THE BEST CHOICE. A Funeral Sermon. Published at the desire of some of the friends of the Dead.  Psal. 116.15. 
Right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.  
LONDON, Printed for C. B. dwelling at the Swan in Paul's Churchyard. 1607.   

THE BEST choice. A Funeral Sermon.  Philip. 1.23. 
— Desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ, which is best of all.  
THis Text that I have chosen, being considered as it standeth here related, is but a part of a sentence. For in this verse with the 22. going before, and the 24. following, the Apostle consulteth of two things set before him, whether he may choose: not of any inconstant lightness, neither of any discontentment, but because he seethe in either thing good cause to desire it.  
The two things whereof he consulteth whether to choose, are life and death: (in which consultation most men would quickly resolve. For many desire life with any conditions, as Augustine truly affirms in one of his Sermons, saying: Longam vitam, etiam malam pene omnes volunt habere: all men wellnigh desire a long long life, though evil and troublesome).  
The commodity of life, for which the Apostle can be content to choose it, is the profitable service that he might do to the Church. This he mentioneth as drawing his desire after life in the 24. verse, saying: Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. Where note by the way, what it is should make thee desirous to live in this world, only to profit others, and to do the office of a good servant among thy fellow servants.  
The commodity of death for which he wisheth, that is, the fellowship of Christ in heaven so to be obtained. This he mentioneth as drawing his desire after it, in the words of my Text, saying: Desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ, which is best of all. Where note I pray you, what is the hope & desire of the godly in their death, namely, to be gathered to their Saviour.  
If we consider these words apart, singled from the rest of the Epistle, they contain a perfect instruction concerning the death of true believers: wherein are these three things.  
First, that death is a thing of the godly to be desired, in these words, Desiring to be loosed.  
Secondly, that the godly are gathered by death, into the company of jesus Christ in heaven (which is the thing that maketh their death to be so much (to be desired) in these words: and to be with Christ. Thirdly, that the fellowship of Christ, which the godly obtain after death, is the greatest happiness that can be desired or obtained, in these words: for that is best of all.  
This Text I have chosen at this time for this reason. We are come together to commit to the ground the body of a servant & child of God, who with all his heart desired to be dissolved. Who desired his dissolution with the same reason for which the Apostle desired it; namely, that he might be with Christ: and desired this fellowship of Christ, with the same judgement, with which the Apostle desired it, because he knew that to be best of all.  
By the handling of this text, you shall see the wisdom of of his choice and his desire, and so, I hope, be drawn with desire and judgement to wait for the day of your dissolution, that you also may be gathered to Christ, which is best of all.  
Desiring to be loosed, eye to analusai: for so the Apostle describeth death to be an unbinding and losing of man, that the soul set at liberty from the fetters of the flesh, may return to his Creator freely. Which it cannot do so long as it is shackled here in the body. And this description of death is most convenient both to confute all Sadduces, and also to instruct us how to judge rightly of death.  
Every child of man is compounded of these two parties: of an human body, that is as the house and dwelling, and of a reasonable soul, that is the tenant dwelling there. So are we taught in the history of the first man's creation. Gen. 2.7. The Lord Gad made the man of the dust of the ground, there is the body, the house of clay; and he breathed in his face the breath of life. That is, saith Tremelius, Animam vitalem elementari corpori inspiravit: by inspiration he placed a living soul in his elementary body, and the man was a living soul, so soon as these two parts being joined together the man liveth.  
And that which we call death, is no thing else but the dissolving of this composition, and the separating of these two parts, that the soul may be lose and at liberty to return unto God, as Solomon describeth death in Ecclesiastes, 12.7. Dust returneth to earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God that gave it.  
Death is not the destruction, either of the whole man, or of any part of him, as many suppose, that say in the Book of Wisdom, 2.2. We were borne at all adventure, and hereafter we shall be as if we had never been. For the breath is a smoke in our nostrils, and the words are a spark raised out of the heart, which being extinguished, the body is turned into ashes, and the spirit vanisheth as the soft air. Thus foolish men think that in death they perish and come to nothing, and die as the beasts do.  
And of this opinion, in the Church of the jews, were the absurd Saducees, who believed no resurrection to come of the body, and therefore thought that the body perished in death. And they believed that there was no spirit separated from flesh, no such invisible and spiritual creature, and therefore thought that the soul perished in death. Their absurd opinion is recorded in Acts, 23.8. The Sadduces say, that there is no resurrection, nor Spirit, nor Angel.  
But we believe and teach contrary to all Sadduces, both the immortality of the soul remaining after death, and also the resurrection of the flesh at the last day. For the soul of Lazarus being dead, ascended to a place of comfort. Luk. 16.22. And all that are in the grave (which is the receptacle of our dead bodies) shall at the last day hear the voice of Christ, sending forth his Archangel with the sound of a Trumpet, and they shall come forth to judgement. joh. 5.28.  
So that neither body nor soul in death perisheth and ceaseth to be: and death is no destruction of man, but the losing of the Spirit out of the prison of the flesh, and a dissolving of man into his parts, as the Apostle here speaketh, desiring to be dissolved. Wherein it behoveth no man to be an agent, to lose himself, as they which lay violent hands upon themselves: but we must all be patients, and wait upon God, till he that tied the knot of life in thee, untie the same. The Apostle, to be with Christ, desired not to lose himself, but to be loosed.  Desiring to be loosed. 
The Apostle in these words showeth us his desire: and in his desire, showeth us that death and dissolution is a thing to be desired of the godly. When the labourer hath wrought stoutly in the vineyard all the day, and at length the evening cometh wherein he may rest, he is glad of it, yea he doth desire and wait for the coming of the evening that he may rest. Our life here beneath, is but as a day, and a short winter day; and here upon the earth as in the Lord's vineyard, we are appointed to labour: so the Parable of the labourers hired to work in the vineyard, Matth. 20. doth teach us. When the evening of our day, namely, death doth come, the servant of God rejoiceth that he may rest from his labour: yea, in wisdom he should desire the coming of it, that he might rest from his labour: for death bringeth such rest. The holy Ghost from heaven affirmed to john the Evangelist, Reu. 14.13. that they which die in the Lord, do rest from their labours, and are therein blessed. And a wise Poet truly said it, Est finis miseria in morte, in death our miseries end.  
When the soldier hath put on armour, and lieth in Camp against the enemy, he longeth for victory, that he may put off his armour, and rest from that dangerous and painful service. And when that wished day is come, he rejoiceth for his rest. For as the King of Israel answered the king of Aram, though he that girdeth on his armour boast himself, yet he that putteth it off after victory, hath whereof to boast. Now we are all Soldiers, and our life upon the earth is a warfare. So Jerome reads the first words of the seventh chapter of job, Milita est vita hominis super terram: A warfare saith he, fight against invisible adversaries. And we are sent into this world as the Lords priest men, under the Banner of Christ, following him our Captain, to fight against sin, against the flesh, the devil, and the world, by doing good works, and resisting temptations.  
Sin fighteth against us, and often taketh us captives. Rom. 7.23. Paul saith, I see an other Law in my mebers rebelling against the Law of my mind, and leading me captive unto the law of sin which is in my members. The flesh fighteth against us, striving against the spirit, as the spirit striveth against the flesh. And Peter biddeth us, Abstain from fleshly lusts, because they fight against the soul. 1. Pet. 2.11. The Devil cometh fiercely upon us as a roaring Lion, and fighteth against us. Eph. 6.16. being armed with fiery darts. And the world doth not love those whom God hath choson out of the world. john, 15.19. and the battle which we have to maintain against those enemies is most perilous, because, Eph. 6.22. we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this world.  
This battle endeth not till the day of our dissolution cometh: then are we freed from temptations, and delivered from sin. For Romans, 6.7. the Apostle saith: He that is dead is freed from sin. Then do we rest and rejoice, triumphing over all our enemies, saving that death for a time holdeth our bodies in the dust of the earth. And therefore the day of our dissolution, as the end of our both painful and dangerous war is to be desired.  
He that can discern between labour with weariness, & rest with reward, between war with peril, and victory with joyful peace, he will say, that the day of death to a good man is to be desired more than life; because life is labour with weariness, and woe with peril: but the hour of death bringeth rest with reward, and victory with joyful peace. Cyprian in a Treatise of his, De mortalitate, in the third section saith of life; Quid aliud in mundo quam pugna adversus diabolum quotidie geritur? quam adversus iacula eius & tela conflictationibus assidius dimicatur? While we are in the world, what do we but fight against the devil? and war with continual conflicts against his arrows and darts? but of death he saith: Illa est pax nostra, illa fida tranquillitas, illa stabilis, & firma, & perpetua securitas: Death is our peace, our sure tranquillity, our stable, firm and perpetual security.  
When Balaam that false Prophet, that loved the wages of iniquity, being hired by the King of Moab to curse Israel, had considered that cursing could not be the end of God's people, but that they were heirs of blessing, he pronounced these words, Numbers, 23.10. Let me die the death of the righteous: let my last end be like his. The man did see, his eyes being opened of God, that the end of the righteous, for the peace and happiness thereof was to be desired.  
The day of dissolution to a righteous man, is like that day in which joseph was brought out of prison, and stood before Pharaoh: He had long been in bonds. In prison he was basely clothed as became a prisoner. In the end his fetters are laid aside, he is taken out of prison, he putteth off his base attire, he is washed and shaven, he putteth on new apparel, is brought into the presence of the King, and made a ruler throughout the Kingdom.  
The just man's life is like the time of his captivity; and his death is like to his delivery. While we live, the soul is enclosed in the body as in a prison, and is clothed with the flesh, as with filthy garments, and is clogged with sin, as with fetters of iron and brass; and is cumbered with injuries and temptations, more grievous and noisome than the hunger, cold, and noisome savour of the prison.  
But when the hour of dissolution cometh, the prison is broken, and we are delivered. We put off the rags of the flesh, and are clothed with white: we are loosed from the fetters of sin, we are washed in the blood of Christ, we are admitted into the presence of God, and are made together with jesus Christ heirs of a heavenly kingdom. And therefore as joseph desired to be delivered, and had cause to riot when that day came, even so may the righteous desire their dissolution, & they have cause to rejoice when the day thereof draweth nigh.  
The death indeed of the wicked is very fearful, and by all means to be avoided, if it could be avoided: For their death is like the evening to the slothful servant, when his Master will examine his days work. It is like the coming home of the Lord to the unprofitable servant, that had wrapped his Talent in a napkin, and buried it in the ground: he was called to account, and because he had been idle, Mat. 25.26. his Talon was taken from him, and given to an other, and after sharp rebukes, he was cast into utter darkness, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is like the fearful assizes, and day of goal delivery unto the malefactor, who being brought from the prison to the Bar, and there condemned, is led from thence to the place of execution. It is like the birth day of Pharaoh unto his officer the Baker, who was taken out of prison, led to the gallows, hanged, and made a pray to the fowls of heaven.  
The death therefore of the wicked is evil, and to be shunned (if it could be shunned) for in it endeth all their rest, and beginneth all their labour. In it, endeth all their happiness, and beginneth all their misery. In it endeth all their pleasure, & beginneth their torment, which never shall end: and they fall as the tree that is cut down for the fire. Read the report of the unmerciful glutton, in Luk. 16.19. what pleasures his life abounded withal; which all turned to torments when he died.  
But the righteous are cut down like to ripe corn, that with care is brought into the barn: and they are delivered from the evils that are to come. Esay, 57.1. they rest from all their labours past. Revel. 14.13. They come to their perfect joy, in hope whereof they rejoiced before. Matth. 25.11. It is said to the good servant, Enter into thy masters joy. And when they put off the earthly house of this tabernacle, 2. Corin. 5.1. they have a building given of God, not made with hands, but eternal in heaven. They leave earthly possessions, which coming naked into the world, they found here, and going naked out of the world, they leave here: and for them they receive an inheritance immortal, undefiled, that fadeth not away, but is reserved for them in the heavens: and then do they truly begin to live, when they depart out of this dark vale of frail mortality.  
Truly that servant of God (the ruins of whose earthly tabernacle lie here before us to be interred) knowing that the death of the righteous was to be desired, did with desire and longing, expect and entertain the hour of his dissolution.  
And when he had, not yet in deed, but only in his purpose and resolution, put off his flesh, and received in himself the sentence of death, he could by no means be drawn in his affections to put it on again, though the frail flesh and his fading life, as enticing harlots, did earnestly strive to draw his liking unto them.  
But as a wise and stout travailer, when after long & weary journeys, he sees at last, not far off, the place of his habitation, doth then with double desire contend to come unto it; and will not then suffer himself to be stayed, but saith in his heart, Oh long desired seat of my wished rest, often have I thought upon thee, now shall I obtain thee: my feet forget their weariness, and my heart forgets all faintness, for love of thee: and my desire shall not end, till I obtain the end of my desire.  
Even so this man, made wise by the word of God, which maketh wise unto salvation, & being strong and of good courage in the Lord, when after weary travail and long journeys, in this wilderness of the world, & vale of temptations, he was admonished by sickness and infirmity, that he was not far from the end of his way, and that his resting place upon the hill of God's holiness was not much distant: he lifted up the eyes of his mind toward heaven, and contemplating the beauty of the heavenly new jerusalem, and of the glorious kingdom prepared for the sons of God; with doubled desire he contended thither, and casting of all those things that might stay him (the love of this world and of frail life) he wholly breathed heaven, with this resolution; Long have I desired thee, now have I found thee. When thou wert further of I desired thee, and now that my joy be fulfilled in coming unto thee.  
I speak not these things as only intending to praise him, though it be his just and great praise that these things be truly spoken of him, and such a praise as men do not usually deserve, namely, to renounce this world, & to contend, with full course of strong affections toward heaven. For his praise only, I speak not these things of him (though to the righteous there belongeth a blessed memory, Prou. 10.7.) himself desired not praise among men, but the praise that is of God.  
But I remember also for your sakes, and in him I shadow forth unto you (as in an example agreeing aptly with the doctrine of my text) what ought to be the desire and resolution of every of you: namely, to meet the Lords purpose with your desire, and to go hence with joy, when the hour of your dissolution cometh, and not to look back in your love and wishes, to this world, as Lot's wife looked back to Sodom, when her departure out from thence was her safety, and her stay could not have been any longer without her hurt.  
Thus much shall serve to have spoken of the first words, wherein the Apostle signifieth his desire of death. Now let us consider of the commodity that he looketh to reap by his dissolution, which maketh him so much to desire it.  And to be with Christ. 
The commodity of life was public, he might do good to others. His words for that, are in verse 24. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. The commodity of death is private, he shall win good to himself. That he pronounceth in the words of this verse, Desiring to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. In which words, giving reason of his desire, he teacheth us a fruit of our death, and what it is that should make us desire death, namely, that thereby we might be gathered unto Christ.  
Many men for many causes desire the day of their dissolution. But as the Lord jesus said, Luk. 10.42. of Mary's choice, One thing is needful: so may we say of the reasons, driving men to desire death, one is laudable.  
Abimelech, the base son of Gedeon, besieged a Tower in Tebez, and coming near unto the wall thereof, a woman threw down upon him a piece of a millstone, wherewith she broke his head. judg. 9.53. Then he called his servant that bore his armour, and bade him draw his sword and kill him: yielding this reason for his desire of death; That men might not say, a woman killed him. The valiant man, for the avoiding of that dishonour, desiring the speed of his own dissolution, by his armour bearers hands.  
In the days of David, Absolom rebelled against his father. And Achitophel, a man very politic, and a subtle counsellor, took part with him. His counsel Absolom refused, & followed rather the counsel of Huspai. Hereupon Achitophel, partly angry, and disdaining that his counsel was not followed, & partly fearing that Absoloms' faction could not prevail, letting slip the opportunity that he had counseled him to take, saddled his Ass, forsook Absolom, went to his own house, set all things in order, and then hanged himself. The proud Politician, not able to bear the disgrace, and fearing afterclaps, (for he suspected Absoloms' fall) hastened with his own hands his dissolution. So judas the traitor, not able to bear the disgrace of his own treason in betraying the innocent blood of his Master, made a quick dispatch of himself. Matth. 27.5.  
And not only the wicked, but the godly also, have sometime hastened their death, and desired the day of their dissolution, upon weak reasons, which as I dare not disallow, so I cannot greatly commend. When Samson, by the subtlety of a Harlot, came into the hands of the Philistims, they put out his eyes, and caused him to grind in a mill. And when on a certain day, the Princes of the Philistims were come together to sacrifice unto Dagon their god, to whom they gave the praise, to have delivered their enemy into their hands, than Samson was called for, he must be brought forth to make them merry. And within a large house, whose weight was born up with two mighty pillars in the midst, Samson was placed near those same pillars: who praying unto God to strengthen him, with all his power pressed the pillars, and overthrew the house, jud. 16.30. and slew a great multitude. For there were without, upon the roof of the house, three thousands, besides them that were within: and among the multitude, he himself perished. The good man considered that it was his calling to destroy the enemies of the people of God; and he loved not his life, that he might with loss thereof, finish the work of his calling.  
And good Elias, that zealous Prophet of God, in the days of Ahab, fleeing from jezebel, into the wilderness beyond Beersheba, and sitting under a juniper-tree, desired to die, saying; 1. Kings, 19.4. It is enough O Lord, take away my life, I am no better than my fathers. He was somewhat impatient, and would have had his dissolution hastened, because he could rest no where in safety from the wrath of jezebel.  
For many & divers causes, which for the time have taken away the sweetness of life, and the bitterness of death; many have desired the hastening of their dissolution. But sudden, short, unconstant, & not always justifiable, is the desire grounded upon those causes. Burdens press us not continually, that we should be ever weary of bearing. Perils endure not ever, that we should ever fear. Reproach doth not always attend upon us, that we should out of a big heart mislike our lives for shame. Pain and discontentment do not abide with us still, that we should ever wish to die: the desire to be dissolved, grounded upon these causes, cannot be lasting.  
There is only one true reason, that taketh away all bitterness of death, and overcometh all sweetness of this present life, and breedeth in us a true, constant and sound desire of dissolution. And that is this, that the Apostle here remembreth, as the commodity or advantage of death, drawing his desire, namely, that by this means he should be gathered unto Christ, and obtain fellowship with him by fight, and not by faith: the gain, and glory, and sweetness of which fellowship, we shall consider when we come to handle those last words, (Which is best of all). Here it is more proper to consider and show, that the fellowship of Christ is gained by dissolution, and that the godly dying, do go unto him.  
Of the two malefactors which was crucified with the Lord jesus, the one upon the Cross besought him, saying: Luk. 23.42. Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom: to whom he made answer in the 43. verse: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise. Of which favour afforded to the thief, Ambrose speaketh excellently, writing upon the 38. Psalm, and framing a little short speech to the devil, by whom judas had been lately before set on to betray his Master. The thief upon the Cross, saith Ambrose, in his understanding saw the kingdom of Christ, which judas could not see in the feast & Supper of Christ. Therefore did this heavenly voice second the thieves prayer, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Thou didst triumph o fierce Dragon, that thou hadst drawn away an Apostle from Christ, Plus amisisti quam sustulisti qui latronem vides in Paradisum esse translatum: Thou hast lost more than thou hast got, and so think when thou seest the thief translated into Paradise. For who shall be excluded, when a thief is admitted? Thy minister, o devil, entered thither from whence thou wert cast out. But leaving further commenting upon those words, in them we may see that the same day and hour when the soul of a true believer departeth from the body, it taketh a happy journey, and is carried by Angels into Paradise, to enjoy the company of Christ.  
In the fourteenth of john, verse, 2. jesus saith: In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you: and though I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there may you be also. His Father's house that he speaketh of, is the ample kingdom of heaven: the many mansions there, are the blessed resting places of the Saints: jesus went to prepare those places in his ascension: He cometh again to every one of us in the hour of dissolution, and by the ministry of Angels, receives our souls to himself, that in the same Kingdom they may rest with him, till they receive their bodies in the resurrtction, when both in body and soul, they shall continue with him for ever. This promise of Christ to come again and receive them to himself, did make them, saith Augustine, in his 77. Tractate upon john, Certes & fidentes, post pericula tentationum, se apud Deum cum Christo esse mansures: Sure and confident, that after the peril of temptations, that is, after death & dissolution, they shall continue with Christ in the presence of God.  
Unto that former place, join an other testimony out of john, in his seventeenth chapter, from the twenty verse to the 25. jesus prayeth for those that believe in him, that they might be one with him by a most straight conjunction. And in the verse 24. that they should come unto him, saying: Father, I will that those which thou hast given me, be where I am, that they may see my glory which thou hast given me, for thou didst love me before the foundation of the world, I will, saith jesus, that they be where I am. Then, as he left the world to ascend unto his Father, so they must leave the world, which they do in death, to ascend up unto jesus Christ.  
A notable place is that of the Apostle Paul in the second to the Corinthians, 5. chapter 6. verse. We are always bold, though we know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: for we walk by faith, and not by sight: Nevertheless we are bold, and love rather to remove out of the body, and to dwell with the Lord. So long as we dwell in these houses of clay, where faith is the stay and comfort of our souls. We are strangers from the real presence & company of Christ, from heaven, & from our Country and resting place. We are not in patria, but in via, not in our Country, but in the way unto it. But when we put off the earthly house of this habitation, Quam seperamur à corpore, saith Anselme, presentamur Domino, ut eum in specie divinitatis suae videamus, & apud eum maneamus. That is, when we are separated from the body, we are presented to the Lord, that we may see him in the show and beauty of his divinity, and may remain with him.  
Lastly, let us consider what we read, Revelations, 14.1. john seethe many thousands standing on Mount Zion, with the Lamb jesus Christ, They are in his company, and they follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth. These places do plainly teach us, that this followeth the dissolution and death of the Saints, as a thing for which it is to be desired, that they do go unto the Lord, and enjoy the company of jesus Christ their redeemer: their souls do so when they die, and their bodies also in the resurrection, as the Apostle witnesseth in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians, 4. chapter, 16. verse, The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then shall we which live and remain, be caught up with them also in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. But the body resting in the grave, & waiting for that glorious resurrection, the soul in the mean time leaving the flesh, and leaving the world, goeth to Christ.  
O blessed and most comfortable death of the Saints, which gathereth the members to the head in whom they live: and setteth the branches close to the tree in the lively sap whereof they flourish: which bringeth home the Bride into the chamber of the Bridegroom, in whom only she rejoiceth: and gathereth the redeemed people together about their redeemer: who only hath made them free, and leadeth us out of this vale of misery, unto our Lord jesus Christ, that we may see his glory, and be partakers with him of his kingdom.  
The worst then that can be said of death, for his doings unto the faithful is this, that he is a cruel & churlish guide, that leadeth us unto a most sweet and courteous Lord: that he is a rough & boisterous minister, that performeth and doth for us a most acceptable service: that his countenance is much deformed, & he frayeth those to whom he appeareth: that his hands are burning hot, & he scorcheth those whom he apprehendeth. Yet among the faithful, those whom he layeth hold upon, he bringeth to jesus Christ.  
This is not out of the natural condition of death, that the faithful reap such advantage by it; for death was born of sin, which divideth us from God: and it was ordained as a heavy punishment of sin, and it is still a sign and remembrance of God's anger for sin. But this cometh to pass by the benefit and favour of him, who by his death hath destroyed death, and him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. It cometh to pass by the benefit of jesus Christ, who hath made us more than conquerors over death & every adversary, taking away the sting of death, & making a plague to be a blessing, an enemy to be a servant, because now without death, that is, otherwise then by the passage of death, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This cometh to pass by the merit of him, and by faith in him, who is unto us both in life and death advantage, and whose we are both living & dying, that whether we sleep or wake, we might live together with him. Augustine speaking of benefit, attained by death in this world, I mean this first death, in his 13. Book of the City of God, and 4. chapter, saith: Non quia mors bonum aliquod facta est quae ante malum fuit: sed tantam Deus fidei prestitit gratiam ut mors, quam vitae constat esse contrariam, instrumentum fieret per quod transiretur in vitam: It is not because death is now become a good thing and a blessing, which before was an evil thing and curse: but so much grace hath God afforded to our faith in Christ, that death which was known to be contrary to life & happiness, should now become an instrument of our passage to life and happiness.  
And therefore not unto death and dissolution that doth bring us unto Christ, but unto jesus Christ, that by death and dissolution doth bring and gather us unto himself, do we give thanks for this advantage of our death, that when we are loosed, we go unto the Lord, for dread full death, in tantam utilitatem non vi sua sed divina opitulatione conversa est: is become a matter of great profit to us, not by it own force & virtue, but by the help of God. Yet from hence the faith full may learn & gather unto themselves plentiful comfort against the terrors of death, and strong encouragement, if not to desire & long for, yet to entertain with rejoicing the day of their dissolution, because from thenceforth they shall be with Christ.  
This did that servant of the Lord see, whose body we followed to the grave. And therefore quietly, yea joyfully, he accepted, yea desired his dissolution, sometime saying; Come Lord jesus: and sometime saying, I come Lord jesus: only desiring, & constantly desiring to be with the Lord jesus.  
And this is it that shall make death (bitter in itself) to be both sweet and pleasant unto us, when it cometh. And therefore I beseech you learn now in time, lay this doctrine up in your hearts, & often think upon it, that the faithful departing hence, do go unto the Lord, that when the hour cometh, whsch cannot be avoided, we may embrace the pleasure of God, as the means of our own good, and may not murmur in vain.  
But it may be, some will say, is it a matter of so great price to be gathered unto Christ, that a man should despise all the pleasures of this life, & contemn all the bitterness & terrors of the hour of death: & with the Apostle here desire to be loosed, and to be with Christ! I surely, and that is it that followeth in the next place to be considered, and in the last words of my text.  Which is best of all. 
Unto the Lord jesus at the last day, all both good and bad, shall be gathered in the 25. of Matth: at the 31. verse, It is said, When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all Nations of the earth. And in the 2. to the Corinthians, 5. chapter, & 10, verse, Paul saith, We must all appear before the tribunal seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things that are done in his body, whether it be good or evil.  
All therefore at that day shall be brought before the Lord jesus: But the wicked shall not come to be and to abide with jesus Christ from that day. Neither shall they in the hour of their dissolution be gathered unto him, to be & abide with him before that day. They shall come unto him as unto a judge, armed with authority to condemn. They shall come unto him as unto a revenger, appearing from heaven with flaming fire to destroy. And their judgement when they appear, shall be to departed for ever from his presence. As we read the sentence set down in the 25. of Matthew, at the 14. verse, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And of the judgement of them, in that great day, that either know not God, having had no calling, or obeyed not the Gospel of our Lord jesus Christ, having obeyed no calling, Paul saith, in the second to the Thessalonians, 1. chapter, and 9 verse, That they shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Their coming therefore is not to be and abide with Christ. And for the time of their coming and abiding before Christ, it shall be most fearful unto them: of whom it is written, Revelations 6. chapter, 16. verse, That they shall say unto the mountains and hills, fall upon us, and cover us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, and who can stand? (that is, who shall be able to abide his judgement)?  
But the faithful at that great day come unto him, to be, and abide with him: to whom jesus shall say in the 25. of Matthew, 34. Come ye blessed of my Father. And of whom Paul doth say, in the 1. to the Thessalonians, 4. chap: 17. verse, So shall we be ever with the Lord. And that their being and continuing with him is their happiness, as here Paul saith, Even best of all. To this purpose it is an apt speech that is in the 6. chapter of Augustine's Manuale, Faelix anima quae terreno resoluta tarcere libera coelum petit, quae te dulcisimum Dominum fancy ad faciem ceruit, quae nullo metu mortis affiicitur, sed de incorruptione perpetua gloria letatur. Happy is that soul, which freed from her earthly prison, doth now in liberty enter into heaven, and there beholdeth thee most sweet Lord jesus, face to face, and is affected with no more fear of death, but rejoiceth in the incorruptible estate of eternal glory.  
Mark the words of the Lord jesus spoken to the Apostles, touching this very matter of his fellowship in heaven, and you shall find them to contemn all consolation. In the 22. of Luke, at the 29. verse, I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed to me, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Israel. In the fellowship of Christ they shall be made partakers with him of all glory and gladness, they shall be made partakers with him of all glory: for they reign with him as Kings, and be copartners of his Kingdom, and join with him in judgement, when he shall condemn the wicked. And they shall be made partakers with him of all gladness, for they shall sit with him at table, after the blessed manner of heavenly entertainment, and they shall eat and drink with him, after the manner of heavenly diet, and it shall be done to them that was said to the faithful servant, they shall enter into their masters joy.  
The blessedness of this fellowship is described and shadowed forth unto us in the Parable, by the happy success of the five wise Virgins, of whom it is said in the 25. verse of Matthew, 10. verse, That they entered with the Bridegroom into his wedding Chamber. What mean these things, the wedding day is a day of joy and gladness? The place where the wedding is kept, is a place abounding with rejoicing and feasting. Those that are guests, admitted to the fellowship of that time and place, and admitted to the fellowship of joy and gladness. The wine was merely spent at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when the company was sober, and jesus, his mother, and Disciples were bidden and present. And the faithful coming to jesus, (for the state of all the faithful in those five wise Virgins is shadowed) enter with him into the wedding chamber: that is, they come to the place of mirth, of joy, and of gladness. Where, as Anselme saith, Munda anima sempiterno divino consortio copulatur: The pure soul is coupled as in marriage, with everlasting fellowship with God.  
Father, saith jesus in the 17. of john, 24. verse, I will that those which thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may see my glory which thou hast given me. That is, that at leisure and at their pleasure, they may satisfy their souls with viewing whatsoever delight the Kingdom of heaven, and the glory of the Son of God may afford. Which how great delight it is unto the soul, they cannot conceive that are not yet admitted to see.  
The Queen of the South, came a far journey, to see the wisdom, the riches, the glory of Solomon, whereof she had heard report. And in the second of Chronicles, 9 chapter, she came and saw, and wondered. And in the seventh verse, pronounced the servants of Solomon and his men happy; because they stood before him & heard his wisdom.  
And when we shall come unto Christ to continue with him, and to stand before him; is there not a greater than Solomon there? In wisdom, and riches, and glory, far passing Solomon? How much more than shall we be happy and blessed, to hear his wisdom, in whom all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are laid up? Peter saith, He had the words of eternal life in his mouth, whiles he was poor and despised on earth. His wisdom then must needs be the words of eternal comfort and glory, which his followers shall hear from his mouth in heaven.  
And how much more shall we be happy in beholding his riches and glory, when we shall obtain with him all use of his riches, and shall be transformed into the like glory? For the just shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father, Mat. 13.43.  
The beauty of Lilies and other flowers exceedeth, by the saying of our Saviour Christ. Matth. 6.29. the beauty and glory of Solomon. But the glory of the Lord jesus Christ far exceedeth the glory of the heavens, his exceeding glory giving light and beauty to the heavens. As it is said, Revelations, 21. chapter, and 23. verse, The City of the heavenly jerusalem hath no need of the Sun, neither of the Moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did light it, and the Lamb is the light of it. Then necessarily it must give much more true content and delight, and be a greater happiness, to be and abide with Christ to see his glory, then to be & abide in salomon's Court, and to see his glory.  
Yea so happy a thing it is to be with Christ, & behold his glory, that when he was transfigured upon the Mountain, and had only two of the Saints in company with him, Moses & Elias, and they conferring with him of no pleasant discourse, but of his death that he should shortly suffer at jerusalem: yet the view of that short glory, was so excellent in Peter's judgement, that though he and his two fellows were open to the check of all weather on the mountains top, and were not themselves enlightened and glorified with that glory, yet was he so wholly surprised and ravished with the sight of it, that he would gladly there have made his continual abode, to have had liberty still to behold the same: saying in the 17. of Matthew, 4. verse, Master, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three Tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  
Consider still the circumstances of that glory of Christ which they then saw, and compare it with the revealed circumstances of the present glory of Christ, which the souls of the faithful now after dissolution do see in heaven: and it will appear, that though it were a good thing, and a sign of great favour, to be admitted to see that glory of Christ upon the mountain, yet it is as my text doth call it, Multo magis melius, much better, best of all: and the full fruit of infinite favour to be with Christ after dissolution, and to be admitted in heaven to behold his present glory.  
The Lord jesus for his own part did then shine in glory, his face as the Sun, his garments as the light. So that Peter doth call it, in his second Epistle, 1. chapter, 16. verse, Majesty, honour and glory: yet putting a difference between that and another, which he calleth excellent glory. From whence that voice came, saying: This is my well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  
But jesus was then upon an earthly mountain, upon Mount Tabor, he was not then upon Mount Zion, which john in the Revelations saw. And he was accompanied only with two of his Saints, wanting the honourable train of an hundred forty and four thousands, having his Father's name upon their foreheads, and with heavenly music attending him upon that mountain. And the glory of jesus in that open and solitary place was short. Peter heard Moses & Elias talking with him of his death that should shortly follow at jerusalem. Peter also that beheld that glory, was as slenderly accompanied with james & john, and in a sort divided from the fellowship of the Saints. And he was also clothed with mortality, and in himself still full of frailty and infirmity, and yet he was astonished at the view of so great glory.  
But now is jesus in heaven, sitting at the right hand of God, clothed with majesty and glory. Now is he accompanied and attended by armies of Saints and Angels. Now is his glory constant, and shall never more admit any eclipse. The Saints that now come unto him, by putting off their bodies in death, they put off mortality, corruption, frailty, and all infirmity, they are brought by Angels into the society of Saints and Angels, as the Apostle to the Hebrews speaketh in the 12. chapter, the 22. verse: Ye are come unto the mounts Zion, and to the City of the living God, the celestial jerusalem, and to the company of innumerable Angels, and to the congregation of the first borne, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just and perfect men, and to jesus to Mediator of the new Testament. And while thus accompanied, they behold the glory of Christ, themselves shall be transformed into glory.  
Our judgement esteeming of this happiness to be with Christ, may be directed and helped something by our words in recounting this happiness. But yet neither can our words express, nor our heart fully conceive the great happiness that the Saints of God find, when departing from us, they come unto the Lord Christ.  
Is not the natural child glad to be with his father, and doth he not therein find content? Is not the loving wife satisfied to be in company with her kind husband, and doth not that please her mind? Is not a true hearted and faithful friend glad to enjoy the company of a true hearted and faithful friend, and do not they being met, rejoice together? Even so the Christian soul that loveth the Lord jesus, will desire to be loosed and to be with Christ, for it knoweth that to be best.  
Such to be the desire of a true holy soul, even by death to come unto him, rather than by still living here, to be kept from him, may appear by the words of private meditation, that Augustine useth in the first chapter of his Soliloquia, saying: Cur faciem tuam abscondis? forte dices non videbit me homo & vivet. Eia Domine, moriar ut te videan, videam ut hic moriar, nolo vivere, volo mori, dissolui cupio & esse cum Christo, mori desidero ut videam Christum, vivere renew ut vivam cum Christo. O Domine jesu accipe spiritum meum, vita mea suscipe animam meam, gaudium meum attrahe cor meum. That is, why dost thou hide thy face? Thou wilt say perhaps, no man shall see me, and live. Come on then Lord, let me die, that I may see thee: Let me see thee, though I die here. Oh I desire not to live, I desire to die, I long to be loosed that I may be with Christ: I wish to die, that I may see Christ, I refuse to live, that I may live with Christ. O my Lord jesus receive my spirit, O thou my life, receive my soul, O thou my joy, draw my heart unto thee.  
Those which were present with this man in the time of his sickness, and hour of his death, know with what constant desire he waited for and desired his dissolution: therefore desiring to die, that he might be with Christ: & therefore desiring to be with Christ, because he knew it to be best of all.  
That the power of faith, and true knowledge of jesus Christ had wrougth in him, that he preferred jesus Christ before all things, before life, riches, friends, & whatsoever, knowing that to be with Christ, was more than all.  
Blessed be God that is wonderful in those that believe. And let us by such examples be moved to treasure up faith in Christ. The Apostle saith in his Epistle to the Philippians, 3. chapter, 17. verse, Look on them which walk so, as they have us for an example. The Apostle himself was the example. He desired to be loosed, that he might be with Christ, which is best of all. This man walked so, for he desired to be loosed, that he might be with Christ, knowing that to be best of all. Let us look upon him, and while we have time & helps, let us lay hold on faith, that knowing death to be the gathering of us unto Christ, and that company of Christ to be the highest happiness, we may with quiet and glad minds, put off our flesh, when the day of our dissolution cometh, and may rest in the Lord, as this our Brother doth.  
Laus Deo. Amen.  
FINIS.