The high esteem which God hath of the death of his saints as it was delivered in a sermon preached October 7, 1683, occasioned by the death of the worshipful John Hull, Esq. who deceased October 1, 1683 / by Samuel Willard.

PSAL. 116. 15.

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints.

THis psalm is wholly Eucharistical; the Psalmists scope being to profess his endeared love to God, and to excite himself to a grateful acknowledgement of all those Engagements which were lying upon him to express this Love of his in true Thankfulness for all those Kindnesses which he had made him the Subject of: Hence there are two things which he here endeavours.

1. A summary recital of the grounds and reasons of this Profession, or, what it was that God had so deeply obliged him by, Expressed, Enlarged, Aggravated to ver. 12.

2. An earnest Endeavour to Affect and Engage his heart unto suitable gratitude, from hence to the end of the Psalm; wherein he studies and promiseth to let it be seen that he was not stupidly regardless of, but sutably affected with these won∣drous benefits of God towards him: where, while he is bind∣ing of himself to the payment and performance of sacred and solemn expressions of Thanksgiving, and particular Testimo∣nies of a thankful heart, he draws the knot close, and makes it more indissoluble, by reviving the Arguments or Obligati∣ons lying upon him, or by chewing upon the consideration of the endeared Love of God discovering it self, both to his Peo∣ple in general, ver. 15. and to himself in particular, ver. 16.

So that the Words of the Text are a lofty Expression of the deep Interest which the Saints have in Gods affection, or the high esteem which he conceives of them, who dearly loves them, and that not only whiles living, but when dying too.

In the Words there are two parts,

1. The Subject about which the Assertion is; The Death of Gods Saints: such a Subject is presumed, for the Scripture doth not pronounce or express the condition of non-entities: And hence we gather these three Conclusions.

1. God hath his Saints in the World; as evil and degenerate as the World is grown, yet there are some Holy Men in it. It is true there is none so holy here as to live without sin; but there are some that are so pure, as to be undefiled in God's eye and esteem, Numb. 23. 21. God hath seen no iniquity in Jacob. Psal. 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled: The Word used in our Text, for Saints signifies properly one that is precious, kind, bountiful and merciful. The Substantive is most commonly used for Mercy, or pity; and this Word in our Text is Trans∣lated Merciful, Isai. 57. 1. and so divers read it here, his merci∣ful ones: others read it, his beneficent ones, much to the same purpose: But the Septuagint for the most part translate the Word by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which signifies a Saint or an Holy one, and so they do in this place, Hence, as some observe, the Posterity of Jonadab, the Son of Rechab, were, by reason of their strict∣ness or severity of Life, called Hassidim, which is the Word used in the Text.

2. God's Saints must dye. It were superfluous to decipher their happiness in Death, if they were not appointed to be the Subjects of it: the most strict, holy and Exemplary Life of the People of God is no Bail against a bodily death, although Gods Love be such to them, that he will take effectual care a∣bout their dying well; yet it is his holy pleasure that they shall tast of that Cup and meet with that common Lot of the chil∣dren of Men; Psal. 89. 48. What Man is he that liveth, and shall not see Death? shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of the

Grave? and hence we learn, that Death is not in it self a thing so formidable as Men think it to be, but only the manner of dying; it is no hurt to die if we die Saints.

3. The Saints have a priviledge above other Men in their Death: what this priviledge is will follow; that there is such a thing, the limitation of the general Subject, Death, to this particular Subject, Saints, in disposing of it to be capable of the ensuing predication, evidenceth. When the Psalmist hath something worthy and excellent to say about Death, he restrains and bounds it in the Saints, q. d. all Men die, but all do not thus die, this is not a common priviledge which I am speaking of, but it is appropriated to the Saints of God. Hence, all that would have any advantage above other Men in their dying, must make it their great care and endeavour whiles they are living to be Saints.

2. The Predicate of this Subject: It is precious in the sight of God; and here is a double excellency of the Saints Death discovered, viz.

1. Innate or real; in it self it is precious: for God doth not esteem of things otherwise then they really are; when we hear that he reckons them so, we may conclude that they must be so indeed: the word signifies, weighty, honourable, precious, dear and rare. Death which is in it self an evil thing, when it befalls a Child of God, becomes a thing of ve∣ry great worth.

2. In Estimation, and that of him who best knows what esteem to put upon things, viz. God himself; he doth not tell us that it is so in the sight of Men; for their judgement and verdict would not sufficiently determine the question; for, as for wicked men, they account the Saints lives to be contem∣ptible, and their Death inglorious: and as for good men they are fallible, liable to mistakes; and hence their judgement is not by it self satisfying to Faith, nor may we build any conclusion upon the credit of the best of men: but God judgeth aright, he knows and speaks the truth, and his teste∣mony

is to be taken: the Phrase [In the sight] signifies the judgement, knowledge, and account: q. d. thus it is to God, he who sees all things, and discerns their issues, he reckons it to be so: There are divers thoughts among Interpreters a∣bout the meaning of this Expression, or in what sence the Psalmist intends that their death is precious in the sight of God, which what it is most likely to be, will follow to be con∣sidered: Hence;

Doct. The Death of God's Saints is in his account or esteem a thing very precious:

God sets an high price, not only upon the Lives, but upon the Deaths too of his Children: they are dear and honoura∣ble to him, not living only, but dying also.

For the clearing up of this Truth we may consider: 1. Who are those Saints of God of whom this is asserted? 2. What is implied in their Death, being precious in Gods sight? 3. Whence it comes to pass that it is so?

1. Who are those Saints whose death is thus precious?

A. I have already hinted the meaning of the Word, and shall not need to make many Discourses upon the thing, or enter a treatise about the quality and kind of Sanctity. There is none on this side the Grave is so holy, but to have in him some defilement, none so clean but there may be some spots and blemishes found in him, Eccles. 7. 20. There is not a just Man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not: But a Saint in a Gospel sence may be described to be One who being powerfully wrought upon in effectual vocation, and therein converted throughly unto God, hath the Grace of Sanctifi∣cation wrought in him, and the Spirit of Holiness given to him, to dwell in him, and to purge his Heart and Consci∣ence. There are Saints in Heaven, and they are just Men made perfect; and there are Saints on the Earth too, Psal. 16. 3. To the Saints that are in the Earth: and these though not at present perfected, are yet perfecting. They are such

whom the Grace of God hath taught in part, and is daily further teaching those Lessons, Tit. 2. 11, 12. To deny ungodli∣ness and worldly Lusts, and to live Soberly, Righteously, and Godly in this present world. They do not ly wallowing in the mire of Sin, nor delighting themselves in such courses as are provoking to God; but are in heart, soul and spirit devoted unto him and his service, seeking his honour, stu∣dying his glory, contriving how they may best serve their Ge∣neration to his praise. In a word, every one that by the po∣wer of Gods Spirit is taken out of the World, and made a true Believer, is also a Saint in an Evangelical account: Conversion and Sanctification go together inseparably: Ef∣fectual vocation both designs and produceth Sanctification, 1 Cor. 1. 2. Called to be Saints, and such as these are, are there∣fore called the Saints of God.

1. Because God hath chosen and separated them for him∣self, and his own service: Psal. 4. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: He hath taken them out of the World, and consecrated them to an higher and more noble Imployment than such as the rest of Man-kind are engaged in: now whatsoever is devoted to any special service of God, is therein said to be Sanctified; for to sancti∣fie, is to separate from common, and dedicate to special, di∣vine use and services: upon this account the Tabernacle and Temple, the Altar, the Vessels, the Priests, the Levites, the People of Israel were accounted Holy, and the more separa∣ted they were, the more holy were they reputed to be.

2. Because they stand nearly related to Christ's Holiness; not only Christs Righteousness, as it stands to answer the Law for them in way of Justification, is imputed unto them; but his Holiness also is imputed unto them for Sanctification; there is a relative Sanctity upon every true Believer; and hence Christ is said to be made unto them Sanctification, 1 Cor. 1. 30. the precious Priests Robes of their elder Brother are put upon them. In the Ceremonial

Law, the Water of Purification, by being sprinkled upon the persons and instruments that were for the service of the Sanctuary, Sanctified them: thus the blood of Christ sprink∣led upon a Child of God, renders him pure in God's Holy Eyes.

3. Because they have the inchoations of inherent Sanctity in them: there is a real formal Holiness in every true Be∣liever, and though imperfect in degrees, yet perfect in parts: the Holy Spirit of God given to, and dwelling in the People of God, works them up to a Conformity to himself, and ren∣ders them like unto the Holy God; and hence it is, that Be∣lievers are said to be partakers of the divine nature, 1 Pet. 1. 4. the Lord Jesus Christ hath wrought them up unto Holiness, Hence that 1 Thess. 4. 3. For this is the Will of God, even your Sanctification, and that verse 7. For God hath not called us unto Ʋncleanness, but unto Holiness.

4. Because they are growing up to, and designed for per∣fection of Holiness: Grace inherent is Holiness begun, and founded in the Believer, but they grow in it, Psal. 92. 12, 13. The Righteous shall flourish &c. and as the Lord Jesus Christ hath laid the foundation in them by effectual vocation, so his intention is to fit them up for himself, so as that they shall be every way like unto him, and this is by making them to be without spot or wrinkle, Eph. 5. 27.

2. What is implied in their Death being precious in the sight of God? or wherein he makes it appear so to be?

A. 1. Negatively; we are not to suppose that God takes delight in putting of his Servants to Death; or that their Death, as such contents him, or is a pleasure to him; Death in its own nature is an evil; it is the fruit of the Curse brought in by sin, and for God, to will Death as so to his People, were not an expression of his Love, but Displea∣sure; But,

2. Positively; and here Observe,

1. Some read the Word here [Heavy] and take the

meaning to be, that God takes the Death of his Saints, espe∣cially; when it is procured by the means of their Enemies, very grievously or heavily; it is such a thing as he cannot tell how to bear: and that David speaks this of own ex∣perience: for when Saul, when Absalom, when Achitophel, had contrived his Death, and sought wayes how they might effect it, God was very angry, and would not suffer it; yea, manifestly discovered his deepest displeasure against them, in that by signal judgements he destroyed each of them.

2. Others read it [Rare and Dear] and understand it, that, because such things as are dear to us, we are not wont to leave or commit to the dispose of others; therefore Da∣vid intends, that God doth not easily or often grant Wicked Men their desires upon his Saints, or suffer them to take a∣way their lives; and that David draws this general Conclu∣sion to comfort others withal, from the great Experience which he had had of manifold and strange Deliverances: But,

3. The most comprehensive meaning of this Expression may be this, viz. That God takes as special and weighty care about the Death of his Saints, as men are wont to do a∣bout those things that are of greatest worth and value in their esteem: the Septuagint Translateth it by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Ho∣nourable, intimating that God puts great honour upon his dying Saints; And this esteem discovers it self:

4. In his all-wise and careful timing of their Death: He takes order that his People shall alwayes die in the best time for them: it may be a bad time for the World to lose them in, but it is a good time for them to leave it in. Hence,

1. Till the fit time is come, He secures their Lives for them, and that oftentimes almost miraculously: so that all the Malice, Rage, Spite and Power of their Enemies shall not be able to ef∣fect it; and whiles they are thus laying their heads together, plot∣ting and contriving how to bring it about. God laughs at them, Psal. 37. 12, 13. The Wicked plots against the Just—The

Lord shall laugh at him. How many consultations and en∣deavours were there against the Life of Athanasius of old and of Luther in later times, and yet they could not obtain to cut short one of their dayes appointed.

2. When their fit time is come, and they are prepared for it: God mercifully taketh order about their dying and makes their Death to be such, as it shall be a full witness of his dearest respect unto them; and hence we may observe a threefold circumstance of the time of the Saints dying; one of which is alwayes accommodable thereunto: God there∣fore takes them away, either,

1. When they are despised or undervalued in the World: when Men grow weary of them, and their company is a trouble to them; now God will not suffer them to be trou∣bled with them any longer, but sends to fetch them away to a place where they are better thought of, and shall meet with more worthy entertainment. It is Recorded of those Worthies, Heb. 11. 38. That the World was not worthy of them; they were too good for them, and they did not know their Excellency, and therefore thought meanly of them; and now God will not let them enjoy them any longer, he calls them home.

2. When there are evil and calamitous times: hasteniug upon the place where they live: they are taken away from the wrath to come, Isai. 57. 1. God now takes them off, and this he doth not only to make a way for his wrath, by taking them out of the Gap, where they stood to prevent ruine; but also to free them from those Sorrows and distressing Calamities which else they must needs undergo: this was a mercy pro∣mised to tender-hearted Josiah, 2 King. 22. ult. Thou shalt be gathered to thy Fathers in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.

3. When they have done the work of their Generation: God hath in his holy Decree laid out what work every one of his Saints shall do for him in this World; and a Saint would not

desire to be here any longer than he hath some work to do for God; Hence, when they have finished their course, he brings them to the Crown: thus we read of David, Act. 13. 36. When he had served his own Generation, by the Will of God, he fell asleep. When a Believers work is done, its his priviledge to go to rest.

2. In his special care about the manner of their Death: For,

1. He affords them his special presence to carry them through all the conflicts which they have with Death, and with all their Enemies, who in that hour assault them. He makes all their Bed for them in their sickness, he visits them with his Holy Spirit, comforteth and refresheth them against all their fears, bruiseth Satan for them under their feet, sends his Angels to strengthen them against all their Temptations, and support them under all their Agonies, and is very careful that they shall in no wise be tempted above what they are able.

2. He takes order thet they shall die in peace; whatever Troubles they have been which they have met with in their lives, yet they shall meet perfect peace in their Death, Psal. 37. 37. Take notice of the perfect man, mark the upright, for the latter end of that man is peace. Death comes not armed with a sting against them, but the sting is taken out, and the poy∣son of it removed, 1 Cor. 15. 55. Oh Death! where is thy sting? it comes not as an Officer of Justice to Arrest them, but as a friendly Messenger to invite them into their Fathers presence, to the Court of a reconciled God, and tender-hearted Fa∣ther, and the kind embraces of a loving Redeemer.

3. He orders them so to die as to leave a sweet remembrance behind them. Wicked men possibly may endeavour, by throwing dirt at them, to blemish their Names, and yet God often makes them speak well of his dead Saints, and to build the Tombs of the Prophets whom they have killed: But however, in the hearts of the faithful they have an honoura∣ble esteem, a worthy Monument, Psal. 12. 6. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. Prov. 10. 7. The memory of of the just is blessed.

3. In the care which he takes of them after their death: those that were dear to us in their lives, are not easily forgotten by us when they are dead, nor are the Saints by God, but effe∣ctually iaken care for; For,

1, Their dust is not reputed by him as common dust, but they are laid up by his care, kept under his eye, and preserved by his powerful providence, as precious Relicks, till they be brought forth again in the day of Resurrection. He lays them to rest in peace and safety, Isai. 57. 2. They shall rest in their Beds; their Bodies which were made Temples of the Holy Ghost, and Members of Jesus Christ, are not now rejected as worthless things, but are laid up in God's Cabinet, and that with far more tender care then we do the most estimable jewel; and Hence their Flesh resteth in hope, Psal. 16. 9. dying Belie∣vers can in Faith recommend their dead Bodies to the Grave in joyful expectation of an happy return, and all the rage of Men and Devils shall never be able to prevent this.

2. Their precious Souls, dearly beloved of the Lord Jesus, are safely guarded, and surely transported to a place of eternal honour and rest: The Saints die to go to, and to be with Christ which is best of all; they die that they may live for ever. When a Saint of God dies, there is a glorious Convoy of blessed Angels; sent from Heaven to attend his departure, the Angels carried Lazarus into Abraham's bosom, Luk. 16, 22. and this is done both for their honour, and their safety; they carry their Souls out of the reach of Men and Devils, into the presence Chamber of the great God, to him in whose presence is fulness of joys, and at whose right hand are plea∣fures for evermore, to receive an incorruptible and never sa∣ding Crown of Glory; and though Legions of Devils en∣terpose, and seek to stop up the way, they shall never be able to obstruct their passage, nor from that time for evermore do them any the least displeasure. Thus precious in Gods ac∣count is the death of every one of his Saints.

3. Whence it comes to pass that it is so?

A. It Flows not from any merit of theirs; a Saint aspires not to chalenge any favour from God upon the score of his own deservings, but when he hath done all, acknowledgeth himself an unprofitable Servant, and his best Righteousness to be but as filthy Rags: but it proceeds from Gods infi∣nitely free Grace, and if we look upon that, we shall find manifold reason why the Saints Death is precious in God's sight: viz.

1. Because he hath loved them in Christ with an everlasting Love: where there is love, it renders that object beloved, precious to him that loves it; though another can discern no excellency or worthiness in it, and may thereupon won∣der what he loves it for, yet love apprehends it to be of worth: now God hath loved his Saints from everlasting, Jer. 31. 3. and inasmuch as that which is everlasting, is by consequence immutable; hence this love of his abides to, in, and after death, and makes it precious.

2. Because they are his: Propriety and Peculiarity engage the care, and exite the affections to a suitable proportion un∣to the Subject; the Saints are God's Peculium, they are cal∣led his Anointed, and his Prophets, Psal. 105. 15. they are firm∣ly and closely united unto him through Christ, and Death doth not dissolve that indissoluble Bond; dead Believers con∣tinue in union with Christ, and shall his own die then, and he not be deeply concerned in it? it cannot be.

3. Because they are Saints: They are Holy Ones, such as are sanctified by his Grace, and so are made precious: there is a Worth put upon, and a Worth put into a Believer that makes him more precious than the Gold of Ophir; it makes him a Jewel, a Pearl of great price; and for that reason he must not be lost, but bound up, Mal. 3. 17. They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my Jewels.

4. Because the Death of the Saints is of great and high con∣cern: For,

1. There is much of the Glory of God is concerned in and about

their Death: they do not only glorifie him in their Lives, but in their Death too, Joh. 21. 19. This he said, signifying by what Death he should glorifie God. Never doth the Box of their sweet Ointments give a better favour, than when the Case is broken: the Saints do not go out like a Candle in a stink∣ing Snuff, but they ascend like Frankincense or sweet Incense, in a Cloud of fragrant Smoke.

2. Their eternal being in another World bears a Relation to their Death: Of all the changes which they pass through, this is in some respect the greatest: The Death of Believers is appointed to be the narrow passage through which they are to be conducted from their Earthly Cottage to a Palace of Kingly Glory: It is the Ceremony in which an honoura∣ble discharge is given to these faithful Souldiers from their sore Warfare here below, to ride home to their City in tri∣umph: It is their dis-banding from the Church Militant, to go to and become Members of the great Sanhedrim of the Church Triumphant, and this is a great and a notable trans∣action and must needs therefore be precious, and taken such care for, as that it may answer in glory to the great design of it.

ƲSE I. For Information: We may hence collect,

1. That the Title of a Saint is a most honourable Title: or that it is the greatest honour and priviledge in the World to be a Saint; this is the honour that all His Saints have, that their Death is precious in His sight: and there is no Worldly Title, though never so glittering and glorious, that involves in it such a priviledge as this is: they that have them may live in great splendor among Men, and be follow∣ed with the stately Solemnities of Funeral Pomp to their House of Darkness: but in God's account (which is alone to be set by) they are in their Deaths of no more value than so many Beasts, Psal. 94. 20. Man that is in honour, and under∣standeth not, is like the Beasts that perish. This Dignity is not annexed or appropriated to Imperial Crowns, to Robes of

State, or the Thrones of Kingdoms, but only to a Saint: who then would not labour to be of that number?

2. That God's Saints serve a good Master: Those that serve Earthly Potentates, though for a while they may be had in high esteem with them, and be greatly set by, yet seldom but they have their quietus est before they die; when they grow unapt for Service, it is thought high time to lay them by: however when Death comes they are then lest and soon forgotten: but the Servants of the most High are never forgotten; God that loved them living, loves them dy∣ing too: It was a lamentable, but true saying of a great, yet miserable Prelate; If I had served God as faithfully as I have done my King he would not now have left me: what Fools then and Mad-men are they that relinquish the service of God, to serve the lusts of Men, who care but to serve their own turns of them, and then will relinquish them?

3. That Death cannot make a Believer miserable, but must needs render him happy. Those precious thoughts which God hath conceived in his own breast for dying Saints, cannot chuse but break forth into suitable operations for them; if their death be precious in God's sight, it must needs bring forth pre∣cious fruits for them, and such as shall fill them with perfect Felicity. Hence of all the Men in the World the Saint is the Man that hath the least needof being afraid to die: this glorious promise is a Believers plentiful security against all the frightful menaces of the King of Terrors; and it may light a Child of God into and through this dark valley, Psal. 16. 9, 10. Therefore my heart rejoyceth, and my Glory is glad &c.

4. That the Death of a Saint calls for solemn and serious ob∣servation by the living. It is an awful thing for a Righteous man to die, and no man lay it to heart; for the Godly, to be taken away, and none consider it: if the Saints death be so precious in the sight of God, then it is certain that there are great and weighty reasons in the very circumstances of their dying which Men ought to regard: there is a great

change made in that place from whence the poorest and meanest Saint is removed: there is no such desolation and impoverishing brought upon a Land, as when Death comes commissioned by God, to sieze, gather up, and carry away from us those Jewels; one of them is of more worth than ten thousand of wicked Men, and a greater loss it is (whe∣ther Men will believe it or no) to be stript of one of them, then of a multitude of those unprofitable things that cumber the Ground, and are a burden to the Earth they tread upon.

ƲSE II. For Exhortation: Learn we hence these Practical Lessons.

1. When the Saints die let us mourn: And there is no greater Argument to be found that we should excite our selves to mourn by, then the remembrance that they were Saints: it should more effect our hearts at the thoughts of this that they were Saints, then that they were our Father, or Mother, or Brethren, or nearest or dearest Friends, for this is that which makes their loss to be greater than any o∣ther Relation doth or can; others are natural, but these are pious Tears that are shed upon this account: Another Man may be a private loss when he is gone, his Family or his Neighbours, or Consorts may miss him; but a Saint, though he be a private Christian, is yet, when he dies a, pub∣lick loss, and deserves the tears of Israel; how much more than when he hath been a Saint providentially put into a ca∣pacity of being, and by Grace helpt and enabled to be a pub∣lick benefit by the Orb he moved in? when a Saint Dies there is manifold ground of Mourning; there is then a Pillar pluckt out of the Building, a Foundation Stone taken out of the Wall, a Man removed out of the Gap; and now it is to be greatly feared that God is departing, and Calamities are coming, and are not these things to be lamented?

2. When the Saints die beware of irregular Mourning: though we are to lament their Death, yet we must beware

that it be after the right manner: a dying Saint may say to his weeping Friends that stand round about, wringing their hands, after the same Language that Christ did to those weeping Women, Luk. 23. 27, 28, 29. Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for your selves, and your Children, &c. It is we and not they that are indangered and endamaged by it: we may therefore weep for our selves, and there is good reason for it, but to mourn for them is superfluous. Is their Death precious in Gods? let it not be miserable in our esteem: and tell me you whose hearts throb, and eyes run over with sorrow, is it not a precious thing to be asleep in Jesus? to ly in the lap of his providence, and rest from the labours and sorrows of a troublesome World? to be laid out of the noise of the whistling Winds, and feel none of the impetuosity of those Storms and Tempests that are blowing abroad? to be out of the sight and hearing of the rolling and dashing waves of the roaring Sea? to sleep out the rest of the tem∣pestuous night of this World, standing in the inner Cham∣ber of Gods Providence, in answer to that sweet invitation? Isai. 26. 22. Come my People, enter into thy Chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, &c. To ly in Christ's Bosom, and be ravished with his dearest love, and most intimate Embraces? to see none of those sorrowful changes that are coming on the places which they once lived in, nor any more to be within the reach of the calumny and rage of their spiteful Enemies? surely these Notes do not suit with an Elegiack strain; and yet this is the comfort which is given them to feed upon, whose dead Relations and Friends were Saints upon the earth.

3. Is the death of the Saints precious in Gods sight? let it be so in ours too. They are not to be accounted for contemp∣tible things which God sets an high value upon; and it is our wisdom to think and speak of persons and things as God doth: we ought not to slight the death of the righteous, and speak meanly of it, as of a thing that is little momentous: I

am sure their arrival at Heaven is there taken notice of as a thing worthy of observation; and shall not their departure be regarded? they are welcomed into the Palace of delight with Panegyricks; and shall then be hence dismissed with no more but a sorry saying, there is now a good Man gone, and he will be missed in the Family, or the Church to which he once belonged? we should embalm the memory of the Saints with the sweet smelling Spices that grew in their own Gardens, and pick the chiefest Flowers out of those Beds to strew their Graves withal; we should remember and make mention of them with honourable thoughts and words: and though it be now grown a Nick-name of contempt among wicked and prophane Men, yet count it the most orient Jewel in their Crown, the most odoriferous and pleasant Flower in their Garland, that we can say of them that they lived and died Saints; all other Eschutcheons will either wear away, or be taken down, every other monument will become old, and grow over with the Moss of time, and their Titles, though cut in Brass, will be Canker-eaten and illegible: this onely will endure and be fresh and Flourishing, when Marble it self shall be turned into common dust.

Such an one it is whom we have now lost; and Oh that we knew how great a loss we have sustained in him! they are little things to be put into the account, and weigh but light in the commendations we have to give him; to say, This Government hath lost a Magistrate; this Town hath hath lost a good Benefactor; this Church hath lost an ho∣nourable Member; his Company hath lost a worthy Cap∣tain; his Family hath lost a loving and kind Husband, Fa∣ther, Master; the Poor have lost a Liberal and Merciful Friend; that nature had furnished him with a sweet and affa∣ble Disposition, and even temper; that Providence had gi∣ven him a prosperous and Flourishing Portion of this Worlds Goods; that the love and respect of the People had lifted him up to places of honour and preferment; this, this out∣shines

them all; that he was a Saint upon Earth; that he li∣ved like a Saint here, and died the precious Death of a Saint, and now is gone to rest with the Saints in glory: this hath raised those Relicks of his above common dust, and made them precious dust. When Conscience of duty stimulated me to perform my part of his Exequies, and put me upon it to do him honour at his Death; methoughts Justice re∣quired, and envy it self would not nibble at this Character: and if the Tree be to be known by its Fruits, his works shall praise him in the Gates: For his constant and close secret Communion with God (which none but Hypocrites are wont to do with the sound of a Trumpet) such as were most in∣timate with him, have known and can testifie: the care which he had to keep up constant Family Worship, in read∣ing of the Scriptures, and praying in his Family (from which no business publick or private could divert him) was almost now unparalleld; the honourable respect he bore to God's holy Ordinances, by diligently attending upon them, and esteeming highly of God's Servants for their work sake, and care that he used to live the Truths which he heard from time to time, was very singular: the exemplariness of his Life and Converse among Men, and the endeavours which he used to shew forth the Graces of the Spirit, not being a∣shamed of Christ, nor being willing to be a shame unto him; let all that knew him bear witness of: his meek boldness in reproving Sin, and gentle faithfulness in endeavouring to win Sinners as he had opportunity, is known to such as lay in his way: His constancy in all these whiles times have changed, and many Professors have degenerated, when he strove to grow better as the times grew worse, will speak the sincerity of his Profession: his living above the World, and keeping his heart disentangled, and his mind in Heaven, in the midst of all outward occasions and urgency of Business, bespake him not to be of this World, but a Pilgrim on the Earth, a Citizen of Heaven: In a word, he was a true Natha∣niel.

But God hath taken him from us, and by this stroak given us one more sad prognostick of misery a coming: when there are but a few Saints in the World, and those die apace too, what is to be thought to be at the door? I dare say his Death was precious in Gods sight, and he had some holy end in taking him away just now, who might probably have li∣ved many years, and done much more service for God in his Generation: I shall not make it my work to Prophesie; the Lord grant we do not all know it too soon to our cost. Mean time let us have such in remembrance, and labour to be followers of them who through Faith and Patience do now inherit the promises, and that will be the best way to divert the Omen: Let us account the Saints precious whiles they live, and God will not begrutch them to us: but if we by contempt, obloquy, and wickedly grieving their Righteous Souls, make their lives a burden to them; if they cannot live in honour among Men, they shall die in favour with God, and he will make their death a precious gain to them, though it be a diresul presage of a great inundation of sad Calamities coming upon those whom they leave behind them.