Sermon 22 November 1593, Sermon

Sermon 22 November 1593 · Sermon

p. 1Iſaiah. 57. verſe. 1.2.

1 The righteous periſheth, & no man conſidereth it … hart: and mercifull men are taken away, and no man vnderſtandeth that the righteous is taken away, from the evell to come.

2 Peace ſhall come: they ſhall reſt in their beddes, every one that walketh before him.

THE occaſion of this our preſent meeting (Right honorable, Right worſhipfull, and wel be loued …roo… Lord and Sauiour … and the conſider … the …aies and cili… … in we liue, hauehave for … me, to make cheefe of … portion of ſcripture, at this time. For nat… ſtanding that the Lord hath now taken from vsus to … ſelfe, this Right Noble, and worthy Lord, whoſe … nerall we are here now about, and the buriall of whoſe bodie wee are anone to fee, and that …wiſe hee hath, within theſe few yeares, taken … by death from this land, very many of our moſt … Earles, Lords and Knights, as it is wel… … beſide many others of all other ſorts and eſtates of the beſt diſpoſition, & that the greateſt part … that are left behinde, are growne is …n … height in all ſin and impiety: yet vniuerſally … p. 2where amongſt vsus, there is ſuch a groſſe and ſenſeles ſecurity to be ſeene, that doubtles, as iuſtly maie we now, as Iſaiah in his time, in the bitternes of our ſoules, cry out and ſay, the righteous periſheth, and no man conſidereth it in heart, and mercifull men are taken away, and no man vnderſtandeth that the righteous is taken away from the euell to come. OnelyOnly this with him, in this caſe, we hauehave to comfort our ſelues withall, that howſoeuer the wicked and vngodly iudge of the deathes of ſuch; that in very deede, the Lord thereby in his great louelove and favour hath taken them away, before the euel come, which he hath prepared for them, that hereby will …ot in time, be drawne to repentance. And that, howſoeuer whiles ſuch liued in this vnkinde and wicked world, they could neuer enioy either ſound peace in …o…e, or quiet reſt in their bodies, for vering and greuing themſelues, at the vngodlines of others rounde about them; yet eueryevery one that walketh before God in righteouſnes, and mercy, and ſo is taken away euen thus walking, is ſure immediatly vppon his death, to enter poſſeſſion in ſoule of an euerlaſting & moſt comfortable peace, and in bodye to reſt moſt ſoundly and quietly in the bed that the Lorde hath made therefore, vntill at the laſt day, it riſe againe, and for euer to be ioyned with the ſoule in moſt perfect and conſummate ioy in the kingdome of heauen. Wherfore ſeeing theſe words of the prophet, and the matter therein contayned, thus fit our preſent buſines, p. 3I beſeech you giuegive me leaue to doe the …e… that I can to lead you ſo into the due meditation therof, that we all may make that holy and good vſe therof that we ſhould, both to reforme that in time which is amiſſe in any of vsus, and to comfort and ſtrengthen vsus in that which is well begunne.

His wordes, in my iudgement, containe & complaint or expoſtulation; and a comfort or conſolation. The complaint is againſt the vngodly aliue, in the behalfe of the godly departed: & the com…rt …s, for the godly, againſt the ha…d opinions of the vngodly of them. The matter in general that he comp…in… of, is, the wonderfull careleſneſſe and ſecurity, … ſaw in the people of his time; which in particular he notes they ſhewed firſt, in not taking to heard as they ſhould, the deathes of moſt worthy men, and then in not once vnderſtanding that the Lordes end there… was, not only to ſhew them great favour in taking them away from the euell to come, but alſo thereby to threaten ſome great euill, to be comming on apace vponupon the impenitent & ſecure, that they leſſe behinde them. And let his words be well markt, and …e ſhal finde in the deliuering of this comfort, he doth firſt deſcribe them, whom he would comfort, & then ſets downe the comforts that belong to ſuch and theſe he deſcribeth in generall, in the latter ver…e, to be eueryevery one that walketh before God; and in particuler, in the other to be righteous and mercifull …. Likewiſe the comfortes that herein hee layes downe for p. 4ſuch, ere either ſuch as concerne them dying, or dead, and of each kind he giues two: the firſt are theſe, that the Lords end in taking them away by death, whatſoeuer the vngodly think to the contrary, is in his favour to take them away before the euill come, that he haſteneth to bring vppon others: and that their death is no periſhing vntounto them, though the prophane and wicked ſo think, but in truth a gathering of them vp from amongſt the vngodly, with whome whiles they liued, to their griefe & trouble they were mingled; to ioyne them to the bleſſed & holy cōpany of the Saints in heauen & the other two, that immediatly vpō death they enter into fruition of, are theſe, that thereupon ſtreight in ſoule they enter into peace, and in their bodies, y^t they reſt in their beds, that is in their graues, or places whatſoeuer, the Lorde in his prouidence hath allotted them. This order therefore & methode, let vsus nowe follow in further handling & examining theſe wordes of the Prophet.

But that the better we may attaine and finde out his full ſcope and drift herein, we are firſt to vnderſtand that theſe words of his, hauehave their neceſſary coherence, and connexion, with the foure laſt verſes of the former Chapter: which the better to leade the reader to ſee and perceaue, Tremelius in his tranſlation of the Bible, hath begunne this 57. Chapter, where thoſe foure verſes beginne. Marke therefore, I beſeech you, that in the firſt of thoſe foure verſes that I ſpeake of, the Prophet calles p. 5for the beaſtes of the fielde and forreſt to come to eate, and deuour, by which woordes, by a figuratiue kinde of ſpeech, he denounceth againſt that people ſome fearefull deſtruction, that ſhould come vppon them and great ſlaughter that ſhould he made of them. Therein doubtleſſe hauing an eie to that, which ſhould come to paſſe, when Nabuchadnezer the king of Babell, ſhoulde inuade their country, and deſtroy Hieruſalem, temple & all; ſlaying whom he liſt, and leading the reſt into captiuity. For Hieremie, another prophet, whome the Lorde rayſed vppe vntounto that people after Iſaiahs time, reſpecting that iudgement, telles them in his ninth Chapter verſe 22. that when that ſhould be, their Carkaſſes ſhould he as doung vponupon the earth and be ſcattered as handfuls after the mower… where there is none to gather them vp, and … againe in his 34 Chapter, hauing plainly & expreſ…ly denounced this iudgement againſt them, in like phraſe to this, verſe 20. he ſhewes them, that when it ſhoulde be executed vponupon them, their dead bodies ſhould be meat for the foules of heauen, & the beaſts of the field. But that by thus calling the beaſts together, as it were to a ſolemn bāquet, it is the vſe and faſhion of the ſpirit of God in the ſcriptures, to vnderſtād ſome horrible and dreadfull deſtruction, wee maie moſt clearely ſee, Ezech 39. verſ. 18.19. & 20. & Reuel. 19. verſ. 17. Where it is euident that to denounce ſuch a matter, both the foules of the aire p. 6and beaſtes of the field are ſolemnly cald for, as it were, to feede at the Lordes table to their full, of the fleſh and blood of kings, princes, nobles, captaines, & of others of al ſortes. Wherfore it is moſt certaine, that our Prophet here, by the like phraſe, gaue this people of the kingdome of Iudah to vnderſtand, that ſuch a iudgement as I hauehave ſaide, was prepared for them, and haſtening faſt towards them.

Now hauing done this thus, in the firſt of the 4. verſes immediatly going before my text; in the other three, he layes downe, that one ſpeciall prognoſtication, and haſtening cauſe thereof was this, that they that in reſpect of their places and maintenance therefore, ought to hauehave beene as their watchmen to tell them of their ſinnes, and to forewarne them of the iudgementes of God therefore to come vppon them, were ſuch, as either for lacke of ſkill or will, in that reſpect were no better then dumbe dogs, delighting in ſleeping, and that yet they were ſo covetous and ambitious, that they coulde neuer be ſatiſfied withall, giuing themſelues moſt ſecurely to all delicacy and volu…tuouſnes of liuing. Whereby by the way, we may ſee, that when in any kingdome it may iuſtly and truely be thus ſaide of ſuch; that then euen thereby, that people hauehave a moſt certaine cauſe giuen them to feare, ſome grievous iudgement not to be far off. For how can it be, but when it is thus with theſe kinde of men, it muſt bee as bad, if not worſe, with them whom theſe, both for life and doctrine p. 7ſhoulde go before and guide? For if … darkenes, what elſe cā we looked for in the whole body? And if the ſunne hauehave giuen ouer ſhining, and be as it were quite ſet vppon the toppe of the mountaines, what ſhew can it make in the valleyes? God of his mercy therfore grāt that we may, be every day more and more vnlike the kingdome of Iudah in this point. Well, the Prophet hauing thus drawen one argument from the corrupt eſtate of the watchmen in his time, that ſuch a heavy iudgement, (as I hauehave ſhewed he denounced) was comming apace on, againſt the people of the kingdome of Iudah: hauing a deſire fully to perſwade them that it was ſo, the better to awaken them and to draw them to repentance, if it were poſſible, to preuent the ſame: in theſe wordes of my text, he giues them another moſt ſure and certaine ſigne and token thereof. And it is this, that in ſo bad times, as thoſe were, wherin ſinne had ſo ouerflowed al eſtates, the Lordes taking away by death, ſo many of their beſt and godlieſt men (whereof the number was before but ſmall) was a plaine demonſtration, that ſuch an euel was ſhortly to come vpō thoſe whom they left behind thē. And the rather, becauſe notwithſtāding this was a heauy iudgment of it ſelfe, thus to hauehave their moſt worthy men taken away, and clerely ſhewed that yet there was a heauier comming: (the people continued and went on … in ther olde lewd courſe, in all ſecurity, neither feeling the preſent blow, that hereby the Lorde g…e p. 8them, nor yet thereby taking any occaſion to thinke, that a further was threatned. Other argumentes he could hauehave vſed to this purpoſe, but with theſe two, as though theſe two, were inſteede of all the reſt, and were of themſelues moſt ſufficent, to perſwade this matter, he contents himſelfe. Wherefore looking now into the daies and times wherein we liue, if it be ſo, that we cannot deny, but that the manners of men, and the falling out of things amongſt vsus, geue ground for theſe two arguments to be vrged and vſed againſt vsus, we may and ought to learne hereby, vnleſſe we be diſpoſed to ſhowe our ſelues to be a people, that nothing can feare or drawe from ſecurity, to true repentance; that it ſtandes vsus vppon ſpeedily, euen hereby to take warning to looke better to our ſelues and to our waies, then hitherto wee hauehave done. As for the former of theſe argumentes, whether there hauehave not bin and yet are, two many ſuch in the place of watchmen amongſt vsus, as the Prophet hath deſcribed, to grounde that vppon: I referre to your owne iudgement, who perhaps knowe it better then my ſelfe: but touching the other, laide downe here in my text, I dare boldly affirme, that Iſaiah had neuer iuſter cauſe to vrge that in his time, then we hauehave euen nowe.

Wherefore now vnderſtanding as we doe, vppon what occaſion and to what ende theſe wordes were vttered by him, let vsus according to the order and methode before therein obſerued, go on in the further p. 9weighing & conſidering thereof. The righteous man periſheth (ſaith he) ſpeaking in the ſinguler number for the plurall, as it is euident in the next Clauſe, where ſpeaking ſtill of the ſame, he termes them in the plurall number mercifull men. Whereby it is cleare, that this was ſpoken by hint in reſpect of ſuch a time, of his propheſying, wherein many ſuch as here he ſpeaks of, by one kinde of death or other were taken hence. But whereas, by the firſt verſe of this booke of his propheſies, it appeares, that he propheſyed in the daies of Vzziah, Iothan, Ahaz, and Ezechiah, kinges of Iudah, and ſome of the ancient Rabbins, and other Chriſtian ancient fathers, hauehave thought, that he himſelfe was ſawn to death in the firſt yeare of Manaſſes (the conſideration whereof, hath made many, to vnderſtand that Hebr. 11. verſe 37. where the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the deaths of ſundry of the godly, in the time of the olde teſtament, ſaith, ſome were hewn a ſunder, or as ſome rather tranſlate it, ſawn a ſunder, as ſpoken properly of the death of Iſaiah vnderunder this idolatrous tyrant) amōgſt the interpreters of this place, they al are not of one minde, touching the time, in reſpect wherof, theſe wordes were ſet downe. For ſome refer them, to ſome time of the 16. yeares, that Ahaz reigned, ſome to the firſt yeare of the raigne of Manaſſes, & others thinke, they were ſpoken in regard of ſome time of the reigne of Ezechiah. They that refer them to Ahaz, or Manaſſes times think, that the Prophet here p. 10ſpeaketh, not onelyonly of ſuch righteous and mercifull men, as in thoſe times died ordinary deaths by ſickneſſes vponupon their beds, but eſpecially of ſuch, as were put to death by thoſe idolatrous and wicked Kings. And indeede, likely inough it is, that in their times, many ſuch for miſliking their proceedings, and not conforming themſelues thereūto, came to their ends. For Ahaz, was ſo groſſe an idolater, that he burnt incenſe in the valley of Benhinnom, and burnt his ſonnes with fire (or made them paſſe through the fire) after the abomination of the heathen, 2. Cron. 25. verſ. 3. and he had Vriah the prieſt one ready to follow his idolatrous & wicked commandements in any thing 2. Kings 16. verſ. 11. & 16. and of the other, the holy ſtory, 2. Kings 21. verſ. 1. &c. & 2. Cron. 33. verſ. 1. &c reports as much ill, as may be: and Ioſephus, for his part, in the 10. booke of the antiquities of the Iews, chapter the 4. writes moſt plainly, that he kild all that he could come by both of the prophets and people that were godly. And they that refer thē to Ezechias time, either refer them to the time, when he was ſicke vntounto death and yet recouered, as we reade Iſaiah 35. or to the time when he died indeede 2. Kinges the 20. verſ. 21. For the ſicknes that he was ſo ſicke of, and yet recouered, is thought of ſundry learned men, to hauehave bin the very plague, wherof about that time, many ſuch as Iſaiah here ſpeaketh of, by all likelihood died, though he eſcaped; & when he died ſuch a one, doubtles, as he here p. 11talkes of, was taken away, and about that time, it may be, many others of the beſt ſort, died alſo. But foraſmuch, as howſoeuer the righteous are taken away, whether it be by the violent perſecution of tyrants, by the plague, or by any diſeaſe, or means els; yet the prophet might ſpeake of them, whatſoeuer he hath done here: it is very harde for any man, preciſely to determine, in reſpect of what time of his life, he vttered theſe wordes. Wherefore in that point, to leaue eueryevery man free to his owne iudgement, by his owne wordes ſo much is apparant, that they were ſet downe by him, in reſpect of ſuch a time, when of that ſmall number that were ſuch, as here he deſcribes, in his opinion, ſo many dropt away, by one kinde of death, or other, that (the ſecurity and careleſnes of the reſt that notwithſtanding conſidered) he had iuſt cauſe to complaine, that no man would lay the deaths of ſuch to heart, or once vnderſtand, that the Lord thereby prognoſticated a further euell to come. And vttering this his complaint, it is further worthy to be noted, that he ſpeaking in the ſenſe of the wicked, careles, and ſecure people in his time, he ſaith, the righteous periſheth: thereby giuing vsus to vnderſtand, that indeede, that was the faſhion of ſuch, ſo to iudge of thoſe, whō ether they by their tyranny had diſpatcht, or whō god, otherwiſe by ſome painefull maner of death (whereunto the righteous, is as well ſubiect as others) had taken hence. And indeede wiſedome the 3. verſ. 2.…-3. it is ſaid, that in p. 12the ſight of the vnwiſe, the righteous (whoſe ſoules are in the hand of God and not torment ſhal touch them ver. 1.) appeare to die, & their end is thought grieuous, and their departing from vsus to be deſtruction, and againe, Chapt. 5. verſ. 4. they are brought in confeſſing aſmuch themſelues, (ſaying we fooles, thought their life madnes, and their end to hauehave beene without honor. And this doubtles, was ſome occaſion of griefe to the holy Prophet, and ſo, ſome cauſe of this his complaint, that he ſawe the wicked ſo ready, thus lewdly to iudge & ſpeake of the deaths of ſuch. And therefore to reforme them in this point, and to make it appeare, what he would hauehave al men to thinke of the deathes of ſuch, what maner of death ſoeuer it were, he, by and by, addeth that ſuch are but taken away, or conueyed, or gathered hence, (for ſo the word is alſo tranſlated of ſome) from the euill to come. Further in that he ſaith, no mā cōſidereth it in hart, that the righteous periſheth: & none vnderſtādeth, that the righteous & merciful men are taken away frō the euil to come, it is euidēt that the Prophet was of this iudgmēt, that it was a thing to be lamēted, ſorrowed for, & hartily to be complained of, if in ſuch bad times as theſe were, wherof he ſpeaketh, men ſhould cōtinue in ſecurity, notwithſtāding the Lord ſeeketh by taking y^e moſt worthy away frō them, to driue them from the ſame; yea that it was a ſtrong argument, or ſigne, of ſome great euill, likely ſhortly to fall vponupon them that would not thereby be awaken. Seing therfore that euen this yeare, we cā not p. 13but remēber, that the Lord hath taken hence, firſt the Lord Wentworth, thē the Earle of Darby, and nowe as we ſee this noble and worthy Lord Gray, al in their ſeueral places and countries, right excellent men, and beſides, we cannot be ignorant, that within theſe 8. or 9. yeares likewiſe, the Lord hath taken from vsus, a great number of the moſt worthie & noble Earles. Lords, and Knights, that England hath had many a day; and that alſo by wars, the plagne, and other diſeaſes, we hauehave loſt within a very ſmall time, more then we can number of very valiant, wiſe, and vertuous men; who ſeeth not, that in this reſpect we may ſay, aſwell as euer Iſaiah did, the righteous & mercifull men are taken away? And as for the ſecurity of the reſt, for all this, ſurely I feare me, we are no whit behinde the people in his time, & the reſt…, in as great dāger as they were, God of his mercy giuegive vsus grace to ſee our fault therein, & to amend in time.

Thus we hauing ſeene in generall, what he … plained of, and what driue him ſo to doe; th… … we are to make therof, is to be as careful a… … that we geue none ſuch as he was, any ſin … to morne and complain of vsus, as he did of th… people of his time. And the better that we may, as we ought indeede, make this vſe of his complaint, let vsus … ſee in particular, how he proues them to … as of whome in generall, he had occaſion thus … complaine. The firſt reaſon is, that none conſidered in heart, or as it is in the Hebrewe, no man … hart that the righteous ſo periſhed and were taken p. 14away as we hauehave heard. The vſe of which phraſe in the ſcripture is, to expreſſe a carefull and harty conſideration of a thing, and in this place doubtles therby the prophet meaneth, that no man ſo ſorrowed in his heart for the dropping away ſo faſt of the righteous, and mercifull men, as there was cauſe, in reſpect of the loſſe of ſuch. Otherwiſe in another ſence, there were enow then wee may bee ſure, that laide the deathes of ſuch but too faſt to their hearts: to harten and harden on themſelues in ſin and impiety; for that by this meanes, they that moſt bridled and curbed them, from bold and ſecure ruſhing and breaking out, beyond all bondes of piety and honeſty, to wring and wrong others, or to defile themſelues, were taken out of their way. And this the prophet himſelfe, both in the verſe immediatly going before my text, and in the next verſe but one after it, plainly ſheweth he did perceiue; for in the former of theſe two verſes, (in that I meane next before my text) he bringes in the wicked liuing in thoſe very times, when, the righteous died thus faſt, hartening themſelues in this manner, ſaying, Come I will bring wine, and we will fill our ſelues with ſtrong drinke, and to morrow ſhall bee as this day and much more abundant, and in the other, after that, in the very next verſe after my text, hee hath giuen ſuch their due tyles, calling them witches children and ſonnes of the adulterer and whore, he faieth, vntounto thē, on whom hauehave ye ieſted, on whom hauehave p. 15you gaped and thruſt out your toung? thereby as it ſhould ſeeme, deſcribing the triumphing and inſulting of the wicked, that the righteous and moſt worthy men, that troubled & croſſed them in their waies were now as they thought, as water ſpilt vppon the ground. And ſurely, it is much to be feared, that euen now amongſt vsus, there are in corners, and when they are where they may be bold, that in this prophane & wicked manner, lay to their hartes, to ſolace & there them withall, the deathes of the moſt worthie men amongſt vsus. But whoſoeuer they bee, that thus take occaſion, to make themſelues merry from hence, from whence they ſhoulde indeede take occaſion to mourne and lament, let them vnderſtand, that the Lord by this our prophet Iſaiah, hauing called that people to faſting and mourning that were in his time, and they falling to feaſting and laughing, he tels them that that their ſin, was declared in the eares of the Lord of hoſts, and that therevpon, this was his flat decree and ſentence of them, that that their iniquitie ſhoulde not bee purged vntill they died. Cap. 22. verſ. 14. Wherefore the better to make vsus to take to hart, the dying of the worthy men amongſt vsus, not in this wrong fence, but in the ſence and manner that here it appeares the Prophet wiſhed: let vsus now conſider what reaſon hee had to complaine, and to take this for one ſpeciall particuler ſigne of intollerable ſecurity, that men woulde not mourne and lament, and ſo laie to their heartes, the p. 16deathes of ſuch doubtles, he knew, that ſuch kinde of men, were the bands & ſinnews, yea the very pillors, and buttreſſes, of the good eſtate, both of the Church, & common weale; and that therfore the taking away of ſuch (howſoeuer ſecure & prophane men made no reckoning thereof) was indeed a heauy iudgment of God vponupon al that they left behind them. For the wicked, are therby the more hardned, and hartened to al iniquitie, ſo to haſten Gods further iudgements vponupon the land wherin ſuch liue, & the Godly are therby greatly weakned, in this wicked world before men, for lacke of aſſiſtaunce by ſuch againſt the wrongs & oppreſſions of the vngodly. And it is euident that he knew, this moſt perfectly, for in his third Chapter he hauing threatned the people of his time, that for their ſins the Lord woulde take from them the ſtay and ſtrength, though in the particulariſing wherein the ſtay and ſtrength of a citty and country lyeth, hee name bread and drinke in the firſt place, becauſe (as it ſhould ſeeme) w^tout thē men cannot cōtinue at all, yet by & by he reckoneth, the ſtrong mā, the man of warre, the iudge, the Prophet, the prudent, the aged, the Honorable, the counceller &c. As them, without whom neither Citty nor countrey, can long enioy anie good beeing. For ſuch being taken a waie, be ſhewes, the conſequent thereof is likely to be this, that ſome as vnfit as children and babes to rule, ſhal ſucceede them, whereuppon would follow great oppreſſion one of another, and confuſion. And it ſeemeth, p. 17by the conference of theſe 2. places together, as he threatned that people for their ſins this iudgement, about the beginning of his propheſying, ſo or he died, he ſawe the ſame in great meaſure, in extention vponupon them. Howe could he therefore, but in this reſpect mourne, in that all this not withſtanding, he could obſerue none, that mourned vnderunder the burden of this iudgement, as they ſhould. For as it argues, a wonderfull harde heart, either in childe or ſeruant, that will not once melt or mou…n…, when the he a…ie blowes of father or maiſter are ſounding vponupon their ſhoulders, ſo cannot this be taken but as an argument, both then & no we, of in…ollerable ſenſeleſnes, if in the daily execution of this heauie iudgement of God vponupon vsus, we ſhould ſhew our ſelues, by our not taking or to heart at all, to be ſuch as neither ſee it, nor feele it to be a iudgement, or any puniſhment vponupon vsus. Yea the very wicked themſelues (howſoeuer in their own fooliſh & vaine conceits, they hauehave cauſe to be merry, for the death of ſuch) yee indeede and truth, if they looke well into gods dealing with his own deare ſeruants, in taking thē away, through many tribulations, & often in the end alſo, by painful and tormenting kinde of deathes, hauehave iuſt cauſe, thereby miniſtred vntounto them, to ſay and thinke with Peter Epiſt. 1. cap. 4. verſ. 17. … 18. if iudgement begin at the houſe of God, and the righteous themſelues ſo hardly be ſaued, what ſhall the end be of them that obey not the goſpell of God, & where p. 16duplicate page p. 17duplicate page p. 18ſhall the vngodly and ſinner appeare? For if theſe things be don to a green tree, ſaith Chriſt, Luk. 23.31. what ſhall be done to the drie? But and if this will not ſerue, to make ſuch to bethink them of their owne ſinnes, and of the iudgements of God due vntounto them for the ſame, I would wiſh them further to vnderſtand, that when the enemies of gods people, were ſo far off from taking out this leſſon, by beholding the miſeries and afflictions of gods own people, that rather they tooke occaſion, becauſe of their owne floriſhing eſtate in health and wealth for that preſent, to inſult and to triumph ouer them; that the Prophet Ieremie was commanded by the Lord, to ſay vntounto al ſuch, drink al & be drunken, ſpew and fal, & riſe no more, becauſe of the ſword that I will ſend amōgſt you, but and if they refuſe to take the cup at thy hand to drinke, ſaith the Lord vntounto him, then tell them thus ſaith the Lord of hoſts, ye ſhal certainly drink, for loe I begin to plague the citty where my name is cald vponupon, and ſhall you go free? you ſhall not go quite. Ierem. 25. verſ. 27. &c. Ahab and Iezabell, a while made themſelues merry, at the death of Naboth 1. Kings 21, but marke the ſequele of that ſtory, and you ſhal finde, that neither of them had any cauſe to be merry, nor any of their poſterity, ere the Lord had done with them for it. Wherefore though the vngoldy for a time, liue, wax old, and grow in wealth, and their ſeed be eſtabliſhed in their ſight with them, and their generation before their eies, p. 19& their houſes be peaceable & without feare and the rod of God be not vponupon them, as Iob obſerued it was with ſome of them, whē it was far otherwiſe with him, Cap. 21. verſ. 7. &c. or though they find it to be with them as Dauid noted, when it was nothing ſo well with himſelfe, Pſal. 73. verſ. 4. &c. that there be no bands in their death, but they are luſly and ſtrong, that they be not in trouble as other men, nor be plagued with others, & that therfore pride is as a chein vntounto them, & cruelty couereth thē a… a garment, and their eies ſtand out for fatnes, and they hauehave more then their heart can wiſh &c. Yet neither let this diſmay the godly, nor be taken to bee any ſound ground of confort for the other. Indeede it appeares, that euen the very godly hauehave ſometimes beene offended & troubled hereat, inſomuch that Iob himſelfe Cap. 21. verſ. 6. and Dauid Pſal. 73. verſ. 2. and 3. Yea euen Ieremie Cap. 12. verſ. 2. and 3. and Habacuk an other Prophet of the Lord, Cap. 1. verſ 13. and 14. doe moſt plainly confeſſe aſmuch, by themſelues. Notwithſtanding certaine it is, that Dauids rule is very ſound & good in this caſe, and of all the godly to be followed, which is, that they ſhould not fret themſelues becauſe of the wicked, nor for him that proſpereth in his way, and bringeth his enterpriſes to paſſe, Pſal. 37. verſ. 1. & 7. For let both the godly, the better to preſerue them from being any whit diſcouraged herewith, & the other, the eaſelier to ſtay them, from triumphing hereby vnderſtand, p. 20that though indeede it be found true by experience, through the corrupt and blind nature of men, becauſe ſentence againſt and euell woorke is not excuted ſpeedily, that therefore the hartes of the children of men in them, are ſet vponupon euel, Eccle. 8. verſ 11. inſomuch, that the vngodly, finding that God lets them ſome times alone: therefore, as God complaines Pſa. 50. verſ. 21. are even ready to think, that he is like them, that yet all ſuch ſhall moſt certainely finde in the end, that if they thus deſpiſe the long ſuffering of God, which ſhoulde prouoke them to repentance, that they doe but heape vp vengeance againſt the day of vengeance. Ro. 2.4. & 5. For it followeth in the ſame place of Eccleſiaſtes laſt cited, immediatly: though a ſinner do evil an hundred times and God prolongeth his daies, that yet he knew, that it ſhould be well with them that feare the Lord, and do reuerence before him but it ſhall not be well to the wicked, neither ſhal he prolong his daies: he ſhall be like a ſhadow, becauſe he feareth not before God, verſ. 12. & 13. And likewiſe in the 50 Pſalme, to anſwere that wicked and blaſphemous thought of the vngodlie, it preſently followeth, as ſpoken by God himſelfe, but I will reproue thee, and ſet thy ſinnes in order before thee: whereuppon moſt not ably and vehemently, the Lord alſo further breaketh out into this exhortation, Oh conſider this yee that forget God, leaſt I teare you in pieces, and there be none that p. 21can deliuer you. Yea euen Iob himſelfe after that a while he had troubled himſelfe, with muſing vppon the proſperity of the wicked, he could ſay, that in the ende, the Lorde woulde deuide their liues in his wrath, and that they ſhoulde be as ſtubble before the winde, and as chaffe that the ſtorme carieth away, and that God would lay vp the ſorrow of the father for his children, & when he rewardeth him, he ſhould ſee it. verſ. 17.18. & 19. &c. And Dauid alſo; how much ſoeuer he was troubled before, at, and with, the proſperity of the wicked, yet when once hee went into the ſanctuarie of God, then he confeſſeth he vnderſtoode their ende, & that God had ſet them in ſlippery places, and did caſt them downe into deſolation, and that they were ſoddenly deſtroied, periſhed, & horrily conſumed Pſa. 73. ver. 13. &c. And the like might be noted of Ieremie and Habacuk, who notwithſtanding their reaſoning with god about his ſuffring the wicked to proſper, in the places before quoted, yet through that cloud & miſt, plainly ſhew, in the verie ſame places that they ſaw & knew, hee was righteous, had pure eyes & could not ſee and behold wickednes, therby giuing ſuch to vnderſtand, that howſoeuer it wee w^t thē for a time, that yet in the end, the Lord would pay thē home. Notably therfore is it to this end, that is written in the 5 Chapter of the book of Wiſedom, where the wicked are brought in, bewailing their folly, for iudging ſo badly, as they had, of the liues & p. 22deathes of the righteous, and bewayling the vanity and impiety of their own, when they had once found all their pompe and pleaſure to bee, but as a ſhadow, a poſt, or as the flying of a bird, or arrowe in the aire, or ſayling of a ſhip in the ſea, which ſoddenly are paſt and gon, & leaue no tract behinde them, & when they had learned by experience that al the hope of ſuch, (which is moſt fearful) is but as duſt, fome, & ſmoke, which moſt eaſely is ſcattered & carried away w^t the winde & tēpeſt. Cauſe therfore without al queſtiō hauehave y^e very wicked, in the ſeeing the Lord take away, & deal w^t the beſt mē as he doth, to trēble & quake before him, in y^e remēbrāce of their own ſins, & ſo to take to hart, their deaths: & ſo was this a ſufficient cauſe, to mooue Iſaiah, to complaine, and to take it as an argument, of moſt dangerous ſecurity, that he could finde none of them, that woulde thus doe. So therfore we are to account it, if all this not withſtanding, we finde it in this reſpect no better amongſt vsus, a certaine ſigne of the like, & therfore to threatten vsus, as it did thē, ſome further iudgment.

The ſecond particular proofe of the ſecurity, that he cōplaines of in the people of his time, comes now to be cōſidered of, which he expreſſeth, ſaying, merciful men are taken away, & no man vnderſtandeth that the righteous is taken away, from the euell to come: word for word in the original it is thus, from the faces of euell, but the ſenſe doubtleſſe is, as our interpreter hath rendred it, and very well will the p. 23Hebrew phraſe, & the vſe therfore in other places of the ſcripture bear it. And certainly, by this euil, that he ſpeaks of, he vnderſtands y^e very euill, that ſhoulde come vponupon this kingdome, by the inuaſion of the Babilonian. And yet I am not ignorant that ſome tranſlate it, frō amongſt the wicked, & therfore according to that tranſlation, Enoch is alleadged as an example, becauſe, as we read of his taking hēce by God, when he was but 365 years old, wheras ſome liued then, aboue 900, Ge. 5. ve. 24. ſo it is ſaide, in the 4 of Wiſ. ve. 10. &c. He pleaſed God, & was beloued of him, ſo as, where he liued amongſt ſinners he tranſlated him, & he was taken away; left wickedneſſe ſhould alter his vnderſtāding, or deceit beguile his minde. But though it may be, that God ſometimes hath y^e end, in the taking of ſome of his children hēce; yet I cannot ſee, but that both, the circumſtances of the place, and the very wordes of the tert, lead vsus rather to the other ſence here, then to this. Wherefore ſo vnderſtanding it, therby it is cleare, that the Prophet plainely vnderſtoode, that the taking away ſo many mercifull and righteous men, as hee ſaw then were taken hence indeede: was a moſt plaine deſcrying, of a great iudgement, yea of ſuch a one, as for the greatneſſe and terribleneſſe thereof, was worthie not only to hauehave one face, but faces attributed vntounto it: to be faſt comming vppon that kingdome, whome the Lorde, bereaued of ſo worthie men. And that none coulde or woulde conceiue thus p. 24much, he takes it to be an other ſpeciall and particular proofe, of great ſenleſnes & ſecurity in that people, and therefore worthy to be cōplained on: wherefore where the like is found, there is the like collection to be made thereof, & it is by the Lords faithfull ſeruants, to be reproued, and complained of. Wherefore the better, either to preſerue vsus, or to cure vsus of this fault, let vsus hereby learne this leſſon, when wee ſee the Lord, gleaning and gathering hence to himſelfe, many worthy men from amongſt vsus, the world otherwiſe ouerflowing with great ſin and impiety, that then, the Lorde threattens vsus, ſome very great iudgement or puniſhment, and therefore let it be, as a trumpet, blown in our eares from heauē, to awakē vsus out of ſecurity, in ſin and vngodlines, that ſo, if it be poſſible, we may eſcape the ſame. And if this will not ſerue, to teach vsus this leſſon. and to make vsus take it out, conſider we but thus much further, that the Lorde hath giuen vsus verie many moſt notable proofes, and examples, of the ſoundneſſe of the ground of this leſſon: For no ſooner had God gathered to himſelfe, Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, and the very children of Iacob, Ioſeph and the reſt, but as we read Exodus the firſt, there roſe vp a new king in Aegypt that knew not Ioſeph, that began monſtrouſly to tyrannyze ouer their poſterity, in which miſery, they continued euer after, for many yeares, as long as they continued in that countrey. And it was not long after, that God had taken hence, good p. 25and godly king Ioſiah, er that this very euill here threatned, began to come vponupon his kingdome, for (as ſome account) the 4. yeare after his death, Nebuchadnezzer the great ſent by his father, beſigned Ieruſalem, and tooke Iehoiakim captiue, & caried him and others with him captiue into Babylon 2. Cr. ca. 35. & cap. 36. And before the laſt deſtruction of Hieruſalem, and the vtter ſubuerſion therof, by the Romains, the lord, as it appears in the Eccleſiaſtical ſtories had gathered vntounto himſelfe, al his Apoſtles, ſaue Iohn. And Poſſidonius writes, in the life of S. Auguſtine, that his city Hippo being beſiged, & hauing bin, by the Vādals, Goths, & Hunnes, ſome 3. or 4. months: ſome ten months before it was takē, burnt & conſumed, & the people therof moſt cruelly vſed, that the Lord took him thēce in peace, by the means of an ague, which they tooke as a fearefull ſigne, of that, which followed, becauſe, as he wryteth, the day that he fell ſicke, he made this praier vntounto God, either to remoue the ſiege, or to giuegive the people hability to beare it out, or to take him thence in peace to himſelfe, before it ſhould be taken, Cap. 28. & 29.

Yea yet to preſſe this leſſon a little further, if in ſuch bad and dangerous times, the Lord alwaies go not ſo far, as quite to take his out of this life, but only in ſome other ſort, call and ſeuere them out from the wicked, it portends, that ſome feareful euil is haſtening apace upon them. For when God had once p. 26ſhut vp Noe and his familie in the Arke, it was not long ere the floud came and deſtroyed the whole world beſide Gen. 7. and againe we read Gen. 19. that the angels had no ſooner got Lot and his, out of Sodom, but it was deſtroied from heauen with fire and brimſtone. And it is not apparent, that God no ſooner had ſeuered vnderunder the conduct of Moyſes and Aaron, his people of Iſraell frō the Egyptians, that rather then an euill ſhould not come vponupon them, they ran vpō it, & ſo were moſt fearefully ſwallowed vp of the red ſea, in following after that people Exod. 14. whereas of the cōtrary we ſee, howſoeuer y^e ſins of the old world grieued god much in the meane time, that yet all y^e while, y^t is, for the ſpace of an 100, & 20. yeares, that Noe by preaching and the Arke making, was calling them to repentance, and ſo amongſt thē, the windows of heauen were faſt ſhut, & the floud could not breake in vponupon the world of the vngodly Gen. 6.1. Pet. 4.20. And we read that God told Abraham, y^t if there had bin but to, righteous in Sodom, though the cry of their outragious ſins had pierced the heauēs, that yet for thoſe 10. ſake he would hauehave ſpared the city Gen. 18. ver. 32. yea we read in the next Chapter, Zoar was ſaued for Lot his ſake, & he was willed to haſten thither for the Lord could do nothing to deſtroy the reſt, before he was got ſafe thither, ver. 21.22. Yea y^t is yet moſt of al to be noted, touching the preuention, of the particular iudgement here threatned. Ieremie, that p. 27propheſied in Ioſiahs time, is wild to runne vp and down Hieruſalem and to ſeeke & enquire to and fro in the opē ſtreets therof, to find out a man that executed iudgmēt & ſought the truth & he is told by the Lord, that ſuch an one foūd there, he would ſpare it, Cap. 5. verſ. 1. And indeede Act 27. we finde that 275. ſoules that were in a ſhip with Paul, in a moſt dangerous tempeſt, eſcaped all ſafe to lande from the danger of ſhipwracke, for Pauls ſake that was in their company, ver. 24. & 44. O if the vngodly and wicked that here hate the godly, becauſe, their waies and thoughts are ſo cōtrary to theirs, & as it were made to reproue theirs, as it is well noted wiſdome the 2. verſ. 14. & 15. &c. had but grace to conſider and to remember theſe thinges. For then doubtles, not onelyonly hereby would they take occaſion, to be more thankfull vntounto them, for all the good they enioy whiles they liue with them, but alſo to account them ſo the pillers that keep vp from them the heatly iudgements of God that otherwiſe would fal vppon thē, & cruſh them to fitters, that when they were gon once, and taken from them, they could not but therewith as with a milſtone be beaten to duſt and aſhes. For how can or may, any ſuch one, once imagine, God being as he is, at ſuch deteſtation with all ſinne, and knowing euen the moſt ſecreteſt alwaies as he doth, and beeing moſt able to puniſhe it as bee lift, that they in ſuch ſinnes as they ſecurely committe, coulde eſcape his hande one houre, if it were not p. 28more for the regard and ſakes of ſuch, then for their owne.

And yet I hauehave not thus noted this, that the wicked ſhould take any encouragement to continue in ſecuritie in this ſinne, as long as hee cauſee any godly men aliue in the countrey where he dwels: For they may goe on ſo long, and ſo far prouoke the wrath of the Lord againſt them, and the whole land for their ſakes, in deſpyſing all ordinary meanes, both ſweet and ſharpe, that the Lord ſends them to draw them to repentance by, as that the Lord may ſay vntounto ſuch as he did afterwards by Ieremie in his 15. Chapter. verſ. 1. though Moyſes and Samuel ſtoode before me, yet my affection could not bee towardes this people &c. And after that againe by Ezechiel. Cap. 14. ve. 14. Though theſe three men, Noe, Daniel, and Iob, were amongſt them, they ſhould deliuer but their owne ſoules by their righteouſnes, ſaith the Lord God. And this his people to their ſmart, found moſt true by experience, for though they hadde as it is moſt cleare by the ſtories of thoſe times, and the writings of the Prophets Ieremy and Ezechiel, not onelyonly them two, and Baruch, & ſundry other very godly and vertuous men, when this euill began firſt to breake in vppon them, yet all theſe could not ſtay the Lord from executing his fierce wrath vppon thē, as you may ſee Ier. 39. & in the laſt of the Kings, & Cronicles. And Ezechiel, gaue them the reaſon, why it could be no otherwiſe, ſaying, Cap. 24. verſ, 13.14. p. 29Thou remaineſt in thy filthineſſe and wickednes: becauſe I would hauehave purged thee and thou waſt not purged; thou ſhalt not be purged from thy filthines till I hauehave cauſed my wrath, to light vppon thee. I the Lord hauehave ſpoken it: it ſhall come to paſſe, and I will doe it, I will not goe backe, neither will I ſpare, neither will I repent. According to thy waies, and according to thy workes ſhall they iudge thee, ſaith the Lorde. Hee might well then ſay, that the Lord would hauehave purged them, and that they would not be purged▪ For what ſhoulde the Lord hauehave done to his vineyarde, which was that kingdome of theirs, that he had not done: as this our Prophet Iſaiah, moſt notably ſhewes them, Cap. 5. verſ. 12 &c. He had beſtowed vppon them his holy woorde and lawe, he ceaſed not early nor late, no not when the iudgement was in ſight, to raiſe vp vntounto them, moſt faithfull Prophets to tell them of their ſins, and to teach them how to preuent Gods iudgements, by true repentance: he gaue them very many good kings, and namely Ioſiah, euen a litle before the appointed time for this euell, who was inferior to none that was before him, to purge the Church of al corruptions, and ſomtimes be thought to awaken them by forein wars, as in Afa his time, in Iehoſophats and Ezechias his raigne, and ſometime by dearth and famine, and ſometime by the peſtilence, and notably by the iudgement executed vppon their neighbour kingdome of Samaria: and yet p. 30neither any of theſe, nor all theſe togither, nor any other good meanes, could cauſe them to ſhake of their ſenſeles ſecurity in ſin: & therefore what ſhould the Lord doe elſe, but giuegive thē ouer, as he had threatned into the handes of that ſterce, cruell, and merciles nation, of the Babilonians?

Now (welbeloued) you know the prouerbe, happy is he whom other mens harme may make to beware, and we know and are taught Rom. 15. ver. 4. that whatſoeuer thinges are written afore time are written for our learning: and therfore I aſſure you, we had neede to take theſe thinges to heart, and to learne in time to mourne for our ſinnes, and both to feele the preſent iudgement of God vppon vsus already, in that of late we hauehave loſt by death, ſo many worthy menne as wee hauehave, and to feare and tremble at that which this farther doth threaten vsus. What meanes hath the Lorde omitted to winne vsus to true repentaunce, that hee euer vſed to that people? Is not the light of his woorde ſhining now amongſt vsus vnderunder the new teſtament, worthily in reſpect of the more lightſomenes thereof, vſually by Paul compared to the daie light, when as theirs in compariſon thereof, is called the night which is now paſte? and hauehave not we as many faithfull and painfull miniſters, thereby laboring to direct vsus a right as ever they had? and hath not the Lorde beſtowed now of late ſundry princes, eſpecially her Maieſty, whom now we enioy (and I praie God long p. 31may) vppon vsus, very carefull to purge both the Church of corruptions, and the common weale of diſorders? And to goe on to the reſt, we cannot hauehave forgotten, but that by drough, dearth, and peſtilence, we hauehave beene and yet are by the laſt, as earneſtly ſummoned to repentaunce, as euer they were, and without warres we hauehave not quite bene: the Lord hath cauſed the earth, about ſome foureteene yeare agoe fearefully to tremble and ſhake vnderunder vsus, and now agaiue the ſatterday after this Noble Lorde Greye lefte this life, ſure I am in many places of this ſhire and ſomewhere elſe, it ſhooke as ſenſibly and terribly as before. And as for our neighbour countries rounde about vsus, wee knowe and in ſome ſorte feele, that the heauie hande of GOD hath lien fore vppon ſome of them a great while. And wee hauehave founde, that ſuch hath beene the cankred malice of the curſed ſea of Rome, and of the confederates thereof againſt vsus that along time, by all treacherous deuiſes that they could inuent, they hauehave ſought to ſet vsus togither by the eares amongſt our ſelues, and to queuch they care not howe, the light of our Iſraell, that is, to bereaue our dread and gratious Queene of her life. Finally as yet I hope, it is freſh in moſt of our memories, howe when theſe enemies of ours ſaw, that by their ſecret practiſes, they coulde noe way preuaile, the Lordes name for euer bee bleſſed for it: then they brake out into open hoſtilitie, firſt p. 32in Ireland, and ſence in comming with a hudge and mighty navye, which they counted, & therefore cald, inuincible, with a ful purpoſe to inuade our land, and to ſatiſfie their bloudthirſty mindes vppon vsus. Indeede we muſt needes confeſſe, to the glory of God, that by the valiant worthy and faithfull ſeruice of this honourable Lord, whoſe body now lies here before vsus, & by gods bleſſing thereupon, their courage in Ireland was ſo puld downe, and their combseut, that neuer ſince any more of them hauehave had any hart, to giuegive any like attempt there again: and as for their nauy, the Lord of heauen, led it ſuch a proceſſion about our country, that moſt, both of the ſhippes and men, he hath ſcattered and confounded in the bottom of the ſea. Yet we may be ſure his malice that ſet them thus on worke againſt vsus, is not ſo abated, but that when ſtrength is recouered, and fitter opportunity eſpied, we ſhall taſt of it, if they can. Wherefore if all this notwithſtanding we will ſtill continue ſecure, and careles in ſinne and vngodlines with the Iewes, and ſo ioine with them in the cauſe to prouoke God in his wrath to bring a further euill vponupon vsus, what reaſon is there but that we ſhall, we cannot tell how ſoone, taſt as deepely of the ſame, ſome one way or other. He is the ſame God now that hee was then, and he can puniſh ſin as well in vsus as in them, and there is no reaſō in the world but that we ſhould thinke, if we be iumpe with them in ſin, wee ſhall be made iuſt and iumpe with them in the puniſhment p. 33for the ſame. In the name of God therefore, let vsus take heede, that th…s, hearing Gods curſes be no… ted againſt vsus for out ſinnes; that wee bleſſe not our ſelues in our hearts; ſaying, wee ſhall hauehave peace, although we walke on ſtil according to the ſtubberneſſe of our hearts, ſo adding drunkennes to thirſt, as it pleaſeth God by Moyſes to ſpeake to his people of Iſraell in that time, Deu. 29. ver. 19. For if wee ſhoulde doe ſo, in the woordes there immediately following the Lorde telleth vsus what we ſhall ſurely truſt vntounto, namely, that he will not be mercifull to any ſuch, But his wrath and ielouſie ſhall ſmoke againſt ſuch, and eueryevery curſe written in the booke of the lawe ſhall light vppon them, and hee will put out their name from vnderunder heauen. Wherefore to conclude this part, let eve… of …s learne to doe as Ieremi hath councelled vsus, Lam. 3. verſ. 40. that is, ſearch and trye our waies and turne vntounto the Lorde, lifting vp our handes and heartes vntounto him in the heauens, for mercy to vsus and out Lande, for as he faith in the twenty two verſe of that Chapter, our manifolde and great ſin… conſidered, ſo we hauehave cauſe, to ſay alſo, it is the Lordes mercies that we bee not conſumed. And further, let Ezechiel teach vsus this one leſſon more, that not onelye …ee our ſelues, euerie one for his owne particuler muſt thus turne to God, from all our ſinnes; but that wee muſt cauſe others ſo to turne, or elſe he will not once promiſe vsus that p. 34iniquitie ſhall not be our deſtruction Cap. 18, verſ. 30. For eueryevery man is bound to do what lyeth in him, to draw on thoſe that any way by his vocation in Church, or common weal, he hath a charge of. And (but that I haſten to the conſolation) I ſhoulde here teach you, that this conuerſion of ours to God, muſt bee ſpeedy without procraſtination, conſtant without interruption, harty without diſſimulation, vniuerſal without exception, hūble without oſtentation, and yet faithful without all diſtruſt or doubting. For thus hath the word taught it ought to be, if we would hauehave it to be acceptable before the Lorde, to put of his iudgementes from vsus, that otherwiſe by our ſinnes we hauehave deſerued. But let thus much ſuffiſe touching the Prophets complaint, and the vſe, that wee are to make of it: and nowe let vsus proceede to the comforte or conſolation that hee giues in theſe wordes of his.

Wherin, as I hauehave ſaid, we are to conſider whom be comfortes, and therefore how he deſcribes them, & then how he comforts them, and therefore what the comforts be that he ſets down for ſuch. He deſcribes them in general, to be every one that walketh before God; in the latter verſe, and in the former more particularly to be righteous or mercifull men: of theſe thinges therefore now orderly, as they are prepoſed let vsus conſider. By walking by an vſuall Metaphore in the ſcriptures we are to vnderſtande liuing, and hauing our conuerſation, in which ſence, p. 35ſaith God to Abraham Gen. 17. ve. 1. walke before mee, and be thou vpright, that is, …ot and hauehave thy conuerſation. And 1. Corint. 9. by a like metaphore, the life of a Chriſtian, is compared, to the running of a race, the conſideration of which metaphors, may and ought, to teach vsus, that as it is our dutie, according to Chriſtes counſail, Luk. 13.24. to ſtriue to get into this way, wherein wee muſt walke, and run, and that betime; …e cauſe it is written, Eccl. 12. verſ. 1. remember th… creator in the daies of thy youth, whiles the euill daies comes not, nor the yeares approach wherein thou ſhalt ſay, I hauehave no pleaſure in them: ſo likewiſe, when wee are got in, that wee maie neither ſtande ſtill nor goe backe, but that we are to walke, and runne right forwarde, taking heede, that neither we run round about, nor …ow of this ſide, now o… that. And therefore we hauehave a r…t giuen vsus. Heb. 12. verſ. 13. to make ſtraight ſteps vntounto our feere, and there alſo we are …arned, to take heede of al halting in this way, leſt ſo we beturned out of the way. Thus therefore to walke, or to runne this race, importes, that therein there is ſome difficultie, and that there had neede bee good paynes taken thereabout. Whereuppon the Apoſtle Paule in the foreſaide place to the Corint. 9. hauing ſaide, ſo run that ye may obtaine: to prouoke vsus not to think it much, though ſo to do, coſt vsus ſome paines, he firſt tels vsus, that they that ſtriue for …aſteries, though they do it to obtain a corruptible crowne, p. 36yet abſtayne from all thinges that might hinder them, and then hee layes before vsus to the ſame ende, his owne example, howe that hee, the better to runne this race, bett downe his own bodie, and brought it into ſubiection, verſe. 25.27. And Hebrewes. 12. verſe. 1. moſt plainelye hee calles vppon vsus, to caſt awaye eueryevery thinge, that preſſeth downe, and the ſinne that hangeth ſo faſt on, and ſo then ſaith, let vsus runne with patience the race that is ſet before vsus &c. Wherefore the difficultie hereof conſidered, we had need eueryevery one, to runne vntounto God for helpe in this caſe, ſaying, with Dauid, Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy ſtatutes, teach me O Lorde the way of thy ſtatutes, direct mee in the path of thy commandementes, Pſal. 119. verſ. 5.33.35.

Nowe touching this our walking, ſeeing it muſt hee as I hauehave ſaide, or elſe it is not that, that heere the Prophet requires in thoſe whome hee woulde comforte; ſure wee maye bee, that there is preſcribed vsus by GOD (who would hauehave vsus to walke before him, that is ſo, that he may take pleaſure and delyte in our walking) ſome perfect rule, from which wee maye not decline, either to the right hande or left: and this ſurely is his owne reuealed will and …oorde. For that is an ancient rule of God in matter of his ſeruice, ye ſhall put nothing vntounto the woorde which I commaunde you, neither ſhall yee take ought there from, as wee reade p. 37Deuteronomie. 4. verſ. 2. and therefore ſaith he Eſay. 8. To the Lawe and to the teſtimonie; if they ſpeake not according to this woorde, it is becauſe there is no light in them, ver. 20. And therfore euen kings, are commaunded by the Lorde, to reade in the booke of the Lorde, all dayes of their life. Deuteronomie. 17.19. And Ioſua particularly, to meditate therein daye and night, that it might neuer depart out of his mouth, that he might obſerue and doe according to all thinges written therein, neuer turning from the rule thereof, either to the right hande or lefte: Ioſua the firſt verſe. 7. and 8. And wee may bee ſure God is, at the ſame point ſtill, and euer will bee, and therefore both Iſaiah, the 29. verſe. 13. and Matthew. 15. verſe. 9. as Chriſt hath alleadged it, wee may ſee, that both in the old teſtament, and newe, God hath counted them but vaine worſhippers, howe neare ſo euer they drawe vntounto him in woordes, whoſe feare is taughte by the preceptes of menne, teaching for doctrine mens preceptes, all which kinde of worſhipping or ſeruing of God, Paule condemne vnderunder the name of will worſhippe, or voluntarie religion, though otherwiſe it carrie neuer ſuch ſhew of humbleneſſe of minde, and of not ſparing the body, as you may reade Coloſ. 2. verſe. 23. very will therefore hath Dauid taught vsus, firſt, that a younge man may redreſſe his waie in taking heede therto according to Gods word: and after, that his worde p. 38was a light vntounto his path and a lanterne vntounto his feete: Pſal. 119. ver. 9. & 10. Wherupon afterward in the ſame Pſalme ver. 133. …e makes this prayer vntounto God ſaying, order my ſteps O Lorde, according to thy word, & ſo no iniquity, ſhall hauehave dominion ouer me. I ſay therfore vntounto you w^t S. Peter, as new borne babes, if ſo be you hauehave taſted howe bountifull the Lord is, deſire that milk, that is that inſtruction, to direct you in this walke, that is foreign that is, that commeth from the word, or is according to y^e word, for that wil Peeter onelyonly warrant you to be foreign, y^• is without deceit, ſound, & good, 1. ep. 2.2. And marke, that y^e ſame S. Peter, tels the Chriſtians in his time, that they were by Chriſt redeemed frō the vaine conuerſation, receiued by the traditions of the fathers, 1. ep. Cap. 1.18. For thereby you maye perceiue, that walking, or conuerſatiō may be vaine that hath for the warrant of it, both fathers and their traditions; ſo can none that hath groūd from y^e word of the Lord. But then may ſome ſay, where is this word of God to be found, that al this while you commend vntounto vsus, to be the onelyonly ſound and ſafe rule to walke by? To this I anſwere, this treaſure & pearle is onelyonly to be found in the fielde of the Canonicall ſcriptures of the old and new teſtament, and therfore no where elſe to be ſought for. And therefore, as it may be obſerued, throughout al the newe teſtament, Chriſt and his Apoſtles, whither they were to confirm truth, to confute error, or to exhort to godlines, p. 39or to dehorte from the contrary, ſtill fetch their light and ground, from the ancient ſcriptures. And Paule ſpeaking onelyonly of the ſcriptures, which were written when Timothie was a childe, 2. Timothie. 3. verſe. 15. ſaieth, that they were hable to make him wiſe to ſaluation, and after addeth, not onelyonly that the whole ſcripture is giuen by inſpiration of God, and is profitable to teach, to improue, to correct, and to inſtruct in righteouſneſſe, but alſo ſo farre, as that euen thereby the man of God may bee abſolute, beeing made perfecte vntounto all good woorkes. And it is euident by Chriſtes ſaying Iohn. 5. vntounto the Iewes, ſearch the ſcriptures, for in them yee thinke to hauehave eternall life, verſe. 39. that this was the common opinion of the Iewes of them, that they were ſufficient to direct them to ſaluation. Howe can we then thinke, but that nowe much more, the whole newe Teſtamente beeing ioyned vntounto the former, contayning as it doeth both a moſt lightſome expoſition of the former, and alſo conſummating the ſame, wee hauehave cauſe ſo to account of them? Sure I am, whatſoeuer our late Romaniſtes thinke, and write to the contrary, becauſe if this principle bee once receaued, they knowe well enough, their opinions wherein wee ſtande againſt them, can no longer hauehave anie countenaunce, wee hauehave a number of vsus moſt plentifullie in Print ſhewed them & the whole Church, that this was the opinion of all the Churches of Chriſt, p. 40and of all the learned fathers therein for 600. years after Chriſt at leaſt. Indeede then, if we woulde hauehave them to bee and proue thus vntounto vsus; wee muſt ſearch them, as Chriſt hath commaunded Iohn 5. and we hauehave need meditate therin day and night, as we hauehave heard Ioſua, for all the great buſines that otherwiſe he had, commanded to doe, and as we read it ſet downe for a Property of eueryevery man that would be bleſſed, Pſal. 1.2. And no other good meanes of hearing them opened vntounto vsus, by preaching, or anie way elſe, that we can come by, muſt bee neglected, but carefully and religiouſly vſed, and with all other means, hartye and often prayers vntounto God in all humility muſt be made, that it would pleaſe God, ſo by his ſpirit, the authour thereof, to inlighten our darke harts, that we may vnderſtand them aright. For this is to ſearch for wiſedome, that lies hid therin, as for ſiluer, and to ſearch for it as for treaſures, and to watch dayly at her gates, and to giuegive attendāce at the poſts of her dores, as we are commanded to doe, prou. 2.4. & 8.33. and thus doing, if withall wee forget not with Dauid ſtill to crie vntounto God, open my eies that I may ſee the wonders of thy Lawe, Pſal. 119. verſ. 18. ſo calling after knowledge and crying after vnderſtanding, as we are taught pro. 2. verſ, 3. then, and not elſe, we are there promiſed, that we ſhal vnderſtand the feare of the Lord, & finde the knowledge of God, to direct vsus aright in al our waies before the Lord, verſ. 5.52. Moſt fearefull p. 41are the examples that we hauehave in theſe ſcriptures, of Gods wrath breaking out againſt ſuch, as hauehave not in the ſeruice that they hauehave tendred him, firſt carefully ſet this rule before their eies; yea though otherwiſe they ſeemed to hauehave neuer ſo deuout and good meanings therein. To this ende, to let paſſe the infinite, examples of groſſe idolaters, vppon whome, in moſt fierce maner, his wrath hath broken out, to the vtter deſtruction of them, & their countries, as herein often is recorded: who yet often would ſeeme, ſo feruent in ſeruing of God, after their faſhion, that they would ſpare no coſt, no not to ſacrifice their own ſonnes in the fire, let vsus but conſider of three or foure, that fell out amongſt Gods owne people. Doe we not read Levit 10. that Nadab & Abihu offred incenſe with their cenſors, vponupon ſtrange fire, which the Lorde had not commaunded them, and that therefore a fire went out before the Lord and deuoured them, ſo that they died before him? verſ. 1.2. And what other cauſe was there that the Lorde ſmote of the men of Beth-ſhemeſh, 5070▪ men, but that of a fond affection, and blind deuotion, as it ſhould ſeeme, for ioy that it was come home, frō the Philiſtines, and to ſee whether all were ſafe therin, they looked into the Arke, contrary to the rule of the word Numb. 4. giuen in that behalfe? Notable likewiſe in ſhewe, was the occaſion and in…ent, that Saul had, both in his offring burnt offring, in the abſence of Samuel 1. Sā. 13. ver. 11. & in his & p…oples p. 42ſparing the life of Agag, and ſome of his cattel ca. 15. ver: 15. but yet, becauſe in both theſe, he walked without direction and warrant from the word of the Lord, in both thoſe places immediatly vponupon his anſwere, we read, that he was told, he had done fooliſhly, & that the Lord was ſo angry with him therfore, that he ſhould leeſe his kingdome. But that which we read touching Dauids bringing home of y^e Arke 2. Sa. 6. & 1. Chr. 13. and alſo 15. he being the mā he was, in my opinion, giues vsus (how godly and wiſe ſoeuer we take our ſelues to be) moſt excellent warning to take heede how holy and good ſoeuer our intents be, yet in our walking before God, not to tread a ſtep, without light and warrāt from his word. For there it appeares, that the firſt time y^t he went about it, he cōſulted not with this word which would hauehave told him, that it ſhould hauehave beene brought home only on Leuites ſhoulders Num. 4. & therfore to his great diſcomfort, it fel out, that he ſeeking to bring it thē home, vponupon a new cart, that Vzzah putting but his hand to hold it, becauſe the oxen did ſhake it, though of neuer ſo good an intent alſo, yet lacking warrant therefore from hence, as Dauid did for the whole maner of his actiō; he was ſtrokē by the lord with ſodein death. 1. Ch. 13. v. 10. But the ſecōd time when he had learned to bring it home aright, he proſpered in his enterpriſe, & brought it home with great ioy and triumph, as it appeares, 1. Chro. 15. In what caſe then, be all thoſe that glory in nothing more, thā p. 43when they walke either directly cōtrary, or quite beſide y^e direction of this word? Surely we muſt needs both ſay & thinke, that the further they either run or walke, the more they are out of the way. And yet this is not only the walking of Turks & Barbarians, but the common walking, wherein they moſt glorie that are of the ſuperſtitious ſynagogue of Rome (as if I might ſtande vppon that point, I could moſt eaſily ſhewe,) and therefore their glory in the end, will be their ſhame.

But to go on, in that the Prophet here deſcribes thē whom he would cōfort, not by bare walking, but by walking before him, by that him, vnderſtanding euen God himſelf, foraſmuch as it is euident, that by that kind of phraſe, before him, it is ſtill the faſhiō of the ſcriptures, when they ſpeake of that which either is, or ſhould be in Gods children, to vnderſtand that they walk, or ſhould, without all hypocriſy: we are to learne, that it is not inough to walke ſo before men, that they can ſpy no fault in our walking, (for ſo far came the hypocrite Mat. 22. in his walking, cōming vntounto, and ſitting at, the mariage feaſt, for vntill the maiſter of the feaſt came, he was not found of any of the gueſts to hauehave lackt his wedding garment, as it there appears:) but we muſt hauehave a care, if we would be of the number that he talkes of, to be anſwerable within, euen in the ſecret of our owne hearts, to the outward good ſhew we make. For wee know th… his eies are ſo bright, & piercing, that he looks euē p. 44through our harts, and reines, & that nothing can be hid from his fight. Pſalm. 44.21. & Iob. 42.2.

And to walke thus before God, two legges and feere are neceſſary, for there is no walking with one, and vnles alſo both be ſound, it is rather like to proue a halting, then any walking: the right leg and foote, is ſound religion, and a liuely and true faith grounded thereupon: the left, is a holy life and true repentance, in the continual practiſe whereof, it conſiſteth. Both theſe muſt go togither, for where either of thē is ſeuered from the other, there is nothing but hypocriſte or ſuperſtition. And therefore let a man be neuer ſo zealous and ſincere a profeſſor of the Goſpell and ſound religion, yet if we ſee him careles touching his life, we hold him to be but a carnal goſpeller, and that this his knowledge & profeſſion makes his life and perſon, the more abominable before God. So on the other ſide, let one be neuer ſo curious & carefull of a good life, inſomuch that in that reſpect Chriſt might compare him to painted tombes, and cleare waſhen cuppes without, as he did the Pharaſies, yet if their religiō, be vnfound, as the Pharaſies was, he will not ſticke to cry out againſt them, w… be to you hypocrits, as he did againſt the ſcribes and Pharaſes Math. 23. we ſay therefore to eueryevery one, ſhew me thy faith by thy works, and I will ſhewe thee my faith by my works, I am. 2. verſ. 18. For we hold & teach, that it is no liuely faith, but a ſhadowe of faith, where good works accompany it not, with p. 45the ſame Apoſtle ver. 20. But then we hold likewiſe, that louelove which is the fulfilling of the lawe, & compriſeth within the compaſſe of it, al good works, can neuer be, vnles firſt there be a liuely faith, for it proceedes from a faith vnfeined, 1. Tim. 1. verſ. 5. But this faith is that, whereby in Chriſt Ieſus, we are ſurely, and fully, ſoly & wholy, iuſtified, for hee is the author and finiſher of our faith, Heb. 12. ver. 2. and there is no other nāe vnderunder heauē wherby cometh ſaluatiō but his. Act. 4. verſ. 12. & the other ſerue to other holy vſes, as namely, to make our light ſo ſhine before men that they ſeeing thē may glorify our father which is in heauē, as Chriſt hath taught Ma… 5.16. & to make vsus, known to be his diſciples. Ioh. 13.35. and as Peter hath taught vsus, to certify vsus of our election and calling 2. Epiſt. cap. 1.10.

To conclude therefore this generall deſcription of the Prophet, of thoſe whom he would comfort, let vsus marke, that eueryevery one that thus walketh before God, he meanes to comfort: for he ſaith, eueryevery one that walketh before him, as our interpreter … rendred it: but thē withall marke, that yet he means, to comfort none but ſuch, as liuing, and dying, are founde thus walking. For it is not inough in this caſe to begin well and to go on, for a time, vnles wee perſeuere …nto the ende. For he that puts his hand to the plow, & look… backe, is not …eet for the kingdome of heauen, Luk. 9.62. and the promiſes … thus, he that endureth to the end he ſhal be … p. 46Mat. 10. verſ. 22. be faithfull vntounto the ende, and I will giuegive thee the crown of life. Reu. 2.10. And therfore S. Paul Philip. 3. is a moſt notable example vntounto vsus, in this: who though then, he had well ny run his race, and had out run very many, yet, that he might attaine happily vntounto the end thereof, he proteſts, that he forgot that which he had left behinde him, and endeuoured himſelf, to that which was before, & followed hard to the marke, that ſo hee might attaine the price of the high calling of God in Chriſt Ieſus, vſing a word that ſhews, y ſtill the nearer he came to the race end, the more he bowed & enforced himſelfe forwarde, and ſo he wiſheth as many as be perfect, to be minded. ver. 13. &c. For as we read. Pſal. 92.13.14. ſuch as be planted in the houſe of God, they ſhall flouriſh in the courtes of God, and ſuch ſhal bring forth fruit in their age, & euen then, be fat & floriſhing. The Prophet therefore, to teach vsus thus much, vſes this word, y^t is trā ſlated walketh, in ſuch a tenſe or time, in his owne language, as wherby it is wel known to the skilfull in that tongue, he noteth a continuāce of their ſo walking, euen vntounto the time, when God tooke thē hence. Let vsus therefore ſtudy eueryevery one of vsus, to approue our ſelues thus qualified whiles wee are in ſtrength and liuing, that we may be found thus walking, ſick, weake, and dying. For it is a common prouerb, qualis vita, finis ita, ſuch life, ſuch end, or death. And there is ſmal likelihood (ſure I am, it is not to be preſumed p. 47on) that he that hath not begun thus to walk before he come to his death bed, will there begin, & there be found ſuch a one. For who is ſo ſimple, but he may eaſily conceiue, that it is moſt likely, that he that forgetteth both God & himſelfe, lyuing, ſhal be deſpiſed of God dying. We dare not, nor may not ſay, y^t vera & ſeria poenitentia can be ſera, that is, that true repentance and earneſt can be too late: but yet I can tell you, that ſera penitentia, late repentance, may be ſuſpected often, whither it will proue ſeria & vera, earneſt and true. And therefore the ſafeſt courſe is, whiles we hauehave wit and vnderſtanding, and whiles we hauehave ſtrength and vſe of our ſences, which oftentimes faile vsus in extremity of ſicknes, to labour to be ſuch, as here he deſcribes.

Thus now in generall, we hauehave heard howe the Prophet ſets forth them, for whom he hath comforts anone to tell vsus of, both liuing & dear: let vsus therefore marke further, what in particuler, he cals ſuch. The words that he vſeth, to y^e end, are in the former verſe, and they are wel rendred by our interpreters, righteous & merciful men. The waies therfore of the Lord in particuler, that they, that would walke before him aright, muſt walke in; are righteouſnes or iuſtice, & mercy and compaſſion. Iuſtice with mercy, and mercy with iuſtice therefore, muſt go hand in hand togegether for iuſtice without mercy, wil ſoone proue extremity, and mercy without iuſtice, will vsus quickely prooue but fooliſh pittie, that warre… … a Cittie a p. 48But when to ſhew the one, and to doe the at her, that muſt be learned of iudgement, which is in deed, the right moderatour, & directour of both. where theſe 3. concur in one, their iuſtice ſhall be ſhown in time and place, and ſo likewiſe mercy. All theſe in perfection are founde in God, and therfore ſaith Ieremy Cap. 9. 23.24. let not the wiſe manne reioice in his wiſedome, nor the ſtrong man in his ſtrength, nor the rich man in his riches, but let him that glorieth glorie in this, that he vnderſtandeth and knoweth me, ſaith the Lorde, for I am the Lorde, that ſhew merciemercy, iudgement, and iuſtice, in the earth, for in theſe thinges, I delight. And ſurely we are like the children of ſuch a father, to doe what wee canne, to bee like our heauenlie father heerein: for hee delightes not onelyonly, to approue himſelfe ſuch an one, in all his doinges; but that we alſo ſhoulde bee ſuch. And therefore by Hoſea Cap. 6. verſe. 5. in the time of the olde teſtament, when ſacrifices were in the greateſt and beſt eſtimation, he taught his people, that hee deſired mercy and not ſacrifice, ſpeaking ſo by compariſon: which ſentence, Chriſt wiſhes them to conſider that ſeemed to bee offended at the mercy, hee ſhewed publicanes, Matthew. 9.13. And to doe iuſtice and iudgement. (ſo ioyning the other two together) ſaith Salomon Proverb. 21.3. is more acceptable to the Lorde then ſacrifice. And yet Michah. Cap. 6. verſe. 8, moſt not … to commend theſe vertues vntounto vsus, ſaith, he hath ſhewed p. 49thee, O man, what the Lorde requireth of thee, ſurelie to doe iuſtlie and to louelove mercy, and to humble thy ſelfe to walke with thy God. Al which places layde togither, doe teach vsus three verie good leſſons, concerning this matter. The firſt is, that he that hath any care to walke, as he ought before God, hee muſt hauehave an eſpeciall care, amongeſt all other things, if not aboue all other things, to deale iuſtlie, and to ſhew mercy. He muſt therefore abhor all iniuſtice, as extortion and oppreſſion, and all cruelty and merciles dealing: and think, how deuout, zealous, and and religious ſoeuer he ſeeme to be, that yet al is but vaine, without theſe. And to this purpoſe it is worthely ſaid of S. Iames, in my opinion, pure religion and vndefiled before God, is this, to viſite the fatherles and widdowes in their aduerſity (therein calling for mercy) & to keep himſelfe vnſpotted of the world, therein likewiſe calling for righteouſnes and iuſtice. Cap. 1. verſ. 27.

The ſecond leſſon, is this, that they that would rightly ſhew both, that they louelove iuſtice, and mercy: muſt learne to ioine iudgment withall. For through the want and lacke thereof, it was, that both Saul & Ahab, ſhewed mercy, when they ſhould rather hauehave done iuſtice, the one vponupon Agag the King of the Amalekits, 1. Sam 15. and the other vponupon Bennadad, the King of Aram, 1. Kings the 20. and therfore the one for his labour was ſharpely reproued in the name of the Lord, by Samuell, and tolde that therefore his p. 50kingdome ſhould be taken from him, & the other was met, & told likewiſe, by an other Prophet of the Lord, that becauſe he had let that Bēnadad eſcape with his life, whom he had appointed to death, & therfore deliuered into his hands, that therfore his life ſhould go for his, & his people for his, as it appeares at large in the ſaid places. For by this, who ſeeth not, y^t though this their dealing, caried a ſhowe of mercy, that yet in the ſigh: of God, for that the malicious enemies of him and his people were ſaued aliue, when they might hauehave bin kild, & ſo diſpatcht frō euer endangering of any his people afterwards, and that to y^e iuſt terror of the reſt, it was accoūted no better then plaine cruelty. Theſe exāples therfore conſidered, if a noble & valiant Captaine, hauing cōmiſſiō vnderunder his Prince, to gouerne & to defend a cōtry, ſee y^e ſame enuaded by malicious forrein enimies, guided & aſſiſted therin by treacherous, & traiterous hōe borne wretches, & the Lord hauing deliuered thē vp into his hand, had he not need to take heede y^e for lack of ſoūd iudgement, he ſhew not fooliſh pity vponupon ſuch, vppon whom iuſtice only indeed, is to be done? Who therefore can but commend this honorable Lord, both for his iudgmēt, iuſtice, & mercy for his dealing as he did in this very caſe, with thē in the fort in Ireland? eſpecially ſeing (as I hauehave learned both of himſelfe, & by y^e report of others y^t were there with him) neither any maner of promiſe that euer they could get of him, nor their own deſert, could any way put thē in any hope p. 51of any better thē they found. And beſides, ſeeing it is moſt certaine, that he neither had then, any ſhipping to ſend them away withall, nor might leaue thē there behinde him to ſhift for themſelus, nor yet lead them away with him captiue, without apparant ſhew, not only of further danger to the whole country, but alſo of ineuitable perill to his own company, being thē ſo few, and ſo weakned with long being abroad, & being alſo ſo meanly victuailed as they were, only for them ſelues: & y^t which is moſt of al, hauing to paſſe home ſo many 100. miles as they had, and moſt therof, moſt dāgerouſly through the cuntries of their friends, and their own enemies, how could he in any wiſedome or pollicy (vnles men would hauehave had him cōtrary to al nature & iudgment, for ſhewing fooliſh pity vpō ſuch vnworthy wretches, cruelly & childiſhly hauehave bazarded both all the cuntry, and his own company alſo, to a further perill then they as yet had been in) doe any otherwiſe then he did? And the Lord be praiſed for it, though he were in that cuntrey but a ſhort time, by experience we hauehave found, the Lorde ſo bleſſed his iudgement, both in his doing iuſtice vponupon them that deſerued no other, & in ſhewing mercy towards thē, to whom it was to be ſhewed indeed, that euer ſince we hauehave had greater quiet and peace there, then was of long time there before, or otherwiſe was likely …e ſhould there hauehave had yet.

The third leſſon, that wee hauehave in the places before quoted, touching iuſtice and mercy, to learne p. 50duplicate page p. 51duplicate page p. 52Michah hath taught vsus, who though he require, that we ſhould doe iuſtly, and lowe mercy, yet he requires for al that, that they y^t hauehave both theſe, ſhould humble themſelues, to walke before God. For though our cō ſciences witnes with vsus, euen before God, that vnfeinedly we hauehave ſtudied & had a care to walke before men and him, ſo in iuſtice and mercy, with iudgmēt, that we may as worthily be called righteous, & mercifull men, as any that here, Iſaiah ſpeaketh of; yet we muſt learne of the ſame Prophet, not in a counterfet humility, but becauſe indeede, it is ſo, and we thinke ſo, in ſimplicity to ſay & confeſſe: y^t when our righteiouſnes is compared with that it ſhould be, that al our righteouſnes is as filthy clouts, Cap. 64. verſ. 6. that ſo ſtill with Paul, our own righteouſnes, which wee hauehave framed in the beſt māer we cā, to the law, we may indeed account of no force or valew to iuſtify vsus before god, that as he ſaith, we may be found of him, not hauing our own righteouſnes, which is of the lawe, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, euen the righteouſnes which is of GOD through faith. for though, the titles of iuſt, righteous, and perfect men, be attributed & giuen to ſundry in y^e ſcriptures, yet we are not to take & vnderſtand them, howſoeuer the papiſts & ſōe other phātaſtical heads fondly doe, as ſpoken to ſhew that they were quite without ſin, and abſolutely & fully kept the law. For what is more plaine in the ſcriptures, then that al mē be ſinners: And therfore ſaith Dauid, Pſa. 143. ve. 2. p. 53enter him into iudgement with thy ſeruant of or in thy fight, no man liuing ſhall be iuſtified: & … in an other. Pſalme, namely, 1 …0. ver. 30. … ſaith if thou, O lord, ſtreightly markeſt iniquities, who ſhal ſtand… Solomon his ſon, moſt plainly faith, there is no man that ſinneth not, 1. Kings. 8.46. & therefore pro. 20. ver. 9. Eccle. 7.22. he ſaith againe, who can ſay, I hauehave made my heart c…eane, I am void of ſin… Surely there is no mā in the earth, that doth good and ſinneth not. And the new teſtament is as flat in this point. For Rom. 3.10. we read, that there is none righteous, no not one, and Iames moſt plainly faith, that in many things we ſinne all, Cap. 3.2. and Iohn likewiſe, as plainely, writeth, ſpeaking of ſuch as himſelfe then was, If we ſay we hauehave no ſinne we deceaue our ſelues, and there is no trueth in vsus 1. Epiſt. 2. verſ. 8.

And if we doe but take a viewe of thoſe that in the ſcriptures are moſt honoured with the titles of iuſt and righteous men, wee ſhall finde the ſame ſcriptures, tell vsus of ſome ſinnes, of the verie ſame men. For who are more commended, in the olde teſtamēt, for ſuch, then Noah, Abraham; Loth, Iob, Moyſes and Aaron, Dauid, Aſa, Iehoſaphat, Ezechiah and Ioſiah? And yet read we not Gen. 9. of Noahs drunkennes? Gen. 12. & 20. of Abrahams twice cauſing Sara to diſſemble her being his wife, to the great peril of her chaſtity? and Geneſ. 19. that Loth was firſt made drunke by his daughters, & then therin p. 54that he committed in inceſt with them both? And Mo…e… and Aaron both of them, at the waters of ſtrife N…. 20. ver. 12. are told by the Lord, becauſe they beleeued him not there, to ſactify him before the people, therfore they ſhould not bring thē into the land that he promiſed thē. And as for Dauid, it is not only wel known, that he grieuouſly fell, in adultery and murder, 2. Sam. 11. & in nūbring of the people, 2. Sam. 24. but alſo euen in the adminiſtring of iuſtice, in adiudging, through his too raſh crediting the firſt and falſe information of treacherous and b…bing Sibah, to him, the landes of his innocent maiſter Mephiboſeth: and yet when he ſaw the innocency of Mephiboſeth, we read not that euer he reuerſt this his vniuſt ſentence. 2. Sam. 16. Likewiſe ſurely are their faultes euen regiſtred, of all the reſt, how much good ſoeuer otherwiſe bee reported of them. For of Aſa we read, that he was wroth with the ſeer, and put him in priſon, and moreouer that then he oppreſſed ſome of the people. 2. Cron. 16.10. And of Iehoſaphat, it appeares, that he made affinity with wicked Ahab, and ioyned with him to helpe him in battell, 2. Chron. 18. for the which vponupon his returne, he is ſharpely rebuked by Iehu the ſon of Hanani, 2. Chron. 19. verſ. 2. &c. And after the miraculous victorie that God had giuen Ezechiel againſt the army of Senacharib, it is recorded of him, that therefore, he rendred not the Lord thanks accordingly, but was lift vp in his heart, & ſo wrath p. 55came vponupon him, & vpō Iudah & Hieruſalē for the ſame: 2. Chro. 32.35. Finally touching Ioſiah, his ſtory ſheweth, that he came to his death by fighting againſt Pharao Necho King of AEgypt at Megiddo, contrarie to the perſuation (euen from the Lord, as the text ſaieth) that, that king gaue him. 2. Chron. 35.

And if any thinke that it is otherwiſe now, with them that are commended for righteous men in the newe teſtament, they are much deceaued. For though it bee ſaide of Zachary the father of Iohn Baptiſt, that he was a iuſt man before God, and that he walked in al the commandements and ordinances of the Lord, without reprofe Luk. 1. ver. 6. Yet after in the ſame Chapter verſe 20. for his not beleuing the words of the Angel, touching his wiues bearing of Iohn Baptiſt, he is ſtrooken dome, and ſo continued vntill the childe was borne. And if we go on, and conſider Peter & Paul, moſt famous amongſt the Apoſtles, though it cannot be denyes, but that they ſtudied to be righteous and very godly men, and that then they had the ſpirite of regeneration to enable them both to will well and to doe well, yet euen in reſpect of the time when they were ſuch, they are not found without fault or ſin. For Math. 26. we read how ſhamefully. for feare, Peter denied his maiſter: and that at Antioch, a good while after Chriſts aſcention, and therefore after the deſc…on of the holy ghoſt vpō him and his fellows, p. 56he behaued himſelfe ſo, that Paul therfore openly rebuked him there and charged him, that he was to be blamed, for his ſo dealing, for that by his example, he conſtrained the Gentils, to doe like the Iewes: inſomuch, that other Iewes (as Paul reporteth it) diſſembled likewiſe with him, & euen Barnabas, was brought into their diſſimulation alſo Gal. 2. ve. 1. &c. Now Paul in the 7 to the Romanes ve. 10.20. &c. moſt plainly confeſſeth, of himſelfe, whē hee had ſtriuen and laboured for the contrary to the vtmoſt be could, that he found a lawe in his members, rebelling againſt the law of his minde, which before he cald the ſin that dwelt in him, whereby it came to paſſe, that ſometimes hee did that hee would not, and was led captiue vntounto the Lawe of ſin, inſomuch that moſt lamentably he crieth out, & ſaith, O wretched man that I am, who ſhal deliuer me, from this body of ſin and death? and to the Co. ep. 2. Cap. 12. ve. 7. &c. he complaines of a pricke in his fleſh, which he cals the meſſenger of Sathan, that did buffet him, whereof he could not bee rid, though he beſought the lord thriſe that he might. Very well therefore in my opinion was it ſaid of Hierom in his epiſtle to Cteſiphon, againſt Pelagius, who vſed to obiect many of theſe examples to proue, that mē might be without ſin, becauſe many of theſe are ſaid, as you hard in the ſcriptures, to hauehave beene iuſt and righteous men: iuſti appellantur non quod omni vitio careant, ſed quod maiori parte vntutū p. 57commendentur, that is, they are called iuſt men, not that they were without all fault, but that they were commended with the greater part of vertues. Notable truely, and wel worth the reading is this epiſtle of Hieroms, both to the confutation of the old & new Pelagians, that notwithſtanding the plain euidence of al that I hauehave ſaid, wil yet hold, that mē cā in this life hauehave in themſelues a perfect and abſolute righteouſnes, for not only doth he moſt plainly therein, condemne that as an opinion that in it containes the poiſon of al heretiques, & taketh man out of man, & holdeth him that is in the body, to be out of the body; but alſo to be contrary to al experience, either paſt or to come, and directly to rob Chriſt of his ſpeciall prerogatiue, which is, to be without ſin. And moſt ſharpely and briefly hee confutes all their chiefe arguments, and leaues them neuer a ſtarting hole, and in the end concludes that, haec hominibus ſola perfectio, ſi imperfectos ſe eſſe nouerint, this is mans only perfectiō to know himſelf to be imperfect. But if it were a thing, that I might longer ſtād vponupon, it were an eaſie matter to keepe you an whole houre, with golden ſentences and argumentes, o… of this father and the reſt, moſt pregnant to this purpoſe. For I can aſſure you, neuer a one of the ancient learned fathers, but they are full and forcible againſt al Pelagians, and other heretiques whatſoeuer, to humble men alwaies in the ſight of their own w…is, and imperfection before God.

p. 58And doubtles (though they that hold the contrary, wil not ſee it) in the great wiſedome and prouidence of God, it is, that whiles we are here, we ſhoulde ſtill, doe what we canne, finde our ſelues compaſſed with infirmities, and encombred with ſin. For hereby we ſee the power and ſtrength of ſin, the better, to make vsus thankefull vntounto our God continually the more, for our ſweet ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt, that clenſeth vsus from all ſinne. Hereby, we are from daie to day, made the more weary of this world, where wee ſee this troubleſome battel with ſin wil not end, and ſo the more deſirous of an other, when we are ſure it ſhal. Hereby alſo in the mean time we hauehave occaſion, the better to ſhewe our faith, our patience and conſtant feruentneſſe, in flying to God, for helpe and ſuccour: & therby the Lord breeds in vsus, many a good vertue, as humility mercifulnes and compaſſion, towards others, & preſerues vsus from the cōtrary, foule vices, of pride, hard hartednes and contēpt of others. Paule himſelfe confeſſeth, that the pricke in his fleſh, that wee hearde him eare while complaine of, was giuen him, leſt he ſhoulde be exalted out of meaſure, through the aboundance of reuelations. 2. Cor. 12. ve. 7. Wherefore, as of the fleſh of vipers, there is made, as they ſaie, a notable counterpoyſon, ſo of the viperous remnantes and reliques of ſinne, God in his wiſedome, and by his power, makes vsus a preſeruatiue againſt moſt daungerous ſinnes. And as the ſkilfull Chirurgian, that woulde heale his patients p. 59wounde, throughly to the bottome, keepes it the longer open, ſo dealeth the Lorde with vsus, in this caſe; that wee by this meanes, ſeeing the depth and daungerouſneſſe of our wounde the longer, may ſeeke and finde, in Chriſt Ieſus, our onelyonly ſoveraigne Chirurgian and Phiſition in this caſe, a full, and perfect remedy. For it is he alone, who his owne ſelfe, bare our ſinnes in his bodie on the tree, that wee being deliuered from ſinne, ſhould liue in righteouſnes, and yet by whoſe ſtripes wee are healed 2. Pet. 2.24. And ſurely the Phariſee puft vp with a conceit of his owne righteouſneſſe, ſhall goe home, in his iudgement as he came, and the very Publican ſhal be rather iuſtified then hee, Luke. 18. verſ. 10. &c. And therefore hee calleth onelyonly for the heauy loaden and weary of that heauy loade, Mat 11.28, & offers himſelfe to thoſe that thirſt after him, Ioh. 7.37.38. For to whom ſhould the Lord hauehave an ei… but to him that is of a brokē & cōtrite ſpirit Iſaiah. 66. ver. 2. And who wil bee at this point, but he that hath learned to humble himſelfe before his God, as Michah hath taught vsus, when he hath walkt before him, in iuſtice and mercy, the beſt he can.

Thus therfore I hope ſufficiently, we hauehave heard opened, whom the Prophet here minded fo comforte wherfore theſe things thus premiſed, & vnderſtoode, I dare & do confidently aſſure my ſelf, that this noble perſon, whoſe body lieth here before vsus, anone to bee buried, was ſuch a one, both generallie and particulerly, p. 60as here the Prophet hath deſcribed: and I hope there are few or none here preſent, that knew him in deede, but as I hauehave gou on, frō point to point, in examining & explaining the Prophets deſcriptiō, hauehave thought it to fit him. Howſoeuer, for my owne part, hauing known him, theſe 14 or 15 yeares, & hauing had very neere & familiar acquaintāce with him, touching the ſtate of his ſoule and minde, I am fullie of that mind, ſimply, & without al flattery, either before God or man, that he was ſuch a one as here the Prophet ſpeaketh of. Loth I am to enter into any particularizing of that which I am able to ſay, but vppon my own knowledge, to the proofe hereof; for I hauehave neither wit nor vtterance fit and meet to expreſſe the ſame withall, howbeit ſeeing it is a thing expected, (I know) at my handes, and without ſome iuſt note of vnkindenes I cannot ſtay here, knowing what I hauehave knowne: and that to the glory of God, and good example of ſome, it may be, that that which I ſhall ſpeake may proue, though it come neuer ſo ſhorte of that which he hath deſerued: giuegive me leaue a little to apply in particular, from ſtep to ſtep the Prophetes deſcription vntounto him, Firſt therefore to begin withall, euer ſince I knew him, he hath bin one careful, aright to walke before God in righteouſnes and mercye, for any thing that euer I coulde perceiue. And therefore hauing learned, that thus to doe, he muſt hauehave his direction and light from the worde of God, conteyned in the Canonicall ſcriptuees, rightly vnderſtoode, p. 61I muſt needs proteſt, that I neuer knewe mā of his place, nor ſcarſe of any other, more carefull & diligent, to vſe al ordinary means to attaine therevnto. For euen hence it hath come, and to this end it hath bin, that along time he hath moſt diligently red the ſcriptures, attentiuely heard them red, and preached vponupon, both publikely and priuately, as oft as he could; and alſo ioyned therwith, not only the helps of ſerious meditation, conference of the learned that be met withal, and the reading of all good and learned books of controuerſies that he could come by; but alſo twiſe or thriſe a day he hath vſed along time moſt earneſt & deuout inuocation of the name of God, priuatly betwixt God & himſelfe (beſides publike praiers alſo in his houſe, twiſe a day cōtinually) for grace to vnderſtand the ſame, & to liue accordingly. Thus to read of the ſcriptures beſids other books, 8 Chapters a day was his ordinary taſke: and hence it came that he was a religious and deuout keeper of the … both, conſecrating it wholly to publicke and priuate holy exerciſes: that he wonderfully reuerenced all learned honeſt and painefull miniſters, that he could be acquainted withall: and that hee reuerenced learning and learned men, as hee did. In this time, that I hauehave known him, euen for louelove to learning, I hauehave known him, to hauehave bin at three ſolēne Actes at Oxforde, and there alwaies to hauehave bin a moſt diligent hearer of al exerciſes, frō the beginning to the ending. And by theſe meanes it pleaſed God to bleſſe p. 62him, with knowledge and vnderſtanding, that for his place (let no man be offended with my ſpeech) no … both for matters of the Church and common weale alſo, was better able and more carefull to ſpeake, in time & place then he. And as by theſe means he was enabled to make eueryevery good ſhewe of Chriſtianity; both for life and religion: ſo ſurely therein he was no man pleaſer, or time ſeruer, neither hypocrite before God, nor diſſembler with mā. For al that knew him, knew, he was no gloſer nor flatterer, nor a man that would be drawn contrary to his conſcience and Honor, to do any thing, though in the woorlde he might hauehave gained neuer ſo much thereby. Neuer knew I man more faſt and faithfull to his friend, more iuſt of his word and deede to friend and foe, and more plaine in all his dealing with one an other, without partiality thē him. And though I am perſwaded, that God had given him great iudgment, when to ſhew iuſtice and when to ſhew mercy, & I know, that he had ſuch a ſpecial care, to deal alwaies vprightly in both, that wittingly and wilfully he could not, nor woulde not offend his conſcience, in either: yet ſeeing mās weaknes and infirmity, as he did, and finding thereby, by ſearching his owne waies, what might or had any way failed in himſelfe, walking in the beſt manner he could: therby he tooke occaſion, when he had walked before God in righteouſnes and mercifulnes, and in al other his good waies, to the vtmoſt of his power, to hūble himſelfe before his God to anſwere the reſt p. 63of Iſaiahs deſcription of thoſe whom here he woulde cōfort. For ſtil I hauehave found him the nearer he grew to his end; the more watchful and careful ouer himſelfe, and ſtriuing with God by al good means to become fit for him, ſo that for theſe 3 or 4 laſt years of his life, he hath ſeemed to ſtudy and to deſire nothing more, then that God would giuegive him grace, ſo to nū ber his daies, that he might apply his heart vntounto wiſdome: which was Moyſes ſute vntounto God for himſelf and his people Pſa. 9. ve. 12. And howſoeuer he could be ſtout enough, according to his place, & but as it became him, when had to deale with men: yet when he had to deale with God, either in ſickenes or health, I neuer knew a man that in woordes and behauiour, would cary himſelfe more ſubmiſly and reuerentlie, or that gaue better teſtimony, of a broken & contrite hart before him. What thē ſhould I ſay more? Briefly this, that being the man that others know he was beſides my ſelft: her Maieſty hath loſt of him a loyall, louing, and moſt faithfull and good ſubiect, the ſtate hath loſt of him a ſtout valiaunt and renoumed Captaine, reuerented of all the enemies thereof, forreyne, or domeſtical, for feare; and of al the true friendes thereof, at home or abroade, for louelove. The Church, hath loſt of him, here an Honorable member, for his owne parte: and many therein a louing Patron his coūtry hath loſt of him an vpright Iuſtice, a good houſ-keeper, & a very father in any thing wherin he might ſtād thē, lawfully inſteed. And to cōclude, p. 64I for my own part, hauehave loſt of him the honorableſt & moſt louing and faithfull patrone, that euer poore miniſter of my condition loſt. Here yet is our comfort in all theſe loſſes, that we all hauehave thus loſt by his departure hence; that he hath himſelfe (as we ſhal heare anone) loſt nothing, but that both he hath found God, and God hath foūd him, and taken him from vsus, that were not worthie of him, to ioine him with thoſe, for whom he himſelfe had thus fitted him. For as he liued honourably and Chriſtianly, ſo hath he died. For though he were ſicke, an 18. daies, and therein had many ſharpe, long, and bitter fits, of his old diſeaſe the ſtone (as it was taken;) yet being with him from time to time, vntounto the end, as I was; I neuer hearde any word of impatiency, thereby wrong from him: but ſtill, the more ſore his fits were, and his ſicknes grew, the more earneſt and holy prayers and meditations came from him; inſomuch that he continued, praying, and calling vponupon God, to take him hence vntounto himſelfe in peace, to hauehave mercy vponupon him for his Chriſt his ſake, & to receaue his ſpirit, vntill the very laſt ghaſpe: only the mercies of God in Chriſt Ieſus promiſed, all the time of his ſicknes, as very often he proteſted, were his comfort, acknowledging ſtil, that but for them, he were a moſt miſerable wretch, & yet they being ſuch as they were, he would neuer geue ouer truſting in him, howſoeuec hee dealt with him. From the beginning of his ſicknes, it ſeemeth that he had receiued in himſelfe the ſentence of death and p. 65therefore after neuer minded wordly thing, … then needs muſt: his continuall praye… for … and children was, that the Lord would bleſſe them; then (as it ſeemed by the maner of his ſpeech) thinking▪ y^t they ſhould do wel inough, … meanly ſooner he left them. Indeed to his eldeſt ſonne, kneeling by his bed ſide, & crauing his bleſſing, (though then it was very painful for him to ſpeak) he g…e it moſt Chriſtianly thus, ſaying, my ſonne heare; heare & feare the Lorde feruing him in holines and righteouſnes al the daies of thy life, and ſo thou ſhalt want no maner of thing that is good: & for the reſt of his childrē he ſaid, there were bleſſinges inough in ſtore, which he prayed the Lorde to beſtow vponupon them. And to others weep…ng about him, I remember well he ſaid, with ſet countenaunce, and ſtated voice, (and I hope I ſhal I neuer forget it) weepe not for me, but weepe for your owne ſins. And thus neuer ſatiſfying himſelfe, with humbling of himſelfe before God on the one ſide, in the ſight of his owne vnworthines, and yet ſhewing … y^e other alwaies that he had a chereful hope, frely & fully, to be ſaued for Ieſus Chriſtes ſake a louelove, through his worthines; whiles both they about him … the reſt of the family below togither, were in powring forth their prayers to God for him, the 14 day of the laſt month of October, being the Lords day, he ended the day of reſt, or Sabboth, in falling into ſuch a ſleepe and reſt, that now for eueryevery he ſhal keepe a perpetuall Sabb…th … …e Lorde… …nd thus (wel beloued) yee p. 66hauehave hea… both of the life, & death, of this Right Honorable Lord Grey, though nothing anſwerably to that which he deſerued, yet ſo far, and ſo much, as I truſt, I going on, now laſtly to lay before you the comfortes, that the Prophet hath here ſet downe for them, that he hath here deſcribed: of your ſelues, with out any further application of mine, you will thinke that hee had, and ſhall hauehave his part and portion therein.

Wherfore herein to bee as briefe as I can: as I hauehave ſaid, either they are ſuch as either may comfort ſuch dying; or ſuch, as they onelyonly taſt of and enioy when they be dead. And two comfortes here I obſerue ſtill to be giuen them, of each kinde. The firſt of the former ſort, is taken from the end that God hath in taking ſuch away, for their good; and is thus much in effect. Though the wicked ones in the woorlde liue in neuer ſuch iollity and ſecuritie, in all ſinne and impiety, triumphing and hartening themſelues the more in their courſe, becauſe ſuch is the ſtate of thoſe that walke before God in righteouſneſſe and mercifulneſſe here ſometimes, that they, through the vnkindeneſſe of the woorlde, can neither enioy any ſound peace in minde, nor reſt in their beds, liuing in it: nor yet ſo dye in the end, but that either they are put to ſome violent death by their enemies and perſecutors, or dye of ſome ſuch ſharpe and paineful ſickeneſſe, that the wicked thinke they hauehave cauſe to iudge them, as a ſorce that God loueth not, p. 67and therefore that are periſhed: yet indeede for all this, the Lorde loued them aliue, and of that louelove of his, hath taken them away by death before the euill daie come, which he hath prepared for the deſtruction of the wicked and impenitent. Let the words and circumſtances of my text be wel ſcanned, and it wil euidently thereby appeare, that it was the Prophets meaning to miniſter & giuegive this comfort. For though both immediatly before my text & after, & by the word periſheth, he plainly ſhews, that wh…n the righteous are pickt out from amōgſt the wicked they conceiue no better of it, & in that there is no reſt or peace promiſed the godly herein, but after they be taken hence; it be more thē inſinuated that both their liues & deathes are often in this world ful of tribulation: yet that they ſhoulde not be diſcouraged, either with that they feele themſelues; or with the doings & ſayings of the other, the Prophet aſſureth the righteous & merciful mā that walketh before god, that he is taken hēce of louelove, to exempt him frō euil. And therefore if he can take it to bee an argument of louelove in a huſbandman, or ſhepheard, foreſeeing a ſtorme & tempeſt before, to gather into his barne his harueſt, or vntounto ſome ſhelter his flocke of ſheepe, then hee hath cauſe ſo to thinke, of the Lordes calling and fetching him home, before the euell daie come. With this God comforted Abraham Geneſ. 15. verſ. 13. &c. For there, firſt hauing tolde him, that his ſeede ſhould ſerue, and be ill entreated in a ſtrang land p. 68400 yeares; after to comfort him he tells him, that yet he ſhould goe vntounto his fathers in peace: and ſo he did, as we read, Gen. 25.8. But Ioſiah, that liued not long before this euell ſpoken of here bego…ne to breake in vppon the kingdome of Iudah, is a moſt not able example heereof. For by Huldah the Prophetiſſe he beeing firſt giuen certainly to vnderſtand, that it ſhould ſhortly be: yet from her, this word withall was ſent him to his comfort, that hee firſt ſhould be gathered vntounto his fathers, and put into his graue in peace: and that ſo his eyes, ſhould not ſee, the euill that God would bring vponupon that place and people, 2. Chro. 34. Wherein doubtleſſe, they could not but take comfort, and be the willinger to die, when where, & howſoeuer the Lord appointed. For who would not be glad to flee out of ā old houſe before it fall about his eares? Who would not take comfort vponupon the ſea, ſeing a great ſtorme comming, to get into ſome ſafe hauē firſt? Who being in a iourney, and knowing the way to be laid for paſſengers, to ſpoile and to deſtroy them, would not bee glad to take vppe his Inne before?

And yet this is not ſo to be takē, as though it were here either ſaid, or ment, that alwaies God taketh away, al ſuch as he deſcribes, before the comming of ſuch an euell as here he ſpeakes of. For Ieremie himſelfe, who doubtles was ſuch a one, lyued to ſee this euell come vponupon them, to the full: as it is euident, Ier. 39. which was ſuch a griefe vntounto him, that therupon p. 69he wrote his booke of Lamentations. And it is the common opiniō, that Iohn that beloued Apoſtle of our Sauiour liued to ſee the final and laſt deſtruction of Hieruſalem and the temple, and the vtter ſubuerſion of that kingdom of the Iews by the Romās. OnelyOnly therfore thus are we to take it, that when in ſuch had times as this was that Iſaiah ſpeaketh of, it pleaſeth the Lord, thought thorough many tribulacions, liuing, and in the end alſo by great pa…ying, to take many ſuch a way, that then, howſoeuer the wicked conſter this, that moſt certainly it is …, of the Lord, of ſinguler and ſpecial fauor toward… …, and namely to take them away from euel to come.

This therfore ſerueth, not only, mightely… … the wicked and vngodly from all ca…ulting… … thus dealing with his, and to teach them, th… notwithſtanding, to refor…e their iudgementes, of the liues and deaths of ſuch as I hauehave ſufficiently ſhewed before in handling the Prophets complaineth but alſo it ſerueth as forciblye, to comforte and chea…e the Godly in the middeſt of all their tribulations living, and paynes and tormentes dying. For hereby, they may perceiue, though their peace and reſt …e reſerued, vntill they be taken hence by …: yet both before, and in their very death the Lorde ha… a ſpeciall fauour and louelove to …. Wherefore, let ſuch take al the …, that they are enforced to ſuffer lying as dying … of … … cifull p. 70father, for their good; as meanes to conforme them to their heade CHRIST IESUS heere, that heereafter elſe where, they may bee made conformable vntounto him: and therefore euen ſo manie argumentes, of a better life reſerued for them in an other woorlde. For howſoeuer they cannot chuſe but for the preſent, to fleſhe and bloode bee grieuous; yet certainelye, as the Lorde vſes them to his, they are his very good meanes, to to mortifie his children to this woorlde; that they way be the readier and willinger to departe hence, when be cals for them: and in his bande, they are but as his fire, and furnare to make his, pure gold; and as his fanne to make them cleane corne for his own vſe, and as his mill to grinde them, and ouen to bake them, to bee pure mainchet to ſerue his owne table. And in the very ſight of the woorlde, to the glorie of God, and the good example of others, they prooue but the ordinarie meanes to cauſe their faith, patience and conſtancie in cleauing faſt to God, notwithſtanding, and in calling the more earneſtly vponupon him, to appeare. Let not any man therfore, be diſmaide, or diſcomforted, at tribulatiōs incident to the godly liuing, or at the painfulnes, or manner of their death ſo they die cōſtant in faith in the Lord. Indeed, Ioh…s friends looking vponupon the tribulations that hee had to … …ooke occaſion thereby, to iudge him to hauehave bin before but an hyprocrite, but they were not onelyonly rightly withſtoode by Iob …, but p. 71in the ende God himſelfe, as it appeareth in the concluſion of that ſtory, tooke Iobes part againſt them. And Luk. 13. ver. the firſt, we read, that ſome told Chriſt, how Pilate had mingled the blood of certain Galileans, with the blood of their ſacrifices: but Chriſt perceiuing that in ſo doing they thought, th… therfore they might iudge thoſe Galileans, to the worſe then of any of the reſt, he tels them in ſo thinking they were deceiued: & ſo likewiſe, if they ſhould think that thoſe 18, vponupon whō the towre of Siloah fel, were greater ſinners thē any that dwelt in Hieruſalem, he ſhews them, they were in an error; thereby teaching vsus that we may not by theſe outward accidents & occurrentes iudge. But notable to this our purpoſe is it, to conſiders, that though, as we hauehave heard 2. Chr. 34. the Lord promiſed to take Ioſiah hence in his fauour (and therefore we may be ſure he did ſo) y^t yet he came to his death be a wound taken at Megiddo, in a battle againſt, the Lordes liking taken in hande, againſt Pharao Necho king of Aegypt, as it is ſhewed in the next Chapter. For heereby any man may ſee, that one, as deerely beloued of God, as Ioſiah was, yet notwithſtanding, ſometimes may hauehave ſuch a death: and that therefore men are not to iudge them, not loued or regarded of God ſtreight, that hauehave painful & ſomwhat extraordinary meanes to bring them to their deaths. Hereunto alſo, wel ſerueth y^t, which wee read He. 11. ve. 35. &c. For though it be euidēt, that there p. 72the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of ſuch, as both liued and died out of all queſtion the deare children of God, and ſo were taken hence in his fauour, yet he ſaith, ſome of them were rackt, ſome tried by mockings & ſcourgings, ſome by bonds and impriſonment, ſome were ſtoned, ſome hewn a ſunder, and ſome were ſlain with the ſword &c. and yet he ſaith, the world was not worthy of them. For the ſimpleſt man that is, hereby may ſee, that men may be the deare children of God, and be alſo moſt dearely beloued of him, and yet hauehave many tribulations in this life, & in the end alſo be taken away by ſome tormenting death. If it were not thus, we ſhould condemn al the Martyrs which are inumerable, that for the Lordes cauſe, hauehave endured both liuing, and dying, wōderful trouble and torment. Wherefore ſeeing we are compaſſed, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh Heb. 12.1. &c. with ſo great a cloude of witneſſes, in this caſe, let vsus run with patience the race that is ſet before vsus, looking vntounto Ieſus the authour & finiſher of our faith, who as he there ſheweth, hath run this race before vsus. For ſeeing in him our head, we ſee that found true which we reade Act. 14.12. that by many tribulations we muſt enter into the kingdome of heauen, let not vsus, that as members hauehave communion and vnion, w^t him, thinke to get thither any other way. And yet let vsus hold it, for all this, a moſt ſound principle, that is ſet downe Pſal. 116. verſ. 15. that is, that precious in the ſight of the Lord, is the death (alwaies) of his p. 73ſaints, let that therefore be effectually prouided for, that we liue and die the Lords, in being ſuch, both liuing and dying as here Iſaiah ſpeaketh of, and then let vsus be aſſured, whatſoeuer the vngodly thinke of vsus either for our tribulations liuing, or for our paines in dying, that the Lord alwaies hath a louelove and fauor to vsus, firſt in making vsus ready therby to go hence, and then in taking vsus therby away from the euil to come.

The other comfort, giuen here by the Prophet, that we may caſt of, and ſtrengthen our ſelues withall dying, yet before we die, lies in the two Hebrewe words, that are here tranſlated periſheth and taken away. For howſoeuer, the wicked, vſing the former of theſe of the deathes of the righteous, thereby mean…, that they, when they are once dead, are ſo loſt and gone, that they ſhall neuer be found againe. Yet the vſe of the word in the Hebrewe tongue, As not alwaies to importe ſo much: For it is … …1. Sam. 9. verſ. 3. touching Sauls fathers a…e…, which are ſaid were loſt; and yet in that Chapter, it appeares they were not ſo loſt but they were found, ſale and ſound againe, verſ. 20. and the thing loſt by one, and found by …n other Leuit. o… verſ. 3. is expreſſed by a de…atiue thereof. And the other worde, vſed here by the Prophet in his owne tongue, is ſo rich in ſignification, as it is noted … the learned in that tongue, and as they make it euident by the vſe of it in other places of the ſcripture, that is ſignifieth … take vp to … away, p. 74but alſo to drawe backe againe, to receiue backe againe to one, to gather vp, or together, and to cure and heale: they being therefore here vſed by the holy ghoſt, to expreſſe the death of the righteous by, becauſe we are therefore ſure they are fit for the purpoſe, in my opinion touching the death of ſuch, thereby wee may well learne, thus much; to the great comfort of all ſuch, both liuing, and dying, that howſoeuer the prophane Atheiſte and Epicure, count death, to be, vltima linea rerum, the vtmoſt bound of all thinges, and therefore cry one to another, Ede, bibe, poſt mortem nulla voluptas, eate and drinke, for after death there is no pleaſure and therefore are likely enough to account ſuch men deade, ſo to be quite periſhed, that they ſhal neuer be againe; yet in deede and trueth it is nothing ſo. But ſuch, though by death, the worlde and men liuing, hauehave loſt them; yet another, hath found them, that is, the Lord himſelfe; and therefore though by their death, hee hath quite taken them from vsus, and conueied them cleane out of the cōpany of the liuing here: yet he hath thereby, but gathered them vp and together, from amongſt the wicked, with whom they were mingled, & amongſt whom, to their griefe, they were as ſcattred, whiles they were here; that ſo, whō he ſent into the world, to doe him ſeruice for a time, and as it were to play a part on a ſcaffold that he had appointed them, he might draw backe againe, and take home againe to himſelfe that there he may perfectly p. 75both cure their ſoules of all ſinne and infirmities, and thorowly heale their bodies, of al ſickneſſes and diſeaſes, whereof, neither, could be free or cleare, as long as they were here. And, that death to the righteous is no other thing, but thus, the ſcriptures doe plainely and plentifully teach vsus: for Eccle. 12. verſ. 7. when it comes, we are taught, that the body (which he there cals duſt,) returnes to the earth from whence it came, and the ſpirite to God that gaue it. And therfore Chriſt Luk. 23. v. 46. and Stephen, according to his example, dying, Act. 7. ver. 59. commend their ſpirits to God: and Paul counts death 2. Cor. 5. ver. 1. &c. to the godly, but a flitting out of his earthy tabernacle, to a better in heauen prepared for is; and therefore ſaith, that he deſired to be looſed, and to be with Chriſt Philip. 1.23. And therefore theſe thinges, thus being, hereby a moſt notable comfort to remooue the terriblenes of death, is giuen vntounto ſuch, as liue and die the Lordes: ſo, that theſe thinges remembred, we may well ſay with Cyprian de mortalitate, of ſuch; non amittuntur ſed praemittuntur… they are not loſt, but ſent before: and againe, we may well ſaid with him, theſe thinges being thus, as moſt ſurely they are; that eius eſt mortem timere qui ad Chriſtum non vult ire, quod enim mo…e, ad …ortalitatem, morte tranſgred…nur, non eſt …itur, ſed, tranſitur, & quis non ad meliora feſt… that is, he only, hath cauſe to feare … p. 76not go to Chriſt, for in that we die, by death we paſſe to immortality, it is therfore no diſpatch or ful end, but a paſſage; and who would not make haſt to better? And ſurely, the good remembrance of theſe two comforts, I am fully perſwaded, did ſo mightily prevaile with this noble perſon, that they ſwallowed vp, and made him ſo Chriſtianly and comfortably to beare, what paines ſoeuer he felt that led him thereunto, as I hauehave ſhewed before. For from what fountaine elſe, could his ſaying, weepe not for me, weepe not for me, come, but frō hence: that he was fully perſwaded, that death ſhould be an aduantage vntounto him whatſoeuer ſhould follow therupō to vsus. And his oft & earneſt praying to God, to take him hence in peace, and requeſting others, as namely my ſelfe, that I would pray vntounto him, that he would: for he was moſt willing to come vntounto him, and therefore would not once ſtr…e with him to the contrary: whence came it but from a certaine perſwaſion, that death ſhould bee no more vntounto him, but as I hauehave ſhewed? and ſo a meanes to bring him, paſt all danger either of ſin or …eknes, to the city of the liuing God, the celeſtiall Hieruſalem, and to the company of innumerable angels, and to the congregation of the firſt borne, which are written in heauen, & to God the iudge of all, and to the ſpirites of iuſt and perfect men, & to Ieſus the mediatour of the new Teſtament, as Paul ſpeaketh of that company, that hee is gone vntounto, Heb. 12.22. &c.

p. 77Wherfore, to our further cōfort concerning him, our ſelues, and all others, that ſhall liue and die ſuch as here the Prophet ſpeaks of, let vsus now go on, and view the comforts that he giues and ſets down, to appertaine to ſuch, being once taken hēce by death. His words are touching ſuch, as our interpreter hath rendred them, peace ſhall come, they ſhall reſt in their beds, but in my opinion, better according to the originall, others tranſlate, he ſhall (meaning the righteous) enter into peace, vppon peace, or in peace, for ſuch variety there is, and they (meaning ſuch) ſhall reſt in their beddes. The knitting of which words immediately with the former, touching their taking hence, ought to teach vsus, that the comforts hereby deliuered, are ſuch; as that immediately vponupon death, ſuch as the Prophet ſpeaketh of, enter into poſſeſſion and fruition of. And that the comfortes prepared for ſuch, come immediately and preſentlie vponupon their death, the word foreign vſed by the Angell ſheweth Apoc. 14. v. 13. ſaying bleſſed are the dead, euen from the verie inſtant of their death, alwaies after (as that worde ſignifieth) that die in the Lorde, for they reſt from their labours, and their workes (hee ſaieth not any bodies elſe) followe them. Which we ſee confirmed to be ſo, by that which we reade Luk. 16.22. of Lazarus his being caried, immediately vppon his death into Abrahams boſome.

And in that theſe two thinges are promiſed them, p. 78vppon their gathering hence by death and not before; and that as it is euident, to giuegive them therein better comfort to enioy theſe; peace, and reſt, immediately vponupon their death, and diſſolution of body and ſoule, then euer they did before: vnles we might thinke that the ſpirite of GOD, that directed the Prophet to comfort ſuch, could not tell howe to comfort them effectually and to the purpoſe; wee muſt needes thinke, that by peace and reſt, are meant, farre more excellent peace and reſt, then ſuch euer enioyed here. Yea they muſt needes importe, that before death come, they neuer had either peace or ioye, in compariſon. And yet it is well known, both by ſcripture and comfortable experience, that GOD giues ſuch both peace and reſt, in ſome good ſort and meaſure, whiles they are here. For it is written Romains 5. verſ. 1. that the iuſtified by faith hauehave peace with God, though not ſuch as the world giueth, yet ſuch as that their heartes neede not bee troubled, or feare, Iohn. 14.27. as Chriſt there hath promiſed. And this peace, I tell you Paul ſaieth, paſſeth all vnderſtanding, and preſerues the heart and minde in Chriſt Ieſus. Philip. 4. verſ. 7. And who knowes not, that it is written, that God giueth his beloued ſleepe or reſt, Pſalm. 127. verſ. 2. And who of Gods children, the better to enable them, to ſerue the Lorde comfortably in their callinges, hauehave not founde theſe ſcriptures verified vppon them. Otherwiſe p. 79ſurely, they could neuer be able, to beare the heate of the day, and labour in the Lordes vineyarde as they doe. And thus much in my minde, will the verie Hebrewe words, that are tranſlated peace, and to reſt, beare: for it is well known, of eueryevery ſimple man in that tongue, that the firſt of them, is vſed of the Hebrewes not onelyonly to ſignifie peace, but all proſperity, and that the Roote that it comes of, doth not onelyonly ſignifie to be at peace and to pacify, but to be perfected and conſ…mated. And as for the other word likewiſe, it doeth not onelyonly ſignify to reſt, but ſoundly to reſt.

Wherefore, whatſoeuer others hauehave thought. I am reſolute, that by the former, the Prophet ſettes downe the comforte that concernes the ſouls of the righteous immediately vponupon their death, and by the other, that, which reſpects their bodies, vntill the generall reſurrection. By this then we may perceiue that the ſoules of ſuch ſtreight enter poſſeſſion of … far greater peace and ioy, then euer they had here; for elſe we muſt needes thinke, that the Prophet could not tell, how to comfort ſuch (which he being herein by the ſpirit of God directed to one, as doubtles he was) but once to thinke were blaſphemy. I ſay of purpoſe of far greater peace & ioy, then euer they had here: for though I know, that this imports that their peace, is ſuch, as that the angell from heauen might iuſtly in reſpect thereof, thenceforth immediately for euer pronounce the bleſſed, as we hauehave heard, p. 80Reuelations. 14. ver. 13. yea that it is ſuch as is … terable & vnconceiueable of mortal man; yet I know there is a conſummation behind, to be accompliſhed at the laſt day in the generall reſurrection, and that the very Saints in heauen wiſh & exſpect that as we may learne Revelation. 6. verſ. 10. for to teach vsus ſo much, they that are there moſt ſafe vnderunder the ſhadow of their altar Chriſt, vponupon whom whiles they liued, they offered all their ſpiritual ſacrifices: are brought in crying, how long Lord, holy & true, doſt not thou auenge our bloode, on them that dwell on the earth? For how can it be otherwiſe, but, that that ſoule, that here hath faithfully ſerued the Lord in the body, muſt hauehave a deſire there, once in Gods good time, to hauehave this body ioyned with it in the reward aſwel as it was before, in taking the right courſe vntounto it. And when this cometh to paſſe, which muſt one day (becauſe the truth of Gods promiſes in his ſonne muſt be fulfilled, and otherwiſe he cannot ſhew himſelfe to be a perfect Sauiour both of the bodies and ſoules of his, and to hauehave had iuſt cauſe to take vntounto him both the body & ſoule of man, & to ſuffer in both as he did:) then doubties there cannot bee but ſinne acceſſe of ioye and peace to the ſoules of the righteous, in the meane time departed. And yet therewhilſt, heereby wee are aſſured it is ſuch as I hauehave ſaide,

Now touching the other comfort, which reſpects their bodies, it is ſaid here, they ſhall reſt in their beds. By their beds, the Prophet vnderſtands, the places where the Lord in his prouidence beſtowes their bodies, whatſoeuer thoſe places be, immediately vponupon death, vntill the generall reſurrection. For we may not be ſo ſuperſtitious, though it bee meete that conuenient and decent order bee taken & kept for the buriall of the bodies of the dead (the better to nouriſh the hope of the reſurrection) in ſome fitte place, as to thinke that none is in poſſeſſion and fruition of this reſt, before their bodies be buried in Churchyarde or Church. For we finde it an vſuall thing in the Scriptures, immediately when men die, to ſay they fell a ſleepe, though yet they be not buried, and ſo, as ſoone as GOD hath taken the ſoule out of the bodie; ſo ſoone, whereſoeuer that be, and whatſoeuer afterwardes becomes of it, or bee done with it, be it throwen into the ſea, deuoured of wilde beaſtes, burnt to aſhes, buried or not buried; it is ſo couched in the bed that God hath made for it, that there it is fallen into ſuch a ſounde ſleepe and reſt, that vnles God meane extraordinarily to ſhewe his power, as he did when Moyſes and Elias appeared with Chriſt in the mount, when he was transfigured Mat. 17. or as when that was, that Matthewe writes of Chap. 27. that graues opened, and many of the bodies of the Saintes aroſe that ſlept, and went into the holie Citie and appeared vntounto many, (which if hee pleaſe to doe to his they ſhall be ſure to finde no diſturbance p. 82therby) it ſhall more quietly then euer it did here, vpō any feather bed, for neuer ſo ſhort a time take reſt, vntill the laſt day, when the generall reſurrection ſhall be 1. Theſſ. 4.15.16. For here, doe what we can, to make our beds ſoft, and to get reſt; yet our ſleepes are ſubiect to many interruptions, & troubleſome phanſies and dreames: but in theſe beds, we ſhall be troubled with none of theſe. This the ancient Grecians had an eie vntounto, in calling the ordinary places for the buriall of the dead foreign, that is, ſleeping and reſting places. This ſpeach therefore of the Prophet thus vnderſtoode, is full of comfort and conſolation. For it ſtrengtheneth and nouriſheth our hope of the reſurrection. For we all know, that is the end of taking vsus to our bed chambers and beds, that there, afafter we hauehave ſlept, we may riſe againe: and we ſee by experience, that though we lie down wearied and tired, yet after conuenient ſleepe, though it bee but for a night we commonly riſe, mightily refreſhed, as full of interruptions and troubleſome dreames, as our ſleepes are, vſually. How much more then, after this long, ſound, and quiet ſleepe, ſhould we hope, and bee perſwaded, that our bodies ſhall not onelyonly riſe againe, but alſo be woonderfullie altered. This the Apoſtle Paul 1. Cor. 15. moſt notably teacheth vsus wher he telleth vsus, that at the laſt day, the trumpe ſhould blowe, & our bodies, ſhall riſe (the which whē they were laid down, were corruptible; mortall and inglorious) immortall incorruptible p. 83& glorious; yea & which is more, that then our bodies, that ſlept in him, ſhal be made like vntounto the glorious body of our Lord and Sauiour by his mighty power, whereby he is able to ſubdue al things vntounto himſelfe. Phil. 3.2. And therefore when we fal a ſleepe in theſe beds, we may cōfidētly falling a ſleepe, yet ſay with Iob. cap. 19. v. 25. I am ſure that my redeemer liueth, and though after this skin, wormes deſtroy this body, yet ſhall I ſee God in my fleſh, euen with theſe ſame eies and no other.

To grow therefore towardes a concluſion, this being the meaning of the Prophet (as I hauehave plainly ſhewed it was) by theſe his comfortes to teach vsus thus much, concerning the deaths of the righteous, thereupon, all theſe thinges neceſſarily followe: that, man conſiſteth of a body and a ſoule; that the body is mortall, and yet ſhall riſe againe; that the ſoule is immortall; that there is no ſuch Purgatorie for the ſoules of anie of the righteous that are taken hence walking before GOD, as the Romaniſtes talke of: for that they immediately enter vppon, or into a moſt ioyfull peace; that therefore they all goe ſtreight to heauen, and that they paſſe not their time betwixt this and the iudgement in a ſenſeles ſleepe, or not feeling of anie woe, (as ſome hauehave phanſied) but in a preſent and continuall fruition of exceeding ioy and peace: and laſtly that neither the bodies and ſoules of ſuch, walke and wander vppe and downe here in this worlde, nor are ſubiect to the p. 84malice of Sathan or witches to be fetcht againe, to preſent themſelues to be conſulted withall by the living, as fondly ſome ſuperſtitious people hauehave imagined; for neither of theſe can ſtand either with the peace, that the ſoule enters into, as the Prophet hath taught, immediately after death, or with the reſt that he ſaith, their bodies enioy in their beds. And therefore with the beſt learned both ancient and of late time, we are to be reſolued, that all apparitions and viſions to the contrary, except ſuch as before I excepted, are either very illuſions of Sathan himſelfe, ſo offring himſelfe to be ſeene, to breed erromous opiniōs touching y^e dead; or elſe that they are but imagined onelyonly, as we doe many thinges in our dreames, which yet then, are nothing ſo as we phantaſied. All which points, but that I hauehave wearied you already, were worth the further ſtanding vponupon, and I would indeed, but that I feare I hauehave beene too tedious already, open and confirme them further, to the full confutation both of all Atheiſts and Papiſts. But ſeeing they are ſuch, as I hope you are already rightly perſwaded of; and I hauehave my ſelfe already in a ſermon which I hauehave preached at the funerall of the late Right Honorable Lord of Bedford, which is in Print, ſufficiently further vrged them, let it ſuffice nowe, thus onelyonly to hauehave ſhewed you howe this text confirmeth the ſame, thus briefely as I hauehave.

And to make an end, in full hope that this honorable p. 85man, whome honorably to bury wee are here at this time, both liuing, dying, and dead; hath had, hath, and euer ſhall hauehave, to his euerlaſting comfort, his part and portion, in all theſe comfortes; therewith (becauſe I ſee you much diſcomforted, and many preſent I perceiue are full of ſorrowe, for the loſſe of ſo woorthy a man, as I hauehave ſhewed you there is iuſt cauſe) I beſeech you cōfort your ſelues, and comfort one an other. And to ad one other comfort vntounto theſe, to comfort vsus all withall; the Lords name be bleſſed for it, he hath left here behinde him, as you ſee, an honorable ſonne and heire, of whome we all hauehave iuſt cauſe to conceaue very good & great hope, that er long, the very liuely image of his father in him, to the comfort of all his fathers friends, will be reviued: which the Lorde grant euen for Ieſus Chriſtes ſake.

Thus you hauehave heard (right honorable and welbeloued) both the Prophets complaint and comfort, and by the former we hauehave beene taught, that when in bad and vngodly times, moſt worthy men drop away apace, that it is a thing to be greeued at & complained of, if men yet continue and go on in ſecurity in ſin and impiety: For it is a iudgement of God, of it ſelfe to be taken to heart, of all ſortes of men, that they leaue behinde them; and it threattens a further euil to come vponupon them, and therfore neither to take it to heart, nor to vnderſtande ſuch a further iudgement to be threatned thereby; are certaine tokens of p. 86groſſe and intolerable ſecurity, and a fearefull prognoſtication, that ſome heauie iudgement haſtens on a pace: the conſideration whereof, I hope, euen by the multitude of heauy countenāces, that I now behold, hath and will hauehave his due effect in many of vsus to our good awakening and reformation, in this reſpect. And by the Prophets conſolation, we hauehave learned, that his cōforts only appertaine to ſuch, as ſo walke before God, in righteouſnes and mercy, as we hauehave heard; and that to all ſuch they doe: and therefore to this honorable perſō: and laſtly, that ſuch dying, may comfort themſelues, that God alwaies taketh them away to a good end in his fauour, and namely in ſuch times as the Prophet ſpake of, frō the euill to come vponupon others: and that death it ſelfe is no ſuch looſing of them, but that God ſtreight findes them, and takes them hence backe againe to himſelfe, gathering thē vp and together from amongſt the vngodly, which were not worthie of them, to ioyne them to the bleſſed company of the reſt of his Saintes in heauen; ſo curing and healing them of all diſeaſes both of bodie and ſoule. And thus they once gone hence, preſentlie and immediately, both in body and ſoule, they enter into better eſtate then euer they were in here; the ſoule into better peace and ioie; and the body, ſoundly to reſt, whereſoeuer it be beſtowed, vntill the generall reſurrection, in better maner then euer it did aliue. Which day when it comes, which we cānot tel how ſhortly it will be, both body and ſoule ſhall bee p. 87ioyned together, and ſo appearing before. Chriſt the iudge of quicke and dead, heare the comfortable ſentence, ſet downe Mat. 25.34. for ſuch: come ye bleſſed of my father, receaue the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the worlde were laide: Whereunto the Lorde happely bring vsus all, euen for ſweete Ieſus ſake, to whom with the father and the Holy Ghoſt, three perſons and one euerlaſting God, be al honour, praiſe, and dominion now and for euer. Amen.

FINIS.

Faultes eſcaped.

Pag. 8. l. 18. for two read too. 14. 27. for tyles read tytles. 52. 2. for low. r. louelove. 54. 1. put out in. 58. 12. for when, r. where. 63. 10. for 9. r. 90. 77. 20. next vntounto angell put in ſheweth. 71. 8. put out of.

End of the text · Thomas Sparke, Sermon 22 November 1593 (1593)