Death the Sweetest Sleep, Title page – Dedication
Death the ſweeteſt Sleep, OR A SERMON Preach't on the FUNERAL OF Mr. WILLIAM HIETT, Late CITIZEN of LONDON.
By Tho. Lye, Mr. of Arts, and formerly Miniſter of the Goſpel in Alhallows Lombard-ſtreet, London.
LONDON, Printed by J. R. for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the lower end of Cheapſide. 1681.
The Epiſtle Dedicatory.
To the worthily Reſpected. Mrs. ANNE HIETT, Relict of Mr. WILLIAM HIETT lately Deceaſed.
CHRISTIAN FRIEND,
THis plain Sermon was lately Preacht, and is now Printed at your requeſt. What you heard with your Ear then, you will now ſee preſented To your Ey, with ſome few additions, which my Time then did not permit me To touch upon. It hath been Alwaies my judgment, That, when Miniſters of the Goſpel ar called forth To improve funeral obſequies, their proper Work is not ſo much To launch out into prais, and panegyric of the Dead, as to excite, and profit the Living. By this compaſs I hav endeavoured to ſteer in this diſcourſ. And herein, the judg of Hearts knows, my Heart, and Ey, and Aim were ſteadily fixt on the Spiritual, and Eternal Weal of that good Society, whereof, through Grace, I am an unworthy Paſtour, and you, A becoming Member.
I told them then, and I tell you now, that the Time of our departure to our Beds of Earth was at hand, that we muſt all, certainly, if not ſodainly ſleep in the duſt, and if ſo, may not the Bleſſed Moſes his pathetick breathing be lookt on as a rational inference from that deep conſideration. O that they were wiſe, that they underſtood this, that they would conſider their latter end, Deut. 32.29. That you ar not now to begin that great Work, I do not queſtion, and do promiſe my ſelf, that, in Gods ſtrength, you will vigorouſly endeavour ſo to improve this fatal ſtroke, as, by it, the more To meditate on, and prepare for your laſt, laſting, endleſs end. You well underſtand the great Work, and Buſineſs, that you have yet To do, before you fall Aſleep. — It is certainly, ſo to liv, as that you may cheerfully welcom Death as a reconciled Friend, or believingly defy it as a conquer'd Enemy. To that end, you will go on more, and more To clear up your intereſt in that Chriſt, who hath Turn'd the worſt of poiſons into the Beſt of Antidotes, transform'd Death into ſleep. To liv in the conſtant Acts, and Exerciſes of your Graces, ſpecially Faith, Repentance, Self-denial, Heavenly-mindedneſs. To liv, whilſt in, Abov this vain, falſ, vexing World. To walk before God in Truth, and with a perfect Heart. And do but Ask your own experience, whether That be not the way to be in Heaven here, when even on A ſuppoſed Death-Bed. To have your Lamp ſo fill'd with Oil, ſo fairly trimm'd, and cleerly burning, as that when you com to die, you may have nothing elſ left to do, but to die, to die in Chriſt, to ſleep in him, and, at his return, ariſe, and liv for ever with him. That thus you may reſolv, and do, thus liv, and dy, both is, and ſhall be the fervent praier of
Clapham, Aug. 15th. 81. Your ſympathizing Friend and Paſtor, Tho. Lye.