The Churchs Triumph, Title page – Publishers advertisement
The Church's Triumph over Death.
A Funeral-Sermon PREACHED Upon the Deceaſe of Bleſſed Mr. Robert Fleming, Late Paſtor of a Church in Rotterdam.
By DANIEL BƲRGESS.
Miſeri Infideles appellant Mortem; Fideles vero quid niſi Paſcham? Bern. de Divin. Amor.
Mors, Chriſtianis Ludus eſt; Vinc. Lirinenſ.
London, Printed by J. D. for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, and Andr. Bell and J. Luntley at the Peſtle and Mortar in Chancery-lane. 1694.
To the Right Worſhipful Sir Henry Aſhhurſt, Baronet.
SIR,
THERE is a Frenzy abroad, of which Men do together Adore the Pipes, and Neglect the Fountain. Make great court to his Miniſters, and ſlight the King; the King eternal. Worſhipping the Stars that do lead to Chriſt, and crucifying to themſelves afreſh, the Chriſt that they lead unto; yea, by Unbelief and Diſobedience, putting him to open Shame. But, I muſt Hope better things of You. And believe it to be your Love of Chriſt, that conſtrains you to receive a Paul, and an Apollos, as an Angel of God, yea as Chriſt himſelf.
Wherefore, as your extraordinary Kindneſs to another renowned Saint hath been told to the World by incomparable Pens; By Mr. Baxter foreign, and by Dr. Bates in Dedicat. Epiſtles.I do reſolve, that whereſoever this Sermon ſhall be read, your like Affection to our heavenly FLEMING ſhall have its Memorial.
Very deeply I am impreſſed with your Favours done unto both: For their Love was eminent, and much exceeded the Fame of it, to a Man Born to Reproach. And not pretending to be Richer than his Brethren, in any other Treaſure.
A Love to be wondered at; had it not been ſo known, that God is Love. And that, therefore, Love is Godlineſs. And, where Godlineſs abounds, Loving-kindneſs overflows. As we ſee in Angels, that do flagrantly Love the leaſt of Abraham's Children. And highly honour the meaneſt of ſanctified Worms.
As for the Former, Jonathan muſt needs have known his David; and the World will by and by have his Life in Folio to read. And, as concerning the Latter, as little as any Man do you need to be told, with what a Fulneſs of God he was filled. Sir, Your wondring Eyes were your Witneſſes. The great Love he bare you, gave you more than common Knowledg of him; whoſe Humility and Modeſty hid him ſo, that he was not much known, unto thoſe who knew him moſt. As Ezekiel ſpeaks of other Angels, his Wings ſo covered his Feet. However, ſo much you ſaw, that, as very well you might, you ſingularly loved him. And eſteemed his Love unto you, to be of that Kind which is moſt valuable next unto God's own Love.
For the Information of others, ſomewhat is ſaid of this Man of God, in the following Pages. Whereto I can add this, which was ſaid of the famous Antonine; He hath this Praiſe crowning all the reſt, that he hath no Gain-ſayer of his Praiſes. I hear not of any Duſt to be blown off from this Diamond.
Honoured Sir;
Two or three of your Letters to me, bewailed the World's Loſs, the Church's, and Your own, in the Departure of holy FLEMING. Nor do I doubt, but the beſt of the Church, and World do lay it to heart. Even, generally, all that hear, how much Light, and Salt, and Balm, is taken from a needy Age.
For your Relief, and others, this is all in this Place to be ſaid. It is elſewhere ſhewn, how we may hold Departed Saints in our Sight and in our Service. Commemoration of Saints departed, on Heb. 13.7.If the Courſe there preſcribed be duly followed, I am certain that this Saint's Death ſhall not be only his own Gain: But his Aſcenſion to Heaven, ſhall be made to further our Converſation therein. And notably contribute unto the Victory, Joy, and Triumph of Faith, which this Sermon deſcribes.
Thereto I diſmiſs you, without any Sallies of Flattery; the common Sin and Scandal of Dedications. It muſt be confeſſed, that if all Praiſe of Sir Henry Aſhhurſt be Flattery, Old England and New are overrun with that Leproſy. And, the Iſraelites are much more ſick of its Plague, than the Egyptians be. The Name of ASHHURST was left richly perfumed by your excellent Father. And, I hear not but it is ſo kept by your Self and your Right Honourable Brother. Sir William A. Lord-Mayor.Otherwiſe, you had before this time loudly heard of it. For they do ſink deepeſt, who fall from Pinacles higheſt; they who were at firſt the beſt Angels, are now the worſt Devils, ſaith Du Moulin. And by the Old Law, you had been condemned to be burnt for the Profanation of ſuch a Father's Name. Comprehenditur cum filiâ filius, &c. Calv.Lev. 21.9.
Surely the Sun muſt have looked Pale, and the Spheres have caſt out their Stars, if ſuch as You and my Lord had forſaken your God, and the God of your Fathers! And had left no better to be ſaid of you, than Philoſtratus ſays of Perinthius; Barely, that he was the Son of Rufus.
But, Sir, as you very well know; my Office is to bring low all Mountains and Hills; not, the contrary. And, as my own Heart ſweetly knows, my Ambition is to Edify, not Magnify you; to ſerve your Faith, not your Fame; which, as it leſs needs it, doth leſs deſerve it. Much rather would I provoke you to one good Work, than make known all that ever you did. And be the meaneſt Inſtrument to make you a better Man, than a Trumpet to proclaim you a good one.
Plain dealing is a Jewel; and will appear ſo one day, though now there be much more of it at the Mill than about the Throne. And, I do account that Earthly-Gods themſelves are ſeldom ſo richly treated, as my Friends that be entertained with theſe Complements. Sc. That, BARONETS muſt periſh without the New-Birth. That, A Repenting Lazarus is of better Eſtate than a Jovial Dives. That, A Grain of holy Faith is worth more than a Mountain of pure Gold. That, In the Day of Judgment, Chriſt will be Aſhamed of the Greateſt, that are now Aſhamed of Chriſtianity. That, Royal Heads, Honourable, and Worſhipful Ones, muſt worſhip God's Majeſty, or bear his Fury! That, There is no Safety for the Higheſt on Earth, without Truſt in the moſt High in Heaven. That, They ſhall ſuffer eternal Death, who Love not Chriſt Jeſus above the richeſt Life. That, No Greatneſs can ſave them from Vengeance, who deny Chriſt Reverence. That, Whatever their Rank is in this World, their Portion ſhall be everlaſting Shame, who do not all that they do to God's Glory. That, The moſt Proſperous who will not ſubmit to God's Afflicting-hand, ſhall not eſcape his Revenging-hand! That, If they Love not their Enemies, and Bleſs them that Curſe them, and Do good to them that Hate them, and Pray for them that Deſpitefully uſe them, and Perſecute them; they ſhall not be the Children of God. Finally, that, Whoſoever of them ſhall Live without Dying Thoughts, he ſhall Die without Living Comforts!
SIR,
My Prayers ceaſe not to Aſcend for You, your Pious Conſort, and eminently Hopeful Branches: May You ever be more and more Honours to them; and They be more and more Joys unto You. May neither of You, now ſleep in the Afternoon; for to that Time of Day it is come in your Lives! And may both of Them, have their Noon and Evening anſwerable to their fair Morning. May Self-denial be Your and their Buſineſs; without which, all Religion is but your Play: May your Proſperity neither ſlay, or ſo much as wound you; in your Eye may the Paradiſes which have no Tree of Life in them be contemned, though they are poſſeſſed. May great Roots under Ground make you great Trees above it; rich Truth in the inner-parts make you rich in good Works. May you prefer Heaven above Earth, as manifeſtly as others prefer it above Hell! Not accounting your ſelves to have much profited in Chriſtianity, till you count that you have nothing elſe to profit much in. And always remembring, that if you take not the Kingdom of Heaven by force, the Kingdom of Hell will take you by it. May the Mercy of the Lord reſt upon the Family of the Aſhhurſts, and his Righteouſneſs be to their Childrens Children.
Under many Obligations, and in ſweet Hopes, thus prayeth,
SIR, Your Honourer, and Humble Servant, DANIEL BURGESS.
BOOKS publiſhed by Mr. Robert Fleming.
1. THe Fulfilling of the Scripture: In three Parts.
2. The Confirming Work of Religion.
3. The Treatiſe of Earthquakes.
4. The Epiſtolary Diſcourſe; Dedicated to the Queen's Majeſty.
5. The One thing Neceſſary.
6. The Survey of Quakeriſm.
7. The Preſent Aſpect of the Times.
8. The Healing Work; written twelve Years ago upon the account of Diviſions among Profeſſors in Scotland.