Life in Death, Title page – Dedication
LIFE IN DEATH, OR The living Hope of a dying Saint, HANDLED IN A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of that Eminently Vertuous, and Religious Gentle-woman, Mris. MARY MORLEY, Late wife to Colonel Harbert Morley, Eſq and Daughter to Sr. JOHN TREVOR Knight.
By Zachary Smith, Miniſter of the Goſpel, and Paſtor of the Church at Glynde in Suſſex, Sept. 18. 1656.
Pſal. 116.15. Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.
Prov. 10.28. The hope of the righteous ſhall be gladneſſe; but the expectation of the wicked ſhall periſh.
1 Cor. 15.19. If in this life onelyonly we have hope in Chriſt, we are of all men moſt miſerable.
Polani Syntagma, pag. 342. Mors electis & credentibus non eſt pro peccatis ſatisfactio, ſed peccati abolitio, & tranſitus in vitam aeternam.
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Greg. Nazianzen Orat. 21.
London, Printed by W. Bentley for Andrew Crook, at the ſign of the green Dragon, in Pauls Church-yard. 1656.
To the Honourable Sr. JOHN TREVOR Knight, And to his vertuous Conſort the Lady ANNE TREVOR As alſo to the Honourable Colonel HARBERT MORLEY Eſq
HONOURABLE,
I Make bold to prefix your names to this plain enſuing Sermon, not that I conceive it worthy of your Patronage, but becauſe none had ſadder hearts than your ſelves at the occaſion of it, nor any Perſons on earth greater Intereſt in, or nearer Relation to that precious Gentle-woman, at whoſe Funeral it was preached. If my heart deceive me not, it's not deſire of vain-glory that makes me willing to publiſh this Sermon; but rather theſe motives: First, a deſire that God may have the glory of the Soveraignty of his grace aſcribed unto him, who can ſo deeply implant his fear in the hearts of his people, that they ſhall never depart from him, and can keep alive thoſe ſparks of heavenly fire, which he casts into the boſoms of his Children in the midſt of the Sea of worldly encumbrances, or enjoyments. Many waters cannot quench love; a proof whereof was evident in her, ſhe loſt not her firſt love to Chriſt, and his Truth in theſe times of Libertiniſme and Errour; neither did the Cares, or Profits, or Pleaſures, or Honours of the world (whereof ſhe might have her hands full) choke the good ſeed of Gods word in her, but ſtill ſhe kept the best room of her heart free for Christ and heavenly things. Many of my reverend brethren have of late years born publick teſtimony to the Truth of Chriſt, I take this occaſion to give in my teſtimony to the Truth of his grace maintained and manifeſted to the laſt in this bleſſed Saint. Though Paul tells us, that not many wiſe, not many mighty, not many rich, not many Noble are choſen and called, yet one ſuch at leaſt was in this little Pariſh, whiles ſhe continued among us, who gloried more in the Lord, than in riches, or honour, or all worldly enjoyments: and I hope, ſome yet remain among us, looking towards Christ and heaven, much provoked thereunto, and bettered by her example. Another motive that induced me hereunto was an earneſt inclination in my ſpirit to teſtifie that honourable reſpect that I did bear towards her. I am not afraid to tell the world, that ſhe was a Gentle-woman, whom I did as much honour, and as highly eſteem as any one living of her ſex and quality, in regard of the vertues and graces which I obſerved ſhining forth in her carriage, whereby ſhe did very much beautifie and adorn her profeſsion of Religion. I find, Matth. 26.13. that our Saviour takes care that a Memorial of Maries Piety & Beneficence towards him in anointing his head and feet with precious Oyntment, Joh. 12.3. might be publiſhed, and perpetuated in after-ages, and I am much emboldned by that inſtance of Chriſt, to take ſome care that this Maries Memorial alſo, (who delighted to ſit at Chriſts feet and hear his word, and who often anointed his head with the ſweet Oyntment of Piety and Devotion, glorifying him as God, and his feet with the Oyntment of Charity and Compaſsion, relieving his poor Members, and ſo miniſtring to Chriſt of her ſubſtance may be publiſhed, and tranſmitted to posterity. In hope alſo that the Readers hereof may, through the bleſsing of God, be edified, and provoked to walk in the way to eternal life, and follow after righteouſneſſe, ſo as they alſo may have hope in their death: I have adventured to commit this Sermon to publick view, to give people warning, not to go on in their ſins, lest they be driven away in their wickedneſſe; nor to content themſelves with the righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, leſt they come ſhort of the Kingdom of Heaven; nor to reſt in a bare, groundleſſe, lazie conjectural Hope, leſt their hope make them aſhamed: and exhorting them to uſe all diligence to make their calling and election ſure, by making ſure their interest in Chriſt by faith, conſidering that ſuch as are without Chriſt are without hope, Epheſ. 2.12. whereas ſuch as have Chriſt framed in them, have learned a rich and glorious myſtery; Christ in us being the hope of glory, Col. 1.27. For if (with Paul) we reſolve & endeavour, that Chriſt ſhall be magnified by us, whether by life, or death, he will be unto us both in life and death advantage, Phil. 1.20, 21. And when Chriſt who is our life ſhall appear, we ſhall alſo appear with him in glory, Col. 3.4.
I ſhall not trouble you further with any Apology for my boldneſſe in mentioning your names, and addreſsing my ſelf to you in the Dedication hereof; aſsuring you, it is not with any deſire, or intent to revive, or encreaſe your ſorrow, or aggravate your grief, who had the greateſt ſhare in that great loſse which we have of late ſuſtained; but rather to asſwage and allay it, by minding you of that great gain and advantage which ſhe hath gotten by death. Our Saviour tells his Diſciples when comfortleſse at the thought of his departure from them: If ye loved me, ye would rejoyce, becauſe I go unto the Father, John 14.28. I know you loved her dearly, as a dutifull Childe to you her Parents, and as a tender affectionate faithfull ſpouſe, and true Chriſtian yoke-fellow to you her Huſband; let your love to her be now expreſsed rather in rejoycing, that ſhe is gone to her heavenly Father, & that ſhe is at reſt in the boſom of her Spiritual Bridegroom, than in mourning for her departure from … of this Vale of miſceries; conſidering that to be with Christ is far better and in the preſence of her heavenly relations ſhe may enjoy fulneſſe of bliſſe and pleaſures for ever more.
If the Poet ſpake truth when he ſaid,
Solamen miſeris ſocios habuiſſe doloris;
That it's a comfort to the afflicted to have companions of their grief; you may take ſome comfort in conſidering, you had many, who did ſympathize and condole with you at her death; yea, very many of the Children of Sion did mourn and make bitter lamentation, ſo that this place was a Bochim, Judg. 2.5. yea, as Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon, where the Inhabitants of Iudah and Ieruſalem mourned for the death of Ioſiah, Zach. 12.11. 2 Chron. 35.25. I dare ſay, there hath not been a Gentle-woman living in this County ſo few years, whoſe death hath been more generally bewailed and lamented over all Suſſex. But I know, you make uſe of better conſiderations and grounds of comfort than this; And that you are throughly apprehenſive of the Lords hand in this ſad ſtroke, whoſe will hath been done by him in this event, and quiet ſubmiſsion of our wills to his ought to be yielded by us, the examples of Aaron, Levit. 10.3, 4. of Eli, 1 Sam. 3.18. of David, 2 Sam. 15.26. and of Iob 1.21. are worthy of your obſervation and imitation herein. The Lord knows how to cauſe all things to work together for good unto his people; and he is the God of all comforts, who can comfort you in all your tribulations, and fill your hearts with joy and peace in believing, ſo that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghoſt; that Chriſt may be in you the hope of glorie; and that his love being ſhed abroad in your hearts by his ſpirit given unto you, you alſo may have hope in your death. Thus prayeth
Glynde, October 4. 1656. Your Honours Humbly devoted to ſerve you in all Goſpel-duties Zachary Smith.