Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A53746
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A funeral sermon Opening the nature and grounds of assurance, occasioned by the death of Mr. Philip King, Minister. Who departed this life, November, 8th. 1699. By Jonathan Owen.
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Owen, Jonathan.
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1700
(1700)
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Wing O827; ESTC R216657
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12,870
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the Redeemer But see how full clear and express Holy Job is in this Matter Was Christ in our Nature a living Redeemer in the Decree Purpose and Promise of God the Father This Job knew Was he actually to come in the Flesh and therein to Die and Satisfie for the Sins of his People Job was not ignorant of this Will he at the latter Day stand upon the Earth and appear in a most glorious Manner and then shall all that believe unto Salvation admire him and see him for themselves Why Holy Job was instructed into all this herein also lay his excellent Knowledge as Heaven gave a singular Testimony to his Godliness so that of the Psalmist was verified in him Psalm 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus shone into his Heart he knew him to be a Redeemer and his living Redeemer 2. As they have another Spirit of Knowledge so also of Obedience unto the revealed Will of God but mistake me not here I do not alledge that our Obedience is the Spring and Foundation of Gospel Assurance no no the Faith of Assurance looks higher and through all this to expect it from thence in our imperfect State is but lost labour such will always be doubtful and fluctuating about it if Adams perfect Obedience did not secure the Love of God to him muchless can our imperfect this Assurance comes in at the Door of Faith from Faiths eyeing of from Faiths relying upon and improving the Person Offices and Glory of the Redeemer Obedience can't give it but it always evidenceth that it is well grounded Remember I am shewing the Rarity of this Grace from that excellent Spirit of Obedience which goes along with it And this Obedience flows from the right Principles of Faith in Christ and Love to God it 's managed by the Rule of the Word and prosecuted unto the Glory of God Thus they adorn the Doctrine of God their Saviour in all things thus they observe whatsoever he hath commanded them and thus they desire to stand compleat in the whole Will of God like as the Needle in the Compass inclines to the right Point so such is the Divine Vertue of a well grounded Assurance it prompts the Subjects of it to respect every Divine Command The Language of their Holy Souls is like to that of Samuel 1 Sam. 3.9 Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Or like that of Saul when our Lord spake vocally unto him from Heaven and miraculously Converted him to the Faith of himself Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do No sooner was the Will and Work of his persecuted Lord revealed unto him but his whole Self Soul and Body was ingaged in it his Head and Heart shall contrive his Mouth shall boldly speak and his Feet take many a weary step to propagate the glorious Gospel of the Blessed Jesus This is that eminency of Obedience which assured Souls are inspired with 3. As they have another Spirit of Eminency for knowing and doing so they have also for Suffering the Will of God the Soveraign Lord of all Things hath wisely order'd that his Servants should meet with Tribulations in this World I say with many much and great Tribulations John 16. last In the World ye shall have Tribulation Acts 14.22 Through much Tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Those that had washed their Robes and made them White in the Blood of the Lamb are said to come out of great Tribulation Rev. 7.14 Now it is not the Moral Vertue but the Christian Grace of Patience which glorifies God in Afflictions it is Patience excited by a living Faith Patience exerted by a Divine Love such is that eminency of Spirit which is in a well-grounded Assurance they according to our Lords Injunction In your Patience possess ye your Souls Luke 21.19 i. e. They enjoy themselves in Christ when they possess little or nothing else Job was not only eminent for his Faith of Assurance but also for his singular and exemplary Patience others have been inabled to say they know that their Redeemer liveth But none except Christ did ever match him in Patience though Job was not perfect and without fault yet he was a Non-such for Patience in all his Afflictions he highly exalts the Soveraignty Wisdom Holiness and Justice of God saying The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1.21 in all his Tribulations he greatly debased himself saying I have sinned Job 7.20 And therefore the Holy Ghost puts a special mark of Honour upon him James 5.10 We have heard of the Patience of Job Well-assured Saints are eminent Instances of Grace in regard of their patient Suffering the Will of God let me add one Argument more to confirm this Point 3. The greatness and rarity of this Grace a well grounded Assurance of an Interest in Christ further appears in their Triumphing over Death Hell and the Grave with their patient waiting for Christs particular and general coming to Judge the World Christ hath conquer'd Death Hell and the Grave on the behalf of every true Believer Rom. 8.37 Nay in all these Things we are more then Conquerours through him that hath loved us This gashly Enemy the grim King of Terrors Death must shortly be encounter'd by every one of us as every Believer may so them that are rightly assured can Triumph in Christ over them they like Paul can give Death a bold challenge to do its worst 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law but thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Victory they have by Free Gift through Jesus Christ the Faith of Assurance often puts Believers upon desiring and groaning to be dissolved and why though immediately after Death comes Judgment yet being cloathed upon they shall not be found naked of Christs Righteousness 2 Cor. 5.3 If so be that being cloath'd we shall not be found naked hence it is that Believers especially such that are seal'd with the Holy Spirit of Promise they are said to Love and look for the appearing and comeing of Christ to Judgment 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all them also that Love his appearing So in Heb. 9.28 Christ was once offered to bear the Sins of many and unto them that look for him shall be appear the second Time without Sin unto Salvation They Love and look for Christs appearing like as a loving Wife doth for the pleasant return of her long absent Husband It could be no great Matter for Job to Die for it was but to go to his living Redeemer
of the Scrutiny so if we make the most diligent inquiry into the Lives and Experiences of most Men and Women O where are the Persons that can or may thus warrantably declare themselves I know that my Redeemer liveth among them that profess Christ in a more exact way then others that hear more of his Person Office and Glory as Redeemer even among these it is a rare thing most are but come up to Hopes and but few to the good Hope through Grace that which maketh not ashamed 2 Thess 2.16 2. For as I would awaken all so I would not cast down any of Christs weak Lambs We that Preach the Word must with Boanerges Thunder and with Barnabas speak Consolation to you therefore know it is possible to be interested in Christ and not be fully assured of it Assurance is not of the Essence of Christianity it is but accidental like Benjamins Mess it is a peculiar Favour they were as really Josephs Brethren that had it not as he you may be of Christs Brotherhood by adopting Grace and yet be without it If Assurance were of the Essence of Grace then none could be saved but such this makes the number of the Blessed Saints Ten Thousand Times fewer then they are it excludes all Dead Infants out of Heaven indeed what the Apostle saith is remarkable 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself But consider as it is spoken of Adult Persons so it refers to the Three-fold Witness spoken off before viz. the Spirit the Water and the Blood now every Adult Believer hath this Witness in himself but alas it oftentimes so falls out that the Ear of Faith is so Deaf and the Eye of Faith so dim and Hand of Faith so weak that the renewed Believer neither hears sees nor receives his own Mercy 's as he ought many a doubting Saint hath got safe to Glory when carnal Confidents have dropt into Hell-Flames a Child may be born Heir to a great Estate and by reason of his Infancy not know it it as Birth and Blood which gives right to it not the present Sense and Knowledge of the thing this renders the Matter comfortable the other makes the Thing sure thus much of what I thought needful to be Premised but few know upon Scripture Bottom that their Redeemer liveth it is possible to be savingly interested in Christ and yet not know it certainly I enter upon the second General 2. What is that Scripture-Foundation which this full Assurance of Faith I know that my Redeemer liveth must be Built upon Here take Notice for it is without Controversie this Assurance hath its Original in Grace and not in Nature true a natural Man may be endued with great Knowledge his Head may be full of Speculative Understanding about Divine Things he may come under very powerful and common workings of the Spirit and yet be without a Foundation for this so much the Apostle declares Heb. 6.4 5. Now that I may set this weighty Matter before you in the plain Light of the Word to know that ones Redeemer liveth it is and must be built upon this Threefold Foundation viz. 1. The saving Knowledge of Christ 2. The appropriating Acts of Faith 3. And the Witness of the Spirit 1. Christ Jesus in his Person Office and Glory as Redeemer must be revealed to that Soul Without this Manifestation of Christ no Man can say it though ignorant and confident Persons may Orally speak the Words but he that doth it with this Faith must know in whom he believeth 2 Tim. 1.12 The Glory of God in the Face or Person of Jesus Christ must shine into that Heart 2 Cor. 6.4 For God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shin'd into our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ All this is evident from Jobs Confession let me consider it a little farther 1. He knew the Lord Jesus Christ in his Person i. e. He knew him to be really God eternally naturally and essentially God therefore he expresly so calls him ver 26. Though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for my self The glorious Display which Christ will make of himself in the latter Day all shall see some to their Eternal Horror and Confusion and some to their Everlasting Joy all the redeemed shall see and enjoy Christ then not one shall be disappointed or missing but those who are seal'd with the Holy Spirit of Promise they know it assuredly Whom I shall see for my self ver 27. 2. A well-grounded Assurance includes not only the Knowledge of Christs Person as God but also an Acquaintance with his Offices as Redeemer in both Natures the Lord Jesus by Eternal and Foederal Agreement with his Father is become a Redeemer Holy Job had the Knowledge and Fore-sight of this he not only acknowledgeth Christ to be a Redeemer but he confesseth him to be his living Redeemer Christ redeemeth his two ways by Price and Power by the Price of Satisfaction paid to the Honour Law and Justice of God to his Honour by the Death of one who thought it no robbery to be equal with him Phil. 2.6 To his Law by the perfect Obedience of Christs own self who was under it Gal 4.4 To his Justice by being made a Curse i. e. his induring the Substance thereof Gal. 3.13 As thus by Price so by Power the Lord Jesus Christ redeems Souls he hath already conquer'd Sin Death Hell and the Grave by his Almighty Power He is now conquering Sinners to himself by the Ministry of the Word and Spirit and yet a little while and the last Trump shall sound and the Dead in the Bowels of the Earth and in Depths of the Sea shall hear his Voice and come to Judgment John 5.28 29. They that have done good to the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation then Christ will compleat the Redemption of his People their Bodies and Souls shall be reunited they shall all appear with him in Glory 3. As the Knowledge of Christs Person and Office is included in this Assurance so likewise the Knowledge of his Present and Future Glory to wit that he now liveth and shall stand upon the Earth at the latter Day he liveth there is much in that Expression it Points at the Eternity Fulness and Power of Christ as Redeemer his Eternity that as God he hath Life in and from himself his Fulness that he hath Life to give to all his Members and his Power that as he lives by his own self so he will quicken the Dead and Judge the World in Righteousness and shew that he hath the Keys of Hell and Death Rev. 1.18 But 2. In a well-grounded Assurance of an Interest in the living Redeemer the Faith of a renewed Soul must appropriate Christ