before a sin can be pardoned it did cost Christ much and will cost himself much it did cost Christ much bloud to expiate the guilt of that sin it will cost the sinner many teares to destroy the power of that sin now that sin which he hath smarted for and Christ hath suffered for he will not easily commit Psal 38. when the Psalmist said he would declare his iniquity then in Psal 39. he saith I will take heed to my wayes as if he should have said I am sorry for my sin and the Lord hath forgiven me mine iniquity but here is the result of it I will take heed to my ways and of my sinning another time there is no man that knoweth his sin to be pardoned that can easily run into the commission of it again it is an exeellent expression in the book of Job If I sin then thou markest me and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity If I sin it is not here spoken absolutely and simply for what man is he that lives and sinneth not but if I sin as I am charged that I should sin murmuring and maliciously against God and persist in my sin saith Job If I sin as yee charge me what followes then God will not take away mine iniquity he will not pardon my sin as Job said of himself you may say of your selves if I sin obstinately and pertinaciously God will not pardon thou hast been wicked thou wilt be so thou hast been prophane and thou wilt be so This is inconsistent with a pardoned state Char. 3 A third Character of a person whose sin is forgiven is this to have unfained sorrow and remorse of heart for the commission of sin sins forgiven are steept in bloud and soakt in teares sorrow before pardon is servile and legal none can sorrow in an Evangelical manner but he who is brought into a pardoned estate Indeed there may be a fore't and a constrained sorrow which may come from the eyes of unpardoned men there is this difference between the one and the other Teares in an unpardoned sinner come from him like water in a Still but Tears in a pardoned sinner come from him like water from the clouds water will drop from the Still but it is forc't by keeping close the Still and by the heat of the fire the fire of hell may make a wicked man agast but sorrow for sin in a pardoned man is like water from the clouds that is not forced but doth naturally drop down Char. 4 A fourth Character He in whom sin is pardoned is a man in whom is no guile Psal 32. some do take guile in a particular sense others extend it more largely as a comprehensive word opposed to sincerity he is a man in whose spirit is no guile that is an upright man Thus much for the use of Triall I now come to answer the Objections Obiect 1 The first Objection me thinks I hear a doubting Christian say Woe and alas what state am I in I have misgiving thoughts that God hath not pardoned mine iniquities because I cannot find that I have a heart to mourn for my iniquity And is it imaginablâ— that Christ should shed blood for those sins which I never shed a tear for I can mourn for outward small crosses but I cannot mourn for great inward corruptions this makes me doubt whether ever God hath pardoned my sin I shal resolve this Objection in these four particulars Ans 1 First of all consider that all men have not a like naturall tendernesse and softnesse of disposition many are of soft dispositions are naturally inclined to tears this is not grace but the ingenuousnesse and softnesse of Nature all cannot sorrow a like there may be grace in a man if his disposition be hard and rugged yet he cannot shed tears as those that have a tender disposition Ans 2 Secondly You that make this Objection know this that there may be greater sorrow for sin in the heart when there is no tears for sin flowing from the eye tears from the eye doth ease and lighten the minde there may be the greatest sorrow when it can have no vent from the eye Thirdly You that make this Objection know you must distinguish of a two-fold sorrow for sin First there is a judicious sorrow and secondly a sensitive sorrow First There is a judicious sorrow and this consists in an apprehension in the judgement that sin is the greatest evil in the world and most to be lamented branded opposed and resisted Divines doe place more strength and height of grace in having an indignation stirred up in the understanding against sin touching the evil of sin this is more then to shed a few teares for sin Now if thou hast a judicious sorrow to apprehend sin to be a great evil though it hath not vent at the eye yet this is godly sorrow for sin A man that hath the Tooth-ache he will cry out and complain more and shed more teares happily for the exquisite pain of the Tooth-ache then he will doe in the burning Feaver yet ask him which he had rather have he will tell you the Tooth-ache the reason is because the pestilential Feaver is more hazardous to life so bad you rather lose your children then lose the sense of Gods favour Which had you rather have afflictions in the world or willingly commit sin against God The judgement of a man if he be a regenerate man tells him he had rather a thousand times lose the dearest relation then the manifestation of Gods love unto his soul he had rather endure the greatest affliction then to venture willingly on the least sin Ans 4 Fourthly Consider that Gods own people have oftentimes exprest more sorrow for outward afflictions then they have done for inward corruptions there is great reason for it because things of sense doe more affect us then things of faith doe lay a man upon the Rack and he shall more roar and cry then any man in the world shall doe in the sense of sin because the pain is sensitive and it will have more sense of sorrow it was thus with good men in Scripture We read much of Davids sorrow he had no rest in his bones by reason of his sin yet mark when David lost Absolom O what a fit of sorrow was he in crying out O my son Absolom my son my son Absolom would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my son my son Wee do not read of such cryes O my soul my soul O what shall I doe for thee my soul because the sorrow was sensitive the losse was sensitive Now beloved Gods people do expresse more sensitive sorrow for outward crosses then for inward corruptions A late Author doth quote an instance out of Jerome a godly woman lost her children she wept even to death yet she could not weep so for her sin the reason is because things of sense do more affect a man then
not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing The meaning is this that the way to Heaven it was not manifest to the Jewes whilest their Tabernacle stood that is whilest their Leviticall Ceremonies were in use the way to heaven was not manifest the godly went to heaven before Christs time but it was not manifested for the common sort of the Jews did not understand that by Jesus Christs Passion and Ascension they must come to heaven therefore the Apostle saith the way to the holiest of all was not yet manifested whilest their first Tabernacle stood So my Text is true that heaven was prepared for believers by the Lord Jesus Christ his ascension The third Quere is this but you will say if Christ by his ascension into heaven did prepare heaven for believers then what became of all the people of God and holy men of God under the old Testament whither went they The Jesuites raise the difficulty from the Text. They say that before Christ ascended none did goe to heaven therfore they make Abraham Isaac and Iacob with all the Patriarkes and all the holy men of God to be in the place called Limbus Patrum which was for the good men till Christs ascension Then there is Limbus Infantum a place of receipt of Infants Then there is Purgatory for men guilty of grosse sins heaven and hell they concurre in to be a truth Limbus Patrum say they was the place to receive all the good men till Christs ascension and then Christ tooke them all into heaven Protestant Divines do take a deale of paines to vindicate this Text. If you will aske me what is become of the Patriarkes and all good men of old before Christs going into heaven how can they come to heaven if heaven be prepared by Christs ascension First I may say that of Christs ascension as Gerrard doth of Christs Passion the Death of Christ it was availeable before it was in being so I may say of Christs Ascension that it was availeable before it was in being Gerrard hee hath another passage that the benefits wee have by Christ they are not onely to bee restrained to ages that are to come after Christ but to looke backward to all ages before Christ Revel 5. 9. And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Not onely the Lambe slain decretively in Gods decree nor onely is the Lambe slaine Typically in the ceremoniall Sacrifices but also vertually that there was vertue in Jesus Christ that all the Godly Jewes had vertue by CHRISTS death there is my first Answer Secondly observe this that the Scripture doth not say that Christ by going up to heaven did open heaven for us he being our Mediator sitting at Gods right hand in heaven heaven was opened before but not so fully adorned as it was by Christs ascension Heb. 9. 8. The holy Ghosts this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest whilest the Tabernacle was yet standing The Grecians doe observe that Christ doth not use a word that signifies to open a thing that is shut but to open clear and manifest a thing that is obscure it was open before Thirdly against the Jesuits conceit of Limbus Patrum there are cleare passages in the Scripture and undenyable reasons drawn from the Scripture that doth prove beleevers under the old Testament went to heaven before CHRISTS ascension As in Luke 16. 22. And it came to passe that the begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosome the Rich man also dyed and was buried Hee lived two thousand years and more before Christ was borne heaven is called Abrahams Bosome and the elect that dyed are said to goe into Abrahams Bosome and Eliah and Enoch are in heaven Heb. 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him in the 16 verse but now they desired a better Countrey that is heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for hee hath prepared for them a City Hee is ashamed to bee their God therefore they have a City prepared for them by God that likewise Lazarus was said to be carried by Angels into Abrahams Bosome this was before Christ dyed then frequent Scriptures there are touching Christs transfiguration that when Christ was taken up that hee saw Moses and Elias from thence Divines gather that they must bee in Heaven There are foure undeniable Reasons wil prove that the godly before Christs Ascension they went to Heaven First it appears by this because it is said that those that were carried to heaven they were carried to Heaven by the Angels the Angels carried Lazarus into Abrahams Bosome now certainly Angels are not in Limbus Partum Luk. 16. 22. Againe if the Beleevers of old should not goe into Heaven the Death and Merits of Christ would bee extenuated Heb. 13. 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Hee was the same yesterday that is before he was borne hee was of use then as well as to after time Againe if the Soules of wicked men bee in Hell before Christs time then the Soules of Godly men must bee in Heaven before Christs time that must clearly follow by the Rule of contraries now that wicked men went to Hell is cleare Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an examples suffering the vengeance of eternall Fire They went to Hell before Christs time therefore it must follow clearly that the elect must go to Heaven before Christs time Fourthly there is the very same reason why Believers should goe to Heaven before Christs Ascension as there is why they should goe to heaven after Christs Ascension because Beleevers under the old Testament they had the same Gospell preached to them as now wee have and they had the same Spirit the same Faith and under the same Covenant and therefore why must not they go to the same place I shall clearly prove this unto you First they had the same Spirit and the same Faith that we have and this is laid down by the Apostle in 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken wee also beleeve and therefore speak and they with us had the same justifying Faith Their circumcision was a signe of righteousnesse by Faith And then againe they had the same Gospel that we have Heb. 4. 2. For unto us was the same Gospell Preached as well as unto them but the word Preached did not profit them not being mixt with Faith in them that heard it The same
THE Penitent Pardoned A TREATISE Wherein is handled the duty of confession of Sin and the priviledge of the pardon of Sin Together with a Discourse Of Christs Ascension into Heaven and of his coming again from Heaven Wherein The opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted Being the sum and substance of several Sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ Mr Christopher Love late Minister of the Gospel at Lawrence Jury LONDON 1 John 1. 19. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Heb. 9. 28. Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation Qui dat peccanti poenitentiam dat poenitenti veniam Veniet judicaturus qui venit judicandus London Printed for John Rothwell at the Bear and Fountain in Cheapside and for Nathanael Brooks at the Angel in Cornhil 1657. To the Christian Reader THE extraordinary acceptance which Mr Love's books have found with sober and solid Christians as it hath occasioned the publishing of more treatises of his then was at first intended so it hath imboldned some without our knowledge and consent to thrust forth some imperfect Copies under Mr Love's name concerning which we will only say that the want of our attestation to whose care the publishing of his sermons were intrusted is ground enough to render them as suspected and suppositious to the serious and deliberate Reader Amongst some other Sermons of Mr Love 's which have been printed by imperfect Copies These two Treatises had the unhappinesse to be very hastily and unhandsomely published being never perused by any of us or compared with his own Notes Now that these two very useful tracts may be fit to be joined with the rest of Mr Love's works the Reader is desired to know that they have been diligently compared with the Notes written with Mr Love 's own hand and have been corrected from very many faults with which the former Edition abounded and most of them materiall We will add no more but this that in the Polemicall part of these discourses as we approve the authors judgement to be sound and orthodox so we beleeve that had he lived to publish his own labours this and other books had come forth more answerable to the learning piety and vigorous parts of the Author We commend thee to God and the word of his Grace which is able to build thee up and to give thee an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified London April 27. 1657. Edmund Calamy Simeon Ashe William Tailor William Whitaker The Table AFflicted people fit to confesse sin pag. 9 10 Aggravation of sin 16 Antinomians confuted 24 Aggravation of sin by circumstances 85. 109 Austins confession and aggravation of sin ibid. Godly afflicted for sin 94 95 Antinomians confuted 96 All sins not alike 108 Christ ascended into Heaven 116 117 Time of Christs Ascension 126 What we gain by Christs Ascension 134 B. BEnummed conscience 55 Boldnesse in sin 57 Christs body in Heaven and why 119 120 Hereticks confuted that denied Christs body to be in Heaven 121 Believers went to heaven before the incarnation of Christ 131 132 Bodies of Saints shall go to Heaven 197 Endowments of a glorified body 199 Of sin against the body 208 C. God loves to have his people confesse their sins 7 Confesse our bosome sin to God 12 Small sins must be confessed 14 We must confesse sin to God 19 We must confesse our sins to God 20 35. and our particular sins 22 Of auricular confession 19 24 In what cases we must confesse our sins to men 21 23 Cofession of sin must be affectionate 36 We must confesse all sin 39 Confession must be free 37. and voluntary 38 Confession is not needlesse as to God 41 Conscience checking for sin 53 54 Of a sensless sleeping Conscience 56 Comfort against the fear of death 123 Comfort from the consideration of Christs comming to judgement 137 Manner of Christs second comming 173 of Communion with Christ it Heaven 210 D. DEfects in our confession 33 Greatnesse of Davids sin 65 We must not feare Death 196 E. SOul eased by confession 6 Extenuation of sin 87 F. FEar of the godly to sin 24 47 Christs comming the dread and fear of wicked men 180 G. GOD pardons great sins 61 62 Of grosse and heinous sins 80 Directions to great and heinous sinners 82 Great sins great humiliation 86 How God makes the sinnes of his people turn to their good 92 93 Christ ascended to give the Holy Ghost 123 The glory of Christs second comming 176 177 H. HOpe of pardon 17 Humbled sinner amiable to God 40 Christ in Heaven his Heart on Earth 125 The Godly die and go to Heaven 188 I. IUstified persons must confesse sin 5 Impenitency exempts from pardon 89 Infants and grown people not under the same necessity of repentance 101 Christ will come to judge the world 137 L. LAw of God discovers sin 37. of little sins 73 74 Love of God to penitent sinners 87 88 Limbus Patrum confuted 129 Of Christs comming at the last day and not before 151 M. WE must confess our Master-sin 34 Mortification of sin 46 50 51 52 Infinite mercy in God 70. merit in Christ 71 72 Meditation of Christ 123 Millenaries confuted 150. unto 172 VVhat scriptures those Millenaries urge 160 166 169 O. OLd sins 18 Gods children have fallen into the same sin oftner then once though this is not usuall 102 103 104 Comfort against Oppression 141 P. PUblick sins publick confessions 22 Of good and wicked purposes 32 of pardon of sin 33 Pardoned sinners love God 45. and they forgive aâ—â—thers ibid Pardon and repentance joined ibid VVhat a pardoned sinner shuns 61 62 Peters sin aggravated in denying Christ 67 Aggravation of Pauls sin 68 69 God pardons and yet punisheth 96 Pardon not before faith and repentance 97 98 99 Saints justified must pray for pardon 107 Prophesies of Christs ascension 117 Christ prepares heaven for believers 127 VVe should prepare for heaven 133 Comfort against persecution 140 Paradice a type of Heaven 189 R. AFter reproof for sin we must confess sin 11 Remorse of conscience 20 Of those that are angry at reproof 36 Remembrance of sin 38 Remission of sin and renovation of the heart join'd together 44 Relapses into sin dangerous 105 Of the reproches of ChristiaÌ„s coÌ„fort against theÌ„ 140 Resurrection of the body proved 204 S. Confession works sorrow for sin â— Sorrow for sin T. 17 49 5â— T. TYpes of Christs ascension 11â— Christ triumph over our enemies 10â— Transubstantiation confuted 128 Time of Christs comming unknown 148 W. Witnesses of Christs ascension 11â— SERMON 1. Text PSALM 32. latter part of Vers 5. I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin THis Psalme treats of the blessednesse of a justified of a pardoned sinner touching which
sinnes in the light of thy countenance Psal 19. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults David did not onely confesse his murder of Vriah his adultery with Bethsheba but he confest smaller sins Davids heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment it was onely the appearance of revenge he had his knife neere his throte that which had the appearance of a sin Davids heart smote him for Conscientions men do not onely bewail and confesse open and grosser evils but the secret and the smallest corruptions of the heart they bewaile to God they confesse their secret pride their secret worldlinesse and secret murmurings against God they confesse their secret and smaller evils Indeed wicked men fall short of this wicked men confesse their Grosse and their open sins but do dot take notice of their lesser and secret evils there are two instances for this one is in Cain Cain confest his murder his was greater then it could be forgiven speaking of the murder of his brother Abel Gen. 4. 13. And Cain said unto unto the Lord My punishment is greater then I can bear He did not confesse his emnity that made him murder his brother he confest his grosse sin but did not confesse more slie and secret evils Thus you read likewise of Judas Judas confest his betraying of Christ a grosse sin but he never confest his covetousnesse a secret sin that made him betrry Jesus Christ saith he I have sinned in betraying innocent blood he that did bewaile and confesse his murder in betraying Christ did not confesse and bewail his covetousnesse and hypocrisie that were more lurking and secret evils That is a second Rule make conscience to confesse small and secret evils as well as open and grosser sins Rule 3 Third Rule touching confession of sin unto God is this When you confesse and acknowledge secretly your sins unto God labour to greaten your sins with all the heinous circumstances and heart-humbling aggravations you can imagin Thus the servants of God used to do when they confest sin unto God they would confesse sin with all the heinous circumstances 1 Kings 8. 47. Saying We have sinned and have done perversly we have committed wickedness Saith Lorinus Mark what a heap of words a heart-humbled soul will lay together in confessing of sin We have sinned there is one word We have done wickedly there is a second and we have done perversly there is a third A notable instance you have of Paul in Act. 26. 10 11. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received authority from the chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them And I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities Here Paul comes to aggravate his sin there are eight aggravations that here Paul doth lay down of his sinne wherby he would greaten sin unto himself that he might be the more humble First of all they were not ordinary men that he cast into prison but they were Saints and to wrong them is a sacriledge the Saints have I cast into prison Secondly To cast a man into prison for debt is no injustice if the man be able to pay but many have I cast into prison why for professing the name of Jesus of Nazareth meerly for professing Christ Thirdly If it had been but one or two Saints it were not much but they were a greater number Many of the Saints did I cast into prison Fourthly he aggravates his sin further to cast them into prison and give them in prison liberty is not much but he shut them up in prison and kept them close prisoners Fifthly If he had rested there it had not been much but he gave his voyce against them to put them to death Nay Sixthly He goeth higher for he did wrong to their souls too for he compelled them to blaspheme God Seventhly To aggravate it further he was mad against them and I was exceedingly mad against them hee was mad with rage and with passion and with fury against the Saints of God Eighthly I did persecute them to strange Cities them I did not kill I made them leave their Wives and Children and made them run and shift for their lives into strange corners This is the nature of a true penitent not to confesse sin slightly and carelesly but in confession of sin to cloath his sins with all aggravations that can be In confession of sin we should aggravate it that we have sinned against mercies correction warnings resolutions checks of conscience motions of the Spirit c. and this is a good Rule if you will follow it You have the like instance in the book of Daniel chap. 9. v. 5. We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgements Vers 6. vers 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land There are seven circumstances that Daniel useth in confessing of his sin to aggravate his sin how doth Daniel cloath his confession First We have sinned there is one Secondly We have committed iniquity Thirdly We have done wickedly Fourthly We have rebelled against thee Fifthly We have departed from thy precepts Sixthly We have not hearkned unto thy servants Seventhly Nor we nor our Princes nor all the people of the Land There are seven aggravations which Daniel reckoned up to his confession Thus David when he would beg pardon prayed for thy names sake pardon my iniquity for it is great that is a third Rule about confession Rule 4 A fourth Rule in confession of sin is this In your confessions look not discouragingly on God as an angry Judge but hopefully as on a displeased Father to confesse sin to God as an angry Judge is to make you but condemned Malefactors in your confessions therefore make confession to God only as a displeased Father converted men do confesse sin to God as a Father whilest you have an eye of sorrow upon sin you are to have an eye of hope upon pardon thus Gods people did in their confessions To confesse sin to God as a Judge is to howl like dogs because you shall be beaten but to confesse sin to God as an angry Father is child-like with a fiducial confidence of pardon Dan. 9. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him And thus Shechaniah confesseth sin unto God Ezra 10. 2. And Shechaniah the Son of Jehiel one of the Sons of Ellam answered and said unto Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. And thus the Prodigall in Luke 18. 18. I will arise and goe to my Father
have done evil in thy sight but cannot call to minde any particular sin they have done Was it never thus with you that ye did not know what to bewaile to God and what to lament of in his presence this is a Defect that godly men are often guilty of Defect 2 A second Defect in the confession of sin to God is this when men in prayer do confesse many sins to God yet do leave out their master and predominant sins many men are large in confession yet do leave out their master sins Moses though a good man yet was faulty in this regard God commanded him to go to Egypt to deliver his people but saith Moses I am not eloquent I am of a slow speech he did complain of a natural defect but he did not complain of a spiritual defect but God did answer all his pleas in Exod. 4. 19. And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian Go return into Egypt for all the men are dead that sought thy life Vers 20. And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them upon an asse and he returned to the land of Egypt So that God here put his finger upon the sore Moses complained of the peoples incredulity of his own natural infirmity but Moses did not complain of his slavish fear that if he should go to Egypt there were men that would kill him till God did assure Moses that those men that sought to kill him were dead Moses would not go here a good man would not confesse his slavish fear that he did fear death therefore he would not go on Gods command Beloved this is a Defect that doth many times cleave to godly men to leave out their predominant sins and to confesse only those sins which are sins of infirmity and herein men do but dissemble with God and like the lapwing crie lowdest when farthest from the nest Defect 3 A third Defect in confession of sin to God is this to have the heart to hanker after the committing of those sins you do confesse Austin doth ingenuously acknowledg this of himself saith he I did often beg strength of God against the sin of incontinency yet had often an unwillingnesse in my heart that God should hear my prayers lest I should leave my sins Indeed conviction of conscience doth force to a confession of sin yet the strength of thy depraved affection doth make thee hanker after the sin and cause a lothnesse to leave it Defect 4 A fourth Defect in confession of sin to God is this to confesse to God the sins of your life but not the sins of your nature many men will be large in confessing the sins of their life but seldom or never bewail the sins of nature that vicious inclination in the heart to sin very few but David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New who did sufficiently confesse original sin David in the Old Testament Psal 51. there he begins to bewail the root of those sins which he was guilty of So Paul in Rom. 7. bewails the body of sin many men bewail actual sin but not habitual sin but not original sin many men bewail bad actions but never confesse unto God their vicious inclination This Defect good men many times are guilty of Defect 5 A fifth defect is this to confesse grosse and open sins but not to confesse small and secret evils we are commanded to keep the Law as the apple of our eye Prov. 7. 2. Keep my commandements and live and my Law as the apple of thine eye Now you know a man that keeps his eye will not only keep his eye from great blowes but from small motes which may put out the eye as well as a great blow men should not only take heed of great blowes great transgressions but they should take heed of lesser motes small sins Now beloved good men many times commit those sins that are infamous that the natural light of conscience can control them for why those evils are complained of and confest but secret evils wandring thoughts in duties vanity of minde the deadnesse of the heart emptinesse of spiritual meditations inward distrust these evils are seldome bewailed and confest this is many times a Defect found in good men good men are not so apt to confesse omission of good as commission of evil Defect 6 A sixt Defect in confession of sin to God is this to confesse sin more because of its guilt then of its spot my meaning is more because sin hath a damning power then a defiling nature more because sin damns thy soul then defiles thy conscience A child would touch a coal though it be smutty and soily but he forbears to touch it meerly because it is a burning coal we forbeare sin because sin is a burning coale but we doe not forbear to touch it because it is a defiling coal that is a defect in many godly men to be found But we should confesse sin and bewaile it not because it wil damn us but because it doth dishonour God Defect 7 A seventh defect in confession of sins to God is this to confesse those sins to God which if men should charge us with we should deny and be angry This holy Greenham doth take notice of in mens confession of sin thou wilt confesse thy pride to God but if a man should say that thou art proud thou wouldst be angry with him thou wilt confesse thy waies to God but if men should tell thee of thy sins thou wouldst be angry with them this shews there is much defect in your confession Defect 8 The eighth defect in confession of sin unto God is this not to have the heart sensibly affected with those sins that are confessed to God many confesse as if they were telling stories rather what other men did then what themselves did there are few that confesse sin as the Prodigall did that he was ashamed to be called the son of his father We should confesse sin as Daniel did Dan. 9. and as David did Psa 51. But many confesse sin like Pharaoh Exod. 9. 27. And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Vers 34. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder were ceased he sâ—nned yet more and hardned his heart 〈…〉 Defect 9 The ninth defect in confesâ—ion of sin to God is this to content your selves with slight ordinary and generall confessions of sins to come into Gods presence and say you are sinners just as 〈◊〉 the eleventh king of France who when he had blasphemed would take his Crucifix and kisse and cry God forgive me and then sweare again this is the fault which Christians many times are guilty of many men rest contented with a confused and a generall confession of sin when they doe not come to any distinct view of their particular sins there is a tumult in the
behind the back signifies to forget and disregard it so wicked men cast Gods Covenant behind their backs that is they doe not mind it they will not obey it so when God is said to cast sinne behinde his back he will take no notice of it so as to punish it A second expression that illustrates pardon of sinne is this it is called a casting of sinne into the bottom of the Sea Micah 7. 29. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and will cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea It is an allusion unto Gods great Judgement on Pharaoh and the Egyptian Host when they pursued the Israelites they came to the Red Sea and thinking to goe through as the Israelites did the Sea fell in upon them and they were drowned in the bottom of the sea so saith God I wil deal with sinne as I dealt with Pharaoh you shall never be troubled more with them not unto condemnation you need not fear the rising of sin again against you sin is not like unto light weeds in the Sea that will swim of themselves but Lead that is cast into the Sea the allusion holds here Exod. 15. 10. Thou didst blow with the wind the Sea covered them they sank as lead in the mighty waters God when he pardons sins and casts them into the bottom of the Sea sin lies like lead it can never rise of it selfe in a way of condemnation to a justified man to a pardoned sinner Thirdly pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by blotting out Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake This is a metaphor taken from men when a man is not able to pay his debt the Creditor doth cancel the Bond blots out the writing and breaks the Seal that nothing shall prevail in Law against this poor man So the Lord doth cancell the bond and blots out the writing that neither sin nor the Devill shall have any processe against him in a way of condemnation Fourthly Pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by acquitting of a man from his iniquity Job 10. 14. If I sin thou markest me and thou wilt not or aquit me then not set mee free from mine iniquity Acquitting is a term of Law giving you a discharge and dismission of the Court the Lord in pardoning of sin gives a man a Legall discharge that no proceedings of Heaven shall goe against him Fifthly Pardon of sin is called in Scripture a covering of sin Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered Beloved if pardon of sin had consisted in the removing of sin we had been undone pardon of sin doth not consist in the removall of all sin out of a man but in the covering of sin God will hide sin that the fiercenesse of his wrath and the Eye of his indignation shal not look on it to condemnation It is the same word that refers to garments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man hath a Mole or Wenne on his body which his garment covers these infirmities are not seen by men Beloved God covers sin as with a garment to wit with the long robe of Christs Righteousnesse sin is covered in thee by the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Sixtly Pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by washing and purging away of sin Psalm 51. 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin he means there in reference to justification That pardon of sin presents a man to God without spot or wrinkle or blemish or any such thing that though you have many spots in regard of your sanctification yet you have no spot in regard of your justification Seventhly pardon of sin is expressed in Scripture by not remembring of sin Jer. 31. 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more It is an allusion to the Scape-goat which was to bear the sins of the people on his head to carry them into the land of forgetfulnesse Thus the Lord that remembers all things that God is said graciously not to remember the sins of his people not to remember them so as to damn them for them he will forget your iniquities and remember them no more Lastly Pardon of sinne is expressed in Scripture by not imputing of sin Rom. 4. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin It is a word drawn from Merchants when they have a friend that owes them money that they care not whether they receive or no they do not put it down in their Book God will not impute sin he will not set sin on the score he will not put sin to thine account though sin be in thee yet it is not imputed to thee Thus these names or expressions do something Illustrate the nature of forgivenesse In the next place to enquire how many wayes a sinne may be said to be forgiven First in regard of Gods decree and so sin is forgiven before all Worlds because God intended to deliver the Elect that such a remnant and number of men should have sin pardoned Thus Christ is the Lamb slaine from the beginning of the World Secondly Sin is said to be forgiven when the Lord doth manifest forgivenesse of sin Thirdly and chiefly Sin is said to be forgiven when the eternall guilt and condemnation due for that sin is taken away when God doth expiate or take off the guilt of sin in that properly lies the nature of forgivenesse In the third place what is considered in sin when God is said to forgive it this is worth your understanding Three things are to be considered in sin First the blot and pollution of sin and this cannot be taken away by pardon the sin is a sin though it be pardoned the pollution of sin is not taken away by pardon the blot remaines Secondly There is considered the desert of sin it deserves damnation and the wrath of God though it be pardoned this is not taken away A Third thing considered is this the Ordination or appointment of a sinner to eternall punishment and this is fully taken away by pardon when God doth give remission of sin he doth take away all obligation to wrath death hell and damnation and this is properly the nature of forgivenesse of sin it is a gracious and a free act of God whereby he acquits a sinner from eternall guilt and eternall punishment that is due to all his sin in an eternall punishment God doth not acquit a pardoned man from externall punishments God may pardon thy sin yet he may punish thee externally for thy sinnes but not eternally and thus much for the first particular Part. 2 The second particular is What kind of confession of sin is it that hath such a necessary
things of faith though there be more evill in one sin then in a thousand afflictions And thus much for the relief of a troubled sinner in answer to the first Objection Object 2 The second Objection is this Methinks I hear another man say how can I be perswaded that God hath pardoned and forgiven me my sin when I see that I cannot mortifie my sin surely an unmortified sin must needs be an unpardoned sin surely the guilt of sin must remain where the power of sin remains I cannot finde that my sin is fully mortified therefore I question whether my sin be pardoned I shall answer this in four particulars to take off the trouble of a perplexed mind Answ 1 First Know and consider that mortifying grace is a consequent of pardon of sin and therefore doth not go before it Micah â— 18. He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities c. the promises followes I will subdue thine iniquitie saith God be not troubled I have pardoned thee Answ 2 Secondly Thou that makest this Objection against thy self it may be thou mistakest the nature of mortification and takest mortification to be that which it is not as first it may be a godly Christian doth extend mortification beyond its bounds as thus it may be thou doest extend mortification not to a gracious suppression of sin but to a totall extirpation of sin and thinkest that because sin is not removed it is not subdued Now this is a mistake mortification doth not extend so farre but it extends to an abolition of the dominion of sin not of the being of sin before we dye we shall never be absolutely rid of the being of sin sin will be in the heart As the tree in Dan. 4. 14. He cryed aloud and said thus Hew down the tree and cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit let the beasts get away from under it and the fowls from his branches neverthelesse leave the stump of his roots in the earth So sin in the heart the branches are cut off by mortification the luxuriant buddings and blossomings and breakings forth of sin they are cut off but the stump the root of originall sin from which all sin flowes and growes that remaines Dan. 7. 12. As concerning the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time Though thou beest a mortified man yet mortification doth only take away the dominion of sin and not the life of it for it is prolonged for a season Answ 2 Again thou dost mistake the nature of mortification when thou dost account that because of the irritations of sin therefore thou hast not the mortifications of sin Beloved lusts may be irritated and stirred up in a mortified heart Nay sin may most strive while it is mortifying Answ 3 Thirdly You that plead that sin is not pardoned because it is not mortified consider for your comfort that a sin may be fully pardoned when it is not fully mortified there is this reason to be given for this because mortification is not so compleat and perfect as remission of sin is remission of sin is a perfect act and all men though their graces be inequall yet their forgivenesse and pardon is equall and alike because God doth not pardon one sin and not another but in the work of mortification it is partly done partly not done it is a work begun therefore a sin may be fully pardoned when it is not fully subdued because sanctification and mortification cannot hold equipage and proportion with remission of sin Answ 4 Fourthly You that plead that you are not pardoned the guilt of sin flies in your faces because it is not subdued I answer That it is an evident token that Christ hath dispossest the soul of the power of sin or taken away the power of sin seeing the Devill doth labour to possesse you so often with the guilt of sin in a way of temptation Observe if a man did lye under the power of sin the Devill would not suggest to that man the guilt of sin because then it would awaken a mans conscience and make a poor sinner look after Jesus Christ and after heaven and pardon Pharah doth not trouble Israel till he be gone forth of Egypt Therefore a sinner under the power and dominion of sin shall not be troubled under the Devill about the guilt of sin The Devill had rather play at small game then not to game if he cannot damn a man by keeping him under the power of sin he will terrifie him by troubling him with the guilt of sin Answ 5 Lastly Consider this that the coâ—fessing contesting with corruptions is in the account of God lookt upon as the mortification Deut. 22. 23. If a Damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto a husband a man finde her in the City lye with her Vers 24. Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the City and yee shal stone them with stones that they dye the Damsell because she cryed not being in the City and the man because he hath humbled his neighbours wife so shalt thou put a way evill from among you Vers 25. But if a man finde a betrothed damosel in the field a man force her lye with her then the man only that lay with her shall dye All the prevalency of sin over thee which is unwilling God will charge that on the Devill and account thee guiltlesse when it hath not thy consent when thou labourest to suppresse vicious corruptions of the heart God doth hold thee guiltlesse though the Devill may labour to commit a spiritual rape upon thee It is a text that I have often made use of in the 11. chapter of Leviticus Divines make great use of it for the comforting of troubled consciences in the 33. vers And every earthen vessell whereinto any of them falleth whatsoever is in it shall be unclean and yee shall break it Vers 36. Neverthelesse a fountain or pit wherein there is plenty of water shal be clean but that which toucheth their carkasse shall be unclean The significancy of this Law was this that if filth do fall upon a pit of water into a standing pool because it hath no motion it cannot purge it self from the filth cast into it that is unclean but if an unclean thing be cast into a fountain of water that cannot be unclean for it hath a principle in it to purge and free it self from these unclean things that are cast into it to shew if sin be in your heart as an unclean thing in a fountain of water that by reason of your continuall motion unto God your running unto God you have a principle in you to empty your selves and to purge your selves and clear your selves from those things which the Devill doth defile you with now your are not unclean this should
greatly comfort you Object 3 A third Objection is this Surely I have misgiving thoughts that God hath not forgiven me my sin because after I have committed sin I do not discern that my conscience checks me for my sin therefore I may fear if there be no remorse after the commission of sin I may fear that there is no remission This is the strongest Objection to make a man â—â—ar his pardon As I would say nothing to make a deluded wretch to presume so I would keep back nothing that might any way establish a troubled minde thou sayest thou dost fall into sin yet thou hast no check remorse of conscience for sin therefore thou fearest if sin hath no remorse on thy part it hath no remission on Gods part For answer First in the generall know your case is dangerous but yet it is not desperate Answ 1 First it is possible the conscience of a good man may be so disordered through the impetuousnesse of passion and lust that he may think he doth well when he doth ill therefore his conscience never smites him As it was with Paul Act. 26. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Paul sinned he had his doubts before conversion even as after conversion yet this sin troubled him not he thought he was bound to do many things c. so may thy conscience be so far disordered as to think that thou doest well when thou doest ill Jonah 4. 9. And God said to Jonah doest thou well to be angry for the gourd he said I do well to be angry even unto the death Could Jonahs conscience smite him for his anger when he said he did wel Lord how far wil a godly man go to the very suburbs of hell if God shall let him alone I doe well saith Jonah to be angry even unto death Answ 2 Secondly Thou that makest this Objection take this for thy comfort consider that many pardoned sinners through heedlesnes and in-observancy have not their judgements inlightned to discern sin and if the judgement hath not an eye to see sin the conscience wil never have an hand to smite for sin it is a Proverb What the eye sees not the heart rues not nothing that is unknown can be the object of desire neither can any thing that is unknown be the object of sorrow unknown miseries we weep not for but miseries we know those we mourn for if a mans judgement be not inlightned to see sin he can never mourn for it he may live and dye in a sin that his judgement is not convinced of to be a sin thus the godly in the Old Testament lived in the sin of Polygamie marrying of many wives they knew not it was a sin but they took liberty to take as many wives as they would A godly man that holds an error conscience may never smite him for it because his judgment is mistaken his judgment thinks he holds the truth and therefore conscience cannot smite him for holding an error Answ 3 Thirdly take this by way of answer that the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be so farre benummed that a man may continue under the guilt of known sins and conscience never check him for it for a long time this is a further gradation that when he knoweth he sins against God yet I say conscience may be so far benummed that for a season not be tortured and smitten in conscience for his sin David could not be so ignorant of Gods Law that lying with another mans wife was a sin yet David did continue nine moneths at least without remorse for it when Nathan came and reproved him then said he I have sinned I have sinned O beloved if God doth but let a sinners conscience alone though he be a good man yet he may continue for a long time under a known sin and conscience not work remorse or trouble in him And the like instance we have in the sons of Jacob who were not sensible of their sin in selling Joseph untill 20. yeares after they fell into trouble for it in Egypt Answ 4 Fourthly take this for comfort that there is nogodly mans conscience in the world that is alwayes alike in office but sometimes it may be in office sometimes out of office sometimes a roaring gawling awakening conscience and sometimes a stupified a benummed and a â—eared conscience no mans conscience is alwaies alike in office it is sensible at one time and â—eared up another time Pregnant instances David at one time his heart smote him for but the appearance of an evill viz. Cutting off Sauls lap yet at another time his conscience did not smite him for murdering Vriah Again at another time Davids conscience smote him but for vainglory in numbring the people it was onely vainglory that he would please himself in a mustered Army yet at another time Davids conscience did not smite him for adultery O beloved how wil a mans conscience lye asleep not trouble him for an evill if God lets him alone Answ 5 Fifthly a step further It is possible that the conscience of a pardoned sinner may be in so deep a sleep and so much out of office for a while that he may rather put his wits a work to hide his sin then his conscience on work to check him for sin to give you an instance for this plain in the case of David David committed adultery with Bathsheba but he did not put his conscience on work to check him for his sin but he did put his wits on work to hide the sin Four projects David had to hide the sin First He sent for Vriah Bathsheba's husband that so Vriah might come and lye with his wife that so he might hide Davids uncleannesse 2. Sam. 11. Secondly He made Vriah drunk and so thought that surely when he was drunk that drunkennesse would provoke him with a desire to go to his own house Thirdly He did plot Vriah's death that so there might be no clamour on his part for the defilement of his wife Lastly David would have fathered his plot on providence for David himself had plotted the death of Vriah mark Davids project a good man did put his wits on work and made shifts to hide his sin yet all this while did not put conscience on work to check him for his sin O how near the suburbs of hell may a godly man go and yet go to heaven Sixthly This is the furthest step of all take this for thy comfort it is possible that the conscience of a pardoned sinner may not smite him for those very sins that a Heathen man by the light of a naturall conscience may be ashamed of and this is clear in the case of Abraham Gen. 20. 9. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him What hast thou done unto us and what have Loffended thee that thou hast brought on me on my kingdom a great
the greater the person is that sins the sinne is the greater 2 Sam. 12. 8 9. A Third Circumstance to aggravate his sin it was that he did commit the sin after God had given him manifold mercies so Nathan telleth him 2 Sam. 12. 8. Fourthly Consider this that David had a Wife of his own nay many wives of his own that did greaten Davids sin and so Nathan told him for saith Nathan There was a poor man who had but one Lamb and a rich man that had many Lambs which killed the poor mans Lamb his meaning was that David should commit adultery with the wife of that man that had but one wife when he had many of his own Fifth Circumstance if you consider the time when David committed this sin it was when Davids Armies were lying in the fields this was done then which was enough to provoke God to make them turn their backs upon their enemies Sixth Circumstance It was a great injury to a faithful Commander in his Army as to Vriah Seventhly Which is the chiefest Circumstance of all that David should commit many sinnes to hide that one sin that was an aggraving Circumstance David did commit six-sins to hide that one sin of Adultery 1. He sent for Vriah Bathsheba's husband to leave the Army when they were storming a place this might have endangered the whole Army 2. The Text saith that David made Vriah drunk thinking thereby to make him go in to his Wife 3. He used a meanes for Vriah to father his bastard that he had gotten in uncleanness 4. When that Plot would not take David did conspire and consult how to kill Vriah 5. David sent a letter by Vriah wherein Vriah was a messenger of his own death unknown to him 6. When Vriah was dead the Text saith that David said The sword makes no difference for the sword destroyeth one man as well as another he laid Vriahs death on Gods providence onely when it was he himself did plot how he should be slain O where was Davids conscience all this while where was Davids conscience that should thus fall to commit those sins to hide one sin you account that a hainous aggravation of sin when servants have done an ill turn if they shall doe many ill turns to hide one this iniquity was found in David to hide one sin he fell to commit many Eighth Aggravation which greatens Davids sin was this that David should marry Vriahs wife first killed the husband then married the wife Ninthly and lastly To make his sin out of measure sinfull David continued under this sin with all these aggravations for nine moneths together without repentance or remorse of conscience I do not name this to boulster any man in sin I onely mention this for a distressed conscience that though thy sin be an aggravated and a great sin cloathed with many hideous and hainous circumstances yet God did forgive such a sin as that and therefore well may David say The Lord forgave the iniquity of my sin not onely sin but the iniquity of sin Inst. A second Instance is of Peter you all know the story but it may be you have not lookt narrowly into the circumstances that made Peters sinne to be great In Peters sinne First Consider that Peter should deny Christ when he did make more confident professions that he would cleave to Christ then all the other eleven Disciples when Christ told them You shall be offended because of me this night saith Peter Though all men should forsake thee yet will not I yet none forsaked Christ but Judas and he in so shameful a manner as they this was a great aggravation Secondly It is observable that Peter did deny himself to be Peter Joh. 18. 25. And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself they said therefore unto him Art not thou also one of his Disciples He denied and said I am not Thirdly He said he did not know Jesus Christ what a horrible fault was that that he said he did not know Jesus Christ Luke 22. 57. And he denied him saying Woman I know him not Fourthly He did not only deny Christ to a single Maid but the Text saith he denyed Christ to the Maid and before all the people there was an open denyal of Christ Matth. 26. 69. Now Peter sate without in the Palace and a Damosel came unto him saying thou also wâ—st with Jesus of Galilee vers 70. But he denied before them all saying I know not what thou sayest Fifthly When another Damosel came and she said Verily thou art one of them and a follower of Jesus Christ be said a second time Woman I doe not know the man Luke 22. Sixthly He did not onely deny but Matthew saith he denyed with an Oath Matth. 26. 72. And again he denied with an oath I doe not know the man to swear to a lye is abominable Seventhly It is observable It is said that a third time there came a man to Peter about an hour after and saith Of a truth thou art Peter and to the man saith he I do not know him Eighthly This is not all that Peter did not onely speak a falshood not onely swear a lye but Peter did curse himselfe if so be he knew Jesus Christ the Text saith he began to curse as well as to swear Mark 14. 71. But he began to curse and to swear saying I know not this man of whom ye speak he wisht some direful judgement to befall him if he knew Jesus Christ Some Interpreters think that he did not onely curse himselfe but he curst Jesus Christ to make the people think that he did not care for Jesus Christ therefore did use some execration to curse Jesus Christ And O that pardoning grace should reach such a hainous sinner as this was A third Instance was in Paul you shall see many circumstances to aggravate and greaten Pauls sin Acts 9. 10 11. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the 〈◊〉 did I shut up in Prison having received authority from the chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them And I punished them oft in every Syâ—â—gogâ—e and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly and against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities There are no lesse then ten aggravating circumstances to greaten Pauls sin First It was one circumstance to greaten his sin if you consider the quality of the persons that he did injure they were not ordinary men but they were the Saints of Christ he put the Saints of Christ into prison Secondly If you consider the number that he wronged they were many of the Saints Thirdly If you consider the kind of wrong he did them he put them into prison Fourthly If you consider his severity towards them he did shut them into prison Fifthly If you consider the place where this
condition Sixthly and lastly There was murder in this sin for Adam kill'd himselfe and all his posterity For by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin so that in him all have sinned and so all dyed therfore Adams sin was so cloathed with hainous aggravations that made it very great Look on Davids sin in numbring the people it was a very small sin and indeed interpreters justifie the fact in it selfe it was no sin for a King to number his Army yet there were some circumstances with which this fact was cloathed that made Davids fact very sinfull there were six hainous aggravations in that fact of Davids numbring the people First of all there was pride and vain glory this Tostatus saith that pride and vain glory was Davids sin Secondly There was carnal dependance in his sin he would number his people that seeing how strong he was he might depend on the multitude this saith Zanchius was Davids sin too Thirdly There was covetousnesse in the sin too Zanchius saith this was Davids sin It is observable that when in Israel the souldiers were mustered and the subjects numbred there was a tax by pole that every one should pay this was Davids sin that he would needlesly number the people for covetousnesse sake Fourthly There was curiosity for David did a needlesse act for what need David know every particular man in his kingdome Ioab said to David 1 Chron. 21. 4. Why doth my Lord require this thing why wilt thou muster up thy forces in a time of peace we are all true and loyall to thee yet vain curiosity made David do it Fifthly there was the sin of sacriledge this Zanchius notes for when the people were numbred there was to be given for the use of the Sanctuary halfe a shekel as you have the story Exod. 30. 12. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number then shall they give every man a ransome for his soule unto the Lord when thou numbrest them that there be no plague amongst them when thou numbrest them Vers 13. This they shall give every one that passeth among them that are numbred halfe a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctuary compare this with Exod. 38. 25. And the silver of the that were numbred of the Congregation was an hundred talents and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels after the shekel of the Sanctuary c. David some suppose did defraud the Sanctuary of that mony Sixthly In this sin there was an express breach of Gods Law this Deodat saith for his Law was the people should not be numbred that were under 20 years but only those above 20 years now David did number those that were under 20 year Exo. 30 14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbred from 20 years old and above shall give an offering unto the Lord Numb 1. 3. From 20 years old and upward all that are able to goe forth to war in Israel Now David numbring those that were under those years did transgresse the command of God That is a third consideration to you that say you never run into scandalous sins yet consider that little sins may bee so aggravated by circumstances as that they become grievous suppose thy sin be secret lust and passion and secret pride thy sins may have such circumstances as to make them great suppose thy sins be against checks of conscence they are great sins because they are against Gods officer in man Conscience is Gods officer in thee and Gods Register and Vicegerent in man and for thee to controll thine own conscience against the accusations and against the convictions and checks of thy conscience though the sin be but a smal trifie yet it is very great He that doubteth is damned if he eats The Apostle saith it is no sin to eat meat but if thou thinkest it is a sin to eat meat and dost it thou sinnest against conscience If thy conscience telleth thee that it is unlawfull to do this or that and yet thou wilt venture on it the Apostle saith He that doubteth is damned if he eats If thou doest any any thing against the rebukes of conscience it is a great crime because conscience is Gods Officer in thee to eat meat is but a trifle the Question was whether they might eat meat offered to an idoll the Apostle saith they might do it I but suppose conscience in a man might say I am perswaded that if I should eat this meat that was offered to an Idoll I should approve of Idolatary then saith the Apostle thou art damned if thou eat to shew that if in so small a thing as eating flesh then in other matters also if thy conscience telleth thee that thou sinnest if doest it and yet doest it thy little sin is become a great sin Secondly the smallest sin may be aggravated if there be a complacency in thy heart to a small sin A small sin that is indulged is a more aggravating sin then a greater sin thou doest fall into with resistance It is very observable in Lev. 13. 12. And if a leprosie break out abroad in the skin and the leprosie cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even unto his foot wheresoever the Priest looketh Ainsworth admires and wonders what God intends by this Law the meaning is the leprosie betokens sinne Now if the leprosie or the plague or the small pox if it comes out into a scab and comes into the flesh and strikes outward there is no disease within but then there is danger when sores strike inward and do not come out in the flesh this Law hath this use in it if the leprosie were onely on the skin the man was not unclean though there was sin in his life yet sin was not in his heart I but saith God if the scab be in sight deeper then the skin then pronounce him unclean to shew if sin be in thy heart and in thy life too though it be but a small sin yet it is a sin that will damn thee If I regard iniquity in my heart Psal 66. 18. the Lord will not hear me Therefore you that are morall men that say you thank God that you have not broke out into grosse sins consider though sin be small yet your small sins may have such circumstances as may make them very great sinning against your consciences or else sin seising upon the heart Fourthly to morall men that a great and grosse sinner may be pardoned when morall men who never brake out into such grosse wickednesse may live and dye in an unpardoned estate I will give you tow instances the one of the Pharisee and the other of the young man in the the Gospell First of the Pharisee in Luk. 18. I thanke God saith he I am no extortioner no drunkard no adulterer I am not this nor that the Pharisee was a man that never broke out into
of pardon they may sympathize with and carry more tenderness of compassion towards them that are troubled in minde it was one end of Christs sufferings his soule was in an agony and under a desertion crying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me what was the end of it it was for this that Christ might carry more compassion and more bowels of tendernesse towards persons that are under deep desertions Let a scholar that studies many things read in a Booke of the storms and distresses that sea-men are subject unto yet by all he reads he cannot pity men in a storm if he have never been in a storm himselfe let one read what the scripture mentions of the pangs of a woman in travell she cannot so compassionate a woman in travell unlesse shee hath had the pangs her selfe so in Divine things it is experience that makes men have compassion Secondly It is for this reason to raise up in mens hearts a higher esteem of pardoning grace things hardly come by are highly set by what is the reason that birds do chirp and sing more sweetly in the spring then in any other part of the year it is for this because after the vanishing away of a long and tedious winter the refreshing Spring comes in Beloved The Lord makes his people chirp and sing in the sense of pardoning grace rejoycing in that the more the longer the winter of desertion hath been when God lets them have long desertion then they doe the more rejoyce and sing when pardons are attained Men do then prize the shore when they have been tossed by a tempest on the sea Those that have been tossed on the waves of spirituall trouble that have had a storm and tempest in their conscience they will prize pardoning grace most Thirdly God doth sometimes pardon a mans sin yet not tell him of it and it is for rebuke to him because he hath not lived in the exercise of grace thou keepest back obedience from God and God keeps back comfort from thee this is a main reason why sometimes God pardons a sinner and yet doth not tell him of it in his own conscience It is done in heaven the pardon is written there but it is not done in the conscience it is not written here It is to give thee a rebuke a check in thine own heart surely I have not exercised grace therefore surely God will not give me the comforting work of his Spirit when thou art not much in grace then thou shalt be but little in peace it is just with God so to doe Fourthly the Lord pardons a sin when he doth not tell that it is pardoned it is to make the repentance of men more visible and satisfactory to the world that hath been offended by their sin The Lord will make the world see that if men will sinne notoriously they shall smart bitterly to make the world see that repentance is no slight worke and to make peace with God is not easie Fifthly to make men to taste the evils and bitternesse of sin should a man that is notoriously wicked presently attain the sense of pardon it may be he would not tast the bitternesse of sin 6. Another reason is this to teach doubting Christians that assurance is not essentiall to pardon it is separable from pardon it is separable from faith therefore from pardon A man may beleeve yet know not that he doth beleeve The Lord doth it for that end to teach doubting Christians that though they have not assurance yet they may have faith though they want the sense of pardon they may be pardoned there cannot be fruit but there must be a tree yet there may be a tree when there is no fruit there may be grace in the heart when there is no peace in the conscience to have peace is additionall to grace now the Lord for these holy ends doth sometimes pardon a sin in heaven when the pardon is not sealed to the conscience Thus much for the first case A second Case of conscience is this if God pardons a sin whether or no doth he afflict and punish men for it after it is forgiven this is an usefull question and the reason is because there are errors and mistakes about it mistakes on the right hand and on the left The Antinomians say that a pardoned sinner is never afflicted for sin and say they to say that a man whose sin is forgiven is afflicted for sin doth derogate from the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ Then the Papists say that men are afflicted and punished for sin and that these punishments are for satisfaction to divine Justice and they are meritorious and on this ground they bottome Purgatory that after a man is dead he must for some years lye in Purgatory to satisfie for some notorious grosse sin done in his life Now Beloved to keep you from swerving either way I shall lay down the true genuine state of this Question and resolve it to you First consider this That God doth not afflict any man but where sin is that is my first position God doth not cruciate an innocent creature indeed the Schoolemen have a question whether God by his soveraignty may torment an innocent creature but that is but a nicety but this is most certain that God in the dispensation of his Judgements doth punish no man but where sin is sin entred into the world and death by sin Secondly though God afflicts none sinlesse yet sometimes it may be for triall and not for any particular sin so was Jobs affliction it was not for sin but for triall to try Iobs grace Thirdly and chiefly it is apparant from the Scriptures that pardoned sinners may be punished for their sins Would not this be partiall for a father to beat the servant for a fault yet not beat the child for a worse fault Now the Lord will not leave such a plea as this in any wicked mans heart In all the Kingdomes of the world where sword where pestilence where famin and where plagues have been the good have fallen with the bad the righteous have fallen by the sword as well as the wicked the reason is that the world should not say that he is a partiall God Now to satisfie and to establish your thoughts in this point I shall give you two expresse testimonies in the Scripture that God doth punish his people for sin though their sins be pardoned The one is of David 2 Sam. 12. 14. Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye I will punish thee in thy child I will pardon thy sin yet I will punish thy sin so likewise in 2 Sam. 7. 14. 15. I will be his father and he shall be my son If hee commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shal
not depart away from him c. A promise to Solomon I will be his father and he shall be my son but if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with rods And the Psalmist when he quotes this expression referres it to all the godly Psal 89. 31 32. If they break my Statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes It was not onely true of Solomon but it is spoken of all the Church If they commit iniquity I will chastise them with rods See here a Solomon may be chastned with rods if he commits iniquity nay not only one man but all the Church 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therfore I will punish you for all your iniquities If God be severe it is with his own people to make them smart for sin he may spare wicked men and not punish them here because he hath his hell for them hereafter but this shall be all the hell of a godly man and all their punishment I but this is Old Testament and thus the Antinomians take off and evade this Scripture but doth God so in the New Testament Yes in the New Testament Rom. 8. 20 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin He speaks of the beleeving Romans that death on their bodies was because of sin And then the Apostle speaks to the godly Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleep Many godly men were sick and weak for their prophaning the Lords Supper and this is under the New Testament that the Apostle saith as approving the righteous judgement of God let not us commit fornication as some of them commited 1 Cor. 10. Let not us fall as they fell and many of them it is probable among the 23 thousand were good men The Apostle approves of Gods Judgement to bee righteous in that Act. Only one objection against this Doth not the Scripture say in Isa 53. That the chastisement of our peace was laid on Christ now if all those chastisments that were due to us for sin were laid on Christ doth not this derogate from Christs sufferings that hee must suffer too doth not this intimate that Christs sufferings were not satisfactory The Answer is easie That when we say we suffer for sin and are punished for sin understand it thus there is a great deal of difference between our suffering for sin and Christs suffering for sin we doe not suffer for sin as Christ did because our punishments for sin are not by way of satisfaction to Divine Justice but onely by way of castigation from Divine Justice when God doth punish a pardoned man with some outward Judgement for sin it is no satisfaction no compensation when the text saith that our chastisements are laid upon Christ the meaning is Christ suffers for sin by way of satisfaction he appealeth Gods wrath he satisfies Gods Justice for the sins that we have done should we lose our bloud for a sin should we give the fruit of our body for the sins of our soule yet this cannot make a compensation for sin therefore it may well consist that God punished Christ for our sins by way of satisfaction to his Justice and may punish us by way of castigation as a father his children Now to ratifie and satisfie your thoughts the more in this that though God doth pardon a sin yet hee will punish for a sin take some reasons for it First Because wicked men that are punished for sin would accuse God of partiality and injustice should he punish them and not his own people for the same sin wicked men would account God partiall but the wicked shall say I see Gods own people are punished in this life more severely then I am the Lord doth it to vindicate the impartiality of his Justice that he will not spare sin where ever finds it A second Reason is Because God doth command Magistrates to execute punishments in this life for sin even upon good men therefore if he commands a Magistrate to punish a good man for his sin surely he doth approve of their punishment Suppose a good man should commit adultery he was to dye for it suppose he should commit murder he was to dye for it if God did command that pâ—â—nall punishment should be inflicted on good men in this life then surely he might doe it much more himself Case 3 The third Case of Conscience is this Whether doth pardon of sin go before faith and repentance or else follow after I doe not speak now of the priority of nature but of the priority of time This is a usefull question There are many Books in Print made by severall Antinomians that plead for this and they say that repentance is not a condition to qualifie the subject to obtain forgivenesse but onely a signe to manifest that sin is forgiven and that a man is pardoned from all eternity that before a man beleeves and repents he is pardoned which is a falshood for to a beleever the Apostle doth confine pardon Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God For sins that are past those sins you have committed and have repented of he gives you pardon for all them He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall fiade mercy and he that doth not so shall not find mercy He that hideth his sin shall not prosper I answer to this query that God doth pardon sin after a man repents and beleeves not before and to give you a proofe for this First I shall give you the grounds from the Scripture then absurdities that would follow if this were not so First from the Scripture Observe that the Scripture doth limit and confine pardon to a repenting state Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sin may be blotted out No blotting out of sin without repentance Repent that your sin may be blotted out Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me So that till thou beest turned from darknesse to light untill thou beest turned from Satan to God thou hast not received forgivenesse of sins mark the antecedent word hee opens their eyes c. therefore God expresly doth tye forgivenesse of sin to repentance and so in Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse There is first a confession this is
of his comming againe verse 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe Sixthly By this that he will receive us to himselfe verse 3. And receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also and we shall ever be with the Lord. I shall explaine the Phrases when I come to handle them as they lie in order This Text contains in it the most materiall and fundamentall points of all the Doctrine of Christianity as Doct. 1 First the great doctrine of Christs bodily ascension into Heaven If I go Doct. 2 Secondly the fruit and benefit of Christs going into Heaven I go to prepare a place for you Doct. 3 Thirdly here is the great Doctrine of Christs second comming to judge the quick and the dead but I come againe Doct. 4 Fourthly here is the great Doctrine of the Resurrection of the body Christ shall come to receive them again from the dead and all the Elect with them Doct. 5 Fifthly here is the great Doctrine of that everlasting Communion that the Saints shal have with Christ in Heaven that where I am there ye may be also The first clause If I go it s a good note that Calvin hath on these words this conditionall Particle ought to be resolved into an Adverb of time If I go It is not a note of dubitation if Christ should go to heaven or no or a supposition peradventure he may go to Heaven peradventure not but it serves for limitation of time when Christ doth go to Heaven A like phrase you have John 12 32. And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me This he spake of what death he should die if he be lifted on the Crosse he should save many by his death The word if doth not note a dubitation or a supposition it may be or it may not be but it notes an Adverb of time when I am lifted up and so in my Text And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also There is no difficulty in the first expression If I go and prepare a place for you from which words there are two observations If I go First that Christs Ascension or going up to Heaven is a ground of great comfort and great advantage to all his people while they dwell here upon the earth The second observation is from the end and benefit of his going up to Heaven If I go I go to prepare a place for you That the great end of Jesus Christs going bodily to Heaven is to prepare Heaven for all the Elect. Doct. 1 The first Doctrine That Christs Ascension or going up to Heaven is a ground of comfort and great advantage to all Gods people whilst they dwell here upon the earth In the handling of this point there are three particulars First I shall prove it to you by Scripture that Christ is bodily gone into Heaven I prove it by these five arguments in Scripture First by the Types that were before the Law Enoch was translated and taken up bodily into Heaven where now he is Gen. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him this is confirmed by the Apostle Heb. 11. 5. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony That he pleased God And under the Law Elijah was taken up in a fiery Chariot 2 King 2. 11. And it came to passe as they still went on and talked that behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and parted them both asunder and Elijah went up by a whirlewind into Heaven So Christ makes a third under the Gospell taken up to Heaven also Second Argument to prove this Doctrine is by Prophesies in the old Testament that Jesus Christ was to be taken up into Heaven bodily three prophesies one in the 68 Psalm there David prophesi'd of Christ in the 18. verse Thou hast ascended on high c. Now we should not have known so full that this had reference to Jesus Christs Ascension if Paul had not expounded this in Heb. 4. and the 14. verse Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession The Prophesies that were long before Christ was born did declare this that Jesus Christ should ascend up into Heaven and in the 110. Psa 7. verse He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head what is that It is spoken of Christ I will set him upon my right hand first hee shall drink of the brook by the way he shall crie I thirst upon the Crosse he shall die and be crucified then afterwards he shall lift up his head he shall rise againe and ascend up into Heaven a full Prophecie in Daniel 7. 13 14. I saw in the night Visions and behold One like the Son of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the ancient of daies and they brought him neer before him And there was given him dominion and glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and Languages should serve him His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroied This cannot be spoken of Christs comming to judgement but then the Text saith he shall deliver them to his Father 1 Cor. 15. But the comming of Christ in the clouds here is Christs going up into Heaven as it is in the 1. Acts verse 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And thus you have it by Prophesies confirmed Thirdly the Doctrine of Christs going up to Heaven is confirmed to you by Christs promises Christ upon the earth did promise that he would go up to Heaven John 6. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before In John 20. 17. Jesus saith unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God Christ did promise that he would ascend John 16. 5 7. But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asked me whither goest thou Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you John 16. 16. A little while and ye shall not see me and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father I could quote you many Scriptures that Christ promised he would
go away Fourthly the Doctrine of Christs going up to heaven is confirmed by the Testimony of the Apostles who were eie-witnesses of Christs Ascension Gerrard notes saying Jesus Christ did rise invisible none saw him Rise the Scripture telleth you that the Souldiers that watched were asleep yet Christ gathereth all his eleven Apostles that they might be eie-witnesses of his ascension that they saw him ascend to Heaven Acts 1. 9 10. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell and so the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being subject unto him So Paul tels you in Ephesians 4. 10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things So in Hebrewes 9. the Author of that book tels you that Jesus Christ is not gone into the holy place but is gone into Heaven it selfe In verse 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversy great is the mystery of Godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory And in Mark 16. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God I take the more pains to prove this because of what ancient Heresies there have been to overthrow this great comfortable doctrin of Christs going bodily into heaven having our flesh in heaven this very day Fifthly it may be proved by the concurrent Testimonies of the Angels who were witnesses of this truth Acts 1. 10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell These two men were Angels the Angels did give in their concurrent Testimonies that Jesus Christ did goe into Heaven and the same Jesus Christ that did go shall come againe Beloved I know not any one point in all the Bible that is so proved and strengthened as Christs personall and bodily going up to Heaven and thus much for the strengthning of you in the proof of the point I lay that for the foundation because if the proof of it be not well grounded then the fruit of it will not be well regarded Secondly what is the reason that Christ must have his body and soul go up to heaven First Christ in his bodilie presence must goe to Heaven lest his Disciples should be taken too much with his bodily presence and never look after the Communication of his Spirit Therefore they ask Christ Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel They expected that Christ would take away the Roman Emperour which was a heathen and expected that he would be King himselfe Acts 1. 6. When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel It is for this reason say Interpreters because the Disciples should not dote on Jesus Christ as to look on him as a temporall King and look on him for a temporall Kingdome but that they might look after the Kingdome where he is therefore Paul hath a passage in 2 Cor. 5. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more As if he should say it may bee those that lived in Christs time that knew him according to the flesh as a lovelie person but saith Paul we know him in a spirituall way to look after heaven by Christ to look after salvation by Christ Secondly Christ must be taken up into Heaven in his body to make a compensation and a recompence to himselfe for his sufferings in his body Phil. 2. 8 9. And being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name Therefore God did exalt Christ and raise him from the dead and bring him to Heaven because he obeied to the death of the Crosse and took on him the form of a servant Psal 110. last verse He shall drink of the brook in the way thersfore shall he lift up the Head Because thou diedst and sufferedst therefore thou shalt lift up thy head therefore thou shalt ascend up to Heaven Heb. 2. 9. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should tast death for every man For suffering of death hee was crowned with Glory and Honour and translated bodily into Heaven that is a second Argument Thirdly Christ was taken up bodily to heaven it was manifest to the world that Christ was God as well as man to manifest the God-head of Jesus Christ therefore taken up bodily to heaven Eph. 4. 9 10. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things There the Apostle proves that Christ going up to Heaven it was an Argument that Christ came down from heaven So in John 6. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before That shews that Christ was in Heaven before therefore must he be God Coequall and Coeternall with God the Father and thus you have the second point dispatched to you shewing the reasons why Jesus Christ must go bodily into Heaven The third point is I but what benefit and comfort is that to us that Jesus Christ is now bodily in Heaven what comfort was this to the Disciples that Jesus Christ should leave them that he must go from them unto his Fathers house There are seven particulars that it is great ground of comfort to all the people of God that Jesus Christ is gone bodily to heaven The first ground of comfort is this Christs going to heaven bodily it assures you of Christs full Triumph and compleat conquest over all your spirituall Enemies This the Apostle lays down as a ground of comfort upon Christ Ascension Eph. 4. 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men That is the Devill and sin that carried you captive Christ by his going up to heaven hath led them captive that is hath led your spirituall enemies that carried
Christ did ascend hee was speaking to his Disciples things that did appertaine to the Kingdome of God and as he was blessing of them he was taken up before their eyes Acts 1. 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight Whilest he was blessing of his Disciples and whilest he was speaking to them things appertaining to the Kingdome of God hee was taken away I would give you this note from thence that when you come towards the time of your departure out of this world make Christ your example Christ as hee was going away he spake of things appertaining to the Kingdome of God so let your hearts be full fraught with Divine contemplation do you leave good counsell behinde you when you come to dye that so some body may say these are the last words of a dying Friend I might extend this example of Christ before his departure out of the world unto Master of families that when you come towards your end leave good counsel behind you Let not your speech be filled about worldly affairs but let them bee setled before but leave good counsell with your children Jacob when he was to die he called all his children about him gave good counsel unto them blessed them Likewise David 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seeke him hee will be found of thee but if thou forsake him hee will cast thee off for ever And thus wee see in the instances of Isaac and many other Servants of God Moses to Joshua when he was to dye I but especially take Christs example that when you are to leave the world you may have your minds possessed with nothing else but with things appertaining to the Kingdome of God as Christ was Fourthly there is instruction to be gathered from the manner of Christs leaving the world the manner was in Act. 1. 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld hee was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight they saw him by degrees ascend into Heaven this must not passe our Meditation that a cloud should take Jesus Christ out of our sight it is for a reliefe to your Meditations that when you see the clouds to thinke that these clouds that I see hover in the Heaven they are Christs Chariot that did once carry him to Heaven and they are the chariots that shall carry Jesus Christ to judg the world O labour to have your Meditations on Divine things he went up in a cloud therfore the clouds are called Gods Chariots Fifthly note that circumstance in Christs ascension that he would call all his Friends about him it is expresly said all the eleven Apostles were with him Acts 1. And an Interpreter doth think that there was an hundred and twenty with Jesus Christ when he ascended up into Heaven and he gathered it from Acts 1. 15. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples and said the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty Now learned men doe thinke that there was an hundred and twenty that did see Jesus Christ ascend up to heaven it is clear that there were the eleven Apostles there and if this be so that Christ gathered about him his friends when hee was to leave the world I gather thence that when you are drawing towards your end and departing out of the world Labour to have your friends about you that you might give them the advice of a dying friend and it is a great blessing for to dye amongst your friends Christ before that he would goe up to Heaven and leave the world hee would have his friends about him and then he was taken up from them I now come to draw out more practicall application of this point If it be so that Christs going up bodily into Heaven bee a ground of such great comfort unto the people of God upon Earth the use that I shall draw it shall be to deduce four doctrinall and four practicall inferences from this point First this point confuteth the opinion of the Selucians and Hermiani that hold that Christs Body is not in heaven but that it is in the beautifull and splendent body of the Sun and they say that is the reason the Sun doth cast such a glorious light o're that the Moon doth and truly this old Heresie is again revived amongst us and I have seen it in a booke called Divine Light when indeed it is nothing but darknesse but Christ is above the Sun Christ is above all the visible Heavens Christ sits in the third Heaven as Paul calls it therefore if Christs Body bee gone into Heaven they are in an errour Secondly this point will confute those who hold that Christs Body hath been on Earth since his ascension into Heaven some in Germany held that they were the very Christ and thus in King Henry the Eights days there was one held that hee was the Christ and his side was pierc'd and there was the print of Nayles seen in his hand c. I but if men say lo here is Christ and there is Christ believe them not for Christ was never on the Earth since his ascension Thirdly that Christs Body is now in heaven it overthrowes the Doctrine of the Popish Religion touching Transubstantiation or the reall presence that Jesus Christ is bodily present at the Sacrament say the Papists we bodily eat Christs flesh and drinke Christs bloud that Christ is as bodily present at the Sacrament as hee was on the Crosse If there were no other argument to overthrow this opinion but this that the body of Christ is now in Heaven it were enough then that opinion of Transubstatiation is hereby confuted Christs body cannot be in Heaven and on the earth both at one time Fourthly the ascension of Christ it overthrowes the opinion of the Carpacratiami that hold that onely his soule did goe to heaven and his body perished as others and this cannot be for the Disciples said that they saw Christ ascend and this must bee his body for they could not see his soule for the soule is a spirit Now you see the reason why I spent so much time in the morning in giving you many Texts of Scripture to prove this point because there are so many Hereticks that doe oppugne this Doctrine of CHRISTS Ascension I now come to give you three or four practical deductions First is Christs body now in heaven then I infer O thou that canst lay a well-grounded clayme for an interest in Jesus Christ O be not thou afraid to dye because thy Christ is in heaven and when thou diest death is but a Trap-doore to let thee into endlesse joy where Christ
is why should wee bee as children to looke on death as a Bugheare but looke upon death as being a passage unto thy fathers house as being a Trap-doore to let thee in where Jesus Christ is Gen. 45. 25 27. And they went up out of Egypt and came into the Land of Canaan unto Jacob their father and they told him all the words of Joseph which hee had said unto them and when hee saw the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him the spirit of Jacob their father revived Did Jacob rejoyce to see a waggon or a chariot that would carry him into Aegypt to see his Son Ioseph and wilt not thou rejoyce to think that death is a chariot to carry thee to Jesus Christ to carry thee to heaven O therefore let not thy heart bee troubled to dye because death is but a chariot to carry thee to heaven Is Christ gone into heaven Then secondly labour thou whilest thou livest on the earth to ascend to Christ in divine and holy Ejaculations and Meditations Is Christ in heaven then why should not thy heart be where thy head is why shouldest thou bee grovelling on the earth seeing thy Christ is now in heaven It is a speech of Christ Canticles 3. 6. Who is this that cometh out of the wildernesse like Pillars of smoke perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense with all powders of the Merchant Thou shouldest ascend up to Christ though thou beest in trouble in the Wildernesse of this world O ascend up to Christ in Holy Meditations this use the Apostle makes of it Colos 3. 1. If yee then bee risen with Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God The argument is where Christ sits at the right Hand of God set your affections there and so in Phil. 3. 20. For our conversation is in heaven from whence also wee look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ Christ is in heaven thereâ—ore our conversation must bee where our head is It is a notable Text Mat. 24. 28. For wheresoever the Carkase is there will the Eagles be gathered together That Christ is in heaven it should make you ascend in your hearts heavenward It is true there are some that wrest these words and give this sense of them that they make the carkase to be the Jewes and the Eagles to be the Romans because the Romans did use the Eagle in their Banner and Ensigne of War therefore they say where the Jewes were the Romans should come though this was a truth yet not the scope of the Text it is generally overthrown by most Interpreters but Gerrard doth chiefly referre these words to the day of judgement where the carkase is thither will the Eagles resort that is where Jesus Christ is in heaven as the Eagles doe follow after the carkase to feed upon that so the people of God shall be gathered about Jesus Christ and this I doe confesse is the chiefe scope of the place and doe beleeve it is the chiefe intendment of the holy Ghost but Gerrard hee makes another use of it too and referres it to the power and efficacy of the Gospell in this life Christ is now in heaven saith Gerrard and the Gospel shal be so powerful on men in the world that it shal make men as eager to come after Christ into heaven as the Eagle is after the prey Thirdly I inferre hence that before you presume to apply the benefits and the comforts of Christs ascension into heaven labour to feele in your own hearts the efficacy of Christs Death and ascension every man applies the benefit of Christs Death and Resurrection and Christs ascension before they find the efficacy of his Death the efficacy of his resurrection It is the Apostles word saith he I labor to find the power of his resurrction so do you labor to find the power of his Death and the power of his ascension before you find the comfort of it It is to make thee lesse Earthly-minded more passionately eager and importunatly earnest after the Lord Iesus Christ dost thou feele the power of the ascension to make thee more heavenly minded and lesse earthly minded O labour to feele the efficacy and power of it else I might say to you as Iacob said to his mother in Genesis 28. 12. My father peradveuture will feele mee and I shall seeme to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse and not a blessing Nay without peradventure God will feele and try whether you are the men or no that have right to the blessing that shall have any reall advantage and benefit by Christs Death by Christs ascension God will try whether you doe not seek to deceive your Souls and deceive God himselfe if so you will rather have a curse then a blessing if you seeke to apply the comfort of Christs ascension before you feele the efficacy of it on your own hearts Ques How did Christ ascend Answ 1 First Christ went to heaven visibly in Act. 1. It was no transient glance of the Eye but they stedfastly beheld Jesus Christ they saw him when he went away Again Secondly Christ went to heaven bodily therefore those doe erre that hold that onely his soule did go to heaven and his body perished as other do Thirdly hee went to heaven locally hee ascended locally there are some men that hold that every place is heaven where God is that is a truth but heaven is a distinct place from the Earth and Hell Christ had a mutation of place from the Earth to the third Heaven therefore saith hee the earth shall hold me no more Fourthly hee did ascend into heaven powerfully Indeed other men went to heaven bodily not by their own strength but it was by a borrowed strength Elias had a fiery chariot to carry him to heaven but Christ had none for he went to heaven by his own strength Lastly Christ went to heaven eminently and singly There are three bodies in heaven there is the bodie of Enoch the body of Elias and the body of Christ all else in heaven are onely Saints and Angels Enoch went to heaven bodily as a type of Christs ascension before the Law and Elias unde the Law and Christ under the Gospell Divines say that this shewes there was salvation by Christ before the Law and salvation by Christ under the Law and salvation by Christ in the time of the Gospell but there is difference between their going to heaven First Enoch and Elias went to heaven but they did not die and rise from the dead and then ascend into heaven but first Christ dyed and then Christ was raised out of the Grave and then within forty daies hee did ascend into heaven there was one difference Again they did not ascend to heaven by their own strength but by the power of God they did ascend into heaven but we have got no good by their ascension no benefit nor merit accrues unto us by
to reign in his Church by a well-ordered Discipline that the Government of Christ may be established in the places where you dwell Thirdly Seeing there is no coming of Christ as King in this world then doe not trouble your selves with Niceties and Obscurities about his coming upon the Earth but labour to be fitted and prepared for his last and great coming Fourthly if Christ should come to reigne upon the Earth which the Scripture no waies speakes of then certainely the Saints of these times do make but a bad preparative for Christs reigne that doe impale Saintship and monopolize Saint-ship unto themselves and say they are the people of God the church of Christ and the Saints of Christ and they make but a bad preparation for Christs coming to live in sensuality as they doe and commit such wickednesses as they do upon the Earth This is but a bad preparation and but poor encouragement to Jesus Christ to come and reigne amongst such Saints as these are which indeed are a scandall to Saints a scandall to Religion and would bee a scandall to that thousand yeares of Christ if he should come to reigne but Christ will have better Saints then these are to reigne with him In treating of the Doctrine of Christs coming againe the other Quere is this how or after what manner shall this coming of Christ be But I will come again Now in the resolving of this question I shal confine my answers to these six particulars First he shall come certainly Secondly he shall come personally Thirdly he shall come visibly Fourthly he shall come gloriously Fifthly he shall come terribly And sixthly he shall come unexpectedly These wayes the Scripture doth furnish you with severall hints touching his coming First the Lord Jesus shall come certainly Christs coming is to bee numbred among poeticall Fictions or with the delusion of Mahomet the certainty of Christs coming againe is built on these three foundations First it is built on the immutability of Gods decree Acts 17. 31. Because hee hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the World in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained wherof he hath given assurance unto all men in that hee hath raised him from the Dead The immutability of Gods decree doth prove the certainty of Christs coming God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world Secondly the certainty doth stand upon the infallibility of Christs promise Mat. 26. 64. Jesus saith unto him Thou hast said neverthelesse I say unto you Hereafter shall yee see the Sonne of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of Heaven there is Christs promise to which three of the Evangelists doe concurre Thirdly the certainty of his coming is grounded upon the impartiality of his Justice here every man hath not right and in Solomons phrase a just man perisheth in his uprightnesse and a wicked man prolongeth his dayes in wickednesse therefore to shew Gods impartiality there must bee a coming of the Sonne of man to judge the world righteously The Doctrine of Christs coming is impugned by Atheists therefore you read what Peter tells you 2 Peter 3. 3 4. Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation And wee read of the men of Athens they questioned this and would not beleeve this For Christ coming to judge the world Acts 17. 32. And when they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said wee will heare thee againe of this matter Of old time in the times of Jesus Christ or soone after men did mocke at this Doctrine that the dead shall rise and Christ should come to judge both the quick and the dead Herein Gerrard reckons up abundance of Sects as the Floriani the Dosithiani the Symmachiani and many others Indeed there is one Scripture that these Atheists do abuse in making it to deny the coming of Christ to judgement Joh. 8. 15. Ye judge after the flesh I judge no man But Beloved to this Text that they make use of to to shake this great Pillar of our hopes the coming of Christ againe take these two Answers when Christ saith I judge no man that is I judge no man with a rash and heady judgement as you judge men that are not of your Opinion you judge things rashly and inconsideratly but I judge no man as you doe so Austine in his 36. Tract on John gives it to bee the sence of the place it doth not exclude Christ from judging the world at the last day but from judging of men as the Pharisees to wit rashly and inconsideratly Secondly Christ doth here speake what was not the end of his first coming in the flesh but the end of his second coming was to judge all men but I judge no man that is it was not the intent or the end of my first coming in the flesh to judge men John 3. When God sent his Sonne to bee borne of a Virgin hee did not send him to judge the world but to save the world hee reserved his judging of the world till his last coming John 12. 47 48. And if any man heare my words and beleeve not I judge him not for I come not to judge the world but to save the world Hee that rejecteth mee and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the words that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day The end of my first coming was not to judge it was to bee judged and to be condemned by Pontius Pilate and to dye the cursed death And that is the end of Christs first coming that is the first particular hee shall come certainly Secondly Christ shal not only come certainly but he shal come personally It was the great mistake of Origen though hee holds for the coming of Christ againe that hee pleades for the coming of Christ in spirit therefore that Text where it is said you shall see the Sonne of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Origen understands by the Cloudes to bee the Saints because it is mentioned in Scripture that the Beleevers are called a cloud of witnesses Now this is to pervert the whole letter of the Bible and turne all the Scripture into an Allegory and Metaphoricall sense Now in opposition of that I lay downe a second property that Christs coming shall bee a personall coming out of Heaven but the Scripture doth not speake of Christs coming on the Earth but no further then the Aire Christ in his Body shall come personally out of Heaven Now to prove this second property or second manner or way of Christs coming there are two Texts of Scripture to confirme it 1 Thess 4. 17. Then wee which are alive and remaine shall bee caught up together with
day to the time that Christ spake and not the time that the thiefe should bee in Heaven for saith Gerrard marke the thiefs prayer in ver 42. And hee said unto Jesus Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Marke there is the thiefs when that when Christ should come to Heaven Christ should remember him Christs Hodie must answer to his Quando or else hee did not answer his prayer Christs to day must answer the thiefs when that when Christ came to Heaven then to remember the thiefe And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thirdly it is needlesse for Christ to say to day to tell him the time when hee spake hee knew Christ spake to him then but to speak of the time when the thiefe should bee in Heaven it was needfull I say to thee this day thou shalt be with me in Heaven The second Evasion is this It is true Christ promised thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise but Christ doth not say thou shalt be with me in Heaven There are three answers to confute this Evasion First that those that will not by Paradise understand Heaven by this Text they then fall in with the Papists either for Purgatory or a Limbus Patrum Secondly take this answer that in other Scriptures when Paradise is mentioned it is to be understood Heaven and so the Apostle doth expound it 2 Cor. 12. 2 4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteene yeares agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third Heaven How that hee was caught up into Paradise and beard unspeakable words which it is not lawfull for a man to utter So that the Apostle by Paradise doth meane Heaven Revel 2. 7. Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God That is he shall enjoy Jesus Christ Christ in Heaven is the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God Thirdly it cannot be any Earthly Paradise as the Paradise Adam was in before his fall for the Earthly Paradise was destroyed by the Flood therfore of necessity when Christ tells the thiefe To day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise it must referre to the thiefes going to Heaven at that day with Jesus Christ A second instance it is in Luke 16. 22. And it came to passe that the Begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Ahrahams bosom the rich man also dyed and was buried This is another instance that the souls of the elect after death they goe to Heaven There are two Evasions made upon this Text. First they say that this Text it is a parable and not an Historicall Narration To this I answer though some men doe say it is a Parable yet many say it is a History Jerome and many following him doth give many arguments to prove that it was a History and not a parable And Tertullian is confident that this is an exact History of what was really done And Peter Martyr doth quote Tertullian saith hee Tertullian is so confident that this is a History that hee undertakes to tell you who were the men saith hee the Rich man was Herod and the Beggar was John the Baptist But Suppose it be a parable and not a History yet parables doe carry the resemblance of truth parables take their Foundations from truth that there are some men in Hell some men in Heaven that in Hell there is torment and in heaven there is joy that as the beggar went to Heaven after death so shall the godly and as the rich man went to Hell so shall all the wicked The other Evasion is this that this beggar is said to be carried into Abrahams bosome I answer First it is more then probable that Abrahams bosome is Heaven now Abraham being in heaven all his children are in Heaven that are in his bosome that is the answer that Gerrard gives Againe it is said that they are carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome therefore Abrahams bosom must be in Heaven certainly the good Angels carry a good soule into Heaven and the wicked Angels carry a damned soule into Hell and thus you have two instances that immediately after death the soules of the Elect go to Heaven A third instance is in Mat. 22. 31 32. But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living I argue from that instance that therfore Abraham Isaac and Jacob were living at that time though not in their bodies if you marke the reason of that Text it was not to prove a Resurrection of the body only which the Sadduces deny but also to prove the immortality of the soule The Sadduces deny Spirits and Angels too Acts 23. 8. For the Sadduces say that there is no Resurrection neither Angell nor Spirit but the Pharisees confesse both Christ doth prove that there shall bee a Resurrection of the body and hee likewises proves that the soule doth not dye when the body dyeth Indeed there is a quotation that I have read of a learned man that doth make use of this instance Gen. 25. 8. Then Abraham gave up the ghost and dyed in a good old age an old man and full of yeares and was gathered to his people Abraham was not gathered to his Fathers nor to be gathered in the grave where his fore-fathers were how then can this be true that the Scripture saith Abraham was gathered unto his Fathers Divines say it must be in his soule that Abraham went to heaven as his godly fore-fathers went that is the meaning of that phrase his soule was to be bound up in the bundle of Life to go to Heaven as their fore-fathers did And thus much for particular instances The second way to prove that the soules of the Elect men goe to Heaven immediately after death It is by generall expressions in Scripture Two generall passages one is in Heb. 12. 23. To the generall Assembly and Church of the first borne which are writen in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect thence I argue that Apostle makes mention and proves that there were the Spirits of just men made perfect Now if their Soules did perish with their bodies then the Apostle should say that their Spirits are annihilated with the body but it is the spirits of just men made perfect The Scripture takes notice in generall expressions that just men have their Soules made perfect And then in Eccle. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the Spirit
shall return to God who gave it Marke here are two things Here is the end of Godly men the body shall goe to the dust and the soule to God Then the time when it shal be is when that man goeth to his long home when the keepers of the house shall tremble that is the hands and armes and the strong men shall bow themselves that is the feet and the thighs and the grinders shall cease that is the teeth and they that looke out at the windowes shall bee darkened that is the eyes when nature decayes and the body perisheth by Diseases and dyes then shall the body go to the dust and the Spirit to God that gave it Thirdly I shall prove it to you from expresse passages in the Scripture that doe confirme this that the soules of the Elect after death before Christs coming are received into heaven for this I will give foure or five expresse Scriptures The first is in Iohn 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent mee that every one that seeth the Sonne and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here are two distinct promises First a promise of everlasting life Secondly a promise of raising up at the last day First a promise of everlasting life is made distinct from the other Divines say that before the raising up at the last day there is an everlasting life that his soule shall live before the last day and his body shall be raised up at the last day Another Text is in Luke 16. 9. And I say unto you make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Chemnitius makes great use of this Text to prove what I am now arguing for that immediately after death the soule of an Elect man is received into Heaven Marke make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that is of your wealth called so either because it is unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept use your wealth well that when you die you may bee received into everlasting habitations It is questionable whether it bee referred to Angels or to the poor which shall pray for us that wee bee received into Heaven but saith Chemnitius use your wealth well that you may bee received into everlasting habitations upon your failing upon dying the Lord receives the Elect into everlasting habitations This Chemnitius doth build on that the soule doth goe to Heaven immediately after Death A third Scripture is in Phil. 3. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better The Apostle doth Conjoyne these two conclusions a departing out of the world out of this life and a desire to be with Jesus Christ he mentions no middle place for a good soul to goe to he mentions no Purgatory nor Limbus Patrum And so likewise a fourth Text you have in 2 Cor. 6. 8 9. Therefore wee are alwaies confident knowing that whilst wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. Wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord wherefore wee labour that whether present or absent wee may be accepted of him Marke the Apostle desires to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord so that the soule is present with the Lord whilest absent from the body Then againe that Prayer of Stephen proves it likewise in Acts 7. 59. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit It had been uncomfortable for him to have thought that he should have been stoned for Jesus Christ and it must have been above 1600 yeares before Christ should have received his soule but hee prayed Lord Jesus Christ receive my soule which hee would not have done if hee had not beleeved that his soul would have been received by Jesus Christ immediately after death And thus I leave those Scriptures to confirme you in this that the soule doth not sleep in the body but at the departure from the body it doth immediately go to Heaven Fourthly I prove it to you by shewing those grosse absurdities and inconveniencies that will arise in case it should bee denyed that God doth not receive the soule of any Elect man till he doth come to judge the world First it will follow that the godly will bee in a worse condition after they are dead then they were in when they were alive for when they were alive to live is Christ Christ dwelt in their hearts by Faith Now if the soule doth sleep with the body and perish with the body then Christ doth not live in them Christ doth not dwell there by Faith so that this would be uncomfortable that a beleever after death should bee in a worse condition then during this life for here hee lives in Christ by Faith Secondly then it wil follow that God the Father would be more cruell to his people then he would have other men be to their servants which have done their worke Marke that Text Levit. 19. 13. Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning That the Master was not to keep the hire of the Labourer long from him that the Master should not keep the servants wages long from him Now will the great God keep from you who are his servants that have served him here in this world and have done him faithfull service any reward till his last coming No but when you have ended your life and done your worke you receive your wages when your worke is done you have your reward Thirdly observe this if this should bee true that the soules of the Elect men doe not goe to Heaven after death then it will follow that the soules of wicked men doe not goe to Hell after death and how repugnant this is to the Scripture you well know when the Scripture saith in the Epistle of Jude That the men of Sodome and Gomorâ—ha suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And of Judas Acts 25. That hee may take part of this ministery and Apostle-ship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his owne place I could give you a multitude of instances where it is shewn the wicked are in Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long suffering of God waiting in the daies of Noah while the Arke was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water To say that a godly man doth not goe to Heaven immediately after death it will follow that a wicked man doth not goe to Hell immediately after death Fourthly it would follow that there should be onely Angels in Heaven and no saints
whereas the scripture saith expresly that Christ shall come from Heaven with his Saints and wee read in Scripture that there are the Spirits of just men made perfect as well as the innumerable company of Angels Fifthly this would follow that it would bee a great discomfort to a godly man on his death-bed to think he should bee so many hundred yeares soule and body in the grave before Christ would bring him to Heaven it would bee a very uncomfortable Doctrine for a man to thinke on that I shall die like a beast that my soule after death shall not bee taken up into Heaven And thus I have proved that immediately after the godly die their soules are received into heaven I have proved it by pregnant instances in the Scripture by generall expressions in the Scripture and by those expresse passages in Scripture and have given you those absurdities that will arise in case it should be denyed A word now from what hath been spoken If it bee that Christ doth receive thee O thou beleever to himselfe before the totall and compleat reception I would then give you this use for to comfort you Use First fear not a dying time let not death bee dreadfull and terrible to thee Beloved were this true indeed that when thou diest thy soule should perish with thy body then a Life is not worth the having but when thou shalt thinke on thy death-bed here now is a disease consuming thy body and sending of thee to thy grave and now there is but a little time betweene thee and Heaven that when I am a dying I am in the very Suburbs of Heaven a little breath between mee and Heaven O how should this comfort a dying man when that hee hath good evidences for Heaven O this should greatly comfort thee against thou comest to die to thinke that thy dead-bed is the very Suburbs of heaven I have read what John said that wrote the Revelarions when hee was ready to die I doe beleeve saith hee that in this very day my soule shall be presented before the Lord Jesus Christ O thinke now thou art leaving thy friends it will not bee a day before Christ and I shall meet in heaven As in the Booke of Martyrs wee read that in Queene Maries time two friends were put to death together One of them was fearfull to thinke that the flames should scorch his flesh O saith the other bee of good comfort for halfe an houre hence thou shalt bee in Heaven O thinke though thou art weake and sick even unto death yet that thou shalt shortly bee with Jesus Christ doubt not of the truth of this For I could even pawn my soul of the truth of it that the soules of the Elect are taken up into heaven immediately after death O then let not death trouble you Doct. 4 The fourth Doctrine here mentioned is the benefit of Christs coming and that is to raise your bodies from the dead and receive them to himselfe This is the particular that I am now to insist upon and receive you to my selfe Obser The Observation is this that the maine end of Christs coming againe is for to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe not onely to save the Soule immediately after death but to raise the body also There are two Queries in the Doctrinall part of this point touching the end of Christs coming which is to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe First Why Jesus Christ must raise the bodies of the Elect and receive them to himselfe as well as the soules Secondly when Christ doth receive the body to himself then what endowments doth the body receive as now it hath not First why must Christ receive the body to himselfe as well as the soule There are four reasons First because of the Resurrection of his own body Christs own body is raised from the dead and received up into heaven and therefore the bodies of the Elect must be there also where Christ is there must his members be Christ the head is raised from the dead and received up into glory The Apostle doth give this reason 1 Cor. 15. 12. Now if Christ bee preached that hee rose from the dead c. As if he should have said Christ being risen from the dead doth argue that our bodies must rise from the Grave though they be dead there In 1 Cor. 6. 14. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Thess 4. 14. For if wee beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him So that because Jesus Christs body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven therfore our bodies must bee raised up and received into glory with him Secondly the bodies of the Elect must be raised because of the inhabitation of the Spirit the Spirit doth sanctifie the bodies of the Elect as well as the soules the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your soule Spirit and Body bee kept blamelesse unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 6. 18 19 20. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own body What know yee not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee have of God and yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Now the spirit of God having a gracious worke in the body as well as the soule Therefore the body must be raised up from the dead as well as the soule and this the Scripture makes an Argument of the resurrection in Rom. 8. 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you So that spirit that raised up Christ from the dead if that dwelleth in you and the graces of the spirit that spirit shall quicken your mortall bodies therefore the bodies of the Elect shall be raised from the dead and received into glory with the soule Thirdly because the body hath a conjunction and co-operation with the soule in all gracious working the body shall bee partner with the Soule being received unto Jesus Christ because the body doth co-operate with the Soule Rom. 8. 13. For if yee live after the flesh yee shall die but if yee through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live Now being that the godly doe mortifie the deeds of the body and do expose their bodies to tortures and torments for Jesus Christ now because the bodies of the Elect doe co-operate with the soule in good therefore the body shall be co-partner with the soule in good
together at the last Day Answer it is the answer of Perkins First much may bee done by Nature by art First an Illustration from a Refiner put before Refiner a masse of mettall and there shall bee in that one Lumpe a veyne of Silver a veyne of Brasse of Gold of Tyn of Iron and the like and these Mettals are all mingled together Now a Refiner by his art he can distinctly sever the Silver from the Gold and the Iron from the Lead Now can art do this and shall not the God of Nature sever this man from that man God shall sever them though they are heaped together Againe a Gardner soweth varietie of Seeds yet doe you come to the Garden and let one aske you what seed lieth in that Bed or in this Bed as roâ—ting in the ground you cannot tell But come to the Gardner and aske him what Seed is in that Bed and hee can tell you distinctly the Seed in every Bed And cannot the the great God doe this hee that made us knowes our shape wee cannot tell what mans dust this is in the Grave I but God that laid it in the Grave he knowes hee knowes which shall bee my dust and which shall be thy dust and which every mans dust hee knowes what body shall spring up thence Therefore labour to exalt Faith in the great Mystery of raising and glorifying your bodies I have now a practicall application to make of this The Uses First this is it so that Jesus Christ shall raise your bodies and receive them to himselfe at his second coming Then let this comfort you against your sufferings in the body Suppose thou art exposed to violent Sufferings to Torments Tortures to Racks Fire and Faggots Suppose thy body undergoeth this for the sake of Jesus Christ yet remember thy body shall be raised and glorified by Jesus Christ Let it not trouble thee then that thy body shall be a crucified body because at Christs second coming it shall be a glorious body Again it may bee comfort to thee by reason of thy naturall infirmities Suppose thy body be a sâ—â—kly body suppose thy body bee full of Aâ—hes Agues Consumptions Diseases and the like suppose thy body bee maimed Blinde and Lame yet remember thy body that is vile deformed and sickly it shall have fresh Robes of glory upon it and be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ We read in the book of Martyrs of two Martyrs that were to be burnt at Stratford Bow neer Lordon one Hugh Laborocke and Iohn Price the one blind the other lame this Price being full of feare when the fire was about him saith Hugh unto him bee not troubled though thou blinde and I lame yet remember death will heale thee of thy Blindenesse and mee of Lamenesse Suppose thou art blinde lame and maymed Christs receiving of thy body will cure all and truly there were comfort to a man under a bodily distemper when a man should thinke that this body of mine should rot in the Grave and never be raised from the dead But thy deformed body it should bee a beautifull body that which is a sickly body shal be made a healthful body and freed from all diseases A second Inference is this will Jesus Christ at his comign raise thy body and receive thy whole man unto himselfe Then learne to have a thirsting and longing soule after the second coming of Jesus Christ doe not desire to continue here upon Barth but to bee dissolved and to bee with Jesus Christ will any man bee grieved for changing of an old sute for a new Death doth this thou hast here an old rotten ragge of flesh about thee Christ will put a new sute on thee therefore the Apostle calls it the desire of the body to bee cloathed upon wee doe not desire to bee in Heaven without Bodies but wee desire to bee cloathed upon with those glorious endowments where with the elect shall bee clad in glory Therefore bee not unwilling to die doe not be unwilling to leave an old rotten Carcasse a sickly Body a Diseased Body Put a Bird into a Cage though the Cage bee made of Silver of Gold yet the Bird had rather flie abroad then be tied up in the Cage Whilest in the Body thou art in a Cage thou hadst better have thy Body in a glorified capacity then now it is Thirdly bee not afraid nor unwilling to die because thy Body shall bee changed by Death if thy Body should not die it would never be a glorified Body keep your Corne in your House and you will never have a Crop but cast your Corne into the ground and let it die there saith the Apostle that thou sowest is never quickened till it die let your Body bee kept alive here in the world and it shall never be raised to glory O do not thâ—n be unwilling to die because death to an Elect man is as a laying of Corne in the Earth As Corne doth rot in the ground to spring againe against the Harvest So doth thy Body rot in the Grave to spring againe at the Resurrection Fourthly if this be true that Jesus Christ will raise thy Body unto glory O then doe not abuse these Bodies of yours they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost these Bodies of yours shall one day bee raised and received by Jesus Christ It is an argument that the Apostle raiseth 1 Cor. 6. 14 15. vers And God hath both raised up the Lord by his own Power know ye not that your bodies are the Members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the Members of Harlots God forbid This is the Apostles Argument The Apostle would reason against Adultery and Uncleannesse in the body what argument doth hee use Know yee this Christ will raise up our bodies and shall wee take these Members of our bodies and make them the members of a Where So then Beloved let the Doctrine of your Resurrection and of your bodies being raised and received to Jesus Christ provoke you that you doe not abse your Bodies He that keeps company with a Harlot sinneth against his owne Body 1 Cor. 6. 18. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the Body but hee that committeth Fornication sinneth against his owne body For a man to lie and sweare it is against his Soule but for a man to bee uncleane it is to sinne against his Body O doe not die with an uncleane Body with an Adulterous Body and doe not abuse thy Body doe not abuse those Eyes of thine to bee windowes of lust that shall one day behold Jesus Christ do not abuse that body that must have a sweet communion with Christ in Heaven I am now come to handle the last point in the Text the last Clause that where I am there you may bee also These words they note unto you the Event or Consequent what shall follow upon Christs coming againe and receiving our