I A funerall oratyon made the riiij. day of January by John Hoper, the pere of our saluation, 1549. upon the texte wrytyne in the Reuelatyone of Saynete Johne. Ca. 14. X 1. Thessalo. 4. Murne not as other do which haue no hope. A FUNERAL SERMON, BY JOHN HOPER. I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord straightway, so saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, but their works follow them. [Rev. xiv. 13]. A PREFACE TO THE TEXT. THE death of a man's friend is painful for two considerations: the one, because he that liveth is forsaken and destitute of the familiarity and friendship of him that is dead; the other, that the living doubteth where the soul of his friend departed is become, whether it be in heaven or in hell. Both these ills may be redressed with one good; that is, to wit, if he that liveth be assured by the word of God, that his friend departed is by mortal death entered in Christ into eternal life. But now in this standeth all the doubt, how the living may know in what state the souls departed stand. This doubt cannot the gentile dissolve, the wise men of the world, nor the common sort of such as beareth the name of Christianity; namely, for this: that they imagine their friends' souls to be broiled and roasted in the fire of purgatory wherefore, even as they fear they wot not what, so seek they their remedy they know not how; with mass, dirige, and such other. This pains (by the living) presupposed of the dead, who can justly reprehend the misbelieving living for the state of the dead, that more than need is, paineth themselves, and more than profit is, redeemeth the prayers of other? But what may the truth conclude? Is there any certainty that putteth all out of doubt our friends' souls to depart from the earth straight [HOOPER.] 36 Ephes. v. unto eternal life? Truly, after the judgment of the flesh there is no such knowledge; for the flesh in this case either will plainly despair for the horror and greatness of sin, or else doubt of the means how it may be remedied. Only therefore the certainty is known by the scripture of God. Give therefore heed what in this case what the word of God certifieth us of the dead. I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, way. : In a matter of doubt here behold the diversity between the learning of God and the learning of man. The learning of man without judgment, knowledge, and grace will compel and force them that live to believe their friends' souls departed to be broiled in purgatory. Desire them to give you a reason why answer have they none; but that ye must so believe, or else be accounted for an heretic. So that rather they will force men with doubt to abide in sorrow, than with judgment of God's word happily to comfort them with joy. Blessed therefore be the God of mercy, that hath in this case put unto us an infallible truth and doctrine, to warrant the troubled mind of the living for the state of the dead! And among other places of most certain truth, here in this place he plainly sheweth them to be blessed that die in the Lord; that is to say, obtain the end that man was created unto, eternal felicity and joy everlasting. For a proof of the same against reason and man's doctrine, Saint John saith: "I heard a voice from heaven;" as though he had said, It is so true, it can be no way false, for it is from heaven. And because it should instruct the afflicted of our time, and ascertain us of the state and condition of the dead, as well as it did Saint John and them of his time, and for ever till the world's end, the angel bid Saint John write the same, saying, "Write, Blessed are the dead in the Lord." Although all men indifferently wish and covet to be blessed after their death, yet all men come not to the thing they most wish for, because they live contrary unto the will of God that solely giveth the bliss eternal, as Saint Paul saith, Ephe. v.; 1 Cor. vi. "No fornicator, covetous man, shall have any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and God." And as Paul excludeth from heaven the doers of the fruits of infidelity; so doth Saint John exclude for infidelity itself, John iii. "He that believeth not the Son of God shall see John iii. no life, but the ire of God tarrieth upon him." True it is then, that all men obtain not this blessing of God after death. And even as the places before shew who shall miss of this joyful felicity, so Saint John in this place sheweth who shall come unto it, saying, "Blessed are they that die in the Lord." They only therefore be blessed that die in the Lord: and seeing a death in the Lord is the gate to eternal life, we will more at large declare what it is to die in the Lord. To die in the Lord is to die in the faith of Christ, whom he sent into the world for the redemption thereof, John iii. which is done when four things is observed. : First, if the sick man in his sickness call unto his remembrance what he hath done all his lifetime against the first and second table of the Lord's commandments: the second, if upon his examination he find his brother and neighbour hurt by him in goods or fame, he study unfeignedly to satisfy him as near as he can again in both the third, that the sick man acknowledge unto the Lord as much as he hath offended against the commandments of the first table, with a detestation of them all: the fourth, that he ask of God, for the death of Christ, remission of them all. John iii. Isai. liii. John i. iii. Rom. iii. iv. But he that will assuredly trust to obtain this forgiveness had need to have ready and prompt many places of the scripture, that sheweth in Christ the Father of heaven to remit the sick man's offences, Gen. iii., Esa. liii., Matthew i. ii., Gen. iii. Joh. i. iii. iv. v., Romano. iii. iv., 1 John i. ii. The assurance Matt. i. ii. of faith by grace obtained, it is the sick man's part, and iv. v. as many as be with him, religiously to pray for the perse- 1 John i. ii. verance of the same faith and also to his power to help the needful with his alms, that they also may pray to the Lord for him. Then, thus commended himself unto God, let him commend all his likewise with some exhortation, that they diligently live in the fear of God, as the scripture teacheth. Gen. xlix. Deuter. xxxi., Josua xxiii. 3 Re. ii. Gen. xlix. He that thus dieth, dieth in the Lord, and therefore Josh. xxiii. blessed, as this text teacheth, and as it is taught in the fifth 1 Kings ii. of Saint John: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that hear |