Vindication of the Doctrine of Conditions in the Covenant of Grace, Title page
PAULS SAD FAREVVEL TO HIS EPHESIANS. OPENED IN A SERMON At the FUNERAL of Mr. JOHN GRAILE, Miniſter of TIDWORTH in the Country of WILTS.
By HUMPHREY CHAMBERS, D. D. And Miniſter of the Goſpel at Peuſie in the ſame County.
Praelucendo periit.
He was a burning and a ſhining light,
John 5. 35.
The Righteous periſh and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away none conſidering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Iſai. 57. 1.
London, Printed for Math. Keinton, at the Fountain in Pauls Church Yard. 1655
A Funeral Sermon.
COncerning the very ſad occaſion of our preſent meeting, there is no need that I ſpeak unto you, ſeeing it is, or may be knowne unto you all, that we have at this time accompanied, though not a very aged, yet an able, faithful,Job 30. 23. painful, and godly Miniſter of Jeſus Chriſt unto his grave, that houſe prepared for all the living, where, as to his body, he is to reſt until that great day,John 5. 28, 29 when all that are in their graves, ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and ſhall come forth, they that have done good to the Reſurrection of life, they that have done evil to the Reſurrection of damnation: at what time the faithful Miniſters of Jeſus Chriſt, how much ſoever contemned, clouded and cloathed with reproach in this world,1 Pet. 5. 2, 3, 4 who have fed the ſtock of God, taking the overſight thereof not by conſtraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being Lords over Gods heritage, but being example: to the flock, when the chief Shepherd ſhall appear, they alſo ſhall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Yea, they ſhall then, together with all other Gods ſervants, enter in all fulneſſe into the joy of their Lord, and be poſſeſſed of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reſerved in heaven for them.
The Holy Ghoſt tels us in Eccl. 7. 11. That a good name is better then precious ointment; with that rich Embalming is our dear Brother gone unto his grave, which will make his memory ſweet and precious enough to all that knew him, and love God. And of ſuch a one, who is buryed with this ſweet Odour the Holy Ghoſt witneſſeth in the end of that verſe, That the day of death is better then the day of birth. The day of Birth brings every one to an afflicted dying life, but the day of death bringeth every ſuch one, yea every child of God to an everlaſting life of never dying glory.
Whether you that are the Inhabitants of this place were ſenſible of your bleſſing in the enjoying the Miniſtry of this our deceaſed Brother, or are apprehenſive of your loſſe in his departure from you, I cannot ſay, (for you are all ſtrangers unto me;) but this I am ſure of concerning very many, who have occaſionally enjoyed the fruit of his Labours, that they ſadly bewail the removing of one ſo furniſhed with skil and will to declare the truth of God, and to oppoſe the old Superſtitious, and new, or rather renewed Errors which on the right, and left hand do oppoſe the Progreſs of a bleſſed Reformation amongſt us.
And upon this Account my heart greatly mourneth over this brother of ours whom God hath taken away from us, by whoſe death a great breach is made amongſt us of the Miniſtry in theſe parts at this time, wherein open profaneneſſe and pernicious Errours do ſo much abound.
When wee conſider our Brothers Miniſterial Qualifications and Graces, his Ability and Humility embracing and beautifying each other; his conſcionable and Chriſtian circumſpection over himſelfe and his Doctrine, it is very doubtful whether he were more ripe for life, or fit for death: Queſtionleſſe this our Brother after he had notice of deaths approach towards him, could not but be ſenſible of the Apoſtle Pauls ſtrait, between a deſire of living to do good to others, and dying to receive good for himſelfe; of ſerving the Lord Chriſt in life,Phil. 1. 23 and poſſeſſing the Lord Chriſt more fully in death: yet I am confident, that in this caſe he did proſtrate himſelf obedientially at the feet of the will of God. And ſeeing the Lord hath now declared his purpoſe to make this our dear Brothers gain our loſſe, we muſt likewiſe ſubmit without murmuring and repining, and ſay, The will of the Lord be done. But though we are thus to quiet our ſelves in the will of God, and to part with our Brother in all humble ſubmiſsion thereunto, yet are we not to part with him without ſenſe of, and ſorrow for ours and the Churches damage in his removal from us. Indeed, there is no cauſe why we ſhould mourn as men without hope of, and comfort in the bleſſedneſſe of this our Brother, who now ſleeps in Chriſt, and enjoyeth his preſence, yet there is cauſe and warrant too to mourne as Chriſtians, that ſo precious an inſtrument of good in the Church of God is taken from us.
And that it may appear that wee have Scripture warrant for ſuch our mourning at this time, I ſhall ſpeak ſomething through Gods ſtrength, from a Scripture which upon this ſad occaſion the Lord hath guided my Meditations unto, which we find in Acts 20. 37, 38.