from time to time vnto the end as I was I neuer hearde any word of impatiency thereby wrong from him but still the more sore his fits were and his sicknes grew the more earnest and holy prayers and meditations came from him insomuch that he continued praying and calling vpon God to take him hence vnto himselfe in peace to haue mercy vpon him for his Christ his sake to receaue his spirit vntill the very last ghaspe only the mercies of God in Christ Iesus promised all the time of his sicknes as very often he protested were his comfort acknowledging stil that but for them he were a most miserable wretch yet they being such as they were he would neuer geue ouer trusting in him howsoeuec hee dealt with him From the beginning of his sicknes it seemeth that he had receiued in himselfe the sentence of death and therefore after neuer minded wordly thing 〈◊〉 then needs must his continuall prayeâ— for 〈◊〉 and children was that the Lord would blesse them then as it seemed by the maner of his speech thinking that they should do wel inough 〈◊〉 meanly sooner he left them Indeed to his eldest sonne kneeling by his bed side crauing his blessing though then it was very painful for him to speak he gâ—â—e it most Christianly thus saying my sonne heare heare feare the Lorde feruing him in holines and righteousnes al the daies of thy life and so thou shalt want no maner of thing that is good for the rest of his childreÌ„ he said there were blessinges inough in store which he prayed the Lorde to bestow vpon them And to others weepâ—ng about him I remember well he said with set countenaunce and stated voice and I hope I shal I neuer forget it weepe not for me but weepe for your owne sins And thus neuer satisfying himselfe with humbling of himselfe before God on the one side in the sight of his owne vnworthines and yet shewing 〈◊〉 the other alwaies that he had a chereful hope frely fully to be saued for Iesus Christes sake a loue through his worthines whiles both they about him â— the rest of the family below togither were in powring forth their prayers to God for him the 14 day of the last month of October being the Lords day he ended the day of rest or Sabboth in falling into such a sleepe and rest that now for euery he shal keepe a perpetuall Sabbâ—th 〈◊〉 â—e Lordeâ—â—nd thus wel beloued yee haue heaâ—â— both of the life death of this Right Honorable Lord Grey though nothing answerably to that which he deserued yet so far and so much as I trust I going on now lastly to lay before you the comfortes that the Prophet hath here set downe for them that he hath here described of your selues with out any further application of mine you will thinke that hee had and shall haue his part and portion therein Wherfore herein to bee as briefe as I can as I haue said either they are such as either may comfort such dying or such as they onely tast of and enioy when they be dead And two comfortes here I obserue still to be giuen them of each kinde The first of the former sort is taken from the end that God hath in taking such away for their good and is thus much in effect Though the wicked ones in the woorlde liue in neuer such iollity and securitie in all sinne and impiety triumphing and hartening themselues the more in their course because such is the state of those that walke before God in righteousnesse and mercifulnesse here sometimes that they through the vnkindenesse of the woorlde can neither enioy any sound peace in minde nor rest in their beds liuing in it nor yet so dye in the end but that either they are put to some violent death by their enemies and persecutors or dye of some such sharpe and paineful sickenesse that the wicked thinke they haue cause to iudge them as a sorce that God loueth not and therefore that are perished yet indeede for all this the Lorde loued them aliue and of that loue of his hath taken them away by death before the euill daie come which he hath prepared for the destruction of the wicked and impenitent Let the words and circumstances of my text be wel scanned and it wil euidently thereby appeare that it was the Prophets meaning to minister giue this comfort For though both immediatly before my text after by the word perisheth he plainly shews that whâ—n the righteous are pickt out from amoÌ„gst the wicked they conceiue no better of it in that there is no rest or peace promised the godly herein but after they be taken hence it be more theÌ„ insinuated that both their liues deathes are often in this world ful of tribulation yet that they shoulde not be discouraged either with that they feele themselues or with the doings sayings of the other the Prophet assureth the righteous merciful maÌ„ that walketh before god that he is taken heÌ„ce of loue to exempt him froÌ„ euil And therefore if he can take it to bee an argument of loue in a husbandman or shepheard foreseeing a storme tempest before to gather into his barne his haruest or vnto some shelter his flocke of sheepe then hee hath cause so to thinke of the Lordes calling and fetching him home before the euell daie come With this God comforted Abraham Genes 15. vers 13. c. For there first hauing tolde him that his seede should serue and be ill entreated in a strang land 400 yeares after to comfort him he tells him that yet he should goe vnto his fathers in peace and so he did as we read Gen. 25.8 But Iosiah that liued not long before this euell spoken of here begoâ—ne to breake in vppon the kingdome of Iudah is a most not able example heereof For by Huldah the Prophetisse he beeing first giuen certainly to vnderstand that it should shortly be yet from her this word withall was sent him to his comfort that hee first should be gathered vnto his fathers and put into his graue in peace and that so his eyes should not see the euill that God would bring vpon that place and people 2. Chro. 34. Wherein doubtlesse they could not but take comfort and be the willinger to die when where howsoeuer the Lord appointed For who would not be glad to flee out of aÌ„ old house before it fall about his eares Who would not take comfort vpon the sea seing a great storme comming to get into some safe haueÌ„ first Who being in a iourney and knowing the way to be laid for passengers to spoile and to destroy them would not bee glad to take vppe his Inne before And yet this is not so to be takeÌ„ as though it were here either said or ment that alwaies God taketh away al such as he describes before the comming of such an euell as here he
touching his wiues bearing of Iohn Baptist he is strooken dome and so continued vntill the childe was borne And if we go on and consider Peter Paul most famous amongst the Apostles though it cannot be denyes but that they studied to be righteous and very godly men and that then they had the spirite of regeneration to enable them both to will well and to doe well yet euen in respect of the time when they were such they are not found without fault or sin For Math. 26. we read how shamefully for feare Peter denied his maister and that at Antioch a good while after Christs ascention and therefore after the descâ—â—â—â—on of the holy ghost vpoÌ„ him and his fellows he behaued himselfe so that Paul therfore openly rebuked him there and charged him that he was to be blamed for his so dealing for that by his example he constrained the Gentils to doe like the Iewes insomuch that other Iewes as Paul reporteth it dissembled likewise with him euen Barnabas was brought into their dissimulation also Gal. 2. ve 1. c. Now Paul in the 7 to the Romanes ve 10.20 c. most plainly confesseth of himselfe wheÌ„ hee had striuen and laboured for the contrary to the vtmost be could that he found a lawe in his members rebelling against the law of his minde which before he cald the sin that dwelt in him whereby it came to passe that sometimes hee did that hee would not and was led captiue vnto the Lawe of sin insomuch that most lamentably he crieth out saith O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from this body of sin and death and to the Co. ep 2. Cap. 12. ve 7. c. he complaines of a pricke in his flesh which he cals the messenger of Sathan that did buffet him whereof he could not bee rid though he besought the lord thrise that he might Very well therefore in my opinion was it said of Hierom in his epistle to Ctesiphon against Pelagius who vsed to obiect many of these examples to proue that meÌ„ might be without sin because many of these are said as you hard in the scriptures to haue beene iust and righteous men iusti appellantur non quod omni vitio careant sed quod maiori parte vntutuÌ„ commendentur that is they are called iust men not that they were without all fault but that they were commended with the greater part of vertues Notable truely and wel worth the reading is this epistle of Hieroms both to the confutation of the old new Pelagians that notwithstanding the plain euidence of al that I haue said wil yet hold that meÌ„ caÌ„ in this life haue in themselues a perfect and absolute righteousnes for not only doth he most plainly therein condemne that as an opinion that in it containes the poison of al heretiques taketh man out of man holdeth him that is in the body to be out of the body but also to be contrary to al experience either past or to come and directly to rob Christ of his speciall prerogatiue which is to be without sin And most sharpely and briefly hee confutes all their chiefe arguments and leaues them neuer a starting hole and in the end concludes that haec hominibus sola perfectio si imperfectos se esse nouerint this is mans only perfectioÌ„ to know himself to be imperfect But if it were a thing that I might longer staÌ„d vpon it were an easie matter to keepe you an whole houre with golden sentences and argumentes oâ—â— of this father and the rest most pregnant to this purpose For I can assure you neuer a one of the ancient learned fathers but they are full and forcible against al Pelagians and other heretiques whatsoeuer to humble men alwaies in the sight of their own wâ—is and imperfection before God And doubtles though they that hold the contrary wil not see it in the great wisedome and prouidence of God it is that whiles we are here we shoulde still doe what we canne finde our selues compassed with infirmities and encombred with sin For hereby we see the power and strength of sin the better to make vs thankefull vnto our God continually the more for our sweet sauiour Iesus Christ that clenseth vs from all sinne Hereby we are from daie to day made the more weary of this world where wee see this troublesome battel with sin wil not end and so the more desirous of an other when we are sure it shal Hereby also in the mean time we haue occasion the better to shewe our faith our patience and constant feruentnesse in flying to God for helpe and succour therby the Lord breeds in vs many a good vertue as humility mercifulnes and compassion towards others preserues vs from the coÌ„trary foule vices of pride hard hartednes and conteÌ„pt of others Paule himselfe confesseth that the pricke in his flesh that wee hearde him eare while complaine of was giuen him lest he shoulde be exalted out of measure through the aboundance of reuelations 2. Cor. 12. ve 7. Wherefore as of the flesh of vipers there is made as they saie a notable counterpoyson so of the viperous remnantes and reliques of sinne God in his wisedome and by his power makes vs a preseruatiue against most daungerous sinnes And as the skilfull Chirurgian that woulde heale his patients wounde throughly to the bottome keepes it the longer open so dealeth the Lorde with vs in this case that wee by this meanes seeing the depth and daungerousnesse of our wounde the longer may seeke and finde in Christ Iesus our onely soveraigne Chirurgian and Phisition in this case a full and perfect remedy For it is he alone who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that wee being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnes and yet by whose stripes wee are healed 2. Pet. 2.24 And surely the Pharisee puft vp with a conceit of his owne righteousnesse shall goe home in his iudgement as he came and the very Publican shal be rather iustified then hee Luke 18. vers 10. c. And therefore hee calleth onely for the heauy loaden and weary of that heauy loade Mat 11.28 offers himselfe to those that thirst after him Ioh. 7.37.38 For to whom should the Lord haue an eiâ— but to him that is of a brokeÌ„ coÌ„trite spirit Isaiah 66. ver 2. And who wil bee at this point but he that hath learned to humble himselfe before his God as Michah hath taught vs when he hath walkt before him in iustice and mercy the best he can Thus therfore I hope sufficiently we haue heard opened whom the Prophet here minded fo comforte wherfore these things thus premised vnderstoode I dare do confidently assure my self that this noble person whose body lieth here before vs anone to bee buried was such a one both generallie and particulerly as here the Prophet hath described and I hope there are few or
thinges are promised them vppon their gathering hence by death and not before and that as it is euident to giue them therein better comfort to enioy these peace and rest immediately vpon their death and dissolution of body and soule then euer they did before vnles we might thinke that the spirite of GOD that directed the Prophet to comfort such could not tell howe to comfort them effectually and to the purpose wee must needes thinke that by peace and rest are meant farre more excellent peace and rest then such euer enioyed here Yea they must needes importe that before death come they neuer had either peace or ioye in comparison And yet it is well known both by scripture and comfortable experience that GOD giues such both peace and rest in some good sort and measure whiles they are here For it is written Romains 5. vers 1. that the iustified by faith haue peace with God though not such as the world giueth yet such as that their heartes neede not bee troubled or feare Iohn 14.27 as Christ there hath promised And this peace I tell you Paul saieth passeth all vnderstanding and preserues the heart and minde in Christ Iesus Philip. 4. vers 7. And who knowes not that it is written that God giueth his beloued sleepe or rest Psalm 127. vers 2. And who of Gods children the better to enable them to serue the Lorde comfortably in their callinges haue not founde these scriptures verified vppon them Otherwise surely they could neuer be able to beare the heate of the day and labour in the Lordes vineyarde as they doe And thus much in my minde will the verie Hebrewe words that are translated peace and to rest beare for it is well known of euery simple man in that tongue that the first of them is vsed of the Hebrewes not onely to signifie peace but all prosperity and that the Roote that it comes of doth not onely signifie to be at peace and to pacify but to be perfected and consâ—â—mated And as for the other word likewise it doeth not onely signify to rest but soundly to rest Wherefore whatsoeuer others haue thought I am resolute that by the former the Prophet settes downe the comforte that concernes the souls of the righteous immediately vpon their death and by the other that which respects their bodies vntill the generall resurrection By this then we may perceiue that the soules of such streight enter possession of â— far greater peace and ioy then euer they had here for else we must needes thinke that the Prophet could not tell how to comfort such which he being herein by the spirit of God directed to one as doubtles he was but once to thinke were blasphemy I say of purpose of far greater peace ioy then euer they had here for though I know that this imports that their peace is such as that the angell from heauen might iustly in respect thereof thenceforth immediately for euer pronounce the blessed as we haue heard Reuelations 14. ver 13. yea that it is such as is â—â—â—terable vnconceiueable of mortal man yet I know there is a consummation behind to be accomplished at the last day in the generall resurrection and that the very Saints in heauen wish exspect that as we may learne Revelation 6. vers 10. for to teach vs so much they that are there most safe vnder the shadow of their altar Christ vpon whom whiles they liued they offered all their spiritual sacrifices are brought in crying how long Lord holy true dost not thou auenge our bloode on them that dwell on the earth For how can it be otherwise but that that soule that here hath faithfully serued the Lord in the body must haue a desire there once in Gods good time to haue this body ioyned with it in the reward aswel as it was before in taking the right course vnto it And when this cometh to passe which must one day because the truth of Gods promises in his sonne must be fulfilled and otherwise he cannot shew himselfe to be a perfect Sauiour both of the bodies and soules of his and to haue had iust cause to take vnto him both the body soule of man to suffer in both as he did then doubties there cannot bee but sinne accesse of ioye and peace to the soules of the righteous in the meane time departed And yet there-whilst heereby wee are assured it is such as I haue saide Now touching the other comfort which respects their bodies it is said here they shall rest in their beds By their beds the Prophet vnderstands the places where the Lord in his prouidence bestowes their bodies whatsoeuer those places be immediately vpon death vntill the generall resurrection For we may not be so superstitious though it bee meete that conuenient and decent order bee taken kept for the buriall of the bodies of the dead the better to nourish the hope of the resurrection in some fitte place as to thinke that none is in possession and fruition of this rest before their bodies be buried in Churchyarde or Church For we finde it an vsuall thing in the Scriptures immediately when men die to say they fell a sleepe though yet they be not buried and so as soone as GOD hath taken the soule out of the bodie so soone wheresoeuer that be and whatsoeuer afterwardes becomes of it or bee done with it be it throwen into the sea deuoured of wilde beastes burnt to ashes buried or not buried it is so couched in the bed that God hath made for it that there it is fallen into such a sounde sleepe and rest that vnles God meane extraordinarily to shewe his power as he did when Moyses and Elias appeared with Christ in the mount when he was transfigured Mat. 17. or as when that was that Matthewe writes of Chap. 27. that graues opened and many of the bodies of the Saintes arose that slept and went into the holie Citie and appeared vnto many which if hee please to doe to his they shall be sure to finde no disturbance therby it shall more quietly then euer it did here vpoÌ„ any feather bed for neuer so short a time take rest vntill the last day when the generall resurrection shall be 1. Thess 4.15.16 For here doe what we can to make our beds soft and to get rest yet our sleepes are subiect to many interruptions troublesome phansies and dreames but in these beds we shall be troubled with none of these This the ancient Grecians had an eie vnto in calling the ordinary places for the buriall of the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is sleeping and resting places This speach therefore of the Prophet thus vnderstoode is full of comfort and consolation For it strengtheneth and nourisheth our hope of the resurrection For we all know that is the end of taking vs to our bed chambers and beds that there af-after we haue slept we may rise againe and we see by experience