Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A45688
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A sermon preach'd at the funeral of Capt. John Briggs at Dunstable, March 23, 1694/5 by Thomas Harrison.
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Harrison, Thomas.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing H912; ESTC R40945
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17,078
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32
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the Earth Tho Angelick Spirits were originally placed in the superiour World Heaven was their first Habitation yet the Human Body was lodged in the Earth at its first Formation this is the place of its Residence and must be while in its present State and Condition Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 Heaven is too pure an Air for our Animal Bodies to breath in till they shall be purified and refined and endued with those excellent Qualities which will fit them for such a noble Region Therefore so long as our Souls continue in our Bodies they have but an Earthly Lodging tho their Motions and Operations may reach to Heaven yet their Essential Residence is in the Earth on this account while we are present in the Body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.16 While we dwell in this Tabernacle we sojourn in a polluted and troublesome World a place to which Sin hath introduced the greatest Disorder and Confusion where Iniquity abounds and where many Occasions of Grief are continually ministred to us a Vale of Tears a Field of War a Stage of Contention and a waste and howling Wilderness 3. Upon the account of those Means whereby it is supported and refreshed Our Bodies in their present State would immediately fall if they were not propp'd up and repair'd by Earthly Comforts viz. Meat Drink Physick and Raiment All the Conveniences of Life which we value and prize which we industriously labour for and after which our Affections do often run in an immoderate degree are nothing better than Earth An Earthly Body is only capable of Earthly Enjoyments 4. Upon the account of its Disposure and Resolution When Death rends the Soul from the Embraces of the Body then the Dust returns to the Earth as it was Eccles 12.7 it is turned into common Earth and laid in a Bed of Dust Thus much for the Description of the State and Condition of the Human Body in this Life I proceed Secondly To the second thing contain'd in the words viz. An implicite Assertion of its Dissolution If it were dissolved Tho the conditional Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if is here made use of yet it doth not import any Hesitation or Doubt in the Apostle's Mind concerning the Dissolution of his Body as if it were uncertain whether it should be dissolved or not but that Conjunction hath the same Signification here with the Adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when and so the words may be render'd thus When our Earthly House of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved We find that this Particle hath the same Signification Joh. 16.7 1 Joh. 3.2 so that these words do amount to an Assertion of the Body's Dissolution For what Comfort could arise to the Apostle and his Fellow-Sufferers from the Thoughts of their Entrance into an Heavenly Habitation after the Dissolution of their Bodies if they were not assured that some time or other they should be dissolved We read of a twofold Dissolution made by Death in Sacred Writ viz. a Dissolution of the Person or the Man Phil. 1.23 I desire to depart or as the original word may properly be render'd to be dissolved this consists in the Separation of the Soul from the Body and a Dissolution of the Body in my Text. This is a Metaphor taken from the Destruction of Buildings the Overthrow of Earthly Fabricks When a Structure is demolished it is said to be dissolved for so the Original Word whereby the Ruine of the Temple is exprest Mat. 24.2 Mark 13.2 most properly signifies In Allusion hereunto the Death of the Body is called its Dissolution Now pursuant to the Metaphor several things are imply'd in the Body's Dissolution 1. The Continuance of its Matter after Death When an House is demolished tho it loseth its Form yet the Matter still remains it is not annihilated The Matter of the Human Body passeth through various Changes after Death yet it is not reduced to nothing for if it were at the great Day there could not be a Resurrection but a new Creation of Human Bodies Whereas the Scripture assures us that the same Body which dies shall live and rise again Tho it may be accidentally and with respect to its Qualities another Body yet it will be essentially and with respect to its Substance the same 2. The Destruction of its Form When a Building falls its Form is lost tho its Matter remains the same Effect doth Death produce in the Body Herein these two things may be comprehended 1. The loss of its Beauty and Comeliness What Beauty is there in the Rubbish of the most splendid and stately Palace Surely there is nothing in it that can attract the Admiration and Esteem of those who behold it They who delighted to view and walk in a House while standing will turn their Eyes from its Ruines The Beauty of the most amiable Body becomes a Prey to Death when it is seized by this mighty Conqueror Death draws a dismal Vail over all its Glory and makes very unlovely and deforming Impressions on it The Bodies of our deceased Relatives which we formerly beheld with great Delight would be now very unpleasant Spectacles to us we cannot without Regret turn our Eyes towards the Corps of our dearest Friend but are willing soon to bury it out of our Sight 2. The loss of its Excellency and Usefulness What Value is there in the Rubbish of a fallen Sructure which while standing was worth many thousands or what use can it serve for Tho a living Body is exceeding valuable yet a dead Body is of no more Worth than common Earth and it is as useless and unprofitable The Eyes Tongue Hands and Feet which were all active Members and perform'd many Operations when seized by Death become wholly unactive they lose their Motion and Activity when bound with its Adamantine Chains and Fetters Those Bodies of our Relations which were very serviceable to us while in the Land of the living can do us no good when numbred among the Dead 3. In the Dissolution of the Body may be imply'd its entrance into the Grave and corrupting there A standing House is raised above the Ground but a fallen House lies level with it and the Materials thereof are separated and divided When Mens Bodies die they are laid in the Grave which is the House appointed for all living They enter into the place of Silence and of Darkness and there they moulder away and crumble to Dust 4. Herein may be implied the various ways whereby the Structure of the Human Body decays and is destroyed Some Buildings fall down of themselves Time the Consumer of all material Things upon the Earth destroys them other Fabricks are blown down by violent Winds others fall by the force of devouring Flames and others are demolish'd by Men. In like manner some Mens Bodies may be said even to fall of themselves because no internal Distemper nor external Violence is the Cause of
warning Let us therefore speedily seek that City which is above Would you O Sinners get a Title to this Habitation then come to Christ and sincerely close with him It is not to be purchased with your Money nor procured by your Labour if you accept of Jesus you shall freely receive it if you persist in your stubborn Rejection of him you shall never obtain it Heaven is a purchased Possession Christ hath bought it with the invaluable Price of his precious Blood and if he become yours that shall be yours also You will have a sure Title to it which can never be lost but will issue in an actual Possession of it If you lay hold of Christ with the Hand of Faith while you live you may securely commit your Souls into his Hands when you come to die and say with expiring Stephen Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Fifthly I infer That Saints should diligently endeavour to get an Assurance of the happy Disposure of their Souls after their Separation from their Bodies This is not unattainable by them this will not be unprofitable to them It is their Duty to labour after it and an Attainment to it will be very beneficial and advantagious to them This will comfort them under all the Frailties and Infirmities the Perishings and Decays of their outward Man and mightily sweeten all the Troubles and Afflictions wherewith they are exercised during their continuance in it This will familiarize Death and render its Approach welcome to them Death is terrible to Nature the Soul is naturally unwilling to leave its old dwelling-place Nature cannot but abhor a Dissolution besides violent Pains do ordinarily attend the taking down of this Earthly Structure But they can embrace the King of Terrors with Joy and holy Triumph who are able to say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day We ought to give Diligence to make our Calling and Election sure for so an Entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.10 11. But if we want this Assurance we cannot comfortably walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death But what Trouble will possess our Spirits if when our Souls are going to be unclothed of their Earthly House we know not whether ever they shall be clothed upon with an House which is from Heaven If when they are launching into Eternity we know not whether they are entring into a bright or a black Eternity In order to our obtaining this Assurance let us seriously and diligently search our Hearts and try our Ways put forth direct Acts of Faith upon Christ and beg of God to shed abroad his Love in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost Sixthly I infer What vast Obligations Believers are under to their Blessed Lord How highly are they obliged to him who descended from his Imperial Throne tabernacled among us dwelt in an House of Clay and submitted to a Dissolution that he might procure for them an eternal Habitation with himself in the highest Heavens By dying he conquered Death so as to render it a blessed Gain and Advantage to them and to give them cause to triumph over it in their sharpest Encounter with it How should we love and live to that blessed Jesus through whom we are more than Conquerors over our last Enemy who is gone to Heaven to prepare a Place for us and will receive us into it that where he is there we may be also Seventhly I infer That a Believer's Conversation ought to be in Heaven Shall we not be frequently conversant in that glorious Place where we hope eternally to dwell Seeing we are Strangers in the Earth we should live like those who know they have no continuing City here Let us endeavour frequently to mount up on the Wings of our Thoughts and Affections to the excellent Glory Lastly I infer That the Saints have a solid Ground of Comfort under the Death of their godly Relatives We cannot but mourn to see those Structures wherein we took Pleasure laid in the Dust and going to be a Feast for Worms to think that we shall see the Desire of our Eyes no more in this World But shall we not be comforted when we consider that their Souls are gone into a far better Habitation than they dwelt in while they cohabited with us that they have exchanged our Embraces for Christ's that they are now triumphing and rejoicing in the Heavenly Mansions that the Loss is only ours they are Gainers by their Departure and e're long we shall go to them and dwell with them for evermore I shall conclude with an Address to the near Relations of our Deceased Friend I must acknowledg your Loss to be very great it is no small Affliction to be depriv'd of such a loving Husband and indulgent Father yet you ought not to mourn as those who have no Hope They who observ'd his Conversation might from thence take knowledg that he had been with Jesus He adorn'd the Doctrin of God his Saviour He was a burning and shining Light in the Place where Divine Providence fixt him Therefore you have no Ground to question his Exchange of an Earthly for an Heavenly Habitation and the Church Militant for the Triumphant Assembly of the First-born Were it put to his Choice whether he would stay where he is or return to you he would prefer the former to the latter You ought humbly and silently to acquiesce in God's Sovereign Will who is righteous in all his Ways and holy in all his Works and to depend upon him who hath promised to be an Husband to the Widow and a Father to the Fatherless Let me exhort his Children to an Imitation of that excellent Example which he hath set them and to a Remembrance of and Compliance with those wholsome Instructions which he hath given them These Advantages you are now deprived of but a serious Reflection upon them may be beneficial to you if not they will aggravate your Guilt It had been better for you to have descended from a Turk or Pagan than from such an Eminent Christian as your deceased Father was if you prove degenerate Children How sad will it be if he who put up so many Prayers for your Salvation before the Throne of Grace should testify against you to the Aggravation of your Condemnation before the Tribunal of Justice He is gone before you must follow after how soon you know not Death hath made three Breaches in your Family within the compass of a few Years and shall not these frequent Warnings put you in mind of your own Change O get an Interest in Christ that will be more valuable than the Estate which your deceased Father hath bequeathed to you so you may be able to say when you come to die 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 FINIS