Christ the Riches of the Gospel and the Hope of Christians, Title page – Elegy 3
CHRIST THE Riches of the GOSPEL, AND THE Hope of CHRISTIANS A SERMON Preached at the Funerall of Mr William Spurſtow the only Childe of Dr Spurstow at Hackney near London, Mar. 10.
By SIMEON ASHE Preacher of the Goſpel, and Lecturer there.
PHIL. 3. 23, 21.
I have a deſire to depart to be with Chriſt which is farre better.
For me to live is Chriſt, and to die is Gain.
LONDON, Printed by A. M. for G. Sawbridge at the Signe of the Bible on Ludgate-hill, 1654.
To My much Eſteemed Good Friends, Dr Spurstow, Paſtor of the Church at Hackney, and to Mrs Sarah Spurſtow his Vertuous Wife.
WHen I prepared this Sermon for the Pulpit, and preached it at the Funerall of your much endeared Sonne and only childe, there was not one thought in my minde that it ſhould be brought to the Preſſe; but as it ſerved your deſires with reference to the Congregations profit there, ſo upon the ſame account (through the importunity of many others alſo) it now cometh abroad enlarged with reſpect unto more publike ſervice: The reading of it may probably renew your ſorrow by occaſioning the remembrance of your loſſe (for the wound not throughly healed will ſmart and bleed again upon every gentle touch) but I hope that influences from Christ (the ſubject of the Sermon) will drop like healing oyl, with ſweetneſſe upon your ſpirits. Summer-fruit doth ſooneſt fall from the tree out of which it grew: The early buddings both of ingenuity and piety, in your hopefull childe, cauſed ſome of your friends to ſuſpect that God would gather him unto himſelf before he became a man. Would not you both (if God had lengthened his life on earth) have been content to have wanted his ſociety for a time, upon well-grounded confidence of a comfortable meeting, and that your parting would be for his preferment and your mutual profit? I ſhall not need to make the application: He was the heir of a full eſtate, with which Gods bounty hath bleſſed you, but the hand of Providence hath put him into the poſſeſſion of a far more rich Inheritance; You had hopes that he might have been the ſtaffe of your age, but though that ſupport is ſunk and ſhrunk from you, yet you are not left comfortleſs, for the precious promiſes of Goſpel-grace are continued … to uphold both your hopes and hearts for ever. Chear up … hearts (my dear Friends) both in hope of his happy change and your ſpirituall advantage by the ſanctification of this your loſſe. Bleſſe God who beſtowed ſo good a childe upon you, ſuffered you to enjoy him ſo long, and gave you (with hearts to educate him religiouſly) to ſee the ſucceſſe of your endeavours in thoſe timely bloſſomes which appeared upon upon him; And as for your ſelves, do ye not finde (through the operation of Gods peculiar grace) that upon your ſouls which may encourage the application of Davids ſupport and conſolation? He hath made with me an everlaſting Covenant, ordered in all things and ſure; for this is all my ſalvation and all 2 Sam. 23. 5.my deſire, although he make not my houſe to grow. In this Covenant there is nothing defective, which any Chriſtian, in any condition, can either deſire or want. And amongſt other rich promiſes which are thereto annexed, this is one; (which may be ſeaſonably releeving unto you) to give a better name then of Sons and Daughters: Ʋpon all theſe conſiderationsIſa. 56. 5. (unto which your knowledge in the myſteries of the Gospel can adde many more) you ſhould rather expreſs the joys of faith then feed upon your ſorrows, to your own prejudice and the trouble of your Chriſtian friends: And ſeeing the Lord hath to your ſenſe written vanity upon the choiceſt of your creaturecontents, how ſhould your ſouls be now elevated above all things ſublunary and changeable! His hand of providence hath eaſed you of all further cares for him, whom you intended to leave well furniſhed with all accomodations for comfort and ſervice in this world; therefore now what have you ſo much to minde here as to improve time, talents, eſtate, intereſts, yea, your All, for your own mutuall advantage in Chriſt, and the glory of God, who hath done ſo much for your ſelves and yours? This improvement of your affliction (wherein my experience hath wrought ſympathies) I can and ſhall heartily requeſt in your behalf through Jeſus Chriſt, in whom I am,
Your aſſured Friend, if his own, SIMEON ASHE. Iune 20. 1654.
To my much Honoured and Worthy Friends, Dr William Spurstow and Mrs Sarah Spurſtow his Wife, upon the Death of their hopefull Sonne and onelyonly Childe, Mr William Spurſtow.
Carmen foreign.
LEt hopeleſſe Heathens grieve, and let them ſhed
From drowned eyes vain offerings to the dead;
Let their remorſeleſſe hands their boſomes rend,
'Cauſe Death their comforts and their hopes do end:
Let weeping Niobe congeal to ſtone,
And kill her ſelf with grief and fruitleſſe mone.
But you (Dear Friends) do mourn in hope, and weep,
Beleeving your bleſt childe in Chriſt doth ſleep.
Harbour we mutinous thoughts againſt his will,
Whoſe works are juſt, whoſe waies are holy ſtill?
Oh let his mercy and his goodneſſe charm
All diſcontent; He'le never do you harm,
Nor can he do you wrong, becauſe he's juſt,
Willingly then ſubmit, or elſe you muſt.
Baniſh ſad thoughts which do without relief
Torment you with reiterated grief;
Suppoſe you ſaw your Son equalling thoſe
Bright morning Stars the Sons of God; Suppoſe
You ſaw his ſoul inthron'd in bliſſe with them,
Who Cit'zens are of New Jeruſalem:
Suppoſe you heard his own delightfull voice
Thus ſpeak (Dear Parents) weep not but rejoyce
For me, for now I am perfectly free
From ſorrow, ſin, Death, and mortality;
Surely you do not doubt my happineſſe
(For you oft ſay I'm gone to heaven) much leſſe
Can loving Parents envy it, then ceaſe
To interrupt my joy and your own peace.
Happy thoſe Parents who their Children teach
Gods fear, whilſt young, and whilſt within the reach
Of Prayers and counſels; ſo ſhall not death prevent
Their diligence, and they too late repent.
How early ſaving light did dawn and break
In him who learnt to pray as ſoon as ſpeak,
And minding Sermons then knew good from ill,
When thoſe of's age have not learnt to ſit ſtill;
Nay more, ſo young, and yet complain'd, that he
Could not rule's thoughts when moſt think thoughts are free.
Then 'twas the devil who did firſt invent
That curſed prophane Proverb, A young Saint
An old Devil; no no, many through Gods grace
Set out betimes, and hold out all the race,
And many Timothy's have Mnaſons prov'd,
Who have Gods Word in childehood learnt and lov'd.
Such was his pregnant parts and piety,
His youth it was a full maturity.
A Childe that did per ſaltum commence man,
His years ſpake morning, his parts Meridian:
Harveſt i'th Spring, a bloſſome fairly blown,
Knit, and at once fruit to perfection grown.
Haec moerens poſuit Gulielmus Taylor A. M. apud Londinenſes Paſtor foreign.
Upon the much lamented Death of the truly Pious Youth Mr William Spurstow, who deceaſed Anno Dom. 1633/4 March Aetatis 9.
BLeſt Soul, thy Parents only Son! Thou waſt
Nipt in the bud, and into deaths Den caſt
In Spring time both of age and year. Thy Sun
Is ſoon gone down, ſoon is thy ſhort race run;
True, an Apprentiſhip th'haſt ſerv'd on earth
Of nine years, but the tenth thou paiſt to Death
As her due Tithe; She will not be deni'd,
Young, old, rich, poor, are carried down this Tide.
Thou liv'ſt, though dead in th'memory of thoſe
Who knew thy life and ſaw its holy cloſe;
The honour thou didſt to thy Parents bear,
Thy humble carriage, witty words, indear
Thee unto all; Thoſe ſparks of Piety
Kindled wiihin thy Soul by th' Almighty
Dazled the eyes of men; Thine exc'llent parts
Admired were by all; Thou wonſt all hearts.
But ſtay, needs he Encomiums? Reader, know,
He joys above while we him wail below.
E. C. Student in Syd. Coll. Cam.
Upon his Funerall Text, Col. 1. 27. Chriſt in you the hope of glory. With which he was much affected in his life time, and of which he did often ſpeak.
THis Text did much refreſh this Saint, now dead;
Chriſt was his Hope, his Glory, Crown, and Head:
Whilſt here on earth Chriſt dwelt in him by grace,
But now he dwells with Chriſt and ſees his face.
His Body though in grave, to Chriſt is knit,
His Soul with Chriſt, in Chriſts own Throne doth ſit.
Chriſt was his hope on earth; but now he is,
His Heaven, his All, his, his, for ever his.
E. C. Student in Syd. Coll. Cam.
Upon the Death of M. william Spurſtow.
YE Muſes Helicon what can you lie
Thus mantled in a ſtupid Lethargy?
Breathe out your ſouls with ſighs, melt into tears,
And let your griefs be equall to your fears,
For him poor ſoul whoſe Fate it was we ſee,
To bid adieu in its minority:
Mourn that gloomy day on which it took its riſe,
To ſeek a manſion in heavens Paradiſe.
What was his worth, what Friends loſſe, in verſe
Were but loſt pains in both for to rehearſe;
His purer mettal'd Soul needeth no Praiſe
Or Art to'dulterate, all this can't raiſe
The price of ſuch a Pearl, that had alone
What bounteous Art or Nature made her own:
And boldly this I'le ſpeak unto his praiſe,
His holy Life doth much exceed his daies:
O pray that ſuch bleſs'd hopes may longer live
Examples to ſuch youth as cannot give.
W. H.