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
to die for him but as I said all they and only they which die in the Lord as the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe plainely signifie are here by the voice of God from heauen and by the testimony of the spirit pronounced blessed But let vs consider who may be said to die in the Lord for this is the most materiall point in all this text The like phrase is vsed 1. Thess. 4. 16. The dead in Christ. 1. Cor. 15. 18. They which are a sleepe in Christ. Which places being vnderstood of al the faithfull do cuidently proue that this phrase is not to bee restrained to Martyrs only but generally to be extended to all true Christians They therefore are said to die in Christ who being in Christ do so â—nd this life or who being by a true saith ingrafted into Christ doe in that faith depart this life So that to this happines two things are required first that we be in Christ for else we cannot be said to die in him the second that we abide in him vnto the end for else we do not die in him But you will say how can we be in Christ seeing he is in heauen and we on the earth I answere whosoeuer truly beleeueth in Christ he is in Christ and being in him is blessed Heere therefore I am to shew two things 1. That the faithfull be in Christ 2. That their being in him is the ground of their happinesse For there euery faithfull man and woman is a true member of the body of Christ bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and consequently they are in him and he in them they being in him by faith and he in them by his spirit And they are not only in him but also one with him according to his prayer Ioh. 17. For as the body is one and yet hath many members and all the members though many are but one body so is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body namely of Christ and by the same were all made to drinke into one spirit viz. of Christ that is by the Spirit of Christ we are in Baptisme engrafted into the body of Christ and in the Lords Supper vnited to his Spirit 1. Cor. 12. 12. 13. As therefore there is an vnion betwixt the head of the natural body and the members thereof which be most remote from it by reason of the vnity of the same soule which being chiefely seated in the head quickneth also the feet so is it in the mysticall body of Christ. For hereby as S. Iohn saith We know that we dwell in Christ and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirit This therfore is my first reason whosoeuer is in the body of Christ hee is in Christ euery one that truly beleeueth in Christ is in the body of Christ as a liuely member thereof therefore euery one that truly beleeueth in Christ is in Christ. The like comparison our Sauiour vseth Ioh. 15. where he saith that he is the vine and the faithfull are as it were branches in him As the branches therefore be in the vine so the faithfull are in Christ. Againe the Sacraments serue to this end to assure the faithfull that they be in Christ. For by the one we are baptised into Christ that is by Baptisme ingrafted into him Gal. 3. 27. in the other we eate his body and drinke his blood which whosoeuer doth he is in Christ and Christ in him Ioh. 6. 56. both whicâ— are plainely testified by the Apostle iâ— the place euen now cited For saith hâ— by the same Spirit we are all baptisâ— into one body and made all to drinke into one spirit But what need I other proofes seeing the holy Ghost in the Scripture plainely affirmeth that the faithfull be in Christ as 1. Cor. 1. 30. You saith the Apostle to the faithfull are of God in Christ. And it is an vsuall thing in the Scriptures to terme the faithfull such as be in Christ as Ephes. 1. 1. Philip. 1. 1. Colos. 1. 2. to the faithfull which be in Christ to all the Saints in Christ c. In the 8. to the Romans when he would signifie that the faithfull are forced from damnation he saith There is no condemnation to them which he in Christ Iesus When he would signifie that the faithfull are also regenerate he saith Whosoeuer is in Christ he is a new creature And finally as the faithfull are here said to die in Christ so elsewhere they are said to liue in him and he in them 2. Tim. 3. 12. Gal. 2. 20. The vse which we are to make hereof is two-fold the one of instruction the other of comfort For seeing the faithfull are in Christ it behoueth all them who would seeme to bee true Christians to behaue themselues as becommeth those which are in Christ gouerned and guided by his spirit according to his Word For this we are to know that the offences I meane especially such as be notorious offences of such as be or would seeme to be in Christ do redound to the dishonor of Christ our head For as we seeme to haue communion with him which in sinful actions indeed we haue not but are then affected as members of the naturall body benummed with the palsie which though they haue vnion with their head yet haue not communion of sense and motion deriued to them from the head but I say as wee seeme to haue communion with him so we seeme to draw him into the communion and fellowship of our sinne which is horrible to be thought When as therefore we are incited or allured to the practise of sinne let this consideration restraine vs. For seeing wee professe our selues our soules and bodies to bee members of Christ let vs say with the Apostle Shal I take the member of Christ and make it the member of a harlot Gâ— forbid And so for other sinnes shall I defile the member of Christ with idolatrie and make it a member of Antichrist or shall I pollute the member of Christ with drunkennesse with theft with blood with witchcraft c. and make it as much as in me lieth a limbe of the diuell God forbid The comfort which all the faithfull are from hence to reape is that comfort of all comforts namely that they are in Christ and consequently are so to conceiue of themselues as being in Christ. I say againe that all they who embrace the mercies of God in Christ and doe lay hold vpon him by a true and a liuely faith are to bee assured that they are in Christ and consequently that they are in the fauour of God and accepted of him in Christ as righteous and in Christ adopted as the children of GOD and heires of eternall life Many not well considering this point doe greatly weaken the faith either of others or their owne Of others as namely they who halting betweene
him as his members and yet walke in darkenesse we deceiue our selues But if we esteeme it our happines to be in Christ we will not only be careful to trie our selues whether we be in him but also wee will giue all diligence to make our being in Christ more more sure vnto vs. And to this purpose we must earnestly pray vnto the Lord that hee would giue vnto vs his spirit which he hath promised to giue to those that aske him his spirit I say of adoption crying in our hearts Abba Father testifying to our spirits that we are the children of God and heires of eternall life sealing vs vp to the day of our full redemption and as the earnest of our saluation assuring vs thereof Secondly wee must not content our selues with the inferiour degrees of faith but be carefull to grow from faith to faith vntill we come to the full assurance of faith And to this end wee having receiued Christ as before was said in the earnest desire of our harts and vnfained resolution of our mindes wee must for the increase of our faith perswade our selues that wee now are in CHRIST and so conceiue of our selues as being in him reconciled vnto GOD and iustified by faith that being in him wee haue communion with him his merits being imputed vnto vs that be in him as if we had performed the same for our selues in our owne persons For being in him wee are to be assured that whatsoeuer hee performed for the saluation of the faithfull he performed for vs and may with the Apostle in particular applie the same to vâ— Together with Christ saith hee and sâ— must euery faithfull man say I was crâ—cisied And I liue no longer I but Christ â—ueth in me and the life whith I now liue 〈◊〉 the flesh I liue by the faith of the sonne 〈◊〉 God who loued me and gaue himselfe fâ— me And for the confirmation of 〈◊〉 faith in this particular assurance wee 〈◊〉 to make vse of the Sacraments For thâ— baptisme which wee receiued in our 〈◊〉 fancie remaineth as a sure pledge vnâ— vs to assure vs that wee beleeuing in Christ are ingrafted into him and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper serueth to assure vnto vs our vnion and communion with Christ. Lastly wee are according to the exhortation of S. Peter to giue diligence to make our calling election iustification and being in Christ more more sure vnto vs by leading of a godly and vpright life For sanctification to a man professing the true faith is an vndoubted argument of his iustification and of his being in Christ 1. Ioh. 3. 24. For seeing a man cannot be sanctified before hee is iustified nor liue a spirituall life vnlesse he be in Christ it is therefore most certaine that whosoeuer is sanctified as euery one is that hath an vnfained purpose to walke in the obedience of Gods will though besides his purpose he faile through infirmitie in many particulars hee is also iustified and ingrafted into Christ. But as we must be in Christ if we will be blessed by dying in him so must we â—bide in him to the end or else wee doe not die in him He that continueth to the end saith our Sauiour shall be saued And againe Be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life which I speak not as though a man that truly beleeueth in Christ and is once ingrafted into him by a true faith could totally or finally fall away from faith or be cut off from Christ for how can that stand with the maine promise of the Gospell assuring saluation and consequently perseuerance to saluation to euery one that doth truly beleeue but to this end that he which supposeth that hee standeth may take heed lest he fall And that hee which thinketh he is in Christ because hee is in the visible Church which in respect of the faithfull who are therein is a part on the bodie of Christ may labour not only by a true faith to be ingrafted into the inuisible Church which is the mysticaâ— bodie of Christ but also to gather infallible tokens to himselfe of his beinâ— in Christ. For many bee in the visibâ— Church which be not of the Church iâ— uisible and such are subiect to defe ction or falling away and the Loâ— fuffereth them to fall away that it may appeare they are not of vs 1. Iohn 2. 19. There be many branches which seeme to be in the vine which is Christ Ioh. 15. but being rotten branches haue no vnioÌ„ with him by faith nor communion with him by the holy Ghost though they be ingrafted into the Church the visible bodie of Christ. For as Cions ingrafted which doe not take or rotten boughes of a tree which being one with the tree in shew and as the Philosopher saith mathematice by continuitie or vnion of termes are not one indeed and naturally by the vnitie of the forme which is the vegetatiue soule as it were of the plant so are they in Christ externallie and sacramentally but spiritually and in truth they are not And such branches as our Sauiour saith must looke to be cut off and cast into the fire As therefore wee doe now perswade our selues that wee be in Christ so let vs be carefull as our Sauiour exhorteth vs to abide in him yea and to grow in him For if any man professing himselfe to be in Christ and by his being in him to be freed and washed from his sinnes shall fall away from Christ and with the sow that was washed shall returne as it were to his wallowing in the mire the latter end of such a one shall bee worse than his beginning If a righteous man saith the Prophet speaking of him according to the outward appearance that hee might teach vs in like sort to speake of men according to the iudgement of charitie shall turne away from his righteousnes and commit iniquitie doing according to all the abominations of the wicked his former righteousnes shall not bee remembred but hee shall die in his sinnes And that wee may abide in Christ to the end let vs labour to bee vpright and sound Christians beleeuing in Christ by faith vnfained walking vprightly before God and men For vprightnes hatâ— euermore the priuilege of perseuerance For though hypocrites which build vpon the sand being hearers onely anâ— not doers of the word doe fall away iâ— the time of triall yet the sound Christian who liueth according to his profession and hath built vpon the rocke with no surges or assaults of temptation can bee vtterly ouerthrowne Though the seed which fell either amoÌ„g thornes whereby is meant the heart of the worldly professor is choked or on the rockie ground whereby is meant the secure hard and impenitent heart of the hypocrite and temporarie professor couered as it were with the shallow mould of an outward profession
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.
A FVNERALL SERMON PREACHED AT WATTON IN Hertfordshire at the buriall of the ancient and worthy Knight Sir PHILIP BOTELER Decemb. 9. 1606. By G. Downame Doctor in Diuinitie AT LONDON Printed by FILIX KYNGSTON and Martin Clarke 1607. A FVNERALL SERMON PREACHED at Walton in Hertfordshire at the buriall of the ancient and worthy Knight Sir Philip Boteler Decemb. 9. 1606. REVEL 14. 13. And I heard a voice from heauen saying vnto me write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from thenceforth â—ea saith he spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow with then THE holie Ghost hauing in the former chapter from the II. verse to the end described Antichrist as all doe agree and hauing in the 8. verse of this chapter foretold the â—uine of the Antichristian seare signified â—y the fall of Babylon which was to follow vpon the preaching of the eternall Gospell foreshewed vers 7 he endeuoureth in the verses following euen vnto the end of this text by two most forcible arguments to draw men out of Babylon and to withdraw them from Antichrist the one importing those fearefull punishments which shall befall them who after the reuelation of Antichrist by the preaching of the Gospell shall ioyne themselues vnto him the other expressing the happie estate of those who not suffering themselues to bee seduced by Antichrist doe die in the true faith of Christ. The former argument is propounded vers 9. 10. 11. If any â—an saith he worship the beast and his image and receiue his marke on his forehead 〈◊〉 vpon his hand that is as I haue euidenty proued in my treatise of Antichrist vhereunto for breuitie sake I doe now referre you whosoeuer liueth and dieth a reâ—lute and absolute Papist acknowledging the Popes supremacie professing the Antichristian faith and practising the Idolâ—tries and superstitions of the apostaticâ— Church of Rome He shall drinke of tâ— wine of Gods wrath yea of the pure wine powred that is prepared to be drunke in the cup of his wrath whereby is meant euerlasting damnation prepared for the wicked wherein iudgement not to bee allaied with mercie shall bee executed vpon them Which iudgement for the greatnes is most horrible for they shall be tormented in fire and brimstone for continuance is not only without end for the smoke of their torment shall ascend euermore but also without intermission for they shall haue no rest day nor night And lest any man should think it hard that men being either terrified by the crueltie of Antichrist or seduced by his craft to ioyne with him shal euerlastingly bee tormented in fire and brimstone the holy Ghost preuenteth this obiection vers 12. Hereby saith he the patience of the Saints is tried and here are they that keepe the commaundements of God and the faith of Iesus discerned For howsoeuer the vnsound Christian may be peruerted by Antichrist yet it is impossible saith our Sauiour that the elect should finally be seduced by him Matth. 24. 24. By this argument therefore men are to be perswaded as they tender the saluation of their soules so to beware that they doe not encline to Poperie or if they be Papists alreadie to come out of Babylon as they are exhorted Reue. 18 4. For as Chrysostome rightly obserueth on 2. Thess. 2. 10. Antichrist preuaileth in them that perish or as Ierome speaketh in them who are prepared vnto destruction Vpon whom saith the Apostle because they haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued the Lord sendeth the efficacie of error that they may beleeue lies that all they might be damned which beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnes whereby hee meaneth the mysterie of iniquitie which is Antichristianisme that is to say Poperie The other argument expressing the blessed estate of those that die not in the religion of Antichrist which the Papists doe but in the true saith of Christ opposed to the religion of Antichrist and professed in the Churches which are reformed by the preaching of the eternall Gospell is contained in these wordâ— which I haue read vnto you And therefore as the former reason must if wee would not be damned disswade vs from Poperie so this argument must perswade vs if wee would be saued to bee sincere and constant professors of the true faith of Christ which by the vnspeakable mercie of God towards vs is professed among vs. For if we shall liue and die in this faith as true and sound professors thereof as our hope is this worthie Knight did then shal our estate so soone as this life is ended bee most happie and blessed as the holy Ghost doth assure vs in this text Wherein that I may now come to the words themselues the present felicitie of all those that die in the Lord is not onely affirmed viz. in these words Blesâ— are the dead which die in the Lord from thenceforth but also confirmed and prooued both by authoritie and reason The authoritie is first a voice from heauen not only auouching this truth but also commanding Iohn to write it Secondly the testimonie of the spirit Euen so saith the spirit The reason why those which die in the Lord are presently happie is because they rest from their labours and molestations and their works meaning the blessed reward of their workes follow with or accompanie them As if hee should haue said They which die in the Lord are foorthwith happie because death to them is the end of all miserie trouble and the beginning of euerlasting happinesse Now whereas the holy Ghost doth not onely deliuer this assertion that the dead which die in the Lord are blessed but is so carefull to countenance and prooue the same vnto vs and well are wee to be assured that his care is not superfluous this is therefore an euident token that men commonly in the world be of another opinion which is the cause why the holy Ghost saw it needfull not onely to deliuer this truth but also to ratifie and confirme it For first men commonly account it a miserable thing to die and naturally are so affraide of death as to saue their liues they will not sticke to commit any sinne almost as to denie Christ and his religion and to ioyne with Antichrist and by their sinne to cast away their precious soules which they would not doe if they could be perswaded that death brings happinesse with it Againe to die in the Lord as it is here vnderstood with opposition and not in the subiection and faith of Antichrist not in the communion of the now apostaticall Church of Rome of the Papists who falsely tearme themselues Catholikes is counted a damnable thing of the carnall and backsliding Gospellers a more miserable thing than to liue in the saith and subiection of Antichrist That therefore wee may die willingly when God shall call vs and may be readie to lay downe our liues for the
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