IT hath béene from aunci­ent time receiued, and ve­rie long vsed in the Church of God (right worshipfull and Christian audience) at the Funerals of the godly to haue the worde preached to the people: Not thereby to profite the deade (which no way after life can chaunge this depar­ting state) but by it to instruct the ly­uing, [Page 4] that they may learne to die in the Lorde: and so rest from the labour of sinne and hell. And why may not the godly preacher, take occasion at fune­ralls to preach the worde of God? Nay: why shoulde they omitte any occasion? but rather with Christ and his Apostles waite oportunitie to preach the worde, whensoeuer the people be gathered to­gether? So Christ at Ierusalem, Iohn in the wildernesse, Iohn. 7. &c. Math. 3.1. Mar. 1.45. Act. 17.22. and Paul in Mars stréete preached the worde, where and in what place the people were assembled. The fathers likewise of the Church, of auncient time, haue at such assemblies, taken occasion to teach the liuing, euen when the funeralles were solemnized ouer the deade. Whereby it was, that those men did not only benefit y ^e Churh, during their liues, but euen their corps (as it were) did afforde a finall benefite to the same, at their departure to the earth. And though the Papistes haue a­bused much this sacred vse, so as, at this day, some vse it and suppose it, rather to benefite the dead, then séeking to pro­fit the liuing thereby: yet is this no rea­son, why we should abstaine from food, or [Page 5] our parentes shoulde foreslow, to féed vs with the bread of life, bicause y ^e enemies of God haue abused it. Let vs then looke vpon this heauenly bread, which God (in mercie) by y ^e occasion of this christiā corps here present, hath new, in the ser­uice of mine endeuour, offered vnto you. It is a cōfortable consolation to y ^e chil­dren of God, spoken, and commanded to be written to them, y ^t they should not be swallowed vp, in the sorowes of sharpe persecution, and tyrannie of Anti­christ: Or be beaten from the anchor of hope in God, whilest they are accursed of y ^e world: or be driuē to dispaire vnder the crosse, by the multitude of afflictiōs: but should assure thēselues, of his loue towards them, & of their estate in him, howsoeuer the malignaunt mindes of wicked men should bend their force a­gainst them.

This scripture compriseth a resolute aunswere, to that often asked matter: namely, who is he that is truly blessed? & what it is to bée blessed indéed. In an­swere whereof, the spirite of God obser­ueth [Page 6] this order. First he declareth who they bée which be truely blessed. Se­condly he doth elegantly set downe the condition and state of them, which are so blessed.

Touching the first: Who is blessed? he aunswereth, Blessed is he y ^t hath part in the first resurrection. Concerning the seconde: And what is their blessed­nes? He faith, For on such the seconde death shal haue no power: but they shal be y ^e priestes of God & of Christ, & shall raigne with him 1000. yeares, that is to say, for euer. That we may take suffici­ent profite of this Godly labour, let vs well obserue the text:

There hath béene no state so accursed, but the same hath desired to be blessed: Nor any people so sottish, that haue not, in cause of happy desire, sought after fe­licitie. But such as the dispositions of the persons were, such for the most part, was their supposall of felicitie. Symonides Some sort supposed it an happie thing to bée beautifull and braue. Pindarus. Some other dée­med happinesse, to consist onely in rule and dignitie: And therefore haue tende­red [Page 7] with hazarde, their soules to Hell, atchiuing by wicked practizes some stately seates in earth. Aristot. Some haue sup­posed ciuill honestie, to be the habite of true felicitie, and hauing obteined a faire course therein, haue onely rested there, as in the chaire of heauenly hap­pinesse. But others more lewde, haue sonke themselues to hell: Rom. 2. with gaping after earthly treasure, haue thesaured to themselues in déede, the malediction of God, against the day of wrath. Of this sort was that Diues, in the 12. of Luke, and likewise his companion, Luke. 12. in the 16. of the same. Luke. 16. In whose earthly beatitude, appeare these deadly mise­ries: Namely, in obtaining riches a greedie desire, and in possessing them, a double mischiefe. To themselues, they did abounde in great prodigalitie, but vnto all other they were imprisoned in the déepe dungeon of needlesse nigardie. For thēselues they gathered still, fared alwaye delicately, aparelled euer costly, stil open harted to their owne delights, but very narrowly chested to al others: which would haue ben resonably satisfi­ed, with y ^e least part of their superfluous [Page 8] prouision. Oh, that y ^e states of our dayes would looke to this. Those Lords; these knightes, and you the rich of this age, you suppose it your chiefe happines, to ioyne house to house, and lande to land, bloude to bloud, and thousands to thou­sands, and yet yee hunger after more. But (alas) the most of these doe suppose it, their blessednes, to haue a Rowlande for an Oliuer: To banquet and furfette with Bacchus, & to disporte and sléepe with Venus▪ To haue store of children, great wealth, sound bodies, stately buil­dinges, and noble names of the vul­gar sorte. But beholde, both reason in earth, and tormentes in hell, shall teach you in trueth, that this is rather follie, then true felicitie. For if this be true happines, to be frée from al sorts of misery, and to abounde in all sacietie of good things, without appetite of farther or desire of more: howe can you reiecte reason, which telleth you (O earthly happie) y ^t you are yet in great misery? For though in riches, yée surpasse Cre­sus in carnal venery, Sardanapalus, in delicate disshes, either the Epicure, or Bacchus; in conioyned possessions euen [Page 9] Alexander the conqueror: yet your mise­rable mindes thinke, though we haue much, yet haue we not ynough. We are sorie our throtes be no déeper, our bel­lies no greater, our nights no longer, & our patrimonies no larger. For had you wonne the whole world, yet would you couet to haue another, and misera­bly yée feare the deserued fall of this you haue, which is euermore enuironed with miserable feare and blindnes, with feare to loose that they haue, by sundrie casualties: And so blinde, as not able to beholde the miserie of that ende, which hath none other heauen, then this present earth. But (Oh) come, and beholde the state of these blessed that are not godly rich, (O yée sonnes of men) and you shall bée enforced, if you hunger to bée truely blessed, to pray with that holy rich Dauid: Psal. 17.14. De­liuer my soule from the wicked with thy sworde, from men (O Lorde) by thine hande, from men of the worlde, who haue their portion in this life, whose bellyes▪ thou fillest with thine hidde treasure: their children haue y­nough, and leaue the rest of their [Page 10] their substance for their children. But I will beholde thy face in righteousnesse, and when I awake, I shall bee satisfied with thine image. That is: When I shall arise from the sleepe of naturall death, it shall bée full felicitie to me, that thou in thy mercy (O Lord) hast made mee thy creature, and liuely image, formed by and after thée, in ho­lynesse and righteousnesse, and to enioy the fulnesse of thy face, Colloss. 2. which is true blessednesse.

The tormentes of Hell in Diues, might sufficiently teach vs, howe false is the felicitie of earthly beautie, braue­rie, dignitie, riches, and greatest glorie: If Christ bée not in them, your ende shall bée wéeping and woe: Iames. Hée was braue, but now is y ^e Godly Lazar beau­tifull: he was of great possessions, but Lazarus hath the kingdome: Luke. 16. He gaped after gold, gay clothes, & delicate fare, but the despised man of God, is truely rich, decked with glory & delicately fed, with the countenance of the Lord. Di­ues (supposed rich) is buried in hel. And by y ^t he greatly offended, in that, he is greatly punished: For his tongue is ve­hemently [Page 11] tormented in y ^e flame, he cry­eth for fauour, but cannot obtain: for hée had no part of y ^e first resurrectiō, (which is true beatitude:) and therefore must he néedes dwell for euer, in the seconde death. He would haue his brethrē war­ned, that they dreame not of false felici­tie, but the very way to blessednesses, is there taught him (and also vs) not to bée learned from the deade: Luke. 16. but of the liuing Lawe of the Lord. They haue Moses & the Prophets, let them heare them. Esai 8.19.20 Be a­fraide ye gallants of the earth, you deli­cate Nymphes of these deayes (which term it now most delicate to you) iudge your selues, that ye be not iudged of the Lorde. 1. Cor. 11. Burie not your mindes in fai­ned felicitie: but séeke you after true happinesse. If riches, honours, Castels, Lordships, Lands, Reuenues, & wordly goods greatly increase: set not your hearts vpon them. Be not locked into the Coffer of thy gold with Diues, but haue a godly liberal hart with Abrahā. Rather sit at the doore of thy house ready to benefite thy countrie, thē hauing ma­ny, to runne from al thy homestedes, to lye aloofe to féede thy selfe. Haue a Chri­stian [Page 12] eye, to the whéele of false felicitie: For the more swéete shée séemeth, the sharper is her loose; & whom she most fa­uoureth, him maketh she most fottish. Truely the prosperitie of fooles destroy­eth them. Prou. 1.32. But if by grace from God, in thy part of the first resurrection, thou withstandest her pleasures, and vngod­ly desires: Sizach. thou crownest then thy life with felicitie in him: Which God grant vs for his holy Christs sake. And thus much of false flattering felicite. But y ^t we may be partakers of this blessednes, approued to vs here, by y ^e spirite of god, let vs lend our hearts to heare. Truely this felicitie is first by the Lorde, diffu­sed to vs, in this life, but possessed by vs more amplie in heauen, at the houre of death, yet neuer fully obtained, till the time héere mentioned for the iust: name­ly, at the second resurrection: When we shalbe fréed from all woe, and shalbe fil­led with all fulnesse of ioy, and bée the priestes of God and Christ, to raigne with him a thousand yeare: that is, for euer and euer.

This text doth first then yeld a resolute answere to this demand, & who are they which be truly blessed? Truely saith our text: euen whatsoeuer he, y ^t hath part in the first resurrection, whether he be king or caytiffe, prince or potentate, preacher or people, rich or poore, he or she, yong or old, one or other. Come vp hither ye sōns of mē, raise vp you your heauy harts: for y ^e catholik curse of Adams loines, behold an vniuersal beatitude, in our common Christ. This absolute happinesse is not shut vp to a few, but as many, as can be partakers of y ^e first resurrectiō: so many (I say) shal be blessed frō y ^e second death, which is the infernall lake of fire & brim­stone. But for your better helpe to the comfort of this place, note héere w ^t mée, two thinges. The first: what is this first resurrection. The seconde, how we may assure our selues to be partakers therof Now we must cōsider, our text doth insi­nuate vnto vs a duple resurrectiō: namely, a corporal & a spiritual. 2. Cor. 5.2.20. The corporal resurrection, is y ^e supplie of this article: I beleeue the resurrection of the deade, and is common to all: for all fleshe shall die and ryse agayne to iudgemente. [Page 14] But the spirituall resurrection, is parti­cular to the sōnes of God alone, & is cal­led the first, because in this life, his holy spirit doeth kill the members of sinne, to death in vs, & rayseth vs vp togither in Christ, Ephesi. 2. to a newnesse of life. But so necessarie a doctrine it is, to bée dely­uered vs of either resurrection: that I may not omit, but speake of them both. And, as many scriptures doe testifie the first: so it is my purpose to charge your memories but with one: but that so suf­ficiēt, as may alone suffice our purpose at this time, and your vnderstanding of Gods good pleasure, in that iudgement. viz. Apoc. 20.11.12.13.14.15 And I sawe a great white throne, and one that sate on it, from whose face fled away both the earth and heauen, and their place was no more founde. And I sawe the dead both great and small, stand before God, & the books were opened, and an other booke was opened, which is the booke of life, and the deade were iudged of those things, which were writ­ten in the books according to their wor­kes. And the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her, and death and hell deliuered vp the deade which were in them: and [Page 15] they were iudged euery man according to their workes. And death and hel were cast into the lake of fire: this is the se­conde death. And whosoeuer was not founde in the booke of life written, was cast into the lake of fire. This holy scrip­ture (beloued) doth most playnely lay a­broad, the order and maner of iudgemēt, at the last day. And first the maiestie of the iudge in his comming is described: Secondly, the maner of the iudgement, who they be, and wherof the Apparants be iudged. The Lords comming is with great glory, he sitteth on a mightie seat, farre passing the iudicial thrones of the greatest princes. And of necessitie that must bée a greate Seate, Titus. 2.13. Luk. 1.32. which must beare the God of might: It is a bright shining seate, all glorious, not with cor­ruptible golde or precious stone, but with the heauēly gleames, more bright then the Sunne beames, euen lightned with the brightnesse of his diuine glo­rie, as Christ hath saide: Matt. 25.31. The sonne of Man shal come in his glorie, and he shall sit vppon the seate of his glorie, and all the holy Angels shall come with him. Whose glorious throne, doth euen teach [Page 16] vs, that the Lords iudgements are pure and without spotte. No pleading at the barre, no bribing of the iudge, no fren­ding by aquest, no fauour found for sil­uer, nor loue or hate shall beare a sway, but equitie alone in him shall then bee séene. Also his brightnesse in comming, shal perce into the hearts and actes of al men, to manifest and lay open y ^e hidden secrets of the conscience, according to y ^e sentence of Paul: 1. Cor. 4.5. Iudge nothing before the time, vntill the Lord come, who wil lighten things that are hide in darkenes, & make the councels of the hearts mani­fest, and then shal euery man haue praise of God. viz. as his labour asketh. Like­wise the shinning sunne and moone, the glittering starres, yea, heauen & earth shall be darkened, & faile of their bright­nes, before him. For like as the glori­ous sunne shinning, causeth the blasing torch to loose his brightnes, in respect of him: So shall that most beawtifull pla­net, be as darkened with the great glo­rie of this shining throne, in the com­ming of the Amightie Christ.

But (my beloued) if these glorious creatures shal flée from the presence of [Page 17] this mighty CHRIST, com­ming to iudgement, which euer haue béene obedient to his holy will; yea, & that but when he is comming: how shal it fare with vs, when he is set vpon that terrible throne whose sinnes haue béene so many, and the accusers so ready, (as the Lord his witnes, sathās accusation, Zopho. and thine owne conscience, which is to thée 1000. witnesses) when the sunne is blacke, the Moone as blood, the stars fall, Malach. like the gréene figges from their trées, in a mightie wind, the heauens depart a­way like a scroll, Reue. 6.12. and all ysles and mon­taines, are moued out of their places. And the kinges the of earth, & the great men, and the rich men, & the chiefe cap­taines, and the mightie men, and euery bondman and euery frée man, hide them selues in dennes, Esa. 2.19. Hos. 10.8. Luk 23.30. and amongst the rocks of the mountaines, and shall say to the mountaines and rockes, fall on vs, and hide vs from the presence of him, that sitteth on the throne, and from y ^e wrath of the lambe. In cause hereof, let me say vnto vs, with that holy Dauid; Oh, Psal. 50.22. cō ­sider this, you that forget God, least the Lorde teare you in péeces, and there bée [Page 18] none to deliuer you. Séeing therefore y ^t all these thinges must be dissolued (and come to passe) what manner of persons ought we to bée, 2. Pet. 3.11. in holy conuersation & godlinesse? But when this iudge our Lorde Christ is thus gloriouslyset, then these foresaid persons of ech degrée, shall stand before him, euen great & smal: for neither heauen nor earth can hid them, or their crownes, their dignities, Lord­ships or warrelike courage, wealth, wil, or wit, shall be able to kéepe them from his presence, or escape the iust iudgemēt which the balance of his equitie shal cast vnto thē. Looke to this now, ye knights and gentils here present, and you rich in possessions, be not careles of your life: for godly preuention nowe, shal embol­den your persons then, to lift vp your heades, because your redemption is thē at hand. Luk. 21.28. This order then shall be obser­ued: The bookes shal be laid open before the Lorde: and euery man high and low, rich and poore, shall be iudged with the scepter of trueth, euen according as his déedes are written in those bookes. Note héere (beloued) by an elegant Meta­phor, howe the spirite of GOD doth [Page 19] display the iudgementes of the Lorde. He alludeth vnto the iudiciall courtes of kinges and Potentates, where the bookes of recorde beare memorie of the faultes of men conuicted by good proofe. Not that the Lord hath néede of bookes: for he knoweth the thoughts, words and workes of all men, & of euery idle word, Math. 12.36. shall man be iudged: but, that héereby, he would sende vs, to our owne senses, to knowe and féele, that all our actions and heartes are in his sight, and cannot be wiped out of his remembrance by o­ther pensill, then onely by true faith & repentance. And as we are fallen into this Metaphor, of the Lords bookes: So let vs know that the holy scriptures, Ezech. 18. Heb. 6. at­tribute thrée bookes vnto God: viz. liber prouidentiae, Iudicii, & vitae: The booke of his prouidence: The booke of his iudgement: and the blessed booke of life. Of his prouidence, Dauid saith thus: Psal. 139 16. Thine eyes did see mee, when I was without fourme: for in thy booke were all things writtē, which in continuaunce were fashioned, when there was none of them before. O Lorde (sayth hée) [Page 20] when as yet I was not formed in my mo­thers wombe, thine eyes did see me, & in the book of thy foreknowledge & pro­uidence of thy diuine mind, were all men written from the foūdation of the earth, when as yet there was not one begotten.

The booke of his iudgementes, this former text doth enforce y ^e consideration of, which bookes were opened, and sig­nifieth the certaine knowledge, of al the words and workes, of euery man, from Adam, tyll that instant, according to the which, they shall be all then iudged. For those things, which y ^e Lord now know­eth, as if he had them written in bookes, those thinges, that either our heartes, wordes or workes, haue imagined, spo­ken or done, the same then shall he then lay before vs, as if he redde them out of them, Apoc. 20. and shall thereby builde a reason vnto vs all, why some shall by iudge­ment goe to hell, some other vnto life. Be not deceiued therefore (good people) God is not mocked or beguiled: Gal. 6.7. for we shall be adiudged of euery idle worde, y ^t shall be spoken: howe much more, of wicked déeds: as of idolatrie, whordome, blasphemie and such like? Nowe go too, [Page 21] you that put farre away the euill day, Amos. 6.3. and approch the seat of iniquitie, which take singular pleasure in ribauldry and filthy iesting: which can laughe the lowdest, when your lewde seruants are most disposed to lie. Doe you thinke indéed, ther is a God, that knoweth this? A Scribe, that recordeth it? A iudge, that will reuenge it? and a day, that shall re­ueale it, by the bookes of your heauie iudgement? And dare you continue your delight, in lying, whoring, in filthy ie­stinges, that are not comely, in such the workes of darkenesse, which rather you ought to reprooue in others, then to fa­uour or practise them your selues? But these euils dwel not altogether in beg­gers, but you, you, euē you: (I say) whō the Lord hath blessed with landes and reuenewes in great aboundance, which for your birthes, are called gentlemen, & for your chiualrie, knights: but for your follie, flattered as fooles, to winne of you preferment: euen of you (I said) there are, that dare dispise the spirit of trueth, with the false spirit of lying, ribauldry, and filthy whoredome. Your seruantes perceyuing your foolishnesse, are con­tented [Page 22] to sell themselues to hel, to gaine some earthly preferment at your han­des. For, séeing your diuellish dispositi­on, they frame their practise to your pleasurs: but you shalbe iudged of those thinges most seuerely. Oh, you seruing-men absteyne from pleasing your mai­sters, with this egregious lewdenes of lying. Wotte you what you doe? and whose ye are? Io. 8. you do make your soules the slaues of sathan, and you are herein, the children of the deuill your father, which is a lyer from the beginning. Cast of these works of darkenesse, haue no fellowship with them, but rather re­prooue them, and those that vse them, yea, though they be your great masters. For, you are not called to serue men, but God. And you shall then be founde best profitable to your maisters, when you shall take sinne from their bodies, and exhort vertue to their soules. And be it knowne to you, you knightes héere pre­sent, and the rest, that, that noble Na­aman had not béene clensed from his le­prosie, had he not humbled his soule to the admonition of his godly seruing-men. 2. Kings. 5.13. 2. King. 5.13

The Lorde GOD worke our conuersion in tyme, that wee may dye to sinne, and haue parte in the firste resurrection: so shall we bee sure not to taste of the seconde death: because our names are founde written, in the booke of life: Whereof nowe wee are to speake. And it is notable, that it is saide, euery man was iudged ac­cordinge to his workes, that hée had done in his life time, not what others haue done for him, after. Yea, aswell the godly as the reprobate, are in thēselues vnder the censure of the seconde booke, that is, condemnable to the seconde death.

But now there is an other cause, why the godly are saued: namely, that their names are written in the booke of life. Ephe. 1.2. This booke of life is not of this life cor­porall, but spiritual, and hath his begin­ning in these our dayes, but is perfited in the last resurrection, and is called the most sure, and swéete election and pre­destination of god, which doth seale and sanctifie to himselfe, those that be his, whom he hath chosen to be partakers of the first resurrection, before the begin­ning [Page 24] of dayes: Ephe. 1.2. and therefore they can­not perishe in the ende of time. Of this booke speaketh Paule: The Lord know­eth who bee his. And though sparingly I would speak in singular reuerence of this hiddē mystery, 2. Tim. 2.19. to many in y ^e world, & comfortable only to the childrē of life, when their eyes be opened to reade this booke: yet in humblenesse of heart, I say thus much of it: This booke of life, is the most certaine, sure, firme, and eternall foreknowledge in the most holy minde of God, Zanch. To. 2 lib. 3. cap. 3. 712. by the which hee euer hath and doeth in his Christ, and for him alone, appoint and choose vs, to be his children adopted to grace, and heires of eternall life, approueth them for his, and taketh peculiar and perpetuall care on them. I knowe my sheepe, saith Christ: I knowe whome I haue choosen &c. And those whome the Lorde writeth in this booke, those only shall haue saith and life. And whosoeuer is not written in this booke, without doubt, he shall be cast into the seconde death. But howe shal we know that wee are written in this booke? Surely euerie man is to séeke the knowledge héereof. To some it is [Page 25] giuen at morne, to other at noone, and to some onely at night, euen gas­ping at breath. The ordinarie way to this knowledge is elegātly set downe by Paul to the Romans, where the gra­ces of God are so linked in one, & so easie to be perceiued, that euerie man may haue an insight, of this golden cheine y ^t feareth God. Rom. 8.28. We know that all thinges (saith he) worke together for the best, to to them that loue God, euē to them that are called of his purpose. For those whō he knew before, he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his sonne, that he might be the first borne amonge manie brethren. Moreouer, Whome he predestinate, them also hee called, and whome hee called, them also hee iustifi­ed, and whome he iustified, them also he glorified. Héere, beloued, the booke is gods purpose to choose, and our wri­ting in it is, that we are elected to liue in Christ before all times, a life confor­mable to the following of Christ: to bée holy and blameles, sober & godly, religi­ous & iust, peaceable and blessed in this present worlde: And not to be worldly bent, and to blaspheme with rebellious [Page 26] spirites, saying: what should I feare to to robbe, to kil, to spoile, to whore it, and brace it, and to followe my lust? For, if I be elected, I shalbe saued: if I be not e­lected, I shalbe dāned. But beloued, Oh, hateful spirit against Gods holy spirit of our electiō. Do you draw hence an other nature in the grace of this book? namely, learne to sée, how those that are elected, those shalbe called to féele their election. And they shalbe iustified from their for­mer corruptions, sanctified from after sinnes: and glorified to God. But as we haue said, those y ^t be not found writtē in this booke, those shalbe iudged by y ^e other bookes of iudgement, and that according to their workes. This doctrine is héere deliuered vs to note: Iohn speaketh of the generall iudgement, executed long after the natural death, and he speaketh generally of all, when as (no doubte) great heapes of infinite thousands, haue had the works of Popes and Cardinals, popish priests, and sacrilegious Masses, trentals, doles and chauntrie fées, moon­kish builde and frierish helpes for them. All whose works of darknesse notwith­standing, euery man shall rise vnchaun­ged, [Page 27] from his former state: For, euen so as he dyed, such shall he arise, and shall haue iudgement after his owne works, and not according to the merite of other mens labours for him after his death. Thus saith Gods spirite, which cannot lye: Away therefore with your prayer for the deade, your almes and dole to the poore, at the place and day of Funerals. And euen this day I exhort in the Lord, whom it doth most concerne, that as I knowe, and doe affirme your hate, to that pestilent péece of popery, and your sinceritie in Christ: so yée faithfully shewe it at this instant. Féede these poore assembled, but foster not that popishe opinion, to pray for the soule departed. Forget not y ^e Lord at this present, who hath not forgottē to bring you to great things. Abstain (saith y ^e Apostle) not on­ly from euill: but euen also from y ^e sha­dow & shew of euill. If it might be, take some other day for them & giue them w ^t warning, y ^t you meane no procuring of prayer for y ^e dead. For I know, y ^t you are assured, y ^t euery man shall appeare and aunswere for his owne factes, as well this reuerend corps going to his graue, [Page 28] as all you and wee here assembled, in cause of him. We must all appeare (saith Paule) before the iudgement seate of Christ, 2. Cor. 5.10. that euery man may receiue the things that are done in his bodie, accor­ding to that he hath done, whether it be good or euill. The Lord in mercy blesse vs with his grace, that liuing in him, we may die in the Lorde Christ, and so rest in peace, till our returne to this bo­dily resurrection, when we shall resigne to our soules, our newe bodies, though burned to ashes, eaten with vermine, in Sea, or by lande: For death, lande and sea, shall giue vppe, not newe creatures, but her receiued deade, to be revnited, to this resurrection. And so with holy Iob, we shall all sée our redéemer, not with other, but with these eyes, that nowe we haue, and with the selfe same bodies which nowe we beare, shall wée all both small and great, stande before the almightie Christ, the iudge of quick and deade. To whom be glory for euer. And nowe time requireth to speake of the first resurrectiō, which earst we cal­led spirituall. And of this resurrection Paul speaketh thus: Ephe. 2.4. And when we were [Page 29] deade by sinnes, God in his rich mercie, through his great loue, wherewith hee loued vs, hath quickened vs together in Christ, by whose grace wee are saued: And hath raised vs vp together, & made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus. Rom. 6.4 And againe to the Romans thus: We are buried then with Christ by baptisme, into his death, that like as Christ was raised of God the father, so wee shoulde walke in newnesse of life. And nowe of these places we are to ob­serue: First, that there is a death, that goeth before this resurrection. Then, y ^t by an other power, beyonde our selues, we are reuiued, and raised from that death. And thirdly, what this life is, where vnto we are raised. To the first, this death is spiritual, and is none other but sinne, as here is saide: and when we were deade in sinne. And rightly is sin called death: for it killeth all the vitall partes of the soule, and maketh it not onely vnapt, but vnable to serue the li­uing God. It depriueth vs of the grace of God. It separateth Christ, Rom. 6. which is our life, from vs, it bringeth sathan to possesse our soules, and haleth vs to the [Page 30] second death: which is the infernal lake. This is the nature of euery sinne, and therefore they are rightly saide to bée deade, which be possessed of it: as whol­ly cut off from God, estraunged from his life, 1. Tim. 5.6. and deade to godlynesse. So are the lashing widowes called deade in spirite, though they liue by nature, which giue themselues to carnalitie & fleshly lusts. And of such men also spake Christ the Lorde, saying: Let the deade burie their dead. Matth. 8.22 Nowe (beloued) drawe hence this doctrine: We are by course of naturall life sinners, but by our selfe delights, we are become deade in tres­passes: but he that is dead, is so frée from life, that he hath no part of whatsoeuer is done vnder the sunne: as the preacher saith. Eccle. 9.4.5.6. So now that I speake to you, that you conceiue, and we all féele the pow­er of the voyce, it is by that wee liue: but this Corpes héere present, is so frée from all this, y ^t he neither heareth, or conceiueth, féeleth, or partaketh, whatsoeuer by his occasion héere is done: for hée is deade, and his life is not in him: Euen so (beloued) the deade in sinne are as frée from righ­teousnes, [Page 31] and the true féeling thereof: as this sanctified corpes is cut from our present action. Moreouer this corps can neither goe, nor stir, hinder or let those, that list to carry & conuey him whether they woulde: Neither can the deade in sinne, withstande the guide of his dead­ly soule, the killing diuell the prince of hell, but is ledde and drawen, euen whe­ther and to what him lust: to whore­domes, murthers, lying, blasphemie, and what not? Ion. 8.34. Rom. 6.20. 2. Pet. 2.19. For of whom so euer a man is ouercome, his seruant he is, whether of sinne vnto death, or of grace vnto life. Last of all, it is not in the power of any deade man to arise againe, till his life be returned to him: No more is it in y ^e power of man once deade in sin, to rise againe from it: vntill his life, which is Christ, returne, to reuiue him. Where­fore the Apostle saith, hee hath quick­ned vs, euen God the father, by the spi­rite of his Christ, hath raised vs vp with Christ. Where is then thy frée will, and power, to kéepe the wayes of God? when thou hast eares, but fatted eares, that cannot heare: a heart, but blinded, Matt. 13.14. that cānot perceiue y ^e good wil of god: a soule, [Page 32] but deade and estraunged from the life of God. Ephe. 41.8. And for this cause God is saide, to raise vs from the deade, that Christ may giue vs light, & that by his mighty operation through faith in him. It is his mighty operation, Colos. 2.12. not mans weak­nesse, to raise vs from sinne: For sathan is stronger then we, 2. Tim. 2.26. & holdeth vs (once dead) euē at his wil, as Paul saith, so as it is not possible for vs, to arise from his bōos, til our life Christ, which is y ^e strō ­ger, Luk. 11.29. Math. 12.29. Mark. 3.22. enter combat with him, bind him, & take vs (his spoile) away from him. The workeman then to raise vs in this first resurrection, is not man, but God. And he vseth heereto (as his finger to forme vs anewe) his worde and his spirite, & both from him selfe: that he might haue the whole glorie of our life. Embrace then this holy meanes, come to y ^e word, there is his spirit. If thou be his he will drawe thée to it, lighten thée by them, & raise thée from this spirituall death, as the Apostle hath saide, Rom. 3.11. If the spirite of him that raised vp Iesus from the deade dwell in you, hee that raised vp Christ from the deade, shall also quicken your mortall bodies, because that his spirite [Page 33] dwelleth in you. Nowe what this resur­rection is, the Apostle doth tel vs: name­ly, newnesse of life, saying: Rom. 6.4 We are bu­ried then with Christ by baptisme into his death, that like as Christ was raised from the dead by y ^e glorie of the father: so wee should walke in newnesse of life. This is then y ^e first resurrection: name­ly, newnes of life. There must be life (beloued) as well in the spirite as in the bodie. Manie men séeme to liue, and to doe the works of life, but not in the spi­rite, but in the body: to serue their turn, to answere the law, to obserue the time, but all this while the spirite liueth not. Many a papist to day will come to Church in bodie, but he bringeth a deade soule with him: for Christian Religion hath no roume in his heart. But if thou wilt haue thy part (Papist or Prote­stant) in the first resurrection, thou must beginne to liue in thy spirite, that thy spirite may enforce thy bodie, to loue, liue, and feare thy God. According to this sentence of Paule: Ephes. 4.22. Cast off the olde man, which is corrupt through the deceiueable lustes, and bee yee renewed in the spirite of your minde, and put [Page 34] on the newe man, which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holy­nesse. And at one worde to speake it, herein consisteth the first resurrection: To cast away the works of darkenesse, and to put on, Christ the armour of light. But, as no man raised from a fil­thy puddle, will willingly beare with him the myerie spots of that dirtie soile, but will rather cast away the defyled garments that he might appeare clen­sed: Hos. 3. Euen so (beloued) wee must not part stakes with God and sinne, but we must say to sinne, get thée hence by a spirituall hatred vnto her, & so increase in it, that we must (as the Apostle Iude saith) euen hate the very garment that is polluted by the fleshe. vers. 23. So must we (hauing receiued such grace) liue in spi­rite and bodie, as the sonnes of lighte, translated from the power of death, to the kingdome of Christ in all peace, Colos. 1.13. Godlynes, Tit. 2.11. sobrietie and honestie. Thus shal we liue, & raigne w ^t Christ, a thou­sand yeare, viz. for euer. Now call your spirites to your senses, and sée howe yée sauour this trueth, (beloued in Christ) Rowse vppe your drowsie heartes and [Page 35] with the perspicuitie of a good consci­ence, sifte and search your selues euerie one, howe you haue profited by this doctrine, and whether you liue or die. Be not deceiued, God is not mocked: whatsoeuer a man soweth, that shall hée reape. For, if yée sowe still to the flesh, your former corruptions, you shal reape the seconde death. But if nowe, you can take hold of Christs doctrin, by his spirit, & from his truth sowe to your spirits, y ^e séeds of y ^e word of Faith, of righteousnes of peace, and godlynesse, Gal. 6.7. you are parta­kers then of y ^e first resurrection; and shal reape hereof, life euerlasting. And in this examination, two sorts of men, are meruellously conuinced. The first, nei­ther féeling death or life in god, runneth headlong to his luste, in infidelitie and gréedinesse to sinne: as though that onely were his chiefe beatitude. And these bée the Atheistes of our dayes, whose consciences are seared vppe with an hotte yron, so, as no worde can pearce into their heartes, or sappe of Gods spirite haue course in their mem­bers, but are past all féeling, euen at the point of damnation.

The seconde sort, are of such, as hauing some sparkes, of a former fire, and a lit­tle breathing force of an elder strength, (but nowe decaying) doe yet séeme to liue: when rather it may be feared, that they are almost deade. And these are notably shadowed vnto vs by y ^e Church of Sardi in the Apocalips. Apoca. 3.1. And writte vnto the Angel (.i. the Minister) of the Church which is at Sardi: These things saith he, that hath the seuen spirites of God in his hand, and the 7. stars, I knowe thy workes: for thou hast a name that thou liuest, but thou art deade. Oh (be­loued) marke well this Church of Sar­di or Lidia. She is not an idolatrous Church, but professing God and godli­nesse. She hath the forme of Gods go­uernement, his worde, his ministers, & is called his Church. She séemeth for her outward shew, to be most Christian and holy: but in déede and troth, shee is conuicted of death. And that not because shée hath no part of godly life in her, but because she hath fallen frō her first loue, life, and strength in him, that holdeth y ^e manifold graces (called 7, spirits) in his hande, to dispose at his good pleasure, & [Page 37] the sufficient number of his preachers, named starres, to shine into the darke­nesse of mans nature, with the bright­nesse of his word. Finally, Sardi is con­uinced, y ^t she is imperfect in her workes before God: that is, she was but an hy­pocriticall Church, rested in the exter­nall ceremonies and rites, but sought not the Lorde, in trueth and sinceritie. And héere note, beloued, that whatsoe­uer Church, or people, which hath not in her soule, the rooted faith of Christ, graft by his spirite, in that inner Man, in strength wherof, the force and pow­er of Christs spirite floweth thence, into an open practise of holinesse and godli­nesse, righteousnesse and honestie: That same Church, people, or seuered person is as deade before the Lord. But yet in this Church of Lidia, there were a fewe names, as y ^e Lord noteth in the 4. ver. of y ^e 3. chap. which had not defiled their gar­ments: y ^t is, had not stained y ^e profession of Christ, which Christ, they by baptism, had put on & is y ^e wedding garment, ad­orning our beauty in him, & couereth our infirmities & iniquities, from y ^e cen­sure of gods iustice. Very comfortable is [Page 38] this to the Godly, but to y ^e wicked most terrible. The Lordes eyes beholde the hearts and actes of men, and doth daily discerne the number of the Godly: but kéepeth recordes of the wickeds practi­zes, against the day of wrath. O Eng­lande, Englande, Oh thou Church of Sardi, if thou be looked into with a spi­rituall eye, thou shalt be founde néere vnto death: onely a fewe names or per­sons are kept in thée, for a reserued séed to the Lorde. In outwarde shew, what Church more holy? Thy Princes are protestants: Thy angelical starres, thy bishops and preachers, are learned tea­chers; Thy gouernement is godly, thy profession is holy: But (O Englande) if thou be sounded to the heart, thou shalt be founde (I feare me) verie sicke and néere vnto death. Many maladies haue mette with thée, no sickenesse, but hath taken holde of thée, and sore weakened thy strength: But last of al, hypocrisie & securitie sléepe in thy bosome. Thou stainest thy bright vesture of holy pro­fession with the filthy spottes of carnall desires: Thy religion, is a cloake to all thy iniquities. But as a spot is soone e­spied, [Page 39] and séemeth most foule in a scarlet robe: So the brighter thy profession is, the sooner thy sinnes are discouered, and thine imperfections more notorious. But by two especiall notes, a sicke man is knowne to be neare his death. First, his pulses labour weakely, his speech draweth farrely, and his strength is fled away: Secondly when he is sodeinely bereft of his vitall spirits & perfect sen­ses, so as he is not féeling y ^e parts of his dying bodie, he is déemed neare vnto his death. Alas, looke into the bodie of Eng­land, for the soundenes of her life, Christ in her; & beholde, her pulses beate faint­ly, her speach fetcheth farly, her strength is meruellously decayed. Is her zeale to religion, as it was in the beginning of her maiesties raigne? Is it continually vigent in all the parts of the bodie? doth euery knée bowe to Christ the Lorde in her? doth euery tongue confesse Iesus to be the Lorde, to the glorie of God the father? Nay, (alas) this little life left, is drawne néere to the heart, and the heart is verie sicke. A fewe names, a fewe, in respecte of so great a number. What meaneth it, y ^t so many magistrates are [Page 40] molested with carcke against conspira­cies and domesticall furies? That such and so great vices, are dayly spread, and breake out? So sundrie persons forced, w ^t papists filthy familyes and popish se­minaries? Such friendshippe to Gods enimies of some, that rather should help to spewe them out of the bodie? Such prouision for warre? such feare of for­raine foes? and so small trust in manie home dwellers? vndoubtedly, this is the very cause, that Englande is very sicke, fainting & falling, as by degrées, from her former strength in Christ. Religion is thought to bee strong ynough of it selfe: for aide it can obtaine little, except about the heart. Godly conuersation is fledde out of the countrie, God graunt him godly, & constant entertainment in her graces Court. Charity is become key cold: for no man hath leasure to loue beyonde himselfe. Hate of iniquitie is banished the lande, and the true loue of God is hardly to be founde, in the bodie of England. Euen now is performed a­gaine the prophet Hosias speach: There is no truth nor mercy, Hose. 4 2.2.3. nor knowledge of God in y ^e land: by swearing, & lying, and [Page 41] killing, and stealing, and whoring, they breake out, and bloode toucheth blood: therefore shall the lande mourne &c. And are we not senselesse of our weake estate? Do not our spirituall preachers crie vnto vs? Esa. 1.53.6. Rom. 2.2. There is no health frō top to y ^e toe. All haue gone astray, euery mā after his picked & chosē way: y ^e long suf­fering of God, hath béene to drawe you to repentance, but you haue abused his great pacience, & are like to the raging seas: for in y ^e glory of your presumptiōs, you haue cast vp to the eyes of y ^e Lord, the filthie fome of your bloodgiltinesse. But nowe repent in time, ere the day of his decrée come foorth. Zoph. 2.1. [...]. Gather your selues together (O nation not worthy to bée beloued) least you be blowen a­way like chaffe, in that day. Séeke the Lorde ye méeke of the earth, you that haue wrought his iudgementes. Séeke righteousnesse, séeke lowlines, if so be y ^e ye may bée hidden in the day of the lords wrath. But, beloued in GOD, Esa. 26.20. howe féele we our selues now? are we sicke or whole? To this me thinke some do say: No, sir: loquere no bis placentia, speake more pleasant things to vs. Crie, peace, [Page 42] peace, Iere. 20.1. euē til y ^e day of war. Cast Ieremie into prisō, saith Pashur, & his partakers: for hee speaketh against this citie. But those names onely, y ^t are about the hart, and haue not so steined their cloths, they say: he is not worthie to die: for he hath spokē to vs in y ^e name of y ^e lord our god. Ier. 26.16. But of y ^e residue, what shal we say? tru­ly we may rightly say as God him selfe spake to his prophet Ezechiel, in y ^e time, saying: Also thou son of man, the childrē of thy people, y ^e talke of thee by the wals (as they sit at their banquets, Ezec. 33.30. y ^u art their sauce to their delicates) & in the dores of their houses, & whē they sit in the streets to recreate thēselues, & speake one to an other, saying: (in derisiō of my law) come I pray you, & heare what is y ^e word y ^t cō ­meth from the Lorde: for they come vn­to thee, as the people vseth to come, and my people sit before thee, and heare thy words, but they wil not do thē: for with their mouths they make (mowes &) iestes & their hart▪ goeth after their couetous­nes. And lo, Thou art to them, as a iesting song, of one that hath a pleasant voice, & can sing well: for they heare thy words, but they do thē not. And when this cō ­meth [Page 43] to pas (for lo, it wil come) (namely y ^e ripenes of this sin, & the performance of my prophets threts frō me) Then shal they knowe, Verse. 28. y ^t (not a iesting singer but) a prophet hath ben amongst them. When Lord? euen whē I wil lay y ^e land desolate (saith y ^e Lord) & wast, and y ^e pompe of her strength shal cease, &c. O lord in thy great mercy looke down vpon our Eng­lish Israel. What is he y ^e séeth this huge heape of people, here this day being a straunger to y ^e state of this country, but presently might cōceiue much life of god to be in thē? Surely it is a great people, yea a very great auditorie: I haue not seene y ^e like in the countrie, y ^e Lord blesse you al, w ^t the first resurrectiō, according to his blessed will. But you of y ^e greater sort, take you care, y ^t ye come not to heare what y ^e lord saith, only for ciuility or nei­borly courtesie, in respect of these fune­rals: or in nisenes, to heare a voice that might delight you: but what cause soeuer brought you, now y ^t you are come: be at­tentiue to y ^e lord, y ^t you may be taught of god. As for y ^e gretest number, it is too ap­parant, & wil be proued anonne, y ^t as our prophet saith, they folow their couetous­nes. [Page 44] They are come in hope to haue a dole to day. Against whose gréedie desire eftsones I pray you, to whom it belon­geth, that regarde may be had hereof: least this dayes exercise, may be abused by the wicked, to father their popish prayer for the deade, vppon your cha­ritable deuotion to the poore. But (be­loued) let the bell call you to another Church, or at an other time, be y ^e prea­cher liked neuer so well, & we shall not haue the thirde part of this audience. Nay, if we might haue but the fourth part, and that on the Sabboth onely, it were in these partes a vertuous peo­ple. And after our hearing, howe do we digest the worde? For the moste part, this is al: At dinner, and after, we talke of the man, but féede not of the matter: We either yéelde him his due commen­dation, or our dislike: But euen as min­strels song once hearde, is streight for­gotten: So very fewe, with Marie, lai­eth vp in his heart, those things which the Prophet spake, Take héede that you spurne not at your Phisicions: for then your health is at an ende. Did Esay cry in his time, Esa. 53.1. lord, who beléeueth our say­ings? [Page 45] And may not we cry nowe, Lord, who doeth credite our report? We are y ^e ofscowring of the people, the laughing-stockes of the worlde, wée are counted contentious, seditious, slaunderous, rai­lers, lyers, & troublers, of y ^e state. But as for this people, (though thou O Lord) speake in vs vnto them, yet will they not bend their eares, to heare thy voyce in vs. Though y ^e earth be wearie of her sinnefull burthen, & as surcharged (with the heauinesse of sinne) doth vniuersal­ly totter as a dronken man, Aprill 8. 1580. at our iniquities, and thy heauie iudgements: yea though the waters here below, the heauens & planets farre aboue, though blasing gleames, and burning lampes, haue summoned vs, and vgly shapes in monstrous birth, haue and yet doe cite vs, to the preuentiō of thy heauie wrath in true repentaunce: Iere. 8.6. yet no man sayth to himselfe, and what haue I done? But euerie man goeth to the corruption of his owne heart, and fetcheth thence, the labor of his life, in Hypocrisie, Popery, Drunkennesse, Whoredome, couetous­nesse, pride, ambition, atheisme & such like. And all this commeth hereof, that [Page 46] being almost all dead, we féele not, that we are once touched with sickenes. We goe on in our wickednes, and séeke cre­dit against our reprouers, & scorne at Gods iudgementes, and when most sée­ming is of imminent daunger: wee as­sure our selues of great securitie. Oh people of this waywarde nation and you here present, let vs his ministers bee the Lordes cockes, to rowse you out of this deadely sléepe, hauing first with Peters teares, examined well our selues. Let vs bee the trumpettes of the Lord, to warne you of the greate and mightie battel of the God of hostes against vs. And nowe accept you this labour of me, the watchman of the Lorde, and hearken with comfort to this my crye: Arise you that sleepe in your sinnes and shamefull securitie (O Christians by name) Arise from the first death of sinne, by the operation of Gods holy spirite in you, and walke in newnesse of life, by the light of the glo­rious gospell of GOD, giuen you in Christ, so shal not the second death haue any power of you: because you haue taken parte in the first resurrection.

And now I perceiue this first parte hath taken my whole time allotted me, so as I can not speake of the seconde, which is so depending of the first, that well they can not bee disioyned. But in asmuch as your ciuill solemnities, aske more tyme, then possibly the fore­noone woulde afforde vs, I will deferre my seconde part till some other time, except I receiue your pleasures, far­ther to procéede. Well then: knowing now your godly desires, by the harald at armes, that I shoulde procéede: Let vs read our second part, and it is thus: ‘For on such the second death hath no power, Text ver. 6. but they shal be y ^e priestes of god and Christ, and shall raigne with him a thousand yeare.’

In this part (dearely beloued) the E­uangelist doth by a most elegant phrase, describe the state & conditiō of the faith­full, affirming thē, so farre of to be once touched, after y ^e punct of natural death, with the paines of hell or false fained [Page 48] popish purgatorie, that contrarily, they presently are in blisse with God, singing with the spirits of y ^e iust, the due pray­ses of the Lord: saying, for on such. &c. But to the further openyng of this ex­cellent part, let vs obserue these thrée thinges: First what is to be vnderstoode by this second death. Secondly, of what prerogatiue & power y ^e same is. And last of al, for a final conclusion, what, & wher is the ful felicitie of the iust, which haue their part in the first resurrection. The second death, (to be shorte) is that which followeth the firste, as a merite of his deserte. But death is said to be twofold, in the holy scriptures. For as there is a death of the body, so is there likewise a death of the soule. But of death of the bodie, we haue saide before: And of the naturall death, Gods holy booke, our common experience: and the dead body of this departed Christian before vs, beareth perfecte testimony. Of which the Apostle Paule sayth: It is decreed that man shall once die, and then com­eth his iudgement. And our Apostle in this booke: Heb. 9.27. Apoc. 14.13 Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord: (or for the Lords cause) [Page 49] for they rest from their labours, so saith the spirite, and their works follow them. Their owne workes followe them, not the workes of other for them. And be it knowne vnto you y ^t the first death of y ^e soule, (which is sinne and iniquitie) is the verie cause procuring Gods iudge­ment, to strike the bodie with naturall death, and is héere called the first death of the body. For y ^e which, the soule, that dieth in sinne, shall abide much paine & torment in hel, when yet the body ther­of sléepeth quiet in the graue, expecting his woeful resurrection.

And now of the second death, which Christ Iesus, Matt. 10.28 and our Apostle Iohn cal­leth hell, & the lake of fire. Feare not thē, saith Christ, which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soule: but rather feare him which is able to destroy both body & soule, into hel. Here is y ^e death of y ^e bo­dy, the first death; & the death of the soule in hell, the second. Of the same seconde death, speaketh S. Iohn in this receiued text. Goe too, you worldlings, Iam. 5.1. Rom. 2.5. that trea­sure vp wrath to your selues, for the last day: tribulation and anguish, death and hell, shall be your portion. Looke to this [Page 50] you scorners y ^t put far off the last day, here is to you endles woe. You haue made a couenant with death, but death it selfe and hell, viz. the damned soules in them, shall henceforth be cast both bodie and soule, into the burning lake of fire & brimston, which is the second death. For be the day neuer so long, at the last cō ­meth Euening. Oh, beloued that wéepe nowe, then shall you laugh and reioyce, if so that you kisse & embrace the Sonne of God, & fal before his presence, condē ­ning your selues for sin, & killing sinn in you, by y ^e power of his spirit you shal thē sée y ^e proud antechristiā Pharaoh, & al his popish Egyptiās, cast into y ^e sea & gulfe of vnquenchable fire, when your selues, by your mighty Moses & captain christ, shall be ledd into the heauenly lande of promise, there to raigne w ^t him for euer & euer. Many men mooue much dispute about the site and place of hell, this firie lake: But I say onely this of it: It is a forbidden curiositie, engendring strife, deuoide of profit, to question where, and in what place it is: But it is a comman­ded diuinitie, to séeke the liuing God, with reuerent feare, by his mercie, and [Page 51] Christes merite to be raunsomed from the paines and power thereof. Of whose power, we thus say: The second death (which is hell) hath a double power or prerogatiue. The first is a prerogatiue to receiue such persons as of right doe belong vnto her. The seconde is, perpe­tually to kéepe their soules in that lake, till the day of iudgement, and can nei­ther be coniured or commaunded to de­liuer any one of them (or can they come out of her) by any authoritie or power, of Pope or whole papasie: but after that day, shall possesse both the bodies & souls of y ^e malignant Church, to her euerla­sting tormentes. Nowe, what soules and persons, doe belong to her, our A­postle doth tel vs, in the 21. of this book, saying: But the fearefull and vnbelee­uing, and the abhominable, Apoc. 21.8. & murthe­rers, & whormongers, & idolaters & sor­cerers, & al liers, shal haue their part in y ^e lake, which burneth with fire & brimstō, which is the second death. Thrée sortes of persons Gods spirit doeth assure vs, to be vnder the power of y ^e second death. That is: y ^e obstinate Infidell, the feare­full Papiste, and the abhominable [Page 52] couetous of the worlde: as drunkards whoremongers, murtherers, couetous, liars and such like. Delicate be your de­lightes, yee gallants of these dayes, but wisely call them to account, before the mourners followe the sinfull corps to the graue. Eccle. 12.1. &c. For if the Lord (which is the searcher of the heart) find your delights with death to end in infidelitie, in feare­full poperie, or in any these carnal abho­minations, thē deceiue not your selues: for the prerogatiue of the second death, may not be taken frō her. God is a iust God, Rom. 2.6. and in his iustice, will iudge euery mā according to the verie nature of his worke. Note here also, y ^t ciuill honestie, without Christs diuinitie, cannot kéepe the honest Infidel, and vnbeléeuer, from the second death. For we possesse y ^e hea­uens, by inheritance onely, and we are none otherwise made heires, thē by this prerogatiue, that we are made the sōns of God. Io. 1. And wee are none otherwise made the sōnes of God, but by our faith in Iesus Christ. Nor can this faith bée else obtained, but by the spirite of God. Or doth this spirit otherwise (ordina­rily) worke it in vs, then by the prea­ching [Page 53] of the word of God. But, the in­fidell reiecteth the worde: 1. Thes. 4.5. and therefore Gods spirite: likewise our Christ, and in him, our heauenly father, and so fi­nally, this heauenly inheritance. And as for our honest life and good workes, they serue, but so seale vp the heartes of the faithfull, to thassuraunce of their electi­on, and to procure others, to prayse the Lorde, being benefited by them, in vs. But the onely hand that apprehendeth our inheritance in Christ, is our firme fixed faith in him, beléeuing by his word and spirit, in the full consent of our har­tes, that he is the same, which the most mercifull father hath giuen him to be to vs: That is, our wisedome, our iustifi­cation, our holynesse, our frée and most absolute redemption: 1. Cor. 1.10. and so in the bot­tome of our heartes, doe by faith em­brace him.

2 The second sort subiect vnto hel, are the feareful papistes, who shal neuer (so dying) escape y ^e second death. And if you will marke with me this Epitheton, fearefull: & therewith measure in truth, the popish profession: you must of méere necessitie grant me, that no papist (dy­ing [Page 54] in his popery) can be else where pla­ced but in the second death. And to your better vnderstāding hereof, you must di­stinguish betwixt feare & feare: for there is a feare, cōmended & cōmanded to vs, in y ^e holy scriptures, Psa. 111.10. as: The feare of the Lord is y ^e beginning of wisedom: cōman­ded, Psa. 2.10.11. Serue y ^e Lorde in feare, & reioyce to him with trēbling. Again, Feare god, ho­nor the king, 1. Pet. 2.17. loue brotherly fellowship. But this is y ^t feare, which Gods spirite planteth in his children, to serue him in his true worship, & is euer ioyned, w ^t as­sured knowledge, & affiance in God. And in y ^e knot of christiā mariage, Psal. 58.9. Psal. 112. Psal. 118. this sacred feare is rightly shadowed: for y ^e wife fea­reth to offend her husband, but it is for reuerēce & loue to him, & neuer w ^tout af­fiance of his fauor, because she knoweth him, to be her maried husband: So like­wise y ^e godly child, doth feare to displease his father, not bicause he doubteth of his loue, but for y ^t he would not gréeue y ^e spi­rit of his life, whō he feleth most assuredly in natural knot, fast tyed to him. And though his father lend him a frowning face, he knows y ^t those his lookes proceed of fatherly loue, to his correctiō. wherof [Page 55] persuaded, so he feareth, so he trusteth, so he naturally loueth & obeieth him. And this knowledge & loue driueth away fil­thy feare, which gendreth painefulnes. But the feare y ^t Iohn speaketh of, is flat contrarie to this. It is begotten by di­strust in god, it is borne of ignorance, it liueth to dispaire, & dieth in gret painfulnes. what other is y ^e whole profession of popery, but méere timiditie? They euer distrust god of his promise, during their life, & therefore they die in feare of his fauor, at y ^e houre of death. If he say: That soule y ^t sinneth shal die, they beleue him not, but walke frō sin to sin, committing more trust to a Popes bul, thē credit to y ^e immortal word of god. If y ^e Lord say, and sweare also: Verely, verely, Io. 5.24. he that heareth my words, & beleueth in him y ^t sent me, hath euerlasting life, & shall not come into condēnatiō: but hath passed frō death to life. yet y ^e papist is afraid to rest vpō this promise: for he doth not ab­solutely beléeue it, but is in feare notw ^t ­standing, y ^t after death, his soule shal go to condemnation, if not to hell, yet at the least to purgatory. Though the spirit of God say, There is no condēnation to thē [Page 56] that are graft in Christ Iesu: whose life is not after y ^e flesh, but after the spirit: yet the papist, wil not beleeue, y ^t he ought to be assured of this Christian rocke, to rest vpon: but casteth himselfe into the raging sea of wauering distrust. Which feareful persuasion, hath béene the very building of al Abbies, priories, & popish paultries, from many yeres past vs, and doth bréede great blasphemie to the glorie of God. For first it taketh away the foundation of our faith, in the me­rite of Christ, which is, y ^e God almighty is become our father in him, and y ^t he is nowe well pleased with vs, and as a father, not onely doeth pardon our sins, but so tenderly loueth vs, y ^t our neces­sities whatsoeuer, he carefully helpeth. It taketh away also this holy boldnes in loue, which his spirit doeth assure vs of, and Christ doeth teach vs to cry vn­to him: Math. 6. O thou y ^t art our father. Second­ly the popish doubtfulnes taketh away y ^e benefite of Christ his sonne. For we are taught to beleue, y ^e Christ is dead, for vs, that he is y ^e lambe of God, which taketh away our sinnes, that nothing can con­dēne vs, because our Christ hath iustified [Page 57] vs, and is deade, risen againe, and set at the right hand of God, for vs, so that in him, we that truely beléeue, are more then conquerours: so as neither hell or heauen, man or Angel, prince or diuell, things present or to come, can separate vs, from our benefite, and loue of Christ. This certaintie the booke of God doth teach vs: but from this anchorholde, the diuell and poperie, laboureth to drawe vs. Thirdly it taketh all godly consola­tion from vs, in the day of tentation, & layeth vs open to Sathans iawes. For who can lift vp his heart, in tentation, that fighting with his enimy much stronger thē he, hath no hope of his cap­taine Christ, the strongest of all, or in the mercie of God, to defende him? It al­so taketh away ardent & earnest prayer to God: for who can with comfort crie in triall, that standeth in feare he shall not be hearde? but in the ende he falleth into dispaire & hate of God, to all loose­nesse of life, and ruffianlike boldnes, ta­king lust to liue in sinne, not expecting other then hell at the ende. Laste of all, the popish doctrine of doubtfulnesse figh­teth flat against the nature of our Chri­stian [Page 58] faith: which is not a light opinion of our God, and Christ his loue to vs, and our saluation in him: but a most firme, stable and sure foundation setled in our soules: so, as neither fire in earth, nor powers in hell, can burne or raze it out of our heartes, that wee are sealed by his spirite, in the faith of his Christ, Rom. 8. to be his children, and fellowe heires with our eldest brother Christ our Lorde, in his great loue, wherw ^t he hath loued vs, yea, euen when we were his enimies. Wherefore we are taught that bee faithfull, Rom. 5. to holde this for most certaine: that though wee be wicked of our selues, yet are wee iustified by his grace, in our faith, and haue peace with God, and frée accesse in one spirite, to God our father nowe, and shalbe recei­ued to him of Angels, when we departe this life, as this our text doth also tell vs. Hell shall not touch vs, but we shall raigne with God, his priestes, and holy ones for euer. Cast off popish feareful­nesse therfore, & acquaint your selues w ^t the hearing of y ^e word of God: so shal yée learne, to be firme in faith & sure to liue. Here be touched also, all those, which [Page 59] feare men rather then God, and in time of persecution runne from religion, or in the presēce of popish princes, iudges, tormentours, or before a balde Masse-priest, dare not confesse the Lorde: but to saue his momentary life, doth cast a­way the eternall. Hee that will saue his life, shall lose it: Matt. 10.38. Mark. 8.35 Luk. 9.23. Io. 12.2 [...]. & he that shal lose his life for my sake and the gospels, shall saue it, saith our sauiour Christ. Pray, pray: pray the Lorde to pull you out of poperie (beloued) and in speede, come out of Babilon, Apoc. 18. which is appointed to be cast into the fierie lake, least being parta­kers of her sinnes, yée also féede of her plagues. The thirde sort which shall to hell, are the abhominable murtherers, harlots, and such like. These abhomina­ble are to be vnderstoode of such persons, as, hauing once professed the trueth of God, are now, not onely become to hate it, but most filthily they blaspheme it, persecute and torment those, that pro­fesse it, to whom is reserued fire & brim­stone. Heb. 6. Heb. 10. The rest, are so manifest, as néede no commentarie: onely let vs knowe, that murthe­rers be they, which kill, wound or hurt, [Page 60] themselues or their neighbours, either with the sworde of an hateful heart, 1. Io. 3.15. (as Iohn saith) or with the sharpned tongue (as Dauid saith) or with the hande, as Caine did his brother Habell. Psa. 120.3.4 And for­get not that the seconde death, is the re­ceptacle for all such as die impenitent hereof.

The seconde parte of deathes power in hell is, fast to retaine her captiues, from the houre of their death with Di­ues, vntil the day of the last resurrectiō: which thing is most plainely proued by the storie of Diues and Lazarus. Luk. 16.

Nowe (beloued) the papists graunt with vs, that in the hels there is no re­demption: but they say, that in the earth there are distinct, thrée sorts of mē: One sort most holy, another sort most wicked and the thirde sort of a certain mixture, neither so holy, as straight vpon death they demerite to goe to heauen, or yet so wicked, as at all they can be sent to hell, but are for a time, committed after death, vnto the paines of Purgatorie, and must thence bée delyuered, not by mercie, but by merite of Masses (dirtie) diriges, popes (paltries called) pardons, [Page 61] and such like. And here is your founda­tion, and your cause of prayer for the deade. In aunswere wherof we graunt: some persons are so sanctified in earth, that straight from hence they goe to heauen, but not for any their merite: For they are taught to holde, that ha­uing done all they can: Luke 17.10. yet they are none other but wasting and vnprofita­ble seruauntes. And that some are so wicked, that straight they goe to hell, as all obstinate, rebellyous and tray­terous papistes, feareful wretches, and abhominable persons, we firmely be­léeue. But, that there are any so imper­fect, that for their imperfection, they are stayed from heauen, and for their rem­nant of holynesse, cannot come to hell, and therefore of necessitie must tumble into a popish purgatorie, this we flatly affirme to be a foolish opinion, without warrant from God. And touching these mixed persons, surely the Church neither hath had, or shall haue any o­ther. Of women: was not that most holy maide, Marie, the blessed mother of Christ, one most sacred? Io. 2.3.4. But both the holy scriptures, and her owne confessi­on [Page 62] conuinceth her of sinne, but she is sa­ued by her Christ, Luk. 2. saying: My spirit doth reioyce in God my sauiour. And for her daily sinnes, she, as al other, is taught to pray: forgiue vs our sinnes. So also, in her blessed bodie, was sure faith, great loue, a pure heart, and much godlynesse, wherefore beholde a certaine mixture. Also of men: the Apostles were the most pure, and yet not without the bodies of sinne. What else moueth Paul, to crie to the Romans: Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliuer me from y ^e body of this death? And this our most holie Iohn, in his first Epistle, doth accuse himselfe, 1. Io. 1.8. & all other Apostles, of sin, say­ing: If we say y ^t we haue no sinne, we de­ceiue our selues, &c. Thus they liued, & thus they dyed with this battel against sinne, but had victorie in Iesus Christ. Yet I trow, y ^t the papistes will not say: how the gratious virgin Mary and the holy Apostles, went from death, to their popish purgatorie. Rom. 7.23. The same mixture, y ^t is to say, in one bodie, to haue obeying faith, & in it another lawe rebelling to the spirite, is in all the electe of God, in more or lesse measure. By meanes [Page 63] whereof, there cannot but bee many sharpe battels, in the hearte of man, so, as some times, he slippeth & is brought very low, & somtimes he resteth againe and taketh courage, and stoutly standeth vnder the banner, of his captain Christ, by the strength of his holy spirite: but yet at the houre of death, if he shoulde be measured, by his falls, he should be iud­ged worthy of the second death. Psal. 130.3. But be­cause he hath his part (by true & louing Faith, in repentance) of the first resur­rection, he dyeth blessed in the Lord, and holy, resteth from his labours in earth, and paines in hell: for, the second death hath no power of him, much lesse can a popish purgatorie, which is not. I come not to dispute with the papistes nowe, but to lay forth the plaine doctrine of saluation, to your Christian hearts, and something to let you sée the blindnes of y ^e side, which in so cléere a light do grope at their owne inuentions. But to your purgatory thus much: Is there such a place? yea sir. I pray you wher sir, haue you warrant for it in the holy scrip­tures? Forsooth saith the papist, both in the olde Testament, and in the newe. [Page 64] doth not Zacharie say: Zach. 9.11. I haue loosed my prisoners out of the pitte wherein is no water? Sir, here is our purgatory. Well proued: and like the rest of all your religion. Héere is mētion made of a pitte voide of water, & that is ynough for purgatories proofe. Such warrant haue they, for the assumption of their Lady, hauing no warrant for it, in their blasphemous Masse, of that day they solemnely sing the Gospel, of Marie & Martha. But this is ynough to blinde the eyes of the ignorant, that they haue the name of Marie, in that Masse, al­though it concerne a farre other matter, and be altogether spokē of another per­son. And euen such is the popish begge­rie of this rich place, and promise of Gods prophet here. But be it that this scripture did any whitte toote at your purgatorie: I pray you sir, hath your purgatorie neither fire nor water in it? you sée, water is here denied, and here is no mention of fire at all. Besides, the deliuerie here is saide to be, by the Lorde in heauen, and that in his mercy, without their merite: But out of your purgatorie, mens soules are deliuered [Page 65] by men: in earth, without him in hea­uen, through their merite (to his iustice) of prayer and almes, and diriges, and restles masses, and such like, and not by his mercie. And for the proofe hereof, you cite this place: Matt. 5.26. He shall not come out thence, till hee hath paide the vt­most farthinge. If this sentence serue your purpose, then this doctrin, is right­ly gathered of it, that though all the pa­pists in the worlde pray and crie, and launce themselues, 1. King. 18 27. with their forefa­thers the false priestes of Baal, till they cease to liue, yet their poore popish priso­ner lyeth in the pitte still, but without fire or water, (it is sure, some driefatte) till he hath payed, & not prayed, the vt­most farthing. Thus (beloued) yée may sée what gaine the papistes haue got of this place, which they haue stollen from his true sense, to shadowe their shame­full briberie, and marchandize of mens soules in a faigned purgatorie. If it bée lawfull to allegorize this place, 1. Pet. 2.1.2.3 Apoc. 12.16.17. then this lake is rather the power of Sa­tan, & the bloude of the couenaunt, is the death of the Lord Christ: who hath long since, before we were borne, purged vs, [Page 66] and thence deliuered vs, [...]oll. 1.13. and hath trans­lated vs into the kingdome of himselfe. And your owne doctour Hierome affir­meth, y ^t this lake is (not purgatory, but) hell it self. But y ^e true sense of the place is, an assurance of Gods hande to them of Ierusalem, for the couenant of his Christ, for whose sake hee hath nowe brought them from Babylons bondage.

A second place, the papistes haue of the new Testament, & that is out of the 1. Corinth. 3. Euerie mans worke shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shalbe reuealed by the fire, & the fire shal trie euery mans worke, of what sort it is. And this place séemeth so flatte on their side, that néedes we must haue a purgatorie. Aeneid 6. Olimp. 2. Aretius loc. 56. Truely, for all this, we must driue them to Virgil, & Pinda­rus, for Paul doth no whit helpe them. And (good Christian auditorie) measure their opinion, by this scripture, and you shall sée howe falsely they father their purgatorie hereof. Héerein is mention of fire, I graunt: But such is this fire, y ^t not the persons y ^t do work gold or stub­ble, but y ^e work wrought shalbe cast in­to it: For he saith, & the fire shal trie e­uerie [Page 67] mans worke, &c. but they are to proue a place of fire, wherein the work­man for his worke, is to be cast, which thou seest cannot be this. Againe, they say no man shal come into their purga­torie, but y ^e mixed sort wherof we spake before: But Paul speaketh here, of such a fire, as vniuersally all must be tryed by. For he saith not, they which haue builded haye, woode or stubble only, shal be tryed there, but also they, which haue builded golde, siluer, & precious stones vpon the foūdation: These good workmē must yet goe through this fire, or at the least their workemanshippe: For hee saith, euery mans worke, &c. Fur­ther, the texte doth not saye, that this fire shall purge the worke from cor­ruption, or chaunge it: as to make Haye become Golde; Woode, Sil­uer; stubble precious stones: But hée saith, it shall bee ignis probatorius, non Purgatorius, it shall onelye prooue and trye, what nature the mettall is off, not purge the person; or his worke at all. Doe not yee sée, by this soun­ding and short sifting of their po­pishe follyes, with this portion of holye [Page 58] scripture, that the papists are sacrilegi­ous robbers of God, and his scriptures? I doubt not, but you doe. Adde to this, their owne doctors are of other iudge­ment, touching this fire. Chrisostome ta­keth it for hell fire: To. 1. li. 4. c. 36 Hierome, for the fire at the last day, which shal then trie eue­ry mans worke what it is: Gregorie a Pope of Rome, vnderstandeth it for the afflictions of this life: And auncient Ambrose interpreteth it of doctrine, which of al other is the néerest the mind of the Apostle. For, the Apostle speaketh only of preachers & their labours, which the fire of Gods iudgement shall make manifest at his appointed season, whe­ther they haue preached with the groūds of Religion in truth, and taught other points of doctrine also, sincerely & sound­ly, in puritie of trueth, or more corrupt­ly haue laide erronious opinions; vpon the foundation of our faith. This was the Apostles purpose, so that if this fire shoulde be of purgatorie, then no man, but preachers, (protestantes and po­pish) shoulde come thither. Last of all, their transgressions coulde neuer in this fire bée forgiuen, but onely pro­ued [Page 69] such as they were. But if they could haue so good happe, as there to bée purged, yet is mercie so shutte out of that purgatorie, that no prayer can obtaine remission of sinnes there, or any redemption, can bee had, till sufficient paines be paide in that scarrefire, and so by fire, the soule must bee purged. Some other places they bring out, for their purgatorie. As, Macha. 1 [...]. that acte of Macha­beus for the dead, who sent his siluer to pray for them, and is commended by y ^e abridgement. For answere heereto, I say, althoughe we shoulde graunt this Act consonant w ^t the word (which indéed, is most flat against it) yet, that he, in that corruption of the Churche, prayed for the dead, nothing shall it proue for your purgatorie, no more then the prai­ers of some auncientes before vs, for the dead, did, when as they dreamed, not of purgatorie, but thought onely of the resurrection, vers. 44. as Iudas doth in this place. But I say to this place, as some Lawyers vse to say: Truth may not be trodden vnderfoote with a counterfaite showe. Of the weakenes of this booke, the Papistes themselues suffi­ciently [Page 70] knowe, and he that is ignorant thereof, let him read Kemnisius against the Tridentine councel in his Historia Purgatorii, cap. 20. sess. 8. I will no longer detaine you (good people) in these pur­gatorie matters: onely I tell you, such warrant hath all the rest of their profes­sion, for their imagined purgatory, out of which they say mens soules shal once come, but they know not when. No, no, the seconde death is the onely receptacle of them, that goe not to heauen, where they shalbe holden remedilesse vntill the last resurrection. And this is the power of the second death. Against this the pa­pistes also say, that after life there is forgiuenesse of sinnes, to this mixed companye, which is obtained by their friendes, and merites of the Church, for them. But (beloued) this is their dreame against the trueth of the scrip­ture, and the iudgementes of their best doctours, both which affirme plainely, that after naturall death, there is no remission of sinnes to the departed. Wherfore Dauid (in his life time) pray­eth, Psal. 39.13. O Lorde stay thine anger from mee, that I may recouer my strength before I [Page 71] goe hence, and be not.

The parable of the wise, Matth. 25. and foolishe virgin, is set downe of Christ to proue this. and howe fareth it with them? The wiser sort take Oyle with them: They loue, and liue a Christian life, while they haue time in this world, and therefore their owne workes doe follow them: and present themselues, as a wit­nesse to the parties faith, and are crow­ned with mercie: Come yee blessed of my Father, when I was an hungrie, you fedde mee. But the foolishe Vir­gins, though of the same calling, Vir­gins, the same profession to beare the lampe: Yet, because they were carelesse of Gods holy spirite, and thereby had no lightes before men, of Godly labours in good woorkes (the true triall of a liuelye faith) but haue committed that vnto their friendes, for them. These (I say) wanting true obedience to GOD, who hath saide, Matt. 5.16. Let your light so shine bee­fore men, that they seeing your good workes, may glorie your Father which is in Heauen, had a boundance of car­nalitie, with them.

1. Tim. 5.24. These their euill workes, as some went before, and some followed them, vnto Iudgmente: so, they (after life) coulde haue none other answere to their crie, Matt. 25.13 (Lorde open to vs) but this: de­parte ye cursed, I know you not. As many of you, heere present, therefore, as longe after life: séeke the Lord while he is to be founde, before your naturall death. While ye haue the light (saith Christ our Lorde) walke in the light: For darknesse will come, wherein no man can walke. And his Apostle Paul saith, Galat. 6.6. While wee haue time, let vs doe good to all men: but he saith, while we haue time, which time is, y ^t we possesse in this life, and not others for vs after it. To this doctrine the auncient wri­ters subscribe their heartes, and haue left their handes w ^t vs, yea euen such fa­thers, as y ^e papists approue for saincts, & their writings equall to the holy scrip­tures.

And first touching the sentence of Dauid before cited, videlicet: Lorde staye thine anger from mee. &c. Am­brose Ambrosius To. 1. li de B [...]. Mor. c. 2. pag. 243 saith, Qui enim hic non accipit, &c.

Truely he y ^e receiueth not forgiuenes [Page 73] of his sinnes, in this life, shall not bée there. He shal not be there. Why? for hee can not possibly come to eternall life, because life eternall dependeth v­pon the forgiuenes of sinnes. And ther­fore Dauid prayed, Forgiue me Lorde, that I may bee comforted, before I goe hence. Thus farre Ambrose. Hierome a priest of Rome, and one of the foure Euangelistes of that Synagogue, vpon the same text, writing vpon Esay, saith: Hier. in Esa. to. 5. cap. 65 Pa. 244. b. He that whilest he heere liueth, Dum in hoc corpore viuit) hath not obteined for­giuenesse of his sinnes, but hath without such remission, departed this life, hee perisheth to God, and ceasseth to bee: al­though he continue to himself, in paine and tormentes. And as touching the seconde scripture: Dum tempus habemus, Hierome saith of it: This our present life, is the seede time for vs to sowe, whatsoeuer we wil (saith Hierome:) but when this life is passed, and gone from vs, then is the time of good working taken away also. Augustine saith here­of, In futuro solism est remuneratio, In the life to come there is onely recompence and condemnation: but in this life, our [Page 74] sinnes are either bounde vp or loosed. And that learned Cyprian saith expres­ly: When our departure shall be here­hence, there is lefte no place for repen­tance or power of any satisfaction. No saith Augustine ad Hesichium: Aug. ad He­fic. To. 2. epi. 80. fol. 350. For in what state soeuer at the last day of mans life, death shall sinde him: in the same state and condition, the last day of the worlde, shall comprehende him. Quo­niam qualis in die isto quisque moritur, ta­lis in illo die iudicabitur: For in what case soeuer a man at his last day, shall die, in the same case and state, shall the Lord iudge him, at the great day. From all these places, and witnesses then (be­loued) yee sée, that neither popish prai­er, Romishe masses, deadly diriges, friuolous almes, or paltrie pardons, paines in purgatorie, or popishe par­dons can any whit alter the state & con­dition of the persons once dead: but such workes as they themselues caried with them, such shall they rise withall vnto their iudgement: whether lampes of lo­uing faith, to the praise of God, or cres­settes of corruption, to their owne con­demnation. And thus I will conclude, [Page 75] with the spirite of Gods sentence, our best moderator, and so passe to the last braunch. Io. 5.28. Maruell not at this (sayth Christe) for the houre shall come, in the which all that are in the graues, shall heare his voice: And they shall come forth, that haue done good vnto the re­surrectiō of life: But they that haue done euill, vnto the resurrection of condem­nation. The same assurance of doctrine, Gods spirite, by Paul doeth deliuer vs saying: 2. Cor. 5.10. We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe, that euery man may receiue the thinges which are done in his bodye, according to that hee hath done, whether it bee good or euill.

Note well this doctrine, and amend your liues, rest not vppon the doubtfull doctrine, of poperie (O dearely bought children of GOD) but fixe your faith, in this absolute doctrine of sound warrant, which is yea, and amen Then here you may perceiue, that after death there is no temporarie prison, as Popish purgatorie but a perpetuall lake of fire, which is y ^e second death: And also, y ^t after this life, there is no remissiō of sins to a­ny [Page 76] that hath not obteined that grace, du­ring this time of repentance. But euen in what state the soule departeth from the bodie, at the comming of death: euen vnchanged, hee retyreth to the same bodie at the last, for the déeds done by himselfe, and not for the workes of any other done after him: And to re­ceiue his iudgement, whether through faith (in her fruites) vnto life, in Christ, or because of sinne and Sathan, to eter­nall death. This is the sound, and sure doctrine of our good God. But as for the gainefull and paineful preaching of poperie, and her purgatorie, as a most venemous Serpente, flée from it: that you may escape the seconde death, and be partakers of the felicitie of the iust, which our text saith, is this: For they shall bee the priestes of God and Christ, and shall raigne with him a thou­sande yeares.

Cicero hath saide, that true beati­tude or blessednesse consisteth of two partes: Namely, to be frée from al kinde of want and miserie: and so to abound in all goodnesse, that on no parte he née­deth to aske further. Surely this very [Page 77] happinesse shall come to all those, which be partakers of the first resurrection. First, they shall be frée from all woe and miserie, in the ende of their course: for the seconde death, shall haue no power of them. And they shall abounde in all felicitie: for they are blessed, & holy, and shall therefore raigne with Christ for e­uer more. And here againe (beloued) note with me, what it is, to be blessed and holy. Namely, to haue forgiuenes of our sinnes in Christes death: Heb. 9. and by the same, to be purged and segregated from dead workes, to serue the liuing God. Psal. 32.1.2. Rom. 4.7.8. Blessed are they (saith Dauid) whose iniquities are forgiuen, & whose sinnes are couered: blessed is the man to whome the Lorde doeth not impute sinne. And then againe note, who they be that are so blessed, by Gods censure here: marke it wel, and thou shalt sée it: Not they, that liue so vprightly, that God hath not any thing, to lay to their charges: for none such can be founde a­mongest the sonnes of men. For what is he, that liueth and sinneth not, yea, more then seauen times a day? Psal. 14.1. & 53.4. No flesh is righteous in Gods sight: for all haue [Page 78] sinned, Rom. 3.23. all haue gone out of the way, e­uery man his seuered course: this, af­ter this sinne, another, after that, and all are therefore depriued of the glory of God: Dan. 9.5. All are taught to cry, We & our fathers haue sinned, wee haue done vn­iustly, but deale not with vs, O Lord, in thine anger, for then wee perishe: but in the multitude of thy mercies, haue thou mercie vpon vs, and forgiue vs our trespasses. And heerein consisteth the felicitie of the iust, that they haue féeling heartes of sinne, and penitent spirites for their transgressions: hum­bled soules, void of hypocrisie, before the Almightie God, confessing with teares, in great remorse & agonies, their heaps of corruptions, before him: Euen Marie Christes mother, the Apostles and all the foure electe of God. Then are these mixed persons (whome the Papistes make the thirde sorte, to goe to purga­torie) onely they which are blessed, and are the whole number of the electe. All which as they confesse them selues; worthie the seconde death, because of Sinne, and no wayes can merite eter­nall life, because their beste workes [Page 79] are full of corruption: So they migh­tily triumphe ouer sinne, Esa. 30.22. death and hell: because they are purged in the bloode of the lambe, Reuel. 7.14. and haue their gar­mentes made white, are pardoned, of their former sinnes, by faith, in hys bloode, & are sanctified vnto godlinesse. Yea, so long as they liue, they confesse: because they féele the burthen of sinne in them, but they reioyce in this fe­licitie, that his spirite worketh in them an ardent zeale, and burninge desire, to liue in godlinesse and honestie, according to such portion, as the Lord doeth giue them, in their parte of the first resurrection. And hee that se­eth not this, nor hath the practise of the premisses, is blinde and hath forgotten the purgation of sinnes.

Last of all, forget not, this our A­postle doth not say, Blessed is he, 2. Pet. 1.9▪ which hath perfection in the firste resurrecti­on: but, blessed is hee, that hath hys part in the first resurrection. So as, though there bee in vs, yet the rem­nauntes of sinne, and we can not quite shake off, that which cleaueth so faste [Page 80] on, Heb. 12.1. or fully créepe, from that burthen, that presseth so harde vpon vs: (& there­fore alwayes of this sort, that are be­fore called mixt) yet that Mediocritie or mixture, can not sende vs to the second death, if we haue our part, in the firste resurrection. But I would not leaue thy conscience to bare affirmations. There be verie sounde reasons to drawe thy confidence to this comforte. 1. Reason. The firste is, the great mercie and rich clemencie of God the father, whose mercie hath béene such towardes vs, that when wée were his enemies, through sinne, hee hath euen then reconciled vs to him­selfe, by his grace: howe much more therefore nowe, shall he estéeme vs for his, and embrace vs with his armes of mercie, séeing, we being so reconciled, séeke for his spirite to dwell in his loue? If hee from his wrath deliuered vs, whē we had no care of him: shal he not much more nowe deliuer vs, shew a parte thereof (which they say, is purgatorie) nowe that our chiefe desire is, to séeke after him: and doe lament, at the ve­rie heart, that dayly we so grieue him by our sinne? This I take to be Pauls [Page 81] comfort to vs, where he saith: But God setteth out his loue towardes vs, Rom. 5.8.9.10. seeing that while we were yet sinners, Christe died for vs: much more then, being now iustified by his bloode, wee shall be sa­ued from wrath, through him. For, if when we were enemies, we were recon­ciled to God, by the death of his sonne: much more, being reconciled, wee shall be saued by his life.

2 The seconde argument is of the ab­solute sacrifice of Christ, Gods sōne, for vs. we cannot fall from naturall death, into popish purgatorie, which are graft into his death: for the same hath fully satisfied the iustice of God for vs, paci­fied his anger, and obteined vs eternall redemption. 1. Pet. 3.18. For Christ also hath once suffered (saith Peter,) y ^e iust for the vn­iust, that he might (not sende vs to pur­gatorie, but) bring vs to God. And this Christ in his owne bodie, bare our sins, on the trée, 1. Pet. 2.24 that being deliuered from sinne (then of good consequent, from the rewarde of sinne, which is death) wee shoulde liue in righteousnesse: by whose stripes (and not by popishe purgato­ries purging) we are soundly healed. [Page 82] The fathers wrath, in this sacrifice, is fully pacified: for he hath giuen vs twice warrant thereof, by his owne voyce, sa­ing: 1. Pet. 2.24. Mat. 3.17. & 17.5. 1. Pet. 1.17. This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased. It resteth therefore, according to our heauenly fathers com­maundement, that we onely heare, and beléeue him. No feare of death, or iudge­ment to hell, (much lesse to purgatorie) can come then to vs, which liue in the first resurrection by newnes of life. For the Lorde our redemer, hath payed the full price of our ransome, and is there­fore our Lutron and Lutrosis, so as, the vttermost farthing is tendred to Gods iustice in his death, for mans sinne, not by petition of sparing, or bearing for day of further payment, Matt. 20. but by his blood he hath paide himselfe once for all, a full and absolute price for our redemption, to his father, Col. 2.14.15 and hath therfore, trium­phed on the crosse against principali­ties and powers, and hath taken vs, in his victorie from the handes of captiui­tie, & translated vs into his grace, put­ting out the whole hand writing that was against vs. Totum Chyrographum, he hath taken away, the whole obligati­on, [Page 83] not parte of it, in discharge of our debts, that be graft in him. And therfore there can not remayne a remnaunt of redemption for our selues, in a popishe purgatorie: For, to suppose this, were the greatest iniurie that coulde be, to the blood of our full ransome Iesus Christ.

Last of all, y ^e promise of Gods mouth which can not lie (whose wordes are al­wayes yea, and shall be alwayes true, though heauen and earth runne toge­ther, to perfourme them) is a fur­ther assurance to the conscience, of the godly man, that hee shall passe from death, presently vnto life. For their pur­gatorie is (say they) but to punish those sinnes, which at a mans death, remaine vnpardoned, and not purged before. But to the penitent God saith thus: At what time so euer a sinner doeth repent him of his sinne, Ezech. 18. from the bottome of his heart, at that time will I (saith the Lord) I, (shall the Pope then punish?) put all, (and not part of) his wickednesse out of my remembraunce. And our sauiour Christ, Io. 6. hath promised vs (which is the author of trueth) He that beleeueth in me, yea, though he were deade, yet shal [Page 84] he liue. And he that beleueth in me, hath euerlasting life. Againe, that which a­boue all other, is most plaine: Hee that beleueth in mee, Io. 5.24. shall not come into cō ­demnation: but hath passed from death to life. Héere is plaine pardon and free immunitie, from iudge and gaoler, or corpus capias, to bring to the barre, for them that die in the true faith of the Lord: for they are blessed and holy, & shal not sée death, but shal be presently taken vp to life, to be the priestes of God, and Christ, to raign with him for euermore.

But now to ende this my tedious labor, (O my deare brethrē) both tyring you, and much toyling my self gods spi­rite doth heere tell vs, howe the faithful (whose sinnes, Psa. 32.1.2. though they haue many, are not laid to their charge) are so farre, from being plunged in a popishe purga­torie, that farre contrary they are exal­ted into the height of heauen, and cal­led to the companie of those sancti­fied soules, which daily follow y ^e lambe, and offer vp to God the holy sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing, for their redemption in the bloude of the Lambe saying: Apoc. 7.12. Amen. Praise and glorie, and [Page 85] wisdome and thankes, and honour and power, and might be vnto God, for euer more, Amen. These are they, which came out of great tribulations (saith the elder vnto Iohn) and haue washed their robes white, in the bloud of the Lambe. Ther­fore are they in the presence of y ^e throne of God, and serue him day and night in his temple, and hee that sitteth on the Throne will dwel among them. This is not a paineful purgatorie, for it follow­eth, They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sunne light on them, neither any heate (there­fore no hott purgatory fire:) for y ^e Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne, shall gouerne them, and shall lead them vnto the liuely fountaines of waters, and God shal wipe al teares away from their eyes. Behold héere a most blessed felicitie, god grant vs al that be héere to day, (if it be his blessed will) to be partakers hereof. And now somthing to say of this reue­rend person, whose christian corps doth lye yet before vs, according to the truth of his demerit w ^t man, & for whose sake, we are héere assembled. Somewhat I knew the man my selfe: But I am fur­ther [Page 86] assured of him, by such as doe not fawne, but truly feare y ^e Lord: That he was according to gods prouidence, born vnto Christ, he hath béene trained vp, in Christianity, & mercifully called, from y ^e pestilent sinke of popery, and from his first féeling of Christ, hath euer cōstant­ly in heart, embraced true religion, and very comfortably, made confession ther­of, in y ^e whole course of his life, so as his handworking, hath borne good testimo­nie of his beléeuing heart: and hath so vprightly receiued these great blessings cast vnto him of God, that this offer is made by such as it doth most concerne: If any man bee able iustly to charge him, to haue at any time willingly done wrōg to him, or by brybery in his office, to haue enriched himselfe, vppon due proofe hereof, Zacheus tribute shall bée paide vnto him: that is, he shalbe resto­red foure fold. And though this man had his imperfectiōs with y ^e sons of god: yet he comfortably felt his beatitude, in his sauiour Christ, euen y ^e forgiuenes of his sins, in the mercy of God, through him: & therefore as he liued a partaker of the first resurrection: so hee ended this life [Page 87] without feare of the seconde death. And as he saw with holy Symeon, the Lord Christ to be onely his saluation: So, we may pronounce of him, with good confi­dence, that his soule doth rest in peace. And no doubt, it is taken vp of Angels, vnto the mount Syon, the citie of the li­uing God, the celestiall Ierusalem, Heb. 12.22. and to y ^e companie of innumerable Angels, and to the congregation of the first born, which are written in heauen, and to god the iudge of all: and to Iesus the media­tor of the newe Testament, and to the bloude of sprinkling, that speaketh bet­ter things, then that of Habell. For it asketh vengeance, more forcibly to the wicked, and promiseth life, and pardon most assuredly to the sonnes of GOD. Wherefore to thée our deare father, our sauiour Christ, and the holy ghost, thrée persons distinct, but one immortall god, be all glorie, wisedome, thankes, honor, power and might, for euer more. Amen.