Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A75703
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Christ the riches of the Gospel, and the hope of Christians. A sermon preached at the funerall of Mr William Spurstow the only childe of Dr Spurstow at Hackney near London, Mar. 10. By Simeon Ashe preacher of the Gospel, and lecturer there.
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Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing A3950; Thomason E744_11; ESTC R207025
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34,966
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48
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apud Londinenses Pastor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon the much lamented Death of the truly Pious Youth Mr William Spurstow who deceased Anno Dom. 1633 4 March Aetatis 9. BLest Soul thy Parents only Son Thou wast Nipt in the bud and into deaths Den cast In Spring time both of age and year Thy Sun Is soon gone down soon is thy short race run True an Apprentiship th' hast serv'd on earth Of nine years but the tenth thou paist to Death As her due Tithe She will not be deni'd Young old rich poor are carried down this Tide Thou liv'st though dead in th'memory of those Who knew thy life and saw its holy close The honour thou didst to thy Parents bear Thy humble carriage witty words indear Thee unto all Those sparks of Piety Kindled wiihin thy Soul by th' Almighty Dazled the eyes of men Thine exc'llent parts Admired were by all Thou wonst all hearts But stay needs he Encomiums Reader know He joys above while we him wail below E. C. Student in Syd Coll. Cam. Upon his Funerall Text Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory With which he was much affected in his life time and of which he did often speak THis Text did much refresh this Saint now dead Christ was his Hope his Glory Crown and Head Whilst here on earth Christ dwelt in him by grace But now he dwells with Christ and sees his face His Body though in grave to Christ is knit His Soul with Christ in Christs own Throne doth sit Christ was his hope on earth but now he is His Heaven his All his his for ever his E. C. Student in Syd Coll. Cam. Upon the Death of M. william Spurstow YE Muses Helicon what can you lie Thus mantled in a stupid Lethargy Breathe out your souls with sighs melt into tears And let your griefs be equall to your fears For him poor soul whose Fate it was we see To bid adieu in its minority Mourn that gloomy day on which it took its rise To seek a mansion in heavens Paradise What was his worth what Friends losse in verse Were but lost pains in both for to rehearse His purer mettal'd Soul needeth no Praise Or Art to'dulterate all this can't raise The price of such a Pearl that had alone What bounteous Art or Nature made her own And boldly this I 'le speak unto his praise His holy Life doth much exceed his daies O pray that such bless'd hopes may longer live Examples to such youth as cannot give W. H. The Text. COL 1. 27. Which is Christ in you the hope of Glory THe Subject matter of this Text is Jesus Christ and therefore seasonably suitable to the expectation of this Assembly which is to hear a Funeral Sermon For whereas wine is to be given unto those that be of heavy hearts what Prov. 31. 6. Cordiall is comparable with Jesus Christ who is called and deserveth to be accounted The Consolation of Luk. 2. 25. Israel In the Text Christ is tendred or rather commended to the consideration of these Christian Colossians under a threefold notion 1. As containing the riches of all Evangelicall mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referre oportet Dav. in Text. The Relative which must necessarily be referred unto the word Riches in the fore-going part of this verse as is manifest from the Originall in our Greek Copies Although the vulgar applieth the Relative which unto mystery and I acknowledge Christ to be a mystery as the holy Ghost doth Eph. 3. 3 4. often suggest in the holy Scriptures And indeed his conception and his hypostaticall Union c. give us just occasion to call him wonderfull Isa 9. 6. yet in this place I humbly conceive that he is held forth to our view as the Riches of the glorious mystery of the Gospel 2. As being the groundwork and the foundation of every good Christians good hope of happinesse Christ the hope of glory I have heard of Ships laden with rich commodities from which their owners expect great advantage called The Hope or The good Hope Under this Name may beleevers reall Saints well own the Lord Jesus The Hope of glory 3. As inhabiting dwelling in beleeving Christians for this end that by his abiding and operating in them he might be unto them the hope of glory Christ in you the hope of glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasmus notat ccdices quosdam sic habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter vos ut legit etiam Syrus interpres Beza in Text. Some Translators render the words Christ among you but I rather cleave unto our English Translators both old and new which do answer our Greek Copies and accord with the most learned judicious Interpreters Christ in you the hope of glory Having thus briefly given in the division of the Text with the Interpretation of the words both together I proceed to the handling of the Points of Doctrine hence considerable for our Instruction The first Truth observable is this That Jesus Christ is the riches of all Gospel-glorious Mysteries Doct. 1 The Apostle Paul acknowledging much glory in the Administrations of Moses wherein there was much Gospel though vailed and shadowed under Types and Ceremonies yet telleth us That Evangelicall ministrations do exceed in glory and that the former had no glory in respect of this latter 2 Cor. 3. 9 10 11. which excelleth and is much more glorious Now the riches of all this glory are in Christ Concerning which the expression of the same Apostle is observable The unsearchable riches of Christ The riches of this Gospel-glory in Christ Eph. 3. 8. may be discovered with reference 1. both to God 2. and to Ex parte Dei ex parte nostri godly Christians First In regard of God All the revenues of glory which come unto his Majesty from the Gospel are most eminently in Jesus Christ And therefore at his birth the Angels sing Glory to God on high 1. In him are all the treasures Luk. 2. 14. Col. 2 3. 1 Cor. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 24. Eph. 3. 18 19. Eph. 2. 7. Eph. 1. 6. of wisedom Here is wisedom in a mystery 2. And Christ is as the wisedom so the Power of God Divine Omnipotency is no way so fully discovered as in Christ 3. In him is divine love which passeth knowledge which is beyond all dimensions 4. And as for mercy how full is the language of the Apostle The exceeding riches of his grace in his kindeness through Christ Jesus And speaking elsewhere of Gospel-incoms he addeth To the praise of the glory of his grace Here might be added the unspotted holinesse and untainted justice of God more glorified in the unexpressible humiliation of Jesus Christ then in any other way whatsoever And who knoweth not how the honour of Gods Truth is triumphantly glorious in Christ because all things
Divines do conjecture wherefore David who mourned excessively upon Absaloms death was more comfortable when he heard that his young childe was dead Now he is dead wherefore should I fast 2 Sam. 1â— 23. I shall go to him God gave into his heart assurance of his childes happinesse in heaven whereas the wickednesse wherein Absalom lived and died did suggest rather doubts concerning his future condition This Use puts a fair opportunity into my hand to reach forth a Cordiall unto the Father Mother Grand-mother and other Relations of the ingenuous gracious Childe whose Funerall hath occasioned this Assembly and whose affectionate minding of this Text upon which I have discoursed was the Argument which induced me to undertake it at this time He was but nine years old and a half when God translated him and above five years since this Text Christ in you the hope of glory took such hold upon his heart that he frequently spake of it and often entreated his Father to preach of it And doubtlesse it is not a thing usuall for a childe so young to be thus affected with thoughts of Christ and glory to be hoped for through him Some few things more I will adde 1. To relieve the sad hearts of his nearest friends 2. To move them with others unto thankfulnesse to the Lord for that which his Spirit had wrought in this hopefull childe 3. As also to quicken young ones unto the imitation of his vertues First His loving honourable respect to his dear Parents and dutifull observance of them was very great which was evidenced by these particulars 1. Having quick parts and an aptnesse to learning he was willing to apply himself unto any thing wherein they judged it meet to have him instructed 2. As he himself was afraid to offend his Parents so â—e was carefull to prevent amongst Servants that which â—ight trouble them and to keep from their knowledge whatsoever he thought would be grievous unto their spirits 3. When under griping pains by reason of the winde-Colick he would labour to forbear groans and outcries lest they should be over-much afflicted with his Lamentations 4. Being asked whether he desired prayers for the lengthening of his life his answer was I would live that I might glorifie God and be a comfort to my Father and mother And all these expressions of his tender love towards his Parents are the more considerable because there was reason to hope that they were encreased in him by their care of his Religious Education In all these particulars he was a rare example especially if his childehood be remembred of Childrens obedience to their Parents Secondly He was like young Timothy knowing the holy Scriptures in his Childehood Though his bodily distempers did often take him off from Reading in the Bible yet he had read it twice throughout and was the third time gotten into the New Testament before his last Sicknesse He was able also to give a good account both of the Chapters which he read and of the Sermons which he heard And I will here mention three Passages which manifest that he minded and was affected with the Word of God 1. Having been taught a short Prayer by his Parents his manner was to adde thereto Scripture-sentences from time to time Two I shall report The one from Psal 119. 68. Thou art good and dost good Teach me thy Statutes The other from Psa 120. 2. Deliver my Soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitfull tongue Were not these his desires of knowledge and of preservation from lying a sinne to which Children are subject very commendable 2. Hearing of the misery of wicked ones and Hypocrites laid open in a Sermon on the Sabbath-morning he durst not go to his diner till he had gone aside to praier whereas thousands of riper age have no obedientiall bents wrought by divine threatnings 3. And being once reproached some years since because the hair of his head was short he readily returned this Answer That Gods Word speaketh against long hair remembring those words of the Apostle Doth not even Nature it self teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him 1 Cor. 11. 14. May not this give a check unto many both Ministers and others whose Ruffian-like locks are very offensive unto multitudes who fear the Lord Thirdly As he was a Childe of many Praiers not only being much praied for by his Parents and their Godly Friends but also because he himself did pray daily seeming also to make conscience of this duty And here I shall relate some things which I account considerable 1. Sundry years since he made this as a matter of complaint that he could not order his thoughts while he was at prayer How may this shame multitudes of people much elder to whom roving thoughts in prayer were never troublesom 2. Not long before his death staying at home on the Sabbath-morning with a maid-Servant he desired as he had done formerly that they might sing a Psalm and go to prayer And in his prayer he made this Petition Lord grant that we may leave our sinnes not as people do their old clothes with purpose to put them on again but that we may forsake our sins as rags with resolution to wear them no more Many times when sick and in pain he would use these words Lord help me He was thankfull to my self as to others for our prayers and that night before his death having been once praied for by them who watched with him who discerned the approach of his change he himself of his own accord entreated them to pray with him and for him again Do not these things speak his sensible apprehensions of dependance upon God with expectations of favour from him by means of praier Fourthly This must not be forgotten That for divers years before his death he would expresse much estimation of those Texts of Scripture which speak of heavens glory the glory provided for Gods Servants for ever He would often commend the grace of contentment saying that it was better then riches and that mans life consisted not in abundance If unto all these things we adde that with which I did begin viz. the words of my Text which did run much in his minde Christ in you the hope of glory we may thence charitably and probably conjecture that notwithstanding his religious education and the many things praise-worthy in his life yet he grounded his hope of glory alone upon the Lord Jesus These particulars I have judged meet to mention as I before hinted with respect to Gods honour the comfort of his mourning friends and the edification both of children and their Parents who may be herewith acquainted Now the practicall improvement both of my Sermon and this Narration I humbly commend unto the blessing of God through Jesus Christ FINIS