The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

1. For Cautions; that we misapprehend not that temper and disposition of Spirit, we are in this thing to endeavour and aim at. And ⟨p. 394⟩it especially concerns us to be cautious about the Inducements. Degree.

1. For Caution•s; that we misapprehend not that temper and disposition of Spirit, we are in this thing to endeavour and aim at. And ⟨p. 394⟩it especially concerns us to be cautious about the Inducements. Degree.

Of that desire of leaving this world, or contempt of this present life, which we either aspire to, or allow our selves in.

Of that desire of leaving this world, or concontempt of this present life, which we either aspire to, or allow our selves in.

First, Inducements. Some are desirous, others at least content, to quit the world upon very insufficient, or indeed, wicked considerations.

Many times the urgency and anguish of incumbent trouble impresses such a sense, and utters it self in such a language as that, ¹Now, O Lord, ²take, I beseech thee, my life from me. for it is better for me to die, then to live; Or that, My soul chooseth strangling and death rather then life: Makes men long for death, and dig for it, as for hid treasures; rejoice and be exceeding glad when they can find the grave.

Many times the urgency and anguish of incumbent trouble impresses such a sense, and utters it self in such a language as that, ¹Now, O Lord, ²take, I beseech thee, my life from me. for it is better for me to die, then to live; Or that, My soul chuseth strangling and death rather then life: Makes men long for death, and dig for it, as for hid treasures; rejoyce and be exceeding glad when they can find the grave.

1. 1John 4. 3.
2. 2Joh. 7. 15.

Yea, and the very fear of troubles that are but impendent, and threatening, make some wish the Grave a Sanctuary, and render the Clods of the Valley sweet unto their thoughts. They lay possibly so humoursome and fanciful stress, upon the mere circumstances of dying, that they are earnest to dye out of hand, ¹to avoid dying so, and so; as the Poet would fain persuade himself it was not Death he feared, but Shipwreck. It would not trouble them to dye, but ⟨p. 395⟩to dye by a violent hand, or to be made a public spectacle; they cannot endure the thoughts of dying so. Here is nothing commendable or worthy of a Christian in all this. It were a piece of Christian bravery to dare to live in such a case, even when there is a visible likelihood, of dying, a sacrifice in the midst of flames. How much this glory was affected in the earlier days of Christianity is sufficiently known. Though, I confess, there were excesses in that kind altogether unimitable. But if God call a man forth to be his Champion, and witness, to lay down a life, in it self little desirable, in a truly, worthy cause; The call of his Providence, should be as the sound of the Trumpet, to a truly Martial Spirit; it should fill his soul with a joyful courage, and sense of honour; and be complied with cheerfully, with that apprehension, and resentment, a stout Soldier would have of his Generals putting him upon some very hazardous piece of service, viz. ²he would say, My General hath not (as the Moralist expresses his sense for him) deserved ill of me, but it appears he judged well. It should be counted all joy to [fall into] such trials; that is, when they become our lot by a providential disposition;³ not by a rash precipitation of our selves. And as it is a wickedness inconsistent with Christianity, to be of that habitual temper, to choose to desert such a cause for the saving of life; so it is a weakness very reproachful to it; to lay down ones life in such a case, with regret as unwilling in this kind, to glorify him who laid down his for us. ⟨p. 396⟩we are no more to dye to our selves; then to live to our selves▪ Our Lord Jesus hath purchased to himself a Dominion over both states of the living and dead, ⁴and whether we live we must live to him, or dye we must dye to him. Tis the glory of a Christian to live so much above the world,⁵ that nothing in it may make him either fond of life, or weary of it.

Yea, and the very fear of troubles that are but impendent, and threatning, make some wish the Grave a Sanctuary, and render the Clods of the Valley sweet unto their thoughts. They lay possibly so humoursom and phansiful stress, upon the meer circumstances of dying, that they are earnest to dye out of hand, ¹to avoid dying so, and so; as the Poet would fain perswade himself it was not Death he feared, but Shipwrack. It would not trouble them to dye, but ⟨p. 395⟩to dye by a violent hand, or to be made a publick spectacle; they cannot endure the thoughts of dying so. Here is nothing commendable or worthy of a Christian in all this. It were a piece of Christian bravery to dare to live in such a case, even when there is a visible likelihood, of dying, a sacrifice in the midst of flames. How much this glory was affected in the earlier days of Christianity is sufficiently known. Though, I confess, there were excesses in that kind altogether unimitable. But if God call a man forth to be his Champion, and witness, to lay down a life, in it self little desirable, in a truly, worthy cause; The call of his Providence, should be as the sound of the Trumpet, to a truly Martial Spirit; it should fill his soul with a joyful courage, and sense of honour; and be comply'd with cheerfully, with that apprehension, and resentment, a stout Souldier would have of his Generals putting him upon some very hazardous piece of service, viz. ²he would say, My General hath not (as the Morallist expresses his sense for him) deserved ill of me, but it appears he judged well. It should be counted all joy to [fall into] such tryals; that is, when they become our lot by a providential disposition;³ not by a rash precipitation of our selves. And as it is a wickedness inconsistent with Christianity, to be of that habitual temper, to chuse to desert such a cause for the saving of life; so it is a weakness very reproachful to it; to lay down ones life in such a case, with regret as unwilling in this kind, to glorifie him who laid down his for us. ⟨p. 396⟩we are no more to dye to our selves; then to live to our selves▪ Our Lord Jesus hath purchased to himself a Dominion over both states of the living and dead, ⁴and whether we live we must live to him, or dye we must dye to him. Tis the glory of a Christian to live so much above the world,⁵ that nothing in it may make him either fond of life, or weary of it.

1. 1De••ite […]De••ite 〈…〉
2. 2Imperator de me non mali meruit sed benè judic•rit, S•nec.
3. 3Jam. 1. 2.
4. 4Rom. 15. 7, 8.
5. 59.

2. There are others who are (at least) indifferent, and careless how soon they dye, out of either a worse than paganish infidelity, disbelieving the concernments of another world, or a brutish stupidity not apprehending them, or a gross conceited ignorance, misunderstanding the terms of the Gospel, and thinking themselves to be in a good condition, as to eternity when the case is much otherwise with them.

2. There are others who are (at least) indifferent, and careless how soon they dye, out of either a worse than paganish infidelity, disbelieving the concernments of another world, or a bruitish stupidity not apprehending them, or a gross conceited ignorance, misunderdanding the terms of the Gospel, and thinking themselves to be in a good condition, as to eternity when the case is much otherwise with them.

Take heed thy willingness to dye be from no such inducements; but a mere desire of being with God, and of attaining his perfection and blessedness, which he hath engaged thee in the pursuit and expectation of. And then, having made sure it be right as to the rise and principle. Be careful, It be not under in point of degree. i. e. a cold intermittent velleity is too little on the one hand. And a peremptory precipitant hasting is too much on the other. The middle and desirable temper here is a complacential submission to the Divine will in that affair, with a preponderating inclination on our part, towards our eternal home, if the Lord see good. For we have two things to attend in this business, and by which our Spirits may be ⟨p. 397⟩swayed this way or that. i. e. the goodness of the object to be chosen, and the will of God which must guide and over-rule our choice; the former whereof we are permitted to eye in subordination to the Latter, and not otherwise.

Take heed thy willingness to dye be from no such inducements; but a meer desire of being with God, and of attaining his perfection and blessedness, which he hath ingaged thee in the pursuit and expectation of. And then, having made sure it be right as to the rise and principle. Be careful, It be not under in point of degree. i. e. a cold intermittent velleity is too little on the one hand. And a peremptory precipitant hasting is too much on the other. The middle and desirable temper here is a complacential submission to the Divine will in that affair, with a preponderating inclination on our part, towards our eternal home, if the Lord see good. For we have two things to attend in this business, and by which our Spirits may be ⟨p. 397⟩sway'd this way or that. i. e. the goodnss of the object to be chosen, and the will of God which must guide and over-rule our choice; the former whereof we are permitted to eye in subordination to the Latter, and not otherwise.

Now our apprehension of the desirableness and intrinsic goodness of the object ought to be such (we are Infidels else, if we have not that account of it) that nothing we can eye under the notion of a good to us, may be reckoned so eligible as that. viz. our final and complete blessedness in the other world, which because, we know, we cannot enjoy without dying, death also must be judged more eligible then Life, that is, Our Blessedness must be judged, eligible for it self, and Death as requisite to make it present. So that the entire object we are discoursing of, being present Blessedness, Consider it in comparison with any thing else, that can be looked upon by us, as a good which we our selves are to enjoy, it ought to be preferred and chosen out of hand, in as much as nothing can be so great a present good to us, as that. And this ought to be the proper habitual inclination of our Spirits, their constant frame and bent, as they respect only our own interest and welfare.

Now our apprehension of the desirableness and intrinsique goodness of the object ought to be such (we are Infidels else, if we have not that account of it) that nothing we can eye under the notion of a good to us, may be reckon'd so eligible as that. viz. our final and compleat blessedness in the other world, which because, we know, we cannot enjoy without dying, death also must be judged more eligible then Life, that is, Our Blessedness must be judged, eligible for it self, and Death as requisite to make it present. So that the entire object we are discoursing of, being present Blessedness, Consider it in comparison with any thing else, that can be lookt upon by us, as a good which we our selves are to enj•y, it ought to be preferr'd and chosen out of hand, in as much as nothing can be so great a present good to us, as that. And this ought to be the proper habitual inclination of our Spirits, their constant frame and bent, as they respect onely our own interest and welfare.

But considering Gods Dominion over us, and interest in our Lives and Beings; and that as well ingenuity, as necessity binds us to be Subject to his pleasure, we should herein patiently suffer our selves to be over-ruled thereby, and not so abstractly mind our own interest ⟨p. 398⟩and contentment in this matter; as if we were altogether our own; and had no Lord over us. Plato who abounds in discourses of the desirableness of dying, and of the blessed change it makes with them that are good. Yet hath this apt expression of the subjection we ••ght to be into the Divine pleasure as to this matter. That the soul is in the body as soldiers in a garrison,¹ from whence they may not withdraw themselves without his order and direction who placed them there? And expostulates thus. If (saith he) a slave of yours should destroy his own Life, without your consent would you not be displeased; and, if there had been any place left for revenge been apt enough to that too? So he brings in Socrates discoursing, and discovers himself, herein to have had more Light in this matter touching that subordinate interest only, men have in their own lives, and the unlawfulness of self murder (as he had in other things too) then most heathens of the more refined Sect ever arrived to.

But considering Gods Dominion over us, and interest in our Lives and Beings; and that as well ingenuity, as necessity binds us to be Subject to his pleasure, we should herein patiently suffer our selves to be over-ruled thereby, and not so abstractly mind our own interest ⟨p. 398⟩and contentment in this matter; as if we were altogether our own; and had no Lord over us. Plato who abounds in discourses of the desirableness of dying, and of the blessed change it makes with them that are good. Yet hath this apt expression of the subjection we ••ght to be into the Divine pleasure as to this matter. That the soul is in the body as souldiers in a garrison,¹ from whence they may not withdraw themselves without his order and direction who placed them there? And expostulates thus. If (saith he) a slave of yours should destroy his own Life, without your consent would you not be displeas'd; and, if there had been any place left for revenge been apt enough to that too? So he brings in Socrates discoursing, and discovers himself, herein to have had more Light in this matter touching that subordinate interest only, men have in their own lives, and the unlawfulness of self murther (as he had in other things too) then most heathens of the more refined Sect ever arrived to.

1. 1In Phaedone. Vid. & N•lin. [Greek or Hebrew]. Aenead. 1.In Phaedone. Vid. & N•lin. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Aenead. 1.

If therefore God would give us leave to dye, we should, upon our own account, be much more inclined to choose it; but, while he thinks fit to have it deferred, should yield to his will, with an unrepining submission. Only it ought not to rest at all, on our part, or that, as to our selves we find any thing more grateful to us in this world, that we are willing to stay a day longer in it. That for our own sakes, we should affect a continuance here; would argue a terrene sordid Spirit. But then such should be ⟨p. 399⟩our dutiful filial Love to the Father of our Spirits, that in pure devotedness to his interests; we would be content to dwell (if he would have it so) a Methuselahs age in an earthly tabernacle for his service; that is, that we may help to preserve his memorial in a elapsed world (over-run with Atheism, and ignorance of its Maker) and win him hearts and love (to our uttermost) among his apostate disloyal creatures; and in our capacities be helpful to the encouragement of such as he continues in the world, for the same purposes. This is the very temper the Apostle expresses, when in that strait,^* which way the poise of his own Spirit inclined him, in the consideration of his own interest; and what was simply more eligible to him. He expresses with High Emphasis; to be with Christ, saith, he is more desirable to me (for there are two comparatives in the Greek Text) and therefore he professes his own desire in order thereto, to be dissolved; but that private desire was not so peremptory, and absolute, but he could make it yield, and give place to his duty towards God, and his Church, as it follows. So we know 'tis possible that, respects to a friend may oversway a mans own particular inclination; and the inclination remain notwithstanding; but is subdued only; otherwise had any reason or argument, that did respect my self persuaded me to change it; I should then follow but my own proper inclination still; and so my friend hath nothing to thank me for.

If therefore God would give us leave to dye, we should, upon our own account, be much more enclin'd to chuse it; but, while he thinks fit to have it defer'd, should yeild to his will, with an unrepining submission. Onely it ought not to rest at all, on our part, or that, as to our selves we find any thing more grateful to us in this world, that we are willing to stay a day longer in it. That for our own sakes, we should affect a continuance here; would argue a terrene sordid Spirit. But then such should be ⟨p. 399⟩our dutiful filial Love to the Father of our Spirits, that in pure devotedness to his interests; we would be content to dwel (if he would have it so) a Methuselahs age in an earthly tabernacle for his service; that is, that we may help to preserve his memorial in a elapsed world (over-run with Atheisme, and ignorance of its Maker) and win him hearts and love (to our uttermost) among his apostate disloyal creatures; and in our capacities be helpful to the encouragement of such as he continues in the world, for the same purposes. This is the very temper the Apostle expresses, when in that strait,^* which way the poise of his own Spirit enclin'd him, in the consideration of his own interest; and what was simply more eligible to him. He expresses with High Emphasis; to be with Christ, saith, he is more desirable to me (for there are two comparatives in the Greek Text) and therefore he professes his own desire in order thereto, to be dissolved; but that private desire was not so peremptory, and absolute, but he could make it yeild, and give place to his duty towards God, and his Church, as it follows. So we know 'tis possible that, respects to a friend may oversway a mans own particular inclination; and the inclination remain notwithstanding; but is subdued onely; otherwise had any reason or argument, that did respect my self perswaded me to change it; I should then follow but my own proper inclination still; and so my friend hath nothing to thank me for.

1. *Phil. 1.

So it ought to be with us here; our inclination should preponderate towards a present change of our state, only our devotedness to his interest and pleasure, whose we are, should easily over-rule it. This is the Lovely temper of a gracious Spirit, as to this thing, that to dye might be our choice, and to live, in the mean time, submitted to as our duty.

So it ought to be with us here; our inclination should preponderate towards a present change of our state, onely our devotedness to his interest and pleasure, whose we are, should easily over-rule it. This is the Lovely temper of a gracious Spirit, as to this thing, that to dye might be our choice, and to live, in the mean time, submitted to as our duty.

As an ingenuous son whom his father hath employed abroad in a foreign Country, though duty did bind him cheerfully therein, to comply with his fathers will and the necessity of his affairs, yet, when his Father shall signify to him, that now he understands no necessity of his longer continuance there, and therefore he may, if he please, return but he shall have leave to follow his own inclination, Tis not hard to conjecture that the desire of seeing a Fathers face, would soon determine the choice of such a son that way.

As an ingenuous son whom his father hath employ'd abroad in a forrain Country, though duty did bind him cheerfully therein, to comply with his fathers will and the necessity of his affairs, yet, when his Father shall signifie to him, that now he understands no necessity of his longer continuance there, and therefore he may, if he please, return but he shall have leave to follow his own inclination, Tis not hard to conjecture that the desire of seeing a Fathers face, would soon determine the choice of such a son that way.

But how remote are the generality of them that profess themselves God's Children from that pious ingenuity. We have taken root in the earth and forgotten our heavenly originals and alliances. We are as inhabitants here, not pilgrims; hardly persuaded to entertain with any patience the thoughts of leaving our places on earth; which yet, do we what we can, shall shortly know us no more.

But how remote are the generality of them that profess themselves God's Children from that pious ingenuity. We have taken root in the earth and forgotten our heavenly originals and alliances. We are as inhabitants here, not pilgrims; hardly perswaded to entertain with any patience the thoughts of leaving our places on earth; which yet, do we what we can, shall shortly know us no more.

In short then; that vile temper of Spirit against which I professedly bend my self in the following discourse is; when men, not out of any sense of duty towards God, or solicitude for their own Souls, but of a mere sordid ⟨p. 401⟩love to the body, and affixedness of heart to the Earth, and terrene things, cannot endure the thoughts of dying. And that, which I persuade to, is, That having the true prospect of the future blessedness before our eyes, and our hearts possest with the comfortable hope of attaining to it, we shake off our earthly inclinations; and expect with desire and joy the time of our dismission hence, that we may enjoy it, which is the design of what was promised in the next place. Viz.

In short then; that vile temper of Spirit against which I professedly bend my self in the following discourse is; when men, not out of any sense of duty towards God, or sollicitude for their own Souls, but of a meer sordid ⟨p. 401⟩love to the body, and affixedness of heart to the Earth, and terrene things, cannot endure the thoughts of dying. And that, which I perswade to, is, That having the true prospect of the future blessedness before our eyes, and our hearts possest with the comfortable hope of attaining to it, we shake off our earthly inclinations; and expect with desire and joy the time of our dismission hence, that we may enjoy it, which is the design of what was promised in the next place. Viz.

2. The enforcement of this instruction; Suffer we therefore our selves to be reasoned with about this matter. And let us consider whether we can in good earnest think such an aversation, as we discover, to our blessed translation hence, an excusable, a tolerable temper; or whether it be not highly reasonable, that we should entertain the thoughts, at least, with more content, and patience (if not with more fervent desire) of our departure hence, and introduction into that other state.

2. The inforcement of this instruction; Suffer we therefore our selves to be reason'd with about this matter. And let us consider whether we can in good earnest think such an aversation, as we discover, to our blessed translation hence, an excusable, a tolerable temper; or whether it be not highly reasonable, that we should entertain the thoughts, at least, with more content, and patience (if not with more fervent desire) of our departure hence, and introduction into that other state.