2. If the godly are so happy when they die, they go to a kingdom ; then, what lit- tle cause have we to mourn immoderately for the death of godly friends? Shall we mourn for their preferment ? AV^hy should] we shed tears immoderately for them who have all tears wiped from their eyes ? Wliy should we be swallowed up of grief, for them who arc s\vallowed up of Joy? They are gone to their kingdom; they are not. lost, but gone a little before ; not perished, but translated, Xo7i amissi sed pramissi, Cyprian. They are removed for their ad- vantage; as if one should be remoA'ed out of a smoky cottage to a palace. Elijah wjis removed in a fiery chariot to lieaven : shall Elisha weep inordinately because he enjoys not the company of Elijah ? Shall Jacob weep M'hen he knows his son Josej)h is pre- ferred and made chief ruler in Egy])t ? We should not be excessive in grief, when we know our godly friends are advanced io a kingdom. I confess, when any of our re- lations die in their imj)enitency, there is just cause of mourning, but not when our
fear death ! Are any afraid of going to a ^ friends take their flight to glory. David
3L
450
OF THE SECOND PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER
iost two sons; Absalom a wicked son, — he mourned for him bitterly ; he lost the child he had by Bathsheba, — he mourned not when the child was departed. St. Ambrose gives the reason, David had a good hope, nay, assurance that the child was translat- ed into heaven, but he doubted of Absa- lom ; he died in his sins, therefore David wept so for him, " O Absalom, my son, my son !" But though we are to weep to tliink any of our flesh should burn in hell, yet let us not be cast down for them who arc so highly preferred at death as to a kingdom. Our godly friends who die in the Lord, are in that blessed estate, and are crowned with such infinite delights, that if we could hear them speak to us out of hea- A'en, they would say, weep not for us, but weep for yourselves, Luke xxiii. 28. We are in our kingdom, weep not at our pre- ferment, " but weep for yourselves," who are in a sinful sorrowful world; you are tossing on the troublesome waves, but we are got to the haven ; you are fighting with temptations, while we are wearing a victo- rious crown ; ' weep not for us, but weep for yourselves
8. Branch. See the wisdom of the god- ly, they have the serpent's eye in the dove's head, wise virgins, Mat. xxv. 2. Their wisdom appears in their choice, they choose that which will bring them to a kingdom, they choose grace, and what is grace but the seed of glory ? They choose Christ with his cross, but this cross leads to a crown. Moses chose " rather to suffer affliction with the people of God," Ileb. xi. 25. It was a wise rational choice, he knew if he suff'ered he should reign. At the day of judgment, those whom the world accounted foolish will appear to be wise; they made a pru- dent choice, they chose holiness, and what is hapi)iness but the quintessence of holiness? ' They chose affliction with the people of God ;' but through tliis purgatory of afflic- tion, they pass to paradise. God will pro- claim the saints' wisdom before men and
angels.
9. Branch. See the folly of those who, for vain pleasures and profits, will lose such a glorious kingdom : like that cardinal of France, who said, " He would lose his ])art in paradise, if he might keep his cardinal-
ship in Paris." 1 may say, a«; Eccl. ix. .^., " Madness is in their heart." Lysimachus, for a draught of water, lost his empire ; so for a draught of sinful pleasure these will lose heaven. We too much resemble our grandfather Adam, who for an apple lost paradise ; many for trifles, to get a shilling more in the shop or bushel, will venture the loss of heaven. This will be an aggra- vation of the sinner's torment, to think how foolishly he Avas undone : for a flash of im- pure joy he lost an eternal weight of glory. Would it not vex one who is the lord of a manor, to think he should part with his stately inheritance for a fit of music ? Such are they who let heaven go for a song. This will make the devil insult at the last day, to think how he hath gulled men, and made them lose their souls and their happi- ness for ' lying vanities.' If Satan could make good his brag, in giAnng all the glory and kingdoms of the world, it could not countervail the loss of the celestial kincf- dom. All the tears in hell are not sufl'ici- ent to lament the loss of heaven.
Use 2d. Of reproof.