A Golden Chain, Dedication 4
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND VERTVOVS LAdie the Ladie Lucie, Countesse of Bedford.
THe death of the righteous, that is, of eueryevery beleeuing and repentant sinner, is a most excellent blessing of God, and brings with it many worthie benefits: which thing I proue on this maner. I. God both in the beginning and in the continuance of his grace, doeth greater things vntounto his seruants then they do commonly aske or thinke, and because he hath promised aide and strength vntounto them, therefore in wonderfull wisdome hee casteth vponupon them this heauie burden of death, that they might make experience what is the exceeding might & power of his grace in their weakenes. II. Iudgement beginnes at gods house: & the righteous are laden with afflictions & temptations in this life, & therefore in this worlde they hauehave their deaths and hells, that in death they might not feele the torments of hell and death. III. When Lazarus was dead Christ said, He is not dead but sleepeth: hence it followeth that the christian man can say, My graue is my bedde, my death is my sleepe: in death I die not, but onelyonly sleepe. It is thought that of all terrible things death is most terrible: but it is false to them that bee in Christ, to whome many things happen farre more heauie and bitter then death. IV. Death at the first brought foorth sinne, but death in the righteous by meanes of Christs death, abolisheth sinne, because it is the accomplishment of mortification. And death is so far from destroying such as are in Christ, that there can bee no better refuge for them against death: for presently after the death of the bodie, followes the perfect freedome of the spirit, and the resurrection of the bodie. V. Lastly, death is a meanes of a Christian mans perfection, as Christ in his owne example sheweth, saying,Luk. 1.31. Beholde, I will cast out deuills, and will heale still to daie and to morrowe, and the third I will bee perfected. Nowe this perfection in the members of Christ is nothing els but the blessing of God the author of peace, sanctifying them throughout, that their whole spirits and soules, and bodies, may be preserued without blame to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ.
Nowe hauing often thus considered with my selfe of the excellencie of death, I thought good to drawe the summe and cheife heads thereof into this small Treatise: the protection and consideration whereof, I commend to your Ladiship, desiring you to accept of it, and read it at your leisure. If I be blamed for writing vntounto you of death, whereas by the course of nature you are not yet neere death, Salomon will excuse me, who saith that wee must remember our Creator in the daies of our youth. Thus hoping of your H. good acceptance, I pray God to blesse this my little labour to your comfort and saluation.
Septemb. 7. 1595. Your H. in the Lord, W. Perkins.