Twenty-Nine Sermons, Text 1 – Title page 13
A Funerall 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 ſin 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 mercifull men are taken away.
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 works of the law; for ſo no man is righteous, but by righteous is here meant ſuch as are Evangelically righteous, by the righteouſneſſe 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 loſs of them.
The firſt thing then to bee conſidered, is from the firſt part; and it is plain 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 than of the fool; and how dyeth the wiſe man? even as the fool, Eccleſ 2. 16. ſo zachar. 1. 5. Your fathers where are they? and the Prophets …o they live for ever? ſo that we ſce 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 it muſt 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 ſinne, Romans 5. 12. ſo ſinne muſt goe out of the world by death; and therefore it is needfull that the righteous dye, that ſo they may be freed from ſin.
But ſome may object and ſay, Hath not Chriſt aboliſhed death? why then do the righteous dy?
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 he aboliſhed the dominion of ſin, ſo that it doth no longer reign in us; and ſo he 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 than other men; greater croſſes, greater afflictions, greater ſickneſſe and harder pangs of death do oft befall the righteous, as … did unto this our brother, who though he were old and ſtricken … yeers, yet the pangs of death were ſtrong upon him. Thoſe whom … will make heirs of Eternall life, he ſuffers them to have a greater po…on in theſe afflictions. But the wicked are fat and full, and die with …eir bones full of marrow, as Job ſpeaks; they commonly have little ſickneſſe, and an eaſie death; but the godly do ordinarily undergo 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 thinks on death? who prepares himſelf 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 Paridiſe of heaven, ſo that none can enter before they taſt 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, than a due conſideration of death? we 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 he had no longer to live, would not this amaze him, and make him bethink himſelf, and to prepare for death? If rich covetous 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 drawn from the things of this life, unto a due conſideration of death, and of thoſe heavenly Joyes 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 we 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 always before their eyes. But this is not enough for us that are Chriſtians; we 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, Come, ſet thy houſe in order, for thou muſt die, and not live; and why ſhould it be terrible 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 couldeſt entertain this meſſage; with wh… comfort canſt thou meet with death? for he is no Chriſtian that cannot in ſome meaſure willingly meet with death, for by it we pas unto a better life: for as this our brother ſpake often, he 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 we 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 Joyes and happineſſe that is prepared for him alſo. O my beloved, nothing will make us willingly to entertain 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 and loſſe of good men must be laid to heart, as a ſpeciall 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, Acts 8. 2. ſo all Iſrael lamented the death of Moſes Deut. 34. 8. And Joaſh the King of Iſrael wept for the death of the Prophet Eliſha, 2 Kings 13. 14. and thus we 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 faithful 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 do 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 evil to come; for while they live, they are as a wal about us to keep Gods judgments from us; If there had been but ten righteous men in Sodome, it had not been deſtroyed, Gen. 18. 32. If there be any meſſenger one among a thouſand, ſaith Elihu, to ſhew unto man his uprightneſſe, 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 nail 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 removed, cut down and falls; 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 than his neighbour, yea though never ſo poor 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, Mal. 3. 17. ſo that the righteous are Gods Iewels, 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 becometh 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 works of darkneſſe as they would, but he 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 do not conſider that when the righteous is taken from the earth, then they lie open unto the judgements 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 be rid of the righteous, and rejoyce when they are taken away from them, not conſidering that they are open to Gods vengeance, which hangeth over their heads ready to devour 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 poor man; alwayes miniſtring comfort to thoſe that came to viſit him? what a loſs is this then unto us? it is more than if thouſands of the wicked had gone together; and ſhal we not mourn for the loſs of ſuch a one? If one of our family or friends dye, we can mourne for them; and good reaſon; and ſhall we 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 ſelf how it is with thee; when thou heareſt of any of the faithfull that are taken away, art thou grieved 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 pillows, and cryed peace unto themſelves, notwithſtanding Gods judgements upon them, in taking away the righteous, and freeing them from the evill to come, we note that,
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 evil to come. Thus good Joſiah muſt periſh in his young years, that ſo he might not be taken with the evill to come; I will gather thee unto thy fathers ſaith 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, St. Auguſtine; when the cruel Vandals beſieged his crity, he prayed that the Lord would either take him away, or cauſe them to leave the ſiege; and the Lord heard him, and took him a way, 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 years 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 he takes them away from among the wicked, he calls them out of this world that they may not partake of the evill to come; ſhall any one then think it a curſe to be taken away betimes in his young years? nay happy is he 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 means to bring any heavy judgement upon a people, doth ordinarily take away the righteous from the evil to come, this ſhews that when the righteous are taken from amongſt us, we 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, we 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 evil wayes, and performe new obedience unto God, ſo will he be mercifull unto us, yea he will be a ſhield of defence unto us, and a wal of fire about us, and he will turn away his judgements from us.page missing
THE SIGNES OF GODS forſaking a People. Preached By that laborious and faithful Meſſenger of CHRIST, WILLIAM FENNER, Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Miniſter of Rochford in Eſsex.
London, Printed by E. T. for John Stafford.