Life out of Death A SERMON Preached at CHELSEY ON The recovery of an honourable Person By Thomas Fuller B. D. Printed for John Williams at the Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard 1655. TO THE Virtuous and worthy Gentlewoman Mris ANNE DANVERS all increase of grace and happiness YOu are the first Virgin of your sex and probably may be the last to whom my pen hath addressed it self by way of Dedication and indeed you may challenge a just interest in this Sermon First you heard it preached with that exemplarie attention you always use in Gods house Secondly you shared deeply in the welcome occasion thereof the recoverie of your worthy Father Thirdly I am confident you have digested it in your meditations and will bring forth the fruits thereof in your godly life Remember your Name importeth Grace in the language of Israel and Scripture affordeth you two worthy Namesakes one the Mother of a Prophet the other her self a Prophetess The former frequently repaired to the Tabernacle the latter never went out of the Temple The assiduitie of your dayly Devotion to God Dutifulness to your Parents and general Goodness to all raiseth me to a great assurance you will imitate such worthy Presidents Dr. Alexander Nowel when taxed by some Courtiers for flattering Queen Elisabeth in his Preaching was wont to plead for himself he had no other way to instruct the Queen what she should be but by commending her In like manner I pray interpret my praising of you a teaching of you suffer not the brand of falshood to fall upon my Credit Yea I am sure you will endeavor to justifie and exceed this your Character here presented for the performance whereof you shall never want the prayers of him who is an Indebted Servant to the root and branches of your Honorable Extraction THOMAS FULLER Life out of Death ISAIAH 38.9 The writing of Hezekiah King of Juda when he had bin sick and was recovered of his sicknesse IN the first verse of this Chapter Isaiah is dispatched to King Hezekiah with a sad message which he thus expresseth in these short but sharp words Thus saith the Lord. Set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not live At the hearing hereat see the demeanour of King Hezekiah He turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord. O the difference betwixt Hypocrites and Gods servants in their devotions the former desire Mat. 6.5 to pray in the corners of the streets that is as the Greek word importeth in the meeting where two streets decuss or thwart one another where foure Angles come together so that the hypocrite hath in effect the advantage of foure streets two going one way and two another to be seen of men and hard is his happ if he prove invisible to have none take notice of his Religion Clean contrary Hezekiah turneth his face to the wall none but God and himself shall be witnesse of what is transacted betwixt them no attendance standing by shall pry into his behaviour if any posture or passage lesse Courtly chance to fall from him in the height of his passion only God shall see it who will pity and pardon it Here is hearty prayer Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart have done that which is good in thy sight How is the same thing not the same thing when spoken by two several men Had that proud Pharisee in St. Lukes Gospel for whose pride the whole Temple was not large enough except he justled the poor Publican had he who in his Confession acknowledged all his own vertues and the Publicans faults I say had he uttered these words of Hezekiah he might justly have been conceived therein to savor rankly of the leaven of the Pharisees spiritual pride and hypocrisie whereas our Hezekiah pronouncing these words not self-praysing but self-purging in the sincerity of his heart from an upright soul to an all seeing God they resented not of pride but whole humility and were acceptable in the eyes of Heaven And Hezekiah wept sore Strange what made him take on so bitterly at the tidings of death I had thought he would have embraced both message and Messenger if not for their own for their senders sake I had though he would have rewarded him that brought him the first newes of his desired dissolution Was not Hezekiah assured that the setting of his Sun here in a mortal life should be the rising thereof in a blessed immortality How ill then doth those teares become those cheeks those sobs and sighes that heart those moans and complaints that tongue wherein rather we should have expected smiles and joyful acclamations Answ Double the reason of Hezekiahs grief First because though he was a good man yet he was a man and therefore we wonder if unwilling to die our souls and bodies have bin loving play-mates for many yeers together and loath to depart will be their tune at their separation Many through pain may be discontented to live though notwithstanding to die such a love of life is naturally implanted in every man Secondly Hezekiah was unwilling to die because as yet issueless He had no Son to succeed him in the Throne We all know what a great curse barrenness was amongst the Children of Israel though under the Gospel the malediction is so farre removed that wombs which bear not and paps which suckled not are pronounced blessed in time of persecution But besides the general desire of Children common to all Jews A greater longing for issue might be allowed to Hezekiah because descended from David He stood in fair probability to have the Messiah according to the flesh spring from his loyns the greatest outward happiness and which might be improved to spiritual comfort that humanity in that age was capable of besides dying without an Heire a door was open to ambitious competitors to pretend to the Crown So that the Land might be rent a sunder by civil warres betwixt several claims and titles about succession Now that Hezekiah hitherto was without a Child plainly appeareth by the age of Manasseth his eldest Sonne 2 Chron. 33.1 Manasseth was twelve yeers old when he began to raign Seeing therefore God after this time added 15. yeers to Hezekiahs life by computation it plainly appeareth that Manasseth was born three yeers after Hezekiahs recovery and so he childlesse at this present time Well the Prophet Isaiah is sent with a welcom Counter Message that Hezekiahs prayer was heard and a longer lease of life indulged unto him confirmed with miracle from Heaven of the going back of the Sun Hezekiah thus restored to health thought it was too low and little thanks onely to speak thanks Litera scripta manet whereas words quickly vanish away and therefore for the better perpetuation confirmation and propagation of the memory of his recovery to make it the longer the broader the deeper to all posterity he entereth the same
upon record and putteth it on the Kalender of eternity The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sick and was recovered of his sicknesse The words present us with Hezekiah in a double condition Hezekiah sick Hezekiah sound Hezekiah dying Hezekiah living We will follow the method of the Text and begin with his first and worst estate Hezekiah sick Before I go further I am encountered with a shrewd objection and have no minde to meddle with it but it will meddle with me so importunate the nature thereof and that is this Doth not this argue some mutability in God to recede from his former and take up a new resolution are not those Princes or States branded with levity and inconstancy who in one breath order and disorder act and repeal unconsistent with themselves in their proceedings and doth not this at least fix some aspersion of sickleness on that infinite power with whom there is no shadow of change First to conclude Hezekiahs death then to issue out a Command to the contrary for his longer life I could answer let not our eye be evil because Gods is good Let not his extraordinary mercies make us question and quarrel at his proceedings If any Prince or State make a perfective alteration to the best by pittying and pardoning the condemned such a commendable change makes them not unlike themselves but most like him who is the best of beings God himself in my Text turning Hezekiahs doleful message of death into comfort and consolation by reversing thereof But more plainly two answers may be shaped this objection and it shall be left to the Readers Christian liberty which to prefer or if he please to twist them both together First when God said in his message of Hezekiah thou shalt die and not live the meaning is Thy disease whereof now thou liest sick is deadly and mortal in the very nature thereof as if he had said Hezekiah I acquaint thee with the true state and condition of thy body deceive not thy selfe by expecting life through any natural means such is the malignity of thy present malady it is pestiferous and deadly in it selfe and indeed some take it to be the plague sore place therefore no confidence in physick or attendance thereby to recover thy health which is possible no other way then immediate miracle from Heaven Others distinguish betwixt Gods comminatory and definitive sentence A definitive sentence is absolute like the Acts of the Medes and Persians admitting of no revocation but a comminatory or threatning sentence done in Terrorem alwayes carrieth with it a clause or condition of revocation in case a just cause thereof appear to divine providence in the interval betwixt the pronouncing and executing of the sentence This clause is not alwayes exprest but sometimes concealed in Gods bosome like that threatning Jonah 3.4 Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall be overthrown Alwayes provided if in that space they compound not with God by unfained repentance parallel whereunto was this decree in the Text including upon Hezekiahs petitioning a reversion thereof without the least aspersion of levity on divine immutability The main Doctrine in the Text is this Neither grace nor greatnesse can priviledge any from sicknesse and by consequence from death Hezekiah had a double Title to make him sickness-free death-proof First he was one of signall sanctity á non sicut like unto him was none before him neither afterwards arose there any in Israel like unto him Secondly he was a King had his piety improved by power Yet sicknesse was no whit afraid of the greatnesse of his Porter of the grimness of his Guard at the gallantry of his Pentioners at the greatness at the goodness of his Person but boldly seized upon him whereof this the Reason The statute of death is above the prerogative Royall It is appointed of all men once to die Seeing then it were madnesse in meaner persons to flatter themselves with hopes of constant health and life Here let us lay down some Rules how persons should demean themselves in the time of sicknesse providing to entertain what is impossible to avoid These lessons must be learned now and practised hereafter Sicknesse is a time to suffer not to do in Patients are like Bees in winter no flying abroad to finde fresh flowers either they must starve or live on that stock of honey which they have provided in the summer time Let us not have our Oyl to buy when we should have it to burn but treasure up good counsels whilst we are at ease and health to be put in use when Gods prisoners on our beds of sickness And first I lay down this proposition It is lawful for a sick person to desire longer life if in a right manner and to a good end Right manner namely if conditionally submitting himself to Gods will and pleasure Christ hath taught us this peece of spiritual manners Mat. 26.39 Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt The Text is a good end Not to act over again our youthful vanities and to be more perfect criticks in unlawful pleasure then we have been before but for one of these foure following ends First to get a greater stock of grace and assurance of salvation to obtain livelier faith quicker hope hotter charity clearer knowledge stronger patience longer perseverance Secondly as to receive more grace from God So to return more thanks to him by serving him in our vocation Now the more eminent a mans calling is in Church or Common-wealth the more may he justifie his importunity with God for a longer life that he may be more effectually serviceable in his place O may the Magistrate say spare a little that I may recover my strength that I may once again go up upon the bench to check vice and countenance vertue and rescue the poor from the pawes of the oppressor Once again may the Minister say let me go up into the Pulpit that I may propagate thy truth and suppresse the spawning errors and spreading vices of our age Know also that this Argument for longer life may properly and pathetically be pressed on God from them who by their own pains and parents cost have furnished themselves for abilities in Church or State and being young have not yet had the opportunity to vent them for Gods glory and the good of their Country such I say may zealously petition God that their Sun may not set before it be fully risen nor their streame dammed up as it were in the Fountain but as they have brewed and prepared so they may broach and set forth their indowments and acquired accomplishments to the glory of God and good of his Saints and Servants Here it will not be amisse to inquire into the meaning of Davids words when desiring longer life shall the dust praise thee O Lord whereof under correction I humbly conceive this the natural sense whilest a man is alive not only his soul but his dust
prayseth God I mean his body made thereof concurreth in divine service and hath together with his soul a competent share in Gods worship His eyes lifted up his hands held up his knees bowed his tongue moved his moyety of dust hath its counterpart in the praysing of God but in a dead man his soul indeed prayseth God in Heaven but his dust till glorified and united after the Resurrection hath no portion at all in praysing God David therefore alledgeth this as an Argument to be continued in the Land of the living shall the dust prayse thee O Lord that Gods service might still be preserved so in him that his body might not be altogether uselesse as in dead folke but have a portion of praysing of God conjoyned with his soul as the opposite part of the Quire in lauding the Lord. Thirdly a sick man may desire longer life to see an establishment in the Church of God of these fluctuating times to behold the same fixed to his honour and the advantage of true Religion Lastly He may desire life to see the posterity which God hath given him bread and brought up in holy nurture and instruction and provided for in outward maintenance not to be left to the charity of the world which waxeth cold in this age but chiefly that their souls may be ballasted with saving knowledge not to be carried away with every winde of Doctrine whilest they are catechized in the fundamentalls of Religion But as these Reasons may justly make one desirous to live so ought they not to prevail so far as to make any over-fond thereof If therefore thou perceivest in thy selfe that death hath seized thee let not the foresaid Reasons breed in thee an unwillingness to depart seeing they may be unreasoned again I mean so far satisfied as to make thee submit willingly to be disposed of by Gods pleasure First thou wouldest willingly live to get more grace but let this comfort thee that little grace thou hast if true and sincere shall through Gods goodness be accepted to thy salvation whereof if thou hast no assurance as many Servants of God have not yet a casting of thy selfe on Christ will without that assurance though not so comfortably yet as certainly carry thy soul to Heaven Secondly thou wouldest live longer to do God more service in thy Calling but if thou perceivest the day of thy dissolution to approach know thou hast done all that God hath designed to be performed by thee The witnesses when they had finished their Testimony Rev. 11.7 then the Beasts out of the bottomless pit made warre against them overcame and killed them Whilest any part portion parcel or particle of their testimony was unfinished were it to the least jota thereof they were unconquerable by death and secure from the darts thereof Know in like manner whilest thou hast any thing to do thou shalt not die and if death seizeth on thee it is an evident signe thou hast finished what God intended to be acted by thee in this world Venerable Bede had almost finished the translation of the Gospel of St. John into English when he swounded away which his Secretary seeing who wrote for him as Baruch for Jeremiah cryed out O master there wanteth yet two or three verses to be translated hereat the old man revived recruited his spirits mustered in all the force of his minde together held out to the finishing of the same and so expired Assure thy selfe thou shalt in like manner be immortal so long as there remaineth any part of thy Testimony unperformed by thee Thirdly thou wouldest live to see a happy establishment of all differences in Church and State yet be not dejected if death prevent thy beholding thereof but be assured all things at last shall conclude to Gods honour and the good of the Church What if thou be like those Patriarks Heb. 11.39 These all having obtained a good report through faith received not the promise Though thou seest not this particular promise performed it will be no prejudice to thy happinesse but breath out thy soul in certain expectation thereof and earnest praying for the same Nor let old Borzillai be so envious if superannuated himself 2 Sam. 37. to see such things in his age I say let him not repine at Chimham his Sonne to behold them yea let us be so far from grudging our posterity their enjoying of that which is denyed to us that let us rather enjoyn them to rejoyce a double share at the performance thereof one in their own capacity the other as Heirs of their Fathers hopes and expectations now brought to passe Lastly let not thy desire to provide for thy Children make thee impatient to die but bequeath them to his providence who bestowed them upon thee if thou canst say with Jacob Gen. 33.5 they are the Children which God hath graciously given thee And can'st cleare thy conscience that thou hast done thy duty whilst living in their education doubt not but God in due time will answer thy desires in the rest Come we now to lay down some motives to patience and O that it were as easie to practise them as to preach them How facile is it for us here by Gods goodnesse in perfect health magisterially to dictate to others what they should do but God knoweth how hard we should finde it to practise these precepts if in sicknesse our selves Truly as careful Mothers and Nurses taste themselves first what they give to their Children that it may not be too hot to burn their mouthes so we Ministers ought to try upon our own selves those Doctrines which we impose on others which should make us more to sympathise with the weaknesse of our people if our consciences accuse us that we finde them too hot for our own mouthes which notwithstanding we will thrust down the throats of others In all humility therefore and selfe consciousness of our own infirmities we commend to sick people these following motives to patience First know that thy soul carrieth in it the seeds of all sins and therefore thy body hath in it the seeds of all sickness If therefore thy pain be not so great as humane nature is capable of If thy disease be not so acute as some have been visited with let this move thee to patience that thou art not tortured to that extremity which some have endured The disease of Illiaca passio in the height thereof when the excrements of the body are countermanded an unnatural way is conceived one of the highest pains therefore termed Miserere mei Deus Lord have mercy upon me the Lord keep us and all good People in the happy ignorance of that pain and let this increase both our patience under and our thankfulness to God that it is mercy that that intollerable torture is not inflicted upon us Secondly consider that thy disease is far gentler and painless then what thou hast deserved what is thy disease a Consumption Indeed a certain messenger