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A96098
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The crown of righteousness. Set forth in a sermon preached at Stephens Walbrook, May 1. 1656. At the funeral of Thomas Hodges Esquire. / By Thomas Watson, minister of Stephens Walbrook, in the citie of London.
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing W1120; Thomason E882_10; ESTC R204056; ESTC R207285
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24,757
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39
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THE CROWN OF Righteousness Set Forth In A SERMON PREACHED At Stephens Walbrook May 1. 1656. At the Funeral of Thomas Hodges ESQVIRE By THOMAS WATSON Minister of Stephens Walbrook in the Citie of LONDON 1 SAM. 2. 30. They that honour mee I will honour LONDON Printed for Joseph Cranford at the signe of the Kings Head in Pauls Church-yard Anno Dom. 1656. JUNE 10. 1656. Imprimatur Edmund Clamie TO THE Virtuous and my worthie Friend Mris MARY HODGES HONOURED FRIEND IT was not my intention when I preach'd this Sermon that it should go any further then the Pulpit But seeing you were pleased to request me to print it that I might herein gratifie your desire and exhibit a testimonial of that respect which I did bear to your deceased Husband I was willing to make it more publick and the Lord make it profitable You are sensible enough I doubt not of the late losse you have susteined I did therefore choose to treat on this subject that I might revive you with the hope of future gain not forgetting that of Solomon Prov. 31. 6. Give wine to those that be of heavie hearts The Jewes have this forme of Speech at their Funerals whereby they would chear up the party surviving Let thy consolation bee in heaven * so I say to you Look up to Heaven let the Crown laidup comfort you The Lord help you to make a sanctified use of this sad stroke of Providence learn dear Friend to make sure of Christ when you cannot make sure of other relations Faith will Contract you to CHRIST and if your Maker bee your Husband * Death shall not dissolve but perfect the Vnion Labour still to Anchor within the vail * 't is no casting Anchor downward wee break our earthly comforts while we lean too hard on them but I must not expatiate I have here presented you with the Sermon as I preach'd it onely I have cast in some few additionals which through straits of time I was then forced to omit The blessing of the Almighty rest upon you and let that golden Oil bee powred out upon your Posteritie * So praieth Your faithful friend and servant in the Lord THO. WATSON From my Study at Steph. Walbrook June 2. 1656. IN OBITUM Thomae Hodges ARMIGERI LAurus Apollinoi nemoris ditissima proles exulet crinem taxus opaca premat Et mea faerales humectent carmina guttae carmina lugubri commemoranda sono Nuper enim tristi noctis squalore sepultus eximiae cecidit maximus urbis honos Scilicet egregius generosi nobilis haeres quem tenuit verae Religionis amor Nullus amicorum lateri constantior haesit civibus aut passim clarior alter erit Non auri coluit radios nec pauper ut esset sponte tenebroso carcere clausit opes Sed bene divitiis quaesitis noverit uti sanctorum ut merit as possit habere preces Transegit placidam chastâ cum Conjuge vitam Exemplo natos consitiìsque regens Huc tamen O nigri rigor insatiabilis orci fatales ictos mors inopina dedit Ecce hic marmorea sopitum dormit in urnâ corpus at aethere as mens petit alta domus Illio terrestris discusso pondere limi exultat pseno necteris amne lavans O utinam digno celebrarem funus honore tacito cineri debita jura darem Non cuperem violas mollisve rosaria pesti nempe haec vix tumulo congrua dona forent Non caret unguentis nec picti floribus horti quem sequitur famae nobilioris odor Edm. Hall THE CROWN OF Righteousness 2 TIM. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day THe wise GOD that he may invite and encourage the sons of men to holinesse of life is pleased to set before their eies the recompence of reward that if the equitie of his Precepts doth not prevail the excellencie of his Promise may God will have his people Voluntiers in Religion * not forced with fear but drawn with love therefore he works upon them in such a way as is most alluring and perswasive he would catch men with a golden bait and tempt them to obedience by shewing them what is laid up in heaven for them so in the Text Henceforth there is a Crown of Righteousnesse laid up c. A Crown Oh infinite for a Delinquent to have a pardon is well but to have a Crown set upon him is no lesse rare then stupendious A true Saint hath a double Crown one in this life the other laid up In this life he hath a Crown of Acceptance Ephes. 1. 6. He hath made us accepted in the beloved Some render the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he hath made us favorites * here is the Crown of acceptance and in the life to come a Crown of Righteousnesse The glorie of heaven is represented in Scripture under various Similies and Metaphors Somtimes heaven is compar'd to a place of rest Heb. 4. 9. it is the souls center * Somtimes to an house not made with hands 2 Cor. 5. 1. Somtimes to an inheritance in light Golos 1. 12. and in the Text the glorie of heaven is set forth by a Crown the Circle is the most perfect figure * This blessed Crown doth incircle within it all perfection I shall first break up the ground of the Text by Explication then come to sow the seed of Doctrine 1. Henceforth * This word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} henceforth is a relative word either first it may bear date from the time of the Apostles conversion Henceforth there is laid up a Crown assoon as a man is implanted into Christ he stands intituled to a Crown Or secondly this word Henceforth may relate to the end of his race and fight Paul had run through all the several stages of Christianitie He had finished his course and from henceforth saith he there is laid up a Crown He knew his work was done and there was nothing now remaining but to step out of the world and put on his Crown 2. There is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness a Quest Why a Crown of Righteousnesse it is a Crown of mercie b a Crown that free grace bestows Why then is it called Corona justitiae a Crown of righteousness Answ 1. Negatively not that we can by our righteousnesse merit this Crown Bellarmine builds his Doctrine of Merit on this Text Aquinas and Bonaventure say that we merit this Crown ex condigno by way of condignitie But the whole current of our Orthodox Divines runs another way c And the Apostle makes a clear distinction between a reward bestowed by Merit and by Grace Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death but the guift d of God e is eternal life Had the reward
been by merit the Apostle should have said the wages of God is eternal life f Alas how can we merit a Crown before we merit we must satisfie but we have nothing to satisfie How can finite Obedience satisfie infinite Justice Besides what equalitie is there between our service and the reward What proportion between the shedding of a Tear and a Crown So that we cannot by our righteousnesse merit this Crown g I Answer therefore 2. Affirmatively it is called a Crown of righteousnesse in a double sence ◠Because it is Corona promissa it is a Crown promised h Revel. 2. 10. I will give thee a Crown God having made this promise h it is a righteous thing to bestow this Crown on us i 2. It is a Crown of righteousnesse because it is Corona acquisita a Crown purchased it is a Crown bought with the price of blood It was so bought as it was given else where were God's mercie And it was so given as it was bought else where were God's justice This Crown swims to us through the blood of a Saviour When Christ was hanging upon the Crosse he was purchasing a Crown for us and in this sence it is a Crown of righteousnesse it is righteous with God to give us the Crown which Jesus Christ hath paid for so dearly 3. This Crown is said to be laid up * The Crown is kept in reversion God doth not presently broach the full vessels of glorie he doth not presently install us into our honour it is Corona recondita a Crown laid up The Saints are heirs under age God doth not crown them till they are of age the sons of Kings are oft crown'd during their minoritie some have been crown'd in their cradle k but the heirs of glorie must be of perfect stature before they are crowned God will give his children the ring and the bracelets here some of the comforts of his Spirit but not the Crown we are all for present pay we are still putting off our repentance yet would bee putting on our Crown God will have us stay a while the Crown is laid up Quest But why is it laid up why is not the Crown presently put on Answ 1. It is not fit that we should yet wear it and that for two reasons 1. Our graces are imperfect in this life l they are in their infancie and minoritie therefore we are said to receive but primitias the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. non decimas saith Luther we are but Christians in fieri m we have onely some imperfect lineaments of grace drawn in us our graces are mingled with much corruption as Gold in the Oar is mingled with drosse the most refined soul hath some lees and dregs of sin left in it The life of grace is said to be hid Col. 3. 3. our faith is hid under unbelief as the corn is hid under the chaff now if God should set the Crown upon us in this life he should crown our sins as well as our graces Therefore the Crown is laid up 2. 'T is not fit that wee should yet wear the Crown for then it would take us off from doing our work wee should be idle in the Vineyard Who will take pains for a reward when he hath the reward already therefore the Crown is laid up Wee must run the race before wee wear the Crown 2 The Crown is laid up to make heaven the sweeter n The longer we stay for our Crown the sweeter it will be when it comes The absence of that which we desire doth but endear it to us the more when we enjoy it After all our sweating for heaven all our praying weeping fasting how welcom will a Crown bee Therefore it is that God though he will not denie yet hee will delay our reward 't is a Crown laid up Quest But if this Crown be laid up when shall wee wear it this brings me to the fourth and last particular in the Text 4. In that day o What day Die obitûs mei saith Tertullian In the day of my death Justinus and others are of opinion that the Saints shall not receive this Crown till the Resurrection But Hierom confutes this opinion p The Souls of the elect shall be presently Crown'd with joy and felicity The body indeed shall lie in the grave as in a bed of perfume till the resurrection q That this rerurrection shall be is clear r Therefore it is that some of the antients have called the grave {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a sleeping house because this body shall awake again and the Jewes called their burying place The house of the living s because they believed that life would come into them again at the resurrection and till then the bodies of the Saints must wait for their preferment but their Souls shall be immediately Crown'd after death Why else should Saint Paul desire to be dissolved if he were not presently Crown'd with glory It were better for believers to stay here if they should not be immediately with Christ Here they are daily improving their stock of grace they are increasing the jewels of their Crown though they sit in the valley of teares yet God often turns their water into wine they have many Praelibamina sweet tasts of Gods love they have the bunches of grapes If Pauls Soul should sleep in his body a drowsy opinion then when he desired to be dissolved he wished that which was to his losse but this Crown shall be given in that day die obitûs the day of our death It cannot be halfe a days journey between the Crosse and Paradise The words being thus opened fall into these three parts 1. Here is a glorious reward a Crown 2. The adjournying of this reward it is layd up 3. The persons on whom it is bestowed viz. Paul and the rest of believers For me and not for me onely but for all them that love Christ's appearing Doctr. That the righteous person shall wear the Crown of righteousnesse For the illustration of this I shall do four things 1. I shall enquire who this righteous person is 2. I shall evince it by Scripture that the righteous person shall wear this blessed Crown 3. I shall shew you wherein the reward of Glory is compared to a Crown 4. Wherein this Crown of righteousnesse excells and out-shines all earthly Crowns I. Who this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or righteous person is I answer a man may be said to be righteous two ways 1. legally Thus Adam while he did wear the robe of innocence was legally righteous he had that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a law of holiness written in his heart and his life was a living commentary upon it He went exactly according to every institute of God as a well made Diall goes with the Sun