THE EYE OF FAITH open to GOD. Vnfolded in a Sermon Preached at the Funerall of that vertuous and Religious Gentlewoman Mrs JVLIAN BLACKVVELL together with a Narration of her vertuous Life and happy Death By JOHN SEDGVVICK Batchelor of Divinity and Preacher of GODS Word in London Prov 31. 30. Favour is deceitfull and beauty is vaine but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised LONDON Printed by GEORGE MILLER MDCXL TO THE WORSHIPFVLL IOHN BLACKVVELL Esquire his Majesties Grocer comfort and happy imitation of the deceased Sir WHilst Ministers preach Funerall Sermons they find the wind setting in their faces from their auditors some thinke that too little others that too much and most that what is spoken concerning the dead is but formality or flattery They report that the Aethiopians doe picture Angels black and Divels white and I thinke that they Amandus Polanus Syntag. Theol lib. 20 c. 17. justly suffer censure who doe knowingly call evill good and good evill yet I deeme that meete and just praise is a due to Gods Saints departed and Salatia vivorum non suffragia mortuorum Orationes Aug. though they add not to their honour and happinesse being in Heaven yet they may proove both comforts and instructions to the living left upon earth especially to such who forgoe those with griefe whom they for a time enjoyed with love I doe not send the living to the dead with Papists yet let mee tell you that there are these things comfortable to the living from the dead 1. Their holinesse of life and comfort in death grounded evidences for our hope of their future happinesse And 2. That there shall be a time of meeting and enjoying each other againe at the last day such being not lost but gone before us add to this the good of their examples which are of great force for the teaching of posterity who may take them for their patterne and so resemble them in their religious courses that they may seeme to survive in them both these ends are my aime in publishing this Sermon and with it the just testimony which I gave unto your late loving and beloved Wife whom death hath freed from all sinfull and sorrowfull evils and brought to the enjoyment of her God in Heavens happinesse shee well knew that the world could never make her fully happy and that Christians are never in their best condition till that they are in their heavenly condition I desire not to renew your griefe but to shew that I had a share in your losse of that Iewell laid up by God in the highest Heavens whom all your care and cost which did demonstrate you to be a loving Husband could not longer continue on earth whilst shee was yours you did I confesse what could be done for her credit comfort and continuance and thereby deserved from her that praise which often shee gave of you to my selfe and others but being gone there remaines a double monument of her one of her owne for shee hath left with you those in whom shee liveth whom I need not say to you you must love as a Father and a little the more for the Mothers sake another of mine in this Publication wherein her memory is made pretious among the Saints and perpetuated unto all posterity a Worke done by mee upon your owne earnest intreaty and therefore cannot but be welcome unto you You have your desire let mee have mine Thinke of your losse and remember your selfe and place in which God hath set you doing things so that your comfort within and credit without may still be upheld in the Churches of God amongst whom you have obtain'd an excellent name I need to say no more to you but that I am Your much obliged friend Io Sedgvvick From my house in S. Dunstances in the East London To the Reader and in speciall to my worthy good Friends in and a-about the City of London Peace and setling of mind THe shaking of A double temper of men in tâ—mes of danger the water doth not more discover the mudd that 's at the bottome nor the beating of the pulse the distemper of the body then Times of Danger doe bewray men in point of defect or excesse now men appeare 1. To be carelesse either to be carelesse and gracelesly secure having their eyes bound up and their consciences so seared that they neither see or feare any danger or to be over-fearing having their 2. To be over fearefull eyes too open upon or their hearts too much affected with the sadnesse and miseries of the times the first sort I leave to the vanity of their minde and sinfullnesse of their courses assuring them that their continuance in carnall security is to them an evident forerunner of their future misery the latter sort I shall advise to consider of these two things First that the The Springs of over-much fearing over-much fearing of mans heart in evill times doth arise from a false eye or a wrong foundation I meane the eye and the Arme of flesh he that at such time hath no other eye to see withall then that by which he seeth every thing or being able to pierce no deeper or looke no higher then naturall reason or outward objects can helpe him shall be sure to finde that his senses will faile him and his troubles sinke him Besides the Arme of Flesh trusted unto and relied upon will make him to ebb and flow and shall hold his spirit in a course of such constant agitation that in the end he shall flagg and faint Flesh at the best is too weake a prop to stay the soule a certaine impeacher and empairer of mans confidence and comfort and who so doe put it into the place of a god shall undoubtedly find from it the deceivings of a creature Secondly that the best way to quit our selves of an over-fearing heart in the daies of trouble is to get an eye of Faith which alone shuts up the eye of sense and getteth such views of Gods Love Power and providence that God is knowne to be and also made the sole stay and staffe of the soule upon whom whosoever truly trusteth he is in such safety that no malice of men or divels can endanger him My Brethren had we the Angelicall eyes of faith we should feare lesse though times vnto sense are distressefull and almost desperate this alone can see a better issue then carnall reason can apprehend and an higher power to protect and guard then humane helpes are either liekly or able to affoord this will make a man waite till the fifth Scene of the Tragedy is acted knowing that troubles have their turnings as spring-tides have their ebbings This eye David had in his troubles as the following Discourse will shew you and this eye I wish unto you all that your confidences and comforts may abound and though I hope that many of you have this eye yet beholding your dimnesse and weaknesse I
before shee died it is a glorious conquest to get victory over the world and the creatures before a man dies Seventhly Shee was publique 7. Publikenes of spirit hearted having her spirit set upon the times both in the sins and sorrowes thereof being so sensible of both that she could bewaile both and would be often in stirring up others to pray for Sions peace and glory Oh how did shee rejoyce when she saw any hopes of good towards the Church of God revived and shee would be much cast downe under the feares of nationall calamities fearing that her sinnes were the procurers of the same Eightly She was bearing 8. Patience hearted God put her pietie to proofe laying his hand heavily upon her in much weakenesse which kept her long under the Phisitians hands yet under all gods dealings she was a patterne of patience quietly resigning her selfe so to the good will and wisedome of God that shee did not checke or dislike God in the course of his providence but did acquit the Lord as righteous and just in his way and did let him alone in his workes being troubled at the rising of impatiency within her desiring chieflly that God would be pleased to make her able to beare his hand and to give her a sanctified use of his hand which she knew would be for good unto her Ninethly Shee was stout 9. Stoutnesse hearted which appeared in this that she did not feare the king of feare death it selfe I know that shee was very sensible that the time of her departure was at hand for shee apprehended more in her selfe then the many skillfull Physitions could in her body she would tell mee that they were all mistaken in her disease for she should not escape this sicknesse which was now upon her and though she did thinke much and talke often of it yet it was not death it selfe that could daunt or dampe her spirits she did no feare to die having the knowledge of this that it was only death which could bring her unto her desired home Tenthly and lastly Shee 10. Confidence in death was confident hearted her experience of God and faith in God had raised up her soule to such a trust in Gods mercy that finding death approaching shee left of disputings with Satan and fixing her eyes with much stedfastnesse on Heaven about the beginning of the Sabboth which was the day of her delight whilst she lived and I make no doubt a token unto her of an eternall rest in Heaven she concluded her life with this saying Death Death O Lord in thee is my trust which wordes of hers gave occasion to her loving Husband to give unto mee that Text of Scripture to preach on at her funerall And now leaving her Application to the Auditory whose soule is made perfect in Heaven and free from all sinne and sorrow give me your patience from the whole Narration to lesson you in these things that so you may 4. Duties depart hence with profit First see the joyntnes of women with men in the common salvation of Christians God hath given unto them soules as well as men and he is pleased to make them as eminent in graces and gracious practises as he doth men and therefore their sex should not be despised nor their holy courses scorned whilst they doe but endeavour to save their poore soules Secondly know That the more gracious men and women are in their lives the more comfortable shall they be in their deathes and the more honourable after their deathes such seeke for comfort and credit in a wrong way that doe not seeke it in a gracious way Thirdly Learne that wee must improove all the holy examples of Gods Saints by following their courses and Exempla maxime movent Cic de Orat lib. 3. actions the Heathen man telles us that good examples are of great force and sure I am that among Christians this is a truth that good examples are of speciall use and profit and such as we must be accountable for to God as well as for precepts we cannot doe greater honour to our religious Ancestors deceased then to endeavour to resemble them in goodnesse and godlinesse Oh that you would all resolve to go home being such as shee was and doing that which shee did of whom we have spoken Lastly Draw your owne deaths out of this occasion let it put you into dying thoughts remember that you must all follow her that is gone before you and how soone you know not and that every step of your life degrees you into the Chamber of death you being here sayling down times streame into that gulph of death which enters you into Heavens or hels eternity My beloved upon this short and shortning time of yours which is uncertaine and irrevocable depends eternity and if ever you will be wise for your soules bee wise in this to make your life the only providing time for Heavens eternity And so much for the Text and the occasion * ⎠* FINIS Imprimatur THO WYKES Iuly 30. 1640.
and there is no Christian man or woman but must needs confesse so much and beside the generall calamity we have the time of our particular misery our conditions either are or have beene sad and perplexed tell mee now where are your eyes fixed upon God then it 's well and give mee leave to presse you to this triall upon this one ground because that multitudes of men have no eyes upon God in evill times Surely if our eyes are upon God First we shall make God present with us beholding and regarding us in our miseries the eye doth make the object present to it selfe and faith looking upon God doth make God present to a Christian the truth is that it 's no misery that can divide a Christian and his God for God hath tied his presence and love with his children in the fire and water and prison and dungeon and Esa 43. 2. it is as true that if the eye of faith be once rightly set upon God in times of trouble there is no want of God to such a soule such a one whose eyes are upon God may want the company of neere and deere friends they may be sequeâ—tred and kept from him but â—he company of a God he can â—ever want a Christian is neâ—er without his God so long as hee can keepe up the eye of his Faith upon God Though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death thou art with mee thy rod and thy staffe they comfort mee O sweet comfort and happy condition in times of distresse when the soule can say men are against mee yet God is for mee men are shut out from mee by men but my God they cannot shut out from mee the eye of Faith will bring downe God into a dungeon and see him in a dungeon and maketh a man to see no want of creature-company because he hath divine company Secondly wee shall have some comfortable representation of God unto us it iâ— true in nature that the eye in it selfe hath no colour but all its colour is in the object and I conceive that the glorious discoveries of God are made over unto Faith till the eye of Faith be erected in the soule God is in darknesse to a man let things have a colour Simile and luster in them untill light come to make them cleare they are as if they were not so though there be a glory in God yet to sence and reason God is a God in night and darknesse or such a one as cannot be espied and observed but when Faith comes into the soule now God is a God in the light and the Christian is enabled in some measure to enjoy the blessed reflexe of God to his soule whereby even in his greatest misery he is able to look upon his God with that boldnesse that the very beholding of his God in the way of Faith doth greatly joy and glad his soule making him unspeakeably glorious unto his soule a man that lookes up to God shall see more grounds of comfort seated in God then grounds of sadnesse in his troubles the face of times cannot gather more blacknesse or threaten more misery then Gods face doth promise and assure peace and protection Faith seeth all the worst below and best above in God and with God Thirdly we shall be ravished and greatly affected with the glories and beauties of God vision drawes on affection or things doe affect the soule by sence by looking we come to liking the true cause why a wicked man doth neither joy in God or admire the beauties that are in God is because he wants eyes to look upon God but the man whose eyes are opened open unto God takes notice of such excellency of grace and mercy in God that his soule is taken with God and rapt up into a holy ravishment and admiration Now he cries out who is a God like unto our God O the Majesty and mercy that is in him I see that in him for mee and my necessity that I cannot see in all the creatures put them together the soule doth now begin to feede it selfe and cheere it selfe in and upon God in the midst of all afflictions making this to be its greatest comfort that it hath such a God who is so great a good to enjoy Faith cannot looke up to its God without encreasing of its confidence and comforts Fourthly we shall be set into a longing after God and his comforts the seeing of things stirres up desires in us after them so the looking up to God doth fill the soule with a fervent longing after the Lord the Christian that lookes up hopes the soule in this case is much after the manner of a tender wife who looking for her Husband by such a day or such an hower shee is faint and full of griefe untill that day come and when the day is come shee runnes to the doore and window to see if he be not comming being much troubled that hee is not yet come surely all the sight of God which we have by Faith doth cast us into hope of enjoying God according to his promise and now our soules Psal 119. 81. Rom. 8. 23 Psal 119. 82. doe faint for him and his salvation we sigh in our selves waiting and our eyes doe faile for his Word saying when wilt thou come to us and comfort us O when shall I have my helpe and deliverance from the Lord the eye of Faith doth either actually bring downe God into the soule and is as the setting of the eye of a skilfull fowler upon a bird who if he hold the bird in his eye he will not have him long out of his hand or actually carrie up the soule unto God in strength of desire so that the soule cannot be in any quiet untill God be gotten and gained Fiftly we shall not be overwhelmed by the sight of any calamities troubles beheld without a God doe exceedingly damp and daunt the spirits of men till Elishaes servant had his eyes opened to see the strength of Heaven his heart was much dismayed by the hoste of the Syrians but to have an eye to God in times of trouble will prove the great upholdment of the soule it is no miserable estate that can distresse that man whose eyes are the eyes of Faith say that troopes of troubles come and that we are to encounter with contrarieties and crosses even the ruffling rage of wicked meÌ„ whose power in some degree might equall their malice yet such a soule stands and his heart is staied within him for he sees more with him then against him O the wisedome and power which Faith doth see in God for the preservation of those that are his I reade of a Generall who Antigonus finding his souldiers dismaied by the smalenesse of their company and the multitudes of their enemies asked them but how many do you reckon mee at who am your Commander and Leader this Generall is Faith in the soule which takes