Thy friend by an act of favour is disbanded by death, whilbtthou thyself art left to endure a great fight of affliction. And now if trou- bles come, thy cares and fears will be so much the less, and thy own death so much the easier to thee; when so much of thee is in hea- ven already. In this case the Lord, by a merciful dispensation, is providing both for their safety, and thy own easier passage to them.
In removing thy friends before-hand, he seems to say to thee, as he did to Peter, John xiii. 7. " What I do thou knowest not now, " but thou shalt know hereafter." The eye of providence hath a prospect far beyond thine ; probably it would be a harder task for thee to leave them behind, than to follow them.
A tree that is deeply rooted in the earth, requires many strokes to fell it ; but when its roots are loosed before-hand, then an easy stroke lays down upon the earth.
Consider. 6. A parting time must needs come^ and why is not this as good as another P You knew before-hand your child or friend was mortal, and that the thread that linked you together must be cut. If any one, (saith Basil), had asked you when your child was born, What is that which is born ? What would you have answered ? Would you not have said, It is a man ? And if a man, then a mortal, vanishing thing. And why then are you surprized with wonder to see a dying thing dead ?
He, (saith * Seneca), who complains that one is dead, complains that he was a man. All men are under the same condition, to whose share it falls to be born, to him it remains to die.
We are indeed distinguished by the intervals, but equalized in tlio issue : " It is appointed to all men once to die,'' Heb. ix. 27. There is a statute law of heaven in the case.
Possibly you think this is the worst time for parting that could be; had you enjoyed it longer, you could have parted easier ; but how are you deceived in that ? The longer you had enjoyed it, the more loth still you would have been to leave it ; the dcejier it would have rooted itself in your affection.
* Bear the law of necessity with an even mind. How many besides you must sorrow ?
634- A TOKEN FOIl MOURNEilS.
Had God given you sucli a privilege as was once granted to tlie English parliament; that the union betwixt you and your friend should not be dissolved till you yourself were willing it should be dissolved ; when, think you, would you have been willing it should be dissolved ? It is well for us and ours that our times are in God's hand, and not in our own. And how immature soever it seemed to be when it was cut down ; yet it " came to the grave in a full age, as a shock of " corn in its season," Job v. 26. They that are in Christ, and in the covenant, never die unseasonably, whensoever they die (saitti * one upon the text), ' They die in a good old age; yea, though they ^ die in the spring and flower of youth ; they die in a good old age ; ' i. e. they are ripe for death whenever they die. Whenever the ' godl}^ die, it is harvest time with him ; though in a natural capacity ' he be cut down while he is green, and cropt in the bud or blossom ; ' yet in his spiritual capacity he never dies before he is ripe ; God can * ripen him speedily, he can let out such warm rays and beams of his ' Holy Spirit upon them, as shall soon mature the seeds of grace ' into a preparedness for glory.'
It was doubtless the most fit and seasonable time for them that ever they could die in, and as it is a fit time for them, so for you also. Had it lived longer, it might either have engaged you more, and so your parting would have been hai'der ; or else have puzzled and stumbled you more by discovering its natural corruption : and then what a stinging aggravation of your sorrow would that have been ? Surely the I^ord of time is the best judge of time ; and in nothing do we more discover our folly and rashness, than in presuming to fix the times either of our comforts or troubles ; as for our comforts, we never think they can come too soon ; we would have them presently, whether the season be fit or not, as Num. xii. 13. " Heal her now, " Lord." O let it be done speedily ; we are in post-haste for our comforts, and for our afflictions we never think they come late enough ; not at this time. Lord, rather at any other time than now. But it is good to leave the timeing both of the one and the other to him, whose works are all beautiful in their seasons, and never doth any thing in an improper time.
Consider. 7. Call to mind in this day of ironhlc, tlie covenant you have imth Gcd, and what you solemnly promised him in the day you took him for your God.
It will be very seasonable and usefid for thee, Christian, at this time to reflect upon these transactions, and the frame of thy heart in those days, when an heavier load of sorrow prest thy heart, than thou now fcelest.
In those your spiritual distresses, when the burden of sin lay heavy, the curse of the law, the fear of hell, the dread of death and eternity beset thee on every side, and shut thee up to Ciu'ist, the only
* Cai^l. on the place.
A TOKEN FOR MOURNERS. QS5
door of hope ; ah ! what good news wouklst tliou then have account- ed it, to escape that danger with the loss of all earthly comforts ! Was not this thy cry in those days ? * Lord, give me Christ, and
< deny me whatever else thou pleasest. Pardon my sin, save my soul, « and, in order to both, unite me with Christ, and I will never repine * or open my mouth. Do what thou wilt with me ; let me be
< friendless, let me be childless, let me be poor, let me be any thino* ' rather than a christless, graceless, hopeless soul/
And when the Lord hearkened to thy cry, and shewed thee mercy; when he drew thee off from the world into thy closet, and there treated with thee in secret, when he was working up thy heart to the terms of his covenant, and made thee willing to accept Christ upon his own terms ; O then, how heartily didst thou submit to his yoke, as most reasonable and easy, as at that time it seemed to thee ?
Call to mind these days, the secret places where Christ and you made the bargain ; have not these words, or words to this sense been whispered by thee into his ear with a dropping eye, and meltin"* heart ?
' Lord Jesus, here am I, a poor guilty sinner, deeply laden with ^ sin ; fear and trouble upon one hand, and there is a just God, a ' severe law, and everlasting burnings, on the other hand ; but ' blessed be God, O blessed be God for Jesus the Mediator, who in- ' terposeth betwixt me and it. Thou art the only door of hope at ' which I can escape, thy blood the only means of my pardon and ' salvation. Thou hast said, " Come unto me all ye that labour, ' and are heavy laden." Thou hast promised, that he that cometh ' to thee, shall in no wise be cast out.