was Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest and therefore I now seeing my self weary with my own duties and heavy laden with my own Righteousness as well as with my sins which before I could not so clearly say oh how sweet how sweet how incomparably sweet was this word Come and so upon these accounts the Lord was pleased to enable me to see how then even then he was pleased to call as it were to my poor soul in particular to come unto him and submit to his grace and so with great hungrings and thirstings after Christ to cover my poor soul from the eye of a just and holy God through some fear and as I hope with great humiliation although not so great as I would have had it with some hope that the Lord would meet me and bless me I approached to the solemn banquet where I did not only taste and sip a little but obeyed as the Lord enabled me that great command when he said drink yea drink abundantly oh my beloved then oh then I did earnestly endeavour to make the eye of my soul so see him and my heart so embrace him that from thenceforth I might fully satisfie my soul with the enjoyment of him and him alone and not from any thing that self or the World presented to me and now me-thought I was much comforted and did endeavour from that time to this to own nothing for a comfort or cause of rejoycing but as it lead me to Christ who alone is the Author and I hope the finisher of my Faith and the Horn of my Salvation and with this Caution I will conclude this tedious discourse as I fear it may be to you although to me through Grace very pleasant not that hereby I mean to neglect any duty whatsoever I know to be my duty or think them indifferent whether they be performed or no oh no I say again God forbid but this I desire to do through grace but not self and the Lord of his infinite grace inable me that I may so far honour and respect them as I find them a means to carry me to Christ for which cause I think they were appointed with respect to the glorifying of God and such like and now if I know my own heart and for fear it should deceive me I will begg of the Lord that whenever I hear I may hear for Christ and whenever I pray I may more and more make clear my interest in Christ and whenever I perform any duty whatsoever I may more and more get into Christ and more out of my self And now you have heard all that the Lord hath out of his abundant grace enabled me from what I have found as I hope in great measure wrought in my own heart to declare unto you and for fear I should in this weighty matter be guilty of a lye and so delude my own soul I will with great humility acknowledge that every particular in this latter clause I mean in the Lords dealings with me since I first received the Sacrament I cannot so fully clear as I would I could but I hope I need not to fear but that I have felt all that I have spoken of working more or less upon my heart but whether just in order as I have declared them I cannot punctually say but do earnestly begg that the Lord Jesus Christ would be so pleased as to sprinkle what I have said with his own blood and that whatever sins of failings there may be in it through the pride or ignorance of my own heart oh I do earnestly again beg of God that for Christs sake he would look upon what I have done so as to pardon all that is amiss and that he would in his due time open my eyes to see my errours and to amend them and now I do earnestly beg your advice concerning these things for as I said before my heart doth mourn within me by reason of that interest self got in me and I now find it so very hard to be overcome but I have already told you my earnest desires concerning this and oh that I could prevail with you this once to allow me an interest in your Prayers and for what doubtless you will know better than I can tell you but especially for this that he who is the searcher of hearts and knows the state of every soul better than it doth it self would be pleased that if I be deceived for Christs sake to undeceive me and grant that if I have not true grace I may not think I have and so be in a Fools Paradice and that the Lord who is my heart maker would be my heart searcher and my heart discoverer and my heart reformer and that the Lord may so do I shall not cease to be an earnest suitor at the Throne of grace so long as I am on this side the grave But what because all is not so clear as I could wish they were shall I be cast 〈◊〉 and my soul disquieted within 〈…〉 if I was sorry that God hath been 〈…〉 at work in my soul or as if 〈…〉 Jehoâ—â—h was not able to finish 〈◊〉 he hath begun and so rob God 〈◊〉 glory 〈◊〉 my poor soul of comâ—â—◠〈…〉 my 〈◊〉 these things ought not so to be I fear-there is much of self in this who is somewhat troubled to see the glory of its Temple so much defaced and its treachery so much found out and so much out of Favour as never more to be embraced again And is it so is God indeed become my God and can I indeed say with Thomas My Lord and my God my Christ and my Saviour Oh I cannot forbear to say Lord who is a God like unto thee Oh God there is no God besides thee and oh what is man that God should be mindfull of him and what am I surely the worst of men that God should so regard me Oh that I could now even now this once from the bottom of my heart bless and admire him but oh what a dead and barren heart have I that cannot worthily praise him Oh my soul bless the Lord and all that is within me bless his holy name bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all nay not one of his benefits oh if I had the tongue of an Angel and all the Angels in Heaven to assist me in this great work yet I say we could never sufficiently utter my dear fathers praises and now shall my faith triumph and my heart be glad and my glory rejoyce but not in self or in any thing of my own but in him and him alone who is the God of my Salvation Wonder oh Heavens and be moved oh earth at this great thing which the Lord hath wought in my soul be astonished and even ravished with wonder for the infinite breach is in a way to be made up the offender to be appeased and God
Death Unstung A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of THOMAS MOWSLEY An Apothecary who died July 1669. With a Brief Narrative of his Life and Death Also the manner of Gods dealings with him before and after his Conversion Drawn up by his own hand and Published By James Janeway Minister of the Gospel O Death where is thy sting Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 66. v. 16. LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman and are to be sold at his shop near the Lame-Hospital in Little-Brittain at the Chyrugions Arms. 1669. TO My Beloved HEARERS Especially Those of the Younger sort Grace and Peace Men Brethren and Fathers GOD that made your souls sets a very high value upon them and Christ that bought them though they cost his heart-blood thought them worth his purchase and that eternal glory or misery that is prepared for souls speaks them not to be inconsiderable Vpon this account it 's impossible that you and I should use too much diligence in the securing these souls for this cause the Ministers of Christ can easily over-look prisons banishment and faggots so that they may but be instrumental for the saving of souls and delivering them from the wrath to come This I hope is the ground that I am carrying on in this ensuing Discourse This may speak when I may not when I cannot I might give many reasons of my appearing thus in print I might tell the world of the desires of many that by reason of the multitude could only see but not hear I might speak of the want of time to deliver the fourth Part of what is here presented to you I might tell you of the importunity of some of the young men that would gladly write after this Coppy But I must profess all this would have signified little with me did I not find by that account which some give of the work of grace upon their hearts that the Lord hath owned my poor papers formerly Among others that poor penitent Murtherer Thomas Savage which makes me not without hope that the same Spirit which breathed life into my other Writings may please also to give a blessing to these I will not stand now to answer the Objections that may be made against the Publication of this Sermon I never met with this that it is impossible that it should be subservient to the salvation of a soul and therefore I think the cost answerable I must confess had it not been for a necessary Caution or two I should have eased you of the trouble of reading and my self of writing this Epistle The first is this Be not offended if you find in the Young Mans Evidences some expressions that may sound somewhat harsh and some tautologies remember that they are word for word from his own papers as he wrote them hastily consider also that he was but young and a servant too so that it seems almost incredible that one that had so much business should be able to redeem so much time as to do what he did of this nature Secondly I would it might be a little considered what a hurry I was in when this task was laid upon me and how little time to peruse my own Coppy I beg you therefore candidly to over-look many mistakes As for you my dear friends I suppose a pardon is easily granted As for others scorn not holiness contemn not the future blessedness and make sure of happiness in the life to come and then I can easily bear your slighting of me Young Men I may be bold with you I charge you as you value the comforts of another life forget not what an excellent example this precious Brother of yours gave you Read this ensuing Discourse with seriousnesness and let it be read again in your lives Brethren you are my Joy and Crown and if you stand fast I live O make not my boasting void How can I bear to think that any of you should perish For Gods sake and for your souls sake falsifie that Proverb A Young Saint and an Old Devil Brethren my hearts desire is that I may see you all with that blessed Saint at the right hand of Christ Remember your sands run apace and you are hasting into Eternity O make sure of that which will stand you in some stead when you die O secure somewhat to live comfortably upon in another world let your lives bespeak you persons resolved for Christ and Heaven upon any terms Let your loyns be alwaies girt and your lamps be burning Whatch ye be strong quit you like men Remember Christ Heaven and Glory are before you Sit not still till you are safe in the bosom of Christ Consider that many set out fair and look as if they were bound for Zion and yet founder in the way I say again make sure Sirs I expect ere long to pass upon Eternity let me beg of you as you hope for our good meeting in another world that you make Religion your business and labour to get every day nearer Heaven Endeavour not only to be Christians but solid experienced and examplary Christians that so you may prove the glory of your generation the credit of Religion and the Joy of gray-headed Saints Sirs you are now my hope your-love zeal and union my comfort go but on at this rate and you are made for ever Know this now the eyes of the world will be upon you nay that which is more the eye of God is upon you and will take notice how you improve such a Providence as this I beseech you look about and let the world understand that you are not nominal Christians but real Saints Will any of you send me sorrowing into the grave shall I lose my hopes and comforts and you your souls can you easily forget what was the practice of this Young Man do you remember what was the usual subject of his discourse did you not observe how holily meekly and diligently he served his great Master is there no weight in a Crown of Glory is there no desireableness in happiness is it a small thing to live in the society of God Saints and Angels I am perswaded you think these things considerable Well then act as persons that long for possession which that all of you may enjoy is and shall be the prayer of one that desires not to count his life dear so he may but finish his course with joy and meet you with comfort hereafter James Janeway July 28. 1669. Death Vnstung A Funeral SERMON Rev. 14.13 And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence-forth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them IT is none of the least works of a Minister of Christ to disparage sin and incourage holiness to set Life and death before our People and to present as much as in us lies
you may do the Devils work as long as you can and that then God should reward you with Salvation no such matter You may more rationally expect that God should for your sake pull the Sun out of the Firmament than that he should remove holiness out of Heaven and bring Hell in its place If wicked Men will please themselves with their own Delusions and look for Glory still they must thank themselves when they see how infinitely they are disappointed but I leave these as despairing to convince them of their folly till Judgment and Flames make them to understand it 2. All that live upon the goodness of God here are not like to be blessed after Death There is a vast difference between common and special mercies many partake richly of God's common bounty that have not the least interesâ— in his love God gives this World often times to his greatest Enemies he gives Glory in an other World to none but his Friends and Children Nay let me speak it freely I am sure I have Christ and Scripture to warrant what I say That they which gain this World with their neglect of Heaven shall at their Death lose both Many receive temporal mercies that shall never enjoy Eternal Job 21.9 Luk. 16.25 O how greatly are they mistaken who think that Earl Lord Knight c. are words of any significancy after Death that hope that their honours here will procure them any real respect hereafter that reckon Gold and Silver will go currant in that Country Many that would be counted Persons of some depth and wisdome make a World of stir about trifles that drive a great Trade for that which is next to nothing and that lay in no better Provisions than Gravel Clay or Dung when they are bound for Eternity and yet how do they bless themselves and say I am rich and increased in Goods and have need of nothing Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry They think they make a very wise bargain when they sell their Conscience God and Heaven for a little of that which some call Riches not considering that a few Hours experience may make them know though it may be not cure this mistake O that I could but bring my hearers out of this Delusion O that their apprehensions were but rectified and that they might know the real worth of things and Persons O that I could but bring down the price of sublunary things and raise the things of that other World to their true worth Consider that that holiness as meanly as you think of it is the most excellent thing that that is the greatest Riches and Man's highest dignity God knows no difference between a Lord and a Beggar a Prince and a Subject He is no respecter of Persons If there be any difference it lies here that God hath more wrath in store for them that had greater ingagements and better advantages to serve him than other had I pitty the poor Lords of the World and I am confident he that knows the worth of Christ and the nature of his own Soul can't much envy them they swell like Bladders upon Water for a Moment and God blowes and where are they Now indeed they reckon themselves very secure and their houses are free from fear neither is the Rod of God upon them they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ Job 21. They think them Fools that can spare their Riches and want their greatness so they may but have an estate in invisibles and secure an Inheritance that will last for ever These are the Men that hate seriousness and holiness which is the beauty of Earth and Heaven too is undervalued by them And how can they expect sanctity should be delightful to them hereafter when it is abhorred now how can they look for Heaven when they dye when they thought it not worth their minding while they lived No no verily they have their reward they have now their good things and much good may they do them O let me rather gain Christ at Death though I loose all besides than possess Ten Worlds here and after all lose my Soul Could the mighty ones of the World have but one Hours discourse with one of their Brethren in Hell I believe their Judgments would be hugely altered and they would soon tell them that Riches and Honours and whatsoever else most Men do pursue let it be what it will below Christ will yield them but little happiness and comfort in another world Riches profit not in the Day of wrath Do but read Luk. 16.19 25. I am the larger that if possible I might prevent mistakes in matters of Eternal consequence Thirdly There are Thousands that seem to have a far better title to this blessedness that will fall short of it and they are Professors that call themselves by the Name of the Lord. Not all that are called yea and esteemed Christians are like to have any great benefit by Death To be Christned and to be Christians are two things not every one that weareth Christ's Livery shall have his Wages O how many Millions are there that have no better shelter than a meer Name to themselves from the wrath of God! Is it not more than possible to hear read pray and to be esteemed a Saint and yet to miscarry everlastingly How many seeming Saints shall gain nothing at Death but a thorow knowledge of their own folly And if to know what God's anger is be an advantage when there is no escaping of it and if to have their hearts wounded when there is no Cure to be had be any profit and if to be quite freed of Conscience searching Ministers be a happiness when they are out of the reach of their help or pitty then such may be esteemed blessed but if all this will but make the Flame hotter then I leave any serious Person to judg whether it doth not concern Men and Women to look after better security than this amounts to Did you ever well study Mat. 7.21 I hope you will believe Christ though you will not me read that Scripture and what saith Christ O consider seriously that to be an Heir of Glory is no such light matter as most judge it to be To be born to a Crown and a Kingdome and to have a good title to it is a dignity indeed but a Mad-man in Chains and Rags may say he is a King or a Lord. O please not your selves with fansies Sickness and Death is coming and then you will know better whether I had not some reason to be earnest with you in this matter I am most afraid of the confident Pharisee that trusts in his poor sorry Prayers and his own righteousness O that I could but shake him and his hopes before Death and Judgment doth it O that I could but perswade him to maintain a jealousie over himself and to search and try his Heart and to bring himself to the