t t z ThegoodMans Epitaph, or, OFifervat. i. What it is to die in the Lord. Rom. L. r, i Thef. q. t. To die in obedience. Die in the Lord. It may be confìrued two wayes, the propofition is Ambiguous ; for the prego: fition many times in Scripture fifnifies In Domino, or propter Dominions. AS 'Rom t6. I. I commend unto pu Phebe our lifter, that you would receive her, in Domi. no, in theLord; that is,for the Lords fake, asbecomerbSaints. And in the twelfth verfe'of the fame Chapter, Salute the beloved Perj which laboured much in the Lord ; that is , laboured much in Gods cattle, for the Lord; So again, Say to eifrchippua, look to the miniflry that thou hall received, InDomino; that is, for the Lord, for the Lords fervice, for his work. I might give you many more infiances. There is one place moil pregnant, Epb.q.r. .1 Paula pri(oner,in Domino; fo faith the vulgarLatine, and fo is the Greek interpretation, In the Lord. What meaneth Saint Paul i' A prafoner in the Lord, what is that i A prifanerfor the Lard, a prijaner for the Lordscaufe. And thus you may take the word here in.the Tex'. Bleffed are they that die, in Domino ; that is, fuch asdie incatefa Domini : ano thusJudicious Beza, (to whole judgement I attribute much in rranflations) he read- eth it fo, Bleffedare the Dead, qui morieintur eanfa Domini: and then in hi., Annorations,propter Daminnm. And if you take it thus, then the Martyrs only are bleffed. That Martyrs are bleffed, the Church of God is fo far from making a qutfiion, that they fet it down as a Rule, injuriam facie Martyr; qui Drat pro Martyrs ; Aman doth wrong to a Martyr, that prayer for a Martyr, their bief- fednefs is fo lure : for, He that lofeth his life for my fake, and the Goffsele, ¡hall find it, fai h Chrift. Ifhe lofetha temporal life,hcshall find an eternal : Ifhelofe a life accompanied with forrow, he shall find another life that is with j )y, fuch joy as cannot be conceived, fuch joy as shall never beended. Precious in the eyes of the Gordis the deathof hisSaints., There are two things ,(faith S. Bernard) that makes the death ofa Saint precious; the cm is a good life bt fore ; the other is a goodcaufefor which he diet:. A good life will make it a precious death : but a good caufewill make it a more precious death. But that is the moil precious death, that bath both a good life before it, and a good eaulbcoming nexra The Martyrs are bleffed, but they muff be fuch Martyrs as fuller for the Lord, be fure of that, or elfe they are not blef edi There be fome that would be account- ed M trtyrs (a great company of fuch we have had oflate) that have died for broaching of reafon, and Ionic for fowingof fedition ; fome forabfolving fubjeets from the oath of Alleageance, fome for attempting to blow up Parliament houfes. Such as thefe are not Martyrs. it ergat the punifhment, it isthe cattle that makesthe Martyr. Or bleffed Lord himfelf, that never did evil, was crucified between two evildoers, ; there was an equal puhifhment; there was not an equal caufe. It muff be the eaufe that we mutt look to, ifwetook to be. bleffed. But I cannot Rand upon that. Here is the fiat interpretation To die in the Lord, isfor the Lord. But there is a fecond, and that is more large, die in the Lord, that is, die in the faith of the Lord. Salute Andronicsss, and juries my fellowprifoners, which were in the Lord before me, Saith S. Paul ; that is, that were Believers, ihat.were in the faith beforeme. And (to let prfs many other places) if there be no refurreïlion of the dead Uaith the Apofile) thenwe that areafleep in Chrilb, &c., If we believe that fetus died, then thole that pep in prim ¡hallhe bring with him, &c. arid Again, Ide fhall de- /tendfromheaven witha ¡hoot, and theythat aredead inChrifi fhall rife /irfl. Now what is it codie inChrift in a large fenle? J will tell you. He that would die in Chrift, firth he mull die in obedience. Tore ate many works ofobedience, that we are todo. Our Taft and greater} a&of obedience, is to refign up this fame fptrrit ofours wil- liñgly, chearfully into the hands of God that gave it. 3f
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=