Deaths Deliverance and Elijahs Fiery Chariot, Title page – Dedication
DEATHS DELIVERANCE, AND ELIAHES FIERY CHARET, OR The Holy mans Triumph after Death.
Delivered in two Sermons preached at PLYMOVTH, the one the 16. the other the 19. of Auguſt: the former at the Funerall of Thomas Sherwill, an Eminent and pious Magiſtrate of that place. 1631.
By ALEXANDER GROSSE now Paſtor of Bridford.
PSAL. 37.37.
Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace.
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Paine, for Francis Eaglesfield, and are to be ſold at the Mary-gold in Saint Pauls Church-yard. 1640.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL IOHN WADDON Maior of Plimmouth, and the reſidue of that famous Corporation, the bleſſed increaſe of all Grace on earth, and the fulneſſe of all Glory in Heaven.
Right Worſhipfull, and much reſpected,
IT is an Axiome among the Logicians: Quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis: and ſutably, wee are taught by dayly experience, that the welfare and iſſue of our actions is much dependant upon other mens interpretations: ſometimes groundleſſe ſurmiſes, cauſeleſſe jealouſies of mens intentions, ends, and purpoſes, doe put an evill conſtruction upon a very good and holy undertaking, and turne the ſweeteſt flower into a loathſome, and unſavory weede: thus Davids a2 Sam. 10.3.4.5.ſervants ſent by him in kindnes, to viſit and comfort Hanun after the death of his father, were upon a groundleſſe jealouſie entertained as ſpies, and not as friends, ſent away not with thankes, but with diſgrace; having their garments cut off to the buttockes, and their beards ſhaved off to the halfe. Sometimes the low eſtate and condition of the Agent, doth much obſcure and darken the glory of the worke; thus Salomon tells us,bEccle. 9.15. there was a little City, and few men in it; and there came a great King againſt it, and beſieged it, and built great bulwarkes againſt it; now there was found in it a poore wiſe man, and he by his wiſedome delivered the City, yet no man remembred that ſame poore man: the jewell is deſpiſed becauſe the Casket is not rich and gilded; & thence it was that they looked on our Saviour, as on acEſay 53.2. dry tree, as on one that had no beauty for which they ſhould deſire him; called intodMat. 13.54, 55, 56, 57. queſtion his learning, tooke offence at him, becauſe as man, he had (as they conceived) a poore originall; ſometimes a prejudicate conceit, a foreſtalled opinion; this maketh men witheIohn. 1.46. Nathaniel to queſtion whether any good can come out Nazareth. Sometimes want of Complement, and humane varniſhings, to ſet forth the worke; the cloath is not regarded, becauſe the lace wanteth: Thus Pauls preaching ſeemedf1 Cor. 1. fooliſh to the Grecians, becauſe it wanted the inticing words of mans wiſedome. Holy intentions, good and profitable undertakings, have many clouds to darken them, many tongues of a vicious and different temper to gloſſe upō them: But for mine own part (the integrity of mine intentions warranting to mine own heart this enterprize) I am reſolved with S. Paul, to take it a ſmall thing to be judged ofg1 Cor. 4.3. mans judgement. If I may do any good, give any light, miniſter any comfort, though but to one poore ſoule, by my weake and deſpiſed endeavours, I feare not, I regard not a thouſand cenſures. It is not the importunitie of others, the commemoration of paſt kindneſſes, expectation of, or invention unto future favours, but the love I beare to the parties deceaſed, my deſire to have their memoriall preſerved, continued; the refreſhing of your memories with the bleſsing ye enjoyed by their life, and the loſſe ye ſuſtaine by their death; the quickning of you to an holy converſation, the preparing of you for your own diſſolution, are the moving cauſes of the publication of theſe two Sermons.
It is not earthly honour, worldly fulneſſe, fleſhly pleaſures, vaniſhing greatneſſe, tranſitory abundance, that is the richeſt jewell, the brighteſt Sunne, the ſweeteſt muſicke, the moſt honorable Crowne; all theſe are ſand ſinking, exhalations vaniſhing, thornes pricking, Eagles flying away,hProv. 23.5 things which are not. Theſe are often given for a ſnare, as Sauls i1 Sam. 18 21.daughter to David; Theſe likekJudg. 16.19. Dalilah betray us, after they have ſung ſweetly to us, cut off our lockes, ſpoyle us of what ſhould make us happie, and involve us in an irrecoverable miſerie: likelIudg. 4.20, 21. Iael, after they have fed us, cloathed us, and in our imagination ſecured us, drive the naile of deſtruction into our temples: like Abſaloms feaſt form2 Sam. 13.28. Amnon, they doe but prepare us for deſtruction. To a ſoule ſavingly enlightned, unfainedly humbled, truely ſanctified, throughly affected with the taſte of Gods goodneſſe, bleſſedly enriched with ſpirituall and heavenly graces, beautified and adorned with the precious pearle ſurpaſsing all earthly merchandiſe: what theſe things are let Gregory ſpeake;Greg. in 1 Reg. cap. 20. quid divitiae pereuntes, & tranſitoriae facultates, niſi ſtercora, aeterna diligentibus? what are periſhing riches, and tranſitorie abilities, but dung to them that love eternitie? And thus Paul accounted all to be butnPhil. 3.8. dung and droſſe in compariſon of the knowledge of Chriſt Ieſus. It is not greatneſſe, but goodneſſe; not worldly riches, but heavenly graces; not the higheſt top of earthly felicities, but true holineſſe, is the way leading to the Crowne, and joy of never failing continuance. Though (as one ſaith) the purſuite of purity is deemed the height of folly; yet you ſhall find this infallibly, conſtantly, unchangeably true; That true godlineſſe, the religious exerciſe of holy duties, heavenly walking with God, is a pillar of the greateſt ſtrength to ſupport, a ſtarre of the brighteſt light to direct, a jewell of the richeſt price to enrich, a flower of the moſt orient and ſhining beauty to adorne, and a ſhield of the moſt tryed metall to defend any Kingdome, towne, family, people or particular perſon.
Many bee the inſtruments and meanes which God of his goodneſſe hath ordained, prepared, ſanctified, for the begetting, breeding, nouriſhing, eſtabliſhing, and perfecting of this godlineſſe, this religion in the hearts of his people: among the many, theſe two, the Miniſterie of the Goſpel, meditation upon our uncertaine, yet ſpeedy diſſolutiō, are not the leaſt effectual, preualent, and powerfull, to make us ſpeedy, carefull, and circumſpect runners in this race, and to forward us in this holy and bleſſed worke. Therefore as theoMat. 24.24. Eagles gather themſelves to the Carkaſſe, as thepMica. 4.1, 2. waters flow to the Ocean, as theqIoh. 5.4.5. lame men came to Betheſda, as the Queene of the South came from farre to heare the wiſedom of Salomon; ſo come ye, attend, wait upon, reverence, receive, embrace and love the holy and faithfull Miniſtrie of the VVord. Here is the ſweeteſt muſick that ever eare heard, the delicat'ſt Feaſt that ever palate taſted, the moſt comfortable tidings that ever man brought, the moſt glorious light that ever eye did ſee: here is a garden which hath a flower for every ſanctified noſtrill; an Artillerie-houſe, wherein are weapons for every ſouldier fighting Gods battell; an Apothecaries ſhoppe that hath a healing medicine for every wounded ſoule; here is a Counſellor for every circumciſed eare, a guide for every traveller, a comforter for every ſorrowfull and dejected ſpirit. This is the inſtrumentall ſtaffe and ſtay of Gods children; the Crowne and glory of the Lords people. But as our Saviour tooke occaſion, from the quality of the perſons receiving the Goſpel, to ſay,ſMat. 11.5, 6. the poore receive the Goſpel, and bleſſed is hee that is not offended in me; So may I take occaſion from the conditiō of the perſons preaching, and from their manner of teaching to ſay,tEſay 11.6. Pſal. 8.2 2 Cor. 10.1…. mortal men, weake men, men of low eſtate and condition, men whoſe bodily preſence is weake, and ſpeech contemptible, preach the Goſpel, and that in a plaine manner without oſtentation: and bleſſed is he that is not offended, becauſe this Treaſure is brought in a wooden Veſſell, becauſe men preach not themſelves, but Chriſt; that ſo the excellency of the power may appeare to be of God, and not of men. Jt is with us indeede, as we are carnall, as it was with Antiochus, Livi: lib. 37. Plut. in Comp. Scipio. & Annib.and his people, in another caſe. Hiſtory makes mention, how Antiochus prepared againſt the Romans an Army very great and huge, of men of many Nations, but white livered Souldiers, not ſo ſtrong with armour, as gliſtering with gold and ſilver: Antiochus himſelfe was amazed at the ſight of it, and thought it invincible; and ſo did the ſimple fooles of his Countrey: but the Romans contemned it, and Annibal jeſted at it. So naturall men being to wage warre againſt their ſpirituall adverſaries, willu2 Tim. 4.3. heape up many teachers, and if their Sermons gliſter with the gold and ſilver, or rather with the gilded braſſe, and copper of humane eloquence, ſupercilious ſpeeches, curious and quaint conceipts and devices, though there be little or no ſpirituall power in it; yet they ſtand amazed at it think that the battle is wonne, that the day and crowne is theirs: when it is too apparent that Satan, and ſinne, like Annibal and his Romans, doe ſcorne, and are no more moved, no more affrighted with it, then with the admiration uſed by thexActs 19.15. ſonnes of Sheva, where Satan prevailed, & they ran away wounded; for as Satan ſayd to them: Paul I know, & Ieſus I know, but what are ye? So in this caſe the evill ſpirit wil, at leaſt may ſay: them that preach Chriſt ſincerely, faithfully, powerfully, I know; but what are the feeble ſayings of Heatheniſh Philoſophers, or the rythmes and fictions of fond Poets, who ſanctified theſe as a meanes to conquer ſinne and Sathan? Two things have I found, (which J propoſe to the view and cenſure of all the Lords people) the one by internall ſenſe and feeling, the other by externall obſervation: the firſt is this; The more or leſſe the Miniſter of God hath of the Spirit in his preaching, ſo much the more or leſſe powerfull is his Sermon, either for conviction, converſion, or conſolation: The ſecond is this, That holy, humble, and faithfull Paſtors, though for humane Eloquence like Cicero, for their abilities in Philoſophy like Ariſtotle, for their verſifying faculty like Ovid; yet in Gods Sanctuarie have they laid aſide theſe weapons, and ſtudied to preach God & Chriſt Jeſus, not out of Homer, Virgil, Cicero, Ariſtotle, but of out the Sacred Scriptures, with allx1 Cor. 14.18, 19. poſsible plainneſſe, fit for mens capacities. And for mine owne part, I thinke Gods Miniſters ſhould uſe humane helpes, as Abraham did hisyGen. 22.5. Aſſe and his Servant; they may goe with them to the foot of the Hill, & there ſtay, but not aſcend into the Sanctuary, where they preach Chriſt Ieſus, and offer their ſpiritual ſacrifice, except in ſomezAct. 17.28. Tit. 1.12. extraordinary caſes. For thus S. Auguſtine: In doctrina ſacrae Scripturae authoritatem debet Epiſcopus praeferre, non ſaecularium literarū peritiam oſtentare; non enim Epiſcopi eſt officium Grammaticam exponere, nec laudes Iovis perſonet os pontificis: that is, the Miniſter muſt preferre the authority of ſacred Scripture in his teaching, and not ſhew forth his skill in ſecular or humane learning; it is not the dutie of a Miniſter to expound Grammer, or ſound forth the prayſes of Jupiter: this have I made hold to tell you, that you may not ſticke in cortice, in the naked world of a Sermon, like men that behold onelyonly the outſide of the houſe; but open the doore, goe in, and ſee what good cheere the Spirit of God doth make there for your ſoules;Origen in Levit. Hom. 39. for as Origen ſaith, Spiritus divinis verbis convaleſcit, nutrimenta ſpiritus ſunt divina lectio, orationes aſſiduae, ſermo doctrinae; his alitur cibis, his convaleſcit, his actor efficitur: It is not an humane but a divine word which nouriſheth, and maketh the ſoule holily operative: it is Gods word which doth enlighten the underſtanding, awaken the conſcience, purifie the affection, reconcile to God, worke peace in the heart, and fill the inward man with all goodneſſe: thinke of theſe things, and of many poore ſoules that amongst you come within the walles of the Lords houſe, and there ſtand and ſee, but heare not, that you may accordingly provide for your owne, and their everlaſting good.
And as the holy, and ſoule-refreſhing Miniſterie of the Goſpell, ſo alſo the ſerious meditation of our owne ſlippery ſtanding, fleeting condition, is a ſpur very forcible to quicken us in the way of righteouſneſſe: were that of the Prophet to Ezekiah, a2 King. 20.thou mayeſt not live but die, ever ſounding in our eares, and freſh in our memories, it would cauſe us to ſet both houſe and ſoule in order, it would cauſe us with the Merchant to buy while the Mart laſteth, with the Traveller to walke while the light ſhineth, with the Mariner to row while the tide ſerveth. And that the word of God may now be pleaſant and profitable, your death at the laſt comfortable and gainfull; let the preſence, power, and increaſe of theſe foure inſuing graces, like foure precious jewels adorne you. 1. Humilitie, which is in Gods eye ab1 Pet. 3.3. Pearle of great price, a fruit, an evidence of thecProv. 11.2. wiſedome which is from above, the firſtdMat. 11.29. leſſon learned in the Schoole of Chriſt Jeſus, and that which maketh us capeableeIam. 4.6. of all graces. 2. Sinceritie, let your inward diſpoſition, your outward converſation, be like our Saviours Coate without ſeame; it is yourfPſal 32.1, 2. bleſſedneſſe, your prayſe before God and all good men now, and will be your joy and yourg2 Cor. 1.12. glory at the laſt, to bee true Iſraelites, right Nathaniels, in whom is no guile. 3. Vnitie, a holy concord, a ſweete agreement in every good way betwixt your ſelves: this is a fruit of the higheſthIoh. 1. Iam. 3.17. wiſedome, like aiPſal. 13 3.1.2. precious oyntment in Gods noſtrils, a ſingular ſweetning of your mutuall converſation, commerce, and communication, a great ſtrengthning, and a powerfull prevention of much evill. 4. Conſtancy in all the waies of God, having begunne in the ſpirit, end not in the fleſh, be not weary of well doing; having put your hand to Gods plow, looke not back, but come forth as thekPſal. 19.5. Sunne, like a Bridegroome out of his Chamber, adorned with all ſpirituall ſplendor and brightneſſe; and rejoyce yee like a mighty man to runne the race of Gods Commandements:lIſa. 40.31. mount up like the Eagle, walke on, and faint not; ſo ſhall you at the laſt embrace death as a friend, reſt in your grave, as on a Bed of Downe, have your ſoules carried in a fiery Chariot into Heaven, be entertained with moſt ſweete embracements by the LORD IESVS, and have with IEHOVAH bleſſed for ever, the full fruition of endleſſe joyes in his moſt glorious Kingdome: This He unfainedly deſireth, who ever reſteth.
Yours in all holy ſervices, Alexander Groſſe.