portrait of Edward Bury 
VERA EFFIGIES EDVARDI BURII EVANGELII MINISTRI AN. AETAT. SUAE 66 ANo. DOM. 1682   
Inventive art dame-natures curious ape  
You see can counterfeit the body's snape  
Yet can no more describe the mind than we  
Heaven's glory by the spangled Canopy  
This shadows out the house who there doth dwell  
Ask in the book the picture cannot tell.   

DEATH IMPROVED, AND Immoderate Sorrow FOR Deceased Friends and Relations, REPROVED.  
WHEREIN You have many Arguments against Immoderate Sorrow, and many Profitable Lessons which we may Learn from such Providences.  1 Thess. 4.13, 14. But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope; For if we believe that Christ died and risen again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. 
By EDWARD BURY, formerly Minister of Great Belas in Shropshire.  
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside, 1693.   

TO THE Virtuous, and truly Religious, The Lady Wilbraham, the Pious Consort of the Right Worshipful Sir Thomas Wilbraham, of Weston under Lizard, Baronet, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County of Stafford, E. B. wisheth all Happiness, External, Internal, and Eternal.  
MADAM,  
IT fares with me, as 'tis fabled of Pan, that pretended Rural God, who being admitted into Apollo's Presence to show his skill upon his Oaten Pipe, at the first he was bashful and timorous, but being uncontrolled, he grew bolder, and Piped louder; This was my Case when I wrote the ensuing Letter, which was in a dark and gloomy Day; my Bashfulness, and Sense of unworthiness when it was finished, had like to have strangled it in the Womb, and to have kept it from your sight, fearing what Reception it might meet with; but knowing what ever was wanting, a good Meaning and an Intention to do good was not wanting; and after some conflict in myself, I resolved to put it to the venture, and send it I did, but your ●ind Acceptance beyond my Expectation, made me Pipe louder, and without your privity I sent it to the Press, thinking, that having past this Test, and you approving of it, others also might possibly do the same, but had you past it by with a Check or Disrespect, you had spoiled my Music; yet durst I not prefix your Name to it, as thinking it unworthy of you. But your kind Acceptance of it when it was Printed, and Approbation, doth make me yet bolder to prefix your Name, and tell the World to whom it doth of right belong; and this will be some excuse for me, that you did not manifest your dislike, nor forbidden me to do it, the Reasons why I did this, and do now again Publish it were given you then, there were many worthy Friends then, and since that time, that lay under the like Dispensation of Providence that you did, viz. That had parted with their near Relations, to whom I was willing to give a Word of Advice and Comfort but my Occasions would not permit me to Speak or Writ to all, neither was I able to do it to all that needed my Advice; I therefore imagining what doth one good, may benefit another also, I made it public; this Letter may speak my Mind when I am absent, even to those to whom I cannot come; for I see Grace itself will not wipe off immoderate Tears, but they sometimes flow like a mighty Torrent without Bank or Bottom, and tho' here be some things peculiar to your Condition in the Letter, yet in the general 'tis of public concern, the Disease is common, and the Receipt I hope will not be useless. Most People first or last are concerned in parting with Relations, here are Considerations to quiet them, at least they see the Death of others as well as of their Relations; and here are profitable Instructions to improve that for their own good, and Direction how to prepare for their own Death. These Considerations made me make that public, which at first was intended for private use, and I hope this second Edition will give your Ladyship, no Offence, nor to read your Name in the Front; when I sent the Letter to you, I did foresee that I must shortly come into the Furnace again, and so I did the very Week I received the printed Book, I Buried my eldest Son; as you had done your eldest Daughter, and how soon I may have another Trial I know not. The Lord grant I may learn the Lesson myself I am teaching others; some Additions I have made, at the Request of several which may be more needful to others then to you; I hope they tend towards the perfection, not imperfection of the Book. But I forget myself, the whole being but a Letter, and that to your Ladyship; I must not make the Gate too wide for the Building. I shall cease further to trouble you, when I have committed you and your dear Relations into the Hands of him that never leaveth his, and subscribed myself  
MADAM, Your much Obliged Servant, EDWARD BURY.   

THE CONTENTS.  

THE Introduction:  
Five Arguments to quiet the Heart at the Death of Relations. 

1. Consider who did it, that great God whose they are.  
2. Consider, Who we are that are discontented Dust and Ashes.  
3. What wrong is done to us, or our Relations.  
4. What Benefit are we like to have by mourning.  
5. Our own Condition is mortal, and shall suddenly follow.    
Seven Lessons, To be learned by the Death of Friends if all must die. 

1. Lesson, How little we are beholding to Sin?  
1. It brought Death into the World.  
2. It is the cause of all the Miseries we suffer in the World.  
3. 'Tis the cause of all Spiritual Judgement we meet with.  
4. It lays us under the Wrath of God, and makes him our Enemy.  
5. 'tis the cause of eternal Death, and eternal Damnation.    
Second Lesson. How little Good the world can do us in our greatest need. 

1. It cannot prevent Death tho' we had never so much of it.  
2. It cannot procure us a happy Life, or give Content.  
3. The things of the World are uncertain and momentary.  
4. It can do us little good in our great Concerns here or hereafter.  
5. It exposeth us to a great deal of danger.    
Third Lesson. Of how great concern Grace and a good Conscience is? 

1. It helps exceedingly to bring us through the World with Comfort.  
2. It fits us to leave the World, and takes away the Fear of Death.  
3. Without it we can neither please God nor enjoy him.  
4. It will procure us a good Name to succeeding Generations.  
5. It will bear up the Heart at Judgement, and usher us into Heaven.    
Fourth Lesson. If all must die, than the Godly have nothing to Suffer. 

1. The Saints at Death shall be freed from all their Sins.  
2. From all the Causes of Sin, Temptations of Satan, and the World.  
3. From all the Devil's Instruments, Persecutions, and Trial.  
4. From all the Effects of Sin, Losses, Crosses, Pains, Sickness, etc.  
5. They shall enjoy God, Heaven and Happiness for ever.    
Fifth Lesson. If all must die, how little Certainty wicked men have of their Happiness. 

1. At Death they must le●ve behind all their Riches.  
2. They must bid 〈…〉 to all their Pleasures.  
3. They must lose all their Pomp, Glory, and Honour.  
4. After Death, they ●hall lose their God, their Souls, their Heaven and Happiness.  
5. They shal● be thrown into endless ●aseless Torments.    
Sixth Lesson. If all must die, than we should prepare for our own Death. 

1. Consider seriously we mu●t die.  
2. ●e have a great deal of Work to do ere we die.  
3. Many men as worldly-wise as we, do miscarry.  
4. The dangerous condition we are in, while unprepared.  
5. Preparation for Death, and our Evidences for Heaven can do us no harm.    
Directions to Die well. 

1. Get an Interest in Christ, and a title to Glory.  
2. Be sure to see Sin dead, before you or your Souls will die.  
3. Mortify and Crucify the World, and subdue it.  
4. Be sure to live well if you would die well.  
5. Learn to die daily, have death always before your Eyes.    
Seventh Lesson. If all must die, bring your minds to be willing to die. 

1. Consider. Our Life is not at your own dispose, but God's.  
2. The many miseries Death frees us from.  
3. 'Tis unbeseeming a Christian, to be unwilling to die, when God calls.  
4. If we resign ourselves to God, we shall die to the best Advantage.  
5. The Joys of Heaven may sweeten Death itself. The Conclusion.      

DEATH Improved, AND Immoderate Sorrow for Deceased RELATIONS And FRIENDS Reproved.  
In a LETTER Consolatory to the Virtuous and truly Religious Lady Wilbraham, of Weston, in the County of Stafford, at the Death of her Daughter, the Lady Middleton, of Chirk Castle.  
MADAM,  
LET it not be thought Presumption in me, though the meanest of a Thousand, if I make bold to give my Advice in the midst of so many, much abler Counsellors; and to prescribe you Physic, when you have so many Learned Physicians at hand; for haply I have more experienced that Distemper under which you labour, than many of them, and can write a Probatum est upon my Receipts: Others may speak more of the Disease than I can, yet few have felt the working of it in their own Bowels more than I, even from my Youth up; and I am at present making up a Dose for myself, who am in daily expectation of pa●ting with my Eldest Son, as you have done with your Eldest Daughter, he being one in whom I took no small content, and from whom I expected much Comfort in my Age; the Lord grant I may take the same Counsel I give to others. When first I heard of your great, and (as I think) unexpected Loss, and how soon your Joy, that a Manchild was born into the World, was turned into Sorrow, that a Woman was taken out of the World. I confess I was suddenly surprised with Amazement, and cried out, How vain a thing is Man, whose breath is in his Nostrils, and how vain are all these transitory things we so much dote upon? And how little can they do for us when we have most need? And how foolish are we to spend our time and money for that which is not bread, and our labour for that which satisfieth not? When I saw so fair a Flower, so lately budded, and not fully blown, so soon withered and dead, and what need we had, especially that were much older, to stand upon our Guard, not knowing the day nor hour wherein our Lord and Master comes. When I had spent some time in these Considerations, and bewailed the Public Loss, I began to consider your Condition, who by reason of your tender, and haply too tender Love, and Care of your Children, especially (as I imagined) of her, who was your Firstborn, and the beginning of your Strength, and one who by reason of her Age and Maturity more fit for your more intimate Society, I was afraid your Burden would not be easily born; for I conceive you are better qualified to bear a heavy Burden of another Nature than this, strong Affections many times breed strong Afflictions, but God will have us hate Father and Mother, Wife and Children, and our own Lives for his sake. These things considered, I could not but sympathise with you in your Suffering, and put my Soul as it were in your Soul's stead, and so bewailed and condoled your Condition, having many times myself felt the weight of your Burden, I thought then with Job, That to those that are afflicted pity is to be shown by his friend, Job 6.14. But barely to pity, and not to endeavour to help, is but a poor kind of Charity; but it was out of my reach any other way to help, than by Counsel and Advice, and this I knew you needed not, yet not willing to be altogether silent, I resolved to communicate to you my own Experience, and what it was that hath once and again calmed those tumultuous Thoughts that raged in my Breast. But could I but imagine that your Sorrows were over, your Griefs suppressed, your Trouble buried, and your Burden eased, I should not be so uncharitable as to take them again out of the Ashes, or blow the fire that is too apt of itself to kindle; but I fear the Flame is too great to be so soon extinguished, and your Distemper too deeply rooted to be so easily removed; and the Wound too great, to be so easily healed. Or that I could but imagine your Sorrows were moderate, and no more than your Duty, I should not put you to the trouble of Reading, nor myself of Writing these following lines. But I not only fear, but also hear that you are a Woman of a sorrowful Spirit, drenched in Sorrow, overpowered with Grief, and, like Rachel, weeping for your Daughter, and will not be comforted, because she is not: And fearing, as others of your Friends do, what the event will be, in parting with this dear Pledge, or rather Piece of yourself, especially when I read Godly Persons have sometimes been strangely transported with Passion upon such Occasions; as Jacob at the supposed Death of Joseph, Gen. 37.33. when he refused Comfort, and resolved to go down to the Grave with him; but he should have learned to bury his Children and Friends when alive, by acting their Death to himself aforehand. He shown his Fatherly Love to his Son, but not his own Obedience to his Father. The next that offers himself to our consideration, is David, a man after God's own heart, yet not without his Faults and Failings; we find him excessively mourning for the Death of rebellious Absalon, that had killed his Brother Amnon, forced his Concubines, rebelled against him, and sought his Life; yet when he was cut off by a deserved Death, partly by the hand of God, he mourns, and over-mourns, till he was sound chidden and threatened by Joab, and wished he had died for him, 2 Sam. 18.33. We see Grace sometimes at an under, and Nature predominant. These things considered, I thought it was my Duty, not only to mourn with you, but to comfort you; not only as a Christian, but also as a Minister, whose Duty it is to speak a word in season, and to comfort the comfortless. Troubles I know seem harder and heavier, and are worse born when they come suddenly, and unexpectedly, as I suppose this did, forewarned forearmed; the more expectations we have of Trouble, the better preparation; but unexpected Troubles surprise us before we get on our Armour, and then tyrannize over us; doubtless than 'tis our Wisdom to be always upon our Guard. Nature I know is prevalent, if not curbed by Grace, but Grace is given to some to check its Extravagancies, and to regulate our disordered Affections. The love of Christ, when 'tis predominant in the Soul, lessens or deadens our Affections to all Earthly Enjoyments; the more directly we behold the Sun of Righteousness in his Glory, the more dim-sighted we are when we turn our Eyes to any Earthly Object. When a Christian acts as a Christian, and hath his Conversation in Heaven, he is set in a more Superior Orb, that all these Sublunary things seem small, and work small alteration in him. But while our Graces are imperfect, (and that will be while we are on this side Heaven) we shall find Corruption stirring; but 'tis our Duty to take part with the Spirit against the Flesh, and to make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof. One of the Devil's Temptations to Job to make him murmur against God, was the death of his Children: And this is your Trial at present, but in a lower degree, he lost Ten at once, besides other Losses, and that by an untimely Death, and, as might be imagined, by the immediate Hand of God; but the Devil was frustrate of his purpose, instead of cursing he blessed God, as I hope you will Job 1.21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. There are I know too many that repine at the Loss, which never gave God thanks for the Gift. We are by Nature like sullen Children, if we have not what we would, we will not have what we may; if one thing be taken from us, we will throw all the rest after it; if we may not have the Knife, we will none of the Meat. If Rachel may not have Children, she matters not Life itself; Give me children, or else I die, Gen. 30.1. not considering that God carries the Key of the Womb also under his Girdle, For children are the heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward, Psal. 127.3. One Cross many times overshadows a thousand Blessings, and hides them out of our sight, and if one Comfort be snatched away, we can take comfort in nothing; we are like unto pettish Jonah, that would die in a pet, and told God to his face, he did well to be angry, even to death, Jonah 4.8, 9 And why was he in such a ruff? Why, the Gourd which he loved was withered, and then all God's dealing with him, his communicating himself to him, sending him upon his Errand, delivering him out of the Whale's belly, signified nothing to him; how true is that of the Heathen, Ira furor brevis est? Anger is a short Madness, and these are like unto wild Beasts, hardly tamed. Now, though we are allowed to yield something to Nature in such cases, yet nothing to Impatience; yet how apt are we in effect to charge God of Injustice, and bear ourselves as if he had wronged us; yea, done us such wrong, that God, and Christ, and Heaven, and Glory, and a thousand other Mercies would not satisfy or make us amends, nor make us leave crying; witness our mourning, and over-mourning when God manifests his Will in taking away our Children, or Relations, without our consent: He hath crossed us in our Wills, and will not let us have our Humour, in withering some Gourd we delighted in, and would have had to flourish; and now we are resolved we will cross him in his Will, and let him say what he will to the contrary, we will not cease our Complaints. But when we act as Christians 'tis not so; when our Graces are not clouded, nor raked up under the Ashes of Corruption, than it will act otherwise; then there will be a total resignation of our Wills unto God's Will, as two Bells melted together make one: When David came to himself, he could say, I held my tongue, and said nothing, because thou didst it, Psal. 39.9. And good Old Eli, when the Lord threatened the subversion of his House, 'Tis the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good, 1 Sam. 3.18. And Job, though at first he quarrels, yet at last lays his hand upon his mouth, Job 40.30. One Glimpse of God's Love in Christ, is able to dry up all those immoderate Tears we shed upon such accounts, and to turn them into another Channel, and make us instead of accusing God, fall out with ourselves, and our sins, for provoking him; and when we see our chiefest Treasure, our choicest Jewels are safe, it will make us contemn all our other Losses; these things we may spare, Christ we cannot spare.  
Madam, Yet mistake me not, my design, and desire in this Letter, is not to wipe all Tears from your Eyes, nor all Sorrow from your Heart, for some Grief in this condition is doubtless Lawful, and your Duty; and 'tis a sin, yea, an Heathinish sin, to be without Natural Affection, Rom. 1.31. yea, such a sin as was condemned by many of the Heathens, that had but the Light of Nature. Solomon adviseth, To go to the house of mourning; for (saith he) the living will lay it to heart, Eccles. 7.2. That is, so mind it, as to make a good use of it, and doubtless many profitable Lessons may be hence learned: Such strokes as these are not given in vain, we should hear the voice of the rod, and of him that sends it, Micah 7.9. Yea, God himself complains, Isa. 57.1. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. God's Rod hath a Voice, and we must hear it, and happy are those that with Correction receive Instruction; When God's hand is stretched out, the inhabitants of the world should learn righteousness, Isa. 26.9. God is now speaking to us in this Providence, and 'tis our Wisdom to hear what he saith, and to learn what he teacheth. When the Pillars are removed, the House is weakened; and when the Righteous, are taken away, our danger is more: I would have you therefore sensible of the blow, as all of us should be when such a Breach is made among us, and when there are fewer helpers, let those that are left put their shoulders more strenuously to the Work, to keep up the Building. But my design and desire is to prevent immoderation, which will hinder and not further you in the Work and unfit you for your Duty; you may, you ought do mourn, but not as those without hope for those that sleep in the Lord, 1 Thess. 4.13. Ingenious Children, when one is beaten, the other will cry, but they must take heed of murmuring and repining against their Father; Lute-strings, when one is touched, the other sound; and 'tis one of those Deuce which we own to our deceased Friends, to lament at their Funeral; 'tis those usually that live undesired, that die unlamented. It was a Judgement threatened against Jehoiakim, that when he died, he should not be lamented, Jer. 22.18. But we must not Water our Plants so as to drown them, and that Sorrow that disables us for our present Duty in our general or particular Calling, is doubtless our sin. Our chiefest care for our Relations should be while they are living, and that is to make provision to our power for Soul and Body, but for the Soul especially; for alas, what is a moment of time to Eternity? But when God manifests by his Providence, that 'tis his Will to transport, and transplant these Flowers into a better Soil, though we should not be insensible of the stroke, we should not murmur or repine under it, or accuse the Hand that gave it, but submissively resign them up to him, who gave them, or rather lent them to us. David did what he could for his Son while he was living, but ceased mourning for him when he was dead. Our Tears, though they may be shed upon other accounts, yet 'tis pity they should run profusedly in any other Channel but for sin: It being the true penitential Tears that are the Holy Water that God affects, and the Devil hates; for if any ●oss or Cross that befalls us, deserve one Tear, our Sins deserve a thousand, for sin is the cause of all our Losses and Crosses that befall us, and without Repentance will be the destruction of Soul and Body; and when we see such direful Effects, and taste such bitter Fruits, we should bewail the Cause, and root up the Tree. If our Sin lay heavy, our Crosses would seem light; if we bathed our Sins in our Tears, we should not have so many left to pour out upon these Occasions. Sin is the occasion of the Death of your dear Daughter, and will be of your own Death, for had it not been for sin she had not died. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed ever all, for as much as all have sinned; the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Nay, sin it was that put our sweet Saviour to death; these were the Nails that pierced his Hands and his Feet, the Spear that pierced his Side, his Betrayer, Accusers, Judge, and Executioners; and can your Daughter be more dear to you than God's only and beloved Son was to him? He laid down his Life for her, and her Life is not too good to lay down for him; he laid down his Life to purchase for her a Mansion of Glory, and she laid down her Life to go to take Possession, for there is no other way to enjoy it.  
Madam, In my present Address to you there are two things designed by me. The first is, to abate the swelling Tide of your Sorrow, and to bring those Waters within their proper Bounds and Banks; which I shall endeavour to do by giving you some few Considerations to Meditate upon, that so when the violent Storm of Passion shall be allayed, Reason may be spoke with, which cannot many times be heard when Passion is raging; and after that, my intention is to point you out some of those many profitable Lessons, which this Providence seems to hand out to us, which if we can learn, doubtless we shall gain by this loss, or our gains will be greater than our loss; for God's Rod hath a Voice, and 'tis our Duty to hear it, Micah 6.9. Nay, 'tis like Jonathan's Rod, 1 Sam. 14.27. it hath Honey at the end, and if we taste of it, it will open and enlighten our Eyes. If God with Correction give Instruction, we may well say, as David, It was good for me that I was afflicted, before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I learn to keep thy commandments, Psal. 119.67. Quae nocent docent, is a Proverb, and that Lesson is best learned that is set on with whipping, and best remembered. Correction is seldom a sign of God's hatred, many times of his love; For whom he loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son that he receiveth: If we endure chastening, God dealeth with us as with sons, for what son is he that his father, chasteneth not. And if we be without chastening, then are we bastards and not sons, Heb. 12.6, 7, 8. Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for your iniquities. God will be sure to blow his own Ground, whatsoever becomes of the waist; and to weed his own Garden, though others are let alone, to grow wild; the punishing Angel must begin at God's Sanctuary, Ezek 9 And it was no sign of Love, when God said, Ephraim is joined to Idols, let him alone, Hosea 4.17. Since he hath made a match with Mischief, let him have his belly full of it. When Ignatius was thrown to the Wild Beasts to be devoured, Now, saith he, I begin to be a Christian; for Afflictions are the Gems and Jewels with which God doth adorn his best Friends; they are Pledges of our Adoption, and Badges of our Sonship; so that they are no signs of his disinheriting us, and though he may seem to hid his Face, yet 'tis no sign of his forsaking us. But now for the quieting your Spirit under your present Suffering, and this dark Providence, I beseech you ponder well these few following Considerations, which well weighed, may through God's Blessing quell those tumultuous Thoughts that swell in your Breast; and I desire the Lord to bless them to this end.  
1. Consider who it is that hath done you this supposed Injury, to take away your Daughter without your consent: And here you may consider not only who it is, but also what Interest he claims in her; and then consider whether your Plea will hold good against him. Is it not the great God of Heaven and Earth, whose Power no Creature is able to resist; whose Will is his Law, and whose Glory is his End? Is it not he that is called Omnipotent, that doth what pleaseth him in Heaven, and in Earth, and none can resist him? And is he a fit Match for you to grapple with? Is it not he that measureth the water in the hollow of his hand, and meeteth out Heaven with his span, and comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure, that weigheth the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance. To whom all nations are as the drop of a bucket, and are accounted as the small dust of the balance, that taketh up the Isles as a very little thing: And all nations are before him as nothing, and are accounted to him less than nothing, and vanity, Isa. 40.12.15.17. Fear ye not me? (saith the Lord) do ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the s●nd for ●he bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the waves toss themselves, yet can they not prevail, though they roar, yet can they not pass over it, Je●. 5.22. He setteth bounds to the sea, and saith, Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed, Job 38.11. He numbereth the stars, and calleth them by their names, Psal. 147.4. He removeth the mountains, and they know not: he overthroweth them in his anger. He shaketh the earth out of her place, and maketh the pillars thereof tremble. He commandeth the Sun, and it ariseth not, and sealeth up the Stars. He alone spreadeth forth the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleyades, and the chambers of the south. Which doth great things past finding out, and wonders without number, Job 9.5, etc. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, and the clouds are his chariot; he walketh upon the wings of the wind. He maketh his angel's spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire. That layeth the foundations of the earth, that they shall not be removed for ever, Psal. 104.3, etc. Is it not he that made the World of nothing, and can as easily reduce it into nothing? He hangs the Earth upon nothing, and that in the midst of the open Air, and gave a Being to all his Creatures when they were nothing, and nothing comes to pass without his Providence. Nay, is it not he that keeps the Keys of Life and Death at his Girdle? I kill (saith he) and I make alive; I wound, and I heal, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand. I lift up my hand, and say, I live for ever, Deut. 32.39. He brings to the gates of death, and back again, and doth what pleaseth him in heaven, and in earth, and none can resist him, neither dare any say; What dost thou? And is this he that hath done you this wrong, and with him is it that you contend? But consider, Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy, are we stronger than he? 1 Cor. 10.22. Shall we provoke him to a Duel, as sometime Caligula did their Heathenish Jupiter. Was there ever any that hardened himself against God, and prospered? Job 9.4. Who ever could boast of the last word, or glory in the last blow? The Walls of Aphek did Execution on the Blasphemous Syrians, and the Angel of God upon the Assyrians. If we harden our heart against God, he will harden his hand against us, for he will lay us upon our back, ere he leave. But haply though we do acknowledge God doth excel us in Power, yet we imagine we have the better Cause, and therefore, with Jonab, we think we do well to be Angry; or at least, with Job, we would dispute the Point with him, Job 13.3. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. Why, what hath God done? Why, he hath taken away your Daughter in the midst of her days. Well, but hath he no Interest in her? Is it not he whose we are, and whom we serve? Was it not he that gave her her Being, and breathed into her the breath of Life, and she became a living Soul? Did he not give her her Being? 'Tis not long since there was nothing heard of her; and did he not continue her in her Being till her death? Was it not he that fed and clothed her at his own Cost and Charges? And was she not engaged to him for every bit of Bread she did eat, and every drop of Drink she drank, and for the  she did wear? Was it not his wool, and his flax that clothed her, his corn and his wine that fed her, his silver and his gold that enriched her, Hos. 2.8. Let us take heed then of paying our Rent to a wrong Landlord; her Limbs and Senses, her Peace and Plenty, her Wit and Reason, yea, her Life and Breath were given, or rather lent her by God. It was he that covered her in your Womb, and through him she was born, Psal. 139.13. It was he that put bowels of Compassion into your Heart, to make Provision for her, when she could make none for herself; and to him she was indebted for every breath she breathed, and for every Mercy that rendered her Life more comfortable to her; and doth it become Christians thus to quarrel with our great Benefactor? Or is it meet that we should require of him an Account of his do? Or expect that he should bring his Will to ours? Whose is the Pot but the Pot-makers, and may not he if he please dash it in pieces with his foot? And who can say, why dost thou thus? Now, if this great God, this Omnipotent Being, this God that hath such an Interest in us, and such Authority over us, yea, greater than any Man upon Earth hath over any thing he doth enjoy, hath taken away one of his own Creatures, and glorified himself with her that he had made for his own Glory, shall we take Offence at it? That it was his Hand I doubt not but you acknowledge, for nothing comes to pass without his Providence. Affliction springs not out of the dust, neither doth trouble arise out of the ground, yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward, Job 5.6. These things come not to pass by Fate, or blind Fortune, as the Heathens imaginee, or by Chance, as the Philistines supposed, 1 Sam. 6.9. but the hand of God is in all this; and therefore the lamenting Church concludes, That she will bear the indignation of the Lord because she had sinned against him; Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Lam. 3.39. Is there evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it? Amos. 3.6. That is, the Evil of Punishment for the Evil of Sin. He is not guilty of sin, He is of purer eye than to behold iniquity with approbation. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, if the Lord commandeth it not? Lam. 3.37. I form the light, and I create darkness; I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do these things, Isa. 45.7. Yea, we may find that the Evil that came upon Jerusalem came from God, Micah 1.12. For God sits at the Stern, and guides the great Affairs of the World; and when we sin, what can we expect from a Righteous Judge but Sufferings? Where sin goes before, sorrow follows, as the shadow follows the substance. But now you have found out the Person, and the Fact is confessed, what Accusation will you form against this Omnipotent God, seeing he hath meddled with nothing but his own Creature, the work of his own hands, and one that he hath a greater Interest in than ever you had? What Arguments will you use to defend your Cause against him? Job indeed had a good mind to quarrel him, and as good a Cause for aught I know as any Man living; for God himself commends him above all the Men upon the Earth, for a perfect and an upright man, one that feared God, and eschewed evil; yet holdeth he his integrity (saith he to Satan) although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without a cause, Job 2.3. Oh (saith he) that God would answer me, Job 31.30. But when God accepted the Challenge, and posed him with some hard Questions, he cries out, I am vile, what shall I answer? I will lay my hand upon my mouth. Once h●ve I spoken, but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further, Job 40.4, 5. Yea, we find him at the loss of his seven Sons and three Daughters, the loss of all his , blessing the Lord: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, Job. 1. ●1. We find him not cursing at the Chaldeans, or reviling at the Sabeans, as many would have done; he knew whoever was the Rod, God's Hand held it; and whoever was the Instrument, God was the Author. This Consideration quieted David, when that dead Dog Shimei railed upon him, and cursed him; The Lord (saith he) hath bid him curse David, 2 Sam. 16.7. This quieted good Old Eli, when the sad Tidings of the death of his two Sons, and the ruin of his Family was foretell, 'Tis the Lord (saith he) let him do what seemeth him good, 1 Sam. 3.18. This Consideration also silenced Aaron, when his two Sons, Nadab and Abihu, were both slain with fire from Heaven, Levit. 10.3. And Aaron held his peace. He bridled his Passion, and submitted his Will to God's Will. And how then dare we dispute the Point with God, that have neither Might nor Right on our side, that are but frail, yea, sinful Dust and Ashes, poor Worms, that if he tread upon us, he leaveth us dead behind him? Who are we, that we should be discontent with his dealing, while we have no wrong done us, or think to struggle out of his hand when we have no Power, or be sullen under his Rod, when 'tis for our own good? God is not engaged to give us any Account of his doing; but sure it may suffice us, when he tells us, All shall work together for our good, if we love him, Rom. 8.28. And then why not this Providence? We take bitter Pills, and unsavoury Potions upon the Word of a Physician, when he Sugars them with the hopes of Health: And shall we mistrust the great Physician, that cannot deceive, nor be deceived? Yea, how unsuitable is it for Christians to repine under such Dispensations of Providence, who daily pray, Thy will be done in ●arth, as it i● in heaven, cheerfully, readily, and willingly, and yet murmur when his Will is done, and prefer our own Wills before his? Nay, further consider if you are not Accessary to this Cross that you now lie under: Or have you not a hand in making the Rod, wherewith ye are beaten? There are two ways we may be Accessary to the Death of our Relations: The one is, by lodging them too near the Heart; even in that Room which Christ hath reserved for himself: This makes God like a Jealous Husband, remove that Servant out of the Family, which he sees his Wife dotes upon; as a Father takes away the Knife, for fear of Danger, or the Meat, for fear of a Surfeit; for many times we grasp those Thorns so hard till they prick us to the heart; and then like Children we cry when we have hurt ourselves. Some on the other side through Carelessness or Covetousness neglect the necessary means of preserving or restoring the Health of their Relations. But if you can clear yourself of the former, I think all that know you will clear you of the latter; for the hand of God was so evidently seen in this Visitation, that no Providence, no C●●●, no Cost, nor Pains could prevent, or remove it; God denying a Blessing to all the means that were used, and did immediately dispute his own Right, and claim his own Interest, and silence all Gain-sayers. Oh how good is it for us to hang lose to all Creature-Comforts, and not set up any Idols in our Hearts, but leave all our Relations to be at God's dispose; for many times we ourselves wove the Spider's Web out of our own Bowels, with which we are entangled; and twist the Snare with our own fingers wherein we are held: Let us therefore in the first place consider who 'tis that hath done this supposed Injury, and the serious Consideration of it will do much to allay the Storms of our Passion, and quell and suppress those tumultuous Thoughts that rage in our Breast, and do much towards the calming of our Spirits.  
2. And as we have considered who 'tis we contend with, even the Mighty God of Heaven and Earth; in the next place, 'tis not amiss to consider who we are, that thus quarrel him, even Dust and Ashes, Wormsmeat, poor, frail, indigent Creatures we are that thus oppose the Will of this great God, and find fault with his Government of the World. What King (saith our Saviour Christ) going out to make war against mother King, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace, Luke 14.31, 32. And this is our Wisdom to do when we see we cannot grapple with him, to lay down our Arms, and submit and sue for Peace, before the Contention grow too high; for doubtless we may easily see we are not a meet Match for him, our Original is but from the Earth; The Lord form man out of the dust of the earth, and breathed into him the breath of life, and man became a living soul, Gen. 2.7. and ere long we must be resolved into Earth, Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return, Gen. 3.19. And is such a despicable Worm able to contend with the Almighty? Yea, all of us, high and low, rich and poor, noble and base, were bewen out of the same rock, and digged out of the same hole of the pit, Isa. 51.1. And all had the same Original, and are poor, frail, contemptible Nothings. Is my strength (saith Job) the strength of stones, or are my sinews of brass? Job 6.12. And what if it were? Were our Flesh of Brass, and our Sinews of Iron, could we then grapple with the Almighty? Was ever any that hardened himself against God, and prospered? Dust we are by Creation, sinful Dust by our Defection, and to Dust we shall return at our Dissolution. Our father was an Amorite, and our mother an Hittite. This may make us sprinkle the Dust of Humility upon our Heads. 'Tis said, some Creatures are bred in Sugar, we cannot boast of so sweet an Original, but may look back to the slimy Clay, and may say to corruption, thou art my father, and to the worm, thou art my mother, and my sister. The greatest Persons are but a little Air and Dust tempered together, but Soul and Soil, Breach and Body, a Pile of Dust, and a puff of Wind. God need not to Muster an Army against us, if he tread upon us, we are left dead behind him; if he withhold our breath, we die, and our thoughts perish; he can with a frown turn us into Hell, yea, turn Heaven and Hell and all into nothing: And are we able to grapple with him? Nay, this is not all; we have not this our poor Being of ourselves, he it was that made the Clay of nothing, and he it was that gave us our Shape and Being; he was the Potter, and we were the Clay in his hands; he gave us a Being, and 'tis he that gives us a comfortable Being. We are his Creatures, and he made us; the works of his hands, and fashioned us: And shall we thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not be our father that bought us? Hath not be made us, and established us? Deut. 32.6. Shall the pot say to him that made it, Why hast thou made me thus? Shall the axe exalt itself against him that heweth with it? God hath more Propriety in us than we have in ourselves, or in any thing we enjoy, yea, in our Children; these were given, or rather lent us for a time; and the Soul is but a Tenant at will in the Body. Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your bodies, and in your spirits, which are God's, 1 Cor. 6.19.20. He gave us our Being, and can if he please quickly render us a non entity, for when he lost his Property in us we find not; nay, yet more, had we continued in our Integrity, in which we were created, we might have had more to say for ourselves, than now we have. God made us in his own Image, Holy and Happy, but by our sin we brought not only Death, but all Miseries attending it: The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, Rom. 6.23. As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, Rom. 5.12. We are the sinful Offspring of Adam, and we have inherited our Father's Corruptions. Infants are no Innocents', the first sheet wherewith they are covered, is woven of sin and shame, blood and filth, Ezek. 16.46. The Image of God is lost, and the Image of Satan set in the room; Original Righteousness gone, and Original Sin in the stead; and by this means we have debased ourselves below other Creatures, and next to the fallen Angels, are become the most vile; we became indebted unto God Ten Thousand Talents, and cannot pay a Farthing; and therefore we were sold Bondslaves to Satan, under the wrath of God, the curse of the Law, and liable to eternal Damnation, and may justly expect every day to be cast into Prison, till we have paid the utmost farthing. And yet shall we contend with our Maker, and complain of wrong, when all that we have on this side Hell is free Mercy, and Hell itself is no wrong. Nay, let us further consider, that we ourselves are guilty of this we accuse God for; our Posterity received their contamination from us, which occasioneth Death and other Miseries; for had your Daughter not had sin, she had not died; and this God, which we now quarrel, is our greatest Benefactor, and freely gives us all that we do enjoy; We live, and move, and have our being from him; we receive every good and perfect gift from him: We cannot live a moment without him, and yet shall we quarrel him? He gives us our Being, yea, a comfortable Being, and maintains us at his own Cost and Charges ever since we had a Being: We have Meat, nor Drink, nor  to cover us; neither Corn nor Wine, Wool nor Flax, Silver nor Gold, but what is his, Hos. 2.8, 9 Neither Wit nor Reason, Limbs nor Senses, Peace nor Plenty, Health nor Strength, Life nor Liberty, but by his Gift; and when he pleaseth can call for all, or any of these from us, for we have not a breath to breath but what he puts into us; and are we fit to Challenge this great God to a single Duel, when we cannot move a Tongue or Finger without his immediate Assistance; for we are so far below him, that if we do well, we cannot benefit him; if ill, we cannot hurt him, Job 35.7. The Sun would shine in its own brightness, though all the World were blind; so God will not cease to be Glorious, though all the World were wicked: What can we give him that is not his own? And our offered Incense would have a bad savour if it did not smell strong of the hand that offereth it. The Sun runs his course; though the Atlanters curse him at his rising, being scorched with his heat; and also the Moon, notwithstanding the barking of snarling Curs. So God disposeth the Affairs of the World; He ruleth, let the earth be never so unquiet. But to our business: The Contention lies between God and us; the Maker and Governor of all the World, and poor Dust and Ashes. Who shall have his Will, and dispose of God's own Creatures, the work of his own hands; and you see on what disadvantageous ground we stand, and may easily judge of the issue. The Question in Controversy is, Whether God can Lawfully and Justly take away any of those, which we call our Relations, though they are his Creatures, and bring them out of this Vale of Misery unto these Mansions of Glory, which he hath provided for those that love him, without our leave and liberty, and free consent, without doing us wrong. This we seem to deny, when we mourn, and overmourn, and grudge and repine, when God makes his Will known in such Dispensations of Providence; for if this be not it, what is it? He gave you your Daughter, or rather lent her to you for a time, and now requires but his own, and that to consummate the Marriage between Christ and her Soul, and you seem to forbid the Banes, and deny your Consent to the Marriage. Abraham was of another mind, when he was commanded to Sacrifice his only Son, which was a far greater Trial; this was his only Child, but yours is not; he must be the Instrument to take away his Life, this is not required at your hands; he did actively submit, you only passively, when you cannot resist; what in this case we should do, were we able to resist, I know not. Now, though in plain words we do not say God doth wrong us, yet our murmuring at the Providence yields some suspicion that these are our thoughts; for if God will not at our Request alter his Eternal Decrees, to please our Humour, we are discontented, and in effect we seem to quarrel him, that he did not receive us into his Counsel, when he made his Decrees, and seem to say, as Alphonso, King of Arragon did affirm, That if he had been of Counsel with God in the Creation, he could have ordered things better than they were: And we seem to think it was not well nor wisely done of God to determine the Death of our Relations without our knowledge or consent, especially to call them out of the Vineyard so long before Night, though it be but to give them their Wages. Now, if this be not the state of the Controversy between God and us, I acknowledge I know it not; and in such a case what Advocate shall we find to take our part, or plead our Cause. But let us for once suppose a possibility that we were able by fair means or soul, to persuade God to alt●r his unalterable Decrees, that they might be more mutable than the Laws of the Medes and Persi●●●, that altered not: And suppose he should hang the Keys of Life and Death at our Girdles, a Privilege which no Man living ever yet enjoyed: Suppose it were left at our dispose, when, and how, and where ourselves and Relations should die, do we verily believe we could manage the business better than he doth in whose hands it is? And could we determine of a fit time, and know better their Work is done, when they could be spared, and when they are ripe for Glory? This were presumption in us to think; so, doth not the chief Husbandman better know when his Corn is ready for the Barn, and his Roses for his Bosom? We should think it Presumption in a Son or Servant, that should follow the Dictates of his own Will, and prefer it before our just Command. But were such a Privilege granted us, which is impossible that it ever should be, we might be the first that repent it; how ofttimes have we seen an over-desired, or over-cockered Child to be a Scourge to the Parents, and to bring their grey hairs with sorrow to the grave. Sometimes by their vicious and lewd courses, which hath made them wish they had buried them in their Childhood; sometimes by continual Sickness, Weakness, Pains, or other Affliction, Parents have been scourged for their inordinate desires. Rachel so earnestly desired Children, that if she had them not, she must die in a pet; God gave them to her, but it cost her her Life: There are many, that by reason of Pains, or other Afflictions, long for death, and dig for it, as for hid treasures, and rejoice exceedingly when they can find the grave, Joh 3.21, 22. and their Friends are as willing to part with them, as they are to go, and long for their death as much as they desired their lives. But can we indeed think it fit that our Wills should be the Rule of God's actings, or that we are really wiser than he is? God forbidden: haply we are loath to speak out, that these are our desires; but doth not our reluctancy make it out? When a Child murmurs, and repines, and cries, and snubs, when his Father Commands him to do a thing, doth it not show, that if he durst, he would disobey, and that there is not a full resignation of his Will to his Father's Will? He that gives us our lives, and the lives of our Relations, is ever fittest to dispose of them. Were Death at our dispose; Heaven would be long empty, our Friends should nor come there yet, and our Enemies never; our Friends should live too long, and our Enemies die too soon. But these things, whatever we think or say to the contrary, are determined by wiser Counsels, yea, an irreversible Decree; 'Tis appointed once to do, and after death the judgement, Heb. 9.27. And we ourselves shall ere long know by Experience, that we are not secure from Death's Arrest; and happy will it be for us if this Pursuivant fetch us into Glory, and not force us into Hell: To prevent this, 'tis good to subject our Wills to God's Will in all things, for we shall never have content or satisfaction in our mind till this be done, but fears and jealousies what if this or that happen; you see how vain it is to oppose our Wills to God's Will, and think to resist him, or struggle out of his hand; 'tis a thousand times easier to resist the Tide, and keep it back when 'tis coming in, or to resist the universal Darkness that follows the setting of the Sun. You have heard who 'tis we contend with, and that is God, that can do what pleaseth him; and who we are that oppose him, those that cannot fetch one breath, or move one finger without his assistance; and what the issue of such a Contest will be, is not hard to Divine.  
3. Cons. We have already considered the Parties engaged in the Quarrel, it remains that consideration be had of the wrong that is done, that if it may be, the Controversy may be ended. In this Quarrel you are the Plaintiff, and God the Defendant, who hath done the supposed wrong, and 'tis much if the Judge of the whole Earth should do wrong; and God seems to be willing to have it brought to the Trial, and to say, as sometimes to his own People, Micah 6.3. Oh my people, what have I done unto you, and wherein have I wearied you? testify against me. God need not to give an Account of his Actions, being a free Agent, whose Will is his Rule, yet is willing to put the Matter to an indifferent Judge, as he doth the Controversy which he had with his Vineyard, Isa. 5.3, 4. And now, O Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my Vineyard. What could I have done more for my Vineyard, that I have not done in it? etc. He is willing the World should judge whether his ways be equal or no; he desires a Bill may be drawn up by the Plaintiff against him, and his Charge may be known, that he may answer for himself. The like we read of, Job 32.35, etc. Oh that my adversary had written a book, I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown unto me, I would declare unto him the number of my steps, etc. Can you say be hath been a hard Master, or a dry and barren Wilderness to you? I know you will not, you cannot; but God may better say to you, than Themistocles to his ingrateful Countrymen, Are you weary of receiving so many Courtesies from one man? Or as Christ to the hard hearted Jews, Many good works have I done among you, for which of these do you stone me? Why is it that you complain, and spend so many sighs, and sobs, and sorrowful tears? Why is your Countenance cast down, or why doth Discontent appear in your Face? Why, God hath taken away from you your Daughter, which you loved, and from whom you expected much comfort, and that without your leave and ●iking, and against your will. But will this bear an Action? Did not he love her as well as you? And was he not as well able to prefer her? Was not she his, as well as yours? Yea, had he not a greater Interest in her? She was his by ●●ght of Creation, did not he make her of nothing? Was she not his also by right of Redemption, when his only Son lost his Life to buy her out of Slavery? She is Christ's by Donation, being one that his Father gave to him, which he will not lose, John 6.39. And she hath also devoted herself to him, and resigned herself and all she had to his dispose. She is also his by Preservation; 'tis he that maintained her at his own Cost and Charges, ever since she had a Being, and paid you well for Nursing her. Christ hath also a Matrimonial Right in her, she being espoused to him. In the time of the Law, the Children begotten in Bondage were accounted the Master's; and you being God's Servant, he hath an Interest in your Children also. She is his Daughter as well as yours; his by Adoption: What Interest you have, was only given or lent, you being but Instrumental in her production, and will you yet dispute the Point, which hath most Right to dispose of her? She called him Father, and so she was his Adopted Child, as well as you Mother: She was the Work of his hands; he was the Potter, she but the Clay; and whose is the Pot but the Pot-makers? He made her for his Glory, and will you not give him leave to glorify himself in her Salvation? By a mutual consent she is married to Christ, and if he demand his Wife, will you deny her? If any other lay any claim to her Body, yet the Spirit returns to God that gave it; He breathed into her the breath of Life, and 'tis he alone that restrains her breath. She was yours indeed by Relation; both you and she are God's by Purchase. You are not your own, but bought with a price. And he that hath called her hence, will ere long send for you after her. This is no continuing City, you look for, and she hath found one above, whose Builder and Maker is God. While she was here she was a Tenant at will, in a poor crazy Cottage, a House of Clay, subject to moulder about her ea●s: Now she is commanded by the Landlord to surrender, yet with a Promise of a better Habitation. God hath commanded to pull down this Earthly Tabernacle, and hath provided her a Palace, A house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens, whose builder and maker is God; and hath exalted her from a Cottage to a Crown. And is this the wrong that you complain of? Hath not God much more cause to complain of you, that do what you can to hinder her Promotion. She was under Age, but now comes to Inherit. If you say, you had her not long enough, who shall be Judge, her Father or you? Do you pretend to any Promise of a longer time? Produce it if you can; if not, lay your hand upon your mouth. Can you have provided better for her than he hath done? If not, why do you envy her Happiness? He hath sent for her home to his own Court, provided a Husband for her, married her to his Son, who hath lodged her in his own Bosom: And what wrong is in all this? What cause of sighs, and groans, and showers of tears? And he claims as great a Privilege in you as in her, and ere long if it be denied, will distrain for it, and try his Title, and repining will do no good; 'tis much better to submit, as David did, who fasted and prayed when his Son was living, but when he was dead, comforted himself, and said, I shall go to him, but he shall not come to me, 2 Sam. 12.23. But perhaps, if a separation must be, you had rather have gone before her: But must your Will needs be preferred before God's, who gave you liberty to choose? Indeed this was David's fault and failing, till he was chid out of this Humour, 2 Sam. 18.33. O my son Absalon, my son, my son Absalon: would God I had died for thee, O Absalon, my son, my son. Jonah in a pet had rather have died, than his Gourd should have withered; he prayed for Death, and told the Lord, That he did well to be angry, even unto death, for the Gourd's sake; but God had determined he should live, and the Gourd should die. Our Lives are not in our own hands, nor in our Enemy's hands, but in the hands of God; we cannot appoint God what to do, or who to call for, neither is it fit we should; he knows best when our Task is done, and when we are ready. But you did expect she should have lived longer, but what ground had you to build such an Expectation upon? 'tis true, she was young; but do not far younger than she was feel the dint of Death? Yea haply, if it were well considered, as many die before they come to her Age, as live beyond it; you yourself buried one at a far younger age, your knew she was Mortal, and why should you promise her more time than God had promised her? I am sure God never made any Promise to frustrate his Eternal Decrees; she might indeed have lived longer, even to the Age of Methusalem, had God willed it; and she might also have died younger, yea, and never saw the Sun. But who is it that he hath made of his Cabinet-Counsel? Or who is it that can come to a composition for a Lease of his own or Friend's Life? But is this all the thanks you render to God for sparing her with you to comfort you for about Twenty Years, that you murmur? Had it been more, haply had it been Twenty more, the thanks had been all one, and your sorrow at the parting never the less; and will nothing content except we be our own carvers? But suppose you hoped she should survive you, and what then? Would not there have been grief at the parting? But you would have had the burden cast upon her shoulders, but God that bids us take up the Cross, will have the making of it himself, and lays it upon whose back he pleaseth, and will not humour us so far as to let us have our will, when it stands in competition with his own. And truly this Cross is so perfectly of God's making, that he that runs may read it: But had he made use of any Instrument, his Hand might have been seen in the Work. But she was hopeful, and could not be spared; and is not this matter of Comfort to you, which you make the ground of your Grief? The more Gracious, the more Glorious; the more Holy, the more Happy, the better she was, the fit for Heaven. There are two things which may trouble us at the death of Relations: the one is, when we can see no Evidence of Grace; the other, when we have neglected our Duty to them, especially to their Souls, in their life-time. The reason why David did so woefully bewail the Death of Absalon, is imagined to be one or both of these. When our Relations are fitted for Glory, I think 'tis no uncharitable wish to wish them out of a troublesome World, in those Celestial Enjoyments. Paul did desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which was best of all. But to wish those out of Glory that are in, were both an unprofitable and uncharitable desire, and argues more Passion and Self-love, than well grounded Charity. Now, there is no going to Heaven, but through the Ga●es of Death; and 'tis through Death's Portal that we must enter. She hath paid the Debt we all own, and would you have her endure these Pangs and Pains over again? You came not into the World together, and it was unlikely that you would go together out; and when ever a parting was, it was like to be with grief. She hath changed her Husband, but 'tis for the better; an Earthly for an Heavenly; she had a large Jointure before, but 'tis much amended, 'tis now advanced to a Crown and Kingdom. She hath left her Relations behind, but she hath better there, Saints and Angels, the Souls of Just Men made perfect: There she can serve the Lord without distraction, and sing Hallelujahs to Eternity without weariness; here Corruption attended her best Duties, there sin and sorrow shall be no more; here she was troubled with Satan's Temptations, there he cannot come to throw one Dart, or shoot one Arrow at her; here she was liable to Pains, Aches, Griefs, and Troubles, all these are there removed; here she could scarcely open an Eye, or an Ear, but it let in sin, or sorrow; there all tears shall be wiped away, and a sad or sorrowful thought shall never enter. And what cause hath she to complain of wrong? And if neither of you be wronged, why is this waist? Why so many sighs, so many sobs, so many sorrowful tears, which might better run in another Channel? Had she liberty ●o speak for herself, it might probably be in such words as these, which Christ upon the Cross spoke ●o the Women that bewailed him, Luke 23.28. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for ●our children, etc. those that are yet in the Vale of Tears; 'tis the Church-Militant that deserves ●ity, not the Church-Triumphant. Lament ra●her the condition of those that survive, for you know not what their Sufferings may be; the other are out of harms-way, and safely landed in the Port of Heaven. Now, is there such a wrong done you or her, that God takes her to himself before you were willing to part with her, though he had a better Interest in her than you could pretend, and made her fit for Glory, and translated her thither? You agree both in the thing, but the Quarrel is about the time, and the Controversy is, whose Will must be obeyed, or whose Judgement must be preferred, which is the best time. Many of the wiser Heathens have submitted with less contradiction: Anaxarchus, when told of the death of his two Sons, answered, I knew that they were Mortal; Et stultus est qui mortem mortalium deflet. Now in the present Controversy, may not God say to you, as sometimes he did to his People, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone from me? What wrong have I done, that you thus complain? One of us must submit, and must it be me? Must I alter my Eternal Decrees for your sake, or will there be no Peace to be had? The Lord may say, as Jacob did to Laban, when he so fiercely pursued him, Gen. 31.36. What is my trespass? What is my sin? Declare it before the world, that they may be our judges. Nay, hath not God in this very Affliction sugared your Pill, which might have been much bittered; she might have been taken away in her younger years, before you had such hopes of her Integrity, or at least denied you such Evidence of her Conversion; then might you have feared she had been lost indeed; or instead of one, he might have taken all your Children, when as yet two survive; o● by the same stroke he might have taken away your dear Husband, better to you than ten Sons, as Elkanah said to Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.8. Or he might have suffered your Children to be a heart-breaking to you, as too many in these days are, by their vicious Lives and Conversations, who bring their grey hairs with sorrow to the grave, which makes them with, with Augusti●● that they had never married, or had died childless. These are not such rare Examples in our days, but too frequent. She died a Natural Death, many now adays, as well as Job, Eli, Aaron, David, and others in former times were not so happy, as to say so of theirs. Neither is there any guilt upon you, as upon some that have cause to mourn for neglecting any means for the preservation of her Life, when some be wickedly Accessary to their children's Death. If there were any fault, (which yet I cannot accuse you of) it was in the excess of your Love, which I the more fear, when I see the excess of your Sorrow; and this is a fault which Indulgent Mothers are apt to run into. But you'll say, you could more easily have born any other Burden, or suffered any other Cross: Why then it seems God hath let you Blood in the right Vein, as he did the Young Man in the Gospel, that was willing to do any thing Christ commanded, but part with his Riches; but Christ will have a full resignation of ourselves, and all that is ours, or he will not own us. No beloved Delilah must be retained, the Cross that Christ appoints we must bear, and must not pick and choose our own Burden: Luke 14.26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, wife and children, brethren and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple. That is, if he prise any of those before him, or will rather part with Christ than with any or all of these, he deserves not the name of a Christian; for all we have in the World is given to us as Love-Tokens from God, to signify his Love to us, and to oblige our Love to him; and sometimes God calls back some of these Gifts, to see whether we love him or his Tokens better. God gave you liberty before she died, to let her and you see the Fruit of her Womb, a Son, which though he soon called off the Stage, yet at the Resurrection be shall stand in his lot. But 'tis farther objected, It was a good Woman: And what then, must not good Women die? If Death would spare the Gracious, Heaven would be empty, for no other shall go thither. Was she too good to be the Child of God, the Spouse of Christ, an Inhabitant in Heaven, a Companion for Angels and Glorified Saints? But was not her Goodness freely given her by her Husband? She had it not by Nature, she was beautiful with the comeliness he put upon her, and all this was in order to fit her for her Marriage. But was not her Goodness your Comfort, as well as her Reward? Had that been wanting, there had been more cause of Sorrow than now there is. But she could not be spared: For that it is best to let God alone with the Government of the World, which he hath so wisely managed for above Five Thousand Years, and never was yet put to a straight for want of Instruments; for he that of stones can raise children to Abraham, never wants Instruments to do his Work. 'Tis he that took her hence best knows whom he can spare; doubtless he can raise Instruments as well as in former times, and qualify whom he pleaseth for the Work; his Vineyard shall be dressed, or he will send Labourers in at the eleventh hour; she is called out by the Owner of the Vineyard, to receive her Wages, who can send in more if he want: Had she had more Work to do, she had had more time to do it in; her Father that loves her, knows the World is infectious, and he hath taken her out of the Corrupt Air, lest she should take the Infection. But she was in the Prime and Flower of her Age, and 'tis pity such Blossoms should be nipped; but God best knows when his Roses are ripe, and when they should be plucked, and when 'tis the best Season to gather his Flowers, and if he pluck this Rose in the bud, to put into his Bosom, what need this Complaint? He takes not his People hence till they are ripe for Glory. Though we know not the reason of his do, doubtless he hath wise and gracious ends in all his Actions; 'tis not necessary for us to be of his Counsel, yet he condescends so far to us, as to tell us, All things shall work together for good to those that love God, Rom. 8.28. And why may nor this dark Providence do you good? Sometimes the righteous are taken away from the evil to come, Isa. 57.1. And this may be the present case, and haply you may have more cause to mourn that you are alive, than that she is dead; we know not what Cup may be put into our hands, haply such as you would not desire to see her drink. However Troubles and Afflictions are so common to Men of all Ranks and Conditions, that the Holy Ghost tells us, That blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them, Rev. 14.13. To die in the Lord is a Happiness, to die for the Lord, saith Latimer, is such a Privilege, that is not granted to the Angels in Heaven: Mors privare potest opibus non operibus. Death may deprive us of our Wealth, except we have sent it before us to Heaven, but not our good Works. But this your Daughter was your firstborn, and was it not fit she should have the Precedency in her Death, as well as in her Birth? The firstborn hath no Privilege against Death more than the rest: When Death knocks, all must open; yea, God seems to claim a greater Interest in the firstborn than in the rest, Exod. 13.2. Our Saviour Christ was the firstborn, yea, the only Son of his Father, and as well beloved as your Daughter could be, yet suffered Death for us: And shall we think a Son, or Daughter, or our own Lives too good for him? Abraham did not deny his Son, his only Son, when God required him; yea, was content to kill him with his own hands. And till there be a through resignation of us, and ours, and all we enjoy, to God's dispose, till we are content to be what he would have us be; and do and suffer what his Will is, we are not in a Christian Posture, and God if he love us, will bring us to this, and if one blow will not do it, more shall: Our stout Stomaches must stoop, and we must bend or break; the best way to get from under the Rod is Submission, for we can neither grapple with God, nor struggle out of his hands. Let us now sum up all that is in Controversy between God and you, and let us see whether it will be a considerable Charge. God took away your Daughter without your consent, and against your will, laying more claim to her than you can, and brought her out of a state of Misery, which you had involved her in, out of the Devil's Slavery from under the Curse of the Law, and the Wrath of God, and Eternal Damnation, and that by the precious Blood of his own Son, and by Regenerating her, and Adopting her for his Child, changing her Nature, and giving her the disposition of a Child, clothing her with the rich Robes of Christ's Righteousness, and decking her with the Graces of his Spirit, Espousing her to his Son, providing an Inheritance for her, and when she came to Age, hath transported her thither, and gave her Possession of the purchased Inheritance, those Mansions of Glory provided for her from all Eternity; wiped all Tears from her Eyes, and all Sorrow from her Heart, and all Sin from her Soul, married her to his Son, who lodged her in his Bosom, gave to her the largest Fountain, even a Kingdom of Glory. And for this you mourn, and will mourn, and think you do well to mourn, and, like Rachel, refuse to be comforted, because she is not. This is the wrong that draws Tears from your Eyes, and sorrowful Sighs and Sobs from your Heart: And may not God call Heaven and Earth to Witness against you, that your Complaints are causeless, and your Tears needless? Had he taken her in her sins, and cast her into Hell, he had wronged neither the one nor the other, though her condition had been deplorable; but now he may say of her, as sometimes of his Vineyard, Isa. 5.3. What could I have done more for her than I have done? And what Reason can you give why you sorrow as one without hope for one that sleeps in the Lord? Were it a deed of Charity, could you prevail to wish her out of those Celestial Enjoyments back again into a World of Troubles, Vexations, and Dangers, and that only to bear you Company? Do you think that all the Glory, Splendour, and Magnificence; all the Riches, Honours, and Promotions the World ever saw, would be a Temptation to her to leave the Beatifical Vision, and those Rivers of Pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore? Alas, these are no more to those Celestial Enjoyments, than a piece of rotten shining Wood to the Sun in its Splendour. And do you think that Twenty Years in Heaven will not make amends for Twenty Years on Earth, which she possibly might have lived?  
4. Cons. In the next place it will not be amiss to consider how little good your immoderate Mourning will do in this case: And truly in the upshot you will find it will do much more hurt than good, even to yourself, and all about you; for by this means you perplex yourself in vain, so that you can neither enjoy yourself nor any thing you have with that serenity of Spirit, as otherwise you might do; and spend that Holy Water, those Tears to no purpose, which were designed for a better use, and should be spent upon another Account, and would do more good, did they run in a right Channel. You bewail the Effect, but 'tis much better to bewail the Cause, for were that removed, the Effect would cease, Non valet medicamentum dum ferrum invulnere. Sin deserves all the Tears we can shed, and 'tis better weep for living Sins than dead Children; if the latter deserve one Tear, the other deserves a thousand: And it is not for your own sins alone that this Floodgate should be opened, but for the sins of the Times, our National sins; for from the greatest to the least, all have gone astray; and if there be not a Reformation, we may expect a Desolation, and God expects some to stand in the Gap, Ezek. 22.30. to turn away his wrath from the Nation; and although there be so few, that they cannot prevail for the Nation, yet their own Souls shall be saved, as God said of Noah, Daniel, and Job, Ezek. 14.14. Yea, in a common Calamity, before he gives Commission to the Destroyer, he marks all that are mourners in Zion to be passed by, Ezek. 9.4. Here Tears will do good, for the fire of God's Indignation is only to be quenched with the Tears of True Repentance: But I fear there will be in the day of Visitation few of those Mourners found; few to stand up in the Gap, though many that make the Breach wider. This way may do good to yourself and others: Thus Job concerns himself more with his Children when alive, than when dead, Job 1.5.21. Now, which way can you imagine that the abundance of Tears which you pour out upon this Account of your Daughter's Death, can benefit either you, or any one else? In reference to God, 'tis neither pleasing to him, neither will it prevail with him; not pleasing, for he hath forbidden it: We should not sorrow as men without hope for them that sleep in the Lord. For if we believe that Jesus died and risen again, even so also them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him, 1 Thess. 4.13, 14. And it reflects some dishonour upon him, when his People are so unsatisfied with his dealing, and repine under his Dispensation of Providence. It makes the World believe they take him for a hard Master, yea, and question his Justice in the Act. It is no Credit to a Master, when his Servants quarrel at their Diet, their Lodging, their Work, and their Wages: Others imagine there is something in it that makes them complain. Now, God's Glory is his End in all his Actions, and it should be ours, and to preserve that in the sight of the World, we should never hang down the head but for sin, our own sins, and the sins of others, because God is thereby dishonoured, and his Laws violated: And then that they cannot be prevalent with God is as evident. You are offended that your Daughter is gone, Hinc illae lachrymae, but 'tis an impossible thing to bring her again, and what else can you be satisfied with? You can never prevail with him to alter his immutable Decrees, which are as firm as the Pillars of Heaven, and the Foundations of the Earth, and the Sun and Moon in their courses. And then again I am sure you are not benefited by it, the present vexation you lie under, must needs make your Life uneasy, yea, make you a burden to yourself, thus to spend your time inter suspiria & lachrymas, between Sighs and Tears, when the most miserable Bondslave can do no more. And hereby you also disable yourself for your Duties to God and Man, both in your general and particular Calling and Relations. Discontent in the Heart makes a Christian, like Jonah, instead of praying to God, quarrels him, Jonah 4.2, 3, 4. What Communion can you keep with God, when there are such tumultuous Thoughts arising in the heart? Doubtless in this pet you cannot serve God without distraction, neither attend your Worldly Concerns; and that Sorrow is never pleasing to God, that thus disables you for your Duties, or hinders you in Heaven's way. Neither can there any benefit arise to your Friends and Relations; for while you are under such discomposure of Spirit, the whole Family must taste of the Effects of it; for what comfort can you give others, that refuse comfort yourself? Or how can you Counsel them, that will take no Advice yourself? You have been long in the School of Christ, and he expects, that being converted, you should strengthen your Brethren. But doth not your carriage put a block in others ways to comfort? This makes you that you can take little delight in your remaining Relations; nay, to overlook, and undervalue all your other Mercies, and cannot read Love in any of God's deal with you; your finger is still upon the Sore, and this one Cross hides from your Eyes a thousand Mercies. It had such an effect upon David, though it was no doubt his failing, when God had given him a Signal Victory, and by that means brought him back again into his Throne; yet all this was nothing to him, because Absalon was dead; and neither God nor Man was thanked for the Victory. So 'tis with you, the lives of your Husband, Children, Friends, Relations; your Health, Peace, Plenty, Liberty, Sense, and a thousand more, seem little in your Eyes: All Haman's Honour, Wealth, Promotion, Children, were nothing to him, so long as Mordecai the Jew would not bow to him, Esther 5.13. And though God hath given you abundance of these outward things, yea, himself, and promised you Heaven and Glory into the Bargain, yet all this seems not satisfactory, your Daughter is not. Now, would not this make a Man suspect she was you● Idol, and therefore God took her out of the way, that your Affections might run in the right Channel. Well, but seeing no living Creature can be benefited by your Tears, let us see whether your deceased Daughter may, and here is least ground of all to imagine it. Indeed were the Papists Doctrine of Purgatory true, and that Souls might be redeemed by Dirges, Masses, and such other Fopperies, than your Money may do something; but this Fire that was kindled to warm the Pope's Kitchen, can never be extinguished by your Tears, but by the Oil of Angels. But to pass by that exploded conceit, or rather deceit, as a groundless Fiction: But whether the Soul be in Heaven or Hell (for a third place the Scripture owns not) it is in a stated condition, which Eternity itself cannot alter, and our Tears nothing avail to the one or to the other. In Heaven there can be no augmentation of Glory; for how can they have more than fullness of Joy and Pleasures for evermore? What can they have more than the Beatifical Vision of God, and Fruition of Glory, than rivers of pleasures at God's right hand for evermore? Communion with, and Enjoyment of God blessed for ever. And can your Tears procure greater Glory? Here is the maximum quod sic, the highest Pinnacle of Glory, as much as s●●ll Creatures are capable of at present, and at the Resurrection, Soul and Body being reunited, their Glory shall be complete, yea, everlasting Joy in the Presence of God. And had you your wish for her, it would fall a thousand times shorter than her real Enjoyment: And what cause is there of Tears, unless it be in those that envy her Happiness? Now on the other side, miscarrying Souls can have no diminution of their Torments by the Tears of their Friends; in their life-time Prayers and Tears to God in their behalf had been sit Physic, but when Death comes 'tis too late, let the Papists say what they will to the contrary; As the tree falleth, so it lieth; and as Death leaves us, so Judgement shall find us. Their own Tears can then do them no good, though they should weep as much Water as there is in the Sea. There is a time when God will be found, and there is a time when he will not be found. The Rich Glutton could not in Hell procure one drop of Water to cool his Tongue: There is no Redemption out of Hell, and there is no other place for miscarrying Souls but Hell; the Tormentors will not be bribed, nor the fire quenched with Tears: Their worm dyeth not, and their fire never goeth out. Tophet is ordained of old, even for the King it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, and the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it, Isa. 30.33. So that 'tis evident immoderate Mourning for deceased Friends either needs not, or boots not; those that die well, are set out of the reach of Danger, and those that miscarry, out of the reach of Recovery. But I desire you further to consider, were your Daughter sensible in Heaven, what sorrow you have for her on Earth, which is a thing too hard for me to determine, what thanks think you would she return? We may imagine she would speak to you in the Language our Saviour Christ used to the Women th●● lamented him upon the Cross, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, for the misery that is like to come upon you. Yo● may sigh away your Comfort, and sob away you● Health, and weep away your precious time, and disable yourself for your present Duty; but if you mourn all the days of your Life, and weep till Doomsday, you would find yourself where you began, and to have gotten no ground. It is your Duty to do what you can for your Children while they live, as David fasted and prayed for his Son, but when dead, say as he, I shall g● to her, she shall not come to me: Or as Job, Th● Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. God will not be persuaded by all your Tears and Complaints to alter his Eternal Decrees to fit your Humour, though you should drench yourself in Sorrow, and drown yourself in Tears, yet 'tis all one; you may as well mourn that God will not give you Power to resist the Tide, when it comes in in its strength; or resist the universal Darkness that comes upon us at the Sun's setting, or stop the Sun and Moon in their courses, or remove the Pillars of Heaven, or the Foundations of the Earth, as this; for you cannot alter his Decree, or preserve the Life of one that he hath appointed to die: He doth not only appoint that all Men shall die, but the number of their Months are with him, and he appoints their Bounds that they cannot pass; the time when, the manner how, the Instrument by whom, are all known to him; and by immoderate mourning at the execution of his Will, you seem to mourn that you are not God, or not able to resist him, or that he made you not of his Counsel when he decreed your Daughter's death, which is so absurd, that no Heathen could in plain words own it. And doth not Experience convince you, your Tears are vain? Was there ever any that by mourning brought a Soul out of Heaven or Hell, or got any benefit by it? And will you think you shall be the first? I know some have been raised from the Dead, by the mighty Power of God, who had determined it should be so, for the confirmation of the Gospel. But what is this to your case? Let your Grief therefore never exceed the bounds of Moderation, for it will never do you good, or any one else. But suppose it were possible to prevail with God in such a Request, and he should give her her choice to go or stay, you would be never the better; you would never prevail with her to return: There was indeed such a Petition made to Abraham for Lazarus to come back into the World, but it was refused; and Lazarus had met with such hard Measures in the World, that he was not fond of the Journey; and doubtless she would not be persuaded with all your Arguments to leave the Bosom of Christ, and the sweet Embraces of her dear Redeemer, to accompany you for a while, for long it cannot be, before a separation must be made again, for this is no continuing City; and truly to wish her to leave the perfection of Glory, and to embrace an estate of Sin and Misery, and subject herself again to Drudgery and Slavery, Pain and Sickness, Dread and Danger, Persecution and Affliction, argues more of Self-love, than of true Affection to her; and I believe when the Passion is over, upon consideration you would not do it. If a poor Beggar's Daughter, going from door to door, were affected and beloved by some Mighty Prince, who should take her, cloth and adorn her, marry her, and make her his Queen, and after this her Mother should persuade her to leave her Crown and Dignity, her Husband, Honour, and Preferment, and Pleasure, and go along in her hand as before a begging, it would be hard to persuade her: The Application is easy, and the Condescension far greater in this case, than in that; to leave Heaven, to converse with you on the Earth; and were it in your power, would you expose her again to Sin and Suffering, and to bear again the Pangs of Death? Would you bring her back again into the Vineyard, now her Work is done, and she is receiving her Wages, to endure the burden and heat of the day, and all to bear you Company? You are groaning under the present burden of Mortality, and are sensible of your Pains and Distempers, and would you wish her in the like condition? She is now safely landed in the Port of Glory, and would you have her back again upon the raging Sea, tossed up and down with Storms and Tempests, among Rocks and Sands, among Pirates and Robbers, and all this under pretence of Love and Tenderness? What worse can you wish to your greatest Enemy? She is at her Journey's end, and would you have her tread over those weary steps again, along the dirty, craggy, rocky, and thorny way, and pass through those Dangers again she hath once escaped. She was an Heiress, and is come to her Age, and hath received her Inheritance; and would you have her wave her Inheritance, resign up her Crown and Kingdom, and again reduce herself to servile Slavery, Bondage, and Beggary, carking Cares, and fretting Fears? She hath run the Race, and won the Prize, and would you have her run it again, and put it to a second venture? She hath fought the good Fight, and won the Victory, and wears the Crown, and would you have her try for it in a second Duel? Would you have her renounce her Crown and Diadem, divest herself of her rich Robes, wherewith her Husband hath arrayed her, and reassume the rags of Sin, and the state of Suffering? She is now out of the Devil's reach, and must she again feel his fiery Darts, and be taken ●n his Snares, and subject herself to the Allurements of the World, where she shall have Snares ●aid for her in every State and Condition, every Relation, every Calling, every Enjoyment, every Duty, yea, every Action? Would you have her ●gain hated, persecuted, and maligned for Righteousness sake, and under continual Fears, Troubles, Anxieties, and Afflictions? What pleasure think ●ou she can take, that hath been enchanting ●ut Hallelujahs in the Heavenly Choir, when she ●omes to hear Swearing, Cursing, ribald and unsavoury Speeches; and to see the Laws of God broken, as is too frequent in the World; to see Holiness made a Scorn, and Religion a Laughingstock, and those that are Godly made a Prey? Now, what Arguments would you use to her to ●ain her consent to reassume her former Estate? ●he hath tried both, and knows the difference ●●tter than we; and we usually say, Contra gustum non disputandum, Experience is the best Master: Doubtless all your Arguments will prove vain in this case; she better knows now the Vanity of the World, than formerly she did, and the worth of Celestial Enjoyments; and her love to God is much more enlarged, her Understanding being increased; for nothing but Ignorance can stave off our Affections from Christ. Will you tempt her with Gold, Silver, Precious Jewels? Alas, if you should empty the Indies, it will no● do; she must leave better Treasures behind her▪ These will but serve her to look upon but ti●● Death, the other are more durable, and la●● even to Eternity, she treads better Metal i● Heaven under her feet, Rev. 21.21. The stree●● of the City are of pure Gold. Or will brave Apparel, costly Ornaments entice her? Alas, she must leave behind her the rich Robes of Christ'● Righteousness, and those Precious Gems an● Jewels wherewith her Husband hath arrayed her, far more precious than the World affords, thos● Robes of Glory which no Man can describe Or will Honour or Preferment do the work? Alas, the empty thing called Honour, bears no more proportion to Heavenly Glory, than painted fire on the Wall to true fire; or a King upo● a Stage, to a King upon his Throne; or a liveless Carcase, to a living Man. And what Preferment can there be greater, than to a Crown of Glory, and to be the Spouse of the Son o● God? If you offer her all the Delights of the Sons of Men, what are those to the Delights of the Sons of God? To those Rivers of pleasure, which are at God's right hand for evermore. These are like Jonah's Gourd, soon withered; soon ripe, and soon rotten. Will stately Buildings, large Revenues, Crowns, and Kingdoms prove a Temptation? Alas, this is too weak a Bait, to allure a Heavenborn Soul: The New Jerusalem, whereof she is a Citizen, is not to be paralleled in the whole World. See the description of it, or rather the shadow, for no words in Humane Language can discover it, Rev. 21. where Gold and Precious Stones are the coursest Materials, yea, too course to describe it in its Glory. And for spaciousness, the whole Terrestrial Globe doth not so much exceed one square Inch of Earth, as the Heavens exceed the whole Globe. But it may be her dear Husband may allure her; but she must then leave a better Husband, even Christ, to whom her Soul was espoused before she went. But her Father and Mother are here; but she hath God for her Father, and Jerusalem that is above is her Mother, and Angels, and glorified Saints her Brethren and Sisters, and constant Companions. She was, 'tis true, a loving and dutiful Child, and now is a loving and dutiful Wife, and she cannot transgress her Maker's Laws, not her Husband's Will. With what scorn would she reject such offers as these, if made to persuade her out of Heaven! Her love to her Husband would answer all the Objections could be made. But how can you be so much against the consummation of the Marriage, that were so willing of the Espousals? I know you traveled in Birth till Christ was form in her; it was both your desire and design it should be so, and your delight when it was done; and is his fetching her home so troublesome? What greater mischief could you wish to the greatest Enemy you ever had in the World, than to wish him out of Heaven? And it would be the most signal Revenge, if you could procure it. And can it be Love th●n to your Daughter? You know not what Cup may be put into your hand to drink, and would you have a glorified Soul to Pledge you? Were you in a loathsome Prison, would you wish your dearest Friends to be in the like condition? Or were you sick, must they be sick also? Is this an effect of L●ve? Paul indeed desired to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; but he never desired any that were with Ch●ist back again; he desired Agrippa, and those that were with him, were such as he was, except his bonds. He did not desire their Misery, but their Happiness. The World is but a Pest-House, and every one hath some Plague-sore or other running upon him, and would you desire any Friend you love to come into such infected Company? It is but a little while and you will follow her; and it will be said of you, as of her, She is dead also. And would there not be another separation if she survived? We are in this Life like Men in a crowd, almost thronged to Death, and he that first gets out, is best at ease; and would you wish her again in the midst of the throng? Now, if you say, as I believe you will, these are not your desires to have her back: Why then all these Tears, these Sighs, these Sobs, if you imagine she is better than you? This looks as if you envied her Happiness, and would have her bear part of your Burden. Nay, immoderate Sorrow signifies that you have hard thoughts of her condition, for who can mourn for those he thinks happier than himself?? Who mourns for his children's Advancement, especially if he knew they were out of Danger; this would look more like Envy than Love, to mourn for another's Welfare. If Galeacius, that Italian Marquis, when he was offered great Riches, if he would renounce his Religion, cried out, Let their Money perish with them, that hold all the Wealth in the World worth one day's Communion with Christ. How much more may a glorified Saint say so, if he were tempted by the World's Splendour to leave his Celestial Enjoyment, that City of Pearl, that Mansion of Glory, the Beatifical Vision, the Enjoyment of Christ, those Rivers of Pleasures, to come and make his abode in the World, for any earthly Greatness; how scornfully would a glorified Saint entertain such a Motion? And how little would these Promises affect him? The Martyrs that had comparatively but a little taste of Christ, yet disrelished all things else in comparison of him, and forsook all for him; Yea, loved not their lives to the death, but laid them down at the Stake for his sake, and in his cause. But now they enjoy him in Glory, what value think you they put upon him? The greatest cause of sorrow for a dead Child is, when we fear their miscarrying, and are conscious of the neglect of our Duty to them, in reference to their Salvation. This we may mourn for, and it may be a corrosive to our hearts, and it should make us careful for the time to come. But to mourn for those immoderately, that we believe are translated into Glory, and have the highest pitch of Happiness we could wish for them, is our weakness, or our sin, or both. Such Tears will neither glorify God, nor benefit us or our Relations, living or dead, but are spent in vain. And seeing weeping cannot prevail with God, nor with our departed Friends to return, let us dry up those Tears, and make no more such waist, but turn them into a right Channel, and mourn for sin, which is the cause of their Death, and of our Trouble.  
5. The last Consideration I shall commend unto you, is to consider your own Condition, the uncertainty of your Life, and the hast that Death makes to post you after her; yea, you are following your lamented Daughter at the very heels: For when your Part is played, you will march off the Stage. How soon a parting blow will be given to divide you from your other Relations, you know not; how soon Death will enter into your Lodgings: had your Daughter lived, 'tis not likely you would have continued long together. You have lived a considerable time, the most People in the World die younger; why then take it you so ill that your Daughter is stepped over the Style before you, when you yourself are ready to tread upon her heels, and to tread out her footsteps? Yet a few years, and then I shall go whence I shall not return, Job 16.22. And your place will know you no more, Job 7.10. The thread of your Life will soon be cut, which can never be pieced; and your Glass run out, which will never be turned; and the Day be over, which will never dawn again. Such Meditations of Death did always run in Job's mind, he is much upon this Subject, and had Death always in his Eye: And the like would do you no hurt, but much good. O remember that my life is wind, mine eye shall no more see good: The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave, shall come up no more. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more, Job 7.7, etc. Let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, before I go hence, whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death, Job 10.20, 21. He knew that he had not long to trouble the World, and therefore desired he might not meet with much Trouble in the World. Death, whether it strikes you or your Relations, gives a parting blow; and which ever goes first, the other will not stay long behind. Now, is it worth the while to spend your days in sorrowing for your dead Daughter, when she hath drunk that Health that you yourself must so quickly Pledge? Or to wish her again for so short an Enjoyment, when one of these days you will enjoy her to Eternity, when she shall be much more lovely than here she was? If you place your Happiness in the Enjoyment of your Relations in this Life, 'tis a short-lived Happiness, and you will shortly have occasion to say, as one about to leave the World, Spes & fortuna vale te, Farewell Hope and Comfort for ever. But sure while God is present, a Christian need not care much who is absent. If we could be as sensible of the withdrawing of God from the Soul, as of the departure of Friends and Relations, it would prove our greater trouble: If our hopes were only in this life, we should of all men be most miserable. Indeed there is cause of sorrow if they die unconverted, and breath out their Happiness with their Lives. But for the Godly, they cannot only say, Dum spiro spero, While there is Life, there is Hope; but also Dum expiro spero, I have Hope in Death itself, Prov. 14.32. Death itself is a Door of Hope to give them entrance into the Paradise of God, but to the Wicked a Trap-door to let them into Hell. Both Godly and Wicked shall change their Place, but not their Company, for they shall have such Company they delighted in here: Those that must leave all their Comforts behind, no wonder if they are unwilling to departed. Never had Adam more cause to be unwilling to leave Paradise, or the Jebusites the strong Holds in Zion, or the unjust Steward to leave his Office, or the Devils to go out of the Demoniac, when they knew they should never enter there again, than a wicked Man hath to leave the World. Solomon calls the Grave our long Home; Man goeth to his long home, Eccles. 12.5. And well he may, some haply may sleep there Six Thousand Years before the Resurrection; but Heaven and Hell may be called so much better, for what is that space of time to Eternity? 'Tis called also, The house of all the living; because all that ever did or shall live, shall there dwell together. God hath provided all Men one House in the Womb, and another in the Tomb; one when they enter into the World, and another when they go out; and the Wise Man tells us, The day of death is better than the day● of ones birth, Eccles. 7.1. For man that is born of a woman, is born to sorrow, Job 14.1. therefore the Coffin is to be preferred before the Cradle. An Ancient Father calls the days wherein the Martyrs suffered, their Birth-days, because than they began to live indeed; their Marriage-day, because then the Marriage was consummate between Christ and their Souls. It was an Epicure that said, Ede, bibe, lude post mortem nulla voluptas. But 'tis better (saith Solomon) to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting, Eccles. 7.2. Now, through this Gate your dear Daughter is gone, and you are stepping after her, you are treading out her steps, and others ere long will do as much for you; you are but a Vessel of Clay, and begin to crack; your Pains and Aches, and Decays in Nature may mind you that you are declining, that you have one foot in the Grave, and are you troubled that another hath stepped in before you? Yet a little while and you will enjoy her to Eternity, when both of you will be stripped of all Infirmities and Corruption, which here renders Communion less delightful, Where you shall be ever with the Lord, and with the spirits of just men made perfect, 1 Thess. 4.17. Heb. 12.23. Blessed is that Day, and happy will that Union be between Christ and the Soul; and happy is that Man, whether he die old or young, that shall come to Mount Zion, unto the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, to the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, etc. Heb. 12.22, 23, 24. Oh, what a Glorious Meeting will here be in Heaven! how Happy and Glorious will that day be, when we leave this wretched World, and wicked Company, to enjoy the Assembly of holy and happy Saints and Angels, yea, of God himself blessed for ever. Now she that formerly was in her blood, and no eye pitied her, Ezek. 16.3, 4, 5, 6. doth now shine by the Beauty her Husband hath put upon her, as the stars for ever and ever; and ere long you will meet where you shall never part: Then will you solace yourselves in each others Love, and both in the love of your dear Redeemer: When she will never repent that she died so young, nor you, that she lived no longer. She is not lost, but found; she is but gone a days Journey before you, and at Night you will Lodge together; you will overtake her, and find her in her Father's Cabinet among his Jewels: She hath gotten the start, and is at the Race end before you, she hath won the Prize; and is this matter of Grief or Rejoicing? She hath cast her Ground, and recovered the Hill, and is at the Race end before you: You came not together into the World, and it was unlikely you should leave it together. There was a probability you think she might have survived you, but God determined otherwise. Some Roses are taken in the bud, some are full blown, when others whither and fall, but those that grow longest, prove but fading Flowers, and are of short continuance, sic transit gloria mundi. God is not engaged to show us the Reason of his Actings, his Will is his Law, and 'tis our Duty to acquiesce in it. We cannot resist his Power, and we pray his Will may be done; let us not contradict our own Petition. God knows best what is best, and he tells us, All shall work for the best to those that love God, Rom. 8.28. and this may suffice us. If you prefer your own Will before his, or loved your Daughter better than your God, you cannot be his Disciple. If you had rather enjoy her Company, than submit to God, God will take it ill from you; he took her hence when he saw her Work was done, and left you as yet to moil, and toil, and sweat in the Vineyard. Submission under his strokes is your best and wisest course, contending against his Will is foolish and sinful; foolish, because you cannot resist it; sinful, because you ought not to resist; love to God and the Creature cannot be both in the same Party; in the prevailing degree, we cannot serve God and Mammon. 'Tis your Wisdom rather to mind your own end, than to lament hers. The Scripture frequently minds us, and not in vain, for we are apt to forget it, of our latter end, and the brevity of our Lives: And this, if well minded, would embitter all Earthly Enjoyments, and make us set a low value upon all Creature-Comforts. Man that is born of a woman, (saith Job) is of few days, and full of trouble; he cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not, Job 14.1, 2. And what more fading than a Flower? What more fleeting than a Shadow? And sometimes 'tis compared to a Weaver's Shuttle, yea, to a Post that hasteth away: Your Glass is also running, and the last Sand is ready to drop. 'Tis the Complaint of Old Themistocles, that a Man must die even when he gins to live; when he gins to be Wise, Death calls him hence; we usually spend the flower of our Age, the strength of our Bodies, and the vigour of our Spirits in sinful Vanities, before we know why we live, or what Errand we came into the World upon, little considering that upon a little Inch of Time depends Eternity, our everlasting well or ill Being; many had their time before they begin their Work, not considering that whether they sleep or wake, work or play, their Glass is running, and their Time wasting. Few and evil (saith old Jacob) are the days of the years of my Pilgrimage; and yet few attain to the number of Years which he then had attained. There is but a little time between our Spring and Fall, and therefore our Lives may fitly he compared to Jonah's Gourd, that sprung up in one Night, and perished in another: Death is stealing upon us, tacito pede, with a silent foot, and 'tis an absurd thing (saith one) to ask when we shall die, but rather when we shall make an end of dying, for every day Death seizes upon some of our Lives, and gains ground upon us, and steals upon us insensibly, as the shadow doth upon the Dial, till our Sun be set; and whether sleeping or waking, we are in continual motion; we are like Men under Sail, whether we heed or no, we are in continual motion. Yet many that have one foot in the Grave, and the other ready to drop into Hell, yet put far from them the evil day, and under grey hairs nourish green hopes and desires; and Young Persons depend overmuch upon their Youth: But the Jewish Proverb is, That many an old Camel carries a young ones Skin to the Market. And we say, A young Sheepskin may go thither as well as the old. And Experience teacheth us, that Old Men many times carry Young ones to their Graves. Man in Scripture is compared unto Grass, which in the morning grows up and flourisheth, and in the evening is cut down dead and withered, Psal. 90.5, 6. Or like unto a Sleep, ver. 4. Or to a Dream when one awakes. To the Dream of a Shadow, as Pindarus hath it; or the shadow of Smoak (saith another.) Or if there be any thing more vain it may lively represent our Lives; and when Death comes, he knows no difference between the Poor and the Rich, the Noble and the Base. Time with his  mows down the Lilies of the Crown, as well as the Grass of the Field. All flesh is grass, and the glory thereof as the flower of the field; the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, etc. Isa. 40.6, 7. Who then would trouble themselves much about Worldly things? Who would cark and care, pine and repine, when he knows not whether he have a day to live, or what shall be in the Womb of the next Morning? How much better is it to mind our own end, than to be troubled at another's Death? For we must deny ourselves in our Relations, if we will be the Disciples of Christ. If we love any thing in the World above Christ, we cannot be his Disciples; he will have the prevailing degree of our love, or he will not love us; if we lodge any thing nearer to our heart than himself, he will give us a Bill of Divorce, and put us away. The resigning up our Comforts and Relations to him is the best way to secure them, for God will remove our Idols out of his sight; we are his Spouse, and have devoted ourselves to him, and must hang lose to the Creature, and stick fast to him, and not break our Vows to God, made when we were espoused to him, lest we provoke him to Jealousy by our overfond affecting any Creature-Comfort. These things we can spare, Christ we cannot spare; let all go, so our Husband remain. If we keep up our Love to him unspotted, these saddest Providences will work for our good, Rom. 8.28. Submission under the Correcting Hand of God, is the surest, soon way to get from under the Rod, when murmuring and repining makes him double his strokes; for he will either bend us, or break us; humble us, or make our hearts ache; he will bring down our stubborn Wills, or he will know why; for 'tis in vain for us to think to struggle out of his hands, or to keep out of his reach; and indeed the World is not so desirable now, neither have the Godly found it so heretofore: So as to desire it for ourselves or Relations; for though it be a Wicked Man's Heaven, 'tis a Godly Man's Purgatory, yea, all the Hell they are like to have; and who would desire to live in Hell? When our Work is done, and our Wages ready, who would wish himself again in the Vineyard, to moil and toil, and bear the burden and heat of the day? When we are entering Canaan, shall we again have a hankering mind after Egypt, the Onions, and Garlic, and the fleshpots, and to have our Ears bored, and be made Bondslaves for ever? The World is full of the Devil's Lime-twigs, and he baits his Nets and Hooks with Riches, Honours, and Pleasures, when he fishes for Souls. It may be said of Poverty and Riches, as the Women in their Dances said of Saul and David, Poverty hath slain Thousands, but Plenty Ten Thousands. Many thousands dye of a Surfeit: Oh how hard have many found it to guide a great Ship in a Storm and Tempest, when a little one can thrust into any little Creek or Harbour? 'Tis hard carrying our Cup even in a prosperous condition; 'tis much to keep under Pride, Sensuality, Passion, Luxury, Drunkenness, and Debauchery, and other enormous sins, which are the Worms which breed in abundance. 'Tis not in vain that Agur prays, Prov. 30.8. Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with food convenient for me; lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the Name of God in vain. A Mediocrity, a Competency, a Sufficiency without Superfluity, is the surest Portion; a State too big may be as troublesome as a Shoe too big for the Foot: 'Tis not the greatness of the Cage that makes the Bird sing, neither a great Estate that produceth inward Joy. A Staff may be helpful to a Traveller, when a burden of Staves may be troublesome. The Moon never suffers Eclipse but at the Full. I know Poverty is a hard Weapon, but Abundance is more dangerous and wounding. Hence it is our Saviour Christ tells his Disciples, how hard it is for a Rich Man to enter Heaven, even as hard as for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, Matth. 19.24. The Reason is, because 'tis hard for those that have Riches to keep off their Affection from making them their God, by loving them, trusting in them, and taking them for their Portion. But this doth not always follow, some great Men are good Men; but many times Pride and Sensuality are the Worms that breed in the fairest Fruit, or in the finest Cloth. And if Riches be so dangerous, what Estate should we wish for our Friends? The World also is a Pest-House, and almost every one ready to infect another; and is there not cause to rejoice when any of our Relations are out of the reach of the Infection? 'Tis an Egypt, not only for Slavery, Misery, and Bondage, but also there is scarce a House where there is not some dead Person in it; yea, many Families, Villages, and Towns there are where very few Spiritually alive are to be found; and who but Madmen would delight to live among the Tombs? 'Tis a Sodom for Wickedness, and but a few Righteous Lots to be found in it; and their Souls also are continually vexed with the unclean Conversation of their wicked Neighbours. 'Tis a Raging Sea, and the Godly are Weather-beaten, and continually driven up and down by Storms and Tempests; and many Professors here make ship wrack of Faith and a good Conscience. 'Tis an Inn, where good and bad are Entertained for a Night, but the worst Men are accounted the best Guests; and if any suffer, it shall be the Godly. The World is an Own Mother to Vice, but a Stepmother to Virtue, as the Earth is to Weeds, when it would choke the good Seed; so the Godly should suffer, did not their Father look to them. These are Strangers, and 'tis no wonder if they meet with hard Usage, and that Dogs bark at them. Happy therefore is that Person that hath safely passed through all these Dangers, and is safely arrived at home, and got to his Journey's end. The World doubtless is not desirable for ourselves, or our Relations, that are already past through the Pikes of Danger, and are out of the reach of the Devil and his Instruments, and we ourselves are pressing hard after. This may satisfy us in this Providence. If you apply this to the present ●ase, your Daughter is out of the danger, and you are a days Journey behind, and in a little time will overtake her; and seeing the World, out of which she is gone, and you are hastening, is not desirable; and seeing after a short space you will enjoy her to Eternity without interruption. Then mourn not for her, but rather rejoice that she hath left you so much ground of Comfort behind her; that her Life was such, that she lived desired, and died lamented, and was not a Corazine to your heart, as many Children are to their Parents in this Age, when they behold their vicious Lives and Conversations, and sometimes their untimely Death. But she hath left a good savour behind her, yea, a good Name, more precious than precious Ointment. These Cordials may keep up your sinking Spirit, from fainting under this sad Providence; the Lord grant they may be effectual to this end.  
By these and the like Arguments, Madam, I have upon the like Occasion ofttimes argued myself into content, and stilled those boisterous Storms and Tempests, which Passion and Discontent had raised in my breast, and brought the Controversy between God and me to this Result, That God was wise, and I was foolish; and that it was much fit for him to dispose of me, and my Relations, than it was for me; and brought me to a Resolution, to let him, who had ruled the World for so many thousand Years, to Rule it still. The like Consideration had the like Operation on Job; though at first he had a mind to quarrel God, yet at last he lays his hand upon his mouth, and humbles himself in Dust and Ashes, and cries out, I am vile, what shall I answer? These Meditations brought me to know that it was fit for me to prepare for my own Death, than to bewail the Death of another; yea, made me know that it was of much more concern to take care of my Relations, while living, to fit them for their Eternal Being, than to bewail them (especially those I have comfortable hopes of) when dead; and to be troubled more at my own Neglects, than at God's Providence. And the Lord grant that these and the like Meditations may have the same or rather a better Effect upon you, to quiet your Spirit under this present Providence.  
But, Madam, though this be necessary to bring us to submit unto God, and bring our Wills to God's Will, and to acquiesce in what he doth, yet 'tis not sufficient; God doth not lash us only to make us leave crying, or to cease our murmuring, but in these Visitations he hath a further design upon us; his Rod speaks more than this unto us, he expects that his Physic should have some other Operation upon us, and not only leave us as it finds us, but should do us some good also; the Father beats one Child, that the rest may beware. It was good for me (saith David) that I was afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I learn to keep thy commandments, Psal. 119.67.71. If God preserve us, 'tis no great matter whether it be in Salt or Sugar; Fish prosper as well in salt as fresh Water. The Wallnut-tree, they say, bears best when most beaten; and I am sure many times Christians thrive best under Affliction: The Wind shaking the Tree, makes it take deeper and better Root, quae nocent docent, bitter Pills may sometimes be as necessary as Sweetmeats; a Lesson set on with whipping, is best retained; and many times Correction doth what Cockering will not; and there is no doubt, whatever Man intends, God in Correcting his Children minds their good, Heb. 12.10. These bitter Pills procure sweet Health, as sharp Winters kill Weeds and Worms; and God's Vines bear the better for bleeding, neither are they hurt when superfluous branches are lopped off. Camomile, the more 'tis trod upon, the more it spreads; and the more the Cypress-tree is bowed down, the more it riseth. Ephraim found the benefit of Affliction, this made him Obedient, when before he was as an untamed Heifer, unaccustomed to the Yoke, Jer. 31.18, etc. Manassehs Prison and Fetters, were better to him than his Crown and Sceptre, 2 Chron. 33.12, etc. As 'tis said of Queen Elizabeth, Mr. Ascham was a good Tutor to her, but Affliction did her most good. Correction with Instruction is sure and safe, Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest, O Lord, and teachest him in thy Law, Psal. 94.12. Feri domine feri (saith Luther) strike me as much as thou wilt, if thou wilt instruct me; lash me and spare not, so thou wilt Lesson me. God doth chastise his People, that they may not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. 11.32. God hath a double end in your present Visitation, and both for good; one to set an end to your dear Daughter's Misery, and the other to prepare you for Happiness, by weaning you from the World, and raising up your heart to Heaven, whither your Delight is gone: And happy are you if you learn this Lesson, and wisely improve this Providence; if you learn the voice of the rod, and of him that holds it, Micah 6.9. For the rod of reproof gives wisdom, Prov. 29.15. Vexatio dat intellectum. A Father Corrects his Child, not so much in Revenge for the fault done, as for caution for the future. Schola crucis, Schola lucis, The way to the Crown is by the Cross. When God's Judgements are abroad in the World, the Inhabitants thereof should learn Righteousness, Isa. 29.9. Under such Providences as these God would not have us be like unto bruit Beasts in a Pasture, when one by one goes to the Shambles, the other regard it not. All Spectacles of Mortality, especially those of so near a concern, should mind us of our latter end, and make us prepare for Death, when we see younger and stronger than we go to the Grave before us. We should be like ingenious Children, when one is beaten, the other should not only cry and tremble, but also take warning: We should not blame our Father's Cruelty, but our own Folly; and if all work together for our good, why not this? Nay, doubtless a good use may be made of this, and, if well improved, we shall have cause to say, with the Psalmist, It was good for us that we were afflicted. Some Grapes may be gathered from these Thorns, and some Figs from these Thistles; some Honey may be licked off these Briars, for God's Rod, like Jonathan's, hath Honey at the end. Sensible we must be of this Providence, as doubtless Aaron was at his two Sons deaths; but discontent we must not be. God complains, that Righteous persons perish, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men were taken away, and no man considers it, Isa. 57.1. Some use of such Providences we should make, and get some benefits by these Trials. Now, among the many Lessons this Providence holds out to us, I shall only point out these seven following, which if you and I can learn by it, it will be happy for us.  
Lesson 1. From this Lecture of Mortality, your dead Daughter, we may learn the cursed Nature of sin, which was the cause of her Death, and how little beholding we are to it, that thus rends one Friend out of the Arms of another; for whatever Distemper our deceased Friends die of, sin lies at the bottom, and sets the Disease on work; but for sin, 'tis probable we had never died. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. By one man's offence sin came into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all, for as much as all have sinned. Now, shall we love the Tree, and hate the Fruit? Love the Cause, and hate the Effect? Shall we be like foolish Children, that hate the smarting Plaster, and consider not the Ulcerous Sore that makes it necessary? We would have the Wound cured, and yet not have the Weapon drawn out, for fear of a little smart. Had not Sin gone before, Death had not followed; many Men love the Drunkenness, and hate the Surfeit. But did we see sin in its own Colours, it would be worse than the Effects, for 'tis the only Object of God's infinite hatred; for he hates nothing but sin, or for sins sake; and yet sin seems lovely when we behold it in the Devil's Glass, or through his Spectacles. If we could strip the Devil himself of his vicious Qualities, he would return to his former Angelical Glory; yea, into God's Favour, for he hates nothing he hath made. Man in his first Creation was made Holy and Happy, and had Power given him so to continue; and though by his Constitution he was Mortal, yet by God's Blessing he had been Immortal for aught we know, ●s the Soul is: But by eating the Forbidden Fruit, Gen. 2.17. in all probability he had suddenly died, had not Christ interposed, and become a Surety to his Father, and so gained a longer Lease, and paid the Fine; however Man became obnoxious to Death, and die he must. See how dangerous it is to play at the hole of the Asp, and to ask Counsel at the Devil's Mouth, for so Eve did, and for that Offence all her Posterity must eat bread in the sweat of their brows, till they return to the dust out of which they were taken. No Greatness can excuse us, no Wisdom can prevent it; but the most dangerous Death is to die in our sins. Sin it is that makes us uncurable, otherwise we had been so armed, Death could never have entered, or pierced the heart, Rom. 5.12. And shall we hug this Viper in our Bosom, that will sting us to Eternal Death? For sin is the very sting of death, without which Death were not so formidable. Adam's Offence diffuseth itself to all his Posterity, as Poison doth to every part of the Body; and shall we love the Work, and hate the Wages? Actual Sin is the Fruit of Original Corruption, and springs from this bitter Root, and 'tis the cause of all our Misery; and shall we, like the foolish Dog, by't the stone, and let the Passenger that threw it go free? Let us turn therefore all our sorrow into sorrow for sin, for all is little enough to run in this Channel. And let this be your Motive, though not one of the greatest, sin was the cause of your d●ar Daughter's Death, and will ere long be the cause of yours also; and happy will it be for you if this bitter Pill have this Operation upon you, to make you hate sin with a perfect hatred.  
2. Nay, 'tis not only Death, but also all the Miseries that accompany Life, and are the forerunners of Death, which are the direful Fruits and Effects of Sin. Can we see Sin in its own proper shape, it would appear most hateful and detestable; but the Devil hides its Deformity from us what he can, and to this end lends us his Spectacles, in which it appears lovely and amiable; but we may best see it in the Effects. It was this that turned Angels out of Heaven, Adam out of Paradise, and many thousands into Hell; and can the Tree be good that brings forth such unsavoury Fruit? This razed out the Image of God, and engraved upon the Soul the very Image of Satan. The Devil knows well enough that if we saw Sin in its own Colours, we must needs hate it, for who can fall in Love with Deformity itself? And therefore misrepresents it, as a deformed Hag paints her Face, and covers her Deformity, thereby to take her Prey, and allure unwary Youth. So the Devil deals by Sin, and represents it in virtue's Colours; but the Glass of the Word would show it in its own shape. Indeed there is nothing in the World that can fully resemble it, yet in the Scripture 'tis represented by the foulest things imaginable; to filthy Ulcerous Sores, James 1.21. To the Mire that Swine wallows in, the Vomit of a Dog, to filthy Rags, Menstruous , deadly Poison, a fretting Cancer, or Gangreen; 'tis so infectious, none can escape the Infection; it infects the whole Man, like the Leprosy in the Head, the Thoughts, Words, Desires, Affections, and Actions, are all polluted and unclean, and smell of the Cask, and stink in the Nostrils of God; our Eating, Drinking, Buying, Selling, Trading, yea, Ploughing, is sin, Prov. 21.4. And all our Religious Duties, if not performed with the Incense of Christ's Righteousness, are defiled, Isa. 1.11, etc. and 66.3. Why? Those Duties, though commanded by God, yet proceeding not from a right Principle, directed to a right End, and done in a right manner, must needs be faulty. Now sin, though looked upon as a harmless innocent thing, (and when Men have put a fair Mask upon its soul Face) looks lovely; and the Devil hides its soul Visage, as 'tis said the Panther doth his deformed Head, purposely to take his Prey, yet still it remains ugly: Pride covers itself with the name of Cleanliness; Drunkenness is taken for Good-fellowship, and Covetousness for Good Husbandry, etc. But the Effects are not so lovely, let the Devil and his Instruments say what they will to the contrary; for 'tis the occasion of all the Miseries that ever befell Mortal Man: We had never had aching Head, or aching Heart, or Loss, or Cross, or any thing to molest us, had it not been for sin; yet are we apt to overlook it, and yet have our finger always upon the Sore; we cry out, Oh my Back, my Belly, my Bones, my Heart, but seldom Oh my Sin; we are like h●m that complains of the pain in his Foot, but not of the Shoe that pincheth him; of the Gout, Stone, Strangury, Surfeit, but not of the Intemperance that is the cause. Pharaoh cries out, Take away the Frogs, the Lice, the Darkness, let there be no more Hail, but not take away the Sin, the hardness of Heart; that brought them. God when he threatens Death for sin, threatens also all the Causes, and Forerunners of Death, and all the Evils which accompany a sinful Life, for these are the Natural Productions of sin, and much worse. Fruit it bears, if Repentance prevent it not, and like a mighty Wind blows it not down before it come to Maturity, otherwise it will be bitter Fruit: We have far greater cause to cry out, Oh my filthy Sins, Oh my Pride, my Passion, my Covetousness, my Deadness, Dulness, Formality, Hypocrisy, etc. than Oh my dead Father, my Husband, my Son, my Daughter. We should cease quarrelling God, and turn the edge of our Anger, Sorrow, and Indignation against Sin, and against ourselves for our sin, and so our Quarrel will be much more just. 'Tis a stubborn Child, that when corrected for a known fault, will rather quarrel his Father, than acknowledge his own Gild. We are apt to cry out, Oh my Loss, Oh my Cross, than Oh my Sin, my Infidelity, my inordinate Affections, which forces God thus to Correct me. Let us remove the Cause, and the Effect will cease. Thus you see, whether we consider sin in itself, in its pestiferous, infectious Nature, or whether we consider it in its direful Effects, the Miseries that attend it, we have more cause to bewail it, than any Loss or Cross that can befall us for sins sake, as the Cause is worse than the Effect.  
3. But this is not all, for sin procures Spiritual Judgements as well as Temporal, and these are far more deadly and dangerous; for these Distempers reach the Soul, when the other touch only the Body, or Estate; Sin defiles and deforms all the Powers and Faculties of Soul and Body; Sin is so Infectious and Contagious, and the Effects thereof so Malignant, that the greatest and most dangerous Plague-sore, even that which rendeth the Soul from the Body, is not so dangerous. 'Tis sin that hardens the Heart, and turns it into the Nature of a stone. We read of a stony heart, and of all the Plagues that fell upon Pharaoh, this was the worst, and a greater than this cannot befall a Mortal Man in this Life. God complains of this, That the house of Israel were impudent and hard-hearted, Ezek. 3.7, etc. And the great Gospel-promise is, To take away th● stony heart, and give them hearts of flesh. And as it hardens the Heart, so it blinds the Mind, which by reason of sin is Naturally, Judicially, and Wilfully blind; the Image of God consisted in Knowledge, Righteousness, and true Holiness; these by the Fall were lost, and Ignorance, Wickedness, and Profaneness, the very Image of the Devil, were engraven in their stead, 1 Cor. 3.14. And Men walk in Darkness, till the Scales of Ignorance are wiped from their Eyes, and Christ's Spiritual Eyesalve applied, Rev. 3.18. A natural ma● cannot perceive the things of the spirit, for they a●● spiritually discerned. Many also are Judicially blind, God in his just Judgement giving them up to strong delusion, to believe lies, Mat. 13.13, etc. They are Wilfully blind, and God will not Cure them; like Hagar, they cannot see the Well of Water that is before them. They are wilfully Ignorant, that they may sin the more freely; The God of this world hath blinded their eyes, 2 Cor. 4.4. He draws a Curtain between them and the Light, and holds his black hand before their faces; and were they anatomised, his Image would be found ●ngraven upon their hearts. Light is come into ●●e world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their works are evil. They are willingly ignorant of what they are not willing to know; ●hey have also cauterised Consciences, seared with 〈◊〉 hot Iron, and reprobate minds, Rom. 1.28. And ●istempered and disordered Affections, set upon ●rong Objects, loving what they should hate, ●nd hating what they should love; fearing Men ●nd their threaten, and despising God and his threatening; being given up to vile affections, Rom. ●. 26. 1 Tim. 4.2. Yea, they are given up to stubbornness of Will, Judges 2.19. And of this ●e have Pharaoh for an Example, that was become Cannon-proof, that all the Judgements ●rought upon Egypt could not work upon him. ●uch are mentioned, Jer. 44.19. that would bake ●akes to the Queen of Heaven, let God himself say what he would to the contrary; they will set up ●heir Post by God's Post, and prefer their Dagon ●efore the Ark; therefore God gives up such to strong delusions, to believe lies, Rom. 1.24. The Memory also, though strong enough to retain what is bad, yet 'tis like a leaking Vessel, that cannot retain any thing that is good. In a word, ●ll the Powers and Faculties of the Soul are polluted, and the Members of the Body are the unhappy Instruments to act the wickedness the Soul contrives: So that a Toad or Serpent is not fuller of Poison, than Man's heart is naturally of Sin and Wickedness, and of noxious Qualities, the Fruits and Effects of which, if timely Repentance prevent not, will be the loss of God's Favour, which is better than life, in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasure● for evermore, Psal. 16.11. The loss also of an Interest in the Blood of Christ, will follow, which is of more value than the World itself, for such trample upon the blood of the Covenant as an unholy thing, Heb. 10.29. Yea, they do despite unto the Spirit of God, and put themselves from under the favourable Protection of God, and tha● Guard of Angels that God sends forth as ministering Spirits for the good of those that love him; and makes Men uncapable of the sweet Communion of Saints, which David made his chiefes● Delight on Earth, Psal. 16.2. It deprives them of the Peace of Conscience, a Jewel of inestimable worth, and brings many times such a Storm there, that all the World cannot allay; a● in Cain, Judas, Spira, and many more; that Bird in the Bosom, when it sings sweetly, makes better Melody than all the World can do. Sin also deprives Men of all true Interest and Spiritua● Right to all our outward Enjoyments; a Civi●● Right we may have, but a Covenant-Right we cannot have in a Natural condition, for these things are not given, but lent to a wicked Man, and an Account will be required to the utmost Farthing. In a word, unrepented sin deprives Men of an Interest in God, in Heaven, and Glory, and of the Beatifical Vision; for without holiness we shall never see God. Let us therefore leave off sorrowing for petty Losses and Crosses, and turn the whole Torrent of our Sorrow into this Channel, even against our sins.  
4. Nay, the mischief of Sin ends not here, it also exposeth us to the wrath of God, and makes him our Enemy, that otherwise would be our closest, surest, and fastest Friend; and did we ●now what it is to have God for our Enemy, it ●ould send us trembling to our Grave; for when ●is Fury is kindled, it sets on fire the foundation of ●he mountains, Deut. 32.22. 'Tis better have all ●he World to grapple with, than with God; if ●e frown upon us, no Creature dare smile; If ●e be for us, who can be against us? Rom. 8.31. ●f God have a Controversy with us, who dare ●ake our part, or move a Hand or Tongue in our Defence? We cannot grapple with him, he is ●oo strong for us; we cannot fly from him, as ●onah thought to do, he will overtake us; nei●her can we hid ourselves from him, Psal. 136. ●, etc. We cannot struggle out of his hand, ●or he is the Almighty, and we but despicable Worms; if he tread upon us, he leaves us dead behind him: Before him the Holy Angels cover ●heir faces, and all the Infernal Spirits tremble. ●n his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the ●reath of all mankind, Job 12.10. If he withhold ●ur breath, we return to our Dust, for we have ●o more than what he puts into us, how then ●hall we contend with our Maker? Can Chaff ●nd Stubble grapple with a devouring Flame? One blast of his Displeasure can blow us into Hell, yea, Heaven and Hell and All into nothing; ●nd how are we like to make our Party good ●gainst him, when we cannot move a Finger, ●wag a Tongue, or fetch a Breath, without his assistance? Well, but let us well consider whether our Cause be good: What cause hath God given us to take up Arms against him? Hath he ●een a hard Master to us? Or withheld our Wages? Jonah thought he did well to be angry, but was soon convinced. Job had a mind to quarrel him, and seems of any other to have the best Cause, but when the Contest begun, h● soon threw down the Cudgels, and lays his hand upon his Mouth. Hath not God been our greatest Benefactor, and done more for us than all the World ever did, or can do? Is not he our be●● Friend, and shall we become his professed Enemies? Many good works have I done among you (saith Christ) for which of those do you stone me? John 10.32. God gave us our Being when we had none, and shall we hate him for it? We were t●● Day, and he was the Potter, and might have dashed us into pieces with his foot. He gave us Reason, when he might have made us bruit Beasts, as Dogs or Swine, or more contemptible Creatures. He hath given us Limbs and Senses, when other● want them, Peace and Plenty, yea, Life and Liberty, and hath made our Lives comfortable to us, when we deserve not the Ground we tread upon, or the Air we breath in; and shall we fly at the Face of God, and thus requite the Lord our Maker? Nay, hath not Christ suffered more for us, than any other hath or can do? We had sold ourselves Bondslaves to Satan, and neither Man nor Angel could have redeemed us out of our Slavery, or have paid a Ransom sufficient for us, but Christ laid down his Life to free us from the guilt of sin, from the filth of sin, from the Punishment due for sin, from the Curse of the Law, the Wrath of God, the Slavery of Satan, and from Everlasting Damnation. And hath he for all this deserved our Malice and Hatred? He hath bestowed more upon us than the World hath to bestow; 'tis he that sends us so many Ambassages for Peace, and reins Heavenly Manna so plentifully about our Tents; he gives us Promises, such as the greatest Kings upon Earth cannot make, and make good to their greatest Favourites, as of his Spirit, his Graces, his Son, and his Glory: And is all this nothing? Shall we foster sin in our Bosom, that hinders us in the Enjoyment of those promised Blessings, and expose us to the wrath of God, and the everlasting Destruction of Soul and Body, and expose us also to all Miseries Temporal, Spiritual, and Eternal? God forbidden. Well, we cannot make our Peace with God, till we break our League with Sin; and if God be our Enemy, (and our Enemy he will be if we are at Peace with Sin) than we may expect he will treat us as Enemies. Well may we fear that every bit of Bread we eat, will choke us, and every drop of Drink we drink, may be our bane, and that every Creature may wait for a Commission to end our days; that the Floods may drown us, as they did the Old World, or the Fire consume us, as Sodom, or the Earth swallow us up, as Korah and his Complices, or the greatest Judgements that ever we read fell upon Mortal Man, may be our Portion. Oh, what need had we then to leave sorrowing for other things, and turn all our Tears into the right Channel, that it may drown our sins, that expose us to these Miseries and Mischiefs.  
5. Nay, but this is not all, for Eternal Death as well as Spiritual and Temporal is the Reward of Sin, the everlasting separation of Soul and Body from God, which is called, The second Death; and this is far greater than all the Miseries before mentioned; for if the sinner be not reconciled to God, (which cannot be before sin be mortified) he shall be cast into the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, Rev. 21.8. This is the Natural Fruit and Effect of every beloved sin, even the everlasting Damnation of Body and Soul; a thousand thousand rentings of the Soul from the Body, is not comparable to one renting of the Soul from Christ. Sin doth that for us, that all the Men on Earth, and Devils in Hell could never do, even pull us out of the Arms of God. This threw Angels out of Heaven, Adam out of Paradise, and Millions of Souls into Hell. This brought Death into the World, and is the very Sting of Death; and if this Sting be not taken out, it will sting the Soul to Eternity. This imbitters our Lives (as you have heard) while we are in the World, and opens the Door to let us out of the World, and will open Hell itself to let us in, and is the only bar to keep us from coming out. But if Sin were mortified, we might, with Old Simeon, depart in Peace; and with Ambrose, say, I am not ashamed to live, nor afraid to die: And with Paul, I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Death without his Sting, is like Samson without his Hair, or like the Drone-Bee without a Sting, not terrible; he may hum, but not hurt; strike, but not sting; kill a Believer, yet not hurt him; the worst is to send him to his Father's House the sooner. But what is this to those in whom sin not only lives, but reigns? It will bring sad tidings to such, 'tis indeed the cause of all the Crosses and cross Providences they meet with here in this World, but brings forth far bitterer Fruit, which will not be ripe in this World, which Reprobate Wretches must feed upon to Eternity. Whatever we suffer here, we may thank Sin for it; haply we have laid some Creature-Comforts too near our hearts. Well, the Achan must be removed, or God will not be pacified: But if we die while ●in is alive, our present Suffering, though to the ●oss of our Relations, Wealth, Honours, Pleasures, yea, and Life itself, is but a Flea-biting ●o our future Torments. Then sin, how plea●ant soever it look now, will be found our greatest Enemy. All Men in the World, and the Devil ●o help them, can but kill the Body, 'tis Sin on●y that kills the Soul, and God casts both Soul ●nd Body into Hell for sin, the loss of which is more than the loss of the World, Matth. 16.26. The loss of it is incomparable and irreparable; ●he Rich Glutton could not with all his Wealth Purchase one drop of Water to cool his tongue, Luke ●6. 24, etc. The Soul itself is a Precious Piece, next the Angels the most precious that ever God made, being made in his own Image, and the greatest and richest Purchase that ever was made, ●nd cost the greatest Price, the Precious Blood of the Son of God: 'Tis that which is most like ●nto God himself, and fitted for Communion with him, and of Enjoying him for ever. 'Tis ●ndued with excellent Faculties, the Understanding, Will, Affections, Conscience, Memory, and many more, which make a Man differ from a Beast, and resemble an Angel. And for duration, it runs parallel with the days of Heaven, with the longest times of Eternity; neither is ●here any thing in the World to be compared to 〈◊〉, and there is nothing but sin can hurt or wound it, and this alone makes it subject to Eternal Torments, and rends it out of the hands of God, and the arms of Christ, when nothing else can do it. Sin makes Men in a worse condition than the Beasts that perish, which were in the Creation little lower than the Angels; the one is thrown into the Ditch, and so ends their Misery, the other into Hell with the Devil and his Angels, where they are ever dying, and never able to die; ever suffering those insufferable Pains, out of which is no hope of Redemption; for when they have been there as many thousands of Years as there are Grass-piles upon the Earth, Stars in Heaven, Sands upon the Seashore, and Hairs upon their Heads, they are never the nearer going forth, than they were the first day they were cast into it; for a thousand thousand Millions substracted from Eternity, doth not lessen the Account. Oh, the horrible Nature of Sin, which plucks the Soul from the Eternal Embraces of her dear Redeemer, and from those Rivers of pleasures at God's right hand for evermore, and lodges it among the Devils and the Damned in those Eternal Flames to all Eternity, in those Rivers of Brimstone kindled by the Wrath of God, Isa. 30.33. Here we may behold the deadly Fruits of Sin, and shall we bewail the Death of Relations, which indeed is the Fruit of Sin, and shall we not bewail and prevent its more deadly and dangerous Effects, when without Repentance our Souls as well as our Bodies are like Eternally to perish?  
Lesson 2. From this Lecture of Mortality before us, is this, It may plainly show us, how little good the World will do us when we have most need; and by this we may take a true estimate of its Worth, or rather of its Vanity. We use to say, that is good that will do us good, and 'tis a Friend that will help in time of need. I am sure the World will not, cannot do it; 'tis true, if we look upon it through the Devil's Spectacles, it will look fair, and so will an Old Hag in her Paint and Plaster, but this is the way to be egregiously deceived; but that there is really little worth in it, observe with me these following Considerations.  
1. Consid. Riches, Honours, Pleasures, or whatever else the World can brag of, cannot prevent Death, though sometimes it doth hasten it: The truth of this is evidently seen in this Providence; for had it been a vast Estate, sumptuous Buildings, costly Apparel, Men or Means, Food or Physic, that could have preserved her Life, doubtless she had not died; but this could neither prevent the Disease, remove it, or take away the Malignity of it: For when Death comes, (and come it will) it will neither be bribed nor baffled. Diseases are God's Servants, when he bids them go, they go; and when he bids them come, they come; and what he bids them do, they do it, like the Centurion's Servant, Mat. 8.9. Contra vim mortis, non est medicamen in hortis. If God strike, the Creature cannot heal. God hath the Keys of Life and Death at his Girdle, and our way is to go to him, and neither trust to Physicians, as Asa, or to Witches, as Saul. 'Tis he that kills, and makes alive, and brings to the gates of death, and back again, Deut. 32.39. 'Tis he that passed that Decree, more firm than the Laws of the Medes and Persians, That all men should once die, and after death come to Judgement, Heb. 9.27. By force of this, your Daughter died, and so will you ere long. All that the Rich Man had, Luke 12.19, 20. could not bribe Death one Night, neither can any Man Ransom his Brother from Death. The Rich Cardinal Beuford found it true to his sorrow. Though Money be the greatest Commander in the World, it will be out of Commission in the World to come. Death is a perfect Leveller, it will Lodge the Poor and the Rich, the Fair and the Foul, the Young and the Old, the King and the Beggar in the same Bed, without Respect of Persons, let the World say what it will to the contrary; and Happy be those that are prepared, or otherwise it will prove but a Trap-door to Hell. Death regards not any, however dignified or distinguished; the King then must leave his Robes, and the Beggar his Rags behind him; the Scull of the one retains no impression of a Crown, nor of the other of his Slavery. Now, great Men are like Capital Letters, they take up more room, and be more gorgeously adorned and clad, commonly go before others, but signify the same thing: So the greatest signifies not more than a Man, and the meanest signifies no less. Or like unto Counters, some in the Account signify Pounds, some Shillings, some Pence, and some less, but when they are in the Box, they are all of a value. So here, some pass for Kings, and some for Peasants, but when Death hath gotten them into his Box, the Grave, they are all alike. Yet how much need have great Men of Philip's Monitor, for they are apt to forget their Mortality? See Job 3.17, etc. Some of the wiser Heathens have accounted Mortality a great Mercy, that poor Creatures may be freed from their Misery: And so doubtless 'tis for those that are prepared for Death, for they rest from their Labours. The Hebrew Proverb is, That in Calvary there are Sculls of all sorts and sizes, Kings and Captains, Lords and Lozel's; one takes no more out of the World than the other. Naked they come, and naked they shall go. Great Saladine had but his Shirt. Now, though Riches cannot prevent Death, yet it may hasten it. Rich Men many times are as Oxen in a fat Pasture, fitted for the Slaughter; sometimes they are butchered by others for their Wealth, and many times they prove their own Butchers, and kill themselves by Intemperance. The Sunshine of Prosperity quickly ripens the Fruit of Sin, and when Sin is ripe, Ruin is ready. Bacchus or Venus opens the Door for Death to enter. Now, what good will it do to have a fair Suit of , and a Plague-sore under it? Or a dainty Dinner with a Surfeit? How often is Intemperance, which ends in Gouts, Surfeits, Dropsies, and suchlike Diseases, the Fruits of a Plentiful Table? These open the Door of Eternity, and light them a Candle to find the way to Death: Now, these are Diseases Riches cannot cure. Seeing therefore the World is of so little use when we have most need, why should we so greedily grasp after, and spend so much time about it, as to neglect our greater Concerns, and despond so much when we meet with disappointments? And why should we suffer those Vultures, carking Cares, to breed in, and feed upon our Hearts, and eat out all the Comfort of our Lives? What Recompense can the World make us, for all our pains, and broken sleeps we have had upon its Account? It cannot warrant us a Comfortable Life, nor a Happy Death; nay, not one day free from pain: Let such as over-greedily grasp after it, remember Solomon's words, H● 〈◊〉 maketh haste to be rich, cannot be innocent. And at leisure read James 5.1, 2, etc. Luke 6.24. Yet consider, 'tis not the having Riches, ●ut the overloving of them that is dangerous; for they are not evil of themselves, but great Blessings, if not abused, and some of those Talents put into our hands to be improved by us; but prove dangerous when abused, over-loved, or over-trusted in. But seeing they can neither prevent Death, nor Diseases, the cause of Death, we should not put too high a value upon them, nor take them for our Portion.  
2. As the World cannot prevent Death, no more can it procure a happy Life: And why? Because it cannot give Content and Satisfaction to the Enjoyer of it; and how then can our Lives be Happy, when we are not content with our Condition, and satisfied with our present Enjoyments? Content never did, nor never will grow in the World's Garden, neither can Satisfaction be found in any thing under the Sun: If we seek it here, Riches will say, 'tis not in me; Honours, 'tis not in me; Pleasure, 'tis not in me, etc. Can we expect the Sun in a Pail of Water? Indeed if the Sun shine upon the Water, we may see the reflection of it, but if the Sun be clouded, all the Water in the World cannot show it. When God shines upon us, he may be seen in every Creature, if not, the World cannot show him: Our Earthly Enjoyments ca● do us no good, bring us no Comfort, without a Commission from God; and could they satisfy us for the present, it would be but a miserable Portion, yea, a great Judgement; for what should we do at Death, when they leave us? God did never give us these for our Portion, but only a● a Viaticum in our Journey. Our deceitful Hearts haply may promise Content, had we an Hundred Pounds per Annum, but they will deceive us, for our desires would be enlarged from an Hundred to a Thousand, and so in infinitum, till Kingdoms, yea, the World would be too little for us, as it was to Alexander. Covetous Men have a dry Dropsy, the more they have, the more they thirst. Theocritus brings in the Cove-Man wishing he had a Thousand Sheep, when this wish was obtained, he cries out, Pauperis est numerare pecus, 'Tis but a Poor Man that is able to number his . And 'tis no wonder, He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver. The World is of too base a Birth and Breeding to give the Soul content, for two things are requisite to Satisfaction, and both of those are wanting; there must be Proportion, and Propriety; but what proportion is there between a Piece of Gold and an Immortal Soul? It can neither feed it, nor  it, nor make it better. And for Propriety, this also is lost by the Fall; that which we call our own, is but lent us, and we must be Accountable for it: And 'tis vain also, for what Satisfaction can an Hungry Man take in a Pibble, or a Thirsty Man in a dry Pumice-stone? What Satisfaction had Haman in his Riches, Honours, or Preferments, without Mordecai's bow, or Ahab's Kingdom, without Nabath's Vineyard? Something is still out of Order, some string or other out of Tune, that mar●s the Music. And no wonder Content is not to be found here, for God himself could not find Adam a help meet for him. If we could turn a heap of Diamonds into a Spiritual substance, than it might bear some proportion to the Soul, which is a Spirit, but except we could change it into God, the work would not be done, for none but God can make the Soul happy. These Earthly things are far worse than the Body, how then can they be a fit Match for the Soul? Gold and Silver, Gems and Jewels, are but the Garbage of the Earth, they seldom make bad Men good, or good Men better, but ofttimes they make both worse; they seldom procure Content, for the desire enlarges with the Estate, as the Israelites Shoes did in the Wilderness with their Feet. Solomon could had nothing in them but Vanity and vexation of spirit, Eccles. 1.14. They are like Smoke, they wring Tears from the Eyes; but draw not Sorrow from the Heart; or like Thorns, the faster they are grasped, the deeper they wound: If God smile upon us, they may bring us some Comfort, if not, all the Gold in the Indies will do us no good, for this Coin is not currant in another World; we may as well satisfy an empty Stomach with Air, as a Covetous Man with Gold; for the more Wood we lay upon the Fire, the more furiously it burns; a Ship may sink under its Burden, before it be half full; and many Men have enough to sink them, that have not half to satisfy them. Content is one main Ingredient of Happiness, but till we have God, we cannot have it. Croesus' Wealth, Alexander's Crowns, Heliogabalus his Pleasures, fall short of Happiness, or Satisfaction, yet many are filling bottomless-tubs, and rolling Sisyphus his Stone, and have Tityus his Vulture gnawing in their Breast; those that have much of the World, have usually much trouble with it, and sometimes God spoils all the Sport, by throwing some handfuls of Hell-fire into the Conscience. Reader, wast thou ever upon thy sick Bed, and received the Sentence of Death within thee? What warming Comforts did the World then afford thee? Nay, hath not sometimes a pinching Pang of the Colic, Gout, Strangury, or the raging pain of an aching Tooth, put thee by all the Comforts the World can afford? And why then shall we so much dote upon it, that can do us so little good when we have most need? Till we can fill our Barns with Grace, and our Bags with Glory, and extract Heaven out of the Earth, and God out of the Creature, we must never expect Satisfaction in any Earthly Enjoyment, I know Riches of themselves are the good Gifts of God, but become Snares, when they are over-loved, and trusted in; 'tis not the having them, but the overloving them is dangerous; they often prove the occasion of Pride, Luxury, Tyranny, Oppression, etc. The World must have the Head, and the Hand, but God must have the Heart. Set the World in its own place, and there is no danger; send it before us to Heaven, and it will be made up into a Crown for us. Cornelius' Prayers and Alms came up for a Memorial before God, Acts 10.4. This is the way to make Friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness, and at the last day Sentence will pass upon us accordingly. Yet are there too many Professors that  upon the World as much as ever Jonah did upon his Gourd, or the Athenians on Diana's Temple But these things are nec vera nec vestra, they are worth little; and if they were, they have another Master: But there are Riches of another Nature, which nec prodi, nec perdi, nec surrepi possunt, none can deprive us of them; Bags that wax not old, a Treasure in the Heavens, that fadeth not away. A Beggar is an unsuitable Match for a Prince, much more a bruit Beast; but 'tis a far more unsuitable Match for an Immortal Soul to be espoused to a Wedge of Gold. When the Moon is at the Full 'tis farthest from the Sun, and nearest to an Eclipse. If the Heart be full of the World, there is no room for Christ; every Good is not suitable for every Nature, 'tis not Natural to a Man to live under Water, nor for a Fish to live on the dry Ground. Kingdom's may promise Content to carnal Hearts, but a Gracious Man cannot take up with such poor things: One Dram of Grace will prove a better Portion than the World affords.  
3. As these Earthly things are unsatisfying, so they are uncertain; and this is a certain demonstration of their Vanity: For had we never so much of them, what avails it when we know not whether we shall enjoy them one day to an end? A Kingdom would give us little content, did we certainly know we should lose it at the Month's end, and our Lives with it; yea, Heaven itself would yield us little content, did we know we should enjoy it only a Thousand Years, and then be cast into Eternal Torments; the thoughts of leaving it would take away all Pleasure of Enjoying it, and would be a Hell in the midst of Heaven. Now, all these Earthly Enjoyments will be stripped from us at Death, haply sooner, and our Death cannot be far off, and why should we dote so much upon them? Many Thousands in our Age have been Rich o'er Night, and Poor ere Morning? Witness France, Ireland, Germany, Savoy, and many others. Thus it was with Job, one day (for aught we know) saw him the greatest Man in all the East, and Poor, even to a Proverb. The uncertainty of these Earthly Enjoyments, is one of the greatest Vanities that is writ upon them, how then can they be a suitable Portion for the Soul, which runs parallel with the longest line of Eternity? What will become of the Immortal Soul, when the Portion is spent? Why do Men make so much hast to climb the Ladder of Promotion, seeing so many break their Necks ere they get to the top? Haman may witness this; for King's Favourites stand but in slippery places, one day he glories in his Enjoyments, and the next day is hanging on the Gallows he made for another, Esther 5.11, etc. and 7.10. Ahithophel, one day his words were esteemed as Oracles, and presently after falling into Disgrace, he hanged himself. This Age may produce many Examples to this purpose. Sometimes the great Ones of the World hardly obtain a decent Funeral, and what a condition is the Soul in that took the World for a Portion, when the Body is neglected, judge you? Angel's cannot help them, nor the Saints in Heaven, if they were willing, and then sure nothing upon the Earth can do it. The thoughts of forepast Pleasures, Honours, or Treasures, will give little ease to present Dolours, and the Wrath of God. It was small comfort that Abraham gave to the Rich Glutton, Son, remember in thy life-time thou hadst pleasure, and Lazarus pain, now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. When pale-faced Death, like Belshazzar's Handwriting, shall enter our Lodging, to Arrest us to appear before God in Judgement, before we have evened our Accounts, it will make our Joints to tremble, and our Knees smite one against another. What will the World do for us then at Judgement? They will prove miserable Comforters, when the Earth, and all the works therein, shall be burnt up, where then is your confidence? Now many love Gold more than God, and Money is preferred before Mercy. Now, Paul calls this Idolatry, Col. 3.5. And James calls i● Adultery, James 4.4. But this will prove like Achan's Wedge to cleave the Soul asunder, or like his Babylonish Garment, serve for a Winding-sheet. Riches at the best are deceitful, like Winter-brooks, dry in Summer; or like Job's Friends, miserable Comforters. I have read of Fish in the River Araxis, which change colour with the Moon; when 'tis at the Full, they are white, when in the Wane, black. Thus the World doth by us, when we want not, it smiles upon us, but when need is, it looks of another colour. There is no more proportion between this imaginary Felicity that the World dotes up●n, and true Happiness, than between painted Fire on the Wall, and true Fire; or between a King upon the Stage, and a King upon the Throne; or between a liveless Carcase, and a living Man. In the midst of all our Enjoyments one hours tormenting pain spoils all the Sport. At Death Riches take themselves wings and fly away, and on whose Tree they will roost we know not. We usually call Riches Substance, when 'tis but really a Shadow, an empty Nothing; if we look upon it through the Devil's bewitching Spectacles, it seems gilded; 'tis like the Serpent Scytale, of whom 'tis said, she allureth Beasts to her by her beautiful Colours, and stings them to death. This made Paul be crucified to the world, and David as a weaned child. The World is but a blaze at best, but many times proves an Ignis Fatuus, which leads most Men out of the way; the best Account Solomon could give of it was, 'Tis vanity and vexation of spirit. Yet many load themselves with thick Clay, but Death will unload them, and cover them with common Earth. Great Men a while disturb the World, and grasp at Crowns and Kingdoms, but now Alexander's Ashes are contained in a little Urn; they are in the World as a Guest in an Inn, for a Night; they sit at the upper end of the Table, far of the best, lie in the best Bed, but in the Morning they have most to pay. We are in a Journey to Heaven, let us not fall in Love with what we see in our way, or sit down at the Style, or Bridge. Let us use the world, as a Traveller doth his Staff, keep it, or throw it away, as it helps or hinders us. If Riches increase, let us not set our hearts upon them, neither think ourselves much the better or safer for them, for we know not what World we may Lodge in the next Night, or whether our Money there will be currant Coin. 'Tis all one at Death whether we have little or much, the Poor are as nigh to Heaven then as the Rich, and sometimes better prepared. Riches are uncertain at the best, to the Possessors, like the Sea, sometimes there is a Storm, sometimes a Calm; sometimes it ebbs, and sometimes flows. They are like Winter Weather, very variable; we see sometimes in the Clouds like Towers and Castles in the Air, but a blast of Wind comes and they are dashed into another form, for they wanted a Foundation, and so do many Men for their great Hopes: The Devil easily blows up such blubs in proud Men's hearts, yea, such tumors are apt to rise of themselves. 'Tis observed that a Sick Man, a Covetous Man, and a Discontented Man cannot take Pleasure in their Enjoyments; still there is something wanting to give content. Job was a Rich Man, but his Heart did not cling to his Riches, we see how patiently he suffered the loss of all; He made not gold his hope, neither said unto the fine gold, Thou art my confidence, etc. Job 31.24, etc. Riches make no great difference among Men, the Weather that bears the Bell, haply may be a little better clothed, and fatter than the rest, but is a Sheep still, and little the better for the Bell. Should the Devil not only show us, but also give us all the Glory of the World, 'tis not much worth; these are but Thorns that choke the Word, and make it unfruitful, the harder we grasp them, the deeper they wound us, and ere long will be wrung out of our Arms; we can find little Honey, but many Stings. But in Heaven there is Pleasure without Pain, and Treasure which cannot be exhausted. A Heart in Heaven is one of our surest Evidences for Heaven; and a Heart set upon the Earth, the saddest Symptom of a Wicked Man; For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also. Those that are Friends to the World, are Enemies to God, James 4.4. And though we expect a Paradise, it will prove but a Bochim, a place of Lamentation.  
4. As the World can give little Content and Satisfaction to a Man, so it can do us little or no good in our great concerns here or hereafter; it can do little for the Body, and less for the Soul: I know the former especially will seem a Paradox to many, who look upon Riches as the only Happiness, and hate Poverty more than the Devil, and fear it more than Hell. But consider, Gold cannot nourish us, nor keep us warm, both which are necessary to our well-being; we have read of some that have been famished to Death amidst infinite Treasures. But it will be objected, it will buy us Food and Raiment; 'tis true, but Food cannot nourish, nor  keep warm, without a Commission from God, and he can do it without them, as in Moses, Elijah, and our Saviour Christ; neither can they prevent Pain, nor support us under it: If they could, so many Rich Men would not labour under such Tormenting Distempers, as the Gout, Colic, Stone, Strangury, etc. as they do; and usually Rich Men groan under such Distempers most, and Riches causes them more than cures them: Yea, the raging pain of an aching Tooth, puts Rich Men as well as the Poor out of Humour, and all their Riches cannot ease them; the Oil of Angels can do them no good against the Plague or Pestilence, or Pestilentious Diseases, Fevers, Smallpox, Consumptions, Surfeits, and such like; Riches are neither preventing, removing, or supporting Physic: Yea, Death enters into the Courts of Kings, as well as the Cottages of Peasants, or the Beggar's Cell. The Poor Man's Diet feeds him as well as the Rich Man's Dainties; as Daniel's Pulse and Water did him and his Fellows, as well as Court-Junkets did the other; yea, they are as warm in their Rags as others are in their Robes: Yea, we ofttimes find that Surfeits and nauceating Stomaches, are the Fruits and Effects of Plentiful Tables. As to the true and Primitive use of , viz. to cover our Nakedness, and to distinguish the Sex, a Russet Coat may serve as well as a Velvet Gown, or Satin Suit. The Poor Man sleeps as sound upon his hard Bed as the Rich upon his Bed of Down. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much, Eccles. 5.12. 'Tis true, his Fare is not so costly, neither are his Cares so great, but he can take his Rest without Distemper or Distraction, while his Rich Neighbour, his restless Spirit, and carking Cares, read him nightly Lectures upon his Bed. I have read of Anacron, who when he was Poor was Merry and Jocund, which was observed by a Rich Neighbour, who sent him two Talents, which when he had, his care to keep it, and his fears of losing it, so distracted his Mind, that he could not sleep, which after a while he observed, sent back the Money, and was as Merry as before. Solomon tells us, He that maketh haste to be rich, shall not be innocent. And no wonder if with Gold Men get Gild, if God throws sometimes some handfuls of Hell-fire into their Consciences, and spoils all the Sport. In a word, many that eat their Bread in the sweat of their brows, and are clad in their comely Russet, have their Health as well, many times better than our Idle Gallants, that far deliciously every day, and are clothed in Purple and fine Linen, in whom the Effects of Drinking and Drabbing do daily appear; and if such like Debaucheries set an end to their Happiness, and to their Lives also, what wonder now, if the World can do so little for the Body, then much less can it do for the Soul, for few bad Men are made good by it, and few good Men better; Men are never the better for Riches or Honour in God's Esteem, many times the worse, if they abuse their Talents. Indeed the Papists Doctrine of Purgatory, Pardons, and Indulgences, if true, which they can never prove, give the Rich a very great advantage over the Poor; for though they dance with the Devil all Day, yet for a little Money they may sup with Christ at Night; or do the Devil's Work, and receive Christ's Wages; but a wonder then that so many Woes are denounced against the Rich, and so many Blessings to the Poor: And sure the Rich Glutton did not understand this Doctrine, nay, not in Hell, for than he would have sent Lazarus to have told his Brethren which way to have prevented Hell, and Purgatory also, by Pardons, Indulgences, Masses, etc. But this Doctrine was brewed and broached long after this, or else Christ would not have let his Apostles want Money to bring them out of Purgatory, for doubtless they had some Venial Sins as well as others. Besides this, Men want many things to make them happy, which are not sold in the World's Shop, Gold tried in the fire, white Raiment, spiritual Eyesalve, Rev. 3.18. The World deals not in such Merchandise, they must be bought of Christ, for whoever thinks they are to be had elsewhere, will find his mistake. The Image of God we have lost in the Fall, the World cannot restore it; we are by Nature Enemies to God, the World cannot reconcile us; 'tis not thousands of Rams, nor ten thousand rivers of Oil will do it, Micah 6.7. The World is too thin a Garment to keep off the showers of Divine Vengeance; we have sins to Pardon, and none can forgive sins but God, let the Pope say what he will to the contrary. The Question at last will not be, What Gold we have, but what Grace we have? 'Tis not a Purple Robe, but the Robes of Christ's Righteousness; 'tis not every Spot, but the Spot of God's People; not a spotted Face, but Christ's Sheep-mark will procure us a station on the right hand of Christ. We have many Spiritual Maladies, and Christ alone must be our Physician, and his Blood the only Potion; none but he can bind up the broken Heart, and speak Peace to the troubled Conscience. We are by Nature Slaves to Satan, and the World, were it sold to the worth of it, cannot Redeem one Soul out of his Bondage; the World indeed are the Fetters that fasten us to him, but cannot lose us, and these are the Toys he allures us with, as Children are with Rattles, to be content in our Slavery. We are by Nature strangers to God, and 'tis by the Blood of Christ, not the World's Wealth, we are brought home, Ephes. 2.13. We want Comfort, and 'tis the Spirit that is the Comforter. In our Spiritual wants we can have no supply, in our Distempers of Soul no help, at our Death no comfort from the World; it never did us much good, but at Death and Judgement can do us none, as many have too sadly experienced. When we are launching forth into the infinite Ocean of Eternity, and look back upon the World which we have loved and trusted in for help, we shall find ourselves miserably cheated; the thoughts then of former Enjoyments will bring us little Delight, especially if we think of the after-reckoning, and that our eaten Bread is not forgotten, and our Silks and Satins unpaid for. When the Bridegroom comes, the World cannot supply us with Oil, 'tis not to be Sold in this Market; neither with a Wedding-garment: It must be the Oil of Grace, and the Robes of Christ's Righteousness, and the Jewels of his Graces must do our work; and this is our Misery, all our Riches then will not pay the Debts it hath contracted, nor undo the Bonds it hath tied. The World always shows most love where there is least need, and yields us no help at the greatest necessity. This may suppress our over-eager desire after it; for if we would moil and toil, let it be in a more Fruitful Soil. Do not the Poor pass through this Life as comfortably as the Rich, and sometimes with more content? And think with Galeacius, All the Wealth in the World is not worth one day's Communion with God, and that may be had in the Cottage as well as in the Court. Many Treasure up Riches, and it proves like Snow-drifts, the Sun shines upon it, and it melts away, and reaches not to Eternity. But there are durable Riches, other Riches before the cold Grave have their Bodies, hot Tophet hath their Souls, and their Wealth cannot save them; and those that could never have enough, have there Fire enough. 'Tis a sad mistake to think Riches, Honours, and Carnal Delights, are the only Happiness, for then Christ and his Apostles and followers had been most unhappy; for Silver and Gold they had none, no, not to pay Tribute. The Scripture measures not a Man's Happiness by the multitude of his Riches, for such may be destitute of Grace, and so is still Poor in the midst of Plenty. Who is it that would have a filthy Itch upon him for the pleasure he takes in scratching? Such is an immoderate desire after the World. Yet consider, 'tis not the having an Estate, but the over-greedy desire of it, and the overloving it, makes it dangerous; for a Man may make friends with the Mammon of unrighteousness for his own advantage, if he improve it well, and lay it not too near his Heart. 'Tis bad putting the Poor's part into a Child's Portion, 'tis better leave a Child a Bag to beg with, than ill-gotten Goods to make up his Portion.  
5. As the Benefit the World affords here or hereafter is not great, so the Danger it exposeth us to here and hereafter, is not small; which, did our greedy Misers well consider, they would not so greedily grasp after it: For Riches are like Thorns, the faster they are hug'd, the deeper they wound; yea, many times pierce to the very Heart. Of these Worldly things the Devil makes his choicest Baits when he fishes for Souls, and most Men will be nibbling at them. He is like a cunning Fowler, he stands behind the Bush when he exposeth his Baits to our view, but 'tis hard sometimes to see the Hand that holds it; he suits his Baits to the inclination of every Person; he hath a Companion for the Drunkard, a Delilah for Samson, a wedge of Gold for Achan, Honour for Haman, the World for Demas, and Money for Judas; yea, so confident is he that those Baits will take, that All this will I give thee, he thought sufficient to take with Christ himself; and there is but a very few escape him, the most are lulled asleep with those Siren Songs, and it had need be a cunning Ulysses that escapes the dangers. Very many Professors of Religion are led Captive, and their Affections growing warm upon the World, they grow cold upon God, for they cannot serve two such Masters. Who almost can escape blinding, when the dust of Gold is blown into their Eyes? But if these Promises succeed not, the Devil and the World have other Weapons at hand; Threaten, Menaces, Mocks, Scorns, Persecutions, Prisons, Gallows, Fire, and Faggot, or if need be, more horrible Tortures and Torments, and were it in their power, Hell itself should not be wanting, (but God keeps the Keys of Heaven and Hell in his own hands, let the Pope say what he will to the contrary.) If Nebuchadnezzar's Music will not allure, he hath a fiery Furnace to terrify. Oh, vain World! how great an Enemy hast thou been to those that loved thee best, and trusted thee most? How many have bewailed upon their Deathbed, the time they have wasted in thy Service, and how they neglected their great Concerns to hunt Butterflies, and mistake Earth for Heaven, and the Creature for God, and all this while sought Honey in a Wasp's Nest, and Content where it never yet was found? A Kingdom cannot content Ahab without the addition of Naboth's Vineyard, nor that neither. Many think their Burden is never heavy enough. Ministers that have two Steeples upon their backs, would have an addition; and one Kingdom is not enough for one Man: But one abused Talon will be found heavy enough in the Reckoning, and will sink him down into outward Darkness, Matth. 25.30. It will be a sad thought in Hell to think what a bad Bargain they made, when they sold their Souls, their God, their Heaven, and their Happiness, for those transitory, deceitful, fading, gilded Nothings, which they had in the exchange.  
The World deals by the Soul, as by the Body; Riches oft makes the Body so Nice, it cannot endure Hardship, but it takes Cold; and 'tis much ado to converse with the World, and not have our Affections cool as to Heaven. Frost and Snow are good for the Seed, though the Flowers like it not. The Devil lays so many Snares in the way, that he prevails with the most to abuse their Talents, to future their Repentance, and fool away their Salvation; and such dust-heaps are in every corner. The World may and must be used; but abuse it we must not, and abused it is when it promotes Pride, Luxury, Gluttony, or Drunkenness, Sloth or Idleness, Chambering or Wantonness, Cruelty or Oppression, or any other Lust of the Flesh; but of such Servants that abuse their Talents the World is full, and Hell also; but their Glass will be run out, when they think 'tis but newly turned; and their Master will come before they expect him, and give them a Reward. Prosperity doth not at all facilitate the work of Conversion, but frequently doth retard it. 'Tis hard for Rich Men to be crucified to the World, and the World to them; and therefore Christ in his time observed that it were the Poor that received the Gospel; and the Apostle tells us, not many great men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. And many woes are denounced against the Rich upon this Account; they lie under more Temptations than others do, and had need of a great measure of Grace to withstand them, and Self-denial to resist them. Many in a low Condition have strained at Gnats, who, when Promotion comes, have swallowed Camels: See this in Hazael. I know Poverty hath its Temptations also, and therefore Agur prays against Poverty and Riches. An Estate too big is as troublesome as one too little, as a Shoe too big is uneasy. A small Ship in a Storm can thrust into a little Creek or Harbour, where a great one cannot ride. He that is on the top of the Ladder of Promotion, will have a worse fall if his Foot slip, than he that stands on the Ground. 'Tis not the greatness of the Cage that makes the Bird sing, nor the greatest Estate that makes a Man always most content; but the Piece that God cuts us, and the Portion he gives us, is doubtless best for us, whatever our murmuring Hearts say to the contrary. The Grain of Riches oft breeds the Vermin of Pride, Luxury, and Sensuality; those that are full fed, oft wax wanton, and are oft dipping in the Devil's Sauce. Riches are such blocks in Heaven's way, that many ofttimes stumble at them, and never rise again. The Ruler, Luke 8.18. cheapen Heaven, but when he knew the rate, he went away without it. Hence 'tis Rich Men hardly go to Heaven, they have a Clog at their heels. Self-denial to great Persons is not easy, and where it is, the Cross is not difficult. Rich Men's shoulders are too tender to bear a heavy Burden; but there is seldom any passage à deliciis ad delicias, à Coeno ad Coelum, we cannot receive Christ's Wages for doing the Devil's Work; no leaping out of Delilah's Lap into Abraham's Bosom; there are but a few Stars of the First Magnitude shine in this Hemisphere, yet some there are. 'Tis not the having Riches, but the loving them, that is dangerous; not the using the World, but the abusing it, that is forbidden; 'tis he that maketh haste to be rich, that cannot be innocent, Prov. 28.20. Many Rich Men are like Children, that having both their Hands and their Mouths full of Meat, yet will part with none; but the Poor Man's Box would be their safest Repository, for that is not given but lent to the Lord, when what is kept will be lost. The Vertigo is not so dangerous to those that stand low, as to those that climb high. Many Men have their Heads turned by too much Drink, never by too little; and many a Man sells his Soul for Riches, never for Poverty; Riches are the thorns that choke the Word, and 'tis hard handling those Thorns, and not be pricked by them. Now, if they are so uncertain, and of so little use, why should our Affections run out so immoderately upon them? Great Men 'tis true, make a great stir and bluster in the World for a season, and then their Place shall know them no more, and their Wealth and Honours shall be left behind, Sic transit gloria mundi. Time with his  moweth down as well the Lilies of the Crown, as the Grass of the Field: Every days Experience checketh the fond conceit of Immortality, when many of our Youthful Gallants drop into their Graves before they are ware, as Men in a Snow drop into a Pit before they see it; and except Repentance prevent it, their Souls will lie in Hell, as Grapes in a Wine-press, or Pickled Herrings in a Barrel, (as one saith) or as Lime-stones or Tiles in a Kiln to be burnt. The greatest Men are but as Passengers in an Inn, the Goods they enjoy are but lent them for a Night, and they may say of them, as the Prophet of his Axe, Alas, Master, for it is borrowed. We should use these things as a Traveller doth his Staff, which he keeps or throws away, as it proves a help or an hindrance to him. When we go to Bed, we know not but we may wake in Eternity next Morning, and then whose are these? We should think never the better of ourselves, neither think we are the safer for them, for they cannot better or secure us; for what World we shall be in to Morrow we know not, and then it will not be much to us whether we leave Poverty or Riches behind us. Riches may make us more unwilling, often more unfit to die: They are like to Winter Weather, variable and uncertain; or like the Sea, ebbing and flowing; a double uncertainty always accompanies them; they may be taken from us, or we from them; sometimes our hopes are great, and then soon dashed: Yet how soon can the Devil blow up the bubble of Pride with the wind of Vainglory? 'Tis observed that a Covetous Man, a Sick Man, and a Discontented Man, though they possess much, yet can enjoy nothing; when a Believer, though he possess little, yet he enjoys all things, 2 Cor. 6.10. A Covetous Man cannot be Rich, nor a contented Man Poor; those that have God for their Portion, want nothing; and those that have not, have nothing that is truly necessary. If we search the World from end to end, we cannot find Happiness in it; and therefore in the loss of all Job was content, as knowing his Redeemer lived, and then his Happiness was not lost. In the World we find a little Honey, and many Stings; a little bitter-sweet Pleasure, and much Pain; but in Heaven there is Treasure worth the enjoying, And rivers of pleasures at God's right hand for evermore. And a Heart in Heaven would be a good Evidence for Heaven; if we love Pleasure, we shall enter into our Master's Joy; here Pleasure will be without mixture, measure, or end; if Riches be desirable, here are true Treasures; if we sell all to buy this Pearl, we make a good Bargain; here we may have Wine and Milk without money, and without price; here is no danger of coveting too much, the more we covet, the more we shall have; a true desire is the required condition of Enjoyment; the better we love Heaven, the better God loves us: We are in continual danger of losing the the things of the World, but Heaven cannot be lost if once made sure. In a word, the World daily exposeth us to the wrath of God, and the pains of Hell, and the loss of Heaven. See then, all these things considered, whether the World be of so much worth, as 'tis usually taken to be, and whether it be worth the Care, Industry, Pains, and Diligence we usually bestow upon it.  
Lesson 3. The shortness of your Daughter's Life, the suddenness and unexpectedness of her Death, teach us also the worth of Grace, and the necessity of a good Conscience; for these are the necessary Qualifications to fit us for Death, and to give us an Interest in Glory: We know neither the day nor the hour when our Lord and Master cometh, and woe to us if we are found unprepared. This Oil must not be wanting when the Bridegroom comes, nor the Wedding-Garment at the Marriage-Supper. If a bare Profession of Religion would serve turn for Salvation, than Christ's Flock would not be a little one; but many are called, but few are chosen. There are many in the World, that, like Uriah, carry Letters with them of their own Condemnation. For if Religion be not good, why do they Profess it? If it be, why do they not Practise it? The Lamps of Profession without the Oil of Grace, will not serve turn; 'tis but sparks of their own kindling, and notwithstanding these, they will lie down in sorrow, Isa. 50.11. Christ must be apprehended by Faith, and honoured by a Holy Life, by all those that shall enjoy him: He came to save us from sin, as well as from Hell, and never changeth the Relation, but he changeth the Nature and Disposition also; and is the Author of Sanctification, as well as of Justification, Rom. 8.30. For this Golden Chain cannot be broken: There is nothing but the Life of Grace, and the Death of Sin, can make us fit for the Life of Glory; for if Sin die not before us, we must die eternally. Now, we know not whether we have a day to live, or what may be in the Womb of the next Morning; and is it not then time to look about us, whether we are prepared to die or no? We usually prepare for a Journey before hand, especially if it be long; and for a Fair or Market, before it comes. The Soldier will not Encounter his Enemy without his Armour; and dare we grapple with Death unprepared, who is the King of Terrors, and a Terror to Kings? We have not Flesh and Blood to wrestle with, but Principalities and Powers, and spiritual wickednesses in high places, Ephes. 6.11, 12. And 'tis a thousand times better to meet an Enemy without Armour, than Death without Grace. Now, this is our time to get Grace, and we know not how soon the Market will be over, and Night come, when no man can work. Upon this little Inch of Time depends Eternity, our Everlasting well as ill Being. The greatest Weights hang upon the smallest Wires. Grace, though it cannot prevent Death, yet it sweetens it, and steels the Heart against the dint of it; this made Old Simeon sing that Swanlike Song, Luke 2.29. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace, etc. And Paul, desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. And though Grace now be disrespected, it will prove the best Flower in the Garland, and the most Orient Pearl in the Crown. This is the Key that must let us into Heaven, when the World will prove a Bar to keep us out; it will prove a Comfort at Death, when the World will prove but Vexation. Grace and Peace were the choicest Jewels the Apostle could wish to those he loved, Heb. 3.25. 1 Pet. 1.2. Riches, Honours, and Pleasures are not of so great a value, but others are not of this mind. The pleased Face of God cannot be seen but in this Mirror; when all other things vanish into smoke, this will endure; this fetches Water from the Fountain, Light and Heat from the Sun, and all that good is comes in at this Door. Sin is the only  between God and the Soul, and Grace the Reconciler. Now, that I may show you something of the worth of Grace, and the Necessity of it, I beseech you observe well these following Considerations.  
1. Consid. Grace and a good Conscience are abundantly useful and necessary even in the Affairs of this Life, as well as hereafter, to carry us through the World with comfort and content, which cannot otherwise be had, and miserable are those that want it, however they may dream they are happy. Many are the Troubles we meet with here, and 'tis Grace that keeps the Heart from sinking under them: The most pinching Calamity, and the most smart 〈◊〉 Rod are by Grace cheerfully endured. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord will deliver them out of all; but 'Tis Faith must suck sweetness from this and the like Promises: But what Comfort flows hence to those that have not Faith? A Godly Man knows, Through many tribulations he must enter into heaven. What is this to wicked Men, when they shall be violently thrown through these Briars and Thorns into the Pit of Hell. David could say, It is well for me that I was afflicted, Psal. 119.71. It was a Furnace to refine him, and purge away his Dross, but where it meets with nothing but Dross, it will consume. Fish will live and grow best in cold and salted Waters; and 'tis said of the Wallnut-tree, the more 'tis beaten, the better it bears; and of the Camomile, that it spreads best, when 'tis most trod upon; so do God's Vines, the more they are pruned and pricked, and made to bleed, quae nocent docent, a Lesson set on with whipping, is best remembered. But observe, there must be Life in the Fish, before they can grow; and in the Trees, before they can bear; and in Christians, before they can thrive by Affliction: Hewing may make a Tree fit for the Fire, but not more fruitful, if it have no Life. Affliction makes a good Man better, but a bad Man worse, who are under the Rod like wild Bulls in a net, Isa. 51.20. Impatient, and Turbulent, Swearing, Ranting, and Blaspheming, Rev. 16.9, 10.21. Clear Water, when 'tis shaken in a Glass, remains clear, but if there be Mud at the bottom, shaking discovers it; the rottenness of the Lungs discovers itself by the breath, and if there be rottenness at the Heart, it will appear by the unsavoury belches at the Mouth. Holy Job was not of this Humour, he is the same in Prosperity and Adversity; on the Throne, and on the Dunghill; for he blessed God for taking away, as well as for giving, Job 1.21. A Believer is satisfied Affliction cannot separate him from God, and then he fears not any other separation. Paul and Silas can sing in a Prison, when many a Man trembles in a Palace. Philpot and his fellows can be as merry in the Bishop of London's Coal-house, as the Bishop can be in his Bed of Down. God and a good Conscience are good Companions in a P●ison, and a guilty Conscience is a bad Companion in a Palace, as Nero and many others have experienced. Grace made Daniel venture boldly on the Lion's Den, and the three Worthies upon the Fiery Furnace, and was David's Comfort at Ziklag, when Saul in his Troubles went to the Witch, or rather to the Devil for help. And as Grace and a good Conscience bear up the Head above Water in Affliction, when others sink, so also it bears up the Heart against Reproaches, and is a special Antidote against the Poison of Venomous Tongues, and indeed nothing but Sincerity can do it; this beats back the Reproaches into the Reproacher's Face, and helps to cast this Burden on the Lord, as knowing in due time he will clear the Innocent, and will not let the Guilty go free. Now, Reproaches is a Burden, that those of whom the World was not worthy, had a share, Heb. 11.36. and the best of Men had a portion; and some drink very deep of this Cup, as David, Jeremy, Amos, Elisha, Isaiah, yea, and Christ himself, Luke 16.14. And none on this side Hell have suffered more of this kind than the Godly have done, and none on this side Heaven have born it better, and it is Grace that enables them so to do. Innocence is no Target against Calumny, Contra Sycophanti morsum non est remediam, no Shield against the backbitings of a slanderous Tongue, but Grace it is that keeps the Poison from the heart. In the Primitive Times, and in later days, none have been more reproached than true Christians, that Machiavilian Principle hath been exactly imitated, Calumniare audactis aliquid saltem adhaerebit, Reproach freely, something will stick; if the Wound be cured, the Scar will remain: But Believers Innocency Triumphs in the Conscience of their greatest Accusers, and they can say as Job, Till I die, I will not leave my Integrity, Job 27.5, 6. If there be fair Wether within, no matter what Storms are without; if the Bird in the bosom sing sweetly, no matter what others say or swear. Christ himself, though free from Sin, yet was not free from Reproach; he was called a Drunkard, a Glutton, a Companion of Publicans and Sinners, an Enemy to Caesar, a Blasphemer, one that was a Samaritan, and had a Devil, and cast out Devils by Beelzebub, the Prince of the Devils; they buffered him, spit in his Face, and mocked him. But a good Conscience wipes off all these Reproaches, and casts them back into the Reproacher's Face, and 'tis better than a Thousand Witnesses, either in accusing, or excusing; if Conscience Accuse, the World cannot Justify; and if it be clear, no matter though all the World condemn us. In this case of false Accusation, Christ bids us rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great will be our reward in heaven, Mat. 5.11, 12. When the Apostles were beaten before the Counsel, they went away rejoicing, that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ, Acts 5.41. They knew this would add weight to their Crown of Glory; and would not accept of Deliverance, like those, Heb. 11.35, etc. But Ahithophel, for want of Grace, under far easier Trials, hanged himself: Grace makes Men trust God when Deliverance is out of sight, when others cannot; for while their chiefest Treasure is safe, they are well enough; they know if they lose all for Christ, they shall lose nothing by him; but shall have in heaven a more enduring substance. They can live upon their Faith, and upon their Hope, when all things else fails them, like the Church, Heb. 3.17, 18. Though all outward things fail, yet the Heart established with Grace will not down; they know there is Balm enough in Gilead, and Oil enough in the Horn of their Salvation. And though the Pipes are cut, there is Water enough in the Fountain; though the Creature cannot help, the Creator can; His hand is not shortened, that he cannot save, nor his ear heavy, that ●t cannot hear. If God (said the Martyr) take away my Meat, he will take away my Hunger; one Meals-meat will suffice a Moses, an Elijah forty days; for God hath promised, and he will perform it, that the Righteous shall want nothing that is good; The just shall live by Faith; and the Prayer of Faith is the Key of God's Treasury; those that have it, and know how to use it, may fetch out what they please. Job will trust God, though he kill him, though by Affliction he crush ●he very breath out of his Body, yet will he not ●oose his hold, he shall not be so short of him. Dum spiro spero (saith a Believer) nay, Dum ex●iro spero, The Righteous Man hath hope in his Death. The Woman of Canaan would not be beaten off with two or three repulses; like Jacob, she wrestled with God, till she got the Blessing. Grace ●s to the Soul, as Ballast is to the Ship, it makes ●t more steady, when otherwise it would be fluctuating, and wavering. A Gracious Man, like Caleb, follows God fully, and keeps himself unspotted in the World; Grace keeps the Heart from desponding under the darkest Dispensations of Providence, though Trouble hang long on; ●et he that believeth, will not make haste. This, ●●ke a Skilful Physician, will extract Sovereign Antidotes out of the rankest Poison. David got good by Affliction. If there be no help in the World, Faith will make a Journey to Heaven, and fetch help thence, and engage God himself in the Quarrel, or sue him on his own Bond. Thou hast said (saith Jacob) thou wilt do me good; deny it if thou canst, therefore I expect thou shouldst make good thy Promise. Grace is the whole Armour of God, wherewith we grapple with Sin, the World, and the Devil, Ephes. 6.13. The Shield that beats back the fiery darts of Satan: A Catholicon, an Universal Medicine against all Maladies, of Soul, or Body: And as it helps us to bear all Burdens, so 'tis a qualification, without which we are fit for no Relations, no Offices or Places, in Church, or Commonwealth; nor to perform any Duty to God, or Man: Though Grace cannot fit every Man for every Office, Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius, yet 'tis such an Ingredient, without which a Man is fit for no Place, neither can he perform the Relative Duties of any; such an O●ye, cannot Preach, nor Pray, Read, nor Meditate, as he ought, or perform any Ministerial Function; he is neither fit to be Magistrate, Minister, Husband, Wife, Parent, or Child, Master, or Servant; for without Grace he can never do the Duties of these Relations, for all these Relations require Grace. Now, Grace being so necessary in the whole course of our Lives, let us above all get, get Grace.  
2. Consider, if Grace be so necessary in the Affairs of this Life, then doubtless 'tis much more useful in the concerns of another, when nothing else can stand us in stead. If it will fit us to live, it will much more fit us to die, and to leave the World; it will bear up the heart under the direful Apprehensions of Death itself, it will defend the heart against the venomous Darts thereof, and keep the heart from desponding under the apprehensions of it. When Gold and Silver, Gems and Jewels will do little good, a Man armed and fortified with Grace, will dare to meet this Enemy in the Field, and treat him as the Apostle doth, 1 Cor. 15.55. O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? etc. The bravest Challenge (saith one) that ever rang in Death's Ear; for when the Heart is defended with this Shield of Grace, no venomous Dart can ever pierce it; the sting is to such taken out, and they may put the Serpent into their Bosom; 'tis a conquered Enemy, lying prostrate at their Feet; or rather an Enemy to Nature, but a Friend to Grace; the same blow that kills the Body, sets the Soul at Liberty. Now, he that hath his Soul garnished with Grace, and his Conscience purged from dead works. He that hath assurance of the Pardon of his Sin, and an Interest in Christ, in Heaven, and Glory, he will not be dashed out of Countenance with the rugged looks of Death. He that hath on the Wedding-Garment, needs not fear when he is called to the Supper. He that hath Oil in his Vessel, as well as a Lamp in his Hand, needs not fear the coming of the Bridegroom, nor the Servant that is watching, when his Lord comes home. Death may kill a Godly Man, but cannot hurt him; the worst it can do, is but to send him to his Father's House the sooner. Then Baca shall be turned to Baracha, Sighs into Songs, and Misery into Majesty; then shall the singing of Birds be come, then shall they take Possession of their Purchased Inheritance, and those Mansions of Glory prepared for them, John 14.2. Then they come to Age, and shall receive their Kingdom; the thoughts of this will comfort the heart of a dying Man, and make him say, with Old Simeon, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant departed in peace, etc. Luke 2.29. And with Paul, Phil. 1.23. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. He that had been in the third Heaven, no wonder if nothing would content him on Earth. Some clusters of Canaan's Grapes we meet with in the Wilderness, which makes us long to go over Jordan. 'Tis true, no Man loves Death for its own sake, neither can he, it is an Enemy to Nature; but when a Believer knows the only way to Paradise is under Death's Flaming Sword, and the only way to be freed from all Sorrow, is to suffer a little Pain; that one blow will free him from Sin and Sorrow, the Devil's Temptations, and the World's Allurements, and set him out of the reach of all his Enemies, even in the Bosom of Christ himself. Who would be afraid of such a blow? Or who would fear the time when his loving Father should send a Messenger for him, out of a troublesome World into Eternal Happiness, to wipe all Tears from his Eyes, and drive all Sorrow from his Heart? Can those that really believe there is a reward for the righteous, and that they are of that number, fear the time when they shall enjoy it? Can the Mariner after a dangerous Storm fear to enter into the desired Port, or a Prisoner to enjoy his Liberty, or a Sick Man his Health, or a Weary Man his Rest? Let those that enjoy their Pleasures, Treasure, and Promotions only for term of Life, fear the Expiration of their Lease, whose Lives do only defer their Torments: Let those, I say, fear Death, and well they may, and did they but know the sequel, it would send them trembling to their Graves. But I fear many that yet have honest Hearts, yet live at such uncertainty, that they would willingly spin out the thread of their lives to a great length, before they were willing to die, though it were accompanied with many Troubles, many of them under pretence they are not yet prepared, the more shame for them; is not their main Work done? Why then do they not set about it? What have they done all this while? If God should add Twenty Years more yet to their days, will not this be their Excuse then also? And think you, God will be thus put off? And is it not a sad thing, that the main Concern should be neglected, and time found for every thing else? But for wicked Men, there is no cause why they should desire Death, nay, great reason why they should dread it, as the worst of Evils; they leap but out of the Frying-pan into the Fire, out of a Temporal Misery, into Eternal Torments; and by hastening their Death, outrun their Happiness, and fall into endless Misery, which comes fast enough without hastening. But many of those mind no more their Eternal Concerns, than the Ox that perisheth: These Men either think Repentance is not necessary, or else that they have time enough to repent in, but ere long they will be sadly convinced of their mistake. Many hasten Death by their Intemperance, which yet they fear more than God himself. But to let these pass, I would have Believers be better acquainted with Death, than to fear it, for it cannot separate them from the love of Christ; and those that have the Riches of Assurance, cannot fear Death greatly, knowing when this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved, they have a building of God, a house not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens. And who will not part with Rags, for Robes, with a Cottage, for a Crown, and with a handful of Muck, for a handful of Angels? Now, this Assurance is the Top-Gallant of Faith, the Triumph of Trust, and the Sweetmeat of the Feast of a good Conscience, where there are many dainty Dishes, but this is the Banquet; 'tis Heaven upon Earth, and such a Jewel no wicked Man upon Earth can know the worth of it, any more than Aesop's Cock did of the Precious Jewel. When the love of Christ warms the Heart, it raiseth the desires of stricter Union and Communion with him, and a fuller Enjoyment of him, which will never be satisfied till the full fruition in Glory. He that loves God better than Father and Mother, etc. will part with these for his sake. If we hate Hell, we shall not so earnestly desire to live in the Suburbs of Hell. We complain of Sin, and well we may, it being the cause of all our Misery; but did we hate it as we ought to do, we should be willing to die, that we might be rid of it; for when we enter through this straight Passage, and narrow Way, we shall leave this and all other Burdens behind us. We pretend we would serve God without Distraction, and shall we fear the time and place, when and where it can only be done? But till Grace be in the Heart, Heaven itself cannot be desirable; the Employment, the Company, and Society cannot please a Wicked Man. But Grace enables a Man to see that Death itself cannot break the Marriage-Contract between Christ and the Soul, but then the Marriage will be fully consummate; and when the Soul is separated from the Body, it shall by the Angels be carried into the Bosom of Christ, where sin and sorrow shall be no more. Those that are sufficiently satisfied of the vanity of the World, the emptiness of the Creature, the fullness of Christ, and the worth of Heaven, we cannot rationally imagine but they will be willing to part with one, to enjoy the other; in Earth we shall never meet with Content, or Satisfaction; in Heaven we shall meet with no Disappointment, Troubles, or Vexations; will a Wise Man choose a Prison, or a Pest-House for his Habitation, if he might have a Palace? Or any but a Madman dwell among the Tombs? The World is all this, and much more: He that looks upon the World as an Enemy, and the Body but a Screen between God and the Soul, will not be unwilling to have both removed: Will not a sick Man desire his Health, and an hungry Man his Meat, a Captive his Liberty, and a Soldier the Victory, the Husbandman the desired Harvest, and the Labourer his Wages? And why then should not Christians long for the time when they shall receive at God's hand the promised Reward, for all they have done, and suffered, for the sake of God? Shall those that have done and suffered so much for Heaven, now be unwilling to have it when offered? The Assurance of Eternal Life may make us willing to leave these our Temporal Enjoyments. Well then, you see though a small measure of Grace cannot overcome all Difficulties, yet there is nothing else but Grace can fit us for Death, or enable us to grapple with it: And therefore above all get, get Grace.  
3. Consider, Grace is such a Qualification, that without it we can neither please God, nor enjoy Him, who is our Chiefest Happiness. Heb. 11.8. Without Faith 'tis impossible to please God. These are the Ornaments of a Christian, the Gems and Jewels that make him lovely in the sight of God, the Gold tried in the Fire, the white Raiment, the Spiritual Eyesalve, which God adviseth Laodicea to buy of him, Rev. 3.17, 18. greater Riches than the Indies can produce: Christ and Grace go together, he that hath one will have the other also; without Grace all our Duties are worse than nothing, abominable Sins; for how can pure Water come from a polluted Fountain? The Heart by Nature is an Augean Stable, full of Filthiness, but without Holiness we shall never see God, Heb. 12.14. We may fast and pray, and give Alms with the Pharisee, Mat. 6.1, etc. and offer Sacrifices, etc. with those Isa. 1.11, etc. and God will not regard us; though it be commanded Duties, if they proceed from a rotten Heart, or be performed for a by end, the Sacrifices of the Wicked are an abomination to God: The Incense of the Wicked stinks of the Hand that holds it, their Good Words are uttered with a stinking Breath, though they may be materially good, they are formally evil; a good Motion cannot proceed from a soul Mouth, these men deny in their Lives what they profess with their Lips; they are like the Aethiopians, black all but the Mouth; some of them are fair Professors, but foul Livers, dicta factis crubescunt, their Practice shames their Profession: You may see how such Men's Sacrifices are accepted, Isa. 66.2, 3. The Fountain must be cleansed, or the Streams cannot be sweet; the Tree must be good, or the Fruit will be bad: Whatever proceeds from a Wicked Man, smells of the Cask. If the Heart be right, God accepts of Pence for Pounds, Mites for Millions; and esteems a Man as good as he truly desires to be, Dat been dat multum, qui dat cum munere vultum, God loves a cheerful giver, and esteems the willingness of the Mind, before the worth of the Work; the more of the heart is in the Sin, the worse; but the more of it is in the Duty, the better, God loves no heartless or grumbling Service; My son (saith he) give me thy heart, Prov. 23.26. David's intention to build God an House, was accepted, as if he had done it. So in Abraham's Offering his Son, the Widow's two Mites, were accepted, as if it had been an Hundred Pounds. But if Grace be wanting, though a man give all his goods to the poor, and his body to be burned, it is not accepted, 1 Cor. 13.3. Hypocrites blow their Gifts as Butchers do their Meat; yea, they are Flyblown till they stink again, but Grace is the Salt that makes it savoury; Grace is the best Evidence we have for Heaven, and a sure sign of God's Favour, for he will know them well he bestows it upon. He that believes and is baptised, shall be saved; but he that believes not, shall be condemned, Mark 16.16. God gives Crowns and Kingdoms sometimes to the worst of Men, but the children's Bread they shall not have, the rest is but Crumbs to feed the Dogs, or rather the  for the Slaughter; No man knows Love or Hatred by these things. The Sun shines as hot upon the Bramble in the Desert, as on the Cedar in Libanus; the Snow falls as well on the choicest Garden, as on the Wilderness; yea, the lofty Pine meets with more Storms than the Shrub; the Sun riseth upon the Good and the Bad, and the Rain falls on the Just, and on the Unjust; Wealth and Honour are handed out to the one, and to the other, and the worst have of the best share, and no wonder 'tis their All: Sometimes the Bramble is preferred before the Vine, the Olive, and the Figtree; but Grace is the distinguishing Badge, Christ's Sheep-mark, which never any but his own Sheep did ever wear: This makes a Man better, when the World makes him worse; this makes the heart cheerful, when other things make it sad, or sordid; yet the World contemns it, as Aesop's Cock did the Precious Stone. But at Death if this be wanting, the Door will be shut against us; and when we are launching out into the infinite Ocean of Eternity, we shall be glad of such a Pilot. This Garb I know is out of Fashion with our Gallants, but 'tis more durable than their Silks and Satins, and will better keep out a shower of Divine Vengeance than those; it will prove the best Flower in the Garland, and the richest Jewel in the Crown. The Rich Glutton would have changed his Garb with Poor Lazarus, and been contented with his Bill of Fare. Were the Mountain's Pearls, and the Rocks Rubies, and the whole Globe of the Earth were a shining Chrysolite, yet Grace excels it all; Crowns and Kingdoms, stately Buildings, Thousands of Rams, and Ten Thousand Rivers of Oil, will not reach the worth of Grace; this it is that opens the Door to the Pearl of great Price, Matth. 13.45. To the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephes. 3.8. It supports the Heart better than the choicest Cordials, and those that now most despise it, will ere long most earnestly desire it. When Death, like Belshazzar's Handwriting, enters their Lodgings, and Summons them to Judgement; when they shall wish the mountains to fall on them, and the hills to cover them, than Grace would be the best Security. This is the only Ticket will open Heaven-gate, the Evidence for our Title there: To a Gracious Man, though the way be rough, the Journey's end will be easy; though the Battle be sore, the Conquest will be certain, and the Spoils great; if they have a bad Dinner, they will have a joyful Supper; if they lose their Estate, they are going to better Riches; they cannot want that have God for their Father, Jerusalem which is above for their Mother, Christ for their Head and Husband, the holy Angels and glorified Saints for their Brethren and Companions, and Heaven for their Inheritance. God hath set his Seal, his Sheep-mark upon them, Holiness to the Lord, Zech. 14.20. Where God changeth the Relation, he changeth the Nature and Disposition; a heart in Heaven is one of the surest Evidences for Heaven; For where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. The best Treasure the World affords, what is it but the Guts and Garbage of the Earth, the greater load of it we carry, the greater clog it ofttimes proves in our Journey to Heaven, we cannot pass the straight Gate till we unload it. Many make Gold their God, and their Wedge their Confidence, but it failed Achan, his Wedge of Gold did serve to cleave his Soul asunder, and his Babylonish Garment proved his Winding-sheet. Covetousness is called Idolatry, because Men Idolise their Wealth; and Adultery, because they Prostitute themselves to it, and lodge it in the room of God. Oh, how good is that Counsel, that bids us provide bags that wax not old, a treasure in the heavens, that fadeth not away, Luke 12.33. Other things we cannot keep, and if we could, they would not avail us: But the true Treasure we cannot lose, 'tis durable as the days of Heaven, and will run parallel with the longest line of Eternity. When others therefore grasp for Gold, let us grasp for Grace; for Godliness will be found great gain, 1 Tim. 6.6. But those that make haste to be rich, shall not be innocent, Prov. 28.20. 'Tis not Gold; but Grace; not Money, but Righteousness, makes the Soul Rich. A Gracious Man, thought his Habitation be below, his Conversation is above; and when Heaven is his Object, Earth will be his Abject. But if many Men's Hearts were anatomised, we might find the World there fairly Engraven, and nothing of Heaven would there be found. The Devil holds his black Hand over most Men's Eyes, that they cannot see the way to Heaven; and when they are blindfolded, he leads them, as the Prophet Elisha did the Syrians to Samaria, when they think they are going to Dothan; they come to Hell with hopes of Heaven in their mouths: They are like soft Wax, he can turn them into any shape. But Grace is the Soul's Ballast, that keeps it steady, and elevates it above the World, and gives it a Pisgah-sight of Glory; it mounts it upon Mount Tabor, where 'tis transfigured with Christ, and its Garments made white and shining. It gives the Soul those true Beauty-Spots, which makes her lovely in the Eyes of her Husband; But these differ from the Devil's Patches, whose spot is not the spot of God's people, Deut. 32.5. Grace is the Oil that makes her Chariot-wheels move swiftly, and keeps her Lamp of Profession burning. Many are the Promises God hath made to Grace in general, and to the several Graces in particular, both of things concerning this Life, and that to come; and many are the Privileges gracious Souls have in possession, and much more shall have in reversion; and many are the Love-Tokens her Husband sends her, and many a gracious Visit he affords her. 'Tis true, sometimes to try her Love, he hides himself behind the Wall, but then every sigh, and groan, and sorrowful complaint goes to his Heart; and when he hath tried her Affection, discovers himself again; he promises, and will make it good, he will never leave her, nor forsake her; that she shall want nothing that is good, and all things shall work together for her good. Sometimes indeed Physic is as necessary as Food, and Affliction is the best Tutor, David found it so; if they bear scars for his sake, he will change them into Beauty-spots; if he frown upon them, 'tis but for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will he remember them; weeping may continue for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Grace makes both the Person and Performances pleasing to God, 'tis the Incense he loves. 'Tis only the Gracious Soul that hath Adoption, Justification, Sanctification, Pardon of Sin, Communion with God, and that shall enjoy him for ever: This is such a Chain of Pearl, that the World, were it sold at the worth, cannot Purchase: Afflictions cause us to seek Promises, they send us to seek Faith, it sends us to Prayer, Prayer goes to God for help; Grace it is that differences between God's Children and the Devil's Brats, and will difference between the Sheep and the Goats, and makes a man more excellent than his neighbour; and therefore we cannot buy this Gold too dear.  
4. Consider, Grace will not only bring us to Death, but will do us good after Death, and here nothing else can do it; among other things it will qualify us to leave a Good Name behind us, which will yield a sweet-smelling savour in the succeeding Generation. When the Name of the Wicked shall stink, the memory of the Just shall be blessed, Prov. 10.7. If we be good, and do good, we need not fear but our Name will survive us. Now, A good Name is better than precious Ointment, Eccles. 7.1. The Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance, when the Name of the Wicked shall rot, his Lamp shall be put out in obscurity, and shall leave a stinking Snuff behind. The Names of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Daniel, and Job, and such like, how sweet do they smell in the Church of God? When Cain and Judas, Nero, Caligula, Domitian, and other such Persecuting Tyrants, are mentioned with detestation, as the Burden of the Earth, and the Plague-sore of the World; but with what Reverence do we mention the Martyrs that suffered under them? The Scribes and Pharisees, which were bad enough themselves, yet adorned the Sepulchers of the Prophets, and Righteous Men; and however the Godly are slighted at present, in the Generation to come they will be honoured, when the Name of all their bloody Persecutors shall stink. But this is not all that Grace will do for us after Death, for it will accompany us to Judgement also, which the World will not, cannot do, for it shall be burnt up, and if it could, would do us little good, 'tis Grace alone that can make the Judge our Friend. When Death hath left us, and we are rushing into the infinite Ocean of Eternity, Grace is our Pilot to steer our Course, and land us in the Haven of Bliss; and when we appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ, this is his Sheep-mark, whoever bears it shall stand upon his right hand, when all other wears the Devil's Brand, his Image and Portraiture, unmortified Sin, and there shall be thrust and crowded together with the Devil and his Angels upon the left. Grace is the Image of God renewed in the Soul, which he will own wherever he sees it; and he that confesseth Christ before Men, him will he confess before his Father, and he that suffers with him, shall also reign with him. There is a difference in this Life between the Righteous and the Wicked, the one are called the Seed of the Woman, the other the Seed of the Serpent; the Just and the Unjust, Believers and Unbelievers, Righteous and Wicked, the Children of God, and the Children of the Devil, the Wheat and the Tares, the good Fish and the bad, the foolish Virgins and the wise, etc. Now, 'tis Grace that maketh this difference, for by Nature we are all the children of wrath, digged out of the same hole of the Pit, and hewn out of the same Rock. God differenceth Men by these gracious Qualifications, and would have Ministers difference them also in their Doctrine, and not give Holy things to dogs. And as they are distinguished by God's Electing Love, and by the Operation of his Spirit, so have they a different Portion, both in this World, and that to come: The one feeds upon Heavenly Allowance, upon the sincere milk of the Word, and the bread which came down from Heaven, the other finds no relish in it; and in the World to come the one will have a Portion in Heaven, the other in Hell; but there are many will not believe there is a Heaven or a Hell, but ere long Experience will convince them. Now, the difference that there is, is God's own work, for there was nothing in us, or that could be done by us, that could deserve any thing at the hands of God, his Electing Love is the Spring and Foundation of it; He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. He sent his Son to Redeem them out of the World, to pay their Debts, to qualify their Souls with Grace, and after to bring them to Glory, when others remain still under the Devil's Bondage. When Faith hath knit that Gordion-knot between Christ and the Soul, and she can say, My beloved is mine, and I am his; when the Marriage is consummate between them, all that the Husband hath is hers, and what she hath is his, then may she lay claim to his Merits, his Righteousness, his Graces, and his Glory; and he partakes with her in her Sins, and in her Sorrows, all her Debts are made over to him, and he helps to bear her Sorrows; and upon this the Soul, though not Legally, yet is Angelically Righteous; God changeth both the Relation and also the Disposition. By Grace Persecuting Saul becomes a Preaching Paul, and of Lion's Men are made Lambs. Now, God Adopts such for his Sons, and for his Daughters, and gives them the Privilege of Children, calls them by his own Name, sets them about his own Work, lists them under his own Banner, maintains them at his own Charges, and at last will lodge them in his own Bosom; when all the rest of the World fight under the Devil's Banner, and do his Drudgery. God hath a Reward for the Righteous, though haply they have little in hand, they have the more in Reversion; they shall have Eternal Life, when the other shall have Everlasting Torments. Hypocrites haply may counterfeit Christ's Sheep-mark, as some have done the Broad Seal, but though they may deceive others, haply themselves, yet can they not deceive God; the Lord knoweth who are his. The Inscription of his Seal is, Holiness to the Lord; and they cannot put off their Bristol Stone for a true Diamond. But as I told you, Grace will not leave a Man till it bring him to Judgement, and speak for him to the Judge, who shall set him at his own right hand, when all other shall stand at his left. Oh, what a Glorious Day will that be, when so many Myriad of Angels and glorified Saints, each shining brighter than the Sun in its splendour, shall attend upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall surpass them all in Glory? But what a dreadful Day will this be to Wicked Men, when they shall see him whom they hated, to be their Judge; and they whom they persecuted and wickedly murdered, to be their Accusers, yea, sitting upon Thrones to Judge them also? Well may they call to the Mountains and Rocks to cover them, Rev. 6.15, 16. but in vain, for the Mountains melt at his Presence, and the Rocks are removed out of their places; Hell itself, that Dungeon of Darkness, cannot hid from him; For Death and Hell must deliver up their dead: But if they cannot stand before their self-condemning Consciences, much less before their Judge, before whose face their secret sins are plain and manifest, and then will they all say, they must hear that flaming Sentence of Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, etc. A Sentence breathing out nothing but Fire and Brimstone, Thundering and Lightning, Woe and Alas, Torment without end, and past imagination, Everlasting Fire, Eternity of Extremity, which the Heart of Man cannot conceive, nor his Tongue utter. To departed from God, is to departed from all that good is; into Everlasting Fire, here is the pain of Sense; both these make up the Damned's Misery, but the duration makes it complete. Here is the never-dying Worm, that continually gnaws upon the Heart, and the Fire that never goes out, but continually burneth both the Soul and Body. Now Sirs, what say you to this? Is Grace worth having, that prevents all this, and sets the Soul out of the reach of danger? Those, and those alone that are adorned with Grace, shall be crowned with Glory; for Grace is Glory begun, and Glory is Grace perfected. Is it now worth labouring for? Doubtless those that now deride it as Foolishness, will then be derided for their Folly. Set yourselves in the posture you will certainly be in at Death, and at Judgement, and then think whether you will make as light of it then as now you do, and whether Cups and Queans will then give you better content. No, no, the rudest Ruffian than would be the holiest Saint, and wish, with Balaam, to die the death of the Righteous. But a few feigned Desires, faint Wishes, and short-winded Prayers, will not serve turn; God hath linked Holiness and Happiness together, and no Man can break the Chain; many would do something for Heaven, if they might pick and choose their Duties; and leave some Sins, if they might retain others; they would dance with the Devil all Day, so they might sup with Christ at Night; they would do the Devil's Work, but have God's Wages, and leap out of Delilah's Lap into Abraham's Bosom; they would be Dives all Day, and Lazarus at Night. But those that deride Holiness now, are not like to have the Reward of it hereafter, but then they shall see those very Men that now are at the Bar, shall then be at the Bench, 1 Cor. 6.2. and shall judge their Judges, and those that have been unjustly judged, shall have their Cause called over again, and shall recover Costs and Damages; and woe to those that have offended any of those Little Ones, that trust in God, for their Avenger is strong. Wicked Men have no more forecast for their Souls, than Fools have for their Bodies; but they will pay dear for their Folly, for when the Saints shall shine in Glory, they shall be cast into a Dungeon of Darkness; when God lays up his Jewels, he will throw out his Muck-heaps; when he fans his Wheat, he will burn the Chaff; the one must go into Everlasting Torment, the other into Life Eternal, Matth. 25. last. Now, Reader, if thou wouldst know what Road thou art Travelling, or what Place thou art like to Land in, consider whether Grace be thy Pilot, and God thy Polar Star, if not, thy Condition is dangerous, and thy Course unsafe.  
5. Consider, Grace will not leave us thus, for its work is not done when the Judgement is over, and the Sentence past, for 'tis the only Treasure we take with us to Heaven, and will not leave us, till the Crown of Glory is set upon our heads, nor then neither, their work is not done. Indeed some Graces which imply imperfection in us, as Faith and Hope, or in others, as Pity and Mercy, may seem useless there; for how can we believe and hope for what we actually enjoy, except it be for the continuance of it? These will be swallowed up in the fruition of what we now believe, and hope for: And for Pity and Mercy, they want their Objects, there being no Misery in Heaven, and those in Hell deserve no Pity; here we have many wanting Brethren, whose Miseries call loud for Mercy, but there they are supplied; but Love, and Joy, and Delight, Desire, and Admiration, and such like, are not only continued, but much heightened in Heaven; as also our Knowledge there will be perfected, and the Faculties of the Soul enlarged. For as an enraged Conscience is one considerable part of Hell, so a good Conscience augments Heaven's Glory; when all Earthly Enjoyments, which made our Lives comfortable, forsake us, there will be a new Addition of Pleasures and Delights given in, the duration of them will be for ever; when others leave all that is comfortable behind, these will leave all that implies Misery, or Imperfection; Grace will be a constant Companion to Eternity, the Divine Love of God, of Holiness of the Saints and Servants of God, will never abate, but be much more enlarged when our Understandings are enlightened to know God better, for nothing but Ignorance can stave off our Affections from loving him, who is the chiefest Good: That Marriage-knot between Christ and the Soul is the Foundation of our Happiness, for from Union springs Communion, and the perfect Enjoyment of him in Glory, which is the Beatifical Vision. Grace here makes the Soul follow Christ through Good Report, and Evil Report, through thick and thin, and makes her resolve to have him for her Husband, though she have never a merry day with him; and is willing to run through Fire and Water to come to him. Oh, that I might enjoy those Wild Beasts that are prepared for my Torments, saith Ignatius Phileas. The Italian Martyr was deaf at the Persuasions of his Friends to forsake Christ, and blind at their Tears. True Love is like unto Fire, the more you blow it, the faster it burns; or like Lime, the more Water you pour on, the more 'tis enkindled; For many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Now, nothing but Grace can bear up the Head and Heart under those Torments and Tortures, but a Gracious Man can sing sweetly when it reins sadly, and trust God when Deliverance is out of sight, Hic labor hoc opus est. To fetch Comfort from God, when the World affords us none, is a Work of Grace, Hab. 3.17, 18. A spark of Divine Love once kindled in the Breast, never goes out. Now, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 13.13. there remains Faith, Hope, and Charity, but the greatest of these is Charity. And why? Because 'tis longest lived. The Wisdom of the Saints, as also the Folly of the World, is seen in this; the one respects Eternity, the other only this Transitory Life; things subject to Vanity and Vexation, that vanish as a curious Picture drawn upon the Ice in a Sunshine day, that soon dissolves into Water. The World is like a Lottery, Men come to it with their Heads full of Hope, and return with their Hands full of Blanks, and their Hearts full of Sorrow, for there are twenty Blanks for one Prize: There are many fair Promises made by the Devil and the World, but few performed; and our own hearts help to cheat us. But he that Trades in Heavenly Riches, never meets with disappointments, they will find it far beyond their highest conceptions. These things 'tis true, are hardly gotten, but will prove well in the wearing, and pay well for our pains. Heaven is not got so easily as the World imagines; when they moil and toil for the Earth, they think Heaven may be had with a wet finger, or into the bargain: They are like Timotheus, that dreamt that Towns and Castles fell into his Toils while he slept; they think, a Lord have Mercy upon us, will serve turn for Heaven, to waste them over, but they will find their mistake; the Way is narrow they must walk in, and the Gate straight they must enter, which they cannot do with a load upon their backs. We must work for Heaven, as well as wish for it; yea, wrestle and strive to enter in at the straight gate, 'tis the violent that take it by force; and if it be set to Sale, all must go to buy this Pearl. I have read of a Christian, that beihg offered great Riches and Preferments to change his Religion, he enquired whether it were durable Riches they offered him; he would deal for no Treasures that were not Eternal, nor sell his Immortal Soul for transitory Pelf; that Treasure that is subject to Rust and Rapine, will not do our work, but that which is as durable as the days of Heaven, and Eternity itself, which we may draw out a Thousand Years hence, without Rust or Canker: These outward things may draw Tears from our Eyes, but never will drive Sorrow from our Hearts; if we embrace them, we hug a Cloud instead of Juno, 'tis but to hunt Butterflies, to foul our own Fingers. A Crown, which is esteemed the top of Humane Felicity, is scarce worth (as one saith, that had tried it) stooping for if it lay in the street; for if we consider the Cares, Fears, Jealousies, Dangers, and Troubles that accompany it, we should not envy them the Honour that bear the Burden. 'Tis Wisdom therefore above all things to get Grace, and then we shall have Christ and Glory. Men make a great dust and stir in the World, and all for the Body, when there is not one day's Preparation for the Immortal Soul; many are ashamed to be seen in this Fashion, but were the Body transparent, and could we see their filthy, spotted, and leprous Souls through their Velvet Robes, they had cause indeed to be ashamed to be seen in the streets. Now, they matter not the Society of the Godly, but ere long they will never be troubled with it again. Now they want time to Examine themselves, as to their future Estate, but then they will have time enough to reflect upon their forepast Follies, the means they then had, the possibility, nay, the probability of their Conversion, and how they lost Heaven for a Lust, how they have been warned of this a thousand times, and that now it is too late, and the Door is shut, the Day of Mercy is over, and will never dawn again. God hath long expected Fruit, and finding none, will lay down his Basket, and take up his Axe, and cut down these fruitless Trees, and throw them into the Fire, and open the Floodgates of Divine Vengeance, and pour in upon them: All Hopes will then be taken away, and nothing but Despair left in the room. Now, where is the World, and what can it do for thee? But Grace will shelter from all this, those that have this Oil, shall go in, the other shall be shut out, Matth. 25.11, 12. What will these Men have to say for themselves then? Will they plead what Service they have done for God? Alas, this will not serve their turn, Mat. 7.22. Will they desire the Mountains to fall upon them, and the Hills co cover them? Alas, this cannot benefit them, Rev. 6.16, 17. What will the Worldling by this time think of his Portion? Will it prove currant Coin in the other World? Is not Grace now the better Portion, that will lodge a Man in the Bosom of Christ, and make him drink of the Rivers of pleasures at his right hand for evermore, amongst those Heavenly Choristers, the Angels and glorified Saints, singing Hallelujahs together, when all tears shall be wiped away, and sin and sorrow shall be no more: Where they shall be freed from all Miseries, set out of the reach of all Enemies, free from all Dangers, Temptations, Oppressions, and Troubles, in the perfect Enjoyment of all Happiness, and lie in the Everlasting Embraces of their dear Redeemer. Now, Reader, what dost think of Grace? Is it worth having? If yet to prevent the Furnace, thou fall down to the Idol, thy Blood will be upon thy own Head.  
Lesson 4. The Fourth Lesson this Providence teacheth us, is this, That seeing God hath taken away one in the Prime and Flower of her Age, and thereby manifesteth our Mortality, than it teacheth us, that the Godly have not long to suffer, for when Death comes, their Miseries are at an end, for Death will set them out of the reach of Danger; this is the last Enemy they have to grapple with, and this cannot hurt us, for Death doth but lance the Ulcer (which otherwise could never have been cured) and let out the Corruption; though it be an Enemy to Nature, 'tis a Friend to Grace; that blow that kills the Body, sets the Soul at liberty. Of all Men in the World, none are greater Sufferers than the Godly, read Heb. 11.35, etc. But though their Afflictions are sharp, they are but short; Heaviness may continue for a night, but joy comes in the morning, Psal. 30.5. Then their Sighing will be turned into Singing, and their Musing into Melody; this World is their Purgatory, and can they expect Pleasure? Nay, their Hell, all the Hell they shall ever have, and can they expect Ease? But here is their Comfort, they can through it, and beyond it, In the world they 〈◊〉 meet with tribulation, 'tis in Christ they shall 〈◊〉 Peace, John 16.33. The World to Believ● like the straits of Megallan to the Passenger, which way soever they bend their Course, the Wind is always against them: Though Wicked Men, like Dogs, worry one another, yet like Herod and Pilate, join both against Christ, and his Church; which ever is uppermost, they are sure to be under, for while there is a Devil in Hell, or a Wicked Man upon Earth, they can expect no Peace; Blessed are the dead therefore that dye in the Lord, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them, Rev. 14.3. Here they are, with the Apostle, in Prisons often, but a Goal-delivery will come, when they shall be freed, and their Enemies be sent to a worse Prison; then shall all tears be wiped away from their eyes, and sin and sorrow shall be no more. 'Tis here they have a Principle of Grace in them to direct their Course aright, but Corruption, like a Bias to the Bowl, draws them aside; they are like the Stars, whose Natural Course is from the West to the East, but by force of the Primum Mobile they are hurried from East to West. Regenerate men's Course is Heaven-ward, but they are many times like the Stars, Stationary and too often Retrograde: They are like the Bird of Paradise, with a Clog upon her heels, her Nature is to mount up, but the Clog plucks her down again; when they mount up in their Contemplations to get a view of Christ, they are like a Man that looks at a Star through an Optick-Glass, held with a Palsy Hand, sometimes, but 'tis seldom, they get a sight of him, but they shall have a clearer Vision ere long. They cannot deal with their Corruptions, as Abraham did with his Servants, leave them behind, when they go to Sacrifice; no, they say, as Ruth did to Naomi, Wither thou goest, we will go; and where thou lodgest, we will lodge; and where thou art buried, we will be buried, and nothing but Death shall part us, Ruth 1.16. But 'tis but a while, and a Believer shall be everlastingly separated from his sin, and will triumph over all his Enemies. Oh Death, where is thy sting? Oh Grave, where is thy victory? etc. 'Tis true, here the best have no pure Beauty, they have their form freckles, yet their spot is the spot of God's people, which will wash out, and not like the Leopard, not only in the Skin, but in the Flesh also; but then they shall appear without spot or wrinkle: Here all their Comforts are mixed, and there is no fire, but there is some smoke; 'tis not so there: Here they lie among the Pots, but there they shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. Then shall they exchange Earth for Heaven, Misery for Majesty, and a Crown of Thorns for a Crown of Glory, but what this Glory is, we know not, but shall then have occasion to say of it, as the Queen of Sheba did of Solomon's Wisdom, Much I have heard of it, but the one half was not told me. Paul, that had a Glimpse of it, saw more than he was able to utter, for no word in Humane Language could express it: We can no more set out Heaven's Happiness, than we can take the Dimensions of it with our Span, or empty the Sea with a Spoon. All we can do to get out of this Labyrinth is by a clue of Scripture-thread, and here 'tis but shadowed out to us according to our Capacity, so much as may set us a longing after the enjoyment of that, which eye never saw, ear never heard, neither can the heart of man conceive what it is: Now, the Eye hath seen much, the Ear heard of more, but the Heart can conceive of more than that; as that the Earth is a Globe of beaten Gold, the Sea of liquid Pearl, every Grass to be a Diamond, and every Sand a Ruby; the Air to be Crystal, and every Star to be ten thousand times bigger and brighter than the Sun, etc. for what can bond our Fancy? Now, if all these were realities, alas, it falls short of Heaven's Glory, these things fall under our Senses, but Heaven's Glory cannot; here is Joy without Sorrow, Light without Darkness, and Grace is here without Corruption: Here is a mixture of the one with the other, and many times an Ounce of Joy hath a Pound of Sorrow; we get sometimes a Pisgah-sight of Canaan, and suddenly are hurried back into the Wilderness, if not into Egypt; now Health, than Sickness; now Ease, than Pain; now Poverty, than Plenty: But in Heaven it will not be so, our Wine there shall not be mixed with Water, the Storm there will be over, and the Wether always calm and serene. But to come nearer to our business, our Happiness there will be partly privative, partly positive. I shall speak to those apart, and show you first what we leave behind us, and then, what our Enjoyment shall be, and all but as in a Glass darkly.  
1. At Death, and not before, we shall be freed from all our Sin and Corruption, which is the greatest trouble a Believer hath in this World, and indeed the cause of all other troubles, but at Death it shall never trouble them more; they may say of it, as Moses of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, Those you see to day, you shall see no more for ever. And is not this cause of Rejoicing? Sorrow follows Sin, as the Shadow follows the Substance, but the Cause being removed, the Effect will cease. This it is that spoils all our Duties, and makes them unsavoury unto our God; for the Fountain being defiled, the Streams cannot be pure; this is the  between God and the Soul, and this hides his face from us. We can never have Peace with God, or any assured Peace with ourselves, or the Creatures, till we break our Peace with Sin; for when God is offended, our own Consciences, and all the Creatures wait but for a Commission to molest us, or destroy us. The Waters of the Flood drowned the whole World, the Red-Sea Pharaoh and his Host, the Fire burned up Sodom and Gomorrha and the Cities adjacent; the Earth swallowed up Korah and his Complices, the Walls of Aphek slew twenty seven thousand of God's Enemies, 1 Kings 20.30. The Stars fought in their Courses against Sisera, the very inanimate Creatures take God's Part, so do the poor Infects; the Flies, the Lice, the Caterpillars, what Plagues were they to Egypt? As also the Frogs, the Hail, etc. And would have destroyed him, and all his Army, had not Moses interceded. And Histories tell us, that sometimes a Fly, an Hair, a kernel of a Grape, a prick with a Pin, have brought Great Men to their end. Hence it was that Augustine saith, he would not be in an unregenerate Man's condition for one hour for all the World, lest God in that time should take him hence by some Judgement, and send him to Hell. Now, though Sin have a Mortal Wound in the Regenerate, which cannot be cured, yet it will have a Being in them while they are in the Flesh, and these Sons of Zeruiah are sometimes too strong for them, but at Death these Anakims shall be overcome, Death will give them their Deaths-wound; the same stroke that separates the Soul from the Body, shall divide between Sin and the Soul: Now it sticks as close to us as the Skin to the Flesh, or as the Flesh to the Bones, or rather as one Bone to another, and much closer; for these may be separated, but the other not: 'tis like as the spots of the Leopard, not only in the Skin, but in the Flesh also, nay, 'tis in the very Heart, and not only in the Body, but in the Soul also, yea, in the very Power and Faculty of it, yet at Death a separation will be made; and this must needs be good News to a Believer, when his deadly Wound is cured, which is the cause of all his Maladies. Oh, happy day will it be to him, when he shall shake hands with his Corruptions, and give them a Bill of Divorce, and bid them an Everlasting Adieu; when he shall never have a proud, vain, sensual, or ungodly thought more to trouble him, or any that shall be unbeseeming God, or Godliness. Now he cannot serve God without distraction, but than it will be otherwise; no sin shall stand then as a Cloud to Eclipse the Sun of Righteousness, or cloud him from us. Now Sin makes a Godly Man a weary of his Life, and causeth many a sad and sorrowful Sigh, and many a Prayer it doth cost him, and many a struggling for the Victory; but than it will be had, and the War will be ended, and the Triumph obtained, when all Tears shall be wiped away, and Sin and Sorrow shall be no more; and for a Crown of Thorns, they shall have a Crown of Glory. There is nothing now but sin that hides God's Face from us, when these Clouds are removed, we shall see him as he is, and shall never see one frown in his face, nor one wrinkle in his brow, for Sin and Corruption, which are the only Make-bates, shall be left behind, for no unclean thing shall ever enter into Heaven; for though the Serpent did wind himself into Paradise, none of the Serpentine Race shall ever enter into Heaven, their place shall no more be found there, Rev. 12.8. And if he be cast out, his Works shall follow him; then the Saints will be Saints indeed, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, Ephes. 5.27. Their robes will be washed in the blood of the Lamb, and they shall no more delight to wallow in the Mire. Heaven that spewed out the fallen Angels, will not admit of any unclean thing; sin to the Godly is their greatest Trouble here, but what would it be should they be troubled with it to Eternity? I have read of the Indians, that enquired, where the Spaniards would go after their Death? And Answer being made, To Heaven; protested they would not come there among so Bloodthirsty and Cruel a People. This was their Ignorance; but this I say, should a Godly Man know his sin should accompany him to Heaven, it would be great cause of sorrow. Anselm affirms, he had rather go to Hell Innocent, than to Heaven with a Guilty Conscience. 'Tis a greater Mercy to be freed from Sin, than to be born Heir to a Kingdom, but at Death they shall have the Privilege of both; now 'tis their daily Complaint, O this hard, this proud, this hypocritical Heart! how shall I get it softened, humbled, and reform? But than it will be done, it will then be better than now we can desire, or expect; here the Understanding is clouded with Ignorance, there the scales will fall from our Eyes. Many a Man would ride a Thousand Miles, and give many Hundred of Pounds to have a clear insight into some of the Mysteries held forth in the Scripture, as of the Trinity, the Incarnation, Predestination, Redemption, , etc. And of some obscure Passages, Prophecies, and Promises, recorded in the Scripture: But there all shall lie open, and God's whole Contrivance in the work of our Redemption made apparent, to his Glory, and our Eternal Admiration. In a word, there shall no sin, or any thing that implies a defect, enter Heaven, for no such Weeds grow in God's Garden; there will be no imperfection of our love to God, our desire after him, or our delight in him; neither any distempered Passion, or Affection, for the Affections that there shall remain, shall be set upon right Objects, and agreeable to the Will of God. Oh, happy time! when shall it be, when we shall be rid of all our sins, that now keep us so low, and God at such a distance from us?  
2. As at Death we shall be freed from all sin, so likewise from all the Causes, Occasions, and Provocations to sin, from the Temptations of Satan and Allurements of the World; for as there will be no Natural Inclination to it within, so there will be no Provocation to it from without; for Temptation without, now proves the Bellows to blow our Corruption up into a Flame, it being as Tinder to the Fire, ready to catch upon all occasions. The Devil is a Powerful, Politic, Subtle, and Malicious Enemy, lying upon his lurches to betray us, 1 Pet. 3.8. He is always fishing for Souls, and suits his Baits according to our Inclinations; he hath such an Enmity against God, that he hates his Image where ever he sees it; and though he cannot raze it out, yet he will always oppose it, and seek to deface it; he is like the Scorpion, his sting is always out, and what Opposition either he or his Instruments can make against it, they will be sure to do it; but at Death we shall be out of his reach, and in a place of safety, where he cannot throw one Dart at us, nor shake his Chain to affright us. Now he gives us many Alarms, and if he finds us out of our Trenches, or neglecting our Watch, he is sure to surprise us, and to make a Prey of us; and were we not kept by the mighty power of God to Salvation, we could not escape being devoured by him. Now we have no quiet Day nor Night, nay, in our very Addresses to God, but he molests us with his Temptations, sometimes stops our Mouths, and ofttimes steals away the Heart in the time of Duty, and lays Snares for us where ever we go, or whatever we do; but the more Spiritual the Duty is, so much the greater is his Opposition: He spoils our Duties purposely to make God hate them, he takes great Advantage indeed by our own Corruption, and we shall never be rid of the one, till we are free from the other: Our Senses are the Cinque-Ports that lets in the Occasions and Provocations to sin into the Soul, and he sails in with the Tide of our Corruptions; he throws in many times Pestilent Temptations, and horrid Injections, which being resisted, become not our sins, yet are they matter of sorrow to think that our hearts are the Soil where such wicked Seed is sown; and 'tis matter of fear also, lest sometime or other the Temptation should be owned, and the Soul become Mother to the Devils Brats. Christ indeed, though free from Sin, was yet not free from Temptation; the Devil's Wildfire fell upon wet Tinder, he had no Corruption as we have to give it Entertainment. He seeks sometimes by his Temptations to make us have hard thoughts of God, yea, sometimes to question whether there be a God, or whether the Scriptures be the Word of God, or whether the Soul be Immortal, or die not with the Body, or whether there be hereafter a Life of retribution, etc. And many times injects thoughts of Pride, Sensuality, Hypocrisy, Revenge, etc. Now these, though not consented to, must needs be troublesome to think such Tares should be sown in our Fields, though if we cry out with the Ravished Virgin, it will become his sin, though our sorrow. He fits his Temptations, as the Fisher doth his Baits, to our Inclinations; if a Man be inclined to Drunkenness, he doth not thrust him by Head and Shoulders into the Alehouse, this would affright him, but stands behind the Bush, and sets a Companion to call him; for the Adulterer he hath a Delilah, some Beautiful Strumpet; if she be not Beautiful, he teaches her the Art to Paint, Spot, and use other Alluring Tricks: He hath a Wedge for Achan, and a Reward for Judas, and an All this will I give thee, for Christ himself. Now, while we are on this side Heaven, we are in continual danger, and great cause we have to dread these Snares, seeing so many are taken in them; if we resist them, we are like to be undone also; they that will not howl with the Wolves, are like to be devoured by the Wolves: If we escape with our Estates, 'tis well; if with our Lives, 'tis better; if the Devil cannot prevail by fair means, he will use foul. A Godly Man in this World is like an honest Matron that is confined in a House with some lustful Lecher, who is always soliciting her to Lewdness, and though she deny him with disdain, will yet give her no rest: So, though the Devil have a thousand Repulses, he will not desist; and if one Temptation sail, he will try another; though we cry out, with the Ravished Virgin, Deut. 22.25. yet sometimes he makes a Rape upon us, and injects his filthy Seed against our wills; but 'tis our Natural propensity makes us fear a Surprisal, our Hearts being so deceitful, Jer. 17.9. and so many tall Cedars so foully shaken in our days. But when Death comes, the Devil's Work is done, and nothing remains but that he receive his Wages; and though he and his Instruments trample upon us now, we shall then trample them under foot, Rom. 16.22. His Horn will be broken, and become a Trumpet for our Triumph. But suppose as much liberty were granted him in Heaven, as he hath upon Earth, to use as many Temptations, and spread as many Snares as now he doth, what would it avail? There will be no Corruption to work upon, neither any Bait that would be taking; suppose he should say to the Saints, All this will I give you, as he did to Christ, and a stronger Bait I know not of, any he hath. Suppose he should offer and really give them Crowns and Kingdoms to leave Heaven's Glory, and follow him, who would leave an Eternal Kingdom of Glory, for a Transitory, Earthly Dominion? Now indeed we live out of sight of this Heavenly Inheritance, and the things he offers are sensibly perceived, and hence it is he prevails with poor blind Creatures, that can see but under their Feet, but there the scales will be dropped from our Eyes, and we shall see the worth of the one, and the vanity of the other, one Glimpse whereof made Paul account all things here below as dirt and dung. It must be a lovely Object that will draw a Believer out of the Arms of Christ, and make him forsake the Glory of Heaven, something that must be better, and more lovely, but that is not in the Devil s keeping; no, no, his Work is done, and he will deceive the Nations no more. He works here upon Men's Ignorance, but there it will be expelled; here we live in danger, but there we are out of harms-way; we need not there fear his frowns, nor regard his smiles; for as he cannot tempt us, so he cannot hurt us; neither the World, which is his great Assistance, which here assists him in laying his Snares, and is the Bait wherewith he baits his Hook, but than it will be no Loadstone to a glorified Saint: Worldly Profit, Pleasure, and Honour, are here things that take with Flesh and Blood, but not in Heaven, they are not indeed here nec vero nec nostra; but then they will be mere non entities, and no such thing in being, as we call so here, for all Earthly things will be burnt up: Here we are in continual danger, lest some Sense or other suck in the Poison; we can hardly open our Eyes but we let sin into the Soul, something or other to provoke Pride, Passion, Covetousness, Uncleanness, or one hateful Lust or other; the like we may say of our Ears, and other Senses: No wonder then that Job made a covenant with his eyes, Job 31.1. And our Saviour bids us, Take heed how we hear. Almost all we converse with are infectious Persons, and have some Plague-sore running upon them. And may we not say of most Families, as of the Egyptians, there is not a House where some dead Person is not, nay, many whole Families, yea, many Parishes, where there is scarce one alive; 'tis a very Golgotha, a place of dead Men. Nay, our very Bodies prove Instrumental to betray the Soul; nay, every Creature we are conversant with proves no better, but prove Temptations to draw or drive away the Soul from Christ; and every Enjoyment proves a Snare, every Estate and Condition, whether we are Rich or Poor, in Honour or Disgrace, in Health or Sickness, in Pleasure or Pain, at Liberty or in Prison, Bond or Free, every Estate hath its peculiar Temptations; every Calling, from the most Honourable, to the Base; every Relation, Magistrate or Subject, Minister or People, Husband or Wife, Parents or Children, Masters or Servants, have their Temptations; Male or Female, Fair or Foul, Married or Unmarried, Young or Old, Poverty hath its Temptations, and Riches more; Agur's wish, Neither Poverty nor Riches, but Food convenient, seems the best Choice. Our Clothing oftentimes proves a Snare, if gay, to Pride or Arrogance; if poor, to Repining and Discontent. Our Table also becomes a Snare, if well furnished, to Gluttony, Drunkenness, and Excess; if not, to envy others that have better: So that there is not an hour free from one Danger or other, for Soul or Body, or both; our very sleep is not free, but pestered with vain or sinful Dreams, or fearful Visions of the Night, our Corruption disturbing our Fancy; nay, in our Lawful Enjoyments, Latet anguis in herbas, for no Enjoyment we have, but the Devil will wove it into a Net for our Feet, in licitis perimus omnes, we cannot look into the World, but one thing or other is making suit for our Affections; so that many times I have thought an Hermitage, or some secret Cell were to be chosen, free from the noise of the World, but such places are not without their Temptations, as Experience proveth; when we open our Eyes, we see Vanity; and when we open our Ears, we hear Folly; something that tends to provoke to some base Lust, Pride, Vainglory, Lasciviousness, Envy, Malice, Revenge, or suchlike; or otherwise we see or hear some Command of God broken, which should provoke our sorrow. So bitter and malicious an Enemy the Devil is, if he cannot keep us out of Heaven, he will make the way thither troublesome; and the World is such a sworn Enemy to us also, not only in our Civil Enjoyments, but in our Spiritual Duties, in our Addresses unto God it proves a hindrance, and our own Hearts prove treacherous; these Fly-blow our Duties, yea, make us pride in our Graces; ●ea, to be proud of our Humility, if we look not about us. Now, who would desire to live among all these Snares and Temptations? but here is our comfort, Death will free us from these and all others whatsoever, and set us out of the reach of danger; for the actual Enjoyment of God, and Christ, and Heaven, and Glory, will wholly take us up, that we shall have no time for, no mind to these things.  
3. As at Death they are freed from Sin, and the Occasions of Sin, from the Devil and his Temptations, so are they also from his Instruments, which Christ calls his Children, John 8.44. Ye are of your Father the Devil, and the works of your Father ye will do. They have the same Nature and Disposition he hath, viz. a hatred to God and Godliness, for where ever they see the Image of God, they pour Contempt upon it, and hence it is they Persecute the Righteous for Righteousness-sake, whatever they pretend to the contrary. But in Heaven the Saints shall hear no more of this grinning Language, but shall be free from not only the violence of Hands, but the strife of Tongues; There the wicked shall cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest; there the Prisoners rest together, and hear not the voice of the oppressor; the small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master, etc. Job 3.17, etc. This Life is the day of Temptation, and the hour of Darkness, but at Death it will be over; the Enemy may, and ofttimes doth persecute the Godly to Death, but cannot reach them after, except they Triumph over their dead Bodies, as they did over the Witnesses that were slain, but when they arose again, their Sport was spoiled; this was but over their Bodies, but their Souls they cannot reach, no Torment can touch them; and though they burn their Bodies, or rend them into a thousand pieces, yet the least Atom of them shall not be wanting at the Resurrection: There are none in the World that carry themselves more inoffensively than they do, yet never any meet with harder measures from the World than they do, and the reason is because the World hates them for Christ's sake, and no wonder, it hated him before it hated them. Jeremy wonders why every one cursed him, that had neither given nor taken upon Usury, Jer. 15.10. The Apostles that wronged none, but only laboured the Conversion and Good of all, met with hard dealing in the World, as we may see, 1 Cor. 4.9, etc. and 2 Cor. 11.23, etc. And from them we may know the World's Wages, and what to expect from them: Their Persecutors were sharp and severe, Verberibus pluunt colaphis grandinant, 'tis the practice of bloody Persecutors to endeavour to effect that by Arms, they cannot do by Arguments; as when the Apostle had confounded the Jews by the Scriptures at Damascus, they sought to kill him, Acts 9.22. But 'tis Ignorance that breeds the Quarrel, they are Ignorant, and will be so, for like Bats they eat the Light, and are like Barbarians, that curse the Sun when it shines hot upon them, Believers dare not run into the same excess of Riot, & hinc ille lachrymae, they hated Christ because he bore Witness their deeds were evil; and all a Believer's Sufferings are but a Chip of Christ's Cross; the seed of the Serpent will hate the seed of the Woman, for though like Dogs they worry each other, yet all join together against the Godly, as Herod and Pilate against Christ; Ephraim is against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim, yet both against Judah. Whatever the pretence be, to root out Holiness is the intent; they are instigated by the Devil, and they must needs go when he drives them, but 'tis a comfort he cannot go beyond his Chain, he cannot make a Louse, Exod. 8.18. nor drown a Pig, Mat. 8.32. nor throw down a House, Job 1.19. without leave, and his Chain will never suffer him to reach them in Heaven. Here they suffer by Hand and Tongue, but those Hands and Tongues will suffer hereafter, as we see in the Rich Glutton; here their Tongues are set on the fire of Hell, but then they shall be set on fire in Hell, when the Godly for their Crown of Thorns shall have a Crown of Glory. Here the Wicked whip their own faults upon the Saints backs, as Nero set Rome on fire, and laid it upon the Christians, and others since have taken the same course; but there will be a Resurrection of Names, as well as of Bodies; 'tis the Evening crowns the Day, and the last Scene the Play; when the Game is up, we shall know who loseth. Christ tells us, we shall be hated of all men for his sake. In Nero's time whoever professed himself a Christian, must die without further Trial, as an Enemy to Mankind; and in after-ages those that own Religion in sincerity suffer by those that profess what they practice. The Apostle bids us not to think it strange concerning the fiery trial, 1 Pet. 4.12. And Experience tells us, 'tis no strange thing; it is good to prepare for it, it will not come the sooner, but will be better born; yea, we should rejoice to be accounted worthy to suffer for Christ, 1 Pet. 4.13. I have read of Vincentius the Martyr, that laughed at his Tormentors, and walked upon hot burning Coals as upon Roses, and called Death and Tortures Jocularia & ludicra, matters of Sport to Christians; but whatever Tortures they suffer now, there will be none in Heaven; but the cry of the Souls under the Altar will be heard, for Vengeance against those that shed their Blood, Rev. 6.9. and those that shed it will have their bellies full of Blood; their Tyranny will be over, and their Place shall no more be found in Heaven, Rev. 18.8. It was a mistake of the poor Indians, that refused to go to Heaven, lest the Spaniards should torment them there. Wicked Men may here take away their Lives, but not their Graces; their Heads, but not their Crowns. Christianity is pretended by many, practised by few, when serious Holiness is loaded with many reproachful Titles; when their Innocency triumphs in their Enemy's Consciences, those that cast them out say, Let the Lord be glorified, Isa. 66.5. They deal by them, as Naboth was dealt with at Jezabels Fast, God's Glory pretended, Naboth's Death intended for his Vineyard; but God that searcheth the Heart, knows the bottom of the business: But those that really suffer for Christ, are truly blessed, and have cause to rejoice, Mat. 5.11. for they serve the best Master, who will not suffer them that either do or suffer for him, to go without a Reward; what is wanting in Possession, shall be made up in Reversion an hundred fold: They have something in hand, some of Canaan's Grapes to bear up their Heads and Hearts, but the best is behind. The Primitive Christians were reproached, that in their Meetings they used promiscuous Copulation, a Slander not yet forgotten, which did the Reporters really believe, it would be the strongest Argument to make them turn fanatics, as they style them, but their Innocency triumphs in their Enemy's Consciences; they are not able to prove against one single Person, what they charge upon the whole Society; many are the Reproachful Names they are loaded with, like the Primitive Christians, that were put into Beast skins, and then thrown to wild Beasts to be baited, and devoured; but God knows his own, though in a Disguise; the best of Saints have been accounted the worst of Sinners, but wronged Saints shall to Heaven, when railing Rabshakehs come not there; the vilest Sinners are sometimes dressed up in the Garb of Saints, but these Garments fit them not, but God will undress them ere long, and strip them of their borrowed Robes, than their Paint and Plaster will not abide the fire, and the dirt they threw into other men's faces will appear in their own. In this Life the Godly may have unlawful Edicts made to force them to sin, and to drive them from their Duties, as Daniel and his fellows had, and then they cry out, If thou let this man live, thou art not Caesar 's friend; then those that dare not run with them into the same excess of riot, are, with Peter, cast into Prison, or, with Jeremy, into the Dungeon, or, with John, banished into some remote Country or corner of the World, or by Torments end their Lives, whose Blood, like the Blood of Abel, will cry aloud to Heaven for Vengeance, for precious in his sight is the death of his Saints, Psal. 116.15. What the Wit of Man, or the Policy of Hell could invent, hath been poured out upon the best of Men, as in the Primitive Times, and in succeeding Ages, to this very day, none out of Hell have suffered more than they; but in Heaven they have a resting place, when their Enemies shall be in endless, easeless, and remediless Torments; then shall the Saints be set out of the reach of danger, and all their Sufferings will be made up into a Crown of Glory for them; for though they may (nay, 'tis odds they will) lose something for Christ, they shall never lose any thing by him; hence the Apostle adviseth us to rejoice when we fall into divers temptations, James 1.2, etc. As their Sufferings abound, so will their Comforts also, for God hath Cordials against fainting Fits. Now the Enemy's Triumph when the Witnesses are slain, but when they shall rise again their Mirth will be over; they are now but carrying Faggots for their own burning, or like Haman, making Gallows for their own Execution: Now their Hands are full of Blood, and their Hearts of Cruelty, but then they shall have Blood enough, even their own blood to drink, for they are worthy. Now God's People cannot Pray in their Families, or sing forth God's Praises, but one or other is offended; but then they shall Trumpet out his Praise without control, when their Enemies shall wring their hands in the dolour of their hearts. The thoughts of this Glorious Liberty made the Martyrs suffer joyfully the spoiling of their Goods, yea, to kiss the Stake, and embrace the Flames, and welcome Death as a Messenger of good News; then all the Floods of Persecution will be dried up, and the Church called out of the Wilderness, and the New Jerusalem shall come down from Heaven; then there shall be no more Tortures or Torments for them to suffer, no Schismatic wounded, and a Saint found bleeding; there will then be no more Divisions, but perpetual Peace, Love, Unity, and Concord, Eternal Enjoyment of God in Glory. Oh, what a happy Change will this be! who would not rejoice in the foresight of this, and welcome Death itself, that must put us in the Possession of it?  
4. At Death a Believer is not only freed from the Devil, the World, and Sin, and all his other Enemies, but also from all the direful Fruits and Effects of Sin, which he cannot be till Death sets him free, and this will be to no small Advantage; for though Sin in a Believer hath its Deaths-wound, yet so long as it hath a Being, (and that will be while he hath a Being in the Flesh) it will have its Fruits and Effects, such as these, Losses, Crosses, Sickness, Sorrows, and Death itself; for these, or some of these we shall be sure to have a share in while we live; but at Death, when Sin shall cease, the Effects will cease also; Sin and Sorrow always attend one the other, as the Shadow doth the Substance, but neither Sin nor Sorrow shall have any Being in Heaven; all Bodily Griefs, and Spiritual Maladies shall be removed, and Death must be the Physician. Our Bodies here are subject to many Distempers, and each one will have a snatch at us, as so many Angry Curs at a Passenger, but some by't harder than others do; and by reason of these Maladies we spend our days inter suspiria & lachrymas, between sighs and sobs, no day nor hour passeth, but something or other either doth, or well may disturb our Peace, or spoil our Sport. No perfect Consolation is here to be expected, in this Bochim, or place of Lamentation; for there should be some proportion between our Sin and our Sorrow, some storms of Sighs, if not a shower of Tears, for all Constitutions are not prone to weep; one hours sin may disturb many a night's sleep, as doubtless it did in David, when he watered his couch with his tears, yea, made his bed to swim, Psal. 6.6. His Bed that was Witness of his Sin, was Witness of his Sorrow also: But did our Lustful Gallants pay as dear for their stolen Waters as he did, they would take more heed God hath various ways to embitter the World to his People, when they let out their Affections upon it, he whips them home when they are playing in the Dirt. Some lie long languishing under Bodily Distempers, yea, in much Tormenting Pain, as the Colic, Stone, Strangury, Gout, and such like; the best of Men, the choicest Ministers are not always free, this makes them weary of their Lives, and, with Paul, desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, and to cry out, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. How many may we hear crying out, Oh, my Head, Oh, my Heart, my Back, my Bones, my Bowels, etc. These Bodies of ours are subject to a Thousand Infirmities, Diseases, Distempers, and Casualties, and by which Door Death will enter we know not: And some poor Creatures have few waking hours free from pain, for Grace itself cannot prevent Bodily Distempers, though it enables Men better to bear them: Yet all this is but a needful Potion, prescribed by a loving Father and a tender-hearted Physician. Oh Sin! how dreadful a Distemper art thou, that needest such bitter Pills, and unsavoury Potions? And how bewitching a Hag is the World, that needs so much Gall and Wormwood to wean us from it, and needs so much whipping before we are willing to leave it? These dusty, crazy Bodies of ours are tender Pieces, soon out of Order, and like curious Instruments, soon out of Tune, or like a Clock or Watch, if one Wheel be out of Order, nothing is in; or like brittle Glasses, they are soon broken, than the Water of Life runs out at any little hole. There are multitudes of tender Veins, and tender Membranes, Fibres, Muscles, Arteries, Bones, and Sinews in the Body of Man, and all obnoxious to Obstructions, Dislocations, Extentions, Contractions, Hurts, or Dangers, all which will cause Pains, Aches, Griefs, and Troubles to the whole Body; and were it not that these were preserved every one in its proper place, and enabled to do their appointed work, by an Omnipotent God, 'tis wonder that one day passeth and not many of them out of order; but however many are the wearisome Nights and Days many poor Creatures endure, and are like to do, till Death put a period to their Miseries. These Pains are but Death's Darts, and how soon he will hit us at the Heart we know not, and then Death itself shall be swallowed up in victory. And yet how loath are most Men to take Death's Receipts, though it be an Universal Cure of all Maladies? Now, if we have some lucid intervals, 'tis but like as in an Ague-Fit, to enable us to bear the next Fit. In these Earthly Tabernacles there are so many Doors, that some of them will be left open to let in Distempers, and Death itself, but in Heaven they can never enter: Here is a mixture of Joy and Sorrow, like Chequer-work of black and white, but the most part black; but there will be unmixed Joy, and pure Comforts. Heaven is an Healthful place, and no Sickness; a Joyful place, and no Sorrow; a Happy place, where will be no Cross; a Holy place, where will be no Sin; Holiness to the Lord will be writ upon the meanest Subject. Death at his coming will cure the Blind and the Lame; Mephibosheth shall not be lame, nor Leah blear-eyed: But Death cures not only Bodily, but Spiritual Distempers also, which are much more dangerous than the former; as Hardness of Heart, Blindness of Mind, Stubbornness of Will, Disorder in the Affections, etc. These cost good Men many a Prayer, and many a Tear, and many an aching Heart, these Sons of Zerviah are too hard for them, and these Anakims dwell in their Land; these rise up and lie down with them, and they cannot be quiet for them, they cannot go into God's Presence, but they enter with them, and spoil their Duties: But in Heaven the whole Soul and Body shall be made conformable unto God's Will, and no Distemper shall be found in any of our Faculties. In this World also the sins of others, as well as our own, are our Trouble, and help to add to our Grief; we can neither open our Eyes, or our Ears, but we see or hear something that offends God, and therefore should trouble us: We may daily see and hear God's Commands broken, the Gospel slighted, his Messengers abused, his People persecuted, and all manner of Wickedness committed. Here may we hear the Sacred Name of God blasphemed, his Worship scorned, all manner of Ribald, Bawdy, Lascivious, and Wanton Discourse promoted, Wickedness defended, pleaded for, tolerated, and practised; and is this no Trouble to a Gracious Soul? The Stews itself is fuller of obscene Discourse than many Companies are, with whom yet we have necessary Converse and Commerce. This made David's Eyes shed rivers of tears, Psal. 119.136. it clouded his Countenance, furrowed his Cheeks, and grieved his Heart; and vexed Lot's righteous soul, 2 Pet. 2.7. every Wicked Man was an Hazael to his Eyes, an Hadadrimmon to his Heart, cause of weeping and lamentation, for Gild and Grief are all we are like to get by such Company, but the Lord will take notice of those that are mourners in Zion, Ezra 9.4. But in Heaven there is no cause of Sorrow, because there is no Sin, the Laws of God there are never broken. Here Relations sometimes prove Thorns in our Eyes, and Goads in our Sides; some Yoak-fellows, that should prove Helps, prove Hindrances, not only in Heaven's way, but as to the World also. Oh, what a Grief 'tis to see a Wife or Husband prove a Drunkard, or a Debauched Person! Yet many a Godly Person hath been thus yoked. The like I may say of Children, or other Relations: Or were it but Bodily Pains and Tortures, which our dear Relations groaned under, it must needs be a Corrosive to our Hearts, to see them under Tormenting Distempers. Some also prove like Job's Wife, Tempter's. So Holy David may have a scoffing Michal, and a Wise Abigail a churlish Nabal. Children oftentimes prove Crosses; good David may have an incestuous Amnon, or a rebellious Absalon: Many good Children have bad Parents, and this is a trouble to see them going out of the World, before they knew why they came into it. Good Servants many times have bad Masters, and likewise good Masters bad Servants; and all this administers cause of Sorrow: But in Heaven these Tears will be dried up, for all the Inhabitants there will be perfectly Holy, and Righteous, and no Wicked Man among them. Many in this World are pinched with Poverty, and know not how to maintain their Families with Bread; their continued labour, and daily pains, moiling, toiling, carking, caring, rising early, and lying down late, is all too little to provide for a numerous Family, and to satisfy an oppressing, cruel Landlord, ready to drink up not only their Tears, and Sweat, but their very Blood; and much ado to get with hard Labour  to their backs, or Meat to their bellies, or to redeem a little Time for their Souls good, this must needs be an uneasy Life; and many times all their pains cannot keep them out of Prisons, or their Children from Beggary: These Poor Men many times have when they go to Bed, a bundle of Cares to lay under their Heads, not much easier than a bush of Thorns, and this is the Portion of many Godly Men. But Death will take this Burden, from them, for in Heaven there will be no racking of Rents, no grinding of the faces of the Poor; there will be Rest without Labour, and Pleasure without Pain; there is no domineering Tyrant, no oppressing Neighbour, these are gone another Road (if Repentance prevent not) to pay back those Tears with Interest they have drunk here so greedily. Here is no Bondslave or Servant to live in subjection, no naked back, nor hungry bellies to feed or cloth, here is Nectar and Ambrosia, God himself to feed upon. Here in this World Fears and Cares keep Men working by Day, and waking by Night; but 'tis not so in Heaven, there neither Pains nor Cares are necessary; they praise God for their Enjoyments, not beg for a supply to their Wants. Here the care of all the Churches are upon us, as upon Paul; and we sympathise with others that are in Misery, as Nehemiah did; and hence we can scarce open our Eyes or Ears, but we let some Grief into our Hearts, some Persecution or other we hear of in one part of the World or other, some suffering Saints, some Massacre, some Oppression or Persecution, which adds still to our Trouble; some Friend or other in Prison, their Goods seized, or they ruined, or those that have yet escaped are in continual fears and expectations that it will be their condition. Wars, and Rumours of Wars fill us with Distractions: But there are no such Disturbances in Heaven. Here sometimes we fear God is removing our Candlestick, and taking away his Gospel from us, and leaving us up to Egyptian Darkness; but this fear never troubles the glorified Saints, they matter not the Pipe, that can go to the Fountain. The consideration also of the Divisions, Rents, and Schisms, that are among Christians, yea, the holiest Men, cause many sad thoughts of Heart, when Ephraim is against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim, and both against Judah; when one Godly Man Speaks, Disputes, and Writes so bitterly against another, and are ready to dis-robe each other of their Graces. But in Heaven Luther and Calvin, the like we may say of other Dissenting Parties, will agree; one Heaven will hold that that now one Church cannot: There will be perfect Love and Unity, and no disagreeing Person or Party. Here likewise loss in our Estates, and disappointment in our Expectations, or in our Affairs, whether by the immediate Hand of God, want of Foresight, the carelessness of Servants, or the malice of Enemies, may disturb our Peace; Hardship and Trouble also in our several Callings and Employments: This makes us think that Part we Act upon the Theatre of the World is the hardest, and most uneasy. The faithful Magistrate, that sets himself against the sins of the Times, finds sad disappointments, and the desired Reformation not attained, he is ready to despond under his Burden. The faithful Minister, after all his hard Labour and Study to bring Souls to Christ, finds not the wished Effect, is ready, with the Prophet, Isa. 49.4. to despond. The like we may say of Parents, Masters of Families, and other Governors, that do what they can to bring those under their Charge to Christ, and cannot do it, are ready to faint under their Burden. But in Heaven all these Troubles will be over, there will be no Contention in the State, nor Trouble in the Church; no disorder in the Family, and nothing amiss in the Soul. These things, and many more cause our Trouble here, and will do while we live, but Death will prove the Funeral of our Troubles, and the Resurrection of our Joys. It was the rejoicing of a good Woman, that was a Martyr, that her Stake was put into the same hole that holy Mr. Philpot's was before her; and it may be some comfort to us that we are going the same way to Heaven that our betters have gone in before us, and we hope shortly to overtake them. But that which makes our Lives uneasy is, when God hides his Face from the Soul, as sometimes he doth; but in Heaven we shall never fear losing him, we shall never look into the Casket and miss the Jewel, we shall never see a frown in his forehead, nor a wrinkle in his brow. Now we find it a hard matter to wind up our Affections to God, than it will be impossible to draw them off him, than we shall leave all these Clogs behind us, as Elijah did his Mantle, when he ascended into Heaven. And this is the Lesson this Providence teacheth us, That our Troubles here may be sharp, they will be but short, the Righteous Man hath not long to suffer.  
5. But the Saint's Happiness at Death consists not only in freedom from Evil, but in the enjoyment of Good also. What they are freed from you have heard, what they shall meet with at Death rests to be spoken to; but who can sing the Songs of Zion in a strange Land? Who can describe that which eye never saw, ear never heard tell of, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of, viz. the Joys that are prepared for those that love God. Yet this I should speak to, but seeing I have treated of this in another Book, I shall be the briefer. Were their Happiness only in their freedom from Misery, it were no other than what bruit Beasts shall have, whose Misery ends with their Life; but Christ hath promised the pure in heart shall see God, Mat. 5.8. which cannot be in this Life, for no man can see his face, and live: Moses indeed by faith saw him that is invisible; and some Glimpse of him a Believer may have, but a clear Vision is only reserved for Heaven; and by seeing God, is meant enjoying him, for without that the sight will bring little comfort; for aught we know the Devils and the Damned may see him, as Dives did Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom, to their greater Torment. But to see him as he is, 1 John 3.2. is to enjoy him, and this is the Beatifical Vision, as Divines call it: Yea, we shall have as much knowledge of him as finite Creatures are capable of, we shall apprehend him, though not comprehend him, for we may as well think to comprehend all the Water in the Sea in a Cockleshell; for what is finite to infinite? Yet shall our knowledge of him be much enlarged, for here, the Apostle saith, we see but in a glass, but then face to face. But how God will communicate himself to us we know not, yet will he let us know as much of himself as is necessary to our future Happiness, we shall be like unto the Angels that always behold the face of God, Mat. 18.10. and for aught we know our Vision of him may be as clear as theirs; then will he see no iniquity in Jacob, and they will see no indignation in him. How we shall see God we know not, whether he will Spirituallize our bodily Organs, and make them capable of such a sight, or whether he will only present himself to the Eye of the Mind, is not much material to us, it is sufficient we shall see him to satisfaction, and by seeing him enjoy him; we shall then know him whom to know is eternal life, John 17.3. There are many Mysteries, the perfect knowledge of them is reserved for Heaven, as the Mystery of the Trinity in Unity, of the Incarnation, of the Hypostatical Union, of God's Electing Love, the Mystery also of our Redemption, and many more, which call rather for Faith to believe, than Demonstration to prove; but then they will be fully unfolded, and we shall see infinite Wisdom in the contrivance, and a sweet Harmony among them, and that which was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness, will then be made manifest to be perfect Wisdom. Indeed Knowledge in itself now is excellent, more bright than the Morning, or the Evening-star, but what will it be when perfected, when 'tis freed from all the dregs of Error, and refined from all the Dross, Chaff, and Bran that now accompanies it? which cannot be in this World. Here we are hindered from the Enjoyment of God by our Corruptions, for he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity with approbation; but when those spots are washed away, and those Blackamoor skin's changed, we shall walk in white, and follow the La●b whithersoever he goeth. We need then no Ministry, nor Ordinances, who are the Pipes through which the Water of Life is conveyed, for than we shall go to the Fountain. Here we have a taste of Canaan's Grapes, but there is the full Vintage. When we pass this Jordan by the narrow Bridge of Death, we shall enjoy the promised Land; for though we have little in Possession, we have much in Reversion: We shall need no Ship when we are safely landed in the desired Haven; we shall need no Armour when the War is over, nor need we run when the Prize is won, no Creature-comforts, when we have in God a full Supply; we need not pray for ourselves, when we live in the actual possession of all good things; nor for others, for the Wicked are past hopes, and the Godly past fears; and we shall see so much reason for the Damnation of the Wicked, though they be our Relations, that we shall rejoice in it, and glorify God for it, and admire that Hell being ours by Birthright, we should have a better Inheritance; but then we shall know more of God's Electing Love than now we do, which now is a great depth, which no Man can Fathom; nothing shall then remain that implies Imperfection, then shall our Sorrow be turned in●o Joy, and our Sighing into Singing; but when the Joy itself is unconceivable, what conceptions, much less adequate expressions can we have of it? We shall have the full Enjoyment of God, but what that is, no word in Humane Language can express: The Apostle John, who saw the Transfiguration, tells us, 1 John 3.2. It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when Christ shall appear, we shall be like to him, and shall see him as he is. And Paul, when he was caught up into the third Heaven, heard unutterable words, and such as are not lawful for a man to speak, 2 Cor. 12.4. And we may as well comprehend all the Water in the Sea in a Cockleshell, or measure out Heaven with our Span, as fully to describe Heaven's Happiness, or Hell's Misery. We are ignorant of many things here below, yea, many things in ourselves, of our Immortal Souls, how little do we know, and many Secrets in Nature are hid from the most refined Wits; what then is it like we should know of Angels, of God, of Heaven, and Glory? Such strange conceits 'tis like we have of them, as a blind Man that never saw, hath of Colours, or of the Sun itself: What Description can we make of it that shall reach their Understanding? Or what Conception do we imagine a bruit Beast can have of a Rational Soul, which yet are at a far lesser distance, than between us and the Creator, and therefore our apprehensions of him must be far lower than the bruit Beasts are of us; yet this we know of him, that all Good is eminently in him, and what is good in the Creatures flows from him; and is a Drop out of this Ocean, a Ray of this Sun, a Spark of this Fire? And if we enjoy God, we shall enjoy all that is really Good. That we should be with him, was the Prayer of Christ, John 17.24. and doubtless the greatest Blessing: But we may say of the Glory of Heaven, as the Queen of Sheba said of the Wisdom of Solomon, 2 Chron. 9.2. the one half was never told us; 'tis true, we read that the Walls are of Jasper, the City of pure Gold, the Foundations of Precious Stones, the Gates of Pearls, the Street of Gold, etc. Rev. 21.18, etc. These are the most precious things the World brags of, but there are no such Corruptible things in this building not made with hands, these Materials are too course and beggarly to build the City of the Great God; 'tis built of Glory, but what that is we know not, or what that Bread of Life, and Water of Life, hidden Manna, promised to those that overcome, will be best known in the Enjoyment; Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart, but the Harvest will be in Heaven: Here we may have a dark Night, and haply darkest a little before Day, but there will be a Glorious Morning; now we are under Clouds, and suffer many Storms and Showers, but ere long we shall be taken up above the middle Region, where no Clouds appear, there God will own us for his Children, and Christ for his Spouse. Oh, what a change will then be! here we can scarce have a Glimpse of Christ, there the full Enjoyment; here we know little, but there we shall know all things, and be ignorant of nothing that is necessary to be known; and as Knowledge doth increase, so will our Love both to God and our Brethren: The more Excellency we see in God, or them, the more our Affections will be let out upon them, for nothing but Ignorance can stave off our Affections from the chiefest Good. When these scales are fallen from our Eyes, we shall love God above ourselves, because he is better, and love his People better than now we do, because they will be better than now they are, refined from their Dross; Love will run in the right Channel, and be set upon right Objects, God shall have all our Love, we shall love his Creatures by a reflect act; we shall love God for himself, and his Creatures for his sake, and where we see most of God, there we shall love most; now we complain we cannot love him, but then we cannot choose but love him, for who can be in a fire and not burn? Our Love to him here, though true in its kind, yet is full of Imperfections, and like an Ague, hath its heats and colds, but there is no intermissions, it admits of no cooling. Ignorance here makes the Pearl of great price undervalved, and most Swine rather delight in Swill, and with Aesop's Cock, prefer a grain of Barley before it, but these will be better acquainted with its worth. The Godly here have but a Viaticum, something to animate them in the way, and to stay their stomach, but the Feast is for their Journey's end, where they shall drink Wine with Christ in his Father's Kingdom. 'Tis a Question with some, whether there are degrees of Glory in Heaven; a full Answer will be best made by the Inhabitants themselves. Something may be spoken to it, as to probability at least, there will be no difference as to the duration, for Eternity admits not of addition or diminution; and as for degrees, in general every one shall enjoy as much Happiness as they are capable of, as much as their Vessels will hold, and there shall be no cause of complaint or repining at others, nay, or of desiring more for themselves, for this argues Imperfection of Happiness, which Heaven owns not. Yet it seems probable there will be degrees, The righteous then will shine as the firmament, but those that turn many to God, as the stars for ever and ever, Dan. 12.3. Now, the Stars shine brighter than the Firmament, and some stars differ from others in glory. There are degrees of Torment, For he that knew his Lord's will, and did it not, was to have the more stripes, Luke 12.47. And Christ tells us, It should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah, for Tyre and Sidon, in the day of Judgement, than for those Cities he preached to, and they not repent, Mat. 11.21. And I wish England be not sick of this Disease, in making light of Christ; the Beast, and the false Prophet were cast alive into the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone, Rev. 19.20, etc. and this seems to be a higher degree of Torment than others have. And again, the Scripture speaks of a greater degree of Condemnation, and that every one shall receive a Reward according to his Works; and some being greater sinners than others are, Justice requires they should suffer more; and the unfaithful Servant, Mat. 24.51. hath his Portion appointed with Hypocrites, which seems some peculiar Punishment. Now, there being degrees of Torments in Hell, and he that deserves most Punishment, shall have most, why not of Glory in Heaven, where he that hath done most Work, shall have most Wages: And although I dare not say there are Nine Hierarchies of Angels in Heaven, as the Papists do, yet we read of Angels, and Arch-Angels, as well as of the Devil and his Angels, and why not then degrees of glorified Saints? He that by his Pound gained ten Pounds, was made Ruler over ten Cities, when he that had gained five Pounds, was Ruler only over five Cities, and what this signifies but a higher degree of Glory I know not, Luke 19.16. And Christ promises his Apostles, that followed him in the regeneration, they should sit upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, Mat. 19.28. which Honour is not promiscuously promised to all: And those that have forsaken any thing for Christ, have greater Promises than others have. Those therefore that desire a greater degree of Glory than others, let them improve their Talents better than others do. Another Question may be, Whether the Saints in Glory shall know each other? In Answer to it, I say, if it make for their future Glory, doubtless they will, for they shall want nothing of Perfection, and the Scripture looks very favourably upon the Affirmative. Christ tells us, That many shall come from the East, and from the West, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; but the Children of the Kingdom shall be thrust out: And shall they sit with them and not know them? In the Transfiguration the Apostle knew Moses and Elias, and the Rich Glutton in Hell knew Abraham, and Lazarus in his Bosom. And is it probable that Men living here on Earth some few Years, when the Understanding is clouded with Ignorance, and the Memory with Forgetfulness, know one another, that they should not know one another through Eternity, when those Mists are blown over? Some also question whether the Souls of Believers go immediately into Heaven at the Death of the Body; and this seems to me as plain as the other, 'tis Christ's Promise to the Penitent Thief, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. And this I judge was neither in Hell nor Purgatory, for I know not where those are called Paradise. Lazarus when he died was carried into Abraham's Bosom, where he was comforted, while the Rich Man was tormented, Luke 16.25. But I suppose there is little comfort in Purgatory-flames, this Fire is but newly kindled, and were it not to warm the Pope's Kitchen, would be soon extinguished. In a word, the Scripture mentions Heaven and Hell, as the Receptacles of separated Souls, but there is no mention of another place. Some also inquire, if they go immediately into Glory, whether they have at present the full degrees of Glory which they shall have hereafter. I Answer, Secret things belong to God, but things revealed, to us. It seems probable that though they have as much Glory as they Entitle them truly Happy, yet there will be a further degree added at the Resurrection, when Soul and Body shall be reunited, and the Sentence of Absolution passed upon them, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom, etc. Then, as the wicked go into everlasting torments, so the righteous shall go into life eternal, Mat. 25.41. And thus you have heard of the Happiness of Believers, but the duration of their Happiness is the chiefest Flower in their Garland; for were it but to continue a thousand thousand Years, it would be a Hell to them in the midst of Heaven to think that an end would come, and it would make them they could little rejoice in their Enjoyments: But the consideration that it will be for ever, is a great addition to their Happiness; 'tis to be for ever, and for ever, Dan. 12.2. And 'tis called eternal Glory, 2 Tim. 2. And Reason shows it must be so, for the Soul is immortal, and the Reward promised is such; and this Enjoyment is called Eternal Life. So than you see proved what before was asserted, That seeing all must die, the Righteous have not long to suffer, for Death will set an end to all their Miseries, and enter them into their Eternal Enjoyments of God and Glory, and put them into the possession of those Mansions of Glory, prepared for them by God before the foundations of the world. And then any Man may judge whether there be any great cause why they should fear Death, which is the only Cure of all their Miseries, and the only Porter to open Heaven-gates to them. It remains that we speak something of those whose Happiness expires with their Life, and their Miseries commence at their Death.  
Lesson 5. The Fifth Lesson this Providence teacheth, is, That seeing Men and Women may be taken away in the Flower of their Age, and Death can put a period to their Lives, than what a miserable condition are Wicked Men in, when one day may put an end to all their Happiness, and all their Hopes, for both their Happiness and their Hopes is only in this Life, and shall expire at their Death; for whether they are Noble or Base, Rich or Poor, Young or Old, by what Names or Titles soever they are dignified or distinguished, if they have no better a Portion than the World can bestow upon them, 'tis at the longest for term of Life, and at Death their lease expires; Their Glory then will not follow them, and their Pomp will take her leave. Oh, what a change Death will make among many of our greatest Gallant! their Happiness depends upon a ticklish point, and hangs but by the thread of their Lives; and there are a thousand Diseases, Distempers, Casualties, and Accidents ready to cut the thread, and every Creature waits but for a Divine Commission to stop their breath, and they are not sure of one day to an end. The Experience of this very Age proves this point fully, how many hundred thousands were in Ireland stripped of all in a moment, and left as poor as Job, and many lost their Lives with their Estates. The like may we hear of in other Countries, in London an hundred thousand died in one Year; and what a change did Death make to them, that have their Portion only in this Life? What the Wise Man saith, Prov. 23.5. Rich's take wings, and fly away. We see by Experience many rich at Night, and poor ere Morning, b●t we also see many Rich Men snatched away from their Riches, who are well o'er Night, and de●d in the Morning; yet many Men hunt and hawk after Riches, and never overtake them, and if they do, cannot hold them; many purchase them too dear, even with the loss of their Souls, and the shipwreck of a good Conscience, and these make a hard bargain, for the Soul is more worth than all the World, Mat. 16.26. That a Wicked Man is not long to enjoy his Happiness, is made out in the following Considerations.  
1. Consider, at Death all Men, of what Degree soever, from the least to the greatest, will leave behind them all these outward Enjoyments, viz. Riches, that very many so much glory in, and trust to, and cannot take with them the worth of a shoe-latchet. Woe then to them that have no other Portion, what will their poor Souls do to Eternity, though now their Riches be their strong hold, Prov. 18.11. yet can they not help in the evil day, Zeph. 1.18. Yet here they are honoured as Gods, but they are but Dunghill Deities, most Men dote upon them as much as the Athenians did upon Diana's Temple, and Offer not only their Children, but their Souls unto them: But let their Attainments or Enjoyments be what they will, at Death they must leave all behind them; Kings and Emperors must leave their Crowns behind them, and the Bishop his Mitre, the Pope himself not excepted; then those that have made a great hurly-burly in the World, could not satisfy, their Dust will be contained in a little Urn. At Death the Emperor must lay by his Robes, and the Beggar his Rags, for Death will lodge them in the same Bed, and set them upon even ground. The griping Usurer must leave his Gold, and cease to fill his Bags with Silver, when his own Mouth shall be filled with Earth. King's then must bid farewell to their Crowns and Kingdoms, as Solomon to his Ivory Throne; and our great Gallants their well-contrived Houses, though they call them after their own names, Psal. 49.11, etc. Haply they may leave them to Fools, haply to Strangers, haply to Enemies to enjoy. It was the Speech of a good Man to a great Lord, when he shown him his sumptuous Buildings, pleasant Gardens, Walks, Orchards, and other Rarities, Sir, (saith he) you must make sure of Heaven, or you will never be recompensed in the Earth for all the Pains and Cost you have bestowed here. Yet many, like the Rich Man in the Gospel, Luke 12. sing a Requiem to their Souls, and promise themselves long Life, when haply they have not a day to live, They put the evil day far from them, and because they see not Death, think Death heeds not them, when he is even staring them in the Face. They lodge Riches nearest their Heart, and from it they expect their greatest Security, but the Mortal  is too hard for the Royal Sceptre, yet many consider it not, but buy Faggots for their own burning, for the rust of their Gold will eat their flesh as fire, James 5.3. Here they have their Summer and their Winter Houses, curious Parlours, Banqueting-Houses, Rooms richly adorned, soft Beds, and easy Couches; but if they have no better Portion, Death will strip them of this, and lodge them in a stinking Dungeon, and darksome Cell, full of deadly Horror, void of Light or Comfort, a noisome, sulphurous, stinking Prison; here are no curious Gardens, or pleasant Walks for Recreation, neither is there any thing to recreate the Eyes, the Ears, the Smell, the Taste, or the Touch; the Object of Sight will be Infernal Devils, and Damned despairing Wretches; the Melody the groans and sighs, the roaring, yelling, scrietching of damned Souls; for the Taste, pinching Hunger, and parching Thirst, or something that is worse; their Smell is burning Brimstone, and their Touch the scorching Flames. Oh, the Pains, the Time, the Cost and Charges many Men are at in adorning their Habitations, Gardens, Walks, Orchards, etc. when all this while the poor Soul lies neglected, and slighted; no Tree in the Orchard must grow disordered, but must be pruned, mucked, and manured, when in the Soul nothing is in order; no Weed must grow in the Garden, when no Vice must be weeded out of the Soul. Here they have pleasant Walks, and Summer-shady Bowers, their Rich Pastures, Pleasant Meadows, their Flocks and Herds, their numerous Cattle, both small and great, and whatever their hearts can desire, that can be purchased for Love or Money; but Death will strip them to the skin, and they shall carry nothing hence, neither can they call aught their own, but Tortures and Torments, Sighs and Groans, Anguish and Sorrows, Tears and Plaints. Here they solace themselves, and like the Rich Glutton, go bravely clad, and far deliciously every day; but there they cannot command a Cup of cold Water, nay, nor get it with begging, to cool their Tongue. Now they indulge their Flesh, and please their Fancy, and like Solomon, Eccles. 2.4. deny nothing to themselves, that can be attained, but ere long they will be forced, as he was, to say, All is vanity and vexation of spirit, ver. 17. All these things must be left behind, and were this the worst it were well, but their eaten Bread will not be forgotten; well had it been for many of them had they begged their Bread from Door to Door, or earned it in the sweat of their brows, for then so many abused Talents had not been charged upon them, and so many abused Mercies to be answered for. Here they have their Tables richly furnished, with what the Earth, the Sea, the Air can afford, and many new-invented Dishes to allure the Stomach, and provoke the Appetite, when their poor Brethren have not Bread to eat: They have their great Attendants, Music of all sorts, their wanton Songs, their Plays, and Interludes; but Sighs and Groans will then be their chiefest Music, and finest Melody, their Mirth will then be changed into Mourning, and their Joy into Heaviness. Oh Death, what a change wilt thou make among our Lustful Gallants! Here they burn in Lust one to another, but there, though they lie together in the same Bed of Horror, their Lusting will be over. Those that now think the Ground not good enough to tread upon, and will not suffer the Sun to shine upon them, nor the Wind to blow upon them, for spoiling their Beauty, shall then be heated more rudely in the Flames. Those that think no Meat or Drink good enough, nor any Attire fine enough, will then be put into a courser Dress, Hell Fire will spoil their Paint and Plaster, and Beauty-spots, their curled Locks, and powdered crisped Hair, than one drop of Water will be better than all these; here are no Masks nor Fans to shelter them from the scorching Flames, their Bags of Gold and Precious Jewels must then be left behind. H●r● the Maid will not forget her Ornaments, nor th● Bride her Attire, but those things there are out of Fashion; Gold then is no currant Coin, I am sure it cannot bribe Death. 'Tis said of Pope John XXI. that he left above 200 Tun of Gold behind him; and that another Pope, when he was plundered by the French, lost more Treasure than all the Kings in the World could raise in one Year in all their Revenues. We see Riches are uncertain here, and will certainly fail when we have most need of them. Did gripping Landlords, that drink the Sweat, the Tears, if not the Blood of their Oppressed Tenants, and make Music of their Groans, think of these Times, and of these Things, those Morsels they now swallow so greedily, will have a poisonful Operation. Many there are, that instead of feeding the Hungry, and clothing the Naked, pluck the Meat from their mouths, and the  from their backs, to maintain their own Pride and Luxury; they put the Poor's Part into a Child's Portion, haply into a Whore's Lap; but the Lord of such Servants will come at an hour they are not ware of, and give them their Portion with Hypocrites, Mat. 24 last. Now they have their Stage-Plays, Morrice-Dances, Wakes, May-games, and such Revels, to drive Time away, which alas, flies too fast of itself; but what Recreation have they invented to make Eternity seem short? Death will dash all these Vanities out of Countenance. Here sometimes a little of Hell-fire flashed into the Conscience, spoils the Sport; but there will be not only flashes, but flames. Here they endeavour to drink away these Heart-qualms, and allay these Dumps, but in Hell they cannot do it. The griping Usurer here hath a dry Dropsy the more Riches he drinks in, the more he thirsts; but there the Thirst will be allayed with Fire and Brimstone. Here our Female Gallants spend their Time in their Glasses, they must not have a Pin awry, or an Hair amiss, their naked Breasts, and painted spotted Faces; Oh, what a change will Death make in their Garb and Ornaments! And indeed could we but see the Deformity of the Soul through the garish Habit of the Body, how leprous and deformed would many appear? They would be ashamed to walk the streets. Here they are set out like Puppets for to show, to allure unwary Youth; for if there be no Wine in the Cellar, why hangs the Bush? But these gaudy Robes are too thin to keep off a shower of Divine Vengeance. We may see how God approves of such, Isa. 3.18, etc. Now Ten Thousand Pounds per Annum is thought too little, but ere long a poor Urn will hold their Ashes, and a dark Dungeon their Souls; then they must be forced to say of all these things, as the Prophet of his Axe, Alas, Master, for it was borrowed. God hath entrusted them with other men's Portions as well as their own, but they have thought themselves sole Proprietors, and abused the Talents given to another end, but they must pay back every Farthing. 'Tis said of the Turk's Seraglio, that 'tis two Miles in compass, and his Territories are wide and large, and his Incomes great; but Death can Scale these Walls, as well as those of a poor Cottage. Can Great Men renew the Lease of their Lives, as Men do of their Estates, doubtless there would be great Fines given, but it will not be; they make a great bustle in the World, and seek to turn all topsy-turvy for a while, and all to set themselves on high, till Death the Leveller comes, and equals them with their poor Neighbours; for what is the difference now between Alexander and his meanest Slave? And sometimes a Fool, sometimes a Stranger, sometimes an Enemy enjoyeth the Estate that they leave behind, and they take nothing with them but Gild upon the Conscience, and Sin upon the Soul, and the Rust of their Riches will eat their flesh like fire, James 5.1, 2, etc. But mistake not, 'tis not all Rich Men that I speak of, but those that abuse their Riches, by loving them, trusting in them, employing them to maintain Pride, Luxury, or some other filthy Lust, or withhold good from the owners thereof; those that misspend the Talents lent them for a better use, for if the Servant that only hide his Talon, was cast into outer Darkness, what will become of them that wilfully waste it? Pride is a Worm that often breeds in Riches, and the never-dying Worm breeds in Pride: Riches in themselves are great Blessings, and, if not abused, will prove helps in Heavens-way: Make friends (saith Christ) with the Mammon of unrighteousness. But to many they are the greatest blocks in Heavens-way, and this makes it so difficult a thing for Rich Men to enter into Heaven, Mat. 19.24. Heaven is a spacious Palace, but 'tis a narrow Way, and straight Gate that leads to it, and Men cannot enter with the World upon their backs, there must be stooping and stripping, to get in: Hence the Apostle charges rich men not to be high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, 1 Tim. 6.17. 'Tis much ado to look, and not to lust; to have Riches, and not fall in love with them. When Pride breeds in Riches, as Worms do in Apples, they suddenly corrupt, and will do the Owners no good; to use the world, and not abuse it, is a Lesson not easily learned, and having only food and raiment, therewith to be content. In Christ's time the poor received the Gospel, when few of the Great Ones were called, 1 Cor. 12.20. Were there but half so much spoken against Poverty, and half so many cautions given as against Riches, there would be some Plea for the Covetous, but few see the danger of a great Estate; but Death will equal the Poor with the Rich, the Emperor must leave his Robes behind, and the Beggar his Rags; and great Saladine shall carry nothing with him but his Shirt, nor that neither into the other World, Haud ullas portabis opes Acherontis ad undas, Naked we came into the world, and naked shall we return out of it, Job 1.21. 1 Tim. 6.7. The Jews were permitted when they came into their Neighbour's Field, Orchard, or Vineyard, to pluck and eat, but must carry none away; and so we may do in the World. Riches at last will do us no more good, than they did the great Chaliph, that the Great Cham of Tartary caused to be famished amidst his Treasures; then will their Sun set under a Cloud, and no difference between them and their poor Neighbour; those that have carried the greatest Burden, have the sorest Back; and those that have received the most Talents, are to make the greatest Account. Oh that this were well considered in time, then should we lay up our treasure where neither moth nor rust corrupteth, nor where thiefs break not through, nor steal, Mat. 6.20. For all other Treasure will deceive them, that put their trust in it. Thus you see at Death Wicked Men, whatever their Enjoyments now be, will be stripped of all.  
2. And as Wicked Men must leave their Riches behind ●h●n at Death, so likewise their Pleasures will bid them adieu for ever. Now, Pleasure is one of the ●hree Deities most Men adore; for Riches, Honours, and Pleasures share the World between them; but at Death these Idols will disappear; many spend their days in pleasure, and suddenly go down to Hell, Job 21.13. Many spend their Time in Recreation, and follow no other Calling, and some cannot give a good Account of one hour's Work in a whole Week, spent in any Lawful Labour; they think 'tis a greater shame to be seen working, than to be seen drunken, or debauched; such as these the Apostle calls lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, 2 Tim. 3.4. and well he may, for they spend more Time in, and are at more Cost about their Pleasures than in God's Service, and thirst as greedily after them, as ever Covetous Man did for Gold, or Ambitious Man for Honour. There a●e many in our common Dialect are called Ladies of Pleasure, and the Name pleaseth them, that both God and former Ages called common Whores, and 'tis like they will be owned for such at the day of Judgement, and then woe be to them, for they are of the Society that are appointed for Destruction, 1 Cor. 6.9, etc. Solomon tells us, Prov. 21.17. He that loveth pleasure, shall be a poor man; and we see many times Luxury and Beggary succeed each other, and unlawful Lusts have ruined many Ancient Families, and made them leave Marcus Livius his Portions to their Children, Nihil praeter Coelum & Caenum, Air and Water. But if it go ill with the Body, it will go much worse with the Soul; for those that can take no Pleasure in God, God will take no Pleasure in them; these Men seem to think they were sent into the World, as Leviathan into the Sea, to sport therein, and that their Talents were given to no other end than to be consumed this way; and then when God said to Man after the Fall, In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread, that he spoke only to the Poor, and not to them; but they will at Death find their mistake, and see it was a bad Bargain to sell their part in Paradise for a part in Paris; to sell their Souls to satisfy their Lusts, to part with Eternal Joy, for momentany Delights; they will find they parted with a great deal in Reversion for a little in Possession, they will then have time enough (if Eternity may be called Time) to repent the Bargain; they will see it had been better to have been preserved in Brine, than to have rotten in Honey. Now they can take the Timbrel and the Harp, and rejoice at the sound of the Organ, and spend their days in mirth, (as the Holy Ghost saith) and suddenly go down to the pit, Job 21.12, 13. I will not say as Tully, Nemo Sobrius saltat; nor as Diogenes, The better Dancer, the worse Man, or that these Recreations are absolutely unlawful; yet I think Christians have not much time to spend this way, from their more serious Business, and greater Concerns; and truly if we consider the state of the Protestant Churches throughout the World, it might take off much of the edge of our Affections from these Vanities. But at present I am speaking of those to whom the satisfying of their Lusts is the main design they aim at, and the Affliction of the Church is not so much as the losing one spot off their Faces, one Feather out of their Fan, or one Ribon out of their Head-tire; let such read well Isa. 3.11, 12, etc. and see if God delight as much in their Ornaments as they do; and what he saith to such, Amos 6.3, etc. They put far from them the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to draw near. They lie upon their beds of Ivory, and stretch themselves upon their Couches; they eat the Lambs out of the flock, and the Calves out of the stall. They chant to the sound of the Viol, and invent to themselves Instruments of Music like David: They drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with chief Ointment, but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph, etc. And is not this an exact Description of many in our times? Read further the Destruction that God threatens to such, and they will find he spoke in earnest, what they took in jest. Those that God curseth, will be cursed, however they bless themselves in their heart; those that are no mourners in Zion, shall not be marked, and those that are not marked, shall be slain, Ezek. 9.1, 2, etc. Those that Sympathise not with the Church, are none of the Church. Nehemiah, though he was the King's Cupbearer, and wanted nothing, was yet troubled at the Desolation of Jerusalem, Neh. 1.1, 2, etc. The Rich Glutton, when he fared deliciously every day, pitied not Lazarus; but little did he think how soon the Tables would be turned, and Lazarus should have the better gain● he little thought a Reckoning-day was behind for all his sweet Morsels: Feasting doubtless in its season is Lawful, but for some to keep a continual Feast, when others are forced to keep a continual Fast, is not convenient; but many seem to live only to eat, and drink, and rise up to play. Oh, how much good might many of those do with their Estates, that now spend it all in Gormandizing, in Drunkenness, and Debauchery? How many of our Female Gallants are there, that think the Morning short enough to sleep, and rise, and dress themselves before Dinner, and perhaps have more than one to assist them in the work, when their Devotion is shut up in a little room, if at all thought upon, and haply more Curses than Prayers are put up, especially if their Tailor, Sempster, Waiting-Maid, Painter, have not pleased them. And the Afternoon the time is little enough for Diversion; some idle Visit, some wanton or obscene Discourse, some Stage-Play, Show, or Interlude, Cards, or Dice, or some such Recreations, or some Exercise haply worse; and thus they pass one Day, Week, Year after another, till Death snatches them hence, and they never have any time to be serious, or think upon their Eternal Condition: But Christ never directed us in such a pleasant way to Heaven, nor the Apostles never found it, neither can it be the narrow way the Scripture speaks of; These put the evil day far from them, and the thoughts of Death will put them out of Humour, but Death will make them more serious. Now these Extravagant Courses put them on to rack their Rents, and Oppress their Tenants, and poor Neighbours, and keep back the Poor's Portion, and all little enough to maintain their Pride and Prodigality; thus they spend their time in Drinking, Swearing, Ranting, and Blaspheming, in Ramming, Damning, and in Persecuting those that make any show of Religion, or Civility; in rioting, drunkenness, chambering, and wantonness, Rom. 13.13. These are they that make their bellies their God, Phil. 3.19. And many of both Sexes there are that Sacrifice to these Dunghill-Deities, so that a Scavenger, whose Office is to empty Jakes, is to be preferred before these, that only live to fill them. They are like unto the Panphagis, a People of Aethiopia, whose very Life was to eat, and to devour, from whence they had their Name, whom these Men seem to succeed; and they may fitly be compared unto the Jerfe, a Beast in the North of Suetia, which, having got his Prey, eats as long as his Skin will hold, and then strains himself backward between two Trees that grow near together, till he hath evacuated his Meat, and then eats as before; a fit Emblem of a Drunkard and Glutton, that when they have gormandized, use means for Evacuation, and at it again. Of this Herd were Epicurus, Heliogabalus, Sardanapalus, and many more Monsters in Nature. They are like Swine, for scarce any other Creature will eat or drink more than sufficeth Nature; they are (saith the Prophet) like fed Horses, every one Neighing after his Neighbour's Wife. I have read of one, that to satisfy all his Senses and sensual Appetites, in three Years time spent Thirty Thousand Pounds, and swore that had he ten times as much, he would spend it all to live like a God, in Pleasure, for one Week, though he knew he should be damned for it the next day after. But little did he know what Damnation signifieth, but in Hell he will change his Mind. And such desires I fear are too frequent in the World, and were not Men bounded by their Estate, I fear their Desires would be as unbounded as his; and were it but for the loss of the Soul, they would not stick at it. I doubt not but 'tis Lawful to eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and partake of the good things God hath given us; but we must not Feast without fear, neither abuse h●s Creatures to Gluttony, or Drunkenness. 'Tis said of a Town in Africa, called Tombutum, that the Inhabitants spend their days in Dancing and Singing; and I fear if other Recreations did not call them off, many of ours would follow their Example. God for Sin did thrust Man out of Paradise, but many in our days would wind themselves in again, they think 'tis only the Poor are enjoined to Labour, but the Rich may live Idle; but those that have neither Head, nor Hand, nor Heart at work for the common Good, are but the unprofitable Burdens of the Commonwealth, and such as the Apostle commands should ●●t eat. These wax wanton, and nourish themselves a● for a day of slaughter, James 5.5. Pride, fullness of Bread, and abundance of Idleness, were the sins of Sodom, from which England cannot wash her Hands, for she is like Jeshurun, waxed fat, and kicketh. Fullness breeds forgetfulness, not only of herself, but of her God also. Alexander the Conqueror gloried as much in this as in any of his Victories, that he could drink down any Man; and of such Champions we have more than enough, and if Enemies were thus to be vanquished, we should not want Soldiers. 'Tis said he provided a Crown for him that could drink most, of 180 pounds, but forty one of his Companions, striving for the Mastery, drank themselves to Death; and were there but the like Prize offered, and the like Liberty given in our time, there would be a far greater number to open the Door to Death, yea, I suppose upon a far lesser Temptation, in a small Circuit of Land, in a small compass of Time, (and many of them of the Gentry) a greater number have ended their days in such a drunken Contest. The Lord grant it may be a warning to the rest, let such beware they be not forced to drink up the full Vials of God's wrath, which will be worse than boiling Lead, or burning Brimstone; and lest they be forced to pledge those Healths of Damnation in Hell, which they have drunk here in their Jollity; they may read their Portion, 1 Cor. 6.9, etc. For God speaks in earnest what they took in jest. Here our Voluptuous Gallants will be forced to leave their Hawks, and Hounds, and Whores; and our Swaggering, Roaring Gallant will become Roaring Boys indeed. Now they stuff their Discourse, and bombast their Words with Oaths of the greatest Magnitude, and Damn, and Ram, and Curse, and Swear, as if they challenged God himself to a Duel; and drink Healths to the Devil himself, as if they would make Peace with him; and drink Healths of Damnation: But in Hell they shall have nothing to do but to pledge them. Had there been any other Healths there, the Rich Glutton had not begged so earnestly for a drop of Water to cool his Tongue. Here are no Ladies of Pleasure, for they will be found with another Name. Here are no wanton Delilahs to sport with upon the Bed of Lust, no changeable Suits of Apparel, no new Fashions for our mincing Minions, no Recreations to drive away the weary hours; then they will have time enough (if we may call Eternity Time) to think upon their past Folly, and Repent, though too late, to think of the bad Bargain they made, when they sold their Souls, their Heaven, and their Happiness for a little Temporary Pleasure, which perish ere they were budded; which bear no more proportion to true Pleasure, than painted Fire upon the Wall to true Fire, that hath neither Light nor Heat; then will their Garb be changed, and their Diet and Attendants; they will be stripped of all their Costly Robes and Ornaments, which will be forgotten, or remembered with sorrow; there will be neither Mirth nor Music, Singing nor Dancing, but Weeping, Wailing, and wring of Hands; no Curious Sights to please the Eye, no Melody for the Ear, no delicious Taste for the Palate, or any thing else to please the other Senses; those curious Bodies (to the pampering of whom the Soul is neglected) will be exposed to Torture and Torments, were a man condemned to lie one Year upon a red-hot Gridiron, upon a raging Fire, and his Life could so long be continued, we should think him to be a miserable Creature: But what is this to Hell-Torments? Or, what is a Year to Eternity, where they shall never die, yet always endure the Pangs of Death? At Death they will find an end of all their Pleasures, but Eternity will not end their Miseries: Their Laughter here is not Mirth, but Madness, like a frantic man that is going to Execution, and shrieks and bawls for others to bear him company; yet these are the good things the rich Glutton had in this Life, and for which he must pay so great a Reckoning at his Death: This was his Heaven, his Hell came after. O Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that lives at ease in his possessions, and hath prosperity in all things, Ecclus. 41.1. Now these delicate Bodies are so nice, that they cannot endure the Summer's heat, nor Winter's cold, but the Flames will not regard their Beauty, nor the Tormenter their Niceness: Then farewell all their Merry-meetings, and drunken Matches; their Feasts, their Plays, their wanton Dalliance, all those Toys will be laid aside: Now Pleasure is the God they worship, and sacrifice their Souls unto, but the Name of it then will never more sound in their Ears, nor any thing that bears the least resemblance of it be presented to them; their witty Jests and merry Jokes will then be left, and well it were for them if they could forget them; and it will be their Trouble to think, how this way they drive away their Time, that was too swift of itself. The Thought of Death is troublesome to them, and they think 'tis unseasonable for a 〈◊〉 but Poor Folks, Old People, or Ministers; but for the Young, the Rich, the Strong, it will but indispose them, and dispirit them, and put them out of Humour; they will not see Death, and then they think Death will forget them, but it steals upon them tacito pede with a silent Foot, and enters their Lodging before they are ware; and however they now esteem highly of their Carnal Delights, ere long they will find that one grain of Godly Sorrow is worth a pound of Frantic Mirth; for the one ends in Eternal Pleasure, the other in endless Misery, when their Sport will be spoiled. Oh, what alteration will Death make when it comes! no time will then be spent in Wanton Embraces, Amorous Songs, or Lascivious Discourse; the Adulterer and Adulteress will take no delight in each others Company; nay, they will curse the time they ever saw the Face each of other. When Fire from Heaven fell upon Sodom, it quenched their heat of Lust: O that these Sons and Daughters of Pleasure would think of the time when their Pleasures will vanish, but the Sting remain! for certainly this will be the case of every one that dies in an unregenerate condition, let them be High or Low, Rich or Poor, Noble or Base, for God is no excepter of Persons.  
3. The Third thing that Wicked Men must leave at their Death, is all their Honour, and their Glory, for this will not follow them then, though they greedily hunt after it now, Psal. 49.12.16, 17. For though the Memory of the godly i● blessed, the name of the wicked shall rot, Prov. 10.7. How Odoriferous do the Names of the Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, and other Saints smell in all Ages? And how fulsomly do the Names of Wicked, Debauched, and Bloody Persecutors stink? Such as Cain, Pharaoh, Haman, Jeroboam, Judas, Herod, and suchlike: Those whose Names have survived them, have such a blot upon them, that will never be wiped off. But what they now Glory so much in must ere long be left behind; those proud aspiring Nimrods', those Babel-builders, their Dust ere long will be mingled with the Dust of their meanest Slaves and Servants; for those who are hewn out of the same Rock, why should they not be buried in the same hole of the Pit? These External Advantages make no real difference in the Eyes of God, or Wise Men; for who values a Horse for his Trappings? But however these will be taken away, and then they will stand upon even ground; and although many Men now do Worship a Golden Calf, they will then perceive it was but a dumb Idol. All those lofty Titles, which now they load themselves with; as Worshipful, Right Worshipful, Honourable, Right Honourable, Reverend, Right Reverend, Majesty, Holiness, etc. must then descend with them into the Dust, for great Saladine can carry nothing with him but his Shirt. Indeed Holiness will go with us into another World, as it is an inherent Quality, not as 'tis a Title unjustly attributed to some Men, in that Kings and Emperors, nay, the Pope himself will speed never the better for their Crowns, nor the Beggar the worse for his Rags; for as Death, so God accepteth of no Man's Person for outward Advantages; 'tis Internal Qualifications he regards, Acts 10.35. External Splendour dazzles not his Eyes, Titles of Honour signify nought; these of themselves neither please nor displease, neither help nor hinder, though the abuse may hinder; these are given to good and bad, and no man knows love or hatred by them. The Rich Glutton had Plenty, when Poor Lazarus was in want; Crowns and Kingdoms are but the Crumbs which the great Housholder throws to the Dogs, that shall not taste of the children's Bread. But now Dives hath none to wait at his Table, or any to receive his Scraps; none new to bow the knee before him, or to be uncovered, these days are over: Now many men's greatest design is to get Honour, and whether it be by hook or by crook, by fair means, or by soul, by Flattery, Bribery, Extortion, sucking the Blood of Innocents', treading upon other men's backs, etc. so they can ascend the steps of Honour, they matter not; when it proves ofttimes a slippery standing, and many break their Necks before they attain their end, witness Haman, Achitophel, Herod, and others. Many like Diostrophes in Church and State love the Pre-eminence, and some that are not fit for it, they will be aut Caesar aut nullus, they would rather be the Chief in a Town, than the Second in a Kingdom. Ambition is like the Crocodile, of whom 'tis said he grows as long as he lives, and should he live longer, he would grow bigger: Nay, do we not see the Successors take up Arms, and espouse the Quarrel, as we see between the Bishops of Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople, for the Pre-eminence; and with us formerly between Canterbury and York. Yea, the chiefest Quarrels in the World hath been about Domination, what horrible Wars, Bloodshed, and Devastations hath this caused? The Bishops themselves have proved many times the troublers of Israel; and were the Spirit of Pride and Tyranny once cast out, what Happy Times might we promise to ourselves? Many seek to ascend to the top of Promotion, that are not fit to stand upon the lowest Round of the Ladder; and will rather set the Church and State on fire, than be frustrated in their Hopes: They care not whose back they tread upon, so they may rise; Honour is the Idol they worship, the Shrine they bow unto, which indeed is the emptiest of all Bubbles; yet is it courted by many, though enjoyed by few, and never pays the Cost and Pains bestowed in the Attainment: He that can avoid the Temptation of, All this will I give thee, and the Temptation of Rule and Domination, is a rare Man, like a black Swan. Good Men are not free from this Itch, the Apostles contended who should be greatest, and the Sons of Zebedee would sit one on Christ's right hand, the other on his left in his Kingdom; few there be, though meanly qualified, but think themselves fit for higher Places. I have read of some, that lying upon their Deathbeds, gave large Money for Cardinal's Hats, that it might be engraven upon their Tombs, for Posterity to read; like unto Caninius the Roman, when Maximus died the last day of his Consulship, made suit to be made Consul for the rest of the day; hence Tully calls him a vigilant Consul, that never slept while he was in Office. The Itch of Honour hath undone the World, and made many a Man smart for it; for were Princes content with their Paternal Inheritance, what need so many Wars and Jars, as are at this day? How many Hundred Thousand Men lost their Lives before Alexander was settled in his Throne, and the Contention ended between Caesar and Pompey, and ere they were well warm in their Seats, they were thrust out again; one killed with Bodkins, and the other not without suspicion of Poison. And alas, what had these for all their Labour but only a blast of Honour, which, if they miscarry, will not cool their Tongues in Torment? Did Men but see Pride and Ambition in its own Colours, it would seem loathsome and dangerous; the lowest degree sets itself against God, being discontented with the Station wherein God hath placed them; but the highest degree sets itself above God, Pharaoh cries out, Who is the Lord, that I should obey him? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. Sennacherib boasted no God could deliver out of his Hand, but he was mistaken, and 185000 of his Soldiers were slain in one Night by an invisible Hand. Herod, one of the Gang, assuming to himself the Honour due to God, was stricken by an Angel, and devoured by Worms, Lice, as Josephus saith, as his Grandfather was; as also Maximus the Emperor, and Philip King of Spain, great Persecutors; and that man of sin, 2 Thess. 2.4. that exalteth himself above all that is called God, will have a fearful downfall; Prosperity begets Pride, and Pride feeds upon it, and between them the Worm of Conscience, that never-dying Worm, is engendered. The Ambitious Man hath commonly too high thoughts of himself, and too low of others, and thinks the World takes not sufficient notice of his Worth. The Pharisee thanks God he was not such a one as the Publican, when he was much worse; these Men look upon themselves in a Magnifying-Glass, and wonder at their own bigness, but when they look upon others they turn the Glass, and look upon them to be far less than they are; but the best way is to look in God's Glass, which will not deceive us. Many think what others have, whether of Riches or Honour, is too much; but what they have, is always too little; they are like the Rich Man in Nathan's Parable, ready to spare their numerous Flocks, and make use of the Poor Man's only Lamb; but sometimes over-greedy griping gets little. Xerxes, though he had 127 Provinces, not being content, seeking to enlarge his Territories, was slain, and lost what he had (like Aesop's Dog, that lost his Meat by catching at the shadow) and was contented with his length and breadth of Ground. Great Pompey had scarce so much allotted him; and our William the Conqueror was three days unburied, before the Controversy was ended whose the Land was where he should be laid. In this Life these things are uncertain, but at Death they will be certainly taken from us, and how short our Life is, we little know; a little Spider, an Hair in Milk, the Kernel of a Grape, the prick of a Pin, have put a period to the Life of some of our greatest Heroes, and sent them packing into another World, and then whose are those things that they leave behind? Yet Domination is so sweet, many will venture Neck and all to attain it. Nero's Mother, when she was told that if her Son were Emperor, he would take away here Life, made Answer, She mattered not, so her Son might Reign: Which Prediction after fell out, her Son ripped up her Bowels, that he might see the place of his Conception. How many Hundred Thousand lost their Lives before Alexander was established on his Throne, and the Controversy was ended between Caesar and Pompey, as I have noted, who should be greatest? And when they came into their Thrones, they were scarce warm before they were thrown out again, one by Bodkins, and the other not without suspicion of Poison. We may well see the aspiring thoughts of Ambitious Men, for when our Captain Drake had taken Domingo from the Spaniard, in the Town-Hall he found the King of Spain's Arms, and this Motto, Totus non sufficet orbis, signifying, the World itself was not enough to suffice him, but the greatest part hath not yet fallen to his share. Ambition, like a Serpent, creeps into the Heart at a little hole, but is hardly got out: It crept into Heaven among the Angels, for some conceive they affected the Deity: It crept into Paradise, and made our first Parents desire to know as God: The Babel-Builders they would fain dwell as God, and Antichrist sets himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped. Every proud man is tainted with this Lunacy, and are discontent with the Station in which God hath placed them. Many have a great Shadow, that have little Substance; the worse the Wi●● the fairer the Bush; the empty Vessel makes the greatest sound, and the shallow Waters the greatest noise; and worthless men make the greatest brags. Babel had high towering Thoughts, she must needs be like God himself, Isa. 14.12. but God brought her down. Ambitious men are like unto the Ivy, though it have a contemptible Root, and cannot rise without the assistance of the Oak or Elm, yet it never rests till it overtop them.  
When Zeuxes had finished his Picture of Atalanta, he wrote under it, Painters may rather envy this, than imitate it. Demosthenes loves to hear as he passed along the Street that pleasing word, This is that Demosthenes; Hoc ego primus vidi, saith another. So fond are men of their own Brats, they are like Peacocks, proud of their own Feathers, when they forget their black Feet.  
When Dionysius commanded Zeuxes to draw the Picture of Envy, he brought him a Looking-glass, and bid him behold his own Face in it: And may we not as easily draw the Picture of Ambition as much to the life in many men's Faces? Alexander, when he was offered Darius' Daughter, and a great part of his Dominions with her, answered, As the Heavens could not contain two Sons, no more could the Earth two Alexander's. See the large extent of an ambitious Mind. But whatever the World saith to the contrary, Virtue will prove the fairest Escutcheon, and that is the best Honour, where God is the top of the Kin, and Holiness lies at the bottom.  
'Tis storied of Julia the Daughter of Augustus, Tha● being reproved for her Prodigality, and cautioned of her Father's Frugality, answered, If her Father forgot that he was Caesar, she would not forget that she was Caesar's Daughter. 'Tis hard for a Maid to forget her Ornaments, or a Bride her Attire, 'tis a great deal easier to forget the Soul: Most live above their Estate, few under it. Some say Pride and the Gout are alike, that is, both incurable. Ambition and desire of Rule makes many Subjects murder their Prince, many Children their Parents, and many Wives their Husbands, and one Brother to kill another, Absolom to rebel against his Father; yea, it makes Princes tyrannize over their Subjects, and Landlords over their Tenants, the Rich to oppress the Poor, and the Stronger to wrong the Weaker, and make Men-like the Fishes in the Sea, where the great ones devour the lesser: But when Pride rides in the Saddle, Shame sits upon the Crupper; Pride goes before Destruction, and a haughty Spirit before a Fall. The more Gold Pride eateth, the more Blood it sucketh: The higher and faster a man climbs, the more danger of breaking his Neck, for God resisteth the Proud, but gives Grace to the Humble, 1 Pet. 5.5.  
King Philip glorying after his Victory, Archimedes persuaded him to measure his Shadow, to see how much bigger it was grown by the Conquest: If Promotion should make men bigger, yet it makes few men better. Of all the Roman Emperors, only Vespasion is said to be better by his advancement: But did men well consider, that all their Ancestors Glory lies in the Dust, and very shortly theirs must do so likewise, it might make them veil their Peacock's Plumes. 'Tis a Sin and Shame for an Angel to be proud, much more for a Muck-heap Sack of Dust, an Earthworm, that hath no Breath to breathe, but what God puts into him. Yet many there are, that think God loves them best, because he gives them most; then Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Jeroboam, Herod, the Great Turk, and suchlike, are much in favour: But here is a Mistake in the Reckoning; God made Nabuchadnezzar to know and acknowledge, That the Most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over them the basest of men, Dan. 4.17. Pharaoh was advanced on high for his greater Fall; For this cause (saith God) I have raised thee up, etc. And, no doubt, Haman's Promotion was upon the same account. Riches and Honours many times prove Blocks in Heaven's way, not in themselves, but by their abuse they are like the fine Feathers of the Ostrich, fine to gaze on, but of little use to help them to mount aloft; when the Lark or Swallow are swift of Wing, and mount easily. 'Tis hard for a Rich man to mount upward, or to enter in at the straight Gate, yea, as hard as for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle; the reason is, they have such a Burden upon their Backs, and they have such a Loadstone here on Earth, which they love and trust to, which draws their Affection from Heaven to Earth, this hinders their flight, as 'tis Fabled the Golden Apples did Atalantas' Race. Those that stand upon the top of Pinnacles are in Danger, and had need look to their footing: Those that attract Gild in attaining Promotion, are in the greatest danger when 'tis gotten, for at utmost Death will be●●ave them of it. 'Tis a sad Fall from the highest Pinnacle to the Depth of Hell, their Glory then will not follow them, their Pomp will take its leave. O what a sad day will this be, when all these things wherein they gloried will be gone, and when Riches, Honour, and Pleasures, as to them, shall be no more; which as Micah said of his Ephod and Teraphim, These are gone, and what have I more? Judg. 18.23. Now, when these their Gods are gone, what have they more? And these they have not long to enjoy; and this will be a further aggravation of wicked men's Misery at Death.  
4. That wicked men at Death lose all their Worldly Felicity, such as Riches, Honours, and Pleasures, I have already shown you; yet these are not all the Losses they shall then sustain, the worst are behind, though haply at present not so much regarded, for than they shall lose their God, which will prove the greatest Loss by far.  
The Torments of Hell are either privative or positive, Pain of Loss, or Pain of Sense; the former is judged by Divines to be the greatest and most grievous; for God being our chiefest Happiness, to lose him will be our chiefest Misery; In his presence is fullness of Joy, and at his right hand Pleasures for evermore: But at Death there will be an eternal separation from him, which Loss will more affect the Soul, when the Understanding, Conscience, and other Faculties shall be enlarged; a Thousand thousand rentings of the Soul from the Body will not be so much as One renting of the Soul from God; then the Soul will know the worth of the things she hath lost, and what a foolish bargain she made, when God, and Heaven, and Happiness were parted with for a Lust; this will be a bitter Corazine, and an eternal Torment to a miscarrying Soul, when she knows (and know she will) what it is to enjoy those Rivers of pleasures which are at the right-hand of God, ou● sight of Christ, ou● glimpse of Heaven, one hours converse with Angels and glorified Saints, would dash the Glory of Ten thousand Worlds out of countenance; this Beatifical Vision, this enjoyment of God in Glory, is a Saints greatest Happiness, and well it may: We mourn and overmourn for little petty Crosses or Losses in our temporal Estate, but the loss of a thousand Worlds will not equal this, a glimpse of whose Face in Glory would make amends for all the Losses, Crosses, Pains and Torments which here we can suffer for his sake: 'Tis His Presence that makes Heaven to be Heaven, and his Absence is Hell itself; the enjoyment of him here in a small measure is Heaven upon Earth, and when he withdraws himself from the Soul, 'tis a very Hell; but the blinded World is not sensible of his worth, ignotis nulla cupida, nothing but Ignorance could stave off our Affections from him, yet many, though they cannot live without him, yet value him not; they have not Bread to eat, or Clothes to put on, nor a Breath to breathe, but what he gives them, yet dare they abuse their Meat to Gluttony, their Drink to Drunkenness, their Breath to blaspheme his holy Name: But what will those do, when there shall be an everlasting separation between God and them? The loss of a Jewel is not much to one that values it but as a common Stone, but when they come to know its worth, it will more trouble them.  
I have read of a Diamond taken from the Duke of Burgundy, slain by the Swissers, that was sold for a crown, by the Soldier that took it, and so passed from one, to one, ●●ll at last it was bought for 20000 Ducats, which, as some value it, was above 7000 Pound, and put into the Pope's triple Crown.  
See what Ignorance may do: But Ignorance of God will prove the most dangerous mistake. There are many in our Age like David's Fool, that say in their Hearts, there is no God; nay, too many that proclaim it with their Tongues, but e'er long they will be fain to eat their words: There is not one of them, but e'er long will be fully convinced; for there is no Atheist in Hell, the Devil, though full of other Sins, is not guilty of this. Many here have Souls to little purpose, but like Salt, to keep their Bodies from Putrefaction; for as they think there is no God, so they live as if there were none. Many of these have been convinced of their Error, even in this Life, by the Judgements of God, the rest will soon after; but these men, I suppose, rather desire there were no God, than believe it: Many that own a God, fancy to themselves one of their own making, a God all of Mercy and no Justice; they think he that made them must save them; but the Devils find it to the contrary. 'Tis true, he was merciful when he drowned the old World, burnt Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire, overthrew Pharaoh and his Army in the Red-Sea, slew in one night in the Camp of Sennacherib 185000, and will be so at the day of Judgement, when he throws the Devil and his Angels, and all unrepenting Sinners, into Hell: And they will find him just, as well as merciful, and one that will make good his Threats, as well as his Promises; He hath Power in his Hand to do both, and will be no respecter of Persons, for if they are wicked, by what Name or Titles soever they are dignified or distinguished, suffer they must. Tophet is ordained of old, even for the King it is prepared: He hath made it deep and large, the pile thereof is fire and much wood, and the breath of the Lord, as a river of Brimstone, doth kindle it, Isa. 30.33. Now they say to God, Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways, Job 21.14. But e'er long God will say to them, Depart from me ye wicked, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels, etc. Mat. 25.41. Now they will not know God, and then God will nor know them, Mal. 7.22. Now the rottenness of their Hearts blisters out in their Lips and Tongues, and they belch out their unsavoury Breath into the very Face of God himself. Now they will none of his counsel, but set as nought his reproofs; but he will laugh at their destruction, and mock when their fear cometh, Prov. 1.24. But how light soever they value him now, they shall know his Worth to their eternal Torment, for they shall for ever lose him, and all comfortable Relations to him, and with him all that good is, the Joys of Heaven, the Society of Angels and glorified Saints; these indeed they little regard here, but they will know their Worth better hereafter.  
It hath been the Speech of some of that Fraternity, That if they thought the Puritans (and such they called all holy, sober, serious men) were in Heaven, and their own Good-fellows and Pot-companions were in Hell, they would choose Hell before Heaven: And they are like enough to have their Choice, but e'er long they would willingly eat those words of theirs: Now they hate, persecute, and revile them, and glad they are to be rid of them; then they shall be far enough out of their company, and out of their reach: They think they are not worthy to live in the World, whom God thinks the World is not worthy of, Heb. 11.35, etc. They are cutting off the Bough they stand upon, and taking away the Pillars that uphold the Building; they laugh at their own Misery, and sport themselves with their own Folly; they rejoice to see their own Houses on Fire, and to see their own Wickedness prosper, which will be their Ruin; but when the mad Fit is over, (and over it will be e'er long) when they consider what they have been doing, their Note will be changed, and their Sport spoiled, they will find time enough for Repentance, and for every dram of Mirth they will have a pound of Sorrow. When God forsakes them, (and forsake them he will, if they forsake not their Sins) whither will they go for help? Their Pot-Companions cannot help them, for they are under the same Condemnation; the World cannot help them, for the Earth, and all the Works therein, shall be burnt up, their Riches, Honours, and Pleasures shall be left behind, the Rocks and Mountains cannot cover them, these melt at the presence of the Lord; their Companions can do them no good, they will curse the time that ever they saw the Face each of other; the Ordinances which they slighted are then ceased; the Ambassadors of Peace called home, Hearing, Reading, Praying, Meditating, which were of use, and now our Duty, can then do us no good, no Petition now can be accepted, the Spirit hath now done striving; here the worst of Sinners call God Father, and would fain adopt the Devil's Brats to be God's Children, but it will then appear, these profligate Wretches are none of the Offspring of Heaven, for God will own no such Children; here they are not perswadable, but then their Consciences will inform them, and their Torments instruct them that their courses were not good; now Heaven's Glory, though never so lively set forth, doth not much affect them, their Eyes are not opened to behold it, but had they but a glimpse of it, as the Apostles had in the Transfiguration, or such a sight as Paul had in the third Heaven, it would convince them.  
'Tis storied of Nicostratus that cunning Artist, That seeing an admirable Piece of Work, looked at it with admiration; being observed, he was asked by one, why he looked so intent upon it, replied, Oh Sir, had you my Eyes, you would wonder as well as I at this inimitable Piece of Work. And had the men of the World their Eyes open, or had they ever tasted one dram of the Rivers of Pleasure which are at the right hand of God for evermore, they would be of another mind, they would see the Riches, Honour, Carnal Delights, Friends, and Favourites, yea, whatever the World affords we can spare, but God we cannot spare: And to miscarrying Souls, the consideration that the Time was, the enjoyment of these celestial things was possible for us, as well as for others; we were set upon the Stage of the World to play our part; we had the same Means, Ministers, Ordinances, Helps, and Furtherances as others had, the motions of the Spirit, and the Checks of our own Consciences, as they, but the Devil blinded our Eyes, and hardened our Hearts, and the World bewitched us, but all these Means and Helps are gone, and 'tis too late, alas! too late to repent; we indulged our Flesh, we satisfied our Lusts, we contented our carnal Companions, and we deluded one another: Nay, we had not only a possibility of Glory, but a fair probability: We had many Convictions upon our Spirits, that our way was not good, and that the way of Holiness was to be chosen; hence we had many Resolutions to alter our Courses; yea, especially in our Sickness and Distress, we made many Promises, yea, Vows and Covenants, to amend; yea, set upon the performances of some Duties, and refrained from some Sins, and made some Profession of Religion, and were almost Christians, and yet suffered the Temptations of Satan, the Allurements of the World, and the Enticements of our own Corruptions, and the Persuasions of our wicked Companions, to stifle these hopeful Beginnings; these persuaded us there was time enough for Repentance, and that we had many a fair day yet to live; and now Death hath taken us away in our Sins, cursed be the time that ever we listened to these Siren Songs, which lulled us asleep in the Cradle of Security; we were not far from the Kingdom of Heaven, but for want of a little more, we shall never come there; and now our Sun is set, and will never rise again, our day is over that will never dawn, and the night is come that no man can work; our golden hours are over, and our Opportunities are lost, and that sweet Gale of Mercy that once we had, will never blow upon us more: Oh that we were entrusted with one Year more, the World should see what Reformed persons we would be, we would live as mortified a Life as ever Saint did upon the Earth, and scorn with the highest Disdain the Pleasures, Profit, and Honours of the World; how exactly would we live! how painfully would we work out our Salvation! how would we watch our Hearts and our Tongues, and order our Actions! but, alas! these are vain Wishes, our Time is gone, our Glass is run out, our Opportunity lost, and our Hopes are perished; God hath forsaken us, and become our Enemy; a Crown of Glory was once offered upon easy Terms, but the Market-day is over, and will never come again; it was under our Feet, and we would not stoop for it; Life and Death were set before us, and we had our Choice; Heaven was offered, and we refused it, and chose the World before it, and lodged it in the best Room of our Hearts, and now it hath deceived us; we should have forsaken all for Christ, but we forsake Christ and all for a Lust; we indulged the Flesh, yielded to the Temptation, and made a woeful Choice, for a few vanishing Pleasures, we parted with Heavenly Joys, and in the room had endless, easeless, and remediless Torments; it had been better for us, that we had been torn in pieces with wild Horses, than to have yielded to the Temptations of Sin, as we have done: Now we find our Minister's Words true, which warned us of the bitter Fruits of Sin, but, alas! too late, our time is gone, and will not be recalled; cursed be the time we fell into such lewd Company: How did we delude each other to Destruction; now I see the Fruits, the Effects and Ends of all our merry Meetings, drunken Matches, of our merry Songs and wanton Catches, and all our effeminate Dalliance; how much better might the time have been spent in Prayer, Hearing, and Meditation? Taverns, Alehouses, and Whore-houses have been our Ruin.  
These, or suchlike, will be the sad Complaints of miscarrying Souls; for when God forsakes them, all that Good is will leave them, then must they bid farewell to the Saints and Angels for ever, for they will be in the presence of God to Eternity, and had they but enjoyed them one day in Heaven, now all their Corruptions are done away, they would better know their worth and their own loss; but Heaven and Hell, as they are out of sight, so they are out of mind; but those that mind them of it, are like Elijah, accounted the Troublers of Israel, and like Paul, Pestilent Fellows; for they at present scorn the Society of the Godly, and then the Godly will scorn them; they shall then reap the Fruit of their own Folly, which will be a large Harvest. But, among all their Losses, they shall lose their Souls also, which Loss is considerable, the Soul being of more value than the World, Mat. 16.26. and this will be an aggravation to them, they sold them for nothing: Yet this Loss signifies not the annihilation of the Soul, or that it shall be made nothing, this would be joyful News to them, for upon that Condition they would be willing the Devil should tear it into a thousand pieces, (supposing it divisible) so he would tear it into nothing: But this cannot be, the Soul will run parallel with the longest Line of Eternity; neither can the Faculties thereof be lost, the Understanding, Memory, Conscience will remain, and be much heightened; the Understanding should better know the Vanity of Earthly Enjoyments, and the Worth of Heavenly; the Memory shall never forget one Sin, nor any one Circumstance of it, and the Conscience shall torment them for it, and will prove a never-dying Worm to torment; but the Soul is said to be lost, when God, which is the Life of the Soul, is lost; and when made a Bondslave to Satan, and under God's Wrath and Curse, and sentenced to everlasting Torments; when all her Hopes are extinct, and nothing but Desperation is left her, all their misgrounded misguided Hope will then fail, and prove but like a Spider's Web, and at Death all possibility will be taken away, Salvation and Hopes will vanish together. The foolish Virgin's Hope, as it was groundless, so was it fruitless; such Hope may light a man to Death, never to the Grave. In a word, whatever they account good, or that tends to their Happiness in this World, or that to come, Death will strip them of it. Oh that Sinners in the fear of God would think of these things  it be too late, then would they not for a little Pleasure, vain Honour, or deceitful Riches, run thus upon the Pikes of Danger, and lose God, Blessed for ever, and those celestial Enjoyments at his right hand, for evermore, and incur those Hellish Flames, which can never be quenched, Oh that men with a full Resolution would set themselves against the Temptations of Satan, the Allurements of the World, and the Enticements of their own Corruptions, and would give up not only their Names but their Hearts to Christ, then would they never feel what now they have just cause to fear.  
5. These are the Losses that wicked men will sustain at Death, even all that good is; but this will not be all their Misery, but there will be added to it the Pain of Sense, which is no inconsiderable part of Hell, for they will be cast into the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the second Death; they shall not only have the Talents which were lent them taken from them, but they shall be cast into Prison for not improving them, yea, into endless, easeless, and remediless Torments, Mat. 25.46.  
Now this place of Torment, whereinto miscarrying Souls shall be cast, hath various Appellations in Scripture; sometimes 'tis called a Prison, Mat. 5.25. Agree with thine Adversary quickly, etc. lest thou be cast into Prison. This denotes the want of Liberty, and other comfortable Enjoyments: Sometimes 'tis called the bottomless Pit, Rev. 9.1. where the Dragon the old Serpent was cast, Rev. 20.3. 'Tis also called Everlasting Punishment, where all ungodly Sinners must go, Mat. 25.46. this also shows the duration. 'Tis called also Unquenchable Fire, which must consume the Chaff, which are the Wicked, Luke 3.17. this shows the extremity of Torments. 'Tis called also a Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the Beast and the false Prophet shall be cast, Rev. 19.20. 'Tis also called a Furnace of Fire, where the Tares must be burnt, Mat. 13.41, etc. 'Tis also called Outer Darkness, where those that want their Wedding-Garment, when they are bound Hand and Foot, must be cast, Mat. 22.13. 'Tis called sometimes the blackness of Darkness, which is reserved for the Devil and his Angels, Judas 6.13. 'Tis called also the Place of Torment, in which the rich Glutton was, when he saw Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, Luk. 16.28. 'Tis called the Wrath to come, from which Believers are delivered by Christ, 1 Thess. 1.10. As also the Damnation of Hell, and many other Epithets, Mat. 23.33. and all to express the extremity of the Torment, and the duration thereof, and in some measure to set forth that which the Heart of Man cannot fully conceive of, nor his Tongue express. By this we may see 'tis a place of Torment, a place of Horror and Darkness, a place provided on purpose for the manifestation of God's vindictive Justice and just Judgement. This is that Tophet provided of old, the pile thereof is Fire and much Wood, and the breath of the Lord, as a River of Brimstone, doth kindle it, Isa. 30. last. When a few drops of this Wrath of God fell upon the old World, it drowned it, upon Sodom, it burned it, upon Egypt, it destroyed it, upon Sennacherib, it flew 185000 of his Army in one night. But if a few drops make such a devastation, what will a Torrent do? What will they do in the overflowing of Jordan? And what will those poor Creatures do, that must be the Butt for all the Arrows of the Almighty to be levelled at?  
We read, that Nebuchadnezzar's Furnace was heat seven times hotter than usually for Bread, but Hell is seventy times hotter than that, yet God will not think the heat too great, or the duration too long for Wicked men to suffer for a thousand millions of Ages: He will not repent of the Severity; He is not as man, that he should lie, nor as the sons of men, that he should repent: Those that now at his Command will not leave one sup, then shall not have one drop; then will they have no Beds of Donne to lie upon, no soft Couches to stretch their wearied Limbs upon, nor curious Hang, nor costly Furniture to adorn their Rooms, only a Lake burning with Fire and Brimstone to bathe them in; no rich Wines, strong Drinks, or cordial Waters, to comfort them, to quench their Thirst, or cool their parched Throats, no, cold Water would be held a Cordial.  
Their Society also would breed Horror, the Devil and his instruments, these will continually haunt them: Here if one should appear at least in an ugly shape, they are frighted, sometimes out of their Wits, but there they are their daily Companions, and they will be troubled not with Sight only, but with Feeling also. As for the rest of their Companions, they are not much better, for what Comfort can it be to live among wounded, sick, diseased, or frantic persons, yelling, swearing, roaring, ranting, and blasphemous men? But this falls short of the communion in Hell; for amidst all their hellish Dialect, they must bea● a part in this hellish Harmony; the thought of it may send them trembling to their Graves; were the Torments like themselves, it were not so much; and yet we have read of those that have been cruel enough, but to be under the Lashes and Whips of Infernal Spirits, and these our Bloodthirsty Enemies, and set on work by an Omnipotent God, as the Executioners of his Infinite Wrath and Fiery Indignation, is terrible to think of. Those that in their life-time were drawn into the Devil's Snares, must now reap the Fruit of their Folly, for whatever his Promises were, eternal Destruction of Soul and Body is his Wages. But he is not the only Tormenter, but miscarrying Souls carry about them the never-dying Worm, which like Prometheus' Vulture is always gnawing: And this will prove no inconsiderate part of Hell, here Conscience is God's Register, and records what is done, there it will be a Witness, a Judge, and an Executioner. The Memory also will not be in vain, but will bring to mind things by us long ago forgotten; the Sins committed, the Duties omitted; the Time lost, the Opportunity let slip; the Understanding will then know the worth of the things lost, the vanity of those we had in exchange, and the woeful Bargain we have made, and for this Conscience will lash to all Eternity. 'Tis one of the saddest Afflictions that can befall a Man in this Life, to be under the Terrors of an enraged Conscience, witness Spira, that wished he were in Hell to know the worst of his Torments: This was for one sin, but when all their sins, with all the aggravations, shall stare them in the Face, and when Conscience shall have an enlarged Commission, it will then speak to purpose, and not hold its peace. Were a Man to grapple with the Creature, it were not so much, but who can contend with the Almighty? Who can dwell with consuming fire, or with everlasting burning? Hell is the place where the Prisoner must pay the utmost farthing; and God's Vials of Vengeance shall be poured out to the utmost, all the Talents lent shall then be required, and every vain Thought, and every idle Word shall be answered for; and every sin of Youth, and riper Age, of Ignorance and Knowledge, Weakness and Wilfulness; the sins of every Relation, Calling, and Employment; of Omission, Commission, and Participation, against the Law, and against the Gospel, with all their Circumstances and Aggravations. Oh the numberless Number of bloody Bills will be brought in, and fully proved! not a vain word, or thought, or wanton glance of the Eye, or wicked or lascivious Gesture, or Action, will be then omitted or forgiven; there they must stay till they have paid the utmost Farthing, for God will be no loser by them: Those that have exceeded most in Sin, shall exceed also in Torments, as God threatens Babylon, Rev. 18.15, 16. No Tongue can tell, nor Heart conceive, how great their Torments will be, for they will be inconceivable, and unutterable. If all the Tormenting Diseases that ever poor Creature groaned under were inflicted upon one Man, and all the Racks and Tortures that ever were invented by Man or Devil, were added to it, and this Man's Life should be preserved under these Tortures for a Year, for a Hundred, or a Thousand Years, sure it would be a miserable Spectacle: But what is this to Hell Torments? This reaches only the Body, except by Sympathy, when Soul and Body are tormented in Hell. Or what is a Thousand Years to Eternity? A thousand thousand rentings of the Soul from the Body, is not so much as one renting of Soul and Body from God. There are many now that cannot endure to hear the Devil's Name in a Sermon, yet can they endure to lodge him in their Hearts; but how will they lodge with him for ever? If he now appear in some horrid shape, how are they affrighted out of their Wits, but how then will they dwell with him for Eternity? Now if a Person be in pain, they have some intervals, some mitigation, but there is none; or some parts of the Body free, when others are tormented; but in Hell no Part, Power, or Faculty is free, yet haply those Parts that sinned most, may suffer most, as the Rich Glutton's Tongue seemed to do; their fire goes not out, neither doth their worm die: Every Sense there will have its Torment, as every Sense here hath its peculiar Sins. Whether the Fire there be Material, as some imagine, or Metaphorical, as others more probably conceive it, is not much material for us to know, and well if we never know; if it be Material Fire, God adds strength to it, otherwise it could not touch the Soul; if Metaphorical Fire, 'tis something more afflictive than our Imaginations can reach; however Christ bids us not fear man, that can but kill the body, (haply by Fire) but cannot kill the soul, but fear him that can cast soul and body into Hell. Now our Fire consumes as well as torments, but Hell Fire doth not so; Wicked Men in Hell are like Moses' Bush, always burning, but never consumed; would Hell-fire consume them it would be happy News, but they are like the Salamander, they live in it, and will do to Eternity; they never leave sinning, and their sins are as Oil or Pitch to increase the Flames, and God will not leave plaguing them for their sins. Jerome tells us, their Sins are the Oil, and God's Wrath the Fire, and while the Oil is poured on, the Fire will not out. Those Bodies that now are so tender they cannot endure Cold nor Heat, that must not have the Sun or Wind to see them, for spoiling their Beauty, will be now exposed to Fire and Flames; those that could not away with an ill smell, what will they do to endure the smell of burning Brimstone, or what is worse represented by it? Those that delighted in Pleasant Sights and Shows, must here take up with the sight of Infernal Fiends, and Leprous Souls, far more ugly than the foulest Toad that crawls under our Feet; and the choicest Melody will be the Yell, Roar, and Blasphemings of damned Devils, and miscarrying Souls, and nothing to be felt but Fire, or what more is appointed for further Torment. How will they dwell with everlasting burning, that now cannot away with Summer-heat? These Flames will neither regard Age, Sex, nor Beauty, but like the Worms will feed upon one as soon as the other; for as the Worms will make their Nests between those Breasts that now are exposed to show, and sale, and eat out those wanton Windows of Love, and Messengers of Lust, and seize upon the fairest Face, as on the most deformed Piece; and rottenness will consume that Hair, that now is made the Nets and Snares to catch our wanton Youth; and Prey upon the most Ambitious Nimrod, or proudest Person, as soon as any other, making no difference between the Prince and the Peasant, the Dust of both will ere long be mixed, and not known asunder; so in like manner will they go undistinguished in the Infernal Pit, for God will respect no Man's Person in the Judgement, nor the Flames in Hell, but as their Work is, so will be their Reward. That there will be degrees in Torment, I think is out of doubt, for there are degrees in Sin, and the Judge of all the Earth will do Righteously; Those that know their masters will, and do it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; those that have abused most Talents, have most to answer for: It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement, than for Corazin and Bethsaida. Bloody Persecutors of Christ and his Church, are like to have the hottest place in Hell, and those that commit that Sin unto Death, shall speed worse than those that sin of frailty. Those that now would be accounted Roaring Boys, will be such indeed, when they come there, for Roaring and Yelling will be their best Music; and all shall dance after this Pipe, and bear a share in this Consort. Oh, that Men would be wise before it be too late, and Hell hath shut her Mouth upon them, for than they will have no rest day nor night, but it is the duration that makes up the Misery complete: Did the Torments endure but a Hundred, or a Thousand Years, though it were long, yet it would be some comfort, that an end would come, but the word Never, is a Hell in the midst of Hell. Were a Man in perfect Health and Strength adjudged to lie upon a soft Feather Bed, without stirring Hand or Foot, for a Year's space, though he had the comfort of Friends, Meat, Drink, and other Necessaries, it would be thought a great Punishment, much more if he lay upon a red-hot Gridiron, and could be preserved with Life: But what is either of these to Hell-Torments, or a Year to Eternity? But their Torment must run parallel with the Life of God, the days of Heaven, and the longest line of Eternity; and when they have passed as many Thousand Millions of Years as there are Piles of Grass upon the Earth, Stars in Heaven, Hairs upon Man & Beasts, Sands upon the Seashore, Feathers upon all Fowl, and Scales and Fins upon all Fish, yet will their Misery be no whit abated, or any nearer to an end than the first day they were cast into it; for were this innumerable Number taken from Eternity, it is never the less. Oh, Eternity! Eternity! who can judge of thee, or find thee out? If the Earth were converted into Paper, and the Sea into Ink, and every Grass-pile into Pens, and every Sand upon the Seashore were a skilful Arithmetician, and all of them with their conjoined Labours, when they had cast up their greatest Sums, and added them together, yet would it not reach Eternity: Nay, if the whole Firmament were written from end to end with Arithmetical Figures, it would fall short. Oh, what then but Horror and Despair will seize upon miscarrying Souls! when all their hopes are dashed, then will they seek Death, but shall not find it: Oh, that these pains would break my Heart, and end my Life, say they. Oh, that I might at last be extinct, or that these Infernal Spirits would tear me in pieces, till they had rend me to nothing. Oh, that I had never had a Being! cursed be my Father that begat me, and the Womb that bore me; cursed be those Companions of mine, that helped to undo me, and betray me into my Enemy's hands. Such as these are like to be the wishes that Eternity will extract from tormented Souls. O that the consideration thereof would make Men wise before it be too late! But if Death find us unprepared, this that I have described will be our condition for ever, which God forbidden.  
Lesson 6. The Sixth Lesson that this Providence teacheth us, is this, That seeing this our Friend is taken away in the midst of her days, in her full strength, while her breasts were full of milk, and her bones moistened with marrow, Job 21.24. This teacheth all, but especially us that are of greater Age, that survive her, how necessary 'tis for us to make Preparation for our own Death; for if God deal thus with the green Tree, what shall be done to the dry? Young Men may die, Old Men must die; for we know neither the day, nor the hour wherein our Lord and Master will come, 'Tis good therefore to watch every day, and every hour; we know not when he will send his Messenger to us to Command us to give an account of our Steward-ship, for we shall be no longer Stewards. We usually say, That should be well done, that can be but once done; but we can die but once, 'tis appointed unto all men once to die, and after death the Judgement, Heb. 9.27. Here is no room for a second Error, as we say in War. As the Tree falls, so it lies, whether to the North, or to the South; so, as Death leaves us, so Judgement shall find us. Now, Death is no Fear-babe, 'tis the King of Terrors, and a Terror to Kings. Hell is no Scarecrow, neither Eternity a Jesting matter, the Soul that is in danger, is no Trifle, but our chiefest Jewel, and Salvation and Damnation are matters of Moment, things of great Concern. Now, a Man would think that in Matters of such Concern it were not needful to use many words to make us mind it, when we are earnest enough in lesser matters, but 'tis evident we are all faulty in some degree or other, and the most altogether negligent. Were but our Houses on fire over our heads, we need not many Arguments to seek to save ourselves, and to quench the Fire. Were we in danger of Drowning, we need not many Arguments to persuade us to lay hold upon something or other to help us out. Were we pursued with an implacable Enemy that sought our Lives, or with a roaring Lion, or ranging Bear, we should double our Diligence, and amend our Pace, and use all means to escape the Danger. And is the Soul so contemptible a thing, that we matter it so little? It is (without our Diligence prevent it) in danger to be drowned in the Lake of Perdition, and to be burnt in the Fire that never goes out, and is pursued with those Infernal Furies, that seek to devour her; and yet we make but a little hast to rescue her: But are our Houses, our Estates, our Bodies, or our Lives to be preferred before the Immortal Soul, the best part of Man? And is a Moment of Time more to us than Eternity? Do we take so much care what to eat, and what to drink, and wherewith to be clothed, and so little how the Soul is fed or clothed, decked or adorned? This doubtlessly would bespeak our Folly. Whatever the World dream or say to the contrary, Heaven will be found to the Possessors of it a real Happiness; and whatever Cost or Charge, Pains or Labour we bestow, a good Pennyworth; and Hell will be found a real Misery, and whatever we have into the Bargain, we shall be losers; the Rich Glutton found it so, and many more; here the worm dies not, and the fire never goes out. One day in Heaven will make us forget all our Miseries on Earth; and one day in Hell will make us forget all our forepast Pleasures. Now, while we are unprepared for Death, there is but the thread of our Lives between us and endless, easeless, and remediless Torments; and this must needs be an uneasy condition to a considerate Man. And which makes it the worse, Death is always gnawing at this thread, which if once broken, all the World cannot piece it, or yield us any relief. Now, in serious matters wise men should be serious; Beggars, when their wants are serious, they will leave their Canting, and beg in earnest, as also a Prisoner that begs for his Life, and is not the life of the Soul of greater value? 'Tis the Immortal Soul that lies at the stake, while we are playing a Game at Folly. God is in earnest, his Messengers are in earnest, and shall we, who are most concerned, and who are like to be the greatest losers, be in jest? Were it our Riches, Honours, Pleasures, or such like, that were in danger, the matter were not much, but 'tis the Soul, and need not we be in earnest? But seeing 'tis for Souls, I shall back this Exhortation with these following Considerations.  
1. Consider seriously that we must die, but when we know not; 'tis our Wisdom to have Death always in our Eye, and with the Apostle, to die daily, 1 Cor. 15.31. Death comes never the sooner for our Preparation for it, neither stays the longer if we expect it not; the frequent thoughts of it will put us on to our Duty, when the putting far from us the evil day, Amos 6.3. will make us neglect it. This cursed Security and hope of Impunity is the source of all the Wickedness in the World, Because Sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is wholly set in them to do wickedly, Eccles. 8.11. But this is not preservation, but a reservation to a greater Evil; this Forbearance is no Acquittance, whatever we think of it, Death is stealing upon us tacito pede with a silent foot, and how soon he will enter our Lodgings we know not, and then the Play is ended, and we must march off the Stage. This Motive haply may seem needless, to mind Men of what they all know already, but I think 'tis not useless; for though all Men will easily confess they must die, yet 'tis not easy to make them consider of it, or believe their Death is near; nay, if we look upon most men's Actions, and manner of Living, 'tis easy to conclude, that neither God nor Death are in their thoughts. Were we but sure that Christ would come to Judgement within a Month, wh●t a Reformation should we see in the World? Our Time-wasting Gallants would not then spend so much time in Hawking, Hunting, Drinking, Whoring, as now they do; Holiness would not then be their scorn, nor Religion their reproach, and yet who knows whether it may not be within a Week? Or could we be assured that Death would then Summon us to render an account of our Steward-ship in so short a time, it would make the proudest of us to veil our Peacock's Plumes, and entertain other thoughts of Death and Judgement, and of Eternity, than at present we have; and we should not be so prodigal of our time, as now we are; but spend more of our time in hearing, reading, meditating, and other Religious Exercises, than now we do. So that 'tis the vain hopes of long Life, which God never promised to any, that encourages many in their wickedness, and makes the Godly themselves the more secure; 'tis good therefore to view our Charter, and see what time is granted us, and not like the unfaithful Servant, say, My Lord deferreth his coming, etc. lest he come unawares, and give us a Reward of our Folly; the Poet shows these men's Folly, that future their Repentance upon hopes of long life.  
Fleers si scires unum tua tempora mensem,  
Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies.  
Many would weep and lament did they know they had but a Month to live, that now laugh and rejoice, not having a day to live; of this sort was the Rich Man, mentioned Luke 12.16, etc. O vain World! how dost thou cheat us? O cunning Devil! how dost thou delude us, and hid from our Eyes our latter end? How dare any Poor Man, that hath not made his Peace with his God, neither hath any assurance of his Love, spend an hour in an Alehouse, or a day in Vanity, and not know but it is his last? We have many Spectacles of Mortality daily before us, younger and stronger than we go to the Grave before us, and many Monitors of Mortality within us, Pains and Aches, Griefs and Troubles, even grey Hairs, to mind us of our Winding-sheets. The Lord grant we may know the voice of the rod, and of him that sends it. The Rich Man, Luke 12.16. promises himself a lasting Happiness in the World, when he had not a day to live; and no doubt we have many such in our Times: But alas, one Month, or one Year, for aught we know may make a great and considerable alteration in our Families, and haply those may be taken away that thought they had many a fair Year to live, and much Worldly Happiness to enjoy. Sometimes Death strikes the Child in the Womb, when he spares them that stoop for Age; there is no Degree, Age, or Sex, that is secure; neither Rich nor Poor, Noble nor Base, Young nor Old, Fair nor Foul, Religious nor Profane, can plead an Exemption from the Arrest of Death, for all of us are dust, and unto dust we must return, Gen. 3.19. Eccles. 12.7. Those Houses of Clay wherein we live will ere long moulder into dust about our Ears, 2 Cor. 5.1. 'Tis our Wisdom therefore to look out for another Habitation, a building, an house not made with hands, but eternal in the Heavens, whose foundation and builder is God. This Life of ours, for the shortness and uncertainty of it, is compared unto the most fleeting, fading, perishing things we can name; as to Grass, to the Flower of the Field, a Bubble, a Post, a Weaver's Shuttle, a Thought, a Shadow, the dream of a Shadow, or if any thing be more vain, and what manner of men than ought we to be? 1 Pet. 3.11. The dimness of our Eyes, the deafness of our Ears, the rottenness of our Teeth, the wrinkles in our Cheeks, the feebleness of our Limbs, and every decay in Nature, warns us of our approaching ends; Death shoots many Darts at us, and at length will hit us to the heart. It was Jerusalem's fault and folly, and I wish it be not ours, to forget our latter end, Lam. 1.9.  
2. Consid. Let us further consider that we have a great deal of Work to do before we can be fit to die, and but a little, short, uncertain time to do it in, and therefore more Diligence is required, and 'tis work of the greatest Concernment; if our time were in our own power, and at our own dispose, sure and certain; or were our Work but a little, or of little concern whether it were or no, it might be some excuse to us for our Idleness, and Time-wasting; but this is not our case. Were Pleasures the end why we were sent into the World, as many of our Gallants of both Sexes seem to suppose, than many in our times take an effectual course, but endless Pleasures they mind not, the way to Heaven will prove a little rougher. God sent us into the World upon an higher Errand; our lives, and the life of our Souls, yea, our Eternal weal or woe depends upon the well or ill spending of this little Inch of Time: And are not those mad, or worse, that consume it in Folly and Vanity? Most Men live as if they had no concerns of another World to mind, as if their Work were done, and nothing remained but to receive their Wages, but I fear this is few men's case. Had we a bloodthirsty Enemy to encounter, that nothing but our Blood would satisfy, we should be more concerned to keep us out of his hands; but the Devil is such a one, that walks about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour. Were we in a Journey for our Lives, or in a Race, that if we won not, we must die, how diligently should we run, and take all advantages, and cast our ground? This is our case, we were sent to run a Race, Heaven is the Prize we run for, our Souls lie at the stake, if we run not so as to obtain, they will be lost, and lodge in the Infernal Pit for ever; and shall we leave our way, and hunt after Butterflies, especially setting out so late? And our day is almost spent, and the shadows of the evening are stretched out. There is much out of order in the Soul, which must of necessity be rectified; our stony Hearts must be changed for Hearts of flesh, and this is no easy work; the Soul must be regenerated and born again, or we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Corruptions must be mortified, and the power of Sin abated, and the Soul sanctified, or no coming to Heaven; for no unclean thing shall ever enter there. There must be Oil in the Vessel, Grace in the Heart, as well as the Lamps of Profession in the Hand, or the Door will be shut against us, as it was against the foolish Virgins, Mat. 25.10, etc. It will be in vain for us to thrust into the Bride-Chamber if we have not on a Wedding-garment, for we shall he discovered, Mat. 22.12. The Graces of God's Spirit must be had, for these are the Gems and Jewels that adorn the Soul, and make it comely in the Eyes of God; for no unrighteous man shall ever enter Heaven. Holiness is Christ's Sheep-mark, and whosoever wants it shall stand at Christ's left hand: The Old Man must be crucified with his deeds, and the New Man put on, and the body of Sin must be destroyed. Faith, Hope, and Charity must not be wanting, neither Repentance, new Obedience, Self-denial, Humility, and other Soul-adorning Graces, which God hath made necessary to Salvation. The Combat of the Spirit against the Flesh must be maintained, and no Peace or Truce had with the World, the Flesh, and the Devil; for when we make Peace with those, we break our Peace with God, we cannot serve two such Masters. We must be crucified to the world, and the world to us. Religion must be practised as well as professed, or our Profession will do us little good; the most gainful, pleasureful, and best beloved sins, though as dear as a right Hand, or right Eye, must not only be left, but hated, though Custom, Education, or Carnal Interest hath endeared them to us; and the most painful, difficult, dangerous, costly Duties must be done when God requires them, and that in a Spiritual manner. All God's Commands must be obeyed, how cross soever they are to Flesh and Blood. A constant Watch must be kept over the Heart, to keep the Thoughts in subjection, and the Affections in order, as also over our Lips, that we offend not with our tongues. We must live so uprightly to Men, and so holily to God, that our Enemies may have nothing to object against us, but concerning the Law of our God. Our Thoughts, Words, and Actions must be regulated by the Word of God. Christ must be loved with a prevailing degree of Love, yea, above either Mother, Wife, and Children, and our own Lives. Our Wills must be made conformable to the Will of God, and we must deny ourselves for his sake, and forsake all if he requires it. Our greatest Enemies we must love, forgive, and pray for; and nothing must possess the best Room in our Hearts but Christ. Our Evidences for Heaven must b● cleared up, or we cannot die cheerfully. Now, this is some of the Work we have to do; in a word, constant Communion with Christ in the several Duties he Commands in public, private, and in secret, must be maintained, if we would be fit to die; and can we think than we have any time to spare to throw away upon needless Recreations? A bare Profession of Religion will not serve turn for Salvation, Mat. 25.10. & 7.22.  
3. Confid. Let us further Consider, That many have, do, and will miscarry, for want of Preparation; yea, the greatest part of Mankind, for there is but a few that shall be saved; yea, many professed Christians future their Repentance, and send it before Ten or Twenty Years, and never overtake it, till it be too late. That servant that said in his heart, my Lord deserieth his coming, and began to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the Lord of that servant shall come in a day he looks not for him, and in an hour he is not ware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, Mat. 24.48, etc. And of such Dust heaps we may find in every corner. 'Tis the Devil's Language to persuade Men they have yet long to live, many fair Summers to see, and that there is time enough yet, and if the worst come to the worst, a few good words at last will waft them over safe to Heaven; but these, e'er long, will hear the Doom of the foolish Rich man, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee, and then whose are these? Luk. 12.19, 20. He was shot with the Bolt while he gazed at the Bow.  
'Tis the Devil's Policy to persuade us we have some time yet to spend in his Service, and enough for God beside; but let us beware of such Conclusions, till we have better assurance than the Devil can give us. Many that have done more for Heaven, and can say more for it than most of us, have had Heaven Gates barred against them. Mat. 7.22. & 25.12, etc. Many will say in that day, Have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out Devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? yet he shall say, Depart, I know you not. Many speak like Saints, live like Devils, they have Jacob's smooth Tongue, but Esau's rough Hands. Many live and die in a Self-delusion, and go to Hell with Hopes of Heaven in their Mouths. Many young men are in Hell, that thought to repent when they were old; and many old men, that supposed they should live longer; but many bear themselves in hand, they can do as the Thief did, do the Devil's Work all day, and receive Wages of Christ at night; but this is a desperate Venture, the Judge haply saves one Malefactor of an hundred, and every man thinks it will be he. Legi & perlegi scripturam, etc. saith Austin, I have read the Scripture over and over, yet did I never read but of one that was saved upon late Repentance, when an Hundred thousand hare miscarried. And saith another, We may as rationally expect our Ass to speak, because Balaam's Ass did once speak, as to imagine to follow this singular Example. To put off Repeneance upon such an account, is, saith a third, as bold a Venture as for a man to go a great Journey without Money, because another did so, and found a Purse of Money in his way. If a way be difficult, and scarce one of an hundred find it, is it not presumption for us, if we travail that Road without Enquiry?  
The greatest Politicians, and those that have been able to deceive and put a Cheat upon others, have in this business been deceived; as Haman, Achitophel, and many others. The most learned and profound Scholars have here been mistaken, as the Scribes and Pharisees, the greatest Philosophers, Jesuits, and many learned Doctors in our Age; And shall we think ourselves secure? Yea, those that have directed others in the way, and put them on to prepare, yea, to make haste in their Journey, have for want of Preparation and Haste, fallen short of their desired Journeys end. Thus the Scribes and Pharisees, and Doctors of the Law, that bound heavy burdens, and grievous to be born, and laid them on men's shoulders, yet would not touch them with one of their fingers. Many of those that have lived under the searching means of Grace, and have had many a rousing Sermon, many a Direction, Exhortation, and Reproof, have yet miscarried. Thus Judas, Ananias, and Saphira, Demas and others, that fell short; yea, those that had Christ himself and his Disciples for their Teachers, as Capernaum, Chorasin, and Bethsaida. Many Ministers are like the Signs at the Ale-house-door, they show others where they may have shelter, but they themselves abide in the Rain; or like the Builders of Noah's Ark, make a Ship to save others, when they themselves perish in the Flood. 'Tis good therefore to look about us, lest this be our condition.  
4 Cons. Let us farther consider the daily danger we are in while we remain in an unprepared condition to die, for if Death find us thus unprepared, we are undone for ever, past hopes of help or means of recovery, for we shall inevitably lose the Soul, which is the most precious Jewel we have, which in Christ's Account is more worth than the World itself, Mat. 16 26. What is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lest his own soul? Or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Intimating, that the loss is both irrecoverable and irreparable. And is it nothing to lose an immortal Soul, and to purchase an everliving Death? Those that are sensible of Losses and Crosses in the World, shall they be insensible of the great Loss? A thousand thousand rendings of the Soul from the Body is not equivalent to one rending of the Soul and Body from God; other Losses may be supplied, or at least suffered, but this Loss is insupportable and unsufferable: Riches, Honours, Friends, and other Earthly Enjoyments may be lost, and yet recovered, or at least the Loss more easily born, but the Loss of the Soul is incomparable. Oh, what dreadful Thoughts and Apprehensions will surprise a miscarrying Soul, when she apprehends herself launching forth into an infinite Ocean of Eternity, yea, an infinite Ocean of boiling Lead and burning Brimstone, or what is far more formidable, there to swim to all Eternity in endless, easeless, and remediless Torments! then farewell all Earthly Delights, all comfortable Relations, all true Friends, all Recreations and Pleasures, all Friends and Favourites, yea, God himself, the Chief of all, which will then prove an invincible irreconcilable Enemy; then the Devil, who hath long looked for his Prey, shall have it, and here that dreadful Sentence, Take him Jailor; the poor Soul must receive then her due deserved Wages, for her faithful Service to her Infernal Master, even everlasting Torments World without end. Oh, what amazing thoughts will then meet the Soul in Hell, to think that God, and Heaven, and Happiness are irrecoverably lost, and all her other Hopes, Comforts, and Support gone, and herself undone for ever, and that she must everlastingly lie in those eternal Flames, without hope of Redemption! This word [Ever] will be a Hell in the midst of Hell, to think that Pain and Anguish, Weeping and Wailing, will be her Portion as long as God is God, even for ever and for ever, and that Weeping itself will now be in vain.  
Now this is the present condition of an unprepared Soul, and the Lord knows, this is most men's case, however the Devil and their own Hearts persuade them to the contrary. If we are in this condition, there is but a Thread between us and infernal Flames, even the Thread of our Lives, and how soon Death may cut it we know not; a thousand Darts Death throws at us, even every Disease, Pain, Ache, Grief, and Trouble, and when he will hit us to the Heart the Lord only knows, and then the Soul will be in a stated condition, which Eternity itself cannot alter: Our Glass is always running, and when the last Sand drops we know not; the Ephah of our Sins is always filling, and when it will be full, and our Iniquities ripe, we know not; if it be before our Repentance prevent it, we are in a worse case than the Beasts that perish, whose Miseries end with their Lives, when ours begin at out Death; they only pay that Debt of Nature, but we must pay the utmost farthing; they go to their Grave, but we to Prison, then shall we also lose our God with our Souls, or at least all comfortable relation to him, for we shall still have him as an irreconcilable Enemy; all our Earthly Enjoyments, all which now we take for our Happiness, will then be gone, and the Portion which we chose will be snatched from us, and in room of this, a Portion in Hell will be assigned us, where fiery whips of fiercest Fiends will eternally torment us, who being tormented themselves, have no other Pleasure but in tormenting others; and if all the Torments that ever were invented by Man or Devil, were compared with this, it would fall far short: But the Duration of these Torments is that which makes them complete; for if a Thousand thousand millions of Years were substracted, the Sum is ne'er the less. Oh, how much then doth it behoove us to look about us, lest that day come upon us at unawares.  
5 Cons. Let us further consider, that Preparation for Death, that is, getting those Qualifications necessary for dying persons: An Interest in Christ, and a Title to Glory, cleared up to us, can do us no hurt, but will do us good, and is worth all the Pains and Cost we can be at about it; but the neglect of it is, as you have heard, dangerous and deadly: Our Pains and Cost which we are at about it will not be lost, but well recompensed, and never any one was made miserable by it; when Ten thousand times ten thousand have been undone by the neglect. Death comes never the sooner when 'tis expected, or to those that with the Apostle die daily, 1 Cor. 15: 31. neither will it spare men the more because they put it out of their sight, And they put far off the evil day, Amos 6.3. no, no, the Lord of such servants shall come in a day they know not of, and in an hour they are not ware of. Death is not blind, though we wink; he that is fit to die, is fit to live, and truly no other, for the same Qualifications serve for the one and for the other: He that is prepared for Death needs not to fear it, and he that fears not Death, needs fear no Enemy, no, though the whole Creation were turned into Lions and Bears, yea, incarnate Devils about him, kill him they may, hurt him they cannot, the worst they can do, is to send him to his Father's House the sooner: If we are prepared, Death may strike us, but cannot sting us, for the sting is taken out, 1 Cor. 15.55. and if it take us away by the Hand of Violence, Twenty years in Heaven will make amends for Twenty years upon Earth, which we might possibly have lived; and if we receive as much Wages for half a day, as other for the whole, what cause is there of Complaint? When our Debt to Nature is paid, our Work is done, and our Rest follows; when we have been threshed, sifted, and winnowed, and the Chaff blown away, we shall be laid up as good Corn in our Father's Grainary; when the Tares shall be bundled up, Swearers with Swearers, Drunkards with Drunkards, and one Adulterer with another, and cast into unquenchable fire; when we have Oil in our Vessels, as well as Lamps in our Hands, than we shall enter in with the Bridegroom, when the rest shall be shut out, Mat. 25.10, etc. but he that comes in without a Wedding-Garment on his Back, shall not go out without Bolts on his Heels, Mat. 22.12. Take him, bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outward darkness: He must go from the Table to the Tormentor.  
But many other are the Benefits that flow from a right Preparation for Death, yea, more than can be numbered, for our Evidences cleared up, will be a Heaven upon Earth, and will sweeten every Condition, how bitter soever in itself, and hold up the Head above Water, and the Heart from fainting under the saddest Providences that can befall us, and makes a Christian see Light in the darkest Cloud, and read Love in God's Face in his saddest Frowns; for Grace in the Heart, and unblurred Evidences thereof, without which we cannot be prepared to die, will be such an Antidote to keep the Heart from sinking, that the World itself cannot make up such a Cordial; nothing can come amiss to such a Soul, for he knows the same Love that elected him, and sent Christ into the World to redeem him, is now on work for his good: If he meet with Afflictions, he can suck Sweetness thence, and gather Arguments of God's Love from it, and conclude thence, that he is not a Bastard, but a Son, for God correcteth those he loves, and scourgeth every son that he receiveth and those that are without correction are bastards, and not sons, Heb. 12.7, 8. Afflictions are the Gems and Jewels that God adorneth his best Friends with: He had one Son without Sin, but none without Sorrow, and it be those that suffer with him that must reign with him. If a prepared Christian meet with Prosperity, he can read Love in this also, and take every Mercy as a Love-token, and admire the Goodness of God to such a poor Wretch. If he read or hear the Word of God, he can suck Sweetness from every Passage, whether Precepts, Promises or Threats; his Meditation of God, of Christ, of Heaven, of Glory, will be sweet; his Morning Thoughts and Evening Meditations also; many a Cordial can he fetch from the meditation of those invisible things, which others have no Converse with, no Desire after; and this bears up the Heart from sinking in the worst of Times, as it did the Martyr's Hearts in Prisons, Losses, yea, at the Stake itself; for how can it be but a serious thought of God, and Christ, and Heaven, and Glory, and a firm believing that he hath an Interest in them, but it must cheer up the Heart? And will not the reading the precious Promises of God, and knowing also that they are their Father's Legacy to them, chose but warm the Heart? Yea, the thoughts of Death, as 'tis a Messenger sent from God, to bring us to Glory, and set an end to all our Miseries, will hardly be much sweetened, for many dismal Apprehensions may an unprepared Soul well have of Death, but to the other the Sting is taken out, 1 Cor. 15.55.  
In a word, happy is the condition of a prepared Soul, and therefore 'tis our Interest to prepare for it.  
Thus, Madam, having shown what improvement we may and aught to make of such sad Providences as are now under our consideration, the last I mentioned was, preparing for our own Death: And, oh that myself were effectually persuaded so to do, by the convincing Motive I have laid down: I shall add some Directions in reference to Preparation.  
1 Direct. If we design and desire to die happily and comfortably, let us get an Interest in Christ, and a Title to Glory, cleared up to the Soul, for those that must cheerfully and willingly leave all their Earthly Enjoyments, Comforts, and Relations, had need of assurance of something better than the World is; for who would leave a certain Good for an uncertainty? one Bird in the Hand, they say, is worth two in the Bush.  
'Tis true, a man may have a Title to Glory when Assurance is wanting; and this man may die happily, though not comfortably, for Death to him must needs look ghastly. Till a man can look upon Christ the Rich Pearl as his own, how can he part with all for him? But when he hath Christ, and Heaven, and Glory in his Eyes, he matters not what he parts with for them; he knows 'tis a good Bargain, who will not part with Pebbles for Pearls, with Earth for Heaven, and the Creature for God; such, and such alone can look Death undauntedly in the Face. Till a man find the Condition of the Covenant within him, what Comfort can he have in the Covenant itself? Though the King grant Pardon to a thousand Malefactors, if I be a Malefactor, and cannot prove that I am of this number, what Comfort can I take from the Grant? But when the Qualifications are found in the Soul, which God hath made necessary to Salvation, and to which Heaven and Happiness is promised, when the sanctifying, regenerating, and adopting Works of the Spirit appears there, and the Graces of it are found, when God's Sheep-mark of Holiness is there impressed, this must needs be refreshing to the Soul. I know that full Assurance, so as to set a man above all doubting, the highest Pinnacle of Assurance, that maximum quod sic, beyond which nothing but celestial Enjoyment can be expected, is so rare a Jewel, that it adorns the Head or Heart of few. Many in the World, David himself was sometimes to seek, and God's best Servants at a loss, but yet through Mercy, a comfortable Assurance, to keep the Heart from despairing or desponding, hath been and is given unto many of the Godly, yet not without great Pains and Diligence, much Examination, and fervent Prayer. We are not in this case to look into God's secret Cabinet of his Decrees and Councils, to know whether we are elected or no, for if we can find the effects of Electing Love, and the Graces of the Spirit of God, which none wear, but the Spouse of Christ, we may conclude the Marriage is consummate, and we may say, My beloved is mine, and I am his, Cant. 6.3. I am sure he is mine, and I can boldly speak it, her Faith is unfeigned, and her Love unfailable, she had got a full gripe of of Christ, and is sure nothing can separate them; Christ lays hold upon her by his Spirit, and she lays hold of Christ by Faith; she hath made a total resignation of herself to him, and I accept of him in all his Offices and Efficacies; (saith she) he hath given me that which he bestows upon no other, and therefore I am sure he loves me.  
The like may we say when we find the like Tokens of his Love; and when we find the first Steps of the Spirit in the Soul, we may conclude he hath been there.  
Now, this Assurance, however some men value it not, is more comfortable both in Life and Death than the World can procure, 'tis Heaven upon Earth, and a Cordial against the Fear of Death. 'Tis an Encouragement to work, when we know we shall have good Wages, and to suffer Loss, when we know we shall gain by our Losses; but without some comfortable Assurance we cannot look upon Death without Horror, and may say of it as Ahab of Elijah, Hast thou found me, O my Enemy? When a man apprehends himself launching forth into an infinite Ocean of Eternity, and knows not but it may be endless, who in his right Wits would not tremble? Though Grace be present, Comfort will be absent, if Assurance be wanting. What good did Hagar's Well of Water do her when she saw it not; or Ave-maries Discourse with Christ, when she knew him not? What Comfort will a Pardon give to a Malefactor at the place of Execution, if it be concealed? In Worldly Business we are not so careless to leave all at Uncertainty, and must the Soul only be neglected? Shall we lie in Debt, and not know of any Surety to discharge it, and have Souls and not know what will come of them to Eternity?  
2 Dir. If ever we intent to die happily, we must see Sin dead before us, for the Soul and Sin cannot live together, but they will be the death of the one, or of the other. Now Sin is never killed till it be hated, and looked upon as the most deadly Enemy, for who will kill one that he loves? 'Tis Sin that is the Sting of Death, which otherwise would be hurtless and harmless, 1 Cor. 15.55. Oh death, where is thy sting? oh grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, etc. Here is the boldest and bravest Challenge that ever rung in Death's Ear, wherein the Apostle bids him do his worst, for when Sin is dead, his Poison is gone; he may buzz about our Ears as a drove Bee, and haply fright us, but cannot hurt us; he may strike us, but cannot sting us; he may, like Sampson when his Locks were shorn, go forth as at other times, and shake himself, but his strength is gone, the worst he can do, is but to send us to our Father's House the sooner. Sin, in stinging Christ, lost his Sting, Christ overcame him, and took from him the Weapons he trusted in, and now we may hug the Serpent in our Bosom. Sin, when 'tis alive, sets a Bar in Heaven-gate against us, and makes it impossible for us to enter; for no unrighteous person, nor unclean thing, nothing that defileth or worketh abomination shall ever enter, Rev. 21.27. no dirty Dog shall ever tread upon the Pavement. And as it shuts Heaven-gates, so it opens Hell-gates for us, and Death, as a Porter, will let us in. Sin is the only Weapon with which the Devil can hurt us, and this Weapon we ourselves put into his Hands; they are Snares of our own making, with which he entangles us; Cords of our own twisting he leads us Captive in, for there is nothing else in the World that can make the Soul miscarry; and this is our Misery, we naturally delight in those Fetters in which he holds us, and glory in our own Slavery. The Devil shows us Sin through his own Spectacles, and by his Paint and Plaster that seems amiable which really is the most loathsome and deformed thing, which really makes the Soul the most ugly, deformed, leprous thing in the World; but did we see ourselves in this Dress, we should come trembling into the Presence of God, with Tears in our Eyes, Shame in our Faces, Sorrow in our Hearts, and Confession in our Mouths; and if Sin look not with such an Aspect upon us, 'tis a sign 'tis living, and not dead in us, for a dead Carcase cannot be lovely. When a Believer's Sin is mortified, he behaves himself to it as Ahasuerus the King towards Haman, who had been his greatest Favourite, and whom he had advanced next to himself in the Kingdom, he hates the sight of him, and cannot endure him in his presence, Esth. 7.7. it troubled him that he had lost his Love upon so unworthy a Wretch: Even so a Believer mourns, that ever he entertained such a treacherous Companion as Sin in his Bosom; he deals by Sin as the Father of a rebellious Son was commanded to do, Dan. 21.18. lays the first Hand upon it, and throws the first Stone at it; he bears so an irreconcilable a Hatred to it, that nothing will satisfy him but its Heart's Blood; he is not satisfied, as too many are, to lay it asleep, but die it must, he doth not lop off here a Bough, and there a Branch, but stocks up the very Root; he is not raking at the Channel, but cleansing the very Fountain; he knows Sin is his greatest Enemy, and therefore he will make no Peace or Truce with it; 'tis his greatest Trouble he meets with in the World, that he cannot be quite rid of it, that he cannot give it a Bill of Divorce, and put it away; he deals with it as Amnon did by Tamar, whom before he so lustfully loved, yet after hated her much more: So deals he by Sin, what he had lustfully, wickedly loved, now he unfeignedly hates; he hates Sin in all, but especially in himself, and flees the very appearance of Evil, and resists it in the first motion, and as the Babylon Children, while they are young, and the Cockatrice Egg  it be hatched, resists the Temptation, and first Notion of Sin: and if the Devil foist in a Temptation, he like the ravished Virgin cries out for Help, suppresseth Sin in the Thoughts, before ever it appear in the Word or Action; as Joseph, that would not hearken to his Mistress, nor he in the House with her. Now this is the course that we must take, if we would kill Sin; and we must be sure to begin Reformation at the right end, purge the Fountain, that the Streams may be clear, stock up the Root of Sin, that the Tree may die, Make clean the inside, that the outside may be clean also, Mat. 15.19. & 12.34. The Heart is the Source of Sin, and the Fountain of Folly, and swarms with Lusts as a Carrion with Vermin; inward Bleeding will kill as well as outward, and from within Wickedness proceeds, but a man is never fit to die, till Sin be killed and the Heart cleansed.  
3 Dir. The World also is an Enemy that must be subdued, if we would die well or willingly; for the love of the World breaks many a Match between Christ and the Soul, and 'tis the usual Bait the Devil lays, to keep us in his Snares; All this I will give thee; and 'tis a rare man that is not hereby allured: And therefore it was not in vain that the Apostle gives us this Caution, 1 Joh. 2.15. Love not the world, nor the things of the world: if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And another Apostle tells us, That the friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God. Can a Woman love two Husbands, or a Man serve two Masters, God and Mammon? And Paul tells us, The world is crucified to him, and he to the world: It cares not a Pin for me, and I care not a Rush for it; there is no more delight in it in my account, than there is in a dead Carcase, have it we may, use it we must, but love it we may not. It hangs out her two Breasts, Strumpet like, of Profit and Pleasure, but the Apostle had no mind to suck at these Botches; and if we would die well, let us imitate him that had learned to die daily, and get our Affections as much weaned from the World as possibly may be, and set upon Heavenly things, or 'tis ten to one it will speak to us in the Words of Peter to Christ, Save thyself. Whenever we should come to suffer any thing for Christ, we may find what a snare it will be to us, as to the young man, Mat. 19.22. that bid fair for Christ, till the World came and broke the Bargain; he came to Christ hastily, and departs heavily; when he must part with his Riches, he chooses rather to part with Christ, and if Heaven will be had upon no cheaper terms, let him keep it to himself.  
Those that have the God of this World lively portrayed upon the Soul, are not fit for another World; such as these will say with Cardinal Bembus, they will not leave their part in Paris for their part in Parad●ce; Judas and Demas may witness this Truth. When the Affections are forestalled and set upon other Lovers, 'tis hard rending them off, or making them willing to p●rt with what they love; what a man loves best, he would keep longest; Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also, Mat. 6.20, 21. If they are set upon this white and yellow Earth, upon Pearls and precious Stones, which are but the Guts and Garbage of the Earth, and load themselves with thick Clay, 'tis as hard for them to enter in at the straight Gate, as for a Camel 〈◊〉 go through the eye of a Needle. Paul c●lls such a one an Idolater, Ephes. 5.5. and St. James, an Adulterer, Jam. 4.4. Such as these are not ready for Death, though Death may haply be ready for them; but he that hath laid up his Treasure in Heaven, and is at a point with all things under the Sun, and wears the World about him, as a lose Garment, ready to cast off upon all occasions; he that hath made ready, packed up all, and sent before him to his desired Port, needs wait but for a Wind to waft him over; Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. When a man imagines he must leave better behind than he is like to find there, 'tis no wonder if he die unwillingly, and departed with a reluctancy; but when better things are in view, 'tis no hard matter to die.  
The Devil puts a Cheat upon us, when he shows us the World through his Spectacles, and the Glory of it through his Magnifying-glasses, there every Little seems Great, and every Molehill a Mountain, but when we view it in the clear Crystal of God's Word, it appears in its Colours.  
'Tis an easy thing to make a man exchange Rags for Robes, and a Cottage for a Castle; and is it not as easy to persuade a wise man to exchange Pebbles for Pearls, Earth for Heaven, and the Creature for God? When a Man is satisfied, that there is enough in Christ, in Heaven and Glory, to give the Soul Content, yea, to make up all the Losses sustained upon the account, what should make him afraid to venture upon it? But while the World seems a Pearl in our Eyes, the Pearl of great price is not heeded. The Splendour of the World seems greater than it is, when the Devil hath adorned it in his Paint and Colours, but when 'tis stripped of that Varnish, it appears an old, withered, and deformed Strumpet, and 'tis wonder that any fall in love with her.  
Till we can look upon the World with Contempt, we are neither fit to live, nor fit to die; not to live, for we shall place the love upon her that is only due to God; not to die, for we shall then lose all our Portion, and what a condition will such a departing Soul then be in? Till we can see with Moses the Vanity of King's Courts, we shall never make his choice, as, the Afflictions of the people of God, rather than these Vanities, Heb. 11.25. Till we can with Galeacius see more Worth in one days Communion with God, than all the Wealth in the World, we shall not leave all as he did, for Christ's sake; till Christ be better to us than our Company and Relations, as it was to Abraham, we shall never leave all these for him; the Martyrs loved not their Lives to the Death, Rev. 12.11. and till we can look upon all these things with a self-denying Eye, and hang lose to Creature-comsorts, and can say of God as the Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee: Then, and not till then, we are in a fit posture to live and to die.  
4 Dir. If we desire to die well, we must be sure to live well, for a good Life always ends in a happy Death, and a wicked Life presages an ill End: Those that dance with the Devil all day, seldom come to sup with Christ at night. The Example of the penitent Thief I have already spoke to; one Swallow proves not a Summer; he that sails in the Road to Hell, and changes not his Course, is never like to land in the Port of Heaven; he that runs down the Hill is not like to come to the top; and he that swims down the Stream, will not come to the Fountain Head.  
By Nature we are born with our Backs upon Heaven, and our Face towards Hell, and till we repent we never change our Course. A sinful Life will have a Tragical End; for he that walks in the broad way is not like to find the narrow Gate, and that alone leads to Eternal Life. Mat. 7.13, 14. Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many shall seek to enter, and shall not be able: Wide is the gate, broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Yea, the Wicked, let them be never so many, go down to Hell, and all the nations that forget God, Psal. 9.17. 'Tis our Duty, whatever others do, to be holy, and, like the Moon, hold on our Course, though Dogs bark at us, and run our Race like the Sun, though the Planters curse him at his rising, for scorching them with his Beams. Let us not swim down the Stream of the Sinner, like dead Fish, nor follow a multitude to do Evil: The worse the Places are we live in, the better let us be; the more outrageous they are in Wickedness, the more courageous in Good let us be. It matters not how small our Company is, if good, nor how great, if bad: 'Tis better be with Noah in the Ark, than with the whole World in the Flood. The Way to Heaven, no doubt, will be rough and craggy, like that of Jonathan and his Armour-bearer, 1 Sam. 14.4, 13. Sic petitur coelum, Pains and Patience are necessary to those that travel this Road; those that will to Heaven, must sail by the Gates of Hell; Strive (saith Christ) to enter; yea, strive to an Agony, as the word imports. The way to Heaven is up Hill, to Hell down the Bank; we may easily go down, facilis descensus averin, the other will cost much Pains and Sweat; and when we come to the straight Gate, there must be stooping and stripping: He that walks the broad way will readily find the wide Gate, he may go Hoodwinked to Hell, and need not lose his way.  
Now, that the Life be good, 'tis necessary that the Heart be good, for from this Fountain good or bad Water flows; but naturally this is corrupt, 'tis not a few good Words or Wishes will serve the turn, without Heart-reformation, all other Reformation gins at the wrong end. Where the Heart is neglected, a corrupt Fountain cannot send forth sweet Water, the Tree must be good, or the Fruit will be bad; Men gather not grapes off thorns, nor fig off thistles, Mat. 7.16.  
By Nature we are dead in trespasses and sins, and we cannot act from a Principle of Life; if we have it not till the Heart be seasoned with Grace, all we do will savour of the Cask, and till it be purged by Faith, no good thing can thence proceed, for without Faith 'tis impossible to please God, Heb. 11.6. And when the Heart is reform, the Work is not done, Heaven will not be had without Pains and Patience, but Hell may be had with a wet ●inger; 'tis much ado to find Heaven-gate, 〈◊〉 a man may find the way to Hell blindfold. By Nature we bring forth sour grapes, even grapes of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah, Dan. 32.32. We hatch cockatrice eggs, and wove spiders webs, but we must be engrafted into that Noble Vine Christ, before our Fruit will be good: There must be Knowledge in the Soul before there can be Obedience to the Will of God, for without knowledge the mind cannot be good, but ignorant persons do the Devil the best service, but neither the Blind nor the Lame must be offered in Sacrifice to God; ignorant persons spoil all they take in hand; we must know the Rule before we can work by it, and when we know it, we must not go aside to the right hand, nor to the left, and have respect to all God's Commands; no, Sin, though never so dear to us, must be forborn; no Duty, though never so difficult, must be neglected; all our Actions, as to the Matter of them, must be agreeable to God's word, and to the Manner of them, they must be performed as he requires, sincerely, and without Hypocrisy, universally and constantly; our Ends also must be God's Glory, the good of our own Souls, and the Souls of others. In short, all our time must be spent in our general and particular Callings, or some way or other in reference to it, to fit us for the one or for the other, and there must be a wise division of it between them, neither must run away with the others share; our relative Duties must be minded, and we must live and act like Christians in such and such Relations, the Trade of Holiness must go on, we must treasure up Grace against a dying time, when some treasure up Wealth, and many wrath against the day of wrath. This course may seem harsh to some, but 'tis the only safe way to Glory, and the only way to a happy Death.  
5. Direct. If we would die well, 'tis our Wisdom, with the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.31. to learn to die daily, to have Death always in our Eye, and always be in a dying posture, that Death may not sinned us unprepared, that we may not look upon Death as a stranger when he comes, but as an expected Guest: The frequent Meditations of Death will put us on to put our House, or rather our Hearts in order, with Hezekiah, Isa. 38.1. Death gives us many warnings to provide a new Habitation, and we are unwise if we take it not for warning; he is always eyeing us, and 'tis our Wisdom to be eyeing him, that we be not surprised ere we are ware. Those are most like to neglect their Work that cast it out of sight, and out of mind; and those are likest to be surprised by an Enemy that neglect their Watch: When the evil servant said in his heart, my Lord deferreth his coming, etc. he was soon surprised, and paid for his Folly, Mat. 24.48, etc. In the Psalmist's days there were many of whom he saith, God is not in all their thoughts, Psal. 10.4. And are there not many in our days, of whom it may be said, Death is not in all their thoughts? Do not the show of their countenance, the course of their lives testify against them, and they declare their sin 〈◊〉 Sodom, and hid it not. The course of their Lives cannot consist with a believing Meditation of God, of Heaven and Hell, Death and Judgement; no, no, they put far from them the evil day, Amos 6.3. This cursed Security is the source of all manner of sin and wickedness; for God is neither in their Head nor Heart, and therefore they sin boldly. I have heard of some foolish Creatures that will thrust their Heads into a Bush, and then because they see no body, they think no body sees them; such apprehension many Men seem to have of Death, they think themselves secure, because they have got Death out of their minds, but misreckoning proves no Payment: Many like the Rich Man, Luke 12.16, etc. promised himself a longer Lease than God had sealed him, but Christ calls him Fool for his labour. Many men's Glasses are almost run out, when they thought they were but new turned; but those that reckon without their Host, must reckon twice. 'Tis folly in a Tenant to forget his Rent-day, and then imagine his Landlord forgets it also; or for a Malefactor to forget the day of his Execution, and think others forget it as well as he. This was Jerusalem's fault, and it proved her ruin, Lam. 1.9. She remembered not her last end, therefore she came down wonderfully; and this proves many a man's ruin. It was not in vain therefore that Moses prays, Psal. 90.12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. We are apt to make some Preparation for the Body, what to eat, and what to drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed; and neglect not Fairs nor Markets, where wanted Necessaries may be had; many prepare in the Day for the Night, in the Summer for Winter, in Health for Sickness, in Youth for Age, yea, and for their Posterity after them. And what stupid Madness is it not to provide in time for Eternity, and remember not the days of darkness, for they are many? Eccles. 11.8. 'Tis the greatest folly to mind trifles, and neglect the main. The thoughts of Death will not hasten it the sooner, but it may hasten our Preparation for it; it can do us no harm, but much good: Let no day therefore pass without some serious thoughts, and meditation of it; this will make it less formidable. 'Tis fabled of the Fox, that when he first saw a Lion he trembled; but in process of time he grew bolder: Thus by better Acquaintance we should do with Death, that is most amazing, that comes unexpectedly. Let us put the Question to ourselves, Did I know I should die the next Week, or Month, how should I spend this time? And let's live so, seeing for aught we know we may not live so long. Sure our Time-wasting Gallants would then find something else to do, than to divide their Time, as many do, between Swearing, Roaring, Drinking, and Whoring. Death will make a wonderful change both in the good, and in the bad. In the good 'tis an outlet to all their Misery, and an inlet to Heaven and Glory: In the bad 'tis an end of all their Felicity, and the date of their Misery; and can this on either side be such a contemptible change, as not worth thinking of? Should a poor Woman upon a fixed day be to be married to some Mighty Prince, could she forget the day, or neglect to prepare for it? Can a Maid forget her ornaments, or a Bride her attire? etc. Or were a Man upon an appointed day to go to Prison, to Banishment, or to Execution, would it signify nothing to him? Were our Houses on fi●e over our Heads, or were we pursued by a Lion, or Bear, or other ravenous Beast, or some deadly Enemy that sought our Lives, should we be so unconcerned? And is not the Soul in a thousand times greater danger of Eternal Death, than the Body can be of Temporal? and yet shall this be slighted? Is it not high time for us when the Sergeant waits to Arrest us, to take Christ's Counsel, and agree with our Adversary before we are cast into Prison, Mat. 5.25. And not as ill Husbands do, stay till we are arrested, and cast into Prison. I know there are too many that think God and Devil, Heaven and Hell, are but Fables, these will know to their sorrow they are Realities, and deserve our serious thoughts. And 'tis not enough to think of Death, for many do so against their wills, but they must prepare for it also; let us consider every Evening what we have done in reference to Preparation the day past, and whether we are a days Journey nearer Heaven, as we are nearer our Graves: This course is likely to fit us for Death and Judgement.  
Lesson 7. The Seventh Lesson we may learn from this sad and unexpected Providence, is, Seeing all are under a necessity of dying, to bring our minds to be willing to die, how and when God in his Providence shall think fit. It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after death the Judgement, Heb. 9.27. Now, 'tis our Duty to subscribe our consent to this Law. He that hateth not his father, mother, wife and children, brethren and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my Disciple, Luke 14.26. These are Love-Tokens God hath given us, to win our Love, and when he requires them again, 'tis to try whether we love Him, or his Gifts better. 'Tis, as I showed before, our Duty to submit, as Aaron, patiently to the death of our Relations, and sometimes the Lesson proves hard enough; but here is a further trial, we shall be put upon to submit to our own Death. When Job bore the loss of his Estate and Relations so well, the Devil would try him, by afflicting him in his Body and Mind, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life, Job 2.4. As if he should say, Any thing for his own Life; Cattle, Servants, Children, all shall go, so he may sleep in a whole Skin. I know the Lesson, to be willing to die, seems hard to Flesh and Blood, but we must have something more, or we cannot die well; the same Reason that makes us submit to another's Death, is good here. I know there are greater Temptations lying at some men's doors than others; 'tis easier to part with Poverty than Plenty, Pain than Pleasure, Sickness than Health, and a Prison than Liberty; but these Blessings were never given us to cross our Maker's Will. Oh Death! how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that lives at ease in his Possessions, and hath prospered in all things? And yet the thoughts of Heaven may sweeten this also. And that I may add some Sugar to this bitter Pill, I add these Considerations.  
1. Consider, our Life is not at our own dispose, neither indeed is it fit it should be; for God is absolute Lord of all the Works of his Hands; he is the Potter, we are the Clay; if he dash us with his Foot, who can call him to an Account? For whose is the Pot but the Pot-makers? And he made us for his own use, and may do with his own as he pleaseth, and we must hold our Tongues and say nothing, if he do it. Never had any Man such absolute Dominion over any thing he called his own, as God hath over us; yet we imagine those Beasts we call ours, though we have but a subordinate Right to them, yet we do them no wrong, if we take away their Life, we neither did, nor can give it to them; and hath not God a greater Propriety in us? We let him alone with greater matters than our Lives, and contradict him not. He upholds the whole frame of Nature in Being, the whole Fabric of Heaven and Earth from returning to its Primitive Nothing, and we seek not to take the Work out of his hands. He maintains the Sun, Moon, and Stars in their incessant and unerring Motions, who pour their Influences upon the Earth; he hangs this huge and massy Globe upon nothing, and we let him alone with this work; he made those Glorious Lamps of Heaven for times, and for seasons, and for days, and for years, and the Sun knows his going down. He it is that sets Bounds to this great and wide Sea, yea, Bars and Doors, and saith, Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further, and here shall thy proud waves cease, Job 38.10, 11. He forms the Light, and he creates Darkness, and he it is that hath the Keys of Life and Death at his Girdle: He kills, and he makes alive, and doth whatever pleaseth him in Heaven, and in the Earth. Can all the Kings of the Earth, with all their united Force, repel the Universal Darkness that over-spreads the face of the World when the Sun is set, or retain the Light while they have it? And should they attempt it, would they not proclaim their Folly? Is it not he that provides Food for every living thing, yea, for thousand thousand of living Creatures Man takes no care of? And shall we leave all these things at his dispose? And why? because we cannot take them out of his hand. And are we exempt, and must not our Lives be in his Hand, or Power? Shall he that Governs the whole World by his Power and Wisdom, not be best able, and fittest to dispose of us, and of our Lives, as well as others? We have not a bit of Bread to eat, but he gives it, nor a Breath to breathe, but he puts it into us; and are we like to maintain our Lives without him, or keep them against his will? Is it not he that pulls down Kings, and sets up Kings, and disposeth of Kingdoms to whomsoever he will, even to the worst of men, Dan. 4.17. And doth not he best know when our Work is done, and when 'tis the fittest time to take us hence, without advising with us, or ask our Counsel? Or would we only be excluded? Or would we have all others have the like Privilege? If the first, how came we from under the Law? It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after death the Judgement. If all Men must have the Privilege of dying when they please, the World will be too numerous to subsist, Hell will be empty, and Heaven will have few in it; for most Men will live a miserable Life, before they will die, though to go to Glory. And is not it best to refer all this to Divine Wisdom, that only knows the best time? Were our Lives in our Enemy's hands, we should die too soon; if in our own, we should live too long; 'tis best as it is in God's hand, who best knows when our Work is done, and when his Flowers are ripe, and when we are fit for Glory. Let us then with such Considerations as these, quiet ourselves under Divine Dispensations, and with Paul, say, I am willing, not only to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem, for Christ. And let us breathe out, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Even so Amen.  
2. Consider also the several Evils, that Death frees a Believer from, which none else can; the thoughts of this may make a Christian more willing to die, yea, with the Apostle, to desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, Phil. 1.23. There is in every Man and Woman by Nature a Principle which cannot be obliterated, to desire to be Happy, and a cessation of Misery; and though every Man living desire it, yet few attain it; for the greatest number, whether through Ignorance, mistake the way to it, or through prevailing Corruption, will not walk in the way that leads to it, but grope after it where it never was, nor can be found, and seek it where it never grew, and ten thousand times ten thousand have been thus deceived, and undone, in embracing a Cloud instead of Juno, and adoring Riches, Honours, and Pleasures instead of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and these have run themselves out of breath, but all in vain, and at Death have found they had mistaken their way, when it was too late. Some few indeed have sought after Happiness in a way of Holiness, and these have it in sight, and these meet with a Viaticum, something to stay their Stomach in the way, but their Feast, their Wedding-Supper, is prepared for their Journey's end, even the Marriage of the Lamb. For whatever conceit may possess the Heart of Man to the contrary, true and complete Happiness was never enjoyed by mere Man, on this side Death; for here we are Pilgrims and Strangers, and this is not our Rest; we are under Age, and our Inheritance elsewhere: This Life is cumbered with a thousand Miseries, which cannot consist with complete Happiness, which cannot be found on this side the Grave, and few find it beyond. Now, one part of our Happiness is to be freed from Misery, for while we are under Affliction our Happiness is not complete; but till Death we cannot be freed from Suffering; this alone must ease us of our Burden: the thoughts of this might make us have gentler thoughts of it, and look upon it through other Spectacles: For that Messenger be unwelcome to a Prisoner, that comes to knock off his Shackles, and restore his Liberty? Death is sent to tell us our Warfare is accomplished, the Field is won, the Enemies are fled, the Victory is ours, and the Crown is ready; it tells us our Work is done in the Vineyard, and we must come to receive our Wages. It tells us all our Pains, Aches, Miseries, and Sufferings are at an end, and God hath sent for us in his Triumphant Chariot to the Marriage of the Lamb, and to lie for ever in his Bosom, and inhabit those Mansions of Glory provided for us; that for a Cottage we shall have a Crown, and Robes instead of Rags, and that a period is put to all that we call Trouble; and will such a Messenger displease us? This is the time that all tears shall be wiped away, and sin and sorrow shall be no more, Rev. 7.17. and 21.4. God shall wipe all their tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. See also Isa. 53.10. Their Bacha shall be turned into Barachah, their Misery into Melody, the Sighing into Singing, and the Misery into Majesty, and Mortality shall be swallowed up of Life; whatever 'tis that makes our Life uneasy, shall be done away; all that is called Trouble, shall then vanish, for sin and sorrow shall be no more. Who would not bear one Fit of Sickness for Everlasting Health, a little Pain for Eternal Ease, a little Trouble for Eternal Freedom. In this Life we are always under the Hatches, sometimes pestered with a sickly, weakly Body, subject to a thousand Infirmities, languishing under Pains, and Aches, and Distempers, hardly a day free; but Death is the Physician that will Cure us of all this. At other times we are full of ●●●rs and doubts concerning our Spiritual Estate, questioning whether we have any Interest in Christ, or Title to Glory; whether the Soul be regenerate, whether the Match were ever made up between Christ and us, and whether all we have done be not in Hypocrisy, and so lost labour; whether God love us or not, seeing he ofttimes hides his Face from us. Holy Men, even David himself, have sometimes such desponding thoughts, upon God's withdrawing; but Death will put all this out of question, they need not then fear their Evidences when they are put into actual Possession, nor God's Love when they enjoy the Beatifical Vision, where they shall never see one wrinkle more in the Face of God. Here they are pestered with the Devil's Temptations, and 'tis their trouble and grief that he foists in such foul Suggestions; he lays Snares in their ways to entrap them, Snares in all their Enjoyments, in all their Duties, in all their Actions, in all their Relations, in all they see or hear, or come to know; but then he shall never throw Dart more at us: Here his Instruments do molest us, some by cruel mocks and taunts, scoffs and scorns; some by Wrongs, Persecutions, and Trials; there we shall be out of their reach. We can hardly open any Sense, but we let in either sin or sorrow. Our own Corruptions bring us no little trouble, this makes us such strangers to God, spoils our Duties, and makes us scarce to have a glimpse of God in an Ordinance. These and a thousand more troubles, Death frees us from, and yet shall we run from him as an Enemy, and rather endure all this than feel his Dart? We may stand amazed at our own Folly.  
3. Let us Consider how unbeseeming and uncomely a thing it is for a Christian to be unwilling to die, when God and his Cause requires it, yea, not to carry his Life in his hand, and resign it up to him that gave it, whenever he shall require it of him; for he that laid down his life for us, shall we deny our lives for him, if he require it? We have listed ourselves Soldiers under him, our General, and when danger is near, shall we run from our Colours? We have made a Profession of our Faith, and Trust and Confidence in him, boasted of his Love to us, of Power and Ability to save us, and of the Reward we expected for o●r Faithful Service; and now shall we let the World know there is no such matter, that we dare not trust him with our Lives, or Estates? We find this was an Argument with those that returned out of Babylon, Ezra 8.22. I was ashamed to require of the King a band of Soldiers and Horsemen to help us against the Enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the King, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him, but his power, and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. He durst not do it, lest the Name of God should have been dishonoured by it, and how dare we proclaim our fears and diffidence in the like case, to God's dishonour? 'Tis a discredit to a Master when his own Servants dare not trust him: Shall we that have had more Experiences of God's Power, Mercy, Goodness, and Truth, now forsake him, or distrust him? God hath communicated himself more to his People than to others, and done more for them than for others, and so laid a greater Obligation upon them than on the rest of the World, and after all shall they prove treacherous? It was a great aggravation to Solomon's sin, that it was after God had appeared twice to him, 1 Kin. 11.9. God may say to his revolting People as Christ did to the Jews, Many good works have I done among you, for which of these do you stone me? John 10.32. 'Tis not so much for others to be afraid of the Journey, that are strangers in the Country, but we that have had so many to direct us in the way; we that pretend there our Father keeps his Court, that Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of us all; that Christ is our Head, our Husband, and our elder Brother, and shall be our Judge; that the Saints departed are our Brethren and Sisters in Christ; that Heaven is our Inheritance, and those Mansions of Glory provided for us; and shall we be afraid or unwilling of the Journey? 'Tis no wonder that others hang back, that have their Portion in their hands at present, for who will willingly lose what they have, and are assured of no more? 'Tis no wonder that a Malefactor, that hath deserved Death, and is in expectation of it, is loath to go before the Judge; but 'tis wonder an Innocent Man is not willing to be freed out of Prison. The Grave itself is but a resting place, in Job's account, Job 3.13. Now should I have been still, and have been quiet, I should have slept, then had I been at rest. Ver. 17. There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest; there the Prisoners rest together, th●y hear not the voice of the Oppressor; the small and the great are there, and the servant is free from his master, etc. Yea, some of the Heathen, upon the consideration of the troubles of Man's Life, thought Mortality a Mercy, and like Solomon, praised the day of Death before the Birthday, Eccles. 4.2. Optimum non nasci proximum mori, saith the Heathen, but little knew what the result would be: But a Christian doubtless called out by God, should not go unwillingly. Philpot the Martyr, returns thanks to God he was so near the Gate of Eternal Life; and who is it, that being tossed with the Waves of Trouble, would not land in a Haven of Rest? 'Tis a shame for a Christian, when God gives a clear Call, to linger, with Lot, in Sodom, much more to look back, with Lot's Wife, till the Lord pluck them away by force, and deliver them whether they will or no. Those that are weary of Sin or Suffering, should say, as Samuel, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. Mistake not, I say not that Death is eligible, or any should desire it for its own sake; no, we should use all Lawful means to preserve Life; but I reprove those, that when the Will of God is manifest, that they should die, submit so unwillingly. Hath the World been so kind to us, that now we cannot part? Or is our Portion here so good, that Heaven itself cannot make us satisfaction? If we part with it, doubtless we have then had better dealing than our dear Redeemer met with. Are our Temptations so strong, that we are ready, with the Young Man Demas, Judas, and many others, to break with Christ upon that account? 'Tis best to consider well before hand, lest we Repent too late. Hath God been training us up so long, and have we not yet learned this ●esson, to be willing to die? Are we content to take this for our Portion? And will we rather stay in the Wilderness, than venture over this Jordan? Will the fleshpots of Egypt give satisfaction as well as the Land of Canaan? If God were not more willing of us, than many of us are to go to him, we might be long absent; we should live long on this side Jordan, if he did not force us over. But though Death be not desirable, is not the Presence of God desirable? Is not Heaven worth having? And is there any other way to it? We profess we believe there is a reward for the righteous, and a God that judgeth the earth; but do we not in our works deny it? The fear of Death discovers our Infidelity, and as our little Faith, so our little Love; either we proclaim that we question whether there be a Reward, or whether we have any Interest in it, or it shows we have little love to it. If we believe it, and our Interest in it, is it not a wonder we are not impatient of enjoying it, and rather seek to shorten our Lives than prolong them by unlawful means? Did we love our Husband as we should, we should long for the time when he would fetch us. He may well say, as Delilah did to Samson, How can you say you love me, when your hearts are not with me?  
4. Consider, If we cheerfully submit our Wills to the Will of God, and let him dispose of us as he pleaseth for Life or Death; and make a resignation of ourselves to God, and be willing to part with Life itself, if he and his Cause require it, whether by a Natural or violent Death, we shall then part with it to the most Advantage imaginable; nay, 'tis the only way to save it, and to deny it unto God, is the way to lose it, Mark 8.35. Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel, shall save it: For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? We may read of many, that refusing to lay down their Lives for Christ, have had their Lives taken from them, but lost their Reward.  
We read in the Book of Martyrs, of one Denton a Smith, that had made profession of Religion, but being called to suffer, cried, The Fire is hot, I cannot burn; but within a short time he was burnt in his own House, and lost both his Life and his Reward: And so shall those that deny their Lives to God when he requires them. We may resign our Lives into the hands of God, and so engage him to look to them, and take care of them, but we cannot rescue them out of his Hands, or live longer than he determines, for we cannot breathe without him; and than what madness is it to stand in contention with him? If we lose our Souls to save our Lives, we shall make a bad Bargain, for a Life saved by unlawful means will do us little good, for a Life in God's displeasure is worse than Death itself, and a Death in his favour is the beginning of Eternal Life, and ushers us into Eternal Happiness. The Martyrs in the flames were ware of this, they cried out, None but Christ, none but Christ! 'Tis a dear Life that is bought with the loss of Christ; he that exchanges his Soul for the World, will with the Rich man, Luk. 16. die a Beggar, but will not be able to purchase one drop of Water; he that loseth an immortal Soul purchaseth an everliving Death; and is it not our Interest to look to the main Jewel? Where Self is renounced, the Cross is easily born, for 'tis Self-love that makes it pinch us. When God bids us Yoke, 'tis our best way to submit our Necks, for there is no struggling out of his hands. God will not require our Lives to our hurt or damage, neither will it prove any Advantage to us if we deny them, for if we lose them for his sake, we shall find them; and if we would hid them from him, we shall lose them, and Heaven to boot. He that lays down his Life when God requires it, will gain by the bargain; when Death strips him of his Rags, 'tis to  him with Robes, and pulls down his Cottage to bring him to a Palace, 2 Pet. 1.14. 2 Cor. 5.1. For we know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. This (saith Latimer) is the Sweetmeats of the Feast of a good Conscience; there are other dainty Dishes, but this is the Banquet: The Soul wears the Body as a Garment, which when 'tis worn out, shall be clothed with a better Suit. There is no passing into Paradise, but under Death's flaming Sword; no coming to the City of God, but through his dark Vault and straight Gate; no wiping all Tears from our Eyes, but with our Winding-sheet. Our life is hid, saith the Apostle, with Christ in God, Col. 3.3. and therefore not lost. And again he tells us, 2 Tim. 1, 2. I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded, that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. Let him that died for my Soul (saith Luther) look to the Salvation of it. A Child that hath a precious Jewel cannot put it safer, than in his Father's hands; the like we may say of our Lives and Souls, if we'll have the keeping and disposing of them ourselves, the Devil will rook us out of them; but what is committed to God cannot be lost; our Lives, though laid down for Christ, cannot be lost in him, 'tis but as the Seed sown, Life eternal will spring up in the turn; when temporal Life expires, eternal Life gins. My Father (saith Christ) is greater than all, and none can pluck them out of my Father's hands, Joh. 10.29. There is nothing we can expend in God's Service, but he can make satisfaction; we may lose all we have for him, but shall lose nothing by him; if we deny to honour God, in letting God dispose of our Lives, as to the time and manner of our Death, we shall lose them for nothing. To live (saith Paul) is Christ, and to die is gain; he was in a straight, whether to choose life or death, yet he knew to die was best for him, Phil. 1.21, etc. Janua vitae est porta coeli, (saith Bernard) Christians should be so indifferent whether they lived or died, as to submit their wills wholly to God's will; to die for Christ is the way to a Crown of Martyrdom, and the way to reign with Christ is, to suffer with him; a Self-resignation can do us no hurt, but much good, for if we are never called to suffer, we shall not lose our Reward, God takes the will for the deed; as in Abraham's case; And if we do suffer for him, we shall reign with him, and have white robes, with palms in our hands, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes, Rev. 12.11. & 7.9. And shall not we suffer something for this Honour? or shall we after all this Profession of Religion, declare to the World, that all was but Hypocrisy, and that we have more love to Sin and the World than we have to God? Is not this the way to dishonour God, discredit Religion, harden Wicked men in Sin, and endanger our own Souls?  
5 Cons. In the last place, to make us more willing to die, or to submit to God's Will, whether for Life or Death, are the Joys, and Delights, and Pleasures which believing Souls shall have in the Presence of God, for ever and for ever, and that immediately after Death, for as then all tears shall be wiped away, and sin and sorrow shall be no more; so our Joys and Pleasures shall then commence. 1 Joh. 3.2. Now we are the sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Great things we have in Hand, but greater in Hope; much in Possession, more in Reversion; our Happiness then will be in seeing and enjoying him, which we cannot do on this side Death, but what our Enjoyments shall be there, no mortal man can come to know, not the Apostle, who was caught up into the third Heaven, and heard unspeakable words, that it was not lawful for a man to utter, 2 Cor. 12.4. Yet he tells us, 1 Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepared for those that love him. Yet he reserves not all for the Life to come; some clusters of Canaan's Grapes are bestowed in the Wilderness, some Pisgah-sights of Glory on this side Jordan: But 'tis no wonder we cannot describe the Joys of Heaven, when we are such strangers to many Secrets in Nature. In the World Believers have such joy as no stranger shall meddle with, Prov. 14.10. The Cock on the Dunghill knows not the Worth of these Jewels, they are unspeakable, and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1.8. they are a Har●●el of Heaven, and a Fore-taste of Eternal Life, yea, such as passeth all Understanding, fit to be believed than to be expressed, to which all the Comforts which the World affords signify nothing; for what shall we compare with the Peace of a good Conscience, and Joy in the Holy Ghost? And yet this is but a small taste, a branch of Canaan's Grapes, and nothing compared with what is behind, to be eternally enjoyed: But if the Saints Enjoyments so darkly resemble Heaven's Glory, what will the Epicure's Delights do, which they chose for their Portion? Not so much resemble it as a Muckhil doth the Sun in his Splendour. The Drunkard delights in his Cups, the Adulterer in his Queans, and this they look upon to be the chiefest Happiness; the covetous man makes Gold his God; the ambitious man makes choice of that empty Bubble Honour, and the voluptuous man contents himself with Pleasure; these are the Siren Songs the Devil lulls them asleep with, while he ruins their Souls; these are the Circe's Charms, which transforms them into Swine, and makes them take up with Husks and Swill, and to neglect that Nectar and Ambrosia which the Saints feed upon. Have I need to show, that Happiness consists not in these things? Is any so blind, upon consideration, as to affirm it? Where is their Happiness then, when their Cups and Queans are snatched, and all other their Enjoyment leave them? 'Tis true, Meat is delightful to the Hungry, and Drink to the Thirsty, Health to the Sick, and Strength to the Weak, but what is this to an hungering, thirsting, panting, weary Soul? Christ is better to it than all the World. Stately Buildings, curious Gardens, pleasant Walks, and the rest of the Delights of the Sons of Men, mentioned by Solomon, Eccl. 2.8, etc. how little satisfaction can they yield! they will prove but empty Husks, if we feed upon them, what are those to those Mansions of Glory provided for the Saints, and the Rivers of Pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore. Yea, I dare say, many a poor Believer hath more solid Joy, more Hearts Content, more true Satisfaction, in his poor Cell, than many of those in the midst of all their Enjoyments: What then will their Enjoyments be in Heaven, when they shall receive their Portion? Human Learning also is desirable, and more beautiful (saith Aeneas Silvius) than the Morning or the Evening-Star. What hard Labour and Pains have many a man taken to find out Nature's Secret, and at best have but groaped in the dark! And many all 〈…〉 Mystery there is in the Book of God, which no man living understands, the Scripture being like the Waters of the Sanctuary, Ezek. 47.2, etc. where a Lamb might wade, and an Elephant might swim; but there our Ignorance shall vanish, and all those difficulties disappear, and we shall know as much of God himself as finite Capacities can comprehend: Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face; now we know but in part, but then shall know as we are known, 1 Cor. 13.12. & 2 Cor. 3.18. Here we can see but by reflection, for how can our Eyes behold God, that cannot view the Sun in its splendour? Moses himself could but view his Backside, and Paul was blinded with the Sight, but the Beatifical Vision will not disturb us. Now we behold the Works of God with admiration, the Sun, Moon and Stars, and all the Host of Heaven, the Earth also hanged upon nothing, beautified with all Varieties, the Sea bounden and barred by him, and generally the whole Creation, these are beautiful Objects, and many inscrurable Mysteries we understand not, but there we shall see and know far greater Mysteries in the Fabric of Heaven itself: His Works of Providence many times puts us to a puzzle, how he governs all the World, and preserves Peace among so many disagreeing Creatures, especially how he preserves his own Church amidst their numerous Enemies, and makes Provision for all the works of his Hands; but when we are better acquainted with his Wisdom and Power, these Wonders will cease: The Work of Redemption, and the manner of contriving it, that he let fall the Angels irrecoverably, without hope of Redemption, the reason of his Electing Love, and why he made a difference, the Price that was paid the Blood of his only Son, may cause admiration, but when we know the whole Contrivance, we shall admire his Wisdom. Oh, who would not long to be in that estate of Blessedness, where these and all things else shall be made known to us; which cannot be till Death?  
Thus, Madam, I have made bold, haply too bold, to communicate to you my own Experiences, and with what Arguments I have quieted myself under such sad Dispensations of Providence, as at present you lie under; and to show you what improvement I have made, or at leastwise desire to make of them; and I hope I may truly say, it was good for me that I was afflicted; and I wish you may experimentally say the same. I think I have learned more in the School of Affl ction, of the sinfulness of Sin, of the Vanity of the Creature, of Worth of Grace, the Miseries of the Wicked, and the Happiness of the Godly, than ever I did in any other School whatsoever: And I wish you, and all your Relations, that are concerned in this Providence, may gain as much as I, yea, terque quaterque, manifold more. I do not write these things to you as if you were ignorant of them; no, I am too well acquainted with you, to be guilty of this Error; but the best of us, especially when under a Cloud, and overpowered with Grief, have need of a Remembrancer, to put 〈◊〉 in mind of what before we knew. My humble Desire is, and my Prayer shall be, that you and your Relations, by this Providence, and these Observations upon it, may be brought nearer to GOD, weaned more from the World, and yourselves fit to live, and fit to die, that when you come to die, you may have nothing to do but to die, and resign up your Souls into the Hands of God. These are the unfeigned Desires of,  
Madam, your humble Servant, Edward Bury. Eton, Apr. 16. 16●5.