A Funeral Sermon PREACHED Upon the DEATH of The Reverend Mr. Nathaniel Oldfield Who Deceased Decemb. 31. 1696. Aetat 32. With some Account of his Exemplary Character By JOHN SHOWER LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey 1697. TO His Worthy Friend and Brother Mr. Joshua Oldfield SIR THE Honour which it pleased God to bestow on Your Deceased Brother to be so much a Blessing and Beloved while Living ought to qualifie your Sorrow for his Death and make you the more softly to lament your Loss therein If the reading of this Sermon do any way renew your Grief you must thank your self and those who join'd with you in desiring to have it published 'T WAS his Serious Godliness that made him so valuable and in some respects You and I are more obliged than others to Follow his Faith or Christian Piety in * 2 Tim. I. 5. Chap. IV. 6. that sense you know the word is sometimes used The Integrity of his Heart towards God joyn'd with a true Zeal for his Glory qualified him for great Service as a Minister WILL you suffer me to mind my Self and You who I am perswaded need it less than I do that it was his solicitous Care and Concern about the Salvation of his own Soul that made him so Diligent and Successfull for the Souls of others He had very much Help herein by the frequent and Attentive Perusal of the close Warnings and Directions given Ministers in * Mr. B's Gildas Selvianus The Reformed Pastor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 1. §. 9. Chap. V. §. 5 6 7 c. The Reformed Pastor To take heed lest we be Preachers and no Christians dedicated to the Altar as God's Priests and not sanctified by dedication to Christ as his Disciples and so worship an unknown God and preach an unknown Saviour an unknown Spirit an unknown state of Holiness and Communion with God and a Glory that is unknown and like to he unknown for ever If we soundly believe and are affected with the Truth we study and preach we shall preach it more heartily Experience will direct us to the fittest Subjects and furnish us with Matter and quicken us to set it home Whereas he is like to be but an Heartless Preacher who is a Stranger to that Christ and Grace he preacheth of to others And so if he do not first preach to himself what he teacheth them for if our own Hearts be cold our Preaching will be so And if we have but an affected Fervency we cann't expect a Blessing should attend it THERE are many Passages in that Book of the like Tendency which we can hardly read without Fear and Trembling some of 'em as I remember he own'd did most deeply affect his Soul and I have sometimes thought they had some good impression on mine I desire to be more under the Awe and Influence of such Considerations It may be the Recital of a few more of 'em may be of use to some of the Younger Ministers tho' I know your Character so well that I do not add them for your sake but my own and others As Face answers to Face in a Glass so doth the Heart of Man one to another What was of use to him and me may reach more HOW many have preach'd Christ and perisht for want of a saving Interest in him Many may be now in Hell who have told their Hearers of the Torments of Hell and warn'd them to avoid it Who have preach'd of the Wrath of God against sinners and are now feeling of it O what sadder Case can there be in the World than for a Man whose Business and Calling it was to proclaim Salvation and help others to obtain it yet after all himself to be shut out That we should have so many Books in our Libraries that tell us the way to Heaven that we should spend so much time in reading those Books and studying the Doctrine of Eternal Life and after all to miss of it That we should preach so many Sermons of Eternal Salvation and yet fall short of it And this because we preached of Christ but neglected him of the Spirit but resisted him of Faith but did not heartily believe of Repentance and Conversion but continued in a state of Sin of an Heavenly Heart and Life but remained Carnal and Earthly our selves Do we not know that God is no Respecter of Persons and that an Holy Calling will never save an Unholy Man That the Preachers of the Gospel must be judged by the Gospel stand at the same Bar be sentenc'd on the same Terms and dealt with as severely as other Men It is a fearful thing to be an unsanctified Professor but much more so to be an Unholy Preacher When we open our Bibles should we not tremble lest we read our own Condemnation When we pen our Sermons little do we think we are drawing up Indictments against our own Souls When we are arguing against sin that we are but aggravating our own When we magnifie the Riches of Christ and his Grace and declare it to others we publish our own Iniquity in rejecting him and our own Misery in being Strangers to him O Miserable Life that a Man should study and preach from year to year against himself and spend his dayes in a Course of Self-condemning What aggravated Misery will it be to perish in the midst of Plenty to famish with the Bread of Life in our Hands while we offer it to others and urge them to receive it but we our selves will not NEXT to His Piety or as a part of it his Peaceableness and Charity in opposition to Bitterness and Dividing Zeal and a Narrow Spirit was very Commendable and Exemplary He could unite with all Christians in Things Necessary and was not for making more Fundamentals and Necessaries than Christ hath made or for other Terms of Church-Communion than the Terms of our Common Christianity And therefore was ready to receive All whom he believ'd Christ would receive He was of one Church with All those whom he hop'd to meet in Heaven Endeavouring to hold the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace because he acknowledged that there is but One Body one Spirit one Lord Jesus Christ one Hope one Faith one Baptism and consequently but one Holy Table one God and Father of all from whom and by whom and for whom are all Things 'T IS from this Principle as esteeming the Piety Learning and Usefulness of Men of all Perswasions that I cannot be unaffected at the Death of the Reverend Dr. Horneck of the Savoy this Week His Devotion Zeal and Diligence in Preaching Writing and otherways endeavouring to do good to the Souls of Men makes him to be deservedly and generally lamented tho' I had no particular Acquaintance with him I reckon my self bound to value and love every Man who endeavours to promote Reformation and Practical Religion and spends his Time as he did
called to do it MANY of our Fellow Soldiers have fought the Good Fight gained the Victory and received the Crown Their Example tells us that the Difficulties and Conflicts that we fear are no other than they have experienced They complained as much we can of inward Corruption and outward Temptation of an unfaithful World and a busie Devil and a desperately wicked Heart and yet by the Grace of God they have Overcome We have a Cloud of Witnesses among our particular Friends and Acquaintance whom we have known and loved whom we have seen and heard with whom we have convers'd and discours'd And it is a great Encouragement to consider we are to follow Them For why should we be disheartned as if that were Impobssile to us which the Grace of God hath enabled them to do and suffer T IS one great Design of God's Gifts and Graces to Some that they may instruct and edifie Others The path of the just in this sense is a shining Light We are to Shew forth the Word of Life in our Conversation that we may direct others in the way And by our Zeal we are to provoke many AND when the Precept is exemplified into Pattern and the Commands of Christ made legible in the Lives of Christians we are the more encouraged to obey This hath more Influence than meer Law and naked Authority We find that Examples strangely affect us and the Lives of Holy Persons writ with Truth and Judgment and Caution have a singular Advantage to attract our Imitation When Charity and Humility Self-denial and Patience Piety and Devotion are characterized in the Practice and Actions of the Saints they are written as it were with Light notwithstanding some mixture of Darkness from Humane Passions and Failings for which in all Men there must be Allowance That Holy Examples are apt to affect the Mind more deeply than Holy Laws alone is evident by the Malice of the Devil and his Instruments against the Holy Scriptures exemplified in the Godly more than against the Scriptures themselves they can better bear the Precepts of a perfect Rule than the imperfect practice of them in a Holy Life They have burnt Martyrs that could endure good Books SUCH Examples may be of Use both to Quicken and Enoourage us 1. TO quicken and excite our Diligence to this purpose the Apostle makes mention of them Chap. VI. 12. Be not sloathful but be ye followers of them who by Faith and Patience inherit the Promises To cure the Sloath and Laziness of Christians he saith this and to stir them up to Holy Diligence with this Encouragement in the following Words that if they follow their Guides in their Faith in Christ they will find him an Unchangeable never failing Saviour For it is added Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever i.e. He will certainly receive forgive assist preserve and save them as he did their Deceased Guides If we follow them we shall find the same Comfort and meet with the same Reward HOW may the Temper and Spirit and Carriage of such Exemplary Christians shame our Negligence Their Humility and Zeal their Gravity and Seriousness their continual Awe of God and Apprehension of his Eve their constant Watchfulness over Hearts Words and Actions may be considered to humble and shame us When I think how diligently they improved their Talents how faithfully and fervently they attended their Work how their Hearts were in it and how much they did in a little time and how God was with 'em in abundant Success it should shame and quicken me Do I pray or preach or live at that rate of Seriousness Integrity Self-denial and Devotedness to God as they Durst they have indulged themselves and pleased themselves and allowed themselves the Liberty which I take Were they guilty of such Omissions and Neglects as I am Am not I more slight and formal seldom and heartless in Prayer than they were wont to be c. IF we have the same Spirit of Faith with the Holy Persons whose Examples we read or hear of these things will quicken and assist us for so the Apostle argues 2 Cor. IV. 13. We having the same spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak And if they do not move us and excite us to follow them in their Faith and Obedience it is a sign that we are not partakers of the same Spirit 2. NOT only as to Duty but let us consider 'em for our Encouragement and Comfort Whatever Difficulties we may meet with in the Christian Race the Consideration of these Examples may encourage our Faith and Patience and Perseverance They found the Sweetness of Dependance upon God and the Success of a Life of Faith and had gracious Answers to Prayer and suitable Help in every time of need They could set to their Seal that God is true and the Scripture true and never any Word of his in which they regularly trusted did ever fail them And is it no Encouragement for us to be able to say Lord our Fathers trusted in thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not ashamed they cryed to thee and thou didst answer them They have told us what thou didst for them How Good was God and Faithful how Wise and Gracious The Word of the Lord is tried in six and in seven Troubles they found it true AND we that live in the latter Ages of the World have a greater Cloud of Witnesses than others we have the Benefit of the Experience of all the Saints that have gone before us They can tell us what they have found of the false Cavils Slanders and Objections of Unbelief of the Folly and Disingenuity of our Carnal Fears of the Fraud of the Devil's Suggestions of the certain Accomplishment of God's Promises and a good Issue of all Events if we wait on the Lord and keep his Way AND as to many of them we may observe with what admirable Patience they endured greater Trials sharper Pains and longer Exercises without Murmuring and without Fainting than ever yet we have known How Diligent Heavenly and Fruitful were some of them under less Advantages and Help than we The Examples of the Poor may shame many of the Rich The Examples of some young Converts may shame Old Disciples Religious Children may shame many Parents There are younger Brethren by whom the Elder are out-gone Such who were new-born but lately who exceed them that were in Christ many years before HAD not they whose Faith you are exhorted to follow the like Temptations as you meet with Have not you the same Rule to walk by the same Promises Assistances and Encouragements in the way to Heaven Are your Wants to be supplied Diseases to be cured Difficulties to be conquered Burdens to be endured more or greater or other than what they met with And was not Death the Passage to Glory as to all of them and
Business of a Gospel-Minister Simon Peter lovest thou me Feed my Sheep feed my Lambs As Stewards of the Houshold they are to provide for the Family as Shepherds to feed by Teaching And it is in great Wisdom and Mercy to the Souls of Men that our Blessed Lord has appointed some Persons on purpose to devote themselves to this Work that they may be able to instruct the Ignorant and establish the Wavering and comsort the Sad and recover the Backslider to awaken warn convince and encourage Others in the Christian Warfare And whatever some pretend that there is no such need of Preaching now as there was in the Infancy of the Church yet in all Ages this is the ordinary Means which God hath appointed and is wont to bless for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls 1 Cor. 1.21 It pleaseth God now as well as formerly by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And it is the Commission of our Saviour for the Ministerial Office that they Preach the Gospel to every Creature And this not only to plant a Church but to carry on its growth it is for the perfecting of the Saints and for the edifying of the Body of Christ The Ministry of the Gospel may be needful to Converts and Believers and real Saints and is so there being something still lacking to their Faith and Comfort And they had need to be put always in Remembrance of the things they do know that they may be rooted and established in the Truth 1 Pet. 2.12 IT is wonderful to Observe how our Saviour rather chose to Convert Men by the Preaching and Miracles of his Apostles than by his own how he would not fully convert Paul without the Ministry of Annanias tho' he spake to him from Heaven himself and reasoned with him against his Persecution how he would not fully convert Cornelius and his Houshold without the Ministry of Peter tho' he sent an Angel to direct him to a Teacher nor would he convert the Ethiopian Eunuch without the Ministery of Phillip nor the Goaler without the Ministery of Paul and Silas tho' he wrought a Miracle to prepare for his Conversion Our Lord knew the Necessity that the Infants of his Family had of such Nurses and he will keep up the Honour of his own Officers whom he hath appointed for such an End and Use HOW much the Welfare of the Church depends upon the Ministers and Teachers of the Word and how little the Beauty and Glory of Religion can ever be kept up in the World if Ministers do not labour in the Word and Doctrine will very easily appear to such as consider how Religion has declined and been lost by the Ignorance and Unfaithfulness and Negligence of those that ought to have Preached the Gospel of Christ And how the Denial or Contempt of the Ministry hath alway been accompanied with the growth of Atheism Infidelity and Prophaness How solemnly does the Apostle charge the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Acts 20.28 30. Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood and to warn every man lest they be perverted by false Teachers c. And how expresly to the like purpose are they required to labour with their utmost strength in this Work 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Cor. 16.16 1 Thes 5.12 They are To give themselves continually to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word Acts 6.4 AND how needful is it that they should do so who are to unfold the Mind of God to others to teach them what they must know believe and do avoid and hope for who have so many difficulties to explain and so often need the Tongue of the Learned and a good share of Prudence to speak a Word in Season To acquaint their Hearers with their several Maladies and Remedies Dangers and Duties to hold forth the Excellency of Christ so as to make him receiv'd and obey'd admired and loved and to be diligent in such Work in season and out of season managing all as under an Awe of God and with sincere Compassion and Love to Souls SUPPOSING the Word of God here to be the Written Word I need not enquire curiously how much of Divine Revelation or the Written Word was then extant when the Apostle wrote this Epistle which is thought to be about the fifty seventh or fifty eighth year of our Blessed Lord while he was a Prisoner at Rome and towards the end of his first Imprisonment there All the New Testament seems to be then written save the Epistles of St. John and his Revelations and the Second Epistle of St. Peter 'T is certain that the whole Word of God in the Holy Scriptures is to be explained and applyed by Preaching and that this is a principal part of a Ministers Work They therefore who pretend to the Ministerial Office according to the order of Christ and yet either despise or neglect the Preaching of the Word one would think either do not understand their Office or are not faithful to it 3. ANOTHER Thing concerning these Deceased Ministers the Apostle mentions is their Exemplary Faith They would not have been proposed as Patterns with respect to Faith if they had not been Famous and Exemplary as to the Clearness of their Minds and the Soundness of their Doctrine Follow their Faith Doubtless he means it of such who as to Knowledg and firmness of Perswasion concerning the Truths of the Gospel and fruitfulness in suitable Effects did in Spirit and Practice shew themselves Believers They would not otherwise have been named as fit Examples for the People to follow as to their Faith You find Ministers are exhorted to Take heed to their Doctrine 1 Tim. IV. 16. and to continue therein that they May save themselves and them that hear them and to speak the things that become sound Doctrine 1 Tim. VI. 3. They are to keep the Doctrine of the Gospel pure and uncorrupt and to feed the People with the sincere Milk of the Word For if the Doctrine which should promote Faith and Holiness should be depraved by the Ministers of the Word how is it possible that true Christianity should spread and flourish or be preserved and continued What need have we to beg that God would give and continue such Pastors after his own Heart as may feed his People with Good Knowledge and Sound Vnderstanding They must hold fast the faithful Word that they have been taught that they may be able by sound Doctrine to exhort and convince Gain-sayers Tit. 1.6 9. Chap. 2.1 Such Speech that cannot be condemned that he who is of the contrary party may be ashamed And how comfortably and usefully may they preach to others who are firmly perswaded of the Truth of what they say who believe and live the Truths they deliver This is a great help to Ministers in their Work and a great
a Guard did he keep upon the Door of his Lips how watchful was he over his Words how shie of ordinary and common Conversation upon this Account because he could meet with so little serious and profitable Discourse even amongst Those of whom it might have been expected With what Prudence and Faithfulness would he often begin such Discourse as became a Minister and a Chtistian suitable to the Circumstances and Conditions of those he conversed with And where there was Occasion for it with like Wisdom and Fidelity would he admonish and reprove to the hazard sometimes of losing their Friendship whom otherwise he had reason to value But he knew how to be severe against the Sin and not discredit and expose the Sinner he knew how to search the Conscience and yet so far spare the person as not to exasperate and provoke the Spirit WHEN some time since I visited and prayed with him which I lament I did no oftner enquiring concerning the State of his Soul with Relation to God and the other World Whether all were well and calm within he told me that through the Grace of God he could appeal to Him concerning his Integrity that he hoped He had found mercy to be Faithful Thro' the whole of his long Sickness he had no Discouraging Fears but a serious steady Trust and a well-grounded Hope in God through the Merits of his Saviour without high and full Assurance which he said was not ordinarily to be expected here where Grace is so Imperfect And yet sometimes he hath experienc'd Extraordinary Consolations He hath been sound alone all in Tears when upon Inquiry what it was that troubled him and made him sad he answered he was very far from Grief It was not Sorrow that made him weep it was from Abundance of Inward Joy HE often prayed for more Faith and Patience desiring that Patience might continue and have its perfect Work And God granted it For he had a calm composed Spirit under very long languishing and some painful Operations He submitted to the hand of God in all without murmuring And when every Body about him seemed greatly concerned he himself was not Consider his Patience you that were Eye-witnesses of it and Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken to you in the Name of the Lord for an Example of suffering Affliction and of Patience HIS serious Piety was crowned with an Extensive Charity Besides his Charity in Relieving the Poor in order to which he made Conscience to lay aside a fit Proportion of whatever the Providence of God allowed him and that as soon as he received it which he never after looked upon as his own Besides that sort of Charity he was in Principle and Practice very Charitable to those from whom he differed in Opinion He loved All Men in whom he could discern any thing of real Goodness He did not confine the Church of Christ to a Party or endeavour to make Proselytes to Any For he was of none but that with all Christians for Christ against the Devil HE did not think it the Excellency of Zeal to go further than needs from those he did not fully agree with He used the Lord's Prayer in Publick and once a day in his Family and thought he did his Duty therein He had a Zeal for Truth but likewise for Piety and Peace for Love and Good Works He remember'd that his Master was the Prince of Peace and his Message the Gospel of Peace that his Office was to be a Messenger of Peace and that we are to follow after Peace as well as Holiness and that Blessed are the Peace-makers He was sensible how much the Interest of Real Religion is weakened when the Bond of Peace is broken and that when we bite and devour one another we are in danger to be consumed one of another He was therefore an Enemy to Censorious Heats and Bitterness and all such Narrow Principles as destroy Love He was of a truly Healing and Catholick Spirit I wish he may be Imitated in these things by all who knew him I MENTION these Particulars the rather concerning his Personal Piety to confute the Cavils of those who would run down all the younger Ministers in gross as more loose than their Predecessors This is an Artifice of the Devil to hinder their Usefulness but the Foundation of it I am perswaded is either Mistake or Calumny For what if one or two Candidates for the Ministry be now and then heard of who are taken in the Snare of the Devil and fall from Hopeful Beginnings so as to dishonour their Profession or quit it shall the rest who are Humble Sober Diligent and Serious be less esteemed Was there ever in any Age any sort of Calling or Profession of Men in the World whereof there may not be Some found who are a Reproach and Blemish to the rest Would it not be very unjust that Elder Ministers who are Wise and Learned Upright and Exemplary should lose the Reverence and Honour that is due to them if there should happen to be some Few of their Age and Standing who come short of such Qualifications I do here most heartily thank God and Rejoice in Hope as to the rising Generation that I know many and hear of more of the younger Ministers who are well qualified for their Work by improving growing Parts and Learning and resolved Industry after more with deep Seriousness and Integrity towards God And therefore will deserve the Esteem and Encouragement of all that know them 2. LET me now Consider him as a Minister of Christ He was apt and ready to Teach fit for Publick Service and Successful in it How much did he answer the Apostle's Character To be Blameless as a Steward of God not self-will'd not soon angry not given to Wine not Contentious not given to filthy Luce a lover of Hospitality a lover of good men sober just holy temperate holding fast the faithful Word as he had been taught able by sound Doctrine to exhort and to convince Gain sayers making it his business to save himself and them that heard him 1 Tit. VII 8 9. His Heart was in his Work and he wholly gave himself to it He did not seek great things to himself The Honour of Christ and the Salvation of Souls was what he aimed at and longed for and laboured for AND such was his unwearied Diligence in the well Improvement of his Time that he quickly grew Rich in all Spiritual Gists by the Blessing of God on the diligent hand And from time to time he increased considerably He found it true That to him that hath and useth well what he hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundantly He knew the Weight of the Ministerial Work to watch for the Flock to strengthen the Weak to confirm the Strong to satisfie the Doubtful to resolve the Scrupulous to answer Cases of Conscience c. And who is sufficient for these things without a