A SERMON Preached, at the Funeral of the Reverend and Learned MR. GEORG RITSCHEL, Late Minister of Hexham in Northumberland: By Mr. MAJOR ALGOOD, Rector of Symon-burn in the same County: With an Elegy on his Death. LONDON, Printed for Joseph Hall, Bookseller and Bookbinder on tyne Bridge Newcastle upon Tyne, 1684. Ecclesiastes 12: part of the 5 verse. Because man goeth to his long home. THe great matter necessary to be thought of in this life is, what shall become of us after death, and whither we shall go when we go hence. For here we have but a short time to stay, we are on our journey, and every moment brings us nigher to the end thereof; but wherever we go to, after death, it is for ever and ever. Solomon tells us in his distribution of time, that there is a season to every purpose under heaven, and amongst the rest he reckons a time to be borne, and a time to die, but he tells us of no time to live, because our life is uncertain, death follows in some soon after the birth, and their cradle seems to stand on your graves, and those that live longest are but of few days in respect of eternity. So that our life is to be reckoned rather a moment, than time, and yet on this moment doth depend our everlasting happiness in the next life. This all is allowed us to make provision for our long home. In the words we may consider. 1. The subject man. 2. His transitory estate and condition, expressed by way of travail, goeth. 3. The end of his journey to his home. 4. The duration of that home, it is a long home. To the first man. Man in general, that is every man, every woman, when our glorious God had by his infinite wisdom made the world in a wonderful manner, and furnished it with all variety and creatures for profit and pleasure; at last after a most exquisite manner he consulted with himself for the shape of Man, and finding no creature fit enough for a pattern, concluded with himself to make mankind as a lively ressemblance (after some sort) of his own majesty, that he might both in soul and body represent his creator. Adam's soul did most lively shadow out the divine essence, not only in the simplicity, invisibleness, and immortality thereof, but also in that power which it enjoyed, to know and to will. 1. For man's body it did likewise resemble God in several respects, but more especially in that immortality, wherein it was at first created. The whole Man then mixed of body and soul was in the creation in a glorious state of immortality, bordering upon everlastingness, but it was not absolutely, but conditionally. So it is true he had a power not to die, if he had not sinned; but there was a necessity he should die when he had sinned, for so the unalterable charge runs, * Gen. 2: 17. in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Thus was the statute enacted that all must die, which is not to be repeated. It hath been put in execution from the beginning of the world to this time, and so shall be to the end of the world. We all come by the womb, and we must go by the grave; from the arreast of death, there's no releasement, from its sentence, there's no appeal. Balthazars emblem is now written upon every man's wall, thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting, and therefore thy life is divided, and given to death. It is not the Majesty of a Prince, nor holiness of a prophet, nor the gravity of a prelate that death respecteth. It is not strength of body nor comeliness of person, not tender years, nor the wisdom of the aged, not profound learning, nor an abiss of riches, can plead a privilege against the grave. In other dangers there may be some way contrived by the will of man to escape them, power, treasure, flight, counsel, and policy may serve the turn; but there's no power in man to banish death, no riches will buy it of, nor can we fly from it, neither prevent it by counsel nor turn it back with policy. The greatest and best of men, as well as the meanest and worst must say with Job. * Job. 17: 14. to corruption, thou art my Father: to the worm, thou art my Mother and my Sister. Abel whose sacrifice was accepted, as well as Cain whose offerings were rejected; Abraham the Father of the faithful, as well as the infidel Abimelech; Jacob whom God loved, as well as Esau whom he hated, and David a man after Gods own heart, as well as Saul from whom he took his holy Spirit, have been all alike subject to the empire of death, and to the decree of God so that then death is the common road of all the world of Man in general without exception. 2. His transitory state and condition, goeth. We are here in this life performing a journey which we must one day finish. One goes before, and another follows after; one body rots in the grave, and leaves room for another. Whether we go softly, or run swiftly, our time still spends, and every moment brings us more forward towards our journey's end, and nigher to our home, our bodies are but earthen cottagies, houses of dust, which fall before we are ware; our life runs on apace, and death rides post after, and often overtakes men, before ever they thought it was nigh them, and when they least thought of it. Our life is like a candle in the body, in one the wind maketh it sweale away, in another it is blown out before it be half spent, and in other though it burn out to the end, yet it continues not long, at last vanisheth into smoke, and exspires. Whether we sleep or wake, whether we stand, sit, or walk, still the course of our life goes on, till it be finished; we never make a step forward on the ground, but it is a slep nigher to death. My days saith Job. 7: 6. are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and in the 9 chap. vers. 25.26. now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good; they are passed away as the swift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey. Where he reckons our life by days, and not by years, as if it depended on moment, and not on time; but if on time it must be that which is present, not that which is to come. But although in these places he allows men days to live here, yet in another place as if he had been so prodigal in his account, he lakes up, and therefore he will have him to be a ereature but of yesterday Job. 8.9. for we are but of yesterday, and know nothing; because our days upon earth are a shadow. And in deed we may be very properly termed creatures of yesterday, for a dying hour hastens on us so fast, that we cannot, assure ourselves of the light of another day, and the time of our journey end is so uncertain that we know not but this very evening, our life may set with the sun, nay shut up with the next moment. The brevity of our life has been noted by the most learned amongst the heathens. The Egyptians compared it to an Inn, where a man lodgeth for a night, and on the morning is gone; Aristotle to a certain beast which is never but one day old, Sophocles to a shadow, and Homer to leaves which are blown away as fast as they bud, and others to a dream which at our awakening is gone, so transitory is the state of man he is still on his journey to death; he goeth. 3. To his home. This world is like the wilderness to Israel, we must go through it before we can come to the land of promise to the place of rest. We must go through the red sea of temptations in this life, the Devil pharaoh like following to destroy us, before we can come to our expected home. This world is not our home but the way towards our home; it is but as our inns, or lodgings, where we are not to stay any long time, but rest a night, or so, take what is necessary for our repast, and refreshment, and then be going on in our journey. We must leave the place to other comers. Our generation passeth and another cometh. They that come hereafter shall tread upon our graves as we do now upon the sepulchers of our fathers, they shall possess our houses, goods, and lands, as we do theirs, who are gone before us. Hence is't that the Apostle tells us Heb 13: 14. for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. And he testifieth of the Patriarch Abraham, that he was no more but a sojourner in a strange land, he dwelled with Isaac, and Jacob in tabernacles Hebr. 11: 9 He built no houses, but such as are used in war; such as are easily erected up, and soon taken down again. This he did, as also your fathers generally of the first ages of the world, that they might testify their religion, that they did not account this world as their home, but a place from whence they must remove, they did not know how soon. Abram was in expectation of going home. and therefore we are told ver. 10. he looked for a city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God, that is for heaven. Besides the prophet David acknowledgeth, that he was no other than a traveller in this life passing to another. Ps. 39: 12. I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my father were. Reason will in form us so much. For that is not to be esteemed a man's home, where he came lately, and from whence he is shortly to departed, but where he is to continue the most part of his life. Upon this consideration St. Peter in his 1 Epist. 2. chap. ver. 11. becomes a supplicant to Christians. Dear beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Prudent travellers carry nothing with them which may be burdensome to them in their journey, so this Apostle adviseth that we have a care, since we are as pilgrims in this life, that we be not loaden with sins, whose weight will hold us down, and keep us from entering in at the straight gate. 4. The duration of our home, it is a long home. We are here in this life but for a moment, it cannot properly be called time; but wherever we go after death, it is for eternity. The longest day here hath its night, and the longest life ends in death; but the state in the next life is unchangeable, without end. Whether we are to be placed amongst the sheep or goats; whether we are to be crowned, or burned, it is for ever, the joy is an everlasting joy, the punishment, whether it be heaven or hell we go to it is to be our long home. The Ancients used to represent this by their hieroglyphics, of a round ring, which hath no end, of a Hydra's head which grows as fast as it is cut of, of a running fountain which springeth as quickly as it floweth. Arithmetic hath her figures to cast up numbers, Astronomy its instruments to take the height of the stars, mariners their plummets to sound the depth of the sea, but no invention of man can fathom the depth, height, length and breadth of eternity, which is boundless and unlimited. It was the thoughts of this, which did so much amaze a serious man, that sitting very melancholy, not speaking to any, nor regarding those who spoke to him, at last those words burst out, for ever, for ever, and for some time spoke nothing else: he afterward told his friends about him, that it was this for ever, which had wholly taken up his thoughts, and which he should never get out of his mind. And certainly when a man comes seriously to consider with himself that death is an entrance to eterninity, opens a passage to a day that never shuts up, to a continuation of time which hath no end, and with all doth ponder with himself, that after a short and uncertain life here, he must lead an end less life either with God, or the Devil, either in heaven or hell, either in everlasting joys, or everlasting flames (I dare say for him) it is enough to affright his soul, and to awaken his spirit from security as the mariners did Jonah in the tempest 1 Jon. 1: 6. what meanest thou oh sleeper, arise call upon thy God, if so be, that God will think on us, that we perish not. Consider then that man in general his state is transitory in this life, he's a traveller on his journey homeward, his home is not in this world, when he dies he goeth home, and wherever he go to, it is a long home so reternitie. Let us then use consideration. Consideration is the key which openeth the door to the closet of our hearts, where all our books of account do lie. It is the very eye of our soul, whereby she looks into her estate; let us now from what haveth been said make a serious use of't, and consider what a sad and dismal thing, it will be to miscarry for ever; what a wide door of mercy is offered to us in this moment of our life, in this consists the opportunity to make ourselves happy for ever or miserable without end. We are just now going on towards our home, it is but one stroke of death, and we are gone in the twinkling of an eye, and God knows whither, let us therefore be wise in this our day, before our dissolution appeareth, that a speedy repentance may prevent our dwelling in darkness for ever. God said of the church of Th●atira, I gave her time to repent of her fornication, and she repent not, let not us give our good God occasion of such a complaint against us. It is perniciously dangerous to put of our consciences calling for repentance, and to say to them as Felix to S. Paul, * Act. 24. v. 25. go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. All delay in this great concern is too hazardous, the present time is still the fittest and only fit to Cast up the accounts of our souls. In deed if we could arrest time, if we could strike of the nimble wheels of its chariot, and could Joshuah like command the sun to stand still, and make opportunity wait our leisure, than there were some thing of excuse for delay; but since we can no more command the future than we can call back the by past time, it is but extreme madness to delay our hours. It is now in our power under the influence of God's grace, to prepare for death, to repent of our sins, and make our peace with God before we go hence, and be no more seen; but it is not in our power to live till to morrow, our days, may close up with this day, our life set this very evening with the sun, nay the next moment. If we lose this opportunity which presents its self, it can never be recovered, no not by most earnest wishes, nor fervent desire, nor a flood of Tears. Remember the sad condition of profane Esau, for once despising the blessing, he loosed it for ever, and found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. To go on still in a sinful course of life, with hopes that we may repent when we die, is to venture all upon a very uncertain after game, and just as if a mariner should be content to have his ship cast away, upon bare hope, that he may escape on a plank, and get safe to shore. How fond do such dispose of that time which is not in their power, but in God's hand, whilst they vainly let go that which God has given them. The stork, the brane, the swallow know their seasons, they know their appointed time, and how much more should man a creature whom God has endowed with reason, especially since it is so very uncertain how long we shall enjoy this opportunity. All creatures under the sun do naturally intent their own preservation, and desire that happiness which is agreeable to their nature, and shall man their Lord be impiously careless of his eternal, and everlasting welfare? Death stands ready to snatch us away, conscience persuades, Hell threatens, and heaven invites to prepare, to lay up a good foundation for the next life, for a long and happy home. Let us not then be secure, but set to work, whilst it is called to day; for as the wise preacher * Eccl. 9: 10. tells us, there's no work nor device nor knowledge in the grave, whither thou goest. What a sad and fatal thing is't for men to run head long to their long home, like the rich glutton in the ghosple, who never was sensible of his estate till he was in torment; he then found to his sorrow that out of the pit there's no redemption. He leads a life suitable to his Christian profession, who daily is in expectation to leave it. The best guide of our life here is the often consideration of our death, and what shall become of us when we go hence. We need not wonder to see men so very industriously careful to avoid death, it is naturally terrible; but this is it which all good men and even Angels may admire at, to see Christians so generally careless, to lay up a good foundation for a future life. For there's nothing certainly which makes death so terrible, as the estate which follows after: if our long home be in heaven death is a joyful birth day, and the day of it better than the day of our first birth; but if it be in the Devil's mansions, it is but the beginning of endless misery. Let us therefore be persuaded to make use of our time, and learn in this our day the things which belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes, before our feet be manacled in the dust, and our arms rot of from our shoulders in the grave. Do that before death, which may do you good when you are dead, but can never be done after. Live the life of the righteous, and die the death of the righteous, die the death of the righteous, and live for ever in a long and happy manner. That I may press this further, behold there's before your eyes a spectacle of mortality, the body of our deceased Brother, which we are met together to bring to its own house as the prophet Esay * Esa. 14: 18. calls the grave, to lay it up in the dust, after all its great labour, long journeys, and tedious travail on earth, his soul being gone before to take possession of its long and happy home. I must therefore now leave the other, and apply myself to this text. To say nothing were to be injurious to his worth, and to hid those virtues which shined bright in him, and may serve for our imitation. Whatever the envious may say, or think, it is no fault to commend them at their death, who have been commendable in their life. It was the ancient custom of the church to celebrate the memory of holy men, that thereby others might be moved to follow their examples. As for his extraction I must be silent in it, he being a Bohemian borne, and that particular unknown to us; yet (let me say) a man of mean observation by his deportment might guests, it was of more than an ordinary rank; I shall therefore only speak my knowledge of him, having had an intimacy with him for a 'bove twenty years together. As for his moral honesty it was very exemplar: I appeal to you all here present, whether he has not left a good report behind him, and a good name, which is better than precious ointment, not one of this parish, or elsewhere can (I am confident) complain of any unjust dealing by him, nor can the poor this day send curses to his grave. I may justly in his behalf take up samuel's * challenge whose ox has he taken? whose ass? or whom has he defrauded? whom has he oppressed? or of whose hand has he received any bribe to blind his eyes therewith, and I promise to restore it. So critical was he even to the minute parts of honesty, that if thorough inadvertency he had done any thing, which did but look like unjustness, though no person was prejudiced by the same, it was an affliction to his mind. And as he did practice honesty himself, as if he had known nothing else, so did he always love honest men, and set a just value on such; but when he found any man to be otherwise, how would he condole his condition; and hearty sigh for him, his look at the same time speaking the thoughts of his heart, how sorry he was that any man should be a knave, how seriously would he endeavoure to reclaim such? In his conversation and friendship he was a Nathaniel one in whom there was no guile, cordial and faithful without baseness and low dissimulation, and loved a true friend as himself. As for his learning it would require a more able encomist then myself, but, in magnis voluisse sat est. His memory was great, his judgement greater, and his pains in study all most infinite; so that I may truly say of him, had he but had encouragement, conveniently and opportunities answerable to his great parts, he might have been a great light to this northern corner of the land, made himself the envy of this age, and a shadow to obscure learned men about him. Had he not been more than ordinarily learned, when he came a young man into England, the famous university of Oxford renowned throughout the civilised part of the whole world had not taken so much notice of him, nor had some learned men there (contracting an intimacy with him at his first coming to that place) continued a correspondency with him, till a little before his death. From Oxford he came to the deservedly renowned, and ancient corporation of Newcastle upon Tine, where he was master of the free School for several years, and how he behaved himself in that station, I appeal to those that knew him there. Being wearied out with that toilsome employment, he removed to this town of Hexam, famous in the time of the saxons, and yet in history, for that it was then a Bishop's seat and enjoyed ten Bishops successively, John of Beverly, who as some historians note was the first master of Arts of the University of Oxford, being placed as the second Bishops here; now made famous again by enjoying the Learned Ritschell as its vicar for above twenty years together. He is now dead, yet he lives amongst learned societies, and will I doubt not) to many generations in his imetaphysicks, prized so highly abroad that Germany but of late desired the reprinting of them and they were so with some addition. By his other books, concerning the rites and ceremonies of the church of England published immediately after his majesties happy return, he shown what stamp he was of, that he was an enemy to all innovation in the church. This seasonable defence of the church of England was very pleasing to that famous 〈◊〉 of the same Dr. John Cousins late Bishop of Durham, especially being performed by a foreigner born, and he did ever after him a venerable respect. I hope for what I wish that God will stir up some of the reverend fathers of this church to cast a favourable eye upon his two hopeful sons both educated in Oxford, and reward them for the father's pains. But that which did crown all his other excellencies was his piety which was singular. In his family he was a Joshuah, he and his house serveing the Lord daily; what he was in the church. I need not inform you but call your conscienses to wittness, hoping that you will nevers forget those good instructions he sowed amongst you so plentifully. I may as well as any give this testimony of him, he had not much of the form nor outside of religion, but was very careful for the power thereof, and the essential parts which might make him truly be rather than seem religious Such was this wise, this worthy, this learned, and religious gentleman, who on weddens' day seven-night was suddenly struck with a fatal palsy, which brought him in a week's time to the end of his journey, that he might go home and rest from his labours. By what means I know not but it seems some way God did convey it to his spirit, that his dissolution drew nigh, before ever death made any show by any natural signification Whether he did it designedly or not is more, than I can say, but I find that the last sermon he preached might very well have passed for his own funeral sermon takeing in a prophetic way for his text 2 Tim. 1: 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that ' his able to keep that which I have committed unto him unto that day, nor was this only his last text, but these words the very last that he spoke I know whom I have believed etc. commending his soul now to God to whom he had before committed it, and resting on Christ with a firm certainty of salvation. Thus did he shut up his days, as he lived, so he died piously and religiously; and this may be some ease to his sorrowful relations, some guide to our life and death. He is gone before we are following after God of his infinite mercy enable us to travail through a life of cares, and misery, so that at last we may come to a long, and ever happy home. To which God etc. FINIS. An Elegy upon the Worthy and Reverend Mr. Georg Ritschel. etc. Vivitur ingenio. LEt no fond tears bedew thy hearse Bid the favourite Muse rejoice And with triumphant verse The music imitate of thy exalted voice Bid her do something to comply With the empyrean poetry. 2. From noisy mirth tumultuous pleasures free Let her ascend like thee Above the bounds of this tempestuous air Above the storms of grief, or clouds of care There in smooth thoughts, and notions best refined Enjoy the serene 〈◊〉 of the mind. 3. Alas our ●●llow wings in vain Attempt that airy leight And tired with too sublime a flight. To their connatural earth return again Thy mind was all of purest flame And well could bear that place from whence it came Thy strong devotion and thy lofty wit This did to heaven-assend, that brought heaven down to it 4. Tell how thy spacious soul could fathom all Which we august and sacred call And all the joy contain which from them spiring And yet descend so low As after this to know The least affections of the meanest things. 5. Evanid matter could not scape thy eye Though in a thoms and shapes concealed it lie Prote●s of nature to thy sharper sight Chaos itself was light To the its in most secrets it betrayed And showed a midst the gloomy shade Th' imperfect Embryo of the world unmade. 6. Thou sowest that hidden chain With which we strive in vain And in the midst of seeming liberty When most we boast of being free No more than prisoners at large remain Thou knowest the laws of nature and of fate Nay what is more of fancy too And kept within thy view What ever God or poets did create. 7. Enjoy thy fruitful contemplations now For they the same continue still And thy enlarged understanding fill Nor one poor grain for humane frailty allow 8. Enjoy thy fate and if our low affairs Can touch thee not disturb thy breast Nor interrupt thy eternal rest Look upon us whom empty cares And frivolous doubts unquiet keep Nor yield to better thought, or thoughtlesse sleep So may our suns slide softly as thine away And our 〈◊〉 dies let in an everlasting day. I. H.