Which words as connected with v. 6. are thus:

IT having pleased Almighty God, the Soveraign disposer of all things, (in whose hands all our times are) to remove from us, and take unto him­self, our deservedly Honoured, Dear, and useful Friend; who (as you all know) was [Page 2] in her life-time, not without the con­descending and chearful Concurrence of Her surviving Head, very instrumental for the propagating the True know­ledge of Christ Jesus among you, by the Preaching of the Gospel in this place.

It is now the commendable and pious desire, and appointment of her nearest surviving Relatives, that we should this day here pay our last solemn, and publick Respects together unto her Memory, in a Sermon or two dedicated unto it. And my Station in the Family laying me un­der a peculiar Obligation to bear my part in this solemn service, (tho' other­wise unworthy of it;) it was not long after, I began more closely to apply my thoughts to the making some slender pre­paration for it, that this Text presen­ted it self to my mind, as a proper sub­ject for our most serious meditation on this sorrowful occasion: To them, who by patient continuance in well-doing, &c. A Scripture that was eminently Exem­plified in her Life, and is now more ful­ly accomplished, and made good to her, in her death; and upon both accounts, I hope, so much the more adapted for our present instruction, in Conjunction with [Page 3] that awakening and teaching Providence, which gave the occasion to this Discourse upon it: Which is designed both for an instructive lesson to the living, and a so­lemn Memorial of the dead; and there­fore I shall endeavour, by the Divine as­sistance, to cast it into such a Method, and form, as may be in some measure ac­commodate to both parts of that design; but to the latter in subserviency to the former, as that which is principally to be regarded in such sacred discour­ses.

In the Words we have two things more generally offered to our serious conside­ration. 1. The descriptive Character of the Heirs of future blessedness; they are such who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory, and Honour, and Im­mortality. 2. The final Happiness unto which they shall at last be advanced by the gracious designation, and appoint­ment of their Heavenly Father: And this is briefly sum'd up in those two com­prehensive words, Eternal life; which indeed are both too big for our thoughts in this dark, imperfect state, and are only throughly understood, where what is signified by them is fully enjoyed.

The Character of the Persons here spo­ken [Page 4] of is full, & extensive, the felicity that awaits them at the end of their course is great and glorious, and the Connection that is between them is firm and certain, resulting from that divine [...] which is spoken of in the preceding part of the Context, that righteous Judg­ment of God, whereby he makes a true Estimate of Persons and actions accor­ding to the proper Rules of Judgment; and will therefore render to every one ac­cording to his deeds. And so with little variation, we may summe up the sense of the Words in this Doctrinal Conclusi­on, viz.

Doct. That all they, who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, shall at last obtain the full possession of what they seek after in Eternal life.

This is a Conclusion of that indubita­ble certainty, that the Truth of it can­not be call'd in question without deny­ing at once the divine veracity, and re­munerative justice; for as much as the written word of God, (according to which his final distribution of Eternal Rewards and punishments, shall be made at the last day) hath expresly declared that it shall be thus: And that in many [Page 5] other places of Scripture as well as in the Text: And therefore looking upon it as altogether needless to insist upon the direct proof, or Confirmation of this Truth, amongst those that do acknow­ledge the divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures, and believe them to be the Word of God: All that I shall do further in speaking to it, shall be, first to ex­plain, and then to apply it to our selves on this sorrowful occasion.

In the Explication there are three things to be distinctly considered and spoken to, viz.

1. The Extensive import of the Cha­racter, by which the Heirs of future bles­sedness are here described.

2. The nature and Excellency of that final happiness, which doth by the divine Ordination and appointment be­long to them as their everlasting inheri­tance.

3. What kind of connection there is between the one, and the other, i. e. between the qualifications imported in this Character, and that felicity, to which all that bear it shall at last be ad­vanced.

1. That which doth most fitly come under our consideration in the first place, is the extensive import of their Excel­lent Character, who are here spoken of. And as in the general, we see they are described by the Spiritual, and Heaven­ly Tendency and scope of their desires and aims; which are too high to be con­fined to this lower World, or to take up their Rest in any thing, that is measured by Time: So more particularly, there are three things in this Character to be distinctly explained. 1. The great and Noble Object of their earnest desire, and constant aim, expressed here by Glory, Honour, and Immortality. 2. Their Souls Actual Motion towards this Object, here express'd by their seeking after [...]. 3. The regular Way and right Line, in which their desires move, and their aims are directed towards this blessed Mark; and that is a patient continuance in well-doing.

First, We may understand somewhat of the Excellency of the Character here given us, of the Heirs of future Blessed­ness, by considering the Object of their earnest Desire, and steady Aim; which indeed is great and noble, well-beseeming [Page 7] the dignity of an heaven-born Soul, e­ven Glory, and Honour, and Immortality (or as it is in the Greek, incorruption) [ [...].] three words that carry a great deal in them; the two first expressing the substance of what they seek after, Glory and Honour; and the third subjoyned, partly to set forth the per­petuity, and everlasting duration of both, and partly to denote their own endless existence, and continuance in the full possession and enjoyment of them, when once they shall have reached the Mark at which they aim.

I Shall neither trouble my self, nor you with a needless enquiry into the more nice and critical distinctions, that some may conceive to be between these two words, as to the proper import of them, [ [...]] Glory and Honour: Thus much being sufficiently evident; not on­ly from the third word, that is subjoyn­ed to them, but also from the manifest scope of the Text; that they are princi­pally designed both together to denote that everlasting happiness in another World, which is in the close of the verse summ'd up in those other two words, Eternal life; intimating that to be the great thing, which all the faith­ful [Page 8] servants of God and Disciples of Christ do, in subordination to the Glory of their great Lord and Master, chiefly seek after. Yet so as not to exclude, from being a part of the Object of their Desire and Aim, whatsoever in this life is necessary as preparative and introductory to the Glory and Happiness of another: Much less excluding whatsoever else there may be in that future blessedness it self, which cannot so aptly be concei­ved of under the notions of Glory and Honour, especially if more strictly, and properly understood; such as that eter­nal satisfaction, that inexpressible Joy, and that inconceivable delight, which will undoubtedly accompany the glory and honour of that immortal state.

Nothing short of that Crown of Glory, 1 Pet. 5. 4. that fadeth not away, can indeed ulti­mately terminate the Desires, or fully answer the Aims of the Persons of that singular and noble Character, which we are now considering. It is not any world­ly honour or greatness, (tho' they should be advanced never so high in those secu­lar dignities, which many are so ambiti­ous to climb up unto) that can content them that seek the honour, which cometh Joh. 5. v. 44. from God only; even that which he who [Page 9] is the fountain of honour and glory, doth finally conser upon all his children when they are grown up to full age, and are put into the possession of that inheri­tance that is incorruptible and undefiled, * [...]. 1 Pet. 1. v. 4. that fadeth not away, reserved in Hea­ven for them. And therefore these are here expresly mentioned in the Descrip­tion, the Apostle gives us of them, as being what they do chiefly, and a­bove all other things seek after. But tho' these be the supreme and ultimate objects of their Heavenly desires and aims, there are also other things to be considered as intermediate objects there­of; which they must be supposed like­wise to seek after in a due subordinati­on to the former. And indeed they are, in great part, but lower degrees of the same things. For as there must be some fainter Rays of an Heavenly divine Glory impress'd upon those Souls in this life by the sanctifying operations of the Spirit and Grace of God, which are to be more intirely glorified in that which is to come: So in proportion to the degree, where­in they partake of this glory, there is an heavenly-honour put upon all those here, who shall be advanced to eternal honour hereaftēr. Wheresoever the Divine [Page 10] Image, which was defaced by sin, comes to be restored by Grace, there is an hea­venly glory put upon that Soul; which is therefore in Scripture called a Divine 2 Pet. 1. v. 4. Nature: And they that partake of it are said to be born of God, and born from a­bove. John 1. v. 13. cap. 3. 3. 1 Joh. 5. v. 1. And as there is a real internal glo­ry stamp'd upon the Soul, when the di­vine Image comes to be re-impress'd up­on it; so surely it is to be reckoned a great honour to a Man to be related to God as his Heavenly Father, to be his Son not only faederally by the grace of A­doption, but really by Regeneration. And these lower degrees of Glory, and Honour lead to higher, and so on to the highest of all, and consequently are to be sought after in subordination thereunto. And whosoever is regardless of the former, tho' his presumptuous pretences be ne­ver so high, cannot regularly seek the latter. And therefore we are by no means to separate the one from the o­ther in considering the great Object of the sincere Christian's earnest desire and constant aim. Which was the first thing to be considered in this descriptive Cha­racter of the Heirs of future blessedness. And so

Secondly, That which comes in the next place to be spoken to is, their Souls actu­al Motion towards this great, and noble Object of their Desire and Aim, as it is here express'd by their [...] Est sum­mo studio quaerere. seeking after it. And here it will be necessary to shew more particularly what this seeking doth import as it hath respect to this Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, as the ob­ject of it. And this will lead us one step further towards the right under­standing the excellent, and comprehen­sive Character of the happy persons that are here spoken of. And it is easy for us to apprehend that there are some things necessarily supposed, and other things more directly imply'd in this seeking for glory and honour and incorruption, which ought to be considered distinctly; and therefore I shall give you a brief account of both.

First, There are some things to be considered, which it doth necessarily sup­pose, and they are such as these:

1. It doth suppose a competent measure of knowledge, and understanding of what is revealed in the Gospel concerning these great things, and the way in which they are to be sought after: Together with some hope that they may in that [Page 12] way be attained. For as there can be no Rational desire after that which we have Ignotinulla cu­pido. no knowledge of; So a Man will seek but very faintly, if at all, after that which he hath little or no hope to ob­tain.

2. It doth further suppose a Mind and Heart so far abstracted and drawn off from the World, and its perishing va­nities, as to be at the greater liberty, and leisure to pursue these better, and more deserving Objects. For it is not to be thought that a Soul that is so far carna­lized, and sunk down into the Earth as to be either drowned, and dissolved in sensual pleasures, or swallowed up and buryed alive in worldly cares, will with any serious earnestness seek after spiri­tual and heavenly things. And there­fore the Apostle speaks of a Christi­ans seeking those things, which are above, as a thing subsequent unto, as well as evidential of his being spiritually risen with Christ. And therefore. Col. 3. 1.

3. It doth also suppose the divine ef­ficacious grace to have been at work up­on the Soul, in some measure enlighten­ing the Mind, renewing the Will, and spiritualizing the Affections; whereby the main bent of the Soul comes to be [Page 13] turned towards God, whereas its de­praved inclination did before carry it quite another way. For as it is not to be imagined that the Soul should with any seriousness seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, before such a Change is wrought in it: So it is certain that it could never work it in it self without the powerful supervening operation and assistance of the Spirit and Grace of God. And as these things are sup­posed; So

Secondly, There are other things more directly implyed in this seeking for glory, and honour, and immortality. As

1. It doth imply a deliberate Judg­ment passed in the understanding upon sufficient conviction concerning the pre­ferableness of these great things to all this World's Enjoyments, and an atual preferring and choosing the one before the other accordingly. For all that are engaged in a serious, and diligent prose­cution of those things that conduce or pertain to their eternal happiness and Sal­vation in another World, have been taught, by the Wisdom that is from above, truly to reckon with themselves that, all those other things, upon which the minds of most men are so busily intent, [Page 14] are but mean and contemptible Trifles compared with these: The loving kind­ness of the Lord is to them better than life it self, and therefore this is sought after, and prized by them above any of the comforts of life. To live in peace and sweet communion with God in Christ here, with the lively hope of being ever with the Lord hereafter, is to them far more eli­gible, than to have the greatest affluence and abundance of this Worlds en­joyments. And therefore while others in the anxiety of their hearts are crying out, Who will shew us any good? They pray with the devout Psalmist, Lord lift Psal. 4. v. 6. thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

2. It doth further imply an habitual heavenly-mindedness, whereby the main stream of the thoughts and affections is carryed in a steady current for the most part, towards those things that are above; which therefore are the Subject of their daily meditation: As there is nothing more natural to us than to be thinking much and often upon that which is the great Object of our desire and aim. And so they have their conversation in Phil. 3. v. 20. Heaven, even while their commoration and stay is yet upon earth.

[Page 15]3. It doth further imply a strong emotion of ardent desires, and earnest longings of Soul after those great and glorious enjoyments, which constitute the happiness of the future state; and after whatsoever is antecedently necessary in order to their attainment of a gracious Title unto, and meetness for them. De­sire is that Affection of the Soul where­by it moves towards that, which is the Object of its Choice and Love; as it rests in Delight, when it hath attained to the full possession of it. And therefore the heavenly minded Christian in this im­perfect state, not having yet attained, is Phil. 3. v. 13, 14. earnestly reaching forth, and pressing for­ward toward the Mark that is before him. And so there is nothing in which those Noble Souls, that are seriously en­gaged in seeking for Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, do more frequently or intensely exercise themselves than in constant humble Addresses unto God by fervent Prayer for his Grace in Christ Jesus to fit them for, and conduct them through present duty and service, un­to eternal Glory and Happiness. And then.

4. It doth in the last place imply a serious diligence, and Conscientious [Page 16] care in the use of all divinely-prescribed and appointed means for the improve­ment of their Spirits in all the excel­lent habits of Grace and Holiness here, in order to their being meetly prepa­red, and qualified in due time for the eternal enjoyment of Glory and Happi­ness hereafter; together with an hum­ble dependance upon the divine Grace, implored by earnest Prayer, for the making all such means effectually con­ducive to their proper end.

Thirdly, That which we are to con­sider in the next place, respecting the excellent Character of these happy Per­sons, is the regular Way or right Line, in which their Desires move, and their Aims are directed towards this blessed Mark: and that is a patient continuance in well­doing, [ [...].] which the Vulgar Latine renders thus: [secun­dum patientiam boni operis,] according to the patience of a good work; or (to bring it nearer to the words of our Translati­on) by patience in well-doing. Arias Mon­tanus renders it [secundum permanentiam] by perseverance in well-doing: and Beza Translates it [secundum patientem expect a­tionem] by patient expectation. But I think our own Translation is the most [Page 17] full and emphatical of them all, putting that together which is severally ex­press'd in them: Reading it thus; by patient continuance in well-doing; there­fore I shall adhere to that; and so much the rather, because I find the word [...] doth in Scripture stile sig­nifie both patience and perseverance. And I think the Emphasis of it here cannot be better expressed than by putting them both together, and so understand­ing it to signifie patient continuance, or perseverance with patience in well-doing. Nor do I see any thing in the more im­mediate context, or in the scope of the Text it self, to incline me to prefer any other Translation of these words, that I have seen before this which we have in our English Bibles. And therefore I shall follow in giving you a brief ac­count of the way wherein the Heirs of future blessedness do seek for glory, and ho­nour, and immortality, as it is here descri­bed, namely by patient continuance in well­doing. In which description of it, we may easily perceive these three gradati­ons in it: by well-doing; by continuance or perseverance in well-doing; and by patient continuance in well-doing: All which I shall speak distinctly to in a few words, be­ginning [Page 18] with the lowest degree first. viz.

1. All that do regularly seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, seek them in the way of well-doing; which expression, being indefinite, is to be understood in a very large extent, reaching to all the Duties incumbent upon a Christian in this present state. For as this [ [...] or] well-doing doth in the very for­mal notion of it carry a reference to some Rule, by which what is done is to be measured, and to which, so far as it is well done, it doth accord: So it must be understood here to have a special reference unto the Gospel, or the Law of Faith as the rule and measure of it. And there­fore this well-doing doth plainly import a steady conformity in a Man's Actions, as to the main bent and course of his con­versation, unto the holy precepts of Christ Jesus lay'd down in the Gospel, as the rule and standard of a Christians deport­ment. And so that which is manifestly intended in this general expression, is no less than an heedful attendance to all the duties of Christianity; or a serious care & studious endeavour throughout the whole course of a Mans life to yield obedience to the Laws of Christ, and so to walk worthy Col. 1. 10 [Page 19] of the Lord unto all pleasing. And be­ing so understood, it is so far from ex­cluding that Faith in Christ, whereby a sinner doth embrace and receive him ac­cording to the Offer of the Gospel, as the way to obtain Salvation by him, that it doth necessarily include it: Forasmuch as this believing is an essential part of that well-doing, by which all serious Christians do seek for glory, and honour, and immor­tality. And therefore our Lord himself doth emphatically call it [ [...]] the work of God. It is by well-doing in John 6. v. 29. this comprehensive sense as it takes in both Faith and Good Works, in confor­mity to the Precepts of the Gospel, that we must seek for eternal glory and happi­ness, if ever we would obtain it. And whosoever they be that seek it any o­ther way, (either separating the one of these from the other, or carelesly neg­lecting and disregarding both;) they will find at last that they did herein mi­serably deceive themselves, and put a de­structive Cheat upon their own Souls. For the Lord Jesus Christ is the Author Heb. 5. v. 9. of Eternal Salvation (not promiscuously unto all, but only) to all those that obey him: And therefore he himself also tells us, that not every one that saith unto him [Page 20] Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the Will of Mat. 7. v. 21. his Father which is in Heaven.

2. A further gradation express'd in this discription of the only regular way of seeking for future glory and blessed­ness, is that it is to be done by continu­ance in well-doing, or by perseverance therein unto the end. And this is no less necessary than the former: For if any man draw back it will be to his own per­dition, because God hath declared he will Heb. 10. v. 38. have no pleasure in him. He that would so run as to obtain, must not think it e­nough to set out right, to begin well; but he must hold on till he comes to the end of the prescribed course, or else he loos­eth all. As he must be careful to run the very race that is set before him, keep­ing his feet in the direct path that is de­lineared for him by the divine Precepts, without turning aside to any crooked way, either on the right hand or on the left; So he must be sure to run to the end of it; not desisting till he arrive there, or else he will run in vain.

3. The last and highest gradation in this account that the Text gives of the way and manner of seeking regularly for glory, and honour, and immortality, is made [Page 21] by the addition of patience unto this per­severance in well-doing. And this Pati­ence hath respect both to present evils en­dured, and to future good expected in the way of our duty. For patience is ex­ercised by the Children of God in this state of their minority & imperfection both these ways, viz. in enduring and in waiting: & indeed in both respects they have need of patience, that after they have done the Heb. 10. v. 36. Will of God they may receive the promise. First, All the Heirs of Glory, during the time of their minority, do stand in need of patience as it is to be exercised in en­during the many afflictive evils that they meet with in the course of their obedi­ence and continuance in well-doing. For as Gods ancient People Israel passed through a troublesome, and howling Wilderness into the promised Land; So all. True Christians must expect through much Acts 14. v. 22. tribulation to enter into the Kingdom of God: And therefore our Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples, that in the John 16. v. 33. World they should have tribulation. And indeed there is such a great variety of troubles, to which the best of men are exposed here in this life as may suffici­ently convince them, that here is not Mich. 2. v. 10. their rest. But all these are quietly, [Page 22] and patiently undergone with a silent, humble, and meek submission to the di­vine Soveraign disposing hand that or­ders all, by such as have eternal glory in their eye and aim; in somuch that they do not only persevere in doing good with unwearied diligence, but also hold out in suffering evils with invincible pati­ence, Col. 1. v. 11. being strengthened thereunto accord­ing to the glorious power of the divine grace. Secondly, They do exercise pa­tience in waiting as well as in enduring. For (as the Apostle speaks) they hope for Rom. 8. v. 25. that which yet they see not, and there­fore do with patience wait for it. And this is that kind of patience which the Apostle James exhorts unto. Jam. 5. 7, 8. Be patient therefore brethren, unto the coming of the Lord; behold the husband­man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and the latter rain: Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. And the right Seekers after Glory and happiness are no strangers to the exer­cise of this kind of patience. And there­fore they are not weary in well-doing, be­cause they know, that in due season they shall Gal. 6. v. 9. reap if they faint not, and that every thing [Page 23] is most pleasant as well as most beau­tiful Eccl. 3. v. 11. in its season.

And thus have I shewn you at large the extensive import of the Character by which the Heirs of future blessedness are here described. And so I come more briefly

II. To consider in the next place the nature and excellency of that final hap­piness, which doth, by the divine ordina­tion and appointment, belong to them as their everlasting inheritance; as it is here summ'd up in those two compre­hensive words Eternal Life: Which contain more in them than all the uni­ted eloquence of men and Angels is able to express and set forth. It is a phrase more frequently than any other made use of in Scripture summarily to express the great felicity, to which the glorified Saints are advanced in the heavenly Mansions. And it doth very aptly serve to lead our Minds into some more ge­neral Conceptions of the greatness and glory of it; tho' indeed all that can be said or thought falls infinitely short of being commensurate unto it. Life is the sweetest of all enjoyments, and there­fore that is the last thing that any man [Page 24] will part with so long as he is able to retain it; and Eternal life is the highest Job. 2. ver. 4. and most noble kind of life, of which the nature of Man when in the utmost ele­vation is susceptive of. And the ex­cellency of it will more clearly appear to us if we consider it more distinctly, first with respect to what is more di­rectly imported in it, and then with re­spect to what it doth necessarily connote, when understood in that latitude in which the phrase is most frequently (if not always) used in Scripture.

1. If we consider it in the more di­rect import of it, so it appears to have a very radiant excellency in it that doth far out-shine the brightest part of this Worlds glory. For it must be under­stood to singifie somewhat more than a bare immortality or a meer living for ever, (for that belongs also to the wicked that are turned into Hell, and hath no happi­ness in it if abstractly considered,) e­ven, a glorious ineffable and everlasting uni­on with God, the fountain of life; where­by the Spirits of just men made perfect, dwelling in God, the all-comprehending Spirit, do (so far as the finite capacity of a creature will admit) everlastingly possess a perfect plenitude of life. And [Page 25] this is elsewhere in Scripture express'd by being ever with the Lord. And this 1 Thes. 4. v. 17. we are to conceive the Souls of the Saints to enter upon immediately after death, altho' their bodies are not to be advanced to a participation in it until the resurrection, when they also shall be made immortal, and fashioned like unto Christs glorious Body, according to the Phil. 3. v. 21. working, whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

2. If we consider this Eternal life with respect to what it doth necessarily connote, so it will appear to be still more excellent and glorious. For as that God in whom the glorified Saints have most intimately their everlasting residence, is in himself the fountain of life, or the liv­ing God; So he is also the fountain of blessedness. And therefore, as by being for ever with the Lord, they do everlast­ingly possess a perfect plenitude of life, in 2 Cor. 5. v. 4. which every thing of mortality shall at last be swallowed up: So they must needs also enjoy together therewith a perfect fulness of whatsoever can be conceived of under the notion of happiness; a ful­ness of Glory both subjective and ob­jective, glory shining in them, and glory shining upon, and round about, yea into [Page 26] them, transfusing its bright beams through them; a fulness of honour infinitely tran­scending all those fading Titles, which advance one man so high above another in this lower World; and a fulness of joy, satisfaction and delight, even those pure, refined pleasures that are at Gods right Psal. 16. v. 11. hand for evermore. All this, and a great deal more that neither our words nor thoughts can reach, is summarily com­prehended in that Eternal Life, which all they shall certainly attain at the end of their course, who by patient continu­ance in well-doing do seek for glory, and honour, and immortality.

Which will more plainly appear to us by considering that which follows in the next place in order, namely:

III. That which remains in the last place to be spoken to, is, the connection between the qualifications imported in the foregoing Character and that glorious felicity, unto which all that bear it shall at last be advanced; between a Christi­ans course and his crown; between his seeking for glory, and honour, and immorta­lity, in the way here described, and that eternal life, in which he shall finally enjoy all that he sought for. That there is a [Page 27] connection between them is sufficiently evident, inasmuch as the one is attainable no other way but by the other: And of what kind this connection is, I am now to shew. And in short, It is easie for­us to apprehend that this connection is not natural and necessary but ordinate, not such as doth necessarily result from the nature of the things themselves that are here connected, but such as hath its foundation in the gracious ordination and appointment of God. For it is sufficient­ly evident to any one, that doth atten­tively and seriously consider it, That there is no just and adequate proportion between the most diligent and industri­ous Christians present service, and his fu­ture eternal reward. And so it is no less obvious for us to conceive that the con­nection that is between them is not foun­ded in Merit, but in Free Grace. For when we have done all, we must say we Luk. 17. v. 10. are unprofitable Servants, we have done only that which was our duty to do. And it is most absurd for any one to think to merit any thing by the payment of a just Debt. And therefore the Scripture speaks of eternal life under the notion of a Gift, as obtained only by the free donation of God, and not as a possessi­on [Page 28] accruing to us by any desert of our own; whereas, on the other hand, that eternal death, which is the just punish­ment of Sin is called Wages, as being no more than what it doth most iustly de­serve. Rom. 6. 23. For the Wages of Sin is death: But the gift of God is e­ternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so the Reward of the eternal inheri­tance is several times in Scripture under the Title of Mercy: As the Apostle prayed for Onesiphorus, 2 Tim. 1. 18. The Lord grant unto him that he may find Mercy of the Lord at that day. And so we are exhorted to keep our selves in the love of God, looking for the Mercy of our Jude v. 21. Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And therefore it is manifest that the connecti­on that is between the Christians ser­vice and reward, his Course and his Crown, is not founded in merit, but in the free Grace and undeserved Love of God in Christ; to which alone that gracious Promise or Covenant is in­tirely owing, whereby he hath been pleased to establish an immutable order between them, so as that the one shall be infallibly consequent upon the other.

But the connection is never the less firm or certain for being so founded as [Page 29] it is, but rather the more so; For the Covenant of Grace, which is the more immediate ground and foundation of it, is an everlasting Covenant, a covenant not 2 Sam. 23 v. 5. only ordered in all things, but also sure: Forasmuch as the divine eternal veraci­ty is engaged to make good every Ar­ticle of it to as many as have regularly laid hold upon it, and by an hearty compliance with its conditions come to have a real interest in it. For altho' God was unlimitedly free before he made the promise, and established his Gracious Covenant with us; yet that being once done, he is obliged, for the honour of his Truth and Righteousness, to make it good. And so though in strict­ness he can owe nothing to us, he is a Debter to his own Promise. And at the last day he will be glorified not only as the free and magnificent Donor of all the Treasures of Heaven, but also as the God of Truth in fulfilling all the exceed­ing great and precious Promises that he 2 Pet. 1. v. 4. hath made unto his faithful Servants. And therefore Ʋnto them who by pati­ent continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, he will not fail to render eternal Life.

And having thus, with as much bre­vity [Page 30] as the Subject could well admit, fini­shed what I proposed to speak doctrinally from this Text of Scripture; All that now remains, is to make some applica­tion of what hath been said, unto our selves. And

1. From hence we learn with what magnanimity and nobleness of Spirit true living Christianity doth inspire those in whom it takes place; elevating and raising their minds and hearts above this perishing World, and all its fading transitory enjoyments: Steadily inclin­ing them to seek those things that are a­bove; Col. 3. v. 1. insomuch that nothing lower than heavenly glory and immortal honour can now content them, or compose their Desires into a complacential Rest and satisfaction. While others, that are acted by the forbid abject and base Spi­rit of this World, lie groveling in the dust of this earth, drudging and toy­ling for what is only accommodate un­to their mortal part; the living Chri­stian, being made alive to God through Rom. 6. v. 11. Jesus Christ his Lord, and having recei­ved not the Spirit of this World, but the Spirit that is from God, is continually 1 Cor. 2. v. 12. aspiring upwards in heavenly thoughts, desires and aims, ever seeking for glory, [Page 31] and honour, and immortality, till he comes to the actual fruition of all in eternal life.

2. What hath been said may serve also to discover to us the preposterous folly of their presumptuous hopes, who think at last to obtain eternal life, tho' they take no care to seek it in that way which the Gospel doth prescribe, and in which only it is to be found, even by a patient continuance in well-doing. Heaven and eternal happiness are pro­mised to none as an absolute irrespective Gift, but as a Reward consequent upon service; And therefore whosoever are careless and unconcerned about the du­ty and service of the present state, will be sure to sall short of the glory and felicity of the future: And then the higher their presumptuous and ground­less hopes have been raised, the grea­ter will their shame and disappoint­ment be when they and their hopes shall perish together.

3. The firm and certain connection which the gracious Promise and Cove­nant of God hath made and settled be­tween a patient continuance in well-doing here, and the enjoyment of eternal life hereafter, may further serve for the [Page 32] comfort and encouragement of all his sincere and faithful Servants under all the difficulties and hardships, afflictions and sorrows, exercises and Tryals, which they undergo here in the course of their obedience. He that hath ob­tained a clear prospect by faith of the invisible World, and of the glory, honour and incorruption, which are to be eter­nally enjoyed there by all that regular­ly seek after them here; and is withal conscious to himself that he is one of that happy number, can easily see through the darkest cloud, and discern a comfortable end of all his present trou­bles. And therefore his Faith mighti­ly animating his Hope, and his Hope proportionably strengthening his Pati­ence, he doth not faint in the day of Adversity, nor is he weary of well-do­ing; Prov. 24. v. 10. because he is sufficiently assured that the time is short, and so that it will be but yet a little while before all Tears shall be wiped away from his eyes, and all Isa. 25. v. 8. grief and sorrow banished from his heart, and endless Joyes succeed in their Rev. 7. v. 17. room.

4. The same consideration may serve as a sweet and comfortable allay to the sorrows of such as are mourning for the [Page 33] death of such of their near and dear Relatives or Friends, who in their life­time gave sufficient proof of their ex­emplary care and diligence to persevere in such a steady course of duty and o­bedience as hath eternal life and glo­ry connected with it. It is indeed ve­ry selfish and unbecoming our Christi­an hope with immoderate and unallayed grief and sorrow to lament the death of such: For asmuch as altho' their absence, and departure from us be very sensibly our great loss, their presence with the Lord is in an infinitely higher degree their gain. And therefore methinks even na­tural affection, which makes us wish well to our dear Relatives, especially when sanctified by Grace and assisted by faith, should give some check to our immoderate grief for the Removal of such of them from us by the stroke of death, concerning whom we have such comfortable and well-grounded hopes. For why should we grieve at or regret their happy advancement unto that im­mortal glory and honour which they had been long seeking for, but could never reach before?

5. What we have heard, may serve both for our direction and excitation un­to [Page 34] such a regular and steady course of obedience here, that we may all obtain eternal life hereafter. Let us endeavour therefore to have that Truth, which hath been this day suggested to us out of the Word of God, so deeply im­press'd upon our very hearts, that the thoughts of it may continually dwell with us, and have a constant influence upon us, by the grace of God, for the engageing us to the most strenuous di­ligence and constancy in prosecuting our present duty, as that which hath by the divine ordination and appointment a direct tendency to our future eternal fe­licity; Let us never forget that the on­ly way to glory and honour, and a blessed immortality, is a patient continuance in well doing. And so let none of us any longer indulge our selves in the neg­lect of that upon which our eternal welfare doth so evidently depend; but let the time past suffice us to have wrought the Wills of the Flesh, and to have mis­employed the active strength and vigour of our Souls in minding only earthly things. And now let us resolve, by the grace of God, to call off our hearts and affections from this lower World, and all its perishing vanities, and so set [Page 35] our selves in good earnest to seek those things that are above: Minding the great Duties of Christianity with a more se­rious care than ever we have hitherto exercised about them: Making True practical Religion more our business, as it is what will turn to the best ac­compt unto us at last: O let none of us be guilty of such preposterous folly in the great concernments of our im­mortal Souls, as we would be asham­ed of in the management of our secu­lar affairs, separating the Way from the End, as if the one might be attain­ed without a serious and due attendance to the other. The Way in which we must seek for future glory and happi­ness, if ever we would have it, is plain­ly delineated to us in the Text: And all those that are gone before us, and have actually received the Reward of the eternal inheritance, both sought and obtained it in this way and no other, even by a patient continuance in well-do­ing. It doth therefore concern us to tread in their steps, that we also may in due time, and in our appointed or­der come to the fruition of the same happiness with them. And so my ear­nest exhortation to you is in the words [Page 36] of the Apostle, Heb. 6. 11, 12. That every one of you do shew the same dili­gence to the full assurance of hope unto the end; that ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience in­herit the promises.

And here for your further excitati­on I shall now, on this solemn occasi­on, set before you the illustrious and worthy Example of our deservedly ho­noured, and lately deceased Friend, whose immortal part is now with Christ. For She was indeed One upon whose Heart and Life the divine Spirit and Grace had in most conspicuous and shining li­neaments drawn that excellent and noble Character, by which the Heirs of Bles­sedness are described in the Text; And to that in the several parts of it I shall principally confine my self in the fol­lowing Account that I shall give you of her: Wherein my more immediate de­sign and aim is to shew you how eminent­ly this Text of Scripture was exem­plified in her; that you may thence be the more confirmed in your comforta­ble and well-grounded assurance of her being now happily possessed of that E­ternal Life, which by the divine desig­nation and appointment belongs to all [Page 37] that bear that Character. And there­fore not to say any thing of her natu­ral endowments, either intellectual or moral, altho they were such as made the Grace of God to shine with the greater lustre in her discreet and well­ordered conversation; I shall speak on­ly to those that were manifestly divine and supernatural. And for as much as my happy acquaintance with her did commence too late to capacitate me to give you any particular account of the more early impressions of the Divine Grace upon her Soul, or the more di­stant Passages of her pious Life; and that I may keep my self as remote as may be from all suspition of flattery and falsehood in the payment of this my last solemn Respect unto her Memory: I shall only speak of what I have had the peculiar advantage of observing my self for the space of almost seven years that I have (in two distinct periods) liv­ed in her Family. And I must have been very inobservant indeed if in all that time I had not taken notice of what was so visible both in her habitu­al Temper and constant carriage ex­actly answering to every part of that descriptive Character of the true Chri­stain, [Page 38] which I have been this day un­folding to you; of which I shall give you a distinct and impartial account in the following Particulars. And

1. Her habitual heavenly-mindedness was such a shining Excellency in her as could not be hid under that Vaile of Humility and Modesty which was her constant ornament; but did discover it self in an holy contempt of this lower World and all its perishing Enjoyments, in a steady Aim directed unto higher and more noble Objects, and in a con­tinual aspiration after glory, and honour, and immortality. The divine Grace had inspired her with that true magnani­mity and nobleness of Spirit, that her Desires and Hopes could by no means be confined within the narrow limits of Time, nor be long together held down to sublunary and terrene objects: And therefore her Soul would be often moun­ting upward upon the Wings of Faith into the bright Regions of light and glory above to contemplate the eternal and glorious Objects that are there; And more especially toward the end of her Time, having been observed for some months before her Death to have her thoughts much exercised about the [Page 39] State and Enjoyments of Heaven: And particularly about separate Souls mutu­al knowledge of and converse with one another; taking occasion very frequent­ly to discourse upon that sublime Sub­ject, when in company with such as she apprehended might be assistant to her in her endeavours to attain more di­stinct and clear notions about it. Of which she now understands more than any one here could tell her.

2. The earnestness of her desires af­ter heavenly glory and felicity was no less conspicuous than the steadiness of her Aims principally directed that way. She did not only set this glory, ho­nour and immortality before her as the great Mark at which she aimed, but was continually pressing forwards toward it, seeking after these things with the most close and strenuous application of mind. And that more espeically in fer­vent prayer, wherein she was wont to breath out her very Soul to God every day: For as her natural Temper incli­ned her to the love of Solitude, so Grace had taught her to make the best improvement of her Solitary hours, which she was careful to employ not only in diligent reading and devout meditation, [Page 40] but especially in secret prayer; whereby she maintained and kept up a continu­al commerce with Heaven, which many a time brought her in very rich Re­turns in divine communications and ma­nifestations. Nor was she content to seek alone for such great things as Grace and Glory are; and therefore would often with earnest importunity be-speak the joint-assistance of her more intimate Christian-friends, and especially of such Ministers of her ac­quaintance as she could be most free with, in managing this work; that so her Addresses to God might be the more solemn by others assisting her therein, and Dedicating several hours together unto that sacred service, as hath been frequently done at her Re­quest, and principally upon her ac­count in her own house.

3. She was no less careful about the regular way of seeking for glory, and ho­nour, and immortality, than she was ear­nest and zealous in the work it self. For she was better instructed in the great Doctrines and Duties of Christi­nity, and in the Method of obtaining Salvation by Jesus Christ, as it is re­vealed in the Gospel, than to separate [Page 41] the Way from the End, or foolishly to think of attaining the one without an heedful walking in the other. And therefore it was her daily Study and sincere Endeavour in every thing to walk by rule; not abusing the Grace of the Gospel as an encouragement to licenti­ousness, but learning from it to deny all ungodliness and wordly lusts, and to live Tit. 2. v. 11, 12. & 13. soberly, righteously and godly in this pre­sent World; so looking for that blessed hope, &c. Labouring to have her con­versation such in all respects as might Phil. 1. v. 27. become the Gospel; and her behaviour answerable to her hope. And therefore it was her conscientious care, and ear­nest endeavour to be seriously diligent and constant in performing all the Du­ties of a Christian, both in her perso­nal and relative capacities. And where­as in the latter she sometimes found some difficulties (under such concurrent circumstances as need not be mention­ed) which did unavoidably discover such of her Infirmities as otherwise might have been hid: I have this to add from certain knowledge, that they were by none more deeply resented, or more sadly bewailed than by her self. For when at any time, upon some slender [Page 42] provocation, the natural quickness of her Temper did on a suddain betray and hurry her into some more hasty, pas­sionate or indecent expressions, they were soon followed with such an indig­nation against her self as did more than bear proportion thereunto, and there­fore might very justly (as I doubt not but it did in a great measure) make atonement for them unto such as were most nearly and sensibly touched by them. All which I should have passed over in silence, had I not considered that what I have mentioned on the one part might perhaps have been ob­served by many, unto whom what is said on the other, in her just vindication, may be altogether unknown. And what I have thus impartially hinted amount­ing to sufficient evidence that her Infir­mities of this kind were no other than were very well consistent with sinceri­ty and a good conscience both toward God and toward Man; I must after all in justice to her Memory give her this general Character, (which all that knew her more intimately will say she justly deserved:) That she was a loving, dis­creet and prudent Wife, a careful, affecti­onate and tender-hearted Mother, a faith­ful [Page 43] compassionate and beneficent friend; and, in all these respects and many more, a most exemplary Christian. And then.

4. To complete the Character, her Patience and Perseverance were no less eminent than her care and diligence, in well-doing. She was not only unweari­edly active and constant in doing, but eminently submissive and patient in suf­fering the Will of her heavenly Father. And therefore under all her painful and frequently renewed Exercises and Try­als, which indeed were very grievous, (especially for the last twelve Months of her Life,) she did with unrepining submission, and as much chearfulness as was consistent with her acute pains, bow to the Soveraign disposing hand of God; re­signing her Will to his so as never to have been heard all the time to charge him foolishly in any the least murmuring com­plaint against him under what in his paternal wisdom he saw meet to lay upon her. Yea in the very midst of her weariness and pain when her eyes have been held waking, and her sleep hath fled from her, she would often express the grateful sense which she had of the singular Mercy of God towards her, [Page 44] in the many instances wherein it pleased him to intermix it with her Affliction: Considering how much better it was with her, under her severest exercises, than with many others of Gods dear Children, who, by reason of their mean Circumstances in the World, could not be furnish'd with those external helps & accomodations, which by the distinguish­ing Goodness of God she enjoyed. Which she would often speak of with great compassion to others, and no less thankfulness to God upon her own ac­count; and especially in the late cold and pinching season, wherein such were exposed to very great hardship as had sickness added to poverty. And thus the excellent Character, that the Apostle gives us of the Heirs of Heaven in the Text, was in every part of it eminent­ly found in her; who was indeed One who by patient continuance in well-doing sought for glory and honour and immorta­lity. And then I may add, That,

5. Agreeably hereunto her Faith and Hope were for the most part strong and lively, (except at such times as she was under clouds of Melancholly arising from bodily distemper, which made all things look dark unto her while it prevailed) [Page 45] But most perceptibly did she improve in their strength and vigour for some months before the expiration of her Time; whereby she did not only obtain a comfortable victory in a great degree over the Fear of Death, which had for­merly been a very grievous exercise un­to her: but was also greatly supported and encouraged under her continued re­maining Troubles of Life. For as there were many comfortable Words in the Holy Scriptures whereon God had caused her to hope, so by strengthening and en­creasing her Faith, he enabled her more closely to apply them to her self, and so to take the comfort of them when she needed it most. As under one of the last Returns of her Distempers, she did very frequently revolve in her mind those words of afflicted but believing Job, Chap. 23. v. 10. When he hath try­ed me I shall come forth as gold: And God inabling her to mix that word with faith, made it both at that time and afterwards very useful to her. And so in her last sickness, even the night before her death, after she had been exercised with grie­vous pain the whole night and day pre­ceding, having a short interval of [...]ase for a few moments while I was with her, [Page 46] I observed her to repeat unto her self se­veral times with great complacency (as I apprehended from the pleasant tone of her voice tho' but low) those encourag­ing words of the devout Psalmist, Psal. 42. 8. The Lord will command his lov­ing kindness in the day-time, and in the night his Song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life: Adding in the close, Lord, thou art the God of my life, natural life, spiritual life, yea e­ternal life; and therefore my prayer is un­to thee, After which her pain and sick­ness again returning, she grew more and more apprehensive of her near ap­proaching dissolution; and after a short space said to me, as I stood by her bed-side, I have a dark valley to pass through: Whereupon encouraging her to hope in God, I said to her, The Father of lights will be with you there, and he will enlighten your darkness; to which she very sweetly replyed, and turn the shadow of Death into the morn­ing. And not long after she spake to me (in these or the like words) I bless God I do not at all doubt my eternal Inte­rest, but it is some trouble to me that I have yet so little of the Joy of Gods Sal­vation: As at another time (which whe­ther [Page 47] it were before or after the former I do not exactly remember) she said with some apparent Concern to a dear Friend standing by, What! Come so near to the confines of a glorious eternity, and yet have no clearer prospect of the glory of it! But altho' that unspeakable and glorious Joy, which doth sometimes at­tend the lively exercises of Faith in the children of God in their last hours, was (as you may perceive by these hints) withheld from her; She was not with­out Solid and great peace in believing; which of the two the more substantial tho' not the more delectable enjoyment: And I make no question but that now she hath the other also in a better way as well as in a greater proportion than e­ver any had it in this World, even ful­ness of Joy in the divine presence, and plea­sures for evermore. For faith and pati­ence having both had their perfect work in her, she is now gone to inherit the pro­mises in Eternal Life.

And now, my Christian Friends, the greatest honour and respect that we can pay to her blessed Memory (which I hope will yet live among us) is to follow her Worthy Example, every one seeking for glory and honour and immortality in that [Page 48] way wherein she sought and hath now obtained all. Let me therefore earnest­ly recommend this unto you all; (as I desire also to charge it upon my self) And more especially to you her nearest surviving Relatives, who had a greater advantage than any others by your nearness to her most exemplary course of life as an excellent pattern for you to imitate. And therefore as she hath done worthily in serving God and her Ge­neration according to his Will, and now Rev. 14. v. 13. Heb. 4. v. 9. rests from her labours in that everlasting Sabbatism which remaineth for the People of God; (into which she entred on the close of that day of the week, which is not unfitly called by us the Christian Sabbath.) Let it be your care every one to do likewise.

And more particularly let me address my self unto you her hopeful Off-spring, her dear Children (for whom she put up many a Prayer to God that he would make you all his Children.) And let me earnestly exhort you never to forget what a Mother you had; what excellent in­struction and wholesome counsel she of­ten gave you; and what a teaching Ex­ample she set before you, by which be­ing now dead she yet speaks to you: [Page 49] And surely it is your great Concern, as you love your souls, to hearken to the Voice & to understand the Language of it. There are some things which Actions do speak out louder than any Verbal Expressions; and certainly if you have the heart attentively to consider and understand it, you cannot be unapprehensive that your Mothers Example calls aloud upon you all to mind the great Concernments of your Souls with serious care and diligence as she did; to get your thoughts and af­fections abstracted and drawn off from this World, and fixedly set upon things above, as hers were; to be diligent and industrious in the careful and conscien­tious performance of all Christian Du­ties, both relative and personal, as she was; to be constant and serious in attend­ing upon Ordinances, there seeking the appointed food of your Souls, where she both often sought and found it; to dedi­cate some part of your Pretious Time e­very day to reading the Scriptures and other good Books, devout Meditation, and secret Prayer, which you know was her constant Course as long as her health and strength would permit; in a word, to make serious Religion your main bu­siness, as it was most manifestly hers: [Page 50] And if you will hearken to this Call in conjunction with the Calls of GOD's Word, and that Monitory Providence that you are now under, so as heedfully to tread in your pious Mothers steps, as Dear Children following her in those things wherein shew was a follower of God, and persisting in this Course to the end of your Life: Then let me tell you for your Comfort, that altho' Death hath at present made a separation between her and you, it shall be but for a short season; and then you shall again live together in the glorious and bright Man­sions of Heaven, and in the beatifick Vi­sion and Fruition of God and Christ, for ever and ever.

Amen.

AS all the Faculties of Mans Soul are become miserably depra­ved and corrupted by reason of Sin: So in particular the leading and directive Facul­ty, the Mind or Intellect is signally so. For besides the blindness and ignorance of men in things natural, there is nothing more apparent, than that universal dark­ness and stupidity which they are under, as to their apprehensions of things spiri­tual and eternal. For altho' there seems to be remanent upon the minds of all men naturally some [...] or im­perfect [Page 52] r [...]dera of the true impressions of good and evil, and some secret Perswa­sions of a soveraign Being, to which all things owe their original and continuance; yet alas, what sad Conceptions do men entertain of things of an immaterial and and spiritual nature; as appears not on­ly from the Writings of the more learned and ingenious Heathens, but from innu­merable and dayly Instances even in the midst of the Meridian Light of the Gos­pel: So that constant Experience doth, in this matter, sufficiently confirm Scrip­ture-Testimony, that the natural man knows not the things of the Spirit of God, as re­quiring a subjective as well as objective spiritual Light to discern them by.

However, this is one of God's ends in Revealing his Word to us, that we may (thorow his Blessing upon pains and in­dustry) attain to rectified Notions and I­daeas of things so excellent in themselves, and so momentous to be rightly known by us. And, as this is the scope of the whole Scripture, to bring Life and Im­mortality to Light unto us; so particu­larly of this Book of the wise and in qui­sitive Solomon; who having undertaken a speculative Journey into all the Regions of sublunary Enjoyments, returns an experi­enced [Page 53] Ecclesiastes or Preachers of those things that he thought might be of uni­versal use to be known. And therefore having rubbed off the fine Varnish and gaudy Paint of Earthly Objects, (with which they insinuate themselves at first view as beautified to our vain imiginati­ons;) he here represents them impartial­ly to our Reason, as they are in their own natures and usefulness to us.

Of this we might adduce many instan­ces, if need were: But we go no farther than the Words before us; wherein we may observe a Rectification of a two­fold Mistake, that we are apt to fall in­to. For, first, whereas men usually pre­fer Riches to a good Name; we are here instructed that a good Name is better, & more valuable, than precious ointment, i. e. than the fatness of the world, and the affluence of all earthly wealth and rich­es. For thus I take the word, accord­ing to Prov. 22. 1. (which seems to be a comment on this, or a plain account of what is here figuratively imported) For precious ointment was esteemed of old amongst the most valuable things of the Treasures of Princes, as we see Isa. 39. 2. And hence it is, that Prov. 15. 30. A good name is said to make the bones sat.

And, again, whereas Men generally prefer Life to Death; Solomon here tells us, that we are greatly mistaken in the Case; for, that, upon the contrary, the day of Death is much to be prefer'd to the day of ones Birth. According to which Position, he goes on to shew that the house of Mourning is better than the house of Feasting, and sorrow preferable to Laughter, v. 2, 3, &c.

It is the second of these only, that I am directed to consider at this time, viz.

That the day of Death is better than the day of ones Birth.

A strange Paradox! and enough to a­maze the minds and thoughts of all such as mind earthly things, and who have not attained to have their interior Sen­ses spiritually exercised to discern spi­ritual things. Nay I am apt to think, that many even serious Christians may find it difficult to reconcile their thoughts to this Doctrine. And therefore, on all hands, I foresee Objections.

What! (will the Atheist and Anti­scripturist say) is it better not to be than to be?

Is it possible (will the carnal Philo­sopher and Rationalist object) that the [Page 55] destruction of nature it self should be preferable to its Being and Continu­ance.

Nay even many poor Christians will be ready to tell me; that it seems very strange to them to prefer Death, which owes its Original to Sin, and is our enemy, and the last to be destroyed, to prefer (I say) this to Life it self, wherein we have opportunity to serve God, and do good to our selves and others.

And methinks I hear a multitude cry out at the hearing of this (and many such Worldlings there are) What! Death better than Life: Here's strange Doctrine indeed! What! Leave all our Earthly Comforts, Friends and Possessions; and that for Death and the Grave: who can have Faith to believe such Doctrine as this?

Well Friends, here's that which may silence all your Doubts, and answer all your Questions as to this matter, if you will give ear to God himself; that Death is preferable to Birth. But I must super­sede the satisfying you, as to your parti­cular Scruples in this matter, till I shall have come to the Improvement of the Do­ctrine, which I must now (lest I act pre­posterously) [Page 56] previously inquire into.

And here, though the Words are in themselves so very plain, that I see no momentous Variation among Criticks in the translating of them: Yet I find some considerable difference in the Sentiments of Expositors, as to the meaning of them. For some understand the Text of all Mankind, with respect only to this pre­sent Life, laying aside all Consideration of the future State; as many Passages in this Book are undoubtedly to be under­stood. And if so, then the meaning on­ly is; That if We consider the Vanities and Miseries of Mankind in this World (ab­stracting from the future) it is better to go out of it by Death, than come into it by Birth.

But others understand it rather, as speci­ally referring to the death of good men, who are thereby not only freed from troubles here, but instated in true happiness & feli­city hereafter. And this sense, as it appears more consonant to the tenour of Scrip­ture Truth and Phraseology; so likewise seems not obscurely to be hinted here, from its close connexion with the pre­ceding part of the Verse. For it is the death of him that has a good Name, that seems to be here spoken of, and whose [Page 57] Death is justly preferred to his Birth: For a good Name does unquestionably suppose true worth and vertue, as its Foundation and Basis. And tho' the Epi­thet of good be not expressed in the Hebrew, but simply a name, which is preferred to precious ointment: Yet that is so far from lessening the sense, that it expresse it with the greater Empha­sis; as insinuating, that wicked men have no name at all, properly speak­ing.

It is chiefly in this sense, that I con­ceive the proper meaning and scope of the words to lye; tho' I would not to­tally exclude the former, by reason of the largeness of the expression: for I think Scripture is to be understood in the largest sense, where the words and scope will naturally bear it, without con­torsion and straining. And therefore the Doctrinal Proposition that I here lay down, as the foundation of my ensuing Discourse, is this; ‘ That as the day of Death is prefe­ferable to the day of ones Birth, with respect to all; when the paral­lel is only in reference to this Life, considered as miserable, ab­stracting [Page 58] from the Future: So far more is the day of death preferable to the day of ones Birth, with respect to the Saints; when the parallel is not only in reference to This Life, but inclusive also of the Future.’

In which General Proposition, as we may see both senses of the Text conjoyn­ed, as being no way opposite, dissonant, or exclusive the one of the other: So we may observe them so conjoyned, as notwithstanding to remain Distinct. And therefore we must of necessity disjoyn them again in order to a distinct hand­ling. And though it is the second sense of the words, that I principally intend to consider and prosecute: Yet, since it may be of use to premise some brief Re­flection upon the former; I shall therefore distinctly and apart propose both sen­ses in two Propositions; which are no­thing else but the two parts of the pre­ceding General Doctrine.