Lorde The blessed state of them that dy in the lord is permanēt they may hereby learne that not onely immediatly after their death they shal rest from their labours and enter vppon their rewarde and so bee blessed but that also this their state is certaine without any falling backe from it and therefore still their reward is called life euerlasting in the scriptures And surely if this be their state immediatly thenceforth without euer any dāger of falling backe to worse then of the contrary it must needs follow that quite contrary immediatly after their death shal be the state and condition of al that die not in the Lord and that there is no hope for euer for them to attaine vnto a better What neede there then a general iudgement will some say I answere for two causes that the bodies thē may be restored to their soules againe that both the ioies of the faithful paines of the faithles to the ful manifestatiō both of gods mercy iustice may be cōsummate and ful that so god thē may outwardly solemnly iustify before al the world his former particular iudgemēt which imediatly before at euery mās death he had laid vpon them Lastly we are not to passe ouer or forget how our aduersaries the Papistes abuse this last clause of the text For they hearing that workes follow such thereupon inferre that works merit eternal blisse The abuse of this place therby to prooue that workes merite confuted Indeed hereupon it followeth as I haue noted before that none haue a right faith in Christ but those that haue also good works to accompany them whensoeuer they dye in the Lord which I would not haue forgotten But hereupon to gather that our workes merite heauen we may not For then they should go before our being in the Lord be a cause therof whereas here it is only sayde that they follow and accompany such Which it should seeme that Augustine had obserued li. de Fide operibus ca. 14. when he said that good workes goe not before iustification but they follow a man iustified Let them therefore followe in Gods name as a fruit of a man in the Lorde but let them not step before as a cause of his being in the fauor of the Lord. And vnderstād that this argument is stark naught good workes shal be rewarded with heauēly blisse therefore they merite it Is no man rewarded but he which hath merited and deserued it first The heire when he commeth to his fathers lands is then wel rewarded for his paines he took in his fathers time yet hee hath not his inheritance for those his paines for then rather some seruant oftentimes should haue the inheritance but for that he was his fathers son heire before Euen so it is in this case we are born the sons of God by faith in Christ Ioh. 1.12 13. so coheires with him of heauen Rom. 8.17 thereby first and then follow good workes in vs not as a cause why we shal haue this inheritance but as a fruit effect flowing frō our thankful mindes to our heauenly father for this notable inheritance thus freely prepared for vs. And yet when we come to the inheritance because it cōmeth after these our works after a sort we may say that euē there by our paines in working are rewarded yet we haue not that reward for our workes but for that we working so were the sons heires of God But for the better loosing of al such popish knots vnderstād that it is not al one to say good works shal be rewarded and to say good works haue merited that rewarde For there are rewards giuen of mercy and so is this as well as of debt and duty Rom. 4.4 Againe there is great ods betwixt these two questions who shal bee saued and why man shal bee saued To the former we answere the well worker to the latter only for Christs sake apprehended by faith And therfore take this for the conclusion we shal be iudged Secundū operum indicium non propter operum meritū according to the testimony y our workes giue of vs not for the merit of our workes For it is writen Ephe. 2.8.9 We are saued by grace through faith that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast himself And yet this doctrine neither letteth nor staieth at al frō good works but is y◠only fountain indeed from whēce al true works do spring flow And therfore y◠Apo. Paul as you may obserue throughout al his epistles first laboreth to set down this doctrine then thereupon after buildeth exhortation to godlines of life the like course tooke Peter as you may see in his first epistle And yet these knewe how to prouoke to good works and in no case may be counted teachers of a doctrine enemy to good works Yea there is none indeed that hath grace to imbrace this doctrine effectually but therby he feeleth by experience his hart so enflamed with loue towardes God for his infinite mercy hereby displaied vnto him both in sauing him frō perishing and in thus freely preparing heauē for him that frō that loue of his there floweth riuers flouds of al thankfulnes in al true obedience to his God wherin he walketh chearfully cōfortably But the Papists being bastards no lawful children of the Lorde beeing not assured of this full and free fauor of his towards thē of a slauish feare with a seruile mind to earn heauē at his hands doe the good which they do Which indeed in matter maner of doing is such that though it carrye the shew of godlines yet it is not so indeede For the matter of good works they wil not fetch warrāt only frō gods reuealed wil in his word but matter good inough with thē For a good worke is any thing for the which they can alleage a traditiō of the elders or their own good intent Which kinde of works the Lord reiecteth as stincking in his sight Isa 29.13 Mat. 15.9 Co. 2.20 c. And as for their maner of doing it is like the Pharises ioyned with a conceit that therefore they may despise others trust to be heard at Gods hands for the merite of their works Which kinde of doing Christ hath cōdēned Mat. 6.1 Luk. 18.9 c. in forbidding vs to do our workes as the Pharisees did in sending home the proude Pharisee vniustified And therfore in very deed as they are without all true christian faith so are they without al true good works And therefore whosoeuer hath any thing to comfort himself by this place it is none of thē No doubt of it this noble mā whose body lieth here amongst vs to be encōbed though euen in outwarde shew of almes giuing other good works he ouermatched most merit mongers yet seeing he trusted only to the meries of Christ and neuer to his owne workes but did them only of loue and thankefulnesse towas his God is among those of whome it is here said Their workes accompany them and therfore now is in ioyful fruition of the reward thereof Whose example as wee that bee of the same faith are to followe that so with him we may bee in euerlasting remembrance both with God and good men as no doubt hee shall so it is an example to stoppe the mouths of the aduersaries that lyingly crye out that they that bee of our religion haue no good woorkes following them The secōd conclusiō Thus at last right honorable and dearely beloued we haue runne thorow this portiō of scrpture and considered both the generall and particular vse thereof And so first we haue heard how strongly it is warranted to conteine nothing but soūd truth namely that not whosoeuer knoweth or cōmeth ny but whosoeuer is by a true a liuely faith vnited vnto Christ dieth in him which is neither a miraculous historicall temporarie dead or popish faith but a faith seeking and apprehending saluation onely in Christ Iesus shal thēceforth be blessed immediatly in resting from all woe in body and soule and in entring vppon possession of their euerlasting rewarde and then thereby more particularly we haue obserued that therefore the body riseth againe and that the soule is neither mortall nor sleepeth that there is no popish purgatory nor any thing that can be done by others for soules departed that can doe them any good to ease or better their estate and finally that though here bee offered vs great encouragement to good workes yet here is nothing to proue that woorkes merite any thing at Gods hand All which doctrine and lessons our honourable friend here departed as I haue from point to point shewed you hath already found true by experience God of his mercy giue vs all grace so to set his example before vs that wee may so followe him that we may euery one of vs one day also to Gods glory and our own euerlasting comfort feele and finde the trueth thereof in our selues This O Lorde we beseech thee to grant vs all for thy onely sonne Iesus Christes sake to whome with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerliuing God be all power honour might and maiestie nowe and for euer Amen September 22. An. Do. 1594. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of the holy Ghost be with vs all now and euer to direct sanctifie and gouerne vs in all our waies works thoughts Amen FINIS
A SERMON PREACHED AT Cheanies the 14. of September 1585. at the buriall of the right Honorable the Earle of BEDFORDE by THOMAS SPARKE Doctor of Divinitie Newly perused and corrected the Authour AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes Printer to the Vniversitie 1594. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE ARTHVR LORD GREY OF WILTON KNIGHT OF THE NOBLE order of the Garter his very good Lord and Patrone Thomas Sparke wisheth the encrease of all good spirituall graces with health wealth and true honors to Gods glorie and his owne full contentation and comfort SInce the preaching of this funerall sermon following right Honorable I haue beene earnestly vrged entreated both by wordes and letters of good brethren to commit the same to writing and so to the print And in deede their dealing with mee therein hath beene so effectuall that though I had rather preach ten sermons than pen one and haue alwaies hitherto beene very hard considering the multitudes of bookes already published to bee intreated to publish any of my poore labors yet in this loe I am ouercommed And truely amongst diuers other reasons moouing mee to yeeld hereunto this hath not been one of the wekest that therby not only they which heard mee preach it might for that present haue so noble an example both of sincere religion and holy life sounded in their eares but also both they and others at their pleasure might haue the same laide downe before their eies to the stirring vp and prouoking them the rather by consideration of the doctrine set downe in this sermon to imitate and followe the same For seeing it hath pleased our God no doubt of great mercy to him thus as hee hath to take him in peace from vs that wee cannot any longer enioy him liuing amongst vs as hee hath done yet by this and such like meanes after a sort I hope to the good of many he shall liue still Nay I am out of doubt of it that as his death was precious in the eies of the Lorde so he shal be had in euerlasting remembrance his name shall neuer be put out In the meane time it is greatly to be wished that we whome he hath left behinde would take occasion by this his taking from vs to learne that which euen therby wee haue iust occasion giuen vs by the Lorde to learne which is to feare that the Lord is in preparing some great scourge for vs for our great vnthankfulnes after so many benefites both heauenly and earthly a long time bestowed vppon vs in that hee beginneth thus to gleane from vs least they should see to their griefe the euils to come such deare seruants of his and thereby also to take occasion to repent and to turne vnto the Lord vnfeynedly that so he may turne the deserued euill day from vs. For in the 2 of Esay 3. for the like sinnes and transgressions of the people as are amongst vs the Lorde threatneth that euen therefore hee would take away the honourable and vvise counseller And yet notwithstanding this plaine vvarning afterwarde the Prophet complayneth thus The righteous perishe and no man considereth it in his heart and mercifull men are taken avvate and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous is taken avvaie from the euill to come Chap. 57.1 And I feare though the Lorde hath not barely threatned but in deede hath taken away from vs an Honourable and vvise Counseller in that this worthy Earle of Bedforde is nowe deade and buried that yet most iustly the Prophets complainte maie bee renued amongest vs. God of his mercy therefore giue vs grace better to consider thereof euerie one of vs that vvee maie finde out the Lordes counsell therein and so take occasion by an effectuall and vniuersall turning vnto the Lorde to preuent the euill thereby and by such other like examples threatned to come vppon vs. It maie bee that the enuious and malitious Papist who alwaies gathereth poyson thence from whence hee shoulde and might if hee had the grace gather honie vvill not sticke to thinke and say also that God hath taken him away as he hath his three sonnes with him in his anger and displeasure towardes him and his house But whosoeuer considereth the doctrine set downe in this sermon they all liuing dying in the Lord and in her maiesties loyall and faithfull obedience as they did hee shall bee enforced to confesse that by what meanes or by what kinde of sicknesse so euer they parted hence they died in the fauour of God who so weigheth further that it is the Lords property to beginne euen at his owne house thereby to woorke a greater terrour in others and withall foreseeth vvhat heauie plagues and miserable daies our sinnes dayly cry and call for he cannot chuse but see that the Lorde herein hath shewed a marueilous great mercy to him and to those of his house Truely by occasion hereof rather to the astonishmēt of al papists who obey not the gospell of God we may say with Pet. 1. Epi. 4.17 The time is come that iudgement must beginne at the house of God If it first beginne at vs what shall the ende bee of them that obey not the gospel of god But to leaue this noble Earle his sonnes in the hands of the Lord in blessed test peace and these malitious papists to thē selues as men in whome then sinne of spirituall whooredome with the garish Babylonicall harlot is growen to such rottennesse in their bones that there is small hope or rather none at all of their recouery such is the iudgement of God vpon them because light is come into the worlde and yet they loue darknes more than light concerning this sermon following right Honourable it may be in perusing of it you will finde some difference in it from that which you heard In wordes it cannot bee but there is because I had takē but short notes before and it is impossible for me to call to remēbrance the very wordes wherein I vttered it But as for matter I am sure you will perceiue it is all one with the other and in wordes too as neare as memorie could well serue to call them to minde In deede because then when I preached it in diuers points I was enforced as I thinke you might well perceiue through the shortnes of time left and alotted me but summarily to touch many thinges that more at large I had purposed to haue prosecuted and therefore perhaps then was the obscurer I haue heare in this according to my ful purpose and premeditation then set thē downe whereby it groweth to bee somewhat longer nowe than it was then The hardnes and vnpleasantnes of the stile I must desire your Honour and all others to beare withall For as you knowe my manner is not at anie time to studie for wordes but for matter Which so I deliuer in such wordes as I may bee vnderstood of them that heare mee I care for no more For the thing onely
on the earth to euerie Nation Kindred Toungue and People saying with a lowde voice Feare God giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgemēt is come worship him that made heauē and earth the Sea the fountaines of waters and then in causing him to see another Angell following saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie For shee made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and thirdly in causing him to see and heare a third Angell following the other two saying with a loude voice If any man worshippe the beast and his image and receiue his marke in his foreheade or hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the cup of his wrath and hee shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the smoke of their torment shal ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his image and whosoeuer receiueth the Print of his name Wherein in effect is shewed as it is also written 2. Thes 2. that after Antichrist shall haue shewed himselfe in his full then yet when God shall see it time that he would by the spirit of his mouth that is by the effectuall preaching againe of the Gospel which Antichrist had smothered bring him to a desperate consumption Which once beeing brought to passe of the great mercie of the Lorde towards his church by this light thē so come into the world shining therin the Lord teacheth here by the voice of the 3. Angel that as many as be desirous to escape eternal damnatiō should in any case so seperate themselues from Antichrist his religiō that neither in forhead nor hand they bear his mark that is that neither openly nor secretly they be any longer fauorers of him and his abhominations And this more plainly after chap. 18. vpon occasion of a reuelation like vnto this which he had of the fall of the kingdome of Antichrist he doth warn vs of by a voice from heauē saying Go out of her my people that ye be not partakers in her sins that ye receiue not of her plagues Which admonition Iohn by the spirite of Prophesie foreseeing would take place in a number that thereupon Antichrist and his confederates would take occasion of great griefe anger seeing so their kingdomes to decay he bursteth out into these words saying Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the cōmandements of God the faith of Iesus As who should say I foresee that when these thinges shoulde come to passe which the Lord hath foreshewed by the voices of these three Angels shall then they that leaue Antichrist to cleaue to Christ and forsake his abhominable superstition to imbrace the sinceritie of the Gospell shall maruellously bee assaulted by Antichrist and his to reclaime them againe by al meanes both faire and foule sweete and subtile sowre and violent insomuch that they then shall stād neede of perfect patience For if it were possible the deuises and meanes which he will vse to repaire his kingdome againe withal will bee such that the very elect should be seduced as Christ hath foretold Mat. 24.24 Wherupon the words of my text follow where incoragemēt is giuē to al men that shal liue to see Antichrist and his treacherie by the preaching again of the gospell thus detected brought to his consumption to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospell and to leaue his yea and constantly to perseuere both in the profession of their hatred and defiance of his abominations though neuer so vniuersally liked before yet stil the better to deceiue offered in a golden cup and also in their loue liking of the sincerity of the truth of the gospel though neuer so much slaundred by his to be a new doctrine heresie and persecuted also For so far off shall it bee that ye shall loose anie thing saith the Lord vnto such in my text if you take this course quite to forsake Antichrist and leane onely vnto and vppon Christ that when hee hath doone his woorst which is but to kill your bodies and so to cause your soules to flit the sooner out of them that I assure you without all doubt you shall immediately thence-foorth bee blessed in that all manner of woe and paine shall bee ended to you and besides your sincere profession holy cōuersation must bee rewarded with ioy vnspeakeable felicitie in heauen Be therefore of good courage the light shining amongest you againe imbrace it and walke in it haue no longer either secretly or openly any further fellowshippe with the workes of darkenesse if you haue you haue heard the thirde Angell tell you that then therefore ye shal be euerlastingly accursed and condemned But if you haue refused them and will liue and die in the sincere profession and beleefe of the trueth of the Gospell whatsoeuer meanes Antichrist shall vse to drawe you backe againe vnto him I say vnto you and I say it most earnestly you shal be for euer blessed and happie My text therfore commeth in as a preoccupation to take awaie from al such as should fall from Antichrist to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell all obiections whatsoeuer can or may arise in their mindes to make them wauer or go backe againe vnto him And for asmuch as the Lord saw that these would be many yea and that in shew so forcible to a man consulting with flesh bloud that he should euen therwith be often amased you see right honorable as I haue said that not without verie great cause is this proposition tending to their comforce and strengthening vttered and recorded in such sort and maner as you haue heard Wherefore whensoeuer there ariseth any reason or motion in our mindes to draw vs backe frō the sincerity of the Gospell to take again the marke of the beast either in our forehead or hand then to strengthen our selues to withstand all such let vs make our recourse vnto this place and well wey this point that here is damnation flatly denoūced to all such as after the sound of the gospell againe reuolt to Antichrist and that there is most certainly saluatiō and blisse promised to those that refuse to doe it and choose rather to lose their liues The diuision Now in the proportiō it self thus vpō this occasion vttered we haue to cōsider two things principally that is who they be of whō the Lord therein speaketh what it is that he speaketh of such The first is expressed in these words They that die in the Lord the later in these Are blessed thenceforth euen so saith the spirit that they rest from their labors their works accōpany thē Wherof orderly nowe I am to speake as the text offereth occasiō as the time wil permit me Though this particle