The Christians Defense Against the Fears of Death, Chapter 20
CHAP. 20.
The eighth Conſolation is to conſider, that Death frees and delivers us from all the Evils that are in the World, and that we daily ſuffer.
THere are certain Pictures with two Faces, the one repreſents moſt ugly Features, and the other, beautiful and pleaſant things; This is the true Emblem of Death, for it may be painted with a fearful Face, a lean Body, and iron Hands, that raviſh from us our Goods and our Honors, and that divide our Perſons, dragging our bodies into a loathſome Sepulchre; If we look upon Death in this manner, we can do nothing leſs, but tremble and fear; We may alſo look upon it as a powerful Deliverer, that unlooſeth all our Fetters, breaks our Chains to pieces, lifts up our Souls to the higheſt Glory and Happineſs; If we conſider thus, there is nothing more lovely than death, and nothing more to be deſired.
I have hitherto endeavoured to ſhew how a Believer ſhall ſtrengthen and comfort himſelf againſt the fears of Death, but now I ſhall ſay ſomething more; with Heavens aſſiſtance, I ſhall labor to prove, not only, that Death is to be expected without apprehenſion, but to be received with an Holy Joy; That it is not at all dreadful, but rather it is to be earneſtly deſired; I ſhall no longer give, to ſpeak right, any Conſolations againſt the fears of Death, for I hope to make it plain, that Death it ſelf is to be looked upon as the greateſt Conſolation and Comforter,
That I may attain unto mine end, I ſhall ſhew as in a Picture, a ſhort view of all the dreadful miſeries, of which Death delivers us, and then I ſhall endeavour to paint out in the brighteſt Colours; or rather I ſhall chaulk out unto you, the Bleſſedneſs and Glories, into which it uſhers us.
Man's Life and Miſery, are Twin-Siſters, that are born at the ſame time, and owned Adam for their Firſt Father; they dye together at the ſame inſtant in true Believers, We all know that Man begins his Life weeping and crying, and ends it with ſighs and Groans; We come into the World all covered with Bloud, and we go out wet all over with a cold Sweat. If the Child cries not, aſſoon as it is born, we judge that it is dead, and when the ſick Body ceaſeth to groan and ſigh, we ſay that he is paſt hopes, ſo that as our crying is a token of Life, likewiſe is and the end of thy ſighs, an infallible ſigne of thy Death; Wretched Man! how miſerable is thy condition? thy beſt friends rejoyce at thy crying, and they weep and lament, when thou ceaſeſt to ſigh and groan.
All the reſt of thy time between thy Cradle and thy Grave is no happier; it is but a continued Chain of Miſery, a mixture of pains, a ſucceſſion of evils, and a Sea of bitterneſs, As one Wave falls upon the back of another, one evil is no ſooner gone, but another meets and threatens us, one depth calleth another, and all manner of Flouds and Storms paſs over our Heads, Job 5. As the Sparks rife out of the Fire to fly up and down, Man is born for Miſery and Pain; and as the wiſeſt of Kings ſpeaks, His days are nothing but pain, and his employment but trouble, in the night his Heart reſteth not, Eccleſ. 3, There are ſcarce any dwellings, but Meſſengers of ill news do ſometimes come to them, as they did to that of Job, Job. 1.
By God's unchangeable order and appointment, the days ſucceed the nights, and divide the year into two equal parts; for if the nights are longer in one ſeaſon, ſo much the ſhorter are they in another; but the nights of our afflictions are ſo long, that they ſeem to laſt ſeveral Ages; whereas the days of our proſperity are ſo ſhort, that they are gone in a moment, ſo that we may juſtly ſay with the Prophet Moſes, The beſt of our days are but labour and ſorrow, ſo ſoon doth our life paſs away, and we are gone, Pſal. 90. It is as eaſy a taske to number the Stars of the Firmament, and to reckon up the grains of Sand upon the Sea ſhore, as to make an exact enumeration of all the evils, that happen to us as Men belonging to a civil Society, or as Members of God's and Church, his adopted Children; therefore old Jacob had cauſe to complain that the years of his life had been ſhort, and evil, but ours are ſo evil, that they cannot be too ſhort.
I ſhould compoſe many Volumes, if I ſhould undertake to deſcribe perfectly all the infirmities and diſeaſes that undermine the Body, all the cutting pains, and cruel tortures that torment and rack us.
The moſt languiſhing ſickneſſes, and the moſt violent pains that afflict and diſturb this poor Body, are nothing, in compariſon of the exceſſive ſadneſs and mortal anguiſh that ſeize upon our Souls, and fill them full of Gall and Bitterneſs. I think that there is no man upon Earth, that can boaſt of having paſs'd but one day without ſome diſpleaſure, either inward or outward; for we either feel preſent evils that ſtrike through our Hearts, as ſo many Darts, or the remembeance of former Griefs, that trouble us, or elſe the fear of future miſchances vex and fret us; I may juſtly ſay, that the Devil is not ſo cruel to himſelf, as we are to our own perſons, for this evil Spirit cares not to be tormented before the time, whereas we anticipate the evils, by unquiet apprehenſions, and wilful vexations entertained in our mind. The fear of Miſery makes us far more miſerable, and the apprehenſion of an imaginary evil, cauſeth us to reſent a real affliction, and an unfeigned torment.
When we conſider any Mans Life, we only look upon that which appears moſt delightful and pleaſant; we conſider the Nobility of his Bloud, the variety of his Pleaſures, the greatneſs of his Riches, the glory of his Offices and Victories, and the pomp of his Triumphs; but ſcarce is there any man that takes notice of his miſeries and afflictions; or if ſome be noted, they are but ſuch as are too obvious to every man's Eye; as the publick affronts and diſgraces, the loſs of a Battel, the degradation from an Office, Baniſhments, Impriſonments, and ſuch like unhappy afflictions; but beſides theſe calamities which are viſible to all the World, and the common motives of the condoling lamentations of our friends; there are many ſecret evils that be far more painful; our deareſt Relations diſcover not always our moſt ſenſible wounds, to pour into them an healing Balm; they ſeek not into our deepeſt ſorrows, nor do they dream of applying, to our ſouls, the moſt proper Comforts.
When ye behold Stage-Players capring upon a Theatre, ſpeaking as big as Kings and Princes, you ſeldom think, that under their Magnificent and Glorious Attire, they hide many filthy Rags, and perhaps ſome incommodious Vermin that ſtings them to the quick. Likewiſe, when you caſt your Eyes upon the Riches, Glory, Pomp, and Magnificence of Worldly Men, you don't diſcover and ſee the Canker-worm that gnaws their Hearts, and the ſecret Fire that devours their Souls. Some there be that laugh in publick before company, and appear with a merry countenance, who are full of deſpair, and in private, tear off their Hair, ſigh, and pour forth abundance of Tears. Some feed themſelves before the World with the moſt delicious Meats and Drink the rareſt Wines, but inwardly they are glutted with poiſon and gaul. This was the conſideration of the wiſeſt of Kings, when he writ this Sentence, I have ſaid of laughter, it is mad, and of gladneſs, what profiteth it? Eccleſ. 2.
As Poverty and a mean Eſtate are always accompanied with a grievous Train of fretful ſorrows and cares, Likewiſe; Riches and Honors are never without Fears and Diſturbances; and as there is no Flame never ſo pure, but ſends up a Smoak; nor a Roſe ſo beautiful, but hath its prickles; ſo there is no condition in the World, ſo beautiful and glorious, nor any proſperity ſo well flouriſhing, but hath its troubles and ſharp Thorns. Every Man upon Earth (without exception) bears his Croſs, or hath a grievous Thorn in his ſide. The Moth ſticks to the richeſt Stuffs, and the Worm, …e…s …nto the heart of the richeſt Flowers and Fruits; and the Thunderbolt ſtrikes down the loftieſt Oaks the higheſt Steeples, and the moſt glorious Palaces. Likewiſe, Care and Grief commonly eat up the flower of the great Proſperities, and the nobleſt Dignities are often ſubject to the ſtrangeſt alterations, and to the moſt terrible downfals. The richeſt Crowns caſt all their ſplendor and glory outwardly, but inwardly they are felt to be weighty upon the Heads of ſuch as bear them. A great Prince found his Diadem ſo burdenſom, and unſufferable, that he cried out, O Crown! if thy weight were well known, none would lift thee up from the ground, It is not without good cauſe, that ſuch as are paſſionate for the World, and inclinable to the delights of the Fleſh, are in a continual fear and dread, for they be expoſed to moſt imminent dangers; if their Eyes were but open, they ſhould ſee a naked Sword always hanging by a ſmall thread over their Heads. As in that glorious Statue which Nebuchadnezar ſaw in his dream, the Head that was of pure Gold, was as eaſily broken, as the Earthen feet, and became as light as Chaff, which the Wind carries away. Likewiſe, the moſt Honourable, the Richeſt, and the moſt Glorious Eſtate, is as well ſubject to the ſame miſchances, as the Loweſt, the Pooreſt, and the moſt Wretched; where are any Riches and Treaſuries that are not ſucceeded by Poverty? Where rides that Pride and Pomp that hath not ſhame to attend it? Is there any grandeur in the Age, not ſubject to the furious blaſts of Envy? Where is that lighted Taper, that a Whirlwind, and a ſtorm of Rain cannot put out? Chriſtian Souls, take good notice of the Fruits which the World gives to its Servants and Children, and you ſhall find that they are well like to certain Apples of America, of an excellent beauty, and of a ſweet Smell; and nevertheleſs they are full of the rankeſt poiſon, that kills, infallibly, ſuch as unadviſedly eat them. There is no ſweetneſs ſo great upon Earth, but hath a mixture of bitter; nor joy ſo pure and laſting, but is often interrupted with Sighs and Tears. The rareſt Pleaſures have a ſad countenance, and a groaning Accent; our Hearts, in the midſt of laughter, feel an oppreſſion, and our joy is accompanied with ſorrow; Therefore when the moſt experienced of all former Princes, had taken an exact notice of all things under the Sun, and taſted of all the delights of Life, he concludes with this confeſſion, That all things under the Sun are nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit.
It is not needful that I ſhould make here an exact, and a particular deſcription of all the ſad and troubleſome accidents of this life, that are able to turn the moſt flouriſhing Eſtate upſide-down. Remember, ingenious Reader, to run over carefully the whole courſe of thy life, and examine in the juſt Seales of the Sanctuary, all the good and evil things which thou haſt found by experience. In one put all the ſatisfactions of thy Fleſh, and whatſoever brings thee any advantage or content; and put in the other all thy fretful Cares, Griefs, Diſpleaſures, and Diſgraces. If thy Evils and Miſeries do not weigh down the Ballance, thou mayeſt eſteem it a wonder and a miracle. Thou haſt no cauſe to boaſt of thine Earthly Happineſs. Mind well the ſpeech of Solon, one of the ſeven Wiſe Men of Greece, to Creſus, a Prince who prided in his Riches and Proſperity, That none could be eſteemed happy, before his latter end, and the hour of his death. Conſider, that ſome who have attained to a greater degree of Happineſs, then thou haſt, have fallen into a moſt wretched Eſtate on a ſuddain. He that did lately ſwim in Wealth and Plenty, is reduc'd oft-times to the loweſt Poverty. He that had whole Armies at his Command, is ſometimes forſaken of all the World. He that had Princes for his Subjects, is often forced to obeya Slave. Some that fed daintily, are glad to eat at preſent the Bread of Affliction, and to quench their thirſt with tears. Some that lately flouriſhed in gorgeous Apparel, in Palaces bedecked with Gold and Silver, are now rotting in a loathſome Dungeon. Some are dragg'd from their moſt glorious Dwellings, to the moſt infamous Deaths. The richeſt and nobleſt Crowns have not protected the wiſeſt Heads.
When it ſhould be poſſible to go through this life without feeling any alteration in thine health, nor ſuffering any loſs of Goods, nor change of thy happy condition, which is as rare a thing to be found, as the ſtrange Bird called a Phenix. Haſt thou no Children, Parents, nor Friends whom thou loveſt, or oughteſt to love tenderly? are thoſe Perſons without any affliction? and is it not poſſible that it ſhould ſeize upon them? certainly, unleſs thou haſt an Heart as unſenſible, as the Marble and the Steel; unleſs thou haſt renounced all natural affections, thou muſt needs be moved with theſe evils and diſgraces that happen to them in their life; and when death ſnatcheth them away, it muſt needs tear thy very Heart, and rent thy Bowels.
But if it ſhould happen, which is not to be believed, that nothing hath ever afflicted thee in thine own Perſon, or in that of thy Friends; and if all ſuch as are related to thee, live in a perfect and flouriſhing proſperity, like unto thoſe Countreys of the other World, that are always covered with Flowers and Fruits; caſt thine Eyes upon the Earth, and thou ſhalt there behold ſo many evils and calamities, that if thou haſt any common ſence of Humanity, thou ſhalt have cauſe to weep. God commanded the Prophet Jeremiah, to deliver the Cup of his Wrath to ſeveral People, one after another, but now, it ſeems, that he delivers this Cup to them all at once; for where is that People or Nation that may boaſt of never having drunk of it, and of not being in danger of drinking; ſome have drunk it up to the very dregs, others drink it by degrees; others have this bitter Cup brought to their Lips.
Our Saviour cauſed his beloved Diſciple to ſee two Angels, that had each of them in his hand a ſharp Sickle to reap the Corn, and gather the Grapes. Revel. 14. Afterwards he diſcover'd to him ſeven more, that had in their Hands Golden Viols, full of the wrath of God, which they poured upon the Inhabitants of the World, to plague and puniſh them, Revel. 15. But at preſent, the Holy Angels appear in Troops and Legions, to cut off Mankind, and to tranſport them to the Winepreſs of God's Eternal Vengeance. The wrath of God ſeems no more to be meaſured out by Viols, nor by Cups, but it appears as a great River, and a bottomleſs Sea, that ſwels, and runs over the Shore and the Banks. In ſhort, the deluge of Evils that covers the face of the Earth, is ſo univerſal, that the Doves, I mean the innocent and meek Souls that love Peace and Reſt, can find no place to fix and ſettle their Feet.
If thou haſt any Chriſtian Zeal and Charity to aſſiſt thy Sence of Humanity; thou canſt not poſſibly behold with unconcern'd Affections, the deſpicable and dangerous Eſtate of Chriſt's Church on Earth; for it is like Noah's Ark in the midſt of the roaring Waves; Like the burning Buſh of Mount Oreb, ſurrounded with Flames; Like the Prophet Daniel in the Lion's Den, and like his companions in the fiery Furnace, ſo that it may juſtly ſpeak in the ſame manner as the antient Jeruſalem, Is it nothing to you, all ye that paſs by? behold and ſee, if there be any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger, Lam. 1. O Bleſſed Church of God, thou haſt felt perſecution from thine Infancy, until now, Pſal. 119. Prepare therefore thy ſelf to ſuffer much more in this decay, and old age of the World, for the Devil will perſecute thee with ſo much the more fury and violence, becauſe he knows that he hath but a ſhort time, and that he muſt be ſoon ſhut up in the Lake of Fire and Brimſtone.
In this caſe, Grief is not only lawful, but commanded, for God requires us to put on Sackcloth and Aſhes, Iſ. 12. He deſires that we ſhould be ſick for the troubles of Joſeph, Amos 6. That we ſhould weep with them that weep, Rom. 12. That we ſhould remember the priſoners, as if we were priſoners with them, and that we ſhould ſuffer with them that are tormented, as being members of one Body, Heb. 12. We have good reaſon to apply to the World, and to the Worldlings, David's ſaying, Wo is me that I ſojourn in Meſech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar, my Soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace, Pſal. 120. Jeremiah had never ſo much cauſe as we to lament, and to wiſh that his Head were diſſolved into Water, his Eyes were a fountain of Tears to weep day and night, Jer. 9. And the Prophet Iſaiah had never ſo much reaſon to cry out in the diſpleaſure of his Soul, Look away from me, I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, becauſe of the ſpoiling of the Daughter of my People, Iſ. 22.
It is not therefore without good cauſe, that the Preacher acquaints us, That the day of Death is far better than the day of our birth; for our Birth cauſeth us to weep, and Death wipes off all Tears from our Eyes; our Birth diſcovers that large Theatre upon which, all Worldly Tragedies are acted; Death draws the Curtain, puts a period to all ſuch bloudy Spectacles; Our Birth caſts us into the Fire and Water of divers afflictions; and Death draws us out of the Flames and Bitterneſs. Finally, ſeeing that our Life is but a Chain of Miſery, and that Death breaks in pieces the laſt link; ſeeing that our Life is but a continual Fighting, and that death alone is the Victory; It is moſt certain, that this death is not to be feared as an evil and an enemy, but it is rather to be deſired as a good Friend, and a Bleſſing. It is reported of the Thracians, that they buried their dead with expreſſions of joy; and the Inhabitants of the fortunate Iſlands did Sing and Dance at the Funerals of their deareſt Friends. I don't recommend theſe fooliſh examples of theſe extravagant and barbarous People, who were without Hope, and without God in the World; ſuch cannot fear death too much, for if it frees them from ſome preſent and light evils, it caſts them into an Abyſſe of exceſſive torments; Death is an Happineſs, it brings with it ſolid Comfort and Joy, but it is when we dye in God's Favour, and in the Faith of our Lord Jeſus; God hath ſufficiently declared the Happineſs and Pleaſure of his Childrens death, for he doth often abridge the days of thoſe whom he favours and eſteems. Becauſe he had ſeen ſome good things in the perſon of Abijah, the eldeſt Son of Jeroboam, King of Iſrael, he took him away in the flower of his Age, 1 Kings 14. He granted the ſame favour to Joſias, King of Judea, one of the moſt Religious Princes of the World, for he had declared to him by Hulda the Propheteſs, Behold, I will gather thee unto thy Fathers, and thou ſhalt be gathered into thy Grave in peace, and thine eyes ſhall not ſee all the evil which I will bring upon this place, 2 Kings 22. It is not to be doubted, but that ſuch are moſt happy, as die in the Lord, and reſt from their Labours; but I judge ſuch happy in a twofold manner, as Dye, or rather ceaſe from Dying in ſuch miſerable times, ſo full of confuſion and diſorder.
Would not you laugh at a Workman that ſhould grieve when his Task is ended, and his Labour finiſhed; or at a Wayfaring Man, that ſhould lament to ſee the end of his painful journey through Prickles and Thorns, and the ſcorching heat of the Sun, or the unſufferable cold of the Winter. Or would you not wonder at one that ſhould vex himſelf, when he is ſafely arrived in the Haven, eſcaped the Waves of a tempeſtuous Sea, and in a ſhelter from the Storms. Wretched Man! thou art far more fooliſh and extravagant, than thoſe of whom we ſpeak; for the moſt painful Labours of a Workman, the moſt grievous wearineſs of a tedious journey, and the ſwelling Waves of a troubled Sea, are nothing in compariſon of the Labours, Miſery, and Troubles of this languiſhing Life. You would, doubtleſs, eſteem it a very great folly and madneſs in a priſoner, to be ſorry of being delivered out of his noiſome Dungeon; or in a Gally-Slave, to be angry when he is to be loos'd from his Chains; or in an offender, to vex when he is freed from his Torments. What think ye? is there leſs madneſs and extravagancy in you, when ye are grieved to ſee death, freeing your Souls from this miſerable Body, where it is impriſon'd, withdrawing it from the painful employments of this unhappy Age, more grievous and intolerable than that of the Gally-ſlaves, and diſcharging you from the troubles of the Soul, far more painful, than the moſt unſufferable tortures of the Body; no, no, death that thou dreadeſt ſo much, is not the death of the faithful, but the end of his miſeries, and the laſt period of all his torments, Gen. 8. Noah when he went out of the Ark that ſtopt upon Mount Ararat, had never ſo much cauſe to praiſe God, and to offer unto him the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving; as we have, when he is pleaſed to cauſe us to ſee the end of the Inundation of ſo many evils and calamities, and to make this floating Life, or this living Death, to ſtop upon Mount Sion.
The Children of Iſrael ſung Songs of Thankſgiving, when they came out of Egypt, and ſaw themſelves deliver'd out of a bitter and painful Bondage; where they had been employed in gathering up Stubble, and burning Brick; but we have much more cauſe to rejoyce and to ſing Songs of Praiſe, when Death takes us out of the World, where we ſuffer a kind of bondage, laboring in vain employments, and enduring the ſcorching heat of many afflictions that conſume us. Thou findeſt fault with ſome of the unconſtant people that murmured to return again into Egypt, when they were upon the borders of the promiſed Land, but rather find fault with thine own filthy fleſh; if it offers to murmure and revolt, when thou art at the entrance of thy Celeſtial Canaan; Joſeph rejoyced when the King of Aegypt ſent for him out of priſon, Gen. 41. and have we not cauſe to be joyful, when God ſends for our Souls out of the World, and cauſeth them to go out of their Bodies, which to them is a kind of a Dungeon?
If therefore we can ſpeak without impatient murmuring; I conceive we have as good reaſon as Jonas, to ſay, O Lord, take, I beſeech thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to dye than to live, Jonas 4. Or, as the Prophet Elias, It is enough, Lord, take away my life. 1 Kings 19. Such a Soul, may in an Holy tranſport, ſafely ſpeak in the language of David, the Man after God's own Heart, Bring my Soul out of priſon, that I may praiſe thy name, the righteous ſhall compaſs me about, for thou ſhalt deal bountifully with me, Pſal. 141.
A Prayer and Meditation for a Chriſtian, who comforts himſelf with the Conſideration that Death delivers us from all evils, which are ſo numerous in the World, and which ſo often aſſault us.
O Glorious Prince of my Salvation! thou haſt hitherto ſtrengthened me againſt all fears of Death, but now I beſeech thee with all mine Heart, to give me Grace, that death may not terrify and afflict me; but alſo fill me full of Joy and Comfort. Suffer me not to be like thy People Iſrael, when they had forgotten their hard and cruell Bondage; when they thought upon the Pleaſures and Plenty of Egypt, they did mutiny to return thither again, when they were upon the borders of Canaan. Give me Grace, O my God, to blot out of my Soul the fancy for the vain delights of the World, and for the deceitſul Pleaſures of this wretched Fleſh. Let me have always in my mind the Labours, the Pains and Troubles of this miſerable Life, that I may continually look upon Death in the ſame manner as the Workman looks upon the end of his days work; As the Wayfaring man looks upon the end of his Journey; and as the Traveller looks upon the Haven of his laſt Reſt. Let me often meditate upon theſe horrible confuſions that are this day in the World, the Deluge of all manner of Evils that cover the face of the Earth, the Rivers and Streams of Bloud that is ſhed, the Fires and the Swords that devour ſo many. Let me never forget the ſad and lamentable ſtate of thy poor Church, that is like a ſmall Boat upon the Waves of the Sea, always in danger of ſinking; if thou didſt not ſtill the Winds, and Command the roaring Storms; it is in the World, as it were in a flanting Furnace, ready to be conſumed, if thou didſt not withdraw from thence the furious heat, Or in the midſt of Lions that would ſoon devour it, if thou didſt not cloſe their jaws. O my God, when wilt, thou ſhut mine Eyes, that I may not ſee ſo many Tragical appearances. When wilt thou ſtretch out unto me from above thine Hand, to draw me out of this Abyſſe of Wickedneſs? When wilt thou ſend down unto me thine Holy Angels, to carry me out of this grievous burning? When is it that I ſhall ſee no more the Nations drunk with the Wine of thy Fury; and thy Holy Church ſtooping under the heavy weight of its Croſs? When ſhall I hear no more the bitter complaints of thy Spouſe; the lamentations of thy Children, the groans of thy Servants, the ſighs of the Priſoners, and the mournings of thine Inheritance. O Heavenly Father, my only Hope, and my All! When wilt thou looſe me from this Chain of Miſery? When wilt thou carry me above the reach of the Storms and Tempeſts of this troubleſom Sea? When ſhall the cares and griefs ceaſe to devour my Soul, and when ſhall my Body no more be ſubject to Sickneſs and Pain, and Torments. O Lord, thou knownſt all things; thou ſeeſt that I am in the World as in a Priſon, and that my Soul is in this wretched Body, as in a woful Dungeon. Cauſe therefore thine Heavenly Light to ſhine upon me thy Servant; ſtrike me with thy merciful Hand, and awake me out of my dumpiſh and ſottiſh Humour; cauſe all my Chains to fall off, and open unto me the Gates of this black Priſon, that I may go out and follow willingly the ſteps of that good Angel, that intends to take me out of this miſerable Captivity, and ſecure me for ever from the malicious deſignes of Satan and the World, that endeavour to deſtroy me, and triumph over my Miſery. When I ſhall be in the ſtreets of thine Heavenly Jeruſalem, I ſhall then know for certain, that thou haſt delivered me; I ſhall then praiſe thy wonderful Works in the Company and Church of the Firſt-born, that rejoyce in Heaven, where the former miſeries ſhall no more be remembred, where there ſhall be neither Crying nor Pain; where we ſhall not be tormented with Hunger and Thirſt, and where no Affliction ſhall diſturb us, for the Lamb that is in the midſt of the Throne ſhall feed, and lead us to the Fountains of living Water, where be ſhall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes, Amen.