The church's triumph over death a funeral-sermon preached upon the decease of blessed Mr. Robert Fleming, late pastor of a church in Rotterdam / by Daniel Burgess.

§. 1. Believers do truly rejoice in their Victory over Death.

Here Examples shall show THAT they do so, and Reasons shall satisfy WHY they must so do.

The Time would fail to tell of Abra∣ham, foreseeing the Day and Work of his victorious Lord, and rejoicing in it. Of Jacob, cheering himself under heaviest Pressures, with the same com∣forting Prospect. Of Job, insulting over Death, and glorying in his As∣surance of a blessed Resurrection. Of David, proclaiming that his God would not leave him in Death: And that he would fear no Evil, when he walk'd

through the Valley of its Shadow.

The Heart of the Saints of the Old Testament, is to be seen in the Song of Solomon. Hear it uttering it self to the Lord Jesus Christ; We will be glad, and rejoice in thee: In thee, that is, by whose Stripes we are healed. In thee, on whom the Lord hath laid the Iniquities of us all, and by the Faith of whom he justifieth us. In thee, to whom a Por∣tion is divided with the Great, and who dost divide the Spoil with the Strong, as the Evangelical Prophet speaks. We will remember thy redeeming Love more than Wine: I sat down under his Shadow with great Delight, and his Fruit was sweet to my Taste. Consult, with these Manifesto's, the Psalms and Songs of his Father David. It shall appear, that the Church was dancing for Joy, before the Day brake, and the Shadows flew away, and the Sun of Righteous∣ness arose with the Light and Glory of the New Testament.

Under which, who needs to be told, what a Spirit of Joy was pre∣sently poured out? Glad Tidings of

great Joy, the heavenly Heralds call'd the Gospel. Where-ever it comes, a Torrent of Joy follows it. Gladly it is received, at its first Publication, though with the loss of all things ad∣ventured. Philip preaches it at Sa∣maria, and there is great Joy in all the City. We glory in Tribulations: We rejoice with Joy unspeakable, and full of Glory: We are more than Conquerours. We are always confident, and willing ra∣ther to be absent from the Body, and pre∣sent with the Lord. We are — always rejoycing. We rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God. Thus speak the Apo∣stles, as well of their Converts as of Themselves.

And what saith Ecclesiastical History, of the Ages ever since? The same Spirit of Joy and Gladness hath been in all times of the Church: They that have loved the Lord Jesus, have re∣joiced in him. And in his Name have wished for Death, have wel∣comed it, and have been unterrified with its most ghastly Shapes and Pomps. Polycarp desires his Execu∣tioners

to let him shew them, that he could burn at a Stake without being tied to it. Lucius, thanketh a barba∣rous Judg for the Favour of sending him to his God, and Father. Cyprian, thanks God for his Goal-delivery by Death. Hilarion cries, Out of this Body O my Soul! What, is there any thing for thee to fear? For thee, an old Servant of Christ! But to come nigher our own days. Cranmer thrusts his Right-hand into the Fire, to be revenged on it for subscribing a Dam∣ned Scroll, as he called it, for fear of Death. Think you that I have not learned to die? said Adam Damlip. Be at my burning, you shall see and say, There's a Souldier of Christ, said Kir∣by. Ridley called his Death his Wed∣ding. And Latimer told the Bishop going before him to the Stake, he would have after him as fast as he could: And when Fire was put to him, with a smiling Face, he uttered these Words, God is faithful, who doth not suffer us to be tempted above our Strength. Bainam, in the Fire professed he felt no

more Pain than on a Bed of Down. Death in the most hideous Shapes, hath been thus triumphed over. Clouds of Instances are to be read, even in English Books.

And do we not know Multitudes of surviving Friends and Neighbours, whom we discern to be of the Mind of the Martyr, Adam Wallack? If Death be ready, we are ready. Blessed be God this Age is not so forsaken by him, but that there are Multitudes to whom Christ's Word is verified; Your Heart shall rejoice, and your Joy shall no Man take from you.

Is it yet, with any of you, a hard Saying, which holy Hildersam hath written? He that doth not desire, and strive to be willing to die, he hath cause to suspect that there is no true saving Grace in him. Or that harmonious Passage of great Calvin on Hebrews 2.14. He that is not able to quiet his Heart in holy Contempt of Death, let him know that he hath made but little progress in the Faith of Christ. For as excessive Fear of Death ariseth from

Ignorance of the Grace of Christ, so it is a sure Sign of Ʋnbelief. Or, that of Dr. Hammond on 1 Tim. 1.15. If the Conversion of a Sinner be not accompanied with unwonted Joy and Sorrow, a Godly Sense of past Distress, and a Godly Triumph for his Delivery, I counsel not to Distrust but to Fear; to a solicitous, though not a suspicious Trembling. Let me add one more of Mr. Ward of Ipswich; If we had but half the Strength of St. Paul's Faith, or Life of his Hope, or Fore-imagina∣tions which he had of his future Felicity, we could not but have the same Desires and Longings for our Fruition of them. I think few Truths to be more evident. But it's possible that these following Reasons may add to its Evidence.

These Reasons I give, why Believers must needs rejoice in their Victory o∣ver Death.

First; Believers are Men: And it is the Nature of Man to rejoice in his most desired Good, when he knows it to be obtained.

Victory over Death is certainly the most desired, and the obtained Good of Believers. And, ordinarily, they do know themselves to have obtained it, through Christ their Lord. For, the Law of Grace, through Faith they do understand. Their own Acts of Grace, by Sense they do perceive. And, their State of Grace, by Reason they do infer. And the Spirit which is of God they do receive, whereby they know the things which are freely given them of God, 1 Cor. 2.12. What our Saviour, in his days on Earth, said to the Ears of some, the Holy Ghost saith now to Believers Hearts, Be of good chear, your Sins are forgiven: Witnessing with their Spirits, that they are the Children of God, Rom. 8.16. Not only enlight∣ning their Minds to see the Truth of their Graces, and thence to conclude themselves in a State of Grace; but, verbis mentalibus, by secret spiritual Words, by internal mysterious Whi∣spers, testifying unto them that they are in that blessed State. For, the Matter of Witnessing is more than

Enabling a Person to read his Evi∣dence. In Westminster-hall he would not be taken for a Witness, who should do no more than hold a Candle to one reading his Evidence. But the Holy Ghost the Comforter is expresly nam∣ed a Witness to Believers, of their be∣ing taken into the Number, and being bless'd with all the Privileges of the Sons of God.

Ordinarily, therefore, I say, that Be∣lievers do know the Cause of Joy that they have. Though, as hath been fore∣said, Times of Desertion there are, in which they know it not. And it is most certain, the heavenly Comforter, doth not at all times comfort. Nor is joyful Assurance, of the very Essence of justifying saving Faith. But, by rea∣son of fore-named Obstructions, Chil∣dren of Light may sit all their days in the Dark and in the Deeps: And as∣cend to Heaven at last, in a thick Cloud. Otherwise, we do all general∣ly believe and teach, that the Spirit of Adoption being given unto Sons, as Sons of God, he is given unto every

Child of God: And, commonly, they do know themselves Conquerors, who are in Christ, and are not reprobate, unsound Christians.

This being admitted, they must be dead, and not lively Stones, as St. Pe∣ter calls them, if they Rejoice not. They must cease to be Men, if they become not joyful Ones. They must be stupi∣fied, as soon as Justified and Adopted. For, the Humane Nature hath an in∣separable Instinct and Power; which, on good Tidings heard, doth transport Minds and Bodies into Expressions of Gladness. Diffusing Spirits, and by them sending forth the News; try∣ing, as it were, by communicating, to multiply it. Gaudio, cogendi vis inest; The Roman Orator says, and all Men feel it: Joy enters with a Violence, and with a grateful Violence, that we are not able to resist, breaks forth from us. Who thinks that David was able to forbear his Dance before the Ark? Or, that the healed Cripple could con∣tain himself from Running, Leaping, and Praising God? We have read of

them who have died of Joy: and it is true which one saith; Should Belie∣vers have the Degrees of Assurance, which imprudently they do sometimes desire, they must presently Die for Joy, or be kept Alive by Miracle. In short then;

Believers must put off Nature if they rejoice not in Christ's Grace: They must be without natural Affection if they be without any spiritual Conso∣lation, if ordinarily they be so.

Secondly; Believers are wise Men: And it is Wisdom to rejoice in such Fe∣licity as Victory over Death.

In the Day of Prosperity Nature ne∣cessitates Joy, and Reason enforces it: For Happiness is a Feast made for Mirth; and how monstrous a Folly must it be to frustrate so kind a Design upon us? Wisdom is a true Gust and right Relish of things; Sapit cui res sapiunt ita ut sunt: But how far be they from it who taste no Sweetness in the Milk and Honey that flow in this Victory? Hearts delighting not them∣selves in Substances, do most certainly

delight themselves in Shadows: And what a Delusion is that? what a ga∣thering together of all Folly, and a ve∣ry Sea of it?

The Laughter of Wretches laden with Irons, or standing on the Ladder ready for Execution, seems not greater Madness than the Disconsolateness of them when they are both pardoned and advanced. Should the Saints and An∣gels in Heaven cease rejoicing, it were to be asked, What Wisdom is in them? They would be to be charged with extreme Folly. Unreasonable it would be for them to give over Rejoicing, as it would be for Devils and damned Ghosts to begin: And yet it is most certain, that Justified and Adopted Be∣lievers have as true Cause of Joy as Angels and glorified Spirits; are in a State, only in Degree, less blessed; consequently have as true Reason to sing Hosannah's here below, as they to sing Hallelujah's above; and cannot but hold on Songs of Joy in the House of their Pilgrimage, without first be∣coming sensless of their Conquest:

Joyful Praise is comely for them. Nor is Triumph on the way to Hell more unreasonable, than on the way to Hea∣ven it is discreet. In a word;

To think that Saints did ordinarily incur and indulge the Guilt of its Neg∣lect, would be to think them what the World stiles them, Men besides them∣selves. This Guilt would be a dead Fly in their Ointment, and make it to send forth so stinking a Savour of the most loathsom Folly.

Thirdly; Believers are Righteous Men; and it is their Justice to be glad, and triumph in their Victory over Death.

Justice witholds not what is due, when it is in the Power of its Hand to repay: To repay Vengeance to Evil∣doers, and Praise to them that do well. Death and its Complices, the Law, Sin, Satan and Hell, are Enemies that have tragically used Believers; made them to bear God knows what, shamed them, and tempted them to curse the Day of their Birth; held them subject to Bon∣dage, through Fear, all the time that

they laid under their Power. A holy Revenge is now owing to Sin and to Satan; and now that through Christ they are taken out of those cruel Hands, they are able to pay it; able to ex∣pose them, and put them to open Shame; to shew abroad how they themselves have been used by one mightier than they; how the Law, as damning, is abolished; Sin is con∣demned; Satan's Head is bruised; Death is plagued; the Grave is de∣stroyed; and Hell hath its Mouth stopp'd.

On the contrary, there is no finding out to Perfection, the Breadth and Length, the Depth and Height of God's Grace. The Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord passeth all Ʋn∣derstanding: His Grace, and his Gift by Grace unto Believers, are ineffable; infinitely free, without Merit in us or any Motive. Astonishingly rich, while we were Enemies, most defiled and deformed ones; and equally with∣out Power to resist damning Justice, and without the Prudence to ask Sa∣ving-Mercy:

Angels, our Elders and Betters, were not pitied, but irrever∣sably doomed to Destruction. More than Angels and all the Creation was worth, was given to redeem us; even as much more than they are worth, as God by Essence exceedeth the mere Creature. Christ is God by eternal Essence; and yet God spared not that his Son, but gave him up to redeem Rebels: whereat Hell envies, and Heaven wonders. A vast Tribute of Praise must hence rise due; so due, that if Believers be silent, the Stones must needs cry out. Believers, that now are no longer Mutes, have the dumb Devil expell'd, and their Mouths opened for Praise; their Tongues touched with a Coal from the holy Al∣tar, and qualified to lift up the Name of their Redeemer.

But what save Triumph in their Victory, through him, can render to Death the things that are Death's, or to Christ the things that are Christ's? If Faith doth not now play on the Hole of that Asp, and boldly put its Hand on

that Cockatrice's Den, what Shame does it thereto? If it doth not joy in the Lord, and rejoice in the God of its Sal∣vation, what Honour doth it pay him? How makes it to be seen, either that Death is disarmed, or that it was Christ who did take away its two-edged Sword? That, of worst Loss it is made our great Gain; or that Christ was he who so blessedly converted it? Where∣fore,

Believers must not be thought to put on Righteousness, or to deserve the Name of just Men, but to be most un∣like to their righteous Lord, who loveth Righteousness, if they are taken for Men void of David's Resolution; I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing Praise to my God while I have my Being.

Fourthly; Believers are crowned Heads, Men of Honour, Kings and Priests to God; and it is their Honour to rejoice and triumph over Death.

Fight is not honourable without Victory, nor Victory without Tri∣umph. Believers fight the good Fight

of Faith, and overcome by the Blood of the Lamb; but without the Joy and Triumph of Faith they appear but as Sampson when shaven, like any other Man. Joy is their sensible and visible Principality, the conspicuous Crown of their Glory: take away that, and they are Kings deprived of their Crowns; Priests unadorned with their holy Garments for Beauty and for Glo∣ry, inglorious and unlike themselves; Eye-sores, and offensive to him that made them Kings and Priests; and, in the World's Eyes, the vilest Ab∣jects; yea, many an one becomes a Magor-missabib, a Terror to himself and all about him. The Israelites, when their Ornaments were off, were naked, to their shame: Believers are so when their Joy ceaseth. If there come in a∣mong them those that are Unlearned or Unbelievers, they cannot think God to be in them of a Truth, or see what they are, or do more than others.

Certain it is, that God doth not wil∣lingly grieve them; and the World and Devil cannot take away their Joy

from them, till they themselves do cast it away. Divine Grace fails not to minister Comfort to them, while they keep in the way of Comfort: So that their Joy never dies but when they kill it; their Honour is not laid in the Dust but by their own Hands. Where∣fore,

How unworthy a Judgment must we make of Believers, if we take them for a Generation so careless of their Ho∣nour? yea such Murderers of it? for they are no less who cast away the joy∣ful Confidence and Hope which keeps them from appearing of all Men the most miserable. The Garment of Praise that can very much distinguish be∣tween God's Heirs, and Satan's Slaves.

Fifthly; Believers are Lovers of true Pleasures; and it is their only Pleasure to joy and triumph in Christ Jesus, and in God through him.

Pleasure is the Life of Life; the End of Action, and the Strength of Agents unto it. Carnal Men do in all things pursue carnal Pleasures; and spiritual Men spiritual ones. Pleasure is the

Spring of Action in both: and in both, Joy is Strength, and Sorrow lays amort.

Heaviness in the Heart of a Man bow∣eth it down: Like a Moth in a Gar∣ment it bites asunder its Strings and its Strength; insomuch that the Counsels and Determinations of disconsolate Souls are faint and tottering, like the Motions of wounded Bodies. But mer∣ry Hearts do good like Medicines; they prevent and remove Indispositions: they are also continual Feasts, and pre∣serve Spirits: Salt and Sawce they are, to sweeten all things in Peace; and as Drums and Trumpets they inspire Courage in War. Wherefore the Love of Action draws with it the Love of Joy: And inseparable are the Desires of holy Life and holy Mirth; Mirth and Joy (as the Water of Aesculapius his Well was feigned to be) uncapable of Putrefaction.

But what Joy is so, save Joy in the Salvation of the Lord? All others, corporal and intellectual, are vanish∣ing in themselves; and without this are delusive and corruptive. A Na∣ture

they have that is clogging, and such as makes Variety needful to keep out Loathing. Believers do see this, and therefore despise the Cucumbers and Melons, which they did eat freely in their dark Egyptian State. Manna they must have now, or they die: a Bread and a Joy that the World knows not of; one in a higher Object, and perfect with∣out defect, perpetual without Decay; wherein all Desires may be satisfied, and all Wants be supplied. Now,

What Charity, which thinketh no Evil, can think Believers to be a Num∣ber of bewitched Creatures? which they must be above any heard of upon this Earth, if having a Desire of Joy as of Life, and having no other Joy, or at least none that they can exercise without this of their Victory by Christ, they do not constantly rejoice herein. Is it credible that the New Creature is one that is averse from his sole Plea∣sure? negligent of what is dear to it as its Life?

Sixthly; Believers are the Lights of the World, and Salt of the Earth: and

it is their capital Service to the Church and World to triumph over Death.

The Work of converting, confirm∣ing, and comforting Souls, is the whole Business of a Minister; but it is the true Business of every Believer. Do∣ing Good unto all Men is the Duty of all, and the Practice of all that be truly good: It is sure that all such do desire and endeavour, in their places, to make others good; and accordingly have the honourable Names given them in the Word, which speak them to be very useful in the World.

Touching the Means of their Use∣fulness, it is known, even to a Proverb, that Precepts do far less avail than Ex∣amples: and of Examples of holy Life, it needs not to be said how incompara∣bly most beneficial those are which are most resplendent with Divine Conso∣lation! How much more than others these do attract and win the Tractable, shame and silence the Incorrigible, quicken the supine and slothful Christi∣an, strengthen the weak and waver∣ing, and solace all! These, it is con∣fessed,

do singularly lift up the Hands that hang down, and the feeble Knees; and keep what is lame from being turned out of the way, and heal it. But it is to be awfully thought on, what I add.

Unspeakable are the sad Effects and Consequences of holy Mens sad and utterly comfortless Walk. Weak Chri∣stians see it, and call in question the Truth of Christianity: Scorners do open wide their Mouth: Ignorant Wanderers from the way of Truth are hardened against it: The Lovers of God are grieved. And till such time as good Mens Sackcloth is put off, and they become girded with Gladness, their Light hardly sends forth any con∣vincing or converting Beams: Their Salt emits little piercing and purifying Savour.

If therefore the Love of God, or Love of Men moveth them, Believers must watch and pray for the Voice of Joy and Gladness: without which, as their own Souls be disquieted, others are dismayed; and the Ways of their God are by them exposed to the Jea∣lousies

of his Children, and to the Pre∣judices of his Enemies. Their Cha∣racter is blotted, and they must be taken rather for the defiling Pitch than the cleansing Salt of the Earth.

Lastly; Believers are obedient Chil∣dren of God; and it is their required Obedience to triumph in their Victory through Christ.

It is not only a Licence for it that the Gospel giveth them, but it is a Pre∣cept. The old Primitive Law bound Man innocent to Joy and Glory in his blessed Life: The Redeemer's Law doth not less oblige Man renewed, to Joy and Glory in his more wonderful Salvation; in his more blessed Life brought out of Death.

Who knows not how expresly and repeatedly this Precept is proclaimed? Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye Righ∣teous! Shout for Joy all ye that are up∣right! Let the Saints be joyful in Glory, let them sing aloud. Rejoice and be ex∣ceeding glad: Rejoice in the Lord; and again I say, Rejoice: Rejoice evermore. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy

God with Joyfulness and Gladness of Heart, thou shalt serve thine Ene∣mies, &c. Texts are numberless. Un∣der the Law it self many were the Feasts instituted for one Fast. In the Gospel-day the Holy Ghost is sent to be a Comforter extraordinary. It were endless to enumerate the Ways in which God expresseth his Zeal for his Saints Joy. The Reasons of which Zeal are both great and evident. For,

Joy is the commanding Affection, the End of all others, that which all do subserve and seek: And if this Ruler be corrupted, all its Servants are ne∣cessarily wicked. If this Potentate be not obedient to God, it draws the whole Man into Rebellion. He that rejoiceth not in Christ Jesus, feels a thousand Temptations to forsake him; yea, in a fearful Degree he doth for∣sake him: for not to delight and re∣joice in him is to vilify and dishonour him; and that is to forsake him, with whatever unpleasant Services you shall all the while follow him. All is Car∣rion that is not chearfully given; it is

not pure Sacrifice that is not offered with Joy and Gladness. In short, Thoughts of a Christ not delighted in will come but seldom, and stay but lit∣tle in any Mind: and a Heart not de∣lighted in him, will soon believe a lit∣tle Meditation of him to be enough; and all the Duties which are laborious to be an Excess. Why are secret ones, and publick, so generally neglected? What maketh Backwardness to them, and Weariness in them? Whence rise Christians Inclinations to foolish for∣bidden Chats and Games? Whence cometh their Quarrelsomness with each other, and with their spiritual Fathers and Nurses? To these and many like Questions it must be answered, They rejoice not in Christ Jesus. It needs not be said how impossible it is, with∣out Joy in him, to rejoice in Tribulati∣ons, to take joyfully the spoiling of out∣ward Goods, and to lay down our Lives for him! Sense doth sufficiently certify it.

What shall we then judg of Belie∣vers, if we take them for Men that

make no Conscience of rejoicing in Christ? We must judg them in the worst sense to be Solifidians; very De∣moniacks that break all Bonds, and cast the strongest Cords of God behind their Backs; which is as truly impossi∣ble as it would be unrighteous for a sound Believer ordinarily to do.

Extraordinary is the Case of Persons obstructed by a melancholy Habit of Body and temporary Temptations: To will is present with them, though how to do they find not: They are not Fu∣gitives, but Captives, and sold under Sorrow: So that it is a Duty they would do, which they do not do: while re∣membring Death, they are troubled, they complain, and their Spirit is overwhelmed. Of other Christians I stick not to say, They do not rightly seek the Lord who rejoice not, and are not glad in him through whom they are Conquerors of Death; who are Strangers to the Peace, the Joy, and the Glory of Faith; Rom. 5.1, 2, 3.

I am next to show, that