your lesse 4. In his constant labours and travailes to forme Christ in the hearts of his people by unwearied faithfull powerfull preaching of the Gospell In this way as hee was laborious so he was skilfull too (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 10.5 in orat in Barl. Mart. As he said of one Barlaam a Martyr he was a good Archer he shot his arrowes in the ayre mighty words and broke the Divels â—ankes No lesse hath he wounded spoiled and scattered the devils forces by the effectuall preaching of Christ in the place where God hath set him 5. In his fervent desire for a good provision for his people after his departure that a Pastor after Gods heart might be sent to feed them In these wayes was his life since he began to live wherein he approved himselfe an holy Man and an holy Minister labouring to perfect Holinesse in himselfe and others He was no lesse a saint dying than living See his descent to the grave Perseverance crownes a Christian it was his glory to bee perfected in the spirit as to begin in it I shall but note these things toward his end 1. His patient submission unto and welcomming of Gods rod unto him It was his choyce Love and chasten me afflict and purge me my gracious God 2. Holy care to make good use of Gods corrections to consider his wayes to heare the rod and him that had appointed it and to learne obedience by the things he suffered 3. Great struglings under bitter temptations made something heavier by his disease yet Grace was sufficient in the midst of all and by saith he obtained victory in Christ glorying over his Tormentors 4. Constant profession of faith at his death sealing the saving truths of Christ which he had preached living and dying in the love of them and whilest sweet counsells and hearty prayers to and for them that were conversant about him as for the Church of God he spent his short breathing time untill his spirit returned to God that gave it Cast all up and the summe in Charity must be in life and death hee was Gods holy one therefore will not God leave his soule in hell nor suffer him to see corruption in the pit Let me but touch our duties toward him in three words and I have done 1. Let us lament him there is cause if we know our losse Psal 12 1. It is Davids cry Helpe Lord for the godly man ceaseth So many gaps are made for wrath to breake in as there are holy men taken from us Here is dead an holy man and an holy Minister It was Jerusalems trembling when good Prophets were cut off It should not be our rejoycing The buriall of a Nurse with Jacob hath a sad Monument her Sepulchre is called Allon Bachuth the oke of weeping Gen. 35.8.19 20. she dyed not unlamented A Pillar of sorrow is raised for Rachel his wife upon her grave Nay Iacob himselfe an old Saint dying among strangers wants no mourners at the floore of Arad the Egyptians made such a bitter lamentation that the place beares the name Abel Mitsraim Gen. 50.11 the mourning of the Egyptians Naturall affections become men gratious affections should be in Christians though not to mourne as without hope yet to mourne greatly at the fall of such a Saint such a Minister such a Pillar in the house of God 2. Let us Imbalme him Eccles 7.1 at least spread his owne confection on him his good name is a precious oyntment Holinesse hath made it so Give him his due then as David to that Worthy Dyed Abner as a foole dyeth So say wee 2 Sam 3.33 dyed this Holy one as a sinner as a sot no but as a Saint giving up his spirit in Faith into the hands of a faithfull Redeemer We may set it on his grave here lyes an Holy one 3. Let us imitate and follow him as he followed Christ as he said in his speech upon a dead martyr (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost ibid. we come not so much to commend him as to bee bettered by him in the imitation of his right wayes Heare Christians and Ministers there is a Copy for you both in this deceased Saint ye his flock and hearers write after him in selfe-examination search judgement and aggravation of sinnes no lesse in try all of Graces and of your conversion Walke after him in godly Sorrow Repentance Faith Holinesse and Times redemption Good fruit will then appeare in your lives and sweet comfort in perseverance to death Keepe ye a day-booke also for your soules that your accompts may be in readinesse when your Lord shall come And we his Brethren in the Ministry may not disdaine to be followers where we have not beene leaders let us now bethinke our selves that we are called to seeke Christs and not our own Digge we by study into the Mystery of Christ preach we the Gospell painfully faithfully constantly Love we the soules for which Christ hath dyed and account it our glory to be sacrificed upon the service of their faith so shall we dye peaceably in conscience of our innocency from the blood of soules 1 〈…〉 5 4 And when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare wee shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away To all and for a close Be ye holy shall I say as hee was holy Nay I set you an higher Copy even as God is holy strive to reach it though ye come short in the truth in the beauties of holinesse Ye heare your honour Death and the Grave shall be your slaves and yee Lords over them while yee seeme to lye under their power There is no feare of dereliction by God nor corruption to betide you Nothing can separate betweene you and Christ nor betweene Christ and God After his sufferings hee is entred into glory and now is in the holiest of all appearing for you as your forerunner yee also his Member-Saints shall follow him in this path of life and when this darke vale shall be drawne aside then shall ye enter into the high and Holiest place to be perfected in the vision of the Thrice Holy God in whose presence you shall have fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand you shall have pleasures forevermore All which the good Lord grant unto us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS
sit what meaneth this golden truth 2. Quomodo how Holinesse doth effect all this 3. Cur sit why it is so effectuall To the first the true value of this precious truth will appeare in the explication of these particulars Quid sit 1. The preservative Holinesse 2. the vertue or force it keepeth from or it forbids or denyeth 3. The evill over which it prevaileth Dereliction and Corruption in state of death 4. the subject on whom it worketh so powerfully the Man the Saint My soule thy Holy one What Holinesse 1. What is this Holinesse all the helpe we have to find this out in the text is only in that expression thy holy one which is diversely rendred by some thy Mercifull one by others thy gratious Saint and by others him whom thou favourest or whom thou followest with mercy and goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At. Mâ—â—t Ainsw Vatabl Iunius Bez in Act. 2.27 or in short e Sanctus hoc loco Hasid est qui gratiá spiritus sanctisicatus est Luth. in text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2.27 Acts. 13.35 thy favourite The word indeed carrieth the voice of mercy and goodnesse but then they have done best that translate it passively and note by it the soule that hath received mercy and goodnesse from the Lord to be sanctified and become a Saint The seaventy render it plainly thy holy one which the spirit in the new Testament twice warranteth to be a sound translation and our translators doe well to keepe that expression which notes a man pure from iniquity and a Divine worshipper as Etymologists observe but to leave bare words and to search for the thing intended even Holinesse I shall labour to open it first in its nature secondly In its Rise thirdly In its relation 1. Touching the nature of this Holines that we may reach it Nature 1. need wil require that we should distinguish to select that whose nature we would know Now the Holinesse carried in the text is two fold 1. primitive wch is in the head Christ the cheife Subject here intended for above all eminently is he called the Holy one of God and his holinesse againe is two fold 1. Essentiall to him as God equall with the Father so is he the subject of that the Seraphims proclamation Esay 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts even the Holy God 2. Additionall such as by the Fathers pleasure was poured out fully on him in the flesh and did concerne him as Mediator for as he had the fulnesse of the Godhead and that essentiall Holinesse Col. 2.9 which is incommunicable being one with the Father so no lesse did hee thinke it meet being in the flesh to become one with his Church to receive such a fulnesse of the spirit that might be communicable to his body Col. 1.19 Joh. 3.34 and from whence every true member might have grace for grace Joh. 1.16 which fulnesse how ever it was created to be fit for us yet in Christ it received such an influence from that God-holinesse by reason of the personall union that it was most glorious and not without this advantage doth he give it cut to beleevers In this respect he is called by way of eminency the f Christus proprie passim inscripturis aspellatur Sanctus Dei sicut Chrisâ—us Domini Luth. in text Mark 1.14 Luk. 1.35 Acts. 3.14 Holy one of God 2. Derivative namely that which by participation every true member receiveth from the Holy Head or fountaine and this is also two fold according to the various wayes of Communication 1. 1 Cor. 1.30 Holinesse imputed which is Christs indeed in propriety and right but the Saints onely by his deed of gift and Gods gracious accompt 2. 1 Per. 2.9 Holinesse infused which hath a proper being in the Saints wrought by the spirit of Christ and left effected in them whence they are likewise called by God an holy people and that both these wayes they may be truly sanctified Joh. 17.19 Christ is said to sanctifie himselfe Now then if wee restraine this priviledge to Christ that Holinesse which he received not abstracted from but joyned with and glorified by that God-Holinesse did keepe him from dereliction and Corruption in the state of death But if we extend this benefit to every Member of his body Mysticall as is intended by him then the Holinesse created in them is their preservative also being of the same nature with that in their head yet neither this separated but accompanied with Christs owne Holinesse imputed that not stript of the abundant glory cast upon it of God so that though the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the matter whereof we desire knowledge be creature-Holinesse and that infused into every Saint yet by reason of its connexion with and dependance upon that in Christ and God-Holinesse it selfe whereunto it must beare conformity we cannot understand one without the other let us touch therefore upon the discovery of both 1. That Holinesse which is God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may well be conceived from the notation of his name Now this the Prophet publisheth Esay 57.15 his name is Holy which g ld proprié apud Hebraeos Kados dicitur quod a vulgari usu consuetudine propter singularem aliquam vel virtutis vel vitii notationem semotum sejunctum est Ar. Monâ— in lib. Ios c. 2. Levit. 10.3 word with the Hebrewes sets forth that thing which for some singular note of goodnesse or of evill was set apart for common use but in this place it must be taken in the better part having respect to God so that when God is called Holy it notes him to be a Being wholy separate from all spots and imperfections most pure perfect good great and most incomparably excelling all other Beings in so much that he will not bee touched nor spoken of nor served by any low or polluted creature but will bee sanctified by all that draw nigh unto him and for those that have dealt too commonly with him his Holinesse hath beene as fire to consume them It is a Title therefore worthy of God which Moses doth give him Glorious in Holinesse as noting that to be the Top of glory Exod. 15.11 and if we would have a fuller description of this Holinesse it is the very excellency redundant out of the confluence of all Gods Attributes whereby he is set in the height of purity above the reach either of the services or words or thoughts of the most excellent creatures to be admired not comprehended 2. The Creature Holinesse which we are now to finde is called the Image of God Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 2 Cor. 3.18 by which expression wee are guided to thinke that the nature of it should stand in the likenesse and conformity to the Holinesse of God whence this discovery may be of it Holinesse is the excellency of the new creature framed by
is whereby what ever a man seeth it is given to him and made his own Faith doth but touch and take with God To believe Christ and to have him is all one in the language of Gods Spirit so to believe God his power 1 John 5 12. wisdome and goodnesse is but to have them to believe his union with us love to us zeale for us protection over us even in death against death is but to enjoy all this and possesse the sweetnsse of it It is registred of those holy worthies among many other great exploits Hebr. 11.33 that by Faith they obtained promises whether they were promises peculiar to themselves or in common with other Saints it matters not here this is certaine faith only gives possession of them And is not this a notable ground of confidence and insultation over the grave to have God and to have his Attributes and to have his Son all ours prest to do us good To see Mines of gold and no more but to see them may maze the eye but leave the man poore to see and have all is that which maketh rich and sets above contempt for a close to this were it only to see God and to lose him a man might be notwithstanding a scorne to death But where reall subsistence evidence and propriety of an Almighty gracious arme concurres that soule may laugh at the frownes of death and terrors of the pit All this doth faith secure to the Saint well then may he be bold and say in the grave shall my flesh dwell confidently for thou wilt not leave my soule in hell nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption we have seene the weight of these golden truths The use of them is next considerable I shall adde from all but three words in generall for use to convince to counsell and to comfort and these as the former rules direct me 1. Use 1. Grant holinesse in the nature of it a conformity to the holy God and in the vertue of it the only preserving embalme from dereliction in death and corruption in the grave who and in what case art thou unholy soule look on and be convinced of thy sinne and of thy misery 1. Of thy sin and be ashamed Is holinesse the image of the glorious God are the beauties of it the splendor arising from the confluence of all graces It is sin then to want it uglinesse and basenesse to be a gracelesse man the Blackmore is not more unlike to nor more despised of the fairest creature Amos 9.7 than thou art of God Are ye not as the children of the Ethiopians unto me said the Lord to an ungodly seed O that I could let thee see thy selfe in Gods glasse how wouldest thou hide thy face Whose image and superscription bearest thou ungodly sinner No other reply can be made but the Devils nothing appeares upon thee but sin and sin is nothing else but the Devill in perspective or in his naturall image children of the devill is the proper name that our Lord stamps upon ungodly men and rightly his seed are they termed both for their birth and likenesse if the confluence of sinne make up the Devils image vile wretch beat this upon thy heart if it be Gods command to be holy it is thy cursed sin to be unholy and if holinesse arise from the concurrence of all grace hellish sinner thou whose nature is inconsistent with any one grace or the rellish of it see thy sin thy selfe 2. Of thy misery be convinced and be confounded if holinesse only be the preservative against dolefull desertions in deadlihead and corruption in the pit what will become of thee unholy wretch Hast thou other enbalmes prepared against that day take what thou canst fill thy soule with vaine hopes and whorish perfumes of mercy get for thy carkase the r Regale unguentum appellatum quoniam Parthorum Regibus temperatur Plin. Not. Hist l. 13. c. 2. royall oyntment that beseemes Kings after that wrap thy selfe in Sear-clothes and then be wound up in a sheet of Lead and hew a Sepulchre out of the rock to lye safely in And shall these commend thy soule to God or preserve thy body from putresaction Sinne will spoile these ointments and eat thorow all these fences The soule the body Prov. 10.7 Jer. 22.15 yea the name of the wicked shall rot Shalt thou raigne saith God to Coniah because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Alas sin will spoile Cedar pales one simple pale of holinesse were better then all but that thou hatest thou shalt therefore stinke alive and stink dead Thy soule is a forsaken thing left of God to the spoile of Devils and thy body shall rot in the prison whither thou goest untill both be clapt together into hel Aâ—curse shalt thou be and an abomination for ever for thou art unholy 2. As thou art an enemy to holinesse so no lesse art thou to God himselfe say then that the holy one is Gods favourite that God will never leave him to be a prey to death nor give him up a spoile unto corruption what is this to an unholy soule hating God and hated of him It is sin more grievous to neglect and slight the Lord that is so gracious and faithfull to his people as not to give them to the least disadvantage under death And judgement shall be aggravated to the weight of sinne God will certainly relinquish the ungodly wretch in all those deadly evils whereinto his sin hath led him he shall not have a smile of his countenance nor the least work of grace from his hand nor hope of recovering out of the dungeon but he that is soveraigue of death and hell shall give him up to the tormentors Mat. 25.41 he shall passe the deadly sentence depart thou cursed the tempest of his wrath shall drive him he shall smite him not only into the place of Dragons and of death but into the place of Devils where the everlasting arme of vengeance doth for ever torment the unholy crew that are descended thither 3 Unholy sinner know this thou art as contrary to faith as to God and holinesse and thy unbeliefe makes thee a perfect sinner and perfectly miserable thou canst want no sin that wantest faith unbeliefe is the root of all and binds on all in guilt in power and defilement neither can faith more secure the gracious presence of God and sweet priviledges in death unto the Saint then unbelief doth make sure the wrath and curse of God the plagues of death and hell to the ungodly man They are deadly words John 3.18.36 He that beleeveth not is condemned already He that beleeveth not shall never see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rev. 21.8 The unbelieving shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone These dreadfull things thy unbeliefe secures to thine unholy soule What inscription leavest thou upon thy Tombe-stone when thou
more then wine can they secure invincibly against the power of sin of death of hel All these are yours Hath Christ vanquisht death and the grave hath he made the gates of hell to breake asunder and conquer'd all the power of darknesse Doth he now laugh at death and shake terribly the grave He is yours his holinesse yours his conquest yours his triumph yours and his dominion yours Death and hell lye at his feet and at your feet also O lift up your heads and rejoyce ye holy ones in this lot and behold yet more Can the Almighty forgive sin can hee blot out transgression can he undee the paines and chaines of death can he stop the grave from devouring and bring the prey out of its Mouth out of its Bowells can he chaine the devill and make hell not to be his This God is yours yee that have obtained that holy and precious faith ye are his holy ones and can he leave your soules in hell or sufler his holy ones to see corruption ye will take up better thoughts of God and be comforted against your feares if yelet faith worke thoroughly on him Bee hold and speake confidently Esay 50.7.8.9 challeng the King of terrors as the Saints have done their terrible enemies before you The Lord God will helpe mee therefore I shall not bee confounded I have see my face like a flint I know I shall not be ashamed He is neere that justifieth me who will cont end with me will sin will death will the grave let us stand together Behold the Lord God shall helpe me who will condemne me shall these adversaries lead mee in triumph Loe they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up poore death poore grave the moth shall fight with you and consume you should the saints then feare to encounter with you God will deliver you into their hands and like old moth-eaten garments shall they teare you and come out Live then above feares yee Saints in the shadow of death feare no evill for God is with you Leape for joy and be glad at the remembrance of his Holinesse 3. To close all but a word to the congregation of saints both sick and well consider your calling and be comforted over all the crosse blasts that may meet you in the world ye are Gods annoynted his holy ones holinesse is your Cognizance which as it hath the neerest likenesse and is the Image of God so it hath the highest place of dignity next to God Holinesse sets up Iehova above all that is his glory wherein he is exalted above all creatures None can abase the holy one of Israell next to him is his holy child Iesus Holinsse advanceth him unto his Fathers throane and in this head are all the Saints Holinesse makes them fit upon his throane Be glad then and rejoyce in what God hath done for you He hath created you Holinesse to the Lord Mighty Princes hath God made you over sin death the grave and hell The powers of darknesse may puff at you but ye shall trample them under foot Sit downe then every of you glory in your portion and in the thoughts of insuing graplings with death and the grave sing with David with Christ My heart is glad my glory rejoyceth my slesh also shall dwell confidently For thou wilt not leave my soule in hell neither wilt thou give thy Holy one to see corruption This joy This Honour have all his Saints Praise we the Lord Amen Thus of the Text. Vsefull observations upon the life and death of Mr. William Crompton the Reverend and faithfull Pastor of the Church of Lanceston Cornwall I Have another text and another Sermon for you before I dismisse you the one is our deare and Reveredn Brother now interred the other will be fruitfull Collections from his life and death imitable by us all I confesse my judgement is that these Pulpit-speeches of the dead as generally used doe very much hurt in the hearts of many yet I dare not be injurious to the Holy to conceale that honour wich God himselfe hath cast upon them In the present what I speake I shallayme it more to your instruction than the deads commendation though it cannot but make his name a sweet savour I omit the usuall preface of place birth and parentage I begin with him where I find him beginning with himselfe even from the first evidence which he conceived he had of his interest in Christ And all that I shall note of him will be under these two conside rations 1. As a member of Christ 2. As minister of Christ 1. Touching him as a Christian that ye may see I speake not by rote I may let the world know that not many houres before his death being under some conflicts and not able much to speake he delivered unto me his Bosome-day-booke wherein he said he had ript up his heart and so hee had indeed desiring me to returne after some consideration my judgment of him and it I did so as I could As for him I am perswaded such thorough dealing with a mans owne heart as was there discovered cannot be expected but from a soule in Christ It pleased the Lord to speake peace to him in the Answer And for the Booke being as his conscience the booke of secrets â— thought it fit it should have its funerall with himselfe wherewith he trusted me and I did see it consumed before I saw him buried Now though many things therein are to be concealed under a sacred tye I know it will be faithfulnesse to commend some things thence of publicke use that they may doe good to others No other shall I touch and those I shall divide it to two branches 1. Such notable things as concerned himselfe in the way of Christianity 2. Such as note his carriage and respect to others I. Concerning himselfe I find these things remarkable under his owne hand which may testifie the life of Christ and the power of godlinesse 1. A care to looke for the beginning of his life to God or at least the first evidence of it which satisfied his self-suspecting-heart and this be notes to bee in a sicknesse which God laid on him September 1631. at which time it seemes sin appeared more gastly to him and Christ more desirable in that he begins his reckoning of returning from that terme I mentioned this nor that I thinke he was not converted till then as hath been misreported for he gave good proofe of God in him long before that time but I aymed only at this use in it for our selves to make us wary how we trust our conceited conversions A storme may shake us out of all our selfe-confidences nay make us mistrust whither any thing be true in us at all it is good therefore to looke carefully to the laying of our first foundation in Christ 2. Upon this shaking an exact scrutiny and search of his heart and wayes from the first time