to the faithful and their seed; and if any of you miss it, it will be through your own ingratitude and contempt.

2 What a mercy is it that all her prayers for you are yet in force, and more of the answer of them may yet be sent you, if you reject it not.

3. You have yet all her holy counsels to remember, and they may profit you while you live.

4. And though she be gone, I hope her example will never be forgotten by you.

5. And what a mercy is it that, under all her infirmities, you enjoyed her so long.

6. And yet how much greater cause of thankfulness have you that she so lived and so died, and that you may think of her with comfort as being with Christ, and hope to be with her for ever. Every one hath had a mother, but every one had not such a mother as you have had.

(4.) And I have intimated your duty, while I have mentioned your loss and mercy.

1. Think over often what sin she reproved in you, and what counsel she gave you; and now revive your resolution to obey it. 2. Remember what she was wont to pray for on your behalf f; and let it not now be along of your neglect or wilfulness, that are without it.

you

3. Remember her humble, moderate, holy example; and think whether your souls have not as much need of the greatest care and diligence as her's had? And why should not you be as studious to please God, and make sure of heaven as she was? Bless God that you have such a pattern, that hath so long dwelt with you, for your imitation, next your imitation of Christ. Holy simplicity is despised by the world, but it will prove the only wisdom at the last.

I have told you what use to make of the example of our deceased friend. Let me now tell you what use of the text which she so much loved, transcribed, and chose.

I. And, first, here you may learn the nature of true faith and sound religion. It taketh God's testimonies and promises for our heritage, and for the comfort of our hearts. It is not true faith, unless we so trust God's promises for this life and that to come, as to take what he promiseth for our best, and our inheritance, and his promise for our best security and title, and his law for our governing rule that we may obtain it.

So that, 1. Here you see how we differ from infidels that do

not trust their everlasting hopes and happiness on the promise of God.

2. And how we differ from hypocrites who speak best of heaven, but really look for their best on earth, which Christ calleth "trusting in their riches," because that is, indeed, their trust, from which they have their greatest expectations, and for which they most labour and will leave all this a believer doth for promised happiness; and this the worldly hypocrite doth for the prosperity of the flesh on earth.

3. And here you see that faith and godliness are not melancholy, uncomfortable things, as the devil and the flesh would persuade inexperienced fools and unbelievers, unless it be sad to have security from God of a heavenly heritage, and rejoice therein.

And here you see the differences between the mirth of a fleshly infidel, and of a believing saint. One is like a drunkard that is merry for an hour in a brutish kind of befooling pleasure; or like one that hath a pleasant dream, or one that heareth a jest or merry tale, or seeth a pretty comedy or show. The other is more rational and heart-contenting than it should be to any of you to have good security for many hundred years' life and health, and prosperity here on earth. Such a birthright do profane fools sell for such a morsel, not knowing that the fear of God caused by true faith is the beginning of wisdom.

Hence, therefore, we may learn how to try our sincerity of faith. Doth it make us take God's promise and the thing promised, as our heritage? Though we are not without temptations to doubting, nay, nor without the remnants of unbelief, but our hearts are troubled, when we look beyond death, with many fears; yet if we so far trust God's word, as resolvedly to take it for that which we will adhere to, and lay our chiefest hopes upon, we have a faith that will entitle us to the promised benefits.

Object. But some may say, 'I cannot say that it is the rejoicing of my heart.'

Answ. 1. Can you say that you take it for that in which you place and seek your joy, though you cannot yet attain it; and that you prefer any other pleasure in your esteem and choice and seeking? If so, you show that you truly believe and trust to the faithfulness of God's word, though yet you reach not what you seek. Desire is the first-fruit of faith and love, and holy joy is the flower and perfection.

2. Cannot you say that it is this word that maketh you hope that there is for man a better life, and that you shall not perish like the beasts, and that your fears and sorrows are somewhat abated by the promises of God?

3. Cannot you say that you perceive a pleasing goodness in the word of God, which maketh it welcome and acceptable to you?

By what I have mentioned, you may find,

1. That the word hath not been in vain unto you, when it hath caused such effects.

2. And that the same Spirit is in you which wrote the word, or else you would not love and desire it, and take it for suitable food and pleasure, yea, your heritage and joy.

3. And you may hence perceive that you are not without the love of God himself, though you see him not, and have not such sensible conceptions of him as you have of men and things which you have seen; for if you love truth and goodness and holiness in God's word, because it is such, you sure love best the greatest truth, goodness, and holiness, and that is God.

4. And hence you may perceive that though our nature love not death, and a weak faith will not overcome all fears, when we think of coming into an unseen world, yet really you are lovers of heaven, in that you are lovers of that which constituteth heaven and is its desirableness to man; even holiness and God's love, and glorious presence, and our perpetual joy herein. If you desire this, you desire heaven, though the fear of death do make you doubt of it.

5. And hence you may find that you are not worldly hypocrites, else it is not God's promises and law that you would take for your heritage and joy; but worldly prosperity and fleshly pleasure, and God and heaven should have but the leavings of the flesh, for fear of an after-reckoning at death.

6. And though your joy be small, you may know that it is of the right kind, when it is chiefly sought in God's love and promises; and you would not let go the word of God, and lose your part in it for all the vanities of this world. III. Hence also you may learn why all true much value the testimonies or word of God? much read it, think of it, talk of it, and hear loth that papists should corrupt it, or conceal it in an unknown tongue, or that any should deny them the necessary use of it, or

Christians so Why they so of it, and are

silence the ministers that preach it to them? who would will ingly be deprived of his heritage or heart rejoicing?

IV. Yea, indeed, hence we see how much we should set by it, and use it, how dear it should be to us, how strictly we should obey it, with what delight we should read and meditate in it, how diligent we should be to confirm our belief of it, and how we should fetch our hope and comfort from it in life and at our death?

V. And you may see hence that it is no wonder that the devil and all his servants in the world are enemies to the word of God, because they are enemies to our heritage and joy and there are few better signs while many pretend to be for Christ, to know who are really for him, and who are against him and his greatest enemies, than to judge of men as they further or hinder, love or hate, the word of God as to its proper use, as the heritage and joy of holy souls.

VI. But the chief part of my application is to commend this wise and holy choice, and solid comfort, to you all; and to beseech you presently to imitate David, and turn away from all inconsistent pleasures. If you live in sorrow or deceit, and die in desperation, it is not for want of an offer from God of better things. Have you lived hitherto as thus resolved? If you have, the Lord confirm you; and, be sure, such hopes shall not deceive you. If you have not, what will you now choose and do? If you live not to some end, you live not like men, according to reason. If you have chosen what end to live for and seek, what is it? Consider, I beseech you, of these things following, before it be too late.

1. What will you take for your heritage, or your best, if not the future promised joys, and what will you take for your security but God's word? What is it that you place your chiefest hopes in? Shall health and wealth, and pleasure to the flesh, and honour among men, be taken for your heritage? Dare you, under your hands, make a covenant for these to quit all your hopes of the life to come? If not, which is it you prefer, and which would you quit, if one must be hazarded or lost? Which hath the nearest and highest place in your hearts? Which seek you first, and make all other things give place to? O sirs! it is a shame to our stupid hearts, that we have need to be so often told by preachers that we must die, and that our flesh must shortly lie neglected in dust and darkness, till the resurrection, and that we, and all the deceitful trifles of this world, are ready

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to part for ever! It is a shame that we must be oft told that which every fool and child, at the use of reason, may know, how poor and how short an heritage, or pleasure, all those have, who have no better than this world can give them!

What say you; will you die in hope, or in despair? If unbelief make you hope that there is no hell, yet hope of heaven you can have none, unless you trust the word of God. The light of nature, indeed, is such a natural word, or revelation, as may tell us much of a future life of retribution; but God's supernatural revelation is so much clearer, that we cannot expect that he will see by a lesser, who wilfully rejects a greater light. Sure all men would live for ever if they could, and all would be for ever happy. You would not sure die like dogs, without any hope of a better life hereafter, if you could have good security for such hopes? And what better security is there to be found by mortal men than the promises of God, confirmed by Christ's blood and miracles, and by the seal of his Holy Spirit.

In a word, without all doubt, either heaven must be your heritage, or you must have none that is worthy of a serious thought, and enough to keep a man from wishing that he had never been born; or been a brute that had not reason to know the matter of his griefs and fears and either God's word seconding the light of nature, must give you hopes of a better life, or you must live and die in mere despair. And shall that

be your wilful choice?

2. Consider how invaluable a mercy it is to man, yea, to sinful, miserable man, that God should vouchsafe to give him such an everlasting heritage, and such security for it; and that on the mere thankful acceptance of the sinner. And how worthily will they be undone that, by wilful refusal, are deprived of freely offered felicity.

3. And, consider how suitable an heritage and security it is that is offered us, and how fit for our joyful acceptance and

esteem.

The thing promised is no less than endless glory with God our Redeemer, and all the blessed. It is in the world where we must be for ever it is the perfection of that which every holy soul desireth. It is our best, our all: it must be that or nothing; that or hell.

The word or covenant which is our trust,

1. Is God's own word.

2. It perfecteth and secondeth natural revelation and hope.