visited him in his sicknesse David complaines of some who came to him in the day of his calamity when he was under some grievous disease not to comfort him but to see whether there was any hope of his death but Joash though a wicked man visited not the Prophet upon such an account he desired his life and feared his death he came not out of hatred but out of love not to entrap him but to comfort him not to observe whether there were any hopes of his death but whether there were any hopes of his life not as a malicious spy to watch whether any words dropt from his lips which he might spread abroad to his reproach but as a friend to condole and sympathize with him and to bemoane so great a losse for when he perceived that he was drawing nigh unto his end and ere long would bid that Kingdome and the world farewell he wept over his face 4. The honourable titles which he gave unto the Prophet not in a false and flattering complement the common sin of this Age wherein men professe that with their lips which is far from their hearts but from a just and a reall sense and apprehension that he had of the Prophets merits and deserts to be honoured with the title of Father and to be accounted and esteemed the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof And he said O my father my father c. The parts thus opened we come to the Doctrines which arise out of the words The person that was sick and died we told you was both a good man and a holy Prophet from whence we may observe in the first place Doctrine That the best of men must dye neither great nor good can escape deaths dart Psal 89.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death The wise as well as the foolish the pious as well as the impious the strict as well as the loose must lye down in the grave Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regumque turres Abraham eminent for faith Moses for meeknesse David for zeale Jehosaphat for livelinesse and holy fervour in the waies of God Nehemiah for spirituall valour and courage yet they all shut their eyes upon the world and bad it farewell Look upon those worthies made mention of Heb. 11. men of whom the world was not worthy what became of them The Text tels us ver 13. All these died in the faith Reason First The bodies of the best are composed of the same materials with the bodies of the worst the gracious soule hath no stronger a Cabinet than the gracelesse soule good men many times have weaker bodies than bad men Gaius who had a thriving soule had a weake and sickly body the best are but earthen vessels at the best 2 Cor. 4.7 which will not last alwaies but lye open to a thousand casualties and a little knock breakes them in peeces Secondly Ioh. 16.2 3. Christ hath prepared a better place for them to which they must passe through the gates of death this the Apostle Paul knew full well Phil. 1.23 and therefore he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ He tels us 2 Cor. 5.4 that he was willing that mortality might be swallowed up of life loath he was to be uncloathed but yet he chose to be stript by death of his old rags rather than not to be cloathed with those robes which he expected from heaven Thirdly Ioh. 17.24 Christ hath prayed that they might be where he is therefore they must not live here alwaies We read Acts 3.2 that the heavens must receive Christ till the times of restitution of all things Though Christ as God is every where yet as he is Mediator he sits at the right hand of his Father Now there is no being where Christ is without tasting of the cup of death whereof Christ himselfe tasted before he was taken up into glory Christs members must be conformable unto him in suffering death here before they can be made conformable unto him in glory hereafter Fourthly God loves them so well that he will have them come home unto him here gracious soules are said to be absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 as children long to see their beloved Parents so loving Parents long to have the full enjoyment of their Children Christ can no more endure that his Children should be alwaies from him than his Children can endure to be alwaies from Christ Now the ordinary messenger which Christ imploies to bring home his Children unto him is death Uses Must the righteous dye what then shall become of the unrighteous Will God make his own to drinke of this bitter cup Then let not those who are none of Gods thinke to escape it no no dye dye you must though full sore against your wills But shall your deaths be like unto the deaths of Gods holy ones No there shall be as great a difference between your deaths and theirs as there hath been between your lives and theirs they are taken away from the evill to come but your evill is to come when you are taken away they are taken away from their enemies but go to their friends you are taken away from your friends but must go to your enemies they are taken away in mercy you shall be taken away in judgement when they dye they go to heaven when you dye you must go to hell when they dye they go to enjoy sweet and uninterrupted communion with Father Son and Holy Ghost when you dye you must go to converse with devils damned spirits when they dye their worst is past their best is to come when you dye your best is past your worst is to come when they dye they shall suffer no more you never suffer to any purpose till you come to dye Now now you shall be snatch'd from your cups of pleasure to drinke of cups of gall and wormwood Psal 75. â— from your stately houses to a loathsome dungeon from your carnall ease and contentments to endlesse and extreme tortures and howlings Woe woe unto you wicked ones weep and howle for the miseries which are likely to come upon you you are not so high now but you will be as low then you are not so honourable now but you will be as contemptible then you are not so joviall and merry now but you will be as sad and heavy then would you dye as the righteous dye then live as the righteous live if you would have your latter end like unto his let your conversation for the present be like unto his Must good men very good men the best of men such who have received a double portion of the spirit more than others who are full of faith and of the Holy Ghost dye Then let this teach us to make sure of God who lives for ever and cannot dye great is the comfort much is the benefit which is conveighed from persons eminent for grace
Thus we have done with the first Doctrine in the next place we shall look upon Elisha as a holy Prophet and from hence give you this observation Doct. 2 That such Ministers who are very usefull and holy must dye Elisha a most gracious Prophet furnished with a double portion of that spirit which acted in his Master Elijah a most usefull man the Chariot and the horsemen of Israel must not live alwaies but give up the Ghost For proofe of the Doctrine consult with these Scriptures though we have had many sad experiences and that of late to confirme it Zach. 1.5 1 Sam. 25 1. What is become of all the Apostles who served God in their generation were spirituall Fathers to beget soules unto God who both planted and builded up the Church of God who were choice and precious men one was crucified another headed another boiled in a Cauldron and all died Where is our Preston our Taylor our Sibs our Hill our Whitaker and many more The grave hath swallowed them up The reasons which we gave you to prove the precedent Doctrine might serve for the confirmation of this but we will adde one or two more First Because people will not make that use of their Ministry as they should God sends them to negotiate a peace between his glorious Majesty and peoples precious soules Now when they have made many overtures from their great Lord and Master and all are slighted none will be accepted God thinkes it fit to send for them home when Princes see that Embassadours cannot obtaine with Forreign States what they expected they call them home again there are not more usefull instruments in a State or Church than faithfull and holy Ministers God sets them up as lights to enlighten the minds of men as guides to direct men as watchmen to warne them as saviours to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies Sin Sathan and the World Now if no body will make use of their light follow their directions regard their warnings or be willing to be resened out of the hands of their spirituall enemies it is but just with God to take them away Who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed 2. God will not suffer his Ministers alwaies to live in the world because the world is not worthy of them they are so far from improving their doctrine and life that they are rather filled with rage against them both the Scripture speakes much of the worlds unkind and perverse carriage towards the Messengers of God read these places 2 Chron. 36.16 Ier. 15.16 Chap. 20.7 8. Micah 2.6 Mat. 23.37 by abusing mercies we justly forfeit them The world is weary of Gods Ministers and Gods Ministers are weary of the world now God will ease the world of his Ministers and when he doth this it is in wrath to the world and he will ease his Ministers of the world but when he doth this it is in mercy to his Ministers God is very tender of his Messengers takes the scornes and affronts cast upon them as offered unto himself he cannot endure to see them wrong'd and hence it is that he will remove them 3. Should the Ministers of God live here alwaies none would be so miserable as they are did not their future hopes support them their present condition would be very sad though all that live godly in Christ suffer persecution yet none so persecuted as the godly Ministers 1 Cor. 15.19 other Christians may drinke of bitter cups but the dregs usually are poured on the Lords Embassadours if others endure a storm yet the fiercest part lights upon them 4. Die they must that they may receive that Crown of righteousnesse which God hath laid up for them in heaven the Crown of life will not be set upon their heads till they have passed through the straights of death Rev. 2.10 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Uses First It should teach us that are Gods Ministers to do what we can for God whilest we have time and strength How active was the Apostle Paul when he perceived a doore was opened to promote the interest of the Lord Jesus He knew not how long that doore might stand open nor how soone he might be taken away and this made him to bestirre himselfe the more when he perceived that his departure drew nigh he sends for the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. and bestows his counsels and prayers upon them The Apostle Peter also understanding that he had not long to live was the more carefull to stir up the minds of the dispersed Jews to keep the faith that had been delivered unto them and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ and to take heed that they were not carried away with the errour of the wicked and so fall from their own stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 1.13 14. Chap. 3.17 18. Take we therefore the counsell of Solomon Eccl. 9.10 Let our thoughts and our studies our prayers and our counsels our time and our strength be laid out for our Lord and Master Let that which a godly Minister wrote upon his Study doore be deeply engraven in our memories and thought upon every day by us Minister verbi es hoc age Let us be more mindfull of our work than of our wages how to encrease Christs Kingdome than to advance our own secular interests how to make our people good than how to render our selves great how to enrich the soules of others rather than to be enriched by others we have a good Master that will pay us well 1 Pet. 52 3.4 and though we should have little encouragement from the ungratefull world yet we shall want no encouragement from our gracious God Oh that the same mind were in us which was in Jesus Christ who sought not his own honour but the honour of him that sent him We know not how soone we may be laid aside let us worke the harder whilest we have time Secondly Must Gods faithfull Ministers die yet do you take heed of having any hand in their deaths precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints but the death of no Saints is more precious in Gods sight than the death of his Ministers Were you not afraid saith God to Aaron and Miriam to speake against my servant Moses one who was so neere unto God much more cause have we to feare to act against them if God was so angry vvith those vvho did strike them vvith their tongues hovv angry vvill he be vvith those vvho strike them vvith their hands That counsell vvhich Pilates Wife gave him in reference to the Lord Jesus will not be amisse for any to take in reference to his Ministers and servants you may read it Mat. 27.19 Have no physicall hand in their death have no morall hand in their death provoke not God by your sins to deprive you of their labours the lengthning out of their lives may be the
lengthning out of yours and their deaths may make way for yours you will be the greatest losers they undoubtedly will be gainers Phil. 1.23 24. They are your watchmen if they be removed spoylers may quickly breake in upon you they are your guides if they die you may soon step into by-paths they stand between God and you that judgement might be kept off that mercies might be continued if they fall to the earth it will not be long ere wrath will fall upon you Be so kind and loving to your selves as not to be unkind or cruell towards them lest you hasten their deaths whose prayers and teares preserve your lives Slight not that counsell which they deliver you from God oppose not those truths which they bring stampt with divine authority turne not your backs upon their Ministry or that Ministry which they have received from the Lord set not up nor abet nor countenance any factions against them let there be no divisions no separations which have not Gods allowance and approbation let not your lives be loose and scandalous give them not cause to say we have laboured in vaine we have spent our strength in vaine these things will pierce the hearts of gracious Ministers and bring them with sorrow to their graves Phil. 3.18 Jer 9.1 as your close walking will be their joy so your carnall walking will be their grief what faithful servant will not mourn to see his Masters errant slighted and contemned As it is a dreadfull thing for Ministers to be guilty of the bloud of their peoples soules by any cursed neglect so it is a dreadfull thing for people to be guilty of the bloud of their Ministers by their ungodly and unwarrantable practices Thirdly Must godly Ministers dye make use then of them whilest you have them let a physician come to your house but for an houre or two and you will aske him all that you can thinke of which may be conducible to your bodily health Do the Prophets live for ever Here they have no abiding place they are every day upon removing suffer them not to go to heaven without receiving some spirituall good from them get some benefit by that precious liquor which is in them before the earthen vessels that carry it be broken in peeces they are given you to make you better all their gifts all their graces all their abilities are yours 1 Cor. 3.23 when Elisha understood that his master Elijah would ere long be taken from his head he would not leave him one moment but was carefull to improve him to the utmost how gladly would we be instruments of your conversion helpers of your faith furtherers of your joy every way promoters of your spirituall welfare How willingly would we spend our selves and be spent for you Oh that you were but as desirous to receive good from us as we are desirous to do good to you God knows how earnest we are that Christ may be formed in you before we go hence and be no more seene take the counsell which our Saviour Christ gave his hearers Ioh. 12.35 improve Gods Ministers in publike be constant and diligent hearers of them receive the Law at their mouths let not their counsels be as water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered up let them not have cause to complaine as Simon Peter did Luke 5.4 that they have cast the net Sabbath after Sabbath but have caught nothing Improve them in private conferre often with them how glad would we be of your company we are willing to give you our counsell without the expectation of a fee improve their experiences our temptations our consolations 2 Cor. 1.4 our buffetings our trials in a word all our experiences are for your advantage we are exercised with doubts feares desertions assaults that we may be the better able to speake a word in season unto you God hath lent you a pious and a painfull Minister for 27 yeares he hath preached the word amongst you in season and out of season oh turne your eyes inward and examine your selves how you have improved him for God will examine you one day if any of you after so much plowing dressing dunging still remaine barren let me tell you you are neere unto cursing if those multiplied shoures of divine truths which have fallen amongst you have not bettered you Mat. 10.14 15. your condemnation at that great day will be greater than the condemnation of Sodom and Gomorrah Fourthly Must usefull and godly Ministers die Yet let us keep them as long as we can we will do what we can to preserve the lives of those who are instruments of much good unto us we have more cause to seek the safety and continuance of our soule-friends than of the friends of our bodies spirituall welfare is better than corporall and a thriving soule than a prosperous estate God hath lessened the number of able and gracious Ministers very much of late many burning and shining Lights have been extinguished call we upon God to stay his hand lest we be overspread with darknesse let them not dye for want of our prayers and teares to keep them alive Peter was nigh unto death the Church praies for him and God gave her Peters life as an answer to her prayers Act. 12.12 13. Take heed also of slighting scorning and abusing of the Ministers of God nothing provokes God more to deprive us of his blessings than our wretched undervaluing and abusing of them Mat. 23.37 Jesuiticall designes are on foot to lay aside and root out Gods faithfull Messengers never was there greater cause of feare that what hath often been attempted shall now be put into execution those revilings and contempts which have been and still are cast upon the Ministry with too much countenance from some and without any check from others may incense God to put out those lights that are as yet shining and to give way to the cursed enterprizes and machinations of men of corrupt minds and malicious and prophane hearts Againe would we have God to continue our Teachers unto us would we see their faces still and not have them driven into corners let us be fruitfull under their Ministry answer the paines and cost they are at with us God will not grudge any kindnesse to a soulethriving people the barrennesse of hearers will cause a dearth and scarcity of Preachers Isa 5.1 2 3 4 5. You will not suffer your servants to spend their time alwaies in ploughing dressing and sowing that ground which notwithstanding all your labour brings forth nothing but briars and thornes God will call away his Ministers from those places where they have bestowed much paines but cannot prevaile with their people to be a jot better Againe would you see the faces of your Teachers still Blesse God for them unthankfulnesse deprives us of many choice favours we live in sad times Gods Messengers are lookt upon as the burdens of the Nation but had the Nation no worse burdens
and malicious enemies are delivered from them And is not this the condition of all our gracious friends vvhen they dye Are they not novv at ease vvho vvere once in paine Are they not novv at liberty vvho vvere once in prison For this vvorld is a prison to a pious soule Are they not novv freed from all their enemies vvho could have no rest night or day from one enemy or other Rejoice therefore that their vvarfare is accomplished and blesse God that he hath not taken avvay himselfe from us though he hath deprived us of such vvho vvere our deare friends vve have no cause to grudge at the losse of these Cisternes so long as vve have the fountaine What though these bottles be dry vve cannot vvant the refreshing vvaters of comfort so long as the spring is vvith us vvhen God takes avvay our outvvard helps he takes avvay such as may better be spared than himselfe let our losses be what they vvill they may very vvell be borne so long as vve enjoy God vvho is alsufficient Hast thou lost a loving husband yet blesse God that Christ vvho loves thee and will live vvith thee is not lost thy naturall Father is dead but thou hast a Father in heaven vvho vvants no vvisdome to counsell thee no love to comfort thee no povver to help thee no supplies to relieve thee vvho is not ignorant or unsensible of thy condition and vvill be vvith thee continually Thou hast lost a precious Pastor yet thou hast a better shepheard to take care of thee the Lord Jesus blessed for ever But vvhy say I vve have lost our friends vvhen they dye We rather part vvith them for a season than lose them they are gone a little before us to that place vvhere vve shall be ere long and enjoy them more refined more pure more lovely and amiable never to part vvith them more Besides vve have cause to rejoyce though not in the death of our Christian friends yet in the spirituall benefits that vve shall reap by their deaths God hath said Rom. 8.28 All things shall vvorke together for good to those vvho love him and are the called according to his purpose True vve cannot see hovv the losse of gracious friends shall turn to our advantage but vve must shut the eyes of sense and live by faith in the promise it is ground sufficient for us to beleeve that vve shall be gainers by our losses because God hath said so vvho cannot lye 7. Must godly men dye Then let godly men take heed of setting their hearts inordinately upon these outward blessings and comforts from which they must part the more the world is in our affections the lesse pleasing and welcome will the thoughts of death be unto us Why are we loath to dye Because we are not prepared and why are we not prepared But because we have minded earth too much and heaven too little Oh the world the world how hath it got too much hold of the hearts of too many good Christians never was there more need to preach upon that Text Take heed and beware of covetousnesse Or upon those words of Paul Set your affections upon things above not on things below What heare we from the men of the world For ought we see these who pretend so much to heaven are as greedy after the earth as others and it were well if their tongues were no flander in this particular if the world be our treasure why make we a profession of Christ And if Christ be our treasure why do we embrace the world It is no wonder to see earnall men who have not God for their Father who have no promise for a necessary supply of those outward things who have no spirituall stock to comfort their hearts no heaven but what may be found in the confluence of temporall enjoyments to be violent in their desires and endeavours after the world but you that are Christians indeed and not in name only have no cause to be over-carefull or to cumber your selves with too many things Gods power and faithfulnesse are engaged that you shall want no good thing Psal 84.11 Mat. 6.33 Rom. 8.32 Grant you have wife and children to provide for yet take heed of wounding your own soules and consciences by excessive thoughtfulnesse for their bodies the Apostles rule must be obeyed or else we shall be found guilty but what is that you will say read 1 Cor. 7.29.30 31. the best way we can take to provide for wife and children is to do what God commands and not to practice what God forbids Psal 112.1 2 3. As I would not have you to neglect your particular callings so I would not have you to forget your generall callings thinke not only that you are men and stand in need of earthly supplies but remember also you are Christians and are call'd to have your conversation in heaven be you thoughtfull to honour God and God will be thoughtfull to maintaine and provide for you and yours Walke therefore closely with God keep up and maintaine the power of Godlinesse improve all opportunities put into your hands to do or to get good balke no duty commanded Be more mindfull to make thy friends and children good than great and to leave them in the armes of Christ than to leave them millions of gold and silver An estate raised by sinfull neglects or commissions will do thy children more hurt than good and it is more than an even lay that that will be spent loosely by them which hath been gotten covetously by thee 8. Must the godly dye Then let those who are godly prepare for death do nothing now which may move God to conceale his love in that last houre True it is no sooner shall your breath be stopt here but your soules shall be carried into heaven yet you may so order the matter that your departure may be clouded Ah! how sweet will it be for God to smile upon us when we come to dye to say unto us Well done thou good and faithfull servant enter now into thy Masters joy Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure keep your evidences cleare blot them not by any loose or scandalous practice take heed of grieving that spirit which hath at any time sealed you to the day of redemption 9. Must the godly dye Let this be matter of support and consolation unto all godly ones in the midst of those troubles and temptations which they meet withall in the world Art thou buffeted by sathans temptations wearied with that body of death which thou carriest about thee Dost thou groane under the burden of a vile and cursed heart Art thou followed with variety of afflictions Do thy enemies scorne and persecute thee Be of good comfort death will come death will come ere long and set thee free from all thine enemies Job speaking of the grave tels us There the wicked cease from troubling there the weary are at rest Job 3.17
they would have no cause to groane or complaine some there are who once thought themselves happy in the enjoyment of a faithfull Pastor who now would thinke themselves happy in the want and losse of him God may let such men have their supposed happinesse take away such a Minister from them but it will prove a reall misery who would not exclaime against that child who should be weary of a most gracious and loving Father and yet how many who look upon themselves as converted who are weary of their spirituall Fathers are so far from blessing God for them that they would rather blesse God should they be rid of them Well God may ease you of them soone enough though you care not for their company he doth though you slight them yet God highly esteems of them Are there not those who are ready to say of the Ministers of Christ as they did Psal 83.4 of the Jews Let us cut them off from the Nation that the name of Ministers may be had no more in remembrance God may grant such men what they would have not in mercy but in wrath as he gave the Israelites quailes and a King Psal 78.31 Hos 13 11. Would we enjoy Gods Messengers amongst us let us be thankfull for them not fretfull against them let us esteeme them very highly in love and not prosecute and persecute them with extreame malice and hatred Fifthly Must godly and painefull Ministers die Then let us prepare for their death make sure of that Prophet who cannot die but lives for ever the Lord Jesus Christ should all the Ministers in a Country be taken away from thee or you shut up in some prison from them Christ can abundantly supply their absence and losse John told the people he baptized them with water but Christ would baptize them with the Holy Ghost Alas we can but speake to your eares it is Christ who must speake to your hearts It were a dreadfull sin for any man to turne his back upon the Ministry of the word when he hath liberty to attend upon it but if God shall be pleased to remove his Candlestick and to take away his Ministers we may hope Christ being ours that he will supply the absence of his servants Christ doth not make use of Ministers out of an absolute necessity as if he could not teach or comfort without them but out of choice Againe get the spirit of the Lord Jesus Other lights may and must be put out but this will be lasting and permanent when other guides are gone this will continue and abide with us Joh. 14.16 17 18. Chap. 16.7 13. he who hath the fountaine of all light and comfort may be the better able to want the streames thus we have done with the first part of the Text Elisha's sicknesse and death we now come to the second part concerning Joash his visiting of him and lamenting over him Here we have a King visiting a Prophet a great King a meane Prophet a wicked King a religious Prophet and we have the Holy Ghost justifying and commending this action from whence we may observe Doct. 3 That no person is too great to visit a faithfull Minister of God in his sicknesse The Psalmist tels us Psal 41. that God will make the bed of a gracious and mercifull man Now if the glorious God thinkes it not too much to be a good mans bed-maker the highest of men should not thinke it too much to visit a good man Reasons First it is a duty which Christ requires to be performed to all his members and therefore ought not to be neglected towards his Messengers Is any man too great to do what God commands Though there is no reason why Gods will should stoop to ours yet there is all reason why our wills should stoop to Gods he is our Creator we his Creatures he our Lord we his Servants he our King we his Subjects Now that visiting the sick is a duty enjoyned by Christ and incumbent upon us is cleare from that Text Mat. 25.42 Men usually find fault where there is none but there is ever a fault where Christ finds one Secondly The faithfull Messengers of Christ are no despicable persons low they are indeed in the opinions of carnall men but the holy God hath high thoughts of them they are his Embassadours his Stewards his Treasurers his Friends yea he cals them co-workers with himself to them hath Christ committed the power of the keyes they are called guides rulers the lights of the world saviours Why did Joash visit Elisha He lookt upon him as one who had been an instrument once and againe to save them out of the hands of the Syrians Ministers are Instruments appointed by God to save not the bodies only but the soules of people out of the hands not of flesh and bloud but of principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses Thirdly Much advantage may be gotten by visiting Gods faithfull Ministers in the time of their sicknesse as they have taught us by their Doctrine and example to do what God commands so they may teach us to beare what God inflicts as to live well so to dye well We may get more from them when they are upon their death-beds than we could get from them when they were in the Pulpit as the words of dying men come from the heart so they go to the heart we may remember their dying speeches though we have been ready to forget what formerly hath been spoken we may be instructed by their counsels warmed by their prayers quickned by their exhortations freed from the feares of death by seeing their boldnesse and courage and learne faith and patience from their practice King Joash lost nothing by visiting the Prophet Elisha as you may read ver 15 16. and Elisha lost nothing by attending upon Elijahs removall from earth to heaven as you may read 2 Kin. 2.10 A Prince may be a great gainer by vifiting of a Prophet Fourthly It is a very great and soule-ruining sin for any man let him be never so great in case he hath liberty and opportunity not to visit the members of Christ and therefore they cannot wash themselves from guilt who neglect wanting neither time nor strength nor health to visit his Ministers What think we was Christ in jest or in earnest when he spake those words Mat. 25.41 42 43. Fifthly Christ takes what is done unto his Messengers as done unto himselfe He that receiveth you saith our Saviour receiveth me were it possible for the Lord Jesus to be sick we would professe our willingnesse to visit him in such an afflicted condition and would exclaime against them as most notorious wretches and unworthy to live who should not take a step or two to wait upon Christ Now read Mat. 25.40 was no man too great to attend upon Christ personall in the day of his distresse neither is any too great to visit Christ mysticall Sixthly We may do much good to the
A SERMON Preached Decemb. 16. 1654. AT THE FVNERALL OF Mr ANDREVV PERN Preacher of the Word of God at Wilby in Northampton-shire BY SAMVEL AINSWORTH Rector of Kelmarsh LONDON Printed for William Gilbertson and are to be sold by Thomas Collins neare Alhallows Church in Northampton 1655. To the Religious and my much honoured Aunt Mrs Mary Pern Grace and peace be multiplied Deare Aunt WE read in the first Chapter of Ruth how Naomi a very gracious Matron lost first her Husband and not long after her two Sons Your condition is not much though somewhat unlike hers Your losse in respect of your Husband is not a jot inferiour to hers her losse in respect of her children was greater than yours she lost two Sons you a Daughter only what difference soever there hath been between your losses I suppose there is none between your griefes When you enjoyed both Husband and Child you might well be called Naomi pleasant but since the wise God hath deprived you of them both the name Marah bitter hath been more sutable to your condition for it hath been sad and bitter To tell you what a Husband you have lost were but to encrease your sorrow which I feare needs stopping rather than venting I shall therefore observe that course which was used by the Iews who when their deare friends or neighbours had lost either Husband or Wife Father or Child they brought them a cup of consolation for to comfort them Jer. 16.7 The Prophet David tels us Psal 119.50 That the word of God was his comfort in his affliction and the Apostle Paul labours to support the Thessalonians for the losse of their Christian friends by setting the word of God before them 1 Thes 4.18 These following Scriptures therefore are the cup of consolation with which I shall present you to mitigate your too much abounding sorrow Prov. 3.12 Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a father the son in whom he delighteth Rom. 8.28 We know all things worke together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Heb. 12.10 11. For they verily for a few daies chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Isa 54.5 Thy maker is thy husband Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he releeveth the fatherless and widdow Now if God hath taken away your deare husband and child out of love to your soule if their naturall deaths shall promote your spirituall life if their taking up to heaven shall prepare and make you fitter for heaven if their losse shall be your gaine the purging away of your drosse and the making of you a more refined vessell for your Masters use the weakning of your corruptions and the strengthning of your graces if God will be a husband to you whose love is more pure strong ravishing satisfying and durable than the love of the best husband that ever breath'd upon earth if God will be present with you in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and take care of you to protect and counsell to help and releeve you be your enemies and dangers what they will Have you not more cause to rejoyce in these spirituall priviledges than to mourne for your temporall losses Take therefore the counsell of the Apostle 1 Thes 4.18 Comfort your selfe in the meditation of these Scriptures Do as David did when he had lost all at Ziglag encourage your selfe in the Lord your God 1 Sam. 30.6 Although Cisterns fail yet God is a fountaine that cannot be drawn dry when the Creature neither is nor can be the same to us yet God is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Now that the God of all grace and consolation would make up your losses by the abundant supplies of his blessed Spirit sanctifie his correcting hand unto you support you under your heavy burden and fit you with all joy and peace in beleeving is the prayer of Your sympathizing and much obliged kinsman SAMUEL AINSVVORTH A SERMON 2 Kings 13.14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sicknesse whereof he died and Joash the King of Israel came down unto him and wept over his face and said O my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof IN these words we may take notice of these two generall parts First Elisha's sicknesse wherin we may consider 1. Who this Elisha was he was not only a holy man but a holy Prophet 2. The event of his sicknesse sick he was and that unto death and died of this his sicknesse Secondly Joash's visiting of him in this his sicknesse 1. Who this Joash was who came to visit him no mean person no plaine country man no poore neighbour but a man of eminent place and dignity he was no lesse than a King and King of Israel 2. The paines he took to visit him he did not take a step or two to see the Prophet Elisha was now no neere neighbour he was either at Jericho or at Bethel or in some other place remote from Samaria the usuall seat of the Kings of Israel and from whence Joash came down to visit him It had been no small favour for so great a Prince to have sent one of his choice favourites upon this errand and to have staied at home himselfe but he thought it not sufficient to dispatch his servant with a How do you but waits upon the poore Prophet in his own person he questions it not whether it would not be too great a condescension for his excellent Majesty to see how so meane a subject did he made no scruple whether his disease might not be noysome or infectious he waved these things stood not upon his magnificency but makes a journey himselfe 3. The motive that prevailed with him to visit this man of God which makes the action more commendable it was nothing else but that respect which he did beare unto him Elisha had been a great friend to the State secured it againe and againe against the incursions of the Syrians procured water for the Armies of Israel when they were in danger to perish for want of it assured them of the great victory that they should obtaine against the Ammonites helpt them also when they were at a dead lift by his prayers these worthy acts were remembred by this King who honoured the Prophet for them and exprest what high thoughts he had of him by giving of him such a friendly and honourable visit Ahab the Predecessor of Joash though not immediately would never have shewed such kindnesse to Elijah the predecessor of Elisha he would rather have been glad of then
in the gap to keep off judgements from breaking in upon them had it not been for the prayers and teares of their faithfull Pastor divine vengeance might have ceased upon them long before now how many times hath God been ready to draw his sword to cut them off to lay his axe to the root of them and to chop them down when their watchfull and compassionate overseer hath interceded for them and held Gods hands from destroying them Jeremies prayers for the Jews did prevaile with God for a season to spare them and when God was fully determined to ruine them he bids Jeremy not to pray for them Chap. 14.11 Psal 106.23 Ezek. 22.30 31. Luke 13.5 6 7. Thirdly The godly where such a Minister did live have cause to mourne when he is taken away for 1. As God is angry with the wicked so he is angry with his own people when he deprives them of their Pastor it is promised as a singular testimony of Gods love to his children to let them have the liberty of seeing the faces and enjoying the labours of their Teachers Isa 30.20 2. They have lost one who was watchfull over them carefull to prevent their falling into sin and ready to raise them up with all possible speed when fallen 3. Some of them have lost a spirituall father and ought not the child to lament the losse of his father Besides all of them have lost a diligent instructer 4. They have lost one who through Gods blessing hath kept them out of many a snare carried on the work of grace in their hearts awakened their drouzy soules quickened their dead hearts strengthened their feeble hands and knees revived their almost expiring graces reduced them when they have been wandring encouraged them in the waies of God when they met with strong opposition comforted them when they have been sad answered their doubts scattered their feares and filled them with joy and peace through beleeving Eph. 4.12 5. They have lost one who was acquainted with their condition knew in some measure the state of their soules and so was the better able to speake seasonably to them and to their necessities A stranger may preach wholsome truths to a people but he knows not so well to apply his doctrine to them as their own Pastor Another may give a child meat to eate but he cannot tell what that food is which is most convenient for it so well as the mother that Physitian who hath been longest acquainted with our bodies knows what Physick is most proper for us thus you see all sorts have cause to lament the fall of a faithfull Minister the reasons are these First God commands us to mourne when he afflicts us with the losse of godly and painefull Ministers when God was pleased to take away Nadab and Abihu none of the best Priests and such who died in their sin yet even then did God call upon the people to bewaile the burning which he had made Lev. 10.8 Must the death of wicked ones be lamented then certainly we must lament the death of the righteous Must not Nadab and Abihu go to their graves without teares What teares should we poure out when a Samuel and Elisha or a Stephen go to their graves Secondly It hath been the practice of the godly bitterly to bewaile the losse of pious and faithfull Ministers what is written in this particular is written for our learning we must be followers of those who are good so far as they are followers of that which is good 1 Sam. 25.1 Micah 7.1 Acts 20.37 38. it went to their very hearts to thinke that they should lose one who had been such a notable instrument to promote Gods glory and his Churches good Paulinus writing of the life of Ambrose reports thus much of him Quod flebat amarissimè quotiescunque fortè annunciatum illi fuerat de cujuscunque sancti obitu Sacerdotis that he wept most bitterly whenever any one told him of the death of any godly Minister It is also reported of Philo that when he heard where he came of the death of any holy man he would weep very bitterly because the Town and the Church had no small prejudice by such a losse Thirdly Such as have had no grace have lamented the death of the Prophets and Messengers of God we have Joash for an example who will rise up in judgment against and condemne those who can let godly Ministers go to their graves without sighs in their hearts or teares in their eyes when the old Prophet who seduced the Prophet sent to Jeroboam saw that he was slaine by the Lion he brought his carkasse into the City laid it in his own grave and they mourned over him with the Text saying Alas my brother 1 Kings 13.30 Fourthly God complaines of those who neglected to lay to heart the death of the righteous Isa 57.1 God never finds fault where there is none were it not a duty to lament the losse of Gods servants none should have met with a check for the neglect of it Fifthly Peoples sins are the cause of Gods taking away their faithfull Pastors the unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse of heares provoke God to remove their preachers and ought we not to lay to heart those sins which deprive us of very choice mercies Sixthly The death of Gods faithfull Ministers is the forerunner of some approaching judgement what but darknesse can be expected when the Sun is set Have we not cause to feare an inundation of waters when the banks that kept them from overflowing are cut down If the pillars of a house be taken away can the house stand If the watchmen be killed the City is in danger to be surprized Isa 57.1 History tels us that so soon as Saint Austin was dead and gone the Goths and Vandals broke into Hippo the City where he lived and spoyled it The Smakaldicke war began in Germany not long after Luther was laid in the grave Spinola took Heilderberg not long after God had taken away that precious servant of his Pareus You see then there is no small cause of mourning when God takes away his faithfull Messengers and Ministers Uses First This serves to reprove those who are not affected with the losse of Gods faithfull Ministers those righteous men perish and how few lay it to heart They go to their long home but where are the mourners about the streets God hath been pleased of late to put out many shining and burning lights as Dr Hill Mr Whitaker Mr Gataker Doctor Bolton and many others men famous in their generations usefull and precious men of whom the world was not worthy we heare of the fall of those Cedars but tremble not of the removall of those pillars but are not afraid we regard the losse of those blessed instruments no more than the losse of a horse or hog no more say I nay not so much Gadaren-like we can better part with the Messengers of Christ than with our swine