Two sermons preach'd at the funerals of the Right Honourable Robert Lord Lexington and the Lady Mary his wife by Samuel Holden.

II. 'Tis then a long Sleep.

Till the Heavens be no more. A time of tedious distance for ought we know. But yet, how near so∣ever (if we reflect on those who went before us) how much soever Death resembled Sleep in quality, 'tis much beyond it in the quantity.

The grand distinction of these sleeps, consists in their duration. A Sand participates the essential proper∣ties of Earth. But ah! when their dimensions come in competition, that nature of the Earth, which the Sand possesses, is but enough to priviledge it from be∣ing nothing: So Sleep, though constituted of the calm and gentle qualities of Death, when we peruse them in their just extent, appears (in the comparison) to have but so much ease, as does but just exempt it from be∣ing labour. Here we soon sleep, and strait as quick∣ly wake. Our lives are but successive, and short fits of darkness and of light. And if the night protract itself beyond our slumbers, how restless grow we, tor∣tur'd with repose, and making our ease our anguish? But Bodies, once asleep beneath the Coverlets of Turfs, find not themselves so hasty to be stirring.

We shall remove no Curtains with our hands; nor, with our eyes, seek day-light in a Window; nor, with our vain enquiries, look for glimmerings in the East. No, no, we shall not hunt for day, till we shall miss

the Heavens, from which it us'd to start. We now lay not our selves to sleep, until our selves (or servants, those Deputy selves) have put out the Candle; but being laid down in Death, we shall not wake, till he that never sleeps, puts out the Sun: For the Sun shall be turn'd into darkness (n) 1.1, and be no more our light (o) 1.2. The Sun and Darkness shall at once for∣sake us; nor shall the one (I mean Death) withdraw its drowsie shades, till the other wraps his Sun-beams up in Sables; and (instead of bidding Good-Morrow, like a Bridegroom * 1.3) shall bid Good-Night like a Mourner.

But, as soundly as we shall sleep in Body, so surely was Lactantius in a Dream, who (with the other Chiliasts) would humble Christs celestial Sovereignty, into an earthly Throne, to be erected at Jerusalem, and be establish'd for 1000 years; for which space also he presum'd, the Martyrs should be empowred with sub∣lunary dominion, and enjoy pleasures, equally terrestri∣al with their jurisdiction. Now the foundation of this phantastick building, they lay upon a ground, which will not bear it; they instance in Rev. 20. and from these expressions (The Devil is bound for a thou∣sand years, ver. 2. And the Souls of the Witnesses (or Martyrs) liv'd and reign'd with Christ for a thousand years, ver. 4.) They conclude, That Satan shall lite∣rally and temporally be bound, and the Martyrs tem∣porally rule.

And lest we should conceive, they understood this their Supremacy to be only in Spirit, they not on∣ly insist upon ver. 4. where 'tis said, The Souls of the Witnesses liv'd and reign'd: But introduce the fifth

verse, where 'tis said, The rest of the dead lived not again, till the thousand years were finish'd † 1.4: From hence concluding, That the Martyrs Souls should all this while be reunited to their Bodies, which only can be suppos'd to live again * 1.5.

And lest Error should be too narrow to expatiate in, their Fancies rove yet further, and recur to 2 Pet. 3.8. where one day, is said, to be with God as a thou∣sand years, and a thousand years as one day. Inferring hence, That the Worlds Glass shall be 7000 years in running out, in proportion to the seven dayes which make up every Week; and since the seventh day had a Prescription of Repose and Piety, the six preceding being lights to guide men into toyle and sweat; they fancy the last thousand years must supply the room of a continued Sabbath to the Saints, after the first 6000 years being spent in industry and expectation. But this opinion does directly thwart that Text (p) 1.6, But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the An∣gels, &c. And the other opinion contradicts that other Text (q) 1.7, My Kingdom is not of this world. But both oppose our present Text, which sayes, Man (i. e. all Mankind, except those which rose with Christ to attend him their first-fruits, and to whom they limit not their fancy'd Empire) awakes not till the Heavens be no more.

Yet even S^t Austin (r) 1.8 once indulg'd this miscon∣ception, although with an opinion more refin'd, and

which alotted not such carnal pleasures to this domi∣nion of the Saints, as other Patrons of this Error did. But on review, and better thoughts, he tells us, That by a thousand years (being a perfect number) is meant the latter Age, begun by the Messias in the fulness of time; in which the Devil is bound, i. e. he does not, with his old more boundless power, detain the world in Er∣ror, and enjoy his former usurpation of Souls (s) 1.9. But for the Saints, although their Bodies should remain the slaves of Sepulchres, (those only excepted which arose with Christ) yet should their spirits reign with Christ in Heaven * 1.10.

And this exactly squares with that, My Kingdom is not of this world; not but that Bodies too shall par∣take his triumphs, but that will be, not till the Hea∣vens be no more.

Notes

• (n) 1.1

  Joel 2.31.
• (o) 1.2

  Isa. 60.19.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 19.5.
• † 1.4

  i. e. Those that are dead in Body and in Gra••e shall have no Resur∣rection at all, till all things are accomplished, and then they shall arise to a second Death; But these that had part in the first Resurrection, (i. e.) from Sin, the second Death (which is of Soul and Body) shall have n•• power •…•…n.
• * 1.5

  For the Soul lives not again, but continues to live.
• (p) 1.6

  Matth. 24.36.
• (q) 1.7

  John 18.36.
• (r) 1.8

  Nam eti∣am nos haec epinati fuimus aliquando. Aug. de Civ. Dei. lib. 20. ch. 7.
• (s) 1.9

  Aut cer∣te mille annos pro omnibus an•…•…s hujus se∣culi posuit, ut perf••cto nu∣mero notare∣tur ipsa temporis plenitudo. Aug. ibid.
• * 1.10

  Quamvis ergo cum su•…•… dum, jam tamen corum animae regnant cum illo. Idem ibidem.