Funeral Sermon for Mary Doolittle, Sermon · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Method and Deſign of the following Diſcourſe. Good men in the preſent ſtate are burdened with their Sins, and Sufferings, ſo as to groan for Deliverance.
SECT. I.
After this Paraphraſe and Explication of the words, that which I deſign as the Ground of my following diſcourſe, is this, That it becomes the State, and Frame, of real Chriſtians, while they are burdened in theſe mortal Bodies, earneſtly to deſire a better, an Immortal Life, wherein the Body, as well as the Soul, ſhall be gloriouſly Changed.
In diſcourſing of this, I ſhall firſt ſhow, That ſuch is the preſent State of good men in theſe Bodies, that they groan under manifold Burdens, that may well make them long for Deliverance. II. That they have the certain Expectation of a better State and Life, after the diſſolution of this earthly Tabernacle by Death. III. That it is agreeable to the Temper of a Chriſtian Spirit, ſo far as renewed and ſanctified, to long for that better State and Life, beyond the Grave. IV. That it is not ſuch a State and Life, wherein they expect to be without any Body at all; but to have their Bodies raiſed, and changed, and glorified; To be cloathed upon with an Houſe from Heaven, and to have mortality ſwallowed up in Life. The conſideration of theſe particulars will make way for the practical Application, ſuitable to this ſolemn Occaſion, on which I am deſired to preach on this Text.
SECT. II.
Firſt, That ſuch is the preſent ſtate of good Men in theſe Bodies, that they groan under manifold Burdens, which may well make them long for Deliverance. I need not run far into the common Theme of the Miſeries of humane Life, which every one feels, or knows of thoſe that do: Our Sufferings and our Sins, while in this earthly Tabernacle, will be ſufficient to be conſidered under this head.
1. Our Sorrows, and Sufferings, while in the Body. Our early Tears when we come into the World prognoſticate a good ſhare of theſe to be expected. Not to mention the Vexation of diſappointment in our Temporal Injoyments, as a great part of this Burden; the actual Sorrows and Afflictions which all partake of, are very many, and great, heavy and afflictive; they are ſuch as extort the Cries, and Tears, and Complaints, of all ſorts of Perſons. The little pleaſure and joy we meet with, is mixed with an alloy of Sorrow; but our Sorrows are more numerous, weighty, and unmixed; many ſad Occurrences, vexing Paſſions painful and afflictive Diſeaſes, every week diſquiet us. Cares conſume us, Fears devours us. Grief ſcizeth us every way, and ſometimes from ſuch Evils, as nothing but the Hope of Heaven can ſupport us under: No other balm can cure ſome of our Wounds. So that evil, as well as few, are the days of the years of our Pilgrimage; and the preſent World, on thisaccount, 47. Gen. 7. 1. Gal. 4.may well be called an evil World.
The very Neceſſities, Infirmities and Pains of the Body are a continual Burden, even ſuch as belong to our Humanity, and are common to Men; beſides the many more and greater, we are often expoſed to as Chriſtians, for the ſake of Chriſt, and the Profeſſion of the Truth, to Indignities and Injuries of all ſorts, from the Malice of the Devil and the Perverted World, whom he uſeth as his Inſtruments. But we need not other Creatures to fail us, and Friends to grieve us, or Enemies to hate us, or Satan to moleſt us, or the World to deceive us; this very Body, this earthly Houſe, is ſubject to ſo many Calamities, as may make us weary of it, and groan to be delivered. How much of our time muſt it take up! How much pains and labour muſt we be at about it! How much grief and ſorrow muſt it undergo! How many ways do pain and ſickneſs enter! By every Member, and every part of the Body, and this is communicated to the Whole, and we cannot but feel it. If the body be pincht with hunger and thirſt, the Soul is reſtleſs till it procure a ſupply: If the one be ſick, the other is ſad. The Soul is affected with the wants of the Body, and for the moſt part Inordinately, and ſinfully Thoughtful, and calls out the Soul to attend upon the ſeveral Paſſions of the Body, filling it with Deſires, Pleaſures, Griefs, Fears, Angers, &c. Which hinder our Knowledg of God, ſervice of him, and Communion with him. Is it any wonder if they that do ſo, groan to put off the Shooe that pinches them, that they may be Weary, and Pained, and cold, and thirſty, afflicted and grieved no more? Can we find this preſent dwelling ſo very inconvenient, and not deſire to have ſomething better? Do we not find the *See Mr. S. S. Farewel to Life, p. 145. &c.Body a clog to the Soul, when it would run; a Manacle to the Soul, that would work; a ſnare to the Soul that would be free; a Fetter to chain it to Earthly and Material things, &c. Do we not own theſe and the like Burdens to be innumerable, heavy, and inevitable, and is it ſtrange we ſhould long for Eaſe? How ſmall a Portion of Time is it, wherein our own Sickneſs, or that of our Relations and Frends, doth not diſquiet us! Their Afflictions, Sorrows and Sufferings, or our own, are continual Burdens; and the more we love them, the more we are intereſted in what concerns them, and the greater part we bear in their Sufferings, as being the more affected with their Miſeries. And yet God knows all this is needful to keep down the Love of this World, take off our undue Affections to Earthly things, and raiſe our Thoughts to ſomething other and better, than is here to be had.
O! How many do we know, and have known, who groan under theſe Burdens from the Diſorders and Pains of the Body, as the Harbingers of Death! Eſpecially under the weakneſs, Languiſhing and decays of Old Age: For even a Diſeaſed and Conſumed Body in that caſe, tho it be leſs Tempting, is not the leſs troubleſome, but the more ſo, even to make them weary of Life.
Our days are grief and ſorrow, trouble and affliction, that we may be made to know we are not at home, but ſtrangers here; while Iſrael dwelt in a fruitful Goſhen, they might be Tempted to forget the Promiſed Land, but their Difficulties, Dangers and Conflicts in the Wilderneſs would not ſuffer 'em to miſtake a Deſart for a Canaan.
What is the daily condition of our Fleſh, as *Mr. Baxter of Self-denial. Chap. 38,one well expreſſes it, but Weakneſs and Suffering, with Care and Labour to prevent much worſe, which yet we know cannot be avoided? The Sorrow of many a Man's Life has made him wiſh he had never been born; and why ſhould he not be as willing to dye, which doth ten thouſand times more for him, if he be a real Chriſtian, than to be unborn would have done. Not a Relation ſo comfortable, but hath its diſcomforts. Not a Friend ſo ſuitable, but hath ſome diſcordancy; nor any ſo amiable and ſweet, but hath ſomething troubleſome and bitter; not a place ſo pleaſant and commodious, but hath its unfitneſs and diſcommodities; Not a Society ſo good and regular, but hath its Corruptions and Irregularities. And ſhould we be loath to leave ſuch a Life as this? When the Fruit is Ripe, ſhould it not be Gathered? When the Corn is Ripe, would you have it grow there, and not be Cut? When we are begotten again to the hopes of Immortality, ſhould we be ſo deſirous to ſtay in the Womb? Is it not another kind of Life which we ſhall have with God? Are they not purer Comforts that ſtay for us above? But if you will not have the Grapes to be Gathered and Preſt, how can you expect to have the Wine? Methinks our Fleſh ſhould have enough e're this time of Sickneſs, and Pain, and Want, and Croſſes, and ſhould be contented to lye down in hope of the Day when theſe ſhall be no more.
SECT. III.
II. Upon the account of Sin they are yet more burdened. The frequent commiſſion of ſin, the fears of unpardoned ſin, the remainders of Indwelling ſin, &c. are a conſtant burden to a Chriſtian while in the Body. They are ſenſible how ſhort and ſmall, how weak and low, their Knowledg of God, and Love to him are; how imperfectly and defectively they ſerve him here, in compariſon of what their Bretheren above do: And they are ſenſible, that much of this ariſes from the Body, that it is no wonder if they are willing to be Ʋncloathed. They find it not only a troubleſome, but a dangerous Companion, as that which hinders them from many hours Communion with God; that clogs, and diverts, and interrupts their Service of God, and Enjoyment of him: So that even the beſt and *Mr. Baxter's Dying Thoughts, p. 78.holieſt Men have owned they had much ado to refrain from wiſhing they had never been born, even when at the ſame time they knew that thought to be ſinful. The intereſt of this Body ſtands in ſuch competition with God and our Souls, ſince the entrance of ſin; we are expoſed, and tempted, and drawn to ſin, ſo many ways by means of the Body by our Senſes, Appetites, and Imagination, as may juſtly make us groan for Deliverance. All the objects of ſenſe about us in every Condition, our Food, and Cloathing, our Houſes and Eſtates, Friends and Relations, and our Selves, moſt of all, yeild us Temptations. And the more Holy and Sanctified any are, the more apprehenſive they muſt needs be of this Burthen; their Spirits are more tender, Earthly things are more unſuitable, God's diſpleaſure is more Fear'd, ſo that they would rather chuſe to be freed from ſin, than to be Poſſeſſors of the whole World. The clearer Light they have of the evil of Sin, and the more unfeigned their Love to God and Chriſt is, who is diſhonoured and diſpleaſed by it, and the more ardent their Deſires are, to be like him, and pleaſe him, and the more lively their Hopes are of living with him for ever, this makes this Burthen of Sin to be ſo much the more intolerable.
And even Temptations to ſin, tho they prevail not, are a part of their Burden; it is grievous to a good man to be continually ſollicited and tempted by the World, Fleſh, and Devil, to diſhonour and diſobey the Lord. And where are we without ſuch Temptation? We can hardly open our Eyes and Ears, but we meet with one.
So that this is one great conſideration that moves them to deſire, and chuſe to be diſſolved, that they may ſin no more, and be tempted no more, that they may grieve the Spirit of Grace no more, and interrupt their own Peace, and Joy, and Communion with God and Chriſt, no more for ever.
Yea, notwithſtanding the Mortification of the Fleſh, and the Life of Faith ſincerely begun, and carried on; yet the ſinful diſtempers of our Spirits, our frequent decays and back-ſlidings, our low attainments in Grace and Comfort, are owing very much to this Body, as the Spring, or at leaſt the occaſion of them; our ſloth and negligence, our eager Paſſions, inordinate Cares, and Fears, and Griefs, yea, our general Diſinclination and Averſion to Spiritual and Heavenly things, are much from this fleſh, this earthly Houſe of our Tabernacle.
SECT. IV.
Let me ſum up this Head, in the excellent words of *Mr. Howe, of Bleſſedneſs, p. 493.another on this Subject. Who can reflect, ſays he, upon this preſent State, and not be in pangs and groans after a better? Eſpecially on the account of the Spiritual Grievances of Chriſtians, the darkneſs of our beclouded minds, the glimmering and ineffectual Apprehenſions we have of the moſt important things, the inconſiſtency of our ſcattered Thoughts when we would apply them to Spiritual Objects, the great difficulty of working off an ill frame of Heart, and the no leſs difficulty of retaining a good one, our being ſo often toſt as between Heaven and Hell, that when we have been raiſed, and hope to deſcend no more, we are all on a ſuddain plunged in the Ditch, ſo that our own Cloaths abhor us. How often do repell'd Temptations return again, and vanquiſhed Corruptions recover ſtrength, that we know not when our work is done! We are miſerable that we need be always watching, and more miſerable that we cannot watch, but are ſo often ſurpriſed and overcome of evil. We ſay ſometimes we will ſeek relief in Retirement, but we cannot Retire from our ſelves; Or in converſe with Godly Friends, but they often prove Snares to us, and we to them, or we hear but our own Sins and Miſeries repeared in their Complaints. Would we Pray, how faint is the Breath we utter! How long is it e're we can get our Hearts poſſeſt, with any becoming Apprehenſions of God, or lively ſenſe of our own Concernments! So for Meditation, when we would compoſe our Thoughts, we may as well attempt to hold the Wind in our fiſt, &c. And would we then out of Choice continue in ſuch a ſtate as this, under ſo many Burdens, and of ſuch a Nature? How is it that we do not cry out more feelingly, O wretched man that I am! Who ſhall deliver me from this Body of Death? Nothing but the belief and Expectation of another and better ſtate can ſupport us under theſe Burdens; and that is next to be conſidered.