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A50479
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Comfort in death a funeral sermon preach'd upon the death of Mr. Timothy Cruso, late pastor of a church in London, who died Novemb. 26. 1697 / by Matthew Mead.
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Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing M1545; ESTC R9995
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21,237
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34
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Saints are blessed Revel 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord You 'll say they are blessed because their Souls are gone to Heaven and enjoy God I but that is not all for then it would rather have been said Blessed are the Souls of them that die in the Lord. But pray mind it is that which dies that hath the Blessing affixed to it Blessed are the dead Now the Soul is not dead that lives and who knows not that the Soul that lives in Heaven is blessed But the design of the Holy Ghost here is to Comfort Believers concerning their bodies when in the Dust Doth the Body die why yet it partakes of a blessing in Death Blessed are the dead Nothing of a Saint dies but his Body why then Blessed are the dead And mark how his Right to the Blessing accrues He dies in the Lord i. e. in Union to the Lord Death makes no separation And if so then as what Union there was between the Spirit of Christ and the Soul of a Saint remains still so what Union there was between the Body of a Saint and the Spirit of Christ remains still He dies in the Lord. 5. IT must be so if we do but duly consider the Subject of Sanctification and what is that Not the Soul only but the whole Person that is Body and Soul it is not any one part only that is Stamped with the Image of God but the Intire Nature of every Believing Person the whole Soul and the whole Body For Sanctification is a Repair of the Decay of the Vpright State of our Creation Now in the First Creation our whole Nature was stampt with God's Image not only the Soul but the Body too was Interested in the Image of God by a Participation of Original Righteousness AND when Man Sinned the Image of God so far as it was our Righteousness and Holiness was utterly Defaced and Lost it departed from our whole Nature Body and Soul and hence the whole Person is said to be Polluted and Defiled by Sin not only all the Powers of the Soul but all the Members of the Body As you may see Rom. 3.13 14 15. Rom. 6.19 NOW this being the Case of all Men therefore our Sanctification which is the Reparation of God's Image must Respect the whole Man equally and the Image of God must be stamped upon the Body as well as the Soul and so it is wherever Sanctification is wrought This is Evident from the Apostle's Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thessal 5.23 The God of Peace Sanctifie you throughout i. e. in your whole Man for so he Explains it in the next words in body and soul and spirit It is not a Sanctification thoughout if the Body be not made Holy as well as Soul and Spirit NOW do but see how Christ Argues about his Lying in the Grave from the Holiness of his Body Psal 16.9 10. My Flesh shall rest in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell that is my Body in the Grave nor suffer thine Holy One to see Corruption What is meant here by thy Holy One it is meant only of the Body of Christ for his Soul was in Heaven nor was that capable of seeing Corruption NOW God would not Suffer the Dead Body of Christ to see Corruption and why Because it was Originally and Perfectly Holy never Tainted with the least Sin and therefore saw not the least Corruption in the Grave which else it would have done and which the Bodies of the Saints do BUT that other Argument of Christ is common to all Believers with him My Flesh shall Rest in Hope for thou wilt not leave my body in the Grave And this Not leaving the Body in the Grave speaks Two Things I. The Abiding Vnion of the Eternal Spirit with the Body II. THE Future Resurrection of the Body by the Spirit from the Grave and why Because the Body is God's Holy One. NOW I would Querie Whether was the Spirit of God separated from the Dead Body of Christ or no That his own Soul was separated from his Body that is certain for that he recommends to his Father Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit Therefore it is evident his Soul was separated from his Body but yet the Spirit of God was not and the Reason was because in that Covenant that passed between the Father and the Son the Father engaged to take Care of him in Death and to Raise him again to Life And for this Cause though his Soul was Separated yet the Spirit of God was not his Holy Body continued in Union to and under the Special Care of the Spirit of God every moment it lay in the Grave and in the Faith and Comfort of This Christ died so he tells you Therefore my heart is glad my glory rejoyceth myflesh also shall rest in hope Now mark the Reasons he gives they are Two-fold ONE is from His State in Death THE other is from his Certain Restauration to Life I. FROM His State in Death which is a State of Union to the Eternal Spirit Thou wilt not leave my body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lisheol in the Grave It is not only meant of his Remaining there but of his being left of the Spirit while he was there Tho' my Body lye in the Grave thou wilt not leave me when I am in that state II. THE other is from his Certain Resurrection to Life v. 11. Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life Herein he points to the Covenant between Father and Son wherein God promises that He shall prolong his Days Now therefore Isa 53.10 says Christ in the highest Considence and Assurance Thou wilt not leave my Body in the Grave There is the Union asserted Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life There is the Resurrection secured NOW then I assume the Querie again Was the Spirit of God separated from the Body of Christ when Dead in the Grave or not If it be said that it was then it will undeniably follow That there was a part of Christ's Sufferings that was not Meritorious yea the greatest Part for his Death was the Chief Part of his Sufferings the Compleating Act and there could be no Merit in Christ's Death if his Body was not in Union to the Spirit of God for what should give the Value and Virtue to his Death That which gave Value and Virtue to his Death was the Eternal Spirit AND if the Dead Body of Christ was in Union to the Spirit when in the Grave then so must the dead body of every Believer be also and that upon a Two-fold Account 1. Because every Believer is a Member of Christ Body and Soul are in Membership and therefore if the Spirit was in Union to Christ as Head so it must be to the Members also for we have the Spirit from Christ it is in us derivatively from him as he is the Head of Influence to every
Comfort in DEATH A Funeral Sermon PREACH'D Upon the DEATH OF Mr. Timothy Cruso LATE PASTOR of a Church in London Who Died Novemb. 26. 1697. By MATTHEW MEAD LONDON Printed by S. Bridge for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside And John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry 1698. A Funeral Sermon On the Death of Mr. Timothy Cruso ROMANS viii II. If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you He that ruised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you IT is the great Privilege and Advantage of all that are United to Christ that however things go with them in this World it shall be sure to go well with them in the next The great Care of God is about their Eternal State that whatever befals them in the Way they may not miss of Happiness in the End and this Happiness is asserted here Negatively in verse the first There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus NOW this eleventh verse with the former is a Prolepsis or a Pre-occupation of a secret Objection or Doubt arising from the fore-going Assertion The Objection or Doubt is this How can it be said There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus since Death which is the Fruit of Sin yet seises the Godly as well as others NOW this the Apostle makes Answer to in this and the foregoing Verse both by way of Concession and by way of Correction I. BY way of Concession The body is dead because of sin He doth not say only it is Mortal and subject to Death it shall and must die but in the Present Tense which carries great Emphasis in it the Body is dead and he Expresseth it thus for Three Reasons 1. Because of the Divine Determination It is appointed for all men once to die Heb. 7.29 And therefore the Bodies of Believers are as Mortal and as subject to Death as other Mens 2. It is dead because Death is begun Mortality seises upon us betimes by the many Infirmities that attack us how many Deaths do we die daily by Gout Stone Collicks Asthma's Catarrhs Fevers c. before Death it self comes to relieve and release us 3. Because of the Ground whereupon it proceeds and that is Sin The body is dead because of sin We do not die as the Beasts die Death is not a natural Accident but a Punishment it is an effect of the Justice of God for Sin By one man sin enter'd into the world and death by sin Rom. 5.12 II. HE Answers by way of Correction opposing a double Comfort against this dying of the Body Verse 10. The Spirit is Life because of Righteousness That is one Comfort BY the Spirit here we are to understand the Soul yet not simply and absolutely considered but as renewed by Grace So it doth live for the present and it shall live for ever AND mark the ground of the Benefit Because of Righteousness Because of Imputed Righteousness which gives us tight to this Life or because of Inherent Righteousness which is the beginning of this Life AND then the other Comfort is in the Text and that is If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus front the dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The Sum of all is this IF you are Believers indeed though your Bodies die yet your Souls shall live and that for ever and your Bodies though they die yet they shall not die out-right they shall not finally perish for they shall be raised again SO that though Sin infers Death yet that Death is neither total nor final 1. NOT total It is but an half Death it seiseth only upon the Flesh The Spirit is Life because of Righteousness 2. NOT final Death is not such a Night as hath no Morning It is for a limited time and then the dead shall return again As the Life of Man is for an appointed time so is his Death too As Life is a Lease which when a Man hath lived out then he dies So Death is a Lease too which when a Man hath died out then he shall Live again JOB calls it a Set Time chap. 14.13 O that thou wouldst hide me in the Grave But how long would he be hid there Not for ever No but for the set time That thou wouldst appoint me a Set Time and remember me and in v. 14. he calls it an appointed time All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change comes This Change is not meant here of a Change by Death as many interpret it but of a Change by Rising again as appears by the Context It is the great Change when we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 when Christ will change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body After this Change we shall hear no more of Changing for when this Mortal shall have put on Immortality then Death shall be swallowed up in Victory 1 Cor. 15.54 But how shall this Change be brought about That is Answered in the Words of the Text If the Spirit of him that Raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you In which Words you have Two General Parts I. A happy Resurrection Promised He that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies II. The Condition upon which the Promise is made If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you In the Resurrection promised you have Two Things I. The Author of it or the Efficient Cause and that is God the Father Described by this Periphrasis or Eminent Work of Power He that Raised up Jesus from the Dead II. The Way or Manner of bringing it about and that is By his Spirit that Dwelleth in you The Doctrine that I intend to Insist on upon this Occasion is this Doct. That the Bodies of all the Saints shall at the the last day be quickened and Raised by that Spirit which Dwells in them I shall speak to this under Two Heads I. That the Spirit of God Dwells in the Children of God II. He Dwells in them as a Principle of Resurrection Power and is the Ground and Cause of their Happy Resurrection 1. That the Spirit of God Dwells in the Children of God This is plain in the Scripture 1 Cor. 3.16 Know you not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you 2 Tim. 1.14 That Good Thing which was committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwells in us John 14.17 The Spirit of Truth He Dwelleth with you and shall be in you So in the Verse but one before the Text If so be the Spirit of