by a true faith wee may bee found in him and accordingly will we giue diligence not onely in vsing the meanes whereby wee may beleeue and be in Christ but also in gathering testimonies to assure vs that we are in Christ by a true and liuely faith The vse therefore which wee are to make of the former doctrine concerning the blessed estate of those which be in Christ by faith is two-fold First that we labour to be in Christ the second that we labour to know that wee are in Christ. As touching the former wee are to performe two things The first that we vse the meanes to beleeue Secondly that wee doe beleeue The ordinarie meanes of begetting faith is the ministerie of the word For as the Apostle saith Faith commeth by hearing the word and againe How can they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how can they heare without a Preacher For what are Preachers but Ministers by whom you doe beleeue 1. Cor. 3. 5. who because they are by preaching the Gospel the instruments of God for the begetting of faith in the elect by which they are iustified and adopted sons of God are therefore said to iustifie men and by the preaching of the Gospell which is the immortall seed whereof Peter speaketh to beget men vnto God If therefore there be no saluation but by Christ and if we haue no part in Christ but by faith and if we attaine not to faith ordinarilie but by hearing the word of God this therefore must teach vs as wee desire to be saued so to be carefull and conscionable hearers of the word of God which is his power to our saluation For how meanly soeuer carnall and worldly men esteeme of the preaching of the Gospel notwithstanding it is the ordinance and good pleasure of God by the foolishnes of preaching for so men esteeme it to saue those that doe beleeue 1. Cor. 1. 21. But our hearing must be mingled with faith or else it profiteth nothing When as therefore the Lord in the ministerie of the Gospell doth not onely reueale and offer vnto vs his vnspeakeable mercie in Christ but also by his embassadours doth desire vs that wee would be reconciled vnto him and that we would accept of his mercie offered vnto vs in Christ by receiuing him to be our Sauiour we are not only in generall to beleeue that hee is the only Sauiour of Mankind but in particular wee are to embrace the mercies of God offered vnto vs in him and receiue him as our Sauiour earnestly desiring in out hearts to be made partakers of his merits and vnfained resoluing in our minds to rest and rely vpon him as our only Sauiour He that thus receiueth Christ is esteemed of God who accepteth in weake Christians their sincere desire to receiue Christ and vnfained resolution to rest vpon him alone for saluation for the deed it selfe which is faith he is esteemed I say to beleeue and by this faith whereby he thus receiueth Christ he is vnited vnto him And howsoeuer as yet in the court of his owne conscience perhaps he is not iustified being poore it spirit and hungring and thirsting after the righteousnes of Christ which in his owne sense he doth not yet find imputed vnto him yet notwithstanding in high court of heauen he is as surely iustified before God as by our Sauiour Matth. 5. he is pronounced blessed And if any man shal think it strange that so small a measure of faith should be effectuall to vnite vs vnto Christ and to iustifie vs before God let him consider that faith doth not iustifie vs as it is a qualitie gift habite or worke in vs or in respect of the worthines thereof but only relatiuely in regard of Christ the obiect which it doth apprehend In so much that Peter calleth the faith of all the faithfull though vnequall in it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of equall value or price because it doth alike iustifie though all be not alike assured of their iustification For the same righteousnes of Christ which by a strong faith is apprehended to iustification is also apprehended by a weake faith For as the almes receiued by a feeble hand doth as well relieue the partie as that which is receiued by a strong hand and it is not the hand but the almes properly which doth relieue and as the brazen Serpent which was a figure of Christ did heale those among the Israelites which listed vp their weake eyes towards it as well as those which were quicke-sighted so the righteousnes of Christ being apprehended by a weake faith doth as well iustifie the beleeuer as when it is receiued by a strong faith so it is the righteousnes of Christ which faith doth apprehend and not faith it selfe which doth iustifie But it will be said faith is a full assurance therefore he that hath not a full assurance hath not faith I answere not all faith is a full assurance but the strong and perfect faith For a man must belieue in Christ before he can be in Christ or haue remission of sinnes by him A man must haue remission of sinnes before he is bound to beleeue it and a man must beleeue it and haue some measure of assurance before he can haue the fulnes of assurance which is not attained at the first But you will say faith is defined of good Diuines to be a full assurance I answer that they define it in the perfection of it to teach vs not to content our selues with the lesse degrees of faith but to proceed from faith to faith vntill wee come to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance of faith For this is the second thing which as I said wee are to labour for namely to know and to be assured that wee be in Christ. And to this purpose wee are to performe two things First we are to trie our selues whether we be in Christ and secondly wee are to giue diligence to make our being in Christ more sure vnto vs. As touching the former it is the aduice of the Apostle that wee should trie our selues whether wee bee in the faith For many deceiue both themselues with a vaine opinion and others with a bare profession of faith As first they who haue not so much as the dogmaticall or historicall faith which is but a degree towards a iustifying faith For though a man may haue this generall or historicall faith and yet want the iustifying faith yet a man cannot haue a iustifying faith who hath not in some measure the generall or dogmaticall faith Now this generall faith consisteth of two things knowledge of the word of God and assent vnto it that it is true First therfore they who haue not knowledge of the principles of religion are so farre from hauing a true iustifying faith that they haue not so much as the first steppe or degree towards it Therefore though
most euident place not only against wandering of soules but especially against Purgatory prayer for the dead For whereas they obiect that the place is vnderstood of Martyrs only I haue before plainely proued that it is generally vnderstood of al those that die in Christ whether as Martyrs or as Confessors who neither by the tyranny nor fraud oâ— Antichrist can bee drawne away from Christ. For these being in Christ consequently made partakers of his merits Christ hath by his blood so fully boâ— purged their soules that they shall noâ— need the fire of Purgatory which waâ— deuised to purge mens purses ratheâ— then their soules and also satisfied the iustice of God for their sinnes that as other purgations so other satisfactionâ— are blasphemies against Christ our alone all sufficient and most perfect Sauiour But in this text there be three euidences against the Papists First in thâ— he saith they are blessed from thencâ— forth forthwith immediately and noâ— many yeeres much lesse many thousanâ— yeeres after as the Pope in his Antichrâ—stian pardons would beare vs in hanâ— Secondly they are said to rest or to bâ— eased as the word signifieth from thâ— labours and therefore are not at all toâ—mented in Purgatory which as theâ—selues reach burnes as hotte as the fiâ— of hel Thirdly it is said that their worâ— that is the reward of their faith and obedience doth accompany them which reward I hope they will not say is the fiâ— of Purgatory And further obserue that he doth not say other mens works are to bee sent after them to redeeme them forsooth out of Purgatory but their owne workes follow with them Know therefore for certaintie that Purgatorie is but a fire seruing for the Popes kitchin and prayer for the dead is but preying vpon the liuing being a meere deuice seruing for the maintenance of the Popish that is to say Antichristian clergie Thus haue you heard the explication of this text and the vses which the seuerall branches thereof affoord there remaineth in a word the application and vse which is to bee made of the whole text both in generall concerning all those that die in the Lord and in particular concerning this our brother who who is asleepe in Christ. For seeing the dead which die in the Lord are presently blessed because they rest from their labours c. this therfore doth reach vs that death of a Christian man who is in Christ is not to be feareâ— as an euill thing but rather to be wisheâ— and desired because it bringeth happinesse with it For to him that is in Christ death is aduantage in that he changeth a life mortall and miserable for a life blessed and immortall chaungeth the companie of sinfull men for the companie of God his Saints and Angels changeth a sinfull and miserable condition in this valey of teares with a moâ— blessed and glorious estate in heauen wherein there is no possibilitie of falling either into sin or miserie And this muâ— also moue vs to labour for assured testimonies that wee bee in Christ that wâ— may desire euen to be dissolued and 〈◊〉 bee with Christ. For hee that doth noâ— feare but rather desire death he will nâ— for feare of any creature be withdrawn either from his faith or obedience Fâ— the worst thing which any creatur◠〈◊〉 threaten is death And that is it whiâ— he desireth especially if it be not only 〈◊〉 Christ but also for him Againe if the dead which die in tâ— Lord be thencefoorth blessed c. 〈◊〉 are not wee to mourne for them which are dead in Christ as in respect of them left wee may seeme to enuie their happines For though their bodies be committed to the earth yet are wee no more to mourne thereat than the husband man mourneth for committing his seed corne to the earth because they as well as the seede hauing purified in the earth will come vp against the great haruest with plentifull increase when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortalitie And as touching their soule that so soone as it departeth from the bodie is by the holy Angels conueied into the bosome of Abraham the place of heauenly blisse where they haue the fruition of God and fellowship of the blessed Saints and Angels This opinion which the holy Ghost doth here teach vs in general to coÌ„ceiue of all those that die in the Lord Christian charity bindeth vs to entertaine concerning this our worthy brother departed in the faith of Christ. For if all they which die in the Lord are happie and blessed and our assured hope be that he died in the Lord why should not wee conceiue assured hope that his estate is happie and blessed Now that charitie bindeth vs thâ— to conâ—iue of him I wil make it manifest For besides that there is no euidence to the contrarie and charitie euermore iudgeth the best we haue also sufficient euidence whereupon to conclude according to the iudgement of Charitie that hee died in the Lord. 〈◊〉 say according to the iudgement of charitie for as the iudgement of certaineâ— belongeth vnto God so the iudgemenâ— of charitie vnto vs. Let vs therefore take a briefe view of such fruits according to which alone being charitablie interpreted true charitie doth iudge I say oâ— such fruits and signes as haue appeareâ— both in the time of his health and also 〈◊〉 the time of his sicknes vntill his death For whereas there are three thingâ— which euery Christian must be carefulâ— in this present life namely that hee liâ— soberly in respect of himself religiouâ— towards God and iustly among meâ— the first I hope will be confessed of 〈◊〉 that knew him that hee was a sober graue discreet frugall temperate and chast man And as for his religion towards God first I say though hee were borne in the time of Popery notwithstanding he hath professed vnto me and to others in my hearing that from his youth he hath been perswaded that the Pope is Antichrist and that he abhorred the Idolatrous superstitions and damnable doctrines of the Church of Rome against both which I haue heard him by way of discourse inueigh seriously and to good purpose But as hee was no Papist so no neuter or nullifidian which is too common a fault among the politicians of this world but a professed Protestant and open professor of the true faith of Christ that is to say one that did beare the marke of God in his forehead as the faithfull are described in the beginning of this chapter And this beloued was no small fauour of God vouchsafed vnto him For as heere they are pronounced blessed who die in the true faith of Christ and not in the religion of Antichrist so Reuel 20. 6 they are pronounced blessed and holy who haue their part in the first resurrection whereby as they rise from other sinnes and corruptions so especially from the graue of Antichristian that
testimonie of the truth rather than to yeeld to Antichrist and generally may be more affraid to commit sin than to suffer death let vs remember what the holy Ghost saith that blessed are those which die in the Lord. And let vs consider that this assertion is no humane inuention or earthly deuice but a diuine and heauenly oracle For so saith Iohn I heard a voyce from heauen Many will say If I might heare an Angell from heauen tell me that which you Ministers doe teach vs as namely that to die in the Lord is an happie thing assuredly I would beleeue it If from heauen it were testified vnto me that it is a blessed thing to die not in the faith and communion of the Romish Church but in the faith of Christ professed in the Churches reformed by the preaching of the Gospell I would rather die than ioyne with the Church of Rome And yet behold this truth is not onely auouched by a voice from heauen but also that as Peter speaketh in the like case we might haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more firme word which is the written word it is by the commandement of God from heauen committed to writing as containing words faithfull and true and being spoken and written hath the testimonie of the spirit that it is the vndoubted word of God Such is the credit of the written word that if an Angell from heauen should gainsay it he were to be held accursed Gal. 1. 8. And he that will not giue credit to the written word which is the most sure foundation of our faith neither would he beleeue though an Angell should come from heauen or a spirit from the dead Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and take vpon him the person of the dead and therefore if we should trust to apparitions we might soone be deceiued But the word of God cannot deceiue vs. Seeing therefore this assertion is pronounced by God from heauen and at his appointment is committed by the holy Euangelist to writing and also hath the testimonie of the holy Ghost who is the spirit of truth Let vs therefore with all reuerence and good conscience hearken vnto it as to the oracle of God and with the full perswasion of faith giue vnfained credit vnto it as vnto the vndoubted word of the Lord namely that the dead which die in the Lord are from thenceforth blessed because they rest from their labours and their workes follow them In which words three things are to be considered First who they are which be here pronounced blessed Secondly what this blessednesse is and wherein it doth consist which is shewed in the reason that they rest from their labours c. Thirdly when this blessednes belongeth to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith hee from thenceforth that is forthwith and immediatly after their death and so forward As touching the first Blessed saith he are the dead What the dead blessed A strange paradoxe no doubt to hypocrites and worldly men who haue placed their felicitie in the fruition of temporall things and put the day of death farre from them fearing nothing more than to die and hoping for nothing lesse than to be blessed after death But let vs remember that it is an oracle of God deliuered from heauen and testified by the holy spirit From hence therefore let vs learne truly to acknowledge the immortalitie of the soule and effectually beleeue that there is a life immortall after this mortall life is ended And in this beliefe let vs be carefull so to liue as that we may hope after this life is ended to be happie and blessed Neither let vs be so mad as for the momentanie fruition of temporall vanities in this vale of miserie to lose an euerlasting inheritance in the kingdome of heauen But hee addeth which die in the Lord. For not all that are dead are blessed for many die out of the Lord Iesus and out of Gods fauour as those which depart in the faith of Antichrist or otherwise die in their sinnes as in ignorance infidelitie impenitencie c. and they are so far from being blessed when they die as that by their death their miserie is infinitely increased But they are blessed which die in the Lord. Which words some vnderstand as spoken of Martyrs onely and so reade them who die for the Lords cause And no doubt if all they be blessed who die in the Lord much more may we assure our selues that they which doe not onely die in the Lord but also for him are most happie and blessed And this must encourage all true Christians as we are perswaded that the Lord hath laid downe his life for our sakes so to bee most readie and willing to lay downe our liues for his sake if it shall please the Lord to vouchsafe vnto vs both that honour as to be the Martyrs of Iesu as also that fauour as to make our death and afflictions which otherwise all of vs must looke to suffer as chastisements for our sinnes to be sufferings for righteousnes But yet not onely such as die for the Lord are here pronounced blessed nor all they are blesled who would seeme to die for the Lord but all they and onely they who die in the Lord are blessed For if any man dying for the maintenance of heresie shall think he dieth for the Lord as all in that case are readie to pretend notwithstanding hee is not blessed because hee doth not die in the Lord. For none are in him but such as truly belieue in him and none truly belieue in him which doe not loue him and his members for his sake But they which die for heresie as they doe not truly belieue in Christ so doe they not truly loue his members but by their heresie cut themselues from the bodie of Christ which is his true Church For hs he that giueth his bodie to bee burnt and hath not loue saith the Apostle so hee that thinketh himselfe to be martyred hath not true faith it profiteth him nothing And such is the state as of all other heretikes so especially of the Popish martyrs of these times as they are esteemed among thē For besides that they do not die for their religion properly but for treason and rebellion and it is not the punishment but the cause that maketh a Martyr their religion also is Antichristian being the Caholike apostasie the common sewre of heresie and the very mysterie of iniquitie Neither doe they die in the cause or faith of Christ but in the cause and faith of Antichrist and therefore are the martyrs not of Christ but of Antichrist The truth whereof none can denie if this once bee prooued vnto them which by our writings is sufficiently prooued that Rome is Babylon the Pope Antichrist and the Papists such as haue receiued the marke of the beast Therfore not only they which die for the Lord nor all they who would seeme
ignorant persons be most forward to commend their faith yet they are to know whiles they continue in ignorance they are altogether voide of faith and consequently of all grace whereby they might hope to be saued For without knowledge there can be n◠faith and without faith there is no hope of saluation or any other sauing grace Againe those which doe not giue assent to the whole word of God and euerie part thereof that it is true are so f◠from hauing the iustifying faith th◠they haue not so much as the general or historicall faith which the diue◠themselues are said to haue as namely those which will beleeue so much of the Scriptures as they list and no more then liketh them For although the proper obiect of faith as it iustifieth and vniteth vs vnto Christ is Christ our Sauiour or the promises of the Gospell concerning saluation by him yet by the same faith whereby wee are iustified wee doe vndoubtedly beleeue the whole word of God and euery part thereof The iustifying faith euermore including and presupposing the generall and dogmaticall faith Secondly they haue not the true euangelicall faith who haue not also the legall faith perswading them of their miserable and accursed estate in themselues both in regard of their sinnes as also of the punishments which by the threatnings of the law if they did truly beleeue them they would acknowledge to bee due vnto them Now this legall faith is a necessarie preparatiue to the iustifying faith For vntill wee see our selues to be accursed in our selues wee will not so much as desire seriously to be iustified by Christ. Vntill we find our selues to be bondslaues of sinne and Satan wee will not earnestly seeke to bee ransomed or redeemed Vntill wee acknowledge our selues to be the children of wrath we will not seeke to be reconciled vnto God in Christ. In a word vntill wee finde our selues to be miserable in our selues we will not seriously seeke and sue for the mercies of God or merits of Christ our Sauiour but as much as in vs lieth suffer his precious blood to bee spilt in vaine without any care to applie it to our selues For what neede hast thou either of a Sauiour if thou art not in thy selfe lost or of a Redeemer if thou art not a captiue or of a reconciler if thou art not an enemie or what need hast thou of mercie if thou art not in miserie The whole neede not the Physition saith our Sauiour Christ but the sicke Well thou euer hast had a good conceit of thy selfe thou euer hast loued God aboue all things and thy neighbour as thy selfe thou neuer didst doubt of thy saluation in al thy life c. an euident argument that thou diddest neuer care for Christ or finde thy selfe to stand in neede of a Sauiour But remember who saith I came not to call the righteous that is such as bee righteous in their owne conceits but sinners that is humbled sinners to repentance And againe that he came to seeke and to saue that which was lost to preach the Gospell to the poore namely in spirit to heale the broken hearted to preach deliuerance or redemption to the captiues Wherefore neuer perswade thy selfe that thou hast a iustifying faith if thou doest not as well beleeue the threatnings of the Law as the promises of the Gospell For although faith doth not iustifie as it apprehēdeth the threatnings yet that faith which doth iustifie including euermore the generall and consequently the legall faith doth beleeue the threatnings of the law as the vndoubted word of God The same faith therefore which doth assure thee of thy reconciliation redemption and saluation in Christ doth first informe thee that thou art an enemie of God a bondslaue of sinne and vtterly lost in thy selfe that being with the Publican humbled in thy selfe thou maist be exalted in Christ. Thirdly they deceiue either themselues with a fancie or others with a shew of faith who haue not an effectuall and liuely faith For as there is a twofold knowledge the one a literall or speculatiue knowledge the other spirituall and operatiue and that knowledge is onely true which is working 1. Ioh. 2. 3. 4 so there is a double faith an effectuall vnfained and liuely faith and an idle counterfeit and dead faith Now faith is said to be liuely and effectuall in two respects First respectu actus primi in regard of the effectuall and true being of it Secondly respectu actus secundi in regard of the operation of it In both senses every kinde of faith becommeth effectuall by application of that which is beleeued As first the dogmaticall faith is liuely and effectuall when thou doest not onely beleeue in generall what God is but by particular application to thy selfe doest beleeue that he is such a one to thee As for example if thou doest beleeue onely by a general and historicall faith that God is omnipresent that is in euery place present filling heauen and earth and that hee is omniscient and as the Scriptures call him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing all things yea the very secrets of mens hearts and that by a most perfect and distinct knowledge thou maist be little the better for this faith But if thou doest beleeue with application to thy selfe that he is euery where present with thee and that his eyes be alwaies vpon thee beholding all thy waies then will this faith be effectuall to make thee behaue thy selfe vprightly as in his presence and sight and so of the rest The like may bee said of the legall faith For a man may beleeue in a confused and generall manner the threatnings of the law to be true and yet neuer the more bee humbled but goe on securely in his sinne and notwithstanding his impenitencie and infidelitie promise to himself impunitie But when as a man applieth the threatning after this manner to himselfe If this be true as I vnsainedly acknowledge it to bee the vndoubted word of God that euery one is in himselfe accursed and subiect to eternall death and damnation who hath not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them how can it possibly be auoided but that I am in my selfe a most accursed wight and damned wretch who haue not continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them nay in steed of doing the things commanded I haue done the things forbidden in steed of keeping all the commandements of God I haue broken them al diuersly and grieuously in steed of continuing in a perpetual obedience I haue continued in the breach of Gods commandements as indeed vntill the time of a mans conuersion he doth nothing nay hee can doe nothing else but sinne against God Thus by application the legall faith becommeth effectuall and thereby a man is humbled and brought to despaire of saluation in himselfe so
is Popish pollutions as the context or coherence in both places sheweth Neither was hee a backeward professor as many are who haue no care of religion but manifested his forwardnes by diuers good signes As first by frequenting the holy exercises of religion abroad and hauing them duely performed at home Secondly by louing reuerencing and countenancing faithfull Ministers Preachers of Gods Word For this I doubt not to auouch that the religion and deuotion of meâ— towards God may be discerned by nâ— one signe better then by the respect which they haue to Gods Ministers Foâ— as our Sauiour saith he that receiueth yâ— receiueth me and he that despâ—seth you despiseth me For as he that despiseth a Minister in respect of his calling doth euidently bewray himselfe neither to haâ— any grace nor yet to desire any because the grace which either hee hath or desireth ordinarily is procured by the Ministery as I could shew at large so he that loueth and reuerenceth a Minister for his calling sake as this worthy Knight did he doth shew that he hath found the Ministery of the Word to bee the power of God to his saluation Of his loue to other my brethren in the Ministery the great concourse of Ministers at this present to honor his funerall is a sufficient euidence As touching my selfe I do with thankfulnesse acknowledge the greatnes of his loue manifested towards me diuers waies wherein he may seeme to haue followed the graue aduise of the Greek Orator in that he hath made me to inherit that loue friendship which from a child he did euer beare to my father Thirdly his forwardnes appeared by louing and fauouring those that were honest and religious and hampering those who were otherwise disposed who now perhaps will vtter their spleene and by their slanderous speeches proue that 〈◊〉 he honored and loued those that feared God so such vile and naughty persons as themselues were odious in his sight Which is one good note of the child of God as the holy Ghost witnesseth Psal. 15. 4. Beloued in the Lord it is no small token of a member of Christ when a man loueth the members of Christ for their godlines and vertues sake For they their are of the world hate those that bee in Christ. And as a wicked man is an abomination to the godly euen so a godly man is an abomination to the wicked Iohn therefore setteth this downe as a special signe hereby saith he we know that we are translated from death to life because wee loue the brethren I hasten to his cariage among men and first in his dealings as a priuate maÌ„ wherein he was I speake of his generall course a strict obseruer of truth in hiâ— words of iustice in his deeds of fidelity in his promises But chiefely consideâ— him in the discharge of his calling For a mans calling is that staÌ„ding wherin God hath placed him to exercise his faith and obedience that therein hee may glorifie God and doe good to men Consider his priuate calling as he was an housholder or head of his familie And therein acknowledge with me his great loue and fidelity to his wife his fatherly prouidence towards his children and nephewes his great wisedome and care in gouerning his seruants and preseruing them from those horrible vices which as they be vsuall now adaies in great families so no doubt will pull downe the fearefull iudgements of God vpon them I meane swearing and swaggering and finally his goodnesse and bountie towards those whom he found diligent honest and frugall But his publique calling as he was a Magistrate and gouernour in the Common-wealth doth now call me vnto it Wherein all I doubt not who did not mislike him for his iust seueritie either against themselues or such as were neere vnto them wil freely acknowledge that he was a very good Iusticer and a very notable good Common-wealthes man both for his sufficiencie and wisedome which was great and also for his great zeale and good affection towards his countrie and couragious resolution to shew himselfe forward in good causes The truth whereof if we did not sufficiently see whilest wee enioyed him I dout we shall too well feele by wanting him And thus you haue heard of his sobrietie and gouernment of himselfe of his faith and religion towards God and of his iustice charity towards men In all which you are not to vnderstand me as though I went about to maintaine that he had no infirmities or that he neuer failed in any particulars for alas is many things we offend all and highly iâ— that man to be commended whose generall course is such as I haue described Yea happy and thrice happy is that man who hath a setled and vnfaineâ— purpose of obseruing those duties of sobrietie iustice and pietie though besidâ— his purpose he faile in many particulaâ— through infirmitie for 〈◊〉 a one no doubt is the true child of God And as these signes did shew that he liued in the Lord so the same added to his demeanor in the time of his sicknes will proue that he died in the Lord. I wil begin with his Christian charitie in forgiuing those that had offended him in giuing satisfaction to such as thought themselues wronged in seeking to bee reconciled with such as he might thinke did beare any grudge towards him which being considered together with the greatnes both of his mind and state will seeme no small argument of great Christianity And herein he did acknowledge as he had cause the good prouidence of God towards him in giuing him occasion whilest he was aliue and able to answere for himselfe to cleare himselfe as to my vnderstanding hee did of diuers imputations which otherwise might perhaps haue proued scandalous after his death No lesse commendable was his Christian pietie towards God shewing it selfe in the time of his sicknes not onely in the exercises of religion as often hearing of the word preached receiuing the Sacrament more than once to assure him of his vnion and communion with Christ daily inuocation of the name of God but also in approouing his faith and patience being by a long and sharp sicknesse so throughly tried In respect whereof I may not forget his behauiour at two especiall times the one a weeke before his death when as his speech being taken from him hee supposed the time of his dissolution to bee at hand And therefore minding to prepars himselfe for death he calleth by signes for inke and paper and as hee could writeth the names of diuers Ministers and some other his faithfull friends whom he would haue sent for that they might bee both assistants vnto him by theâ— prayer and godly counsaile in the agonie of death as also witnesses of hiâ— faithfull departure But before theâ— came it pleased GOD to restore hâ— speech whereby to his owne and theâ— comfort he made a notable confession of his faith which also he then sealed