messengers of Christ by visiting of them in their distresse as we may receive good from them so they may receive good from us Onesimus was no small comfort and support to Paul when he was in trouble Junius reaped much spirituall advantage from the discourse of a plaine country man thus inferiour members of the body may be serviceable to the superiour Uses First This may reprove those who as they never cared for any converse with godly Ministers in their health but always kept at a distance from them so they care not for comming neare them in their sicknesse not for feare of any bodily infection but for want of sincere and spirituall affection let such men know they who love not the servants of Christ are without love to Christ himselfe and Christ will one day flight those who have slighted him in his servants It is to be feared that they never got any good by the Ministers of God vvho are disrespectfull unto them novv a sad doome hangs over the heads of all barren Christians vvho have enjoyed the choice mercy of a painfull and faithfull Ministry they are neere unto cursing and may expect to heare that sentence Cut them down why cumber they the ground Secondly This may reprove those vvho though they are not altogether so profane as to neglect the giving of a visit to Gods messengers lying upon their sick-beds yet come to see them not out of obedience to Gods command nor out of love to their persons or office nor out of any affection they beare to their doctrine nor out of any desire they have to comfort them or to receive counsell or comfort from them but meerly out of custome or in complement or to stop the mouths of some who would cry shame upon those who should neglect so necessary so charitable an Office Thirdly Let us be humbled for the neglect of this duty should God be extreame to marke our failings in this one particular what would become of us Jobs friends tooke a long and a tedious journey to see him when they heard how the hand of God was upon him but how often are we backward to take a journey of two or three houres riding nay to step a bows-shoot out of doores to visit an afflicted member of Christ to communicate with him in his sorrows to comfort him in his griefes to refresh and revive him with our presence and spiritual and pertinent discourse How should we shame our selves for this our want of love to the command of Christ to the members of Christ yea to Christ himselfe Well let us cry peccavi beg our pardon and looke upon it as a matter of duty to visit those with our personall presence whom Christ will vouchsafe to visit with his gracious presence The Apostle James excludes all those from being truly religious who make no conscience of the performance of this worke of love Jam. 1.27 Are there any of Gods friends and our acquaintance any of Gods Messengers and our Pastors any of Christs Members and our Brethren cast upon the bed of sicknesse Let us imitate Christ who when he heard Lazarus was sick went down to see him Let not this example of Joash rise up in judgement against us and condemne us would we not have others to expresse such a kindnesse to us Let us not deny that to others which we expect from others Mat. 7.12 But let us not give complementall visits only the sin of the times we live in but so discharge what God cals for in this businesse that God may have Glory the person visited comfort and we our selves benefit and advantage First Visit whether Pastor or Neighbour out of obedience to Gods command let Gods command not base and by respects carry thee on to this worke no action of ours though enjoyned by God will be accepted of unlesse it be done out of obedience to that God who enjoynes it Zach. 7.5 6 7. Secondly Do this that Christ cals for out of love to Christ then will Christ take it as done unto himselfe Thirdly Do this duty with an honest heart and sincerely the Prophet David tels us of some that came to see him in his sicknesse but not out of any cordiall affection they did beare unto him but for base ends to see whether there were any hopes that he would dye or to gather something or other from him that might prejudice him in his credit and esteeme and render him odious Fourthly Since God must make every office performed unto others comfortable unto them and profitable unto us let us upon such occasions and at such times lift up a secret prayer unto God that such a meeting or visitation might be blessed with the fruits of mutuall joy quickning and edification Having dispatched this Doctrine we now come to the effects that Joâ—sh his visiting of our Prophet did produce and they are two First He wept over his face Secondly He gave him honourable titles 1. He cass him his Father 2. He stiles him the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof from his weeping over the Prophet now ready to expire we may observe Doctrine That the death of godly and painful Ministers is matter of great lamentation all forts of people good and bad righteous and unrighteous have cause to mourne and bitterly to bewaile the death of such Ministers who have been pious and faithfull First The Church in generall the whole company of beleevers who know and heare of it have cause to mourne Ministers are given to the Church for her gaine and cannot be taken away without her losse Eph. 4.12 They are not only members of her body but such members which are very usefull and necessary they are called the lights guides watchmen of the Church yea they are called her rulers let a man lose any one member it would trouble him but the more usefull any member is the greater will be his trouble Secondly The wicked have cause to mourne when God takes away his faithfull Ministers Joash was of this mind otherwise he would not have done what he did good reason there is why graceless men should lay to heart the death of gracious Ministers 1. God is never more angry with wicked men than when he removes his Messengers from them true bad men are never more merry than when good Ministers are laid in the dust but they have more cause to sigh than to sing to cry than to laugh If to be let alone in sin without check or reproofe be a judgement then certainly it is a judgement to wicked men when godly Ministers are taken away who by their reproofes and counsels did what they could to keep them from sin 2. They have lost one who did both earnestly desire and constantly endeavour their spirituall and eternall good and therefore they have cause to mourne if the losse of a bodily friend be matter of griefe what matter of griefe is the loss of a soule friend 3. They have lost one that stood
in the gap to keep off judgements from breaking in upon them had it not been for the prayers and teares of their faithfull Pastor divine vengeance might have ceased upon them long before now how many times hath God been ready to draw his sword to cut them off to lay his axe to the root of them and to chop them down when their watchfull and compassionate overseer hath interceded for them and held Gods hands from destroying them Jeremies prayers for the Jews did prevaile with God for a season to spare them and when God was fully determined to ruine them he bids Jeremy not to pray for them Chap. 14.11 Psal 106.23 Ezek. 22.30 31. Luke 13.5 6 7. Thirdly The godly where such a Minister did live have cause to mourne when he is taken away for 1. As God is angry with the wicked so he is angry with his own people when he deprives them of their Pastor it is promised as a singular testimony of Gods love to his children to let them have the liberty of seeing the faces and enjoying the labours of their Teachers Isa 30.20 2. They have lost one who was watchfull over them carefull to prevent their falling into sin and ready to raise them up with all possible speed when fallen 3. Some of them have lost a spirituall father and ought not the child to lament the losse of his father Besides all of them have lost a diligent instructer 4. They have lost one who through Gods blessing hath kept them out of many a snare carried on the work of grace in their hearts awakened their drouzy soules quickened their dead hearts strengthened their feeble hands and knees revived their almost expiring graces reduced them when they have been wandring encouraged them in the waies of God when they met with strong opposition comforted them when they have been sad answered their doubts scattered their feares and filled them with joy and peace through beleeving Eph. 4.12 5. They have lost one who was acquainted with their condition knew in some measure the state of their soules and so was the better able to speake seasonably to them and to their necessities A stranger may preach wholsome truths to a people but he knows not so well to apply his doctrine to them as their own Pastor Another may give a child meat to eate but he cannot tell what that food is which is most convenient for it so well as the mother that Physitian who hath been longest acquainted with our bodies knows what Physick is most proper for us thus you see all sorts have cause to lament the fall of a faithfull Minister the reasons are these First God commands us to mourne when he afflicts us with the losse of godly and painefull Ministers when God was pleased to take away Nadab and Abihu none of the best Priests and such who died in their sin yet even then did God call upon the people to bewaile the burning which he had made Lev. 10.8 Must the death of wicked ones be lamented then certainly we must lament the death of the righteous Must not Nadab and Abihu go to their graves without teares What teares should we poure out when a Samuel and Elisha or a Stephen go to their graves Secondly It hath been the practice of the godly bitterly to bewaile the losse of pious and faithfull Ministers what is written in this particular is written for our learning we must be followers of those who are good so far as they are followers of that which is good 1 Sam. 25.1 Micah 7.1 Acts 20.37 38. it went to their very hearts to thinke that they should lose one who had been such a notable instrument to promote Gods glory and his Churches good Paulinus writing of the life of Ambrose reports thus much of him Quod flebat amarissimè quotiescunque fortè annunciatum illi fuerat de cujuscunque sancti obitu Sacerdotis that he wept most bitterly whenever any one told him of the death of any godly Minister It is also reported of Philo that when he heard where he came of the death of any holy man he would weep very bitterly because the Town and the Church had no small prejudice by such a losse Thirdly Such as have had no grace have lamented the death of the Prophets and Messengers of God we have Joash for an example who will rise up in judgment against and condemne those who can let godly Ministers go to their graves without sighs in their hearts or teares in their eyes when the old Prophet who seduced the Prophet sent to Jeroboam saw that he was slaine by the Lion he brought his carkasse into the City laid it in his own grave and they mourned over him with the Text saying Alas my brother 1 Kings 13.30 Fourthly God complaines of those who neglected to lay to heart the death of the righteous Isa 57.1 God never finds fault where there is none were it not a duty to lament the losse of Gods servants none should have met with a check for the neglect of it Fifthly Peoples sins are the cause of Gods taking away their faithfull Pastors the unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse of heares provoke God to remove their preachers and ought we not to lay to heart those sins which deprive us of very choice mercies Sixthly The death of Gods faithfull Ministers is the forerunner of some approaching judgement what but darknesse can be expected when the Sun is set Have we not cause to feare an inundation of waters when the banks that kept them from overflowing are cut down If the pillars of a house be taken away can the house stand If the watchmen be killed the City is in danger to be surprized Isa 57.1 History tels us that so soon as Saint Austin was dead and gone the Goths and Vandals broke into Hippo the City where he lived and spoyled it The Smakaldicke war began in Germany not long after Luther was laid in the grave Spinola took Heilderberg not long after God had taken away that precious servant of his Pareus You see then there is no small cause of mourning when God takes away his faithfull Messengers and Ministers Uses First This serves to reprove those who are not affected with the losse of Gods faithfull Ministers those righteous men perish and how few lay it to heart They go to their long home but where are the mourners about the streets God hath been pleased of late to put out many shining and burning lights as Dr Hill Mr Whitaker Mr Gataker Doctor Bolton and many others men famous in their generations usefull and precious men of whom the world was not worthy we heare of the fall of those Cedars but tremble not of the removall of those pillars but are not afraid we regard the losse of those blessed instruments no more than the losse of a horse or hog no more say I nay not so much Gadaren-like we can better part with the Messengers of Christ than with our swine
spend more sighs and complaints upon the deaths of brute creatures than upon the deaths of Gods Embassadours and our instructors Oh the wonderfull stupidity and hardness of heart that are too common in all places God was very angry with the Jews because they regarded not the operation of his hands Isa 5.12 Insensibility under present judgements makes way for future How can we think God should betrust us any more with his Messengers and Ministers when we can part with them without any considerable griefe and sorrow Too many care not what become either of State or Church or their own precious soules so they may enjoy their estates their liberties their carnall profits and pleasures let God take away one pious Minister after another or godly man after another they are ready to say as the Pharisees to Judas What is that to us What is this to you Do you thinke it is nothing to you that godly Ministers are taken away Is it nothing to you that God is angry Is it nothing to you that you lye naked to the indignation of the Almighty Is it nothing to you that your soules are in danger to miscarry Is it nothing to you that you are exposed to temptations snares and sin and that you have lost one that was wont to watch over you pitty and pray for you Is it nothing to you that the wall or fence is taken away that kept the little Foxes and Wolves from breaking in upon you to devoure your precious foules Is it nothing to you that you have lost one that stood in the gap to keep off Gods wrath and vengeance from falling upon you that live in these times wherin knowledge abounds read you the Scriptures have you any acquaintance with the mind and will of God And is it nothing to you Elishas Stevens Samuels Pauls are taken away You will find it something one day Secondly It serves to reproove those who are so far from laying to heart the death of Gods faithfull Ministers that they rather are glad of it and rejoyce in it some secretly some openly the Prophet David speakes of some who came to visit him in his sickness and seemed to be troubled at it in outward appearance but were glad at the very heart that there was some likelihood of his â—â—ath some there are who would not have the world think them so prophane as to rejoyce at the fall of precious and godly Ministers who are secretly glad of it and say with their hearts though not with their tongues as they did Aha Aha so would we have it but shall not God find such out Is not he who searcheth the heart and trieth the reines privy to this their diabolicall joy How can how dare such call God father or thinke themselves Gods children who are glad to behold the funerals of their brethren Naturall brethren may rejoyce at the death one of another hoping to reape some disadvantage thereby But certainly spirituall brethren who cannot be rent one from another without disadvantage to the survivers will be otherwise affected they are false brethren as the Apostle speakes and cursed hypocrites who make the death of any godly Minister the matter of their rejoycing Againe others there are who proclaime their sin as Sodom and stick not to professe that they are glad at the very heart that such and such godly Ministers are taken away like those spoken of Rev. 10.10 who made merry and sent gifts one to another when the two witnesses were slaine Now they thinke they may enjoy their sins more freely and shall not meet with such sharp reproofes for them that their consciences will not trouble them so much as they were wont to do but can any solid ground of joy be drawn from hence It is all one as if a man should rejoyce that such a Physitian is dead who whilst he lived did what he could to keep him from feeding upon such meats as would hasten death It is as if a man should rejoyce that he is taken away who did what he could to preserve him from destroying himselfe I tell thee whoever thou art who pleasest thy selfe with the losse of Gods faithfull Ministers thou hast no cause to rejoyce at this their deaths will be so far from bettering thy condition that thy condition is likely to be worse for their deaths Satan will now take fuller possession of thee thy sins will now have more power over thee thy iniquities will the sooner be ripe and thou wilt the sooner be cut down and is this any matter of joy Gods hands were ever and anon ready to destroy thee whilest they lived their prayers and teares kept his sword from being sheathed in thee and dost thou think thou art ever awhit the safer from danger and ruine Is the house and those who are in it ever a jot the safer because the pillars that kept it up are removed Thy conscience when thou satest under a godly Ministry did ever and anon check thee grant it now proves speechlesse and saies nothing can there be a more dreadfull judgement than a silent and dumb conscience Before there was some strugling in thee against temptations to sin and now thou canst commit sin without any reluctancy with all greedinesse this is matter of lamentation not of joy Are Gods Ministers gone They are gone to give an account how thou hast carried thy selfe towards God and them and God upon their complaint may hasten the execution of his judgements upon thee and thine thou hast more cause to tremble at their deaths than to hug thy selfe to sigh than to sing Do not dreame that God hath taken them away to shew thee any kindnesse that they are removed out of favour to thee who hast been a bitter enemy as to them so unto God No no it is in wrath not in mercy towards thee that God hath sent for them home their lives were not more burdensome unto thee than their deaths will prove prejudiciall and banefull now will the devill triumph more over thee and carry thee captive at his will and pleasure Thirdly Let us mourne when God takes away any of his faithfull Messengers from us Let not God complaine of us as he did of those Isa 57.1 Let not Joash rise up in judgement against us and condemne us make we a difference between an Elisha and a Jehojachin Jer. 22 18. Do we love the Lord let us mourne that one who was zealous for his glory is gone from amongst us do we love Christ let us mourne that one of the friends of the Bridegroome is taken away do we love the Church let us mourne that she is deprived of one of her choice members do we love the State let us mourne that one of her pillars are removed do we love the truth let us mourne that one who was valiant for it is departed do we love our soules let us mourne that one who was carefull for them watchfull over them mercifull to them is gone
Thus we have done with the first Doctrine in the next place we shall look upon Elisha as a holy Prophet and from hence give you this observation Doct. 2 That such Ministers who are very usefull and holy must dye Elisha a most gracious Prophet furnished with a double portion of that spirit which acted in his Master Elijah a most usefull man the Chariot and the horsemen of Israel must not live alwaies but give up the Ghost For proofe of the Doctrine consult with these Scriptures though we have had many sad experiences and that of late to confirme it Zach. 1.5 1 Sam. 25 1. What is become of all the Apostles who served God in their generation were spirituall Fathers to beget soules unto God who both planted and builded up the Church of God who were choice and precious men one was crucified another headed another boiled in a Cauldron and all died Where is our Preston our Taylor our Sibs our Hill our Whitaker and many more The grave hath swallowed them up The reasons which we gave you to prove the precedent Doctrine might serve for the confirmation of this but we will adde one or two more First Because people will not make that use of their Ministry as they should God sends them to negotiate a peace between his glorious Majesty and peoples precious soules Now when they have made many overtures from their great Lord and Master and all are slighted none will be accepted God thinkes it fit to send for them home when Princes see that Embassadours cannot obtaine with Forreign States what they expected they call them home again there are not more usefull instruments in a State or Church than faithfull and holy Ministers God sets them up as lights to enlighten the minds of men as guides to direct men as watchmen to warne them as saviours to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies Sin Sathan and the World Now if no body will make use of their light follow their directions regard their warnings or be willing to be resened out of the hands of their spirituall enemies it is but just with God to take them away Who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed 2. God will not suffer his Ministers alwaies to live in the world because the world is not worthy of them they are so far from improving their doctrine and life that they are rather filled with rage against them both the Scripture speakes much of the worlds unkind and perverse carriage towards the Messengers of God read these places 2 Chron. 36.16 Ier. 15.16 Chap. 20.7 8. Micah 2.6 Mat. 23.37 by abusing mercies we justly forfeit them The world is weary of Gods Ministers and Gods Ministers are weary of the world now God will ease the world of his Ministers and when he doth this it is in wrath to the world and he will ease his Ministers of the world but when he doth this it is in mercy to his Ministers God is very tender of his Messengers takes the scornes and affronts cast upon them as offered unto himself he cannot endure to see them wrong'd and hence it is that he will remove them 3. Should the Ministers of God live here alwaies none would be so miserable as they are did not their future hopes support them their present condition would be very sad though all that live godly in Christ suffer persecution yet none so persecuted as the godly Ministers 1 Cor. 15.19 other Christians may drinke of bitter cups but the dregs usually are poured on the Lords Embassadours if others endure a storm yet the fiercest part lights upon them 4. Die they must that they may receive that Crown of righteousnesse which God hath laid up for them in heaven the Crown of life will not be set upon their heads till they have passed through the straights of death Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Uses First It should teach us that are Gods Ministers to do what we can for God whilest we have time and strength How active was the Apostle Paul when he perceived a doore was opened to promote the interest of the Lord Jesus He knew not how long that doore might stand open nor how soone he might be taken away and this made him to bestirre himselfe the more when he perceived that his departure drew nigh he sends for the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. and bestows his counsels and prayers upon them The Apostle Peter also understanding that he had not long to live was the more carefull to stir up the minds of the dispersed Jews to keep the faith that had been delivered unto them and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ and to take heed that they were not carried away with the errour of the wicked and so fall from their own stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 1.13 14. Chap. 3.17 18. Take we therefore the counsell of Solomon Eccl. 9.10 Let our thoughts and our studies our prayers and our counsels our time and our strength be laid out for our Lord and Master Let that which a godly Minister wrote upon his Study doore be deeply engraven in our memories and thought upon every day by us Minister verbi es hoc age Let us be more mindfull of our work than of our wages how to encrease Christs Kingdome than to advance our own secular interests how to make our people good than how to render our selves great how to enrich the soules of others rather than to be enriched by others we have a good Master that will pay us well 1 Pet. 52 3.4 and though we should have little encouragement from the ungratefull world yet we shall want no encouragement from our gracious God Oh that the same mind were in us which was in Jesus Christ who sought not his own honour but the honour of him that sent him We know not how soone we may be laid aside let us worke the harder whilest we have time Secondly Must Gods faithfull Ministers die yet do you take heed of having any hand in their deaths precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of no Saints is more precious in Gods sight than the death of his Ministers Were you not afraid saith God to Aaron and Miriam to speake against my servant Moses one who was so neere unto God much more cause have we to feare to act against them if God was so angry vvith those vvho did strike them vvith their tongues hovv angry vvill he be vvith those vvho strike them vvith their hands That counsell vvhich Pilates Wife gave him in reference to the Lord Jesus will not be amisse for any to take in reference to his Ministers and servants you may read it Mat. 27.19 Have no physicall hand in their death have no morall hand in their death provoke not God by your sins to deprive you of their labours the lengthning out of their lives may be the
people together blessed them in the name of the Lord prayed earnestly with them and for them and entreated them to keep close to God to wait upon the publike Ordinances not to forsake as the manner of some is the publike Ministry to take heed of being carried away with the errours of the wicked and that they fell not from their stedfastnesse Oh let those and such like counsels of his be precious to you who heard them thinke much of them walke according to them let these words of your dying Pastor never be forgotten Be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you He was a successefull Preacher God went along with his Ministry he did not labour in vaine neither did he spend his strength in vaine he was a spirituall father to many children I must confess admiring and adoring God for the freenesse of his grace and the riches of his mercy that the first breathings of spirituall life which ever I felt were under his Ministry Others no question have been no lesse laborious in their Masters vineyard than this blessed servant of God but all nay few in these parts of late have been so fruitfull in begetting of children unto God It may be said of him as it was said of Octavius that when he came to Rome he found the walls made of common and ordinary stone but left them walls of marble When he came to Wilby he found a company of Atheists but hath left a company of Beleevers he found a company of Blasphemers but hath left a company blessing and glorifying of God he found a company of drunkards but hath left a company of sober men he found a company of prophane ones but hath let a company of holy ones he found them enemies unto God but hath left them Gods friends so that he could say to his people as once the Apostle to the Romans Chap. 6.16 17. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine which was delivered unto you Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness Now give me leave to press the subsequent words upon you his people by way of exhortation As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yeeld your members servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse Againe as God used this blessed servant of his to be an instrument to encrease his kingdome and to bring soules home unto him so he made him an instrument to keep those whom he had converted from being drawn a way with the errour of the wicked How many Ministers may say of some of their most hopefull people as Paul of the Galatians that they are removed from those truths and ordinances which they once seemed to embrace that they are enemies to that Ministry which they once seemed to respect and honour some being turned Seekers some Quakers some Arminians some Antinomians some Antisabbatarians some Anabaptists and what not But God hath been pleased to keep his people from falling into the snares of seducing spirits the foxes and the wolves have not made a prey of them they turned not their backs upon his Ministry they forsooke not the publike ordinances and let it not O ye people of Wilby be said ye did run well who did drive you back that you should not obey the truth Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not entangled with any of those soule-ruining snares wherein many are caught Lastly He was a zealous Preacher full of spirituall heat filled with a holy indignation against sin stirring and active for his God he did not the worke of his Master negligently but was willing to spend himselfe and to be spent in his Lords service Now as his life was holy so his death was sweet and comfortable He told me that he blessed God he was not afraid to dye God did not let loose that accuser of the brethren upon him but filled his heart with joy and peace unspeakable and glorious what cause faith he have we to triumph God is our glory God is our joy Being at one time full of paine and in his own apprehension too impatient he asked his neighbours whether they were not grieved at his impatience who saying nothing he spake thus unto them Truly I am not impatient for want of inward comfort for as I have not so little as to conceale it so I have so much that I am not able fully to expresse it He did earnestly long to be dissolved that he might be with Christ often crying out when will that houre come It is but one knock more and then this earthen pitcher shall be broken and I shall be with my God and see such glory which is unutterable When his neighbours standing by seeing him so willing and desirous to dye told him that God had no need of him in heaven but they had need of him on earth he replied True saith he God nath no need of me but I have need of him and he will glorifie me He would often speak with much admiration and affection of Gods goodness to him in dealing so graciously and favourably with him in the time of his sickness and professed that he thought that God laid him as softly in the grave as ever he laid any man Oh said he to the standers by Walke close with God he can do you a good turne when you come to dye Well gone he is God looks for improvement of losses as well as of enjoyments search out those sins which have made God to take him away from your heads be humbled for them cast them away that God may look down graciously upon you visit you in mercy send you a Pastor after his own heart and that a double portion of that spirit which was upon your never to be forgotten Father and instructer may rest upon his Successour FINIS