will have a Christ take him now before the evil days come Old Age is called evil days when you will not be so fit to seek him Now you are more fit to read the Scriptures than when your eyes are dim and you cannot see Now you are more fit to pray than when your knees are stiff and will not bend Prov. 6. 6 7 8 9. God sends thee to the Ant to get Wisdom The Ant Provides her meat in the Summer against Winter thy youth is thy Summer if thou wilt have a Christ get him now in thy youth Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O Young Man in thy Youth and let thine heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the sight of thine eyes and in the way of thine heart but know thou that for these things God will bring thee into Judgment God by this Ironical expression would turn young ones hearts from their sins to himself As if God had said Young Men if you think it your best way to go on in your sins and to walk in the ways of your own hearts go on but be it at your own peril for know ye that I will bring you to Judgment for all your ways and doings Consider how you shall be able to stand before me in judgment for these ways you now walk in and how you shall come off in that day There will be no standing for you without a Christ in that day Art thou a young one that readest these lines then remember that now is thy time to get a Christ but it may be Satan and thy Companions tell thee thou art young and needest not trouble thy self about these things yet but mayest follow thy pleasures and have time enough to get a Christ seven years hence mark what God says to this Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth If you will have a Christ take him to day make sure of him to day go and cry to God for him to night thou knowest not but thou mayest be in Hell before to morrow Remember the Man in the Gospel Luke 12. 19 20. who talked of many years but God said to him Thou Fool this Night shall thy Soul be required of thee Oh it is folly and madness to put off the getting of Christ 'till to morrow There is great danger in delaying 1. It is a certain danger You that are the youngest are every moment liable to the stroke of Death You may talk of living many years but what is your life but a Vapour that appeareth but for a little time and then vanisheth away James 4. 13 14. 2. Here may be sudden danger Job 21. 13. They spend their days in Wealth in Mirth and in a moment go down to the Grave Young ones consider this seriously what a dangerous thing it is to be Christless you may live in mirth and pleasure and have nothing trouble you but this doth not secure you from the grave Death comes of a sudden and knocks you down and you fall down in a moment not only into the Grave but if you be Christless into Hell-fire 1 Thes 5. 3. when they shall say Peace and safety sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a Woman with Child and they shall not escape Mark this young one thou mayst flatter thy self saying thou shalt have peace and mercy but thou art never the better for flattering thy self for this will not help thee to escape nay thou art the worse for thou art in the greater danger For when is the time that destruction cometh The Text answers it and tells you the destruction cometh when they flatter themselves with false peace The Man in the Gospel promised himself many years but God brands him for a Fool for it This Night shall thy Soul be required of thee Who shall require his Soul the Devils they come and claim him because he is theirs not having an interest in Jesus Christ Take him Devils Devils take this Christless Soul away to Hell with it 3. It will be irrecoverable danger If thou art taken by Death out of Christ thy danger is irrecoverable thou enterest upon a state that is unchangeable that is if thou hast not got a Christ then there will be no getting him for ever there will be no change of your state for ever if then Christless you shall be for ever Christless therefore it is a dangerous thing to be found out of Christ Young one consider and lay it to heart Job 14. 14. if a Man dye shall he live again that is If things are amiss with him when he dyes shall he come into this World again to mend them If a Man dyes out of Christ shall he come again to get him No no therefore saith Job all my days I will wait prepare provide for my change by Death As the Tree falls so it lies as a Man's state is when Death comes so it finds and leaves him and as Death leaves him so Judgment finds him and so Sentence passeth upon him for ever Then the Sinner if it be not seared and past feeling will cry Lord give me a Christ mercy Lord I will have a Christ now let my sins go now Lord now I will be godly No now it is too late now the Lord proceeds to the Sentence if the Soul be in Christ happy is it then the Sentence is Come ye blessed enter into the Kingdom if the Soul be out of Christ then miserable for ever then the Sentence is Depart Cursed into Everlasting Fire with the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25. 41. Depart from me O this is dreadful though the Sinner doth not value God's presence now it will be for his presence then O Lord thy presence is the only happiness I had better never have been born than shut out of thy presence Lord if I must depart from thee bless me before I go No depart Cursed cursed Lord if I must depart let me go into some good place No depart Cursed into Everlasting Fire Lord then let me have some good Company No depart with the Devil and his Angels Devils and Damned Wretches shall be your Companions You were not for the Company of the Godly in the World but were for the Company of the Wicked therefore Devils and Damned ones shall be your Company in Hell then you will cry But Lord if I must go to such a miserable place and Company let it be but for a little time No depart Cursed into Everlasting Fire You were never weary of sinning therefore there shall never be end of your misery Oh this word will break the heart never never never You shall burn and be tormented burn and roar burn and howl ever ever ever There the Worm dyeth not there the Fire is not quenched Mark 9. 43 44. O therefore young ones look about you and labour to get a Christ while you may is not this good news that there is yet a
A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL OF Mr. William Ladson Junior AT TICHMARSH In the County of NORTHAMPTON By William Sheppard M. A. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the lower end of Cheapside 1694. A Funeral Sermon on Isaiah 55. 6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near THIS Prophet Isaiah is called the Evangelical Prophet indeed he Prophesies clearly of Jesus Christ In the 53d Chapter he speaks of the Sufferings of Christ as if they had been already past ver 4 5 6 7. The whole Chapter speaks of Christ and his Sufferings In this Chapter where is the Text he makes a free invitation to all Jews and Gentiles to come in to Christ Ho it is a note of Compellation and of Invitation Every one whether Jew or Gentile v. 4 5. That thirsteth that is in distress and being sensible of his distressed Condition is desirous of relief for these things concur in thirst Isa 41. 17 18. Rev. 22. 17. Come the word signifies either go or come here it is rendred come because they are called to return to God whom before they had forsaken Jer. 2. 13. To the waters that is to the waters of Saving Grace and Spiritual Comfort which Christ brings John 4. 10. 14. it is like our Saviour's invitation to come to him with assurance of finding relief from him Mat. 11. 28. Joh. 7. 37 38. And he that hath no Money no Silver no Merits but Merits none can have The meaning is He that is never so poor that hath nothing of any worth or valuable consideration implying that Christ and Grace are given freely Rom. 3. 24. Ephes 2. 8. And here in the Text the Prophet makes an exhortation and call to all unconverted ones to come in and make their peace while they may while God makes gracious offers and tenders of Grace 2 Cor. 6. 1. Seek ye the Lord as implying that they had left him and were fallen out of favour by their sins While he may be found in a time of acceptance Isa 49. 8. while he offereth himself unto you in the means of grace in the Ministry of the word Psal 27. 8. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Heb. 3. 7. before the time of repenting be expired Gen. 6. 3. before God grow weary of forbearing Jer. 44. 22. and he take a Solemn Oath that he will not be found Psal 95. 11. Isa 1. 15. Prov. 1. 24 to 28. Call ye upon him while he is near that is while he cometh near unto you in his Ordinances by his Ministers and Messengers Isa 51. 5. My Righteousness is near that is in the Ministry of his word Eph. 2. 17. Now Christ comes and preacheth peace to you offers peace to you in the Ministry of his Gospel Therefore now seek him while he may be found call upon him while he is near Doct. That it is the Great Concern of Souls to get a Christ while they may It is our Great Concerning Work to get a Christ while he is to be had There are some Doctrines that may concern some but not others that may concern the Rich but not the Poor or the Poor but not the Rich the Old but not the Young But this is a Doctrine that concerns all Rich and Poor Old and Young It is the great Concernment of all Rich and Poor Old and Young to seek a Christ while he is to be found Rea. I. Because we are all utterly lost and undone without him We may be without Friends without Houses or Lands without Money without Riches without Health yea Life it self and yet be happy but we cannot be without a Christ but we must be miserable undone for ever Eph. 2. 3. We are all by Nature Children of wrath This is thy Condition that readest these Lines if thou art still in thy natural state thou art under the wrath of God and how dost thou think to bear it His Wrath rends the Rocks and makes the Mountains tremble Nahum 1. 5 6. Thou art a Sinner by nature and by practice 1. A Sinner by Nature Psalm 51. 5. We are no sooner warm in the Womb but we are Sinners This makes Sin natural to thee It is rooted in thy Nature as Poyson in a Toad that thou canst do nothing but Sin so long as thou art in thy unconverted State Rom. 7. 23. 2. A Sinner by Practice 1. Thy Heart is full of Sin Jer. 17. 9. Thy Heart is not only wicked but desperately wicked and if thou seest it not it is because thou art born Blind Mat. 15. 19. See what wickedness is in thy Heart 2. Thy Life is full of Sin 1. Sinful Thoughts Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of Man was great And why Because every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually This is wickedness indeed when all the Imaginations and Thoughts and Purposes and Desires are Evil not partly good and partly evil but only evil and not evil sometime and good sometime but evil alway Evil continually Dost thou not see what a Sinner thou art Is not this a miserable Condition thou art in 2. Sinful Words Idle Words Mat. 12. 36 37. These are such thou canst not stand before God at Judgment for Besides wicked prophane Words Psalm 12. 4. Jam. 3. 6. here is a World of Iniquity set on fire of Hell 3. Sinful Actions How many are the Commissions of Evil Omissions of Good Rom. 3. 23. As to the Sabbath thou mayst see how thou hast sinned Isa 58. 13. Speaking thy own Words doing thy own Pleasure For Week days how innumerable have been thy evil Thoughts and Words and Actions though thou hast not seen them Every day you have gone without Prayer you have sinned 1 Thess 5. 17. Pray without ceasing Not that we should do nothing else but pray Yes we are to follow our Callings too But it is to be our daily practice We are to Pray daily as well as Plow daily Jer. 10. last You may profess that you are Christians and are Baptized but God reckons you among the Heathen if you do not pray and will pour out his Fury upon you O the innumerable Evils which compass you about Psalm 40. 12. Then Death follows upon Sin The Soul that Sins it shall dye Ezek. 18. 4. God saith thou art a Dead Man a Damned Man Rom. 5. 12. Death comes upon all that have sinned therefore this is thy Case First Natural death Heb. 9. 27. But this is not all Secondly Worse still Spiritual death Eph. 2. 1 12. You are dead in Sin without God without Christ without the saving Knowledge of God without the Life of God without Sence of God without the Enjoyment of God You are under the Power of Sin and no Sence of it Under the Wrath of God and no fear nor feeling of it Doth the reading of these Lines make thee fear and feel This would be thy Mercy To
be every moment liable to Damnation and no trouble about it this is sad And Thirdly This is worse still thou art liable to Eternal Death Rom. 6. 23. The wages of Sin is Death But what Death The second Death But what is this second Death you may see it Rev. 20. 14. The second Death is the Lake of Fire Is it not a dreadful thing to lie in a Lake of Fire Mat. 25. 41. It is Everlasting Fire with the Devil and damned ones Is not this a miserable Condition indeed And as sure as God is true this is thy Case who readest these Lines out of Christ And dost thou not see it to be thy great Concernment to get a Christ while he is to be had Reas 2. Because Jesus is the only Remedy out of this miserable and wretched State 1. Jesus Christ is the Remedy 1. God the Father did purpose from Eternity to save Sinners by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. Therefore Jesus Christ is a Remedy for he was ordained from Eternity to redeem with his precious Blood Rev. 13. 8. 2 There was a voluntary Compact and Agreement between God the Father and Christ God the Father was willing to give Christ to be the ransom of the Elect and Christ the Son of God presented himself most willing to procure that Salvation for them the Father promised him a spiritual Kingdom and Seed upon his dying for them and the Son came up to this and said Lo I come I delight to do thy Will Psalm 40. 7 8. 3. Christ was promised unto Adam Gen. 3. 15. 4. The Legal Sacrifices and Offerings did typifie Jesus Christ offering himself shedding his Blood to take away Sin and make Peace as is shewed in the Hebrews 5. Jesus Christ did actually come and present himself unto the World to be a Redeemer Gal. 4. 4 5. 6. Jesus did really execute the Office of a Mediatour did fulfil all Righteousness give himself a Ransom and by his Blood reconcile and make Peace Col. 1. 19 20 21 22. 2. As Jesus Christ is the Remedy so Jesus Christ is the only Remedy 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediatour between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus Acts 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other Christ only was appointed of God the Father Isa 61. 1. Christ only was sent and sealed John 6. 27. On Christ was laid our Iniquities Isa 53. 6. Christ only was qualified for the Office of a Mediatour and Redeemer Three things must be in him who doth this Office which are only to be found in Christ 1. First He must not be of the number of those who are to be redeemed Therefore no simple Man can be a Redeemer 2. Secondly He must be of the Nature of those who are to be redeemed He must be of the same Seed with them and therefore no Angel can redeem Heb. 2. 16. 3. Thirdly He must be more than a meer Creature for a meer Creature cannot satisfie nor can his Righteousness be imputed to another and he must be able to overcome Sin and Death and raise himself which no Creature can do therefore neither Men nor Angels can be Redeemers none but Jesus Christ Thus Reader thou seest the second Reason why thou art greatly concerned to get a Christ because he is the only Remedy out of thy miserable State Reas 3. It is our great Concernment to get a Christ while he is to be had because there will be a time when he will not be had Therefore the Text saith Seek him while he may be found implying that there will be a time when he will not be found 1. It will be that time will be at an end Then there can be no seeking therefore there can be no finding The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. The Time is short which implies it will have an end therefore saith he use the World as if you used it not seek the things of another World get a Christ before this short time is ended There was a miserable Instance I knew one that on the Death-bed cried out most hideously Call Time again Call Time again But there is no calling Time again when once it is gone O therefore lay about you to get a Christ while he is to be had 2 Cor. 6. 2. The Apostle saith Now he doth not say To Morrow hereafter But now is the accepted Time now is the Day of Salvation Therefore look out for a Christ now This is the Voice of dying ones look for a Christ now get a Christ before time is gone This was the Voice of this Young Man Deceased therefore desired that this Text might be preached on at his Funeral that Young Ones especially might be called upon and warned to seek a Christ while he is to be found He lamented the breach of Promises with God this is the common Case of Young Ones to be making good Resolutions to seek God turn to God get into Christ and afterwards to fall off from them The Lord was pleased to make this Young Man sensible of it and we hope effectually brought him to Christ and gave him Repentance and Pardon and some comfortable Evidences of it as appeared by his chearful yielding and resigning himself up to the Lord in the last Agony of Death with these Words That He would now throw himself into a full Fountain and immediately he gave up the Ghost 2. Life will be at an end Jam. 4. 14. Your Life is but as a vapour which is but for a little time and then vanisheth away Therefore get a Christ now speedily before this vapour of Life vanish away Great Tamberlain was carried away with a Fit of an Ague while he was in expectation of the Conquest of the Othoman Family and Greek Empire Therefore take heed lest while you are pursuing great things here Life doth end before you have got a Christ This is the call of dying ones Life is going O get a Christ before Life is ended John 9. 4. O get a Christ while Life lasteth the night of Death cometh when no Man can Work There is no working in the Grave Eccles 9. 10. Therefore what you find to do do with your might And Christ tells you Joh. 6. 29. This is the Work of God that ye believe in him whom he hath sent Art thou a young One that readest these Lines God calls upon thee to work with thy might to get a Christ because the night of Death is coming when thou canst not Work 3. Opportunity will be at an end Opportunity may be shorter than Life We read of some that in the time of their Life the things of their Peace were hid from their Eyes Luke 19. 42. Christ weeps over them This is a doleful Case Reader take heed it be not thy Case Now Christ offers himself to thee take heed thou dost not by thy refusals cause Christ to hide himself from thee before thy Life be ended It is said
down dead immediately they fall into Hell and there are crying and roaring scrieching and howling cursing and banning Oh! hath my secure Godless life brought me hither Hath my false peace brought me hither Is this the end of my Christless Prayerless Life O that I had spent all my days and nights in the World in mourning for my sins crying for a Christ O that I had been a Dog or a Toad then when I had dyed my misery had been ended but now this is but the beginning of my woe which will never end Man Woman Child that readest these Lines do these things affect thy heart and bring thee down at the foot of Christ O labour to do now as thou wilt then wish that thou hadst done or as damned Souls now wish that they had done 6 Deluding Hopes Now the Word tells Men and Ministers tell them of their danger and call upon them to seek a Christ repent believe be godly but they flatter themselves and they have sometimes some convictions and stirrings in their Souls but they lick themselves whole with false hopes we hope we may be saved without so much adoe God is merciful Christ dyed for Sinners Is not this thycase thou that readest these lines Know thou that these are but vain hopes as long as thou art out of Christ and these hopes of thine will fail thee Hear what God saith about it It is not I but God that speaks it Prov. 11. 7. When a wicked Man dyeth his expectation shall perish And the hope of unjust Men perisheth Hear this Sinner old or young thou mayst keep thy false hope as long as thou livest but thou canst keep it no longer Job 11. 20. The eyes of the Wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost O what terrour this speaks to Christless Souls The giving up of the ghost is sudden in a moment so these false hopes when Death comes shall be gone in a moment The Life is not given up without great pain so when these false hopes are gone the Soul will be full of horrour the Soul and Body part and never meet here more to live in this World so then Sinners lose their hopes and shall never have hope more Then Oh what cries and howlings will there be that the hopes are gone and gone for ever Oh the cries and howlings I was told of this but I mad wretch would not believe it but I see now I am most miserable Now I have no hope of a dram of Mercy for ever As it was with Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16. 31 32 33 34. Israel fled at their cry when they went down into the Pit It is now with Men and Women as it was with them in the days of Noah Mat. 24. 37 38 39. They were eating drinking marrying 'till Noah entred into the Ark and the floud came and took them all away Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness moved with fear prepared an Ark gave them warning but they would not take warning what cryes do you think there were when the Floud came Then they would have got into the Ark but could not they might climb upon Trees or Mountains but all in vain Sinners are now warned by the preachers of the word to get into the Ark Christ but will not Oh then the horror when the deluge of misery overflows them I might have had the Ark Christ and would not What cries were there in Sodom when the Storm of Brimstone and Fire came upon them Oh the cries and howlings when you are tormented with fire and brimstone in Hell Oh mad Wretch I was offered a Christ and I would not Now you say let us say what we will you will hope if it were not for hope the heart would break now your false hopes keep your hearts whole but then your hearts will break in pieces and break for ever Vse 2. Be Exhorted then to get a Christ while you may To the Old To the Young 1. To the Old You are greatly concern'd to get a Christ you cannot have much time before you you have one foot in the Grave therefore you have need to bestir you Ecl. 11. 8. If a Man live many years and rejoice in them all yet let him remember the days of darkness for they shall be many The days of darkness which follow shall be more than the years of joy which went before Hosea 7. 9 10. It is said of Ephraim Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not yea gray hairs are here and there upon him yet he knoweth not And they do not return to the Lord nor seek him for all this Oh what a wretched thing is this Strange lusts strange practices strange ways are found with him Gray hairs Old Age is found with him yet he considers it no What an Old Man and a graceless Man an Old Man and yet a prayerless Man and yet not seek the Lord for a Christ What a vile thing is this what a miserable condition is this Isa 65. 20. The Sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed What a miserable case is this for a Man to have many years given him to get a Christ in and yet at last dye Christless he must needs be cursed When Alexander Besieged a City he was wont to set up an inch of Candle and if they came in and made their peace in that time well and good if not there was no quarter for them Just so it is here with you Old Men you have an inch of time given you to get a Christ and Mercy if you now get a Christ make your peace with God while this inch of time lasts happy are you but if not there is no peace to be made for you no Christ to be had nor mercy for ever O therefore as you love your Souls close in with the Apostle's Councel Heb. 3. 7. To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts This is the voice of God to you get a Christ to day Christ offers himself to you if you will take him take him to day cry to God for him and if you do not it is the hardness of your hearts And that is an hard heart indeed that will not have a Christ when offered to him though he must be damned for ever without him Jerom said Whether I eat or drink or sleep methinks I hear the Trumpet sound Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Old ones let this awaken you to set to your work speedily and ply it in good earnest day and night to get a Christ while you may and account it infinite mercy that it is not too late 2. To the Young Now the Lord speaks to you labour to get a Christ while you may Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth remember to get Christ now in thy Youth God saith Now do not drive it off 'till hereafter If you