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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
from the dead dwell in us he that raised up Christ from the dead â— Thes 4.18 shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words I KNOW you expect that I should say something of the Person Deceased and not pass him by in silence But I acknowledge my self to be very unfit for this Province it being a Work I rarely engage in as having no Authority to take the Commission out of the hand of his own Works Grov 31. â—lt They are to praise him in the Gates and not I. And yet it is not fit When every mean Virtue in others hath its Funeral Trumpet that so much Excelling Worth as was in him should be forgotten and the Memory of it buried with him Should I speak of his Carriage and Behaviour in the various Relations he stood in As a Son to his surviving Mother As a Husband to his Wife As a Father while he had Children As a Master to Servants As a Friend to his Friend I might herein propound him as a Pattern to many for he excelled most And that is a Good Man indeed who is good in all Relations BUT his Great and Chief Care was to fill up his Relation to God in Christ and that not only as a Christian and a Believer but as a Minister of Christ and a Pastor to that Flock which the Holy Ghost had committed to his Charge I must say God had fitted him for this Work Service above many of his Brethren in betrusting him with such Gifts and Talents as but very few have received AND how Diligent and Faithful was he in laying them out and so improving them in his Master's Service How Zealous was he for Christ How Laborious in his Work how sound in the Faith How great in Prayer How apt to Teach And how All was Crowned with Success is Evident in the many Comfortable Seals which God gave to his Ministry among you AND tho' his Natural Parts were great and made much greater by the Blessing of God upon his Unwearied Industry yet that he neither Leaned upon them nor Trusted to them appeared by his constant Labour and Study for every Sermon THEY that were Discerning Christians and did Wisely Observe the suitable Matter he prepared the exact Method in which it was ordered the taking Dress with which it was clothed the Charming Manner in which it was uttered could not but say That he did not offer to God that which cost him nothing His great Delight was in his Work for he knew how well it becomes a Disciple to be as his Lord whose Delight was to do the Will of God And therefore he was fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. And this made him willing to spend Rom. 12 11. and to be spent till by degrees he wasted and consumed himself I would have said no more of him were it not to Obviate some False and Malicious Whispers as if he Dyed in great Darkness and under much Trouble of Conscience I was with him the day before he Dyed and among other things I asked him How it was with him concerning his Spiritual State He told me That he had a Firm Confidence of Hope in the Infinite Righteousness of Jesus Christ I then asked him and desired that he would be as Plain with me as I desired to be Faithful to him If there was any particular Thing that lay as a burden upon his Conscience HE replied No he blessed God there was not But that which Troubled him in general was That in the Course of his Ministry he had not Honoured God as he ought to have done nor had he been so Faithful to the Souls of Men as he should have been But yet in this he could appeal to God that whatever By-Ends might come in and mingle themselves which he Renounced yet the Glory of God in the Conversion and Salvation of Souls was the great End he Aimed at in the whole Course of his Ministry And Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing What I have else to say is to you that were his Flock over which the Holy Ghost made him Overseer but are now as Sheep without a Shepherd 1. Labour to be Truly Sensible of your LOSS and let it be deeply laid to heart for it is a Great a very Great Loss it is so to the whole Church of God but it is so more particularly to you especially if the Circumstances of it be considered for the Lord hath taken him from you in the midst of his Days and in the Prime of his Ministry And God hath not done this without a Cause and therefore you should every one reflect upon himself What have I done Wherein have I offended God Have not my Sins my Barrenness my Vnprofitableness under his Ministry provoked God to take him away as that good Woman said when she heard that the Minister of the Place had broke his Leg Oh! said she My Sins have broken my Ministers Leg. 2. Remember and keep in mind the Seasonable Counsel he gave you not only from the Pulpit but from the Press too by which though he it Dead he yet Speaketh Lay them up in your hearts and Practice them in your Lives Let me tell you that God expects much Fruit from you after such a Sower and such a Seeds-time as you have had Tho' you shall never hear him Preach more yet what he hath Preached you shall hear of again Not one Sermon that ever he delivered from this Pulpit but you must Account for it in the Day of Judgment and it will be a Dreadful Account now that The Bellows are burnt and the Lead is consumed of the Fire if the Founder hath Melted in vain â—er 6.29 AND therefore 3. IMPROVE this Providence this Sad and Severe Providence If you have hitherto turned a Deaf-Ear to the Word of God yet now Hear the Rod of God what that speaks for it speaks aloud When so many Faithful Ministers Eminent Servants of Christ are taken away in a few Months * Dr. Annesly Mr. Oldfield Mr. Vincent Mr. Mather Mr. Cole and now your Pastour and since him Mr. Day This is a Crying Voice it crys to this City it crys to this Place And what doth it say IT says That the Prophets don't Live for ever That they have their Heavenly Treasure but in Earthen Vessels That the Lamps are within the Pitchers and when the Pitchers break the Lamps go out and therefore Walk while ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you IT says that When the Means of Grace are Undervalued WHEN the Loud Calls of God are Slighted WHEN the Great Truths of the Gospel are Corruped WHEN Deism in Contempt of the Son of God is Countenanced WHEN all Revealed Religion is Disowned and thereby the Gospel of Christ and the Ordinances of Christ and the Ministry of Christ rendered Vain and Useless Then God will soon Remove them This is what the Rod says NAY It says That unless we are Awakened and Reformed by these Judgments God will yet bring greater If there be not a speedy Repentance and Returning to God from all these Abominations he who hath put out so many of our Lights will put out all and and not only put out the Lights but remove the Candlesticks nay Hof 1.9 Write a Lo-ammi against us and say Ye are not my People and will not be your God THE Lord Teach us therefore now His Voice crys so loud to the City to Hear the Rod and who hath appointed it 4. BE Earnest in Prayer to God to make up to you this Great LOSS for He only can do it Eph. 9.11 Faithful Pastours are a peculiar Gift of the Lord Christ and they are a Gift that comes under a Promise Jer. 3 1â— I will give you Pastours according to mine own heart which shall feed you with Knowledge and Vnderstanding Go away and plead this Promise with God Pray in Secret in Private in Publick let each one make it his Duty let the whole Church make it their Duty Set some time a-part to meet together and Pray that he that hath in Judgment made this Breach would in Mercy make it up That He who hath took away Elijah to Heaven would send an Elisha to succed him This is the Mercy and Blessing which you now Want and none can Supply this Want but that God who hath the Residue of the Spirit Therefore cry to Him in the Words of Dying Moses Numb 27.16 17. Let the Lord the God of the Spirits of all Flesh set a Man over the Congregation which may go out before them and which may go in before them and which may lead them out and bring them in that the Congregation of the Lord be not as Sheep which have no Shepherd Amen FINIS BOOKS Written by the Reverend Mr. Mead Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheap-side THE Almost Christian Discovered Or The False Professor Try'd and Cast Spiritual Wisdom Improved against Temptation The Good of Early Obedience Or The Advantage of bearing the Yoke of Christ betimes Excellency of Unity A Sermon Preached before the Ministers of the Congregational and Presbyterian Perswasion There is newly Re-printed Two scarce Books one A Discourse of the Fountain of Life the other A Treatise of the Soul of Man both by the Reverend Mr John Flavel BOOKS Printed for and Sold by John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry MR. Buxter's Life published by Mr. Silvester Folio Mr. Showers Sermon Preached to the Societies for Reformation of Manners Nov. 15th 1697. Octavo Mr. Woodhouses Sermon to the same Societies Octavo Mr. Addys Stenographia Or The Art of Short-Writing compleated in a far more Compendious Way than any yet extant c. In which Character is also Printed the whole Bible by Mr. Addy Cambridge Concordance in Folio