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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40055	Foure pious, godly, and learned treatises the first, leads us to the gate of true happinesse : the second, is for instruction, letting us to know what Christ suffer'd for us, that we might enjoy him : the third, is helps and cautions, that we may the better avoid sin : the fourth, brings us to be seekers and suers to God for those things that be above, Collo. 3 / by a late faithfull and godly minister of Jesus Christ ; now since his death recommended to all the people of God, by Mr. John Goodwin.	Late faithfull and godly minister of Jesus Christ.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1652 (1652)	Wing F1665A; ESTC R40246	109,790	246

Wildernesse or Heath emptie of all good If our soules bee over runne with lusts like a neglected Field with brambles and bryers for want of husbanding Simile Our hearts are as the Cords of a Watch if they bee not wound up morning and evening all spirituall motion will quickly be at a stand Another meanes is one of Luthers Schoolemasters Meditation by which hee confessed he thrived more then by the rest to which hee attributed a great part of his being in grace Gen. 24. The practice of Religious Isaack Gen. 24. who went into the field at eventide to meditate And it is fitly joyned by the ancients to prayer as the two wings of the Christians soule by which it soares to contemplation and attaines those things above It is the policie of our common ene-enemy as Chrisologus stiles him Chrisologus the sworne enemy of mankinde who knowing how powerfull a meanes meditation is to 〈◊〉 our selves from worldly things and betake our selves to divine contemplation to get the things above hee labours to keepe us from it by all his strength and by div●●s meanes Sometimes by causing us to stoupe to his lure by committing any sinne Simile and who knowes not that every sinne as a ●●umme● of Lead clogges the soule and hinders the actions of it But especially hee keepes us from meditation by keeping us in the throng by perpetuall puzelling us in businesse hee steales us from our selves and gives us not time to retire Alas aske most men what houres they set apart for prayer and meditation They will answer I have so much businesse I cannot turne my selfe to it Oh the policie and stratagems of Sathan I say hee keepes us by this from the exercise of devotion by which wee should attaine the things above hee keepes us in the throng of businesse did I say businesse Nay how many are kept away from this divine exercise by spending their time foolishly in Courtship and I would not worse Whence it comes to passe that I looke I professe with pitty upon many great ones whose lives are a story of sinne whose sinnes it comes to passe are never cured because they are alway in motion You that are Gentlemen sequester some time if not every day yet at least every weeke bid all other businesse stand by and attend on your closet to thinke of the things above how to attaine what you want and how to increase what you have attained You that are tradesmen take off your selves from other affaires retire home and examine your spirituall estate with God And wee that are Schollers should vindicate some time from the study of Bookes to reade our selves All of us should set aside some time for the thinking of the things above to examine what spirituall graces wee neede that wee may use the meanes to attaine them and what sinnes wee have committed that wee may repent of them for feare the sad time of death come and cut our thread and then wee goe downe to the Chambers of death Let us examine to what sinnes wee lye open that wee may fortifie our selves against them that the evill one have no power over us All these things are conteyned in the things above and all these wee must seeke here if wee desire to attaine the blessing of them hereafter Let this suffice to bee spoken of the first inquirie concerning the meanes whereby to seeke these things above There remaines onely two more The characters by which wee may know if we seeke these things And the motives You see how wee ought to seeke the things bove But alas The signes of seeking the over eager pursuite of the things below wee see how coldly and faintly if at all wee seeke the things above which if wee did seeke as wee ought Neglect of earthly things it could not choose but abate the edge of our desires to these earthly things and cause us as strangers and pilgrims to use the world as not enjoying it as Saint Austin sayd long before to make it our servant to bee content like that noble Bird that desiring to flye aloft when shee is compelled by hunger to descend shee unwillingly obeyes and presently dispatcheth that shee may up againe which contempt and neglect of the things below it is a signe wee seeke the things of heaven and though our bodies be on earth that wee hold our conversation in heaven where wee looke and fix our eyes through all earthly contentments Wee should be on earth as a wheele is that though it moove upon the earth yet the least part toucheth it Simile That is the first if wee will seeke the things above wee must not too eagerly seeke the things below Sorrow in want of heavenly things Secondly if wee seeke the things above can wee choose but bee affected with sorrow and compunction when wee want them It is not possible hee that seekes these things above as hee ought when hee findes in himselfe the want and decay of them it is impossible but hee should betake himselfe to blacke to a mourning state You see the truth of this exemplified by David when hee upon the commition of those two sinnes murder and adultery hee found hee was bereft of the comfortable presence of Gods favour he furrowes his cheekes with weeping and spends himselfe his marrow was as the drought in Summer hee never gives himselfe rest till God revived and cheared his drouping soule and caused the beames of his countenance to smile upon him So it is with a man that seekes the things that are above in the want of them hee is as the Marriners needle Simile as that is in the want of the point so are all those that seeke the things above in the want of them they never rest but shake and tremble till at last they recover them and stand as they did formerly That is the second argument whereby wee may know if wee seeke these things if wee grieve and mourne when wee want them Thirdly if wee seeke these things above Ioy in injoying them how can wee chuse but rejoyce when wee find them for Love where it is it cannot choose but bee glad when it findes that it delights in Take an instance of both in David Psal 73. Lord saith hee Psal 73. whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth in comparison of thee Marke there David desired these things above and when his soule found them his soule loved them Who can reade it and not bee ravished to see to what an excessive extacie of joy hee was transported Psal 4. hee preferred the light of Gods countenance Psalme 4. before all the Corne and Wine and Oyle the poore things that worldlings place their chiefe content in But in the last place what neede other things to resolve whether wee seeke the things above or no but this By our thoughts and speeches our owne thoughts are the image of our soules and

Mortification with some other things of Affinitie with them are well laid down in the Sermons following Some straines I beleeve thou wilt meet withall that have beene strangers to thee heretofore and which will doe lively execution and quit themselves like the words of the wise whose propertie is as the wise man informes to be as goades or nailes throughly fastned Holy and learned men amongst whom not to number wer doubtlesse to injure much mine Author are not to bee too deeply charged or too troublesomely expostulated with for some peculiarities of expressions wherein perhaps they give themselves more satisfaction than others And indeed it is a hard thing for any man to write so savourly or warily but that the Reader hath need still to bring a graine of salt with him to make the nourishment wholsome The blessing of the God of heaven bee with this little peece in its going forth into the world that it may goe forth in its might and doe worthily in Israel teaching perswading many to desire with Paul the knowledge of the fellowship of Christs sufferings and how to bee made conformable to his death which is one of the greatest and most hidden misteries of Christianitie and requireth the best and greatest Masters in Israel for its Teachers Thine in the Lord Jesus IOHN GOODWINE The Contents of the ensuing Treatises Treatise 1. To be dead with Christ what Page 5 Propos 1. Wee must die with Christ first if wee will live with him pag. 10 Reason 1. From the contrarietie between sin and grace 12 Reas 2. Else the Spirit dwells not in us 13 Reas 3. Because it is hard to be a Christian ibid. Use 1. Reproofe of men dead in sinne 14 Morall death to sinne distinguished from true death to sinne 16 1. In the Essence of it ibid. 2. In the efficient cause 17 3. In the latitude ibid. 4. In the issue 18 Popish mortification differs from true mortification 1. In the object 19 2. The efficient cause ibid. 3. The formall cause 20 4. The finall cause ibid. Characters of a man dead to sinne 1. When occasions to sinne worke not 21 2. When all sinne is dead in us 22 3. When we doe not the service of sinne 23 4. When we abhorre sinne ibid. 5. When sinnes power is daily abated 24 6. When we can willingly have our sins wounded 25 Meanes to be dead with Christ 1. The Spirit of God 27 2. Faith in Christ ibid. 3. Prayer 28 4. Submission to the ministerie of the Word ibid. Motives to die to sinne 1. The necessitie 29 2. The commoditie ibid. 3. The facilitie 30 4. The equitie 31 5. The treacherie of sinne 32 6. The example of others ibid. The difficultie of being a Christian 33 The method to come to live with Christ 36 Spirituall death what 40 Spirituall life what 41 Propos 2. Those that are dead with Christ shall live with him 42 Reas 1. To whom Christ communicates himselfe he doth it wholly 43 Reas 2. Death with Christ insufficient with out we live with him 44 Reas 3. From the opposition betweene the life of sinne and grace 45 Use Those that are not dead with Christ doe not live with him 46 How to know wee are alive with Christ 1. By the cause of spirituall life 47 2. By the exercises of spirituall life 48 3. By the properties of spirituall life 49 1 Nourishment ibid. 2 Augmentation 50 3 Generation 51 Use 2. To labour for death with Christ 52 1. Because by him wee shall enjoy a spirituall life 53 2. An eternall life ibid. Propos 3. The knowledge of Mortification seales up the assurance of salvation 55 Reason The promises of eternall life are made to the mortified 68 Use 1. For confutation of Bellarmine 72 Use 2. To labour for Mortification 75 Use 3. Those that are not dead with Christ cannot be assured of life with him 77 Propos 4. As our death to sinne so our life to grace both proceed from Christ 80 Reason They are both the worke of grace 81 Christ is the author of the death of sinne and the life of grace 1. As a meritorious cause 83 2. As the exemplarie cause 85 3. The morall cause 86 4. The efficient cause 87 Christ is the efficient cause First in the first working of it three wayes 88 1. By his Spirit ibid. 2. By the Word 89 3. By Baptisme 90 Baptisme is a cause instrumentall 3 wayes 1. As a resembling cause 91 2. As a concurring meanes ibid. 3. By Stipulation ibid. Secondly for the increase of it 2 wayes 1. By Faith 92 2. The Lords Supper 94 Use To indevour to be in Christ 95 Use 2. To returne the praise of grace to Christ 97 Use 3. What to judge of men out of Christ 98 Treatise 2. Observ 1. What Christ suffred was not for his own sin 104 Use 1. To shew how Christ could beare the punishment of sinne 108 Use 2. To discover the malice of the Iewes against Christ 110 Use 3. To condemne those that judge by successe in outward things 114 Use 4. To reade us a Lecture of patience 115 Use 5. Comfort for distressed consciences 116 Obser 2. Christ suffered all for our sinnes 118 Reas 1. The love of Christ ibid. Reas 2. The love of God the Father 119 Use 1. To admire Gods wisedome 120 Use 2. To see the haynousnesse of our sinnes 121 Use 3. To provoke us to sorrow for sinne 123 Use 4. For Consolation 125 Use 5. To set forth Gods love to us 126 Use 6. To returne love againe 127 Treatise 3. Conclus 1. SVrfeiting and Drunkennesse and Covetousnesse to be taken heed of 134 Reas 1. There is danger in these sinnes 137 Reas 2. There is danger of falling into them 139 Use 1. Complaint of neglect of this dutie 141 Use 2. Exhortation to Caution 143 4 Helpes to Caution ibid. Conclus 2. The best men to take heed of these sinnes 149 Reas 1. Because they are but men ibid. Reas 2. Satan envies them most 150 Reas 3. Their falling make others fall ibid. Use 1. To shew the best men are fraile 151 Use 2. Why the best should suffer admonition 152 Use 3. How to demeane our selves 153 Conclus 3. Our care and caution must be continuall 154 Reason Because there is danger of the sinnes judgement 155 Use To discover the abounding of these sinnes 156 Conclus 4. Drunkennesse and Covetousnesse overcharge the heart 161 Reas 1. They presse the soule from heaven to earth 162 Reas 2. They presse it from earth to Hell 166 Use 1. To take heed of these sinnes 167 Use 2. To use Remedies against them 171 Meanes to be disburdened of these sinnes 172 Use 3. To see the false judgement of the world 175 Conclus 5. We should not be overcharged with immoderate eating 177 Danger in conversing with Epicures 178 Reas 1. It unfits us for good Duties 179 Reas 2. It is the nurse of securitie 180 Reas 3. It breeds many lusts 181

I come to the third thing I propoposed to shew the meanes whereby wee may come to be dead with Christ for if wee cannot come to live with Christ but wee must first die with Christ then it mainely concernes us to labour to die with Christ to sin that so wee may come at the last to live with him The meanes are foure The first cause which is the principall cause is the Spirit of God so saith the Apostle Rom. 8.13 the place before alleadged If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit yee shall live Rom. 8.13 It is true we are enjoyned mortification but wee cannot doe it till by the Spirit of God our sinnes be mortified Simile It is with sinne as it is with some wilde beasts they cannot bee taken and apprehended till they be shot and wounded So it is with sinne till the Spirit of God give the deaths blow to sinne wee cannot mortifie it of our selves therefore the first and principall cause is the Spirit of God he that is in us is stronger then he that is in the world The Spirit of God is strong and powerfull to subdue sinne Secondly Faith in Christ for by faith we must be ingrafted into Christ and so partake of the Spirit of Christ whereby sinne is dead in us so saith the Apostle Rom. 6 5. Rom. 6.5 For if we be planted into the likenesse of his death wee shall be also into the likenesse of his resurrection First we must be planted and grafted into Christ As a Syens must be planted into the stocke of a tree before it partake of the juice of it So we must be planted into Christ by faith before we be made partakers of the vertue of the death of Christ to kill our sins Col. 2.13 so saith the Apostle Wee are raysed through the faith of the operation of God it is through faith not onely as a perswading mooving cause but as an efficient cause because faith as a pipe of Silver conveyes the juice the water of life the Spirit of God whereby our sinnes are mortified it unites us to Christ and makes us partake of the vertue of his death whereby our sinnes are killed Psal 19.13 The third meanes to worke this death in us it is Prayer so David Psal 19.13 Lord keepe mee from presumptuous sinnes let them not have dominion over me that is mortifie and crucifie them so that they may not have dominion over me or not have a being if it were possible Let them not have dominion over me Fourthly and lastly a speciall meanes to put sinne to death is to submit our selves to the Ministery of the Word such as can manage and brandish the two edged Sword of the Spirit against sinne And so in private by meditation to apply to our selves the curses and judgements that God hath threatned against such sinnes as wee give most way to for if once the principall and vitall sinne as I may call it be destroyed then other sinnes will die of themselves this shall be sufficient for the third part touching the meanes to die with Christ I come now in a few words to the motives to perswade us to die with Christ The first ariseth from the necessitie of dying to sinne eyther wee must die to sinne Rom. 8.13 or die for sinne woe to us if we doe not die to sin If yee live after the flesh yee shall die Rom. 8.13 that is if yee live unmortified yee shall die how eternally not onely the death of the body but of the soule too here is the choyce we must eyther mortifie our lusts or incurre the danger of damnation there is no other way to escape it If yee live after the flesh yee shall die that is eternally therefore there lies a necessitie that should perswade us to die to sinne Secondly from the commoditie of it by dying to sinne we shall not onely free our selves from eternall death but from much trouble and molestation and disquiet also that wee should be sure to have by keeping sinne alive and by yeelding to the lusts of sinne Most true it is that it is with our lusts as with little children humour and observe them Simile and give them that they cry for and you shall never have rest but still they will cry for something more so it is with our corruptions and sinfull lusts yeeld to them upon every desire and we shall never have done when we have satisfied one lust it will call upon us againe and will never have done whereas by mortifying of it we shall bring to our selves much quiet and free our selves from much molestation Thirdly consider the facilitle by mortifying the deeds of the flesh we loose nothing that will make to our happinesse Adam in innocencie in Paradise was happy without these lusts Christ on earth was happy without them the Saints in heaven are happy without them Iam. 1.21 these are but superfluities Iam. 1.21 Lay aside all superfluitie of naughtinesse and malice Wee may have all true contentment whatsoever yet part withour lusts they are things that we may well spare By mortification of them a man looseth no profit nor pleasure nor honour whatsoever but there is recompence with advantage Let a man mortifie his lusts that bring him profit hee shall have profit in durable riches not onely in this life but for his reward hee shall have a whole kingdome to enjoy Let him loose some present pleasures as we have all too much of common Souldiers in us we love present pay hee shall have infinite recompence he shall have pure pleasures peace of conscience God will praise him and say well done good and faithfull servant he shall have peace of conscience that will lift a man above ground an infinite recompence in the losse of other pleasures Secondly for honour what if a man for the crucifying of his lusts be reproached and contemned in the world yet he shall have true honour of God in heaven he shall have honour of Angels of good men honour did I say of good men nay wicked men shall honour him God is able to command honour from the hearts even of wicked men so much as hee is mortified Let a wicked man see one that is a mortified man that as David was he behaves himselfe as a weaned child from the world he cannot but give a good testimony but if he will not now let him be on the racke in sicknesse let death appeare then he will desire to die the death of the righteous and that his last end may be like his It is true while he is in his jollitie and bravery then such men load a mortified man with reproach and contempt but wee must doe as Phisitians doe when they judge by urine of the state of the body they looke not on the urine that is voyded when men are walking up and downe before they goe to bed Simile but that which they make

after their first sleepe when they are come to themselves So take not a wicked man now in the fulfilling of his lusts but looke on that man when hee hath slept and you will judge otherwise of him he cannot chuse but give a good testimony of a mortified man Fourthly consider the Equitie of it Christ died for sinne that wee might die to sinne 1 Pet. 2.24 1 Pet. 2.24 who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we being dead to sinne should live unto righteousnesse What did Christ lay downe his life for our lusts and shall not wee lay downe our lusts for Christ did Christ die for our sinnes and shall not we for Christ die to our sinnes Fiftly consider our sins are Traytors and rebels against heaven Tertul. Apol. cap. 2. Well saith Tertullian in his Apologie for the Christians in his second Chapter against Traytors and such as are common enemies every man must be a common Souldier Now our sinnes are Traytors against heaven we cannot better expresse our loyaltie and alleagance to our great Master God then to kill and put to death these rebels it is a most acceptable sacrifice to God Sixtly and lastly consider the example of other men we see what care men take and what paine they will undergoe not for the avoyding but for the putting off a naturall a temporall death for a while Men for the preserving of this temporall life they are content not onely to take harsh Physick but to indure launcing and searing and cutting off the parts a leg or an arme c. so to preserve naturall life if they doe so for preserving of this naturall life Oh what should wee doe for the gaining of eternall life It is true Christ compares lusts to eyes and hands and feete it is true they are eyes but such as when they are pulled out wee may see well enough They are hands but such hands as when they are cut off wee may still doe what wee have to doe without them Now shall a man for the preserving of his temporall life indure a member to be cut off shall not we cut off our superfluous lusts for the gaining of eternal life shal they not for the avoyding but for the respiting of death indure this pain S. Aug. Epist 45. and shal not we for the avoyding of eternall death S. Austin presseth this excellent well in his Epist 45. They doe this not as if there were any hope to put off death quite but only to adjourne and put it off for the present if they do this for the respite of death what should we do for the avoiding of eternal death saith he They undergoe many certaine torments perhaps that they may have hope but of a few uncertaine dayes what do they thus for a temporal life shal not we much more for the procuring of an eternal life Do they so much for the adjourning of a temporall death and shall not wee for the avoyding a perpetuall and eternall death If these arguments perswade us not none can so much for the fourth point the Motives to this death to sin Fiftly if we must die with Christ before we can live with him S. Ierome then as Saint Ierome somewhere hath it It is not so easie a thing as some happily conceive it to bee a Christian It was Iulians scoffe of Constantine Iulian. and in him of all Christians To be a Christian there is no more required but to wash themselves with a little water that is to bee baptised and how great soever their sinnes were before this cleanseth them saith Iulian or if it chance that a man fall into the same sinnes againe saith Iulian It is no more for these Christians but to beat their breasts and to smite their heads and all is well againe in the conclusion of his Caesars But the best is it matters not greatly what Iulian saith it concerned him to speake evill of that saith he was fallen away from if he had spoken well of it hee had spoken against himselfe But he that knew better then Iulian saith Mat. 7.14 straite if the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life Math. 7.14 The way to heaven is straite he that will enter in this way must strippe and divest himselfe of his old lusts The way of Christianitie is a narrow way nay that is not all it is a way full of paine and pressures to the flesh as Camerarius interprets that place Narrow is the way and full of paine to the flesh He that walkes this way must resolve to meet with difficulties hee must take out lessons that are harsh to flesh and bloud to mortifie nay to crucifie the flesh Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Every death is not sufficient to expresse the paine hee must undergoe but crucifying only the death that Christ died that was both a lingring and painfull death Thus every man that will live with Christ must first crucifie his sinfull lusts and affections Which notwithstanding I speake not to deterre or discourage any from entring into the way of Christianitie or having entred for going on in the same way No God-forbid that I should like the ten spies that Moses sent to spie out the land of Canaan bring an ill report upon the wayes of godlinesse but to informe us and arme us Hee that is to travaile into a farre Countrey on which his life and livelihood depends and should meet with a friend that should tell him the way were deepe and troublesome and that there were such difficulties did stand in the way hee would easily perceive that hee did tell him this not to discourage and dishearten him because hee is his friend nor to stay his journey because hee knowes it is upon his life his life lies on it but to arme and prepare him before hand that when he should meet with the difficulties hee might the better encounter them and goe over them I apply it thus Heaven is our countrey we all pretend wee are Pilgrims travelling to heaven the way that leads to heaven is this narrow way our death with Christ the necessitie of walking this way appeares in Math. 7.14 This way Mat. 7.114 and only this leades to life it is the straite gate and the narrow way that leads to life Now when wee tell you of Lyons and Beares in the way the difficulties and incombrances that you shall meet with it is not to discourage you but to arme and provide you It is not to dishearten you you must needs goe your life lies upon it but to arme and prepare you that when you meet with these difficulties you may be the better provided to encounter them It is good saith the Proverbe to know the worst of things before hand lest otherwise after wee have walked in the way we meet with incombrances and dreaming of nothing but delicacies

is in Christ may bee assured that hee shall be saved but hee that knowes that hee is mortified and dead with Christ hee may be assured that hee is actually in Christ therefore he may be assured that hee shall be saved I aske whence comes this death with Christ Whence comes it that sinne is mortified in a man Is it not because hee is in Christ and is united to Christ and thence it is because hee is united to Christ that hee partakes of the vertue and Spirit of Christ whereby sinne is mortified Let this bee sufficient to bee spoken for the proofe of the point Vse 1 In the first place it serves for confutation for if they that are dead with Christ may be assured by this that they shall also live with Christ Then surely a man may attaine a greater assurance of salvation then Bellarmine and the rest of that faction perswade men he may They say a man cannot attaine it by the contemplating and viewing of the grace of God in him hee can but attaine a kind of hope of salvation a kind of doubting conjecturall morall assurance but for this assurance that we speake of our Countrey-men at Rhemes sticke not to say that it is a damnable false thing upon Rom. 9. Rhem. on Rom. 9. such an assurance as is impossible to bee attained in this life except it be by revelation and by extraordinary meanes And then they say moreover if it bee ●ttained it is perillous and dangerous to attaine because it opens to men a gappe to all licentiousnesse for say they if a man may be assured of his salvation let him doe what he will hee shall be saved I cannot now enter into the lists with these Rhemists at this time but give me leave to their objection to returne two things First say they it is impossible for a man by mortification to come to be assured of his salvation I desire them to unriddle me this They say a man by mortifying by macerating himselfe by fasting and sack-cloth and by whipping himselfe hee may merit salvation and heaven May hee merit heaven and not bee assured hee shall come to heaven What is it because God is ignorant and knowes not their good deeds or because hee is unjust and will not reward them If they say either it is blasphemie if they give way to either of them then they give way to this doctrine that wee speake of If a man by macerating himselfe in sack-cloth and ashes by whipping and bearing himselfe may merit heaven as the Papists joyntly affirme or most of them And Getzer in his second booke of Discipline Chap. 8. then certainly a man by mortification may come to have assurance of heaven for if a man bee not assured but doubts that doubt must come that either God knowes not that wee deserve heaven by our mortification and then God is not omniscient Or if hee doe know it hee will not reward us according to our merits and then hee is unjust either of which to affirme is blasphemy So their owne tenent overthrowes themselves See the difference betweene truth and errour one truth and vertue contraries not another but one vice and errour contradict each other as Covetousnesse opposeth Prodigalitie c. Secondly say they as it is impossible to attaine so it is dangerous to attaine this opens a gappe to licentiousnesse I wonder what feare there is of this since wee affirme that this assurance is to bee had by holinesse by mortifying of our sinfull lusts It is true indeed if we had assurance if we did maintaine that it might bee gotten notwithstanding that we went on in the practice of our sinfull lusts then it were another matter but wee affirme that this assurance is had only by the practice of mortification by mortifying and subduing our sinfull lusts And as it is gained by this so it is to be preserved by this I wonder then what feare here can be of opening a gappe to licentiousnesse and wickednesse by maintaining assurance of salvation when we maintaine here with that assurance is had by mortification and is to be kept and preserved only by it The rule of Philosophy here is true the same cause that produceth the same cause preserveth a thing but to let them passe and to returne to our selves If those that are dead with Christ may Vse 2 come to be assured that they shall also live with him how should this stirre up all of us to labour for mortification To indeavour to subdue and mortifie our sinfull lusts that we may come to bee assured that after wee shall live with God! It is that that the Apostle commands 2 Pet. 1.10 saith he 2 Pet. 1.10 Give diligence to make your calling and election sure Give diligence it is not a thing so easily attained as some dreame it is a thing that requires cost and paines a man hath it not but after long practise and indeavour of mortification Now I say it is that that the Apostle perswades us unto to give diligence to make our Calling and election sure It is sure enough in Gods counsell we should labour to make it sure in our owne conscience Wee may complaine men give diligence to make their houses sure to make their lands and preferments and offices and friends sure but how few give diligence to make their Calling and election sure Yet I know not when there was ever more need that wee of this place should labour to make our calling and election sure then now wee perceive already that wrath is gone out from God and the Angell of the Lord hath strucken some among us and they have fallen on the right hand and on the left hand before us and behind us and wee our selves know not when our turne may come Now the lesse assurance we have of being here on earth the more wee should labour for assurance of our well being hereafter in heaven And if wee have once this assurance this will bestead us and minister comfort in all calamities What though we bee poore if wee have this assurance wee know wee shall come there where there is durable unperishing riches What if we be in disgrace this will make us possesse our soules with patience and tell us that we shall come shortly to a place where wee are assured all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and all that blemisheth our name What though we bee sicke wee are assured that wee shall come to a place where we shall have no sicknesse but constant health What though death come It will make us chearfully to welcome it and it will make us call it as Saint Ciprian doth S. Cyprian the Midwife of immortalitie that shall translate and remove us from a fading perishing life to the everlasting life Then let us that God hath bin so gracious unto that he hath spared us and visited others labour to improve the time to practise mortification that in case worse come wee may yet be

some validitie to seeke the things that are above Of all these briefly First of the Object what is meant by things above and why they are stiled so Things above what The best rule to know the meaning of any Text of Scripture is to compare it with more It being with this sacred body as it is with a Lute or Instrument with strings Simile which by stringing one or two you may tune the whole The knowledge of our Apostles Ayme and scope in this present Chapter it will not a little advantage us in the enquiry of this what the things above are Which being as all the arguments here are to perswade the Colossians to holinesse it must needs follow by the rules of Logick that by things above are eyther meant Something wherein the nature and essence and divine qualities of holines consists Or the practice and possession that may be attained Or something bordering upon it The word largely conteines in the reach of it all things that make for the eternall welfare of the soule All those graces mentioned by the Apostle in this Epistle and else where Faith love joy hope sinceritie the feare of God the remission of sinnes peace of conscience and freedome from the dominion of sinne all which are wrapped in these words things above which as it were is the abridgement of all Which spirituall graces though they bee chiefly meant here yet I dare not nor I doe not say they are onely meant It may bee and I thinke verily the Apostle lookes further then thus and by things above hee lookes not onely to the meanes but to the end the state of grace and glory And well may these two grace and glory lye couched in one word since grace and glory differ not in nature but in degrees grace being nothing but glory begun and glory being grace consummate Yet I shall in the processe of my ensuing discourse adhere rather to the former and so by things above understand especially things concerning the state of grace here here because though the Apostle meant not them onely yet he immediatly lookes on them as those that were nearest so that by these things above we must come if ever to the state of glory hereafter These things above I understand to be spirituall gifts and graces Why called things above fitly here stiled things above First in respect of the source and originall because they deserve to challenge the prime place among those perfect gifts that are from above Iam. 1.7 Jam. 1.7 every grace being a ray and stampe of the dietie That is the first reason they are called things above because they come from above Secondly in respect of the end to which spirituall graces leade that is to heaven which is above they are as so many steps to that heavenly Sion and as Iacob called that place Bethel the gate or subburbs of heaven Thirdly and lastly they are called so in reference to the place where they shall enjoy these graces in full perfection that is in heaven above For so it hath pleased that wise and uncontrollable steward to dispense his gifts and graces here that while wee live here on earth we onely have the first fruits some small handfull of grace but for the harvest the full crop that is reserved till we come to heaven above Therefore they are called things above in all these respects You see then how spirituall graces may be stiled things above In respect of the originall whence they came end to which they leade place where wee shall enjoy them in full measure This shall suffice for the first enquirie concerning the Object what is meant by things above and why they are so called Seeking what I come to the Act Seeke The metaphor implies fervencie not as Becanus the Iesuite defines it a desire and rest absurdly but it is joyned with exact care and the utmost indeavour for the obtayning of somewhat that we formerly lost or did not before enjoy a desire to finde it The truth is that once man in Paradise was like his Maker bravely accomplished with all spirituall graces called here things above but no sooner did man fall from his due subjection but presently he was disrobed of these and shut out of Paradise When guilty Caine was prest with his brothers blood he was ever seeking those precious Iewels hee had lost and found them not The sense of the losse of those spirituall graces is left behinde that impression is in the minds of all The heathens themselves by the purblind eye of nature could easily discerne that they wanted somewhat though they knew not what to seeke nor how to finde But when the light of grace breakes into the soule as it did to these Collossians then it seekes the things above and leaves not till it have found them nor then till it have attained them in full fruition in heaven above As it is with some wanton streame that parting from the Ocean Simile runnes all along in the darke windings and passages of the earth till at last it breakes up and when it is broken forth as ashamed of its wandring it presently returnes with a restlesse unwearied course and seekes here and there till it finde the Maine from whence it strayed This for the second enquiry concerning seeking which implies the hight and best of our care for the attaining these things above such as concerne the spirituall welfare of our soules Which briefly premised it will be easie in the third place to resolve this single hupotheticall proposition into a catagoricall If yee be risen with Christ that is because you are risen with Christ seeke the things above The proposition is Propos Those that are risen with Christ ought to seeke the things above that Those that are risen with Christ ought to seeke the things that are above A lesson taught by him that as one stiles him was the best teacher in whose divine Sermon upon the mount you shall finde that hee bids us seeke and in the first place the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse of it Matth. 6.33 Matth. 6.33 And indeede what is the sum of all our Sermons Hillarie or wherefore serve Preachers a● Hillary stiles them those seeking men of eternity but to call for this surs●m Corda to bring men to a constant minding of the things above A dutie so proper to them that with these Colossians are risen to the life of grace that David makes it the proper character and badge of the Church Psal 24.6 Psal 24.6 This is the generation of them that seeke the Lord of them that seeke thy face this is Iacob But oh that it were as easie to perswade men to practice as to convince them of the duty We cannot finde these things but we must seeke them with dilligence and that we will not doe unlesse we highly prize and affect the things we seeke neyther of which wee will or can doe except wee