which remains to the people of God Paul Apollo Cephas are friends but death a greater friend than any 2. Does death come to a Believer without a sting Then it ought not so much to be feared and it may truly be said that the Saints are more afraid than hurt by it As in regeneration there is a change wrought in reference to other things the world which before was idolized being now contemned sin that before was loved being now hated so there should be in reference unto death this which before was feared should be desired 2 Cor. 5. 2 In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven Death is the less to be feared for guilt which causes fear will not be any more contracted 3. Does death come to a Believer without a sting Behold the vast difference between the end of the Believer and the Vnbeliever Indeed the breath goes away from both alike their Bodies are carried to the same grave which is stiled the house of all the living But if you could behold where their Souls go then you would perceive as vast a difference as there is between the highest Heaven and the lowest Hell The wicked man when he dies leaves perhaps children roaring wife wringing of her hands relations weeping bitterly Oh but what are these lamentations compared with those despairing agonies and sorrows that he himself is full of in outer darkness Even impious Balaam was so apprehensive of the different end of the holy and unholy that his wish was Let me dy the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Numb 23. 10. 4. Does death come to a Believer without a sting Then departed Saints should not be mourned for without hope Ambrose says Non ammitti sed praemitti videntur They are not lost but are sent before to those mansions whither we must quickly follow if we patiently continue in well-doing Vse 2. Of Consolation to Believers they must dye indeed but they shall not feel the sting of death The Lyon in the fable was not feared when his Teeth and Claws were gone Death should not make us dismayed when its sting is taken out I shall propound these four grounds of comfort in death unto Believers 1. At death sin is quite mortified The Law in the members is no longer in force that which the Apostle calls the body of sin and death then dyes and shall never have a resurrection Filia devorabit Matrem Death the daughter will devour Sin the mother Saints then shall no longer cry out O wretched who shall deliver us Rom. 7. 4. Deliverance will be fully come They shall no longer complain of evil present when they would do good their ignorance their unbelief their estrangement from God and unsuitableness to him will all then be removed Nazianzen speaks Orat. 32. excellently to our present purpose A Saint therefore is made to dye that sin might not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an immortal evil 2. At Death Believers take wings and fly out of a troublesome World the World shall no more ensuare them cross them persecute them Oh hapyy exchange to leave Meshech and the Tents of Kedar and to go and dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem here they dwell among the sons of Belial they see and hear that which vexes their righteous souls from day to day and in the very best they know they see something that is offensive But they will go to other kind of company after death Surely the spirits of just men made perfect and an innumerable company of Angels will be far sweeter society than any in this world All tears will be wiped away from Non homo 〈◊〉 miseria hominis Christiani moritur their eyes and every thing gone that may occasion sadness 3. At Death Believers are set out of Satans reach He got into the first Paradise and tempted Adam who before was innocent and prevailed by his temptation but into Heaven he shall not enter Concerning the Dragon and his Angels 't is said their place is not found any more in Heaven Rev. 12. 8. He can shoot his darts any-where here in this World even in the Sanctuary even at the Lords table he will be pestering the Saints with his injections and solicitations but Heaven is too sacred a place for that wicked one to have admission 'T is as impossible for the Devil to reach any with his darts that are in glory as it is for us with an arrow to hit the Sun in the firmament 4. At Death Believers receive a Crown of Life Rev. 3. 10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of Life They shall see God face to face and that sight will transform them into his likeness they shall live with God for ever and that life must needs be holy that life must needs be joyful Psal 16. ult In thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Cyprian that Ser. 4. De mortalit p. 2â—â— he might make death comfortable sayes Ad immortalitatem morte transgredimur by death we pass to immortality nec potest vita aeterna succedere nisi hinc contigerit exire Neither can we till out of this life enter upon that life that is eternal then he goes on Who would not haste unto that which is so much better of the two Vse 3. Of Exhortation in two Words 1. Let it be your great care that the sting of death may be taken out Sin will not always be made light of perhaps when death is really within view Conscience that was stupid before may be horribly affrighted when the strength fails and Physicians are discouraged by fatal Symptoms when t is whispered in the Room there 's no hope of recovery when Friends stand by and weep because they look upon you as good as gone Oh then though never so sensless and seared before fear may come upon you as desolation and destruction as a whirl-wind distress and anguish may take hold of you Prov. 1. 27. Or suppose you die hardned immediately after death the sting of it will be felt and the unexpected smart and torment will be the more tormenting Oh how did the rich Glutton yell and roar when he felt himself tormented in the flames that before had lived in ease and pleasure It concerns you therefore highly to have Death unstung and that it may be unstung follow these Directions 1. Let your hearts be pricked for sin at present Act. 2. 37. Be afflicted and mourn and weep because you have sinned against God against your own Souls Smite upon your thighs and say What have I done blame your ignorance and madness in offending Psal 73. 21 22. Thus my heart was grieved I was pricked in my reins so foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Thus to be troubled is the way to peace 2. Believe that help indeed lies in the Lord Jesus and
hand left with his Relict to be Printed A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway March 20 1673 4. 1 COR. 15. 55 former part O death where is thy sting I Am verily perswaded that in this great Assembly there are not many but what are real Mourners Although the pompous Ceremonies of a Funeral are wanting yet I am confident few have been attended with more sad hearts to their graves than he that is now to be carried thither The loss of a Saint is a great loss not only because such are so useful and profitable while they live but their removal also is no good Omen their departing is like Lot's out of Sodom before its overthrow Their housing in Heaven is like Noah's getting into the Ark before the Old World was drowned The Prophet tells us That the righteous are taken away from the evil to come Isa 57. 1. But the loss of a Minister that has been zealous and industrious and whose great design was to turn many unto righteousness is yet more to be laid to heart Is not Gods controversie great when the Ambassadors of peace are called home May we not justly be afraid of losing the Treasure when the Vessels that contain it are broken so fast in pieces When faithful Labourers are still growing fewer may we not suspect there are not many more among us to be gathered Surely then great lamentations aking hearts sad countenances and sadder spirits very well become this days Solemnity What David of old said over his dead and dear Jonathan 2 Sam. 1. 26 I cannot abstain from using I am distressed for thee my brother Janeway I am distressed for thee very pleasant hast thou been unto me and so thou wast to all that knew thee Thy love to Souls was wonderful and therefore every Soul should be concerned at thy leaving the world that thy work is come to an end He is gone alas he is gone he is gone We shall never see his face nor hear his voice more But as his life was exceeding so also was his death edifying He had a sore conflict indeed but afterwards a glorious conquest and was a Triumphant Saint before his expiration O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory In this Chapter the Apostle Paul looked by the eye of Faith to the end of the world nay he looked beyond it his Faith was the substance of things hoped for and render'd things unseen evident He saw already the Lord Jesus upon his great white Throne sitting to judg the world in righteousness He saw the bodies that were sown in corruption raised in incorruption that were sown in dishonour raised in glory that were sown in weakness raised in power He saw Believers rescued out of the prison of the grave and placed at the right hand of Christ with Crowns on their heads palms in their hands mortality being totally swallowed up of life And this makes him thus triumph and say O death where is thy sting I shall not trouble you with the various readings of this Text which I have met with nor spend time in shewing the agreement between these words and those of the Prophet Hosea c. 13. 14 O death I will be thy plague from whom many are of opinion they are borrowed though Calvin thinks that the Apostle does not professedly cite the Prophet but only does accommodate a Sentence that is very pious and was very well known to his present purpose I shall adhere to that reading which you have and being thus read the words are not only sound but very full of consolation Chrysostome here admires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bravery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 B. in 1 Ep. ad Cor. of the Apostles spirit who looked upon future things as past and done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sings a song of Victory over that last Enemy the thoughts of which terrifie and astonish the most among the children of men In the words you may observe 1. The Person triumphing the Apostle Paul whose Faith was strong concerning the Resurrection and his assurance well-grounded of his interest in Christ who is the resurrection and the life And the Apostle triumphs that other Believers might grow fearless being emboldened by his greatness of spirit 2. What is triumphed over and that is death Death which is the King of terrors which tames the proudest which pulls down the most mighty which is an Universal Monarch and none are able to withstand but all are forced to pay homage to it by stooping and lying before it in the dust This notwithstanding is triumphed over 3. The reason of this triumph the sting of death is taken out and consequently that which renders death so dreadful is removed The Text doth afford us two Doctrines 1. Death comes to a Believer without a sting 2. The Believer may triumph over Death Doct. 1. I begin with the first of these Doctrines Death comes to a Believer without a sting It is appointed unto men once to dye Heb. 9. 27. And this Statute as it changes not so it reaches all Holy men return to the dust as well as others But though they are not exempted from the stroke yet they are from the sting of death In the prosecuting of this Doctrine I shall First Speak concerning Death Secondly Concerning the Sting of Death Thirdly Shew how Believers come to be delivered from this Sting Lastly Make Application In the first place I am to speak concerning Death And 1. I find Affliction in Scripture sometimes called by that name Exod. 10. 27 when Egypt was afflicted with the Locusts Pharaoh cries out Intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only Afflictions have stings too which Christ only can take out As Sin turns our blessings into cursings so it makes every bitter cup poison But Believers are pardoned and sanctified and therefore though they are exercised with the Cross yet the Curse of the Cross is taken away 2. Hell is likewise called Death Rev. 21. 18 The lake which burns with fire and brimstone is the second death This death is the separation of the Soul from God the chiefest good and the enduring of those torments which the Lords power and wrath justly inflicts upon all that live and dye in their iniquities Augustine has a notable passage That death which men fear is the destruction of the body but the separation of the soul from God Enarrat in Ps 48. Mors est vera quam non timent is the true death which they are not afraid of This second death which is as it were all gall all sting Believers shall never feel 3. Death is taken for the dissolving of that union which is between our bodies and our spirits when the dust returns to the earth as it was and the spirit unto God who gave it Eccl. 12. 7. Of this death the Apostle is to be understood in the Text. Now in the death of Believers
that he is able to save you from the sting of death Believe that he was delivered for our offences and that he rose again for our justification Rom. 4. ult and that his life which he gave is sufficient to be a ransom for many 3. Stick at no terms that you may partake of Christ Jesus Be not offended at any thing quarrel not at the cross be willing to deny your selves submit unto the strictest commands let no iniquity have dominion over you consent that Christ should save you in his own way and from sin it self as well as wrath And if thus Christ be accepted he will prevent death's stinging you He has the Keys of Hell and of Death Rev. 1. 18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the keys of hell and of death He has power over both and though he lets you fall into the grave he will keep hell lockt against you 2. The other word of Exhortation is this Labour after assurance that death's sting is really taken out And you may be assured of this by two things if you are dead to sin if Christ be your life 1. If you are dead to sin If the gain and pleasure of sin does not now take with you and you are deaf unto Arguments that heretofore were prevalent to perswade you to evil If you have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts you may conclude you are Christs Gal. 5. 24. and then Death will not be the forerunner of Condemnation When Christ was Crucified they lookt upon him as a deceiver and they slew him Then our lusts may be said to be crucified when we look upon them as deceitful and so indeed they are and we cry out earnestly to have them killed and are glad when they are slain 2. If Christ be your life If you live by faith upon him and derive life more and more abundantly from him If you live to him and not henceforth unto your selves 2 Cor. 5. 15. then death will be no death to you Hark to the Apostle Phil. 1. 21. To live to me is Christ and to die is gain Thus of the first Doctrine Death comes to a Believer without a sting Doct. 2. The second Doctrine is this The Believer may triumph over Death Thus does the Apostle in the Text he dares Death to do its worst he was assured of victory over it The Reasons of the Doctrine are these 1. Believers may triumph over Death for Christ is risen the Captain of their Salvation has encountred this enemy and overcame him and they have a share and interest in his Conquest Methinks these words seem to be spoken with joy and an exulting spirit Luk. 24. 34. The Lord is risen indeed Though he came not down from the Cross yet he came out of the grave We see that Death is not an invincible enemy Christ has been too hard for it 2. Believers may triumph over Death for their Resurrection is certain there is so strong a connexion between Christs Resurrection and ours that the Apostle sticks not to say If there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen 1 Cor. 15. 13. The time will certainly come when all that are in the grave shall hear Christs voice and shall come forth they that have done good to the resurrection of life as they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation Joh. 5. 28 29. The Grave shall at last become sick of Believers bodies and cast them out and being then made Spiritual bodies Death shall no more have dominion over them 3. Believers may triumph over Death for Christ died not only that he might deliver from the sting of death but also from that bondage which the fear of death causes Heb. 2. 15 And deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Our Lord consults the peace and joy as well as safety of his followers and saves them not only from the evils feared but from the fear of evil for fear has much torment in it 4. Believers may triumph over Death for death is exceeding gainful they are not losers even in reference to their bodies The Corn gains by being sown in the ground and whereas 't was but a single grain rises again sixty or an hundred fold so the bodies of Believers shall gain by the Grave they shall rise glorious Chrysostom illustrates this by the similitude of a Founder who breaks a more vile vessel all to pieces that melting it he may cast it into a vessel of honour 5. Believers may triumph over Death for this is the last enemy and if they pass the pikes well here and are not hurt by this their warfare is accomplished and no other enemies shall meddle with them any more for ever Vse 1. To the ungodly and hypocritical All you that allow your selves in sin whether more openly or under a profession of Godliness you have no reason to triumph but to tremble at the thoughts of Death Consider 1. When you die the day of Grace will end not another accepted time nor day of Salvation is to be expected you will no more be intreated to be reconciled nor called upon to turn and live 2 When you die your joys will die The triumphing of the wicked is short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment Job 20. 5. That man that said Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry thou hast goods laid up for many years when upon the sudden even that night his Soul was required Oh what became of his carnal mirth and jollity 3. When you die your hopes will die the hope of the unjust and of the hypocrite shall perish Their hope shall be cut off and their trust shall be a spiders web Job 8. 13 14. 'T is reckoned among some of the notable Sayings of Aristotle that being Diog. Lur. in vita Aristot asked what Hope was he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dream of one that is awake All the hopes of those that are not really new Creatures concerning the Love of God and Life and Salvation are but dreams and when they awake in Hell they will find they are meer dreams Thus the hungry man dreameth and behold he earth but he awaketh and his soul is empty the thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint Isa 29. 8. 4. When you that are ungodly die your sorrows will be extream but they shall never die Our Lord says thrice together That in hell the worm dies not the fire is not quenched Mark 9. 44 46 48. Vse 2. To the weak and doubting Saints Labour to haue your Spiritual state cleared 'T is a wild thing to suffer matters that concern Eternity hang at uncertainties Oh watch more against every sin for this feeds your doubts and 〈…〉 unto Jesus and understand his Righteousness 〈…〉 that Grace may be more evident