our great Lord and Master and we must not pay it to the servants except they can shew a warrant or letter of Atturney for it from their and our Master as Mr. Herbert hath an excellent poem to this purpose Much less in death should we pay this tribute due only unto God to them for as they are the great Lords menial servants and must not share in their Lords Rents so they are in many offices the Saints Servants too both in life so 1 Heb. last ministring spirits to the heirs of Salvation and in death the bearers of the Saints souls into Abrahams Bosome Luke 16.22 poor Lazarus being dead had these honourable bearers Note 1 2. Lord Jesus Stephen directs his dying prayer to the Lord Jesus rather than to the Lord Jehovah Christ is coaequal with his Father in glory not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only in glory the nearest to him but one with him Stephen asserts this clearly in his death not only dying in Christ and for Christ but praying to Christ in his death acknowledging hereby his divinity by giving him divine worship And to avoid this clear demonstration we read of on Franciscus David an Arrian heretique who reads this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text in the genitive case insteed of the Vocative and so would fain give us this sense Lord of Jesus insteed of Lord Jesus but this blasphemous shift is sufficiently confuted by the Antients as * Lorinus a Learned man though a Jesuite upon this place discovers All power is given to Christ in Heaven and Earth Math 28.18 and holy Stephen dying virtually in this last prayer acknowleges it Note 2 In the Gospel we must chiefly run to Christ in prayer asking all in the Sons name and this is now the way to speed our selves and to glorifie the Father together John 14.13 These 2 glorious persons in the blessed Trinity have not 2 distinct interests but one and the same the glory of the one is the glory of the other yea now the glory of the Father is chiefly deposited in the hands of Christ at first God was only known by his name of Almighty afterwards by his name Jehovah Exod. 6.3 but now by his name Jesus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in not at the name In whose name every knee under the Gospel must bow to the Glory of God the Father 2 Phil. 10.11 Augustine tells us how much he did delighted in the works of Tully for the elegancy of the Latine before his conversion but not a whit after because he could not read the name of Jesus there Paul desired to know nothing else but Christ crucified 2 Cor. 2.2 and he discovers God the Father to be only in him the Father of Mercies and God of all Consolations 1 Cor. 1.3 to the Judge of all flesh then by an Advocate we must now run at all times Note 3 We must chiefly run to Jesus Christ by prayer in an hour of death to him who dyed for us we must go when we come to dy for he alone hath the keys of Hell and of Death Revelation 1.18 he alone is the dore and the gate of Heaven John 10.9 He is via vita veritas the Way the Truth and the Life John 14.6 He is our journeys end the Life and he is the way to it and the truth to guide us in the way no man can come to the Father but by him he also is the great reconciler of God and Man Col. 20. he only can make us * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than conquerors over all the forerunners of death and over death it self Rom. 8.36 37 38 39. He only can pull out the sting of death and destroy this last Enemy as the Apostle fully shewes 1 Cor. 15. To whom should we go both in life and death but to him who hath the words of eternal life John 6.68 3. Lord Jesus Receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a relative word Relations as the Logician tels us are double either relata secundum dici or secundum esse in name or in nature this is a relative word in name now omne relatum implicat suum correlatum every relative must have some word or thing to answer it receiving hath 2 usual correlates it implies either giving something or paying it implies both here in the Text. Observe Note 1 We ow our selves and Souls to Christ in life and death when we live to him dy for him he doth but receive his own de jure it should be so it is our sin and shame if de facto it be not so Rom. 14.7 9. For Christ dyed as the Apostle shewes there that he might be the Lord and master both of the dead and of the living When we come to dy then we do nothing else but pay debts we do but pay then 5 debts 1. A debt to nature the corruptible part must put on corruption and worms must feed upon us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we feed upon other Creatures 2. A debt to sin for the wages of sin is death or the breakfast and food of it Rom 8.23 3. A debt to posterity for one generation must pass away that another may come in its stead Eccless 1.4 the generat on of one must be the corruption of another that the Earth may not be pestered and crowded too much with inhabitants 4. A debt to divine Justice for the same Soul that sins must dym point of equity 5. To Christ and our own Souls when we dy for Christ it is but lex talionis for he dyed for us when we dy naturally by the appointment of Christ we pay a debt to our own Souls which cannot be refined and calcined but by fire by melting down the whole mass of the Body Every righteous man will be willing to pay his debts so should we be to dy our lives are lent to us by God but for a time and must be restored to the lender or owner the Spirit shall return to God that gave it so Solomen Eccles 12.7 the anima animus the natural life and spiritual Soul of due right belong to God Note 2 God will certainly take and receive in death what is sincerely offered up in life Our hearts must be his living if we desire that our Spirits should be his dying so Augustine paraphrases on these words Tibi vixi tibi morior c. accipe spiritum meum è manu eorum qui oderunt tuum he represents Stephen in this prayer thus speaking to his dear Saviour Lord Jesus to thee I have lived and to thee I now dy receive my Spirit from the hands of cruel Enemies who have hated thy spirit Our acquaintance with Christ must not be to begin when we are just at our end To such as have been friends Christ will say Come in my friends I will receive you I will give you house and harbour but to
takes and redeems morgag'd Souls but seldom or never in the hour of death it is then too late usually to treat about so rich and high a piece of merchandice Christ alwaies loves and likes a broken heart in life but he cares not for an heart that is a breaking and yet not broken by a dying pang when men are Spiritless Faithless Prayerless till they come to be even speechless and then think per miserere mei tollitur ira Dei by crying Lord have mercy on them all shall be forgiven no wonder if mercy be then deaf to persons who have been so long dumb Christ seldome sets up bankrupts who break upon such terms or receivs such Souls that never had any acquaintance with him before that only which we freely and frequently give up in life will he chearfully and willingly accept of in death 4. Matter of exhortation to stir us up to 4. duties 3 I shall but briefly touch the last a little more enlarge because it is the principal intended in the Text. 1. It may exhort us to be much in prayer while we live that we may prevail about the main our Souls when we come to dy as certainly Stephen did here upon a former acquaintance with Christ in this duty though not expressed in the Text yet necessarily implyed Prayer is indeed a miraculous producer it brings forth often times before it is conceived as * Dr. Featly a late learned Divine shewes but yet it must be understood with this Salvo if it come not when it is too late God often answers before we call cryes here I am before we cry when holy begging is our constant trade and we are skilfull by practice in this gainfull mystery Yet we read too of foolish Virgins that cryed out earnestly Lord Lord open to us Math. 25.11 Yet in this case the true God was as deaf and dumb to them as Baal the false God to his petitioners late petitioners are welcom at the 11th hour that have been train'd to the work at the 7th hour and Christ best knowes the voice of them dying that have watcht unto prayer living Let us then pray continually and chiefly for our better part or else we run a very sad hazard of praying unsuccesfully in the hour when prayer shall have an end at least as to our own Souls 2. It may exhort us to exercise faith much while we live that our faith may be warmest with Stephens here when we come to dy The faith of this blessed Saint and Martyr in this prayer hath a tincture of the Imperative Mood more than of the Optative as Christ comes with authority to his Father more like an Advocate or Lawyer that pleads for Law and Right than a begger that pleads for an Alms upon charity in his last prayer John 17.24 Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me to see my glory so Stephen in part here speaks with some holy boldness and believing authority to Christ Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Prayer joyned with faith as a Prince prevails with God continually especially in its last petitions and actings Let us be much in the faith of assent to the truth of God and his word in the faith of adhesion to the goodness in the faith of application to the virtue of both frequently in life and this is the way to be much in the faith of assurance when we dy that Christ is really ours that nothing shall separate us from his love not death it self and that then he will certainly receive our Souls Pauls continual life was a life of faith in the Son of God Gal. 2.20 and how warm was his faith of assurance when he speaks of dying and laying down his Earthly house 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that we have a building in readiness eternal in the heavens and from this life was as a burden to him he groans more under it than many do under the pangs of death 4th verse Generally the believers faith is at the highest when natural life is at the lowest with Stephen here he sees Heaven open when he sees the graves mouth open Act faith much while you live and Christ hath prayed that it shall not fail at any time much less when your bodies begin to fall his hand then will be most under you let it but carry you thorough the Earth while you live and it will carry you through the fire when you come to dy 3. Let it exhort us to fear nothing for Christs sake Stephen here saith * Christologus one obtulit seipsum Christo adhuc calente sanguine Christi gratiâ diffuso he offered himself up to Christ while his blood was yet warm shed for Christs sake and did the Earth swallow up such blood It did naturally the Earthy heavy parts of it but the spirits of it quickly went in unto Christ Who would not bleed for such a Master even to prodigality that hath sweet drops of blood or buttons to deck a garment of a Christians righteousness on the behalf of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will certainly receive such Souls that make more than ordinary haste by Martyrdome to fly into his bosom Who would not pledge Christ in this bitter cup and be baptized with his Baptism of blood that hath confidence so soon as he is dead to sit at the right hand of Christ How many Souldiers of fortune have we that will venture their blood in hope of plunder to reserve and secure some thing against a rainy day should not Christians much more be venturous for Christ who will certainly secure their Souls and hath provided goods for them which will last for many years even longer than the whole World shall last 4. The main exhortation is to stir us up to mind nothing in life and death in comparason of our Souls this was Stephens case and care here he begs not for any ease as to his body though now sadly broken and brused nor any mitigation of the rage of his persecutors he is totally silent as to his burial although the less care he took for this the more good took Act. 8.2 devout men were his bearers of whom the world was not worthy and many of the best mourners attended him to the grave that he minded not at all as care at his prayer in the first place was for his Soul holy David was of the same temper and perswasion Psal 141.7 8. Though his bones lay scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth or cleaveth wood he looks upon them as contemptible chips yet still his eyes are upon the Lord c. and he begs that he would not leave his Soul destitute or in a naked uncovered condition Let men cark and care as much as they can for the Body Hebrew they can but have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little to feed them when they live and to bury them when they dye they can carry away nothing else a
our narrow hearts are much quickned to duty by hopes of reward and so consequently frighted from sin by fears of punishment both which hopes and fears if of things at a great distance have slender impression upon the heart you shall not discourage your child from any untoward action by threatning to whip him for it a yeer hence or quicken him to obedience in doing any good by promising him a new Coat or a fayring seven years hence Hope deferr'd makes the heart sick and the hand lame no wonder if men be hold in sin if confident their sin shall not find them out till the day of Judgement God threatens sudden destruction to awaken us out of sin and tells us that he that comes shall come quickly and bring his reward along with him Rev. 22.12 to awaken us unto increase in holiness The first Martyr after Christ though he dyed not for yet he dyed in this truth That Spirits speedily are received by Christ in death if they dy well 2. Matter of consolation this prayer affords comfort to all holy ones in such an hour when they need it most even in an hour of death all that dy in Christ and for Christ have a free and speedy passage by death to Christ who is really to them pater spirituum custos animarum the Father of Spirits and the keeper of their Souls This comfort is double both as to themselves and to their Christian Relations when they dy 1. As to themselves they need not fear death but look upon it with an eye of comfort this prayer of Stephens was oratio fidei a prayer of Faith we read Chap. 6.8 that he was full of faith and power and at this time he had a strong exercise of it as we may see verse 55 56. he looked up stedfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand this believing vision was when his tragedy was beginning and certainly as the rage of his enemies grew stronger his faith incresed and in this last prayer for himself he acted and spake undoubtedly with full assurance of faith fervently believing that the Lord Jesus would receive his Spirit as now he begd that he would from hence * Calvin one observes even from this faith of Stephens haec fiducia instituere nos debet ad placidam mortis tolerantiam this confidence should instruct and strengthen us which calmness and comfort to bear the stroke of death * Calvin Seneca An Heathen could say si quid incommodi morientis vitium est non mortis if death do us any hurt or prejudice the fault is in the person dying not in death it cannot then hurt a godly man Christ tels the Good Thief this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise though it were then about the ninth hour of it and Lazarus his Soul was carried by Angels into Heaven surely as for honour so for expedition 2. As to their Christian relations here is matter of great comfort in their death the Lord Jesus takes care of their Souls when an Husband or dear Relation dies in Christ the Jewel we loved is but taken away from us and lockt up in a surer Cabinet we are content to part with our Children and send them sometimes far from us when we marry them for their preferment sake Death marries our dear Christian Relations to Christ as faith in life contracts them and so carries them home to their Bridegroom Ambrose Cyprian the dead in Christ do but abire not obire are but praemissi non amissi they do but depart from us not dy they do but go before not go quite away they are not lost we shall meet them again the next style what we lose Christ receives and is this a loss we do but hide our Talent in Christs Napkin and should we too much bewail such a breach Luges Corpus à quo recessit anima Augustine luge animam à qua recessit Deus Dost thou bewail a Body from whence the Soul is departed rather bewail the Soul from which God is departed hinc illae lachrymae this is matter of sorrow indeed to see Abner dying as a fool to hear of a dear Absolom took off in the height of his sins and of his Rebellion against God and Man this is a Soul-rending heart-breaking spectacle but to see a Stephen dying the Church may make great lamentation for her own loss but the matter is not worth a tear as to such a Martyr though he should ascend to Heaven in a fiery Chariot Heaven is perfect happiness after the sharpest manner of dying In such cases then let us rather save our tears for our own sins than to weep as persons without hope for the dead in Christ 3. Matter of examination Whether we have given up our Souls to Christ in life that he may receive them in death Christ takes his Spouse by contract not by rape they willingly give up themselves to him in life or else he will not as old Elies Sons take away their Spirit by force when they come to dy As our bodies must be offered up to God as a reasonable Service while we live Rom. 12.1 so much more our Souls or else it will be an unreasonable petiton to beg that Christ would receive them in death when we can keep them no longer As our dying Saviour cryed out Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and dying Stephen here prayed Lord Jesus receive my Spirit so living David in his health and strength cryes into thine hands I commit my Spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Psal 31.5 take thine own Lord both by Creation and by Redemption And truly if we lock God out now out of our own heart which should be his possession continually while we live no marvel if he lock out Spirits out of Heaven which is our hope when we dye Calvin therefore from this place infers quotidie spiritum in Dei manus commendemus quia mille mertibus obsessi sumus let us continually be commending our spirits into the hands of God because we are dying daily as to weakness and distempers in our bodies There are two wayes whereby we should commend our Soules to God daily as the Apostle shewes us 1 Pet. 4.19 1. Mala patiendo by suffering the will of God this is passive obedience 2. Bona agendo we must commit the keeping of our Souls to God in well doing as unto a faithful creatour this is active obedience and without commending them thus to God dayly we shall commend them with little success to Christ when we walk in the dark valley of Death The old Poets feigned Pluto to be the God of wealth as well as the God of Hell to shew us that we may go to Hell when we dy for all Wealth Let us therefore faithfully examine whether we have given up our hearts and lives to God now Christ in the second birth