her dead on the Crosse we may see him suffering for sin in his Resurrection triumphing over Death although by his death he merited and by his suffering the curse was taken away yet by his resurrection the hope of life is begotten again in us Calvin gives this reason Quia ut ille resurgendo c. because as he by rising became deaths Conquerour so the victory of our Faith doth consist in the resurrection agreeable to that of the Apostle who dyed for our sins but rose again for our justification 'T is true the death of Christ is the fundament but his resurrection is the complement of our salvation and therefore Aquinas amongst other reasons why he gives that it was necessary that Christ should rise again makes this the last but not the least ad complementum salutis nostrae for the perfecting of our Salvation for saith he Christ by rising himself bequeathed unto us an everlasting one he is therefore tearmed the resurrection and the life because to us he is the Author of both Hence St. Paul Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appear then ye also shall appear with him in glory and as it is further expressed Heb. 5.9 He being made perfect became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him for as in Adam all dyed so in Christ shall all be made alive therefore Col. 3.18 he is called head of the Church and first-born from the dead not only because he raised himself from death to immortal glory but because he is principium effectivum c. the effective principle and cause of the rising of all his Members not only the meritorious cause who by his passion and victory over death merited a glorious resurrection for us as it is Rom. 8. Not only the exemplary cause for the glorious resurrection of Christ doth shew unto us an example of our future Resurrection unto glory is it is Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body but the efficient cause hence by the Apostle he is called primitiae dormientium the first fruits of them that slept 1. Cor. 15.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept now he is called the first fruits of them that sleep because as under the Law the offering of the first fruits was the cause of blessing and consecrating all the rest of the fruits primitiae enim frugum non consecrabantur Deo ut solae essent sanctae sed ut reliquus anni proventus sanctificaretur Zanchie the first fruits were not consecrated unto God that they alone might be holy but that all the encrease of the year might be blessed for thus were they made sacred one sheaf is taken out from the rest which sheaf was called the first fruits that in the name of the rest in lift up alost and shaken to and fro before the Lord that done not only the Sheaf so lifted up was holy but all the Sheaves in the Field were holy no lesse than it and the rule is Rom. 11.16 If the first fruits be holy all the lump is so too thus fareth it in the resurrection We are all dead saith the Apostle dead sheaves all one and that is Christ was in the manner of a sheafe taken out of the number of the dead and in the name of the rest lift up from the grave by virtue whereof the first fruits being restored to life all the rest of the dead are entitled to the same hope in that he was not lift up for himself alone for Christ rose not as a private person to himself alone but as a publick example representing and effecting it to us all the same nature and property shall be derived from the roots to the branches from the head to the Members the rising were untoward and preposterous should not the head rise first it were imperfect and fruitlesse should not the Members follow after decet quemadmodum praecessit caput saith St. Bernard it is but natural proportion that as the head is gon before the Members should follow after which are quickned by the same spirit First to the life of grace then of glory But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in your mortal bodies he that raised up Jesus from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies Rom. 8.11 Whereas Oecumenius observes he says not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to put a difference between raising the just and the unjust all shall have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their rising again but all shall not be quickned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a larger extent then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not to life alone but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to life and glory and they are those that sleep in Jesus saith the Apostle that adducet cum eo God will bring with him such who have an interest in him by faith which is the limitation of the persons to whom this blessing belongs my next part which I promised to handle and now offers it self to our Consideration which I reduced to this proposition 2. Only those who have an interest in Christ by faith will God bring with Christ to glory The wicked shall awake out of the dust and rise again but to endlesse torments it were well with these wretches if the Sea and Grave might still retain them better still to say to the wormes you are my brethren and Sisters and to corruption thou art my mother then having broke alliance with them to be in a far worse family of the damned Spirits when God shall dismisse them with a goe ye cursed into Hell fire prepared for the divel and his Angels it is remarkably set down Matt. 27.52 That when Christ rose many dead bodies of the Sts. arose not one wicked man to premonish us that none shall rise with him to glory but such who are incorporated into him by faith Therefore saith he whosoever beleiveth in me shall never dye Joh. 26. That is the second death for he that hath part in the first resurrection over him the second death hath no powen it was to the faithful Servant that Christ said enter into the joy of the Lord but cast the unprofitable Servant into utter darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Matt. 25. It was the Interest of St. Paul had in Christ by faith that enabled him to his cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved and therefore was he assured of the Crown because he had kept the faith I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is layed up a crown of glory for me nothing can unty this knot or break this union which a true faith makes between Christ and a Christian nor life nor death nor powers nor principalities saith the Apostle this enabled Moses to contemn the
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST IMMODERATE SORROW for the Death of our Friends Taken from an assured hope of our Resurrection to Life and Glory DELIVERED In a SERMON preached in the Parish-Church of North-Wraxall in Wiltshire The 12 th of Aprill 1660. At the FUNERAL of S WILLIAM BVTTON Baronet By FRANCIS BAYLY his Houshold Chaplain Transfertur vitae morte non aufertur Chrysologus All the dayes of mine appointed time will I wait till my Change come Job c. 14.14 St. Aug. Serm. 33. de ver Apost Deus factus homo mori resurgere voluit ut qued futurum esset homini in hominis carne ostenderetur deo tamen non homini crederetur But now Christ is risen from the dead and is become the first fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 London Printed by W. Godbid for Richard Thrale at the Cross Keys at St. Paul's Gate entring into Cheapside 1660. An Antidote AGAINST IMMODERATE SORROW THE TEXT 1 Thess c. 4. v. 14. For if we beleive that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him CUratio funeris Vivorum solatium the funerals of the dead are then best performed St. August civit dei l. 1 Cap. 12. when the living are most comforted and what greater comfort at a funeral then to treat of a Resurrection without the hope of which Christians of all men were the most miserable for this is it which doth recompence our wet seeds-time with a serene and joyful Harvest Should I therefore study to chear your drooping spirits and wash away those briny tears from your blubbered Cheeks for the losse of our dear friend or to comfort and fortifie your hearts against the sad approaches of impartial death which way could I better compasse my design then by telling you though we must dye yet we shall rise again that this mortal must put on immortality and that those that sleep in Jesus God will bring again with him to glory When the Ship wherein our blessed Apostle St. Paul floated upon the raging billows of the foaming Ocean was driven by a tempestuous Euroclydon insomuch that not only the Soldiers but Mariners despaired of safety how comfortable think you if credited was that saying of the Apostle there shall not be the losse of any mans life save only of the Ship and shall it be lesse to us that though for a time Acts 26.22 out body the Ship of the Soul which carries her about in the raging Sea of affliction be at length swallowed up of the grave yet our souls shall safely arrive at the haven of happiness and at the last day the Sepulchre that devouring Leviathan must disgorge her self of her prey that so the happiness both of Soul and body may be consummate and compleat and both together partake of that inheritance which is laid up for those that love his appearance With what cheerfulnesse doth the laborious husbandman undergoe his Winters employment out of an expectation of a Summers return would the Soldier think ye undergoe the Battail with so much courage and resolution were it not to gain the Victory and wear the Crown an Heir though in present want to day yet receives comfort from the expectation of a next dayes Inheritance we though by nature we are the children of wrath yet by grace and adoption we are the Sons of God and Heirs to heaven and death doth but convey us to the possession well therefore might St. Peter tearm the hope of life after death Spes viva a lively hope for the hope of life immortal is the very life of this life mortal and that joy and gladnesse with which it doth affect the heart is vitae eternae initium the very beginning of eternal life That answer doubtlesse of the Angel at the Sepulchre to those early but superfluously pious women who came to reimbalme the body of our Saviour resurrexit non est hîc he is risen he is not here was received by them not onely 〈…〉 but joy and may still sound much of comfort to us his being the very pledge and assurance of ours who by the Apostle Saint Paul is termed primitiae dormientium the first-fruits of them that sleep Sen. Nat. Quest lib. 6. cap. 1. the Stoick therefore erred when he said non majus mortalitatis solatium quam ipsamertalitas that there is no greater comfort against mortality than mortality it self for the consideration of our immortality is a greater it is indeed a strong encouragement against mortality to think that we must dye yet it is a far greater that we shall live again that may cause us to neglect the stroke of death but this to embrace it for the best way to make death seem easie is to look through death at glory not to think so much that we shall dye as to believe that we shall rise again the former may take away the fear of death this mitigates our sorrow I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning those that are asleep that ye sorrow not as others that have no hope for if we beleeve that Iesus dyed and rose again even so them also that sleep in Iesus will God bring with him The sum of my Text is a reason pressing Moderation of Sorrow taken from the certainty of Resurrection to life of it he layeth two grounds First The Resurrection of Christ If you beleeve that Christ dyed c. Secondly The power of God will God bring with him and withal limits out the persons to whom this blessing belongs those that sleep in Jesus Having now shewed you the sum of my Text and drift of the Apostle give me leave to explain the meaning of some of the words as they lye in order and then I shall lay down a proposition or two to enlarge my selfe upon Si enim if ye beleeve and your mindes are not infatuated but Lyra would have si to be taken here for quia because because ye beleeve for saith he it belongs unto the Articles of Faith to beleeve that Christ dyed and rose againe even so those that sleep or depart out of this world for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original to sleep signifies likewise to dye to depart out of this world and it is a word which is proper to expresse the death of the righteous whose death is but a repose of their Bodies in their Graves and a rest of their Souls in Gods hands But why doth the Apostle expresse the death of Christ and the faithfull by two several names he sayes of Christ who rose and shall never dye mortuum fuisse that he dyed if ye believe that Jesus dyed but the faithful he only calls dormientes sleeping Haino gives this reason Christum appellat mortuum saith he he calls Christ dead because whilst we hear and know that he was dead and rose again we also may hope that we shall rise againe by vertue of his Divinity but he
prodigal Spend-thrift who dost spend all thy time in hunting after the vanities of this world whose God is thy belly and glory thy shame what felicity what contentment canst thou find in it perhaps son a time thou mayest please thy pallace with some delightful vast delight thine eye with some exquisite Beauty and hug thy self with that Eplcure an Lullâ—bie edâ— bibe lude soul ear drink and take thy rest thou hast much good laye drup for thee for many years but what follows thou sool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee Thou covetous wretch and griping miser thou that are alwayes gaping after the much of this world and knowes no other God but thy weaâ—â— who do's not use but serve the world what foelicity canst thou find in that wherein there is no fulnesse why dost thou 〈◊〉 after that with so much eagernesse which is to be preserved with so much care and trouble why dost thou become thus cruel to thy self that thou mayest be beneficial to thou knowest not whom and heapest up riches and knowest not who shall enjoy them therefore our Saviour Christ to take away this carking and caring out of the minds of Christians having first sent them to School to the fowls of the Air and the Lillies of the field who could read unto them a lecture of Gods providence makes this inference therefore take no thought what ye eat or what ye shall drink or wherewith ye shall be cloathed but seek yee first the Kingdome of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof majora quaeritis ad majora nati ye are born for greater things and therfore seek them upon which saith Chrysologus miserumcui cum detur regnum suspirat panem miserable is that man on whom a Kingdom is bestowed who is still carking and caring for bread that saying of Alexander the great when but a Prince was a notable one and may serve for our instruction who when he was invited by some to run in a race with certain Plebejans replyed regis filio non convenire ut in stadio curreret nisi cum regibus it became not the Son of a King to run with any but such who were like himself Princes Is it for one who is running a race for some rich prize to catch at every fly or to stoop to take up every pebble or for an heir apparent to the Crown to play with toyes or to delight with rattles no the child of God moves in a higher Sphear and fixeth his contemplations on better objects they account heaven their home this life a pilgrimage and themselves but strangers therefore saith our Saviour Christ to his Disciples ye are not of this world the wicked are of this world as well in mind as body the children of God although they live in this world yet they are not of this world for saith St. August Qui non diligunt mundum non habitant in â—o quâ—d non diligunt they that do not love the world may not properly be said to dwell in that which they do not affect for our conversation is in heaven saith St. Paul whence we look for the coming of our Lord Jesus who shall change our vile bodyes that it may be made like unto his glorious body Phillippians 3.20.21 Thirdly Use 3 Since the death of the faithful is but a sleep a repose of their bodies in the grave and a rest of their souls in the hands of God why should we thus immoderately grieve and sorrow for the death of our friends for their eternal Good for their Welfare and Happiness Lord if he sleep he shall do well said the Disciple of Christ concerning Lazarus upon which saith St. Aug. Solet enim somnus aegrotantium salutis indicium The sick mans sleep is a fore-runner of his health and Death is no more to Gods Children for it not only mitigates but wholly takes away our griefs Ut remedium videatur non paena St. Amb. de Cain et Abel lib. 2. cap. 10. that it might seeme a remedy and not a punishment Chrysologus tells us that death is therefore called a sleep because no one can so easily raise his friend from sleep as God can us from the grave for saith the Text it is in a moment in the twinckling of an eye But Aquinas on my Text tels us that death is called a sleep because it resembles it in these two things first because he that layes down to sleep doth it spe resurgendi out of an hope to rise again and Death is but asleep somewhat longer then ordinary Man saith Job if he dye shall not be awakened again until the heavens be no more Job 14.12.2 Men usually rise from sleep refreshed with it in a better plight then they were before so saith the Apostle this mortal when it awakes shall put on immortality when I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it Psal 17.15 Why then these blubbered cheeks this immoderate Sorrow for the death of our friends since they are but asleep in the Lord and shall be brought with him to glory plangere non est eorum qui spem habent tu autem qui expectas resurrectionem cur luges lamentaris let wretched and hopelesse infidels lament why dost thou grieve that expects a resurrection yea it is the very reason why the Apostle calls death here but a sleep in the Lord because from the hope of the resurrection we might moderate our Sorrow I would not have you ignorant brethren concerning them that are asleep that you sorrow not as men without hope for the godly deceased are not lost for ever but left for a time not gone away from us but sent to heaven before and there secure of their own immortality and sollicitous of our safety desire our society For if that be true that life without Christ is death then this is as true that death in Christ is life for blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord Hast thou then lost a Son or a father a wife or a husband why shouldst thou grieve at their advancement for they have but changed a cross for a crown a vale of misery for eternity of happinesse who could they now speak with us they would advise us with our Saviour weep not for me but weep for your selves I have lost a Clod of earth and inheritance of a Span but I have found an everlasting Crown of Glory Mourn indeed we may so saith St. August Contristemur in nostrorum mortibus we may mourn for the death of our friends because we have lost them but comfort our selves because we shall one day enjoy them Mourn indeed we may for them but moderately so sayes the son of Sirach thus did Abraham for Sarah the Children of Israel for Moses and 't was a custome among the Jews no lesse venerable then ancient man goeth to his long home and the Mourners walk about the Streets Ecclesiast 12.15 't was accounted no lesse then an act of love in
fear nothing but fin for why should a man fear Death which doth but restore him to him that made him time at mortem qui deum non timet sed si sperare desideras desine timere Let him fear Death that fears not God for nothing makes Death so terrible as a bad Life Let then the fear of God inlarge thy heart and then thou needst not fear the day of Death for here is the difference the good Mans hope is ever in Death but the worldling ends his hope and happinesse when he dyes As Ahab said to Elias so saith he to Death hast thou found me O mine enemy whereas the other saith as David said to Aâ—imaaz let come and welcome for he is a good Man and cometh with good things Aristotle indeed was wont to call Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of all terrible for so it is to the Faithlesse and wicked Man to whom it is but the beginning of endlesse torments but not to the childe of God to whom it is but a change a passage to a better life it cannot be terrible unto them for sin the sting is pulled out and though it may kisse yet it cannot hurt them therefore Christ bids them be of good cheer for I have overcome death mors morte redempta O Death I will be thy Death so that now to Gods children it is an advantage That which was the wages of Sin is now made the reward of Righteousnesse so saith Nazianzen ita paena ipsa in mâ—ser cordiâ—m â—essit These were therefore the comfortable words of a Mother to her dying Son peto nate suspice coelum c. I prethee my Son look up into Heaven for thy Life is not taken away but changed or a better for saith Chrysologus transfertur vita morte non aufertur Life is but changed not taken away by Death when the Sun Sets he Riseth he Sets in our Hemisphere and Riseth in another so the faithful though he Sets here yet he Riseth in Heaven O then the more then thrice happy condition of Beleevers who can look Death in the face with a smiling countenance whilst they look through it at Glory who can behold God as their Father the offended their surety the Judge their Saviour who can therefore resigne their Soules with that Swan-like Simeon into the hands of their Redeemer Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Consider this and tremble thou prophane Atheist whose destruction draweth nigh for whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse scoff not too fast Christ shall have his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his appearing desuper ac superne saith Chrysostome above and below the appearing of his Glory the brightnesse of his coming rendring vengeance to such who know not God but mock at his coming Consider this thou carelesse and secure Christian and do no longer dally with thy Repentance for after Death there is no place left for it think not to be of the Church Triumphant unlesse by Faith thou art a Member of the Militant think to dye the Death unlesse thou dost strive to live the life of the Righteous for he that will dye comfortably must live piously a lively Faith in this provides Salvation which after is not to be obtained Death is a summoner to Judgement this Life is the way whilst we are in the way let us make our attonement and defer not saith the Son of Sirach til Death to be justified O consider this all you that hear me this day and neglect no opportunity to have an interest in Christ by Faith that when Death shall come to summon us it may prove but a sleep the Grave a Down Bed and the Resurrection a triumph at which time we shall be caught up in the Heavens to meet the Lord and ever remain with him in everlasting blisse and happinesse I have now done with my Text and come to speak something concerning the present occasion The Papists tell us that Images are laicorum libri Lay-mens Books I am sure that dead Bodies are vivorum libri living mens books wherein every every one may read a true lesson of his inevitable mortality sero aut citius sooner or later to the same place for Death is impartial and spares neither Peasant nor Prince When I look upon your habit and countenances I cannot but read in them the Emblemes of true grief and sorrow but when I behold this pious Ceremony it doubtlesse bespeaks not onely your Charity but likewise your hope and expectation of a Resurrection to life else why this Funeral pomp and solemnity indeed Tears and Lamentations are opposite to hope but a ceremonious respect doth both manifest and bespeak it for if the dead rise not why are ye then Baptized for the dead why do you wash them Calvin on the 9. of the Acts intimates the reason ut in morte ipsa visibilis aliqua resurrectionis imago piorum animos in bonam spem erigeret That in Death it self some visible representation of the Resurrection might erect the mindes of the faithful unto a good hope undoubtedly beleeving that that very Body should hereafter appear as unblameable before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ as after washing it seemed clean and spotlesse before the eyes of men Tell me saith Saint Augustine De Civ Dei 1. Why was Tobyt registred for burying the Dead why the Women for anoynting Joseph for embalming the body of our Saviour Non quod ullus cadaveribus sensus not that the Bodies were sensible of this courtesie but to shew that our Bodies though dead belong unto the Lord and to confirm our Faith in the Resurrection Thus whilst our Faith adorns a Funeral a Funeral may encrease our Faith Those dispositions therefore are little below Barbarous which snarle at a decent interment of the dead for whom notwithstanding I have not so much charity to pray that it may not be their fate to be buried like an Asse having neither Sepulcher nor Sexton as it was said of Jehoiakim they shall not lament for him saying Ah my Brother or Ah my Sister they shall not lament for him saying Ah Lord or All his glory but shall be Buried with the Burial of an Asse drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalm I doubt not but it is expected that I should speak something concerning this our deceased brother but I wish there had been choice made of one whom custome had better vers'd in these funeral Panegyricks and parts enabling to have limâ—'d forth his worth in a more lively Chararacter But since 't is my task give me leave to strow some flowers upon his Herse and be your remembrancer of his vertues whose name shall not rot like the wicked but like a jewel shall remain unto posterity for the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance So that to mention yea to commend the dead we have warrant not only from the custome of the Greeks the