A SERMON Preached at St. MICHAELS WOOD-STREET,( December 23. 1680.)  
At the FUNERAL of Ezerel tongue D. D. Memorable for his good Service to the Nation in the first Discovery of the Horrid POPISH PLOT  
By T. J. Author of the Hearts Right Sovereign, Sometime Fellows together in Univ. Coll. Oxon.  Eccl. 9.15. 
Now there was found in it a poor Wiseman, and he by his Wisdom delivered the City, &c.  
LONDON, Printed by N.T. and are to be sold by T. Parkhurst at the Bible and 3 Crowns in Cheap-side, B. Shirley under St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-street, and W. Hinchman in Westminster-Hall, Anno Domini, 1681.   

TO The Most Illustrious Prince, JAMES Duke of MONMOUTH, &c.  
May it please Your Grace,  
NO man that loves his King, or Church, or country,( which are sure measures to walk by) can or ought to forbear to express at all opportunities, his hearty Honour and Thankfulness to Your Grace; to whose vast Love and Power in these Nations, augmented by Sufferings, and dreaded by Romish Designers, lest their murders should prove fruitless, is greatly owing, under God, the preservation of His Sacred Majesties Life( the breath of our Nostrils) from being made a Sacrifice to Blind and Hellish Zeal, in order to a further Destruction of our Religion, and Government, and Laws, and Liberties, and what else is dear to English-men, to follow.  
On this score I have presumed to inscribe to Your Grace's Name this short Discourse upon the memory of an indefatigable and successful Counterminer of Jesuitical Designs, who generously minded the Work and Duty of great Preferments, more than the Acquisition, as a small Pledge of that infinite Honour and Fidelity, which is upon private, as well as public obligations, always due to Your Grace, from  
Your most humble, most faithfully 
 devoted Servant, 
 T. JONES.   

A SERMON Preached at St. MICHAELS WOOD-STREET, At the Funeral of Dr. EZEREL tongue, December 23. 1680.  2 TIM. Ver. vii. viii. 
I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith.  
Ver. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his Appearing.  
THese are some of the last words of the blessed Apostle S. PAUL, expiring like an invincible Champion upon the Bed of truest Honour, with a serene Conscience of his Duty, and an assured Confidence of his Reward; I have fought, &c.  
He fought a good fight, where none was hurt but Himself; and his Wounds were his Cure, and his Scars his Bliss: He manfully exposed himself to be torn with Reproaches, and Worried, and whipped, and stoned to Death, to save the Souls of his persecutors; for which their Posterities Bless and Adore his Memory to this day; exemplifying therein his great and meek Master in his Steps and Reward, who being in the form of God, yielded himself to suffer Death and shane for others, as the meanest of Men; and his re-position, or exaltation for it, from his Righteous Judge, was as great and stupendious as his Humility, Philip. 2.6, 7, 8.  
He finished his course, or his Race of restless Well-doing; where the Disciple had the Honour in some measure to out-vie his Master, as was foretold, John 14.12. For whereas his Blessed Saviour's Race and Circuit was confined to the space of about Four Years, and within the narrow Pale and Bounds of the Land of Canaan, to perform his Works of Wonders, and Mercy, in; his Blessed Apostle was dignified with a larger space of Time and Teritory, even the Hazard and travail of 35 years over Asia and Europe, to sow a large Harvest of Glory and Immortality to himself, in saving millions of Souls, and reducing the Roman Empire, and the Prince of the Air and his Legions, into subjection, with no more than his naked single Person, with his Arms tied behind him,( as it were;) his Apostolical Progress was not a March, but a Race; the mountainous Difficulties he met with, proved champaign and plain ground, Christ working by him, to make the Gentiles obedient to him in Word and dead through mighty Signs and Wonders, by the Power of the Spirit of God, Rom. 15.18, 19. From his first setting out, he never breathed or restend, until he finished.  
He kept the Faith, no Force or Storm without, was able to make him surrender the Profession of it; no Temptation within, to renounce the practise. What some while before he was confident of, he now after trial and Experience finds he hath effected: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ[ saith he before,] shall Tribulation, or Anguish, or Famine, or Nakedness, or Peril, or Sword? 〈◇〉, But in these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. His meaning well may be, that all human Power is too low a Match, that the Fire and Sword of the Roman Empire, was too weak an Enemy to any one single Christian who hath Christ on his side: There was an 〈◇〉 an overplus of strength to spare, after these were baffled: He therefore in the following Verses casts his gauntlet into another world, to challenge Powers far stronger than human, to try their strength upon him; and erects an impossible Figure or supposition,[ according to his manner, when he is to show the greatness of his love to Christ, or his Church, Rom. 9.3. Galat. 1.8.] And believes, that all the Angelical Powers & Principalities above,( whereof each one singly is too strong a Match for the whole world, as may be well believed, and inferred from an Instance in the Assyrian Camp, 2 Kin. 19.35.) were not with all their Joynt-strength and Hostility,[ if such an hostility could be ever imaginable,] ever able to wrest from him his Faith and Love of Christ; sever they might, the one, or the other power, his Body from his Soul, as did Nero, but never his Soul from his Saviour; And what he therefore boasted( through Christ's strength,) at putting on his armor, he could do, he here triumphantly proclaims, after putting off, that he hath effected, that he hath kept the Faith against all attacks, and Storms and Sieges whatsoever.  
Having surveyed his Duty, and Victorious Warfare with great content and serenity,( as nothing makes fouler or clearer weather in the Soul, which hath an instinct of Judgement to come to its constitution,) than the remembrance at our latter end of the past Actions of our Lives, whether good or bad: He then reflects on his future Revard and Crown What more naturally succeeds good Actions, than good Hopes? For Christ is a Righteous Judge, as it follows in the Text, and a sure Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11.6. For God is not unrighteous that he should forget mens Work and Labour of Love, which they have shewed towards him, 6.10.  
Therefore saith he, Henceforth is laid up for me the Crown of Righteousness, which the Lord shall give me at that day. The Day of Death is the Day of Rest, Rev. 14.13. Phil. 1.23. But the Day of judgement is the Cornation Day of Christians. Wherefore he saith, This Crown of Righteousness is laid up for him, and not given and delivered till that Day.  
All Heirs of this Crown of Righteousness, are Heirs by Merit, and not by blood: The eternal Son of God himself( the only Heir of this Crown by Birth and blood, as it were) was to become de novo, an Heir of it by merit, for Pattern and Example, Phil. 2.9. Rom. 8.29, 30. 2 Tim. 2.12.  
But you'l say, what hopes can we, or any other Christian have of ever arriving to this Crown of Righteousness by the like deserts of Christ and St. Paul? who can pretend to the like humility, or merit, or suffering, to be capable of the like glory?[ And yet the Apostle exhorts all to be Followers of him as he was of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1.] He is therefore careful and ready with a comfortable Answer for such weak minds; Not to me only, but to all them also, that love his appearing. If thou canst not fight and die, as they did, canst thou love? If thou canst but love, and long for his appearing, thou also shalt be capable of the like Glory and Bliss, which is the most prominent part of the Text, and most pertinent to all our common Interest and Edification; as likewise perhaps the most accommodable to our present purpose and meeting; which therefore I shall choose chiefly to insist upon: And for distincter method, shall subdivide into three particular Articles therein contained, which are to be explained and handled in their order.  
The first is, The appearing of Christ to judge the World in righteousness at the last day. The second, That appearing loved. The third, That Love crwoned. And first of the first;  
Which yet, out of regard to so learned an Auditory, for the mayor part, and the hardness of the whither, which calls for brevity, I shall not at this time enter on, to display and prove at large, but shall rather take it for granted, as a fundamental Article of our Faith, supposed in my Text, described in the Evangelists, registered in Creeds, testified by Martyrs, believed by the whole Christian Church, and considered by every Soul therein, that shall be saved.  
And therefore shall pass to the second point, That appearing loved. All Christians, true and false, love or hate this appearing: The hypocritical carnal Christian hates to think of or consider this appearing, itis an evil day with him that he ever puts off. He regards not God●s eye, but Man's, not his Duty and Conscience, and the eternal Interest of his Soul, but his Back or Belly only, and the present Interest of his Body: The serious consideration and belief of this single Article would presently sweep down all his Cobweb-Designs, and false Felicities: ●he love of Christs appearing puts an end to all the Pomps and Vanities of this world, which have their value from infidelity; to all Lust and hypocrisy, which particularly excludes God's omniscient eye to all Craft, Policy, Oppression and Over-reaching of Brethren,( which is so contrary to Charity) of which we are so particularly assured, that God is a sure Avenger, 1 Thes. 4.6. So that none can pursue any unlawful Designs against their Brethren, and believe this point at the same time, without being manifestly convinced to be penny wise and pound foolish, in all such clashings against God in Man.  
But the love of Christ's appearing is the chief Wisdom, and Refuge, and Vitals and Delight of all true Christians. They are never overseen, never lapse out of their Road, into shane, or Guilt, or Danger, while they are guided by this Pole-star; they never sink under any Oppression or Reproach, while they keep their eye on this Tribunal. While this point is stisted by any importunate Lust, or Passion, or private End, there Christian Graces are in danger of an Apoplexy; while this cordial Antidote is next their heart, they are always healthful and safe.  
And this love of Christs appearing may be further distinctly explaind, 1st. By showing the causes that destroy or beget it in us. 2dly. By a character of those Actions and Effects it produces in such Souls in whom it is begotten. And first of the causes of it, in three particulars.  
[ 1] Man, who consists of two Parts, Temporal and eternal, or Body and Soul, is ever rightly guided, or misguided, according as he takes the one, or the other part of himself, for his chiefest Interest; but that the one in opposition to the other, the Body to the Soul, or carnal Profit and Pleasure, to Duty and good Conscience, is as nothing, and less than vanity and nothing, is not only the Belief of mortified Christians, but the joint Sense and Suffrage of all men of Honour and Bravery, of all Nations, and Ages, and persuasions throughout the World.  
Where therefore the love of the Body only reigns and prevails, and of this present World, by consequence,( which is unison and correlative to it) that's a barren ground where the love of Christ's appearing can never grow: and the Crown of Righteousness, itis consequent, is never headed or desired, much less attained or laboured after.  
But where Honour, and Conscience, and the Interest of the Soul, is the chiefest Interest and Measure, such are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven, such are very capable Subjects and Disciples of this love of Christ's appearing.  
But, secondly, There is another pair of contrary Measures and Interests, which( though but as Copies to the first,) have a greater influence into practise, than the Originals themselves; two Glasses or Appearances, the one wrong, the other right; for we are more lead and influenced in our practise, by appearance and conceptions, than by the objects themselves] that is to say, Sense and Faith. The bruital Principle of sense, or the wrong glass, which is tinged and affencted only with present things, and annihilates all futurities: or that celestial of Faith, the right Glass, which is the evidence of things invisible, and eternal, and the eclipse of things visible and temporal.  
Great and Wonderful is the change and alteration that Faith and Sense do make in the Nature of things without us, in the first place, and in our valves and affections in the next, which answer to the former, as the Shadow to the Body. The Joys of Heaven, and Torments of Hell, to purblind sense, are but non-entities,[ according to the Rule, idem est non esse, & non apparere] mere shadows, and pageantry, and empty Names, that have no force or weight, to set it upon action, either to part with Charity, to gain the one, or with any present Lust or Satisfaction to escape the other. It is unreasonable to expect it should be otherwise; For men are acted and moved by their Interest, and what is profitable and available to them. Now it is against as well as interest, that a man should have a high value for nothing, or what is nothing in his esteem and sense, which is equivalent.  
On the contrary, the Evidence of Faith can make as great an alteration in the nature of things, whether Eternal, to give them their due existence, or Temporal, their low rate, to render the one, and the other considerable, or inconsiderable to our hearts and affections.  
When a man by Faith in good earnest, which makes futuritie present, shall begin to live, by vast foresight, beyond the Grave, and Death, and this present World, and be carried into paradise, and fix his Residence in Eternity, in the society of Angels, and immortal Spirits, and Jesus their Head and King, and having the Sun and Moon under his Feet, shall behold this little Ball of Earth from the third Heaven, and the Inhabitants thereof, the Children of Men, upon it, like Ants upon a Mole-Hill;  
How will the Pomps and Vanities of this World then vanish and dwindle? And its Castles and Mountains become Warts, and the Provinces of this World, for which men swell and fight, be as the Cabins of an Honey-Comb? and itis idolised Silver and Gold become Earth, and useless Mettal, and uncurrant coin in the other world, where nothing is in request but Truth, and Charity, and Justice, and Chastity, and Temperance, and Patience, and Martyrdom, and the like? How shall the Devil tempt such a Soul, placed in Heaven by Faith[ as he did Christ] with all his Kingdoms and Glories of this world, upon such a foil and disadvantage? where Christ's appearing is well perceived and believed, the Devil is quiter beggared, and his Temptations stand upon his hand for want of worth and vent; so that the same Faith, which sets the world under our Feet, sets Satan also under us; whose Strength and Dominion is in the virtue and Power of this present world over our Sense and Flesh.  
No allurement or force on earth can induce a Paul to sin. No rewards of Heaven, and terrors of Hell can reduce the voluptuous from it, and all that from their right or wrong viewing and judging of things through the different Glasses of Faith and Sense.  
They therefore that walk by Sense, and not by Faith, will never arrive to this love of Christ's appearing, and its Crown annexed; they, on the contrary, that live by Faith, and mortify Sense, and its suggestions, both can and will.  
The Principle of Sense in Beasts, and Children, is allowable, in Men its Low and unreasonable: and in Christians, absurd and Infidel.  
Thirdly, This love of Christ's appearing( as all other loves whatsoever) requires a moral transmigration and in-dwelling of the Soul of the lover, upon its object; He that loves Christ's appearing, will daily think and dwell thereon; as much as the worlding upon his Coffer, or the voluptuous upon his Beauty, or the ambitious upon his Design; If that be true, not where he lives, but where he loves, the Christian, who loves Christ's appearing, lives not on Earth, where he is in Fact and Nature, but in Heaven, where he is in Will and Delight. And love is an affection of self-preservation, while Christians love Christ's appearing, they preserve themselves to be Christians; while they neglect or disaffect it, they destroy and renounce their own being, which is unnatural and barbarous.  
And so much of the causes that destroy or beget the love of Christ's appearing in us: the Actions and Effects it produces may best appear in a short character of such, in respect of Thoughts, and Words, and Actions, and Converse. For every man's Actions and Delights are according to his Principles; If he hath the Principles of a Beast, he'l live like a Beast, by Sense only; if of a Man, he'l live by Reason and Honour, as a Man; if of a Christian, he'l live like a Christian, with Christ in Heaven, by Faith, more like an Angel or Cherubim, than a mere Man. He feeds and subsists upon Glory every day, as a Roman Spirit upon Honour; He daily preinjoys Heaven,( in the midst of Pressure and Tribulation) by Acts of Faith and Hope, as a pleasurist his object by vain thoughts. The Mathematician of Syracuse was not so intent upon his Diagrams, to the loss of his Life, as he is intent on Heaven, to the contempt of the World: His Language is not Oaths and Dammees, like a Devil; but perpetual hallelujahs, like an Angel He dreads every idle World, whereof an account is to be given at the Day he loves: He fears nothing on Earth but God, and cares for no reproach but Conscience, let him be kept from Prayers and converse with Heaven, and he is a dead Man, like a Fish out of its Element: He is careful from doing any wrong, which turns to loss, and careless of suffering wrong, which turns to account, at the Day he valves. The injury he suffers he can, that he does, he can never forget, till he hath made reparation: His poverty is patience with him, his riches charity; he lives above all his senses, he is a Seraphical Idol, he hath eyes and sees not, ears and hears not, and mouth and tastes not; nothing is Meat or music to him, but whereby his God is honoured, his Neighbour relieved, or his Soul benefited. In a word, his whole conversation is in Heaven, from whence also he looks for his Saviour, his Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change his vile Body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. And so I have done with the second Article, This appearing loved.  
The third is, this love crowned, or publicly rewarded; where allusion seems to be made, either to the olympic Games, where only one used, but here all may so run, as to obtain; or to Roman Customs, where that Soldier that was first seen upon the Wall of the Enemy, was crowned by the General with a Garland at Rendezvous, with the acclamation of the whole Army: And so shall it be with every Christian-soldier at the Last Day, before a greater Assembly, even God and his glorified Saints and Angels, who shall maintain his Baptism and War against Sin, the World and the Devil, to his last gasp.  
Dearly beloved, there is a great difference between this Life, and that which follows. This is a time of toil and sowing, that of Harvest and Joy. Gal. 6.8. Here Dives receives his good things, and Lazarus evil; There he is comforted, and the other tormented, Luke 16.15. Here we are Militant, there triumphant. Here God hears, and sees, and says nothing, but there he'l pronounce our sentence with thunder, and tear us in pieces, and there shall be none to deliver, Ps. 50.21, 22. Here thy Alms are given in secret, that thy left hand knows not what thy right hand doth, but there thy Father who saw in secret shall reward the openly, Mat. 6.4. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, nor hide that shall not be known, saith the Mouth of Truth, Mat. 10.26.  
But that which enlarges our right to this Crown, is, the divine and infinitely candid Interpretation of all our good actions at that great Court. We thought we relieved our own Flesh, and eased our own Bowels, when we relieved any poor; but there the Judge upon the Bench graciously replies it was himself that we relieved in every such. Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto any of the least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me, Mat. 25.50. Taking advantage upon us, from stolen obligations, to reward us according to divine munificense beyond what we could ever expect, or hope.  
And if the Relieving of a few of our( now his) poor Brethren; yea, with a Cup of could Water, Mat. 10.42. attract that Sentence, Come ye Blessed of my Father, take the Inheritance of the Kingdom prepared for you, &c. What Glory shall they deserve, that are of public Spirit, and universal Charity? That generously and manfully hazard their Lives and Fortunes, to preserve their Prince from Imposture, and their Country from Slavery, Temporal and Spiritual; and resolve, either to transmit the Faith once delivered to the Saints, sound and untainted to their posterity, or perish into Crowns in its Defence; and who can number the Jewels, or calculate the Dimensions of Saint Paul's Crown of Glory, for his 35 Years Glorious Ministry, and the 1600 years Influence and Benefit of his Divine Epistles, to all Ages and Nations, but he alone, that can tell the Numbers of the Stars, and count the Sand of the Sea?  
Dearly honoured and beloved in Christ, I should be inconveniently prolix, should I prove the immensly Gracious retributive Justice of God, to Man's weak Endeavours, either from his revealed Word and Nature, who is the Judge of all the World that will do right, Gen. 18.25. to every man according to his Works without respect of Persons, Rom. 2.11. or from the irresistible Impress and Imitation of that his Nature, by subordinate antecedaneous Judgements in all Mens praise and censure of virtue and 'vice wheresoever, whether in Friends or Enemies, and their constant Arrest and Depression of Proud, and Exaltation of the Humble in whatever condition, in an imitatory Allegiance to his Divine Nature and Decree, Who resisteth the Proud, and giveth his Grace to the Humble, 1 Pet. 5.5.  
But I shall confine myself to the Light of Nature, and that only in the fabric and Make of our Souls, and that likewise in two of its Faculties, our Will and Conscience.  
God in the first Make and Constitution of our Souls, designed us to be rewardable and punishable, and that chiefly and primarily by himself alone: What else means that Freedom of our Will, whereby we are differenc'd from Beasts? Who act by Necessity, and are forced by Bits and Blows, and are not therefore capable of Rewards or Punishment; from which Bondage and Slavery, our Souls, in their Constitutions are exempted, being exalted above all human Force and Coercion, yet solely capable of Praise and Blame, which they are charged to attend and re-count from the Frowns and Smiles of God alone: For though they can listen, and be not a little comforted or dismayed with the praise and censure of Magistrates, or Good Men( who are equivalent) as having the Character and likeness of God upon them; yet let the whole world condemn a Soul in its Innocence, or absolve it in its Guilt and Conscience, as a thousand Witnesses, shall step in, and deride, and laugh them to scorn for their impertinent judging the Subject of an higher Prince; which holds true in all Consciences whatsoever, whether Christian or Heathen,( and perhaps in Diabolical) the Consciences of our Romanists alone excepted; which are broken off, from this catholic Loyalty, and disciplined to a contrary private Allegiance, to serve the corrupt ends of a corrupt Church above Soul or Saviour.  
For these shall acquiesce in a false peace, and new-born Innocence, upon the Absolution of a Priest, when they stand condemned for Murder and Treason by God, and Tribunals, and themselves.  
Whereby in a most traitorous, Idolatrous manner, they change God for Man, and the right Sovereign of their Hearts for their Ghostly Deceiver; and prefer a Shaven-crown-Cheat, before the All-seing Righteous Judge of Quick and Dead. And being thus without God in the first place, it is no wonder they become without Consciences in the next by consequence; for of two Relatives, destroy the one, and the other falls of course.  
Whereby it is invincibly manifest to the Common sense of all Mankind, That the Modern Roman catholic Religion, is but a mere Imposture, and strong Delusion, and an uniform Treason against the Kings of Heaven and Earth; and its Professors agreeing in their Marks with those heretics, 〈◇〉, whose Minds and Consciences were corrupted, 1 Tim. 6.5. whom all Christians ought to forsake and avoid, as men forsaking and forsaken of God, and devoid, not only of the Nature and Principles of Christians, but also of Men.  
For while Men continue Men and Christians, Conscience will continue God's Officer in their Souls, defying and despising all Censure or Praise of Man, that is contrary to its own Knowledge, and Verdict of itself; and abiding no Court or Jurisdiction against the final and righteous judgement of God himself in the last Day; which is a most manifest Argument, that Conscience is an Officer or Recorder constituted within us, in order to our final Judgement in the last Day, by God himself; for so saith our Divine Apostle, Not he who commendeth himself,( or whom Man commendeth) is approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth, 2 Cor. 10.18. And in another place, he saith, But with me it is a very small thing, that I should be judged of you, or of Man's Judgement; yea, I judge not my own self; for I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord.  
Yet now at his last, being conscious, after Proof and trial, of the discharge of his Duty on the one hand, and of the Gracious Justice of his Lord, his Righteous Judge on the other; this humble Chief of Sinners, entitles his Merits to a Coronation; which from first to last, he ascribes to the Grace of his Lord enabling him, Phil. 4.13. Rom. 6.29. I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord, the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to them also that love his appearing. So much of the third and last point, that Love crowned.  
What then remains, but that having the Measures of our Duty so clear and firm, and greatness of our Reward, so certain; but that we rouse and awaken ourselves to live the Life of Faith, and to love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and believe, what we do believe, and daily behold dead Ashes listening to the Sound of the last Trump; and the Righteous and Unrighteous budding and blossoming out of their Graves and Prisons, to appear in judgement, to receive their condign Rewards and Punishments.  
There comes Herod, and Julian the Apostate, and Mahomet, with all the cruel Persecutors and Deceivers of God's People, with Ropes about their Necks. There comes Beelzebub the Prince of Devils, with his innumerable Legions shackled in Chains of Everlasting Darkness. There come the mighty Nimrods, of this World, who abuse their Divine Power, to oppress and disturb their Subjects and Neighbours, which was intended for their Comfort and Protection, sentenced and pinioned for Everlasting Torments. There stand our Atheistical Roman catholic Sharks, that blaspheme at their last Gasp, the Divine Omniscience, which the Devils themselves believe and tremble at, damned, and nailed to Eternal Pillories. On the other Hand, there goes Joseph, and his White Followers, to receive their Crowns of Chastity. There Job and Lazarus, and all cheerful Sufferers, of Patience. There samson, and all heroic Patriots, the Crowns of Martyrdom for their country and Religion. There St. Paul is crowned and installed, next the Sun of God, and above St. Peter, for his more abundant Labour. There is a Via Lactea of Learned and Faithful Ministers, that for converting Souls to Righteousness, do shine like Stars in the Firmament for Glory. This day kept ever in our Eyes, and Faith, sets all things to right, which in this World good Men endeavour, and therein do well, but can never hope, or expect to see accomplished.  
And that we so dwell on this Appearing, till we dwell in it, till our constant Abode, and walk under the Rays of the Sun of Righteousness colour our Souls into its Similitude; till the Divine Excellencies of our Righteous Judge and Saviour, ravish and fill all the Corners of our Souls, and drink up those Affections which we use to reserve for Bosom Sins, and private Ends; till the Comforts of that Day heal all our Wounds, redress all our Wrongs, and secure all our Fears, and still all our Temptations: So Orpheus of old silenced the Syrens with the choicer music of his Harp; so Glow-Worms and Comets are extinguished by the Sun: And so much shall suffice for my Text.  
As for the Party deceased, he was well known to me at Intervals above 30 Years; and I do verily believe( with allowance of human frailty) that the Doctrine of my Text, was a Character of his Life; and that Mark he did ever aim at, and mostly hit. He so depended on God's Approbation in all he did, that he was careless of Man's: He endured many Reproaches( with his Betters before him) but I believe without Cause, as is observable in a late particular Instance, mentioned to his Blemish in public Votes, and Foreign Latin gazettes, wherein he satisfied me,( and as I conjecture from their Acquiescence) the House, and the worthy Gentleman concerned, not only of his own Innocence, but his Care likewise, of the Innocence and Honour of the aforesaid Gentleman, as his particular Friend.  
He was true and faithful to the King from his Heart and Conscience, not as a Loyal Parasite, but as a true English Subject, according to Law, which he conceived to be the truest Loyalty, that is to say, Legal Fidelity.  
He had a tender respect to all Conscientious Dissenters; yet conformed himself, and submitted for Peace and Union sake, to all Injunctions, until redressed by the same Authority that ordained them.  
He was of so exact temperance and sobriety, and so wholly taken up with variety of curious Learning, and Languages, and Contemplation, that the Tempter had hardly space ever to recommend him a vain thought, or to take him halting.  
He was of an indefatigable public spirit and motion in every Orb wherein he was fixed, according to his power and opportunity, to his utter exhausting, which induced many narrow and selfish Souls to judge him to be troublesome and noughty, and to be a Planet, rather than a Star, as he that rides post through Streets will raise much barking after him.  
And this his public zeal, from first to last, was chiefly planted against those whom he conceived to be the greatest disturbers of this Nation, and of the World; and the great enemies of Souls, next Satan; whose abominable Principles and Positions he took the pains to represent to our Nation, in his Jesuits Morals, wherewith they were so gauled, that they decreed him at St. Omers to be murdered. And the famed Discoverer of the present Horrid PLOT being designed the Executioner, had by that means an opportunity to get out of their clutches, and to come for England, to save his King and country; So that in some good sense and meaning, it may be called Dr. tongue his PLOT( as some have styled it in a most malicious) because it had the first means of its publication from their Designs against his Life and blood.  
For that he had no hand in the least, in contriving or inventing any part thereof, but only of Assistance in transcribing and informing Authority therewith, I can in great part vindicate him, and in this presence, being early privy to several of the Passages. For about the last of August, 1678. at my arrival to Town, the famed Discoverer communicating to me at my Lodging several parts thereof, and particularly their Design upon His Majesties Life; I asked, Was the King made forthwith acquainted with it? He answered, Yea; about a fortnight ago. By whom? By Dr. tongue: And being restless, out of loyal Duty and Safety, till I had further satisfaction herein, I accordingly got the Doctor and the Discoverer to meet the worthy Gentleman,[ that introduced the Doctor to the King] at a certain House near Fox-hall, the 2d. of September, where I met with full satisfaction to my Question; where I also was satisfied how far from true another malicious Report was, that was afterwards raised,( as a manifest proof of the shifting guilt of the Authors) That the PLOT was hatched by Dr. tongue and others about Lambeth. For I found the Doctor there studying of no PLOT, but in great anxiety and solicitude, that the Persons and Papers of the Plotters were not sooner seized, before the PLOT took air, and several packets per Post intercepted, according to directions from the Discoverer, which, had there been no omission or default, had made it the most demonstrative Discovery of Hellish villainies that ever was heard or red[ perhaps] in any Age or Nation.  
And the Doctors fears were not a little increased from my presence, whom he knew to have been severely over-powered about improve years before, for attempting the early discovery of this PLOT in one part thereof. But the generous Discoverer himself was not daunted nor dismayed at all, but with stupendious Courage, continued several days after, and intended it longer, had he not met with foul play] amongst the Traitors at Wild-house, for the further detection of their Designs.  
And as to the five Letters[ which the Doctor is maliciously charged to have invented] I have heard him then, and lately, at his last Sickness, declare, That he never knew, or saw the said Letters, till they were produced in Council, and the several hands of their traitorous Authors there proved to satisfaction by the Discoverer; And that the first examination of this PLOT in Council, was wholly owing to providence, and the improvidence and infatuation of those Parties and Patrons, that brought them to the Council, pretending them to be false and counterfeit, out of a Design against innocent men; who had been defended in their wickedness with better luck and success, had they burnt the Originals, and brought but Copies to the Council, against which the Discoverer could had nothing to evidence from the hands. And the other security and infatuation of Coleman, about his Papers, though he knew long before the PLOT to be discovered; and their barbarous Cruelty towards Sir Edmundbury Godfrey gave no small confirmation thereunto.  
And to the same effect, to his last gasp, the Doctor declared to a worthy Minister( another standing by) who asking him[ among other Questions] Whether he had any trouble upon his Conscience about the matter of the Plot? Answered, he had none in the least. I have delivered nothing but Truth, I have discharged a good Conscience throughout, towards God, and my King and my country, or to that effect; and so immediately departed, as he composed himself to sleep, without the least stir, or sigh, or groan, that could be discerned or heard by his Attendant, standing by him in the same little Room.  
Thus was he snatched away from the considerable preferment designed for him by the King and the Nation, to a higher Dignity and Crown of Righteousness, from the hands of his righteous Lord and Judge, leaving[ like some ancient and modern Heroes] a considerable Victory behind him, in the hands of our Patriots and Senators, before he left his Life. And I make no doubt, but with God's gracious allowance to human Infirmities, he could in a lower Form, with Truth and Hope, repeat, and apply[ as we ought all to endeavour to be able] this cygnea cantio of the Apostle, to himself. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith, for me and my country: Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Glory, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all them who love his appearing. Now to God the Father, &c.  
FINIS.   

OF the Heart and its Right Sovereign: And Rome no Mother-Church to England.  
Or, An Historical Account of the Tilte of our British Church; And by what Ministry the Gospel was first Planted in every County.  
With a Remembrance of the Rights of Jerusalem above, in the great Question,  
Where is the true Mother-Church of Christians?  
By T. J. of Oswestry in the County of Salop, sometime domestic and Naval Chaplain to His Royal Highness the Duke of York.  
Sold by B. Shirley under St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street, and Tho. Parkhurst at the three Bibles and Crown in Cheap-side.