m the first laying of these mud
walls in my conception, they have mouldered away, and the whole course
of life is but an active death. Whether this voice instruct me that I am
a dead man now, or remember me that I have been a dead man all this
while. I humbly thank thee for speaking in this voice to my soul; and I
humbly beseech thee also to accept my prayers in his behalf, by whose
occasion this voice, this sound, is come to me. For though he be by
death transplanted to thee, and so in possession of inexpressible
happiness there, yet here upon earth thou hast given us such a portion
of heaven, as that though men dispute whether thy saints in heaven do
know what we in earth in particular do stand in need of, yet, without
all disputation, we upon earth do know what thy saints in heaven lack
yet for the consummation of their happiness, and therefore thou hast
afforded us the dignity that we may pray for them. That therefore this
soul, now newly departed to thy kingdom, may quickly return to a joyful
reunion to that body which it hath left, and that we with it may soon
enjoy the full consummation of all in body and soul, I humbly beg at thy
hand, O our most merciful God, for thy Son Christ Jesus' sake. That that
blessed Son of thine may have the consummation of his dignity, by
entering into his last office, the office of a judge, and may have
society of human bodies in heaven, as well as he hath had ever of souls;
and that as thou hatest sin itself, thy hate to sin may be expressed in
the abolishing of all instruments of sin, the allurements of this world,
and the world itself; and all the temporary revenges of sin, the stings
of sickness and of death; and all the castles, and prisons, and
monuments of sin, in the grave. That time may be swallowed up in
eternity, and hope swallowed in possession, and ends swallowed in
infiniteness, and all men ordained to salvation in body and soul be one
entire and everlasting sacrifice to thee, where thou mayst receive
delight from them, and they glory from thee, for evermore. Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

[247] Levit. xxi. 1.

[248] Wisd. xiv. 14.

[249] Wisd. xiii. 10.

[250] Wisd. xiii. 18.

[251] Isaiah, viii. 19.

[252] Deut. xxxiii. 6.

[253] Zech. xi. 9.

[254] Jude, 12.

[255] Exod. xii. 30.

[256] Rev. i. 5.

[257] 1 Sam. xix. 11.

[258] Rev. iii. 2.

[259] Judg. vi, 23.

[260] Numb. xx. 26.

[261] 1 Kings, xvi. 19.

[262] John, viii. 21.

[263] John, viii. 24.