The Happiness of Those Who Sleep in Jesus, Title page – Dedication
THE HAPPINESSE Of those who Sleep in Jesus, OR, The Benefit that comes to the dead bodies of the Saints even while they are in the Grave, Sleeping in Jesus. Delivered in a SERMON Preached at the Funeral of that Pious and Religious Lady, the Lady Anne Waller, At the New Church in Westminst. Oct. 31, 1661. Together with the Testimony then given unto her. By Edm. Calamy, B. D. and Pastor of Aldermanbury.
Rev. 14.11. And I heard a Voyce from heaven, saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their Labours, and their Works do follow them.
John 11 11. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of Sleep.
Upon which words St. Austin saith.
Domino dormiebat qui eum tantá facilitate excitavit de Sepulchro, quanta tu cx citas dormientem de Le…to, hominibus autem mo…taus erat, qui eum suscitare non poterant.
1 Thes. 4.16. The Dead in Christ shall rise first.
London, Printed by I. H. for Nathanael Webb, at the Royal Oak in St. Pauls Church-Yard, near the little North-Door, 1662.
Royall Oake
To the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, Sr WILLIAM WALLER.
Sir,
IT hath pleased the wise God, & your heavenly Father, to exercise you with variety of sad Providences, & to train you up for himself and his Kingdom, by many Troubles and Afflictions. It hath alwaies been his Method to prepare his Children by light and moment any crosses, for a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory, and by imbittering the pleasures of this world, to sweeten the delights of a better
This, Sir, hath been your Portion, And I doubt not but you have learned, and are instructed by God in whatsoever state you are, therewith to be contented, and are made able to say with David, It is good for you that you have been afflicted.
This last Trial was one of the sorest that ever yet betided you, being the loss of so Precious a Lady, so sutable a Wife, full of so much Goodness and Prudence. But when you consider, that your Losse is her Gain, that she is taken away from the evil to come, that she is not lost, but gone before to her Father, and your Father, to her God, and your God; that her Soul is at rest in Abrahams bosom, and her body, even while in the grave, asleep in Iesus, and who it is that hath taken her from you; this doth much allay the immoderateness of your sorrow, & enables you to say with holy Iob, Job 1.21.The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh, blessed be the Name of the Lord; and with holy David, Psal. 39.8.I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it.
There are three great Truthes, which if well digested, will prove heart-quieting, and compose the Spirits of Gods people, and make them calm and satisfied in the worst of daies and dangers.
1. That all the Providences of God, though never so dark and m…sterious, and seemingly contrary to his Promises, shall all of them at last concur to the fulfilling of his Promises; For we know that all things shall work together for good to those who love God.
2. That sanctified Afflictions are great blessings, and that Correction, when joyned with Instruction, is a certain Character of Election. That God had one Son without sin, but no Son without Sorrow; That Afflictions are Divine Touchstones, to try the truth and strength of our Graces, Divine Furnaces, to purge out the Drosse of our sins; Divine Files to pare off our spiritual Rust, and Divine framing Houses, to dress us, and make us fit for Heaven.
3. That Iesus Christ hath altered the Nature of Death, and made it a Gate to everlasting Life. That Christ hath sanctified, sweetned, purchased, conquered, and disarmed Death, so as it is now become the best Friend we have next to Iesus Christ. For we shall never be free from sin, nor perfected in Grace, nor see God Face to Face, till we die.
This last grand Truth is made out fully in the ensuing Sermon, wherein also is shewed the Benefit that the Bodies of the Saints obtain while in the Grave, by sleeping in Iesus. Many Sermons tell us the Advantage that the Soul reaps by death, but this will discover what our vile Bodies gain even while they are rotting in the Grave.
Sir, It was your desire it should be made publick, and out of pure obedience so it now is. For there is nothing in it that is elaborate, and more then ordinary, or that renders it worthy the perusal of a judicious Eye. But the Testimony given of your Noble Lady, as it is true, so (I conceive) it is worth reading and imitating, and may well be called a Looking-Glasse for Ladies to dress themselves by every Morning. It will teach them to make Religion their Business, and to spend more time in decking their Souls with Grace, then their Bodies with vain Attire, that a Neck-lace of Graces, is more worth then a Neck-lace of Pearles.
St. Hierom writes much in commendation of many Holy and Religious Ladies, Paula, Marcella, Euslochium, &c.living & dying in his dayes, and proposeth them as Patterns to others for their Imitation. In like manner, I thought meet to propound the example of your most Excellent Lady, which if well followed in those things wherein she was praise-worthy, will without doubt bring us to everlasting Happiness.
The Lord give a Blessing to what is said in the following Discourse, and make up to you in himself, what you have lost in the want of your Dear Consort, and be your Comforter and Counsellour in all Conditions.
So Prayeth, Your Servant in the Work of the Lord, Edm. Calamy.
THE HAPPINESSE of those who Sleep in Jesus, OR, The Benefit that comes to the dead Bodies of the Saints, even while they lie in the Grave, Sleeping in JESUS:
1 THESS. 4.14.
— Even so them also which sleep in Iesus, will God bring with him.
… N the former Verse, the Apostle perswades the Thessalonians not to mourn immoderately for the Saints Departed. He doth not forbid them to mourn, but not to mourn without measure. Religion doth not abolish natural Affections, but only mode…hem. Grace doth not destroy, but rectifie Nature; it dep…ot of sense, but teacheth the right use of Senses. And he b… divers Arguments to diswade us from immoderate M…ning.
Because this would bewray our Ignorance of the blessed estate of Gods Children after this Life. This is set down, v. 13. But I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are asleep.
2. This is to act as hopeless, Heathens, not as Christians. This is put down in the same Verse,—That ye sorrow not even as others, that have no hope. Though Heathens who have no hope of a better Life after this, do mourn immeasurably, yet this doth not become Christians, who have hope in death, and who believe the Life Everlasting.
3. Because the death of a Saint is not an utter Extinction, and abolition of the man, but only a quiet and comfortable sleep. Verse 13, 14.
4. Because they are so far from being abolished, and utterly extinct, that they are asle… in Iesus. They are, even while they are in their Graves, at rest in the Arms of Jesus. The Greek is, foreign, they that sleep by Jesus. But as Grotius observes, foreign is put for foreign, so it is taken, Rom. 4.11. 1 Tim. 5.14. And so it is expressely said, v. 16. of this Chapter, foreign, the dead in Christ. And also, 1 Cor. 15.18. foreign, They that sleep in Christ.
5. Because at the great day of Judgment, they shall be raised from out of their Graves, and raised to the resurrection of Life, and raised by the power of God, and by vertue of their Union with Christ, v. 14. For if we believe that Iesus died, and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in Iesus, God will bring with him. Even so, That is, as Christ died, and rose again, so shall all that are dead in Christ, rise again, by vertue of their Membership with Christ (For if the Head be alive, the Members must live also) and by the Power of God. The same God that raised Christ from the dead, will raise all that are united to him, and bring them with him at the dreadful day of Judgment.
6. Because Christ will carry all his Saints whom he shall raise, up into Heaven with him, where they shall be for ever with the Lord, in perfect Happiness.
The Text that I have chosen contains three of these Arguments, which I shall sum up in these three Doctrinal Conclusions.
Doct. 1. That the death of a Saint is nothing else but a quiet, comfortable, and blessed sleep.
Doct. 2. That the bodies of the Saints, even while they are in their graves, are asleep in Iesus.
Doct. 3. That Iesus Christ will raise the dead bodies of the Saints, and joyn their souls to them, and bring them with him to judgment, and then carry them into heaven, where they shall be ever with the Lord.