44 A (Gura-neeof Gods favout. t Cor.3,23. Deliverance from the King of Fears, or ever we lore the companyof men, that we cannot allure our (elves friends indeed : For of all the friends we freak of in the main point,when theyc-orne tobe tryed,there are few to be found to be friends: Bat then,we go to them whofe love is perfeft, that you maybefore of,and have the truth of their love. Again,how little comfort, nay, how little have you company with thofe Friends you defire ? Is not much part of our life fpent without any fight of our Friends ? Is not half of iv fpent in fleep in the Night ? And the other half in bufinefs and pleafure t Alas ! how little time have we to enjoy our Friends we cell on ? But then, we (hail perfetitly enjoy them, when there (ball benoneed of (leer, when there shall be perfeftion of Love, and freedome from diftraftionand imployment, when the Servants of God (hall fully, and freely, and (weedy, and comfortably enjoy one the other. Abraham, and /fade, and Jacob, and themeaner+ of the Saints, (ball meet in the expreffion of Love, in fuch a perfet`kion as we cannot (peak of. And this is certain, you that! goto many. who can tellthe Daft Jacob? Nov, you have fomeone, or two, or three, ora few Men or Women that you account Fricnds,and dote much upon, but then you (hall have en- numerable company,a world of Friendsof Men and Women, multitudes,they cannot be numbered, they are as theStars of Heaven for number. I fay, there is no lofs of company by this means. Again, you (hall lofe no pleafures by death, it may be you (hall lofe Come few fen- foal bruici(h pleafures,a fewmixed,corrupt pleafures, pleafures that have themixture of forrow and fear in them, that imbitters them to the foul of a man, but it (hall not be (o then : You (hall be freed from imperfeft pleafures, and have petfeft ones at Gods right hand for evermore,pure pleafures. Again, you lofe nonecef(ary convenience neither, the rich man lofeth no richesby death; he lofeth his Money, doth he lofe his Riches therefore? No ; ToeAngels are ich, but they have no Money ; theSaints are rich,they want nothing, but they have no Money. It may be thou lofett a Child, thou (halt find a Fathers it may be thou lofell a weak Frìend,that loveth not long, or it may benot fo truly as thou thinkeft he doch; and thou findelt Rinds that are many and per£eft,and pure in their Love, that Love with a perfe&ì hear: ; And what then are all thofe loffes, when you enjoy that which make the foul happy foe ever Thus I fay you (ball reEtifie your Opinions concerning Death, look upon it aright, have true apprehenfions of it. . . Get an intereft in Chrift, and lookon death through him, get Faith, and then all chere: things that I have fpoken (hall be your advantage, fo the Apoftle concluded], Chrisf is :'uou in life and in death advantage ; If we live he is gain to us in life, and if we die, he is advantage to us in death. Anddeath is reckoned among(} the fpecial Favoursand Priviledges Chrift hath given to his Church ; All are yours, what all? Life and Deatb,tbings profent,andthings tocome; all are yoars,andyeti are Cbrifls, and Uri"? iaGods. So we fee that Death isamongft the Priviledges that Chrift hach given his Church, therefore redlifie your Opinions concerningDeath, make good cha t I (peak before, andyou (hall find this good that I now freak. And for thelafi,ehe unacqua in tance withDeath : Lec not that trouble you,nonecome from the dead totell you what is done there, but look on the fervants-of God before, and when they die, and you (hall find enough how theyapprehend Death, when they have looked on it in the Glafs of the Gofpe I. Look upon them before Death, Jacob being to chofe up his dayes with b'effing of his Children ; Lord (faith he) !have waited for thy Salvation. He looked upon Death through Chris, the Saviourof the World, that he (hould be faved by him: And though it be true, that there is a further meaning for theTribes in there words of Jacob, yet this was proper to Jacob himfelf, he locked upon Death nowapproach- ing, as that that he was delivered from, and fee into that freedom purehafed by Chria. So old Simon, Lord, now letteft thou thy Servant depart in 'Peace accor- ding to thy Word, for mine eyes have feen tby Salvation ; Jacob accounted it his Salvation ; old Simon, a departure from a worfe place to a better, from worfe companyand comforts to a better ; A change for the better fill, and a departing in peace. Aai
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