and examine our selves whether we be indeed as we professe true friends unto Christ if we shew our love to Christ by a our beneficence and well doing to those that be Christs Which if we faile in we faile in truth of affection to him whatsoever we may pretend For as the Apostle reasoneth b How can he love God whom he never saw that loveth not his neighbour whom he daily seeth So how can any man say he is a friend to Christ whom he never conversed with if he shew no friendship to such members of Christ his Christian brethren with whom hee daily converseth Besides that it may be a comfort to every sincerely faithfull soule that every true Christian is his friend and he hath interest therefore both in the c parts and in the d prayers of all the faithfull a great stay to a Christian soule when it cannot satisfie it selfe with its own suits Yea that it hath a stock going with them every where though it have little of its own But I hasten The next Point is that Christs friends dye as well as others e Abraham Gods friend and yet f Abraham is dead g The Prophets Gods favourites and yet h the Prophets are dead too Lazarus Christs friend and yet i Lazarus is dead The Apostles k Christs friends and yet l the Apostles are dead Yea m the beloved Disciple Christs n chiefe favourite is dead For o Christ did not say that he should not dye And no marvell For 1. They are made p of the same mould that others are though they be possessed of pretious treasure yet q is it but an earthen vessell that the same is contained in 2. They are subject to the like casualties that others are For r all things here come alike unto all to the good and the bad the pure and the impure to Christs friends and Christs foes 3. They are by their naturall condition and constitution as s the grasse which though it be not cut downe yet will wither of it selfe Yea but as the Iewes reasoned when they saw t Christ weepe at Lazarus his grave u Behold how he loved him say some of them And againe other some x Could not he that made the man borne blinde to see have caused that this man should not have dyed As if they had said If he y loved Lazarus so why did he suffer him to dye whom he could have saved from death So may some say If the faithfull be Christs friends why doth he suffer them to dye when as z he might if he pleased deliver them from death I answer 1. Because it is for their good For they dye a to rest from their labours to be b rid of sin to be c freed from death to d â—eceive the reward of their well doing to e go to God to f be with Christ 2. It is according to their own desire that they so do Their desire with g Simeon is to h be dismissed they desire to be i eased of that burdâ—n k released from that body of death that they beare here about them l which cannot be done but by death they desire to m leave this wicked and wretched world and to n go to their own home to their o Fathers house p to Heaven they desire to depaâ—t hence that they may q be with the Lord Iesus and r abide with him for ever 3. It is for Gods glory that they dye and that they regard too as much as their own good For s Christ is magnified in them as well by their death as by their life as well by their pious and patient end and conclusion as by their godly course of life and conversation And a man may thereby as well glorifie God though he dye in his bed as if he dyed at a stake or with t Saint Peter on the Crosse 4. They a dye not though they dye death is no death to them as they b hope even in death so they c live even in death d As others are e dead while they live so they f live when they dye As to the wordly their g life is but a passage unto death So to the godly their h death is but an entrance into life their i deaths-day is better to them then their birth-day it is the k birth-day of their immortality the l birth-day of their eternity Now it is so that even the faithfull though Chriâ—ts friends yet are as well as others subject to death are no more priviledged or exempt from it then others are This may then first serve to admonish us that have such friends to make use of them while we have them not to be like those fooles of which Solomon m why is there a price in the â—ands of a foole to get wisdome with when he hath no heart to make use of it Nor like those whom the Heathen man speaketh of that n cannot brook or abide such while they live and yet lament for tâ—em and wish them againe alive when they are dead but o to make the best use we can of them for our spirituall good while we have them not knowing how soone or suddenly they may be taken away from us Againe it may serve as to encourage us against the feare of death so to mitigate our griefe for the decease of such our friends since that nothing therein shall betide us or hath befallen them but p what all Gods friends and Christs favourites have undergone before us and doe daily undergoe Nor would he suffer the same to befall those that are his intimatest friends his best beloved his dearest darlings his neerest favourites were there any q evill in it yea or were it not for their r good And so passe we to the next Point to wit that Death to such especially is but as a sleepe So here Our friend Lazarus a sleepeth and b Steven when he had so said fell a sleepe and c David when he had served his time fell asleepe and d for this cause some among you are sicke and some sleepe and e whereof some are asleepe and some yet survive And indeed in divers respects is death to such as a sleepe For 1. sleepe giveth f ease of paines and of troubles for the time and so doth death to the faithfull for g they rest from their labours their troubles their travels But sleepe doth it only as those h palliating medicines that empiricks usually give that abate the paines for the present but work no sound cure so that the paine returneth after againe as fresh and fierce as before whereas death with
That every faithfull one is one of Christs friends 2. That every friend of Christ is a friend of those also that are Christs 3. That Christs friends dye as well as others 4. That death to such especially is but as a sâ—â—epe 5. That this their friendship never faileth it surceasâ—th not in death but surviveth their decease And of these in order as God shall enable and the streights of time permit First then * Every faithfull soule is a friend of Christ Every true Christian is one of Christs Favourites It is the usuall style of Abraham d the Father of the faithfull Gods friend e To Abraham thy friend saith Iehoshaphat to God And f ye seed of Abraham my friend saith God to his people And g Abraham saith S. Iames believed God and he was called Gods friend So here of Lazarus a Sonne of Abraham Christs friend Our friend Lazarus saith our Saviour And to his Disciples elsewhere in generall h I tell you my friends And i ye are my friends k No more servants but friends This will more cleerely appeare unto us if we shall consider what the common nature of friendship or amity is Friendship is defined l A mutuall love manifested or more largely A mutuall love and affection betweene party and party manifested by some means from either to other And such is there betweene Christ and the faithfull 1. There is m a mutuall love and affection required unto friendship And such there is betweene Christ and the faithfull For n Christ loveth them and they love him He loveth them o Christ loved his Church saith the Apostle S. Paul And p to him that loved us saith S. Iohn and they love him q My Father saith he loveth you because you love me and r we love him saith S. Iohn because he hath loved us And againe s I love them saith he that love me and t if any man love me the Father will love him and I will love him too So that u there is no love lost betweene Christ and his x He loveth them first and they love him because he loveth them and againe he loveth them the rather because they love him Sweetly therefore Bernard y Let no man whose heart can truly testifie for him that he loveth Christ make any doubt but that Christ loveth him For how can he choose but love thee when thou lovest him z who loved thee then when thou loved'st not him 2. Unto friendship is required that this mutuall love and affection betweene party and party be manifested from either to other And so is it also betweene Christ and the faithfull the love and affection they beare either to other is by them mutually made manifest from either to other a I know mine saith our Saviour and am knowne of mineâ— I know them and they know me I know their love to me b Lord saith Saint Peter to our Saviour thou knowest that I love thee And c they know my love to them d He loved me saith the Apostle and we know saith Saint Iohn the love that God beareth to us And e that with all the Saints ye may know the love of Christ saith S. Paul againe Yea he hath manifested his f matchlesse love to them by what he hath done and endured for them by giving himselfe for them g He loved me saith the Apostle and gave himselfe â—or me And h Christ loved his Church and gave himselfe for it and making a bath of his own heart-blood to bath their soules in for the curing and healing of them i He loved us saith S. Iohn and washed us from our sinnes in his blood Besides that hee hath given them his Spirit for this very end to k seale up his love to them and l to make them know what out of his love to them hee both hath done and will further do for them And they manifest and testifie their though farre meaner love to him by their diligent observance of him and dutifull obedience to him by m keeping his Commandements and n doing whatsoever he enjoyneth them Againe there is a solemne league of amity betweene Christ and the faithfull Just such as that betweene Ionathan and David For as they o to confirme that league of amity mutually betweene them changed apparell one with other Ionathan took Davids raiment and put it on him selfe he took his own garments and put them upon David So our blessed Saviour Christ hath changed apparell with us a p sorry change indeed to him selfe though advantagious to us hath taken and put on himselfe our garments not q our nature alone but even the sorry rags of it r our infirmities by participation and s our iniquities also by imputation and he hath taken his owne raiment and put it upon us t the rich roabe of his merits and the royall roabes of his holinesse and righteousnesse u by imputation unto justification the one and x by participation for our sanctification the other In a word y he hath bestowed himselfe upon them and z they have given up themselves unto him So that a he is not more his own now then he is theirs b nor are they now more their own then they are his And what neerer or more intimate amity can there be then this Now the Vse hereof may first be for information to informe us of the most high and honourable estate and condition of every faithfull soule of every true Christian he is a friend of God he is a favoâ—rite of Christ It is noted as a speciall yea a singular honour in Zabud the Sonne of Nathan the Prophet that he was the Kings to wit King Solomons friend But behold d a greater then Solomon here and a greater honour therefore then King Solomons favour was able to afford Every true hearted Christian be he never so meane be he never so contemptible in the eyes of the world for e this dignity of theirs worldly men cannot see the world is not aware of is f not a servant only and yet were that honour enough it is that the Apostle prefixeth before divers of his Epistles as a matter of no small credit to him g Paul a servant of Iesus Christ but a friend and favourite of him who is King of Kings and l Lord of Heaven and Earth then which what estate can be more high or more honourable A second Vse may be for exhortation to incite every one of us to labour to be of the number of those whom this dignity belongeth unto k Many yea l every one saith Solomon seeketh the face * that is the favour of the Prince of the Ruler And indeed what will not men
do and indure if there be any hope or possibility as they conceive of successe to insinuate themselves into the favour of great ones Creepe on all foure as m Ionathan to get up the Rock n debase themselves to the lowest and meanest services that may be attend them with neglect of their own affaires and themselves And why should a man then think any thing too much to do too hard or harsh to endure though it be to o the denying forsaking and abandoning of himselfe as p there is no way indeed but this to save himselfe q for the indeering of Christ to himselfe for the winding of himselfe into the favour and friendship of Christ For alas what is the greatest favour of the greatest Monarch in the World without this or what is the greatest favour of the greatest on earth unto this For first Princes favours are fickle A man may be in favour to day and out of favour the next day and so r aloft now and as low as the lowest to morrow yea or sooner then so s The second place in Court said t AEneas Sylvius sometime is a slippery place Yea as it is u slippery so they that hold it if they slip and fall as x soone they may y they come downe with a witnesse z they fall heavie their downfall is very dismall and dreadfull We have an example of it in a Haman I cannot stand to relate it you may when you will reade it Yea I need not to relate it For who is ignorant of it that hath read or heard read or told the story of Queene Esther And this may befall those that are in favour with Princes though they be never so faithfull unto them never so carefull to please them But Christs favour is not fickle it is constant it is permanent b Whom he loveth once he loveth ever Do thou c cleave close to him and he will never leave thee d be thou faithfull to him and e he will never forsake thee * he will never break his faith with thee Againe Princes favours are no sure shelters The greatest favourite may bee slaine in his Soveraignes eye at his Soveraignes feet Alas f how can they save them when they cannot secure themselves g Any one is Lord of their life who sets light by his own life unlesse the Lord be pleased to protect and afford them shelter against such But Christs favour is a sure shelter For h he is able to save i to give issues against death k to preserve his from death to protect them so in death that l though they dye yet they shall not dye though m they be slaine yet there shall n not an haires harme befall them and to save them everlastingly after death For o he liveth for ever to save perfectly all those that bee his A third Vse may be for comfort consolation and encouragement to every faithfull soule to every true Christian For hast thou Christ to friend p Thou needest feare no evill thou nâ—edest dread no enemy Thou mayest well rest upon him for matter of provision thou mayest well relye upon him for matter of protection 1. For matter of provision q For all is common among friends that are r truly friends And s if all things be Christs then all things are thine if thou be his and shall not be denied thee nor detained from thee t when thy necessity shall require them and they may be for thy good For well mayest thou reason here as the Apostle of God u He that spared not his Sonne but gave him up for us how much more will he give us all things together with him So of Christ He that spared not himselfe but hath given up himâ—elfe for me hath bestowed himselfe upon me hath not denied himselfe to me how can he refuse to afford with all unto me whatsoever shall be requisite either for my support here or for mine eternall welfare and salvation hereafter 2. For matter of protection Hast thou Christ to friend Thou mayest well reason as the same Apostle doth in the same place x If God be with us so if Christ be with us for y Christ also is God who shall be against us as z if he be against thee who can be for thee so a if he be for thee who can be against thee And thou mayest therefore having Christ to friend say confidently with the Psalmist b The Lord is my light â—nd my salvation whom should I feare or of what should I be afraid as long as he provideth for me c I shall be sure to want nothing as long as he protecteth me I need not to feare any thing d Though I walk saith hee through the vale of deadly shade I will feare nothing so long as thou art with me * For where can a man be in safety without Christ or where can he be but in safety with Christ A fourth Vse may be for Caution to disswade yea and deterre menâ— from opposing or wronging any of the faithfull e How fearefull are men usually of offending a favourite But all the faithfull are Christs favourites f How chary are men of the credite welfare contentment safety and indemnity of their friend even as chary as of their own yea or more What is more usuall then when we heare a friend traduced or threatned to say g speak what you please of me but forbeare my friend do what you will to me but meddle not with my friend And is not Christ think we as chary and as regardfull of those that be his Yes undoubtedly These are those in behalfe of whom he giveth warning and crieth hands off saying g Touch not mine anointed ones It is spoken h of Kings and that i in a speciall manner and k unto Kings there in their behalfe as l the Ancients generally expound it Doth thy conscience then tell thee that such an one though never so poore a wretch never so meane an abject is a faithfull soule a good Christian one that sincerely feareth God one that truly loveth Christ n take heed how thou wrongest him Thou shalt bee sure to heare of it againe at one time or other if thou doest He hath Christ to friend he is one of Christs favourites o as deare unto him as the very apple of his eye p Nor will he suffer any wrong offered in word or deed unto any of his to go unrighed or unrevenged A fifth use may be for triall and examination Hereby then thou mayest try thy selfe whether thou beest a friend of Christ or no and one that hath Christ to friend For q every professed Christian is not by and by r Christs friend s There are
death m The sword and death may sever the Christian mans head from his body and his body from his soule but neither n sword nor o death can sever him either from his head Christ or from the love of God in Christ 4. Death bringeth p Christ and the faithfull neerer together q then ever it bringeth them to a r more entire immediate communion either with other to s a fuller fruition either of other First then would'st thou have a sure friend a constant friend both to thee and thine one that may stand by thee and stick to thee when all other may forsake thee yea of necessity must leave thee Make Christ thy friend and a he will never leave thee though b all others do when all others shall c Your wordly friends saith Tertullian writing to the Martyrs in prison tooke leave of you and left you at the prison doore but d Christ your best fâ—iend went in with you So thy wordly friends yea all other thy friends will shake hands with thee and leave thee if not before yet at the e posterne gate of this life either at their death or at furthest at thine but if thou hast made Christ thy friend he will never leave thee he will for ever be thy friend unto death in death and after death unto all eternity Yea hast thou made Christ thy friend He will continue so f not to thee only but to thine also for thee It troubleth men many times and well may it considering g the untrustinesse and unfaithfull dealing of many professed friends upon their sicke and as it may fall out their death-beds to think whom they should intrust with their charge their children if God shall call them away This may well ease in part the minde of the godly man in this case Christ Iesus thy friend he will undertake the charge of them he will be a trusty friend to thee as well when thou art gone as while thou art here h Who is there left saith David of Ionathans issue that I may shew kindnesse unto for Ionathâ—ns sake Nor could Davids love to his friend Ionathan surviving his decease prevaile more with him to move him to deale kindly with those that he left behinde him then Christs love will with him towards those that have been yea that are still though deceased his friends to cause him to deale friendly with those whom deceasing they leave here behinde them or at their decease commit unto his charge It is the Argument that God useth to his people to encourage them to depend upon him not doubting of the continuance of his kindnesse to them i because they were the seed of Abraham his friend And herein let us learne to imitate our both Lord and friend Iesus Christ k Let not our friendship to the faithfull deceased dye with them l as the manner of the world and worldly men is but let us make it to appeare that it lives and surviveth still with us by m apologizing for them and maintaining of their credit and good name if need be n by faithfull discharge of any trust reposed in us by them and o by a ready performance of all friendly officesâ— unto those they leave behinde them Let us shew it then I say and p then most when there may be q most need of it more it may be then while they yet survived that so it may be said of us as r she sometime of Boaz that we cease not to shew kindnesse both to the living and to the dead as s a true friend indeed will do And so much for my Text and the Points of Instruction observable out of it Let me now crave your patience a little further for the Application of it and that that hath beene delivered out of it to the present occasion Of our deceased Christian Brother therefore Mr. Iohn Parker whose remaines are at this time to be laid up in a the bosome of the Earth as in b a bed of rest I may well say as in the words so in the name of our Saviour Ouâ— friend Lazarus sleepeth For he was indeed a Lazarus though not in name yet in truth one that made God his aide his helpe his strength his stay Nor was he lesse a friend to Christ and to all that were Christs to his Ministers to his members yea to all for Christ with this aime either to bring them on unto Christ or to build them up in Christ And he was indeed c a man of a thousand yea such an one for a private man d as among many thousands I suppose few to be found that might every way match him For those things that are wont to be e severally eminent in others were in an f eminency more then ordinary g combined together in him He was one of a sweet and sociable disposition of a meek and an humble spirit just and upright in his dealings faithfull in his trusts firme and sure of his word of a pittifull heart of a bountifull hand truly h religious without superstition or ostentation zealoâ—s in â—n high degree but with spirituall disâ—retion industrious in his Calling one that abhorred idlenesse yet so as â—is sedulity therein should not withdraw him from due attendance on better things of a good understanding a sound judgement a tender conscience a circumspect cariage a strict course of life yet without austerity or censoriousnesse in a word of a wise and prudent temper in all things I remember a story in i Plutarch of an Artist at Athens who being called among others to the undertaking of a piece of work for the publick when one of his fellow-workmen had made a long speech to shew them in what manner he would do it if they would put it into his hands he being a man of few words but of good skill said no more but this k As this man hath said it so will I do it To apply it to our purpose We have spoken muchâ— of the duties that are required of all those that proâ—esse friendship with Christ their faithfulnesse to him their obâ—ervance of him their obedience to him their loving what he loveth loving whom he loveth and the like Now of this our brother we may well and truly say What we have saidâ— he did he made good all we have said in a methode in a manner in a measure more than ordinary And for the making good of what I say that which I shall deliver unto you shall be the most of it out of his own remembrances for he kept journals as well of his spirituall â—statâ— and â—mployments as of his worldly reckonings and affaires and the rest either from mine own knowledge or the credible relation of those that conversed versed most constantly and inwardly with him