Lorde The blessed state of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne that not onely immediatly after their death they shal rest from their labours and enter vppon their rewarde and so bee blessed but that also this their state is certaine without any falling backe from it and therefore still their reward is called life euerlasting in the scriptures And surely if this be their state immediatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of falling backe to worse then of the contrary it must needs follow that quite contrary immediatly after their death shal be the state and condition of al that die not in the Lord and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vnto a better What neede there then a general iudgement will some say I answere for two causes that the bodies thē may be restored to their soules againe that both the ioies of the faithful paines of the faithles to the ful manifestatiō both of gods mercy iustice may be cōsummate and ful that so god thē may outwardly solemnly iustify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt which imediatly before at euery mās death he had laid vpon them Lastly we are not to passe ouer or forget how our aduersaries the Papistes abuse this last clause of the text For they hearing that workes follow such thereupon inferre that works merit eternal blisse The abuse of this place therby to prooue that workes merite confuted Indeed hereupon it followeth as I haue noted before that none haue a right faith in Christ but those that haue also good works to accompany them whensoeuer they dye in the Lord which I would not haue forgotten But hereupon to gather that our workes merite heauen we may not For then they should go before our being in the Lord be a cause therof whereas here it is only sayde that they follow and accompany such Which it should seeme that Augustine had obserued li. de Fide operibus ca. 14. when he said that good workes goe not before iustification but they follow a man iustified Let them therefore followe in Gods name as a fruit of a man in the Lorde but let them not step before as a cause of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderstād that this argument is stark naught good workes shal be rewarded with heauēly blisse therefore they merite it Is no man rewarded but he which hath merited and deserued it first The heire when he commeth to his fathers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time yet hee hath not his inheritance for those his paines for then rather some seruant oftentimes should haue the inheritance but for that he was his fathers son heire before Euen so it is in this case we are born the sons of God by faith in Christ Ioh. 1.12 13. so coheires with him of heauen Rom. 8.17 thereby first and then follow good workes in vs not as a cause why we shal haue this inheritance but as a fruit effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vs. And yet when we come to the inheritance because it cōmeth after these our works after a sort we may say that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded yet we haue not that reward for our workes but for that we working so were the sons heires of God But for the better loosing of al such popish knots vnderstād that it is not al one to say good works shal be rewarded and to say good works haue merited that rewarde For there are rewards giuen of mercy and so is this as well as of debt and duty Rom. 4.4 Againe there is great ods betwixt these two questions who shal bee saued and why man shal bee saued To the former we answere the well worker to the latter only for Christs sake apprehended by faith And therfore take this for the conclusion we shal be iudged Secundū operum indicium non propter operum meritū according to the testimony y our workes giue of vs not for the merit of our workes For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9 We are saued by grace through faith that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast himself And yet this doctrine neither letteth nor staieth at al frō good works but is y◠only fountain indeed from whēce al true works do spring flow And therfore y◠Apo. Paul as you may obserue throughout al his epistles first laboreth to set down this doctrine then thereupon after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life the like course tooke Peter as you may see in his first epistle And yet these knewe how to prouoke to good works and in no case may be counted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to imbrace this doctrine effectually but therby he feeleth by experience his hart so enflamed with loue towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby displaied vnto him both in sauing him frō perishing and in thus freely preparing heauē for him that frō that loue of his there floweth riuers flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God wherin he walketh chearfully cōfortably But the Papists being bastards no lawful children of the Lorde beeing not assured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē of a slauish feare with a seruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe the good which they do Which indeed in matter maner of doing is such that though it carrye the shew of godlines yet it is not so indeede For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word but matter good inough with thē For a good worke is any thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of the elders or their own good intent Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as stincking in his sight Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 Co. 2.20 c. And as for their maner of doing it is like the Pharises ioyned with a conceit that therefore they may despise others trust to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works Which kinde of doing Christ hath cōdēned Mat. 6.1 Luk. 18.9 c. in forbidding vs to do our workes as the Pharisees did in sending home the proude Pharisee vniustified And therfore in very deed as they are without all true christian faith so are they without al true good works And therefore whosoeuer hath any thing to comfort himself by this place it is none of thē No doubt of it this noble mā whose body lieth here amongst vs to be encōbed though euen in outwarde shew of almes giuing other good works he ouermatched most merit mongers yet seeing he trusted only to the meries of Christ and neuer to his owne workes but did them only of loue and thankefulnesse towas his God is among those of whome it is here said Their workes accompany them and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof Whose example as wee that bee of the same faith are to followe that so with him we may bee in euerlasting remembrance both with God and good men as no doubt hee shall so it is an example to stoppe the mouths of the aduersaries that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion haue no good woorkes following them The secōd conclusiō Thus at last right honorable and dearely beloued we haue runne thorow this portiō of scrpture and considered both the generall and particular vse thereof And so first we haue heard how strongly it is warranted to conteine nothing but soūd truth namely that not whosoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny but whosoeuer is by a true a liuely faith vnited vnto Christ dieth in him which is neither a miraculous historicall temporarie dead or popish faith but a faith seeking and apprehending saluation onely in Christ Iesus shal thēceforth be blessed immediatly in resting from all woe in body and soule and in entring vppon possession of their euerlasting rewarde and then thereby more particularly we haue obserued that therefore the body riseth againe and that the soule is neither mortall nor sleepeth that there is no popish purgatory nor any thing that can be done by others for soules departed that can doe them any good to ease or better their estate and finally that though here bee offered vs great encouragement to good workes yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand All which doctrine and lessons our honourable friend here departed as I haue from point to point shewed you hath already found true by experience God of his mercy giue vs all grace so to set his example before vs that wee may so followe him that we may euery one of vs one day also to Gods glory and our own euerlasting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our selues This O Lorde we beseech thee to grant vs all for thy onely sonne Iesus Christes sake to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be all power honour might and maiestie nowe and for euer Amen September 22. An. Do. 1594. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs all now and euer to direct sanctifie and gouerne vs in all our waies works thoughts Amen FINIS
the woorkes of such accompanie them as dye in the Lorde For the true faith purifieth the hearte Actes 15.9 and it is of that nature that it worketh by loue Galat. 5.6 And therefore as though a man haue neuer so charitable and curteous woordes yet if hee haue no deedes aunswering thereunto his charitye is vaine Iam. 2.15 16 â—0◠〈◊〉 if it haue no woorkes is deade in it selfe and cannot not saue a man verse 17. c. Howbeit this I say and thus I teach with Iames not that I woulde haue you to thinke that faith saueth or iustifieth any for the worthines of these works that followe it and accompanye it For so far off am I and wee all ought to bee from that that we may not once imagine that fayth it selfe saueth or iustifieth any for the worthinesse of it selfe but onely for and through the worthines of Christ the obiect thereof whom it apprehendeth and applieth withall his merites to her owner and so thereby hee is iustified But this I say and constantly afferme that that fayth that iustifieth a man indeede is two wayes liuely and effectuall namely in heauen before GOD about her obiect Christ first in apprehending and applying lit to the iustification of the owner and then in earth amongst men in puryfâ—yng her subiect that is the person in whome it is to bring foorth fruites beseeming a iustified person So that alwayes hee that hath the iustifiyng faith hath therewith the sanctifying spirite whereby hee is able according to Saint Peters counsaile to ioyne vertue to his faith 2. Peter 1.5 and according to Saint Iames request to shewe his faith by his woorkes Chapter 2.18 for the â—ounde and right fayth in Iesus 〈…〉 into the hearte of the owner by the operation of the spirite such abundance of loue to wardes GOD for and in consideration of his infinite loue and goodnesse found out and apprehended thereby that it replenisheth the hearte wherein it is withall thankefulnesse and duetifulnesse towardes him in obeying his commaundementes with all his power chearefully and willingly in somuch that as it is impossible to seperate fire and heat sunne and light so is it to finde a iustiflyng fayth without good woorkes And therefore though wee take the office of iustifiyng from good woorkes generally without distinction and leaue it soly and wholy to faith as Paul doeth Romanes 3.28 where he sayeth Therefore wee conclude that a manne is iustified by faith without the woorkes of the lawe yet wee say and holde also with Sainte Iames that a man is iustified of woorkes and not of faith onelye Iames 2.24 For though by warrant from Paul wee holde that onlye faith iustifieth before GOD because the woorkes of the Iawe that is woorkes commaunded by the Lawe which if any other thing might bee ioyned with faith in this office are most woorthy are shut out quite from intermedling therein yet wee holde also that this fayth which is sola that is alone in doing this office yet is not solitaria that is alone in her owner when she doth performe it Faith therefore alone with Paul iustifieth before God and workes proceeding from faith iustifie that is declare who is iustified with Iames. For that appeareth to be his sense by his saying She we me thy faith out of thy woorkes Neither is his phrase straunge in saying that works doe iustifie which doe but declare who is iustified For we say coÌ„monly white haires make in olde man and yet our meaning onely is that they declare him to be an olde man And for further proofe yet of this point that it is not a faith in the sippes but in the heart not a woroy but a worthy faith that knitteth vs vnto Christ wee are to call to our remembraunce that Christ expresly Iohn 15.5 saith He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth foorth much fruit And that as Saint Paul saith there is no condemnation to those that bee in Christ to he addeth which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 yea that he saith that they that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the lustes thereof Galat. 5.24 and that with with olde thinges are past away and all thinges are become newe 2. Cor. 5.17 Either therefore neuer pretende that thou hast a sound are a right faith or else set thy life and conuersation be such as God may be glorified in iustifiing such an one Dauid coulde say seeing Christ but a far off in respect of that purgation and clen sing that hee hoped for by him Psa 51.7 Purge me with hysope and I shall bee cleane washe mee and I shall be whiter than snow And therfore said Iohn very flacly 1. epist 1.6.7 If we say wee haue fellowshippe with him and walke in darckenesse wee lie and doe not truely but if wee walke in the light as hee is in the light we haue fellowshippe one with another and the bloode of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from al our sinnes Wherefore let vs assure our selues either that wee are not purged at all by Christes death or washed by his bloode or else chat we are cleane and white For no doubte of it where God for his sake pardoneth sinne there he purgeth it and where he couereth it there he cureth it and therefore to all that beleeue in him the spirite is promised Iohn 7.38 to bee in that measure that it shal be as riuers of water of life flowing ouer the bankes for the force it shall haue in all such effectually to wash them to soften them to make them fruitfull and to quench in them the flames and heate of sinne Vnlesse therefore wee finde the spirite in vs to haue this operation wee are without warrant in our selues to prooue that we haue a sound and right faith in Christ By this then you mate see dearely beloued in Iesus Christ seeing this is the generall doctrine of vs all that professe the Gospel with knowledge how much we are wroÌ„ged by our aduersaries the papists who this not withstaÌ„ding charge our doctrine to be a doctrin of liberty and licentiousnesse For heereby euidently you may see wee shut out all those from the number of them that dye in the Lorde which be carnal and worldly minded men whatsoeuer they say and al carnal and prophane Gospellers which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse what faire shew soeuer they can make of faith in wordes And therefore here is no comfort at all for any that yet remaine in their sins hauing theÌ„ raigning in their mortall bodyes for Epicures Libertines or for any leude lycentious wretch whatsoeuer he be For such doe not liue in the Lord and therefore are not slkely to dye in the Lord. For commonly qualis vita finis ita such life such death in the iust iudgment of God it so falleth out For he that lyuing and in health wil not remember God it is but right that God shoulde forget him sicke and dying
should beleeue that the righteousnesse of Christ should be imputed vnto the beleeuer in Christ for righteousnesse This they count absurde and therefore in their Tridentine Conuenticle accurse it as an heresie In the meane time holding that the workes which they themselues doe after faith is the formall righteousnesse whereby they deserue to bee accompted righteous before God In which point because their owne consciences tell them that their doctrine souÌ„deth greatly to the derogatioÌ„ of Christs glorie to coulour the Antichristianity thereof as well yet as may bee they haue now found out this deuise to say that their owne works are not so of their owne worthinesse absolutenesse but through the worthinesse of the merites of Christ Which in effect in plainer tearms is to say that Christ came not perfectly to saue by himselfe to be a full sauiour in his own person but to merite that meÌ„ might by their own works be their own sauiours as though Christ died to be our sauior to post ouer either part or the whole of that his office to any thing wrought by man And as their doctrine is so is their faith For to take it at the best as now they haue fined it thereby they seek in Christ but their former iustificatioÌ„ which they accouÌ„t nothing els but the first translation from the state of mere naturall men to the state of grace fauor of God And yet eueÌ„ herunto they hold that men may haue workes of preparation of their owne common abilitie left vnto them of nature but as for sinnes done after this former iustification attained they beleeue they must flie to a second refuge which they call the sacrament of Penance for them and so they beleeue they must either in this life by them-selues or after in Purgatorie satisfie for these sinnes partly by their owne sufferinges and partly by deedes done for them by others after they bee dead And for the seconde iustification which is the consummation and perfection of the former they beleeue that that must bee made vppe and finished by their owne merites madeÌ„ able to merice their saluation by the merites of Christ And that this is their faith and their docerine euen nowe I coulde make it euident from point to point out of the Tridentine councell the Censurer of Coled Canisius Catechisme the Romish Catechisme and our of our own counâ—rimens writings which are counted not the meanest of the Iesuites But I need not it â—â—ble you with any further proofe thereof For they themselues will not deny it And yee hereby it cannot d ee but you plaiuely see that Christ is not the onely foundation to them wherupon as vpon their onely foundation they stand and test For you see they trust to stand before the Lorde paâ—tly by his satisfactions paâ—â—y by their owns parâ—ly by his merits and pâ—â—tly â—y their owne and others and therefore they are built but halflings at the most vppon him halflings vpon themselues others For whatsoeuer he hath done for them yet vnlesse their owne satisfactioÌ„s be ful their merits such as for which they may euen in the iustice of God clasme heauen they can be at no rest nor peace in their consciences And therefore because they can neuer but doubt whether their satisfactions bee full their meries perfect they hold that they may neuer haue an assured trust and confidence that they shall be saued but that lawfully they may alwaies be in some doubt thereof O what an vucoÌ„fortable doctrine of desperatioÌ„ is this And yee so far off are they froÌ„ being ashamed of this which is the iust iudgement of God vpon them for leauing to rest vpon Christ the only most stedfast foundation that they are not ashamed that their doctrine be intitiled A doctrine of doubtfulnesse Yea they count that their doubtfulnes humility the assurance that true faith breedeth presumption Euen the bare opening vnto you thus what the popish faith is I hope sufficiently proueth vnto you that they that die in such a faith cannot bee saide to die in the Lorde Iesus because that out of the Lorde Iesus you see in themselues and others they seeke a great part of their saluation Howbeit because it is a point of great importance and weight and wherin as yet great multitudes will not bee so easily resolued let vs see howe from point to point this their faith and religion is opposite and contrarye to Gods reuealed will in his worde The former doctrine and faith confuted first generally They holde as you haue heard generally this that Christ in his own person by that which he hath doone himselfe hath not already done whatsoeuer is necessary for man to be iustifled saued by And therefore they ad thereunto their own satisfactions merits by his doings this togither to make vp their iustificatioÌ„ saluation But the scripture saith Heb. 7.25 he is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto God by him Heb. 10.10 by the will of God we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made a litle after verse 14. with one offering hath he coÌ„secrated for euer them that are sanctified And Christ himselfe that knew best to giue an infallible note of his owne body the Church telleth vs Matth. 22.1 that the sounde and earhand of the true Messengers therein is this All things are already prepared namely in the mariage of the kings son come vnto the mariage Whereby it is most cleare the the word setteth forth Christ vnto vs as one that of himselfe by himselfe hath already done what soeuer we are to looke to be saued by or for Then particularly in three points To leaue now the generall ground of their faith and to come to the particulars thereof first you heare that they hold that Christ hath not clean purged by himselfe and by that which he hath done in his own person those that beleue in him both froÌ„ their sinnes from the penalty due for the same and that therefore God requireth to the satisfying of his iustice fully some further satisfaction at their own handes But we reane to the contrarie in the Scriptures For there it is thus written The bloud of the son of God doth clense vs froÌ„ all sinne Iohn 1.7 and least this should be taken as spoken onely of sinnes before faith Iohn addeth and putteth himselfe in the number and yet long before that be had faith If we say we haue no sin we deceiue our selues the truth is not in vs If we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull iust to forgiue vs our sinnes to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes If they reply that all this proueth but remissionem omnis culpae that is forgiuenesse of the fault or guilt onely of all our sinnes and not also of the punishment I proceede and aske them whether the curse of the lawe and damnation bee not punishmentes due for sinne and
next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they traÌ„slate Now where as they know it is an aduerbe of affirming and not of time and signifieth Yea Also neuer now Why doe they not translate the saine word Mat. 5. Iam. 5. so also Which if they did theÌ„ we should read there for let your yea be yea let your now be now for let your speech be yea yea let your speech be now now But they found that their vulgar translation readeth it Iam. that is now Yea but they were not ignoraÌ„t that is now Yea but they were not ignoraÌ„t that truely the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could not be so translated but that they cared not for as long as thus to craÌ„ state it though against al reason seemed to souÌ„d better to countenance their Limbus PatruÌ„ for so they gather of it Now saith the spirit c. that is since Christs ascension that it in thus with them that die in the Lord as thought it had not beene so before And it would be noted that the Greek word that is translated labors doth not signify any aâ—tion or operatioÌ„ whatsoeuer but such labor as is wearisome tedious to the doer or sufferer For we must not thinke that the soules of the righteous separated from their bodies liue in idlenesse without exercising theÌ„selues in any kind of action For no doubt of it they are occupied in the contemplation of God wherin their felicity lieth and in praysing him with ioifulnes But we are therby to vnderstand that such is the case of them that die in the Lord that thenceforth immediatly for euer al wo griefe paine whatsoeuer ceaseth to theÌ„ both in body soule with is one part of their blessednes happines here spokeÌ„ of But because blessednes lieth not onely in a not feeling of wo paine but especially in fruition of some present permanent ioy comfort therfore the better to explane vnto vs what blessednes it is that they that die in the Lord thenceforth for euer haue atteined vnto immediately vppon the dissolution of their soule and body it is farther added that the workes of such accompany them that is that presently all the good works of such eueÌ„ vnto the giuing of a cup of cold water to one of gods little ones in the name of a disciple shal be rewarded in heauen with vnspeakeable ioy and felicitie Mat. 10.42 I read it rather And their workes accompany them because so traÌ„slated the force of the greeke is the better expressed For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signify to follow a far off but to follow hard at the heeles therfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a hand maid besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more properly read with theÌ„ thaÌ„ after them Also thus reading it according to the sense of the greek the circumstaÌ„ce of the place is better answered which was to animate those that liued in the Lord also to die in the lord with hope of present blisse vpoÌ„ their death Wheras if it were read And their works follow them a cauiller to their discoÌ„fort might say that may be so though it be not before the end of a thousaÌ„d yeres after their death so in the meane time they may fry in purgatory And thus it is confirmed likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must here import immediatly theÌ„ce forth For if the reward of their workes followe them so that it is present at their heeles then there is no mean space betwixt And yet I would not haue it hereupon inferted that my meaning is that souls departed in faith haue streight their consummation and full crowne of glory that is prepared for them For I know that that shall not be before the generall resurrection and that the setting of the crown vpon their heads is deferred vnto Christs 2. comming And therfore Iohn in a vision Apo. 6.10 heareth the blessed soules in heauen cry aloud for that day though so that they are contented wtout griefe for to obey the Lord is all their ioy theÌ„ to tary the Lords leasure to abide his pleasure But hereby I would haue it gathered for so it may wel that straight their blisse is such shal be theÌ„ceforth the neither body nor soule shal euer feele the least grief or pain again that presently the soule is in possession fruition of so excellent an estate in heauen in respect wherof it may worthily thinke it selfe right blessed and happy and so fully rewarded for all the workes done by it in the body that it shal not haue cause to coÌ„plaine that any one worke is forgotten not rewarded Euen this therefore hath the Lord from heaueÌ„ in by this word blessed expressed which is a word of greatest importaÌ„ce that he could vse For in blessednes and happinesse both Philosophers and diuines hold that mans chiefe felicity consisteth whereunto in his whole life hee must aime Wherefore no doubt of it euen this state of them that die in the Lorde that by this word and the phrases following to explane it is ment is such a state that the state of princes Emperors in this life let theÌ„ be otherwise as happy as it is possible for meÌ„ to be in comparison hereof is but a misery For what state here is euer was or shal be so happy which is not intermingled was or shal be with some labor paine Yea euen in the delights here greatest ioyes of this world there is saciety wearisomnes and there is no certainty nor vnchangeablenes in states here the best most florishing are so subiect to mutability and alteration but in this there is no griefe of mind nor sickenes or paine of the body no Gangrena nor any other woe Apoc. 21.4 And in the ioies there is continuall comfort delight without wearisomnes and that such as is euerlasting vnutterable and vnconceiueable by the tongue or heart of man And this is now the state and hath bin euer since his departure of this Noble Earle our honourable brother and shal be thenceforth as both God and angels ful wel know we men need not once to doubt this shal be ours also if we liue and die in the Lorde as he hath done It is told vs all so from heauen it is recorded so by a faithful witnes and approued and ratified by the spirit of God God grant vs al grace to beleue it one day to trie the truth certainty of it in our own persons by experience In the mean time let vs somwhat further consider of the doctrine and of the words as they lie wherin it is vttered that we may not only see thus as we haue done hither to the generall principall lesson therein taught vs but also euery particular truth coÌ„firmed therby error confuted therin that we may make the vse of it fully for which it was writen The particular lessons to be learned herein