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A19277 A sermon of sure comfort preached at the funerall of Master Robert Keylwey Esquire, at Exton in Rutland, the 18. of Marche 1580. By Anthonie Anderson preacher, and Parson of Medburne in Leicestershiere. Anderson, Anthony, d. 1593. 1581 (1581) STC 569; ESTC S108524 34,987 88

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of Funerals And euen this day I exhort in the Lord whom it doth most concerne that as I knowe and doe affirme your hate to that pestilent péece of popery and your sinceritie in Christ so yée faithfully shewe it at this instant Féede these poore assembled but foster not that popishe opinion to pray for the soule departed Forget not the Lord at this present who hath not forgottē to bring you to great things Abstain saith the Apostle not only from euill but euen also from the shadow shew of euill If it might be take some other day for them giue them with warning that you meane no procuring of prayer for the dead For I know that you are assured that euery man shall appeare and aunswere for his owne factes as well this reuerend corps going to his graue as all you and wee here assembled in cause of him We must all appeare saith Paule before the iudgement seate of Christ 2. Cor. 5.10 that euery man may receiue the things that are done in his bodie according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill The Lord in mercy blesse vs with his grace that liuing in him we may die in the Lorde Christ and so rest in peace till our returne to this bodily resurrection when we shall resigne to our soules our newe bodies though burned to ashes eaten with vermine in Sea or by lande For death lande and sea shall giue vppe not newe creatures but her receiued deade to be revnited to this resurrection And so with holy Iob we shall all sée our redéemer not with other but with these eyes that nowe we haue and with the selfe same bodies which nowe we beare shall wée all both small and great stande before the almightie Christ the iudge of quick and deade To whom be glory for euer And nowe time requireth to speake of the first resurrectiō which earst we called spirituall And of this resurrection Paul speaketh thus Ephe. 2.4 And when we were deade by sinnes God in his rich mercie through his great loue wherewith hee loued vs hath quickened vs together in Christ by whose grace wee are saued And hath raised vs vp together made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus Rom. 6.4 And againe to the Romans thus We are buried then with Christ by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised of God the father so wee shoulde walke in newnesse of life And nowe of these places we are to obserue First that there is a death that goeth before this resurrection Then that by an other power beyonde our selues we are reuiued and raised from that death And thirdly what this life is where vnto we are raised To the first this death is spiritual and is none other but sinne as here is saide and when we were deade in sinne And rightly is sin called death for it killeth all the vitall partes of the soule and maketh it not onely vnapt but vnable to serue the liuing God It depriueth vs of the grace of God It separateth Christ Rom. 6. which is our life from vs it bringeth sathan to possesse our soules and haleth vs to the second death which is the infernal lake This is the nature of euery sinne and therefore they are rightly saide to bée deade which be possessed of it as wholly cut off from God estraunged from his life 1. Tim. 5.6 and deade to godlynesse So are the lashing widowes called deade in spirite though they liue by nature which giue themselues to carnalitie fleshly lusts And of such men also spake Christ the Lorde saying Let the deade burie their dead Matth. 8.22 Nowe beloued drawe hence this doctrine We are by course of naturall life sinners but by our selfe delights we are become deade in trespasses but he that is dead is so frée from life that he hath no part of whatsoeuer is done vnder the sunne as the preacher saith Eccle. 9.4.5.6 So now that I speake to you that you conceiue and we all féele the power of the voyce it is by that wee liue but this Corpes héere present is so frée from all this that he neither heareth or conceiueth féeleth or partaketh whatsoeuer by his occasion héere is done for hée is deade and his life is not in him Euen so beloued the deade in sinne are as frée from righteousnes and the true féeling thereof as this sanctified corpes is cut from our present action Moreouer this corps can neither goe nor stir hinder or let those that list to carry conuey him whether they woulde Neither can the deade in sinne withstande the guide of his deadly soule the killing diuell the prince of hell but is ledde and drawen euen whether and to what him lust to whoredomes murthers lying blasphemie and what not Ion. 8.34 Rom. 6.20 2. Pet. 2.19 For of whom so euer a man is ouercome his seruant he is whether of sinne vnto death or of grace vnto life Last of all it is not in the power of any deade man to arise againe till his life be returned to him No more is it in the power of man once deade in sin to rise againe from it vntill his life which is Christ returne to reuiue him Wherefore the Apostle saith hee hath quickned vs euen God the father by the spirite of his Christ hath raised vs vp with Christ Where is then thy frée will and power to kéepe the wayes of God when thou hast eares but fatted eares that cannot heare a heart but blinded Matt. 13.14 that cānot perceiue the good wil of god a soule but deade and estraunged from the life of God Ephe. 41.8 And for this cause God is saide to raise vs from the deade that Christ may giue vs light that by his mighty operation through faith in him It is his mighty operation Colos 2.12 not mans weaknesse to raise vs from sinne For sathan is stronger then we 2. Tim. 2.26 holdeth vs once dead euē at his wil as Paul saith so as it is not possible for vs to arise from his bōos til our life Christ which is the strōger Luk. 11.29 Math. 12.29 Mark 3.22 enter combat with him bind him take vs his spoile away from him The workeman then to raise vs in this first resurrection is not man but God And he vseth heereto as his finger to forme vs anewe his worde and his spirite both from him selfe that he might haue the whole glorie of our life Embrace then this holy meanes come to the word there is his spirit If thou be his he will drawe thée to it lighten thée by them raise thée from this spirituall death as the Apostle hath saide Rom. 3.11 If the spirite of him that raised vp Iesus from the deade dwell in you hee that raised vp Christ from the deade shall also quicken your mortall bodies because that his spirite dwelleth in you Nowe
vp in his heart those things which the Prophet spake Take héede that you spurne not at your Phisicions for then your health is at an ende Did Esay cry in his time Esa 53.1 lord who beléeueth our sayings And may not we cry nowe Lord who doeth credite our report We are the ofscowring of the people the laughing-stockes of the worlde wée are counted contentious seditious slaunderous railers lyers troublers of the state But as for this people though thou O Lord speake in vs vnto them yet will they not bend their eares to heare thy voyce in vs. Though the earth be wearie of her sinnefull burthen as surcharged with the heauinesse of sinne doth vniuersally totter as a dronken man Aprill 8. 1580. at our iniquities and thy heauie iudgements yea though the waters here below the heauens planets farre aboue though blasing gleames and burning lampes haue summoned vs and vgly shapes in monstrous birth haue and yet doe cite vs to the preuentiō of thy heauie wrath in true repentaunce Iere. 8.6 yet no man sayth to himselfe and what haue I done But euerie man goeth to the corruption of his owne heart and fetcheth thence the labor of his life in Hypocrisie Popery Drunkennesse Whoredome couetousnesse pride ambition atheisme such like And all this commeth hereof that being almost all dead we féele not that we are once touched with sickenes We goe on in our wickednes and séeke credit against our reprouers scorne at Gods iudgementes and when most séeming is of imminent daunger wee assure our selues of great securitie Oh people of this waywarde nation and you here present let vs his ministers bee the Lordes cockes to rowse you out of this deadely sléepe hauing first with Peters teares examined well our selues Let vs bee the trumpettes of the Lord to warne you of the greate and mightie battel of the God of hostes against vs. And nowe accept you this labour of me the watchman of the Lorde and hearken with comfort to this my crye Arise you that sleepe in your sinnes and shamefull securitie O Christians by name Arise from the first death of sinne by the operation of Gods holy spirite in you and walke in newnesse of life by the light of the glorious gospell of GOD giuen you in Christ so shal not the second death haue any power of you because you haue taken parte in the first resurrection And now I perceiue this first parte hath taken my whole time allotted me so as I can not speake of the seconde which is so depending of the first that well they can not bee disioyned But in asmuch as your ciuill solemnities aske more tyme then possibly the forenoone woulde afforde vs I will deferre my seconde part till some other time except I receiue your pleasures farther to procéede Well then knowing now your godly desires by the harald at armes that I shoulde procéede Let vs read our second part and it is thus For on such the second death hath no power Text ver 6. but they shal be the priestes of god and Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeare In this part dearely beloued the Euangelist doth by a most elegant phrase describe the state conditiō of the faithfull affirming thē so farre of to be once touched after the punct of natural death with the paines of hell or false fained popish purgatorie that contrarily they presently are in blisse with God singing with the spirits of the iust the due prayses of the Lord saying for on such c. But to the further openyng of this excellent part let vs obserue these thrée thinges First what is to be vnderstoode by this second death Secondly of what prerogatiue power the same is And last of al for a final conclusion what wher is the ful felicitie of the iust which haue their part in the first resurrection The second death to be shorte is that which followeth the firste as a merite of his deserte But death is said to be twofold in the holy scriptures For as there is a death of the body so is there likewise a death of the soule But of death of the bodie we haue saide before And of the naturall death Gods holy booke our common experience and the dead body of this departed Christian before vs beareth perfecte testimony Of which the Apostle Paule sayth It is decreed that man shall once die and then cometh his iudgement And our Apostle in this booke Heb. 9.27 Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord or for the Lords cause for they rest from their labours so saith the spirite and their works follow them Their owne workes followe them not the workes of other for them And be it knowne vnto you that the first death of the soule which is sinne and iniquitie is the verie cause procuring Gods iudgement to strike the bodie with naturall death and is héere called the first death of the body For the which the soule that dieth in sinne shall abide much paine torment in hel when yet the body therof sléepeth quiet in the graue expecting his woeful resurrection And now of the second death which Christ Iesus Matt. 10.28 and our Apostle Iohn calleth hell the lake of fire Feare not thē saith Christ which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body soule into hel Here is the death of the body the first death the death of the soule in hell the second Of the same seconde death speaketh S. Iohn in this receiued text Goe too you worldlings Iam. 5.1 Rom. 2.5 that treasure vp wrath to your selues for the last day tribulation and anguish death and hell shall be your portion Looke to this you scorners that put far off the last day here is to you endles woe You haue made a couenant with death but death it selfe and hell viz. the damned soules in them shall henceforth be cast both bodie and soule into the burning lake of fire brimston which is the second death For be the day neuer so long at the last cōmeth Euening Oh beloued that wéepe nowe then shall you laugh and reioyce if so that you kisse embrace the Sonne of God fal before his presence condēning your selues for sin killing sinn in you by the power of his spirit you shal thē sée the proud antechristiā Pharaoh al his popish Egyptiās cast into the sea gulfe of vnquenchable fire when your selues by your mighty Moses captain christ shall be ledd into the heauenly lande of promise there to raigne with him for euer euer Many men mooue much dispute about the site and place of hell this firie lake But I say onely this of it It is a forbidden curiositie engendring strife deuoide of profit to question where and in what place it is But it is a commanded diuinitie to séeke the
alter the state condition of the persons once dead but such workes as they themselues caried with them such shall they rise withall vnto their iudgement whether lampes of louing faith to the praise of God or cressettes of corruption to their owne condemnation And thus I will conclude with the spirite of Gods sentence our best moderator and so passe to the last braunch Io. 5.28 Maruell not at this sayth Christe for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrectiō of life But they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation The same assurance of doctrine Gods spirite by Paul doeth deliuer vs saying 2. Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery man may receiue the thinges which are done in his bodye according to that hee hath done whether it bee good or euill Note well this doctrine and amend your liues rest not vppon the doubtfull doctrine of poperie O dearely bought children of GOD but fixe your faith in this absolute doctrine of sound warrant which is yea and amen Then here you may perceiue that after death there is no temporarie prison as Popish purgatorie but a perpetuall lake of fire which is the second death And also that after this life there is no remissiō of sins to any that hath not obteined that grace during this time of repentance But euen in what state the soule departeth from the bodie at the comming of death euen vnchanged hee retyreth to the same bodie at the last for the déeds done by himselfe and not for the workes of any other done after him And to receiue his iudgement whether through faith in her fruites vnto life in Christ or because of sinne and Sathan to eternall death This is the sound and sure doctrine of our good God But as for the gainefull and paineful preaching of poperie and her purgatorie as a most venemous Serpente flée from it that you may escape the seconde death and be partakers of the felicitie of the iust which our text saith is this For they shall bee the priestes of God and Christ and shall raigne with him a thousande yeares Cicero hath saide that true beatitude or blessednesse consisteth of two partes Namely to be frée from al kinde of want and miserie and so to abound in all goodnesse that on no parte he néedeth to aske further Surely this very happinesse shall come to all those which be partakers of the first resurrection First they shall be frée from all woe and miserie in the ende of their course for the seconde death shall haue no power of them And they shall abounde in all felicitie for they are blessed holy and shall therefore raigne with Christ for euer more And here againe beloued note with me what it is to be blessed and holy Namely to haue forgiuenes of our sinnes in Christes death Heb. 9. and by the same to be purged and segregated from dead workes to serue the liuing God Psal 32.1.2 Rom. 4.7.8 Blessed are they saith Dauid whose iniquities are forgiuen whose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whome the Lorde doeth not impute sinne And then againe note who they be that are so blessed by Gods censure here marke it wel and thou shalt sée it Not they that liue so vprightly that God hath not any thing to lay to their charges for none such can be founde amongest the sonnes of men For what is he that liueth and sinneth not yea more then seauen times a day Psal 14.1 53.4 No flesh is righteous in Gods sight for all haue sinned Rom. 3.23 all haue gone out of the way euery man his seuered course this after this sinne another after that and all are therefore depriued of the glory of God Dan. 9.5 All are taught to cry We our fathers haue sinned wee haue done vniustly but deale not with vs O Lord in thine anger for then wee perishe but in the multitude of thy mercies haue thou mercie vpon vs and forgiue vs our trespasses And heerein consisteth the felicitie of the iust that they haue féeling heartes of sinne and penitent spirites for their transgressions humbled soules void of hypocrisie before the Almightie God confessing with teares in great remorse agonies their heaps of corruptions before him Euen Marie Christes mother the Apostles and all the foure electe of God Then are these mixed persons whome the Papistes make the thirde sorte to goe to purgatorie onely they which are blessed and are the whole number of the electe All which as they confesse them selues worthie the seconde death because of Sinne and no wayes can merite eternall life because their beste workes are full of corruption So they mightily triumphe ouer sinne Esa 30.22 death and hell because they are purged in the bloode of the lambe Reuel 7.14 and haue their garmentes made white are pardoned of their former sinnes by faith in hys bloode are sanctified vnto godlinesse Yea so long as they liue they confesse because they féele the burthen of sinne in them but they reioyce in this felicitie that his spirite worketh in them an ardent zeale and burninge desire to liue in godlinesse and honestie according to such portion as the Lord doeth giue them in their parte of the first resurrection And hee that seeth not this nor hath the practise of the premisses is blinde and hath forgotten the purgation of sinnes Last of all forget not this our Apostle doth not say Blessed is he 2. Pet. 1.9 which hath perfection in the firste resurrection but blessed is hee that hath hys part in the first resurrection So as though there bee in vs yet the remnauntes of sinne and we can not quite shake off that which cleaueth so faste on Heb. 12.1 or fully créepe from that burthen that presseth so harde vpon vs therefore alwayes of this sort that are before called mixt yet that Mediocritie or mixture can not sende vs to the second death if we haue our part in the firste resurrection But I would not leaue thy conscience to bare affirmations There be verie sounde reasons to drawe thy confidence to this comforte 1. Reason The firste is the great mercie and rich clemencie of God the father whose mercie hath béene such towardes vs that when wée were his enemies through sinne hee hath euen then reconciled vs to himselfe by his grace howe much more therefore nowe shall he estéeme vs for his and embrace vs with his armes of mercie séeing we being so reconciled séeke for his spirite to dwell in his loue If hee from his wrath deliuered vs whē we had no care of him shal he not much more nowe deliuer vs shew a parte thereof which they say is purgatorie nowe that our chiefe desire is to séeke after him and doe lament at the verie heart
A Sermon of sure Comfort preached at the Funerall of Master Robert Keylwey Esquire at Exton in Rutland the 18. of Marche 1580. By Anthonie Anderson Preacher and Parson of Medburne in Leicestershiere AT LONDON Printed by H. Middleton dwelling in Fleetstreete at the signe of the Falcon. ANNO 1581. A SERMON OF sure comfort preached at the Funerall of Maister Robert Keylway Esquier the 18. day of March 1580. As we are assembled in the name of our good God so let vs pray for his vniuersall Church c. The text Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the seconde death hath no power but they shall bee the Priestes of God and Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeare Apocalips 20. IT hath béene from auncient time receiued and verie long vsed in the Church of God right worshipfull and Christian audience at the Funerals of the godly to haue the worde preached to the people Not thereby to profite the deade which no way after life can chaunge this departing state but by it to instruct the lyuing that they may learne to die in the Lorde and so rest from the labour of sinne and hell And why may not the godly preacher take occasion at funeralls to preach the worde of God Nay why shoulde they omitte any occasion but rather with Christ and his Apostles waite oportunitie to preach the worde whensoeuer the people be gathered together So Christ at Ierusalem Iohn in the wildernesse Iohn 7. c. Math. 3.1 Mar. 1.45 Act. 17.22 and Paul in Mars stréete preached the worde where and in what place the people were assembled The fathers likewise of the Church of auncient time haue at such assemblies taken occasion to teach the liuing euen when the funeralles were solemnized ouer the deade Whereby it was that those men did not only benefit the Churh during their liues but euen their corps as it were did afforde a finall benefite to the same at their departure to the earth And though the Papistes haue abused much this sacred vse so as at this day some vse it and suppose it rather to benefite the dead then séeking to profit the liuing thereby yet is this no reason why we should abstaine from food or our parentes shoulde foreslow to féed vs with the bread of life bicause the enemies of God haue abused it Let vs then looke vpon this heauenly bread which God in mercie by the occasion of this christiā corps here present hath new in the seruice of mine endeuour offered vnto you It is a cōfortable consolation to the children of God spoken and commanded to be written to them that they should not be swallowed vp in the sorowes of sharpe persecution and tyrannie of Antichrist Or be beaten from the anchor of hope in God whilest they are accursed of the world or be driuē to dispaire vnder the crosse by the multitude of afflictiōs but should assure thēselues of his loue towards them of their estate in him howsoeuer the malignaunt mindes of wicked men should bend their force against them Blessed and holy is he c. This scripture compriseth a resolute aunswere to that often asked matter namely who is he that is truly blessed what it is to bée blessed indéed In answere whereof the spirite of God obserueth this order First he declareth who they bée which be truely blessed Secondly he doth elegantly set downe the condition and state of them which are so blessed Touching the first Who is blessed he aunswereth Blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection Concerning the seconde And what is their blessednes He faith For on such the seconde death shal haue no power but they shal be the priestes of God of Christ shall raigne with him 1000. yeares that is to say for euer That we may take sufficient profite of this Godly labour let vs well obserue the text Bessed is he that hath part c. There hath béene no state so accursed but the same hath desired to be blessed Nor any people so sottish that haue not in cause of happy desire sought after felicitie But such as the dispositions of the persons were such for the most part was their supposall of felicitie Symonides Some sort supposed it an happie thing to bée beautifull and braue Pindarus Some other déemed happinesse to consist onely in rule and dignitie And therefore haue tendered with hazarde their soules to Hell atchiuing by wicked practizes some stately seates in earth Aristot Some haue supposed ciuill honestie to be the habite of true felicitie and hauing obteined a faire course therein haue onely rested there as in the chaire of heauenly happinesse But others more lewde haue sonke themselues to hell Rom. 2. with gaping after earthly treasure haue thesaured to themselues in déede the malediction of God against the day of wrath Of this sort was that Diues in the 12. of Luke and likewise his companion Luke 12. in the 16. of the same Luke 16. In whose earthly beatitude appeare these deadly miseries Namely in obtaining riches a greedie desire and in possessing them a double mischiefe To themselues they did abounde in great prodigalitie but vnto all other they were imprisoned in the déepe dungeon of needlesse nigardie For thēselues they gathered still fared alwaye delicately aparelled euer costly stil open harted to their owne delights but very narrowly chested to al others which would haue ben resonably satisfied with the least part of their superfluous prouision Oh that the states of our dayes would looke to this Those Lords these knightes and you the rich of this age you suppose it your chiefe happines to ioyne house to house and lande to land bloude to bloud and thousands to thousands and yet yee hunger after more But alas the most of these doe suppose it their blessednes to haue a Rowlande for an Oliuer To banquet and furfette with Bacchus to disporte and sléepe with Venus To haue store of children great wealth sound bodies stately buildinges and noble names of the vulgar sorte But beholde both reason in earth and tormentes in hell shall teach you in trueth that this is rather follie then true felicitie For if this be true happines to be frée from al sorts of misery and to abounde in all sacietie of good things without appetite of farther or desire of more howe can you reiecte reason which telleth you O earthly happie that you are yet in great misery For though in riches yée surpasse Cresus in carnal venery Sardanapalus in delicate disshes either the Epicure or Bacchus in conioyned possessions euen Alexander the conqueror yet your miserable mindes thinke though we haue much yet haue we not ynough We are sorie our throtes be no déeper our bellies no greater our nights no longer our patrimonies no larger For had you wonne the whole world yet would you couet to haue another and miserably yée feare
the deserued fall of this you haue which is euermore enuironed with miserable feare and blindnes with feare to loose that they haue by sundrie casualties And so blinde as not able to beholde the miserie of that ende which hath none other heauen then this present earth But Oh come and beholde the state of these blessed that are not godly rich O yée sonnes of men and you shall bée enforced if you hunger to bée truely blessed to pray with that holy rich Dauid Psal 17.14 Deliuer my soule from the wicked with thy sworde from men O Lorde by thine hande from men of the worlde who haue their portion in this life whose bellyes thou fillest with thine hidde treasure their children haue ynough and leaue the rest of their their substance for their children But I will beholde thy face in righteousnesse and when I awake I shall bee satisfied with thine image That is When I shall arise from the sleepe of naturall death it shall bée full felicitie to me that thou in thy mercy O Lord hast made mee thy creature and liuely image formed by and after thée in holynesse and righteousnesse and to enioy the fulnesse of thy face Colloss 2. which is true blessednesse The tormentes of Hell in Diues might sufficiently teach vs howe false is the felicitie of earthly beautie brauerie dignitie riches and greatest glorie If Christ bée not in them your ende shall bée wéeping and woe Iames. Hée was braue but now is the Godly Lazar beautifull he was of great possessions but Lazarus hath the kingdome Luke 16. He gaped after gold gay clothes delicate fare but the despised man of God is truely rich decked with glory delicately fed with the countenance of the Lord. Diues supposed rich is buried in hel And by that he greatly offended in that he is greatly punished For his tongue is vehemently tormented in the flame he cryeth for fauour but cannot obtain for hée had no part of the first resurrectiō which is true beatitude and therefore must he néedes dwell for euer in the seconde death He would haue his brethrē warned that they dreame not of false felicitie but the very way to blessednesses is there taught him and also vs not to bée learned from the deade Luke 16. but of the liuing Lawe of the Lord. They haue Moses the Prophets let them heare them Esai 8.19.20 Be afraide ye gallants of the earth you delicate Nymphes of these deayes which term it now most delicate to you iudge your selues that ye be not iudged of the Lorde 1. Cor. 11. Burie not your mindes in fained felicitie but séeke you after true happinesse If riches honours Castels Lordships Lands Reuenues wordly goods greatly increase set not your hearts vpon them Be not locked into the Coffer of thy gold with Diues but haue a godly liberal hart with Abrahā Rather sit at the doore of thy house ready to benefite thy countrie thē hauing many to runne from al thy homestedes to lye aloofe to féede thy selfe Haue a Christian eye to the whéele of false felicitie For the more swéete shée séemeth the sharper is her loose whom she most fauoureth him maketh she most fottish Truely the prosperitie of fooles destroyeth them Prou. 1.32 But if by grace from God in thy part of the first resurrection thou withstandest her pleasures and vngodly desires Sizach thou crownest then thy life with felicitie in him Which God grant vs for his holy Christs sake And thus much of false flattering felicite But that we may be partakers of this blessednes approued to vs here by the spirite of god let vs lend our hearts to heare Truely this felicitie is first by the Lorde diffused to vs in this life but possessed by vs more amplie in heauen at the houre of death yet neuer fully obtained till the time héere mentioned for the iust namely at the second resurrection When we shal be fréed from all woe and shal be filled with all fulnesse of ioy and bée the priestes of God and Christ to raigne with him a thousand yeare that is for euer and euer Blessed is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such c. This text doth first then yeld a resolute answere to this demand who are they which be truly blessed Truely saith our text euen whatsoeuer he that hath part in the first resurrection whether he be king or caytiffe prince or potentate preacher or people rich or poore he or she yong or old one or other Come vp hither ye sōns of mē raise vp you your heauy harts for the catholik curse of Adams loines behold an vniuersal beatitude in our common Christ This absolute happinesse is not shut vp to a few but as many as can be partakers of the first resurrectiō so many I say shal be blessed frō the second death which is the infernall lake of fire brimstone But for your better helpe to the comfort of this place note héere with mée two thinges The first what is this first resurrection The seconde how we may assure our selues to be partakers therof Now we must cōsider our text doth insinuate vnto vs a duple resurrectiō namely a corporal a spiritual 2. Cor. 5.2.20 The corporal resurrection is the supplie of this article I beleeue the resurrection of the deade and is common to all for all fleshe shall die and ryse agayne to iudgemente But the spirituall resurrection is particular to the sōnes of God alone is called the first because in this life his holy spirit doeth kill the members of sinne to death in vs rayseth vs vp togither in Christ Ephesi 2. to a newnesse of life But so necessarie a doctrine it is to bée delyuered vs of either resurrection that I may not omit but speake of them both And as many scriptures doe testifie the first so it is my purpose to charge your memories but with one but that so sufficiēt as may alone suffice our purpose at this time and your vnderstanding of Gods good pleasure in that iudgement viz. Apoc. 20.11.12.13.14.15 And I sawe a great white throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both the earth and heauen and their place was no more founde And I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God the books were opened and an other booke was opened which is the booke of life and the deade were iudged of those things which were written in the books according to their workes And the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death and hell deliuered vp the deade which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes And death and hel were cast into the lake of fire this is the seconde death And whosoeuer was not founde in the booke of life written was cast into the lake of fire This holy scripture beloued doth most playnely
Secondly the popish doubtfulnes taketh away the benefite of Christ his sonne For we are taught to beleue the Christ is dead for vs that he is the lambe of God which taketh away our sinnes that nothing can condēne vs because our Christ hath iustified vs and is deade risen againe and set at the right hand of God for vs so that in him we that truely beléeue are more then conquerours so as neither hell or heauen man or Angel prince or diuell things present or to come can separate vs from our benefite and loue of Christ This certaintie the booke of God doth teach vs but from this anchorholde the diuell and poperie laboureth to drawe vs. Thirdly it taketh all godly consolation from vs in the day of tentation layeth vs open to Sathans iawes For who can lift vp his heart in tentation that fighting with his enimy much stronger thē he hath no hope of his captaine Christ the strongest of all or in the mercie of God to defende him It also taketh away ardent earnest prayer to God for who can with comfort crie in triall that standeth in feare he shall not be hearde but in the ende he falleth into dispaire hate of God to all loosenesse of life and ruffianlike boldnes taking lust to liue in sinne not expecting other then hell at the ende Laste of all the popish doctrine of doubtfulnesse fighteth flat against the nature of our Christian faith which is not a light opinion of our God and Christ his loue to vs and our saluation in him but a most firme stable and sure foundation setled in our soules so as neither fire in earth nor powers in hell can burne or raze it out of our heartes that wee are sealed by his spirite in the faith of his Christ Rom. 8. to be his children and fellowe heires with our eldest brother Christ our Lorde in his great loue wherw t he hath loued vs yea euen when we were his enimies Wherefore we are taught that bee faithfull Rom. 5. to holde this for most certaine that though wee be wicked of our selues yet are wee iustified by his grace in our faith and haue peace with God and frée accesse in one spirite to God our father nowe and shal be receiued to him of Angels when we departe this life as this our text doth also tell vs. Hell shall not touch vs but we shall raigne with God his priestes and holy ones for euer Cast off popish fearefulnesse therfore acquaint your selues with the hearing of the word of God so shal yée learne to be firme in faith sure to liue Here be touched also all those which feare men rather then God and in time of persecution runne from religion or in the presēce of popish princes iudges tormentours or before a balde Masse-priest dare not confesse the Lorde but to saue his momentary life doth cast away the eternall Hee that will saue his life shall lose it Matt. 10.38 Mark 8.35 Luk. 9.23 Io. 12 2● he that shal lose his life for my sake and the gospels shall saue it saith our sauiour Christ Pray pray pray the Lorde to pull you out of poperie beloued and in speede come out of Babilon Apoc. 18. which is appointed to be cast into the fierie lake least being partakers of her sinnes yée also féede of her plagues The thirde sort which shall to hell are the abhominable murtherers harlots and such like These abhominable are to be vnderstoode of such persons as hauing once professed the trueth of God are now not onely become to hate it but most filthily they blaspheme it persecute and torment those that professe it to whom is reserued fire brimstone Heb. 6. Heb. 10. The rest are so manifest as néede no commentarie onely let vs knowe that murtherers be they which kill wound or hurt themselues or their neighbours either with the sworde of an hateful heart 1. Io. 3.15 as Iohn saith or with the sharpned tongue as Dauid saith or with the hande as Caine did his brother Habell Psa 120.3.4 And forget not that the seconde death is the receptacle for all such as die impenitent hereof The seconde parte of deathes power in hell is fast to retaine her captiues from the houre of their death with Diues vntil the day of the last resurrectiō which thing is most plainely proued by the storie of Diues and Lazarus Luk. 16. Nowe beloued the papists graunt with vs that in the hel 's there is no redemption but they say that in the earth there are distinct thrée sorts of mē One sort most holy another sort most wicked and the thirde sort of a certain mixture neither so holy as straight vpon death they demerite to goe to heauen or yet so wicked as at all they can be sent to hell but are for a time committed after death vnto the paines of Purgatorie and must thence bée delyuered not by mercie but by merite of Masses dirtie diriges popes paltries called pardons and such like And here is your foundation and your cause of prayer for the deade In aunswere wherof we graunt some persons are so sanctified in earth that straight from hence they goe to heauen but not for any their merite For they are taught to holde that hauing done all they can Luke 17.10 yet they are none other but wasting and vnprofitable seruauntes And that some are so wicked that straight they goe to hell as all obstinate rebellyous and trayterous papistes feareful wretches and abhominable persons we firmely beléeue But that there are any so imperfect that for their imperfection they are stayed from heauen and for their remnant of holynesse cannot come to hell and therefore of necessitie must tumble into a popish purgatorie this we flatly affirme to be a foolish opinion without warrant from God And touching these mixed persons surely the Church neither hath had or shall haue any other Of women was not that most holy maide Marie the blessed mother of Christ one most sacred Io. 2.3.4 But both the holy scriptures and her owne confession conuinceth her of sinne but she is saued by her Christ Luk. 2. saying My spirit doth reioyce in God my sauiour And for her daily sinnes she as al other is taught to pray forgiue vs our sinnes So also in her blessed bodie was sure faith great loue a pure heart and much godlynesse wherefore beholde a certaine mixture Also of men the Apostles were the most pure and yet not without the bodies of sinne What else moueth Paul to crie to the Romans Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death And this our most holie Iohn in his first Epistle doth accuse himselfe 1. Io. 1.8 all other Apostles of sin saying If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues c. Thus they liued thus they dyed with this battel against sinne but had