IT is much our Duty and Wisdom to know our selves; our Misery by Sin, our Recovery by a Mediator; what we are, and what we shall be; 'Tis a meditation that will greatly in­fluence our Humility, Patience, Repen­tance, Faith and Obedience. He that knows himself will seek after the know­ledge of Christ; he that knows the short­ness of Life, will seek after an Eternal Life; he that knows the Troubles of this Life, will seek an Everlasting Rest. Job had learnt this Lesson, as it appears by the scope and substance of this Chapter, which [Page 6] declares the frailty and fadingness of Man. Our deceased [...] hath ordered this Text to be the subject matter of his [...] Sermon, for your instruction. The Text speaks of Man under a two-fold notion.

1. What we are; as Mortals going to the Grave.

2. What we shall be; in the Negative, in the Affirmative. We shall not rise to such a state of Life as now it is. We shall rise when the Heavens shall be no more There are Three General Parts.

• I. A Comparative Illustration or Re­presentation of Man's Mortality.
• II. A Negative Assertion. We shall not rise to such a state of life as now it is.
• III. A necessary Supposition. We shall rise when the Heavens shall be no more.

I. The Comparative Illustration of Man's Mortality: This in Three things.

1. The Subject, who must lye down. The life of Man is a constant motion to his Death. As the Rivers in those hot Eastern Countries run with a hasty stream into a [Page 7] certain decay and cessation in the Summer, so our life falls into the Grave, and ends in the sleep of Death. We take two or three walks upon the stage of this World, and then pass to the next; we open our eyes, and soon shut them; we rise out of our nothing state, and soon return to the Bed-Chamber God hath provided: Our Life hath a constant tendency this way; like the Candle, always burning to the Socket; like the Hour-Glass, always running; In­fancy, Youth, Manhood, Old-Age, then the Grave. Our busie Life is always mo­ving to the sleep of Death. 'Tis not con­tingent, but certain; our supernatural course is arbitrary, 'tis matter of choice; our dying is necessary, we must lye down; God's Decree makes it so. Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return. If Adam had not sinn'd, neither he nor his had dy­ed; but now the Law of Heaven makes it unavoidable; 'tis indefinitely spoken of all, High, Low, Rich, Poor, Great Men, Good Men, the Child, the Strong Man. The Angels have no sleeping time in Hea­ven, the Devils have no sleeping time in [Page 8] Hell, but Man hath a resting and sleep­ing time. 'Tis true, Enoch and Elias did not go to Heaven in the common Road of Mortality, they did not shut their eyes, but went immediately to the Vision of Heaven; they had a particular dispensa­tion not to lye down in the dust.

2. The Season. How long we lye in this Bed of silence and darkness. Till the ending of time, till the dissolution of all things, till the Heavens shall be no more: God, that orders the time of life, orders our sleeping time. As there is an ap­pointed time for Man upon Earth, so there is for Man in the Grave. As we have one common Father, one common specifical Nature, one common Bed-Cham­ber, the house appointed for all the living, Job 30. 23. so we have one common sleeping time, till the Heavens shall be no more. We do not all go to Bed at the same time, but shall all rise at the same time, except that the dead in Christ, or for Christ, have an antecedent priority, 1 Thess. 4. 16. Union to Christ, and zeal for his Truth and Cause makes the difference. [Page 9] Let the Heavens make a noise with Thun­der, let the Sea roar and soam, let the Earth be removed, and the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea; let Kingdoms rowl from one side to another, let Men be unquiet as the waves of the Sea, let Devils be outragious in their airy and watry Element, in their walk about the Earth, there we lye and sleep till God's appointed time.

3. The Similitude. This hath a two­fold reference. To the Body. To the best sort of Men.

First, To the Body. The Soul doth not lye down to sleep, but goes immedi­ately to God that gave it. It is the Bo­dy that, now free from all its toil and travel, lies down to sleep. The Bed is the ordinary place of rest to them that are weary: Man goeth forth to his labour till the Evening. The Night and the Bed are domatrices malorum; and yet some­times the Bed proves a very uneasie place. Job had wearisome Nights; he says in one place, My bed shall comfort me, and my couch shall ease me; but was scared [Page 10] with Visions and Dreams, Job 7. 13. But this Metaphorical Bed hath no such thorny vexations; The righteous shall rest in their beds, Isa. 57. 2. There the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest, Job 3. 17.

Secondly, It hath reference to the best sort of Men. Death and the Resurrection are not such easie and familiar things to Men that lye in wickedness: To such Men Death is not a pleasant sleep, but a formidable Enemy; the Grave is not a Bed of Ease, but a Bed of Thorns; not a Bed-chamber, but a Prison, a Pit of destruction: So the Resurrection is not comfortable, but terrible; the Curse and Wrath of God make them so. 'Tis said of Lazarus, he sleepeth, and of Stephen the Martyr, he fell a sleep. Luke 16. 22. 'Tis said of the rich Man, he dyed, and was buried. 'Tis said of Judas, he went to his place, Acts 1. 25. 'Tis said of another, this night shall thy soul be required, Luk. 12. 20. These are driven away as Chaff, hurried as Prisoners to their confinement: Grace and Godliness make a vast difference be­tween the good and bad. The Faithful [Page 11] dye, and fear it not; look beyond the pains of Sickness, the darkness and horrour of the Grave; call it a gathering to their Fathers, a going home, a sowing, a sleep­ing, a departing. Our Saviour calls his death, which had far more bitterness than ordinary, a going to his Father. The Faithful are raised out of their Graves, not by the hand of Justice, but by the hand of Mercy; not by virtue of the Threatning, but the Promise; not to be Condemned and Executed, but to be ex­alted, and translated to a state of Glo­ry; therefore calld Children of the Re­surrection, Luk. 20. 36.

II. The Negative Assertion: Shall not arise, shall not awake, shall not be rais­ed out of their sleep. Job doth not de­ny a future Resurrection, but only our return to the state of this animal Life; he gives the sense of this Text in ano­ther place, Job 7. 10. He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more: As St. Paul said to the Ephesians, Ye shall never see my face more; so the dying person bids an ever­lasting [Page 12] farewel to this visible World; for when he returns at the last day, he shall not find the World in the same state he left it. Adam shall never see his Eden, where he did eat of the forbidden Tree; Noah his Mount Ararat, where the swelling Waters deliver'd up his floating Ark; Shem, Ham, and Japhet shall not see the several quarters of the World wherein they were placed; Abraham shall not see his Chaldea; Job his Arabia; Moses his Egypt; Caleb his Hebron; Joshua his Mount Ephraim; the several Tribes of Israel shall never return to their di­stinct Possessions. This Negative Asser­tion may be further considered in these Four particulars.

1. They shall not return to their per­sonal capacity; to live under the Laws of Providence, as now they do: The Soul shall return to the Body, and the Body shall return to the same composi­tion at the general Resurrection, when the Redeemer shall give out a word of command; but they shall not return to the Laws and Methods of this present [Page 13] Life, to the use of Meat, Drink, Sleep, Cloaths, and Marriage. Now we labour for perishing Meat: God puts his staff into our hands to support us, God gives Sleep to refresh us, Cloaths to beautifie and defend us, ordains Marriage to pro­pagate the Race of Mankind; but these are laid aside, as things of no use in the other World.

2. They shall not return to their civil capacity, as Rich, Wealthy, Great, and Honourable. Now Men promise them­selves much Happiness from the World, and things of it; from these Dunghill-Deities; embrace them in their arms, and say in their hearts, these are thy gods: But Nabal shall not find his Pos­sessions, his Flocks, nor Naboth his Vine­yard, nor the rich Man his Barns, nor Judas his Bags, for which he sold his Re­deemer, in that other state; these things will not be found among the rubbish of the dissolved World; these things will be of no consideration or use there; the name of Rich and Poor shall cease for ever.

[Page 14] 3. They shall not rise, nor awake, nor return to a Relative capacity. This relation is Three-fold. Domestical, Political, and Spiritual. There is a Domestical Relati­on: Superiours have a charge of Children and Servants in the Family; the one re­quir'd to rule, the other to obey. The Paternal Government was chief before the World was gather'd into larger Societies. There is a Political Government of King­doms and Nations; This is a Divine Or­dinance: Authority, and governing Pow­er was given to Pilate. There is ano­ther Relation which concerns the Souls of Men, limited to the Church of Believers, gather'd out of the World, to be a ho­ly Nation; Obey them that have the rule over you, that watch for your souls, Heb. 13. 17. These are all a temporary dispensation for the present life: When the Body shall re­turn, and be raised from the Grave, there shall be no such thing as Husband and Wife, Parent and Child, Master and Servant, Magistrate and Subject, Rulers and Governours of Souls: These Cords once boken by the boisterous hands of [Page 15] Death, shall never more be fastened to­gether.

4. They shall not awake or stand up in a Spiritual Capacity or Stewardship. The Sacred Scripture is now put into our hands, given by Divine Inspiration, confirm'd by Miracles and the Blood of Martyrs, containing the great Mysteries of Godliness, the whole method of Redemp­tion; now we have the use of this Book to guide us. The Lord's Day is another part of our Trust, the seventh part of Time, the first day of the Week, conse­crated to a Holy use by the Resurrecti­on of Christ, by the practice of Christ and his Apostles; this is limited to our present use. Sermons are another part of our Trust, given to help our weakness, in a way of Interpretation, Remembrance, and Perswasion. Prayer is another help of our Salvation: We have the liberty of Prayer, Praying Abilities, answers of Pray­er. Saeraments are another helpful means, the Signs and Seals of God's Covenant; all these are proper to the present state of this Life; when we are once gone [Page 16] into the other World, we never return to the means of Grace; the Spirit of God strives no more; the Son of God withdraws his Mediatory Administrations.

III. A necessary Supposition. Man shall not rise till the Heavens be no more. It hath the sense of a positive Conclusion: At such a period of time there shall be a glorious Resurrection. Two things con­siderable.

First, The Time. Secondly, The Truth.

First, The Time limited: As God hath ap­pointed our living time, so he appoints our sleeping time: As our Saviour was three days in the Grave, so we have a certain space of time to be under the power of death: As the World had six days for its Creation, so it hath a certain number of years for its stand­ing. Of this the Prophet speaks, Isa. 51. 6. The heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment: Of this St. John speaks, Rev. 21. 1. The first hea­ven and the first earth passed away, and there was no more sea: Of this St. Peter speaks, 2 Pet. 3. 10. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens [Page 17] shall pass away with a great noise, and the ele­ments shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up. The visible Heavens, Sun, Moon, and Stars shall be dissolved; the three Regions of the Air shall be dissolved; the lower parts of the World, the Earth and Sea, shall be dissolved; he that set up the building, pulls it down. Some think the World will only be changed in its condition; others, that the dissolution will be a total annihilation. It is not my work to de­termine this controversie; only this is certain, the Worlds dissolution begins our Resurrecti­on; it begins from thence, we lye down, and sleep till then.

Until, sometimes notes an eternal duration, Mat. 5. 26. Thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing, that is, ne­ver. Sometimes it notes a certain period of time, Gen. 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah, till Shiloh come. When the Hea­vens shall be no more, then we awake and rise; when time shall be no more, when the Sun shall cease to rule by day, and the Moon by night, the Birds shall cease to fly in the Air, the Ships to pass on the Sea, the Earth shall be no longer a dwelling-place, but a desolation. God doth [Page 18] but stay till he hath done his work; that is, to gather in the full number of his Elect; to re­veal and destroy the Antichristian Apostacy; to bring in the fulness of the Jews and Gentils; then comes the abolition or alteration of this visible World, the Starry and Airy Heavens as the principal parts thereof; then Man shall a­wake, rise out of his Metaphorical sleep to a­nother Life and State.

Secondly, The Truth supposed: The Resur­rection of the dead. Job is very clear in this fun­damental Doctrine, Job 19. 25, 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth, that he shall stand at the lat­ter day upon the Earth: And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Job, as 'tis thought, was the fifth from A­braham on Esau's side, an ancient Patriarch; yet had the knowledge of Christ, the Redeemer of his and our Resurrection. He saw these 3 things.

1. The Author of our Resurrection: That he shall stand on the Earth in a posture of Mini­stration, to direct, order, and dispatch that great work. St. Paul is more explicite and plain in this notion, as living in a time of greater Light, 1 Thes. 4. 16. The Lord shall descend from Hea­ven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ [Page 19] shall rise first. As Kings come in solemn pro­cession to their Courts of Justice, with Heraulds and Trumpeters going before them: But Job was not ignorant of this great Truth.

2. He saw the universality of the Subject. The Text speaks of all Mankind; S. John is more express in this point, Rev. 20. 12. I saw the dead, small and great stand before God: and v. 13. The sea and grave gave up their dead. The whole Race of Mankind shall rise and appear; the Sea and the Grave, Heaven and Hell, shall give up their Inhabitants to this great Convention; all Ranks and Degrees shall make their appearance, bow and bend before this great Judge: But Job, though he liv'd in darker times, had a comfort­able knowledge of this Truth.

3. He saw the glory of the Resurrection. Did the Prophets and Apostles see the Heavens and the Earth vanish away like smoke, wax old as a Garment? so did Job: Did they see the Heavens pass away with a noise, the Elements melt with servent heat? so did Job: Did they see this vile Body putting on the garments of Glory and Immortality? so did Job; he saw the Flesh ad­vanced to the vision and fruition of God: My Redeemer will return, and stand on the Earth, the power of Death and the Grave shall be de­stroyed, [Page 20] the Church and people of God shall obtain a perfect Redemption. Now I have tears to drink, then I shall have Wine; now I am buffeted of Satan, then I shall see him dragg'd in Chains to his Prison; now I am pained with an ulcerous Body, then I shall be honoured with a glorious Body; now I am reproached, and then I shall be cleared and justified, my Integri­ty shall shine forth as the brightness of the Sun: Doubtless he saw the manifestation of the Sons of God, the glory and perfection of the Body and Soul, the gathering together of that blessed Company, their solemn Marriage to Christ, and their compleat Happiness in Heaven.

Application in Three things: This great Truth calls for your Meditation, your Preparation, the Moderation of your Af­fections.

First, Consider and observe the great and glo­rious Works of God: Man an excellent Crea­ture, must dye, Beauty must put on ghastliness and paleness; Power lie prostrate at the foot of a prevailing Enemy; Man a lofty, glorious Creature in his erected Countenance, must fall and lye under the power of Death and the Grave; that the whole visible World shall be made a woful desolation; that the Son of God [Page 21] shall appear in his Glory to redeem us from this Captivity and Bondage; to lay the top-stone of our Redemption; to raise them to an eternal Life, whom the gentle hand of a loving Father hath laid to sleep in the Grave. Consider these Three things.

• 1. Your Working time.
• 2. Your Sleeping time.
• 3. Your Rising time.

1. Consider your Working time. Before we lye down to sleep we must do the work of our Heavenly Calling: In this we have our Savi­our's example, Job. 9. 4. I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day: that is, To destroy the works of the Devil, to destroy his Kingdom, togather a Church out of the World, to pay the price of Redemption, to glorifie his Heavenly Father. We have our work appointed of God: Repentance toward God, and Faith in our Lord Jesus; to get out of Sodom, to get into Sion, to get out of the first into the second Adam.

1. Our time is precious; 'tis valuable for the use that's made of it, and the good that depends upon it; Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation; 'tis more worth than the whole ma­terial World, if it were turned into purest Gold.

2. Our time is short: God is said to Inhabit E­ternity, Isa. 57. 15. He is the commander of all [Page 22] time; his days are not as the days of a Man, Job 10. 5. he hath time enough to do his work, knows no night, no lying down; we must hasten our work, that it may be dispatch'd before we lye down to sleep.

2. Consider your Sleeping time, the fixed term and limitation of it: Man lies down, and rises not; the negligent and sloathful would be glad to hear of a possible return. Oh that I might return to that Natural, Civil, Relative, and Spiritual capacity; hear, read, pray, as be­fore: No, you must never return to this state of life, Luk. 16. 26. Between us and you there is a great Gulf fixed; no Man shall be able to force his way through the unpassable Gulf of God's eternal and unchangeable Decree. Let the Faithful consider they shall never return to the hardships and severities of Religion, the temp­tations and sufferings of this life; when they lye down they shall not rise till they rise to Judgment

3. Consider your Rising time, supposed in the Text, not for work and service, but for Judgment. Now the Heavens and this habi­table World are doing their work; the Hea­vens in giving out their light and influence, the Sea in its restless fluctuations, the Earth in its [Page 23] fruitful productions; all other Creatures are at work to accommodate the life of Man; they do it with groaning, Rom. 8. 22. they groan and grieve to serve their Creator's Enemies, this they do till the time of restitution comes; when they lye down to rest, then we must rise to re­ceive our doom: Consider the Lord's glorious appearance, the sound of the last Trumpet, the gathering of all Mankind from the Sea and the Grave, from Heaven and Hell, the judiciary proceedings of that day; such Consi­derations would greatly advantage the work of Mortification and Godliness. God says, O that they were wise, and would consider their latter end: God would have us look backward, to see what we have done; and forward, to see what we shall do in the latter end; as the Pilot sits at the hinder part of the Ship, with the Helm in his hand, so should we dwell upon the hinder part of our lives, and consider what is before us; there­fore our deceased Friend hath chosen this Text for his Funeral Sermon, as a provident recom­mendation of this Duty to them that survive.

2. That you prepare for this Change, for your lying down, and rising to Judgment, in Four things.

1. In your Regeneration. Get a stock of ha­bitual and relative Grace; that Grace whereby [Page 24] the guilt of sin is removed, the dominion mor­tified, the Heart is quickned and fitted for a life of Holiness and Communion with God, Mat. 6. 20. Lay up for your selves treasure in Hea­ven, the blessings of another life, the comforts of Godliness, the graces that accompany Salva­tion; be diligent to hear, read, pray, &c. pru­dent in ordering your spiritual affairs; then you shall go to the Grave as the Bird goes to her Nest at night, as the weary Traveller goes to his Bed-chamber, there to refresh himself after all his toil and labour.

2. Prepare in your reconciliation and peace with God, 2 Pet. 3. 14. Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. If there be such a lying down, such a rising up, such a dissolution of all things, abstain from sin, from all that may dirty and defile the Conscience; sin makes Men afraid to appear before God; when the Grave shall deliver them up to the Judgment seat, Adam hides himself, David cries out, O spare a little; or if thou hast sinn'd, wash the face of thy Soul with the water of penitential tears, or rather with the blood of Christ apply­ed by Faith, that his righteousness may be yours, not subjectively in possession, but in the use of it for your justification.

[Page 25] 3. Prepare in your mortification of corrupt Affections: Moderate and mortifie your Af­fections to all Earthly things that sweeten this present life; do not make any Creature your Idol, your hope, your Heaven, your Treasure, then you'l be willing to lye down in the Grave, and leave those Comforts you did not immo­derately love: The Reason why Job was so wil­ling to die, he waited for it with a vehement de­sire, let me lye down, and go to Bed, because his Heart was weaned from the World, Job 31. 24. He did not make gold his hope, or say to the fine gold, thou art my confidence: He did not re­joyce because his wealth was great, nor please himself in an earthly abundance.

4. Prepare by the sense and apprehension of a well spent life, a life of integrity and faith­fulness to God and Man; thus labour to get an assurance of God's love in Christ. Though our good works will not give us a title to Hea­ven; that's done by the Righteousness of Christ; yet they will give us an assurance of our title to Heaven: This was David's death­bed Cordial, 2 Sam. 23. 5. Thou hast made with me an everlasting Covenant. He was in Covenant with God by a Cordial dedication of himself to him. So Hezekiah, Lord remember how I have walked [Page 26] before thee in truth. This carried Moses so chear­fully up the Hill, to his Death and unknown Grave. Job waits for his change, because sensible of his Integrity. St. Paul desires to depart, be­cause he had fought a good fight, &c. He that hath a true Faith, dies in safety; he that hath an assuring, evidential Faith, dies with comfort and peace.

3. Moderate your sorrow for the death of Godly Friends. 'Tis St. Paul's advice, 1 Thes. 4. 13. I would not have you ignorant concerning them that are asleep, that ye sorrow not as others that have no hope: This I men­tion with reference to the occasion. It hath pleased God to take to himself the Soul of our deceased Friend, in the strength and fulness of his Age, when his publick and private sta­tion had great need of his help and service, to the great grief and sorrow of all that knew him, that have any love to that which is Excellent and Praise-worthy. I know it will be expected, and that with reason too, that I should give you his just Praise, Character, and Commendation; that I should set before you the Picture of his real worth and useful­ness, of his personal Gifts and Graces: It would be a check, a severe reproof to this [Page 27] loose, carnal, selfish, ungodly Age; it would encourage the Integrity and Goodness of those that are going to Heaven; but his self-de­nying Modesty hath order'd that nothing should be said of him as a Panegyrick or En­comium at his Funeral; they are the express words of his Will; he hath forbidden the publication of his Praise; let this excuse my silence, and satisfie your expectation. There is a great veneration due to the will of those that are gone into the other World; their words should be like the Laws of the Medes and Persians, to over-rule all that may be said or done to the contrary; we would expect the like regard our selves, when we lye in the dust, from them that survive. But I shall offer these two things.

1. Let his known Goodness, Wisdom, Meek­ness, Justice, Integrity, Piety, Charity, Humi­lity, and universal Usefulness, be an Exam­ple, Pattern, and provocation to you that live after him; for himself did practically publish his own Praise, though he did not al­low the Preacher to do it in the Pulpit. As So­lomon says of the virtuous Woman, so his own works will praise him in the gates. Here's a Pattern for the Husband, for the Parent, for [Page 28] the Family Governour, for the Merchant, for the Magistrate; nay, for the whole City, in the choice of Magistrates: Let but London chuse such Magistrates, they will be found faithful and serviceable to God and their Ge­neration.

2. Let this check your immoderate sorrow, that it may not exceed upon this sad occa­sion: 'Tis not a needless admonition; there being such a mournful Object presented to us, it will not be easie to keep the Passion of sorrow within its due Banks: Mourn we may, Joseph did it for his Father Jacob; Jesus for his Friend Lazarus; Immoderation is the danger.

1. 'Tis a sign of a distemper'd mind; 'tis a sign of too much love to that earthly Comfort, which you cannot part withal without an ex­cessive sorrow; what is it but an Idolatrous love? 'Tis a sign vou have not yet learnt the Lesson of Submission to the Divine Providence, your Will is not yet fully subdued to the Will of God. 'Tis a sign of Ignorance: You do not know nor consider the fadingness of tem­poral Blessings; that Friends and dearest Rela­tions are but Travellers, that come to lodge with us over Night, to be gone the next Morning▪

[Page 29] 2. This Passion, when immoderate, works a great deal of mischief; 'tis hurtful to the Body, it darkens the Countenance, dries up the Marrow, wastes the Spirits, eats up the Heart, shortens the Life; 'tis a blemish to Reli­gion in the eye of the World, they are scanda­lized to see the Servants of God give way to this uncomfortable Passion; it hinders Duty; it imbitters all our Comforts; turns them into the waters of Marah. Now to check your immoderate sorrow, that it may not exceed upon this occasion; Consider,

1. 'Tis the common condition of all to lye down in the state of Death. High and Low, Rich and Poor, Young and Old, Good and Bad, all come under the sentence and stroke of Death. How many Crowns and Scepters lye piled up by the Grave's side, as Spoils of Death, that prevailing Enemy. The Great Ones of the World must bow and bend be­fore this Great and Mighty Prince. Com­plain not that you have lost a dear Relation; all your Neighbours will say, they have the same measure from the hand of God: You may as well complain of the Summer's heat, and Winter's cold, as complain of that which is common to the whole Race of Mankind.

[Page 30] 2. The Covenant of Grace is everlasting: Union to Christ is not dissolved by the stroke of Death: Dying is a Covenant Blessing; 'tis a Sleep, a Seed time, a Passage, an Uncloath­ing, a going to Bed, a gathering to our Fa­thers, a resting from our Labour. Why do you immoderately grieve and mourn that your dear Relation hath his Pains eased, Burdens re­moved, Tears wiped from his Eyes.

3. God hath not taken all away, but left enough behind to fill your Hearts with joy and gladness, and your Mouths with praise, Ps. 68. 19. Who daily loadeth us with his benefits: Mercies for the Body, for the Soul; Personal, Family, National mercies; means of Grace, Grace by the means; justifying, sanctifying Grace; the image of God, a new Nature, a Spiritual Life, the Adoption of Sons, the Inheritance of Saints; is not this enough to quiet and content the mournful Soul? Your loss is but a Penny out of the rich Man's store, a drop out of the Ocean; you may say yet with Job, Blessed be God, I have a great many blessings yet un­taken away.

4. God hath not taken any thing but what is his own. We have not any thing but what is deposited with us as a Trust; not [Page 31] any thing that we can challenge as ours by an absolute, independent Propriety; not any thing that is not a Stewardship to be ac­counted for; not any thing but what we enjoy at the pleasure of that great and migh­ty Lord that owns and governs all. Why are you troubled that God hath call'd for his own? May not he that owns the House pull it down? He that owns the Garden, ga­ther what Flowers he pleases?

5. 'Tis but a parting to meet again. 'Tis true, Man lieth down, and riseth not, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep; that is, to see the light of the Sun, to converse with Mortals, to converse with Relations, to come under the Laws of Providence, to live under the means of Grace; There is no such rising: But we expect, and are sure of a glorious Resurrection to another Life in God's appointed time: We have great assurance of it, Joh. 14. 3. I shall come again, and receive you to my self. Not send an Angel to do it, but will come himself. So 1 Thes. 4. 16. The Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with [...] shout. Vers. 14. Them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him to a communion, a participation of Glory with himself: His Re­surrection [Page 32] being the first Fruits of ours, gives a full assurance of it.

Your dear Relation is uncloathed, gone to sleep, lies down in the Grave; 'tis but the inter­position of a little time keeps you asunder; when a few days are past, you shall meet again; Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Friends, Relations, and Acquain­tance; and this meeting shall then be ad­vanced to the highest pitch of Joy and Love, without intermission, without end, ever with one another, and ever with the Lord.