it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power The weakest bodie in Heauen shall be stronger than the strongest man in earth Then saieth hee it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie So the change is in qualitie and therefore he saith to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. When CHRIST commeth Hee shall transforme not abolish but transforme in qualitie our vile bodies like to His owne glorious body Christ keepeth in y e Heauen that same very body which he had in the earth thou shalt keep the same bodie in HeaueÌ„ which thou hast in earth but it shall be altered in qualitie as far as y e HeaueÌ„ earth is different BrethreÌ„ this ministreth comfort there is none of vs but naturally we loue this body then let this comfort thee that suppose thy soule shall bee for a time without this bodie yet thou shalt get it again Another comfort death cannot destroy it the graue shall not bee able to swallow vp that body but the graue shal keep it the dust substance thereof till the comming of Christ then it shall be compelled to render it againe Life shall swallow vp death but death nor the graue shall not be able to swallow vp the bodie of Godâ— Elect But the reprobate shall be swallowed vp of death both in soule bodie In the 8. chap. to the ROMANES the 10. and 11. verses Paul ministreth these two consolations against death Hee saieth The bodie must die because of sinne but hee subjoyneth The soule in the meane time shall liue and the Spirit of Iesus shall take it couer it with that blood And albeit it was a sinfull soule yet assoone as the Father blinketh vpon it wimpled and wrapped as it were in the blood of Iesus immediately hee biddeth it passe to glorie He goeth forward And where it might haue bene said shall we haue no consolation in the body He answereth If the Spirite of Him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in your mortall body what then He that is GOD the Father that raised vp Christ from the dead He by His Spirit shall raise your bodies that same body that is dead and laid in graue that same body by Gods Spirit for the Spirit of Iesus and the Spirite of the Father is all one shall be raised vp Learne then if this holy Spirit of God once take lodging in you He shall neuer leaue you in soule nor body He shal accompanie the body in the graue and conuoy the soule to Heauen The Spirit of Iesus shall goe with y e soule lift it vp The earth getteth the body when the soule is separated from it yet the Holy Spirit shall goe to the graue with the body and shall remain with it in the graue and with the least part of the dust thereof And when Christ shall come He shall gather it together and make it a whole body So happy are they that haue once lodged this guest in their soules for neither fire nor water nor none other power euer shall bee able to destroy them because that Holy Spirit euer remaineth with theÌ„ Now in the next verse because it might haue bene said and objected Thou wouldst not want the bodie why sighest thou then and what meaneth this desire if thou wouldst keepe the body Wee the faithfull that are in this tabernacle we sigh are burthened but marke our desire because wee would not be vnclothed as some will say Soule to God and bones to the dung-hill in contempt of the body but thinkest thou to be glorified in HeaueÌ„ without a body No but would be clothed vpon that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of Life As if hee would say I wold haue this faire cloke of glory put vpon this body that it might consume and swallow vp all this stinke of sinne that is in the body Learne then first the body as it is now is a burthen Hee saieth Wee that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened It is a loade laide vpon the backe of the soule it is a tabernacle but a burthenable tabernacle as an house smoothering him down and he holding the same vpon his shoulders that appearantly it would be better for him to bee out of it Learne secondly the estate of them that dwell in this tabernacle If the body be a burthen then the soule must sigh grone as a man vnder a heauie burthen And the body is nothing but an house of mourning to the faithfull soule as long as it dwelleth therein The wanton light man thinketh this body which he beareth about to bee no burthen and will run and leape with it as though this carcasse were as light as a fether Alas hee feeleth not the burthen hee is senselesse and like one in a feuer and in a rage that knoweth not what hee doeth nor what hee suffereth A mountaine is lying vpon him and hee feeleth it not Woe to those men that are so wanton vnder this miserie Amend in time or the LORD shâ—ll thrust thee downe to Hell Fye on thee that dwellest in Bethania the house of mourning canst not mourn Mourne in time or else I assure thee thou shalt mourne for euer This beeing the condition of men who dwell in this tabernacle sighing and desiring as a womâ—n with childe to bee relieued what is the ende of this desire The ende of the mourning of the Godlie is not that they woulde bee quite of the house as manie desire that were wrong for manie will mourne vnder this house desperatelie and the bodie will bee a burthen to the soule in them and their life will be vnpleasant to them they will thinke to get a reliefe of the burthen by the want of this present life and will put hand in themselues but then beginneth their euerlasting mourning for they neuer knew what mourning was till that end come So then this is not the way to bee deliuered of the burthen but the way is To seeke to put on a cloathing on this bodie and heere is the ende of our desire It is clothed with mortalitie and that is all the matter of thy mourning It is not the substance of the bodie that causeth thee to mourne but sinne that possesseth thy bodie and corrupteth the marowe of thy bones death accompanying sinne Then this mortalitie beeing an accident of sinne which is the chiefe cause thereof the remedie is Seeke to bee cloathed with the life that commeth from Christ Sucke in by Faith a droppe of that life of Christ This will not destroy thy bodie but it will destroy the death sinne that possesseth thy bodie And the life of Iesus Christ in a moment wil swallowe vp all that death and sinne and all that miserie that laye on thee There is the way to dwell with ease in the bodie Seeke not to destroy the bodie But seeke the slaughter of that sinne and death that lieth
saluation All the troubles that shall bee laide vpon thee in this worlde shall bee so turned ouer that they shall serue to thy good and consolation But if this hope be away if thou lie sluggishly not hauing thine head raised vp with closed eyes not looking and hoping that thou shalt glorifie thy Lord not caring for His glorie either in thy life or in thy death all thy miserie that lighteth vpon thee shall remaine miserie and shall presse thee down to euerlasting damnation Looke then how precious this hope is Learne another thing here There standeth much in these two in shame and blushing in confidence libertie and courage I say to thee there standeth more in the consequeÌ„ts of suffering and doing than standeth in the suffering and doing it selfe I suppose thou suffer the death for Christes sake if thou bee ashamed in suffering and hast not libertie and courage thou sufferest not so much for CHRIST as for thy selfe and thy death is nothing else but a death to thee and thy suffering is nothing but a suffering to thy selfe Euen so do what thou wilt doe to glorifie Him if it be not done with libertie freedome and courage thou losest thy trauell Seeing then that so much standeth in the disposition of the heart let euery man looke that hee prepare himselfe with courage and confidence against the daye of triall that with confidence in suffering he may magnifie God Paul saith to Timothie in his 2. epist chap. 1. vers 8. Bee not ashamed of Christ nor of me that am His captiue Thinke shame of none that suffer for Christ but rather bee thou partaker of that affliction to suffer with courage and confidence those things with them Yet marke another thing here he saith that he might magnifie Christ in his bodie Hee speaketh not of the soule And so I obseru that of the very bodie let bee of the soule euen of the very bodily masse which thou bearest about with thee a great duety is required for the glorifying of God and His Christ When thou art liuing in thine actions when thou art dying in thy death it must be an instrument glorifying God when thou art going vpon thy feete it must bee an instrument of His glorie when thou art lying in thy bedde yea the Lord must bee glorified in it when it is dissolued into ashes in the graue I marke this against that vaine conceite of men who will saye What care I so I keepe a good minde to God let mee prostitute my body to harlotrie gluttony and all vices yet I will keepe my soule to God No either God will haue all or the Deuill will haue all Awaye thou idolater who wilt keepe thy soule to GOD and wilt bowe thy knee to Baal the Deuill will get both soule and bodie Paul saieth not that the Lord hath only bought thy soule with a price but that Hee hath bought both soule and body that they should glorifie God 1. Corin. 6. 20 â—ee are bought with a price yee are not your owne Fye filthie bodie that wilt say May I not doe with my bodie as I please Hast thou power to reaue it out of the handes of the Lord The Lord hath the power of thy body and in that last day thou shalt bee challenged with theft and sacriledge And when hee hath said ye are bought with a price hee subjoyneth Glorifie God not in your spirite onely but also in your bodies Either Hee will haue both or else none Thinkest thou to send thy soule to God and thy body to the Deuill No either the Lord shall get both or both shall goe to Hell Take heed how ye keepe these bodies ye shall render accompt of them Thy body should be the Temple of the holie Spirit if thou defile the seate of that holy One shame shall light vpon thee I marke heere To assure himselfe of continuance that hee shall continue in glorifying God in life and death he taketh an argument from his former experience Euer hitherto I haue glorified God in my body I haue a stedfast hope that I shall continue that all the actions of my body shall glorifie Him and when I am dead He shall be glorified in my body It is good then to begin well and to haue experience that thou hast serued GOD well in thy calling for experience bringeth hope and hope maketh thee no wayes ashamed Rom. 5. 4. 5. And if thou haue experience that thou hast serued GOD and Hee hath beene with thee and kept thy bodie in puritie thou mayest bee assured to continue to the ende Not that our continuance standeth in our self no our continuance standeth not in our selues for the best man that liueth is not able of himselfe to stand one moment but out standing is in God for if Hee would take His grace from vs in one moment we would fall It is the loue that He beareth to vs that holds vs vp be once assured of that loue of GOD towardes thee and then thou mayest bee assured that thou shalt glorifie God both in life and death Now in the next verse he saith For Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage Hee giueth a reason wherefore hee saide hee would magnifie God in his bodie both in life and death The reason is because of the aduantage hee hath of Him CHRIST IESVS is aduantage to him And when Not when I liue onelie saieth hee but in my death also Is it not good reason that I should glorifie Him both in life and death in whome I haue aduantage both in life and death All men doe for aduantage When a man hath done and suffered hee woulde haue aduantage When wee honour the Prince or anie man all is for aduantage If gaine mooueth to honour men to serue them where was there euer such a gaine and aduantage as may bee looked for at the handes of CHRIST If gaine will mooue thee where wilt thou get it if not in CHRIST Would thou haue gaine aduantage for thy doing in thy lifetime He will giue thee it Thou shalt not do one deed but thou shalt haue thine hire in thine hande Wouldest thou haue gain in thy death if thou die for Him thou shal get as fair an aduaÌ„tage as euer man got Indeede a man will giue thee gaine for honouring him in thy life-time but when thou art lying in thy deathbedde canst thou get aduantage out of the hand of a man Suppose a Monarch would giue thee a kingdome what aduantage is it to thee if thou liuest not to brooke it But I tell you plainelie The LORD is greater aduantage to vs in death than in life and all this aduantage which wee haue of Him in this life is nothing in respect of that aduantage which we shall get in the life to come Paul in the third chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians when hee hath counted al his aduantages and numbered out all the prerogatiues which hee had in this worlde
this naturall life shall bee taken from thee thou shalt get another life euerlasting in glory but if thou findest thy self not renewed by the Spirit of grace take this life from thee thou shalt not get life euerlasting in glorie So looke if thou be a newe creature thou hast gotten a greater grace than to be borne to an earthly kingdome if so be thou mayst assure thy selfe of lif euerlasting What is this newnesse in the new creature This newnes that is in the new creature is nothing els but that same life which we shall liue in Heauen and is begun here This newnesse is only this new life of regeneration which life so long as thou liuest heere from the time that thou hast gotten a sponke thereof piece and piece eateth vp the olde and cankered nature The life of God within thee will consume euen as thou consumest the meat thou eatest the olde corruption which lieth in thy nature and in the ende in the glorious resurrection of the dead it shall bee altogether abolished This life then which is begunne heere it shall open the mouth and swallow vp death and death thereafter shall haue no more place This life is onely eating vp by little and little death heere but at that time it shall swallowe it vp wholly and thou shalt say with Paule Death is swallowed vp 1. Cor. 15. 54. So well is the soule that hath a warrande of his new creation whether he die in his bed or out of it he shall die with joy Then my counsell is seeing death is daylie threatned let euery one striue to get this assurance of this new life begun in him heere that it may swallowe vp death Woe bee to them that haue not this assurance This is the second assuraÌ„ce of life euerlasting I pray you marke these assurances for Paule had such an earnest desire that hee sought all assurances and warrandes of this life and hee is reigning now in Heauen So thou who thirstest after life learne at him Nowe resteth the thirde warrande in the next wordes Who also hath giuen vs the earnest of the Spirite Learne the words for al the doctrine riseth of the words Then the third warrand is the Spirit of Christ Iesus in thee If euer thou mindest to haue life hereafter thou must haue Gods Spirit in thee not onlie thine owne Spirite but Gods Spirite flowing from God through Iesus Christ entering into thy bodie soule Beholde the liberality of God when Hee by His Spirite hath renewed thee Hee will not take that Spirite from thee as a man will doe when he hath builded a worke hee will take his hand from it stand if it will or not But the Lord doeth not so Hee hath renewed thee by His Holie Spirite which Hee putteth within thee O how the Lord putteth the third person of the Trinitie in thee and maketh Him an earnest-pennie to thee of Life euerlasting Because thy regeneration is vnperfect and thou hast not yet attained to that Life therefore Hee letteth His Spirit abide in thee assuring thee as an earnest-pennie that whatsoeuer God hath promised He shal perform it to thee and thou shalt not bee disappointed of a jot thereof Such is the infidelitie of our nature that all the promises all the othes which He maketh to confirme His promises all His SacrameÌ„ts which Hee hath joyned to His promises cannot perswade vs. But looke to this thirde warrande Hast thou the Spirit of God if Hee bee in thee He will bee quicke working joye with sighs He cannot be idle Hee will be working the worke of regeneration both day and night Then anger Him not Ephes 4. 30. Away with filthie cogitations away with euerie rotten worde away with euerie euill deede labour to pleasure Him day night and striue to keepe Him and thou shalt hauea warrande of life in thy bosome and when thou art dying thou shalt find such sweetnesse in death as is wonderfull to tell None euer had the Spirite of God but in death they had vnspeakable joye Then seeke to bee in Christ and get His Spirite within thee and hauing gotten this Spirite keepe Him diligently and powre out thine owne spirite but never Gods Spirit for then in all distresses thou shalt have comfort Now to resume all Yee who take great pleasure in your Charters the Evidences of your inheritance and land take heed to this Your inheritance is in Heaven and thou art a foole who thinkest that thou hast an inheritance in earth For either shalt thou be pulled from it or it shall bee pulled from thee Nay looke as ever thou wouldest be an inheriter that thine inheritance be in Heaven Thou art the foolishest begger and the poorest that ever was if thou bee a King if thou thinkest thine inheritance to be in earth Having laid this count with thy selfe Mine inheritance is in Heaven then next looke that thou have thine evidence For thou shalt never possesse Heaven except thou have the evidence thereof laid up in thy charter kist Now thine evidences are the same euidences that Paul had and the same kind of evidences serve for all it is an inheritance that all men must get one sort of charter must serve for one inheritance What then can be the charter and evidence Canst thou sigh for that Heavenly inheritance Canst thou have a desire of it There is thy first evidence Then findest thou thy selfe to bee renewed Findest thou CHRISTS life in thee The life of Iesus is manifest in me saith Paul 2. Cor. 4. 10. Findest thou the wicked life of this world reformed There is the second evidence Yet more findest thou the worker of the desire and the worker of thy regeneration the Spirit of Christ within thee then keepe him well There is the best evidence of all the evidences of thine inheritance having these assure thy selfe of Heaven but wantest thou these or any of them thou shalt never get that inheritance in Heaven As these three are three evidences of thine heavenly inheritance so they are three props of Faith that gripe this Heavenly life They are the three pillars that hold up Faith which is builded upon them cut one of these pillars away and thou shalt lose Faith and Hope But here it may be asked Are all these three of the nature of the life to come I answere As for the desire sighing and sobbing for that heavenly inheritance it endeth with this life and in that life to come all weeping shall bee taken away REVEL 21. 4. Mourne and groane in time then heereafter shall come ioy aud pure ioy A troubled ioy is â—eere in this life but heereafter there shall bee a pure and solid ioy and nothing but ioy So this mourning ceaseth then and is not of the nature of the life to come but as to the new creature and regeneration it is of the nature of the life to come and it is the beginnning and first part of that heavenly glorie so that our
CHRIST be fulfilled to vs. And therfore He is called the Spirit of trueth Iohan. 15. 26. Notwithstanding of all this confideÌ„ce and assurance vnder-propped with these three pillers Desire Regeneration and the Spirit the Apostle hath not full contentation of heart and the reason is because he seeth not the LORD Hee is yet wandring as a pilgrime in this world hath not gotten that joyfull countenance of CHRIST in the which countenance is onelie sacietie of pleasures For assure you the faithfull heart shall neuer haue contentation till it see CHRIST Therefore to attaine to this thing and to get the full satisfactioÌ„ of the heart he maketh choise of death and remouing out of the bodie hee preferreth it to all grace that can be had in this life Hee preferreth it to that confidence and assurance and to all other graces that hee can haue in this bodie that he might go vp to that presence of CHRIST Thus farre wee haue spoken hitherto Now to come to the text that we haue presently read The Apostle considering that sight that once we shall see and that presence that once wee shall haue of y e LORD IESVS which he hath not gotteÌ„ nor will not get till the time it please the LORD to call on him and none of vs will get it albeit wee woulde neuer so faine till that the LORD call on vs he sheweth therefore what he will do till that time come that he get that presence anâ— how hee will bee occupied liuing here in this pilgrimage what will bee his studie and care in lifâ— and death Therefore saith hee also we couet that baâ— dwelling at home and remoouing from home we may bâ— acceptable to Him There is his care in the meanâ— time All my care would he say so long as I liue iâ— this earth shall be to bee acceptable to my Lord to whom I goe that I may be the welcomer when I come Yet Brethren because the words are weightie euery word would be weighed We couet saith hee there is the first worde and in the first language this word importeth not onely a common desire but an ambition So by this word he vttereth that he is griedy of honour and ambitious for there iâ— an holy ambition that is lawfull that is requisite that is needefull in euery Christian man euen in the purest man that is But to come to the honour which he coueteth We couet saith he that we may be acceptable There is the honour to be acceptable to bee counted and liked of The worldlie man that hunteth after the honour of the worlde he desireth to be esteemed of to bee had in admiration and to be in grace So is it with the man of God the honour which he desireth is esteematioÌ„ he would be accounted of hee would bee in grace and good liking and if it were possible he would be esteemed aboue all the men in the world but whome would hee haue to esteeme of him The worldly ambitious man would bee accounted of by men hee hath no regarde of GODS estimation of him hee would haue the Prince accounting of him aboue all Courtiers hee would haue the people accounting much of him But the man of GOD that hath this holie ambition and griedinesse of honour hee careth not for the account and estimation of men neither seeketh his praise of men but of GOD and CHRIST with whom hee must dwell after this life hee desireth in this pilgrimage to bee assured that CHRIST hath a liking of him that after this life hee may reigne with CHRIST as a king for euer That is his honour To goe forward in the wordes When seeketh hee to bee acceptable to CHRIST at what time There is two times One time of liuing and another time of dying A time when the soule dwelleth in the bodie and another time when shee flitteth The ambitious holie man seeketh to bee acceptable to the LORD at both these times both dwelling at home and flitting from home All the honour of the worldlie man is in this life and whilst the soule is dwelling in this bodie But once laide downe in his bedde and let death assaile him there hee layeth downe his honour and if yee tell him of the honour which hee was seeking hee will spitte at it But the godly man if euer he was griedy of honour in this life in the houre of his death he is griedier thereof and the nearer death the griedier of the honour of CHRIST hee can haue no contentation in heart till hee know his soule is acceptable to that LORD whom to hee is going As for the meanes whereby hee seeketh to come to this honour ye will heare of them in the next verse hereafter This same Apostle 2. Timoth. 2. 15. setteth them downe also when hee hath desired Timothiâ— to studie to approoue himselfe to GOD immediately hee subjoyneth If thou wouldest bee approoued bee a worke-man thou wilt not get this acceptation by driuing ouer thy life in idlenesse or sluggishnesse let euery man in whatsoeuer estate bee a worke-man The worldly man is clyming to his honour by vnlawfull meanes by flatterie by falshood c. but it endeth in miserie But the godly maÌ„ let him seek to be approued by the King of kings being a faithfull worke-man in his calling diligent therein There is the meane of thine acceptation in this life In thy dying when all thy senses thy tongue thine hand and all faileth thâ—e and art not able to worke yet suffer with patience and set thine heart patiently to suffer death that in thy dying GOD may be glorified and so thou mayest consecrate both death life to Him Marke heere a lesson Paul of before he maketh a choise to go dwell with Christ he would faine haue bene dead but here is another desire which must goe before that and thou must haue the like desire before thou desire to flit out of this bodie and to bee with CHRIST First desire whilst thou art in this bodie to bee acceptable to Him and then desire to flit otherwise not for certainely if thou die before thou bee acceptable to GOD in thy life thou shalt not bee welcome to Him and he shal be the most terrible sight to thee that euer thou saw I shall neuer desire to see Him when I die if I desire not to bee acceptable to Him first in life and death Therefore studie by a faithfull discharge of thy duetie heere on earth to bee acceptable to thy LORD beguile not thy selfe Learne againe heere When hee hath made a choise to goe and dwell with the LORD hee desireth that hee may liue a godly life heere first then the lesson is A godly life heere is a too-looke to that life which wee shall haue in CHRIST which maketh a faithfull Pilgrime desire to bee with CHRIST It is an easie thing to haue an eye to the life to come if thou studie to liue well in this life And on the other
as y e Apostle saith Eph. 4. 30. neither in word or thought And therefore as thou wouldest keep Him not anger Him study to sanctificatiō sanctification shall bring on saluation for it is y e very means that shall make thee to see God look what th'Apostle saith Heb. 12. 14. Without sanctification no man shall see GOD. Now vpon all this discourse I marke shortly There were neuer two things so straitly joyned together as God man is there was neuer such kinred betwixt two things in y e world as is betwixt the God of glory and an earthly man thou wilt count thy kinred with this man and that man if thou be joyned with him in blood or alliance But I aske this question Is his spirite within thee is his soule within thee or is thy soule in him Indeede it is true the affection may goe out of thee to him but giuest thou him thy spirit with thy affection or giueth he thee his spirit with his affection knowest thou y e thought of his heart or knoweth he the thought of thine heart who will say it O! but God with His affection giueth thee His Spirit within thee that thou mayest know the thought of His heart and He of thine This is the conjunction that is betwixt God thee there is a narrow conjunction indeed betwixt y e members of that mysticall body for they are conjoyned together by y e Spirit of Christ by loue but no member putteth his spirit into another member there is y e other cōjunction betwixt the head and the members of the naturall bodie for the soule will as it were come downe and the spirit of the head to the members and they will vnderstand the thought of the head and the head will vnderstand the thought of the members but there was neuer such a conjunction betwixt the members the head as is betwixt God man and all conjunctions among men are but a pendicle of that which is betwixt GOD and man In this conjunction with thy GOD and with thine Head IESVS for thou art joyned with GOD in Him standeth thy felicitie and blessednesse To come to the next verse It might haue bene said to the Apostle Thou dedicatest all to the Spirit of God may not the spirite of man doe something in this purpose may not my spirit search in to God and discouer the deepnes that is in Him He answereth Noman can see the thinges that are in God but His owne Spirit Then hee declareth his answere by a comparison Euen as no man can see the thinges which are in man but by the spirit of a man so nothing can search the things which are in God but the Spirit of God Thou canst not see the things that are in me onlie I my selfe will see the thinges that are in me euen so no man can see the things that are in God but onlie His owne Spirit Nowe the Apostle heere hee meeteth the verie pride of the heart of man that hee will conciet of himself that he by his spirit will search the things that are in God Paule had this experience in the Corinthians who were but carnall they tooke vpon them to judge vpon his doctrine that was spirituall Hast thou but that spirite which is carnall albeit thou bee a Monarch thou art too bolde to take vpon thee to judge of thinges which are spirituall and spoken spirituallie This same is the pride of the Papists this daye There will come out a Thomist a Scotist who hath the spirit of a man onlie and a verie subtile or rather a Sophisticall spirit an humane Philosopher and hee will judge of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and turne it ouer into humane Philosophie They haue turned the Gospell of Iesus to Aristotle all their writings are but spiritlesse There is not so much as a smell of the Spirit of Iesus in them all But O that terrible judgement that abideth such Doctors as are prophane polluters of the Gospell of Iesus Christ There is none of vs all but if a man would stand vp and say to mee or to thee I knowe thine heart and what is in thine heart wee would be angrie at him Then will not that glorious God bee angrie at a prophane villane that will say hee will search in to that profunditie hauing only his owne spirit Brethren when I was younger than I am if I had seene one of great engine great capacitie great graces I thought immediately he would comprehend the whole Bible but I protest before God that the longer I liue I thinke euer the lesse of the wit of man I had rather haue y e least sponk of the Spirit of Christ nor all the engine knowledge of y e world No a silly body that hath y e Spirit of Iesus will conceiue more of spiritual things than all the high headed bodies in the worlde Therefore alwayes renounce thine owne wit and be a foole that thou mayest be wise Another thing I marke heere When hee hath magnified the Spirit and made Him the searcher of all the deepnesse of God see howe hee holdeth off him the proude conceites of men hee will not let thee touch him or his priuiledges that is to search the deepnesse of God Therefore if yee will speake of God to His honour He is inuiolable saue him from the proude conceites of men Hold proude men off God let them not touch Him or violate that inuiolable Majestie or else thou shalt be guiltie if Hee be violated by thy default Alas wherefore art thou set in this world but to preach His glorie and to keepe it inuiolate from the injuries of all flesh in the worlde Looke what he doeth next in the last verse when he hath as it were holden off GOD the proude conceites of men who woulde take vpon them to search in to the deepnesse of God what doeth he He draweth that Spirit to himselfe and saieth Nowe wee haue receiued not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God whereby hee learneth thee this lesson It auaileth thee not to magnifie to glorifie God and His Spirit except in the end thou take that Spirit to thy selfe and mayest challenge Christ and His Spirit as thine owne propertie Men haue spoken verie highlie of Christ and haue had little adoe with Him Speake thou not of Him so but as thou speakest of Him to His praise take Him to thy selfe otherwise in all thy speaking of Him thou art but a verie babler if thou haue not that Spirite within thee For the Apostle saith No man can call Iesus Lord except he haue the Spirit of Iesus 1. Cor. 12. 3. Therefore as thou wouldest saue thy selfe from prophaning of God and of His Spirit and of His graces when thou art praising and magnifying Him looke that thou haue the Spirite that thou mayest say to thy selfe This Spirit whom I praise is mine this God whom I haue bene magnifying and all His
take it vpon thee it will presse thee to euerlasting damnation Then there is the meane of our saluation The mercie of GOD. Next hee laieth out the partes of our saluation abroade one by one that yee may see what saluation meaneth hee saieth By the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost There is the first part It is a washing of vs when GOD putteth to His hand to saue vs. Yee knowe washing presupponeth foulenesse therefore it must follow when GOD beganne to saue vs we were vnclene full of byles and botches conceiued and borne in filthinesse and then warbling and wallowing in our owne sinne and filthinesse and euer the longer wee liue we are still the filthier It is a maruell that that Holy GOD should euer sustaine to looke to thy filthy byles or to put His holie and pure hand to thy vile botches or to sende downe His cleane Spirit to dwell in thine vncleane heart or that any wayes His purity should meddle with thine impurity Amongst all the argumentes of His loue this is one When Hee putteth to His fair baÌ„d to thee that art so foule Findest thou thy sinnes pardoned and thy selfe purged washed assure thy selfe thou art safe and GOD hath loued thee For except the loue of GOD had beene all the greater towardes thee Hee woulde neuer haue purged thee from thy sinnes It is a sure token of His loue towards thee that it is infinite exceeding that He hath not loathed thee and thy filthie byles botches I see heere two washings one outwarde another inwarde the first in these wordes The lauer of regeneration the next Therenewing of the Holie Spirite The first is our Baptisme the next the inward washing and renewing by the Holie Spirite represented by this outwarde Baptisme As the vvater vvasheth away the filth from the bodie so the Holie Spirite purgeth vvasheth the heart from sinne I vvill speake but thus farre shortly of Baptisme The outwarde vvashing in Baptisme is not to bee looked to lightlie the powring on of the vvater is but a base signe to looke to yet it is not a bare signe of the vvashing of the Holie Spirite but it is the instrument that God taketh in His hand vvhereby He applieth â—o vs the inwarde vvashing of the Holie Spirite Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4 hee ascribeth our regeneration to Baptisme Wee by Baptisme are buried vvith Christ risen vvith Christ and if this meane bee conâ—emned there shall bee no regeneration if a man lightlie this Baptisme I affirme there shall be no renewing inwardlie by the Holie Spirit and if he be not renewed hee shall neuer bee saued for vvithout regeneration no saluation Ye see 2. Kin. 5. 10 vvhat vvas injoyned to Naaman the Syrien vvhen hee sought cleansing the Prophet bad him goe to the Iordane and vvash him seuen times But hee thought vvith himselfe What is this Are not there faire Riuers at home at Damascus Yea hee would not goe till hee tooke better counsell but so soone as hee vvent and vvashed himselfe seuen times hee vvas cleansed Euen so it is in Baptisme if a man contemne the outward vvashing hee shall neuer be cleansed by the Spirit This same is also true of the Sacrament of the Supper Count not therefore little of the Sacraments because God hath promised to giue Himselfe vvith the Sacrament if it bee rightly receiued Now looke howe long our regeneration is in working in this life the force of Baptisme continueth as long thou must be continually renewed tiâ—l thy last breath therefore the force of Baptisme must continue vvith thee to thy last breath It is a vanitie to thinke that the force of Baptisme standeth in the ministration of the action onelie no it leaueth vs neuer after wee haue once receiued it till vve be placed vvith Iesus Christ Haue thine eye still vpon Baptisme for it is a meane vvhereby the Lord vvill saue thee Further Brethren hee beginneth heere at regeneration Yee may see then the necessitie of regeneration Wouldest thou be safe looke that there bee a newe birth looke that thou bee borne ouer againe as Christ said to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Verilie I say vnto you except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. If thou bee not a new creature thou art not in CHRIST but without CHRIST and without IESVS CHRIST there is no saluation Yee see men woulde beguile themselues if they shoulde saye when yee aske of them Whether they will goe to Heauen or not They will answere Wee will goe to Heauen and yet in the meane time they will holde on the olde man and will neuer change their maners but that vaine opinion wil deceiue them 2. Corin. 6. 9. Bee not beguiled for no â—ornicaters adulterers murtherers drunkardes c. shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen If thou holde on the olde man thou shalt neuer bee safe IESVS CHRIST must beget thee a newe againe or els thou shalt neuer enter within the gates of Heauen Now when hee hath spoken of this inward and outward washing hee insisteth in this point concerning the Spirit and declareth from whom this Spirit commeth which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour We haue Him not our selues He that washeth vs is He that powreth on the precious lauer of the Spirit vvherby vve are vvashen Then the Spirit is from GOD. Is that Spirit from the Father immediately No He powreth Him in through IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour so immediatly this Spirit commeth from IESVS CHRIST but mediately from GOD as the Fountaine Hee commeth from the Father to the Sonne from the Sonne to vs. Iohn 15. 26. The cause of this order is this Hee is our Sauiour and hath bought vs vvith a deare price the Spirite is bought to vs by the blood of IESVS CHRIST His blood hath bought all which vve receiue and get by Him so He giueth His holy Spirit vvith all His graces by the hand of IESVS CHRIST the man Then if ye would haue the Spirit dresse your selues to that treasure in HeaueÌ„ and beseech God that He would vouchsafe to send that Spirit vpon you through IESVS CHRIST and giue you His grace by the hand of the man CHRIST Yet to open vp the vvordes more narrowly Which Hee powreth out c. He speaketh of the Spirit as it were of vvater the Spirite heere is compared to vvater because of the vvashing for as the one vvasheth the filth of the body so the other vvasheth the filth of the soule Hee is not content to say Hee powreth out the Spirit simply but hee saith aboundantly in a great measure as a flood in aboundance This teacheth two things to vs first the liberality of GOD Hee giueth not grace niggardly as men but vvhatsoeuer vvee gette it is in aboundance His loue is rich His mercy is rich the Spirit vvhich He giueth vnto vs is rich so Hee is liberall vnto vs. Then it followeth of this also that vve
a man is looking to heauen he will not be without temptation no not Paul himselfe nor none other man nor woman that haue their conuersation in heauen And the special temptation of him who wold faine haue life is death and the dreadfull sight of death and death is euer in his eye Hee was neuer borne but death will tempt him death wil be terrible to flesh and blood and when hee is looking vp to that light and glorie in heauen it will come in betwixt his eye and the sight of heauen as it were a terrible blacke cloude and sometime will sunder him and that sight of Heauen As when a man is looking vp to the Sunne a cloude will come euen suddenlie and take the sight of the Sunne from him Euen so when a man is looking vp to the Sunne of righteousnes CHRIST IESVS that cloude of death will come in and catch the sight of CHRIST from him This is our estate here there is none acquainted with Heauenlie things but hee will find this in experience as PAVL did But what is the remedie In the first word of the Text that we haue read he sâ—ieth Wee knowe and wee are assured for the worde importeth a full assurance and faith and a full perswasion Then the remedie against this temptation of death is onelie Faith a full perswasion and light in the minde of the knowledge of the glorie of GOD in the face of CHRIST with a gryping and apprehension thereof this is the onelie remedie The man that lyeth in ignorance and hath not this knowledge hee is oppressed by death So euer seeke and seeke earnestlie for light CHRIST is light and let your pleasure bee in light for death is darkenesse and smootheâ—â—th the soule except it bee lightned with this light that commeâ—h from the face of IESVS But to bee more speciall what light and knowledge must this bee what assurance must this be Thou must knowe and bee assured not that thou wilt bee free from death naye beguile not thy selfe die thou must and therefore resolue thy selfe to die so it must not be such an assurance as to be perswaded that thou shalt not die opponing thy self to death saying I wil not die I shal not die Then what assurance knowledge must this be Euer this that after I am dead I shall rise againe to life It is true O death thou shalt cease vpon my bodie and thou shalt not leaue it till it bee dissolued into dust but when thou hast gotten this body dissolued I shall recouer a new glorious bodie There is the meeting of this temptation assure thy selfe of life after death Seeke this assurance and labour to pierce with the eye of Faith thorow the clouds of temptation to see that life in Christ which is hid vp aboue those cloudes Seeke that eye of Faith to pierce in through those cloudes to shew thee that life and the Sunne of righteousnes Christ Iesus Nowe the wordes would be weighed particularly and first marke a description of this death and of the temptations that woulde separate thee from that life eternall The words are these If our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolued Then what is death a dissolution and loosing of a thing that was joyned together a dissoluing and scattering of the partes of it it is not an vtter destruction of it the thing that it dissolueth it destroyeth not vtterlie It lyeth not in the handes of death to destroye the thing it dissolueth it may well loose it and cast it asunder but it cannot destroye it Then death is a dissolution and not a destruction a dissoluing whereof not of the soule it lieth not in the power of death to loose thy soule or sunder the parts thereof thou hast that aduantage Death will dissolue and loose thine house the lodging that thou dwellest in that is this bodie which clotheth thy soule Thou art termed by thy soule and the soule properlie maketh a man to be a man it is y e chiefe part of man and the bodie is called the lodging of the soule and the soule dwelleth in it as in an house So death is the dissolution of the bodie of the house which it looseth into powder yea it wil loose all the members and parts of the house O! but marke when it commeth to powder and asshes it lieth not in the handes of death to destroy the powder and ashes of the bodie but that powder and ashes in despite of death will be gathered and set together in a more glorious forme of bodie than euer it was before Yet looke howe the Apostle describeth this house First from the matter secondlie from the forme thereof As for the matter he calleth it our earthlie house This bodie is but claye euen a lumpe of that claye and earth whereupon thou goest esteeme of it as thou wilt yee see the matter of this bodie is vile and contemptible as for the forme thereof it is an house not an house that hath a foundation or builded on a ground-stone but a tabernacle and flitting tent it is set down here to day tomorrow taken vp and set downe in another place thy body is a pauilion that men transport hither and thither as they please Then thou seest that thy bodie is a thing litle worth whether thou looke to the matter whereof it is made of the earth or to the form thereof an vnstable tent or pauilion Now marke this well brethren who speaketh this it is Paul how speaketh he it by faith speaketh the bodie this no what then the soule that dwelleth in the bodie as in a lodging speaketh it The soule is speaking of the bodie the faithfull soule of Paul is speaking of his fraile bodie Then learne how little faith counteth of death Learne also how little the faithfull soule counteth of the body yea euen then when it is dwelling in the bodie it will lightlie the lodging thereof it will call it a lumpe of claye a tabernacle a tent a fraile house it will count no more thereof than a glorious king will count of a cottage he hauing manie faire palaces We 'l brethren it is faith that doth this it is not the soule alone that can count so lightlie of death or of the fraile body if thou hast onely the soule in the bodie and want this faith the soule will thinke the bodie sweet to dwell in It is faith and the faithfull soule that doeth the turne and there is not a better argument than this to see if thy soule bee faithfull or not Looke what estimation thou hast of thy bodie and carcasse what account thou makest thereof I saye to thee if thou hast thy chiefe pleasure in esteeming of thy body decking and feeding it following thine appetite wallowing in the lust thereof if thou liuest in such estimation of thy body I say thou hast a faithlesse soule remaining within thy bodie Woe to that faithlesse man that hath none other pleasure not can gripe
disappointed It is the violent that entreth into Heauen Matth. 11. 12. as yee will see a man violentlie thrust in at a doore Thou that wouldest goe to Heauen make thee for thronging thorowe till all thy gutâ—es bee almoste thrust out Paule in the eight chapter to the Romanes and the 22. and 23. verses vseth these argumentes against those wicked men that cannot sigh for Heauen First hee taketh his argument from the elementes the senselesse and dumbe reatures which sobbe and grone for the reuelation of the sonnes of GOD and trauell for that time as a woman in her birtâ— O miserable man The earth shall condemne thee the â—loore thou sittest on is sighing and woulde faine haue that carcasse of thine to Heauen The waters the aire the heauens all sighing for that last deliuerance the glorie appertaineth to thee and yet thou art laughing Alas what shall betide thee The other argument hee taketh from the sighing of men who haue gotten the Spirit of GOD We also saith he who haue the first fruites of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodie Thou that hast not gotten the Spirit shalt neuer sigh for Heauen flesh and blood will neuer shed one teare for Heauen It must onely bee the Spirite of IESVS that must fetch vp the sigh out of the heart and the teare in the eye Roman 8. 26. So hee taketh his argument from them who haue gotten a sense of the Spirit of GOD and redemption of the body to prooue the certainty of that Heauenly Kingdome and glory Nowe there cannot bee a surer argument to vs that euer wee shall obtaine glory than this sighing in heart for it and this earnest desire thereof If thou find thine heart desirous of glory a sure argument thou shalt bee partaker of glory It is saide Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled Matth. 5. 6. Seekest thou for CHRISTES righteousnesse and thy glorie assure thee thou shalt get a sweete filling Marke it I saye to thee thou hast not onlie through this earnest desire of glorie an assurance that thou shalt reigne in glorie but looke to your experience that desire is not so soone begun of that life and glorie but so soone also the soule of the faithfull beginneth to rise with joye Who euer yet was hee that gaue a sigh from his heart raised vp by the Spirite of Christ that felt not with that sigh a joye in his heart Learne it by your experience This letteth vs see that the desire and thirst of glory putteth vs in present possession of a part of glorie Ere thou come to it desire it earnestly and I promise thee in the Name of the Father thou shalt be presently put in possession of a part of that Heauenly inheritance It is true thou shalt not get it al here yet there is none other Heauen after this life but that Heauen which thou gettest begunne in thee in this life Alwayes looke euer for that joye that is by sight There are two ioyes the one by sight the other by faith 2. Cor. 5. 6. The ioye by faith is in our pilgrimage in this life The ioy by sight is after this life when with our eyes wee shall see Christ The ioy by faith is to looke to Christ a far of and yet wee reioyce and loue Him that is farre absent 1. Pet. 1. 8. Faith hath a ioye that it enioyeth by speaking and thinking Sight hath the ioye that it enioyeth by presence The ioye of the eye great in quantitie and the fulnesse of ioye The ioye of faith not so great for it is the ioye of a pilgrime not as yet come to his home The ioye of the sight is when wee shall see our glorious Lord face to face whom we see only now by faith 1 Cor 13 12. This is the fulnes of ioy The ioy of Faith which induring our pilgrimage is not so full O how great shal be the ioy at the perfect seeing of Christ Thinke never to have the ioy by sight after this life except in this life thou have the ioy by faith as the earnest-penny of the other except by Faith thou once get a ioy before thou depart from this life thou shalt never see the face of Christ nor have ioy in him So brethren it is a good thing to have that desire of Heaven Sigh and sob and desire with Paul for Heaven for it is a Charter Evidence of thine everlasting inheritance never earthly lord had a surer charter of his land than thou that hast a desire of heaven hast of thine inheritaÌ„ce in heaven for these earthly evidences of land are without theÌ„ in their kists but this evidence of thine is written ingraffed in thine hart Now when extremity is threatned it is time to seek thy warrands of this heaveÌ„ly in heritance this present country is good forthee the best country that ever thou shalt see except thou find this warrand of sighing and desire for that heaveÌ„ly inheritaÌ„ce And therfore let scorners mockers scorn as they wil the children of God must powre forth tears And this is it that y â— Lord hath bene desiring these many days past he hath benegently drawing out of us this sense but now He beginneth to presse it out of us that our eyes might burst out in teares and thou that canst not sob and desire in these miserable dayes to bee dissolved thou hast no true matter of ioy Woe bee to them that have none heart to sigh for the troubles of Christs Church but are ever ready to execute iudgement against Gods servants when the Lord is visiting them Well the Lord shall wring out teares out of them in His wrath that will not sob in the time of the danger and trouble of His Church Then what is it that Pavle sigheth for And what desireth he Hee desireth a new cloathing to bee put one above as a cloathing that is he would keep this same body in substance and cast off this filthy garment of sinand death put on that glorious shape of the body of Christ The reason is set down For when the Lord shal cloath us we shall not be found naked So this body shall remaine in substance but O the glory and immortality of it Mark the natur of the lodging which we shall receive it shal not be another body in substance than this body which we have heer in earth The same body in substance wee shall have in heaven which we have heer Heerein onely is the difference this body is vile it is mortall full of sinne and wickednesse unglorious ignominious full of corruption weak infirm But when this body shall be changed in heaven it shall not be changed in substance but in qualitie Paul 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 44. Saith The bodie is sawn in corruption and is raised againe in incorruption and is raised againe in incorruption
heavenly glorie shall bee none other thing but the perâ—yting of our regeneration For when all this pelffrie shall be taken away then wee shall fully bee renewed As to the Spirit if ever hee was powerfull in earth he shall be more powerfull in Heaven so that the same Spirit that heere dwelt in thy body shall then glorifie thy body and make it to shine brighter than the Sunne Therefore let vs seeke this regeneration and the Spirit of CHRIST For in these two standeth the perfection and the glorie of the life to come Now when he hath reckoned out all the warrands of life whereby he assureth himselfe thereof hee concludeth in the next veâ—se Then saieth he wee haue confidence alwayes as if hee would say Hauing these warrandes I haue confidence alwayes that is I am assured of my glory and yet the wordes import not only an assurance but the effect thereof which is a sweete securitie in the soule for whensoeuer any man is assured of life then the soule with sweetnesse wil rest then commeth that peace of Conscience assuring vs whether wee liue or wee die wee are CHRISTES so this draweth on that boldnesse confidence Then looke the nature the beginning and â—ising of Faith it is builded and standeth vpon these three pillars An earnest desire of life Regeneration and the Spirit of GOD These are the three proppes thereof which are sensible to them who haue faith and wee shoulde bee acquainted with them Then of this riseth the sweete confidence of glory and security the repose and rest of the soule and conscience and from the soule it commeth vp to the mouth and breaketh out in a glorying As this same Apostle vpoÌ„ this confidence in his soule breaketh out saith What shal seuer vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or peâ—il or sword No in all these things we are more than victorious through Him that loued vs. Rom. 8. 35. c. So that faith being builded vpon these three pillers securitie and confidence beeing builded vpon Faith then boldnâ—sse in mouth will say I defie all contrarie powers lay the sword lay fire lay death before mee it will say I defie them all yea let all the Deuils of Hâ—ll come before a man his faith be well builded and confidence on faith hee will defie them all yea albeit they threateÌ„ damnation to him for it thou stand in Christ thou shalt liue albeit thou must bee separated from this mortall life yet all the worlde cannot separate thee from the life of Christ Seeke this life now in time that in trouble wee may say that wee will rest in Christ and all the world shall not seuer thee from Him Yet to goe forward in the words The Apostle as yet hath not the full contentation in heart for all this assurance For saith he wee knowe that while wee are at home in the bodie wee are absent from the LORD If wee bee at home with a thing we are farre from a better thing which is abroade Alas thou beeing â—t home aâ— thine house and fire thou art farre abroade from thine home in Heauen whilst wee are at home in this mortall bodie wee are strangers and Pilgrimes from the LORD Brethren yee shall learne heere a great difference betweene confidence contentation It is one thing to haue contentation another thing to haue confidence This Apostle had confidence but not contentation Thou art farre decâ—aued that thinkest thou hast sufficient contentation in this worlde Woe is thee yea although thou haue Heauenly graces and if thou thinkest thou hast contentation either of glory or of sight all is nothing Why Because there cannot nor shoulde not bee contentation heere no the best and moste confident man that liueth shoulde not thinke hee hath contentation in this prâ—sâ—nt life All thine holinesse faith confidence and hope shoulde not giue thee full contentation All the kingdomes honours and riches of this worlde which is nothing but dirt and pelffrie in respect of those Heauenly thinges shoulde not giue thee full contentation And yet the worldly foole will saye in his heart I haue contentation and sufficiencie O! but what saide CHRIST to him that decreed with his hart to make wide barnes Foole this night thy soule shall be taken from thee Luâ—e 12. 20. Away with an opinion of contentation in this earth and thou bee a king of all the earth Wilt thou haue contentation without CHRIST Wilt thou hauâ— sufficiencie and not haue Him who is thy life glorie When thou art a pilgrime from CHRIST and wandring from thy countrey and inheritance wilt thou saye thou hast thine hearts desire Had euer pilgrime full contentation during the time of his pilgrimage Then no contentation to the faithfull soule but in CHRIST I shall neuer thinke coÌ„tentation to be in my soule till I see CHRIST face to face I giue thee the same counsell yea and if I had all spirituall graces in neuer so great a measure yet no coÌ„tentation for my soule till I see CHRIST for all our blessednesse standeth in the sight of CHRIST and thou canst not see CHRIST heere because thou art absent from Him For as long as I am at home speaking of the soule so long as it is closed heere within this earthly tabernacle I am absent from CHRIST And this prison of my bodie so closeth mee about that I cannot see CHRIST Brethren it is this mortall bodie that is clothed with sinne and mortality wherewith we must be clothed as long as wee are heere that holdeth vs from the sight of CHRIST It is impossible so long as thou art clothed with the sinfull bodie to get that full sight of IESVS albeit Hee were standing on the earth cloathed with His glorie So thou must be vnclothed of this mortalitie ere thou canst see Him And there is the grounde wherefore wee shoulde thinke no contentation whilst wee are in this body Because so long as wee dwell in this mortall body we shall neuer see CHRIST nor get a full fruition of His countenance Therefore Brethren take not so much pleasure and delight in this mortall bodie for I assure thee it is but a prison holding the faithfull soule and the eye of the faithfull soule from the sight of CHRIST but assoone as it shall bee loosed from it it shall mount immediatelie with joye to CHRIST and there get full contentation in His face yee thinke so long as yee want these earthly thinges yee cannot get contentation I speake not of the wicked but euen of the regenerated man but when the soule getteth this glorious presence of CHRIST in Heauen it shall haue joye in infinite degrees greater than euer it had in earth And albeit the body shall lie heere in graue and ignominie for a time yet all that shall bee recompensed by the glorious sight of CHRIST which the soule shall enjoye in the Heauens beeing separated from the body Wee
to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD There are two good thinges The one confidence the other light The Apostle maketh a choise heere he will leaue confidence here in the bodie and hee chooseth to die that he may attaine to the light and in this respect he would change all the confidence hee hath with death Thou wilâ— not change a foot of earth with death but th' Apostle will change confidence with death and confidence is more preciou than all y e earth Few will doe this and yet thou wi 't die and thou hadst sworne it Well is that bodie that is so resolued to die as Paule was But maketh Paule a choise of death for death it selfe Certainely no man wil choose death for death it selfe for except the LORD lighten death and transforme it it is an entrie to Hell And if thou haue none other respect in death but to be quite of this miserable life as some will sâ—y Would GOD I were dead that I might bee quite of this miserie thou shalt bee in greater miserie after death than euer thou was whilst thou was liuing What then should bee the speciall cause that should mooue a man to say Would GOD I were dissolued euen this I am burthened with sinne I am burthened with mortalitie This burthen should bee a great motiue Well is the soule that is freede of sinne What pleasure is it to a soule that woulde faine serue GOD to liue euer in sinne Nay no pleasure This is the speciall motiue that should mooue vs to make choise of death To bee with IESVS CHRIST to dwell with Him and to bee in His companie in the participation of that glorie that is in the countenance of CHRIST For that caâ—se I would flit that I might bee with my LORD and embrace that joye So as the miserie of this worlde will put thee forwarde to GOD. so the sweetenesse of CHRISTS companie will draw thee forward Then to ende The Apostle hath preconceaued in himselfe a wonderfull joye of that glorie when hee sawe it not yet so must wee doe All his walking was by faith and not by sight but hee seeth before the hand an Heauenlie joy and pleasure in respect of that â—ruition that he shall once get of the countenance of CHRIST This shoulde learne thee to looke euer for more than thou â—eest thinke not that thou hast seene all the glorie that shall come to thee and hast felt all the pleasures that are laid vp for thee in Heauen But thinke that there is greater joye and glorie there thaÌ„ euer thou couldi heare of for CHRIST him selfe neuer vttered al the glory that is laid vp for the Sainctes All that wee see heere is but in a mirrour All the glorie of CHRIST in the Scripture is but in a mirrour liâ—e as when the Sunne shineth in the mirrour thou lookest not to the Sunne that shineth but to the glauncing thereof in the mirrour And as there is greater shining in the Sunne than in the glauncing thereof which thou seest so thinke euer there is greater glorie in Heauen than euer thou hearde of in the Scripture Suppose not that thou canst thinke of the joyes of Heauen as men on earth thinke on earthly thinges Who can thinke a thing greater than it is No the glory of Heauen and the joye with CHRIST mounteth vp aboue the reach of thy faith and hope and all thing that is able to conceiue the same It mounteth vp higher that the Heauen of Heauens is aboue the earth Therefore thinke not with thy selfe it is too much that I looke for Thou failest only in narrownesse thy Faith and Hope is so narrowe that they cannot comprehende the thousande part of that glorie And so wee should say I hope and I belieue more than I am able to comprehend And here is the cause that thou canst not get that full sight of glorie that is laide vp for thee The weake begunne grace of Faith and the Spirite of GOD in thee is not able to attaine to the thousand part of that glorie The LORD giue vs grace to preconceaue this glorie in some measure that wee may seeke the same and say with PAVL I haue Faith and Hope but that glorie passeth all The LORD grant vs this euen for CHRISTES sake So bee it THE THIRD SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 9 Whereâ—ore also we couet that both dwelling at home and remoouing from home wee may bee acceptable to Him verse 10 For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of CHRIST that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that that he hath done whether it be good or euill verse 11 Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD wee perswade men and wee are made manifest vnto GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences WEe haue hearde Brethren these dayes past the remedie that the Apostle setteth downe against this temporall death the dissolution of the body In a worde it is a full assurance and perswasion of the heart that when we are dead concerning the body yet we shall liue againe and shall receiue at the handes of God a more glorious body than euer this bodie was It is an harde matter to get this assurance for the naturall reason of man cannot nor will not perswade him that hee once beeing dead the bodie beeing dissolued in ashes that euer that bodie shall bee recouered againe Therefore the Apostle bringeth in three argumentes of this assurance The first is the earnest desire that the Godly haue in this life to be glorified It is a thing impossible that this desire can bee in vaine Hee that giueth thee a desire of glorie and sighing for it He must giue thee the life and glorie that is desired and sighed for For otherwise Hee would neuer giue thee grace to sigh once for this life and glorie except Hee were purposed to put thee in possession of that glorie one day The second argument is taken from our regenâ—ration or the end of our regeneration GOD is Hee that maketh vs of new againe after we were dismaide by the fall of Adam Hee createth vs of newe againe to this ende that wee should liue the first creation It ended indeede and wee haue lost the right thereof euen in the first creation Wee were created to liue euerlastingly yet wee died But the second creation in IESUS will neuer breake but as in him wee are renewed to life liue shall wee in the Heauens euerlastingly it can neuer faile Peter saith in his first epist chap. 1. vers 3. Wee are regenerate againe into that liuely hope The third argument is the Spirit of CHRIST whereby GOD worketh in vs both the desire and regeneration hauing once giuen vs that Spirit He taketh Him not from vs againe but letteth Him dwell in soule and bodie to bee an earnest-pennie in vs assuring vs He shal neuer leaue vs till the whole promises in
c. Hee was assured of GODS testimonie but hee trusted that the Corinthians also would beare him recorde that hee had traneiled truelie Hee saieth in your consciences It is to bee marked that he appealeth to their consciences not their mouthes but their consciences for the mouth of man will giue one testimonie but the conscience will giue another And when the conscience will bee saying the man hath spoken truelie and in sinceritie the mouth in the meane time will bee backebiting him and the conscience will say thou lyest mouth Speake therefore euer according to conscience for if thy conscience speak one thing and thy mouth another thou shalt bee challenged of a lye It is true indeede men knowe not the heart of man as when a Minister is speaking yee cannot judge of his heart the LORD judgeth it yet a faithfull and sincere man hee will vtter sometime the inwarde sinceritie of his heart in his wordes and deedes that all that seeth and heareth him will looke in therethorowe and see the inwarde sinceritie of the heart and giue an outward confession of it Now Brethren then in this example of Paule yee haue such a protestation as the faithfull Pastor shoulde make in the houre of his death and which should be his testament There is two things in his Ministerie the outwarde speaking and the inwarde sinceritie of the heart If hee would protest of his faithfulnesse looke that hee protest as PAVLE did First outwardly I haue vsed all diligence in discharging all the outward partes of my calling I haue kept nothing abacke and then inwardly As for my sinceritie First I take GOD to bee witnesse who knoweth and onely seeth mine heart with what sinceritie I haue spoken and then I take you to witnesse that haue beene conuersant with mee so farre as yee can knowe the inwarde sinceritie of mine heart by my liuing and outwarde actions Woulde to GOD wee coulde haue this sinceritie And I praye the LORD graunt mee this sinceritie and I beseech Him that as Hee hath beene with mee since the beginning of my Ministerie so Hee would neuer leaue mee vntill the time I finish my course with joye to His glorie and comfort of His CHVRCH through IESVS CHRIST our LORD To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST bee all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FOVRTH SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 12 For wee praise not our selues againe vnto you but giue you an occasion to rejoyce of vs that yee may haue to answere against them who rejoyce in the face and not in the heart verse 13 For whether wee bee out of our wit wee are it to GOD or whether wee bee in our right minde we are it vnto you verse 14 For that loue of CHRIST constraineth vs. verse 15 Because wee thus judge that if one bee dead for all then were all dead and Hee died for all that they that liue shoulde not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto Him who died for them and rose againe TO repeat shortlie that which we haue heard in this Chapter We hearde first of that assurance of glorie and life euerlasting which is the only remedy against death and the dissolution of this body Wee hearde secondly of the three warrandes of this assurance of life glorie The first the earnest desire which the heart had of that glorie and life The second Regeneration and renewing The thirde the Holie Spirite who is the worker of all grace in our heartes and who neuer leaueth vs but abideth in vs as an assured earnest-pennie of the full accomplishment of all that glorie promised to vs in the word of GOD. And yet for all this wee heard that the Apostle had not that contentation nor full satisfaction of his heart because he is yet a pilgrime liuing heere by confidence and hath not gotten the full presence of his LORD hee chooseth to leaue all the thinges in this life and therefore hee taketh resolution what hee will doe in life and death to the ende that when hee commeth to his LORD in the Heauens hee may bee welcome The thing hee resolueth to doe is this hee endeuoureth himselfe in his calling to be acceptable to Him in life and death and hee will consecrate all the actions and sufferinges of both to Him Beside that glory to come which moueth him to studie to bee acceptable to his LORD he setteth downe another motiue a terrible Tribunall which abideth him and all men and women who studie not to bee acceptable to the LORD The soule shall not so soone depart out of the bodie but it shall also as soone bee presented before that Tribunall and shall receiue that dolorous sentence if they haue not studied to bee acceptable to Him Therefore the Apostle concludeth Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORDm we trauell in our calling to preach Christ and to bring men to faith and that not for the fashion but in sinceritie of heart so that wee take God who seeth the heart to be witnesse to vs of our sinceritie And as to you Corinthians vpon whom we haue bestowed our labour wee appeale to your consciences and wee take you to be witnesse of that same sinceritie of our calling This is the summe of all which ye haue heard hitherto in this Chapter Now to come to this Text which we haue read In the first verse the Apostle hauing spoken of his sinceritie in preaching the Corinthians who had not that liking of him which they shoulde haue had might haue objected Well Paule yet vauntest thou of thy selfe thou hast once vaunted of thy selfe as appeareth in the second and third Chapters preceeding and yet art thou commending thy selfe He answereth no I commend not my selfe againe I vaunted not of my selfe before nor now neither but when I said We are made manifest to GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences in these words I giue you occasion to glorie of me and not so much for my cause as for the cause of false flattering Apostles who glorie in their outward doings without sinceritie of the heart the repressing of these mens vaine glorying is the cause of this my speaking This is the meaning of this verse Then this Text beeing plaine learne these lessons I marke first in the person of the Corinthians who objecteth this vaunting to the Apostle mistaking his words Scarse may a godly man speake a worde or two of the grace which the Lord hath giuen him and that not to his owne praise but to the praise of his God when he is mistaken by euill men who set thēselues to wryth euery word that is spoken And if euer there was an age in y e which this vice reigned I am assured experience proueth it none age may bee compared in that case to this age Yea a godly man can do nothing but incontinent he is mistaken he can speake nothing but he is misconstrued and especially
thou not this light Wilt thou bid a blinde man judge of colours thou scornest him Euen so all the speaking of the Scriptures vnto men is but scorning of them except they get this reuelation of the Holie Spirite What is this reuelation of the Spirit I shall tell you what it is With that preaching of the worde which is the first reuelation the Spirite of IESVS commeth downe and seateth Himselfe in thine eye openeth thine eye to see the thinges which are spoken commeth to thine eare openeth thine eare to heare the things which are spoken entreth into thine heart and maketh thee to conceaue the thinges which thou seest and hearest and maketh thee capable of them of the which thou art no more capable by nature than the verie stone in the pillar speak to thee to the stone all is alike till this alteration be made in thy soule Then Brethren There are two reuâ—lations The first by y e word when it is preached The second by the Spirit when that Holy Spirit concurreth with the word I will tell you the differeÌ„ce of them The first will bee common to all the word is preached alike to all O! but the other reuelation is not so coÌ„mon but is only made to some secret ones of y e Lord. That blessed Spirit will not light vpon euery man and woman but onlie vpon some secret persons vpon whom the Lord hath pitie Wee reade in the 16. Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles that there is a meeting of manie many are gathered together Paule the Apostle the Preacher hee reuealeth the graces of the worde to all alike amoÌ„g all the rest we reade of one speciall person called Lydia there was neuer a word spokeÌ„ of the rest it is said of her namely that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to receiue that which Paul preached the Spirit of IESVS opened her heart not Paul the Spirit of IESVS only is the reuealer be neuer content with hearing onelie fie on thee if thou thinke thou hast done enough when thou hast sitten an houre or two hearing if thou finde not the sweet operation of the Spirit to opeÌ„ thine heart with such a sweetnesse as is vnspeakeable And therfore fixe not your eyes so much on men as vpon the Lord who sendeth the Spirit and crie euer Lord giue me y e Spirit or els all is but wind blessed is that body that getteth the Spirit for the word will neuer doe good without the Spirit Yet I goe forward and I marke the reason The Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepnesse of GOD. These are the wordes There is a great deepnesse in these wordes if wee could attaine to it The first thing that I take vp heere is this Great is that deepnesse and that profundity that is in our God Paul in the 3. chap. to the Ephes and the 18. verse considering that deepenesse falleth out in these words That yee beeing rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saincts what is the breadth and length meaning of God for He is both broade and long and the depth Hee is deepe and the height He is high also Infinite in length infinite in breadth infinite in height infinite in deepnesse what would yee haue He Himselfe is as it were a bottomlesse Deepe There is neuer a propertie in Him as we call them but all is an infinite deepnesse the wisedome of GOD an infinite and endlesse deepnesse His power an endlesse deepenesse And therefore the Apostle Rom. 11. 34. falleth out in an admiration of the deepenesse both of the wisedome and of the knowledge of GOD. Well then Brethren it is no wonder albeit it was saide in the verse going before that the thinges that are prepared for them that loue Him the eye hath neuer seene the eare hath neuer hearde neither haue they entered into the heart of man Why Because all these things are hidden vp in a bottomlesse deepnesse that is in GOD. What wonder then that thou canst not see them that the eye of a worme creeping vpon the earth cannot see them that the eare of a worme cannot heare them and that the heart of a worme cannot be capable of them It is true indeed y â— Gospel speaketh of them al vnto vs yet the worde is not sufficient to shew them they are not so in the word but they abide still in that deepnes the mercie is not so reuealed in y e word broght down froÌ„ Heauen but yet it remaineth still in that deepnes remission of sins is not so reuealed in the word but yet it abideth still in that deepenesse And therefore the worde when it speaketh of these thinges whither sendeth it thee vnto When it speaketh of the mercie of GOD in Iesus Christ of the justice of God of Life euerlasting whither doeth it direct thee Euermore to this deepnesse Goe thy wayes saieth the word to the deepnesse of GOD and see all these thinges plainlie Therefore the same Apostle saieth Coloss 3. 1. 3. Seeke the thinges which are aboue where thy life is hidden with Christ in God Where is thy life then I am speaking of it now but where is it It is hidden vp in that deepnesse of God The word should not holde downe thine eye but lift it vp to seeke all those mercies that are aboue with God Ye may see then these thinges that concerne our saluation in Iesus Christ our remission of sinnes our justification our saluation these are euen the things to speake them plainlie whereof the Apostle meaneth they are incomprehensible to the wit of man to the eye of man to the judgement of man to the nature of man Hee will stand vp and talke of his nature of his engine an high spirited man his wit will compasse all the worlde O! but thy wit reached neuer vp heere to search this deepnesse Therefore by nature there is none assurance of remission of sinnes of saluation of life if thou haue no more but nature scorne as thou wilt although thou be a Monarch thou shalt neuer get assuraÌ„ce of life but die like a desperate dogge Art thou able to pierce in to the deepnesse of the sea that hath a bottome or to the deepnes of the earth that is finite No thou wilt neuer see one foot into it albeit thou be neuer so clear of sight then O foole wilt thou striue to reach vp to a bottomles deepnesse that is in God with thy wit and thy conception when thou canst not attaine to a finite thing Now Brethren I haue spoken of God of His deepnes next we haue to speak of the Spirit of the searching of the Spirit I shall only touch it shortly as farre as the Text will furnish and not digresse in amplifying of these common heads I marke then of this Text As there is an infinite deepnesse in God so there is a searcher of it it wanteth not a searcher The onlie searcher of this deepnes is
he changeth his voice saith If I come againe I shall not spare you when I come againe I shall terrifie you with the power of God because ye throw it out of mee I see againe hee is verie sharpe against these false Oratours hee vseth no lenitie towardes them Yet there is a discretion to bee had betwixt the dealing with false teachers and with the people There should be lenitie vsed towards the people but what should bee with a deceiuing lowne that beginneth to bring the trueth in slander Hee must bee handled with seueritie and rigour no lenitie should bee vsed towardes these that crcepe in daylie to bring the trueth in slander Yee know their voyces Who made LVTHER a Minister Who made CALVIN a Minister But they shall finde it one day that LVTHER and CALVIN were Ministers and that there was a power in the word which LVTHER and CALVIN teached For this is true that PAVLE spake The LORD consumeth them daylie with the word that commeth out of the mouthes of His Ministers and shall consume them daylie vntill the Daye of the LORDS appearance In the third verse hee falleth out in a description of the maner of his walking Neuerthelesse though wee walke in the flesh c. Though wee liue in the flesh that is in the infirmitie of this common nature for to liue in the flesh heere is to liue in the weaknesse of nature yet we walke not or warre not according to the flesh that is our actions and doinges in our Apostleship are not fleshlie and weake Yee see the outward bodie is weake but measure not the inward man after the bodie and strength thereof for suppose my bodie be weake yet mine actions are strong So hee taketh to him one thing and refuseth another Nowe Brethren let euerie man that liueth take gladlie to him frailtie and weaknesse and if men call thee weake take it to thee for hee that will bee strong in himselfe cannot bee strong in GOD. In this same Epistle Chap. 12. verse 9. The power of GOD saieth hee is made perfect in mine infirmitie Of all men in the worlde a man whose calling is to bee a Minister shoulde take chiefelie vpon him this frailtie and weaknesse yea let him accept it more redilie than it can bee casten to him and as hee is fraile and weake so hee must feele his frailtie and weaknesse and the chiefest part of his preaching should bee of frailtie and that Minister that neuer felt his owne miserie cannot perswade the people that they are miserable and bring them to an acknowledging of it And heerein appeareth the wisdome of GOD who chooseth not to this Ministerie those who haue the greatest graces of nature and naturall giftes but Hee chooseth out the weake ones and contemptible bodies that are amongst men and Hee setteth them vp to bee Preachers to mankinde as Hee speaketh in the first Epistle to the CORINTHIANS in the first Chapter and the sixe and twentie verse Yee see Brethren your calling howe that not manie wise men amongst you according to the flesh not manie mightie not manie noble are called but GOD hath chosen the foolish thinges of the worlde to confound the wise and GOD hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde to confound the mightie So the Lord chooseth the ignoble and sillie creatures and setteth them vp aboue kinges yea and the greatest Monarches of the worlde to beate them downe Marke againe as euerie man shoulde willinglie take to him this frailtie and weaknesse of nature so let him refuse the other that is to saye let him refuse to walk according to the flesh To walke according to the flesh and to warre according to the flesh is all one for the walking of a Christian is a warrefare Holde backe these fleshlie actions and namelie these actions of sinne take to thee the weaknesse of nature but cast off sinne For if thine actions bee altogether fleshlie bee thou sure thou hast no part of the power of God nor of the life of IESVS CHRIST thou hast but the life of a man or of a woman and shalt die like a man or a woman without the life of GOD. But aboue all men in the worlde let a Minister eschewe these actions of the flesh looke that his actions bee powerfull and that the power of GOD appeare in his walking so that when in outwarde appearance hee is but a weake bodie yet it may bee said of him y t he is strong in Christ For as weake as hee is to looke to yet hee is a strong warrier the Spirite is sensible in him hee speaketh not like a man onelie there is another grace conuoying his wordes than can accompanie the worde of man If thou bee a Minister although thou were neuer so strong in bodie if thou findest not GODS power in thy life and doctrine I will not giue one penny for thee looke that thou feele the power that Paule felt as yee reade in the 2. Epist to the Corin. chap. 4. vers 16. when hee was dying in the bodie then was the inner man quickest in him and the more the bodilie life was away the more the life of GOD was manifest in him A Minister that hath not the power of GOD within him howe can hee preach of CHRISTES power or of His life howe can hee bee a Minister of life that hath no tasto of life himselfe how can he preach of life that neuer felt life of necessity he must be a shamelesse man that will speake of Christ of His mercie life and power when in the meane time hee knoweth not what the mercie life power of Christ meaneth that man was neuer called of God to bee a Minister all that hee speaketh is like the babling of a Parockquet the power of God doeth the deede therfore God chooseth the weake instruments that the world may see that it is onelie His grace and not the gifts of the men that doeth the turne He calleth it not his walking but warring fighting The life of a Minister is but a warre-fare and hee who would bee a Minister shoulde make him for warre-fare make him for paine and labour otherwise let him neuer striue for that calling Yea there is nothing so laborious or painefull but the life of a Minister is compared vnto it We neuer read in the Scriptures where it is compared to any thing that importeth easinesse or idlenesse 1. CORIN 9. 26. The Minister is compared to a Warrier then to a runner running with all his maine speede striuing to come to the marke neuer looking ouer his shoulder to this or that thing as manie will doe saying I haue done this turne or that turne No when thou hast done all thou canst doe say thou hast done nothing Then hee is compared to a wrastler and to an husbandman that holdeth the plough from morning till euening In all these comparisons of the Scriptures the figure is not so great as the thing figurate when an
certaine the sufficiencie of grace is not giuen to one man or to one woman onelie but to the whole members of the bodie And therefore there must bee a concurrance of the whole all must concurre for thy good and saluation for if the hand will stand vp and saye to the eye to the mouth to the foote or to the rest of the members Care for your selues foote care for thy selfe wombe care for thy selfe c. I will care for my selfe were not this a foolish hand woulde not this hand perish and wither yea it woulde perish if the mouth fedde it not if the foote caried it not if the wombe receiued not sustenance to nourish it Euen so if thou sayest to the rest of the members of the Church Care for your selues I will care for my selfe thou shalt die like a drie member and be cut off no saluation but in the vnion of that blessed bodie of CHRIST which is the Church And none yet euer came to Heauen but by a certaine concurrance of the rest of the members of the Bodie by praying by preaching by admonishing exhorting and rebuking If thou refuse this concurrance in teaching admonishing and comforting thee thou shalt neuer get Heauen Paul in the 8. chap. to the Romanes vers 28. saith Wee knowe that all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue GOD. Marke the force of the wordes If there bee not a working-together for thy saluation thou shalt not come to Heauen There are two of the meanes whereby trouble and damnage is turned to saluation Yet there are more of them for hee saieth And by the helpe of the Spirite of IESUS CHRIST There is another meane As it is a fault to one member to refuse the helpe of the rest of the members of the body of the Church their prayers intercession so it is as great a fault to leane so vpon the care of anie of the members of the body of the Church or of the Ministerie in preaching praying exhorting and comforting that in the meane time thou haue no care of thy selfe to get the spirite and life within thee for Christs Spirit is thy life thou wilt not praye for thy selfe but wilt bid the Church Ministery pray for thee as if that were enough No except that Spirite bee within thee which is the Spirit of Adoption to make intercession with sighes vnspeakeable at the hands of God downe shalt thou goe albeit that the Church and whole members thereof would please to holde thee vp What if the hand had no motion life nor streÌ„gth in it selfe would the foote and the eye bee able to holde it vp No if the foote and the eye striue to holde it vp they should rotte with the hand and behoued to bee cut of For whereto serueth a rotten member It will infect the whole bodie if it be not cut off So if thou bee without spirite and life within thy selfe how beit all the rest of the members of the body of the Church would holde their hands about thee to holde thee vp thou shalt fall downe and die So as ye would haue others caring for you care for your selfe and see that yee haue the Spirit of God caring for you If Moses Abraham and all other faithfull men woulde praye for you it is nothing What good did Samuels prayers for Saul The Lord stopped his mouth and forbad him to praye for him Thus yee haue heard of three meanes whereby this wonderfull change is made The first is the care of God and His glorie The second is the intercession of the rest of the members of the body the third is the Spirite of Christ interceading for vs and the care which we haue of our selues We haue need of these meanes And certainlie the day is approaching that experience will tell the trueth of these thinges Paul a man euer afflicted in trouble and vnder danger telleth of his owne experience what hee founde But are there yet anie more meanes Looke the verse that followeth As I saith hee heartilie looke for and hope c. The worde importeth such an hope as when a man hath his head raised vp his eyes open and bent awayting for anie thing attentiuely Wee see when a man looketh earnestlie for any other his head will bee lifted vp his eyes will be bent looking to that place where from he should come and if he loue him well he wil looke attentiuely hauing both heart and eyes bended vp with hope of his comming The like worde in the 8. chap. to the Rom. vers 19. is ascribed to the creatures They awaite with feruent desire when the sonne of God shall be reuealed I shall make the words more plaine I hope according to mine attentiue exspectation that in nothing I shall bee ashamed that is that I shall neuer thinke shame of my Maister Iesus Christ because that if I thinke shame for any thing which I suffer for His cause I thinke shame of Himselfe Hee saith that in nothing I shall bee ashamed There is the negatiue I will be ashamed of nothing But what more With all boldnesse of spirite I shall magnifie Him in my bodie not in my soule onelie but in my bodie also and that Whether it bee in my life or in my death Hee casteth in the argument of this assurance as in all times by-gone euer to this houre I haue magnified Him in my bodie So this by-gone experience would he say maketh me to be assured by hope neuer to be ashamed of Him but to glorifie Him in life and death Then take vp the lesson Amongest the rest of the mean s whereby this change is made of miserie to felicitie of death to life and all thinges are made to serue to our saluation Hope is one and it is the fourth in number Wherein standeth this Hope That in no affliction which I suffer for Christes sake I will bee ashamed and so shame the Lord. For in suffering if thou blâ—shest and thinkest shame thou shamest Him But by the contrarie in all thinges that I shall doe or suffer in this bodie I shall doe with courage confidence and libertie I shall suffer with courage confidence and libertie And so in doing in suffering in the bodie I shall magnifie my LORD So this is the point If I glorifie Him before men with courage and boldnesse in mine afflictions I may bee assured Hee shall glorifie me before His Father in Heauen Mat. 10. 32. They that suffer with Him shall reigne with Him 2. Timoth. 2. 12. But by the contrary if thou with blushing think shame of Him and of His Gospel and of the afflictions of the Gospel if thou shame Him before the world He shall shame thee before His Father Mark 8. 38. So this Hope is no small matter for if thou haue an assured Hope during thy whole life thou shalt magnifie Christ whatsoeuer falleth out in life or death assure thy selfe all shall bee turned to the glory of God and thy
That hee was a Iew a Pharisee his father a Pharisee of the Tribe of Ben-jamin none so zealous of the Lawe as hee c. manie aduantages and great prerogatiues but after that hee once commeth to CHRIST and getteth Him hee sayeth All is but dung in respect of that excellent knowledge of that aduantage of IESVS CHRIST As I counted much would he say of these earthlie aduantages before I knew Christ euen so after that â— once had gotten a sight of Him I counted them nothing but dirt and dung And therefore hee telleth out the aduantages and gaines that hee founde in Christ That saith he I may be found in Him that is not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith There is the first aduantage Thou art justified before the Tribunall of GOD. What king can giue thee that aduantage to set thee vp as a free-man before the Tribunall of God And albeit thou hadst gotten all the aduantages that kings can giue thee if thou gettest not this aduantage to stand before that Tribunall cloathed with Christ thou shalt goe to damnation Then hee addeth to another aduantage That I may knowe Him and the vertue of His resurrection and the fellowship of His afflictions and bee made conformable vnto His death if by any meanes I might attaine to the resurrection of the dead There is the second aduantage thou art made like vnto Him in holinesse and both in suffering and in glory thou art comformed vnto Him Well is y e man that can get this aduantage to be glorified What are all aduaÌ„tages to be couÌ„ted of that can come to thee in this life in respect of this aduantage that when thou art lying a vilde bodie in the graue Christ shall take thee vp and set thee in that glory which is prepared for the sonnes of GOD. Alas if men coulde see the aduantages which are in CHRIST For all faileth for fault of sight If men got but one blink of CHRIST they woulde not giue that sight for all the kingdomes in the earth Wee want spirituall eyes and senses These spirituall aduantages in CHRIST are seene onelie with a spirituall eye and for fault of that spirituall sight wee see not the aduantages which are in Him There is nothing which wee shoulde more desire than these spirituall senses wherewith wee maye get a sight and fore-taste of these thinges which are in IESVS CHRIST Nowe in the next verse taking occasion of the wordes that CHRIST was aduantage to him both in life and death hee beginneth to doubt whether it were better for him to liue or die And whether saieth hee to liue in the flesh were profitable for mee or what to choose I knowe not I thinke I woulde bee dead to see mine aduantage which I will get in death for my gaine which I get liuing is nothing to that aduantage which I will get in death But I am straited whether to liue in the flesh or to goe out of the bodie Then he bringeth in the reason It is better for mee to bee loosed and to bee with CHRIST I will bee at Him yet hee saieth I am in doubt and not resolued Neuerthelesse to remaine in the flesh is more needefull for you For albeit it bee better for me to be dead yet when I looke to you it is worse for you After this doubting and reasoning hee concludeth I will liue then and the LORD will keepe mee for your weale Then Brethren I will marke heere one or two thinges and so I shall ende Yee see a doubting in PAVL whether hee shoulde liue or die which distracteth his minde This doubting is common to manie For sometimes wee woulde liue and other whiles wee woulde bee dead But looke to the cause that distracted PAVLES minde and made him to doubt whether hee shoulde desire to liue or die Some men woulde die because there is nothing in this worlde but miserie Some men woulde die for other causes because of sicknesse some because of shame following some offense for the life is tedious to a miserable bodie the life which shoulde bee comfortable is tedious in distresse But howe manie commeth to this point To desire to bee dissolued for the glorie that is with IESVS and saieth If I were away I woulde get this aduantage of glorie Who woulde be awaye for the glorie of Heauen and aduantage that is laide vp there It is a rare grace to get this desire No question thinke as yee will infinite joy glorie and passing aduantage is in Heauen Againe some men woulde liue wherefore because they are fresh greene and able men they would passe their time yet Some men would liue because they haue wife and children and woulde care for them I condemne not lawfull care but all this desire is vaine Where wilt thou get that man that would liue to help the poore Church of CHRIST with his labour How manie will come on with this to liue onelie for the weale of the Church of CHRIST I desire such a Pastor who is minded to liue for the care y t he hath to leade manie by the hand to Heauen ere he goe away that he may winne manie soules to CHRIST that hee may bee the welcomer when hee commeth there himselfe He is happie It is the sight of that Heauenlie glorie that maketh men to haue this foresaide desire Howe manie seeth that Heauenlie glorie Fie on vs seeing such a glorie laide vp in Heauen for vs that yet will not make a meane to get it wee perish for fault of sense There is â—o lacke of aduantage in CHRIST but the lacke is in me in thee I haue no desire of that glorie thou hast no desire of that glorie and so wee perishe Therefore get this sense of glorie in time or else thy soule shall bee drawne out of thy bodie Doe accordinglie Wouldest thou haue it sweetlie loosed Then get in time a sense of this glorie Wouldest thou haue it pulled out by force TheÌ„ neglect the sense and sight of this glorie Obserue another thing of the care of Paul He counted nothing of all these afflictions in respect of the care which he had of the Church of God I wonder at this care of his considering now our carelesnesse For if euer care was dead out of the hearts of men it is now dead Farewell the care of the Church of God in Scotland for fault of y e zeale of Gods glory the care of the Church of God I see this Land and the Church of GOD therein decaying Learne another thing of PAVLES resolution Yet he resolueth to liue that for the weale of the Church of Christ Marke it There is none of vs but wee should desire to haue the fruition of the glory and joye that is in the face of Iesus yet we who may profite in the Church of God in this life are bounde to
euery sinne is in the heart of euery man in such sort that it wil make thee loath at it if thou sawest it but alas it is hidden from our eyes that wee cannot see it and therefore we loathe it not Againe in some men and women that seede of all lusts will breake out in actions A man that followeth harlotrie will bee a drunkard also an auaritious man will bee ambitious also c. It is a maruell to see howe manie sinnes will be reigning in one miserable slaue and to see howe that slaue will bee hurried from one sinne to another Fie on thee wilt thou neuer get thy fill of sinne thou shalt once bee filled with wrath and then thou shalt loathe at thy sinnes For albeit there were no more but one sinne in thee it is enough to cause thee to goe to Hell Nowe to goe forward Hee numbers out some of these concupiscences and the first is malice maliciousnesse in the heart against our neighbour Then commeth in her two daughters enuie and hatred When thou art sorie at thy neighbours weale and wouldest not see him thriue then thou wilt hate him There are three particulars and they are as manie pleasures to them that serueth them hee that hath malice thinketh himselfe neuer well but when there is malice in his heart from thence commeth enuie and the enuious heart is neuer well but when it speaketh euill of his neighbour for that is meate and drinke to it hee that hath hatred is neuer well but when hee hateth his neighbour and that is his meate and drinke Nowe I shall drawe these concupiscences into certaine rankes There are some of them against God some against our neighbour some against our selues amongst the which is intemperancie Fie on thee O Epicurian thou â—innest against thy selfe Now the Apostle in setting downe these concupiscences maketh a choise of the concupiscences against our neighbour for if we bee malicious against him wee are malicious against GOD. Whosoeuer is enemie to man hee is also enemie to God Now there is no harmonie amongst men that are onelie naturall For without GOD in Christ there is no true loue no true concord Put a man and a woman together without God will there bee anie concord there No for the dueties of the first Table are requisite for the discharging of the dueties of the second Table and must preceede them Howe canst thou loue thy wife or thy children without God No there is no true loue and the ende shall prooue it to haue beene but hatred onelie In the ende of the verse hee setteth downe two sortes of hatreds hee saieth hatefull that is hee that suffereth hatred then hee subjoyneth hating one another wee are odious to others and againe we hate others Alwayes marke one meeting here Thinkest thou to hate and not to be hated again It is but the just judgement of God that as thou enuiest and hatest thou also to bee hated and enuied What harmonie can bee heere when thou hatest mee and I thee No true concord but all is lose There is no conjunction but that which is in CHRIST IESVS When this conjunction is not amongst men awaye with all other conjunctions This is shortly the miserable estate wherein wee stood by nature before the participation of mercy in CHRIST Now I come to the other estate An alteration must bee made or else wee are gone For what can become of a body that dieth in madnesse Nowe looke howe wee are deliuered But saieth hee after that the bountifulnesse and loue of GOD our Sauiour appeared There is the way how our mercifull deliuery commeth on Yee reade not one word heere that man lying in misery began to find out a deliuery himselfe Ye reade not that the mad man of himselfe beginneth to take vp himselfe hee saieth not Then we took vp our selues No no we would haue lied long ere we had takeÌ„ vp our selues Then the naturall man waltering and wallowing in sinne and drinking in the foule pleasures thereof he will neuer take vp himselfe and let him goe on if hee should liue ten thousand yeeres hee will neuer bee the better but still worse and worse Can a man that is dead naturally thinke of any life to himselfe to rise vp and stand againe Not such a thing hee cannot so much as once thinke to rise vp Now Brethren we are all blacke dead spirituallie by nature there is not one spunke of that Heauenlie life in vs no more than in a dead bodie that is dead naturally there is a spunk of naturall life and we are not halfe dead only but are whole dead Can a naturall man once thinke of a spirituall life No and therefore Paul saith Ephes 2. 31. When wee were dead in our sinnes wee were quickned by CHRIST meaning that wee had no power in our selues to rise againe If it bee so then when I see a wicked man that hath beene seruing his foule lusts all his life-time take vp himselfe I will not saye that that man tooke vp himselfe I will say there is a dead man risen to life I will aske of thee In the beginning of the creation thoughtest thou of thy creation desiredst thou to thinke of it No no more thoughtest thou of thy regeneration thou thoughtest as little of thy second creation as thou thoughtest of thy first creation And therefore it is well saide Hee created thee without thee And as Hee created thee without thee so He redeemed thee without thee Darest thou saye that thou gauest counsell to thy redemption and thoughtest of it when GOD redeemed thee then how commeth this worke on We are preuented something appeareth that was hid there was one thing long hidden nowe it beginneth to shine And what was this bountifulnesse loue to mankinde it was hid and breaketh out And who is it that is bountifull is this any mans bountifulnes No it is the bountifulnesse of GOD and this quickning loue is GODS and that towards man And what God is this Hee calleth Him GOD our Sauiour For God is considered two wayes as a Creator and as a Sauiour It is the loue of Him as a Sauiour that is shewed to thee in thy Redemption And when was this loue reueiled when IESVS CHRIST came into the world and tooke vpon Him our nature then this loue brake out toward man Hee loued him from all Eternitie but it brake not out till then Marke then It is the loue of GOD that saueth it is GODS bountifulnesse that saueth our deliuerie behooued to proceede of a wonderfull bountifulnesse in God whereof the ground is loue If Hee had not loued thee Hee would not haue deliuered thee Then it is not a common loue which He beareth towards vs but there is a speciall loue in GOD to mankinde He loueth not these Heauens these Starres so well as Hee doeth men No Hee communicateth not the thousand part of those thinges that Hee communicateth to man either to the Heauens or to the
Starres Then it is not the loue of GOD the Creator that doeth this and is the ground of this bountifulnesse and of our life in Him but it is a speciall kinde of loue It is that loue that proceedeth of GOD the Sauiour It is not the loue of a Creator but of a Father not to the creature but to the sonne GOD loueth His sonne better than Hee doeth His creature He loueth vs as His sonnes If there were no further loue of GOD but as Hee is a Creator thou durst neuer crie Abba Father and except the Spirit spreade abroade into our heartes that loue which Hee beareth vnto vs for all the world thou durst not appeare before Him The time is set downe when Hee hath saued vs when His singular loue appeared in the world Hee saued vs beeing manifested in the fleshe Then it followeth that wee were lost and gone when GOD of His loue put to His hand and saued vs wee were out of our right wit rebelles to GOD wauering and vagabunding out of the right waye slaues to our owne lustes Whome count yee lost if these be not lost I will neuer count of a reprobate person who is giuen ouer to filthinesse to harlotrie to murther to oppression to mischiefe c. I will neuer count of him but as a madde desperate and lost bodie when hee is walking abroade and moouing in the world hee is but a dead carcasse and if hee come to GOD againe in mercie it may bee saide There is a dead bodie turned to life Hast thou followed harlotrie repentest thou thou hast bene dead in sinne but now thou art aliue The lost sonne when hee had spended his childes-part of goods yet he repented and came home to his father againe his father saieth Hee that was dead is liuing againe Luke 15. 24. So in a worde wee were lost men Thinkest thou that thou art not lost because thou canst breathe And thinkest thou a man not dead if hee can walke vpon the streete Thinkest thou thy selfe verie well if thou haue these vitall motions in thee O but suppose thou hadst all the naturall liues in the world if thou bee giuen ouer to thine owne affections and leauest not off thine olde sinnes and iniquities thou art a madde and a dead bodie Began then that loue towardes man only to appeare when Christ came into the world I answere The loue of God the Father appeared manifested it selfe in some measure to the godlie euen before Christ came into the world God forbid but this loue had bene appareÌ„t vnto Abraham and the rest of the godly before the incarnation of our Sauiour But at the comming of Christ it manifested it selfe more brightly than euer it did before for al His loue of before was in Christ to come but now since He came into the world the loue of God towards mankind hath appeared in greater aboundance The Lord grant vs an apprehension and sight of this loue that at the least wee maye striue to loue Him againe who hath loued vs so dearly in His Sonne IESVS CHRIST Nowe hee sheweth by what meanes this our saluation is procured at the handes of GOD hee telleth you by what meanes we are not saued Net saith he by the workes of righteousnesse which wee had done The meanes by the which we are not saued is our owne just works thou art not saued by thy just works leane to them as thou wilt I will promise thee in the name of that Great God they shall neuer saue thee Can a man that is mad and a rebell to GOD and a slaue to his owne lustes doe such works as may procure saluation But such were we saith the Apostle therefore wee can deserue nothing by our workes Fie on thee Papist with thy merites fie on the works of preparation can a madde man prepare himselfe for grace No such thing I tell you when GOD put to His hand to our saluation Hee founde no matter in vs of our saluation but damnation When GOD beginneth to loue Hee findeth no matter of loue in vs but of hatred And this commendeth the greatnes of His loue towards vs when He seeth nothing in vs but matter of damnation yet Hee of His free grace mercy loueth vs saueth vs RoÌ„ 5. 8. This setteth out His loue highly towards vs when that we were sinners He sent Christ to die for vs therefore seek not thy saluation neither before thou be in Christ nor after thou art in Him by y â— merite of works for thou shalt neuer get it y t way but thou shalt still be the further from it the more thou seekest it by that meane Then if good works be not the meane what is the meane The Apostle â—aith He hath saued vs according to His mercy These are flat contrary The mercy of God the merit of man If thou be saued by y â— mercy of God theÌ„ no merit because thy merite is not able to saue thee The first fountaine of our saluation is loue after loue commeth on mercy then pitie and compassion in His mercie presupponeth miserie Mercie is shewed to the miserable creature GOD seeing vs miserable madde rebelles following our own crooked affections beginneth to bee pitifull and to haue compassion of vs. Yee knowe mercie and pitie followeth vpon loue For when wee loue any one and see him in miserie then wee haue pitie vpon him if thou hate him suppose hee were in neuer so great miserie thou wilt not pitie him Then GOD seeing vs wrapped in sinne and miserie He hath pitie upon vs which pitie proceedeth of loue and with loue and pitie concurreth His power Wee will lone one and see him lie in miserie when it will passe our power to relieue him but GODS power is alwayes effectuall to deliuer all them who are subject to misery if once He extende His loue and compassion towardes them Then the cause of our saluation is in GOD onlie and no part in man who is saued The first cause is the loue of GOD which is the fountaine The next cause is mercie for ere euer this worlde was created GOD of His mercie tooke a purpose to saue vs. The Apostle saieth Ephes 1. 4. Hee purposed of Himselfe Hee sawe no thing in vs wherefore He should take purpose to saue vs. And when Hee commeth on to the execution of that eternall purpose of our saluation there is nothing in vs but all is in Himselfe for He is all-sufficient Himselfe and nothing is without Him The ende wherefore He died all of Himselfe without vs was to the praise of the glorie of His grace Ephes 1. 6. that thereby the whole glorie of our saluation might redounde to Him onelie because the cause is onelie in Him Thou that takest anie part in it and attributest it vnto thy selfe thou spoylest GOD of His glorie Either giue Him all the glorie of this action or take it all to thy selfe this glorie is too heauie for thee if thou
are very foule and vncleane A cloth that is very foule will require much vvater washing euen so vvee must haue aboundance of grace because vvee vvere so foule through sin but suppose vve vvere neuer so foule except vve get a sight of our filthinesse vve vvill neuer desire to be vvashen when Dauid felt himselfe verie filthie in murther and adulterie he cryed Wash mee O Lord and make mee cleane PSAL. 51. When a bodie commeth to a remorse of conscience it is a vvonder to see howe hee vvill drinke in that Spirite and desire to bee satiate vvith that vvater A foule bodie that hath not the sense of his filthinesse will neuer crie for vvashing The murtherer and the harlot vvill neuer crie Lord vvashe mee except they gette a sight of their owne vncleannesse Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled MATTH 5. 6. There may bee mooued a question heere Howe is it saide that the Spirite is powred out so aboundantly how many feeleth this riches Will a man or vvoman discende into their selues they will finde great lacke and scarcitie of this Spirit Brethren I answere One droppe of the Spirite of Iesus Christ is coūted great riches one droppe of grace is great riches one droppe of the vvater of life is greater riches than all the vvater in the vvorlde it vvill vveigh downe all the precious things that are vpon the face of y e earth Thou that hast gotten one droppe of grace in Iesus Christ thou art richer than all the kinges in the worlde Moreouer if this droppe of grace could bee dried vp in the heartes of the regenerate it were lesse to be coūted of but there is stil droppe after droppe and none ende of dropping Continually thou art refreshed now and then vvith new drops of grace so long as thou liuest So this cōtinuance in dropping is a great riches thou hast no cause to complaine that hath this continuance Well is the soule that getteth droppe after droppe for that soule may saye it hath gotten great riches Thus much for the first part of our saluatiō called regeneration when God putteth to His hande to saue vs He putteth to His hād vvasheth vs inwardly and outwardlie and giueth vs His Spirit Nowe followeth the next part That being justified by grace we may be made heyres according to the hope of life euerlasting The next part standeth in justification I vvill not insist I shall touch it in a worde It is none other thing but the imputing of the righteousnesse of IESVS CHRIST vnto vs. This righteousnesse is not inherent in vs but the satisfaction of IESVS CHRIST is imputed to vs. This Iustification in effect is none other thing but forgiuenesse of sinnes when God forgiueth thee thy sinnes accounteth Christs righteousnesse to bee thine and laieth not thy sinne to thy charge Al is one thing Iustification is not this y ◠men dreame of to wit a righteousnes inherēt in our selues but it is another mans justice which by imputation is made ours Compare these two together Iustification and Regeneration and consider the naturall order of them Iustification is first A man is justified by the blood of IESVS CHRIST imputed to him ere euer he be regenerate by the Spirit The Spirite that vvasheth him in regeneration commeth through the blood the blood first and then commeth in regeneration and vvasheth awaye the mother sinne and the foule stinking corruption that is in thee and both thy justification and regeneration commeth of free grace without merites for these two are euer opponed grace and mercie preasse not to deale these two to giue GOD one part and to attribute another part to thy selfe leaue thy merites behinde thee and take thee to the mercy of God otherwise there is no saluation for thee Thereafter commeth on another part of saluation vvee are made heires of euerlasting Life but there is something going betwixt that is not set downe here For yee see that when wee are justified and regenerated vvee are made sonnes by adoption before we be heyres vve must bee children But I leaue this because the Apostle speaketh not of it heere Then the last part is Wee are made heyres of the Kingdome of Heauen vvhat more can be required in saluation there is the highest degree Thou art placed in thine inheritance there is thy perfection According to the hope of eternall Lift lest vvee should thinke that vvee are alreadie put in possession of this inheritance he meeteth this and sheweth that albeit vve are in this life made heyres yet vvee are not in this life put into a reall possession of this heyrship but hee saieth according to hope vvee are heyres by hope but once hope and all shall goe awaye and vvee shall bee heyres in very deede Yet hope is necessarie so long as vvee liue heere so long as the Father is liuing the heyres haue a to-looke and a hope of the heyrship Hope thou or else thou shalt neuer see Heauen Nowe this hope is not so bare that in the meane time vvee haue no fruition of the thing hoped for yea euen in this life the fruition of Heauen is begunne in effect and if thou haue not the beginning of it heere hope neuer for the accomplishment of it heereafter Wee haue a beginning in this life but as for the full possession and fruition of our inheritance it is reserued to the life to come And therefore it is that the Godly in this life hope still for the comming of IESVS CHRIST till they bee set and placed vvith Him in that inheritance purchased to vs by His blood To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Honour Prayse and Glory for euer and euer AMEN THE TWELFTH SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 1 Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto Thee O LORD verse 2 LORD heare my voyce let Thine eares attende to the voyce of my prayers verse 3 If Thou O LORD straightly markest iniquities O LORD who shall stand verse 4 But mercie is with Thee that Thou mayest bee feared THE inscription of this PSALME Brethren declareth that it is a PSALME most excellent The excellencie of it wee remit to the matter contained therein it hath bene penned by some holy man and Prophet of old but by whom it is not certaine It is sufficient to vs to knowe that the Spirite of GOD was the dyter of it To come to the matter and partes thereof The Prophet whosoeuer he was first setteth downe the estate and disposition of his soule in trouble to wit that he ranne to the Lord and prayed to Him for deliuerie and this hee doeth to the fift verse Next finding in verie deede the effectes of the prayer hee made and finding mercy and deliuerie as hee craued hee professeth before all the worlde that as he had before awaited vpon GOD so hee will await still vpon Him and He will put his confiden̄ce in Him and this he doeth to the seuenth
without all impediment shall cry with the blessed Angels Holy holy holy is y e God of heaueÌ„ the Whole World is full of his glory There shall it find in his countenance saciety of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euer Marke here last I shal end with it that the seeling of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ bringeth out obedience chearful seruice of God yea of al argumeÌ„ts to moue a man to abstein from sin to serue the Lord with pleasure that is y e most pithie forcible The shame of y e world the feare of temporal judgement the horror of conscience the feare of the paines of hel wil not be so steadable it may be â— they represse raging lusts furious affections â—â—r a time but they wil not mortify sin slay corruptioÌ„ wil neuer cause a man with pleasure to serue obey God but if a man hath fouÌ„d â— God hath loued him so well that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to dy that he might liue it is not possible but that maÌ„ in some measure wil set himself with alacrity chearfulnes to serue God Therfore the Apostle wheÌ„ he wold perswade christiaÌ„s to abstein from sin to serue God what argument vseth he chiefly read Rom. 12. 1. he proponeth the mercy of God offering Iesus to die for them for there hee saith I beseech you brethreÌ„ through the mercies of God â— ye offer vp your selues a liuing sacrifice therfore if thou wouldest couet to do y e Lords wil chearfully pray the Lord that he would not so much threateÌ„ thee propone terrors to thee as that he would make thee sensible of His mercies in Iesus Christ The vaine Papist speakes litle or nothing almost to the people of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ but propones to the people the pains of hell fire of purgatory to stay them from sin to make them serue God and do good works but if there be no more it wil neuer make them to bring forth such obedience as either is acceptable to God or yet profitable to themselues The Lord therfore make vs to bee sensible of his vnspeakeable loue in Iesus that wee may set our selues with pleasure to serue and glorify him here that so we may be assured that hee shall glorify vs in the kingdome of Heauen which Iesus hath purchased to vs by his precious blood To this Iesus with the Father the H. Spirit be all praise honor and glory for euer Amen THE XIII SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 5 I haue waited on the LORD my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word verse 6 My soule waiteth on the LORD more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning verse 7 Let Israel wait on the LORD for with the LORD is mercie and with Him is great redemption verse 8 And He shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities WELBELOVED in the LORD IESVS The last day we diuided this Psalme into these three partes First the proposition whosoeuer hee was that writ this Psalme hee maketh mention and rehearsall of that prayer that hee made to his God in the time of his great danger and this hee doeth to the fift verse Then finding in experience a comfortable answere and howe good a thing it was to pray to God and to waite on Him he professeth that as before he had awaited on Him so still in time comming hee woulde awaite on Him and this hee doeth to the seuenth verse In the third and last part he turneth him to Israel to the Church and exhorteth them to await on God as hee had done promising them mercie and redemption from all their iniquities if they would awaite on Him The last day we ended the first part so wee haue now to follow out the other two parts which remaine Then as for the second The prophet finding in experience the fruite of his prayer hee professeth that hee will yet still waite on the Lord I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word As though he would saye I depend yet still on His word for the presence of the Lord that wee haue in this life is in His worde and in His Holy Spirite that accompanieth it So all the dependance we haue on GOD is in His worde and promise Take that away and then wee haue no sight no presence no faith here till wee see Him face to face Yet the wordes are better to bee marked hee saith I haue waited on the Lord Then hee saith My soule hath waited on the Lord as if he woulde saye I haue not awaited on the Lord onely with my bodily eyes but with mine heart and secrete inward affections I haue depended on Him from my verie heart For Brethren marke it well It is the heart of a man or woman that draweth GOD downe from Heauen sucketh in His presence Marueilous is the power that a faithful heart hath when it sendeth vp sighes and sobbes to Heauen for grace to pull down Gods presence and grace if there be no more but the eye it will not doe the turne but where the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart it maketh it to â—igh with sobbes that cannot be expressed It is not possible but GOD who giueth His Spirite to no man in vaine and who knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirite will grant that for which the Spirit maketh intercession Paul in the 8. chap. to the Rom. setting downe the waiting on of the godly how they wait on the Lord he setteth downe both the forceable operation of Gods Spirit in our hearts as also the fruit of his operation Wee sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies there the vvaiting on of the godly is conjoyned vvith sighes and sobbes Then after hee letteth vs see what followeth vpon that What to seeke wee knowe not but when the Spirite of the Lord interceadeth for vs with sighes and sobbes vnspeakeable then the Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit granteth that thing for the which the Spirite maketh intercession for what els meaneth that vnspeakeable joye vvhich many a time the Saincts of God finde before they haue ended their prayers but that their prayers are fauourably accepted What meaneth that vnspeakeable joy when he saith Belieuing we rejoyce with joy vnspeakeable and glorious That joye witnesseth that the Lord giueth his presence for there is a sure ground There is no true joy but in the presence of God and so the joy testifieth to thee that thou sighest not so soone but the Lord giueth his presence to thee Now when hee hath saide My soule hath waited then he subjoyneth I will waite still vpon His word I will hold vp mine eare to Heauen as it were and heare what He wil speake vnto me There is no consolation nor joy in this world but in the hearing of His