Peter's Sermon did and work compunction upon our Spirits Will it not bring the guilt of our sins to our Remembrance Act. 2.37 2 Cor. 5.19 and make us as the Jews once did passionately sue to those Ministers to whom Christ hath committed the word of reconciliation that they would administer a seasonable word of comfort to us and give us directions what to do in such a case as this I know the Scripture Rule is Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Jam. 5.14 That is seek out to some spiritual Person who is over the Congregation that he may contribute his assistance afford the sick man his best directions pray to God with him and for him that God would pardon his sins asswage his pain remove the disease restore him to his former health and the like this being a duty injoyned would not be omitted Better then in time of sickness than not at all but better in time of health I think than in time of sickness In the midst of life we are in death therefore in the midst of life we should prepare for death whether sick or well that message to Hezekiah concerns us all Set thine house in order Isay 38.1 There is a time when all Men will be glad to seek God and that is Cum occiderit when he lays any scourge or sickness upon us when he slew them then they sought him and turned them early and enquired after God Psal 78.34 Even they who kept not the Covenant of God before Vers 10. who forgot his works Vers 11. who siâ—ned provoked him tempted him in their heart and spake against him Vers 17 18 19. who neither believed in him nor trusted in his salvation Vers 22. but spent their Days in vanity and their Years in turmoil in the World Vers 33. never thinking upon God at all in a pinch of danger and extremity when he slew them did all turn seekers to find help from the same hand which hurt and wounded them This is the very Atheists time and the time of the most debauched Person in the World to seek God in this is the time which brought home the Prodigal they who loose him in time of health will be glad to seek and sue to him in time of sickness Therefore let me recommend to you another time when ye will be more certain and sure to find him because it is God's acceptable time and that is in time of health when your Mountain is strong your Hedge and Fence about you safe and untoucht when you have other dependencies yet then to slight them all and to depend upon God that 's the time which pleases him Now now saith Solomon in the days of thy youth in thy prosperity before the evil days come Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creatour However our memory is placed in the hinder part of the Head yet we must not defer our remembring to the hindermost part of our Life I know it is the desire of all Men when they are going out of the World to have a secure Passport and to get as much an assurance of their happiness and future estate as can be Now give me leave to be plain with you I can give you no better assurance then what the Scripture affords God's word is the best security If ye look for an assurance of faith Faith is but the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 If ye look for an assurance of hope Heb. 6.11 Hope carries us to that which is within the Vail Heb. 6.19 which we hope for but cannot see if ye look for an assurance in that which we call Election I know the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth who are his Yet have a care Let every one who nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Make your calling and Election sure How is that by giving all diligence to add to your faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledg temperance to temperance patience to patience godliness to godliness brotherly kindness to brotherly kindness charity for if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9 10. We can be no further assur'd of our Salvation by Christ than we can be secur'd of our being in Christ and conforming our lives to the Christian Rules The security we can have in this present state of grace may not be imagined to be the same with that we shal have in the state of glory It is only the Saints departed who have enter'd the Ark of Heaven can sing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Apostle Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.54 We that are below in this Church militant must be ever upon our Watch saying with holy Job All the days of my appointed time or warfare here on earth will I wait till my change come Job 14.14 And our change will come sooner or later The wheel of nature Jam. 3.6 is ever turning and turning some off into the dust every day like Peter and John we are continually running one after another to the Sepulchre The best Antidote I can prescribe unto you I will not say against Death but against the terror of it that Death may loose its sting and the Prince of Terrors may not be terrible is this to look upon your selves all your life time if of the number of the predestinate to be predestinate to be conformed to the Image of Christ Rom. 8.29 To live as he lived to walk as he walked to make his spirit your guide his word your rule his life your example In all Scripture the holy Spirit of God hath revealed unto us but one way of preparing for death and securing our future estate which is by an holy life Faith may shew us Heaven as Moses saw the Land of Canaan at a distance but it is holy life and an habitual sanctity must land us there The Text I have now pitched upon may settle us upon this bottom if we will but seriously weigh and consider of the two Propositions which are indeed two undeniable Doctrines arising out of it 1. That all men must die 2. That all Men after death must come to Judgment As the Tree falls so it lies and as Death leaves us so Judgment will certainly find us 1. All Men must die This is so unquestionable a verity that I never yet heard or read of any that durst offer at a confutation of this Proposition Jews Heathens Turks and Tartars all confess it and have in one kind or other their Justa or Funeral rites their Officia postremi muneris which they perform at the Funerals of their dead This statute of dying was made in Paradise Gen. 3.19 not yet repeal'd Debemur morti nos nostraque to die is as good a debt as any the world knows for the levying of which there is an extent upon all Man-kind Rom. 5.12 This mortal must
people as it holds a real presence of Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament saying The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee c. The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee c. So it seems to shut the Door against Transubstantiation in saying Take and eat this in Remembrance c. Drink this in Remembrance c. Noting it to be a Commemoration only of his suffrings in his natural Body upon the Cross however spiritually his Body and Blood are both exhibited and participated in the Sacrament Again our Church is expresly both in her Book of Homilies and in her Articles against Transubstantiation Artic. 28. Indeed the form for administration in the late Directory did rather officiate towards the errour of Transubstantiation then the form in our Common-Prayer-Book 4. To with-hold the Cup of blessing from the People in the Lords Supper is looked upon by some as a very gross Popish errour especially by those who have neither given the Bread nor the Cup to the People for many Years together Now our Common-Prayer-Book expresly injoynes the Minister to give the Communion to the People in both kinds and our Church is urgent in one of her Articles to have it so Artic. 30. Eccles Ang. 5. To restrain the holy Scriptures from the perusal of the People is branded for Popery and that by some who have indulged so great a liberty to the People in this kind that they have abused and wrested the Scriptures to patronize Treason Rebellion Sacriledge and any gross sin whatsoever Now in our Common-Prayer-Book that Scripture which is most for edification is not only ordered to be read in the vulgar tongue but so ordered to be read and so sorted out to all the best advantages that would the People follow the Churches order and method it is not possible they should be so grosly ignorant as they are 6. To have publick Prayers in a Tongue unknown to the common People and to which they cannot understandingly say Amen is condemned for grand Popery by those who yet have devised a way of extemporary Prayer and many times in such language too that it is not possible for People safely to joyn their Amen to those Prayers which they cannot understand But the Common-Prayer sums up all lawful and necessary requests in so plain and pious formes that they may say Amen to and edifie by those Prayers if they will 7. To prohibit Marriage to Men in Holy Orders is voted grand Popery especially by those who have so much invaded the Church-maintenance that there is scarce sufficient left to maintain the Ministers in a single life wheras our Common-prayer-Book in the Office for Matrimony admits all to the holy state of Matrimony that are allowed of by the Word of God and the Church of England expresly declares the marriage of Priests to be lawful Artic. 32. 8. To indulge Marriage to Persons within the degrees prohibited by the Laws of God is accounted another branch of Popery But the Common-prayer-Book in the Matrimonial Office declares against it and so doth the Church Can. 99. 9. To tolerate the liberty of Divorce betwixt Man and Wife for more causes than the cause of Fornication is accounted Popery and yet they did both allow it and practise it who profess themselves to be the only Anti-Papists The Common-prayer now in the Matrimonial Office admits of no such thing and our Church is very cautious in so weighty a matter Can. 105 106 107. 10. To obtrude new Articles of faith upon the People which have no ground in the Word of God is complain'd of for very gross Popery especially by those who have of late years done it thrusting upon the People new Doctrines new Catechisms new Covenants which are in many things contrariant to God's Word and did it with such violence as to refuse them communion who refused to submit to these impositions Whereas our Common Prayer-Book admits of no more Articles of faith than what are contained in the ancient Creeds of the Latin and Greek Church And the Church expresly declares for them Artic. 8. and as expresly declares against any thing enforced as a matter of faith which is contrary to Gods written word Artic. 6. Artic. 20. Artic. 21. 11. The Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons worshiping and adoration as well of images as of Reliques and also invocation of Saints is declaimed against as very foul and intolerable Popery by those especially who made of late Years Mens lives more bitter then any Purgatory who drew People off from their subjection and allegiance to their lawful Prince and pardon'd them when they had done who defaced all Images which were only for decency and a civil remembrance with that zeal and fury as if they saw some Religion in them more then ever was intended and who were so far from the invocation of Saints that they ran fouly into the other extreme obliterating all their annual days of observance and instead of allowing them any pious and civil remembrance sordidly reviling them and disgracing so much as in them lay their very memories and names However the Common-prayer-Book and our Church teacheth them no Popery yet both may teach them more civility and moderation As for a Popish purgatory the Common-prayer is against it in the Burial Office holding the spirits of all who depart hence in the Lord to be in joy and felicity in bliss though not in their perfect consummation and bliss As for pardons and indulgencies the Common-prayer takes notice of none but only while Men are alive to beg for pardon and that of God not for the merit of any Saint but for the merits of Christ for most of the Collects conclude Through Jesus Christ our Lord. For worshiping and adoration of Images there is not one syllable in all the Common-prayer tending that way but through all the Offices our worship and adoration is terminated in God as the proper object and offred by Christ as the only Advocate Mediator and Intercessor And for invocation of Saints departed or praying to them there is no thing so irreconcilable to our Common-prayer-Book For through all the Offices of it we acknowledg no Mediator Intercessor or Advocate but Christ only indeed we honor the memorial of some known Scripture Saints by observing set days and propounding their lives as exemplary to us we praise God for their holy living here in this World Articl Eccles Anglic. 22. happy departure hence praying that our lives may be as holy and our deaths as happy but we do not pray unto them If there be any other Tenents which some are pleased to call Popery for all is Popery with some which they have not a châ—ef hand in the establishment if they fear Justifying Popery Free-will Popery Merit Popery Supererrogation Popery Satisfaction Popery or what Popery soever for they must name it I fear I have not given the names aright but if it be Popery
ancient custom after Burial to go to the holy Communion unless the Office were performed after Noon for then if Men were not fasting it was done only with Prayers Concil Carthag 3. Can. 29. Vid. Doctor Sparrow Rational pag. 355. and the Book of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical set forth by him 4. Funeral Doles were an ancient custom Chrysost Homil. 32. in Matth. But as concerning them the right use and the abuse Vid. Haman L'estrange in his alliance of Divine Offices in his account given of the Burial Office 5. The custom of Funeral Sermons and Orations may seem to be first derived from the Jews and Heathens For it was a custom amongst the Heathens Laudare defunctum pro rostris Sueton. Jul. Caesar c. 6. And touching the Jews we find it practised by King David 2 Sam. 1. And from both Christians may have derived this custome making it serve for these purposes 1. To make those who are alive more careful how they live when they know their departure shall not be folded up in silence 2. To confirm Mens hopes against the time of their own dissolution and to mind them 1. Of their timely preparation for death 2. Of their estate after death 3. Of the Resurrection but chiefly of the Quatuor Novissima Death Judgment Heaven Hell that so all may bring us if possible to holy living which is the surest preparation to happy dying that by every such occasion we may learn something to better us in our spiritual estate and not only wish with Balaam to die the death of the righteous but according to the Apostles advice strive to live their lives treading so near as we can in the steps of their most holy faith considering the end of their conversation Heb. 13.7 For my part I cannot speak much in the commendation of this among some overmuch magnified custom only it is a good help to mend the Ministers maintenance where it is as it is in too many places very scandalously small I hope those who are now in place to do it will consider of it and by their prudent care enlarge the too penurious proportions for if this course was taken I am very confident it would give abundant satisfaction to the People and undoubtedly be a great incouragement to the inferiour Ministry to lay aside their Placentia and to preach that doctrin which may be less pleasing but more profitable when they receive any assurance from an established Law that their maintenance is legally due and not altogether depending upon the courtesie and uncertain benevolence of the People But indeed in Funeral Sermons there hath been observed too much of the mode and gallantry too much of applause and flattery too much of popularity and vanity Encomiums and Elogies have been given where none due The vile Person hath been called liberal and the Churl bountiful Isay 32.5 By some Parasitical Preachers an absurdity better befitting the Stage than the Pulpit yet neither place well for both Comoedia and Concio should be Vitae Speculum Now in regard Funeral Sermons are so much in fashion indeed preaching for the most part is now but fashionable as it was in Ezekiel's time Chap. 33. Vers 30 31 32 33. Therefore I shall conclude this Treatise with a short Sermon The TEXT Heb. 9.27 And as it is appointed unto Men once to die but after this the Judgment The INTRODUCTION FUneral Sermons are ordinary Discourses made over the dead but intended for the benefit of the living and Funeral Offices that is set forms of Burial to be read over the dead at the Grave have the like holy end design in them Both are to mind us of the last things which we cannot escape and yet are willing to forget till such like ocular demonstrations as these bring them fresh to our remembrance Death Judgment Heaven and Hell He that would make these four his Vade mecum and seriously consider of them all his life time would rarely do amiss Were these as carefully laid up in our hearts as they are customarily by preaching poured into our ears certainly they would have a more reforming influence upon our lives than most what they have How should we be less proud and more humble How should we loath sin and love sanctity How should we prize Heaven and set all below Heaven at nought How evenly should we carry our selves betwixt both the Tables of Piety and Justice of holiness and charity towards God and our Neighbour Superiors Inferiours Equals How careful should we be not to omit any duty How fearful should we be to commit any sin How piously should we live as to God-ward how righteously as to Man-ward how soberly as to our selvs did we seriously resolve to practise what we hear as we customarily come upon such like occasions to hear what we should practise or would we but carry away the Text when perhaps much of the Sermon like the good Seed in the Gospel may be catched up by the Birds of the Air wandring thoughts or choaked by thorns the cares of the World yet did we but carry this Text home with us and seriously meditate upon it when we come at home it might with God's blessing do a great part of the work every Sermon should be designed for and that is not to make us wiser but to make us better not to inform our Judgments but to reform our lives and to settle us upon such a bottom as not to dare to live in that state of life wherein I am sure we should not willingly dare to die a state of sin a state of impenitency a state of hardness of heart Certainly no Man willingly would have death find him in such a state as this especially considering that death is not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last of the last things but only passeth us over to something still beyond it either to eternal bliss if we live in God's fear and die in God's favour or to a miserable eternity if we live and die otherwise For as it is appointed c. The meaning of the words is so obvious that they need no explication Desiderant potius pium auditorem quam curiosum expositorem They require rather a conscientious application than an explication of curiosity The words are plain It is the condition of all Men to die and to die but once and then to be judged to all Eternity Here 's enough for explication any one may see into the meaning of the Text who will not be wilfully blind I but now for the application if this be the state if this be the condition of all Men first to be under the arrest of death and then to be arraigned at the Bar Luk. 24.32 and brought before the Judge will not this make our hearts burn within us warm our affections and beget in us a zeal to godly living more than ordinary Nay will not this prick us at the heart as