Concerning Death and Heaven, Chapter 6

Concerning Death and Heaven · Chapter 6

p. 152CHAP. VI.

Objections againſt Death, and Ʋnwillingneſs to die anſwered, Conſolations againſt the Fear of Death in general. Comforts againſt the Death of Friends and Relations in particular. The Saints great Gain by Death, propounded as a Motive and Encouragement unto Christians againſt the Fears of it.

THough it be the Duty of Chriſtians to die willingly, yea with Courage and Joy to commit their Souls into the hands of God; yet are there many, who cannot overcome their fears of death, ſo as to be willing to die; and the Reaſons thereof are ſuch as theſe.

Firſt, ſay ſome, We could be content to die, had we but attained unto ſixty or ſeventy years as ſome Men do; but alas, we are young, in the prime of our years, and in the ſtrength of our Days: The Sun of our Life hath not been long up; and muſt it go back, and decline, yea and ſet alſo already? We are willing to die hereafter; but O that God would ſpare us a little longer.

To this, I anſwer, theſe are fooliſh pityings of thy ſelf: For if it pleaſe the Great God, in whoſe Hands thy life is, thy breath, and all thy ways, that thou muſt die young, haſt thou any Injuſtice to charge him withal? What wrong hath he done thee in cutting ſhort the thread of thy life? Thou haſt forfeited thy life into his Hands long ſince; p. 153and if ſparing Mercy hath continued the Forfeiture, and given thee a ſpace and time of Repentance, though not ſo long as thou deſireſt; yet more than thou deſerveſt, yea and more than he owed thee: Thou ſhouldſt therefore rather be thankful for it, and with all diligence improve it, than repine that it is ſo ſhort, or be unwilling to part with it ſo ſoon: For though long life may be a Bleſſing, yea is promiſed ſo; yet if thou art a Believer, a ſhort life ſhall be no Curſe unto thee. To a pardoned Soul, all things are Bleſſings, yea Death it ſelf; for the bitterneſs of it is taken away. Righteous Abel though young dies, and dies by Murder; whilſt wicked Cain the Murderer of him, lives ſome hundreds of years after. When God who is the great Lord of Time, and meaſures out to every one what number of days they ſhall live, hath appointed unto thee the day and hour of thy departure; though the days of thy life be but as a ſpan long, compared with the lives of others; yet is it in vain to contend with God; thou may'ſt trouble thy ſelf, and make thy life uncomfortable, but thou can'ſt not alter God's Decrees; for he is of one Mind, as Job ſpeaks, and who can turn him? That is, none can; and therefore chearfully yield up thy ſelf unto his Will.

But poſſibly thou wilt ſay, I would live longer, that I might ſerve and honour God more.

If thou art ſincere in what thou ſayeſt, it is well; but if God will take the Will for the Deed, and accept of what thou haſt done already, and reward thee with the eternal Enjoyment of himſelf immediately, haſt thou any Cauſe to complain? What if thou getteſt to Heaven twenty, or thirty years before thy Father or Brother, or many other of thy Acquaintance, that are travelling with their Faces Heaven-ward, and have been ſo many years already; p. 154Will it grieve thee that thou art got to Heaven too ſoon, where if thou art a Chriſtian thou always haſt a deſire to be? I aſſure thee thy Friends and Relations, though they may not envy thy Happineſs; yet if they had but once taſted the Sweetneſs thereof, their longings after it would be ſo great, that they would continually cry out, Oh Time haſten and flee away, that we may come to the full Enjoyment of our longed for Happineſs. Hath God caſt thee, O Chriſtian, upon a Bed of Pain and Sorrow, and is it likely to prove thy Death-bed? Are there ſuch Symptoms of thy departure, that God ſeems to tell thee plainly thou ſhalt die, and not live? O do not reply and ſay, It is too ſoon yet, thou art too young to die and go to Heaven: What though God call thee to Glory and Bleſſedneſs ſooner than thou expecteſt, yet ſhame not thy ſelf, grieve not others that behold thee; much more, diſparage not the Happineſs of Heaven, nor of that God who is to be eternally enjoyed there, by thy unwillingneſs to go thither?

Secondly, May ſome ſay, we ſhall have ſo many Evils to encounter with, that will create us ſo much fear and trouble, and withal ſo many Pains will befall us in a dying hour, that we cannot tell how to think of Death, we are ſo affrighted at it.

To this I anſwer: It is true a Chriſtian cannot expect to die without Aſſaults of Enemies, nor without the Pains of Death; but yet a Chriſtian need not fear, nor be unwilling to die for all this.

Firſt, One Diſcouragement may be the Apprehenſion of the guilt of Sin, which they then fear will ſtare their Conſciences in the Face; and how to bear up under it they know not. But know, O Chriſtian, if Sin hath loſt its Throne in thy Soul; p. 155if it hath no Intereſt in thy Affections, ſo that it is not embraced with any Love or Delight, it ſhall never ruine or condemn thee. For it is a certain Truth where Sin doth not rule, there Sin ſhall never damn. He that by the Grace and Spirit of Chriſt is enabled to mortifie his Sins, and all ſinful Affections and Inclinations thereunto; and by a penitential Converſion of Soul, from Sin unto God, hath forſaken his ſinful ways; all his former Provocations, though never ſo great, loſe their damning Power: For where Sin is once in the Exerciſe or godly Sorrow confeſſed unto God, it is by him graciouſly pardoned. Nay the Apoſtle tells us, in 1 John 1.9. If we confeſs our Sins, God is not only merciful and gracious, but he will be juſt and righteous to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanſe us from all Ʋnrighteouſneſs. And what greater ſecurity can a Chriſtian deſire for his ſupport, than the Truth and Faithfulneſs of that God, who is Truth it ſelf and cannot lie?

Secondly, There is another thing that may ſtartle a Chriſtian's Confidence, and make him unwilling to die; and that is the fears of the Aſſaults of Satan, who will do what he can, not only to hinder our future Happineſs, but to interrupt our comfortable paſſage through Death.

It is true the Devil will be very active in a dying hour. But be not diſcouraged; give not place to his Temptations: For where Sin is pardoned as it is to all Believers; What hath the Devil wherewith to ſhake a Chriſtian's Confidence, or to undermine his Hopes and Expectance; but what is built upon Lies and Falſhood. If therefore you will give Credit unto this Father of Lies, when he endeavours to weaken thoſe certain Aſſurances the great God hath given you of his reſolved Deſigns to ſave ſuch p. 156as you are; and ſo come to be diſturbed and confounded in your Thoughts about your preſent and future State, you muſt blame your ſelves. Till therefore it can be proved, that Sin may be repented of and not pardoned; that Sin may be pardoned, and yet the Soul periſh and undone; till God or Chriſt prove either forgetful, unable, or falſe, be not dejected. It is the great Comfort of a Chriſtian, that the Devil hath no other Arguments to diſquiet a Believer with in a dying hour, but what are bottom'd on theſe groſs Abſurdities. And though Satan may be furious in his laſt Aſſaults, yet, O Chriſtian, remember when thou art walking through the Valley of the ſhadow of death, thou walkeſt not alone: In that dark and gloomy Valley, God hath his Rod and his Staff in readineſs for thy Aſſiſtance and Encouragement; and know further, O believing Soul, that Chriſt our compaſſionate High Prieſt, knows what it is to die, and hath been acquainted with the Subtilties and Fury of the Tempter, by ſmart Experience, and his ſympathy hath taught him pity; and becauſe he is our Head, he will not forget his Members under their afflicting Temptations in that hour: For though he be in Heaven, he retains the ſame Bowels and Affections now in his glorified State, which he had here upon Earth; and doth continually improve his Interceſſion in Heaven, for the benefit, ſecurity and relief of his afflicted People in their greateſt dangers and Extremities.

If any poor Believers ſhall here object the pains of Death, as being ſo great, and to their apprehenſions inſupportable; and therefore they are unwilling to die;

Let them conſider, that they are but ſhort and ſuddain; and though they are made by God our neceſſary paſſage into Glory, yet they ſhall ſoon be p. 157over and forgot, when the Soul by death is ſet free from the Body, and takes its flight into the Preſence of God in Heaven. And alas, what are the dying pains, and groaning gaſps of departing Saints, compared to the Gripes and Stingings of an awakned Conſcience for ſin; and the horrid fears of the Wrath and Vengeance of God, which though they are not ſeen by others becauſe inward; yet are they the frequent and daily Tormenting Exerciſes of ſinners, both in Life and Death. And though the pains of the Godly in a dying hour, may ſometimes be afflictive unto Senſe; yet it often happens through the Goodneſs and Mercy of God to them, that their Fears in Life exceed their Pains in Death; and this King of Terrors doth not gripe ſo hard, nor ſtab ſo painfully, as we are apt to think: and if he doth, God many times comes in with ſuch ſtrong Conſolations upon departing Souls. in the Manifeſtations of his Love to, and Preſence with them, as turns their Fears and Sorrows into Joy and Rejoycing.

But if God ſhould not manifeſt himſelf thus Comfortably unto ſome for their Support: but leave them to the feeling of their Fears by undergoing great pains in Death; yet as ſoon as the ſtroke is given, the pains are gone, and their fears are over. How quickly do the firſt openings of that Eternal Morning ſwallow up all the Remembrances of our dying ſorrows. O when the Joys and Viſions of our God invade and Exerciſe our departed Souls; then comes the great and welcome Pledge of our Eternal Conqueſt of this laſt Enemy, and after a ſhort ſleep of Bodies in the Duſt, (whilſt Souls return to God) the Trump will ſound, the Lord will come, the World ſhall periſh, or be refin'd by Flames, and the Dead ſhall riſe and die no more; and then as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, ſhall we be ever with the Lord.

p. 158But ſome may ſay, we could willingly die, but that we know not what will become of us hereafter; we cannot tell what our future State will be, and therefore we are afraid of Death. The deſires we have of our Eternal Happineſs puts us upon hoping the beſt, but our doubts and fears are ſo many, we cannot but tremble to think of our departure, becauſe we are under ſuch uncertainties whither we ſhall go when Death takes us hence.

To this I Anſwer, who art thou that makeſt theſe Objections? Either thou art a wicked Man, or one that truly feareſt God. If thou art a Wicked Man, under the guilt of thy Sins, and in an unpardoned State, I cannot wonder that thou art afraid of Death, nor can I blame thee that thou art unwilling to die: Thou haſt cauſe enough to make thee fear and tremble. For there is nothing in Death, or what is to come after it, if thou underſtandeſt thy danger aright, but what might fill thee with the greateſt Terror and Conſternation imaginable. Whatever thou feareſt, is to come; and may come quickly for ought thou knoweſt: is infinitely far greater and worſe than what thou canſt now imagine: what thou feeleſt or feareſt, are but the beginning of thy Sorrows: nay all the Miſeries thou canſt meet with in Life, and all the pains that thou canſt ſuppoſe to be in Death, fall infinitely ſhort of thoſe unconceivable Horrours, and Miſeries that are the Portion of Sinners in the next Life. And for any Comfort, or Relief againſt Death whilſt thou art in thy Sinful State, there is nor can be none. Thy work therefore, muſt be ſpeedily to get into Chriſt; labour to have thy Sins Pardoned. Follow God with earneſt Cries, Tears, and Importunities of Soul, that thy ſinful Nature may be changed and Sanctified: and then let Death come when it will; though thou die under never ſuch p. 159fears and uncertainties as to thy future State, yet Eternal Happineſs attends thee, and when Death hath once cloſed the Eyes of thy Body; the Eye of thy Soul will quickly be opened to thy everlaſting Joy and Conſolation.

If thou art one that truly feareſt God, but yet art unwilling to die, becauſe thou art uncertain, how it may go with thee as to thy Eternal State. Why then examine thine own heart, whether theſe fears do not proceed from thine own careleſſneſs? God hath vouchſafed to thee many means and opportunities for the encreaſing thy Knowledge, for the ſtrengthening thy Faith, for the enlarging thy Love, for the confirming thy Hope, for the eſtabliſhing thy Soul in the ways of God, and to provoke and ſtir thee up unto the continual Exerciſe of Grace, that hereby thou mighteſt grow up into ſome Knowledge and Aſſurance of his Love towards thee through Chriſt, and ſo mayeſt groundedly conclude the certainty of thy future Happineſs. But thou haſt been ſloathful, not putting forth thy ſelf with all diligence in the improving the Helps and Advantages God hath put into thy hands, and therefore thou art ſo in the Dark, and under fears; how it may go with thy Soul for ever, if this be thy caſe, go humble thy Soul before God, lie low in his preſence, beg earneſtly the manifeſtations of his Love and Favour towards thee: And for time to come, put forth the endeavours of thy Soul unto the utmoſt, in the uſe of all the means God vouchſafes unto thee for the removing thy Fears, ſatisfying thy Doubts, encreaſing thy Knowledge, confirming thy Faith and Hope in a future State of Happineſs provided for thee; and how ſoon God may come in, whilſt thou art thus humbling thy ſelf before him, and manifeſt his loving kindneſs unto thy Support and Comfort, thou knoweſt not. But however, if he ſhould (for ſome p. 160Reaſons thou canſt not at preſent apprehend) leave thee to walk under thy Doubts and Fears ſtill; yet if thou art ſincere one that hath the Grace of God in Truth in thy Soul, I would ſay thus much, that theſe Fears and Jealouſies about the attainment of the Happineſs of Heaven, if it be a Diſtemper as it is become ſo natural to us all; that it is with much difficulty cured in this preſent State, but yet it may be with great diligence and induſtry of Soul. But for thy Comfort, O doubting Believer, know; though theſe Doubts and Fears are ſinful, and thou doſt thereby provoke God; yet they ſhall not prejudice thy future Happineſs, though they may and do often hinder thy preſent Peace and Comfort. For certainly God will never Damn a Believing Soul, let ſuch a one think what he will of himſelf. For though thou art not aſſured that thou art his, yet God knows all thoſe that are his, and not one of them ſhall Eternally periſh. Suppoſe therefore, that thou ſhouldſt die under Doubts and Jealouſies, and thy Soul ſhould go out of this World, ſitting in a Cloud of Tears, this hinders not, but it may ariſe in a fair morning of Glory. Heaven only is a place privileged from Tears and Fears.

But may ſome Soul ſay, I am not willing to die, becauſe I fear I have no Grace, or at leaſt it is but little that I have; for when I compare my ſelf with others, the moſt I can ſay of my ſelf is this: that all my Grace and Holineſs lies in a Love to Grace, and in a deſire after Holineſs; I hope through Grace I can ſay, that there is nothing in all the World, if I might have my choice, that I deſire more than to be like my Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. But O how ſhort do I fall, both of my Rule and of my Deſires: my walkings in the ways of God are very uneven and unconſtant; the corruptions of my heart are ſo great and ſo frequently breaking p. 161forth, by Fleſhly Affections and Worldly Deſires, that if there be any Grace within me, it is very hard to diſeern it by reaſon of the ſin that doth accompany and go along with it; and how then ſhould ſuch a one as I dare to think of dying. Were Grace ſtrong and vigorous, could I ſenſibly find the ſtrength, encreaſe and growth of it in a tendency towards perfection, I could then think of dying with ſome courage. But the weakneſs and imperfection of Grace much diſcourageth me, that I cannot with any willingneſs and chearfulneſs entertain the thoughts of it in my Soul.

To this I Anſwer, let not the thoughts of Death diſcourage thee, O weak Chriſtian, for Death can no more, ſhall no more hinder the Happineſs of a weak Believer, than of a ſtrong Believer. It is true, a ſtrong Faith may carry thee more comfortably to Heaven, but a weak Faith will carry thee as truly to Heaven: For Faith ſaves not as it is ſtrong or weak, but as it is true; and a weak Faith is true Faith as well as a ſtrong Faith. Grace and Holineſs is of Abſolute neceſſity for every Chriſtian; for without them it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, or to enjoy him. For as the Apoſtle ſaith, Without Holineſs no man ſhall ever ſee the Lord. But yet all Chriſtians are not equally Holy; there is a meaſure, or ſtature to which all Chriſtians are appointed in Chriſt Jeſus: but this meaſure, or ſtature, is not the ſame to every Chriſtian: ſome Chriſtians have a longer term of Life than others; ſome have more means and opportunities than others; and ſome have greater Parts and Abilities than others. Now God is not a ſevere Maſter, expecting to reap where he hath not ſown, or to gather where he hath not ſtrowed: God doth not look for what he doth not give, where he gives more, he expects the more; but where he gives leſs, he expects the leſs. p. 162Chriſtians to whom God hath given great parts and Abilities with great means and opportunities of Grace even unto Old Age, from ſuch God expects much, becauſe he hath given much. Ordinary degrees of Grace muſt not ſerve their turns; but they muſt tranſcend others in Faith, Love, Humility, and all other Graces, contending for the attaining unto the State of the Reſurrection from the dead. But now for others, whoſe parts have been low; whoſe means and opportunities are ſmall, and their time in the World but ſhort: God doth not expect that the Beauty of their Grace ſhould ſhine ſo Gloriouſly as others. Say not therefore O doubting Chriſtian, that thou knoweſt not, believeſt not, loveſt not, delighteſt not in God, to that degree that others do. It may be thou doſt not; but if thy Knowledge, Faith, Love and Delight be not ſo great as others, yet thy Grace may be as true and as real as any others. In a Star there is as true light as in the Sun, though there be more light in the Sun. And thy Grace though little and weak, is true Grace; though it be not ſo much, nor ſo ſtrong as others. Quiet thy ſelf therefore, O drooping Soul; for ſuch may be the weakneſs of thy parts, ſuch the ſmallneſs of the means of Grace that thou enjoyeſt, and ſo few the Talents thou art intruſted withal, that God expects not ſo much from thee as he doth from others: And if the Great God will accept of, yea Reward the little that thou haſt, why ſhouldeſt thou be troubled or diſquieted? God doth not deſpiſe the day of ſmall things, and why ſhouldeſt thou? A little Grace, yea the leaſt of Grace is too good to be caſt away. Though thou couldeſt not be Saved without a ſtrong Saviour, and therefore Chriſt is ſaid to travail in the greatneſs of his Strength mighty to Save: yet a little Faith laying hold upon this ſtrong Saviour, will keep thee from p. 163periſhing: be not therefore diſcouraged, O Chriſtian, fear not Death, though thy Grace be weak and imperfect, and ſo may not give thee that comfort in Death that thou expecteſt, yet ſhall it as truly overcome Death through the ſtrength of Chriſt, as the ſtrongeſt Grace; and though Death kill thee, yet it ſhall not hurt thee; nay it ſhall make for thy Eternal Advantage, for it ſhall be the ending of all thy Fears, but the beginning of thy Eternal Joys and Rejoycings.

But may ſome poor Soul ſay, I want the aſſurance of the Love and Favour of God, and this makes me unwilling to die; were I but aſſured my ſins are pardoned, and God reconciled to my Soul through Jeſus Chriſt, I could then chearfully ſubmit my ſelf to the ſtroke of Death; but this is that which afrightens me, I fear leſt God is mine Enemy, and then I am ſure death cannot be my Friend, and how then ſhall I dare to think of dying in this Condition?

To this I Anſwer; art thou under ſome fears and apprehenſions that God is not thy reconciled Father in Jeſus Chriſt, though I cannot blame thee that thou art fearful of dying under ſuch apprehenſions; yet I muſt blame thee for thy former negligence, that thou haſt not made this ſure to thy ſelf in the time of thy health and ſtrength. Next to dying in a State of impenitency, and the Horrors of Conſcience, under the fore taſts of Hell and Wrath: dying under the apprehenſions and fears of God's being our Enemy, is the moſt dreadful condition that can be, for though our future ſafety and happineſs depends not upon our aſſurance that God is at peace with us, yet our preſent Comfort doth: and it is all one as to the preſent quietation and ſatisfaction of our Souls when we are a dying, whether God be our Enemy or no; if he will not p. 164ſmile upon us when our Souls are a-departing; but leave us in that hour, as our laſt punniſhment for ſome ſin that he hath been provoked by; to breath forth our Souls under the apprehenſions of his Wrath and Diſpleaſure. Aſſurance of the Love and Favour of God, to know that our ſins are Pardoned, and we accepted in the Beloved; to know the joyful ſound, to have the light of God's Countenance lifted up upon our Souls, when we are paſſing through the gloomy Valley of the ſhadow of Death. For God not only to Love us, but to tell us that he Loves us, and to manifeſt it to us by ſhedding abroad his Love into our Hearts by the Holy Ghoſt, ſo as to fill us with Joy and Peace by believing this is Life, nay this loving kindneſs of God is better than Life; it is the Suburbs of Heaven; yea, it is Heaven it ſelf, for it is as much of Heaven as we can deſire or contain of Heaven whilſt we are on this ſide Heaven. On the contrary to be doubting of the Love and Favour of God, to fear he is our Enemy, that we are yet in our Sins, liable unto the Wrath and Vengeance of God, this is very ſad and uncomfortable; yea, ſome reſemblance of Hell it ſelf; eſpecially if Conſcience be awakned, and theſe Apprehenſions and Jealouſies continue upon us under the approaches of Death: this therefore muſt needs be very Afflictive to a poor doubting Soul. But yet be not diſcouraged; for it is the Condition of many of God's Children for a long time to remain doubtful, both as to their preſent State in Grace, and their future State of Glory. There are Believers of divers growths in the Church of God, Fathers, Young-men, Children, and Babes. And as it is in moſt Families in the World, there are more Babes, and Children, than grown Men: So is it in the Church of God, there are more weak and doubting Chriſtians, than ſtrong Men who are p. 165grown up unto a full Aſſurance. But remember the Promiſe is made to the being of Faith, not to the Knowledge and Evidence of it; to Faith as it is a true Faith, not to Faith as it is a ſtrong Faith, Heaven may be ſure to thoſe, who yet in their own Apprehenſions may not be aſſured of Heaven. Live therefore by Faith, O Chriſtian, when thou canſt not live by Sence and Feeling; and know that, that God who hath given thee a true Judgment to value Jeſus Chriſt, and a Sanctified Will to chooſe him, with ardent and ſtrong Affections to Love him and deſire him, and ſupported thee under the fears of ſin and guilt, will come in with aſſurance alſo, if he ſees it good for thee: And know alſo for thy Comfort, that many of God's People have languiſhed a long time under the want of aſſurance, and ſome of them moſt part of their lives, yea, and in their laſt Sickneſs, and almoſt to their laſt gaſp, and then God hath Graciouſly come in and Sealed up his Love and Favour to their Souls, whereby they have been filled will Joy unſpeakable and full of Glory. Never fear death therefore, for want of aſſurance, for that is the moſt uſual time when God doth beſtow it upon his People. But if he doth not then give thee this aſſurance, yet he will put under his Everlasting Arms that ſhall bear thee up notwithſtanding all thy fears and doubts and carry thee ſafe through the pains of Death into Glory, where thou ſhalt have as much of the Love of God, and of the Aſſurance thereof as thou canſt wiſh or deſire.

But may ſome ſay, were we prepared to die, we could willingly embrace Death whenſoever God ſends it. But alas, our State and Condition is ſuch, that we fear we are not fit for Death, and how then can we Comfortably think of dying?

I Anſwer, if this be the true caſe of thy Soul, as thy Fears ſuggeſt, that thou art not really prepared p. 166for Death, thy Condition is ſad and dangerous, and if Death ſeize upon thee in this State, thou art irrecoverably miſerable, and all the Comfort that can be given unto thee is this, that yet there is a poſſibility of Salvation, as yet there is ſome hope becauſe thou art not actually under the power of Death; God is yet waiting, time is yet lengthened out, ſpace is yet granted to you to prepare to meet this King of Terrors: And in the Improvement of theſe lies all your Hopes for Heaven and Eternity. You have hitherto been great loiterers in your great work, ſpent much of your precious time to little purpoſe, neglected many opportunities, loſt many warnings vouchſafed to you: Now therefore be diligent: What was the whole time of your Life given you for, but to prepare for Death, and have you lived ſo many years in the World to prepare for your laſt hour, and are you ſtill both unwilling and unfit to die? What have you been doing? wherefore is it that you have lived? have you had any buſineſs of greater concernment to mind, than to be prepared for your latter end? O fooliſh Souls and unwiſe, who elſe would run ſuch deſperate hazaras? God hath frequently told you that you muſt die, how often hath Death by God's appointment come among your Acquaintance and Relations, and ſometimes into your own Habitations, and ſnatched away many before your Eyes; how often hath it been told you, ſuch a Friend is dead in ſuch a place, and ſuch an Acquaintance in another place, and ſuch a Relation in ſuch a Family? And by all theſe warnings will you not believe that you are Mortal, and ſhall ſhortly die as well as others? If you do believe it, where is the prepartion you make for it, when you are ſtill crying out, O you are not fit to die? was not this your Language long ſince? how many years hath it been heard from you? p. 167When God hath viſited you with Sickneſs not once but often, and you were going down into the Chambers of the Grave in your own apprehenſions: did you not then cry out, Lord I am not ready, O ſpare me yet a little longer, that I may recover my ſtrength, yet once again, before I go away from hence and ſhall be ſeen no more; and God was nigh to your Voice, and heard your Cry and granted your Requeſt, and tried you once and again a little longer; and what are you not yet fit to die? whoſe fault is it? ſurely your own. And if Death take you away in this State, you will juſtly bear the blame and puniſhment of it for ever. Whoever thou art into whoſe hands theſe lines may fall, preſently put thy ſelf upon the Trial, how it is with thee, and endeavour to put the Queſtion out of doubt, think not that God muſt wait upon you whilſt you dally and trifle away your time: haſt thou been careleſs and negligent formerly, be ſo no longer; O ſearch and examine thy Soul, and follow the ſearch cloſe and home to thy Conſcience till thou come fully and clearly to diſcern how it is with thee; idle not away thy time one moment longer, but begin this day, delay not thy Preparations for Death until to morrow, for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth. What is requiſite to make thy preparations ſuch as may render Death Comfortable in thy thoughts and Expectations, I have already laid down in the third Chapter of this Treatiſe to which I refer thee.

But notwithſtanding what hath been ſpoken, becauſe there may yet be ſome fears ariſing in the hearts of ſome troubled Chriſtian's, which they cannot get the Victory over, ſo as readily and willingly to ſubmit unto Death, I ſhall in the next place propoſe ſome Conſolatory Conſiderations for their Encouragement and ſupport againſt a dying hour. As,

p. 168Firſt, Conſider that Gracious Promiſe God hath made unto his People in all Ages, that he will never leave them nor forſake them. And this is a Cordial ſo full of Divine Conſolation, that if Chriſtians did but believe and live up to the Comfort that might be drawn from it, they would not fear, much leſs ſink under any Affliction that can befall them. It was no ſmall Trial St. Paul was under, when after his being rapt up into the third Heavens, where he heard things that were unſpeakable, or impoſſible to be uttered: he had given him a Thorn in the Fleſh, the Meſſenger of Satan to Buffet him; upon which he makes his Prayer thrice, that it might be removed from him. What Anſwer now doth he receive from God? why the Thorn remains in his Fleſh ſtill, and the Meſſenger of Satan continues to Buffet him; but yet he hath a better return to his Prayer, even the making good of this Gracious Promiſe to him, that God would not leave him nor forſake him: for ſays God, My Grace ſhall be ſufficient for thee, my Strength is made perfect in Weakneſs. And therefore the Apoſtle orys out in the deepeſt of his Afflictions, with Tranſports of Joy, moſt gladly therefore will I Glory in my Infirmities, that the Power of Chriſt may reſt upon me; yea, ſays he, I take pleaſure in Infirmities, in Reproaches, in Neceſſities, in Perſecutions, in Diſtreſſes for Chriſt's ſake, for when I am Weak, then am I ſtrong; for I can do all things through Chriſt that ſtrengthens me, 2 Cor. 12.9, 10. Thus for God to ſtand by his People, and to ſtrengthen them under their Afflictions, is more than for God to deliver them out of them, and he always doth the one or the other, if he deliver not his People out of afflictions, he always ſtrengthens them under them; and the greater the Afflictions of any of his People are, the more is his Power ſeen in ſupporting them, becauſe p. 169they then moſt need it. Therefore, ſays God, when thou paſſeſt through the Waters, I will be with thee, they ſhall not overflow thee; and when thou walkeſt thorough the Fire, thou ſhalt not be burnt, Eſai. 43.2. Take Courage therefore, O Chriſtian, be not afraid of any Affliction; be not afrighted, no not at the ſight of death it ſelf; though thou ſee'ſt it is a narrow paſſage, a way beſet with Briars and Thorns; though it be a ſtrait Gate for Fleſh and Blood to paſs through, yet fear not; for it is the Gate of Heaven, the way that leads unto Glory. Be not afraid therefore to walk in the valley of the ſhadow of death; though love of Friends, and ſtrength of Body fail thee, yet fear not, for God will be with thee, his Rod and his Staff will ſupport and comfort thee, he will be your God and your Guide, not only unto death, but for ever and ever; for he will never, never, never leave his People, nor forſake them, till he hath brought them to the eternal enjoyment of himſelf in Glory.

Secondly, Wouldſt thou, O Chriſtian, be comforted and ſupported againſt death, then much and often meditate upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Now though every thing in Chriſt, and every thing done by Chriſt, be exceeding ſweet and precious; for unto them that believe, he is precious. Chriſt, and whole Chriſt is precious; for there is nothing in him, or done by him, that we can tell how to want. But yet I ſhall inſtance in ſome few things more particularly, which may be of great Uſe unto a Chriſtian to meditate upon for his ſupport againſt the hour of Death: As,

Firſt, Meditate often upon the Death and Sufferings of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Now though in general theſe were ſo great, that they exceed all our Expreſſions and Apprehenſions; yet how willingly and patiently did he undergo them all; both from p. 170God and Man, in his Body and in his Soul? His Body was racked and tortured in all the parts of it; but eſpecially in thoſe parts wherein the ſenſe is moſt quick; and therefore his Pain and Anguiſh was moſt afflicting. They digged or pierced my hands and my feet, ſaith the Pſalmiſt of him, Pſal. 22.16. He ſuffered in his Soul alſo; for he conflicted with the wrath of an angry God, which was impreſs'd upon him in ſuch a dreadful manner; that had he not had the ſtrength of the Deity to ſupport him, it had certainly overwhelm'd him, and ground him to Powder: For it was pure Wrath without the leaſt mixture of ſparing Mercy, the great God bated him nothing. That's a ſweet Scripture, Rom. 8.32. God ſpared not his own Son: And it was well for us that he did not; for had he ſpared him, he had not ſpared us. His Death was not common and ordinary, but a Death by Crucifixion; he humbled himſelf, and became obedient unto Death, even the death of the Croſs, which was a violent death, conſidered in it ſelf; and therefore he is ſaid to be cut off out of the Land of the Living, though in reſpect of himſelf it was voluntary; and therefore he tells us I lay down my Life of my ſelf, John 10.18. And indeed Chriſt muſt either die a voluntary Death, or none at all; partly becauſe there was no Sin in him to deſerve Death, and partly becauſe otherwiſe his death had not been a Sacrifice acceptable and ſatisfactory unto God for us; for that which died of it ſelf was never offered in Sacrifice, but that which was ſlain in its full force and ſtrength. This death of Chriſt was alſo full of exquiſite Pain and Torture; and therefore when he was going to encounter with it, he ſcrews up his Requeſt to his Father to the higheſt pitch, Matth 26.39. Father, if it be poſſible, let this Cup paſs from me. It was alſo a death full of ſhame, than p. 171which nothing is more cutting to an ingenious, noble Spirit. And truly in this reſpect, the Thieves that ſuffered with him, fared better than he; for they had no Taunts, Reproaches, and Sarcaſms caſt upon them; they only encountered with Pain: But Chriſt had Pain and Shame alſo; for the Souldiers, the Jews, the Thieves, all ſcoffed and flouted at him: And therefore, ſays the Apoſtle, he not only endured the Croſs, but he deſpiſed the ſhame, Heb. 12.2. But this is not all, for the death of Chriſt was a curſed death; Pain was bad, and Shame was worſe, but the Curſe is worſt of all; for he that is hanged on a Tree, is accurſed of God; and therefore Chriſt that he might ſhew the greatneſs of his Love to his People, redeemed them from the Curſe of the Law, being made a Curſe for them, Gal. 3.13. Now though Chriſt knew that all theſe Sufferings and this death ſhould befal him; yet ſo great was his Love to Believers, that he underwent all willingly and patiently. What godly Man on Earth, what Saint or Angel in Heaven can read or hear thoſe Words of his, in Luke 12.50. without Aſtoniſhment, where ſpeaking of his death and ſufferings, he ſaith, he had a Baptiſm to be baptized withal, which was a Baptiſm of Blood? And how am I ſtraitned till it be accompliſhed? Indeed it is ſaid, when the time of his ſufferings drew near, that he began to be ſorrowful, that he was ſore amazed and very heavy: My Soul, ſays he, is exceeding ſorrowful even unto death. Not that Chriſt repented of his Undertaking when he was to ſuffer; no, for when the time of his ſuffering was come, the Holy Hiſtory tells us, he not only went to a place that Judas who betrayed him knew of, that ſo he might be the more readily taken; but when his Enemies came thither to apprehend him, he went forth to meet them, and asked them, Whom ſeek ye? And when p. 172they told him Jeſus of Nazareth, he tells them, I am he; upon which, they fell to the ground; and as if they were more afraid to apprehend and bring him to his ſufferings, than he was to ſuffer; he ſpeaks to them again, and by his Words (Oh how willingly, bleſſed Jeſus, didſt thou go to ſuffer!) he doth, as it were, ſtrengthen and encourage them to go on in their work of laying hold of him; he ſaid therefore unto them a ſecond time, Whom ſeek ye? They ſaid Jeſus of Nazareth; Jeſus anſwered them, I have told you that I am he; if therefore you ſeek me, behold here I am. He was a Volunteer in his dying and offering up of himſelf. His death was a Free-will Offering, and this made him to become a Sacrifice, Pſal. 40.7, 8. Then, ſaid I, loe I come! In the Volume of thy Book, it is written of me, I delight to do thy Will, O God; yea, thy Law is within my heart. As if he had ſaid, my very heart is ready for the ſhedding of my heart-blood. Therefore, ſays he, I lay down my life, no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of my ſelf; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up, John 10.17, 18. As if he had ſaid, if it were not my pleaſure to part with it, all that Men or Devils could do, they were not able to wreſt it out of my hands.

Now though Chriſt by his death and ſufferings accompliſhed ſeveral ends, as the ſatisfaction of the Juſtice of God, the procuring Pardon and Remiſſion of Sin, and the obtaining Heaven; yet this alſo was one end of his death, and a very comfortable one too, and that is the overcoming of death for Believers. Chriſt Jeſus the Lord of Life and Glory, hath by his death ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, and made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them in his Croſs: By his death, he hath not only deſtroyed death, but him alſo that had the power of death, p. 173that is the Devil, and delivered them, who through fear of death, were all their lives-time ſubject unto that bondage. The Blood of Jeſus Chriſt hath ſlain death's Enmity; not that death is ſo deſtroyed that Believers ſhall not die, but it is unſtung: It ſtill wears its Dart, by which it ſtrikes all Men, but it hath loſt its ſting by which it hurts. Is death therefore riding, upon its pale Horſe, and making haſte towards thee, O Believer, fear it not, be not diſmayed at it; though there may be much of pain in it, yet there is nothing of the Curſe in it; it is as a Serpent without a ſting, thou mayeſt take it into thy hand, yea into thy boſom, without danger. Death poured out all its Poiſon upon Chriſt, when he was made a Curſe; it faſtned, yea, it loſt its ſting in his bleſſed Side: And who would fear an Enemy that is conquered? Death to a Believer, is not only an innocent, harmleſs thing, but it is one of his beſt Friends: death is yours, ſays the Apoſtle, ſpeaking to Believers. It is theirs as a ſpecial Privilege. When Chriſt was upon the Croſs, there was a Contention between him and death; and as it was propheſied of him, he was then the plague of death, and the deſtruction of the Grave, for he ſwallowed them up in Victory: So that now death drives but a poor Trade among Believers; all that it can do is but to deſtroy the Body, and to afright ſome that are weak in the Faith, but it cannot hurt them; Victory over death is as ſure to them as if they had already overcome; and therefore, ſays the Apoſtle, ſpeaking of Death and the Grave, Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.

Secondly, Meditate upon the Reſurrection of Chriſt. This is a great Fundamental Article of the Chriſtian Religion, that upon which the Faith, p. 174the Hope and Happineſs of a Chriſtian for Eternity is built; for as Chriſt died for our Sins, ſo he aroſe again for our Juſtification: And if Chriſt had not riſen, the Faith and Hope of a Chriſtian is but vain: If Chriſt be not riſen, a Chriſtian ſhall not riſe; and if there be no Reſurrection, there is no Life everlaſting. If Chriſtians have hope only in this Life, they are of all Men moſt miſerable. But bleſſed be God, Chriſt is riſen, and therefore the Faith and Hope of a Chriſtian ſtands firm; for it is built upon the Rock of Ages, againſt which, as the Gates of Death did not, ſo the Gates of Hell ſhall not prevail. That Chriſt is riſen, the Scripture is clear; an Angel declares it, Matth. 28.6. He is not here, he is riſen, as he ſaid, Come ſee the place where the Lord lay. Holy Men, who were Eyewitneſſes hereof, give their Teſtimony to this Truth, when our Lord ſhewed himſelf alive to them by the ſpace of Forty Days, in nine ſeveral Apparitions, and once was he ſeen of five hundred Brethren together, 1 Cor. 15.6. And, ſays the Apoſtle, Acts 2.24. He was raiſed from the dead, the pains or bands of death being looſed, becauſe it was not poſſible he ſhould be holden of them: It was poſſible Death ſhould ſeize upon him, and ſo it did, he willingly yielding himſelf up unto it; becauſe as our Surety, he owed a death by way of ſatisfaction to the Juſtice of God for our ſins, which he had taken upon him, and accordingly he paid it, otherwiſe Death could not have taken hold of him. But though death did take hold of him, yet could it not keep it; though it had poſſeſſion of him in the Grave, yet it could not keep him there; no that was impoſſible; partly, becauſe he is life, eſſentially life; ſo himſelf tells us, I am the Reſurrection and the Life: Now it is not poſſible for death to hold life it ſelf longer under its power, than he who is life it p. 175ſelf pleaſeth. And then partly it was not poſſible Chriſt ſhould be held under the power of death in …eſpect of us: for having undertaken the great work of reſtoring us unto life, if his life had been ſubdued by death, if he had been held down a Priſoner under the power of death and the grave, we had been loſt and undone for ever; for as the Apoſtle argues, if Chriſt be not riſen, then our Faith is vain, we are yet in our ſins: But Chriſt being to carry on the work of our Redemption to perfection, though he ſubmitted himſelf to die, yet was it impoſſible Death ſhould have Dominion over him for ever; Chriſt therefore is riſen, and he is riſen as a publick Perſon in the behalf of all Believers, who are therefore called the Children of the Reſurrection, and ſaid to be riſen with him, Eph. 2.6. Chriſt's Reſurrection is not only the Cauſe of a Believer's Reſurrection, but the ſecurity of his happy Reſurrection; therefore he is ſaid to be the firſt fruits of them that ſleep: Now as the firſt fruits did both aſſure and ſanctifie the whole Harveſt; ſo doth Chriſt do for Believers; by his Reſurrection he aſſures them of their Reſurrection, and ſanctifies it alſo, that it ſhall be a bleſſed Reſurrection, even unto an Eternity of Happineſs. And therefore it is with reſpect to Believers, that Chriſt is called the Firſt-born, or the firſt begotten from the dead; who are in their time and order to be born from the dead, the Reſurrection giving New Birth or Being unto thoſe bodies, which while they were in the Grave ſeemed to have none. For as certainly as the whole Harveſt follows the firſt Fruits; ſo doth the general Reſurrection of Believers at the laſt day follow the Reſurrection of Chriſt: For as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 15. and 12. If Chriſt be riſen from the dead, how can it be, but that there muſt be a Reſurrection from the dead? If we acknowledge p. 176the Body of Chriſt is riſen, we cannot rationally deny the Reſurrection of our own bodies, becauſe Chriſt's Reſurrection is not only the Exemplar of our Reſurrection, but the Cauſe of it; for becauſe Chriſt and Believers are but one Myſtical Body, he the Head, they the Members; and the Head being riſen, the Members ſhall not always lie rotting in the Grave, but ſhall in due time ariſe alſo: For the Spirit of Life that is in Chriſt Jeſus the Head, will diffuſe it ſelf into all its Members, to quicken and raiſe them alſo in the morning of the Reſurrection.

And indeed Chriſt is not perfectly riſen till all Believers are riſen alſo: For though Chriſt's perſonal Reſurrection, was perfect when he aroſe out of the Grave; and though all Believers did then ariſe with Chriſt repreſentatively; yet till all Believers ariſe perſonally at the laſt day, the Reſurrection of Chriſt hath not received its full perfection. How comfortable therefore is this to a Believer to conſider, that by the ſame Faith that he puts Chriſt's Reſurrection into the Premiſes, he may put his own Reſurrection into the Concluſion. If Chriſt be in you, ſays the Apoſtle, ſpeaking to Believers, in Rom. 8.10, 11. The body is dead; it is a poor, frail, dying body, becauſe of ſin: And though you are really united unto Chriſt by his Spirit dwelling in you, which is a great and glorious Priviledge; yet your bodies muſt die, as well as others; but the Spirit, ſaith he, is life becauſe of Righteouſneſs: Though your bodies die, your ſouls ſhall be ſu'allowed up in life upon your diſſolution; this Happineſs Believers have even in death. But this is not all; for, ſaith the Apoſtle, if the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead dwell in you; what then, why though your bodies muſt fall by Death p. 177into the Grave; yet they ſhall riſe and live again at the Reſurrection, and that by virtue of the Spirit of Chriſt which dwelleth in you, and is the Bond of your Myſtical Ʋnion with him, who is your Head: for, ſays the Apoſtle, He that raiſed up Chriſt from the dead, ſhall alſo quicken your Mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Becauſe Chriſt is your Head, and his Spirit dwelleth in you, you ſhall be raiſed again, and that not as others, by a meer word of his Power as the wicked are; but by the Spirit of Life dwelling in Chriſt your Head; which is an excellent Priviledge indeed. O the Conſolation that the hope of the Reſurrection fills the Believing Soul withal; it is this Bleſſed Hope that ſupports it, not only under the Troubles of Life, but makes it Triumph even under the Pains and Agonies of Death it ſelf.

Thirdly, Meditate frequently upon the Aſcenſion of Jeſus Chriſt into Heaven. Now this Aſcenſion of Chriſt into Heaven, as it was full of Glory and Triumph in reſpect of himſelf: ſo is it full of admirable Comfort in reſpect of Believers. As to himſelf his Aſcenſion was Triumphant, a Cloud was prepared as a Royal Chariot to carry up this King of Glory into Heaven, ſo it is ſaid in Acts 11.10. That whilſt his Diſciples beheld he was taken up, and a Cloud received him out of their ſight; and no doubt, a Royal Guard of Angels attended the Solemnity of their Lord's Aſcenſion. If when Chriſt came into the World to ſuffer, Angels waited upon him, for even then it was ſaid of him, Let all the Angels of God Worſhip him; ſurely much more then now that he hath finiſhed the work of Mans Redemption, do the Angels Worſhip him in his return to Heaven again, where he is exalted to have a Name above every Name, that at the Name p. 178of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow, both of things in Heaven, and things on Earth, and things under the Earth, and that every Tongue ſhould confeſs, that Jeſus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.

But may a poor Believer ſay, what is all this to me, what am I the better that Chriſt is Aſcended and Exalted thus in Glory?

Yes this is much for the advantage of Believers, for it is the ſame Jeſus that was Crucified for them, that God hath made both Lord and Chriſt. It is he who took not on him the Nature of Angels, but the Seed of Abraham, who is Exalted above Angels; being gone into Heaven, Angels, Principalities and Powers being made ſubject unto him. It is this Jeſus Chriſt, whom God hath raiſed from the dead, and ſet him at his own right hand in the Heavenly places far above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this World, but alſo in that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, Epheſ. 1.20, 21. Chriſt Aſcended into Heaven as a publick Perſon, or the fore-runner of Believers; for he is not gone to take poſſeſſion of Heaven only for himſelf, but alſo in our Name and for us. So the Apoſtle tells us, Heb. 6.20. ſpeaking of the moſt Holy place, within the Vail; whither, ſays he, the fore-runner, that is, Chriſt, is for us entred. And if we will not believe the Apoſtle, Chriſt himſelf tells us the ſame thing, John 14.2. In my Father's Houſe are many Manſions, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go away, I will come again and receive you unto my ſelf, that where I am, there ye may be alſo. Chriſt is now in Heaven tranſacting the Affairs and Concerns of Believers, both for their preſent Peace and Comfort, and for their future Eternal Happineſs; p. 179not only by intercepting the daily cry of their ſins, by the continual Repreſentation of his Death and Sufferings unto his Father, and ſo making an Atonement and Reconciliation with God for them; but by the Blood of his Croſs, he maintains this Peace, and keeps up good thoughts in God towards Believers, ſprinkling their poor and weak, but ſincer Services with the Incenſe of his own Merits: ſo that though both they and their Services deſerve to be rejected for their own ſakes, yet they ſhall both be accepted for Chriſt's ſake. This now is ſomething that Chriſt is doing in Heaven in the behalf of Believers, ſince he is Aſcended to his Father and to their Father, to his God and to their God. But yet this is not all, for in that comfortable Prayer of his to his Father, before his Aſcenſion into Heaven, (which is, ſay ſome, the Copy of his Interceſſion now he is in Heaven) he doth as it were tell us, that he looks not upon himſelf as perfectly Happy, until he hath the whole number of Believers with him in Glory; and therefore, ſays he, John 17.24. Father I will that thoſe whom thou haſt given me, be with me where Lam, that they may behold, that is, that they may enjoy my Glory which thou haſt given me. O what Comfort then is here to all Believers againſt the Fears of Death, for aſſure thy ſelf O Believing Soul, that neither Death, nor the Grave ſhall be a bar to thy Happineſs: thou muſt die it is true, ſo did Chriſt, but he is Riſen and Aſcended up into Heaven, and ſo ſhalt thou alſo in due time, and therefore ſays the Apoſtle, He hath made us ſit together in Heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus, Epheſ. 2.6. Salvation and Happineſs is made ſure to a Believer by Chriſt, for if when we were Enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, ſhall we be ſaved by his Life. For certainly, p. 180he is able to ſave unto the utmoſt, all that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever lives to make interceſſion for them. Chriſt hath not loſt his Love and Affection to his People by his Advancement. Harbour not therefore, O Believing Soul, any ſuſpicious thoughts in thy Heart concerning him, as if by his Exaltation into Heaven, he were now become forgetful of any of his Members here below groaning under Sin or Miſery; for though the days of his Paſſion are ended, yet ſo are not the days of his Compaſſion. He retains the ſame Temper and Diſpoſition of Soul now he is in Glory; his Heart is not changed, though his Condition be; but he ſtill bears the ſame Reſpect to his People now, that he did when he was on Earth: for indeed he there Lives and Acts upon the account of Believers, ſo ſays the Apoſtle, He appears in the preſence of God for us, Heb. 9.24.

Doth God, O Believing Soul, by Diſeaſes and Diſtempers upon thy outward Man, cauſe thy Beauty and Comelineſs to conſume and wither: hath long and tedious Sickneſſes almoſt waſted and deſtroyed thy Body? and by all art thou brought ſo low that thou deſpaireſt of Life? Doth Death ſeem to be written upon all thy helps to Life? And do all the means that are uſed for thy Recovery, ſeem rather to further thy Diſſolution, than any way to hinder it? Why, yet fear not Death, but Remember as God hath Glorified and highly Exalted Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe Form and Viſage as the Prophet ſpeaks, was marr'd more than any Mans; ſo he will Exalt thee alſo, not to an Equality of Glory with Chriſt, for in Heaven he ſhall be the Light and the Glory of it, but yet there ſhall be ſome likeneſs and Conformity in all the Members of Chriſt, unto him who is their Head. Fear not therefore, O Chriſtian, the worſt that Death, or the Grave p. 181can do unto thee, for aſſure thy ſelf as becauſe he lives, Believers ſhall live alſo, ſo where he lives there Believers ſhall live alſo.

Thirdly, Another Conſideration for the removal of the fear of Death, is frequent Meditation of the Happineſs of the Soul in Death. and of the Reſurrection of the Body after Death. As for the Happineſs of the Souls of Believers in death, it is exceeding great, the Body at preſent ſuffers loſs, for though once it was an excellent Fabrick, the Workmanſhip of God's hands, yet being forſaken by the Soul, it is become loathſome, and turns to Corruption and rottenneſs; ſo ſays the Wiſe Man, The Body returns to the duſt from whence it was taken; there to conſume and moulder away; this is the State of Man's Body in Death, procured by Sin, and inflicted by God: But now for the Soul that returns to God that gave it, either to partake of Eternal Bleſſedneſs, or to receive Eternal Puniſhments. Now that the Happineſs of Believers in their Souls is great at Death, will appear, if we conſider, either the Evils they are freed from, or the Bleſſedneſs they attain unto; as for the Evils that accompany our preſent State in this Life, Death frees Believers from them all at once; during this Mortal Life indeed, Sufferings are annexed to the State of a Chriſtian, as a neceſſary Appendix to his very Being, for ſuch is our condition while we are here, that Afflictions are almoſt become as needful for the Soul, as Food and Raiment is for the Body, therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, if need be you are in heavineſs through manifold Tribulations, 1 Pet. 1.6. God ſees it needful that Afflictions ſhould be, and in his Wiſdom and Mercy he proportions the Afflictions of his People to their neceſſities. This Life is a Life of Suffering unto the People of God, it is their appointed p. 182Path and Way through which they muſt walk to Heaven; therefore ſays the Apoſtle, We muſt through many Tribulations enter into the Kingdom of God. It is appointed for us ſo to do. And indeed, as Job ſpeaks, Man is born to trouble as the ſparks flyupward; he comes into the World crying, and all the reſt of his time between the Cradle and the Grave he is not much Happier; for his Life is made up of Sin and Suffering; the Evil of Sin and the Evil of Suffering: there is a kind of a continual Chaining or Linking together of one Miſery or Affliction to another; a mixture of Pain and Sorrow, or Succeſſion of Evils and Troubles, that runs through all his days; as one Wave falls upon the neck of another, ſo one Evil is no ſooner gone, but another comes in its room. One depth as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks, calls upon another. Floods and Storms of Miſeries and Afflictions daily paſs over our heads. And if Troubles and Afflictions come not of themſelves, nor are cauſed by others, we can Mint and Coin them our ſelves by our Sins. Our Lord tells us, That ſufficient to the day, that is to every day are the Evils and Troubles thereof; but as if they were not enough, we can create Troubles to our ſelves before hand, and Anticipate in our Fancies and Apprehenſions for our greater Vexation and Trouble, Evils that are to come, though we know not whether we our ſelves ſhall live till they come. And herein we are more cruel to our ſelves, than the Devil is to himſelf, for that Evil Spirit cares not to be Tormented before his time; whereas we antidate, and bring Evils that are at a diſtance from us nearer to us by unquiet Apprehenſions, and ſinful diſtracting Vexations entertained in our minds; and ſo the fears of Miſeries to come, make us far more miſerable, than when thoſe miſeries are come upon us, and by the Apprehenſion of an imaginary p. 183Evil, we make it become a real Affliction and an unfeigned Torment to us in our reſentment of it. Thus Sin and Sorrow, Afflictions and Temptations divide our days and time, while we are here, until Death comes for a Believers relief, and then there ſhall be an end put to all his Sorrows and Sufferings, becauſe there ſhall be an end of Sinning. After Death there ſhall be no Cries nor Tears under any Miſeries or Afflictions, no fears of future Evils, nor no grief for paſt ſins the cauſes of them, no Poverty or Diſtreſs ſhall come near that Holy place, the Habitation of Holy Souls; all the Inhabitants there are become Kings, poſſeſſed of Riches and Glory without value. Fear not therefore, O dying Believer, whoſe Soul by Death is getting free from thy Body; for thou art but removing from Earth to Heaven, where thou ſhalt inſtantly be with thy dear Lord and Saviour; thou art but going to thy God and Father, and the Father of Spirits, to viſit thoſe Manſions of Glory that are there prepared for thee: Chearfully therefore, take thy leave of thy Body, and let it know that thou art taking thy flight to Heaven, during the time that it ſhall ſleep in the duſt of the Grave until the morning of the Reſurrection, where thou ſhalt be out of the reach of all Afflictions, and Sorrows, and where thou canſt not be endangered by ſin, the Tempter, or any of his Temptations.

And concerning the Reſurrection of the Body, it is not only one of the moſt Excellent Myſteries of the Chriſtian Religion, but it is alſo one of its Glorious Advantages. It is that which the Heathens with all their deep Reaſonings, could never attain to the underſtanding of; but though Humane Reaſon be blind and cannot find out this Glorious Myſtery, yet we who are Chriſtians, have the ſure and certain Knowledge of it diſcovered to us by Divine p. 184Revelation; and when Reaſon is once ſavingly enlightned from above, O how the Juſtice and neceſſity of the future Reſurrection of the Body, is not only acknowledged, but admired. I confeſs when a Believer is caſt upon his Death-bed, and his Soul ready to take its leave of the Body in its paſſage unto Heaven, it is no ſmall cauſe of Joy and rejoycing, to conſider that as ſoon as it hath caſt off its Earthly Tabernacle, it ſhall be immediately admitted into the Glorious Preſence of God himſelf, where it ſhall view and contemplate his Face with infinite and unſpeakable delight and ſatisfaction. But yet that Holy Joy and that Heavenly Sweetneſs, which ſometimes is ſo Powerful that it Raviſheth the Soul of a Believer on a Death-bed, whilſt it Contemplates that Happineſs to which it is going; may be diſturbed and imbittered by the Conſideration of the poor Bodies being caſt into the Earth, there to become a Feaſt for Worms to feed upon. But be not troubled at this, O Believing Soul; for this ſeeming Deſtruction of thy Body ſhall not be Eternal, though it fall into the Grave by Death, where it ſeems at preſent to be loſt and forgotten, yet ſhall it have a certain Reſurrection, and then the Ignominy and Diſgrace under which it lay in the Grave ſhall appear, not to have been ſo great, as its Reſurection out of it ſhall appear Glorious: for it is ſown in Corruption, but it is raiſed in Incorruption; it is Sown in diſhonour, but it is raiſed in Glory; it is Sown in weakneſs, it is raiſed in Power; it is Sown a Natural Body, it is raiſed a Spiritual Body. in 1 Cor. 15.42, 43. Fear not therefore O Believing Soul, but commit thy Body with Confidence unto the Earth, and let thy Heart rejoyce, let thy Tongue be glad, and let thy Fleſh reſt in the hopes of a bleſſed Reſurrection; for aſſure thy ſelf thy Body ſhall not always lie rotting in the Grave, neither ſhall in there p. 185ſee Corruption for ever; but there ſhall come a time, when God ſhall ſhew it the path of Life again; when thy Soul ſhall deſcend from Heaven to aſſume its new raiſed body out of the Grave, to become a moſt glorious Body, even like unto the glorious Body of Jeſus Chriſt, being made more ſpiritual, and ſo more ſuitable to the Nature and Operations of the Soul, that it may become a fit Partner with it, in the Bleſſedneſs and Happineſs of Heaven for evermore.

Fourthly, Conſider the Familiarity that Believers have expreſſed towards Death. Ordinarily indeed Men put death into ſuch ugly ſhapes, and repreſent it to themſelves under ſuch terrible and afrighting forms, that they paſs their lives under ſlavery and bondage through the fears of it all their days. The viſage of Death appears ſo grim and full of horrour to the minds of ſome, that the ſerious forethoughts of it, ſeem to them to be a tormenting them before their time. O how vaſtly different are the thoughts of a wicked and a godly man concerning Death and the Grave! the one looks upon death as full of Dread and Horrour, the other looks upon it as a Meſſenger of Peace and Joy; and how can it be otherwiſe? For to the wicked it comes as a dreadful Enemy, armed with the wrath of an angry God, which burns to the loweſt Hell: But to the Godly, it comes as a peaceable, loving Friend, ſent with Tydings of Peace and Reconciliation, from him who is the God of Peace and Love. Natural fear of Death in a wicked Man is great; but when natural fear is encreaſed by guilt lying upon the Conſcience, and ſtaring a Sinner in the face; Oh what diſmal Horrour and Confuſion muſt ſeize upon ſuch a Soul under the Apprehenſions of Death? Well may ſuch a one look upon the Grave as a Dungeon, and Death p. 186as Hell it ſelf, an awakened Conſcience repreſenting to his view nothing but the Fiends and Furies of that Infernal Pit, that wait to be the Executioners of the Wrath and Vengeance of the great God upon him, in the Woes and Miſeries of everlaſting Burnings. Who wonders therefore to hear ſuch an one crying out upon a Death-bed with Horrour and Anguiſh of Soul, Oh I am ſo ſick I cannot live, and yet I am ſo ſinful I dare not die, and yet die I muſt! Oh would to God, that the ſerious Thoughts of theſe things might be laid to heart by all profane Sinners? What a happy means might it poſſibly be, to prevent the Horrours and Conſternation of Soul in many upon a Death-bed? But if Sinners cannot bear the Thoughts of theſe things in their Minds now, for fear of Diſtraction; how will they bear the ſight and preſence of them then? If the thinking and ſpeaking of them now be dreadful, the feeling of them will be far more tormenting.

But now a godly Man thinks and ſpeaks of death after another manner; for if he thinks and ſpeaks of death as a godly Man may and ought to do; he is ſo far from being terrified with the thoughts of it, that he thinks of it comfortably, ſpeaks of it familiarly. As it was wont to be the ſpeech of a very Holy Perſon, now with God, who was pretty well ſtricken in years, I hope it will not be long before I ſhall be in Heaven; for few live above ſixty or ſeventy years, and I am now a good many above fifty; certainly therefore it cannot be long before I ſhall die: Thus this Holy Soul, being deſirous of death, did uſe delightfully to reckon how little time there was to paſs between it and Heaven, and with a holy longing of Soul reaching after death, as one that was troubled that it was ſo long a coming. Thus certainly did holy Job look upon death, not as an Enemy, nor yet barely as a Stranger; but as one of his Friends, whom he was well acquainted with, p. 187took a kind of Deligh and Contentment in it: See with what an unuſual, but yet ſweet and familiar manner, he ſalutes and welcomes death, and all its Retinue, in Job 17.14. I have ſaid to Corruption, thou art my Father; and to the Worm, thou art my Mother and Siſter. The Holy Man makes no more of Death and the Grave, than as if he were going to be embraced by a compaſſionate Father, or a tender-hearted Mother, or Siſter, whoſe Bowels were full of love and pity to him. Thus St. Paul alſo ſpeaks of Death, as that which he was daily familiar with, being in Deaths often, frequently thinking thereof; for ſaid he, I die daily; Thoughts of Death was that which he accuſtomed himſelf unto, and that was one Cauſe why he was ſo willing to embrace it. And thus it ſhould be with all of us, were our hearts rightly affected, and we ſo familiarly acquainted with death as we ought: Thoſe of us who have the moſt lively Faith, would not only, not be afraid of death, but we ſhould even court it, as that which is better than life.

But I would not here diſcourage any weak Believer; for I dare not ſay, that they are no true Believers, who are not come up to this frame of Soul. Though it is true Grace is the ſame in all Believers, one Believer hath the ſame that another Believer hath; yet all that are Believers do not attain to the ſame degrees of Grace. There are ſome, and it is their ſin, and ought to be their Humiliation, that Death and they are little acquainted, they ſeldom deſcend into the Grave by frequent Meditations of their Mortality, they look not into the Pit out of which at firſt they were taken, and into which they are ſhortly to return; now their comfort, in the thoughts of death is little, if any at all, becauſe death and they are ſuch Strangers to one another: Theſe may be true Believers, but they are weak p. 188and faulty. But now others there are, who are ſo advanced in Grace above their Brethren, that by a conſtant Familiarity with death, are ſo compoſed in their Spirits, that they fear it not, nay they rejoice in the thoughts of it; not becauſe they think they ſhall not taſte of death, for they know that death will overtake them as well as others; they are ſenſible that the time of their departure draws nearer and nearer daily: Theſe things they believe, but they do not afflict themſelves therewith, ſo well are they acquainted with death, both in the Nature and in the Effects of it. And were they to die preſently, this would not much trouble them; for they know the bitterneſs of death is paſt, though death it ſelf be not; the Gall and the Wormwood is taken out, Chriſt hath been there before them; and therefore the ſting of death which is ſin is gone, the dangers, yea and the difficulties alſo in dying are removed out of the way: This they believe, and therefore they are not afraid, though by death they deſcend through the Grave into Heaven; for their Jeſus, their Saviour is there; and they know that till they die, where he is they cannot be; wherefore they ſay, though we die, nay therefore will we die, that we may ſee him.

Wouldſt thou therefore, O weak Believer, attain unto this ſweet frame of Spirit, accuſtom thy ſelf then to a holy familiarity with death, conceive of it under the faireſt and eaſieſt Notions; this is that the Spirit of God in Scripture delights in; when it ſpeaks of death with reſpect to the People of God, it always makes uſe of the moſt comfortable Expreſſions to repreſent it to them by. So ſweetly is death enamell'd, and ſo richly is it cloathed in the holy Language, that it ſeems to have a kind of Luſtre and Beauty upon it, to draw the Hearts and Affections of Believers to be deſirous of it. Look a little therefore, p. 189O Believer, into the Sacred Oracles, and ſee how the Spirit of God teacheth us to cloath Death with delightful Expreſſions; ſometimes it is called an undreſſing or uncloathing: And what Man that hath worn a Suit of Cloaths till it is become filthy and naſty, would not be glad to put off his old filthy Garments, that he might put on Change of Raiment? And why ſhould not a Chriſtian be willing to lay down the Earthly Houſe of his Tabernacle, though it be in the Duſt of the Grave, that he may be cloathed upon with his Houſe which is from Heaven? Sometimes Death is compared to Reſt; they ſhall reſt in their Beds, ſays the Prophet: and Job ſpeaking of the ſtate of Man in death, tells us, there the weary are at reſt. Now when a Man hath wrought hard, and taken great pains and labour all the Day, how deſirous is he to go to Bed and take his Reſt? And is not Death the ſame to thee, O Chriſtian? Doth not the Spirit of God call it ſo! Bleſſed are the dead that die in the Lord, for they reſt from their labours. And ſurely there is no reſt like to that reſt that a Chriſtian obtains after his ſpiritual labours and conflicts with Sin, Satan, the World, and his own evil Heart; when the Soul is ſet free from the Body, and takes its flight at once from all theſe into the Boſom of God, that place of Reſt and Happineſs which remains for the People of God. As there is no Yoke like unto the Yoke of Chriſt, when a Chriſtian ſuffers for him, for it is a Yoke lined with Love; My Yoke, ſays he, is eaſie, and my Burthen is light. So there is no Reſt and Happineſs like that which is with Chriſt; for the ſame Happineſs that he enjoys, his Children and Servants enjoy alſo. Sometimes death is called a Sleep; ſo ſays our Lord, our Friend Lazarus ſleepeth, it is ſpoken of his death; now who of us, when the day is ſpent, and the night hath overtaken us, is afraid to go to bed and ſleep? p. 190And why then ſhould a Chriſtian, when his Days are finiſhed, and the Night of Sickneſs is come upon him, be afraid to fall aſleep, though he ſleep the ſleep of Death? By ſuch Conſiderations as theſe, and the like, that the Scripture holds forth to us, Chriſtians ſhould endeavour to allay the bitterneſs, beautifie the deformity, blunt the edge, and take out the ſting of death; that all hard thoughts of it might be buried, and inſtead thereof there might grow up a ſweet Familiarity and Acquaintance between them and death; Oh how would this facilitate the work of dying, and cauſe holy Souls to exult with joy and rejoicing when death is approaching towards them.

And here I cannot but make a little Digreſſion to reaſon the Caſe with ſome weak Believers, whoſe unwillingneſs to die is very great, becauſe their fears of death are ſo many. But why ſhould the fears of Death ſo amaze and terrifie thee, O weak Believer? Haſt thou not the ſame Grace in thee with others? Haſt thou not the ſame Faith, the ſame Hope, the ſame Love, acting and working in thee? Doſt thou not ſerve the ſame Lord? Haſt thou not the ſame God for thy Father, the ſame Jeſus for thy Saviour, the ſame Spirit of Conſolation for thy Comforter? Art thou not going to the ſame Heaven? nay art thou not going to the ſame Heaven, in the ſame way, that all the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoſtles, and Saints of God in all Ages have gone before thee? Death was the Gate through which they all entred into Heaven; and why then ſhouldſt thou be ſo unwilling to go to Heaven in the ſame way? Oh how unlike to Chriſtians do they ſhew themſelves, who are ſo loath to die, that they will not come, but muſt be dragg'd to the Grave, yea to the very thoughts of Death? Oh how unſuitable is this Temper to thoſe who deſire that God's Wills may be done, who p. 191profeſs themſelves to be Strangers and Pilgrims here upon Earth, and to look upon Heaven as their Country and their Fathers Houſe? The life of a Chriſtian ſhould be a life of Faith; now the Excellency of the Life of Faith in a Believer with relation unto Death, lies in this, that it makes him not only ſubmiſſive, but chearfully to come to that to which another muſt be dragged by force, I mean Death and the Grave. To a Believer, when his Faith is on the wing, Life (as St. Paul ſays of his) is not dear, and Death, (as he ſpeaks of his) is deſired. It was as hard to make St. Paul patient, when he thought of living, as to make another patient, when he thinks of dying; a moſt ſweet and Bleſſed Frame of Spirit, but where is it to be found now? how rarely is it be to ſeen? the moſt of Men, ſhall I ſay, nay, the moſt of Profeſſors; and would to God there were not juſt cauſe to complain and ſay, whom we hope are real Chriſtians, their Hearts and Affections are ſo much ſet upon the World, even as if their Portion were not in Heaven, but they themſelves were among the Number of thoſe whoſe Names are written in the Earth. The Lord humble us, that ſo much of this Evil frame of Spirit is to be ſeen in the beſt of God's Children; as appears by their backwardneſs and unwillingneſs to die. O Chriſtians, if Jeſus Chriſt had gone as unwillingly to Suffer and to Die for us; as we go to Pray to him, and to hear from him, not to ſay as unwillingly as we go to die, that we may enjoy him, what had become of our Salvation? but bleſſed be God he did not. And ſurely Chriſtians, if it was Chriſts deſire to die for us as it was, it ſhould then be our longing to live with him, though it be by Dying. Oh what a ſtrange unſeemly and unbecoming thing is it, for a Chriſtian to hear his Saviour crying out, I have a Baptiſm to p. 192be baptized withal, though it was the Baptiſm of his bloody Death and Sufferings, and oh, how am I ſtraitned till it be accompliſhed? And that a Chriſtian, reflecting upon the thoughts of his own Death, ſhould ſay, I have a Baptiſm to be baptized withal, though not a Baptiſm of a bloody Death, by the hands of Violence; but the Baptiſm of an eaſie, quiet, and peaceable Death; and how am I ſtraitned and full of fears leſt it ſhould be accompliſhed? Certainly Chriſtians, a willingneſs in Chriſt to die for us, that we might live by him, ſhould cauſe in us a willingneſs to die that we might live with him.

Would to God, O Chriſtian Reader, that what hath been ſaid, might be a means to work in my ſelf and thee, not only a readineſs and fitneſs for Death, though that is very good, and that in which the ſafety of a Chriſtian lies; and happy are they that have gone ſo far, for Heaven is ſure to them whether they know it or not: but Oh that we might go further, that Grace might attain to a greater Perfection in us, even that we might come to a Holy willingneſs and deſire, yea to a Holy-longing of Soul after Death. This is that Holy covetouſneſs of Soul that God allows of. There are two things wherein a Chriſtian cannot be too inſatiable in his deſires after them, one is, that he may Honour God, the other is, that he may enjoy God; that he may honour God as much as he can while he is on Earth, and that he may enjoy God as ſoon as it may be in Heaven; this is the moſt commendable and deſirable life, and this will end in the moſt Happy and Comfortable Death. Death did I ſay, nay it is Life in Death; it is Death ſwallowed up of Life, even in a Life of unconceivable Glory and Happineſs, in the enjoyment of that God who is all Life, all Love, all Peace, all Joy, and all Happineſs, in the utmoſt and higheſt Perfection.

p. 193I am ſenſible I have made a Digreſſion in this particular, but the deſire I had, Chriſtian Reader, to ſtir up my own Soul and thine alſo, unto a Duty ſo full of Sweetneſs and Delight, hath put me upon it. I now go on to what yet remains.

Having laid down ſome Conſolations againſt the fear of Death in general; I ſhall in the next place endeavour to propound ſome Conſiderations for the ſupport of Chriſtians under the loſs of Friends and Relations in particular, which unto many is a ſore Trial, and hard to be born: for it is as common for Chriſtians to exceed in their Grief for their dead Friends and Relations, as it is to exceed in their Love and Delight in their living Friends and Relations; and in both it is very hard for Chriſtians to keep their Paſſions and Affections within due bounds. The bleſſed Apoſtle therefore gives us Excellent Counſel how we ſhould carry our ſelves under the enjoyment of Relations and outward Comforts whilſt we have them; and how we ſhould bear up under the loſs of them, when God takes them away from us; we have the Direction for both, 1 Cor. 7.29. If we have Relations or Worldly Enjoyments, why then, ſaith he, Rejoyce in them as if you rejoyced not. If you want them, or have loſt them, then, ſays he, weep for them as if you wept not: and he lays down a very cogent reaſon for what he ſays; for the time is ſhort and the World is paſſing away, and ſo are you and all your Relations and Comforts paſſing away with it. As if the Apoſtle had ſaid, if God hath Bleſſed you with dear and ſweet Relations, with pleaſant and delightful Comforts; yet conſider it is but a little time that you ſhall enjoy them; they and you ſhall quickly part again, therefore rejoyce in them as if you rejoyced not. And if God hath ſeen good to take away thoſe ſweet Pledges of his Love, and once the Objects of your p. 194Delight and Joy, do not much Afflict your ſelves under the loſs of them; for it is but a little while that you ſhall continue here without them, the time is ſhort, and the World is paſſing away, and ere long it will not be; yea, you your ſelves are paſſing away with it, yea before it alſo; weep therefore as if you wept not: theſe things are not your great Concerns, your Happineſs lies not in the Enjoyment of them, nor your Miſery in the loſs of them; but it lies in ſomething higher, and of greater Worth and Excellency, even in God himſelf; it's the Enjoyment of him only that can make a Soul happy, and the loſs of him only that can make it miſerable. Therefore with a Holy Moderation and Indifferency of Affection, carry your ſelves continually in every condition.

Now before I proceed to lay down particular Conſolatory Directions for the ſupport of Chriſtians under the loſs of Friends and Relations, I muſt here put in a double caution which Chriſtians muſt carefully obſerve. The one is, that they deſpiſe not the Chastening of the Lord; the other is, that they faint not under them: theſe are two extreams, the Apoſtle exhorts Chriſtians to be aware of, and they are both comprehended in Hebrews 12.5. My Son deſpiſe not thou the Chaſtening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art Rebuked of him. When God lays his Correcting hand upon us, for any to be ſo bold as to ſay, they do not regard it, let God take all if he will; muſt my Eſtate go? I care not if it doth; will God take away my Children or Relations, let them die; thus to make light of the hand of God, is to deſpiſe the Chaſtening of the Lord, and God will not long bear it, nor with us for it. But then there is another Extream that we muſt take heed of under Affliction, and that is fainting; If when Goods are taken away, the Hearts of thoſe p. 195that enjoy them are taken away alſo, and they ſink into deſpondency and diſtruſt. If when Children die the Spirits of Parents die too, this is fainting under the Rod. A Chriſtian now muſt walk in the middle way between both theſe Extreams, neither careleſly to deſpiſe, nor deſpairingly to faint under the Chaſtiſements of the Lord.

But though Chriſtians muſt neither deſpiſe the hand of God when it is lifted up againſt them, nor yet faint under it, yet they ought to be ſenſible of it; for it is a moſt unbecoming temper in any Chriſtian not to tremble when God ſmites him. Weep and Mourn we may under Affliction; God allows Tears to flow from our Eyes, and Sorrow in our Hearts under the loſs of Friends and Relations. Grief in ſuch caſes doubtleſs is very Lawful. To be without Natural Affections is a Heatheniſh ſin. Rom. 1.29. It is our Duty to take notice of every twig of God's Rod. Not to be troubled when the hand of God hath made a breach upon us is our ſin. To be above Paſſions is the Happineſs of Heaven, and to rectifie Paſſions, is much of our Happineſs on Earth. To be without Natural Affections, is to be below a Man, but to Order and Manage them aright, is the Perfection of a Chriſtian.

Having premiſed this, I now proceed to lay down ſome Conſolatory Directions for the ſupport of Chriſtians, under the loſs of Friends and Relations, which may be very uſeful alſo in the undergoing any other Affliction whatſoever; and I ſhall reduce them all unto theſe particular heads, as ſome Conſider ations relating unto God the Author of our Afflictions. Some relating to our ſelves that are the Subjects of Afflictions. And ſome relating to the Afflictions themſelves. Firſt, ſome Conſiderations relating unto God the Author of our Afflictions. And here conſider,

p. 196Firſt, God hath more right to and in all our Friends, and Relations than we our ſelves have. He is Lord of all, ſo great is his Dominion and Sovereignty over all, that what he can do by Might, he may do by Right. He is not accountable unto any, as we are nor is he tied by any Rule or Law, but his own Will in any of his Actings: And therefore if God take away any of our Friends and Relations, it is no more than what he may do; and if God do no more than whan he may do, who are we that we ſhould Complain? When God gives us Relations or Comforts for our uſe and benefit, he ſtill keeps the right to them in his own bands, and when he lets us have the Poſſeſſion of them for a time, he keeps the Propriety to himſelf. If God gives us Comforts it is an Act of Bounty, but when he takes them away it is an Act of Juſtice; for he is a Sovereign Lord in both. God cannot injure his Creatures; his Sovereignty and Supremacy is enough to bear him out, whatever he doth with or to them. Haſt thou loſt a dear Husband, a loving Wife, or a dutiful Child? Let that Right God hath in them, and the Sovereignty he hath over thee and them, quiet thy Spirit under all. It was ſo with David, Pſal. 39.2. I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, becauſe thou, Lord. didſt it.

Secondly, Conſider whatever dear Relations God hath taken from thee, he is able to make thee a Recompence with great advantage, and that in the ſame kind, if he ſee it good for thee. Say not therefore concerning thy dead Friends and Relations; what ſhall I do for thoſe ſweet Refreſhments, and thoſe Comfortable Delights, that once I enjoyed in them, but Death hath now ſpoiled me of all; for God is able to give thee much more, than what was in all theſe. God is not as Iſaac that had but one p. 197Bleſſing. Our Heavenly Father hath all Bleſſings at his Command: what a ſweet Title is that which the Apoſtle gives unto God for the Comfort of all Believers, 2 Cor. 1.3. The Father of Mercies, and the God of all Comfort and Conſolation Friends, Relations with all the Comforts and Delights belonging to them, are at his Command, and he can ſpeak them into being for your Support and Comfore when he pleaſeth. If God take away a Mercy from any of his People, uſually he gives them another in the room of it, and many times a better. God ſmote David's Child begotten in Adultry, and David Faſts and Prays for the life of it, and notwithſtanding this, the Child died: but in a little time God gave him another, a Solomon, a Jedidiab one that was beloved of the Lord, in his ſtead. God beſtows many comfortable Enjoyments upon his People in their paſſage through this World, to ſome he gives dear Relations, to others he gives Eſtates, to ſome abundance of Health, to others faithful and loving Friends: now theſe Comforts, are to continue but for a while; and thoſe of them that laſt longeſt, will conſume away at length: and when theſe Comforts are taken away, it ſeems to be a time of darkneſs and ſadneſs with the People of God; but if their Faith be active and vigorous, they may ſupport themſelves with this, that God doth not uſe to be long wanting to the Comfort of his People that wait for him: David tells us as much, Pſal. 18.8. Thou Lord wilt light my Candle, the Lord my God ſhall enlighten my darkneſs

Thirdly, Conſider this, doth God deny thee, or hath he taken from thee ſome Comforts which thou counteſt as great as any thou canſt enjoy as to outward Bleſſings, yet hath he left thee many ſtill, and he hath far better to beſtow upon thee, even ſuch p. 198between which and them there is no compariſon. It may be thou wanteſt Poſterity to bear up thy Name, when thou art dead and gone, and thou crieſt out with Abraham, Lord what wilt thou give me ſeeing Igo Childleſs. Is this thy Caſe, O Chriſtian? why then conſider, as you have not the Comfort of enjoying of Children, ſo you have not the Care and Trouble of Educating and bringing them up, nor the Grief and Vexation of their wicked lives, and ſometimes more wicked and untimely deaths; which is a conſtant trouble of Soul unto many; which made a Holy Man once mournfully complain and ſay, It is better to weep for tendead Children, than for one living Child. Little do you know what a continual grief of Spirit and a conſtanr aking of heart, ſome Children are unto their Parents. What a heart wounding was it to David, when he cries 2 Samuel 16.11. Behold my Son which came out of my Bowels, ſeeketh my life. Oh how many Children are there to whom the lives of their Parents are a burthen? who inſtead of Praying to God their Heavenly Father for their Parents, not only think and wiſh it in their Hearts, but among their Prophane Companions are not aſhamed to ſpeak it with their Tongues, as I have heard of ſome, wickedly and impiouſly deſiring that they could invert that Petition of the Lord's Prayer, and ſay of their Earthly Fathers what others ſay of their Heavenly Father, Our Father which art in Heaven, longing for the Expiration of the life of thoſe who under God were the Inſtruments of conveying life unto them. Oh to what a heighth of Impiety are ſuch vile wretched Monſters come, for they deſerve not the Name of Children, who cannot be content to ſtay till God takes away their Parents from them, but would themſelves bury them as it were alive. And let not any ſuch think ſlightly to paſs over p. 199their Sin, by ſaying, Why, we wiſh them no ill, what hurt is it to wiſh them in Heaven, they cannot be in a better place? It is true they cannot; but this doth not excuſe their wickedneſs, for doubtleſs it is not ſo much their Parents Happineſs in Heaven that they deſire, as that they might enjoy their Eſtates here upon Earth. But let all ſuch wicked Wretches know, that God will be ſure to meet with them here or hereafter: And if the Bleſſing of long Life be promiſed unto thoſe that honour their Parents, thoſe then that deſire the Death of their Parents, ſhall have cauſe to fear their lives may be ſhortned; for ſurely of ſuch wicked, (I had almoſt ſaid) blood-thirſty Wretches, it may be truly ſaid, that they ſhall not live out half their days. But this by the way.

But this is not my Caſe, may ſome ſay, God hath not denied me Children or Relations, but he hath taken many of them from me, and ſuch who were very delightful to me, and this doth much trouble me. But though God hath taken ſome from you, yet hath he not left you more than he hath taken? ſo it is ſometimes: But yet it frequently happens, that if God removes away one mercy from us, preſently we are ſo caſt down, as if all our Enjoyments were gone; and we mourn ſo exceſſively that we are become ſo blind, that we cannot behold the Mercies God hath left us, for the want of what he hath taken from us. But why, O Chriſtian, art thou ſo unthankful to God, and ſo unkind to thy ſelf, as to loſe the Comfort of all the other Mercies thou enjoyeſt, becauſe God hath taken away one Mercy that thou wanteſt. Oh vile Ingratitude, how many thouſands are there, as good ſhall I ſay, nay better than you, whoſe whole Harvest of Comforts in this World, is not a handful to the gleaning of thoſe Comforts you ſtill enjoy; who in all their Lives p. 200never were Owners of ſuch comfortable Enjoyments as you now over-look in your grief and trouble, if not in your diſeontent. But what doſt thou mean, O Chriſtian, by all this? What are the Mercies God hath left thee in poſſeſſion, nothing worth? The Grave hath ſwallowed up a Child, Death hath ſnatch'd away a Friend; but ſtill thou haſt a Husband, it may be, or a Wife, or Children; or if God hath ſtripp'd thee of all theſe, yet he hath left thee a comfortable Eſtate to live upon, with health and ſtrength to uſe and enjoy it; or if this be gone alſo, have you not the Goſpel, the Ordinances of God; and if thou art a Believer, thou haſt an Intereſt in Chriſt, and in the Covenant of Grace, and a Right and Title to all the Priviledges belonging to that Covenant, as Pardon of Sin, Peace of Conſcience, and Hopes of eternal Life? And what doſt thou faint and ſink, as if all thy Comforts in this World, and all thy Hopes of the World to come were dead and buried in one Grave together? Beware of this, O ye mourning, afflicted ones; for the Sin is great, and ſo is the Danger that attends it, as might be ſhew'd at large; but I forbear. Yet before I leave this Head, I ſhall add one thing more. You who have loſt the delight of your Eyes, and the joy of your hearts, as to outward Comferts; yet remember God hath far better to beſtow upon you, even ſuch as tranſcend the love of Parents, or the joy of Children; I confeſs a dear Husband, a loving Wife, a beloved Child, an affectionate Friend, theſe are very great things when they ſtand by other Comforts and Enjoyments; but, Oh! what poor, little, ſmall things; nay nothings are they, when God ſhall ſet himſelf by them, before a gracious Soul? And now that God is taking away theſe earthly Comforts, who can tell, but that hereby he is making way for himſelf the King of Glory to come p. 201into ſuch a Soul, to communicate of himſelf and his Grace, in a more ſweet and ſenſible way and manner than ever he hath done. And, as one ſaith, the Death of Children, Relations, and Friends, theſe dark and uncomfortable Providences muſt caſt up and prepare the way of the Lord, removing them out of the heart, that himſelf may dwell there alone.

Fourthly, Under your Tears and Sorrows in the loſs of Friends and Relations, conſider, What wrong hath God done you by your Afflictions, that you ſo mourn and complain? God hath taken from you a dear Relation, from whom you expected much Comfort; but God had a greater Intereſt in your Relation, than you had, for all Souls are his; and will you diſpute with him? Who had moſt Right to diſpoſe of your Relations, God or you? Your Relation, though never ſo dear to you, was the work of his hands; and what, may not God do what he will with his own? Suppoſe the Relation thou haſt loſt, was a beloved Child, that you nouriſhed and bred up, and that with great pains and care, God hath paid you ſufficiently for it, in the Loan of your Child ſo long; and now that your Child is come to full Age, and to the Time appointed of the Father, may he not take it home unto himſelf? Did you, or could you provide better for your Child than God can? God gave your Child Life and Breath while it was with you, that it might be a Comfort to you, and you enjoyed it longer than you deſerved, or than he promiſed you; and now that he is come and claims his Intereſt in it, it is but a fitting and becoming thing that you ſhould ſit ſtill and he ſatisfied in his Will.

p. 202Secondly, Conſider ſome Arguments in reference to our ſelves, for the moderating of our Griefs and Sorrows under the loſs of Friends and Relations: And here conſider,

Firſt, Who or what are we, that we ſhould be diſcontented or repine at the dealings of the allwiſe God with us? Alas, if we reflect upon our Original, what is it? Duſt and Aſhes, and out of thence formed by God to be his Creatures; for it is he that hath made us, and not we our ſelves; and this ſhews our weakneſs and impotency: But this is not all, we are not only God's Creatures, made by him, and depending upon him; but we are ſinful Creatures that have rebelled againſt him; the Poſterity of Sinful and Apoſtate Parents, that have loſt our Primitive Beauty and Excellency, whereby we did bear the Image and Reſemblance of God in Holineſs, which is the Glory of God himſelf; and are run in Debt unto his Juſtice, more than we or all the Men on Earth; yea, or all the Saints and Angels in Heaven are able to pay. This God to whom we thus ſtand indebted, is become our great Benefactor, gives us all we enjoy, maintains us continually at his own proper Coſt and Charges; for we have nothing but what we receive from Him; it is his Corn and Wine that feeds and nouriſheth us, his Wool and Flax that covers our Nakedneſs; his Silver and Gold that enricheth us, Hoſ. 2.8, 9. He fram'd us and faſhion'd us in the Womb, and gave us all the Limbs and Parts of our Bodies, ſo that we were born neither maimed nor monſtrous; he endued us with Reaſon and Ʋnderſtanding; it is he that is the God of our Health and Strength; our Peace, our Plenty, flow from his Bounty and Goodneſs to us; yea, our very Lives and Beings are from him, for in him, we live and move, and have p. 203our Beings. We are but Worms, and if he tread upon any of us, he leaves us dead behind him. So infinitely below him are we, that if we do that which is good, we cannot benefit him; and if we will venture upon that which is evil, we cannot hurt him. Now the Contention is between this great and mighty, yea Almighty God, the Creator and Governour of all Things and Perſons, and us poor, low, ſinful Duſt and Aſhes, who ſhall have their Wills in the diſpoſing of our Friends and Relations, but his own Creatures, whether God's Will ſhall ſtand or ours: We may pretend what we will to excuſe our ſelves; but the plain Truth of things lies in this Conteſt, whoſe will ſhall take place, Gods, or ours; whether he, or we ſhall have the diſpoſing of our ſelves and ours: But it is in vain to contend with him; for as he will, ſo it is fitting he ſhould do with us and ours as he pleaſeth, whether we will or no. What ſaith Elibu, Job 34.33. Should it be according to our Minds, he will recompence, whether we refuſe, or whether we chuſe. There is no good to be got by contending with one that is ſo infinitely above us; our wiſeſt way is to be dumb and hold our Peace when God pleads with us by any Affliction. Doth not God do all things well? Do we not all ſtand amazed at that infinite Wiſdom, by which the Heavens and Earth, and all the Creatures in both were made, and by which they are all governed and diſpoſed? Doubtleſs there is nothing amiſs in his Adminiſtrations; he cannot be ſubject to any Error, who is Wiſdom it ſelf; all his Works are perfect and good? Who date pretend to find fault with what God doth: Shall mortal Man be more wiſe than his Maker? Have you loſt ſweet and lovely Children, or dear Yoke-fellows? Lay your hands upon your Mouths, be not diſcontented, but acquieſce in what God hath done, for he always doth what is p. 204beſt for his; at preſent they cannot ſee it, it may be, but they ſhall do hereafter; and in the mean time it is their Duty to believe and to truſt in him. It is not for us to have the Keys of Life and Death to hang at our Girdle, to let in and out at our Pleaſure; Heaven then would be empty enough, for our Friends ſhould not go yet if we could help it; and our Enemies ſhould never come there if we could hinder them. Our Relations would then live too long, and our Enemies would die too ſoon. But theſe things whatever we ſay or think to the contrary, are ruled by an All wiſe Providence, to which we our ſelves and all our Relation. are ſubjected: And it will never be well with us, till we can reſign up our ſelves, our Relations, and all our Comforts unto his wiſe diſpoſal, and ſay not our Wills, but thy Will, O Lord, be done.

Secondly, Conſider, your weeping and mourning for the loſs of your Friends and Relations, is but a vain, vexatious thing; it is that which will do you no good, but may do you much hurt. If a Bullock have the Yoke faſtened upon him, he may by ſtruggling and ſtriving make his Yoke gaul and vex him, but it doth not eaſe him at all thereby. The Caſe is ſo with thee, O Chriſtian, God hath afflicted thee ſorely, by taking away thy Yoke fellow, or thy Child; if thou wilt not bear it patiently, but fretteſt and murmureſt againſt God, all that thou getteſt hereby, is the more pain and ſmart, but thou doſt not help or eaſe thy ſelf in the leaſt: What our Lord ſaith of our caring for the things of this life, is true in grieving for the loſſes we ſuſtain in this life; Which of you, ſays he, by taking thought, can add one Cubit to his Stature? Matth. 6.27. Cares may break our hearts, and ſhorten our days, but they cannot add to our Stature: So Sorrows p. 205under loſſes may break our Reſt, and rend our hearts; yea, they may haſten our death; for worldly Sorrow cauſeth death, but it cannot repair our loſſes nor help us under them. When the Hand of God is upon any of our Relations, by Sickneſſes and Diſtempers, and the purpoſe of God in reference unto their Death is unknown to us. There is now room for Faſting and Prayer, that the Evil threatned and feared may not come upon us; Tears and Cries unto God now have the nature and uſe of means to prevent an Affliction from coming upon us: But when once the purpoſe of God is manifeſted, and the fatal ſtroke is given, it is the vaineſt thing in the World to fret and vex our ſelves becauſe our Relations are dead. Holy David therefore, when God had ſmitten his Child with Sickneſs, being deſirous of its life, he betakes himſelf to Faſting and Prayer unto God, 2 Sam. 12. and 22. For, ſays he, who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the Child may live. But when once God had ſignified his Will in the Death of the Child; now, ſays he, that it is dead, wherefore ſhould I faſt? It is in vain for me to faſt and pray now, Can I bring it back again? No, I cannot. I ſhall go to it, but it ſhall not return to me. But this is not all; our mourning and weeping for our departed Friends and Relations is not only in vain, that is, it doth us no good, but it many times doth much hurt; for God is not glorified, but diſhonoured by our repining at his Providence; but we our ſelves alſo are injured, for hereby we are rendred unfit for his Service, both in our general and particular Callings, as we are Men, and much more as we are Chriſtians. Caſt not therefore away your Tears and Sorrows upon that which will not benefit you, but be to your loſs and damage. Turn the ſtream of your Tears into a right Chanel, there is uſe enough for them, even p. 206for your living, and it may be lively Sins, and not for your dead Relations.

Thirdly, You that are ſo prone to grieve and mourn under the loſs of your Relations, conſider you your ſelves are making haſte after them. You are almoſt ready to go off the Stage of this World, and would you have your Relations live? It is not likely that we ſhall bear them Company long here; when a few days more are paſt and gone, we our ſelves ſhall go whence we ſhall not return. It is but a little while, and our Places and Relations that have known us here, ſhall know us again no more for ever. We are marching on, not fair and ſoftly, but very ſwiftly in the ſame Road wherein our dead and lamented Friends and Relations once walked, treading out the marks of their Foot-ſteps while they lived here. We are almoſt ready to lie down and rot with them in the ſame Grave; we dwell in Houſes of Clay which begin to crack; and though we make a ſhift to daub and patch them up for a while, yet will they ſoon tumble down into the Duſt, do what we can. Your dead Relations, that you are now mourning for, are gone but a little before you, and you will ſoon be with them; as you come not into the World together, ſo you muſt not go out together; it is God's Will it ſhould be ſo, and who can reſiſt it? Nay, it is God's Will it ſhould be ſo, and we muſt acquieſce in it; for if we love God, we muſt deny him nothing that he requires; and if we deny not our ſelves in our deareſt Relations for him, we cannot be his Diſciples.

Thirdly, I ſhall now lay down ſome conſolatory Conſiderations, in reference to the Affliction it ſelf, that any lie under by reaſon of the loſs of Friends and Relations. And here conſider,

Firſt, There muſt be a time when you and your p. 207Relations muſt part, and why not now? It is fit we ſhould wait upon God for the beſtowing of a Mercy, and that we ſhould be Patient when God takes away a Mercy; but it is not fit we ſhould know or chooſe the times when God will give a Mercy, or when he will take it away. Every thing is Beautiful in its Seaſon, ſays the Wiſe Man, and God knows when is the beſt time for us both to enjoy a Mercy and to be Exerciſed with an Affliction. He is infinite in Wiſdom and cannot be guilty of any miſtake in any kind whatever. Now this All-knowing Infinitely Wiſe God thinks this the beſt time for thee to be without thy Child, to want thy Relations; thou canſt not at preſent ſee and underſtand the Work of God, and that this Affliction that is now come upon thee, is come in the beſt and fitteſt time and Seaſon. I may here ſay to you what Chriſt did to Peter, when he was going to waſh his Feet, John 13.7. What I do thou knoweſt not now, but thou ſhalt know hereafter. So ſay I, what God is now doing with thee, and what he intends by this Affliction thou knoweſt not now, but thou mayeſt know hereafter, and be able to ſay, not only that it was good for thee that thou wert Afflicted but that it was good for thee that at ſuch a time and in ſuch a manner thou wert Afflicted, by the loſs of ſuch a Child, or ſuch a Relation, God hereby Sanctifying the Affliction, not only for thy Conviction of, and Humiliation for ſin, the Evil whereof thou never wert asquainted with before; but for the diſcovery of himſelf in Jeſus Chriſt, and the Excellency and Beauty of Grace and Holineſs unto thy Soul, both which thou wert a Stranger to as to any Sanctifying and ſaving knowledge of them; whereby much ſin from that time hath been prevented in thee, and much Comfort in the ways of Holineſs and Obedience from that time hath been experienced by thee. Let God p. 208therefore for the time to come have not only the ſorting of thy Mercies and thy Afflictions; that is, to beſtow what Mercies he thinks beſt, on thee, or what Afflictions he thinks meet upon thee, as to the kind of them; but let him alſo have the timing of our Mercies and of our Afflictions, that is, when is the fitteſt time for us to enjoy Mercies, and when is the fitteſt time for us to be without them: for certainly he that is the Lord of Time is the beſt Judge of Time; and in nothing do we more diſcover our Folly and Raſhneſs, than in preſuming to fix the times, either of our Mercies, or of our Afflictions. Leave therefore, O Chriſtian, the timeing both of the one and of the other unto him, whoſe Works are all Beautiful in their Seaſon.

Secondly, Conſider you that grieve ſo under the loſs of Friends and Relations, your Condition might have been worſe. Others have felt more, and you deſerve worſe. You have loſt a beloved Child, or a dear Friend and Relation, and you Mourn as one that will not be Comforted; but what is your loſs unto others? Aaron loſt two Sons at one time, and that by a ſtrange Judgment from God, Fire coming down from Heaven in an extraordinary manner and conſumed them, and yet Aaron held his Peace. Job loſt all his Children ſuddenly in one day, in an unuſual manner, and yet Job doth not murmur, but bleſſes God, the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, bleſſed be the Name of the Lord. The Great God might have taken away all thy Children, all thy Relations and Friends. Estate, Health; yea, thy Life alſo. Whatever thou enjoyeſt it is above thy deſert, how mean and poor ſoever it be. Know, O Chriſtian, God exacteth of thee far leſs than what thine Iniquities do deſerve. Nothing but Hell and Damnation anſwers to the merit of ſin. Wherefore then p. 209ſhould a living man complain? ſhall he murmur and repine becauſe he lies under ſome Temporal Affliction, who might juſtly be ſent unto Eternal Torments, where the Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not quenched? Oh inſtead of Complaining it is ſo bad with you, be thankful it is no worſe: Let your loſs in your Friends and Relations be what it will, let your Condition be as bad as it can be, yet is it better with you than it would be in Hell, whither your ſins deſerve God ſhould have ſent you, who hath only laid this gentle Affliction upon you, under which you now groan.

Thirdly, Conſider your Friends and Relations, that you grieve and mourn ſo for; if they were good, they are not loſt; they are but gone before, taken from the evil to come. Thy Friend or Relation whoſe loſs thou bewaileſt, was either God's Friend or not, if he was God's Friend as well as thine, why ſhould not God have his Company rather than you? and if God hath him, thou canſt not ſay he is loſt; no he is ſafe, only he hath got the ſtart of thee, being got to Heaven before thee; and ſurely, if thou lovedſt him, as by thy mourning thou pretendeſt to do, thou canſt not grieve becauſe he is Happy. The World is not ſo pleaſant a place, neither have the Godly in any Age found it ſo; that any of us ſhould ſo eagerly deſire it, either for our ſelves or our Friends. Happy are they that are got ſafe out of it into Glory. If thy Friend for whom thou now grieveſt was bad, thou ſhouldſt have mourned for him whilſt he was here on Earth, when by thy mourning thou mightſt have made him better; then was the proper, yea the only time for thy Prayers and Tears to have done him any good; but now that he is gone, though thou ſhouldſt weep and mourn never ſo much, it is altogether p. 210in vain and unprofitable. But if thy Friend were a good Man, to grieve for his departure, ſeems to argue that we have but hard, or doubtful and miſgiving thoughts concerning him; for how can we mourn for one that is Happy? beſides thy Friend is but taken from the Evil to come. The Grave becomes a hiding-place for ſome, and God ſees it better for them that they ſhould be under ground than above ground in ſuch evil days; that they may not behold the Evil that is like to come upon others, ſo ſays the Prophet, The Righteous are taken away from the evil to come, and certainly it is far better for us to deſire to go to them, that we may partake of their Happineſs, than to wiſh that they ſhould come to us to partake of our Miſeries.

Fourthly, Grieve not immoderately for thy dead Friends and Relations, for there is hope of their Reſurrection, and Eternal Happineſs. It is for them to mourn without meaſure, who mourn without hope, which no Chriſtian ſhould do. We are not to look upon the dead, becauſe at preſent they are turned to Corruption and Rottenneſs, as a loſt Generation of Men; for Death hath not, nor cannot Annihilliate and deſtroy them. A Believer may ſay of his dead Friends and Relations, what the Diſciples ſaid unto Chriſt when he told them, Our Friend Lazarus ſleepeth. Lord ſay they, if he ſleep be ſhall do well, John 11.12. the ſame may Believers ſay of their Friends and Relations that are aſleep in their Graves, they ſhall do well, for they ſhall awake again: ſo ſays the Church, Iſaiah 26.19. Awake and ſing ye that dwell in the duſt, for thy dew is as the dew of Herbs, and the Earth ſhall caſt out the dead. Now we do not uſe to weep and mourn for our Friends and Relations when they p. 211lie down at night to take a ſhort ſleep in their Beds, becauſe we know they uſe to awake and ariſe again in the morning: And why then ſhould we be grieved and troubled, when they come to lie down in the duſt; and make their Beds for a while in the Grave, ſleeping away time by Death until the morning of the Reſurrection; when they ſhall as ſurely, nay more ſurely awake and ariſe out of their Graves than they were certain in the morning of any day to awake and ariſe out of their Beds? And therefore the Apoſtle brings it in as a Cordial, for the ſupport of Believers under the loſs of their Friends and Relations by Death, 1 Theſſal. 4.13, 14. I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren, concerning them which are aſleep, that ye ſorrow not even as thoſe that have no hope, for if we believe that Jeſus died and roſe again, even ſo them alſo which ſleep in Jeſus will God bring with him. And ſo he goes on proving the Doctrine of the Reſurrection, and conludes with this, ſo ſhall we be ever with the Lord; wherefore, ſays he, Comfort one another with theſe words. When Believers die, tho' their Bodies ſeem to periſh in the Earth, yet even then, is their very duſt precious in his ſight, for he takes care of it and preſerves it in the Grave; and he will certainly raiſe it again at the last day unto a moſt Glorious State of Happineſs; and even then at that inſtant, when their Souls leave their Bodies, they aſcend up into Heaven into the Preſence and Enjoyment of God in Glory. As our Saviour therefore ſaid unto his Diſciples when he was going away from them into Heaven, in John 14.28. If ye loved me, ye would rejoyce, becauſe I go unto my Father. The ſame may dying Believers ſay unto their Friends and Relations that they leave behind them, if ye loved us, ye would rejoyce, becauſe we are going unto our God and Father; weep not p. 212therefore for us, but weep for your ſelves, who are forbidden for a while to follow us unto that State of Bleſſedneſs, which we are now a going to take Poſſeſſion of for ever.

Now for a Concluſion of this Subject, I have but one thing more to add, which may be an Argument of great force and ſtrength to prevail upon the Spirits of Chriſtians, not only to make them willing and contented to die, but to ſtir up in them a Holy longing of Soul after Death: and that is to conſider the Saints great gain and advantage by dying. Now here I ſhall not branch out this Head into ſeveral particulars relating to the Happineſs of Believers in Heaven becauſe I intend a particular Diſcourſe of the Happineſs thereof by it ſelf; all that I ſhall ſay now concerning the gain of Believers by Death, ſhall be only in General. And ſo let all ſuch know, that when they die, they ſhall be perfectly freed from whatſoever is Evil and Afflictive; and ſhall have a perfect Enjoyment of whatever is beneficial and good, they ſhall be perfectly freed from whatſoever is Evil and Afflictive; there ſhall then be no more ſorrowing, or weeping, for Heaven, whither Death brings all Believers, is the place of the Joy of their Lord, where Tears are wip'd away from all Eyes, and Sorrow from all Hearts; for thither the Ranſom'd of the Lord are come with Songs upon their heads, and obtain Joy and Gladneſs, and ſorrow and ſighing ſhall flee away, Iſaiah 35, and the laſt. Where they live without fear, which here makes the lives of many burthenſome unto them; for all cauſe of fears are there for ever aboliſhed and taken away. There are no Deformities upon the Body to render it Contemptible, nor no Reproaches upon the Name to make it Scandalous; there is no Sickneſs or Diſtempers upon the outward p. 213Man, nor no Deſertions or Darkneſs upon the inward Man; there are no Temptations from Satan to vex the Soul, nor no Weakneſſes and Infirmities to annoy the Body; there's no more Death or dying, but Life for evermore; Mortality is now ſwallowed up of Life, Corruption hath put on Incorruption, and Mortality hath put on Immortality, and Death and Hell are caſt into the Lake of Fire, and which is more than all this, there, that is in Heaven, we ſhall no more ſin nor offend God to all Eternity, Earth and Hell are the places both of ſin and Suffering, but Heaven is a place of perfect Joy and perfect Holineſs; nothing enters in there that is either Afflictive, Polluted, or Defiled. When Death parts Soul and Body for a time, then Sin and the Soul part for ever. Here we are continually ſinning and offending of God, and it is the conſtant grief of a Godly Man that he doth ſo; here our Righteouſneſſes are no better than filthy rags, and Grace it ſelf hath its defects; when we believe moſt ſtrongly, we muſt cry out, Lord, help our unbelief: but now in Heaven there are none, but the Spirits of Juſt Men made perfect. In a word, there is nothing there, that may in the leaſt be an Allay or Diminution unto the Happineſs of that bleſſed State, that is there enjoyed to Eternity.

But this is not all, Death doth not only free Believers from all that is Evil and Afflictive, but it brings them to the perfect Enjoyment of whatever is beneficial and good; Death being the means and way by which they enter into Heaven, where Bleſſedneſs and Happineſs is to be enjoyed in ſuch fulneſs of perfection, as exceeds not only our Apprebenſions, but our Imaginations. For there it is that the infinitely great and bleſſed God diſcovers himſelf in all his Glory, to be enjoyed by the Saints as p. 214their Portion to Eternity. There it is that they ſhall behold their once bleeding and dying, but now Glorified Redeemer, Cloathed in their own Nature; who loved them and waſhed them from their ſins in his own blood, who was dead but is alive, and now lives for ever more, and becauſe be lives, they ſhall live alſo. There they ſhall Enjoy that which was the great deſire of the Apoſtle, and theirs alſo to be with Chriſt, which is beſt of all, and how much bleſſedneſs is included in thoſe few words, to be with Chriſt, the enjoyment of Heaven only where Chriſt is, can make known to us. There it is that Believers fully underſtand the meaning of that Article of our Chriſtian Faith, even the Communion of Saints; here it was that they placed their Delight in the Saints the Excellent ones of the Earth, and there their Delight ſhall be in great meaſure in the Saints, ſome of the Excellent ones of Heaven. There ſhall then be no mixture of ſin and Corruption with our Graces, which here is an Allay to the Luſtre and Brightneſs of them, but they ſhall Shine forth in their full Glory and Beauty. Grace there ſhall be in its full Perfection; nothing ſhall then be wanting in our Knowledge, nor any thing imperfect in our Love, our Obedience ſhall then flow from us with all readineſs and chearfulneſs of Soul, and our Joy and Delight in God ſhall not admit of the leaſt Diminution or Diſturbance to Eternity. This, O Soul, is that in general which the Happineſs of Heaven is made up of, and to the Enjoyment of this Happineſs without Interruption or Ceſſation for ever, is that to which Death brings all Believers. And ſurely if ever thoſe words have any Truth in them, they are here verified, ſo that a Saint may truly ſay, The lines are now fallen to me in a pleaſant place, I have a goodly Herit age. O Bleſſed and p. 215Glorious State indeed! who is there that knows and believes this infinite unconceivable Happineſs, that would not willingly die to enjoy it? Unto which State of Bleſſedneſs, God of his infinite Mercy bring us all to the Enjoyment of, for the alone ſake of Jeſus Chriſt our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Nathanael Ranew, Concerning Death and Heaven (1694)