qualities from the glorified Bodies in Heaven Vers 40. For it is to be observed that in the Resurrection there shall be 1. An improvement of all Mens estates who have their part in the Resurrection of the just above that which they here enjoy Vers 41. 2. There shall be degrees of glory of one above another as Heavenly Bodies are more glorious than Earthly and one Heavenly Body more glorious than another so shall it be in the Resurrection Vers 42. For it is to be noted which is indeed the chief thing notable in this present Discourse that the Bodies which shall rise differ from those that die and the state of the Resurrection differs from that of this life That which falls into the Grave is a corruptible Body that which shall rise again an incorruptible Vers 43. The Body which we live in here and must put off is subject to many dishonorable deformities weaknesses diseases age but the Body which we shall take up again and put on shall be a Body glorious and strong Vers 44. The Body we carry about with us while we live and lay down in the Grave when we die is nourished and sustained by meats and drinks whereas the Body in our future state will be immortal wanting nothing to sustain it For indeed such Bodies there are of both these sorts Vers 45. For thus we find it written in the Scriptures that we have one nature from Adam such a Body as Adam is mention'd to have had before his fall Gen. 2.7 we derive from him who communicated it to his Posterity But another Nature and another Body we shall receive from Christ who at the Resurrection shall restore us from the Grave and change our vile Bodies that they may be like unto His glorious Body Phil. 3.21 Vers 46. The mortal Body was first formed which needed sustenance without which it must needs perish and when this is put off by death the immortal Body shall be returned to us instead of it at the Resurrection Vers 47. The stock of our animal life was Adam so called as an earthy Man made and taken out of the Earth The stock of the life immortal is Christ the Lord who came down from Heaven Vers 48. Such a Body as Adam had such have all mortal Men and such a Body as Christ now hath shall we have who live according to his Precept and Example at the Resurrection Vers 49. As we have first been made like the mortal Adam here on Earth so we shall be made like the immortal Christ when we come to Heaven Vers 50. I shall add but this one thing more that it is not possible for these earthy corruptible weak ignominious Bodies of ours which are in a state of growing and feeding to come to Heaven but they must first be changed purified and immortaliz'd Vers 51. Therefore concerning those who shall be found alive at the Day of Judgment I shall tell you a Secret not yet discovered to you that though they die not at all yet they shall all be changed before they go to Heaven for these Bodies thus qualified as they now are cannot come thither Vers 52. And this change shall be wrought in a minute at the point of time when all the World shall be summoned to Judgment For God shall make the Angels alarm all the World of Men that ever was or shall be as by the sound of a Trumpet to appear before his Tribunal and when that alarme is given all that were formerly dead shall arise with immortal Bodies and they who shall be then alive shall from their mortal Bodies be changed into such Vers 53. For it is most certain and necessary that our mortal Bodies must be changed into immortal Vers 54. And when this is done then shall that saying of the Prophet be made good Hos 13. Vers 14. that death shall be devoured and destroyed for ever never to recover strength again over any thing nothing from thenceforth shall ever die Vers 55. In contemplation whereof a Christian may look upon death as a hurtless thing the sting or plague or wounding power of it being by Christ taken away and look upon the state of separation of Soul from Body to be such as shall not last for ever Vers 56. The only thing which makes Death sting like a Serpent and puts it in a capacity to hurt us is sin for were it not for sin Death would differ nothing from a calm sleep and that which gives sin any strength to mischief us is the Law which prohibits it and so consequently upon the breach brings guilt upon us Vers 57. But thanks be to God who by what Christ hath done for us hath given us victory over Sin and Death and by Conquest of Sin hath made Death but an Entrance to Immortality Vers 58. These Arguments may suffice to teach any Christian constancy and perseverance in doing Gods will and in suffering Gods will too and may oblige him to the utmost industry and diligence in the service of God knowing that nothing which we thus undergo shall fail of receiving a reward Vid. Dr. Hammond Rubrick When they come to the Grave while the Corps is made ready to be laid into the Earth the Priest shall say or the Priest and Clerks shall sing Note Here follows another very seasonable part of the Funeral Office to mind the standers by and those who are yet alive of the shortness miseries and uncertainty of this life Job 14. vers 1 2. Man that is born of a Woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery he cometh up and is cut down like a flower he fleeth as it were a shadow and never continueth in one stay That is Man is born of a Woman and as he hath received being from her so he hath derived weakness he lives here few Years but in so short a time he suffers many miseries He is born like a flower and passeth away like it he is like the shadow of our Quadrants in a perpetual motion and change is so far passed into his nature that notwithstanding all his endeavours he cannot remain one sole moment in the same condition Note here That the sticking of the Herse with Flowers and the use of Garlands at such a time is a custom which hath some resemblance with the Jews who as they went along by the Corps used to pluck up the Grass 1. To note the shortness of Man's life that Man is but as Grass as the flower of the Field It was said of a great Emperour that he was Parietira a wall-flower and so are we all our time is proclaimed Isay 40.6 withering sooner than the Grass which is short fading sooner than the flower of the Grass which is shorter From April to June the Sith cometh nay the Wind but bloweth and we are gone Hodie in agro cras in clibano Flourishing in the Morning fading cut down and withered before Night 2. To note the certain
our debauched souls with thy grace extirpate sin that grace may be implanted break the power of sin in us bruise Satan under our feet and set up the Throne and Scepter of Jesus Christ in our hearts bring down every exalting thought and proud imagination in us to the obedience of Christ translate us out of the kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of thy dear Son Let not Sin nor Satan reign in us but let thy Son reign in us by the Scepter of his Holy Spirit May thy Kingdom of Grace come to us that we may come to thy Kingdom of Glory 3 Petit. And O Lord we desire Thee to cloath our Souls with those Divine affections that we may love the same love choose the same objects and delight in unions and holy conformities with Thee Lord so incline our hearts and affections that we may make thy providence which is the guide of the World the measure of our desires that we may be patient in all accidents and conform to thy will both in doing and in suffering that we may submit to all changes even to persecutions for thy Holy Name Make us to do thy will in the manner of Angelical obedience promptly readily cheerfully and with all our faculties as the Angels in Heaven serve Thee with concord harmony and peace so may we joyntly serve Thee here on Earth with peace and purity and love unfeigned That we may have nothing in us that may displease Thee but that quitting all our own desires and pretensions we may live in all Angelical conformity Make our Souls subject to Thee and our passions to our Souls that thy will may be done by us here on Earth as it is done by the Holy Angels in Heaven 4 Petit. And O Lord we pray Thee to give us all that is necessary for the support of our lives that portion of bread which is Day by Day needful for us we pray Thee for the poor who want it and have it not but as it is deposited in thy hand Let thy mercy O Lord ploughing the Fields of Heaven bring them in their Meat in due season we pray Thee for the rich who have it and yet may stand in need of thy blessing with it From the highest to the lowest we all wait upon Thee that thou would'st be pleased to feed us with food convenient for us We beg but for a Day that we may always have our dependance on Thee to minister to us as we need it 5 Petit. And seeing every sin entertained with a free choice and a full understanding is an obstruction to our Prayers keeping our Prayers from Thee and thy blessings from us as sinful delinquents and penitent Servants we desire Thee to pardon and forgive us all our sins not only our sins of infirmity invasion and sudden surprize which through natural weakness may adhere to most of our best actions but also our sins of a deeper dye our sins of wilfulness and wickedness Pardon O Lord what is past in thy mercy and keep us from such presumptuous sins and all other for the time to come by thy grace And when we ask forgiveness of Thee incline our hearts to discharge the obligation which thy condition of pardon hath laid upon us in forgiving one another May the indearing mercy of Thee our Father lay an engagement upon our Souls not to contrive the least revenge or entertain the least malice against our erring brethren and follow Christians who have in the least been injurious to us we implore thy mercy to forgive our grand trespasses which are talents and we beg thy grace that we may forgive petty injuries done to us which are but pence 6 Petit. And seeing O Lord we are in this World hemm'd about with many dangers and lie exposed to many afflictions as Persons placed in the midst of dangers we make our addresses to Thee the only great and most gracious deliverer humbly beseeching Thee to guard and defend us from all adversities which may happen to the Body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the Soul Lord suffer us not to be led into temptation but if through frailty and weakness we fall into any gross sin give us the grace of repentance to rise again and work in us such a detestation of sin for the time to come that we may stand the firmer after our fall may the fear of falling with thy supporting grace be for ever after the best tenure of our standing 7 Petit. Deliver us O Lord from the evil of sin by thy grace from the evil of punishment by thy mercy From our selves O Lord deliver us from the allurements of the flesh from the temptations of the World from the suggestions of the Devil From evil men from the Men of this World from all their plots plausible snares terrible threats violent and rude armes may their power only prevail to exercise our patience but not to subvert our faith or destroy our confidence in Thee Shelter us under the covert of thy Wings against all fraud and every violence that no temptation may destroy our hopes weaken our strength alter our state or overthrow our glories this we beg for our selves for thy whole Church hear them we pray Thee for us hear us for them and thy Son Jesus Christ for us all Doxology To whom with Thee and the Holy Spirit be ascribed all honour power and glory for thine One God in Essence distinguished in Personality is the Kingdom Power and Glory now and for ever Amen So it is Lord so be it Minister O Lord save thy Servants c. Note These short Ejaculatory Prayers by way of Response for which the reason is already given in my first essay upon the Service-Book are so grave so clearly Scriptural that they are delivered in the very Scripture phrase so that I look upon it as a very needless task to put my self to any further trouble about the recommending of them to the vulgar I know rational Men are able to give a right judgment upon rational things and to acquiesce and truly for the inferiour sort of People whom I have no small value for they costing Christ as dear as the most Potent in Superiority I advise them to trust the judgment of the Church in the ordering of these external things which are not contrariant to the Word of God and assure them withall that their obedience in such matters is better than Sacrifice or any exteriour act of Religion performed meerly in a customary manner and for fashion-sake as I fear too many are guilty of Minister Let us pray Note The reason for this I have given already it is only when we are turning our selves as it were to any special part of devotion required in any special and distinct Office to be intent upon it and to make it our Hoc age O Lord we beseech thee mercifully c. O most mighty God c. Note These are for the substance Scriptur'd
Persons any way visited or afflicted in mind body or estate that I cannot conceive them liable to any the least exception they are most what taken out of the Psalter which is a rich Magazine of Devotions furnishing all sorts of Men in all conditions both to praise God and to pray unto him Psal 20. vers 1 2 3 4. Psal 25. vers 15 16 17 18 19. and other places out of the Book of Psalms will furnish us not only with the materials but also with the very phrase and manner of expressions whereof the forementioned Prayers are made and composed Rubrick Then shall the Minister exhort the sick Person after this form or other like Note The Exhortation is left arbitrary for the Priest to use this or some other at his own choice as he sees occasion administred to him from the Sick Person for he is to apply his spiritual aids according to the Sick parties needs yet this Exhortation framed by the Church is so formed that a better cannot be devised to suit with all Mens conditions however visited and afflicted and it is grounded upon these and the like places of Scripture 1 Sam. 2.6 Job 5.17 18. Job 12.9 10. Job 12.14 Job 13.15 Job 13.26 Job 14.16 17. Job 16.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Job 19.21 Job 19.25 26 27. Job 23.12 13 14. Job 27.5 6. Psal 39.7 8 9 11 12 13. 1 Sam. 3.18 Jam. 1.2 3. Jam. 1.12 1 Thess 3.3 4. Jam. 4.10 Jam. 5.11 1 Pet. 1.5 6 7. 1 Pet. 4.1 2. 1 Pet. 4.12 13. Rubrick If the Person visited be very Sick then the Curate may end his Exhortation in this Place or else procéed Note By Curate in this Place is not meant only a stipendiary Minister but every Rector and spiritual Incumbant who hath Curam animarum He is left to use his discretion either in lengthning out or cutting short his Exhortation as he sees the sick party in a capacity to admit of any longer or shorter discourse The following part of the Exhortation is grounded upon these places of Scripture Heb. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11. Heb. 12.2 3. Rom. 6.3 4 5. Rom. 8.29 Luk. 24.26 2 Tim. 2.11 12 13. 1 Pet. 4.13 1 Thes 4.14 15 16 17. Heb. 10.23 Heb. 9.27 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 14.10 1 Cor. 11.31 32. After this Exhortation the Minister is to rehearse to the sick party the Articles of our faith that the party may know whether he believes as a Christian Man should or no. Admirable is that saying of St. Augustine Male vivitur si de Deo non recte creditur we live ill and dye so too if we believe amiss of God Heaven Gates are shut up against Male-fidians as well as Nulli-fidians and Soli-fidians If our faith be wrong all is wrong Christian Religion is made up of these two constituent parts a right faith and a righteous life as a right faith without a righteous life will not save us so neither will a righteous life without a right belief He who lives justly but blasphemes impiously cannot be safe Vid. Haman Lestrange Alliance of Divine Offices pag. 297. Dr. Sparrow Rational pag. 327. Therefore this is a very considerable question put to the sick Person whether he believes as a Christian ought to do and there can be no better rule to try his faith by than the Creed which is the summary of all contained in both Testaments touching God the Father Son and Holy Ghost August Serm. de Temp. 137. Ruffin in Symbol Tertull. de praescript Irenaeus lib. 1. c. 3. 19. Here I have assumed to my self a liberty of inserting this short Exposition following upon the Apostles Creed The Apostles Creed or Rule of Faith Creed So called from the Latin word Credo because it contains our Credenda it is Lex credendorum all necessary points of faith are comprized in it To believe what is laid down there is necessary for all points in it are fundamentals but to believe all deductions drawn from thence is not so absolutely necessary in regard they are but superstructures in the fundamentals we should all agree and it were to be wished we could agree also in the explication and application of the superstructures Lis de nugis ha tamen nugae ad seria ducant The Apostles Creed So called 1. Because they or their Disciples made it Tertul. Apolog. cont gent. c. 47. August Serm. 5. de Temp. c. 2. Cyprian in Exposit Symbol Ruffin in Symbol n. 10. It is very ancient in use before the Epistle to the Hebrews was written Calvin in Heb. 6.1 It was in use before any part of the New Testament Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. 2. Because it contains the chief heads of the Apostles Doctrine It is as a rich Treasure digg'd out of the Golden Mines of the Apostles The Object of the Creed 1. God Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. The Church of God The general Heads of it 1. Touching God the Father and the Worlds Creation 2. Touching God the Son and Mankinds Redemption 3. Touching God the Holy Ghost and the Churches Sanctification As concerning the Church it treats 1. Of her signal properties 2. Of her sublime priviledges The particular Heads of it Twelve Articles or Joynts knitting together the whole Body of Christian saith Fides una copulativa The 1. Article I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth Where Note 1. The Act Believe The Christian Religion is a Religion of faith wherein Reason is not so properly contradicted Rom. 1.16 Hebrews 11. 1 John 5.4 Hebr. 10.23 1 Tim. 3.9 1 Tim. 3.16 as raised up to a higher pitch and supernaturaliz'd Our Saviour did not clear Nicodemus his Quomodo by any Arguments of Reason but resolved the great mystery of Regeneration into a principle of faith John 3. Tertullian's answer to Marcion was I deo verum quia impossibile This honour hath the Christian Religion above others that it rests upon surer Principles than carnal Arguments 1 Cor. 1.20 Luc. 5.22 The first Lesson taught in Socrates School was silence and in Aristotles to rest in the judgment of their Master So in Christs School Oportet discentem credere We must not reason much about matters of Religion but piously rest in them Pruritus disputandi scabies ecclesiae it would be more for the honour of our Christian Religion did we practise more and dispute less Minus Scientiae might be allowed as to unnecessaries had we Plus Conscientiae as to necessaries 2. The Personality I we must pray for others but believe for our selves We may put others into our Pater-noster Habak 2.4 we must put only our selves into our Creed Matth. 9.22 No Mans saith can do us good but our own we cannot believe by an Atturney Luke 7.50 nor be saved by a Proxie We are received into the bosom of the Church upon the faith of the Church but when we are arrived up to the use of our reason we must make confession with our
the Viaticum the provision for the way When we come to Heaven which is the end of our Journey this our daily bread shall cease and then our Fathers house and all that is in it will be ours to enjoy and that for ever It is a corruption in nature that Men Quo minus habent viae eo plus quaerunt viatici do stil lay up the more provision the shorter journey they have to go Our daily bread Our that is by just possession lawfully and honestly got that which is got by unlawful ways and indirect means is not ours by right but by usurpation it is not bread given us but bread taken rather Again ours by deputation or assignation not by propriety God is the Lord we are but the stewards the possession is in us but the propriety is in him Daily bread that is food for our daily necessities neither poverty nor riches but a competency Prov. 30.8 Not quails to Minister to our wantonness but bread to supply our want Bread doctrinal in the word bread Sacramental in the Sacrament Bread supersubstantial that is Christ the bread of life who came down from Heaven born And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us in Bethleem the City of Bread who feeds up our souls to a blessed immortality And forgive c. Forgive our righteousness stands not in our own merits but Gods forgiveness Us that is all of us For we all have sinned Nonne errant omnes saith Solomon In multis omnes So James Our nothing so properly and truly ours as our sins Trespasses that is sins Original actual of Omission Commission of weakness of wickedness of ignorance of knowledg Personal National secret presumptuous sins of impiety against Thee our God Sins of injustice against our Neighbour Sins of intemperance against our selves As we forgive those who have trespassed against us In thought in word in deed in our bodies in our goods in our name Forgive us great sins that is talents as we forgive little sins that is pence And lead us not c. That is suffer us not so to be lead into temptation And lead us not into temptation as to be overcome of the temptation The temptation of the World of the Flesh of the Devil There is Tentatio Probationis so God tempts us as he tempted Abraham to try our faith love and obedience against this we pray not There is Tentatio deceptionis seductionis So the Devil and the Flesh tempts us Jam. 1.13 14. Against this we pray Tentat Deus ut probet tentat diabolus ut perdat But deliver us from evil But deliver us from evil Past Present To come From evil without us The World The Devil From evil within us the Flesh the Lusts therof Libera nos a nobis Domine From the evil of sin by thy Grace From the evil of punishment by thy Mercy From the Author of evil Satan From the Root of Evil Covetousness For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the glory for ever and ever Amen From the Evil of the Heart Evil Thoughts Of the Tongue Evil Words Hand Evil Actions From corporal spiritual temporal Eternal Evil Good Lord deliver us This Thou canst do For thine is the Kingdom and Power This thou wilt do for thine is the Glory Thine first and by Jesus Christ to all that are thine Thine that is from Thee by Thee to Thee in the glory and safety of all thy Servants Kingdom absolute and in it self Power not depending upon others Glory shining about all above all and in all Amen This word is the Seal of all our Petitions to make them authentical and it implies two things 1. Assent 2. Assurance that our requests shall be granted and therefore it is thought by some to be of more value than all the rest of the Prayer by how much our faith is more excellent than our desire For this is a testification of our faith whereas all the Petitions are only testifications of our desire Note I may say of the Lord's Prayer only peruse it commend it I need not for the Author's worth is so well known that he needeth not any Man's commendation nay he is above all commendation and the work it self is so perfect and compleat containing so much in so little so short in words so large in matter that it needs not any commendation neither 'T is the Lord's Prayer dictated by our Saviour himself in the behalf of his Disciples and his Church to the end of the World He to whom we pray and in whose Name we pray hath left us this pattern to be Forma Norma Orationis It deserves a very high respect for the Author's sake He compos'd it who is Dei spiritus Dei Sermo Dei ratio Sermo rationis ratio Sermonis Spiritus Tertul. de Orat. lib. 'T is short but withall plain 't is few in words but withall full in matter like the best Coin it contains the most value in the smallest compass These reasons may be given for the shortness of it 1. That it may be the sooner learnt 2. That it may be the better retained in memory 3. That it may be the oftner used 4. That there may be no weariness in the saying of it 5. That there may be no excuse for the not knowing of it 6. That it may beget in us a confidence of soon obtaining what we pray for 7. To shew that the Efficacy of Prayer consists not in how much but how well not in the multiplicity of words but in the devotion of the heart And for this purpose hath our Church in imitation of this pattern framed up all her Prayers in short Collects like many Flowers gathered into little Bundles We know the hottest Springs send forth their Waters by ebullitions and doubtless the most zealous hearts utter their conceits in the fewest words and shortest formes in all the Bible we read not any Examples of very long Prayers Our Saviours Prayer in the Garden short our Saviours Pray'r upon the Cross short Stephen's Pray'r for his Persecutors short The Publicans Prayer short The Thief 's Prayer upon the Cross short The Apostles Prayers all short They who did Petition our Saviour in the Gospel did it in short forms So in the New Testament and so in the Old David's Psalms which are most of them Prayers or Praises not very long Solomon commends few words in the Old Testament Eccles 5.2 and a greater than Solomon condemns long Prayers in the New Mat. 6.7 Mat. 23.14 if not the Prayers yet I am sure the hypocrisie of them he doth condemn As the Scriptures so the Fathers in all their writings are for short Prayers Hoc negotium plus gemitibus quam sermonibus agitur plus sletu quam afflatu August Epist 121. Oratio brevis penetrat Coelum Augustine also tells us that it was the practise of all the Christians in Aegypt to use short Prayers and he gives the Reason
for their so doing Dicuntur fratres in Aegypto crebras quidem habere orationes sed eas quidem brevissimas raptim quodam modo ejaculatas ne illa vigilanter erecta quae Orationi plurimum necessaria est per productiores mores evanescat atque hebetetur intentio August Epist 121. But I say no more upon this Argument the shorter our Prayers are the neerer they are to the pattern of our Saviour who when he taught his Disciples to pray prescribed them a short forme and the Reverend Mr. Calvin in his Pray'rs after Sermon swerved not from this Rule observing ever both a set and short forme See his Bidding of Prayer used at the end of his Sermons upon Job Again the Prayer of our Saviour as it is short so it is most excellent in the use being so fram'd that it may suit for all Times Persons Places and Conditions other Prayers may be at some times unseasonable this never it is not only Norma Orationis a Rule to pray by Mat. 6.9 but it is Forma Orationis a Form to pray in Luk. 11.2 As John's Disciples had a Form which none used but themselves by which they were known to be his Disciples Luk. 11.1 So Christ gave his Disciples a Form which Tertullian terms Orationem Legitimam a Prayer which Christ's own Law hath tied his Church to use in the same form of words wherein he deliver'd it and ever hath it been used in all parts of the World where Christian Religion ever was He who made us to live hath taught us to pray and doubtless if God will hear us wheâ— we use his Sons Name he will much more hear us when we use his Sons words as Prayer in general so this in special is of much efficacy and necessity for the good of our Souls there is not in Christian Religion any thing of like force through every hour and moment of our whole lives Therefore if we may believe St. Augustin as a witness of Antiquity the Universal Church of Christ hath ever used to begin and end all her Prayers with this form as striving indeed by divers other formes more largely to express the sense of this but being not able to come neer to the high note and most excellent spirit of perfection in this they ever concluded with it as being assur'd that however they may for divers defects not attain to the depth of it yet by it they shall be sure to beg all things necessary at Gods hands Vid. August Epist 59. Hook Eccles polic lib. 5. sect 35. B. Andrews Sermons of the Worshipping of Imaginations And for this very reason it hath been the custom in our Church of England to place Christ's Prayer in the front of our prayers as a guide and to add it neer to the end of some principal Offices as a complement which fully perfecteth whatsoever may be defective in the rest Praemissa Legitima ordinaria oratione quasi fundamento accidentia imus est desideriorum imus est superstruendi extrinsecas petitiones Tertul. de orat For this Prayer excels all other in many respects It is the Gospels Epitomy compiled by wisdom it self so large for matter so short for phrase so sweet for order as that it deserves worthily to have both the best and the most place in our Liturgy the first as a guide to the rest the most as a necessary complement to supply what is wanting in the rest Therefore is it used in our Burial Office and all other offices to be Tanquam sal omnium divinorum officiorum Durand Rational divin offic lib. 5. c. 5. sect 17. Priest Almighty God with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord. Mat. 22.32 Eccles 12.7 Heb. 12.23 and with whom the souls of the faithful after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh are in joy and feliciâ—y Revel 14.13 Luk. 23.43 We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our _____ out of the miseries of this sinful World beseeching thee that it may please thee of thy gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of thine Elect and to hasten thy Kingdom that we with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name may have our perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul in thy eternal and everlasting glory through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Note That the Soul dies not with the Body is a received truth amongst the wiser and better Heathens Vid. Cic. Tuscul quoest Cato major de Senectut Somn. Scipion. Pythagoras rather thought of a Transmigration of Souls than a dormition or dying The Fathers all hold the same Vid. August de immortalitat animae Ne in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodo ergo in veritatem mortis cadet quae nec in imaginem ejus ruit Tertul To think our Souls shall sleep in dust as our Bodies do til the last doom is but a dream of the Psychopannychites the spawn of the ancient Arabicks against whom Mr. Calvin hath written a learned Treatise It is an errour clearly confuted by the Scriptures take one place which is Instar omniem Mat. 22.32 Note again As the Souls of Gods Servants when they are separated from the Body are in some certain definite place so they are in a state of rest and refreshing the Scripture-phrase diversly expresseth it by being in the hand of God being with God being in the Society of Angels being in Abraham's bosome in Paradise in the Land of the Living in the Tabernacles of peace in Heavenly Mansions in Heaven it self that is they are so dispos'd of as to have the Glory and Blessedness of Heaven communicâ—ted to them and to enjoy the beatifical vision in part wheresoever they are and this may be the reason of that usual Epitaph among the Jews upon their Sepulchres Let his Soul be bound up in the Garden of Eden or in the bundle of the Living Godw. Antiq. lib. 6. c. 5. Yet I cannot say that they are in that very Heaven whither Christ as our fore-runner is enter'd not in that perfect bliss and happiness the Treasury of which was first opened by Christ at his Ascension and shall be more compleatly shewed and revealed upon all the faithful at the General Resurrection when they shall be where he is and as he is and partakers of the same glorious felicities with himself at Gods right hand as our Church prays that we may have our perfect consummation and bliss which is the same in effect with that Petition in our Saviour's prayer Thy Kingdom come Touching this I could say very much but for brevities sake I refer my Reader to some Writers of Note upon this Argument Irenaeus lib. 4. c. 45. lib. 5. c. 31. Athanasi tom 2. orat de Ascens Chrysost tom 5. pag. 637. Tertul. de anim c. 55. lib. 4. contr Marcio cap. 6. c. 10. lib. de anim In which Book
Purification of sin whereby the Blood of the Lamb of God and the death of the Messias was prefigured Levit. 14.6 7. Numb 19.6 So shall I be restored to that blessed estate from which I have so sadly fallen by my sinful miscarriages Vers 8. I am yet in a sad and most wretched condition thy wrath continuing over me sets my soul upon torture my own conscience under thee being my dreadful executioner but O be thou pacified unto me again and that shall be the most joyful news which ever came to any poor tortured suppliants ears when he is taken from the rack his bones set and he restored to ease again Vers 9. Lord pardon my sins return thy wonted favour towards me Vers 10. I have sadly fallen from my wonted purity and sincerity but O Lord by the good work of thy grace upon my heart restore me to it again renew me inwardly and throughly my thoughts as well as actions that I never fall into the least beginning of any such pollutions again Vers 11. It is just with thee to cast me from thy spiritual commerce who have resisted thy spirit it is just with thee to withdraw thy grace to which I have done such despite but O do not thus severely punish me by withdrawing that which I now more than ever stand in need of Vers 12. Without thy gracious aid and assistance I am not able to get out of this broken condition the free assistances of thy Spirit are so necessary to me that without them I cannot indeavour in the least the recovering of that purity from which I am fallen Therefore Lord restore them to me that I may be restored unto thee Vers 13. This thy exceeding mercy to me a sinner so sadly lapsed may be a means to bring wicked livers home to repentance by mine own happy success I shall encourage them to return who have fallen as sadly as any of them can have done and yet have met with mercy and many I doubt not encouraged on by my example by the assistance of thy grace will be brought home to thy service and the practise of the duties of new life Vers 14. The sin of Murder is an horrid and crying sin of a black and deep die deliver me from that so far as my conscience assures me guilty though my own hands have not been polluted with it Blessed Lord from whom all deliverance comes be pleased to deliver me from this and all other foul commissions which will be welcome news to me and make me with greatest exultation of Heart to proclaim abroad thy abundant mercies Vers 15. Thy work of grace towards me shall set my lipps wide open in praysing thee Vers 16. It is not any Hecatombe or most chargeable oblation for sin thou requirest of me for the truth is my sins are such as for which all exteriour performances afford no reconciliation Vers 17. 'T is my sincere humiliation confession and renovation which alone thou admittest and which thou art mercifully pleased to have respect to however I am in this foul condition and to look upon them as the most acceptable oblation These with an honest heart presented unto Thee will be sure to find a favourable and welcome reception Vers 18. Be merciful O Lord not to me only but to all that love and fear thy Name and meet uniformly in the place appointed for thy service Be thou a defence and succour to all such Let them be walled about with thy protection and preserve them from falling into any wilful and presumptuous sins Vers 19. For then shall all our services of Prayers and praises typified by the Legal sacrifices our solemn acts of the most ardent devotion to Thee and most diffusive charity to our brethren be accepted by Thee being upon an humble but cheerful confidence of thy acceptance presented to Thee upon the Altars of our very hearts Vid. Dr. Hammond Glory be to God the Father maker of all the World and to God the Son Redeemer of all Mankind and to God the Holy Ghost Sanctifier of the Church or all the Elect People of God Answer This was the confession of faith taken up from the first beginning of the Christian name and grounded upon Christ's own institution Matth. 28.19 therefore against all Arrians and Antitrinitarians we make confession of the same faith in the ever blessed Trinity and pray for the continuance of it to the Worlds end subjoyning our Amen of confirmation that so it is and of option that so it may continue Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Note These Versicles are of very ancient usage in the Church-Service mention'd in the Clementine Constitutions lib. 8. c. 5. c. 6. Council of Vas c. 5. Ann. Dom. 440. received both in the Eastern and Western Church called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seasonable at all times and therefore it hath a part in all our divine Offices and is set ever or for the most part before the Lord's Prayer as a fit preparative to usher it in Vid. Haman Lestrange Alliance of Divine Offices Pag. 83. Dr. Sparrow's Rational pag. 71 72 73. Our Father which art in Heaven c. Note This Prayer is Tanquam sal omnium divinorum Officiorum Upon which I have here added this Paraphrastical Prayer Preface O Lord God who art great in power rich in mercy whose glory is above the Heavens whose goodness is over all the Earth who art Almighty for in Heaven who art most merciful for our Father in Heaven so able to help us our Father so willing to hear us Lord what art not thou able to do for us who art in Heaven Lord what art not thou willing to do for us who art our Father Here we lie prostrate before Thee upon the Earth yet pressing in our affections towards the Heaven where thou art and presume not for any merit in us but for thy mercies in Christ that thou wilt deny us nothing which may do us good who vouchsafest us this to call Thee Father 1 Petit. Thou art an Holy God and delightest that all thy Worshipers should worship Thee in the beauties of holiness we desire Thee to shed thy Holy Spirit abroad in our hearts that we may perform this our bounden duty and service in an holy manner that we may lift up holy hands with holy hearts to Thee who dwellest in the Heavens Thou who art the sanctifier of all that is made holy make us to be holy as Thou art holy give us holiness in our thoughts words and actions sanctify us inwardly and outwardly in our Souls and Bodies make us holy in our lives that we may be happy at our deaths Let thy Name of Father be hallowed in us and upon us that we may in our lives and conversations walk before Thee in newness of life and as it becometh the Sons of God 2 Petit. To this end we humbly beg of Thee to sanctifie our corrupt nature and to beautifie
note the state of death and taking it out again to represent the Resurrection 10. But Chrysostom Tom. 3. pag. 514. and Theophylact and others understand Baptizing for the Dead to imply this and no more The being Baptized in the faith and profession of the Resurrection of the dead And so Harmenopulus refuting the Marcionites interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Sect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Only the Resurrection of the dead is expressed here by way of abbreviation by this word Dead Vers 30. And why do we Christians run hazards and encounter dangers and difficulties which may certainly bring death upon us if we had no assurance that there was another life wherein all our patience and valour for Christ should be rewarded by Him Vers 31. For my part I protest by my fidelity to Christ which is the greatest thing I joy in in this World that I daily run the hazard of death which sure I should never do if I had not confidence of another life after this Vers 32. Certainly all the hazards which I ran at Ephesus Act. 19. being as far as Mans purposes could go to have me sentenc'd and condemned to have me combat with wild Beasts upon their Theaters however I was by God's good providence snatched out of those dangers can be nothing at all advantageous to me unless there be another life after this Besides if it was so that there is no other life it would excuse and justify that common saying which is used amongst some of you Let us enjoy the good things of this World at present for when Death comes which cannot be far of there is an end of all Note This Place of fighting with Beasts at Ephesus is variously expounded by learned Men. Tertullian Theophylact and others take it to be spoken metaphorically of Men in shape Beasts in condition and Oecumenius saith That these Beasts were the Jews at Ephesus and Demetrius with his faction called Beasts in the same sense as Nero is called a Lyon 2 Tim. 4.17 and Herod is termed a Fox Luk. 13.32 David's Persecutors Bulls of Basan Psal 22.12 The Scribes and Pharisees Vipers Matth. 23.33 The Enemies of the Church wild Boars Psal 80.13 with these did Paul fight by strength of Argument proving them to be no Gods which are made with hands and so cut the throat of that Ephesian Beast Idolatry as that all the Silver-Smiths of Diana could not Hammer out a Reply to his Charge Chrysostom Ambrose and others take it literally as if Paul did actually encounter with Beasts upon their Theatre and Pareus inclines to be of the same judgment For to fight with Beasts was a punishment which Malefactors were condemned to in those days it was used in Asia as appears by the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna about the Martyrdom of Polycarpus Euseb lib. 4. c. 15. For upon their Festivities and Solemnities they performed these barbarous inhumanities as an honour to their gods and they made choice of such times for the punishing of Malefactors not only to make their punishments more exemplary but to be as a piece of sacrifice to their gods Now that there was a Theatre at Ephesus for this purpose we read Act. 19.29 and that Christians as Malefactors were punished after this manner we find in Tertullian that Christianos ad Leones was a common word and of Damnatio ad Bestias Bestiarii we may read at large in the Jewish Antiquities But the most genuine and proper sense of this place is by very learned Men taken to be this that Paul was condemned at least by the Multitude designed to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or combating with Beasts at Ephesus as appears Act. 19.30 31. 2 Cor. 1.8 9. The Sentence of this kind of death was passed on him but God took him out of their hands and snatched him out of those dangers raising him as it were from the dead by delivering him from so great a death 2 Cor. 1.9 10. whereas Gaius and Aristarchus two of Paul's Companions were hailed to the Theatre Act. 19.29 The devout Christians would not permit Paul to come amongst them vers 30. and the Asiarcha who had some kindness for him which was a work of God's Providence to him sent unto him that he should keep close and not run the hazard by coming out of being carried thither vers 31. By which it is evident that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of Men signifies this that Paul so far as Man's purpose extended concerning him was condemned to this death of fighting with Beasts at Ephesus only God by a wonderful providence delivered him from it Now it had been very strange should the Apostle have exposed himself to so apparent danger of death as Men led on by nothing but that which is humane such as vain glory and some other respect have done had not he by faith looked at a Resurrection and at God the Rewarder of those who suffer for him at that Day Vers 33. But have a care that ye be not seduced by any Philosophical or debauched Discourses to disbelieve the Resurrection Take heed that such Atheistical temptations to sensuality under pretence of no other life after this do not work upon you and the rather because good natures and the most flexible dispositions are the soonest cheated and deceived by such corrupt converse and foolish dispute Vers 34. Ye have all the Reason in the World and now it is more than time that ye should rouse up your selves out of the drouzy condition of sin which ye have been in for a long time in so much that some of you by your behaviour and discourse show your selvs to be very Atheists stil and meer Heathens of whom I am forced to speak only to work shame in you for suffering such Men among you and that ye may not permit your selves to be tempted by them into such Errours and Debaucheries Vers 35. But some perhaps may object that if Men die How can they live again or what kind of Body shall they have seeing that which they had is rotten in the Grave Vers 36. But this is a foolish Objection for even in Corn that is sowed the rotting of the Corn is necessary to the enlivening of it or springing of it up again Vers 37. And it is not the custom to sow that very thing which after comes up the Blade and Ear and Corn in it but only the Corn without the rest as the Corn of Wheat and the like Vers 38. And whensoever such a single Grain is sown in the Earth without any Ear or Chaff about it God causeth it to grow up out of the Earth in this or that forme with Root and Blades and Ears of Wheat and of all other Seeds proportionably according to their kind Vers 39. And as amongst us here below one sort of flesh differs very much from another so the Bodies of Men here differ in their