down dead immediately they fall into Hell and there are crying and roaring scrieching and howling cursing and banning Oh! hath my secure Godless life brought me hither Hath my false peace brought me hither Is this the end of my Christless Prayerless Life O that I had spent all my days and nights in the World in mourning for my sins crying for a Christ O that I had been a Dog or a Toad then when I had dyed my misery had been ended but now this is but the beginning of my woe which will never end Man Woman Child that readest these Lines do these things affect thy heart and bring thee down at the foot of Christ O labour to do now as thou wilt then wish that thou hadst done or as damned Souls now wish that they had done 6 Deluding Hopes Now the Word tells Men and Ministers tell them of their danger and call upon them to seek a Christ repent believe be godly but they flatter themselves and they have sometimes some convictions and stirrings in their Souls but they lick themselves whole with false hopes we hope we may be saved without so much adoe God is merciful Christ dyed for Sinners Is not this thycase thou that readest these lines Know thou that these are but vain hopes as long as thou art out of Christ and these hopes of thine will fail thee Hear what God saith about it It is not I but God that speaks it Prov. 11. 7. When a wicked Man dyeth his expectation shall perish And the hope of unjust Men perisheth Hear this Sinner old or young thou mayst keep thy false hope as long as thou livest but thou canst keep it no longer Job 11. 20. The eyes of the Wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost O what terrour this speaks to Christless Souls The giving up of the ghost is sudden in a moment so these false hopes when Death comes shall be gone in a moment The Life is not given up without great pain so when these false hopes are gone the Soul will be full of horrour the Soul and Body part and never meet here more to live in this World so then Sinners lose their hopes and shall never have hope more Then Oh what cries and howlings will there be that the hopes are gone and gone for ever Oh the cries and howlings I was told of this but I mad wretch would not believe it but I see now I am most miserable Now I have no hope of a dram of Mercy for ever As it was with Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. 31 32 33 34. Israel fled at their cry when they went down into the Pit It is now with Men and Women as it was with them in the days of Noah Mat. 24. 37 38 39. They were eating drinking marrying 'till Noah entred into the Ark and the floud came and took them all away Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness moved with fear prepared an Ark gave them warning but they would not take warning what cryes do you think there were when the Floud came Then they would have got into the Ark but could not they might climb upon Trees or Mountains but all in vain Sinners are now warned by the preachers of the word to get into the Ark Christ but will not Oh then the horror when the deluge of misery overflows them I might have had the Ark Christ and would not What cries were there in Sodom when the Storm of Brimstone and Fire came upon them Oh the cries and howlings when you are tormented with fire and brimstone in Hell Oh mad Wretch I was offered a Christ and I would not Now you say let us say what we will you will hope if it were not for hope the heart would break now your false hopes keep your hearts whole but then your hearts will break in pieces and break for ever Vse 2. Be Exhorted then to get a Christ while you may To the Old To the Young 1. To the Old You are greatly concern'd to get a Christ you cannot have much time before you you have one foot in the Grave therefore you have need to bestir you Ecl. 11. 8. If a Man live many years and rejoice in them all yet let him remember the days of darkness for they shall be many The days of darkness which follow shall be more than the years of joy which went before Hosea 7. 9 10. It is said of Ephraim Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not And they do not return to the Lord nor seek him for all this Oh what a wretched thing is this Strange lusts strange practices strange ways are found with him Gray hairs Old Age is found with him yet he considers it no What an Old Man and a graceless Man an Old Man and yet a prayerless Man and yet not seek the Lord for a Christ What a vile thing is this what a miserable condition is this Isa 65. 20. The Sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed What a miserable case is this for a Man to have many years given him to get a Christ in and yet at last dye Christless he must needs be cursed When Alexander Besieged a City he was wont to set up an inch of Candle and if they came in and made their peace in that time well and good if not there was no quarter for them Just so it is here with you Old Men you have an inch of time given you to get a Christ and Mercy if you now get a Christ make your peace with God while this inch of time lasts happy are you but if not there is no peace to be made for you no Christ to be had nor mercy for ever O therefore as you love your Souls close in with the Apostle's Councel Heb. 3. 7. To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts This is the voice of God to you get a Christ to day Christ offers himself to you if you will take him take him to day cry to God for him and if you do not it is the hardness of your hearts And that is an hard heart indeed that will not have a Christ when offered to him though he must be damned for ever without him Jerom said Whether I eat or drink or sleep methinks I hear the Trumpet sound Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Old ones let this awaken you to set to your work speedily and ply it in good earnest day and night to get a Christ while you may and account it infinite mercy that it is not too late 2. To the Young Now the Lord speaks to you labour to get a Christ while you may Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth remember to get Christ now in thy Youth God saith Now do not drive it off 'till hereafter If you
A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL OF Mr. William Ladson Junior AT TICHMARSH In the County of NORTHAMPTON By William Sheppard M. A. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the lower end of Cheapside 1694. A Funeral Sermon on Isaiah 55. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near THIS Prophet Isaiah is called the Evangelical Prophet indeed he Prophesies clearly of Jesus Christ In the 53d Chapter he speaks of the Sufferings of Christ as if they had been already past ver 4 5 6 7. The whole Chapter speaks of Christ and his Sufferings In this Chapter where is the Text he makes a free invitation to all Jews and Gentiles to come in to Christ Ho it is a note of Compellation and of Invitation Every one whether Jew or Gentile v. 4 5. That thirsteth that is in distress and being sensible of his distressed Condition is desirous of relief for these things concur in thirst Isa 41. 17 18. Rev. 22. 17. Come the word signifies either go or come here it is rendred come because they are called to return to God whom before they had forsaken Jer. 2. 13. To the waters that is to the waters of Saving Grace and Spiritual Comfort which Christ brings John 4. 10. 14. it is like our Saviour's invitation to come to him with assurance of finding relief from him Mat. 11. 28. Joh. 7. 37 38. And he that hath no Money no Silver no Merits but Merits none can have The meaning is He that is never so poor that hath nothing of any worth or valuable consideration implying that Christ and Grace are given freely Rom. 3. 24. Ephes 2. 8. And here in the Text the Prophet makes an exhortation and call to all unconverted ones to come in and make their peace while they may while God makes gracious offers and tenders of Grace 2 Cor. 6. 1. Seek ye the Lord as implying that they had left him and were fallen out of favour by their sins While he may be found in a time of acceptance Isa 49. 8. while he offereth himself unto you in the means of grace in the Ministry of the word Psal 27. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Heb. 3. 7. before the time of repenting be expired Gen. 6. 3. before God grow weary of forbearing Jer. 44. 22. and he take a Solemn Oath that he will not be found Psal 95. 11. Isa 1. 15. Prov. 1. 24 to 28. Call ye upon him while he is near that is while he cometh near unto you in his Ordinances by his Ministers and Messengers Isa 51. 5. My Righteousness is near that is in the Ministry of his word Eph. 2. 17. Now Christ comes and preacheth peace to you offers peace to you in the Ministry of his Gospel Therefore now seek him while he may be found call upon him while he is near Doct. That it is the Great Concern of Souls to get a Christ while they may It is our Great Concerning Work to get a Christ while he is to be had There are some Doctrines that may concern some but not others that may concern the Rich but not the Poor or the Poor but not the Rich the Old but not the Young But this is a Doctrine that concerns all Rich and Poor Old and Young It is the great Concernment of all Rich and Poor Old and Young to seek a Christ while he is to be found Rea. I. Because we are all utterly lost and undone without him We may be without Friends without Houses or Lands without Money without Riches without Health yea Life it self and yet be happy but we cannot be without a Christ but we must be miserable undone for ever Eph. 2. 3. We are all by Nature Children of wrath This is thy Condition that readest these Lines if thou art still in thy natural state thou art under the wrath of God and how dost thou think to bear it His Wrath rends the Rocks and makes the Mountains tremble Nahum 1. 5 6. Thou art a Sinner by nature and by practice 1. A Sinner by Nature Psalm 51. 5. We are no sooner warm in the Womb but we are Sinners This makes Sin natural to thee It is rooted in thy Nature as Poyson in a Toad that thou canst do nothing but Sin so long as thou art in thy unconverted State Rom. 7. 23. 2. A Sinner by Practice 1. Thy Heart is full of Sin Jer. 17. 9. Thy Heart is not only wicked but desperately wicked and if thou seest it not it is because thou art born Blind Mat. 15. 19. See what wickedness is in thy Heart 2. Thy Life is full of Sin 1. Sinful Thoughts Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of Man was great And why Because every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually This is wickedness indeed when all the Imaginations and Thoughts and Purposes and Desires are Evil not partly good and partly evil but only evil and not evil sometime and good sometime but evil alway Evil continually Dost thou not see what a Sinner thou art Is not this a miserable Condition thou art in 2. Sinful Words Idle Words Mat. 12. 36 37. These are such thou canst not stand before God at Judgment for Besides wicked prophane Words Psalm 12. 4. Jam. 3. 6. here is a World of Iniquity set on fire of Hell 3. Sinful Actions How many are the Commissions of Evil Omissions of Good Rom. 3. 23. As to the Sabbath thou mayst see how thou hast sinned Isa 58. 13. Speaking thy own Words doing thy own Pleasure For Week days how innumerable have been thy evil Thoughts and Words and Actions though thou hast not seen them Every day you have gone without Prayer you have sinned 1 Thess 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Not that we should do nothing else but pray Yes we are to follow our Callings too But it is to be our daily practice We are to Pray daily as well as Plow daily Jer. 10. last You may profess that you are Christians and are Baptized but God reckons you among the Heathen if you do not pray and will pour out his Fury upon you O the innumerable Evils which compass you about Psalm 40. 12. Then Death follows upon Sin The Soul that Sins it shall dye Ezek. 18. 4. God saith thou art a Dead Man a Damned Man Rom. 5. 12. Death comes upon all that have sinned therefore this is thy Case First Natural death Heb. 9. 27. But this is not all Secondly Worse still Spiritual death Eph. 2. 1 12. You are dead in Sin without God without Christ without the saving Knowledge of God without the Life of God without Sence of God without the Enjoyment of God You are under the Power of Sin and no Sence of it Under the Wrath of God and no fear nor feeling of it Doth the reading of these Lines make thee fear and feel This would be thy Mercy To
be worthy in Christ beautiful exceeding Beautiful in him yea perfect through his comeliness Ezek. 16. 6 8 to 14. Object O but I am not only unworthy but unfit for Christ if I could find any change in my heart more power over my corruptions or were more holy then I could dare to go to Christ Answ First The first gift that God gives to Sinners is Christ and himself in Christ he doth not first give grace to change the heart and then give Christ but gives Christ and grace with him Secondly God doth not expect you should bring to him but come and receive from him you do not carry Physick to the Doctor nor water to the Fountain but you go to them for them you go with your empty Pitcher to the Well for Water you must go as a poor naked Sinner to Christ for Righteousness and as a poor empty Soul to Christ for grace You must go to Christ as you are and he will take you and fit you for himself So Christ invites you to come to him Isa 55. 1. He that is athirst sees his need of him hath a mind to him let him come though he hath no money no merit no righteousness nor goodness let him come and take all of me without money and without price Soul thou needest not fear being rejected because thou hast no righteousness of thy own for here is no price set Christ offers all this without money and without price Away then doubting Soul to Jesus Christ and he is certainly thine 1. The Appointment of Christ is for thee Isa 61. 1 2 3. Mat. 9. 12 13. He will not refuse thee because thou art a Sinner for he came on purpose for Sinners If thou hadst a Righteousness he were not for thee but if thou seest thy self to be a Sinner and that thou hast no Righteousness of thy own then thou art the Soul that Christ is for he seeks for such as thou art 2. The Promise of Christ The Offer and Promise of Christ are for thee Mat. 11. 28. Art thou a burthened Soul Is Sin the burthen of thy Soul and life Will nothing satisfie thy Soul but a Christ Then be of good comfort rise go he calleth thee Mark 10. 49. And he promiseth to receive thee Joh. 6. 37. he will in no wise in no hand cast thee out Doth not this revive thee 3. Art thou distressed for Christ Is thy heart towards him Be of good comfort the heart of Christ is towards thee Hos 2. 14. Go to him he will speak to thy heart he will speak a comfortable word to thee that will do thee good at heart And he tells thee further ver 19. he will betroth thee he will marry thee he will he will The Reason is in that word loving kindness which signifies bowels His bowels are towards thee he cannot reject thee Nay further his Soul is in travel for thee troubled Soul that art in travel for him Isa 53. 11. here is enough for thee go believe on him venture thy Soul on him and he is thine Object O but I cannot believe I can no more believe than create a World I see I must believe or I am damned and I see I cannot believe though I be damned Answ It is well if thou art come to this God brings no Soul to this but he gives them Faith and Christ Thou must go to God for Faith as well as for Christ Faith is his gift Ephes 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. God gives to believe therefore go and fall down at the foot of God cry to him for Christ cry to him for Faith God never did nor never will deny faith to any Soul that seriously asks him for it Object I have prayed and sought Christ but know not yet whether he will receive me or not Answ Pray and seek him still believe that he will receive you 1. First He hath promised it and will make his word good He cannot nor will not fail he will not fail of his promise Psal 89. 33 34 35. he saith his Covenant his Promise he will not break he will not lye If God breaks his Promise he lyes Nay he cannot fail he cannot lye 2 Tim. 2. 15. Though we are full of unbelievings and misgivings of heart yet he abideth faithful and cannot deny himself Doubting Soul therefore thou art sure of Christ if thou continuest praying and lying at the foot of God for him for he hath promised him to seeking Souls and cannot deny himself 2. Secondly He hath performed it to others God hath given Christ to seeking Souls therefore lay all these together and come to Christ 1. Believe Will you question and have the truth of God for it His Promise and his Oath two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lye One immutable thing is enough had you only God's word for it it were enough being unchangeable but you have two immutable things his Promise and Oath too and all this that you may be strong in Believing He that Believes not makes God a Lyar 1 Joh. 5. 10. Will you dare to make God a Lyar Indeed God will be true whether we believe him or not but as much as in us lies we make him a Lyar Well you have God's Promise and Oath too to receive you if you come in to Christ O therefore believe yea away to Christ be strong in believing 2. Wait Waiting Souls have found Christ Mary weeps and waits at the Sepulchre and Christ shews himself to her Joh. 20. 11 15 16. There are some Souls that have been under the hidings of Christ several years yet continuing seeking and waiting have found him at last Therefore seek believe and wait though Christ doth not come presently 1 First His heart is towards thee Jer. 31. 18 19 20. 2. Secondly It is for Christ's interest to receive thee he looseth his blood else Isa 53. 11. and Christ will not lose his blood now it is shed 3. Thirdly Christ is faithful Heb. 2. 17 18. Christ is faithful in his Office now it is his Office to save Souls and he would not be faithful if he should not save the Souls that come to him Away to Christ then and you are sure to be saved Vse 3. The last Use is to Believers 1. First For Consolation Here is comfort for Believers indeed you have sought and found Christ your danger is past as to Death Judgment Hell and all misery you are secured for Eternity O what would the Damned in Hell give to be in your Condition You have the Pearl of great price You have him that is more worth than ten thousand Worlds Happy are the Souls that are in such a case Psal 144. 15. 2. For Direction to Believers Do not you say What shall we do to answer these mercies 1. First Admire the Infinite Grace and love of Christ to your Souls You cannot sufficiently admire but you are to be admiring O admire and still admire and be swallowed up in the admiration of this grace Cry out with the Apostle Paul Ephes 3. 18 19. O the heighth and length and depth and breadth of this grace Rom. 11. 33. For 1. First he sought you first Isa 65. 1. You would have never sought him if he had not sought you first 1 John 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us O this first love is to be admired He chose you before the World was He loved you from everlasting O admire it 2. Secondly He inclined your hearts to seek him You would have been seekers after sin and vanity not Christ if he had not inclin'd your hearts 3. Thirdly God gave you Faith to lay hold on Christ or else you would have been Unbelievers as well as others all you have is of grace 1 Cor. 15. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 7. your justification adoption glorification all grace And that you should be partakers of this grace when so many of your friends neighbours are left out O cry grace grace John 14. 22. 2. Secondly Not only admire but exceedingly love Jesus Christ O how dearly should you love him who hath so loved you as to shed his blood and dye for you John 15. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 7. 3. Live Christ Not only love Christ but live Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14. Let this love of Christ constrain you to live to him who dyed for you What manner of Persons ought you to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2. Pet. 3. 11 14. O take heed of doing any thing that shall displease this precious Christ or dishonour this precious Christ O labour to please this precious Christ labour to exalt and glorifie him Let hearts and lives glorifie him Let us and ours glorifie him who is worthy of all Honour and Glory Majesty and Dominion for ever and ever Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the Lower end of Cheapside THE Church's Triumph over Death a Funeral Sermon Preached upon the Decease of Blessed Mr. Robert Fleming Late Pastor of a Church in Rotterdam By Daniel Burgess The Grand Question Resolved what we must do to be Saved Instructions for a Holy Life A Call to Seriousness in Religion Good Counsel to the Converted and Unconverted To make Death safe Sickness Profitable Death Comfortable to themselves and that Sickness Instructive to others Also some Directions to the Friends of the Sick that are about them And a Form of Exhortation to the Ungodly in their Sickness Or those that we fear are such Together with a Form of Exhortation to the Godly in their Sickness