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A87265
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A sermon preached at the funerall of Mrs. Alice Bray, wife to Francis Bray of Farthingo, neere Brackley in the county of Northampton, Gent. Vpon Psalme 37. and vers. 37. March the 2. 1645. / By W.I. minister there.
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W. I.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing I19; Thomason E345_6; ESTC R200985
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15,414
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34
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admittance into the society and presence of the Lord Jesus and so at peace And if any should think that Pauls case herein was singular and that albeit it might be his portion thus speedily upon his death to be conveyed unto Christ yet it cannot be so with every Christian The Apostle elsewhere puts it out of all question that herein he did not think himselfe priviledged as another as you may observe by his owne words 2 Cor. 5.1 Per wee know saith hee that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God an house c. This then by Pauls plaine words is the lot of all true Christians that instantly upon the dissolution of their earthly houses which their soules here inhabit they shall be admitted into a more excellent kind of dwelling even such a one wherein being absent from the body be present with the Lord vers 8. that is in peace Needs must it be acknowledged that this place is spoken not of some speciall ones but of all beleevers even of all to whom God hath given the earnest of his Spirit vers 5. and that is a common favour bestowed upon all the Elect 2 Cor. 1.22 who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit Many other evidences of Scripture might be produced to this purpose I will onely adde that Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours Here is a rest presently upon death and what rest is it but that peace the Prophet Isay saith they shall enter into and shall rest in their beds c. Thus it is cleare that the end of the perfect and upright man is peace and that both internall and eternall 1. Internall of the minde and conscience in God satisfied in the sence of his goodnesse and assurance of his mercy in Christ 2. Eternall for at the end of this life hee shall enter into peace eternall in Heaven Now then for application seeing it is so that an endeavoured perfectnesse and uprightnesse brings with it in the end of life peace internall and after this life peace eternall in heaven for the end of that man is peace Then 1 let us be exhorted to labour for assurance of this peace That when our earthly house of this Tabernaclâ— shall be dissolved we may have a building of God eternall in the heavens and to this end 1. We must labour for assurance of reconciliation with God by Jesus Christ for Christ is the Prince of peace Isa 9.6 Yea he is our peace Ephes 2.14 and therefore onely by him is our peace procured onely they that are by grace and mercy accepted of God in Christ have their portion in this peace Wouldst thou then finde inward peace in thy heart and conscience to stablish thee in thy combar against the terrours of sinne and temptation of Satan thou must then serve under the Prince or Peace and becom a subject under him who will possesse thee with such peace as shall make thee in mourning and suffering persecution for righteousnesse rejoyce not onely in the promise but in the possession of a present happinesse In a word wouldst thou enjoy peace eternall in Heaven acquaint thy selfe with God and be at peace Job 22.21 Become a child of the Church for great shall be the peace of her children Isay 54.13 and that both here and hereafter Humble thy selfe sue for mercy labour for increase of faith in Christ for onely in him is true peace to be found Dost thou perceive God frowning against thy sinne There is no way for thee but to get him to behold thee in the face of his anointed Psal 84.9 No merits no workes no good intentions no gifts can clear his countenance to make it shine upon thee onely he is well pleased in his Christ and with such as he beholdeth in him and no other Thus this is the first meanes to procure our peace namely by Jesus Christ Acts 10.36 2 In the next place wee must make conscience of our wayes going on still to perfection Heb. 6.1 not as though wee had already attained or were already perfect but this we should doe forgeting those things which are behinde and reaching forth unto those things which are before we presse towards the market for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.13 14. Strive also for uprightnesse sincerity and singlenesse of heart and life and to keep thy selfe unspotted of the world this is that which will bring a man peace at the last He that goeth this way though with much weaknesse with many falls and sundry imperfections yet he cannot misse of comfort for marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Who so then would have peace in death let him labour to have grace in life Wouldst thou end thy dayes happily Make conscience to spend them holily as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them Gal. 6.16 the end of such is peace And so much for this time of these words Now I doubt not beloved but you will acknowledge that this Text may be fitly applyed to this present occasion and that I may say in the words of the Psalme Mark this perfect woman consider diligently and take speciall observation of her and you shall not doubt to call her perfect in the sence I before named namely 1. Perfect in respect of acceptation though not in respect of operation God in his infinite goodnesse and mercy accepting her desre and endeavour after it as perfection though by their best workes neither she nor any other can attaine it yet where there is a willing mind and constant endeavour as was in her God accepts as perfect obedience being graciously pleased to accept the will for the deed and full performance and so perfect she was in respect of Gods acceptation 2. Perfect she was also comparitively though not positively and absolutely In which respect wee may say of her as Hezekiah of himselfe Isay 38.3 Shee walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and devoting her selfe to serve God in sincerity and singlenesse of heart She was perfect in comparison of others who following their owne corruption sought not the power of godlinesse 3. Perfect wee may likewise pronounce her to be Evangelically though not legally After such sort as the Gospel accepts though not as the Law enjoynes For though she attained not to that legall perfection to love God with all the heart mind strength c. and her neighbour according to the letter of the Law which perfection of love is found in no man in this life yet perfection of the Gospel in such an endeavour of obedience as God accepts in Christ at the hands of his Children wee doubt not to affirme that shee attained 4. Perfect finally wee may conclude her to be in respect of parts though not in respect of degrees having all the parts of perfection though not perfect measure of degrees in every part or according to the Apostle 1 Thess 5.23 Sanctified wholly the whole spirit soule and body preserved blamelesse c. no part or power of body or soule but felt the vertue of Gods Spirit purging corruption yet not perfect in degrees in this full measure and degree in every part which is required And as in this sense wee may marke her as perfect So also wee may behold her upright First sound and sincere without guile and hypocrisie Her heart being set right towards God in doing all duties of Pietie or Charitie to God or man truely aiming at the pleasing of God and not at any by respects Not but that she had her failings herein also For there is no man or woman so upright without some crookednesse and declining from the right rule Yet because there was in her First a drawing neere and endeavour after uprightnesse Secondly a comparitive rightnesse in respect of the unregenerate whose course is wholly crooked And thirdly the acceptance of a mercifull Father In these respects wee may pronounce her upright and so say also with the Psalmist Behold the upright marke and behold her for your imitation that you may imitate and follow her in her perfect upright and religious conversation even as Sara is commended to godly Matrons for imitation 1 Pet. 3.6 so may shee c. And for your encouragement mark her end also we doubt not to pronounce that her end was peace that both externall internal eternal First external being all her life-time of a peaceable condition of whom we may give like testimony as Hamor Shechem did of Iacob and his retinue Gen. 34.21 These men are peaceable with us So this woman was ever peaceable with us no causer of contention no breaker but maker of peace such shall be called the Children of God Math. 5.9 noticed of all men to beare the Image of the God of peace Secondly internall peace betweene God and her Conscience satisfied in the sense of his goodnesse whereof shee gave many good evidences as my selfe can witnesse especially those two before named First a well-grounded faith whereby being justified she had peace with God c. Secondly a constant endeavour after perfection and uprightnesse of heart and life the end whereof is peace From which so infallible premises wee may charitably conclude her eternall peace in the words of the Prophet Isay 57.2 that she is now entred into peace even into peace eternall in the Heavens and there wee leave her at peace and rest FINIS
refusing imitation which God hath allowed them let it therefore suffice us to marke and observe them for our imitation It is not impertinent here to adde that enquiry how farre the Saints practice may be our patterne and how farre their example warrants or binds us to imitation For answer whereunto wee must know that their actions admit this distinction 1. Some of them are noted as sinfull for the best have not been without their failings wherein they bewrayed humane frailty these are spectacles of naturall infirmity not examples for like practice they are written for our caution not for imitation 2. A second sort were done by vertue of speciall dispensation So Abraham attempts to slay his son Gen. 22.10 so the Israelites rob and spoile the Egyptians Exod. 12.35 36. This is no warrant of cousenage to any man for the generall rule bindes us to owe nothing to any man but love Rom. 13.8 and it is a mark of the ungodly to borrow without conscience of paying againe Psal 37.21 3. A third kind they did by speciall and extraordinary calling as Abraham leaves his countrey for pilgrimage in Canaan Gen. 12.1 c. as Iohn Baptist professed a kind of hermitage in the wildernesse Mat. 3.1 Is not the popish inference pretty from thence Therefore Pilgrimages are satisfactory Hermitage a state of perfection 4. There is a fourth kinde occasioned by speciall necessity of times or apparance of scandall so the primitive Christians had all things common Act. 4.32 and Paul makes his hands minister to his necessities Act. 20.34 Yet there is no footing herein from these examples for Anabaptisticall communitie nor necessity laid on Ministers to use manuall labour except where cases and times are alike to those 5. The last sort of the actions of Saints which are principally if not onely written for our imitation were their practices which doe accord with the generall Law morall such as those of patience humility meeknesse obedience c. herein is our bond of imitation to follow them in the practice of these and the like Christian graces and vertues marke and behold them herein to imitate them Thus Sara is commended to our womens imitation for modesty and gravity in attire 1 Pet. 3 4 5 6. What should I multiply words in this respect The Apostle himselfe hath set us our line 1 Thes 1.6 namely that we become sollowers of them and of the Lord Christ is the patterne of patternes the rule and measure of all examples Take my yoake upon you and learne of me saith he Matth. 11.29 for I am meck and lowly in heart c. therefore Paul to his precept Be yee followers of me sets this limit even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 In him as the gifts of grace were transcendant so their exercise supereminent hee erres not that follows Christ as his precedent in any thing wherein he is commanded imitation nor he that followes the Apostles or Disciples of Christ with the limitations before-named to this and therefore marke and behold the perfect and upright to imitate and follow their holy example in all gracious practices And to encourage herein consider the reason hereunto annexed for the end of that man is peace In which reason is set down the different estate of the godly and the wicked in the end of their life and in their death for whereas the end of the wicked is destruction as vers 38. the end of the perfect and upright man is peace For the better understanding whereof wee must know that peace is thus tripled by Divines 1. Internall 2. Externall 3. Eternall 1. Internall peace is the tranquility of the minde and conscience in God satisfied in the sence of his goodnesse and is a fruit of Justification for as Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ this is that peace which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 and of this it is rightly said no man knoweth it but he that enjoyeth it 2. Externall peace is the quiet and concord in our outward estate and carriage with men as betwixt a man and his neighbour c. when we keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 and this is either domesticall or ecclesiasticall or politicall 1. Domesticall or houshould peace which shews it selfe by freedome from bitternesse discords or any absurd peevish passions in our houses 2. Ecolesiasticall or Church-peace which is not onely a rest from persecution but also from discords within the Church this peace is a holy amity and heavenly concord in the true members of the mysticall body both in consent and doctrine 3. Politicall peace and that 's either private and so it is a rest from suits and quarrels or publike and so it is a rest from warres and rebellions and tumults These be the branches of peace externall 3. Peace externall is the blessed rest of the Saints in Heaven for at the end of this life they shall enter into peace as Isa 57.2 where is the most perfect tranquility of order where wee are set out of touch or reach of the Divels wrangling or any of his instruments Now although all these kinds of peace may in some sort be applied to the perfect and upright man or woman because if it be possible as much as lyeth in them they would live peaceably with all men as Rom. 12.18 yet I take it that here principally is meant the first and the last kinde and so the sence is this the end of the perfect and upright man or woman is peace that is they have peace of conscience peace with God through Jesus Christ c. and so enter into peace eternall in heaven So then here you see as was said one maine difference between the godly and the wicked in the end of their life the end of the one is peace of the other destruction The end of the perfect and upright man is peace but the transgressors shall bee destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off I shall onely and that briefly speake of the former at this time namely the end of the perfect and upright which is peace peace both internall and eternall 1. Internall of the mind and conscience in God satisfied in the sense of his goodnesse and assurance of his mercy in Christ The collection is plaine from the Text that the godly man or woman shall make a peaceable end their mind and conscience very comfortable in death for mark the perfect man c. the end of that man is peace It is truly affirmed by the wise man that the righteous hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 that is the man justified before God by Christ and studying and endeavouring to walk in the wayes of righteousnesse in his life when death commeth he quietly awaiteth the Lords good leisure in assured hope of entring into a place of rest by the merit and death of Jesus Christ This appeares also in Pauls