I need adde no more for confirmation of so plaine and confessed a truth I shall touch only the ground which is the justice of God 2 Thess 1.6 seeing this is a righteous thing with God saith Paul as the Saints endevours do gaine to God so in justice he will see they be gainers by him againe Matth. 25.20 Not here for if in this life only we had hope c. therfore it must needs be hereafter Non si male nunc olim sic erit Ill here and hereafter too with the Saints it cannot be how then shall the judge of all the world do right Verily there is a reward for the righteous that 's not here given the day of this life is a time of working sweating suffering when the evening of death comes then comes the peny of eternall blisse Now for the application of all that hath been said 1 Then by your life you may judge what gainers you are like to be by your death If you can truly say I have not lived to my lusts they are death to me the deadnesse of my heart the hell of my soule Nor to the world I take not thought for the things of it I use it as if I used it not rejoyce in it as if I rejoyced not looke on all the things therein as impertinent to the main businesse of my life reserve the intentions of my soule the cheife of my strength for Christ Quia nomen Jesu non erat ibi as Augustine once said he loved Tully nothing so well after his conversion because the name of Jesus was not there so you can relish nothing farther then it hath reference to Christ if Christ be not injoyed in them honoured and exalted by them you looke on all as dead things If you have written on all the roomes of your soules as sometimes we find on doores where the Court hath been For the Prince So on your hearts For Christ Your minds to meditate on his word your affections to love and delight in his service hands to act tongue to speake to and for him O then happy are you When death comes it shall not spoyle you of your life but you shal be able to say as dying but behold wee live 2 Cor. 6.9 Though death be the losse of all other things to you it cannot be the losse of life you shall have more life in Christ then in your selves more of that by losing this Death is gaine to me why saith Chrysistome because I shall hereby have more knowledge of Christ my life more familyar converse more intimate fellowship with him this is all the hurt death shall do you to send you sooner to your life and free you from this that is not so fit for you But if you have lived to your lusts if your life be only carnall sensuall you can relish your meat sleepe and walke and talke that 's all your life to eate drink snort and sport Or only rationall you can discourse transact businesse yet continue strangers to the life and power of godlinesse Or only worldly you do all for the world in reference to your gaine honours make Christ himselfe come behind the ewes Religion a very lackey to your coveteousnesse ambition c. if you be active only about sense and reason and lust and gaine the life of holinesse not so much as sought after Christ and his glory Church and truth not regarded well may you be gainers by your life through sordid and wretched courses but this I tell you all that you are like to gaine by your death you may put into your eye and weep it out againe yea death will bring with it the greatest losse I say not of heaven that it may be you little regard but of all that you now count gay your gold your god death will take you by the sleeve as Gregory did once the Emperour Anastatius Psal 49.17 and tell you Sir this silken cassack this scarlet coat you shall not carry hence with you One sayd he was willing to dye but he feared theeves that had beleagured the passages in the ayre as he was to passe to heaven Doubtlesse if Christ be not your life if you have only lived the life of pride covetiousnesse wantonnesse c. death as the divils mercilesse sargeant catchpole will seize upon you take you by the throat and by a writ of firmâ ejectione turne you out of house and home strip you at once of all that you counted precious and dragge your froward and untoward soules to the lowest hell 2 Suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation would you be gainers by death let Christ be a gainer by your life make this your maine designe your only imployment to set up Christ in your owne and the hearts of others to advance his Gospel inlarge his Kingdome Let Ministers be burning lights spending themselves in giving light to the church of Christ not seeking their owne but the things of Christ Let Magestrates be as watchmen to keepe and defend the Spouse of Christ Cant. 3.3 Revel 12.16 as the earth helped the woman against the dragon to crush all the seedes of rebellion and opposition that ayme at the overthrow of the Gospell of Christ 2 Chron. 30 22. ◠Chron. 34.33 as Hezekiah speaking comfortably to the Levites that teach the good knowledge of God as good Josiah making the people to serve the Lord compelling them to come in that Gods house may be full And you Captaines of the Lords host and all you that fight his battles let this be the inscription on your weapons of warre as Alphonsus once had on his shield pro lege pro grege so you for Christ and his Kingdom for his Church and his Gospell All you christians Revel 14.1 let the name of Christ be written in your foreheads in all your hearts as they say t' was in the heart of Ignatius in golden letters let all your thoughts affections desires and endeavours be truly christian labour in a heavenly ambytion the advancement of the honour of your Masters Kingdome be valiant in your places and stations for his truth and Gospell This is truly to live to live only to and for Christ this the only life till we come to live with Christ in heaven for ever Here is al that can make a life comfortable the worldlings Trinity is truly here and here only to be found 1 This is the only honourable life called the divine nature the image life and glory of God 2 Cor. 8.23 2 Cor. 8.23 they that live to the benefit of the Church are the glory of Christ 2 True pleasure is to be found only here To live a life of carnall pleasure 1. Is to live a base life Epicures are spots vile persons in the Scriptures and natures account 2. A vaine life Ecle 2.2 a challenge to all the most cunning inventours of pleasure to tell if they can what
true good is in it 3 A dead and deadly life Sensuall pleasure deads the heart to God the fountaine of life and leads to the chambers of eternall death Hos 4.11 Prov. 9.18 But now to have Christ for the Alpha and Omega of our lives while others are sunke in the dregs of the world to worke up to God to moove to Christ as our only center acting all we doe for the glory of his name How sweet a life must this needs be carrying with it a spirituall heavenly glorious joy as farre above all carnall delights as glory is above shame heaven above hell Archimedes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Heathens found such sweetenesse some in philosophicall speculations others in famous atcheivements for the good of their country which were but the exercises of a rationall morall life What sweetnesse then must that soule needs finde that lives in Christ acts for the honour of Christ every such action being an exercise of the life of God and a seede of glory 3. The only gainefull life Godlinesse is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 makes a gaine of all trades with Gods talents and gets ten for one a gaine of all estates sicknesse losses the greatest gaine of the greatest losse TO DYE IS GAINE These are my brethren adventuring times and men hazzard farre persons states lives and all and what to get Some their Helena of lust Others their Dagon of superstition they plead fight for Baall Others to get a name by doing exployts Others drive a trade of these warres building their houses with blood All would gladly attaine to the end but the most of men weary themselves in vaine not knowing the way Eccles 10.15 Would you have highest honour lasting pleasure truest gaine know all these interests of yours are wrapt up in Christ if you make him a gainer you cannot loose you need goe no farther then the magnifying of Christ in your flesh for the ground of all your honour comfort happinesse here and hereafter Quest. Answ But how may I be enabled thus to live 1 Learne that lesson of selfe-denial well Selfe and Christ cannot agree together a man 's owne things and the things of Christ are ever in competition and St. Paul makes them incompatible in this respect none can seeke both their owne things Philip. 2.21 and Christs together not their owne case not their owne praise nor their owne profits with the things that are Jesus Christs A man will never looke to Christ in any thing vntill he have learned to looke beyond himselfe in all Now because this is a hard saying Consider 1 The end of our being is nor Selfe but Christ marke what a high end the Apostle sets up 1 Cor 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God which he inforceth by his owne practice in the last verse Even as I seeke not my owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saved where note againe the antithesies selfe honour selfe profit and the profit of the Church and glory of Christ although they are compatible and may be conjoyned in the event yet in the endevour they cannot he that makes his owne advantage his maine end can neither seek the profit of the Church nor the glory of Christ 2 This is very profitable 1. For security 2. For improvement you have Christs owne words in plaine assertions for both 1. That this is the best way to secure whatsoever you are willing to deny your selves in for Christ be it credite estate life any thing truth it self assures you Joh. 12.25 Mark 8.35 if in comparison or competition with Christ we can be willing not only to lay downe and lose but even hate the dearest things of this world when they stand in the way of the publique cause of Christ and Religion as now God calls us to lay downe our estates lives and all for his truth it may be he will not take them from us but save them for us and continue them to us but if he do veleat vita pereat pecunia as once said that virgin Martyr let them take all the goods in our houses children of our flesh blood in our veynes all we are sure to save all to life eternall we shall have more life in Christ then in our selves as hath been sayd more riches in him then in the world even vnsearchable riches that can never be stollen away never be exhausted 2. for improvement we have a promise for this also Matth. 19.29 if we can beleeve it Every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren c. never any that tryed but he found God a good paymaster sweet experience have many of Gods plundered suffering Saints in these evill dayes of his giving in good measures of this precious truth into their bosomes heaped up and pressed downe and running over 3 This is most comfortable in life and death when we can looke backe on our lives wholly layd out for Christ 2 Cor. 1.12 and say with St. Paul This is our rejoycing that in Simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisedome we have had our conversation in the world not in policy to bring about our owne ends but as the sincere servants of Christ for the good of his Church and as this is the comfort of his life so when a man shall come to lye on his death bed he may comfortably pleade it with God and man With man as Frederick the godly said to his friends standing about his sicke bed Hitherto I have lived for you now let me live for my selfe With God as Nehemiah that was full of self-deniall you see how he was inboldned to put his God in minde to thinke on him for good according to all that he had done for his people Heb. 5.14 19. So St. Paul when the time came that he should dye you see he that had lived only to Christ preached not himselfe but the Lord Jesus driven no ends of his owne sought not his owne advantage but the profit of the Churches as he was full of self-deniall in life so he ended his dayes full of comfort 2 Tim. 4.7 when he had done his worke saith he I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is layd up for me the Crowne of righteousnesse Contrarily self-livers as they decline the true end of their being making themselves their owne end Selfish in all So they crosse their owne profit and comfort in life and death Many thinke now in these perillous times to save their owne stake by sparing from the cause of Christ they will have something to live on which way soever the world goe No this is the way to lose all truth it selfe hath told us whatsoever it be we are loath to lose for Christ be it state persons lives at length we shall lose that Matth 16. â—4 Luke 9.23 and
I Have perused this Sermon intituled Deaths advantage and finding it to be sound and judicious pious and profitable I License it to be Printed and published JOHN DOWNAME DEATHS ADVANTAGE OR A SERMON PREACHED AT THE FUNERALL OF THAT Noble and Valiant Gentleman Colonell WILLIAM GOULD High Sheriffe of Devon By order of Parliament and late Commander of the Fort and Island in Plymouth By STEPHEN MIDHOPE Mr. of Arts. REVEL 14.13 Write Blesse are the dead which die in the Lord from hence-forth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes do follow them LONDON Printed by L. N. for FRANCIS EGLESFIELD and are to be sold at the Marigold in Paul's Church-yard 1644. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL SIR JOHN BAMPFIELD BARONET THE WELL-DESERVING AND Honoured Commander of the Fort and Island in Plymouth Grace and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ NOBLE SIR THAT there is a life above that of sensuall pleasure the Heathen by the twy-light of Nature could discerne who thought him not worthy the name of a man that spent a whole day together in sensuall pleasure reckoning such amongst beasts in humane shape but that there is a life of faith as far above that of reason as it is above the life of sense that comming from God returnes to him againe moves by higher principles and to higher ends acts all for the honour of the great God aymes in all at the setting up of Christ and making him glorious before the world this is such a dark and hidden path that had we not the fiery Pillar of Gods truth to cleare it to us together with a cloud of many witnesses especially in these last dayes that have beaten it out before us whose life is not in carnall pleasure nor civill transactions no nor yet in philosophicall speculations who lay out all their strength are ready to exhaust all their bloud from Christ and his truth we must have been for ever ignorant of it This is not to be found in the Schoole of Socrates nor in the pit of Democritus What those Masters of morality groped after in the darke but could never reach viz. the right way of living I have adventured to present to your and the publique view in this poore and plaine Sermon which I confesse hath no other argument to procure either your view or patronage but this one that it hath the Name of Jesus Christ in it the want whereof when Austin espied after conversion in Tullies Booke abated the heat of his delight which he once took in it When you meet with weaknesses may you be pleased to Remember that not any selfe-forwardnesse or over-valuing hath obtruded these unpolished Meditations into the publique light but my willingnesse to put a stop if it may be to the false and slanderous aspersions on the dead that I perceive have already cankered the hearts and mouths of many and to raise though upon the ruines of my own credit a monument of deserved praise to him to whose fidelity and resolution in the cause of Christ the Kingdome stands so much indebted to this day And now Noble Sir these rude Notes being forced to looke abroad whither shall they run for shelter but to you Surely your right is greatest to them as succeeding the man in his honour and intrustments as well as in his holy activity for the publique good But I perceive by Austin Retr lib. 1. cap. 2. who repented him that he attributed more to Theodorus to whom he wrote a booke though otherwise he were a godly man then was meet that it is easie to over-lash in the commendation of a good man Only this therefore let me name without flattery to give the world an accompt of my choise Your love to Christ in his Ministers and members your constancy in sticking to his Cause with the losse of friends and lands in these back-sliding and forwardnesse in acting for him in these bleeding times doe more then satisfie me that I have found a Patron sutable to my subject Wherefore praying your favourable construction and acceptance of this poor mite I commend you to the Lords grace who double the spirit of his deceased servant on you make you high and Noble in all your ends faithfull and constant in all your instruments couragious and valiant in all your undertakings for Christ and his truth Remember Sir riches honours high places may make you great not gracious not happy they passe away daily and often much faster then they came I 'le ad deum copiosus ille opulentus adveniet cui astabunt misericordia patientia charitas fides Lactant. lib. 7. c. 27. and if they tarry with you to your last yet then must you leave them to others as they are now left to you We shall carry nothing with us but a life spent in and for Christ Worke apace then be diligent to take in and put off as much as you can for your Masters advantage that you may go richly laden to the Haven at the last and when you have fulfilled your time receive the crowne of righteousnesse and glory for which he prayeth who is yours Devoted to serve you in all Gospell offices STEPHEN MIDHOPE DEATHS ADVANTAGE PHILIPPIANS 1.21 For me to live is Christ and to dye is gaine THE Text is a compendious expression of S. Paul's scope in life and hope in death The inference is thus After salutation and gratulation from the 1. verse to the 12. he proceeds for the better incouragement of the beleeving Philippians to boldnesse and constancy in the profession of the Gospell and fellowship with Christ and his Church to declare unto them 1. His present estate in bonds and the good God had wrought out thence from the 12. verse to the 18. 2. His hope of the like for the future verse 19 20. viz. I not only have had and now have but I shall still have great cause of rejoycing in my sufferings For 1. I know what-ever the adversaries worke against me all through the helpe of your prayers and assistance of the Spirit of God shall still turne to my salvation 2. I know likewise that Christ shall be hereby glorified in my body which whether it be by life or death by living to him or dying for him 't is all one to me For to me to live c. The words are diversly rendred by Interpreters The Syriack reades them as do our English Translators so all the Ancients so Erasmus with others Calvin and after him Beza render them thus Christ is in life and death advantage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supplying the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the sense will be 'T is indifferent to mee whether I live or die for having Christ I must be a gainer by both estates for 't is Christ alone that makes me happy in life and death For my part as I take no pleasure in dissenting from such eminent lights so I dare not
easily depart from the simplicity of the words of the Holy-Ghost without manifest reason especially having the consent of all Antiquity I do therefore approve our English Translation so the sense is plaine and sweetly agrees with the precedent and following verses 1. With the fore-going words vers 20. According to my c. viz. this is that I ayme at heartily look and hope for that Ghrist be magnified if so 't is all one to me whether I live or die for this is my maine scope in living my very life to glorifie Christ by professing preaching loving his Gospell and suffering affliction for his Name and if I die now in my bonds besides that I shall seale his truth with my bloud this will turne to my great advantage in that being dissolved I shall be with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non connectit sed insert Sicut in illo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius in locum John 15.16 2. As sweetly doth this agree with the following verses which I reade thus But if to live in the flesh this be the fruit of my labour What then shall I choose I wot not For I am in a strait c. What fruit the conversion of soules that 's the only fruit of the ministry for that end were the Apostles sent So then if I live I shall have an occasion of bringing forth fruit to God by my ministry And what then shall I choose for to abide in the flesh is better for you Why because this is the fruit of my life to preach Christ and win soules to him and I have destined my whole life thereunto there 's his TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST but better for me to be dissolved Why because then I shall be with Christ There 's his AND TO DYE GAINE In these short words of the Text you have described the life and death of a true Christian in a double proposition his life by its object and end Christ. His death by its consequent and concomitant Gaine The necessary combination of these Christ with Life and Gaine with Death is intimated in the manner of enunciation which though it be not substantiall and formal but causall only and per concomitantiam as Logicians speake yet it is as like it as may be his life was so wholly devoted to Christ spent on Christ that Christ and nothing but Christ was to be found in his heart and wayes his gaine so inseparably conjoyned with his dissolution glory so sure to follow at the heeles of death as if there had been no difference betweene them but that Death had now put off with its sting its nature also and were now become not a privation but advancement of his being not a losse of life but a gainfull addition of glory Not to detaine you longer from that I principally intend from the propositions thus briefly explained arise two maine points of truth which I shall desire severally to open and then for a close joyntly to apply 1. Doctr. The maine object of a godly mans employment is Christ and his glory Or Christ is the life of a true Christian. 2. Doctr. A life truly Christian ever ends in a happy and gainfull death For explication of the former of these two termes must have some light here 1. Christ. What is carried in that 2. To live How Christ is life to a Christian 1. Christ is not here simply and absolutely considered in his person Act. 9.5 natures c. but Christ in his relations As Paul once lived against Christ so now he lives Christ in his Church Kingdome Gospell wayes ordinances Christ that is the magnifying of Christ by preaching his Gospell serving his Church building up his body obeying his will doing suffering for his Name So much is evident to an observant eye from the context as hath been already opened 2 How this is called his life For the fuller understanding whereof we must note 1. More generally Every thing is evidenced to live by its operation Sum. 1. q. 18.2 that is most proper to it As the life of a Plant consists in this that it receives nourishment and growth Of a beast in sense and motion Of men in reason and working according to reason So that the life of a man stands in that which he delights most in which he most intends Now there are not only naturall faculties in men inclining them to sutable operations but also superadded principles as habites vertuous or vicious inclining them to some kind of actions as it were naturally and making them delightfull to them Hence by way of similitude that operation that is delightfull to man in which he takes pleasure to walk to which he directs his course is called his life Hence some are said to live a voluptuous others a worldly life their thoughts and study are all on the world all their care is for it their delight wholly in it 2. But more particularly there is a life of the heart and of the hand 1. Love 1. Of the heart where the first weight and springing of the soule is love that so joyns the soule and its beloved that it lives as it were and enjoyes it self Non ubi animat sed ubi amat not in the body where it breathes but in that which it loves 2. 2. Care Hence for love is a commanding passion the mind the thoughts are imployed about that which the soule loves Lord saith David how I love thy Law Psal 119. al the day long is my study in it And this is set down as a characteristicall difference betwixt the life of a married and unmarried person by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.32 Esay 32.6.8 the one careth for the things of the world the other for the things of the Lord And by the Prophet betwixt the life of the wicked and the godly the heart of the one works iniquity he devises wicked devices the other devises liberall things 3. 3. Desire Reinolds of Passions Hence also ariseth desire that is the wing of the soule whereby it moves and is carried to the thing which it loves as the Eagle to the carkasse to feed it self upon it and to be satisfied with it And this the Scripture holds forth as the very best character and truest lineament that can be drawn of the life of God and of the world Actions may be over-ruled by ends but desires are alwaies genuine and natural Pro. 11.23 The desire of the righteous is only good but the expectation of the wicked is wrath What-ever other defects may attend his actions this is an inseparable character of a pious soule that the maine streame of his desires the course and current of his heart is to God and goodnesse though he cannot shew himselfe in doing as he would yet hee desires good because it is Christ in whom is good and nothing but good Hag. 2.7 after whom are drawn all the affections and inward longings of his soul