which he loved not nor cared for to know they may be directed from the Text They who would be blessed must be in the Lord must by all means get into Christ Iohn 14.6 I am the way saith Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Article in the Original makes it emphatical The way the onely way he adds and the truth this is to beget in our hearts a firm belief that he is the only way But one may say he is a way indeed but whether doth this way lead he adds the life as if he should say I am in truth the onely way that leads to life or blessednesse Know all Men of a truth if they be Christless they will be blisseless heavenless T is Christ who hath brought life and immortality to light therefore immortal life must be by Christ Jesus Christ is that Ladder in Jacobs vision by which Believers climb up to Heaven Life was a book sealed but Christ hath opeÌ„ed it the way of blessednesse was shut up but Christ hath cleared the passage we must say with the Martyr None but Christ None but Christ Creature righteousness will not open the Door of blessedness Duties are Creatures yea graces are Creatures Faith it self is no Saviour So then if we would be blessed the question which we must put to our Souls is this are we in Christ They who are in the Lord Jesus shall be blessed For the tryal of this take this one conclusion If we be in Christ then Christ is in us As we read of Saints being in Christ Rom. 8.1 2 Cor. 5.17 So we read of Christ being in Saints Col. 1.27 2 Cor. 13.5 Take one place more wherein this mutual inhabitation is expressed fully 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him that is in Christ and he in him that is Christ dwelleth in him that keepeth his Commandments So that one discovers the other viz. if we be in Christ then Christ is in us Yea but it may be replied this is as hard to know as the other how can Christ be in us he is in Heaven him the Heavens must contain till c. I answer the Scripture shews that though Christ be in Heaven yet he dwells in his people upon earth by his Spirit and thus in the place last quoted this is made a mark or note of tryal Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us But yet still there is not a full resolution to a conscience that desires satisfaction But it may be further queried how I shall know whether I have the Spirit To this I Answer some know it by its immediate witnesse the Spirit bearing witnesse with their Spirits Thus Paul Rom. 8 16. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed this is an high attainment not given to all And therefore I add others may know it by its argumentative witness the Soul drawing conclusions from the effects which are such as these following 1. It is a softening Spirit Hast thou the Spirit of Christ dwelling in thee then it hath mollified thy Adamantine heart thou canst say my heart by nature is inâ—exible impenetrable but it is made tender bowed and softned 2. It is an enlarging Spirit Art thou enlarged with David to run the way of his Commandments This he desired to do but could not till God inlarged his heart Psalm 119.32 Art thou inlarged in dutie and in graces stronger in believing more broken in heart more frequent and fervent in praying hearing receiving is it thus with thee Sam 1.5.10 Thus it was with them who have the Spirit or rather hast not cause to mourn as Hannah because her womb was shut up so thou because thy Soul is shut up Perhaps hast no pantings after God and instead of being inlarged thou decayest declinest and goest down the wind 3. 'T is an enlightning Spirit The heart naturally is covered with darkness darkness that may be felt but where the Spirit dwells it makes an Egypt Luc. 1.78 79. a Goshen Now hath the day spring from on high visited thee to give light to thy Soul which sat in darkness Hath it inlightned thee to know the great evil of sin the dreadfulnesse of offended Justice the preciousness of thy immortal Soul the sweetness of a pardoned estate the transcendent excellency of Christ the Beauty of holiness 4. 'T is a sanctifying and cleansing Spirit The heart naturally is lamentably sulled and defiled the Conscience is impure The Soul coming out of an unregenerate estate Cant. 3.6 is said to come out of the wilderness like pillars of smoak The Soul naturally is a smoaky sooted and defiled thing but when the Spirit comes in it clenseth Now hath God created in thee a clean heart which David prayes for Psalm 51.10 The Spirit is compared to fire Now fire cleanseth the Gold from the dross hath the Spirit consumed the dross of sin and corruption 't is a Spirit of burning Isa 4.4 5. 'T is a fructifying Spirit The heart by nature is a wilderness as in the Canticles a barren wilderness bearing nothing but bryars and thrones and no good fruit Art thou now become fruitful in good works or rather art thou not to everie good work reprobate I might add 6. 'T is a warming Spirit The heart naturally is key-cold the conscience benummed Is there any spiritual heat holy warmth in thy Soul is there alwayes some of the holy fire burning upon the Altar of thy Soul The sum of all is this if these things be not in us or at least a sense of the want of them with a mourning for to have them then the Spirit is not in us and if the Spirit be not in us then Christ is not in us and if Christ be not in us then we are not in him and if we be not in him we cannot be blessed They only are blessed who are in the Lord There is no other way to blessedness and thus much for the second use 3. By way of Consolation to all true Beleevers you are in Christ and you shall be blessed when you die 'T is but waiting a while till Death and henceforth you shall be happy You perhaps are now miserable but you shall not alwayes be so Psa 73.24 afterwards thou wilt receive me to glorie Thus that holy Man Asaph comforted himself Can you not live a little upon hope Heb. 11.26 Heb. 10.34 Moses eying the recompence of reward could suffer rebuke Those Worthies calling to mind the better and enduring substance could take joyfully the spoyling of their goods and can you bear nothing suffer nothing True you have not this glory in possession but you have it in reversion T is as sure as sure as may be the entail cannot be cut off Christ urgeth this as an argument why his Disciples should forsake all follow him Matth. 19.28 because they should after sit upon thrones of glorie with him And the Apostle
such as are of a meek Col. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui idoneos nos fecit Trem. Beza gentle and loving Spirit 'T is the inheritance of Saints for which persons must be made meet or fitted The Spirit of God finds persons sinful but it new moulds them and changeth them into holy ones before it brings them to Heaven 'T is said of one of the Roman Emperours when he came to the Empire he found the City built of Brick but before he dyed their buildings were of Marble I may apply it to the change which the Holy Ghost makes in the Soul Invenit lateritiam reliquit marmoream Suet. in vit August he makes a sinful Soul holy which is more then to pull down buildings of Brick and to erect buildings of marble The result of all is this that Holines is the way to blessedness they who would take Christ for a Saviour must take him for a Sampler they who would have the benefit of his death must take the example of his life The Exhortation therefore is labour to be holy as ever you desire to be happy Be divorced from your lusts cast away your idols subdue the strength of sin bid no welcome to the Friends of sin watch against the wiles and fetches of sin make you a clean heart get a regenerate heart the image of God renewed upon your Souls Qui vult finem vult media ad finem cease not till you be partaker of the Divine Nature In a word be godly in Christ Jesus you must use the means in order to the desired end Must go to the School of Grace before you can come to the Vniversity of Glory I shall now lay down 4. things by way of caution and then a few closing Counsels and so I will have done For the cautions 1. Do not think that all shall be blessed for onely they shall be blessed who are in the Lord when they die To be in Christ and to be godly is all one Now the Scripture saith not onely that all are not godly but that the number of godly ones compared with the ungodly is but small absolutely considered they are many Matthew 8.11 Many shall come and sit down with Abraham c. Revel 7.4 An hundred and forty and four thousand were sealed But comparatively they are but few Matth. 7.14 Narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock or as the Original will bear little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little flock 2. Do not think that Christ and grace and a right to blessedness may be had when thou wilt to be at thy beck come and it comes There is this presumptuous conceipt in many which makes them not so much as look after getting into Christ till they come to die when they have extreme need of being in Christ and not to have Christ then to get Luke 19.42 Let Sinners hear and fear that word and wish of Christ Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that concern thy peace yea but they might say we will know them t is yet all in good time He answers they had lost their day and season and now they were hidden from their eys Will not some bemoan themselves when it is too late in the words of the Prophet Jer. 8.20 The Summer is past the Harvest is ended and we art not saved The time of grace ends with the time of life to all Manna must be gathered on the six dayes of thy life there is no gathering on the seventh resembling thy rest in death there is no devise nor knowledge in the grave But yet the day of grace may end with some before they come to the end of the days of their life And though we know not the expiration of it nor can say of any particular person nor any particular person say of himself that the day of grace is past unless it were known that he had sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost Yet Scripture expressions hold forth the truth of the thing that it is so And therefore let all presumptuous delayers look well about them and O Sinner to day on this thy day hear the voice of Christ believe and repent How knowest thou but this may be the day this the Sermon which if thou rejectest Mercy and Peace may be for ever hidden from thine eyes Blessedness is not to be had when thou wilt 3. Do not think though thou livest in sin and goest on in thy wickednesse yet thou mayest come to Heaven at last for all that Consider and seriously weigh but these Scriptures Deut. 29.19 Gal. 6.7 1 Cor. 6.9 And if this have been thy thought thy inward thought for none will say so whatever they think they may well make thee be of another mind 4. And lastly by way of caution think not that every remiss way of serving of God will serve the turn to bring thee to blessedness Lukewarmness is the sin of our age and the bane of our Souls Many Christians by profession are in their spiritual condition 1 King 2.1 like David in his old age as to his bodily condition so cold that though they covered him with cloathes yet he gat no heat All the Ordinances under which they lie will not warm them into any Zeal but they continue either very cold and frozen or at most but lukewarm Like the Climat wherein they live which is neither extreme cold nor violently hot but temperate they have a profession but no power they keep in a round of duties without being quickned in any love to God or zeal for God but alass this will not bring to Blessedness as was shewed before in the opening of the Text. These are the cautions Now to draw to a Conclusion I have from the Scripture before us held forth the bliss and happiness of Saints and thereby an offer hath been made of the same blessedness unto Sinners It offers it self to you Oh that you would offer your selves to it In this Sermon you may say Salvation came to your House it came to your Doors Heaven goes a begging that it may be accepted But it fares in this case as we commonly observe in other cases proffer'd things find little acceptance because proffered And indeed if we consider the multitude of Sermons that are preached and how in every Sermon Christ and Heaven and Blessedness are offered yet by very few accepted We must needs think and judge the frequent tenders do through the corruption of our hearts occasion the horrible sleighting of them Silver in the days of Solomon being common was of no account The Lord grant this sin bring not upon us the scarcity of the Word that it should be with us as in the dayes of Samuel 1 Sam. 3.1 The Word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open vision The time may come when we would give a world
of a smoaky Cottage that it may be built a stately Palace as the Southsayers said upon the burning of the Capitol by lightning the Gods did suffer it to be that it might be built better and more gloriously Now these are the actings of faith required in him who would dye to the Lord. Now a Person may dye in the Lord and be blessed who yet doth not thus dye to the Lord for these actings may be suspended either 1. Through our inadvertency not considering what duty is incumbent upon us to glorifie God in dying 2. Through violence of diseases depriving or at least dulling and stupifying the memory understanding reason which are necessarily required to these actings 3. By some fit of desertion whereby we come to doubt of our evidences which alone can make us cheerfully to submit Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace now and not till now because now mine eyes have seen thy Salvation And thus I have done with the first thing which needed to be explained who they be that are said to dye in the Lord. II. I shall now speak to the second what that blessedness is which they who dye in the Lord shall have This is an hard thing if not impossible to do the Scripture speaks of it as that which is inexpressible unutterable See 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul rapt up into heaven heard words unspeakable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it is not possible for a man to utter yea which is more unconceivable 1 Cor. 2.9 it hath not entred into the heart of man 'T is in vain to expect that it should be spoken with the Tongue which cannot be conceived by the heart As soon may the Earth and Sea be put into a Pot as the bliss of glorified Saints into the understanding as soon may you hold the whole earth in the hollow of the hand as comprehend heaven in the heart Much hath been spoken and written concerning it doubtless to the great chearing of the hearts of Saints insomuch that some have been ravished with the newes of it that they have in a kind of impatiency been weary of life and longed for death saying come Lord Jesus come quickly yet I believe that when a Saint comes to heaven he will say in the words of the Queen of Sheba 1 King 10 6 7. It was a true report that I heard upon earth of heavens glory but behold the half was not told me The Apostle in the place before describes it Negatively Eye hath not seen c. The eye hath seen much the ear hath heard more than ever the eye saw and the heart of man can conceive more than ever the eye saw or ear heard yet the heart cannot conceive this Surely the full and perfect knowledge of this blessedness is only to those Saints who are comprehenders of it The blind man may say much of light but nothing comparably to him who beholds the light much may be said of the sweetness of honey by what is reported of it but it is nothing to what may be said from the tasting and eating of it See 1 Joh. 3.2 it doth not yet appear what we shall be or what glory we shall have till we come to see this light and eat of this honey I might therefore shut up this part in silence wishing you to wait till this glory shall be fully revealed but because something may be expected upon the method before laid down it being one of the three things promised to be explained and besides much is said of it in the Scripture to the unspeakable consolation of believers making them bear up and be of good chear under present evils whereof this life is full whiles they have an eye to the recompence of reward I shall therefore as the Lord shall enable me give you a brief collection of what is held forth in Scripture concerning this blessedness I cannot go round about Sion and tell all the Towers may I at least but point out some The Israelites rejoyced but to see some clusters from Canaan and it may refresh our hearts whilest we behold some parts or pieces of this glory laid down before us They waited for Gods time to take possession of that earthly Canaan and so must we 't is but tarry till death comes Death will put us in possession of the heavenly Canaan then it shall be said to Saints as to Abraham Genesis 13.17 Arise walk through the Land in the length and breadth of it Beleevers shall be blessed when they die but wherein doth this blessednesse consists I Answer to the making up of blessednesse it is required 1. That it be full 2. That it be lasting Fulnesse implies 1. The absence of all evil 2. The presence of all good 1. Then Saints dying are out of the reach and danger of evill Prastat non esse quà m miserum esse of what may be called evil even the very appearance of evil Though there were no good in Heaven yet it is very considerable that there is no evil Now evil is two fold 1. Of sin 2. of punishment but neither is in Heaven 1. There is no sin there this is the grand evil a poysonous weed that growes every where but in Heaven 'T is said that no venemous thing will live in Ireland I am sure it is true of heaven This weed took rooting in paradise but it was the earthly Paradise and not the heavenly whereof Christ speaks Luke 23.43 and whereof St. Paul speaks 2 Cor. 12.4 The best of Saints carry sin about with them one need not tell them so they know it to the great grief of their heart it being that which often fetcheth water from their eyes and blood from their Souls Hearken but to their Closet doors and you shall hear sad complaints against it and mourning over it This is that stone tyed to the birds legg Anselm as one well resembles it upon seeing boys play which pulleth it down when it attempts to fly aloft This is that Pharaoh which keeps Gods Israel in bondage and hinders from serving God as they should and as they would There is indeed a principle of grace in beleevers and there is also a body of sin and in this respect they are like to the tribe of Manasse half in the Land of Canaan half on the other side Jordan But death will convey them into the heavenly Canaan Col. 3.5 and the Jordan of sin shall be quite dryed up may not this be one reason why the Apostle calls sins our members which are upon earth members because of the dear love we are apt to bear to them they are as dear as the members of our body as an eye and hand and earthly because they shall not be in Heaven These sins by the power of grace are mortified in Saints whiles they are upon earth but in Heaven they shall be nullified there shall not be an hoof left behind Here they are cast down there
they shall be cast out The Lord Jesus will say to sin that foul Spirit as Mark 9.25 Come out and enter no more Well then admit this there shall be no corruption within I may add farther no fear of any temptation from without whether of the Devil or from the World What can Satan do The Devil without us could not harm us were it not for the Devil within us he could do nothing upon Christ John 14.30 Because he was without sin he found nothing in him to fasten his temptations to If he do strike 't is as nothing so long as there is no tinder to catch But besides I believe though he goeth to and fro in the earth that Heaven is none of his walk none of his circuit it is not in his commission or rather permission Add what can the World do to them who are gon out of the World Before they were not of the World now they are not in the World The World here as the Ivy twisting about the tree sucks the heart out It flatters as Jael did Sisera Butter and Milk in a Lordly dish and so nails the temples of the Soul to the ground but after death there shall be no alluring World The World and the things of the World as to them Angeli non habent jumenta shall be no more There is no device in the grave no trading no tilling no shops no farms or cattel we shall be as the Angels who are not combred with these things There as Rev. 12.1 The Moon shall be under our Feet we shall have as little esteem of these sublinary things as the dust under our Feet Thus we have the first branch of the negative part Saints shall be blessed at death because they shall not be infected with the evil of sin 2. After death there shall be as no sinning so no suffering this necessarily follows for take away the cause and the effect will cease there shall be no complaining in those streets and therefore blessed for I may apply the words of the Psalmist Psalm 144.14 15. Happy are the people that are in such a case hereupon earth is nothing but Alass wo is me wo worth the day Not only Hell is full of complaining but the earth also our dayes here are ful of trouble Our life is like the Prophets book Ezek. 2.10 Written within and without lamentations mournings and wo within are Fightings without are Fears We are at no time exempted from complaining because of sin and it is but seldom but that we are mourning because of trouble which sorrowful condition of ours upon earth is elegantly set forth in that place Job 5.7 Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward Indeed in Hell is nothing but evil from one end to the other It is a sea of evils without bank or bottom On earth are some fair days though many be stormy and tempestuous a rad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elatus fuit Isa 33.24 Isa 35.10 but in Heaven whether Saints go when they die is no fear of any of these things This is that Tower whether the righteous shall run and be safe or set aloft out of the reach of danger Prov. 18.10 There the inhabitants shall not say I am sick sorrow and sighing shall fly away All evil shall be banished many thousand thousand miles from the lines of Saints communication I shall shut up this part with that comfortable Scripture 1 Thes 1.10 Jesus delivers from the wrath to come If saved from wrath then from those evils which are the effects of wrath and where there is no sin to stir up wrath there can be no evil which is the consequence of wrath and thus we have the Saints blessednesse negatively but now 2. Positively and affirmitively to make up blessednesse there must be the presence of all good which brancheth it self into two parts 1. The perfection of grace and holiness 2. The fulness of bliss and happiness 1. After death when the Children of God come to Heaven they shall be made perfectly holy Heaven is that Holy Land whether they are going on Pilgrimage See 2 Peter 3.13 There the Apostle saith dwelleth righteousnesse there is its Mansion-house and in comparison thereof here upon earth it is but as in an Inn or a sojourner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heaven is the lot or place alloted to holy ones Col. 1.12 There is no possibility for a sinner to get in thither heaven gate is strongly guardded by holy Angels should they neglect their trust yet God is of purer clearer eyes then that a sinner should escape him Yea were it possible a sinner could steal into Heaven yet he should soon be thrown out as the Apostatizing Angels were and as Adam was driven out of Paradise and the corrupt Nations beaten out of Canaan and the Man without his wedding garment cast out of the mariage chamber Yea further suppose a sinner might be let alone yet he would soon void the place of himself it being not a proper element for him to live in As soon may a fish live on dry land as sinners who drink in iniquitie as the fish drinketh in Water live in that Holy Land But further there the people of God shall be made perfect in holiness Heb. 12.23 The Souls of just Men shall be made perfect They are holy in this life but not perfectly holy Yea here they have a perfect imperfection Grace is glory begun and glory is grace perfected Grace shall not be lessoned but heightned and increased in glory Grace shall be swallowed up of Glory as the rude draught is when the Picture is finished and as the Morning light is by the noon-day See 1 John 3.2 shall be like God this is in the perfecting of holiness which is called our being made like God God at first made Man after his own Image that is in holiness as the Apostle shews Eph 4.24 Now in Heaven there shall be a perfect restoring of this image The expression is full 1 Cor. 15.49 We shall bear the image of the heavenly but it may be Queried when shall this be the answer is in the following verse it shall be in the Kingdom of God While we remain in this flesh we cannot bear this image and yet it is true again that Beleevers even in this life do bear this Image the difficulty is easily resolved here we have the truth there the perfection of holinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture speaks of true holiness or the holiness of truth Eph. 4.24 There is that which is such in truth though not in perfecton And surely so great will this change be when a Beleever shall be made perfect that he will seem to be changed into another Man as was said of Saul he would even wonder at himself to see how he differs from himself what he now is being a comprehender and what he was whiles a Traveler below Great and wonderful is the change in
to see one of the dayes of the Son of Man and shall not see it To hear one Sermon of Heaven and glory but shall not hear it I have shewed Saints the blessedness which they shall have and also to Sinners the way how they may share in this Blessednesse I do again counsel Sinners to look after it yea in the Name of the Lord I charge you to close with it Now to provoke you to it I shall lay down five closing Conclusions very briefly and so leave them upon your hearts and thoughts 1. This Counsel is such as never any repented that took it It worketh repentance not to be repented of If any repent of Christ it is because he never truly knew Christ They who say it is in vain to serve God Malachi 3.4 Are such as never truly served him 2. 'T is such Counsel as if it be refused you will certainly repent of the refusal yea and that when it is too late Oh that I had known the things of my peace will be the doleful lamentation in the scorching flames of Hell 3. 'T is such Counsel as in your own Consciences when you are serious you think you ought to take Yea Sinners think to do it whereby they shew that they know they ought to do it Fertur equi Auriga The reason why it is not done is not because we do not know it ought to be done but we are hurried with our strong lusts and corruptions We are cumbred with our Farmes and our Trades we loose Heaven in the crowd of earthly businesses 4. 'T is such Counsel as if followed carries its reward with it though there were no Blessedness to ensue no glory afterwards holiness is happiness Gods work is wages 5. And lastly the contempt of it will not onely leave you short of Blessednesse but conclude you under inevitable misery and cursednesse it will bring an heavy shock of wrath and ruine upon Soul and Body Hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Get into Christ for this will free you from being cursed and also make you everlastingly Blessed FINIS CHRISTIAN READER THis Sermon presented to your view was preached at the Funeral of Mr. Thomas Goodwyn an eminent light and pillar of the Church in the place where he lived who after he had served his generation by the Will of God fell on sleep Sept. 4. 1658. He sleeps in Jesus he gave evident proof that he was one in Christ and therefore we may conclude from what hath been spoken he is now Blessed for blessed are the dead that die in the Lord or that are in the Lord when they die He was a good yea a precious Man Let him have the memorial of the righteous which is and shall be blessed He was well known to be a Minister of great worth every way qualified for the work of the Ministery It was his desire from a Youth to be a Minister as himself hath sometimes told me according to his hearts desire the Lord in due time disposed of him and drew him out to that service fitting him for it and blessing him in it How he was fitted for it the Brethen in the whole County and many others to whom he was known in more remote places will give ample Testimony How he was blessed in it the many weeping eyes at his Funeral with the sad complaints still under this great loss do speak these declare him to have been under God an instrument of much good Though success do not constitute a good Ministery for a good Man may fish all night and catch nothing yet it doth declare and evidence it These I remember were his own words long since in the time of his health at the Lecture in Brentwood and this evidence he abundantly had He was learned and godly Doctior an Sanctior which is a most blessed conjunction where ever they meet it is hard to say which of the two did bear the preeminence in him they seemed to keep pace and that no slow pace He was eminent in both He had much profited in humane Learning but especially in the studies of Divinity and in particular had gotten great acquaintance with the Scriptures He was like Ezra A ready Scribe in the Law of God he was an Ezr. 7.6 Acts 18.24 Apollos mighty in the Scriptures He was but young yet his attainments were very great God gave of his Spirit abundantly to him In Praying he was a sweet Soul full of the breathings of the Holy Ghost In Preaching he was very powerful speaking to his Hearers as if he had been within them In his walking he was an Exemplary Christian an Exemplary Minister he might say to his people as Gideon to his Souldiers Look on me and do likewise Jud. 7.17 His Preaching was such that the godly learned did admire him and yet the meanest capacities they of the Belfry as is Mr. Latimer's expression did understand him he had such a winning way that his Sermons were not tedious but his Hearers seemed to be chained to his lips He was a great Pains-taker in preaching so often and yet carried on with delight I am perswaded he might have said in the words of that holy Bishop My witness is in Heaven Cowper that the love of Christ and peoples Souls made frequent Preaching my recreation and pleasure His Words seemed to come from his very heart one that did eat the roll as the Prophet is bid Ezek. 3.1 before he gave it to his Hearers to digest An Argument that they came from the heart was his earnest driving on that they might go to the hearts of his people He thought he had done nothing till his Hearers hearts were more renewed and their Lives more reformed Till to use his own words he could read the Sabbath-dayes work in their Week-dayes conversation His Life was a looking-glass wherein the people might see to dresse and attire their Conversation I may say in the words of the Apostle 1 Thess 2.10 His people were Witnesses Ille solus praedicat vivâ voce qui praedicat vitâ voce and God also how holily and justly and unblamably he behaved himself among them being as a Minister of Christ ought to be a lover of good Men sober just holy temperate Tit. 1.8 He was very zealous in the work of Reformation The zeal of Gods House did even eat him up and in the cause of God he shewed undaunted Courage vigorously pursuing what might make for the glory of God in despite of all opposition one might stand upon his grave and say as a great person said over the grave of Mr. Knox Here lies one who never feared the Face of any Man I knew him well yet could I never perceive that he was sinfully and proudly puffed up though his large endowments might have tempted him thereunto but in his whole Conversation as far I could judge did behave himself holily humbly He lived free from worldly Encombrances