THE occasion of these words of our blessed Saviour was an Objection which the Sadduces made against the Resur­rection, [Page 2] grounded upon a case which had sometimes happened among them, of a woman that had had seven brethren successively to her husbands. Upon which case they put this Question to our Sa­viour; whose wife of the seven shall this woman be at the Resurrection? That is, if men live in another world, how shall the controversie between these seven brethren be decided? for they all seem to have an equal claim to this woman, each of them having had her to his wife.

This captious Question was not easie to be answered by the Phari­sees, who fancied the enjoyments of the next life to be of the same kind with the sensual pleasures of this world, onely greater and more durable. From which Tradition of the Jews concerning a sensual Paradise, Mahomet seems to have taken the pattern of his; as he did [Page 3] likewise many other things from the Jewish Traditions. Now up­on this supposition, that in the next life there will be marrying and giving in marriage, it was a Question not easily satisfied, Whose wife of the seven this woman should then be?

But our Saviour clearly avoids the whole force of it, by shewing the different state of men in this world, and in the other. The chil­dren of this world (says he) marry, and are given in marriage; but they who shall be accounted worthy to ob­tain that world, and the resurrecti­on from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage. And he does not barely and magisteri­ally assert this Doctrine, but gives a plain and substantial Reason for it; because they cannot die any more. After men have lived a while in this world they are taken away by death, and therefore marriage is [Page 4] necessary to maintain a succession of mankind; but in the other world men shall become immortal and live for ever, and then the reason of marriage will wholly cease: For when men can die no more there will then be no need of any new supplies of mankind.

Our Saviour having thus cleared himself of this Objection by taking away the ground and foundation of it, he produceth an Argument for the proof of the Resurrection, in the Words of my Text; Now that the dead are raised, Moses even shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abra­ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, That is, when in one of his Books God is brought in spea­king to him out of the bush, and calling himself by the Title of the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. From whence our Saviour infers the Re­surrection, [Page 5] because God is not the God of the dead but of the living: For all live to him.

My design from these Words is, to shew the force and strength of this Argument which our Saviour urgeth for the proof of the Resur­rection. In order whereunto I shall,

First. Consider it as an Argu­ment ad hominem, and shew the fitness and force of it to convince those with whom our Saviour dis­puted.

Secondly, I shall enquire, Whe­ther it be more than an Argument ad hominem? And if it be, where­in the real and absolute force of it doth consist?

And then, I shall apply this Doctrine of the Resurrection to the present Occasion.

I. First. We will consider it as an Argument ad hominem, and shew [Page 6] the fitness and force of it to con­vince those with whom our Savi­our disputed. And this will ap­pear if we carefully consider these four things.

1. What our Saviour intended directly and immediately to prove by this Argument.

2. The extraordinary venerati­on which the Jews in general had for the Writings of Moses, above any other Books of the Old Te­stament.

3. The peculiar notion which the Jews had concerning the use of this Phrase or expression of God's being any ones God.

4. The great respect which the Jews had for these three Fathers of their Nation, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For each of these make our Saviour's Argument more forcible against those with whom he dis­puted.

[Page 7] First. We will consider what our Saviour intended directly and immediately to prove by this Ar­gument. And that was this, That there is another state after this life, wherein men shall be happy or mi­serable according as they have li­ved in this world. And this doth not onely suppose the immortality of the Soul, but forasmuch as the Body is an essential part of man doth by consequence infer the re­surrection of the Body; because otherwise the man would not be happy or miserable in the other world. But I cannot see any suffi­cient ground to believe that our Saviour intended by this Argument directly and immediately to prove the resurrection of the Body, but onely by consequence, and as it follows from the admission of a fu­ture state wherein men shall be rewarded or punished. For that [Page 8] Reason of our Saviour, that God is not a God of the dead but of the li­ving, if it did directly prove the resurrection of the Body, it would prove that the Bodies of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were raised to life again, at or before that time when God spake to Moses and called him­self the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: But we do not believe this; and therefore ought not to suppose that it was the intention of our Sa­viour directly and immediately to prove the resurrection of the Body, but onely (as I said before) a future state. And that this was all our Saviour intended will more plainly appear, if we consider what that Errour of the Sadduces was which our Saviour here confutes. And Josephus, who very well under­stood the difference of the Sects among the Jews, and gives a par­ticular account of them, makes not the least mention of any Contro­versie [Page 9] between the Pharisees and the Sadduces about the resurrecti­on of the Body. All that he says, is this. That the Pharisees hold the immortality of the Soul, and that there are Rewards and Punish­ments in another world: But the Sadduces denied all this, and that there was any other state after this life. And this is the very same ac­count with that which is given of them in the New Testament, ver. 27. of this Chap. The Sadduces who deny that there is any resurrection. The meaning of which is more ful­ly declared, Acts 23. 8. The Saddu­ces say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. That is, the Sadduces denied that there was any other state of men after this life, and that there was any such thing as an immortal Spirit, either An­gels, or the Souls of men surviving their Bodies. And, as Dr. Ham­mond [Page 10] hath judiciously observed, this is the true importance of the word [...], viz. a future or ano­ther state; unless in such Texts where the Context does restrain it to the raising again of the Body, or where some word that denotes the body, as [...] or [...], is ad­ded to it.

Secondly. The force of this Ar­gument against those with whom our Saviour disputed will further appear, if we consider the great ve­neration which the Jews in general had for the Writings of Moses above any other Books of the Old Testa­ment; which they (especially the Sadduces) looked upon onely as Ex­plications and Comments upon the Law of Moses: But they esteemed nothing as a necessary Article of Faith which had not some founda­tion in the Writings of Moses. And this seems to me to be the true Rea­son [Page 11] why our Saviour chose to con­fute them out of Moses, rather than any other part of the Old Testa­ment: And not as many learned men have imagined, because the Sadduces did not receive any part of the Old Testament but onely the five Books of Moses; so that it was in vain to argue against them out of any other. This I know hath been a general opinion, groun­ded I think upon the mistake of a passage in Josephus, who says the Sadduces onely received the written Law. But if we carefully consider that passage, we shall find that Jo­sephus doth not there oppose the Law to the other Books of the Old Testament, which were also writ­ten; but to Oral Tradition. For he says expresly, that the Sadduces onely received the written Law, but the Pharisees, over and besides what was written, received the Oral which they call Tradition.

[Page 12] I deny not but that in the later Prophets there are more express Texts for the proof of a future state, than any are to be found in the Books of Moses. As Daniel 12. 2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And in­deed it seems very plain that holy men among the Jews, towards the expiration of the Legal dispensati­on, had still clearer and more ex­press apprehensions concerning a future state than are to be met with in the Writings of Moses, or of any of the Prophets.

The Law given by Moses did suppose the Immortality of the Souls of men, and the expectation of ano­ther life after this, as Principles of Religion in some degree naturally known; but made no new and ex­press Revelation of these things: Nor was there any occasion for it, [Page 13] the Law of Moses being a Political Law, not intended for the Govern­ment of mankind, but of one par­ticular Nation; and therefore was establish'd, as Political Laws are, upon temporal promises and threat­nings; promising temporal prospe­rity to the observation of its pre­cepts, and threatning the breach of them with temporal judgments and calamities.

And this I take to be the true reason why arguments fetch'd from another world are so obscurely in­sisted upon under that Dispensati­on; not but that another life after this was always suppos'd, and was undoubtedly the hope and expecta­tion of good men under the Law, but the clear discovery of it was reserv'd for the Times of the Mes­sias. And therefore as those Times drew on, and the Sun of righteous­ness was nearer his rising, the sha­dows of the night began to be cha­sed [Page 14] away, and mens apprehensions of a future state to clear up; so that in the time of the Maccabees good men spake with more confidence and assurance of these things.

It is likewise to be consider'd, that the temporal calamities and suffe­rings with which the Jews were almost continually harass'd from the time of their Captivity had very much wean'd good men from the consideration of temporal promises, and awaken'd their minds to the more serious thoughts of another world. It being natural to men when they are destitute of present comfort, to support themselves with the expectation of better things for the future, and as the Apostle to the Hebrews expresseth it, c. 6. v. 18. to fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is before them, and to imploy their reason to fortifie themselves as well as they can in that persuasion.

[Page 15] And this I doubt not was the true occasion of those clearer and riper apprehensions of good men concerning a future state, in those times of distress and persecution; it being very agreeable to the wise­dom and goodness of the Divine Providence not to leave his People destitute of sufficient support▪ under great trials and sufferings: And no­thing but the hopes of a better life could have born up the spirits of men under such cruel tortures. And of this we have a most remar­kable Instance in the History of the seven Brethren in the Macca­bees, who being cruelly tortured and put to death by Antiochus, do most expresly declare their confi­dent expectation of a resurrection to a better life. To which Histo­ry the Apostle certainly refers. Heb. 11. 35. when he says, others were tortured, not accepting deli­verance, that they might obtain a [Page 16] better resurrection: where the word, which we render were tor­tur'd, is [...], which is the very word used in the Macca­bees to express the particular kind of torture us'd upon them; besides that being offer'd deliverance they most resolutely refus'd to accept of it, with this express declaration that they hop'd for a resurrection to a better life.

But to return to my purpose, notwithstanding there might be more clear and express Texts to this purpose in the ancient Pro­phets, yet our Saviour knowing how great a regard not onely the Sadduces, but all the Jews had to the Authority of Moses, he thought fit to bring his proof of the resurrection out of his Wri­tings, as that which was the most likely to convince them.

[Page 17] Thirdly. If we consider further the peculiar Notion which the Jews had concerning the use of this phrase or expression of God's being any ones God. And that was this. That God is no where in Scripture said to be any ones God while he was alive. And therefore they tell us that while Isaac lived, God is not called the God of Isaac, but the fear of Isaac. As Gen. 31. 42. Ex­cept the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me; and ver. 53. when Laban made a Covenant with Jacob, 'tis said that Laban did swear by the God of A­braham, and the God of Nahor, and the God of their Fathers, but Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. I will not warrant this Observati­on to be good, because I certainly know it is not true. For God doth expresly call himself the God of Isaac, while Isaac was yet alive, [Page 18] Gen. 28. 13. I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. It is sufficient to my purpose, that this was a Notion anciently currant among the Jews. And therefore our Saviour's Argu­ment from this Expression must be so much the stronger against them: For if the Souls of men be extin­guished by death (as the Sadduces believed) what did it signifie to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to have God called their God after they were dead? But surely for God to be any ones God doth signifie some great benefit and advantage; which yet (according to the notion which the Jews had of this Phrase) could not respect this life, because, accor­ding to them, God is not said to be any ones God till after he is dead: But it is thus said of Abraham, Isa­ac and Jacob after their death, and therefore our Saviour infers very strongly against them, that Abra­ham, [Page 19] Isaac and Jacob were not ex­tinguished by death, but do still live somewhere: for God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. And then he adds by way of further explication, for all live to him. That is, though those good men who are departed this life, do not still live to us, here in this world, yet they live to God; and are with him.

Fourthly. If we consider the great respect which the Jews had for those three Fathers of their Na­tion, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They had an extraordinary opinion of them, and esteemed nothing too great to be thought or said of them. And therefore we find that they looked upon it as a great arrogance for any man to assume any thing to himself that might seem to set him above Abraham, Isaac or Ja­cob. With what indignation did [Page 20] they fly upon our Saviour on this account? John 4. 12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob? and chap. 8. ver. 53. Art thou greater than our father Abraham: whom makest thou thy self? Now they who had so superstitious a venera­tion for them, would easily believe any thing of privilege to belong to them: so that our Saviour doth with great advantage instance in them, in favour of whom they would be enclined to extend the meaning of any promise to the ut­most, and allow it to signifie as much as the words could possibly bear. So that it is no wonder that the Text tells us that this Argument put the Sadduces to silence. They durst not attempt a thing so odious, as to go about to take away any thing of privilege from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

And thus I have, as briefly as the matter would bear, endeavou­red [Page 21] to shew the fitness and force of this Argument to convince those with whom our Saviour disputed. I come now, in the

II. Second place, to enquire Whether this be any more than an Argument ad hominem? And if it be, wherein the real and absolute force of it doth consist?

I do not think it necessary to be­lieve that every Argument used by our Saviour, or his Apostles, is ab­solutely and in it self conclusive. For an Argument which doth not really prove the thing in Question, may yet be a very good Argument ad hominem; and in some cases more convincing to him with whom we dispute than that which is a better Argument in it self. Now it is possible, that our Savi­our's intention might not be to bring a conclusive proof of the Resurrection, but onely to confute [Page 22] those who would needs be dispu­ting with him. And to that pur­pose an Argument ad hominem, which proceeded upon grounds which they themselves could not deny, might be very proper and effectual. But although it be not necessary to believe, that this was more than an Argument ad homi­nem; yet it is the better to us, if it be absolutely and in it self con­clusive of the thing in Question. And this I hope will sufficiently appear, if we consider these four things.

1. That for God to be any ones God doth signifie some very extra­ordinary blessing and happiness, to those persons of whom this is said.

2. If we consider the eminent faith and obedience of the per­sons to whom this promise is made.

3. Their condition in this world.

[Page 23] 4. The general importance of this promise, abstracting from the persons particularly specified and named in it, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

First. If we consider, that for God to be any ones God doth sig­nifie some very extraordinary bles­sing and happiness to those persons of whom this is said. It is a big word for God to declare himself to be any ones God: and the least we can imagine to be meant by it, is that God will in an extraordinary manner imploy his power and wisedom to doe him good: that he will concern himself more for the happiness of those whose God he declares himself to be, than for others.

Secondly. If we consider the eminent faith and obedience of A­braham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham [Page 24] left his Country in obedience to God, not knowing whither he was to go. And, which was one of the most unparallel'd and strange instances of faith and obedience that can almost be imagined, he was willing to have sacrificed his onely Son at the command of God. Isaac and Jacob were also very good men, and devout worshippers of the true God, when almost the whole world was sunk into Idola­try and all manner of impiety. Now what can we imagin, but that the good God did design some extraordinary reward to such faith­full servants of his? especially if we consider, that he intended this gra­cious declaration of his concerning them, for a standing encourage­ment to all those who in after Ages should follow the faith and tread in the steps of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

[Page 25] Thirdly. If we consider the con­dition of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in this world. The Scripture tells us, that they were pilgrims and strangers upon the earth; had no fixed and settled habitation, but were forced to wander from one Kingdom and Country to another: that they were exposed to many hazards and difficulties, to great troubles and afflictions in this world; so that there was no such peculiar happiness befell them in this life above the common rate of men, as may seem to fill up the big words of this promise, that God would be their God. For so far as the Scripture History in­forms us, and further we cannot know of this matter, Esau was as prosperous as Jacob; and Jacob had a great many more troubles and afflictions in this life than Esau had. But surely when God calls himself [Page 26] the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, this signifies that God in­tended some very peculiar blessing and advantage to them above o­thers: which seeing they did not enjoy in this world, it is very rea­sonable to believe that one time or other this gracious declaration and promise of God was made good to them.

And therefore the Apostle to the Hebrews, chap. 11. from this very expression, of God's being said to be the God of Abraham and others, argues that some extraordinary hap­piness was reserved for them in a­nother world: and that upon this very ground I am now speaking of, namely, because the condition of Abraham, and some others, was not such in this world as might seem to answer the fulness of this promise. All these, says he, died in the faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them [Page 27] afar off, and were perswaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pil­grims upon the earth. From whence he reasons very strongly that these good men might reasonably expect something better than any thing that had befallen them in this world. For they, says he, that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Country; which at the 16. verse he calls a better Country, that is a heavenly. They that say such things, that is, they who acknowledge themselves to be strangers and pil­grims in the earth, and yet pre­tend that God hath promised to be their God, declare plainly that they expect some reward beyond this life. From all which he concludes, Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he hath prepared for them a City: Intima­ting that if no happiness had remai­ned for these good men in another [Page 28] world, this promise of God's being their God, would shamefully have fallen short of what it seemed to import, viz. some extraordinary reward and blessing worthy of God to bestow; something more cer­tain and lasting than any of the enjoyments of this world: which since God had abundantly perfor­med to them in the happiness of another life, his promise to them was made good to the full, and he needed not be ashamed to be called their God. But if nothing beyond this life had been reserved for them, that Saying of old Jacob towards the conclusion of his life, few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, would have been an eternal reflexion upon the truth and faithfulness of Him who had so often called himself the God of Jacob.

But now, because to all this it may be said, that this Promise seems [Page 29] to have been made good to Abra­ham, Isaac and Jacob, in this world: For was not God the God of Abra­ham, Isaac and Jacob when he took such a particular and extraordinary care of them, and protected them from the manifold dangers they were exposed to by such a speci­al and immediate providence, suf­fering no one to doe them harm, but rebuking even Kings for their sakes? Was not he Abraham's God, when he blest him so miraculously with a Son in his old age, and with so considerable an estate to leave to him? Was not that Saying of Ja­cob a great acknowledgment of the gracious providence of God to­wards him, with my staff passed I over this Jordan, and now I am be­come two bands? And though it must needs be a very cutting af­fliction to him to lose his Son Jo­seph, as he thought he had done, yet that was more than recompen­sed [Page 30] to him in Joseph's strange ad­vancement in Aegypt, whereby God put into his hands the oppor­tunity of saving his Father and his whole Family alive. And was not God the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in making them Fathers of so numerous an off-spring, as af­terwards became a great Nation: and in giving them a fruitfull Land, and bringing them to the quiet possession of it by such a series of wonderfull Miracles? what need then is there of extending this pro­mise to another world? doth it not seem abundantly made good in those great blessings which God bestowed upon them whilst they liv'd, and afterwards upon their posterity, in this world? And does not this agree well enough with the first and most obvious sense of these words, I am the God of A­braham, Isaac and Jacob, that is, I am he that was their God while [Page 31] they were alive, and am still the God of their posterity for their sakes? I say, because the three for­mer Considerations are liable to this Objection, which seems whol­ly to take off the force of this Ar­gument; therefore for the full clea­ring of this matter, I will add one consideration more.

Fourthly then, we will consider the general importance of this Pro­mise, abstracting from the particu­lar persons specified and named in it, viz. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and that is, that God will make a wide and plain difference between good and bad men; he will be so the God of good men as he is not of the wicked; and some time or other put every good man into a better and happier condition than any wicked man: so that the ge­neral importance of this promise is finally resolved into the equity [Page 32] and justice of the Divine Provi­dence.

And unless we suppose another life after this, it will certainly be very hard, and I think impossible, to reconcile the History of the Old Testament, and the common ap­pearances of things in this world, with the justice and goodness of God's Providence.

It cannot be denyed, but that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and several good men in the Old Te­stament, had many signal Testi­monies of the Divine favour vouch­safed to them in this world: But we reade likewise of several wic­ked men, that had as large a share of temporal blessings. It is very true that Abraham, Isaac and Ja­cob had great estates, and were petty Princes: But Pharaoh was a mighty Prince in comparison of them; and the Kingdom of Aegypt, which probably was the first and [Page 33] chief seat of Idolatry, was at the same time one of the most potent and flourishing Kingdoms in the world; and was blest with a pro­digious plenty, whereby they were furnished with store of corn, when good Jacob and his Family had like to have perished by famine. 'Tis true, Joseph was advanc'd to great power in Egypt, and thereby had the opportunity of saving his Fa­thers house, by settling them, and feeding them in Egypt: But then it is to be considered again, that this cost them very dear, and their coming thither was the occasion of a long and cruel bondage to Ja­cob's posterity; so that we see that these good men had no such bles­sings, but what were common with them to many others that were wicked: and the blessings which God bestowed upon them had great abatements by the inter­mixture of many and sore afflictions.

[Page 34] It seems then, upon the whole matter, to be very plain, that the Providences of God in this world towards good men are so contri­ved, that it may sufficiently ap­pear, to those who wisely consider the works of God, that they are not neglected by him; and yet that these outward blessings are so pro­miscuously dispensed, that no man can certainly be concluded to be a good man from any happiness he enjoys in this life: And the prospe­rity of good men is usually on pur­pose so shadowed and mixed with afflictions, as may justly raise their hopes to the expectation of a more perfect happiness and better reward than any they meet with in this world.

And is so, then the general im­portance of this Promise, that God will be the God of good men, must necessarily signifie something be­yond this world: Because in this [Page 35] world there is not that clear diffe­rence universally made between good and bad men which the ju­stice of the Divine Providence doth require, and which seems to be in­tended in the general sense of this Promise. For if this Promise (though personally made to Abra­ham, Isaac and Jacob) be intended, as the Scripture tells us it was, for a standing encouragement to good men in all Ages, then it still con­tains in it this general Truth, that God will some time or other plenti­fully reward every good man, that is, he will doe something far better for him than for any wic­ked man: But it is impossible to reconcile this sense of it with the course of God's Providence, and with the History of the Bible.

And to make this out fully and at once, I will onely produce that single Instance of Abel and Cain. Abel offered to God a more excel­lent [Page 36] sacrifice than Cain, and he had this testimony, that he pleased God; which was in effect to declare, that God was the God of Abel and not of Cain; so that by virtue of the ge­neral importance of this Promise, it might justly be expected that Abel's condition should have been much better than Cain's: But if there be no happiness after this life, Abel's was evidently much worse. For upon this very account, that he pleased God better he was killed by Cain, who had offered to God a slight and contemptuous offering. And Cain lived a long time after, and grew great, and built Cities. Now supposing there were no other life after this, this must have been a most horrible Example to all A­ges, from the beginning of the world to the end of it, and have made men for ever afraid to please God upon such hard terms; when they were sure of no other reward [Page 37] for so doing, but to be oppress'd and slain by the hands of the wic­ked. So that if this were really the Case, it would puzzle all the Wit and Reason of mankind to vindicate the equity and justice of the Divine Providence, and to re­scue it out of the hands of this ter­rible Objection.

And thus I have as briefly as I could, endeavoured to clear to you the force of this Argument used by our Saviour for the Proof of the Re­surrection. And have the longer insisted upon it, because at first ap­pearance it seems to be but a very obscure and remote Argument: And yet so much the more neces­sary to be clear'd, because this in all probability was that very Text upon which the Jews in our Savi­our's time grounded their belief of a future state, in opposition to the errour of the Sadduces; and which [Page 38] they call'd by way of eminency the promise made of God unto the Fathers. As will plainly appear, if we consider what S. Paul says to this purpose, when he appeals so often to the Pharisees for his agree­ment with them in this Article of the Resurrection, and likewise in the ground of it from the pro­mise made of God unto the fathers. Acts 24. 14, 15. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresie, so worship I the God of my Fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets; and have hope towards God, which they them­selves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead. From whence it is clear, that they both grounded their hope of the resur­rection upon something written in the Law and the Prophets; and what that was he expresseth more particularly c. 26. v. 6, 7. And now [Page 39] stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers; unto which promise our twelve Tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. By the promise made of God unto the Fathers he means some promise made by God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; for so S. Luke more than once, in this History of the Acts, explains this phrase of the God of their Fathers, Acts 3. 13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our Fathers; and c. 7. v. 32. I am the God of thy Fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now what was the great and famous Promise which God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? was it not this of being their God? So that it was this very Promise upon which S. Paul tells us the Jews grounded their hope of a fu­ture state, because they understood [Page 40] it necessarily to signifie some bles­sing and happiness beyond this life.

And now having, I hope, suffi­ciently clear'd this matter, I shall make some improvement of this Doctrine of a future state, and that, to these three purposes.

1. To raise our minds above this world and the enjoyments of this present life. Were but men tho­roughly convinced of this plain and certain Truth, that there is a vast difference between Time and Eter­nity, between a few years and ever­lasting Ages: would we but repre­sent to our selves what thoughts and apprehensions dying persons have of this world; how vain and empty a thing it appears to them, how like a pageant and a shadow it looks as it passeth away from them: methinks none of these things could be a sufficient tempta­tion [Page 41] to any man to forget God and his Soul; but, notwithstanding all the delights and pleasures of sense, we should be strangely intent upon the concernments of another world, and almost wholly taken up with the thoughts of that vast Eternity which we are ready to launch in­to. For what is there in this world, this waste and howling wilderness, this rude and barbarous Country which we are but to pass through, which should detain our affections here, and take up our thoughts from our everlasting habitation; from that better and that heavenly Country, where we hope to live and be happy for ever?

If we settle our affections upon the enjoyments of this present Life, so as to be extremely pleas'd and transported with them, and to say in our hearts, It is good for us to be here; if we be excessively griev'd or discontented for the want or loss [Page 42] of them, and if we look upon our present state in this world any otherwise than as a preparation and passage to a better life, it is a sign that our faith and hope of the happiness of another life is but ve­ry weak and faint, and that we do not heartily and in good earnest believe what we pretend to do con­cerning these things. For did we stedfastly believe and were tho­roughly persuaded of what our Religion so plainly declares to us concerning the unspeakable and endless happiness of good men in another world, our affections would sit more loose to this world, and our hopes would raise our hearts as much above these present and sensible things as the heavens are high above the earth; we should value nothing here below, but as it serves for our present support and passage, or may be made a means to secure and increase our future felicity.

[Page 43] 2. The consideration of another Life should quicken our preparati­on for that blessed state which re­mains for us in the other world. This Life is a state of probation and tryal. This world is God's school, where immortal spirits clo­thed with flesh are trained and bred up for eternity. And then certain­ly it is not an indifferent thing and a matter of slight concernment to us, how we live and demean our selves in this world: whether we indulge our selves in ungodliness and worldly lusts, or live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world: No; it is a matter of infinite moment, as much as our souls and all eternity are worth. Let us not deceive our selves; for as we sowe so shall we reap: If we sowe to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption; but if we sowe to the spirit, we shall of the spirit [Page 44] reap everlasting life. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. The righte­ous hath hopes in his death. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. But the ungodly are not so: who­ever hath lived a wicked and vici­ous life feels strange throws and pangs in his conscience when he comes to be cast upon a sick bed. The wicked is like the troubled sea (saith the Prophet) when it cannot rest; full of trouble and confusion, especially in a dying hour. It is death to such a man to look back upon his life, and a hell to him to think of eternity. When his guil­ty and trembling Soul is ready to leave his Body, and just stepping into the other world, what horrour and amazement do then seise upon him? what a rage doth such a man feel in his breast, when he serious­ly considers, that he hath been so [Page 45] great a fool as for the false and im­perfect pleasure of a few days to make himself miserable for ever?

3. Let the consideration of that unspeakable Reward which God hath promised to good men at the Resurrection, encourage us to obe­dience and a holy life. We serve a great Prince who is able to pro­mote us to honour; a most graci­ous master who will not let the least service we doe for him pass unrewarded. This is the Inference which the Apostle makes from his large discourse of the Doctrine of the Resurrection, 1 Cor. 15. 58. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast and unmovable, al­ways abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Nothing will make death more welcome to us than a con­stant course of service and obedi­ence [Page 46] to God. Sleep, saith Solomon, is sweet to the labouring man: so after a great diligence and industry in working out our own salvation, and (as it is said of David) serving our generation according to the will of God, how pleasant will it be to fall asleep? And as an usefull and well-spent life will make our death to be sweet, so our resurrection to be glorious. Whatever acts of pi­ety we doe to God, or of charity to men; whatever we lay out up­on the poor and afflicted and ne­cessitous, will all be considered by God in the day of recompences, and most plentifully rewarded to us.

And surely no consideration ought to be more prevalent to perswade us to alms deeds and cha­rity to the poor, than that of a re­surrection to another life. Besides the promises of this life which are made to works of charity, and [Page 47] there is not any grace or vertue whatsoever, which hath so many and so great promises of temporal blessings made to it in Scripture as this grace of charity; I say, be­sides the promises of this Life, the great promise of eternal Life is in Scripture in a more especial manner entail'd upon it. Luke 12. 33. Give alms, saith our Saviour, provide your selves baggs which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that fai­leth not, and c. 16. v. 9. make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye shall fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations. And 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, &c. that they doe good, that they be rich in good works, rea­dy to distribute, willing to commu­nicate, laying up in store for them­selves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold [Page 48] on eternal life; the word [...], which our Translation renders foundation according to the com­mon use of it, seems in this place to have a more peculiar notion, and to signifie the security that is given by a pledge, or by an instru­ment or obligation of contract for the performance of Covenants. For besides that the phrase of laying up in store, or treasuring up a founda­tion, seems to be a very odd jum­bling of metaphors; this very word [...] almost necessarily requires this notion as it is used by the same Apostle, in his second Epistle to Timothy, chap. 2. ver. 19. where it is said, the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, &c. a seal being very improper to strengthen a foundation, but very fit to confirm a Covenant. And then surely it ought to be render'd, the Covenant of God remains firm, having this seal. And so likewise [Page 49] in the foremention'd Text, the sense will be much more easie and cur­rant if we render it thus, treasu­ring up, or providing for themselves a good security or pledge against the time to come; I add pledge, because that anciently was the common way of security for things lent: besides that the Apostle seems plain­ly to allude to that passage, Tobit, 4. 8, 9. If thou hast abundance, give alms accordingly, &c. for thou layest up a good treasure for thy self a­gainst the day of necessity, [...], for thou treasu­rest up for thy self a good pledge; to which this of the Apostle exactly answers [...], treasuring up, or pro­viding for themselves a good pledge or security, &c. the sense however is plain, that the charity of Alms is one of the best ways of securing our future happiness.

[Page 50] And yet further to encourage us to abound in works of charity, the Scripture tells us that proportiona­bly to the degrees of our charity shall be the degrees of our reward; upon this consideration the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians to be libe­ral in their charity, 2 Cor. 9. 6. he that soweth sparingly shall reap spa­ringly, but he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. So that what­ever we lay out in this kind is to the greatest advantage, and upon the best security; two considerati­ons which use to be very prevalent with rich men to lay out their money.

We certainly doe it to the grea­test advantage; because God will consider the very smallest thing that any of us doe in this kind. He that shall give so much as a cup of cold water to a disciple, in the name of a disciple, shall not lose his reward; these last words, shall [Page 51] not lose his reward, are a [...], and signifie much more than they seem to speak, viz. that he shall have a very great reward, infinite­ly beyond the value of what he hath done.

And we doe it likewise upon the best security; so Solomon assures us, Prov. 19. 17. He that hath pity up­on the poor lendeth to the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again: and we may be confident of our security where God is surety; nay, he tells us that in this case he looks upon himself as principal, and that whatever we doe in ways of mercy and charity to the poor he takes as done to himself. So our Lord hath told us, Matt. 2. 5. 40. and we shall hear the same from him again out of his own mouth when he shall appear in his Majesty to judge the World, Then the King shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inas­much [Page 52] as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

And on the other side, the Scrip­ture no where passeth a more se­vere doom upon any sort of per­sons, than upon those who have no bowels of compassion towards their brethren in distress. That is a fearfull sentence indeed, which the Apostle pronounceth upon such persons, Jam. 2. 13. He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy. And this our Sa­viour represents to us in a most so­lemn manner, in that lively de­scription which he makes of the Judgment of the great Day, Matt. 25. 31. &c. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shep­herd [Page 53] divideth the sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on the right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, be­fore the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepa­red for the Devil and his Angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat, &c. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal. And if this be, as most certainly it is, a true and proper representa­tion of the process of that Day, [Page 54] then the great matter of enquiry will be, What works of charity and mercy have been done or neg­lected by us, and accordingly a Sentence of eternal happiness, or misery, will be pass'd upon us: I was hungry, did ye feed me or did ye not? I was naked, did ye clothe me or did ye not? I was sick and in prison, did ye visit me or did ye not? Not but that all the good or evil of our lives, in what kind so­ever, shall then be brought to ac­count; But that our Saviour did chuse to instance particularly, and onely in things of this nature, should methinks make a mighty impressi­on upon us, and be a powerfull consideration to oblige us to have a very peculiar regard to works of mercy and charity, and to make sure to abound in this Grace; that when we shall appear before the great Judge of the World we may find that mercy from Him which [Page 55] we have shew'd to others, and which we shall all undoubtedly stand in need of in that Day.

And among all our acts of cha­rity, those which are done upon least probability and foresight of their meeting with any recompense in this world, either by way of real requital or of fame and repu­tation, as they are of all other most acceptable to God, so they will certainly have the most ample re­ward in another world. So our Lord hath assur'd us, and accor­dingly adviseth us, Luke 14. 12, 13, 14. When thou makest a feast invite not the rich, because they will recompense thee again: but call the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, for they cannot recompense thee, but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. If we be Religious for worldly ends, and serve God, and doe good to men, onely in contemplation of [Page 56] some temporal advantage, we take up with present payment, and cut our selves short of our future re­ward: of such, saith our Lord, verily I say unto you, they have their reward; they are their own security, and have taken care to satisfie themselves, and therefore are to expect nothing from God. But let us who call our selves Chri­stians doe something for God, for which we have no hopes to be re­compensed in this world; that we may shew that we trust God and take his word, and dare venture upon the security of the next world and that recompense which shall be made at the resurrection of the just.

And how great and glorious that shall be, our Saviour tells us imme­diately before my Text. They that shall be accounted worthy to ob­tain that world, and the resurrecti­on from the dead, they can die no [Page 57] more, but they are equal to the An­gels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrec­tion.

If then we be heirs of such glo­rious hopes, and believe that he who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will also be our God; let us live as it becomes the Candi­dates of heaven, and the children of the resurrection, and such as ve­rily believe another life after this, and hope one day to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God.

And now that I have represen­ted to you what encouragement there is to well-doing, and parti­cularly to works of Charity, from the consideration of the blessed re­ward we shall certainly meet with at the Resurrection of the just: I shall crave your patience a little longer, whilst I propose to you [Page 58] one of the fairest Examples of this kind which either this or per­haps any other Age could easily present us withall: I mean our de­ceased Brother to whom we are now paying our last solemn re­spects, the Reverend Mr. THO­MAS GOVGE; the worthy Son of a reverend and learned Di­vine of this City, Dr. William Gouge, who was Minister of this Parish of Black Friars six and for­ty years; he died in 1653. and still lives in the memory of many here present.

I must confess, that I am no friend to Funeral Panegyricks, where there is nothing of extraordinary worth and merit in the party commended to give occasion and foundation for them: In such cases, as praises are not due to the dead, so they may be of ill consequence to the living; not onely by bringing those of our Profession that make a practice of [Page 59] it under the suspicion of officious and mercenary flattery, but like­wise by encouraging men to hope that they also may be well spoken of, and even Sainted when they are dead, though they should have done little or no good in their life: But yet on the other hand, to commend those excellent Persons the vertues of whose lives have been bright and exemplary, is not onely a piece of justice due to the dead, but an act of great charity to the living, set­ting a pattern of well-doing before our eyes, very apt and powerfull to incite and encourage us to go and doe likewise.

Upon both these considerations, first to doe right to the memory of so good a man, and then in hopes that the example may prove fruit­full and have a considerable effect upon others to beget the like good­ness and charity in them, I shall endeavour, in as narrow a compass [Page 60] as may be, to give you the just character of this truly pious and charitable Man, and by setting his life in a true light to recommend with all the advantage I can so excellent a pattern to your imita­tion.

He was born at Bow near Strat­ford in the County of Midlesex the 19th. day of September 1605. He was bred at Eton School, and from thence chosen to Kings College in Cambridge being about 20 years of Age, in the year 1626. After he had finish'd the course of his stu­dies, and taken his Degrees, he left the Vniversity and his Fellowship, being presented to the Living of Colsden near Croyden in Surrey, where he continued about 2 or 3 years; and from thence was re­mov'd to S. Sepulchres in London, in the year 1638. and the year af­ter thinking fit to change his con­dition match'd into a very worthy [Page 61] and ancient Family, marrying one of the Daughters of Sir Robert Darcy.

Being thus settled in this large and populous Parish, he did with great solicitude and pains discharge all the parts of a vigilant and faith­full Minister, for about the space of 24 years. For besides his constant and weekly labour of preaching, he was very diligent and charitable in visiting the sick, and ministring not onely spiritual counsel and comfort to them, but likewise libe­ral relief to the wants and necessi­ties of those that were poor and destitute of means to help them­selves in that condition. He did also every morning throughout the year Catechize in the Church, e­specially the poorer sort who were generally most ignorant; and to encourage them to come thither to be instructed by him he did once a week distribute money among [Page 62] them, not upon a certain day, but changing it on purpose as he thought good, that he might thereby oblige them to be constantly present: These were chiefly the more aged poor who being past labour had leisure enough to attend upon this exer­cise. As for the other sort of poor who were able to work for their living, he set them at work upon his own charge, buying Flax and Hemp for them to spin, and what they spun he took off their hands paying them for their work, and then got it wrought into Cloth, and sold it as he could, chiefly a­mong his friends, himself bearing the whole loss. And this was a very wise and well chosen way of charity, and in the good effect of it a much greater charity than if he had given these very persons freely and for nothing so much as they earned by their work; be­cause by this means he took many [Page 63] off from begging, and thereby re­scued them at once from two of the most dangerous temptations of this world, Idleness and Poverty; and by degrees reclaim'd them to a vertuous and industrious course of life, which enabled them afterwards to live without being beholden to the charity of others.

And this course so happily de­vis'd and begun by Mr. Gouge in his own Parish, was I think that which gave the first hint to that worthy and usefull Citizen Mr. Tho­mas Firmin of a much larger design, which hath been prosecuted by him for some years with that vigour and good success in this City, that many hundreds of poor Children, and others who liv'd idle before, unprofitable both to themselves and the publick, are continually main­tain'd at work and taught to earn their own livelihood much in the same way: He being, by the ge­nerous [Page 64] assistance and charity of many worthy and well-dispos'd Persons of all ranks, enabled to bear the unavoidable loss and charge of so vast an undertaking; and by his own forward inclination to cha­rity, and his unwearied diligence and activity, extraordinarily fitted to sustain and go through the in­credible pains of it.

But to return to our deceased Friend; concerning whom I must content my self to pass over many things worthy to be remembred of him, and to speak onely of those Vertues of his which were more eminent and remarkable.

Of his Piety towards God, which is the necessary foundation of all other Graces and Vertues, I shall onely say this, that it was great and exemplary, but yet very still and quiet, without stir and noise, and much more in substance and reality than in shew and ostenta­tion; [Page 81] and did not consist in censu­ring and finding fault with others, but in the due care and govern­ment of his own life and actions, and in exercising himself continually to have a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men; in which he was such a proficient, that even after long acquaintance and familiar conversation with him it was not easie to observe any thing that might deserve blame.

He particularly excell'd in the more peculiar vertues of conversa­tion, in modesty, humility, meek­ness, cheerfulness, and in kindness and charity towards all men.

So great was his modesty, that it never appear'd either by word or action that he put any value upon himself. This I have often ob­serv'd in him, that the Charities which were procur'd chiefly by his application and industry, when he had occasion to give an account of [Page 82] them, he would rather impute to any one who had but the least hand and part in the obtaining of them, than assume any thing of it to himself. Another instance of his modesty was, that when he had quitted his Living of S. Sepul­chres upon some dissatisfaction a­bout the terms of conformity, he willingly forbore preaching, say­ing there was no need of him here in London where there were so ma­ny worthy Ministers, and that he thought he might doe as much or more good in another way which could give no offence. Onely in the later years of his life, being better satisfy'd in some things he doubted of before, he had License from some of the Bishops to preach in Wales in his progress; which he was the more willing to doe, because in some places he saw great need of it, and he thought he might doe it with greater advan­tage [Page 83] among the poor People, who were the more likely to regard his instructions, being recommended by his great charity, so well known to them, and of which they had so long had the experience and be­nefit. But where there was no such need, he was very well con­tented to hear others perswade men to goodness and to practise it him­self.

He was clothed with humility, and had in a most eminent degree that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which, S. Peter says, is in the sight of God of so great price: So that there was not the least ap­pearance either of Pride or Passion in any of his words or actions. He was not onely free from anger and bitterness, but from all affected gravity and moroseness. His con­versation was affable and pleasant; he had a wonderfull serenity of mind and evenness of temper, vi­sible [Page 84] in his very countenance; he was hardly ever merry, but never melancholy and sad; and for any thing I could discern, after a long and intimate acquaintance with him, he was upon all occasions and accidents perpetually the same; always cheerfull, and always kind; of a disposition ready to embrace and oblige all men; allowing others to differ from him, even in opini­ons that were very dear to him; and provided men did but fear God and work righteousness, he lov'd them heartily, how distant soever from him in judgment about things less necessary: In all which he is very worthy to be a pattern to men of all Perswasions whatsoever.

But that Vertue which of all other shone brightest in him, and was his most proper and peculiar character, was his cheerfull and unwearied diligence in acts of pi­ous Charity. In this he left far [Page 85] behind him all that ever I knew, and, as I said before, had a singu­lar sagacity and prudence in de­vising the most effectual ways of doing good, and in managing and disposing his charity to the best purposes, and to the greatest ex­tent; always, if it were possible, making it to serve some end of Pie­ty and Religion; as the instruction of poor children in the principles of Religion, and furnishing grown persons that were ignorant with the Bible and other good Books; strictly obliging those to whom he gave them to a diligent reading of them, and when he had opportu­nity exacting of them an account how they had profited by them.

In his occasional alms to the poor, in which he was very free and bountifull, the relief he gave them was always mingled with good counsel, and as great a tender­ness and compassion for their souls [Page 86] as bodies; which very often at­tain'd the good effect it was likely to have, the one making way for the other with so much advantage, and men being very apt to follow the good advice of those who give them in hand so sensible a pledge and testimony of their good will to them.

This kind of charity must needs be very expensive to him, but he had a plentifull estate settled upon him and left him by his Father, and he laid it out as liberally in the most prudent and effectual ways of charity he could think of, and upon such persons as, all cir­cumstances considered, he judg'd to be the fittest and most proper objects of it.

For about nine or ten years last past he did, as is well known to many here present, almost wholly apply his charity to Wales, because there he judg'd was most occasion [Page 87] for it: And because this was a ve­ry great work, he did not onely lay out upon it whatever he could spare out of his own estate, but employ'd his whole time and pains to excite and engage the charity of others for his assistance in it.

And in this he had two excel­lent designs. One, to have poor children brought up to reade and write, and to be carefully instruc­ted in the principles of Religion: The other, to furnish persons of grown age, the poor especially, with the necessary helps and means of knowledge, as the Bible, and other Books of piety and devoti­on, in their own Language; to which end he procur'd the Church-Catechisme, the Practice of Piety, and that best of Books the Whole Duty of Man, besides several other pious and usefull Treatises, to be translated into the Welch Tongue, and great numbers of them to be [Page 88] printed, and sent down to the chief Towns in Wales, to be sold at easie rates to those that were able to buy them, and to be freely given to those that were not.

And in both these designs, through the blessing of God upon his unwearied endeavours, he found very great success. For by the large and bountifull contributions which chiefly by his industry and prudent application were obtain'd from charitable Persons of all Ranks and conditions, from the Nobility and Gentry of Wales and the neigh­bouring Counties, and several of that Quality in and about London; from divers of the Right Reverend Bishops, and of the Clergy; and from that perpetual fountain of charity the City of London, led on and encourag'd by the most bountifull example of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen; to all which [Page 89] he constantly added two Thirds of his own estate, which as I have been credibly inform'd was two hundred pounds a year: I say, by all these together there were every year eight hundred, sometimes a thousand poor children educated as I said before; and by this example several of the most considerable Towns of Wales were excited to bring up at their own charge the like number of poor children, in the like manner, and under his in­spection and care.

He likewise gave very great numbers of the Books above men­tion'd, both in the Welch and Eng­lish Tongues, to the poorer sort, so many as were unable to buy them and willing to reade them. But which was the greatest work of all, and amounted indeed to a mighty charge, he procured a new and very fair Impression of the Bible and Liturgy of the Church [Page 90] of England in the Welch Tongue (the former Impression being spent, and hardly twenty of them to be had in all London) to the number of eight thousand; one thousand whereof were freely given to the poor, and the rest sent to the prin­cipal Cities and Towns in Wales to be sold to the rich at very reaso­nable and low rates, viz. at four shillings a piece well bound and clasped; which was much cheaper than any English Bible was ever sold that was of so fair a print and paper: A work of that charge, that it was not likely to have been done any other way; and for which this Age, and perhaps the next, will have great cause to thank God on his behalf.

In these good works he employ­ed all his time and care and pains, and his whole heart was in them; so that he was very little affected with any thing else; and seldom [Page 91] either minded or knew any thing of the strange occurrences of this troublesome and busie Age, such as I think are hardly to be parallel'd in any other: Or if he did mind them, he scarce ever spoke any thing about them. For this was the business he laid to heart, and knowing it to be so much and so certainly the Will of his heavenly Father, it was his meat and drink to be doing of it: And the good success he had in it was a continual feast to him, and gave him a per­petual serenity both of mind and countenance. His great love and zeal for this work made all the pains and difficulties of it seem no­thing to him: He would rise ear­ly and sit up late, and continued the same diligence and industry to the last, though he was in the threescore and seventeenth year of his age. And that he might ma­nage the distribution of this great [Page 92] charity with his own hands, and see the good effect of it with his own eyes, he always once, but usually twice a year, at his own charge travelled over a great part of Wales, none of the best Coun­tries to travel in: But for the love of God and men he endured all that, together with the extremity of heat and cold (which in their several seasons are both very great there) not onely with patience but with pleasure. So that all things considered there have not, since the primitive times of Christianity, been many among the sons of men to whom that glorious character of the Son of God might be better applied, that he went about doing good. And Wales may as worthily boast of this truly Apostolical man as of their famous S. David; who was also very probably a good man, as those times of ignorance and superstition went. But his [Page 93] goodness is so disguised by their fabulous Legends and stories which give us the account of him, that it is not easie to discover it. Indeed ridiculous miracles in abundance are reported of him: as, that up­on occasion of a great number of people resorting from all parts to hear him preach, for the greater advantage of his being heard a mountain all on a sudden rose up miraculously under his feet, and his voice was extended to that degree that he might be distinctly heard for two or three miles round about. Such phantastical miracles as these make up a great part of his Histo­ry. And admitting all these to be true (which a wise man would be loth to do) our departed Friend had that which is much greater and more excellent than all these, a fervent charity to God and men; which is more than to speak (as they would make us believe S Da­vid [Page 94] did) with the tongue of men and Angels, more than to raise or remove mountains.

And now methinks it is pity so good a design so happily prosecuted should fall and die with this good man. And it is now under delibe­ration, if possible, still to continue and carry it on, and a very wor­thy and charitable person pitched upon for that purpose, who is wil­ling to undertake that part which he that is gone performed so well: But this will depend upon the con­tinuance of the former Charities and the concurrence of those wor­thy and well disposed persons in Wales to contribute their part as formerly; which I perswade my self they will cheerfully doe.

I will add but one thing more concerning our deceased Brother, that though he meddled not at all in our present heats and differen­ces as a Party, having much better [Page 95] things to mind; yet as a looker on he did very sadly lament them, and for several of the last years of his life he continued in the Com­munion of our Church, and, as he himself told me, thought himself obliged in conscience so to do.

He died in the 77th. year of his age, Octob. 29th, 1681. It so plea­sed God that his death was very sudden; and so sudden, that in all probability he himself hardly per­ceived it when it happened, for he died in his sleep; and as it is said of David, after he had served his generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep.

I confess that a sudden death is generally undesirable, and there­fore with reason we pray against it; because so very few are suffici­ently prepared for it: But to him, the constant employment of whose life was the best preparation for death that was possible, no death [Page 96] could be sudden; nay, it was ra­ther a favour and blessing to him, because by how much the more sudden so much the more easie: As if God had designed to begin the reward of the great pains of his life in an easie death. And indeed it was rather a translation than a death; and, saving that his body was left behind, what was said of Enoch may not unfitly be applied to this pious and good man with respect to the suddenness of his change; he walked with God, and was not, for God took him.

And God grant that we who survive, may all of us sincerely en­deavour to tread in the steps of his exemplary piety and charity; of his labour of love, his unwearied diligence and patient continuance in doing good, that we may meet with that encouraging commenda­tion which he hath already recei­ved from the mouth of our Lord, [Page 97] Well done good and faithfull ser­vant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the ever­lasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to doe his will, working in you always that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; To whom be glory for ever. Amen.