regard of this among the rest to have a care of the poore Gal. 2. Gal. 2. Wheresoever he came he did found and settle this constitution as strongly as any of the rest as that of faith so this of workes that those that had beleeved and received the Lord Christ into their hearts by faith that they should extend their hands by good workes to feed him and to minister to his members which are wanting here upon earth We have thus farre proceeded to shew what kinde of Gift or Present this was which the Apostle required it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their fruit it is the corne they yeeld the harvest which Gods children which be his fruitfull field yeeld unto him It is the shot they pay which are invited to the supper of the great King And it is not cast away upon such as are unworthy persons but bestowed upon the Saints themselves that whereas God requires that we should helpe our owne flesh whether good or bad and we should imitate our heavenly Father which makes his light to shine and his raine to fall as well upon the uniust as the iust yet the Apostle recommends unto them not the common refuse of men whereunto notwithstanding they were bound by nature but a select company of Saints and such a company as were under persecution and that the most hot and sharpe persecution and trouble that was then to be found in the world for the Church of God never suffers so ill as it suffers from it selfe all civill wars and intestine discords being the greatest plagues that can he The Church of Ierusalem having received the law and the promises and glorying in their prerogative they could not therefore indure that a new religion should come and confront theirs and put that out of place but they sought by all meanes to beat it downe againe and by consequent no man could lift up his head but presently there were letters from the high Priests and Elders to cast him into prison to thrust that light under a bushell which God had set upon a Candlesticke to give light to the whole house And againe there was another cause of it by reason of the famine which Agabus prophecied of in the end of Caligula his reigne for which cause the Church of God made provision against that time of famine and scarcity Now the quantity that they should give it is not set downe but it is left to every mans disposition for the Church of God will not make charity compulsive but leaves it to the free-will in it selfe that it may be the more gratious and the better accepted with God but look whatsoever God had prospered them withall according as God had blessed them according as he had given them a good voyage in the affaires of the world according to that hee should not scant and balk the Lord but he that had received much should give much and he that had received little should give of that little according to the quantity and proportion so that was left to the conscience of every man And that this collection should be done in private that every man should lay up by himselfe by himselfe because there were no officers appoynted as then in the Church or because he might be defeated of it by trusting of others or because some had so little that they durst not bring it every weeke being so small but were to lay it up by them that many littles might make a mickle therefore they were to keep it till it might be a convenient summe that it might carry some shew with it in regard of this the Apostle bids them lay up by themselves And they must lay it up as a Treasure for as much as the Lord accounted of that in heaven he tooke account of that in heaven which they layd forth in earth and it was a treasure to them that when they should come to faile to faile of this life when they should come to dye when no friend should help and rescue them from the hand of death they may have some treasure in heaven that when they came into a strange country they might finde some treasure there they might have a banke there to give them refreshing As when a man is outed in England when he is outlawed or banished if hee can make an escape and can have a banke at Venice or at Amsterdam and can goe to his friends there and have somewhat laid up for him in trusty hands he is as well there almost as he is here So the Lord compares the passages of this life to those of a better life but we cannot deny nor doubt but that we shall be infinitely farre better there then we are here but yet we are loath to part with this habitation we would faine keepe this tabernacle of the body as long as we could although it be with hard conditions Now the Lord tels us to incourage us in our journey that all our good works all our Almes-deeds are sent before as a treasure they are laid up as a stocke of money in a faithfull hand not in a mountebankes hand but in the trusty hand of God which will repay us againe and will repay us with interest he that gives to the poore lends to the Lord upon interest so it is called in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Thesaurus a treasure to lay up treasure to lay up for to morrow to lay up for the time to come thus farre we proceeded Now we come to the next point in the Text The time of the collection which is what day what time he chooseth out for the setting apart of this portion of those that offered to the Lord and to his poore Saints and that is noted here to be the first day of the weeke Secondly wee are to note the incentives reasons and arguments to moove them to this because charity and the workes of charity are not easily perswaded men must be drawne to them by very attractive and forcible reasons and arguments such as may win though not constraine and force their piety His first argument is this the common example for these things we must propound them diversly and otherwise then they lye in the Text for order sake and for method of teaching For those things that are first in the Text are not alway first in order of time nor in order of teaching how will he therfore winne the Corinthians to give unto strange poore when they had enow of their owne he tels them there is an example for it the Churches of Galatia As I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia so doe ye As if he should say I bring no new matter among you I put no burthen upon you which is not generall and common in all the Churches your brethren have gone before in other Countries which are poorer men and weaker every way in their fortunes then you therefore that which they doe which are poorer and more unable
mirth But the children of God have another promise Whether this be the true sence of S. Paul or that of the cup of persecution they are almost both coincident and one of these certainely is Saint Pauls reason For he speakes of some singular persons all were not ready to offer themselves for Christ but hee speakes of a singular company that were different from the common sort of men Certainly wee must take it in one of these two sences And for that of Beza though it be true and have some force in it yet Saint Paul seldome insists upon the weake actions of men It is true that which men doe publiquely it comes to have the nature of a law in it and this hath beene a publique thing in all nations to honour the going of their friends out of the world therefore Saint Paul might have drawne a good argument from that if he used such in other places But because we finde not that therefore we cannot settle upon this His manner is not to fashion himselfe to the world or to the actions of men to draw things of such weight as these especially from heathen and simple men that did that which it may be they had no reason for And besides it is no argument to prove the resurrection from the dead although a childe of God understand and God hath put into their hearts good affections because these vessels these parties are not dead but sleepe therefore God teacheth them to honour the ashes of his Saints because they have hope in Christ but to say that the world and all mankinde dreames of a resurrection because they honour their friends departed this doth not argue For they may doe it to their friends out of love or out of fondnesse or for fashion to shew their gallantry or the like I will not contradict that learned man but yet I thinke that which is most agreeable here to Saint Pauls great spirit is that opinion about the cup of affliction Those that gave themselves freely to persecution to stoning to sword to banishment to affliction as the Apostle speaks in another place men that are alway working upon their owne passions and lusts this I take to be the proper sence To what end doe these men macerate their bodies and trouble themselves by mortification and by yeelding themselves to persecution and sword if they be not fulfilled with a lively hope of the resurrection In that sence the argument thence drawne teacheth us thus much That whatsoever action or president Gods children and Saints have given in this world they are all of them of singular and excellent use to prove the glory of God in this article of the resurrection I say the president of Gods Saints in former times and of those in our times that are before our eyes they are arguments invincible and we should not offer to cast any scruple against the power and validity of them There be a company of men that will follow none but themselves under pretence of following none but Christ whereas indeed they follow none lesse than Christ in presuming to follow him alone without any other they follow none at all Christ is then followed when he is followed in his members as well as in himselfe therefore the Apostle bids us be followers of him as he is of Christ It is true the point of proofe and imitation it rests not in man as he is man but as he is a follower of God So farre we must take the force of the argument as it hath a higher reference and relation unto God which is the Prince of reason and the ground of all demonstration Therefore he that neglects and condemnes the presidents of Martyrs in former times or of the ancient Fathers or our precedent Fathers that lived in the dayes of persecution that suffered fire and banishment from their Country for Christ he that cals these things idle fopperies or weake infirmities without any ground or reason or that they were deceptions of stubborne flesh that dyed for the maintenance of erronious opinions he that speakes thus blasphemously against the honour of Gods holy presidents he pluckes the argument out of Saint Pauls hand and makes it nothing worth For so might the Corinthians have answered the Apostles argument that they would not be ruled by any man but by Christ they would have none over them but Christ they would have no president but God they would have no direction but Gods wayes and as for men they are but men and to be no further followed then they follow God But Saint Paul he raiseth a mighty argument from them and so in other places he saith Observe and walke as you have seene us walke and observe them that are as lights before you that are as lights shining in a darke generation The children of God are borne for example and either they winne men by their rare and excellent accommodation to God or else they stop their mouthes for ever that they shall have nothing to say at the day of judgement because they have had such examples before them and had no hearts to follow them All the presidents of Gods Saints in former times if they be followed they further our salvation but if they be neglected they shall fall heavy upon us to our condemnation All things that were done before were done for our learning and for our sakes as whatsoever was written before time Rom. 15.4 was written for our learning to confirme and strengthen us and build us up in our most holy faith Let us glory in this let us study the history of the Martyrs that have beene before us After this manner Christ comforted his Apostles saying Rejoyce and be glad in that day Math. 5.12 for great is your reward Why should they rejoyce because so they persecuted the Prophets before you so the example of those that have beene before us are convincing arguments to us The God of glory and peace that hath given us so many rare examples before us give us power to follow them Amen FINIS 1 COR. 15.29.30 What shall they doe that are baptised for the dead if altogether the dead rise not why are they baptised over the dead and why are we in danger and jeopardy every houre THis is one of Saint Pauls difficult and hard places which Saint Peter puts us in minde of 2 Pet. 3.16 2 Pet. 3.16 saith he In Pauls Epistles there are certaine things that are hard to be understood which the reprobates doe wrest as they doe the rest of the Scriptures to their owne damnation But this Text which is so difficult and hard may be best explained and expounded by the context by the sence that followes after August Saint Austin gives us a Rule when saith he I finde the Scriptures darke and obscure then I looke to the scope and purpose and drift of them and surely it seemes that these latter words which I have now read to you Wherefore are
breeds So there is no ague that alway holds a man except it quickly dispatch him but there is some kinde of intervall there is some interim and space betweene one fit and another there is seldome in the world such a plague that still lyes as a heavy burden upon mens shoulders But the children of God are sure to have it so not onely to have dangers but to have one upon another Psal 42.7 one deepe cals upon another because of the noyse of the water pipes as the Prophet speakes they shall have feares without and terrours within the end of one evill is but the beginning of another succeeding evill Behold then your calling that whereunto you are called saith Saint Chrysostome we are set out for the purpose not onely to be vexed in this world but to be vexed continually That we cannot eate our meate nor drinke our drinke without vexation The Lord mingles our bread with teares Psalm 80.5 and our drinke with weeping It is the property of the wicked to feed without feare but even in our feeding and repast we are possest with feares and terrours Iude 12. And saith Saint Bernard Know thy portion know thy portion Math. 10.25 Oh Christian in the Crosse of Christ it was his case and it must be thine it is enough for the servant to be as his Master it is no reason he should be above his Master This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every houre is that which God requires at our hands if we doe good for him we must doe it every houre if we suffer ill for his sake we must suffer every houre The Crowne of all our actions and of all our obedience is this perseverance and continuance Every houre It is not for an houre or for some few houres of a day but all the time of our life we must be under the Crosse and have the hand of God to pound and bray and beat upon us to get out those sweet smelling spices of patience and godlinesse which the holy Ghost hath infused into us This is the tryall of a Christian to be every houre in ieopardy and to be more constant in suffering than his adversaries can be in tormenting to be so compleat in that panoplia the Armour of the spirit of God that so long as the world can strike he can indure the stroke and be greater at length than all his temptations It is the miserable condition of all our services they be not lasting We are weary of well-doing Galat. 6.9 when we are in prayer we are weary before we can raise our selves to any kinde of zeale in our hearts we have done before we begin When we are in meditation it is a wearinesse to flesh and bloud When we are doing of good deeds to Christ in his poor members we are weary and say come no more I have done so much and so much for you already These are the cut-throats of obedience This noysomnesse and tediousnesse and faintnesse of ours deprives us of all hope of reward Therefore the Apostle saith Gal. 6. Be not weary of well-doing for we shall receive in time Galat. 6.9 if we faint not he that gives every houre and moment to the service of God shall have an eternall houre that is of blessednesse and continuance of felicity in the power of God Almighty But as I said it is with this condition If we faint not we shall receive Implying that if we faint we shall not receive all our precedent benefits all our good deeds that we have done in former time if we hold not on they have no place or acceptance with God Perseverance is the Crowne of the graces of God to be every houre every momēt of time addicted to the glory of God it is the glory of Gods servants It is to no purpose to give a poore creature a small piece of money or some little meanes to helpe him if afterward seeing him in the same case and being as able to helpe him we leave him For his life still continues and as long as life and occasion continues so long must our charity continue or else it is to no purpose It were in vaine for a woman to nurse a childe a quarter or halfe a yeare if she doe it not till it be brought to some reasonable age and strength that it be able to helpe it selfe It is better not to begin a thing than not to finish it after it is begun for a man to lay a foundation of a house and not to be able to build it up is to make himselfe a meere mockery to the common people Luke 14.30 to say This man began to build and was not able to finish it as our Saviour saith so in the matters of God whether we doe good or suffer ill for his name it must either be continually done or else it is not done at all Luke 9.62 To looke backe when we have laid our hand to the Plow is to loose our reward He is a bad debtor that payes his debts by halves he is a bad servant that will doe but halfe his service that will not give account for the whole time his Master hath conferred on him and put him in trust withall So they must needs be accounted base sufferers and runnagate Souldiers that when they have once put their hand to the action for feare of danger flye backe The Lord takes up no such Souldiers Therefore let us pay God his service with a full hand for so his gifts deserve The blessings of God are so infinite that they deserve not a perfunctory service a kinde of time-service to be now up and now downe but as the blessings of God be eternall upon the soule of man so the service and the affections of man should be eternall to God againe This little short life that we have is our eternitie the eternity which God hath is unspeakable without end As God hath promised us life eternall ioy eternall blessednesse eternall so let us labour that all that we doe may be as much as in us lies eternall Let our prayers be eternall our devotion eternall our patience eternall our charity eternall There is nothing tending to the praise of God that should be for a short time but as his blessings and promises are eternall so we should stretch and extend our selves as much as may be to make our services eternall The glory of a Christian is constancie and perseverance he hath constancy against the number of the dangers that come and perseverance against the continuance of them This was the glory of the Apostle when he saith that he was in ieopardy every houre we wrastle with great difficulties the dangers are great and many therein we shew our constancie Againe we know they be long and durable or else we might the better beare them Every moment we are oppressed every houre of our life it waites upon us as a heavy burthen upon our shoulders And
yet we suffer still we are in danger every houre and therein we shew our perseverance But I will conclude in a word with the use and force of this argument For it hath beene still the reason that heretiques have taken to themselves Vse to abuse the force of the Apostles disputation The divell hath fitted the world with such seduced men to suffer and to suffer for a lye Now then the argument can have no just nor no necessary consequeÌ„ce that because men suffer every hour therefore there shall be a resurrection For then heretiques may object and say because they suffer for this erroneous conceit that therefore it is no conceit but there is such a thing Certainly as Tertullian saith Not onely the true orthodoxe faith of Christians is increased by the Martyrs bloud but also heretiques are increased by their Martyrs There was never any heresie so bad but it had some to testifie it with their bloud the divell hath his Martyrs as well as Christ But we must understand the difference must be taken partly from the cause And partly from the persons that give the testimony For it is the cause that makes the Martyr and the foundation of the cause is to be fetched from the word of God The word of God teacheth a man for what cause he should suffer and for what he should not suffer And the cause of the Apostles sufferings were grounded on the word of God the Lord Iesus told them that they should suffer many things for his name Iohn 15.21 And as it was the lot of the Prophets in former time to suffer so it was their portion to take their course and to suffer for the truth and they were defended by the apparant word of God fetched from all antiquity The cause was good for which they suffered and the cause makes the Martyr and the witnessing to the cause The witnessing to a lye can no way make a falshood true all the lyers in the world cannot doe it but witnesse must be given to the truth as the Apostles witnessed to the verity of Christ Because Christ the prime Martyr hath set to his hand that these things are true Ioh. 3. He is the true witnesse that hath sealed it with his bloud Ioh. 3.32.33 and hath confirmed it by his miracles and by the approbation of all the world This is one difference It is true men may labour to bolster out bad causes by their obstinate spirits but what is that to this Our cause is judged we have the words of Scripture for it And although heresies in all times have been bred out of the Scriptures yet they are meere wrestings and sophistries dreames cavillations and coacted things of their owne devising But this was a cause that was throughly proved by the word revealed And as I said the word of God tels us for what cause a man should suffer and for what not when he should live secure and when in ieopardy That is one reason Secondly from the persons Popish Traytors Although it be true that Antichrist will come and dye as Martyrs doe yet we must observe they either doe it to maintain factions that have been formerly begun or to get a name to themselves or else they seeke to flye from the danger if they can make an escape Acts 5.41 But the Apostles were in danger willingly they yeelded themselves to it with gladnesse of heart and reioyced in afflictions and tribulations But for the other they breake prisons they lye and equivocate to save their lives doe any thing to rid themselves from the danger The Apostles and Martyrs as simple sacrifices gave themselves to God in meere devotion to be disposed at his pleasure to rest upon his will to be as sheep for the slaughter when he called for them They sought not to flye from their enemies or by equivocation and lies to get away but rejoyced in their persecutions and sang even in prison And although S. Paul made an escape Acts 16.25 2 Cor. 11.33 and were let downe in a basket from a window yet that was but to reserve himselfe for further times for at last he meant to give up himselfe as a sacrifice to Christ Therefore the argument is strong that we must confirme our selves from the passion of the Saints before and take no limit of the voluptuous delights of the world These are not the way to heaven The course that we hold now a dayes in our conversing one with another in merriments in eating and drinking and idle complements they are no wayes to give us comfort at the houre of death at the day of judgement but our comfort must be taken from the sufferings of the Church from the passion of the blessed Saints before from the noble army of Martyrs from that cloud of witnesses from those that have sealed the truth of Christ with their bloud that have indured jeopardy that have imbraced danger all the hours of their life These are they whose steps we must follow and insist in those worthy presidents before us And as farre as we conform our selves to these so much comfort we shall have when we suffer with them that suffer to be conformed to the passion of Christ that we may also be conformed to his glory Luke 22.28.30 For if we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him as our Lord Iesus saith which the Lord grant unto us for his sake Amen FINIS 1 COR. 15.31 I dye daily by the rejoycing that I have in Christ Iesus our Lord. THe frequent reading studying and conversing in the Scriptures is like the dressing of an armour or the cleansing of a fountaine for an armour the more it is furbushed the brighter it lookes and the Spring or Fountaine the more it is scoured the clearer the water runnes so the holy field of the Scriptures the more it is tilled with diligence and frequencie the more faire and goodly fruit it brings forth The precious pearle of the truth oft times is so hid in the ambiguity of words words of equivocation that is words that may be taken in divers sences that unlesse a man looke very narrowly to them and observe well the passages of them he is in danger to be drawne into some errour This most difficult portion of Scripture that we have taken in hand begins now to appeare by our continuance and dwelling upon it The truth the pearle which before lay hid in the casket begins to shâ—w forth his owne lustre As Ierome Ierome saith Truth oft times lyes hid in the ditch of words so the ambiguity of one word here hath puzled the faire and cleare stream of the truth that without much searching of the Scripture we had not found it out But by our frequency and diligence I hope we have found in the end the proper sence and full meaning of the Text for one Scripture whets and cleares another Now the Apostle brings the passion of the Martyrs to
in his third Booke of the Trinity he saith The Apostle did not feare to confirme the certainty of his salvation by swearing for saith he by the confidence that I have in Christ Iesus I dye daily Among the Greekes none doubted of it but those that were simple and unlearned Therefore I say this was an oath and so the strongest confirmation that can be 2 The thing he sweares by Esay 45.23 But how doth Saint Paul sweare by that which is not God It is not lawfull to sweare by any thing but the name of God as the Lord saith Every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confesse me and sweare by my name Heb. 6.13 It is true that when God sweares having no greater to sweare by he sweares by himselfe and when man sweares he must alway sweare by a greater For that is the end of an oath to protest an unknowne truth by the presence and countenance of a greater person then himselfe and one which cannot lye Therefore it is unlawfull for a Christian to sweare by any name but the name of God and that not often much lesse alway or in frivolous causes for this our Lord Christ condemnes when hee saith sweare not at all Math 5.34 that is not often nor out of passion But as an oath is a speciall service of God so it is to be taken upon speciall occasions but now we are bound to sweare by no name but the name of God and reioycing in Christ is not Christ himselfe Wherefore then doth the Apostle sweare by his reioycing in Christ We must understand that to sweare by any immediate fruit of the spirit of God by any thing that flowes immediately from God to us it is all one as to sweare by the name of God it selfe This is so individuall and inseparable a thing the comfort namely and the joy of Christ hath brought into the world that it is as inseparable from the spirit as the shadow from the body Therefore as a man may sweare by the shadow that there is a body and swearing the one he intimates the other and concludes the other so the Apostle here he sweares by this fruit of the holy Ghost which is ioy and peace even the peace of God which passeth all understanding which he found in his heart by the meanes of Christ Iesus who maketh our ioy to be full who is the fountaine of ioy swearing by this he sweares by the chiefe iewell of salvation which is the penny that Christ had given him as an earnest as a pawne and gage of his love Out of this that he saith Our reioycing observe I beseech you the wondrous temper of a Christian how he is composed of strange extreame contraries of death and life of sorrow and joy of peace and war There is nothing in the world that can be imagined so contrary as be the severall parts of a Christian mans constitution Upon this ground the holy Apostle goeth 2 Cor 4. 2 Cor. 4.8 c. where he makes the definition of a Christian after the same manner Saith he we are indeed oppressed and persecuted but yet not crushed altogether we are as men dead and yet behold we live poore and yet making many rich as having nothing and yet we possesse all things This is that marvellous mixture that God hath appointed his children to come to that they should be conformable to the sufferings of Christ and so be in death and yet that they should revive againe by the spirit of God and so no man be lesse in death being alway in life and having the certaine pledge and pawne of life eternall As for the men of this world the sonnes of flesh and bloud when they thinke themselves most lively then are they most deepely in death every thing worketh against them the stormes of Gods wrath attend them and worke upon their consciences at some time or other such fearefull deaths as out of which they can make no evasion or escape But with the children of God it is contrary when they are in the middest of death they are in the height of life 2 Cor. 4.16 As the Apostle saith Although our outward man dye daily and is corrupted yet the inward man is renewed and revived by the spirit of Christ So in all the passages of their life where death seemes to have the greatest sway and predominancie even there is life abundantly over death and the roote of life shall at length eate out the fruit of death And although death make a flourish for a time upon the Saints of God yet because there is a root of life it shall still grow and bud and bring forth at length that death may be swallowed up into victory 1 Cor. 15.54 In all things the children of God have full contentment in this life although they be in the middest of death This is the great miracle that God doth in the world Every holy man is a wonder every good man is a miracle like the children of Israel Exod. 14.22 that walked through the deepe where there was never way knowne before like the three children in the furnace Dan. 3.25 that walked in the middest of the fire as if they had beene in a pleasant Medow like the Israelites and all their cattell that passed over Iordan Acts 16.25 like Paul and Sylas singing at midnight in chaines and fetters in prison A miraculous spectacle to God and men which drawes the eyes of Angâ—â—s to the contemplation of it For in sicknesse a Christian is full of the saving health of God In persecution he is full of quiet and contentment of the holy Ghost In prison he is full of Psalmes and spirituall Songs as were Paul and Sylas When he is bound in shackles he is free and expedite and loose As the Apostle saith in another place though I be bound 2 Tim. 2.9 yet the word of God is not bound the Gospell of Christ is not bound In all things he is a breathing miracle of the power of God that sounds unto us as so many silver Trumpets the omnipotencie of God that makes such a correspondence and proportion betweene life and death that makes death and life dwell together in one body and yet hee will evacuate death by the power of life that life may surmount and death may be put under that at the last death may be debased and life may be advanced And in that he saith Our reioycing or your reioycing For it is not materiall whether way it is read for it is a common ioy If I reade it yours I have it if mine you have it for it is a common ioy in our common Saviour This is that which all of us confesse when we make our prayers to God we call him our Father and we call the Saviour of the world our Saviour and so we may call the spirit our comforter because this common veyne of joy it flowes and runnes
not deceived evill words corrupt good manners IT was a true saying of Saint Augustine August take away once the faith and assurance of the Resurrection and take away all the care of religion Therefore this poynt being well proved it brings in all the rest and if this poynt be left weake and naked all the rest of necessity must shake and totter as being imperfect Therefore this holy vessell this blessed Apostle Saint Paul whom Chrysostome cals the eye of truth Chrysost and the sunne of the world under Christ Iesus he labours by all meanes as Tertullian saith with all the strength of the Holy Ghost that is so much as any man could be capable of to make cleare this poynt of our faith the certainty of the Resurrection to lay this fundamentall stone this corner stone that the rest of the house and body of Religion may be built upon it And to the end he may doe it hee leaves no stone unrolled but takes an argument from every thing yea even from his adversaries from the Epicures from the common fashion of the blinde world The childe of God gaynes every where and he mends and betters his wisedome out of the folly of the evill world Here now the Apostle takes upon him the person of another man and speakes as the phanaticall and beastly people of this life would speake Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye A thing which we know the Apostle was farre from But yet notwithstanding he shewes that it had some force of an argument in it if so be there were no Resurrection For if a man must dye as a beast I see no reason why a man may not live so too yea and take his full contentment in these things as having no happinesse after this life because hee hath his portion here So Saint Chrysostome saith well Chrysost The Apostle speakes here as a man that were an actor in a Comedy that puts upon him the person of another man the habite of another where a beggerly fellow oft times comes forth in the habite of a Noble man and contrariwise a Noble man or a King in the habite of a hermite and so they passe some intelligible matter to the company under those divers representations So the Apostle here after he had used arguments drawne from common sence and reason and from the inconvenience that might follow by admitting the contrary Now here hee puts upon himselfe the person of an Epicure and he proves out of that as being a strong argument the certainty of the Resurrection For saith he if this Epicurious life may be justly condemned as the basest and most bruitish life in the world so that their madnesse is hated of all men It followes then that there is a hope of the godly that they shall rise againe in their bodies or else we would give way to their madnesse For the madnesse and fury of these men hath some wisedome and reason in it except wee set downe this poynt for certaine that there shall be a Resurrection For what should a man doe that hath nothing to looke for after this life but take his time while he is here And so wee that know the Epicures to be a most detestable sect we make them sensible and reasonable if wee yeeld once to any doubt of the Resurrection They are now no more fooles and mad men but wise to take that opportunity which flies from us which wee deny our selves and care not for and they enjoy Namely eating and drinking that is all carnall delights and satisfactions of nature that may give content which in the meane time we want so they have something and we nothing and if our trust were onely here if our hope were onely for this life they were in better case then we a better sort of men then we Therefore I would say as they say if there were no Resurrection I would hold with their base and damnable conclusion Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye But because you know how bruitish this is that it is hissed out of all the schooles of common reason you know that the Philosophers that saw nothing but by the light of nature they damned these vile and sensuall positions Therefore I beseech you that are Christians be not deceived in these things for evill words corrupt good manners that is when any motion tending to this purpose comes into your hearts or when you heare it with your eares from other men to deny the Resurrection and to give assurance of happinesse in the things of this life take heed be not deceived the Philosophers could not be deceived by the Epicures therefore much more should you that are Christians take heed for he that denyes the Resurrection is an Epicure there can be no greater Epicure in the world than he that denyes the Resurrection and there is no man more beastly and filthy than hee that hopes for happinesse here in this life such men are the very sinkes of sinne and the dregges of damnation This is the scope of the place To proceed in order First we are to consider the connexion and joynting of these with the words before Division into the Connexion and the Argument Secondly the argument which the Apostle propounds which hath two parts in it First there is a poyson Secondly a counterpoyson a remedy or antidote against this poyson The poyson is contained in these words for the best are fayne to worke with poyson sometimes and the more infectious the disease is the more poyson they use now the Apostle to worke this poyson of theirs into physicke he brings a counter poyson The poyson I say is in these words Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye The antidote in these words Be not deceived evill words corrupt good manners In the first the pestilent heart he brings not in in his owne person but in the person of an Epicure where we are to consider First their profession and then The reason of their profession First their profession is this Let us eate and drinke The reason that is alleadged is as beastly and as brutish as the other for we shall dye to morrow Therefore let us eate and drinke to day the beastliest conclusion that can be in this world For they that have but till to morrow to live had need to bethinke themselves to day and not to drinke and swill and play the beast which is a fearefull corrupting of mans nature and understanding Then for the Antidote that the Apostle gives against it First he saith by way of caution be not deceived he gives a generall caution take heed be not deceived and drawne away from the hope of heaven and salvation by the base charmes of these Syrene songs Be not deceived Secondly hee gives a demonstration why they ought to beware and take heed For evill words corrupt good manners and it is a thing that wee should chiefly seeke
ignorance into the Church of God Such simple people understand not what perfection God requires to be in him that is truely called a man of God he must be like Moses Acts 7.22 It is said That Moses was taught in all the learning of the Egyptians And so Saint Paul wisheth that the man of God may be perfect that he may be made up as a full and perfect number in Arithmetique that he may be fitted to every good worke which he cannot be except he can speake to a Poet after the manner of a Poet and to a Philosopher in the language of a Philosopher unlesse he can accōmodate himselfe to the party with whom he deales it is impossible he should be a fit and compleat man in the service of God Now the Apostle shewes us a rule here that those things that are vulgarly knowne and of common use they make a better and deeper impression in the mindes of men Therefore they are most of all to be translated and exhibited in speeches and Sermons to the people of God The reason is as I said before because all truth is from God whatsoever these heathen men had it was a glimmering from God Rom. 2.15 And also because the Apostle tels us Rom. 2. That the Heathens had the Law of God written in their hearts their thoughts eyther accusing or excusing them so that it followes then we cannot reject or cast off their sayings because they stand as matters of greater condemnation or matters of greater perswasion then other speeches for marke how our Lord Christ concludes out of the heathen Woe be to thee Chorazin Matth. 11.21 and woe be to thee Bethsaida for if those workes which thou hast seene had beene done in Tyre and Sydon they had repented long agoe Behold how he argues from the heathens so by the heathens actions we shall have greater condemnation then by those presidents we have in our owne Schooles for if the heathens doe thus it is a double shame for Christians not to attaine their perfection So when our Lord saith to Ierusalem that if the mighty workes that he had done in her had beene done in Sodome and Gomorrah they had repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes He confutes Ierusalem by a strong and mighty argument taken from the heathen Therefore the deeds and sayings of the heathen are also to be noted and remembred of us because they containe much matter of profit to set forth the truth and glory of Gods word by As Saint Basile Basile saith in his Oration to the young man Procelius There is saith he great matter of good that lyeth in the writings of the Poets and Philosophers and every man cannot gather all the good As we see by experience when a man crops a flower from the earth he can get nothing out of it but the sweetnesse of the smell or the delightfulnesse of the colour but when the diligent Bee comes he will make more of it he will extract honey which is as it were the very spittle of the starres So when simple carnall minded men reade the Poets and the Philosophers they gather nothing but delight and pleasure but when the diligent Bee comes a wise man a serious considerate man he drawes honey out of them As Gregory Nazianzen saith Greg. Naz. speaking concerning the same argument saith he As a man that comes into a garden of Roses into a Rose-yard he seeth goodly Roses and goes to plucke a Rose but in the meane time he labours to shun the prickle so in reading of Poets and Philosophers we should plucke the rose but shun the thorne or prickle alway take the best and leave that which is harmefull For there is a mixture of these as the rose growes in the middest of thorns so the doctrine of the Poets is mixed with barbarisme superstition and corruption Let us separate the drosse from the gold refuse the one and take the other To conclude this point because I know every man doth not apprehend it well It is true indeed there is a great disorder in the quotation of humane learning in Sermons in quoting of Poetry and Philosophy and hath beene alwaies Therefore I doe not in all poynts confirme it onely that it may be it is certaine and that it must be in the Church because arguments drawn from the heathen are used by Christ and all his Apostles yet there must be some cautions used in it Cautions for use of humane Learning in Sermons First they must be few not many for it is a most heterogeneal thing for a man in preaching a whole houre to speake nothing but humane learning for he comes not there to be a Philosopher an Orator or to be a Poet but to convert and winne soules Therfore his chiefe time and the principall part of his speech must be the word of God exhortations out of Scripture and instructions to life and good manners so that too many of these are condemned Secondly they must be those things that are cleare and plaine and faire and that are commonly knowne such as every man is acquainted with As this here was a Proverbe in every mans mouth It was a thing notorious no man could doubt of it Therefore they offend against this rule that fetch and hooke in they know not how nor no man knows by what medium they bring in such sentences but to continue and stuffe up their speeches they bring in long and exorbitant sentences and heape them up together for ostentation Lastly they must not be things of affectation but such as come naturally as we speake by way of common proverbe for proverbs make a great impression in mens mindes common sentences sententious utterances are most powerfull So to conclude this poynt It is necessary for the Preacher as Musculus and Calvin and divers other Writers conclude to know a great deale more then the Bible to know more then the study of the principles of Religion they must be such men as that no man may except against them for their ignorance and blindenesse for they must have a taste of all things and be able to draw out of their treasurie those things that concerne the glory of the kingdome of God And because the heathens had a kinde of over-running as when the Conduit is full the water runnes at waste so when Gods people were full of light and knowledge some went over to the heathens for they have read and heard of our bookes Therefore truth which is the pearle or Iewell of God which is scattered we ought to gather it together againe It was lawfull for the Israelitish women to weare the Iewels of the Egyptian women It was lawfull for the children of Israell to possesse the lands and goods and Vineyards of the inhabitants of Canaan So let us take this Iewell of God his truth from these men that are unworthy to possesse it as pearles are often found in the basest and filthiest places let
natures they remaine longer uncorrupted and perhaps there be some stones that never knew what corruption meanes but those things that are most tender are most subject to corruption because the Ayre which is the mother of life and death the mother of generation and corruption where it is able to disperse the dimensions of it it works corruption as it gave beginning so it works an end It is the plague of God upon every sonne of Adam that the same ayre that gave him life it works also his dissolution In corruption we may observe that the finer the thing is the worse it is corrupted the nature of things that are most finely modulated when they come to be corrupted they have the vilest stench and corruption of all other there is nothing that is made so exactly as the body of a man yet being dead there is no stench like unto it alway the corruption of the best things is the worst Thus it is also in this spirituall corruption The manners which the grace of God and good education hath planted in man the wilde naturall disposition being rooted out and the grace of God being planted in and grafted there it keeps its seat and residence and as long as it is free from externall and outward danger it is well enough but when there comes an outward heat and the ayre to worke upon it that is temptations from abroad temptations from the devill bad examples in the world this outward heat it works upon the substance of the inward stocke and before a man can thinke of it entreth and pierceth Ionah 4 7. and corruption makes way as the cankerworme in Ionas gourd that though it was greene and fresh in the morning yet it was down and withered before night Againe as the tenderest things soonest corrupt so men of the best wits of the best judgements men that have the greatest memories men of the most dexterious spirits their mindes by Gods just judgement are most subject to sinne and grosse corruption Every man doth not serve the devill with like affection and with like spirit Some know how to serve him after one manner and some after another weaker things are subject to lesse corruption but the finest and the tenderest things are soonest corrupted As the fairest and goodliest flowers are soonest blasted and withered To conclude this point When these things in men are corrupted it is the worst corruption that can be When the understanding is corrupted as the Apostle speaks To the cleane Tit. 1.15 all things are cleane but to the uncleane all things are polluted and corrupted even their understandings When a mans braine is tainted when his understanding is corrupted it is most pestilent When he takes lyes for truth when he follows errours instead of the Oracles of God This is not the condition of a man well educated by grace Therefore I beseech you let us say with the Apostle Evill words corrupt good manners and let us take heed of all ill manners and ill speeches which is the next and the maine thing that I should come unto I shall speake but a word of it The word signifieth not onely a passing flying word but a setled discourse of a company and societie of men a kinde of league that men have together for the words that are flying and passing away they may be rejected and cast away Every wicked man that speaks ill and wickedly he is not presently apprehended or liked of but if a man still keepe on and make his discourse of it if he make it his disputation and argues the case now the danger comes there is nothing worse then such ill words to corrupt good manners Our first parents Adam and Eve were corrupted so even by evill words The serpent offered them no violence but onely spake an evill word and so hee conveighed that poyson He did not offer according to the power that the devill the wicked Angels had to hurt their bodies he offered them no injury by force but he spake the word and so entred into Eve into that grace and justice that was originally in he◠and corrupted it in a moment Behold how soone one sparke of fire kindles a whole stacke of corne how one scabbed sheepe infects all the flocke It is infinite to see how corruption grows and spreads it selfe like a tetter that it is seldome or never restrained and limited except the Spirit of God use a mighty hand in it And as it was at the first so it is now as Saint Austin saith Aug. Thou killest not thy brother by the sword or by a violent hand as Cain killed Abel but thou doest as bad thou speakest a bad word thou givest him bad counsell thou givest him an ill example and that is worse then to kill with the sword for the sword goes but to a mans bodie but evill words they go to the heart to the soule and alway the infection the deeper it is and the nearer the heart the more dangerous and the worse it is Evill words corrupt good manners If evill words corrupt good manners What do evill books then for as long as the word is but spoken it is but winde that goes and comes there is no great regard to be had of it it is a lighter matter and he is a perfect man that never slides and stumbles in his words every man will give a man leave to tosse and roll himselfe in his words and will take it when it comes to his owne turne againe But evill books lascivious wicked books that are set forth when they are exhibited they remaine and hold on Therefore certainly if they shall be damned that speake ill words which tend to the subversion of good manners and to the corruptions of Gods children if they shall be damned ipso facto as all must confesse it follows then those that study damnable books abusive things whereby the good manners of the children of God are cast into hazard these shall receive double damnation If bare evill words are so dangerous what are they when they are set out to the full when the devill will not walke only in bare words lest he prove foolish and contemptible but he will strout it out in action with a lively voyce with a goodly faire cōplexion in stately habite in all pompe and gallantry of apparrell when thus men in a goodly feature act it for the devill for they do nothing but set the devils poyson in a faire glasse or cup and give it people to make themselves drunke of it it must needs be more venemous poyson and more pestilent mischiefe that comes to the soule by reading these books then by other things The Philosophers tell us of a filthy kinde of creature differing from all other creatures which ingenders at the eare the conception of the female is at the eare and the generating of the male is at the eare too Though this may be a fiction as it may be true for we are ignorant
neighbourhood of men we are to imagine that some know God and feare him though some do neither Therefore let us labour to make much of Vse and to keepe this admonition and reprehension that the children of God that do well may not bee discouraged and that others may not bee permitted to do evill nor suffered to go on in their foolishnesse But that there may be a difference made and yet no particular set down For here the Apostle doth not name them but he leaves it to their owne breasts to consider of He chargeth them not maliciously to make them scandalous to the world for that way hee might have made them desperate but he leaves them to God that knows them The Lord knows that all are not alike among you that there is a company among you that are of the same profession that are not equall to the rest in the knowledge and feare of God But he doth not name them because he would leave them to repentance to commune with their owne hearts Psal 4 4. that every one might examine his owne conscience whether he were the man or no. And lastly he concludes all with which I will consider I speake this to your shame That is I desire not any way to destroy you but to build you up whatsoever I can do or whatsoever I am appointed to do in the Lords worke it must be to edification and not to destruction There is a certaine shamefastnesse whereby a man is wonne to God It is an excellent beauty in a man or woman to be modestly shamefast to blush at that which is unseemely to be afraid of that which is unhonest The forehead being the seat of shame and the cheekes the testimony What is received from the Rainbow above appeares in colours beneath and is reflected on the lower clouds These testifie for God of the temper of the heart and affections God hath put a law of difference within men whereby they are able to discerne betweene good and evill And this shamefastnesse if it were well mannaged it would bring a man by the grace of God to loath sinne and to be circumspect of his wayes But wee take a course in the world to overwhelme this shamefastnesse and to make this modest shamefastnesse meere clownishnesse There is no man so farre from brave and Courtly behaviour as a blusher those that have shamefast affections those that have a divine touch and tincture of holinesse in their face there are none accounted so base as these And men now will prescribe certaine ages how long men may be ashamed and after that they thinke it is a shame to bee ashamed It is true that it is a shame for a man to do that which is shamefull but never to be ashamed for it for as long as there is shame in man there is hope of grace there is hope of conversion that he will turne it shewes that he cannot endure the burthen of that that is shamefull A man that blushes would faine be out of the roome where he is he would faine quit the company he would not heare such things as he he areth nor see such objects as he seeth for a man is loath to bee noted for one that is conscious in any kinde Therefore the grace of God seconding this naturall affection if wee bee carefull to maintaine it in our selves it would bring us to a happy condition to be one spirit with the Lord. For so we are when wee hate that which hee hates and when wee love that which he loves when we would not have that in our selves or in our friend or in our company which â—od likes not of It is a gracious complexion which is to be maintained and cherished the grace of God would bring it to this perfection if it were maintained in us But this impudent looke this base behaviour and such as the devill hath devised to take away shame from men it is this that hath brought men from all their glory and made them to fall as bruit beasts into all manner of sinne without shame or conscience I speake this to your shame And I hope there is shame and grace left in you that you will not despaire for I speake it to winne you not to destroy you Let this shamefastnesse put you in minde what you ought to have beene and make you ashamed of what you are in respect of what you should be and so let it be a meanes to reduce you As the wise man saith there is a certaine shame and confusion of face that brings a man to the grace of God Almighty namely when he is ashamed of himselfe and his courses and opens his wants and confesseth his sinnes unto God that he is not able to indure his wants There is another shame unto ruine when men do that which is evill and harden their foreheads and have sinnowie and steely necks such as are without feare or compunction As the Lord speakes of his people that they had made their faces of brasse Jsa 48.4 and their necks of steele When there is such a fearful conclusion as this it makes a man or woman the sonne or daughter of shame and confusion Therefore let us intreat the Lord God to worke these naturall affections in us and to sanctifie them to us and they will teach us many things These nâ—turall affections of feare and joy and sorrow and shame these naturall things being in us if God rule them if God sit on them and ride upon the asse they will carry him into Ierusalem by the mercy of God Let us take heed that we maintaine these things that we may have the knowledge of good and evill shining in our consciences that accordingly we may beare it in our countenance For when a sinner is ashamed he comes naked and confesseth his fault before God and his brethren and entreats the mercy of the one and the love of the other that God may take away his afflicting hand and that his shame here may keepe him from eternall shame in the world to come Which the Lord grant FINIS 1 COR. 15.35 But some man will say how are the dead raised with what kinde of bodies do they come Foole that which thou sowest is not made alive except it dye THis is the question of an idle and ignorant man to which the Apostle frames an answer Foole that which thou sowest c. Here begins that marvellous part of this Chapter Which containes a plaine declaration of the rising of the dead from naturall arguments So that all the body of nature doth preach a resurrection to us and there is no one change or vicissitude in the things of this world but it hath some steppe of this doctrine in it This is that which the Apostle declares throughout to the end of the Chapter And as Austin saith all the frame of nature doth make open proclamation of the certaintie of this doctrine Aug. if we attend to the voyce
of the Lord out of the prime materialls and beginnings It is raised never to fall downe againe It is raised not to relapse againe but to stand as a goodly monument for ever It is raised by the mighty hand of him that raiseth the poore out of the dust and mire Psal 113.7 8. and makes them equall to the Princes of his people Therefore in this word the Apostle would teach us also wherein our hope consists It is sowne that is a hopefull action but after it is sowne it must be raised againe that is a dependant action which is not in our selves but from the Lord. Therefore we must raise our hearts unto God and returne our devotion and best affections to him while we live here that he may raise these bodies of ours when they have no power to raise themselves but when they shall lie in the dust of confusion he shall raise them up that they may be living Temples for the holy Ghost for ever to inhabit It is necessary before hand to raise our spirits unto him that he may make a requitall unto us at the great day of his Visitation So much for the metaphors It is sowne in corruption Corruption is the worst change that can be It is a motion from a being to a not-being For as generation is a work of God whereby something which was not is brought to have a being so corruption is a work which God permits to be done whereby a thing is brought to fall from that being either to no-being at all to have no being in our sense or else to such a base and naughty being that a man can see no reason why it should ever have been so glorious and so goodly to come to such a foule disgracefull downfall Corruption therefore is the destruction of the thing that was made as in all things we see in the world In naturall artificiall things when a matter is corrupt once it grows fit for nothing and although there be some kind of liquors that when they are corrupted they serve for some use as wine when it is corrupt it turnes to vineger and although it be not fit to drink yet it serves to raise the appetite in sauce and so divers other things doe so corrupt that notwithstanding they serve for some use but yet the chiefest and greatest number of things when they come once to be corrupted they come as much as to say to nothing to a kind of dissolution for there is nothing that can be turned unto nothing simply but because the use and property and substance is so disgraced and a contrary thing succeeds a better it is as if the thing were not at all Now this corruption is done two waies It is effected either by separation of the matter Or by removing of the forme The matter and the form you know are the chief things of which every body consists and we see that in death these things hold exactly For the forme of man being his reasonable soule as long as that is in the body it is cōpact and free from corruption and it keeps the beauty in the forme and image of God in its proper frame and figure But when the soule is gone then corruption works and dissolves the matter to Now when the matter is dissolved or the element is dissolved and corrupted this is that corruption which the Apostle speaks of here when hee saith The body is sowne in corruption that is the principles of the body which consist of bloud and flesh and skin and bones and colour and complexion and proportion and figure and frame all these goe away presently after the soule is gone And though some hold longer then other as being of more sollid parts yet they continue not long even but a few yeares and in some grounds a few dayes destroy the whole man This corruption began when wee began God t is true made the body of man uncorrupt had he persisted in obedience but as soone as man by his prevarication by transgression of Gods command was drawne into sinne he brought upon him this worme of corruption which never ceaseth to work upon the powers and faculties of flesh and bloud and upon every part till at the last it work it to an utter nothing to a very desolation And this corruption if it could be contained it were well if it could consist within some termes For corruption is proper to the body but yet through the infection of sin the gangrene hath so poysoned and possessed the whole man that corruption by a metaphor is brought into the soule to which is the speciall part of man And when the best things are corrupted the corruption is most wofull of all Matth 6.23 If the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse saith the Lord Iesus Men in this world are corrupt in body they are corrupt in soule they are corrupt in their understandings in their speeches they are corrupt in their wayes Psal 53.1 as the Prophet saith Corrupt they are and become abominable in their doings there is none that doth good no not one They are corrupt in their consciences the consciences of wicked men are defiled with hypocrisie that they stink in the nostrils of God and men And to this corruption every man is subject more or lesse But the chiefe corruption intended here is corruptibility that is the rottennes of the parts of the body when they are once dissolved and melted and fall from one another To conclude this point because we know it by experience and we beare about us these corrupt bodies and we are troubled with the signs of corruption every day if we understand any thing Vse 1 It should teach us therefore not to triumph in any of these worldly things that puffe up the flesh and fill the mind with vaine conceits of its owne sufficiency but rather let us study mortification such as becomes the children of God let us weep for our owne corruptions for they grow so fast upon us that they make us odious even unto our owne selves when wee come to have a sense of our selves Againe it teacheth us this to take heed how we Vse 2 patch over this corruptibility as we use to do What a deale of cost what a deal of painting and art and labour and time is spent now adaies to conceal this corruption Corrupt bodies will not seem to be corrupt but they will be immortall and eternall and those offensive things that be in nature and that grossenesse and loathsomnesse that lurks in these bodies we seek by perfumes and by orient colours and singular diet to suppresse them and obscure them that they may not appeare But now the Lord hath put a worm in this flesh see it and acknowledge it and waile over it make not thy selfe better then thou art deceive not thy selfe thou art nothing but dust and ashes a corrupt creature a masse of corruption Why then art thou
the earthly Now because the Corinthians and other Readers might perhaps not understand this for it is not every mans part to understand the Scripture to the full the Apostle explaines it Brethren I tell you what I say flesh and blood corrupted by sinne cannot inherit the Kingdome of God When it is cleansed and purified it shall but in this condition of corruption it is not capable of that incorruption So that the first thing we are to note here is the diligence of the Apostle in the clearing of his doctrine in the opening of his mind This I say brethren As if he should say If you understand not what I say I will expresse my selfe in clearer and fairer termes Vse This commends unto us a memorable and gracious act of Christian charity still to open it selfe and to doe as much good by way of expression and explanation as possible may bee It is not for a man that is in St. Pauls place to speake in high termes in such phrases as passe the understanding of the people but if they chance to doe it or be carried away in some high straines of language they must descend againe as the Angels ascended and descended upon the ladder of Iacob If they doe ascend to high thoughts and discourses of Divinity they must descend againe to meaner speeches to those phrases and termes that the people may be capable of For preaching and teaching was made for a certaine commutation of mindes for the changing of mindes For by teaching the scholler is made the Master and he puts upon himselfe the nature and person of the Master As one said of another mans booke that he read hee said hee was become the man himselfe whose booke he had read Therefore as St. Austin saith all learning is nothing Aug. but a mingling and mixing of soules and spirits together It is needfull and necessary for him that teacheth to speake so as that hee may bee understood For to what end is speech if it be not perceived If I be not understood when I have said all that I can I have said nothing If I be understood when I have said little I have said sufficient because another man knowes that which I know and another is transformed into that which is inherent in me The Philosophers compare a teacher and a master to the parents of a childe and the scholler they liken to the child As the child beares the image of his father so the scholler beares the image of his Master much more It is much more lively in Art then in nature it can be expressed Therefore this holy Apostle St. Paul Gal. 4.19 hee intends to bring foorth children to Christ My little children of whom I travaile againe till Christ be formed in you He useth that plainnesse of speech and evidence of language that thereby he may flow into their hearts and senses and affections that hee may accommodate them to his intelligence and that he may doe it the better hee useth this word here Brethren This I say brethren As if he would carry them along shew them the thing with his finger in a familiar sweet speaking not as a high Commander to his Souldiers nor as a great Prince to his Subjects nor as the great God to Israell when he gave the Law that they could not indure the voice but said Let not the Lord speak any more but Moses lest we die But he speaks in the spirit of meeknesse and mildnesse Brethren fellow-souldiers fellow schollers you that are partakers of the same salvation come along and see the doctrine that I deliver to you This is that I say herein I expresse my selfe When I said the image of the earthly and the image of the heavenly my meaning is this that flesh and bloud which is corrupt cannot enter into the Kingdome of God which is uncorrupt Let us consider what hee saith when hee saith Flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Hee meanes to expound himselfe that corrupt flesh and bloud shall not enter As St. Austin saith Lib. 6. Aug de gen lit Cap. 18. de Gen. ad Literam Cap. 18. hee meanes that flesh and bloud that is thus tainted and defiled with sin shall not inherit the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of heaven And why not Because it is a place of that purity and of that perfection that it cannot indure sinne or any sinfull neighbour As soone as the devill sinned hee was throwne from heaven there was no place for him there As soone as Adam transgressed hee was throwne from Paradise which was the Type of heaven there was no more remaining for him there The blessed eyes of God are so pure that they cannot looke upon a defiled thing and because the Lord will have all the world which is tainted with sin to be cleare and pure the element of water came once through it and because that could not doe it the element of fire shall come and purge it and shall make all the goodly stately palaces all the goodly castles and the faire groves and pleasant meadowes in the world it shall make them all dust and ashes that the sinne that lodgeth in them and the corruption which they have contracted unto them by the transgression of Adam may be wrought out of them So pure is the Majesty of God that he cannot indure any evill thing to approach or come neare unto him Therefore flesh and bloud because it is full of sinne For all the acts of sinne are done in the flesh and the beginning and proceeding of the action begins in the bloud There is a tainted bloud about the heart of man wherein all these evill imaginations nestle and hide themselves there is an impure bloud that runnes through the veynes of man which fils him full of impiety So that the blessed God shall never suffer this corrupt bloud to enter into his Kingdome that can indure no corruption But he shall cleanse it and purifie it hee shall annihilate it and bring it to nothing that it may be something for ever But here may be many things excepted against us As first Objectiōs 3 If flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God then how are the Saints said to be partakers of the Kingdom how have they the first fruits of the Kingdome in this life how are they called the children of the Kingdome Those that belong to the Kingdome they are called heyres of the Kingdome and Co-heyres with Christ and if they be heyres and Co-heyres and fellow-heyres with Christ and yet be flesh and bloud how is it true then that flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Secondly it may be objected of Enoch and Elias that they never saw death and corruption not that corruption which falls upon our nature and yet it is presumed that their bodies are in heaven So that flesh and bloud enters into Gods Kingdome For Enoch and Elias were flesh and
notwithstanding they shall not die nor be put into their graves for that change shall be unto them instead of our death And doe not think your selves so much the worse that God favours you the lesse or that he favours them more because they goe not to their graves as you doe For the Lord makes you by patience subject to his holy will hee gives you that patience that for his sake you can be content to be deposed to lay downe your earthly Tabernacles And you must not vexe and grive at them for they are never the better for it For their change is to them as a death although it be not with the same obsequies and in the same outward shews yet in effect it shall be the same Therefore that wee are done to dust and that they never see dust this is no disparagement to us nor no great comfort to them for it shall be all one in effect the Lord imbalmes the memory of his Saints and he preserves their dust and tels the sands of their dust and hee keeps them in perpetuall record so that whatsoever hee poures out hereafter upon another generation it shall not be a prejudice to those that are now dead For the Lord goes down with those that sleepe to the grave hee descends with them and preserves them and keeps them he numbers their haires he numbers the members and parts of their bodies And this is that mysterie which the Apostle speaks of here Behold I shew you a mysterie It is a great mysterie that any man should live and not see death yet the Apostle tells us that there shall be millions of men that shall live and yet they shall have no death many that shall have a mortall and corrupt and sinfull life as we have and yet they shall not have any death It is a great mysterie that all the Saints should not come to life eternall by the same meanes that is by way of putrefaction and of resurrection and yet there are millions that shall not come to life that way but by another way of change and mutation Behold I tell you a mysterie we shall not all die but we shall all be changed This is the summe of the words Division into 1 The time 2 The manner and meanes Now the Apostle expresseth and explaineth himselfe farther by telling the cause and the means how this shall be done for hee saith this shall be done as concerning the time immediately in an instant in the twinckling of an eye And as concerning the manner and the meanes of it by the vertue of the last trump The trump that shall blow And so the substance of it is this The Lord shall sound forth his Trumpet which shall have a power to change the bodies that as at the first hee spake the word Let this be made Gen. 1. and it was made Let there be light and there was light so there shall be another power in the voice for the renewing and re-creating of things as there was a power in the voice then to create and make the world so there shall in the re-creating and re making of the world that shall make a change of all things And as in the beginning things that were dark before were made light Let there be light and there was light of that which was dark before and that which was confused before was made orderly and distinct which is the greatest extremities that can be light and darknesse order and confusion so likewise there shall be a mighty voice of God in that sounding silver Trumpet that shall then blow to change the bodies of men from dark to light some bodies and shall change their thoughts from confusion and disorder to bee regular and orderly The trumpet is the voice of God the operation of the Almighty which as it wrought a strange change in the Creation so it shall worke a stranger in the recreation and renovation of the world These are the parts and parcels of the Text. Now to proceed in order as it shall please God to give assistance The first thing to bee considered is that the Church of God in respect of this mystery which the Apostle speaks of hath been drawne to diverse readings and expositions of this Text. For they could not see how it should be true that the Apostle saith All shall bee changed because they thought it onely belonged to the godly But it is certaine that the ungodly shall be changed too for their bodies that are now corrupt shall be then uncorrupt But how to sustaine misery and torment that they had better not to bee than to bee in such a case All the paines of hell shall not so work upon them to dead them not to consume them but they shall bee able to consist in the middest of torment Now the least care and trouble in the world kills a mans heart and works him off but then God shall so change the bodies of the reprobates that they shall bee able to indure whatsoever torment shall bee laid upon them But because those men understood not this they thought the change was to bee taken in a good sense to belong onely to the godly Therefore they reade it two severall wayes differing from ours For our reading is this which is so in the Originall according to the Greek copy Wee shall not all die but wee shall all bee changed And so it agrees properly with that which went before For he gives an answer to a question that might be made Why doe you say that corruption shall not enter into incorruption nor flesh and blood into the kingdome of heaven shall not they bee corrupt flesh that shall live at the comming of Christ to judgement To this the Apostle saith Indeed they shall not die but instead of that death they shall have a change So that this is an inference upon the former and an answer for the removall of an objection Now as I said diverse partes of the Church reade it two other wayes The first is this Wee shall all certainely die but wee shall not all be changed For they were carefull still to appropriate and bring the change unto Gods people and inheritance as though it belonged not to the wicked Another Reading is this Wee shall all rise againe but wee shall not all bee changed so that still they make the negative upon the change because they understood not how this thing might bee conceived to belong to the good and bad which is the change of the bodies Now indeed in their severall senses they be all true For the first that saith wee shall not all sleepe It is true of the common masse of mankind but not of every particular body and of every particular age For I told you before that the Lord shall exempt a whole world from the common death which wee suffer Therefore it is not true in the particulars that we shall all sleâ—pe For there shall be many thousands of men
that shall not sleepe that is they shall not die after the common maner of death And then for the second opinion the second sense that Reades it We shall all rise againe That is false for there are none that shall rise but those that were dead and because all shall not die therefore all shall not rise as I said before in the opening of the Text. So that this is the proper and true sense of the Text and it is that also which is in all the Greek Copies The other is onely in some old Latin Copies and is diversly taken and mistaken by the Fathers This therefore is the Apostles meaning We shall not all sleepe that is wee shall not all die after this order and maner of death but wee shall all bee changed Those that bee in their graves shall be changed to incorruption to immortality and life and they that never come to the grave shall bee changed another way which shall be semblable and answerable unto the death that wee have So that all shall be changed yea not onely the godly to glory but the reprobate and wicked shall bee changed to a dureability to indure the torment which the justice of God hath allotted to them for their deserts from all eternity This Reading therefore is that that we must rest in as being the most proper resolution of the Apostles mind who giving a reason of that hee had said before that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdome of God No saith hee they shall not inherit it but by a kind of change and mutation not after the fashion as we doe God hath reserved for them another kind of translation by mutation not by buriall and putrefaction as our bodies doe Now I come to the words The first thing is this that he saith Behold I shew you a mystery Mystery is a word derived from the Hebrew Mister or Mistar and it signifieth a hidden thing or else from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some would have it of shutting or closing of the eye because that all eyes are shut up and closed to the mysteries of God and it lies not in the power of any eye to understand the secrets of the Almighty Secret things belong unto God Deut. 29 29. but revealed things belong unto us and to our children saith Moses The Gospel is full of these mysteries and there is nothing so mysticall and hard to bee understood as these things concerning the renewing and reparation of the world For the things that bee done in common experience be nothing mysticall but those that we looke to by faith those things that we apprehend by hope they are all full of mysteries But the blessed God hath revealed them to his Apostles to S. Paul and to the rest and to the Ministers of his Word By reading the Scriptures he hath revealed that which is farre remote from the sense and understanding of any mortall and carnall man The mysteries of the Kingdome must bee revealed Behold I tell you a mystery The Lord hath told it me and I must tell it to you againe it is a thing that I am acquainted with by the Spirit of God which hath revealed it to mee It was once as strange to me as it is to you but God hath delivered it to me that by my ministery it may come unto you Behold I shew you a mystery The word signifieth three things in the Scripture as Chrysostome noteth One is when by an outward visible thing some other invisible thing is signified and represented So in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper where the water in Baptisme signifieth the precious blood of Christ and the wine and bread in the Lords Supper signifieth the breaking of the body and the powring forth of the blood of that emmaculate Lamb that was offered up for us Thus the Sacraments bee called holy mysteries hidden and secret things which the world cannot understand because they deride them because they doe not affect them but they are onely knowne unto the chosen ones of God In that sense the word is not here used for the Apostle speaks not of a mystery here by any outward thing to signifie some inward matter as in the Sacrament Another way mystery is taken for a partiall or halfe esteeme or conceit of any thing we speake of So in 1 Cor. 13. the Apostle tels us 1 Cor. 13.12 We see in a dark mystery wee see in a cloude wee see in a riddle in a dreame Wee understand in part we know in part As if hee should say All that we see in the providence and guidance of God here in this world is full of mystery some part of it wee know and some part wee know not so that the partiall knowledge of man because it attaines not to fulnesse it is called seeing in a mystery seeing in a darke view But neither in that sense doth the Apostle use it here in this place The third sense is saith St. Chrysostome when a man speaks something against the common sense and reason which the wisedome of man cannot attaine unto and reach nor would never have dreamed of And this is it which the Apostle speaks of here Behold I shew you a mystery that is I shew you a matter which you would hardly have conceived with your selves or that you will scarcely believe when I tell it to you I tell you that there are many men that shall never die nor never rise againe and yet they shall have their part of glory and be accepted and come to happinesse as well as you This paradox which is contrary to common opinion contrary to common sense and which is above the common reach and apprehension of man the Apostle calls a mystery in this place And hee hath great reason to put an ecce before it behold I tell you c. Vse To teach us that where any thing is mysticall in the Gospel and in the Scripture we ought to double our files to double our attention and to raise our spirits to hearken to that which is so secret For it is all our desires and it is naturally ingraffed in us to heare of newes to heare newes of State newes of the greatest importance Wee seeke we labour we travaile and wee sharpen one another to know what reports there are in the greatest importments Much more should wee be thus affected in the matters of God and of our owne salvation Therefore the Apostle satisfieth us and saith I will tell you you seeke for it and you long to know this you make many doubts and scruples in your hearts behold I will resolve you in one word The condition of the world that shall bee when Christ shall come it shall be farre different from this It is a mystery to tell you but it is infallibly true It hath been revealed unto me by the Spirit of God and I will open it to you the people of God And the
is done as it is certaine it shall bee done for wee have Gods word and promise for it wee have the appetite of the matter which still calls and cries to God for a forme and we have the Lord ingaged by example and president and by the head and first fruits Christ Iesus the head when this is done Then shall bee fulfilled that which was spoken As if he should say I speake not these things to you of my selfe and out of my owne Apostolicall authority which I might stand upon but I speake them out of the writings of those men that were illuminated by the same Spirit from the writing of the holy Prophets Then shall be fulfilled that which was spoken or written That word that word of grace that word of promise that word which is able to make the dead revive and the word is this that Death is swallowed up into victory Where observe First who wrote this And then the substance of the words Concerning the first the Apostle defends his authority from ancient times to teach us what we are to doe in like cases But this is a common obvious point I will not insist upon it Concerning the Author Isay and Hosea are alledged for it some holding with the one some with the other Certainely it is in Isay in the true intimation according to the word Isay 25.8 Isay 25.8 where God promiseth the people a deliverance out of the Captivity of Babylon He saith God shall destroy death for ever he hath swallowed up death for ever or to victory for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 netsahh may signifie both entrance into length of time or else victory Because victory properly respects the time and that is true victory which is not to be dashed nor daunted with any time that is the most perfect victory that is not daunted in any time So in this respect the word time and victory is taken in the holy Tongue for the same and that which the Septuagint here translates the one the Apostle in the Text translates the other Although indeed the Apostle follow the Septuagint yet they have another translation besides which is God shall swallow up death for ever So the Prophet Isays words I take to be the best and the fittest Hos 13.14 The other in Hosea is in Hos 13.14 where the verse following after my Text is repeated expresly but the words of this verse of my Text is not there to bee found Therefore this I take to be the word of Isay Observe now what the word is that hee useth for it it is full of life it brings men from temporall things to the expectation of things eternall The Lord speakes to them of a great feast that they should make after their comming up out of the Land the Apostle takes it to set forth the eternall feast For it is to no purpose to have these temporall things and to bee swallowed up of death and hell The Apostle teacheth us therefore what construction wee should make of the blessings of God in this life to extend them in a high sense They are never sweet till then The bread that wee eat should make us mindefull of the bread of heaven that is of the glorious presence of God which shall for ever delight us And the honours and preferments that wee have here except they signifie to us those glorious and stately seates of glory hereafter they are rather plagues and punishments then blessings By death there in the Prophet is meant the generall Captivity but the Apostle takes it for the death of the body To victory is the terme and manner whereto it shall bee swallowed But I should be too troublesome to enter upon them now FINIS SERMONS On 1 COR. 15. Of the Resurrection 1 COR. 15.54 Then shall bee fulfilled that word which is written Death is swallowed up into victory Oh death where is thy sting oh hell where is thy victory WHat is so weak and againe what is so strong as a Christian man saith St. Ambrose Ambros Hee is exceedingly weake because hee is subject to any temptation and incomparably strong because hee can triumph over death it selfe which is the triumpher over all mankind For what can he feare that is fearelesse of death and what is able to insult over him that can insult over that which is the last of all terribles which is the dissolution of nature Thus the Lord hath tempered in the same vessell great infirmity and great valour that hee might shew his owne strength for in mans weaknesse is Gods strength consummate The Apostle therefore to prove those wonderfull things which hee had said before that this corruptible must put on the garment of incorruption this mortall must put on the weed of immortality he doth now as it were bring into the minds of the Corinthians the present spectacle hee lifts up their hearts to view it as a thing acted and done before their eyes As he saith to the Galathians Gal. 3.1 that Iesus Christ was crucified before their eyes whom they never saw crucified but hee was so lively described unto them by his Gospel that he saith they saw it acted and saw him really crucified and all the passages of his death and passion So now he would bring the hearts and minds of the Corinthians to such a kind of contemplation as to see the Lord God raising up the dead and to see the dead putting on their new garments their new coat of immortality and incorruption He represents all to the eye and when hee hath so done hee brings in a kinde of insultation a verse that they were wont to sing in victories and triumphs 1. Sam. 18.7 As in the triumph of David over Goliah the women sang Saul hath slaine his thousand but David his ten thousand so the Saints of God as St. Chrysostome saith Chrysost Dost thou see saith he what a generous spirit is in the holy Apostle how hee paints before the eyes of the people this most noble and divine indowment this garment of incorruption and immortality and behold how he himselfe is rapt And in that most heavenly and strange rapture as a man inspired from heaven he insults over death lying under his feet and treads upon the head of him that treads downe all things else and cries over him Oh death where is thy sting oh hell where is thy victory This is the song of the Church and that song which the Saints of God desire with full contentment to sing and it is given to all them that are true hearted to the Lord to sing this song with a full resolution But when the time is come that it should be sung the weaknesse of our nature perhaps will not suffice to it For it is one thing for a man to bee valiant when he is in health and it is another thing when the fit and when the storme takes him then to appeare that which hee professed himselfe to be before
to thousands and millions in the world that beleeve in him that although there be sinne now in our mortall bodies yet it doth not raigne it commands us not to every thing it finds us not as the Centurions servants to goe when it saith goe but it is in many things broken and dissipated and the Lord hath beat sathan under our feet that is the usuall work of sathan sinne and foule impressions in your soules and understandings Thus the Lord hath given us victory over sinne in himselfe fully in us it is begun but for that wee shall have occasion afterwards to discourse The Lord himselfe being free from all sinne hee was therefore a Conquerour over that pestilent viper that poyson of our nature and he gave his people the infusion of his Spirit to guide them by the which Originall sinne is weakned the sire is abated and allayed the edge of sin is lessened The last is over the Law That still is the greatest enemy that still layes before us the judgments of God Doe this and live Doe that and be damned Follow this course and thou shalt be damned for ever If thou be a drunkard if thou be lustfull if thou be covetous and worldly if thou be revengefull and malicious the sentence of damnation is passed upon thee that is all the comfort wee have by the Law but Christ hath given us victory over this enemy which followes us at the heeles when wee doe amisse and still puts us into qualmes of conscience for our misdeeds and curbes and bridles us by the checks of conscience that if a man could but see the end of these foule actions as hee seeth the beginning he would never doe them because there is no equality between the short time of sinning and the eternity of punishment But against all this Christ hath given us victory for he hath fulfilled the law of God he hath stopped the crimination he he hath stayed all those slanders and all those accusations that the devill would make by the law or that those that have been curious observers of the law would make and those accusations that an evill conscience would make by the power of the Law of God which hath enlightened it He hath silenced all these in this life but the consummation of this we must understand is to come when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality They are now gone before in the head they shall then follow in the body Saith St. Austin Aug. Whatsoever Christ hath done in his owne body it shall follow in our mortall bodies When hee shall change them 1 Cor. 15. and make them like unto his owne glorious body according to his mighty power whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe This is that goodly victory in the which the Lord hath interested us all To conclude and refer the rest till the next time I beseech you beloved in the Lord let us consider what part we have in this victory wee ought not to insult and triumph in a vaine presumption in blessings that pertaine not to us but if we think we have the victory let us labour to finde it and so enter into judgement with our owne soules who it is that overcommeth Apoc. 3. To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the tree of life in the middest of the paradice of God to him that overcommeth will I give a white stone c. And what must he overcome He must overcome himself and all his passions he must overcome the feare of death the power of sinne and the terrours of the Law A fearfull encounter and a great troop of enemies is laid open the Lord strengthen poore David that he may be able to encounter with this mighty Goliah for it seemes that hell it selfe is open upon him when therefore we doe give our selves that liberty as to doe what our selves list against the good will and command of God let us not thinke to have any part in this victory we are rather as so many conquered slaves and vassals that lie at the command of death that whereas wee should tread Satan under our feet Satan tramples us under his and makes us the most base and vile creatures in the world Thou that hast enough in this world and yet canst not tell when thou hast enough but still art distracted with envious desires and makest thy self great by other mens falls that raisest thy owne fortunes by other mens ruines that usest any meanes good or bad by hooke or by crooke to advance thine owne estate to make thy selfe rich and settest thy selfe onely to the study of the Idoll Mammon what kinde of victory or what hope of conquest canst thou have in that great and mighty victory which wee pretend the Lord Iesus hath given us surely none There is no such gally-slave in the world as a man that is given and addicted to his wealth and riches in this present life for it pierceth men through with many sorrowes as the Apostle saith They that will be rich 1 Tim. 6. pierce themselves thorow with many sorrowes Behold the sting of death is the sting that pierceth them the sting of death is sinne and this sting it pierceth through the heart and stabbs the soule of every covetous man in the world that they cannot claime any part of that victory which God communicates to his children but they are foyled base creatures that are made for slaughter and destruction And so againe for them that live in their pleasures in their voluptuous and filthy courses that will grow old in adultery that will make no end of their filthinesse and uncleannesse but with greedinesse seeke when one prey is enjoyed how to obtaine another these that make their vessells that should be Temples of God the brothell-houses of the Devill that are no sooner tempted but they yeeld these comming Creatures how or with what face with what confidence can they lay claime to the victory that we have in God through Iesus Christ our Lord being nothing else but bruits and are given over yeelding themselves they have taken the marke of the beast and follow Satans direction and command as if Christ had no power to be their Chieftaine but the Prince of darknesse must rule The like may bee said of all these malicious prowling spirits that be in the world that take delight to sting their brethren to doe mischiefe without cause to sow the seeds of dissention that will wrangle out their lives to trouble others to bring upon them endlesse suits and questions that shall never be decided to vexe the world with begging or buying of new found offfices to make their hands full out of every thing sacred and prophane to play the very roaring Lions in their dennes that no man can tell how hee should live or keepe himselfe quiet with them That these Creatures I say should come and claime any part in this
and he had power being Lord of the Sabbath to make a new day to make a new consecration which the Church of God hath alway followed Saint Ambrose Ambrose 2. Cor. 16.2 upon this place saith he this one of the Sabbaths or the first of the Sabbath is the Lords day as it is written every where in the Gospell that Christ rose on the first day of the weeke Leo on the Collects Leo on the Collects speaking to the Saints to give bountifully now is the time saith he now is the Lords day now shew your thankfulnesse and your love to God in Christ by your bountie to those that are the members of Christ Greg. Epist 3. Saint Gregory in his third Epistle If any man saith he say that the Iews sabbath should be reduced and brought backe let them reduce all the ceremonies with it and if the one be abhominable the other is abhominable also therefore take heed you be not seduced despise the words of fooles weigh every thing in the ballance of reason and that revelation that you have received the sabbath is made the day of the Lord that looke what errours we commit the week before we should make amends by expiation and confession and sorrow and contrition upon the Lords day Damâ—scene Damascene We celebrate the Lords day as the perfect rest of humane nature for the Iews sabbath was a carnall rest a temporall and figurative rest of that which was to come but this is the perfect rest of nature to have an assured promise of our resurrection which we could not have but by the memoriall of a resurrection and that could not be done but in the resurrection of Christ therefore we celebrate this day in memory of Christs resurrection and in token of the assurance of our resurrection Beza and Musculus Beza and Muscuâ—us and other late writers unlesse one or two which I spake of before which indeed are singular men in their place and degree I say these men dissent from them and they say and acknowledge that these two places of Scripture make it apparant the authoritie of the change of the Sabbath I have beene too long on this subject Now I come to that which is more plaine and easie After he had told them on what time this should be done and we see the time was upon the Lords day and we see the reasons why it was changed from the seventh day from the creation to the eighth day Now let us go to the next that follows in the order of the words By what reasons The motives to charitie by what arguments would the Apostle perswade them to this act What arguments doth he use It is a hard matter to bring a churles money out of his purse and even those that bee generous and excellent well minded yet they cannot endure to heare much of almes for charitie is soone wearie and being once wearie there must needs come infinite danger to the soule For the heart grows hard if charity bee weary And therefore to the intent it may hold out good arguments and reasons must be devised to feed and incourage it for charitie of it selfe will lagge and faile except it be well supported Therefore the Apostle gives such motives as that nothing could be found more opportune and fit to keepe men in practise then this And first from the example of other Churches As I have appointed in the Churches of Galatia so do ye that which other Churches do surely that you will do especially that which poorer Churches have done that are not able to come neere you in state and meanes you will be ashamed to come behinde them but the Churches of Galatia which are more ancient then you and withall poorer then you they have done this Therefore I pray do you so too that is one great incentive wherein we are to consider what the Church of Galatia was and also what his authoritie was among them I have appointed I have commanded saith he saith S. Chrysostome he did not counsell them he did not exhort them by faire words to do it but he appointed them by his power Apostolicall by his Apostolicall authoritie whereby it appeares that the Church hath power to dispose of mens goods in the generall though not in the speciall quantitie that is one motive to draw them on Another is taken from the faire carriage that should be in the businesse a man will more easily be intreated to do something if he be perswaded that there shall be no false play in it but that every thing shall be done according to the Donors intention and that the parties appointed shall be sure to receive that which they have given without any fraud or deceit for that the Apostle gives them satisfaction and tels them that when hee comes the money shall be sent and transmitted to Ierusalem to the poore Saints of Ierusalem for whom he begged as we heard before it should be sent to them and it should be sent by those that they should chuse themselves and if need were he himselfe also would go with them So that here is a full certaintie made that it should not be balked that it should not be interverted nor kept in private mens hands or be turned to the private good of a few but it should redound to the benefit of those for whom it was intended and for that purpose hee tels them there should be certaine men chosen and chosen of the Corinthians themselves men that should be approved by their letters and Epistles and if there were further necessitie he himselfe would go to be a witnesse and testifie of this their great grace which God had done by them This is the second motive whereby he incites them The third is the glorious title he gives them for charitie although it be not proud yet notwithstanding it looks that there should be some thankfull remembrance of it it desires no glorious titles nor no blazing yet the Lord God in mercie hath appointed that if the poore woman shall poure upon the body of Christ such a box of oyntment the Lord saith Verily I say unto you wheresoever the Gospell shall be preached a memoriall shall be made of her of this that she hath done her box shall go with her for a memoriall of her The Lord will not have the good deeds of his Saints to be buried in oblivion but hee will have them famous he will have them carried through the world therefore the Apostle gives it a glorious name a glorious title and saith your grace They shall carry your benefit or your grace your benefit as the word signifieth at large But the Apostle speakes here in another minde as of a thing that comes from the grace of God that ruled and reigned in them and moved them to this gracious worke And then the last is from the inconvenience that would come otherwise hee desires that it might be done with all speed for hee
of custome and dutie these men shame themselves infinitely and disturbe the order of nature and perhaps lay up a curse for their owne soules The last thing that I observe hence is this how will he make the Church of Galatia to provoke them how will hee bring the Corinthians to this how shall it be brought about The Corinthians might have objected and said What do you tell us of the Church of Galatia Have not we poore enow of our owne as we use to say now adayes we will give nothing abroad because wee have poore at home It is true a poore mans neighbour that is neere unto him ought in the first and principall place to be regarded no question of it yet there ought something to be done to the poore at large Now lest the Corinthians should say they would be at their choice and they would either do or they would not do and the Church of Galatia was of no power to prescribe them or their example was of no force to move them by way of necessitie The Apostle therefore tels them I did appoint So by this he shews that he came with full authoritie as speaking more authentically and more powerfully not by perswasion and counsell but by his Apostolicall authoritie which he had received by Christs command As I have appointed The Church hath power to dispose of mens goods We learne by this that the Church hath power to dispose of mens goods and yet this must be done in a gentle manner with a reservation of their owne will for the quantitie for in the quantitie it cannot say saith Saint Chrysostome thus much or thus much but must leave it to a mans owne conscience according as God hath inriched him but as I said before whensoever God hath given a prosperous voyage according as a man hath had a good journey in his trade so he must prosper Gods Saints according as God hath prospered him But for the maine point that he must give something it lyes in the Churches power to command that almes-deeds and works of charitie should be done that is as much in the Churches power as that we should keepe a Sabbath day that men should meet together and heare the word and administer Baptisme and the Lords Supper in the Church wee know these things the Church hath power to ordaine and constitute and as much power hath the Church to ordaine the collection for the poore for all come from one authoritie Therefore the Apostle saith here As I have appointed So then the Corinthians were bound not onely by the example of the Church of Galatia but by that Apostolicall power by that authoritie which the Apostles had received from Christ Feed my sheepe feed them with your prayers feed them with your preaching feed them with your exhortations feed them in giving them bread for the body feed them by your example feed them every way that may be helpfull and commodious to them Howbeit out of this we must not gather that the Church hath that fulnesse of power to impose what they list and to oppresse by way of exaction to thrust in upon the members of Christ what it pleaseth them No the Apostle gives no way here for annates he gives no way for Peter-pence nor for such kinde of collections for those were exactions and extortions against the good wils of the parties to the impoverishing of them that gave it and to the exceeding enriching of those that received it Therefore in such a case we must take notice how farre the Churches authoritie doth extend that is when it is to do good to them of Ierusalem for the Saints of Ierusalem for the good of them that want of them that are disabled by age or by nature or by misfortune to do good to them this is the will of God and this the Church hath power to raise out of a mans substance and there is nothing that is a mans owne there is nothing that he can say hee takes comfort in unlesse the poore man take part of it there is no pound that thou hast except the poore man have a quantitie out of it if it be but a farthing in a pound except he have something from it there can be no rest nor quiet to thee of it the Lord hath appointed unto men that as he hath blessed them so they should returne some tribute some acknowledgement to his poore members on earth As I have appointed in the Churches of Galatia This is the first motive I lay no new thing upon your shoulders no new burthen upon you but that which other Churches beare as well as you nay that which poorer Churches as that of Galatia which is not comparable to you beares the same burthen therefore I pray do you beare it It is the common taxation of the Church of God the collection for the poore the taxing for the poore it hath beene still a follower and a concomitant of the Gospell to have mind of the poore Saints it was the charge given to Paul and Barnabas Gal. 2. as a chiefe part of their office to be mindfull of the poore 2. Motive The safe carriage of it The second motive is taken from the faire carriage that shall bee in this matter for the Corinthians might feare when they had made this collection and should send it that it would miscarry for Ierusalem was almost a thousand miles off from Corinth take the neerest way that might be and there might many casualties fall out before it came there it might be taken by tyrants or they might be false among themselves so that they knew not whether ever it should come to the hands of them that should have it tendred them Therefore for that he saith he will see to it they shall be sure it shall be carried safe and sent to Ierusalem It is a great comfort and a great argument to stirre up mens hearts to do good when they know there shall be no fraud nor deceit in the conveyance of it it was that onely incentive that moved our forefathers to be so bountifull to the Church of God as they were that they went from the giving of almes-deeds to the building of Cels and Colledges and Monasteries and great Churches and goodly Pallaces a strange and wondrous height there was of pietie and devotion Indeed there was much superstition mingled with it there was much vanitie mixed with it but yet we may well thinke that if those men had ever thought of such sharkers as came after them to pull downe all and to make every thing equall with the ground they would have saved a labour and would never have beene so bountifull to the Church If they had thought that such a sort of intruders and ravenners would have taken the goods and the stocke of the Church and the stocke of the poore and have made such havocke of them not caring for the honour and respect of the Church But here for this the Apostle
him that deserves it for it is neither in Paul that preacheth nor in Apollo that watereth nor in any second cause to open the doore of mens hearts being barred up by the malice of the devill and become infatuate and insensible that a man may beat aswell upon a flint stone as upon the doore of a mans heart till it please God to open it Therefore it must teach us to returne all praise to God Almighty and not to second causes And withall it teacheth us to desire of God which hath the key of David that openeth when no man shuts that it would please him to assist the passage of the gospell with the gracious assistance of his helping hand for indeed the Word is preached in many places where there is no doore open and yet it seemes that all the whole house is open When a man comes to preach the Church is open and the men present and yet there is a certaine occlusion a shutting up in the inward man in the heart that the Lord finds no entertainment there It must be begged at the hand of God therefore that as hee hath given his Word so to open the hearts of men to receive it that the doore of the heart may be open that Christ may be admitted This is that wee reade of in Acts 16. Acts 16. When the Apostles preached God opened the heart of Lidia As if he should say it was never opened till that time and then when the Lord opened her heart shee opened her hand in all liberality to the Apostles If you think me Gods child if you think mee to be Gods owne I beseech you come unto mee doe me that honour as to receive some benefit and favour for your maintenance from me And this is that which Moses saith to the people of Israel You had never your eyes open till this day nor you never had your eares open nor your hearts untill this day meaning that they were still in the middest of Gods miracles as men amazed or astonished and were not sensible they understood not what God did for them It is God that must open it is God that bores the eare as the Psalmist saith Psal 40. Psal 40. Bore my eares oh Lord saith the Prophet It is God that toucheth the heart It is God that moveth the tongue it is he that ordereth the invention it is he that must grace the elocution it is hee that works all in all Opening it comes not of man it is not of the wit of man or of the labour and toile of man but it is God that gives the increase A doore is opened A great doore Now for the quality and condition of this doore hee saith briefly that it is a great one and effectuall A great and mighty entrance makes roome for a great company It is no wicket it is no small posterne it is no little enterie it is no rist or crevice but it is a doore and that a great open doore that is the Lord hath given me such an opportunity meaning at Ierusalem as after I shall prove such a mighty doore is opened to mee at Ierusalem by reason of the concourse and assembly of the people there as that it seemes the Gospell shall be received in at broad gates all the gates and windowes shall be laid open to receive the Lord of life for where the great company of men are and where the great concourse of the world is to be seene there is also the best working for the Gospell of Christ it loves no paucities it loves not handfulls of men there is nothing more base to the Gospell than contemptible companies of people a great doore a great assembly gives incouragement to the speaker when there is a mighty number when there is a great multitude as three thousand men at Peters Sermon converted there is then a mighty doore opened when Christ shall have seaven thousand men follow him up and downe the wildernesse this is a mighty doore as for handfulls of men although God despise them not but where two or three be met together he will be present yet where there should be a doore open and there is but a wicket it is a matter of scorne and disgrace Kings doe not use to come in at wickets but at great gates and the King of Kings bids us not open a wicket but Lift up your heads ye gates Psal 24. and be ye lift up ye everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in even the Lord of Hoasts mighty and strong in battaile he is the King of glory Therefore it concernes us as much as wee may that we labour to make the company of Christ fair and full that wee make the doore large and spacious and wide that there may be roome enough for the Lord to come in Esay 40. Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight not strait or narrow but straight that is faire and even and there is nothing more disgracefull to the Church of God then when wee shall have the pues as many as the men and women and the walls for their auditors and chiefly that base and most wicked and ungodly fashion that is growne in Gentlemens houses they must have Sermons in their chambers at their fire sides at their boords end where a man must looke upon his auditors and can scarcely call them in the plurall number this is base and unacceptable to the Lord and these men seldome offer to open to the Lord these are they that make the course of the Gospell that it can have no prosperity that there can be no blessing upon it but rather it is turned to a shame and a curse and a meere frustration and yet the fashion is now to bring all our Churches into houses and the Patron must command the word and have it attend upon him like a dog at the table A great doore is opened But it is no matter how great it be if it be not effectuall An effectuall doore therefore saith he it was so too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Beza thinks it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so hee saith the meaning is that the gate was set up to the full it was wide open it stood not askance but the word it selfe and the copies hold it as I have read it an effectuall doore Quest Why how could it be great except it were effectuall Answ Yes there may be a great passage to little purpose for the gate where there is a high way lies or a thorow-fare it may be great but men runne along they passe through and make no residence they make no stay and so it is no effectuall way so when mens eares and hearts are open to receive Christ if they have no delight to keepe Christ when he is there but let him goe out again as in a thorow-fare here is no efficacy here is no power here is no foyson here is no profit comes of
whose Name he makes profession Adversarii multi the adversaries bee many adversaries without any cause adversaries to them that bee their friends this is the case of the Gospel as our Lord Christ saith I am come to save you I come to heale you I come to redeeme you from all misery and you seeke to kill me a man that hath done good to you And St. Paul saith Am I therefore your enemy because I tell you the truth Such grosse and senslesse adversaries the Gospel must looke for absurd men 2. Thess 2. 2 Thess 2. I beseech you brethren pray to God for us that wee may bee delivered from absurd men senslesse men that will not know their owne good men that know not who comes to doe them service strange adversaries that will fight against their benefactors such are the adversaries of the Gospel I paid that which I never tooke they rewarded me evill for good saith David to the great discomfort of my heart but the servant is not above his Master if our Lord have beene served thus we must not thinke much to taste of the same cup of which he hath drunke before us Againe this must teach all men that travaile in the cause of Christ to have the world in no estimation but to account it as an inraged beast that speaks and doth and kicks as a child that hath no wit nor sense that scratcheth the Nurses duggs from which it receives milkc Wee must thinke to be in the middest of Lions as our Lord Iesus saith in the middest of Wolves Behold I send you forth as Lambs in the middest of Wolves be yee therefore wise as Serpents and simple as Doves And here there are two sorts of men greatly to be blamed First those of former times that could not indure opposition but when the adversaries began to rise they would fall into the Wildernesse and live like Hermits men of great gifts and of excellent perfections yet they could not indure opposition being tender hearted and of weake spirits they could not beare the malice of the multitude but would keepe themselves away and would leave the places wherein they might have done great good they left them to be invaded by Foxes and Wolves to destroy the vineyard of the Lord. This I say was culpable in them because they came short of the spirit of St. Paul that was not daunted with the multitude of adversaries but he would goe so much the rather by how much the adversaries were greater and more in number for there bee many things in the world in the aboundant company of the adversaries which are so far from affrighting as that they give greater incouragement As the Poet saith the Shepheard speaking there of the cold Winter and of the North-wind hee saith that hee feared them as little as the Wolfe feares a number of sheepe or as the Land-flood doth feare the banks in a river So it was in the high and gracious spirit of the Apostle and those that were like unto him for St. Paul was called comparatively the Wolfe of Benjamin and in a good sense because the sacrifices were offered in the Tribe of Benjamin the Temple being in the Tribe of Benjamin it was called a ravening Wolfe because it devoured the bodies of the beasts that were offered in sacrifice So St. Paul that was of the Tribe of Benjamin was compared to a Wolfe as Gregory Gregory Augustine and Austin give the reason because he did eate up the sacrifices of the Heathen people as St. Peter in the vision was bid to Arise kill and eate this was the power that the Apostle had in the Church to devoure the wickednesse of the people and to change and digest it into their owne stomacks Now as the Wolfe cares not how many sheepe there be in a fold for when hee comes to steale if the shepherd and his dog be away hee takes more comfort in a great many then to see a handfull of sheepe he knowes that if their were ten times so many they could doe him no harme being fearefull creatures therefore he rejoyceth So the children of God are compared to Wolves to Lions to creatures that are victorious and conquering they are so farre from a sheepish and fearefull and base and cowardly disposition for the faculties and abilities of their adversaries that they take the more delight to see the adversaries many And as the great floods when the snow is melted upon the mountaines or when there hath beene a great Land-flood when it fâ—lls from the hills it scornes to be compassed in within banks but it overflowes and over-runnes all and makes new conduits new sourses and new channels where there was never any before So the mighty streame of the Gospel by the Apostles it could not bee contained within the banks and common limits that the Philosophers and naturall men could afford but it over-ranne all with a mighty current and flood upon the world with the sacred influence of it the hearts and mindes of them were watered that were never possessed of it before That kind of Monasticall Heremiticall life it is nothing agreeable to the profession of St. Paul in this place that for feare of danger will convey themselves into woods into caves and cells and alienate themselves from their worke and labour because they are afraid of opposition the spirit of St. Paul riseth the greater As the Palme-tree the more weight is laid upon it so much the more it strives and heaves against it so the Spirit of God in this Apostle and in all true Christians it is never so frolick nor they are never so high-spirited as when they see the malice of their adversaries most pregnant and most furious against them Secondly it blames those men much more 2 Sort blamed that in the time of prosperity when there are many adversaries yet they will not shew themselves but lie on their pillowes of pleasure and seeke to bee quiet they will have no man speake against them they will incurre no mans hatred or ill-will but they will hold the truth of God to themselves in the bosome of their owne conscience and never open it or stand for it These men are farre worse then the former for indeed the former had some good pretence because there was way-laying lying in wait for their lives and conspiracy against them to take them away from the earth therefore they thought it fittest to yeeld to the time and to reserve themselves unto a better occasion But when men shall live in their prosperity and have peace round about them and shall see the adversaries come and creep in craftily and sow false doctrine hereticall doctrine and things that savour of the old dregs and reliques of Antichristianisme and they themselves have excellent gifts and meanes to refute and confound these things and yet because they will not abridge themselves of their pleasure they will set some young novice in the place that is able to
never looks after the performance of it A man goeth by an Hospitall and saith he will give them somewhat when he comes backe againe and when he comes backe he thinkes not of it Imagine what you will although you forget it yet it stands on account in Gods booke hee will call you to a reckoning for it and if you sneake away and will not pay the shot the Lord will take it upon your bodies and soules in hell For you must not thinke to passe a vow to the Lord in a good mood for a good purpose but the Lord will take it and exact it at your hands Therefore let every man lay downe for himselfe God intrusts every mans selfe he trusts every mans honesty This should be a great comfort and a meanes to provoke us to be true to God Let every man lay by him in store For if every man should have brought it presently to the poore mans box it might have beene thought to have beene done out of a present passion and that he would have taken it out againe afterward after it was cast in if he might have had leave But for a man to be constant in it to let it stand by him a moneth or two moneths or a quarter of a yeare that hee saith and resolveth this they shall have whatsoever become of me I will not abate a penie of the stocke of God of the stocke of charitie when he saith Let every man lay up by him in store his meaning is that God will call every man to account if hee bee inconstant and forgetfull of his vow and promise the Lord will not let such a one escape As whatsoever God hath prospered him with 3 The measure First what is this that he must put apart whatsoever God hath prospered him with so we may turne it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod ei bene successerit s placuerit but the word is a rare word and therefore it is diversly expressed by Interpreters some say that which is fit some say that which hee thinkes good and these are true for there is no man herein compelled to do any thing but what he doth out of his owne heart of his owne free-will The Lord loves a free-giver a chearfull giver and hee will have no constraint Yet Expositors come not neere the glory of the word for it is a metaphor taken from Merchant-venturers that cast their goods into a bottome it may be halfe their estate sometimes it may be sometimes all and if God give them a good voyage they are made if not then they are downe the winde undone So it signifies a good journey or a good voyage you have the word twice over in the Scripture both before and after this In Rom. 1.10 saith the Apostle I pray to God continually if God would give me a good journey to come to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word is used here hodos a journey heodos a good journey As the Lord is pleased to blesse a man in his trade and course of life so the word is used in 3. Ioh. 2. Beloved brother I desire of God that thou mayest have a good journey that thou maiest prosper and be well and in good health as thy soule prospereth that thou shouldest have a good journey in all things So by these two places you understand what is the meaning of the word that whereas all the provision of the life present here is made upon casualties there is no man can tell when he sets up how the Lord will blesse him before the yeares end some runne bankrupt some againe get by the mercie of God the Lord sets up one and brings downe another Men in their trading here be as Merchant adventurers upon the Sea there is as great adventure on the Land as on the Sea and there is not greater danger there then here so when it pleaseth God that the ship comes well from the sea that it brooks all that it escapes all rocks and pyrats and comes home full fraught then all the neighbours rejoyce about it and shew their joy by shooting off peeces of ordnance for the great benefit they have received and give thanks to God by this merriment So when a Merchant man upon the Land drives out his Trade by his frugalitie and good husbandrie and by his just dealing keepes a good conscience to all men and the Lord raiseth him out of his 100. l. unto an hundred and twenty or more the Lord requires some custome to be payed some impost money there is some scot and allowance to be made Therefore I say we must pay this tribute it belongs it is due unto God For this good journey for this prosperous and good voyage he hath given thee out of this thou must lay up somewhat for the poore Saints Thou must reserve that which is fit for thy person what is fit for thy children and family God gives thee leave to doe this but thou must leave a remnant still for the poore according to the good iourney that the Lord hath given thee The Lord it may be hath multiplied thy hundreds to thousands thou must therefore remember the Lord thy God that hath given thee this great increase and abundance above all that thou couldest hope or conceit in former times for what was every yong beginner that now is growne rich let him say himselfe thou wouldest have beene glad of the tenth part of that that God hath enriched thee with and now the Lord hath multiplied and encreased thee oh let thy hand againe be inlarged toward God and abundant to him that hath so abounded in grace and mercy to thee and as the Lord hath given a man a good iourney a good way and passage a good trade and prospers him that he thrives in his calling so let him againe doe the workes of mercy for the God of mercy But these things that remaine are so full of matter and variety and I have beene so troublesome to your patience already that I must reserve the rest that remaines untill the next time The second Sermon 1 COR. 16.1.2.3 Now concerning the collection for the Saints according as I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia even so doe you In the first day of the Sabbath or of the weeke Let every one of you lay up by himselfe a treasure of whatsoever God hath prospered him c. THere is no point in all divinity that needs more cleare propoundiâ—g and more earnest prosecuting then this of Almes-deeds and brotherly benevolence For men are wondrously and by a strange motion of the spirit of God brought unto it against the current of nature every man thinking that that which is given is lost that it is cast away and there is scarse any man perswaded that he that gives to the poore lends to the Lord although it be a common speech in every mans mouth Therefore the Apostle being appointed by the Church of God to have a speciall