THE Souls Return to its God IN Life and at Death A Funeral Sermon Preached upon occasion of the Death of Mr. JOHN KENT Late of Crouched Friars Who Departed this Life Decem. 16. 1689. By Samuel Slater Minister of the Gospel 1 Thes. 4. 14. Them which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Black Raven in the Poultry 1690. To my Worthy Friend Mrs. MARY KENT AT your desire this Sermon was preached and at your repeated desire it is now published God grant that it may be accompanied where-ever it shall come with the Divine Spirit and Blessing that being so backt and inâ—…uenced it may accomplish the thing for which it is thus sent abroad â—…nd prove a singular means of good to precious and immortal Souls The hand of that God before whom it becomes the whole Earth to â—…eep silence hath made a very great breach upon you by depriving â—…ou of your dear and affectionate Husband whose Life was very desirable unto those that were his acquaintance but much more to â—…ou The good Lord stand himself in the breach for he alone is â—…ble to make it up who out of his infinite fulness is able to sweeten â—…ll our comforts to supply all our wants and to fill up all vacancies â—…nd to do far more abundantly than we can ask or think It is your wisdom not to stand poring upon your Loss but to endeavour â—…he turning it into gain for meat may be fetched out of the eater â—…nd life out of death that which devours our comforts may feed â—…ur graces Every thing shall one way or other befriend that person who is indeed a friend to himself Your Husband is taken from you and this is heavy upon you that you shall see his face no more yet see carefully to this that you mourn not as one that hath no hope rather believing that he is gone to a place of peace rest and happiness gird up the loins of your mind and by a diligent speedy preparation of your self make all the haste you can after him so you shall see him in a better place and better state and more than that you shall see your God and Saviour too in all his glory which shall reflect a glory upon you It may be our comfort to think that it is but a little time which you and I and the rest of the people of God have to mourn in and to conflict with Enemies and Troubles in and if we can through the assistance of grace obtain a Victory over our unruly and imperious lusts we rows Make we it our care and labour to get sin out of our hearts and the hand of Infinite Love and Goodness will infallibly wipâ—… away all tears from our eyes My hearts desire and prayer tâ—… God for you and yours is that ye may be saved and so folloâ—… those blessed Souls that are gone before and have through Faitâ—… and Parience enter'd into the possession of those glorious thingâ—… which are contained in the Promises and an intimate Communiâ—… with that God who made them as that you may be comportionerâ—… fellow-sharers with them Oh that the prevailing Comforter whoâ—… our dearest Lord sent to his Church may take up his abode witâ—… you and do that part of his Office to you in the midst of all yoâ—… disconsolations May be direct your feet into the way of peacâ—… and your hearts into the Love of God and a patient waiting fâ—… the coming of our Lord and the day of your Redemption Tâ—… Lord himself be your Sun and Shield give you grace and glory with whatever else he sees good May be teach you to live holiy and to all well-pleasing and then enable you to die triumphantly To his grace guidance and blessing I commend you and as I hope 〈◊〉 find you so I desire to leave you under the healing and refreshing wings of the glorious Sun of Righteousness My self remaining From my Study Ian. 24. 1690. Yours in our most precious Jesus Samuel Slater Psalm 116. 7. Return unto thy Rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee THE words before us are part of a Psalm of Praise in which we have reason to conclude David's heart well tun'd and wound up to an high pitch of Thankfulness and therefore may by some be looked upon as somewhat improper for a Funeral Occasion and Solemnity But for the silencing and satisfaction of such as may so judge I shall only say this was the Scripture upon which the heart of our deceased Friend and Brother was much set and in the time of his health he did frequently mention it as the subject of that Sermon which should be Preached after his departure out of this World into an Eternal State and if I am not greatly mistaken it will freely and plentifully afford matter very fit for you to be entertained with at such a time as this For though when a Child of God dieth there is just cause of mourning among his Friends and dear Relations and in the Church of God of which he was a living Member not upon his account who is an unspeakable gainer but their own who are sensible of a great loss yet surely it ought to be such a mourning as doth not exclude joy as a thing with which it is utterly inconsistent because we are by the Word of Truth assured that the day of such an ones death is better than the day of his birth and in the midst of those tears which are shed there may be triumphs because of a blessed and glorious Victory that is obtained and a desired compleat deliverance wrought from all those troubles and pressures which tried his Faith and Patience while a Pilgrim here and likewise because then in a more special manner after all his afflictive wandrings from Mountain to Hill after all his sinful rambles and excursions and after all his tedious travels pursuits and runnings to and fro after Creature-enjoyments and comforts which did often run faster from him than he could after them so that he was forced to lie down in sorrow upon the score of his disappointment I say after all this his Soul doth at death take its flight for the other World and joyfully returns unto that God with whom it long'd to be and in whom it shall take up a perfect undisturbed and everlasting Rest. There are but two things in the Text which need and call for Explication Return unto thy rest O my Soul The Question will be What are we here to understand by Rest To which I answer in these three things briefly First Some do look upon it as importing a quiet state and condition after all those tumblings tossings which he had had the hurries of his life caused by the uncertainty and variety of Providences the many and great afflictions that had been ordered out to him God had now brought him ad loâ—… and take possession The Waters are asswaged the Ark
but he could not So it is Spiritually with the Saints themselves their rest fleeth from them Sometimes they break their own rest Psal. 38. There is no rest in my bones because of my sin and as there was none in his bones so none in his flesh and none in his Spirit and sometimes God breaks their rest one while he gives them rest round about at another time he makes them fear round abouâ—… Iob 7. 13 14. When I say my Bed shall comfort me my Couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarest me with Dreams and terrifiest me with Visions Oh the dismal thoughts that some good people have in the night they lie down with holy and gracious thoughts with believing thoughts with God admiring thoughts but in their sleep they have Vain Absurd Defiling and Disquieting thoughts so that they wake in an affright and as the Psalmist tells us sometimes sorrow endures for a night and joy comes in the morning So experience tells us that at other times joy endures for a day and sorrow comes in the Evening The bright and comfortable sun sets in a dark Cloud David reckoned without his host when in Psal. 30. he thought his Mountain stood strong his State of Peace and Prosperity was firm and unalterable so that he should never be moved that he should never more feel what broken bones meant nor be any more hunted by his enemy as a Partridge upon the Mountains nor be again smitten and almost consumed by the blow of the Divine hand nor have his moisture turned into the drought of Summer But he was quickly convinced of his mistake God hid his face and he was troubled So troubled as that he was at his wits end almost beside himself both Counsel and Courage failed him But now when once the Soul comes to Heaven there shall be nothing of a disturbance no such inroads made upon its peace but a perpetual Serenity and Calm a clear Sun-shine without any Eclipse or Clouds or Overcastings No hiding of the face of God no damp upon the Soul No frown without no fear an holy reception no anger in God to obstruct and stop his gracious communication God will be continually giving out of himself and the Soul shall be continually taking in The glorified Soul shall be always full up to the brim and as God shall please according to the exceeding riches of his grace and kindness to dart forth new beams and rays of his glory so he will strengthen the eye that it shall behold them with inconceivable delight and pleasure as he shall please to open his hand of Love so he will widen the Vessel and inlarge its capacity Thirdly It will be an everlasting rest as it knows no disturbance so no end The Soul for certain shall not sleep as some have fondly and foolishly imagined the body indeed doth that enjoys a sweet sleep in its bed of dust where it lies in Jesus for death hath not broken the Union between it and Christ 1 Thes. 4. 14. Them which sleep in Iesus shall God bring with him But the Soul sleeps not it is not suitable to the nature of it it meets with enough to keep it awake Yea it will be so far from sleeping as that it shall not so much as wink for it shall not know any such thing as lassitude or weariness It shall be continually acting and that with Strength and Vigour to the utmost of its power and yet not be tyred by those actings The bow shall be always bent yet not hereupon grow a Slug but abide in strength But though the Soul shall never sleep yet it shall always rest when it is once entered into it it shall abide and never come out more there are as you have heard from the Word pleasures for evermore and therefore there shall be rest for evermore O Eternity Eternity its length is not to be measured but its weight and importance to be seriously consider'd that is the sweet ingredient in the joys above and that the Gall which is put into the Cup of trembling and astonishment below the damned in Hell shall be in everlasting misery their worm dieth not and the glorified Souls shall have an everlasting felicity Let us apply to this those sweet expressions which we find in Rev. 7. 15 16 17. They are before the Throne of God as Heavens Courtiers and Favourites whom the King of Kings loves to look upon They serve him day and night in his Temple They shall be altogether taken up with God their whole business and employment shall be about God And he that sits upon the throne shall dwell among them And there cannot be better Company none so good His presence is enough alone they shall hunger no more neither thirst any more It is impossible they should be hungry who are at such a feast or thirst who have not only their Cups running over but are continually refreshing and bathing themselves in a River of pleasure and of life clear as Christal which proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb neither shall the Sun light on them nor any beat there shall be beams to refresh them but none to scorch them Nothing that shall render them faint or uneasy For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them He loves to do it and he will be sure to give them the best and with a large liberal hand and shall lead them to fountains of living water all fresh and pure and at the first hand and God removed all sorrow from their hearts if there be not a tear then not a sigâ—… no nor a sad thought and further you may be also sure that since God doâ—… with his own gracious hand wipe away all their tears none of them shaâ—… return nor shall any new ones succeed and come in the room of the formeâ—… a tear shall not be found in the eye nor upon the cheek throughout all eteâ—… nity Thus have I done what I promised as to the first Doctrine the usâ—… whereof I shall defer until I have spoken to the second Doctrine and then shall make some short application of them both together Now that Doctrinâ—… as was said before will arise from the reason of Davids calling upon his Soul 〈◊〉 return unto its rest or if you please from the argument and motive he useth fâ—… the perswading it so to do taken from Gods former providences and graâ—… ous dispensations towards him For the Lord hath dealt bountifully wâ—… thee Which is such an argument as doth become every Saint every one 〈◊〉 his Children for upon them all he hath shewn and magnified his merâ—… The Doctrine shall be this Doct. 2. Gods dealing bountifully with a Soul should be a powerful aâ—… cogent argument with it for its return to him It doth carry a great dâ—… of weight and reason in it and it should come with a proportionable strengâ—… upon the Soul It should be effectual It should
what will he do Let faith answer he will give grace and glory Grace enough for time and glory enough for ever Grace to enable us for our duties glory to satisfy our desires Grace to fit us for glory and glory to Compleat and Crown our Grace These are the proper arguings of faith and exceeding strong in the hand of a true Believer the premises are Gods own and the conclusion drawn from them is undeniable He is a loving Father to me in this World and he will be so in the next too He that now is a fountain opened sending forth such precious and plentiful Streams will not then prove a Spring shut up and a Fountain sealed He that affords me such large Clusters while I am in the wilderness will not starve nor stint me when I come to Heaven He that feeds me with Manna here will never grudge me the Honey and Milk of the Land of promise Certainly I shall not there enjoy least where according to the promise I look for most my God will then do far more abundantly than I am now able to ask or think These present bountiful dispensations of God to his people are great grounds of high expectations if we consider First While the People of God are here they are in their Non-age and Minority There is an apparent and sensible difference between them In their growth some are as Cedars others but Shrubs and in their strength some are as mighty men to run a race others can hardly draw their Legâ—… after them A great deal of difference there is in their knowledge and in their Grace but both one and other are under age but when God doth come by Children home to Heaven they are arrived at their ripeness of years Now if they receive so much from God as they do and are maintained at such a rate while they are Children what is it that God designs them for what is it that he will bestow upon them at last When you see young ones brought up in Splendor and Bravery you immediately conclude them to be some great Persons Children and that they shall have a great Estate and that something is intended for them suitable to their garb and education Take your measures from the pains that God takes with his people now and the cost he is at upon them and then judge what he hath in his heart and purpose concerning them when that which is perfect shall come that which is imperfect shall be done away 1 Cor. 13. 10. When the eye is fully strengthened there shall be no more use of a Glass to see in which gives but a dark sight When the heir comes to understand how to mannage his Estate he shall be put into possession of the whole So when once the Saints come to be perfected in themselves all imperfections shall be removed from their enjoyments When once they come to be fit for great things they shall be sure to have them the inheritance of the Saints in light shall be given them when meet to be made partakers of it The marriage of the Lamb will come when the Bâ—…ide hath made her self ready and the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory will be laid on when the shoulder is in a Capacity of bearing it Secondly In this life the Children of God are fitting for the enjoyment of that which God intendâ—… them This life is not a season for a full possession but for the bringing them into a due preparation And accordingly here they have only their allowances because as yet they are not fit for more You read in Esth. 2. 9. That when Eâ—…ther was brought to the Custody of Hegai the Keeper of the VVomen she had the things given her for purification with all that belonged to her and seven Maidens that were meet to be given her All that was suitable to that State and no more It was not before her being throughly prepared purified and presented to King Ahasuerus and by him accepted and chosen to be his Wife that she had the Crown set upon her head and the Robes and Ensigns of Majesty given her which were suitable to her advancement and Royal State Come Christians you have now no cause of murmuring and discontent but of grateful acknowledgements and admirings God is exceeding gracious you receive very much and are daily laden with his benefits there are blessed allowances which he is pleased to make unto you such as are suitable to your present condition day unto day sheweth hislove and night unto night his faithfulness what is the report what the account that you are obliged to give of him Must you not say that you have enough to support you under all your burdens when they are most heavy enough to maintain you at your work and to carry you thorough it when most difficult and also enough to sweeten your bitterest afflictions to you and such beams of light breaking in upon you that you can walk thorough darkness and comfortably proceed in your by God which will prepare you for the Crown of Life and Righteousness which God the Righteous Judge shall give unto you at that day and make you meet for the Throne of Glory unto which you shall be advanced so that you may become it and fit you for the presence of God that you may be brought into it with exceeding joy that you may be able to bear his presence without terrour and trembling and he to bear you in his presence without hatred and loathing In a word you have that now afforded you by God which may suit you both to the place and company and employment so that when you come there there may be an amicable agreement and perfect harmony without any thing of jarring and discord that you may not be weary of Heaven nor Heaven of you And do you seriously consider how much this stands God in what abundance of cost he is at for your preparation and what a great deal of pains he takes with you in order thereunto which clearly shews it to be no small or inconsiderable thing which he hath in his everlasting love and kindness designed you for The beauty of the Wedding Garment which every one of the Guests must have on in order to his acceptance doth loudly proclaim the greatness of the Solemnity and the splendor of the Entertainment and when once full preparation is made in the Soul full possession shall be given to it When once the Vessel is thoroughly cleansed it shall be filled up to the brim When once the Divine Spirit hath made you meet you shall receive the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Matth. 25. 10. The Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut Thirdly Consider what that life is which God will have his People to live while they are here in the world viz. the life of Faith so the Lord himself hath told us Hab. 2. 4. Behold
his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith And this must be at all times and in all conditions not only when it is with us as it was then when Caldeans mighty and cruel Enemies are in the Land but when they are not when we have Enemies under our feet and fulness in our hands 2 Cor. 5. 7. We saith the Apostle walk by faith and net by sight faith leads faith expects faith supports faith comforts Thus it is with all the Saints therefore he speaks in the plural number we meaning both himself and all the followers of the Lamb and of himself he particularly tells us Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Christ lived in him all his life came from Christ he was the Author and Principle of it he both breathed and maintains it he it is that quickens me acts me moves me how and whither he pleaseth and whatever that life be which I shall live hereafter that life which I now live in this world in this mortal body and state I live it by the faith of Christ in whom I have both righteousness and life and strength for he is and he is to me all in all And so it is with all the sense more by hope than by having and yet this present and imperfect life is an exceeding excellent and noble life It is as much above the life of the most rational man in the world who is a stranger to the grace of faith as the life of such a man is above the life of a brute it brings in to him far more sweetness and pleasure Hence it is that in the Scripture you read of peace in believing and of the joys of faith with which those which the sensualist doth enjoy are not worthy to be compared for his peace is but the product of a delusion his joy as the crackling of thorns under a pot but this is peace which passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. and this joy such as â—…s unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. It is too big for words it hath â—…n it something of the heavenly glory It is such a joy as doth ravish the Soul it sometimes puts it into an eâ—…stasie it fills it up to the height so that there was one cried out like a man opprest under the weight of it Stay thy â—…and Lord stay thy hand for I can hold no more Now if there be such abounding delights brought in by the hand of faith what beams of light and glory will the eye of sight let in to the glorified Soul If there be such consolations springing such holy raptures caused from and by that good â—…ews that faith brings from that far Countrey when it hath but a Pisgah â—…ght and that in a Wilderness and can but peep within the Veil what will â—…he blessed fruits of a clear Vision and compleat Fruition be when once the â—…oly Soul is after a long and tedious Journey happily arrived there and hath â—…ee liberty to walk up and down in the length and breadth of that good â—…and and to take its fill continually of all that it affords But once more Fourthly and lastly Here Gods communications and lettings out of himâ—…f to his People are correspondent with and managed in such a way and â—…nner as shall be pursuant of his purpose and design of keeping them as in 〈◊〉 well-liking and thriving state so in a longing frame as to preserve their â—…irits and promote their growth so to maintain their desires in strength â—…d vigour and also to whet and raise them up to an higher and higher â—…itch The perfection which our heavenly Father doth intend the dearest â—…f his Children while they are here consisteth more in the sincerity of â—…eir hearts and in the fervency of their earnest and industrious desires â—…an in their actual attainments Come Christians what report can you â—…ake what account can you give of your selves do not you find that this 〈◊〉 the language and these the breathings of your Souls O that I might â—…ow God more and come to all the riches of the full assurance of understandâ—…g to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of â—…rist Col. 2. 2. Oh that I might love him more that this lukewarm â—…ld frozen Icy heart might burn within me and be all on a flame Oh â—…at I might fear him more not with a base servile and slavish fear but a â—…l and godly one pay him such a reverence as is his due he receives â—…om the glorious Seraphims above and the spirits of just men there made â—…rfect Oh that I could resemble him more and more and find the inâ—…rd man renewed day by day and my Soul changed into his Image from God and shewing forth the virtues of my Saviour shining with his beams treading in his steps and being in the world even as he was in the world O that I could see and enjoy him more Oh that I could converse and walk with him more And when he is pleased to open his hand most liberally they will be reaching out theirs for more and still crying Give give When they have in a Duty or at an Ordinance fed most heartily and received the greatest refreshing they rise with an appetite and go away with desires If you have tasted that the Lord is gracious you must desire After-draughts in the Banquetting-house the Spouse called for flaggons I say God in his infinite wisdom doth so order it that his Children shall be dieted here that so they may be always hungry Not saith Paul that 〈◊〉 have already attained or am already perfect Now you may safely from hence draw this Inference That if God be so liberal to his Children here where yet his purpose and good pleasure is to keep them in the state of expectants and both to raise and preserve their desires and longings in strengâ—… and vigour that must needs be great goodness which he hath laid up foâ—… them in Heaven What is there behind What is yet to come What iâ—… that which will be given out to them in the other world where it is in hiâ—… heart to compleat their state and so to order out concerning them that theiâ—… transcendent and inconceivable delights shall swallow up all their desires and their painful longings shall at their first entrance into those gloriouâ—… Mansions be immediately converted into a fulness of joy We have now finished the doctrinal parts it remains that we apply our selves to the practical improvement of them which is to be the work of every one thaâ—… reads these few leaves for his own Soul Only I shall help you a little bâ—… speaking to three things in a way of Exhortation Use
first I do earnestly desire you all to be without any further unreasonable delays upon your return unto God Look where you arâ—… sinners in a state of sin and wrath and is it good to be so Look whitheâ—… you are going is it not to Hell and do you think it will be good to bâ—… there Do not go on but stand sinner I do in the name of the great God bâ—… thee stand and come back too remember from whence you are fallen aâ—… from whom you have departed and come back The expressions that our Lorâ—… Iesus used to the Church his Spouse come into my mind Cant. 6. 13. Hâ—… bespeaks her thus Return return O Shulamite return return that wâ—… may look upon thee What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were tâ—… company of two Armies Let me speak to you in the same manner onlâ—… let me first propound to you this one serious and weighty Question Hoâ—… do you find matters are within you Is there such a sight as this to be seen I mean to be seen in your Souls Do you feel strugglings in you as Râ—… bekah once did in her womb Is there the company of two Armies Oâ—… that there were in some of you it would be welcom news to me I shoulâ—… be glad â—…t heart and with my Soul bless God for it I know there is onâ—… Army in the very worst of men the greatest Debauchees and vilest Monsteâ—… trenched and fortified themselves and fight against God and War against the Soul and it is not improbable but that there may be a Legion of Devils too which side with them and yet all this while there is no noise no disturbance of the sinners rest but he goeth on in his way and enjoys himself for as our Saviour hath told us while the strong man armed keeps the house his goods are in peace there is a sinful quietness though indeed that is a dismal and woful one But what say you is there the Company of two Armies in you Is there a Law in your minds warring against that Law of Sin and Death which is in your members Is there a Spirit within you lusting against the flesh is there a contest and combating within you And that not only between one faculty and another but between the same faculty and itself So that you cannot sin with that freedom and plenary consent that you were wont to do but you find a reluctancy and opposition in your selves Oh that it were so with you that you were able to say you hate what you do though you cannot do what you would And to you I do now call return return O sinners return return That we may look upon you and love to look that your Ministers and Relations and Friends your Parents that have travailed in birth to see Christ formed in you your dear Yoakfellows who love you and longed for your Spiritual and Eternal welfare and have looked upon you with sad hearts Sighing Shaking their Heads wringing their hands and shedding Rivers of tears may now look upon you with comfort and rejoycing and count you their blessings That when they look upon you they may see your faces Sion ward and Heaven ward and your feet directed into the ways of peace and that when God who looks from Heaven upon all the Children of men doth look upon you and into you also he may see your hearts are toward himself really set for his Service and honour and the enjoyment of him You that are Elder and are yet in your sins walking on in the vanity of your minds suffer the word of exhortation do you return and that presently for you have nothing to shew why you should not you have taken your swing and rambled far enough and lived without God long enough a man would think you have had your belly full of wind and ashes and husks that you have had enough of base sins and what is worse than childish vanities and are guilty of such egregious and ruining follies that you have reason to be weary of them I beseech you learn to be wise it is indeed it is high time if you will not be wise now when will you You that are younger do ye apply your hearts to true wisdom come ye Children hearken to me come ye young-men and maidens come in to God who desires you who calls you who stands with his arms ready and stretched out to receive you come to him in whom you will find rest to your Souls and have such joys as will be great and cheap and never end in sorrow It is much more easy for you to return than it is for old sinners who have grown grey in their rebellion and obstinacy for you are not gone so far from God as they have done and you have not so many Chains and Fetters as Satan and lust and a continued conceive how exceeding welcom you shall be how glad Heaven will be of you Oh how doth God Father Son and Spirit embrace the young converts how ready will the blessed Angels be to watch over you to encamp about you to minister to you and to do you acts of kindness What huggs and kisses did the affectionate Father bestow upon his repenting and returning Prodigal He ran to meet him and that while he was a great way off he could not sit still when he saw him coming but must get up himself and while the good old mans feet did run I doubt not but his heart leap'd within him Use Second Under this I shall direct my discourse to you who already are converted and have hearkened to the voice and calls of God in the Gospel and come in to him And you I advise to improve all your experiences to the utmost for the drawing of your hearts more out to God and bringing you into a closer Communion with him Thou hast been my help said David Psal. 63 7. What then my Soul followeth after thee ver 8. Because thou hast been my help in work in trouble hast assisted me in such and in such a case yea in every case therefore my Soul now doth and still shall follow hard after thee that I may have more of thy help as I need it and more and more of thy self too so as you have heard in the Text return unto thy rest O my Soul unto that God who is thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Consider and call to mind what sights have you had of Gods power and glory in the Sanctuary What tasts of his sweetness in the banquetting house of Ordinances what tokens of love sent in in various ways what Messages of peace by his holy and blessed Spirit what returns of prayer by the hand of gracious providences how great things hath God done for you consuting your fears and exceeding your expectations how good and gracious hath he been to you compassing you about with his favour as with a Shield and daily loading you with his