others which have no hope for if we beleeve that Iesus is dead and is risen even so them that sleep in Iesus will God bring with him 4. This by way of Excitation should perswade and move men to a singular willingnes to leave all for Christ to lay down life and all and be desirous to be dissolved for the enjoyment of Christ to suffer wrong for Christ to abide in any low and sad condition with Christ as Ruth with Naomi to long for Christs coming to say with the Spouse come Lord Iesu But how shall we work our hearts to this to be willing to suffer for Christ to work for Christ to lay down leave all for Christ Be experienced in the bitternes of sin how it breakes the bones How it causeth man to abborre his bread and his soul dainty meat how it makes his flesh to fail that it cannot be seen and his bones to shiver How it strikes with sorrow and makes man to cry O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death be experienced in the misery of this bondage and thou shalt not much fear any prison whereinto man can cast thee be sensible of the weight of this burthen and the imposition of Pharaohs burthens shall not much molest thee know thou the hidiousnesse of a tempestuous and accusing consciences and all the accusations of men shall not much perplex thee be sensible of the bitternesse of Gods wrath against sin and the declination of the wrath of men shall never prevail with thee to draw thee to do evill be acquainted with the losse which commeth by sin and thou shall be willing to loose all rather then fall into any sin be sensible of the troublesomnesse of this Inmate sinne and thou shalt be willing to go out of this house of thy flesh that thou mayest cease from sinne the more the soul is afflicted with the burthen of its own corruption the more it is experienced in the bitternesse of the fruits of sinne the more it longs to depart from this tabernacle of the flesh and to be with Christ Secondly get a through taste of the goodnes and sweetnes of Christ taste what Christ is to the soule when all is gone even all in all a Sun in darknes a 〈…〉 in drought and a stoore house in every want and without Christ all worldly fullnesse is very vanity and emptines a body without a soule a sâ—mpe without oyle a bone without marrow Every high thing without Christ is base every strong thing without Christ is weake and every full thing without Christ is empty it is Christ that filleth all in all he is the fullnesse of our knowledge he that knowes not Christ is very blind and ignorant he is the fullnesse of our faith if wee apprehend not Christ our faith is all empty hand he is the fullnes of our Love love is never perfect never resteth untill Christ is imbraced he is the fullnesse of our joy if we joy not in Christ we rejoyce in a thing of nought he is the fullnes of all our possesions if we posses not Christ with them we have but a barren possession like the dry ground which Caleb gave unto his daughter Achsa without the wither springs therefore get a full and thorough taste of Christ of the sweetnesse and pleasantnes of Christ as the eye the sweetnes of the Sun the palate the sweetnes of the wine satiate thy soule in Christ in the goodnes fullnes fatnes and sweetnes which cometh from him marry thy soule to him take up thine abode and dwelling with him fill thine eies with the beholding of Christs beauties and say as Peter when he saw the gloryous transfiguration of Christ on the mount It is good being here Feed thy soule on Christ and say with them Iohn 6. Lord give us evermore of this bread Let thy heart so love him so admire him so choose so cleave unto him that thou mayest be able to say of Christ as David of Goliahs sword there is none to that there is none to Christ and this will make thee willing to leave and lay downe life and all for Christ Thirdly got assurance of glory with Christ be sure of raigning with him and thou shalt be joyful in suffering and laying all downe for him were the souldier sure of the conquest and the crowne he would never feare to enter the battel assurance of the crowne of life exceedingly sweetens mans passage through the vally of death Get cleare and invincible evidence of Gods love and of intrest in the first resurrection and then as Joseph willingly put of his prison garment so shall you this garment of your flesh and as Israel went joyfully through the sea to Canaan so shall you through the deepe waters of all sorrowes troubles changes yea death it selfe unto heaven You shall have a desire to depart and be with Christ which is farre better Now concerning this our deceased brother There are in the course of divine providence some acts of God towards him worthy of observation and some acts again of his in themselves worthy of imitation If you cast your eye on God and behold him in the way of his providence and dispensation you may observe 1. An act of Gods liberall and bou-tifull communication from small beginnings the Lord increased and multiplyed his outward and earthly stock to a great abundance he might have said as old Jacob did I am lesse then the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staffe came I over this Jordan I now have gotten two Bands you must know that riches are the Lords and he doth with his own what be please it is not the naked having but the well using of riches that makes them truely comfortable to them that have them It is not the rich in worldly goods but the rich in faith are heirs of the Kingdoms which God hath provided for them that love him riches without grace and Holinesse are but as a lamp in a foolish virgins hand without oil therefore as Christ charged his disciplet not to labour for the bread which perisheth but for the bread which endureth to everlasting life so labour you not for fading and perishing riches but for that riches which is an abiding substance when God makes men not onely rich in goods but in true and saving goodnesse there goes the character of Gods undoubted loving kindnesse Secondly You may here of serve Gods act of Exaltation the Lord raised him from a low condition to the highest pitch and step of outward dignity this place could afford him wherein you may see that of Hanna verified The Lordmak the poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth be raiseth up the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill to set them among princes and â—o make them inherit the throne of
CHRIST THE CHRISTIANS CHOICE OR A Sermon preached at the Funerall of Mr JOHN CAVVS one of the MAGISTRATES of the FAMOVS CORPORATION of PLYMOVTH March The 29. Anno Dom. 1645. By ALEXANDER GROSSE B.D. and Pastor of Bridfoad Phil. 1.21 To mee to live is Christ and to dye is gaine Psal. 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsell and afterward receive me to glory Psal. 73.25 VVhome have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psal. 73.26 My heart and my flesh faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever LONDON Printed by R. B. for Iohn Bartlet at the Gilt Cup under St. Augustines Gate 1645. Philippians Chapter 1. Vers 23. Having a desire to depart and be with Christ which is farre better NOah left the earth to enter into the Arke The children of Israel left the land of Egipt for the fruition of the land of Canaan Every santified and beleeving soule is willing to leave all that it may fully enter into Christ that it may have a compleat fruition of Christ who is all in all Better then all infinitely more then all to every regenerate and gracious soule No prisoner but is willing to leave the prison-house for the enjoyment of his owne house No excile but is willing to leave the land of banishment for the repossession of his owne Country No soule that knowes its owne bondage under corruption it s owne alienation and exilement from Christ in part at least during the dayes of its abode in this earthly tabernacle but with Paul hath a desire to depart and be with Christ which is farre better This our deceased Brother making use a little before his death of these words to his wife almost to the same purpose Saint Paul made use of them to his Philippians Haveing a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is farre better Neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you Is that which invited and moved me to treat of these words in this houre of his funerall and from them to deduce some instructions for the proffet and consolation of the living The words propound unto us and present before us the choyse of a gracious soule the Paradise wherein it desires to dwell the Sun which it desires to behold the Pearle which it desires to possesse the Haven wherein it desires to harbour the Tree whereon it longs to feed and the Fountains whereof it doth desire to draw and drinke a full and everlasting draught even Iesus Christ and nothing else Haveing a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is farre better In the words there is 1. Motus a motion the internall moving stirring longing and working of the soule excited assisted inabled acted moved framed and disposed bent and inclined thereunto by the gracious presidentiall active and mighty power of the holy spirit Like the motion and stirring of the heart of a prisoner longing after and looking out at the prison windowes for some tidings of liberty and freedom like the motion of a man in darknes waiting for the appearance of the light like the motion of a wife in the time of her husbands absence looking for and expecting her husbands returne a motion raised excited quickned and strengthned by a collation and comparison of the soules future felicity with its present misery as the husbandman compares the joy of his future harvest with the labour of his present winter The souldier the glory of his future Crowne with the difficulty of his present battle The traviller the comfort of his future Paradice with the sadnes of his present Wildernes lively sence of present misery sweet and powerfull apprehension of future and ensueing glory fill the soule truly gracious with longings of unwearied and sacred vehemency Assurance of future happines makes a good man restles under the presant burthen of his corruption Here is Movens The party longing desiring to depart and that is Paul a chosen vessell afaithfull servant of God a liveing member of Christ None can truly desire to be dissolved but he that is sure to be saved No man willingly leaveth his present habitation but he that is assured of a better dwelling No wise man willingly to cast of his present garment but he that hath another a better to put on No man can be upon right grounds willing to be dissolved but only that man who is truely fanctified he who is not throughly interested in Christ cannot willingly leave all for Christ Eleazar Abrahams servant put a jewell upon Rebeccaas face and bracelets upon her hands and gave her jewels of silver and jewels of gould and rayment and then shee was willing to goe with him willing to leave all and enjoy Jsaac for her husband That soule alone which Christ beautifieth with the saveing gifts of his spirit the love tokens of Christ better gifts then jewels of silver and gold Js the soul the only soule that can forsake the dearest things of this life that can readily leave its habitation in this mortall flesh and take up its everlasting abode with Christ Here is Terminâ—s the terme whereunto this gracious foule moves and that is double the one Privative the other Positive the first Privative a desire to depart or be dissolved exprossing the nature of death not an Annihilation but a dissolution a seperation of the foule and body the foule is now in the body as a bird in the cage a prisoner in the prison house a traviller walking under a cloud and therfore much desires a discharge and exemption from his fad and burthensome condition No child of God desires death under the naked and simple notion of death it is in it selfe the King of terrours repugnant and disstructive to nature a thing never desired for it selfe but for some other thing therfore here is Secondly a Positive terme wherein this motion and desire of the foule ends that is in the fruition of Christ that he may be fully and everlastingly with Christ that he may come out of the prison of the flesh to be clad with glory to sit downe and raign with Christ as Joseph came out of prison haveing his prison garments taken from him a Gould ring put upon his finger royall apparell put upon his backe and made the second person next to the King in the Kingdome of Egypt that he may come out of all the servitude and slavery bondage and troubles of this life to triumph with Christ leaving sinne Satan and the world behind him conquered subdued distroyed as Israel came out of the waters of the red Sea triumphing leaving Pharaoh and the Egiptians there drowned behind them The fruition of the Lord Iesus makes death desirable and lovely in the eies of al truebeleevers Here is Motivum The motice which sets the soule on worke thus to desire to be with Christ and this is drawne Ab Vâ—â—â— From the fruit and benefit thero
the world things in their kinde for their quality most eminent as riches honours pleasures favour credit countenance and applause amongst men they are contented for the enjoyment of Christ to be men of no name of no repute of no wisedeme of no authority of no wealth among men things for their use most necessary as calling station and instruments of Livelyhood things for their relation very sweete and pleasant as friends father mother and things for their number the very all which they possesse things for their Intimacy and nearenesse the most deare and precious as life it selfe so Paul here the traveller willingly leave all lamps candles torcher the greater and the lesser starres to enjoy the Sunne the true travellers in the way to God in Christ willingly leave all other comforts to enjoy Christ Jesus the Sunne of all true consolations Secondly the persons leaving all laying downe all for Christ Paul and such as have the spirit of Paul none have these desires besides the truely gracious none but the bride leaves all for the bridegroome It is not Orpah but Ruth that cleaves to Naomi in the day of her distresse it is not Demas but Paul that esteemes all but dung and drosse in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ it is not the Coward but the valiant souldier that willingly layes downe his life for his Captaine in the battell Hyminoeus and Philetus are no sooner shaken with a tempest but they forthwith make shipwracke of faith and a good conscience onely Paul is the man that fights the good fight that finisheth his course and keepes the faith he alone that is a true partaker of Christ is the man that will leave all for Christ Thirdly the manner how they leave all willingly it is their desire it is their choise the bird willingly leaves his cage to soare and fing aloft in the aire Israel willingly left Egypt to free their shoulders from Pharroahs heavy burthens the Lords faithful servants the Israel of God indeed willingly hazard leave and lay downe all for God and Christ to case themselves of the burthen of corruption and to enjoy communion with God and Christ this they doe with desire as Paul desired to depart and this desire carries in it First a sensible apprehension of the miserie and troublesomnesse of their present condition the sence and feeling which Israel had of the sadnesse of their estate under the heavy burthens which Pharaoh imposed on them and cruell Task-Masters which he set over them made them willing to leave the land of Egypt and desirous to goe to Canaan sence of the burthensomnesse of mans owne corruption and of the violence and bitternesse of the buffettings of Satan fills the soule with sad complaints of its present miserie and ardent prayers for the enjoyment of full freedome from them and intire rest and acquiescence in Christs bosome Secondly an high prizing of Christ as the onely glorious and shining Sunne whence discend all the beames of spirituall consolation as the Apple-tree whereon growes all sweet and desirable fruit for the noufishment of the soule and under whose shadow it can repose and rest it sell with much delight as the store-house whence is derived all celestiall treasure for the fouls inrichment as the fairest of ten thousand in whom all soul ravishing and heart admiring excellencies are discerned he alone that takes the true measure of the worth of Christ is the man that can leave and lay downe all for Christ Thirdly servent and unfained love to Christ Sheâ—hâ—ms love to Dinah made him willing to undergoe the paine or Circumcision for her Jacobs love to Rachel put him upon a hard service in the heate and in the cold in the day and in the night for her servent love to Christ puts the gracious soule upon a ready undertaking of the hardest servie or Christ a patient toleration of the greatest difficulties in the way of Christ and a che refull effusion of its dearest blood for the exaltation of Christ for the fruition of full communion with Christ true love to Christ resteth in nothing but in the fruition of Christ all desires after Christ which spring not from unfained love to him are fruitlesse have no acceptance with him never reach him never worke the soule into the possession of him Fourthly vehement longings after Christ a holy restlinesse of the soule and spirit untill it doth come to Christ as the Bee untill it comes unto the Hive the River untill it emptieth it self into the Ocean and as the Dove did fly up and down and found no rest for the sole of her foot untill she entred into the Arke The soule which truely defires Christ meetes with contentation no where but in Christ the thirst thereof is never satisfied untill it drinks a full draught of Christ the heavenly Oecan in whom are all soule-refreshing waters the motion thereof is never terminated untill it comes fully home to Christ the paradise in whom dwell all spirituall comforts Fifthly diligent Inquisition after Christ carefull use of all meanes to enjoy Christ these desires are no lazy sluggish weake feeble and fleeting desires but strong active and stirring desires desires knocking at the doore of the heart and awakening it as a loud sounding trumpet rouseth a man out of his sleepe desires quickning man like spurres in his motion unto Christ desires drawing a man like a loadstone unto Christ David desired to drink of the water in the wells of Bethel and his Worthies brake through the army of the Philistines and brought waters thence true desires after Christ neglect no meanes leading unto Christ breake thorow all oppositions betweene them and Christ their soules are set upon an unwearied inquiry after him a constant use of all meanes to enjoy him when Joseph and Mary had lost Christ they went up and downe and sought him sorrowing never ceasing from their inquiry untill they found him the soule which knowes what it is to loose Christ what the sadnesse of the soule is without Christ never ceaseth seeking untill he hath found him never ceaseth from his mourning till Christ returnes with sweete consolations againe unto him Sixtly delight he that ardently desires Christ joyfully leaves all For Christ accounts it all joy to fall into m nifold temptations for the cause of Christ takes the spoyling of all joyfully sings in prison is cheerefull in the wildernesse as in a paradise walkes like the three children in the fiery furnace of great adversities as in a Palace and comes when God calls him to the stake and fiery tryall as the hungry to a feast the souldier to the crowne or Bride to the marriage of the Bridegroome and unto death it selfe through many temptations weaknesses and disasters as Mariners to the haven thorow a violent and stormy tempest The way of the soule to Christ Jesus is