there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at rest there the prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Job 3.17 18. 4. They rest from the difficulties of duty it self those hard conflicts which the heart hath against corruption to keep it self close unto God for though the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Matth. 26.41 and though to will be present with us yet how to perform the thing that is good we finde not Rom. 7.18 19 21. Lastly As they are delivered from these past evils as brands snatched out of the burning so are they likewise taken away from evils to come as Lot was from the destruction of Sodom when the Angel by a merciful violence laid hold on him and brooght him forth Gen. 19.16 Isa 57.1 Secondly Positively this gain by death appears in the many real good things which we receive with it and by it 1. It brings us home to our Country and inheritance here in this life Gods servants are Pilgrims Strangers Sojourners amongst enemies such as neither know nor value them we are called out of the world and separated from it not numbred among the Nations living by different and contrary Laws and hence it is that the world hates us 1 Pet. 2.11 Ioh. 15.19 Numb 23.9 1 Ioh. 3.1 Hence the Body is called a Tabernacle 2 Cor. 5.1 Digest de verborum significat l. 239. sect 2. M. Anton. l. 2. sect 17. Tertul. de resur c. 41. Diodor Sic. 1. M. Anton. l. 3. sect 11. 2 Pet. 1.13 14. in allusion to the Tabernacles wherein the Patriarchs sojourned as strangers Heb. 11.9 unto which pilgrimage and unfixed condition the Apostle there opposeth a City which hath foundations vers 10. a sure house an abiding Kingdom which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 Here indeed we are said to be in Christ and Christ in us Gal. 2.20 Ephes 3.17 but there we shall be with Christ and in his presence which the Apostle tells us is best of all much better then our best condition here Phil. 1.23 1 Thess 4.17 2 Cor. 5.8 Here we are in the same family indeed for the Church in heaven and the Church on earth is but one family Ephes 3.15 but we are yet but in the lower rooms of the family in the work house death leads us to the upper chamber to the Banquetting-house to better company where we shall see and know and love and possess Christ perfectly and herein is the answer of Christs prayer Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory 2. It estates us in life takes away one life to carry us to another and a better That life which we leave is mortal and perishing that which we go unto is durable and abounding Joh. 10.10 The ordinary Manna which Israel gathered for their daily use did presently corrupt and breed worms Exod 16.20 But that which was laid up before the Lord the hidden manna in the Tabernacle did keep without putrefaction vers 33. So our life which we have here in the wilderness of this world doth presently vanish and corrupt but our life which is kept in the Tabernacle our life which is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.4 that never runs into death Natural life is like the river Jordan empties it self into the Dead Sea but spiritual life is like the waters of the Sanctuary which being shallow at the first grow deeper and deeper into a River which cannot be passed thorow water continually springing and running forward into everlasting life Ezek. 47.4 5. Joh. 4.14 7.38 Haec brevis est illa perennis aqua 3. It makes us perfect in our spiritual part Vid. Stuck Antiq conviv l. 2. c. 26. The spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 it gives us our white and triumphal robes Rev. 6.11 7.14 It fits us to be presented unto God without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5.27 the bodies of the Saints when they were dead were washed Act. 9.37 both as a pledge of the resurrection and also as an Emblem and testimony of that cleanness and purity wherein death did deliver their souls up unto God 4. It keeps our relicks and remainders safe for a glorious resurrection will give a faithful and a just accompt of all that it hath received and will restore in honour what is received in dishonour 1 Cor. 15.42 43. It will say to us as the keeper of the Prison to Paul Act. 16.36 The Lord hath sent to let you go now therefore depart and go in peace We see the Paradox cleared the difficulty removed the gain demonstrated onely we must remember it is not gain to all it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Beleevers as such and therefore onely to them To wicked and impenitent sinners that die in their sins death is a King of terrors Job 18 14. A Jaylor a tormentor with his keys his shakels his hot iron his halter his ax his gibbet He is still a stinging and a fiery serpent a trap-door unto hell Death is never our gain but where Christ is our life he to whom to live is is lust and not Christ to dye is loss and not gain And now since Gain is one of the Diana's of the world Vid. August in Psal 48. every one will say who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 Our wisdom must be to distinguish true gain from counterfeit to make godliness our gain 1 Tim 6.6 for then death will be our Gain too There is some Gain like Manna in the house perishing Gain exposed to moth and rust Matth. 6.19 Gain proper to one place or Country like some farthing-tokens which are current in one Town or Shop and signifie nothing in another Such is worldly wealth current here but is not returnable or transportable into another world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. De Nino Phaenix Colophon apud Athenaeum l. 12 when a man dieth he carrieth nothing away his glory shall not descend after him Ps 49.17 But there are durable riches Prov. 8.18 A treasure of good works which will follow a man into another world Rev. 14.13 this is the gain we should look after to lay up a foundation in store against the time to come that we may lay hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.19 Now sith Death is gain let us consider whether and in what manner this Gain may be desired In answer whereunto we say 1. That death is considerable two ways One way as it affecteth nature the other as it relateth to a supernatural end In the former respect as an evil Nature abhors it and shrinks from it and had much rather be clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life But as an unavoidable medium to a better condition so it may be desired as sick and bitter phisick is desirable not per se but in order unto health and dangerous chargeable voyages by Sea
are not in themselves beneficial at all but onely as they are necessary to make rich returns from remote Countries Mercatura est amittere ut lucreris It is good husbandry to sell all for an invaluable pearl 2. Death is not to be desired out of fretfulness passion weariness of life impatience of sufferings as Job and Jonah desired it Job 3 20-23 Jon. 4.3 and in great anguish men are apt to do Jer. 8 3. but in faith and an humble submission to the will of God out of a weariness of the body of sin and pilgrimage in the valley of tears suspiring after the presence of Christ and consummation of holiness thus it may be desired So Jacob waited for the salvation of God Gen. 49.18 So Simeon desired to depart in peace Luk. 2.29 30. and so our Apostle here I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1.23 3. We may not for all this use any compendious way to be partakers of this gain we may not neglect our body nor shipwrack our health nor do any thing to hasten death because we shall gain by it He that maketh haste even this way to be rich shall not be innocent Prov. 28.20 When men grew weary of the long and tedious compass in their Voyages to the East Indies would needs try a more compendious way by the North-west passage it ever proved unsuccessful our times are in Gods hands as the Psalmist speaks Psal 31.15 and therefore to his holy providence we must leave them We have work to do and therefore must not be so greedy of our Sabbath day our rest as not to be willing and contented with our working day our labour A composed frame of heart like the Apostles here an holy indifferency of soul either to stay and work or to go and rest is the best temper of all I conclude all with but naming the last Proposition from the other reading Christ in life in death is gain unto beleevers If the Apostle live he shall serve Christ if he dye he shall enjoy him if he live he shall glorifie him by his ministry if he dye he shall glorifie him by his martyrdom When Christ is ours every condition life or death prosperity or adversity is gainful to us It is hard to say whether it be better for a wicked man to live or dye being in both equally miserable If he live he encreaseth his sin if he die he entreth upon his sorrow But unto a godly man either condition is comfortable and blessed his life is fruitful his death is peaceable the grace of Christ is manifested in his life and the glory of Christ is manified in his death Let us be careful to secure the Pronown heâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To Me that we be such as Paul was who rejoyce in that Christ is preached though we should suffer by the means who are not ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospel but are willing that Christ may be magnified in our body whether by life or by death and then we may boldly conclude as our Apostle doth whether I live or whether I die Christ will in both conditions be advantage unto me COncerning this worthy Gentleman who with one spring of his soul gave so sudden a leap from Earth to Heaven I confess I have been so surprised with sorrow that I thought it hardly possible for me to undertake this service but that I must have covered over my affections and his Elogies as the Painter did Agamemnons grief for Iphigenia with a vail of silence He was a copious subject a man one of a thousand as Elihu speaks which way ever we take the view of him we shall finde him to be as Aristotles character is of his honest man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a four-square man that had in every capacity a Basis of honesty and integrity to fix upon How tender and dear an Husband how loving and careful a Father how wise and prudent a Disposer of his domestical affairs your eyes and their sorrows can abundantly testifie Towards others abroad I do not know a man fuller of love and faithfulness more ready more active to lay out himself upon the good and interest of his friend There are some drags very wholsom but very bitter good in the operation but unkind in the palate and some friends are such real in their love but morose in their expressions of it that a man is almost afraid of their very kindnesses But this our dear friend was full of sweetness as of fidelity His love was not like a Pill that must be wrapped in something else before a man can swallow it but the candor and sereness of his disposition made his love as amiable as it was useful unto his friends so that he well deserved the character given to one of the Roman Emperors Neminem unquam dimisit tristem He was indeed in his disposition made up of love and sweetness of a balsom nature all for healing and helpfulness He was not a friend in pretence and complement that can bow handsomly and promise emphatically and speak plausibly and forget all but he was serious and cordial in his affection Some mens love is like some plants in the water which have broad leaves on the surface of the water but scarce any root at all lik Lemons cold within and hot without full expressions empty intentions speak loud and do little Like Drums and Trumpets and Ensigns in a battel which make a noise and a shew but act nothing But this our dear Brother was an active friend his reality exceeded his expressions His words were the window of his heart truly as Aristotle calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the notifiers of his affection And his fidelity to his friend was ever seconded with wisdom as our Saviour saith of John the Baptist he was a burning and a shining Lamp we may say in this case of him he had not onely an ardent but a prudent love was not onely affectionate to intend good but able to counsel and contrive it Some friends are like a vine fruitful but weak their love is sweet but their strength small he as able by his wisdom to advise as ready by his love to help and tender Nor was this disposition of his narrow and contracted towards a few but it was diffusive The mildness and moderation of his soul made him willing to do good to all and so far as would consist with integrity to preserve every man from peril Some mens love is like some flowers which open onely towards the Sun which come out onely in the hottest seasons like the load-stone that points onely one way and bend onely towards them that do not need it But his love would grow in the shade as well as in the Sun and though it were specially directed to those of the houshold of faith yet he had learned of the Apostle to do good to all men and to speak evill of none But
Deaths Advantage Opened in a SERMON PREACHED The last Summer at Northampton AT THE FUNERAL OF Peter Whalley Esq Then Mayor of the said Town And now upon the earnest desires of his Friends published by Edward Reynolds D.D. LONDON Printed by Tho Newcomb for George Thomason and are to be sold at his Shop at the Rose and Crown in Pauls Church yard 1657. To the Honorable John Crew Esq SIR HAving been prevailed with by the earnest desires of those who were nearly related unto that worthy Gentleman at whose Funeral this Sermon was preached to let it after it had been it self so long buried something unseasonably revive and go abroad into the world I have taken the boldness to prefix so honorable a name as yours before it upon a double account one relating unto the deceased Gentleman the other unto my self For the former if we may take the character of a wise and worthy man by the affection which he beareth and choyce which he maketh of eminent Examples whose prudence and piety to follâ—w I may truly and therefore without flattery to you or him pronounce this dear Friend now with God a very wise and a very good man having been frequently an ear-witness of the singular Honor he did bear to your person in mentioning of whose zeal and care to promote the glory of God the truth of the Gospel the interest of Religion and good of your Country he did greatly delight to expatiate and whom he did propose to himself as a special pattern for his imitation For mine own part as I have the same reasons which moved him to bear an honorable and high esteem towards your person and the gifts and graces of God bestowed upon you so you have by your abundant favours to me and particularly your earnest and sollicitous endeavors to have preserved my Station in the University when changes in the State caused changes there laid so great a debt upon me as I have no way to discharge but onely by putting you over to the best Pay-master and in my prayers commending you unto him who doth not forget your labour of love To his gracious Protection I commend you and all the branches and interests of your Family and remain Your humble and most obliged Servant ED. REYNOLDS THE Gain of Death PHIL. 1.21 For to me to live is Christ and to dye is Gain THE Apostle having saluted these Philippians and testified his sincere love unto them and hearty prayers for them in the first eleven Verses doth in the next place endeavor to comfort them against any offence or trouble which they might sustain by occasion of his sufferings for the Gospel vers 12 13. assuring them that they tended to the defence thereof many being thereby provoked and by the example of his courage and comfort animated to speak the Word without fear vers 14. And although some indeed had evil and envious intentions to reproach his Apostleship and to add affliction to his bonds yet Christ being preached he did rejoyce notwithstanding his own sufferings as knowing that by the benefit of their prayers and by the supplies of the Spirit of Christ his own salvation and the glory of the Lord should thereby be promoted vers 15-20 And if the Lord may be thus magnifiea and himself saved if his life may tend to the honour of Christ and his death to his own advantage he is most indifferent and contented to yeeld to Gods holy will either way for saith he to me to live is Christ and to die is gain If I live my work my conversation my ministry will be wholly to serve and glorifie him and if I dye my death will not onely be glorious unto him but gainful unto me I shall be ever with the Lord which is best of all The Apostle therefore is at a stand in a strait betwixt two which to chuse On the one side Christ will be magnified in the edification of his Church on the other side he will be magnified by the salvation of his servant the one will be fruitful to the Philippians and the other gainful to himself He is wholly therefore indifferent whether he live or dye because Christ will be both ways an advantage unto him and he shall be both ways serviceable to the glory of Christ We see the coherence connexion and scope of these words Some versions as ours make them two distinct Propositions To me to live is Christ To me to dye is gain Some others make them but one proposition thus In life and in death or whether I live or dye Christ is to me gain In the words there are two parts considerable First The Propositions themselves Secondly The specification of the Subject to whom they belong The Propositions are according to both readings these three First To live is Chrst Secondly To Dye is Gain Thirdly Christ is both in life and in death gain The specification of the Subject of these Propositions to whom they belong To Me a Beleever who am willing and desirous that Christ may be magnified in my body whether it by my life or by my death as being much more tender and sollicitous of his honour then of mine own particular safety First then To live is Christ or Christ is life unto us It is true many men live who are without Christ in the world an animal or a natural life to themselves to other men to carnal to secular to sinful purposes but being alienated from the life of God we may say of them as the Apostle doth of sensual and delicate Widows that they are dead whilst they live Our true life is founded in thâ— life of Christ Because I live you shall live also Jâ—h 4.19 He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh 5.12 Now Christ is our life in every way of causality First Vid Fr Gomar To. 1. p. 288. He is thâ— Author and efficient of our life whether we speak of life natural In him was life and the life was the light of men he lighteth every man that cometh into the World Joh. 14.2 By him all things consist Col. 1.17 In him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 He formed us in the belly his hands made us and fashioned us round about Job 10.8 Jer. 1.5 Psal 139 15 16. In every work of continued Creation the Son worketh as well as the Father My Father worketh hitherto saith he and I work Ioh. 5.17 Or whether we speak of life spiritual the life of Grace I live saith the Apostle yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 In him is the primitive seat of life and grace from whom it is diffused upon his body For as the Head and the Members are animated by one soul so Christ his Church by one spirit we being joyned unto the Lord are one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 Vid. Aug. de Gen. ad lit l. 4 c. 12. lib. 5 c. 20.
it is not enough for a man to do good to others though he could to all if he remain an enemy to himself Like Shel-fishes which breed pearls for others to wear but are sick of them themselves lik a Mercury Statue which shews the way to others but stands still it self like a whetstone which sharpeneth the knife but is blunt it self If thou be wise saith Solomon be wise for thy self Many men are like Plutarchs Lamiae which had eyes for abroad but were blinde at home like Bees that gather good honey but are smothered themselves But our dear Brother had an eye inward was wise to the interests of his own soul Like the Cynamon tree which lets not out all its sap into leaves and fruit which will fall off but keeps the principal of its fragrancy for the bark which stays on like a tree planted by the water side which though it let out much sap to the remoter boughs yet is specially careful of the root that that be not left dry And in truth what profit would it be to a man if he could help and heal all the sick men of the world and be incureably sick himself If he could get all the men on the earth all the Angels in heaven to be his friends and have still God for his enemy If he could save others and then lose his own soul to be like the ship Act. 27. broken to peeces it self though it helped others to the shore Like those that built the Ark for Noah and were drowned themselves Herein therfore he shewed himself truly a wise man that he took care of his own soul Some men are like Achitophel very careful to set their houses in order but then cast away their souls But our dear Brother though he had by the variety of his imployments the cares of Martha upon him was yet specially mindful of Maries unum necessarium the care of his own salvation And he did not take up his Religion with the times that he might magis uti Deo quam frui make gain godliness as the Samaritans who would be Jews when the Jews prospered and enemies to them when they suffered but he was as is said of Mnason Act. 21.16 an old Disciple a Professor of Religion in the worst times when piety was nick-named preciseness and he that departed from evil made himself a prey Isa 59.15 Temporibusque malis ausus es esse bonus did dare to be good in bad times Religion sometimes is like oyl gets highest and the faeces and amurca are at the bottom when the horn of the righteous is exalted Psal 75.10 Sometimes it is like gold in the Mine lies deep and depressed like the sap of a tree in winter fain to shrink under ground There are many Summer Christians will be religious in the sun shine our dear Brother was a winter Christian kept his religion in the storm and as then he was so he continued a steady Christian a ship well ballanced with sound knowledge and rooted sincerity and love of the truth not carried about with every wind of doctrine It is said of Christ he is yesterday and to day the same Heb. 13.8 Christians should therein imitate him and having tried all things hold last the good and with purpose of heart cleave to God God hath beautified several of his servants with several Graces we read of Jobs patience Moses his meekness Abrahams faith Maries love Davids devotion Solomons wisdom Apollo his eloquence our dear Brother was eminent in many likewise in meekness and mildness of soul he was a man of an amiable and calm temper yet sweetly quickned with zeal for Gods glory He was a great lover of an able Minister and of the Ordinances of Christ so dispensed an eminent grace in these times when poor Ministers and Ordinances it is well they go together they are good company suffer together from many whom we cannot wonder at for being so much enemies to others who are so little friends to their own souls he that undervalues his own life may easily despise another mans But by the way it were well if the despisers of Ordinances would consider that little children who play the wantons with their meat are likely not long after to know what difference there is between a smarting rod and a wholsom dinner We may have Ordinances taken away from us too soon let not us take them away from our selves We have viewed him in his private capacity as a Christian if we consider him in his publick as a Magistrate we shall finde how great a loss the Town and Country had of him in this regard as his friends and the Church of God in the other Some men are like Vines very good for fruit but you cannot make a beam or a pin of them to hang any vessells thereon Ezek. 15.3 to such things Magistrates are compared Isa 22.23 24. But our Brother was like the Wallnut tree good both for fruit and for timber His fitness for Magistracy appeared in this that being not an aged man he was twice called to the Majoralty of this Town and once to serve for the same more publickly Tully derided Heraclidâ—s Temnites that he lived to old age and never attained those honors in his Country which others usually did arrive at it could not be said so of him he was of so dexterous a spirit that one may say of him as Livy did of Cato Natum adid unum diceres quodcunque ageret And this is the more considerable in that he was not originally brought up to services of a publick nature It is noted for the honor of Alphenus Varus that having been bred in a shop at a private trade he proved so learned and eminent a Lawyer that he wrote collectanea juris some of which are entred into the pandect and was afterwards Consul of the City And we read in humane stories of Agathocles Justinus Primislaus Pinctus and others who by their wisdom and abilities were raised from Trades and Farms to great Governments Our dear Brothers publick imployments were not the fruits of his own ambition but of the free love of other men who for his wisdom fidelity and fitness called him thereunto And truly a very fit man he was for them an able man fearing God loving truth hating covetousness Exod. 18.21 He had a publick spirit very ready to en tertain and promote every thing which tended to the general good Some men are like the Prophets Vine Hos 10.1 bring fruit onely to themselves and are empty to all the world besides But he was one who could deny himself and his private interest to serve the publick as natural bodies will forsake their own proper motions to prevent a publick breach upon the universe Pompey being disswaded from an expedition hazardous to himself but useful to the publick returned this answer to his friends Necesse est ut eam non ut vivam It is necessary for me to go it is not necessary for me to live And truly besides his Wisdom Zeal for God Dexterity to set forward good works he had one excellent Character for Magistracy he was a man of a milde and meek spirit I call this an excellent temper for Magistracy If it were not so the Lord would not have chosen Moses the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 nor David who was as a weaned childe to be the Ruler of Israel Psal 131.1 2. Magistrates will meet with many things to provoke passion difficulties in business multitudes of imployment cros sand mutinous distempers in ill-disposed people prophanations and dishonors done to the name of God which exceedingly stirred Moses himself Exod. 32.19 therefore they had need have milde and composed spirits patience is the effect of power Numb 14.17 â—8 Thus he lived in his private capacity a dear Husband a tender Father a faithful friend a sincere Christian Thus he lived in his publick capacity a wise zealous self-denying publick-hearted meek-spirited Magistrate And now as he said oportet imperatorem stantem mori And another Episcopum concionantem that it was honourable for a Commander to die in his Arms and a Bishop in his Pulpit So the Lord ordered the death of our dear Brother with this circumstance of honor in it that he died a Magistrate in his Office Aaron was stripped of his Sacerdotal Ornaments on the mount where he was called to die Num. 20.25 26. And this our Brother did put off his Robe to put on his Shrowd his Magistracy yeelded to his mortality His death was sudden in it self so was old Elies a good man but it is not sudden to a Beleever whose holy life fits him or it for sanctity is a better preparation unto death then sickness It is all one if a man come to heaven whether it be by a Journey or by a Rapture as Paul was caught up thither 2 Cor. 12.3 4. Well he is with Christ which is best of all though we be without him the care of his friends must be by moderation of sorrow to testifie their assured hope of his happiness And the care of the Town must be to testifie their love unto him with chusing a wise holy faithful zealous man to succeed him who may carry on those good works which he had the happiness to begin but not to finish by reason of a greater happiness We leave him with our Apostles Motto upon him To him to Live was Christ and therefore to Dye was Gain FINIS