to execute his just judgment upon Shallum according to that prediction in the seventh vers of the two twentieth of Jeremiah saying ver 7. I will prepare destroyers against thee every one with his weapons and they shall cut down thy choice Cedars and Shallum the son of Josiah King of Judah he shal dye in the place whither they have led him captive ver 12. and he shall see his land no more Now mark how the Lord speaks of this destroyer Nebuchadnezzar by name Jer. 27.6 I have given all these lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babilon my servant and the beasts of the field have I given also to serve him And all nations shall serve him and his son named Evilmerodach 2 Kings 25.27 Jer. 52.31 Dan. 5.1 and his son namely Belshazzar the Lord disposed of those Countries by donat oÌ„ to him yet Nebuchadnezzar invades and spoiles and takes them and theirs by violence upon which say the annotations well that the great God of heaven and earth sent him against a people of the Lords wrath and gâ—ve him a charge to take the spoil Isa 10.6 and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets and he went
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
displeasure or other mutining passion because the main interest of thy friend is laid up in God perhaps thou sayest Oh! it was my dear father my tender mother my sweet brother or sister my son or my daughter whose life and mine seem to be bundled together he or she was my right hand my right eye and will God take such an one from mee I had rather hee should take any one else yea my very self to have spared such an one thus foolishly do some passionate ones rangle with the just determinations of their omnipotent Lord God as churlish Nabal did with well deserving David 1 Sam. 25. Naball refused to part with some of his provisions to relieve David and his hungry souldiers by whom Naball and his flocks had been so preserved Naball answers with expostulations with pleading his propriety in his bread his water and flesh as thou dost thine in thy friends hence he concludes that Davids motion was very unjust and the most unreasonable that could have been made what saith he shal I take my bread my water and my flesh that I have killed and prepared for my sheerers and shall I send it to I know not whom nor whence they be There be many servants now adaies which break away every man from his master What is come upon me saies Naball Who is David who is the son of Jesse See we had need of this moderation when God sends crosse providences to us else we shall murmur against the Lord himself and this murmuring is a great sin The second rule is timely pacification we must not mourn over-much 2 Timely pacification or over-long when God takes away our friends Jer. 31.15 Mat. 2.18 this will be to call Gods wisdome into question it was Rachels fault that she refused to be comforted but it was Jobs high commendation that he was timely quieted and satisfied after the losse of so many friends and such an abounding estate from hence that it was the soveraign Lord God that had done it he composeth his mind and blesseth God not onely when he was full of children and wealth but when he was emptied of both and that by Satans malice and other malignant adversaries even then did Job blesse the Lord Job 12.1 and gave him thanks what for the death of his children what for the losse of his goods and estate what for the loss of his reputation amongst his hollow hearted friends no not simply so but from this consideration it is the great Jehovah the Lord of hosts let God do what he shall please with me with my relations and with all that I call mine yet I stil find abundant cause to thank him what when God shall thunder and lighten against him with storms and tempests from heaven from earth from hell what when hee shal shake the high Cedars as if he meant to pul them up and destroy them root and branch and make the earth to tremble as you may imagine when so many evills crowded in upon him when the grown up children of his own body were slain 1 Pet. 4.14 then to say blessed be the name of the Lord so timely to be content surely the spirit of glory and of God did rest upon humble and holy Job the servant of the Lord. The spirit is out of rest like Noahs dove hove ring about not finding where to rest the soul of her foot till she came to the Ark so the Godly-wise under their soaking afflictions go from place to place till they come to the Lords sanctuary and mercy seat where they find rich materialls of praising and blessing God in their afflictions and for their afflictions suppose it be losse of an eminent father or any other neere or dear relation of children as Jobs was Job 1.13 to the 20. they feasting one another to maintain and enjoy brotherly love and concord then to bee destroyed by a violent tempest beating down the house by the power and malice of the Devill who also but a little before had all his camells taken by plunder and his servants slain by the cruell sword a litttle before that also had his flock of sheep and his servants with them burnt with fire from Heaven and a little before that had his oxen plowing and his Asses feeding by them all violently taken away by the Sabeans which aggravating gradations might have eternized his sorrows but holy Job wel had learned that as God is not always chiding neither must we be always mourning besides he did assure himself that the rod of the wicked Ps 103.9 Ps 125.3 shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous and however it be yet God is good to his Israel Thirdly for satisfaction which respects the goodnesse of God towards thee and towards thy lost friends Friends in Gods name mourn yet cōsider that your friend that is dead did war a good warfare 2 Tim. 4.7 combate with implacable foes did fight the good fight did finish his course did keep the faith and was kept by the mighty power of God to salvation Consider he is now dead in the peace of God and is even now enjoying what was promised in Abraham's bosom is now reaping what he sowed and insulting over all his spirituall adversaries faith is now in fruition thy friends soul is now wearing that Crown of glory which Christ had purchased with his dearest blood And now consider is it any branch of religious reason now to be murmuring and complaining of our losse as if it had been irrepairable to our selves or our friends since our friend is with the Lord Rom. 8.37 is more then a conqueror through him that loved him and is rejoicing praising and magnifying the Lord as for other mercies so for death which came so seasonably and so graciously to deliver Christ's prisoner out of durance to discharge Christ's valiant souldier from fighting with spirituall adversaries who command to triumph for ever over them to live and reign with Christ in heaven and to bee enthroniz'd into a kingdom of glory and to be actually in the great assembly saying Rev. 19.1.3 and singing Hallelujah Hallelujah salvation power and glory bee to our God Hallelujah the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Well then let us be glad rejoice since living friends are no loosers by thy gracious friends departure and since deceased friends are such gainers put off your sable weeds and rejoice for such as you believe do dye in the Lord imitate their holy foot-steps Phil. 3.17 follow them as they followed Christ put on the milkie white garments of holiness and righteousness all your days till you can say you are gainers by death and shal in God's time be translated to be for ever with your friends Rom. 16.7 who were in Christ before you as Saint Paul spake went to heaven before you to see enjoy that salvation which Simeon spake of in the text where you shall
us as we them being made like to Christ's most glorious body Thou then who hast been long a mourner gather up thy spirits God hath provided thou shalt not want thy friend himself will make up all to thee so far as is good for thee as he did to Job before his hand is not straightned he can raise up better friends and compose thy spirit with an holy contentment Ambros stantem lego flentem non lego as the Father says he did the spirit of the virgin Mary who standing by the crosse of Christ was not seen to let fall one tear Sixtly and lastly be perswaded to quit thy surcharged heart of all sad disquietting thoughts for immoderate grief may not bee continued without the sin of muttering and murmuring against the all-wise providence of God which is high rebellion against his wisedom and dignity as if thou poor shallow creature knewest better then he what was or what had been best go to God in faith cast thy selfe down before him humbly believingly for there 's enough in God to make thee whole go to him in humble prayer commend thy case absolutely to him and engage thy self determinately to bee at his appointment in this thy present condition and say Lord I am in thine hand do by me thy servant and mine as shall se em good in thine eyes And lastly acquiesce sweetly in the sufficiency and al-sufficiency of thy Lord God And this is the fourth exhortation wherein we had the obsequies of friends mourning for them that dye in the Lord in seven particulars and rules unto mourners in six particulars Thus have I endeavoured according to my weak measure and small talent to raise up and revive departed Simeon that in him I might set before you a gracious servant of the Lord who lived holiâ—y and dyed happily and left a sweet savour behind him unto succeeding generations that in ages to come the people of God may walk in the way which he had proved and hold by the golden line of Simeon's faith till they depart in peace and their eyes do see their salvation as Simeon did which the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ vouchsafe unto us of his everlasting love and infinite mercy Amen and Amen FINIS In obitum Illustrissimi viri ROBERTI HARLEY Equitis honoratissimi ordinis Balnei MUsarum vertex obiit fidúmque Minervae Palladium patriae gloria fama togae Quem culmen sibi quem coryphaeum agnóve togati Quem sibi legerunt omnibus Alpha libris Pauperibus quorum tenuis sors esse negabat Edoctos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utrumque dedit Nec cessat propriis de vectigalibus haustis Flaminibus stipem larga dicare manus Quin nummis puduit perituris parcere major Cui proventus opes non habuisse fuit Cumque ipso navem quisquam conscendit eandem Cui virtus fuerat cui cynosura fides Eximium hinc meritus titulum non ille creatus Sed proprio fuerat munere factus eques Quippe suas sumpsit solâ virtute secures Ipse sibi Consul fascis ipse sibi Quem nec honor nec seduxit commissa potestas Sed regere populum novit imperium Quotquot Jacobo numerabat rege senatus Anglia te vivo Carole quotquot erat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Senatoris toties excepit haeres Successórque fuit continuò ipse suus Hunc duo Postremi tantúm exclusere senatus Et solùm canâ fronte Senator erat Tandem obiens cecinit Servum dimitte salute Vitâ quae tecum condita Christe fuit Plenâ mente fide possis ut dicere rursus Vel nasci Christum vel Simeona mori 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉