the Dead which dye in the Lord. Had it been onely to maintain the publick Service of God established by Law even that alone would have made them Martyrs For not a Tittle of it but it was by the Dictate of the Holy Ghost and I should think my self accursed if I were not able to maintain it and would now if it were not beside my Text and Purpose yet blame not my holy Zeal if I do vindicate that saving-Book against the Schismaticks greatest Exceptions And that is in the Office of Marriage That Office consists of Substance and Ceremony The Substance Prayer The Ceremony a Ring Look you upon both and first the first Prayer in that Office It beseeches Almighty God to bless the Couple to be married As Isaac aâ—d Rebecca whence I aâ—gue thus This Prayer was dictated by the Holy Ghost to the Composers of the Common Prayers or made by those Composers without the Dictate of the Holy Ghost But not by them without his Dictate Therefore by his Dictate to them If by them without him then they would have made it according to Humane Reason and so have said bless them O Lord as thou didst bless Abâ—aham and Sarah or as thou didst bless Jacob and Rachel and they had humane Reason for it for Abraham was Gods fiâ—st Friend Jacob was Gods great Favourite But sayes the Holy Ghost Not so nor so but let it be bless them as Isaac and Rebecca and there is no Humane Reason for this but a Divine Reason there is and that is this Abraham had his Hagar in Sarahs time and this Keturah afterwards Jacob had his Leah his Zilhah and his Bilhah but Isaac had none but his Rebecca and therefore sayes the Holy Ghost let it not be Bless them as Abraham and Sarah Bless them as Jacob and Rachel for then people may be apt to think they may have many Wifes at once if not some Concubines but let it be Bless them as thou didst bless Isaac and Rebecca let them know One man should have but one Wife especially at one time Then secondly look upon the Ring The Ring must be round without end and the Ring must be of Gold without mixture so must the Husbands love be to his Wife perpetual and to be terminated onely by Death and withal his Love must be pure and not given or imparted to any other but to his Wife onely Certainly therefore Blessed they which dye in maintaining that Service-book which can without contradiction father the very Ceremonies of it upon the Holy Ghost But add to this Obedience to the King Unity to the Church Liberty to the Subject and many more commanded by God and deny He that can or dare Blessed is William Laud Archbishop for dying for the Churches Unity Blessed are Cavendish Greenvile c. for dying for Obedience and to keep the Kings Crown upon his Head Blessed is King Charles the first for dying for both and to preserve the Subjects Liberties And if they are Blessed why then do any mourn as if they were lost But alas Nature will have her course and on Gods Name let it but let Nature give you bounds to Natures course stillate volo non currere let your Eyes drop Tears like pretious water out of a Still not run like common water out of a spout So said Seneca from Nature Yes Nature hath taught it not onely by Speech but also by Example what else meant that Heathen Priest who so soon as be heard of his Sons Death presently put off his Crown and vented his Sorrow by his Tears but hearing withal That his Son died Valiantly he assumed his Crown again and finished his Sacrifice So you B. hearing your Friends death lay aside your Crowns and melt your selves into Tears but knowing They died for God for the Church for the King for the Countrey for the glory of God for the Unity of the Church for the Honour of the King for the Lawes of the Countrey and that the King himself was Murthered and Martyred for all these Put on your Crowns again and finish your own Christian course with Joy Give not back though you are bur few Fall not back though Gods the Churches the Kings and your Enemies have got the Trophees you know not whether God hath chosen for his Gedeon a Reserve that his own Glory may be the greater and your own blessedness as sure by Dying In the Lord as your Friends that have dyed For the Lord. Their blessedness is not doubted They that dye For the Lord They that seal the Truth of Gods VVord and Religion with their blood Nor Catholique nor Papist call their blessedness into question They that were slain in the late quarrel And certainly their blessedness too your own needs as little doubt who are resolved to dye In the Lord you who lead a holy life and believe in the Lord Jesus and will continue therein to the end They are you are blessed For questionless St. John is blessed though he died in his bed and was but banished as you are as well as St. Peter though he died upon the Cross and was put to Torment as our glorious King and many of our Friends were And it is to you as well as to them to you that are but Confessors as well as to them that were Martyrs that Christ speaks Come ye blessed of my Father possess the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning Mat. 25.34 But this for my part shall make no quarrel between Rome and England or Amsterdam If they will yield to us in some Substances we will easily yield to them in this Circumstance Let them decline to the killing of Kings and we will soon yield That Martyrs onely are blessed and so by consequence They onely dye in the Lord But with this Proviso That they take not nor understand this word Martyr in the common use of speech secundum vulgus For so it is one that seals his witness to the Gospel with his blood and suffers death for Christ but in the Grammar sence secundum Cleres For so it means but a Witness One that lives and dies in Faith as the Apostle speaks All these Abraham Isaac Jacob and many more died in the Faith i. e. They were all Martyrs Heb. 11.13 or they were all Witnesses to the truth of Christs Religion both in their Life and Death They died in the Lord. And thus you see what it is to dye in the Lord or who may be said to dye in the Lord Now for Application of this Point How may we dye in the Lord Appl. And that I shall tell you plainly and quickly If you would Dye in the Lord you must Live in the Lord Live in him you must by a Faith that purifies your hearts and then Dye in him you may by a Faith that justifies your Souls Live in him you must by the Faith of water to Sanctification Act. 15.9 and then Dye in him you may by
dy Well fare St. Chrysostome who being threatned with banishment from the Empresse of a good name but bad condition Eudoxia Et vult me exulem Regina And will the Empresse banish me said he Agat Let her do it Domini est terra the Earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof Another bids him hide himself and save his life For the Empresse would sawe him secet Content says he let her sawe me I am not afeard to follow the Prophet Isaiah in his way to Heaven A third bids him shift aside For the Empresse would cast him into the Sea Immergat said he Content still let her drown me I doubt not to find as good a plank as Jonas did to preserve me from perishing in the waters A fourth adviseth him to secure himself For the Emperesse would cast him into a Furnace of fire Injiciat said he As she pleases I am not afeard of a fiery Chariot The three children will bear me company and the Son of God will drive the Coach so fast that the Flames shall neither scortch my Flesh not singe my cloaths A fifth bids him take Sanctuary For the Emperesse would throw him to the wilde Beasts Jaciat said he let her do it I make no question but the Angels will muzzle them for hurting me Yet a sixth perswaded him to convey himself away for a while that the Church of Christ might receive some further benefit by him else the Emperesse would have him stoned to death Fiat voluutas Dei said he Let Gods will be fullfilled and hers too I will use all lawful means for my preservation being persecuted in this City I will fly into another but with this resolution still I am not afeard to follow St. Stephen thorow a whole shower or Quary of stones into the Kingdom of Heaven If these Examples be procul at too far a distance for us to follow Look we then upon a late Noble Glenham who was more conquered by an empty dish then by an insulting and increasing Foe and yet was afeard of neither but left his Garrison with more honour then his Enemies possest it Look upon a valiant Fawcet who was more conquered by the mutiny of his unfaithful Slaves for they are not worthy the name of Soldiers that will mutiny then by his thundring Enemies and yet was afeard of neither but came off with more honour then he left behinde him Look upon a Loyal Compton who notwithstanding the improbability of relief and the continuation of an hard Siege and the multiplication of a cruel Enemy yet resolved not to be afeard of any evil tydings Look upon an undaunted Arundel who being Summon'd to deliver up the Remainder in the West and whether threatned or allured thereunto I know not because the Kings party was utterly defeated returned an Answer as full of Resolution as Religion as full of Courage as Christianity and such as became both a Souldier and a Christian I have lived untainted threescore seven years and I have not any minde to go a Rebel to my Grave Remember if you revolt you turn Rebells and if you dye in that Apostacy you dye Rebels and leave an Odium upon your Name and a curse upon your Estates Look we upon those Gentlemen but look we upon them with the Eyes of imitation who in the year 1646 when all Royall hopes were low enough and Rebellious Ambitions high enough came from Plimouth Excester what brought them so many weary steps when they might have lived quietly there or gone safely to â—heit own habitations but the Example of a Loyall Wagstaffe and the fear of being tempted unto a Rebellion and desire to live and dye in his late Majesties service Look we upon his late Majesty who notwithstanding so many Waves of the Sea and so much madness of the People in the losse of Shrewsbury Hereford in the losse of Bristol Bridgewater in the losse of Excester a brave Cavalry was yet so far from being afeard of those evil tydings that he doubted not to recover all or at least to requite all his and his loyaly Subjects miserys with the blessing of Peace and honourable Conditions And when all this fail'd by a Scotch treachery which surpassed that of Judases by two hundred thousand pounds bating but thirty pieces of Silver and by a breach of Faith and Trust in his Parliament and their Army why yet his admirable constancy and perseverance his yet unimitable piety and patience bid us look upon him again with Sighs and Tears that so good a King should have so bad Subjects to present him with so evil tydings as the dark hurrying of him from Holmby to Hampton from Hampton to the Isle of Wight from the Isle of Wight to Windsor from Windsor to St. Jameses from St. Jameses to White-Hall and there to a Decollation to a Beheading to the losse of his Life was not yet afeard He was not afeard of any evil tydings And now look we upon his present Majesty whom the late Majesty his Father desired might be rather Charles le boon then Charles le Grand and I doubt not nor need you but that he will be Charles le Grand because he is Charles le Boon in his Enterprize of this year advancing from Scotland as far as Worce ster into England where when he was betrayed by the Cowardise or Treachery of the Scots I know not which I am sure by the obstinacy and obduracy was yet preserved by a Miracle from the Bloody hands and hearts of those who pursued him as a Partridge and still perseveres in his Fathers steps without fearing any evil tydings expecting faithfuller hands fairer opportunities and better successes And better successe he will have by Gods providence sooner then by Humane reason I can hope within these six years For as Tychâ— Brachy said The year 1640 would be Totius Mundi insania erga Reges An universal madnesse of the World against Kings so will that year 1656 prove Totius Mundi benevolentia erga Reges An universal goodnesse of the world towards Kings Sooner by Gods providence he may be established in his Birth and Undoubted Rights without any worldly assistance but then by Gods providence and the worlds subservance He will be restored and my Divine reason for it is As his Father appeared the best of men in being his Subjects Martyr So will he appear the best of Kings in being his Subjects Master because his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. It is my third and last Consideration Quare non timet ab auditu malo Why he that feareth God feareth not any evil tydings Pars. 3. Paratum est cor ejus or Confirmatum est cor ejus Read it which way you please His heart standeth fast believeth in the Lord or His heart is prepared to believe in the Lord. Sure I am the very Object Lord is enough to make our Heart stand fast and believe Were it but El There is
our Preserver from Sin and Danger from the Sin of Rebellion which was this Day acted to purpose and from the Danger of Rebels which for this Dayes Rebellion will ere long be executed on them to the purpose as our Judge according to the Clearness of our Hearts and Cleanness of our Hands we are then Blessed Spe in Regno Gratiae by Hope in the Kingdom of Grace because we have the Forgiveness of our sins and are thereby assured that therefore we shall be Blessed Re in Regno Gloriae by way of Possession in the Kingdom of Glory because then we hall have Everlasting Life And this is the upshot of all Blessedness And this Blessedness will not be had until we be Dead nor can it be had unless we Dye in the Lord. It is my next Consideration 2 a. 1 ae my Secunda Primae proposed thus Who are Blessed And disposed thus The Dead They are the Subject of this Object The Dead are Bessed and their Qualification is If they Dye in the Lord. By Dead here is not meant St. Pauls Dead which he speaks of to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.16 The wanton Widow who is Dead whiles she lives she is not Blessed because Dead but therefore Cursed because she is Dead whiles she lives For howsoever she drawes in the Life of Nature yet she never breaths out the Breath of Grace And this I prove by those three parts which are the best Indications of a Dead or Living Body The Pultse the Heart the Mouth If a mans Pultse beat If his Heart pants If his Mouth speaks or breaths we are sure he lives but if all these are silent and stir not we conclude He is Dead 1. Now for the Pultse of a wanton Widow the Pultse of her Soul her Conscience If it beat at all yet it beats unevenly and out of tune either too high by Desperation and Presumption or else too low by Security and Supiness And by this we know she is sick For the most part It beats not at all It gives no warning before It starts not at the temptation to sin It gives no Remembrance after It checks not at the Commission of sin and by this we conclude she is Dead And so her Heart too If that pants at all It is after sensual Pleasures and things forbidden like the Harlots in the Proverbs Come and let us take our fill of love Prov. Broken Cisterus that can hold no water It is not after the Fountain of living waters like Davids Come and let us go into the house of the Lord. Psal 3. And so her Mouth too That speaks not the Language of Canaan and such as becometh Saints but the Language of Ashdod and such as becometh Devils By which it appears she is Dead but not Blessed Nor by Dead here is meant those Dead which Christ speaks of Let the Dead bury the Dead i.e. The Deal in sin bury them that are Dead for sin As elsewhere He speaks to the Jews Yee shall dye in your sins And they that are so Dead Dead in their sins while they live or so Dye Dye in their sins when they leave this life They that give sin leave to reign in them while they are here and over them when they depart hence They that obey the commanding power of it now and sink under the Condemning Guilt of it then They are not Blessed though Dead but Cursed Cursed in their finishing of sin because that sin brings forth Death as St. James speaks i.e. Eternal Death Jam. 1. But by Dead here is meant not Universally All but Indefinitely Many Those that Dye in the Lord It is my next Consideration my Tertia Primae And here I shall shew you first What it is to dye in the Lord by way of Doctrine and Explication And secondly How we may dye in the Lord by way of Use and Application And first 3 a. 1 ae What it is to dye in the Lord Why To dye in the Lord or To dye in Christ or To dye in Faith for all these are Synonima is either To suffer Death for Christ like a Martyr or To end our life in firm Faith in Christ as a Confessor The Romanists contend earnestly for the Former and will have the Text to be understood of Martyrs onely and so they take In for Propter To dye In the Lord is To dye For the Lord. Now be it That the Martyrs are here Specially meant yet sure I am That they arc not here onely meant For I do not read Luk. 16. That Abraham was a Martyr yet I read That he was Blessed in Heaven with Glory nor do I read That the Thief upon the Cross died for Christ Luk. 23. yet I read That he was Blessed in Paradice with Christ He whosoever he be that doubts of the Martyrs Blessedness His that dyes for Christ is scarce worthy himself to have any part in Christ It is a thing so little doubted That Saint Augustine sayes Injuria est He does the Martyr wrong that prayes for him For by praying for him he doubts of his Salvation and Christ himself sayes He that looseth his life for my sake shall find it And certainly Mat. If he wrongs the Martyr that prayes for him then he that grieves for him wrongs him much more For he either doubts of his welfare or repines at his happiness To see Clouds in the Clergies face for the departing of our late most reverend Father in God William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury To see Furrowes in the faces of the remaining Greenvills Smiths or Boules To see water in the eyes of the surviving Cavendishes Lyndseies or Gardiners To hear Plaints from the Tongues of the being Bourcheris and Yeomans Tompkins and Challoners for the not being of their Fathers Sons Brothers Kindreds and Friends is equally to doubt of their being Martyrs and therefore Blessed as of our Enemies being Rebels and therefore Murtherers which for mine own part I no more doubt of either then of success in the End or mine own Salvation It hath been questioned I know by the Church-men of Rome Whether Souldiers may be Martyrs and their Reason is Quia bonum Reip. licet maximum inter bona humana non potest esse Causa Martyris sed solummodo Divinum Yet I know withal It is resolved by them again Quod bonum humanum officitur Divinum si referatur ad Deum est Causa Martyris Aq. 2.2 q. 124. Ar. 5. ad 3. a Subjects fighting and dying for their King or King fighting and dying for his Subjects did Fight and Dye for God they did it of late For of late Gods and the Churches and the Kings Cause consentred in one The King endeavoured to maintain that Religion and that publicly Service of God which Gods own right hand planted and his blessed Martyrs watered watered with their Blood and therefore blessed because they have so done Etiam dicit Spiritus so sayeth the Spirit blessed are
the Faith of Blood to Justification We may not with Balaam desire to dye the death of the Kighteous and live Covetously Nâ—â—b but we must with David lead the life of the Righteous and dye Comfortably If we would dye in the Lord and receive the end of our Faith which is the Salvation of our Souls we must first Live in the Lord by laying the Foundation of Faith by doing the Act of Faith and by bringing forth the Fruit of Faith 1. Fundamentum autem Fidei quid But what is the Foundation of Faith Why it is Cognitio Dei nostri the Knowledge of God and of our selves The Knowledge of God the Father and our Fall He made us upright and we found out many inventions He made us in his Image and we defaced it The Knowledge of God the Son and our Redemption we were lost and He sought us we were sold and He bought us 1 Cor. were slaves and He enfranchised us The Knowledge of God the Holy Ghost and our Sanctification by Him Such we were Druâ—kards Revilers Fornicators c. But we are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. This is the Foundation of Faith and it must be laid by Knowledge 2. The Act of Faith and it must be effected by Applying Actus autem Fidel quid And what is the Act of Faith Why it is Fiducia A perswasion that God the Father so loved me Joh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Son for me A perswasion that God the Son so loved me That he came in the similitude of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 and for sin condemned sin in the flesh A perswasion that God the Holy God so loved me that he hath baptized me into the death of Christ and hath thereby made me the Temple of Himself a Member of Christ and the Child of God In a word 1 Tim. 1.15 when I believe Though I am the greatest of all sinners yet Jesus Christ came into the world to save me 3. Fructus autem fidei quid And what is the Fruit of Faith Why it is Charitas Charity Charity to God by Prayer Charity to my self by Fasting and keeping my Body under Charity to the Poor by Almes These These are the precious Fruits that grow upon the precious Tree of Faith Faith believing in God thorow Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost to be saved does therefore pray to God against sin and keeps the Body under from sin and gives Almes to the Poor And when we do this why then as Christ saies you shall know the Tree by his fruit we live in the Lord and therefore we shall dye in the Lord. The word of my Text is not Qui vivunt They which live but Qui exeunt They that dye in the Lord Nor did I say this to deviate from my Text but to tell you How you may fulfil the Text and dye in the Lord and no way for this but by living in the Lord for otherwise the Lord may be said to Dye in us we cannot be said to Dye in the Lord. Nor yet did I say this That the man that lives not in the Lord cannot dye in the Lord For God can fetch water out of the flinty Rock but to tell you That ordinarily Few dye in the Lord that do not first live in the Lord They that live in sin may dye in the Lord and such A course may speed But it is a dangerous and indiscreet pare to venture a Soul upon such an hazard This course is sure to speed ' They that live in the Lord do alwayes dye in the Lord. It is storied that the French ad judged certain ground to the Irish against the Scotch because Spyders Toads and such poysonous Creatures did presently dye if they were put there So you may be our own Judges and know to what Master you belong If siâ—ful lusts words and works dye when they come upon the Ground of your Souls you belong to the Lord He lives in you and you shall dye in him Once more Would you dye in the Lord Why then as St. Paul saâ—es Dye daily i. e. Master your Lusts Subdue your Wrath Humble your Pride Resist all Temptations v.g. more plainly Suppose Covetousness were now breeding in my heart and Money perswaded me to become another Judas to betray my Soul my Saviour my King my Countrey Yet remember I it is but a sad bargain I am about No profit to gain the whole world and loose mine own Soul And what I say of this sin I say of all sin Take them while they are but little ones Mat. even but Temptations and dash them against the stones Against the stones of Mortification and Repentance Obey the Precepts of God and resist sin Believe the Promises of God and relye on Christ and so you shall live in the Lord Continue in this Obedience to the Law Persevere in this Belief of the Gospel and though you do sometimes fall and God forgive us all for who falls not often yet Rise again by Repentance and at the Hour of your Death Then six your Faith upon the Mercies of God in the Merits of Jesus Christ and you shall Dye in the Lord And Dying so you shall be blessed Etiam sic dicit Spirius For so saith the Spirit It is my second General Pars 2. I called it the Witness to assure the Deposition to confirm the truth of the Proposition and I must tell you It is beyond all exception Etiam sic dicit Spiritus For so sayes the Spirit But of this I shall not need to speak much For I hope in Christ There is no Athist here to deny the Truth of God or of his Word No Schismatick or Heretick here I hope to deny this Book of Revelation though penned by St. John to have proceeded from the Spirit Not any Carnal or Private Spirit not any Giddy or worldly spirit but the Holy and Blessed Spirit and therefore I forbear to prosecute this Point and thank your Piety for saving me the pains Nor shall I dare to trespass upon your Patience Pars 3. in speaking much of my Third General This Depositaries Exposition of the Proposition And yet least I should injure your Expectation I shall venture upon a word or two If any one askes wherein are the Dead Blessed They that dye in the Lord wherein are they blessed Loe The Spirit makes answer and sayes They are blessed two wayes 1. In Relaxation They rest from their Labours 2. In Retribution Their Works follow them They are two Blessednesses and two such Blessednesses as this world cannot afford Ease and Glory both In this world If sometimes we have Rest in our Studies by Divine Contemplation yet there we have no Glory we are but poor Schollars still And if sometimes you have Glory in the Court by Royal admission yet there you have no Rest you are but Observing Courtiers still But in Heaven Both you and we shall have
Rest and Glory both 1. Rest 1 a. 3 ae Job 14. When we are born we are born to Labour sayes Holy Job when we dye we dye to Rest sayes holy John If we dye in the Lord Every man while he lives Psal hath many Troubles sayes holy David even the Righteous Every one when he dyes hath not many hath not any Comforts For some are tormented in Hell sayes holy Abraham But the Righteous have many Comforts sayes holy Isaiah Isa 31.17 The work of Righteousness shall be Peace The End of Righteousness shall be Quietness and Assurance for ever The Righteous while he liveth is troubled in his Body by Diseases In his Soul by Temptations In his Goods by Plunder In his Name by Ignominy But when he is Dead he hath a Quietus est from them all His Body feels no Sicknesse His Soul fears no Temptation His Goods fear no Miscarriage His Name feels no Reproaches For he rests from his Labours Noâ— is this Rest like mans in the Night Natural by sleep from the Sorrowes of the Day nor like Servants every Sunday Ceremonial from the Labours of the Body not yet meerly like Christians upon those Sacred Festivals spiritual from sin but it is Eternal like that of Angels from sin and sorrow both And here you are to mark That this Rest follows Labour q. d. No Labour here No Rest theâ—e If you labour not while you live but sit down to Eat and Drink and Rise up to Play no Rest when you Dye And therefore labour here labour after a sanctified Rest while you live that you may enjoy a Glorified Rest when you Dye And here again you may mark That the Allegory of this Word compares Death to sleep For as they that sleep Rest so they that Dye If they Dye in the Lord Rest The difference in onely this All that sleep Rest All that Dye sleep but All do not Rest some Rest not at all To make it hold in all to you I beseech you to mark one thing in our Common Rest we never sleep so well at Night as when we work hard in the Day No Rest to the Labourers It is an old Proverb and true So That you may sleep when you Dye Rest â—n â—haâ— sleep I beseech you again and again To labour and to labour out the Salvation of your soul though it be with Fear and Trembling as the Apostle speaks Phil. 2.12 That when you have slept the night of Dâ—ath you may Rise in the Morning of your Resurrection to Rest â—om your Labours and have your Works follow you That 's one Blessedness of the Dead mans 2 a. 3 ae his Relaxation He rests from his labouâ—s And this is another His works follow him For by this Phraise is meant Reward because God rewards us according to our works But here you must take heed of Popery It is not for the merit of our works that we are rewarded but by the Mercy of our Rewarder that our works follow us We press Good works as hard as they They are necessary and so necessary to salvation that without them we cannot be saved For how shall They follow us if we have none of them But they do it to make their Proselytes proud We to make you and our selves Fruitful We are Trees and the Husband-man is not beholding to the Tree if it bears him Fruit when he hath bestowed much cost upon it It is the Duty of a Tree to bring forth Fruits and it is the Duty of Christians to bring forth Good works For that the Tree is spared from Burning and suffered to continue in the Orchard because their Fruits follow them from Year to Year And for this we are spared from Hell and suffered to enter into the Joyes of Heaven that our works may follow us from Generation to Generation for Ever and for Ever The Tree by his Root is entitled to the Orchard but by his Fruit it hath Possession of the Orchard And we by our Faith have Dominion a title to Heaven but by our Good works we have Possessionem i. e. Pedis Positionem the Possession of Heaven Labour therefore for Faith that as Abraham by the Promise of God had a Title to Canaan so you by Faith in the Mercies of God may have a Title to Heaven But let this Faith Travel with and bring forth Good works that as Abraham by his Travel took Possession of Canaan so you by your Good works may take Possession of Heaven One thing more for the Necessity of Good works It is here said They follow you It is to let you know They are your Servants and therefore you must cloath them with Good Liveries such as may do you service and credit both For if they be of a Course Wool or a False Dye They will do you neither Let your works then be sincere i. e. sine Cera without any Wax or Gum Let your Works of Piety Prayer and Fasting be without Hypocrisie Let your VVorks of Charity Almes and Benevolence be without Vain-glory Let your VVorks of Loyalty your Armes in bringing home King Charles the second And punishing the Murther of that Blessed Martyr King Charles the first be without self-ends Do none of these to be seen of men but in secret Maâ— That your Father which seeth in Heaven may reward you openly And an open Rewarding you shall have For Angels and Devils Heaven and Hell Saints and Reprobates shall see you follow the Lamb to the Glory of God and they shall see your works follow you to the Glory of your selves This This is the Blessedness of them that Dye in the Lord and of the late King and all his Souldiers who have Dyed for the Lord And now what greater Blessedness can there be than this For here is Rest and here is Glory Rest from your Labours and Glory in your Followers Nor do you tarry long for this after your Dissolution though the Papist would have it so to maintain their Fire of Purgatory Nor can you blame them for it for if it be once quenched it will presently staâ—ve the See of Rome and make the Kitching in St. Angelos Castle very cold But St. John saies It is Amodo Immediatly Henceforth so soon as ever the Soul is gone out of the Body By and by the Body rests from sickness and all External Labour The Soul rests from sin and all Internal Labour and both their works follow them till at Doomes-day They shall both be reunited and Crowned with ternal Glory to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes Even so saith the Spirit And so may He say to us now by the Assurance of Faith that then we may have it by the Assurance of Fruition thorow Jesus Christ Amen Amen Amen Anno Dom. 1657. PSALM 106.29 Thus they provoked him to Anger with their own Inventions and the Plague brake in upon them NOW I have read the words you may happily think It is such a Plague as
KING CHARLES HIS FUNERAL Who was Beheaded by Base and Barbarous hands January 30 1648. AND Interred at WINDSOR February 9 1648. WITH His ANNIVERSARIES Continued untill 1659. By THOMAS SWADLIN D.D. Qui orat exorat Vivat veniat Vincat Carolus Secundus Et sit Carolo Magno Major Amen LONDON Printed by John Clowes for the Author 16â—â— TO THE KINGS Most Exceent MAJESTIE CHARLES II. GREAT SIR THat Your Majestie may vouchsafe to give these Anniversaries a gracious Reception is the Petition to That Your Majestie may be Blest with a Long Life with a quiet Reign with a Faithfull Councel with a Pious Clergie with a Valiant Souldiery with a Loyal People and be preserved from a new Rivalry of Presbytery and Independency is the Petition for Your Majesty By Your Majesties Loyall Subject THOMAS SWADLIN D.D. Anno Dom. 1648. 2 SAM 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to put forth thine hand to destroy the Annointed of the Lord IN qualia tempora reservasti nos Domine O Lord God In what sad times do we live Times wherein sins of the highest size are comitted Sacriledge and Rebellion and not controuled Nay They are countenanced and not checkt Yea to check them and controule them is accounted a greater sin and can expect no greater Reward then an heavy punishment So sad are the Times we live in Sacriledge and Rebellion committed countenanced commanded To discountenance them to discommand them to rebuke them is accounted a greater sin and must expect as great if not a greater punishment But what then Shall we dry our Eys and not weep for them Shall we harden our Hearts and not sigh for them Shall we muzzle our Mouths and not declaime against them This indeed would involve us in the Guilt and â—â—y us liable to a greater punishment Not only to an Hatchet to an Halter to a Rack to a shame to a Torment here but to Fire and Brimstone to stormes and Tempests to Tortures and Devils hereafter A hard choice I confesse But for all that They that have more care of their Bodies then of their Souls They that have more respect to their Posterity then to their Eternity may consent by silence For my part Liberabo animam meam whatsoever becomes of my Body of my Wife of my Children I will if possibly I can deliver mine own Soul not only by not consenting to but also by dissenting from and increpating of those Royal Blood-suckers those Sons of Belial those Regicides and King-Killers not only in the Distillation of mine Eyes to bedew a Royall Coffin not only in the Compunction of my Soul to bewaile the losse of a Royal Person but also in the Objurgation of my Tongue by chiding those who were so Disloyal as not to be afraid to put forth their hands to destroy the Annointed of the Lord. And that you may deliver your Souls too I beseech you Joyn your Tears with mine Joyn your Prayers with mine Joyn your Sorrows with mine until God shall be pleased to establish King Davids seed in King David's Throne to increpate those bloudy Actors in this Expostulation and Disquisition of so bloody an Act How wast thou not afraid c. These words at first view seem to be nothing but an Interogation the asking of a Question and no more But upon a second and better Inspection they will appear an heavy Indignation and resolve themselves into this strong Negative No man may None but a fearlesse i. e. a gracelesse man dare put forth his hand against much lesse destroy the Lords Annointed and offer to our consideration these particulars Division 1. Whether all Kings bad and all be the Lords annointed I resolve it Yes They are 2. Whether such a Person though had may be resisted deposed or murthered I resolve it No He may not 3. How fearful a sin is it to do such an Act Besides what I shall resolve upon this anon I must add Time will discover I begin with the first Whether all Kings bad and all Par. 〈◊〉 be the Lords Annointed Yes I say They are For it was in a Phrensy mood when Ajax took Kings for Upstarts rising and standing of themselves Cowards get victory by God saith he but I will win whether God will or no. And it was in as desperate a sit when Antiochus said The Persons of Kings are of Force or Fortune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him take the Kingdom to whom Fortune or the sword shall give it And a foolish Dream of wise Homer it was when he said That Kings are the spawn of Jupiter nursed and fostered by Jupiter And tâ—eir Speech is as full of Folly and Madness whether Papist or Puritan or him that hath out-stripped them both the Independent who say That the King is the Peoples Creature The People the Kings Creatour The King whosoever he be quâ King is King but Precario by the Peoples Courtesy And those Texts they alleadge for the proof of their Opinions are foolishly if not foully mistaken by them viz. All the People went up to Gilgal and made Saul King there and therefore the King is the Peoples Creature so again 1 Sam. 11.15 2 Reg. 14.21 All the People of Judah took Azariah and made him King for his Father Amaziah and therefore the People are the Kings Creator For in Propriety of Speech The People did then and do now only declare him to be King who was so appointed by God and therefore the Context runs thus Samuel said to the people Come let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingâ—om there i e. Let us acknowledge and make known him to be King 1 Sam. 11.14 whom the Lord hath chosen as it is in the 24 verse of that chapter Outward Solemnity and Coronation the King hath from the People but Power Right and Authority he hath from God from God immediatly and Dependent upon God only and Independent from the People whether Diffusive or Collective whether Representative or Essenciall Look ye else upon the first Rulers Gods first Church had the Church of the Jewes Who made Moses to be Ruler over Israel God Act. 7.35 Num. 27.16 Judg. 2.16 The People had no hand in it who appointed Joshua over the Congregation of Israel who but God Who raised up the Judges who but the Lord Who appointed yes to come to the word of my Text who annointed Saul to be Captain over Israel who but the Lord 1 Sam. 10.1 Samuel poured on the Oyl but God annointed him That for the first King of Israel SAUL He was appointed to be King and annointed by God And so again for the second King of Israel DAVID Who found him and who annointed him Not the People I assure you not the better sort of them The Elders of the City Bethleem 1 Sam. 16.4 They were astonished when Samuel went upon that errand from God Nor the best sort of the People neither Not the Saints They dream't of no such matter until God
French-men ever after in their ordinary sport when they were at Cards and pulled for a Traytor a sort in their Packs as Knaves are in ours would call for a Barnardino de Corte to his perpetual reproach Infamy with the shame whereof and the sting of a guilty Conscience the Rebel was so tormented that he languished continually until he dyed desperatly I have heard of a certain Commander who would often wish he might rot if ever he lift his Hand or drew his Sword against the King Notwithstanding he did both and God answered him in his wish For he rotted within and dyed this was at Worcester A certain Lord likewise I have heard of a Great Ring-leader in a Rebellion yet a great Pretender to Religion and in his Exercises of Devotion would often desire God If the course he took were not right if the cause he mannaged were not just that God would take him away suddainly God heard him and answered him For by the Shot of a Musket he was killed so suddainly that he had not so much time as to say God be merciful unto me and without any sign or symptome of Repentance dyed This was at Liechfield I need not remember you of Pausanias Ariobarzanes Rodolph Duke of Suevia Catcline of Rome Spencers Dudlys and many more of England Not one of them all nor any other Rebel that I have read of but if he lived he lived the scoâ—n of honest men and if he dyed he dyed the shame of his Friends the mirth of his enemies and the example of all God in the shameful and fearful punishments of them telling us That it is not lawful to bear Arms or contribute to maintain a War against the King They that did so against King Charles I. God Almighty look upon them in so much mercy that they may look up to him with so much Repentance that they may be forgiven and their Souls saved whatsoever becomes of their Bodyes and that no man none of us especially may do the like against King Charles II. with the Church I pray From all Sedition and privy conspiracy from all false Doctrine and Heresie from hardnesse of Heart and contempt of thy word and Commandement Good Lord deliver us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Amen Anno Dom. 1655. 1 REG. 21.19 Hast thou killed and also gotten Possession THat a Rich man that a Good man should be made first a Delinquent and then a Malignant is no news For the Fact can prescribe time out of mind even beyond the memory of Christianity Yet such a Fact may be suspected and called in question whether it be Legal or Illegal since it hath so bad a Founder as Achab and so great a Confounder as God For it was God that sent Elijah the Tishbite to meet Achab King of Israel V. 17.18 with this expostulation Hast thou killed and also gotten Possession But soft Is not this Text corrupted or mistaken for Achab killed not Naboth rather the False Witnesses that testified against him or the false Judges that condemned him or Jesabel that commanded both to be done and him to be stoned Truely they had their Guilt and Punishment yet as if they had been but Accessories Achab is pickt out for the Murtherer because without his Seal to the Letter his Covetousness after the Vineyard Naboth had not been markt out for a Delinquent nor put to death for a Malignant Nor had Achab received this Increpation from God by the hand of Elijah Hast thou killed and also gotten Possession In handling of which words I shall observe 1. Two Persons 2. Two things belonging to each Person The two Persons are 1. The true Malignant Achab. 2. The pretended Malignant Naboth 1. In the pretended Malignant I look upon the two Causes Why he was so pretended 1. He was a Rich man would not part with his Inheritance 2. He was a Good man would not yield to an Arbitrary Government 2. In the True Malignant I look upon the two Causes that so Branded him 1. His Murther Anoccideris Hast thou killed 2. His theft you may call it Plunder or sequestration Ac etiam jure haeriditario possidias and hast thou gotten Possession Of these God willing orderly and first of the first The pretended Malignant Naboth Naboth hath three Significations 1. It signifies Conspicuus visible and so he was a Delinquent and a malignant de Fronte for his honesty 2. It signifies Sessio stable and so he was a Delinquent and a Malignant de pede for his Constancy 3. It signifies Exclusio expelled and so he was a Delinquent and a Malignant de Facto and sequestred both from his livelihood and Life But for a man visibly honest whose Heart and thoughts you may read in his Face and Front without fraud or guile For a man unmoveably constant whose Perseveraâ—ce in honesty keeps company with his Life without halt or Apostacy For a man who will not part with the sincerity of his Intentions nor the Integrety of his Actions for the Frowns of Kings or fear of death For such a man to be made a Delinquent and under sequestration to be made a Malignant and put to Death me thinks is somewhat strange and Illegal It is strange indeed but indeed it is true too de Facto that he was served so though not true de merito that he deserved so It was Illegal too against Law and without president yes against old Lawes and former Presidents But a new Law may come forth by an Ordinance upon a day of Humiliation under a Privy Signet by the subtilty of Jesabel which signifies Covetousness as you may read in this Chapter Jesabel wrote Letters in Achabs name and Sealed them with his Seal and sent the Letters to the Elders and to the Nobles Ver. 8. that were in his City dwelling with Naboth And she wrote in the Letters saying Proclaim a Fast and set Naboth among the Chief of the People Ver. 9. And two wicked men before him Ver. 10. and let them witnesse against him saying Thou didst blasphem God and the King then carry him out and stone him that he may dy And the reason of all this is double 1. Because Naboth was a Rich man and would not part with his Inheritance which is my second Consideration and prima primae So you have it in the 2. and 3 verses Naboth had a Vineyard by the Kings Pallace Achab desires it for a Garden of Hearbs 1 a. 1 ae but he would not part with it because it was the Inheritance of his Fathers In Riches there is a Felicity and an Infelicity Happiness and misery both in Riches Happiness because Wealth gets a man esteem in the World Misery because it gets a man Envy in the World Happiness because it enables a man to do good in the Wâ—â—ld Misery because it tempts a man to do mischief in the World Happiness because a Man may make Friends by the Mammon of Iniquity
that his little Finger would be heavier in the Levies of Taxes for the payment of Soldiers to maintain his usurped Power and raysing up the basest and lowest of the People to be Priests and become their Teachers The English thought Ship-mony in King Charles his time to be a Tax unsufferable and therefore first set up Essex and found out an easy way of Excise and the First and Twentieth parts and a Bankrupt Publick Faith to maintain a Rebellious Army and when that would not do they then set up a New Modelled Army under the command of Fairfax with a lighter burthen of 60000 li. and 120000 li. the Moneth to reduce the King to obedience and then did Cromwell finely juggle him out and gave himself by deed of Gift the Protaectordom of England which he hath fairly safe-guarded by running it into a vast Debt and silencing the Orthodoxal Clergy for fear by their Preaching the people might be recovered of their madness and cherishes in their room an Anabaptistical Sect to keep them still in Bedlam But in the mean time they forget a Power which is in Heaven that will e're long laugh all these powers of Earth to scorn and establish Him whom by Succession he hath assigned to the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland King Charles II. But till then Wo be to us if we preach says the Humane power Wo be to us if we preach not says the Divine power and So you see which power both by Reason and Religion we should rather obey And now 2. You may see which wo either Mans wo or Gods wo we should rather Fear 1. The wo which Man threatens us if we preach is the wo of imprisonment and the wo of banishment The wo of imprisonment for three Moneths the first time we preach The wo of imprisonment for six Moneths the second time we preach and he wo of banishment the third time we preach Now may not these woes be borne by us Certainly they may if we think upon Joseph in his Prison or the Jewes in their Banishment for Gods hand is not shorter now than it was then but He can preserve us as well in and deliver us as well out of prison as he did Joseph Nor is his ear heavier now than it was then but He can as well provide for us in and restore us from Exile as He did the Jewes and bring us back as well as them to re-build our Church and worship him with our former Reveverence Unity and Order 2. But the wo which God threatens us if we preach not is the Wo of the worst Goale Hell the Wo of the Banishment from Heaven and both these Eternal from which their is no Redemption and to bear which there is no Ability For who is able to dwell in those everlasting burnings Isa But then why do we not preach the Gospel Why Beloved It may be we do For the Pulpet doth not make a Sermon or if we do not It proceeds not from fear of either the Humane power or wo but because we believe God will be pleased more with our Obedience than Sacrifice Mistake me not I mean not Obedience to the Power which forbids us to preach but Obedience to the Providence which hath made our silence our punishment and also because we hope and pray that power which hath all things at his dispose to Restore King Charles the Second into the Throne of King Charles the First to Reign as he did Justly and Mercifully not to be Murthered as he was Barberously and Cruelly And then Wo be to us if we preach not the Gospel And as we believe and pray so be it unto us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Anno Dom. 1656. APOCALYPS 14.13 Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth even so faith the Spirit They rest from their labours and their workes follow them THis Book is not Apocrypsis a Covering but Apocalipsis a Discovery and therefore may be lookt into Were it Apocrypsis a Concealment It were only for God For secret things belong only to God Deut. But being as it is Apocalypsis A Revealement or a Revelation It is for us and ours For things revealed belong to us and to our Children In this Book I confesse are Multa Mysteria Many Mysteryes and so not fit for vulgar eyes But in it too are Multae Hystoriae Many Historys and so fit for all Eyes The Mysterys indeed are for the Schools but the Histories may be for the Pulpit My Text hath not one jot of Mystery in it It is all an History a plain History for the understanding For who understands not That they which dye in the Lord are blessed It is a sweet History for the Affections For what more desired then Blessednesse And it is a short History for the Memory For it consists but of three parts and who remembers not three Those three parts are these 1. An Affirmation or a Proposition Beati abhoc tempore posthac amodo qui in Domino Domini causâ moriuntur Blessed henceforth are they which dye in the Lord or for the Lords Cause 2. A Witnesse or a Deposition to justifie the Truth of the Proposition Etiam dicit Spiritus Even so saith the Spirit 3. A Comment or Exposition Quoniam requiescunt a laboribus et opera eorum sequntur eos They rest from their labours and their works follow them The Proposition comforts us The Deposition assures us The Exposition enlightens it and us For if any man should say of the Proposition Blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord Durus hic Sermo This is an hard sentence who can understand it why here is a Glosse to expound it and explain it and the Glosse tells you They are doubly blessed 1. In Deliverance and Relaxation They rest from their labour Pars. 1. 2. In Reward and Retribution Their works follow them If the time confines me not I shall D. V. speak of each And 1. of the first Blessed are the dead which dye c. Blessednesse is a large word and comprises all those Mercies and Favours which appertain to this Life or the next so we read in the Psalms Blessed is the man that fears the Lord and that Blessednesse is as well Earthly as Heavenly His Seed shall be mighty upon Earth Wealth and Riches shall be in his house There it is earthly His Righteousnesse endures for ever Here it is Heavenly But the Blessedness in any Text is not of this extent It is not extended to the Living and therefore is not earthly It is restrained to the dead and therefore only Heavenly Blessed are the Dead saith my Text. And here again least any one should quarrel with the Text and say flatly It is false because of all Terribles Death is the most Terribles and therefore said Mecaenas Facito debilem Pede facito debilem manu vita dum superest bene est Lay what Pain you will upon me Sursingle me with
the Collick shackle me with the Gout Torment with the Stone Lay all Diseases upon me Physicians can name let me but live and I care not Or least any one should wrong the Text and make Cleombortus his hast dye before he should dye Preposterously and make away himself out of a Coâ—ceipt of being Blessed Or lastly least any one should make this Text an enemy to other Texts and say If the Dead are Blessed then none are Cursed Not Cain the Brother-Killer nor Judas the Saviour-killer nor Ravilliac the King-killer but all are saved The Period is not at Mortui Blessed are the dead but at In Domino Blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord. To keep the Text from splitting upon any of these Rocks I shall shew you in this part of it 1. The Subject Mortui Who the Dead 2. The Object what Beati They are Blessed And 3. The Subject quallified and restrained which of the Dead are Blessed In Domino They that dye in the Lord they are blessed And yet because of the Order of these words I shall crave leave to speak 1. Of the Object Blessed and of it as it is here restrained to the next life to the Dead Blessed are the Dead And what is this Blessednesse 1 a. 1 ae Blessednesse Comp the Fruition of the Soveraigne Good no Compleat Blessednesse untill then And what this Soveraigne Good is these two Charecters tell us Optimum et Maximum The greatest thing and the Best thing 1. Optimum it must be The Best Else it will not sistere appetitum Give us content For enjoy a man what he can or will either Bona the gifts of Fortune Riches and such External Blessings or Meliora the gifts of the Mind Wisdom and such Internal Blessings yet the Mind is never content until it have Optimum the Best which is the Eternal Blessing 2. And as it must be Optimum the Best to give us content so it must be the Maximum the Greatest else it will not Implere appetitum and satisfie our Desire For enjoy a man what he will or can either Magna the great Chair of Priesthood or Majora the greater Throne of Majesty yet is the Desire never satisfied Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit Orbis Alexander wonted Elbow-room in a whole world until it have Maximum the Fruition of what is greatest The Positive is too low whether it be Bonum or Magnum Good or Great For the Good men would be Better and the Great men would be Greater The Yeoman a Gentleman to be Greater and the Priest a Bishop to be Better And yet then The Comparative is not high enough For be he Better then the Good or Greater than the Great yet we are not so Good or Great as we would be until we enjoy both Maximum and Optimum the Best and the Greatest The Best to content us and the Greatest to satisfie us And the Reason hereof is very plain plain in that plain and old Resemblance of the Mind or Heart of Man The Heart of Man is the Greatest Figure and the Heart of Man is the Best Figure For it is Triangular Now the Bona and the Magna The Good and the Great the Majora and the Meliora The Better and the Greater Gifts and Places are all but Globular and therefore Impossible that any of them being all Globular and Round should content and satisfie the Heart of Man which is altogether Triangular and three square Nothing can content that but what is hoth for Eminence and Circumference Triangular And so Nothing is but onely that which is Optimum Maximum The Best and the Greatest And now of whom may those two Attributes and Characters be predicated Who do enjoy Him in whom these two Characters meet Surely none below For there is none that doth good upon the Earth sayes the Psalmist no not one Some below are Comparatively good Saints in respect of Sinners Believers in respect of Infidels are good Good they but none Absolutely good None so good as to be Optimus but God nor none but Him is Maximus neither onely God is Almighty and All good He onely is Omnipotentia and Omnibmentia Omnipotence and Omnibonence He only is Almighty in Himself and over All He onely is All good in Himself and to All 1 Tim. 6.15 and therefore onely Blessed as the Apostle onely Blessedness which Blessedness till we enjoy we can never be or be truely said to be Blessed But against this there lye two Objections One on Gods part propter Essentiam for his Essence and one on our part propter Absentiam for our Absence On Gods part Object 1 the Octjection is framed thus God is Essentia simplex A simple Essence we are of a Compound Nature and therefore God because simple as He is cannot satisfie us because Compound as we are This is the Objection And thus I answer it God is simply good but so that He is also Manifoldly good Answ 1 Innos eminenter He is a Manifold Good to us In se simpliciter He is a simple Good in Himself That way He doth satisfie us though This way He doth not satisfie us and we are thereby Blessed On our part the Objection is framed thus Object 2 God is in Heaven we upon Earth and therefore we cannot see Him and therefore we cannot enjoy Him and therefore we are not Blessed And I answer this Objection thus Answ 2 It makes nothing against my Text for my Text speaks of the Dead and sayes The are Blessed and the Dead are not upon Earth where they cannot see God and live but in Heaven where they live because they see God and therefore they are Blessed because they see Him and enjoy Him who is both Optimus and Maximus All-mightiness and All-goodness But least any man living should think himself unblest because my Text ascribes Blessedness onely to the Dead I enlarge my Answer thus There is a Twofold presence of God 1. In his Scepter Ester and that is gracious like Ahashuerus's 2. In his Throne and that is glorious like King Solomons Gods Scepter is his Word Here we see Him darkly and but Darkly because we apprehend this Presence onely by Faith Gods Throne is his glory or his Kingdom or his Heaven of Heavens and There when we are and God Almighty once bring us thither we shall see Him clearly even Face to Face The Presence of Him in his Word though is be a Dark yet it is a True Sight of Him and the Pledge of a Clearer in Heaven For when we believe in God In God the Father Son and Holy Ghost we are then Blessed in the Church Militant because we have Peace of Conscience and are thereby assured That therefore we shall be Blessed in the Church Triumphant because we shall then and there have the Peace of God When we believe in God and consider in Him as our Maker of Nothing as our Redeemer from Sin as our Sanctifier against as