The Triumph of Faith, Title page – Dedication
The Triumph of Faith.
A Funeral Sermon PREACHED TO A Church of Christ, AT THE Meeting-House in Bartholomew-Close, London, January 16, 1697.
Quod dixi spem nos non confundere, patet utique ex charitate, quam Deus nobis copiosé ex…buit, effundendo in nos Spiritum Sanctum, tanquam pignus haereditatis promissae, per multiplicia dona, quae nobis impertivit. Nam ex acceptis confirmamur, & certi reddimur de futuris. Estius in …p. 5. ad Romanos, Comm. 5.
O how great is thy Goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of Men! Psal 31.19.
For with thee is the Fountain of Life: and in thy Light we shall see Light, Psal. 36.9
Thy Loving-kindness is better than Life, Psal. 63.3.
Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the Heart of Man, the Things which God hath prepared for them that love hi…▪ Cor. 2.9.
O Lord, I will praise thee: Though thou wast angry with me, t… …nger is turned away, and thou hast comforted me, Isai 12.1.
By JOHN QUICK, Minister of the Gospel.
LONDON: Printed for John Lawrence, at the Golden Angel in the Poultry; and Richard Parker, under the Pi…zza, near the Royal Exchange, 1698.
TO THE VERY HONOURED Madam SƲSANNA LING.
MADAM,
THE Prophet Daniel, when he testified unto Christ, styleth Him, by a Circumlocution, Palmoni; that is, such a One, a certain Saint, One who was most admirably skill'd in that obscure Art and difficult Mystery of Numb'ring the Times. Peloni Palmoni is the Grand Teacher, as he will be at last the Chief Auditor of all Accompts, and hath for his Disciples Holy Angels and Holy Men: Holy Angels do learn in his School this Heavenly Arithmetick. I heard one Saint, one Holy Angel speaking, and another Saint, i. e. another Angel of God said unto that certain Saint, viz. unto Palmoni, which spake, How long shall be the Vision concerning the d…ily Sacrifice? When shall the Sanctuary be cleansed? Dan. 8.13, 14. And one said unto the Man cloathed in Linen, which was upon the Waters of the River, How long shall it be to the end of these Wonders? Dan. 12.6, 7. Holy Men also are the Scholars of Palmoni: Moses and the Prophets sate at his Feet, praying his Instructions in this Divine Science. So teach us to number our Days, that we may apply our Hearts to true Wisdom, Psal. 90.12. David confesses, that his Times were in his hands, either to lengthen, or cut them short at his pleasure, Psal. 31.15. Lord, make me to know my End, and the measure of my Days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my Days as a Hand's breadth, a Span, and mine Age is as nothing before Thee. Yea, and the Holy Apostles have studied this intricate Art of Accompting under him. What is your Life? said St. James to his Christian Catholicks; It is a Vapour, that appeareth for a little, and then vanisheth away, Chap. 4.14. These were good Proficients in tbis sublime Mystery, most excellent and exact Accomptants, his genuine Disciples, and well worthy of such a Master.
But there be others in the Christian World, who would fain pass and be taken for his Scholars, altho' they be very bad Accomptants: For when they come to an Audit here, to cast up, and liquidate their Accompts, they be mightily out in them: For either they have no Accompts, they never kept any, or they bring in, as that unjust Steward, but false Accompts, to cheat the Eyes, and deceive the Minds of their Lords and Creditors. There was a Master of a Ship, who being return'd home from his Voiage, and call'd to account with his Owners, did bring in the Boot-Accompt, Sirs, said he, I can neither Read, Write, nor Cypher; but what I got, I put into this Boot; and what I spent, I took out of it; and what remains in it, is Yours. This was a sorry Reckoning; yet a just and true one, because it proceeded, though from his Simplicity, yet also from his Integrity and downright Honesty.
But let me speak as a Christian, as a Divine, The great Reason of all Bad Accompts and Frauds, is from want of the Love of God. God's Love to us, and God's Love in us, is the cause of our Love to God, and to our Neighbour. If we love God, and are beloved of God, we will keep his Commandments; deal justly and truly with others, as we would be dealt withal our selves: It will not suffer us in the least to over-reach or defraud our Brother: It will put us upon doing good to all, but principally, as we have Ability and Opportunity, unto those of the Houshold of Faith. For God is Love, and the Love of God is the Fountain from whence all those Streams of Love and Goodness, wherewith ou… L…s, … …he Lives of our Fellow-Creotures are refreshed. And this Love of God in us, received and sensed by us, will constrain us to love and do good, as our God doth, even unto the Evil and Unthankful. Such as are Strangers to the Love of God, are Strangers unto all Goodness.
There be too too many such in the World, who never tasted of the Peace and Love of God: But this deceased Christian, at whose Funeral I Preached this Sermon, was One who had been melted by Divine Love. You did not know her Personally, although she walked in Communion with you. She was the Godly Child of a very Godly Mother; Religion seem'd to have run in her Blood. She was very well skill'd in the Book of Life, the Holy Bible. God's Word was the Delight of her Soul, and her great Comfort under her great Afflictions: And the Consolations which she drew from the Holy Bible, she communicated unto others who conversed with her; for she was much in Holy Conference, speaking always the Language of Canaan to those about her.
In her last Sickness, she gave herself wholly unto Reading and Meditation, Self-reflection, and Prayers, preparing herself for her approaching Change: And though she had her Exercises from within and without, as all the Children of God have more or less; yet at last, before she died, the Lord sent the Comforter unto her; and some Hours before she left this World, she was ravish'd with the Joys of God's Salvation, and rid of all her Doubts and Fears, being fully perswaded of God's Everlasting Love unto her in our Lord Jesus.
Accept, Good Madam, of this slender Testimonial of my unfeigned Love to your precious Soul; and may you also have an Eshcol of the Heavenly Canaan, the First Fruits of the Holy Spirit, the Pledge and Earnest of your Adoption here below, 'till you come to be put at last into the full Possession of your Inheritance with all God's Elect in Glory! Which is the hearty Prayer of,
Honoured MADAM, Your most Humble and Faithful Servant in the LORD, John Quick.