LIVING LOVES BETWIXT CHRIST AND DYING CHRISTIANS A SERMON Preached At M. Magdalene Bermondsey in Southwark near London June 6. 1654. At the Funeral of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker Minister of the Gospel and Pastor of the Church there With a Narative of his Exemplarily holy Life and Death By SIMEON ASHE his much endeared Friend and Brother Together with POEMS and ELEGIES on his Death by divers Ministers in the City of LONDON The Righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come He shall enter into Peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness Isai 57. 1 2 London Printed by T. M. for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1654. The Licencer's Epistle to the READER IT is reported in the life of Ambrose that when he Ambrosii vitâ per Paulinum scriptâ flebat amarissimè quotiescunque fortè nuntiatum illi fuerat de cujuscunque sancti obitu sacerdotis c. Isa 57. 1. heard of the death of any holy Ministers he would weep very bitterly The like I read of Philo that when he came into any Town or Village and heard of the death of any good man there dwelling he would mourn exceedingly becauâ—e of the great losse that place and the whole Church of Christ had received thereby How much more cause have we of this age to lament our condition who have in few years lost so many precious Saints and so many Reverend Learned and godly Ministers Surely this sad providence of God speaks with a loud voice that miseries and calamities are hasting upon this Nation For the righteous perish saith the Prophet and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come Thus Austin died a little before Hippo wherin he dwelt was taken And Paraeus before Heilderbergh was sacked And Luther immediately before Germany was overrun with waâ— and bloodshed * Mr. Scuddar Mr. Greslâ— Mr. Ferrihj Mr. Ludlam Mr. Nat. Ward Dr. Gouge Dr. Hill Mr. Walker Mr. Conaut Mr. Wilson Mr. Paramoor Mr. Gataker c. And now of late years many eminent Lights have been extinguished in this Nation to fore signifie the great darknesse that is coming upon us Amongst which I cannot but reckon my revereâ—d brother Mr. Jeremiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whitaker at whose Funeral this ensuing Sermon was preached If I should enter upon his commendation I might truly say what Nazianzene doth of his sister Gorgonia That I have more cause to fear least I should speak below then above the Truth for he was a burning and a shining light in this our Israel a Messenger and an Interpreter one among a thousand a Bezaleel in Gods Tabernacle a true Nathanael that by his integrity humility constancy charity publicknesse and peaceablenesse of spirit and by his diligence and faithfulnesse in preaching the Gospel made his life both amiable and desirable He was yet not he but the grace of God with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Oratio Funebris in laudem Patris sui c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And though I will not say what Nazianzene saith of Athanasius that to commend him were to commend Vertue because all Vertues were contracted in him yet this I will say which is also said of Athanasius That he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Adamant and a Load-stone To all that conversed with him he was as a Load-stone to draw their hearts to love him but in the cause of God in reference to the truths of Christ he is as an unconquerable Adamant He was a Jeremiah both in mourning for and witnessing against the sins of the times He was a second Whitaker though not so eminent in learning as to be what is In vita D. Whitakeri Oratio Funebris said of him Mundi miraculum Academiae oraculum yet he was which is also said of him sound in the faith one that had no private opinion that did not in veteri viâ novam semitam quaerere seek out new pathes of his own but kept the old way and the old path That had a great wit without any mixture of madnesse It is very disputable to me whether he preached more by the heavenlynesse of his Doctrine or by the holinesse of his life Sure I am he had this peculiar dispensation That he preached as effectually by his death as by his life or Doctrine For the manner of his sicknesse and death speaketh to all that saw it or shall now know it by reading this Sermon 1. That the best of men are subject to the worst of Diseases That all things come alike to all that no man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before him 2. That though the Lord cause his chlldren to passe through the waters and through the fire yet he will be with them so as the waters shall not overflow them nor the fire burn them Though they are troubled on every side yet they are not distressed though perplexed yet not in despair though persecuted yet not forsaken though cast down yet not destroyed For so great was the patience that God measured out to this our dear Brother that though he groaned yet he never grumbled though he often mourned yet he never murmured nay though he often roared by reason of the greatnesse of his pain yet he always justified and magnified God and this he did so constantly and in such a degree and proportion that as it is said of Job so it will be said by the Saints that succeed us for their mutual consolation and encouragement Ye have heard of the patience of Whitaker He had an ulcerated flesh but a sound and whole spirit and that made him bear his infirmity he had a stone in the bladder but a very tender and soft heart he had a body gangren'd but a soul unbelepred with sin I heard him often say with thankfulnesse That under all his bodily sufferings he had a blessed calmnesse and quietnesse in his spirit that God spake peace that though he roared for pain yet the devil was chained up from roaring upon him It was no small delight to me to behold the tears that were shed at his Funeral Not that I was glad that there was such cause of sorrow but to see in these dayes especially wherein the godly Ministery is so much undervalued a Minister that neither lived undesired nor died unlamented of whom it may be said as is of Stephen That devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him But I will not detein the Reader from beholding these things more largely related in the following Sermon by one that was his fidus Achates and as dear to him as Jonathan to David The Lord sanctifie this example to all that shall hear
Text Then said his Disciples If he sleep he shall do well And by the argument the Apostle seeks to prevaile with the Thessalonians that they might not mourne excessively upon such occasion For those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Then he addeth 1 Thes 4. 13 14 17 18. We shall be ever with the Lord wherefore comfort one another with these words Love moveth joy when our weak weary pained diseased friends are fallen into a sound sweet sleep This consideration therefore should cheere our drooping spirits in reference unto godly friends who died in the Lord. Let us minde this the rather because God who propoundeth this ground of comfort observeth both when we have need of this cordial and also what improvement we make thereof as it followeth in the next and last Doctrine which remaines to be handled Doct. 3. The Lord knoweth when his own and his Churches friends do fall asleep by death As Christ though now at a bodily distance from Bethany the place of Lazarus his abode yet told his Disciples of his death Our friend Lazarus sleepeth As God spake this to Joshuah My Josh 1. 2. servant Moses is dead This truth may be concluded strongly by these arguments Reas 1. Because Christ hath the keys of death Rev. 1. 18. in keeping the soule cannot be let out of the body without his leave And he knoweth all his own grants Reas 2. Because he also hath power in heaven keeping as it were the gate hereof into which none can enter without his allowance This is manifest by his promise to the penitent thief This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Therefore he exactly observeth when any persons or person Luke 23. 43. hath admission thither Vse 1. Hence the deity of Christ may be proved undeniably for though there be thousands dying hourely in the several places of the world yet Christ knows particularly 1. Both their qualification whether his friends and his Churches friends or no. 2. And the time when every one of them giveth up the ghost As the instance under discourse doth evince 1. He understood infallibly that Lazarus was a faithful friend both unto himselfe and his servants Our friend Lazarus 2. And though he was not corporeally present with Lazarus in the place where he died yet he knew without any creature-intelligence that now he was fallen asleep by death Vse 2. This truth speaketh manifold comforts unto Gods children For 1. This hints his respect to them Precious in Psal 116. 15. â— the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints He will not suffer any of them to lose life without his special observation thereof together with causes and concomitants therein considerable 2. It suggests his care of every soule when it removeth out of the body the place of its habitation it shall not miscary or be lost through Christs regardlessenesse Though thousands of devils may watch to intercept the soule yet Christ who observeth when it leaveth the body will undoubtedly according to his charge and promise secure its Passages to glory This is a Cordial to the poorest Christian for there is no respect of persons with the Lord. It came to passe that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Luk. 16. 22. Abrahams bosome And 3. It may relieve the sad hearts of godly ones mourning for their losse in the death of their dear Christian friends for their God and Saviour is quickly and fully acquainted with this their affliction he saw when our beloved relations breathed out their last gasp Questionlesse it cheered Hagar when she understood that God took notice when the bottle was empty and heard the cry of Ishmael because he wanted water And you may be Gen. 21. 16 17. confident that Christ who understands when your Parents your Pastors your yoakfellows your friends die he doth also consider what counsel what comfort what supports what supplies what encouragements you be deprived of by meanes of their death Is not this a choice Cordial to Gods children that their heavenly Father knoweth they need such things Mat. 6. 32. Vse 3. Lastly this Doctrine yields matter of seasonable and needful admonition Therefore upon the death of Gods servants we should seek after such dispositions as may be pleasing unto his Majesty who observeth together with such providences how we are affected therewith Here then I would advise two particulars wherein I intreat the Lord to make us serious 1. To be rightly affected with such like dispensations laying to heart the publick losse sustained when the friends of Christ and his servants are taken away by death The Lord observeth and complaineth when people do not herein answer his expectation The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart And our love unto Esay 57. 1. the publick together with the consideration of the great use of such persons would help forward our humiliation in such cases You heard before that they are friends to Christ and much befriended by Christ yea that they are lovers of the cause and people of God Now is not the death of such to be bewailed When Elijah went up by a whirlewinde to heaven Elisha 2 King 1. 11 12 saw it and he cryed My father my father the Charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof And when Elisha was 2 Kin. 13. 11 14 sick Joash though not a good man wept over him and said Oh my father my father the Charet of Israel and the horsemen thereof Because they beleeved that the publick safety depended much upon the interest of godly men in God therefore their death was thus lamented And truly such friends of God are the chief stakes in the hedge and maine pillars in the building both of Church and Common-wealth Therefore in such cases it may well become us to imitate the devout men who Acts 8. 2. carryed Stephen to his grave and made great lamentation for him 2. To imitate the deceased Saints in their graces and holy conversation we should lay their lives as so many faire copies before our eyes and labour to write after them by consciencious imitation The Apostle having given in a catalogue of Old-Testament-beleevers who in their several places and ages did worthily he earnestly perswadeth Christians to be followers of them And Heb. 11. compared with Heb. 12. 1. seeing God hath given us to behold the beauty of holinesse and the power of godlinesse in their courses it will much aggravate our sinne if we labour not to be like them This leadeth me to that which you all look for viz to spread before you the exemplary life of Master Jeremiah Whitaker the late Pastor of this place whose Funeral hath occasioned this great Assembly and my Sermon in reference unto whom that I may speak unto your edification I will with the change of one word only undertake my Text again Our friend Whitaker sleepeth And truly I am very confident
deny any motion for preaching and praying if God gave bodily ability and other unavoidable occasions did not necessarily hinder Many week-dayes he preached twice yea then when he attended the work of the Assembly of Divines viz. the morning-exercise either at Westminster or elsewhere afterwards in the afternoon I here remember the commendation which St. Paul gave of Epaphroditus in his Epistle to the Philippians For the work of the Lord he was nigh unto Phil. 2. 30. death not regarding his life How farre this is appliable to painful Mr. Whitaker multitudes do well know yea many conceive that his painful distempers which hastened his removal from us were caused and increased by his many constant labours in this kind Neither were his Sermons jejune and dry because thus frequent but always full of Scripture-strength savoury affectionate as his Auditors will testifie Thirdly Such was his love to Christ that his publick Imployments did not take him off from family-duties nor from more private exercises of communion with God His ordinary course was together with prayers to expound some parts of the holy Scriptures in his own family twice every day and beside other parts of Scripture which he daily read in secret he usually read over all the Epistles in the Greek Testament twice every fourtnight yea when by reason of pain and weakness he himself could not read he herein imployed others for his help Hence it was that he was a man mighty in the Scriptures like unto Apollo Acts 18. 24. as was observed by all who conversed with him And this course he earnestly commended to the practice of his dearly beloved eldest son as an excellent means to make him both a ready and a profitable Preacher Fourthly His courage in Christs Cause did much commend his love whereof I will suggest these evidences 1. While he lived in Rutland-shire he refused to read the book allowing of sports upon the Sabbath though it was with commands and threatnings pressed upon him And when he was called to give in his answer about the collection amongst Ministers to maintain the War against Scotland he openly told the Bishop or Chancellor that his conscience could not yield thereto This his answer exposing him to great danger both to lose living and liberty in those times a neighbour through misguided love compassionating him and his family payed the money and subscribed Mr. Whitakers name without his knowledge This he was long ignorant of and when he heard it he expressed with many complaints much grief of heart 2. Since our times of woful desertion and Apostasie both from Gospel-truths and practices he would undauntedly in private conferences and in his publick Ministery express his dislike yea detestation thereof to the faces of them who too much favoured Errour Heresies and ranting courses though he knew that thereby he did run hazards and procure many frownes He refused to subscribe the late Engagement though thereby he was in danger to be taken off from his Westminster Lecture And if his Sermons preached there upon Ephes 2. 2 3. concerning mens walking according to the course of this world c. fulfilling the lusts of the flesh c. could be collected and published thereby it would be manifest that Mr. Whitaker in love unto his Lord Christ was a man of good metal and magnanimity 3. One more private proof of the good mans valiant love to Christ I will make bold to insert because my self can knowingly attest its truth Since these stormy dayes wherein the liberty and livelihood of Ministers have been maligned and struck at he riding with an intimate friend by Tiburn which he had not known or not observed before demanded what that was and answer being made this is Tiburn where many Malefactors have lost their lives he stopped his horse and uttered these words with great affection O what a shame is it that so many thousands should die for the satisfaction of their lusts and so few be found willing to lay down their lives for Christ Why should not we in a good Cause and upon a good call be ready to be hanged for Jesus Christ It would be everlasting honour and it is a thousand times better to die for Christ to be hanged to be burnt for Christ then to die in our beds And how much he condemned life in respect unto Christ Jesus there are many who from his own mouth can witnesse Fifthly So great was his love unto his God and Saviour that he maintained and expressed high estimations and honourable thoughts of his Majesty when under tormenting providences nothing being more feared then this lest he should do or speak any dishonours unto his Name These were some breathings of his large love when through paine he was as in the fire and upon the Rack Good Lord keep me from dishonouring thy Name by impatiency O who would not even in burnings have honourable thoughts of God! Who that knoweth thee would not fear thee O Lord love thee and honour thee Lord thou givest me no cause to have any haâ—d thought of thee Blessed be God there is nothing of hell in all this Blessed be his Name for Jesuâ— Christ and the revelation of the everlasting Gospel Who knoweth the power of thy wrath If it be so heavy upon thy servant here how heavy shall it be to all those who shall endure it without mixture Blessed be God for the peace of mine inward man when my outward man is so full of trouble This is a bitter cup but it is of my Fathers mixture and shall I not drink it yea Lord through thy strength I will this is my burthen and I will beare it Upon any abatement of his paines he was constantly much in blessing God using these and such like expressions O! what a mercy is it that there is any mitigation any intermission Lord make me thankful And turning himselfe towards those who stood by he would speak thus O help me to be thankful O lift up a prayer for me that I may be thankful O what a mercy is this How much worse might this affliction have been I might have been distracted or laid roaring under disquietnesse of spirit By these workings of his spirit which my self and others do well remember and I could heartily wish that all the rest had been recorded who perceiveth not the sparklings of his love to God I will annex one more which hath much affected my heart viz. these words he hath often spoken to me Brother through mercy I have not one repining thought against God Now upon all these considerations I appeale unto the consciences of all ingenuous ones whether there be not ground to beleeve that Christ if here with us would give him the honour of this compellation My loving friend Whitaker The second head of my Narrative followeth That Christ loved Mr. Whitaker For as I discovered in my Sermon this love is alwayes mutual The discovery hereof will be clear upon a double account
of it and fit us his Ministers that supervive to preach and live as he did To fight a good fight to finish our course and to keep the faith that so we may at last obtaine a crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge will give at the last day to all that love his appearing So prayeth Your servant in the work of the Ministery EDM. CALAMY To the Right Honourable ELIZABETH Countesse Dowager of Exeter MADAM HOw irresistible is the power of love and importunity The holy Scriptures do plentifully manifest that divine love doth set Gods All whether within or without himself on work for his childrens good and that his childrens importunity hath in al Ages prevailed with his Omnipotency to appeare for their comfort And multitudes of daily experience do evidence the prevalency of these two Arguments among the sons of men My self makes one instance for the verifying hereof by preaching at Reverend worthy Mr. Whitakers Funeral and by printing my Sermon with the Narrative of his memâ—rable life both which come abroad with enlargements because streights of time and the discomposednesse of my spirit through grief would not suffer me thus fully to dilate upon in the Pulpit Madam I am confident that your Ladyship can of your own knowledge not only attest the truth of most passages in my Narrative but adde also much more from your own observation which will render his memory precious unto posterity And will your Honour give me leave to give some further account unto the world wherefore I have presumed to dedicate unto your Ladyship these expressions of my great respect to my precious much endeared brother Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker Gratitude is at the bottom of this Dedication Madam As I shall alwayes really acknowledg your Honours favour towards my worthlesse self so I judg it meet to make known upon this occasion that more then many thanks are most due unto your Ladyship from all Mr. Whitakers Relations for your many and great testimonies of your constant respects unto him all his life long since your first acquaintance with him I have often heard him mention before the Lord with praises and prayers your Honours abundant kindnesses both unto himselfe and his family which I beleeve are on record in heaven to be fully recompensed in due time because they were the products of your sincere love unto him as the faithful Minister of Jesus Christ Madam there are not many who be so deeply sensible as your selâ—e of the great losse sustained by the death of this holy man of God What mine own losse is I had rather expresse it before the Lord then publish it unto the world He was Madam a faithful servant to your immortal soul the wel are whereof God in mercy hath given you to mind much more then all matters sublunary whatsoever In reference hereunto he was your wise counsellour in all your doubts and difficulties your compassionate comforter in all straights and sorrows your vigilant Physician to prevent spiritual sicknesse and infection your zealous Incourager in all wayes of holy service and a daily Remembrancer of you and yours before the Throne of Grace Though these things speak your losse which may warrantably afflict your heart yet I beseech you good Madam consider with comfort that notwithstanding this bucket be broken as Dr. Preston was wont to expresse it nevertheless the fountain of light life grace strength comfort and satisfaction is still at hand ever full and alwayes flowing He who is now removed out of the Land of the living to be serviceable by preaching praying conference no more was only one of those golden pipes through which the God of your mercies conveyed relief sweetly and seasonably unto your soul the wel-head is not removed and many other choice conveyances of grace and consolation from Christ be still continued to you Let this therefore be the language of your faith The Lord liveth and blessed be the 〈◊〉 oâ— my salvations who will never forsake nor faile the soule which in humility and faithfulness doth depend upon his Majesty And Madam Mr. Whitaker his rich receipts of much sanctifying grace strong confidence invincible patience undaunted courage un-interrupted peace with pure elevating joyes from the Lord may encourage the hopes of the poorest Christians to expect great things from heaven according to their necessities and desires because God is no respecter of persons but free and liberal in the communications of his peculiar goodnesse These are the words of his grace Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. 10. If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink He that beleeveth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Joh. 7. 37 38. The Almighty hath given you some tastes of that incomparable fruit which comes from the Land of promise that you may be encouraged to hold on in the way thither with cheerfulnesse and perseverance Madam It is no small addition unto your honour here and it will undoubtedly make to your happiness hereafter that you do own God in unwearied attendance upon his sacred Ordinances laying forth your self for his name faithfully with that prudence self-denial and plainness of heart wherewith he hath adorned you through his rich mercy in Jesus Christ Madam I humbly beg pardon for this my boldness and crave leave to subscribe my self Madam Your Honours humble Servant SIMEON ASHE JOHN 11. 11. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth THese are the words of Christ concerning Lazarus and they speak 1. His relation 2. His dissolution First the relation was friendship wherein we are to observe 1. How far this friendship was extended viz. both unto Christ and to his Disciples our friend It is not my friend or your friend but our friend both yours and mine 2. That this friendship was acknowledged by Christ himselfe not only while Lazarus was yet alive but even now when he was dead Our friend Lazarus sleepeth In the second part of the Text viz. Lazarus's dissolution we may note 1. The truth asserted viz. that Lazarus though a friend both to Christ and to his Disciples yet he was dead 2. The Metaphor whereby it is expressed which is taken from natural sleep He sleepeth 3. The notice which our Saviour took of Lazarus his decease This he reporteth unto his Disciples he saith unto them Our friend Lazarus sleepeth Thus from this plaine division of the Text I proceed unto the observations which do from hence offer themselves naturally unto our consideration And the doctrines will be six in number viz. three from each part into which the Text hath been divided Doctr. 1 The first is this viz. That there is a mutual friendship betwixt Christ and true Christians Our Lord himself here calleth Lazarus friend And that this friendship was mutual it is evident from this history First the love of Lazarus towards the Lord Jesus was witnessed by the many entertainments and hearty welcomes which he received
friend His graces which are like to a most fragrant perfume do in am our the hearts of all them who are truly spiritual Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy Name is as an Cant. 1. 3. ointment powred forth therefore do the Virgins love thee And in the song of conjugal loves this is rendred as the reason of those sparklings Thou art fairer then the children of Psal 45. 2. men As there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person then Saul from the shoulders upwards he was higher 1 Sam. 9. 2. then any of the people So Jesus Christ doth wonderfully over-top and exceed in all rich endowments the most amiable creatures in the world And as in all Israel there was 2 Sam. 14. 25. none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him and this might be some reason of Davids great love towards him So in the Lord Jesus there are perfect beauties without the least blemishes He is altogether lovely No wonder therefore that wise knowing Christians do chuse and value and embrace him with vigorous loves Reason 2 Because of his famous magnanimous undertakings and adventures as Mediator that he might at once advance his Fathers glory and the happinesse of his Elect. We read that Jonathans soul was knit to the soul of David 1 Sam. 18. 1. and that he loved him as his own soul because upon a Duel he had encountered and conquered the Monster Goliah who had blasphemed God and vilified his people Now this service was low and inconsiderable being compared with Christs renowned exploits who hand to hand combated with the devil in the wildernesse for the space of fourty days Luke 4. 2. Col. 2. 15. who spoiled principalities and Powers made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his crosse Who did beare up bravely against the power of darknesse to be quell'd under the weight of divine justice to be satisfied and under the flames of his Fathers displeasure to be quenched These and the like rare actings of Christ being pondered by Christians do draw forth their hearts in friendship towards him He himself saith Therfore doth my Father love me because I John 10. 17. lay down my life And how can new-born Christians partakers of the divine Nature be otherwise affected upon the same account towards their blessed Master Reason 3 Because of their manifold rich receipts from Christ Davids heart giveth out loves to the Lord because upon his prayers he had delivered his eyes from tears and his feet Psal 116 1 8. from falling Now Christ hath rescued his people from wrath to come and that without respect to their requests yea before they sought him Our Saviour himself giveth this as the reason wherefore the sinful woman loved him Many sins are forgiven her Luk 7. 47. 1 Sam. 19. 5. therefore she loved much And Jonathan by this Argument laboureth to win Sauls heart towards David Because the Lord by him wrought a great salvation to all Israel In this respect the Apostle Paul was rationally under the 2 Cor. 5. 14. constraint of commanding Loves to Christ because of quickning grace received by his death Now if I should here discover our large enjoyments from Christ it would abundantly appear to every ingenuous soule that there is sufficient cause wherefore he should be accounted and affected as an incomparable friend By him we are delivered from sin and hell as is hinted even now from the curse of the Law the hater of God the Gal 3. 13. Eph. 2. 14 16. Gal. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 55. Ephes 1. 3 6. 1 Cor. 1. 30. and 2. 1 20. deadly snares of the world and the poison-sting of death We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places We are accepted in the Beloved He is made unto us Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption And all the Promises of God are in him Yea and in him Amen How rationally therefore doth living love to Christ spring out of this root Reason 4 Because of their full expectations from him for the future even unto soul-satisfaction and that to eternity Many chearing cordials are handed to Christians from Christ here upon earth in which regard he doth lie as a bundle of myrrh between their brests but he reserveth the best wine for Cant. 2. 13. the last Whatsoever for kind or for measure the believing John 2 10. Christians comforts are here yet to be with Christ in heaven Phil. 1. 13. will be far better and this this in glory is looked for through Christ This consideration causeth their love unto Christ to break forth in a great flame Let the words of the Apostle be weighed for the evidence hereof who having spoken both of the Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet 1. 3 4. that fadeth not away reserved in heaven as also of the assured Perseverance through Gods Power and all this by Christ he adds Whom having not seen yet ye love Ingenuous 1 Pet. 1. 8. Christians duly weighing the worth of their future happinesse dearly purchased by Christ and undoubtedly to be possessed by them through Christ do hereupon practically conclude that nothing can be imagined more reasonable then this that they should love him as their special friend Thus from confirmation I proceed to the Application of this Truth by way of Use which I will propound under three heads viz. 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation Vse 1 Sad therefore is their condition who are not loving friends unto Jesus Christ For doubtlesse though they be by profession in the estimation of others true Christians yet they are but only Slips in Christianity As Judas c. Our Saviour speaketh roundly unto such If God were Joh. 8. 42. your Father you would love me And if God be not their Father they are questionlesse the devils children children of the curse How open and expresse are the words of the Apostle to this purpose If any man love not the Lord Jesus let 1 Cor. 16. 22. him be Anathema Maran-atha The heavy and lasting maledictions of God hang over the heads of all them who love not Christ This is the great severity of God against such who are not friends unto Christ and that the righteousnesse of his Majesty herein may be manifested I wish that this may be minded viz. that unfriendliness to the Lord Jesus in Gospel-times wherein his excellencies deservings are so fully laid open doth proceed either from 1. Infidelity Or 2. Contumacy Either people hearing from Scripture of Christs loveliness do give God the lie to his face by not believing him or else their disregard of Christ ariseth from malignity and stubbornnesse of will though they yield to the report of his incomparable worth And 1 Joh. 5. 10. Non à câ—citate mentis sed Ã
but extended unto eternity for ever and ever 3. And all Christians should heartily give in their assent and attestation hereto by annexing their Amen In the amplification of this perswasion I might call you back to the review both of the proof of this doctrine and of the qualities and efficiency of his love spoken unto in the first Use But that I may not tautologize by telling the same things again I wish you to meditate upon these particulars which will yet further commend Christs love and may call you forth in thankfulnesse for it 1. His love was primary to us and ours secundary succeeding it as the effect and consequence thereof we loved 1 Joh 4. 19. him because he loved us first If he had not fired our hearts with the flames of his love we should never have bestowed one spark of spiritual affection upon him 2. His love was free when there was much loathsomnesse and no lovelinesse at all in us When thou wast Ezek. 16. 5 6. 7 8. cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that thou wast born And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood when thou wast naked and bare Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of love 3. His love worketh him unto a familiar conversing with them which himself expresseth by feasting with them He brought me into the banqueting house and his banner over Cant. 1. 4. me was love I will sup with them and the shall sup with me Rev. 3. 20. and by acquainting them with himself I will manifest my Joh. 14 21. self unto them as also by revealing his secrets I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I Joh. 15. 15. have made known unto you As also by conjugal embracings His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth imbrace Cant. 2. 6. me Now if Christs beloved friends thankfully disposed towards him for his love shall demand how their gratitude should be really discovered I answer in the words of Solomon A man that hath friends must shew himselfe friendly Prov. 18. 24. which is done 1. By a cautious declining of whatsoever may be offensive unto him as the returning of evil for good is very sinful and a practise prejudicial to our selves so is it taken very unkindly by the Lord. Thus David complaineth of Achitophel and as some conceive Christ of Judas My friend that did eat of my bread hath lifted up his heel against Psal 41. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me As Caesar was most afflicted with the wound received from his own sons hands And thou my son too Therefore upon remembrance of Christs kindnesse learn to beat back temptations as Joseph did How then shall I do this wickednesse and sin against the Lord Gen. 39 9. 2. By an inseparable adherence unto Christ in dayes of deepest difficulty and danger The servant engaged to his Master by his favours is willing to have his eare bored that he may dwell with him for ever Ruth upon the receipt Exod. 21. 5 6. of lesse love a great deal from Naomi her mother in law taketh up this resolution Nothing shall part thee and me Ruth 1. 16. but death God forbid that ever we by our Apostacy should give Christ occasion to speak by way of reproach to us as Absalon did to Hushai deserting David as he apprehended Is this thy kindnesse to thy friend Why wentest 2 Sam. 16. 17. not thou with thy friend So be you sure that this one circumstance will gripe your hearts with great grief for your backslidings As Peter in this regard wept bitterly because he Mat. 26. 75. had denied and deserted Christ so good a Master so well deserving a friend 3. By unfained love unto all them who are the beloved friends of Christ This is the inference of Saint John from this consideration under discourse that therefore we ought to love one another and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren But of this more in the doctrine 1 Joh 4. 11. and 3. 16. following Doct. 2 That all Christs friends are mutually loving friends unto one another As Christ here saith not my friend but our friend Lazarus thereby intending to declare the friendship which was betwixt Lazarus and his Disciples as betwixt himself and Lazarus In the proof of this doctrine I will point at two particulars which I conceive this instance under hand may hint 1. That there is friendlinesse and love amongst all good Christians In this respect the Apostle Paul in his Eph. 1. 15. Epistle to the Ephesians joyneth their faith in Christ and Philem. 5. their love to all Saints And in his Epistle to Philemon he connexeth his love to Christ and his love to all Saints Yea our Saviour maketh this the livery whereby his servants may be distinguished from others By this shall Joh. 13 35. all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another 2. That there is a peculiarity of friendly respect in Christians unto Christs Ministers as here in Lazarus towards Christ his Apostles This is observable in the Letter sent from Jerusalem to Antioch wherein their expression of special love is recorded viz. Our beloved Barnabas Acts 15. 25. and Paul But I will not deal with the Doctrine in both these branches distinctly The handling of it more generally for brevity sake shall be alone undertaken And the Reasons of the point are foure Reason 1 1. Because of their relation both unto Christ and amongst themselves They stand related unto Christ as his subjects servants children Spouse Members which all will acknowledge and therefore needeth no proof And hence issueth love As David was ready to shew kindnesse to the house of Saul for Jonathans sake 2 Sam. 9. 1. And among themselves they are related many Pâ—ilemon 16. 1 Pet. 3. 8. aâ—d 2. 17. 1 Cor. 12. 25. wayes most nearly They are brethren and the brotherhood is to be loved And they are fellow-members and therefore to have mutual respect one to another Reason 2 2. Because of Christ his expresse command which is repeated and strengthened with his own example This 1 Joh. 4 21. command we have from him that he who loveth God loveth his brother also A new Commandment I give unto you John 13. 34. and 15. 12. That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye love one another And again This is my Commandment That ye love one another as I have loved you Reason 3 3. Because of the image of God engraven upon them 1 Joh. 5. 1. expressed by their holy conversation The Apostle John asserts this That every one who loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Because the childe is the picture as it were of his
them who will consider it as in other regards so because their love draweth our prayers unto God as need requireth Psal 122. 6 â— 2. From hence they may infallibly conclude their regeneration by special grace Let us love one another saith Saint John for love is of God and every one that loveth 1 Joh. 4. 7. Noscitur ex socio c. 2 Tim. 3 3. is born of God Whereas persons under the power of depraved nature are despisers of them who are good 3. And as they may upon this evidence lay claime to the comforts of grace upon earth so may they raise confidence of future glory in heaven We know that we 1 Joh. 3. 14. have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren Vse 4 The last Use is exhortation wherein two duties might be perswaded First to love Christians because they are like unto Christ and belonging unto him in the nearest relations The holy Ghost is often and earnest in this perswasion 1 Pet. 2. 17. and 3. 8. Col. 3. 14. Love the brotherhood love as brethren and above all things put on charity which is the bond of perfectnesse As helps herein let these meditations be moulded believingly upon your hearts 1. That they are in regard of spiritual beauties the lovelyest people under the Sun Exceeding beautiful The Church is called the fairest among Ezek. 16. 13. Cant. 6. 1. 5. women And this is not the judgement of persons subject to mistakes but even of Christ himself which he gives in again and again both as a ground of his own love and requiring attention unto his testimony Behold thou art Cant. 1. 15 16. and 4. 7. faire my beloved behold thou art faire behold thou art faire yea pleasant Thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee Therefore that you may beget love in your bosomes towards Saints do not so much pore upon their blemishes as their beauties look rather upon their vertue then their vices as Titus by remembring the obedience rather then the disobedience of the Corinthians found his affections enlarged 2 Cor. 7. 15. towards them 2. That the obligations of love which the Gospel hath laid upon you are many and commanding Here I will only name without enlargement the particulars whereby Saint Paul perswadeth the Christian Ephesians to keep Eph. 4 3 4 5 6 the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace There is one body and one spirit one baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all 3. That no persons whatsoever have been or are likely to be so useful to your selves and to the publick as these Saints and servants of the most high God This argument Paul presseth upon Philemon to move his affections towards Phil. 11. converted Onesimus because now saith he profitable to thee and me These are repairers of breaches and restorers of paths to Isa 58. 12. Isa 1. 9. dwell in And these are the remnant which if God had not left we should have been like unto Sodom and Gomorrah I forbear to report how they bestead the publick 1. By their prayers As if Moses had not stood up in the breach to turne away Gods wrath Israel had been destroyed Psal 106. 13. 2 And by their presence As God told Lot he could do nothing till he removed from Sodome By this reason Gen. 19. 22. Jonathan speaketh to move Saul's bowels towards David For he did put his life in his hand and slew the Philistine and 1 Sam. 18. 5. the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel Secondly I might from this doctrine deale with all sorts by perswasion to endeavour to become godly that they may be admitted as friends into the bosomes of Gods people Although I know that there are higher ends to be intended in undertaking the practice of piety viz. Gods glory and our own salvation yet this consideration under hand would not be slighted if these particulars which I shall onely name were well weighed 1. That the love of Gods people towards us will Phil. 1. 4 6. produce their frequent and fervent addresses unto heaven for us according to our serviceable necessities 1. That their applications unto the Lord are very Job 42. 8. prevalent in regard of their great favour with his Highnesse 2. Their love will work them unto readinesse in any other kinde to serve us with their interests and abilities Heb. 6. 10. counsels and communication of their experiences as opportunity may be offered 3. And their expressions of loving respect may administer some relief unto the faint hopes of self-suspecting soules because they are to be looked upon as best able in regard of their principles and experiments to judge of the spiritual conditions of other Christians I proceed to the third circumstance considerable in the first part of the Text viz. That Christ himself doth testifie the forementioned relation of friendship betwixt Lazarus and himself with his Disciples Our friend Doct. 3 That Jesus Christ knoweth and acknowledgeth them particularly who are friends unto himself and his peculiar people The Lord knoweth them that are his This 2 Tim. 1. 14. knowledge comprehends observation approbation and commemoration As he owned Lazarus here his friend So likewise he did his Disciples under the relation of Matth. 28. 10. brotherhood after his Resurrection Go tell my brethren And since his Ascension into glory such is his respect unto all sanctified ones That he is not ashamed to call them Heb. 10. 11. brethren If more clear Scripture-proof be demanded let these two passages be observed 1. That Christ knoweth who love him while they are alive This is manifest by Peters attestation Lord thou knowest that I love thee Joh. 21. 15 16 17. 2. That the Lord remembreth after the death of his friends that they were so during life As dead Lazarus is thus spoken of Our friend And long after Abrahams decease God speaking of Israel thus expresseth himself The Isa 41. 8. seed of Abraham my friend Reasons I shall only point at the Reasons whence this truth may be concluded 1. God knoweth his friends because himself maketh them so And therefore because he understands his own actions he cannot be ignorant in whose bosomes there Psal 33. 14 15. are these friendly dispositions 2. And God will acknowledge them because he hath undertaken torecompence them He is not unrighteous to forget labours of love Heb. 6. 10. The Application followeth This consideration may be a cooling card unto two sorts of people Vse 1 1. To all them whose consciences bear witnesse that they have no friendly frame of heart unto such godly ones whose holy conversations discover them to be chosen and called out of the world If mens hearts condemn them Gods is greater and knoweth all There will be many 1 Joh. 3. 20. rejected at the last day who
as examples of faith and holinesse he addeth these words All these died Reasons The reasons are not only 1. Because of Adams sin transmitted Sin entereth into the world and death by sin Rom. 5. 12. 2. And by reason of Gods determination with reference to his own glory many wayes to be manifested in the consequence of death It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgement For upon these Heb. 9 27. accounts the wicked who are Christs enemies do die also But there are peculiar Reasons wherefore Christs and the Churches friends do die I will not here speak unto that which was extraordinary in this death of Lazarus viz. for the glory of God Verse 15. that the Son of God might be glorified thereby and for the sakes of them who should beleeve upon the observation Ver. 4. of Christs power in a miraculous raising him from the dead I will only instance in those ends which God intends in a way more ordinary with respect unto his people themselves 1. Sometimes that they may be secured from common calamities coming upon the world As men do house their cattel before the storme falleth Thus God takes away Isa 57. 1. the righteous from the evil to come wherof the case of Josiah is a famous instance 2 Chro. 34. 28. 2. That they may rest from their labours both of service Rev. 14. 13. and suffering when their task and exercises are over when their work is done and the Lord hath sufficiently proved and purged them by variety of providences both crosse and comfortable in this world then he calleth them off this stage and causeth their departure hence 3. That they might enjoy immediate communion with Christ in heaven which is farre better then the best condition Phil. 1. 23. Heb. 12. 23. attainable in this life and that their spirits might be made perfect in glory before the day of the general Resurrection when their souls and bodies shall be reunited There are many profitable Uses to be made of this Doctrine Application which I shall only point at Vse 1. Therefore natural death is not the greatest evil neither are those comforts whereof death doth deprive the best good because it is absurd to imagine that the most godly shold undergo the heaviest evils and be stript of the chiefest comforts This inference is obvious and might be usefully enlarged But I must forbear Vse 2. Therefore death is not alwayes to be looked upon as a demonstration of Gods anger against them who die neither is any sicknesse bringing death to be judged a signe of divine wrath and severity Lazarus Verse 3. Christs friend died and it was said before He whom thou lovest is sick This is alledged as the reason of the death of Jeroboams childe because there was some goodnesse in him 1 Kings 14. 13. Hezekiah was sick unto death and it 's conjectured that his disease was the Plague both because of the swelling mentioned and the medicine advised Let them take Isa 38. 21. a lump of figs and lay it for a plaster upon the boile And how sad Jobs condition was I need not to relate who yet according to Gods own testimony was a man of incomparable piety Satan smote Job with sore boiles from Job 1. 8. 2. 3. Job 2. 7 8. the sole of the foot unto his crown And he took him a potsheard to scrape himselfe withall and he late down among the ashes This I do rather note 1. Because people are subject to censure severely those who undergo unusual afflictions When the Barbarians saw the venomous beast Acts 8. 4. hang on Pauls hand they said among themselves No doubt this man is a murtherer vengeance suffereth not him to live 2. Because by this uncharitable censoriousnesse men do expose themselves unto Gods displeasure Hence it was that the Lord thus spake unto Eliphaz the Temanite My wrath is Job 42. 7. kindled against thee and against thy two friends for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right Vse 3. Therefore Gods people should the rather hold up with hope comfort and patience under all sorts of their sufferings here because their death which is certain will put a period an end unto all Though the Sea Nubecula est citò transibit be stormy yet the voyage is short we shall ere long come safe to shoare For this cause we faint not though the outward man perish suppose rotting and unsavoury 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. c. for this light affliction is but for a moment Do you not remember how the holy Martyr comforted his fellow-sufferer viz. that death would cure the one of his blindnesse and the other of his lameness And doubtlesse in this sense it may be said safely that death unto the godly is the best Physician curing them perfectly of all diseases whatsoever Therefore chear up ye Saints of God under all your grievances upon the thought of death Say to your selves as the good Martyr did But one stile or two more and then I am at my journeys end Vse 4. Therefore Gods servants should be the more industrious in doing all the good which possibly they can with speed because they must die and death will take them off their work This is Solomons inference Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there Eccles 9. 10. is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest How did our Saviour bestirre himself when he knew that his houre was come What a great deal Joh. 13. 1. of good work did he then dispatch in a short time And it seemeth to be the reason why Paul at Troas preached till midnight because he was ready to depart on the morrow The Acts 20. 7. nearer unto the center the swifter is the motion Famous Doctor Sibbs would say Could we suppose sorrow in heaven this would be our sorrow there that we did no more work for God before we came thither to receive so great wages Vse 5. Therefore we all should be perswaded to improve our Christian friends both Ministers and others in all their gifts graces and experiences so much as may be and that with speed because they must die Upon this ground the Prophet Zachary quickeneth obedience Thus saith the Lord of hosts Turne ye now Zach. 1. 4 5. from your evil wayes Your fathers where are they And the Prophets do they live for ever Our Saviour is often in this exhortation having foretold his own departure Yet a little while is the light with you walk while John 12. 35. Eph. 5. 8. Mat. 5. 16. John 5. 35. you have the light As all godly ones are called light So Ministers are the lights of the world John was a burning and a shining light Beloved death will blow out these your candles and your Torches therefore while they live while they
that if Jesus Christ was here in his bodily presence among us he would not be unwilling to speak these words Our friend Whitaker sleepeth Before I begin my Narrative I crave leave to premise this viz. that though in some respects I know a more meet man might have been chosen for this work who could have done it more exactly and gracefully yet I acknowledge that my selfe am not the unmeetest considering my long and familiar acquaintance with him especially if this be added viz. that in Summer was twelve-moneth I riding with him unto Tunbridge Wells he was pleased to give me the History of his life from his youth till that time and since that time it is well known to many that no one hath had more frequent and familiar converse with him then my selfe Oh how often and with what meltings hath he poured forth his heart into my bosome in reference to all concernments personal relative private publick comfortable and uncomfortable which have deeply affected him My forgetfulnesse will necessitate the omission of many things and my faithfulnesse with prudence command me to conceal much of that which to my heart spake aloud his great goodnesse and high commendations I will suggest the sum of what I judge most convenient to discover in the report whereof my soul desireth I hope to honour God and to profit his people He was borne at Wakefield in Yorkshire in the yeare 1599. When he was sixteen years old he was sent to Cambridge and placed a Sizar in Sydney Colledge where he was much valued for his pregnant parts and Scholarship At twenty yeares of age having commenced Batchelor of Arts he was sent unto Okeham the chief Town in Rutlandshire to teach the free-School there About foure yeares after he married Chephtzibah the daughter of Master William Peachy Minister of Okeham an eminent linguist a godly man and as I am informed a painful Preacher of the Gospel who dearly loved and highly valued Master Whitaker from his first acquaintance to his end whose affections to him wrought on the marriage betwixt him and his daughter By whom God gave him foure sonnes and three daughters one sonne died at Cambridge two are ordained Ministers and the other is to be educated for the Ministery Having stayed about seven years at Okeham he was removed unto a Pastoral charge at Stretton in the same County where he continued thirteen yeares from whence he was called to Mary Magdalen Bermondsey with the approbation of many godly Ministers whom he consulted in the case where he after twelve yeares spent in his Ministerial charge finished his course upon the first day of June 1654. and fell asleep in Jesus He was betwixt fifty five and fifty six yeares old when the Lord was pleased to take him unto himself He was buried in Bermondsey Church June the sixth with expressions of much love from a very great multitude of godly persons both Ministers and others of several ranks and conditions who attended his corps to the grave By reason of much study and manifold imployments in his calling he was filled with various bodily distempers from his youth In the latter part of his time he was for sundry yeares exercised frequently with the painful diseases of the gowt and of the stone Notwithstanding the reiteration of these tormenting paines he attended upon his Ministery both at home and abroad while he was able to creep into the Pulpit or to crawle unto the Congregation But about the beginning of November last past the violent paine of the stone did in such measure and manner arrest him that from that time he continued Gods prisoner in his bed or chamber till he was set free by a long expected death Most Physicians in the City were consulted and were from time to time very ready to serve him with their advice who did unanimously conclude his sharp paines to proceed originally from an ulcer in the kidneys but immediately from an ulcer in the neck of the bladder caused by a continual flux of ulcerous matter dropping down upon that part And by reason of the acutenesse and quickness of the sense there his paines were almost altogether in that place though the fountaine of them was from the kidneys Towards his end about two moneths the paine grew more extreame yet divine indulgence vouchsafed some abatements and intermissions both in the night day As his death drew nigh his fits of pain were more frequent either every half hour or many times every quarter yea two or three times in a quarter of an hour wherby nature being quite spent he died in the Lord. After his death Master Holiard opend his body in the presence of Dr. Cox Dr. Micklethwaite and Dr. Bevoyr some other more ancient Doctors would have been there if either their being out of Town or present urgent occasions had not hindred who found both his kidneys full of ulcers and one was swelled to an extreame bignesse by the abundance of purulent matter in it Upon the neck of his bladder they found a stone which was about an inch and an half long and one inch broad weighing above two ownces when first taken out and withal an ulcer which was gangrened and this was judged the cause of his death All other parts of his body were found firme and sound Now that which I shall relate concerning him in all those places and changes of life wherein God disposed of him I will cast under the several heads upon which I did discourse in my Sermon And this method I do the rather resolve upon both because it best suits with mine own thoughts and may prove the most profitable unto them who shall be pleased to read the Sermon when they perceive the maine parts thereof applied and verefied in this providential Text Our friend Whitaker sleepeth The first Head He loved Christ. He loved Christ 1. Quickly 2. Strongly 3. Constantly The Lord did win his heart unto himselfe while he was a Scholar at Wakerfield where he had his education For then and there his affections did flow out towards those who were most religiously disposed with whom he went frequently eight or ten Miles to heare a wakening-soul-warming Sermon and he was wont to joyne with them in prayers and other holy exercises And being able to take Sermon-notes both understandingly and largely he was very helpful to Christians in the repeating of what they had publickly heard being from his childhood ful of affections in whatsoever businesse he undertook Thus this plant did both blossome and put forth fruit quickly which providence did afterwards make a very fruitful tree For the more cleare discovery of his abundant love to Jesus Christ I will give these demonstrations First from his early and constant vigorous workings of heart towards the calling and work of the Ministery because he alwayes conceived that therein a Christian might enjoy most fellowship with Christ and do him the best Joh. 21. 15 17. service And he considered Christs
the strength of the mighty God I will undergo these paines O my God put under thine everlasting arms and strengthen me Many times he hath told me that notwithstanding all his rentings and roarings from which he expected no deliverance but by death he would not for a thousand worlds change estates with the greatest man on earth whom he looked upon as in a way of sin And let me tell you one providence of fatherly indulgence towards him That Satan never shaked his confidence nor assaulted his hopes all the time of his tiresome irksome exercise There is but one passage more which I shal point at under this second head of my Narrative viz. That he accounted all these inward chearings the fruits of Prayers made for him though God saw cause to deny that ease and recovery to his body which was much begged withal valuing those spiritual cordials much beyond deliverance from the Gowt and Stone and death it self All these things I have the rather mentioned to prevent that discouragement or offence which some may be too apt to take at the continuance of his wasting tormenting paines notwithstanding his own godlinesse and the uncessant Prayers both ordinary and extraordinary which were made unto God in his behalfe for he found the sweet fruits of them in his own bosome when he felt the continuance and increase of his bodily griefs I proceed to the third head of my promised Narrative which will speak Mr. Whitakers love to his fellow-Christians He was a man made up as it were of love His delight was in the Saints upon earth whom he esteemed most excellent and their society was a constant cordial unto his spirit Hâ—s fâ—equent visits of them who were in trouble and his stirring up others to the like practice were testimonies of his friendship His love was not only verbal but real Truly I know no man of his estate more liberal He would often say It 's a brave thing when a man with a full estate hath a charitable heart Sometimes upon special occasions he himself hath given away all the money he had in his house It was not unusual with him to give twenty shillings unto a poor Saint and he had many experiences of Gods gracious returns in such cases By his Will he gave 20. l. to the godly poor of his own Parish There were two cases wherein his loves were most enlarged to the people of God whereof I shall give in two instances The one when their sufferings were publick He hath often told me that Englands late breach with Scotland and the blood shed with other sad consequences thereof had taken such impression upon his heart that the sorrow would never be removed till his death And the sufferings both in Holland and England upon our late Sea-fights were great burdens upon his spirit The other case was in reference to the inward perplexity of such as were afflicted in minde Having moved me the week before his death to bestow a visit upon one in that condition the morning before his death when speech was grievous in respect of his weaknesses he asked me whether I had remembred the party troubled in spirit which is a remarkable evidence of strong loves Besides all that hath been mentioned I could relate his many wrestlings with God to prevent the flood of troubles which he apprehended the Protestant Churches are now in danger to be overflowed withal as also his compassionate respect to Congregations in the Country who were like sheep wandring upon the barren mountaines without a shepherd The fourth head of my Narrative should hold forth the love which he received from the Saints of God What godly heart that either knew him or heard of his fame did not love him I will not speak of the frequent friendly visits of the Religious ones in the neighborhood round about I never heard of any man so much prayed for both in publick and private There was no particular case so frequently so affectionately spread before God in most of the Congregations about London as his Three dayes were set apart by Ministers and many other praying friends to seek God in his behalf one in private and two in publick which also were observed much better then such dayes usually are yea in remote Countreys besides the ordinary prayers made for him there were some Fasts kept with special reference to his affliction The multitude of people attending his Funeral with the many weeping eyes did witnesse how much he was beloved Here I might remember the readinesse of London-Ministers to supply his place at home and Lectures elsewhere as also the willingness of fellow-Lecturers at Westminster to preach for him there when he himself by reason of weaknesse could not possibly do his own work But I may be silent for still every where upon the naming of him love is some way discovered by such who had knowledge of him Though I have related much concerning the worth of this good man yet my conscience tells me that I have rather been defective then excessive in my relation I have not told you of his humility expressed by fears lest Gods people praying for him should speak too well of him before the Lord. Neither have I mentioned his self-denial never daring to look after great matters in the world whereby he condemneth many whose self-seeking in earthly advantages rendereth them very offensive and unsavoury in the Church of Christ Towards his end neither faith nor patience did abate though his grievous paines were more frequent and violent in which regards his longings for death were much increased yet attended with holy submission unto the good pleasure of God These were some of his expressions O my God break open the prison-door and set my poor captive soul free but enable me willingly to wait thy time I desire to be dissolved never did any man more desire life then I do death When will that time come when I shall neither sin more nor sorrow more When shall mortality put on immortality When shall this earthly be dissolved that I may be cloathed upon with that house which is from heaven Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth The Sabbath seven-night before God released him though his paines were very sharp yet he bestowed most part of the time of publick Ordinances in prayer with those that were with him and his petitions were most for Ministers that God would cloath his Ordinances with his own power and enable Ministers to speak unto the souls of people Then also he did with many tears bewail his detainment from the Sanctuary and Sabbath-opportunities which had been his delight professing also that his being taken off from service was a greater affliction to him then all his pains And because this apprehension viz. his unserviceablenesse did much afflict him therefore this was often suggested to him which also was relieving to his spirit viz. that now
The doleful story of his ruin'd state And his three friends which acted Satans part He on his flesh and these upon his heart Who by disputing him unto a curse Would make his spirits tormeÌ„ts the far worse Were by Gods wise disposal sent to show The strength he on his Champion would bestow Thus Painters put dark grounds where they intend To overlay with finest gold lend By deeper shadows luster to that face On which they mean their choicest skill to place Thus workmen season much with sun wind Those greatest beams which must the building binde Whilst smaler peeces haply are put in When they come bleeding from the wood green Oft where is greatest grace God's pleas'd to send Great conflicts those great graces to coÌ„mend As the six finger'd Giants sword did bring The more renown to little Davids sling The vanquisht Lion and the conquered Bear Prepar'd that holy head a Crown to wear The Angel wrastled first and then did bless And made the greater servant to the lesse Pain was to great for thee Gods grace for pain And made the greater serve the lesse again Thy pains serv'd thee to glory and did sit The head on which a Crown of life must sit This is Gods method to fetch joy from grief To turn our sorrows unto our relief To save by killing and to bring to shore By the ships planks which was quite broke before And thus a barren womb first took the seed Which did six hundred thousand people breed That seed too must from knife and alter rise And be before a fire a sacrifice Great Preacher of thine heavenly Fathers will Thy tongue did many years with Manna fill Thy life out-preacht thy tongue O blessed strife Thy sicknesse the best Sermon of thy life Before each Doctrine must be prov'd anew Thine end was one great proof that all was true Before thou preacht by weeks but now by houres Each minute taught thy mourning Auditors Each patient groan and each beleeving eye Was a new Sermon in Brachygraphy When nature roars without repining words Grace in the mouth wheÌ„ in the bowels swords In midst of torments to triumph o're hell To feel Gods Arrows yet his praises tell Through thickest clouds to see the brightest light In blackest darkness to have clearest sight And with our Lord to cry my God my God Upon a Crosse under the sharpest rod. This is indeed to preach this is to show Faiths triumph over natures greatest wo. Then welcome fiery SerpeÌ„ts scortching sting Which did thee thus to th' brazen Serpent bring Then welcom Whale which though it first devour Renders at last the Prophet to the shore Well might'st thou bear the stone which death did throw Who hadst the white stone the new name to show Wel mightst thou be with such an ulcer calm Whose soul was heal'd before with heavens balm When spirits wounds are cur'd though nature groan An heart of flesh can heal a back of stone Let conscience have her feast and let flesh roare This pain shal make the others joy the more As many times those flowers most fragrant smell Which nearest to soÌ„e noisom weeds do dwel Thus have you seen the forge most clearly glow On which the Smith doth drops of water throw Keen frosts make fire the hotter deep night Causeth coelestial lamps to shine more bright And by a dear Antiperistasis The childs distress sweetens the father kiss A wounded body yields to a sound soul The joys of this do th' others paines controle As in the day that the Sun beams appear All other lesser stars do disappear When heaven shines and divine love doth raign The soul is not at leasure to complain Internal joyes his heart so well composes That they have judg'd their flames a bed of Roses Mr. Gataker Mr. Whitaker But what shall England do from whence are lopt Two of her richest acres to heaven dropt By losse of these two acres shee 's more poor Then if she'had lost a hundred Lordships more 'T were a good purchase to gain these agen By giving to the sea all Lincoln-fen Two little mines of gold do far surpasse Huge Mannors where th' whole vesture is but grasse Learn we by them what al men wil once say One Pearch of heaven 's worth the whole globe of clay Ed. Reynolds D. D. To the memory of Mr. Jeremy Whitaker powerful in Prayer and Preaching pious in life patient in sicknesse c. NAy now forbear for pity sake give o're You that would make the Clergy none or poor We are made miserable enough this year That we have lost our Reverend Whitaker Losâ—e above Deans and Chapters had but he Liv'd stil preacht Ziba take all for me Nay I beleeve had Sacrilegious hands Finger'd our poor Remains of Tyths Lands Whilst he surviv'd they had but sin'd in vain Whitaker would have pray'd them back again As Luther did a young mans soul repeal Giv'n to the Devil under hand and Seal A Chariot and an Horsman we have lost In whose each single pray'r incamptan Host How have I heard him on some solemn day When doubtful War could make all London pray Mount up to heav'n with armed crys tears And rout as far as York the Cavileers Have you not seen an early-rising Lark Spring from her turf making the Sunne her mark Shooting her self aloft yet higheâ— higher Till she had sung her self into heav'ns Quire Thus would he rise in pray'r and in a trice His soul become a Bird of Paradise And if our faint devotions prayers be What can we call his lesse then Extasie On his Preaching If with th' Almighty he prevailed so Wonder not that he wonders wrought below The son of consolation and of thunder Met both in him in â—thers are asunder He was like Luke Physitian of both kindes Wrought cures upon mens bodies and their mindes The falling sicknesse of Apostasie Dropsie of drunkennesse prides trimpany The Megrim of opinions new or old Palsy of unbelief Charities Cold Lusts burning Feaver Anger 's Calenture The Collick in the conscience he could cure Set the souls broken boneâ— by holy Art He hath dissolv'd the stone in many a heart Harder then that he dy'd of O come in Yee multitudes whom he hath heal'd of sin And thereby made his debtors pay him now Some of those tears which he laid out for you Interest-tears I mean for should you all Weep over him both use and principal 'T would wash away the stone which covers him And make his Coffin like an Ark to swim Now wipe thine eyes my Muse and stop thy verse Thy ink can only serve to black his herse Yet stay I 'le drop one tear sigh one sigh more 'T is this Although my Poetry be poor O what a mighty Prophet should â— be Had this Elija's mantle falne to me Oh might I live his life I 'de be content His sore diseases too should me torment And if his Patience could mine become I would not be afraid
span I'th'hollow of thy fâ—st the Ocean Or to describe his boundless hidden worth Nor tongue nor pen can set his praises forth This only I will adde he that would draw His Portraiture must use Apelles Law When to paint Lady Venus with a grace This beauty gave a hand that gave a face The third a colour gave the next a feature Al joyn'd together made that lovely creature In the same manner whosoe're would paint The beauty of this thrice illustrious Saint Must rifle all the world and look apart For that wch shines most in each noble heart One must Humility give another Zeal Another Prudence brethrens rents to heal Learning a fourth in its high'st elevation A fifth must give a spotless conversation His preaching one man cannot imitate Here we must have Beza's triumvirate And when we'ave travel'd all the world to find Or make a copy of this matchlesse minde When other mens perfections al do fail We must with that old Limner draw a vail Upon his peerlesse parts or for the rest Say here lies that which cannot be exprest Sic flevit Mat. Poole Minister of Michaels at the Quern in London An Epitaph HEre lies Saint Whitaker the rest Cannot need not be exprest Great sorrows noise not Give some years For the world to speak in tears First this age must vent its grief In sighs the next may finde relief And joyn their sorrows to compute Till grief returning strikes them mute And makes them silently confesse Their loss his worth was fathom'esse Another Epitaph UNder this stone intombed lies An heap of contrarieties One that 's dead yet doth remaine For person place and work the same His precious person was combin'd Of soul and body firmly joyn'd So still these parts though distant yet In Christ are to each other knit To earth his body was confin'd Alwayes heaven had and hath his minde His work was preaching so 't is still And preach his name for ever will Mat Poole To the memory of the learned that eminently Religious Minister of the Gospel his Reverend brother deceased Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker WHitaker sleeps spices you need not bring For 's body death it self 's embalm'd to him Ah blessed Saint his Sermons were not done When preach'd he liv'd the Application When sick his pangs were mercy for when e're A sigh was breath'd out God breath'd in a pray'r Lie gently on him dust this seed is sown To spring again at th' Resurrection Oh for a verse in black Reader prepare thus For every drop of ink to melt a tear Yet stay with grief there 's cause of joy then Joy shal shed tears for him and grief for us Benjamin Needler Minister of the Gospel at Margarce Moses Friday-street Lond. In obitum eximii tam Doctrinâ quam pietate Theologi Jeremiae Whitakeri funebre ' ΕΤΚΩΜΙΑ ' ΣΤΙΚΟΠDr. Gouge Dr. Walker Mr. Whitaker DEfleat occiduos aetas ingrata Prophetas Liquit Evangelicum collapsa synastria caelum Lugentem moesto Whitakerus funere mundum Deseruit lachrymis squallentem liquerit urbem Jam pereat mendax de florido opinio seclo Mortuus hic Vates nostrum sepelivit honorem Corruit Verax foecundi gloria rostri Patronum amisit Pauper populusque Lutherum Amisitque pium mutilata ecclesia gnatum Pastorem coetus Patrem amisere Ministri Gens mala praeconem immotam synodusque columnam J. Wells Old Jewry Lond. Pastor To the memory of his dear friend and Pastor Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker deceased BEhold the shadow whose admired worth Nor pen nor tongue is able to set forth He whose vast soul walk'd through the Isle of Man Is here confined in a shorter span Whose worth the world though 't were as big again Were much too short and narrow to contain Sweet were his life and death his well spent dayes Began with goodness and expir'd with praise His lamp was ever burning never hid And when his tongue preacht not his actions did And to his death he still fought faiths good fight And then his Lamp exchang'd his borrowed light For an immortal lustre and here lies Enshrin'd not dead for Vertue never dies R. B. Parishioner Upon the Life and Death of that precious Servant of God Mr. Jeremiah Whitaker whose name like that of his Lord and Master is an ointment poured forth JEREMIAH WHITAKER or Etymologie He shall exalt God His work Jer. 20. 13. God shall exalt him His wages Jer. 5. 10. White-aker A field white for Harvest John 4. 35. His fitnesse for Heaven BLest Saint how well thy name and worth agree In name and office thou art Jeremie A God-exalter and by God exalted A Priest a Prophet one that never halted Twixt God Baal twixt the truth error Nor couldst be made to start for hope or terrour Heroick Champion thou deaths venemous sting Hast conquer'd and with Christ now raign'st as King A wise and faithful Labourer for thy Lord To gather in his harvest by the word Thou hast approv'd thy self to Earth and Heaven Witnesse thy life and Doctrine purg'd from Leaven Both Labourer and Harvest were thy part The former living this thou dying art The Field being for Harvest Jer. White-aker Is reapt and of a better soile partaker Thy melting tears now cordial-water be Let me thy sorrows taste thy joys to see Roger Drake Pastor of Peters West-cheap A Funeral Elegy upon the reverend his deare deceased friend Master Jeremiah Whitaker O Let me weep and even like a spring Unto the sea of grief some tribute bring These cheeks of mine with tears bedew'd shall swell For this Seraphique St. who lately fel. To lose a Friend is sad but for our Nation To lose a Jeremy is Lamentation Could he from death some way released be His vertues surely might have set him free But 't was a debt and what enflam'd desire Had he to leave his mantle and flie higher How shal I praise his worth and not dispraise Say more and not say lesse darkning his rays Meeknesse humility in this Orbe shin'd In him the chaine of Graces was combin'd How was he fir'd with zeal even froÌ„ his youth And though he lost all would hold fast the truth With Jeremy he was a man of strife Yet not for Tyths but Souls this was his life A downright upright man he was a Star Whose sacred influence diffused far And that of these an end I may inclose His faith in Christ he solely did repose This made him when he felt the sharpest paine Upon the flinty rack not to complaine Nay when he at the point of death did lie Did as the milky Swan most gently die What did he die his soul as in a Câ—ll In heav'ns bright Paradise is gone to dwell Among the Cherubims where he doth ring With them that joyntly Hallelujahs sing Where he for tears in joy doth much encrease Pleasure doth him of former pain release He never shall of Stone or Ulcer heare He never need any more sicknesse feare Dear Saint I sooner had adorn'd thy hearse But grief first vents by weeping then by verse Thomas Watson Pastor of Stephens Walbrook London Vpon the Death of that reverend Divine Mr. Jeremiah Whiraker STay and lament all you that travel by 'T is sin to passe and not to cast an eye Upon this mournful spectacle the herse Of one whose name can dignifie a verse Loe here th' exuvium of that heavenly soul Who living did by ' s words works controul The pow'r of sin and Satan whose breath Redeem'd poor souls from darkness and from death And by his pious Doctrine did convince The sly Temptations of that airy Prince He whose whole life was a continued Tract Of practical Divinity each Act A Sermon and each word an explanation So that his Audionts might by imitation Of him and of his life to Heaven come Although they had been deaf or he bin dumb But that Almighty pow'r who from above Does all things order and in whom we move Wrapt all these treasures up in brittle Clay Death gav 't a crack and so took all away And now our griefs amount to such a sum That to expresse them best is to be Dumb. They that can count their wealth are counted poor And who can speak his griefs can suffer more 'T is diminution to his worth to weep With single tears we his whole flock of sheep Joyne in one Lamentation and let fall Our general tears at this sad Funeral Of our Dear Shepherd in whose fatal grave Both he and we one joint interment have From hence there 's no return for him to us But we must by degrees all follow thus He 's gone before to usher us now dead What all his life he wrought is perfected Living he shew'd the way to heaven whither Now dead he 's gone to clear our passage thither Parishioners of Bermonsey FINIS ERRATA Reader BEsides the oversights of the Printer in false spelling ill pointing and misquoting some Scripture proofs thou art intreated to correct these Errata's following p. 4. l. 8. for me r. was p. 6. l. 25. for hater r. hatred and l. 26. r. poysonous sting p. 8. l. 9. r. in the. p. 9. l. 4. r. friends and l. 13. for be r. by and l. 20. r. reviewing p. 10. l. 3. for First r. viz. and l. 17. r. relations and l. 23. r. discovereth and l. 24. r. lest p. 11. l. 7. for diligent r. affectionate and l. 9. r. dissatisfactions p. 13. l. 4. r. of my p. 16. l. 27. for beautiful r. bountiful p. 13. l. 33. for him r. himself l. 34. r. which did cost p. 20. l. 9. r. being also the fountaine p. 21. l. 23. for these r. the p. 24. l. 12 r. which I have p. 36. l. 22. for gods r. God p. 46. l. 26. r. this p. 47. l. 11. r. in his p. 53. l. 1. r. Sermons p. 58. l. 22. r. contemned