glorious power in her resurrection that he may appear to be the great God that can raise deliverance out of the dust appear for his people when there is none shut up or left After Lazarus had been in the grave four days Christ he comes up to Bethany and the sisters of Lazarus viz. Martha and Mary they come out to meet Jesus first Martha she cometh ver 20. and she saith Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died ver 21. After this comes Mary vers 32. and she falls down at Christs feet saying Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled and said Where have ye laid him They say unto him Lord come and see Jesus wept There is very much wrapt up in the bowels of this little Text The text opened Here we may take notice of the humanity of Christ it appears by Christs weeping that he is perfect man as well as perfect God That Christ wept is to be referred not to his Divinity but to his Humanity and so we shall find that Christ was subject as to this so to all natural infirmities as hunger thirst weariness c. which may comfort the Saints that groan under natural as well as sinful infirmities and that from the reason why Christ was made in all things like unto his brethren namely That he might be a merciful High-priest Hebr. 2.17 18. And though Christ be now in glory yet he is touched with the feeling of the infirmities of his people here on earth Hebr. 4.15 so touched as that he cannot but have compassion on them under all their pressures and grievances whatsoever Do'st thou then groan under natural weaknesses and infirmities Go boldly to the throne of grace which is the use the Apostle makes of this doctrin Heb. 4.16 and spread thy weaknesses and infirmities before the Lord and thou maiest in faith expect grace to help in this need that Christ should enable thee to bear up under these weaknesses until mortality shall have put on immortality But to come to the thing I intend and that is the occasion of Christs weeping which was the death of Lazarus a good man whence I shal observe and prosecute this Doctrine Doctr. That it is a Christ like frame of spirit to be deeply affected with and to mourn over the death of such as are truly gracious Here 's Lazarus a good man in his grave and Christ he weeps over him you have a weeping Christ over a dead Lazarus When old Jacob an eminent person was buryed it 's said Gen. 50 10 That they mourned with a great and sore lamentation and that for 7 dayes together And so when Moses that eminent servant of the Lord that brought the children of Israel out of Egypt very neer to the good Land died and was buried by a secret hand it 's said the children of Israel mourned for him 30 days Deut. 34.8 Mâ—â—â—eerly beloved you have lost a Moses one that was valiant for God in former times when the people of God in England were coming out of Egypt he hath been an eminent leader to the saints in their wilderness state and God did often take him to the top of Pisgah and gave him their glorious visions and that not onely of heavenly Canaan but also of that glorious land of rest and righteousness that the Saints shall injoy in this world when the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be advanced upon the top of all mountains and the Kingdomes of this world become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ of which things he hath often spoke unto you in much life and power Now that such a Moses should be taken off in the Wilderness while the people of God are yet short of this good Land is matter of great humiliation Likewise you find the same spirit in those Christians Acts 20. that Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles did there take his farewel of saying ver 25. And now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more It 's said 37 38 verses And they all wept sore and fell on Pauls neck and kissed him Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more David also is exceedingly affected in this kind Psal 12.1 Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of men And so the Church Micah 7. Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits as the grape-gleanings of the Vintage there is no cluster in me The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men c. And the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 57. vers 1. laments and bemoans the spiritual security of the children of Israel exprest by this That they did not observe take notice neither were they affected with the perishing taking away of the righteous and the merciful man and chargeth upon them this senceless and stupid frame of heart as their great and common sin Now by all this it appears that it is both the duty and property of a Christian such an one as hath been baptized into the spirit of Jesus to be deeply affected with the death of such as are truly gratious especially when they are eminent for use and service to Christ and his people Reas We shall now give you the reasons why it is so and cannot be otherwise but that gracious persons must needs be affected with and mourn over the death of good men First Because every stroke in this kind puts a serious heart in mind of its mortality tells us that we are dying mortall creatures and that 's a very serious consideration to every awakened soul The living the living will lay it to heart saith Solomon Eccle. 7.2 The stroke of death upon others tells us that dye we must and how soon the Lord knows and O happy thrice happy is that person that can dye wel We are ready to say blessed is the rich man and the honourable man and the professing man the man that can speak wel and pray well and live well but above all say I blessed is the person that dyes well Now such strokes as these puts a serious soul in mind of dying Ther 's none present knows who may dye next may go to the grave next That 's the First but then 2 It springs from that Simpathy that is both in nature and in grace first in nature when God takes away a husband a father a child c. this cuts deep and affects much Abraham he mourns over beloved Sarah David over Absolon though a rebellious son To be stupid and not to mind the hand of God when he smites our near and dear relations doth declare that we do not onely want
consider the great blessing and success that did attend his ministry He was through Gods blessing instrumental for the conversion of many souls he hath lâ—ft behind him many seals of his ministry Every faithful laborious preacher is not attended with such a blessing Many a Godly minister hath Isaiahs commision Chap. 6.10 To make the heart of his people fat and their ears heavy dreadful work and to shut their eies lest they see with their eies and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed It was the saying of a godly Minister in England after some years preaching to a people That he had preach'd his people dead I say not but that many might be the more fit for hell by the means of Mr. Sympson's ministry it might through the wickedness of the hearers be the savour of death unto death to many but this I say that God blest him above scores nay hundreds of Preachers in the great work of Conversion in turning souls from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God c. Now to lose a Minister whose ministry was attended with so great a blessing especially at such a time when it is rare to hear of one new Convert must needs be a great loss I shal here in the close of this Exhortation speak a word or two by way of Caution Caution and that 1. Though this stroke of God be a matter of sorrow and humiliation yet you must take heed of a murmuring spirit You have cause to bee displeased with your selves and your sins but not with God and that 1. Because God takes away nothing but what he first gave The person and gifts of this Saint were given unto you by the Lord he hath taken nothing but his own Learn therefore to say with Job Chap. 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. 2. You have no cause to murmure and that because you had sorfeited this mercy long ago that God continued the Ministry of this his servant so long among you was a fruit of his superabounding love 2. Though you are to mourn under this stroke yet take heed of mourning as those without hope without hope I say 1. With respect to him his happiness is unquestionable your loss is his gain He is taken up into glory and hath there communion with God He is out of the reach of all his enemies they can now imprison him no more He is where hee 'l never have any thing imposed upon him contrary to Conscience hee 'l never suffer there for Non-conformity sake There God is served adored and glorified with one heart and with one consent 2. Mourn not without hope with respect to your selves as if God were not able to make up this loss I remember a relation of a Lady from whom it pleased God to take an onely Son that sometime after a friend coming to visit her and bemoaning this her sad loss she breaks forth into these expressions I profess saith she God can never make me amends for the taking away of that Son A dreadful speech it was take heed my friends of this spirit It 's true your loss is great but God is able to supply it and that either 1. By causing the spirit of Elijah to fall upon Elisha by anointing and raising up of some other to head and feed you in the room of this his servant Or 2ly he can feed you himself without a Minister God can fill up the room of Ministry and Ordinances Indeed let God be absent and there 's nothing can fill up his room It 's not husband wife children estate liberty Pastors Ordinances c. can supply the want of God but now let God be present and that is above and more then all And undoubtedly if God deny you a publick Gospel-Ministry it 's your duty to wait upon him for more secret and immediate feedings I am afraid that as formerly professors were greatly guilty of sleighting and despising the means and ministry of the Gospel so now they will be guilty of Idolizing the Ordinance of publick Preaching at such a rate as to think themselvs bound and obliged to hear men of any principles or practices rather then to neglect that Ordinance Arminians Socinians Jesuits c. any thing every thing rather then be out of publick worship Take heed of mourning in a spirit of unbelief saying Can God spread a table in the wilderness can God feed and teach without a Preacher To live without the true worship of God is bad but to be found in a way of false worship is worse It 's my duty to omit that Ordinance of Christ which I can't enjoy without sin Thus much for that part of the Exhortation which relates to Humiliation I shall give you two brief words further and so close First Is it so that the death of faithful instruments is a matter of great Humiliation Then let this stirr you up to be earnest with the Lord that he would continue and preserve those faithful ministers that do yet remain that he would double his spirit upon them hide them in the secret of his presence increase their number Not forgetting the prayer of Moses for the tribe of Levi Deut. 33.11 in these words Bless Lord his substance and except the work of his hands smite through the loins of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again These words shall undoubtedly be made good with respect unto the ministry of the Gospel Christ will in his time smite through the loins of them that rise up against a Gospel ministry hateing and despitefully using his faithfull servants hee 'l so pierce through their loyns as that they shall fall and never rise more In the mean time take heed you that profess the name of Christ that you do not endanger the rest of the faithful labourers that are left amongst you and that neither 1. By slighting and despising the meanest of them 2 Chron 36.16 But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words misused his prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy Nor Secondly By idolizing those that are most eminent How many famous instruments to speak according to man's judgement hath the professors of this age sent to their graves before their time by idolizing their persons and gifts ascribing that honor and glory to them which was due to Christ alone This spirit and frame hath even forced the Lord in order to the convincing and humbling of his people either to take away the spirit of zeal and courage from such instruments thereby render them unfit for further service or else to remove them by death from earth to heaven out of the sight of all his people that dwell in tabernacles of corrupt clay Lastly Such strokes should teach us all to provide for death God takes away our leaders and we must follow them those that would not follow the counsel and advise of Mr. Sympson while living must follow him to the grave now dead to the grave wee must all go and the Lord knows how soon Of what import therefore is it that we all manage matters so while we live as that when we com to die we may dye in peace in ful assurance of our entrance into glory We should manage all our matters so in this world as those that must once dye and come to judgement performing every thing with this proviso That I may dye well I am so to buy sell and converse with creatures that I may dye well I am so to hear pray read receive the supper have communion with the saints as that I may dye well dye in peace all is to be done in order to dying well My beloved this life is the trimming chamber unto eternity by all the means and mercies that thou dost injoy thou art fitting either to bear the eternal weight of glory or the eternal weight of wrath thou art fitting either for heaven or hell thou wilt either be bound up in the bundle of life or else thou wilt be bound up for hell fire Now the Lord give us all hearts to provide for that everlasting state Amen and Amen FINIS ERRATA Page 1. line last for secret read severe and what literal mistakes or mis-pointings-hath escaped the Press you are desired to amend as you find them
grace but natural affection and to be without natural affection is a very black character 2 Tim. 3.3 And then in Grace there is also a great sympathy If God smites one member of the Church the rest are affected with it If a Paul a Minister of Christ a Pastor a spiritual Father comes to take his farewell of his people and tell them that they shall never see his face more oh what weeping and mourning and lamenting is there at his departure 3dly Another reason is Because there is much of God's anger oft times to be seen in such strokes of God's anger I say not against the persons taken away but against those that remain As when God taketh away a Father a Husband a Wife c. the soul of that Relation may be carryed to Heaven and there possessed of glory and yet nevertheless the death of that Relation may be in judgement to the Family And so in a spiritual Relation God may take away a holy Minister a faithful Pastor and this in judgement to the Flock to those that sate under his Ministry And surely it is the great concernment of you of this Congregation to hear the voice of this Rod and of him that hath appointed it and to endeavour to know the mind of God in this great stroke 4thly The perishing of good men is a matter of great humiliation and that because they are a great blessing to the nations cities families c. where they are cast It fares either the better or the worse with such places for their sake When God destroyed the old world the family of Neah was saved for Noahs sake Gen. 7. And God hath promised to bless them that bless his people and curse them that curse his people Gen. 12 3 27 29 Numb 24.9 Wo then to the ranting damning crew of this generation who make it a matter of sport to curse the saints of the most high for as sure as God is in heaven without true repentance those curses will return upon there one heads The story likewise of Abimelech is remarkable Gen. 20. it 's said God fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah Abrahams wife ver 18th and ver 7 God himself saith to Abimelech restore the man meaning Abraham his wife for he is a prophet and he shall pray for thee and thou shalt live and if thou restore her not know you that thou shalt surely dye thou and all that are thine Moreover you read that God blessed the house of Potipher and all that he had for Josephs sake Gen. 39.1 5 verses And the house of Obed-Edom was blest for the ark sake 2 Sam 6.10 11. And the Citie of Zoar was saved for Le ts sake that he might have a refuge to flie unto Genesis 19. and Proverbs 11.10.11 saith thus When it goeth well with the righteous the city rejoyces and when the wicked perish there is shouting By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked Surely then if the city rejoyceth and is exalted by the blessing and prosperity of the righteous those rulers and great men of the earth that have endeavored or shall endeavour to establish themselves in their greatness power and glory by the imprisoning banishing of the saints are exceedingly blinded and infatuated for by this they discover themselves to be of the spirit of Haman who could not be contented with his name and honour so long as Mordecai sate at the Kings gate so they they have not been content with their greatness so long as the people of God have had any breathing among them but still have designed the building of themselves and their kingdomes upon the ruines of such of whom this world is not worthy It had been well for such if they had seriously considered the just judgement of God upon this proud Haman he sought his own advancement designed that and he was advanced with a witness for he was hanged upon a Gallows fifty cubits high Mind also these Scriptures wherein this particular is further proved Isa 19.24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the land Ezek. 34.25.26 And I will make with them a covenant of peace and will cause the evill beasts to cease out of the land and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing and I will cause the shower to come down in his season there shall be showers of blessing Micah 5.7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord as the showers upon the grasse that tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sons of men In which scripture the great encrease the remnant of Jacob shall have in and the great blesing they shall be unto the nations of the world is prophecied of The people of God must needs be a blessing to the places where they dwell for First There is God especially present that land that is planted with righteous people may be rightly called Jehovah Shammah Ezek. 48. ult Psal 46.5 for the Lord is there God is in the midst of her c. But. 2 Righteous ones are the strength and safety of the nations where they are the pillars indeed upon which the world stand and to speak the truth the world is saved for their sakes Jer. 5. ver 1. God there saith That if one man could be found in Jerusalem that did execute judgment and sought the truth he would pardon it In these words two things are to be noted First that the people of God were at this time reduced to a very small number and those that were Jer. 5.25 to the end were hid could not be seen for Solomon saith Prov. 28.12 but when the wicked rise a man is hidden The rulers and magistrates at this time were as bad as hell Divels incarnate and when there are such magistrates then righteous persons must lye hid there is no appearing for them at such a time Proverbs 28. ult when the wicked rise men that is good men hid themselves but when they perish the righteous increase But. 2 and to the purpose by a man in this text we are to understand that a very few a small number of righteous ones should serve to save the city And answerable to this Gen. 18. you have God condescending to the prayer of Abraham concerning Sodom so low that if there were but 10 righteous persons to be found in it yet he would save the city for the sake of those ten righteous And although there was but one righteous person to be found in Sodom namely Lot and therefore called by the Sodomites This one fellow Gen. 19.9 yet Gods hands were so tyed and bound up by this one righteous man that he could not destroy
set the bells a ringing which imports matter of joy rather then of sorrow I am preaching now to a people who have by a profession separated themselves from the world and the traditions thereof you 'l do well to keep your ground in these evil dayes and so to educate and bring up your children as that they also may be delivered from these snares But 2 If it be a Christ like frame of spirit to bewail the perishing of good men it informs us how unlike to Christ that spirit is whereby men do censure and reproach good men when taken away by death And I do the rather mention this because some have taken the boldness to judge and censure this pretious servant of Christ now in glory and to speak very unworthily concerning him since his death Oh dreadfull how unlike to Christ is this spirit thou that shouldst be judging condemning thy self for non improvement of so great a mercy artjudging this eminent servant of Christ now dead The Liturgy of the Church of England wil teach theebetter for let personsbe never so vile in their lives yet when they come to be laid in the grave then they are dear brethren sisters Consider you that are of this spirit how sad it will be if this servant of Christ shall appear as a witness against you at the great day of account if the sermons that he preach'd the profers of grace that God made by him shal witness against thee and thou then be judged condemned and sent to hell for not receiving entertaining and improving the precious sermons of this glorified saint It 's possible now you that judge and condemn him and speak more then you know or more then is truth of him and that possibly to carnall and wicked persons you may have your tale heard it may be pleasing to wicked prophane people that he should be so judged by his own followers but at the great day of Christ there wil be none to hear a tale against him at that day God will clear his innocency before men and Angels and it shall appear to all the world that he was a true and a faithful servant of Christ when it may be some of those that do now judge him shall then be condemned for notorious hypocrits and it shall appear that notwithstanding all their profession and pretended Zeal for the name and glory of God they were workers of iniquity and such who did live in the love of some accursed sin or other O therefore away with this spirit to hell with it for from thence it came Let it suffice that this glorified saint suffered much in this kind while he was living I am apt to think the heats and passions and rash censures of professors hath made him oft go home with a sad heart and cost him many a tear in private let this his suffering suffice let not his name suffer now he is dead suffer him to be quiet in his grave Leave his judgement to the Lord and let it be your work to improve those many pretious sermons that he hath in the fear of his God preach'd unto you As to the matter of his taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy upon his releasment out of Prison About Mr. Sympson's taking the Oaths which hath occasioned so much talk I shall onely say these two things First that in Queen Elizabeths and King James time these Oaths were taken and pleaded for and that not onely by the faith and troth Christians but even by the Non-conformists of those times who were eminent for God in their day and whose names are yet pretious among the Lords people who are known by their works to be men greatly inlightned in the mysteries of the Gospel Now although I do not look upon their example to be binding to the saints in after-ages or a sufficient rule for our practice yet I judge the consideration not onely of the great holyness but also of the clear light that many of those who did them take the Oaths with great satis faction had in the word of God may a little take off the edge of that bitter spirit that is in many professors against their brethren for these things for that it cannot be judged otherwise but that many who did take these Oaths with great satisfaction are now in glory But 2. Who made thee Lord over thy Brother's Conscience Must all professors be condemned by thee because they cannot see with thy eyes and tread in thy steps By what authority doest thou impose thy particular light and perswasion upon thy brother that so as almost to un-saint him without conformity This imposing spirit is an Antichristian spirit evermore How unlike thy self dost thou act when notwithstanding thou pleadest for Liberty of Conscience and against impositions yet thou shalt impose thine own perswasions upon thy brother after this rare Such imposing spirits let their protessions be what they will are not to be confided in for it may well be feared that those that can so readily take away the good name of a godly man because he cannot conform to their Light would take away his estate and liberty also upon the very same account were it in their power Note Indeed those men are greatly to be lamented that shall sin against Light against avowed principles against solemn covenants and engagements shall do that which is clean contrary to their own doctrines and assertions I mean when those avowed principles folemn covenants doctrines and assertions have been according to the Word of God But thus did not this faithful man he did nothing in this matter but what was according to his Light and that is evident for that several months before his imprisonment he did publickly declare his judgment to be for and not against the taking of these Oaths and did plead it while in prison with several friends and when he came before the Court the matter lying so that either he must take the Oaths or else return to prison he did judge that he should have sinned against God and against those over whom the Holy Ghost had made him overseer and against his family and against himself if he should have returned to prison for refusing that which he had light to do The case being thus as it is known to hundreds to be I should hardly trust my life estate or liberty in that mans hand that should trample upon the name of Mr. John Simpson for so doing Use 2 The next use may be of Exhortation Is it so that it is a Christ-like frame of spirit to be deeply affected with to mourn over the death of such as are truly gracious Then it concerns us seriously to consider the providences of God this way and that more generally and more particularly First more generally God hath lately made sad breaches upon many of the families of his precious servants many a flourishing samily hath mouldred away in a little time And
God hath lately taken away many very famous instruments both Ministers and others so that we have cause to cry out with the Psalmist Ps 12.1 Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of men Now this dispensation of God calls for deep humiliation and it becomes us to bow before God and to meet him in the way of his judgments least his wrath break out further against us and there be no remedy But 2d and more particularly I would beg you of this Congregation to consider the present stroke of God upon you in taking away Mr. John Sympson And for the enforcing of this consideration I shall propose these few particulars First This to me is a very speaking providence I know all the providences of God speaks something to us but this speaks very much as first it speaks forth an immediate hand of God God hath taken him from you and not man Now for God to take away his Ministers at such a day as this is must needs be a speaking providence even at such a day wherein men slay them civilly slay them in their testimony and render them as naturally dead for God then to take them away by death is as much as if God should say Well if my servants trouble you if their testimony be a torment unto you I 'le take them from you and provide for them in another world You say they shal be as if they were naturally dead and because you say so they shall be dead indeed for God and man to be both at this work man to slay them civilly and God to slay them judicially is surely matter of great lamentation 2. This stroke may speak forth to many of you a non improvement of so great a mercy as the continuance of his Ministery was I judg many of you present lived years under the Ministry of this faithful servant of Christ and his Ministry hath been unto you As a very lovely song Ezek. 33.32 of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument you have heard his words but you would not do them There hath not been a suitable conversation to such a Ministry A Gospel spiritual heavenly Ministry calls for a Gospel spiritual and heavenly Conversation such was his Ministry but such I fear hath not been the conversation of many of his hearers And indeed all of us that did injoy more or less of his labours have cause to mourn before the Lord this day for our non-improvement that we were so vain and careless in our hearing that we took no more care about the hearing receiving and practising what God was pleased to reveal unto us by his servant This faithfull man might according to the judgement of reason have lived many years done much service Now for God to take away his faithfull labourers in the midst of their days to cause their son to set at noon is a providence that hath a dreadfull aspect upon unfaithfull and unfruitfull hearers And indeed such like strokes tells us all that Eternity draws on apace that 't wil not be long ere the Kingdom of Christs patience be over 't wil be but as a day and Christ shall cease to make proffers of grace and the spirit shal cease to strive with man and all faithful Ministers and Laborers shall cease to pray and preach for ever and those unalterable words shall be made good Rev. 22.11 Let him that is unjust be unjust still c. Oh! what would many a condemned wretch give at the great day to have Christ and mercy and pardon proffered to it then as they have been many a time proffered in the Ministry of this glorified Saint But know O soul that if thou diest despising and rejecting Christ and spiritual blessings Christ will despise thee at that day and then 't wil not be all thy crying and roaring that will save thee from the wrath of the Lamb from everlasting plagues and judgements 3. This dispensation of God may possibly speak to many of you a dispising sleighting the person and gifts of this holy man In this generation of professors hath been found a haughty proud spirit a heart lifted up against God and his honest sincere hearted servants No sooner have persons gotten a few airy notions of religion but presently they have been apt to slight and trample upon not onely those that have been below them but upon those also who have infinitly to speak by way of comparison excelled them both in parts and grace Now for God to take away his eminently gifted servants doth very much condemn this proud and haughty spirit In such kind of providences God seemeth thus to speak Is it not enough O ye professors of England is it not enough that my faithfull ministers labourers should be reproached and scorned and trampled on by the prophane wicked people but you my professing people must despise and scorn them and delight to grieve their spirits When it may be a faithful servant of mine hath with prayers and tears secretly sought unto me for light in such a scripture or truth and I have answered his prayer and given him light therein and he hath preacht unto you in my spirit and fear then with a great deal of dis-respect to my servant you have brought forth your objections and cavils against the truth delivered and this not to satisfie your selves in the knowledge of truth It hath not been that you might know love and obey truth but to please your itching ears and your critical fancies and so have sent home my servant with a troubled and a perplexed spirit for your sakes Well saith God since it is so that my servants testimony is a torment to the prophane and their gifts and persons despised by you that profess my name I 'l take them out of the world out of all your way take them into mine own bosome and kingdom where neither a scornful malicious sinner nor a proud professor shall trouble or grieve them more This kind of spirit was in the Church of Corinth Paul that glorious preacher was sleighted by many of the gifted persons of that Church 2 Cor. 10.10 and it 's not to be questioned but that there were some in that Church that thought themselves as wise as Paul and as fit to preach as Paul and to advise and give counsell as Paul c. But I would have persons of this spirit to weigh that text Ezek. 33.30 saith God to Ezekiel Also thou son of man the children of thy people are still a talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses and speak one to another every one to his brother saying Come I pray you and hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord. Here God taketh notice of their secret whisperings against his Prophets how they spoke against Ezekiel behind the door and the wall and said scoffingly come let us go hear
what this Ezekiel will tell us from the Lord what storie of judgement and wrath he hath to prate of to day My dearly beloved God taketh notice of all those unworthy speeches that are spoken secretly concerning his ministers he takes notice of that vain sleight spirit that hath been among professors who have said one to another Come le ts go hear such a man to day hear what he will say what news he will tel us what he will speak in the name of the Lord to us this day c. Beloved is there ever a soul in this congregation that hath secretly spoken against this faithfull servant of Christ now in heaven Oh! that God would break thy heart and so sanctify this present stroke as that it may tend to humble thee under the sense of thy sin And thus much for the first argument to move to humiliation viz. that the death of this faithfull servant of Christ is a very speaking providence Secondly To move you to a sense of this stroke consider these two great circumstances wherewith it was cloathed First That God took him away immediately upon his releasment out of Prison when you had some hopes of a further enjoyment of his labors and Secondly That God should take him away at such a time a time wherein there is the greatest want of faithful and zealous laborers as hath been for many scores of years in England especially of such as are inlightned in and zealous for Church-work such as have abilities for and a heart to that great work of maintaining the people of God in their separation from the world and Antichristian defilements Thirdly A third motive to humiliation is that near relation that was between this servant of the Lord and many of you present he was to many of you a faithful Pastor and Teacher who labored amongst you in the Word and Doctrine And mind what the Prophet saith Zech. 13.7 Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered c. If the Lord prevent not now the shepherd is smitten you 'l be scattered for it will be hard to find a person so ready to venture life and liberty to feed you as undoubtedly had God spared him he would have been And besides to many of you he might be a spiritual Father a Father in Christ a means of your Conviction and Conversion and oh what hard hearts have you if you cannot mourn over a dead Father a dead shepherd a faithful Pastor when taken from you c But Fourthly consider those blessed qualifications wherewith this servant of Christ was bespangled and whereby he was inabled to serve the glory of God and your souls As First he was one that had love for all Saints he had room in his heart for every soul that he did judge to be received into the heart of Christ he held communion with the Saints not upon the account of this or that form or name but uponthe account of union with the Lord Jesus he loved no man upon the account of opinion but upon the account of union with Christ and this he hath declared many a time in this Congregation There was hardly a member that he did in the name of Christ and the Church give the right hand of fellowship unto but he did acquaint them with this his principle told them that union with Christ was the ground of communion among the Saints and the reason of their admission was not their being of this or that opinion but for that they were judged persons interested in Christ and such who by virtue of Christs purchase were heirs of that glory above that must receive all Saints not as Presbyters or Independents or Anabaptists c. but as Saints into its everlasting habitations Secondly He had great light in the doctrine of Free Grace he had cast anchorwithin the vail and understood much of that great mystery of the mercy seat And indeed here lay the glory of his ministry in holding forth the riches of Gods grace by Jesus Christ In the preaching of this Doctrine he was a mystery to this blind world they could not understand him and therefore hardly knew by what name to call him and not onely so but he was an offence to many professors for they not being able to reach him did judge that he intended liberty to sin notwithstanding he did often mention those cautions laid down by the Apostle Rom. 6.1.2.15 Gal. 2.17 And as at many other times so blessed be God a little before his imprisonment preaching from that text Rev. 3.15.16 c. he did so charge professors with their lukewarmness and hypocrisie and neglect of closet duty and family duty and Church duty that he left a sussicient testimony behind him for the stopping of such mouths for ever But in this the servant was not above his Lord for the Pharisees did thus charge Christ they did charge him with being a friend to publicans and sinners * Mat. 11.19 Something of truth there was in this charge for Christ he was the sinners friend but undoubtedly the intent of that charge was to accuse Christ with being a friend to sin and with indulging sin and wickednesse in his followers which was abominable for though Christ loveth the sinner yet he hates the sin with a perfect hatred Hebr. 1.9 Now if the wicked heart of man could thus charge Christ it 's no wonder that this his faithful servant should thus be judged And further as he had great light in the Covenant of Grace so he preacht that Doctrine with the greatest alacrity and raisedness of spirit imaginable In the handling of other subjects he was more streightned and discomposed but when he came to speak of the unsearchable riches of the Grace of Christ he was as an Angel of God lifted up above himself he had a flood of words and yet seemed to want words to express what he did know and what he did enjoy of divine grace and favour This being true as those that did live under his Ministry knows it to be the loss must needs be great To lose a pure Gospel Preacher is a great loss Eternity depends upon a right understanding of the great Doctrine of Justification by Christ Eternity depends not upon being baptized once or twice upon this or the other Form we may be guilty of mistakes about the circumstances of worship and yet be happy but if we mistake about the greatmatter of our Justification by Christ we are lost for ever And besides this Doctrine gives in the best comfort in the worst times gives peace in trouble and joy in sorrow and life in death c. When there are troubles without and fears within it is the consideration of the Covenant of Grace alone that can establish and settle the heart of a true believer It 's not so much the souls looking to the light within or to its own qualifications as to that perfect satisfaction that Christ made to divine justice for
and teach to rule I say not as Lords over your consciences but according to the blessed direction of Scripture-Canons that so you may be able to bless God in the words of Ezra cap. 9.8 And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God to leave us a Remnant to escape and to give us a Nail in his holy Place that our God may lighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage All I desire which I am sure I shal have is your acceptance of this my love in the Lord. I can't say that I do here present unto you the same Sermon verbatim that you heard preacht For besides those necessary distinctions that must be put between the Tongue and the Pen I hà ve superadded some things for the perfecting this Discourse which I think you will not judge useless or needless when you shall have read it When ought of Truth is presented unto you take heed of looking too much upon the hand that brings it or upon the dress in which it comes not upon the hand because then if the instrument that presents it be accounted unworthy Truth will be despised He that presents you with this following discourse is a very unworthy instrument as unworthy as you can imagine him to be though blessed be God how vile soever he be in other mens eyes he desires to be more vile in his own But yet I hope you have learnt with the holy Prophet to be content to be fed though it be by a Raven it 's no matter who brings truth so God sends it though withall I would here give you this caution Take heed of going out of Gods way for feeding I conclude that that man that resolves to go to Rome to learn the Articles of the Christian Faith hath met with some bad counsel Keep in thy way and have thy Touchstone alwayes ready and then with the Goldsmith when ought is presented unto thee first try it and if it prove right and sound take it and bless God for it and mind not the person that brings it but take heed of going out of thy shop for it may be whilst thou art trading in other mens shops thine own may be robbed Again Mind not the dress in which Truth comes Many have such critical stomachs that plain wholesome fare will not down with them notwithstanding times are hard and bread dear yet they must have food in such a dress or else they are not pleased they 'le be ready to slight such food as the Countrey people would be glad of with all their heart I dare not invite one such person to my little Feast and that because I fear there 's not one bit will please him I am plain and cannot be otherwise I dare say the following discourse is wholesome if therefore wholesom food will please thee eat and much good may do thee As to this particular I would only beg you To look back and consider those many exhortations you had from that blessed man Mr. Cradock to keep close to the plainness and simplicity of the Gospel To close My dearly beloved you are a people greatly blest of God with respect to the means of Grace your constant helps for above these twenty years have been glorious helps your Auxiliary helps which you have had in abundance have been glorious helps Considering one thing with another I think I may say and not sin you have enjoyed the Cream of the world Surely Friends God expects great things from you expects you should be eminent Christians Eminent 1. In thankfulness the high praises of God should be in your mouths for that he hath dealt so bountifully with you 2. Eminent in fruitfulness Unfruitsulness under such means soon fits the soul for cursing and burning Isa 5. Mat. 3.10 Heb. 6 7 8. 3. Entinent in faithfulness and that 1. in respect to sincerity Phil. 1.10 You should not do things to be seen of men but as alwayes under Gods eye 2. In respact of constancy Rev. 2.10 Be faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life The Sermons thou hast heard and the Servants of Christ that have preacht unto thee will all witness against thee if thou shalt turn Apost ate Consider these things and do accordingly and it will be well with you now better anon and best of all at last Vale. The perishing and failing of good men a matter of great and sore lamentation Joh. 11.35 Jesus wept AS every thing is beautiful in its season so words when spoken in due season are like apples of gold in pictures of silver And therefore it is the great work of a Preacher to consider the state of the people to whom he preaches so to prepare his work before hand as that he may hit the mark knock the nail on the head The Preacher sought out acceptable words now generally those words are most acceptable to and best received by the hearers especially intelligent hearers that are suited to their present condition Good words may be vain words in a preachers mouth and they are evermore so when they are either inconsistant to the argument in hand or else altogether unsuitable to the capacity and state of the hearers I considering therefore the secret hand of God upon this Congregation in taking away that eminent Servant of Christ Mr. John Sympson thought it incumbent upon me to speak something at this time that might be suitable to the present dispensation of God towards you and in my meditations this Scripture was cast in Jesus wept The occasion of this text is known unto you in the begining of this Chapter you read that Lazarus was sick and the news thereof immediatly sent to Jesus who notwithstanding he dearly loved him yet as the sequel of the story acquaints you he doth not presently go up to Bethany to visit sick Lazarus but maketh a stay for several days the reason whereof is at hand viz. That a sentence of death might pass upon beloved Lazarus and he be laid in the grave and a stone rouled upon him and all this in order to the manifestation of the glory and power of Christ in his resurrection It is good here to note that as Christ here dealt with Lazarus so he doth often deal with his beloved Spouse his Church on earth the Church she is sick lieth languishing and nigh to death report hereof is made to Christ in heaven and he is desired to come and visit his sick Spouse Christ though he loves his Spouse with a dear immutable love yet he seemeth to turn a deaf ear upon this request and carrieth it as if he did not mind Zions concernments as if he cared not how she was abused and trampled on by this wicked persecuting world but the reason as above lieth here that so a sentence of death might pass upon the Church and upon all her concerns and glory and all this in order to the manifestation of Christs