every life hath plinciples according to the nature of it leading it to things sutable Now where the life of Christ is that new nature hath new principles by which they are acted that carry them to Christ to set out his glory lift up his Name There is an excellent expression for this Phil. 2.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Germane godly men have their hearts so plincipled that they are carried by a natural instinct I mean of a new nature to Christ his Church to do al the service they can unto them So that as things that worke naturally worke necessarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssen so there is a kind of necessity put upon them the love of Christ which is the life of the new nature constrains them they can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 2. That this should be so justice requires it 1. Is it not Christ that hath made us and not we our selves Job he hath powred us out like milke by him we were curdled like cheefe and have we not our new being from him Ephes 2.10 We are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus and so he may challenge our hearts and lives as his own jure creationis by the right of creation as the Author of them Whither should the rivers run but into the sea from whence they come Eccles 1.7 Eccles 12.7 Hebr. 9. and shall not the spirit of man return unto God who gave it The naturall spirit by a statute law at death the gracious Spirit by the law of Love all along even unto death 2. He hath redeemed and bought us at a deare rate his own bloud and therefore we should glorify him with our lives for we are not our own c. 3. 1 Cor. 6.20 He hath rescued and delivered us as spoiles out of the hands of our enemies and therefore we are become his servants and owe our lives to him as our Patron and Deliverer Servus quiae in bello servatus Rom. 6.18.7.6 4. Besides in Baptisme we devoted our selves wholly to him and so by right of sale or covenant our lives are his 5. And lastly in point of gratitude and thankfulnesse we have the whole life of Christ first and last both here and in heaven laid out for us He had no businesse here on earth but for us To us a Child was borne 2 Cor. 5.14 15. He had not dyed but for us For us a Son is given When he rose 't was for our justification And now he is in heaven he lives for ever to intercede for us Now then we cannot but judge this to be most equall that we live spiritually in the fruition of his grace and participation of his Spirit that had our lives by his benefit that have the improvement of his whole time for us should not live hence-forth unto our selves but to him who dyed for us and rose again He lived wholly unto us therefore we are bound if we will not be unthankfull to live wholly to him In manners we would reciprocate with men how much more with God Hitherto of the first point Now of the second more briefly which was 2. Doct. A life truly Christian ever ends in a happy and gainfull death Quest. Is not death poena damni do we not lose by death all that the devill promised Christ the world and the glory of it body goods wife children dear companions pleasant friends that turnes to dust these all shake hands and leave us at the grave how then can it be gain Answ Yes For it is a change we lose none of our comforts but exchange them to our great advantage 1. The soule changes its rags reliques of corruption for white robes of spotlesse purity Heare Paul complaining in life of a body of death Rom. 7.24 â— Cor. 5.4 groning under his burden whilest in this tabernacle of clay The leprosie is so deepe wrought into the walls of this house that scrape off what we can 't will never quite out till the house of the body be broken down and dissolved And must not that needs be a gainfull change that brings us to an end of living here and sinning for ever 2. It changes all its guilts griefs for perfect holinesse and everlasting peace 2 The body its gaine is only privative for present it s freed from all miseries and calamities of life it gaines only rest for a time Isa 57.2 the full gain of the body is adjourned to the resurrection when it shall be made like unto Christs glorious body True the soule also till then sustaines some losse called the paines of death Acts 2.24 understand not paines of sense but losse 1. Of the company of the body its old and deare companion 2. It comes short of the glory that shall be revealed Yet as Evagrius bequeathed three hundred pound to the poore in his will but tooke bond of the Bishop for repayment in another life with an hundred-fold advantage and next night after his death appeared to him delivered in the bond cancelled as fully discharged So surely brethren one day in the presence of God will make amends abundantly abundantly for all the losses that come by death to soule or body For this we have not an uncertaine story but the truth of Christ mortality shall be swallowed up of life that is destroyed brought to nothing so swallowed up as there will be no more remembrance or thought of it he that drinkes of this new wine in Gods Kingdome will forget his losse of bodily comforts and remember his sorrow no more 3 It s a change of state also This life is a state of imperfection now we see as in a glasse darkely love coldly hope faintly but then this imperfection shall be exchanged for perfection cleare vision full comprehension everlasting fruition 4 Of campany Paul here lived among false brethren that sought to betray him beasts at Ephesus that sought to devour him death takes Paul from all these and puts him out of their reach into the armes of Christ But what may we think of the violent death of Saints by the sword of the persecutour such was Pauls condition at this time in chaines in the mouth of the Lyon that he seemes to poynt at such a death as this Certainly its true of such a death much more the Millinaries have a conceit of a previous glory a glory before glory that martyrs shal injoy with Christ here on earth grouÌ„ded on that Rev. 20. Rev. 20.4 5. 4.5 to which I only say a day will declare it The Schoolemen talke of an Aureâ—la Martyrum a Coronet on the crowne of righteousnesse that the righteous judge shall give to them that suffer death for his name Matth. 5. Truth it selfe hath told us that great shall be their reward that suffer for righteousnesse sake and I doubt not but the greater the suffering the greater will be the glory Reason
I Have perused this Sermon intituled Deaths advantage and finding it to be sound and judicious pious and profitable I License it to be Printed and published JOHN DOWNAME DEATHS ADVANTAGE OR A SERMON PREACHED AT THE FUNERALL OF THAT Noble and Valiant Gentleman Colonell WILLIAM GOULD High Sheriffe of Devon By order of Parliament and late Commander of the Fort and Island in Plymouth By STEPHEN MIDHOPE Mr. of Arts. REVEL 14.13 Write Blesse are the dead which die in the Lord from hence-forth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes do follow them LONDON Printed by L. N. for FRANCIS EGLESFIELD and are to be sold at the Marigold in Paul's Church-yard 1644. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL SIR JOHN BAMPFIELD BARONET THE WELL-DESERVING AND Honoured Commander of the Fort and Island in Plymouth Grace and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ NOBLE SIR THAT there is a life above that of sensuall pleasure the Heathen by the twy-light of Nature could discerne who thought him not worthy the name of a man that spent a whole day together in sensuall pleasure reckoning such amongst beasts in humane shape but that there is a life of faith as far above that of reason as it is above the life of sense that comming from God returnes to him againe moves by higher principles and to higher ends acts all for the honour of the great God aymes in all at the setting up of Christ and making him glorious before the world this is such a dark and hidden path that had we not the fiery Pillar of Gods truth to cleare it to us together with a cloud of many witnesses especially in these last dayes that have beaten it out before us whose life is not in carnall pleasure nor civill transactions no nor yet in philosophicall speculations who lay out all their strength are ready to exhaust all their bloud from Christ and his truth we must have been for ever ignorant of it This is not to be found in the Schoole of Socrates nor in the pit of Democritus What those Masters of morality groped after in the darke but could never reach viz. the right way of living I have adventured to present to your and the publique view in this poore and plaine Sermon which I confesse hath no other argument to procure either your view or patronage but this one that it hath the Name of Jesus Christ in it the want whereof when Austin espied after conversion in Tullies Booke abated the heat of his delight which he once took in it When you meet with weaknesses may you be pleased to Remember that not any selfe-forwardnesse or over-valuing hath obtruded these unpolished Meditations into the publique light but my willingnesse to put a stop if it may be to the false and slanderous aspersions on the dead that I perceive have already cankered the hearts and mouths of many and to raise though upon the ruines of my own credit a monument of deserved praise to him to whose fidelity and resolution in the cause of Christ the Kingdome stands so much indebted to this day And now Noble Sir these rude Notes being forced to looke abroad whither shall they run for shelter but to you Surely your right is greatest to them as succeeding the man in his honour and intrustments as well as in his holy activity for the publique good But I perceive by Austin Retr lib. 1. cap. 2. who repented him that he attributed more to Theodorus to whom he wrote a booke though otherwise he were a godly man then was meet that it is easie to over-lash in the commendation of a good man Only this therefore let me name without flattery to give the world an accompt of my choise Your love to Christ in his Ministers and members your constancy in sticking to his Cause with the losse of friends and lands in these back-sliding and forwardnesse in acting for him in these bleeding times doe more then satisfie me that I have found a Patron sutable to my subject Wherefore praying your favourable construction and acceptance of this poor mite I commend you to the Lords grace who double the spirit of his deceased servant on you make you high and Noble in all your ends faithfull and constant in all your instruments couragious and valiant in all your undertakings for Christ and his truth Remember Sir riches honours high places may make you great not gracious not happy they passe away daily and often much faster then they came I 'le ad deum copiosus ille opulentus adveniet cui astabunt misericordia patientia charitas fides Lactant. lib. 7. c. 27. and if they tarry with you to your last yet then must you leave them to others as they are now left to you We shall carry nothing with us but a life spent in and for Christ Worke apace then be diligent to take in and put off as much as you can for your Masters advantage that you may go richly laden to the Haven at the last and when you have fulfilled your time receive the crowne of righteousnesse and glory for which he prayeth who is yours Devoted to serve you in all Gospell offices STEPHEN MIDHOPE DEATHS ADVANTAGE PHILIPPIANS 1.21 For me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine THE Text is a compendious expression of S. Paul's scope in life and hope in death The inference is thus After salutation and gratulation from the 1. verse to the 12. he proceeds for the better incouragement of the beleeving Philippians to boldnesse and constancy in the profession of the Gospell and fellowship with Christ and his Church to declare unto them 1. His present estate in bonds and the good God had wrought out thence from the 12. verse to the 18. 2. His hope of the like for the future verse 19 20. viz. I not only have had and now have but I shall still have great cause of rejoycing in my sufferings For 1. I know what-ever the adversaries worke against me all through the helpe of your prayers and assistance of the Spirit of God shall still turne to my salvation 2. I know likewise that Christ shall be hereby glorified in my body which whether it be by life or death by living to him or dying for him 't is all one to me For to me to live c. The words are diversly rendred by Interpreters The Syriack reades them as do our English Translators so all the Ancients so Erasmus with others Calvin and after him Beza render them thus Christ is in life and death advantage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplying the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the sense will be 'T is indifferent to mee whether I live or die for having Christ I must be a gainer by both estates for 't is Christ alone that makes me happy in life and death For my part as I take no pleasure in dissenting from such eminent lights so I dare not
On the contrary what ever specious pretexts may be drawne and held out by the wicked yet their desires are after such things only from which they cannot hope or expect any thing but Gods everlasting wrath though the one dares not doe so much evill as he desires for feare of shame or punishment The other cannot doe so much good as he desires for want of power yet according to the prevalency of his affection this way or that way such is the man in the Scriptures estimate either righteous or wicked 4. Delight 4. Hereupon followes delight when we rest in the fruition of that good wherunto our desires have carried us This both in Scripture and natures expression is called life What is life not the conjunction of soule and body for then they in hell should not be said to die the death but a conjunction of the soule with that it loves and joyes in and this also hath a most inward relation to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ethic. l. 2. c. 3. and main influence upon all the actions of life Joy is the rule of life such is the life as is the delight whether it be good or evill 'T is joy to the just to doe judgment but a pastime to the wicked to do wickedly 5. 5. Endevour This drawes the indevour puts sinewes into the hand makes strong and active in doing and suffering for that we love this is called the life of the hand Isa 57.10 They were industrious to bring about their idol worship they compassed their designe not without much difficulty got their living by their hands Vita actuosa est mors quiâ—ta Life is in action so much as we do so much we may be said to live what time is spent vainly idly is to be accounted death a man without hands is a man without life an unactive heavie sleepy drone is dead while he is alive Now then summe up all these and take them in one view and you have a full description of this notion To LIVE That which is a mans love his care desire delight the bent of his heart the imployment of his hand is his life Thus thus Christ is To live to a godly man his love is drawn out after Christ alone his care only for the things of Christ his inward and secret plots and projects are only spent for the setting forward grace and the glory of Christ the maine streams of his desires are after the inlargement of Christs Kingdome he has no other delight then in the service of Christ no other object of his imployment but Christ and his glory That this is so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be made appeare in a full induction of the Saints practices in all ages but I shall content my self with this only instance in the text 't is fully home to all the forenamed particulars Take a view of S. Paul in his love how deare was Christ in his Church to this good man As a nurse cherishing her children as a father exhorting comforting charging them So was he among the beleeving Thessalonians 1 Thess 2.7.11 How did his love to Christ carry him to a kind of spirituall distraction and heavenly ecstasis Phil. 2.17 1 Thess 2.8 that he was not only willing to be offred up as a drink-offering on the service of the Churches faith not only ready to impart with the Gospell his own soule to them but could wish himself were accursed from Christ Rom. 9.3 2 Cor. 11.28 that Christ might be glorified in the salvation of his brethren Where was his care on what did he spend his thoughts but about the Churches night and day praying preaching Christ into them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.20 This was his ambitious care Never a proud Courtier did so study his preferment cast about his plots how to rise as he how to gaine souls to Christ how to inlarge the territories of his Masters kingdom No lesse careful was he parta tueri where he had planted Churches to confirme build them up for this cause he could not forbeare visiting them in person sending to them on all occasions 1 Thess 3.1.5 Lest the tempter should have tempted them and his labour been in vain His desires how eager how affectionate were they after Christ in his members longing after them Phil. 1.8 Coloss 1.29 striving as one in an agony for them that he might present them perfect in Christ Jesus And was not Christ in his Gospell his only delight the doing of the work of Christ fulfilling his ministery building up the body of Christ This Act 20.24 this was his joy which he prefers to life it selfe yea counted himselfe then 1 Thess 3.8 and so far only to live as this work did go on and prosper As for his endevours never any that the Scripture sets forth or story mentions that lived more if life be in action 1 Cor. 15.10 Heare himselfe professing I laboured more abundantly then they all And did not all his actions carry this inscription in the forehead FOR CHRIST if you follow him in his travels you shall see him from Jerusalem to Illyricum round about filling soules with the Gospell of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.19 Miraculum hominum Look on him at his handy-craft he wrought with labour and travel night and day what was to be seen here also but Christ in his wayes 1 Thess 2.8 9 Church glory he laboured with his hands that he might be an ensample of diligence and industry in the calling to the inordinate walkers 2 Cor. 11.7 9 to prevent the scandall of the weak the calumnies of the malignant lest they should say that he preached for his belly or for gain he therfore laboured that he might make it appeare 2 Cor. 12.14 he sought not theirs but them not their goods but their soules Thus were his actions But what were his suffhrings no other then the dying of the Lord Jesus We are fooles for Christs sake 1 Cor. 4.10 2 Cor. 4.11 Delivered to death for Iesus sake with such like expressions And lest any might thinke Paul herein to be singular he tels us all that are Christians indeed do and ought thus to live Rom. 14.7 8. none of us if we have as wel the Spirit of Christ in us as the Name of Christ upon us but wee live to the Lord make Christ and his praise the supreame end of our living preferring his honor above our own wel-fare willing to abase our selves that we may exalt Christ bringing forth all our fruit to him thus do all beleevers And els where he tels us there is great reason it should be so which leads me to the demonstration of this truth which I will briefly dispatch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. That this is so that every godly man lives to Christ consecrates all his life to Christ wil easily appeare if we consider that