03. Mr. Calamy's Funeral Sermon

03. Mr. Calamy's Funeral Sermon
"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come."- Isaiah 57:1.
We are here met this Evening to perform the last office of Love for an eminent and ancient servant of Jesus Christ, and excellent Minister of the Gospel, Mr. Simeon Ash, one who hath formerly performed this office for many other Ministers, and now we are met to perform this office for him; and it is not long before others will meet to perform the same office for us, so frail, so brittle, and so uncertain is the life of man.
Now the Text that I have chosen, is suitable for this occasion; for this Reverend Minister was first a righteous man, he was righteous in an Evangelical sense, he was one that was justified and sanctified. Secondly, he was a merciful man both in active and passive sense; he was one that shewed mercy to the distressed Members of Jesus Christ, and he was one to whom God shewed mercy; this righteous and merciful man is now perished, as to his outward condition, not as to his everlasting condition: but as to his outward bodily condition, he is perished, and he is taken away: the word in the Hebrew is very emphatical; merciful men are gathered; it is the same word that is used concerning Josiah 2 Kings 22:10. Thou shalt be gathered to thy Fathers, and go to thy grave in peace, and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this Nation. This godly and righteous man is now gathered, as ripe Corn into the Barn of Heaven; he is taken away from the evil that is to come, from beholding that evil that is to come upon this sinful world, he is taken away in mercy, that he may not be troubled with the troubles that are coming upon many; he is taken away from the evil to come.
And thus you see how suitable the Text is to the occasion; there is only one particular that I desire may prove unsuitable; for the righteous and merciful man, saith the Text, perisheth, and no man considers, nor lays it to heart: These words are verba commentantis, & objurgantis, the words of the Prophet bemoaning the spiritual security of the people of Israel, chiding and reproving them for their spiritual Lethargy: Now I desire that this part may not prove suitable, but that all of you may lay to heart the death of this ancient, merciful and righteous man.
The Observations from the words, are these six.
First, that the righteous man must perish as well as the unrighteous.
Secondly, That the perishing of a righteous man, is nothing but his gathering to God, Christ, and the blessed company of Saints and Angels.
Thirdly, a righteous man as long as he lives, is the preservative of a Nation, and the supporter of a Kingdom, the Chariots and Horse-men of a Nation.
Fourthly, the death of a righteous man is a warning-piece from Heaven, a Beacon set on sire to give notice of evil approaching.
Fifthly, that God doth on purpose take away righteous men, that they might not see the evil that is coming on a Nation.
Sixthly, that it is a great and common sin, not to consider and lay to heart the death of a righteous man.
1. It is a common fin, and therefore it is set down in the greatest latitude, the righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; that is, very few: And merciful men are taken away, no man considering; that is, very few.
2. It is a great sin, and therefore the Prophet Jeremy in the former Chapter calls to all the beasts of the field to devour, that is, all the Enemies of the Church to destroy the Children of Israel, because they drank strong drink, filling themselves with merriment, and promised themselves happy days, but did not consider that the righteous were taken away from the evil to come.
He begins with the first, that the righteous perish as well as the unrighteous.
How is it that the righteous perish? not in their soul, they cannot perish so: nay, the truth is, they cannot perish properly in their bodies; for the bodies of the Saints never totally and finally perish; for the very dust of the Saints in the grave, is precious in Gods sight, and they are asleep in Jesus, and by the power of Jesus Christ, they shall be raised glorious bodies: Nothing perisheth of a righteous man by death totally & finally, but sin: and therefore the meaning of the word is as Musculus and Justin Martyr observe, perisheth; that is not according to the truth of the thing, but according to the opinion of the world, and the proper language of his expression is this, the righteous perisheth; that is, the righteous must dye, and go down to the house of rottenness as well as others, and that up upon a four-fold account.
First, Because the righteous are included within the statute of death as well as the unrighteous; statutum est: Hebrews 9:27. It is appointed for all men once to die, the righteous as well as the unrighteous; it is true, Jesus Christ hath taken away the hurt of death, but not death itself: Jesus Christ hath disarmed death, made death like the Viper that fastened upon Paul's hand, but did not hurt him; he hath made it like the brazen Serpent that hath no sting, but a healing power in it: Christ hath sanctified death, conquered and sweetened death: at the present we are all under the statute of death, but at last this enemy shall be destroyed, 2 Cor. 15. ult.
2. The righteous consist of perishing principles as well as the unrighteous: the righteous are earthly vessels made of dust, I, their foundation is in the dust; their lives are a vapor as well as the lives of the unrighteous:
3. The righteous must dye as well as others, because they have a body of sin which they carry about them; for there is no man so wise, that lives and sins not, Ecclesiastes 7:10. wherefore there is that which deserves death in a righteous man.
Lastly, and especially, the righteous perish upon a peculiar account: For if we have hope only in this life (saith the Apostle) we are of all men most miserable, and therefore they must perish to keep them from perishing: they must say as Themistocles, Perissem nisi periissem, they must dye that they may rest from their labor: for here is not our rest, Mich. 2:10. there remaineth a rest for the people of God: there is no rest in this world: the word quies wants the plural number.
2. The righteous must die that they may have their reward, their crown of glory, that God hath laid up for them, they must first fight the good fight, and finish their course, and then they shall receive a crown of glory.
3. They must dye, that they may be free from sin; for they shall never put off the body of sin, till they put off the body of the flesh.
4. They must dye, that mortality may be swallowed up of life, that corruption may put on incorruption.
5. They must dye, that they may be perfect in grace.
Lastly, they must dye, that they may see God face to face, and be forever with the Lord, which they cannot do till they dye: therefore blessed by God that the righteous must perish. If a man should always live on earth, always be young, rich, and healthful, it would be unwelcome news, for while we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord, and subject to sin; and therefore when Peter asked Christ what should be done with John, Christ tells him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? from henceforth there went a report abroad that John should not dye; Now the Apostle himself was much displeased with this report, and looked upon it as a great affliction that he should not dye, and therefore he himself confutes it; But yet Jesus (said he) said not that he should not dye; as if he had said, God forbid that I should not dye.
Before I come to Application of this point, give me leave to speak something to the second point, and so I shall apply them both together.
The second Doctrine is this, That the perishing of a righteous man, is nothing but a gathering him to God, Christ, and the blessed society of Saints and Angels in Heaven.
This is contained in the second expression, merciful men are taken away; the word in the Hebrew is Colliguntur, they are gathered; it is exegetical of the former, they did not perish, but they are gathered to God and Christ: there is a great deal of excellency, and a Magazine of sweetness in this expression, they are gathered. It implies two things.
First, That the righteous are in a scattered condition while they are in this world, and that three ways.
1. They are scattered among the wicked and ungodly of the world, as sheep among wolves, as lambs among Lyons, rent and torn in pieces, forced to wander up and down in Sheep skins and Goats skins.
2. The righteous are scattered in the world one from another, and that two ways.
1. They are scattered by their different habitations, for the godly are forced one from another, as Lot from Abraham.
2. They are scattered one from another by the cruel persecution of wicked men; and therefore you read Acts 8. that at that time when there was a persecution against the Church at Jerusalem, that they were all scattered abroad.
3. The godly are scattered in this life from the glorious presense of God in Heaven, indeed they are never scattered from the gracious presense of God, but sometimes they are scattered from the comfortable presense of God; as long as we live in the world, we shall be scattered from the glorious presense of God: for while we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord.
Secondly, This implies a bringing of Gods people out of this scattered condition; it is a gathering of the Righteous out of this world into another, from a sinful persecuted world, into a sinless glorious world; from diversity of dwellings on earth, to dwell altogether in one Heaven; it is a gathering out of the reach of Men and Devils, and a gathering them not only to the gracious, but to the glorious presense of God and Christ, and to the souls of just men made perfect, and to the general assembly of the first born, and to the City of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, where they shall live together, never to be scattered again. To understand this the better, let me offer three things to you, shewing you that the Godly are gathered to God three ways: in this life, at death, and at the day of Judgment.
First, The Righteous are gathered to God in this life, and that is at their first conversion, for by nature we are Aliens and strangers to God, scattered from any union or communion with God, not only scattered from the glorious, but from the gracious presense of God. God made men, at first to enjoy communion with himself, but Adam lost this by sin, and now we are all Cains and vagabonds, scattered from the love of God, and from union and communion with God; but when God converts any of the Elect, he gathers them home to himself; for conversion is nothing but Gods gathering them to himself in the second Adam, that were scattered from him in the first Adam: the first Adam was a Root of scattering, a Root of separation from God; but the second Adam was a Root of union and conjunction. Christ is the head, and the Elect are all gathered together in him, that he might gather together in one all things in Christ, so that conversion is nothing but a gathering of the Elect of God, to Christ by faith, and a gathering to one another by love and charity.
Secondly, God's people are gathered at death: here they are gathered to Christ by Grace, but at death they are gathered to Christ in glory; here they are gathered to God by hope, but at death by fruition: here Christ is gathered to us, he comes down and dwells with us; but at death, we shall be gathered to him, we shall go up and be joined with him. There's a great deal of difference between esse cum Christo, and esse in Christo: esse cum Christo, to be one with Christ is a Christians great security, but esse in Christo, to be one in Christ, it is a Christians great felicity; in this life we are gathered to God by Faith, but at death by vision.
Lastly, we shall be gathered to God at the day of judgment, it is called the day of the gathering of the Saints together: a day when all the Saints that are, have been, or shall be, shall be gathered together, 2 Thessalonians 2:1. I beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him at the great day: At the day of Judgment, we shall all be gathered together, and shall all be taken up to Heaven? I mean all the righteous, and be ever with the Lord: and so much for the opening of the Doctrine.
But here it may be objected; Are not the unrighteous gathered by death as well as the righteous?
I answer, it is true, the unrighteous are scattered in this life, and gathered by death, as well as the righteous, but with a great deal of difference.
First, the wicked are scattered in this life, but they are scattered from God; but the Godly are scattered for God, and for a good conscience many times, as they at Jerusalem were scattered: The godly are scattered from the glorious presense of God in Heaven; but the wicked are scattered from the gracious presense of God on earth. Again, the scattering of the wicked is a curse to them, and it is threatened as a curse, Leviticus 26:32. I will scatter you among the Heathen, and draw out my sword after you: and where-ever the wicked come, in what part soever of the world the wicked are scattered, they bring the curse of God with them: and they bring the judgments of God on Towns and Cities where they are, as plague, famine, and sword, and all miseries. But the Godly, when they are scattered, they are scattered as a blessing, into what country or town soever they come, they come as a blessing, they come like a Ship laden with Corn, to a Town ready to perish with famine: they come as a blessing four ways.
First, they pray down a blessing on the place where they come.
Secondly, they come as a blessing by their holy life and conversation, that is a Load-stone to draw others to holiness.
Thirdly, they come as a blessing, by their holy advice and counsel that they give to the place where they come.
Nay fourthly, their very presense is a blessing; as long as Lot was in Sodom, Sodom could not be destroyed; so long as Paul was in the ship, the 300 could not be drowned. So that the godly come as a blessing wherever they are scattered, but the wicked are as chaff scattered by the wind, and they are scattered as the dust of the earth: You know when the dust is scattered, it gets into men's eyes and blinds them; and falls upon their clothes, and sullies them; so the wicked, wherever they are scattered, they defile the place where they are scattered. The godly are as Planets, that wander & move from one part of Heaven to another, carrying light to the world.
Secondly, as the wicked are scattered while they live, so when they die, they are gathered; it is true, but how? not to God, and Christ, and his Angels; but they are gathered to the Devil and his Angels, and to damned spirits: not as bundles of Wheat in the Barn of Heaven, but as bundles of Tares to be burned for ever in everlasting fire.
Now, if the righteous perish as well as others, and if their perishing be nothing but a gathering to God and Christ, then,
First, learn hence the preciousness of every righteous man, the great God will not gather things of no value; great men do not use to gather chaff and straw; and therefore, when Christ said of Josiah, I will gather thee to thy Fathers, it was a sign he was a precious Pearl worth the gathering, and of a high value and account in the sight of God, and so is every true Child of God, right dear and precious are they in the sight of God, both living, and dying; they are bought with a great price, not with Gold and Silver, and other corruptible things, but they are bought with the precious blood of the Son of God: they are as precious to God as thee Apple of his eye: so precious that he hath given Christ for them, and to them; so precious that he called them his Jewels, his peculiar treasure, his Jedidiah's, and therefore God will not suffer them to perish, but gather them to himself before the evil day come, as the Husbandman gathers in the Corn, before the Beast go out into the field.
Secondly, learn here what reason we have to be comforted in the death of a righteous man or woman, because their death is not a perishing, but a gathering to God and Christ, and the society of Saints and Angels. The death of a righteous man is no more than if a Merchant that hath abundance of Jewels in a far Country, he should send for the home. Why death to a righteous man is nothing but God sending for his Jewels home. Such a phrase there is in Malachi 3:17. In the day that I make up my Jewels, they shall be mine. In this life they are imperfect Jewels; they are like Gold in the Oar mingled with a great deal of dross; and death is nothing but a perfection of the Jewels; death is nothing more; and God doth nothing by death, but as a Gold-siner gathers up all his ends of Gold and Silver; it is nothing but just as if a Father should send for his Son home, that had been a long time absent from him, to his own house: it is a carrying us to our Fathers house. And therefore let us be comforted when our Righteous Friends dye, though their death be matter of sorrow to us, in regard of the loss, that we sustain by their death, and because their death is a warning-piece of evil to come: yet in regard of them we have no cause to mourn. I speak this of those that are related to the righteous, when they dye; did you ever hear of a Husbandman that mourned for the carrying in of his Corn into the Barn? or a Jeweler mourn for making up of his Jewels? Let us mourn rather that we are lest scattered among the wicked of the earth, and from the glorious presense of God and Christ: and let us morn for those that are scattered from Christ, and from grace: and for those that whilst they live are scattered, and when they dye are gathered to the Devil and his Angels. Let us not mourn for those that dye in Christ, but let us mourn for those that live out of Christ; let us not mourn over the body the soul hath left, but let us mourn over the soul God hath left.
The third use is of Consolation to all the people of God, in reference to evil times that are coming upon us, or to the evil of times. Whatever befalls a Child of God in this life, though he be scattered by wicked men, from England into foreign Countries, though he wanders up and down in Deserts and Wildernesses, though he be scattered from house to prison, yet there shall be a gathering time shortly: there will a time come when all the Saints shall be gathered to Christ, and to one another, never to part any more. The death of Gods people is not a perishing, but a gathering: comfort your selves therefore with these words against the fear of death: look upon death as a gathering, as a gathering to Christ: you are here as Daniel in the Lyons Den, as Jeremiah in the dungeon; yet there will come a gathering, and if you dye in a good cause, you shall not perish, but be gathered to Christ, to his Saints and Angels.
But you will say, If I were sure when I dye, that I should be gathered to Christ, to live forever with him, this would be matter of great consolation to me: but you told me, the wicked are gathered by death, as well as the Godly: how shall I know whether (when I come to dye) I shall be gathered to the Devil and his Angels, or to Christ and his Angels? How shall I know whether I shall be gathered at death, as a bundle of tears to be burned in Hell, or a bundle of Wheat to be carried up into the Barn of Heaven?
I answer, you may know it by four things.
1. If you are righteous, then you shall be gathered to Christ at death; For the Righteous shall go into everlasting life: Heaven is entailed upon righteous men; by Righteousness I mean the imputed Righteousness, and imparted Righteousness of Jesus Christ: I wave the explication of them, because time will not give leave. Know you not (saith the Apostle) that no unrighteous man shall inherit the Kingdom of God? Damnation is entailed upon unrighteous men.
2. If you are merciful, you shall be gathered to Christ: if you are one that is full of bowels of compassion to the distressed members of Christ Jesus, for Christ hath said it, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy, now if you are hard-hearted, covetous, worldly minded, remember that Text, He shall have judgement without mercy, that shews no mercy.
3. He that is gathered to the second Adam by faith in this world, shall certainly be gathered unto Christ by vision in the other world; Christ Jesus will save all his members, and you must know that faith is a transplanting grace, it is not only a heart-purifying, but a world-overcoming grace: It takes a man out of the old Adam, and puts him into a new Adam; it takes a man out of the root of scattering, and puts him into the root of union and conjunction: Wherefore you that are now joined to Christ by faith here, shall be joined to Christ in glory hereafter. But now, you that are vagabonds, Cains, and aliens from the life of God, and from the life of grace: You that are wooden members, wooden legs in Christs body, that have no real conjunction with Christ, you shall not be gathered to him in glory.
Lastly, if you are gathered here to the Saints by love, then you shall be gathered to the Saints in Heaven, and to the everlasting enjoyment of God with them to all eternity. Consider this, every man shall be gathered (when he dies) to those whom he delights, and chooseth to keep company with while he lives in this world. If you are gathered to the wicked in love and affection here, you shall be gathered to them at death in hell and destruction, for it is pity companions should be parted, wheat must to wheat, and tares to tares, for wheat and tares shall not be bound together at the last day.
The last use is of exhortation: If the righteous must perish, and if their death be nothing but a gathering, then take this threefold Exhortation.
First, let us labor to make the best use we can of our godly friends and Ministers before they be gathered; let us do as Elisha did, he was told that his Master Elijah was to be taken up to Heaven, and therefore he would never leave him till he had got the spirit of Elijah doubled upon him: If Elisha had not thought that Elijah would have been taken up that day, he would never have followed him so punctually and inseparably as he did. O beloved! did you believe that Text, Zechariah 1:5. of which we have often had experience, your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live forever? Indeed if they did live forever, we might get good from them when we please, because we are sure never to lose them; but they live not forever, but must perish, and be taken up to heaven: And therefore whilst we have them, let us make what use we can of them, before they be taken away from us. It is a great fault among the people of God, that they make no more use of their Godly friends and Ministers. I have known many that have godly relations that have died, that it hath been the greatest burden on their consciences, that they got no more good by those Godly Relations while they lived. Many of us deal with our Ministers, as we do with a strange sight that is to be seen near our doors; we are not so much solicitous when we see it, but a stranger that comes from a far Country, is curious, and very careful presently to see it. So do we in this City especially; I have had experience of it by being here many years; strangers that come out of the Country, many times get that good by a Minister, that his own people do not, because they think their Minister is continually with them: but a stranger knows he is there but for a day, and he hears so, that he carries Christ home with him, and a great deal of consolation also. Beloved, this is a great fault; I beseech you remember, the Righteous must be gathered: let us therefore do with them as we do with Books that are borrowed: if a man borrows a Book, he knows he must keep it but for a day or two, and therefore he will be sure to read it over, whereas if the Book be a man's own, he lays it aside, because he knows he can read it at any time. Remember, your Ministers are but lent you, they are not your own, and you know not but that God may take away your Elijah's from you this night: Therefore make what use you can of them, while you have them.
Secondly, Must the Righteous be taken away? Then let the Righteous make conscience of doing what good they can before they are taken away. Beloved, if it were possible for the Godly to grieve in Heaven, this would be their greatest sorrow, that they have done God no more service here upon earth. Be wise for God, O ye Righteous! do as old men that have rich places & offices, they labor to buy the reversion of their places for their Children: So must you to whom God hath given great gifts and graces, labor to propagate your gifts & graces, that there may be no loss by your death. Observe the cares of St. Paul the aged in his exhortation to Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:4-5. Watch thou all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, make full proof of thy Ministry, why so? for I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand, and therefore work thou, see that thou endure affliction, preach the Gospel as becomes a Minister of the Gospel, that there may be no loss by my departure. So in 2 Timothy 2:2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men that shall be able to teach others also. Hath God committed anything to you, a treasure of Learning or Grace? commit it to young Ministers that they may commit it to others, that so there may be a succession of Gifts and Graces: Do as Physicians do, that labor to communicate their skill to their Children, and to others; so should we, that there may be a succession of Godly ones, that Godliness may be entailed upon us, and our Relations.
Thirdly and lastly, let us all labor to be such, that when we dye, when we come to be gathered, we may be gathered to Christ and his Angels; not to the Devil and his angels; And for that purpose let us labor to be merciful and righteous, and let us be gathered to Christ by Faith, and to one another by love and dear affection: and then we shall be gathered at the great day to Christ, and the blessed company of the Saints & Angels.
There are 4 observations yet behind, but I must wave them at this time.
I have now another Sermon to preach, and I cannot without injury to you that are alive, and without wrong to the memory of my dearly beloved Brother, but speak something of him, at whose Funeral we are met this Evening, not so much for his commendation, he needs not, but for our imitation; it is pity, great pity something should not be said, that this Reverend Minister, though dead, may yet preach this night; and I have so much to say of him, that I know not where to begin, and when I have begun, I hardly know how to make an end: I must confess, the little time allotted me for the providing this solemn work, and the necessary avocations in this little time, have hindered me from informing myself about his Breeding and manner of Education at Emanuel Colledge, under Mr. Steaker, and his excellent carriage and converse with Mr. Hildersham, Mr. Dod, Mr. Ball, Mr. Langly, and other Ministers famous in their generations; and the many pressures and hardships that he suffered in those parts and times, for the keeping of his conscience pure from that which he counted sin, and therefore I must draw a vail over that part of his life, and confine my discourse only to the time since his coming to live with us in London, which is about the space of twenty two, or twenty three years, all which time I have had the happiness to be intimately acquainted with him, insomuch as that I can freely and clearly profess, and that with a sad heart, that I, and many others, have lost a real, wise, and Godly friend, brother, and fellow-laborer in the Lord; the Church hath lost an eminent Member, and choice pillar; and this City hath lost an antient faithful, and painful Minister; who by his Prayers and Holy life, did seek to keep off the judgements of God from falling on us; and the less sensible the City is of this loss, the greater is the loss. I fear we may too truly repeat the words in the Text, the righteous perisheth, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come. I have read of Philo the Jew, and by chance met with the same in the life of St. Ambrose, that when they came to any City or Town, and heard of the death of any Godly man, though never so poor, they would both of them mourn exceedingly, because of the great loss that place had by the death of that Godly man, and because it was a warning-piece from God of evil approaching. But we have had many Godly men, and Godly Ministers taken away of late, and yet I fear me, but few lay it to heart; and therefore as I said, the loss is the greater to this City, because it is so little sensible of it. It is a great loss also to his relations; his Wife hath lost a dear and loving Husband, his Sister a brother, his Parish and Congregation a faithful Pastor.
The Ministerial excellencies of many Ministers were collected and concentered in one Simeon Ash, he was a Bezalel in Gods Tabernacle, a Master-builder, an old Disciple, a Polycarp, a Christian of long standing in the School of Christ, a burning and a shining light, one whom many Ministers and other good Christians called Father, insomuch that it was a common proverb in this City, Father Ash; and I believe many experimentally weep over him, as the King did over the Prophet Elisha, My Father, my Father, the chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof! for he lived desired, and died lamented; not only in the City, but I believe in many places in the Country where he was known. But more particular, there were twelve excellencies I observed in this reverend Minister, and my dear Brother, that were as 12 Jewels or precious Pearls in that Crown with which God had crowned him: I shall name them for your imitation and benefit; He needs them not, for he is above our Eulogy.
The first and chief Jewel that did beautify & adorn this our Brother, was his sincerity and uprightness in heart; which indeed is not a single Grace, but the soul of all Grace, and the interlineary that must run through all Grace; what is faith if it be not unfeigned? what will love to God profit you if it be not without dissimulation? what is repentance worth if it be not in truth? as the body without the soul is a rotten carcass, so is all grace without sincerity; this is the soul of all grace, this is the girdle of truth. Sincerity is that which girts all our spiritual armor together, and makes them useful: what advantage is it to have the breastplate of Righteousness, the shield of Faith, the helmet of Hope, if they be but painted things? it is the girdle of sincerity that makes all the other parts of our armor useful. Now this excellent grace of sincerity was eminent in our dear Brother; he was a true Nathaniel in whom there was no guile; I mean no allowed hypocrisy, this was that which carried him through the pangs of death with a great deal of comfort; for he was able to say with Hezekiah, Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart. He could say with Paul, this is my rejoicing, the testimony of my conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, I have had my conversation in this world.
2. Another grace was his humility, this is a grace that he was clothed withal, and it is a rare grace: for God dwells with the humble he resists the proud; but he gives grace to the humble. This Reverend Minister was low in his own eyes, and therefore very high in Gods eyes; he had a mean esteem of himself, and therefore he was high in esteem with God. He was as Jacob said of himself, less than the least of Gods mercies, and therefore he was made partaker of the best of Gods mercies. He was like an ear of Corn full of fruit, bowing down in thankfulness to God.
3. Another Jewel was the fruitfulness of his discourse; for it may be said of him as it was of Christ, he went about doing good: where ever he went, he scattered his goodness, this all that knew him, knew to be true. He was full of good discourse where ever he came; when I was with him in his sickness, he took occasion to complain much, and not without just cause; (God grant his complaint may make impression upon our hearts) he complained that it was a great fault of Ministers, that when they met together, they discoursed no more of Christ, of Heaven, and of the concernments of the other world, and professed that if GOD should restore him, he would be more careful in his discourse, and more fruitful than ever yet he had been.
4. Another Jewel that beautified this Righteous man, was his mercifulness; he was a merciful man, which he manifested not only in his charity to the members of Jesus Christ, but in his frequent visiting of sick persons, and persons that needed Spiritual physick. I know not any Minister in this City more careful in visiting the sick than he was.
5. Another Jewel was his Prudence and Spiritual wisdom; he was not only a Pious and Godly, but a Wise and Prudent Minister: that had zeal for God, but knew how to mingle his zeal with discretion; discretion is nothing but frantic fury; discretion without zeal will quickly eat out the heart of Religion, and eat Religion out of the heart. Zeal without discretion is not a coal from the Altar, but a coal kindled by the wild-fire of passion, that is able to set a Nation on fire; but this Reverend Minister had zeal sweetly tempered with discretion.
6. Another Jewel was his Patience; God was pleased to exercise him with long and great afflictions, by reason of the Gout, that did often, especially of late years, affix him to his bed, and afflict him with great pain; but God was pleased to put his everlasting Arms underneath him, supporting him under all his pains, and giving him a great measure of patience, insomuch, that in patience he did possess his soul, and patience had its perfect work in him.
The 7th Jewel was his high valuation of Jesus Christ; a written copy for us to follow, and for you his people also. Being with him in his last sickness, he exhorted me, and other Ministers with him, to preach much of Jesus Christ; and to speak to him of Jesus Christ; and he said, When I consider my best duties, I sink, I dye, I despair; but when I think of Christ, I have enough, he is all, and in all. I think these were his very words. I desire (said he) to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him Crucified: I account all things dung and dross, that I may be found in Christ: To this effect he spake in the morning before the evening in which he died, speaking much of Jesus Christ.
1. Another Jewel was, his diligence in preaching the Gospel in season, and out of season; in the time of his health he was a painful, laborious Preacher; one that did not preach to tickle the ear, but to wound the heart; not to please, but to profit; not seeking the applause of the People, but the salvation of their souls: This you all know to be true.
2. Another Jewel that did beautify and adorn this Reverend Minister, was his excellent gift in Prayer; and herein he was very eminent, and did exceed many, nay I may say, most of his Brethren: As Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures, so was he (as you all know) mighty in Prayer; he was a Jacob, very skillful in wrestling with God; like Moses he often stood in the Gap, and at most Fasts, all the time of his health, he was a Minister that was chosen to conclude with Prayer: and this heightens the loss that we sustain by the death of this Godly Minister; because we have lost the benefit of his Prayers, which is an invaluable loss; for though I doubt not but he prays in Heaven for the Church in general, yet I believe he prays not for any in particular; as not knowing what our condition is, For Abraham knows us not, for the Saints in Heaven know not what is done upon earth. The loss therefore is the greater, because we have lost not only a preaching, but a praying Minister: And give me leave to add, that this excellency in this Minister is sufficient to prove,
1. That there is a gift of Prayer, which some against all reason do deny.
2. That conceived prayers, when uttered by one that hath the gift of prayer, are not vain tautologies, or empty repetitions, and a rate of non-sense, as some unjustly charge men with, but they are the bleating's of Gods Spirit, that pierce not only into the ears and hearts of the hearers, but into the ears and heart of God himself.
10. The next Jewel was, he had great acquaintance and communion with God; for he was of a long standing in the School of Christ, and a good Proficient in that School. Much acquaintance he had with God, he was often in the Mount with God, and came down with his face shining, though he in his modesty did not see it; and when he came to dye, he was able to say as Dr. Preston did when he lay a dying, I shall change my place, but not my company.
11. Another Jewel was, his comfortable passage out of this world, dying with a great deal of calmness and serenity upon his Conscience: The morning before he died, I heard him say these words. It is one thing to speak of Christ, and of Heaven, and another thing to feel the consolation of Christ, and of Heaven, as I do, clapping his hand on his breast. Another time I heard him say, the comforts of a holy Life are real, soul-supporting; and that he felt the reality of those comforts, and that by him we might know it was not in vain to serve God. And I cannot forget this speech the morning before he died, I am a little straitened, but I care no more for my life than I do for this Phillip. That which was said of old Simeon, Luke 2. may be said of this reverend Mr. Simeon Ash, who was a Simeon, a just and devout man, an old servant of Jesus Christ, one that waited for the consolation of Israel; one that dyed, though not with Christ in his bodily Arm, yet with Christ in the Arms of his faith; and when he died, could say, as it is there, Now Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.
Lastly, Another Jewel was his constancy and perseverance; he was not a Reed shaken with every wind, but as firm as a Rock, an immoveable pillar in God's house, he was unchangeable in changeable times: in Religion he was a house built upon a Rock, not on the Sand; and as he lived, so he dyed holily, even as the ancient Patriarchs that dyed in the faith, and endured faithfully unto the death.
Now this excellent Minister of Christ thus beautified with these Jewels, is now perished as to his outward man, gathered to God, to Christ, and the blessed company of Saints and Angels. The Application that I shall make of this discourse, is this:
1. To us Ministers.
2. To you of this Parish and Congregation.
First, to us Ministers. God hath of late years taken to himself many famous men: seven of the Lecturers of Cornhill are dead, Mr. Burroughs, Dr. Bolton, Mr. Sedgwick. Mr., Whitakers, Mr. Cranford, Mr. Vines, and now Mr. Ash. I might name many other excellent Ministers that are dead, as Dr. Gouge, Mr. Walker, Mr. Gataker, Mr. Marshal, Mr. Robinson, and lately Mr. Cook, with many more: Now all these are warning-pieces from Heaven of Judgements approaching; For the righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come. Thus Methuselah dyed a year before the Flood: Now Methuselah in Hebrew signifies a messenger of death. Thus Austin dyed a little before Hippo was taken; and Pareus a little before Hiddleburg was taken, and Luther a little before the wars in Germany began. The death of the Godly is like the separating the Israelites from the Tents of Corah and his company, like the taking of Lot out of Sodom. When the Israelites departed from Corah and his company, the earth swallowed them up; and when Lot departed out of Sodom, God rained down fire and brimstone upon them. Let the thoughts of these things cause us to provide our Arks, to get our Zoars. Let it teach young Samuels to rise up in the room of old Elies; young Elisha's in the room of old Elijah's; and young Timothies in the room of Paul the aged; that there may be a succession of Gospel-ministers to hold forth the Word of life to the Nation. And let us labor to be Inheritors of the Twelve Excellencies, that beautified this our Reverend Brother.
Secondly, let me speak a few words to you of this Parish, the Auditors of this worthy Minister. There is scarce one man of a hundred, that understands the tie and obligation that is betwixt a Minister and his People. Oh the Love and Affection that ought to be betwixt them! Paul tells the Galatians, that they could have plucked out their eyes for him if need were. Chrysostom tells us, that when Miletus was taken away by death from his People, their hearts sunk with sorrow; and such love had they to him, that they called all their Children by his name, and got his picture engraven on their Rings. And I have read of Chrysostom, that when he was banished from his People there was not a corner in the City, but was full of People weeping and lamenting. The loss of a Godly Minister is a public loss, and therefore there ought to be a public mourning: it is a soul loss, and therefore methinks every one of you should weep and mourn; you have lost your common Father: you of this Congregation have lost your spiritual Father, your spiritual Shepheard: you have lost your eyes, your guide: and indeed it is you that are his Flock, that must commend your Minister by practicing that which he preached; saith the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 3:1. Do we again begin to commend ourselves, or need we, as some others, Epistles of Commendations to you, or Letters of commendation from you? Ye are our Epistle written in our hearts, known and read all men. As if the Apostle should say, do we need Letters of commendation? is it necessary that we should spend time in commending our Ministry? you are our Letters of commendation: your holiness & piety commends a Minister above all other things. As when a man comes into an Orchard, or Vineyard, (saith Chrysostom) and sees everything skillfully handled, and neatly trimmed, he need not spend time in commending the Vine-dresser, or Carpenter, the work its self commends them. So ought it to be among you. When we preach the Funeral Sermons of Ministers, we must look into the Parish or Congregation and see what Letters of commendation there are: whether the proficiency of the Auditors commend their Ministers, I grant, it is not always true: God doth not always give success to a godly Minister, but the worst is yours, I had almost said, the curse is yours: but I will speak modestly, the worst is yours. Tell me, how many of you are able to say, I bless God that ever such a Minister was sent among us: blessed be God that ever we heard him preach? what seal of his ministry is there here among you? he was in another, and another place of this City, it may be here are people from all places that have been his Auditors, what seal of his Ministry is there now to be found among you? how many Souls hath he plucked out of the snares of the Devil? how many of you have gone weeping from a Sermon, knocking your breasts, and pricked at the heart of sin, crying out, Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved? your tears and mourning for sin, these are the Auditors that commend your Ministers. Go home now and think with your selves, what can I remember of all the Sermons that I have heard from Mr. Ash? and give me leave to tell you, woe be to you, if as your Minister be dead, so all the Sermons he made die with him: for as Abel being dead, yet speaketh, so shall the Sermons of this worthy Minister, at the great day, speak for you, or against you: for they are spiritual Talents that God hath be-trusted you with, and you must be accountable: both he and you shall appear before the Tribunal of God; your Minister shall be examined, how he can free himself from the guilt of Soul-blood? and you shall be examined, what fruit you brought forth answerable to the means you have enjoyed? and if it appear you have been unprofitable and unfruitful hearers, Christ will say, Cast the unprofitable servants into utter darkness. But I hope better things of you, and things that accompany salvation. Whatever was good in this reverend Minister, let it live in you: and though he be dead, yet let not his Sermons that he preached die with you, but let them be in you: that at the great day, when he and you appear before God, he may be able to say, here am I, and the Children that thou hast given me.