Practical Divinity, Sermon 9
A Funerall SERMON Preached by That laborious and faithfull Meſſenger of CHRIST, WILLIAM FENNER, Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Miniſter of Rochford in Eſſex.
A FUNERAL SERMON.
ISAI. 57. 1.
The righteous periſh, and no man layeth it to heart, mercifull men are taken away, none conſidering that the righteous are taken away from the evill to come.
IN the end of the former chapter the Prophet reproveth the ſpeciall ſinne of Idol▪ ſhepheards who followed their own pleaſures and profits, not regarding their flock. Now he reproves the generall ſin of ſecurity in the people, and namely in this, that whereas the righteous periſh, yet no man layeth it to heart; and mercifull men are taken away, none conſidering, &c.
This verſe is a complaint of the Prophet touching the people in generall, for that they conſidered not the Iudgements of God upon them in taking away the righteous from among them.
In the words themſelves we are to conſider.
Firſt, the work of the Lord, viz. the righteous periſheth and merciful men are taken way.
Secondly, the peoples ſin in not conſidering it, not regarding this work of the Lord, which is, that the righteous may be delivered from the evill to come.
By righteous is here meant not ſuch as are legally righteous by the workes of the law; for ſo no man is righteous, but by righteous is here meant ſuch as are Evangelically righteous, by the righteonſneſſe of faith in the Goſpell.
Periſheth, that is, from the earth; for otherwiſe the righteous periſh not.
No man conſidering, that is, no man lamenting, mourning, or grieving for the loſſe of them.
The firſt thing then to be conſidered, is from the firſt part; and it is plaine out of the words of the text, That all men muſt dye; even the moſt holy and moſt righteous; for they are all ſubject to the ſtroak of bodily death as well as the wicked; There is no remembrance ſaith Solomon of the wiſe more then of the fool; and how dyeth the wiſe man? even as the fool, Eccleſ. 2. 16. ſo Zacha. 1. 5. Your farhers, where are they? and the Prophets, doe they live for ever? ſo that we ſee Prophets and fathers dye as well as other men; yea thoſe Worthies recorded in the Scripture, Noah, Abraham, David, &c. they are all gone the ſame way, they are all dead.
The firſt reaſon is, becauſe it is appointed unto all men once to dye, and after that comes the judgement, Heb. 9. 27. God hath thus decreed it, and therefore itmuſt be ſo.
Secondly, becauſe all men and women are of the dust; and therefore muſt return to the duſt again; duſt thou art, ſaith God, and unto duſt thou ſhalt return, Gen. 3. 19.
Thirdly, becauſe, all have ſinned, even the moſt righteous man; now the wages of ſin is death, Rom. 6. 23. the moſt righteous man muſt dye.
Fourthly becauſe, as death came into the world by ſin, Rom. 5. 12. ſo ſin muſt goe out of the world by death; and therefore it is needful that the righteous die, that ſo they may be freed from ſin.
Object. But ſome may object and ſay hath not Chriſt aboliſhed death? why then do the righteous die.
Anſw. I anſwer he hath aboliſhed death; as he hath aboliſhed ſin; now he hath not taken ſin quite away from us, for we ſee it doth ſtill remain in us; neither hath he quite aboliſhed death from the righteous, for we ſee they all dye; but hee aboliſhed the dominion of ſin, ſo that it doth no longer raign in us; and ſo hee hath taken away the dominion of death, ſo that it doth not rage as a Tyrant over us, ſo that it is not hurtfull unto us as a puniſhment, but as a means to convey us into a better life. Chriſt hath taken away the ſting both of ſin and death; though not the things themſelves away from us; yet he will one day free us from them both; ſo then the righteous muſt ſuffer death as well as the wicked, though not in the ſame kind.
Let no man then look to be exempted from death for his righteouſneſſe, nor from any outward miſeries that may befall the ſons of Adam; nay if we are the ſervants of Chriſt, we muſt look for a greater ſhare in theſe then other men; greater croſſes, greater afflictions, greater ſickneſſe and harder pangs of death do oft befall the righteous, as it did unto this our brother, who though he were old and ſtricken in yeers, yet the pangs of death were ſtrong upon him. Thoſe whom God will make heires of Eternall life, he ſuffers them to have a greater portion in theſe afflictions. But the wicked are fat and full, and die with their bones full of marrow, as Job ſpeakes; they commonly have little ſickneſſe and an eaſie death: but the godly do ordinarily undergoe greater pangs; let none therefore think that for his righteouſneſſe he ſhall be free.
Secondly, conſider we here how few amongſt us have learned this Arithmetique, namely to number our dayes, and they are but ſhort, even a ſpan long; who is there almoſt that thinkes on death? who prepares himſelfe for it? and yet all, even the moſt righteous muſt die; for God hath placed that fiery blade of death at the entrance into the Paradiſe of heaven, ſo that none can enter before they taſte of death, and all muſt taſte of it, yea the moſt righteous are not exempted from the ſtroak of death. This then ſhould teach us to labour to draw our hearts from the love of this preſent life; and what can better perſwade us and wean us from the love of this world, then a due conſideration of death? wee know we muſt all die, and therefore we ſhould prepare our ſelves for it. If any prophane perſon amongſt us knew that this night muſt be his laſt night, and that now hee had no longer to live, would not this amaze him and make him bethink himſelfe and to prepare for death? If rich coveteous men which ſpend the whole courſe of their life in providing for the things of this life, did truely conſider of death, and that their end draweth nigh, would they doe as they do, when this life and all the things of this life, and all our joyes and pleasures of this world ſhall ſhortly have an end? for when death comes, they ſhall all be taken from us, or rather we from them. Oh how excellent a thing is it then for us to be drawne from the things of this life unto a due conſideration of death, and of thoſe heavenly Ioyes and happineſſe to come! Oh you that look for theſe things, what manner of men ought you to be in holy life and converſation?
Thirdly, ſeeing wee all muſt die, and this preſent life muſt come to an end, this ſhould teach us to prepare our ſelves for a better life; to provide for a ſurer building, a better eſtate which ſhall never periſh. Philoſophers who were but heathen men, could meditate on death, ſetting it alwayes before their eyes. But this is not enough for us that are Chriſtians; wee cannot truly prepare our ſelves for it unleſſe we firſt build a ſurer foundation in providing for a better life, which ſhall never have an end; and this no Heathen or wicked man can ever do. Oh how wofull would that meſſage be unto a wicked man, that was brought unto good King Hezekiah, Comes, ſet thy houſe in order, for thou muſt die, and not live; and why ſhould it be terribl unto him? ſurely becauſe he hath no hope of a better life, he hath not provided for a better habitation. Conſider then with what comfort thou couldſt entertain this meſſage; with what comfort canſt thou meet with death? for he is no Chriſtan that cānot in ſome meaſure willingly meet with death, for by it we paſſe unto a better life: for as this our brother ſpake often, hee that would have comfort in death, muſt look beyond death; he muſt not fix his eyes on the terrors of death, but he muſt look beyond to that glorious inheritance to which wee are paſſing through death, and there ſhall he behold his Saviour putting forth his hand ready to receive him; there ſhall he ſee the bleſſed Saints and Angels whoſe company he ſhall enjoy, beſides an infinite heap of Ioyes and happineſſe that is prepared for him alſo. O my beloved, nothing will make us willingly to entertaine the meſſage of death, but only the comforts of the life to come. Oh let us labour then for theſe comforts that ſo we may be provided againſt death; were it not a fooliſhneſſe for a man who being a tennant at will, and ſhortly to be turned out of his houſe, never to take care for another until he is caſt out of doors? Beloved we are all tennants at will and we are very ſhortly to be caſt out of our dwelling houſes of clay, and ſhall we not provide for a ſurer habitation? Death is at hand, and our life muſt ſhortly have an end; let us therefore labour to be aſſured of a better life, when this is ended, that ſo with comfort we may meet with death.
Now we come unto the ſecond point which is here to be conſidered; taken from the complaint of the Prophet that the people did not conſider nor lay it to heart. viz the death of the righteous, whence I note, that The death loſſe of good men muſt be laid to heart as a ſpecial cauſe of grief and ſorrow.
We ought juſtly to be grieved at the death of a righteous man, when God taketh him from amongſt us. How did the Prophet Jeremy and the people lament the death of that good King Joſiah, 2 Chron. 35. 23. ſo devout men made great lamentation for the death of Stephen, Act. 8. 2. ſo all Iſrael lamented the death of Moſes Deur. 34. 8. And Joaſh the King of Iſrael weept for the death of the Prophet Eliſha, 2 Kings 13. 14. and thus wee ſhould lament and ſorrow for the death of any righteous man, yet not in reſpect of themſelves, as if their caſe were worſe now then before, for they are now more happy.
But first, in regard of Gods glory whereof they were inſtruments to ſet it forth; for ſince they were taken away, Gods glory is impaired; becauſe there are the fewer left which doe truly ſerve and worſhip him; for as David ſaith, the dead praiſe not the Lord, &c. Pſal. 115. 17. ſo then they being dead, do not praiſe the Lord among the faithfull on earth any longer.
Secondly, in regard of the great loſſe that others have by their death, who have alwayes received much good by them in their life; for the godly doe ſo order and behave themſelves in all their wayes that they doe good whereſoever they come; therefore when they die, it muſt needs be a great loſſe unto ſuch who might if they had lived, been bettered by them.
Thirdly, we ought to lament the death of the righteous in regard of the evill to come; for while they live, they are as a wall about us to keep Gods judgements from us; if there had been but ten righteous men in Sodome, it had not been deſtroyed Gen. 18. 32. If there be a meſſenger one among a thouſand, ſaith Elihu, to ſhew unto man his uprightnes, then is God gracious unto him Job 33. 23. Run ye to and fro in the ſtreets of Jeruſalem ſaith God, and ſee if you can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, and ſeeks the Lord, and I will pardon it, Jer. 5. 1. ſo that if there had been but one righteous man among the people in that city, the Lord would have ſpared them even for that ones ſake; and therefore the Lord ſpeaking of the righteous, ſaith, I will faſten him as a naile in a ſure place, he ſhall be as a glorious throne unto his fathers houſe. Eſay. 22. 23. Oh conſider then what a loſſe we have when the righteous dye; we are like to periſh, when the naile that was in the ſure place is remooved, cut downe and falles; for then the burden that was upon it, ſhall be cut off, Eſay, 22. 25. You therefore of this Congregation, conſider, and lament for this your loſſe, in that this good man is taken from among you; for who knowes whether God ſpared this congregation even for this good mans ſake? for it is the righteous only that God reſpects, and for their ſakes he will ſpare a whole people; therefore ſurely as Solomon ſaith, the righteous is better then his neighbour, yea though never ſo poore and deſpiſed in the eyes of the world, yet are they precious in Gods account; when I make up my Jewels (ſaith God) I will ſpare them Mala. 3. 17. ſo that the righteous are Gods Jewels, the excellent of the earth, are precious in Gods ſight; and have we not great cauſe then to lament for the loſſe of ſuch?
Seeing then it becommeth all Gods children to lament the death of the righteous; O how farre then are all ſuch from the ſpirit of God, who are ſo farre from lamenting, that on the contrary they rejoyce at the death of the godly man, becauſe he ſtood in their way? they could not follow their workes of darkneſſe as they would, but hee hindered them, he ſtood in their light, they could not run on in ſin and wickedneſſe, but he would be reproving, admoniſhing, and telling them of their faults, and this makes them long for the good mans end, and to rejoyce in it when it doth come; theſe doe not conſider that when the righteous is taken from the earth, then they lie open unto the judgemens of God; But as the Sodomites thruſt out juſt Lot out of their city, that ſo Gods vengeance might fall the ſooner upon them; for till he was gone, the Lord would not deſtroy them Gen. 19. 21. Even ſo doe theſe men deſire to bee rid of the righteous, and rejoyce when they are taken from them, not conſidering that they are open to Gods vengeance which hangeth over their heads ready to devoure them.
We ought then to be moſt grieved for the death of the righteous, when any of the Saints are taken away by death; Oh what a comfort is a righteous man to the children of God? what a feeling of grace is there in ſuch a one? what comfortable words come there from the mouth of ſuch men? how full of comfortable ſpeeches was this poore man alwayes miniſtring comfort to thoſe that came to viſit him? what a loſſe is this then unto us? it is more then if thouſands of the wicked had gone together; and ſhall wee not mourne for the loſſe of ſuch a one? If one of our family or friends dye, wee can mourne for them; and good reaſon; and ſhall wee not mourne for the loſſe of one of Gods Saints, one of the ſpirituall family, one of our fellow members.
In this then examine thy ſelfe how it is with thee; when thou heareſt of any of the faithfull that are taken away, art thou greived for it, doſt thou lament and mourn for it? if thou doeſt not, ſurely thou art no true Chriſtian; for the children of God cannot chooſe but lay it to heart and lament, when any of the righteous is taken from among them. As Iſrael lamented the death of Samuel. 1 Sam. 25. 1.
Now concerning the ſin of the people in not regarding nor laying it to heart, this was a great ſin of ſecurity in them, in that they did as it were reſt on their pillowes and cryed peace unto themſelves, notwithſtanding Gods judgements upon them, in taking away the righteous, and freeing them from the evill to come, wee note that,
Doctr. When God will bring any great judgement upon a People or Nation, he will ordinarily take away his faithfull ſervants from among them, that ſo they may be freed from the evill to come. Thus good Joſiah muſt periſh in his young yeares, that ſo he might not be taken with the evill to come; I will gather thee unto thy fathers faith God, and thou ſhalt goe to thy grave in peace, and thy eyes ſhall not ſee all the evill that I will bring upon this place. 2 King. 22. 20. So when God told Abraham of the bondage and captivity whereunto he would bring his poſterity, he ſaith thou ſhalt go to thy fathers in peace Gen. 15. 13. And thus it was with the ancient Father Saint Auguſtine; when the cruell Vandals beſieged his city, he prayed that the Lord would either take him away, or cauſe them to leave the ſiege; and the Lord heard him, and tooke him away, and preſently after the Vandals deſtroyed the city. So Luther writing upon this text, ſaith that the Lord after his death would bring great affliction upon Germany, and two yeares after it ſo fell out indeed. Thus ordinarily God takes away his ſervants from the evill to come.
See here the mercy of God unto his children in that hee takes them away from among the wicked, he calls them out of this world that they may not pertake of the evill to come; ſhall any one then think it a curſe to be taken away betimes, in his young yeares? nay happy is hee that is taken away from theſe miſerable and fearfull times wherein the judgement of God, for our ſins hangeth over our heads; and is ready every day to ſeize upon us.
Secondly, ſeeing that God when he meanes to bring any heavy judgement upon a people, doth ordinarily take away the righteous from the evill to come, this ſhewes that when the righteous are taken from amongſt us, wee are certainly to expect ſome judgement of God upon us. For theſe are they which ſtood in the gap and kept off the fire of Gods wrath from us, that it ſhould not conſume us: but now being gone, wee lie open to the judgements of God; and therefore when any righteous men are taken from us, the loſſe of them ought to drive us to repentance, leaſt Gods judgements come presently upon us and conſume us, therefore we muſt forſake our ſins and evill wayes, and performe new obedience unto God, ſo will he be mercifull unto us, yea he will bee a ſhield of defence unto us, and a wall of fire about us, and hee will turne away his judgements from us.
Beloved in the Lord wee are here aſſembled to perform this laſt Chriſtian duty of burial to the Saint of God now deceaſed, whoſe ſoule I am as certainly perſwaded is at reſt with Chriſt in glory, as I am ſure his body is in this coffin. When I conſider thoſe excellent graces that were in him, his great knowledge in the word of God, his love, zeale, patience and humility; when I conſider his excellent gifts in comforting, exhorting, admoniſhing, with his heavenly gift of prayer, &c. and withall conſider that he was unlettered, hee could neither write nor read, I cannot but call to mind that in the Acts. 4. 13. where it is ſaid of the Prieſt and Phariſees that they ſeeing the boldneſſe of the Apoſtles how they anſwered and ſpake, perceiving them to be unlearned and ignorant men, they knew that they had been with Ieſus: Even ſo may we know that this our brother had been with Ieſus: not in the fleſh, but in the ſpirit, and that from him he received theſe things, that book-learning could never have taught him; for he was a good man and full of the holy Ghoſt, as it is laid of Barnabas; Truly verifying that of the Apoſtle that God hath choſen the poore of this world, that they ſhould be rich in faith; he was a true follower of Chriſt, of whom it is ſaid hee went about doing good; ſo this Diſciple of Chriſt did good whereſoever he came; how many by him have been ſtirred up, comforted and admoniſhed and quickened unto good duties, feeding them with the lips of knowledge who fed him with bodily food? how often have I my ſelf through him been ſtirred up to good duties? how often have I been refreſhed and comforted in my heavineſſe by this poore man! ſo lively did he beare the Image, of God in him, that me thought Chriſt Jeſus walked in him alive upon the earth; how much true ſervice; ſincere obedience, fervent and faithfull prayer had the Lord out of that poore cottage wherin he lived? If ever there were a true child of Abraham, and an heire to the promiſe, this was hee; if ever there were among us a true Israelite in whom there was no guil, this was hee; If ever there were amongſt us a true Chriſtian that ſhined as a light to thoſe amongſt whom he lived, this was hee; If ever there were amongſt us a poor man rich in faith, this was hee. In his life he was a patterne to all that knew him, ſo contented with his eſtate, ſo diligent in the duties of his calling whilſt health ſuffered; In ſickneſſe untill death whilſt ſpeech continued, ſo comfortable that I never came to him, but I went away bettered by him. O how did hee exhort and ſtirre up all thoſe that came to viſit him, to hold out conſtantly unto the end, to grow and increaſe in thoſe good beginnings which they had made? how often and how excellently would he ſpeake of the benefits which wee have by Chriſt, even the pardon of ſin, more like a Divine then a common Ghriſtian, and ſo feelingly did hee expreſſe the certaine pardon of his owne ſin, even the ſweete aſſurance thereof, that it did my heart good to hear him. Often did he deplore the ſtate of theſe evill times, in which we live, from which the Lord hath now taken him away; Often did hee with tears bewaile the ſtate of this congregation, and their unfruitfulneſſe under the miniſtry of the word. How did hee even with teares pray for his enemies? he had ſome enimies, but they were ſuch as his piety, religion and care to keep a good conſcience made enimies unto him, touching whom I muſt ſay that which without trembling I cannot ſpeak, that as they refuſed his ſociety while he lived, and ſought to thruſt him from among them, ſo I feare that where he now is, they ſhall never come except they repent. O it is a fearfull thing to hate a man for his religion and piety; but ſuch was his love and compaſſion towards them, that he did often with teares lament their eſtate and pray for them. At the mention of death he would ſtill repeat the point not long ſince delivered; that he that would have comfort in death, muſt goe beyond death; even to that glorious inheritance to the which we are paſſing through death? and never in my life did I ever ſee any man ſo comfortably and contentedly adreſſe himſelf to encounter with death as he did. O ſaid he, this is the time that I have long waited for; and as the pangs of death grew neerer, ſo uſed he the more comfortable ſpeeches, ſaying with Paul, I deſire to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt; now ſhall I ſee my ſweet Saviour whom I have longed for; and when death was even upon him, he ſaid come Lord Jeſus come quickly, and ſo with admirable patience endured the pangs of death after prayer with him when his ſpeech began to faile, I exhorted him now to look up to his Redeemer, who was ready to receive him into his Maſters joy; and I ſpake ſomething out of the Revelations, touching the happy eſtate of thoſe that die in the Lord, adding further that all this comfort we have by Chriſt, He anſwered with theſe his laſt words which with much difficulty he ſpake; ſaying, bleſſed be his glorious name, bleſſed be his glorious name, and thus this faithfull ſervant of Chriſt and heire of bleſſing, gave up his breath in bleſſing God and died, praiſing that God to whoſe praiſe he had lived. And what ſhould I ſay more but as David ſaid of Abner, died Abner as a fool dieth? died this our brother as a fool, as a worldling, as a wicked man dieth, of whom no reckoning is to be made? no, precious is his death in the eyes of the Lord, and in the eyes of all that fear the Lord, and bleſſed ſhall his memory be, yea all that knew him well, will call him bleſſed. And for my own part ſo often as I ſhall think of his death, and often I muſt think thereon, my ſoul ſhall wiſh and pray, Oh let medie the death of the righteous, and let my laſt end be like unto his Amen.