to make entrance into the fourth Fundamentall Doctrine in these words And receive you to my selfe These words containe in them that great Fundamentall point touching the Resurrection of mans Body that not onely the Soule shall goe to Heaven but also the bodies of the godly men shall goe to Heaven Christ shal come out of heaven for this end to receive the bodies as well as the Soules unto himselfe I will come again and receive you unto my selfe There is some difference betweene a few Interpreters touching the sense of these words one carrieth it this way that here the promise of Christs coming made a little before hee was to die referreth not to the last coming but they referre it to that forty daies that hee was upon the Earth after his resurrection to the Ascension they say that this promise was accomplished when Christ after his resurrection did come to his Disciples and did eate a broyled Fish with them and stayed forty daies with them Why what comfort would this bee to the Disciples to thinke of Christs going away and coming againe and stay but forty daies and then bee seen no more this would have made them the more sorrowfull that they should never have seen him more Here are two or three reasons from the Text why that cannot bee the sense of the place because here was a promise before that hee was going to his Fathers House to receive them there Now that living upon the Earth forty daies after his Resurrection cannot bee his Fathers House this cannot therefore bee meant of Christs coming againe at that time to them Againe that it is said where hee was to goe hee was to prepare a place for them now if his meaning had been that hee would come againe at forty daies it should have been an Earthly place that hee had prepared for them But the current of Interpreters seeing the weaknesse of that gives many consequent reasons why it must necessarily be referred to Christs last coming and everlasting receiving of them when the Body shall bee raised and at that coming he hath promised the Elect that hee will receive them unto himselfe as if hee should have said though I leave your bodies behind mee in the world for a season though they may bee mangled and massacred by cruell persecutors and though you may bee without my bodily presence for a while yet I doe not goe to Heaven to stay there for ever but I promise you I will come againe and then I will take you into Heaven with mee They would faine have had Christ to have received them into Heaven and that they might have gone with him The Disciples when they heard Christ speake of going to his Fathers house they were all on fire to go with Christ into Heaven O no saith Christ I will come againe to judge the world and then I will receive your very bodies into Heaven with mee that as my body is in Heaven so your bodies shall bee there also with me The Observation is this that it is one great end of Christs coming again for to receive the bodies of all the Elect unto himselfe into Heaven with him I come again and receive you unto my selfe I shall not follow the common place in handling the Resurrection of the body I shall onely handle this point practically in shewing you what the happinesse of the Elect of God is in their bodies as well as their Soules Now because this Text is made use of to pervert many Scriptures I shall handle this practicall Question before I come to handle the Doctrine Quest The Question is this that seeing Jesus Christ doth only promise that hee will receive the Elect unto himselfe at his coming againe Then what becomes of all the godly immediately after death before Christs coming againe to judgement Those that hold for the sleeping of the Soule on this Text doe ground that there is no receiving neither one or other the one to life the other to death the wicked are not tormented till then nor the godly glorified till then Therefore it is needfull that seeing Christ doth here speake of receiving them unto himselfe not till his coming to shew what becomes of the Souls of dead Men before the coming of Christ Answ Before I give you the Answer take this distinction There is a twofold receiving First There is a partiall and incompleat receiving and this is done immediately after death that when the soule doth depart from the body the soule is received by Jesus Christ into Heaven and that is the reason of those Speeches in Acts 7. There is a receiving them before Christs coming and this is called a partiall and incompleat reception it is only a receiving of the spirit and not of the body Secondly there is a totall and compleat reception both of the body and soule into glory and it is this that the Text here speakes of though it is true there is not a totall reception of a beleever till Christs coming to judgement yet there is a partiall reception I doe not now speak to those that say the soul is mortall and that it shall never live after the death of the body but to those that say the soule shall sleep and the soul doth perish with the body untill the Resurrection Now against these that plead for the sleeping of the soule till Christs coming againe take these four waies how to strengthen you First there are pregnant instances in Scripture that after the godly die their souls are received into heaven before Christ comes Secondly there are generall expressions in the Scripture as well as particular instances to prove this Thirdly there are expresse passages in the Scripture to confirme this Fourthly there are absurd inconsequences that will arise in case it should be denied First there are Pregnant instances or examples in the Scripture to prove that after death the soule is received into Heaven Take three instances First that knowne Text Luke 23. 43. And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day thou shall bee with mee in Paradise That day Christ dyed that day Christ went to Heaven therefore that day the soul of that converted thiefe did go to Heaven Now beloved there are two Evasions that those who plead for the soules cessation for the soules sleeping make to avoide this Text and take off this Instance First is by altering the comma or stop in the Text and read it thus I say unto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise that to day they doe not refer it that the Thiefe should be in Paradise Peter Martyr doth give two answers to this Evasion First saith hee it is not safe to alter a comma or stop in Scripture for so you may pervert the Scripture and make it speake what it never meant if men at their pleasure disagreeing from all Copies alter comma's in the translation Another Answer that it appeares this cannot bee the sense of it to referre to
shall return to God who gave it Marke here are two things Here is the end of Godly men the body shall goe to the dust and the soule to God Then the time when it shal be is when that man goeth to his long home when the keepers of the house shall tremble that is the hands and armes and the strong men shall bow themselves that is the feet and the thighs and the grinders shall cease that is the teeth and they that looke out at the windowes shall bee darkened that is the eyes when nature decayes and the body perisheth by Diseases and dyes then shall the body go to the dust and the Spirit to God that gave it Thirdly I shall prove it to you from expresse passages in the Scripture that doe confirme this that the soules of the Elect after death before Christs coming are received into heaven for this I will give foure or five expresse Scriptures The first is in Iohn 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent mee that every one that seeth the Sonne and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here are two distinct promises First a promise of everlasting life Secondly a promise of raising up at the last day First a promise of everlasting life is made distinct from the other Divines say that before the raising up at the last day there is an everlasting life that his soule shall live before the last day and his body shall be raised up at the last day Another Text is in Luke 16. 9. And I say unto you make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Chemnitius makes great use of this Text to prove what I am now arguing for that immediately after death the soule of an Elect man is received into Heaven Marke make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that is of your wealth called so either because it is unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept use your wealth well that when you die you may bee received into everlasting habitations It is questionable whether it bee referred to Angels or to the poor which shall pray for us that wee bee received into Heaven but saith Chemnitius use your wealth well that you may bee received into everlasting habitations upon your failing upon dying the Lord receives the Elect into everlasting habitations This Chemnitius doth build on that the soule doth goe to Heaven immediately after Death A third Scripture is in Phil. 3. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better The Apostle doth Conjoyne these two conclusions a departing out of the world out of this life and a desire to be with Jesus Christ he mentions no middle place for a good soul to goe to he mentions no Purgatory nor Limbus Patrum And so likewise a fourth Text you have in 2 Cor. 6. 8 9. Therefore wee are alwaies confident knowing that whilst wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. Wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord wherefore wee labour that whether present or absent wee may be accepted of him Marke the Apostle desires to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord so that the soule is present with the Lord whilest absent from the body Then againe that Prayer of Stephen proves it likewise in Acts 7. 59. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit It had been uncomfortable for him to have thought that he should have been stoned for Jesus Christ and it must have been above 1600 yeares before Christ should have received his soule but hee prayed Lord Jesus Christ receive my soule which hee would not have done if hee had not beleeved that his soul would have been received by Jesus Christ immediately after death And thus I leave those Scriptures to confirme you in this that the soule doth not sleep in the body but at the departure from the body it doth immediately go to Heaven Fourthly I prove it to you by shewing those grosse absurdities and inconveniencies that will arise in case it should bee denyed that God doth not receive the soule of any Elect man till he doth come to judge the world First it will follow that the godly will bee in a worse condition after they are dead then they were in when they were alive for when they were alive to live is Christ Christ dwelt in their hearts by Faith Now if the soule doth sleep with the body and perish with the body then Christ doth not live in them Christ doth not dwell there by Faith so that this would be uncomfortable that a beleever after death should bee in a worse condition then during this life for here hee lives in Christ by Faith Secondly then it wil follow that God the Father would be more cruell to his people then he would have other men be to their servants which have done their worke Marke that Text Levit. 19. 13. Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning That the Master was not to keep the hire of the Labourer long from him that the Master should not keep the servants wages long from him Now will the great God keep from you who are his servants that have served him here in this world and have done him faithfull service any reward till his last coming No but when you have ended your life and done your worke you receive your wages when your worke is done you have your reward Thirdly observe this if this should bee true that the soules of the Elect men doe not goe to Heaven after death then it will follow that the soules of wicked men doe not goe to Hell after death and how repugnant this is to the Scripture you well know when the Scripture saith in the Epistle of Jude That the men of Sodome and Gomorâ—ha suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And of Judas Acts 25. That hee may take part of this ministery and Apostle-ship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his owne place I could give you a multitude of instances where it is shewn the wicked are in Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long suffering of God waiting in the daies of Noah while the Arke was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water To say that a godly man doth not goe to Heaven immediately after death it will follow that a wicked man doth not goe to Hell immediately after death Fourthly it would follow that there should be onely Angels in Heaven and no saints
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 Refiner a masse of mettall and there shall bee in that one Lumpe a veyne of Silver a veyne of Brasse of Gold of Tyn of Iron and the like and these Mettals are all mingled together Now a Refiner by his art he can distinctly sever the Silver from the Gold and the Iron from the Lead Now can art do this and shall not the God of Nature sever this man from that man God shall sever them though they are heaped together Againe a Gardner soweth varietie of Seeds yet doe you come to the Garden and let one aske you what seed lieth in that Bed or in this Bed as roâ—ting in the ground you cannot tell But come to the Gardner and aske him what Seed is in that Bed and hee can tell you distinctly the Seed in every Bed And cannot the the great God doe this hee that made us knowes our shape wee cannot tell what mans dust this is in the Grave I but God that laid it in the Grave he 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 Mystery 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 be raised and glorified by Jesus Christ Let it not trouble thee then that thy body shall be a crucified body because at Christs second coming it shall be a glorious body Again it may bee comfort to thee by reason of thy naturall infirmities Suppose thy body be a sâ—â—kly body suppose thy body bee full of Aâ—hes Agues Consumptions Diseases and the like suppose thy body bee maimed Blinde and Lame yet remember thy body that is vile deformed and sickly it shall have fresh Robes of glory upon it and be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ We read in the book of Martyrs of two Martyrs that were to be burnt at Stratford Bow neer Lordon one Hugh Laborocke and Iohn Price the one blind the other lame this Price being full of feare when the fire was about him saith Hugh unto him bee not troubled though thou blinde and I lame yet remember death will heale thee of thy Blindenesse and mee of Lamenesse Suppose thou art blinde lame and maymed Christs receiving of thy body will cure all and truly there were comfort to a man under a bodily distemper when a man should thinke that this body of mine should rot in the Grave and never be raised from the dead But thy deformed body it should bee a beautifull body that which is a sickly body shal be made a healthful body and freed from all diseases A second Inference is this will Jesus Christ at his comign raise thy body and receive thy whole man unto himselfe Then learne to have a thirsting and longing soule after the second coming of Jesus Christ doe not desire to continue here upon Barth but to bee dissolved and to bee with Jesus Christ will any man bee grieved for changing of an old sute for a new Death doth this thou hast here an old rotten ragge of flesh about thee Christ will put a new sute on thee therefore the Apostle calls it the desire of the body to bee cloathed upon wee doe not desire to bee in Heaven without Bodies but wee desire to bee cloathed upon with those glorious endowments where with the elect shall bee clad in glory Therefore bee not unwilling to die doe not be unwilling to leave an old rotten Carcasse a sickly Body a Diseased Body Put a Bird into a Cage though the Cage bee made of Silver of Gold yet the Bird had rather flie abroad then be tied up in the Cage Whilest in the Body thou art in a Cage thou hadst better have thy Body in a glorified capacity then now it is Thirdly bee not afraid nor unwilling to die because thy Body shall bee changed by Death if thy Body should not die it would never be a glorified Body keep your Corne in your House and you will never have a Crop but cast your Corne into the ground and let it die there saith the Apostle that thou sowest is never quickened till it die let your Body bee kept alive here in the world and it shall never be raised to glory O do not thâ—n be unwilling to die because death to an Elect man is as a laying of Corne in the Earth As Corne doth rot in the ground to spring againe against the Harvest So doth thy Body rot in the Grave to spring againe at the Resurrection Fourthly if this be true that Jesus Christ will raise thy Body unto glory O then doe not abuse these Bodies of yours they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost these Bodies of yours shall one day bee raised and received by Jesus Christ It is an argument that the Apostle raiseth 1 Cor. 6. 14 15. vers And God hath both raised up the Lord by his own Power know ye not that your bodies are the Members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the Members of Harlots God forbid This is the Apostles Argument The Apostle would reason against Adultery and Uncleannesse in the body what argument doth hee use Know yee this Christ will raise up our bodies and shall wee take these Members of our bodies and make them the members of a Where So then Beloved let the Doctrine of your Resurrection and of your bodies being raised and received to Jesus Christ provoke you that you doe not abse your Bodies He that keeps company with a Harlot sinneth against his owne Body 1 Cor. 6. 18. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the Body but hee that committeth Fornication sinneth against his owne body For a man to lie and sweare it is against his Soule but for a man to bee uncleane it is to sinne against his Body O doe not die with an uncleane Body with an Adulterous Body and doe not abuse thy Body doe not abuse those Eyes of thine to bee windowes of lust that shall one day behold Jesus Christ do not abuse that body that must have a sweet communion with Christ in Heaven I am now come to handle the last point in the Text the last Clause that where I am there you may bee also These words they note unto you the Event or Consequent what shall follow upon Christs coming againe and receiving our
not depart away from him c. A promise to Solomon I will be his father and he shall be my son but if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with rods And the Psalmist when he quotes this expression referres it to all the godly Psal 89. 31 32. If they break my Statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes It was not onely true of Solomon but it is spoken of all the Church If they commit iniquity I will chastise them with rods See here a Solomon may be chastned with rods if he commits iniquity nay not only one man but all the Church 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therfore I will punish you for all your iniquities If God be severe it is with his own people to make them smart for sin he may spare wicked men and not punish them here because he hath his hell for them hereafter but this shall be all the hell of a godly man and all their punishment I but this is Old Testament and thus the Antinomians take off and evade this Scripture but doth God so in the New Testament Yes in the New Testament Rom. 8. 20 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin He speaks of the beleeving Romans that death on their bodies was because of sin And then the Apostle speaks to the godly Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleep Many godly men were sick and weak for their prophaning the Lords Supper and this is under the New Testament that the Apostle saith as approving the righteous judgement of God let not us commit fornication as some of them commited 1 Cor. 10. Let not us fall as they fell and many of them it is probable among the 23 thousand were good men The Apostle approves of Gods Judgement to bee righteous in that Act. Only one objection against this Doth not the Scripture say in Isa 53. That the chastisement of our peace was laid on Christ now if all those chastisments that were due to us for sin were laid on Christ doth not this derogate from Christs sufferings that hee must suffer too doth not this intimate that Christs sufferings were not satisfactory The Answer is easie That when we say we suffer for sin and are punished for sin understand it thus there is a great deal of difference between our suffering for sin and Christs suffering for sin we doe not suffer for sin as Christ did because our punishments for sin are not by way of satisfaction to Divine Justice but onely by way of castigation from Divine Justice when God doth punish a pardoned man with some outward Judgement for sin it is no satisfaction no compensation when the text saith that our chastisements are laid upon Christ the meaning is Christ suffers for sin by way of satisfaction he appealeth Gods wrath he satisfies Gods Justice for the sins that we have done should we lose our bloud for a sin should we give the fruit of our body for the sins of our soule yet this cannot make a compensation for sin therefore it may well consist that God punished Christ for our sins by way of satisfaction to his Justice and may punish us by way of castigation as a father his children Now to ratifie and satisfie your thoughts the more in this that though God doth pardon a sin yet hee will punish for a sin take some reasons for it First Because wicked men that are punished for sin would accuse God of partiality and injustice should he punish them and not his own people for the same sin wicked men would account God partiall but the wicked shall say I see Gods own people are punished in this life more severely then I am the Lord doth it to vindicate the impartiality of his Justice that he will not spare sin where ever finds it A second Reason is Because God doth command Magistrates to execute punishments in this life for sin even upon good men therefore if he commands a Magistrate to punish a good man for his sin surely he doth approve of their punishment Suppose a good man should commit adultery he was to dye for it suppose he should commit murder he was to dye for it if God did command that pâ—â—nall punishment should be inflicted on good men in this life then surely he might doe it much more himself Case 3 The third Case of Conscience is this Whether doth pardon of sin go before faith and repentance or else follow after I doe not speak now of the priority of nature but of the priority of time This is a usefull question There are many Books in Print made by severall Antinomians that plead for this and they say that repentance is not a condition to qualifie the subject to obtain forgivenesse but onely a signe to manifest that sin is forgiven and that a man is pardoned from all eternity that before a man beleeves and repents he is pardoned which is a falshood for to a beleever the Apostle doth confine pardon Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God For sins that are past those sins you have committed and have repented of he gives you pardon for all them He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall fiade mercy and he that doth not so shall not find mercy He that hideth his sin shall not prosper I answer to this query that God doth pardon sin after a man repents and beleeves not before and to give you a proofe for this First I shall give you the grounds from the Scripture then absurdities that would follow if this were not so First from the Scripture Observe that the Scripture doth limit and confine pardon to a repenting state Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sin may be blotted out No blotting out of sin without repentance Repent that your sin may be blotted out Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me So that till thou beest turned from darknesse to light untill thou beest turned from Satan to God thou hast not received forgivenesse of sins mark the antecedent word hee opens their eyes c. therefore God expresly doth tye forgivenesse of sin to repentance and so in Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse There is first a confession this is
of his comming againe verse 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe Sixthly By this that he will receive us to himselfe verse 3. And receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also and we shall ever be with the Lord. I shall explaine the Phrases when I come to handle them as they lie in order This Text contains in it the most materiall and fundamentall points of all the Doctrine of Christianity as Doct. 1 First the great doctrine of Christs bodily ascension into Heaven If I go Doct. 2 Secondly the fruit and benefit of Christs going into Heaven I go to prepare a place for you Doct. 3 Thirdly here is the great Doctrine of Christs second comming to judge the quick and the dead but I come againe Doct. 4 Fourthly here is the great Doctrine of the Resurrection of the body Christ shall come to receive them again from the dead and all the Elect with them Doct. 5 Fifthly here is the great Doctrine of that everlasting Communion that the Saints shal have with Christ in Heaven that where I am there ye may be also The first clause If I go it s a good note that Calvin hath on these words this conditionall Particle ought to be resolved into an Adverb of time If I go It is not a note of dubitation if Christ should go to heaven or no or a supposition peradventure he may go to Heaven peradventure not but it serves for limitation of time when Christ doth go to Heaven A like phrase you have John 12 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me This he spake of what death he should die if he be lifted on the Crosse he should save many by his death The word if doth not note a dubitation or a supposition it may be or it may not be but it notes an Adverb of time when I am lifted up and so in my Text And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also There is no difficulty in the first expression If I go and prepare a place for you from which words there are two observations If I go First that Christs Ascension or going up to Heaven is a ground of great comfort and great advantage to all his people while they dwell here upon the earth The second observation is from the end and benefit of his going up to Heaven If I go I go to prepare a place for you That the great end of Jesus Christs going bodily to Heaven is to prepare Heaven for all the Elect. Doct. 1 The first Doctrine That Christs Ascension or going up to Heaven is a ground of comfort and great advantage to all Gods people whilst they dwell here upon the earth In the handling of this point there are three particulars First I shall prove it to you by Scripture that Christ is bodily gone into Heaven I prove it by these five arguments in Scripture First by the Types that were before the Law Enoch was translated and taken up bodily into Heaven where now he is Gen. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him this is confirmed by the Apostle Heb. 11. 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony That he pleased God And under the Law Elijah was taken up in a fiery Chariot 2 King 2. 11. And it came to passe as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlewind into Heaven So Christ makes a third under the Gospell taken up to Heaven also Second Argument to prove this Doctrine is by Prophesies in the old Testament that Jesus Christ was to be taken up into Heaven bodily three prophesies one in the 68 Psalm there David prophesi'd of Christ in the 18. verse Thou hast ascended on high c. Now we should not have known so full that this had reference to Jesus Christs Ascension if Paul had not expounded this in Heb. 4. and the 14. verse Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession The Prophesies that were long before Christ was born did declare this that Jesus Christ should ascend up into Heaven and in the 110. Psa 7. verse He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head what is that It is spoken of Christ I will set him upon my right hand first hee shall drink of the brook by the way he shall crie I thirst upon the Crosse he shall die and be crucified then afterwards he shall lift up his head he shall rise againe and ascend up into Heaven a full Prophecie in Daniel 7. 13 14. I saw in the night Visions and behold One like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the ancient of daies and they brought him neer before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and Languages should serve him His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroied This cannot be spoken of Christs comming to judgement but then the Text saith he shall deliver them to his Father 1 Cor. 15. But the comming of Christ in the clouds here is Christs going up into Heaven as it is in the 1. Acts verse 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And thus you have it by Prophesies confirmed Thirdly the Doctrine of Christs going up to Heaven is confirmed to you by Christs promises Christ upon the earth did promise that he would go up to Heaven John 6. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before In John 20. 17. Jesus saith unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God Christ did promise that he would ascend John 16. 5 7. But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asked me whither goest thou Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you John 16. 16. A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father I could quote you many Scriptures that Christ promised he would
you captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour rode to the Capitol of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariots wheels So Christ did carry his captives by his wheeles as it were he led captivity captive Colos 2. 15. And having spoyled Principalities and powers he 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 he hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne. Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodys to heaven I go to heaven that I may receive you to my self that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In Joh. 14. 19. Yet a little while the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also As if he should say wel I must leave you and I must goe to Heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shal also live with me in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his dayes saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and he is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven and this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christ is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce that hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of beleevers 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 Preist 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 he 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 he might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7. 26. For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled separate 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 fulfiled 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 he were on earth hee should not be a priest seeing 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 we 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 typified out under the Law Exod. 28. 9 10 11 and 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix stones grave them on 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 work 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 into that which is so in it selfe the Holy of Holiest and there he hath not onely the names of al the elect of God throughout the world on his breast but hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his father This is a third ground of comfort that they have of Christs going bodily into 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 which was bestowed on his people whilest he was upon the Earth Ephes 4 ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave giftes unto men It is an allusion to the Roman custome that when the conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely lead 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 spoiled death and the Devil thus 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 Sociâ—ian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gift of the spirit and they ground it on that text Ioh. 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 beleeve 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 then they could not bee in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that abundant measure was not given because Christ was not yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascension and untill he was glorified therefore the Apostles soon after his ascension received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this also as the fruit of Ascension Ephesians 4. 10 11 12. vers He that descended is the
your determinations about the time of Christs coming nor about the place where for neither is revealed in Scripture Christ did deny his Disciples when they asked him where hee should come Luk. 17. 37. And they answered and said where Lord And hee said unto them where the body is thither will the Eagles bee gathered together Christ told them of the destruction of Jerusalem and of the end of the Woâ—ld then said the Disciples but where Lord wilt thou come Christ onely gives them this answer that where the carcasse is thither will the Eagles flee that is where Christ is all the Elect shall bee gathered as Birds of prey flock together after a carcasset o feed upon so that Christ would neither tell the place where nor the time when and this should bee a check and a controle to mens curious pryings about that which the Scripture is silent in Lastly take heed of bold and adventurous conjectures about the manner of Christs coming to judge the World by vaine and carnall corruptions of a temporall Kingdome of Christ Many are very peremptory about it and there bee strange Books at least in their own expressions that they can descry the very maner of his coming that Christ shall come from heaven and dwell a thousand yeares upon the Earth and the Dead shall rise and live in the World but these are such things which the Scripture doth never take notice of I am to handle on this promise of Christ but I will come again A perplexed Quere which is this whether Christ Jesus in promising to his Disciples to come again did meane to come to Reigne upon the Earth here a thousand years or whether it bee to bee meant of Christs last coming to judge the world this Scripture and others are made use of and brought to prove that Christ shall come from heaven in person and live upon the Earth for a whole thousand years they fancy that Jesus Christ when hee shall come to this personall Reigne then hee shall raise all the Martyrs that have lost their Lives in his cause and the Divell shall bee bound up that hee shall tempt Men to sinne no more and wicked Men shall be ty'd up that they shall not persecute the Church of God this is an Antient Opinion and almost since the Apostles dayes Before I shall come to give you my thoughts from the words touching Christs coming as they pretend to Reigne a thousand years upon the Earth I shall shew you the rise of this Opinion First from Eusebius and others they give us the rise of this Opinion from Cerinthus which had it who lived in the time of John This Cerinthus who was a pestiâ—ent Heretick in those times who held that Christ was borne by the conjunction of a man and a woman Christum ex congressu maritali genitum esse and not born by a Virgin and was borne as others are and so must be a sinner Hee was the Man that was the first author from whom this Opinion had any life or being Eusebius saith Papias Bishop of Hieropolis did also hold this Opinion but not in so grosse a way as Cerinthus did but rather spiritually and there was some spice of this in the Apostles for they did dream of a temporal Kingdome therfore they askt Christ when hee was going to Heaven Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome unto Israel there was in the time of the Apostle a fancy that Christ must bee an Earthly Monarch and destroy all the Kings of the Earth and all the Enemies of the world and must come here to Rule and Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth it was brought over into Germany and there was taken hold on by John of Leydon in westphalia and handed over to us in England by men of late Now for the confutation First I shall quote expresse Scriptures that Christ shall not come in person out of heaven till his last coming to judge the world Secondly I shall give you some reasons from the Scripture why Christ cannot come out of Heaven Bodily and in person to Reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth Thirdly I shall shew you some absurdities and incongruities that would follow if Christ should come to Reign a thousand yeares upon the Earth First for expresse Scriptures which are four the first scripture Act. 3. 21. Whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began There the Apostle telleth you directly that the Heaven must receive and keep Jesus Christ how long till the restitution of all things The Millenaries hold that the restitution of all things may be at the time of Christ Personall Reigne but I shall shew you that this restitution of all things cannot be til Christs judging the world First there cannot be a totall abolition of sin in the world at the thousand yeares end there shall bee a number of men and wicked during the thousand yeares all things cannot bee restored for sinne bringeth the creature under a curse it is apparent that it cannot bee till Christs last coming to judge the world because other Scriptures tell you that the time of restitution cannot bee till our bodies bee raised from the Dead Rom. 8. 23. And not onely they but our selves also which have the fruits of the spirit even wee our selves groane within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our body That is the creatures doe as it were groane being used by man as an instrument to Gods dishonour so that till the bodies of all the Elect bee redeemed and glorified till that time the creature lies under a curse by reason of mans sinnes and mans abuse And they themselves that plead fâ—r Christs personal reigne a thousand yeares upon the Earth though they doe hold that the martyrs shall bee raised at at that time yet doe not hold that all the Elect shall bee raised at that time therefore the Apostle saith expresly that the Heavens must keepe the person of Christ till the restitution of all things 〈◊〉 the bodies of the Elect come to bee raised from the Dead Again it is apparant from the context in Acts 3. That the restitution of all things can intend no other time then the time of Christs coming to judgement First because it is said that the time here spoken of is when the Jewes were to bee refreshed from the Lords presence vers 19 20 21. Repent yee therefore and bee converted that your sinnes may bee bloted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And hee shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you Whom the Heaven must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began And they cannot bee refreshed by the Lords presence till Christs coming to Judgement and their
when men shall bee eating and drinking possessing and adding muck to muck when men are secure and never thinke of Christs coming to burn all with fire then the powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the world be set on fire Hence it is that you read in Scripture in five or six places Christs coming it shall be as a Thiefe in the night a Thiefe will come in the dead time of the Night as Christ said to his Disciples in Luke 21. 34. The coming of Christ it is an unexpected coming thus you have six Particulars of Christs coming Use Now a word of Application Having shewed you how this Doctrine of Christs coming it is a Doctrine of comfort I shall finish this point in shewing you how this Doctrine of Christs coming is a Doctrine of terrour and of dread and to whom It is observeable that the word is not compared onely to Milke and Honey but the word is compared also to Salt which also hath an efficacy to make smart Beloved you have heard the Hony of this Doctrine what great comfort it will afford to Godly men but remember the word is Salt also and it is of a smart efficacy to terrifie and fret the conscience Now the Doctrine of Christs coming it is a terrible Doctrine in these four things To all wicked men Christs coming again it is a terrible Doctrine because first al the secretst sins that ever a wicked man hath committed in this world they shal be made manifest to all I confesse it is a contest among learned men whether the sinnes of good men as well as bad shall not be known and there are strong arguments that all shall be made known but the Scripture is full in this that at the day of Judgement the sinnes that a wicked man hath done in this world shall bee published to all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and all the men that were on Earth It may bee thou goest for an honest man amongst thy Neighbours yet thou lovest thy Neighbours wife and goest in unto her if thou hast been so or thou hast deceived in thy Trade why for all thy secresie here yet then all the world shall know thy deceit and uncleannes it is built upon that Text Luk. 8. 17. For nothing is secret that shall not bee made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come abroad Here a thousand things are hid that men do not know here thou carriest it fairly and squarely in the world that men cannot say black is thine Eye but then they may say shame to thy Face this is dreadfull Secondly Christs coming it shall bee dreadfull in regard of thy Separation from all the Elect of God In Mat. 25. 32. 33. And before him shal be gathered all Nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his sheepe from the Goates And hee shall set the sheep on his right hand but the Goates on the left Here thou art mingled it may bee thou livest in the same house with a godly man and lyest in the same bed with a godly man but remember a parting time is coming that as the Shepherd parteth the Sheepe from the Goats so doth Christ part the wicked from the godly Thirdly Christs coming againe it is dreadfull to wicked men in regard it shall be the time of the promulgation of thy Sentence A Thiefe in Newgate is a miserable creature a Thiefe at Bar is in a sad condition but a Thiefe when the Sentence of death is past upon him then hee is in a hopelesse condition O thou wicked man at thy dying day thou art a Malefactor but at thy Sentence giving thou art an undone man thou art in a hopelesse condition Fourthly Christs coming it is the time of the reuniting of thy body and soule together and of thy taking possession of Hell when thy body and soule that have been so many hundred yeares parted shall come to meet together and your meeting to bee but a going into Infernall torments this makes the coming of Christ to be a dreadfull coming I but you will say it is true indeed A Felix may tremble when Paul shall Preach to him of Judgement to come but have wee Christians cause of feare Yes you that are Christians in case you bee found under these particulars that I am now naming to you the day of Judgement will be dreadfull to you Christs coming againe to judge the world is not onely a dreadfull Doctrine to a Felix but may make thee a Christian to tremble in these cases First The Doctrine of Christs coming may make men tremble who are guilty of Acts of Oppression and Violence in Courts of Judicature Eccle. 3. 16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of Judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and every worke That is to judge every purpose and every worke When God shall come to places of Judgement and places of Judicature and shall say wickednesse is there and shall say bribery is there and the deferring of the cause of the poor is there woe bee to all Oppressions of the poore and grinding their Faces in Courts of Judicature many whereof are Seats of violence and not Courts of Judicature Christ shall come to judge things that men will not judge men will not judge Adulterers but whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Men will not judge men for Heresie but God will judge them Christs coming is dreadfull to all men that live by Oppression and Violence in Courts of judicature Secondly Christs coming to judgement is dreadfull to all them who to save their worldly advantage are ashamed to professe the Gospell of Christ O! Christs coming is a dreadfull time to these In Mark 8. 38. Whosoever therefore shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Son of man bee ashamed when hee cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels I pray you marke here are two answers to an Objection in these words First men might say why blessed Jesus who would bee ashamed of thee if Christ were on the Earth wee would never bee ashamed of Christ Therefore Christ addes whosoever is ashamed of mee and of my words though you might not bee ashamed of Christs person yet you might bee ashamed of his words Then men may Object and say why truly if it were a peaceable time a safe time to professe Christ but what when wee live in a wicked place and among a wicked people will not Christ bear with us to hold down our heads a little and to sleep in a whole Skin no saith Christ whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Sonne of man c.
day to the time that Christ spake and not the time that the thiefe should bee in Heaven for saith Gerrard marke the thiefs prayer in ver 42. And hee said unto Jesus Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Marke there is the thiefs when that when Christ should come to Heaven Christ should remember him Christs Hodie must answer to his Quando or else hee did not answer his prayer Christs to day must answer the thiefs when that when Christ came to Heaven then to remember the thiefe And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thirdly it is needlesse for Christ to say to day to tell him the time when hee spake hee knew Christ spake to him then but to speak of the time when the thiefe should bee in Heaven it was needfull I say to thee this day thou shalt be with me in Heaven The second Evasion is this It is true Christ promised thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise but Christ doth not say thou shalt be with me in Heaven There are three answers to confute this Evasion First that those that will not by Paradise understand Heaven by this Text they then fall in with the Papists either for Purgatory or a Limbus Patrum Secondly take this answer that in other Scriptures when Paradise is mentioned it is to be understood Heaven and so the Apostle doth expound it 2 Cor. 12. 2 4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteene yeares agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third Heaven How that hee was caught up into Paradise and beard unspeakable words which it is not lawfull for a man to utter So that the Apostle by Paradise doth meane Heaven Revel 2. 7. Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God That is he shall enjoy Jesus Christ Christ in Heaven is the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God Thirdly it cannot be any Earthly Paradise as the Paradise Adam was in before his fall for the Earthly Paradise was destroyed by the Flood therfore of necessity when Christ tells the thiefe To day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise it must referre to the thiefes going to Heaven at that day with Jesus Christ A second instance it is in Luke 16. 22. And it came to passe that the Begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Ahrahams bosom the rich man also dyed and was buried This is another instance that the souls of the elect after death they goe to Heaven There are two Evasions made upon this Text. First they say that this Text it is a parable and not an Historicall Narration To this I answer though some men doe say it is a Parable yet many say it is a History Jerome and many following him doth give many arguments to prove that it was a History and not a parable And Tertullian is confident that this is an exact History of what was really done And Peter Martyr doth quote Tertullian saith hee Tertullian is so confident that this is a History that hee undertakes to tell you who were the men saith hee the Rich man was Herod and the Beggar was John the Baptist But Suppose it be a parable and not a History yet parables doe carry the resemblance of truth parables take their Foundations from truth that there are some men in Hell some men in Heaven that in Hell there is torment and in heaven there is joy that as the beggar went to Heaven after death so shall the godly and as the rich man went to Hell so shall all the wicked The other Evasion is this that this beggar is said to be carried into Abrahams bosome I answer First it is more then probable that Abrahams bosome is Heaven now Abraham being in heaven all his children are in Heaven that are in his bosome that is the answer that Gerrard gives Againe it is said that they are carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome therefore Abrahams bosom must be in Heaven certainly the good Angels carry a good soule into Heaven and the wicked Angels carry a damned soule into Hell and thus you have two instances that immediately after death the soules of the Elect go to Heaven A third instance is in Mat. 22. 31 32. But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living I argue from that instance that therfore Abraham Isaac and Jacob were living at that time though not in their bodies if you marke the reason of that Text it was not to prove a Resurrection of the body only which the Sadduces deny but also to prove the immortality of the soule The Sadduces deny Spirits and Angels too Acts 23. 8. For the Sadduces say that there is no Resurrection neither Angell nor Spirit but the Pharisees confesse both Christ doth prove that there shall bee a Resurrection of the body and hee likewises proves that the soule doth not dye when the body dyeth Indeed there is a quotation that I have read of a learned man that doth make use of this instance Gen. 25. 8. Then Abraham gave up the ghost and dyed in a good old age an old man and full of yeares and was gathered to his people Abraham was not gathered to his Fathers nor to be gathered in the grave where his fore-fathers were how then can this be true that the Scripture saith Abraham was gathered unto his Fathers Divines say it must be in his soule that Abraham went to heaven as his godly fore-fathers went that is the meaning of that phrase his soule was to be bound up in the bundle of Life to go to Heaven as their fore-fathers did And thus much for particular instances The second way to prove that the soules of the Elect men goe to Heaven immediately after death It is by generall expressions in Scripture Two generall passages one is in Heb. 12. 23. To the generall Assembly and Church of the first borne which are writen in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect thence I argue that Apostle makes mention and proves that there were the Spirits of just men made perfect Now if their Soules did perish with their bodies then the Apostle should say that their Spirits are annihilated with the body but it is the spirits of just men made perfect The Scripture takes notice in generall expressions that just men have their Soules made perfect And then in Eccle. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the Spirit
whereas the scripture saith expresly that Christ shall come from Heaven with his Saints and wee read in Scripture that there are the Spirits of just men made perfect as well as the innumerable company of Angels Fifthly this would follow that it would bee a great discomfort to a godly man on his death-bed to think he should bee so many hundred yeares soule and body in the grave before Christ would bring him to Heaven it would bee a very uncomfortable Doctrine for a man to thinke on that I shall die like a beast that my soule after death shall not bee taken up into Heaven And thus I have proved that immediately after the godly die their soules are received into heaven I have proved it by pregnant instances in the Scripture by generall expressions in the Scripture and by those expresse passages in Scripture and have given you those absurdities that will arise in case it should be denyed A word now from what hath been spoken If it bee that Christ doth receive thee O thou beleever to himselfe before the totall and compleat reception I would then give you this use for to comfort you Use First fear not a dying time let not death bee dreadfull and terrible to thee Beloved were this true indeed that when thou diest thy soule should perish with thy body then a Life is not worth the having but when thou shalt thinke on thy death-bed here now is a disease consuming thy body and sending of thee to thy grave and now there is but a little time betweene thee and Heaven that when I am a dying I am in the very Suburbs of Heaven a little breath between mee and Heaven O how should this comfort a dying man when that hee hath good evidences for Heaven O this should greatly comfort thee against thou comest to die to thinke that thy dead-bed is the very Suburbs of heaven I have read what John said that wrote the Revelarions when hee was ready to die I doe beleeve saith hee that in this very day my soule shall be presented before the Lord Jesus Christ O thinke now thou art leaving thy friends it will not bee a day before Christ and I shall meet in heaven As in the Booke of Martyrs wee read that in Queene Maries time two friends were put to death together One of them was fearfull to thinke that the flames should scorch his flesh O saith the other bee of good comfort for halfe an houre hence thou shalt bee in Heaven O thinke though thou art weake and sick even unto death yet that thou shalt shortly bee with Jesus Christ doubt not of the truth of this For I could even pawn my soul of the truth of it that the soules of the Elect are taken up into heaven immediately 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 Obser 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 immediately after death but to raise the body also There are two Queries in the Doctrinall part of this point touching the end of Christs coming which is to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe 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 himself 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 four 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 give this reason 1 Cor. 15. 12. Now if Christ bee preached that hee rose from the dead c. As if he 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 beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him So that because Jesus Christs body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven therfore our bodies must bee raised up and received into glory with him Secondly the bodies of the Elect must be raised 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 throughout and I pray God that your soule Spirit and Body bee kept blamelesse unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 6. 18 19 20. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own 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 the resurrection in Rom. 8. 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus 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 dwelleth in you and the graces of the spirit 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 conjunction and co-operation with the soule in all gracious working the body shall bee 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 neer Union which is betweene a Beleever and Jesus Christ Christ is the head and Beleevers are the members now the members must bee raised and received up to Jesus Christ to make his body a perfect body Thus much for the Reasons why that Jesus Christ at the second coming shall raise and receive the bodies of the Elect to himself as well as the soules The second query is this 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 bee capable to receive and enjoy here in this world it may bee thy body is endowed with a comely feature yet when Christ comes to receive thy body it shall bee endowed better then now it is Chrysostome 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 bee 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 he receives the body to himselfe First from being a naturall body as it is now it shall bee made by Christ a spirituall body that is the first endowment thou shalt cast off thy old Apparell of corruptible flesh and blood and shalt bee 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 needing naturall refreshments but saith the Apostle is shall be raised a spirituall body it shall have no more need of naturall refreshments which the naturall body requireth when it is a spirituall body it stands in no more need of meat no more need of drinke nor sleep and other naturall refreshments it shall bee raised a spirituall body Mat 22. 30. For in the resurrection they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven The Angels have no need of food and stand in no need of outward helps Rev. 7. 15 16. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and hee that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Therefore O beleeving soule behold thy happiness of soule and body in glory they shall bee no more standing in need of naturall refreshments then spirits doe when the Scripture saith that your bodies should be received by Christ The Platonick Philosophers understand the body shall bee turned into a spirit into a ghost or into winde or aire but that is not the reason of it it shall bee of the same substance as it is upon the Earth but it shall be refined Secondly the bodies of the Elect when Christ receiveth them to himselfe of vile bodies they shall bee made beautifull it may bee thou hast some deformity but Christ shall refine that body and new varnish and make it beautifull Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe The body of Christ is a beautifull body neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in it thy body shall bee like Christs glorious Body 1 Cor. 15. 43. It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weaknesse it is raised in power Here thy body it is a vile body Elâ—phaz cals the body a house of clay and Job cals it a house of Earth It is the Opinion of Gerrard and he gives strong reasons for it that if there bee any defects upon the body in this world if any of the members of the body be wanting it shall be restored to thee at the resurrection and there are these reasons to be given for it First because our bodies are promised to bee like Christs Body now Christs Body hath no redundant and defective member defect is but the product of sinne and the result of sinne therefore our bodies being said to to bee like Christs Body there shall bee no defect in it Secondly some members are necessarily required to make up the happiness of the Elect in Heaven suppose an Elect man should bee borne blind or lost his eies by casualty if this man should not have his eyes he could never see Christ in Heaven we shall see with these very eyes the Body of Christ The third reason is this because the bodies of the Elect shall bee as Adams body was in innocency Adams body was created perfect by God when Christ raiseth thy body it shall never want a member nor abound in a member thy vile body shall bee beautifull what though others bee 〈◊〉 then thee and clearer skin'd then thee what though others mens Earth bee painted better then thine yet when Christ receives thy body it shall be a beautifull a glorious body therefore you have that phrase Mat. 13. 43. Thâ—â— shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Thirdly from being a mortall body it shall bee by him an immortall body the body as it is here it is a mortall body dying and rotting in the grave but it shall bee made by Christ immortall 1 Cor. 15. 52 53. In a Moment in the Twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall bee raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality Those mortall bodies that must die must bee made immortall and those incorruptible bodies made incorruptible and never die this is the great happiness of the elect that their bodies shall bee made immortall bodies Fourthly the bodies of the elect from being lyable to sorrows and sufferings in the world shall bee made impassive bodies the body here is exposed to Diseases Aches Consumptions and what not the body it is an Hospitall of Diseases a Magazine of all Infirmities but the Lord shall make this body impassive lyable to no sufferings God shall then wipe a way all teares from our eies no sorrows no crying nor no paine there is the great happinesse of the body it shall be made impassive not lyable to hunger thirst paine Diseases and the like Fifthly thy body from being a
heavy and lumpish body as now it is shall bee made an agile and swift body the Eagle shall not flee so strongly as the bodies of the Elect shall flee from place to place and it is grounded from that Scripture 1 Thess 4. 14. for if wee beleeve that Jesus Christ dyed and rose againe even them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him Which the body could not doe if the body did not lose its lumpishnesse and heavinesse which it hath here Zanchy doth illustrate it by this comparison â— saith he the body is like the Chick in the agge the Bird in the egge strives not but when it is flusht then it can flie so when thou arâ— raised thou canst goe from one part of the world to another in a moment so was Christs body when it was raised Christ was taken immediately up into heaven which is as Astronomers say if wee may beleeve their guesâ—es above 40 Millions of Miles now the soule hath a lumpish body that it cannot follow the soule therefore the body shall bee made conformable to the Soule the body is now a tyred Jade to the Soule but then it shall not be so Sixthly from being a weak body it shal be made a strong body 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weaknesse it is raised in power The body of man is a weake fleshly thing Anselâ—e is of this Opinion on this Text 1 Cor. 15. saith hee mans body shall bee so strong that hee shall bee able to tosse a mountaine as a child would tosse a tennis ball this is the great glory that God puts on the body that being a natural Bodie it shall bee made by Christ a spirituall Body of being a vile Body it shall made by Christ a beautifull Body from being a mortall Body it shall be made an immortall Body from being lyable to sorrowes and sufferings in this world it shall bee made impassive being a heavy lumpish Body it shall bee made an 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 Sadduces 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 amongst 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 meerely but a poeticall fiction and to be no reall and undoubted truth The Scripture which they urge is this you talke of the Body being raised by Christ how can this bee 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 Kingdom how then can the Body come there First I answer it cannot bee the Apostles intent to impugne the bodies rising for the drift of the whole Chapter is to prove that the Body shall be raised therefore it is 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 infirmities cleaving to them in this world the body as it is now a sinfull body an infirme body a weak mortall body as it is now shal 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 we shall bee changed we shall not all sleep but bee changed the Apostle proves this 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 sleep but wee shall all bee changed Our corruptible Bodies 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 bee holy and Immortall so that flesh and blood as now it is sinfull corruptible till changed and made glorious and pure 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. For there is hope of a Tree if it bee cut downe that it shall sprouâ— againe and that the tender branch thereof will not cease Though the root 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 Bought like a plant But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is heeâ—â— A Tree faith Iob if that dies it may live again but if man dies hee vanisheth away and where is man on this they build that man shall never live againe To this take this cleare Answer That when Iob speakes Though a tree dies it lives againe but if man dies hee lives not Iob understands it by living againe in this World so there is more hope of a Tree then of a Man But you will aske me how do you prove this for to be Iobs intent I prove it to you from Iobs words in the 12. vers So man lieth down and riseth not till the heavens bee no more they shall not awake nor bee raised out of their sleep So that here Iob speakes of a rising when the Heavens shall bee no more when the world shall be burnt with fire then man shall bee awakned and in the 14. vers If a man die shall bee live againe All the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my change come Iob speaks 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 is it 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 bee killed and devoured by a Wolfe a Lyon eates that Wolfe suppose that the Lyon dyes and the Fowles of the aire eate that Lyon and men eate those Fowles how can the bodies of Men be raised being thus confounded Suppose a Man bee drowned in the Sea and the Fishes in the Sea eat that man how can his substance be gathered