in â—pitome Canst thou O Gracious Soul give another fully to underâ—â—and how incomparably sweet it is to have Christ here with thee When he gives to thee but a look through the Lattess when he meets â—â—ee at an Ordinance when he affords thee a short Visit and away â—â—re I am thou wilt want words significant and large enough And if 〈◊〉 short an enjoyment be so delicious as all the world is nothing to 〈◊〉 what then will it be for thee to be with him If David could say â—sal 23. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear â—o evil for thou art with me Thou mayest well promise thy self thou â—â—alt want no good when thou comest to be with him Know O â—aint the world will be well mended with thee For as you have it â—n the 16 th Psalm In his presence there is fulness of joy and at his right â—and pleasures for evermore Three things may here well engage our Meditations First The Saints when once gone from this dirty and troubleâ—ome World shall be with Christ in the same place Now they are in â—ome sense parted and at a distance notwithstanding that Spiritual Mystical and Intimate Union which is between them 2 Cor. 5 6. While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. Now we â—â—e him not We are upon earth he is in Heaven and the Heavens â—ust contain him for a time how long we know not but at last â—hey shall be together in the same place One Earth could not long hold them therefore hâ— said to his Disciples Iohn 16.7 It is expâ—dient for you that I go away And so it was that he might prepare place for them and that he might send the Comforter to them and that he might make Intercession for them As for his peoples sake he came from Heaven to Earth to teach them to fight for thâ—m to dyâ— for them to conquer their Enemies to pay their Debts to makâ— their Peace to work for them an Everlasting Righteousness and 〈◊〉 purchase for them an Everlasting Happiness so for their sakes he râ—turned from Earth to Heaven that he might keep the peace he haâ— made and give out to them of his fulness and purchased blessingâ— as in his Infinite Wisdom he seeâ— their Necessities and Interest require And when their work is finished and they prepared they shall folloâ— him they shall away to Heaven also and that shall hold both hiâ— and them to all Eternity This he gave them the assurance of Ioh. 14. â— I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye mâ—â— be also This he also declared to his Father to be his Will concerninâ— them Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given mâ— be with me where I am for thou lovedst me before the foundatiâ—â— of the world Which words of his plainly evidence his not loving distance between him and them longer than needs and how muâ—â— his heart is set for the closest and fullest Communion It was his joy that he went to the Father and should be with the Father and 〈◊〉 would have his people with him q. d. I would be with thee and would have them with me let us be all together then my joy wiâ—â— be full and so will theirs too Here the Lord stands at their righâ— hand therefore they shall never be moved Psalm 16.8 And afteâ— Death they shall sit at his right hand and therefore they shall be satisfied Then they shall be by him and be daily his delight rejoicinâ— always before him 2 dly They shall so be with him as to be the joyful spectators of his Gloâ—ry Men are very much taken with sights for the Eye affects the heart and fixing upon great and amiable Objects conveys to the Soul a greaâ— deal of pleasure How doth the Eye of Faith by looking within the Veil and beholding him that is invisible revive the spirits and raise the Saint out of his dumps 1 Peter 1.8 Whom having not seeâ— ye love in whom tho now ye see him not yet beliving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory And if believing do so raise and ravish them now in the midst of so many things to afflict and depress them what will the heavenly vision do when they shall see him as he is Alas the sights of Faith here are weak and imperfect they are but 〈◊〉 in a glass darkly we sâ—e but the back parts the most sanctified â—e can at present bear no more Thou canst not see my face said â—â—d to Moses Exod. 33.20 that is not a thing to be done Moses â—â—uld not do that tho he was a most holy Person and had been â—aken up into a familiar Converse with God When our Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 his state of Humiliation and Abasement did let forth but one â—â—am of his Glory it struck the Soldiers down to the ground â—â—hn 18.6 As soon as he had said unto them I am he they went backâ—â—rd and fell to the ground they could not stand before such an â—â—manation but in Heaven the Saints shall see and be enabled to â—ar the sight yea to rejoyce in it the glorified Eye shall be so â—â—rengthened as to fix upon that most glorious Object Psalm 17. â— shall behold thy face in righteousness not thy back Parts but thy â—â—ce there they shall see him as he is That Prayer of Moses â—â—ew me thy glory shall then be fulfilled they shall not only â—â—e his Goodness that passeth before them now the whole Earth is â—â—l of it but also they shall see his Glory that shall be manifested â—t to the dazzling but delighting of their Eye This was part of â—â—rist's Will which shall not fail of its accomplishment Iohn 17. â—â—ther I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am â—â—at they may behold my glory which thou hast given me They love 〈◊〉 look and I love they should do so therefore let them look â—â—eir fill Thirdly The Saints shall be with Christ not only as Spectators of â—â—s Glory but as Blessed sharers and comportioners with him in Glory â—hough much of their Happiness consist in sight the Heavenly Visiâ—â— being beatifical yet that is not the whole of it for there shall be â—uition as well as Vision the same God who doth here implant his â—race in them will hereafter put a Glory upon them Psalm 84. â—he Lord God is a sun and shield he will give grace and glory each in the â—ost proper place and season for it Grace on Earth and Glory in â—eaven Grace in their Minority Glory when they come to their â—â—ll Age and Stature Our Dear Lord Jesus was pleased to come â—rom Heaven to Earth and from the Bosom of his Father to a â—abernacling among men and while here he was at vast cost and â—harges as to purchase a People for himself so all good for that Peoâ—le which he doth
A Funeral-Sermon Upon Occasion of the DEATH OF Mrs. LOBB Late WIFE of Mr. Steven Lobb Preached by SAMUEL SLATER Minister of the GOSPEL Psalm CXII 6. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst and Tho. Cockerill at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and at the Three Legs in the Poultrey MDCXCI To the REVEREND Mr. STEVEN LOBB Dear Brother GOD having made a great Breach upon you by taking away her who was the delight of your eyes and I having seen the Body she left behind laid to Rest in its bed of Dust was â—hen by you put upon this last Office of Love in Preaching â—o your People on that occasion nor did I draw back â—ut being that very Evening seized by and for some time â—ontinued under a Sharp Distemper I could not Study a New Sermon but was forced to entertain you with one I â—ad Preached in mine own Congregation but a little before â—pon the Death of a Young Gentlewoman Mrs. Susan Hatchman the Text put into my hand as what in â—eer Health she had chosen for that purpose Well it â—aving been Preached you earnestly desir'd the Publishing â—f it and would needs have it from the Pulpit sent to the Press thereupon it is done and I have enough so it do much good I heartily sympathized with you for indeed I â—ove you the good Lord sanctifie the Affliction and sweeten â—t and make it up to you I said nothing in her Commendation while many do not deserve it she did not need it Her works praise her so do you and the Tongues of them that knew her I desire that he who can would fill up her room comfort your heart help you in your work and prosper it and having been your God be the God of your Seed that those young Branches may flourish in his Courts and bring forth much precious Fruit in their Season I leave you where I hope I found you under the healing wings of the Sun of Righteousness which are able to cure all Wounds and to supply all Wants and so remain Yours in the best Bonds SAMUEL SLATER November 20. 1691. A Funeral-Sermon PHILIP 1.23 I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better PAVL being a Prisoner at Rome where that Monster of men Nero sate in the Throne sent by Epaphroditus this Epistle to the Saints at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons among other Reasons to prevent their being offended at his Sufferings which had fallen out to the furtherance of the Gospel his Bonds being famous in Caesar's Court and other Places which gave people occasion of enquiring into the reason of them by which means they came to understand something of Christ and the Christian Religion Besides many of the Brethren were by his Courage and Constancy encouraged to preach the word with greater boldness than before Some indeed preached Christ out of Envy to him that they might lessen his Interest and Esteem and advance their own But others did it out of a sincere and holy purpose to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ and to maintain and confirm what Paul had delivered for which he also now suffered knowing he was set for the defence of the Gospel And he comforted himself with such things as these That however tâ—e work was carried on and the Name of Christ was as a Precious Oinâ—ment poured forth and as for himself his afflictions should contribute to his Salvation through the help of their prayers and fresh supplies of Grace from the divine Spirit trusting according to his former Hope and Expectation that he himself should not through any Terror be ashamed to own and stand to what he had preached and that Christ should be magnified in his Body whetheâ— it were by Lâ—fe or by Death of which two which to chuse he knew not but was in a strait about it as he saith in the Text before us Wherein I shall take notice of and offer to your Consideration threâ— things and having with convenient brevity spoken to them I shalâ— present you with some Doctrinal Conclusions and shut up this Discourse 1. Here is Pauls Jâ—dgment 2. His Dâ—sire 3. The Strait in which yet he was First I shall consider his Iudgment which we have reason to counâ— solid and worthy of so eminent an Apostle The Object about which it was exercised is the Future State of Believers which they shall enter into when their Places here shall know them no more Aâ— for their present State that condition in which they are during their abode here he had given his thoughts concerning it elsewhere namely 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable We might very well pass in the world for a company of Fools and Madmen should we keep under our bodies as we do and deny our selves the free use of those outward Comforts which others do abound in and expose our selves to so much Contempt and Scorn so great Hatred and Reproach so many Losses Crosses Sufferings and Persecutions if we had not a firm and well-grounded Assurance of something yea enough in another world to make us an abundant amends and recompence for all the troubles and vexations of this So that he there readily yields That as to present Temporal Enjoyments the condition of Wicked Men is of the two more desirable which hath been a great and sore Temptation to some Gracious and Holy Persons as you may see if you please to peruse the 73 d Psalm from the 1 st to the end of the 14 th verse But in the Text before us he speaks of a Future State into which the Saints shall enter when they take their flight and mounâ— up with wings as Eagles unto that delightful Place which God hath prepared for their Eternal Abode And he gives us his Judgment of this State as to Two Things 1. The Nature of it 2. The excellency of it And both these are worthy of our most serious and frequently-repeated thoughts 1. The Apostle tells us what that State will be as to the Nature of â—t of which he doth indeed speak very briefly but very fully From what he saith I may with highest confidence conclude That it is such â— State as now deserves to be the Object of the Saints Desire and â—hen they are once entred into it it will be eternally their Delight 〈◊〉 is such a state as now they may well long for and hereafter they â—annot but be satisfied with Such a State as that the Faith and Assuâ—ance of it may and doth work in them Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Then raise your Thoughts and Conceptions to the highest â—itch that you can and inlarge them to the utmost and tell us if you â—an what the enjoyment of it will do But if you ask What is that â—tate He tells you It is a being with Christ And that is Heaven
send for me home 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have an ardent and flaming desire to depart I stand upâ—â— Tiptoes and am reaching out unto that state Never did Boy School more long to break up and go to his Mother than I do to 〈◊〉 to my God and Saviour Never did Bride or Bridegroom more 〈◊〉 for their Wedding-day than I do for my Dying-day These woâ— in the Original do as Learned Zanchy observes signify more 〈◊〉 barely to desire for simply to desire may amount to no more than 〈◊〉 a sudden Motâ—on a transient Flash a momentary Passion which 〈◊〉 Iona's Gourd starts up on a sudden and doth as quickly vanâ— Whereas when the Apostle saith Having a desire he doth plaiâ— intimate to us both the vehemency and permanency of the thiâ— that his Soul stood that way it was immovably set for a Departâ—â—â— His desire was such as had a great strength and ardour in it 〈◊〉 which would last and not abate any thing until it was accomplishâ—â— I desire to depart and shall go on to desire it until that wisht 〈◊〉 day comes in which I shall actually go till my Soul be set at liberâ—â— and upon its flight under the heavenly Convoy to that blissful plaâ—â— where my Lord and Saviour is So I have finished the second thâ—â— observable in the Text. We now come to the third which there inâ—â—ed obtains the first place viz. The strait in which at this time our Apostle found himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am in a strait betwixt two The word according to 〈◊〉 Criticks signifieth such a straitning as is that of a City when it is â—â—sely besieged by a strong and vigilant Enemy so that there is no â—â—tting out nor coming in such a perplexity of mind as that a man â—â—at an utter loss not knowing what to do nor which way to turn 〈◊〉 This was Paul's case unto this loss was he brought He had two â—â—ings before him one of which must of necessity be but which of â—â—em considering his Circumstances he should make choice of he â—â—d not know He was in a kind of AEquilibrium the Scales did hang â—â—en and he could not tell to which side he should incline Quest. But here it may be asked How came this to pass What acâ—unt is to be given hereof Or what was it that did thus puzzle the â—â—ostle and reduce him to so great a strait Unto this I shall answer â—st Negatively and then Affirmatively First Negatively and 〈◊〉 in these three things First Paul was not brought into a strait by the fore-thought of these â—â—ins and Agonies which dying Persons feel those great difficulties there 〈◊〉 in shooting the Gulf. It is very hard and tedious for some to unâ—ess in the Evening of their day the Garment of Flesh goeth hardly 〈◊〉 The pangs of Death are many and great in some poor Creatures â—s true it is not so in all there are those to whom an easy and comâ—â—â—table passage is granted there are no bonds in their death they pass â—ough their day with a great deal of comfort and at night are â—ought to bed with a great deal of ease they have not any violent â—rows nor strong Convulsions nor mighty Wrestlings but they 〈◊〉 away in a Sleep and sweetly breathe out their precious and preâ—â—red Souls into the Arms of God the Bosom of Jesus that Bed of â—ices and pleasant resting-place But it is not thus in all no no 〈◊〉 to some yea to many death comes like its self a King of Terrors â—â—th a most grim and ghastly countenance handling them roughly 〈◊〉 the great affliction of the Relations who are forced to withâ—â—aw as unable to bear so dismal a sight and to the astonishment of 〈◊〉 standers who cannot give the Narrative of it unto others withâ—â—t mingling it with Sighs and Tears How hard a matter do some â—or Creatures find it to dye Fain they would but cannot How â—â—ng are they about the work before they can dispatch and finish 〈◊〉 How many a Sigh is fetcht and Groan is spent before they can send forth the last breath Specially they find it difficult to dye 〈◊〉 are called out to suffer Martyrdom those who are slain for 〈◊〉 Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus which they hold 〈◊〉 have felt the very worst that Death could do the utmost of 〈◊〉 Rage and Fury being put to the most exquisite Tortures that 〈◊〉 Wit and Malice of inraged Enemies assisted by Hell its self coâ— possibly invent Some being put upon the Rack where all their Boâ—â— have been dislocated and others upon the Wheel where all thâ— Bones have been broken and others made a Burnt-Sacrifice beiâ—â— committed to the fury of merciless Flames and gradually consumâ— in a slow Fire and at last reduc'd to Ashes which human Natâ— could not have born with that invincible Patience which they expreâ—â— had they not been supported by the Divine Power and had preciâ—â— Cordials given them by the Invisible and Gracious Hand of the 〈◊〉 Comâ—orter which our dear Lord Jesus promised to send his Churâ—â— and People that he might be with them and who being a Spiritâ— Wisdom and Love will not fail to afford them the most Sovereâ— refreshings in the time of their most pressing necessities But thâ— dying agonies did not move Paul we do not find him concerâ— about them As he made it his great desire to live as God woâ— have him holily exemplarily and fruitfully fighting the good figâ— and keeping the Faith so he was free to dye as God would hâ—â— him That God who did order and cut out the work of his 〈◊〉 should chuse the kind and manner of his Death I have indeed heaâ—â— some truly Gracious Persons say They were not afraid to be deâ— because sure of an Eternal Happiness in the other world havâ— their Evidences for Heaven so fairly written that they could 〈◊〉 and read them but for all that they were afraid to dye because the difficulty of the passage So was not Paul for he did not atâ— doubt of his Care and Goodness who having loved his own lovâ— them to the end and in it too He did not in the least question 〈◊〉 the same God who was with him in the Work of his Ministry and the way he did take would never leave him nor forsake him 〈◊〉 be also with him in the valley of the shadow of death and therefore 〈◊〉 there he would fear no evil Secondly Paul was not in any strait upon the account of any unceâ—â—tainty about his future State not knowing what would become of hiâ— or where his lines would be cast next or whither he should go aâ—tâ—â— Death He was a wiser man than not to secure as the Proverb 〈◊〉 the main chance and I heartily wish there were more of that 〈◊〉 Wisdom to be found among the Children of Men and that they â—â—uld live less for time and more for Eternity As for mine own 〈◊〉 it is to me
the 〈◊〉 knows them not owns them not but hates and persecutes them 〈◊〉 they lose nothing by it for then he calls them out of darkness inâ—is marvellous light then he calls them unto his Kingdom and Glory 〈◊〉 doth at death call them to come up to another place come up 〈◊〉 He sends for them from all their beloved Friends and Relatiâ—here from all their comfortable possessions and enjoyments so 〈◊〉 these places shall know them no more but then he calls them 〈◊〉 the Church militant where they are often put upon hard service 〈◊〉 have their conflicts and wounds to the Church Triumphant where 〈◊〉 shall have their Palms and Thrones and Songs of Praise He 〈◊〉 them from waiting at the Posts of his door and sitting at his â—â—shold to a lying in the Bosome of his Everlasting Love So that 〈◊〉 can in none of these things find what we are enquiring after viz. 〈◊〉 thing which had put this Holy man into a strait What then was it â—â—swer â—ourthly and Affirmatively thus The Apostle had two things be 〈◊〉 him two Interests in his eye and for each of them there were 〈◊〉 strong and weighty Arguments by means of which he was 〈◊〉 a Needle between two Load Stones and by them drawn first one way and then another so that as he had said in the foregoâ—â—â— Verse Which of them he should chuse he wot not If you ask Wâ—â—â— these two things were you will easily understand by consulting 〈◊〉 context take it thus One thing was Dying and thereupon a goâ—â—â— to Christ and being with him which he knew would be gain to 〈◊〉 the other was an abiding here and continuing yet longer in 〈◊〉 Flesh to attend upon his Office as an Apostle and Servant of Jeâ—â—â— Christ and to engage yet further in the work of the Gospel wâ—â—â— he knew would through a concurrence of the Divine Spirit and â—â—â—sing turn to the gain and advantage of the Church by bringing in 〈◊〉 that were without to the acceptance and obedience of Faith 〈◊〉 also by strengthning comforting establishing and building up 〈◊〉 higher in Knowledge and Grace those that had been alreâ—â— brought in Now these two things the Apostle doth according 〈◊〉 the Wisdom and Grace given him of God compare togerher 〈◊〉 one Scale of the Balance he laid his own Gain and particular Advâ—â—â—tage which would be the infallible and immediate consequence 〈◊〉 his Death In the other Scale of the Balance he laid the Churâ—â—â— gain which he rationally concluded would be the desirable and â—â—â—py effect of his Life and Ministerial Labours and in his judgâ—â—â— the Scales did hang even so even that if a liberty of Electâ—â—â— Choice should by God be granted to him he should be at a very 〈◊〉 loss not well knowing to which side he should incline whiâ—â—â— these two he should chuse And thus good man he was as a pâ—â—â—prest and straitned between two things and two affections coâ—â—â—ry the one to the other Namely a desire of being present with 〈◊〉 Lord though absent from the Brethren and a desire of being â—â—â—sent with the Brethren and helpful to them though in order theâ—â—â— to he must consent to a being for a time absent from the Lord. 〈◊〉 this case he scarce knew what to do That ardent and imâ—â—â— Love which he did bear unto the Lord Jesus Christ would puâ— upon chusing and desiring a departure hence for where the caâ—â— is there would the Eagles be and where Christ is there would â— Christian be That principle of levity which is in the spark 〈◊〉 not more naturally carry it upward than a principle of saâ—â— Grace in the heart of a Believer doth carry him out in earnest dâ—â—â— and longings to be with Christ But then again That sincere 〈◊〉 very great Love which he had to the Brethren did produce in 〈◊〉 an humble and holy willingness to continue yet longer here He 〈◊〉 desirous to dye that he might enjoy Christ but he had learned t◠〈◊〉 himself for the sake of the Brethren These two things had â—â—ch weight and worth in themselves and such an influence and powâ—â— upon him that he was divided in himself and knew not well upon â—hich he should fix his choice Upon the consideration hereof I find â—e Learned Zanchy breaking out into this pathetical and admiring â—xclamation O cor vere Apostolicum in quo Dei proximi perfecta viâ—â—bat dilectio O Heart truly Apostolical worthy of so excellent a â—aint so great a man as Paul highly becoming so eminent an â—fficer as an Apostle of Jesus Christ in which there was such a â—â—re and vehement Flame both to God and to his Neighbour â—â—ere was indeed the Spirit of a Saint here was a Christian in his â—eauty and Glory here was Love doing its perfect work both â—ward Christ and to his Interest toward first the Person of Christ â—hom it longs to embrace and enjoy and towards the people â—f Christ whom it is also free to serve Thus have I done with the â—ird and last thing in the Text viz. the Strait in which Paul was â—nd how he came to be brought into it wherein there is an evident â—â—scovery of the excellency and nobleness of this great man's Spirit â—ut he was inlarged and set at liberty again as you find in the two â—erses immediately fellowing the Text Nevertheless to abide in the â—â—sh is more needful for you and having confidence I know that I shall â—â—ide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of Faith â—â—at your rejoycing may be more abundant in Iesus Christ for me by my â—â—ming to you again This he knew would be and so long as it was â—â—r the Glory of God and their good he was very well pleased â—â—ne request indeed he had to make to them that while he continued â—mong them he might live comfortably among them that they â—ould not be his Grief but Joy while they prectice what he â—reached and lived up to the Mysteries he reveal'd and those exâ—ellent Rules he laid down Verse 27. Only let your conversation 〈◊〉 as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. Thus have I with all the conveniâ—nt speed I could make run through those things which are conâ—â—ained in this Scripture and endeavoured in an expository way to â—xplain and open them to you The only thing which according â—o promise at our entrance into this Discourse doth remain â—urther â—o be done is to draw up some Doctrinal conclusions from the â—hole and present them to you which I shall with God's Assistance â—o and in few words dispatch every one of them leaving you to â—nlarge upon them in your own Meditations and commending both â—hem and you to the Divine Blessing for improvement First observe from these words that Death is a departure or going froâ— hence Here you are now and some of you have been so a long while sâ— long as that others are weary of you and possibly you