Second Meditation wherein he expresses his Assurance of a glorious Reward a Crown of Righteousness Now let us only see what Use he makes of this Assurance and so conclude Assurance of Salvation is of use unto Believers to encourage them to set upon their Duty with zeal and cheerfulness by inflaming their Love to God the Principle of their Obedience Who will not be encouraged to fight couragiously that is assured of Victory And the Labourer works cheerfully when he is once assured that he shall receive his pay when his work is done And therefore St. Paul exhorts 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. But the Use which St. Paul here makes of his Assurance is to comfort him against Death approaching The Testimony of his Conscience clear'd from the guilt of Sin did take away the Sting and Fear of Death but this his Certainty and Assurance of Glory doth make Death not only not formidable to him but desirable when once he could say as he did 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens It is no wonder if he said Phil. 1.23 that he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ And when he had said 1 Thess 4.17 So shall we ever be with the Lord he might well add in the next verse Wherefore comfort one another with these words This Consideration affords Comfort unto all faithful Souls in respect of themselves so also to the surviving Relations of such as have with St. Paul fought a good Fight and finish'd their Course and kept the Faith inasmuch as for all such there is laid up a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life and Glory which the Lord the Righteous Judg shall give them at that day In which Number we may confidently reckon that vertuous Lady and precious Servant of Jesus Christ the Lady Elizabeth Alston whose Funerals we now celebrate Concerning whom very much might with truth be spoken in her commendation but the suddenness of the Occasion and the time of the Night will not allow me to speak much yet something I crave leave to speak of her Not that she her self when alive desired the praises of men nor that she needs them now being already in the possession of heavenly Glory but that we by recounting to our selves some of her Vertues may become sensible of the greatness of our own loss and setting her eminent Graces before our Eyes may both make them the matter of our giving praise and glory to God and also the Copy and Example of our Christian Imitation She was descended of an eminent Family the Saint-Johns of Woodford in Northampton-shire But she was more highly descended than so and better born being born again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from above as some interpret the word and so neerly related unto him who is called the Branch or Day-spring from on high the Lord of life and glory the Prince of Peace and Saviour of us all By this Line she was a Child of God and born Heir apparent of the Kingdom of Heaven For God did even in her tender years season her Heart with Grace and thereby take possession of her bespeaking her as it were betimes and fitting her for that work which he afterwards made use of her in viz. the seasoning of others with Religion and the holding forth the power of Godliness in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom she did shine as a Light in the World and did let her Light so to shine before men as that they might see her good Works and glorify her heavenly Father She was towards her Conjugal Relation a most loving faithful and dutiful Wife an Help meet for him Towards her Children a most tender and careful Mother whom she did not satisfy her self to have once brought forth but as St. Paul saith he did of his Galatians Gal. 4.19 she travailed again of them that Christ might be formed in them She was to her Servants kind and merciful especially to their Souls Towards all her Friends true and faithful Towards all with whom she conversed exceeding humble and courteous condescending very much towards them of low degree and especially loving those among them in whom she observed but any inclinations to God and Goodness But remarkable were her Charity and Piety Her Charity in supplying the wants of the Indigent not onely with Food and Physick for their Bodies wherein she expended not a little but also with Physick for their Souls by her wholsom counsel and advice vvhich she was ready to bestow on all that needed it Her Piety towards God was most eminent she being careful to walk closely and conscientiously with him and as he had blessed her with good natural Abilities so she was careful to improve them by diligent Reading and Meditation and thereby having gained a good stock of Knowledg she reduced it to practice the right end of knowing Witness her constant Closet-devotions and seeking God in private to vvhich she received many gracious Returns if not in kind yet in kindness if not in the particular things which she asked for yet in submission to God's Will and in the graces and comforts of his Spirit as she her self had made the observation Witness her conscientious care that the Duties of Religion might be maintain'd and kept up in her Family And how diligent she was in her attendance upon the publick Preaching of the Word of God most of you are Witnesses and how desirous she was that all others should do the like And it is well known to some how much she bewail'd the vvithdrawing of others from the publick Ordinance the means of their Salvation endeavouring to reclaim them This was the constant course and tenour of her Life vvhich vvas a living practice of Piety and a constant vvalking vvith God as Enoch's life vvas and God took her unto himself her vvho had lived to him here to live with him for ever her who had walked with him on Earth to rest with him for ever in Heaven Indeed her departure hence vvas very sudden as it has been of many others lately hereabouts yet it was more sudden unto others than to her self For Death is not sudden to those who expected it and provided for it That she vvas provided and prepared for Death I do not in the least question her holy Life vvas a continual preparation for Death so that she might say vvith St. Paul I die daily Those many Afflictions wherewith God was pleased to exercise her frequent sickness and many bodily infirmities loss of Children and other near Relations had weaned her from the World and taught her humbly to submit to God's will when ever he should call but the sense of God's Love in Christ to her Soul had made her more than vvilling to depart and to be vvith Christ As for her expectation of Death she had long expected that it would be sudden having been often heard to say that she should die of an Apoplexy which usually gives no great warning But for her expectation of death at that time when it came I have not heard it was of any long standing she being on Saturday last the eighth of September about ten in the morning surprized with an extraordinary coldness in her left hand which caus'd her hasten up into her Chamber where within a little time the disease took her Head the fountain of Sense and Reason and from thence sliding down into her Heart the Citadel of Life did vvithin the space of two hours put an end unto her days Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord cometh But as sudden as her end was she was so far aware of it blessed be God that she vvas able to say vvith St. Paul in the verse before my Text The time of my departure is at hand for to that purpose did she express her self to one of her Servants saying My time is but short shorter than you imagine And then in the words of holy Job declar'd her firm trust in Christ I know that my Redeemer liveth And the last words which she was heard to speak were Jesus Christ into vvhose hands as we may well suppose she did at that time commend her Spirit The Lord Jesus Christ her Saviour vvhom she had in her heart while she lived she had in her mouth as she died and now doubtless hath him in her arms and shall be ever with the Lord. Indeed she had expressed formerly a desire that God vvould please to give her time to speak to her Friends at parting This he was not pleased to grant her but the actions of her life and those many good Counsels vvhich she gave in her life-time are still vocal and by them though dead she still speaketh And I hope her nearest Relations and others also will allow her living Counsel and Example the force of dying-words to be continually sounding in their ears and always thought upon in their minds to excite them to the practice of that which she thereby left recommended to them But in the easiness of her passage God granted if not prevented her desires The Jews say Moses died binshikah by a kiss from the mouth of God because it is said Deut. 34.5 that he died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Mouth of the Lord or according to the Word of the Lord and that God drew his Soul out of his Body with a Kiss But thus much we are sure of that God said unto him Deut. 32.49 50. Get thee up and die in the Mount So did he seem to say unto this his Servant also Go up into thy Chamber and die there and so she did The Messenger of Death took her by the left hand and led her home unto her Father's House Where let us leave her to her eternal rest and pray earnestly to God That as she brought Religion and a Blessing along with her into this Worthy Family and this Unworthy Place so in answer to her many many Prayers the Blessing and good Presence of God may be continued to us now she is dead and gone FINIS
A SERMON AT THE FUNERAL OF THE Lady ELIZABETH ALSTON WIFE of Sir THOMAS ALSTON Knight and Baronet Preached in the Parish-Church of Woodhill in Bedford-shire Septemb. 10. 1677. By WILLIAM DILLINGHAM D. D. and Rectour there Now Published at the Instance of her nearest Relations LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golde Lion in St. Pauls Church yard 1678. Imprimatur Novemb. 1. 1677. C. Alston R.P.D. Hen. Episc Lond. à Sacris Domest 2 TIM 4.7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day IT is not at all to be doubted but that the blessed Apostle St. Paul who as he reports of himself did die daily and was in Deaths often did live under a constant Sense of his own Mortality But yet at the time of his writing this Epistle which was as the Postscript tells us when he was brought the second time before Nero he seems to have had more than ordinary apprehensions of his approaching End Death was now already in his view and coming towards him So much he lets us know in the Verse before the Text For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my Departure is at hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much imminent as already come Now seeing that Death is an Enemy vvhich vve must all encounter it is all our Concernments to prepare for it And that vve may so do it vvill be of singular use and advantage to us to have observ'd how St. Paul a good old and try'd Souldier of Jesus Christ doth prepare himself to receive the Shock and to cope with this King of Terrours and to know what Cordials he makes use of to support his Heart against the Fear of Death approaching The Text presents us with a twofold Meditation of St. Paul 1. A Meditation of vvhat vvas past a Reflexion upon his former Life vvell-spent I have fought a good Hight c. Ver. 7 2. A Meditation on what was future being a Prospect into the Life to come and the Glory of it Henceforth c. Ver. 8. The Apostle's Work and his Reward his Fidelity and his Crown The first whereof hath an Order and Subordination to the other The way to Happiness is by Holiness without which no man shall ever see the Lord. And the way to have assurance of Eternal Life is to get the Testimony of a good Conscience that we have led our Lives well here on Earth And this double Assurance joynâ—d together did enable St. Paul to look upon Death but as a Departure a mild and harmless thing a Departure and that not from home but from an Inn to go unto his Father's House The time of my Departure is at hand Medit. 1. I shall begin vvith St. Paul's first Medication or his Reflexion upon his vvell-led Life Wherein vve have two things to be consider'd by us 1. A Character of the Nature of a Christian Life 2. The comfortable Testimonial which Paul's Conscience gave him viz. that he had led his Life well I have fought a good Fight c. 1. We have here a Character expressing and setting forth unto us the Nature of a Christian Life and that under a threefold Metaphor and Allusion 1. Of a Fight 2. Of a Course or Race 3. Of the Custody or Keeping of something committed to our Trust 1. The Christian Life is here compared to a Fight and figuratively so called Sometimes the Life of Man is compar'd to a Warfare in respect of those many Labours and Difficulties vvhich he is vvont to encounter vvithal Thus Job 7.1 Is there not an appointed time to Man upon the Earth Where for an appointed Time the Marginal reading is a Warfare by vvhich is meant a Time of Warring According hereunto vve find that the Roman Legionary Souldiers had a certain Period or Term of Years sometimes ten sometimes twenty or more Years during vvhich they were to continue listed in the Muster-Roll and to fight under their Emperour's Banner but vvhen that Time vvas once expired then they were said to be Emeriti Exauctorati discharged of their Oath and dismissed from serving any longer and honourably rewarded vvith Gifts and Possessions To such a Term of Time Allusion is made Isa 40.2 Where it is said of Jerusalem that her Warfare is accomplish'd And so Rev. 3.12 He that overcometh shall go no more out that is to Warfare he hath his quietus est But if the natural Life of Man be a kind of Warfare a Christian Life is much more deservedly to be so accounted a Spiritual Warfare And thus Paul expresseth it 1 Tim. 1.18 That thou mightest war a good Warfare And 2 Tim. 2.3 Endure Hardship as a good Souldier of Jesus Christ There is a double sort of Fighting vvhich Paul hath Allusion to when he speaks of the Christian Life Sometimes he speaks of Fighting in a Military sense as one Enemy fights with another in the Field which is properly called Warring And of this he speaks in the place but now mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that thou mightest war 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good Warfare Otherwhile the Apostle speaks of Fighting in an Agonistical sense as Men were wont to fight of old in the Greek Olympicks or in the Roman Cirque and Amphitheater when they contended for Masteries where the Victor's Guerdon was Life and Glory And unto this Paul seems to allude in the Text as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used by him doth import But I shall not be curious to observe the Difference but speak of them promiscuously The Life of a Christian is fitly compared unto a Fight or Warfare as will appear by the following Considerations 1. As in War there is always some Cause or other contended for whether it be to revenge Injuries or to defend Life and Liberty or to obtain Dominion or to win Glory and Renown So is it here Christians have a Cause which they fight in the Cause of God the Cause of Christ and of their own Souls they contend for the Glory and Honour of God for the Name and Faith of Christ for the eternal Salvation of their own Souls All these are concern'd in our Christian Warfare all these doth Satan seek to hinder and destroy 2. As in Wars and Fights so here are two adverse Parties Enemies and Antagonists to one another fighting and contending with one another And those we find to be listed under opposite Generals On the one side Jesus Christ the Prince of Life and Salvation and under him do fight all true Believers On the other side is Satan the Prince of the Power of the Air and of the Kingdom of Darkness who ruleth and commandeth in the Children of Disobedience and under him are listed Legions of Apostate Spirits and wicked Men. The Devil and the World fight against us by Temptations on
the right hand and on the left enticing and alluring us to Sin terrifying and persecuting us to drive us from God and Gooodness And with this Host assaulting us from without do combine a Party within us our mutinous Lusts and Corruptions the Flesh lusting against the Spirit without which all Satan's Attempts upon us would be in vain as we see those against Jesus Christ were because as our Saviour saith Joh. 14.30 The Prince of this World cometh and hath nothing in me No Corruption to side with him no combustible Matter for his Wild-fire to take hold of so that all his Attempts against him were in vain And so would they be against us also were it not for those Bosom-Traitors which harbour in our Breasts those Lusts which war in our Members It is the Tinder within us that makes Satan's fiery Darts and Temptations so dangerous to us These our Enemies are represented unto us as very formidable and dangerous and so they are whether we consider 1. Their Number They are very numerous Legions of Devils and a whole World of wicked Men. But yet if Beelzebub commanded only an Army of Flies though never so numerous and swarming the danger were not so great But add to their Number 2. Their Power and Might They are Angels and how great the natural Power of one single Angel is witness the Camp of the Assyrians 2 Kin. 19.35 where one Angel in one Night made a Carnage of no less than an hundred eighty five thousand Men. Hence it is that Angels are said to excel in Strength Psal 103. 20. And although Satan and his Train be fallen from their Happiness Holiness and extremely debauch'd in their Morals yet their natural Powers do still continue very great and therefore they are called Principalities and Powers and spiritual Wickedness in high Places Eph. 6.12 In high Places surely a great Advantage in Wrestling and no less in Fighting But although our Enemies were never so numerous and never so strong yet if they had no Wisdom to order their Numbers and to manage their Strength they might come to Ruin by their own Weight as we know that great Armies have proved sometimes unweildy and cumbersom to themselves and by frequent Mutinies have in time fretted themselves to nothing But 3. Our Enemies are subtle Enemies managing their Force with exceeding great Policy and Cunning and are wont to prevail more by Sleight than Power The Devil is called the Old Serpent Rev. 12.9 A Serpent subtle by Nature but much more by long Use and Experience and old Serpent He hath many Windings and Turnings many Devices and Stratagems many Wiles and Methods to circumvent us by 4. Our Spiritual Enemies are Cruel and Merciless which makes them still the more dangerous This adds Will to their Power and sets their Subtlety on work to contrive Mischief against us In this respect Satan is said to have been a Murderer from the beginning John 8.44 And called a red Dragon Rev. 12.3 A roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 5. This his Malice to our Souls makes him watchful and restless exceedingly industrious to work us Mischief and to bring Dishonour unto God We see with what indefatigable Industry he prosecuted our Saviour Christ by tempting him again and again by slandering and blaspheming him by crucifying him and even after Death by denying and belying his Resurrection He left no Stone unturn'd that by any means if it had been possible he might have hindred God's Glory and Man's Salvation Thus we see what a dangerous Adversary we have to fight against whom resist stedfast in the Faith for we are not ignorant of his Devices And now 't is high time to bethink our selves wherewith we may oppose him and defend our selves 3. As in other Fightings so in this Christian Combat we are furnish'd with Weapons both for the offensive and defensive Part and those both of them tried and approved 2 Cor. 10.4 5. The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds And we have the whole Armour of God which is to be put on by every one of us that we may be able to stand against the Violence and Wiles of the Devil The several Parts whereof we may see described Ephes 6.13 c. Truth Righteousness and Faith the Word of God and Prayer Stand therefore upon your watch having your Loins girt fight the good Fight of Faith quit your selves like Men but be sure you take Christ for your General he is the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 He hath baffled the Devil and overcome the World therefore be of good Comfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will give us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.57 The Quarrel is ancient as old as Gen. 3.15 Our Enemies are formidable but our Cause is good and God is on our side and so long who shall be against us who can stand against him Not the Gates of Hell the Plots and Power of it nor the Depths of Satan nor all his whole Militia shall be able ever to prevail against the Church of Christ Be thou faithful unto Death and he shall give thee a Crown of Life For those that conquer shall be rewarded as shall be shewed anon So much briefly of the first Metaphor whereby the Life of a Christian is set forth unto us It is a Fight I have fought a good Fight A good Fight it is in respect of the Cause good also in respect of the Nature of the Fight which is to be managed by well-doing and good also in respect of the Success which is Victory and Happiness But I hasten to the next Resemblance of a Christian Life 2. The Christian Life is compared to a Course or Race I have finished my Course A Course of Life is a Phrase in ordinary use with us at this day as Spatium vitae decurrere was with the ancient Romans But it seems in this Place to have been borrowed by the Apostle from the running of a Race used in the Olympick Games by the Grecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word here used by St. Paul To this we may observe him often alluding in his Epistles Heb. 12.1 Let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us laying aside every weight And Phil. 3.14 He saith of himself I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus where the Expressions of pressing toward the Mark and for the Prize have manifest allusion to the running of a Race Now the Race of a Christian is no other than a careful and consciencious and zealous walking in the ways of God which lead unto Salvation wherein we shall meet with many hindrances 1. The Sin that so easily besets us which is spoken of in Heb. 12.1 Our Corruption within us which hopples and intangles us so that we cannot do the things which we would 2.
Without us we shall meet with many Rubs laid in our way many Snares many Scandals many Stumbling-blocks laid by Satan to intrap us and make us fall The World 's golden Ball of Pleasure and Profit is cast before us to entice us out of the way Satan's wild-fire of Persecution is flash'd in our Faces to affright us from our Christian Course our way is hedged up with thorns or else carnal Relations and worldly Interest hang about our Necks to pull us back So that there needs much strength of Grace much Courage and Resolution much Earnestness and Contention much Labour and pressing forward that so we may lay hold on the Prize Eternal Life the Crown of Glory which is held forth to us for a Prize and shall be given unto us by the Judg the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Rewarder if we strive lawfully and run well So run therefore that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 3. The Christian Life is here set forth unto us under the Metaphorof keeping a Trust I have kept the Faith Where by Faith some understand Faithfulness or Fidelity that Engagement which is usually given by Souldiers to their General by an Oath which is called Sacramentum militare And so to keep the Faith is to keep the Oath by fighting faithfully and not falsly betraying the Cause of Christ neither by a treacherous running over to the Enemy as a Transfuga partium nor yet by a cowardly running away and drawing back from their Colours deserting the Cause of Christ and the Gospel which they had sworn to defend as all of us have in our Baptismal Vow But by Faith in this place I think is rather to be understood Fides quae creditur the Truth and Faith of Christ in the Gospel in which sense the Saints are described Rev. 14.12 to be such as keep the Commandments and the Faith of Jesus The Metaphor of keeping this Faith seems to have been borrowed either from 1. The keeping of a Fort or strong Castle The Faith and Truth of Christ is a strong Hold which is committed to the keeping and defending of every Christian Soul and while we keep this Fortress that will keep us safe safe from the power of the Enemy and we shall be kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Where the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly kept as a Garisson is kept Or 2. The keeping of a precious Jewel or Treasure committed to our charge and custody The Faith and Truth of Christ is a Depositum committed to us and intrusted with us To this St. Jude seems to allude Jude 3. when he exhorts all to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered unto the Saints The like Allusion hath St. Paul when he exhorts Timothy 1 Tim. 6. ver 20 21. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust and what that was may appear by the Opposition there subjoyn'd Avoiding profane and vain Bablings and oppositions of Science falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the Faith The Faith was the Depositum and the god thing committed to Timothy as Paul phrases it and exhorts him again to keep 2 Tim. 1.14 the same which in verse 13. he had expressed in other word viz. Hold fast the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus If we keep this Faith and Truth that will keep our Souls for by keeping his Faith we trust in him and commit our Souls to his keeping who is the faithful and watchful Lord-Keeper of his Israel And therefore St. Peter exhorts Commit the keeping of your Souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creatour 1 Pet. 4.19 And this did encourage St. Paul to say 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have trusted and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day And as our Saviour Christ did pray to his Father John 17.11 that he would keep all his Elect Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me So he promises Rev. 3.10 to the Church in Philadelphia Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation 3. Or else this keeping of the Faith may allude unto a Souldier's keeping of his Station or a Wrestler keeping of his Ground But the former are as I conceive more proper to the place and therefore I shall pursue this no further but come to consider what the thing is which is here meant by keeping the Faith Now to keep the Faith is 1. Truly and firmly to believe the Truth of Christ to assent unfeignedly to it to receive it not into the Ear only but into the Heart also and there to keep it and cleave unto it 2. To keep the Truth and Faith of Christ is to obey it as to keep God's Commandments is to obey and do them The Truth and Faith of Christ are kept in an holy Life 3. To keep the Truth and Faith of Christ is to hold it fast by Profession Thus Christ commends the Church of Pergamus Rev. 2.13 Thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith and likewise the Church in Philadelphia Rev. 3.8 Thou hast kept my Word hast not denied my Name 4. Lastly The Faith is kept by holding out and constant Continuance and Perseverance in all these believing practising and professing it This is that which receives the promised Reward Mat. 24.13 He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Paul must finish his Course before he shall receive a Crown Without this we shall come short of the Prize Thus we have briefly surveyed the Character of a Christian Life which was the first thing observed in St. Paul's first Meditation II. The second thing propounded to be consider'd is the comfortable Testimonial which Paul's Conscience gave him concerning his past Life and Conversation he was able to say in the sincerity of his Heart I have fought a good Fight c. St. Paul had long since made it his Exercise his constant Care and Indeavour to have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men Acts 24.16 And now you see here he reaps the fruit of it Accordingly as we use our Consciences so will they deal by us if we wound them they will wound us If we keep not Peace in our Consciences how can they speak Peace to us But if we keep them tender and pure they will be able to comfort us in our greatest Streights and Difficulties St. Paul reflecting upon his Life past his Conscience told him what he here professes of himself First That he had fought a good Fight in a good Cause and that he had fought it well observing therein the Commands of his General That he had been
painful and industrious couragious and undaunted in the Work and Cause of Christ not only as a Christian but also as an Apostle and Minister of the Gospel He had encounter'd with Elymas at Paphos Acts 13. With the Retrivers of Jewish Ceremonies at Antioch Act. 15. With Stoicks and Epicureans at Athens Acts 17. With beast-like Men such as Demetrius and his Followers at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15.32 With Alexander the Copper-Smith with Hymeneus and Philetus And in all these Conflicts the Gospel still prevailed and carried the Victory And for his Sufferings the Instances of his Christian Patience and passive Fortitude take that Inventary which himself had drawn up sometime before in his second Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 11. v. 23 c. Where he hath with great Eloquence described his Adventures to us In Labours abundant in Stripes above measure in Prisons frequent in Deaths oft V. 24. Of the Jews five times received I fourty Stripes save one 25. Thrice was I beaten with Rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered Shipwreck a night and a day I have been in the Deep 26. In journeying often in Perils of Waters in Perils of Robbers in Perils by mine own Country-men in Perils by the Heathen in Perils in the City in Perils in the Wilderness in Perils in the Sea in Perils among false Brethren 27. In Weariness and Painfulness in Watchings often in Hunger and Thirst in Fastings often in Cold and Nakedness These and such like were the Scars and Marks of Honour which he had received for the Cause of Christ and the Gospel for the Truth of which he vouches the God of Truth for witness v. 31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which is blessed for evermore knoweth that I ly not Briefly his Conscience told him that he had run his Race well in the ways of God's Commandments with Zeal Industry and which is the Crown of all with Constancy 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air. His Conscience told him that he had kept the Faith committed to his charge and as Jesus Christ had counted him faithful putting him into the Ministry 1 Tim. 1.12 So he had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful 1 Cor. 7.25 But to wave the Metaphor I shall shew you plainly these two things 1. What it was that Paul's Conscience did testify 2. What use he made of that Testimonial 1. What it was that Paul's Conscience did testify what was the Answer of a good Conscience to him which may be reduced unto these two Heads 1. Faith and Love and other Graces unfeigned 2. A sincere and constant Indeavour of universal Obedience 1. By reflecting upon the Actings of his own Soul he could discern that he did firmly assent and cleave unto the Truth of Christ with all his Heart that he did rely upon and trust onely unto the Righteousness wrought by JESUS CHRIST for his acceptance with God the pardon of his Sin and his right to the heavenly Kingdom that he had the other true saving Graces wrought in his Heart by the Spirit of God whereby he was enabled to side with the Law of God in Judgment and Affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to vote with and to delight in the Law of God and to overbear the Ebullitions and Insurrections of the Flesh and to mortify it by the Spirit or renewed Part and Principle of Spiritual Life that was in him which is called the inward Man Rom. 7.22 These Principles Habits and Acts he knew he had for upon reflexion he by a rational sense might feel them enabling him and proceeding from him and so be conscious of them And that his Faith and Love and other Graces were unfeigned and genuine he knew by the Light of the Spirit of God shining through the written Word upon its own work in his heart and by its special Concourse and Assistance enabling his gracious Soul to exert and put forth such vigorous and lively Acts as might easily be observed by a diligent Reflexion The holy Spirit of God is called a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1.17 A Spirit of Revelation in respect of the Object a Spirit of Wisdom in regard of the Faculty The visible Object must be enlightned else it cannot verge or send forth its visible species without which it cannot be seen and the Eye must be enlightned also by an internal Light else it cannot see the Object though never so conspicuous in it self Thus also is it here the Spirit of God doth discover to us the things that are freely given to us of God the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of the Spirit not only Truths which it propounds to us from without but also the Graces which it works within us and thus it may be said to reveal the Object to us But then it doth also inlighten the Eye of the Mind with a spiritual Wisdom a Spirit of discerning whereby it distinguishes and discerns the Work of Grace to be true and genuine by the Characters which are given of it in the written Word 2. St. Paul by examining his own Conscience concerning the discharge of his Duty in the whole Course of his Life there recorded could observe in the latter part of it viz. ever since his Conversion a sincere and constant Purpose and diligent Indeavour of universal Obedience to the Will of God in pursuance of that resignation of himself mentioned Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do His Obedience was sincere though not sinless and perfect though not legally yet with the allowance of the Evangelical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 According to which aliquid fieri dicitur quando quod non fit ignoscitur when Obedience is sincerely indeavoured and the Failings of it pardoned And these Fruits gave Letters credential to his Faith that it was a living Faith Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2.3 And we know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren Love is argumentative to prove that we are in a state of Grace and the Fruits of Love bear witness unto that 1 John 3.14 Paul's Conscience told him that in his Actions he had not dissembled with God but that he acted out of a Principle of unfeigned Love to him and in Conscience of his Command and that he directed his Actions to God's glory as his chief end Thus much he might be well assured of from the Records of his Conscience which he had made it his care to keep clear and legible and though it gave him notice also of his Sins and Failings yet at the same time it represented them as expiated and cancelled in the Blood of Christ apprehended by his Faith And thus you have seen what the Testimonial was which Paul's Conscience gave him Now let us come to see 2. What Use St. Paul makes of this Testimonial A double Use 1.
To assure him of a Crown of Righteousness and by that Assurance mediately to comfort him against the Fear of Death of which I shall speak afterwards 2. By this consideration to comfort himself immediately and next way against the Fear of Death The Testimony of a good Conscience Conscientia rectè factorum doth arm and support a man against the gastly aspect of approaching Death For What is it that makes Death so terrible unto Mortals that the very mention of it makes them tremble like an Aspine-leaf The Apostle tells us The Sting of Death is Sin 1 Cor. 15.56 The guilt of Sin upon the Conscience is that which puts the Heart into such a palpitation For the Conscience knowing that for all those Impieties whereof it keeps the Register it must come to judgment and the Books must be opened and every one must be judged according to what is found written in the Books it dreads Judgment to come as Felix did and cannot but look upon Death as on the grim Serjeant that comes to arrest us and to summon us to judgment This is the Sting in the Tail of Death But now a good Conscience sprinkled with the Blood of Christ that sincerely reports unto us that we have by Faith in the Blood of Christ received him for the Pardon of Sin and gives us in an holy Life in evidence of the Truth of our Faith doth thereby shew that the Promise of the Gospel which was made conditionally is now become absolute unto us and that therefore we are already passed from Death to Life And then being once assured that our Debts are pardoned and the Hand-writing cancelled we fear no longer Death's Arrest but may say with this Apostle O Death where is thy Sting Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.55 56. Thus we see that the Testimony of a good Conscience and nothing else without it can give us true and solid Comfort when we come to dy A wicked man may through the hardness of his Heart and searedness of his Conscience be sensless and stupid in his Death and so fall down like a Log into Hell-flames An erroneous Conscience may make a man brave it out and with Curtius leap desperately into the Gulf of the Bottomless Pit An Hypocrite's Conscience may set a fair outside upon it and dy possibly with seeming Joy but in the midst of Laughter his Heart is sad his Joy is but like the risus Sardonius when Men seem to dy laughing but 't is rather a Rictus than a Risus a grinning of the Teeth than Laughter and shall end in gnashing of Teeth in another World 'T is only the Testimony of a good and pure sincere and enlightned Conscience that can yield a man good ground of true and solid Comfort And therefore St. Paul being now as it were at Death's door takes this Cordial before he knocks hath recourse unto his own Conscience for his Letters Testimonial drawn up from a Survey of an holy and well-led Life and here he finds support And the like he had done before 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity we have had our Conversation in the World This also hath been the Practice and Method of other Saints and Servants of God in Scripture who when they were under the apprehension of their approaching Departure have fetcht their Comfort from the lame Topick which St. Paul here made use of viz. the Testimony of a good Conscience concerning their passed Lives and Conversations Thus good Hezekiah Isa 38.1 c. having received that doleful Message the Sentence of Death pronounced by the mouth of the Prophet Set thine House in order for thou shalt dye and not live whence does he look for his Comfort but from the secret witness of his own Soul testifying unto him the Sincerity of his former Course which he is willing to have tryed by the Sun-beams of God's own Knowledg v. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walke I before thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Thus Elijah sitting under the Juniper-tree 1 Kin. 19.4 could not with any comfort have desired seriously as he did that God would take away his Life from him had he not had this assurance written on the Table of his own Heart that he had been very Zealous or Jealous for the Lord of Hosts as himself professeth v. 10.1 And how could good old Simeon with joy have sung his Nunc dimittis had he not known in his Conscience what the Gospel reports of him that he was a just and devout Man waiting for the Consolation of Israel Luk. 2.25 As ever therefore we desire to find Comfort in our Death let us lead holy Lives and keep good Consciences as Paul and these other Servants of God did There are scarce any so profligate and given up to all Impiety but do desire Comfort when they come to dy But alas by their wicked Lives they have stop't the Minister's mouth seared the Breasts of Consolation and cut off those Conduit-pipes which should have conveyed Comfort into their Souls There be many who will be ready to say with Balaam O let me dy the Death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his but they will not live the Life of the Righteous Mark the perfect Man and behold the upright for the end of that Man is peace Psal 37.37 But alas what Peace can thy Conscience or any other speak to thee while thy crying Sins and Impieties are so many Light is sown for the Righteous and Joy for the Upright in Heart Psal 97.11 A man may with as much reason expect to reap where he hath not sown as to reap Joy and Comfort in Death without sowing the Seed of it in an holy Life Sow then in thy Life-time what thou wouldest reap when thou comest to dy And thus I have done with St. Paul's First Meditation or his Reflexion upon his former Life well-spent I come to the Second Medit. 2. St. Paul's second Meditation is a Prospect into the Life to come and the Glory of it together with his own Share in it Wherein we have these Severals to be taken into our Consideration 1. The Reward it self called a Crown of Righteousness 2. The Certainty of it in those words laid up for me 3. The Bestower of it the Lord the Righteous Judg shall give me 4. The Time when it shall be bestowed at that day I. The Reward it self which is no other than Eternal Life the Glory and Joys of Heaven Which we have here set forth unto us under the Metaphor of a Crown of Righteousness The Joys and Glory of Heaven are called a Crown 1. Because Eternal Life and Blessedness are promised to us under the Notion of an Heavenly Kingdom Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock for it is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom And Christ hath made all his Members Kings and Priests Rev. 1.6 A Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 And therefore a Crown or Diadem which is the Ensign of Majesty and Royalty is very aptly used to express their future Estate by which is an Allusion to the Political use of the Crown 2. Eternal Bliss is called a Crown in allusion to those Crowns or Garlands which were used in rewarding such as conquered in the Olympick Contentions which was an Agonistical Use of the Crown to which St. Paul seems here to have alluded Those who conquered in Fighting or overcame in Running or in Wrestling had their several Crowns bestowed on them Now Paul had fought a good Fight and had finished his Course and therefore his Reward shall be a Crown not like theirs a corruptible Crown of Flowers or Herbs which are soon wither'd but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that never fades 1 Cor. 9.25 Which is called by our Saviour a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And by St. Peter a Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5.4 And here by St. Paul a Crown of Righteousness and that not as if it were merited by his Righteousness as some would have it but 1. Because it is a Reward of Righteousness not of our deserving but of God's free giving The Crown is given to such and such only as are Righteous though not for the merit of their Righteousness God rewards and crowns his own Graces in his Children Godliness hath the Promises of this Life and that which is to come 2. Because it is a Crown due unto the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ who hath merited it for us and hath made us Kings and Priests unto his Father 3. Because it is a Crown which God in Righteousness will give unto us as merited for us by Christ Jesus Hence it is said emphatically here which the Lord the Righteous Judg shall give me Christ shall give it adjudicando by adjudging it to us and his Father tradendo by delivery Christ by Sentence the Father by actual Execution So much be spoken of the first Particular the Reward it self The second follows which is II. The Certainty of this Reward laid up for me Wherein we have a double Certitude expressed 1. Objecti sive Rei 2. Subject live Spei Fidei 1. Here is a Certitude of the thing it self the Crown shall certainly and really be bestowed and conferred upon Paul in the Issue he shall not miss of it Thus much is intimated in the word laid up which implies 1. That it is appointed and set apart for him and so it was Designatione Patris by the Father's election Merito Filii by Christ's purchase and Promissione Verbi by the word of Promise 2. It is prepared and provided Hence it is called a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Mat. 25.34 And our Saviour tells his Disciples John 14.2 3. I go to prepare a place for you And surely great must that needs be which He prepares and which hath been so long in preparing 3. Laid up implyes that this Crown is kept safe and preserved hence said to be reserved for us in the Heavens 1 Pet. 1.4 whither none can break through to steal it away 4. Laid up also out of sight to be seen only by the Eye of Faith Hope which is laid up for you in Heaven Col. 1.5 Not seen but nevertheless sure because safely laid up and being discerned by the Eye of Faith it ministers abundant cause of Joy and Comfort as may be inferred from 1 Pet. 1.8 2. Here St. Paul professes a Certitude or Assurance which he had in his own Soul that he should receive the Crown For me for him in particular David saith Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous but Paul saith for me by a particular application to himself A true Believer then it seems may attain unto an assurance of his own salvation He may be assured of his present state that he is passed from Death to Life and he may be assured also that he shall persevere and be kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation And therefore St. Peter exhorts to give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Our Election by our Calling observe the order And St. Paul speaketh expresly Rom. 8.38 39. I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life shall separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There he declares his assurance of Perseverance and he speaks for others as well as himself separate us And so here in the Text Not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing And the way to attain unto this assurance of Perseverance and Salvation St. Peter hath shewed us 2 Pet. 1.5 8 10. Add unto Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledg c. 1. Get true Grace into your hearts a Principle of spiritual Life and grow in Grace 2. Act Grace vigorously For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful for if ye do these things ye shall never fall And surely they may know that they do them In like manner St. Paul argues here I have fought a good Fight c. Henceforth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word in the Greek hath the force of an Illative therefore ergo or igitur and so we may find it translated in H. Stephan as if Paul had here said more expresly Hence I conclude and infer it remains and follows not only in sequence of Time but by consequence and force of Argument relinquitur tanquam emergens è praemissis it follows from the premisses of an holy Life There is laid up for me a Crown of Life Where St. Paul's way of arguing himself into his Assurance is very observable and deserves to be taken notice of as the best and most usual way whereby all Believers may come to be assured of their Salvation And thus he argues All those that love Christ's appearing shall receive a Crown of Righteousness But I am one of those who love Christ's appearing Therefore I shall receive a Crown of Righteousness The Major or the first of these Propositions is express in the end of this 8th Verse which Paul was assured of by Faith in the Promises made in general in the Word of God Whosoever believeth shall not dye but hath everlasting Life c. The Minor or second Proposition he gives us the Proof of in that his Profession I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith which whosoever do do also love Christ's appearing And therefore they are put here by Paul as Characteristical of the same Persons If you will have the Argument in form take it thus All that have fought a good Fight love Christ's appearing But I have fought a good Fight Therefore I love Christ's appearing How St. Paul came to be