it be when you shall have him no more For the Prosecution of this Doctrine I shall do these three things First I shall prove it Secondly give you the Reasons of it Thirdly make Application First for the Proof of it That it is the Property and Practice of the Saints and People of God when the Saints and Servants of God are taken from them to be sorrowfully affected to Lament and Mourn for the loss of them I shall give you some instances out of the Old and New Testament 4. or 5. out of the Old the first is of the Patriarch Jacob that Puny-God that wrestled and prevailed when he came to die as you read in Gen. 49. and the last verse That he pull'd up his feet into the bed and he 's gone Now see what a Mourning there was for him in Gen. 50.1 Joseph fell upon his Fathers face and kissed him and vers 3. And the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days here was a Mourning for Jacob and vers 10. They came to the threshing-floor of Atad which is beyond Jordan and there they Mourned with a great and very sore Lamentation and made a mourning for his Father seven days They carried his Body to the Land of Promise and they mourned with a very great and sore Lamentation and made a Mourning for his Father seven days Now mourn that Jacob is gone a Man that used to wrestle for your Souls is gone now mourn A second Instance is Moses that man of God when he dies and they see his face no more and in Deut. 32.49 50. God bids Moses there get up into the Mount Nebo and die there God bids Moses go up and die and you see Moses doth it in Deut. 34.5 Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and what then Moses may die if he will who will concern themselves for him see vers 8. And the Children of Israel wept for Moses thirty days there is mourning for Moses We shall see him no more whose Doctrine dropt as the Rain and whose speech distil'd as the Dew whose lips dropt hony A third instance is of the Prophet Samuel he was an excellent Teacher God forbid saith he that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you and he taught the good and the right way of the Lord but now observe in the 1 Sam. 25.1 what mourning the people made for him when he died it s said all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him that is from all parts of Israel all sorts of Israel came together and Lamented for Samuel we shall never hear his Prayer for us more and they lamented for him A fourth Instance is that of the young Prophet in the 1 Kings 13. who without doubt in the main was faithful to God though seduced out of his way and out of his Life by an old Prophet whereby a Lyon was appointed by God to destroy him but see now how the old Prophet was affected with it as soon as he hears it causeth the Ass to be sadled and goes and brings the Carcase home to the City to Mourn and to Bury him and laid him in his own grave in the 30. verse and brings all to mourn over him and charges his Sons that when he was dead that they bury him in the same Sepulchre where the man of God was and lay his bones besides his bones 5. One Instance more in the old Testament is that of the Prophet Elijah a man that the Apostle saith was subject to the like Passion as we are This Prophet that pray'd it should rain and it did and that pray'd it should not rain and it did not This Prophet in 2 Kings 2. tells his Servant he should see him no more In the 12. he cries out My father my father and rent his cloaths in two pieces that rending of Cloaths or garments signifies sorrow also as David did when he heard of the death of Saul and also repeating it is argument of sorrow as David did for Jonathan 2 Sam. 1.17 to the last and by Absalom Oh Absalom my son my son my son Absalom I shall now instance in the New-Testament it was so with them of Ephesus when they parted with Paul They should see his face no more He had been such a Preacher that they could not part with him without tears or with dry eyes if you look into Acts 20.18 you see his labour Ye know that from the first day that I came after what manner I have been with you At all seasons he Preach'd to them in season and out of season and he was a faithful Preacher he did not neglect to declare the whole Councel of God and he was a couragious Preacher too he did not care what became of himself for their good Now if people loose such a Preacher so painful so laborious it is no wonder if they mourn when they shall see his face no more A second instance is of Stephen who was the first Martyr that ever was in the New-Testament Stephen was the first Gospel-Officer that ever I read was chosen he was the best read in Scripture for Acts 7. he runs over all the Scripture and in the 51. verse he calls them stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost now this Stephen that thus Preach'd the Scripture to them they put him to Death as you may read in the close of the seventh Chapter of the Acts but now how was he buried in cap. 8. vers 2. Devout men carried Stephen to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him That Stephen that was so powerful a Preacher and to Pray for us We shall see his face no more The last instance is that of our Lord Jesus he is called by Nichodemas A Teacher sent from God By Paul in the Romans The Minister of the Circumcision By Matthew As one having Authority and not as the Scribes Now this blessed Teacher being taken away you shall find they were much troubled Joh. 16.5 he tells them he was going away to him that sent him He was going to his Father In the 6. verse saith he Because I have said these things to you sorrow hath fill'd your hearts Oh Lord Jesus what thou go away sorrow was in their heart and sorrow fil'd their heart because he was to go away and when he was dead and buried you find there was weeping and mourning as you may see in Joh. 20.11.13 15. there was weeping and mourning and mourning and weeping yea those that were his Persecutors they were sorrowful Luk. 23.48 And all the people that came together to that sight beholding the things that were done smote their breasts and in the 27. verse of that Chapter when Christ was carrying to be put to Death there followed him a great multitude of people and women which also bewailed and lamented him
There was great lamentation Oh they could not part with Jesus Christ without lamenting That they should see his face no more But it will be here objected in the next verse that Jesus Christ in Luke 23.28 turn'd to these women that wailed and wept and said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves That therefore there ought not to be weeping or lamenting for the departure of any eminent Saint seeing he forbids it for himself It argues indeed we should not weep for them but for the want of them which is ours Christ bids not by his forbiding weeping upon his account but not to weep on his account as if he had said Dont weep for me as for my suffering or upon my account but for your selves and your own children there are dreadfuler things coming upon you then these Blessed are the barren that bare not dont weep for me may this servant of God say that we are speaking of at present Dont weep for me I am gon from way to way from triumph to triumph but it is for the people of God to be heartily affected when the worlds Teachers are taken from them but you may say Why should it be thus I will shew you in five particulars why you and them should be greatly affected with this dreadful providence of God that hath lately befallen First because the death of such men possibly is for your sakes for your sakes they had lived longer had it not been for others and if it be so then we had need to bedew their Hearse with tears I 'le give you a three-fold meaning First it is possible in our service that he lost his life for it may be that in the painful labouring for the saving of our souls he lost his life and will you not lament Secondly we may occasion the Death of godly Preachers thus wounding their Spirits grieving their Hearts that we profit no more if that be true in the 1 Thes 3.8 where the Apostle saith For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord Then it is beloved if ye Apostatize ye kill our hearts Thirdly possibly we may occasion the Death of Godly Preachers by the non-improving of his Ministry Sirs God sends his Embassadors we give them not the hearing or but the hearing and if our unprofitableness and non-improving shall occasion this shall we not mourn and lament that we should be the cause of their death Secondly why should those that are hearers be deeply affected at the final departure of holy Ministers I answer This arises from the love that is between them there is a mutual love between a faithful Preacher and a sincere Hearer Now beloved you shall observe two things to attend this assertion of love according to the Nature and Degree of it 1. Where there is Love there is delight of and enjoyment And secondly where there is love there is mourning in the absence of it in the 3 John 29. saith our Saviour He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom but the friend of the Bridegroom which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth greatly because of the Bridegrooms voice so on the contrary when he is taken from them there cannot be but great mourning in the 37. Gen. 3. It s said that Israel loved Joseph more then all his Children and therefore when News came to Jacob that Joseph was not oh saith Jacob v. 35. I will go down into the Grave unto my Son mourning So David lamented for Absolon oh Absolon my son my son Absolon and David lamented exceedingly for Jonathan in that 1 Kings I am distressed for thee my Brother Jonathan if you love your Preachers so as it s said of them that could pull out their eyes for them while living you will even weep out your eyes for them now dead Thirdly no wonder that the Children of God are under so much sorrow when Preachers are taken from them for now they are under the Execution of Divine threatning as the giving of faithful Teachers is the loving kindness of God so taking them away is of a great threatning in Isa There is a promise That I give you the water of affliction yet your eyes shall see your Teachers and you shall not be driven into Corners Now see Isa 3.1 There it is a threatning I will break the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water In Jer. 3.15 There is a promise I will give you Pastors according to my own heart It signifie great Love and is a fulfilling of a great Promise when God gives them Pastors according to his own heart Now as it is a Promise to give them so it is a threatning when God takes them away In Jer. 22.22 see how dreadful a threatning is saith the Prophet The wind shall eat up thy Pastors surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness Fourthly well may we mourn when God removes our faithfull able Teachers from us for we are like enough soon after their departure from us to corrupt our selves I remember in Exod. 32.7 God speaks to Moses when he was in the Mount God get thee down for this people which thou broughtest out of Egypt have corrupted themselves God tells Moses you have been here with me in the Mount 40. days It is time for you to be gone get thee down the people have turn'd out of the way no sooner are you turn'd from the people but they turn their backs upon me Deut. 31.27 Moses speaks to Israel I know thy Rebellion and thy stiff-neck behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye have been Rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my Death as if Moses as the Minister should say to this Congregation I have had much a do to keep you a live what will you do after my death for in the 29. verse saith Moses I know that after my Death ye will utterly corrupt your selves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you and evil will befall you in your latter days because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord. In 2 Chron. 24.2 It s said all the time that Jehoiada lived Joash followed the Lord but when he died Joash turned to Idolatry as you have it in the 18. verse of that Chapter And they left the house of the Lord God of their Fathers and served Groves and Idols While the light is we walk well but when the light is taken away then we fall and slip Fifthly why should the Servants and Saints of God be so much affected when God takes away faithful Teachers from them because when they go evil comes if so be Sampson lays his hold upon the Pillars the house will fall but when Death comes to lay hold on the Preacher what will the House do I know saith Paul after my departure Wolves will come In Luke 23.29 30. saith our Saviour The days are coming in which they shall say Blessed are the Barren and
the Wombs that never Bare and the Paps which never gave Suck Absolute dreadful destruction was coming when Christ was going I could tell you of a thing that I have look't upon as a piece of a Prophesie it was Printed and Writ ten years before the Fire of London and it was this London look to it what Heaven 's a doing Thy Flames are coming when thy Lots are going The Rabbins say that when the great Luminaries are Eclipsed it abodes evil to the World what shall stop when they go assure you here is Eclipsed a great Luminary in this World as soon as Noah got into the Ark the Flood came there as soon as Lot got out of Sodom Fire and Brimstone came down from Heaven and destroyed it When I consider who is gone and who are going I dread What became of Prague when Jerom was dead what became of Jermany when Luther was dead and what will become of England when such as these are dead APPLICATION I now come to Application If this be true that it ought to be the Practise and is the Property of the Saints and the People of God to bewaile the final departure of their Preachers and Teachers Then I infer this that where God continues faithful Teachers where God restores such faithful Teachers or where God sends such faithful Teachers it is cause of great Joy Secondly is it so sore an Affliction to loose and finally to part with a powerful Preacher then beloved we should exceedingly stir up our selves to deprecate these evils that is to pray to God to prevent such evils as this is I remember Jabez in 1 Chron. 4.10 calls on God Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed and enlarge my Coast and that thy hand might be with me and that thou wouldst keep me from evil that it may not grieve me and the Lord grant him that which he requested We should go to God and say Lord don't take these and these from us that will be a very great evil to us surely if God hath taught us to pray That the Lord of the Harvest should send Labourers into his Harvest then we have cause to pray that such should not be taken out Thirdly if it be of concern for those to mourn that are the People of God then this serves to reprove two sorts of hearers 1. It reproves them who when faithful Teachers are taken away it glads their hearts aye say they would they were all there The Saints they mourn because they shall see their faces no more and you are nothing more glad then that you shall see their faces no more These are like them in Judges 16.23 That gathered themselves together to offer a great Sacrifice unto Dagon their God and to rejoyce for that our Enemy is delivered into our hand And in Rev. 9.10 And they of the People and Nation and Kindred and Tongues shall see their dead Bodies and they that dwell upon the Earth shall rejoyce over them and make merry and shall send guifts one to another O Sirs I send you away with this and much good it may do you if it can you that thus send guifts and rejoyce when such Teachers go you go the way to Hell and none saith whither go you Secondly they are to be Reproved too though not so much as these they are to be Reproved I say also that are not affected at all at the Death of faithful Teachers there is such a one dead alas say some I never heard he was sick what disease did he Die of how long was he Sick how hath he left his Family and such things as these and that he was a good Preacher but no Tears at all They are like the Gadeurens of old that liked not to part with a Hogg as with a Saviour They are like them in Zach. 11.9 who said That that dieth let it die and that that is cut off let it be cut off If such a man be sick let him be sick if he die let him die Come come if you had learnt any good by his Ministry you could not have parted with him so loosly Let me call upon this Congregation this Evening that we would be in the Ephâ—sians Practise they Mourned when Paul was going and they should see his face no more Your Preacher is gone And you shall see his face no more I would I could raise you to their height of Mourning it is said of Scipio that when he was gone out of the City the wall of the City were fallen so I may say of London thy walls are fallen Truly Beloved I could when I see what God hath done and is a doing I could cry out Come out for your walls are fallen I shall only propose three things 1. This is not a single blow this lot of the Servant of God taken from this people is not a single blow it is not the first Minister that God hath taken away nor is it like to be the last we may say Joseph is not nor Simion is not and Benjamin is gone also I have observed how many God hath taken since a black Bartholomew that since men hath taken away their livelyhoods God took away their lives how could you think that he he that Preach'd blessedness so little while since should be so soon gone to blessedness Secondly consider this blow a Saint yea a Minister one of the many one that excelled most an able Minister of the New Testament a workman that need not be ashamed Beloved whose ears was not taken with his Language that one that but once heard him but must come again He begat you in Christ Jesus though none of his own but Christs and you may get one to succeed him but not to exceed him but I desire that man to tell me where Beloved I find the Death of Christ to differ from the death of the Saints in Joh. 16.7 for saith our Saviour It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you It was well for Christ to go from us because we should have the Comforter still but it is not so with us when Ministers part Paul saith not It s good for you that I go though it be best for me Let us pray then to God that hath taken away a Moses to send us a Joshua and if he take a Joshua to send us a Caleb and if he takes away a Caleb to send us an Eli and if an Eli go we may have a Samuel Let us pray the Prayer of Moses in Numb 27.16 17. Let the Lord the God of the Spirits of all flesh set a man over the Congregation which may go out before them and which may go in before them and which may lead them out and which may bring them in that the Congregation of the Lord be not as the Sheep which have no Shepherd Let us Pray that God would be pleased to send some to go in and out before us Amen FINIS