THE SAINTS EXPECTATION AND REWARD A SERMON AT THE FUNERALL of that Learned and Faithfull Minister of Christ Mr. THO WIBOROW June 10th 1652. Preached at Enfeild in Staffordshire By MICHAEL THOMAS Minister of Gods Word at Stockden in Shropshire Marke the perfect Man and behold the Vpright for the end of that man is Peace Psal 37. 37. The Righteous shall be had in everlasting Remembrance Psal 112. 6. Blessed are the Dead that Dye in the Lord. Revel 14. 13. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his Shop at the Princis Armes in St Pauls Church-yard 1655. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Epist Pet. 3d. chap. ver 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness THE first word of this Text invites us to look back to somewhat that went before at the third Verse the Apostle gives a propheticall caveat concerning a sort of scoffers that should come in the last daies mockers at Religion not onely bending all their wit and learning to dispute against it but deciding those that spake of the comming of the Lord. Where is the promise of his comming say they ver 4. 't was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Aretius a mocking and scoffing question which argued not onely the proud wickednesse but the deep security of their hearts Now against these Saint Peter bends his main forces and in this Epistle stirres up his dispersed Countrymen the Jews to stick close to that Doctrine which was delivered by the Prophets and Apostles For assure your selves saith he that as this VVorld had a beginning and once perished so hereafter it shall have an end and whatsoever these scoffers think be consumed with fire Verses 6 and 7. Neither think yee this time long a comming for though it seem so to us it is otherwise with God Deo nihil est aut prius aut posterius say the Schoolmen Gods actions are not measured by the rule of time those things which are past and future are present to him for one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day ver 8. 'T is the patience and long-suffering of the Lord which doth as it were set back the clock of time that we might take the advantage of the means and opportunities of grace to repent and be provided against that day commeth For come it shall and that suddenly as a thief in the night ver 9. and appear it shall and that terribly when the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat verse 10 but howsoever this universall combustion shall ruine the frame of this world and involve those desperate wretches in it that rest their hearts upon it yet to us who have obtained the pretious faith through the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ it shall not occasion the least trouble let the foundations of the Earth sink away under our feet let our habitations totter about our ears let the air fail our nostrills or the Heavens to give us light Neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new Heavens seq This Text in the generall purpose and design of it presents to us this observation That a righteous man hath both helps and hopes to depend upon when the whole world failes him A Doctrine very proper and necessary to be discussed in these sad times we see by sad and daily experiences that the tenure of our Earthly poslessions is fickle and uncertain those Tabernacles of our flesh wherein our soules dwell are continually decaying and mouldring away and therefore the spirits of holy men had need to be supported with their future hopes by the consideration of those glorious Mansions that are preparred in Heaven for them And when I have discussed this generall observation I proceed to speak of these five particulars First that the Estate of a Christian in this life is an inheritance 't is not in possession but in reversion Expectamus wee look for The second is that this inheritance will certainly devolve and fall to him for his Evidence for it is Gods promise Wee according to his promise look for The third is the substance of the inheritance Heaven and Earth The forth is the quality of the inheritance New Heavens and a new Earth The fift is the excellence of the inheritance wherein dwelleth righteousnesse I shall guide your Christian attention through these particulars and collect thence such notes of as may be proper to our selves and sutable to this present occasion I begin with the generall observation That a righteous man hath both helps and hopes to depend when the whole world failes him 'T was a blessed Metaphor which the Holy Ghost put into the mouth of St. Paul Pondus gloriae When he said that our afflictions are but light because there is an exceeding and an eternall weight of glory attending on them for were it not for that exceeding weight of glory no other weight in the world were able to turn the scale or weigh down those infinite weights of affliction which oppose us here we read in the book of Exodus that God sent upon Pharaoh pestem valde gravem a very heavy pestilence 9. 3d. in the eighth chap. Musâ—am valde gravem God called in but the fly to vex the Egyptians and even that flye was an heavy burthen to them The distressed Church of the Jews complain'd Lament 3. that God aggravasset compedes had made their fetters and their chains heavy to them and the workmen in the harvest Math. 20. complain that they had born the heat burthen of the day David and Solomon both cryed out and said that this work is vanity and lightnesse when wee see all is weight and burden and heavinesse and oppression what man that lives may not say and that truly trouble and heavinesse are fallen upon me so that were there not a weight of future glory to counterpoise it we should all sink into nothing And that which multiplies the sadnesse of this consideration is that still the best men have the most heavy afflictions laid upon them No sooner do we hear God say of Job that he had found a just man one that fear'd God and eschewed evill but immediately God grants a Commission to Satan to bring in the Sabeans and Chaldeans upon his servants and cattle fire and tempest upon his children and loathsom diseases upon his body Although God gave that testimony of holy David hat he was a man according to his own heart yet we may read several crosses that befel him in the miscarriages disobediences of his Children Yea our blessed Saviour himself of whom God testified at his baptism This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Yet we find that beloved Son led up by the spirit to be tempted in the Wildernesse Math. 4. Afterward you may hear God ratifying the same testimony at his transfiguration This is my beloved Son in whom
of these holy men but from this consideration that their estates were an iâ—heritance which as yet they were not in possession of but 〈…〉 assure themselves of the reversion and this note may 〈…〉 things First if the Lord have given us wealth or other accomodations or contentments in present possession it should move us to thankfulnesse How much are those men bound to God to whom he hath given the Earth in possession and Heaven in reversion how should they endeavour to honour the Lord with their substance who hath obliged them by so many mercies And secondly patience and contentednesse are vertues that are required of those that are poor in this world that man is too covetous that will not be satisfied unlesse he have Earth and Heaven too Let us consider our selves that while we are in this world we are heirs indeed but in our nonage we have a title to any good thing this world hath or the next but God who is our Guardian hath it in his hands and allowes onely something for our present maintenance but when the few and evill daies of our pilgrimage be expired then we shall possesse a City that hath foundations which is purchased and prepared for us and which shall extreamly be estated on us for the evidence wee have to shew for it is Gods promise which is the second particular we are to consider We according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth Man hath divers waies and meanes of apprehending things that which we apprehend by sense we call our knowledge that which we know by argument we call our reason that which we know by tryal is our experience but that which we receive for the authority of him that delivers it is called faith God hath promised eternall life to all them that are in Christ Jesus of this the authority of the word of God informs me and my faith pitches upon it and there it rests It was well said by Theophylact. Orationis fundamentum basis est Fides Fidei vero Dei promissio The foundation of prayer is faith for without faith prayer is ineffectuall but the foundation of our faith are the promises of God in Christ Jesus and God was pleased to take that way of assurance for the comfort and support of his people So St. Paul expresses it God being willing to shew to the heâ—rs of his promise the immutability of his counsell confirm'd it with an Oath Onely for this reason that we might have strong consolation such a consolation as will be a Tower and Fortresse of defence such a support as will hold up our heads amidst the raging floods either of worldly afflictions or Satans temtations For all the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ Iesus whatsoever the Lord promises shall certainly come to passe Heaven and Earth shall passe away but his word shall not passe away And therefore if we would advise soundly for the good of our soules we should endeavour to be familiarly and intimately acquainted with the promises of God 'T is reported of one of the Rabbins Saadiah that he could tell how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was used in the whole Bible and such knowledge argued great study and meditation in the Scripture The troubles of a Christian heart are very many both for number variety and bitternesse and there is onely one ingredient that can sweeten them all and that is the promises of God Can we remember what the Lord promises that the seed of the righteous shall be blessed that the Lord in his holy habitation will be a Father to the Fatherlesse and a Judge of the Widow to set those that are solitarie in families as it is Psal 68. 5. There is marrow in that promise sufficient to strengthen every Christian heart that doth disgest it by faith can we remember it and not be comforted or who that considers those words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians That the Lord is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think Eph. 3. 20. Here 's a large patent for comfort when trouble and anguish comes upon us when all our affairs for this life are in a desperate and forlorn condition when matters go so ill with us that we know not which way to turn our selves if then the Lord should put us to our choice and bid us bethink our selves and ask for those things which we conceived would be most comfortable to us yet the Lord is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think the Lord is not only better able to provide but he knowes what is better for us then we our selves and willl in due time administer it abundantly to all those that cast their care and rely upon him He is the Lord faithfull and true that keepeth covenant and mercy with the righteous and their seed and that never turnes his face from them whose eyes are towards him Forasmuch then as the Lord hath passed his promise for all things both of this life and that which is to come let us treasure up in our memories a plenteous store of these pretious promises that in all the troubles and disquiet of our hearts we may have a cordiall ready to revive our fainting spirits What though we be harrowed with oppressions and rack'd with persecutions What though our estates be taken from us nay suppose the fire were kindled that must dissolve the world or death ready to dissolve us yet what can discourage us if we believe this promise that a new heaven and a new earth are provided for us and shall everlastingly abide with us which is the next particular and calls for your Christian attention But I foresee neither the time nor your patience will admit to consider these particular branches of the Text apart we are yet to speak of the substance and the qualitie and the excellencie of the inheritance of righteous men but of these much need not neither indeed can be said I know that some interpreters have made this text the foundation of that question whether after the generall dissolution of these heavens and elements by fire there shall result new heavens and a new earth out of the ashes of the old world there are great Authors on both sides and 't is not for me to put in my head among the wise as the proverb is being mindfull of what Peter Martyr speaks in this question In reâ—â—â—m dubâ—a nil pertinâ—â—â—ter est assereâ—dum In such a doubtfull case we must not determine raâ—â—ly It may be sufficient for us to know that in these new heavens and earth there is that joy and blisse which no tongue can expresse nor heart imagine 't is the businesse only of our faith to believe that great goodness of the Lord that we shall see in the land of the living Saint Peter tells us 1 Pet. 1. 4. That our inheritance in heaven is incorruptible undefiled and such an
one as 〈◊〉 not fade away Pareus gives us a criticisme upon the place that terme in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read incorruptible he conceives should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indiminishable which tearme would much advance our heavenly inheritance we observe of earthly inheritances how great soever they be they do not wholly descend upon the heir the more children their are in a familie into the more portions must the inheritance be divided and every division is a diminution But this inheritance which Christ hath purchased for us is given whole and entire to every son of God Tanta est singulis quanta est omnibus saies Saint Augustine every blessed soul enjoyes the whole heaven and all the comforts of it which are the rather enlarged by the multitude of those that partake of them And again it is such an inheritance wherein dwelleth righteousnesse 'T is a nice but a profitable note that both Beza and Sâ—rrarius make conceiving the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to referre rather to the persons then the place they render it thus We in whom dwelleth the righteousnesse of faith look for new heavens and a new earth And admitting of this translation it may rouse our souls and consciences to consider whether true and saving righteousnesse dwell in us or no for 't is that only that must give us title to that inheritance Saint John in the Revelation tells us that there shall in no wise enter into the new Jerusalem anything that defileth or worketh abhomination or marketh alie Holy persons we must be as we hope to ascend into the holy hill of the Lord. Or consider the words as we read them that righteousnesse referres to the place and even that will exast the excellencie of it Here in this world righteousnesse doth but sojurne there it dwells here it hath but a Tabernacle there a Mansion here it is mixed with manifold infirmities there it is perfect and in the greatest eminency here but in some there in all here but for a time but there for ever The unrighteonsnesse of this present evill world makes all those that belong to heaven to desire to be dissolved These are those daies in which we may take up that crie of David Hâ—lp Lord for the godly man ceaseth and the faithfull fail from among the Children of men they speak with vain tongues and slattering lipps and double hearts and are full of all unrighteousnesse So that we may say Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord they do not only rest from their labours but are secured from all violence and unrighteousnesse they neither know nor feel the evills that are done upon earth Into which blessed state our confidence is the soul of our Brother here disceased is translated in the honour of whose memory I must yet begg a few minutes to shew you in how many respects he was an example of the Text and both in life and death a very eminent practiser of it I remember what Plinie said of Antoninus Pictores pulchram absolitamg faciem raro nisi 〈◊〉 peâ—us effingunt An exact and comely face is seldâ—me drawn but with some dissadvantage Persons of great parts and gifts cannot with sufficient right and justice be represented by one of meaner abilities I may say of him what Nacianzen said of Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here wants his own tongue to speak his own storâ— that elegant and pious tongne which you have so often heard resounding the praises of God in this place Yet since David tells us that there is an honour due to all the Saints of God to such as live and die in his holy faith and since Providence put me upon the work for I sought it not as I loved and honoured him living it is some addition to my sorrow for his death that I cannot discharge this funerall rite in a measure answerable to his just desert In that great varietie of graces which shined eminently in him I cannot tell which to select and present first It was the Fate of this reverend person to live in such times wherein this Prophecie of Saint Peter in this Chapter was over-abundantly fulfilled He foretold that there should be scoffers and jesters in divine things in matters appertaining to God and religion For now in these daies excellency of wit lies in prophannesse and he is reputed a good spirit that dares abuse God and holy things that person is esteemed good company who by his scurrile wit makes his company the worse or keeps them from goodnesse This being the air and complexion of the wit of these times I have been both an eye and ear witnesse that prophane wit hath oftentimes been a matter of vexation to him but never of mirth that I could perceive It pleased God to carry him through various fortunes and yet to support him with cheerfulnesse and a true Christian constancie in all It was an inverterate disease no calamitie of these times that occasion'd his death He hath given many testimonies of his firm faith in the Doctrine of our Text that a righteous man hath both helps hopes to depend upon when the world failes him He saw and had experience of many failings in the world and worldly things His estate failed him which in the beginning of these troubles was full and plentifull His friends failed him and proved unfaithfull His health and strength failed him and let his bodie fall into his grave like ripe fruit from a tree and in all these deficiencies and faultrings of the world he bore up a true Christian head glorifying God in great patienee and integritie submitting to his holy will aswell in his losses as in his gaines blessing God both when he gave and when he took away He made the only right use of all his afflictions by considering that they were sent to teach him holy obedience to fear God and to eschew evill in which important lessons he was so good a proficient that like a dutifull servant he had learnt to carry the Crosse of his Master Christ Jesus after him Those staunch and reserved affections which he had to earthly things did abundantly testifie that he placed his wealth and treasure in his reversions in heaven not in any thing that he did or could possesse here on earth he accounted himselfe but a stranger and a pilgrim in this world and therefore was content though his Tabernacle were pitched and removed in divers places He was assured that God in his good time would provide an hiding place for him either on the earth or in the grave supporting himselfe with Luthers holy resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calo aut sub Calo that he should either be under the protection of heaven or in the possession of heaven His hope and beliefe in the watchfull providence of God was alwaies strong being rooted on that immovable foundation the promises of God of which he treasured up such store in his memorie that he could at
any time look a danger or death in the face No doubt the contemplation of his Celestiall inheritance those new heavens and new earth whereof he is now possessed did ravish his soul with an holy thirst and longing after them for the joy that was set before him he could endure the crosse and despise the shame and suffer the contradiction of sinners in high charitie commending them to the mercy of God in that prayer Father forgive them for they know not what they doe And lastly as if he had been of Beza's judgment in the reading of this Text that none but new creatures should be admited into these new heavens his heart was set upon righteousnesse endeavouring alwaies to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and also towards man Pietie and learning and modestie to meet in one man was hard and rare and these met in him his piety appeared in his care for Gods true worship and in a discreet zeal for his house he had a desire to bring all men into that way which in his conscience he thought would lead to heaven Nazianzen complained of some that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fit their faith to the times and so make it as Saint Hilary censures it Fides temporum non Evangeliorum a Faith moulded to the humor of the times not according to the Doctrine of the Gospell He was none of those his care was to please Christ and to preach him so that to the last gasp ' he was constant to the worship of God and faithfull in it For his learning I must professe my selfe an incompetent censor of it so farre as I was able to judge he deserved the name of Tri-â—or aswell as Quintus Ennius he understood those three languages Greek and Latin and Hebrew in a good measure In answer to Aarons Urim and Thummim there were written and combined in his breast Sciâ—ntia and Conscientia Learning and integritie he was able both by his learning and his life to confound the adversaries of the truth of Christ These were the evidences of his righteousnesse towards God and for his righteousnesse towards man I am confident he might have gasp'd out the Prophet Samuel's challenge Whose Ox or whose Asse have I taken Yea and added that of Saiu Paul I have wronged no man I have corrupted no man I have defrauded no man I have coveted no mans silver nor gold nor apparell he was contented with such things as he had remembring that promise of the Lord Let your conversation be without covetousnesse for I will never leave you nor for sake you It pleased the Lord to raise him friends and supplies even in his lowest state whose charitie and compassion no doubt the Lord will both remember and reward when they shall have most need of it And in great testimony of his love and care over him the Lord was his shield and buckler when both the Sword and the Sicknesse raged round about him and hath brought him to his grave in peace in a good old age where we are now to disposse the remains of him till the consummation of all things when it shall please God to say Come again ye children of men and collect the bones and dust of deer and divided friends and unite them together in a blessed and glorious resurrection The speech at the grave WElbeloved friends we are met here to pay those Christian respects which we owe to the corps of our deceased Friend the bodies of Christians are the members of Christ yea they are the temples of the holy Ghost and are therefore in a decent manner to be interred and laid up in their long home the grave This reverend brother of ours was a Preacher while he was living and now though dead is preaching to us his farewell sermon and his Text is Hodie mihi cras tibi this is my day of buriall to morrow may be yours The Lord in the death of every man performs the desire of Dives in the parable He sends one from the dead to admonish us that all flesh is grasse and the glory of man but as the flower of the grasse to remember us of that irreversable statute and the penalty of it that it is appointed for all men once to die and after death to come to judgment 'T is not the least of the Lords mercies when he will convey the consideration of serious matters to us in such obvious and familiar notions to remember us of our frailty and mortality and make the grasse of the field a looking-glasse wherein we may see our selves and learn that as every gâ—â—sse of the field proves there is a God that made it So every grasse shewes what man is and that there is a God that will turn him to destruction Some Authors have told us that a swarm of bees fighting are no way sooner appeased then by throwing dust amongst them Mankind is a swarm of Bees that busie themselves and buzze about the World and are too often fighting and quarrelling and an handfull of dust taken into serious consideration would quiet them all dust is the embleme of mans originall and his end from whence he came and to what he must return Dust hath a medicinall quality to cure all the diseases of the soul especially the tympany of pride When hair is sweet through pride or lust the powder doth forget the dust we should not so far disparage the workmanship of God as to mend our faces by art if we did consider that ere long the dust of the Grave would spoil our complexion when Saint Augustine stood by the Temple of â—ulius Caesar He cries out Ubi nunc pulchritudo Caesaris what is become of Caesars goodly person he spake it not by way of triumph as insulting over the ashes of that mighty conqueror but to convey an instruction to all mankind that were every Son of man as comely in person and as great as he as high in armes and as glorious in honour yet his foundation is in the dust saies holy Job and must say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Mother and my â—ister Though our bodies are as I said the temples of the Holy Ghost yet they will come to delapidation and moulder into rubbidge and dust our bones will be scattered about the graves mouth like so many chiphs of a man that heweth wood and our dust may perchance be mingled with the dust of the high waâ— the materialls of our bodies which we so love and pamper now will be troden down like the mire in the streâ—t if we would every one say and say often to our selves in those words of Job The grave is ready for me I am now in the beauty and flower of my youth but know not how soon I may be cropt and wither certainly such meditations would make much for the advancement of piety in all our waies to remember our end and so to live every day as if it weâ—e our last day There passes a story of Ben Syra a Iew that when he was about twelve years old he requested his Tutor to teach him the law of Moses He answers Child you are to young to learn or understand that Law but the child replies Sir I have 〈◊〉 in down in the Church-yard among the graves and I find that many are dead who were not so tall nor old as I and I would be loath to die before I had learnt the law this Iewes child may teach us Christians a good lesson to take heed we do not die before we have learn'd the Law of God and that danger we can no other way avoid but by meditating in the law day and night and by making the statutes of the Lord our guide and counsellours I am so charitable as to think that the confluence of friende and neighbours to this funerall hath no other design but to honour the memory of our reverend friend and let me remember you of one point of honour ye may do him which perchance you think not of that is to become his converts that at the last day when he shall arise he may present himself and you before the Lord and say these are the children which I have begotten in my ministry these are those souls whom I have instructed and confirmed in the faith these are they that in life and death have held forth the testimony of Jesus Christ this were truly to honour him to make him shine like a star of the first magnitude in the firmament of glory And let this funerall solemnity give you occasion when you depart hence to say Mr. Wiborough did me much good while he lived but more when he was dead the sermons that I heard from his mouth wrought much upon me but his funerall sermon more when his breathlesse corps preached to me and bid me prepare for my dissolution when his dust spake to me and bid me bury all those sinnes whereof he reproved me in the grave with him so great are the respects and affection which this Gentleman did deserve of us all that I think you could be as well content to hear more of him as I to speak but I must conclude with that of Nazianzen the Sea saith he doth not need the rivers that yet run into it so neither doth he need mine or any others praise he hath fought the good fight of Faith and finished his course and is now gone to receive his Crown of righteousnesse as for his body we commend it to the grave beseeching the Lord to sanctifie this and all other spectacles of our mortality to us and by them to teach us so to number our daies that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom FINIS