Thirty-One Select Sermons, Sermon collection · Sermon 10
THE Juſt Mans End:
AT THE Funerall of William Ball Eſquire, a Member of the Houſe of Commons.
ESAY 57.1.
The Righteous periſh, and no Man lays it to heart.
IN theſe words are four things to be conſidered. Firſt here's a godly man deſcribed in his life, and that either in reſpect of his inward diſpoſition, or his outward converſation. In his diſpoſition of ſoul, hee is a Righteous man and a merciful man alſo. A Righteous man] hee had need have good eyes that finds out ſuch a one; for Pſal. 53.4. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, and he found none righteous. Indeed in a legall ſence there is none, but hath an allay in a Goſpel ſence, there is arighteouſneſs that is imputed upon juſtification, and there is a new image infuſed upon ſanctification; and both theſe muſt concur in the righteous man, and the merciful man, foreign the man of mercy who hath attained mercy himſelf, and who is ready to ſhew mercy unto others. The ſpirit of God came down in the likeneſs of a Dove. A Dove as it is without guile, ſo is it without gall alſo; and a righteous man is not only thus within, but in his converſation, his light ſhines before men, he is alwayes walking in his uprightneſs.
Secondly, In his death, and ſo he is ſaid to periſh, foreign the word in the Hebrew is either put for temporall or eternal death. Iohn 3.16. that they ſhould not periſh but have everlas;ting life, but here it's meant of temporal death, the diſunion between the Soul and the Body, and ſo to periſh is to dye, Matth 8.25. Maſter ſave us, elſe we periſh. And it's ſaid alſo they are taken away, foreign in unum colligere: They are gathered unto their Fathers: here in this world they are ſcattered, and ſome live in one place, & ſome in another, but death is a gathering; & there is faſciculus viventium even a bundle of the living: as the tares are bound in bundles ſo is the wheat alſo.
Thirdly, After his death: the Soul in this life is full of trouble: here in this life but a little peace enters into him, my peace I give unto you, but, then after this life he ſhall enter into peace; here, a little joy enters into him, but then he ſhall enter into the Maſters joy, for ever: and for their bodys, they ſhall reſt in their beds, as the grave is commonly called: it being the ſweet ſleeping place, as 2 Chron. 16.14. it is ſaid of Aſa that he ſlept with his Fathers; and they buried him in his own Sepulcher, and laid him in a bed which was filled with ſweet odors &c.
Secondly, Here is a publick loſs bewailed, the righteous periſh, and there is no man that doth apponere cor. Mich. 7.1. woe is me for I am as the Summer-gatherings; the good man is periſhed out of the Earth, the taking away of the godly is the great loſs and matter of great mourning unto thoſe that ſurvive.
Thirdly, Here is a publick and a common evil reproved, the fooliſh and unthankful world is no whit affected with the loſs of thoſe of whom the Lord ſays, the world was not worthy of: and this want of affection is grounded upon the want of conſideration, no man lays it to heart, no man underſtood that they were taken away from the evil to come.
Fourthly, Here is a ſecret of providence diſcovered: godly men are taken away, foreign à faciebus mali, from the evil to come: there being a ſtorm coming, the Lord doth haſten to gather in the Corne into the barne, before-hand.
That I ſhould ſpeak unto al theſe, cannot be expected at this time; there are only three points that I ſhall pick out of them all.
Firſt, Godly men dye not as other men doe: it is peculiar unto them, to enter into peace, and reſt in their bed, &c.
Secondly, Godly men are uſually taken away in mercy, before an evil come.
Thirdly, When they are taken away, it ſhould be unto them that ſurvive, matter of ſerious Conſideration, Affliction, and Lamentation.
Firſt, This is made the peculiar portion of the righteous and mercifull men, at their death, they ſhall enter into peace.
Doctrine.
Godly men dye not as others doe; there's a great difference between them, and others in their death.
There is indeed a great deale of difference between men in their lives: they are men of another ſpirit, of another generation, they walk by other principles, they aim at other ends, they live upon other comforts then others doe, and therefore they are men of another value, and eſteem, they are the excellent ones; when the greateſt amongſt men (if they be wicked) are vile perſons, they are amongſt men, as gold amongſt the duſt of the Earth, and as diamonds amongſt the common pebles in the ſtreets.
But the great and the grand difference between them is in their deaths, there is ſomething in a ſpecial maner in death peculiar to the Saints, and this we are ſpecially to obſerve. Pſal. 37.37. the end of that man is peace: this Balaam could obſerve Numb. 23.10. There is a death peculi…r to the righteous, Proverbs 14.32. The wicked ſhall be caſt away in his wickedneſs, but the righteous hath hope in his death: The oppoſition ſhews the difference. When a godly man ſhall be gathered, a wicked man ſhal be deſtroyed, caſt away; and when the godly man dyes, he dyes in hope, but the wicked man at death he breaths out his ſoul, his life, and hope together.
But ſeeing they do both dye, the righteous man as well as the wicked; we ſee alſo that wiſe men dye as well as thoſe that are fooliſh: and for the manner of their death, to outward view there is a great reſemblance: Eccles. 2.16. as dyes the fool, ſo alſo dies the wiſe man: yet there is a great difference; Ahab, and Ioſiah, a wicked, and a gracious King, they both dyed & for the manner of their deaths, it was much alike, they dyed both in War, with the ſame words in their mouthes, turn thy hand for I am wounded; and yet its ſaid of the one, he dyed and was gathered to his fathers in peace, though he dyed in War. What is therefore in death that is peculiar to the Saints? how dyes the wiſe man? this will be ſeen in three things. Firſt, in reſpect of the perſons dying, Secondly in reſpect of death it ſelf, Thirdly in reſpect of the fruit and the conſequence of death.
Firſt, In reference unto the perſon dying, for a godly man dyes in the Lord. Rev. 14.13. he doth ſleep in Ieſus, 1. Cor. 15.18. which implies two things. Firſt an union with him, a being in him,
Secondly, A dying in him, by the power and efficacy of the ſame union: now we doe not only reade in Scripture of our being in Chriſt, but alſo living in him, working in him, bearing fruit in him &c. Now a man doth live in Chriſt, when by the Almighty working of the Spirit of Chriſt the Graces of Chriſt appeare in him, and he lives no more, according to Men in the Fleſh, but according to God in the Spirit: ſo we are ſaid to die in him, when by the Power of the Spirit of Chriſt, by vertue of our union with him, we do exerciſe theſe dying graces that were in Chriſt; for their be in him living, and dying, doing, and ſuffering graces; and when by vertue of our Union living by the faith of the ſon of God, a man doth exerciſe theſe Graces, then is a man ſaid to dye in Chriſt, work in him, ſuffer in him, live in him; ſo that a godly man dies in the Lord, he is one with him, and even in death, the Myſtical union is not diſſolved, and the dying graces that were in Chriſt, and which a Saint doth receive by vertue of union with him, thoſe graces he doth exerciſe as Chriſt doth, for he dies in him.
Secondly, He dies in Faith, Firſt in reſpect of himſelf; he beleeves that death ſhall be unto him a bleſſing, and not a curſe: 1. Cor. 3.23. all things are yours (that is) in ordine ad ſpiritualia, whether life or death, 2 Tim. 4.8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouſneſs. 2. Cor. 5.1. We know, that if this Earthly houſe of our Tabernacle were diſolved, we have a building with God &c.
And towards the time of a Saints death, Faith commonly puts forth the moſt glorious acts, the Sun ſhines brighteſt at its ſetting: ſo that the ſoul can ſay with Ambroſe, nec pudet vivere, nec piget mori, &c.
2 In reſpect of the Church: though he never lives to receave the promiſes, nor to ſee them accompliſhed, yet as they have exerciſed faith upon the great things promiſed, and have laid up prayers for after times, ſo they dye in the faith of them, that they ſhall be fulfilled in their ſeaſon, Heb. 11.23. God will ſurely viſit you, ſaith Joſeph: and therefore what difficulties ſoever they ſee rais'd againſt it, yea the Archers ſhoot at the Church, yet his bow abode in ſtrength, his faith holds out, and can look through all oppoſition whatſoever.
3 For their poſterity: Men are commonly troubled, what ſhall become of the little ones they leave behind fatherleſs and friendleſs Orphans: but his fatherleſs children he can leave with God, and the widow that truſts in God ſhal not be forſaken: although my houſe be not ſo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlaſting covenant, ordered in all things and ſure, &c. Luther in his Will ſays, Lord thou haſt given me wife and children. I have neither Land to bequeath them, nor houſes, nor portions to leave them: onelyonly tibi reddo, nutri, doce, ſerva, ut hactenus me, pater pupillorum, & judex viduarum.
Thirdly, The dye in obedience to God: Obedience is not real, if it be not univerſal; a ſubmiſſion to the will of God in doing as well as ſuffering; in dying, as well as in living: Rom. 14.8. None of us lives to himſelf, nor none of us dyes to himſelf: but whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we dye, we dye unto the Lord; for grace having made God a mans utmoſt end, it is his glory; and a ſubmiſſion unto his will, that is the great th ing in that mans eye, whether in living, or in dying: if God will further uſe him, he is content to live; and if the Lord will tranſlate him, he deſires to dye; and ſo God may be glorifyed in him whether in life or death, he paſſeth not: and when he hath honored God in his life, he deſires that he may honor God in his death alſo.
2 In reference unto death it ſelf: and ſo there is ſomething peculiar to the death of the Saints: take theſe three things:
Firſt, Though death in it ſelf be a fruit of the Curſe, yet unto him it is turned into a bleſſing; though it be a curſe in the thing, yet it is a bleſſing to the man; becauſe he having his Covenant changed, he is delivered from the Curſe, Chriſt being made a curſe for him: A Curſe hath two things in it:
Firſt, ſomething that is evil in it ſelf:
Secondly, The wrath of God therein.
Now unto the Saints death is not evil, and therefore they have deſired it: I long to be diſſolved and to be with Chriſt, neither is it a fruit of Gods diſpleaſure to them, but it flows from his fatherly, and eternal love, that it may be a paſſage unto a better life; whereas all other men dye by vertue of that ancient Curſe; The day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt dye, and in death the wrath of God abides upon them.
Secondly, Unto the Saints death hath no ſting 1 Cor. 15.55. Death is compared to a Serpent, which by nature we fear, and flye from, and the thing that is dreadful in it is the ſting: but if that be taken out, there is no fear of the ſerpent now the ſting of death is ſin; and this is taken off by the ſurety, 2 Cor. 5.21. for he hath made him to be ſin for us; and therefore there is no ſin ſtands upon our ſcore, that ſhould cauſe us to fear the ſerpent for ever: but other men dye in their ſins, Joh. 8.21. and have all their ſins to anſwer for before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt; and not a drop of his blood ſhall take one of them off his ſcore.
Thirdly, Over the Saints death hath no dominion, Rom. 5.14. foreign. Now what is it that doth conſtitute death in dominion? that is, when it can put forth its utmoſt power, and there is none to control it, but there comes upon a man, quicquid mortis eſt uſ que ad noviſsimum, it hath a power to keep them under for ever; but unto the Saints the dominion of death is controlled; for death entred by ſin, and it reigns by it: therefore when the dominion of ſin is broken, the dominion of death is alſo ſo; and the Saints are freed from the dominion of him that (as an executioner) hath the power of death, that is, the devil, Heb. 2.15. Pſal. 49.14. but for wicked men, death ſhall feed on them, and there is none to deliver them; but for the Saints, the gates of hell ſhall not prevail againſt them. I know that there is a Dalile interpretation commonly given and received from that ſcripture, Mat. 16. Firſt, gates is put for the power of hell, becauſe the ſtrength of Cities was in their gates; but ſurely, this ſeems not to be the meaning, for by gates of hell is meant that power which ſhould oppoſe the Church, and ſurely gates by their ſtrength might be for defence unto them, but not for offence: unto them without they were propugnacula, non …ppugnacula, they did not fight with gates. Secondly, Anciently Councils did uſually ſit in the gates, and ſo it ſignifies all the council and the policy of hell, but that alſo ſeems not well to agree with the word foreign here uſed, which ſignifies to prevail and overcome by power, not by policy; by ſtrength, and not by art: but that which prevails moſt with me, is, that our Divines have commonly aſſerted againſt the local diſtance, that foreign is never put for Hell, or the place of the damned, but either for the grave, or the ſtate and condition of the dead: and if that …e true, then we read of the gates of the grave, Job 38 17. Iſai. 38.10. of the power of the grave; to keep …hoſe that are under its poſſeſſion, and ſo Chriſt doth argue from the greateſt to the leaſt; no enemy ſhall pre…ail, becauſe even when you are brought under the Dominion of death, and the power of the grave, yet you …hall have a glorious Reſurrection, and the grave ſhall …ive up its dead: and being riſen you ſhall dye no more, …th ſhall no more have Dominion over you, the gates of …e grave ſhall not be able to prevail againſt you: and …erfore no other oppoſition or temptation whatſoever; …meron.—
Laſtly, In reſpect of the Conſequences, and Iſſues of …ath, ſo alſo there is ſomething in death peculiar to he …ints: Firſt, by death they are delivered from the pow… of Satan… grace here in this life doth free a man from …e Dominion of Satan; but it doth not free him from …s temptations, and to be continually annoyed, with the …llutions and ſuggeſtions of this unclean ſpirit, for the …cked one to touch them, 1 Joh. 5. tactu qualitati…o; is …e great affiction of their lives: and it is that wherein …eir ſpiritual warfare doth mainly lye: it was not the …ſt part of the humiliation of Chriſt, for Sa…an to have …ch an acceſs to him, and to propoſe ſuch ſuggeſtions, …s, … this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worſhip …; when he had but onelyonly an acceſs unto Chriſt, by repreſentations from without; and not by ſuggeſtions within; but he hath by reaſon of the darkneſs that is in us, a more immediate acceſs unto our ſpirits; but our warfare ſhall be at an end, and we ſhall be for ever freed, not onelyonly from the dominion, but the temptation of Satan forever: Chriſt makes uſe of the Angels in Miniſterium, and the devils in exercitium—but both, but for the time of this life, and no more: and therefore in the world to come, after death, there ſhall be no more of either to the Saints for ever.
2. From the being and in-dwelling of ſin: which is the great miſery that the Saints complain of Rom. 7.24. but he that is dead is free from ſin, that natural fountain of corruption, original ſin, ſhall be perfectly dryed up; and the ſoul ſhall never think a vain thought, never ſpeak an idle word, any more for ever: nay, they ſhall not only be freed from ſin actually as Adam was; but even from a poſſibility of ſin alſo; that as the wicked after death are given up to ſin as part of their torment, and are in malo obfirmati, ſo the Saints ſhall be in bono confirmati: not onelyonly they ſhall not ſin; but be freed from the fear of a poſſibility to ſin for ever.
3 For the perfection of their grace; the Saints have here, the firſt fruits of the earneſt of glory; and that is ſo precious to them, that they ſell all to buy it, and count all things loſs and droſs in compariſon of it: and yet ſtill there are many foreign, things wanting in their faith and their love, &c. but 1 Cor. 13.10. then that which is perfect will come, and that which is but in part ſhall be done away; and theſe firſt fruits ſhall be ſwallowed up of glory.
4 They ſhall be with Chriſt, and receive the reward that he has prepared for them; they ſhall enter into their maſters joy: here in this life Chriſt is ſaid to be with us, but after this life, we are ſaid to be with him, yea to be ever with him: he ſhall never hide his face more; but it ſhall be communion without intermiſſion, and without interruption for ever, ſays Bernard: Chriſtus eſt cum Paulo magna ſecuritas; Paulus eſt cum Chriſto ſumma faelicitas.—.
If a little of the preſence of Chriſt be ſo ſweet here, when we have it in his ſpirit; O what will his eternal preſence in glory be? thus dyes the wiſe man; thus he enters into peace: thus he reſts upon his bed, having walked before God in uprightneſs.
2. Doct.
When the righteous man dyes, he is taken away from the evil to come: the Lord had formerly told them, that evil was prepared, a ſword was already barhed in heaven, to make a ſore ſlaught…r; and in verſe 9. of the former chapter, the Lord invites the beaſts of the field to come and take their part of the prey; now theſe are ſome, that the Lord will hide in the day of his wrath, Zeph. 2.3. the Lord hath a double hiding place for his people in evil times; ſometimes he hides …hem in his pavilion, and the ſecret of his Tabernacle upon the earth; his chambers of peculiar providence; and ſometimes, he hides them in the grave, even the chambers of death, in which in times of affliction Gods people do deſire to be hid, Job 30.23. and many of them are hid in me…cy from the evil that is coming on the ear…h. Thus when a flood came upon the world. God provided an Ark for Noah: and as he had an Ark for Noah, ſo he had a grave for Methuſalah, who is conceived to be taken away the ſame year that the flood came upon the earth. Gods uſual courſe is, either his people ſhall ſtand in the gap to turn away his wrath and his judgements, which ſometimes are deferred for the elects ſake and, if the Decree of God be gone forth, and the judgement muſt come, then the Lord takes his people out of the way before it come; ſo the Lord dealt with Hezekiah, he defers the judgement till after his death, there ſhall be peace and truth in his days, and Ioſiah, the Lord ſays to him, becauſe thy heart was tender, Thou ſhalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, and ſhalt not ſee the evil that I will bring upon this place and the inhabitants thereof: therefor… the Lord, Rev. 19.13. having deſcribed the riſe of Antichriſt, and the general pollution ond corruption that ſhould follow; all men ſhould worſhip the beaſt and wonder after him; bleſſed are the dead, foreign from henceforth; were they not bleſſed before? yes all that dyed in the Lord are bleſſed from the beginning of the world; but now, to be taken away in a time of ſo great tryal, it is a more ſpecial mercy; upon theſe three accounts chiefly.
1 That they may be preſerved from the pollution of the times in which they live: therefore the Lord takes them away; it is a very hard matter for Gods people to live in times exceedingly evil, and yet to paſs through ſuch times foreign unſpotted, and and not to have a taint and tincture of the preſent corruptions upon them, to keep their garments white… now that the Lord may preſerve his people unſpotted from the world, he doth tranſlate them before hand, takes them away from the evil to come.
2 The Lord takes them away, that they may be freed from the vexations that his people are in, when the abomination of deſolation is ſet up; as Lot when he lived in Sodom, they vexed his righteous from day to day with their ungodly deeds. Gods people are mourners in Sion, and they do with that their eyes were a well of water, to weep for the ſins, as well as for the ſufferings of the times: and the Lord ſees that their ſpirits cannot bear ſuch diſhonor, as is done to his great Name; and therefore he takes them away beforehand to better company: even the ſouls of juſt men made perfect.
3. God takes them away from the perſecutions, and afflictions of the times: for he knows our frame, and in all our afflictions he is afflicted; therefore the Lord does as we our ſelves would do in the ſame caſe; if we had a child abroad at ſchool, and we did foreſee ſome great evil either of peſtilence, or famine to be neer unto that place where the child was; we would ſend for the childe home beforehand, that he might not partake in the miſery with the reſt; ſo God hath put his people to nurſe, to ſchool in this world; and if there be evil neer, he doth ſend for his people home, beforehand, and cauſe them to go forth out of the world, to pr ſerve them from the evil of it.
3. Doct.
Therefore, when godly men are ſo taken away, it is matter of ſerious conſideration, and high lamentation unto them that ſurvive; and its their ſin if they do it not: it is that which David doth complai… of and bewail, Pſal. 12.1. there is not a godly man left, and the faithful fail amongſt the children of men; and they were wicked ones that were exalted on every ſide; Mic. 7.1. the good man is periſhed out of the earth; the godly men were taken away, ſo that when the Prophet did come to ſeek them, he was as men that did ſeek grapes after gleaning, found here and there one; and as one that ſeeks the firſt ripe fruits, but finds none; for the good man is periſhed, and there is none upright amongſt men; for they all do lye in wait for blood, every man hunts his brother with a net; and when the world is preparing their nets to catch the Saints, then God withdraws them from the world; and their loſs ſhould mightily aſſect us: Conſider theſe three things;
Firſt, The Saints are our glory; as they are Gods Iewels, ſo they are the excellent ones of the earth, and ſo they ſhould be to us: 2 Cor. 8.23. it's ſaid, they are the meſſengers of the Churches, and the glory of Chriſt; and thoſe that Chriſt glories in, we ſhould alſo glory in: and as we ſhould rejoyce in the addition of any one into the number of the Saints amongſt us; ſo we ſhould look upon it with mourning, and grief of heart, that any of that number be taken away: and the more uſeful any man is to the Church, the more honorable he ſhould be in your eyes: they are veſſels of honor, ſitted for the maſters uſe: Now as ſcandalous profeſſors are ſpots in your feaſts, ſo ſincere ones are ſtars; and it is a great abaſement, and the ecl…pſing of the glory of a Church, to have an eminent light put out of it.
Secondly, When the Saints are taken away, it's a dangerous ſign that wrath is determined; becauſe, the Lord takes away and withdraws the pillars of the Earth, from off the earth: it was a ſign that Samſon intended the fall of the houſe, when he plu…kt down the pillars; the Lord doth commonly before judgement come, make way for his indignation; and one ſpecial way by which he doth it is by taking away thoſe that ſtand in the gap to divert it: the Lord may ſay to Moſes, let me alone; but yet Moſes will ſtill wraſtle with the Lord: but when Moſes is gone, now who ſhall ſtrive with God for his people?
Thirdly, All our protection, defence, and bleſſing depends upon the Saints that are amongſt us; for it is by their Covenant that the world ſtands, and that all the Creatures are continued …n their being: and let me tell you, after the Lord has gathered in the wheat into his barn, it will not be long ere he does burn he chaff with unquenchable fire; if he do but once ſay to his people, Come …e bleſſed; go ye curſed; to the wicked, they will quickly follow after: and therefore they do ſo bewail the taking away of Elijah, as the Chariot of Iſrael and the horſeman thereof: their ſtrength and their fence was gone: for this is a truth, the ſtrength of a Nation, next to God, lyes in the Saints, they are the ſhields of the earth: for if it be for their ſakes that the world ſtands; God will provide a place for them of ſafety, when the reſt of the world is conſuming, as we ſee in Zoar, a place may be preſerved for the ſake of the people of God: and indeed they are the partition wall between wicked men and temporal wrath, yea and eternal wrath; it is the Saints that keep the wicked ſo long out of hell: whatever the world thinks of them, they are a bleſſing to the world, Gen. 12.2. Mic. 5.7. as the ſhowers upon the graſs are a bleſſing, ſo are the Saints by their prayers, and their Counſels, and their pains, and their gracious example, and holy converſation, every way a bleſſing: ſo that as Nazianzen ſaith of Iulian when he was ſmitten and had a wound, it was to him indeed Lethale vulnus; But, foreign.
So we may invert it, and ſay this of a ſaint that dyes, 'twas indeed a happy wound for him, for to be with Chriſt is beſt of all: but though a ſaint have advantage by it, yet it is a miſery to the place, to the Church, to the Commonwealth, where ſuch a one lived; …ea even the whole world is a loſer by the death of a ſaint, and therefore Iudah was ſo ſenſible of the loſs of gracious Ioſiah, that they made a great publick mourning, yea a yeerly mourning for a long time after: ſine ſupplicationibus non ſtaret mundus, is the Jews proverb; the world is upholden by the prayers of the ſaints.
Ʋſe.
Hence learn, that the ways of holineſs are the beſt ways; for that is the beſt way that leads a man to the beſt end: there is a double goodneſs in holy walking;
Firſt abſoluta: there is a goodneſs in it ſelf, it being a conformity to the good will of God.
Secondly, There is a goodneſs in hol…neſs which is reſpectiva, in reſpect of the end unto which a man is thereby brought: and we ſee, finis dat mediis bonitatem amabilem.—
I know that the unworthy would have many prejudices againſt the ways of holineſs; the Saints in their lives, are afflicted and chaſtiſed every moment, and they go mourning all the day long, and they cannot put themſelves in the glory of the world, cannot partake of the jollity of the times; as he ſaith, ſpiritus Calvinianus eſt melancholicus: but look not upon their outſide, but their inſide; look not upon them in their life, but in their death; and then let me tell the greateſt gallant of you all, you will give a world to change eſtates with them at their death, in whoſe life thou wouldeſt by no tearms be conformable unto. What would Dives have given after all his glory, all his delicacy, to have changed with Lazarus in his death? let it be your work therefore to dye the death of the righteous: and to ſet this the more home upon your ſpirits, take theſe four conſiderations.
1 Conſider, the great end why we came into the world was, that we might learn to dye well, for Heb. 9 27. it is appointed to all men once to dye; but death comes not preſently, and the end of a mans life is, that he may conſider his latter end, Deut. 32.29. men do not live here to get riches, and injoy the good things that are preſent, and the pleaſures of ſin are but for a ſeaſon; this life is but foreign, the ſchool of death, which teaches men how to dye.
2 It is the laſt act of a mans life, the cloſe of all his actions; and for a man in his life to burn as a Torch, to ſhine as a light, and afterwards to go out in a ſnuff, as the fooliſh Virgins, and the fooliſh Builders; in Iobs affliction there was nothing deſirable, but yet there was in the end which God made with him, that which was very deſireable: Iulius Caeſar when he was taken in the Senate, he plucked down the robe he wore about him, Ut honeſtè caderet.
It is the night that commends the day; mark the end of the righteous man, his end is peace.
3 At death all outward excellencies will leave a man, Iob 4.21. their excellency goes away, and they dye without wiſdom: for, though there be a flower in the graſs which has a glory in it, yet Pſal. 90.11. it quickly comes to nothing: ſo ſhall all the excellencies that men ſo pride themſelves in, their learning, parts, wiſdom and policie, knowledge in the Scripture, and in the common works of grace, it is all but fleſh, and will take its leave at death; and it will be ſaid of you, as one of the Antients ſaid of Caeſar, who was one of the greateſt men in the world in his time; Ubi nunc pulchritudo Caeſaris? quò abiit magnificentia tua?
What is become of his glorious magnificence? his Armies, Triumphs, and Trophies?
4 At death your eternal ſtates are caſt; it is aeternitatis oſtium, the door of eternity: there is a Double time ſet to the ſons of men, 1 A time of working. 2 A time of rewarding. A time of working: here they toyl and labo, urbut at death, the Lord doth call the labourers to give them their hire; every man ſhal have his peny; but after death comes judgement: there is no more time of working, for after death remains nothing but judgement then for ever.
But what ſhall a man do, that he may be bleſſed in his latter end? I will ſet before you theſe five things, and the Lord teach you to profit by them.
1 Let me exhort you to get union with Chriſt, and thereby, thou art tranſlated from death to life: for this is a truth: no man dyes well, that doth not dye in the Lord. What a ſad thing is it to think, that a ſecond death muſt follow? death rides before, and Hell follows after; nihil facit mortem malam, niſi quod ſequitur mortem,—when death in ſin went before, and eternal life is not begun in thee.
2 Serve thy Generation, and thereby lay up a good foundation againſt that laſt day, Act. 13.36.
Fight the good fight and finiſh thy courſe, be abundant in the works of the Lord; Its ſaid of Saul, Sam. 13.1,2. he reigned two years over Iſrael; he reigned twenty yeers, but after he was rejected of God, no more is counted of him: nor will it be unto all thoſe that ſpend their lives unprofitably, that are but as empty trees, onelyonly ſerve to cumber the ground, are unprofitable both to God and man: vita fabula eſt, in qua non refert, quam diu, ſed quam bene.—
3 Number your days, and conſider your latter end, with Joſeph of Arimathea: walk with thy Tomb. A man ſhall not need much Arithmtick to number his days, they are ſo few, and yet he will need a great deal of grace to number them, they are ſo evil: and ſo death ſhall come upon thee not as a ſtranger, but as a friend, that brings peace along with him and reſt.
—4 Exerciſe faith much on the dying graces of Chriſt and the promiſes the Lord made, Ioh. 16. to all Chriſtians, dying as well as living; of his fulneſs we ſhall receive grace for grace: it is our buſineſs in this world, to be made conformable unto Chriſt, not onelyonly in our life, but alſo at our death; and then the Lord ſays of his people, they ſhall be mine, Mal. 3.17. what a glorious creature will a Saint be in that day when God himſelf looks on him as a Iewel? 1 Cor. 3.21. all things are yours, then a Saint enjoys perfection enough when he has a full poſſeſſion of God, Pſa. 16.11. in thy preſence are fulneſs of joys, and on thy right hand are rivers of pleaſures for evermore:—and then when a Saint has ſuch a glorious advantage by death ſhall not we ſay, bleſſed are the dead which dye in the Lord?—
—5. Lay up a treaſury of prayers, that thou mayſt be fitted for this great change: if a man be in any ſtraight or any ſad condition, nature will prompt him to ſeek relief, and he will take any courſe that may deliver him out of it; eſpecially ſince God hath made ſuch a promiſe, Call upon me in a time of trouble, and I will hear you: and if a man be ſo careful to avoid and prevent theſe leſſer changes, that they may not do him harm; how much more ſhould he be induſtriouſly careful touching this great change? Pſal. 34. the Pſalmiſt begs that he may know his latter end: Pſa. 90.12. ſo teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wiſdom: — and therefore a man ſhould lay up a treaſury of prayers in his life time, and they will be as ſo many comforts to him on his death bed: he ſhall then have a gracious anſwer of all thoſe prayers.
Ʋſe. 2.
—Let us lay to heart the loſs of the righteous man; that we be not guilty of that ſin condemned in the Text. I know it has been a thing condemned or at leaſt always ſuſpected, funeral Panegyricks, as being a badge of the falſe Prophet; and by a funeral Oration, we do as the Papiſts do, think to ſend ſouls to heaven, after their death, even thoſe that have been poſting to hell all their life: but yet, ſeeing the name of the righteous is as a precious oyntment poured out, and that precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints:—and ſeeing it was an Antient cuſtom to do the Saints of God honor at their death; I think it but our duty, to conſider of our loſs, in this brother at this time, though it be but to carry a torch after him to his long home; firſt, he was a man of a gracious ſpirit, in whom the Lord had wrought the good work, and a through work of Regeneration: he was one, that feared God above many; that had truly given up his name to Chriſt; one that had oyl in his veſſel, and did not onelyonly ſhine by profeſſion before men; one that was not indulgent to himſelf in his own iniquity; did not hide a ſweet morſel, but had reſpect to all the Commandments, and hated every falſe way: Secondly, he was a friend to Reformation, in the purity and ſpirituality of it; which conſiſts, not onelyonly in caſting out the old rubbiſh of corruption in doctrine and worſhip, but laying a new foundation; not onelyonly an outward Reformation of Ordinances, but an inward reformation of members, Re. 11.1. The corruption of the Church is ſo expreſs'd;
There are many when God is about to reform his Church will bear the name of Chriſtians, Iſa. 54.11,12. I will lay thy ſtones with fair colours, and thy foundations with Saphyrs; when the Church of God ſparkles in the eys of the world, as many times it does; it ſhall have many followers. There is ſaith Calvin, a double foundation: a foundation of doctrine on which the Church is built; and of members of which the Church is conſtituted, and this he ſaith, is meant here:—the Church ſhall not be built of every ordinary and Common-ſtone, but new-Jeruſalem ſhall be built with precious ſtones; and without ſhall be dogs, and every one that loves and makes a lye; and in compariſon of what now it is, they ſhall be all eminent Saints then; as it is ſaid, thy people ſhall be all righteous, every one of them: and this will diſtinguiſh in an eminent manner the Saints from the men of the world; and therefore no wonder if godlineſs has ſo few friends in the world, Color omnibus unus.—
—3 He was a man in all his relations of a very publik ſpirit; he was far from making thoſe private advantages to himſelf, that many do of kindred and friends; he was one had impoveriſht himſelf for the publick ſervice, to my knowledge, and never ſought, and profeſs'd never would, recompence from the State.—Many men will ſerve the kingdom whilſt they ſerve themſelves upon it; and the while they ſerve the State, they have wrought well for themſelves: dives poteſtas pauperem facit Rem-publicam.
'Twill be an honor in after ages, that a man hath made no advantage of his publick truſt:—when every man is making gain from his intereſt, to promote himſelf and his family thereby.
4 He was a man very humble, of a meek, and a ſweet temper; free from the common bitterneſs that is in men; he had much of the Dove, and of dovelike ſimplicity; and much of the wiſdom, though very free from the craft of the Serpent; a man full of ſweetneſs and love: of an amiable and a winning converſation, which ſurely are things, in the ſight of God in great price.
5 He was a man of a very faithful ſpirit; which truely now is very hard to finde. We may well ſay, the faithful man is periſhed; falſhood is now grown the wiſdom, and the policy of the times; for men to pretend grace, and intend nothing leſs; to look one way, and row another; to ſpeak words ſmoother then butter, when they have war in their hearts, and to betray his brother with a kiſs, and with Ioab ſtab him in an imbracement: and he that can carry it with the greateſt fairneſs and ſmoothneſs, is the wiſeſt man; and this is the great policy of our times.
6 Laſtly, He was (and I wiſh all that are in places of truſt would conſider this) exceeding induſtrious and active in the care of the publick: much lay upon him, he did not ſpare his pains, and his time, even to the neglect of his own neceſſary affairs; yea, the neceſſity of nature, for a ſupport of nature many a time, as I can witneſs; and the ſad condition of the kingdom lay very heavy upon him; he was willing to his power, to put men a work, ere he had wages for them, from the publick: Many men are active, but it is, when there is ſomething to be gotten, that does oyl their Chariot wheeles; they love to tread out the Corn, but to plow in hope; and to labour barely for the publick good. I fear there are but few ſuch in the kingdom: Ile appeal now to you that knew him: you knovv theſe things to be true; I doubt not but God has rewarded him according to his works.