The holy longing

¹Object. But against this it may be objected, some of the Saints have prayed against death; Hezekiah when the message of death was brought, prayed against it, and wept sore, Isa. 38. 2, 3. so that Hezekiah had not a desire to depart.

¹Object. But against this it may be objected, some of the Saints have prayed against death; Hezekiah when the message of death was brought, pray'd against it, and wept sore, Isa. 38. 2, 3. so that Hezekiah had not a desire to depart.

1. 1Object.

¹Answ. 1. Hezekiah did not pray simply against death, but in a limited sense, at that time; there might be several reasons assigned why at that time death was not welcome to him.

1. 1Answ. 1.

As, 1. Hezekiah desired to live awhile longer, that he might do more work for God, ver. 38. The dead cannot praise thee; intimating, that if he had been then taken off by death, he was capable of doing God no more service; he was loth to be cut down, till he had borne more fruit. Besides, had he then died in the infancy of Reformation, the adversaries of God would have insulted, and made songs of triumph at his Funeral.

And whereas it may be said that many of Gods children are unwilling to dye. I answer, a Christian is a compounded creature, flesh and spirit, and from this composition there may be a conflict between the fear of death and the desire of death, but at last the spiritual part prevails; and as faith grows stronger, ⟨p. 30⟩fears grow weaker; thus it was with Paul, having a desire to depart

So much for the first branch of the doctrine, that it is the desire of a true Saint to be gone from hence; [having a desire to depart.]

2. I proceed now to the second branch of the doctrine, that it is a Saints desire to be with Christ. Saint Paul longed to lie on that soft pillow where John the beloved Disciple did, viz. the bosom of Jesus^*; There had been little comfort in departing, if the Apostle had not put in this word, to be with Christ. Death will make a glorious change to a believer; 'tis but crossing the mare mortuum, the dead Sea, and he shall be with Christ. Death to a child of God is like the Whirl-wind to the Prophet Elijah, it blew off his mantle, but carried the Prophet up to heaven. So death is a boisterous wind ⟨p. 31⟩which blows off the mantle fo the flesh, (for the body is but the mantle the soul is wrapped in) but it carries the soul up to Christ; the day of a believers dissolution, is the day of his coronation. Though death be a bitter cup, here is sugar at the bottom, it translates the soul of a believer to Christ; though the flesh calls death the last enemy, ^*yet faith calls it the best friend, it brings a man to Christ, which is far better.

2. I proceed now to the second branch of the doctrine, that it is a Saints desire to be with Christ. Saint Paul long'd to lie on that soft pillow where John the beloved Disciple did, viz. the bosome of Jesus^*; There had been little comfort in departing, if the Apostle had not put in this word, to be with Christ. Death will make a glorious change to a believer; 'tis but crossing the mare mortuum, the dead Sea, and he shall be with Christ. Death to a childe of God is like the Whirl-wind to the Prophet Eliah, it blew off his mantle, but carried the Prophet up to heaven. So death is a boisterous wind ⟨p. 31⟩which blowes off the mantle fo the flesh, (for the body is but the mantle the soul is wrapped in) but it carries the soul up to Christ; the day of a believers dissolution, is the day of his coronation. Though death be a bitter cup, here is sugar at the bottome, it translates the soul of a believer to Christ; though the flesh calls death the last enemy, ^*yet faith calls it the best friend, it brings a man to Christ, which is far better.

1. *Joh. 21. 20.
2. *1 Cor. 15.

This word [Greek or Hebrew], to be with Christ, implies three things, Intuition. Fruition. Duration.

This word 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, to be with Christ, implies three things, Intuition. Fruition. Duration.

1. To be with Christ, implies, Intuition, 1 Joh. 3. 2. We shall see him as he is; here we see him as he is not; he is not mutable, he is ⟨p. 32⟩not mortal; in heaven we shall see him as he is. When Socrates was to die, he comforted himself with this, that he should go to the place where he should see Homer and Musaeus, and other Worthies who lived in the Age before him. A believer may comfort himself with this, that he shall see Christ; here we see him but through a glass darkly; but what will it be, when he shall be bespangled in all his Embroidery, and shall show forth himself in his full glory to his Saints!^* He in Lucian said to his friend, I will show thee all the glory of Greece, when thou hast seen Solon, thou hast seen all: So he that sees Jesus Christ, sees all the glory of Paradise, Christ being the mirror of beauty, the quintessence of happiness.

1. To be with Christ, implies, Intuition, 1 Joh. 3. 2. We shall see him as he is; here we see him as he is not; he is not mutable, he is ⟨p. 32⟩not mortal; in heaven we shall see him as he is. When Socrates was to die, he comforted himself with this, that he should go to the place where he should see Homer and Musaeus, and other Worthies who lived in the Age before him. A believer may comfort himself with this, that he shall see Christ; here we see him but through a glass darkly; but what will it be, when he shall be bespangled in all his Embroidery, and shall shew forth himself in his full glory to his Saints!^* He in Lucian said to his friend, I will shew thee all the glory of Greece, when thou hast seen Solon, thou hast seen all: So he that sees Jesus Christ, sees all the glory of Paradise, Christ being the mirrour of beauty, the quintessence of happinesse.

1. *In calesti vitâ sine aliquo taedio manens aternitas, inspectio sola divinitatis efficit ut beatius nihil esse possit Cassidor. Ep. l. 5.

Some ask the question how and in what manner we shall see Christ, ⟨p. 33⟩whether we shall see his God-head with bodily eyes? it is not good to be wise above what is written; thus far I think may with modesty be asserted, that we shall with our bodily eyes, behold Christs humane nature! His glory as a Mediator shall be visible to the Saints, and shall be beheld by glorified eyes; in this sense that Scripture is to be understood, Job 19. 25. with these eyes shall I see God; great and amazing will that glory be which shall sparkle from the humane nature of Christ; if his transfiguration was so glorious, ^*what will his inauguration be. Austin wished that he might have seen three things before he died; Paul in the Pulpit, Rome in its glory, and Christ in the flesh; but what were that to this sight of Christ in heaven? we shall behold not a crucified body, but a glorified body.

Some ask the question how and in what manner we shall see Christ, ⟨p. 33⟩whether we shall see his God-head with bodily eyes? it is not good to be wise above what is written; thus far I think may with modesty be asserted, that we shall with our bodily eyes, behold Christs humane nature! His glory as a Mediatour shall be visible to the Saints, and shall be beheld by glorified eyes; in this sense that Scripture is to be understood, Job 19. 25. with these eyes shall I see God; great and amazing will that glory be which shall sparkle from the humane nature of Christ; if his transfiguration was so glorious, ^*what will his inauguration be. Austin wished that he might have seen three things before he died; Paul in the Pulpit, Rome in its glory, and Christ in the flesh; but what were that to this sight of Christ in heaven? we shall behold not a crucifyed body, but a glorifyed body.

1. *Mat. 17. 2.

2. To be with Christ, implies ⟨p. 34⟩Fruition; we shall not only see him, but enjoy him: therefore in Scripture the Saints are said not only to behold him, but to be glorified with him, Rom. 8. 17. and glory is said not only to be revealed to us, but in us, Rom. 8. 18. And enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Mat. 25. 21. not only see it, but enter into it. A man may see a fair Arbour drawn upon the Wall, but he cannot enter into it; this glory of heaven may be entered into; as the sponge sucks in the wine, so there shall be a libation and sucking in of glory; from this fruition of Christ, a torrent of divine joy will flow into the soul.

2. To be with Christ, implies ⟨p. 34⟩Fruition; we shall not only see him, but enjoy him: therefore in Scripture the Saints are said not only to behold him, but to be glorified with him, Rom. 8. 17. and glory is said not only to be revealed to us, but in us, Rom. 8. 18. And enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Mat. 25. 21. not only see it, but enter into it. A man may see a fair Arbour drawn upon the Wall, but he cannot enter into it; this glory of heaven may be entred into; as the spunge sucks in the wine, so there shall be a libation and sucking in of glory; from this fruition of Christ, a torrent of divine joy will flow into the soul.

3. To be with Christ, implies Duration, 1 Thes. 4. 17. So shall we ever be with the Lord; the [Greek or Hebrew], the fashion of the world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7. 31. Earthly comforts though they may be sweet, they are swift; Plutarch reports of Alexander ⟨p. 35⟩that he caused to be painted on a Table a Sword within a Wheel: implying, that what he had gotten by his Sword was subject to be turned about with the Wheel of providence; if we had the longest Lease of these things, it would soon be run out; but this privilege of being with Christ, runs parallel with eternity: so shall we be ever with the Lord.

3. To be with Christ, implies Duration, 1 Thes. 4. 17. So shall we ever be with the Lord; the 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the fashion of the world passeth away, 1 Cor. 7. 31. Earthly comforts though they may be sweet, they are swift; Plutarch reports of Alexander ⟨p. 35⟩that he caused to be painted on a Table a Sword within a Wheele: implying, that what he had gotten by his Sword was subject to be turned about with the Wheele of providence; if we had the longest Lease of these things, it would soon be run out; but this priviledg of being with Christ, runs parallel with eternity: so shall we be ever with the Lord.

¹Use 1. See from hence the difference between a believers departing and a wicked mans departing; to a believer it is an happy departing, to a wicked man, it is a sad departing, there's nothing but departing; he departs out of this life, and he departs from Christ, depart from me ye cursed; he departs from beams of glory, into flames of fire; he departs from the society of Angels, into the fellowship of Devils, Mat. 25. 41. He hath never done departing; 'tis mors sine morte, ⟨p. 36⟩the wicked shall be ever consuming, yet never consumed; they may tremble to think of departing, well may the mourners go about the street when a wicked man dies; hell may rightly be called bochim the place of weepers.^*

¹Use 1. See from hence the difference between a believers departing and a wicked mans departing; to a believer it is an happy departing, to a wicked man, it is a sad departing, there's nothing but departing; he departs out of this life, and he departs from Christ, depart from me ye cursed; he departs from beams of glory, into flames of fire; he departs from the society of Angels, into the fellowship of Divels, Mat. 25. 41. He hath never done departing; 'tis mors sine morte, ⟨p. 36⟩the wicked shall be ever consuming, yet never consumed; they may tremble to think of departing, well may the mourners go about the street when a wicked man dies; hell may rightly be called bochim the place of weepers.^*

1. 1Use 1. Inform. Branch 1.
2. *Mat 8. 12.

¹See how little cause a child of God hath to fear death, when it carries him to Christ. This is a death-bed cordial; we are naturally possessed with a strange kind of palpitation and trembling at the thoughts of death, as if we were in a shaking palsy^*, whereas there is nothing more really advantageous to a Christian; death is a bridge that leads to the Paradise of God; all the hurt that death doth to a believer, is to carry him to Christ, and is not that far better? death pulls off the rags of the body, and puts Christs Robes upon the soul. The serious consideration of this would make a believer above the desire of life, and the fear of death.

¹See how little cause a child of God hath to fear death, when it carries him to Christ. This is a death-bed cordial; we are naturally possessed with a strange kind of palpitation and trembling at the thoughts of death, as if we were in a shaking palsie^*, whereas there is nothing more really advantagious to a Christian; death is a bridge that leads to the Paradise of God; all the hurt that death doth to a believer, is to carry him to Christ, and is not that farre better? death pulls off the rags of the body, and puts Christs Robes upon the soul. The serious consideration of this would make a believer above the desire of life, and the fear of death.

1. 12. Branch
2. *[Greek or Hebrew]. Chrys.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Chrys.

¹Object. But may a child of God say, I could rejoice at the gain of death, but I fear the pain of death. I desire the Haven, but I tremble at the voyage.

¹Object. But may a childe of God say, I could rejoyce at the gain of death, but I fear the pain of death. I desire the Haven, but I tremble at the voyage.

1. 1Object.

¹Answ. 1. In other cases we do not refuse pain; there is pain in the setting of a bone, in the lancing of a sore, yet we endure the pain contentedly, because it is in ordine ad sanitatem, in order to a cure. Death is an healing thing, it will cure a Christian of all his wounds; by making one issue, it cures all the rest.

¹Answ. 1. In other cases we do not refuse pain; there is pain in the setting of a bone, in the launcing of a sore, yet we endure the pain contentedly, because it is in ordine ad sanitatem, in order to a cure. Death is an healing thing, it will cure a Christian of all his wounds; by making one issue, it cures all the rest.

1. 1Answ. 1.