surprised before we be aware; and as the tree falleth, so it lies; as a man lives,' so he dies; as death leaves us, so judgment, and the second coming of Christ, shall find us. We should therefore, as the apostle saith,' work out our own salvation with fear and trembling,' Phil. ii. 12. Many men when they come to die are troubled about this; Oh, I have not done so ; I should have done this and that, and have not; but I have done amiss, I have not thoroughly repented; something is not done that should have been; I have not made mine evidences sound, I have not 'made my calling and election sure,' 2 Peter i. 10. Oh my conscience is troubled, and my soul cannot find that peace in God, &c. Oh do you take warning by them, and now work out your salvation with fear and trembling; and that upon this ground, because the time is short and uncertain. Beloved, it is a great error in us. We think of reaping as soon as we begin to sow, nay, we begin to sow then when we should reap. Then we begin to think of God and goodness when we lie a-dying. That should be a time of reaping the comfort of all our former life, and to think of the time to come with joy. Oh what a comfortable thing would it be if we can with St Paul look backward and say, 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith,' &c., 2 Tim. iv. 7. He looks back with comfort, and therefore he looks forward with comfort too; From henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day,' &c., verse 8. When a Christian man hath done the will of God, and looks backward and saith, I had a race to run, and I have run it; I had a faith to keep, and I have kept it; I had a fight to fight, and I have fought it; and then looks forward, and sees a crown of eternal glory before his eyes: what a comfort and ravishing joy will this afford! Whether he looks backward or forward, all is glorious. But if we be careless and negligent, and will not work out our salvation, then we cannot with Hezekiah look back with comfort, and say to God, Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth and uprightness of heart, and have done that which was right in thy sight,' Isa. xxxviii. 3. Neither can we with St Paul look forward with any comfort. Beloved, heaven is a pure place, and requires a great deal of purity in those that come thither; and Christ is holy and glorious. Therefore we must set no measure and pitch to any holiness in this life, but grow still more and more heavenly till we come to heaven. Therefore the apostle sets it down by way of wonderment in the last of St Peter: Seeing all these things shall he dissolved,' saith he, 2 Peter iii. 11. What saith he to that? He cannot tell what to say. Therefore he says nothing in particular, but in general: What manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness!' Some men will set a measure and stint to themselves, and if any go beyond their measure, then they are such and such, curious, nice, and precise, &c.* Why! What measure of holiness should be set to them that look for the second coming of Christ? 'What manner of persons ought we to be !' He cannot tell what to say in particular, and therefore leaveth it to admiration. We must not then set up our staff, and put any measure to any perfection here in this world; but still grow in grace and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the Lord.

Direct. 4. Let us take all advantages to help us in this desire and prayer for the second coming of Christ, from all the crosses of this life, and from all the businesses of Satan. Satan was shut out of paradise, but he is still

* Cf. note c, Vol. II page 194.-G.

creeping into the paradise of the church. But in heaven he shall never come. He was once there, and was cast down from thence, never to come there again. But in the church he is always stirring. He is never so bound up but he hath some mischief to do. Now let the consideration of Satan and his instruments, that are always some way or other molesting of the church, and are as thorns in their sides, stir us up to desire the second coming of Christ. So from all particular losses and crosses let us help ourselves. If we have lost a friend, let us fill our hearts with comfort from the second coming' of Christ, and from the consideration of that, that then the time will come when all friends shall meet together. Do we leave anything in this world behind us? We shall meet with better there, better friends, a better place, better employment; all better. Therefore let us take advantage from everything to help forward that desire. In a word, I beseech you, because there be many things that might be spoken to this purpose, let it be your main care to fit yourselves for that time. It is a time of longing here, while we live. It is the time between the contract and the marriage. Let us labour to be fitted and prepared for that time. Obj. But you shall have many a good soul cry out, Oh, I am not so desirous of the coming of Christ as I ought.

Ans. True. It may be so because of thy wants, because thou hast not prepared thyself, because thou art not spiritual, because thou art not mortified. This ariseth further, as from other causes, so from this. Thou art ignorant of the covenant of grace, that God is thy Father, and that he hath bound himself as a father to pardon the sins of his children. Therefore, if thy sins be but infirmities, that thou strivest against, thou mayest be comforted. Mark what the apostle saith, 'We ourselves, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves do groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our bodies,' Rom. viii. 23. If we labour against our corruptions, it should be so far from hindering our desire of Christ's coming, that we should desire it the rather, because we labour under them; for then we shall be fully rid of them. Labour to understand the covenant of grace more fully. Christ is a mediator and intercessor. For whom? For perfect men? No. But for them that unwillingly run into debt with God every day. Therefore we say in the Lord's prayer, 'Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts,' &c., Mat. vi. 11, 12. The ignorance of evangelical points makes us so cold, so dead and dull, as we are oftentimes.

Obj. But you will say, I desire to live still. Those that desire the 'second coming' of Christ, desire that he would come and fetch them out of the world when they have done their work. May not I do so?

Ans. Yes you may, but it must be with a reservation that you may bring to heaven as many as you can, that you may get further evidence of your salvation; and so in other respects you may desire to live, so it may be that God may honour himself by our lives. But simply, and as the thing is in itself, we ought to be of St Paul's mind, to desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ,' which is far better, Philip. i. 23.

Therefore when the time of our dissolution comes, we are to be willing to resign up our souls unto God, not only patiently, but cheerfully. For why? The day of death is a day of jubilee, a day of coronation, a day of marriage, a day of harvest, a day of triumph. We are to be ashamed of the disproportion of our desires to earthly things and to heavenly. Is the labourer loath to think of a sabbath or a day of rest? Is a soldier loath to think of a day of victory and triumph? Is a contracted person loath to think of the

day of marriage? or a king of the day of his coronation? They are all desirous of these things, and why should not we be of that time, when all these things shall indeed and really be performed? All those things are but shadows, and scarce that, of things to come, and yet how earnestly desirous are men of them? Have not we then just cause to take occasion to shame and blame ourselves, for the disproportion of our desires to earthly and heavenly things?

But now, when we have finished our work, when God hath been served by us in our generations-as it was said of David, that he served God in his own generation, by the will of God, and after that fell on sleep,' Acts xiii. 86-then God will take off our desire of living any longer, then he will make us even willing to die. As St Paul, in the last epistle that ever he made, when he had run his race and fought his fight, and finished his course, then nothing but a crown. 'Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,' &c., 2 Tim. iv. 8. And in the same chapter afterward: The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom,' ver. 18. So saith Christ, I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self,' John xvii. 4, 5. So when the children of God have an item from the Spirit of God, that they have done all that God would have them for to do, then they will be most willing to go hence. In the mean time, they must run with patience the race that is set before them,' Heb. xii. 1; they must fight the fight that God hath pitched for them, and keep the faith; they must be willing to do all that God would have them, in an humble submission to his will. But when they have done all, then their hearts will be enlarged to desire the coming of Christ, that he would come and call them home.

So, then, this doubt is sufficiently answered. In a word, I will end with this.

When you find your hearts dull and cold, and inactive to good, then fetch fire from hence to inflame them: from the second coming' of Christ, from the love of God in Christ, from the love of his appearance. Oh, rouse up and quicken your hearts with such considerations. Do you conflict with any enemies, either without or within? Remember what the apostle saith: 'Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life,' 1 Tim. vi. 12. What is the way to fight the good fight of faith? Why, lay hold on eternal life, and that will make a man fight indeed.

Are you in any disconsolate condition? If you be, see what the apostle Paul saith to the Thessalonians: Wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words,' 1 Thess. iv. 18. With what words? Why, 'We shall be ever with the Lord.' Oh these words will comfort indeed. Consider, when you have lost your friends, your estate, or anything, it shall be all fully made up there? Do you, as it were, make it up beforehand, with comforts of a higher nature? They be things that will comfort indeed.

And so, when you find yourselves dull in doing the work of the Lord, think upon the second coming' of Christ, and that he will not then come empty-handed, but he will bring his reward with him,' Rev. xxii. 12. Consider what St Paul said to Timothy: I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing, and his kingdom,' &c., 2 Tim. iv. I. The holy apostle had no greater a conjuration to move Timothy to be diligent, and to quicken him in his ministry, than by the coming of our Lord Jesus. So let us stir up ourselves, and comfort ourselves hereby.

Beloved, the soul is never in such a tune, as when the thoughts of these glorious times have raised the affections to the highest pitch and peg. Then the soul is never uncomfortable; and so long as it is so affected, it cannot sin, for we lose our frame, we let down the soul in base desires, we let loose our thoughts from closing with Christ, and with the time to come, when we sin. When we let them loose, then they sink down to earthly things; and that is the cause of all sin and of all discomfort.

So long, then, as we keep our hearts in a blessed frame of faith, and in a love of the appearing of Christ, they are impregnable. Satan cannot come between us and our faith, but he labours to loosen our faith and love, and to distract us with the businesses of the world, that we shall have very seldom thoughts of these things. Alas, that we who are born again to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us,' 1 Pet. i. 4, should have so little and so light thoughts of our inheritance!

If a man were to go a journey by sea a year hence, he would be thinking every day upon his journey, what he should have to carry with him, and what will do him good when he comes there. We have all of us a long journey to go, from earth to heaven; and we should be thinking of it every day in the year.

But we have a company of men in the world, all whose happiness is in putting off all thoughts in that kind; in deferring the day of their death, and putting the evil day far away from them; not thinking upon them; that so they may drown themselves in pleasure and voluptuousness. Ah, what a pitiful case hath Satan and our own sinful dispositions brought us unto, that we should place our happiness, safety, and comfort in putting off the thoughts of death, in going on presumptuously in sin, and never thinking upon that great day! Alas, they cannot think of it but as Felix did, who, when he heard Paul'dispute and reason of righteousness, and temperance, and judgment to come, trembled,' Acts xxiv. 25.

Why, let Felix tremble, and let the world tremble, but let every Christian that hath made his peace with God, rejoice. Even as poor birds do sing when the spring time is returned again-for it warms them, and puts life and spirit into them, and they entertain the light and heat of the sun with singing and melody-so let us, in our thoughts, entertain Christ's coming with joy and comfort, having made our peace, substantially and solidly, with God. Let us look up, and lift up our heads with joy, for our redemption draweth nigh, Luke xxi. 28.

Now I come to the particular occasion.

It is well known that the particular occasion of this meeting is, to celebrate and solemnise the funeral of that worthy man Sir Thomas Crew, one of the king's serjeants, in regard of whom I made choice of this text. If I wanted matter to speak of him, he had many natural excellent parts, which did commend him. I might speak of the quickness of his wit, of the firmness of his memory, of the readiness of his expressions, of the clearness and solidity of his judgment, able to penetrate into the depth of things, &c. And for his ability in his particular calling, I might say many things. He was a man very eminent in his calling: he was one of the oracles of the law in his time; one that had gathered very long and large experience, and wonderful great dexterity in that profession. And surely, beloved, these

things are not to be neglected by us, though to God-ward they are not much regarded. For natural parts, the devil excels, and hath more than any man; but yet to men-ward, they are to be esteemed, for they vindicate men from the reproach and obloquy of the world. They will say, Such a man was a religious man, but he had no skill in his calling; a good man, but unlearned. Now then it takes away reproach and disgrace from religion, when it can be said, This was an excellent man in his profession, and withal, a very excellent good Christian. It is the guise and fashion of proud profaneness, to lay religion as low as they can. They will take away or diminish all parts from religious persons as near as they can, that religion itself may seem vile and contemptible. For if religion once should win credit, then their baseness would appear the more; and that their pride will not endure. Wherefore, if these things be to be regarded, in regard of men, we ought to thank God for it, when grace is graced with excellent parts. Therefore, God sometimes vouchsafeth to men that are truly religious, excellency of parts. Otherwise, grace is lovely in itself; but as a precious stone and pearl set in gold is more precious and glorious, so religion, set in the stem of nature and excellent parts, hath more lustre and beauty, and the larger improvement.

You have a company of profane wretches in the world, even in these glorious times of the gospel, that do glory only in their excellent parts, that will seek even to the devil himself, so they may out-brag others, and gain to themselves a reputation of wit; and some will vilely adventure upon sin against their conscience, thinking that they should lose all reputation of wit and parts, if they should become religious once. But you see that God oftentimes adorns religious men with excellent parts of nature. Religion indeed cuts off the froth, the exuberancy and redundancy of parts; but it increaseth the solidity of parts, and spiritualiseth them, and directs. them to their right end, to the glory of God and good of mankind. Therefore, they may stand well enough together.

Now, in this worthy man there was a concentrating and joining together of the parts of nature and the parts of industry, and likewise of the parts of grace. And that which did steer his conversation, and rule all aright, was indeed the true fear of God, which caused him to set the stamp of religion on all his courses in his whole conversation.

For the Lord's day, it may a little be discerned by that. He had a wonderful care to keep it holy. He was as eminent as any in his profession for that. He would not intermeddle with the businesses of his calling on that day. He, did not think it enough to hear the sermon and divine service, and then to go to the works of his calling. And in this he is to be commended. For whose good hath God appointed the Lord's day? Is it not for our own? Should not we grow base and earthly-minded, if one day in seven we should not be heavenly-minded, and think upon our everlasting condition in another world? Shall we think much then of that which God appoints for us?

But to return. Besides his care of the Lord's day, for he did not limit his religion to a day, he was careful in his family of having morning and evening prayers; yea, and private also, twice in a day at the least. And this, as it did bring strength to his soul, and put a beauty upon it, so it did also sanctify his labours and prosper his businesses, and bring them to a good issue. He lost nothing by it. And seeing it is almost impossible in these profane times but that such courses as these are should meet with envy and scorn from some, therefore he had learned with Moses 'to bear the reproach