which shall be revealed in us He that hath his thoughts much on the Crown of reward will despise the ignomine and shame of the Cross Moses when he had by an eye of Faith looked a while on the recompence of reward chose affliction with the people of God rather then the great preferment of Pharaoh's Court. Reproach for Christ was preferred to the treasures of Aegypt because he had a respect to the recompence of reward And Christ himself who is far greater then Moses for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the shame Ille moeret si sibi male sit in seculo cui non potest bene esse post seculum The ill being of this life is not greatly sadning to that heart that knows it shall have a well being in the other life The holy Martyrs did chearfully kiss the Flames because they had their thoughts on that Glory which was far brighter then those Flames Thirdly if Christians did but muse much on this Heavenly Glory it would make them more exact in all the Duties of Religion as to the real performance of them For that Christian will be most abundant and most serious in Duties who hath his eye in Heaven while he is performing of them No Saints will have so exact conversations on Earth as those that have their conversation most in Heaven We know what the Apostles advice to Christians tend to 1 Cor. 15.58 That they would be stedfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord because they know their labour is not in vain in the Lord. Some few serious thoughts of Heaven would shake off laziness and work heart-enlargement in all the Services we do for God Fourthly if Christians did but much think of this Heavenly Glory it would make them more desirous to be in the possession of it He that by holy meditation lives much in Heaven will be weary of living long on Earth When the blessed Apostle St. Paul thought of being with Christ he desireth a present departure as in the Text. And so many of the Fathers when they did meditate on their Heavenly Country thought they had continued long enough in their Earthly Country So that from what hath been said of this Heavenly Glory and the great profit and advantage that comes to Believers by meditating thereon and that death puts them into the possession of that Glory methinks many Christians should not be so unwilling to dye as sometimes they are 3. Vse The third Use is by way of Exhortation not to fear death Too much fear of death argues want of Faith Why should we be afraid of that which is a part of our portion why should Christians be afraid of that which is their best Friend When death was in Satans hand it was our Enemy but now it is in Christs hand it is our Friend I confess Nature will be Nature still and death is a dissolution and so the enemy of Nature the last enemy as the Apostle calls it 1 Cor. 15.26 I but though it be an enemy yet it is a Conquer'd enemy Wherefore then should we so much fear it I shall offer two Considerations to keep us from the fear of death First consider to be under the slavish fear of death is an uncomfortable estate the Apostle calls it a bondage Heb. 2.15 which shews the uncomfortableness of it The Apostle saith by the fear of death they were held in bondage all their life long Secondly consider your Covenant interest and relation shall secure your hearts against the fear of death They should not fear to live nor yet to dye who have God to be their God 1 Cor. 15. for the sting of death is gone it is taken out by the death of Christ Death separates soul and body but it can never separate Believers from the love of God And this the Apostle assures us of Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. My Beloved the Covenant of Grace holds beyond death it doth not bring Believers only into a present enjoyment of God but it is to bring them into a full perfect and everlasting enjoyment of God in Glory for evermore The Covenant of Grace yields Christians the least part of their good of their portion of their happiness in this life The greatest and fullest portion of good promised unto Believers by God in the Covenant of Grace lies in the arrears in the referves in the full possession of the inheritance after death And then why should Christians fear to dye and go to take a full possession why should Believers fear to dye and to enter into the joy of their Master why should they fear to dye and go home to receive all the desires of their hearts and all the eternal preparations of glorious blessedness for their Souls I beseech you therefore that you would well ponder these things against those dismal times wherein death may be represented unto us as an ugly and grim thing It is so to Nature indeed but to Faith death is become very amiable as I have formerly told you There is nothing in the world that doth us so much good as death for it is the best Physician It cures all diseases of Soul and Body and therefore why should we so much fear it Now therefore for ever blessed be God for Jesus Christ that hath made in him even death the bitterest thing of all to be sweet and pleasant to us 4. Vse The fourth Use is by way of Direction that we may with St. Paul be willing to dye First let us labour to get an interest in Jesus Christ and when we have so done let us value the Lord Jesus Christ more then ever we have done even because he did shed his most precious bloud to redeem our Souls Had it not been for Jesus Christ we had been under the power of Death and Hell to this very moment Christ suffered death to deliver us from death Christ bare wrath to deliver us from wrath And let us dispute what we will we shall never find pardon of sins or peace with God but by Christ his name only is the Prince of Peace Christ only is the Mediator of Peace Christ only reconciles God and Sinners So that then we can never be happy either in life or death without an interest in Jesus Christ Secondly if we would with St. Paul be willing to dye then our great care must be to get our sins pardoned for if once our sins are forgiven then nothing which befalls us in life or death shall ever be an evil or hurt Whatsoever state the unpardoned sinner is in it is a cursed estate to him his life is cursed and his death is cursed But now when sins are forgiven the
sting the poison the curse is gone and nothing is for evil to such a person if he lives life shall be a blessing and if he dies death shall be a blessing So that we can never have any true or real comfort when we come to dye unless we are assured by the Spirit of God that our sins are pardoned Much more I might add but so much for the words of the Text. I know you expect something from me as to this providence which hath occasioned this Funeral meeting Funeral Sermons are not comforts to the dead but helps to the living it is for their sakes that survive that God hath given these occasions The cause of our meeting at this time is to perform our last office of love to our deceased Brother the late Reverend Rector of this place I could speak largely of his Birth and liberal Education and therein tell you he was descended of a very ancient Family in the North parts of England His Coat of Arms of which you have a view doth sufficiently demonstrate the Antiquity of his Family but this being the proper office of an Herald I forbear to speak further to that His life of late years especially since he came to this place hath been attended with much trouble Not that he hath been the cause of it as some of his professed Enemies would make the world believe for my self and several others have again and again heard him declare He never in the course of his whole life was Plaintiff but in two Causes and but one of them tryed And to defend himself may well allow of a better construction then altogether Contentious Now in what I speak of him as a man he had his human frailties but as a Christian and one that knew so much as he did I hope he did bewail them And I pray which of us all are without our faults Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Pro. 20.9 I indeed which of us all can say this I know some there are that talk much of a State of perfection on this side the Grave but alas experience tells us the contrary and that all our perfection is to bewail our imperfections that we cannot walk more closely with God I am perswaded thus far of him and without breach of Charity I speak it That had he met with a more obliging people he might have proved a more usefull Pastor God was pleased to exercise him with a long and languishing Sickness which at length ushered in his Death I could not but take notice that in the extremity of his Sickness God was exceeding mercifull unto him even to the last in continuing his memory and senses I was with him several times in his Sickness but more especially the Wednesday before he died and then had some private conference with him in which I receiv'd much satisfaction from him He then and at other times told me he forgave all the World and solemnly and seriously took the Sacrament of the Lords Supper upon it He told me he wholly relied upon the merits of Christ for Salvation adding withall that he did really by Faith apprehend that infinite satisfaction in the bloud of Christ as did fully answer all his fears and resolve all his doubts He knew and was well assured that the greatest of Sinners might be saved by that bloud and that the least of Sinners could not be saved without it He died in the Faith of the Church of England as it is now by Law established he owned the Doctrine and Discipline thereof and withall wished peace and prosperity to it He was a carefull provider for his Wife and Children and considering his extreme Sickness at times he had a tender regard of them which he did fully manifest towards his dear Wife at his death having that considence in her that he left the sole management of his Estate to her prudent care To conclude all he had the charity to forgive all and we ought as Christians to have the charity to forget all In few words to such of you as were his professed Enemies let me bespeak you of having a care of rash judging of him as to his future and final estate for it was in the power of God to save him and which of you all dare say it was not in his purpose Now if any person shall charge me with flattery in what I have spoken of our dear Brother I shall answer them in the words of St. Paul Rom. 9.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience also bearing me witness that in what I have spoken of him is agreeable to Christian Faith and Charity FINIS
concerning death For death is considerable two ways which is a common distinction we give of death First as it is in its own nature Secondly as it is altered by Christ. In the first sense it is true That death is the very Suburbs and the Gates of Hell and a day to be trembled at rather then longed for But now in the second sense Death it ceases to be a plague and becomes a blessing in as much as it is even a door opening out of this world into Heaven Now Believers look not upon death simply but upon death whose sting and venom is plucked out by Jesus Christ and upon that account it is exceeding comfortable Christ's victory over death may serve for the incomparable comfort of all true Believers Yet further I answer That there are two things considerable in every Christian Flesh and Spirit Corruption and Grace and the best of Gods Servants have many inward perplexities at some times and doubtings of Gods love and favour For it is a known truth which our Saviour delivers Mat. 26.41 The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak And as in all other good purposes there is a combare betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit so there is in this betwixt the fear of death and the desire of death sometimes the one prevails and sometimes the other but yet always at last the desire of death doth get the victory I must confess many times that worldly respects do often prevail with the dearest of Gods children care of Wife and Children and the like but these are their infirmities and as other infirmities dye in them by degrees so these also at last are brought under And the Servants of God being brought clearly to see the happiness into which their death in Christ shall enter them do here with St. Paul desire to depart that they may be with Christ which is far better or best of all Thus have I endeavoured to make good the truth of this Doctrinal Proposition viz. That Believers have in them a willing expectation and desire of death with the grounds and Reasons thereof There remains nothing but the usefull Application unto our Souls 1. Vse And the first Use is by way of Information Here we may be informed of the different state and contrary condition of good and bad men of Saints and Sinners of such as fear God and of such as fear him not when they come to dye A good man doth willingly resign his Soul to God who gave it but a bad man is so far from desiring of death that he cannot so much as think of death or Hell without a great deal of terrour and fear The very thought of death to wicked men is like the Hand-writing against Belshazzar upon the wall which was very terrible and amazing But now with good men death makes way for their eternal happiness Though I walk in the vale of the shadow of death saith holy David Psal 23. yet will I fear none ill St. Cyprian speaking of the nature of death to Believers saith it is Janua vitae Victoria belli Portus maris the Gate of Life the Victory of War the Haven of the Sea Death to Gods people is as the Angel was to St. Peter to fetch him out of prison and set him at liberty Acts 12.7 or as Pharaoh his Messenger was to Joseph to remove him out of the Dungeon into Pharaoh's Court Gen. 41.14 where he was highly advanced to honour and dignity Believers are willing to dye because death puts an end to sin not only to the Dominion of sin but also to the very Being of sin sin shall never molest them any more when death comes they shall sin no more nor sorrow no more they shall go to that place where all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes and live with God and Christ with Angels and Just men made perfect for evermore 2. Vse The second Use is by way of Reprehension This may serve for a just reproof of them that are altogether unwilling to dye But come now and let us reason the case together What person is there amongst us that if he were cloathed only with ragged and much worn cloaths would not be willing to be uncloathed of them and to be cloathed with better And what else is this mortal and corruptible body but as ragged and rotten cloaths wherewith we are cloathed Why then should we not be willing to be shifted of these cloaths of this mortal and corruptible body and to be cloathed with our house which is from Heaven even with incorruption and immortality Again what person is there amongst us that if he were in Prison would not be willing to be set at liberty or being in a place where he is but a Stranger would not be willing to be at home And what else is this sinful Body but as a prison of the Soul wherein the Soul is so shut up that it hath small liberty untill it return to God who gave it Or what else indeed is this world but as a place wherein we wander as Pilgrims and Strangers and have no abiding City Why should we not then be willing to remove out of this prison of the body and to be received into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God or to loose Anchor from this Land wherein we are but Strangers and by death to sail towards Heaven where our home and abiding City is My Beloved it were well that Christians would meditate much on Heavenly Glory God hath revealed this Glory to the Elect and their interest in it that their thoughts might continually dwell upon it It will be very profitable for Believers to muse much on the happiness of the other world as First it will abate our thirst after Worldly Glory Secondly it will make Sufferings light Thirdly it will make us much more serious in Duties of Religion Fourthly it will make us with St. Paul more desirous of death First if Christians did but much meditate on this Coelestial Glory it would make them undervalue the transitory Glory of this World How comes it to pass that Earthly Glory is so much affected but because Heavenly Glory is so little regarded It is the Apostles grave advice to Christians Col. 3.2 To set their affections on things above not on things on the earth One hours musing on the Glory that is above would cause the Soul to be as a weaned Child to the Glory that is below When a man hath seen the glory of a Kings Court he contemns all that ever he saw in a Country Cottage A Christian that hath this Heavenly Glory before his eyes will quickly cast the best of Earthly Glory behind his back Secondly if Christians did but consider much of this Heavenly Glory it would enable them to bear with patience the greatest Sufferings of this present life I reckon saith the Apostle Rom. 8.18 that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory
A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of Mr. Nathaniel Aske Late Rector of Somerford Magna in North-Wilts By John Clark 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven LONDON Printed for George Swinnock at the Crane in Cheapâ—side over against Mercâ—â—s-Chappel 1676. To his highly valued Friend M rs Anna Aske late Wife of the Reverend Mr. Nathaniel Aske Rector of Somerford-Magna Dear Madam YOur deceased Husband was pleased that I amongst many others much more worthy then my self should preach his Funeral Sermon and now at your request I have published it Not that I am in the least ambitious of being in Print but would rather decline it Madam I am very sensible of all your civil Favours yet would much more willingly have taken another opportunity to express my thankfulness then this but since you were pleased to lay your Commands upon me I readily submit I must confess both the matter and method to be plain and not in the least worth your Acceptance but I well remember the saying of one that otherwise could speak in an eloquent stile which was this That it is better that Grammarians should reprehend us then that the people should not understand us This Sermon was preached principally before a Country Auditory although I must confess there were many of my Reverend Brethren there but they were the fewest in number and I did endeavour to suit my discourse to the most and not the least of those Reverend persons who understood matters of this nature much better then my unworthy self Madam I desire not to exceed the bounds of an Epistle so as to make the Porch greater then the Building but in few words to conclude my self Your faithful Friend and Servant J. Clark To the Parishioners of Somerford-Magna in North-Wilts THe uncharitableness and unfaithfulness of Relations concerning this Sermon have at last constrained my Publication of it choosing rather to suffer the severest Censure of a Just eye then the unworthy distempers of unkind Tongues This Sermon was Preach'd at the Funeral of your late deceased Pastor although I confess all was not then Preach'd that is now Published yet I do assure you all is Published that was then Preached and is very faithfully and fully related in this Copy The God of Peace teach us the things that make for truth and peace and to lay aside Slandering and Lying For the first of these sins which too too many are guilty of in these our days read that dreadfull Curse mentioned Deut. 27.24 Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly this was one of the Curses that was to be read by the Levites in the hearing of all Israel under the Law and all the people were to say Amen Now for that other sin of Lying let me beg of you to take the advice of the Apostle Ephes 4.25 Wherefore saith the Apostle putting away Lying speak every man truth with his neighbour I have observed these two sins too frequent amongst some of you especially of your late deceased Pastor which makes me thus free with you I am your well-wishing Friend and Neighbour Jo. Clark Philip. 1. vers 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better I Cannot say these words were the choice of our deceased Brother but they were frequent in his mouth some few days before he dyed which was the grand motive of my choice of them Great was the strait that the blessed Apostle was in he was divided betwixt two Affections carried to different Objects and they were in a manner contrary each to other The Question was Whether to live in the Flesh or in the Body were profitable for St. Paul And what to choose Life or Death he for the present knew not Great was his love to the Philippians greater was his love to Christ one while he was drawn with a desire to be with Christ far remote from the Philippians another while he was drawn with an earnest desire to abide with his beloved Brethren here upon Earth and to be for some time removed from Christ the great necessity of his Brethren did move him to desire the later his great love to Christ did perswade him to long for the former Now betwixt these two different Affections which were contrary each to other the Apostle had a great Conflict And such was his perplexity that he knew not which way to turn himself he was at a strait what to make choice of he was as I may so speak as Iron betwixt two Loadstones drawn this way first and then that We read of Jehoshaphat and the people 2 Chron. 20.12 that they were in a great strait for the Text saith They knew not what to doe And we read that King David was on a time in a great strait 2 Sam. 24.14 But now much different was the present perplexity of this our Apostle and that of David Davids was in regard of evils proposed this was for the enjoying of good Davids great strait was concerning an evil which could not be avoided but the Apostles was free and voluntary Davids perplexity somewhat concerned himself the preventing of his own evil but now the Apostles was for the good of others which was joyned with his own hurt Behold here as in a transparent Glass a heart truly Apostolical wherein he made known at once both his great love to Christ desiring to be with him and withall his great love to his Brethren willing to abide with them for their profit I shall confine my discourse to the later part of the words And therein consider St. Pauls desire in regard of himself and from thence take notice First of the desire it self and that was To depart or dye Secondly a forcible Reason implyed of this his desire for then he should be with Christ Thirdly his opinion or judgment of that Estate To be with Christ is far better or best of all Here are several Observations or Doctrinal Conclusions that are clearly deducible from these words which time will not permit me to prosecute I shall therefore present you but with one wherein I shall endeavour to comprise the sum and substance of my Discourse at this time And that is from St. Pauls desire it self wherein Note Doct. That Believers have in them a willing expectation and desire of Death The rise of this Observation is clear enough For one spirit works in all Gods people and brings forth like effects although not always in the same measure That therefore which is true in St. Paul viz. That the coming of death was expected and desired by him is in some degree sooner or later verified in all that are the Lords We may see a lively instance of this in old Simeon Luke 2.29 30 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation St. Paul likewise avers the
same of all true Believers 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven And that they are rather willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord according to that of 2 Cor. 5.8 Now there may be several Reasons given for the ground of this Doctrine that you may the better believe it As First Because Believers know and are well assured that the day of death is better then the day of a mans birth Eccles 7.1 When a man is born he comes into misery a world of misery what tongue is able to express the internal and external troubles of this life I could enumerate in divers cases both as to the one and other but I pass them over Now death puts an end to all these miseries to Gods people and therefore no wonder that the Servants of God have in them such a willing desire after death Secondly Because a faithful Soul when it departeth is immediately after death with Christ I desire to depart and to be with Christ And thus saith the Apostle it is Melius it is better yea it is Multo melius it is much better nay yet again it is Multo magis melius we must bear with St. Pauls incongruity of speech it is much more better to be with him And to the same purpose speaks the same Apostle 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable Believers the Children of God are most miserable that is if in this life in this world only for the present we have hope and confidence in Christ and the height of our confidence reach no further then we we poor Christians we the Faithful in the world we of all men are most miserable yea we are more miserable then any other men Thirdly Again Believers have in them a willing expectation and desire after death because they have hope in their death Prov. 14.32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death It is by death Believers come to be partakers of the object of their hope The time when the righteous hath hope is in his death In the evil day in time of greatest disconsolation when Friends stand weeping and wringing their hands when speech sight senses strength fail when riches will not profit a man when Physicians are of no value when all creatures prove miserable Comforters and when all human helps fail then then is a Christians Soul full of hope and may comfortably use this motto Spero meliora Though I leave loving Friends near and dear Relations many outward comforts and enjoyments yet I hope to enjoy and inhabit an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens whose builder is God So that Believers upon this ground are willing to dye because they have hope in their death Fourthly Again Believers have in them a willing desire of death because here they look upon themselves but as Pilgrims and Strangers They are in this world but not of this world for Heaven is a Believers proper Country and a Believers desire is after this Heavenly Country Heb. 11.16 But now they desire a better country that is an heavenly A wicked mans Country is here below here he lives and here he desires to live An Unbeliever is a Citizen of the world Terrae filius a Son of Earth he is one that minds only Earthly things his delights his contentments his portion his happiness are in this life see Psalm 17.14 and there you will find it so But now a true Believer is a Citizen of Heaven a Free-Denizen of that Country where Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God Believers do disclaim and disown the World as none of theirs The World accounts them as Strangers and so they account themselves And as they disclaim the World so they lay claim to Heaven We desire say the Apostles 2 Cor. 5.2 to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven And indeed there is nothing that a Christian hath that is worth the having that he hath as a Christian but it is in Heaven as is well noted by a Reverend Divine Houses Mr. Jer. Dike Lands Possessions Goods Riches Honours these men have not as Christians but as men these are common to Heathens with Christians But there be many excellent things that belong to Christians as Christians and all these things are above in Heaven Our Father is in Heaven Mat. 6.9 Our Father which art in heaven Our Mother is in Heaven Gal. 4.26 But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all Our elder Brother and Head is in Heaven Ephes 1.20 He raised Christ from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places Our Inheritance is in Heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 To an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Our Mansion house is in Heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Our Substance is in Heaven Heb. 10.34 Ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Our Hope is in Heaven Col. 1.5 For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven Now if all these be in Heaven where should Believers be but in Heaven also and have a willing desire of death to be with their Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Fifthly Lastly Believers have in them a willing desire of death because it is better to be with God then with men better to be in Heaven then on Earth in a state freed from sorrow sin and temptation than in a state subject to them all for as holy Job speaketh chap 14.1 A man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble but a few days and those days full of trouble But now blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Here the people of God labour for rest I but when they come to dye they rest from their labour Rev. 14.13 Now they rest from their labours in as much as all tears are wiped from their eyes No more death nor sorrow no more aches pains Agues Feavers Consumptions nor pain doth take hold of them and therefore no wonder upon this ground also that Believers have such a willing desire and expectation of death Objection Here some may object That we see in many good Christians a fear of death and a desire of life And I my self may some poor doubting Christian say do find that I am apt to tremble at the thoughts of death How should not death then be rather a day of misery to be trembled at than a day of happiness to be longed for Answer To this I answer That we are to distinguish