Sixteen Sermons Volume 2, Sermon 11
SERMON XI. The Bleſſedneſs of Good Men, after Death.
The Second Sermon on REV. XIV. 13.
And I heard a voice from heaven, ſaying unto me, Write, Bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, ſaith the Spirit, that they may reſt from their labours; and their works do follow them.
IN my Explication of theſe Words I told you, that they are in the general Senſe and Meaning of them, a ſolemn Declaration of the Bleſſed Eſtate of Good Men after this Life; but deliver'd upon a Special Occaſion, as is ſignified by that expreſſion,VOL. II. from henceforth; that is, from the time of that Viſion, in which was repreſented to St. John, the laſt and extremeſt Perſecution of the faithful Servants of Chriſt, and which ſhould precede the fatal downfal of Babylon; from that time, bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord; that is, conſidering the Extremity, and the cruel Circumſtances of this laſt and ſevereſt Perſecution, we may, from that time forward, reckon thoſe who are already dead (ſuppoſing that they died in the Lord,) to be very Happy; in that they do not live to ſee and ſuffer thoſe grievous things, which then will befall the Faithful Servants of God.
In my former Diſcourſe, I conſider'd the Words according to the general intention of them, abſtracting from the particular occaſion, upon which they were ſpoken, endeavouring to ſet forth the Happy Eſtate of Good Men after this life, from the Two Reaſons and Grounds mention'd in the Text, namely, becauſe they reſt from their labours, and becauſe their works do follow, or accompany and go along with them; which two particulars conſtitute the Happineſs of the future State.Serm. XI
That which farther remains, and to which I now proceed, is to make ſome Inferences from what I have ſaid upon this Subject. And in doing this, I ſhall have an Eye on the ſpecial occaſion of the Words, as well as on their general intention. And the Inferences ſhall be theſe following:
Firſt, If thoſe that die in the Lord are at reſt from their Labours and Pains; then this Text concludes directly againſt the feigned Purgatory of the Church of Rome, which ſuppoſeth a great number of thoſe that die in the Lord, and have obtain'd Eternal Redemption by him from Hell, not to paſs immediately into Happineſs; but to be detain'd in the Suburbs of Hell, in great Pain and Torment, till their Souls be Purged, and the Debt of Temporary Puniſhment, to which they are liable, be ſome way or other paid off and diſchargeed.
Secondly, Here is a mighty encouragement to Piety and Virtue, to conſider, that all the good we do in this World, will accompany us into the other.
Thirdly, It is a great encouragement to Patience under the Sufferings and Perſecutions, which attend Good Men in this World; that how heavy and grievous ſoever they are at preſent, they will end with this Life, and we ſhall then reſt from all our labours.
Fourthly, The conſideration of the extreme Sufferings of Chriſtians in the laſt Times, and which perhaps are not far from us, ſhould render us very indifferent to Life, and all the enjoyments of it, ſo as even to eſteem it a particular Grace and Favour of God, to be taken away from the Evil to come, and by Death to prevent (if he ſees it good) thoſe extremities of Sufferings, which ſeem to be haſtning upon the World.
I. If thoſe that die in the Lord are at reſt from all their labours and pains; then this Text concludes directly againſt the feigned Purgatory of the Church of Rome, which ſuppoſeth a great number, yea the far greateſt part of thoſe that die in the Lord, and have obtain'd Eternal Redemption by him from Hell, not to paſs immediately into Happineſs, but to be detain'd ſomewhere (they are not certain where, but moſt probably in the Suburbs of Hell) in great Pain and Torment, equal in degree to that of Hell, and differing only in Duration; I ſay, to be detained there, till their Souls be purged from the Defilements they have contracted in this World, and the Debt of Temporary Puniſhments, to which they are liable, be ſome way or other paid off and diſcharged.
They ſuppoſe indeed ſome very few Holy Men to be ſo Perfect at their departure out of this Life, that they do immediately, and without any ſtop, paſs into Heaven, becauſe they need no Purgation; and thoſe likewiſe who Suffer Martyrdom, becauſe they Diſcharge their Debt of Temporary Puniſhments here: But the generality of Chriſtians who die in the Lord, they ſuppoſe ſo imperfect, as to ſtand in need of being Purged by Fire, and accordingly that they are detained a longer or ſhorter time, as their Debt of Temporary Puniſhments is greater or leſs.
And indeed they have a very Conſiderable and Subſtantial Reaſon, to exempt as few as poſſibly they can from going to Purgatory; becauſe the more they put in fear of going thither, the Market of Indulgences riſeth the higher, and the Profit thence accruing to the Popes Coffers; and the more and greater Legacies will be left to the Prieſts, to hire their ſaying of Maſſes, for the delivery of Souls out of the Place of Torments: For tho' the Prayers of Friends and Relations will contribute ſomething to this; yet nothing does the Buſineſs ſo Effectually, as the Maſſes and Prayers of Prieſts to that end.
But how is it then that St. John ſays, that thoſe that die in the Lord are happy, becauſe they reſt from their labours; If ſo be, the far greateſt part of thoſe who die in the Lord, are ſo far from reſting from their labours, that they enter into far greater Pains and Torments, than ever they endured in this World? And therefore Bellarmine, that their Doctrine of Purgatory may receve no prejudice from this Text, would have from henceforth, in the Text, to be dated from the day of Judgment; when he ſuppoſeth the Pains of Purgatory will be at an end. But why, from henceforth, ſhould take date from the day of Judgment, he can give no Reaſon, but only to ſave Purgatory from being Condemned by this Text. For St. John plainly ſpeaks of the Happineſs of thoſe that ſhould die after that time, (whatever it be) which he there deſcribes; but that time cannot be the day of Judgment, becauſe none ſhall die after that time. Juſt thus Eſtius (one of their moſt Learned Commentators) deals with another Text, which by the generality of their Writers is urged as a plain proof of Purgatory; he ſhall be ſaved, yet ſo as by fire: Upon which he ſays, it is ſufficient that there is nothing in this Text againſt Purgatory. Sufficient, for what? Not to prove Purgatory, as they generally pretend from this Text; but to ſave it harmleſs from it; as if we had pretended that this Text makes againſt it.
But there are others that make againſt it with a Witneſs. Not only the perpetual Silence of Scripture about it, when there are ſo many far occaſions of ſpeaking of it; as in the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus, where the future State is ſo particularly deſcribed, and yet no mention made, nor the leaſt intimation given of this Third State: But beſides the Silence of Scripture about it, there are ſeveral Paſſages utterly inconſiſtent with it; as namely, St. Paul's Diſcourſe in the beginning of the Fifth Chapter of the Second Epiſtle to the Corinthians, where he plainly declares the Aſſurance he had, that all ſincere Chriſtians, ſo ſoon as they quit the Body, do paſs into Happineſs: For we know, (ſays he) that if our earthly houſe of this tabernacle were diſſolved; we have a building of God, a houſe not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The plain meaning of which is, that ſo ſoon as we quit the One, we ſhall paſs into the Other. And this Conſideration, he tells us, made Chriſtians weary of this World, and willing to die; Ver. 2. For in this we groan earneſtly, deſiring to be clothed upon with our houſe, which is from heaven; and Ver. 4. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened. But had Chriſtians believed, that the greateſt part of them, when they left the Body, were to go into Purgatory, to be terribly Tormented there; they would not have been in ſuch haſte to die; but would have protracted the time as long as they could, and have contentedly born the burden of this earthly Tabernacle, rather than to quit it, for a Condition a Thouſand times more intolerable. But St. Paul expreſly ſays, that Chriſtians knew the contrary, and that as ſoon as ever they went out of the Body, they ſhould be happy, and with the Lord; and that this gave them courage againſt the Fears of Death; Ver. 6. Therefore we are always confident, foreign, bono igitur animo ſumus; Therefore we are always of good courage, knowing that whilſt we are at home in the body, we are abſent from the Lord; and Ver. 8. we are of good courage I ſay, and willing rather to be abſent from the body, and preſent with the Lord. The plain Senſe of which is, that Chriſtians were willing rather to die than to live; becauſe they knew, that ſo ſoon as they left the Body and departed this Life, they ſhould be preſent with the Lord. But now if the Doctrine of Purgatory be true, this whole Reaſoning of St. Paul, proceeds upon a groſs Miſtake; and therefore I am certain it is not true: And ſo does the voice from Heaven here in the Text; Bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord, that they may reſt from their labours: For there is no Reaſon to reſtrain this general expreſſion, that die in the Lord, only to the Martyrs; for tho' they are certainly included, and prehaps Primarily intended in it; yet this Phraſe comprehends all thoſe who die in the faith of Chriſt, and is moſt frequently ſo uſed in the New Teſtament.
But let this ſuffice to have been ſpoken of this matter; eſpecially ſince Biſhop Fiſher, and ſeveral of their own Learned Writers, do ſo frankly acknowledge, that their Doctrine of Purgatory hath no ſufficient Ground in Scripture. Other Reaſons I grant they have for it, which make them very loth to quit it; it is a very Profitable Doctrine, and therefore they have taken care to have it more abundantly confirm'd, by Apparitions of Souls from the dead, than any other Doctrine whatſoever. In ſhort, how little ſoever they can ſay for it; it is in vain to go about to perſuade them to part with it. Demetrius the Silver Smith argued as well as he could for his Goddeſs Diana, from the univerſal conſent of the World in the Worſhip of her; the great Goddeſs Diana, whom all Aſia, and the World Worſhipeth. But his truſty Argument to his Workmen was, Sirs ye know that by this Craft we have our Wealth, and this our Craft is in danger to be ſet at nought.
II. Here is a mighty encouragement to Piety and Virtue, to conſider that all the good we do in this World will accompany us into the other. Bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord; for their works accompany them.
When we come to die, we can call nothing our own but the Good Works which by the Grace of God we have been enabled to do in this Life. Theſe will ſtick by us, and bear us company into the other World, when we ſhall be ſtript of all other things, and forc'd to part from them, whether we will or no. Our Riches and our Honours, our Senſual Pleaſures and Delights will, all take their leave of us, when we leave this World; nay, many times they do not accompany us ſo far as the Grave, but leave us very unkindly and unſeaſonably, when we have the greateſt need and uſe of them.
There is one way indeed, whereby we may ſecure our Riches, and make ſure Friends to our ſelves of them; by laying them out in Charity. By this means we may ſend them before us, and conſign them over to another World, to make way for our reception there. So our Lord aſſures us, Luke 12.33. that by giving Alms we provide our ſelves bags which wax not old, a treaſure in the Heavens which faileth not; and Luke 16.9. that by this way we may make to our ſelves friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs; that when we fail, they may recieve us into everlaſting habitations. The Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, What is that? It is what the Scripture elſewhere calls deceitful riches; becauſe in other ways, in which Men commonly lay them out, they turn to no certain account, but one way or other do deceive and fruſtrate our Expectation: but by diſpoſing of them in Charity, to the relief of the Poor and Perſecuted, we make ſure Friends of them, and conſign the Effects of them to our certain Benefit and Advantage in another World.
And as Charity, ſo likewiſe all other Graces and Virtues are that good part which cannot be taken away from us. All the good Actions that we do in this Life, will go with us to the Grave, and bear us company into the other World, and will ſtand by us, when we come to appear before our Judge, and through the Merits of our Bleſſed Saviour will procure for us, at the Hands of a Gracious and Merciful God, a moſt Ample and Eternal Reward.
And what an encouragement is this to Holineſs and Virtue, to conſider that it will be all our own another day, and turn to our unſpeakable advantage at our great Account! To be aſſured, that whoever ſerves God faithfully, lays up ſo much Treaſure for himſelf, which he may take along with him into the other World; and does provide for himſelf laſting Comforts and faithful Companions, which will never leave him nor forſake him; a Happineſs large as his Deſires, and Durable and Immortal as his Soul!
Let us then do all the good that poſſibly we can, whilſt we have opportunity: Let us ſerve God induſtriouſly, and with all our Might, knowing that no good Action that we do ſhall be loſt and fall to the ground, that no Grace and Virtue that we Practiſe in this Life, nor any Degree of them, ſhall loſe their Reward. If we faithfully improve the Talents, which are committed to us, to our Maſters advantage; when he comes to call us to an Account, and finds that we have done ſo, we ſhall not fail to receive both his Approbation and Reward. And what a Comfort will it be to any one of us, to hear thoſe Bleſſed words from the Mouth of our Lord; Well done thou good and faithful ſervant, thou haſt been faithful in a little, I will make thee ruler over much; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord! We ſhall not need to plead our Services to him, and put him in Mind of them: Our Judge himſelf will celebrate our good Deeds upon the Theatre of the World, and commemorate them to our advantage; and interpret every good Office we have done, to any of his Poor and Afflicted Members, as if it had been a Kindneſs immediatly done to himſelf. So our Lord repreſents the Proceedings of the great Judge and King of the World, in the great day of Recompence, Mat. 25.34. Then ſhall the King ſay unto them on his right hand, Come ye bleſſed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirſty, and ye gave me drink: I was a ſtranger, and ye took me in; naked and ye cloathed me: I was ſick, and ye viſited me: I was in priſon, and ye came unto me. Then ſhall the righteous anſwer him, ſaying, Lord, when ſaw we thee in any of theſe circumſtances; hungry, or thirſty, or a ſtranger, or naked, or ſick, or in priſon and miniſtred unto thee? And the King ſhall anſwer and ſay unto them, Verily I ſay unto you. In as much as ye have done it unto one of the leaſt of theſe my Brethren, ye have done it unto me. Who would not be ambitious and glad to ſerve ſuch a Prince, who will ſo benignly Intepret, and ſo bountifully Reward the leaſt Service we do to him!
III. The Conſideration of this ſhould likewiſe be a great Argument and Support to our Patience, under all thoſe Evils and Sufferings and Perſecutions, which many times attend Good Men in this World. They are for the preſent perhaps very heavy and grievous: But there is a time ſhortly coming, when we ſhall be at eaſe, and perfectly freed from them; when we ſhall find reſt from our labours and ſufferings; when we ſhall enter into peace, and reſt in our beds, every one walking in his uprightneſs; that is, reaping the Comfort, and enjoying the Reward of his Sincerity towards God, and conſtant Suffering for his Cauſe and Truth. And therefore it was well ſaid of a Good Man, Bleſſed be God that we are to die; becauſe to Good Men, that is a certain Remedy of all the Evils of this Life, and will unqueſtionably put an end to them. The Grave is a place of Reſt, and diſcharge from all Trouble, as Job elegantly deſcribes it, Chap. 3.17, 18, 19. There the Wicked ceaſe from troubling: there the weary be at reſt. There the priſoners reſt together, they hear not the voice of the oppreſſour. The ſmall and the great are there, and the Servant is free from his Maſter.
So ſoon as we enter into the other World, we are ſecure againſt the Purſuit and Danger of all thoſe Evils which Afflicted us in this World; and nothing will remain, but the joyful remembrance of our Sufferings, and the plentiful Reward of our Conſtancy and Patience under them. And the more our Tribulations and Perſecutions have abounded, the greater will our Comfort and Happineſs then be, which (ſaith St. Paul) is a manifeſt token, a clear demonſtration, of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye alſo ſuffer; ſeeing it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence to you who are troubled, Reſt with us, when the Lord Jeſus ſhall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels, 2 Theſſ. 1.5, 6, 7.
IV. The Conſideration of the extream Sufferings, which are to fall upon the faithful Servants of Chriſt in the laſt times, and which ſeem now to be begun in the World, ſhould make us very contented to leave this World, and glad of any fair Oportunity and Excuſe, to take our leave of it, and to be out of the reach and danger of thoſe violent and more than humane Temptations, with which our Faith and Conſtancy may be aſſailed: Nay, to eſteem it a particular Grace and Favour of God to us, to be taken away from the Evil to come, and to prevent (if God ſees it good) thoſe Extremities of Sufferings which are coming upon the World.
Theſe ſeem now to be begun in ſome part of it: They in our Neighbour Nation have a bitter Cup put into their hands; a Cup of Aſtoniſhment to all thoſe that hear of it. Whether this be that laſt and extream Perſecution ſpoken of here by St. John, I ſhall not pretend poſitively to determine. It is plainly diſtinguiſh'd in the Viſions, froth that under the firſt Beast, deſcribed Rev. 13. from Verſe the firſt, to Verſe 11. And Chap. 17. there is a deſcription of the Beast upon which the woman ſitteth, on whoſe forehead is a name written, Myſtery, Babylon the Great: And this Beast is there ſaid to have ſeven heads and ten horns, which are thus explained by St. John, Chap. 17.9, 10. And here is the Mind which hath Wiſdom; the ſeven Heads are ſeven Mountains upon which the Woman ſitteth; and there are ſeven Kings, that is, (as is generally agreed by Interpreters) a ſucceſſion of ſeven Governments: And Verſe 12, 13, 14. And the ten horns which thou ſawest are ten Kings, which have received no Kingdoms as yet; but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast. Theſe have one mind, and ſhall give their power and strength unto the Beaſt; and ſhall make war with the Lamb. And Verſe 18. And the woman which thou ſaweſt, is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth.
So that this Beast is plainly the Roman Empire; and the Woman that ſitteth upon her, is the great City ſtanding upon ſeven mountains, which reigneth over the Kings of the earth; which can be no other than Rome, as is agreed by Interpreters on all ſides. Bellarmine (l. 2. c. 2. de Rom. Pontif.) confeſſeth that St. John in the Revelations every where calleth Rome, Babylon, as Tertullian (ſaith he) hath noted, and as is plain from Chap. 17. where Babylon is ſaid to be ſeated on ſeven mountains, and to have dominion over the Kings of the earth: There being no other City than Rome, which in the time of St. John had dominion over the Kings of the earth; and that Rome was built upon ſeven hills is famous. Thus much Bellarmine acknowledged, conſtrained by the Force of Truth; and for another ſmall Reaſon; namely, becauſe St. Peter writes his firſt Epiſtle from Babylon, by which if Rome be not meant, they have no Proof from Scripture, that St. Peter was ever there.
Indeed they of the Church of Rome would have it to be only Rome Pagan. But that cannot be; becauſe this Beaſt, after his laſt head was wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed, had power given him to continue two and forty Months, or (as it is elſewhere expreſt,) 1260 days; that is, in the Prophetick Style, ſo many Years; and likewiſe becauſe it was not to begin till the Ten Kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire upon its diſſolution was divided, were ſet up; which was not till after the Weſtern Empire was Overthrown and Deſtroyed by the Goths and Vandals. And Laſtly, becauſe this is that Rome or Babylon, which ſhould finally be deſtroyed, and caſt as a Milſtone into the bottom of the Sea, never to riſe again; which is yet to come. And of this Beaſt it is ſaid, that he ſhould make War with the Saints, and overcome them, Chap. 13. Ver. 7. that is, that he ſhould raiſe a long and great Perſecution againſt them, which ſhould try their Faith and Patience; Ver. 10. Here is the Patience, and the Faith of the Saints. The Beaſt then with Ten Horns, muſt be Rome, governing the Ten Kingdoms, into which the Romam Empire was broken; and this can be nothing elſe, but Rome Papal, to which the Ten Kings are ſaid to give their Power, and to which they were in a moſt Servile manner ſubject for ſeveral Ages, as is plain from Hiſtory.
And to confirm this, it is very obſervable, that the Ancient Fathers generally agree, that that which hindered the revealing of the Wicked One, (ſpoken of by St. Paul, 2 Theſſ. 2.7, 8.) was the Roman Empire; and that being removed, the Man of Sin or Antichriſt was to ſucceed in its room. I ſhall produce a few Teſtimonies to this purpoſe, but very remarkable ones. Tertulllian expounding what St. Paul means, by him that with-holdeth or leteth, hath theſe words, Quis, niſi Romanus Status, &c? Who is that, but the Roman State, which being broken into Ten Kings, ſhall bring on Antichrist? And then the Wicked one ſhall be revealed. And in his Apology he gives this Reaſon, why the Chriſtians ſhould pray for the Roman Emperours, and the whole State of the Empire; becauſe the greateſt miſchief hanging over the World, is hinder'd by the continuance of it. St. Chryſostom ſpeaking of that which hinders the revelation of the Man of Sin; this (ſays he) can be no other, than the Roman Empire: for as long as that ſtands, he dares not ſhew himſelf; but upon the vacancy or ceaſing of that, he ſhall aſſume to himſelf both the Power of God and Man. St. Auſtin, in his Book de Civit. Dei, no Man (ſays he) doubts, but that the Succeſſour to the Roman Emperour in Rome ſhall be the Man of Sin; and we know who hath Succeeded him.
But now after this, another Beaſt is repreſented coming out of the Earth; not ſucceeding in the place of the firſt Beast, but appearing during his continuance, Ver. 12. and he hath theſe remarkable Characters, by which he may be known.
1. He is ſaid to have but two horns; by which, according to the Interpretation of the ten horns, ſignifying the ten Kingdoms, into which the Roman Empire after its diſſolution ſhould be divided, we are in all Reaſon to underſtand two of thoſe Kingdoms, of which this Beast, whoever he be, ſhall be Poſſeſt.
2. He is ſaid to be like a Lamb, but … ſpeak like a Dragon; that is, to pretend and make a ſhew of great Lenity and Mildneſs, in his Proceedings; but that really he ſhall be very cruel. It ſhall be pretended, that he does all without Violence, and without Arms; but he ſhall ſpeak as a Dragon, that is, in Truth ſhall exerciſe great Force and Cruelty; either alluding to the Cruelty of the Dragon, literally ſo called; or perhaps prophetically pointing at a particular ſort of Armed Souldiers, called by that name of Dragons, or, as we according to the French Pronunciation call them, Dragoons.
3. He ſhall ariſe during the continuance of the firſt Beaſt, and engage in his Cauſe; but the firſt Beaſt ſhall only ſtand by and look on, Ver. 12. and he exerciſeth all the Power of the firſt Beast, before him, and cauſeth the earth and them that dwell therein, to Worſhip the Beast, whoſe deadly wound was healed; plainly declaring, that this Perſecution ſhould not immediately ariſe from the firſt Beaſt, which is ſaid to come out of the Sea, which in this Prophecy denotes the State Eccleſiaſtical; but from the ſecond Beaſt, which comes out of the Earth, and denotes the Temporal Power. But yet all this ought to be acted in the ſight of the first Beaſt, and in his behalf, to compel Men to worſhip him.
4. That he ſhall be remarkable for cauſing Fire to come down from Heaven to Earth, in a wonderful manner, to the great Terrour and Amazement of Men; Ver. 13. And he doth great wonders; ſo that he maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth, in the ſight of men.
5. That he ſhould interdict all thoſe, who would not Worſhip the Beaſt, all Commerce with Humane Society, the Exerciſe of Civil Trades and Profeſſions; Ver. 17. And he cauſeth, that no man might buy or ſell, ſave he that had the mark of the Beast.
6. and Laſtly, (which ſeems to be the moſt Peculiar and Characteriſtical Note of all the reſt,) that his Number ſhould be 666, that is, (as moſt of the Ancients underſtand it,) that the Numeral Letters of a certain Word or Name, ſhould, being computed, amount to that Number. And it is expreſly ſaid to be the Number of a Man. Ver. 18. Let him that hath underſtanding count the Number of the Beast; for it is the Number of a Man. And in the Verſe before, it is ſaid to be the Number of his Name.
Now to whom all theſe Characters do agree, and eſpecially the laſt, concerning the Number of his Name, I ſhall not preſume to conjecture; much leſs poſitively to determine, whether he be now in being; becauſe it is ſaid to require a particular Wiſdom and Underſtanding to find it out. Here is Wiſdom; let him that hath Ʋnderſtanding count the number of the Beact. However the Event, when the thing is fully accompliſht, will clearly diſcover it. Thus much is certain, that this extream Perſecution, whenever it ſhall be, will forerun the Final Deſtruction of Babylon, which will not then be far off. And concerning this it is that St. John ſpeaks, Ch. 14.12. when he ſays, Here is the Patience of the Saints, here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the Faith of Jeſus. And then he immediately adds, as it is in the Text, And I heard a voice from heaven, ſaying unto me, Write, Bleſſed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, ſaith the Spirit, that they may reſt from their labours; and their works do accompany them. Thus much may ſuffice to have been ſpoken on this Text.