The Character and Blessedness of the Upright, Application
APPLICATION.
USE. I. Shall the Upright enter into Peace—Learn, that the Upright are Bleſſed. Bleſſed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord; Pſal. 119.1. Light is ſown for the righteous, and gladneſs for the upright in heart. And in a little time they ſhall reap the full Harveſt. When they ſhall eat of the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs, and be ſatisfied. Let their troubles be never ſo many in this Life, yet it ſhall be well with them in the Concluſion: Iſai. 3.10. Say ye to the righteous that it ſhall be well with him: for they ſhall eat the fruit of their doings. They have their fruit unto holineſs, and therefore their End ſhall be Eternal Life. Their Condition muſt needs be good and happy, which ends ſo well. The Upright are the bleſſed of the Lord, and therefore they are bleſſed indeed.
USE II. Shall the Upright enter into Peace, — Then the Wicked can have no true peace, either in the hour of Death, or after their Diſſolution. Contraries have contrary Conſequences. If the Righteous hath hope in his Death; then the hope of the Hypocrite ſhall periſh. Iſai. 48.22. There is no peace, ſaith the Lord, unto the wicked. When they cry Peace! Peace! ſudden deſtruction ſhall come upon them. If their Conſciences awake in this Life, they muſt needs be like the troubled Sea when it can't reſt. But ſuppoſe they ſhould doze on in their Carnal Security; and there ſhould be no bands in their Death, yet after Death they will awake, and lift up their eyes in Torment. Then diſtreſs and anguiſh ſhall ſeize upon them, and they will be utterly conſum'd with terrors. They muſt make their bed in Hell, where the Worm never dies, and the Fire is not quenched. They muſt lie down in ſorrow, and awake to ſhame and everlaſting contempt, at the Great Day, when they will call to the Rocks and Mountains to hide them from the Wrath of God and the Lamb, but in vain: For in that terrible Day of the Lord they ſhall be forc'd to appear before the Judgment Seat of Jeſus Chriſt, and be doom'd to ſuffer the pains of Eternal Death. O that ſecure Sinners might be awakened, and be perſwaded by the terrors of the Lord to be reconciled unto Him, and to make their Peace with Him. Conſider this, ye that forget God, leſt he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
3. Infer. That Believers ſhould never be weary of well-doing; nor yet faint under their Sufferings. Shall they enter into Peace, and Reſt when they Die? Surely, they are then ſtrongly oblig'd to work the Works of Him that ſent them, while they live. O it becomes them to be not ſlothful in buſineſs; fervent in ſpirit ſerving the Lord! Seeing that when they die, they ſhall reſt from their Labours, and their Works ſhall follow them. O Believer! there is a Glorious and Eternal Reſt remains for thee in Heaven; and wilt thou not be diligent in thy Lord's Buſineſs while upon Earth? Certainly it is thy Duty and Intereſt ſo to be. Yea furthermore, if God in His Providence ſhould call you to ſuffer Affliction, it becomes you to bear His Hand with a quiet Submiſſion, neither repining nor fainting when rebuked of Him; For theſe Troubles which are for the preſent not joyous but grievous, ſhall yield the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs. By your preſent Sorrows God is doing you good for your latter End, and preparing you for perfect Peace in Heaven. Lift up your heads then, Behold! the time of Refreſhment draws nigh. In a little time you will have your Quietus. In a little time you ſhall aſcend to the Heavenly Zion with Songs, and Everlaſting Joy upon your heads; you ſhall obtain joy and gladneſs, and ſorrow and ſighing ſhall flee away.
Here I might ſay that this Conſideration affords a refreſhing Cordial to ſuch as are Mourning, being bereaved of Pious Relatives. They Sleep in Jeſus, and are entred into Peace. O let not this Conſolation of God be ſmall with you! While you ſow in Tears, they reap in Joy. Let this then mitigate your Sorrow, aſſwage your Grief. Weep not for them, but for your ſelves: Your Loſs is their Gain.
4. It is therefore our duty to mark the Perfect Man, and behold the Upright. Pſal. 37.37. Mark the perfect Man, and behold the Upright: for the end of that Man is peace. We ſhould obſerve Upright Men in their holy Walk with God, that we may follow their Faith, conſidering the end of their Converſation.
A Perſon of this Character, the Honourable Major-General WINTHROP, was carried to his Sepulchre the laſt Week. He was deſcended of Honourable Anceſtors, who were famous in their Generation, and their Names are deſervedly precious in New-England.
His Excellent Grand-Father †The Honourable JOHN WINTHROP Eſqwas One of thoſe Worthies who left a pleaſant Land, and fair Poſſeſſions, that they might follow their Lord Jeſus Chriſt into this part of the New World, when it was an howling Wilderneſs; and enjoy Communion with Him in the purity of His Ordinances. He was a principal Founder of this Town, and of this Province, where he was for many Years Elected Governour, and Died while inveſted with that Authority.
His Honourable Father ‖The Honourable JOHN WINTHROP Eſqwas for ſeveral Years an Aſſiſtant of this Colony, and afterwards the Governour of Connecticut, for whom He procur'd the Charter under which They now enjoy their Precious and Valuable Privileges.
Sed Genus, & Proavos, & quae non fecimus ipſi:
Vix ea noſtra voco—.
This Honourable Perſon was Himſelf a Friend and Father to his Country, and had the Religion and Liberties of New-England much at heart, being a Lover of Truth and Juſtice.
He was a skilful Phyſician, and generouſly gave, not only his Advice, but alſo his Medicines for the healing of the Sick, which by the Bleſſing of God, were made ſucceſsful for the Recovery of many. He was well skill'd in Philoſophy: But above all, we have good reaſon to believe that he had learnt CHRIST, and that he now Sleeps in JESUS.
It is an honour to Boſton, that it was the Place of his Nativity.
By this repeated and awful Bereavement there is a great Gap made in our Hedge. May the Repairer of our Breaches raiſe up and qualify ſuch from time to time as ſhall make up our Hedge, and ſtand in the Gap.
I cannot here forbear to mention that Aged Handmaid *Mrs. Hannah Meylen. Our Grief hath ſince been renewed by the Death of her Son in Law, Mr. William Tilley, a Perſon truly Valuable for his Piety and Uſefulneſs.of the Lord, who departed this Life the laſt Week. She was a genuine Daughter of Sarah, and hath left us an excellent Example of pure and undefil'd Religion.
5. Let us all be Exhorted to Walk in Uprightneſs before the Lord: Let us diligently improve His Providences and Ordinances; particularly the Lord's Supper, to prepare us for this Reſt, and to give us the Aſſurance of it. The Providence of God hath been very obſervable in the many great Breaches which He hath made upon this Church of late, eſpecially ſince our laſt Communion. And His Voice to us now is, Be ye ready alſo. O let it not be ſaid that God ſtretched out His Hand, and we did not regard it. But let us now be awakened to ſearch and try our ways, and to return unto the Lord. In a particular manner, Let us draw nigh to this Holy Ordinance of the Supper, with reverence and godly fear; And labour ſo to ſhew forth our Lord's Death, that we may be prepared for our own. This Ordinance is of excellent uſe for this end. O that we may be enabled to improve it in a right manner! Here we have Jeſus Chrift evidently ſet forth Crucified, before our Eyes; and may by Faith behold our Victorious Redeemer, thro' Death, deſtroying him that had the power of Death. Come then, and ſee the Salvation of God; that you may be able to ſay with Simeon, Now letteſt thou thy Servant depart in peace; For mine Eyes have ſeen Thy Salvation. Come, Behold your Saviour Who Liveth, and was Dean, and behold He is Alive forever more, and hath the Keys of Hell and of Death. Come to this Table, and by Faith eat that Bread which came down from Heaven, that you may live for ever. Come, and take this Cup which exhibits a Soveraign Antidote againſt the Sting of Death, and a rich Cordial to chear and refreſh your Spirits in the Approaches of that King of Terrors. For the true and faithful Witneſs teſtifyeth; Joh. 6.54. Whoſe eateth my Fleſh, and drinketh my Blood, hath Eternal Life, and I will raiſe him up at the laſt Day. Here are the Bread and Waters of Life. And the Maſter of the Feaſt bids us Welcome, and ſays, Eat O Friends! yea drink abundantly, O Beloved! God doth here prepare a Table before His People, and their Cup runneth over, and they may ſing, The Lord is my Shepherd, I ſhall not want—yea, tho' I walk thro' the Valley of the ſhadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me — But then we muſt look to it, that we come in Uprightneſs, and keep the Feaſt, not with old leaven—; but with the unleavened bread of Sincerity & Truth. Then by this Supper we ſhall be prepared to ſit down at the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb, and to drink New Wine with our Glorified Redeemer in His Father's Kingdom.
FINIS.
End of the text · Joseph Sewall, The Character and Blessedness of the Upright (1717)