The Saints Gain by Death

THis learned, pithy, and pertinent Sermon, claims of itself more then a bare Imprimatur, but the Author will not think much, if it be said, Materia superabat opus, such was the Learning, language, exemplary piety, and happy pains in promoting the Gospel of the worthily much honored Gentleman, whose Funerals it solemnized, together with his constant faithfulness and usefulness to his Country and Religion, in despite of all dangers, losses, sufferings, that he deserves a just Volume to transmit the beams of such a light to posterity, wherein I dare say the highest wit and love met in one, might sooner grow bankrupt, then prodigal.

THE SAINTS GAIN BY DEATH: And his assurance thereof, Manifested and applied.

T HE years of man are threescore and ten, (said David ) a great while compared to an hour; but considered with eternity, they seem scarce a minute. The swift revolution of all-eating time soon rowls up the thread of man's life: the day by hours, the month by days; the year by months, our age by years soon steps away. Our infancy is like yesterdayes evening, we have slept and forgot it; Our youth, the morning past, our manhood the mid-day present, old age comes anon. He who hath past these stages, knows best the truth of this. For time past is a certainty found to be nothing, time to come an uncertainty, seeming to be much, time present is a fleeter; the Sun goes, and the Sand runs, quickly do we bring our seventy to an end, as a tale that is told. But alas who can promise himself that number? not one of multitudes live thus long. How many ways do misery and death conspire to fetch us off in the several ages of our life? Poor mortals, we are incident to a dissolution every day. Hence some of the wiser Heathen defining our life called it, Mortis imago, an image of death, accessus & decessus, an entrance, and an exit. The Philosophers judgment was, optimum non nasci, proximum cito abolert; but we Christians are men of better hopes, and can make more comfortable description of our pilgrimage. We may call it the dawning of an eternal day, the Eave of a glorious Festival; a way wherein we walk to blessedness, and whether this be long or short, the matter is not great; if we wait long, the tediousness of expectance will be recompensed with increase of welcome: if we soon end the journey of this life, the less will be our share of misery: whether thus, or thus long or short, a good Christian should not care much: For we know if our earthly house of this tabernacle, &c.

These words stand in the book of God as an argument to confirm something which went before. S. Paul in the precedent Chapter, is in a holy contemplation, as it were balancing his present afflictions with his future hopes. Those he finds stinted, measured, bordered with timely freedom and deliverance; but of the latter there is no end, his hopes are things blessed, eternal, tending to his own spiritual advantage and the Churches Emolument. Whence he concludes that his affliction which was but light & for a moment did work an exceeding eternal weight of glory. And lest this affirmation might seem strange, the Apostle doth demonstrate how he collects it, not from the things which are seen, being temporal; from which no such weight of glory can spring, but from the things which are not seen, these are eternal, these make up the weight of the forementioned glory: to these S ^t . Paul hath an eye, of these invisibles he is ascertained, For we know, saith he, that if our earthly house, &c.

My Text thus placed in the book of God tenders to our view a double prospect, here is an house and a building to be seen. Now an house we know is nothing but an habitation for man to abide or dwell in; the thing therefore which is Metaphorically so called, is either these organized bodies which we bear about, or else it must be understood of that natural life or state of being which we have in this world; by three Items charactered out unto us in my Text. First, this house is described ab origin, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it is from the earth, so saith the same Author, the first man is of the Earth, Earthie. No better metal then the Potter useth to frame his pitchers of, to that the Apostle seems to allude, and intimates the brickle frailty of our present state. Secondly, we have the house described, a statu mutabili 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of a Tabernacle, a moveable kind of habitation, every night almost it finds a new place. Here we have no abiding City, we continue not at one stay, nec utì, nec ubì, statu nor gradu: We run the changes, pass from one condition to another, so mutable is our earthly house. Lastly, it is pointed out ab interitu, it is a house of a perishing dissolving frame, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this supposition is not so much to be understood de re periturâ, as de modo sive tempore resolvendi, it is past all paradventure, that this house of tabernacle will be dissolved, but the manner how, the time when, may be supposed: the Apostle then gives all men leave to imagine that the present troubles and afflictions which he then sustained, the great and imminent dangers wherein he was plunged, might happily burst the thread of his life, before his natural course were run, or by some violent dissolution. If thus or thus, it is but a hasty injurious pulling down of a house which would otherwise dissolve itself after a little more time, for it is but a perished house.

The latter prospect in our view is a building, not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , an habitation of a more rare stately frame, by this we must understand, the state of an holy soul departed, of a good Christian in another world. This building is one of those Mansions of which our Savior speaks of, John 14. And in the Text we have it described, First, from the builder and author, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of God. We attain to our earthly Tabernacle by an order established of God in nature; we have by means and second causes, all the things of this life: but the building which is above, is given immediately by God. Thou shalt bring me to glory, saith the Psalmist. It is our Fathers will to give the Kingdom himself: sure it will make our future state the more excellent, that we have it immediately from the blessed hand of God. Secondly, this building is set forth in the quality of it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not made with hands, it is not of a visible make, or frame, tools and instruments were not employed to compose it. The pure eternal will of God framed this mansion according to his own counsel, secret to us: A building removed far beyond the reach of man's capacity, which is, Thirdly, described in the Text, from the stability and perpetuity of it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 eternal, not for days, and for months, for times and for seasons, but forever is this building framed. Lastly, it sets out the dignity of place, this building is in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in heaven, that Empyreal Throne of the most High, where dwells blessedness for evermore. Thus we have seen the house and building in the several passages of my Text.

We may next consider whose these are, to whom they do belong: and remarkable it is, that the Apostle doth express no special interest in the former. He calls it a house of Tabernacle; the word this in English is more then is in the Original. The house of Tabernacle is a common habitation, where all the sons of Adam dwell alike: God's Elect can claim no more interest in this then others; well then may the Apostle pass this without an Item of propriety; whilst he claims the latter in a special manner, saying, We have a building: by which he literally and immediately, points out his own interest, and in his, intimates the right of all the Saints, like as in another place he saith, A crown is laid up for me, and not for me only, but for all that love his appearing. True and rightly believing Christians have this honor, that the building not made with hands is only theirs.

The third considerable circumstance in my Text is the order, & here we may note, the first is that which is natural, then that which is spiritual; the first is of the Earth, earthie, the second in Heaven, heavenly; By the frail house we pass to the firm habitation, when the former is dissolved, the latter takes place.

The last thing I shall propound is the note Certainty: in the first word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , We know: it was not a thing S. Paul much doubted, or had a mere conceit or conjecture of, but a thing of which he was fully persuaded. He knew of a certainty, that when his earthen Tabernacle was dissolved, he should be possessed of the Heavenly building: and what he speaks for himself, he intimates for the comfort of others, of all that are vessels of honor, heirs of grace, called by the Word and sanctified.

These the several passages considerable in the words I read, yield us three circumstances of holy doctrine.

• 1 From the description of our earthly Mansion, we may collect, that our estate in this life is frail, transitory, perishing.
• 2. From the excellency of the building, not made with hands, we gather that the state of a true Christian in the world to come, is blessed and eternal in the heavens.
• 3. By the note of certainty we may conclude, that every converted heart, and careful soul may and ought to be assured, that when his body shall be dissolved, his soul shall have an happy dwelling with God in heaven.

These sentences of holy doctrine are too plentiful subjects to be fully discoursed of in one Sermon: I will speak in a word of the two former, and but briefly of the last.

That our state and condition in this life is frail, transitory, perishing, who can deny? Let old Jacob come in, and he will affirm, that few and evil are the days and years of his life: and, My days are swifter then a weavers shuttle: Oh remember that my life is wind, said Job: And again, is not man born to trouble as sparks fly upward? The Scripture is wont to compare our present state with things most frail & perishing. Our life is as a flower, as smoke, a dew, a blast, a breath, a bubble, it is vanity, it is as nothing.

I fetch arguments to confirm this from what we are; and what are the best things we can have?

• 1. Consider we have frail bodies, no better then a lump of earth, an handful of worms; at best, liable to a thousand griefs, pains, aches, diseases, distempers.
• 2. Have we not frail spirits also, subject to many troubles, doubts, fears, terrors, perplexities and amazes?

What is the union of these, being our natural life, but a fading, perishing, dying kind of being, still spending itself, and burning out its own candle? They have judged right, who have wrote, that misery and man's life are convertible terms: And when the Limners do picture sorrow, they make it like a man. Thus from what we are we may see this truth.

And what good things doth this life afford? riches, honors, pleasures, and secular learning.

As for riches, what are these but a finer kind of earth, having an high price stamped on it? and if man could compass all the treasure under heaven, what a deal of discontenting gold would there be? too much to use, too little to content the greedy heart of man: Midas -like we would be glad to be rid of our first wish: Not all, but a part would man have, yet I trow it's the biggest part: Dives would have none so rich as he. Sed, quid juvat immensum, what good will a great heap do us? was ever man happy in abundance? great riches is but matter of trouble, dangerous to the possessor, an ill master, a treacherous servant: There is a dying nature in them, they have wings and will be gone, and yield but little content while they stay; for he that loveth silver is not satisfied with it, this is vanity and vexation of spirit.

What are honors in this life, but supposed excellencies, which have no true being, accompanied with cares and cumber, the object as well of envy as of esteem? If we could go to the ashes of dead Alexander, they'll tell us what he found in his great preferments: surely they would acquaint us, that those honors were not worth the labor, equitandì per Britannos & cursitandi per Germanos, pati pruinam. It was a subtle trick of Satan when he tempted Christ with the offer of worldly honors, that he shown only the Kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them; never pointing out the cares, troubles, discontents which abounded in those kingdoms, for then they would have been no provocation at all. The man in Plutarch said wisely, that he who considers the troubles of a Crown well, would not gather it up in the street. The happiness of great places is more in that they are thought so, then that they are so. You that are our Senators do now throughoutly know what poor happiness it is to be incessantly troubled with a world of other men's businesses, and have little time to think on yourselves and your own affairs; and lo, that is the good of high places. I may compare earthly honors to the plate at a Lottery, it is exposed to open view, makes a great show, and if a man do chance to light on a prize, it is no great matter, only it is drummed out, and trumpeted abroad, to tell the world; and this is the glory of it: Even so, if some of those many that venture hard for honors do speed, it is no such great matter, only the business is trumpeted out, told abroad, and the world hath some apprehension of it; but alas, the wisest of mortals found this also to be vanity; yea, a fleeting vanity, flying fastest from such as pursue it most: How oft hath one day found a man in high honors and low disgrace?

A third sort of the best things of this life are pleasures; now what froth? what chaff? what nothings are these? I may sever them into harmless recreations, or sinful delights; the former, being the best of pleasures, are a kind of fading vanities, which perish in the use of them; there is but a mere shadow of content in them, which we apprehend to be before us; but alas, we seldom overtake it. Cast back your thoughts on our youthful pastimes, how did we prize our gains and hopes of winning but an handful of Counters? no pleasures in the world I think can ever so much take us as those did; yet a few years with discretion do show us what poor contentments they were: Manhood deems as meanly of the frolicks of our youth, age and riper judgment well knows all pleasures to be a fleeting joy, which is gone as soon as had. As for sinful delights, Satan so tampers with our natures, as to make them seem great in expectation before they are attained; but when they come to be possessed they vanish: What sugared delights do beloved sins promise? but alas, they still shamefully deceive our expectation; the delight wings away, and the act leaves a guilt behind. How little is our life the better for our pleasures?

The last ornaments of our earthly tabernacles is human or secular learning; these I grant are of all the safest treasures, they can neither be plundered, nor be they burthensome to the bearer; but true it is, that no full content or perfection can be had in knowledge; frail man but weak of brain, hath his vessel too shallow to comprehend sufficiency: Our study doth but learn us of our want, put us on to a further search into letters, and render us still less satisfied. I gave my heart, said Solomon, to know wisdom, and I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit; for in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow, Eccles. 1.17, 18.

Lo thus, my brethren, we have taken a brief view of all the things which our earthly house of this tabernacle doth afford, and we have found as well by what we have, as what we are, that our state and condition here is frail, transitory, perishing: As evident likewise will it appear, that the building not made with hands, the state of a faithful soul after this life, is blessed and eternal.

Witness first the many titles of excellency which in God's book are given to it: The Apostle speaking of it, calls it the riches, glory, and inheritance of Saints in light; so he stiles it by way of eminency: Now riches doth there comprehend all things profitable, glory all things graceful and delighting; inheritance signifieth perpetuity, everlastingness. In other places it is called light, life, joy, blessedness; all in abstracts, to intimate the most transcendent perfections that can be. Yea, more, it is affirmed to be a kingdom, to be a Crown; to be a kingdom of glory, to be a crown of life, to be an eternal weight of glory, which passeth not away: The time would fail me to set forth the least part of that high praise, those sweet and admirable testimonies which the holy Scriptures give of it.

1. And in reason it may appear thus, if we consider who provided this building, and at what rates it was purchased. Know we then, that as it was not of man's framing, so was it not of his providing; this was such a building as eye had not seen, nor ear heard, nor could it enter into the heart of man, it was not in his power to turn his hand to making of any such provision; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, or give God a ransom; the redemption of the soul is precious, man must let that alone forever, Psal. 49.7, 8. nor could the Angels reach this work, they fell and cannot help themselves; nor can their own fellow Angels steed them in this behalf, it was an infinite work to provide these mansions; none therefore but the blessed Son of God, who is coequal with the Father, could prepare this building, nor could he obtain it at any lower rate then his own precious blood, shed in a most ignominious and cursed manner: and by this we may guess at the worth of this building.

2. Secondly, consider for whom it is provided: not for the world, Christ would not so much as pray for them; it was for his own, for those who were his Fathers children, the elect of God, holy and beloved, the sons and daughters of the King of glory. If men that are evil will provide fair buildings for their children, what buildings will our heavenly Father by his Son provide for his? Yet more, these Mansions were prepared for the best of Angels, those incomparable spirits which remained pure as they came out of the hands of God. Christ provided the place we speak of for their eternal habitation: which may sufficiently prove the building not made with hands, to be blessed and glorious.

Lastly, call we to mind the chief end for which it serves, namely, to manifest therein the highest degree of God's revealed glory, and to participate the most transcendent measure of happiness to the chiefest creatures; therefore this building, that state and condition must needs be blessed and eternal in the heavens.

If I had time to stay on this point, I could further illustrate the glory of our future condition in the particulars of it: As 1. the taking again of the soul into the blessed hands of God who gave it. 2. The beautifying of it with glorious endowments, polishing it for an heavenly eternal being. 3. The actual admittance of it into the Empyreall heaven that is above. 4. The conjoining or planting of it into the all-ravishing society of Saints and Angels. 5. The uniting of it to our glorified Savior as its head or husband. 6. The conferring on it fullness of joy and infinite rivers of pleasures. 7. The filling of it with the blessed vision and fruition of Jehovah's face in glory. Take a glimpse of these things in the sight of our minds, and I shall need stay no longer in the confirmation of the point.

Now the light of these holy truths reflected on ourselves, doth wonderfully accuse almost all men and women of folly and madness, for our so much love, seeking, joying, delighting and contenting ourselves in our earthly house of this tabernacle: how foolish and unwise are we to choose the worser, baser building, to be taken up wholly with the things before us, to place our heart and affections on things below, which are frail, transitory, perishing. We can blame Esau for preferring a mess of pottage before his birth-right; Ahab for selling his soul to get a vineyard; the fool for building bigger barns, and solacing his soul with goods laid up; but alas, we are many of us guilty of the same folly; we live taken up with a secure joy out of a vain apprehension of pleasure in our present state and the enjoyment of outward things; as if we had chosen them to be our chief portion, and this world to be our Heaven: Your consciences can tell you that you are even more guilty then I can speak; you do and will love most the house of tabernacle, and will not be persuaded to unglue your affection, and take off the eagerness of your pursuit after the things that perish. We have many warnings, especially in these times, from heaven, from earth, from God, from man, by the loss of goods, friends, houses, lands, fathers, children, husbands, all bespeaking us to abate our love to the world, and the things of this world; yet pity it is, few or none will enter into a due and dutiful consideration of the vanity of these worldly things, or once in good earnest endeavor to wean their hearts from these earthen Tabernacles.

As faulty likewise and blame worthy are we for our supine negligence, our extreme carelessness, our want of love to, & esteem of the building not made with hands, the state of a blessed soul after this life. Who hath such high uprising thoughts of our future condition as it deserves? few there be that take it into serious meditation at all; Most men seem to determine of their souls, (as the Jews said of Christ) Let God save them, if he will have them: We are bent to enjoy that which is present, and think little what shall become of our souls, when our flesh shall sink into the grave. As therefore our too much care of this earthly Tabernacle, so our too little regard of the heavenly building, is a just shame and reproach unto us: now to make every soul truly sensible and mindful of our great miscarriage in this business, I will give you a Parable of a woman, which travelling with child brought forth a Twin, and both children being presented to her, she falls deeply and fondly in love with the one, but is careless, disrespectfull of the other; this she will nurse herself, but that is put forth; her love grows up with the child she kept her self, she decks it fine, she feeds it choicely; but at last, by overmuch pampering of it the child surfeits, becomes mortally sick, and when it was dying, she remembers herself and sends to look after the other child that was forth at nurse, to the end she might now cherish it: but when the messenger came, she finds it dying and gasping likewise, and examining the truth, she understands that through the mothers carelessness and neglect to look after it the poor child was starved: thus was the fond partial mother, to her great sorrow and shame, deprived of both her hopeful babes. For reddition of this Parable, you may please to take notice that every Christian is this mother, the children are our body and our soul, our earthly and spiritual building; the former of these it is, that men and women fall deeply and fondly in love with, whilst indeed they are careless and neglect the other, this they dress and feed, nothing is too good or dear for it; but at the last, the body surfeits, comes by some means or other to its death-bed, when there is little or no hope of life, then men begin to remember the soul, and would think of some course to save it, the Minister he is sent for in all haste to look after it: but alas! he finds it in part dead, in part dying, and the very truth is, the owner through neglect and carelessness hath starved the Soul, and it is ready to go to Hell, before the body is ready for the Grave; and thus the foolish fond Christian, to his eternal sorrow and shame, loseth both his body and his soul: and may not this throughoutly check the extreme folly, and indiscretion which the world is guilty of?

I shall then close these two points with a word of admonition; since it is evident that the building, not made with hands, is so transcendently more excellent then the earthen Tabernacle, let it be the highest of our cares, and chiefest of our endeavors to lay up treasure in heaven. Labor not so much for the food that perisheth, as for that which endureth forever. Seek all ways, use all means to be clothed on with that house from above. And for motive or inducement to this, I will use only one, not of mine own framing, but a shaft, as it were, out of the Lord's Armorie. They are our Savior's own words. What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his own soul?

I come now to the last circumstance of Doctrine; every converted heart and careful soul may and ought to be assured, that when his body shall be dissolved, his soul shall have a dwelling with God in heaven. And first in testimony that there is a certainty, I allege, Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, who live not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Lo here an express affirmation of the thing, and a manifest description of the persons. In the 2. of Tim. 2.19. we have a like proof. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth who are his; see, my brethren, it is not only how many are elected, but who they are, who be the very individual and numerical persons. That regenerate men may and ought to gain assurance is likewise evident by such places as enjoin us strictly to examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith or not, 2 Cor. 13.5 to prove our selves and our own work, Gal. 5.4. to make our calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Were not the precepts of this kind strange, if we could not, if we ought not be assured? Add to this the many properties, qualities, signs, tokens set down in Scripture, to design and note out the Elect of God. Was not Job certain, that his Redeemer lived? yet we find not, that he had any revelation or extraordinary warrant: But why do I instance one, since all the Worthies in God's book did attain to a certainty of faith, and serve as a cloud of witnesses to prove my truth?

1. Which I may yet further confirm by divers arguments, the many clear promises which the Lord made to the faithful in his Book for their establishment. 2 Cor. 1.20, 21. Doth not every dutiful son assure himself of that portion which his good Father hath promised him? How much more may the heirs of glory be assured of that our heavenly Father so plentifully promised?

2 Our blessed Savior hath fully purchased our salvation, and completely justified all his: for God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself from the beginning; and may not we be assured of our inheritance since the price is paid?

3 Christ doth continually pray for us at the right hand of God, saying, Father keep them, for they are thine, and thine are mine; and sure it is, none shall take his sheep out of his hand.

4 The Lord hath vouchsafed us his Word and Sacraments as a specified and sealed Covenant to confirm it. Now when a man conveyeth anything unto us by a specified & Sealed Covenant, we expect it sure; how much more may we assure ourselves of the Covenant of God, since he hath given us his written Word and seal to confirm it?

5 Lastly, Christ hath prayed the Father, and he hath sent the Spirit into our hearts to seal every rightly believing soul unto the day of Redemption, to testify to our spirits that we are of God. Tel me now my brethren, are not all these things true? can any considering man therefore so much as think, that when God hath done so much, so many ways of our assurance, a careful soul may not, or ought not to be sure, that when his body shall be dissolved, his soul shall have an happy dwelling with God in the heavens?

[Use 1] 1 Away then, for application, with popish doctrine of uncertainty, teaching men to doubt perpetually, and even to the end to distrust our Election and salvation; It peremptorily affirming that men can have but a mere conjecture, which weighed doth scarce amount to a probable opinion. This false uncomfortable doctrine of the Pontificians, I might justly and sharply inveigh against, but supposing here are no favorers of Popery I pass it.

[Use 2] 2 The next inference is matter of complaint, of the supine carelessness and gross neglect of men's not seeking assurance of this building not made with hands, being a blessed estate in Heaven, when these days of sin be done. Past question a reasonable soul doth desire nothing more then to be sure of the thing it would have, and as sure it is, that every man pretends to desire Heaven, to have his soul saved when he departs hence: Yet alas, I grieve to see, nothing is so little cared for or sought after, as an assurance of Heaven. We would be sure of health, sure of means, sure of friends, sure of preferments, sure of honor, and credit in the world. To be so, we spend our time and strength, use all means, apply our wits, and are wanting in nothing which may probably secure us: but to be sure of Heaven, where is the man that acts to the uttermost? or doth seriously endeavor at all? Most men make this the least, or no part of their business, it comes not into their minds, seldom or never do they think upon it: Others vainly presume that God will sure save their souls: upon false or no grounds, they build, yet seem to be very confident. Thus many have presumed of Heaven, which are now in the depths of Hell. Others deem men can have no assurance, but must put it to the mercy of God, and hope well; so they do, and thus rest content. Alas poor souls! these are very Papists in this point, and are like with the rest of men I speak of, to go to the flames of hell unawares. How can it be that reasonable souls holding the Protestant Religion should so fool themselves? Ah! Damned Satan, it is thy doing, thus to delude poor souls, that out of slothfulness they might come to hell, rather then take pains to be assured of Heaven. Think seriosly my brethren, what folly it is for a Christian to live he knows not in what state, and when he dies, to go he knows not where; had it not been good for such a man he had never been born? mind this I pray you, and suffer this word of reproof to work upon you, that it may not be our case in the end.

What remains but that we be all stirred up and provoked by the power of God's Word to make sure of the building, not made with hands. Let not vain presumptions, blind hopes, and ignorant supposes beguile our souls. But since we evidently see, that men may and ought to be assured and know, if our earthly house be dissolved, we have a building of God in the Heavens; let us labor after assurance: and the better to satisfy and prevail with your souls and consciences, I will acquaint you that there are three kinds of assurance.

• 1 Such as God doth require of all men generally as duty.
• 2 Such as God doth accept of some in mercy.
• 3 Such as God doth vouchsafe to some in bounty.

The first is an assurance of evidence: the Lord doth require that all those to whom the word of salvation comes, should be so well acquainted with it, as to know the promises, understand aright the properties and characters of those to whom they belong, and be able to evidence to themselves, that those promses do belong to them by those properties and characters. That the Spirit by working on thir hearts, doth testify to their spirits that they are the Elect of God. To attain this kind of assurance, is the duty of every Christian.

The second is when a Christian, not so well versed in God's Book, is not able so exactly to apply the promises in special manner to himself, or evidence by any such particular properties and marks. Yet knowing in general the way of Salvation by Christ, applied by Faith and repentance to sinners, doth as it were throw himself as a believing and penitent sinner on God, and trusts to be saved by the righteousness of Christ; and out of this hope, he loves God and Christ, desires and endeavors to forsake all his sins. This I may call a certainty of affiance, which God doth accept of, from many poor ignorant souls in mercy.

The last is an assurance of obsignation, whereby God doth so firmly seal the faith of some, that they do so steadfastly, & undoubtedly believe that Christ died for them, as they had seen him die on the Cross, and he had told them that he did die in particular for them, or as if God from heaven had revealed it by miracle. And whereas it is sufficient if the two former assurances exceed doubtings, this doth really exclude doubtings. Now this high kind of certainty is usually given to men after long and fiery trials, when men have stood long, and in an eminent way for Christ, as did the Apostles, and Martyrs, or when men have been of great standing in piety, and of great integrity in ways of godliness. To such God may, and doubtless doth vouchsafe of his glorious bounty this high kind of assurance; but I conceive 'tis not required of all men as a duty. Thus briefly without obscurity, I have shown you the doctrine of Christian assurance: let me earnestly entreat and prevail with you, to desire and endeavor after this sweet grace; the excellency, the comfort, the commodities of it are more then sufficient motives, if I might illustrate them. How good is it at all times, in all conditions of our life, and especially at our death? I, you will say, we do desire assurance, but how shall we gain it? I answer, we may obtain it,

• 1. By a cheerful and ready answering the call of God in his Word; when he speaks we must hear, submit our wills, yield our spirits to the power of his ordinances. Such hearing is better then the fat of Rammes, and will by degrees work assurance in us.
• 2. By a new and holy conversation: the way to be sure that we have learned Christ, is as touching our former conversation, to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. If we walk as the profane how can we hope for assurance?
• 3. By expressing a true zeal and a religious care for the things of God. S. Paul acquaints us, that he which is of God, careth for the things of God. Wen a man's heart is listlesse and unsolicitous of holy things, he may vainly presume, but cannot warrantably assure himself to belong to the Election of grace.
• 4. By continual prayer and endeavor to improve in our spiritual condition; Add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge, &c. thus an entrance shall be ministered abundantly. By a labor to increase in soul goodness, there will come in such a perfection of love as will cast out slavish fears, and settle the heart more and more in a sweet and comfortable assurance. These are the directions which I give, and the Lord bless them to you all.

And now I have ended my Text, I might stray long to speak of that late grave and worthy Senator, whose Funeral we celebrate. My neighbouring abode and some acquaintance with him for divers years might furnish me with plentiful Encomiums of deserved praise; but it's not my guise to speak much in this kind; briefly then with good conscience I may testify him to be a man exemplary in all manner of conversation in his family, in his country, in public, in private affairs: Known he was to be a man of great learning, well skilled in the languages of it, and no stranger in its rational systems: His many virtues were crowned with his much zeal for Religion, his great love to zealous, able Ministers, and good people in the worst of times: witness, amongst other things, his Pen in their vindication against the gallie ink, which sprang from a bitter spirit, and a lying tongue. In a word, he was a true Mecenas, a real Patriot, much loving, and well-beloved of his Country, seeking not theirs, but them. The cause of piety and Professors was in our parts sufficiently known to have a friend on the Bench where he sat. And what was best of all, his goodness and virtue did age and increase with him: His righteousness was not like the morning dew; or, as those who glory to be Patriots for a while, but then like the stellae volantes, lose their blazing light, cause sterility, and go out in a stenchful nastinesse. Our learned and religious Brother did shine most bright in the evening of his days: His faithfulness and constancy, his zeal and affection, his pains and diligence in the great cause of God and his holy truth, this Church and Kingdom, deserveth all commendations, never ending but with his breath. This will justly number him among the Worthies of our English Nation, who have given up themselves wholly to seek the glory of God and the good of the Land. His memory with theirs shall be precious in after ages, maugre all malice: Or, if posterity should be so ungrateful as to forget, yet doubtless their glory will increase in a better world. Amongst whom I say, this our brother was not wanting to act his part, even to the end, and so hath brought his gray hairs with honor to the grave: And now his earthly house of this Tabernacle is dissolved, he hath a building of God, not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.