Artists are able to keep a Castle from being taken which is strongly besieged by a numerous and poten◠Enemy and furiously battered by a great train of Artillery He was attack'd by a great variety of Distempers and while endeavours were using to dismount one Battery another as strong and threatning was raised and then no wonder the Fortress was so speedily taken even tho the Garison had not been weakned by any foregoing Siege But there was no Distemper in his Mind tho so many in his Body his Soul was in health and at ease Throughout the whole of his Sickness of six Weeks continuance all was clear between God and him His end was like the Light of the Evening when the Sun setteth 2 Sam. 23.4 an Evening without any Clouds He said to my self when I enquired of him concerning that matter I have not indeed those raptures of Joy which some have felt tho yet he added blessed be God I have sometimes tasted of them too but I have a comfortable well-grounded hope of Eternal Life Another time I have had my Infirmities and Failings but my heart hath been right with God as to the main and I look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to Eternal Life Again another time I know that I have passed from Death to Life And again Blessed be God for our Lord Jesus Christ who hath delivered me from the wrath to come In the presence of others that stood by him when the sudden Blast was so strong as almost to puff out the Lamp of Life expecting to dye in a very few moments he said in the words of the Psalmist Into thy hands I commit my Spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth and this was utter'd by him with a more than ordinary chearfulness visibly spread on his Face He would often say in his Sickness If God hath any pleasure in me and any more work for me to do he will raise me up but if not lo here am I let him do with his servant what seemeth him good In short I could neither observe my self nor learn from those that were constantly about him who must know this matter better than any others and would not lye for God himself that he had the least Darkness upon his spirit as to his present and future State from the beginning of his Sickness till he gave up the Ghost which he did the last Lords-day about five in the Morning the time when he was wont to arise and prepare himself for his Sacred Work Then did he enter upon his Everlasting Sabbath to the very great loss of his own Family of this Society in particular and indeed of the Church of God and Interest of Christ in general among us To our great loss but his own gain and therefore weep not as those that are without hope or comfort For he is entred into the Joy of his Lord he is gone within the Vail and hath left the People weeping without to whom he shall never return For the Eye that saw him in this place with so much delight shall see him here no more the Ear that so often heard him with pleasure shall hear his Voice no more But tho the Sower be dead let not the Seed be so Let me bespeak you in the words of the Apostle Heb. 13.7 Remember him that had the rule over you Who so often spake to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of his conversation For his END was PEACE The God of all Grace enable us to prepare to follow that when our turn shall come we may also go to the great Shepherd of the Sheep even that Jesus who hath loved us and washt us from our Sins in his own Blood and may be for ever with him singing Hallelujahs to God and to the Lamb that sitteth upon the Throne FINIS BOOKS c. published by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Mayo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a Plain Answer to this Practical Question What course may a Christian take to have his heart quickned and enlarged in the the Duty of Secret Prayer A Sermon shewing That the Papists dangerously corrupt Holy Worship by their sinful Prayers to Saints and Angels In the Morning Exercise against Popery A Sermon shewing What we must do to prevent and cure Spiritual Pride In the Continuation of the Practical Morning Exercise Vol. 3. A Sermon shewing From what Fear of Death are the Children of God delivered by Christ and by what means doth he deliver them from it In the Casuistical Morning Exercises Vol. 4. The Life and Death of Dr. Staunton To which is added the Doctor 's Treatise of Christian Conference And his Dialogue betwixt a Minister and a Stranger Two Conferences One betwixt a Papist and a Jew The other betwixt a Protestant and a Jew In Two Letters from a Merchant in London to his Correspondent in Amsterdam A Letter from Leghorn A Comment on the Epistle to the Romans In the Second Volume of Mr. Pool's English Annotations The Cause and Cure of Strife and Divisions BOOKS Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultrey A Sermon Preached before the Right Honourable Sir John Shorter Lord Mayor of London By Nath. Taylor A Sermon of the Instrumentality of Faith And a Sermon upon the Resurrection Both by W. Cross M. A. A Sermon at the Funeral of Dr. Jeremiah Butt By Ed. Veal Infant Baptism God's Ordinance By Michael Harrison A Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Lobb late Wife of Mr. Stephen Lobb By Samuel Slater God the Guide of Youth A Sermon Preached by T. Cruso Instructions about Heart-Work what is to be done on God's part and ours for the cure and keeping the Heart c. By that Eminent Gospel Minister Mr. Richard Alleyn With a Preface by Dr. Annesley The 2d Edition The Evidence of Things not seen Or divers Spiritual and Philosophical Discourses concerning the state of Holy Men after Death By that Eminently learned Divine Moses Amyraldus Translated out of the French Tongue by a Minister of the Church of England A Discourse of Christian Religion in sundry points Preached at the Merchants Lecture By Tho Cole A Discourse concerning trouble of Mind and the disease of Melancholly in three Parts written for the use of such as are or have been exercised by the same By Tim. Rogers M A. who was long afflicted with both To which is added some Letters from several Divines relating to the same Subject Love to Christ necessary for all to escape the Curse at his coming By Tho. Doolittle M. A. An Exposition of the Assemblies Shorter Catechism with Practical Inferences from each Question By John Flavell late Minister of the Gospel at Dartmouth in Devon A Discourse of secret Prayer first Preached and now Published at the request of those that heard it By Samuel Slater Minister of the Gospel The future State or a Discourse attempting some display of the Souls Happiness in regard to that eternally progressive Knowledge or eternal increase of Knowledge and the consequences of it which is among the blessed in Heaven By a Countrey Gentleman a Worshipper of God in the way of the Church of England ERRATA Pag. 10. l. antep r. is as p. 14. l. 5. for Gods r. God
A FUNERAL SERMON ON THE DECEASE Of the Reverend Mr. Richard Mayo Late Minister of the Gospel in London Who Died the 8th of September 1695. By NATHANAEL TAYLOR LONDON Printed for Thomas Cockerill Sen r and Jun r at the Three Legs in the Poultrey over-against the Stocks-Market M DC XCV TO That part of the Church of Christ in London of which the Reverend Mr. RICHARD MAYO was lately Pastor Beloved in our Lord I Here present you with the following Sermon which I hope will meet with a kind and favourable Reception from You. Indeed a stately Monument shewing the Excellency of the Work-man that erected it as well as of him that is enclosed in it is necessary to invite and gratify the curiosity of a Stranger But any little thing though so mean in it self that it cannot challenge any regard upon its own account yet is wont to have some value set upon it because 't is the Memorial of a Departed Friend The Relation to you wherein both of us stood the entire Affection you so justly had for him the great kindness you have shewn me for so many Years together with the Additional one of so unanimously fiixing me in his room since his Decease do not only justify but also command this my present Dedication I shall now more than ever need your Remembrance of me at the Throne of Grace in order to the discharge of the great Trust committed to me with Faithfulness and Success so that none of you may want a Crown of Glory nor I one of Rejoycing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 1 Thess 2.19 which shall â—lso be the daily Prayer and faithful Endeavour of him who is on many accounts with great Sincerity and Affection Yours to serve You In the Work of the Gospel Nathanael Taylor 2 COR. V. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. IN that Prophecy of our Blessed Saviour recorded by the Evangelist Luke 17.34 36. concerning some black and terrible Day which some understand of the approaching ruin of the Jewish State and others apply to the dissolution of the World among other things we are told That two Men shall be in the same field two Persons in one and the same bed the one shall be taken the other shall be left Somewhat like this the Sovereign discriminating Providence of God hath lately done among you Not long since Two Persons were working in this part of God's Field A few days ago there were Two that were wont to stand in the same Pulpit the unprofitable Servant indeed is left but Alas the very Valuable one is taken The first remarkable stroke that was given him was in this very Place and in the midst of his Work and the change that it made in his Countenance and thereupon in many of yours you cannot but remember Death pursued the Blow that made the strong and fruitful Tree to shake till at last it fell to the Ground And now if like the Sons of the Prophets we should seek our Elijah it would be in vain for he is Ascended 'T is to no purpose to enquire for him at his own home for he is absent from his Family 'T is a vain thing to search the houses of any of his People for him for he is absent from his Flock It would be lost labour to seek him any where here below for he is absent from the Body too and present with the Lord. Our time and pains will be far better employed in seeking after some portion of the same Spirit that rested on him that so we who have so lately followed him to his Grave and must ere long do so in another sense may follow him to Heaven too For the hour of our decease will come whether we are willing or no we also must ere long be absent from the Body and I wish our being present with the Lord were but as sure as that is For could we but say upon good grounds with our A postle and his Brethren that we are confident of this we should not stop there but be able to go on to the end of the Text and add we are willing rather to be absent from the one and present with the other In which words you have these three Parts 1. One of the true Notions of Death 'T is a being absent from the Body 2. What immediately follows upon it to a holy Soul He shall thereupon be in Heaven which the Apostle describes by one of the greatest Privileges of it being present with the Lord. 'T is the Lord Jesus Christ he here means For of him is this word Lord used in the New Testament as peculiarly belonging to him And in other parallel places the Apostle describes the happiness of Heaven by our being with Christ Phil. 1.23 1 Thess 4.17 and being for ever with the Lord where the Context plainly shews that Christ is meant for 't is that Lord that shall descend from Heaven with a shout and whom they that remain alive to that day shall be caught up to meet in the Air. And so our Saviour himself was wont to describe Heaven Where I am there shall my servant be also And John 12.26 Chap. 14.3 I will receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also 3. The frame of his Spirit and of other holy Men like him in reference to Death on this account We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and be present with the Lord. I say These words are not in the Original but are well put in by our Translators The Apostle had said this before v. 6. And after the interposition of a short Parenthesis v. 7. For we walk by faith and not by sight he here repeats it lest any should suspect that these great words had hastily dropp'd from him He intimates hereby that he had well-weigh'd the Point and that this was indeed the settled temper of his Soul We are confident i. e. we are well assured of Heaven or we are full of holy Courage to venture on all dangers that lye in the way of our Duty and are able to look even Death it self in the face without the least degree of fear We are willing We do acquiesce in and approve of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the word signifies We are willing rather We have a natural Inclination to continue in this Body but yet this is over-ruled by Reason and Grace to that degree that of the two we like this better to lay down these our Earthly Tabernacles as knowing the advantage we shall receive thereupon by being immediately introduced into the blessed Presence of Christ above From the words thus open'd many Doctrines might be raised but I shall confine my self to these two I. 'T is a most desirable thing to a holy Soul to be present with Christ in Heaven II. 'T
God and contending with Flesh and Blood that strongly oppose and speak contrary things But yet to prevent Sloth and rouze up our dull and sluggish Hearts I add 8. That more of this Spirit ought diligently to be laboured after I shall have occasion briefly to urge this in the Application Which I now hasten to Vse 1. Is Heaven desirable to you under this notion whereby our Apostle sets it forth It is amiable in your Eyes as a place where you hope to be eased of all those Afflictions that sit so very uneasy upon your Spirits You like it as a Refuge from Hell But can you savour it and take any delight in it under this consideration as a place where you shall be for ever with Christ You may know this by the standing frame and workings of your Hearts towards him If your Eyes have not been opened to see his Beauty if your Hearts have not been drawn to him if your Souls do not pant and thirst after him and rejoyce in him if he be as a wither'd Flower to you the Heaven which the Gospel hath propounded to us cannot be grateful to you How can such a Man tune his Voice to sing the Song of the Lamb or take any pleasure in that place if it were possible for him to crowd into it 2. See to it that you be persons so qualified that when you die you may be present with the Lord. Suppose God should say to you This night shall thy Soul be required of thee Whither do you think it would go Don't many of your Hearts misgive you and your guilty Consciences tell you not to be with Christ but with Devils and damned Spirits beneath Die ere long you must and the youngest and strongest among you know not how soon There 's a common Executioner that stands invisibly by us all and hath not promised the Civility to wait till we give the Sign he may suddenly and without any warning give us the fatal Blow It may be in a little while you may be filled with such intolerable Pains that you may long to be absent from the Body that you may be out of your Misery But yet how will you be able to wish for that if you are tortured with Fears of hearing those dreadful words Depart from me ye cursed Will you then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all your hearts For the unbelievers will be shut out Will you seek after Regeneration For verily verily John 3.3 I say unto you Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God Give God no rest till he put this good Principle into you that you may cease from evil and do good Without this the most glittering Profession will not avail and multitudes will find it so when 't is too late You have the Superscription of God upon you see that his Image also be stamped on your Souls otherwise you will be rejected Our Saviour in propounding the Parable of the Virgins Matth. 25. speaks of them as though there was an equal number of wise and foolish ones five of one sort and five of the other But in our days we have reason to apprehend the latter do vastly exceed the former and then they will look like foolish ones indeed when that Scripture shall be fulfilled wherein it is written Luke 13.26 27. that the Judge shall say to many that have eat and drunk in his presence and heard him in their streets I know not whence you are Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity The Sentence is Severe but Righteous and Univerfal too All that fall under that Character shall fall under that Condemnation and 't is worth our while to observe the disdainful manner wherein their Plea is over-ruled and Execution awarded against them Then shall ye begin to say q. d. this is so idle and frivolous an Allegation in the behalf of the workers of Iniquity that they have eat and drunk in my presence and I have taught in their streets that I can have no patience to hear it I will cut off such foolish Babblings and idle Arguments immediately for they do not deserve any regard And I tell you I know not whence you are I scorn to be thought to have any Acquaintance with or Respect for so vile a Generation of Men. I often warned them that I would disown them and I now judicially declare I am unalterably fixed and will never change my mind Will you serve and imitate the Example of Christ For if any man John 12.26 saith he will serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall my servant also be Oh that Men were wise for themselves that they would consider and prepare for their latter End that then an entrance may be administred to them into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour 3. Let holy Souls labour after this divine and raised frame of Spirit to be willing rather to be absent from the body that they may be present with the Lord. How willing was Christ to come from Heaven a far better Place than this where we are to undergo a sharper Death for you than you can suffer to be with him And should you be unwilling to depart hence and go to him How unkindly may he take such a temper when he is gone to prepare so glorious a Place for you that you should be so backward to enter into it He desires that you may be where he is to behold his glory And should not the same mind be in you that is in him What though Death lie in the way Is it not an Enemy that he hath Conquer'd and pluck'd out its Sting What have you in this World the Element of Sin and Sorrow whose Pleasures are so thin whose Miseries are so weighty that you should hang about it and cleave so fast to it Methinks you should groan earnestly within your selves to be gone to that better Place and Company That you may be willing draw off your Affections from every thing here below take heed of over-indulging the Body and the Pleasures of it familiarize Death to your selves by serious Meditations encrease in the Knowledge of the Mystery of the Father and of Christ Faith in him and love to him beware of wilful Sins get and keep your Evidences for Heaven clear and let the Glory of God and Christ be the end of your lives 4. Let not surviving Friends too much regret and bewail the Death of their Holy Relatives They are gone from us but they are with Christ where they were and are willing to be And this I doubt not is the Case of your late Reverend deceased Pastor Mr. Richard Mayo He was a Man of sincere Godliness A worthy Person Mr. Singleton sufficiently known in this City for his great Skill and Pains in training up of Youth was the happy Instrument which Providence made use of for the first awakening and enclining him to look out after God