The Works of the late Reverend and Learned Mr. Joseph Stennett : in five volumes ; to which is prefix'd some account of his life (Volume 1) online

turned : Man k?io'weth not the price thereof^
neither is it found in the la7id of the living.
T^he depth faith. It is not in me y and the
fea faith. It is not in me. It can't be gotten
for \gold, neither fall fiver be weighed for
the price of it. It cannot be valued with
the gold of ophir, with the precious onyx, or
the faphir ^, &c. But God underftands the
way thereof, and he knows the place of
it ', &:c.

Let us not then feek happinefs in this
world, where it is not to be found -, for
why fhould we feek the living among the
dead ? But let us turn our eyes towards
that celeftial country where our Saviour
refides, and diredt our courfe towards that

J Col. }. 1,1. I ' Ver. 13.

^ JobiS. u 1^. I

heavenly



Serm. IX. of Mr. John Piggott. 429

heavenly Jerufalem, of which we profefs
to he citizens.

3. The profped: of this ftate of eternal
reft and happinefs, may ferve to comfort
good men under all the afflidions and for-
rows which attend them in this world, and
alfo to juftify the divine government, in
the unequal diftribution of temporal good
and evil in the prefent ftate of things ;
which fometimes has been ready to (hock
wife and pious men. As for me, fays the
pfalmift, my feet were almoft gone, my feps
had well nigh flipped. For I was envious at
the foolijh, when I faw the profperity of the
wicked"". T^hey are not in trouble as other
men, neither are they plagud like other men ",
&c/ Behold thefe are the ungodly, who pro-
fper in the world -, they increafe in ^ riches.
Verily I have cleanfed my heart in vain, and
wajhed my hands in innocence : for all the day
long have I been plagud, and chajle?id every
morning °.

When 'tis confidered, that the joy and
pleafure of wicked men are but for a mo-
ment, mixed with trouble and remorfe here,
and will be followed with endlefs torments
in the future world ; and that the many
troubles which fometimes befal the beft of
men, (hall ferve to purify and refine their
fouls, and to prepare them for eternal life

"> Pfal. 73.1,5. I ' Ver. IS, 13,14.

* Ver. 5. I ,

and



430 A funeral fennon on the death

and glory, and to inhance their reward,
they may well be reconciled to the moft
fevere difcipline of divine providence : T'heir
light aff.iclion^ iichich is but for a momenty
worketb for them a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory i", Tho they now
fow in tearSy they Jhall reap in joy. He that
goeth forth and iceepethy bearing precious
feedy Jhall doubtlefs come again with rejoi-
cingy bringing his jl^ea^jes with him '^.

4. This fliould fortify the minds of good
men againft the terrors of death. That
which renders death fo very terrible, is the
guilt of our fouls ; therefore the apoftle fays,
the fting of death is Jin \ When 'tis con-
fidered as the effedl and puniiliment of fin,
and that which leads men to the tribunal
of the Almighty, to receive an irreverlible
fentence according to their works, it has a
dreadful afpeil indeed. But if this fting
be taken away, if our confciences are
fprinkled with the blood of Chrift, which
cleanfes from all fn ', and we are reconci-
led to God by the crofs of our Redeemer ;
if, being jufi fed freely by his gracey we have
peace with God, we may look into the val-
ley of the riiadow of death without fear-
ing any evil, feeing 'tis to the righteous
the way to eternal life and glory. Death



P z Cor. 4. 1 7 . J ' I Cor. I ^ , ^ tf ,

1 Pfal. ii;i. 5,(f. I ' 1 John 1.7.



^^ill



Serm. IX. of Mr, John PiggotL 43 1

will deliver them from all the fears and
dangers, the cares and troubles, the for-
rows and pains to which they are liable
at prefent ; and give them an entrance into
that glorious reft which has been defcribed
to you ; into thofe calm and bright re-
gions, which are never ruffled by ftorms
and tempefts, nor fullied by clouds and
darknefs : where mifery and pain can have
no place, becaufe there's no room for fin
and guilt ; but where perfed holinefs and
perfect happinefs fhall keep equal pace to
eternity.

The view of this reft has made many
chriftians, who, on other occalions, feem'd
to have no great courage or prefence of
mind, triumph over the grave, when they
have found themfelves dropping into it.

It was this glorious profped which fup-
ported the foul of that reverend perfon,
whofe death we fo juftly lament, and whofe
life muft needs render his memory ever
fragrant to us : it was this infpired him
with patience and fubmiffion, conftancy
and joy, during a tedious ficknefs, and at
the very article of death.

And fmce there are divers things relating
both to his life and death, which were very
exemplary and edifying ; I perfuade myfelf
it will be thought very feafonable for me,
now to give a brief account of fome pafTa-
ges worthy to be remarked in both.

That



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Tra: in^t joSd^ be 6id of him, which
the apofilc 6nps of his Jbn TknoihT, that
frtm £ chili bt kmew the bafy Jcr^tmres, ^oA
that ihc£ muJe him wijt mmh fdimtkm^ thr^
fmsh 's^bkh isimCbryt J^ *. The great de-
li-bt he ihca had in huiiu g the jovfbl feuDd
Of the ga^|Kl, made him fie^oent dtrcia
id^ioos a&mblies^ and that not widioot
kmc hazard, at a time %dicn tlicy iPEie
cfen diAiubed and iniEiiuptBd, and laoac-
dmcs at&nhrd wA. vinlfnrpj whSkt they
were wocfiiippiiig God according to the