A SERMON Preached by Mr Edmund Calamy AT Aidermanbury London Aug. 24. 1651. BEING A Funeral Sermon for Mr. Love on the Sabbath-Day following after he was executed Containing these particulars 1 The Person that fell asleep 2 The Speech that he made when he fell asleep 3 What he did when he had finished his Speech ALSO Four excellent Doctrines and Propositions to the Presbyterians and others to be by them practised and meditated upon both Morning and Evening JOHN 11. 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth PSAL. 116. 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints London Printed for G. Horton And published by a perfect Copy Mr. LOVES FUNERAL SERMON ACT. 7. 60. the latter part And when he had said this he fell asleep THese words contain in them the happy closure and upshot of Stephens life wherein we have 3 particulars 1. The person that fell asleep 2. The Speech that he made when he fell asleep 3. What he did when he had finished his Speech 1. We have the person that fell asleep and that was Stephen He was a man full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost as you may see Act. 6. 5. He was the first Martyr that ever suffered for the cause of Christ hence I might gather this Doctrine viz. Obs. That the best of men are subject to violent and unnatural deaths Stephen that was full of the holy Ghost was stoned to death and Iohn the Baptist that was full of the holy Ghost from the very womb was beheaded Peter was crucified and so was Andrew Isaiah was sawed a sunder Ieremiah was stoned and Zacharias was slain Between the Temple and the Altar But I shall passe this The second part of the Text is the Speech that Stephen made when he fell asleep Hoc dicto obdermivit that is when he had finished his prayer He felâ— asleep Hence observe Obs. That it is an excellent way to close up our lives with prayer To die praying is a most christian way of dying They stoned Stephen calling upon God After this manner Christ dyed he prayed Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having thus said he gave up the Ghost This he did that it might be a patern to all Christians Prayer is a necessary duty at all times but especially when we are a dying and that for these three reasons 1. Because when we are to die we have most need of Gods help for then the Devil is most busie and we most weak 2. Because when we are to die we are to beg the greatest boon of God that is that he would receive us into his heavenly Kingdom Now prayer is the chief meanes to obtain this mercy for it is Porta Caeli Clavis Paradisi the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us in Paradise Therefore we have great reason to die praying 3. Because when a Saint of God is dying he is then to take his last farewel of prayer In Heaven there is no praying but all thanksgiving there is no need in Heaven therefore no prayer in Heaven Now a Saint of God being to take his leave of prayer when he is to die therefore it is fit he should die praying I beseech you remember this pattern in the Text St. Stephen died calling upon the Lord Let us die praying as that Emperor said Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori so may I say Oportet Christianum mori praecantem it behoves a Christian to die praying Quest But what was the substance of Stephens prayer Answ. He prayed for himself and he prayed for his persecutors 1. He prayed for himself Lord Iesus receive my spirit ver 59. 2. He prayed for his persecutors Lord lay not this sin to their charge ver. 60. I will not enter upon this part of the Text for it would swallow up all my time Therefore I shall wave it and come to the third part which is that that by Gods assistance I purpose to speak unto viz. What Stephen did when he had finished his prayer When he had this said he fell asleep that is he died Behold here the magnanimity the piety and the Christian courage of Stephen The people were stoning of him and gnashing their teeth upon him and the good man dies with as much quietness of mind as if he had died in his bed He fell asleep while they were stoning him While he died he prayed and while he prayed he died But what made Stephen die thus quietly Read the 55 verse and you shall see the reason of it Being full of the holy Ghost he looked up stedfastly into Heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God Behold saith he I see the Heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God ready to receive his soul and that made him die with such an exâ—â—â—ordinary quietness of mind Death in Scripture especially the death of Gods Children is often compared to a sleep It is said of David That he slept with his fathers And it is said 1 Thes. 4. 13 I would not have you ignorant concerning them which are asleep that is concerning them which are dead And 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weakly and sick among you and many sleep that is many die This expression is a metaphricall expression and will afford us many rare and precious instructions about death And therefore the grace of God assisting me I desire to spend the rest of the time in the opening of this metaphor The Observation is this viz. That when a child of God dies though his death be never so unnatural and violent yet it is nothing else but a falling asleep Or The death of a child of God though stoned to death though burnt to ashes though it be never so violent and unnatural is nothing else but a falling asleep When he had said this he fell asleep Somnus est mortis imagâ— Sleep is the image of death There are many notable resemblances betwixt sleep and death some of which I shall speak unto at this time 1. Sleep is common to all men there is no man can live without sleep So it is true of death Death is common to all it is appointed for all men once to die And therefore David said He was to go the way of all flesh Statutum est omnibus semel mori Omnibus est calcanda semel â—e thiâ—ia All men must sleep the sleep of death or else be changed which is a metaphoricall death 2. As sleep ariseth from the vapours that ascend from the stomack to the head and tie the senses and hinder their opperations so death came into the world by Adam s eating the forbidden fruit and by the poisonfull vapour of sin that brought death upon him and all his posterity By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passsd upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Had Adam never sinned Adam should
must answer one Question viz. Whether the death of the wicked be not in Scripture compared to a sleep as well as the death of the godly Answ. I answer That wicked men in Scripture are said to fall asleep when they die It is said of idolatrous Ieroboam That he slept with his Fathers Of Baasha and Omri those wicked Kings That they slept with their Fathers Quest But then the Question will be In what respect is the death of the wicked compared to a sleep Answ. Even as a man which is asleep sometimes hath no benefit rest or ease thereby when the sick man awakes he is many times more sick then he was before he went to sleep Some men are much disquieted in their sleeps by hideous and fearful dreams Nebuchadnezzar when he was asleep had a most scaring dream and when he awoke he was amazed therewith So it is with a wicked man Death to a wicked man is a sleep but it is a terrifying sleep the soul that goes immediatly to hell where it is burned with fire that never shall be quenched and where the worm that never dies is always gnawing upon it The body that indeed lies in the grave asleep but how even as a malefactor that sleeps in prison the night before he is executed but when he awakes he is hurried and dragged to execution so the wicked man fals asleep in death but when he awakes he awakes to everlasting damnation But now a child of God when he sleeps the sleep of death he sleeps in his Fathers house and when he awakes he awakes to everlasting happiness Vse 4. And this makes way for the fourth and last Use which is a Use of very great consequence And it is to beseech you all that you would labour so to live that when you fall asleep you may sleep an happy sleep There is the sleep that the wicked man sleeps when he dies and there is the sleep that the godly man sleeps when he dies Now I beseech you labour so to live that when you fall asleep your sleep may be an happy sleep unto you that when you awake in the morning of the resurrection it may be an awakening unto you Quest But then the great question will be How shall I do this I shall give you four or five helps for this 1. If you would sleep an happy sleep at death then you must labour to sleep in Jesus Christ It is said 1 Cor. 15. 18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ And 1 Thes. 4. 14. If we believe that Iesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him What is it to sleep in Jesus To sleep in Jesus is to die in the faith of Jesus Christ 2. To sleep in Jesus is to die with an interest in Jesus Christ to die as a member of Christ united to him as our head For you must know that the dust of a Saint is part of that man who is a member of Jesus Christ and every believer when he sleeps in the dust he sleeps in Jesus Christ that is he lies in the grave and his dust is part of Christ mistical and Christ as an head will raise it up and cannot be compleat â—â—out it Now then if ever you would sleep an happy sleep labor to get a real interest in Christ labour to live in Christ while you live And then when you fall asleep you shall be sure to sleep in Jesus There are many would have Christ to receive their soules at death and that say with dying Stephen Lord Iesus receive my spirit But if ever you would have Christ to receive your souls when you die you must be sure to receive him into your souls whilst you live if ever you would have him to receive you into heaven you must receive him into your hearts No man makes a will but he saith Imprimis I bequeath my soule unto Jesus Christ my Redeemer But how dost thou know that Jesus Christ will accept of this Legacy If thy soul hath not Christs Image upon it if it be not regenerated and renewed Jesus Christ will never own it Thou maist bequeath it unto Christ but the Devil will claim it if thy soul hath the Devills Image upon it if it be a swinish polluted unbelieving unregenerate souâ— thou maist bestow it upon God but the Devil will recover it out of Gods hands pardon this expression it is not mine but St. Austins Beloved if ever you would raign with Christ when you die he must reign in you whilst you live and if ever you would sleep an happy sleep you must live in Jesus that you may sleep in Jesus Secondly In the second place if ever you would sleep an happy death then you must take heed of overcharging your selves with worldly cares A man that is full of oares cannot sleep therefore when men would sleep they lay as the Proverb is all their cares under the pillow O take heed of overmuch carking Thirdly If ever you would sleep an happy sleep when you die you must take heed of sucking too much of the pleasures of this life A man that eats a full supper will sleep very disquietly therefore they that sleep quietly use to eat but light suppers for when a mans 〈◊〉 is over charged it takes away his sweet sleep from him So if ever you would sleep an happy sleep when you come to dieâ— O take heed of sucking too much of the pleasures of this life take heed of eating too large a meal of worldly delights and of creature comforts these worldly pleasures will make the sleep of death unquiet unto you Oh let no Dalilah's lap deprive you of Abrahams bosom Remember that David by Bathsheba's imbraces lost the imbraces of God I mean the sense of the imbraces of God the joy and comfort of them Fourthly If ever you would sleep an happy sleep in death then labour to work hard from Heaven while you live Oh how delightfull is sleep to a weary man When a man hath taken pains all the day as the Traveller that hath travelled all the day or the Ploughman that hath been at work all the day how quietly how soundly doth he sleep in the night O Beloved If ever you would sleep an happy sleep at death then labour to work out your salvation with fear and trembling and give all dilligence to make your Calling and Election sure The more you labour for Heaven the better the sweeter will your sleep be when you come to die And remember this That as much sleeping in the day time will hinder a mans sleep at night So you that idle away the time of your providing for Heaven in this your day you that sleep away the minute upon which eternity doth depend Oh you will take a sad sleep when death seizeth upon you Take heed therefore of sleeping whilst you live that so your sleep in the night of death may be comfortable to you Lastly If ever you would sleep an happy sleep when you die then take heed of the sleep of sinne Sin in Scripture is compared to a sleep Awake thou that sleepest that is thou that sinnest Sin is such a sleep as brings the sleep of death Sin brings the first death and sinn brings the second death All miseries whatsoever are the daughters of sinn If you would sleep an happy sleep and have an happy awakening at the Resurrection then take heed of the sleep of sinn Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and Iesus Christ shall give thee life 5. 14. So Rom. 13. 11 12 13. with which I will conclude and I pray you mark it well for it was a Text that converted Saint Augustine Knowing the time Beloved that new it is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer then when we believed The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darknesse and let us put on the armâ—ur of light Let us walk honestly as in the day not in roioting and drunkennesse not in chamberinâ— and wantonnesse not in strife and envying but put you on the Lord Iesus Christ and make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof
never have died But in Illo die said God In that day thou eatest the forbidden fruit thou shalt die the death Sinne brings omnimodam mortem all kindes of death it brings death temporal death spiritual and death eternal Now because all men are poisoned with the poison of sine therefore all men must sleep the sleep of death It is sin that hath poisoned all mankind 3. As a man when he goeth to sleep puts off his clothes and goeth naked into bed So it is with us when we come to die vve came naked into the world and we must go naked out of the world As we brought nothing with us into the world so we must carry nothing with us out of the world And therefore death in Scripture is called nothing else but an uncloathing of our selves 2 Cor. 5. 4. Death to a child of God is nothing else but the putting off his cloaths The body of man is animae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} vestimentâ—m It is the souls cloathing and death is nothing else but the uncloathing of the soul it is just like a man going to bed and putting off his cloths St. Peter cals it The putting off our earthly tabernacle 2 pet. â— 14. Our bodies are the souls tabernacle and death is the putting off of this tabernacle Bâ—loved when we come to die we shall be stript naked of three things 1. We shall be stript naked of all our worldly honour riches and greatnesse 2. We shall be stript naked of our bodies And 3. Which is above all we shall be stript naked of our sins And that is the happines of a child of God he shall put off not only his mortal body but the body of sin 4. In the fourth place observe As no man knoweth the time when he fals asleep a man fals asleep before he is aware So no man can tell the certain time when he must die There is nothing so certain as that we must die nothing so uncertain as the time when we shall die Death comes suddenly even as sleep comes upon a man before he is aware 5. Observe As Children and infants because they do not know the benefit of sleep are very loth to go to sleep many times the mother is fain to whip the childe to bed even so it is with most of Gods people because they do not study the benefit of death That death puts an end to all our miseries and sins and opens a door to let us in unto everlasting happiness and that we shall never see God or Christ before we die I say because Gods people do not study the benefit of death therefore they are like to little children loth to die loth to go to bed And therefore death is called The King of terrors Death is terrible to many of Gods children because they are but infants in grace and because they do not know the benefit of death 6. Observe As when a man is fast asleep he is free from cares and troubles Let it thunder as it thundred not long since as you know yet a man that is fast asleep while he is asleep he hears it not Let the house be on fire while the man is asleep he sees it not neither is he troubled at it So it is with the death of Gods children when Gods children sleep the sleep of death they are free from the thunder of this world they are free from all cares from all troubles they go to their graveâ— as to their beds and rest in quietness and are not sensible of any troubles that are in the 〈◊〉 When a child of God sleeps the sleep of death he doth not feel nor is he sensible of any of the calâ—mities or sad providences of God upon the earth 7. When a man goeth to sleep he goeth to sleep but for a certain time in the morning he awakes out of sleep So it is with the sleep of death and therefore death is called a sleep because we must all awake in the morning of the resurrection We are in the grave as in our beds and when the trumpet of God and the voice of the Archangel shall sound we shall all rise out of our grave as out of our beds Death is but a sleep for a certain time 8. Sleep is a great refreshing to those that are weary and sick and when the sick man awakes he is more lively and chearful then he was when he fell asleep and therefore sleep is called Medicus laborum redinte gratio virium recreator corporum The great Physician of the sick body the redintegration of mans spirits the reviver of the weary body And so it is with death when Gods people awake out of the sleep of death they shall be made active for God then ever they were before when you lie down in the grave you lie down with mortal bodies It it sown a mortal body but it shall rise up an immortal body it is sown in dishonour but it shall rise up in honour it is sown a natural body but it shall rise up a spiritual body 9. As in the morning when we arise out of our beds we then put on our Cloathes So in the morning of the resurrection we shall put on a a glorious body like to the glorious body of Jesus Christ we shall put on Stolam immortalitatis the garment of immortality 10. As no man when he layeth him down to sleep knoweth the direct time when he shall awake So no man can tell when the resurrection shall be They do but couzen you who say that the general resurrection shall be such or such a year for as no man can know the minute when he shall awake out of his natural sleep no more can any man know when we shall arise from the sleep of death 11. It is a very easie thing to awake a man out of sleep it is but jogging of him and you will quickly awake him 12 As when a man ariseth in the morning though he hath slept many hours may suppose he could sleep 20 years together yet notwithstanding when he awakes these 20 years will seem to be but as one hour unto him So it will be at the day of Judgment all those that are in their graves when they awake it will be tanquam somnus unius horae but as the sleep of an hour unto them Lastly and most especially As sleep seizeth onely upon the body and the outward senses but doth not seiz upon the soul the soul of man is many times most busie when the man is asleep And God hath heretofore revealed most glorious things to his children in dreams when they have bin asleep God appeared unto Abraham and many others in dreams the body sleeps but the soul awakes So it is with the sleep of death the body that dies but the soul doth not die There are some men that are not afraid to teach you That the soul sleeps as well as the body and that