w ao __i- z. ~ rr. zzz B A L J^PJTO'WiSH : ' \ At "Sermon. Wherlin tK<$ vanity of dcfires without endeavours, in oifcler , to the obtaining the Death of the Upright, and their laft end, is opened and apply ed. Firft occafionally Preached 3 arid now at the requeit of fome Publifticd. By an unworthy Meffenger of Chrift. Pfal. 37. 37. Mark^the perfett matt % and behold the upright, for the end of thai: man is pace* London:, Printed by T. Leach for John Sims, and are to be fold at his Shop near Grefljam-CoUedge-gatln in Bifieps-gate-ftreet) and at his Shop at Smthius- Alley -end in Cornhill^ near the Royal-ExchatJgt. 1 6 y 0. v TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND ELECT LADIES The Lady Anne Clinton , The Lady Eleanor a i and £ Holies. The Lady Diana j The Author wifheth Grace and Peace. Right Honourable, 7 is the Nature of the Bleffed God\ not only to give great things boun* h 3 tifully^ The Epiftle ti fully , but alfo to accent of fmall things gr aciou fly : though he looks for the Oifi, yet he locks at the Heart : hence we read in the Law, that the handfull of Meal which the Poor man brought for an Ob- lation to God \ was as grate- full to God as the whole Burnt- offering of the Rich : and in the firfl of Leviticus, the Reach Nichdach, or Tweet fa- vour of reft, is added not only to the Rich mans Oxe? but to the Poor mans Turtle Doves ; to Jhew that it is not fo much how Dedicatory. how much as from what mind a Sacrifice is brought to Gods Altar, Tour Lady/hips have al- ready in your Noblenefs and Liberality to me , [hewed your felves to be partakers of the Divine Nature, and in accept- ing this poor Pepper-corn pre- fent will give a further tefii- tnony of your Likemfs to his Eternal Majetty : for your ac- ceptation will evidence more the goodnefs of your Lady^ pips , than the defer t of this Vifcourfe. Such at it i$ } I am A 4 humbly The Epiftlc humbly bold to offer it toyou^ taking this publick opportu- nity to declare my thankfulnefs fo far as lam able, though not fo far as I ought. I bow my knees before the Father of our Lordjefus ChriSl, beggi?igfor you the mercies of his Covenant and Kingdom: The great God lift up the light of his recon- ciled face upon you, granting you affurance of his Love, and perfeverance in his Truth in this World, and a Crown of Glory in a better Life. No more but my earned requeSt that Dedicatory. that I may obtain the favour and honour to be Your Ladyffiips Humbleft Servant, &c, TO TO THE CHRISTIAN READER, Chriftian Reader, THou haft here the Copy of a Sermon which was firft taken from the Preacher's mouth by the Pen of a ready Writer : the Perfon who was at the pains of Tranfcribing of it, by his earneft defire hath pre- vailed with the Author to Re- view it, and to give him leave to Publilh it. Here is no- thing 'to the Reader. thing added to the Difcourfe it felf , only fome things in the Margin, to which fomc paffages in the Sermon have relation. The Author declares ' he lo es not to be in Print, and that thefe few leaves had never been fuffered to come abroad, had not more then or- dinary Obligations to comply with the requcfts of fome, been laid upon him. The Godly will not con. demn the Work, becaufe the fubjeQ: is fo ferious and pro- fitable ; for what can be of greater moment or benefit , than To the Re^er. than to teach men the Leflbn of an holy upright life, as that; which paves the way to an happy and comfortable death ? or to defcribe the bleffed ad- vantagious death of the righte- ous, as that which encourages to the gracious and heavenly life of the Godly. The Wicked will not blame it much, becaufe it is fo very fhort ; let him that is mod difpleafed with it, turn over but a few Pases, and he mil certainly find . fomething than pleafech him, viz^ the END. The To the Render, The Author hath endca& voured to offend no man by this Tra&ate : for its his de- fign fo to fpeak, write, and live, as firft to pleafe God as much as he can, and then to difpleafe man as little as he can. If thou reapeft: any benefit by what is here fet before thee, give God the praife ; for who fhould have the Tribute of all Glory, but he that beftowsthe Treafure of all Grace ? who fhould have the Fruit, but he that planted the Tree ? Mag- nifie God for any good this Sermon To the Reader* Sermon fhall do thee : for every good gift, and every perfed gift, comes from above 7 from the Father of Lights. Farewell, Balaam^ / ¥ ffffff:fff fff?:f B A L A A W S W I S'B Numb. XXIII. Verf. 10, The Matter Part. Let me Dye the Death of the Righteous , and let my lajl end be like his. His Chapter (with the foregoing and following) contey- neth the Hiftory of Balaam's Journey, Sacrifices, and Parables ; and in this Nar- B rativ® CO rattve there are two things wonderful and extraordinary recorded , by the Man of God » Mofes ; the one whereby the paffion, the other whereby the covetoufnes of Balaam the falfe Prophet was rebuked and retrained : fab bis paffion was refrained by Gods -putting 2. j 6. words into the mouth of bis AJs, "-efo- the dumb Afs , /peaking with mans voyce, rebuked the madnes of the Prophet:zngcr\nd put the man befides himfelf , fo the Greek word there ufed figni- fics, and To it is in all other perfons ; though Balaam were a wife man , yet when his paf- fion was up , his reafon was down; Anger is tbatfeaverof ■ the (?) the foul i that makes the tongue um talk idly, 'tis a fliortfury, \t lere( fl puts the mind into a rage; youZTfilL may fee how he frets and fumes ch,wde , and chafes and ftorms and a Sj £ "Z wife as he was , had need to be «» »'»/»*'- admonifhed by an Afe '/ * ch l' > TJ- J eS ""'' . 2>y- His coveteoufnefs was^i^a- rebuked by Gods putting words '%*& into his own mouth; and this prendre was as great a wonder as thc h j*"* m P former, for though at MwichJ?,C" .fome kind of maiden blufhes^**^ andfhamefae'd modefty he ex-~ cufed himfelf from the work , lors yet he loved the wages ofun-^fc 4 righteoufnes , in fo much that in the n Verfe of the Epiftle _ of Jude he is called (in the ori- M ' u ginal ) the Balaam of 'Reward , B «*4* B 2 a*' Vj; (4) a man who had no other foul but gain; fo tha: hebeing fucha peribn , it was a great wonder God fhould fo over-rule him as to make his tongue fpeak that which his heart did leaft love ; thusthepreparationsoftheheart are in man, and the anfrer of. the tongue is from the Lord , So in that fpeech of Caiphas we read of, Tis expedient faith he that one man fhould dye for the 'people-, and this faid he not of himfelf, but being High Priefl J oh,u that year, he Prophecied th*t 1I,5t ' Jefus \ fhould dye for that iVtf- tion (zrc. and fo here , the Lord put a word into Balaam's mouth v b ( a f m £> return unto Balak and &jj thus thou {halt fpetk> behold (5) how thetord limits him and tyes him up, to ipeak not his own words but the Lords : Againft the inclination of.hfo cove- teous heart his tongue mull: fpeak : ufually out of the abun- dance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh, but here it was not fo , but from the irrefiftiblehand of God that was upon him, his mouth fpake, the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Ba- laam, but the Lord they GodVext. turned the cur fe into a bleffing 11 ^' becauft the Lord thy God loved thee ; God would not hearken to Balaam , but made Balaam hearken unto God , and fo ripp his tongue with bleffings, though he had a poifoned and B 3 en- (6) envenomed heart, Saul went to Damafcus to perfceute, and God converted' him to be a Preacher ; and Balaam went to curfe, and God changed his words into a bleffing ; in the former God changed the heart, the latter God over-ruled the tongue. The latter of thefe, thefpee- ches and parables of Balaam . is the context; which is the firft of his four parables ; and in- deed when we read this para- ble, we may well fay, who could have expected fo fweet a breath , from fo foul a ftomack, fuch heavenly notes , from fo hellifli an inftrument, furely thk is the finger of God '; Aijd you (7) you may learn by the way, from Gods over-ruling this Prophet, That God can deal with them^ that dealwith the Devil; they which are mod ftudyed in the black Arts of Hell , muft forget the language qF that infernal pit, and fpeak the dialed: of Heaven , when God will have P r aL them; this is the Lords doing 118.23; and it is marvellous in our eyes. The text is the <™u^w the laft conclusion and winding up the firft parable of Balaam, {hewing the blcffed sftate of Ifrael ,by his defiring no other condition for himfelf hereafter than that which they were to enjoy •' but enough for the con* B 4 texture (8) texture, or weaving together of the text with the other parts of this Hiftory. In the words themfelves, ob- fcrve, i. Somethings generally andfecretly implyed. 2 Some- things particularly and openly expreffed. 1 Somethings implyed , which are Two ; Firft That all thofe that are pertakers of hu- manity are fubjefi: to mortality : the common law of death is of an imperial and impartial na- ture; it iayes hold on all with- out ex&ption, all without di- ftin&ion , bad and good , righteous and unrighteous ; this Balaam lays down as a foundation that the righteous (hall (9) fliall dye , there is a death even to the righteous. Even they that are freed from the fling of death are not delivered from the ftroak of death: they which are freed by it, are not free ^4^ from it ; our life (like the race of the two Difciples) is to- wards the fepulcher ; as foon as we come out of the grave of the womb we haften to the womb of the grave : we leave the place where we received life to enter into that where we fliall find death; there will be a morning in which we fliall not live till evening., or an evening in which we fliall not live till morning; this is true of all in generall fo as to except none,in parti- particular : the righteous not exempted ; nay we read the firft man that ever dyed was righteous Abel: the bell (at that time) that lived , was the firft that dyed. 2 ! y- This is implyed,^dtf there is a great difference between the nature and consequents of death to the righteous and to the/inner , there is not only a holy difference before death but a happy difference after death ; Therefore faith he , let my Iaft end be like his. And indeed this is a very notable teftimony of the immortality the foul , and of future re- compences from the mouth of afalfe Prophet ,. thefc words fhew, 00 fihcw\ that he held there was a reward after death to the juft ; elfewhy fiiould he here defire nvrinS to be in their ftatc. Man ceafeth ^^ not to be at death , but his foul m*w furvives the body/othat he in- jj ™P™ finuates thus much,that though ^nx the righteous dye as well as the ^? l jf wicked, yet the wicked dye not wo / e fo well as the righteous : the^w*'- righteous are taken away from j^^hui itnne , the wicked in their r^win finne; as to death it fclf there loc# is no difference , but in their death there is a difference; therefore^ theApoftle in a like cafe. They doe it to obteyn a corruptible Coown but we an incorruptible, fo they dye to iC ^ be damned 7 we to be faved. 9 . 2S \ Se- 00 Secondly here is fomething ' expreffed, and fo the words are a paffionate, wilh,confifting of 2 parts, the concomitant fe- curity 7 and the consequent fe- licity of a righteous mans deMtb. Firft he wiflieth the conco- mitant fecurity in deaths Let me dye the death of the righteous , or as it is in the primitive Ian- n^nguage Let my foul dye the Death 'n^oftbe upright. (Let my foul tt^dyi) the meaning of the dying of the foul is the parting of the foul from the body : the phrafe doth not import the dying of the rational foul, (which is in-, corruptible ) but the remo- ving of it out of the manfion of the (I?) the body , when it is tranfkted by death. (The deatkoftht righteous} the wordTa/bar is ufed in oppo- *fl* f fition tothat which is warp 9 J ReUti * bent, or crooked^Let my fouldje the Death of them that are upright andjlraight in their principles and practices , and from this root it is you read that Ifrael is called Jefurun, be- caufe of the fincerity and nprightnefs that fliould be in them : an Ifraelite indeed is one Job. i .47 in whom is no guile; fuch v/hofc • Lives are ftraight their Death is fafe: though they are toffed upon tl>e waves yet they are brought into a good and fafc harbour by death, Death is the end (H) end of all humane mifery , and the beginning of all divine good to the upright; the Se- pulchre is a fan&uary, and death it felfa city of refuge to them; therefore, Let me dye the Death of the righteous : for that death which to others is the ' King of Terrors , to the upright is the King of Salem , that is of peace: the fame red fea which was a grave to the Egyptians,was a place through which the Ifraelitespafledwith fafety^and the fame death which conveys the wicked to the belly of hell i carries the godly into the bofom of Abraham. Secondly he-wiflieth confe- quent felicity after death , L it my .II. 4. PsaWlO£,)9 (15) my lafi end be likj his : lafi end, rww the word ufed in the Hebrew denotes fomctimespojler hydatid fT>an let my poflerity be like unto his , *™i.4.a. and to this the Septuagint ,.?„„,„, had an eye, when they render*' ^W the words, let my feed become^J^ as thefeedofthefe:fo Balaam in **5*i the former part of the wifti, 5 ^* 8 * defires , happynefsfor himfelf in the latter, ^r j&/j Children : this expofition is not contrary to the Hebrew , nor to be con- temned : yet above [even times Jeventy tranflators may be pro- duced, who here leave the fe- venty interpreters , and turn the word as we , Extremum , the laft end, the Arrears , or after Payment : and the mea- ning (1(5) ning is , the Saints of God have not their portion in this world ; they have only a penfion, there's a great deal of Arrears the people of God (hall receive at their death. So the fame Hebrew word is ufed the end pfai. 37. of that man is peace , the laji 37- t end \the Arrears of 'that man. So %bm " there is no Reward to the ev'h Prov-21. man o he hath nothing to come 24/14. in the other world, but what vtimm he hath he hath here 9 but toth e rfi h >^ righteous there is an End, the *am Jt- belt is behind : 00 fumm upon ftMfiii ^ j s pj ace# # ^ ^ r ^ p a p confeqHar l . •/ .77 &/* reft* J age out of this life , / /7z/g/tf 00- r^f-iw. ^ tj&e happines that is laid Tun. in ^ r i /- • 1 /• ^1 ioc up for thefe upright ones: to that ?ro of Solomon 7 *fo wkkld is dri- ***** ■ "«» 07) ven away in his wickgdnes bu$ the righteous hath hope in his ( death r the meaning of the place may be , either the righ- teous hath hope in the wicked mans death , that is , that things will be better when the wicked dye : or elfe he hath hope in his own death, be- caufe there is a reward to the righteous. And indeed thc p f al <9** happines of the upright is not I2 -, DnrT a flower that grows in the gar- ~p den of this world, the gold n ^ ' which enriches them is not \nn fetched from natures mine: HPf it is at their laft end they have ppns their recompence : ib the_ P rn lews note from that of the d?^ Pfalmift , 'the Iufi flail flour- wan C ifl (iS) Jifavio r ifl Hke the palm tree : the chiZZ' P^ m trec being a tall ftrait tuii Ec tree caft's its fliade a great way C ?fo*t , off, from the body of the tree; m*nt*g- fo fay they : the giving of re- ^f 4 X war ^ tot ^ e i u ^' 13 a s rcat wa y fignifica oft, even in the world to come: romancn- whatever b on this iide eternity ij3 ^- is fleeting and penlhing,it can- docht in- no t \y C f an y g reat moment be- *" ° r l " caufe it is but for a moment,*^ rft:*ff^ odis of no great value jh at is but of ™/cone a T ma ^ continuance : therefore tfe con- fuch a reward will not content *V IT** righteous man ; the Preacher \Ugno , when he (peaks of profit or 1 * or L , c6 f e vz\n ufesa word in the Hebrew rrxnpto- o , . ^i.wfnn^ that imports lometning /?™ /"" which remains or abides, to T^ teach that that which abides ' not c$i wrro no not is no true gain or pro-£ www,w fit: now becaufe the upright %Jf™ find not this here, they ftay^^A- fbr reward till their la ft end \j[*™^ But enough for the unfoul- Homii. ' ding the text, 3- $*%* Now confidering together 5,6 .'&7. thcWifh, the Perfon wifhing and thefucceffe of his wiflhing, we may gather this propor- tion worthy our obfervation. To dye the Death and have the laft end of the upright, may be the Wifh and defire offuch, as for their wickednes Jhall never obteyn it. , You fee Balaam a falfe Prophet, a Conjurer, one that dealt with the Divel , appro- bate , one that is now fcwel C2 for (20) ~r for unquentchable flames, to n^ burn upon to all eternity; lifted he might dye the Death 7 of the upright. ^ infer- Such being guilty of dam- Tus ,jf~nable hyprocrify may go Ioa- bonis af den with all their wiflhes to ^edefi- hcll: t,isan «preffion of a deriis learned (in this no) Papift, that }tl*t lldl n f uli ofgoodmjhersbut tem bonis all the good workers they go tgiUibw t0 heaven : The Scripture is Iw^Boifq full to this pur pofe 9 fuchwere Confoi. they that (aid , Lord Lord open Defr/r. J i r to us , yet , depart from me ye workers of Iniquity ; fuch a re all they whole works and wiflies contradict one another* or whofe works run not pa- ralel with their wiflies. Now fuch (21) fiich perfons though they never fo earneftly defirc yet fliall never obtein the death of the righteous : and truly as the great God doth not judge ac- ding to our wifhes, but out- works , fo neither wife men ; our endeavours are the pulfc by which we may learn the ftate and conftitution of our wifhes ; thougte*riiere be but one pu!fe that runs through the whole body , yet: the Phy- fitian teste it at the hand , and foat the hand in our works we are chiefly to try wither our wifhes are true and effe&ual. Now to explain this, there are 2 things would be looked into , Firft why is the death C 3 • and (12) and lafi end of the righteous defired by the wicked ? Se- condly how comes it to paffe that they do not obteyn it though they do de/ire it. For the firft of thefe , why is the death and lajt end of the righteous defired by the wicked? To aniwer this , it proceedeth from the conviftion of the happines that the godly enjoy in and after death ; that death finds and leavcth them in a good eft ate and lets them in to a better. This is that that is rivited in the natures of all men , they believe it is a great deal better with the godly at their death then it is with the ungodly : there is in in the worft of men a fpark of confeience , by the light of which they may read that its more fafe to be in the eftatc of good men when death comes, then in that of the wicked, Confeience is a pra&ical Prea- cher in the bofomes of men that much preffes and applyes this doftrine , if men did hearken to its inftruciions. We need go no further to fchool , than into our own hearts where this leffon is a- bundantly taught, confeience being the fchool Miftrifs : which made that Atheift (when he was asked which he liked beft p the licentious loofe lives of the profane , or the ftri& C 4 holy (*4) holy lives of the godly) to anfwer cum Mis ma Hern vi- vere , cum his mori , I had ra- ther live with thofe, and dye with thefe : he had fayd bet- ter , I would chofc to live with them, which I would be willing to dye with. The godly then are in and by death made happy in the very ap~ prehenfions of the wicked. In the following of which truth , let us confider , Firft the happy condition of the Saints in and by death pofitively , 2ly. relatively. Firft pofitively , now there are three things wicked ' men are convinced of, that makes a godly mans death fo much to be be preferred and defired , Firft a total cefiation from fuffering, and therefore it is called a refi, there remainetb a reji to the b people of God, a Sabbatifme, a keeping of a Sabbath; death unto the Godly is a full flop and period to all the miferieo of the prejent world : an: er their painful walk there is a per- fed: reft : in this world we la- bour for reft , in that ? we reft from all our labours. We were made by God and can never be happy till we are with God, we came out of his hands and canncver reft till wee are in his bofom; there is a fweet calm from the ftorms of the world, a blefled^filence from the cla- mours (*0 mousofthe world; anabfence of all evil, Sorrow /ball de- %f*y-35-part and figbing flee away, faith 1 °' the Prophet, and tears pall be wiped away, God (my friends) . cannot (b much as afflift a godly man in the other world. I will fpeak a great word , that God that can do all things, cannot do this thing , as he cannot deftroy his People in this life, fo he cannot fo much as aflifit them in the other. It is much with Gods people as with the (tones that built the Temple, they were hewed and fquared at the Quarry. fide before they were brought to it, and there was no noife of Axes and Hammers in the Tem- ple, (27) pie, Sothercisnodifturbance in the Kingdom of God, but a perfeQ: reft after our painful walking , Now this being upon the hearts of all men to know there is liich a reft, the wic- kcdeH of men cannot but de- firc it. Secondly , at the death of a * righteous mznhe&btaynes aper- fett degree offanRityji confum- mation of holinefs , you know the grcateft perfection we can here attaine unto , is this, an humble acknowledgment of the imperfedions we have , and endeavouring after the per- fection we want ; but now, though there be never fo much imperfc&ion in our ftate of { grace 08) grace here , yen the death of the body is the death of the body of death , the funeral of all our corruptions. This expe- rience teacheth , that whilft the foul dwels in the body , finne will dwell in the foul , the JDejicere Saints may caft it down but Mfi™. they cannot caft it out, they may hinder it from having a throne in their hearts , but they cannot hinder it from having a room there ; doe what they can there is no full feperation between finne and the foul, be- fore a Seoeration between the i body and the foul , there it is that that which is irnperfeti /ball be done awaj/^zs it is with a man that hath been under a long fit non eji- cere. ■ fit of ficknefle , though he be truly recovered from his di- feafe , yet he is a long while before he can come to his full ftrength , (before he pick up his crummes ) fo its with the Saints here ; though they arc delivered from ficknefle of fin that it fliall not be to death, yet not from fins of weakneffe until death. Or as it is with one that hath layn a long time in' prifon , though he be !now really fet at large, yet he may go limping all his dayes by the hurt he received from thelrons when he was in prifon, fo Gods people have fo many corruptions as to make them go halting to their very graves. in (JO) in the new man there is enough of the old man to make them continually grcive and mourne whilft they are here ; and God fufters this , that his people may depend more upon ju- stifying grace,and be quickned to look more after fan&ifying grace,and be longing after con- fummating grace. Thirdly there is this in the death of a righteous man , that it is to him an immediate paf- fage to heaven , i It is a faf- fage , it is that which brings us to a happy journeys end ; death is the fliip that waft's us over to the flioar of a bleifed eternity , 'tis that boat that is fent to bring us to the landing flairs 00 ftaifs of our fathers houfc.Much Gen. 2*, like Abrahams fervant tha$5#* went to fetch Rebecca to be married to the fon of the pro- mife ; when they enquired at the mouth of the damfel , fliee willingly and prefently gives her confent to go with him. So when death comes with his pale horfe for a Saint of ( God, he willingly gets up 27. 28*/' behind him; or ( as one)' death is like the waggons, Jo- feph fent to his father Jacob out of Egypt ; when he faw the waggons t'is faid the good Old-mans heart revived mth'm him , and he cryed out Is Jo- fepb my fon yet alive , / will go down and fee him before I dye-> fo when the Saints fee the wag- gons of death, their hearts re- vive , Jefus is alive , I will go to Jefus. 2 And as it is a paffage , fo an immediate pa f age , that is, there is ns fuch thing as a Pur- gatory , any place between Earth and Heaven where they z,«Jci6. are lodged , as foonas Laza- 22. rus was dead he was dire&ly carried from dives his gate to Abrahams bofonv.as foon as the penitent thief was dead he was carried from the crofle on which he was crucifyed , to the Kingdom where he is glorified; Lib. 23. This day thoujbalt be with me % >- in Paradice? As foonas the foul is breathed out of the body, (Si) body, it is with God ; there is no temporal punifhment held forth in the Scripture after this life, and therefore there is no Purgatory. Purgatory dero- gates from the blood of Chrift, which pirgeth m from all ini- i John quity : If there be any fuch 1,7 ' thing as Purgatory , ( as the Papifts dream ) you rauft fay one of thefe two things. Either Chrifts blood doth' not cleanfe from all fins, or not perfe&Iy from fome fins ; but both thefe arefalfe, there- fore it follows there is no fuch thing. Yea what would be- come of thofe that fhall be alive at the day of Judgement, fureiy they will have as much need of D Pur-- &4* Purgatory as others 5 before they get to Heaven. Befides, our Lord Chrift bare all that mife- ry and punifhment which the Elect were elfe to have fuftered , but he ne.er bore the do- Ptirgatorii dolores cum nee jubiifje ncc tolerajf legatur Chriftiu^ qui tar men omne genus dolor um ■pro nobis per tit lit eos fiBitios ejfe confequitur, mtlli credentmm perti- mefcendos • ftqiteretiir c- nlm diquos dolores Chri [turn non tuhffe noflra lours of Purgatory, can fa quod aifurditm. «_L a ._rv _ •„„ ^ • Bucan.loc.com. therefore its evi... dent they ar e but feigned forrows, and not to be dreaded by Believers. 3, Its an immediate faffage to HEAVE A'; it lets the Godly into the Kingdom of glorious blifs; it is janitor ccelorum, the Porter that opens Heavens gate to the Saints, that \ they (?y) they may enter into the joy of their Lord: a joy fo great, that it cannot all enter into them, therefore they are faid to enter into it : a joy fo great, that no- thing {hall be found in it but what is defirable, and nothing tan be defired in it but it fhall be found. I may fay of Heaven, the portion of the Godly, what was faid by the Queen of the Souths when fhe arrived at So- lomons Court: when fhe faw the magnificence of his Palace, the Liveries of his Servants, the ftate of his Attendance, there was no more Spirit left in her, but fhe breaks forth,ifo one half was not told me in nty own Coun- try ; thus when the righteous D 2 coma (*«5 come to Heaven, when they be- hold the Palace of Eternity befpangled with Sun-beams of light and glory, when they view the Robes of Immortality, when they fee ten thoufands that ftand at Gods Throne, and ten thoufand times ten thou- fands that Minifter before him, they flhall burft out into admi- ration, and come to us Mini- fters faying, in the other life you did not tell us the half of the glory now revealed in and to us : indeed if every word we fpeak were a tongue, and every thought we think an heart, yet we Should not be able to fpeak or think how great that glory fnall be : I fhail therefore ipend no (37) no more time on this, but only -put yon in mind of the good old faying, Let others ftudy hew great the glory is , but let U6 jiudy how we may be.fi obtain, andbefittefi to enjoy it. But then Secondly, as we may confider the death of a righteous man abfolutely, fo comparatively ; compare the death of the righteous, with the death of any fort of perfon yo\i can name, and you ihall fee the death of a righteous man is to be praferr'd, and that by the lighu' of a wicked mans own reafon. To inftance in particulars ; Firft, compare the death of the righteous? with the death of D 3 the . : (38) ^ the Infant ; there are fome per- sons that having confidered the fin, mifery, and vanity of this prefent life, have faid, That the bejl thing in the world is not to be bom, and the next beji thing is to dye as foon as we are born ; and truly the World is like a ftormy Ocean, or flame of Fire ; now if you were to go over a tempeftuous Sea, you ton fuo W ouid not fay your paffage was effer trop- n r r fo frejto t0 ° ihort ; fo if a man was to queiiochezun through a flame, he would Von™* noC ft^nd lingring , but make anz^i e what haft he could, and the £%£';, fooncr through the better: it ufciar in is never too foon to dye, but njtta mi- rat [ ier alwayes late to leave 2, Jtra per _ ^ « / uftUceMikxd.Dk -finiull, for a happy finlefs (39) finlefs life. Befides, the fliorter our lives, the eafier our account we are to give to God ; fp that if fome w^re to dye, they would choofe to dye the death of the Infant. But alas, though our In- fancy be the beft time to dye in, becaufe the Soul is not ftained with aftual fin, yet our Infancy is a ftate of Death; we were born Enemies to God , Children of Hell, Children of wrath hyna^ l^-^a ture, and fo obnoxious to Gods difpleafure, and to be Children under his wrath, which to en- dure is intolerable, and to a-' void is impoffible. The beft of us all was born with a- poyfoned and„ infeSed £4 nature^ (40) nature, we brought enough with us into the World to ruine us; it we Ihould dye in our moft innocent eftate, yet we are depraved by evil, and deftitutc of goo J ; there is enough of the Old man in the youngeft babe to damn it; when you behold the prophanefs of the World, and fee the profligate Impie- ties, Drunkenefs, Adultery, Murders , and other iins that arc committed ; when you hear the curfed and damned Oathes, thofe dreadfull imprecations of flagitious men, the nature of anharmlefs Infant is the feed- plot of all this ; fo that a poor innocent babes death, is moi^e dangerous than the death of" the righteous ; (40 righteous ; we may hope well of fuch babes, but we may believe better of the righteous. Secondly, compare the death of the righteous, with the death of a Patient ; fomc perfons you know they are often choo- fing in their difcourfes what kind of death to dye, whether a fudden and violent death, or a death by the hand of a long iicknefs ; many perfons would choofethis latter, becaufe, fay they, they have time to repent, time for others to pray for them, and have warning by the languiflhing condition they are in : But alas confider, God may take this latter time to judge thee in ? becaufe thou tookefl tookcft not thy former time to feek him in ; he that has pro- mifed life to the penitent, has pot promifed repentance to e- very one that is under a long ficknefs. Tis true, thy warn- ings are 2 mercy, but better it is to dye the death of the righ- teous, though thou fhoukteft dye fuddenly : If thou art righteous, thou art habitually prepared ; but if thou hadft never fo long iicknefs, it would be verv uncertain whether that would contribute to thy pre- paration or not. 1 have often thought a Mi- niftcr could not have a better time to fpeak to, and work iijjon a people, then when they m (4?) arc fick, but 1 find the quite contrary, and that they that have negle&ed the things of their peace in the time of their health, though they have had a great deal of time to prepare themfelvcs , vjhen exercifed with a lingring ficknefs, yet they have not improv'd it: Therefore truft not too much to that. Chriftians, If a man have many ftrong and able Beafts, and he flhouid take the burthen off from thefe, and fhould have but one pittifull creature, that was lame and fcarce able to go, , and fhould lay it upon this, would you not think this a ftrange man ? Thus it is with many (44) many men. O! the many ftrong and Iufty dayes men have, and yet lay the whole burthen of their repenting and turning unto God, upon the few lan- guishing dayes of ficknefs ; but this I may fay,thofc that forget holinefs till ficknefs , feldom remember it in ficknefs ; we j Vbi deft- ^ * n ^ UC ' 1 fckneffcS u X ua Hy^ nit Me- when the Phyficians have done, dlcliS ? the Divine begins ; a mod ThlaL dreadful I delufion : Mendefire Z us - a lingring ficknefs , but the Devil knows there is not one often thoufandlcts his fin live long with him, but his repen- tance dyeth with him; remem- ! ber as God did not love a blind Sacrifice, fo not a iick Sacrifice. Thirdly, (40 Thirdly, compare the death of the righteous, with the death of the Honourable ; If many a man were to choote what death he would dye, he would dye the death of a King , or fomc Great Ferfon, that he might be magnificently entombed, and j make pofterity to know his re- nown: But alas, Gods Tribu- nal and the Grave are no re- fpefters of perfons ; there is no difference between the Pealant and the Prince, the Leather and the Velvet Coat , the Canvafs Suit and the Tunick and i Veil, the Presbyter and the Prelate, even then the Kings of the Earth, are but Kings of Earth ; you know when Trees grow in a (40 a Wood all together , we can -fay there Hands an Oak, and there an Elme, and there a Cedar, and there a Shrub, but when thefe Trees are burnt and turned into afhes , which of you can fay, this is the afhes of fuch a Tree, or fuch a Tree. Death is that great Leveller that maketh all perfons equal : In the mowing of a Held, though fome grals be higher, and fome flowers bigger than others, yet when they are mowed they lye all flat upon the ground ; an Earthen Pot though never fo great, is as fubject to be broken as a little one, 'Ti§ a very remarkable obfer- (47) obfervation the Jews have of i Kings David, in his life time he is^jj feldom mentioned in Scripture compa- without fomc preface of Ho- ?' d J" tb __. J: . j T .1 kings nour, as /f/tfg David, my Lord 2. a the King, (yc. and fo he is a- va vp bout forty times called King mi David, and ;#y Lord the King **??* David, in one Chapter ; but ^ now fee what an alteration there ^Som is in the firft verfe of the ncxtti 51 nn Chapter, WhenthedayesofDa- yirw vid drew nigh that he fbouWnwzh dye ; He that was my Lord the ^lo King fo often a little before, maSa now he comes to dye is plain ^2° David; fo that you lie death th '»* maketh all equal. Do you :mn ^ then deiire to dye the death of a Great man ! Surely it is not fo (48) fo good as to dye in the fear of the great God : and therefore Hezekiah a potent and noble Prince, when he had a melTage of death, pleads not, Remem- ber Lord that I have been a King , that I have worn the Crown, and f waved the Seep- if*. 38. Cer ' kut Remember Lord that 3. / have walked before thee in truth, with aperfefl heart? and have done that which is right in thy fight : its a poor thing in death to have been faluted, Tour Lor djhip? and Tour Lady- fhip? Tour Honour? and Tour Grace? Tour Highnefs? and Tour Majeiiy at every word, if we cannot fee our felves to be the perfbns whem the King (49) King of Heaven delights to ho- nour* Fourthly, another had ra- ther dye the death of the Weal- thy^ many perfons we fee in the World, they toyle, and la- bour, and fweat, and if you ask them the reafon, it muft needs be this, that they might leave fomething behind them when they dye. Chriffcians, that is not our own, which we, cannot carry with us into another World; the rich man in this refpeft is like a poor man, thatis invited to a great mans Table ; whilft he is there, he makes ufe of the Plate, and Silver Spoons, and other things, but he muft E pocket- (jo) - pocket up none of thefe, but leave them behind him when he goes thence; fo God gives him a great many things here to ufe, but he muft leave thern all at death. Or juft as it is with Travel- lers.) who make ufe of the mo- vables of an Inne for that ni b ht they lodge there, but the next morning they leave them, and go onward in their journey ; fob 21. They fpend their dayes in wealth *?• and in a moment they go down to the grave : Who would not choofe to dye the death of the righteous, rather than of Na- bal or the rich man in the Gofpel ? What a vain thing is man to defire to dye rich ? To leave leave a portion of Goods be- hind him, and not to have a good portion in Heaven? Surely the wealth and accom- modations of the World , do not make any perfbn the more fit or willing to dye. I re- member a ftory, that when the Duke of Venice fliewed Charles the 5th. at Venice his Earthly Paradice, (lately Palace, Gar-/^c/W dens, Riches, Furniture, Platd^^ and Jewels, and asked the tosmori. Emperor what he thought of nS them ; he doth in a moft Chri- y^"^ ftian manner make no other *im anfwer but this, Thefe are the '^J things that make men unwilling yvyn to dye : Another (hewing a pri- l^.M vate Chriftian the like fight, %m. ' E 2 , ex- expe&ing to be admired for it, drew this fpeech from the Chriftian; Sir , you had need make fure of heave?i or elfeyou will be a great lofer when you dye. He that has fet his heart on theft things while he pof- feffes them, they will go to his heart when he is torn from them, he will be unwilling to dye. Fifthly, let us compare the death of the fighteoutiy with the death of the Valiant ; fome would choofe this : what lar, read in the Holy tongue, The pjtd. hoary bead is a Crown of Glory, C of ornament, ox, cornel inefs ) in the way of right eoufnefs let it be founds or it /ball be found; it is either to be underftood as a promife , thus , in the way of rigbteoufnefs the Crown of Glory fhall be found by the hoary head ; or as a command, thus, that the Gray head may be a becoming ornament to the an- tient^ let it be found in the way of rigbteoufnefs ; it is neceffary it fhould be found in that way. What do Old men that are not good To long in the World ? What is the advantage they get? Surely only this, 7bey live to fee morteviU and to do. more O) more evil, &nd *o deferve more evil than others do? that is all the happiucfs of an Old man that is not gracious; for it is not the venerable [ace that will commend to Gocl, nor the fnowy head of the Antient, that will make way for him before the Antient of dayes, but to dye the death of the righteous. To name one more, Eightly, compare the death of the righteous? with the death of the Martyrs ; all that dye for fuch, are not faved, but all that dye righteous they arc faved ; there are many perfons that may give their bodies to 5 C( - he burned? and yet their fouls 13. y fhall burn in Hell ; many $8S fons (60 fons that may be Martyrs in our account, who are but Malefatiors in the account of God ; If we dye the death of a Martyr , and not of a Godly one, it will be no profit ; for it is not the death, nor the caufe only, but the heart that makes a Martyr. Three things make a Mar- tyr ; there mud not only be fuffering, but a good caufe to fufter in, and a good confei- ence to fuffer with • fome Mar- tyrs that feemed nothing elfe to us, m3y really he nothing Iefe, when as no righteous perfons, but they are happy : There are fome perfons that may feem to us, to dyt for the Lord^ Lord, and yet do not dye in the Lord ; but all upright men dye in the Lord, and therefore you fee, if we make the comparifon here, the death of the righteous is much to be preferred: And thus you have the fir ft thing 7 the re?.fons why wicked men when they come to dye, defire to dye the death, and have the lajl end of the righteous. The fecond thing is, How it comes topafs that though they defire it^ yet they do not obtain it. I would not fpeak now concerning the fins of wicked men, by which they forfeit this defired happinefs; if a man fliould never fo much defire health, and yet go immediately and and drink off' a cup of poifon, death would be his portion be- fore health : if a Water-man fliould never fo much defire to be at Weftminfier, and yet row towards Lendon-bridge , his dcfires would be but in vain : Thus it is with finfull men, they contradid their defires in their practices, therefore their de- fires further theni nothing in the way to happinefs, their practices carry them fafter to Hell, than their defires can to Heaven. But if you ask me, Why do thofe that defire it not obtain it ? My anfwcr is, Be- caufe they do but defire if, they have nothing but faint relleities, which is t«o floath- m Ml a way to get thefe greaC things by ; there are many means confeientioufly to be ufed* that this laft end of the upright may be enjoyed : the Lepers in the Gofpel were cu- red not fitting ftill, but walk- ing, 06 they went they were L '^ l 7\ deanfed: we muft be up and 14 * doing : we muft be at the charges and expences, not only of many an earneft wifih, but of many a fait tear, and many a : bitter figh, and many a deep groan, and many a hard pull before we can obtain this bl ef- fing : an happy eftace in death, and a glorious life after it, are commodities not to be had at* fo cheap a rate, as for avifli: F we %66) we can gain but a little of the Earth, though we take a great deal of pains for it ; and do we think to obtain Heaven with no pains ? It was the faying of an \ anticnt Rabbin, vn-w^nn'nnNBf nrn Qtboucanflob- n no iyro ppo qk ^ tain but a little ip -ran abiyna r^n n .c f i- wnrU &Kfc #>/.//a> thou fur- [tie ft fo much-) how canft thou look for any thing vf the other World which thou followed not at all ? We muft then be work- 4! . 3 * * n g as we ^ as wifhing ; thcre- Onnione fore 'tis faid, Let m lift up our V cratt0 hearts with our hands to God a* opera- . tioncjd- in the Heavens ; our hearts^ mritrlKgj praying and wiflhing, our iiieron. hands 7 in afting and doing : We C*7> We ought to fupport our pray- ing with our working, and our working with our pray- ing, both thefe fihould go to- gether ; we muft be as well in the operative way , as in the optative mood. I remember the Fable of the Country man , wHofe Cart ftuck faft in the mire; he falls a praying tc Jupiter to help it out, but doth nothing elfe; and Jupiter bids him fet his fhoulder to the wheel, and then cry to Jupiter : fo we muft fet our hands to the work, and then defire to dye the death of the righteous. Solomons ad- vice is good, if tboufl>alt cryvrov.% after knowledge, and liftefi up h 4- ' F 2 thy thy voice for understanding , if thou Jhall feek for her as for filver, and fear ch for her as for hidtreafure, (src. not only cry and lift up the voice, but feek and fearcb : Co the Apoftle Col 3. counfels, to feck-the things that are above, as well as to mind the things that are above: hence the Church prayeth in pT^'j the Pfalm, God be mercifull to us, and blefs us, and caufc his face to ft/ine upon us ; the W' Hebrew is, and caufe his face to ^2tfhine with us ; that is, his grace to accompany our endeavours : Gods grace is to be defired, and mans endeavour not to be (pared. Now this may be fummed i ~ up Tit uVif Z 7«TF It*. KM {69) up in a few words ; here are the two reafons why they do not obtain , though they do dcfire. Firft, They negleft the attive obedience of a righteous life ; they neg]e£t the performance of thofe dutieo that lead to this end ; Obedience though it be not the caufe of Heaven, yet it is the cawfey to it ; though it doth not merit , yet it is the means; when our wiflies go without duty , then they are lame and out of joynt ; there mud be Faith, Repentance^- linefs, Ordinances, Obedience to the commands of God, is ? tis by thefe we pleafe God : Its faid of the Niniv, and F3 God (70) rni'j ♦tt'Jxa "jaw ^ God f aw their a?v m PW| m works that they orvtpya n« qtonh turned from : njnn ornp ia» '3 ^ e/ > m 7 ^ . 5«fcr Maaniaaoth ex tract. . n » AiiM?. the Prophet faith not, and God faw their Sackcloth and their Fading, but their works-) that they turn- ed from their evil way. Re- member this, He that made you without your affiftance^ will not fave you without your obedu ence ; and this obedience is to be univerfal, not only to the eafier duties, but to the more difficult : Some are eafie, as to believe we mutt be faved by an imputed righteoufnefs y tor trufi to another when we fee our own Wptrftftion? thefe we are caiily per- (70 pcrfwaded to ; but then to love Qur enemies-) to mortifie our cor- ruptions, to pull out our right eye, and cut off our right hand, thefc are hard fayings ; men will not go to the coft of uni- verfal active obedience, and therefore wifh and wifh, and do not obtain. Secondly, they decline the paflive obedience of a righte- ous life, and that makes them mifcarry ; they would be wil- ling to be faved by the Crofs of Chrift, but they arc not wil- ling to bear the Grofs of Chrift; they would be willing to fol- low Chrift to his Kingdom, but they would not follow him to his Crofs ; they would foU F a low (70 low him into the Garden of pleafure, but not to Golgotha the phce of Sculs ; they would be willing to eat bread with Chrill at his Table, but are loath to pledge him in his bit- ter Cup ; they would be glori- fied with his Glory, but not be baptized with his Baptifm: There's the gtcac rcafon men do not attain Heaven , they would be willing to dye the death of the righteous, but are unwilling to dye the death for righteoufnefs fake. Alas! (Christians) the Lord Jefus Chrift will Jbe your head, but it is a head under a Crown of Thorns; God will be your God, as he was to Mofes 7 but he (7?) he will appear to you in the burning Bufh ; we muft firft enter into the lorrow of our Lord, before we can enter into the joy of our Lord ; there are firft thofe groans that are un- utterable, and then thofe joyes that are unfpeakable : He that hath not leamed^the leffon of the Crofs^ has nb* % learned his A. B. C. in Religion : The Scriptures teach, firft a fuffer- ing with Chrift, and then a reigning with him : Now there are few perfons willing to fuf- fer, and therefore it is that fo few get to Heaven. . Few think themfelves to be graced (as they in the Afts) when tneyya,^ are difgraced; few that count 41 • them- (74 .l themfelves dignified, when they are villified for Chrift; few that arc convinced , that though they lofe all for Chrift, yet they (hall lofe nothing by frim ; nay , that though they lofe all for him, yet they may find it all again, and more in him; few that are like the an- ticntChriftiCs, that were glad they had any thing to lofe for Jefus Chrift ; thus fhould it be with us all : we muft neither negleft the attive^ nor decline thepaffive obedience of a righ- teous life, if we would dye the death of the upright^ and have our laji end like his. Thus 1 have anfwered the two Que-* ftions i let me now conclude, in . (75) n a few inferences from the premifles. Aad firft, this fhews us the mfdom and happinefs of thofe that make chojce of a righteous life; "Tis the befi wifdom^ be- caufe they only take the right way to enfure a bleffed death ; they have a. profpeft into fu-i turity , they confider what is coming, and therefore provide for it. And 'tis their great happinefs, becaufe they make fure of a heavenly reward after death ; therefore how ftrange-, ly do we argue, when we fee a Worldling dandled upon the knees of prosperity ? we a?c prone to think, furely this is. pne of the Farourites of Hea-* vea, (70 ven, the darling of provi- dence, furely God lovcth that man, he makes him fo great and rich ; and on the other hand, when we fee the righteous affli&ed in this World, re- proached, threatned, impove- riflied, imprifoned, banifhed, martyred, we arc apt to judge, furely this is not a perfon that God loves ; but it muft be the end that muft be regarded, and then it wilf appear who is the Tfa. 37. happy man ; mark the perfett 37 - man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is Peace; thehappinefs of life is to be efteemed of by the end and iffue of it : though the righteous mans way be afflicti- on, (77) on, yet his end is peace ; that is, an abfcnce of all evil, and the prefence of all good : the Hebrew word for Peace, comes from a root which denotes per- fection; his end is perfecti- on of happinefs ; hence the Rabbin J* %^J™ *** tells us, that the — w arhvn nSk Holy bkffed God ^- ShimfonVenOoU r i 1 r P e t* m*fa* okatwm Cub finds not any vef fa mt fel that will con- tain enough of blejfmg for If- rael, but the veffel of Peace? according to that of the Pfal- mift, the Lord fl) all blejs hisTfaz?i people with Peace: indeed this du is ALL, therefore Balaam himfeif^ though a wretch and a reprobate, wiilied himfelf no more more happinefs, then the righ- teous fliould enjoy at death, and in the other life. If anunskilfull manfhould goto anexquifite Limner, and fee him draw the rude draught of a Pi&ure, he would wonder what he intended ; but if he would but flay till he had fet to his ultimam manum, his laft hand, and finifticd the piece, he would fee it to be excel- lent: Thus it is with fboliffi men, they look upon the rude draught of a Godly mans con- dition in this World, and mif- judge it ; but if they had but patience to fufpend their judgement till God had fi- niflied it^ they would find it ex- (79) excellent, and worthy to be defired. If a man had been prefent with God at his firft dayes creation^ when God began to make the World, when in the tohu vabohu, in the indigefted inn Chaos, all things lay diforderly 1n:n and confufedly )ujnblcd toge- ther, fire and water , cold and heat, light and darknefs, dry and mo/ft , if" a man had {ben this, he would have wondered, what will the wife God make of this piece of confiifion ; but if this man had ftaid till the end of thefixthday, he would have faid with God, Behold all is very good. Thus he that looks upon the troubled eftate of (So) of the righteous, may wonder what God intends with them ; but ftay to the end, and you will lee their condition blefl fed : wicked men look no fur- ther then jurfc be; ore them, to receive their good things in this life ; but you know there are many perfons that may be coached to HeiU 'when others may be whipped to Heaven ; nay many if they were not kept fliort of the things of the Earth, would come iliort of the joyes of Heaven. Douh any perfon think the Malefa&or happy, becaufe he may ride in a gilded Coach to the Gal- lows ? Or the Child to be un- happy , becaufe the Father takes (Si) takes the rod and corre&s him? I remember one of the Popifli Writers compareth the righte- ous, and the wicked, to the ^Hens and Hawks that are kept in Great mens houfes; you know whilfl: the Hen is alive, 'flie is not fuffered to come into the houfe, but to fcrape upon the Dunghill, and get her living there ; but when the Hen is killed, (he is ferved in to the Mafters table : whereas the Hawk whilfl alive is kept in the houfe with great atten- dance, but when 'tis dead, 'tis good for nothing , but thrown out upon the Dung- hill. So here the wicked have it G may (8*) may be a great deal of provi- sion, hue* when they dye there is no more ufe of them, when as the Godly are preferred : Now I appeal to you which of thefe is the happieft eftate; furely that is the befi that Is the befi at lafi ; none would be fo mad as to defire firft his happinefs, and then his mife- ry : which would you choofe of thefe two, either to go through a pleafant Gallery, where are all forts ofPi&ures, variety of fweet fmells, and all manner of delights, to run through this into a flaming fire ; or to run through a fla- ming fire, to come into a place of liberty, peace, and comfort ? See Sec then the wifdoni and hap- pinefs of thofe that make choice of a righteous life. Secondly, we learn hence the neceffity of looking about #$, whether our endeavours art fuitabU to our wifhes^ or elfe (as you fee) for all your wifties to dye the death of the righteous-, you may dye the death of the reprobate. Pray think of it , the time will certainly come, and may fuddenly come, when nothing but. the life of the righteous will yield you comfort ; the Phyficians they have left thee, the Minifter he is to come, C but alas it is too late to fend for him, for thou art not ca- G 2 pabie mi pable of receiving any in- ftrufl-ion ) thy reafonable foul, thy precious foul, thy immor- tal foul fits trembling upon the threfliold of thy lips, to take its flight into another World ; go backward into this life you cannot, ftay here you may not, go forward into ano- ther World you dare not. Now this is the time, and if you have not lived the life of the righte- ous, whatadreadfull eftateare you in then? The foul of a man at death, is like a Prince beaten from one ftrong Hold into another ; the foul is firft made to fly out of the lower parts of the body, the legs and thighs, and then comes comes into the upper parts of the body ; but the difeafe be- fiegeth it there , and then it flyes to the heart, ( its laft re- fuge) and cannoc hold out long there. Upon this account it con- cerns us greatly, to ask every- one himfelf, How have I lead my life ? Where are my Graces? What have I been doing nothing but wifhing for v Heaven, and not labouring for it ? O confider how much you fliould be awakened and alla- rutrfd by this! you ought to deal honeftly with your felves ; it is high time to beftir your felves, you are upon the bor- ders of Eternity ; none of you G 3 but but defire to dye the death of the righteous, O labour that your endeavours may be an- fwerable: If there was but one of you that had been wiftiing and not endeavouring, and fo like to be excluded out of blifs, it might greatly ftartle you ail who this might be: When Chrift told his Difci- ples, one of" them fhould be- tray him, they come and fay every one, Lord is it I? and when we tell you there are a great many in the World, that do not endeavour, but only wifli to befaved, and for this are in danger to be damned, methinks you fhould every one lay, Lord i* it not I ? If there there was but one man in the whole World that was to be damned , it might awaken us all, left any of us flhould be that one man : As if an Army was drawn into a Field, and a voice fhould come from Heaven, thac a Dart fhould ftnke one man of that Company dead, and not tell the man, would not every one have caufe to be afraid ? So ha e we caufe to entertain an holy fear and jealoufie, left we fliould be of the number of fuch as fliail fall Abort of the Glory of God. Thirdly, we learn hence the duty of adding working to our xvifoing^in order to our arri- val at the death of the rigbte- G 4 om ; ous ; and this we are to endea- vour both ferioufly > and fea- zPet.i.fonably: U ferioufly; Givzdi- I0 - ligenee to make your calling i Coy. -and election fure ; Abound in *£**'■ the work of the Lord-, WhaU 'Z ever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might : Be in good earneft for thy precious and immortal foul. And then 2ly. do it fea- fonably; becaufe thou art fo uncertain of the continuance of a natural life , therefore be ipeedy in refpeft of a fpiri- ^^tuallife. We fliould 777^^7/2 60. and not delay to lieep Gods Commandments : there may be cafes wherein its not only law- full, but laudable for him that be- (H) belie vcth to make haft ; fuch a cafe is this of our i ouls, in which expedition is highly commendable : 'Tis obferved of Solomon , that he was but feven years in building the l Ki "& s Houfe of God, and thirteen in.." 7 ' t jj building his own : . '- L ft. dbelomob lar- inaubi wyra iWai cAi writes of it, : ainan -q-i that the Scripture f fpeaks it to his praife, that he was fo quick in Gods, and fo flow in his own work. It is much with us in refpeft of our lives, as with men that are fail- ing in a Ship before the wind, whether they fit or lye, work or be idle, walkorftand ftill, whatfoever they do, yet the Ship (?o) Ship is going forward towards the Port it is bound for : So it is here, whether we repent or do not repent, pray or negled to pray, believe or do not be- lieve, be holy or remain un- holy 7 our lives wear away apace : Therefore we had need look about us, and to quicken our pace in the path of God- linefs. Men complain ef the (hort- wwl^nefe of' their lives, and yet live inopes fed z$ if their lives were too long ; f™%. q jncthjnkg t h ere i s enough in the death and laft end of the righteous, to perfwade you to the way of the upright ! Be therefore adding working to your w ifibing ; remember that of (90 of Paul, Be not deceive ■ thou fleepefl it fhall keep thee, and when thouawaksft it fhall 'talk. J (94) talk with thee ; that is, C ac- cording to the Glofs of the Rabbinical In- SK terpretcrs)^ nrva i? r^hy ■tiD&n Wok goefi it viz. in thy paf- fage through this World ; jpAaz i&w //