testimonie of the truth rather than to yeeld to Antichrist and generally may be more affraid to commit sin than to suffer death let vs remember what the holy Ghost saith that blessed are those which die in the Lord. And let vs consider that this assertion is no humane inuention or earthly deuice but a diuine and heauenly oracle For so saith Iohn I heard a voyce from heauen Many will say If I might heare an Angell from heauen tell me that which you Ministers doe teach vs as namely that to die in the Lord is an happie thing assuredly I would beleeue it If from heauen it were testified vnto me that it is a blessed thing to die not in the faith and communion of the Romish Church but in the faith of Christ professed in the Churches reformed by the preaching of the Gospell I would rather die than ioyne with the Church of Rome And yet behold this truth is not onely auouched by a voice from heauen but also that as Peter speaketh in the like case we might haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more firme word which is the written word it is by the commandement of God from heauen committed to writing as containing words faithfull and true and being spoken and written hath the testimonie of the spirit that it is the vndoubted word of God Such is the credit of the written word that if an Angell from heauen should gainsay it he were to be held accursed Gal. 1. 8. And he that will not giue credit to the written word which is the most sure foundation of our faith neither would he beleeue though an Angell should come from heauen or a spirit from the dead Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and take vpon him the person of the dead and therefore if we should trust to apparitions we might soone be deceiued But the word of God cannot deceiue vs. Seeing therefore this assertion is pronounced by God from heauen and at his appointment is committed by the holy Euangelist to writing and also hath the testimonie of the holy Ghost who is the spirit of truth Let vs therefore with all reuerence and good conscience hearken vnto it as to the oracle of God and with the full perswasion of faith giue vnfained credit vnto it as vnto the vndoubted word of the Lord namely that the dead which die in the Lord are from thenceforth blessed because they rest from their labours and their workes follow them In which words three things are to be considered First who they are which be here pronounced blessed Secondly what this blessednesse is and wherein it doth consist which is shewed in the reason that they rest from their labours c. Thirdly when this blessednes belongeth to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee from thenceforth that is forthwith and immediatly after their death and so forward As touching the first Blessed saith he are the dead What the dead blessed A strange paradoxe no doubt to hypocrites and worldly men who haue placed their felicitie in the fruition of temporall things and put the day of death farre from them fearing nothing more than to die and hoping for nothing lesse than to be blessed after death But let vs remember that it is an oracle of God deliuered from heauen and testified by the holy spirit From hence therefore let vs learne truly to acknowledge the immortalitie of the soule and effectually beleeue that there is a life immortall after this mortall life is ended And in this beliefe let vs be carefull so to liue as that we may hope after this life is ended to be happie and blessed Neither let vs be so mad as for the momentanie fruition of temporall vanities in this vale of miserie to lose an euerlasting inheritance in the kingdome of heauen But hee addeth which die in the Lord. For not all that are dead are blessed for many die out of the Lord Iesus and out of Gods fauour as those which depart in the faith of Antichrist or otherwise die in their sinnes as in ignorance infidelitie impenitencie c. and they are so far from being blessed when they die as that by their death their miserie is infinitely increased But they are blessed which die in the Lord. Which words some vnderstand as spoken of Martyrs onely and so reade them who die for the Lords cause And no doubt if all they be blessed who die in the Lord much more may we assure our selues that they which doe not onely die in the Lord but also for him are most happie and blessed And this must encourage all true Christians as we are perswaded that the Lord hath laid downe his life for our sakes so to bee most readie and willing to lay downe our liues for his sake if it shall please the Lord to vouchsafe vnto vs both that honour as to be the Martyrs of Iesu as also that fauour as to make our death and afflictions which otherwise all of vs must looke to suffer as chastisements for our sinnes to be sufferings for righteousnes But yet not onely such as die for the Lord are here pronounced blessed nor all they are blesled who would seeme to die for the Lord but all they and onely they who die in the Lord are blessed For if any man dying for the maintenance of heresie shall think he dieth for the Lord as all in that case are readie to pretend notwithstanding hee is not blessed because hee doth not die in the Lord. For none are in him but such as truly belieue in him and none truly belieue in him which doe not loue him and his members for his sake But they which die for heresie as they doe not truly belieue in Christ so doe they not truly loue his members but by their heresie cut themselues from the bodie of Christ which is his true Church For hs he that giueth his bodie to bee burnt and hath not loue saith the Apostle so hee that thinketh himselfe to be martyred hath not true faith it profiteth him nothing And such is the state as of all other heretikes so especially of the Popish martyrs of these times as they are esteemed among thē For besides that they do not die for their religion properly but for treason and rebellion and it is not the punishment but the cause that maketh a Martyr their religion also is Antichristian being the Caholike apostasie the common sewre of heresie and the very mysterie of iniquitie Neither doe they die in the cause or faith of Christ but in the cause and faith of Antichrist and therefore are the martyrs not of Christ but of Antichrist The truth whereof none can denie if this once bee prooued vnto them which by our writings is sufficiently prooued that Rome is Babylon the Pope Antichrist and the Papists such as haue receiued the marke of the beast Therfore not only they which die for the Lord nor all they who would seeme
by the receipt of the Sacrament Againe not long before his speech began to faile him the second and last time hee deliuered as many times hee had done before diuers good and godly speeches Among the former I remember one argument which he vsed to comfort himselfe Christ Iesus saith he who was my Sauiour he and no other shall be my Iudge Among the latter and indeede one of the last that I could vnderstand he professed his vndoubted faith assured hope of saluatiō but as he said trusting only to the mercies of God in Christ Iesus my Sauiour and in that faith as we neede not doubt he ended his life or as the Scripture speaketh he fell asleepe for such indeede was the manner of his death All which premisses being weighed in the ballance of charitie wee may bee bold to conclude according to the iudgement of charitie that hee is in the number of those whom the holy Ghost in this place pronounceth blessed Wherefore though wee haue iust cause to mourne in respect of our selues as namely his graue and vertuous Ladie that the Lord hath taken from her so louing and kinde an husband his nephewes that they be depriued of so wise and prouident a grandfather his welwillers that we are berest of so good a friend the countrie that it hath lost so prudent and carefull a Iusticer and so good a commonwealths man as I said but yet so as that with meekenes and humilitie wee submit our selues to the gracious prouidence of God our heauenly father giuing him leaue to call whom and when it pleaseth him yet in respect of him wee haue little cause to mourne but great cause to be thankfull vnto God for him In that after so many fauours which it pleased the Lord t◠vouchsafe vnto him throughout y e whole course of his life hee hath been now pleased to receiue him into the numbe◠of those whom the holy Ghost heere pronounceth blessed The Lord for h◠mercies sake grant that wee after th◠example of all the faithfull departed may be carefull to liue in the Lord Iesus by a true and a liuely faith that liuing in him wee may die in him and dying in him may be found in him at the resurrection that rising in him we may be glorified with him by the fruition of God himselfe the chiefest good To which most gracious and most glorious God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost be all praise honour and glorie both now and for euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The context and coherence * Bellarm. de Pontif. Rom. lib. 3. cap. 10. Reuel 18. 4 In 2. Thess. 2. Ad Algas Quaest. 11. 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. 12. The text analysed 2. Pet. 1. 19. Reuel 21. 5. Galat. 1. 8. Luke 16. 31. 2. Cor. 11. 14 1. Sam. 28. 12. 1. Cor. 13. 3. Eph. 5. 30. Iohn 15. 2. c. 2 Rom. 6. 3. Gal. 3. 27. Ioh. 6. 56. 1. Cor. 12. 13 3 1. Cor. 1. 30. Ephes. 1. 1. Philip. 1. 〈◊〉 Col. 1. 2. Rom. 〈◊〉 1. 2. Cor. 5. 17. 2. Tim. 3. 12 Gal. 2. 20. 1. Cor. 6. 15. Gal. 3. 13. Ephes. 2. 3. Iohn 1. 12. Rom. 8. 16. Tit. 2. 13. Rom. 8. 1. Ioh. 15. 4. 5. Gal. 2. 20. 1. Ioh. 5. 12. 1. Tim. 5. 6. Luke 9. 60. Rom. 8. 7. 1. Cor. 1. 30. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Col. 1. 24. Act. 9. 4. Psal. 123. 2. John 1. 16. Ephes. 2. 6. Coloss. 3. 3. 1. John 3. Phil. 3. 8. 9. Rom. 10. 17. 14. 1. Cor. 3. 5. Deut. 12. 3. 1. Cor. 4. 15. 1. Pet. 1. 23. Rom. 1. 16. 1. Cor. 1. 21. Hebr. 4. 2. Ioh. 1. 1◠Mat. 5. 3. 6. 2. Pet. 1. 1. 2. Cor. 13. 5. Hebr. 11. 6. Hebr. 11. 6. Iam. 2. 29. Iohn 8. 33. Mat. 9. 13. Mat. 9. 13. Mat. 18. 11. Luke 4. 18. Luke 18. 14. 1. Ioh. 2. 3. 4 Ier. 23. 24. Gal. 3. 10. Esay 53. 5. Iohn 6. 55. 2. Cor. 5. 20. Act. 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. Iam. 2. 18. Rom. 3. 28. Gal. 2. 16. 1 Iohn 1. 6. Iohn 19. 34. 35. Rom. 5. 12. c. 2. Pet. 1. 4. 2. Cor 5. 17. Rom. 8. 1. 1. Iohn 1. 6. Luk. 11. 23. Rom. 8. 15. 16. Ephes. 1. 13. 14. 4. 30. Gal. 2. 20. 2. Pet. 1. 10. 1. Ioh. 3. 24. Mat. 10. 32 Apoc. 2. 10 Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 3. 16. 1. Cor. 10. 12. 1. Ioh. 2. 19. Iohn 15. Ioh. 15. 6. Ioh. 15. 4. 7. 2. Pet. 2. 20. 22. Ezec. 18. 24 Matth. 7. 26 Matt. 7. 24. Luk. 18. 13. 14. 15. 1. Pet. 1. 9. Num. 23. 10 Chrysost. Luke 23. Philip. 3. 9. John 9. 4. Eccl. 11. 3. Hebr. 3. Apoc. 21. 4. 7. 17. Luk. 17. 10. Rom. 6. 23. 〈◊〉 Cor. 15. 58 1 Tim. 6. 18. 19. 1. Cor. 2. 9. 1. Iohn 3. 2. Psal. 16. 11 Titus 2. 13. Rom. 8. 18. Hebr. 12. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philip 1. 23 1. Cor. 15. 36 42. 43. 44. 1. Cor. 15. 53 Titus 2. 12. Reuel 14. 1. Reuel 20. 6. Ioh. 13. 20. Luk. 10. 16. Isocrates ad Daemonicū 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 15. 19. Prou. 29. 27 1. Ioh. 3. 14. Iames 3. 2.
is withered away in time of heate yet that which falleth into an vpright heart as it were good ground is neither choked nor withered but bringeth foorth fruite with patience The way then to die in Christ is to liue in him by a true and vnfained faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by loue walking vprightly as it becommeth the members of Christ in the sincere profession of his faith so shall we in the end of our life attaine to the end of our faith which is the saluation of our soules Many there are which could be content to die in Christ who care not to liue in him Many with Balaam desire to die the death of the righteous but leade the life of the wicked But be not deceiued it is an old saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of an euill life coÌ„monly there is an euill end Presume not that thou shalt die in Christ vnlesse first thou liue in him In all the Scripture there is but one example of a man who after a wicked life was conuerted at the houre of his death One there is that men should not then despaire and but one that they should not before hand presume And forasmuch as nothing is either more certaine than death or more vncertaine than the time thereof it behoueth vs carefully to prouide whiles wee haue time to be in Christ that death whensoeuer it commeth may finde vs in him Let our life be a preparation for death and let this be the chiefest care of our life that wee may be found in Christ at the time of our death This life as our Sauiour saith is the day wherein we are to worke afterward is the night when no man can worke or turne vnto God but as the tree falleth so it lieth and as the day of death doth leaue vs the day of iudgement shall finde vs. This therefore must teach vs not to deferre from day to day our repentance towards God and faith in Iesus Christ but presently whiles it is called to day to turne vnto the Lord that wee may bee in Christ to day before to morow because wee haue none assurance that wee shall liue vntill the morow And so much may suffice to haue spoken of the first and chiefe point namely who they are which heere bee pronounced blessed to wit they which die in the Lord. Now are we in the second place briefely to consider what this blessednes is and wherein it doth consist This is shewed in the words following that they rest from their labours and their workes follow with them So that their happines is two-fold first priuatiue in that they rest from their labors and molestations for there is a sabbaâ—sme or rest reserued to the people of God Hebr. 4. 9. whereof the Sabbath was a type For then the Lord shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and they shall be no more subiect to sinne or the punishment therof as sicknes weaknes mortalitie labour wearines troubles wrongs death Death is the hauen and the end of al misery vnto them But their happines is not meerely priuatiue like that of beasts which after death haue no more sense of paine where by the way we are to note that the state of the beast when it dieth is better then of the wickâ—d who die in their sinnes but it is also positiue For their workes that is the reward of their faith and obedience 〈◊〉 God shall croâ—ne with euerlasting happines shall 〈◊〉 â—th â—hem This doth teach vs that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good 〈◊〉 cannot merit â—ny thing 〈◊〉 tâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God as Christ himselfe hath tâ—ld 〈◊〉 Luke 17. and â—ch 〈◊〉 eternall 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 are not said to go before our acceptation to eternall 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 cause but follow as fruits yet the Loâ— of his free grace according to his promise doth plentifully reward them The consideration wherof as it must encourage vs all to be fruitfull in good works knowing that our labour shall not been vaine in the Lord so especially those whoÌ„ the Lord hath enriched with his blessings whether temporall or spirituall that they be rich in good workes laying vp for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Againe whereas it is said that the workes of the faithfull do accompanie them after death this sheweth that although death strippe vs of all temporall things yet it doth not bereaue vs of our workes but bringeth vs the reward of them And that when all our friends and followers and all other worldly either delights or commodities doe faâ—e and forsake vs yâ— our workes doe follow with vs to our â—all comfort Which should make vs to esteeme the keeping of faith and a good conscience aboue all the things of this world Now what this reward is which God hath prepared for these that die in Christ though neither the eye hath seene nor the eare heard nor the heart of man conceiued yet thus much we may gather out of the Scriptures that it shall consist in eternall and most perfect glory and gladnes The glory standing partly in the excellency of those heauenly gifts wherewith they shall be adorned being in respect thereof like vnto the Angels and renewed perfectly according to the glorious image of God yea made conformable to Christ our head in such a proportion of glory as his seueral members bee capable of and partly in the fruition of heauenly blessings as the possession of heauen and all heauenly good things the fellowship of the blessed Saints and Angels and that which is all in all the enioying of God himselfe who is the chiefest good In whose presence there is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there be pleasures for euermore And that is the second thing their eternall ioy and gladnes arising from that glory For as they shall be most happie so shall they reioyce in it with vn speakable and endlesse comfort and in the sense thereof shall euermore bee stirred vp with wonderfull alacrity to glorifie God In expectation of this happie hope we are to liue soberly iustly and holily in this present world For if wee set this ioy before as the marke towards which we contend we will not suffer our selues to be withdrawne from our obedience to God neither by any worldly desires which in comparison hereof are to bee esteemed as meere vanities nor by any terrors of the world which in respect of the ioy that is set before vs wee are to contemne The third thing remaineth that is the time when this blessednes doth belong to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he thenceforth that is from the time of their death and so forward for presently they rest from their labours and their workes follow he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with them This therefore is a
is Popish pollutions as the context or coherence in both places sheweth Neither was hee a backeward professor as many are who haue no care of religion but manifested his forwardnes by diuers good signes As first by frequenting the holy exercises of religion abroad and hauing them duely performed at home Secondly by louing reuerencing and countenancing faithfull Ministers Preachers of Gods Word For this I doubt not to auouch that the religion and deuotion of meâ— towards God may be discerned by nâ— one signe better then by the respect which they haue to Gods Ministers Foâ— as our Sauiour saith he that receiueth yâ— receiueth me and he that despâ—seth you despiseth me For as he that despiseth a Minister in respect of his calling doth euidently bewray himselfe neither to haâ— any grace nor yet to desire any because the grace which either hee hath or desireth ordinarily is procured by the Ministery as I could shew at large so he that loueth and reuerenceth a Minister for his calling sake as this worthy Knight did he doth shew that he hath found the Ministery of the Word to bee the power of God to his saluation Of his loue to other my brethren in the Ministery the great concourse of Ministers at this present to honor his funerall is a sufficient euidence As touching my selfe I do with thankfulnesse acknowledge the greatnes of his loue manifested towards me diuers waies wherein he may seeme to haue followed the graue aduise of the Greek Orator in that he hath made me to inherit that loue friendship which from a child he did euer beare to my father Thirdly his forwardnes appeared by louing and fauouring those that were honest and religious and hampering those who were otherwise disposed who now perhaps will vtter their spleene and by their slanderous speeches proue that 〈◊〉 he honored and loued those that feared God so such vile and naughty persons as themselues were odious in his sight Which is one good note of the child of God as the holy Ghost witnesseth Psal. 15. 4. Beloued in the Lord it is no small token of a member of Christ when a man loueth the members of Christ for their godlines and vertues sake For they their are of the world hate those that bee in Christ. And as a wicked man is an abomination to the godly euen so a godly man is an abomination to the wicked Iohn therefore setteth this downe as a special signe hereby saith he we know that we are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethren I hasten to his cariage among men and first in his dealings as a priuate maÌ„ wherein he was I speake of his generall course a strict obseruer of truth in hiâ— words of iustice in his deeds of fidelity in his promises But chiefely consideâ— him in the discharge of his calling For a mans calling is that staÌ„ding wherin God hath placed him to exercise his faith and obedience that therein hee may glorifie God and doe good to men Consider his priuate calling as he was an housholder or head of his familie And therein acknowledge with me his great loue and fidelity to his wife his fatherly prouidence towards his children and nephewes his great wisedome and care in gouerning his seruants and preseruing them from those horrible vices which as they be vsuall now adaies in great families so no doubt will pull downe the fearefull iudgements of God vpon them I meane swearing and swaggering and finally his goodnesse and bountie towards those whom he found diligent honest and frugall But his publique calling as he was a Magistrate and gouernour in the Common-wealth doth now call me vnto it Wherein all I doubt not who did not mislike him for his iust seueritie either against themselues or such as were neere vnto them wil freely acknowledge that he was a very good Iusticer and a very notable good Common-wealthes man both for his sufficiencie and wisedome which was great and also for his great zeale and good affection towards his countrie and couragious resolution to shew himselfe forward in good causes The truth whereof if we did not sufficiently see whilest wee enioyed him I dout we shall too well feele by wanting him And thus you haue heard of his sobrietie and gouernment of himselfe of his faith and religion towards God and of his iustice charity towards men In all which you are not to vnderstand me as though I went about to maintaine that he had no infirmities or that he neuer failed in any particulars for alas is many things we offend all and highly iâ— that man to be commended whose generall course is such as I haue described Yea happy and thrice happy is that man who hath a setled and vnfaineâ— purpose of obseruing those duties of sobrietie iustice and pietie though besidâ— his purpose he faile in many particulaâ— through infirmitie for 〈◊〉 a one no doubt is the true child of God And as these signes did shew that he liued in the Lord so the same added to his demeanor in the time of his sicknes will proue that he died in the Lord. I wil begin with his Christian charitie in forgiuing those that had offended him in giuing satisfaction to such as thought themselues wronged in seeking to bee reconciled with such as he might thinke did beare any grudge towards him which being considered together with the greatnes both of his mind and state will seeme no small argument of great Christianity And herein he did acknowledge as he had cause the good prouidence of God towards him in giuing him occasion whilest he was aliue and able to answere for himselfe to cleare himselfe as to my vnderstanding hee did of diuers imputations which otherwise might perhaps haue proued scandalous after his death No lesse commendable was his Christian pietie towards God shewing it selfe in the time of his sicknes not onely in the exercises of religion as often hearing of the word preached receiuing the Sacrament more than once to assure him of his vnion and communion with Christ daily inuocation of the name of God but also in approouing his faith and patience being by a long and sharp sicknesse so throughly tried In respect whereof I may not forget his behauiour at two especiall times the one a weeke before his death when as his speech being taken from him hee supposed the time of his dissolution to bee at hand And therefore minding to prepars himselfe for death he calleth by signes for inke and paper and as hee could writeth the names of diuers Ministers and some other his faithfull friends whom he would haue sent for that they might bee both assistants vnto him by theâ— prayer and godly counsaile in the agonie of death as also witnesses of hiâ— faithfull departure But before theâ— came it pleased GOD to restore hâ— speech whereby to his owne and theâ— comfort he made a notable confession of his faith which also he then sealed