sight of sinfull objects and that could not so easily swallow downe those vanities and courses which others doe not so much as scruple at to her dying day shee did abhorre Popish and Superstitious vanities and was much grieved that any should take upon them to practise or maintaine any thing that was contrary to Gods Word and justly scandalous unto Christians Secondly God had given 2. Lovingnesse to the godly her to become very loving hearted unto the godly if she saw in any but aliquid Christi that is something of Christ with holy Bucer shee dearely loved them the graces of God bestowed on them drew her affections to them making her greatly to delight in their company and conference shee often would say to mee where is the pleasure that sinfull societies can yeeld unto a Christian I am sure I can finde no delight in being amongst them O it is the godly and such as truly feare God that are my delight and that shall be truly welcome unto my house there are many Christians this day alive that can testifie her reall love unto them a good patterne for us all to follow wee should make them the men of our company and delight here that are our companions in grace and shall be our company in Heaven Thirdly shee was large 3 Desires and cravings after goodnes and amendment hearted in her desires after goodnesse and good things a little heart shee had but low which made her very greedy after and desirous of grate such a holy covetousnesse and unsatiable thirst was implanted within her that shee could never give her selfe satisfaction in any present measure of grace or actuall performance of duties but was carried with a vehement desire of bettering or mending her selfe in both out of that desire which she had to profit and benefit her owne foule and to augment and enlarge her selfe in graces and duties Hieronyâ—â—i Epistolae ad Paulam Marcellam aliaâ— with those religious Romane Ladies of whom S. Ierome speakes shee would be full of holy enquiries solid questions and apt cases of conscience God gave unto her that excellent gift of improoving Christian acquaintance and Christian society for hardly could any good Minister or able Christian come to visit her in her health or sicknesse but shee would be pressing and putting of them on to some soule-profiting discourse by which she might both doe her selfe and others good oh it is a blessed thing for Christians to bee acting Maries part and I could heartily wish that in this she might be followed in this City and other parts for I finde this to be a common fault that God puts into our hands many opportunities of doing our selves good by the company of Ministers and Christians and wee have no hearts to improove them wee thinke that when wee have feasted them and for a time courteously entertained them wee have done enough Oh how often hath mine eares heard her wishing that she had more power to beleeve and spirit to pray and to obey This Sister of ours made it her daily worke to be treasuring up a stocke of grace for another world and the neerer she was to glory the more thirstie was she after grace Surely where those longings and thirstings after soule enlargement in graces and duties are wanting there may bee a strong supposition that spirituall life is also wanting For herein doe artificiall bodies differ from naturall bodies that the one are capeable of extension the other are not Fourthly She was fearing 4. Fearfull of her owne standing and state hearted in respect of her spirituall and eternall condition she did much trouble her selfe about that one thing necessary namely the setling of the happinesse of her soule both here and hereafter shee had an heart making Heaven to be Heaven and it was a great businesse with her how shee might bee sure to have Heaven when she left the world she was not in the number of those who onely then thinke of going to Heaven when they see themselves ready to drop into Hell Neither was Heaven unto her an empty Notion or going to Heaven an ordinary matter but a thing of the highest concernement she knew that she had a soule and what it was to have a soule mistaken or miscarry in so great a matter as salvation yea so serious was this Christian Sister of ours in this maine businesse that shee would often suspect her owne care and question her owne evidences for Heaven being ever and anon jealous least that shee should faile of Heaven at the last This was admirable and imitable in her that shee would be putting her selfe to the triall that so shee might see and finde her selfe to be Heaven proofe and judgement proofe and when upon long reasoning and due triall shee could not put of from her selfe the evidences of a gracious condition out of a holy feare shee brake out into these words Sir are you not mistaken in your trialls or in my selfe I pray you to deale plainely and faithfully with my soule doe not make me to beleeve that I am better then I am or that my estate is safer then it is remember that you are Gods Minister and you must give an account to God if that you doe not discharge your duty in discovering to me the truth of things Let me know the worst of mine estate for I desire not neither did I send for you to be slattered and soothed by you O think of this all you that tie up the liberty and authority of Gods Ministers when they come to visit you who cannot endure the setling of your spirituall estates by the searching of your soules Fiftly She was bold hearted 5. Zealous in spirit the fire of holy zeale was kindled within her spirit and shee was so farre from being ashamed of God and his cause that as occasion was offered and as it became her in her place shee would speake for God and plead for the power and purity of His blessed worship and service yea shee kept that liberty to her selfe which many loose namely so to enjoy her best friends that with all she would wisely dislike and Christianly reproove what shee saw or heard to be amisse in them which made such as well knew her the more truely to honour and love her Sixtly She was Heavenly 6. HeaveÌ„ly mindednes hearted and dead to the world whilst shee lived in the world shee so minded her countrey in Heaven that she could willingly part with all the creatures for Heaven nay she had so ordered her affections and affaires that shee had little else to doe but to die when shee was to die well knowing that an heart set into the creatures is loath to make an exchange of earth for Heaven it was neither Husband nor Children nor Mother nor Brothers or Sisters nor Friends that could stand in her way to make her loath or unwilling to die they were all lookt upon with a dead eye long
THE EYE OF FAITH open to GOD. Vnfolded in a Sermon Preached at the Funerall of that vertuous and Religious Gentlewoman Mrs JVLIAN BLACKVVELL together with a Narration of her vertuous Life and happy Death By JOHN SEDGVVICK Batchelor of Divinity and Preacher of GODS Word in London Prov 31. 30. Favour is deceitfull and beauty is vaine but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised LONDON Printed by GEORGE MILLER MDCXL TO THE WORSHIPFVLL IOHN BLACKVVELL Esquire his Majesties Grocer comfort and happy imitation of the deceased Sir WHilst Ministers preach Funerall Sermons they find the wind setting in their faces from their auditors some thinke that too little others that too much and most that what is spoken concerning the dead is but formality or flattery They report that the Aethiopians doe picture Angels black and Divels white and I thinke that they Amandus Polanus Syntag. Theol lib. 20 c. 17. justly suffer censure who doe knowingly call evill good and good evill yet I deeme that meete and just praise is a due to Gods Saints departed and Salatia vivorum non suffragia mortuorum Orationes Aug. though they add not to their honour and happinesse being in Heaven yet they may proove both comforts and instructions to the living left upon earth especially to such who forgoe those with griefe whom they for a time enjoyed with love I doe not send the living to the dead with Papists yet let mee tell you that there are these things comfortable to the living from the dead 1. Their holinesse of life and comfort in death grounded evidences for our hope of their future happinesse And 2. That there shall be a time of meeting and enjoying each other againe at the last day such being not lost but gone before us add to this the good of their examples which are of great force for the teaching of posterity who may take them for their patterne and so resemble them in their religious courses that they may seeme to survive in them both these ends are my aime in publishing this Sermon and with it the just testimony which I gave unto your late loving and beloved Wife whom death hath freed from all sinfull and sorrowfull evils and brought to the enjoyment of her God in Heavens happinesse shee well knew that the world could never make her fully happy and that Christians are never in their best condition till that they are in their heavenly condition I desire not to renew your griefe but to shew that I had a share in your losse of that Iewell laid up by God in the highest Heavens whom all your care and cost which did demonstrate you to be a loving Husband could not longer continue on earth whilst shee was yours you did I confesse what could be done for her credit comfort and continuance and thereby deserved from her that praise which often shee gave of you to my selfe and others but being gone there remaines a double monument of her one of her owne for shee hath left with you those in whom shee liveth whom I need not say to you you must love as a Father and a little the more for the Mothers sake another of mine in this Publication wherein her memory is made pretious among the Saints and perpetuated unto all posterity a Worke done by mee upon your owne earnest intreaty and therefore cannot but be welcome unto you You have your desire let mee have mine Thinke of your losse and remember your selfe and place in which God hath set you doing things so that your comfort within and credit without may still be upheld in the Churches of God amongst whom you have obtain'd an excellent name I need to say no more to you but that I am Your much obliged friend Io Sedgvvick From my house in S. Dunstances in the East London To the Reader and in speciall to my worthy good Friends in and a-about the City of London Peace and setling of mind THe shaking of A double temper of men in tâ—mes of danger the water doth not more discover the mudd that 's at the bottome nor the beating of the pulse the distemper of the body then Times of Danger doe bewray men in point of defect or excesse now men appeare 1. To be carelesse either to be carelesse and gracelesly secure having their eyes bound up and their consciences so seared that they neither see or feare any danger or to be over-fearing having their 2. To be over fearefull eyes too open upon or their hearts too much affected with the sadnesse and miseries of the times the first sort I leave to the vanity of their minde and sinfullnesse of their courses assuring them that their continuance in carnall security is to them an evident forerunner of their future misery the latter sort I shall advise to consider of these two things First that the The Springs of over-much fearing over-much fearing of mans heart in evill times doth arise from a false eye or a wrong foundation I meane the eye and the Arme of flesh he that at such time hath no other eye to see withall then that by which he seeth every thing or being able to pierce no deeper or looke no higher then naturall reason or outward objects can helpe him shall be sure to finde that his senses will faile him and his troubles sinke him Besides the Arme of Flesh trusted unto and relied upon will make him to ebb and flow and shall hold his spirit in a course of such constant agitation that in the end he shall flagg and faint Flesh at the best is too weake a prop to stay the soule a certaine impeacher and empairer of mans confidence and comfort and who so doe put it into the place of a god shall undoubtedly find from it the deceivings of a creature Secondly that the best way to quit our selves of an over-fearing heart in the daies of trouble is to get an eye of Faith which alone shuts up the eye of sense and getteth such views of Gods Love Power and providence that God is knowne to be and also made the sole stay and staffe of the soule upon whom whosoever truly trusteth he is in such safety that no malice of men or divels can endanger him My Brethren had we the Angelicall eyes of faith we should feare lesse though times vnto sense are distressefull and almost desperate this alone can see a better issue then carnall reason can apprehend and an higher power to protect and guard then humane helpes are either liekly or able to affoord this will make a man waite till the fifth Scene of the Tragedy is acted knowing that troubles have their turnings as spring-tides have their ebbings This eye David had in his troubles as the following Discourse will shew you and this eye I wish unto you all that your confidences and comforts may abound and though I hope that many of you have this eye yet beholding your dimnesse and weaknesse I
off all the disquietments of our hearts under trouble by making men to be creatures and setting God ruling in the midst of his enemies surely it was this eye of Faith that wrought Luther to such confidence of heart in times of dread for when he was told of great troubles that were like to befall him and the rest in Germany he made this answer come come no matter for them all let us sing the forty sixt Psalme and let them do their worst so faith the beleevers soule let men combine and conspire to do me and the Church all the mischiefe they can and let things go how they will and dangers be what they will yet I see a God with me and for me and unto him will I looke for by him I am sure to be safe The Lord wil be a refuge for the oppressed Psal 9. 9. yea a refuge in time of trouble The Marriner is not quite dejected Simile though he seeth all his Sailes torne and gone so long as his Anchor holds the Souldier is not vanquished so soone as his out-workes are taken if he be in a Castle or Towne of strength neither is a Christian quite out of comfort and hope so long as Zach. 9. 12. he sees his God remaining but is a prisoner of hope turning to his strong hold Sixtly we shall be fearefull of sinning in times of calamities God seene by Faith is acknowledged by duty and a mans eyes cannot be upon God at any time but he shall walke with God and tremble to sinne against him times of affliction should be times of praying and of holy walking can a man look upon God but he shall observe that God hath an eye upon him and should not Gods sight be the great awer of the soule from sinning to looke upon a Judge looking upon us and to cut a purse is the aggravation of a felonie and to have an eye upon God in trouble and to mingle sinne with our sorrow is an argument of a false and faithlesse heart Vse 3 Thirdly this may exhort us to imitate David O let us have our eyes to God in all our extremities God saith Looke unto mee and be saved where Isa 45. 22. wee see that wee can never be safe till we looke unto God I know it is a very difficult but yet it is a very usefull and comfortable thing to have our eyes upon God in times of danger and death the eye upon God maketh the burthen easie and heart lightsome It is said of the Governour of a ship that he is Oculus ad coelum for though in a storme he hath his hand on the sterne yet his eye is to the pole-star it must be said of a Christiā that he is Oculus ad Deum an eye upon or unto God O that our eyes in these evill times were lesse upon the creature and more upon God O looke up look up unto God the Lord. Now that wee may with comfort practise this duty I shall desire you First to get those eyes which David had wee shall never practise Davids duties without Davids graces how can a man see who wants his eyes and is it possible that the soule should ascend to God that wants Faith set in for these eyes a man must be more then nature and reason and sence that hath his eyes towards God in evill times Secondly to get that God which David had I tell you that David had gotten God in his acquaintance and by way of speciall interest and this made him to looke upon him in an evill time if God and wee are strangers or there remaine strangenesse twixt God and us we shall never turne the eye of Faith unto him in any condition of our life I look for help from my friend not from a stranger O acquaint your selves with God and then you may have your eyes upon Him Thirdly close not with Satan in his temptations it is the maine worke of the Divell to keepe men off from the fight of God it is noted that he it is that doth blinde or cast dust into the eyes of men 2 Cor. 4. 4 interrupting and intercepting the soule in all its recourses unto God I am certaine of this as at all times so especially in times of trouble Satan is most in his darkning workes unto Christians then hee is raising up clouds and mists to hinder the cleare sights of God now hee labours to keep downe the eye from looking Satan keepes Christians from looking up to God three vvaies up to God O 't is his most malitious work to rob a Christian of his God in point of comfort and confidence and this he doth many waies 1. Sometimes by disgracing and disabling God unto a Christians Faith as if that God were not able enough for supplies or answerable to exigencies of which if the soule be once perswaded it will never be drawne to look towards God in an expecting or depending way for who will goe to an empty conduit to fetch water 2. Sometimes by disgracing and disabling a Christians Faith unto God for what though God be able to doe him good that lookes up unto him in evill times yet saith hee where are thine eyes and what is thy Faith which is so weake and poore that it should be able to become thine eyes to look unto God can any man see that wanteth eyes or looke so farre whose eyes are dimme 3. Sometimes hee doth over-greaten the danger and makes men beleeve that deliverance thence is impossible which despaires the heart from expecting helpe from God Now let the Divell come which way he will we must not beleeve him against God or follow him in his suggestions against a duty but still hold this conclusion that God is never so darke to sence but Faith can see him and the eyes of Faith are never so weake but that they can thorough the darkest cloud and in the greatest storme see an All-seeing and an All-helping God whose comforts are ready and sutable for miserable and suffering Christians Fourthly dust not your selves with the dust of the world If men looke downe too much upon Earth they shall never looke up to God in Faith for the eye cannot at once looke both waies a worldly heart is a darke heart if the riches and honours and pleasures of the world once get into the eye of the soule it is not possible for the soule to looke up unto God can the bird flie upwards if you tie a weight upon its legg then is it possible for an earthly heart to looke upon God in evill daies I have read of Duke of Alva to Henry the fourth one that was asked if hee had not observed the eclipses and his answer was that hee had so much to doe upon Earth that he had no leasure to looke up to Heaven and this I am sure of that an heart idolizing the creature can never be truely depending on God can the eye see its
Simile water till he finde no ground for his feete to fasten upon so that there is a great deale of necessity for a man to denie himselfe and to give over himselfe if ever he intend a dependance upon his God at any time for any thing Fiftly cast off the way and 5. The relinquishing of the vvay of sin Iob 22. 24 25. course of sinne and prophanesse by timely and serious repentance If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt bee built up thou shalt put away in iquity farre from thy tabernacle then shalt thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brookes yea the Almighty shall be thy defence how can a man expect safety from God when hee walkes in a course contrary unto God can such imagine God will be the protection of their persons who are the provocation of his eyes sure I am this is the fruite of a life led in sinne to keepe off the soule from comming in unto God by way of duty and dependance I say that the love and life of sinne doth dead and damp the heart in all motions and actions unto God and therefore it must be your worke to purge your heart from all the love of sinne and study the way of giving over the slavish service of sinne and then the way is open to God the God on whom we stay our selves is an holy God and wee must resolve to be holy and reformed persons they shall call themselves Isa 48. 2. the holy City and stay themselves upon the God of Israel 6. Lastly settle all supplies 6. Setting all supplies an◠succours in God upon God what wee trust upon we must make all-sufficient unto us now if wee have this skill to make God answerable to all our exigencies and if wee can see that wee cannot need or desire that thing that is not to be found in him in an overflowing abundance it would mightily enable us to make him our trust such who attribute too much to the streame and take from the fullnesse of the fountaine will never make their recourses to the fountaine Oh we have a full God who is Sun and shield and exceeding great reward unto all those that come in unto Him and will never leave the soule destitute which doth depend upon Him which is the thing David desireth and is the last part Leave not my soule destitute Here is the true consequent of beleeving confidence it makes a man to flie to God by prayer notwithstanding all troubles surely wee cannot 1. Trust in God praying to God are undivided cōpanions Psal 62. 8 well divide the act of Faith from the exercise of Prayer David in one Psalme by way of counsell faith trust in him alwayes ye people and powre out your hearts before him and here he is upon the practise of his owne Doctrine In thee is my trust leave not my soule destitute intimating unto us a true triall of our trusting in God it is then right and sound when it puts on the soule to prayer he doth trust best in God that doth pray most to God a praying heart is an evidence of a trusting heart 2. We must not divide the 2. Times of trouble ought to be times of prayer practise of prayer from times of troubles troublous times are praying times then or never should Christians beset the Lord with requests and powre out their soules unto Him 1. the command is Call Ps 50. 15. upon me in the day of trouble and Jam. 5. 13 is any man afflicted let him pray 2. David under his feares and in the midst of his troubles besought the Lord. 3. And the promise is that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Joel 2. 32. Lord shall be delivered I am sure that Iacob applied himselfe to this practise and it prooved prevailing Vse Christians must learne to pray as well as to trust in God or else their trust will faile them I conceive we doe put forth our confidence in praying O that we were more in praying and that wee would lift up our hearts in praying unto our God this should shelter us and chase away feared dangers a volley of Prayers sent up morning and evening to Heaven will doe a Kingdome and Citie more good then all the munition in the world A praying people have beene the terrour of enemies and the safeguard of Nations Prayers is the most efficatious engine making way for the good and safety of the Church in all Ages when all policies and power have beene at a stand this hath made way for peace and safety This this is the little great thing that hath overturned all plots blasted all conspiracies and withstood all oppositions it weaknes enemies and encreaseth friends by ruling God and over-ruling men hee wants not Armour of proofe in his house that hath a praying spirit in his brest I conceive did we pray more wee should feare lesse for that which is our victory with God shall be our conquest over men Thou hast Gen. 32. 28. prevailed with God thou shalt also prevaile with men saith God to Iacob I beseech Job 15. 4. you that you would be so Iob 15. 4. farre from restraining Prayer before God that you make it your daily worke to remember the name of the Lord still crying unto Him and calling upon Him adding this to your practise which was the Iames 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commendation of Elias that you pray in your praying But come wee now more narrowly to the matter of Davids prayer Leave not my soule destitute 4. Observations in the words 1. The possibility of having a soule left destitute That is bare and forsaken of divine helpe and comfort Whence we Whence we learne first The possibility of having the soule of a Christian left naked and bare of divine grace comfort and assistance there may not onely be a withdrawing of an outwardly supplying and upholding good but of an inwardly comforting and gratious presence though the Lord doth not totally destitute and finally desert the soules of his yet comforts and supports may for a long time and in a great degree be withdrawne Sion said The Esa 49. 14. Lord hath forgotten mee David Psal 70. 5. 25. 16. is poore and needy in one Psalme and desolate and afflicted in another Alas how many of Gods deare ones doe find this to be true that to their seeming their God is gone and comfort gone and there is none to owne them and stand by them There is none to helpe Psal 22. 11 saith David Secondly the misery of a 2. It is a misery to be left destitute divinely destitute and deserted soule such a soule is a miserable soule and the misery of this condition makes David to deprecate it the absence of a good temper doth not make the body more miserable nor the withdrawing of the Sunne the night to be
before shee died it is a glorious conquest to get victory over the world and the creatures before a man dies Seventhly Shee was publique 7. Publikenes of spirit hearted having her spirit set upon the times both in the sins and sorrowes thereof being so sensible of both that she could bewaile both and would be often in stirring up others to pray for Sions peace and glory Oh how did shee rejoyce when she saw any hopes of good towards the Church of God revived and shee would be much cast downe under the feares of nationall calamities fearing that her sinnes were the procurers of the same Eightly She was bearing 8. Patience hearted God put her pietie to proofe laying his hand heavily upon her in much weakenesse which kept her long under the Phisitians hands yet under all gods dealings she was a patterne of patience quietly resigning her selfe so to the good will and wisedome of God that shee did not checke or dislike God in the course of his providence but did acquit the Lord as righteous and just in his way and did let him alone in his workes being troubled at the rising of impatiency within her desiring chieflly that God would be pleased to make her able to beare his hand and to give her a sanctified use of his hand which she knew would be for good unto her Ninethly Shee was stout 9. Stoutnesse hearted which appeared in this that she did not feare the king of feare death it selfe I know that shee was very sensible that the time of her departure was at hand for shee apprehended more in her selfe then the many skillfull Physitions could in her body she would tell mee that they were all mistaken in her disease for she should not escape this sicknesse which was now upon her and though she did thinke much and talke often of it yet it was not death it selfe that could daunt or dampe her spirits she did no feare to die having the knowledge of this that it was only death which could bring her unto her desired home Tenthly and lastly Shee 10. Confidence in death was confident hearted her experience of God and faith in God had raised up her soule to such a trust in Gods mercy that finding death approaching shee left of disputings with Satan and fixing her eyes with much stedfastnesse on Heaven about the beginning of the Sabboth which was the day of her delight whilst she lived and I make no doubt a token unto her of an eternall rest in Heaven she concluded her life with this saying Death Death O Lord in thee is my trust which wordes of hers gave occasion to her loving Husband to give unto mee that Text of Scripture to preach on at her funerall And now leaving her Application to the Auditory whose soule is made perfect in Heaven and free from all sinne and sorrow give me your patience from the whole Narration to lesson you in these things that so you may 4. Duties depart hence with profit First see the joyntnes of women with men in the common salvation of Christians God hath given unto them soules as well as men and he is pleased to make them as eminent in graces and gracious practises as he doth men and therefore their sex should not be despised nor their holy courses scorned whilst they doe but endeavour to save their poore soules Secondly know That the more gracious men and women are in their lives the more comfortable shall they be in their deathes and the more honourable after their deathes such seeke for comfort and credit in a wrong way that doe not seeke it in a gracious way Thirdly Learne that wee must improove all the holy examples of Gods Saints by following their courses and Exempla maxime movent Cic de Orat lib. 3. actions the Heathen man telles us that good examples are of great force and sure I am that among Christians this is a truth that good examples are of speciall use and profit and such as we must be accountable for to God as well as for precepts we cannot doe greater honour to our religious Ancestors deceased then to endeavour to resemble them in goodnesse and godlinesse Oh that you would all resolve to go home being such as shee was and doing that which shee did of whom we have spoken Lastly Draw your owne deaths out of this occasion let it put you into dying thoughts remember that you must all follow her that is gone before you and how soone you know not and that every step of your life degrees you into the Chamber of death you being here sayling down times streame into that gulph of death which enters you into Heavens or hels eternity My beloved upon this short and shortning time of yours which is uncertaine and irrevocable depends eternity and if ever you will be wise for your soules bee wise in this to make your life the only providing time for Heavens eternity And so much for the Text and the occasion * ⎠* FINIS Imprimatur THO WYKES Iuly 30. 1640.