Funeral Sermon for Matthew Mead, Title page – Dedication
A Funeral Sermon FOR That very Reverend, AND Most laborious Servant of Christ, In the Work of the MINISTRY, Mr. MATTHEW MEAD. Who Deceased Oct. 16. 1699.
By JOHN HOWE, Minister of the Gospel, and some time Fellow of Magd Coll. Oxon.
LONDON, Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside, 1699.
TO The Right Honourable, John, and Frances, The Lord, and Lady HAVERSHAM.
May it please Your Honours,
THE Request of the Mournfull Widow, and other Relatives, of the worthy Person, deceased; concurring with my own Inclination, left, with me, no room to deliberate, concerning this Inscription.
I easily apprehend, how quick, and deep, a sense You both have, of the loss of such another valuable person, from off this Earth; having so lately born Your part, in lamenting the Decease of one You much valued also. Upon which account, I put into Your Hands, a Discourse on those words, John 11. 16. Let us go, that we may die with him.
Such Persons leave this World so fast, that it grows a more difficult choice, with whom to live, than with whom to die.
When, on that sad occasion, I did set my self to consider, that passage of Holy Scripture, I had seen some Expositors, that made it a doubt, whether that were meant of Lazarus, or of our Lord himself. Some, of good note, thought the latter. For which, was plausibly to be alledg'd, what we find, vers. 8. and that, in this verse 16. the words were spoken, not to Christ, but to the Fellow-Disciples
That Doubt was not to have been mov'd in an Assembly, where was neither time, nor a sit season to discuss it. And tho' I might more conveniently, I shall not say much to it, now. Only I iudge, that, without necessity, the present coherence was not to be torn. When, by the series of Discourse, the same [him] seems plainly to be referr'd to, in the close of the 15. verse, and of this 16.—Lazarus is dead, v. 14.—nevertheless, let us go to HIM, vers. 15. —Let us also go, that we may die with HIM.
It was little needfull to say to Christ, Let us go, whose Mind appeared set upon going, already, but to the Disciples, who drew ba…k. Besides that Reverence might restrain from saying this to our Lord, when what was to be propos'd was matter of Hortation, not of Enquiry. Tho' sometimes they feared even to ask him a Question, also; as Luk. 9. 45. And they might the rather, be now, under a present awe, from the rebuke, or expostulatory answer, he had given them, for their objecting against going into Judea. Especially, so as not to signifie a remaining fear, which he had so newly check'd Therefore Thomas's speech, directed to his Fellow-Disciples, but not out of Christ's hearing (for we have no reason to suppose, that he separated them from him, that he might say this to them apart) is so ordered, as not to import fear of death, but Love to the Deceas'd.
If any should object, that Thomas could not mean dying WITH Lazarus, when he was told, he was already dead. That scarce deserves answer, to any one that understands the latitude of the Particle render'd WITH, especially, that it frequently signifies after, and not always with. And very often notes nothing of time at all. And therefore may here, mean no more, than let us go that we may die too, or, die, as well as he.
All this I say, not that I have heard any Person, in our days, object against, or plead for, this or that sense of these words: But knowing they have been differently understood; and this being the first opportunity I had to take publick notice of the difference, I am not ill pleased, that I have now, this occasion of representing it, to so competent Judges, partly to prevent Objection, or at least, to shew with what temper of mind, any such different apprehensions,in matters of no greater moment, ought to be look'd upon.
Nor shall I here vye Authorities of Commentators, that have gone this way, or that in this matter. Therefore I name none: Only some, of as great name as any, have judg'd this the more probable Opinion, which I have follow'd.
Many Instances might be given, wherein, when matters, extra-essential to the Summ of our Religion, are deliver'd, one Sense must be pitch'd upon, tho' another, very divers, (of which there cannot be two) is not to be demonstrated impossible.
In which case, I much prefer a tacit following that which one chooses, before a conceited Confidence, and crying down of the other. For confident Clamour neither admits light, nor tends to enlighten any body.
In the present case, it makes no difference, to any disadvantage. For if we desire to be united in death, or in that state, to which it introduces, with this or that H. Man: To be with our Blessed Lord, in that state, must be much more desirable.
But the departure of the excellent Ones of the Earth, from it, leaves us less, here, of present attractive, and gives us a very threatning prospect, and presage of what we are to expect, for the future.
Your Lordship's great respect to this Servant of Christ, was even hereditary, and descended to him, by You, from Tour Family; as I have often heard him acknowledge, with great Sense of Obligation.
And (Madam) Your Ladyship's great value of him, tho' it might take its first rise from so near, and judicious a Relative, could not but receive a great increase, from his known worth, and Your own discerning Judgment.
I pray, (not doubting it) that with whatsoever kindness, You have received any Prophet, or other Servant of Christ, in that Name, You may have a proportionable Reward; and am, my most Honoured Lord, and Lady;
Your most obliged, humble Servant, in the Work of the Gospel, John Howe.