in fubjection to God our fpiritual Father, by whom we fhall have everlafting life? And our carnal fathers fometimes correct us, even as it pleafeth them, without cause. But this Father juftly correcteth us, either for our fin, to the intent we fhould amend, or for our commodity and wealth, to make us thereby partakers of his holiness. Furthermore, all correction which God fendeth us in this prefent time feemeth to have no joy and comfort, but forrow and pain, yet it bringeth with it a tafte of God's mercy and goodnefs towards them that be fo corrected, and a fure hope of God's everlasting confolation in heaven. If then thefe forrows, difeafes, and fickneffes, and alfo death itself, be nothing elfe but our heavenly Father's rod, whereby he certifieth us of his love and gracious favour, whereby he trieth and purifieth us, whereby he giveth unto us holiness, and certifieth us, that we be his children, and he our merciful Father; fhall not we then with all humility, as obedient and loving children, joyfully kifs our heavenly Father's rod, and ever say in our heart, with our Saviour Jefus Chrift, Father, if this anguith and forrow which I feel, and death which I fee approach, may not pafs, but that thy will is that I must suffer them, Thy will be done.

The Third Part of the Sermon against the Fear of
Death.

IN this Sermon against the fear of Death, two caufes were declared, which commonly move worldly men to be in much fear to die, and yet the fame do nothing trouble the faithful and good livers when death cometh, but rather give them occafion greatly to rejoice, confidering that they fhall be delivered from the forrow and mifery of this world, and be brought to the great joy and felicity of the life to come. Now the third and fpecial caufe, why The third death indeed is to be feared, is the miferable ftate of the caufe why worldly and ungodly people after their death: but this is death is to no caufe at all, why the godly and faithful people fhould fear death, but rather contrariwife; their godly converfation in this life, and belief in Christ, cleaving continually to his mercies, fhould make them to long fore after that life, that remaineth for them undoubtedly after this bodily death. Of this immortal state, (after this tranfitory life) where we fhall live evermore in the prefence of God, in joy and reft, after victory over all ficknefs, forrows, fin,

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be feared.

and death there be many plain places of holy Scripture, which confirm the weak confcience against the fear of all fuch dolors, fickneffes, fin, and bodily death, to affuage fuch trembling and ungodly fear, and to encourage us with comfort and hope of a bleffed ftate after this life. Ephef. i. St. Paul wifheth unto the Ephefians, that God the Father of glory would give unto them the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that the eyes of their hearts might give light to know bim, and to perceive how great things he had called them unto, and bow rich an inheritance be bath prepared after this life for them that pertain unto him. And St. Paul himself declareth the defire of his heart, which was to be diffolved and loofed from bis body, and to be with Chrift, which (as he faid) was much better for him, although to them it was more necessary that he should live, which he refufed not for their fakes. Even like as St. Martin faid, Good Lord, if I be neceffary for thy people to do good unto them, I will refufe no labour: but elfe for mine own felf, I befeech thee to take my foul.

Phil. i.

Now the holy fathers of the old Law, and all faithful and righteous men which departed before our Saviour Chrift's afcenfion into heaven, did by death depart from troubles unto reft, from the hands of their enemies into the hands of God, from forrows and fickneffes unto joyful refreshing in Abraham's bofom, a place of all comfort and confolation, as the Scriptures do plainly by manifeft Wifd. iii. words teftify. The Book of Wifdom faith, that the righteous men's fouls be in the hand of God, and no torment fhall touch them. They feemed to the eyes of foolish men to die, and their death was counted miferable, and their departing out of this world wretched; but Wifd. iv. they be in reft. And another place faith, that the righteous fhall live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord, and their minds be with God, who is above all: therefore they fhall receive a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown at the Lord's hand. And in another place the fame book faith, The righteous, though he be prevented with fudden death, neverthelefs he fhall be there, where he fhall be refrefhed. Of Abraham's bofom Chrift's words be fo plain, that a Chriftian man needeth no more proof of it. Now then if this were the ftate of the holy fathers and righteous men before the coming of our Saviour, and before he was glorified; how much more then ought all we to have a steadfast faith, and a fure hope of this bleffed ftate and condition, after our death? feeing that our Saviour now hath performed the whole work of

our

our redemption, and is gloriously afcended into heaven, to prepare our dwelling-places with him, and faid unto his Father, Father, I will that where I am, my fervants fhall be John xvii. with me. And we know, that whatsoever Chrift will, his Father will the fame; wherefore it cannot be, but, if we be his faithful fervants, our fouls fhall be with him, after our departure out of this prefent life. St. Stephen, when he was ftoned to death, even in the midst of his torments, what was his mind moft upon? When he was full of the Acts vii. Holy Ghost (faith holy Scripture) baving his eyes lifted up into beaven, be faw the glory of God, and Jefus ftanding on the right band of God. The which truth, after he had confeffed boldly before the enemies of Chrift, they drew him out of the city, and there they stoned him, who cried unto God, faying, Lord Jefus Chrift, take my fpirit. And doth not our Saviour fay plainly in St. John's Gofpel, Verily, verily, John v. Ifay unto you, He that beareth my word, and believeth on bim that fent me, bath everlasting life, and cometh not into judgment, but fhall pass from death to life? Shall we not then think that death to be precious, by the which we pafs unto

life?

Therefore it is a true faying of the Prophet, The death Pfal. cxvi. of the holy and righteous men is precious in the Lord's fight. Holy Simeon, after that he had his heart's defire in feeing our Saviour, that he ever longed for in his life, he embraced, and took him in his arms, and faid, Now, Lord, let Luke ii. me depart in peace, for mine eyes have beholden that Saviour ubich thou baft prepared for all nations.

It is truth therefore, that the death of the righteous is called peace, and the benefit of the Lord, as the Church faith, in the name of the righteous departed out of this world, My foul, turn thee to thy reft, for the Lord hath been good to Pfal. cxvi. thee, and rewarded thee. And we fee by holy Scripture, and other ancient hiftories of martyrs, that the holy, faithful, and righteous, ever fince Chrift's afcenfion, or going up, in their death did not doubt, but that they went to Chrift in fpirit, which is our life, health, wealth, and falvation. John in his holy Revelation faw an hundred forty and four thoufand Virgins and Innocents, of whom he faid, Thefe follow the Lamb Jefus Chrift berefoever be Apoc. xiv. goetb. And fhortly after in the fame place he faith, I beard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, bappy and bleed are the dead which die in the Lord: from benceforth (furely faith the Spirit) they fhall reft from their pains and labours, for their works do follow them: fo that then they

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fhall

Gal. vi.

James v.

fhall reap with joy and comfort, that which they fowed with labours and pains.

They that fow in the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap everlasting life: let us therefore never be weary of well-doing; for when the time of reaping or reward cometh, we shall reap without any weariness everlasting joy. Therefore while we bare time (as St. Paul exhorteth us) let us do good to all men, Matth. vi. and not lay up our treasure in earth, where ruft and moths corrupt it, which ruft (as St. James faith) shall bear witness against us at the great day, condemn us, and fhall (like most burning fire) torment our flesh. Let us beware therefore (as we tender our own wealth) that we be not in the number of thofe miferable, covetous, and wretched men, which St. James biddeth mourn and lament for their greedy gathering and ungodly keeping of goods. Let us be wife in time, and learn to follow the wife example of the wicked Steward. Let us fo wifely order our goods and poffeffions, committed unto us here by God for a feafon, that we may truly hear and obey this commandment of our Saviour Luko xvi. Chrift: I fay unto you (faith he) make you friends of the wicked Mamman, that they may receive you into everlasting tabernacles or dwellings. Riches be called wicked, becaule the world abufeth them unto all wickednefs, which are otherwife the good gifts of God, and the inftruments, whereby God's fervants do truly ferve him in ufing of the fame. He commanded them not to make them rich friends, to get high dignities and worldly promotions, to give great gifts to rich men that have no need thereof; but to make them friends of poor and miferable men, unto whom whatfoever they give, Chrift taketh it as given to himself. And to thefe friends Chrift in the Gofpel giveth fo great honour and pre-eminence, that he faith, they fhall receive them that do good unto them into everlasting houfes: not that men fhall be our rewarders for our well-doing, but that Chrift will reward us, and take it to be done unto himfelf, whatfoever is done to fuch friends.

Thus making poor wretches our friends, we make our Saviour Chrift our friend, whofe members they are: whofe mifery as he taketh for his own mifery, fo their relief, fuccour, and help he taketh for his fuccour, relief, and help; and will as much thank us and reward us for our goodnefs fhewed to them, as if he himself had received like benefit at our hands, as he witneffeth in the Gospel, Matt. xxv. faying, Whatfoever ye have done to any of these fimple perfons, which do believe in me, that have you done to myself. Therefore

Therefore let us diligently forefee, that our faith and hope, which we have conceived in Almighty God, and in our Saviour Chrift, wax not faint, and that the love, which we bear in hand to bear to him, wax not cold: but let us study daily and diligently to fhew ourselves to be the true honourers and lovers of God, by keeping of his commandments, by doing of good deeds unto our needy neighbours, relieving, by all means that we can, their poverty with our abundance and plenty, their ignorance with our wifdom and learning, and comfort their weaknefs with our ftrength and authority, calling all men back from evil doing by godly counfel and good example, perfevering ftill in welldoing, fo long as we live: fo fhall we not need to fear death for any of thofe three caufes afore-mentioned, nor yet for any other caufe that can be imagined: but contrarily, confidering the manifold fickneffes, troubles, and forrows of this prefent life, the dangers of this perilous pilgrimage, and the great encumbrance which our fpirit hath by this finful fiefh and frail body, fubject to death: confidering alfo the manifold forrows and dangerous deceits of this world on every fide, the intolerable pride, covetoufnefs, and lechery, in time of profperity; the impatient murmuring of them that be worldly, in time of adverfity, which cease not to withdraw and pluck us from God our Saviour Chrift, from our life, wealth, or everlasting joy and falvation: confidering alfo the innumerable affaults of our ghoftly enemy the Devil, with all his fiery darts of ambition, pride, lechery, vain-glory, envy, malice, detraction, or backbiting, with other his innumerable deceits, engines, and fnares, whereby be goeth bufily about to 1 Pet. v. catch all men under bis dominion, ever like a roaring lion, by all means fearching whom he may devour. The faithful Chriftian man which confidereth all thefe miferies, perils, and incommodities, (whereunto he is fubject fo long as he here liveth upon earth) and on the other part confidereth that bleffed and comfortable state of the heavenly life to come, and the sweet condition of them that depart in the Lord; how they are delivered from the continual encumbrances of their mortal and finful body, from all the malice, crafts, and deceits of this world, from all the affaults of their ghoftly enemy the Devil, to live in peace, rest, and endlefs quietnefs, to live in the fellowship of innumerable angels, and with the congregation of perfect and juft men, as patriarchs, prophets, martyrs, and confeffors, and finally unto the prefence of Almighty God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift:-he that doth confider all thefe