The Second Particular follows, what our duty is in observing these observable things; The Lord calls us to mark and behold:
Quest. What is the making and beholding?
Ans. It's an affectionate Attention of the minde, It's as when the eye affects the heart, and the heart being affected keeps the eye looking upon the Object, you have the like expression in another place, used by Jobs friends to Job Job 33:31, Mark well. Oh Job, and hearken to me, hold thy peace and I will speak, Oh mark well the life and latter end of the upright! Oh hearken to what the Lord improves to the Prophet, when he would prepare him for the Visions of the Ordinances of his House, Ezek 44.5 The Lord said, Son of Man, mark well, and behold with thine Eyes, & hear are with thine Ears all that I say to thee, concerning the Ordinances of mine House, and mark well the entring into it; But in my Text the Lord Saith, Mark the perfect and behold the upright, it's as if the Lord had said, as I wou'd have you mark well and behold mine Ordinances, so I do require you to mark well and behold the life and latter end of those who have loved my Habitation and seen my beauty in my holy Ordinances: This is only the general, let us more particularly consider, First, it's a marking by the way of comparison, the blessedness of the upright in their lives and latter end in comparison of others, this is a principal scope of the Text, and of the foregoing and following words, said therefore let us comparatively mark the Upright, as if we see them stand as the right hand of Christ, and others at his left hand, both in their life and death: Behold the life of the Upright, how he shines as a light in a darksome World, and shall shine as the Stars for ever and for ever; and behold how others walk in darkness, and shall go into outer darkness, Prov. 3. 18, 19. Behold the Upright lives as a Citizen of Heaven, having his conversation in Heaven, Phil. 3. and Heaven is his Country and own place, Heb. 11.10 and behold how others live as slaves to the World, and in bondage to their Lusts and the Devils temptations, and they shall go to their own places, Act. 1. 25. Behold the Upright lives and walks in the Spirit of Christ, Gal. 5.28 and you may behold Christ living and walking in him Gal. 2.20 but others live and walk in their own spirits, and you may see the evil one living and walking in them, Joh. 8.44. Oh mark the latter end of the Upright, in comparison of the latter end of others; the end of the Upright man is peace, the end of others is no peace but hellish woe! Oh when the Upright dye, the Angels stand ready to receive the Soul, & carry it into Abrams Bosome, or rather into Christs Bosome; when others dye, the Devils stand ready to take hold of their Souls, and to hurry them into intollerable and endless misery: were our eyes opened to see the Attendants, the Upright have at their dying, hour, like the Sixty Valliant men spoken of in Cant. 3.7. about Solomons Bed of the valliant of Israel; but the black Guard, and cursing, and cursed tormentors which are about others in their dying hour, we should readily acknowledge an infinite difference and distance the Lord has made between the Upright and others.
Secondly, We should mark the Upright by way of Imitation; if we do not in this sense mark them we mark in vain, and behold them to no good purpose; the Lord requireth us to mark the life of the Upright as a living example, that may live with us, and in us, and that when they are dead; and to consider the end of their conversation, that we may live and dye as they, Heb. 13.7. the Lord commands us to behold the upright who have gone before us, as the Israelites did behold the Cloud which went before them in the Wilderness, shewing them their way through the Wilderness into Canaan, and as if they heard a voice saying, Follow me, heb. 12.1. We are compast about with a Cloud of Witnesses; Oh all the examples of the Upright who are gone before us, and they are the Cloud in the Wilderness to guide us, Isai. 6.16 Ask for the way wherein they walked and found rest in their Souls; Oh mark well and behold the light side of this Cloud of their upright Example, it hath a voice saying, Follow this way of Communion with God and walking with the Lord, and ye shall have rest to your Souls.
Thirdly, Mark the Upright by way of Lamentation, Isai. 57.1 the Upright perish and the man layeth it to heart, and the merciful taken away and none considering that the Righteous is taken away from the evil to come; We should so mark the life and death of the Upright, that we lay it to heart, not mourning because of their state for they are happy, all tears wip't away, and are lead by the Lambe to the Fountains of waters, Rev. 7. 17 and Rivers of pleasures Ps. 1. 16. But mourn because they no longer be so helpful to us, Oh that wholsome Tongue which was a Tree of life, and so helpful to administring Grace to the hearer, you shall hear it no more, Oh that countenance and in which Wisdome and Grace shined, you shall see it no more! Oh that hand which relieved and refreshed, the bowels of many in mercy shall help no more; help Lord, the Godly ceaseth and the faithful fail, Psal. 12.1 and who knows but such have taken from the evil to come, there may be a dreadful storms at hand, which it may be in tenderness to them they are taken away, but we must abide and sutler (?) it.
The Application of the Doctrine follows: The Doctrine it self and the Explication of it is so Applicatory in all the parts of it; That I can not but think that you are who are conscientiously attentive have been applying this Doctrine to your Souls while I have been opening it:
1. Use. It commends to us, and sets before us the surpassing excellency of Uprightness: Doth the Lord call us to mark and behold the Upright, because of their happy life and blessed death, can we behold their excellency and happiness, and not behold the excellency of Uprightness, which makes them to excel? that is the good which doth us the greatest good, which doth us good at the latter end, to humble, and to prove and do thees good at they latter end, for that is thy good for ever and for ever; but it is uprightness, that which doth thee good at thy latter end: Behold the upright, the end of that man is peace; Oh it's not thy riches and wealth! Oh what can that do in the day of wrath: the covetous who has spent his time and strength in the pursuit of the World, and has neglected communion with God, the Ordinances and Means of his Souls good, Oh how is he tormented in that day, Ezek. 7.19. wealth cannot deliver his soul, Psal. 49.7.8 it's not honour and applause of men, it's not visible profession and some common gifts and abilities, when thy dying hour is come, all the questions are reduced to that one, Whether upright or no? whether upright in thy Family relations? whether upright in thy Church Relations? whether thy walk was in uprightness? and if any one Minister of Christ, or any Godly Friend can Answer thee this Question to thy Souls satisfaction, he shall be to thee a Messenger indeed, one of a thousand, Job. 33.23.
2. Use. Doth the Lord call us to mark and behold the Upright in their life and death: You know what hath befallen us, and whom the Lord hath lately taken away from us unto himself, His Servant and Handmaid, who lived to the Lord, and dyed to the Lord, and is with the Lord; but was a Mother, a nursing Mother to this afflicted Church and People: I know it will be without offence to you, if I declare to you the remarkable things worthy of observation in her life and death: My God in the express words of the Text requires me to Mark and Behold Her Godly life and Happy end, and not to bury those Observations with her, but that they may live in us, and in the Generations to come.
First. You have heard how uprightness shews it self in prizing communion with God, and in a faithful improvement of all opportunities for that purpose (1) In respect of prizing of Communion with god, its a rare thing to behold such constant freshness of Spirit, and affectionate esteeming of Communion with God: I have frequently seen her weep in her speaking of, and lamenting after Communion with Christ, but it was a rare thing for her to weep because of any outward loss or cross whatsoever. Oh shee having kept the strength of her affections for the Lord Christ, whom her Soul loved: the Communion with God which she had was manifest in pourings out of her heart in his presence, Psal. 62 and it was likewise manifest in her thirstings after opportunities of meeting with God; I have observed such a frequent longing for a Sabbath, and longing of Soul for a Sermon, for a day of Fasting and Prayer, and other opportunities, and I have heard her frequently say, That a joyful Sabbath did comfort her all the week after, and a sad Sabbath made a sad Sabbath made a sad week, that the Lord had brought her desires into that one desire, Psal. 27.4 and thus precious to her Soul was one day in the House of the Lord, Psal. 84.10.
Secondly, In respect of faithful improvement of her opportunities of Communion with God: Oh with what weakness and trembling, difficulty and danger to health and life did she many times come to the publick Ordinances, but she would purposely conceal her sickness, often times from her near Relations of the Sabbath day, least in tenderness to her, they should hinder her from going to the publick Ordinances; and I have heard her often say, that if she could possibly go to the House of God, whatever her bodily weakness was, yet she did not suffer any harm, but many times felt that it was strength, not only to her Soul but health to her body, Prov. 4.8.
You heard in the Second place, How Uprightness shews it self in secret communion with God, in secret Prayer, and Self-examination.
First, In respect of secret Prayer; She had been so acquainted with that Ordinance from a childe, that upon conference I had with her upon that occasion, I could not perceive that she could charge and accuse herself of any neglect, not so much as one time in thirty years; Oh her Soul knew right well what it was to Pray in secret to her Heavenly Father, Mat. 6 and to be in the secret places of the stairs with the Lord, whom her Soul loved, Cant. 2.14. (2) And concerning Self examination; besides other daily exercises and communings with her heart; I know for many years it was rare that one Sermon passed, but she must at some time or other in that week take an opportunity to confer about it, and gather out that portion which did belong to her: it was very rare that one day in the week passed but she must set a time to read and meditate, and apply the Word to her own Soul; and were I able to rehearse the many Spiritual, Weighty, and Narrow Questions and Discourses I have heard from her, it would fill up a large Book: Thus did she eat the Word, Jer. 15.16 and was thus laborious in working out her Salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. 2.12. Thus of her Actings towards God. (a.) You have heard how Uprightness shews it self in actings towards others: First, In Words. Secondly, In Works. In respect to her Words, You know what a Law of Wisdome and Heavenly mindedness, of meekness & kindness was in her mouth, Prov. 31.26. The Lord having gifted her with a measure of Knowledge above what is usual in that Sex; So I know if she had an opportunity with a Godly friend, and the time had been spent in Discourse about Worldly occasions, and if she had not redeemed some time out of it of Heavenly Conference, I have heard her speak of it with grief, For the mouth of the Righteous speaketh Wisdome and his tongue talketh of Judgements, Psal. 37.30. as she had opportunities by reason of her usefulness to the afflicted, so how the Lord supplied her with a Word in season; Oh you have been afflicted know these things right well.
a. Concerning her Works, I need not tell you what a Dorcas you have lost Men, Women and Children, are ready with weeping, to acknowledge what works of mercy she hath done for them, Act. 9.39. the short time and my afflicted state will not suffer me to enlarge, but if I could, I do not affect saying any more, but that which my Text, and the present providence calls me to speak: These are Monuments to minde you of much more. But before I conclude, I must not omit some very observable things concerning her Death.
First, Shee knew nothing by her selfe that was matter of trouble of Conference in his day, but the Lord had quieted her Spirit concerning her Spiritual state: She was desirous to live for the good of her Family, but content to dye if the Lord would have it be so as she said; But the observable thing with me is this, I know she was usually in time of health, full of spiritual exercise and darksome objections about her spiritual state: but in time of sickness still the Clouds were scattered, full of fears at other times, but the Lord was no terrour to her in the evil day, but her hope; and so it proved at her Death.
Secondly, She had some taste of unspeakable peace and comfort, which in the midst of such pains so disturbing and confounding to the outward and inward senses, yet made her lay, she should be at home in a little time, being ready to depart to her Father's house, Joh. 14.2, 3. and shee who had the Spirit of Adoption, could not but under the pains of death, call Abba Father for help, Rom. 8.
Thirdly, When she was under the pangs of Death, and Nature could not be at rest, yet I speaking to her whether I should Pray once more with her? to which she readily answered yea, and during all the time of the Prayer, lay as fully composed as at any time; that either the Lord at that time rebuked the pangs of death, and caused the King of terrors to retreat his force, or else the Prince of peace would shew us that his peace when he pleaseth shall rule, and that to the Enemies Land, in the midst of the terrours of Death, and that she had to incounter with a Conquered Enemy, John 16. ult.
The last Use is by way of comfort, to those who mourn because the Upright are taken from them. (1.) Consider, there is no reason to mourn because of their state, for their end is peace, and they would not change then place again for ten thousand Worlds, Rev. 14. Blessed are they who dye in the Lord, they rest from their labours and their works follow them, I have heard her say, that when the Lord in an Ordinance had come nigh to her Soul, it was a grief to her to think of going into worldly occasions; Oh how is her Soul satisfied, and abundantly filled in the presence of Christ now, Rev. 7.17.
2. If you would have comfort against your loss, lament after the Lord Christ his Spiritual presence; this Upright one makes the Upright such and keeps them such to their end: are they so precious, Oh how precious is Jesus, the favour of whose Ointment is such that the Virgins love him, and his love is better then Wine, therefore the Upright love him, Cant. 1. 3, 4. Oh pour out thy heart to Christ, and say, I lament my loss of an upright Servant of thine; Oh thou canst make up my loss by thy presence.
3. Preserve the memory of the Upright by imitating of them; it's a pleasing thing to love when it can no longer enjoy the presence of the Beloved, yet to preserve the memory of the Beloved; and is there anyway to preserve the memory of the Upright so as by imitating of them, Children are the Offspring of Parents, and are their Images, and therefore Parents live in their Children, especially if the Childe imitates his Parent; thence is the Proverb, That a Parent will live so long as that Childe lives. you Children, who have lost a very Godly Mother; you Christian Friends and Neighbours; who have lost a Godly Friend, need not exhort you to mourn, you have more need at this time of some comfort to prevent excess: But would you shew love indeed to her, Oh preserve her memory, and that must be by imitating of her, think and speak of, Oh weep and pray over these observable things in her Life and Death, that you prize Communion with God as she did, that you may love Prayer and Self examination as she did, and abound in good works; Thus shall her memory be blessed to you, Prov. 10.7 and you shall be Blessed at your latter ends.
Finis.
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