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, haue for [...] me, to make cheefe of [...] portion of scripture, at this time. For nat [...] stan­ding that the Lord hath now taken from vs 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 [...] [Page 2] where amongst vs, 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. Onely this with him, in this case, we haue 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 loue 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 euery 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, [Page 3] I beseech you giue 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 vs, and to comfort and strengthen vs 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 vpon 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 eue­ry 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 [Page 4] such, 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 vnto 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 vs 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, haue 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 [Page 5] for 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 vnto 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 vpon 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 vpon 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 [Page 6] and 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 haue 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 haue 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 haue 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 [Page 7] shoulde go before and guide? For if [...] darkenes, what else cā we looked for in the whole bo­dy? And if the sunne haue 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 haue 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 haue 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 [Page 8] them, nor yet thereby taking any occasion to thinke, that a further was threatned. Other argumentes he could haue 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 vs, geue ground for these two arguments to be vrged and v­sed against vs, 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 vs vppon spee­dily, euen hereby to take warning to looke better to our selues and to our waies, then hitherto wee haue done. As for the former of these argumentes, whether there haue not bin and yet are, two many such in the place of watchmen amongst vs, 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 haue e­uen nowe.

Wherefore now vnderstanding as we doe, vppon what occasion and to what ende these wordes were vttered by him, let vs according to the order and me­thode before therein obserued, go on in the further [Page 9] weighing & 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, haue 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 vnder 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 [Page 10] speaketh, not onely of such righteous and mercifull men, as in those times died ordinary deaths by sick­nesses vpon 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 vnto 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 haue 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 [Page 11] talkes 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 euery 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 vs 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 [Page 12] the 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 vs 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 haue 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 haue 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 vpon them that would not thereby be awaken. Seing therfore that euen this yeare, we cā ­not [Page 13] but 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 vs, 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 haue 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 giue vs 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 vs, 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 vs [...] 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 [Page 14] away as we haue 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, vnto thē, on whom haue ye iested, on whom haue [Page 15] you 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 vs, 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 vs. 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 vs to take to hart, the dying of the worthy men amongst vs, not in this wrong fence, but in the sence and manner that here it appeares the Prophet wish­ed: let vs 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 [Page 16] deathes 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 vpon 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 vp­on 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, [Page 17] by 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 vpon them. Howe could he therefore, but in this respect mourne, in that all this not withstanding, he could obserue none, that mourned vnder 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 vpon 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 vpon vs, 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 vpon vs. Yea the very wicked themselues (howsoe­uer in their own foolish & vaine conceits, they haue 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, haue iust cause, thereby ministred vnto 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 [Page 16] [...] [Page 17] [...] [Page 18] shall 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 vnto 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 vnto 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 vnto 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 vpon, 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, [Page 19] & their houses be peaceable & without feare and the rod of God be not vpon 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 vnto them, & cruelty couereth thē a [...] a garment, and their eies stand out for fatnes, and they haue 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 haue 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, [Page 20] that 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 vpon 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 [Page 21] can 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 & [Page 22] deathes 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 haue 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 vs, a certaine signe of the like, & therfore to threatten vs, 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 [Page 23] Hebrew 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 vpon 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 vs 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 haue one face, but faces attri­buted vnto it: to be fast comming vppon that king­dome, whome the Lorde, bereaued of so worthie men. And that none coulde or woulde conceiue thus [Page 24] much, 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 vs, or to cure vs of this fault, let vs hereby learne this lesson, when wee see the Lord, gleaning and gathering hence to him­selfe, many worthy men from amongst vs, the world otherwise ouerflowing with great sin and impiety, that then, the Lorde threattens vs, some very great iudgement or punishment, and therefore let it be, as a trumpet, blown in our eares from heauē, to awakē vs 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 vs this lesson. and to make vs take it out, consider we but thus much further, that the Lorde hath giuen vs 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 [Page 25] and godly king Iosiah, er that this very euill here threatned, began to come vpon 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 vnto 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 vnto God, either to remoue the siege, or to giue 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 [Page 26] shut 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 vnder the conduct of Moyses and Aaron, his people of Israell frō the Egyptians, that rather then an euill should not come vpon 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 vpon 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 haue 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 [Page 27] prophesied 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 onely hereby would they take occasion, to be more thankfull vnto 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 [Page 28] more for the regard and sakes of such, then for their owne.

And yet I haue 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 vnto 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 onely 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. [Page 29] Thou remainest in thy filthinesse and wickednes: because I would haue purged thee and thou wast not purged; thou shalt not be purged from thy filthines till I haue caused my wrath, to light vp­pon thee. I the Lord haue 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 haue purged them, and that they would not be purged▪ For what shoulde the Lord haue 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 vnto 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 [Page 30] neither 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 giue 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 vs alrea­dy, in that of late we haue lost by death, so ma­ny worthy menne as wee haue, and to feare and tremble at that which this farther doth threaten vs. What meanes hath the Lorde omitted to winne vs to true repentaunce, that hee euer vsed to that people? Is not the light of his woorde shining now amongst vs vnder 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 haue not we as many faithfull and painfull ministers, thereby laboring to direct vs 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 [Page 31] may) vppon vs, very carefull to purge both the Church of corruptions, and the common weale of disorders? And to goe on to the rest, we cannot haue forgotten, but that by drough, dearth, and pe­stilence, we haue beene and yet are by the last, as ear­nestly summoned to repentaunce, as euer they were, and without warres we haue not quite bene: the Lord hath caused the earth, about some foure­teene yeare agoe fearefully to tremble and shake vnder vs, 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 vs, 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 haue founde, that such hath beene the cankred malice of the cursed sea of Rome, and of the confederates thereof against vs that a­long time, by all treacherous deuises that they could inuent, they haue sought to set vs 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 [Page 32] in 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 vs. 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 vs, & by gods blessing thereupon, their courage in Ireland was so puld downe, and their combseut, that neuer since any more of them haue had any hart, to giue 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 vs, 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 vpon vs, 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 vs 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 [Page 33] for the same. In the name of God therefore, let vs take heede, that th [...]s, hearing Gods curses be no [...] ­ted against vs for out sinnes; that wee blesse not our selues in our hearts; saying, wee shall haue 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 vs what we shall surely trust vnto, namely, that he will not be mercifull to any such, But his wrath and ielousie shall smoke against such, and euery curse written in the booke of the lawe shall light vppon them, and hee will put out their name from vnder hea­uen. Wherefore to conclude this part, let eve [...] of [...]s learne to doe as Ieremi hath councelled vs, Lam. 3. vers. 40. that is, search and trye our waies and turne vnto the Lorde, lifting vp our handes and heartes vnto him in the heauens, for mercy to vs and out Lande, for as he faith in the twenty two verse of that Chapter, our manifolde and great sin [...] considered, so we haue cause, to say also, it is the Lordes mercies that we bee not consumed. And further, let Ezechiel teach vs 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 vs that [Page 34] iniquitie shall not be our destruction Cap. 18, vers. 30. For euery 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 haue it to be acceptable before the Lorde, to put of his iudgementes from vs, that otherwise by our sinnes we haue deserued. But let thus much suf­fise touching the Prophets complaint, and the vse, that wee are to make of it: and nowe let vs proceede to the comforte or consolation that hee giues in these wordes of his.

Wherin, as I haue 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 vs consider. By walking by an vsuall Meta­phore in the scriptures we are to vnderstande li­uing, and hauing our conuersation, in which sence, [Page 35] saith God to Abraham Gen. 17. ve. 1. walke before mee, and be thou vpright, that is, [...]ot and haue 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 vs, 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 haue 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 haue a r [...]t giuen vs. Heb. 12. vers. 13. to make straight steps vnto 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 vs not to think it much, though so to do, cost vs some paines, he first tels vs, that they that striue for [...]asteries, though they do it to obtain a corruptible crowne, [Page 36] yet abstayne from all thinges that might hin­der them, and then hee layes before vs 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 vs, to cast awaye euery thinge, that presseth downe, and the sinne that hangeth so fast on, and so then saith, let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs &c. Wherefore the difficultie hereof considered, we had need euery one, to runne vnto 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 haue 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 vs by GOD (who would haue vs 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 vn­to the woorde which I commaunde you, neither shall yee take ought there from, as wee reade [Page 37] Deuteronomie. 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 vnto 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 vnder 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 vs, first, that a younge man may redresse his waie in taking heede therto according to Gods word: and after, that his worde [Page 38] was a light vnto his path and a lanterne vnto his feete: Psal. 119. ver. 9. & 10. Wherupon afterward in the same Psalme ver. 133. [...]e makes this prayer vnto God saying, order my steps O Lorde, accor­ding to thy word, & so no iniquity, shall haue do­minion ouer me. I say therfore vnto you w ^t S. Peter, as new borne babes, if so be you haue tasted howe bountifull the Lord is, desire that milk, that is that instruction, to direct you in this walke, that is [...] that is, that commeth from the word, or is according to y ^e word, for that wil Peeter onely warrant you to be [...], 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 vnto vs, to be the onely sound and safe rule to walke by? To this I answere, this treasure & pearle is onely 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, [Page 39] or to dehorte from the contrary, still fetch their light and ground, from the ancient scriptures. And Paule speaking onely 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 onely 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 vnto all good woorkes. And it is euident by Christes say­ing Iohn. 5. vnto the Iewes, search the scriptures, for in them yee thinke to haue 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 vnto the former, contayning as it doeth both a most lightsome exposition of the former, and also consummating the same, wee haue 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 haue anie coun­tenaunce, wee haue a number of vs most plentiful­lie in Print shewed them & the whole Church, that this was the opinion of all the Churches of Christ, [Page 40] and of all the learned fathers therein for 600. years after Christ at least. Indeede then, if we woulde haue them to bee and proue thus vnto vs; wee must search them, as Christ hath commaunded Iohn 5. and we haue need meditate therin day and night, as we haue 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 euery man that would be blessed, Psal. 1.2. And no other good meanes of hearing them opened vnto vs, 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 vnto 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 giue 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 vnto 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 vs aright in al our waies before the Lord, vers. 5.52. Most fearefull [Page 41] are the examples that we haue in these scriptures, of Gods wrath breaking out against such, as haue not in the seruice that they haue tendred him, first care­fully set this rule before their eies; yea though other­wise they seemed to haue 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 vs 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, vpon 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 [Page 42] sparing 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 vpon 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 vs (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 haue told him, that it should haue 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, vpon 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 [Page 43] when 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 vnto, and sitting at, the mariage feast, for vntill the maister of the feast came, he was not found of any of the guests to haue lackt his wedding garment, as it there appears:) but we must haue 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 [Page 44] through 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 euery 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 [Page 45] the same Apostle ver. 20. But then we hold likewise, that loue 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 vnder 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 vs, known to be his disciples. Ioh. 13.35. and as Peter hath taught vs, to certify vs 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 vs marke, that euery one that thus walketh before God, he meanes to comfort: for he saith, euery 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 [...] [Page 46] Mat. 10. vers. 22. be faithfull vnto the ende, and I will giue thee the crown of life. Reu. 2.10. And ther­fore S. Paul Philip. 3. is a most notable example vnto vs, in this: who though then, he had well ny run his race, and had out run very many, yet, that he might attaine happily vnto 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 vs 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 vnto the time, when God tooke thē hence. Let vs therefore study euery one of vs, 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 [Page 47] on) 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 haue wit and vnderstanding, and whiles we haue strength and vse of our sences, which often­times faile vs in extremity of sicknes, to labour to be such, as here he describes.

Thus now in generall, we haue heard howe the Prophet sets forth them, for whom he hath comforts anone to tell vs of, both liuing & dear: let vs 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 vs quickely prooue but foolish pittie, that warre [...] [...] a Cittie a [Page 48] But 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 mercie, 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 onely, 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 vnto vs, saith, he hath shewed [Page 49] thee, O man, what the Lorde requireth of thee, surelie to doe iustlie and to loue mercy, and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God. Al which places layde togither, doe teach vs 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 haue 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 loue 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 haue done iustice, the one vpon Agag the King of the Ama­lekits, 1. Sam 15. and the other vpon 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 [Page 50] kingdome 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 haue 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 vnder 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 vpon 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 haue 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 [Page 51] of 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 haue had him cōtrary to al nature & iudgment, for shewing foolish pity vpō such vnworthy wretches, cruelly & childishly haue 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 haue found, the Lorde so blessed his iudgement, both in his doing iustice vpon them that deserued no other, & in shewing mercy towards thē, to whom it was to be shewed indeed, that euer since we haue had greater quiet and peace there, then was of long time there before, or otherwise was likely [...]e should there haue had yet.

The third lesson, that wee haue in the places be­fore quoted, touching iustice and mercy, to learne [Page 50] [...] [Page 51] [...] [Page 52] Michah hath taught vs, who though he require, that we should doe iustly, and lowe mercy, yet he requires for al that, that they y ^t haue both these, should humble themselues, to walke before God. For though our cō ­sciences witnes with vs, euen before God, that vnfeinedly we haue 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 haue framed in the best māer we cā, to the law, we may indeed account of no force or valew to iusti­fy vs 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. [Page 53] enter 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 haue 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 haue no sinne we deceaue our selues, and there is no trueth in vs 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 vs 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 [Page 54] that 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 vpon 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 [Page 55] came vpon 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, [Page 56] he 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 vnto 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 haue beene iust and righteous men: iusti appellantur non quod omni vitio careant, sed quod maiori parte vntutū [Page 57] commendentur, 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 haue said, wil yet hold, that mē cā in this life haue 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 vpon, 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.

And 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 vs thankefull vnto our God continually the more, for our sweet sauiour Iesus Christ, that clen­seth vs 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 haue 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 vs, many a good vertue, as humility mercifulnes and compassion, to­wards others, & preserues vs 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 vs a preserua­tiue against most daungerous sinnes. And as the skilfull Chirurgian, that woulde heale his patients [Page 59] wounde, throughly to the bottome, keepes it the lon­ger open, so dealeth the Lorde with vs, 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 onely 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 onely 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 haue 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 vs, when he hath walkt be­fore him, in iustice and mercy, the best he can.

Thus therfore I hope sufficiently, we haue 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 vs, anone to bee buried, was such a one, both generallie and particu­lerly, [Page 60] as here the Prophet hath described: and I hope there are few or none here present, that knew him in deede, but as I haue gou on, frō point to point, in ex­amining & explaining the Prophets descriptiō, haue 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 haue 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 haue 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: giue me leaue a little to apply in particular, from step to step the Prophetes description vnto 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 haue his direction and light from the worde of God, conteyned in the Canonicall scriptuees, rightly vn­derstoode, [Page 61] I 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 vpon, 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 haue known him, euen for loue to learning, I haue known him, to haue bin at three solēne Actes at Ox­forde, and there alwaies to haue bin a most di­ligent hearer of al exercises, frō the beginning to the ending. And by these meanes it pleased God to blesse [Page 62] him, 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 euery 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 haue 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 [Page 63] of Isaiahs description of those whom here he woulde cōfort. For stil I haue 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 giue him grace, so to nū ­ber his daies, that he might apply his heart vnto wis­dome: which was Moyses sute vnto 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 loue. 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, [Page 64] I for my own part, haue 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 haue 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 vs, 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, vnto 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 vpon God, to take him hence vnto himselfe in peace, to haue mercy vpon 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 [Page 65] therefore 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 vpon 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 loue, 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 euery he shal keepe a perpetuall Sabb [...]th [...] [...]e Lorde [...] [...]nd thus (wel beloued) yee [Page 66] haue 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 haue his part and portion therein.

Wherfore herein to bee as briefe as I can: as I haue said, either they are such as either may com­fort such dying; or such, as they onely 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 haue cause to iudge them, as a sorce that God loueth not, [Page 67] and therefore that are perished: yet indeede for all this, the Lorde loued them aliue, and of that loue 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 & giue 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 loue, to exempt him frō euil. And there­fore if he can take it to bee an argument of loue in a husbandman, or shepheard, foreseeing a storme & tempest before, to gather into his barne his haruest, or vnto 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 [Page 68] 400 yeares; after to comfort him he tells him, that yet he should goe vnto 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 vnto his fathers, and put into his graue in peace: and that so his eyes, should not see, the euill that God would bring vpon 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 vpon 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 vpon them, to the full: as it is euident, Ier. 39. which was such a griefe vnto him, that ther­upon [Page 69] he 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. Onely 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 haue 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 loue to [...]. Where­fore, let such take al the [...], that they are enforced to suffer lying as dying [...] of [...] [...] ­cifull [Page 70] father, for their good; as meanes to con­forme them to their heade CHRIST IE­SUS heere, that heereafter else where, they may bee made conformable vnto 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 vp­on 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 vpon the tribulations that hee had to [...] [...]ooke occasion thereby, to iudge him to haue bin before but an hyprocrite, but they were not onely rightly withstoode by Iob [...], but [Page 71] in 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, vpon 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 vs that we may not by these outward accidents & occurrentes iudge. But notable to this our purpose is it, to considers, that though, as we haue 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 haue such a death: and that therefore men are not to iudge them, not loued or regarded of God streight, that haue 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 [Page 72] the 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 haue 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, haue 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 vs run with patience the race that is set before vs, looking vnto Iesus the authour & finisher of our faith, who as he there sheweth, hath run this race before vs. 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 vs, that as members haue communion and vnion, w ^t him, thinke to get thither any other way. And yet let vs 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 [Page 73] saints, 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 vs be assured, whatsoeuer the vngodly thinke of vs either for our tribulations liuing, or for our paines in dying, that the Lord alwaies hath a loue and fauor to vs, first in making vs ready therby to go hence, and then in taking vs 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, [Page 74] but 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, haue lost them; yet another, hath found them, that is, the Lord himselfe; and therefore though by their death, hee hath quite taken them from vs, 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 [Page 75] both 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 vs: 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 vnto 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 [...] [Page 76] not 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 haue 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 vnto him whatsoeuer should follow therupō to vs. And his oft & earnest praying to God, to take him hence in peace, and requesting others, as namely my selfe, that I would pray vnto him, that he would: for he was most willing to come vnto 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 vnto him, but as I haue 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 vnto, Heb. 12.22. &c.

Wherfore, to our further cōfort concerning him, our selues, and all others, that shall liue and die such as here the Prophet speaks of, let vs 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 vs, that the comforts hereby deliuered, are such; as that immediately vpon death, such as the Prophet speaketh of, enter into possession and fruition of. And that the comfortes prepared for such, come immediately and presentlie vpon their death, the word [...] 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, [Page 78] vppon their gathering hence by death and not be­fore; and that as it is euident, to giue them therein better comfort to enioy these; peace, and rest, im­mediately vpon 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 haue 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, haue not founde these scriptures verified vppon them. Otherwise [Page 79] surely, 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 euery sim­ple man in that tongue, that the first of them, is vsed of the Hebrewes not onely to signifie peace, but all prosperity, and that the Roote that it comes of, doth not onely 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 onely signify to rest, but soundly to rest.

Wherefore, whatsoeuer others haue thought. I am resolute, that by the former, the Prophet settes downe the comforte that concernes the souls of the righteous immediately vpon 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 haue heard, [Page 80] Reuelations. 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 vs so much, they that are there most safe vnder the shadow of their altar Christ, vpon 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 haue a desire there, once in Gods good time, to haue this body ioyned with it in the reward aswel as it was before, in taking the right course vn­to 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 haue had iust cause to take vnto 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 haue saide,

Now touching the other comfort, which respects their bodies, it is said here, they shall rest in their [Page] beds. By their beds, the Prophet vnderstands, the places where the Lord in his prouidence bestowes their bodies, whatsoeuer those places be, immedi­ately vpon 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 vnto many, (which if hee please to doe to his they shall be sure to finde no disturbance [Page 82] therby) 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 vnto, in calling the ordinary places for the buriall of the dead [...], 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 vs to our bed chambers and beds, that there, af­after we haue 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 onely rise againe, but also be woonderfullie altered. This the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 15. most no­tably teacheth vs wher he telleth vs, 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 [Page 83] & glorious; yea & which is more, that then our bodies, that slept in him, shal be made like vn­to the glorious body of our Lord and Sauiour by his mighty power, whereby he is able to subdue al things vnto 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 haue plain­ly shewed it was) by these his comfortes to teach vs 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 haue 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 [Page 84] malice of Sathan or witches to be fetcht againe, to present themselues to be consulted withall by the living, as fondly some superstitious people haue 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 onely, as we doe many thinges in our dreames, which yet then, are nothing so as we phan­tasied. All which points, but that I haue wearied you already, were worth the further standing vpon, and I would indeed, but that I feare I haue 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 haue my selfe al­ready in a sermon which I haue 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 onely to haue shewed you howe this text confirmeth the same, thus briefely as I haue.

And to make an end, in full hope that this hono­rable [Page 85] man, whome honorably to bury wee are here at this time, both liuing, dying, and dead; hath had, hath, and euer shall haue, 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 haue shewed you there is iust cause) I beseech you cōfort your selues, and comfort one an other. And to ad one other com­fort vnto these, to comfort vs 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 haue 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 haue heard (right honorable and welbe­loued) both the Prophets complaint and comfort, and by the former we haue 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 vpon them, and therfore neither to take it to heart, nor to vnderstande such a further iudge­ment to be threatned thereby; are certaine tokens of [Page 86] grosse 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 haue his due effect in many of vs to our good awakening and reformation, in this respect. And by the Prophets consolation, we haue learned, that his cōforts only appertaine to such, as so walke before God, in righteousnes and mercy, as we haue 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 vpon 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 [Page 87] ioyned 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 vs 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.