Funeral Sermon for Mary Doolittle, Sermon · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Chriſtians have a certain Expectation of a better State and Life after this; and may be comfortably perſuaded of their own Title in particular.
SECT. I.
Secondly, THat real Chriſtians have the certain Expectation of a better State and Life, after the Diſſolution of this Earthly Tabernable. 1. As to the thing it ſelf, ſuch a better State is Certain. 2. As to Particular Chriſtians, they may have a certain Expectation of it, as to themſelves. Let us Conſider,
1. The Objective Certainty, That there is ſuch a better State, and Life beyond the Grave. Were there no ſuch Expectation, of all Creatures in the World, Men were the moſt Miſerable, and ſerious Chriſtians, and the Wiſeſt and moſt Knowing Men, would be *See Mr. How's Vanity of Man as Mortal.moſt ſo The preſent Vanity of Life were enough to make us regret it, if nothing more or better were to be expected, we could not but always live in dread and fear of Death; we ſhould not enjoy our ſelves here, and yet would be afraid of loſing our ſelves for ever hereafter.
*Dr. Parker, Demonſtration of the Law of Nature, Sect. xxi.We were miſerable indeed in this Life, if there were no ſuch Future State of Immortality to be expected. From the higheſt pitch of humane Felicity, there could be nothing but a ſad proſpect of the gloomy Regions of Everlaſting Death and Darkneſs. What can ſupport the mind under ſuch a view? Or ſcatter our black and Melancholy Apprehenſions about it? When we think that after a ſhort Muſhrome Life, we muſt return to Duſt and Silence, and be for ever buried in the horror and loathſomeneſs of the Grave. This will daſh and diſturb all our Joys, and ſpoil the Cheerfulneſs and Tranquility of our Spirits in a proſperous State. This will double all the Miſeries of Life, for under them to think to fetch relief from dying, is ſuch another kind of Comfort, as if you ſhould tell a Man in a Storm at Sea, that there is no hope of allaying the Tempeſt, but when you are Drown'd, the Storm will trouble you no longer. This will be an intolerable Acceſſion to the load of preſent calamity, to conſider the Period of Life is ſo ſhort and Fading, and that ſo much of ſo little ſhould be loſt and worn away in Sorrow and Miſery, and to deſpair of any Remedy or Deliverance, but in Eternal Death. 'Tis much more Eligible never to have been born, than only to Grieve, and ſuffer a while, and Dye; to drop a Tear, and vent a Groan, and paſs a little time in a Stormy, Tempeſtuous World, and then diſappear, and ſink back into Nothing.
But all who own any thing of Religion, acknowledg ſomewhat of an immortal State; the poor Heathens themſelves had ſome notices of it; the Jews in their ſeveral Generations believed it: and the very Light of Nature will do much to manifeſt that ſuch a difference there will be hereafter between a Man and a Beaſt, between the Good and Bad, between the final State of thoſe that love, and pleaſe, and ſerve God, and of thoſe that diſobey his known will. For who can acknowledg and own a God, as Maker and Governour of the World, the Wiſe and Righteous Judge of all, and think he will turn Men promiſcuouſly into Heaven, or Hell at random, without diſtinguiſhing between Friends and Enemies, Righteous and wicked; or that he'l neither Reward or Puniſh; that there ſhall be no ſtate of Happineſs for the one ſort, or of Miſery for the other. Beſides the Teſtimony of Conſcience, as to the Hopes and Fears of theſe things in another World, is of weight in this caſe.
But I hope I need not here be large, when I ſpeak to ſuch as profeſs to believe the Bible: and there it is as certain as that God is true, who hath declared it; or that Chriſt was ſent of God, who has taught it; as true, as that he died, and roſe again, and aſcended to Heaven; and that all his Apoſtles and Followers have lived and died in the Expectation of ſuch a State. The Reſurrection of the body, I grant, was not ſo plain an Article before the coming of Chriſt; but a general ſtate of Happineſs for Holy Perſons in another World no Chriſtians will deny: And our Lord has proved the perſonal Capacity of future Rewards, by the Doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, and the Reſurrection of the body, and by an account of the manner of the Adminiſtration of theſe Rewards, as more inchoate and particular at Death, more univerſal and conſummate at Judgment, in the great day of Retribution. All the Doctrines of the Goſpel concerning Chriſt, do ſuppoſe or aſcertain this. He came into the World to purchaſe our Right and Title to ſuch a bleſſed State, and went to Heaven again, to plead, and proſecute, and apply, and beſtow it. So that ſuch a thing is Certain, and may be expected, by all, the Followers of Chriſt. It is as certain and unqueſtionable as the Word and Oath of God can make it: much more Certain, than if a Meſſenger from the Dead did come and tell you ſo: For the manifold witneſſes of the Holy Ghoſt to the Divine Commiſſion of Chriſt, and the truth of the Goſpel, is a much greater thing, and more credible, than any ſuch tranſient Teſtimony could be. But I ſhall not inſiſt on this, the Devils themſelves believe it, and prove it; for if there be no Heaven, there is no Hell.
SECT. II.
Secondly, Particular Chriſtians may have a certain Expectation of this happy State beyond the Grave. We know, ſays the Apoſtle, that we have a Building in Heaven, when this earthly Tabernacle ſhall be diſſolved. We know, and are aſſured of it; It is a thing ſo evident and manifeſt, it is capable of being demonſtrated. It is not my bare Opinion, but the common ſenſe of all the Followers of Chriſt, built on ſuch grounds, that we are ready to venture our Lives, and all that is dear to us, upon this believing Expectation. And becauſe we know we have another better Building reſerved in Heaven for us, we therefore groan and long to be there; we have a Building in Heaven, though we are yet on Earth: As he that hath an Eſtate in another Kingdom or Country, may call both his own, though he cannot dwell in both at once; nay though it may be he muſt travel a great way, and croſs the Seas, before he can reach to one of them.
Particular Chriſtians may be certain. The Apoſtle often declares it as to himſelf, and all the Children of God have a Title to the Inheritance, they have Deeds and Evidences to ſhow for it, they have the Will and Teſtament of their Lord and Maſter to produce, and they have the Seal of his Spirit, as a witneſs in their Hearts, which is the Earneſt of the Inheritance, whereby they are ſealed to the day of Redemption.
Sanctifying Grace is called an Immortal, Incorruptible Seed, 1 Pet. 1.13.and they that are partakers of it have Eternal Life abiding in them, 1 John 3.13.becauſe this preſent Life begun ſhall be perfected in Glory. This Seal of the Holy Spirit on the Soul, is the Earneſt of the heavenly Inheritance, to manifeſt how ſure and certain it is, as well as a foretaſte to prove how good. We have an Houſe in Heaven, a Building not made with hands. We have it as our own, we are ſo certain of it, as we reckon our ſelves in ſome ſenſe already in Poſſeſſion. We abide, it is true, for a while in this earthly Dwelling; but we have another and a better Houſe, a Building of God, not made with Hands, and we long to be there.
SECT. III.
They that can make out the unfeignedneſs of their Faith in Chriſt, and the ſincerity of their Love to him; who can diſcern the truth of their Sanctification, who can perceive the Image of God upon their Souls, his Impreſs, Character and Seal, having turned their Hearts from the World and Sin, to God, and Holineſs, and Heaven, with an anſwerable Converſation in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity; they may have a ſubjective Certainty of this, by the Teſtimony of Conſcience, and the concurrent Witneſs of the Spirit, enabling them to diſcern the Truth of their Grace: they may know their own intereſt in the Promiſe, and argue it to their Comfort, from the qualifications of ſuch to whom the Promiſe is made. I do not ſay that All do reach to an actual Certainty, and full perſwaſion; the generality we find do not; but ſuch a thing is attainable, and all ſhould Labour after it: And did we ſeek it in the right way, endeavouring, by the exerciſe and increaſe of Grace, to know the truth of it, more would reach this, than commonly do; And then more would long, and groan, and deſire to be uncloathed of this Earthly Tabernacle, that they may be cloathed upon with an Houſe from Heaven, and Mortality be ſwallowed up of Life. Which brings me to conſider the Third thing I propoſed to ſpeak to.