also arising from the sense of his guilt He was guilty of sin and by sin he had brought this sorrow upon himself and therefore who knoweth whether the Lord will be gracious to me in sealing to me the pardon of my sin this way in adding this mercy as a further assurance of his love in granting me the forgiveness of my sin God had told him by Nathan that his sin was pardoned though he told him the Child should die it may be by the same mercy he will release me from this sentence of death upon my Child whereby he released me from the guilt of my sin before Here I say is the sense of his own sin The point I note hence is That Parents in the miseries that befal their children should call their own sin to remembrance All the sorrows and sicknesses and pains and miseries that befall children should present to Parents the remembrance of their own sin It was the expression of the Widdow of Sar epta to the Prophet Eliah Art thou come to call my sins to remembrance and to slay my child She saw her sin in the death of her Child So I say in all the afflictions and crosses that befall children the Parents should call to remembrance their own sin But some men will here say There seemeth to be no need of such a course for God hath said plainly That the child shall not die for the sin of the Parent And after God cleareth his own waies from inequality and injustice by that argument The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father Therefore what reason is there that Parents should call their sins to remembrance in the miseries that befall there children I answer Though he say the child shall not die for the Parents sin yet we must understand it aright for what doth he mean by the sins of the Parent And what doth he mean by death By sins of the Parent he meaneth those sins that are so the Parents as that the children are not at all guilty of those sins then the children shall not die By Death he meaneth as the word signifieth the destruction of nature So death shall not befall the child for that sin that himself is not guilty of But how then come little children to die before they have committed any sin actually was this for their own sin or for the sin of their Parents I answer for their own sin they die for the soul that sinneth it shall die and all children have sinned they brought sin into the world and sin brought death as the Apostle speaks therefore death reigneth over all even over those that have not sinned according to the similitude of Adams transgression that is that have not sinned actually as Adam had done yet nevertheless they die because they have sin upon them they have the corruption of nature In sin they were born and in iniquity their mother conceived them and the wages of sin is death therefore they die for their own sin But what if temporal judgments and afflictions befall them is this for their own sin or for the sin of their Parents I answer for both both for their own and for the sin of their Parents for as death so all the miseries of this life are fruits of original sin which is an inheritance in the person of every child by nature as soon as it is born but yet if the sin of the Parents be added to it that may bring temporall judgments There are many instances and examples of this how God hath visited upon the posterity of wicked persons the sins of their Fathers according to that threatning in the second Commandement And this you shall see either in godly children of wicked parents or in ungodly children of godly Parents Suppose a man leave a great deal of wealth to his children and have one that fears God amongst them it may please God to lay some losse or crosse upon him to the undoing of him he may utterly be impoverished and beggered and deprived of all that means that his father left him by unrighteousness He getteth an heir and in his hand is nothing saith Solomon that is God deprived him of all that estate his father left him by unrighteousness Now I say here is a judgment upon the father and yet a mercy upon the child A judgment upon the father that all that he hath laboured for that which he lost his soul for should be vain should come to nothing and not benefit his posterity as he thought Yet it is a mercy to the child to the child of God He by this means is humbled it draweth him from the world Nay when God emptieth him of these things that were unrighteously gotten he giveth him it may be an estate another way wherein he shall see God his Father provide for him without any indirect and unlawful courses So sometimes the very shame and reproach that falleth upon wicked children here it is a judgment to the parents and to the children too Upon the parent as far as he is guilty of the neglect of his duty and of evil example and the like so he is punished in the shame that befalleth his posterity As it is a blessing upon a man that he is not ashamed to sit in the Gates as Solomon speaks no man can upbraid him with his children So it is a correction to Gods children even when their children prove ungodly so farr as they have been negligent and careless of their duty This was the case of old Eli a good man yet nevertheless the hand of God was gone out against his house and family and what was the reason of it Because thou honourest thy sons above me they made themselves vile and thou restrainest them not therefore will I bring a judgment upon thy house at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle I say it may come to pass and that by reason of that natural affection that is in Parents that that misery that befalleth their children may be an exceeding cross and an affliction to them God layes sharp corrections on them when he makes those children which they accounted as comforts and the hope of their life to be the very cross and vexation of their life There is then ye see such a course of Gods dealing with men to visit the sins of the Fathers upon the children that is if the children walk in their fathers steps if the child and the father agree in a course of sin if the father by omission or commission make himself guilty of the sin of the child c. and so if the child either by imintation or allowance go on in his fathers way he draweth a greater judgment upon himself by adding to his fathers sin and as they are alike in sin so they shall be alike in judgment You see likewise for temporal judgments that God may and often-times doth lay many
sicknesses and crosses upon the children for the sin of their parents that they may be smitten by the judgment that is upon their children and yet nevertheless the children may be free from sin for who ever was afflicted being innocent Is this so then in the first place it should teach Parents to take heed of making themselves miserable in their posterity by sinning against God There are specially three sorts of sins in Scripture for which God continueth his judgments upon mens posterities and families The first are sins against the first Table against the worship of God Idolatry and such like for these God smiteth mens posterities as we may see in Jeroboam and others And so the neglect of dutie prophaness and negligence in Gods worship Let thy wrath come upon the heathen and on the families that call not upon thy name A family I know in a large sense signifieth a Nation but in a strict sence a family or posterity in that place it signifieth both A Family or people that lay aside the worship of God and the sanctifying of his Name those that lie under this charge of not calling upon the name of God let thy wrath come upon them A second sort of sins are those against the second Table unrighteousness injustice uncleanness and the like for those sins God visiteth mens posterities punisheth them in their children sometime by taking them away sometimes by smiting them with such sicknesses and temporal afflictions and chastisements as Parents have continual matter of sorrow and humiliation and calling their sins to mind The Scripture is full of instances of this kind Thirdly for the neglect of duty to their children when Parents are too fond and remiss in their education and careless in their duty therefore Job was fearful of this lest his sons should sin against God and he was continually in prayer that God would keep them in his fear Parents if they would have a blessing continued on their posterity they should be careful of sanctifying their Families by the worship of God and by their walking with an upright heart in the midst of their house by dealing righteously with men in all their business not to strive to rear their posterity by wealth but by grace to leave them heirs of the bâ—essing rather then of much money That is the way to have comfort in children and posterity Ye see how few of those that in this Citie or other places that have got such wealth thrive in many generations nay it may be not in the next generation but come some to notorious beggary in the sight of others that others may be warned how they get estates by unjustice and unrighteousness to leave to their families There is the judgment of God going along with unrighteous gain and a sinful life and falleth upon posterity as far as they approve of or walk in their fathers waies In the second place it should teach children to take heed of the sinful courses of their Parents if they will not joyn with them in their punishment nay if they will not have the increase of their punishment take heed I say take heed of going on in their sins Remember the charge that the Lord gave concerning Babylon Come out of her if you will not partake of her Plagues if we will not partake of their plagues take heed of partaking in the sins of your Parents Here was Davids piety he calleth his sins to remembrence So ought Parents in all crosses that befal their families or posterity if any child be sick or weak or if their be any cross in their estates or trade or success in their business whereby they should maintain their Families to call their own sins to remembrance to look over the several commands of God to see what sins they are guilty of that they have not yet repented of Now we come to Davids carriage when the child was dead But now he is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me Here ye have Davids carriage and the reasons why he did not fast First because it was against reason wherefore should I fast in this expression he implieth that he saw no reason for it and that made him forbear it Secondly it is altogether bootless and needless Can I bring him back again Thirdly I shall go to him I have somewhat else to do then to spend my time in unprofitable forrow there is a matter that concerneth me more neerly to think upon that is concerning my own death to prepare for that And Lastly the last reason is He shall not returne to me These are the reasons of the alteration of his carriage upon the death of the child Concerning sorrow for the dead ye must understand it of excessive sorrow Here is not forbidden a due measure of sorrow that is allowed but he speaks of sorrow in the excess Why should I do this The reasons he giveth against excessive sorrow are first I can but give you the heads of things because it is a thing against reason Hence I will note this to you That one way to moderate our sorrows and to regulate them aright is to bring them to the examination of reason and judgment When passions sway when they do not look to the commands of reason to be subject and ordered according to that but usurp a rule in the soul above reason then there is nothing but confusion and distemper and disorder in a mans afections actions and in his whole course A man should therefore consider what reason there is for every thing If he sorrow for a thing what reason have I for it If he rejoyce in any thing what reason have I for it Is it worth this sorrow or this joy I say his is the way to rectifie and moderate our passions and to order them aright if we trie them all by sound reason David took this course at other times Why art thou cast down oh my soul why art thon disquicted within me Is there any good reason for it Reason I say is a curb and bridle to stop passion when it is running on its free course If David had done thus would he have run out to that excessive expression for his son Oh Absolom my son my sow c. What great reason had he for this that Absolom a rebellious son was took away that sought the death of his Father that God glorified himself in the punishment of a disobedient proud insolent child in the sight of all the world Was this a matter for David so much to grieve and to be troubled at If Jonah had done thus if he had considered what reason he had to be angry as GOD putteth the question to him dost thou well to be angry Would he not have stopped that Passion If Cain had done thus if he had put the question to himself as GOD did Why art thou wrath
Son and two of him his affection shew'd it self Rhetorical in his Benediction saying The blessings of thy Father have prevailed above the blessings of my Progenitors unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills they shall be on the head of Joseph and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his Brethren Giving this Benediction Jacob dies receiving this Blessing Joseph survives who can render no other Retribution after his death but care of his Burial and tears at his Funeral And therefore he made a mourning for his Father who had blessed him Fourthly he made a mourning for his Father who had mourned for him The Parents cares and fears are equal and when any infelicity betides their children their griess are great and all these bear a proportion with their love Now the love of Jacob to Joseph was transcendent and being so it rais'd as high an hatred in the hearts of his Brethren by which he was in their intention and in his Fathers opinion dead And now the Funeral is Joseph's let us see how Jacob does appear He rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his loins and mourned for his Son many dayes Here is a real demonstration upon a supposed death and a serious mourning at a feigned Funeral Had his dearest Son been dead yet he might well take comfort in his numerous off-spring but he did not for all his Sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said for I will go down into the grave unto my Son mourning thus his Father wept for him Thus it pleaseth God to permit this happy deceit of envious Brethren this pious mistake of an affectionate Father not only for a great example of Paternal love but also to teach all Sons to measure their griefs at their Fathers death by a consideration of those sorrows which their Parents would have expressed had they dyed before them Howsoever Joseph was but just in this he made a mourning for his Father who had mourn'd for him Lastly he made a mourning for his Father who came down to die with him It was the old expression of Parents comfort that at their deaths they might have their children to close their eyes and it hath been equally the desire of children to be made happy by that occasion in shewing the last testimony of their duty at their Parents Death Now Jacob who upon the supposed death of Joseph had said I will go down into the Grave unto my Son upon the certain intelligence of his life and safety resolveth to go down and die with him For when he saw the Waggons which Joseph sent and his spirit revived Israel said it is enough Joseph my Son is yet alive I will go and see him before I die and when Joseph first presented himself unto him in the land of Egypt the first words he spake were these Now let me die since I have seen thy face because thou art yet alive Now he which said at first I will go and see him before I die and when he saw him said Now let me die resolved nothing in that journey but to die with Joseph And he made a mourning for his Father who came down to die with him For all these reasons Joseph mourned for his Father who begat him remembring his natural generation for his Father who loved him not forgetting his singular affection for his Father who had blessed him considering his double Benediction for his Father who had mourned for him meditating a pious retaliation for his Father who came down to die with him embracing the opportunity of a dutiful expression And thus I close up the first general part of the Text or the Solemnization of the Obsequies The Second general Part of the same presents us with the Continuation of the Solemnity Which ministers a double Consideration one as consisting of not many dayes the other as determining how many dayes And he made a mourning for his Father seven dayes Immediately after Jacobs death in Egypt forty dayes were fulfilled for his embalming and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten dayes They which have no hope of a life to come may extend their griefs for the loss of this and equal the dayes of their mourning with the years of the life of man But so tedious a Funeral Solemnity is a tacite profession of Insidelity When Moses went up into the Mountain of Nebo and dyed there the children of Israel wept for him in the plains of Moab thirty dayes The plains of Moab were nearer to the Land of promise then Egypt was and some light of the joyes of the life to come was discovered under the Law and therefore more then half of the Egyptian Solemnity was cut off by the Faith of the Israelites But this Patriarchal Funeral was made in Canaan the Land of promise the Type of Heaven it was appointed by Joseph a blessed Patriarch and a Type of Christ it continued some dayes to declare his natural affection but those not many to express his religious expectation Had it been extended longer it had demonstrated more of duty but less of faith he had shew'd himself more a Son but less a Patriarch But now he is become a great Example in mourning some dayes of filial duty in mourning few dayes of Divinity Which is our first Consideration The Second leads us to the determinate number of the dayes which are expresly Seven And he made a mourning for his Father seven dayes The Jews took special notice of this act of Joseph and in the land of Canaan observed the number of these dayes Seven dayes do men mourn for him that is dead faith the Son of Sirach and though it be not unto us a law yet it is a proper subject of our Observation It was afterward one of the laws of Moses He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven dayes And therefore well did Joseph teach the Israelites to mourn the same number of dayes that with their tears of natural affection they might mingle some thoughts of their natural pollution Again the number of Seven is the number of rest In six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and he rested on the Seventh day from all his works which he had made Now Joseph knew that there remaineth a rest to the people of God he was fully assured that as the dayes of the years of his Fathers pilgrimage were evil so they ended in rest and happiness that as sure as his body was past all weariness and pain so his soul was placed above all possibility of grief or sorrow A Dove brought Noah word into the Ark that waters were on the face of the Earth and he stay'd seven dayes and then the Dove sent forth returned and loe in her mouth was an Olive leaf pluckt off so Noah
as wisely continued upon a presumption and as an encouragement of the same vertures in their Successors Your Honor knows how long the greatness of your Family hath been preserved acknowledg first the vigilant providence and infinite goodness of God in the preservation of it while so many glorious Titles have been lost so many Noble Families cut off Next study to preserve and advance it further by the exercise of those vertues upon which it was first built and hath been since continued endeavour to uphold not only your own but the very name of Honor in this Age in which partly the want of such vertues as are necessary to support it partly the weakness of that power which first gave life unto it partly the unreasonableness of foolish men who endeavour to cast a dis-esteem upon it have too much eclipsed the glory of it Lastly as I have advised you with the Son of Sirach to let tears fall upon the dead and to use lamentation as he is worthy so I shall conclude with his following advice when that is done then comfort thy self for thy heaviness that is not only be comforted after sorrow that consolation may succeed your griefs this is the common revolution of the world not only be comforted in lieu of your sorrow that consolation may recompense your griefs that were but a vulgar compensation but take comfort in your sorrow and rejoyce in your self that you have been so happy as to be truly sad There is so much deceitfulness in the heart of man so much hypocrisie in Funeral mourning that you may bless God for your own assurance of the sincerity of your natural affection and religious respect to your Parents and take delight in a just expectation that it will be rewarded by the future respect of your children So having performed the duty of Joseph who made a mourning for his Father you may expect the blessing of Joseph given by the mouth of Jacob for whom he mourned Joseph is a fruitful bough even a fruitful bough by a Well whose branches run over the Wall That this Benediction may be your Honors portion shall be my constant prayer By the God of thy Father who shall help thee and by the Almighty who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above blessings of the deep that lyeth under blessings of the breasts and of the womb Amen Amen THE TRUE ACCOUNTANT SERMON L. PSAL. 90.12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome SUch is the pravity of our natures ever since the first fall of Adam as that we prove very apt Scholars to learn that which is ill but we are very dull and backward to mind any thing that is good We want no teaching to set us forwards in the wayes of wickedness but in the performance of the least good we are not able to move one step without the guidance and direction of the holy Spirit of God Therefore it is a good prayer of David for every one of us Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead meinte the land of uprightness There are many Teachers abroad in the world and more than know how to teach aright and there are many Doctrines which are dayly prest and intruded upon the weak and simple and more than are useful and saving But there is but Unum necessarium one thing that is needful one thing in special to be minded and looked after even so to live as that we may become wise for Eternity so to walk on earth as that we may be fitted for Heaven This is the main Doctrine we are to learn and our Instructer is God We have none to teach us but God and we have no other way to implore this favour of God but by our prayers in the words of Moses So teach us c. You know the Penman of this Psalm by the Inscription A Prayer of Moses the man of God and I think it is safer to keep to the letter of the Text than to busie your thoughts with the various and doubtful conjectures we meet with in ancient and modern Expositors The Text is a Prayer to God to teach us the true Art of Arithmetick to make us true Accountants for Heaven how we may know to number our dayes aright In this Prayer we meet with two things First what he begs of God 1. To number his dayes 2. To be taught this duty 3. To be taught it in such a manner So teach us Secondly the end wherefore he begs this of God That we may apply c. The end is the gain of true wisdome to make us wise for Heaven And here we have 1. The kind and nature of this wisdome what this wisdome is of which Moses here speaks and that is in making the best provision we can for the eternal welfare of our Souls 2. The subject of it our Hearts 3. The means of obtaining this wisdome and that is by the consideration and thought of Death By the careful numbring of our dayes we attain this wisdome The meditation of Death makes us truly wise Before we fasten upon the Text we will take a survey of the Context which stands thus 1. Observe Moses having spoken of the wrath of God in the foregoing verse Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath of the sudden he betakes himself to prayer The thought and consideration of Gods anger makes us to pray 2. Observe here after that Moses had given us a description of the wrath of God presently his thoughts are taken up with the meditation of Death The wrath of God thought on makes us to think of Death First of the first the anger of God meditated upon makes us to fly to our prayers The fear of this quickned the devotion of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.3 And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord. He feared therefore he prayed The thought of Gods anger may well bring us upon our knees and when danger approacheth it is high time to seek the Lord. The Romans made Fear a god and worshiped it for a god the Indians worship the Devil for fear he should hurt them and all this shews us what a command fear hath over the hearts of men to make them to pray They that never think of God in the day of prosperity will hasten to call upon him in the day of trouble The text sayes When the ship was ready to sink the marriners were afraid and every man cryed unto his God Joh. 1.5 A man will never sooner acknowledg a Deity then in the midst of his fears Such is the base spirit of man as that the long-sufferance and patience of God makes some men turn meer Atheists Therefore it is that so many believe there is no God saith Tertullian quia seculo iratum tam diu nesciunt because they do not see that God is
parts the main matter whereof things were made and shall that be the destruction of that whereof it is made Yes saith the Apostle All things were made by water too and yet they were destroyed by water and why not then by fire But God deserreth the promise of his coming What of that He putteth it not quite off though he deferre yet it is not long with God for there is no time long to him that is eternal and in that he deserreth it is that some men may be brought to salvation and others made inexcusable Thus the Apostle takes off all objections of the Atheists of the world and sheweth that there shall be a day of Judgment Secondly it serveth for instruction If there shall be such a Judgment to come if God will have such a time of rekconing with all his Stewards in the world Then it teacheth us first not to busie our selves in judging one another why because there shall a time come of Gods Judgment Who art thou saith the Apostle that judgest thy brother we shall all stand before the Judgment seate of Christ As if he should say What a bold part what a presumptuous part is this that thou shouldest judg thy brother Dost thou not know that there is one that shall judge him and thee is it fit that he that is a prisoner at the Barre should come and leap up into the place of the Judg and sit in his seat Ye are all fellow prisoners together and ye must all stand before the Judgment fear of Christ So in another place the same Apostle when he would take men off from judging saith he Judg nothing before the time Why for the Lord will come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God As if he should say Thou art not able to judg aright it may be that man that thou dispraisest at that day may find praise with God Secondly Turn the Judgment on thy own heart be more in Judging of thy self that thou mayest not be Judged of the Lord. Will God call thee to a reckoning then begin to call thy self to a reckoning first How shall that be done There is a double reckoning that every man must undergoe that will avoid this reckoning with God First he must reckon with his own heart Secondly with others First with his own heart Every man must take all the advantages opportunities that God hath given to reckon with himselfe Doth God awaken thy conscience by the preaching of his word Descend into thy own heart It is that that the Lord looks for that a man should say What have I done Doth God smite thee with some afflictions if with losses reckon with thy self how thou hast gained thy wealth If with disgraces reckon with thy selfe about thy pride and ambition and vanitie of thy heart If God smite thy body with sicknesse reckon with thy self about the imployment of thy health and the well usage of the times and seasons of grace Every evening call thy self to an account What have I done this day where have I been In what company how have I carried my self there what good have Idone what good have I received In the matters of thy calling reckon with thy self with what heart thou hast followed it with what care to conforme thy selfe to Gods word the rule of righteousnesse If thou hast been in pleasures whether they were lawful and if they were whether they were lawfully used Thus must every man reckon with his own heart as the Church in Lament 3.39 Wherefore is the living man sorrowful Man suffereth for his sinâ—… let us search our wayes and turne again to the Lord. There are many that 〈◊〉 to out-face God and men in their sins but know this who-ever thou art that if thou forbear to reckon with thy own heart God will assuredly reckon with thee thou must reckon here or hereafter with thy self or with God therefore saith David Psal 4 Commune with your own hearts upon your beds that is be sure to take time from your sleep rather then to neglect this businesse of reckoning with your own hearts Secondly Reckon with others too Let that man that is in authority a Magistrate so carry himself in his imployments that he may reckon with the people and give an account to them if need be as Samuel did Whose oxe have I taken or whose asse have I taken or whom have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith The Lord saith he is a witnesse that ye have not found any thing in my hand And not only so but that they may be able to witnesse that they have been great instruments of Gods glory and of the good of others Let Ministers reckon with the people committed to their charge as Paul did when he took his leave of the Ephesians and was to go up to Jerusalem I take you to record this day saith he that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God and I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have shewed you and tought you publikely and from house to house And because I know that after my departure there will somewhat remain to be done for Grievous wolves will enter in not sparing the flock therefore I will be carefull that there be a succession of faithfull Ministers afther me and therefore I give carge to the rest that follow that they take heed to themselves and to the stook over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud Let Masters reckon with their Familes their servants and children whether they have done their duty as faithful Masters not only in furthering the service of God but also in furthering of them by instruction and example to all good Let those that are in a way of traffique learn to reckon with those that they deal withal If thou hast wronged any by unjust gain thou must reckon with him by restitution there is nothing that thou hast gotten unjustly for which thou dost not reckon now but as Saint James saith at that day shall eat they flesh as it were fire Therefore Zacheus when salvation was brought to his house If I have done uujustly and wronged any I restore it Doubtless there are many men that cloath themselves in Sattin and Velvet and abound in all variety and bravery that would now be houseless and moneyless and apparelless it may be if they should make restitution of their unjust gain Well do it as ye love your own souls you shall reckon as you are Gods Stewards with him how you have come by every penny that you have in the world and
perpetuity it must be a constant assection grounded and established in the heart The Ayre you know is light and yet we call it not a lightsome body because it is lighted by the presence of another and when that light body is removed it is dark you may say it is dark for the Ayre is dark in the night when the Sun is absent as it is light when the Sun is present those we call lightsome bodyes whose light is originated and rooted in themselves So it is in this case such are not godly persons that may have some injections of godly thoughts and godly affections cast into them and be in them for a spurt and for a brunt and for a little flash like a flash of lightning in the Ayre and gone away again presently but it must be rooted and grounded in a man so as that it will continue continue so as that the exercise of graces and duties toward God should be frequent and quotidian as it is here in the Text The desire of our soul is to thee in the evening and our spirit shall seek thee early in the morning Morning and evening frequently daily to have commerce and communion with God to walk with him to set our selves in his presence and to approve our selves to him to make it our constant trade to do so to be Gods dayes-men to work by the day with him and withal to be constant to hold out for perpetuity Only time can discover truth and truth is the daughter of time to us God knoweth it before but we can never know but by the holding out but by the perpetuity I acknowledg there is a great difference between that which the Scripture calleth temporary faith and that which it calleth saving faith there is I say a great difference they do not only differ in this that the one holdeth out and the other doth not hold out but they differ in their vital principles by vertue of which one holdeth out because it hath a more noble nature in it and the other because it is a slighter timbered thing it doth not hold out because the one is a real and true and substantial beauty of grace the other but a superficial and painted beauty substantial beauty that is founded upon nature upon our complexion whether it rain or shine it will hold out in both but painted beauty one fears a little wet will alter the painting another lest a little heat should do it A painted beauty will not hold but true will hold And they that do love true love long as our Proverb saith I am certain it is so here they who do once love God truly love God for ever I will dispatch the rest in a word There be some special duties besides these generals which make the general character of a Christian I say there are some special duties that do concern him according to the speciallity of times Now there is a double time and so a double posture of a Christian in which accordingly he hath several suits of graces to put on and to exercise There is a double dealing of God which is the foundation of it God dealeth sometime in a way of mercy and favor toward his servants and God dealeth sometime in a way of Judgment and wrath and displeasure and he doth so though not as an angry Judg but as a father that is angry even with his own servants Now accordingly as this general temper and frame of spirit should be at all times so it should shew and discover it self in those several times In the time when God sheweth favour then the servant of God is to serve God so much the more chearfully and so much the more fruitfully to run the wayes of Gods commandements because God inlargeth his way and giveth him free scope and more opportunities and advantages for it and to improve those favours for the advancement of his glory that gave them But the particular thing that is especially exprest here though that be intimated too and it is noted as a character here of a wicked spirit that they will do wickedly in the land of uprightness that is in the land where God dealeth very gently and gratiously and uprightly with them every way and squarely that they can no way complain it is a wicked spirit that doth so But that which is specially meant here in the way of thy judgments will we wait for thee is that Gods servants will not only not start if their temper be right from God when he smiles upon them but they will love him when he frowneth they will even then stoop and kiss the rodd they will then obey him Gods children will acknowledg him to be their Father and Lord and submit to him even when he is angry Here is a vast difference between the godly and the wicked as I shall a little touch by and by As the Father speaks even to this very purpose when sweet oyntment is chased it smells the more sweet it delivereth the persume the more excellent but in a dunghill in a filthy place stir it and the more you stir the more it stinks Wicked spirits when God doth but chafe them manifest the filth and corruption that is within them as a man may know money as he saith when it falleth down whether it be silver or brass it will then betray it self so here their language their speech will betray them then and declare what they are The divel thought that Job had been of such a temper that he would have curst God to his face if he would lay his hand upon him and touch him but it was far otherwise because he was of a better mettal and stamp therefore he blessed God in the middest of judgment as he had done formerly in the middest of his mercies And this is that a Christian should do labour to be fruitful in thankfulness and chearfulness of spirit when God sheweth favour and giveâ—… any ease and mercy to him and labour likewise to be faithful and constant to him even when his judgments are a broad But there be divers particulars in that I will but meerly mentich them There be these sour things as so many sleps and degrees of the duty of a Christian in the times of Judgment whether they be impendant or incombent whether they be publick or private that concern the Church or particular persons First of all the duty of a Christian in the times of Judgment if he be of a right temper is Perseverance to hold out not to be beaten off for a little storm or shock but to keep on his pace to keep on his way Travellers that go to sea meerly to be sick a little or in sport if there arise but a black cloud they presently give over their voyage is at an end they come not to venture shocks and storms and danger they come for pleasure but the Merchant that is bound upon a voyage
avoids the corruptions that are in the world through lusts But this looking for the second coming of Christ This Argument John the Baptist used to press upon his hearers the Doctrin of repentance because the king dome of God was at hand This is that upon which Saint Peter groundeth his exhortatoin unto the people Acts 3.18 Repent saith he and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Therefore repent and return unto God do away your sins because there will a time of refreshing come and you had need then to be found in another hue in another state then in your old rotten withered condition and sinful lusts This is the Argument that the Aposte used to the Athenians to bring them from Idolatry to serve the living God because God hath appointed a time to judg the world in righteousness by that man whom ho hath ordained Even for that reason because God hath appointed a time to judg the world in righteousness therefore they should turne from their Idols to serve the living God There is nothing that doth so unbottome the heart nothing so shakes and looseneth a mans hold of sin and unrighteousness as the consideration of Christs coming to Judgment What will it boot me will the soul reason to keep my sins when Christ will come to judg me for my sins What shall I get by going on in a course of sin when I can look for nothing then but a sentence of wrath to be denounced against me This then is that that doth settle a man in a holy conversation in that respect Nay fourthly this is that also which quickneth a man to the practise of all holy duties in his place both in his general and particular Calling It is the very argument which the Apostle Saint Peter useth to stir us up to holiness of conversation Seeing saith he that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat As if he should have said Look now about the whole world and see what it is that now can comfort you if you be such as go on in a course of sin It may be you will say I fear not much for I have many friends Yea but all these shall die It may be thou hast store of lands but all that shall be burnt with fire It may be thou hast many pleasures but then there shall be nothing but Judgment The coming of the Lord that shall then put an end to all these and turn the course of things the expectation thereof is a special means to take us off from a course of sin and put us on to a course of obedience to make us walk in another kind of fashion while we are in the world Therefore the Apostle Saint Paul when he would â—…ir up Timothy to the work of the Ministry what is the Argument that he useth I charge thee before Christ who shall judg the quick and the dead As if he should say there shall be an appearing before the Lord and therefore if thou wilt give thy account up with joy at that day I charge thee to look to thy Ministry So may I say to every man in his place I charge thee that art a Master of a Family look to the business of thy family to the salvation of the souls of thy people I charge thee that art a father or a mother to look to the salvation of the souls of thy children I charge thee that art a Christian to look to the salvation of thy own soul And how is the charge I charge thee before the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judg the quick and the dead Because there shall come a time when both thou and they shall be present before Christ at his appearing therefore if thou wilt have comfort in them and in thy self and in Christ be careful to do the duty that concerns thy place Looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus So then you see in this respect also there is nothing so forcible an Argument to settle a man in a holy conversation in a heavenly course as this for a man alwayes to look for the second coming of Christ Lastly there is nothing fixeth a man so constantly in a holy course as this Our conversation faith the Apostle is alwayes in heaven We alwayes walk on earth as those that aspire to heaven because we alwayes look for the coming of Christ Wert thou carefnl to serve God yesterday do it to day also it may be Christ may come now and take thee away by death to day and there is no preparation for judgment afterward Little children saith Saint John now abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming What is it that giveth a man boldness and takes away shame from him at the coming of Christ What is the reason that a man hath not that spirit of fear and trembling upon him that shall be upon the hearts of all those that go on in sin when they shall cry to the mountains to fall upon them but this that he hath continued in a holy conversation and constantly walked before the Lord with an upright heart I have finished my course saith the Apostle I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith hence-forth is layd up for me a crown of righteousness which Christ the righteous Judg shall give to me and to all them that love his appearing Still the servants of God have incouraged themselves to persevere in a holy course from the expectation of the coming of Christ that will give them a reward for their constancy in his service It is the Argument that the holy Ghost useth to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.11 Hold fast that thou hast and let no man take thy crown As if he should say There is a time coming when Crowns shall be given but to whome to those that hold out that persevere in a godly course Be thou faithful to the death and thou shalt receive a crown of glory This is that I say that will make a man go on will make him that is good in youth be good in age also because whensoever he dieth he shall receive his Crown This will make a man that he shall not begin in the spirit and end in the flesh this will make him that having put his hand to the plough he will not look back because he no further looks for comfort in the appearance of Christ then he hath had care to walk on constantly in a good course Thus you see the point proved to you that a Christian soul hath a main benefit by his looking for the second coming of Christ
he putteth in this Male and Female and of these he saith All are one in Christ no difference for the Female at first were made after the same Image that the Male were He made them Male and Female in his own Image Gen. 1.27 Both sorts have the same Saviour and are redeemed by the same price A Woman said My soul rejoyceth in God my Saviour Luke 1.47 they are both sanctified by the same Spirit the Apostle saith that when an unbelieving Husband is knit to a believing Wife The Husband is sanctisied by the wise as well as in the other case the Wife is sanctified by the Husband And this my brethren giveth a check to the undue the unjust consure that many do give to this weaker vessel that this Sex is as it were the imperfection of nature and I know not what I will not stand upon it as most unworthy the confutation But for the Sex it self it is a particular consolation against that matter of griese which it might conceive through Eves first sin not only in sinning her self but in taking Satans part to tempt her Husband whereupon followed subjection to the Man and likewise pain in travel and bringing forth of children But notwithstanding saith the Apostle of that Sex they shall be saved if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety So that you see they have a right too And the truth is that God hath graciously dealt with them in making them the means of bringing forth the principal ground of this right of the one and of the other which is the Lord of life the Saviour of the world who was born of a Woman Now this Sex is to comfort themselves in this that notwithstanding there be some differences in outward condition yet they are made partakers of the greatest and best priviledge alike joynt heirs of the grace of God I find but two things that in Scripture are exempted from that Sex two priviledges one to have jurisdiction over the Husband another publickly to teach in the Church of God But yet notwithstanding mark a kind of recompence made for this The former is but particular between Husband and Wife but in lieu therefore a Woman may reign over many men yea over Nations Queens shall be thy nursing mothers saith the Prophet Isaiah to the Church And for the latter to recompence that they may be and have been endued with the gift of prophesie so that we see how God doth every manner of way incourage them One word more concerning men and so I will conclude this point Namely admonition to them answerably to respect the other Sex as those that are Co-heirs with them and therefore while they live according to their places according to their gifts according to the bond of relation that is between them to respect them and to shew the same when they are dead by a decent comely Funeral and maintaining their credit and giving of them their due praises Thus much for the Text. And now my brethren give me leave I beseech you to step a little further and to speak a word concerning this object before me Howsoever I am not over-forward at any time to speak much on such occasions yet at this time I suppose I should do much wrong to the party in concealing those things that are meet to be made known to the honour of that God who bestowed those excellent endowments upon her and also injury to those that knew her I do not fear to be accounted a flatterer by any that hear me and if any else shall imagine any such thing it may it must needs be their envy in that they censure what they know not My fear is lest those that did know her should think that wrong is done to her by that little that shall be spoken for enough cannot be spoken of her You see here a black Herse before you a body in it deprived of life and within these few dayes animated by a divine soul now as we have just cause to believe glorified in heaven The body of Mistris I. R. in regard of Marriage being the Daughter of Master I. B. a Gentleman in C. It seemed that as God endowed her with excellent parts every way so she had good education She was married to Master I. R. a grave prudent man that lived in the fore-named place who had been twice Major there and long continued Alderman still relyed upon when any matter of employment was to be performed and therefore oft chosen to be a Burgess of the Parliament out of that Corporation In the beginning of her marriage she attending to the Word as Lydia did God was pleased to open her heart and that specially under the Ministry of a reverend Pastour now some years with God faithful painful powerful in his place while he lived who yet liveth in the many works he published in his life-time I say by his Ministry being wrought upon she wonderfully improved the grace that was so wrought in her and used all means for the growth thereof by continual applying her self to the publick ministry of the Word conscionably on the Lords day frequently also on other dayes both in that City and in this also whither she came often times upon sundry imployments both while her Husband lived and likewise since she hath been a Widdow which hath been about the space of five years Now I say as she did thus help on the growth of grace by this publick means so also by private diligently reading the Word not contenting her self with a coursory reading it over by task as some do but she had a Paper-book by her and in reading would note down particular points note specially duties that belonged to such and such persons to Magistrates to Ministers to Husbands to Wives to Masters to Servants General duties that belonged to Christians as they were Christians and that in such a manner as if so be they had been the Common places of some young Divine And here by the way let me tell you what my self have seen of an Alderman of this City some while dead who left behind him Volumes of books written with his own hand his manner was first he would read and after that he would walk up and down and meditate upon what he read and write down the sum and particulars of it as he conceived by which means he made himself excellently skilful as in Divine so in humane learning Thus did this grave Matron hereby she came to much knowledge she gathered also many signs whereby she had evidence of the truth of grace and there yet remain divers such heads noted by her with her own hand signs of grace signs of the truth of it of the growth of it of the effects of it means to grow in grace c. An excellent course Thus she shewed piety in reading of the word of God the like she did in prayer hearing others perform that duty in her Family but
others with whom she had long and private intimacy of many years acquaintance I must and will speak That which I told you was recorded of Rachel that she was fruitful in procreation of Children may in a great measure be spoken of her for if the Scripture account bearing but of two children fruit certainly it will make an extraordinary fruit in bearing of twelve which she did It is a certaine token of a true and faithful servant of God to frequent his house to pray unto him to praise him in his Church earnestly to labour to be instructed in his will out of his Word then and there read and preached to them all which evidences of a good Christian were found in this our Sister For her constant coming to Church I my self can now speak upon my own knowledge I have seriously and strictly examined my self and I profess ingeniously before God that knows my heart and you that here me speak that I cannot call to mind that ever she mist coming to Church twice a Sabbath day since I came which I would be heartily glad I could speak as well of others of this Parish as of her For some of them have got such a fisking trick up and down to go to other Churches as if there were no rellishable food at their own that I fear at the last they will come to none at all I pray God they amend this fault It was a vertue in her that deserved commendation and it is a vice in them that deserves reprehension When she was in Gods house she did not as too too many do imploy her time in sleeping or some such ill course but I ever observed her to listen very diligently and attentively to what was delivered for the nourishing of her soul I confess I do not remember that ever I saw her take any notes in the Church of Sermons that were preached for it seems she did it when she came home for since her death going to her house accidentally I met with a book of hers wherein she had written many texts of Scripture with notes the day when they were preached and the persons by whom most of those which I have preached I saw and perused and others of strangers that I my self have heard these qualities are not to be past over in silence but are worthy of your serious imitation Neither did she think it fit barely to set them down for her own instruction only but what she heard upon the Sabbath day that she constantly practised upon the week dayes She catechised her children in those points spending some time in training them up in the knowledge of God and putting them in mind of their duty to him in whom we live and move and have our being by repeating Gods word delivered by hearing them read Gods word printed and by singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs That she was a most provident and careful Wife and a most indulgent and loving Mother all that knew her can best testifie and some of them have informed me And this let me speak and I have it from the mouth of some that prehaps did not think I would have mentioned it at this time and would have had it concealed but for reasons best known to my self I hold it very fit to relate she was ever held to be of a most sweet nature and of a very loving disposition that she was very charitable and inclined to relieve the poor It is likewise testified of her she was liberal alway but more liberal now then usually having had a consideration of the hard and needy times to which end as if she had prognosticated her own death she laid some money according to that ability that God had blessed her with for the relief of the poor Let no man censure me for speaking these things I do for if I should not have given her her just and deserved praises some that now hear me and knew her from her cradle might justly have censured me for too much remisness Thus for her life As for her death I can say little touching it It pleased God not to give her any long time of sickness but to take her away though not unprepared yet on a sudden with a short warning When her bitter pangs first came upon her she called to her Husband and desired him to joyn with her in hearty prayer to Almighty God that he would be graciously pleased to extend his mercy towards her that he would be pleased to let her live longer that she might repent of her sins and beg mercy at his hands for them that she might amend her life And if he would not grant this for her yet for those many poor Children that were young that she was to leave behind her she desired him to be a careful Father over them all she prayed to God devoutly to send a blessing both upon him and them Much she could not then speak because of her pains that now began still to increase upon her When she was in the extremity of her labour he being absent as it was fitting she sent down to him to desire him to pray to God on her behalf that he would ease her of those grievons pains and preserve her in the great pain and peril of Child birth The propitious God it seemed heard him and granted his request for presently to the thinking of the standers by she was well delivered Not satisfied with this having received so great a blessing from God she sent down again to desire him to give God thanks for her safe delivery But God that had determined to take out of this miserable life quickly turned that hope of the standers by into a fear and suddenly she changed which perceiving as long as she was able to speak she cried Lord Jesus have mercy on my soul Lord have mercy on me Lord pitty me poor miserable wretch and when she could not speak she held up her hands to heaven as desirous to make her peace with that God whom she knew she had highly offended I make no question but God hath translated her from the valley of tears to the Mount Sion of blessedness whither God of his infinite mercy bring us all THE DEATH OF SINNE AND LIFE of GRACE SERMON XXXVII ROM 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. THe intent of this Chapter is to take off an abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospel which publisheth the free Grace of God to great sinners The Apostle had said in the latter end of the 20. Verse of the former Chapter where sin abounded Grace did much more abound From hence some did infer that therefore under the Gospel they might take liberty to sin the more their sins were and the greater they were the more they should occasion God to manifest his abundant Grace upon them This the Apostle answers in this Chapter and he answers it two wayes
die to see thee who would not die for the present to dwell ever where his hope is If in this life we had only hope then were we of all men the most miserable but our hope is not onely in this life of the things of this life therefore we are not of all men most miserable no not miserable at all I have done with my Text You see the occasion of our present meeting to Inter this little Child in Christian burial the last service and duty we owe to deceased Saints I cannot and I know you expect not that I should say any thing of it It is a Child of the Covenant sealed in the Covenant died in the Covenant resteth according to the Covenant with the God of the Covenant of whom I doubt no more of a happy rest with Christ the mediatour of the Covenant then I do of the Covenant that Christ hath sealed and so I leave it in that rest and return our selves to our own duty and service to call upon God for a blessing THE PLATFORM OF CHARITY OR THE LIBERAL MANS GUIDE SERMON XXXIX GAL. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good to all especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith IN the sixt verse of this Chapter the Apostle begins to perswade these Galatians to whom he wrote to Beneficence and having in the ninth verse the verse before the Text given them great incouragement in this course Be not weary saith he of well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not The words I have now read to you are an inference upon that which went before seeing if we hold out we shall reap in due time then saith the Apostle As we have opportunity let us do good to all c. To speak something for the opening of the words and then to observe the main things the Apostle intends in this place As we have opportunity Cairos signifieth more than time As we have time so the old Translation reads it but the word signifieth more there is a Chronos and a Cairos a time and an opportunity of time There is a time taken in the largest sence there is an opportunity of time restrained to those advantages of times that a man by wisdome may make unto himself for the performing of any duty that God 〈◊〉 of him This must be understood with a reference to what was spoken of before We shall reape if we faint not He shewes there is a time of sowing and a time of reaping and so in Eccles 3. There is a time for all things there is a time to sow and a time to reap Now while the sowing time lasts for that is the opportunity that he now speaks of while the time of sowing lasts let us embrace those times and opportunites for the doing of good Let us as we have opportunity do good to all Do good is of a large extent it is of as large an extent as the law All is good that is agreeable to Gods will revealed Be renewed in the spirit of your minds that you may know what the good and acceptable will of God is But in this place it is restrained to some particular acts of Beneficence towards men towards the servants of God which are theâ—… said to be good deeds and good acts when there is a concurrence between the action and the affection with conformity to the Rule First theâ—… must be actions It is not speaking good nor meaning good only but it is doing good Saith the Apostle If a brother be naked or hungry or cold and you say to him go in peace warm thee but you give him no fire and go and cloath thee but you give him no apparel and go and feed thee but you give him no meat Here are good words now but the deeds are not answerable here are no good deeds at all Solomon compares such complemental charity that is only vernal and in outward expression to Cloudes and winds without rain Not much unlike the boxes of Apothecaries that are adorned with glorious titles without but open them and examin their in-sides you shall find nothing but emptiness Well that is the first thing there must be good actions Again secondly these must have a good rise they must proceed from a good affection too 〈◊〉 else they lose the name of good actions Make the tree good and the fruit shall be of the same condition the actions are not good if the affections be naught and therefore the same God that requires beneficence he commands benevolence also and would have men become tender-hearted and put on the bowels of compassion that they should Sympathize with others and be like affectioned to them to mourn with those that mourn and to be with those that are bound as being bound with them This is that which our Saviour called being merciful Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful He saith not only do works of mercy but be merciful do them from a merciful heart from bowels of compassion that yearn towards those that are in necessity That is the second thing But then thirdly these actions and these affections whence they rise they must hold conformitiy with the Law There is no good but what is conformable to the rule of goodness that is the written word of God and therefore all those will worships and idle ceremonies made according to the inventions of man as a thousand devicies in Popery wherein they intimate a show of great Liberality they are not good deeds because they want that good rule that should uphold and make them so So much shall serve for the opening of it Good deeds then are such actions as rise from a sanctified affection and receive ground and warrant from Gods will revealed in his Word to men Again there is a third term yet Do good to all men What doth the Apostle mean that every man should receive the fruits of our Beneficence There are some men notorionsly wicked and rather to be punished than relieved The Apostle means not such for he giveth you a Caution If any man worke not let him not eate Relieve him not that hath ability to get and will live idly and unprofitably But do good to all men that is to all men so far as you see them in extream want unable to help themselves if their lawful necessities call upon your charity in this respect all men must be looked unto but especially To the houshold of Faith By houshold of faith here he means the multitude of beleevers and not only those that dwell near us and about us but those that are deispersed throughout the whole earth the Churches of God The dispersion spoken of through all the parts of the world are this houshold of faith all the Saints of God in what difference or distance soever one from another yet they are of the same houshold together of the same Church of God
So the Church of God is called the house of God and sometime it is understood of the Church militant and sometime of the Church triumphant Of the Church triumphant In my Fathers house are many mansions There it is heaven the place of the blessed Then for the Church militant Moses was faithful in all his house faith the Text. And Paul exhorts Timothy how he should carry himself in the house of God that is in the Church militant As for those that live above us they need not our good works and actions therefore it is intended of those that are here in the Church militant that is called Gods houshold because there is such a communion amongst beleevers as amongst those that live in the same house that abide under the same roof that live under the same government that eat at the same Table c. So then you have the meaning of all which is no more but this Take those advantages of times which you can obtain or else many will slip unprofitably to be conversant in such actions of mercy which tend to the relief of those that want them If there be extream necessity do good to all but if you may make choyce of persons to whom you may do good choose the houshold of faith Thus you have the substance and the meaning of the words In them you may observe briefly these three parts The first is a determination or limitation of time to which the Saints are tied in the performance of the duties that are in joyned them as you have opportunity and while you have time Secondly there is a declaration of duty do good Thirdly there is a description of the persons to whom this good must be done first more generally Do good to all and then more particularly and with an especial note Especially to those of the houshold of Faith Of these in order First for the determination of time to take the words as they lie while you have time therefore or as you have opportunity the words themselves do render the main point It is the duty of Christians to take their advantages of times to take the best opportunities of their life to do good I will speak somewhat by way of Explication of the point and something by way of Application and so proceed to what follows First for the Explication what is intended or meant in it when we incite you to embrace times and opportunities Briefly these two things are meant in it First that you should be sure not to lose the time of life And Secondly that you should not forego the advantages and opportunities of estates You shall not alwayes have life to do good and it may be if you have life you shall not alwayes enjoy means and ability to do good While you have life therefore and time do good or while you enjoy means and so power to do good embrace these opportunites That is the meaning of the Apostle in this place First then there must be a doing good while you have life let your good works go before you do things while you live and defer not the performance of them till your death Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when you want they may receive you into everlasting habitations He calls that unrighteous Mammon not that it is unrighteously gotten only though that may be meant but that which is unrighteously kept is unrighteous Mammon to you if you procured it never so justly unless you do rightly dispose of it and if you be desirous to do right in disposing of your Mammon of your wealth do it now That when you want that power and those times you may enjoy the comfortable fruit of the well-redeeming of the time of your life to receive you into everlasting habitations In the 25. verse of the 16. Luke it is the challenge of Abraham to Dives Son remember that thou in thy life-time haddest thy goods for so the word signifieth thou haddest thy opportunities of life and of goods too but now thou hast neither life nor goods left thee to do good with and therefore he is blessed and thou art tormented It was the folly of those five Virgins they took not the opportunity of life for that is the thing meant there but they posted over all to the last and hoped that all might be effected in a trice or miniute of their life which would have held them employment enough all the dayes of their lives And therefore they came short of heaven the gates were shut against them as you see when the Bridegroom came If any man imagine because it is said Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them That therefore it matters not so long as a man doth good at his death though he have neglected the wayes of goodness all his life Let them know that by works there is not meant the actions of men but the fruits of their actions Their works follow them not the works they have deferred untill death but the fruits of those works they did while they were living and received not the benefit of them untill death Their works follow them that is the fruits of their works It is more good and pleasant by far to have the actions go before and the fruits and comfortable effects to succeed and follow after But if any man yet suppose that he may make that up in his Will which he hath neglected all his life long and though he have lived miserably covetously and unprofitably all the dayes of his life yet his thoughts may tell him that by the Charitable Requests of his last Testament as bequeathing largely to the Church and Common-wealth and to all sorts of people be may at the last make fit compensation and satisfaction for neglect of former duties Let no man deceive himself with such a bad resolution for first it argues a sign of infidelity that a man will not trust God for fear he should want in his life-time what is the reason else that he defers the doing good in health unless it be for fear of wanting himself such distrust he hath in the providence of God Besides the same God which bids thee do good when thou hast opportunity and while thou enjoyest the advantage of life he expects it now And it may be truly said of many that neglect those times of doing good while they lived and have now supplyed that defect in their death by the large benevolence of their Wills Their will is good but their deed is naught So much for the first point I proceed unto the second that is thou must not only take the time of thy life but also the opportunity of thy means and thy estate while there is yet a price in thine hand while thou hast opportunity and enjoyest wealth to do good with redeem the advantages and opportunities by employing them in
clay and then to sum up a large Bill of the particular goods he intends to Religion for Churches and for Hospitals and the poor with other such like benevolences makes but a simple satisfaction for thy unjust courses in procuring such wealth to the prejudice and detriment of others this is nothing to thy advantage all this while thou art a thief and givest stoln goods Nay thou maist further assure thy self that Hell shall be the greatest recompence of thy charity because thou bestowest that which is not thine Thou oughtest first to have made thy estate clear and have restored the things that belonged unto others and reserved thine own by it self and then to give free scope to thy charity to the doing of any good action which time and occasion could propound This is the first duty of any man that will do good in giving he must give justly Secondly he must give wisely too it is made the marke of a man fearing God He considers wisely of the poor and he orders his affairs with judgment What is that Judgment hath a twofold respect it hath respect to the quantity of a mans gift and to the quality of the person to whom he gives There must be a judgment a wise ordering of things in respect of the quantity which a man bestowes according to that expression of the holy Ghost in Acts 11.29 They gave according to their abilities they kept within the limits of their estates and exceeded not So must thou or else another man may perchance lose by thy liberality Again there must be respect had to the quality of the person to whom he gives My goodness extends to the Saints that are on earth to the faithful ones as the Text faith here to the houshold of faith It is not necessary to give to every one that comes next to hand There be some persons I told you before that are not to be releeved except in case of extream necessity We must extend our Benevolence to those of the houshold of Faith Give unto Christ and to the naked and hungry members that belong unto him and thou shalt not want a sweet and comfortable return of thy charity Again as it must be done justly and wisely so if we desire to do good in releeving we must do it simply In the simplicity and plainness of our hearts Let him that distributes do it in simplicity faith the Apostle What is that simplicity when a man looks up to God with a single eye as the eye may be said to be single when it viewes but one object at once so the heart is small when it respects God onely in this action of charity and makes no other reckoning of any outward object A double-minded man he looks up to God and yet carries some respect to the outward honour which he expects of the World and more often times to the World then to God at least he joynes them together But if a man be desirous to bestow his benevolence with a purpose to receive recompence from above let him do it for his sake that commands it and reflect upon God in all things This is the testimony of our Conscience faith the Apostle that in simplicity and sincerity we have had our conversation among you not affecting the praise of men but aiming to approve our selves to God in that we do This is that which Christ advised the Pharisees that they should not admit their right hand to know what their left hand did Lastly as it must be simple so it must be chearful God loves a chearful giver And this is a perfect sign of chearfulness when a man doth not only give without grudging upon all opportunities but when he will be careful to prevent them in his willingness to seek them as I said before So much for the second point the duty it self Now I proceed to the last thing that is the description of the persons to whom this must be done First generally All and then particularly The houshold of faith First generally Do good to all It is as I have told you to all that endure such wants and necessities as that it may be a work of mercy and no transgression of the rule to releeve them for those that live unprofitably and become burthens to the Common-wealth except in case of extream necessity it loses the name of mercy to relieve them and deserves neither reward nor commendations Yet if they live in extream necessity then take the Rule of the Apostle Do good to all even to them also We have the Parable of our Saviour to direct us in this path where the good Samaritan lends his assistance to the Jew that fell among theeves We cannot but know of the opposition and enmity between the Samaritans and the Jewes yet we see that in case of extremity the Samaritan helps the Jew Therein our Saviour teacheth us that every man in this case is a mans neighbour and therefore the same law that commands to love thy neighbour as thy self intends we should do good to all if necessity require The Reason is in regard there is the same maker of one as of another We have all one Father saith the Prophet and hath not one God created us Then by Creation we are all alike Children though not by Adoption and especial Grace and as they are the Creatures of God and bear the Image of their Maker there ought to be some consideration extended toward them in case of extream necessity Again there dwels a part of Gods Image in all man-kind and that resemblance makes us alied to each other by the bonds of Nature then if we love not our brother whom we see daily how shall we love him whom we never saw faith the Apostle To make some use briefly of this Is it so that doing of good is to be extended to all when necessity requires it Then let it teach us without all evasion and protraction of those duties commanded to embrace every object and occasion that may invite us to do good and to be merciful But some man may reply in this fashion my intent is very plyable that away of goodness I could willingly extend it toward such a man but he is a stranger unto me and one with whom I was never acquainted What is this but the churlish reply of Nabal to the servants of David there are divers men abroad whom I know not there are some servants that are run from their masters shall I give my bread and that I have provided for my shearers unto them Nabal was his name and folly was with him Abigai did truly interpret his nature to be answerable to his name which signified a man of folly for if his conditions had been otherwise he would not have sent them empty to their Master knowing their absolute necessity in which case a stranger ought to be relieved and we cannot thrust
dispose themselves for their dusty dissolution David saith Psal 19.7 I will bless the Lord who hath given me warning my reins also instruct me in the night season He speaketh this in relation to his mortality it following soon after my flesh also shall rest in hope God gave David warning that death should not surprize him of his mortal condition his reins that is some inward wastings and secret weakness of nature minded him that he must return to his first original God in like manner gives us warning and may we have wisdome to take it some years before our eye-strings break our eyes are blind as to small prints our ears deaf as to love sounds evident monitors that our bodies are ungiving to return to dust God of his goodness sanctifie unto us all decayes in nature that they may effectually mind us of our mortality it is said of Sampson when his hair was cut off Jud. 1.6.20 He awoke out of his sleep said I will go out as at other times before and shake my self but he quickly found the case was altered with him Thus we in our declining age think to rise as early go as late run as fast travel as far do all things as actively as twenty years ago when we were young but it will not be age hath clipt our strength God make us sensible thereof that we may remember our end and apply our hearts unto wisdome AMEN THE PATRIARCHAL FUNERAL GEN. L. 10. And he made a mourning for his Father seven dayes THere are two great names concealed in this Text but express'd by the Prophet David in a peculiar and eminent manner Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the Sons of Jacob and Joseph Great was the name of Abraham but all his Sons were not accepted only Isaac was in the Cevenant Great was the name of Isaac but his Son Esau was rejected Great then must the name of Jacob be who had twelve Sons and all accepted The whole people of God descended from him and were called Israelites and the Sons of Jacob as his by generation from his loins One of these twelve was Joseph and the rest did equally descend from him and might be called his Sons by preservation from his care and power Howsoever he is exempted from the number of his Brethren and that he might be styl'd a Father two Sons of his are numbred with his Fathers Sons and ranked with the Patriarchs Thus were all the people of God the Sons of Jacob and Joseph and Joseph while the Son of Jacob the Father of the Sons of Jacob. These are the two concealed in the Text Jacob the Father and that Father dead Joseph the Son and that a mourning Son for he made a mourning for his Father seven dayes These words contain a brief relation of a Patriarchal Funeral in which two general parts are presented to our view The Solemnization of the Obsequies and The Continuation of the Solemnities In the description of the Solemnization there are four particulars observable The Connexion The Person The Action The Occasion The Connexion in the conjunctive particle And the Person understood in the following pronoun He the Action represented what He that is Joseph did he made a mourning The Occasion expressed for whom he mourned for his Father The Connexion of the Text is double in reference to the Person and in relation to the Action The Connexion of the Person And he the Connexion of the Action with the precedent actions of that person And he made a mourning I shall begin with the Connexion of the Person and in my whole discourse exactly prosecute the method of the Text. When aged Jacob yeelded up the Ghost and was gathered unto his people the Physitians embalmed Israel and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten dayes They were not as yet the apparent enemies of God they had their tears for Jacob who afterward would have drowned all his Sons they preserved and prolonged the dayes of his life and when those were cut off they continued the dayes of his weeping But there is a difference between a formal and a real sorrow between a solemn and a serious grief between a popular and a filial sadness Wherefore Joseph is not contented with the Egyptian mourning he hath a nearer relation then those strangers had and therefore more of affection is expected from him his filial sympathy must go beyond their accustomed civility the Egyptians mournned and he made a mourning for his Father This is the Connexion in respect of the Person that of the action followeth When Jacob was near the time of his dissolution Joseph put his hand under his thigh and sware unto him that he would deal kindly and truly with him that he would bury him in the burying place of his Fathers When he gathered up his feet into the bed and dyed Joseph fell on his Fathers face and wept upon him and kissed him and so paid the first fruits of a Funeral with his eyes and with his lips After this be commanded the Physitians to follow with Spices and embalm him desirous to preserve that body to the utmost possibility from corruption from which he had received his generation Then he entreated and obtained leave of Pharaoh to perform his Oath which he sware unto Jacob he went up to the Land of Canaan to take possession with his Fathers body and laid him in the field which Abraham bought There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife there they buried I saac and Rebekah his wife there Jacob buried Leah and there Joseph buried Jacob. And having thus fulfilled all the duties belonging to a Son there remaining but this one fitter to be performed then required he made a mourning for his Father This is the Connexion of the Action The Person or chief mourner then is Joseph he which once was dead in the thoughts of Jacob and desires of his brethren survives his Father to attend his Funeral and to preserve his Brethren alive His coming into Egypt cost aged Jacob many a tear and he must pass into Canaan to demonstrate his gratitude and pay that debt unto his Father there This eminent Person is proposed for an example unto all ages of the world what he here performed was no legal Ceremony he was a Patriarch and long before the Law he was a singular and signal type of Christ and hath done nothing which may misbecome the most retired and sublimed Christian And this will readily appear if we joyn the Action to the Person He made a mourning I call 't an Action which may as well be term'd a Passion as a mourning so a Passion as he made it so an Action a passionate Action or an active passion The internal grief of his mind and sorrow of his heart as an inward passion of his Soul was voluntarily rais'd within him by resolved and continued thoughts of his Fathers death and at the same time the expression of
knew that the waters were abated from off the earth If we mourn for the death of any person departed and the waters appear upon the face of man yet after the seventh day when the Olive leaf is pluckt when we have considered the peace and rest and joyes of the souls departed in the fear of God 't is time for the waters to abate for mourning to cease Thirdly the number of Seven is the number of holiness as God rested the seventh day so blessed and hallowed it Seven dayes Aaron and his Sons the Priests were consecrated seven dayes an Attonement was made and the Altar was sanctified Seven dayes hath Joseph set apart for his Fathers Funeral to shew that mourning for the dead is something sacred the tenth of the Egyptian mourning an act of Piety a part of Religion The Jews observed that the Circumcision was deserred till the eighth day that a Sabbath might pass upon the child and so sanctifie it before it was circumcised and Joseph appointeth seven dayes for mourning one of which must necessarily be that day which God blessed and sanctified in the beginning to procure a blessing upon that duty and to sanctifie his sorrow Upon which seasonable Consideration I shall take leave to conclude my meditations on the Text and apply my self to the present Solemnity which gave the occasion to consider it that I may make such use of the work of this holy day as may sanctifie the sorrow of it And now most Honorable Sir the Joseph of this time the chief Mourner of this day be pleased to endeavour the Sanctification of your mourning by these reflexive Meditations First learn from hence to meditate upon your own Mortality and be now assured by this neer and home example that your self shall die This may seem but a cold monition but a dull reflection every Grave preacheth that Doctrime and every Skeleton readeth as good a Lecture when we come into the House of God our feet will learn thus much and the ground we tread upon will thus far instruct us 'T is true the examples of our mortality are numerous but they are not equally efficacious the nearer our relations are to those which die the more we are concerned in their death and there is none so neer in his concernment as that of the Father and Son There is a difference between the language of the Scriptures and such a Prophet as Nathan was one tells us that all men are sinners the other says thou art the man So common Funerals tell us all men are mortal but that of a Father speaketh not only plainly but particularly thou art so From his vivacity the Son receiveth life and in his death must read his own departure 'T is possible to imagine an immortal family and then the deaths of others concern'd that not but where the Father 's dead there can be no pretence or thought of immortality Beside there 's something more then propinquity of nature in a Father Religion teacheth us that our dayes are otherwise bound up in our Parents lives Remember the first Commandement with Promise Honorthy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land consider that you have lost in his death all further opportunity of improving the hopes of that promise and that you stand now only as to him upon what comfort you have in your former duty and in your past obedience Thus learn to fix a more immediate and more concerning meditation of your own mortality upon the death of him in whose life yours was involved both by a natural and spiritual dependance Secondly reflect upon that love and entire affection which you have lost and could no otherwise be lost but by losing him in whom it lived Love is of that excellent nature that it is esteemed by the best of men and accepted from the meanest persons what then is the affection of a Father what is the purity of that fire which God and Nature kindles in the brest of man what were the flames which ever burnt upon the Altar of your Fathers heart who never hated any man See but the nature of Paternal love in David who when Absalom his Son but a most rebellious Son openly sought his life and Crown and dyed in that unnatural attempt went up into his chamber and wept and as he went thus he said O my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my Son my Son Measure by this example the affection you have so lately lost who never gave any offence as Absalom did and yet had in your Fathers eye all the reasons of love which Absalom could have Know then you make a mourning as Joseph did for a Father that loved you remember that the love of Jacob was divided between twelve Sons and therefore though it was high it could not be whole and entire to Joseph as for many years your Fathers hath been unto you Thirdly I speak not this out of design to renew or advance your grief to tell you what you have lost alone but I propound this privation that I may contrive it for your imitation endeavouring to stir up the same fire and to kindle the same affection in your self who now are wholly to be considered in the same relation What you were to him others are now to you and what he was to you you are now wholly unto them Before your natural affection was partly taken up with duty respect honour and obedience due to a Father from a Son it is now taken off from those expressions as to him that it may descend the more entire upon those which come from you as you from him Thus far you have been the Joseph of the Text be now the Jacob that those two great names may be concealed not only in the Text but in your breast Thus far you have been the better part of Absalom learn now to be the David that we may truly say that tender affection that Paternal love dyed not with your Father but survives in you to your and his posterity Fourthly I desire you to look not only upon that which you have lost but also upon that which he hath left behind him Vulgar and common persons as they carry nothing out of this world so they leave nothing in it they receive no eminency in their birth they acquire none in their life they have none when they die they leave none aâ—… their death But honorable persons as they die like common men so that only dyeth with them which was common unto all degrees of men their singular respects the priviledges of their greatness their honors survive them and descend unto their Heirs with their Inheritance Give me leave then yet to speak unto you as to the Heir of your Fathers Honors consider what the nature and design of honors are remember they were first graciously conferred as a reward of the vertues of your Ancestors and were
safety be confest by the hearers then exprest by the Preacher in his place Answ I have three things to return in answer hereunto First grant the Objector speaketh very much of truth herein yet if the times be so bad as he complaineth their badness will serve for a toyl to set off his goodness and render it the more conspicuous making him Phil. 2.15 to shine the brighter as a light in the World in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation Alas thy little faith would have made no show hadst thou lived in the age of Abraham thy Patience would have seemed but a dwarf to the Gyant patience of Job hadst thou been his contemporary thy meekness had appeared as nothing if measured with the meekness of Moses had you been partners in the same generation Whereas now a little Faith Patience Meekness and so of other graces will make a very good presence in the publick if the Age thou livest in be so bad as thou dost complain and others perchance do believe Secondly I suspect this to be nothing else but a device of thy deceitful heart thereby to cozen thine own self The Objection speaks the state of thy soul to be much like the temper of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.30 If we say they had been in the dayes of our Fathers we would not have been partaker with the blood of the Prophets Yet these pretended pittiful persons were indeed more cruel then their Ancestors Their Fathers killed the Men they the Master their Fathers the Servant they the Son their Fathers murdered the Prophets of God they the God of those Prophets so far forth as he was murderable in his humane nature and it is vehemently to be suspected that if thou beest bad now thou wouldst not have been good had the time of thy Nativity answered thine own desire It is a shrewd presumption that he who behaved himself as a Woolf in his own generation would not have been a Lamb in what Age soever he had lived Lastly Beggars must be no choosers thou art not to serve the generation before thee nor the generation after thee nor any other of thy own election but thy own generation wherein Divine Providence hath been pleased to place thee Saint Paul saith Ephesians 5.22 Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands Some will say had I such an one to my Husband I could willingly obey him he is of so meek mild and sweet a disposition but mine is of so morose and froward a nature it goes against my nature to be dutiful unto him However though she hath not the same comfort she hath the same cause of submission obliging in conscience to Gods command husbands must love their own wives wives obey their own husbands husbands and wives with David must serve their own generation But now that my sword may cut on both sides as hitherto we have confuted such who are faulty in their defect and will not serve their generation so others offend in the excess not being only servants but slaves and vassals to the age they live in prostituting their consciences to do any thing how unjust soever to be a Favourite to the Times Surely a cautious concealment is lawful and wary silence is commendable in perilous times Amos 5.13 It is an evil time therefore the wise shall hold their peace And I confess that a prudential compliance in Religion in things indifferent is justifiable as also in all civil concernments wherein the conscience is not violated but wherein the will of the times crosseth the will of God our Indentures are cancelled from serving them and God only is to be obeyed There is some difference in reading the precept Rom. 12.11 occasioned from the similitude of the words in the original though utterly unlike in our English tongue some reading it serving the Lord others serving the time I will not dispute which in the Greek is the truer Copie but do observe that Davids precedent in my Text is a perfect expedient to demonstrate that both Lections may and ought to be reconciled in our practise He served his generation there is serving the times but what followeth by the will of God there is serving the Lord this by him was by us must be performed Saint Stephen Acts 7.2 began his Sermon to the people with these words Men Brethren and Fathers which words I thus expound and apply By Men he meant young folk which had attained to the strength and stature of men and were much younger then himself By Brethren those of his own standing and seniority in the world probably forty years old or thereabouts and therefore he saluted such with a familiar Appellation as a badge of equallity Thirdly Fathers being aged people more ancient then himself as appeareth by his term of respect addressed to persons distanced above him This distinction will serve me first perfectly to comprise then methodically to distinguish all my Auditors in this Congregation I begin with you men which are of the Generation rising it being bootless for me to address my self to children not arrived at their understanding concerning whom I turn my preaching to them into praying for them and wish them good success in the name of the Lord. It is your bounden duty to omit no opportunity to inform your selves both in Learning and Religion from those that living with you are of more age and experience and demean your selves unto them with all reverence and respect O let them go fairly their own pace and path to their graves Do not thrust them into the pit with your preposterous wishes Filius ante diem O when will he die and his name perish rather endeavour to prolong the dayes of your Parents by your dutiful deportment unto them stay but a while and they will willingly resign their room unto you in earnest whereof those superannated Bazzilbaes do contentedly surrender the lawful pleasures of this life 2 Sam. 20.37 to you their Chimchams their sons and successors to be by you with sobriety and moderation peaceably possessed and comfortably enjoyed You Brethren who are pew-fellows in the same Age with my self who are past our vertical point and are now entred into the Autumn of our life give me leave to bespeak you with becoming boldness familiarity beseeming those of the same form together there is a new Generation come upon let us therefore think of going off the Stage endeavouring so to Act our parts that we may come off not so much with applause from man as approbation from God If we live long we shall be lookt upon as the barren fig-tree that combereth the ground we must make room for succession as our fathers have done for us And set this be our greatest care to derive and deliver Religion in all the foundamentals thereof in as good a plight and condition to our sons as we received it from our Fathers O let us leave Gods house as tenantable as