Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A37260
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A sermon preached at the funeral of Mr. John Bigg to which is added another sermon upon the same subject : also a narrative of Mr. Bigg's conversion, &c. / by R. Davis ...
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Davis, Richard, 1658-1714.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing D432; ESTC R8513
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40,311
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39
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A SERMON PREACHED at the FUNERAL OF Mr. John Bigg To which is added Another SERMON upon the same Subject ALSO A NARRATIVE of Mr. BIGG's CONVERSION c. By R. DAVIS Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for ROBERT PONDER MDCXCI TO THE READER INstead of an Epistle Dedicatory I shall only briefly acquaint thee with the Reasons that induced me to print these Sermons and why they came forth so long after they were preached I have sometimes ceased to be a Friend to the Press and never intended to print them at all though often put upon to do it But the Lord the Redeemer whose Blessing and Power made Clay and Spittle to open the Eyes of the Blind was pleased to own these so as to make them of great use to several Their Entreaty with divers others prevailed with the Widdow of the Deceased to importune me further so that her Importunity joyn'd with theirs obtained upon me at least to redeem when I could now and then a little time from the great Work of Christ that is upon my Hands to set them in order and so venture them into the World There fell in also another cogent Motive viz. The Consideration of the false and lying Stories scattered through City and Country concerning me and the Doctrines I preach made me willing to let all know if they please to read what those Doctrines are and so they may make a better Judgment afterwards And I do assure thee these Sermons contain the chief Substance of what I preached here in the Country Therefore I have made some Additions hereunto and Alterations suitable to my main Scope in preaching this Year past Had the Men of the World only cast Dirt it would have been more tolerable Better could not have been expected from them but to act according to their Nature But this has been piercing that the Truths of Jesus have been wounded in the House of Friends Here a sufficient Occasion is given for a pathetick Lamentation But tell it not in Gath and publish it not in Askelon c. VVhatever Blows some aim at one another they all fall upon their holy Profession whilst a too eager Vindication is persued of our good Names and Reputation from undue and unjust Calumnies The Name of Jesus and his Gospel may be exposed to greater Reproach This made me choose to lie still with a Gag in my Mouth whilst I was and am still cloathed with Sambanettoes than use the Methods I might to assert my wronged Innocency leaving it to God the Judge of all to vindicate his Name and Gospel in his due time and in his own way which I am certain he will And as for me let my Name lie in the Dust provided it may make for the Honour of Christ and the Furtherance of his Gospel I am endeavourring to learn this Lesson to rejoyce in Reproaches from whatever Tongues they come as well as in Infirmities for Christ's Sake and I would press after that meek Spirit of the Gospel that being defamed to intreat viz. To intreat Christ on the Behalf of my Defamers and entreat them in the Bowels of Mercy to lay aside their Enmity against the Lord Jesus his Truths and VVays Reader I shall add no more but commend thee to God and the Word of his Grace which is not only able to translate thee out of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son but also build thee up therein and give thee an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make thee perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in thee that that is well-pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL OF Mr. BIGG Gent. 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. 55. O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 56. The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law 57. But Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory thrô our Lord Jesus Christ OUR Great Apostle in this Epistle of his having answered several Cases of Conscience to the Church at Corinth in this Chapter refutes that dangerous Error that denied the Resurrection of the Dead HE founds his Argument for the overthrow of the Error and the Establishing the contrary Truth chiefly upon the Resurrection of a buried Jesus Having prosecuted this from v. 12. with the Intermixture of other Mediums and also exhortatory Inferences to v. 35. he there states the Adversary's Objection in these Words With what body do they come again THIS Objection he answers shaving rebuked the Objector with the Title of a Fool v. 26. from the Nature of Grain thrown by the Sower into the Ground rising into a Crop of beautiful Corn pleasant to the eye and useful for food Further shewing and explaining the difference between human Bodies and the Flesh of Beasts Birds and Fish and the difference of their Glory from the Terrestrial and Coelestial Bodies even the difference between Coelestial Bodies themselves in Glory HAVING managed this from v. 36 to 42 he there applies it to the case in hand shewing in v. 42 43 44. That the Bodies of the Saints are sown in Corruption but raised in Incorruption Sown in Honour but raised in Glory c. This he repeats varying his Phrase v. 53 54. And draws in this Inference in the Close of the 54 v. Death is swallowed up in Victory which Inference he confirms in a way of triumph in the Words of my Text. O Death where is thy Sting c. IN which words you have the Apostle triumphing in the Person of every dying Believer wherein are contained these Parts 1. THE Apostles Triumph in v. 55. 2. THE Cause of it 1st laid down negatively v. 56. The Sting of the Believer's Death being pulled out by the Abolishing of Sin which is Death's Sting and the Reign of the Law over him which is the Strength of Sin positively laid down in v. 57. viz. A Victory being obtained over Death through our Lord Jesus Christ which the Apostle mentions with Thanksgiving to the Almighty IN handling these Words I shall only insist on the Triumph or Ovation in v. 55. and the rather because the Prosecution of the Truth that shall arise from that Verse will reach and take in the chief Matter contained in the following Verses IN these words you have as was aforementioned the Believer's Triumph over Death and that in a twofold Respect 1. In respect of his Soul O Death where is thy Sting 2. In respect of his Body O Grave where is thy Victory Without spending further time in opening the Words they afford us this Doctrinal Observation Doct. THAT every true Believer in the Moment of his Death can Triumph over Death and the Grave both in reference to his Soul and Body I shall
Face The Sting that now at a distance thou seest not when he comes near thee with open mouth thou wilt then see and be dismally affrighted at that fatal Fork Death and thee must meet ' ere long and thou knowest not but this dismal meeting may be ' ere a week roles about and how wilt thou like such an horrid greeting such a black wellcome such a terrible language and bitter insultings as you have heard How do you relish and savour thus being triumphed over in a dying moment Oh! consider this and look out after the Remedy 2. DEATH triumphs over the Pride of the Soul The Pride of the Soul is either a Glorying before God or a Glorying before Men. As it is a Glorying before God I shall reserve that to speak to under it's proper Head which is to follow The Soul before Man prides in its Endowments either outward or inward Death will then thus Glory over their Glory Where are now your aery Honour and bubble Dignities What is become of your State and Grandeur Where are now your Crowns O Kings your Scepters O Princes I have tumbled them in the Dust and my Spade has levelled them with the Earth Could not your Purple or your Fures your Swords and Maces and Magistrates defend you from my Arrest What signified all your Guards your Officers and Attendance who would not protect you from me What a bussel and fluster have you made How have you set all in a Flame about you and waded through blood and slaughter cruelty and oppression and all manner of villany to attain such a Degree of Honour and where is it now My breath has blown it all away Where is now O Spluttering Monarch that great Conduct that deep Policy wherewith you conquered other Nations and enslaved your own What could you use none of it to avoid my Attacks Where is that imperial frown that used to overawe the gaping cringing croud I have divested it of all Majesty and made it now meaner and simpler than the look of an Ideot so says the wiseman A Living Dog is better than a Dead Lyon Eccl. 9.4 Thou cunning admired Politician in thy Neighbourhood that madest all thy Neighbours tremble at thy fraudulent Wit that studied'st only how to over-reach cheat and impoverish that thoughtest to hook in all to thy self Why usest thou not some of thy cunningness to deceive me too Why didst not thou play the Politician with me also What do all thy Tricks and Artifices now advantage thee Thou now perceivest that one event happeneth to the Wise and to the Fool Eccl. 2.14 15. As it happeneth to the Fool so it happeneth to the Wise Go now and try what all thy wisdom and cunning will do in Hell Consider this you that are Great and Honourable in the Earth You that are cunning to deceive in your Neighbourhood that admire and flatter your self that you can over-reach your Neighbours in bargaining There will come an hour of Death that will efface and tarnish all the Glory of your Honours Dignities Wisdom and Policies There is no over-reaching Death There is no such thing as being too cunning for the Grave Death will soon tumble down all the pageantry of your own Dignities and Abilities that you have set upâ—n your own Conceit The Fire of God's wrath will soon burn up your Cobweb Policy For this your Wisdom is your folly Methinks this should be as cold Water upon all burning Pride and a check and rebuke to all your glorying that very few of your Class and complexion are chosen out to eternal Life Your very Wisdom Parts and Dignities for the most part mark you out for eternal Misery This is the Sum of what the Apostle Discourses 1 Cor. 26.27 28 29. For you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called c. read that portion of the Holy Spirit of Truth consider it seriously and tremble 3. DEATH triumphs over the Riches and Possessions of a Man in such Heart-rendring words as these O where are now Man all thy vast Possessions What signifie thy Heaps of Gold and Silver Hadst thee amassed together all the Treasures of the Indies they could not bribe me or buy me off Eccles. 4.8 Thine eye has not been satisfied with riches in all thy life time Now thou must carry none with thee to the Grave Naked camest thou out of thy Mothers Womb and naked shalt thou return thither Job 1.21 Instead of thy many Fields Farms and Tenements now thou must be content with so much Ground as thy Body can measure out Now instead of thy many Bags of Gold and Silver thou must rest satisfied to be wrapt up in grosser Clay Now farewel gilded Coaches fair Palaces splendid and well Furnished Rooms stately-Beds and all other costly Furniture Now for all the Numerous Troop of cringing attendants thou shalt be surrounded with an Host of Vermine and for the very same end with the former attendants to feed upon thee too What is become of all thy Glory and Excellency now 't is all laid in the Dust Job 20.6 7 8 9. Though thy excellency did mount up to the Heavens and thy Head reach unto the Clouds Yet thou shalt perish for ever like thine own Dung they which have seen thee shall say where is he Thou shalt flye away as a Dream and shalt not be found Yea thou shalt be chased away as a Vision of the Night The Eye also which saw thee shall see thee no more neither shall thy place any more behold thee and v. 11. Thy Bones are full of the Sins of thy Youth which shalt lye down with thee in the Dust Thus will Death then triumph CONSIDER this thou that forgetest God in the midst of thy plenty and abundance that notwithstanding thy Pleasures and Treasures and great Possessions thou must enter to eternity poor and wretched miserable and naked unless thou art cloathed with that Royal Robe of Christ's Righteousness No riches then will suffice to enrich thee but the Gold tryed in the Fire i. e. an interest in Jesus who was made the perfect Captain of Salvation through sufferings No Rayment will then so cover thee as to hinder the Appearance of the shame of thy nakedness like that white Rayment viz. the Righteousness of God which is of Faith And without that Wedding Garment thou wilt stand speechless at the Bar of God and then shalt be bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22.13 4. DEATH triumphs over a Man 's own Righteousness Men are apt through the Horrid Pride of their Natures to trust to their own doings for Salvation and 't is but too too common for Sinners in a State of Nature to apply Plaisters of their own making to the Smarting Wounds of their Consciences and to usurp Christ's Royal Prerogative of speaking Peace to their Souls whereas thus