vp in his heart those things which the Prophet spake Take héede that you spurne not at your Phisicions for then your health is at an ende Did Esay cry in his time Esa 53.1 lord who beléeueth our sayings And may not we cry nowe Lord who doeth credite our report We are the ofscowring of the people the laughing-stockes of the worlde wée are counted contentious seditious slaunderous railers lyers troublers of the state But as for this people though thou O Lord speake in vs vnto them yet will they not bend their eares to heare thy voyce in vs. Though the earth be wearie of her sinnefull burthen as surcharged with the heauinesse of sinne doth vniuersally totter as a dronken man Aprill 8. 1580. at our iniquities and thy heauie iudgements yea though the waters here below the heauens planets farre aboue though blasing gleames and burning lampes haue summoned vs and vgly shapes in monstrous birth haue and yet doe cite vs to the preuentiō of thy heauie wrath in true repentaunce Iere. 8.6 yet no man sayth to himselfe and what haue I done But euerie man goeth to the corruption of his owne heart and fetcheth thence the labor of his life in Hypocrisie Popery Drunkennesse Whoredome couetousnesse pride ambition atheisme such like And all this commeth hereof that being almost all dead we féele not that we are once touched with sickenes We goe on in our wickednes and séeke credit against our reprouers scorne at Gods iudgementes and when most séeming is of imminent daunger wee assure our selues of great securitie Oh people of this waywarde nation and you here present let vs his ministers bee the Lordes cockes to rowse you out of this deadely sléepe hauing first with Peters teares examined well our selues Let vs bee the trumpettes of the Lord to warne you of the greate and mightie battel of the God of hostes against vs. And nowe accept you this labour of me the watchman of the Lorde and hearken with comfort to this my crye Arise you that sleepe in your sinnes and shamefull securitie O Christians by name Arise from the first death of sinne by the operation of Gods holy spirite in you and walke in newnesse of life by the light of the glorious gospell of GOD giuen you in Christ so shal not the second death haue any power of you because you haue taken parte in the first resurrection And now I perceiue this first parte hath taken my whole time allotted me so as I can not speake of the seconde which is so depending of the first that well they can not bee disioyned But in asmuch as your ciuill solemnities aske more tyme then possibly the forenoone woulde afforde vs I will deferre my seconde part till some other time except I receiue your pleasures farther to procéede Well then knowing now your godly desires by the harald at armes that I shoulde procéede Let vs read our second part and it is thus For on such the second death hath no power Text ver 6. but they shal be the priestes of god and Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeare In this part dearely beloued the Euangelist doth by a most elegant phrase describe the state conditiō of the faithfull affirming thē so farre of to be once touched after the punct of natural death with the paines of hell or false fained popish purgatorie that contrarily they presently are in blisse with God singing with the spirits of the iust the due prayses of the Lord saying for on such c. But to the further openyng of this excellent part let vs obserue these thrée thinges First what is to be vnderstoode by this second death Secondly of what prerogatiue power the same is And last of al for a final conclusion what wher is the ful felicitie of the iust which haue their part in the first resurrection The second death to be shorte is that which followeth the firste as a merite of his deserte But death is said to be twofold in the holy scriptures For as there is a death of the body so is there likewise a death of the soule But of death of the bodie we haue saide before And of the naturall death Gods holy booke our common experience and the dead body of this departed Christian before vs beareth perfecte testimony Of which the Apostle Paule sayth It is decreed that man shall once die and then cometh his iudgement And our Apostle in this booke Heb. 9.27 Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord or for the Lords cause for they rest from their labours so saith the spirite and their works follow them Their owne workes followe them not the workes of other for them And be it knowne vnto you that the first death of the soule which is sinne and iniquitie is the verie cause procuring Gods iudgement to strike the bodie with naturall death and is héere called the first death of the body For the which the soule that dieth in sinne shall abide much paine torment in hel when yet the body therof sléepeth quiet in the graue expecting his woeful resurrection And now of the second death which Christ Iesus Matt. 10.28 and our Apostle Iohn calleth hell the lake of fire Feare not thē saith Christ which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body soule into hel Here is the death of the body the first death the death of the soule in hell the second Of the same seconde death speaketh S. Iohn in this receiued text Goe too you worldlings Iam. 5.1 Rom. 2.5 that treasure vp wrath to your selues for the last day tribulation and anguish death and hell shall be your portion Looke to this you scorners that put far off the last day here is to you endles woe You haue made a couenant with death but death it selfe and hell viz. the damned soules in them shall henceforth be cast both bodie and soule into the burning lake of fire brimston which is the second death For be the day neuer so long at the last cōmeth Euening Oh beloued that wéepe nowe then shall you laugh and reioyce if so that you kisse embrace the Sonne of God fal before his presence condēning your selues for sin killing sinn in you by the power of his spirit you shal thē sée the proud antechristiā Pharaoh al his popish Egyptiās cast into the sea gulfe of vnquenchable fire when your selues by your mighty Moses captain christ shall be ledd into the heauenly lande of promise there to raigne with him for euer euer Many men mooue much dispute about the site and place of hell this firie lake But I say onely this of it It is a forbidden curiositie engendring strife deuoide of profit to question where and in what place it is But it is a commanded diuinitie to séeke the
of Funerals And euen this day I exhort in the Lord whom it doth most concerne that as I knowe and doe affirme your hate to that pestilent péece of popery and your sinceritie in Christ so yée faithfully shewe it at this instant Féede these poore assembled but foster not that popishe opinion to pray for the soule departed Forget not the Lord at this present who hath not forgottē to bring you to great things Abstain saith the Apostle not only from euill but euen also from the shadow shew of euill If it might be take some other day for them giue them with warning that you meane no procuring of prayer for the dead For I know that you are assured that euery man shall appeare and aunswere for his owne factes as well this reuerend corps going to his graue as all you and wee here assembled in cause of him We must all appeare saith Paule before the iudgement seate of Christ 2. Cor. 5.10 that euery man may receiue the things that are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill The Lord in mercy blesse vs with his grace that liuing in him we may die in the Lorde Christ and so rest in peace till our returne to this bodily resurrection when we shall resigne to our soules our newe bodies though burned to ashes eaten with vermine in Sea or by lande For death lande and sea shall giue vppe not newe creatures but her receiued deade to be revnited to this resurrection And so with holy Iob we shall all sée our redéemer not with other but with these eyes that nowe we haue and with the selfe same bodies which nowe we beare shall wée all both small and great stande before the almightie Christ the iudge of quick and deade To whom be glory for euer And nowe time requireth to speake of the first resurrectiō which earst we called spirituall And of this resurrection Paul speaketh thus Ephe. 2.4 And when we were deade by sinnes God in his rich mercie through his great loue wherewith hee loued vs hath quickened vs together in Christ by whose grace wee are saued And hath raised vs vp together made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus Rom. 6.4 And againe to the Romans thus We are buried then with Christ by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised of God the father so wee shoulde walke in newnesse of life And nowe of these places we are to obserue First that there is a death that goeth before this resurrection Then that by an other power beyonde our selues we are reuiued and raised from that death And thirdly what this life is where vnto we are raised To the first this death is spiritual and is none other but sinne as here is saide and when we were deade in sinne And rightly is sin called death for it killeth all the vitall partes of the soule and maketh it not onely vnapt but vnable to serue the liuing God It depriueth vs of the grace of God It separateth Christ Rom. 6. which is our life from vs it bringeth sathan to possesse our soules and haleth vs to the second death which is the infernal lake This is the nature of euery sinne and therefore they are rightly saide to bée deade which be possessed of it as wholly cut off from God estraunged from his life 1. Tim. 5.6 and deade to godlynesse So are the lashing widowes called deade in spirite though they liue by nature which giue themselues to carnalitie fleshly lusts And of such men also spake Christ the Lorde saying Let the deade burie their dead Matth. 8.22 Nowe beloued drawe hence this doctrine We are by course of naturall life sinners but by our selfe delights we are become deade in trespasses but he that is dead is so frée from life that he hath no part of whatsoeuer is done vnder the sunne as the preacher saith Eccle. 9.4.5.6 So now that I speake to you that you conceiue and we all féele the power of the voyce it is by that wee liue but this Corpes héere present is so frée from all this that he neither heareth or conceiueth féeleth or partaketh whatsoeuer by his occasion héere is done for hée is deade and his life is not in him Euen so beloued the deade in sinne are as frée from righteousnes and the true féeling thereof as this sanctified corpes is cut from our present action Moreouer this corps can neither goe nor stir hinder or let those that list to carry conuey him whether they woulde Neither can the deade in sinne withstande the guide of his deadly soule the killing diuell the prince of hell but is ledde and drawen euen whether and to what him lust to whoredomes murthers lying blasphemie and what not Ion. 8.34 Rom. 6.20 2. Pet. 2.19 For of whom so euer a man is ouercome his seruant he is whether of sinne vnto death or of grace vnto life Last of all it is not in the power of any deade man to arise againe till his life be returned to him No more is it in the power of man once deade in sin to rise againe from it vntill his life which is Christ returne to reuiue him Wherefore the Apostle saith hee hath quickned vs euen God the father by the spirite of his Christ hath raised vs vp with Christ Where is then thy frée will and power to kéepe the wayes of God when thou hast eares but fatted eares that cannot heare a heart but blinded Matt. 13.14 that cānot perceiue the good wil of god a soule but deade and estraunged from the life of God Ephe. 41.8 And for this cause God is saide to raise vs from the deade that Christ may giue vs light that by his mighty operation through faith in him It is his mighty operation Colos 2.12 not mans weaknesse to raise vs from sinne For sathan is stronger then we 2. Tim. 2.26 holdeth vs once dead euē at his wil as Paul saith so as it is not possible for vs to arise from his bōos til our life Christ which is the strōger Luk. 11.29 Math. 12.29 Mark 3.22 enter combat with him bind him take vs his spoile away from him The workeman then to raise vs in this first resurrection is not man but God And he vseth heereto as his finger to forme vs anewe his worde and his spirite both from him selfe that he might haue the whole glorie of our life Embrace then this holy meanes come to the word there is his spirit If thou be his he will drawe thée to it lighten thée by them raise thée from this spirituall death as the Apostle hath saide Rom. 3.11 If the spirite of him that raised vp Iesus from the deade dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the deade shall also quicken your mortall bodies because that his spirite dwelleth in you Nowe
thy sinnes are discouered and thine imperfections more notorious But by two especiall notes a sicke man is knowne to be neare his death First his pulses labour weakely his speech draweth farrely and his strength is fled away Secondly when he is sodeinely bereft of his vitall spirits perfect senses so as he is not féeling the parts of his dying bodie he is déemed neare vnto his death Alas looke into the bodie of England for the soundenes of her life Christ in her beholde her pulses beate faintly her speach fetcheth farly her strength is meruellously decayed Is her zeale to religion as it was in the beginning of her maiesties raigne Is it continually vigent in all the parts of the bodie doth euery knée bowe to Christ the Lorde in her doth euery tongue confesse Iesus to be the Lorde to the glorie of God the father Nay alas this little life left is drawne néere to the heart and the heart is verie sicke A fewe names a fewe in respecte of so great a number What meaneth it that so many magistrates are molested with carcke against conspiracies and domesticall furies That such and so great vices are dayly spread and breake out So sundrie persons forced with papists filthy familyes and popish seminaries Such friendshippe to Gods enimies of some that rather should help to spewe them out of the bodie Such prouision for warre such feare of forraine foes and so small trust in manie home dwellers vndoubtedly this is the very cause that Englande is very sicke fainting falling as by degrées from her former strength in Christ Religion is thought to bee strong ynough of it selfe for aide it can obtaine little except about the heart Godly conuersation is fledde out of the countrie God graunt him godly constant entertainment in her graces Court Charity is become key cold for no man hath leasure to loue beyonde himselfe Hate of iniquitie is banished the lande and the true loue of God is hardly to be founde in the bodie of England Euen now is performed againe the prophet Hosias speach There is no truth nor mercy Hose 4 2.2.3 nor knowledge of God in the land by swearing lying and killing and stealing and whoring they breake out and bloode toucheth blood therefore shall the lande mourne c. And are we not senselesse of our weake estate Do not our spirituall preachers crie vnto vs Esa 1.53.6 Rom. 2.2 There is no health frō top to the toe All haue gone astray euery mā after his picked chosē way the long suffering of God hath béene to drawe you to repentance but you haue abused his great pacience are like to the raging seas for in the glory of your presumptiōs you haue cast vp to the eyes of the Lord the filthie fome of your bloodgiltinesse But nowe repent in time ere the day of his decrée come foorth Zoph 2.1 ◠Gather your selues together O nation not worthy to bée beloued least you be blowen away like chaffe in that day Séeke the Lorde ye méeke of the earth you that haue wrought his iudgementes Séeke righteousnesse séeke lowlines if so be the ye may bée hidden in the day of the lords wrath But beloued in GOD Esa 26.20 howe féele we our selues now are we sicke or whole To this me thinke some do say No sir loquere no bis placentia speake more pleasant things to vs. Crie peace peace Iere. 20.1 euē til the day of war Cast Ieremie into prisō saith Pashur his partakers for hee speaketh against this citie But those names onely that are about the hart and haue not so steined their cloths they say he is not worthie to die for he hath spokē to vs in the name of the lord our god Ier. 26.16 But of the residue what shal we say truly we may rightly say as God him selfe spake to his prophet Ezechiel in the time saying Also thou son of man the childrē of thy people the talke of thee by the wals as they sit at their banquets Ezec. 33.30 thou art their sauce to their delicates in the dores of their houses whē they sit in the streets to recreate thēselues speake one to an other saying in derisiō of my law come I pray you heare what is the word that cōmeth from the Lorde for they come vnto thee as the people vseth to come and my people sit before thee and heare thy words but they wil not do thē for with their mouths they make mowes iestes their hart goeth after their couetousnes And lo Thou art to them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice can sing well for they heare thy words but they do thē not And when this cōmeth to pas for lo it wil come namely the ripenes of this sin the performance of my prophets threts frō me Then shal they knowe Verse 28. that not a iesting singer but a prophet hath ben amongst them When Lord euen whē I wil lay the land desolate saith the Lord wast and the pompe of her strength shal cease c. O lord in thy great mercy looke down vpon our English Israel What is he the séeth this huge heape of people here this day being a straunger to the state of this country but presently might cōceiue much life of god to be in thē Surely it is a great people yea a very great auditorie I haue not seene the like in the countrie the Lord blesse you al with the first resurrectiō according to his blessed will But you of the greater sort take you care that ye come not to heare what the lord saith only for ciuility or neiborly courtesie in respect of these funerals or in nisenes to heare a voice that might delight you but what cause soeuer brought you now that you are come be attentiue to the lord that you may be taught of god As for the gretest number it is too apparant wil be proued anonne that as our prophet saith they folow their couetousnes They are come in hope to haue a dole to day Against whose gréedie desire eftsones I pray you to whom it belongeth that regarde may be had hereof least this dayes exercise may be abused by the wicked to father their popish prayer for the deade vppon your charitable deuotion to the poore But beloued let the bell call you to another Church or at an other time be the preacher liked neuer so well we shall not haue the thirde part of this audience Nay if we might haue but the fourth part and that on the Sabboth onely it were in these partes a vertuous people And after our hearing howe do we digest the worde For the moste part this is al At dinner and after we talke of the man but féede not of the matter We either yéelde him his due commendation or our dislike But euen as minstrels song once hearde is streight forgotten So very fewe with Marie laieth