Funeral Sermon for Mary Doolittle, Sermon · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Inferences of Truth, and Duty from the preceding Diſcourſe. The Soul doth not periſh, when the Body dies. The Felicity of the Soul is what we principally deſire. Our Faith ſhould be conſirmed in the Believing Expectation of this Glorious Change. Our affections and Converſation ſhould be Suitable
SECT. I.
Firſt, Let us not then imagin the State of the Dead to be a State of Non-exiſtence, or Annihilation, that the Soul periſhes with the Body, and that we are without Hope of its Reſurection. Whereas, when our Soul paſſes into a ſtate of Reſt and Joy with Chriſt, our Fleſh reſts in Hope that theſe Bodys ſhall be raiſed and reunited to their glorious Souls. We are to paſs through the Valley of Death to a Bleſſed Life. This is the Deſire and Hope of all the Followers of Chriſt. And theſe very Deſires of a bleſſed Life beyond the Grave, will prove the Certainty of it.
We muſt have ſtrange Thoughts of the infinitely wiſe and holy God, and of his Love and Goodneſs, to imagin he ſhould give his Creatures ſuch a Knowledge of himſelf that makes them deſire more, even a Deſire to know, and love, and injoy him perpetually, and yet never intend an eternal Communication of himſelf, anſwerable to thoſe Deſires. Can we think the bleſſed God would deceive and mock thoſe that deſire to ſeek, and pleaſe him? by inabling them to aſpire after a Happineſs in his preſence, and by giving them a Capacity for it, And then to fruſtrate and diſappoint his own work? Can we think, that God would excite their Deſires after another, and a better ſtate, and yet never admit them to it? Can we imagin that God would raiſe their Deſires from ſin and this World, to himſelf and Heaven, and that theſe ſhall never be anſwered in a happy Iſſue? Shall the very Sanctification of our Nature prepare for our Torment, and help to make us miſerable? Will the God of Love and Grace inable us by his Grace to hunger and thirſt after Righteouſneſs, and after the bleſſed viſion of his Face in Glory, and yet never deſign our Satisfaction?
The more any partake of the divine Image, we find that they groan and long the more earneſtly after another ſort of Happineſs, than is here to be had; after another State, and Life than now they enjoy: And may we not conclude that ſuch a State there is? The natural Deſire of Happineſs in all mankind, will do much to prove that there is ſuch a thing: But the holy Deſires of the Sanctified, influenced by the ſpirit of Grace, will much more prove it: That ſpirit of Chriſt, that hath inabled thee to long and pray for a more perfect State, that has conquered thy vain Deſires after earthly things, and raiſed them to ſeek the Knowledge, and Love, and Fruition of God; That Spirit is the Witneſs of Chriſt in thy Soul, that there is ſuch a State after Death, and that thou ſhalt ſhare in the Bleſſedneſs of it. He hath framed, and wrought, and fitted, and made thee meet for it. Theſe Deſires, it is true, are but faint and weak, to what the promiſed ſalvation may Juſtly chalenge; yet they are holy and ſincere, and have God, and Chriſt, and his bleſſed Preſence above, for their Object; thou haſt his Image and ſeal imprinted on thy Nature, Mind and Will. This Evidence and Experience in thy ſelf ſhall no be deſeated in its Tendency and Deſignt
SECT. II.
Secondly, In our Contemplation of this happy State, which the ſaints deſire, beyond the Grave, we ought to remember, that though the Glorious Change of the Body be one part, the Felicity of the Soul is the principal one: Yea the Glory of departed Souls, is one great Cauſe and Means of that happy Change, which we expect for the Body. To be with Chriſt, and behold his Glory, and partake of it, does eſpecially refer to the Soul: We ſhall ſee him as he is, and in that reſpect be made like him. We are now the Children of God by free Grace and Adoption; but his admirable Love will not deſiſt, till our Conſormity to his Image be more compleat, till we are brought to his Preſence, and partake of his Holineſs to that degree, as to be the objects of his eternal Complacence and Delight. Father, I will, ſays Chriſt, that thoſe that thou haſt given me, ſhould be with me to behold my Glory.
Then all our Sins and Failings, all our Follies and Infirmities, all our Wrinkles and Blemiſhes, all our Tranſgreſſions and Imperfections, ſhall be done away; and our Souls ſhall be waſhed white in the Blood of the Lamb, being conformed to our Divine Pattern.
The leſſer Manifeſtations of the Spiritual Glory of Chriſt, which we have ſometimes here, are highly valuable to a Saint, but unſpeakably ſhort of that which we expect; theſe hereafter will be more clear, more transforming, more ſatisfactory, and more laſting: We now ſee through a Glaſs, but darkly; but we ſhall know as we are known, for we ſhall ſee him as he is. We hope for an inlightened, and inlarged Mind to behold the Excellency and Radiancy of the Divine Perfections, ſhining in and through our glorified Redeemer. This will oblige the moſt Improved Saint that ever left this Earth, to cry out with the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomon, that the one half was never told them, was not known or believed before. And if we are changed into his Image by beholding his Glory in the Goſpel-glaſs, the Viſion hereafter will be more clear; and ſo the Change will be greater, and the Delight and Complacence reſulting from it, muſt needs be unſpeakably more. And this is our Comfort, that it will be ſuch, as ſhall laſt for ever. If we have any Glymps of him at preſent by the Light of Faith, we quickly loſe the ſight again: How ſoon does an interpoſing Cloud hide him from us? But the Felicity of the Bleſſed Viſion above, will be permanent, we ſhall dwell for ever in the joyful Light of his Countenance, and abide with him continually in the Heavenly Manſions.
SECT. III.
Thirdly, Let us then indeavour to confirm our Faith in the Expectation of this bleſſed State, for Soul and Body after Death. Let us keep the Grounds of Faith viſible in our Eye; let us imploy our Thoughts frequently, and ſeriouſly upon the bleſſed Object: Let us deeply and often conſider the cogent Reaſons, upon which we believe and expect ſuch things; both the intrinſick Grounds of Faith, and the Motives of Credibility; that our Aſſent may be the more firm and laſting; that our Chriſtian Faith may influence us, as preſent things are wont to do.
Did we not look upon the great things of the other Life as uncertain we could not but reckon them preferable to the beſt of our preſent Injoyments. Did we believe them, we could not but deſire … for our not deſiring that bleſſed State, but our criminal Infidelity, that we believe it not: For were we but fully perſwaded of the truth of the Promiſes, we muſt needs imbrace them for their Goodneſs, and Excellency; and then we ſhould long till Death did draw aſide the Vail, open the Gate of Heaven, and bring us into the Divine Preſence. But we waver and doubt concerning the inviſible future World; and hence it is that we cloſe with what is Preſent, becauſe we are not equally perſwaded of the Truth and Cortainty of what is Future. Let us then indeavour to ſtrengthen, and confirm our Faith.
SECT. IV.
Fourthly, Let us regulate our Affections and Carriage in this Earthly Tabernacle, as Perſons who believe and expect ſuch a glorious Change. Let us paſs the time of our Sojourning in this World, as Pilgrims and Strangers. Let us abſtain from fleſhly Luſts that War againſt our Souls. Let us uſe both our Souls and Bodies anſwerable to the belief of ſuch things. Let us watch leſt we are ſurprized into ſin by our bodily Senſes, Appetites and Imagination. Let us remember that the Soul and Body; like two diſeaſed Creatures bound together in one chain, do now mutually infect, corrupt, and Poyſon one another; Let us take heed of ſin by the inordinate Love of Bodily Pleaſure, or the undue fear of Bodily Suffering.
Let us imitate the Pattern of Chriſt while he dwelt in a Body, and labour to have the ſame Mind which he had, to be in this World as he was in it. Lot the good and evil of this World have leſs powerful impreſſion upon us. Let us not be over fond of the Pleaſures of the Animal Life; may they every day be leſs conſiderable with us! Let us not ſo love the Body, as on that account to decline any preſent Duty; much leſs ſo over-love it, as to prefer the Comforts of the preſent Life to a future Felicity.
Let us not regret over much that ſuch an earthly Tabernacle muſt fall into duſt, that ſuch a periſhing Body muſt diſſolve, and lye in the Grave. We are ſenſible how weak and uſeleſs it was for a good while at firſt, before the Body was fitted for the ſervice of the Soul; and we cannot but be ſenſible what a Trouble and Temptation it has been ſince: Let the burdens and inconveniences of the bodily Life be more tolerable, let us not be impatient under them; let us be willing that the outward Man decay, ſo that the inward Man be renewed, let our Judgment and Eſteem, our Deſires and Indeavours, our Joys and Sorrows, be rectified and moderated, as to all that refers to the Body, and this Preſent Life. Let our Eyes and Hearts be fixed on the Heavenly State, let us remember we are a ſort of Creatures related to the other World, though we dwell at preſent in an earthly Tabernacle.
In the midſt of our earthly Comforts, let us think of the Heavenly State and Liſe as infinitely better. Let us keep alive the Deſires of the Preſence of Chriſt, and fuller Conformity to him, in the height of our Temporal Proſperity. Let the believing Thoughts of the Caeleſtial State be unſpeakably ſweeter to us, than the beſt of all this World, when it is moſt pleaſant, commodious, and inviting: Our Spirits are Diſtempered, and out of Order, if it be not thus with us.
And let all the Calamities and Afflictions of this preſent Life, be ſupported by this Expectation; and improved likewiſe to ſtrengthen, and increaſe ſuch Deſires of a better State. This is one deſign of God in our Temporal Croſſes, to aſſiſt our Victory over this World, and make us more intenſely and earneſtly to aſpire after Heaven; to teach us to long for everlaſting Reſt, and Peace, and Glory; to bring us practically to reckon, and conclude, that the expected Glory that is to be revealed in us, will infinitely out ballance all the ſufferings of our preſent State.
In ſhort, if you believe and expect ſuch a bleſſed Change, let the Apoſtles Exhortation take place, to be ſtedfaſt, unmovable, allways abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know it cannot be in vain in the Lord. Do not regret the Thoughts of labouring and ſuffering, for a little while more and longer in this Body; you need not apprehend you ſhall be looſers, or fear to have a hard Batgain: For your preſent Sorrows, and ſufferings, and difficult Services, can laſt but a little while, and ſhall have an eternal Recompence: If we are never ſo abundant in the Work of the Lord, if we begin never ſo ſoon, and laſt never ſo long, it ſhall not be in vain in the Lord, If therefore you thus believe and expect, be perſwaded to give all Diligence, adding to your Faith Vertue, to Vertue Knowledg to Knowledg Temperance, to Temperance Patience, to Patience Godlineſs, to Godlineſs Brotherlykindneſs, to Brotherly-kindneſs Charity, being filled with all the Fruits of Righteouſneſs that are by Chriſt Jeſus to the Glory and Praiſe of God, that an Entrance may be adminiſtred to you abundantly, into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. Let us follow after, that we may apprehend that, for which alſo we are apprehended of Chriſt Jeſus. Let us reach forth unto thoſe things that are before, forgetting thoſe which are behind, and preſs towards the Mark of the Prize of the high Calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus; that if by any means we might attain unto the Reſurrection of the dead. Philip. 3.11, 12, 13.Let us remember we are to be but a little while in this Body, and this earthly Houſe is appointed for Labour, it is a work-houſe; Let us therefore give all Diligence to work out our Salvation, as knowing we ſhall not be long in the Body. This is the Apoſtles Argument as to himſelf, (and equally concerns us) 2 Pet. 1.12, 13.