he is too precise and too holy as if it were not a mans excellency to be pure and zealous and to serve God But I tell thee if thou count it not thine honor to be forward for God and to be nicknamed for Christ thine excellency to lie in this that thou art godly and heavenly thon art a proud fool when John Husse was to write upon the Epistle of Saint Iames he counted it such an high office of dignity that he was confounded at his owne indignity saying unto God Hei mihi laudare to contremisco he counted it such an honour to doe any thing for God that he was ashamed at his owne vildnesse O my brethren God is called the excellency of Jacob it was not their valour nor wisedome but this was their excellency that God was their God thy riches are proud riches if thy excellency lie in them more then in God if thou dost not go about every commandement as thine excellency thy obedience is proud This is a third signe of a heart brokeu from sin if it be broken from its pride A Funerall SERMON Preached by That laborious and faithfull Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex A FUNERAL SERMON ISAI 57. 1. The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evill to come IN the end of the former chapter the Prophet reproveth the speciall sinne of Idol shepheards who followed their own pleasures and profits not regarding their flock Now he reproves the generall sin of security in the people and namely in this that whereas the righteous perish yet no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering c. This verse is a complaint of the Prophet touching the people in generall for that they considered not the Iudgements of God upon them in taking away the righteous from among them In the words themselves we are to consider First the work of the Lord viz. the righteous perisheth and merciful men are taken way Secondly the peoples sin in not considering it not regarding this work of the Lord which is that the righteous may be delivered from the evill to come By righteous is here meant not such as are legally righteous by the workes of the law for so no man is righteous but by righteous is here meant such as are Evangelically righteous by the righteonsnesse of faith in the Gospell Perisheth that is from the earth for otherwise the righteous perish not No man considering that is no man lamenting mourning or grieving for the losse of them The first thing then to be considered is from the first part and it is plaine out of the words of the text That all men must dye even the most holy and most righteous for they are all subject to the stroak of bodily death as well as the wicked There is no remembrance saith Solomon of the wise more then of the fool and how dyeth the wise man even as the fool Eccles 2. 16. so Zacha. 1. 5. Your farhers where are they and the Prophets doe they live for ever so that we see Prophets and fathers dye as well as other men yea those Worthies recorded in the Scripture Noah Abraham David c. they are all gone the same way they are all dead The first reason is because it is appointed unto all men once to dye and after that comes the judgement Heb. 9. 27. God hath thus decreed it and therefore itmust be so Secondly because all men and women are of the dust and therefore must return to the dust again dust thou art saith God and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3. 19. Thirdly because all have sinned even the most righteous man now the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. the most righteous man must dye Fourthly because as death came into the world by sin Rom. 5. 12. so sin must goe out of the world by death and therefore it is needful that the righteous die that so they may be freed from sin Object But some may object and say hath not Christ abolished death why then do the righteous die Answ I answer he hath abolished death as he hath abolished sin now he hath not taken sin quite away from us for we see it doth still remain in us neither hath he quite abolished death from the righteous for we see they all dye but hee abolished the dominion of sin so that it doth no longer raign in us and so hee hath taken away the dominion of death so that it doth not rage as a Tyrant over us so that it is not hurtfull unto us as a punishment but as a means to convey us into a better life Christ hath taken away the sting both of sin and death though not the things themselves away from us yet he will one day free us from them both so then the righteous must suffer death as well as the wicked though not in the same kind Let no man then look to be exempted from death for his righteousnesse nor from any outward miseries that may befall the sons of Adam nay if we are the servants of Christ we must look for a greater share in these then other men greater crosses greater afflictions greater sicknesse and harder pangs of death do oft befall the righteous as it did unto this our brother who though he were old and stricken in yeers yet the pangs of death were strong upon him Those whom God will make heires of Eternall life he suffers them to have a greater portion in these afflictions But the wicked are fat and full and die with their bones full of marrow as Job speakes they commonly have little sicknesse and an easie death but the godly do ordinarily undergoe greater pangs let none therefore think that for his righteousnesse he shall be free Secondly consider we here how few amongst us have learned this Arithmetique namely to number our dayes and they are but short even a span long who is there almost that thinkes on death who prepares himselfe for it and yet all even the most righteous must die for God hath placed that fiery blade of death at the entrance into the Paradise of heaven so that none can enter before they taste of death and all must taste of it yea the most righteous are not exempted from the stroak of death This then should teach us to labour to draw our hearts from the love of this present life and what can better perswade us and wean us from the love of this world then a due consideration of death wee know we must all die and therefore we should prepare our selves for it If any prophane person amongst us knew that this night must be his last night and that now hee had no longer to live would not this amaze him and make him bethink himselfe and to prepare for death If
p. 168 5. His penitential faith p. 169 6. His penitential resolution p. 169 7. His penitential prayer p. 169 5. This repentance was extraordinary in regard of the incomparablenesse of it p. 171 Vse To condemn those that rely upon this example p. 172 This example is once recorded that none might dispare and but once that none might presume p. 177. None because this example should defer their repentance 1. because this theif had not the means of life and grace before p. 180 2. Because we never read that this theif put off his repentance till the last p. 181 3 Because at that time God was in a way of working miracles p 185 Text Psal 147. 3. The words of the text opened p 193 What is meant by wholnesse of heart p 194 What is meant by brokennesse of heart p 196 Doct. 2 Christ justifies and sanctifies 200. Or heales the broken-hearted Reason 1 Because God hath given grace unto Christ to heale the broken-hearted p 200 2 Christ hath undertaken to doe it p 201 3 Christ hath this in charge to bind up the broken-hearted p 202 4 None but the broken hearted will accept of Christ p 202 Severall objections are answered from p 204 to 208 3 Reasons why Christ will heal the broken-hearted 1 This is the most seasonable time to be healed when the heart if broken p 218 2 It is the most profitablest time p 219 3 It is the very nick of time the heart can never be healed untill it be broken p 219 3 Signes of a broken heart 1 A breaking from sin p 224 2 A breaking in it self with sorrow p 224 The history of Zacheus conversion is opened in 7. particulars p 225 to 229 3 When the heart is broken then it will stoop to Gods word in all things p 233 Text Esay 57. 1. Doct. All men must die p 241 1 Because God hath so appointed it p 241 Reason 2 Because all men and women are of the dust p 241 3 Because all have sinned p 242 4 Because as death came into the world by sin so sin might go out of the world by death p 242 2 Objections against this are answered p 242 Vse 1 Let no man look to be exempted from death for his righteousnesse p 243 2 Hence we should learn to draw our hearts from this present world p 244 3 To teach us to prepare our selves for a better life p 245 The death and losse of good men must be laied to heart as an especiall cause of grief and sorrow p 247 Reason 1 Because the instruments of Gods glory are taken away p 248 2 Because of the great losse that others have by their death p 248 3 Because of the evill to come for while they live they are as a wall to keep off the wrath of God p 248 Use 1 To reprove those what rejoyce at the death of the righteous p 250 Doct. 2 To informe us what a losse it is when the righteous are taken away p 251 When God will bring any great judgement upon a people or Nation ordinariy he takes away his faithfull servants from amongst them p 252 Vse 1. To inform us of Gods extraordinary love to his children p. 253 2. To inform us than when the righteous are taken away we are certainly to expect some great judgement from God to fall upon us p. 254 Text. Jer. 14. 9. The opening of the context in many partculars p. 263 Doct. God many times doth cast off a people p. 266 4. Signs of Gods casting off a people 1. When he takes away his love and respect from a people p. 268 2. When he takes away his providence from them p. 268 3. When he breaks down the wals of Magistracy and Ministry p. 268 4. When he takes away the benefit of both these helps p. 269 Vse 1. To teach us to cast off security p. 269 to 273 Doct. It is the importunate desire of the Saints of God still to keep God present with them p. 274 The presence of God is the particular favour of God which he expresseth in his ordinances p. 275 1. This question is answered whether a man may be saved without preaching p. 276 Vse 2. This question is answered who they are that are weary of God p 280. To rebuke Gods people for their neglect in not striving to keep God who seems to be departing p 284 to 288 How may we keep the Lord amongst us p 289 Quest 1. We must be sure to prepare a room for him p. 289 Answ 2. We must give him content p. 290 3. We must make him welcome p. 291 4. We must be importunate with God to tarry and account it a great favour if he will stay p 292 THE MISERY OF Earthly Thoughts ISA. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord c. I Have heretofore begun the Doctrine of the Thoughts of men Now I desire to finish it Whence we had this Point that Doctr. Those whose minds run habitually on earthly things are yet in the state of misery First Because a man is in the state of misery till he hath repented Now until a man have forsaken his old thoughts that man hath not repented Oh Jerusalem wash thy heart Jer. 4. 14. A man must not only rid himself of vain thoughts but he must wash his heart clean with this Emphasis That he may be saved No salvation without this How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee 2. As a man is in the state of misery till he have repented so also till he is in Christ Now when a man is led by his own vain thoughts his thoughts being not sanctified so long that man is not in Christ if he were in Christ Christ would sanctifie his thoughts I but may some man say He hath wronged me ergo I will think thus and thus Nay but Christ casteth down the strong holds and if thou wilt not yield Christ will cast thee off but if thou belong to Christ he will cast all down before thee 3. That man is in the state of misery that doth not love God that walks not with God in his thoughts Thou shalt love the Lord thy God c. Mat. 22. 37. So I do sayes one and yet I think on my vanities too And thus carnal men think they love God But if thou love God with all thy heart thou lovest him with all that is in thy heart for what is a mans heart but the purposes of his heart Now if a man give not over vain purposes he loves not God with all his heart 4. That man that cannot forsake sinne is in the state of misery and can never enter into life see the Text the wicked must forsake his wayes A man must deny his own words and speak according to Gods own warrant the actions of mens lives are the wayes of their thoughts the Tongue must not only forsake his way but the
what mens thoughts are and therefore the best way for a man to judge himself is to judge himself that way which God doth even by his thoughts The Lord knowes the thoughts of man Psal 94. 11. Examine your selves in this then concerning your thoughts whether they be metamorphosed or no A man may say he hath good thonghts of God but let him examine himself whether it be so or no. 7. Thoughts are the conscional acts of the heart they are the greatest accusers or excusers of the heart they are Consciences Nose as we may so speak True it is the words of the tongue and the actions of the hands are all in the light and sight of the conscience but the nearer a thing is unto the conscience the more able it is to judge of the conscience And therefore Saint Paul puts the accusing or excusing especially on the thoughts Rom. 2. 15. We grant a wicked man may have good thoughts but they are thoughts descending not ascending they are cast into the heart by God not raised out of the heart Moses thought in his heart to visit his brethren Acts 7. ver 23. Good thoughts grow out of the heart of the godly they come from the bottome of it a wicked man may have good thoughts cast into his minde but he will fling them out again Secondly we grant wicked men may have good thoughts but examine whether they be close with the heart or no all the proper thoughts of a man are the possessions of the heart Job 17. 11. They take hold of the heart and they are at home in the heart Here then examine thy heart whether the thoughts of God close with thy heart Doth repentance close with thy heart dost thou think of death and do the thoughts thereof make thee die daily Or dost thou think of death dost thou not love to be holden with that thought Dost thou think of hell and wilt thou not be holden with that thought of hell but thy thoughts are on thy pleasures So then if thy thoughts close not with thy heart it is nothing to the purpose Thirdly there may be good thoughts in thy heart but t is questionable whether good thoughts or no if they come out of due season it is nothing to the purpose If a Printer print never so well and make never so good letters yet if he place one word where another should stand he marrs all So good thoughts if they be seasonable and in their proper place they are the effects of the Spirit but if out of season they may be the thoughts of Reprobates As if thou be at Prayer and then to be thinking of a Sermon is nothing to the purpose They must be seasonable and bring forth fruit in due season Psal 1. 3. When thou art at prayer thou must have thy thoughts suteable to prayer for it thy thoughts be never so good yet if they be not seasonable and suteable to the action thou hast in hand they are not actions of grace grace cannot away with them Fourthly thou hast good thoughts in thy heart but the question is whether they be counselled thoughts such as thou hast determined to think on Thoughts are called the counsels of a mans heart 1 Cor. 4. 5. it may be thou maiest stumble on a good thought now and then it may be when thou art swearing thou wilt say God forgive me when thou hast been drinking all the day it may be a good thought steps in and cries God mercy but thou goest not to schoole to learne the arte of meditation or the science of holy thinking or to say with David O God my heart is fixed Vse 1 Now if that sin in thought be so great a sin this should teach us what a horrible sin it is to sin in deed therfore thoghts are the smallest sins and the Psalmist makes it an argument of Gods quick-sighted power to see thoughts thou seest my thoughts afarre off you will say that man is quick sighted that can see a pins head a 100 myles off even so God sees thoughts if a pins point can stab a man then a sword can much more Now if thoughts be so haynous and capitall a sin how fearfull a sin is it to commit sinne in deed for thee to sweare to lye to commit adultery to keepe wicked company to mocke at Gods people to live in coveteousnesse c. this is to commit in deed if small sins be so damnable what then are the greatest If the cockatrice in the egge be such poyson what will it be when it is hatcht sins in thought are imperfect but outward actions are perfect T is a wicked distinction to say that some sing are Contra legem or Praeter legem for all sins are against the Law as Saint Iames saith when lust is conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished it bringeth forth death thou that art a drunkard thy sin is finished thou art a true sinner in deed if thou livest in the execution of any outward sin Againe sins in thought are simple sins but sins in deed are compounded sin in thought is part of sin but when it is indeed it may be the cause of a 1000 sins for a man to think too much of his bellie is a sin but for a man to be drunken this is abundance of sins for it is an abuse of Gods creatures a spending of his substance a weakning of his parts a scandall to others c. Sin in deed is a sin with an addition sin in deed is an impudent sin see Esay 65. 2 3. c. that man is impudent with a witnes that will commit sin in deed for he is neither ashamed of Gods nor mans presence if any man be a desperate siner this is he Object But it may be objected how then can thoughts be said to be such sins even sins of the highest part of a man Sol. I answer a Theife or Rogue hath burnt a mans dwelling house yet he may proceed further and burn his stable too a 1000 pound and a shilling are more then a 1000 pound Sins in thought are included within sins in deed The souls part of sin is the greatest part of sin Now thonghts are the souls part of sin yet sins in deed must needs be worse in regard of the progresse of sin and also because thoughts are included in them thoughts and deeds are more then thoughts alone Vse 2 I exhort and desire you therefore to consider First what great reason you have to set your thought on God God himself merited this dutie at your hands God hath taken a number of thoughts for us Innumerable are thy thoughts O God to us ward Ps 40. 5. the Lord thinks on us from the Cradle to the Crosse If the Lord should have intermitted his thoughts of thee thou couldst not subsist when thou wast up the Lord thought how to feede thee when thou wast in bed he thought how to preserve thee he
preaching he was pilfering where do you read that ever he heard any of the Apostles or Seventy or John the Baptist or any Sermon in all his life No no he went roving up and down we have not one title to imply that he had the means of salvation and therefore this is nothing to thee that hast the preaching of the Word which reproves thee of thy sins and therefore if thou wilt go on thou shalt dye Ezech. 3. 19. Secondly this story belongs not unto thee for where dost thou read that ever this thief did build upon this hope do you think that this thief said I will steal as long as I can I know I shall be imprisoned and I shall be crucified with Christ but while I lie in prison I will repent and then he will have mercie on me did this poor thief ever dreame of these hopes did he presume of mercie and so sin against mercies and therefore thou that buildest on this example whosoever thou art it belongs not unto thee Tush tush sayes the Drunkard shall I be damned the thief was saved Thou cursed caitiffe what though thou shouldst repent and cry for mercie art thou sure the Lord will heare and pardon thee when I spake to you said Moses you would not heare but rebelled and were presumptuous Deut. 1. 43. Dost thou presume on Gods mercie that hee will convert thee at the last I tell thee that Gods mercy is good mercie it is not like the mercie of a wicked Iudge that is wickedly mercifull and suffers Rogues to be pardoned No no Gods mercie is good psal 109. 21. mercie and justice are all one with God and they have all one name in scripture There is a crown laid up for me saith Paul which the Lord the just Judge shall give me viz which God the mercifull Judge shall give unto me God is just in his mercie and therefore thinkest thou to live in thy sins to sweare to lie to be drunk c. and yet hope to have mercy thou art deceived the Lords mercy is just mercy and he will damne thee for evermore if thou repent not in sincerity You never read in the Scripture that there is mercy in the wayes of the devil But Psal 25. 10. all the wayes of the Lord are mercy and iudgement c. So long as thou walkest in the wayes of the Lord there is mercy to thee in every step mercy in Prayer mercy in hearing the Word and in receiving the Sacraments but in the wayes of the devil there is no mercy for as long as thou walkest in darknesse security and all sinfull and vain courses which are the wayes of the devil there is no mercy for thee for the Spirit of God saith those that follow their vanities forsake their own mercies you must turn from your own wayes for the way of mercy lies in another road in the road of holinesse humiliation and repentance in the road of forsaking all your vain imaginations and thoughts If thou follow thy own wayes God will have no mercy on thee Jonas 2. 8. He will not tell a lye to have mercy on thee Gods mercy is true and mercy and truth go together Psal 98. 3. Now if thou be a Drunkard and dost live and die in that sin God hath said that he will damn thee Gal. 5. 21. Now he should be a liar if he should not do it and thou knowest that mercy and truth go together in him Therefore in time repent Pish pish sayes the Drunkard c. I hope the Lord will be more merciful these Preachers preach nothing but damnation I hope the Lord will pardon me Pardon thee saith God how shall I pardon thee for this Thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods and though I fed them to the full yet they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troopes in the harlots houses Jer. 5. 7. As if God should have said I cannot pardon thee No why Thou wilt not come at me thou hast forsaken me in mine ordinances c. Will a Physitian cure a man that will not come at him why they have forsaken me saith God and they will not come at me as if he should say I am willing to pardon I send out my commandements but they will not bend their mindes to keep them they forsake these wayes of mercy Have mercy on them nay shall I not rather visit for these things saith the Lord Jer. 5. 9. If those that disobeyed Moses law dyed without mercy Heb. 10. how then lookest thou for mercy that despisest the Lord Jesus even the gospel of his kingdome Nay the crosse of Christ cals thee he wooes thee by his death and passion and now it thou wilt not obey thou shalt die without mercy Oh what a cursed conclusion is this I have a mercifull and a good Father and therefore I will lift up my head against him I know he will forgive me I will break my head I know where to have a plaister to heal it I will offer such a man a wrong I know he will nnot sue me Thou cursed wretch though the Lord pardon ten thousand yet he will not pardon thee no no thou sinnest with a high hand But keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ Jude 21. Keep your selves there if you be wise for if Gods patience be abused it will be turned into wrath and wormwood and it will burn like fire unto the nethermost hell to a man that sins against mercy there is no redemption this story belongs not unto such Thirdly this story is nothing to thee because at that time God was in a way of working miracles but now he is not in that way then he rent the rocks opened the sepulchres and raised the dead c. Now unlesse thou take God in this way again never look to have thy sinnes pardoned if thou goest on in thy sinnes with a high hand It may be God will not be in the way of working of miracles when thou art a dying No the Lord will shew salvation to no man but unto him that orders his conversation aright Psal 50. 23. thy life must be right and all thy wayes must be upright if thou mean to find mercie But the Thief was converted without ordering his wayes aright I answer one Swallow cannot make Spring nor one fair day a harvest One example cannot make a rule one instance concludes nothing This example breakes no square but it is onely hee that lives uprightly that shall see the salvation of God and none else And if thou dost mean to go to heaven thou must go in the way that leads thither and thou must do those things that are between thee and heaven there is but one way to heaven and all that go to heaven must walk that way there is one faith one newnesse of life one kinde of regeneration and God will have thee go all these
rich coveteous men which spend the whole course of their life in providing for the things of this life did truely consider of death and that their end draweth nigh would they doe as they do when this life and all the things of this life and all our joyes and pleasures of this world shall shortly have an end for when death comes they shall all be taken from us or rather we from them Oh how excellent a thing is it then for us to be drawne from the things of this life unto a due consideration of death and of those heavenly Ioyes and happinesse to come Oh you that look for these things what manner of men ought you to be in holy life and conversation Thirdly seeing wee all must die and this present life must come to an end this should teach us to prepare our selves for a better life to provide for a surer building a better estate which shall never perish Philosophers who were but heathen men could meditate on death setting it alwayes before their eyes But this is not enough for us that are Christians wee cannot truly prepare our selves for it unlesse we first build a surer foundation in providing for a better life which shall never have an end and this no Heathen or wicked man can ever do Oh how wofull would that message be unto a wicked man that was brought unto good King Hezekiah Comes set thy house in order for thou must die and not live and why should it be terribl unto him surely because he hath no hope of a better life he hath not provided for a better habitation Consider then with what comfort thou couldst entertain this message with what comfort canst thou meet with death for he is no Christan that cānot in some measure willingly meet with death for by it we passe unto a better life for as this our brother spake often hee that would have comfort in death must look beyond death he must not fix his eyes on the terrors of death but he must look beyond to that glorious inheritance to which wee are passing through death and there shall he behold his Saviour putting forth his hand ready to receive him there shall he see the blessed Saints and Angels whose company he shall enjoy besides an infinite heap of Ioyes and happinesse that is prepared for him also O my beloved nothing will make us willingly to entertaine the message of death but only the comforts of the life to come Oh let us labour then for these comforts that so we may be provided against death were it not a foolishnesse for a man who being a tennant at will and shortly to be turned out of his house never to take care for another until he is cast out of doors Beloved we are all tennants at will and we are very shortly to be cast out of our dwelling houses of clay and shall we not provide for a surer habitation Death is at hand and our life must shortly have an end let us therefore labour to be assured of a better life when this is ended that so with comfort we may meet with death Now we come unto the second point which is here to be considered taken from the complaint of the Prophet that the people did not consider nor lay it to heart viz the death of the righteous whence I note that The death losse of good men must be laid to heart as a special cause of grief and sorrow We ought justly to be grieved at the death of a righteous man when God taketh him from amongst us How did the Prophet Jeremy and the people lament the death of that good King Josiah 2 Chron. 35. 23. so devout men made great lamentation for the death of Stephen Act. 8. 2. so all Israel lamented the death of Moses Deur 34. 8. And Joash the King of Israel weept for the death of the Prophet Elisha 2 Kings 13. 14. and thus wee should lament and sorrow for the death of any righteous man yet not in respect of themselves as if their case were worse now then before for they are now more happy But first in regard of Gods glory whereof they were instruments to set it forth for since they were taken away Gods glory is impaired because there are the fewer left which doe truly serve and worship him for as David saith the dead praise not the Lord c. Psal 115. 17. so then they being dead do not praise the Lord among the faithfull on earth any longer Secondly in regard of the great losse that others have by their death who have alwayes received much good by them in their life for the godly doe so order and behave themselves in all their wayes that they doe good wheresoever they come therefore when they die it must needs be a great losse unto such who might if they had lived been bettered by them Thirdly we ought to lament the death of the righteous in regard of the evill to come for while they live they are as a wall about us to keep Gods judgements from us if there had been but ten righteous men in Sodome it had not been destroyed Gen. 18. 32. If there be a messenger one among a thousand saith Elihu to shew unto man his uprightnes then is God gracious unto him Job 33. 23. Run ye to and fro in the streets of Jerusalem saith God and see if you can find a man if there be any that executeth judgement and seeks the Lord and I will pardon it Jer. 5. 1. so that if there had been but one righteous man among the people in that city the Lord would have spared them even for that ones sake and therefore the Lord speaking of the righteous saith I will fasten him as a naile in a sure place he shall be as a glorious throne unto his fathers house Esay 22. 23. Oh consider then what a losse we have when the righteous dye we are like to perish when the naile that was in the sure place is remooved cut downe and falles for then the burden that was upon it shall be cut off Esay 22. 25. You therefore of this Congregation consider and lament for this your losse in that this good man is taken from among you for who knowes whether God spared this congregation even for this good mans sake for it is the righteous only that God respects and for their sakes he will spare a whole people therefore surely as Solomon saith the righteous is better then his neighbour yea though never so poore and despised in the eyes of the world yet are they precious in Gods account when I make up my Jewels saith God I will spare them Mala. 3. 17. so that the righteous are Gods Jewels the excellent of the earth are precious in Gods sight and have we not great cause then to lament for the losse of such Seeing then it becommeth all Gods children to lament the death of the righteous O how farre then are all such from the
the Image of God in him that me thought Christ Jesus walked in him alive upon the earth how much true service sincere obedience fervent and faithfull prayer had the Lord out of that poore cottage wherin he lived If ever there were a true child of Abraham and an heire to the promise this was hee if ever there were among us a true Israelite in whom there was no guil this was hee If ever there were amongst us a true Christian that shined as a light to those amongst whom he lived this was hee If ever there were amongst us a poor man rich in faith this was hee In his life he was a patterne to all that knew him so contented with his estate so diligent in the duties of his calling whilst health suffered In sicknesse untill death whilst speech continued so comfortable that I never came to him but I went away bettered by him O how did hee exhort and stirre up all those that came to visit him to hold out constantly unto the end to grow and increase in those good beginnings which they had made how often and how excellently would he speake of the benefits which wee have by Christ even the pardon of sin more like a Divine then a common Ghristian and so feelingly did hee expresse the certaine pardon of his owne sin even the sweete assurance thereof that it did my heart good to hear him Often did he deplore the state of these evill times in which we live from which the Lord hath now taken him away Often did hee with tears bewaile the state of this congregation and their unfruitfulnesse under the ministry of the word How did hee even with teares pray for his enemies he had some enimies but they were such as his piety religion and care to keep a good conscience made enimies unto him touching whom I must say that which without trembling I cannot speak that as they refused his society while he lived and sought to thrust him from among them so I feare that where he now is they shall never come except they repent O it is a fearfull thing to hate a man for his religion and piety but such was his love and compassion towards them that he did often with teares lament their estate and pray for them At the mention of death he would still repeat the point not long since delivered that he that would have comfort in death must goe beyond death even to that glorious inheritance to the which we are passing through death and never in my life did I ever see any man so comfortably and contentedly adresse himself to encounter with death as he did O said he this is the time that I have long waited for and as the pangs of death grew neerer so used he the more comfortable speeches saying with Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ now shall I see my sweet Saviour whom I have longed for and when death was even upon him he said come Lord Jesus come quickly and so with admirable patience endured the pangs of death after prayer with him when his speech began to faile I exhorted him now to look up to his Redeemer who was ready to receive him into his Masters joy and I spake something out of the Revelations touching the happy estate of those that die in the Lord adding further that all this comfort we have by Christ He answered with these his last words which with much difficulty he spake saying blessed be his glorious name blessed be his glorious name and thus this faithfull servant of Christ and heire of blessing gave up his breath in blessing God and died praising that God to whose praise he had lived And what should I say more but as David said of Abner died Abner as a fool dieth died this our brother as a fool as a worldling as a wicked man dieth of whom no reckoning is to be made no precious is his death in the eyes of the Lord and in the eyes of all that fear the Lord and blessed shall his memory be yea all that knew him well will call him blessed And for my own part so often as I shall think of his death and often I must think thereon my soul shall wish and pray Oh let medie the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his Amen THE SIGNES OF GODS forsaking a people Preached by That laborious and faithfull Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Minister of Rochford in Essex Being the last Sermon that he preached THE SIGNES OF GODS forsaking a people JER 14. 9. And we are called by thy Name leave us not TWo things Brethren and beloved in Christ Jesus are intended and expressed by the holy Prophet from the first verse to the 13. verse There is first a denomination of a judgement and that is dearth or famine from the first verse to the seventh Secondly the sword is threatned to the thirteenth verse he will send the famine then the sword and he will not bee intreated Then in the eighth and ninth verses we have the importunate prayer of the Church to turne away these judgements And the prayer is marvellous sweet in confession where they confesse their sins and seek to God for succour First they desire God that he would not take his providence from them why stayest thou but for a night verse the 8 as if they should have said it is marveilous strange that thou behavest thy self so like a stranger thou seest our sorrowes and dost not help us thou perceivest our troubles and thou regardest us not It is strange it is strange that the God of Israel stands as a man astonished that thou that hast heretofore received us shouldst now stand as a man amazed and astonished as if thou wert weary of this thy work and couldst do no more as if thou shouldst say Ierusalem cannot be saved and Judah cannot be succoured Secondly they desire that God would not take away his presence from them leave us not to our selves say they let us see thy face though we die yet let it be in thy presence yea though thou help us not yet it doth us good to look upon our Saviour and thou canst help us and thus you see the arguments wherewith they presse the Lord how sweet they are viz. First thou art the hope of Israel Alas if thou forsake us we are all lost our hope is not in the meanes only but our hope is in thee leav us not for thou art the hope of Israel it is the task that thou hast taken upon thee leave us not therefore Secondly thou hast made thy selfe a Saviour and now is the time of trouble therefore now performe what thou hast undertaken Thirdly thou art in the midst of us that is thou art a great Commander amongst us alwayes ready to succour us and wilt thou now see us perish thou art more neer to us then the