Ver. z , the 17thChapter of St. J O H N, 13 (2.) In deep Sorrow, as fob 3. 11. Why died I not front the Womb ? Why did I not give wp the Ghofi, when I came out of the Belly ? And, Job 6. 8, 9. O that I might have my Requelti and that God would grant me the thing that I long for ! Even that. it would pleafe God to deflroy me, that he would let loofa his Hand, and cut me of Elifsa, i Kings 19.4. He fat dawn under a juniper Tree : and he requefted for himfelf that he might die, and Paid, It k enough now, O Lord, take away my Life, for I am not better than my Fa- thers. (3.) From the peevi(hnefs of fond and doting Love. 2 Sam. 18.33. O my Son Ab- falom, my Son, my Son Abfalom, would God I had died for thee I O Abfalom, my Son, my Son I As the Wives of the Barbarians, that burn themfelves, to attend the Ghofts of their dead Hufbands. (4.) From Diftruft and Defpair, the Evil is too hard for them, they are at their Wits end. Job 7. 15. My Soul chufeth firangling, and Death rather than Life; In all theft Cafes, it is but a diameful Retreat from the confli& and burden of the prefent Life, from carnal Irkfomenefs under the labours and burdens of the prefent Life, or a diftruft of God's Help. There may be Murder in a ra[h Wi(h, if it proceed from a vexed Heart. Thefe are but froward Thoughts, not a fan&ified Refolution. 3. Such delires of Death and Difiolution as are lawful, and mu[t be cherifhed, come from a good ground. A Heart deadned to the World, they are crucified to it, their Heartsaremortified, fit on things above, Col. 3. 1. Some competent Affurance, Rom. 8. 23. We groan, waiting for the Adoption, viz. the Redemption of our Body. They have tailed the Cinders of Canaan; as Simeon, Luke 2. 28,29. Lord, now letteti thou thy Ser- vant depart in peace, for mine Eyes have' feen thy Salvation ; the Eyes óf his Faith, as well as of his Body. Now, Lord, I do but wait for my departure hence, as a Merchant -man richly laden, delires to be at his Port. 4. You muff look to the End. Men have a blind Notion of Heaven, they expe& a Carnal Heaven, as the Jews looked for a Carnal Mefiiah, etrenjoy a .Turktih Paradife full of Eafe and Pleafure. The People of God delire Heaven, to have a perte& Uni- on and Communion with him whom their Souls lóve. Phil. 1.23. 1 defire .to depart, and be with Chrifi. Phil. 3. 20. Our Converfation is in Heaven, whence we look for a Sa- viour ; they long to fee hire, to be where he is; Heart and Head fhould be together. And fo allo to be freed from Sin : Rom. 7.24. 0 wretched Man that I am I who ?gall deliver use from this Body of Death ? They would be in Heaven, that they may fin no more. Men look upon Heaven as a kind of Referve, if the World do not hold. We thould delire Heaven, not to be freed from Trouble, but to be freed from Sin, and to be with Chrift 3 there mull bean holy defire of a better Life. 5. The manner mull be regarded, it mull be with Submiffion.. Phil. 1.24. Never - thelefì to abide in the Flefh is more needful for you otherwife we encroach upon God's Right, and would deprive him of a Servant without his leave. A Chriftian will die and live as the Lord will: while others want fubmiffion to live in trouble, he is fatif- fied ; or to die if he be not in trouble ; if it be the Lord's Pleafure, a Believer is fa- tisfied with long Life, P/á1.91. 16. he is willing to live and die as God liketh, he will wait till his change comes, when God will give him a difcharge by his own immediate Hand, or by Enemies. Gratias agimes, quod à molefiis Dominic liberamur. God know- eth how to chufe the fitteft time, otherwife we know not what we ask. 3. Obf. That 4 SpiritualViliory over Evil, ie to be preferred before a total Exemption from it. Chri(t doth not pray for an abfolute immunity and deliverance, but a prefer - vation from the Evil of the World. Chri[f prayeth thus, and fo he teacheth us to pray, Mat. 6.13. Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver ses from Evil. When we fay, Lead us not into Temptation, he doth not mean, that we fhould pray for an abfolute ex- emption from Temptation, that is the Lot of all the Saints; but that we may not fall under the weight of a Temptation, that is ?onviytu.s, and it is explained, that he would not as a Judg, by a Spiritual Excommunication, put us into the Hands of Satan, to be craned by him, as it is explained in the next Verle, But deliver us from Evil. L)fe I. It teacheth us how to pray to God. Our Prayers fhould be to be delivered, notfrom the World, fo much as from the Evil of the World, from. Sins rather than Aflti &ions. The Saints leek Grace, rather than Deliverance in their Afi &ions; Di- reftion as well as Proreftion, that they may do nothing unfeemly while they fuller. PfaL 4t.3,4. Sera watch, O Lord, before mf Mouth, keep the Door of my Lips. Incline not
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