of the sword and stayes the Angel and saves Jerusalem this was excellent service done to his generation Thus also Moses did serve his generation Exo. 32.31 Num. 16.40 Thus Samuel thus Ieremiah 1 Sam 12.23 Jer. 18.20 Dan. 9. Ezra 9 thus Daniel thus Ezra thus the holy men of God from time to time have done service to their generation Thirdly David as a Private Person served his generation by walking before them in the example of an holy unblemished beautiful Conversation God you know every where gives this Testimony of him That he was a man after Gods own heart So Eminently Exemplary was the life of David for holinesse and uprightnesse as that it is made the Standard and Measure of the uprightnesse of others And all that followed after him in the line of succession are reputed either good or bad according as they walked or walked not in the steps of their Father David David led the way and set the coppy of a holy life not only to his own generation but to the generations that succeeded after him And thus every godly Christian may and must serve their generation Being harmelesse and blamelesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as Lights Phil. 2.15 Every Christian man and woman the worse the generation is in which they live the better they should strive to be that they might be as so many Stars in a dark night shining before others and guiding their wayes by the light of a gracious and holy Example So did David and thus served his generation in his Private Capacity Secondly In his Political Capacity as a Magistrate as a King David served his generation by administring Judgment and governing righteously Psal 75.2 When I shall receive the Congregation I will judge uprightly Psalm 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off evil doers from the City of the Lord. Thus Phinehas also served his generation Psalm 106.30 Then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment and so the plague was stayed David in the whole course of his Magistracy served his generation by making the peoples good the publick good the good of the generation in which he lived the end of his government and not his own Pompe and grandeur In which respect it is said of him Psal 78.72 That he fed or governed the people according to the integrity of his heart whereby he attained that happinesse that few Kings and Princes that ever were in the world have had besides him That the people found no fault at all with any thing he did in his Government But whatsoever the King did pleased the people 2 Sam. 3.36 Why Because the people evidently saw that whatsoever the King did he sought their peace and prosperity and welfare in it Thus he served his generation in his Political Capacity as a Magistrate Thirdly In his Ecclesiastical Capacity and as a Church-Member David served his generation in the things of Religion and of the worship of God For First Whereas before the dayes of David Israel had been destitute of the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.21 the visible Testimony of Gods presence among that people and so their glory The Ark had now for a long time been a stranger to Israel and for a longer time been a stranger to the Tent and Tabernacle which was its resting place David was the first man that made the motion for bringing back the Ark to the Tabernacle of the Lord 2 Sam. 6. And when they were discouraged in their first attempt by the breach which God made upon them for a miscarriage and irregularity in that action David's heart was so set upon the work that he could not be taken off but after a little pause he sets upon it a second time and with a great deal of joy and triumph brings the Ark home to Jerusalem though not without the slighting and scorn of his own wife Michol Secondly Thinking it an unbecoming thing for himself to dwell in a house of Cedar 2 Sam. 7.3 when the Ark of God dwelt in Curtains he resolved with himself to build an house a Temple for the Ark of God to dwell in And although God expresly forbad him to do this because he had designed another hand for that work yet such was Davids love to and zeal for Religion that he prepares all materials needful for so Magnificent a work Now I have prepared saith he 2 Chro. 29.2 3 with all my might for the house of my God gold and silver and brasse and iron and wood and onix stones and stones to be set glittering stones and stones of divers colours and all manner of precious stones and marble stones in abundance Thus David as a Member of the Church served his own and after generations in the things of God in the promoting of Religion and the worship of God And thus Ezra and Nehemiah thus Zerobabell and Joshua served their generations Yet further David as a man extraordinarily inspired by God did serve his generation by Composing Psalms to be sung publickly in the worship of God which are upon record as parts of holy Scripture and by Methodizing and Regulating the worship of God as to the courses of the Priests and Levites and the several offices that each of them were to attend upon in their Courses 1 Chro. 23. As also by drawing up and delivering unto Solomon the Scheme or Platform of the Temple which Solomon was to build All which things referring to the worship of God David took upon him to order not simply as he was a King but as he was a Prophet one extraordinarily and infallibly directed by God in these particulars as may be collected from 1 Chron. 18.12 where it is said That David had by the Spirit the Pattern c. And again verse 19. All this said David the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me So that this President of David may not be drawn in Exemplum by other Godly Princes and it is pace tantorum virorum dixerim a mistake in some who would give unto the Magistracy a kind of a Supreme Legislative power in Sacris which is indeed the sole Preogative of Jesus Christ from this example of David But unless all Magistrates had the same extraordinary Spirit and Office that David had they may not presume to do as David did And yet Princes and Magistrates have enough still in Davids Example to imitate and to serve their generation He in all his capacities Private Publick Civil Religious did serve his generation with the utmost of his abilities Ordinary Extraordinary O that others would do so it would certainly be their praise honour as it was Davids here It it an honour to the greatest upon earth to be serviceable to and in his generation Confirmatio Doctrinae à Ratione And it must needs be so because that Man who serves his
A SERMON Preached at the FUNERALS OF The Reverend and Faithful Servant Of Jesus Christ in the Work of the Gospel Mr. SAMVEL COLLINS Pastor of the Church of Christ at BRAINTREE in ESSEX Who Exchanged this Life for Immortality In the 77th year of his Age. In the 46 year of his Ministry there In the year of our Lord 1657. Preached By MATTHEW NEWCOMEN Minister of the Gospel in the Church of Dedham LONDON Printed by D. Maxwell for W. Weekley at Ipswich and are to be sold by J. Rothwel at the Fountain in Cheapside and Rich. Tomlins at the Sun and Bible in Pye-corner 1658. A SERMON Preached at the FUNERALS OF That Reverend and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ in the Work of the Gospel Mr. SAMUEL COLLINS ACT. 13.36 For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on steep and was laid to his Fathers and saw Corruption FUneral Sermons are much condemned by some in these Times and Funeral Speeches Speeches in Commendation of the Deceased much more yet certainly there is a warrantable use of Both though the latter of these hath suffered much abuse Might the Practice of Antiquity Introductio Realis In quibus Scriptura nihil certi definit mos populi Dei instituta majorum pro lege habenda August 1 Cor. 11.19 and the Custome of the Church which in things not precisely determined in Scripture with the Apostle Paul are no contemptible Arguments might these I say be heard the Controversie would soon be ended For it hath been the Practise of the Church of Christ ab antiquo to solemnize the Funerals especially of such as have been eminent in their Lives with such kind of Speeches or Sermons as appears in the Writings of many the most Illustrious Lights especially of the Eastern Churches And for Warrant from Scripture we have thus much to say First For the People of God when one of their Brethren or Sisters is taken from them by the stroak of death to assemble themselves together to give him a Solemn and honourable Interment This is undoubtedly and beyond all question warranted from the frequent I might say almost constant practise of the Saints in the Old Testament and in the New Instances in the Old Testament you have in the Burial of Jacob and Aaron and Samuel and others whom I spare to mention they are so numerous I shall only mention one in the New Testament in the Gospel Church and that is the Instance of Steven Acts 8.2 Devout men carried Steven to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him Though then it were a dangerous time flagrante persecutione the fire of persecution being newly broke forth upon the Christian Church and Steven being the Man that had beene sacrificed in those flames as the first fruits of the Gospel yet they were not they would not be discouraged from this work of humanity and Christian Charity but Devout men carried Steven to his Burial Devout men It is likely there were more of them then would just serve to carry his corps to the Grave If there were some that had so much zeal and charitie and courage in them as to carry him questionlesse there were others that had so much zeal charity courage as to attend him Devout men carried Steven to the grave and made great lamentation over him It is not then unbecoming Devout men Godlymen to accompany the corps of a deceased friend brother fellow Christian to the grave nor to take up a Lamentation over him and say as the Prophet of Bethel over his fellow Prophet Alas my Brother 1 Kings 13.30 or Ah Brother ah Sister ah Lord or Ah his Glory Jerem. 22.18 This is clearly warranted you see by presidents from Scripture This being warranted by president from Scripture I assume in the second place it cannot be unwarrantable for a Minister of the Gospel when a company of Christians are thus met together to attend a Burial to take that opportunity of speaking to them from God and from his Word something that may be seasonable and suiting to the present providence something that may put them in remembrance of their own mortality and quicken them to prepare for death to improve the time of present life or to lay hold upon eternal Life c. Some or all of which are the ordinary Subjects and the proper scopes of our Funeral Sermons for a Minister thus to do cannot justly be thought unwarrantable certainely that charge that solemne charge which the Apostle gives Timothy and in him all the Ministers of the Gospel 2 Tim. 4.2 To preach the Word to be instant in season and out of season doth more then warrant this When is a Sermon of Mortality in season if not at a Funeral when an example of Mortality doth ocules ferire lye before our eyes When is an Exhortation to prepare our selves for death seasonable if not at a Funeral when a real spectacle of the spoil and triumph of death is before our eyes When is a Sermon to excite us to make sure of Eternal life more in season then at a Funeral where we see by occular and evident experience how short how vanishing how uncertain this present life is But what should I stand discoursing any longer about this particular when God himself hath witnessed from from heaven his Approbation of Funeral Sermons by blessing them to the good of souls as some of you I hope can witness from your own experience And not many daies have passed since I heard a Reverend very successful * My Revereâ—… Friend and Neighbour 〈◊〉 John Wall â—… M. sometimâ—… preacher at Mâ—…chaels Cornhiâ—… Late at Bromâ—…ly Magna in Esex Minister of the Gospel say That he had seen the greatest fruit of Funeral Sermons of all the Sermons that every he preached And for Funeral Speeches 3ly though I have not used them much nor shall yet I neither do nor dare condemn those that do use them so it be done with moderation and with caution and where there is indeed just cause of commendation For why may not I make a Speech in the praise of one deceased as well as another write a Poem in the praise of one deceased Why may not I by mentioning the virtues graces the usefulness serviceablenesse of a deceased Christian labour to affect my own heart and the hearts of others either with thankfulness to God for the graces bestowed on him or with grief for our losse in the withdrawing of him 2. With holy Emulation to imitate and follow his example and pattern Why may not I do this in a Speech as well as another in a Poem and I am sure this latter hath president in Scripture thus Jeremy lamented for Josiah and made Poems Verses in memorial of him for the people to sing as you may read 2 Chron. 35.25 Object But you will say Josiah was a man none like him Well be it so what do you say then of
Saul and Jonathan David you know wrote a Poem in the praise of them you have it in 2 Sam. 1. The Beauty of Israel is fallen upon the high places how are the mighty fallen c What shall we say of that Poem of David was it a flash of wit a Pang of natural affection God forbid that we should so think was he not rather guided by the same blessed and holy Spirit that inspired him in his other Poems surely yes or this would never have been Legitimated and Canonized in Scripture amongst the rest From whence I infer That it is lawful and agreeable to the will of God and the wisdom of his Spirit to make an honourable mention of such when they are dead who have done things worthy of praise when they lived So much for the Justifying of our solemn meeting and action upon this occasion I come now to the Text. In this Chapter from the 16 verse to the 41 Introductio Textualis you have an excellent Sermon preached by Paul not the first Sermon that ever Paul preached but the first Sermon of Pauls that ever the Holy Ghost put upon Record Preached at Antioch in Pisidia so called to distinguish it from that other Antioch which was in Syria where the Name of Christian was first minted and the Disciples were first Baptized into the Christian Name Acts 11.26 from which Antioch it was that Paul was separated chap. 13.1 and sent forth to this journey in which journey coming first to Seleucia v. 4. and from thence sailing to Cyprus v. 4. after some time there spent in preaching the Gospel they came to Perga in Pamphilia Built by Seleucus Nicanor v. 13. from thence to Antioch in Pisidia v-14 To this City Paul and Barnabas guided by the Spirit of God came and went saith the Text into the Synagogue upon the Sabbath day and sate down The Synagogue was the place where the people of the Jews did ordinarily meet together every Sabbath day for the reading of Moses and the Prophets and the performing of other duties of worship unto God Hither Paul and Barnabas resort and here they sate them down as quietly and composedly as any other that were present in the Assembly offering no interruption nor disturbance all the while the Scriptures were in reading And after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and brethren if you have any word of Exhortation for the people say on v. 13. The Evangelist Luke here shows saith Calvin Non omnibus permissum fuisse loqui Calvin ad loc It was not free for any one that would to speak in that Assembly But that the work of Exhorting did lye upon certain men even those whom the Evangelist cals the Rulers of the Synagogue it did belong to them after the reading of Moses and the Prophets to instruct exhort the people out of that which had been read Therefore Paul and Barnabas do not presently as soon as the exercise of Reading was finished fall a speaking least by their over much hastiness they should cause disturbance sed modestè expectant but modestly expect till they have leave given them to speak and that by those penes quos publico consensu Autoritas erat to whom authority in the Synagogue did belong by publick consent the Rulers of the Synagogue and they supposing Paul and Barnabas even by their countenance and garb Non esse vulgares homines as one speaks to be no ordinary men Gualter ad loc sent to them saying Men and brethren if you have any word of Exhortation for the people say on Calvin ad loc We know saith Calvin how corrupt the state of the people of the Jews was at this time and the Evangelist tells us afterwards in the process of this History how proud and refractory these very Jews of Antioch were in rejecting the grace of Christ Yet thus much good saith he remained still among them that there was Decency and Order in their Assemblies Quo magis pudenda est deformis confusio quae hodie inter eos qui Christiani haberi volunt conspicitur By so much the more shameful saith he is that deformed confusion that is seen at this time among those that would be counted Christians Gualter also takes notice of several things commendable and imitable in this Jewish Assembly as their coming together on the Sabbath day their demeaning themselves decently and modestly in their Assembly their reading of Moses and the Prophets and in conclusion Et illud quoque Laudem meretur c. And this also is praise-worthy saith he that no man among them takes liberty to speak unlesse he be lawfully required therefore Paul and Barnabas though sent by the Holy Ghost would not speak till called to it Minimè itaque ferenda est Anabaptistarum intemperies c. Being thus invited Paul stood up v. 16. and beckning with his hand as men use to do that would bespeak silence and attention in those to whom they speak he said as followeth to v. 41. In which speech of Pauls we have considerable first The Introduction that Paul useth to his speech v. 13. secondly The Narration or body of the speech in the following verses First The Introduction in these words Men of Israel and ye that fear God give audience Where marke the loving and respective Compellations that Paul useth Men of Israel and ye that fear God! How doth Paul being a stranger know that there were any among them that feared God The event shewed afterwards that they were so far from fearing God as they blasphemed him v. 45. But that was more then Paul knew At the present Paul found them met together in the worship of God as men should do that fear God and therefore he hoped and judged the best of them Men and brethren saith he and all ye that fear God hearken Having thus Prefaced he proceeds to his discourse which discourse or Sermon of Pauls may as one saith be well called Pelargus ad loc A short sum or Epitome of the whole Scripture But especially it is a History of the manifold grace and mercy of God towards his Church and people First In their Election The God of this people of Israel chose our Fathers v. 17. Secondly In his Magnifying them in Egypt by the wonders which he there wrought for them And exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt Thirdly In his bringing of them out thence And brought them out of it with an high hand v. 17. Fourthly In his Indulgence and patience towards them in the wilderness v. 18. And above the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness Fiftly In putting them into Possession of the Land of Canaan v. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan he divided their land to them by lot Sixthly In Establishing a Civil
Government among them first by Judges He gave unto them Judges v. 20. And afterwards upon their desire by Kings delivering that government first to Saul v. 21. Afterward they desired a King and God gave unto them Saul But the Kingly Government was established by God upon the house of David v. 22. He raised up unto them David to be their King c. and having recited these particular mercies of God to his people he makes a great leap from the dayes of David to the dayes of the Messiah the Son of David and shuts up his Catalogue of Mercies with the mention of the greatest and freshest mercy namely Gods sending a Saviour out of Davids loynes according to his promise v. 23. Of this Mans seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Jesus Now this being the principal Nail that the Apostle had to drive and fasten in that Assembly he spends the rest of his Sermon in driving that Naile-home proving that this Promise made to David was fulfilled in the same Jesus whom their Rulers at Jerusalem Crucified And this he proves First By Johns coming as his fore-runner to preach Repentance according to the Prophecyes of Isaiah and Malachie v. 24 When John had first preached before his coming the Baptism of Repentance to all the people of Israel Isai 40.3 Malach. 3.1.4.5 6. Secondly He proves it by the expresse Testimony that John gave of him v. 25. He said I am not he but behold there cometh one after me c. Thirdly He proves it by the fulfilling of the ancient Prophecies of Scripture in his cruel and causeless death v. 27 28. For they that dwelt at Jerusalem and their Rulers because they knew him not nor yet the voice of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day they have fulfilled them in condemning him And though they found no cause of death in him yet they delivered him to Pilate that he should be slain Fourthly He proves the same thing by his Resurrection from the dead v. 29.30 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him they took him down from the tree and laid him in the Sepulchre But God raised him from the dead Which Resurrection of the Lord Jesus is proved 1. By the Testimony of Eye-witnesses v. 31. And he was seen many days of them who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem who are his witnesses to the people And 2. He proves this Resurrection of Christ by Testimonies of Scripture foretelling his Resurrection ver 34 35 36 37. Then you have the Application of all this to the hearers in particular v. 38 39. And so the Apostle concludes his Sermon with a serious admonition to his Hearers not to despise nor reject this offered Grace In all which discourse and carriage of Paul you have nothing but what doth really evidence that Blessed and Holy Spirit whose fruits are Love Peace Gal. 5.22 23 Long-suffering Gentleness Goodnesse Faith Meeknesse Temperance Here is not one bitter boysterous intemperate word in all this Discourse of Pauls How far are they from this Apostolical Spirit that pretend in these times to be the only Apostolical men and to be guided and acted by as Infallible a Spirit as the Apostles themselves were They will tell you the Spirit moves them and bids them go to such a Town to such a Meeting-place Well what do they when they are there Do they sit as Paul and Barnabas did and demean themselves with gravity and reverence becoming such an Assembly No but carry themselves in such a proud scornful wild disdainful manner that their very presence is a disturbance to the whole Congregation Do they wait till they are invited and called to speak as Paul and Barnabas did No but as soone as the last word is out of the Ministers mouth if not before they blow their Trumpet sound their Alarm bid defiance to him his Doctrine and Calling And when they speak what Do they use sober meek and gentle speeches as the Apostle Paul here Men of Israel and all ye that fear God Do they bring cleare evidence Scripture Arguments and solid Reasons as the Apostle Paul here doth No but break out into bitterest railings and cursings condemning for Hypocrites and Damned and full of the Divel all but themselves Whether these men be acted by an Apostolical Spirit or by a Diabolical Spirit whether their Tongues be touched with a Cole from the Lords Altar or set on fire of Hell it is easie to judge if it be true which our Saviour saith Mat. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be Justified and by thy words thou shalt be Condemned Out of this whole Discourse of Pauls I have made choice of the words of the 36 verse to insist upon at this time and upon this Occasion But David after he had served his Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his Fathers and saw Corruption Which words are a prevention of an Objection that might be made against a Scripture which the Apostle in the verse immediately foregoing had cited out of the sixteenth Psalm to prove the Resurrection of Christ in these words Scopus Verberum Thou shalt not suffer thine holy One to see corruption Now lest the Jews should in their hearts object that this place might be spoken by David of himself the Apostle Anticipates this and shews that this place cannot be competent to David properly and directly but only as he was a Type of Christ and by way of participation as he should together with the rest of the godly be raised up by Christ For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid to his Fathers and saw corruption In which words we have considerable first Divisio Textus the person spoken of David secondly the employment of this person he Served thirdly the Object on which he bestowed his pains and service his own Generation fourthly the moving or ordering or regulating cause of this the will of God fiftly the issue and event of this in three particulars first he fell on sleep secondly he was laid to his Fathers thirdly he saw corruption David a man whom God found out and framed according to his own heart Explicatio Verborum and took from following the Ewes great with young to feed and Rule his people Israel whom God advanced from a mean and low condition to the highest Pinacle of honour setting his Throne higher then the Kings of the earth Psalm 89.27 He Served not Himself by an Exorbitant Arbitrary Government as his predecessor Saul had done but he served Others he served All he served his own Generation That word Generation is a word of frequent and various use in Scripture I shall not lead you through them all I shall only give you notice of four or five First Sometimes it signifies a Succession of men begetting and propagating one
another so in the first of Matthew there are reckoned from Abraham to Christ two and forty Generations that is Successions of children standing up in their fathers rooms Secondly Sometimes it signifies All the men that live together at the same time so Gen. 6.9 it is said of Noah That he was a Just man and perfect in his Generations that is among the men of that Age wherein he lived Thirdly It signifies men of a like quality and disposition though they live in several ages and periods of time as Psal 14.5 God is in the Generation of the righteous And Psal 24.6 This is the Generation of them that seek thee Fourthly Sometimes it signifies a family or nation so Mat. 24.34 Verily I say unto you this Generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Which words cannot be understood of that particular Race of the Jews which were living upon the earth in our Saviours dayes for they are passed away long agoe but must be understood of the people and nation of the Jews in all their decurrent successions And the meaning of the words must be this That whatever devastations and desolations should come upon Jerusalem according to the Predictions of that Chapter the Jews should yet remain a People a Nation distinct from all other Nations though scattered among them all the world over even to the coming of Christ in Judgment That whereas other Nations living among strangers become incorporate with them in a few Generations only the Jews wherever they live still remain a Nation distinct from all other Nations And this is the sense of the word Generation in that place So Matth. Flacius Clavis Script part 1. ad verbum De sensu bujâ—… Loci qui plurâ—… velit Consulat Commentarioâ—… in primi Gerhardi continuâ—…tion em Harmâ—…niae In this place it is to be taken in the second sense David served his own Generation that is that company of men with whom he was Contemporaneous who lived all the same time that he himself lived Unlesse you will adde a Fifth sense of the word whereby it signifies the age or terme of life which sense some contend for in that forementioned place Matth. 24.34 and so the meaning is David served his own Generati that is David was an useful serviceable man all the dayes of his life even to his dying day for David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep By the will of God or by the counsel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Incisum or branch of the Verse is variously pointed in several Coppies some cut it off from the foregoing words and affix it to the word following and making a Comma at the foregoing word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they read it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the will of God he fell on sleep So Arias Montauus in his Interlineary And so some other Coppies and this Punctation Erasmus followed in his Latine Translation But Beza rejects this pointing wholy and saith Haec distinctio neque in vetustis codicibus reperitur neque ullâ ratione nititur Neither doth Stephanus take any notice of it in his Variae Lectiones upon the New Testament Therefore the more true and right reading of the Text seems to be that which our Translation follows wherein that Phrase By the will of God is annexed to the words foregoing and the Text thus read For David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep And yet even so read the words as Camerarius hath observed have ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quandam a kind of Ambiguity although so far from being hurtful that it is profitable for that phrase by the will of God may be referred either to the Generation and so the meaning is David served that Generation which it was the will and counsel of God to cast him upon Or else it may be referred to the service that David did to his Generation and so the meaning is David served his own Generation not after his own will or fancy or humor or the humours fancies or wils of other men but after the will of God For David after he had served his generation by the will of God fell on sleep Fell on sleep That 's a Phrase often used in Scripture to signifie death especially of the Righteous it 's usually said of them as of David here he fell on sleep And was laid to his Fathers That phrase is often also used in Scripture of the Burial and Interment of the Saints he was laid to his Fathers And saw Corruption That is his body rotted in the grave Videre significat sentire aut experiri aliquid The words like Joseph are a fruitfull Branch Deductio Doctrinarum from whence mïght be gathered many comfortable and profitable doctrines as namely 1. First In the general from the mention which the Holy Ghost here makes of David which you see here as in other places of Scripture is altogether honourable here is no mention of any dis-service David did his generation Not one word of his being the occasion of the death of 85 of the Lords Priests in one day they their wives and their children Not a word of his defiling Bathsheba or murthering Uriah or Numbring the people which cost the lives of seventy thousand in three dayes Not a word of any of this but only what an useful serviceable man he was Thence observe in the first place That God values those that are in Christ and have repented of their sins not according to the evil but the good that hath been in them Secondly and more particularly That several particular persons have their several particular generations to serve in David here in the Text served his generation so Noah his so Moses his so Paul his The service that Noah did would not have been proper nor suitable in Moses his generation nor Moses in Davids nor any of them in Pauls Several persons have their several particular generations to serve in Thirdly That particular generation which every person is to serve in is allotted him by the counsel and will of God For David after he had served his own generation by the will of God it is not by chance that men are cast upon the generation they live in men are not thrown into the world by God as we cast Counters out of a bag neither knowing nor regarding which comes first which last No God who doth all things in number weight and measure he from Eternity hath appointed and allotted unto every man the Age and Generation he shall serve in Act. 17.26 He hath made of One blood all Nations to dwell upon the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitations Fourthly It is a great honour to the greatest man upon earth to be serviceable to and in his own generation David though a King yet this is spoken of him
by way of Praise and Commendation He served his own generation Fiftly It is a good mans honour to be serviceable to his generation his whole time David served his geneeation not an Apprentiship only or three Apprentiships as Jacob served Laban but his whole Life time he served his generation till he fell on sleep His serving his generation was not like Tiberius his Quinquennium Sixtly The Rule of our serving our generation must not be our own will nor the will of men but the will of God For David served his own generation by the will of God 7ly There is a time when all our serving of our generation shall cease and we shall fall asleep For David after he had served his own generation by the will of God fell on sleep Eightly The death especially of the righteous and godly it is a sleep Hoc ex variā Lectione Ninthly The time of mens sleeping the sleep of death it is determined and appointed by God David fell on sleep by the will of God Tenthly God will have his children serve out their generation before they dye It was not the will or counsel of God that David should die till he had served his generation Eleventhly Men by death are laid to their Fathers Eunt ad plures was the Heathens phrase of death Eunt ad patres is the Scripture phrase David fell on sleep and was laid to his fathers Twelfthly and lastly All that ever dyed or shall dye except the Lord Jesus Christ all else even the greatest and holiest must and shall see Corruption David a King yea which is more a Saint and which is yet more a Prophet yet he saw Corruption Only the Lord Jesus Christ because he saw no Corruption in the womb he saw no Corruption in the grave because there followed no Corruption of sin upon the union of Christs Soul and Body in his Conception there followed no Corruption of body upon the dissolution of that union But David after that he had served his own generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid to his Fathers and saw Corruption So that you see my Text like Iacob out of whose loins issued twelve sons or like Elim where the people of Israel met with twelve wells Or the five particulars of this Text are like those five leaves of which you read in the Gospel which being broken multiplyed into twelve baskets full I shall empty but one of these Baskets for your entertainment at this time and lead you but to one of these twelve wells for your refreshing and that is the Doctrine which is the fourth in order and was laid down in these words Doctrina elaboranda That it is a great honour to the greatest upon earth to be serviceable to and in his own generation David though a King though a Saint though in some sense a King of Saints yet this is spoken of him in his praise He served his or in his own generation Explicatio Doctrine In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies not a verbal superficiall complemental service such as our Times abounds with the profession of your servant Sir is in every mans mouth but a Real Painful Laborious service The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly signifying one that takes pains and tugs at the Oar. David found the Church and Commonwealth of Israel in a Crasie Leaky condition and he laboured hard and took pains to serve his generation and to bring that weather-beaten bottom the generation was imbarked in into safe Harbor The words is used Act. 20.34 to signifie to serve by way of relief These hands saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have ministred to my Necessities and the necessities of them that were with me So David served his own generation that is he ministred to the Necessities of his generation In Acts 24.23 it signifies Courtesies and Offices of Love where it is said Felix commanded the Centurion to keep Paul and let him have his liberty and to forbid none of his friends 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to minister to him to do any office of Love to him So David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did many offices of Love to his generation and this was his praise and honour This is as it were Engraven by the Holy Ghost upon his Tomb-stone in stead of all other Encomiums he served his own generation And this every man how great soever should look upon as his greatest honour saying with Maximinius the Emperor Quo major sum eò magis laborare cupio The greater I am the more work I desire to do And make that his Motto which was once the Motto of the Prince of Wales Ich Dien You may consider David in a three-fold capacity first in a Private Capacity as a Member of the Jewish Commonwealth secondly in his Politick Capacity as a King in Israel thirdly in his Ecclesiastical Capacity as a Member of the Church of the Jews and in all these you shall find David doing eminent service and Offices of Love for his generation First In his Private Capacity David served his own generation several wayes I will instance only in three which are imitable and attainable by other private persons First David as a Private person did serve his generation by bewailing the sins and provocations of the Time and Age wherein he lived So Psalm 119.136 Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Laws David doth not only now and then drop a Tear but mourns constantly mourns impetuously until his tears like the waters in Ezekiel swell into a River and that not only for his own sins but for the sins of others for the sins of the Times and that was one special service and office of love done for his generation Thus Lot was serviceable to his generation when he lived in Sodome 2 Pet. 2.8 Thus Ezra was serviceable to his generation Ezra 9.6 Thus Jeremiah Jer. 4.6 Thus the godly in Ezekiels dayes Ezek. 9.6 It is Eminent Service done in and to our generation to bewail the sins of it Secondly David as a Private Person did serve his generation by making intercession and supplication for them by thrusting himself into the gap and interposing himself between the wrath of God and the poor people So 2 Sam. 24.17 Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly let thy hand I pray thee be upon me and upon my fathers house David here offers his own neck to the Sword of Divine Justice to save the people This was a powerful Intercession an excellent Service done to his generation upon which the Plague was stayed David here did by the Angel as the Angel did by Abraham when Abraham had stretched out his drawn sword over Isaac to slay him the Angel catcheth hold upon his sword and stayeth his hand So here the Angel had stretched out his drawn sword over Ierusalem to destroy it and David comes and catches hold