WEe are heere assembled this day (as I trust in the feare of GOD and loue of our CHRIST) not to pray for the dead, or sorowe euē as 1. Th. 4. 13 other that haue no hope, being taught by the Spirit, that who dye Reuel. 14. 13. in the Lord, rest from their labours and are fully blessed: But we are assembled rather to gaine by y ^e seueritie of death, that which [Page] for the most parte, we loose in the securitie of our life, viz: A true touch and feeling of our owne frailtye, taken from the dailye doomes of this declining worlde, whose flower (as you heere see) is fading, & beau­tie but a blossome.

For surely it is true in the steddie bole of all the worlde, which is heere falne out in a tender branch: There is an appointed time Eccles. 3. 1 for all thinges vnder the Sunne: a time to plante, and a time to plucke vp: a time to build, and a time to pull downe: a time to gather, and a time to scatter: a time to rent and a time to sowe: a time to speake, and a time to keep silence: a time to laugh, and a time to weepe: a time to liue, and a time to dye: yea to dye, there is no remedie: Uni Deo nunquam senectus atra, nec mors im­minet: Sophocles. sed alia miscet domitor aetas omnia. Onelye God, neither olde age nor blacke death can ouertake, but for al other things, deuouring time, hath and will turne them topsie turuye.

In regard whereof, holy & pacient Iob after much debate & many pleadings with the sinnes of his soule and sorowes of his heart, doth at last (as you may heere see) de­murre [Page] vpon the plea with death & doome, thereby bringing vnto him selfe (in solace of his soule) a state of inheritance indefea­zible, with a Crowne of glorye that withe­reth not.

And this is done by a thrreefolde neces­sitie laid vpon all flesh: 1. The first of dy­ing, and that's but once: 2. The second of liuing againe, and that's for euer: 3. The third and last of watchfulnes, and that's but for a time, euen till the day of our changing shall come.

The necessitye of our dying is the doore of life, the necessitye of our liuing againe, is the doome of death: the necessitye of our watchfulnes is the Calender of our daies, to witte, how we haue liued, how we doe liue, and how we purpose to liue vntil our chan­ging shall come.

Or thus: that of death, we deeme it the day of miserye: That of life againe, we holde it the day of glorye: That of watch­fulnes, we reckon it for the day of grace: And so, as one floud puts on an other, these three hale and help vs on to happy dwel­ling, whereof if you loose a linke, you break the Chayne and silken thrid should winde [Page] you out of the laberinth of this worlde, to the porte and paradice of your God. For no blessed life without a blessed death, and no blessed death without a blessed life: and then are we blessed in both, when we stand vpon our guard and are found watchfull.

1. Now for the first I say with the Psal­mist, The crie of death. Ps. 89. 48. Gen. 2. 17. Heb. 9. 27 Dan. 6. 8. What man liueth and shall not see death? shal he deliuer his soule frō the hand of the graue? no, no, the decree of death is an imperial lawe, acted in paradice vpon Gods fayrest Creature, where sinne no sooner seizd but death entred, and hath euer since (like the lawes of the Medes and Persians) bene irreuocable.

And though happily from the first death there lye an appeale to a better life, in the prerogatiue Court and high consistorie of our Christ, dead for our sinnes, but risen againe for our iustification: yet is there no repeale of that first lawe, by any latter acte, I say, no parliment to disanull the doome of death: No place priuiledged, no person ex­empt, no time to interrupt the decree ther­of, but like an omnipotent Queene and re­gent of al the world, where sinne hath kist, she euer killeth.

[Page]There is no safetie any where. If An­gels in heauen sinne, downe they must: If Adam in Paradice transgresse, out he must: If Iudas faile at the side of Christ, away hee must: where is a practise of sinning, there is euer a necessitie of dying, without either priuiledge of place, person, or presence: for thorow enuie of the Deuill came death in­to Wisd. 2. 24 this world, & they that hold on his part shall prooue it.

I say then & dare avouch, that the mat­ter The re­ward of sin is death. of our sinning, is the cause of our dying, and that needes must, needes shall. Must thou needes sinne? then surely shalt thou die: sinne and death are hereditarie, they dwel in one house, & like Hipocrates twins, they laugh togeather, they weepe togea­ther, they liue together, they die together. And so shall till time bee no more, for no Reu. 10. 6▪ time of sinning, no time of dying, In the interim, our Fathers haue eaten a sower grape and the Childrens teeth are set on edge, the Ceders are fallen, how can the shrubbe stand? the Patriarches before the Flood, the Patriarches since the Flood, the holy Priestes and honorable Kings of Iudah and Israel, haue all sinned and are [Page] all dead. And why should we liue?

Ieremiah cryed, and so may I: O earth, Ch. 22. 29 earth, earth, heare the word of the Lord: young earth, old earth, middle earth, faire earth, strong earth, rich earth, heare the cry, your moulde is earth, your flesh is sinfull, and your condition is mortall. Ye Kinges of the earth, ye are but kinglie earth, sinne is your shame, & death is your due: you ho­norable mē, you are but honorable earth: you Gentlemen, you are but gentle earth, you learned men, you are but learned earth, you meane men, you are but meane earth: I say of you all, sin is your shame, and death, is your doome, and when the graue hath it due, then treade out the ground, & giue me the difference who is Princely, who is honorable, who is poore, base, and begger­lie? It may be your Tombes, Hearses and Sepulchers, doe set out your state, and shine to your praise, but vnder & within what's your rottennes better then others, whats your dignitie aboue the meanest?

This Augustin sawe with his Mother Sermo. 48. ad [...]ratres. in Eremo. Monicha standing by Caesars▪ Tombe at Rome, whē vpon the view he said, I beheld the Corpes of Caesar as he lay in his Sepul­chre [Page] there, and loe they were blackish and fallen to rottennes: I looked vpon his bel­ly burst, & swarmes of wormes issued out: In the hollowes of his head, where once stood his christal eyes, two hungry Toades were feeding: The locks of his head were fallē, his teeth appeared, but his lippes were wasted & y ^e gristle of his nose being consu­med, the very ground thereof was discoue­red. This when I saw, I said, deare Mother, where is now the beautie of Caesar? where is the worlde of his wealth? where be the troupes of his Nobles, Knights & Barons? where are the armies of his fighting men? Where is the prouision of all his delights? his hunting dogges, his coursing Steeds, his chaunting Birds, his guilt Palace, his I­uorie bed, his Princely Throne, his royall Wardrobe? where, where, are his goulden Lockes, and his faire feature? long it is not, O Caesar since all men dred thee, all Prin­ces feared thee, all Citties did honour thee, yea & all the world did thee homage. Ubi nūc quaeso sunthaec omnia? quo abijt tua mag­nificentia? Where I pray thee now are all these honors, & whither is thy puissance gone?

[Page]To which my deere Mother answered with all pietye and reuerence, O my sonne, all thinges fayled him when life left him. And now his possession is heer in a Tomb of three Cubits long with corruption and rottennes in the kingdome of darknes.

Such (my deer bretherē) & no better is the condicion of all flesh: The meanest & the mightiest (as you see) are al of one molde there is no difference in the graue: and as of men, so may I say of Cityes, Kingdomes and Monarchies of this worlde: They had their pride, and they haue their period: for goe ye (as saith the Prophet) to Calneh and Amos. 6. 2 see: and from thence goe you to Hamath the great: then goe downe to Gath of the Philistims: look vpon Ioppa, behold Tar­sus, wonder at Niniuie the pride of Assur, gaze vpon Babilon the beautye of all the Isai. 13. 19 Chaldees honor: and as you passe by, cast your eye vpon the ruines of Ierusalem that virgin daughter Syon: and when you haue Iam. 2. 13 viewed them al, tell those renowned places of the worlde, tell them, that euen they are mortall: that sinne hath sackt them, and therefore they are fallen likewise, in their decayed places: yea and withall say, that [Page] the very best thinges of this worlde, so de­sired of all, are but vaine and vile: for what's your golde and siluer, other then (as one termeth it) terrae immundicia? the slime & filth of the earth? what are your rich Furres of Sables, Budge or Ermins, but the skinnes of sauage beastes? what's your softe veluet, silke and sattin, but the excre­ments of vyle wormes? what's your sweete muske and Ciuet, but the ordure of vermin? what are your perpetuityes of fayre houses, Castles & Honors (cal'd after your names) Psal. 49. 1 [...] but Nimrods Statues, and monuments of former & future confusions? Of all which when ye haue most, then haue ye least, and neuer so freed, as when you are loosed from them, and can say with a perfect heart (as did the Apostle) I counted all thinges but Phil. 3. 8. losse, and did iudge them to be doung, that I might winne Christ.

But leaue we a little these dead carkases of elder times, with the cause of their ruines, which was their sinne: & come we neerer home, euen to that which wee feele in our bones, and finde in our flesh as harbengers of deathes approach, and deeper printes of our mortalitye.

[Page]You that are of yeeres olde and feeble, The Her­ [...]enger of death. looke vpon your colours from top to toe, and tell without flattery, what it is you bear with the burdē of your sinnes, but the blase of your death? The keepers of the house Eccles. 12. [...], 3. &c. (which are the handes) they tremble: The strong men (which are the legges) they bow themselues: The grynders (which are the teeth) they cease, because they are but fewe: and they that looke out by the windowes (which are the eyes) they waxe dimme and darke: The doores (which are the lippes and mouth) they are shut with the base sound of the grinders: The Almond Tree (which is your head) it is white as a blos­some: The Daughters of singing (which are your eares) they are abased, deafe, and dull: what should I say more? sleep is gon from you; you rise with the Cocke; case you haue none, for the Grashoper is a bur­den; you feare the high thing; you dare not climbe; ye dread the faire way, ye dare not goe in it for feare ye fall. Thus man go­eth to the house of his age; & once decay­ed, neuer repayred till the time of our chan­ging shall come.

O remember therefore thy Creator in [Page] the dayes of thy youth, whiles the euill dayes come not, nor the yeares approache wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them: And let an experienced Prince, so perswade thee from this Iuorye throane, yea and more to, That without the Soue­raigne good, all is but vanitie and vexation of the Spirit.

But happily heere our youth may crowe, Old men must die and young men may die. Isaiah. 40 [...] 6, 7. 8. and say: their day shall euer dawne, but I say nay, for euen your flesh is but grasse, and the grace thereof, is but as the flower of grasse, yea oftentimes, for that your sins are the more, your danger is the greater (I say) take heede, your blade being greene, it is sooner blasted: your vessel being new, it is sooner tainted: and your plant being ten­der, it is sooner supplanted, by the violence of sinne which is the fier, and fuel of death. Seneca saith well: Iuuenes mortem habent atergo, et senes ante oculos. Young men haue death at their backes, and olde men before their face, like Israels hoste, who had the red Sea before, & Pharoes Armie be­hinde, Exod. 14. both ineuitable gulffes and readie to deuoure.

And so for conclusion of the point, bee [Page] thou wel assuredly, that thouseest without and feelest within, both young men may die, and old men must die: And neuer deeme it a new thing, that is so ancient, or thinke it strange, that is so continuall: nor call it an euil (properly thine) which is so cōmon with al the world. The first age had it, it may pleade antiquitie: the second age The plea of death. felt it, it may pleade cōtinuāce: and this last age hath it, it may pleade a propertie in all flesh, till sinne and time shall be no more.

The vse in respect of the doctrine is this, that though wee finde in our bones, and feele in our flesh, a necessitie of dying, yet we forget our selues, we forget our sins, yea y ^e molde & matter wherof we are made, & vn til it come (as now) the opening of graues, the imbalming of bodies, the wearing of blackes, and the losse of dearest friendes, there is no passion of our immortallitie, there is no impression of our eternity. That this is true, (for my owne part,) I neede no better proofe thē mine owne hart to beare me witnes, and for you also it is expedient to [...]udge, whether the opening of this earth, the jmbalming of that body, the wearing of these blacks, with the sommoning of these [Page] solemne funeralles, by the Herolds call, in a sad winterly season, and towards a ioyfull spring, be not a resemblance of our perēp­torie day before the Lord, when euerie one 2. co. 5. [...] shall & must render an account of that he hath done in this life, bee it good or euill, wherof if you haue feeling, & look for such 2. Pe. 3. 14▪ thinges, be diligent that ye may bee found of him in peace, without spott & blameles Phil. 2. 15. [...] in the middest of a naughtie & crooked ge­neration, & suppose that the long suffering of the Lord is saluation, who would haue no man lost, but all to come to repen­tance.

[...] Now for the second part, (I meane of liuing againe, when wee are dead,) it is eui­dent by the text, that as there is a necessitie of dying once, so is there a necessitie of liuing euer, and that wee may terme an expectant estate and indefeazible both to the elect of GOD, and the reprobate from GOD, for both shall rise againe. The just to the resurection of saluation, to the Iohn. 5. 2 [...] 29 which GOD bring vs: and the wicked to the resurrection of condemnation, from which the Lord deliuer vs. Maruell not at this (saith CHRIST) For the hour [...] [Page] shal come, in the w ^c al that are in the graues shall heare his voice: vpon which Som­mons, heauen, earth, and hel shall be assem­bled the graues being pregnant shal bring foorth their dead: the Sea being called vp­pon, Re. 20, 13. &c. shall picke vpit dead: Beastes, Foules, and Fishes shall yeeld the dead they haue deuoured: yea and in spite of all tirannie, the blessed Martir shall say, it skils not much where I rot, for then shall I rise: nay I say more, The shrill sound of that trum­pet shall emptie heauen, and shake hell: all shall come foorth and appeare before the tribunall seate of God: all his saints out of heauen, all the damned out of hell, all their dead bodies out of the earth: out they must, attend they must, appeare they must, re­ceaue they must, according to that they haue done in this life be it good or euil, not an Angell spared, not a Deuill respited, not a Saint or sinner rescued, but all must bee summoned to giue their attendance and to make their appearance.

Good Lord, what a fearefull day will it then bee? and what an exceeding glorie of our Christ will then appeare, who shall emptie all vppon his sommons, and fill all [Page] vpon his sentence: emptie heauen, emptie earth, emptie hell: fill heauen, fill earth, fil hell: heauen with his maiestie, Angels and Saints attending: earth with his presence, his fairest creatures abiding: Hell with his judgements, the deuil and damned euer dreeing the doome of death, and deepe dis­paire. There shall be a new heauen and a 2. Pe. 3. 13 Isa. 30. 33. new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnes: but an old diuel, & an old hel, wherin abi­deth horror. Topheth is prepared of old &c

I say then (& not I but the Spirit of God for me, speaking out of this text and truth) That it is Epicurisme, Atheisme, and the greatest Apostacie from faith that may be, to say, Let vs eate and drinke, tomorrowe Isa. 22. 13 Old Athe­isme. we shal die, & so an end: or to say with the wicked miscreants wisd. 2. 2. We are borne at al aduentures, and we shal bee heareafter as though wee had neuer been: our breath in our Nostrils is but a smoke, and beeing extinguished, the bodie is turned into ash­es, and the Spirit vanisheth as the soft ayre: come therefore, let vs jnioy the plea­sures that are present, and let vs cheare­fullie vse the creatures as in youth: Let vs fill our selues with costly wine & oynt­ments, [Page] and let not the flower of youth passe by vs: Let vs crowne our selues with rose buds before they be withered, let al be par­takers of our wantonnes: let vs leaue some token of our pleasure in euerie greene field: & as for rigor, rage, & tiranny, whats that to vs when we are dead? come let vs oppresse the poore that is righteous, let vs not spare the widdow, nor reuerence the white haires of the aged, but say they haue liued too lōg, let our strength bee a law, and let the thing that is feeble bee reprooued as vnprofita­ble.

Thus did the Atheist speake in the daies of old, out of the error of their soules, thus did they practise from a graceles resolution: the Lord deliuer the land from such a burden, his church from such pelfe, & our Prince from such a people, to whome I may say (if any there bee that so remaine yet vnrefor­med after so acceptable a time, and free of­fer of all grace and Godlinesse) I may say without repentāce, they are a damned crew and depriued of glorie, who for that they will not finde out the Lord in his mercies whilst they liue, shal be sure to be found out in iudgement, by him, when they are dead: [Page] for if a man die he shall liue againe.

O it shal not be then with the beastlie E­picure New A­theisme. whose bellie is his God, eate, drinke, dye, and so an end: it shall not bee with the wastfull wanton whose lust is his GOD, spend, sue, pursue, speede, die and so an end: it shall not bee with the greedy cormorant, whose gold is his God, greeue, grate, grind the poore, oppresse the needy, then die and so an end: it shall not bee with the distem­perate Spirits of bloody Tyrants, whose re­uenge is their God, loath, kill, stabbe, mur­der the Godlie, massaker the Saintes, then die and so an end: it shall not bee with the idle minion, whose pride is her God, pricke, pinne, paint, frisle the haire, then die and so an end it: it shall not be with the desperate ruffian whose villanie is his God, sweare, forsweare, teare the heauens, and tire the earth with bloodie oathes and blasphemies, then die, and so an end: it shall not be with the grosse Idolater, whose image is his God, bow, bend crosse, creepe to the creatures then die and so an end: fi­nally it shal not be with the disloyal subiect whose treasons is his God, plot, complot, practise, at home and abroad, on this side [Page] the seas and on that side, the subuersion of a blessed state, & the deposing of a most gracious Prince, as they did by their owne confession. The best natured and moste heauenly qualified Queene, that euer liued D. Parie in England, it shall not be, Grieue her, curse her, depose her, and depriue her of life, crowne & dignity, thē die & so an end: for thē is but the beginning of sorrows, & after Heb. 9. 27 death commeth iudgement, when to hide thy selfe with these sinnes, it will bee vn­possible, and to appeare it will bee vntolle­rable: Lu. 16. 22 Lazarus to Heauen, Diues to Hell, both shal rise againe, the one to death euer­liuing, the other to a life neuer dying: for the Godlye shal haue boldenes in that day, but the wicked shall crie vnto the moun­taines; 1 Ioh. 4. 17 [...]. 23. 30 fall vppon vs, fall vppon vs.

And so to leaue the wicked in their sins, and with their brand, & to close with your religious hearts, seeing you looke for better thinges, be dilligent that yee may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameles [...] Th. 5. 23 at the comming of our Lord Iesus christ to iudgemēt: & bee wel assured, ye that are the elect of God, & christ his peculiar, y ^t though the wicked shal rise to their confusion, yet [Page] shal ye liue againe, as in soule, so in bodie, to your vnspeakeable ioy and consolation.

Which heauenlie Doctrine likewise of your liuing againe to beate out, hath been the proper workeof all the Godlye from time to time, in their succeeding ages, Pa­triarches, Prophets, Apostles yea & Christ himself, as the fountaine whose streames if I should follow to the full, it would bee tedi­ous for you to passe ouer, & vnpossible for mee to keepe the current.

Onely Paules plea for life againe, shall The plea of life. stand as a ground for all the rest, whose se­ueral reasons to proue the resurrection, lay­ed downe to the Church of Corinth, I re­ferre you vnto, resting vppon the first, as a butteris or binding stone for all the rest, which is this: Christ is risen againe, the first 1. Cor. 15. fruites of them that sleepe, wherupon I in­ferre, if he be first, wee must second him: if he be gone before, we must follow after: if he be risen, we may not rest: for where the head is, of congruence must all the mem­bers follow.

And now that Christ is risen againe from that christ is risen the dead, it is apparant by these seuerall proofes. First it is promised in Paradice, [Page] so to be when God said to Sathan, hee shall Gen. 3. 15. breake thine head, and thou shalt bruse his heele, bruse he may by death, but breake he may not. Thine it is ô Christ to breake sa­than, sinne and death, not in the heele, but in the head, neuer to rise vp in judgement against vs. 2 Secondly his resurection from the dead, was prophecied in Iudah, by old Iacob. Gen. 49. 9. by a Lyon couchant vnder a painefull passion, yet passant too, by a glorious resurection: so said Iacob, as a Lyons whelpe shalt thou come vp from the spoile, my Sonne Iudah (meaning in a misterie from the spoile of Hell, sinne, and death, to the glorie of Heauen, life and im­mortalitie) our english Iudah hath this ho­nor in her armes and wee owe her homage, our heauenly Iudah hath this honour in his person & we owe him adoratiō: al ye faith­full of Iudah take this honour to your soules, & blesse your christ in the scutchin of your hearts, carrye him, ô carrie him foorth in your Christian marche, against all incounters: and say, terror hic est homi­num, qui (que) hunc gerit est Agamemnon, which I may english thus.

3 Thirdly, his resurection was figured by Sampson Iudg. 16, who at midnight rose & Iudg. 16. 3 conueyed away the gates of Azzah and bare them vp to Hebron. The gates of Az­zah are the bands of death, which our true Sampson did breake in the night, & silence of his resurrection, and in despite of death, bore vp his blessed body to Heauen, where now it abides a pledge of our inheritance. Haue I not power to lay downe my life, & Ioh. 10. 17 18 haue I not power to take it vp againe?

4. Lastly it was signified in the heaue offering, shaken vp, shakend vne, and Exo. 29. 24 shaken vp againe: so was our Christ in bo­dy, the substance of this shadow, tost to and fro in the hazard of this world, vp to the crosse downe to the graue, and yet vp a­gaine to glorie.

What should I say more? see the vaulte Mar. 16. 6. 7. where they laide him, (saith the Angell) all hollow & emptie: ther's the graue, where [Page] be the Corpes? ther's the Shrine, whereis the Sainct? Indeede hee is risen, hee is not heere: goe to Galilie there shall yee see him, (as he hath said) why seeke ye the liuing a­mong Luk, 24, 5 10, 20▪ 17 the dead? Quem mortuum queris, viuentem tangere non mereris: Marie thou deseruest not to feele him aliue, whom still thou seekest thus dead: nor was this Sermon preached by the Angell to her a­lone, but was afterward mightily confir­med by many seueral apparitions of our Sa­uiour Christ, ere he left this world: y ^t if in the mouth of two or three witnesses euerie truth should be established, this so accep­table a Doctrine of Christ his resurection from the dead, might want no testimo­nye: eyther of these women, of Ce­phas, 1, Cor, 15. 4, &c. of the twelue, or of moe then fiue hun­dreth Bretheren at once, whose witnesse is true, our conscience bearing vs witnes ther­to in the holie Ghost.

And thus (my deere bretheren) beeing fully assured of the Lords resurrection, we That we shall rise. 2. co, 4, 14 are well secured of our owne, knowing (as the Apostle saith) that he which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus, shall raise vs vp also by Iesus, and set vs with the Saints in euerlast­ing [Page] tabernacles, whereof yet lest any the weakest reedin this assemblie might faile in iudgement, and so saint in hope, I haue thought good, without straine of Scrip­ture, to secure your religious hearts of your owne resurrection, by these few grounds of Faith following.

First for that it is in the will of the Father Iohn, 6, 3 [...] 40▪ so to haue it: as also a worke of the Sonne so to effect it, for this (saith Christ) is the will of him that sent me, that euerie man which seeth the Sonne & beleeueth in him shold haue euerlasting life, & I will raise him vp at the last day: will the Father haue it, who shall resist his wil? will the Sonne worke it, who can resist his power? & if in any work, Rom, 1. 4. assuredly moste of all in this hath the Lord declared himselfe mightilie to be the Son of God, touching the Spirit of sanctificati­on, by the resurrection from the dead: his & ours. I say, his and ours: because hee that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified are Heb. 2, 1. [...] both one.

2. A second ground of our resurrection to Heb, 6, 1 [...] builde vppon, is the Lords oathe, that by two immutable thinges, wherein it is vn­possible that God should lie, we might haue [Page] strong consolation, he that hath former he said it is his wil, he hath likewise said it is his worke, and the Lord his Say, might be our assurāce: yet God, willing more aboūdant­ly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsell, hath bound him­selfe by an oathe; of old thus: as I liue, I will Ez, 33, 11, not the death of sinner, &c. Of new thus: verily, verily, I say vnto you, the houre shal Ioh, 5, 25, come, and now is, when the dead shal heare the voice of the Sonne of God, and they that heare it shall liue, where God hauing no greater to sweare by, swore by himselfe as he is life, and by his Christ as he is truth: wheruppon Tertullian infers this blessing, O nos felices quorum causa deus iurauerit: sed ô nos infelices, si ne iuranti Deo credi­mus. O happie wee for whose good, God himselfe hath sworne: But ô wee most vn­happye if vppon his oathe wee doe not be­leeue him. Tollit diuinitatem, qui tollit ve­ritatem, wee greeue the deitie, if wee checke the veritie.

3. A third assurance, is the instrument wee hold by, euen our letters pattents from the King of heauen: I meane the olde [...]est­ament from Horeb sealed with the blood [Page] of Goates, and the new testament from Sy­on sealed with the blood of christ, both vn­sealing the doore of the Sepulchre, that as 2. [...], 13 2 [...] vppon the touch of Elisha his bones, the dead body of the Moabit did rise, and at Christ his dolorous crye, Lazarus came Iohn, 11. 43, 44 foorth: so both might be pregnant types, & truthes of our resurection to come, and the bookes mentioning the same, still remaine as instruments of our holde authentical & good, to conuey vnto vs an assurance of our immortalitie: in which Saint Augustine is bolde to say, Euangelium legimus instru­mentum nostrum: Wee haue read the Gos­pell which is our euidence wee hold by, wherein I dare say, there is nothing more current from leafe to line, then the doctrine of death's deliuerie.

4. A foorth ground of our future resur­rection, is taken from sufficient testee, and clowd of witnesses compassing vs round on euery side, Patriarches, Prophets, A­postles, though in diuers ages of the worlde, yet all making good this one truth from one God, & Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ, by which they spake: Enoch (as Iude saith) the seauenth from Adam Iud. 14, [Page] prophesied of it. And Iob said, I shall see Iob, 19. 26 27 God in my flesh, I my selfe, myne eyes, and no other for me, Isaiah said, the dead men shal liue, euen with my body shal they rise: Isa, 26, 19 awake and sing, ye that dwel in the dust, for thy dewe is as the dewe of hearbes, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Ezekiell said, O Sonne of man prophesie ouer these dead bones, & say, heere ye the word of the Lord, [...]. [...]7. 4 when I haue opened your graues, ô my people, and brought you vp, out of your Se­pulchres, and shall put my Spirit in you, & yee shall liue: then shall ye know that I am the Lord. Daniel said, many of them that Dan, 12. 2 sleepe in the dust of the earth, shall awake▪ some to euerlasting life, some to shame and perpetuall contempt. The distressed Mar­tir said, when vppon demaund hee yeelded his tongue and hands into the power o [...] the tormenter: These haue I had from the 2, Macc. 7, 11▪ heauen, but now for the law of God I de­spise them, and trust that I shall receiue th [...] from him againe.

What should I say more, the new Test­ament is rather in the practise, then proof of this Doctrine: and Paul is peremptory 1, Cor▪ 15, 42, that it is sowne in corruptiō, but riseth in i [...] [Page] corruption: sowen in dishonour, but riseth a­gaine in glorie: sowen in weakenes, riseth a­gaine in power: sowen a natural bodie, ri­seth againe a spirituall body: for there is a naturall bodie, and that shall fall, but there is a spirituall bodie, and that shall rise, and all is but one in the substance of beeing: the difference is of well beeing, as now being made more honorable vppon the fall by Christ, who shall change our vile bodies, Phil. 3, 21 that they may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things vn­to himselfe.

Yea and to make it a palpable and fee­ling Doctrine, as to the heart, so to the hand of each Christian: all the Apostles in one Iohn, and one Iohn for all the Apostles, brings in the verdict thus: That which we 1, Ioh, 1. 1 haue heard, which wee haue seene with our eyes, which we haue looked vpon, & these handes of ours haue handled, declare wee vnto you. Hands haue handled, what mea­neth that? Woe is mee to tell: doubtfull Thomas demur'd vpon the Doctrine, till Iohn, 20 24, &c. his itching fingers had fetched it out of the prints of the nailes, & his sinful hand out of [Page] his sore side: How bee it vpon the touch Not sore but open his heart resolu'd into sighes, & his eyes in­to teares, when hee said with an holy reso­lution: my GOD, my Lord: my God, I am thy creature, my Lord, I am thy re­deemed: I finde thee risen▪ and I feele I shal be raysed: Thy woundes are deepe e­nough to pleade thy death, & sufficiēt wide to purchase life for me, and all the worlde.

For conclusion of all, let Christ his wit­nesse bee instar omnium and stand for all; who to take away the doubt, forbids the wonder of our new repaire, saying, maruell Iohn. 5. 28 29 not at this, for the houre shall come, in the which all that are in graues shall heare his voice and come forth.

5. Fiftly we are well assured▪ that we shal rise againe, by double pledge or host­age: 1. First of the soules of the Saints▪ Reu. 6, 9, 10. 11. now lodgers in Heauen vnder the Altar, killed for the word of GOD, and testy­monye which they maintained, whose loud crye is after a deliuerance of their owne bodyes, and of vs their long detayned bretheren, to whome silence was inioyned for a while, that they should rest vntill their fellowe-seruants and bretheren. [Page] that should bee killed (euen as they were) were fulfilled. 2. Secondly of their bo­dyes, lodged in their graues, there to re­maine as lodgers for vs, likewise vntill the time that all thinges bee restored, God Heb. 11, 40. prouiding this good for vs that they with­out vs should not be made perfect.

6, A sixt assurance is the pawne of the Spi­rit of God within vs: for, as the Apostle Ro. 8. 11 saith, if the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwel in you, he that raised vp Christ frō the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his spirit that dwelleth in you. And now my bretheren how this spirit hath entred & wimbled into your soules to make passage for this Doctrine, I know not, reade the caracters of your own hearts, you are spiritual: I feele no spirit but mine own, yet I hope well, that the cheareful spirit of God mooueth within you, & lifteth vp your sad & pēsiue spirits this day, from the dead graue to the blessed hope of immortalitie.

7. Seauenthly we are secured per Arram: when the earnest is giuen it strikes the bar­gaine, & part of the debt is paied: so was it whē vpō the resurectiō of Christ, the graues Math. 27▪ 52. 53. yeelded part of their dead as an earnest [Page] of the generall resurrection, and full pay­ment to come, then contracted betwixt Christ and the graue, binding both alike: the graue to deliuer the rest of her dead, and Christ to receaue all to life, and immorta­litie.

8. The eight and last, yet not the least Anchor of our sure hope and hold, is our possession of heauen already taken, whither our head is gon before, and there sits in po­tioribus Ioh. 14. 3. Ro. 8. 34 Hebr. 9. 24 Dei at the right hand of the Father in the best place of heauen, that the head and the members might be togeather: So then (I say) in the Man Christ we make our claime: in the Man Christ hath euerie one flesh, blood, bone and portion: I beleeue I shall liue where my flesh liueth, I hope I shall reigne where my head reigneth, and I knowe assuredly that I shall bee glorified where my portion is exalted.

These groundes of faith (my bretheren) are so many nailes of the sanctuary, to fast­en vs in hope to the hold where Christ our redeemer is: they are so many Chrysolits, Saphiers, and Emeralds, to support the wall of the holy Cittie, where wee shall dwel, and so many Pearls they are, to gar­nish Re. 21▪ 21 [Page] the gates of the holy Temple, for the Saints entrance: where the light of the Lambe is, the people which are saued shall walke in the light of it, and as Iohn saith, the glorie and honor of the Gentils (where­of you are) shall bee brought into it. Lord what is man that thou art so mindefull of him: or the Sonne of man that thou shoul­dest thus visite him in mercie, and prouide for him in glory.

And yet my beloued, I know not howe, but notwithstanding all these proofes, and this my text, yet hath not the tempter cea­sed from the beginning of the world vnto this day, eyther like a roaring Lyon, feirce­ly to assault, or like a Serpent by deceite craftily to impugne the same, yea it is a woe Eph. 2, 2, 3 and a wonder to see how mightily the Di­uell hath preuailed in the Children of diso­bedience, to worke their iust condemnati­on through mis-beleefe, euen in this point of the resurrection, & of our liuing a­gaine: whereof I haue thought good to giue you a taste of their different errors, the rather to season you in the knowne truth.

The Saduc [...]s say there is no resurection [Page] at all, erring (as Christ tolde them) in that A dange­rous sect of whome we reade: few [...]r none to haue been called, ma, 22. 23 29 2. Tim. 2. 17. 1 [...]. they knew not the Scriptures, nor the power of God, Hymeneus & Philetus say y ^• resurect­iō is past alreadie: the Heluetian Heretickes say, It is dayly in there generation: The Ar­chātici▪ that the soule liueth, but not the bo­dye. The Hirarchits, that the flesh liueth a­gaine, but not this flesh. The Maniches, that we shall be turned into an other sub­stance, but into what, they knowe not. The Marcionits say, wee shall bee turned in­to the nature of Angels: and the Ualentini­an Heretickes into the nature of Deuils: the Appelleits thinke the flesh shal simbo­lize into the Spirit, & that the spirit shal vanish into the sostayre: the Chiliaste w ^e are called the Millenarie Heretickes, doe dreame of a ciuil gouernmēt for a thousand yeares heere on earth, wherein they thinke the Godly shall liue with Christ in all de­lights & delicacie, & then goe to heauen in the eight thousand yeare of the world.

But all these different errors and Here­sies are mightily confounded by the alone spirit of God, in these words of my text: If a man die hee shall liue againe▪ as and if the truth should say, that graue that shutteth [Page] shall open againe, that bodye which fall­eth shall rise againe, that man which dyeth shall liue againe, not in part, but in whole, not another from that it was, but the verie same that now it is: These my feete shall treade in his Courts: these my handes shall bee lift vp to his praise: these mine eyes shal behold his glory: these mine eares shall be filled with that heauenly me­lodye: yea and this my spirit shal reioyce in God my maker, my sauiour, my redeemer, my glorifier: I say this my bodye and this my soule once feuered on earth, with a wofull farewell, shall meete againe in hea­uen, neuer to part▪ but followe the Lambe Re. 14. 4. whither euer he goeth.

And thus hauing cleered in some mea­sure the necessitie of our liuing againe, with an assured hope to all Gods Children of a ioy ful resurrection to come, it remaines we presse the Doctrine; yet further to your comfort, and tell you how wee shall bee changed, and when.

For the first, rise we shall with these verye Iob, 19. bodies, of flesh, skin, blood & bone▪ nor shal the least ioynt sinew or Artery bee lost, but found and fashioned to the rest of the [Page] members, to giue the body all feature, grace and beautie. There shall bee no transub­stantiacion from one substance into ano­ther, but an alteration of quality tending to further perfection: and therefore wee say with one who said well, Gloria non tollit sed perficit naturam: our glorie shall not de­stroy our nature, but perfect it.

And for distinction of ages, there shall be Howe wee shall bee changed Isaiah▪ 65. 20. no more there, (as saith the Prophet) a Childe of yeares, nor an olde man that hath not fild his daies, that is in this won­derfull worke of restauration, there shal be no weakenes of youth, not infirmities of No distin­ction of a­ges in hea­uen, no maime, no imperfecti­on. age, but all shall bee fresh and flourishing: for as when GOD first created man and woman, hee made them not eyther▪ In­fants, old, crooked, or deformed, but strong, ripe and beautifull: so in the resurrection (which is called a new creation:) It is not like, but shal be conformable to the first: if not much more excellēt: nor doe I doubt, but as the Apostle saith, wee shall all meete together vnto a perfect Man▪ and vnto the Ephe. 4. 13 measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ, so fully blessed with daies, glory and im­mortalitie.

[Page]This so wonderful change, and excellent state, is shadowed out vnto vs by Christ his transfiguration vppon the holy mounte, when the fashion of his countenance was Math. 17. 1, 2, &c. changed, and his garments white and glist­red, splendor infacie, splendor in vestimen­tis, sic gloria in capite, gloria in membris: brightnes in the face of Christ, with brightnes in his garments, is nothing else but glorie in the head, and glorie in the members.

This sawe the disciple whome the Lord loued, when with a feeling soule and spirit, 1, Ioh. 3▪ 2. he said, dearely belooued: now are wee the Sonnes of God, but it is not yet made ma­nifest what we shall bee, for we knowe that when he shall bee made manifest (meaning Christ▪) wee shall be like him: for wee shall see him as hee is: like him, see him, and see him as hee is: ô excellent state of immor­tallitie, and soueraigne dignitie of Gods e­lect! to bee like him is much, to see him is more, but to see him as he is, moste of all.

Paul saw the like when he longed after Phil, 3. 20. 21 a deliuerance, and said, wee looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may bee [Page] fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all thinges vnto him­selfe: whereuppon I may inferre to your further ioy, and greater wonder, thus: That wee shall bee changed, is much, that our vile bodies shall bee changed, is more, but that our vile bodye vppon the change shall bee fashioned like vnto the gloryous body of Iesus CHRIST, is moste of all: Manye fashions there are in this worlde, and all weare out of fashion. There's but one suite for the Saints of GOD, and for that it's cut after the best Patterne viz. after CHRISTS, it neuer weareth or waxeth olde, but is alwayes faire, fresh and glorious: had wee been apparelled like Aaron in his holye [...]obes, or like Salomon in his Royall array, had wee put on the brightnesse of Angells vp­on our change, wee might haue thought our selues sufficientlye graced, but▪ as and if all that were not sufficient: The Lord hath changed our vile bodie▪ that it might bee fashioned like vnto his glori­ous bodye.

And this will hee doe when our case [Page] is most desperate, euen finde vs out when When ou4 neede is greatest Christ is nearest & his mercies are preuen­tions. Lu. 10. 34 we are lost, & take vs vp when wee are fur­thest fallen from him, when our woundes are deepest, then rediest to power in oyle and to binde them vp, when no eye pityeth vs, I say when by blacke death we shall be made vile, base and despicable: Then will he fashion vs like vnto himselfe: and (as the Psalmist saith) make vs glorious by Psa. 1 49. 4 deliuerance.

For it is an excellencie in our Christ, and a mercie infallible, found true in the practise of his pyetye, euen then to shewe mer­cye when wee are mosse miserable: then to feele him nearest, when wee deeme him furthest gone: his graces to abound when our sinnes doe superabound: I say, his mercies are preuentions euer meeting with our miseries, and then when wee are moste wofull and wanting.

When the Scepter was gone from Iu­dah, then Shiloh came: when the diseased Gen. 49. 1 [...] Mar. 5. 26. Iohn. 5. 5▪ woman had spent all without remedye, then came CHRIST and cured with­out cost: when the poore Paralyticke had laine eight and thirtye yeares, by the Poole of Bethesda, and none would helpe [Page] to put him in, Then Iesus said, rise, take vp thy bed and walke: when the Disciples said Math. 14, 15, &c. vnkindely, send the people away: nay saith Christ giue ye them to eate. What should I say more? The Lord raysed Lazarus, when Iohn. 11 he stunke in the graue: and whilst Martha mooued, and Mary mourned, he grieued in heart, and was troubled in Spirit, put to his hand, tooke him out, deliuered him, & said now loose him and let him goe.

So wil he doe in the day of our redemp­tion, when our sinnes shall bee full, and mi­serie Ioh. 1. 16. moste abound: then mercie shall bee more full, and grace superabound: and as at his first cōming of his aboundance, we al receaue grace, for grace (a chereful refresh­ing to our sinful soules) so at his cōming a­gaine wee y ^t dwel in the dust, shal awake & sing at the shoute and shower of his glorie, as also of the aboundance of his glorie, re­ceaue glory for glory.

Thy dew ô Lord is as the dew of hearbs▪ [...] 26, 19 for euen as hearbes dead in winter, florish a­gaine by the raine in the Spring tyme: so shall they that liue in the dust, arise vp to joy, when they feele the dew of Gods grace as the hony droppes that water the earth.

[Page]And then shall wee say with a Godly [...] ­uation: 1, Cor, 15▪ 54. now death is swallowed vp in vict­orie: for our drie bones are moistned, our forlorne hope is recouered, we were cleane cut off, but now are wee growne againe, our bed is precious, and our withered branch is glorious: the Lord hath opened our graues, wee are come out of the Sepul­chres, and he hath brought vs into the land Psa, [...]7, 13 of the liuing, where wee shall see no sinne, nor feele corruption any more.

Hasten thy iudgements ô Lord, bowe the heauens and come downe: discharge the graues of their dead, the world of it doome, our soules from sinne, and our bo­dies from corruption: ô hasten the daie of our deliuerie, that wee may see in glorie what we feele in grace, euen the beholding Psal. 17▪ 15 of thy face in righteousnes, that when wee shall awake from death, wee may be satis­fied with thy likenesse, and fild with the fulnes of thy ioy.

Thus much of the manner of our change The time of our changing. & liuing againe: Now to the time when: I meane, when these vile bodies shall be fa­shioned like vnto his glorious bodie, fined from the graue, redeemed from the earth, [Page] and bought from men, whereof I hold for Reu, 14. 4. the negatiue, that there shall bee no full change or restauraciō of any, vntil the ge­nerall resurection of all: and that before the last day and doome of all the world, there shall be silence in the graue, no ground stirred, no body raised: and if raised, for a time by diuine dispensation, to confirme the glorie of Christ his resurrectiō, at what time Sheol shold be shakē, yet layed downe againe, by like ordination to expect a fur­ther refreshing from the Lord, when all thinges shall be restored.

So as I may safely say, against our aduer­saries presumption, in checke of their as­sumption of the body of the blessed virgin, that except the humane bodye of her Son Christ, the pawne and pledge of our Inhe­ritance, the [...]'s not a glorified body in hea­uen: it's true, it's true, vppon our discluti­on: the dust of our bodies resolueth into E [...], 12, 7. earth from whence it came, and the spirit returneth to God that gaue it. And as the Act. 3 21. heauens must holde the body of one Christ till hee come againe: so the graues shall holde the bodies of al his saints, till al things Gen, 3, 19▪ be restored: earth, to erath, ashes to ashes. [Page] dust to dust, is for all flesh vntil our chang­ing shall come, for thou Lord turnest man Psal, 90. 3. to destruction: againe thou sayest, come a­gaine ye children of men.

And that this is true, let these Scriptures waig [...] with you: Iob in the precedent ver­ses of this my text hath it, and you may be­leeue Iob, 14. 1 [...]. him in that as in the rest, man sleepeth and riseth not, hee shall not awake againe, nor be raised from his sleepe till the hea­uens be no more: where I take his meaning to bee generallie of all without exception of any other, then as formerly I haue said of Christ his perfect glorification for euer: and some of his Saints, by dispensation for the time, and againe, layed downe to sleepe til the heauens be no more, that is, til all thinges be restored.

Christ himselfe a witnes omni exceptione Ioh, 3, 13. maior, hath said likewise, that no man hath ascended vp to heauen, but he that hath de­scended from heauen, that Sonne of man which is in heauen: the doctrine is positiue Catholike and absolute without excepti­on of any, and exclusion of al, speaking by a coinonie for the present: as attributing that to the diuinitie which is proper to the hu­manitye: [Page] but expressing, as de futuro for the time to come, that no man should as­cend in his humanitie, before the Sonne of man who did descend in his diuinitie to fetch it vp.

And heereunto accordeth Paul when he [...]. Cor. 15, 22▪ 23 saith, as in Adam all dye, euen so in Christ shall all bee made aliue, but euerie man in his owne order: The first fruites is Christ, afterward they that are of Christ, at his cō ­ming shal rise againe: whence I reason thus, in the first Adam we all fel by sinne to die once. In the second Adam we shall all rise, by his righteousnesse to liue euer, but in sorte different: he as the first fruite, we as an after crop at his comming shall rise againe, euen at his comming shall rise againe, so saith the text, and not before, so say I. The inferrence is good, else were the order in­uerted, wherat principallie the Apostle ay­meth, Col. 1. 18. which is, that Christ might haue the preheminēce, prime and pride of the resur­rection, if I may so say.

Againe it is said by the same Apostle, that 1 Th. 4, 15 at the Lords comming such as remaine shall not preuent them that are asleepe, no [...] they that are asleepe shall preuent them [Page] that are aliue: but the Lord shall preuent both and togeather, all shall be caught vp in the cloudes, to meete the Lord in the ayre, and so be euer where he is. The diui­sion is perfect & good, for at the comming of Christ to iudgement, all bodies shall ey­ther sleepe in their graues dead, or bee abi­ding vppon the earth aliue, and for their passage into heauen, none shall bee before or after other. The time was when that o­ther Iohn, 20. 4 Disciple did out runne Peter to the Sepulchre, and euen now wee see, one hast­eth to put another in the graue: but then when the Trumpet shall blowe, and the dead shall rise: all shall goe frō their Sepul­chers at once vp together, meete together, and so for euer be with the Lord.

Further for better proofe of this Doctrine, there is set downe by the Apostolicke Au­thor, Heb. 11. 2. a choise register of Gods Saints, from Abel the iust, downe to the daies of the Machabees, by the honorable▪ Patriar­ches, worthy Iudges, renowned Kinges, in­spired Heb. 11, 39, 40, Prophets, who all through faith ob­tained good reporte, but receiued not the promise: God prouiding a better thing for vs, that they without vs should not be made perfect.

[Page]I say, receiued not the promise at full▪ as inioying their desired Christ, not fullie come, in the day of grace by his death, to purge their soules from sinne, nor come in the day of glorie, by his life, to fine their bodies from corruption: God prouiding this good for vs, that they without vs, ney­ther in grace or glory, should bee fully per­fected. How be it I deny not, but their soules were fullie saued, by the vertue of Christ his death and resurrection, which they fore­sawe and felt in their hearts, and therefore If in hea­uen, ergo neither in the lim­bee of po­pish purga­torie, or limbus pa trum. vpon their dissolution were taken vp in soule into the very heauens, where now they are, with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. Mat. 8. 11. But their flesh doth rest in hope, so (as I may say of them, and of all the dead, as Peter did of the Patriarch Dauid) Da­uid is not ascended into heauen: And if Act, 2, 26 34 Psa. 110, 1 Heb. 1, 13. Ec▪ 10. 12. 13, 1. Ioh, 2, 1 2. Act, 20, 28 1▪ cor, 15, 27 not Dauid the roote, how may Mary the branch, or any other straine of Adam? nay, nay, the possession is there giuen by one God, and taken by one Christ in right of al thus: Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole, thou alone to pleade their cause, thou alone to purchase their place, thou alone to keepe [Page] possession til al thinges be restored, and then make good thy purpose, with thy promise, I goe to prepare a place for you, and if I Ioh 14. 2, 3, goe, I will come againe and receaue you vnto my selfe: that where I am, there may yee bee also.

But if all these Scriptures, like nailes of Hebr. 12, 22, 23, 24, the sanctuarie, will not fasten thee to this holde: then search the heauens, for thy bet­ter resolution: see into that secret, and who be there? Hebr. 12. 22. &c. Mencion is made of Mount Syon, which is the ce­lestiall Ierusalem: and the Cittie of the liuing God: to which blessed assemblie the elect of God are incited to ioyne them­selues as free Denisons, & to be Infranchi­sed. Now who be there, tell if thou canst? let the Spirit speake and all flesh bee si­lent.

There saith the text, are the companie of innumerable Angels, and the congregation of the first borne which are written in hea­uen: There is God the Iudge of all, and the Spirits of iust and perfect men: there is Iesus the meadiator of the new Testament and the blood of sprinckling, that speaketh better thinges then the blood of Habel.

[Page]Whence I inferre, (to passe the rest and to come to that which more neerelie con­cerneth the matter in question,) that there are onely the spirits of iust and perfect men but neither bodie, blood or bone, other then that of Iesus Christ, the mediator of the new Testament, whose blood speaketh better thinges then that of Habels: For the blood of Habel cryed reuenge, but the blood of Christ euen there sprinckling, as it were in He, 12, 24 his Fathers face, cryeth pardon, pardon.

I might (to confirme this Scripture) cote that of Iohn: and open vnto you the first seale, with the Altar of God, & the soules of Reu. 6, 9, 10, 11. the saints lying there vnder: I might tel you of their inioyned silence, to pray, or pleade for any further repaire or perfection in bo­dy, vntill the number of their fellowe ser­uants gone before, and of their Bretheren to follow after (dead as they were) were ful­filled: but I leaue the Doctrine to your further search and examination, because the time hasteth on: and for the present onelie, content my selfe, and I hope you to, with the assoyling of some few doubts, which happely might incounter the Doct­trine deliuered.

[Page]First say some, if there bee no bodies in Gen. 5▪ 24 2, Ki, [...], 11 Looke the Geneua note Gen. 5, 24 & P. Mar­tir of He­nocke and Elias. heauen but that of Christs, where then are the bodyes of Henocke and Elias, the one taken away before the Flood, and the o­ther after in a fiery Chariot? I answere with the learned, whose iudgements I reuerēce, as to inquire where they became is meere curiositie, so to say they bee in heauen, is o­uer bolde presumption: and if I should say with Dauid Kimhi, not the meanest inter­preter of the Hebrues: that in the taking vp of Elyas, his garments were consum'd with fire, except his Mantell which fell from him, yea and that himselfe was extingui­shed: so as euerie one of the Elements of his body dissolued and return'd to the Element whereof it was, but that his Spirit passed to heauen, it were no singular opinion, for of the verie same minde, Oecolampadius see­meth to bee in his exposition vpon the last of Malachie.

But for vs it is sufficient, that their transl­ation shew there is a better life prepared: & if wee make it a Sacrament eyther of our re­surrection frō the dead, or last taking vp in­to heauen, if we make it a testimonie of the immortallitie of soules & bodies, I holde it [Page] may well stand with the Analogie of faith, and be as Tertulliā sayth, documents of our perfection to come, for the rule is good, multa tribuuntur Symbolis quae tantum sunt rerum significatarum: many things are said of figures which are onely true in the thing they signifie. Therefore if any man say, they are taken vp and glorified in body, as in soule: it is onely true in that they signi­fie, and not in Symbole.

Heerein if I be deceiued▪ I dare not say with the Prophet: Lord thou hast decea­ued M ^r. Gree­nam in his trea. of the Resurrect: Page▪ 4 [...]7 M ^r. Willet in his Re­tect. Page, 118, In Episti, Heb, 11, 5, me. Ieremiah 20. yet may I say ye lear­ned of this age, Caluin, Fulke, Grenam, Bale &c. ye are deceaued and erre with me.

It sufficeth vs saith Caluin, that their ta­king away (meaning Henocke and Elias) was a certaine extraordinarie death, nor may we doubt, but that they put of corrup­tible and mortall flesh, that with the [...]est of Christ his members, they might be renew­ed into a blessed immortalitie: might bee renewed (saith hee,) therefore not yet re­newed: and with the rest of the members of Christ, ergo not single by themselues.

The Rhemistes vpon the same place, Heb, 11 5 charge vs Protestants to bee Sectaries, [Page] for that wee holde this Doctrine, their words are these: heere it appeareth that He­nocke yet liueth and is not dead, against the Caluinistes.

M ^r. Fulke answereth the charge, and lay­eth In his mar ginall note Heb, 11. 5 downe his iudgement in these wordes: It appeareth not that Henocke yet liueth in bodye, more then Moses or Elyas, but that he was translated by God, out of the world, & died not after the cōmon maner of men, with this marginall note, more fully to ex­presse his minde in the point, Enocke not still liuing.

But as for any passage into heauen, that Enocke or Elias had in bodie or locall being there, which is the maine point in contro­versie: he is so farre from that opinion, as in an other place, he is bolde to vouch the contrarie in these verie wordes: It is eui­dent In his An­notat. Reu. 11. 3. Against the Rhemist. indeede that Elias was taken vp aliue, but not that hee contynueth aliue, yea, be­cause it is said expreslye that he was taken vp into heauen, it is certaine that his bodye was not carryed into heauen▪ for Christ was the first, that in his whole humanity ascended into heauen: Ergo (say I) with M ^r. Fulke whose learning, iudgement [Page] and authoritie I much reuerence, and so may the Church of England, that yet there is no Bodye in Heauen but that of Iesus christs: for hee is the beginning, and the first begotten of the dead: (as the Apostle Col. 1. 18. saith) that in all thinges, he might haue the preheminence.

Exiled Bale in his image of both Churches, and in his chaste Paraphras vp­on the cited place, Reuelation 11. infer­reth thus against the Popish schoole Doct­ors, who wold haue the two witnesses there mencioned to be Enocke and Elias: vnlike it is saith he, that God should call witnesses from the dead: And what Godlie wise man can giue more to the figure then to the ve­ritie, more were they not priuiledged from death, then Christ was: though God wold not then haue it so to be knowne, to declare his wonderfull worke.

Onely that which may deceaue is the O­riginall word, Lakac, which found in other places of Scripture else where, doth implye rather a taking away by death, then any trāslation from death: as in the 4. of Io­nah where the prophet prayeth y ^t God wold take away his life: and Ezech. 44. 16. where [Page] the Lord saith, beholde I will take from thee the pleasure of thine eyes, meaning his wife: the same original in both places is all one with that of Enocke Gen. 5. And therefore I see not yet why it may not in­ure to the same sense and signification, vn­lesse we may deeme that Ionah prayed for any such translation, or that Ezechiels wife was so translated indeede, which may not be, for that the Prophet liued longer after, and Ezechiels wife was found dead at euen: and for the newe testament it is fami­liar with Christ and his Apostles, to call death a translation or taking away to blessednes, as Luke 9. 51. Iohn. 13. 1. and 17 1. In all which places the Greeke will beare it to be a translation, or taking away to a better life, yet euer by a true and cer­taine death.

And therefore I answere to that of the Hebrues, where it is said: by faith Enocke Heb. 11. 5. was translated, that he shold not see death, that though happily his departure out of this life was extraordinary without passion, sickenes, or greenance: yet was it a dissolu­tion, and such as left a bodye behinde, else why saith the Text, that these, whereof E­nocke [Page] was one, without vs should not bee made perfect: had hee been taken vp and glorified in bodye as in soule, hee had been perfect without vs: but because the Scrip­ture plainely saith, that hee without vs should not bee perfected, I holde, as yet in bodie he is no more glorified then wee or the rest of that Calender.

It is recorded by Iude that Michaell th'a arch Angell stroue against the Deuill, Iude, 9. and dispu [...]ed about the bodye of Moses: nor doe I doubt but the contention was a­nenst the funeralles. The Deuil would haue them solemne, Michael would haue them secret to auoide idolatrie, and loue of relig­ques: least the succeeding age m [...]ght com­mit the sinne in adoring his dead bones, of whome whilst hee liued they had so great a reputation of all pietye and holines.

So may I say of Henocke and Elias, in Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11, 5 that, as the text saith, they are gone, not seene or found, they are taken rom buriall, and from all vsage of this world: least succeeding ages might adore them dead, whom they so honored aliue: for not found, not seene, we say of mē rather lost on earth then gone to heauen.

[Page]Againe when Christ was transfigured Luk. 9, 31 vpon the Mount: it is said that Moses and Elyas talked with him, and tolde of his departure which hee should accomplish at Ierusalem: and shall wee say that the one was more translated then the other, more perfect or more glorified then the other, pardon mee, if I pleade a like perfection in both: If Elias, then Moses: if not Moses, then not Elias, but it is plaine in the Scrip­ture Deut. 34. 5 that Moses dyed: and so it is of Enocke and Elias in the generall, otherwise how should that sentence of Scripture bee very­fied? Hebrues. 9. 27. It is appointed to men that they shall once dye: if wee shall then conclude and say from the premisses: that by diuine dispensation and for the time, Moses & Elyas tooke vp their bodies to associat Christ in the glorification as did the Saintes, who ryse with him to accom­pany him in the resurrection: when hauing performed that which they were appoin­ted to doe, they were dissolued againe, as before, I holde it may well stand with the Anolagie of faith: for that the Scripture saith concerning Christ. Act. 13. 34. God raised him vp from the dead, no more [Page] to returne to corruption, as and if others might twise returne, where Christ should but once see the graue.

As for the Fathers doubtfull iudgement Of Fathers there anenst, I say: as I haue euer said, I re­uerence their gray haires, but I blesse eter­nitie: nor dare I subscribe to all the Fa­thers in the present point, for that they are variable, nor to any one of them further then hee hath good warrantie out of the word, which is euer like it selfe, and stable in al truth. The Rhemistes would prooue in their annotations vpon the 11. of the A­pocalips two speciall pointes of Doctrine against vs, to make good their Antichriste yet to come. 1. First that Enocke and E­lias yet liue, shall preach in the time of Antichrist, and suffer martirdome. the [...] that they now liue in Paradice: and for de­nying of these two positions, they say we [...] Protestants are too contentious, and incre­dulous, the matter being cleare (as they a­uer) in the opinion of all antiquitie: and to that ende they presse vs with the sway o [...] the Fathers, both Greeke and Latine: T [...] whose quotations in that place I referr [...] you, as also to the variable iudgement o [...] [Page] antiquitie there anenst, whence I resolue and conclude. To say with some of the fa­thers, concurring with our aduersaries, that Enocke and Elyas be yet in Paradice is idle: to say they shall fight against Antichrist, in the ende of the world, and suffer Martir­dome is more idle, to say they be yet aliue is dangerous, but to say they be dead as all o­thers Heb. 9, 27 are, is without all danger, and where­upon neuer grew schisme in the Church of God, neuer greefe to conscience, or checke to the Royall dignitie of our Christ, whose sole and soueraigne preheminence of be­ing in heauen bodily, I holde, as an excel­lencie in him, and a blessing to vs: yet so as to beleeue or not to beleeue, that Enocke & Elyas be there, may bee no barre to our sal­uation, for that I doubt not but milions of soules shall bee saued, who neuer heard or sought into that secret.

And now that I haue said God will wit­nesse with mee before whome I stand in the sight of men and Angels, that I haue spok­en nothing to the touch or preiudice of any contrarie iudgement, or out of the pride or singularitie of my owne heart, but in right and prerogatiue of my Christ, whose [Page] peculiar yet I take it to bee alone, to pardone our sinnes, to pleade our cause, and purchase our place, whither first he is entred in body to make passage for all, and as the Apostle saith: Now to appeare Hebr. 9. 24 in the sight of God for vs, and so to con­clude with Origen, sicut ex mortuis primo­genitus Ex pāphil. christus, it a primus carnem euexit in caelum: As Christ is the first borne of the dead, so hee first caried his flesh into hea­uen.

2. A second doubt encountering this Doctrine, riseth from such as make question what became of the bodie of Lazarus after it was raised, as also of Ioh. 11. 44 the bodyes of those saints, which at christ his resurection came out of their graues, went into the holy citty and appeared vnto Math 27: 52 many?

To which I answere that all was done by myracle, and diuine dispensation one­ly for that time, to confirme and ascertaine vnto vs the resurection from the dead, as in the head, so in the members. And well it might stand with faith and religion both: that as by like dispensation Christ himselfe Ma. 17, 1. 2 being yet mortall, was transfigured vpon [Page] the holy Mount, and glorified in bo­dy, and beeing risen againe and gloryfied, 10, 20, 27▪ t [...]oke an impression of his mortalitie, as the print of the Nailes in his hands, and wound in his side, to confirme the weake faith of Thomas. So I say by the verie like dispensation hath he disposed of the bodies of those his Saints, for that time to confirm Lib: 3: de mi [...]a scrip. cap. 13. e­pistola ad Euodium. 99 the doctrine of the resurection, who hauing performed that which they were appoin­ted to doe, by the iudgement of Augustine and diuers others, settled in their graues, as they did before: for Christ being raised from the dead, dyeth no more, as and if Rom, 6▪ 9. the Apostle were resolued, that manye ray­sed to life haue dyed againe, of which sorte I take these to be.

3. The third and last encounter is with our aduersaries, who to aduance the bodye of the blessed virgin vp into heauen, haue mightily abased the blessed bodye of Christ on earth, pulling downe the one at their pleasure into the compasse of a cake, 1▪ Kin: 12 28: 29: at Dan, and Bethell, setting vp the other in conceite aboue the heauen of heauens, and to that end haue found out in their dea [...]ne diuinitie and assumption of her bodie into [Page] heauen, and withall proclaymed her a fe­riall for the same, to bee kept on earth, like one of the feasts of Iudah, where anenst, I say, and dare auouch, they haue discoue­red more follie, found out more fables, v [...] ­tered more vntruthes, and broched more blasphemies against God and his Christ, then euer they can answer, if the Lord bee not mercifull vpon their repentance.

Time will not suffer mee to stand vpon their particular impieties, & for that I must referre you to the reading of Io. Bromiard in his summa predicantium & tract de Ma­ria, as also to Nicholas Blony and Clicto [...]i­us their homilies, written for the Assump­tion day, to Anselmus and all the rest, who Iud. 14. 18 haue plowed in their postils with that Ro­mish heffer.

I say, read without pride of them or pre­iudice of vs, and I doubt not but when you haue done, you will pray that the Doctrine and day of the assumption may be cancel­led out of the calender and conscience of Clictouius in his first Sermon de Assump Parte: 2: all good Christians, and the rather for that themselues confesse it to bee without the Canon of the word: et quod ex scripturi [...] probari non possit expresse, which is, that tha [...] [Page] cannot be prooued out of the scriptures ex­preslie but from tradition, whence (saith he) it hath authority.

And for their allegations of August [...] and Ierome, who (they say) writ seuerall trea­tises of the assumption: the one ad Paulum et Eustochiū, the other (I meane Augustin) one booke of the same argument: I holde them both adulterate and neither of their stampe, for that they are vnable eyther to abide the touch of their stile or tryall of Gods truth: (I meane his word) & so are they takē to be in the censure of the best learned & godliest Diuines, wherof Erasmus gaue a taste when he said of Augustine his booke for a title, Hic libellus ne pilum quidem ha­bet Augustini. This pamphlet hath not so much as an haire of Augustine: and of Ie­rome his Sermon hee saith, that it was not his, but that one Sophronius a Graecian writ it, which he prooueth in the censure therof verie plainely if you please to reade him.

Pardon mee (my Bretheren) if I seeme to haue stood ouer-long in the misterye of Christ his sole ascention vp in bodie: veri­tas me coegit. The truth and tender of your good hath trayned mee on, which if you [Page] sound well vnto the bottome, you shall feele it a perfume vnto your soules, more sweet, thē al the trees of Incēse. For (say sin­ner) what am I? or what is my fathers house Iudg. 6, 15 that God should so (exalt mee in his Christ as to purchase mee a place, to giue mee a Kingdome, to plead possession in my flesh and to keepe it for me vntill the adoption, euen the redemption of our bodyes and perfect changing shall come, when Christ Math. 24. 30. 31. shall [...] end with all his holie Angells, and come in the cloudes of heauen, with power and great glorie to cal the dead out of their gra [...]es, and to gather his elect from the foure windes and from the one end of the heauens to the other: then, then, & not be­fore to solemnize the great day of the as­sumption of all flesh, and to crowne it with immortalitie. But good Lord how long! when shall our changing come? and when shall thy comming be?

How long and when ô Lord, thou know­est. The last day vncer­taine. Act, 1, 17. It is not for vs to tell the times and sea­sons which the Father hath put in his owne power. In Caution where of I for warne all Christians of two sinnes ragious in the world, and seazing vpon al flesh. 1. The one [Page] is curiositie concerning the day of doome, when it shall bee. 2. The other is securitie both of the time and manner of it being: That of curiositie is in the excesse, and it possesseth the wit: that of securitye is in the defect, & it possesseth the wil▪ [...]he 1. first is of men too ingenious, and they hasten the iudgement: The 2. second is of men too too careles, and they put of the iudgement, not regarding that there is a God and day of reuenge, and that wh [...]le wee sinne the score runnes on.

Now in respect of both (beloued) I A caution against the curiosi­tie and se­curitie of this age. charge you this day, that you stand vpon your gard and bee watchfull, so are not to hy [...], least the fire vpon the Mount deuoure you in your curiositie, nor hoouer too lowe least the foolishnes of a Golden Ca [...]fe be­guile Haba. 2, [...] Ex. 19, 12 Ex. 32. 1▪ Curiositie. 1. Th, 5, [...] you in your securitie, Medi [...] tutissi­mus ibis, the meane is the best.

For the first, Paul writing to the Saints at Thess [...]lonica, saith, Of the times and seasons, Bretheren, yee haue no neede that I write vnto you [...] where see a sa [...]ctified Church discharged of a dangerous sinne, they were not curious to search the Maiestie, least they should bee confounded of the glorie, [Page] and for that hee saith, ye haue no neede that I write vnto you.

As and if hee should say: ô yee Thessalo­nians, yee are not curious of the times and seasons, which the Father hath put in his owne power, yee stand vpon no destinies, ye gaze vpon no starres, ye respect no con­iunctions of fierie or watery Trigon, ye prie into no prophesies of derne deceite, ye reade no Bookes of Manilius Maternus, Albu­maza [...] or Halie. but the loue of God is your delight wherein you haue learned, D [...] ▪ 29, 29 that the secret thinges belong to the Lord our God, but the thinges reuealed belong to vs and our Children for euer.

But woe is mee to tell (my deere Brethe­ren) this Scripture is crosse to all our cour­ses, & in that great day, I feare wil seuerely iudge vs, for what belongeth to the Lorde and is secret to himselfe, thereof are wee curious: but what belongeth vnto vs, and to our Children to knowe and is reuealed, thereof are we careles, being naturallie gi­uen rather to knowe that wee cannot learne and so dye in error, then to search what we should learne and so liue in truth.

Search the Scriptures, is in the com­maund Iohn. 5, 39 [Page] of GOD, and who doth obey it? search traditions, is out of the commaund of God and men runne mad vppon them: the day of grace is ours wee haue it: and oh Lu, 19. 42 that we did know in this our day the things that belong to our peace, but they are hid from our eyes: yet if there bee but a questi­on mooued of the day of doome, of the de­solation of the land by forraine power, if of Lam, 4▪ 20 the death of our dread Soueraigne, the breath of our nostrels, and vnder whose shadowe we are preserued aliue among the heathen (none ours to knowe, but all in the counsell of God to determine of in mercie, iudgemēt, as it seemeth best to himselfe) or, yet in all these are we to to peremptorie: For we set the Clocke, we calculate the yeares, wee determine the day, we busie our selues with the coniunction of planets, with doubtfull Oracles out of the hollowe vauts and predictions of Merlin, Bardie, & many Beldarnmes of this land: we tell destinies, reade riddles, & trie our soules in the search of y ^t we can neuer sound: nay & more, wee take frō God the honor of a free agent, and we tie him to a necessitie fatal, wrought out by the creatures vpon the Anuil of error, to [Page] betray the truth, and trappe the innocent, of whome Augustine said truelye: aedifi­cantur Tract. 13. in Iohn, ad credendafata, vt eorum corda fiant fa [...]a: That is, ordeyned they are to be­leeue destinie, that their foolish hearts might become beastely.

Of many to repeate a few, and as it were De quibus Schelcon [...]mdanus Lib ide vltimo ad [...]ent: Do­mini. to giue you a taste of former follies, what was it but like bea [...]linesse in the Mathe­matitiās of those daies, to tel vs of a climat­terical yeare, and a goulden nomber, which number should shut vp the daies of the world, the fiftenth thousand of it age, and was it not sembleable madnesse in them, by their round quadrant and quin [...]untiall formes to determine of the world, and to deeme of doomesday? was it not like follie in Plato sporting himselfe, in his Athlantic [...] to tell vs of another Athens, which should bee after nine thousand yeares: when this world being worne away, & another shold succeede of a better people, and building? Nor was it other then earthlie wisdome, in the Egiptians (of whome Herodotus spea­keth) to reporte that in ten thousand yeares, the Sunne should shift it place, twise rysing where now it falleth, & twise falling, where [Page] now it ryseth, concluding there upon of two new worldes in, ten thousand yeares: The beastely Epicures were more sottish in their imaginations▪ who dream'd off infinit worldes, one still slitting▪ and another slo­wing: doubly damned in their thoughts for that they deem'd soules mortall, and worldes immortall, I say of all these as for­merlie I haue done with Augustine: Borne they were to beleeue destinye, that their foolish hearts might become beastely.

But leaue wee these Pagans in their A­theisme, and come wee nearer Christian times, for euen Christians haue been, are, and I feare me, will bee ouer bolde and cu­rious in the search of this secret: for what was it other then presumptiō in the christ­ians of Augustines time, mencioned in his eightenth booke, de ciuit, Dei, who said the world should ende foure hundreth yeares, after the Ascention, others fiue hundreth, others a thousand, But as hee saith, omnes e­lusit ipsa temporis experientia: Experience played vppon their follies, and latter daies still mocked their former dotage.

Other Christians with the Rabbins haue De quo vi de Galati­num de Arcanis catholicae veritatis. [...], 4, ca, 20 and doe much busie themselues with the [Page] prophesie of Elya the Thesbit, wherof they write in their booke Abadasser, Duo millia inane, Duo millia Lex, Duo millia Christus &c. That is, two thousand yeares nature, two thousand yeares the Lawe, two thou­sand yeares grace, and for the sinnes of the world, some of those shal be cut off to hast­en the iudgement.

Others reason from Peter, one day with 2. Pet. 3. 8, Quae opi­nio Papiā, Iustinum, Irenaum, Tertullia nū et Lact antium, fe fellit. the Lord is as a thousand yeares, Ergo y ^e sea­uenth thousand yeare shall be the Saboath of rest & resurrection, and in that seauenth thousand yeare, the Chiliasts holde, mē shal liue and inioy this earth with Christ but in the eight thousand, they shall bee caught vp and reigne with him in heauen for euer▪ Ierome was not farre from that opinion, & whereof reade Augustine vpon the sixt Psalme, but Stipholius of Wittemberge and Hosiander did mightely defend it.

I passe by, as too to curious, that vnne­cessarye search of Seauens from Adam to Enocke in succession of persons, and from Adam to Elia in succession of ages, wher­by they would prooue the seauenth thou­sand yeare to be the yeare of glorie, when God should come in the cloudes with his [Page] fierie deludge, as Elias went vp in his fierie Charret.

But of all others who are in the Calender of Christians: our aduersaries (I meane the Our ad­uersaries dreame of doomes-day by the com­ming of their Anti­christ. Papists) are most foolish in this poynt, who determine of the day of Christ, by the com­ming of their Antichrist: In discouering of whome, least happily they might disco­uer their Pope to be the man, driuen they are to many grosse absurdities.

1. First, that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Dan: Rhemist 2. Thess. 2. sect. 8 and trowe you, will it bee possible to distinguish of tribes in this so great a con­fusion of Israel: for if in Ezra his time after the captiuitye, their generatiō was not per­fectly knowen, how much more now after so mightye a dispertion in the world of full sixteene hūdred yeares, wil it be impossible to finde out the descent and search the peti­gree of Dan?

2. Againe, Antichrist (say they) shall haue his Imperiall seate at Ierusalem, & re­edifie againe the Temple there. Bell: lib. 3. de Pontific. cap. 13. and this is an absurdity likewise contradicting the truth of Scrip­ture, for Haggai the Prophet calleth the [Page] Temple builded by Zorobabel, the last Hag▪ 2. 10 house.

3. Thirdly, they holde that he should reigne but three yeares and a halfe, and yet in that space he should fight with the three Kings of Libia, Aegipt, and Ethiopia, and persecute the Christians through the whole world▪ Bell. cap. 16. but this is more grosse, for let any man imagine, how euer it is po­ssible, that in so short a time, Antichrist be­ing but a meere man, should so conquer & subdue the whole world, in which time and space hardly the flightest Ship can sayle it circuite.

4. But the last, and whereat principally I aime for my purpose, is, that they determine of the verye day of Christ his comming to Judgement, and set it downe to be iust 45. dayes after the death of their Antichrist: Bell: de Rom: Pontifi: Lib: 3. cap. 9.

Nay, nay my bretheren, had I time, and were it to my Text, easilye might I proue that this their deuice is but a drift to shift from themselues, what they haue, and what they are, I meane Antichrist and Antichri­stian, for Rome is the place, if Rome be Se [...] ­ti-collis; Reue, 17. 9 to wit, The Citye built vpon the [Page] seauen Mountaynes whereon the woman sitteth, And then he entred the world, when the Apostle said, There be manye Anti­christs, 1. Ioh. 2. 18. whereby we knowe that it is the last time: but more fullye he encountred the worlde when 666▪ did calculate the yeare, Reue. 13 18. and decypher his name and nation: and here is wisdome, Let him that hath wit, count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is (as I haue saide) 666. whereof Ireneus gaue a Lib. [...]. c. 2 [...] touch and taste, when in these two titles [...] & [...]: in the one he discouered his nation & language, in the other his pompe and pride: both numbred aright acording to the Greekes, make 666. About which time likewise, whole Italy fell from the Em­perour to the Pope, when Boniface the 3. by Ph [...]cas was aduanced in tytles, And Ste­phen the 2. by Pipin was preferred to duke­domes, since when, and especially in these last fiue hundreth yeares, he had wel-nere conquered the worlde, if the Spirit of the 2. Thes. 2. [...]. Lord with the breath of his mouth, had not beaten him backe, when his innumerable and filthy Locustes, blasted the growth of Reue. 9. 3. &c. true Religion in the greatest part of Chri­stendome, [Page] when Kings became his vassels, and Emperours held his stirrop: when a­boue al that was called God, he did aduance 2. Thes. 2. 4. himselfe, as God to reigne and rule, in foro poli, inforo pluti, inforo conscientiae. In the Court of heauen, in the court of hell, and in the court of each good conscience.

But leaue we here his iudgement to the day of try all, and all curious spirits to the search of their owne follyes, in seeking that they shall neuer be able to finde: I meane, the times & seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power. Paul was taken vp 2 Cor, 12. 2. &c. into the third heauen, and heard wordes which cannot be vttered, yet heard he no­thing of that▪ The Angels behold the face Mat. 18. 10 of God, they stand in his presence & know much, yet nothing of that: God gaue vnto Salomon wisdome and vnderstanding ex­ceeding 1. King. 4. 29. &c. much, yet it was too short of that: he spake 300. Prouerbs, and yet he neuer mencioned that: his songs were a thousand and fiue, yet he neuer sung of that, other­wise then in this harmonye: There is an a­poynted time for all thinges vnder the S [...] Eccles. 3. 1. Nay, in checke of al (sith Christ hath said it, I may not passe it) of that day and hou [...] ▪ [Page] the Sonne himselfe is ignorant: I say with Mark. 13. 32. Chrisostome, according to his diuinitye he knewe it, but according to his humanitye he knewe it not, for reseruing (as Hillary In imper­fect: opere in Mat. 24 in his 9. Booke of y ^• Trinitye. hath it) to the onely begotten Sonne in him selfe his true veritye, yet according to the infirmitye of flesh, hee wept, hee slept, hee hungred, thirsted, was wearyed and fearful: and also it is agreable vnto his humane na­ture, of the day and houre (as himselfe pro­fesseth) to be ignorant.

So then for conclusion of all, this is the summe: true it is, the cōming of our Christ is the Kingdome of our Christ, and if you marke it well you shall finde it neuer came by obseruation: his first comming in the Luk. 17. 20. flesh long expected of vs, but not determi­ned by vs: and when he came▪ he fell like Psa. 72. 6. a showre of rayne vpon a fleese of wooll, in softnes & in silence. Likewise, the promise Luk. 24. 49 of the Father concerning the spirit out in deed and irreuocable, but when to fall, the Disciples wist not, they must to Ierusalem Act, 1. 4. and wayte with pacience, tarry the time & expecte the good houre: Euen so his com­ming to iudgement in maiestye and great power, it must be expected of vs at al times, [Page] but when, it may not be determined by v [...] at any time.

And for the cast awayes of this our nati­on, who by the deceit of Balaams wages, Iud [...]. 11. haue euer since the first yeare of her late Maiesties most blessed and happy gouern­ment, dreamd of a drye Sommer, still brea­thing out destruction to her person, change of Religion, and desolation to the state and Kingdome, now by a blacke Fleete from Norway, then by a [...]ell Dragon, whose head must be in England and tayle in Ire­land: this yeare by an headlesse crosse, and that yeare by a popish cursse: yea, and earst while (a wonder of all wonders) our Lord lights in our Ladyeslap, and therfore Eng­land must haue a clap: I say of all these, they 1. Sam. 28 7. &c. haue sought too much to y ^• witch at Ender▪ and were there no more to proue, that our God standeth for vs and against them, this were sufficient, that their wy [...]ardes haue fayl'd them, and their wits that waye a [...] worne out: their Popish Prophesies are a [...] an end, and their [...]lattering diuinations o [...] better times, haue still proued their dis [...] dayes: their c [...]rssings haue bene our bles­sings, and their plotting Achitophels hau [...] 2. [...]am, 17. 23 [Page] pul'd the halter ouer their owne heads.

Curssed bee the man before the Lord Iosh, 6. 26 (saith Iosua) that riseth vp and buildes the Citye Iericho: so haue you built vp your Babel of all confusion, with a cursse to your selues, and a plague to your posteritie, for most of you haue layd the foundaciō ther­of in your eldest Sonne, and in your yong­est Sonne reared vp the gates: that is, you haue built to the destruction of all your stocke, as Hiel did in Bethel: 1. Kin. 16. 34.

Yea and to you be it spoken, a curssed crewe of popish repyners, maugre all your spight and poyson, the state yet standoth, religion groweth, we increase and you de­crease: our Prince liueth a blessed Prince, and you are scattered a rebellious [...]out, for yet God is good vnto Israel, euen to those Psal. 73. 1. that are of pure hearts, And he that keepeth Psa. 121. 4 England, dooth yet neither slumber nor sleepe: Our Sonnes growe vp as the young Psal. 144. 1 [...]. plants, and our Daughters as the polished corners of the Temple: yet our Garners are full and plentious with all maner of store, Our Sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streetes: our Oxen are yet strong to labour: yet there is no decay, no [Page] leading into captiuitye, no complayning in our streetes, and happy are the people that be in such a case: yea blessed are the people which haue the Lord for their God: multi habent in Deum, pauci in Dominum: many haue him for their God, but fewe for their Lord to rule in thē: ô God establish with vs the Kingdome of thy Christ, with the Scepter of thine annoynted: Amen Amen.

And now my bretheren for the last part of my Text, and in caution of the second [...]. Security sinne, I meane the great sleep and slumber of all flesh in great securitye: it stands vs vpon to be watchfull vntill the time of this our changing shall come, least when the Lords iudgements shall fall vpon vs, our sinnes be found with vs, and so we dye in our securitye. The knowledge of which, day to vs, is bounderd in with these banks, as it were Nylus Floud from it vndation, to make vs the more watchfull. 1. that it will come and that speedily, for there Reu. 22. 12. 1. Thes. 5. 2, 3. Reu. 6▪ 17. is an assured day of euill. 2. That it will come at an vnset steyne, and then when th [...] worlde is most secure. 3. That it is ine [...] ­uitable, and none shall escape: for all shal [...] appear before the Tribunal seat of God &c▪ [Page] 4. Lastly, that euery man shal be accountant 2. Cor, 5 [...] 10. for himselfe and receiue doome according to that he hath done in this life, be it good or e­uil. For proof of all which, marke when and where the Scripture speaketh of that great day, & you shal finde it alwaies draweth it on with such expedition and seueritye, as and if it were at hand, euen ouer our heads and in our neckes, to make vs the more watchful. Enocke (saith Iude) the seauenth frō Adam, prophe­sied 14, 15. of it, saying: Beholde, the Lord cōmeth with thousands of his Saints, to giue iudge­ment against al men, and to rebuke all the vn­godly among thē, of al their wicked deedes. Daniel saith, I beheld til the Thrones were set, Dan, 7. 9▪ 10, and the fierye streames issued out, till the iudgement was prepared & the bookes were opened, with thousand thousands ministring vnto him, and ten thousand thousands stan­ding before him. Ezekiel saith, an end is Eze, 7, 6. come, the end is come, it watched for thee, be­holde it is come: Paul saith; we are they vpon 1, Cor, 11, [...]home the ends of the world are come: Iohn [...]aith, Nouissima hora est, wee know that it is 1. Ioh, 2, 18. [...]he last time. And Peter saith for al, Now the [...]nd of all thinges is at hand, be sober therfore 1, Pet, 4, 7. [...]nd watchfull in prayer: whence I inferre the [...]ore to moue that all thinges haue an end, [Page] may moue much: that the end is at hand, may moue more: but that euen now the end is at hand, and vpon vs, may moue most of all.

Nor doe these scriptures onely presse vs with the certainty, expedition and seueritye of the last day, But with al y ^• dūme creatures, groane Rom. 8, 19 & trauaile in paine together vnto this presēt, and to hasten the iudgement, doe crye to bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption, wherein they are into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God: yea, certayne it is, that hea­uen, earth, hell, all Saintes and sinners, hasten the day, & hale on the iudgement: God hath set it, our sinnes haue deserued it: the graue [...] are pregnant, and they desire to be deliuered hel gapeth to deuoure the reprobate, and th [...] heauens open to take in the elect: as for th [...] prophesies they are past, & the signes spoke [...] of by Christ himselfe, they are neere accom­plished, for error, seduction, & heresie, are fa [...] spread in the worlde: warres, plagues, & pr [...] ­digies, are all abroad: the godly are grieued [...] Math, 24. 4, 5. &c. persecuted, the godlesse prosper and goe on Faith is geason vpon the earth, iniquitye is [...] it growth, & the loue of many is key cold [...] And surely, surely, if the Gospell of the king dome be preached through the whole worl [...] for a witnes vnto al nations, And if Israel [...] Rom, 11. 25, 26. [Page] fully called to grace▪ from which it is fallen, I see no reason or rule in religion to crosse it, but that the finall fire may flash in our faces ere we can depart the place. Looke vpon the Iohn▪ 4. 3 [...] haruest and viewe the fieldes, are they not (as Barnard saith) Albae ad messem, siccae ad ignem, white for the sickle, and drye for the fire?

But if all these were silent and said nothing, the great securitye of sinning wherein the world slepeth, were enough to prognosticate the Lords neere aproach, & stirre vs vp to be watchfull: for certaine it is, whē we are moste secure, the Lord is most seuere, and his iudge­ments are neerest, As it was in the daies of No­ah, Luk, 17. 26 &c▪ so likewise shall the comming of the Son of man be: Our dayes are as the dayes of No­ah, for the fierie floud is vpon vs & we know nothing: we eat, wee drinke, we marrye, wee build, all arguments of our securitye: and though lawfull in those, yet vnlawfull in the abuse, & then are they most abused, whē they doe secure vs in our sinnes, and make vs care­lesse of our God.

And heere obserue an argument drawne frō the stronger, that if these lawful thinges in [...]he abuse, deserue a iust reproofe, how much 2. sam. 12. 11, 12. 2, sam. 16. 22. more our shamelesse sinning hand ouer head [...]n the sight of this Sonne▪ like Absol [...]n is wor­thy [Page] condēnatiō: I meane our excessiue belly­cheere, 1▪ Pet▪ 4. 3. idle drinkings, & endles drunkennes: our foule adulteryes, filthy fornications, and gnawing vsuryes: our great auarice, garish pride, and grynding oppression, with a migh­tye prophanation of the Lords Sabaoth, by Phil. 16. 1. neglect of his holy worde, Sacraments, and blessed worke of Ministery, both in vs that Preach, and in you that hear: I say, if in these sinnes wee solace & secure our soules, saying peace and safetye, when nothing can be more expected then a dreadfull fire, that shall de­uoure the aduersarye: what can we looke for but sodayne destruction, where none shall escape?

And heere giue me leaue a little to plead the cause of the Innocēt, who greeue (God wots) vnder a heauye burden, and dare not speake▪ yet will I goe in, sith it is in a plea of deliue­rance, & say with Ester, I dye, I dye: I [...] Ester▪ 4. 16 greeueth mee to thinke of the teares o [...] Psal, 56. 8 The plaint of the poor oppressed. the poore put into the bottle of God, which one day hee will powre out in iudgement a­gainst many, who craue a debt where none i [...] due, and will needes reape where they did neuer sowe: other mens sweate must be their sweet: and the liuelyhood the Lord hath lent for the reliefe of the poore wife, poore [Page] childe, poore familye, is so winnowed and boulted to the branne by endles fyning and needles refyning, as nothing is left them, but winde and water to feede vpon, with sobs, sighes & teares, the best companions of their broken harts: Woe is me to tell, the rich are mercylesse, and the poore are not pittyed: we can goe to no Pulpit, but they peirce our hearts, to prouoke our speach, & so ye haue it.

Now, if any shall reply to vayle his sin, & say in the silence of his soule, My land is my 1. Cor, 6. 19, 20. 1. Pet, 1. 18 19. owne: I answer nay, thou art not thine owne, euen thou art not thine owne, but bought with a price, euen with the deere bloud of Ie­sus Christ, which thou tramplest vpon, if thou treadest his poore members vnder thy Psal, 24 1 feete: and for that earth of thine, Domine est [...]erra & plenitudo eius. The earth is the Lords Luk. 16. 2 Rom, 2. 5. 6 & the abundāce thereof: It is not thine other­wise, then as thou art a steward to vse it till he [...]ome, and say, giue account of thy steward­ship, & thē shalt thou haue according to that thou hast done in this life, be it good or euill.

In the meane time, I aduise thee with the Dan. 4, 24 Prophet, to breake off thy sins by repentance & thine iniquity by mercy toward the poore. [...]et there bee an healing of thine error: ô Isaiah. 42. 14 [...]empt not the Lord, because of his long & ex­ceeding [Page] great patience, least he turne vppon you as he did vpon Israel and say Tacuinun­quid semper tacebo: must I alwaies beare? I haue borne enough, long haue I holden, I can holde no more, I haue been still and re­fraine my selfe, but now will I crye like a tra­uelling woman, I will destroy and deuoure at once.

But alas, (and woe therefore) Babilon is Iere. 51. 9. wounded, and will not be cur'd, The world is desperatelie sicke and hath no feeling, either [...]osea. 4, 4 Iero. 8. 21. 22. of it sinne, or of it iudgements, for let noncre­proue, is the proud poesie of this sicke age: wherein, no treacle at Gilead, no Phisitians there, no hand of the magestrate, no tongue of the Minister by Prayer or Preaching, no re­membrance of passed miseries, no feare of fu­ture calamities, no present blessing, no deser­ued 2. Pet. 3, 10 curse can cure the malady, til y ^• great fire of Gods heauie wrath and indignation fall vpon vs, and then will it be to late.

For it is an assured ground, you may build Take the oppertuni­tie when it is offered▪ heb, 12, 16 17 Ge, 18, 13, vpon it, hee that will not lay holde on grace when it is offered, hee shall seeke and sigh for it, when it is to late: Esau could not obtaine the blessing though hee sought it with teares, i [...] was to late: Abraham could not preuaile with God for Sodomes safetie, though his prayer [Page] were many & his pleading powerfull, it was to late: Noah preached repentance to the old Gen, 6, 3▪ world, by the space of an hundreth and twen­tie yeares, for so long was the Arke a making before their eyes, and all that while they con­temne grace: but when the windowes of hea­uen were opened, and the flood was out, then Gen, 7, 11 they run to the Mountaines, they rom'd at the trees, they caught at the highest bowes, they hung, they clonge thereby to saue them­selues but it was to late. This our Sauiour ma­keth good vnto vs in the parable of the ten Mat, 25, 1 Virgins, whereof fiue were wise, and fiue were foolish: the wise were prouident, but the foolish slept, and therefore vppon the som­mons they faile to enter, for that they were found wanting of oyle to their lampes: they would haue borrowed, they could not: they [...]ried Lord, Lord, open vnto vs, but he would not it was to late: Lastly to conclude with the Reu. 10, [...] ▪ [...]ast pageant that euer shall bee acted on the Theater of this worlde, The wicked shall [...]leade when time shall bee no more, Lord Math. 25, 41▪ when saw wee thee an hungred or a thirst, or [...]arborlesse, or in prison &c. But al to late, for [...]hey may not inioy him in glory, whom they [...]aue contemned in grace, And therfore must [...]eare this earnefull voice of their endles sepe­ration: [Page] Item. depart from me ye cursed into e­uerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels.

The vse of the Doctrine is familier (my deere Bretheren) and to my Text, for now is the appointed time, euen the happie day of grace, and ours it is to watch in, nor can our changing bee far off, euen the blessed day of glorie, and thine it is O Lord to worke in: had I therfore a thousand eyes they should watch for it, had I a thousand eares, they shold har­ken Reu. 6. 17. Z [...]p. 1. 14, 15. 1. Ioh 4, 17 Luk. 23 30 to it, had I a thousand feete they should be shod to the preparation of that day: a great day, a fearefull day, a day of changing indeed, wherein the Godlye shall change all euill in­to all good, & haue boldnes: but the Godles, Marke. 1 [...], 33 Luc, 21, 36 all good into all euill, and crye to the Moun­taines for feare, fal vpon vs, fall vpon vs: watch therefore and pray, yee knowe not when the houre will come: death and doome are as the Cockatrise, if they see vs, ere we see them, wee Ro, 8, 37, die in our sinnes, but if wee see them first by trew faith, heartie prayer and repentance, wee are more then conquerors, and may boldlye say, death where is thy sting? hell where is thy 1, Cor, 15, 55, victorie? thanks be vnto God which hath gi­uen vs victory through our Lord Iesus christ. I might further prease the decayed doctrine, [Page] and exiled practise of watchfulnes in these our daies, then the which there is not a more continuall current in the word of God, euer in the mouth of Christ, watch and pray: and ne­uer Math, 26▪ 41 from his practise when (as it is in the Gos­pell) by day hee taught in the Temple, and at Lu, 21, 37 Mar, 6, 46 night went out & abode in the Mount of O­liues to pray, but because the time is spent, I leaue it to your further search, onely with this sighe from the soule of Christ, as a challenge to his Disciples, and all the elect: could ye not watch with me one houre? it will not be long Math, 26, 40, but the houre will bee out, Iudas is at hand, & Iudgement I feare is ouer your heades, then Ro, 13, 11, Ephe, 6, 18 may you sleepe on, and take your rest: It is nearer my deere Bretheren then when I last spake, & therefore I say againe watch, watch: Gen, 41▪ 24, 20 Twise haue the blasted eares eaten vp the ful cornes, and twise haue the leane Kine deuou­red the fat: Pharoes dreame is doubled for the certaintie therof and expedition: The famine is vpon Egipt, iudgement is vpon all the world, and will ye sleepe on? ô that men were Deut, 32, 29, wise! then would they vnderstand this, then would they consider their latter end, and so for end: The verie God of peace sanctifie you 1, Thes, [...], 23 throughout, and I pray God that your whole spirit, soule and body, may be kept blamelesse [Page] vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ faithfull is hee which hath called you, which will also doe it.

And now my Bretheren to close with the dead for a conclusion of all. The Lord hath answered me this day, as he did Habacucke, & Habàe, 2, 2, 3, made it plaine vpon tables what I haue preached, that he may run that readeth it? The vision vppon this Gentleman was for an ap­pointed time, and now is the time, and at last it shal speake to euerie one of you (who heare me this day) and not lye: though it tarie, waite, for it shall surelie come and not stay.

It is not long since he was in life, and liking as you are, he sat as you doe, in place and cre­dit of this world, hee heard where you now heare, he prayed where yee now praye, and in lowlinesse of heart, hee lickt vp the dust of the [...]aiah, 49. 23 sanctuarie, which dust hath now deuoured him: nor was it either the fauour of his prince, the credit of his place, the loue of his friendes, the faithfulnes of his folowers, his tennants teares, or sighes of the poore, could beg him of God, or keepe him from the graue, but down he must to demur [...]e with death, thereby to bring vnto himselfe a state of inheritance, in­defeazible, with a crowne of glory that wy­thereth not.

[Page]And now ô death what hast thou done? Occidisti possedisti. Thou hast slaine, thou hast possessed, but what? onely the grasse & flow­er of flesh: as for the Spirit euolauit, it is gone to God that gaue it, and that verie body thou seemest heere to detaine it shal be taken from 1. Cor, 15, 26, thee, when thou the last enemie shall bee de­stroyed, and swallowed vp in victory.

For the onely Son of God shall come with power & great glory to seeke the saint whom thou hast shamed, and euen those dead corps will he fashion like vnto his glorious bodye, by the mightie power whereby hee is able to subdue all thinges vnto himselfe.

Nor is our friend Lazarus heere dead, but sleepeth, This is Dormitorium the house of sleepe; Or as the Germans call it Gods acre, wherein doe rest and are sowen the bodies of Gods Saints, till their ioyful spring of their re­surrection: nor doth y ^t which is sowen quicken except it die: Et qui granum tritici suscitat 1, Cor. 15 36 propter te, ipsum te non poterit suscitare, propter se, that raiseth vp the seede of wheate for thy good, can he not raise vp the fallen flower of thy flesh, ô man for his owne glorie?

Goe to then deuouring death, and drinke thy fil, spare him not, whome thou hast spilt: stop his breath, couer his face, tye his handes, [Page] binde his feete, imbalme his bodye, bury his corpes, lay on the stone, and seale vp the se­pulchre, yet Christ is at Bithinia greeuing at the graue, and me thinkes I heare him crie with a lowde voice to him and all the dead, a­rise and come to iudgement.

Evomuit prophetam marina bestia quem deg­lucierat et tu Humbertum reddes quem vide­ris Bernard. de obitu Humberti [...]on, 2, 10. in tuo vastisimo ventre conclusisse: So said Barnard of his friend Humbertus, and so may I, of this our deere deceassed. The Maritine beast pickt vp Ionas, whome hee had deuou­red, And y ^u earth shalt redeliuer this flower of gentrie whome thou seemest to haue closed vp in thy vaste vault▪ In the last day, ô Death thou shalt stand like a foole beguild of the dead, when the Saint here fallen shall euer liue, and thou his destroyer shalt euer die.

And nowe to that which thou canst not spil, which is the sweete perfume of his life past, I will bee the more sparing to speake thereof, for that loue can keepe neither meane, nor method, The rule is good, say no­thing but well of the dead: it is better say no­thing, but truelye of the dead.

And the truth is, hee hath bin true to this my text, for he hath bin watchfull, watchfull of his place to performe it with good consci­ence [Page] to God, and loyalty to his Prince, watch­full of his family to gouerne it withall descre­tion and godlinesse: watchfull of his Golde, that the canker thereof should not rust his Iame 5, 3 4. [...]ob. 31, 38 39 Hab. 2, 11. 12 soule: watchfull of his ground, that the fur­rowes should not complaine against him: the vniust detaining of y ^e laborers wages: watch­full of his building, that neither the stone out of the wall should cry, or beame out of the tymber should answer it, with oppression.

And for this place and charge where nowe I stand, my selfe can witnesse, how watchfull and carefull hee hath been of it good, with whome hee often dealt to furnish him of an able man, as an assistant to ayde and helpe the pastor heere, which I know ere this had bin effected, but that the Lord delt with him as hee did with Dauid in the Fabricke of the 2, Sam 2 7. 12. 13. Temple, Euen put it of to Salomon his Son, by him to bee perfected, which I doubt not but he will performe, and that readilie in the feare of God, according to the zeale of his heart, and good conscience towards this great people, for thou ô Lord hast put fire in his Luke. 12. 49 heart, and what is thy desire but that it should burne?

Besides all these: the sweete balme of his hospitalitie, was an honour to God, a reliefe [Page] to the poore, & a credit to his place & calling wherof I may say he was watchfull, watchful as Abraham who laye in his Tent doore vn­der Gen. 18. 1. the oake at Mamre to gather in strangers, and at the last God was his guest: watch­full as Lot, who sat in the gate of Sodome to call in pilgrimes, and at last hee receaued Gen. 19. 1 Angells.

Rich Christ is in his poore members, and hi [...] ioyfull message, is tyed to his word and Mi­nistrie: he relieued the one and countenance [...] the other, A good aduertisement to al christ­ians that they beware against whome they barre their doores, least happily cui Domum Aug: con­ [...]ra here­tico [...]. clauseris, cui huminitatem negaueris, ips [...] sit deus. Least happilye as Augustin saith it be God himselfe, against whome thou shut­test thy doore, and denyest thy curiositie, The rule is Apostolic, be good to all but especial­lye to those that are of the housholde of faith. Gal. 6. 10.

And nowe to winde vp all with the watch of his last farewell at what time with good E­zekias, King. 20 & seauen yeares before to my know­ledge, he set his house in order, and prepared to die, recommēding, then as now, his soule to God, his bodye to the earth, his Land to hi [...] heire, his goods to the world, with much kinde remembrance of his friendes, and many [Page] prayers for his enemies, if hee had any: Not 1. Mac. 9. 55. 56 so wicked Alcimus of whome it is said, that at the time of his death he was plagued, so as hee could neither speake to God, or giue order concearning his house.

And for his Funerals nowe next in place, and last in action, you see they are not without forme, like Ioachims of whome the Lord said by the Prophet. They shall not la­ment Ieremi. 2 [...]. 18. 19. him saying: ah my Brother, or ah my Sister, neither shall they mourne for him say­ing: oh Lord, or ah his glorie!

For this so great a concourse of Christian people honouring his buriall, following his hearse, and giuing him the last duetie of ob­sequi, doth argue they loued him liuing, whome they honour thus dead: nor is it done without compassion, for oh husband, oh fa­ther, oh maister, oh friend! is in the lamentatiō of all: ye see their teares, ye heare their groa­nings, & God knowes their griefe, To whom I leaue them, as to the alone comforter, & doe further pray that the Lord wold teach vs to Ps. 90. 12. nuber our daies y ^t we might apply our hearts vnto wisdome, & so at his comming may bee Mat, 25. 6 [...] found watchfull with our oyle readie, and our Lampes light. Amen. Amen.