hath alone declared and exhibited Remission of Sins by the Death and Passion of an Holy Jesus who gave his Life a Ransom and a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World This conclusion follows immediately thereupon that no moral Philosophers among the Gentiles with all their very good and commendable precepts nor any the straightest Sects amongst the Jews with all their external Rites and Ceremonies and their exactest skill and observance of the Mosaic Laws could therewith appear justified before God Ps 32.1 2. or be consequently Blessed for briefly those alone are truly Blessed whose Transgressions are forgiven whose Sins are cover'd and St. Paul interprets Almighty Gods non-imputation of our Iniquities Transgressions and Sins to be the ready way for Blessedness Rom. 4.7.3 20. the most effectual means of being accounted Righteous rather by Faith in Christ then by the deeds of the Law It appears now That every man at his very best Estate in this mortal Life is altogether Vanity no better to be accounted of in the greatest affluence of worldly Goods than the fading Grass or Flower of the Field For he withereth as Grass and like the Flower thereof He quickly falleth away for all his Wealth and Riches cannot possibly save him from Death or in the least redeem his miserable Soul from the destroying hand of Hell The Crown shall then be taken from the proud Monarchs Head his Honour laid in the Dust and his fatted Carcass lamentably fall a Prey to Putrefaction Stench and rottenness Then his feeble macerated Soul will be freed it 's true from the weight of his abominable Flesh but loaded still with his Transgressions For she must appear in that instantly before the Judgment Seat of God and receive her endless doom either of Bliss or misery proportionable to the Works done of her in the Body whether it be good or bad In that horrible Day of Retribution wherewithal may the Wise the Scribe and the Disputer of this World appear For their Wisdom and their Knowledg will be counted Madness their Laughter will be then exchanged into Mourning and their Mirth for Heaviness If they boast of Prophesies they shall fail If they plead their Skill in Tongues they shall cease and if Knowledg in all Arts and Sciences it shall vanish away But then you 'l ask what shall become of those Men at last which have lived zealous and strict Observers of Moral Precepts contained in the Law with a good Conscience both towards God and Man May not their good Lives in this present World assure them of Blessedness in the next Will not their Obedience to Gods Commands in the Law of Moses afford them a just and full Title to the Promise For however it be true Jam. 2.14 17. That Faith or Knowledg cannot save any Man without good Works being dead and alone yet when it is made perfect in bringing forth wholesom Fruits worthy of Repentance are not their Persons thereby justifyed in Gods Account and so blessed in their Deed Ro. 2 1 2. Jo. 3.17 For not the Hearers of the Law are just before God but the Doers of the Law shall be justifyed and Christ himself hath said That if ye know these things happy are ye if you do them where it seems Obedience joyned with Faith or Knowledg has the Promise of Eternal Felicity with God in the Kingdom of Heaven which Position is not so strang a thing as true being frequently delivered as well in the Gospel as in the Law For answer to this very plausible Objection we must needs take notice of a considerable difference between Legal and Evangelical Dispensations and that under the first nothing else but only perfect intire Obedience even to the smallest Jot or Tittle of the Law could ever acquit Men from the guilt of its Transgression or afterwards rescue them from the Curse Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the Words of this Law to do them And although St. Paul quotes the same Text as if it were of like force under the Gospel too however 't is observable that he makes use of it with a special Eye to Christ whose Obedience to the Law both Active in that he did the will of his Father without sin and likewise passive in suffering the full Viols of wrath on behalf of the Transgressors was most perfect and intire in every particular For which cause Men are now to be justifyed not by the Deeds of the Law but merely through free Grace and a lively Faith in Christ Jesus and their Faith must be shewed in their good Works not as the meritorious Cause of their Acceptance with God but as the genuine effects the signs and symptoms tokens and witnesses of the sincerity of their hearts and the Truth of their Belief So that you see Faith in Christ and Obedience to Moral Precepts are both of them indispensable Duties incumbent upon all Christians even under this Oeconomy of the Gospel according to the most rigid Interpretation of the Law that is enlarged by Christ unto the very Thoughts and Intentions of our Hearts with the same Curse retained still because of its Transgression whether in thought word or deed howbeit there is reserved a full Treasure of Grace not in the merits of Saints or Angels but in Christ's absolute Righteousness neither at Rome but in the Court of Heaven to perfect and fill up our inevitable Failings and Imperfections For according to that Parable in the 17th of St. Luke's Gospel the professed Servants of Christ are strictly bound for to perform all his Commandements and yet having done at last all they can they must never think of pleading their own Deserts but with meekness and lowliness of mind acknowledg themselves Vnprofitable Servants And whatsoever becomes the final recompense of Reward be sure to give Almighty God All the Praise and Glory that God in all things may be glorifyed through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Answer to the Question hath been hitherto Negative by shewing That many things which are good enough and convenient in their kind but not absolutely such being Evil in excess are therefore ineffectual means for compassing that happy Design which all men would gladly propose unto themselves Now 't is very certain That our adequate real and lasting Happiness consisteth not in those mundane transitory Goods that we possess Because this World and all that is in it shall one day be dissolved whereas our Souls are of more enduring substance to continue for ever Upon which ground the Poet hath truly said ultima semper Expect anda dies homini est dicique beatus Ante obitum Nemo supremaque funera debet The Roman Oratour is quoted also by Lactantius who concurs with him in the same Opinion * In hac vita virtutis praemium nullum est sed praemium virtutis post moâ—tem mors non extinguit Hominem sed ad praemia virtutis admittit Sen. de Vit. Beat. nay St. Paul himself hath told
from the lusts and affections of human flesh and made stiff nature yield and submit her self to God Seing now That our merciful and faithful High-Priest hath given up his Innocent holy Soul an Offering and a Sacrifice for all our Sins by suffering that ignominious Death of the Cross and since he victoriously routed all the Forces and loosed all the pains of Death and of Hell triumphing over them at his Resurrection first and Ascension afterwards all true Christians may for that Cause readily bear a part in St. Paul's joyful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Song of Triumph composed it seems for those very solemn Festivals O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory And forasmuch as the Merits of Christ the second Adam are as mighty to save Mankind as the Transgression of the first was powerful to condemn we may repeat the same words again with comfort of hope and in full assurance of our Faith in a cheerful Eccho to that heavenly Voice Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them These Words do plainly contain two general Parts 1. The first Part is a perfect express and affirmative Proposition wherein is peremptorily asserted The blessed unalterable State of all those Men who depart hence in the Lord Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord or according to the Grammatical Order of the Words The dead which dye in the Lord are blessed 2. The Second general Part affords the strongest Reasons imaginable to prove and confirm the aforesaid Assertion This Confirmation thereof is twofold 1. From the best Authority that may be for 't is evidenced by the most infallible Testimony of the blessed Spirit full of Grace and of Truth 2. From Reason which is double The dead which die in the Lord are blessed 1. Because They rest from their Labours and 2. Because their Works do follow them For the clearer manifestation of the Truth now laid before us in the Method and Demonstration of the Spirit the Terms of the Proposition would be first of all explained in our Answers to these two Questions 1. What sort of men they be which the Spirit reckons to be dead in the Lord And 2. What is here understood by their being Blessed To the 1. Question What sort of Men they be which the Spirit reckons to be dead in the Lord Our Answer is briefly thus They are such Men as have not lived unto Themselves nor to the World but like Strangers and Pilgrims upon Earth having their Conversations and Hearts in Heaven That have mortifyed the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts being renewed in the Spirit of their Mind That have truly repented of all their Sins and subdued all the proud high Thoughts of their carnal minds in Obedience to Christ That have resisted and repelled the Devil in all his Attempts either by secret Suggestions or with open Force and have likewise renounced and overcome the World with all its Adherents Pomps and Vanities Now this Victory which all true Christians must obtain both over Themselves the Devil and the World before they can dye in the Lord is not otherwise to be gained than by sincere unfeigned Repentance manifest in all the Duties of self-denyal and mortification a lively persevering Faith in Christ and a constant hearty though not perfect Obedience to Gods Holy Commandments And seeing the best Men living are not able to perform that intire and exact Obedience which the Law requires at their hands to make them appear justifyed in the sight of a righteous holy God being judged of him according to their own Works but unprofitable Servants whosoever thinks to depart this Life in Peace with God with consolation to themselves must loath detest and abhor their past Wickedness like pious Job in dust and ashes and Jâ—b â—â—â— with S. Paul Phil. 3.9 cast off the polluted rags of their own imperfect Righteousness according to the Law to put on Christ by Faith and be found at last in the white robes of his Righteousness that was made perfect through Sufferings And there is no doubt but those Men who thus live unto the Lord by faith and perseverance in good works even unto their end may be sure of dying so too because they have discharged their whole duty so far as to render it an acceptable service unto God by Jesus Christ for having so duly testified both Repentance towards God and Faith working by Love in our Lord Jesus Christ they become thereby justifyed and obtain their peace and Reconciliation with God Whereupon they may safely cast the Anchor of their Hope on the promises which God once made unto their Fathers and then depart in peace according to his word in full assurance of an happy Resurrection from the Dead And having this hope what shall hinder Men from spending all their time their care and pains in exerting vigorously the powers and faculties of their Souls to purifie themselves from all filthiness of the Flesh and of the World that so they may grow still in Grace perfecting Holiness in the fear of God As the chased Heart pants after the Water Brook so these refined Spirits being wearied and heavy laden with all the frailties of their own Flesh tempted by Satan hated and persecuted by the World pant and groan earnestly for deliverance breathe and are athirst for their appearing before the presence of God where Mortallity shall be swallowed up of Life To the second Question what is here understood by their being Blessed who die thus in the Lord You may take this very plain yet apposite Solution notwithstanding Mens opinions about their Felicity present or to come have been as different numerous and irrational as concerning their very Gods themselves because one doth naturally presuppose and infer the other Felicity being nothing else but a close intimate Fruition of God in the notion of an All sufficient Immense Being that is absolutely good of himself and in his Nature and relatively too being the Fountain of all the goodness and pefection that can be met with amongst all the Creatures and Workmanship of his hands yet according to the common use and import of the word there have been always two things implied First a deliverance from evil and then a possession of something which is good And with regard unto the many kinds of good or evil which may befal the Sons of Men either in this present Life or in that which is to come so their happiness or misery doth both encrease and multiply And because every Man is naturally compounded of the Flesh and Spirit of an immortal Soul united with an earthly fading Body which nevertheless are by Gods infinite Power made capable of Life Eternal in dispight of Death or Hell it self therefore he may be counted happy 1 In respect of this present world and 2 with relation to the next and
the Naked and provides Bread for the Hungry and draws forth Water for those that are a thirst But what These are indeed very poor and ordinary pittances taken up almost at every ones door The Person whose Charity we commend would be very much disgraced by such trivial Encomiums For his great Soul was brought up in the Schools of Liberal Arts and Vertues for higher and more noble ends for those worthy deeds which do really deserve a choice Room in the Records and Annals of our Age. Now 't is not here to be dissembled that when Faction acted her part in Masquerade and Sedition appeared in open field under the specious pretences and colours of Religion This Gentleman then very young was blown up and incensed by evil men who carried nothing but Laws Liberty and Religion it self in their mouths craftily concealing Seditions Tumults and War in their Hearts to have an unfortunate share in that most infamous Rebellion which as it cannot be excused so neither would he himself desire to be any otherwise justified then by declaring his own indignation and by the Remonstrances of his Repentance For which he did not tarry till he could not avoid the necessity but very early had a true sense of and sorrow for his Crime And these things as they proceeded to a confession of his shame and dereliction of the Vice so they went forwards to the acquiring and practising his whole life after the contrary Vertues of Righteousness and Loyalty fullfilling what the Scripture doth require of the true penitent a remembering from whence he was fallen of doing his first Works From hence he became a true Servant of God and the King making what restitution he could for the Religion he had scandalized and the wrongs he had done so that it will be a vain question to ask whether his honour or his Soul be saved For if the Tears of true Repentance mixt with a lively Faith in our Saviours blood will make a Lavium that will wash all throughly from our Wickedness and cleanse us from our Sins I am confident the crying sin of Rebellion though to blood will never be laid unto his charge neither in this World because he long since heartily repented of it and received the Pardon of both Kings from their own Lips nor in the next because Almighty God that is Gracious and Merciful Pardoning iniquities Transgressions and Sins takes no pleasure in the Death of Sinners but compassionately wishes that he would return and live This Loyal Converts true Repentance and remorse for that miscarriage was best of all exprest in the real change both of his Judgment and of his Life too for being some years since with a person of Honour upon the day of the Martyrdom of our late Gracious Soveraign and having performed his part in the publick service upon that very lamentable Occasion towards Evening he was desired by that Honourable person to go shoot with him at Butts an Exercise he much delighted in at other times but the good Collonel replyed instantly with no small regret My Lord it is your Happiness that your Father and Family were engaged on the Kings side whereby you have not so much to answer for the Sin of this day But for my part I look upon my self to have so great a shâ—re in the guilt of it that I can never take any pleasure on this day The Collonel being desired by the same person to read over Dr. Nalsons and Rushworths Histories and give him an account thereupon He told his Lordship That he found the first to be a very true exact and faithful Historian knowing many of those things he asserted to be true of his own knowledge and that he had long lookt upon those who managed the late War to be very bad Men though he could not have imagined them so bad as that Book evidently made them appear to have been Then he added that he was only sorry 't was not his fortune to be a Member of the last Parliament that he might have spoken what he knew of them and probably have undeceived some honest Gentlemen When his youthful and unruly passions were chastised and brought under the command of Reason and Judgment confirmed by some years Experience he then perceiv'd how much the Mask of Religion had been Hypocritically put on till it was fit for nothing but only to be thrown by he saw the greatest impieties that ever Christians committed walking bare fac'd and in the open Sun Majesty was trod on by the vilest of people and the pensive Hearts of all honest men were oppressed with fears of lamentable destructive consequents Then then doubtless the same infinitely gracious God workt upon his Heart effectually to the full acknowledgment of the Truth as he did on St. Paul at his Conversion to the Christian Faith For when his Majesty was trapand into the Isle of Wight and markt out for a prey to Covetous Proud and Ambitious discontented Spirits our Loyal Convert appeared like St. Paul again zealous for preserving that Cause which he did once endeavour to destroy For being in that Isle he secretly made known to the King the cruel Designs that were laid against his person with a way that he contriv'd for his Majesties making an Escape the particulars of which Adventure will be set forth at large by authority at the next Reprinting of the Kings works But in spight of all endeavours to rescue the King the Church and State from ruine these Barbarous Rebels were so prosperous in their wickedness that his Gracious Majesty fell into the Hands of such wicked Men whose tender Mercies were cruel even to Death Prov. 12.10 for not long after a Monstrous High Court of Justice judged and condemned their Lawful Soveraign in whom alone was lodg'd the Right and Power of Life and Death by the known Laws and Customs of the Realm so that perjury was added unto Murder in their breaking those very Laws themselves which those honest men had sworn to maintain As if the body Politick were not able to subsist but only by the loss of Innocent pure and Royal Blood As if neither Oaths nor Laws were of any further use but the world must be turned upside down overwhelm'd once more with a Deluge of confusion Now that all hopes were lost and sunk into Despair Death standing ready for Execution of that Execrable Sentence our Loyal Convert us'd all his interest with Fairfax Cromwel and other chief Officers to prolong and put off the direful Execution of that unjust and unparalell'd Judgment that Majesty might be saved from perishing by the most vile and meanest of his People For which end he fairly tender'd the Names of several Peers in the nature of Hostages that would have pawn'd their own Lives and Fortunes to serve the King But those Devillish cunning Gamsters conceived it their safest policy to play out the Game they began with Hypocritical shews for the Government and Religion here establisht until