Sorrow Upon Sorrow, Sermon
A SERMON Preached on the Sad Occaſion of the much Lamented Death of the Worthy Mr. Ralph Venning before his Burial.
Upon Acts 20.38.
Sorrowing moſt of all for the words which he ſpake, That they ſhould ſee his Face no more.
WHen firſt I was deſired by that Worthy Perſon, that uſed to ſtand in this place to Preach here, I intended to ſpeak from another Text, but Providence having ſince alter'd his State, that Preached Bleſſedneſs to you, by calling him into Bleſſedneſs, I have now therefore pircn'd upon this Text, Sorrowing moſt of all, that they ſhould ſee his Face no more.
… the better part of this Chapter you have the Declaration of two things; First, You have declared the carriage of the Apoſtle Paul, that was, he Preach'd while he was at the Church of Epheſus. Secondly, You have declared the Character of the Church of Epheſus, when they were parting with this bleſſed Preacher, in the words that I have read, and the verſe before, or the two laſt verſes, and it was full of love, and manifeſted in three things;
1. They fell upon his Neck and kiſſed him, that's the cloſe of the 37. verſe.
2. They accompanyed him unto the Ship, when he was to Launch into the Ocean: They went with him as far as they could, as ſome of them it may be will to the very edge of Eternity.
3. They ſhew'd to him their Love, by their Weeping, and ſorrowing at Parting: They cannot part with dry eyes. Hence you may take notice of three things,
1. The Univerſality or Generality of them, it was not one or two of Pauls hearers, it was not many, or moſt, but all of them; And they all wept, Men and Women, Old and Young, or as the Dutch read it, There was a Weeping among them all.
2. You have the Degree of their Sorrow mentioned, and I may ſay of it, as its ſaid of the Mourning in Zech. 12.10.11, 12. They ſhall Mourn for him, as one that Mourneth for his only Son; In that day there ſhall be great Mourning, as the Mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon, and the Land ſhall Mourn every family apart. And 2 Chron. 35.24. All Judah and Jeruſalem mourned for Joſiah: There was a great Mourning, and as the verſe before my Text ſaith, They wept ſore, or a great ſorrowing, or an abundance of Tears came from their eyes at the parting with this Apoſtle Saint Paul.
3. You have the particulars ſet down where their ſorrow lay, ſaith the Text, They ſorrowed most of all, eſpecially for this, that they ſhould ſee his Face no more. It was not ſo much that Paul was to go from them, but that they ſhould ſee his Face no more. Sorrowing moſt of all for the words which he ſpake, that they ſhould ſee his face no more. But you will ſay, where did Paul ſpeak theſe words to them? ſee the 25. verſe. And now behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone Preaching the Kingdom of God, ſhall ſee my face no more. Though I have been Preaching the Kingdom of God to you, and Preaching you to the Kingdom of God, Yet now you ſhall ſee my face no more. From this practice of this Church, I would lay down this Doctrine, That it is the property and practice of the Saints and People of God, to be ſorrowful and affected at the final parting with their Paſtors and Teachers; This was that that moſt of all cut their hearts, That they ſhould ſee his face no more. If ſo be then that ſuch an able Preacher, when by his withdrawing caus'd them to Cry for him, how ſhould it be when you ſhall have him no more. For the Proſecution of this Doctrine, I ſhall do theſe three things, Firſt, I ſhall prove it. Secondly, give you the Reaſons of it. Thirdly, make Application.
Firſt, for the Proof of it, That it is the Property and Practice of the Saints and People of God, when the Saints and Servants of God are taken from them, to be ſorrowfully affected to Lament and Mourn for the loſs of them.
I ſhall give you ſome inſtances out of the Old and New Teſtament, 4. or 5. out of the Old, the firſt is of the Patriarch Jacob, that Puny-God, that wreſtled and prevailed when he came to die, as you read in Gen. 49. and the laſt verſe, That he pull'd up his feet into the bed, and he's gone: Now ſee what a Mourning there was for him in Gen. 50.1. Joſeph fell upon his Fathers face and kiſſed him, and verſ. 3. And the Egyptians mourned for him threeſcore and ten days; here was a Mourning for Jacob, and verſ. 10. They came to the threſhing-floor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they Mourned with a great and very ſore Lamentation: and made a mourning for his Father ſeven days. They carried his Body to the Land of Promiſe, and they mourned with a very great and ſore Lamentation, and made a Mourning for his Father ſeven days: Now mourn that Jacob is gone, a Man that uſed to wreſtle for your Souls is gone, now mourn. A ſecond Inſtance is Moſes, that man of God, when he dies, and they ſee his face no more: and in Deut. 32.49, 50. God bids Moſes there get up into the Mount Nebo and die there; God bids Moſes go up and die, and you ſee Moſes doth it in Deut. 34.5. Moſes the ſervant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord: and what then? Moſes may die if he will, who will concern themſelves for him? ſee verſ. 8. And the Children of Iſrael wept for Moſes thirty days: there is mourning for Moſes, We ſhall ſee him no more, whoſe Doctrine dropt as the Rain, and whoſe ſpeech diſtil'd as the Dew, whoſe lips dropt hony. A third inſtance is of the Prophet Samuel, he was an excellent Teacher; God forbid, ſaith he, that I ſhould ſin against the Lord, in ceaſing to pray for you, but I will teach you (and he taught) the good and the right way of the Lord: but now obſerve, in the 1 Sam. 25.1. what mourning the people made for him when he died; its ſaid, all the Iſraelites were gathered together and lamented him, that is, from all parts of Iſrael; all ſorts of Iſrael came together and Lamented for Samuel; we ſhall never hear his Prayer for us more; and they lamented for him. A fourth Inſtance is that of the young Prophet in the 1 Kings 13. who without doubt in the main was faithful to God, though ſeduced out of his way, and out of his Life by an old Prophet, whereby a Lyon was appointed by God to deſtroy him, but ſee now how the old Prophet was affected with it as ſoon as he hears it, cauſeth the Aſs to be ſadled, and goes and brings the Carcaſe home to the City to Mourn, and to Bury him, and laid him in his own grave in the 30. verſe, and brings all to mourn over him, and charges his Sons that when he was dead, that they bury him in the ſame Sepulchre where the man of God was, and lay his bones beſides his bones. 5. One Inſtance more in the old Teſtament is that of the Prophet Elijah, a man that the Apoſtle ſaith was ſubject to the like Paſſion as we are; This Prophet that pray'd it ſhould rain, and it did; and that pray'd it ſhould not rain, and it did not; This Prophet in 2 Kings 2. tells his Servant, he ſhould ſee him no more. In the 12. he cries out, My father, my father, and rent his cloaths in two pieces: that rending of Cloaths or garments, ſignifies ſorrow; alſo as David did when he heard of the death of Saul, and alſo repeating it is argument of ſorrow, as David did for Jonathan, 2 Sam. 1.17. to the laſt, and by Abſalom, Oh Abſalom my ſon, my ſon, my ſon Abſalom. I ſhall now inſtance in the New-Teſtament, it was ſo with them of Epheſus when they parted with Paul, They ſhould ſee his face no more. He had been ſuch a Preacher that they could not part with him without tears, or with dry eyes; if you look into Acts 20.18. you ſee his labour, Ye know that from the first day that I came, after what manner I have been with you: At all ſeaſons he Preach'd to them, in ſeaſon, and out of ſeaſon; and he was a faithful Preacher, he did not neglect to declare the whole Councel of God; and he was a couragious Preacher too, he did not care what became of himſelf for their good: Now if people looſe ſuch a Preacher, ſo painful, ſo laborious, it is no wonder if they mourn, when they ſhall ſee his face no more. A ſecond inſtance is of Stephen, who was the firſt Martyr that ever was in the New-Teſtament; Stephen was the firſt Goſpel-Officer that ever I read was choſen, he was the beſt read in Scripture, for Acts 7. he runs over all the Scripture, and in the 51. verſe, he calls them ſtiff-necked, and uncircumciſed in heart and ears, Ye do always reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt; now this Stephen that thus Preach'd the Scripture to them, they put him to Death, as you may read in the cloſe of the ſeventh Chapter of the Acts, but now how was he buried in cap. 8. verſ. 2. Devout men carried Stephen to his Burial, and made great Lamentation over him. That Stephen that was ſo powerful a Preacher, and to Pray for us, We ſhall ſee his face no more. The laſt inſtance is that of our Lord Jeſus, he is called by Nichodemas, A Teacher ſent from God: By Paul in the Romans, The Miniſter of the Circumciſion: By Matthew, As one having Authority, and not as the Scribes: Now this bleſſed Teacher being taken away, you ſhall find they were much troubled, Joh. 16.5. he tells them he was going away to him that ſent him, He was going to his Father; In the 6. verſe ſaith he, Becauſe I have ſaid theſe things to you, ſorrow hath fill'd your hearts. Oh Lord Jeſus, what? thou go away, ſorrow was in their heart, and ſorrow fil'd their heart becauſe he was to go away; and when he was dead and buried, you find there was weeping and mourning; as you may ſee in Joh. 20.11.13, 15. there was weeping and mourning, and mourning and weeping, yea, & thoſe that were his Perſecutors, they were ſorrowful, Luk. 23.48. And all the people that came together to that ſight, beholding the things that were done, ſmote their breaſts: and in the 27. verſe of that Chapter, when Chriſt was carrying to be put to Death, there followed him a great multitude of people, and women which alſo bewailed and lamented him, There was great lamentation: Oh they could not part with Jeſus Chriſt without lamenting, That they ſhould ſee his face no more. But it will be here objected in the next verſe, that Jeſus Chriſt in Luke 23.28. turn'd to theſe women that wailed, and wept, and ſaid, Daughters of Jeruſalem, weep not for me, but for your ſelves: That therefore there ought not to be weeping, or lamenting for the departure of any eminent Saint, ſeeing he forbids it for himſelf; It argues indeed we ſhould not weep for them, but for the want of them, which is ours. Chriſt bids not by his forbiding weeping upon his account, but not to weep on his account, as if he had ſaid, Dont weep for me, as for my ſuffering, or upon my account, but for your ſelves, and your own children: there are dreadfuler things coming upon you then theſe; Bleſſed are the barren that bare not: dont weep for me may this ſervant of God ſay that we are ſpeaking of at preſent, Dont weep for me, I am gon from way to way, from triumph to triumph; but it is for the people of God to be heartily affected when the worlds Teachers are taken from them: but you may ſay, Why ſhould it be thus? I will ſhew you in five particulars, why you and them ſhould be greatly affected with this dreadful providence of God that hath lately befallen. Firſt, becauſe the death of ſuch men poſſibly is for your ſakes, for your ſakes they had lived longer had it not been for others: and if it be ſo, then we had need to bedew their Hearſe with tears, I'le give you a three-fold meaning. Firſt, it is poſſible in our ſervice that he loſt his life, for it may be, that in the painful labouring for the ſaving of our ſouls, he loſt his life, and will you not lament? Secondly, we may occaſion the Death of godly Preachers thus, wounding their Spirits, grieving their Hearts, that we profit no more: if that be true in the 1 Theſ. 3.8. where the Apoſtle ſaith, For now we live if ye stand faſt in the Lord: Then it is beloved, if ye Apoſtatize ye kill our hearts. Thirdly, poſſibly we may occaſion the Death of Godly Preachers by the non-improving of his Miniſtry. Sirs, God ſends his Embaſſadors, & we give them not the hearing, or but the hearing, and if our unprofitableneſs and non-improving ſhall occaſion this, ſhall we not mourn and lament that we ſhould be the cauſe of their death. Secondly, why ſhould thoſe that are hearers be deeply affected at the final departure of holy Miniſters. I anſwer, This ariſes from the love that is between them: there is a mutual love between a faithful Preacher and a ſincere Hearer: Now beloved, you ſhall obſerve two things to attend this aſſertion of love, according to the Nature and Degree of it. 1. Where there is Love, there is delight of, and enjoyment. And ſecondly, where there is love, there is mourning in the abſence of it, in the 3 John 29. ſaith our Saviour, He that hath the Bride, is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom which ſtandeth and heareth him, rejoyceth greatly, becauſe of the Bridegrooms voice: ſo on the contrary, when he is taken from them, there cannot be but great mourning in the 37. Gen. 3. Its ſaid that Iſrael loved Joſeph more then all his Children, and therefore when News came to Jacob that Joſeph was not: oh! ſaith Jacob v. 35. I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning. So David lamented for Abſolon, oh Abſolon my ſon, my ſon Abſolon; and David lamented exceedingly for Jonathan in that 1 Kings. I am diſtreſſed for thee my Brother Jonathan; if you love your Preachers ſo as its ſaid of them that could pull out their eyes for them while living, you will even weep out your eyes for them now dead. Thirdly, no wonder that the Children of God are under ſo much ſorrow when Preachers are taken from them, for now they are under the Execution of Divine threatning: as the giving of faithful Teachers is the loving kindneſs of God, ſo taking them away, is of a great threatning in Iſa. There is a promiſe, That I give you the water of affliction, yet your eyes ſhall ſee your Teachers, and you ſhall not be driven into Corners. Now ſee Iſa. 3.1. There it is a threatning, I will break the whole ſtay of bread, and the whole stay of water. In Jer. 3.15. There is a promiſe, I will give you Paſtors according to my own heart. It ſignifie great Love, and is a fulfilling of a great Promiſe when God gives them Paſtors according to his own heart. Now, as it is a Promiſe to give them ſo it is a threatning when God takes them away▪ In Jer. 22.22. ſee how dreadful a threatning is, ſaith the Prophet, The wind ſhall eat up thy Pastors, ſurely then ſhalt thou be aſhamed, and confounded for all thy wickedneſs. Fourthly, well may we mourn, when God removes our faithfull able Teachers from us, for we are like enough, ſoon after their departure from us, to corrupt our ſelves: I remember in Exod. 32.7. God ſpeaks to Moſes when he was in the Mount, God get thee down, for this people which thou broughteſt out of Egypt, have corrupted themſelves: God tells Moſes you have been here with me in the Mount 40. days; It is time for you to be gone, get thee down, the people have turn'd out of the way; no ſooner are you turn'd from the people, but they turn their backs upon me. Deut. 31.27. Moſes ſpeaks to Iſrael, I know thy Rebellion, and thy ſtiff-neck: behold while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been Rebellious againſt the Lord, and how much more after my Death: as if Moſes, as the Miniſter ſhould ſay to this Congregation, I have had much a do to keep you a live, what will you do after my death; for in the 29. verſe, ſaith Moſes, I know that after my Death ye will utterly corrupt your ſelves, and turn aſide from the way which I have commanded you, and evil will befall you in your latter days, becauſe you will do evil in the ſight of the Lord. In 2 Chron. 24.2. Its ſaid, all the time that Jehoiada lived, Joaſh followed the Lord, but when he died, Joaſh turned to Idolatry, as you have it in the 18. verſe of that Chapter, And they left the houſe of the Lord God of their Fathers, and ſerved Groves and Idols. While the light is, we walk well, but when the light is taken away, then we fall and ſlip. Fifthly, why ſhould the Servants and Saints of God be ſo much affected when God takes away faithful Teachers from them, becauſe when they go, evil comes; if ſo be Sampſon lays his hold upon the Pillars, the houſe will fall; but when Death comes to lay hold on the Preacher, what will the Houſe do? I know, ſaith Paul, after my departure Wolves will come. In Luke 23.29, 30. ſaith our Saviour, The days are coming, in which they ſhall ſay, Bleſſed are the Barren, and the Wombs that never Bare, and the Paps which never gave Suck. Abſolute dreadful deſtruction was coming when Chriſt was going; I could tell you of a thing that I have look't upon as a piece of a Propheſie, it was Printed and Writ ten years before the Fire of London, and it was this,
London look to it, what Heaven's a doing,
Thy Flames are coming when thy Lots are going.
The Rabbins ſay, that when the great Luminaries are Eclipſed, it abodes evil to the World: what ſhall ſtop when they go? aſſure you here is Eclipſed a great Luminary in this World; as ſoon as Noah got into the Ark, the Flood came there; as ſoon as Lot got out of Sodom, Fire and Brimſtone came down from Heaven and deſtroyed it. When I conſider who is gone, and who are going, I dread. What became of Prague when Jerom was dead: what became of Jermany when Luther was dead: and what will become of England when ſuch as theſe are dead.