when Judas came with the Scribes and Pharisees to apprehend him from that place hee was taken to be crucified and seeing it was from that place hee would make choyce of that place that from thence hee would take his rise to go up to Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bethany in Hebrew signifies a house of affliction so that Christ made that which was the house of his affliction Christ made that Bethany to be the place of the translation of him into glory I would give you thence to note that God doth oftentimes make our sufferings to be Inlets to our glory So it was with Christ from Bethany hee was taken a Prisoner and from that place hee would ascend up into Heaven so if you suffer with him you shall also be glorified with him you may be carried to Heaven sometime in ways of sharpe afflictions therefore doe not be danted at persecution for the Lord makes Bethanies the houses of our afflictions to have a trap-doore in them to let us into our Fathers Mansion Thirdly from the circumstance in Christ ascention just as Christ did ascend he◠was speaking to his Disciples things that did appertaine to the Kingdome of God and as hee was blessing of them hee was taken up before their eyes Acts 1.9 And when hee had spoken these things while they beheld hee was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight Whilest hee was blessing of his Disciples and whilest hee was speaking to them things appertaining to the Kingdome of God hee was taken away I would give you this note from thence that when you come towards the time of your departure out of this World make Christ your example Christ as hee was going away hee spake of things appertaining to the Kingdome of God so let your hearts be full fraught with Divine contemplation do you leave good counsell behinde you when you come to die that so some body may say these are the last words of a dying Friend I might extend this Example of Christ before his departure out of the World unto masters of Families that when you come towards your end leave good councell behind you Let not your speech be filled about worldly affaires but let that be setled before but leave good councell with your children Jacob when hee was to die hee called all his children about him and gave good councell unto them and blessed them Likewise of David 1 Chron. 28.9 And thou Solomon my Sonne know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seeke him hee will be found of thee but if thou forsake him hee will cast thee off for ever And thus wee see in the instances of Isaac and many other Servants of God Moses to Joshua when hee was to die I but take Christs Example so farre that when you are to leave the World that you may have your minds possessed with nothing else but with things appertaining to the Kingdom of God as Christ was Fourthly there is instruction to be gathered from the manner of Christs leaving the World the manner was in the Acts 1.9 And when hee had spoken these things while they beheld hee was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight They saw him by degrees ascend into Heaven this must not passe our Meditation that a cloud should take Jesus Christ out of our sight it is for a reliefe to your Meditations that when you see the clouds that these cloud◠that I see hover in the Heaven they are Christs Chariot that did once carry him to Heaven and they are the chariots that shall carry Jesus Christ to judge the World O labour to have your Meditations on Divine things hee went up in a cloud therefore the clouds are called Gods Chariots Fifthly the circumstance in Christs ascention is this that hee would call all his Friends about him it is expresly said all the eleven Apostles were with him Acts 1. And an Interpreter doth think that there was an hundred and twenty with Jesus Christ when he ascended up into Heaven he gathered it from Acts 1.15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples and said The number of Names together were about an hundred and twenty Now learned men doe thinke that there was an hundered and twenty that did see Jesus Christ ascend up into Heaven it is cleare that there were the eleven Apostles there and if this be so that Christ gathered about him his Friends when hee was to leave the World I gather thence that when you are drawing towards your end and departing out of the World Labour to have your Friends about you that you might give them the advice of a dying Friend and it is a great blessing for to die amongst your Friends Christ before that hee would goe up to Heaven and leave the World hee would have his Friends about him and then hee was taken up from them I now come to draw out more practicall application of this poynt If it be so that Christs going up bodily into Heaven be a ground of such great comfort unto the people of God upon Earth the use that I shall draw it shall be to deduce foure Doctrinall and foure practicall inferences from this poynt First this poynt it confute the opinion of the Selucians and Herliani that hold that Christs Body is not in Heaven but that it is in the beautifull and splendent body of the Sun and they say that is the reason the Sun doth cast such a glorious light o're that the Moon doth and truly this old Heresie is againe revived amongst us and I have seene it in a booke called Divine Light when indeed it is nothing but darkenesse but Christ is above the Sun Christ is above all the visible Heavens Christ sits in the third Heaven as Paul calls it therefore if Christs Body be gone into Heaven they are in an errour Secondly this poynt will confute those who hold that Christs Body hath beene on Earth since his ascention into Heaven Some in Germany held that they were the very Christ and thus in King Henry the Eights days there was one held that hee was the Christ and his side was pearc't and there was Nayles seene in his hand c. I but if men say loe here is Christ and there is Christ believe them not for Christ was never on the Earth since his Ascention Thirdly that Christs Body is now in Heaven it overthrowes the Doctrine of the Popish Religion touching Transubstantiation or the reall presence that Jesus Christ is bodily present at the Sacrament say the Papists we really eate Christs flesh and drink Christs bloud that Christ is as really at the Sacrament as hee was on the Crosse If there were no other argument to overthrow this Opinion but this that the body
is that to us that Jesus Christ is now bodily in heaven what comfort was this to the Disciples that Jesus Christ should leave them that hee must goe from them unto his Fathers house There are seven particulars that it is great ground of comfort to all the people of God that Jesus Christ is gone bodily to heaven The first ground of comfort is this Christs going to heaven bodily it assures you of Christs full Triumph and compleat conquest over all your spirituall Enemies This the Apostle lays down as a ground of comfort upon Christs Ascention Eph. 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men That is the Devill and Sinne that carried you captive and Christ by his going up to heaven hath led them captive that is hath led your spirituall enemies that carried you captive led them captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour was to come to the Cardinall of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariot-wheeles So Christ did carry his Captives by his wheeles as it were hee led captivity captive Colos 2.15 And having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them in it So that Beloved here is one great comfort that Christ by going up to heaven doth manifest and declare to all the World that hee hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne for neither could they hold Christ in the chaines thereof Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodies to heaven I goe to heaven that I may receive you to my selfe that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In John 14.19 Yet a little while and the World seeth mee no more but yee see mee because I live yee shall live also As if hee should say well I must leave you and I must go to heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shall also live with mee in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his days saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and hee is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christs is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce thou hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of Believers come there also because he lives in heaven you shall live there also Thirdly Christs going bodily to heaven it is a ground of comfort to you in this because Christ is gone bodily into heaven to performe and accomplish his Sacerdotall Office that is as a high Priest hee is now in heaven to performe the Office of a high Priest to make intercession to God his Father in your behalfe that your sinnes might be pardoned that your Soules might bee saved that your bodies might be raised and received into heaven with him in Glory Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Christ is entred into the very heavens that hee might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7.26 For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the heavens It became us to have a high Priest in Heaven Therefore observe though it was a great benefit to the Disciples to have Christs Bodily presence yet Jesus Christ could never have fulfilled the office of the Priest-hood to make intercession for all the Elect if Christ had not gone bodily into heaven Will you observe one Text in Heb. 8.4 For if hee were on Earth hee should not be a Priest seeing that there are Priests that offer-gifts according to the Law Christ must goe to heaven and there hee is a Priest Now if hee were upon the Earth hee could not be a Priest for us therefore wee have great advantage by CHRISTS going into heaven O beloved then looke on this as a great comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven in his Body Flesh and Bloud appearing before God making Intercession for all his people This was typed out under the Law Exod. 28.9 10 11 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix Stones and grave on them the Names of the Children of Israel Six of their Names on one stone and the other six Names of the rest on the other stone according to their Birth With the worke of an ingraver in stone like the ingravings of a signet shalt thou ingrave the two stones with the names of the Children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in Ouches of gold And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall unto the Children of Israel And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memoriall This is a Type of Jesus Christ our high Priest who is gone not into the holy of holiest but in it selfe the holy of holiest and there he hath not onely the names of all the Elect of God throughout the world on his Breast but he hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his Father This is a Third ground of Comfort that you have of Christs going bodily into Heaven which assures you that Christ is now in Heaven A Fourth ground of comfort you have by Christs going into Heaven is this that Jesus Christ is gone into heaven to convey to you a fuller communication of the gifts and graces of his spirit then was bestowed on his people whilst hee was upon the Earth Ephes 4. ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men It is an illusion to the Roman custome that when the Conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely leade the Prisoners by the Charet wheeles but likewise scattered mony to the Spectators that saw him ride along in triumph so the Lord Jesus Christ having by his Ascension spoyled death and the Devill this Jesus Christ doth cast his gifts unto men dispenseth his graces in a greater measure into the hearts of his people not that we are to run into the Socinian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gifts of the spirit and they ground it on that text Joh. 7. ver 38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that believe
on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and they could not be in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that Aboundant measure was not given because Christ was yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascention and untill hee was glorified Therefore the Apostles soone after his Ascention they received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts by Christ to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this as the fruit of Christs Ascention Ephesians 4.10 11 12. vers Hee that descended is the same also that Ascended up farre above all heavens that hee might fill all things And hee gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ So that you are to looke upon not onely your own Christian gifts whereby God brings you to Heaven but all Ministeriall gifts are the fruits of Christs giving to Heaven Fifthly Christ is gone to Heaven It is to comfort us in this that Christ being bodily in Heaven it might make thee holdy bold and fiducially confident when ever thou comest to God in Prayer thou dost come to God in Prayer but thou may be comest to him as thou hast Jesus Christ at his Right hand in Heaven presenting thy Prayers to God for thee there is this very comfort given in by the Apostle Heb. 4.14 16. Seeing then that wee have a great high Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Sonne of God let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need Jesus Christ being in Heaven it should worke a holy bodnesse in us to keepe out feare and distrust when thou prayest because we have an High Priest that is past into the highest Heavens Jesus the Sonne of God Who would not come boldly to the Court when hee knows that the Kings Eldest Sonne is his friend and is assured of his love that hee will intercede for him to his Father Jesus Christ is the King of Heaven the eldest Sonne and hee is bound by Office to represent all our supplications and make Intercessions for us Sixthly that Christ being gone bodily into Heaven it may bee of comfort that though Jesus Christ be gone bodily into Heaven yet hee hath the same relation towards a Believer which hee had to them whilst hee was upon the Earth When hee was on the Earth did Christ say go tell my Brethren that I am to ascend and after hee was taken up into Heaven yet hee calls them his Brethren Heb. 2.11 For both hee that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause hee is not ashamed to call them Brethren Though Christ was crowned with glory and gone up to Heaven yet hee was not ashamed to call Believers Brethren Now in Heaven Christ is thy God there and Christ is thy Father there Christ is thy Prince there and Christ is thy friend there and this may administer much comfort to thee that Jesus Christ retaines the same relation now he is in heaven that he had with thee in the world Therefore Iob could speak in a vision saith Job I know that my Redeemer liveth I know my Kinsman liveth for so theword signifieth I know my kinsman liveth Christ did only call his Disciples Brothers when hee was in the flesh and so hee calleth them Brothers now is in heaven Suppose thou art a poor woman that dost marry a man that is mean poor in the world why suppose this man should come to the dignity of a King it would be a great comfort to thee that thou that wast but a beggar art now become a Kings Wife so though thou art mean in the world yet Jesus Christ doth preferre thee to be his Brother Seventhly and lastly it may serve for comfort in this regard that Christ is gone to Heaven for this very purpose to prepare Heaven for thee I go to prepare a place for you Heb. 6 20. Whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made an high Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Christ is our forerunner gone to Heaven before us and gone to Heaven for us Christ did not onely dye for us but Christ did go to heaven for us all was for us Heb. 10.19.20 Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus By a new and living way which hee hath consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh That is having hopes to come to enter into Heaven by the blood of Christ through Christs flesh as dying on the Crosse And thus much be spoken for the Doctrinall part of this poynt the poynt was this That Christs Ascention or going up bodily to Heaven is a ground of great comfort to Gods people whilst they live here upon the Earth I shall now draw out some instructions from some circumstances in Christs going to Heaven There are five circumstances from which you may gather some instruction First from the time when Christ did leave this World and ascend up to goe to Heaven if you reade the Evangelists they will tell you it was about the 33 yeare of his Age hee left this World and goeth up to Heaven Learne thus much from thence that if Christ would leave the World in the flower of his Age a young man then this should be fastened on the Meditation of you young men that you should not have your hearts too much glued to the World to hancker after a long life Suppose God should take thee away now in the flower of thy age now God took Christ away so Secondly you may learne somewhat from the place whence Christ did ascend it is very observable It was Mount Olivet Acts 1.12 Then returned they unto Ierusalem from the Mount called Olivet which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath days Journey Luke saith it was from Bethany Luke 24.50.51 And hee led them out as farre as to Bethany and hee lifted up his hands and blessed them And it came to passe while hee blessed them hee was parted from them and carried up into heaven It was all one but there is much of Gods minde in this of all places in the World Christ did make choyce of Bethany by Mount Olivet to go up to Heaven Beloved the reason was because that was the place that Christ was taken in
that in Queene Maries time of two friends that were put to death together One of them was fearfull to think that the flames should scorch his flesh O saith the other be of good comfort for halfe an houre hence thou shalt be in Heaven O thinke though thou art weake and sick even unto death yet thinke that thou shalt shortly be with Jesus Christ doubt not of the truth of this for I could even pawne my soule of the truth of it that the Soules of the Elect are taken up into Heaven imediately after death O then let not death trouble you Doct. 4 The fourth Doctrine here mentioned is the benefit of Christs coming and that is to raise your bodies from the dead and receive them to himselfe This is the particular that I am now to insist upon and receive you to my selfe Obs The Observation is this that the maine end of Christs coming againe is for to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe not onely to save the Soule imediatly after death but to raise the body also There are two Queres in the Doctrinall part of this poynt touching the end of Christs coming which is to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe Two things in this First why Jesus Christ must raise the bodies of the Elect and receive them to himselfe as well as the soules Secondly when Christ doth receive the body to himselfe then what endowments doth the body receive as now it hath not First why must Christ receive the body to himselfe as well as the soule There are foure Reasons First because of the Resurrection of his own body Christs own body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven and therefore the bodies of the Elect must be there also where Christ is there must his members be Christ the head is raised from the dead and received up into glory The Apostle doth ground this reason 1 Cor. 15.12 Now if Christ be preached that hee rose from the dead c. As if hee should have said Christ being risen from the dead doth argue that our bodies must rise from the Grave though they be dead there In 1 Cor. 6.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Thess 4.14 For if wee believe that Iesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him So that because Jesus Christs body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven therefore our bodies must be raised up and received into glory with him Secondly the bodies of the Elect must be raised why because of the Inhabitation of the Spirit the Spirit doth sanctifie the bodies of the Elect as well as the soules the very God of peace sanctifie you throughont and I pray God that your Soule Spirit and Body be kept blamelesse unto the coming of the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 6.18 19 20. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but hee that comitteth Fornication sinneth against his owne body What know yee not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee have of God and yee are not your owne For yee are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your Spirit which are Gods Now the Spirit of God having a gracious worke in the body as well as the soule Therefore the body must be raised up from the dead as well as the soule and this the Scripture makes an Argument of in Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you So that spirit that raised up Christ from the dead if that Spirit dwelleth in you the graces of the spirit why that Spirit shall quicken your mortall bodies Therefore the bodies of the Elect shall be raised from the dead and received into glory with the soule Thirdly because the body hath a condition and co-operation with the soule in all gracious working because if that the body shall be partner with the soule being received unto Jesus Christ because the Body doth co-operate with the Soule Rom. 8.13 For if yee live after the flesh yee shall die but if yee through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live Now being that the godly doe mortifie the deeds of the body and do expose their bodies to tortures and torments for Jesus Christ now because the bodies of the Elect doe co-operate with the soule in good therefore the body shall be co-partner with the soule in good also Fourthly it proceeds from that neere Union which is in a Believer and Jesus Christ Christ is the head and Believers are the members now the members must be raised and received up to Jesus Christ to make his body a perfect body Thus much for the Reasons why that Jesus Christ at his second coming he shall raise and receive the bodies of the Elect to himselfe as well as the soules The second quere is this I but what benefit is it to the body what endowments shall the body receive by this when Christ comes First in generall I shall say this to you that the body shall receive more glorious endowments then ever it could be capable of to receive and enjoy here in this world it may be thy Body is endowed with a comely feature yet when Christ comes to receive thy Body it shall be endowed better then now it is Chrisostome saith Take Wooll and let this Wooll be dyed into a Scarlet or purple colour dyed in graine yet the Wooll is the same Wooll as it was before when it was white but yet there is a more goodly lustre put upon it Thy body shall be the same body but thy body shall have more illustrious endowments then now it hath And thus much onely in the generall Now to come to particulars I shall resolve this Question in these six Particulars There are six glorious endowments that the body shall receive from Jesus Christ at his second coming when hee receives the body to himselfe First from being a naturall body as it is now it shall be made by Christ a spirituall body that is the first endowment thou shalt cast off thy old Apparell of corruptible flâ—sh and blood and shalt be cloathed with robes of glory it is no contradiction to say a spirituall body because the Apostle useth the expression 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body The meaning is the body as it lives here is a naturall body reeding naturall refreshments I but saith the Apostle it shall be raised a spirituall body it shall have no more neede of naturall refreshments which the naturall body requireth
agile body and from being a weak body it shall be made a strong body Now before I come to the Application there are two Objections which lye in the way As in the primitive times there were the Saduces that held there was no resurrection and after Christs time there was Hymeneus and Philetus which said that the Resurrection was past already and the Church of Corinth was tainted with this Error if Christ be risen from the dead how say some among you that there is no Resurrection of the dead Now in the Primitive and Christs time there was this Opinion that there was no Resurrection of the Body and so made this meerly but a Poeticall fiction and to be no reall and undoubted truth That I might take off this The Scripture which they urge is this you talke of the Body being raised by Christ how can this be when the Apostle saith expresly the body is made of flesh and blood 1 Cor. 15.50 Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Therefore if flesh and blood cannot come to Gods Kingdome how then can the Body come there this is the Opinion of the Photinians First I answer it cannot be the Apostles intent to impugne the bodies rising for the drift of this whole Chapter is to prove that the body shall be raised Therefore not imaginable that in one breath the Apostle should deny and affirme the same thing Secondly the Apostle doth understand by flesh and blood the bodies of Men as they have sinfull and fraile infirmities cleaving to them in this World the body as it is now a sinfull body an infirme body a weake mortall body the body as it is now shall never come to Heaven The generality of Interpreters run this way by flesh and blood is understood the bodies of men as lyable to sinne as in this World they shall not be raised up they shall not come to Heaven but wee shall be changed wee shall not all sleepe but be changed the Apostle proves this himselfe 1 Cor. 15.50 51. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Behold I shew you a mystery wee shall not all sleepe but wee shall all be changed Our corruptible Bodies they shall not come to Heaven as they are corruptible but come to Heaven by being incorruptible but we shall all be changed that is our bodies shall be changed from being mortall corruptible and being weake and sinfull to be made holy and Immortall so that flesh and blood as now it is sinfull corruptible till changed and made glorious and pure it shall not come to Heaven Second Text which they urge against the body being glorified and say it is but a fancy Job 14.7 8 9 10. For there is hope of a Tree if it be cut downe that it will sprout againe and that the tender branch thereof will not cease Though the roote thereof wax old in the Earth and the stock thereof die in the ground yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth Boughs like a Plant But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is hee A Tree saith Job if that dyes it may live againe because waters may be about the roote but if man dyes hee vanisheth away where is man on this they build that man shall never live againe To this take this cleare Answer That when Job speakes though a Tree dyes it lives againe but if man dyes hee lives not Job understands it by living againe in this World so there is more hope of a Tree then of a Man I but you will aske mee How doe you prove this for to be Jobs intent I prove it to you from Jobs words in the 12. vers So man lieth downe and riseth not till the Heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleepe So that here Job speakes of a raising when the Heavens shall be no more when the World shall be burnt with fire then man shall be awakned And in the 14. vers If a man die shall hee live againe All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my change come Job speakes in this Chapter of the change of the body and of the raising of the body Tertullian and Austine say well that there is no Doctrine of Religion is more repugnant to sense and reason There is this reason that may seeme to be against the raising of the body How it is possible that the bodies of men can be raised when that they are so confounded together as they are in the Earth Suppose a Man be killed by a Wolfe a Lyon eates that Wolfe suppose that Lyon dyes and the Fowles of the Ayre eate that Lyon and Men eate those Fowles Therefore how can the bodies of Men be raised being thus confounded Suppose a Man be drowned in the Sea and the Fishes in the Sea eate that Man how can his substance bee gathered together at the last Day Answer it is the Answer of Perkins First much may bee done by Nature by Art First an Illustration from a Refiner put before a Refiner a masse of mettall and there shall be in that one Lumpe a veyne of Silver a veyne of Brasse of Gold of Tyn of Iron and the like and these Mettalls are all mingled and mixt together Now a Refiner by his Art hee can distinctly sever the Silver from the Gold and the Iron from the Lead Now can Art doe this and shall not the God of Nature sever this man from that man God shall sever them though they are heapes together Againe a Gardner soweth varieties of Seeds yet doe you come to the Garden and let one aske you what seede lieth in that Bed or in this Bed as it is rotting in the ground why you cannot tell But come to the Gardner and aske him what Seede is in that Bed and hee can tell you distinctly the Seede in every Bed And cannot the great God doe this Hee that made us knowes our shape wee cannot tell what Man 's dust this is in the Grave I but God that laid thee in the Grave hee knowes hee knowes which shall bee my dust and which shall be thy dust and which every mans dust hee knowes what body shall spring up thence Therefore labour to exalt Faith in the great Mistary of raising and glorifying your bodies I have now a practicall application to make of this The Uses First this is it so that Jesus Christ shall raise your bodies and receive them to himselfe at his second coming Then let this comfort you against your sufferings in the body Suppose thou art exposed to violent Sufferings to Torments Tortures to Racks Fire and Faggots Suppose thy body undergoeth this for the sake of Jesus Christ yet remember thy body shall bee raised and glorified by JESUS CHRIST Let it not