A Funeral Sermon PREACHED Upon the Death of the Reverend and GODLY DIVINE Mr. FRANCIS HOLCROFT Late Pastor of a Congregational Church IN Cambridgeshire Who Deceased Jan. 6. 1691 2. Aged 63. By T. M. Preacher of the Gospel LONDON Printed for William Marshall and Sold at the Bible in Newgate-Street 1692. Where are to be had Mr. Holcroft's Elegy An Epistle to the Christian Readers THIS Province of Preaching at the Funerals of our much Reverend Brother Mr. Francis Holcroft Deceased was by Divine Lot devolved upon our Worthy Brother Mr. Milway Pastor of a Church of Christ in Bury in Suffolk Who notwithstanding the rude insoleney of the absurd Scholars disturbing the whole Assembly at that time and therein highly affronting the present Generous Government was much assisted by the Lord and performed it by his Grace with great Majestick boldness and gravity to their confusion of face and our expected satisfaction The Sermon now Printed we recommend to you as very nervous and much adapted to the occasion it was to us in the hearing of it as a very lovely Song of one that had a pleasant voice Ezek. 33.32 and could play well on an Instrument What was said in praise of the Person was but a just debt and the payment was rather under than over Read the Sermon and may it be as sweet and profitable to you in reading as to us in hearing One of our Prophets and that none of the Minor Prophets but to us a great one in Israel is dead as to his Body yet lives in his spirit in Glory May his words of Doctrine Counsel Conduct Comfort which already have taken bold on the hearts of many in Cambridgeshire and many other places abide and produce much fruit Knowing assuredly that his words of threatning which he denounced will overtake the scorners that ridiculed the Saints at his Funerals contradicting and blaspheming And like as the Lord thought to do unto them according to their ways and doings Zech. 1.4 6. so will he deal with them if they do not hear and hearken to the Lord and turn from their evil ways and doings May the Prophets that survive attain in their Ministry to the height of this excellent person who as to Gifts as Saul for stature among his Brethren 1 Sam. 10.23 taller by the head and shoulders was and to us in our day one of David's Chieftains and mighty Warriers by the sword of the Spirit the Word of God doing great and good execution We question not but great is his reward in Heaven yet a reward of Grace he sits now and will sit both in Soul and Body in a high place in Glory This Teacher shall shine as the Stars Dan. 12.3 and as the brightness of the Firmament having turned many not only from sin but unto righteousness i. e. justified them by turning them to the imputed righteousness of Christ a Doctrine much despised by many of the Prophets of our Age. In fine it pleased the Lord that after this our small Apostle had in the body been frequently wrapt up into Heaven in our view in Prayer and Preaching or rather Heaven descending into him and upon him in high communion and enjoyments of God in which he had such Illuminations that he was not able to utter and express 2 Cor. 12.9 c. It pleased God lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of these discoveries that a messenger of Satan should be sent to buffet him and though the Lord was besought abundantly by himself and many others yet would not the Lord cause it wholly to depart He giveth not account of any of his matters he is Soveraign Lord of all is in one mind who can turn doth whatever he will in Heaven and Earth and laughs at the trial of the innocent Job 33.13 Job 23.13 Job 9.23 Yet before his death and in his dying the Grace of God was sufficiently manifested to him and we may make use of that Notion some had of the death of Moses viz. when it is written Deut. 34.5 That Moses died in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord. Deut. 34.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or by or upon the mouth of the Lord. That Jehovah kissed Moses when he died as the Mother takes the sleeping child into bed her cheek by the Childs cheek in her tender embraces so may we say of this our Brother Francis Jehovah kissed him with the kisses of his mouth at his departure out of this world Cant. 1.2 having given him a praelibation of glory in his spirit and he now both Soul and Body recumbs in the everlasting arms and bosom of Infinite Love THOMAS TAYLOR JOSEPH HUSSEY EPITAPH ENtomb his Body consecrated dust Until the Resurrection of the just It was a temple full of the Holy Ghost In which the Lord did dwell the Lord of Host Entomb't with highest greatest stately Glory And get some Fox some Clerk to write his Story Anoint his Herse with sweet Perfumes of Fame Hath any left behind more fragrant Name When Christ shall come with Troops of Cherubims And with this Glittering Winged Seraphims He 'l raise this Temple one of th' first you 'l see And th' second Temple shall more Glorious be Than was the first in that Christ's Person will Be present with him and him richly fill WILL. HAWORTH A Funeral Sermon ZECH. I. 5 6. Your fathers where are they and the prophets do they live forever But my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the prophets did they not take hold of your fathers and they returned and said Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us according to our ways and according to our doings so hath he dealt with us YOVR fathers where are they and the prophets do they live for ever After the return of this People out of the Babylonish Captivity that Pit in which was no Water in the 9th Chapter out of which they were brought by the Blood of the Covenant God raised up two Prophets Haggai and this Zechary to stir them up to Build the Temple of the Lord and to settle his Worship therein the Province of this Zechary was in God's Name to call the People to return to God Verse 3. Therefore say thou unto them Thus saith the Lord of hosts Turn ye unto me saith the Lord of hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of hosts A very great Allective and Inducement to return to him for he will be reconciled The Favour of God is better than Life And Thus saith the Lord of hosts Thus saith the Lord of hosts Thus saith the Lord of hosts Return it is the Call of that God that can arm all in Heaven and Earth against you One great obstacle to Conversion is our Imitation of our Fathers It is very common with Persons to speak of the Dignity of their Progenitors and yet to imitate them in their Sins Be
of them that have enjoyed their Ministry You had need fear and tremble before him lest he do so by you When the Vineyard is barren God will either take away the hedge and fling it up to be a prey to the beasts of the wood else he will take away the dresser he shall no more dig and prune it no more labour shall be spent upon it no more cost and pains shall be taken with it Saith God the rain came oft upon it and it brought forth briars and thorns such are nigh unto cursing and their end is to be burnt The Prophets live not for ever God will teach you by it that your season will not always last Know your time as Christ said Job 12.35 Yet a little while is the light with you Walk while ye have the light lest darkness come upon you For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth The next step may be Hell While ye have the light believe in the light that ye may be the children of light But I will go off that and give a little account of the second and so come to the Use 2. Though the Prophets live not for ever yet the Word of God lives Do but consider a little 1. The Prophets of God use to come with their Menaces the threatning part of God's Word and though the threatning you think is always Conditional and leaves space for Repentance this made the Prophet Jonah refuse to go on his Errand I knew saith he that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and wouldst repent thee of the evil and so I should have my Reputation stained Go and preach to Niniveh and say Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed and then God repent They will say There 's a lying Prophet Yet let me tell you when God denounceth his Judgments sometimes he puts his Oath to the Threatening swears to the matter and then it is irreversible As I live saith the Lord my heart cannot be towards this people And as the Ministry of the Prophets had a Minatory part so truly the Gospel hath Threatnings most severe ones Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is haptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Words that came out of the gracious mouth of the Son of God Hebr. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation There 's no escaping Damnation The Word of God lives The very Threatning lives Though the prophets die God will take care to make good his threatning be sure he will do it when he swears in wrath we shall never enter into his rest 2. The Word of God abides too as it comprizeth the Promises which are a declaration of God's Grace and good will towards men This was part of the Prophets Office to publish the Promise Luk. 1.69 He hath raised up an Horn of Salvation for us as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets since the world began to perform the mercy promised to our Fathers c. So the Apostle Peter saith he The spirit of God spake by the Prophets concerning Christ his Sufferings and the Glory that should follow So the Ministers of the New Testament O how they love to Preach the New Covenant and all the Promises for the relief of distressed sinners It is the most pleasing part of their work 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him in Christ are yea and in him Amen to the Glory of God by us God glorifies himself by us God glorifies his faithfulness in performing his Promises by our Ministry The Promise lives for God lives whose the Promise is He cannot lye nor cannot change He shews by it the Immutability of his Counsel that the heirs of Salvation may have strong consolation God's Prophets and Ministers they die but the Word dispensed by them that lives it hath its fulfillment Our work is to declare the whole counsel of God to you that concerns your Salvation and God doth cause his Prophets to stand in his Covenant and the secrets of God are with them Saith the Apostle Acts 20. I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God and have kept back nothing that was profitable for you Preaching Repentance towards God and Faith towards the Lord Jesus His Counsel shall stand You shall see my face no more saith he to them verse 38. But this whole Counsel of God which I have declared shall be fulfilled and there is no Person no Churches that do reject the Counsel of God but it is against themselves i. e. to their own ruin Luke 7.30 The Word of God lives the Prophets dye but the Word of God lives The Word of God dispensed by us is as seed sown though it seem to dye under the Clods yet it will live again the Lord gives it a Body or rather a Spirit And so l Peter 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever In all Productions there is some Seed out of which the Creature is brought forth so it is in the new Creature Born of the incorruptible seed the word which we Preach to you and this Word lives and abides for ever and if it be turned into a vital Principle in your Souls that will abide too it will be the Seed of God that remains And though in our sowing we go forth with precious Seed we wish it might alike prosper but we do not always meet with good Ground that which falls into good Ground by the blessing of God brings forth Fruit some more and some less The Word of God lives the Prophets dye the Ministers of Christ dye but their Word lives and will take place Now I would make some Application The Prophets do they live for ever No they do not live for ever they are Mortal and Frail they dye sooner than other Men their Labours are great and that they do not live for ever I would have you make these two or three Uses of it 1. Think with your selves God's Prophets and Ministers dye It becomes us to have our hearts affected with it to put our hearts to this matter Isaiah 57.1 The righteous perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to perish here is to dye he is taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In unum collegere He is gathered to his Fathers and no Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ponens super Cor. 1. qui caret Schindler and no man lays it to heart The Lord will take notice how you are affected this day for this Prophet The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come he shall enter into peace Blessed be God for that Admission into Peace God hath given his Servant He shall enter into peace they shall rest in there beds the Grave is a
cold Bed but really ever since Christ lodged in it it is so perfumed that we need not be afraid to lie down and sleep each one walking in his uprightness But saith he The righteous perish it is Dying Lord we perish saith the Disciples and no man lays it to heart It is the Complaint of God that we are not duly affected when he causeth a righteous Man to perish Now the dying of a Prophet is more than the perishing of a righteous Man He that gives to a Righteous Man a Cup of Water in the Name of a Righteous Man shall have a Righteous Mans reward And he that receiveth a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward Shall a Prophet dye and shall not we put our heart to it O! to think such a one is removed who use to give us such Instruction such Reproof such Consolation to give Milk to Babes and strong Meat to Men that had the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in Season to them that are weary but now we shall hear him no more nothing will drop from his Lips any more He is gone into his Bed and as to any use he can be of is perished Let us lay our hearts to it 2. If the Prophets dye and do not live you that have enjoyed their Ministry Oh! how highly doth it concern you to follow their Faith observing the end of their Conversation Hebr. 13.7 Remember them that have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation He speaks of them that had been guides to them and had spoken the word of God but they were dead and gone the Lord had removed them and gathered them up to himself they have spoken to you the Word of God Now saith he whose Faith follow That glorious Gospel of the Blessed God that they preached to you that Faith follow and imitate it that your hearts may be established in the true Grace of the Gospel And remember bear in mind how they used to live by Faith and vigorously to act it upon the Son of God do you imitate it follow the steps of their Faith observing the end of their Conversation Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end of their Conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies an end accompanied with deliverance from and Conquest over Difficulties and Dangers what God hath brought them to what issue and period God hath put to them and their days observing the end of their Conversation 1 Cor. 10.13 God makes a way of escape out of temptation God delivers them from all their Sins and Sufferings wipes all Tears from their Eyes makes a good End with them Mark the perfect Man and observe the Upright the end of that Man is Peace This is your Duty And there is one thing more and that is When the Prophets dye do you take care that when the Prophets of God are admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven that you be not shut out It will be a very great Aggravation it will aggrandize your Misery to enjoy such Prophesy such Preaching and then the Prophets dye and go to Heaven when you come to dye to go to another place Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of heaven and you your selves thrust out O think with your selves what will be the anguish of those that perish from under such a Ministry What shall I perish now from under such a Ministry That 's one Use Have a care you be not thrust out The Prophets come and Preach the Kingdom of God to you and having the Key of Knowledge they open the Door Come say they enter the kingdom take it by violence And it may be many will neither go in themselves nor suffer others to enter in When the prophets go to heaven have a care lest you should be shut out Vse 2. Tho the Prophets dye yet the Word of God lives Remember that God will make you to remember it And your Business is to enquire what hath been the quickning and enlivening Verture and Power of the word upon your Souls We Preach the Gospel and we are not ashamed of it for it is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believes Hath it been productive of such a thing as Faith in your Souls that purifies the heart apprehends Christ and all that is in Christ Hath the word come with Life and Power to you and caused Life in your Souls 1 Thess 1.5 Our Gospel saith he came not in word only but in power c. Pray inquire into that And if the word of God lives tho the Minister dye then really it will be of some effect or other to you all either a savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2.14 15 16. or of death unto death Thanks be to God that makes us to triumph The Gospel will be of some use when we are gone either a savour of life unto life or of death unto death Nay let me say this Because the Word lives tho the Prophets dye the Word of God will follow you to Judgment and there will meet you when you come up from the dead and it may be God's Prophets will be a Cloud of Witnesses against you John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receives not my words there 's one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The word lives till you come to Judgment and then will decide your Condition Christ will do it according to the word Vse 3. One thing more The Prophets dye I will speak one thing for your Comfort and that is Christ lives Ministers dye but Christ lives He was once dead but he is alive and lives for evermore And he lives as the great Prophet raised up by God As one said of the Prophets Who is their Father He that is the Father of Eternity Isaiah 9. He is alive Hebr. 7.23 They were not suffered to continue by reason of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But this Man because he hath an unchangeable Priesthood lives for ever He hath an Office that doth not pass from him to another The Prophets dye Ministers dye that that is the Spring of Consolation is Christ lives He lives to reward your Faith and Perseverance You that have believed upon hearing the word of Truth the Gospel of Salvation he lives to reward that Faith and your persevering in that Faith Come hold on in Faith in Holiness in the Order and Fellowship of the Gospel that which this Servant of Christ so much desired in his going off Christ lives to reward your Constancy Receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls 1 Peter 1.9 And then that he lives too it is to give us more Prophets to raise up more Prophets for us and to make