Funeral Sermon preached
in his memory
F U N E R A L S E R M O N
S A C R E D
T O
T H E M E M O R Y
O F
T H E R E V E R E N D
E L H A N A N W I N C H E S T E R.
Preached in the Universal Church, on Sunday, May 7th, 1797,
BY THOMAS JONES.
I am the Resurrection and the Life.
Jesus.
P H I L A D E L P H I A:
P R I N T E D BY R I C H A R D F O L W E L L,
NO. 33, CARTER'S ALLEY,
1797.
[facsimile of title page]
That they may rest from their labours, and their
works do follow them.---Rev. xiv. 13.
THE Spirit of unerring Truth asserts, such who die in the Lord, to be blessed; and their blessedness is said to consist in their resting, of ceasing from their labours, and their works following them.
Upon the phrase, "they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them," some have commented thus: "their works do not go before them to open Heaven's gates for them; they follow after them, only to throw a lustre of glory upon them, as having entered into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus." But, I presume, nothing of this kind is intended in the text for, if we understand the word follow, to mean, follow by succession, to succeed as a substitute, or, as one filling up the place of a predecessor, the idea is plain, easy and rational. In the following sense, they sleep in Jesus and their works; their profession of faith and practice do follow them, by way of substitution; for the failure of their personal existence on earth; their system of faith and practice personate them, though dead, to the living. So Abel, by his faith and profession, wherein he received God's testimony of approbation, is said still to speak; "and by it, he being dead, yet speaketh." Heb. Xi. 4. His profession lived for him! So he lived, though dead: So the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles live, by their never-dying testimony of truth. Their names shall be in everlasting remembrance, while the names of their opposers rot with their bodies.
So, Winchester! a dead and breathless corpse, hid from the eyes of all living, in the lonely grave, still lives in his works!--in his writings!--in his highly favoured theme!--which distinguished him from his brethren in the ministry. I mean the restitution and final happiness of all fallen intelligent agents, by Jesus Christ, as Lord of all.
This doctrine he ventured to assert and defend, at a time when the very mentioning of it was looked upon little less then retailing blasphemy! Yea, this doctrine! so rational, so congenial to reason; to the ideas, God's goodness, in creation, convey to us; and so agreeable to the Doctrines of the Scriptures, when rationally considered and understood, was, and still is, by many, considered as the vilest heresy! How shall we account for it? Can reason oppose itself? Can Man, a creature of feeling, oppose his own happiness? If he is taught and once believes that God, as a sovereign, has a right to ordain whoever he pleases to endless misery; by the ordained medium of sin, for the gratification of what is call his justice; though it be endlessly unsatisfied by their torment; while he sovereignly ordains another part of the human race to endless happiness, by certain ordained mediums;--if, I say, he once gives into these ideas, he becomes as zealous a stickler for endless misery to the reprobate, as he does for endless happiness to the elect, upon the principle of God's sovereignty! When these principles are imbibed, reason, or, the power of judging and comparing things by what lies before the senses, the noblest gift God could give! or man receive, is counted an enemy to God, and stigmatized by the name of "Natural Reason! Carnal Reason!" and the like: and natural feelings, and interests, prompted by self-preservation, hush'd to submissive silence to the Divine decree; and resignation of ourselves, family, infant and suckling, to endless damnation, if the awful (not to say horrible) decree, requires it, counted the highest virtue. Where we find such religious phrenzy; such violation of reason, interest and natural feeling, by a heated imagination, we need no longer be astonished at the prodigies of Popery, Mahometanism, or ever Paganism, esteemed by their several votaries, the worship of the true God.
Or, if the idea is imbibed, that God is a spiteful, malicious being towards his enemies; or implacable and cannot forgive them who opposed him in time; no, not through the endless round of eternity, though they repent never so sincerely, intreat, implore, groan, weep, wail, gnash, their teeth, and gnaw their tongues with anquish; yet that his justice requires their perpetual and unceasing torment. Thus, his justice I made the Vortex, that at once swallows up every benigh attribute that can encourage Hope in the human heart, except it is possessed of sufficient enthusiasm to conceit itself one of the favourites of Deity, because of some distinguishing qualification it perceives in itself, which separates it from the rest of mankind. The votaries of these views, sincerely and very devoutly, pour out, profusely, damnation and eternal death, on all such whom they esteem opposed to their religion, always carefully securing to themselves safety, from the overflowing scourge by some hopeful mark, which ranks them on the right side.
Ah, Christianity, how are thou metamorphosed! So that the man of reason mistakes thee for a friend, instead of a friend! All-hail, holy system! The time of thy appearing in thy native simplicity, dignity and glory, is fast approaching!
But, to return to the manes of our deceased brother:--the opposition he sustained by espousing the Doctrine of Universal Restitution, he met, with that firmness, with which the threatened rock meets the furious dash of the boisterous wave; which suffers it to spend its fury--and then appears as before.
WINCHESTER! Not to be confined by the distant confines of the United State, set his heart upon visiting Europe! He crosses the great Atlantic. The metropolis of Britain heard his voice, and crowded to hear, his (esteemed) new Doctrine. And let us hope that the sentiment of God's UNIVERSAL LOVE, which he committed to the consideration of the public, will not there, nor here, be buried in oblivion, but will increase mightily and bring forth a thousand fold.
The manner of his being led into the doctrine of Universal Restitution, his publishing and defending it, I shall not notice, as it is published by himself in his preface to the sermon, on the feed of the woman bruising the serpent's head, and more largely in the preface of his second edition of the Dialogues. His particular doctrines I shall pass no comment upon. He that runs may read them; they are clearly stated in his writings, which I think are very free from ambiguity and abstruseness. Dignity and plainness embellish his works as an author; and show that he intended to inform, and reform mankind, rather than puzzle or dazzle them with the blaze of his abilities; while they affirm to us, that he was very studious, has the Bible in his heart, compared one part with another, with great attention and labour; fought due consistency with himself in the system he had formed from the scriptures, was quick of apprehension, and ripe of invention, argued nervously, and held his creed with unshaken confidence. In a word, his works declare him to have been a GREAT MAN! of great abilities! and worthy of honour, alive and dead! by which he, being dead, yet speaketh.
I had very little personal acquaintance with him, having never seen him, till last fall, in this city; of course, have it not in my power to speak of him from much personal knowledge. Therefore, hope I may be indulged to make a citation here from Gazettes, concerning this great man.
"Died, at Hartford, after a long and distressing illness, the Rev. Elhanan Winchester, Preacher of the Doctrine of Universal Restoration--aged 46 years. His funeral was attended by a very numerous concourse of sympathizing friends and spectators, from that and the neighbouring towns. A sermon on the occasion was preached by the Rev. Nathan Strong, from Heb. Ix. 27.
"Mr. Winchester was born in Brooklyn, in the state of Massachusetts, of reputable parents; and to very unusual natural powers of mind, he added the embellishments of the traveller, the historian, and the philosopher, and the general circle of science; but most peculiarly shone in his prosession--that of a divine. His extensive acquaintance, not only throughout the United States, but in London, most of the kingdom of England, and some parts of France, with his numerous publications among the learned, render useless all encomiums.
In his pulpit oratory, his strength of argument, his superior knowledge of the sacred scriptures, his unbounded servency in propagation the gospel of Jesus Christ, as not only offering, but in the most unequivocal manner, promising peace and salvation to all intelligent beings. His christian creed may be learned by those who read his dialogues, but more fully understood of his associates in life, and at his death--where this luminary of the christian faith, shone with peculiar lustre. Here was to be seen the most disordered and distressed state of body, with a mind more calm than most his indifferent spectators; serene and brigtening, at the nearer approaches of death, like the encreasing light of the morning, without clouds, as a dying man, calling to his attendants to bear witness to his unshaken faith, and reliance on that system of the gospel he had to fully published, and so frequently inculcated from the pulpit.
"The private character of the deceased, most clearly evinced the sincerity of his profession: and his philanthropy was as unlimited as the extent of his creed: even slander and falsehood had no appeal but to ignorance and malice, in their various attacks on his reputation. Serenity of mind, calmness of temper, warmth of friendship, and compassion for the distressed, were most prominent features in his life and conversation: And however, distressed to a bereaved relict, an aged parent, and brethren, a numerous acquaintance, and the world in general; the separation of an affectionate, kind husband, a dutiful child, beloved brother, and amiable friend, quide, and patron of Christian virtue,--Let not the obligations we are under to the sovereign Disposer of all human events be forgotten; but let us bless his name, that this candle of the Lord has so long continued to burn, and that we have been blessed with his light."
Now, let us take our leave of his consecrated urn, knowing his ashes shall not be lost, nor one particle of the staminal part of his body perish, but be rebuilt, and reanimated in a more divine and glorious manner, in the last day till then: let him rest;--rest from all trouble and vexation of spirit;--from persecution of every species;--from bodily pain, and infirmity;--from labour, and weariness of flesh, and from all possible evil;--rest undisturbed, till the trump of God found life and immortality to his and our sleeping dust. Mean while, let his works, his writings, follow him, succeed him, and preach the universal Love of God to mankind more extensively than it was possible for him to do personally while on earth.---Peace and repose to his slumbering ashes! Its confinement in the tomb will be but as a watch of the night, and when he awakes, not a ment compared with the unmeasured space of eternity. Soon shall the power of the Son of Man, uncreate and inessable, raise him and us, in his image and glory. All hail, happy day! Ah, death! we shall be out of thy power then! thou shalt have no more dominion over us. In that state we shall be impeccable!--immortal!--forever inaccessible to temptation, frailty, pain and evil; there shall we walk the fields of Elysium! wander in the consecrated launs of glory! fit in luminous and enlivening bowers! and rapturously chaunt, and sing in concert the praises in immanuel! in company with all the sinless multitudes; with voices strong, sweet, and more melodious, than harp, organ, or any kind of musical instrument; without the fear of too much exertion, endangering the health of our bodies: those regions shall know no pestilence, no diseases of any kind: no fevers, pleurisies, astmahs, shall ever assail our Heavenly bodies; they are built for eternity, and shall endlessly live with Jesus.---Till this triumphant day! when death itself shall die! let us bid adieu to the sight of our deceased brother. In this hope, let his relations, friends, acquaintances, and strangers, to whom he may have been unknown, return from these shades of death, looking for that blessed hope, and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Suffer me to make an observation or two on the text, as it may respect the living, and I have done.
IMMORTALITY is the natural desire of human nature, which is very discoverable in our wish for the continuance of health and life:---life is sweet, life never becomes a burden, but by ill health, or vexation of spirit. And when convinced that we are absolutely mortal, and cannot continue in life, but that we must needs taste death in its ignominy, before we can immortality in its glory. When we expect to fall a prey to the grave, as our fellow creatures do, before our eyes daily, we generally feel an inclination to do something, to perpetuate our memory to posterity. But what can most immortalize our names? that, no doubt, which will last longest, and be finally triumphant upon earth. But every system will finally fall before the gospel of Christ; for his kingdom shall never be destroyed, nor left to other people, but shall break in pieces, and consume all kingdoms, and it shall break in pieces, and consume all kingdoms, and it shall stand forever: and the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which shall break all to pieces, shall become a mountain, and fill the whole earth! see Daniel, Chap. Ii. V. 31, 45. If therefore we would perpetuate our memory, and immortalize our names, let us espouse the gospel, and persevere in our attachment thereto, as the cause of God among men: Let us all make the redemption and salvation of the world;---the work of God in Christ---our faith, and ground of our practice; for this shall be in eternal renown; and so will in a sense substitute such who die in its faith to the living. Let the prosessors of genuine and unadulterated Christianity, rejoice and be of good chear: though they must die and moulder in the dust, God lives! and will not suffer your profession to fall to the ground---will succeed your labours of love, and more than substitute you to the world, by your living profession---the Gospel; nor shall he be at a loss for successors to stand in your places: the world is under his control! all possible means and instruments at his command, which he shall providentially employ for the furtherance of his cause among men.
Let us not therefore be afraid to die, and leave the gospel: it is in the hands of God! He shall care for it! nor let our hearts sink, because we see few profess and espouse it:---"in the evening tide it shall be light."
Jesus will finally fill the world with his glory; to him every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess him---Lord.
Therefore, the works of iniquity, doctrinally, or practically, shall not substitute any vile dead person long; for all "iniquity shall stop her mouth." All false doctrine, heresy, and schism, which deny Jesus to be Jehovah-Man, and relationship of head and members between Christ and mankind, and their redemption and glorification by him, shall sail from the earth; these "wizards and unclean spirits, shall pass out of the land." Of this filth, God shall cleanse the world! and his name Jesus ring through all space. Profane swearing, and vile execration, which is present defile this city, and parenthesis the conversation of almost all ranks, and make unclean the lisping articulation of infants, from the abundance of its use;---this abomination shall sink in oblivion: the delighter in swearing, and coiner of prophane oaths, may put on sackcloth and ashes---his wisdom and ingenuity shall die with him---descend into the pit, and rise no more. Drunkenness, debauchery, fraud, and every evil, which at present stalk abroad with swell'd crest, and hardened brow, shall, in due time, seek the recessed of darkness to hide themselves, because of shame. And their votaries leave none to plead their cause, nor be able to will ability to their works to follow or succeed them: Jesus's truth, like a flame of fire, shall devour them, while he blesses the world with sobriety and peace. The globe belongs to Jesus! and he shall "overturn, overturn, overturn," till it comes to him, whose right it is." He shall subdue all living unto himself; his kingdom shall come, and his will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Now, to God Almighty! in his plurality of character, as Father, Word and Holy Spirit, be all praise and glory ascribed forever.---Amen.