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<DATE>2011-04-11</DATE>
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<NAME>Holly (Beeman) Smith</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>Deaths Advantage; Opened in a SERMON PREACHED The la&s;t Summer at <HI>Northampton,</HI> AT THE FUNERAL OF Peter Whalley <ABBR>E&s;q</ABBR> Then Mayor of the &s;aid Town.</P>
<P>And now upon the earne&s;t de&s;ires of his Friends publi&s;hed by <HI>Edward Reynolds,</HI> D.D.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON</HI> Printed by <HI>Tho Newcomb</HI> for <HI>George Thoma&s;on,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop at the <HI>Ro&s;e and Crown</HI> in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church yard, 1657.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Honorable John Crew E&s;q;</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_HAving been prevailed with by the earne&s;t de&s;ires of tho&s;e who were nearly related unto that worthy Gentleman, at who&s;e Funeral this Sermon was preached, to let it, (af|ter it had been it &s;elf &s;o long buried) &s;omething un&s;ea&s;onably revive and go abroad into the world; I have taken the boldne&s;s to prefix &s;o honorable a name as yours before it, upon a double account; one re|lating unto the decea&s;ed <HI>Gentleman,</HI> the other unto <HI>my &s;elf.</HI> For the former, if we may take the cha|racter of a wi&s;e and worthy man by the affection which he beareth, and choyce which he maketh of e|minent <HI>Examples,</HI> who&s;e prudence and piety to fol|l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">w, I may truly, and therefore without flattery to you or him pronounce this dear Friend now with God, a very <HI>wi&s;e,</HI> and a very <HI>good</HI> man, having been frequently an ear-witne&s;s of the &s;ingular Ho|nor he did bear to your per&s;on (in mentioning of
<PB REF="3">who&s;e zeal and care to promote the glory of God, the truth of the Go&s;pel, the intere&s;t of Religion, and good of your Country, he did greatly delight to expatiate) and whom he did propo&s;e to him&s;elf as a &s;pecial pattern for his imitation. For mine own part, as I have the &s;ame rea&s;ons which moved him, to bear an honorable and high e&s;teem towards your per&s;on, and the gifts and graces of God be&s;tow|ed upon you; &s;o you have by your abundant favours to me, and particularly your earne&s;t and &s;ollici|tous endeavors to have pre&s;erved my Station in the Univer&s;ity, when changes in the State cau&s;ed changes there, laid &s;o great a debt upon me, as I have no way to di&s;charge, but onely by putting you over to the be&s;t Pay-ma&s;ter, and in my prayers commending you unto him, who doth not forget your labour of love. To his gracious Protection I commend you, and all the branches and intere&s;ts of your Family, and remain,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your humble and mo&s;t obliged Servant, ED. REYNOLDS.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>THE Gain of Death.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>PHIL. 1.21.</HI></BIBL>
<P>For to me to live is Chri&s;t, and to dye is Gain.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THE Apo&s;tle having <HI>&s;aluted</HI> the&s;e <HI>Philippians,</HI> and te&s;tified his &s;incere <HI>love</HI> unto them, and hearty <HI>prayers</HI> for them in the fir&s;t eleven Ver&s;es; doth in the next place endeavor to <HI>comfort</HI> them again&s;t any offence or trouble which they might &s;u&s;tain by occa&s;ion of his <HI>&s;ufferings</HI> for the Go&s;pel, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 12, 13. a&s;&s;uring them that they tended to the defence thereof; many being thereby <HI>provoked,</HI> and by the example of his <HI>courage</HI> and comfort <HI>animated to &s;peak the Word without fear, ver&s;.</HI> 14. And although &s;ome indeed had evil and <HI>envious intentions</HI> to reproach his Apo&s;tle&s;hip, and to add affliction to his bonds,
<PB N="2" REF="4">yet Chri&s;t being preached, he did <HI>rejoyce</HI> notwith|&s;tanding his own <HI>&s;ufferings,</HI> as knowing that by the benefit of their <HI>prayers,</HI> and by the <HI>&s;upplies</HI> of the <HI>Spirit</HI> of Chri&s;t, his own <HI>&s;alvation,</HI> and the <HI>glory</HI> of the Lord &s;hould thereby be pro|moted, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15-20. And if the Lord may be thus <HI>magnifiea,</HI> and him&s;elf <HI>&s;aved,</HI> if his <HI>life</HI> may tend to the <HI>honour</HI> of Chri&s;t, and his <HI>death</HI> to his own <HI>advantage,</HI> he is mo&s;t indifferent and contented to yeeld to Gods holy will either way; for, &s;aith he, <HI>to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.</HI> If I <HI>live,</HI> my work, my conver&s;ation, my mini&s;try will be wholly to &s;erve and <HI>glorifie</HI> him; and if I <HI>dye,</HI> my death will not onely be <HI>glorious</HI> unto him, but <HI>gainful</HI> unto me, I &s;hall be <HI>ever with the Lord, which is be&s;t of all.</HI> The Apo&s;tle therefore is at a &s;tand, in a <HI>&s;trait</HI> betwixt two, which to chu&s;e: On the one &s;ide Chri&s;t will be <HI>magnified</HI> in the <HI>edification</HI> of his Church; on the other &s;ide he will be <HI>magnified</HI> by the <HI>&s;al|vation</HI> of his &s;ervant; the one will be <HI>fruitful</HI> to the <HI>Philippians;</HI> and the other <HI>gainful</HI> to him&s;elf. He is wholly therefore indifferent whe|ther he <HI>live or dye,</HI> becau&s;e Chri&s;t will be both ways an <HI>advantage</HI> unto him, and he &s;hall be both ways <HI>&s;erviceable</HI> to the glory of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>We &s;ee the coherence, connexion and &s;cope of the&s;e words. Some ver&s;ions, as ours, make them two di&s;tinct Propo&s;itions, <HI>To me to live is Chri&s;t, To me to dye is gain.</HI> Some others make them but one propo&s;ition, thus, <HI>In life and in death,</HI> or whe|ther I live or dye, <HI>Chri&s;t is to me gain.</HI></P>
<PB N="3" REF="4">
<P>In the words there are two parts con&s;idera|ble. Fir&s;t, The <HI>Propo&s;itions</HI> them&s;elves. Se|condly, The <HI>&s;pecification of the Subject</HI> to whom they belong.</P>
<P>The Propo&s;itions are, according to both read|ings, the&s;e three. Fir&s;t, <HI>To live is Chr&s;t.</HI> Second|ly, <HI>To Dye is Gain.</HI> Thirdly, <HI>Chri&s;t is both in life and in death gain.</HI> The &s;pecification of the <HI>Sub|ject</HI> of the&s;e Propo&s;itions, to whom they belong, <HI>To Me,</HI> a Beleever, who am willing and de&s;irous that Chri&s;t may be <HI>magnified in my body,</HI> whether it by my <HI>life</HI> or by my <HI>death,</HI> as being much more tender and &s;ollicitous of his honour, then of mine own particular &s;afety.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, <HI>To live is Chri&s;t,</HI> or Chri&s;t is life unto us. It is true, many men <HI>live,</HI> who are without <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in the world, an animal or a natu|ral life to them&s;elves, to other men, to carnal, to &s;ecular, to &s;inful purpo&s;es; but being <HI>alienated</HI> from the <HI>life of God,</HI> we may &s;ay of them as the Apo&s;tle doth of &s;en&s;ual and delicate Widows, that they are <HI>dead whil&s;t they live.</HI> Our true <HI>life</HI> is founded in th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>life</HI> of Chri&s;t; <HI>Becau&s;e I live you &s;hall live al&s;o,</HI> J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">h. 4.19. <HI>He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath not life.</HI> 1 Joh 5.12.</P>
<P>Now Chri&s;t is our <HI>life</HI> in every way of <HI>cau&s;a|lity.</HI> Fir&s;t,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid Fr: Gomar: To.</HI> 1. p. 288.</NOTE> He is th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Author and <HI>efficient</HI> of our life, whether we &s;peak of life <HI>natural;</HI> In him was <HI>life,</HI> and the <HI>life was the light of men; he lighteth every man that cometh into the World,</HI> Joh. 14.2. <HI>By him all things con&s;i&s;t,</HI> Col. 1.17.
<PB N="4" REF="5"><HI>In him we live</HI> and move, and have our being, <HI>Act.</HI> 17.28. <HI>He formed us in the belly,</HI> his hands made us and fa&s;hioned us round about, <HI>Job</HI> 10.8. <HI>Jer.</HI> 1.5. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 139 15, 16. In every work of <HI>continu|ed Creation</HI> the Son worketh as well as the Father. <HI>My Father worketh hitherto,</HI> &s;aith he <HI>and I work, Ioh.</HI> 5.17. Or whether we &s;peak of life <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> the life of Grace; <HI>I live,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>yet not I, but Chri&s;t liveth in me,</HI> Gal. 2.20. In him is the primitive &s;eat of life and grace, from whom it is diffu&s;ed upon his bo|dy For as the <HI>Head</HI> and the <HI>Members</HI> are anima|ted by <HI>one &s;oul,</HI> &s;o Chri&s;t &amp; his Church by <HI>one &s;pirit.</HI> we being joyned unto the Lord <HI>are one Spirit,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.17.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid. Aug. de Gen. ad lit. l.</HI> 4 <HI>c.</HI> 12. <HI>&amp; lib.</HI> 5 <HI>c.</HI> 20.</NOTE> Or la&s;tly, whether we &s;peak of <HI>Life eter|nal,</HI> the life of Glory, this our <HI>life is hid with Chri&s;t in God, and when Chri&s;t who is our life &s;hall appear, we &s;hall al&s;o appear with him in glory,</HI> Col. 3.3, 4: Of the&s;e two e&s;pecially <HI>the Life of Grace</HI> and <HI>the Life of Glory,</HI> Chri&s;t is the efficient cau&s;e, <HI>per modum pretii,</HI> as a Meritorious Procurer of it, laying down no le&s;s a price then his own life to purcha&s;e ours; <HI>For we are bought with a price,</HI> 1 Cor 6.20. and by vertue of that price we are <HI>quickened together with him,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gomar. to.</HI> 3. <HI>di&s;p</HI> 15 <HI>&amp; Par|ker de de&s;cen&s;. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 49.</NOTE> Ephe&s;. 2.5. 2. <HI>Per modum Principii</HI> by his Holy Spirit fa&s;hioning us to his <HI>Life</HI> and <HI>likene&s;s;</HI> for being a Second <HI>Adam,</HI> he is unto us a <HI>quicken|ing Spirit,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.45. and having <HI>life in him&s;elf</HI> doth derive it upon whom he will, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.21 26. <HI>As the living Father hath &s;ent me, and I live by the Father, &s;o he that eateth me &s;hall live by me,</HI> Joh. 6.57.</P>
<P>Secondly, Chri&s;t is the <HI>matter</HI> of our <HI>Life:</HI> As
<PB N="5" REF="5"><HI>meat</HI> is the matter on which life feedeth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Aug. Tract.</HI> 26 <HI>in Joan. Eu&s;eb. cont. Marcel. cap.</HI> 12.</NOTE> and by which it is pre&s;erved; &s;o Chri&s;t is the <HI>&s;piritual Manna, the bread which came down from Heaven,</HI> of which they who eat &s;hall live, <HI>Joh.</HI> 6.51. The <HI>Sacrifices</HI> after they were <HI>offered</HI> for expiations, were many times <HI>eaten</HI> for the comfort and reviving of tho&s;e that offer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">d them. Chri&s;t therefore, who was our <HI>Pa&s;sover,</HI> having <HI>offered</HI> him&s;elf as a <HI>propi|tiation,</HI> to take away our &s;in by the <HI>Sacrifice</HI> of him&s;elf, was thereupon plea&s;ed to in&s;titute his <HI>La&s;t Supper,</HI> and therein to &s;et forth him&s;elf as that &s;pi|ritual <HI>food</HI> whereby the life of Grace in his people is nouri&s;hed and pre&s;erved.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Chri&s;t is the very <HI>form</HI> of &s;piritual life in a <HI>Beleever,</HI> in which re&s;pect he is &s;aid <HI>to live in us,</HI> and to be <HI>formed</HI> and fa&s;hioned in us, as the childe is &s;haped in the womb of the Mother, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4.19. and this both as <HI>forma e&s;&s;entialis,</HI> the very &s;oul that actuateth a beleever, he is <HI>a quickening Spi|rit. If Chri&s;t be in you, the body is dead becau&s;e of &s;in, but the Spirit is life becau&s;e of righteou&s;ne&s;s, Rom.</HI> 8.10. and as <HI>forma exemplaris,</HI> the Idea, mo|del and pattern of our life, for he hath given <HI>us an example</HI> that we &s;hould follow his &s;teps, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.21.</P>
<P>Fourthly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qui e&s;&s;e vult &s;i|bi &amp; non tibi nihil e&s;&s;e incipit inter omnia.</HI> Bern. in contr. Serm. 20.</NOTE> Chri&s;t is the <HI>end</HI> and &s;cope at which our whole life is to aim and to be directed; it mu&s;t be wholly <HI>con&s;ecrated</HI> unto him; nothing in all our concernments mu&s;t be &s;o dear unto us as <HI>Chri&s;t;</HI> whether we live we mu&s;t <HI>live to him,</HI> or whether we dye we mu&s;t <HI>dye to him;</HI> becau&s;e for this end he both died and ro&s;e again, that he might be <HI>the
<PB N="6" REF="6">Lord both of the dead and of the livings,</HI> Rom. 14.7, 8, 9. therefore as by bringing forth <HI>much fruit we do glorifie the Father,</HI> Job. 15.8. &s;o al&s;o do we thereby honour the Son, out of who&s;e fulne&s;s we receive grace for grace; for he that <HI>ho|noureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father,</HI> Joh. 5.23. This &s;eems here principally intended, <HI>To me to live is Chri&s;t:</HI> My life, time, &s;tudies, im|ployments are wholly taken up in the things of <HI>Christ,</HI> that he may have honour and &s;ervice by me. Wicked men live <HI>to them&s;elves,</HI> to them to <HI>live</HI> is <HI>lu&s;t</HI> and vanity; they follow their own wils, they walk in the imagination of their own hearts; they rule them&s;elves by no coun&s;el but their own carnal and corrupt wi&s;dom, as it is &s;aid of <HI>Jero|boham,</HI> that he &s;et up a wor&s;hip <HI>which he had devi&s;ed of his own heart,</HI> 1 Reg. 12.33. and the the people profe&s;&s;ed to <HI>Jeremy</HI> that they would do what&s;oever &s;hould go forth out of their <HI>own mouth, Jer.</HI> 44.17. They direct all they do <HI>to them|&s;elves,</HI> looking after onely their own gain, ea&s;e plea|&s;ure, credit, advantage; fa&s;ting, eating, drinking <HI>to them&s;elves,</HI> and a&s;&s;embling them&s;elves for <HI>corn and wine, Zach.</HI> 7.6. <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 7.14. They withdraw them&s;elves from that &s;ubjection, and &s;ubordination wherein God hath placed them, and do in effect &s;ay as <HI>Pharaoh, Who is the Lord that I &s;hould obey his voice! Ex.</HI> 5.2. Now <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">is is a very &s;trange folly, be|cau&s;e our <HI>&s;alvation</HI> and the <HI>glory of Chri&s;t</HI> are twi&s;t|ed together, as the coherence of the 19. and 20. ver&s;es of this Chapter doth demon&s;trate. When we neglect his <HI>glory,</HI> we forfeit our own <HI>&s;alvation;</HI> and
<PB N="7" REF="6">when we &s;eek our own <HI>&s;alvation,</HI> he e&s;teemeth him|&s;elf <HI>glorified</HI> thereby. As when a great &s;tone doth fall from an Arch, the little ones that were bound and knit in by it do fall for company; &s;o when men do neglect the <HI>great end</HI> of living to the honor of Chri&s;t, they do greatly endanger all their own &s;ubordinate ends thereby.</P>
<P>What is it then for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> to be our <HI>life,</HI> or for a man truly to &s;ay, <HI>To me to live is Chri&s;t?</HI> It is Fir&s;t, In our <HI>hearts</HI> to acknowledge him for <HI>our Lord,</HI> unto whom we owe our time, and &s;trength, our fear, and honour, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8.11. <HI>Mal.</HI> 1.6. Second|ly, in our <HI>lives,</HI> to do every &s;ervice with <HI>good will,</HI> and <HI>in &s;inglene&s;s of heart as unto him,</HI> Eph. 6.5, 6, 7. to do it by a warrant from his word, <HI>I will hear what God the Lord will &s;ay,</HI> P&s;. 85.8 <HI>Proving what is the good, and perfect, and acceptable will of God,</HI> Rom. 12.2. and what it is which Chri&s;t would have us to do, <HI>Act.</HI> 9.6. To &s;et him <HI>always before us,</HI> and to do every thing as in <HI>his pre&s;ence,</HI> and with a de&s;ire to approve our hearts in well doing unto him, <HI>P&s;.</HI> 16.8. for as he behaved him&s;elf towards his Father, doing always tho&s;e things that <HI>plea&s;ed him, Joh.</HI> 8.25. 6.38. &s;o are we to behave our &s;elves towards him, who as he hath made us the <HI>Sons</HI> of his Father by <HI>Adoption, Joh.</HI> 20.17. &s;o is he him&s;elf our <HI>Father</HI> by <HI>Regeneration,</HI> and calleth us in one re&s;pect his <HI>Brethren,</HI> and in another his <HI>Children, Heb.</HI> 2.11, 12, 13. To do every thing unto his <HI>glory,</HI> as <HI>ve&s;&s;els fitted for our Ma&s;ters u&s;e,</HI> and <HI>prepared unto every good work,</HI> 2 Tim. 2.21. To value our <HI>life</HI> not cheifly for it &s;elf,
<PB N="8" REF="7">but for the <HI>&s;ervice</HI> which therein we are to do un|to our Lord: <HI>I count not my life,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>dear unto my &s;elf, &s;o that I may fini&s;h my cour&s;e with joy, and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Je&s;us,</HI> Act. 20.24. And herein likewi&s;e we imitate his example, who in conformity to the <HI>com|mand</HI> of his Father did him&s;elf lay down his own life for his &s;heep, and became <HI>obedient unto death, even the death of the cro&s;s,</HI> a &s;ervile, an ignomini|ous,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid. Lip&s;. de Cruce. cap.</HI> 12. <HI>Ca&s;aub. in Ba|ron. exercit.</HI> 16 <HI>c.</HI> 77.</NOTE> a cur&s;ed death, <HI>Joh.</HI> 10.11, 15, 18. <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.8. This it is for a man to &s;ay, <HI>To me to live is Chri&s;t;</HI> my thoughts, &s;tudies, aims, purpo&s;es, imploy|ments, do all fix and terminate upon him, how I may bring <HI>glory</HI> to his name, how I may promote his <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> and Kingdom; how I may <HI>live the re&s;t of my time in the fle&s;h, not unto mine own lu&s;ts, but unto his will,</HI> unto whom my &s;oul and &s;alvation was dearer then his own life. Since his <HI>blood</HI> was my <HI>price,</HI> his <HI>glory</HI> mu&s;t be my <HI>bu&s;ine&s;s.</HI> For he therefore <HI>died for All, that they which live, &s;hould not henceforth live unto them&s;elves, but unto him which died for them and ro&s;e again,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 4.1, 2. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.19, 20. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.14, 15.</P>
<P>We &s;ee how <HI>Chri&s;t is life;</HI> Let us next enquire to whom he is &s;o. <HI>To me,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>to live is Chri&s;t.</HI> There is much of the life of Religion in <HI>Pronowns</HI> and <HI>Adverbs,</HI> in <HI>per&s;ons</HI> and the <HI>manner</HI> of doing things. To tho&s;e whom the Father hath gi|ven him, he is life; to tho&s;e that <HI>beleeve he is precious,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.7. To others he is a <HI>&s;tone of &s;tumbling,</HI> and a <HI>rock of offence,</HI> and his Go&s;pel <HI>a &s;avor of death unto death.</HI> He is not at all in their thoughts or
<PB N="9" REF="7">cares to plea&s;e or glorifie him. They are not at a point, &s;o he may have honour, whether it be by their life or death. But &s;o they may have plea&s;ure or profit, &s;o their carnal de&s;ires may be gratified, and their intere&s;ts &s;ecured, let what will become of his name or honor. Therefore let us make &s;ure the <HI>Pronown</HI> here, <HI>To me,</HI> that I am one who am willing Chri&s;t &s;hould be <HI>magnified</HI> by me any way, whether <HI>by life</HI> or <HI>by death;</HI> otherwi&s;e we cannot &s;ay, <HI>To me to live is Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Thus far all runs very &s;moothly unto Chri&s;tian ears. <HI>To live is Chri&s;t,</HI> he <HI>our Lord;</HI> therefore un|to his <HI>&s;ervice</HI> and <HI>honour</HI> mu&s;t our whole life be con&s;ecrated and devoted. No difficulty in all this.</P>
<P>The next Propo&s;ition &s;eemeth more &s;trange and paradoxal, that to <HI>Dye</HI> &s;hould be <HI>Gain.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Arrian. Epictet. l.</HI> 4. <HI>c.</HI> 10. <HI>Senec. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">on&s;ol. ad Mart. &amp; Polyb. &amp; Ep.</HI> 24 30, 66. M. <HI>Antonin. l.</HI> 3. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 3. <HI>Plutarch. con&s;ol. ad Apollon.</HI></NOTE> Many Philo&s;ophers have &s;poken many kinde and flarter|ing words concerning <HI>Death;</HI> That it is the <HI>end, &s;olution, period, remedy</HI> of all our cares, &s;orrows, labors, fears; a <HI>Debt,</HI> a <HI>Tribute,</HI> a <HI>Sleep,</HI> an <HI>Har|bor,</HI> or <HI>Haven,</HI> a <HI>re&s;t,</HI> a <HI>quiet Repo&s;e</HI> after all our griefs and mi&s;eries: But none I think did ever go &s;o far as to make it <HI>Gain;</HI> and it may &s;eem to be no other nor better gain, then that which the A|po&s;tle &s;peaks of, <HI>Act.</HI> 27.21. <HI>A gaining of lo&s;s;</HI> for what kind of <HI>gain,</HI> would one think can there be found in that, the very formal being and nature whereof doth con&s;i&s;t in nothing but <HI>lo&s;s?</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. There is in it the <HI>lo&s;s</HI> of all a mans <HI>Sub&s;tance, His hou&s;e knows him no more,</HI> Job 7.10. His Lands, his Place, his Tenants, Rents, Revenues
<PB N="10" REF="8">own him no longer. If there were a <HI>judgement at Law</HI> given again&s;t a man, overthrowing his whole e&s;tate, &s;tripping him of his <HI>hou&s;e</HI> over his <HI>head,</HI> the <HI>mony</HI> in his pur&s;e, the <HI>corn</HI> in his Barns, the <HI>Cat|tel</HI> in his fields, the <HI>cloaths</HI> on his back, leaving him as naked as the world at fir&s;t found him, would any man call this <HI>gain: Death</HI> is ju&s;t &s;uch a <HI>judg|ment,</HI> leaveth a man no more <HI>land</HI> then his <HI>grave,</HI> no more <HI>cloathes</HI> then his <HI>Shrowd,</HI> no more <HI>hou&s;e</HI> then his <HI>Coffin.</HI> No difference but this; in the one <HI>Judgment</HI> po&s;&s;ibly a &s;tranger, in the other a Son, or a Kin&s;man &s;ucceeds; but as to a mans &s;elf it is all one.</P>
<P N="2">2. But when all the&s;e things are gone, haply <HI>friends</HI> may recruit a man again, as they did <HI>Job,</HI> Chap. 42.11.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Polyb. hi&s;t. l.</HI> 5. <HI>Fruitur diis i|ratis.</HI> Juv.</NOTE> We read of the incredible bounty of Princes and States to the people of <HI>Rhodes,</HI> after they had been &s;orely ruined by an earthquake, in|&s;omuch that their calamity proved an advantage unto them. But in death there is a <HI>lo&s;s of friends,</HI> as well as of E&s;tate, Wife, Children, all part at the <HI>grave,</HI> and never meet till the Re&s;urrecti|on.</P>
<P N="3">3. Though means and friends be all lo&s;t, yet if a man could keep po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> it may be his head or his hand, his wit or his labour would repair his lo&s;&s;es again: But <HI>Death</HI> is the lo&s;ing of a <HI>mans &s;elf,</HI> no <HI>hand</HI> left to work, no <HI>head</HI> left to contrive; it tears a man a&s;&s;under <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">n him&s;elf, and &s;ends his parts as far di&s;tant as either Heaven or Hell are from the Grave. Now after all the&s;e <HI>lo&s;&s;es,</HI> of E&s;tate, of Friends, of Wi&s;dom, of
<PB N="11" REF="8">&s;trength, of a mans very &s;elf, what po&s;&s;ible room is there left for Gain, when he that &s;hould enjoy it is him&s;elf lo&s;t?</P>
<P>All this notwith&s;tanding, <HI>God</HI> mu&s;t be <HI>true,</HI> and <HI>every man a lyar. Death is Gain,</HI> and <HI>Gain</HI> we mu&s;t finde in it before we leave it.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Let us take it at the wor&s;t view which a Beleever can have of it, as it is an <HI>Enemy</HI> for &s;o the Apo&s;tle calls it, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.26. And &s;o it was e&s;teemed by Chri&s;t him&s;elf, who though in <HI>love</HI> to us, and in <HI>obedience</HI> to his father, he &s;ubmitted unto it, yet te&s;tified his <HI>natural de&s;ire</HI> to have de|clined it, when with &s;trong crys he prayed once and again, <HI>O my Father, if it be po&s;sible let this cup pa&s;s from me.</HI> You may not without &s;hew of rea&s;on &s;ay, What <HI>Gain</HI> is to be expected from an <HI>Ene|my?</HI> Many times <HI>Friends</HI> them&s;elves, when it comes to the point of <HI>gain,</HI> to this que&s;tion, <HI>Who will &s;hew us any good,</HI> are &s;hie, and draw in their friend&s;hip. <HI>Laban</HI> though <HI>Jacobs</HI> Father in law, grudged him the benefit of that bargain which him&s;elf had before mo&s;t willingly con&s;ented unto; <HI>Joab</HI> was <HI>Ab&s;oloms</HI> friend, yet <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> burnt up his corn.</P>
<P>Yet we may not deny,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Vid. Plutarch. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters">h. de capienda ab ho&s;tibus uti|utate.</NOTE> but that a man may have <HI>gain</HI> by an <HI>enemy,</HI> as poi&s;on unto &s;ome creatures affordeth nouri&s;hment: <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2+ letters">elephus</HI> had his Im|po&s;tume opened by the dart of an enemy, which was intended for his hurt. Tho&s;e <HI>Ro&s;es</HI> they &s;ay are &s;weete&s;t which grow near unto <HI>Garlick;</HI> the neatne&s;s of an <HI>Enemy</HI> make a good man the better. And therefore the wi&s;e Roman, when <HI>Carthage</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="9">the Emulous City of <HI>Rome</HI> was de&s;troyed, &s;aid truly, Now our affairs are in more danger and haz|zard then ever before. When <HI>Saul, Davids</HI> Enemy, Eyed and per&s;ecuted him, this made him walk more circum&s;pectly, pray more, tru&s;t in God more; He kept his mouth <HI>with a bridle while the wicked were before him,</HI> P&s;al. 39.1. An hard <HI>knot</HI> in the wood drives a man to the u&s;e of his <HI>wedges.</HI> A ma|licious <HI>Enemy</HI> that watcheth for our halting, will make us look the better to our <HI>ways.</HI> And &s;o <HI>death</HI> by the nearne&s;s thereof, and by the frequent me|ditation thereupon, makes us more careful of our great <HI>accompt,</HI> more &s;ollicitous to make &s;ure our <HI>peace</HI> with God, to <HI>wean</HI> our hearts from worldly and peri&s;hing comforts, to lay up <HI>a good foundati|on</HI> for the time to come, that we may obtain eter|nal life, to get <HI>a City which hath foundations, who&s;e builder and maker is God.</HI></P>
<P>But it may be &s;aid, all this <HI>Gain</HI> is from <HI>Death</HI> at a <HI>di&s;tance,</HI> while we are out of its po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion. Is there any <HI>Gain</HI> from &s;uch an enemy while we are under his <HI>power?</HI> Yes, even here there may be <HI>gain;</HI> was not the <HI>fire</HI> an enemy to the <HI>three Children?</HI> were not the <HI>Lions</HI> enemies to <HI>Da|niel?</HI> yet they were rebuked; <HI>When a mans ways plea&s;e the Lord, he maketh his enemies at peace with him,</HI> Prov. 16.7. <HI>Laban</HI> pur&s;ued <HI>Jacob</HI> in great anger, <HI>E&s;au</HI> meets him, as we may &s;uppo&s;e, with ho&s;tile purpo&s;es; but the Lord by his power|ful providence over-ruled their hearts, that they could not hurt him. <HI>Saul, Davids</HI> Father-in-law,
<PB N="13" REF="9">per&s;ecutes him; and <HI>Achi&s;h</HI> the King of <HI>Gath,</HI> from whence <HI>Goliah</HI> came, whom <HI>David</HI> had not long before &s;lain, and who could not but for that rea&s;on be hated at that place, gives him entertain|ment: God can make <HI>Moab a covert for his out|ca&s;ts,</HI> as he was unto the Father and Mother of <HI>David, I&s;a.</HI> 16.4. 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 22.3, 4. Though <HI>Death</HI> be an enemy, the Lord can weaken it, di&s;arm it, pull out the &s;ting of it, and make us at peace with it.</P>
<P>But you will &s;ay, All this is rather <HI>harm</HI> &s;u&s;|pended, then <HI>gain</HI> obtained. Is there any more proper and gennine <HI>gain</HI> to be found in an Enemy, &s;uch an Enemy, having us under his power and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion? &s;urely yes. We finde the <HI>Egyptians,</HI> bitter Enemies to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> furni&s;hing them with <HI>Jewels of &s;ilver, Jewels of gold and Raiments, Exod.</HI> 3.21, 22. Was not the <HI>Whale</HI> that &s;wallow|ed <HI>Jonah</HI> an <HI>enemy,</HI> a very <HI>type</HI> of our <HI>enemy</HI> here, as our Saviour tells us? <HI>Matth.</HI> 12.39, 40. Yet by it was <HI>Jonah</HI> carried &s;afe to land, he regained life by that which devoured him; he had been <HI>drowned</HI> in the <HI>Sea,</HI> if the <HI>fi&s;h</HI> had not found out the <HI>Shore</HI> for him. Were not the waters of the <HI>Red Sea,</HI> and of <HI>Jordan</HI> enemies to tho&s;e that &s;hould go in|to the mid&s;t of them? yet through the&s;e did <HI>I&s;rael gain</HI> liberty out of bondage, victory over <HI>Pharoah</HI> and his ho&s;t, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of <HI>Canaan</HI> their pro|mi&s;ed <HI>Rest.</HI></P>
<P>Take it in the <GAP DESC="foreign">. Here men are <HI>ab&s;ent from the Lord,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.6. as <HI>Jonah</HI> is &s;aid to have <HI>fled from his pre&s;ence,</HI> ca&s;t out into a Sea of
<PB N="14" REF="10">cares, troubles, fears and &s;orrows; <HI>Death</HI> as the <HI>Whale</HI> devours us, and lands us at a better <HI>&s;hore,</HI> leads us from the thraldom of <HI>Satan,</HI> from the <HI>temptation</HI> and &s;ufferings, and <HI>fiery Serpents</HI> which we meet with in the <HI>wilderne&s;s</HI> of this <HI>world,</HI> and brings us into our <HI>Heavenly Re&s;t.</HI> So then even under the notion of an <HI>enemy</HI> here is <HI>gain</HI> from <HI>death.</HI> As a <HI>Lamprey</HI> is e|&s;teemed delicate meat when the <HI>&s;ting</HI> of the back is taken out; as the waters of <HI>Marah</HI> were made &s;weet by the <HI>tree</HI> which was ca&s;t into it; &s;o <HI>death,</HI> being by the cro&s;s of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> purged of its venome and bitterne&s;s, is become u&s;eful and gainful unto us.</P>
<P>Secondly, Let us view <HI>Death</HI> on the better &s;ide; for it is as a <HI>plaited picture,</HI> on the one &s;ide it looks like a grim and angry <HI>enemy,</HI> as de&s;tructive to na|ture; on the other &s;ide, it hath a more calm and <HI>friendly a&s;pect,</HI> as reconciled unto us by Chri&s;t. It is as a <HI>Servant</HI> &s;ent from a Father to call his Son home; as a <HI>Nur&s;e</HI> which taketh the <HI>Childe</HI> in her arms to carry it to the Mother; it is a <HI>depo&s;itary</HI> en|tru&s;ted with the cu&s;tody of the body, and &s;hal give an exact accompt thereof unto Chri&s;t. He by his holy <HI>body</HI> hath <HI>&s;anctified</HI> the <HI>grave,</HI> &amp; made it a <HI>bed</HI> to &s;leep in. We find <HI>Angels at either end of Chri&s;ts grave,</HI> Joh. 20.12. They keep the Saints not onely in their <HI>ways,</HI> but in their <HI>graves.</HI> The <HI>Jaylor</HI> who before did beat <HI>Paul,</HI> and &s;courge him, and thru&s;t him into the inner pri&s;on; being converted, treated him after another manner, <HI>wa&s;hed his &s;tripes, brought him into his hou&s;e, and &s;et meat
<PB N="15" REF="10">before him,</HI> Act 16.33, 34. Such a change there is in <HI>death;</HI> before, the <HI>&s;pirit of bondage</HI> repre|&s;ented it with a chain and &s;courge, it kept the &s;oul down under the fear and dread of it. But now, un|to a beleever by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> it is &s;o far altered, that it is become part of his <HI>dowry</HI> and portion, numbred up by the Apo&s;tle among&s;t tho&s;e good things which with Chri&s;t are graciou&s;ly be&s;towed upon us, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.22.</P>
<P>We will con&s;ider the <HI>Gain</HI> we have by this Friend, fir&s;t <HI>privatively,</HI> then <HI>po&s;itively.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Privately,</HI> It freeth us from all other evil, and toil&s;om labours, which we were, by the cur&s;e pronounced again&s;t <HI>Adam,</HI> &s;ubject unto. It is a kinde of <HI>Canaan,</HI> a <HI>Re&s;t,</HI> a <HI>Sabbath</HI> unto beleevers; <HI>write</HI> &s;aith the Lord from heaven to his Apo&s;tle, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that dye in the Lord, for they re&s;t from their labors,</HI> Rev. 14.13. they <HI>enter into peace, they re&s;t in their beds,</HI> I&s;a 57.2.</P>
<P N="1">1. They re&s;t from the toil&s;om captivity and <HI>tyranny</HI> of <HI>&s;in,</HI> a <HI>burden</HI> under which they com|plain, as too heavy for them to bear; <HI>There is no re&s;t in my bones becau&s;e of my &s;ins; mine iniquities are grown over mine head; as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me,</HI> P&s;al. 38.3.4, 6, 7, 8. the A|po&s;tle calleth it a <HI>weight,</HI> and an encompa&s;&s;ing &s;in; <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid. Pet<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">i Fa|bri Agoni&s;tic. l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 3. <HI>Methedius a|pud Epiphan. haere&s;.</HI> 64.</NOTE> a fat and heavy body wholly in|di&s;po&s;eth for an Athletick imployment. This body of lu&s;t being de&s;troyed, they are <HI>made perfect. Heb</HI> 12.23. As <HI>Ivy</HI> which hath gotten its roots into <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ll the joynts of a wall, can never he qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">e killed, till the wall it &s;elf be demoli&s;hed; &s;o &s;in and cor|ruption
<PB N="16" REF="11">being deeply &s;eated in the whole nature of man, is never quite &s;lain and &s;ubdued till the whole frame be taken down and di&s;&s;olved.</P>
<P N="2">2.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Greg. Tholo&s;. Syntagma juris, l.</HI> 31. <HI>cap.</HI> 20. <HI>Be&s;tias A&s;iaticae pre&s;&s;urae. Tertul. de re&s;urrect. carnis, cap.</HI> 48.</NOTE> They re&s;t from the <HI>buffets</HI> and temptations of <HI>Satan;</HI> it was a &s;ore conflict for the Apo&s;tle to fight with <HI>Bea&s;ts at Ephe&s;us,</HI> whether they were truly or Metaphorically &s;uch, bea&s;tly men, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.32. but this combate was nothing to the <HI>me&s;|&s;enger of Satan,</HI> to the roarings of that Lion; how rampant and outragious he will be again&s;t the &s;er|vants of God, when the Lord is plea&s;ed to leng then his chain, and to give him liberty; what di&s;mal <HI>fears,</HI> what helli&s;h <HI>impre&s;sions,</HI> what <HI>fiery darts,</HI> what black and horrid <HI>&s;ugge&s;tions</HI> he will amaze the &s;ouls of poor &s;inners withal, the examples and experiences of many of Gods afflicted people can abundantly te&s;tifie, in&s;omuch that <HI>their &s;oul chu|&s;eth &s;trangling,</HI> as <HI>Job</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>Job</HI> 7.15. Now be|ing by death tran&s;lated into <HI>Abrahams bo&s;om,</HI> they are far removed out of Satans reach; he was thrown <HI>down from heaven,</HI> and can never &s;hoot up any darts, or come near any of Gods &s;ervants there to affright or annoy them.</P>
<P N="3">3. They re&s;t from the cares, &s;orrows, &s;nares, toils, temptations of <HI>the world;</HI> the <HI>examples</HI> of &s;inners do not <HI>endanger</HI> them, the &s;ight of their <HI>filthy conver&s;ation</HI> doth no longer <HI>afflict</HI> them, the fear of their <HI>cruelties</HI> and per&s;ecutions doth no more trouble them; there <HI>the wicked cea&s;e from troubling, and there the weary be at re&s;t; there the pri&s;oners re&s;t together, they hear not the voice of the oppre&s;&s;or,</HI> Job 3.17, 18.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="11">
<P N="4">4. They re&s;t from the <HI>difficulties</HI> of <HI>duty</HI> it &s;elf; tho&s;e hard conflicts which the heart hath again&s;t corruption to keep it &s;elf clo&s;e unto God; for though the <HI>&s;pirit be willing, yet the fle&s;h is weak,</HI> Matth. 26.41. and though <HI>to will be pre&s;ent with us,</HI> yet <HI>how to perform the thing that is good we finde not,</HI> Rom. 7.18, 19, 21.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, As they are delivered from the&s;e <HI>pa&s;t evils,</HI> as brands &s;natched out of the burning, &s;o are they likewi&s;e taken away from <HI>evils to come,</HI> as <HI>Lot</HI> was from the de&s;truction of <HI>Sodom,</HI> when the Angel by a merciful violence laid hold on him and brooght him forth, <HI>Gen.</HI> 19.16. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 57.1.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Po&s;itively,</HI> this gain by death ap|pears in the many real good things which we re|ceive with it and by it.</P>
<P N="1">1. It brings us <HI>home</HI> to our Country and inheri|tance; here in this life Gods &s;ervants are <HI>Pilgrims, Strangers, Sojourners,</HI> among&s;t enemies, &s;uch as neither know nor value them; we are called out of the world, and &s;eparated from it, <HI>not numbred a|mong the Nations,</HI> living by different and contrary Laws; and hence it is that the <HI>world hates us,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.11. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 15.19. <HI>Numb.</HI> 23.9. 1 <HI>Ioh.</HI> 3.1. Hence the <HI>Body</HI> is called a <HI>Tabernacle,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.1.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dige&s;t. de ver|borum &s;ignificat. l.</HI> 239. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 2. M. <HI>Anton. l.</HI> 2. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 17. <HI>Tertul. de re&s;ur c.</HI> 41. <HI>Diodor Sic.</HI> 1. <HI>M. Anton. l.</HI> 3. <HI>&s;ect.</HI> 11.</NOTE> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.13, 14. in allu&s;ion to the <HI>Tabernacles</HI> wherein the Patriarchs &s;ojourned as <HI>&s;trangers, Heb.</HI> 11.9. unto which <HI>pilgrimage,</HI> and unfixed con|dition, the Apo&s;tle there oppo&s;eth a <HI>City which hath foundations,</HI> ver&s;. 10. a &s;ure hou&s;e, an abiding <HI>Kingdom which cannot be &s;haken, Heb.</HI> 12.28.
<PB N="18" REF="12">Here indeed we are &s;aid to be <HI>in Chri&s;t,</HI> and Chri&s;t in us, <HI>Gal.</HI> 2.20. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 3.17. but there we &s;hall be <HI>with Christ,</HI> and in his pre&s;ence, which the Apo&s;tle tells us is be&s;t of all, <HI>much better</HI> then our be&s;t condition here, <HI>Phil.</HI> 1.23. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4.17. 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.8. Here we are in the <HI>&s;ame family</HI> indeed (for the Church in heaven, and the Church on earth is but <HI>one family,</HI> Ephe&s;. 3.15.) but we are yet but in the <HI>lower rooms</HI> of the family, in the <HI>work hou&s;e;</HI> death leads us to the <HI>upper chamber,</HI> to the <HI>Banquetting-hou&s;e,</HI> to better company, where we &s;hall &s;ee, and know, and love, and po&s;|&s;e&s;s Chri&s;t perfectly, and herein is the an&s;wer of Chri&s;ts prayer, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.24. <HI>Father, I will, that they al&s;o whom thou ha&s;t given me, be with me, where I am, that they may behold my glory.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. It e&s;tates us in <HI>life;</HI> takes away one life to carry us to another and a better. That life which we leave, is mortal and peri&s;hing; that which we go unto is durable and <HI>abounding, Joh.</HI> 10.10. The <HI>ordinary Manna</HI> which <HI>I&s;rael</HI> gathered for their daily u&s;e, did pre&s;ently corrupt and <HI>breed worms, Exod</HI> 16.20. But that which was laid up before the Lord, the <HI>hidden manna</HI> in the Tabernacle, did keep without putrefaction, ver&s;. 33. So <HI>our life,</HI> which we have here in the <HI>wilderne&s;s</HI> of this world, doth pre&s;ently vani&s;h and corrupt, but our life which is kept in the Tabernacle, our <HI>life which is hid with Chri&s;t in God, Col.</HI> 3.4. that never runs in|to death. <HI>Natural life</HI> is like the river <HI>Jordan,</HI> empties it &s;elf into the <HI>Dead Sea;</HI> but <HI>&s;piritual
<PB N="19" REF="12">life</HI> is like the <HI>waters</HI> of the <HI>Sanctuary,</HI> which be|ing &s;hallow at the fir&s;t grow deeper and deeper in|to a River which cannot be pa&s;&s;ed thorow; water continually <HI>&s;pringing</HI> and running forward <HI>into e|verla&s;ting life, Ezek.</HI> 47.4, 5. <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.14. 7.38. &mdash; <HI>Haec brevis e&s;t, illa perennis aqua.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It makes us perfect in our &s;piritual part;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid. Stuck. An|tiq conviv. l.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 26.</NOTE> <HI>The &s;pirits of ju&s;t men made perfect, Heb.</HI> 12.23. it gives us our white and triumphal <HI>robes, Rev.</HI> 6.11. 7.14. It fits us to be <HI>pre&s;ented unto God without &s;pot or wrinkle, Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.27. the bodies of the Saints when they were dead <HI>were wa&s;hed, Act.</HI> 9.37. both as a pledge of the <HI>re&s;urrection,</HI> and al&s;o as an <HI>Emblem</HI> and te&s;timony of that clean|ne&s;s and <HI>purity,</HI> wherein death did deliver their &s;ouls up unto God.</P>
<P N="4">4. It keeps our relicks and remainders &s;afe for a glorious <HI>re&s;urrection,</HI> will give a faithful and a ju&s;t <HI>accompt</HI> of all that it hath received, and will re|&s;tore in <HI>honour,</HI> what is received in <HI>di&s;honour,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.42, 43. It will &s;ay to us as the keeper of the Pri&s;on to <HI>Paul, Act.</HI> 16.36. <HI>The Lord hath &s;ent to let you go, now therefore depart, and go in peace.</HI></P>
<P>We &s;ee the Paradox cleared, the difficulty re|moved; the gain demon&s;trated; onely we mu&s;t remember it is not gain to all, it is <GAP DESC="foreign">. To <HI>Beleevers</HI> as &s;uch, and therefore onely to them. To wicked and impenitent &s;inners that die in their &s;ins, death is a <HI>King of terrors, Job</HI> 18 14. A Jaylor, a tormentor, with his keys, his &s;hakels, his hot iron, his halter, his ax, his gib|bet.
<PB N="20" REF="13">He is &s;till a &s;tinging and a fiery &s;erpent, a <HI>trap-door</HI> unto hell. Death is never our <HI>gain,</HI> but where Chri&s;t is our <HI>life;</HI> he to whom to <HI>live</HI> is is <HI>lu&s;t,</HI> and not Chri&s;t; to <HI>dye</HI> is <HI>lo&s;s</HI> and not <HI>gain.</HI></P>
<P>And now &s;ince <HI>Gain</HI> is one of the <HI>Diana's</HI> of the world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid. Augu&s;t. in P&s;al.</HI> 48.</NOTE> every one will &s;ay, <HI>who will &s;hew us any good?</HI> P&s;al. 4.6. Our wi&s;dom mu&s;t be to di|&s;tingui&s;h <HI>true gain</HI> from counterfeit, to make <HI>godline&s;s our gain,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim</HI> 6.6. for then death will be our Gain too. There is &s;ome Gain like Manna in the hou&s;e, <HI>peri&s;hing Gain,</HI> expo&s;ed to <HI>moth and ru&s;t. Matth.</HI> 6.19. Gain proper to one place or Country, like &s;ome <HI>farthing-tokens,</HI> which are current in one Town or Shop, and &s;ignifie nothing in another: Such is worldly wealth, current here, but is not returnable or tran&s;portable into another world,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&amp;c. De Nino Phaenix Colophon apud Athenaeum. l.</HI> 12</NOTE> <HI>when a man dieth he carrieth nothing away, his glory &s;hall not de&s;cend after him,</HI> P&s;. 49.17. But there are <HI>durable riches,</HI> Prov. 8.18. A trea&s;ure of good <HI>works</HI> which will <HI>follow</HI> a man into another world, <HI>Rev.</HI> 14.13. this is the <HI>gain</HI> we &s;hould look after, to <HI>lay up a foundation in &s;tore again&s;t the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life,</HI> 1 Tim. 6.19.</P>
<P>Now &s;ith <HI>Death is gain,</HI> let us con&s;ider whe|ther, and in what manner this <HI>Gain</HI> may be <HI>de&s;ired.</HI> In an&s;wer whereunto we &s;ay, 1. That death is con&s;iderable two ways: One way as it affecteth <HI>nature,</HI> the other as it relateth to a <HI>&s;upernatural end.</HI> In the former re&s;pect as an <HI>evil, Nature</HI> ab|hors it, and &s;hrinks from it, and had much rather
<PB N="21" REF="13">be clothed upon, that mortality might be &s;wal|lowed up of life. But as an unavoidable <HI>medium</HI> to a better condition, &s;o it may be de&s;ired; as &s;ick and bitter <HI>phi&s;ick</HI> is de&s;irable, not <HI>per &s;e,</HI> but in or|der unto <HI>health;</HI> and dangerous chargeable voyages by Sea, are not in them&s;elves beneficial at all, but onely as they are nece&s;&s;ary to make rich returns from remote Countries. <HI>Mercatura est amittere ut lucreris.</HI> It is good husbandry to &s;ell all for an invaluable pearl.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Death</HI> is not to be <HI>de&s;ired</HI> out of <HI>fretfulne&s;s, pa&s;sion, wearine&s;s</HI> of life, <HI>impatience</HI> of &s;ufferings, as <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>Jonah</HI> de&s;ired it, <HI>Job</HI> 3.20-23. <HI>Jon.</HI> 4.3. and in great angui&s;h men are apt to do, <HI>Jer.</HI> 8 3. but in <HI>faith,</HI> and an humble &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the will of God, out of a <HI>wearine&s;s</HI> of the body of <HI>&s;in,</HI> and <HI>pilgrimage</HI> in the valley of tears, &s;u&s;piring after the <HI>pre&s;ence</HI> of Chri&s;t, and <HI>con&s;ummation</HI> of holine&s;s, thus it may be de&s;ired. So <HI>Jacob wait|ed for the &s;alvation of God, Gen.</HI> 49.18. So <HI>Simeon</HI> de&s;ired to <HI>depart in peace, Luk.</HI> 2.29, 30. and &s;o our Apo&s;tle here, <HI>I de&s;ire to depart, and to be with Chri&s;t, which is far better,</HI> Phil. 1.23.</P>
<P N="3">3. We may not for all this u&s;e any compendious way to be partakers of this <HI>gain,</HI> we may not neglect our <HI>body,</HI> nor &s;hipwrack our <HI>health,</HI> nor do any thing to <HI>ha&s;ten death</HI> becau&s;e we &s;hall <HI>gain</HI> by it. <HI>He that maketh ha&s;te</HI> even this way <HI>to be rich, &s;hall not be in|nocent,</HI> Prov. 28.20. When men grew weary of the long and tedious compa&s;s in their Voyages to the <HI>Ea&s;t Indies,</HI> &amp; would needs try a more compendious way by the <HI>North-we&s;t</HI> pa&s;&s;age, it ever proved un|&s;ucce&s;sful;
<PB N="22" REF="14"><HI>our times are in Gods hands,</HI> as the P&s;al|mi&s;t &s;peaks, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 31.15. and therefore to his holy providence we mu&s;t leave them. We have <HI>work</HI> to do, and therefore mu&s;t not be &s;o greedy of our <HI>Sabbath day,</HI> our <HI>re&s;t,</HI> as not to be willing and con|tented with our <HI>working day,</HI> our <HI>labour.</HI> A com|po&s;ed frame of heart, like the Apo&s;tles here, an <HI>holy indifferency</HI> of &s;oul, either to &s;tay and <HI>work,</HI> or to go and <HI>re&s;t,</HI> is the be&s;t temper of all.</P>
<P>I conclude all with but naming the la&s;t Propo|&s;ition from the other reading, <HI>Chri&s;t in life, in death is gain</HI> unto beleevers. If the Apo&s;tle <HI>live,</HI> he &s;hall <HI>&s;erve</HI> Chri&s;t; if he <HI>dye</HI> he &s;hall <HI>enjoy</HI> him; if he <HI>live,</HI> he &s;hall <HI>glorifie</HI> him by his <HI>mini&s;try,</HI> if he <HI>dye,</HI> he &s;hall <HI>glorifie</HI> him by his <HI>martyrdom.</HI> When Chri&s;t is ours, every condition, life or death, pro&s;perity or adver&s;ity is <HI>gainful</HI> to us. It is hard to &s;ay whether it be better for a wicked man to <HI>live</HI> or <HI>dye,</HI> being in both equally mi&s;erable; If he live, he encrea&s;eth his <HI>&s;in;</HI> if he <HI>die,</HI> he entreth upon his <HI>&s;orrow.</HI> But unto a godly man either con|dition is comfortable and ble&s;&s;ed; his <HI>life</HI> is fruit|ful, his <HI>death</HI> is peaceable; the <HI>grace</HI> of Chri&s;t is manife&s;ted in <HI>his life,</HI> and the <HI>glory</HI> of Chri&s;t is manified in his <HI>death.</HI> Let us be careful to &s;ecure the <HI>Pronown</HI> he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>To Me,</HI> that we be &s;uch as <HI>Paul</HI> was, who <HI>rejoyce in that Chri&s;t is preach|ed,</HI> though we &s;hould &s;uffer by the means, who are <HI>not a&s;hamed of the afflictions of the Go&s;pel,</HI> but are willing that Chri&s;t may be <HI>magnified in our body, whether by life or by death,</HI> and then we may bold|ly conclude as our Apo&s;tle doth, whether <HI>I live</HI>
<PB N="23" REF="14">or whether <HI>I die,</HI> Chri&s;t will in both conditions be <HI>advantage</HI> unto me.</P>
<P>COncerning this worthy Gentleman, who with <HI>one &s;pring</HI> of his &s;oul gave &s;o &s;udden a leap from Earth to Heaven; I confe&s;s I have been &s;o &s;urpri&s;ed with &s;orrow, that I thought it hardly po&s;&s;ible for me to undertake this &s;ervice, but that I mu&s;t have covered over my affections, and his Elo|gies, as the <HI>Painter</HI> did <HI>Agamemnons</HI> grief for <HI>Iphigenia,</HI> with a vail of &s;ilence.</P>
<P>He was a copious &s;ubject, a man one of a thou&s;and as <HI>Elihu</HI> &s;peaks; which <HI>way ever</HI> we take the view of him, we &s;hall <HI>finde him</HI> to be as <HI>A|ri&s;totles</HI> character is of his hone&s;t man, <GAP DESC="foreign">, a four-&s;quare man, that had in <HI>every capacity a Ba&s;is</HI> of hone&s;ty and integrity to fix upon.</P>
<P>How tender and dear an <HI>Husband,</HI> how loving and careful a <HI>Father,</HI> how wi&s;e and prudent a <HI>Di&s;|po&s;er</HI> of his dome&s;tical affairs, your eyes and their &s;orrows can abundantly te&s;tifie.</P>
<P>Towards <HI>others</HI> abroad, I do not know a man <HI>fuller of love</HI> and faithfulne&s;s, more <HI>ready,</HI> more <HI>active to lay out him&s;elf</HI> upon the good and inte|re&s;t of his friend. There are <HI>&s;ome drags</HI> very whol&s;om, but very bitter; good in the operation but unkind in the palate; and &s;ome <HI>friends</HI> are &s;uch, <HI>real</HI> in their love, but <HI>moro&s;e</HI> in their expre&s;&s;ions of it, that a man is almo&s;t afraid of their very kindne&s;&s;es. But this our dear friend was <HI>full of
<PB N="24" REF="15">&s;weetne&s;s as of fidelity.</HI> His love was not like a <HI>Pill,</HI> that mu&s;t be wrapped in &s;omething el&s;e be|fore a man can &s;wallow it, but the <HI>candor</HI> and <HI>&s;e|rene&s;s</HI> of his di&s;po&s;ition made his <HI>love</HI> as <HI>amiable</HI> as it was <HI>u&s;eful</HI> unto his friends; &s;o that he well de&s;erved the character given to one of the Roman Emperors, <HI>Neminem unquam dimi&s;it tri&s;tem.</HI> He was indeed in his di&s;po&s;ition <HI>made up of love</HI> and &s;weetne&s;s, <HI>of a bal&s;om nature,</HI> all for healing and helpfulne&s;s.</P>
<P>He was not a <HI>friend</HI> in <HI>pretence</HI> and comple|ment, that can <HI>bow</HI> hand&s;omly, and <HI>promi&s;e</HI> em|phatically, and <HI>&s;peak</HI> plau&s;ibly, and forget all; but he was <HI>&s;erious</HI> and cordial in his affection. Some <HI>mens love</HI> is like &s;ome <HI>plants</HI> in the water, which have <HI>broad leaves</HI> on the &s;urface of the wa|ter, but &s;carce any root at all; lik <HI>Lemons</HI> cold within and hot without; <HI>full expre&s;sions, empty intentions, &s;peak loud,</HI> and <HI>do little.</HI> Like <HI>Drums</HI> and <HI>Trumpets,</HI> and <HI>En&s;igns</HI> in a battel, which make a noi&s;e and a &s;hew, but act nothing: But this our dear Brother was an <HI>active friend,</HI> his reality exceeded his expre&s;&s;ions: His <HI>words</HI> were the <HI>window</HI> of his heart, truly as <HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> calls them, <GAP DESC="foreign">, the notifiers of his affecti|on.</P>
<P>And his <HI>fidelity</HI> to his friend was ever <HI>&s;econded</HI> with <HI>wi&s;dom;</HI> as our Saviour &s;aith of <HI>John the Bap|ti&s;t,</HI> he was a <HI>burning</HI> and a <HI>&s;hining</HI> Lamp, we may &s;ay in this ca&s;e of him, he had not onely an <HI>ardent</HI> but a <HI>prudent</HI> love was not onely <HI>affectio|nate</HI> to intend good, but <HI>able to coun&s;el</HI> and con|trive
<PB N="25" REF="15">it: <HI>Some friends are like a vine, fruitful</HI> but <HI>weak;</HI> their love is &s;weet, but their &s;trength &s;mall; he as able by his wi&s;dom to advi&s;e, as ready by his love to help and tender.</P>
<P>Nor was this di&s;po&s;ition of his narrow and <HI>con|tracted</HI> towards a few, but it was <HI>diffu&s;ive.</HI> The mildne&s;s and moderation of his &s;oul made him will|ing to do good to all, and &s;o far as would con&s;i&s;t with integrity, to pre&s;erve every man from peril. Some mens love is like &s;ome <HI>flowers,</HI> which open onely towards the <HI>Sun,</HI> which come out onely in the <HI>hotte&s;t &s;ea&s;ons,</HI> like the <HI>load-&s;tone</HI> that points onely one way, and bend onely towards them that do not need it: But <HI>his love</HI> would grow in the <HI>&s;hade</HI> as well as in the <HI>Sun;</HI> and though it were &s;peci|ally directed to tho&s;e of the hou&s;hold of faith, yet he had learned of the Apo&s;tle to do good to all men, and to &s;peak evill of none.</P>
<P>But it is not enough <HI>for a man to do good to o|thers,</HI> though he could to all if he remain an <HI>enemy to him&s;elf.</HI> Like <HI>Shel-fi&s;hes</HI> which breed <HI>pearls</HI> for others to wear, but are <HI>&s;ick</HI> of them them&s;elves; lik a <HI>Mercury Statue,</HI> which &s;hews the way to others, but &s;tands &s;till it &s;elf; like a whet&s;tone which &s;harpeneth the knife, but is blunt it &s;elf. If thou be wi&s;e, &s;aith <HI>Solomon,</HI> be wi&s;e for thy &s;elf. Many men are like <HI>Plutarchs Lamiae,</HI> which had <HI>eyes</HI> for <HI>abroad,</HI> but were <HI>blinde at home,</HI> like <HI>Bees</HI> that ga|ther good honey, but are &s;mothered them&s;elves: But our dear Brother had <HI>an eye inward</HI> was wi&s;e to the intere&s;ts of his own &s;oul. Like the <HI>Cynamon tree,</HI> which lets not out all its &s;ap into leaves and
<PB N="26" REF="16">fruit which will fall off, but keeps the principal of its fragrancy for the bark which &s;tays on, <HI>like a tree planted by the water &s;ide,</HI> which though it let out much &s;ap to the remoter boughs, yet is &s;pecially careful of the <HI>root,</HI> that that be not left dry. And in truth, <HI>what profit would it be</HI> to a man, if he could <HI>help and heal</HI> all the <HI>&s;ick men</HI> of the world, and be incureably &s;ick him&s;elf? If he could get <HI>all the men</HI> on the earth, all the <HI>Angels</HI> in heaven to be his friends, and have &s;till <HI>God</HI> for his enemy? If he could &s;ave others, and then lo&s;e his own &s;oul? to be <HI>like the &s;hip,</HI> Act. 27. broken to peeces it &s;elf, though it helped others to the &s;hore? Like <HI>tho&s;e that built the Ark</HI> for <HI>Noah,</HI> and were drowned them&s;elves. Herein therfore he &s;hewed him&s;elf <HI>truly a wi&s;e man,</HI> that he took <HI>care of his own &s;oul:</HI> Some men are <HI>like Achitophel,</HI> very careful to &s;et their hou&s;es in order, but then ca&s;t away their <HI>&s;ouls:</HI> But our dear Brother though he had by the variety of his imployments, <HI>the cares of Martha upon him,</HI> was yet &s;pecially mindful of <HI>Maries unum nece&s;&s;a|rium,</HI> the care of his own &s;alvation.</P>
<P>And he did not take up his Religion with the times, that he might <HI>magis uti Deo quam frui,</HI> make gain godline&s;s; as the <HI>Samaritans</HI> who would be Jews when the Jews pro&s;pered, and enemies to them when they &s;uffered; but he was, as is &s;aid of <HI>Mna&s;on,</HI> Act. 21.16. <HI>an old Di&s;ciple,</HI> a <HI>Profe&s;&s;or</HI> of Religion in the <HI>wor&s;t times,</HI> when piety was nick-named preci&s;ene&s;s, and he that de|parted from evil made him&s;elf a prey, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 59.15. <HI>Temporibu&s;que malis au&s;us es e&s;&s;e bonus,</HI> did dare
<PB N="27" REF="16">to be good in bad times. <HI>Religion</HI> &s;ometimes is like <HI>oyl,</HI> gets highe&s;t, and the <HI>faeces</HI> and <HI>amurca</HI> are at the bottom, when the horn of the righteous is exalted, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75.10. Sometimes it is like <HI>gold in the Mine, lies deep</HI> and <HI>depre&s;&s;ed,</HI> like the &s;ap of a tree <HI>in winter,</HI> fain to &s;hrink under ground. There <HI>are many Summer Chri&s;tians,</HI> will be religious in the <HI>&s;un &s;hine;</HI> our dear Brother was a <HI>winter Chri&s;tian,</HI> kept his religion in the <HI>&s;torm:</HI> and as then he was, &s;o he continued <HI>a &s;teady Chri&s;tian,</HI> a <HI>&s;hip well bal|lanced</HI> with &s;ound <HI>knowledge,</HI> and rooted <HI>&s;incerity,</HI> and love of the truth; not carried about with every wind of doctrine. It is &s;aid of Chri&s;t he is <HI>ye&s;ter|day and to day the &s;ame, Heb.</HI> 13.8. Chri&s;tians &s;hould therein imitate him, and having tried all things, hold la&s;t the good, and with purpo&s;e of heart cleave to God.</P>
<P>God hath beautified &s;everal of his <HI>&s;ervants</HI> with &s;everal <HI>Graces;</HI> we read of <HI>Jobs</HI> patience, <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his meekne&s;s, <HI>Abrahams</HI> faith, <HI>Maries</HI> love, <HI>Da|vids</HI> devotion, <HI>Solomons</HI> wi&s;dom, <HI>Apollo</HI> his elo|quence; our dear Brother was <HI>eminent in many</HI> likewi&s;e, in meekne&s;s and mildne&s;s of &s;oul, he was a man <HI>of an amiable and calm temper,</HI> yet &s;weetly quickned with zeal for Gods glory. He was a great <HI>lover of an able Mini&s;ter,</HI> and of the <HI>Ordinances</HI> of Chri&s;t &s;o di&s;pen&s;ed; an eminent grace in the&s;e times, when <HI>poor Mini&s;ters</HI> and <HI>Ordinances</HI> (it is well they go together, they are good company) &s;uffer together from many whom we cannot wonder at for being &s;o much enemies to others, who are &s;o little friends to their own &s;ouls; he that under|values
<PB N="28" REF="17">his own life, may ea&s;ily de&s;pi&s;e another mans. But by the way, it were well if the <HI>de&s;pi&s;ers of Or|dinances</HI> would con&s;ider that <HI>little children</HI> who play the wantons with their meat, are likely not long after to know what difference there is be|tween a &s;marting rod, and a whol&s;om dinner. We may have Ordinances taken away from us too &s;oon, let not us take them away from our &s;elves.</P>
<P>We have viewed him in his <HI>private</HI> capacity as a <HI>Chri&s;tian;</HI> if we con&s;ider him in his <HI>publick</HI> as a Magi&s;trate, we &s;hall finde how great a lo&s;s the Town and Country had of him in this regard, as his friends and the Church of God in the other. <HI>Some men are like Vines,</HI> very good for fruit, but you cannot make a beam or a pin of them to hang any ve&s;&s;ells thereon, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 15.3. to &s;uch things Magi&s;trates are compared, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 22.23, 24. But our <HI>Brother</HI> was like the <HI>Wallnut tree,</HI> good both for <HI>fruit</HI> and for <HI>timber.</HI></P>
<P>His <HI>fitne&s;s</HI> for Magi&s;tracy appeared in this, that being not an aged man, he was <HI>twice called</HI> to the Majoralty of this Town, and once to &s;erve for the &s;ame more publickly. <HI>Tully</HI> derided <HI>Heraclid<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">s Temnites</HI> that he lived to old age, and never attained tho&s;e honors in his Country which others u&s;ually did arrive at; it could not be &s;aid &s;o of him, he was <HI>of &s;o dexterous a &s;pirit</HI> that one may &s;ay of him as <HI>Livy</HI> did of <HI>Cato, Natum adid unum diceres quod|cunque ageret.</HI></P>
<P>And this is the more <HI>con&s;iderable,</HI> in that he was not <HI>originally brought up</HI> to &s;ervices of a <HI>publick</HI> nature. It is noted for the honor of <HI>Alphenus Varus</HI>
<PB N="29" REF="17">that having been bred <HI>in a &s;hop</HI> at a private <HI>trade,</HI> he proved &s;o learned and eminent a Lawyer, that he wrote <HI>collectanea juris,</HI> &s;ome of which are en|tred into the pandect, and was afterwards <HI>Con&s;ul</HI> of the City. And we read in humane &s;tories of <HI>A|gathocles, Ju&s;tinus, Primi&s;laus, Pinctus,</HI> and o|thers, who by their wi&s;dom and abilities were rai&s;ed from Trades and Farms to great Govern|ments.</P>
<P>Our dear Brothers <HI>publick imployments</HI> were <HI>not</HI> the <HI>fruits of his own ambition,</HI> but of the <HI>free love</HI> of other men, who for his wi&s;dom, fidelity, and fitne&s;s called him thereunto. And truly, a ve|ry fit man he was for them; an able man, fearing God, loving truth, hating covetou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>Exod.</HI> 18.21. He had a <HI>publick &s;pirit</HI> very ready to en tertain and promote every thing which tended to the general good.</P>
<P>Some men are like the <HI>Prophets Vine, Ho&s;.</HI> 10.1. bring fruit onely to them&s;elves and are empty to all the world be&s;ides: But <HI>he was one</HI> who <HI>could deny</HI> him&s;elf, and his private intere&s;t, to &s;erve the publick, as <HI>natural bodies</HI> will for&s;ake their own proper motions to prevent a publick breach upon the univer&s;e. <HI>Pompey</HI> being di&s;&s;waded from an ex|pedition hazardous to him&s;elf, but u&s;eful to the publick, returned this an&s;wer to his friends, <HI>Ne|ce&s;&s;e e&s;t ut eam, non ut vivam;</HI> It is nece&s;&s;ary for me to go, it is not nece&s;&s;ary for me to live. And truly be&s;ides his <HI>Wi&s;dom, Zeal</HI> for God, <HI>Dexterity</HI> to &s;et forward good works, he <HI>had one excellent Character</HI> for Magi&s;tracy, he was a man of a <HI>milde</HI>
<PB N="30" REF="18">and <HI>meek &s;pirit.</HI> I call this an excellent temper for Magi&s;tracy. If it were not &s;o, <HI>the Lord</HI> would not have cho&s;en <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> the meeke&s;t man on earth, <HI>Numb.</HI> 12.3. nor <HI>David</HI> who was as a weaned childe, to be the Ruler of <HI>I&s;rael, P&s;al.</HI> 131.1, 2. <HI>Magi|&s;trates will meet with many things to provoke pa&s;&s;i|on;</HI> difficulties in bu&s;ine&s;s, multitudes of imploy|ment, cro&s; sand mutinous di&s;tempers in ill-di&s;po&s;ed people, prophanations and di&s;honors done to the name of God (which exceedingly &s;tirred <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> him&s;elf, <HI>Exod.</HI> 32.19.) therefore they had need have <HI>milde</HI> and <HI>compo&s;ed</HI> &s;pirits; patience is the effect of power, <HI>Numb.</HI> 14.17, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">8.</P>
<P>Thus he lived in his private capacity, a dear Husband, a tender Father, a faithful friend, a &s;in|cere Chri&s;tian: Thus he lived in his publick capa|city, a wi&s;e, zealous, &s;elf-denying, publick-hearted, meek-&s;pirited Magi&s;trate.</P>
<P>And now as he &s;aid, <HI>oportet imperatorem &s;tan|tem mori&mdash;</HI> And another, <HI>Epi&s;copum concionantem,</HI> that it was honourable for a Commander to die in his <HI>Arms,</HI> and a Bi&s;hop in his <HI>Pulpit:</HI> So the Lord ordered the death of our dear Brother with this circum&s;tance of honor in it, that he <HI>died a Magi|&s;trate</HI> in his Office; <HI>Aaron</HI> was &s;tripped of his Sa|cerdotal Ornaments on the mount, where he was called to die, <HI>Num.</HI> 20.25, 26. And this our Bro|ther did put off his <HI>Robe</HI> to put on his <HI>Shrowd;</HI> his Magi&s;tracy yeelded to his mortality.</P>
<P>His death was <HI>&s;udden in it &s;elf,</HI> &s;o was <HI>old Elies,</HI> a good man; but it is <HI>not &s;udden to a Beleever,</HI> who&s;e holy life fits him or it; for <HI>&s;anctity</HI> is a bet|ter
<PB N="31" REF="18">preparation unto death then <HI>&s;ickne&s;s.</HI> It is all one if a man come to heaven, whether it be by a <HI>Jour|ney</HI> or by a <HI>Rapture,</HI> as <HI>Paul</HI> was caught up thither, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12.3, 4.</P>
<P><HI>Well, he is with Chri&s;t,</HI> which is be&s;t of all, though we be without him; <HI>the care of his friends</HI> mu&s;t be by <HI>moderation of &s;orrow</HI> to te&s;tifie their a&s;&s;ured hope of his happine&s;s. And the <HI>care of the Town</HI> mu&s;t be to te&s;tifie <HI>their love</HI> unto him, with chu&s;ing a wi&s;e, holy, faithful, zealous man to &s;ucceed him, who may carry on tho&s;e good works, which he had the happine&s;s to begin, but not to fini&s;h by rea&s;on of a greater happine&s;s.</P>
<P>We leave him with our Apo&s;tles Motto upon him, <HI>To him to Live was Chri&s;t, and therefore to Dye was Gain.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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