beleeue himself to be one of that number comprehended in whosoeuer liueth The Iew cannot challenge this priuiledge more then the Gentile for he is the Sauior of the Gentiles as wel as of the Iewes The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Grecian neither is there any respect or difference in Sex or degree male or female bond or free noble or ignoble wise or vnwise There is no difference but he that is Lord of all is rich vnto all that call vpon him so that here also we see a difference betweene the Law and the Gospell The Law was giuen to a certaine people confined to Ierusalem Iury and Israel Few other people of the world had any knowledge of it or meanes to know it In Iuda is God knowne his Name is great in Israel Hee dealt not so with any Nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Lawes But the Gospell was preached to all the sound of the Apostles went forth to all people euen to the vttermost end of the earth Hence in the Church Cathotique the company of beleeuers are of all people and kinds and kindreds that liued in the world so that the Law was like a Torch or Candle but the Gospell as the Sunne The Law said Dauid was a Lantherne to his feet but the Gospell is as the beames of the Sunne which commeth out of his chamber and goeth to the ends of the earth giuing light vnto all people Thus is the light of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse as the beames of the Sunne which shineth to all and if any one doe not partake of that light it is because they shut their eyes against it so seeing they doe not perceiue nor vnderstand least they should see beleeue and bee saued Thus much for the vniuersality of this Charter or priuiledge excluding none comprehending all whosoeuer liueth vpon condition that he beleeueth By faith he partakes of the priuiledge This is the onely limitation of Gods mercy and promise in Christ Faith is the Chanell by which it is drawne and dispersed ouer all the world and makes the earth to bee fruitfull as Eden the Garden of God The eternall fauour and goodnesse of God is as the Fountaine Christ is the Wel or Cesterne and Faith is the Bucket whereby we draw from Christ liuing waters He that beleeues in him shall neuer dye So that when wee say Faith is the condition of life and saluation you must note that it is not such a condition as we vsually make in Bonds and Obligations and bargaine and sale which runnes in this tenure Vpon consideration of something of equall value wee become bound for the performance of such Couenants as if the condition of faith should bee worth Heauen It is not for the worth of our faith put for the merit of Christ that the faithfull shall never dye eternally And therefore the Scripture phrase runnes thus By faith and through faith wee are iustified Not for faith but for Christ apprehended by faith So that it is not faith as an habite or worke in the soule as other graces loue and patience c. which is of equall worth and vertue to preserue vs that we perish not but it is Christ alone who yet hath no vertue or operation in our salvation and redemption without beleeving on our parts to apply him to vs no more then physicke can cure a deadly disease or cloth affoord any warmth to our bodies if they be not both applyed vnto vs so that the Charter runneth betweene God and man like as if a King should grant a great priuiledge to his subiects which they should not purchase at a hard price or with a great summe but onely vpon condition to acknowledge him their soueraign Lord from whom they had receiued such great immunities which is a point of great comfort to the Christian weake in faith because it is not for the worth or excellencie of our faith that we must thinke to stand Though a strong faith is an excellent grace which will make vs as a Rocke or as houses built vpon the sure Rocke Christ the stormes and sea and windes of temptation and affliction may beat but they shall not be able to ouerthrow vs because wee are built vpon a Rocke yet a little and feeble faith which with feare trembling layes hold vpon Christ shall neuer perish because it is not the dignitie of faith which conueyes the benefit vnto vs but the worth excellency sufficiencie of Christ which is apprehended by faith It was not for the vertue of the eye which looked vp to the brazen serpent that men were healed that had been stung with fierie Serpents the weakest eyes as well as the most sharpe sighted if they could but look vp to it were healed and the begger which receiues a gift may be fully possessed of it euen with a trembling and shaking hand as well as he that hath the most stedfast hand But though a weake faith beleeving in him may serue the turne yet faith there must bee or else no hope for this priviledge For without faith it is impossible to please God So that this is that which puts a difference betweene the sheepe and the goats the wise the foolish virgins the faithfull and vnbeleevers Some say that beleeving onely without other good works wil neuer bring vs to life the which though in some sence we deny not yet this is most certaine that all other vertues without faith to beleeue in Christ are nothing worth This is that vnum necessarium which the Gospell requires of vs to beleeue in Christ and for want of this how many Infidels Iewes and Turks perish euerlastingly euen all those morall vertues of the Heathen their chastity iustice temperance c. wherewith diuers of them did abound and exceed many Christians in them were all but splendida peccata because to the Infidell and vnbeleeuing all things are impure so that notwithstanding all these if they remaine without faith in Christ they shall dye For as there is but one name giuen vnder Heauen by which we must be saued which is the blessed and sweet name of Iesus so is there no way to attaine vnto saluation by that name but by beleeuing in him But as I haue shewed you that this faith to beleeue is necessary and a weake faith may be accepted with God before I leaue the point it will not be amisse something more fully to shew you the nature of true and sauing faith which consisteth not onely in beleeuing in Christ in the History for there is Credere de Christo credere Christo credere in Christum The first is to beleeue all is true which the Scriptures report concerning the Nature Offices and Merits of Christ this a man may do and finde no vertue or fruit of it in his owne soule The second is to beleeue Christ as
wee would a man of his word giue credit to whatsoeuer hee hath said this wee may doe to the Prophets and Apostles but we must come neerer him then so which is the third to beleeue in him which implies a dependency and resolution to cleaue vnto him As wee apprehend Christ so must wee likewise be apprehended of Christ for Faith hath as it were two hands one receiuing Christ from God the other giuing the Beleeuer to God and both these hands â—…t vseth at one and the selfe same time At the same time that the Beleeuer applies Christ to his owne heart he applies his heart to Christ and cleaues to him with full purpose of â—oule This was notably shadowed out vnder the Ceremoniall Law in the coniunction of the sin-offering which pointed out Christ and the burnt-offering which as Saint Paul hath interpreted it more especially signifieth the sacrificing of the flesh the crucifying of the old Adam I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that yee present your bodies a liuing Sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruice True faith offers both these at once But too many mens faith is lame on that hand which should offer the burnt Offering they onely take Christ but they giue not themselues to Christ they offer the Sinne-offering without the burnt Offering and therefore applying Christ to themselues and not themselues to Christ they misapply It is therefore as St. Bernard calls it Infidelis fiducia a faithlesse confidence for any man to perswade himselfe or presume that Christ Iesus is his Sauiour or that he hath any part either in the life or death of Christ albeit hee continue vnder the power of sinne and Satan Such a faith to speake in the words of the Poet is fallax fiducia a confidence whereby men cousen and deceiue themselues in hoping to attaine vnto Heauen though they hold on in the high way that leadeth vnto Hell Nay it is indeed in effect to blaspheme and dishonour Christ by denying though not in word yet indeed that there is any power in his death any vertue in his resurrection any renewing grace receiued from him to sanctifie those who truly beleeue in him Turkes and Pagans who plainely deny him doe not derogate so much from the glory of Christ as doe prophane professors of his name tolerabilius enim lingua quam vita mentitur The lye saith Saint Augustine which is made by the lippe is more tolerable then that which is made by the life Can Christ dwell in their hearts by faith as Saint Paul speaketh and not liue in them In whose heart soeuer Christ is resident by faith there hee reignes and disposeth him as it seemeth best to his godly wisdome By Baptisme we are buried with him into death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the Father euen so wee also should walke in newnesse of life If we be risen through faith with Christ we must seek those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Whosoeuer truly beleeueth in Christ conquereth this world who is he saith Saint Iohn that ouercommeth the world but hee that beleeueth that Iesus is the Sonne of God They that by faith are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Wheresoeuer there is a Christian beliefe there will also be a Christian life Credere in Cristum saith Saint Augustine est credendo amare c. To belieue in Christ is through faith heartily to affect him and to be really incorporated into him so that beleeuing in Christ is more then to comprehend him in the vnderstanding it is also to imbrace him in our hearts and affections As Christ naked without respect of his merits is not the obiect of our faith so our faith naked without our affectionate desire to bee ioyned to him is not the true meanes to apprehend Christ and conueigh his merits vnto vs. This is that which is required on their parts who partake of the priuiledge here promised The taske is not hard it is not to giue a great ransome for our soules so the poore could not enioy it or to discourse accuratly so the simple and vnlearned could not attaine vnto it or to goe a great iourney to finde Christ so the lame and impotent might misse of it but only to beleeue in him which is a matter possible with euery man whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall neuer dye and so I come to the last part of my Text the priuiledge here granted Exemption from Death Death hath a threefold acception It is either naturall spirituall or eternall Whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ is exempted from all these The two later onely haue properly the name of Death For Death to speake properly is either a separation from God here in his Kingdome of grace or a separation from him hereafter in his Kingdome of glory Not to partake of his sauing grace here in this world is to bee spiritually dead and not to be crowned with his glory in the world to come is to be eternally dead They who haue onely vitam naturae the life of nature here in this world and haue not vitam gratiae the life of grace are spiritually dead according to that of the Apostle She that liueth in pleasure is dead while she liueth and according to that of our Sauiour Let the dead bury the dead It may bee said of such as it was of the Angell of the Church of Sardis They haue a name that they liue but are dead So they who in the next world haue onely vitam naturae the life of nature and haue not vitam gloriae the life of glory are eternally dead From both these deaths all true Beleeuers in Christ Iesus are exempted for they liue spiritually and eternally That the true beleeuers in Christ Iesus enioy a spirituall life is euident according to that of S. Iohn 1.12 13. They that beleeue on his Name are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Besides their naturall birth they haue a spirituall As many as by faith are in Christ Iesus they are new creatures they receiue a new life so likewise doe they enioy eternall life according to that of our Sauiour This is life eternall by faith to know the Father to be the onely True God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ All the question seemes to be concerning their exemption from the naturall death but if we diligently obserue their condition it will easily appeare that they are exempted froÌ„ that death also For as they who enioy natural life are said to bee dead because they are depriued of the spirituall life so they who are naturally dead may be said to be aliue because they enioy the life of glory The naturall death to them especially is changed into a sleepe Death to them is not
Pieties Pillar OR A SERMON PREACHED AT the Funerall of Mistresse ELIZABETH GOVGE late Wife of Mr. WILLIAM GOVGE of Black-friers London With a true Narration of her Life and Death By Nicolas Guy Pastor of the Church at Edge-ware in Middlesex PROV 31 30. A Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised LONDON Printed by George Millar dwelling in Black-Friers 1626. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR THOMAS LAKE Knight of CANONS in Middlesex SIR THe Parable of our Sauiour in the Gospel must bee my Apologie for the publication of this Sermon to the eye and censure of the world the which at the first when I preach't it I thought not worthy your iudicious eares in my priuate Church but being ouercome by the importunity of the reuerend Diuine Master Gouge I condescended though sore against my will to giue way to his desire thus haue I made a Vertue of Necessity and as it is in the Prouerbe Vnica fidelia duos dealbaut parietes I haue both satisfied his pious desire for the preseruation of the memory of his vertuous and religious Wife and also hauing no better to present your Honor withal I am bold to offer this as the poore man brought water in his hands to Artaxerxes only as a testimony of my willingnesse to returne something to your Honors hands from whom I haue receiued so much euen all the maintenance that now I haue either immediately from your Honour or mediately by your Honours procurement It was my happinesse to be trained vp by that Illuminate Doctor Prelate Pillar of our Church your Brother and the now most reuerend and religious Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells and since to be sustained by your Honour So that I may iustly say with the Psalmist When my Father and my Mother forsooke mee the Lord tooke me vp and committed mee to the charge of one Brother of prime place in the Church for my spirituall estate and to your Honour the other Brother of principall place in the common wealth for my temporall Now besides your Honours fauours to me in particular your many reall fauours and great affection to the Church and Churchmen both when you were in publike place of Honourable imployment to our lately gracious Soueraigne King Iames of euer famous and happy memory and also since your priuate retirednesse may iustly challenge the best of our Labours to be consecrated to so learned and noble a Patron of Learning Besides these former respects your Honour hath yet another interest in these my weake endeuours because you went chiefe amongst many worthy and worshipfull Auditors which honoured the Funerall with your presence In all these respects I hope your Honour will fauourably be pleased to accept that of mee which Almighty God doth of vs all a willing heart and desire Saint Paul tells vs in his second Epistle to the Corinthians that God accepts vs according to that which wee haue not according to that which wee haue not If in this your Honour pardon my ouer-great presumption you shall more and more make me Obliged in all the bonds of respect and seruice to your Honour Nicolas Guy To the Reader Good Reader IT fell out with the Gentlewoman at whose Funerall this Sermon was preached as it did with Iaakobs beloued Rachel In a strange place they both fell in trauell and in the time of their child-bed they both departed this life Answerably as Iaakob would not haue his Rachels memory perish with her corps but for better preseruation thereof erected a Pillar vpon her graue so to the same end it is desired that this Funerall Sermon may be published Rachel could not be more deare to her Iaakob then this Elizabeth was to her William In her life time she carried her selfe worthy of all honour and at her Funerall she was honoured with all the honour that on such a sudden the Country where she departed could afford Her sweet soule left her body about one of the clocke in the afternoone of the 26. of October 1625. being Wednesday whereupon her Corps being infected with the Dropsie and all the Pores of it open by reason of her late trauell and weakenesse in Child-bed could not bee long kept but on the Fryday following which was Simon and Iudes day was buried vnder the Communion Table in the Church at Edgeware in the County of Middlesex being accompanied with a great multitude of sundry sorts of persons Honourable Worshipfull and others For besides that two whole Parishes there met together Knights Ladies Iustices of Peace Ministers and other good Christians round about that place came farre and neere to the solemnization of that Funerall That the due honour done to her may be more then the honour of one day this Pillar of Pietie is now erected for encouragement to others in their life time to walke worthy of honour A SERMON Preached at the Funeral of Mistresse Elizabeth Gouge late Wife of Master William Gouge of Black-Fryers London IOHN 11.26 Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye THE Embleme of the Euangelist Saint Iohn was the Eagle which being King of all the Fowles of the Heauen soares the highest of all other Birds so may Saint Iohn in his Gospell claime precedency before the other Euangelists hee was the Disciple of our Sauiours loue his Fauorite on Christs bosome he leaned at Supper and to him Christ at his death commended his Mother so that wee may thinke that Christ did impart more to him then to the rest therefore shall wee finde in his Gospell higher mysteries of the nature and workes of Christ then in the other and in him alone we finde this myracle of raising Lazarus which if it bee lawfull to compare may seeme to be the greatest of all that Christ did whilst hee was in this world It is a story not altogether vnbefitting this present occasion if it were not for the disparity of the sexe Both of them treat of Funeralls I will first tell you what this was in the Gospell and after I haue done with that this present occasion shall bee presented vnto you I must not in the relation of this Story spend time vpon the seuerall circumstances wherein the Euangelist is so exact that 's done at large in the Chapter onely for introduction of this particular which wee haue in hand some passages I will point out vnto you First of the Person that was sicke and dyed Secondly of the meanes his friends vsed for his recouery Thirdly of Christs comfortable speech which he gaue vnto them First for the Person it was Lazarus brother to Martha and Mary Magdalene which washed Christs feet with her teares and wiped them with her Haires and anointed them with Ointment this was his Kindred by nature and by grace hee was honoured with the title to be a friend of Christs whom Christ more especially loued Thus euen they who are the most dearely beloued of Christ must looke for afflictions and infirmities
and sicknesse and death in this world Lazarus whom Christ loued was sicke 2. His Sisters therefore vse the best meanes they can whilst hee was sicke For his recouery they send to Christ to teach vs that we can sue and seeke to none in comparison of Christ in all our troubles For as hee was reputed in those dayes a great Phycitian for the body who cured all diseases so is he for the soule too to heale all our miseries 3. For Christs part though he loued Lazarus yet hee doth not presently come to cure him but suffers him to dye Hee abode two dayes in the place where hee was till Lazarus was dead from whence wee may note that Christ suffers the euill of affliction to come vpon his seruants whom hee loues rather then preuents it with grace and then also he doth not presently relieue them but suffers them to send and pray as these Sisters did here and as Iacob wrestled with God and Saint Paul prayed thrice And this he doth for diuers causes both to manifest our grace and his glory Our faith and loue to him by this meanes will expresse themselues the more and this also will more manifest his glory in bringing downe to Hell and the graue and then bringing againe to life If Christ had come at the first and healed his sicknesse an ordinary Physitian haply could haue done as much but though he tarry long yet at last hee comes and shewes the gracious light of his countenance vpon vs so that now you shall heare him with comfortable words speaking both to his Apostles in priuate and afterward to the Sisters when they come to meet him to his Apostles he saith Our friend Lazarus sleepeth so that if wee can get friendship with Christ our death shall bee but a sleepe and Christ will certainely awake vs from it at the resurrection of the iust So Christ goes forward to the house of mourning where the Iewes were comforting the Sisters for the death of their brother Lazarus But they were like Rachel mourning for her children they refused to bee comforted because their brother Lazarus was not When Martha heard that Christ was comming on the way she went forth to meete him few such Marthaes who meet Christ comming toward them we rather flye from him When shee was come to Christ shee tells him with a heauy heart of the death of her brother Lazarus which his presence might haue preuented Christ therefore in the words I haue read vnto you preacheth a comfortable Sermon to pacifie the friends of the deceased that they should not sorrow as those without hope and tells Martha that her brother Lazarus though he be dead shall rise againe And that she may not doubt of it hee addes That he will bring it to passe not onely for Lazarus but for all other deceased in the faith and therefore he sayes I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer dye So that the words of the Text which I haue read vnto you are a gracious and a large Charter or promise of Christs wherwith he comforts Martha for her particular and grants the same in generall to euery one of vs In which is comprehended no lesse then the summe or Epitome of the Gospell which is To beleeue in Christ and we shall be saued So it is said God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life All the Gospell can say no more and so much is said in these words that I haue read vnto you whosoeuer liueth c. The Law and the Gospell are as two lines tending to the same Center or as diuers Riuers leading to the same Ocean or as the Cherubins on each side of the Throne though they seemed opposite one to the other yet both of them looked with their faces towards the mercies Seat so the Law and the Gospell intend and aime at one and the same end which is to bring men to life but the difference is in the Author and in the tenure of the one and the other the Author of the Law was Moses Christ of the Gospell The Law was giuen by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ The tenure of the Law runnes thus Hoc fac viues Doe this and thou shalt liue But the Gospell goes another way Crede viues Beleeue and thou shalt liue And thus in this Text whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in mee shall neuer dye In the words we will consider these foure particulars First the Author or Donour of this Charter Christ. Secondly the large extent of it next onely to some particular Nation or people but whosoeuer liueth Thirdly the Condition requisite on their parts which is faith Beleeueth in me Fourthly the Priuiledge it selfe exemption from death shall neuer dye First of the Author or Donour Hee that promiseth and intendeth to performe must haue both will and power to performe what hee promiseth or else wee cannot exspect that it will euercome to passe The willingnesse of the minde must bee first procured as the originall from whence hee must be moued to good but this ready minde or desire is not sufficient without power and ability to performe what the will desires From men sometime God accepts the will for the deed as hee did Abrahams intention to sacrifice his sonne as well as the action as if he had really sacrificed his sonne The reason is because God stands in need of nothing that is ours and all that hee exacts of vs is no more but the heart if there be not further strength to expresse a good desire by a good deede a man shall bee accepted according to that which hee hath not according to that which he hath not but when there is want and necessity and euen such is our want and necessity in respect of God there onely a willing minde or compassionate heart or good words Vox preterea nihil are sufficient for vs. Many promise more then they can performe Thus the Deuil in his temptation of Christ saith All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me as if all the Kingdomes in the world and the glory of them had beene his to giue In like manner the Pope freely disposeth Kings and their Kingdomes as hee dealt with Henry the fourth the Emperour and Childerick of France But this is as we say to be free of another mans purse which is not in his power to giue Thus it were easie to giue large gifts to promise much and performe nothing so that both will and power in matter of grant or promise are as the two legs to support the body either without the other will goe lame or limping home but this is our comfort that in Christ there are both these Will and Power First for