removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee nor the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee And as God will not of himself take away his loving kindness so neither can any creature in Hell or on Earth separate us from the love of God Rom. 8.38 39. 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 Now our reconciliation to God by Jesus Christ is a ground of joy and strong consolation against the terrours of Death and troubles of Life Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now recieved an atonement When we understand that our Lord Jesus Christ hath made an atonement for us this may fill our hearts with joy when death looks us in the face when other men tremble at the thoughts of God they that are reconciled to him may joy in God both while they live and when they dye In the next verse the Apostle speaks of death entring into the world by sin and passing upon all men for that all have sinned ver 12. And in the 3d. and 4th verses he speaks of the tribulations we are liable to in this life We glory in Tribulations Yet in all our tribulations and when we see death approaching and passing upon us we may joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received an atonement The knowledge of Gods love to our Souls may cause us to glory and rejoyce in the Lord in times of greatest mortality when Death is coming in at our Windows and entred into our houses and cuts off both young and old and there such a multitude of dead corpses that there are none to bury them Jer. 9.21 22.24 Death is come up into our Windows and is entered into our Palaces to cut off the children from without and the young men from the streets speak thus saith the Lord even the Carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field and as the handful after the harvest man and none shall gather them But let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth and understandeth me We see here that a man may attain to glory in dismal and dark days in times of greatest mortality when death is cutting down multitudes in all places our houses the streets the fields and we may see in what a man may glory at such a time and that is in the knowledge of Gods love Let him glory in this that he knoweth and understandeth me that I am the Lord that exerciseth loving kindness It was a great comfort to Jacob when he understood that Esau was reconciled to him while he apprehended his brother to be offended and that he came to meet in displeasure he was greatly afraid and distressed Gen. 32.7 But when he saw his Brother was pleased with him that made him exceeding joyful even as if he had a sight of the face of God Gen 33.10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me If reconciliation with an offended brother be such a ground of comfort what is reconciliation with an offended God Solomon speaks highly of the favour of a King that is like life to a dying man and like the Rain to the thirsty ground very grateful and refreshing Prov. 16.15 In the light of the Kings Countenance is Life and his favour is as a Cloud of the latter Rain If there be such joy in the favour of an Earthly King what joy is there in the favour of the King of Kings Reconciliation with God affords strong Consolation against the Fears and Terrors of Death several ways 1. Because such as are reconciled to God by the death of Christ shall assuredly be saved by Christ Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life 2. Because when God is reconciled to us and his wrath turned away from us we may trust in him for Salvation and all other good things without being afraid of what death or men or devils or any creatures can do unto us Isa 12.1 2. O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou hast comforted me Behold God is my Salvation I will trust and not be afraid When God is reconciled to us we need not fear what man can do to us Psal 118.7 The Lord is on my side I will not fear What can man do unto me Man can kill the body and man can torture the body but death can't hurt a man reconciled to God VVhen God is reconciled we may triumph over all our enemies not only over man but over death and the grave and the devils and Hell it self Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us II. Jesus Christ by his death hath obtained for all that are his a free full perpetual pardon of all their sins and this is a ground of strong consolation under the troubles of the world and all the fears and terrors of death The great end of Christs death was to expiate our sins and to obtain for us forgiveness of sins 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our sins 1 Joh. 3.5 And ye know that he was manifest to take away our sins Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself Now concerning this pardon which our Lord Jesus hath obtained by his offering up himself a Sacrifice for us let us observe these four things 1. It is a full and general pardon of all and every one of our sins 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin All sorts of sins sins of Omission and Commission sins of Ignorance and sins against light original and actual sins are cleansed away by the Blood of Christ and every particular sin great and small is cleansed by the Blood of Christ Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity He did not design our Redemption from some one sin or from many but to redeem us from all iniquity by his giving himself to death for us This was typified by the scape goat over him Aaron laid his hands and confessed all the sins and all the aggravations that were in the sins of the Children of Israel and the goat bore away all their iniquities into the land of forgetfulness Lev. 16.21 22. Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live
CONSOLATION IN LIFE and DEATH Wherein is shewed That Interest in Christ is a ground of Comfort under all the Troubles of Life and Terrors of death How they that have an Interest in Christ may retain the same Begun in A Funeral Sermon occasioned by the death of Mrs. Ellen Asty and since much enlarged By Owen Stockton late Minister of the Gospel at Colchester in Essex TOGETHER With the Life of the said Mrs. Ellen Asty Rom. 8. v. 38. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Rom. 8. v. 39. 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. London Printed by J. R. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1681. To the Worthily Honoured John Clark of Bury in Suffolk Esquire SIR IT is your seriousness in Religion together with your intimate Acquaintance with and respect for Reverend Mr. Owen Stockton that occasioneth the prefixing your name to the ensuing Treatise of which he was the Author He was one mighty in the Scriptures whose Life was much desired and his Death much lamented As you delighted to hear him Preach when he was alive So I doubt not but he being dead you are willing to hear him yet speaking especially in a word of Consolation against the troubles of Life and the fears and terrours of Death I hope the Lord hath delivered your self from the Sting of Death but yet you may need some help against the fear of it Take a survey of your Mercy that you are not under the unhappiness of Christless Souls who through the fear of Death are all their life time subject to Bondage It is said that the Indians being alarum'd with the Approaches of Death by its Arrestment so as all hope of recovery is past then to behold and hear their throbbing sobs and deep-fetched sighs their grief-wrung hands and tear-bedewed cheeks their doleful cries would draw tears from Adamantine Eyes that be but Spectators of their mournful Obsequies Indeed it is unexpressibly sad to be under a Conviction as many are of the immortality of a never dying Soul and yet to be Strangers to the promise of Eternal Life Such must needs be Mourners without hope All the Cordials in the World in this case will not afford the least drop of refreshment to such disconsolate Souls nor will a Righteousness of our own be a sure bottom for Comfort against that last Enemy Death But behold here is a way deciphered whereby we may not only be helped to leave Riches Friends Wife Children Houses Lands and depart in peace but also with exceeding joy Interest in Christ will be a means to turn Death the King of Terrors into the King of Comforts it will make it of a bitter Enemy a familiar Friend an Out-let to Affliction and a Portal to Glory How that Interest conduceth to the fitting a Soul with Consolation is discovered here by this eminent Servant and Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Owen Stockton in a Funeral Sermon upon the Death of Mrs. Ellen Asty the Relict of that Reverend Mr. Asty late of Stratford in Suffolk which afterwards he much enlarged and so left it under his own hand It was intended that the said Mr. Stockton should have printed it together with her Life but Death arresting him before he had Accomplished that work Providence hath cast it upon my hands to draw her Portraiture out of the papers which were in his hands to that end which I have done accordingly and here present it to your self and to publick view I must say further that this is a Branch or part of a Treatise of his on the same Text entituled the best Interest which probably will follow speedily This and that together compleat the Subject yet either of them might have appeared to the Reader as a perfect and distinct Treatise had I not hinted thus much I shall only add that my ardent desire is that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may bless you with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ so prayeth September 1. 1681. Honoured Sir Your Servant in the Gospel Sam. Petto Errata PAge 3. l. 25. dele for p. 23. l. 26. r. there are p. 29. l. 12. r. grace p. 37. l. 29. dele should p. 42. l. 16. for ready r. really p. 44. l. 3. for upon r. yea p. 59. l. 10. for sight r. fight p. 60. l. 28. r. carried on p. 70. l. 13. r. trusting p. 88. l. 13 for here r. how p. 96. l. 17. for preserving r. preferring In Mrs. Astys Life Page 8. l. 26. dele never p. 9. l. 15. r. uprightness p. 10. l. 16. r. never seemed CONSOLATION IN LIFE and DEATH Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his he feedeth among the Lilies THis Book containeth a Discourse concerning Jesus Christ and his Church Sometimes Christ is brought in speaking of his Church and sometimes to his Church And at other times the Church is brought in speaking of Christ and sometimes to Christ In this Text the Spouse of Christ is brought in speaking concerning Christ and expressing her grounds of Consolation that she had both under the troubles of Life and the danger of Death The troubles of the Church are set out Chap. 1.6 She was black because the Sun had looked upon her which signifieth the scorching persecutions that the Lord suffereth to come upon the Church to try the Faith and Patience of his Servants And she met with much anger and hard usage from her Mothers Children that is those that professed the same Faith with her self my Mothers Children were angry with me and made me the Keepers of their Vineyards and would not suffer her to keep her own Vineyard Her troubles are further set out Chap. 2. v. 2. As a Lilie among Thorns so is my Love among the Daughters that is compassed about on every side with sharp and sore troubles that did prick and grieve like Thorns or that her lot and habitation was in the midst of evil Men who were like Thornes in her side Her inward troubles are touched on which did proceed from her abundant love to Christ v. 5. I am sick of love Sickness makes a man restless such was her condition a restless condition Her troubles are also set out v. 15. There were Foxes abroad that made spoil of the Vines And these Foxes were of two sorts 1. False Teachers that did by false Doctrine corrupt and spoil the Vines Ezek. 13.4 Israel thy Prophets are like the Foxes that is the false Prophets for the true Prophets support and cherish the Vines they are the false Prophets that spoil the Vines 2 Subtle and cruel Persecutors that seek after the lives of the Saints are these Foxes Luk. 13.31 32. Sect. 1. The Division of the Words with the Doctrines In the words
it can do us no harm 2. VVhen our sins are pardoned we may be assured our Souls shall be saved for God glorifieth all whom he justifieth Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also glorified Tit. 3.7 That being justified by his grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of eternal life 3. Jesus Christ by his death and sufferings hath obtained for all that are his freedom from eternal condemnation and this is a ground of strong consolation under all the troubles of this life and against the fears and terrours of Death There is not any one person that belongeth to Christ that hath an interest in Christ that shall come into condemnation Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus That our Lord Jesus Christ hath redeemed all that are his from eternal condemnation is evident several wayes 1. Because Christ dyed for us Rom. 8.34 Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed The Death of Christ is our security from Eternal Death He laid down his life on purpose to ransome us from Eternal condemnation Math. 20.28 The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many out of respect to and for the sake of this ransome God will deliver all that are Christs from going down into the bottomless pit Job 33.24 Deliver him from going down into the pit for I have found a ransom 2. The ground and cause of our Condemnation is taken away by the Death of Christ which is sin For God condemneth no man but for sin and therefore Christ having by his Death taken away our sins hath taken away condemnation from us 3. God out of respect to the death and sufferings of Christ hath promised that none that believe in Christ shall come into condemnation Joh. 3.16 18. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but should have everlasting life He that believeth on him is not condemned Job 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from Death unto Life 4. The Keys of Hell are in the hands of Jesus Christ he hath power to cast into Hell and to keep out of Hell whom he pleaseth Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and of Death And if the Keys of Hell be in the hands of Christ then all they that are Christs are upon sure grounds that they shall not come into condemnation for he will not in any wife cast any of his Members into eternal torments Joh. 6.37 Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out And seeing all they that are Christs are redeemed from eternal condemnation this may comfort them under all the troubles of this world and against the fears and terrors of Death It may scatter and dispel all our sorrows and fill our hearts with joy and gladness when we understand and believe that we are ransomed and delivered from eternal torments Isa 35.10 The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away This hath relation to the deliverance of the Jews out of the Babylonian Captivity which was a type of our deliverance from eternal misery when God brought them out of their captivity they were filled with joy and singing Psal 126.1 2. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Now if there were such joy and singing by the ransomed of the Lord that were delivered from Babylon what joy and gladness may arise to the ransomed of the Lord from their deliverance from Hell torments Hell is a worse place than Babylon the captivity of Babylon was but for 70 years but Hell torments are for Eternity David speaks of his deliverance from Hell as an unexpressible Mercy and that he would praise God with all his heart and glorifie him for evermore for such a great mercy Psal 86.12 13. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for evermore for great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell And this his deliverance from the lowest Hell was a comfort to him when the proud rose up against him and the assemblies of violent men sought after his Soul ver 14.17 When we know and believe that we are freed from condemnation by the death of Christ this may cause us to triumph over death when we are killed all the day long and counted as Sheep for the slaughter Rom. 8.34 36 37. Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerors through him that loved us When we are freed from condemnation we may triumph over Death though we walk in danger of Death all the day long more than Conquerours triumph over their conquered enemies IV. They that are Christs have a sure and undoubted right to eternal life and that sure hope which they have of eternal life is a ground of strong consolation under all the troubles of this life and against the fears and terrours of Death They that are Christs have a sure and undoubted right to Eternal Life 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life It is not said he shall have Life but he hath Life that is he may be as sure of it as if he had it already He hath an undoubted right an unquestionable Title to eternal life He hath it in the purpose and decree of God he hath it in the promise of God And that by life here is meant eternal life is evident from the following words they that have Christ dwelling in their hearts by Faith have a sure ground and foundation for their hope of eternal glory Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory That all that are Christs have an undoubted right to and sure grounds to hope for eternal Life may be demonstrated several wayes 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ dyed on purpose that he might purchase and procure eternal life for all that should believe on him Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses listed up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life By the lifting up of the Son of man is meant his suffering death upon the Cross Joh. 12.32 33. And this death he suffered that he might purchase eternal life for all that should believe on him 1 Thes 5.9 10. God hath not appointed us unto wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ