THis Sentence may justlie bee called an Heavenly Sentence ; and that not onlie in these generall respects , for the which other passages of Scripture are so called ; but also for speciall causes , or reasons . For it was delivered to Saynct Iohn by a voyce from Heaven . It telleth vs , that perfect happinesse is not to be found in earth , but in Heaven ; that none may exspect , or attayne therevnto , but these who liue and die in a League with Heaven ; and , as it were , in the armes , in the bosome of the King of Heaven ; and , that they can not come to it , but by death , which is to them Ianua Coeli , the Gate of Heaven . The LORD furnish vs at this tyme with a competent measure of heavenlie Grace , and fill our souls with heavenlie thoughts ; that this our present exercyse may tende to the glorie of Him that dwelleth in the Heavens , and to our benefit , who exspect one day to see His glorious , His beautifull , and louelie Countenance there .

In this Sentence we haue onlie two things to consider : to wit , the persons of whom the Spirit of God here speaketh , and the blessednesse attributed vnto them . The persons who are the subject of this proposition , are the godlie , who haue departed this lyfe . Yee haue a description of them in these words , The dead who die in the Lord : where by the dead , wee must not with Ambrose , * * Or rather , the Author of that Commentarie vpon the Revelation , which is falselie attributed to S. Ambrose . and Alcazar , vnderstand these who are spirituallie , or misticallie dead to the world , and to sinne : neyther will we follow the phantasticall conceit of Aureolus , who did vnderstand by the dead here spoken of , these who by monastical vowes haue sequestrated themselues from the world , and the ordinarie conversation of men . But wee must here vnderstand these who are naturallie dead , or whose souls are separated from their bodies . Neither must we limitate the subject of this proposition to those who were dead before S. Iohn heard this voyce in Pathmos ; as if blessednesse were here ascribed to them only , others being excluded , who were to die thereafter . But the words of this proposition must be vnderstood cum ampliatione terminorum , as the Summulists call it : that is , they must be ampliated , or extended to al differences of tyme . For the meaning of this sentence , is , not onlie that the dead who haue alreadie died in the Lord , are blessed ; but also , that these who hereafter shall die in the Lord , shall by death attayne vnto perfect Happinesse , and Blessednesse .

The description of the persons , to whom Blessednesse is here attributed , consisteth of a generall part , common to all ; and of a particular part , limitating this description to the Elect. To die , is common to all : it is the way of all the earth . To die in the Lord , Ioshua 13.14 . is the way not of all , but of some few , or the last part of that narrow way , which few doe finde . Matth. 7.13.14 . And to this is another way opposite , which is the way of manie : even that broadway which leadeth to destruction , in the which all doe walke who are not in Christ . So , then , if wee consider the generall part , or the genus of this description , together with the limitation , or difference added therevnto ; and if we compare this difference with its contrarie , ( for everie difference hath its contrarie ) wee shall haue these three wayes of men mentioned in Scripture ; to wit , The way of all , the way of few , Via omnium , via paucorum , & via multorum . and the way of manie .

As for the generall part of this description set downe in the word dead , I can not let it goe without some observation ; neyther can I obserue anie thing so fitly there-anent , as that same which I haue already touched ; to wit , that it is a generall , yea , so general , that it includes all who haue bene before vs in the world , ( those beeing excepted , whom GOD extraordinarilie hath exempted from death ) and ere it be long shall actuallie include vs all , who are now in it , as also those , who when wee are removed , shall come in our rooms . No Nation , no Province , nor Citie , yea , no ranke nor degree of men , hath exemption from this common mortalitie , or necessitie of dying : & therefore Hormisdas the Persian , who fled from his natiue countrey to Rome , in the dayes of Constantius the Emperor , , Zonaras Annal. tom ▪ 3. and who was in Rome , when Constantius , after he had overcome Magnentius , and his adherents , entered the citie in a most magnificke and triumphant manner , being asked by the Emperour , what hee thought of that glorious citie , and the rare monumentes hee had seene therein ? wittilie replyed , checking the Emperour's pryde , that nothing which he had observed in Rome pleased him so well , Id tantum sibi placuisse aiebat , quod homines didicisset ibi quoque mori . Ammianus Marcellinus lib. 16. c. 17. as this , that the inhabitants thereof were mortall , and died as other men .

This generall and inevitable necessitie of death , is knowne to al , even to the Ethnicks , by an experimentall tradition , almost as olde as the worlde . But the knowledge which we who are Christians haue of it , - as it is more excellent , being more perfect , & grounded vpon supernaturall or divine Revelation ; so it obliedgeth vs to make better vse of the consideration of death , than others can make . How deficient wee are in this , the profane lyues of manie amongst vs doe sufficientlie declare . Wee die daylie , wee are daylie changed , Epist. 3. ad Heliod . sayth Ierome , and yet we liue as if we were immortall . Xerxes , when hee viewed his hudge Armie from an eminent place , wept , because within an hundreth years none of all that number should be found alyue . But , O , ( sayth Ierome ) if we might ascend to such an high mountayne , Ibidem . or spy-tower , from whence we might see the whole earth vnder our feet , then I should let you see the ruines of the whole world , the conflicts of nations , the great diversitie of the estates or conditions of men , and that within a short tyme , not onlie such a multitude as Xerxes his armie , but all the men who now are vpon this stage , shall bee removed from it by death . This sight might make anie man weepe , if he would seriouslie consider that which my Text insinuateth , that the greatest part of these who are now vpon this stage , and ere it be long , shall be in their graues , are to passe from the miseries and troubles of this lyfe , to payns endlesse and easelesse in Hell . For this Text attributeth Happinesse onlie to those few , who die in the Lord ; and consequentlie declareth , that all others after death are eternallie miserable . But of this I shall speake heere-after .

I come now to the particular part of this description , set downe in these words , Who die in the Lord . Anent the which , one thing is of it selfe cleare , and manifest ; to wit , that it is proper and peculiar to the Elect ; and no wayes can bee extended to the wicked , who depart this lyfe . But two thinges doe heere occur , which do need explication : One is , whether or not this particular part bee so ample , as that it comprehendeth all the godlie , or elect ? The other is , how , and in what sense , these whom it comprehendeth , are sayd to die in the Lord ? As for the first ; some popish wryters , because this text , if it be extended to all the Sayncts , who are departed , or shall depart this lyfe , is as contrarie to their doctrine of Purgatorie , as Blessednesse is to Miserie , Rest to Vexation , & Reward of good works to Punishment of sinnes : therfore they craftily labour to restrict the words to the Martyrs , affirming , that by dying in the Lord here , is vnderstood dying for the Lord : and consequentlie , that blessednesse immediatelie after death , is not ascrybed here to all the elect ; but onelie to those , who seale their profession with their blood , & are crowned with martyrdome . This glosse may seeme the more probable , because it is followed by some Reformed Divines ; by Beza in speciall , & by Piscator , in their Notes vpon this place . Others of our Adversaries doe extend the particular part of this description somewhat farther ; and yet not so farre as they should : for they thinke , that it comprehendeth not onlie Martyrs , but also all these Christians whom they call men perfectlie just , or men free of all sinnes , even veniall , and of all guilt of punishment due vnto them for their mortall sinnes . Both these sorts of men , say they , are said to die in the Lord , by way of excellencie ; because they are perfectly vnited with Christ ; wheras others may be sayde to die partlie in the Lord , in respect of true charitie , or the loue of God , which they carrie with them ; & partlie not in the Lord , in respect of their sinnes , which also they carrie with them . So sayeth Bellarmine , in his first booke , Cap. 12. resp. vd object. 10. De Purgatorio , and diverse Moderne Iesuits following him .

These restrictions of the particular part of this description , we doe reject ; and that not without reason , as ye shall shortly perceaue : and on the contrary , that all Gods deare children may haue their due consolation from this Heavenlie Sentence , we affirme , that the Spirit of God here speaketh of all these , who die in the estate of grace ; and proclaimeth them al to be blessed , whatsoever their worldlie estate , or condition hath bene in this lyfe , whatsoever bee the cause of their death , and whatsoever bee their estate , condition , or carriage in death .

First , I say , all they who die in the estate of grace are happie , whatsoever their worldlie estate hath bene in this lyfe ; Iames 2.5 . that the poore ones of this world , who are rich in fayth , 1. Thess. 4.18 . may comfort themselues with these words , as well as the great and mightie ones . Worldlie happinesse is not granted vnto them : and their estate is so miserable in the eys of the world , that the rich apprehend a great difference , and put a large distance betwixt them , and the Poore . They wil not suffer them to sit at table with them ; nay , not to walk with them , or stand beside them : and whereas they should pittie their wants , oft tymes they laugh and jest at them , according to that of the Poët ; Iuvenal . Satyr . 3. Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se , Quàm quod ridiculos homines facit . But within a short tyme death putteth an end to that difference , and equalleth them in glory & happinesse with kings & Emperors . Ye that are rich , consider this , and despyse not the Poore , when ye look vpon their base , and contemptible worldlie estate : but rather be readie to helpe them ; remembering this which the Spirit of God here telleth you , That if they die in the Lord , they shall one day bee participant of that same Kingdome , that same Robe of immortalitie , that same Banquet of Angels , which yee looke for . And therefore holie Augustine , checking the disdaynfull and vncharitable carriage of the Rich towardes the Poore , wittilie & pithilie sayth vnto them ; Serm. 2. de tempere . Wherfore shall not the Poore eate with thee , who shall one day reygne with thee ? Wherefore wilt thou not giue so much as thy olde Coat to him , who shall one day receaue the Robe of immortalitie with thee ? How is he not worthie of thy Bread , who hath obtayned one and the selfe-same Baptisme with thee ? or of the reliques of thy dishes , who is with thee invited to the Banquet of Angels ? Be not prowde , then , of your worldlie prerogatiues , neyther apprehend such distance or difference betwixt you and the Poore , as yee doe . The difference which these few worldlie thinges maketh betwixt you and them , is but for a short tyme , and in things of small moment : the matters of greatest consequence God hath made common to rich and poore :

Duo optima , Duo pessima .

Duo per●culosissima .