gone gone never to be seen in this place nor in any of your houses or families againe do we love our neighbours and brethren let us mourne that they as well as we have lost at one clap a faithfull friend a faithfull counsellour a faithfull instructer a faithfull reprover a faithfull comforter in a word a faithfull Preacher Let every one of us mourne together and yet mourne apart let the wife mourn that she hath lost so pious a yoke-fellow let his children mourn that they have lost so carefull a father let the servants mourn that they have lost so religious a master let the people mourne that they have lost so painfull a Pastor and let us Ministers mourne that we have lost such a fellow-labourer one that did joyne with us and help us to oppose those grand enemies Sin Satan and the World True it is none have cause to mourne in reference to his present condition but rather to rejoyce he hath fought a good fight finished his course and kept the faith and now is wearing that crown of righteousness which hath been prepared for him Could he speake unto us he would say as Christ to the women who be wailed and lamented him Luk. 23.28 Weepe not for me but weepe for your selves Let us search our hearts and lives and find out the causes of this our losse why God hath given us such a cup of gall and wormwood for to drinke And is there not a cause Yes certainly Our unthankfulnesse our unfruitfulnesse our pride our worldliness our deadness our coldness our lukewarmness our hypocrisie our contempt and undervaluing of such a blessing have provoked God to deprive us of him The losse of our first love hath made God to scourge us with this loss a loss with a witness a loss to many at once a loss to the State a loss to the Church a loss to the Country a loss to his Parish a loss to his Neighbours a loss to his Yoke-fellow a loss to his Children a loss to his Brethren we have lost we know not what this loss may be more felt hereafter than it is for the present I wish you may never have cause to say where is the spirit of Elijah Where is he now whose zeale was wont to inflame our hearts whose forwardness for God was wont to put us forward whose teares were wont to set us on mourning whose spirituall fervour was wont to heate and warme us whose elevated heart in the waies of God hath helped to lift up our hearts in Gods waies the prevalency of whose prayers we were wont to feele in the encreasing and quickning of our graces whose powerfull Sermons were wont to leave most sweet and refreshing influences upon our soules Where is he Where is he God grant that the spirit of Elijah may be doubled upon his successour that you may not pine and languish away in such sad complaints I make no question were it in the power of prayers and teares of fasting and mourning to fetch him back againe you would not be long without him But now it is too late thankfulness fruitfulness and a close walking with God might have kept him still amongst you who cannot be recalled by any teares or supplications Thus having finished the first thing that Joash did after he came to see Elisha we come now to speake of the second effect or fruit of his visitation expressed in the honourable titles which he gave unto him First he cals him his Father from whence we may observe That honour and respect ought to be shewed from all sorts of men to the faithfull Messengers and Ministers of God Joash did no more than his duty the spirit of God would not have left it upon record for his commendation had it not been a thing that God liked and approved All Sexes whether men or women all relations whether Prince or people husband or wife or all degrees whether high or low rich or poore all conditions whether good or bad righteous or unrighteous learned or unlearned are bound to honour and respect the Messengers and Ministers of Christ there is an inward honour belongs unto them we are highly to esteeme of them to love them there is an outward honour belongs to them we are to honour them in our words by speaking well of them and respectfully to them we are to honour them in our gestures and carriages towards them the Babylonians were charged with this fault that they respected not the persons of the Priests Lam. 4.16 Mat. 13.57 It seemes then nothing was more common and ordinary than to shew respect and honour to the Prophets of God 1 Thes 5.11 1 Tim. 5.17 Reasons First God honours them and therefore men should not neglect to honour them it is ground enough for us to love a man because God loves him and to respect men because God respects them Christ would have us to be mercifull that we might be like unto our heavenly Father who is mercifull Mat. 5. So we must honour those whom God honours that we might expresse our conformity unto God What shall be done unto the man whom the King will honour saith Ahasuerus to Haman Est 6.6 Haman thought no honour too great for and none too great to honour such a man what shall then be done unto the men whom the King of Kings will honour Surely mortall men should not thinke much to honour those whom the immortall God thinkes not much to honour Now there is no faithfull Minister whom God doth not hath not will not highly honour 1 Sam. 2.30 they honour God and God will honour them Secondly Their Office is an honourable office their calling an honourable calling Heb. 5.4 to be a Steward to another man is a place of honour Yearely Stewards if I mistake not are Esquires by their places as Knights eldest Sons are by their birth To be Lord High Steward to a Prince is a place of greater honour Now all Gods Ministers are Stewards to that God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Cor. 4.1 Againe the Office of an Embassadour who represents the person of the King is a place of great honour Ministers are Gods Embassadours they negotiate for God and they are employed to treat about a peace between God and man about a marriage between Christ and the soules of people 2 Cor. 5.20 Again they are said to be co-workers and fellow labourers with God himselfe in the salvation of sinners 1 Cor. 3 9. Thirdly Good men have been ready and carefull to honour the Messengers and Ministers of God such who have slighted them before their Conversion have much respect and reverence unto them after conversion Those who mockt at Peter and the Apostles when they were in the state of nature did very much honour them after they were wrought upon by Peters Sermon Acts 2.37 Cornelius a good man was ready to go beyond his bounds in shewing honour to Peter he was ready to give him too much
and malicious enemies are delivered from them And is not this the condition of all our gracious friends vvhen they dye Are they not novv at ease vvho vvere once in paine Are they not novv at liberty vvho vvere once in prison For this vvorld is a prison to a pious soule Are they not novv freed from all their enemies vvho could have no rest night or day from one enemy or other Rejoice therefore that their vvarfare is accomplished and blesse God that he hath not taken avvay himselfe from us though he hath deprived us of such vvho vvere our deare friends vve have no cause to grudge at the losse of these Cisternes so long as vve have the fountaine What though these bottles be dry vve cannot vvant the refreshing vvaters of comfort so long as the spring is vvith us vvhen God takes avvay our outvvard helps he takes avvay such as may better be spared than himselfe let our losses be what they vvill they may very vvell be borne so long as vve enjoy God vvho is alsufficient Hast thou lost a loving husband yet blesse God that Christ vvho loves thee and will live vvith thee is not lost thy naturall Father is dead but thou hast a Father in heaven vvho vvants no vvisdome to counsell thee no love to comfort thee no povver to help thee no supplies to relieve thee vvho is not ignorant or unsensible of thy condition and vvill be vvith thee continually Thou hast lost a precious Pastor yet thou hast a better shepheard to take care of thee the Lord Jesus blessed for ever But vvhy say I vve have lost our friends vvhen they dye We rather part vvith them for a season than lose them they are gone a little before us to that place vvhere vve shall be ere long and enjoy them more refined more pure more lovely and amiable never to part vvith them more Besides vve have cause to rejoyce though not in the death of our Christian friends yet in the spirituall benefits that vve shall reap by their deaths God hath said Rom. 8.28 All things shall vvorke together for good to those vvho love him and are the called according to his purpose True vve cannot see hovv the losse of gracious friends shall turn to our advantage but vve must shut the eyes of sense and live by faith in the promise it is ground sufficient for us to beleeve that vve shall be gainers by our losses because God hath said so vvho cannot lye 7. Must godly men dye Then let godly men take heed of setting their hearts inordinately upon these outward blessings and comforts from which they must part the more the world is in our affections the lesse pleasing and welcome will the thoughts of death be unto us Why are we loath to dye Because we are not prepared and why are we not prepared But because we have minded earth too much and heaven too little Oh the world the world how hath it got too much hold of the hearts of too many good Christians never was there more need to preach upon that Text Take heed and beware of covetousnesse Or upon those words of Paul Set your affections upon things above not on things below What heare we from the men of the world For ought we see these who pretend so much to heaven are as greedy after the earth as others and it were well if their tongues were no flander in this particular if the world be our treasure why make we a profession of Christ And if Christ be our treasure why do we embrace the world It is no wonder to see earnall men who have not God for their Father who have no promise for a necessary supply of those outward things who have no spirituall stock to comfort their hearts no heaven but what may be found in the confluence of temporall enjoyments to be violent in their desires and endeavours after the world but you that are Christians indeed and not in name only have no cause to be over-carefull or to cumber your selves with too many things Gods power and faithfulnesse are engaged that you shall want no good thing Psal 84.11 Mat. 6.33 Rom. 8.32 Grant you have wife and children to provide for yet take heed of wounding your own soules and consciences by excessive thoughtfulnesse for their bodies the Apostles rule must be obeyed or else we shall be found guilty but what is that you will say read 1 Cor. 7.29.30 31. the best way we can take to provide for wife and children is to do what God commands and not to practice what God forbids Psal 112.1 2 3. As I would not have you to neglect your particular callings so I would not have you to forget your generall callings thinke not only that you are men and stand in need of earthly supplies but remember also you are Christians and are call'd to have your conversation in heaven be you thoughtfull to honour God and God will be thoughtfull to maintaine and provide for you and yours Walke therefore closely with God keep up and maintaine the power of Godlinesse improve all opportunities put into your hands to do or to get good balke no duty commanded Be more mindfull to make thy friends and children good than great and to leave them in the armes of Christ than to leave them millions of gold and silver An estate raised by sinfull neglects or commissions will do thy children more hurt than good and it is more than an even lay that that will be spent loosely by them which hath been gotten covetously by thee 8. Must the godly dye Then let those who are godly prepare for death do nothing now which may move God to conceale his love in that last houre True it is no sooner shall your breath be stopt here but your soules shall be carried into heaven yet you may so order the matter that your departure may be clouded Ah! how sweet will it be for God to smile upon us when we come to dye to say unto us Well done thou good and faithfull servant enter now into thy Masters joy Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure keep your evidences cleare blot them not by any loose or scandalous practice take heed of grieving that spirit which hath at any time sealed you to the day of redemption 9. Must the godly dye Let this be matter of support and consolation unto all godly ones in the midst of those troubles and temptations which they meet withall in the world Art thou buffeted by sathans temptations wearied with that body of death which thou carriest about thee Dost thou groane under the burden of a vile and cursed heart Art thou followed with variety of afflictions Do thy enemies scorne and persecute thee Be of good comfort death will come death will come ere long and set thee free from all thine enemies Job speaking of the grave tels us There the wicked cease from troubling there the weary are at rest Job 3.17
they would have no cause to groane or complaine some there are who once thought themselves happy in the enjoyment of a faithfull Pastor who now would thinke themselves happy in the want and losse of him God may let such men have their supposed happinesse take away such a Minister from them but it will prove a reall misery who would not exclaime against that child who should be weary of a most gracious and loving Father and yet how many who look upon themselves as converted who are weary of their spirituall Fathers are so far from blessing God for them that they would rather blesse God should they be rid of them Well God may ease you of them soone enough though you care not for their company he doth though you slight them yet God highly esteems of them Are there not those who are ready to say of the Ministers of Christ as they did Psal 83.4 of the Jews Let us cut them off from the Nation that the name of Ministers may be had no more in remembrance God may grant such men what they would have not in mercy but in wrath as he gave the Israelites quailes and a King Psal 78.31 Hos 13 11. Would we enjoy Gods Messengers amongst us let us be thankfull for them not fretfull against them let us esteeme them very highly in love and not prosecute and persecute them with extreame malice and hatred Fifthly Must godly and painefull Ministers die Then let us prepare for their death make sure of that Prophet who cannot die but lives for ever the Lord Jesus Christ should all the Ministers in a Country be taken away from thee or you shut up in some prison from them Christ can abundantly supply their absence and losse John told the people he baptized them with water but Christ would baptize them with the Holy Ghost Alas we can but speake to your eares it is Christ who must speake to your hearts It were a dreadfull sin for any man to turne his back upon the Ministry of the word when he hath liberty to attend upon it but if God shall be pleased to remove his Candlestick and to take away his Ministers we may hope Christ being ours that he will supply the absence of his servants Christ doth not make use of Ministers out of an absolute necessity as if he could not teach or comfort without them but out of choice Againe get the spirit of the Lord Jesus Other lights may and must be put out but this will be lasting and permanent when other guides are gone this will continue and abide with us Joh. 14.16 17 18. Chap. 16.7 13. he who hath the fountaine of all light and comfort may be the better able to want the streames thus we have done with the first part of the Text Elisha's sicknesse and death we now come to the second part concerning Joash his visiting of him and lamenting over him Here we have a King visiting a Prophet a great King a meane Prophet a wicked King a religious Prophet and we have the Holy Ghost justifying and commending this action from whence we may observe Doct. 3 That no person is too great to visit a faithfull Minister of God in his sicknesse The Psalmist tels us Psal 41. that God will make the bed of a gracious and mercifull man Now if the glorious God thinkes it not too much to be a good mans bed-maker the highest of men should not thinke it too much to visit a good man Reasons First it is a duty which Christ requires to be performed to all his members and therefore ought not to be neglected towards his Messengers Is any man too great to do what God commands Though there is no reason why Gods will should stoop to ours yet there is all reason why our wills should stoop to Gods he is our Creator we his Creatures he our Lord we his Servants he our King we his Subjects Now that visiting the sick is a duty enjoyned by Christ and incumbent upon us is cleare from that Text Mat. 25.42 Men usually find fault where there is none but there is ever a fault where Christ finds one Secondly The faithfull Messengers of Christ are no despicable persons low they are indeed in the opinions of carnall men but the holy God hath high thoughts of them they are his Embassadours his Stewards his Treasurers his Friends yea he cals them co-workers with himself to them hath Christ committed the power of the keyes they are called guides rulers the lights of the world saviours Why did Joash visit Elisha He lookt upon him as one who had been an instrument once and againe to save them out of the hands of the Syrians Ministers are Instruments appointed by God to save not the bodies only but the soules of people out of the hands not of flesh and bloud but of principalities and powers and spirituall wickednesses Thirdly Much advantage may be gotten by visiting Gods faithfull Ministers in the time of their sicknesse as they have taught us by their Doctrine and example to do what God commands so they may teach us to beare what God inflicts as to live well so to dye well We may get more from them when they are upon their death-beds than we could get from them when they were in the Pulpit as the words of dying men come from the heart so they go to the heart we may remember their dying speeches though we have been ready to forget what formerly hath been spoken we may be instructed by their counsels warmed by their prayers quickned by their exhortations freed from the feares of death by seeing their boldnesse and courage and learne faith and patience from their practice King Joash lost nothing by visiting the Prophet Elisha as you may read ver 15 16. and Elisha lost nothing by attending upon Elijahs removall from earth to heaven as you may read 2 Kin. 2.10 A Prince may be a great gainer by vifiting of a Prophet Fourthly It is a very great and soule-ruining sin for any man let him be never so great in case he hath liberty and opportunity not to visit the members of Christ and therefore they cannot wash themselves from guilt who neglect wanting neither time nor strength nor health to visit his Ministers What think we was Christ in jest or in earnest when he spake those words Mat. 25.41 42 43. Fifthly Christ takes what is done unto his Messengers as done unto himselfe He that receiveth you saith our Saviour receiveth me were it possible for the Lord Jesus to be sick we would professe our willingnesse to visit him in such an afflicted condition and would exclaime against them as most notorious wretches and unworthy to live who should not take a step or two to wait upon Christ Now read Mat. 25.40 was no man too great to attend upon Christ personall in the day of his distresse neither is any too great to visit Christ mysticall Sixthly We may do much good to the
respect rather than too little Acts. 10.25 How much favour and kindness did the Shunamite and her husband manifest to the Prophet Elisha 2 King 4.8 the Galatians esteemed Paul as an Angel of God and received him as Christ Jesus Gal. 4.14 Fourthly Wicked men have been ready to reverence and to respect the faithfull Messengers and Ministers of God How highly did Nebuchadnezzar honour the Prophet Daniel Chap. 2.46 47. Darius also did not a little respect and prize him Naaman the Syrian shewed much reverence to the Prophet Elisha Herod reverenced John Baptist Mar. 6.20 and the Barbarians bestowed upon Paul and his company many honours we see then that both by the confession of God and man there is an honour due from all sorts of people to Gods faithfull Messengers and Ministers Uses First It serves to reprove those who make it their work and trade to revile and reproach the faithfull Messengers and Ministers of God looke upon them with scorne and contempt count them as the off-scouring of all things and rakehell it selfe for base termes and names to cast upon them persons truly religious in former times were known by their love to and esteeme of godly and consciencious Ministers but now scorne and contempt of godly and consciencious Ministers is the practice of those who would be thought and stile themselves to be the Saints and religious ones what the Apostle spake concerning that wisdome which was attended with envy and strife that it was earthly sensuall and devillish so we may say of that Religion which puts men upon rayling against and reproving the Messengers and servants of the Lord that it is earthly sensuall and devillish a Religion of the devills setting up and not of Gods appointing Michael disputing with the devill about the body of Moses dared not to bring a rayling accusation against him you know men full of fierceness and bitterness against dignities whether in State or Church whatever formes they may have are called clouds without water raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame wandring stars to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Never were Gods Embassadors more slighted and despised than in these daies but let such despisers know that God takes the scornes and contempts cast upon them as cast upon himselfe and though he is patient and long-suffering yet will find a time to be avenged of all such Rabshekahs Luk. 10.16 No sin hastens the execution of Gods judgements upon a State sooner than this sin 2 Cron. 36.16 we read of some who never prospered after they set themselves to oppose Gods Messengers and Ministers 2 Chron. 16.12 Chap. 24.25 Chap. 25.16 Chap. 26.18 Secondly Is there an honour due from all sorts of people to Gods faithfull Messengers and Ministers let us not rob Gods Messengers and Ministers of that honour which is their due they are worthy of double honour saith the Apostle the honour of reverence and the honour of maintenance let us not be so unworthy as to deny it them in honouring of them we honour God as in despising of them we despise God though Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend though the vile ones of the world slight and scorne faithfull Preachers and Pastors yet let not those who professe the Gospell tread in their steps but walke according to what the Gospell injoynes in this particular 1 Thes 5.11 by slighting of us you hurt your selves more than you wrong us our salvation is furthered not hindered by your scornes these light afflictions worke for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory but your salvation is much hindered by slighting and contemning of us that doctrine and message will be the lesse regarded by you which we bring from our Lord Master to you call we upon you to render us that honour which is our due and your duty in reference to our selves only or for our own comfort and encouragement No certainly but for your benefit and advantage also you will get but little good by your Ministers labours so long as you have low and despicable conceits of their persons take heed therefore of this sin of the times slight not those whom God commands you to honour hate not those whom God would have you love Be not worse than Joash If any shall say Joash had good reason to observe and honour Elisha for he was a Prophet were our Ministers Prophets and able to do as Elisha did we were to blame should we not expresse all warrantable reverence unto them As for those who make this objection let them heare what our Saviour spake Mat. 11.11 Fourthly Let me speake a word or two to you my brethren and my selfe Let us do nothing that may deprive us of that honour which belongs unto us so let us walke so humbly so inoffensively so holily so exemplarily in every good word and worke that we may keep up the tottering honour both of our Office and Persons Let us make it our businesse to honour God by laying out our selves to encrease his Kingdome by a faithfull performance of those duties which God calls for at our hands in our places by being patterns of faith and patience meeknesse and selfe deniall contempt of the world and heavenly mindednesse and God will honour us good men will honour us yea God can make our worst enemies to honour us We now come to the last doctrine which may be gathered from the second title of honour which this King gave unto Elisha he calls him the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof he acknowledged that all Israel were as much if not more beholden to the Prophet for their defence and safety as to their Chariots and horsemen from hence we may observe thus much Doctrine That Gods faithfull Ministers are a great defence to the nation and people where they live what Joash said concerning Elisha the same did Elisha speak concerning Elijah so that we have not this testimony only from the mouth or a wicked Prince but also from the mouth of a holy Prophet 2 Kings 2.12 2 Chron. 11.13 17. Chap. 13.9 10. Chap. 31.21 Reasons First Because they make it their worke to suppresse and beat down sin which makes a nation naked and weake and exposeth it to all manner of judgements God is the defence of every nation whilest he is with a people they need not feare but sin will drive God away it will deprive a people of their defence Numb 14.9 Now Ministers by preaching against and opposing of sin take a course to keep God present still amongst a people Secondly The prayers of Gods faithfull Ministers are very prevalent with God both for the continuance of mercies and the keeping off of judgments Moses his prayer did as much good as Joshuahs sword when the people of Israel encountred with Amaleck The house of Abimelech was in great danger of ruine but upon Abrahams prayer God spared it Gen. 20.7 How often was God ready