that the Beggar died So did the Rich Man and in one thing the Rich Man had the Advantage of Lazarus for he it is said was buried possibly had a costly Coffin and had great Splendor at his Funeral and the Poor Man hurled obscurely into some Hole for though it is said he died it doth not say he was buried well yet the Poor Man had a far greater Advantage at his Death for when the Devils dragged the Rich Man to Hell a Guard of Angels was sent to convey the departing Soul of the Poor Man into Heaven The strong Man is brought to Death as well as the weak and feeble Job 21.23 24 25. One dieth in his full or in the very perfection of his strength whose breasts were full of Milk and his bones moistned with Marrow Another dieth in the bitterness of his soul that did never eat his meat with pleasure these shall lie down alike in the dust By Strength no Man can prevail the mighty Men of Valour were brought to Death those that in Old Times were called Men of Renown The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and the men of might have lost their hands wherewith they have done great Exploits Psal 76.5 The great Conquerors of the World have by Death been conquered and overcome The Doctor and the Apothecary The one that hath prescribed and the other that hath prepared Medicines whereby the Sick have been recovered and Life hath been preserved cannot devise nor provide a Potion that shall keep themselves from Death The Wise and the Fool. Solomon Eccles 2.16 propounds a Question How dies the Wise Man And answers it As the Fool. None by their Politick shifts can evade or shift it off the great Head-pieces that have been in the World have laid down their Heads in the Dust The Useful and the Useless Some Men are Luggage to the Earth who only live to eat and do no good in their Generation whose Souls serve but for Salt to keep them from putrefying and rotting above Ground But there are and have been others that have been a Blessing in their Places doing much good unto those they have conversed with Such a one was Job Chap. 29.12 13 14 15 16 17. And David Acts 13.36 who served his Generation according to the will of God yet for all that he fell asleep Who more serviceable unto God and Man than the Holy Men of Old Prophets and Apostles yet they did not live for ever Zech. 1.5 Yea the Godly and Wicked have been and shall be brought to Death Wickedness shall not deliver him that is given to it Eccles 8.8 Nor shall the Righteousness of the Righteous for one event happens to them both Eccles 9.2 Object But doth not Solomon contradict this Doctrine who tells us That Righteousness delivereth from Death Prov. 10.2 Resp It is certain that Righteousness delivers from Death But not from Natural Death for that is a Debt owing by all and must be paid by all but Righteousness doth deliver from the Sting or Curse of it So that the Righteous may with holy Boldness and Confidence Challenge Death to shew his Sting 1 Cor. 15.55 And also from Eternal Death which is called the second Death or a Death after Death Rev. 2.11 Chap. 20.6 Will God bring to Death That is to Natural Death which is the dissolving of the Union or loosing or breaking the Knot that did tye Body and Soul together 2 Cor. 5.1 The word dissolved is taken from the overthrowing or demolishing of Buildings whereby the House that was compact and in the several parts joyned together being demolished it is parted asunder These two intimates Body and Soul by Death are separated one from another Third Question How did Job come to this Knowledge Why in the same way as others do or may attain it 1. By the Letter of the Scripture This doth sufficiently bear Witness to this Truth Gen. 3.19 the Lord tells Adam That he is Dust and unto Dust he shall return Job speaks the same Chap. 14.1 Besides the manifold Instances of Persons that died recorded in the Scripture do plainly and convincingly demonstrate it 2. Reason or the Light of Nature will tell us that a House of Clay that is founded on a heap of Dust such as our Bodies are Job 4.19 how strong or beautiful soever it be will fall down The Apostle calls it an Earthly House 2 Cor. 5.1 If it was built of Stones and the Foundation was a Rock or Marble yet by one means or other it will decay and may be overthrown And if this be all the Knowledge Men have it will not much affect the Heart nor produce such Effects as the Matter doth require Men may and many do know both these ways that they must die and yet the Lord may take up the Complaint against them as he did against Israel of Old for not wisely considering their latter End Deut. 32.29 Not duly expecting or preparing for it not taking care to order their Conversations as dying Creatures ought to do but do still carelesly neglect the Concerns of their Precious and Immortal Souls But 3. There is a Spiritual Knowledge of it though the Object be Natural which proceedeth from the Teachings of God which Holy David prayed for Psal 39.4 who had the means both of Scripture and Reason to inform him as other Men have yet this did not satisfie him and therefore applies himself to the Throne of Grace that the Lord would teach him to know his End and the measure of his Days that he might thereby be made to know how frail he was For this also did Moses pray Psal 90.12 that he might be taught so to number his days that this Effect might be wrought to apply his Heart to Wisdom In the foregoing Verse he had cast up the Account of the Years of Man's Life but he looked after and did beg for another kind of Knowledge than what his Reason could Instruct him in You therefore that have only that knowledge of your Mortality that Reason and the Letter of the Scripture teacheth be exhorted to imitate these Holy Men that you may attain that knowledge of it as may encline your Hearts to seek after the things that belong unto your Eternal Welfare Having run through the words by way of Explication I shall lay before you two Observations that arise from them 1. That God will bring us to Death 2. That it is a piece of the greatest Wisdom rightly and Spiritually to know this I shall only handle the first of these How long soever and what Lives soever we live yet we must die Reasons of the Doctrine 1. God will bring us to Death because we bring Sin into the World which opens a Passage for Death Rom. 5.12 As by one Man Sin entred into the World so Death by Sin and Death passed upon all Men for that all have sinned Here we see at what Door Death enters though Man was made of weak and
A Funeral Sermon Preached March 13. 1697 8. FOR Mr. WILLIAM HARTLEY of Newport-Pagnel Apothecary Bis vivit qui bene vivit Is timeat mortem qui ad Christum ire timet By J. GIBBS Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord from henceforth Yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Rev. 14.13 LONDON Printed for Mark Conyers Bookseller at Newport-Pagnel And Sold by A. Roper in Fleetstreet and G. Conyers in Little-Britain 1698. TO THE Sons and Daughters OF Mr. William Hartley deceased My Friends AT the Motion of your late deceased Father which I could not withstand this home-spun Discourse was Preached on the Subject which was his own Choice and is to satisfie his Desire in this plain Dress now presented unto you His Design in Printing it was as he told you to keep him fresh in your Memory that the Proverb might not be verified in you Out of Sight and out of Mind and without doubt to remember you of that which was then coming upon him Plain Discourses if pertinent do best suit with Funeral Sermons Had it been preached in a loftier strain as possibly I could have done if the occasion would have permitted it it might have pleased itching Ears and curious Palates but would have been of little Vse unto mean Capacities the Welfare of whose Souls in Preaching ought to be respected I therefore did think it best to use the plainest Language that all might understand And if the Lord will add his Blessing that all might be profited thereby who were Auditors or into whose Hand it may come to be read Not making use of Notes in Preaching it cannot rationally be supposed that my Memory should be so tenacious as to retain every Word or Sentence that was delivered or that there should be no Omission Addition or Alteration yet I have recollected as much as I could And what is emitted added or altered I hope will be no prejudice to the Truth then â—â—sisted on Neither can it be thought that a pâ—iâ—t a Neâ—men should as much affect the Heart of the Reader as Preaching â—wa vote might do the Hearer There is as much difference usually between Reading and Hearing as there is between cold Meat and hot although the Meat be the same 〈◊〉 an hungry Stomach may make a good Meal of it or as there is let â—een Drink when the Vessel is newly broached witch is quick and palatable and when it is at the bottom and is become flat and untastable yet it may serve to quench the Thirst. The Subject treated on is very frequent and common and yet too little to awaken and rouse up our sleepy and slothful Hearts to serious diligence in and about the great Concernments of our Souls for Eternity was that great and necessary Truth which my Text holdeth forth throughly believed it would produce better Effects in the Lives of Men than do appear generally in the World That which will certainly and must unavoidably come upon us and how soon and how suddenly it may come and by what means we know not and is of the highest Importance and deserveth the greatest and deepest Consideration is that which my Text doth acquaint us with and the ensuing Discourse doth call for and press unto That this Vse may he made of it by you my Loving Friends and many others that heard it and others that may read it is the Cordial Desire of Your Kinsman and Soul's Friend J. G. Job XXX 23. For I know thou wilt bring me to Death and to the House appointed for all living IN the foregoing Chapter we have an Account of Job's Prosperity v. 1 2. to the 7th and in Metaphorical Expressions v. 19 20. As also of the Honour he was in being reverenced by Young and Old Great and Small v. 8 9 10 11. with the reason of this Honour from v. 12. to the 18. This Chapter wherein is my Text informs us of the sad Catastrophe that did befall him first his Honour was laid in the Dust and turned into the greatest Contempt from v. 1. to 14. and his Prosperity into the deepest Calamity whereof he doth most grievously Complain from v. 14. unto the words of my Text wherein three things are observable 1. The Person speaking in this Pronoun I this was Job 2. The Person spoken unto in the Pronoun Thou which is God 3. The Thing spoken or the Matter of his Speech bring me to Death For the opening of the Words I shall propound and answer three Questions 1. Who and what a one he is that did know 2. What he knew or the Object of his Knowledge 3. How he attained this Knowledge Of the first it was Job that most excellent Person that for four things had not his fellow then on the Earth 1. For Piety and Godliness Chap. 1. v. 1. His Picture was drawn by the Pencil of the Spirit of God in four Lines all which did speak him to be a most excellent Man 1. He was Vpright 2. Perfect not with a Legal or sinless Perfection but Evangelical 3. One that feared God and eschewed Evil which contains both the positive part of Holiness and the privative He was a worshipper of God and an avoider of Evil this was attested by God in the Face of his greatest Enemy v. 8. with an Addition None like him 2. For Patience who when the Messengers of most sad Tydings came thick and threefold one treading as it were upon the heels of another he blessed God as well for taking away as for giving he was so far from Blaspheming God or venting an impatient word under his sore Afflictions that he blessed God and it is said of him In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly Chap. 1. v. 21 22. Presented to us as a pattern of Patience James 5.11 3. For great Affliction and Calamity he never had any equal no meer Man did ever suffer as we read of such hard things as he met with his large Estate swept away his Children destroyed Chap. 1. from v. 14. to 20. and his Body smitten with most noisom Botches from Head to Foot 4. A Non-such for recovery out of his deep Calamity his Losses doubly repaired in his Substance having 14000 Sheep for 7000 6000 Camels for 3000 1000 Yoak of Oxen for 500 and 1000 She-Asses for 500 besides seven Sons and three Daughters which were the Beauties of the Land Chap. 42. v. 12. to 16. This is the Man that had this Knowledge 2. What he knew viz. That God would bring him to Death c. 1. 'T is he would bring to Death that gave him Life he took away what he gave it is he that breathed into him and into us that breath of Life that will stop it and send him and us away 2. It is he will bring unto Death that supports Life and preserves it during his pleasure Psal 66.9 He holdeth our Soul in life in him we live move and
have our Being as Daniel told quaffing Belshazzar Dan. 5.23 3. It is he that hath appointed Death for us whose Appointment is not subject to disappointment It is a Statute-Law enacted by the Divine Wisdom that all are subject unto which none can avoid but stands more firm than the Laws of the Medes and Persians Heb. 9.28 This Law is unrepealable and will surely be executed 4. It is he will bring us to Death that hath innumerable and unaccountable ways and means to do it sometimes suddenly without any previous warnings on our own Bodies Some by Fire some by Water others by the Sword or Bullet Ah! how many Thousands have thus fallen in a time of War Some by an Apoplexy others fall into Swoons that revive no more Some he brings to Death by Chronick Diseases or lingring Distempers which gradually by little and little do weaken and waste Nature until Death comes as in Consumptions Pthisicks Dropsies c. Some are taken off by Acute sharp Pains as by the Cholick Stone Gout and such like and no Man can give an Account of all the ways that God doth bring us to Death but by one means or another in one way or another it shall be done So that the common Proverb is verified That there is but one way of coming into the World but there are innumerable ways of going out of it 5. He will bring us to Death whose Power is unresistible Alas what a poor weak Worm is Man what strength hath he when the Almighty God hath to do with him Can he that is more feeble than a Moth resist or withstand or bear up against an Omnipotent Arm Job 9.12 Behold he taketh away and who can hinder him That is none can if all the Power and Strength of Men were combined together to preserve the Life of one Person it would be in vain to attempt it when God will bring him to Death Who hath an Arm like him Job 40.9 If none hath then none can disannul his Judgment ver 8. No Man hath Power to retain the Spirit in the hour of Death Eccles 8.8 Therefore no Heart can endure or hold out nor can any Hand be strong when God shall deal with Man Ezek. 22.14 6. It is he whose Will is uncontroulable He is of one Mind and who can turn him He doth whatsoever he will in Heaven above and on Earth beneath What he is pleased to do that he will do and who dare question him or say What dost thou Job 9.12 Psal 135.6 He hath no Superiour therefore it is too great Arrogancy and Boldness in a poor sorry Worm to call God to Account for what he doth as interpretatively discontented Persons do 7. He will bring unto Death Who hath set the bounds of our Lives beyond which we cannot pass Job 14.5 And when the appointed Time is come his purpose in bringing to Death shall take place There is an appointed time to Man upon the Earth Job 7.1 and untill that appointed Time come Man shall be continued on the Earth whatsoever Dangers he may meet with in his Passage through this Wilderness by one means or another God will preserve some that in probability have been near the Gates of Death being given up of Physicians for dead Persons and their Friends weeping about them have been brought back from the sides of the Pit and have out-lived others more healthful and far more likely to live And others when the time appointed was come have been brought unto Death when in Reason there was little Expectation of it 8. He will bring to Death that is inexorable when the Time determined is come It is not Prayers or Tears that shall then prevail to procure the lengthening out of the day of Life It is not crying O spare me a little that I may recover strength will serve turn How many on their Death-beds have with Tears begged a little longer time not being ready and prepared for Death But all in vain whether prepared or not it is not Wealth can purchase nor Cries procure an hour's respite when the set time is come A World of Wealth as one cryed out for an Inch of Time but had she it to give she could not have obtained it Obj. But did not God add Fifteen Years unto Hezekiah's Life in Answer to his Prayers and Tears Isa 38.1 2 3 4 5. Resp Fifteen Years were added from the time that he prayed and wept but not unto the time appointed for his Dissolution Me. This was that Excellent Person that was the Non-such of the Earth in his day But it is every me One may say God will bring me another that God will bring me and so may every individual Person So that none are exempted none shall be passed by but all God will bring to Death He doth not say I know I shall die but God will bring me to Death All that have ever been before us and they were innumerable from the Creation of the World God hath brought to Death but two the one was Enoch who was translated that he should not see Death Gen. 5.24 Heb. 11.5 and Elijah that was immediately carryed up to Heaven in a Whirlwind 2 Kings 2.11 and all that shall succeed or come after us except those that shall remain and be alive at the coming of the Lord who shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the Air 1 Thes 4.17 yet though these shall not be brought to Death they shall be changed which is equivalent to it hence 1 Cor. 15.51 We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed The longest livers died The Antediluvian Fathers reported of Gen. 5. all of whom lived through the strength of Nature and the Power of God above 900 Years except Mahalaleel that wanted five Years of 900 and Lamech that lived 777 and Enoch that lived 365 Years before his Translation yet they all were said to die as Adam Seth Enos c. So that though Men may live many Years and though they spend them in Mirth and Pleasures yet it concerns them to remember the days of Darkness will come Eccles 11.8 There is no Age of the World nor shall be unto the end of the World but Man that was born of a Woman hath been brought to Death and as no Age hath been excused so no Rank Quality or Degree of Men have been exempted The King as well as the Beggar hath passed through the Gates of Death the Prince and the Peasant hence Psal 146.5 6. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of Man in whom is no help The Reason of this Exhortation His breath goeth forth he returneth to his Earth Both are lodged together one House holds them both The Honourable must come to Death all his great swelling Titles of Honour cannot secure him nor can the mean and base Condition of others preserve them The Rich and the Poor also must come to it and lie down alike in the Dust We find Luke 16.22