all to save themselves from the grave they would leave but little to Friends or Executors could they but bribe Death with their Silver and Gold I have read of one who would make a tryal and so called for a Bag of Gold when on a Sick-bed and laid it to his trembling heart but presently cried out Away away with it it will not do Oh my Beloved Riches will not avail you in the day of wrath Prov. 11. 4. and as it will not in the Day of Judgement so it will not in the hour of Death The brutish person dies and leaves his wealth behind him Psal 49. 10. The Cardinal of Winchester who procured the death of the good Duke of Glocester in the Reign of King Henry the Sixth was shortly after taken with a grievous Disease who understanding by his Physicians that he could not live murmurring and repining thereat he cried out Fie will not Death be hired Will money do nothing must I die that have so great riches If the whole Realm would save my life either by policy I can get it or by riches I can buy it But yet all would not do the proud Cardinal must submit to death 5. As Riches will not deliver from the power of the grave so likewise earthly power and worldly sovereignty and greatness cannot do it all the mighty Potentates and Monarchs the holy Scripture and ancient Histories acquaint us of where are they hath not Death subdued them all After all their grandeur and pomp they were all cut down by Deaths all-conquering hand and now their glory lies in the dust Augustus Caesar one day triumphs in the greatness of his strength the next day is stabbed to death with Bodkins Herod King of the Jews one hour is admired as a God the next hour is made a Feast for Worms Acts. 12. 22 23. The great Conqueror Alexander who subdued he greatest part of the World is at last overcome by Death Death makes no difference between the King in his Royalty on the Throne and the Begger in Rags upon the Dunghill Alexander having received 2 wounds at the siege of great City in India finding himself to be sore wounded was in some measure made sensible of his own fragillty and cried out to his flattering followers You call me the Son of Jupiâ—er but I perceive I am subject to wounds and death as well as other men Death bringeth down the loftiest looks of man I have read that in the Library of Dublin there is a Globe at the one end and at the other end the picture of Death to shew that though man was Lord of the whole Universe i. e must submit to Death Thus you see that all the pomp and glory of the world hath been cut down by the power of the grave But again 6. As Worldly Dignities cannot deliver from the power of the Grave so glorious Titles will not do it Those Worthies that God conferred glorious Titles upon yea so far as to give his own name unto them to be called gods One would think that this if any were the most likeliest to exempt a man from the grave and yet it will not do Psal 82. 6 7. I have said ye are gods but with the same breath adds ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes But 7. Eminency in grace and spiritual endowments or divine qualificacations will not be able to rescue a soul from the power of the grave All the Patriarchs of old they are gone where are all those choice and renowned in grace that we read of who shined in their day like the stars in the firmament Oh! where are those Troops of Israelites that excelled in patience chastity temperance holiness and humility these could not deliver themselves from death The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57. 1. 8. Lastly No spiritual Dignity Office or Place can deliver from the hand of the grave though a person be never so much in the favour of God and honoured by Christ Jesus though never so laborious for the good of souls as to be an Embassador of Peace and Minister of the Gospel yet these will not exempt from death your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever Zech. 1. 5. Thus you have heard the Doctrine made good and confirmed That there is no man living that shall not see death or be able to deliver himself from the power of the grave I shall onely give you two or three reasons of the point and so proceed to the Application If you question why all must die take two or three things for an Answer 1. Reas Because all have sinned Sin and Death came into the world together Death came by the fall in the Garden 't is part of the punishment due to us for that transgression Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. We may cry out in the words of a holy man O sin sin 't is thou which by thy just deserts hast caused all the funerals that ever have been Thus you see all must die because all have sinned 2. Reas Because God hath decreed that all men must die Heb. 9. 27. And as it is appointed for men once to die and after that to judgement Though death be natural and the punishment of our sins yet we die by Gods appointment We let in death by our sin and God causeth death to proceed upon us to make good the justice and severity of his own threatning I know saith Job thou wilt bring me to death to the house appointed for all living Job 30. 23. On the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return Gen. 2. 17. 3. 19. 3. Reas Lastly Why God will bring all men to the grave and I shall add no more Because he would thereby magnifie his glorious Attributes as first out of infinite grace commiseration and goodness he brings his own children to the grave knowing the miseries sad afflictions and troubles that doth attend them in this life Here most times poor Saints with Lazarus have their evil things many are their afflictions and this way God takes to deliver them out of them all Death opens a door to glory to every gracious soul and secondly God by death prepares the bodies of his Saints for eternal bliss and happiness He brings the body to the grave that it may be purified and made a glorious and most amiable body 't is sown that it might be raised more glorious 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44. God doth with the bodies of his Saints with reverence be it spoken as they do with their Earthen Vessels in China they bury them in the earth for many
of affection to the Messenger but perhaps thou mayst be one that likes neither may be thou dost not care to hear of the tidings of dying and art ready to judge them melancholy fools that break their sleep about it These who are indeed prepared for it have no cause to be disquieted in thoughts of it but what wilt thou do when death comes that hast a guilty conscience have you not heard of that poor soul who cried out in horrour and distress of spirit upon his death-bed O what shall I do I am so sick that I cannot live and yet so unprepared that I dare not die Remember that the thoughts of death when it comes will abate thy courage 't will make the proudest heart to stoop 'T is a pretty Passage that I remember of a certain King of Hungary who being on a time very sad his Brother a Jolly Courtier would needs know what ailed him O Brother said he I have bin a great sinner against God and I know not how to die nor appear before God in Judgment These are said his Brother melancholy thougâ—â—… and withal made a Jest at them the King replied nothing for the present but the custom of the Countrey was that if the Executioner came and sounded his Trumpet before any mans door he was presently to be led out to the Place of Execution the King in the dead time of the Night sends the Headsman to sound his Trumpet before his Brothers door who hearing it and seeing the Messenger of death springs in pale and trembling into the Kings Presence beseeching him to tell him wherein he had offended O Brother replied the King you have never offended me and is this Executioner so dreadful and shall not I that have greatly and grievously offended God fear to be brought before the Judgement Seat of Christ Death amazes none more when it comes as it doth them who think not of it the Egyptians used to carry about the Table a Deaths Head at their Feasts 't is good in the midst of all our delights and enjoyments to be put in minde of the Grave And if this Sermon spake no more power fully to thee then a Deaths-Head to awaken thee it may be worth thy Pains to read it God may bless weak endeavors to great advantage Jesus Christ could make five Barley leaves and two Fishes to feed five thousand men and yet the fragments that were left might saetisfie many a poor hungry soul what though thou art afterly served God can heat it by his Spirit God can make it wholesom food for thy soul if thou hast but an appetite I do not much fear thy relishing of it for though the full stomack loaths the Honey-comb yet to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet But because I would not weary thee I shall only now give thee a summary Account of the particular things insisted upon and then commit thee to God 1. Thou hast the certainty of Death amplified or brieftly enlarged upon 2. Some awaking Considerations and Motives to a speedy and effectual Preparation for it 3. Several Directions and Cautions in order to it 4. You have dying Ministers lamented or several sad grounds of Lamentation upon that account 5. Then fifthly and lastly you have comfort against Death or how true Christians may stay and support themselves in the hour of death or in parting with godly relations and because nothing is more effectual in order to this then that comfortable assurance of present enjoyment or being with Christ at that very instant when the breath leaves us somthing was offered to confirm the souls immortality it was but a little which was said had it been more it would not have bin too much It was not delivered as it is matter of controversie to grieve any who are differently perswaded but as 't is matter of comfort suiting with the occasion that so sorrowful spirits might be consolated having for several years found the usefulness and sweetness of the doctrine under the like dispensation my self What is more plainly laid down in holy Scripture then this and those Arguments that so much establish me in the beleef hereof are many one is taken from our Saviours own words Because man cannot kill the soul Mat. 10. 28. If men cannot kill it then 't is not mortal As also the consideration of its nature being spirit might I not reason thus If the noble part of man somtimes called soul be spirit then 't is immortal but 't is called spirit in several places and again doth not the name of spirit declare its nature a spirit in its nature is invisible and its very essence is life if it should cease to live if would be spirit no more Thirdly the Scripture shews that at death the body goes one way and the spirit goes another namely to God that gave it we may judge also of the nature of the spirit or soul of man if we consider how nothing but God himself can satisfie it lives upon divine and immortal food and therefore sure must be of like nature what does shew more clearly that our bodies are earthly or made of earth as the consideration of their being fed and sustained from the earth so say I on the contrary hand in respect of the soul 't is sed with spiritual and immortal food ergo such is its nature but not to trouble you with things of this kinde further Reader let it be thy Chief care to prepare for thy eternal state for be sure it will be but a little while and thou wilt find either to thy everlasting joy and comfort or else to thy everlasting wo and sorrow the truth of this doctrine of the Souls Immortality and the effects thereof And that this broken Sermon may prove through Gods blessing someways for thy Souls advantage and profit is the sincere desire of Thy Affectionate and Cordial Friend and Servant in the Lord Jesus B. K. An ELEGY on the Death of that most Laborious and Painful Minister of the Gospel Mr. JOHN NORCOT who fell asleep in the Lord the 24th of this instant March 1675-76 HOW doth my troubled Soul amused stand On thoughts of God's most sore Chastising hand Let Heaven assist my Pen and help indite This Mournful Elegy I 'm mov'd to write My grieved heart knows not what way to take Its love to shew and lamentation make David for Jonathan was sore distrest And in like so 't has sorrow seiz'd my Breast Beloved John is gone dear Norcot's dead That Man of God who hath so often fed Our precious Souls with Manna from above Whose powerful preaching did ingage our love To Jesus Christ O! hâ— had care and skill To feed poor souls and do hiâ— Master 's will But is he from us also took away What breach still upon breach Lord Jesus stay Thy band such stroaks are hardly born Here 's cause for hundreds to lament and mourn The loss is grâ—at thâ— Churches do sustain Poor sinners too
souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were threescore and ten souls the like you have in Acts 7. 14. And Joseph called his father Jacob to him and all his kindred threescore and fifteen souls that is so many persons in Acts 27. 37. all that were with Paul in the ship are said to be two hundred and threescore and sixteen souls 2. It is taken for the life of the body Psal 7. 5. Let the wicked persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth 3. It is taken for the affections desire or heart of the Creature 1 Sam. 1. 15. And Hannah answered and said no my Lord I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. And in chap. 18. it is said the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David that is his affections were set and fastened upon him In many other places by soul we find some one or more faculty of the soul is intended 4. It is taken for the stomach Prov. 27. 7. The full soul loatheth an honey-comb but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet 5. By it is meant oftentimes the noble and superiour part of man distinct from the body for this see Psal 19. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Mat. 10. 28. Fear not them which can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul But probably some may say if the word soul hath so many various acceptations how may we know when the spirit or principal part is in Scripture meant hereby Answ I shall briefly lay down three or four Rules whereby you may know 1. When you read of soul as that wherein couversion is wrought it can intend nothing else save the noble or immortal part for Conversion is a change onely of the evil qualities of man's better or superior part Psal 19. 7. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul Conversion to God changes not the defects and qualities of the outward man If a man be attended with such and such a disease or distemper before Conversion he may be truly converted and yet retain the same diseases the same lameness blindness deafness crookedness or what ever other blemish he may have of the like nature 2. When you read of soul as that which rejoyceth in God delights in God longs and thirsts after God lives and feeds upon God and Christ and united to and hath communion with God cloathed and adorned with the holy Spirit it alwayes holds forth the glorious spirit or soul of man let me onely direct you to one or two Scriptures upon this account Luke 1. 46. My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour Psal 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psal 42. 1 2. As the hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before him Psal 73. 26. My heart and my flesh faileth me but God is the strength of my soul and my portion for ever 3. When you read of soul as that which men cannot kill or destroy is alwayes intended this excellent part see Matth. 10. 28. Fear not them that kill the body but cannot kill the soul 4. Lastly When you read of soul as that which lives when the body dies or is commended into the hands of God at death you must alwayes take it in those Scriptures for the same 6. By soul sometimes is meant only the body distinct from the spirit or immortal part see Josh 10. 28 37. And the king thereof he utterly destroyed and all the souls that were therein and they smote the king thereof and all the souls that were therein and in this sense soul is to be taken in this place But that I may proceed a word to explain the other term to wit the hand of the grave By hand beloved often in Scripture is meant power Isa 50. 2. Is my hand shortned that it cannot redeem that is Have I lost my power to redeem so Acts 4. 3. My Text thus briefly opened I shall proceed as most suiting with our present occasion to take notice of one Doctrinal Truth from the words which take as followeth Doct. That all men must die Or thus That no man whatsoever can escape the power of the grave I shall God assisting endeavor to demonstrate and confirm the truth of this Proposition The holy Spirit doth not slightly pass it by but puts a Remora to it viz. that Emphatical signal word Selah which shews us that this word calls for meditation and our diligent attention it doth lay a kind of an arrest upon our spirits not passing from it till we have seriously weighed the matter What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Death will be too hard for him and too powerful to resist there is no withstanding the strength of this King he will bring all into subjection he is said in Rom. 5. 12 14. to reign over all and so he is called the terror of Kings as well as King of terrors he is so to the wicked and what King hath as many subjects as Death hath And that I may demonstrate it consider Age cannot rescue any man from the hand of Death the oldest man must die All those that lived before the Flood are dead Methuselah lived nine hundred sixty nine years Gen. 5. 27. but alass at last the words tell you and he died he lived near a thousand years but at last was forced to subject to the grave 2. As the oldest man must die so must the strongest Sampson was a mighty man yet Sampson must die Death will make the stoutest hearts to faint and the strongest legs to tremble One dieth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones are moistned with marrow Job 21. 23 24. If any were likely to encounter or grapple with Death we may suppose that this is the man he who is in his perfect strength free from distempers signified by that word wholly at ease and quiet yet alass all will not do this man was forced to yield he is made Deaths Captive 3. The wisdom and policy of man cannot deliver from the power of the grave The wisest prince that ever late upon a Throne was forced to stoop to the sovereign hand of Death Wise men die faith the Psalmist likewise the fool Psal 49. 10. In death there is no remembrance of the wise more than the fool Eccl. 2. 16. The most grave and politick in all ages of the world after all their famous and deep contrivances have been overcome by death 4. Riches cannot deliver from Death if it could we should have few rich men die doubtless they would give their
years and when they take them out the nature and worth of them is far transcendent 2. The ungodly must die that God may magnifie on them his own infinite Justice Death having seized their body their souls must go to its place to suffer the intollerable pains and incensed wrath of the Almighty and that their bodies also with their souls when they shall hereafter meet together again might he made fit fuel for eternal flames to kindle upon for now as they are in this mortal state they cannot endure the terrible wrath of God but would soon be freed of all bodily pain and extremity were they cast into that Lake that burns with fire and brimstone Thus much for the Reasons of the Point more might be said but I must hasten to the application I have onely four Uses to make of it as first an Use of Exhortation secondly an Use of Direction thirdly an Use of Lamentation fourthly an Use of Consolation First By way of Exhortation Is it so Beloved must all men die Can none deliver his own soul from the power of the grave Must every Mothers child of us take up our Lodging there Is the dark grave the appointed house for all living Shall the proudest and loftiest be brought down to the dust Must that little cool house under ground hold us all Then poor sinners shall I prevail with you to prepare for death Let me exhort you to look about you and get ready I remember when the Prophet came to good King Hezekiah Isa 38. 1. with that doleful tidings as upon some consideration and circumstances it might then appear to that holy man he bids him set his house in order make provision for eternity and this is the message that is brought to you this day You must die and not live And that I might enforce this word upon you let me lay before you a few Motives and awakening Considerations First Consider what a great favour and mercy it is that God hath let you and I live so long Others are long ago cut down and sent to the grave he hath not it may be given many half of those dayes which thou hast had Look upon this as a mercy indeed considering thy life was forfeited before thou wert born Sirs we came into the World with the Sentence of death upon us and if Jehovah had cut us down in our sins many years ago it would have been but a piece of Justice And what is the end of God in sparing of us but that we might be fitted for the place whither we are going Oh how unwilling is God to strike the fatal blow to cut men down before they are prepared for death He is not willing they should perish and that is the reason of his patience long-suffering and forbearance sinners lay it to heart Secondly Consider what dreadful provocations you and I have given him to take us away and command death in his name to arrest us Have we not grieved burdened yea even wearied him with our iniquities Nay have we not pierced him May he not cry out as being pressed as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaves Amos 2. 13. Is it not a sad and most lamentable thing thus to deal with a loving and gracious God Thirdly How often hath the Lord called you and yet you have rebelled Hath not he stretched out his hand all the day long and yet you have not hearkned but have rejected his counsel and cast his word and reproofs behind you yea and often resisted his Holy Spirit in the common motions and workings thereof Have you not many of you refused his Grace Son and divers sweet and precious Calls and Offers of Love And certain I am you have had many of these in this place Nay how many warnings have you had of the near approach of death Nay awakening summons to prepare for the grave as you would answer it before the dreadful Judge of Heaven and Earth by my dear Brother that is fallen asleep whom we shall hear no more Oh what pains did he take with some of you that so you might be ready Have not you and I notwithstanding all this hearkened to a base deceitful heart and inticeing and tempting Devil Have you stouted it out against all Pains and Endeavours used for Spiritual awakenings and are you yet alive Then consider how much this calls upon you to be ready to die Will any dare that are sensible of the worth of their Immortal Souls neglect this concern any longer 4. Consider That the abuse of Mercy and Goodness will greatly aggravate thy misery in the day of wrath Oh remember what it is to sin against Light Love and Patience Shall the goodness of God that should lead to repentance encourage and harden thee in thy iniquity How dost thou think to escape the Judgement of God Or despisest thou as saith the Apostle the rich's of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance but aftey thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2. 4. 5 6. Sentence is past against a sinner but because it is not speedily executed therefore the hearts of men are fully set within them to do wickedly Eccl. 8. 11. Christ knocks at the door and yet sinners will not hear Christ may speak of sinners as God speaks of Israel of old My people will have none of me Psal 81. 11. Oh what have you to answer for abused mercy and favour What What will you do hereafter when Christ who waits upon you now to save you will then turn his face from you in the day of your calamity and plead against you to condemn you see Prov. 1. 28. 5. Consider for Christs sake of those advantages you have had and still have If some had the like we may conclude they would have made better use and improvement of them then some of you have done Hath not God afforded you the Gospel beyond what he hath to divers parts of the world Nay what a gracious and powerful ministration of it hath there been continued for some time in this place You have had helps above thousands God hath taken much pains with you that have attended upon the word here Where God gives many talents he requires the improvement of them what will become of Jerusalem and Capernaum in the day of Judgement And hath not Gods spirit striven with you also Nay and hath not Conscience endeavoured to awaken you Have you not had Summons and Calls from thence Hath not that often reproved you for neglect of Seasons flighting of Sermons and indulging your selves in iniquity and secret lusts and omissions of duty Oh! how many sharp checks and rebukes have you had from within Nay and besides all this what awakening Judgements to prepare for the grave have you and
go down before the work is finished Redeem the time because the days are evil Eph. 5. 16. Alas Sirs are not the shadows of the evening upon some of you the Lord help you to lay it to heart Do not think the whole work of your lives can be done upon a Dying Bed Oh consider Old age is unfit for labour and it is folly with a witness to think 't is time enough to sow when thou shouldest reap Delays proves the ruin of many thousands The night cometh saith Christ when no man can work 10. And lastly Consider what will become of your precious souls if death takes you before you are ready for it will not stay for you Will he be bribed or perswaded to come another time I remember a young Maid in the Countrey that was sick and as she grew near her end she cried out to be spared one quarter of a year one month but when that would not be granted rather than fail one week but die she did greedy death will have no denial Oh what a sad sight is it to see a Christless soul a dying When death sits upon your trembling lips and you not prepared what would you give for peace and pardon then When pale death comes upon thee like a sturdy Sergeant and doth arrest thee in the name of the great King of Heaven and Earth he will hale you along to prison you must go Death comes upon a wicked man like a hungry Lyon tearing their souls from their bodies to such he is indeed the King of Terrors He comes on them like a fiery Serpent with his venomous sting with which he wounds them and lays them a bleeding to all Eternity Oh to have the soul dragged out of the body and cast into hell is of a dreadful and amazing Consideration With this I shall conclude the Use of Exhortation The next is an use of Direction to poor sinners and all others that would be prepared for the grave if this be so First Doth not some poor soul hear say Oh what shall I do that I may be prepared for the grave Have you a heart a mind a desire indeed to be fitted for that hour Then in the first place labour to get a full sight and sense of your sins and of your lost and undone condition by nature Oh what a miserable creature hath sin made man or rather man by sin made himself That must needs be the greatest evil that deprives man of the greatest good God is mans chief good sin deprives man of this good sin makes man hated or God and causeth man to resemble Satan who is the opposite of God The carnal mind is enmity against God this enmity must be removed Unless a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. Secondly Labour to get Brokenness of heart oh strive to melt in the sight and sense of your iniquity Sinner what hast thou done wilt thou sin away thy mercies sin away thy Ministers Gods hand is lifted up we are under sore rebukes of the Almighty though I fear few are sensible that it is the fruit of their transgressions May we not say with the Prophet No man repenteth him of his wickedness saying What have I done Jer. 8. 6. God expects and looks for tears of Repentance A broken and a contrite heart is a sacrifice that he will not despise If you are not broken in the sense of the odious and abominable nature of sin broken into pieces now you are like to be broken with horror under the weight of the punishment hereafter Oh! Is it not better to be smitten and broken in a way of mercy in order to healing then to be broken in a way of wrath and judgement when there will be no help nor cure for you Thirdly Labour so get an interest in Jesus Christ Oh that this opportunity might have some tendency this way Unless ye believe that I am he saith Jesus Christ you shall die in your sins Soul never rest and be satisfied till thou canst say with Thomas My Lord and my God John 20. 28. Can you still stand it out against such precious patience and offers of grace Will you not yet open to Christ Shall he call and cry to you and will you give him no entertainment Can you close in with a better friend How long hath he stood knocking at the doors of your hearts Was he not graciously calling upon you the last Lords day and now in mercy he is giving you another knock Oh fear lest he depart Is he not ready to take his farewell of you Have you not let him stand till his head was wet with the dew and his locks with the drops of the night Sinner sinner hasten to him and open the door do'st not hear that lovely voice that was spoken to the blind man Be of good comfort rise he calleth thee Mark 10. 49. It may be you will ask where I 'll tell thee if thou art a weary and burdened soul that feelest the weight of thy sin there is a precious word spoken for thy sake take hold of it Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls Oh the sweetness of that word take it and receive it down Fourthly Labour in the strength of Christ to oppose every sin See that there be no sweet morsel hid no Dalilah no pleasant nor profitable lust spared O cry with David Search me O Lord and try my heart prove me and know my thoughts Psal 139. 23. Fifthly Take heed you do not sin against Light Neglect no Conviction either of Sin or Duty if you would be prepared for the grave Then shall I not saith David be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments Psal 119. 6. Sixthly Never be satisfied until you have all your sins subdued Sin must be crucified or the soul must die Rom. 8. 13. To this I might add for I cannot enlarge make it your business also to get your sins pardoned so that you may have the feeling sense of the forgiveness of them in your own hearts Seventhly Labour after a pure Conscience What will stand your souls in greater stead when you come to die than this Paul's great care and endeavour was to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and toward men Acts 24. 16. I must tell you An accusing Conscience will be a bad Death-bed Companion I remember what our dear Friend spake to me in the time of his Sickness Oh Brother said he a good conscience is the best refuge That was his rejoycing alluding to that Text 2 Cor. 1. 12. the testimony of his conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God he had his conversation in the world It matters not who reproach
us if Conscience doth not Conscience as I told some of you lately will be your best friend if a friend a friend indeed a friend in adversity a friend at death and a friend in the day of judgement Oh what would some men give for such a friend But if Constience be an enemy he is the worst of enemies Conscience is a secret enemy an enemy that is privy to all we have done he knows all our thoughts yea those secret lusts and evils that lie in our hearts and he will not be flattered He will tell the truth and all the truth Conscience will lay all open in the dreadful day of Account before Angels and Men Rom. 2. 15. Holy Job resolved to hold his integrity fast and not to let it go his heart should not reproach him as long as he lived Job 27. 5 6. Sincerity of heart and a good conscience will be a good sanctuary at the hour of death The Lord help you to lay these things to heart I might give you more directions which I am forced to omit because of time Onely this if thou wouldst be prepared for the grave take this one which was not then delivered which I am sorry I did omit Eightly Beware of resting in the form of godliness without the power 'T is an easie thing to conform to the outward part of Religion to take up Ordinances and come into Churches but oh what will become of the foolish Virgins Sinners in Zion ere long will be afraid and fearfulness will surprize the hypocrites Many of you heard those excellent soal-searching Sermons of your dear Pastor now deceased on 2 Tim. 3. 5. Oh that you would labour to call them to mind and those upon a well-ordered Conversation from Psal â—50 and the last verse What pains did he take with you that you might not deceive your selves and miss at last of eternal life I think there was never more formality amongst Christians and carnality amongst Professors in the Churches than in these dayes No marvel if God bring a day of dreadful tryals and afflictions upon us that those that are approved may be made manifest Tremble sranners for God is a coming forth to refine his people he will search Jerusalem with candles Zeph. 1. 12. And woe to them that are at ease in Zion however you appear now to men your sins ere long will find you out I now must come to the third Use which must be an Use of Lamentation and indeed I know not well how to enter upon it my heart is full Is it so Must all die Can none deliver their own souls from the power of the grave Must Husbands die dear Husbands Must Fathers die yea tender Fathers Must Friends our dearest Friends die Ministers nay our choice and godly Pastors must they die too Oh greedy Death oh cruel Tirant Oh that ever we sinned This may well be for a Lamentation Samuel died and Israel made great Lamentations for him Your Samuel is gone but no asking for him again he cannot come In Acts 8. 2. it is said Devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him O spare me a little you have lost one who laboured to do the work of his generations in faithfulness Let me lay down some grounds that we have for a Lamentation 1. Oh it 's grievous to loose a godly Preacher a Pastor a faithful Labourer 'T is a day of Mourning my soul as well as yours is full Alas there is but few of them We have need of more and Lord do'st thou take away these we have 2. But if any should say we have many yet left behind I must say not many such who make it their main work and business to bring souls to Jesus Christ There are but few who naturally care for the Flock Few preach Christ for Christs sake that are willing to spend and be spent for his Name sake like our dear Brother now with the Lord. May I not say with Paul some preach Christ out of envy and some of strife onely with this variation Are there not many who preach Jesus Christ not sincerely but have self and sinister ends at the bottom But to leave that however if God proceed and go on after this rate to take our Preachers away there will be few enough ere long 3. You have not onely lost a Pastor a Shepherd a tender one but you have lost a Father Many of you must follow your Father this day to the grave You have many Instructors in Christ yet not many Fathers He hath been an Instrument through the Word and the operation of the Spiriâ— in his Ministry to beget many of you to Jesus Christ May you not cry out with Elisha when Elijah was taken up from him My father my father the horsemen of Israel and the chariots thereof and he saw him no more 2 Kings 2. 12. He is now gone you will hear him no more see him no more This golden Trumpet is now stopped you will hear it sound no more 4. Consider the time in which God hath taken him away when the harvest is white or when the fields are ripe to harvest when many sinners are ready to be brought in to Jesus Christ The loss is great oh how shall it be repaired How shall the harvest be gathered in when the chief Labourer in this field is gone 5. Ministers are and fitly may be compared to Pilots the Church to a Ship passing through a troublesome Ocean amongst many Rocks and Sands and when such die how shall the poor Marriners steer especially considering the dangerous and grievous stormes that do now appear is not this a ground of lamentation 6. Ministers are compared to Shepheards that are to keep the flock and watch over them to take care of the tender lambs and let me tell you ravenous wolves are abroad yea and the cunning Fox nay as crafty Foxes as ever were in the world and the Shepherd being gone may we not fear that which will follow is not the flock in danger to be scattered 7. Ministers of the Gospel may be compared to Captains to encourage us in our spiritual warfare and now alas your Leader is gone he is taken from you and are we not surrounded with enemies May we not say with Leah in another case Gen. 30. 11. a troop cometh a troop of troubles a troop of afflictions a troop of temptations a troop of miseries and persecutions I wish improve not a troop of division to the scattering of us the Lord I hope will prevent it 8. Ministers of the Gospel are compared to Trees the trees of the Lord are full of sap Psal 104. 16. the lip of the righteous feed many saith Solomon and this was a fruitful tree Oh the sweet fruit it did bear most precious fruit it yielded us for many years Oh what good have many gathered out of the branches thereof But now alas it is cut down it will bear fruit for you
no more you shall hear him pray no more preach no more and is not this a ground of lamentation 9. Saints and Ministers of the Gospel are the interest of the Nation City or Place where they live Was not Lot the interest of Sodom I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither Gen. 19. 22. Till Lot was gone fire and brimstone could not come upon that miserable City Oh what love hath God to the poor Preachers of righteousness But again Was not Jacob the interest of Labans family How did God bless him for Jacobs sake The like might be minded of Joseph to the Egyptians Ye saith our blessed Saviour are the light of the world and the salt of the earth To whom did he speak but to his Disciples his holy Apostles that he sent forth to preach glad tydings of great joy unto the Nations I might shew you wherein they are the interest of the place where they are but I must hasten Take onely two or three brief hints 1. They stand in the gap or in the breach Ours is a great one the Lord look upon us They plead with God When Moses hands are up Israel prevails and when he lets down his hands Amalek Prevails Exod. 17. 11. Oh how doth he cry out for a provoking generation When Jehovah cries Let me alone that I may destroy them Exod. 32. 10. Oh saith Joshua what wilt thou do for thy great name If thou wilt not forgive their sin saith Moses blot me out of thy Book Nay though God promised to make of him a great Nation yet he still lifts up a cry for them Exod 32. 10 11 32. 2. They are the interest of the Nation where they are by counselling warning and admonishing 3. By their holy and exemplary conversations Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant we should have been as Sodom and should have been like unto Gomorrah Isa 1. 9. 10. Ground of Lamentation is because sin usually is the cause why God removes his faithful Embassadors He sends to treat with sinners about the concerns of their souls I wish this stroke be not in judgement to some of your souls The Message they bring is often slighted and thereby sinners slight and reject the King himself They cry and lift up their voice like a trumpet fore-warning of danger but none lays it to heart They spend their strenght and weaken their bodies for the good of sinners souls but sinners slight it Nay if they should sweat drops of blood it would not do it would not work in them remorse of Conscience and repentance unto life Well saith God now I 'll wait upon thee no more him that you despised and contemned or neglected to hear or whose counsel you did not regard you shall hear no more The taking 〈◊〉 of faithful Preachers is one of the greatest judgement that can come upon sinners But alas it may not onlâ— be for the sins of the ungodly world â—â—on unconverted sinners but a punishment upon Professors and Church Members for their inquiry they may not prize the mercy nor walk worthy of the blessing They may not carry it as they ought to do to the Labourer that is amongst them They may grieve and wound his heart by their disorderly walking and God may from hence be provoked to take him a way Nay they may on the other hand overvalue him they may idolize their Teachers and look upon them above what is meet though sinful yet 't is possible to eye man more than God by man God may remove them Upon this account the Apostle speaks of some that had mens persons in admiration I am satisfied there is too great extreams in the world We should have a care we do not receive the Truth for the sake of a man or to please men because such and such says it but out of Love to Jesus Christ and because God hath commanded it Beloved it may not be amiss to lay these things to heart 't is good to hear the Rod and to know who it is and for what it is appointed I do not charge any in particular 11. And lastly Here is cause of lamentation because evil and dark dayes many times follows the removal of Gods Worthies When God take away so many faithful ones what may we expect to look for I might give divers instances of the sad effects or what hath followed the taking godly persons sincere Labourers away But I am afraid I have been too tedious already remember what the Prophet saith The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart Merciful men are taken away and none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come Isa 57. 1. Thus much by way of Lamentation and Consolation I have onely one Use more which shall be in the fourth place by way of Comfort and Consolation 1. Must all dye the godly as well as the wicked Is the Grave the place prepared for all Living Must Fathers Husbands Wives Children Ministres and the dearest Friends we have dye How shall we then comfort our selves against death If thou art a Beleiver I I have a word of comfort for thee there is none I am sure for Christless Souls 2. Consider death cannot hurt thee it cannot hurt those that are Believers because it hath lost his sting Death may hiss but cannot hurt Nothing makes death terrible to an ungodly man but it's Sting The sting of death is sin but this is taken away from Believers by Jesus Christ Oh death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory 1. Cor. 15. 55 56. 2. Death cannot hurt a Believer because it cannot bring an annihilation of the body though it bring an alteration upon the stare and condition of the body yea and though the body be dissolved to dust yet it shall not be lost it shall rise to life again 3. Death cannot dissolve or break that blessed union there is between Jesus Christ and believers Though it may separate soul and body yet it cannot separate either from Jesus Christ and the soul immediately will be in a more glorious enjoyment of Christ and though the body for a while must lie in the grave yet that dust is precious dust in Christs sight 4. Consider Death cannot keep the body long under its power nor keep soul and body apart 't is but a little while and they will meet again Death and the Grave are conquered enemies Saints by faith can now through Jesus Christ triumph over them and shall have a compleat a full Conquest over a short space 5. Death has not power to cast into hell if Conscience condemns thee not if the Word convicts thee not if God passeth not the Sentence upon thee Death has no power to do it Death can but bring to the grave 't is sin that casteth the soul into hell 6. Consider Death is thine that is 't will be for thy profit and advantage every way Remember
that sweet word of Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 3. 22. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours it will be every way for thy good Consider what freedom thou wilt gain thereby 1. It will free thee from a body of sin and death that often makes thee go with a sorrowful heart Oh! hath it not oft made thee to cry out with St. Paul Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death Oh what is a greater trouble to a Child of God than indwelling sin He cannot do the things he would do But now comes death and frees thee of all these soul perplexities and disquietments Sin makes a Saint to groan being burthened but now thou shalt grieve Christ and his spirit nor thy own soul no more Is not this that a poor Saint longs for 2. 'T will free thee from a poor crazy diseased or distempered Body There will then be no crying out of back or bone nor head not heart any more 't will be with thee as with the Church in the glorious day to come Rev. 21. 4. There shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away 3. It will free thee from an evil and wicked world Oh what a defiling ensnaring and bewitching world is this What hinders us of our joy and peace in Christ more than it What greater vexation to us Oh how many precious Saints are clogged and imprisoned by the cares of the world which many times is ready to choak the seed of holy desires after Christ But by Death thou shalt be delivered 4. It will free thee out of the hands of presecutors Thou wilt with our dear Brother be out of their reach then they shall not disquiet thee imprison thee nor torment thee any more There saith Job speaking of the grave 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. 5. Death will free thee from an envious raging and tempting Devil He will have not more power to disturb thee accuse thee nor by his cursed suggestions to vex and perplex thy soul no nor any other ways to hurt or annoy thee O will not this be to thy great advantage Who would be unwilling to die that hath an interest in Jesus Christ 6. Thou wilt hereby also be freed from all the discords and troubles that rise amongst Brethren The unworthy and disorderly lives of Professors shall sadden thy heart then no more This was that which worried and grieved the blessed Apostle Phil. 3. 18. Our dear Brother is set at liberty from all these things disorders in the Church no loose walking of Members thereof will burden nor trouble him again 7. Nay and Death will free thee of all that trouble that riseth from those inward becloudings and hideings of God's face It will never be night with the soul any more thou wilt then be with Christ and behold his face with joy for ever 8. And lastly Thou wilt also be freed of all thy toilsome pains and labour of what nature soever it be O how good is rest to a weary soul Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them Rev. 14. 13. But then once again Consider what a blessed state thy soul will be in at death If thou art a true Beliver thou shalt not onely have hereby a negative good it will not simply a freedom from all those sorrows and troubles thou hast heard but thy soul shall immediately receive transcendent joy with Jesus Christ For me to live saith Paul is Christ and to die is gain The advantage the soul receives upon this account made Paul so much desire to depart and be with Christ which he says is far better Phil. 1. 21. Pray observe his words he doth not say it will be gain to him when he rises again no but to die is gain I shall receive more joy more consolation more of the fulness of God and Christ as if he should say when I die then I can whilest I am in this body Mind that passage in 2 Cor. 5. 1. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Compare this with ver 6. Therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. The Apostle doth not say we know when this earthly house is broken down and raised up again we have a building with God eternal in the heavens Pray consider it but plainly when it is dissolved when it is turned to its dusty crums We have that is our souls he can intend nothing else By we he means their better part which he compares to an inhabiter and the body to the house or tabernacle in which it dwels Oh what an excellent thing is the soul of man over the body And now beloved That the soul or better part is capable of being separated from the body and in its seperate state from the body capable of glorious enjoyments of God and high raptures of joy with Jesus Christ doth appear most evident from that passsage of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 12. 1 2 3. It is not expendient for me doubtless to glory I will come to vissions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell God knoweth such a one caught up to the third heaven ver 4. says he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which is not lawful for a man to utter The soul or spirit then it appears may be seperate from the body I from this place thus argue 1. If the soul or spirit of man be not capable of being seperated from the house of clay or earthly tabernacle then Paul might have boldly and safely have said the whole man was taken up a soul and body together and not one without the other because it is impossible to seperate them but since Paul says he knows not whether in the body or out of the body he plainly shews what opinion he was of And then secondly I may from what he says reason after this manner viz. If the soul in its seperated state from the body be not able or capable to enjoy or take in heavenly comforts or consolations of Jesus Christ Paul might boldly and Positively have said he was taken up in the body because however he was caught up whether within or without the body he heard and saw unexpressible things he had high and soul-filling raptures of joy The Lord Jesus promised the penitent Thief that he should that is
his chief or better part be that day with him in Paradice Lord Jesus saith Stephen receive my spirit O what a blessed thing it is to die in Christ O what a happy estate is our friend in the gain is exceeding great Some may say what doth a godly man gain by death I answer First They gain a glorious place heaven the glorious Paradice of God the Mansions of glory that are in our Fathers House Who is able to conceive what a glorious place heaven is But then Secondly They shall enjoy glorious company too They shall be with Jesus Christ have his company in whose presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there be pleasures for evermore be with Christ holy Angels and glorious spirits of just men made perfect O what a blessed state and condition of soul have they gained that are gone thither Thirdly we shall gain sweet peace 'T is not onely peace in Christ that Gods people have as their portion here but it shall be peace with Christ A Woman that has a dear Husband who is gone to Sea he is it may be in another Countrey yet she hears from him receives tokens of love she has much satisfaction of the stedfasteness of his love cordialness of his affection in this she has peace and comfort but alas what is this peace to that when he comes home when she has him enjoys his company O we shall see Christ enjoy him yea lie in his arms to all eternity Enter thou saith Christ into the joy of thy Lord. That joy is too much to enter into us therefore we must enter into that Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace He has peace In death peace beyond death yea and peace to all etrernity And now one word more particularly to you that have lost your Pastor Your loss I must confess is great though he hath gained hereby and it may be some of you are crying out What shall we do Beloved you must labour for a quiet frame strive for contentedness of heart 't is the Lords hand upon you 't is what he has done remember David I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal 39. 9. 2. Consider also your loss is not so great but God is able to repair it and make it up to you though you may not see which way it can be done let it be your care to wait upon God cry to him look up to the Lord of the Harvest and patiently wait to see what he will do for you 3. To support you under this sore affliction Consider the great Shepherd of the Sheep never dyes he lives for ever and sure he that dyed for the Sheep whose own Sheep they are will take care of them he will feed them and preserve them from danger Isa 23. 1 2 3. The Lord is my Shepherd saith David I shall not want He maketh me to lie down in green Pastures he leadeth me besides the still waters he restoreth my Soul he leadeth me in the paths of Righteousness for his Names sake And from hence he takes courage Yea though I walk thorow the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil Oh what a blessed thing it is to have confidence in God and to have such a Shepherd the keeper of Israel never slumbers nor sleepeth And now to conclude one word to dear Relations and to comfort us all under the present dispensation 1. Consider death shall not seperate us long we shall see one another again over a short time he is gone but a little before let us think upon that glorious Meeting we shall have ere long in the Air read 1 Thes 4. 13 c. I would not have you to be ignorant Brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words What can I speak that may be more seasonable for comfort then that which the holy Spirit hath left upon record upon that very account it will be but a little while and we shall see him again we shall have a joyful meeting and never part more O therefore be quieted consider what you have heard what death is to a Believer Shall not our Friend go to rest Alas he hath laboured hard and O how sweet is this rest to him When a man hath worked hard all day and wearied himself how willing is he to go to bed at night Alas he is but gone to sleep to take sweet and quiet rest until the Morning 2. Shall not we be willing he should have inlargement to be freed out of Prison Alas our Souls are as it were but in Prison whilst we dwell here below in these Houses of Clay Death as a Porter opens a door into that Glorious Palace above He is but gone home to his Fathers House and how earnest was he to depart that he might be present with the Lord. 3. Shall not he eat the fruit of his labour he that soweth in tears shall reap in joy those that go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoycing and bring their Sheaves with them 4. He having overcome shall not he receive the Crown Paul having fought the good fight of faith knew there was laid up for him a Crown of Righteousness To him that overcometh saith our Saviour will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father an his throne Rev. 3. 21. 5. And now in the last place and to shut up all consider uncertain is thy life and mind you know not but that in a very few dayes you may go after it will not be long be sure and thither we all must go For What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall be deliver his Soul from the hand of the grave Selah FINIS ERATA PAg. 4. l. 9. blot forth cut p. 4. l 10. also blot forth out p 9. l. 25 for is read it p. 11. l. 14. blot out word p. 15. for Augustus Caesar r. Julius Caesar p 17. l. 2. for if r. of p. 18. for question r. query p. 32. l. 8. blot out And p. 32. l. 9. for And r. For p. 58. l. 8. blot out and Consolation which escaped in sâ—me Copies * Mr. Clark gives us several instances how the death of the righteous hath been the Fore-runner of sad and lamentable Judgements Begins with Methuselah before the Flood whose very name was very significant upon this account Also I lately met with a Sermon of a godly Minister in New England that was preached sometimes before their late calamities and miseries broke forth there and amongst their other signs of approaching judgement that he seemed to be very apprehensive of he minds that of the dropping away of many holy and godly persons Oh how many able and godly preachers and others have we lost in a short space We may look upon it as one sad sign or symptome of approaching evil * Some probably may object the dead are not sensible of time 't is but as a sleep to them they die and their resurrection to them immediately follows no distance of time between Death and Judgement the dead and so Paul's gain he speaks of 〈◊〉 might not be till the resurrection Aasw Though it be granted death to the body is but as a sleep yet 't is not so to the soul But that this is not the intent or meaning of the Apostle is plain which I make out thus Paul Plainly shews that if he did presently depart or die it would be gain to him now if that which you say were true he would have lost by death 't is easie to see how Suppose he might live twenty or thirty years longer on earth would not thirty years sweet enjoyment of Jesus Christ be worth nothing Is not one day with God beholding his lovely face better than a thousand All know that if he died presently he should never the sooner obtain the resurrection of this body than if he had lived a hundred years longer this being well weighed to die presently would have been his great loss were not the soul in a present enjoyment of Christ at death