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 what this resurrection is the Apostle doth tel vs namely newnesse of life saying
Rom. 6.4 We are buried then with Christ by baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorie of the father so wee should walke in newnesse of life This is then the first resurrection namely newnes of life There must be life beloued as well in the spirite as in the bodie Manie men séeme to liue and to doe the works of life but not in the spirite but in the body to serue their turn to answere the law to obserue the time but all this while the spirite liueth not Many a papist to day will come to Church in bodie but he bringeth a deade soule with him for Christian Religion hath no roume in his heart But if thou wilt haue thy part Papist or Protestant in the first resurrection thou must beginne to liue in thy spirite that thy spirite may enforce thy bodie to loue liue and feare thy God According to this sentence of Paule Ephes 4.22 Cast off the olde man which is corrupt through the deceiueable lustes and bee yee renewed in the spirite of your minde and put on the newe man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holynesse And at one worde to speake it herein consisteth the first resurrection To cast away the works of darkenesse and to put on Christ the armour of light But as no man raised from a filthy puddle will willingly beare with him the myerie spots of that dirtie soile but will rather cast away the defyled garments that he might appeare clensed Hos 3. Euen so beloued wee must not part stakes with God and sinne but we must say to sinne get thée hence by a spirituall hatred vnto her so increase in it that we must as the Apostle Iude saith euen hate the very garment that is polluted by the fleshe vers 23. So must we hauing receiued such grace liue in spirite and bodie as the sonnes of lighte translated from the power of death to the kingdome of Christ in all peace Colos 1.13 Godlynes Tit. 2.11 sobrietie and honestie Thus shal we liue raigne with Christ a thousand yeare viz. for euer Now call your spirites to your senses and sée howe yée sauour this trueth beloued in Christ Rowse vppe your drowsie heartes and with the perspicuitie of a good conscience sifte and search your selues euerie one howe you haue profited by this doctrine and whether you liue or die Be not deceiued God is not mocked whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hée reape For if yée sowe still to the flesh your former corruptions you shal reape the seconde death But if nowe you can take hold of Christs doctrin by his spirit from his truth sowe to your spirits the séeds of the word of Faith of righteousnes of peace and godlynesse Gal. 6.7 you are partakers then of the first resurrection and shal reape hereof life euerlasting And in this examination two sorts of men are meruellously conuinced The first neither féeling death or life in god runneth headlong to his luste in infidelitie and gréedinesse to sinne as though that onely were his chiefe beatitude And these bée the Atheistes of our dayes whose consciences are seared vppe with an hotte yron so as no worde can pearce into their heartes or sappe of Gods spirite haue course in their members but are past all féeling euen at the point of damnation The seconde sort are of such as hauing some sparkes of a former fire and a little breathing force of an elder strength but nowe decaying doe yet séeme to liue when rather it may be feared that they are almost deade And these are notably shadowed vnto vs by the Church of Sardi in the Apocalips Apoca. 3.1 And writte vnto the Angel .i. the Minister of the Church which is at Sardi These things saith he that hath the seuen spirites of God in his hand and the 7. stars I knowe thy workes for thou hast a name that thou liuest but thou art deade Oh beloued marke well this Church of Sardi or Lidia She is not an idolatrous Church but professing God and godlinesse She hath the forme of Gods gouernement his worde his ministers is called his Church She séemeth for her outward shew to be most Christian and holy but in déede and troth shee is conuicted of death And that not because shée hath no part of godly life in her but because she hath fallen frō her first loue life and strength in him that holdeth the manifold graces called 7 spirits in his hande to dispose at his good pleasure the sufficient number of his preachers named starres to shine into the darkenesse of mans nature with the brightnesse of his word Finally Sardi is conuinced that she is imperfect in her workes before God that is she was but an hypocriticall Church rested in the externall ceremonies and rites but sought not the Lorde in trueth and sinceritie And héere note beloued that whatsoeuer Church or people which hath not in her soule the rooted faith of Christ graft by his spirite in that inner Man in strength wherof the force and power of Christs spirite floweth thence into an open practise of holinesse and godlinesse righteousnesse and honestie That same Church people or seuered person is as deade before the Lord. But yet in this Church of Lidia there were a fewe names as the Lord noteth in the 4. ver of the 3. chap. which had not defiled their garments that is had not stained the profession of Christ which Christ they by baptism had put on is the wedding garment adorning our beauty in him couereth our infirmities iniquities from the censure of gods iustice Very comfortable is this to the Godly but to the wicked most terrible The Lordes eyes beholde the hearts and actes of men and doth daily discerne the number of the Godly but kéepeth recordes of the wickeds practizes against the day of wrath O Englande Englande Oh thou Church of Sardi if thou be looked into with a spirituall eye thou shalt be founde néere vnto death onely a fewe names or persons are kept in thée for a reserued séed to the Lorde In outwarde shew what Church more holy Thy Princes are protestants Thy angelical starres thy bishops and preachers are learned teachers Thy gouernement is godly thy profession is holy But O Englande if thou be sounded to the heart thou shalt be founde I feare me verie sicke and néere vnto death Many maladies haue mette with thée no sickenesse but hath taken holde of thée and sore weakened thy strength But last of al hypocrisie securitie sléepe in thy bosome Thou stainest thy bright vesture of holy profession with the filthy spottes of carnall desires Thy religion is a cloake to all thy iniquities But as a spot is soone espied and séemeth most foule in a scarlet robe So the brighter thy profession is the sooner
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
thy sinnes are discouered and thine imperfections more notorious But by two especiall notes a sicke man is knowne to be neare his death First his pulses labour weakely his speech draweth farrely and his strength is fled away Secondly when he is sodeinely bereft of his vitall spirits perfect senses so as he is not féeling the parts of his dying bodie he is déemed neare vnto his death Alas looke into the bodie of England for the soundenes of her life Christ in her beholde her pulses beate faintly her speach fetcheth farly her strength is meruellously decayed Is her zeale to religion as it was in the beginning of her maiesties raigne Is it continually vigent in all the parts of the bodie doth euery knée bowe to Christ the Lorde in her doth euery tongue confesse Iesus to be the Lorde to the glorie of God the father Nay alas this little life left is drawne néere to the heart and the heart is verie sicke A fewe names a fewe in respecte of so great a number What meaneth it that so many magistrates are molested with carcke against conspiracies and domesticall furies That such and so great vices are dayly spread and breake out So sundrie persons forced with papists filthy familyes and popish seminaries Such friendshippe to Gods enimies of some that rather should help to spewe them out of the bodie Such prouision for warre such feare of forraine foes and so small trust in manie home dwellers vndoubtedly this is the very cause that Englande is very sicke fainting falling as by degrées from her former strength in Christ Religion is thought to bee strong ynough of it selfe for aide it can obtaine little except about the heart Godly conuersation is fledde out of the countrie God graunt him godly constant entertainment in her graces Court Charity is become key cold for no man hath leasure to loue beyonde himselfe Hate of iniquitie is banished the lande and the true loue of God is hardly to be founde in the bodie of England Euen now is performed againe the prophet Hosias speach There is no truth nor mercy Hose 4 2.2.3 nor knowledge of God in the land by swearing lying and killing and stealing and whoring they breake out and bloode toucheth blood therefore shall the lande mourne c. And are we not senselesse of our weake estate Do not our spirituall preachers crie vnto vs Esa 1.53.6 Rom. 2.2 There is no health frō top to the toe All haue gone astray euery mā after his picked chosē way the long suffering of God hath béene to drawe you to repentance but you haue abused his great pacience are like to the raging seas for in the glory of your presumptiōs you haue cast vp to the eyes of the Lord the filthie fome of your bloodgiltinesse But nowe repent in time ere the day of his decrée come foorth Zoph 2.1 ◠Gather your selues together O nation not worthy to bée beloued least you be blowen away like chaffe in that day Séeke the Lorde ye méeke of the earth you that haue wrought his iudgementes Séeke righteousnesse séeke lowlines if so be the ye may bée hidden in the day of the lords wrath But beloued in GOD Esa 26.20 howe féele we our selues now are we sicke or whole To this me thinke some do say No sir loquere no bis placentia speake more pleasant things to vs. Crie peace peace Iere. 20.1 euē til the day of war Cast Ieremie into prisō saith Pashur his partakers for hee speaketh against this citie But those names onely that are about the hart and haue not so steined their cloths they say he is not worthie to die for he hath spokē to vs in the name of the lord our god Ier. 26.16 But of the residue what shal we say truly we may rightly say as God him selfe spake to his prophet Ezechiel in the time saying Also thou son of man the childrē of thy people the talke of thee by the wals as they sit at their banquets Ezec. 33.30 thou art their sauce to their delicates in the dores of their houses whē they sit in the streets to recreate thēselues speake one to an other saying in derisiō of my law come I pray you heare what is the word that cōmeth from the Lorde for they come vnto thee as the people vseth to come and my people sit before thee and heare thy words but they wil not do thē for with their mouths they make mowes iestes their hart goeth after their couetousnes And lo Thou art to them as a iesting song of one that hath a pleasant voice can sing well for they heare thy words but they do thē not And when this cōmeth to pas for lo it wil come namely the ripenes of this sin the performance of my prophets threts frō me Then shal they knowe Verse 28. that not a iesting singer but a prophet hath ben amongst them When Lord euen whē I wil lay the land desolate saith the Lord wast and the pompe of her strength shal cease c. O lord in thy great mercy looke down vpon our English Israel What is he the séeth this huge heape of people here this day being a straunger to the state of this country but presently might cōceiue much life of god to be in thē Surely it is a great people yea a very great auditorie I haue not seene the like in the countrie the Lord blesse you al with the first resurrectiō according to his blessed will But you of the greater sort take you care that ye come not to heare what the lord saith only for ciuility or neiborly courtesie in respect of these funerals or in nisenes to heare a voice that might delight you but what cause soeuer brought you now that you are come be attentiue to the lord that you may be taught of god As for the gretest number it is too apparant wil be proued anonne that as our prophet saith they folow their couetousnes They are come in hope to haue a dole to day Against whose gréedie desire eftsones I pray you to whom it belongeth that regarde may be had hereof least this dayes exercise may be abused by the wicked to father their popish prayer for the deade vppon your charitable deuotion to the poore But beloued let the bell call you to another Church or at an other time be the preacher liked neuer so well we shall not haue the thirde part of this audience Nay if we might haue but the fourth part and that on the Sabboth onely it were in these partes a vertuous people And after our hearing howe do we digest the worde For the moste part this is al At dinner and after we talke of the man but féede not of the matter We either yéelde him his due commendation or our dislike But euen as minstrels song once hearde is streight forgotten So very fewe with Marie laieth
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
liuing God with reuerent feare by his mercie and Christes merite to be raunsomed from the paines and power thereof Of whose power we thus say The second death which is hell hath a double power or prerogatiue The first is a prerogatiue to receiue such persons as of right doe belong vnto her The seconde is perpetually to kéepe their soules in that lake till the day of iudgement and can neither be coniured or commaunded to deliuer any one of them or can they come out of her by any authoritie or power of Pope or whole papasie but after that day shall possesse both the bodies souls of the malignant Church to her euerlasting tormentes Nowe what soules and persons doe belong to her our Apostle doth tel vs in the 21. of this book saying But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhominable Apoc. 21.8 murtherers whormongers idolaters sorcerers al liers shal haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstō which is the second death Thrée sortes of persons Gods spirit doeth assure vs to be vnder the power of the second death That is the obstinate Infidell the fearefull Papiste and the abhominable couetous of the worlde as drunkards whoremongers murtherers couetous liars and such like Delicate be your delightes yee gallants of these dayes but wisely call them to account before the mourners followe the sinfull corps to the graue Eccle. 12.1 c. For if the Lord which is the searcher of the heart find your delights with death to end in infidelitie in fearefull poperie or in any these carnal abhominations thē deceiue not your selues for the prerogatiue of the second death may not be taken frō her God is a iust God Rom. 2.6 and in his iustice will iudge euery mā according to the verie nature of his worke Note here also that ciuill honestie without Christs diuinitie cannot kéepe the honest Infidel and vnbeléeuer from the second death For we possesse the heauens by inheritance onely and we are none otherwise made heires thē by this prerogatiue that we are made the sōns of God Io. 1. And wee are none otherwise made the sōnes of God but by our faith in Iesus Christ Nor can this faith bée else obtained but by the spirite of God Or doth this spirit otherwise ordinarily worke it in vs then by the preaching of the word of God But the infidell reiecteth the worde 1. Thes 4.5 and therefore Gods spirite likewise our Christ and in him our heauenly father and so finally this heauenly inheritance And as for our honest life and good workes they serue but so seale vp the heartes of the faithfull to thassuraunce of their election and to procure others to prayse the Lorde being benefited by them in vs. But the onely hand that apprehendeth our inheritance in Christ is our firme fixed faith in him beléeuing by his word and spirit in the full consent of our hartes that he is the same which the most mercifull father hath giuen him to be to vs That is our wisedome our iustification our holynesse our frée and most absolute redemption 1. Cor. 1.10 and so in the bottome of our heartes doe by faith embrace him 2 The second sort subiect vnto hel are the feareful papistes who shal neuer so dying escape the second death And if you will marke with me this Epitheton fearefull therewith measure in truth the popish profession you must of méere necessitie grant me that no papist dying in his popery can be else where placed but in the second death And to your better vnderstāding hereof you must distinguish betwixt feare feare for there is a feare cōmended cōmanded to vs in the holy scriptures Psa 111.10 as The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom cōmanded Psa 2.10.11 Serue the Lorde in feare reioyce to him with trēbling Again Feare god honor the king 1. Pet. 2.17 loue brotherly fellowship But this is that feare which Gods spirite planteth in his children to serue him in his true worship is euer ioyned with assured knowledge affiance in God And in the knot of christiā mariage Psal 58.9 Psal 112. Psal 118. this sacred feare is rightly shadowed for the wife feareth to offend her husband but it is for reuerēce loue to him neuer wtout affiance of his fauor because she knoweth him to be her maried husband So likewise the godly child doth feare to displease his father not bicause he doubteth of his loue but for that he would not gréeue the spirit of his life whō he feleth most assuredly in natural knot fast tyed to him And though his father lend him a frowning face he knows that those his lookes proceed of fatherly loue to his correctiō wherof persuaded so he feareth so he trusteth so he naturally loueth obeieth him And this knowledge loue driueth away filthy feare which gendreth painefulnes But the feare that Iohn speaketh of is flat contrarie to this It is begotten by distrust in god it is borne of ignorance it liueth to dispaire dieth in gret painfulnes what other is the whole profession of popery but méere timiditie They euer distrust god of his promise during their life therefore they die in feare of his fauor at the houre of death If he say That soule that sinneth shal die they beleue him not but walke frō sin to sin committing more trust to a Popes bul thē credit to the immortal word of god If the Lord say and sweare also Verely verely Io. 5.24 he that heareth my words beleueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life shall not come into condēnatiō but hath passed frō death to life yet the papist is afraid to rest vpō this promise for he doth not absolutely beléeue it but is in feare notwtstanding that after death his soule shal go to condemnation if not to hell yet at the least to purgatory Though the spirit of God say There is no condēnation to thē that are graft in Christ Iesu whose life is not after the flesh but after the spirit yet the papist wil not beleeue that he ought to be assured of this Christian rocke to rest vpon but casteth himselfe into the raging sea of wauering distrust Which feareful persuasion hath béene the very building of al Abbies priories popish paultries from many yeres past vs and doth bréede great blasphemie to the glorie of God For first it taketh away the foundation of our faith in the merite of Christ which is the God almighty is become our father in him and that he is nowe well pleased with vs and as a father not onely doeth pardon our sins but so tenderly loueth vs that our necessities whatsoeuer he carefully helpeth It taketh away also this holy boldnes in loue which his spirit doeth assure vs of and Christ doeth teach vs to cry vnto him Math. 6. O thou that art our father
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
victorie in Iesus Christ Yet I trow that the papistes will not say how the gratious virgin Mary and the holy Apostles went from death to their popish purgatorie Rom. 7.23 The same mixture that is to say in one bodie to haue obeying faith in it another lawe rebelling to the spirite is in all the electe of God in more or lesse measure By meanes whereof there cannot but bee many sharpe battels in the hearte of man so as some times he slippeth is brought very low somtimes he resteth againe and taketh courage and stoutly standeth vnder the banner of his captain Christ by the strength of his holy spirite but yet at the houre of death if he shoulde be measured by his falls he should be iudged worthy of the second death Psal 130.3 But because he hath his part by true louing Faith in repentance of the first resurrection he dyeth blessed in the Lord and holy resteth from his labours in earth and paines in hell for the second death hath no power of him much lesse can a popish purgatorie which is not I come not to dispute with the papistes nowe but to lay forth the plaine doctrine of saluation to your Christian hearts and something to let you sée the blindnes of the side which in so cléere a light do grope at their owne inuentions But to your purgatory thus much Is there such a place yea sir I pray you wher sir haue you warrant for it in the holy scriptures Forsooth saith the papist both in the olde Testament and in the newe doth not Zacharie say Zach. 9.11 I haue loosed my prisoners out of the pitte wherein is no water Sir here is our purgatory Well proued and like the rest of all your religion Héere is meÌ„tion made of a pitte voide of water that is ynough for purgatories proofe Such warrant haue they for the assumption of their Lady hauing no warrant for it in their blasphemous Masse of that day they solemnely sing the Gospel of Marie Martha But this is ynough to blinde the eyes of the ignorant that they haue the name of Marie in that Masse although it concerne a farre other matter and be altogether spokeÌ„ of another person And euen such is the popish beggerie of this rich place and promise of Gods prophet here But be it that this scripture did any whitte toote at your purgatorie I pray you sir hath your purgatorie neither fire nor water in it you sée water is here denied and here is no mention of fire at all Besides the deliuerie here is saide to be by the Lorde in heauen and that in his mercy without their merite But out of your purgatorie mens soules are deliuered by men in earth without him in heauen through their merite to his iustice of prayer and almes and diriges and restles masses and such like and not by his mercie And for the proofe hereof you cite this place Matt. 5.26 He shall not come out thence till hee hath paide the vtmost farthinge If this sentence serue your purpose then this doctrin is rightly gathered of it that though all the papists in the worlde pray and crie and launce themselues 1. King 18 27. with their forefathers the false priestes of Baal till they cease to liue yet their poore popish prisoner lyeth in the pitte still but without fire or water it is sure some driefatte till he hath payed not prayed the vtmost farthing Thus beloued yée may sée what gaine the papistes haue got of this place which they haue stollen from his true sense to shadowe their shamefull briberie and marchandize of mens soules in a faigned purgatorie If it bée lawfull to allegorize this place 1. Pet. 2.1.2.3 Apoc. 12.16.17 then this lake is rather the power of Satan the bloude of the couenaunt is the death of the Lord Christ who hath long since before we were borne purged vs and thence deliuered vs â—oll 1.13 and hath translated vs into the kingdome of himselfe And your owne doctour Hierome affirmeth that this lake is not purgatory but hell it self But the true sense of the place is an assurance of Gods hande to them of Ierusalem for the couenant of his Christ for whose sake hee hath nowe brought them from Babylons bondage A second place the papistes haue of the new Testament that is out of the 1. Corinth 3. Euerie mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shal be reuealed by the fire the fire shal trie euery mans worke of what sort it is And this place séemeth so flatte on their side that néedes we must haue a purgatorie Aeneid 6. Olimp. 2. Aretius loc 56. Truely for all this we must driue them to Virgil Pindarus for Paul doth no whit helpe them And good Christian auditorie measure their opinion by this scripture and you shall sée howe falsely they father their purgatorie hereof Héerein is mention of fire I graunt But such is this fire that not the persons that do work gold or stubble but the work wrought shal be cast into it For he saith the fire shal trie euerie mans worke c. but they are to proue a place of fire wherein the workman for his worke is to be cast which thou seest cannot be this Againe they say no man shal come into their purgatorie but the mixed sort wherof we spake before But Paul speaketh here of such a fire as vniuersally all must be tryed by For he saith not they which haue builded haye woode or stubble only shal be tryed there but also they which haue builded golde siluer precious stones vpon the fouÌ„dation These good workmeÌ„ must yet goe through this fire or at the least their workemanshippe For hee saith euery mans worke c. Further the texte doth not saye that this fire shall purge the worke from corruption or chaunge it as to make Haye become Golde Woode Siluer stubble precious stones But hée saith it shall bee ignis probatorius non Purgatorius it shall onelye prooue and trye what nature the mettall is off not purge the person or his worke at all Doe not yee sée by this sounding and short sifting of their popishe follyes with this portion of holye scripture that the papists are sacrilegious robbers of God and his scriptures I doubt not but you doe Adde to this their owne doctors are of other iudgement touching this fire Chrisostome taketh it for hell fire To. 1. li. 4. c. 36 Hierome for the fire at the last day which shal then trie euery mans worke what it is Gregorie a Pope of Rome vnderstandeth it for the afflictions of this life And auncient Ambrose interpreteth it of doctrine which of al other is the néerest the mind of the Apostle For the Apostle speaketh only of preachers their labours which the fire of Gods iudgement shall make manifest at his appointed season whether they haue