disappointed It is the violent that entreth into Heauen Matth. 11. 12. as yee will see a man violentlie thrust in at a doore Thou that wouldest goe to Heauen make thee for thronging thorowe till all thy gutâ—es bee almoste thrust out Paule in the eight chapter to the Romanes and the 22. and 23. verses vseth these argumentes against those wicked men that cannot sigh for Heauen First hee taketh his argument from the elementes the senselesse and dumbe reatures which sobbe and grone for the reuelation of the sonnes of GOD and trauell for that time as a woman in her birtâ— O miserable man The earth shall condemne thee the â—loore thou sittest on is sighing and woulde faine haue that carcasse of thine to Heauen The waters the aire the heauens all sighing for that last deliuerance the glorie appertaineth to thee and yet thou art laughing Alas what shall betide thee The other argument hee taketh from the sighing of men who haue gotten the Spirit of GOD We also saith he who haue the first fruites of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodie Thou that hast not gotten the Spirit shalt neuer sigh for Heauen flesh and blood will neuer shed one teare for Heauen It must onely bee the Spirite of IESVS that must fetch vp the sigh out of the heart and the teare in the eye Roman 8. 26. So hee taketh his argument from them who haue gotten a sense of the Spirit of GOD and redemption of the body to prooue the certainty of that Heauenly Kingdome and glory Nowe there cannot bee a surer argument to vs that euer wee shall obtaine glory than this sighing in heart for it and this earnest desire thereof If thou find thine heart desirous of glory a sure argument thou shalt bee partaker of glory It is saide Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled Matth. 5. 6. Seekest thou for CHRISTES righteousnesse and thy glorie assure thee thou shalt get a sweete filling Marke it I saye to thee thou hast not onlie through this earnest desire of glorie an assurance that thou shalt reigne in glorie but looke to your experience that desire is not so soone begun of that life and glorie but so soone also the soule of the faithfull beginneth to rise with joye Who euer yet was hee that gaue a sigh from his heart raised vp by the Spirite of Christ that felt not with that sigh a joye in his heart Learne it by your experience This letteth vs see that the desire and thirst of glory putteth vs in present possession of a part of glorie Ere thou come to it desire it earnestly and I promise thee in the Name of the Father thou shalt be presently put in possession of a part of that Heauenly inheritance It is true thou shalt not get it al here yet there is none other Heauen after this life but that Heauen which thou gettest begunne in thee in this life Alwayes looke euer for that joye that is by sight There are two ioyes the one by sight the other by faith 2. Cor. 5. 6. The ioye by faith is in our pilgrimage in this life The ioy by sight is after this life when with our eyes wee shall see Christ The ioy by faith is to looke to Christ a far of and yet wee reioyce and loue Him that is farre absent 1. Pet. 1. 8. Faith hath a ioye that it enioyeth by speaking and thinking Sight hath the ioye that it enioyeth by presence The ioye of the eye great in quantitie and the fulnesse of ioye The ioye of faith not so great for it is the ioye of a pilgrime not as yet come to his home The ioye of the sight is when wee shall see our glorious Lord face to face whom we see only now by faith 1 Cor 13 12. This is the fulnes of ioy The ioy of Faith which induring our pilgrimage is not so full O how great shal be the ioy at the perfect seeing of Christ Thinke never to have the ioy by sight after this life except in this life thou have the ioy by faith as the earnest-penny of the other except by Faith thou once get a ioy before thou depart from this life thou shalt never see the face of Christ nor have ioy in him So brethren it is a good thing to have that desire of Heaven Sigh and sob and desire with Paul for Heaven for it is a Charter Evidence of thine everlasting inheritance never earthly lord had a surer charter of his land than thou that hast a desire of heaven hast of thine inheritaÌ„ce in heaven for these earthly evidences of land are without theÌ„ in their kists but this evidence of thine is written ingraffed in thine hart Now when extremity is threatned it is time to seek thy warrands of this heaveÌ„ly in heritance this present country is good forthee the best country that ever thou shalt see except thou find this warrand of sighing and desire for that heaveÌ„ly inheritaÌ„ce And therfore let scorners mockers scorn as they wil the children of God must powre forth tears And this is it that y â— Lord hath bene desiring these many days past he hath benegently drawing out of us this sense but now He beginneth to presse it out of us that our eyes might burst out in teares and thou that canst not sob and desire in these miserable dayes to bee dissolved thou hast no true matter of ioy Woe bee to them that have none heart to sigh for the troubles of Christs Church but are ever ready to execute iudgement against Gods servants when the Lord is visiting them Well the Lord shall wring out teares out of them in His wrath that will not sob in the time of the danger and trouble of His Church Then what is it that Pavle sigheth for And what desireth he Hee desireth a new cloathing to bee put one above as a cloathing that is he would keep this same body in substance and cast off this filthy garment of sinand death put on that glorious shape of the body of Christ The reason is set down For when the Lord shal cloath us we shall not be found naked So this body shall remaine in substance but O the glory and immortality of it Mark the natur of the lodging which we shall receive it shal not be another body in substance than this body which we have heer in earth The same body in substance wee shall have in heaven which we have heer Heerein onely is the difference this body is vile it is mortall full of sinne and wickednesse unglorious ignominious full of corruption weak infirm But when this body shall be changed in heaven it shall not be changed in substance but in qualitie Paul 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 44. Saith The bodie is sawn in corruption and is raised againe in incorruption and is raised againe in incorruption
it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power The weakest bodie in Heauen shall be stronger than the strongest man in earth Then saieth hee it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie So the change is in qualitie and therefore he saith to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. When CHRIST commeth Hee shall transforme not abolish but transforme in qualitie our vile bodies like to His owne glorious body Christ keepeth in y e Heauen that same very body which he had in the earth thou shalt keep the same bodie in HeaueÌ„ which thou hast in earth but it shall be altered in qualitie as far as y e HeaueÌ„ earth is different BrethreÌ„ this ministreth comfort there is none of vs but naturally we loue this body then let this comfort thee that suppose thy soule shall bee for a time without this bodie yet thou shalt get it again Another comfort death cannot destroy it the graue shall not bee able to swallow vp that body but the graue shal keep it the dust substance thereof till the comming of Christ then it shall be compelled to render it againe Life shall swallow vp death but death nor the graue shall not be able to swallow vp the bodie of Godâ— Elect But the reprobate shall be swallowed vp of death both in soule bodie In the 8. chap. to the ROMANES the 10. and 11. verses Paul ministreth these two consolations against death Hee saieth The bodie must die because of sinne but hee subjoyneth The soule in the meane time shall liue and the Spirit of Iesus shall take it couer it with that blood And albeit it was a sinfull soule yet assoone as the Father blinketh vpon it wimpled and wrapped as it were in the blood of Iesus immediately hee biddeth it passe to glorie He goeth forward And where it might haue bene said shall we haue no consolation in the body He answereth If the Spirite of Him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in your mortall body what then He that is GOD the Father that raised vp Christ from the dead He by His Spirit shall raise your bodies that same body that is dead and laid in graue that same body by Gods Spirit for the Spirit of Iesus and the Spirite of the Father is all one shall be raised vp Learne then if this holy Spirit of God once take lodging in you He shall neuer leaue you in soule nor body He shal accompanie the body in the graue and conuoy the soule to Heauen The Spirit of Iesus shall goe with y e soule lift it vp The earth getteth the body when the soule is separated from it yet the Holy Spirit shall goe to the graue with the body and shall remain with it in the graue and with the least part of the dust thereof And when Christ shall come He shall gather it together and make it a whole body So happy are they that haue once lodged this guest in their soules for neither fire nor water nor none other power euer shall bee able to destroy them because that Holy Spirit euer remaineth with theÌ„ Now in the next verse because it might haue bene said and objected Thou wouldst not want the bodie why sighest thou then and what meaneth this desire if thou wouldst keepe the body Wee the faithfull that are in this tabernacle we sigh are burthened but marke our desire because wee would not be vnclothed as some will say Soule to God and bones to the dung-hill in contempt of the body but thinkest thou to be glorified in HeaueÌ„ without a body No but would be clothed vpon that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of Life As if hee would say I wold haue this faire cloke of glory put vpon this body that it might consume and swallow vp all this stinke of sinne that is in the body Learne then first the body as it is now is a burthen Hee saieth Wee that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened It is a loade laide vpon the backe of the soule it is a tabernacle but a burthenable tabernacle as an house smoothering him down and he holding the same vpon his shoulders that appearantly it would be better for him to bee out of it Learne secondly the estate of them that dwell in this tabernacle If the body be a burthen then the soule must sigh grone as a man vnder a heauie burthen And the body is nothing but an house of mourning to the faithfull soule as long as it dwelleth therein The wanton light man thinketh this body which he beareth about to bee no burthen and will run and leape with it as though this carcasse were as light as a fether Alas hee feeleth not the burthen hee is senselesse and like one in a feuer and in a rage that knoweth not what hee doeth nor what hee suffereth A mountaine is lying vpon him and hee feeleth it not Woe to those men that are so wanton vnder this miserie Amend in time or the LORD shâ—ll thrust thee downe to Hell Fye on thee that dwellest in Bethania the house of mourning canst not mourn Mourne in time or else I assure thee thou shalt mourne for euer This beeing the condition of men who dwell in this tabernacle sighing and desiring as a womâ—n with childe to bee relieued what is the ende of this desire The ende of the mourning of the Godlie is not that they woulde bee quite of the house as manie desire that were wrong for manie will mourne vnder this house desperatelie and the bodie will bee a burthen to the soule in them and their life will be vnpleasant to them they will thinke to get a reliefe of the burthen by the want of this present life and will put hand in themselues but then beginneth their euerlasting mourning for they neuer knew what mourning was till that end come So then this is not the way to bee deliuered of the burthen but the way is To seeke to put on a cloathing on this bodie and heere is the ende of our desire It is clothed with mortalitie and that is all the matter of thy mourning It is not the substance of the bodie that causeth thee to mourne but sinne that possesseth thy bodie and corrupteth the marowe of thy bones death accompanying sinne Then this mortalitie beeing an accident of sinne which is the chiefe cause thereof the remedie is Seeke to bee cloathed with the life that commeth from Christ Sucke in by Faith a droppe of that life of Christ This will not destroy thy bodie but it will destroy the death sinne that possesseth thy bodie And the life of Iesus Christ in a moment wil swallowe vp all that death and sinne and all that miserie that laye on thee There is the way to dwell with ease in the bodie Seeke not to destroy the bodie But seeke the slaughter of that sinne and death that lieth
heavenly glorie shall bee none other thing but the perâ—yting of our regeneration For when all this pelffrie shall be taken away then wee shall fully bee renewed As to the Spirit if ever hee was powerfull in earth he shall be more powerfull in Heaven so that the same Spirit that heere dwelt in thy body shall then glorifie thy body and make it to shine brighter than the Sunne Therefore let vs seeke this regeneration and the Spirit of CHRIST For in these two standeth the perfection and the glorie of the life to come Now when he hath reckoned out all the warrands of life whereby he assureth himselfe thereof hee concludeth in the next veâ—se Then saieth he wee haue confidence alwayes as if hee would say Hauing these warrandes I haue confidence alwayes that is I am assured of my glory and yet the wordes import not only an assurance but the effect thereof which is a sweete securitie in the soule for whensoeuer any man is assured of life then the soule with sweetnesse wil rest then commeth that peace of Conscience assuring vs whether wee liue or wee die wee are CHRISTES so this draweth on that boldnesse confidence Then looke the nature the beginning and â—ising of Faith it is builded and standeth vpon these three pillars An earnest desire of life Regeneration and the Spirit of GOD These are the three proppes thereof which are sensible to them who haue faith and wee shoulde bee acquainted with them Then of this riseth the sweete confidence of glory and security the repose and rest of the soule and conscience and from the soule it commeth vp to the mouth and breaketh out in a glorying As this same Apostle vpoÌ„ this confidence in his soule breaketh out saith What shal seuer vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or peâ—il or sword No in all these things we are more than victorious through Him that loued vs. Rom. 8. 35. c. So that faith being builded vpon these three pillers securitie and confidence beeing builded vpon Faith then boldnâ—sse in mouth will say I defie all contrarie powers lay the sword lay fire lay death before mee it will say I defie them all yea let all the Deuils of Hâ—ll come before a man his faith be well builded and confidence on faith hee will defie them all yea albeit they threateÌ„ damnation to him for it thou stand in Christ thou shalt liue albeit thou must bee separated from this mortall life yet all the worlde cannot separate thee from the life of Christ Seeke this life now in time that in trouble wee may say that wee will rest in Christ and all the world shall not seuer thee from Him Yet to goe forward in the words The Apostle as yet hath not the full contentation in heart for all this assurance For saith he wee knowe that while wee are at home in the bodie wee are absent from the LORD If wee bee at home with a thing we are farre from a better thing which is abroade Alas thou beeing â—t home aâ— thine house and fire thou art farre abroade from thine home in Heauen whilst wee are at home in this mortall bodie wee are strangers and Pilgrimes from the LORD Brethren yee shall learne heere a great difference betweene confidence contentation It is one thing to haue contentation another thing to haue confidence This Apostle had confidence but not contentation Thou art farre decâ—aued that thinkest thou hast sufficient contentation in this worlde Woe is thee yea although thou haue Heauenly graces and if thou thinkest thou hast contentation either of glory or of sight all is nothing Why Because there cannot nor shoulde not bee contentation heere no the best and moste confident man that liueth shoulde not thinke hee hath contentation in this prâ—sâ—nt life All thine holinesse faith confidence and hope shoulde not giue thee full contentation All the kingdomes honours and riches of this worlde which is nothing but dirt and pelffrie in respect of those Heauenly thinges shoulde not giue thee full contentation And yet the worldly foole will saye in his heart I haue contentation and sufficiencie O! but what saide CHRIST to him that decreed with his hart to make wide barnes Foole this night thy soule shall be taken from thee Luâ—e 12. 20. Away with an opinion of contentation in this earth and thou bee a king of all the earth Wilt thou haue contentation without CHRIST Wilt thou hauâ— sufficiencie and not haue Him who is thy life glorie When thou art a pilgrime from CHRIST and wandring from thy countrey and inheritance wilt thou saye thou hast thine hearts desire Had euer pilgrime full contentation during the time of his pilgrimage Then no contentation to the faithfull soule but in CHRIST I shall neuer thinke coÌ„tentation to be in my soule till I see CHRIST face to face I giue thee the same counsell yea and if I had all spirituall graces in neuer so great a measure yet no coÌ„tentation for my soule till I see CHRIST for all our blessednesse standeth in the sight of CHRIST and thou canst not see CHRIST heere because thou art absent from Him For as long as I am at home speaking of the soule so long as it is closed heere within this earthly tabernacle I am absent from CHRIST And this prison of my bodie so closeth mee about that I cannot see CHRIST Brethren it is this mortall bodie that is clothed with sinne and mortality wherewith we must be clothed as long as wee are heere that holdeth vs from the sight of CHRIST It is impossible so long as thou art clothed with the sinfull bodie to get that full sight of IESVS albeit Hee were standing on the earth cloathed with His glorie So thou must be vnclothed of this mortalitie ere thou canst see Him And there is the grounde wherefore wee shoulde thinke no contentation whilst wee are in this body Because so long as wee dwell in this mortall body we shall neuer see CHRIST nor get a full fruition of His countenance Therefore Brethren take not so much pleasure and delight in this mortall bodie for I assure thee it is but a prison holding the faithfull soule and the eye of the faithfull soule from the sight of CHRIST but assoone as it shall bee loosed from it it shall mount immediatelie with joye to CHRIST and there get full contentation in His face yee thinke so long as yee want these earthly thinges yee cannot get contentation I speake not of the wicked but euen of the regenerated man but when the soule getteth this glorious presence of CHRIST in Heauen it shall haue joye in infinite degrees greater than euer it had in earth And albeit the body shall lie heere in graue and ignominie for a time yet all that shall bee recompensed by the glorious sight of CHRIST which the soule shall enjoye in the Heauens beeing separated from the body Wee
nor seek to none other thing but to the pleasing of that fleshly body without regarde of the precious soule alas in pleasuring thy bodie thou losest thy soule thou makest thy bodie thy Heauen and thou testifiest plainly that thou wantest that light and sense of that Heauenly bodie which shall be after this life Thus farre for the description of the death of the body which is the house of the soule learning vs to esteeme of the soule and body as they are indeed and that not with a fleshly sense but with the Spirituall eyes of Faith Nowe wee come to the life that is contrarie to death There is two partes of man his soule and bodie this glorie of the which wee speake is not the glorie of the soule onely but the glorie of the bodie likewise a glorie belonging both to soule and bodie Wee saieth hee shall get a building not a sillie house as this earthly body was but a faire building Hee calleth the body which wee haue presently an house but the body which we shall get hee termeth it a building Thou gottest this bodie from nature that other is aboue nature nature cannot giue thee that other bodie GOD shall giue thee it aboue nature and against nature What building is this It is an house not builded with the hands of men it is builded with GODS owne hand the LORD immediatelie with his owne hand builded vp this building The former house of this body was vnstable and had no abiding for this body passeth away but this second building is an house that shall neuer fall nor slit but shall be eternall When thou shalt get this building thou shalt not need to be afraid for the dissolution thereof it shall neuer be dissolued Where shall this building be builded men regard much situation in building this house in the which we dwel here it is builded in the earth and it is a tabernacle pitched somtimes in this place somtimes in that place but the situatioÌ„ of this building shall bee in the Heauen for I assure thee when a man is once glorified entereth into that glorie hee shall no more returne to the earth The earth cannot beare a glorified person Christ beeing glorified coulde not abide in the earth but He went to that glorious mansion in the Heauens Thou shalt no sooner bee glorified but thou shalt mount vp to Heauen as CHRIST did Well then there is the glorie and there is no worde heere but it aggregeth that passing glorie Euerie worde lâ—tteth vs see the greatnesse of that glorie and yet it is not all tolde Nay Paul cannot tell thee all the glorie that shall bee in the glorified bodie he hath giuen but a little inckling of it It is but a building whereof hee telleth thee Yet marke Who is this that speaketh this It is Paul How speaketh he it by faith Is it his mouth that speaketh it no it is the soule that lodgeth in the bodie that falleth out in the extolling of that building that it shall dwell in As a sillie man in a cottage appointed to glorye shoulde saye I am nowe sitting in a sillie house but I shall once sit in a glorious Palace So marke Faith will cause the soule mount vp aboue the bodie and whilst the soule is in the bodie Faith and Hope will lift it vp and put it in a maner into Heauen Therefore this same Paul saith in the third Chapt. to the Phillip the 30 vers By Faith and Hope hee had his conuersation in Heauen while hee was yet dwelling on the earth Get therefore Faith and Hope that entereth thee into the possessioÌ„ of that glorie and before the soule bee seuered from the bodie they will in a maner put thee in possession thereof It is the too-looke to heauen that maketh the soule of Paul to rejoyce in this glorie The cottager that hath not a too-looke to a better house is a foole to despise his cottage but hee that hath a too-looke to a better who can blame him to despise this cottage I will tell thee my counsell before thou dislodge out of this bodie for as fraile as it is be assured of a better goe not out of the house doore except thou knowe that thou shalt enter into a glorious house I assure thee if thou bee not prouided for a better house and haue not Faith and Hope of a better than that which thou lodgest in thou shalt enter in a worse thou shalt get that bodie againe which was euill before but then it shall bee a thousande times worse for the soule shall bee shot into that bodie againe and then thou shalt be shot both soule and bodie into that foule dungeon of Hell So brethren looke for a glorious building thou that esteemest not of this bodie bee carefull for a better A vaine prodigall man will cast his soule out of this bodie and in the meane time will not bee prouided for a better lodging thereto Hee is not esteemed a man in these dayes that wil not hazard and cast out his life for an euill cause and quarell Trustest thou that that soule of thine shall get any better lodging hereafter and thou not prouided thereof by Faith and Hope here nay nay O blessed is that man that dieth in a good cause And what better cause can be than Christes cause who is the God of life Assure thee thou that wilt die for Christs cause thou shalt get a building in Heauen thou that takest no care of this life for Christs cause death shall be aduantage to thee The Lord graunt vs a too-looking to that Heauenlie building an assurance of that Heauenlie life Thus much for the assurance that Paule hath that hee shall dwell in Heauen Nowe in the verse following learne howe hee groundeth this assurance and what warrande hee hath for him Faith is not a word as to say I belieue and Hope is not a word as to say I hope Nay but thou must haue a warrand of thy saluation in this life or else I assure thee in the Name of GOD thou shalt neuer get Heauen It is a straite way to come to Heauen and it is wondrous hard to get the assurance of it It is no small matter to get an assurance of life euerlasting after death Then looke what warrandes this man PAVLE had that thou mayest preasse to haue the like The first grounde of his assurance is in this seconde verse For this cause saieth hee wee sigh desiring to bee clothed to put on as it were a garment Wherewith With our house which is from Heaven These are his wordes Then his first warrande and ground of his assurance is a desire of that same glory What sort of desire An earrest desire with sighing and sobbing not a colde desire but day and night crying and sobbing for life Thinkest thou so easily to get Heauen that canst neuer say earnestly in thine heart GOD giue mee that Heauenly life no thou wilt bee
sixteenth Chapter and the two and twentie verse of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Louest thou Him assure thy selfe howbeit thou canst not get such a loue to Him or such a sight of these thinges as thou wouldest haue they are prepared for thee Onelie thou art to take heede to see if that loue of GOD bee in thine heart Goe not to search what is in Heauen and thinke not to get a full sight of that glorie in this life that is laide vp for thee But rest on Him yea though it were halfe blindlinges Well is the soule that can loue the LORD IESVS I will ende heere and will recommende to euerie soule that Loue of IESVS as euer they woulde see the thinges that the eye neuer sawe nor the eare neuer hearde nor hath euer entered into the heart of man to their euerlasting comfort and consolation at the comming of the LORD IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holy GHOST bee all Honour Prayse and Glorie for euer and euer world without ende So bee it THE SEVENTH SERMON I. COR. CHAP. II. verse 10 But GOD hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of GOD. verse 11 For what man knoweth the thinges of man except the spirite of a man which is in him Euen so the thinges of GOD knoweth no man but the Spirite of GOD. verse 12 Nowe wee haue receaued not the spirit of the world but the Spirite which is of GOD that wee may know the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. THE last day Brethren we heard a cleare description commendation of that wisedome which ` Paul spake and preached which is none other in effect but this same blessed EVANGELL that is preached to you We shewed you that there was nothing that might commende a science or wisedome in this world but it concurred with him to the commendation praise and glorie of this wisdome that is here described The author of it is not the world nor the Princes of the world but God the maker of the worlde The secrecie of it was hidden vp in a mysterie so manie ages from the creation to the comming of Christ and manifestation of Him in the nature of man The antiquitie of it it was predestinated from all Eternitie The end of it our glorie The sublimitie and highnesse of it when it was reuealed at the cumming of CHRIST none of the Princes of this world could vnderstand it for if they had known it they had not crucified the LORD of glorie The subject of it the thinges which the eye neuer sawe the eare neuer hearde which neuer entered into the heart of man and yet for all this prepared for them that loue the LORD Nowe to come to the Text which wee haue in hand It might haue bene asked of the Apostle If such thinges as were neuer seene neuer heard of nor neuer entred into the heart of man were contained in that wisdom which he taught what profite haue we by that wisedome what profite haue wee of the thinges whereof wee are not capable The Apostle meeteth this in the first verse which we haue read But saith hee God hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit It is true indeed they passe the sight of our eyes they surmount aboue our hearing they passe the capacitie of our mind yet that LORD hath dimitted Himselfe vnto vs by His Spirit He hath reuealed those things to vs the sillie ones of y e world not to the princes of y e world but to the sillie simple ones Hee hath reuealed them not by our spirit but by His owne Spirit There is the summe of the answere shortlie He giueth the reason in the next part of the verse and letteth vs see that the Spirite of Iesus is able to reueale all these high and hidden things to vs setting out the nature of the Holie Spirit For saieth hee the Spirite searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of God The Spirite is a searcher and hee is a searcher of all things created in Heauen and earth Nothing can escape him but hee will seâ—rch into the secretest things in the world and into the secretest parts of thine heart What more Hee is a searcher of the God of glorie Himselfe and will pierce into the infinite deepnesse that is in God Hee being such a Spirit as this is he not able to reueal the things whereof wee are not capable There is the meaning of the whole verse shortlie Then we see these things contained in the Heauenlie wisedome as the riches of God in IESVS CHRIST our remission of sinne our justification our regeneration our saluation and life euerlasting euen common thinges which yee heare of daylie together with Iesus Christ the Mediator in whome and thorowe whome all thinges are wrought are the thinges which the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath not seene neither haue they eâ—â—ered into the heart of man Yet wee see that these thinges passe not so the capacitie of man nor they are not so altogether hidden from man but they are reuealed And they are reuealed to whom To them for whom they are prepared They are reuealed when euen in this life there is none for whom they are prepared from all Eternitie but in this life before the soule goe out of the bodie they shall receiue some reuelation and vnderstanding of these same things and thou that gettest no reuelation of them in this life and gettest not a sight of them ere the soule goe out of the bodie I will say to thee They were neuer prepared for thee Remission of sinnes was neuer prepared for thee Iustification before the Tribunall of GOD Regeneration Life euerlasting was neuer prepared for thee There is not a better token of life after this life than a blink of life in this life if it were but a glimmering for the best of vs hath but a glimmering a blinke of IESVS Christ and of the graces that are in Him in this life is the surest token that thou canst haue of the life to come And by the contrarie There is not a worse token of darkenesse after this life than to haue thine eyes so closed that thou hast no blinke heere of that life to come And when thou diest hauing no sight of the life to come thou shalt die a miserable catiue a faggot for the fire of Hâ—ll Let vs goe forward to the rest God hath reuealed them by His Spirit Now yee see heere a reuelation by the Spiritâ— Marke it I shall tarie somwhat vpon these wordes Yee heard before of a reuelation by the word which is this wisedome Now yee heare of a reuelation by the Spirite It is not enough to receaue a reuelation by the word though it were neuer so faire and so soundly preached it will neuer doe thee good it is nothing but as if thou wouldest holde a light before a blinde man say to him Man seest
the Spirite of God euerie spirite is a searcher it is the nature of a spirite euer to pierce in and to search for it is a subtile thing and will pierce in very subtilely to the secrets of things The spirit of an Angell is a searcher and a subtile thing the spirit of the Deuill is subtile and will pierce in subtilely he will pierce in to thine heart and insinuate himselfe therein likewise the spirit of a man is a subtile spirit and a searcher also he will search out the things that are in heauen and in the sea and in the earth for he is wonderfully inclined to searching But all the spirites except the Spirit of that Holy One search onely the creatures The spirite of an Angell of the deuill of a man search but the creatures As for the Creator no spirit is able to search in Him but His owne Spirit yea they knowe nothing in Him but so much as He will reueale vnto them As for man hee is very busie but for all his businesse hee could neuer yet search out his owne heart â—â—there is a mysterie of sinne lying in the foldes of his heart which hee shall neuer see except this Spirite enter in and giue him light But the blessed Spirit of God and of Iesus Christ hee is the Spirit both of the Father and of the Sonne for one Spirit proceedeth froÌ„ both He searcheth the Father He searcheth the Sonne Hee discouereth all And no man can bee a good searcher or a sanctified searcher except hee haue this Spirite If thy spirit be not sanctified by this Spirite which is the onlie searcher and sanctifier of all thinges all thy searching is but vanitie Nowe to goe forward Before Hee was called a searcher and now He is called a reuealer First He searcheth out then He reuealeth vnto vs There is the order He reuealeth the hiddeÌ„ things in God because He Himselfe of His owne nature is a searcher of them and before that euer Hee reueale them He searcheth them out first TheÌ„ he that will be a reuealer and will set himself to reueale those things to men I speak it in plain talk he that will bee a Preacher of these hidden thinges to others looke that first hee bee a searcher and let him bee occupied in searching and heartilie beseech GOD that the Holie Spirite would lead him in to those things that haue none accesse For hee is not fit to bee a Preacher of the Gospell that searcheth not with all his might first to see these things in God which he speaketh to others Woe to him that commeth in of purpose to speake the things to others which he neuer saw nor felt first in his owne heart Dauid saith Psalme 116. 10. I beleeued and therefore I spake Paule afterwardes saieth We beleeue and therefore wee speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. What is this beliefe None other thing but before hee speake to others to get an assurance of them in his owne heart Now looke the maner of the reuealing of these things The Spirit he reuealeth because hee openeth our heartes and taketh away the vaile off our heartes to let vs see them otherwise in vaine were it to laye them before vs. I see another maner of this reuelation and therefore looke what more the Spirit doeth Hee is not content only to take the vaile froÌ„ thine heart but hee taketh thy soule by the hand as it were and leadeth it in thorow the deepnesse of God he will rauish it out of the bodie as it were and leade it in to that light which hath none accesse and will say Loe there is the mercie loe there is the righteousnesse loe there is the euerlasting Life which is spoken of seest thou not them all in Him So he will point out euerie thing in God Therefore no doctrine auaileth without this Holie Spirit seeing Hee alone taketh the vaile from our heartes and leadeth vs in to see the thinges which are spoken of There is no perfect Doctor but the Spirite of Iesus onlie There is no creature although hee be an Angell that can take the vaile off thine heart to let thee see that can bore thine care to let thee heare perfectlie And therefore in preaching depend not vpon the mouth of men but onlie vpon the Spirit of Iesus Christ Yet I shall make the matter more plaine and shew how the Spirit will take thee and let thee see the thinges which are in God I will vse a supposition which cannot bee yet it will make the matter more cleare I suppose that my spirit or soule entered into thee if my spirite or my soule bee in thee there woulde bee nothing within mee but thou wouldest see it all my thoughtes would bee patent to thee Now to applie this This is no supposition God will put His Spirite into a man or woman for if His Spirit be not in vs wo be vnto vs for euer and euer If God put His Spirit into anie of vs must it not follow of necessitie that wee must see in God at least the things which concerne our weale and saluation That spirite in mee in thee must reueale to mee to thee the thinges which lie in the verie deepnesse of God which concerne our weale and saluation and that man that hath the Spirite of God will see the verie heart of God His mind he will see the remission of his sinnes in the mind of GOD and all by the benefite of the Spirite of IESVS that dwelleth in him Marke this yee that account so lightlie of the Spirite of Iesus in whom consisteth the onlie felicitie of man For if thou want His Spirite woe to thee thou shalt goe to Hell So wee haue a great vantage heere that by the benefite of the Spirite wee see the thinges that are in GOD. But Brethren God hath as great an aduantage of vs for if Gods Spirit be in vs by His Spirit Hee seeth all that is in our heartes for if my spirit were in thee as I spake before as thou wouldest see all that is in mine heart so I would see all that is in thy soule the least thought of thine heart would bee patent vnto mee so much more that Spirit seeth the least motion thoght of the heart of man in whom He is will present them all to the Father and lay them open before Him So al serueth to this end that we should take heed to the least thought of our hearts and beware to thinke one thought to displease Him for the Spirit as He is called the searcher of the deepnesse of God so He is called the searcher of the heartes of men There is not one thought nor one grone in thine heart or one motion of joy in thy soule but He reporteth all to the Father We haue neede to take heede to all the motions of our heartes and neuer to thinke one thought but that which wee thinke is acceptable to the Father neuer to anger the Spirit
certaine the sufficiencie of grace is not giuen to one man or to one woman onelie but to the whole members of the bodie And therefore there must bee a concurrance of the whole all must concurre for thy good and saluation for if the hand will stand vp and saye to the eye to the mouth to the foote or to the rest of the members Care for your selues foote care for thy selfe wombe care for thy selfe c. I will care for my selfe were not this a foolish hand woulde not this hand perish and wither yea it woulde perish if the mouth fedde it not if the foote caried it not if the wombe receiued not sustenance to nourish it Euen so if thou sayest to the rest of the members of the Church Care for your selues I will care for my selfe thou shalt die like a drie member and be cut off no saluation but in the vnion of that blessed bodie of CHRIST which is the Church And none yet euer came to Heauen but by a certaine concurrance of the rest of the members of the Bodie by praying by preaching by admonishing exhorting and rebuking If thou refuse this concurrance in teaching admonishing and comforting thee thou shalt neuer get Heauen Paul in the 8. chap. to the Romanes vers 28. saith Wee knowe that all thinges worke together for the best to them that loue GOD. Marke the force of the wordes If there bee not a working-together for thy saluation thou shalt not come to Heauen There are two of the meanes whereby trouble and damnage is turned to saluation Yet there are more of them for hee saieth And by the helpe of the Spirite of IESUS CHRIST There is another meane As it is a fault to one member to refuse the helpe of the rest of the members of the body of the Church their prayers intercession so it is as great a fault to leane so vpon the care of anie of the members of the body of the Church or of the Ministerie in preaching praying exhorting and comforting that in the meane time thou haue no care of thy selfe to get the spirite and life within thee for Christs Spirit is thy life thou wilt not praye for thy selfe but wilt bid the Church Ministery pray for thee as if that were enough No except that Spirite bee within thee which is the Spirit of Adoption to make intercession with sighes vnspeakeable at the hands of God downe shalt thou goe albeit that the Church and whole members thereof would please to holde thee vp What if the hand had no motion life nor streÌ„gth in it selfe would the foote and the eye bee able to holde it vp No if the foote and the eye striue to holde it vp they should rotte with the hand and behoued to bee cut of For whereto serueth a rotten member It will infect the whole bodie if it be not cut off So if thou bee without spirite and life within thy selfe how beit all the rest of the members of the body of the Church would holde their hands about thee to holde thee vp thou shalt fall downe and die So as ye would haue others caring for you care for your selfe and see that yee haue the Spirit of God caring for you If Moses Abraham and all other faithfull men woulde praye for you it is nothing What good did Samuels prayers for Saul The Lord stopped his mouth and forbad him to praye for him Thus yee haue heard of three meanes whereby this wonderfull change is made The first is the care of God and His glorie The second is the intercession of the rest of the members of the body the third is the Spirite of Christ interceading for vs and the care which we haue of our selues We haue need of these meanes And certainlie the day is approaching that experience will tell the trueth of these thinges Paul a man euer afflicted in trouble and vnder danger telleth of his owne experience what hee founde But are there yet anie more meanes Looke the verse that followeth As I saith hee heartilie looke for and hope c. The worde importeth such an hope as when a man hath his head raised vp his eyes open and bent awayting for anie thing attentiuely Wee see when a man looketh earnestlie for any other his head will bee lifted vp his eyes will be bent looking to that place where from he should come and if he loue him well he wil looke attentiuely hauing both heart and eyes bended vp with hope of his comming The like worde in the 8. chap. to the Rom. vers 19. is ascribed to the creatures They awaite with feruent desire when the sonne of God shall be reuealed I shall make the words more plaine I hope according to mine attentiue exspectation that in nothing I shall bee ashamed that is that I shall neuer thinke shame of my Maister Iesus Christ because that if I thinke shame for any thing which I suffer for His cause I thinke shame of Himselfe Hee saith that in nothing I shall bee ashamed There is the negatiue I will be ashamed of nothing But what more With all boldnesse of spirite I shall magnifie Him in my bodie not in my soule onelie but in my bodie also and that Whether it bee in my life or in my death Hee casteth in the argument of this assurance as in all times by-gone euer to this houre I haue magnified Him in my bodie So this by-gone experience would he say maketh me to be assured by hope neuer to be ashamed of Him but to glorifie Him in life and death Then take vp the lesson Amongest the rest of the mean s whereby this change is made of miserie to felicitie of death to life and all thinges are made to serue to our saluation Hope is one and it is the fourth in number Wherein standeth this Hope That in no affliction which I suffer for Christes sake I will bee ashamed and so shame the Lord. For in suffering if thou blâ—shest and thinkest shame thou shamest Him But by the contrarie in all thinges that I shall doe or suffer in this bodie I shall doe with courage confidence and libertie I shall suffer with courage confidence and libertie And so in doing in suffering in the bodie I shall magnifie my LORD So this is the point If I glorifie Him before men with courage and boldnesse in mine afflictions I may bee assured Hee shall glorifie me before His Father in Heauen Mat. 10. 32. They that suffer with Him shall reigne with Him 2. Timoth. 2. 12. But by the contrary if thou with blushing think shame of Him and of His Gospel and of the afflictions of the Gospel if thou shame Him before the world He shall shame thee before His Father Mark 8. 38. So this Hope is no small matter for if thou haue an assured Hope during thy whole life thou shalt magnifie Christ whatsoeuer falleth out in life or death assure thy selfe all shall bee turned to the glory of God and thy
body there are manie who if they haue their body well disposed are at ease then but if it be not well disposed they are heauily displeased then they grone and sigh no our misery beginneth not at our body it beginneth within vs at our soules and not at y e inferior parts of the soule but at the minde which is the most excellent part light of our soules and that should guide all the rest of the powers of y e soule Nowe the sicknesse of it is madnesse it is blinde ignorant without judgement and wee are madde fooles by nature There is no man born in y e earth but he is borne a foole thou art borne a mad bodie and besides thy selfe Thou wilt thinke thy self very wise thy wit will compasse HeaueÌ„ earth yea others that look to thee wil think thee wise but if thou haue no more than nature thou art a foole As he is a fool in very deed who thinketh he speaketh alwayes an oracle euen so art thou that art not in Christ and countest thy selfe wise the wiser thou thinkest thy selfe thou art the more and the more a foole All this is to let men see that none is wise without God For when the light of GOD is not in thee all that thou doest is foolishnesse and hee that is wise without GOD shall curse his wisedome one day and saye that all was but madnesse yea and all the Monarches in the worlde shall curse that wisedome which they had without God This natural sicknesse goeth further downe it descendeth to the heart it tarieth not in the minde But next wee become maine rebelles against God hee that is madde he is set to rebell and he is froward euer inclining to disobedience against GOD. Brethren yee knowe there are two sortes of fooles amongst men Some fooles are sillie simple fooles other fooles are malicious fooles by nature we are all borne fooles but malicious fooles euermore rebelling and displeasing GOD. If wee compare thâ—se two sortes of fooles together the second is worst LORD saue vs from a rebellious heart For I tell thee the minde is not so blinded but it hath some sight of GOD but the heart of man after the fall is altogether inclined to rebellion so that if there bee one spunke of light left in nature it will trauell by all meanes to put in the finger in the eye of the minde and put it out And therefore trauell to reforme thine heart for if it bee not reformed it shall euermore carrie thee the wrong way So there are two partes of the miserie of man Nowe commeth on the thirde Thy miserie endeth not heere Marke and trauell to finde this in experience Fie on vs if wee knowe not our selues for if wee know not our selues wee shall neuer knowe God aright The thirde part standeth in actions for the madde and rebellious heart must breake out in some actions Can a mad and rebellious bodie bee idle Hee calleth ouâ— works wauering going out of the way Can a mad man keepe the hie waye No but euermore hee goeth to one side or other No more can wee by nature goe forwarde in the right waye for by nature wee are madde frowarde and disobedient It is true naturall men will doe things that are right in themselues but no man shall do that which is good in it self rightlie that hath y t rebellion in his heart for wee doe nothing rightly but when our eyes are vpon God Albeit the action were neuer so good if thou seekest not GOD in it it is not done rightlie Thou mayest well doe it to please the eyes of men and thou mayest get thankes at the handes of men for it but thou shalt get none at Gods handes so if thou wouldest bee accepted of GOD and wouldest haue the action of thine handes to please God first looke that thine action bee good and then looke to God in thine action Then there are three parts of misery of the naturall man first madnesse in the mind secondly maliciousnesse in the heart thirdly his actions are wauerings all wandring out of the way To goe forward Hee describeth this wauering and he calleth it seruing it standeth in slauerie his whole life-time is but a seruice and slauery The naturall man if hee haue no more but nature hee is a slaue and a seruant bought and solde for Paul saieth hee is solde to bee subject to sinne Roman 7. 15. Suppose hee were a Monarch of the whole earth if hee bee without the newe man hee is a slaue It is true hee will haue manie seruantes vnder him but hee is the first and chiefe slaue himselfe yea hee is a greater seruant than the verie kitchen boye and the moste abject seruant in his house But to whome is this seruice done To whome are wee slaues In plaine talke hee saieth to concupiscences Hee calleth them pleasures but fiâ— on them how beit they are sweete things yet they haue a soure ende Harlotrie is sweete for a time but O that bitternesse in the ende It is sweete to murther but O that bitternesse that it shall bring with it in the end it shal be bitterer than the very gall Paul maketh mention here of aâ—varietie and diuersity of lusts Thou that seruest thine own lusts art not subject to one maister only but to an hundreth thou art subject to many vncleane maisters of diuers qualities Brethren are these our maisters Fy vpon them the seruice done to them it is a vile seruice Thou that art a lord when thou lookest to thy kitchen boye thou wilt thinke his seruice vile but fye vpon thee thou art a greater slaue hee is an honest seruant but thou art a slaue for thy seruice is done to thy filthy pleasures there is a variety of them and so thou hast manie maisters whom thou seruest And therefore yee will see these men who serue their owne lustes to bee the weariest bodies y â— euer liued euen as if they were drawne thorow a myre for the onely true and cleane seruice is the seruice of that onely one GOD the onely repose of thy soule is on that one GOD there is no rest but on Him Awaye with that creature that drinketh in the soule lustes of this earth that is no rest to him heere and woe to that rest that shall come in the ende So there are the maisters which wee serue foule concupiscences and fleshlie lustes It may bee asked Will a person bee subject to such a great varietie of concupiscences I answere The seede of euerie sinne in the worlde is in euerie man so all concupiscences are in thee because the seede of them is within thee No the best men in the earth hath the seede of these lusts which budde out into actions it will lurke for a time in the winter but in the spring it will breke out and then thou wilt knowe thou hast it when thou feelest the stinke of it So there is the first answere the seede of
professe or followe Christ what can bee more hard But suppone reason were conuinced and the mouth thereof closed that it coulde gette no shift to answere yet thinkest thou so to bee quite of thy selfe No the will and the affections will stand obstinately against the judgement of the minde and follow out and pursue that which the minde discearneth to be euill So thou mayest easily see that there is nothing more harde than to gette this Regeneration yea thou mayest see that it is a thing altogether impossible except that Almighty Spirit of God be present and worke it effectually in the soule all the kings of the earth with all their weapons and engines of warre cannot be able to doe it No all the Angels in Heauen are not able to accomplish this worke The weapons of our warre-fare saith Paul are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holdes casting downe imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. There is no power in Heauen or earth but onely the Spirit of God that is able to renewe one creature And this power is granted to this our Ministerie the preaching of the Euangell Let great men let worldly men esteeme of it as they please God hath ordained this Ministery to minister this wonderfull power whereby the soules of men shall be regenerate Further thou must vnderstand that this Regeneration is not perfected in an instant but in processe of time it must continue all the dayes of thy life so long as thou liuest albeit thou liue a thousand yeeres this olde man will not bee perfectly and altogether mortified and slaine till the houre of death Thou must all the dayes of thy life-time be groaning vnder the burthen of sinne subject to crosses and troubles away with light-headed sinners who saye they woulde alwayes haue their heartes vp sadnesse becommeth a sinner well and thou must striue to finde the newe man to bee renewed degree by degree piece and piece euen till at last death bee swallowed vp of life and mortalitie of immortalitie And if thou wouldest haue this worke to goe forward in thee then set euermore Iesus thy Lord and thine head before the eyes of thy soule looke vpon Him with the eyes of faith for it is only His presence the sight of His glory that worketh this marueilous change for there is a great oddes betweene the sight of His glorie and the sight of the glorie of worldlie Princes for the sight of their glorie will not change thee nor make thee glorious but vanisheth awaye in a moment But the sight of the glorie of IESVS shall change thee and make thee glorious whensoeuer thou beholdest Him either by faith in this worlde or else face to face in the Kingdome of Glorie For when thou beholdest Him with the eyes of faith heere thou shalt bee changed according to the measure of thy faith and because thy faith is imperfect thy change heere must bee imperfect but when thou shalt see Him face to face and beholde Him as Hee is then shalt thou bee like vnto Him in glorie thy change shall bee perfect His presence shall bee effectuall to change thy vile bodie and to fashion it like vnto His owne glorious bodie when thou beholdest His glorie thou shalt bee changed into the same glorie Therefore yee see what neede wee haue to finde this Regeneration begunne in vs heere and to finde a continuall progresse therein all the dayes of our life that so wee maye bee assured that the LORD shall crowne His worke in vs with glorie in IESVS And nowe to ende then surelie yee see that corruption mischiefe and venome euerie man without exception communicate vnto their children by naturall generation Therefore Brethren this is mine exhortation to all both to great and small I except none from the King to the Begger Striue as yee are instrumentes of generation so to bee instrumentes of regeneration that your children maye bee taken out of nature and planted in grace and so bee made members of the mysticall bodie of IESVS CHRIST Striue to bring them vp in the knowledge of CHRIST that so yee maye bee free of that heauie judgement which remaineth for all such as neglect this duetie towardes their children and that yee maye see GODS blessing vpon your children heere and maye haue hope of that eternall life and glorie heereafter which the LORD hath promised to His owne in CHRIST IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT three persons and one GOD be all Honour Glorie Praise Power Dominion both now and euermore So bee it THE XVII SERMON I. TIMOTH CHAP. I. verse 12 Therefore I thanke him who hath made mee strong that is Christ Iesus our Lord for hee counted mee faithfull and put me in his seruice verse 13 When before I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressour but I was receiued to mercie for I did it ignorantly through vnbeliefe verse 14 But the grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Jesus IN this Text beloued Brethren in Iesus Christ there is set downe to vs a notable example of thankfulnesse to God in the person of the Apostle Paul for that great and incomparable mercy which the Lord bestowed vpon him not onely in forgiuing him his grosse and manifold sinnes but also for setting of him in His seruice and for the committing to him the message of reconciliation making him an Apostle to preach repentance and remission of sinnes to others As the mercies which he found were wondrous great so is hee wondrous carefull alwayes to testifie his thankfulnesse to GOD And to the ende the more chearefully he may praise thanke God hee considereth and setteth downe by degrees and in order his vnworthinesse and the euill deedes that he did notwithstanding whereof the Lord extended His mercy most aboundantlie towardes him To come to the wordes Hee saieth Therefore I thanke him who hath made me strong that is Christ Jesus our Lord These wordes depend vpon the verse immediately going before hee saide before that the glorious Euangell of Iesus Christ was concredite to him for the which cause he bursteth forth in thankesgiuing and hee saieth Therefore I will be thankfull to Him who hath concredited it vnto mee Then yee see his thankfulnesse ariseth on two considerations First vpon the consideration of the excellency of the Euangel of Iesus Christ The Gospell is glorious in it selfe and it is come down from the blessed God next vpon the consideration of his owne vnworthinesse looke howe worthie the Gospell was as vnworthie was hee then considering that so worthy a thing was giuen vnto him and that hee himselfe was so vnworthy hee knoweth not what thankes to giue he cannot deuise what manner of waye to testifie his thankfulnesse If once wee could see what God were howe
vpon thy bodie otherwise soule and bodie both shall perish the house shall fall downe and the man that lodged in the house shall bee destroyed Remember then Life and Death are not matters to bee scorned withall they are not wordes nay nay Thinke grauelie of them and before thy soule bee dislodged looke that thou bee prepared for a better life Looke that thou finde the LORD of Life CHRIST IESVS by His Spirit working the death of mortalitie in thee and the beginning of the Life that shall last for euer The LORD by His Spirit worke these thinges in your heartes To whom bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE SECOND SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 5 And He that hath created vs for this thing is GOD who also hath giuen vnto vs the earnest of the Spirit verse 6 Therefore wee are alwayes bolde though wee knowe that Whilst wee are at home in the bodie wee are absent from the LORD verse 7 For we walke by faith and not by sight verse 8 Neuerthelesse we are bolde loue rather to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD BRethren yee that were present the last day hearde what was the purpose of Paul in this place First hee beginneth to comfort himselfe and all others that are to die and to be dissolued against death the terrours of death He as he saith in the chap. preceeding 18. vers is looking vp to Heauen and whilst he is looking vp to Heauen to see that end that he was once to attaine to there cometh in betwixt his sight and the light of that glorie and life a cloude of death to haue caught away out of his eies if it had bene possible all too-looke to life euerlasting The remedic against it wee shewed you was Faith and a constant Hope with a sharpe earnest and stedfast looking euē to pierce in throrow death and that cloude of death and thorow death to get a sight of that life and light of glorie which lieth hid vp in Heauen beyond death We know saith the Apostle and are assured that our bodies and the earthlie house of this tabernacle shall bee dissolued yet wee shall get a building for an house a building that is from God not made with mens hands but an eternall building that is situated in the Heauens aboue the carth When hee hath set down this remedy he beginneth to comfort himselfe and others by a sure Faith that after death he shall liue againe after the dissolution of his mortall bodie hee shall receiue a glorious bodie The first argument of his assurance is from the desire hee had of life sighing with an earnest desire of that Kingdome which is from Heauen This desire neuer disappointed man Neuer was there anie man that had an earnest desire of life glorie and had the true knowledge and meane to attaine to this glorie that was disappointed of his desire but who euer desired most earnestlie to be glorified most certainly they liue now in Heauen and at this houre they are glorified there and none there shall be that shall haue this desire and striue to throng into Heauen violently Mat. 11. 12. but they shall enjoy Heauen after their departing Now in the Text which we haue read we followe out the assurances and warrandes which the Apostle hath of the glorie of the life to come The second assurance and warrand of the life to come is in the first words Hee saith the Apostle that hath created vs for this thing is God c. The argument of the life to come in these words is from the ende of our creation GOD hath created vs to this ende to wit That in the ende this mortalitie wherewith wee are clothed might bee swallowed vp of Life therefore liue must wee in Heauen This is the ende of our creation therefore it cannot faile but wee must bee glorified Learne then The maner of our glorifying is this It is GOD not man that hath made vs and created vs to this ende It is impossible that GOD can be disappointed of the ende which He setteth before Him of His worke man may bee disappointed for hee will begin a worke for some purpose but oft times hee will bee disappointed of that purpose Hee will build an house to dwell in but it may be hee neuer dwell in it another will dwell therein GOD when He worketh a worke to anie ende it is impossible that Hee can bee disappointed All the world if they would stand vp and oppone to GODS worke they cannot hinder it That worke that GOD worketh in vs is such a worke that tendeth to Life as to the ende thereof Who shall condemne vs saith the Apostle it is God that justifieth vs Roman 8. 33. Will Hee justifie thee all the world shall not bee able to condemne thee Will Hee saue thee all the worlde shall not bee able to make thee perish So is it of His whole Church in generall Suppose all the worlde were conspired against His Church He wil haue it safe and wonderfully worketh He the saluation of His Church euery member thereof through death He bringeth them to life so that it is folly to men to striue against the works of GOD. Yet looke to the wordes Hee that hath created vs to this end is God What creation is this that he meaneth of Is this that first creation of Adam and Eua of euery one of vs in them that was at the beginning Not so that creation failed Indeede wee were first created to liue and thorowe that first creation euerie one of vs got a certaine right to liue for euer but that right wee lost in our owne default wee are fallen from that right of our creation in the fall of Adam So we must seeke another creation or else wee shall neuer see Life for wee haue no right to that first creation which was in all Holinesse according to the image of GOD Ephes 4. 24. If thou sticke to that first creation and olde birth-right thou shalt neuer see Life Then the Apostle meaneth of another What other making or creating of vs is this It is our regeneration or renewing againe which is nothing else but as it were a newe birth and begetting from the which we are called new creatures 2. Corin. 5. 17. Then Brethren wouldst thou haue a sure argument that thou shalt liue after this life wo to thee if thou liuest not after this life woe to them that euer sawe this worlde and they get not a life after this life for this life will away Looke if thou art regenerated and renewed looke if thou art sanctified and findest a slaying of thy lusts within thee Looke if thou findest the life of God by his Spirit working within thee not this naturall life but this Heauenly and spirituall life begunne in thee not by nature but by grace If thou hast this thou hast a warrand that thou shalt liue and albeit
this naturall life shall bee taken from thee thou shalt get another life euerlasting in glory but if thou findest thy self not renewed by the Spirit of grace take this life from thee thou shalt not get life euerlasting in glorie So looke if thou be a newe creature thou hast gotten a greater grace than to be borne to an earthly kingdome if so be thou mayst assure thy selfe of lif euerlasting What is this newnesse in the new creature This newnes that is in the new creature is nothing els but that same life which we shall liue in Heauen and is begun here This newnesse is only this new life of regeneration which life so long as thou liuest heere from the time that thou hast gotten a sponke thereof piece and piece eateth vp the olde and cankered nature The life of God within thee will consume euen as thou consumest the meat thou eatest the olde corruption which lieth in thy nature and in the ende in the glorious resurrection of the dead it shall bee altogether abolished This life then which is begunne heere it shall open the mouth and swallow vp death and death thereafter shall haue no more place This life is onely eating vp by little and little death heere but at that time it shall swallowe it vp wholly and thou shalt say with Paule Death is swallowed vp 1. Cor. 15. 54. So well is the soule that hath a warrande of his new creation whether he die in his bed or out of it he shall die with joy Then my counsell is seeing death is daylie threatned let euery one striue to get this assurance of this new life begun in him heere that it may swallowe vp death Woe bee to them that haue not this assurance This is the second assuraÌ„ce of life euerlasting I pray you marke these assurances for Paule had such an earnest desire that hee sought all assurances and warrandes of this life and hee is reigning now in Heauen So thou who thirstest after life learne at him Nowe resteth the thirde warrande in the next wordes Who also hath giuen vs the earnest of the Spirite Learne the words for al the doctrine riseth of the words Then the third warrand is the Spirit of Christ Iesus in thee If euer thou mindest to haue life hereafter thou must haue Gods Spirit in thee not onlie thine owne Spirite but Gods Spirite flowing from God through Iesus Christ entering into thy bodie soule Beholde the liberality of God when Hee by His Spirite hath renewed thee Hee will not take that Spirite from thee as a man will doe when he hath builded a worke hee will take his hand from it stand if it will or not But the Lord doeth not so Hee hath renewed thee by His Holie Spirite which Hee putteth within thee O how the Lord putteth the third person of the Trinitie in thee and maketh Him an earnest-pennie to thee of Life euerlasting Because thy regeneration is vnperfect and thou hast not yet attained to that Life therefore Hee letteth His Spirit abide in thee assuring thee as an earnest-pennie that whatsoeuer God hath promised He shal perform it to thee and thou shalt not bee disappointed of a jot thereof Such is the infidelitie of our nature that all the promises all the othes which He maketh to confirme His promises all His SacrameÌ„ts which Hee hath joyned to His promises cannot perswade vs. But looke to this thirde warrande Hast thou the Spirit of God if Hee bee in thee He will bee quicke working joye with sighs He cannot be idle Hee will be working the worke of regeneration both day and night Then anger Him not Ephes 4. 30. Away with filthie cogitations away with euerie rotten worde away with euerie euill deede labour to pleasure Him day night and striue to keepe Him and thou shalt hauea warrande of life in thy bosome and when thou art dying thou shalt find such sweetnesse in death as is wonderfull to tell None euer had the Spirite of God but in death they had vnspeakable joye Then seeke to bee in Christ and get His Spirite within thee and hauing gotten this Spirite keepe Him diligently and powre out thine owne spirite but never Gods Spirit for then in all distresses thou shalt have comfort Now to resume all Yee who take great pleasure in your Charters the Evidences of your inheritance and land take heed to this Your inheritance is in Heaven and thou art a foole who thinkest that thou hast an inheritance in earth For either shalt thou be pulled from it or it shall bee pulled from thee Nay looke as ever thou wouldest be an inheriter that thine inheritance be in Heaven Thou art the foolishest begger and the poorest that ever was if thou bee a King if thou thinkest thine inheritance to be in earth Having laid this count with thy selfe Mine inheritance is in Heaven then next looke that thou have thine evidence For thou shalt never possesse Heaven except thou have the evidence thereof laid up in thy charter kist Now thine evidences are the same euidences that Paul had and the same kind of evidences serve for all it is an inheritance that all men must get one sort of charter must serve for one inheritance What then can be the charter and evidence Canst thou sigh for that Heavenly inheritance Canst thou have a desire of it There is thy first evidence Then findest thou thy selfe to bee renewed Findest thou CHRISTS life in thee The life of Iesus is manifest in me saith Paul 2. Cor. 4. 10. Findest thou the wicked life of this world reformed There is the second evidence Yet more findest thou the worker of the desire and the worker of thy regeneration the Spirit of Christ within thee then keepe him well There is the best evidence of all the evidences of thine inheritance having these assure thy selfe of Heaven but wantest thou these or any of them thou shalt never get that inheritance in Heaven As these three are three evidences of thine heavenly inheritance so they are three props of Faith that gripe this Heavenly life They are the three pillars that hold up Faith which is builded upon them cut one of these pillars away and thou shalt lose Faith and Hope But here it may be asked Are all these three of the nature of the life to come I answere As for the desire sighing and sobbing for that heavenly inheritance it endeth with this life and in that life to come all weeping shall bee taken away REVEL 21. 4. Mourne and groane in time then heereafter shall come ioy aud pure ioy A troubled ioy is â—eere in this life but heereafter there shall bee a pure and solid ioy and nothing but ioy So this mourning ceaseth then and is not of the nature of the life to come but as to the new creature and regeneration it is of the nature of the life to come and it is the beginnning and first part of that heavenly glorie so that our
thinke we can haue none Heauenly glory and joy except wee haue this earthly body there It is true indeede the soule cannot haue so great joye as if the soule and body were together but it is also true that the soule beeing separated hath greater joye in Heauen than the soule and body can haue together in this earth Otherwise howe woulde Paul haue desired to haue beene dissolued he hauing that confidence and earnest-penny of glory except he had desired that joye in the soule Alas wee are so senselesse that wee thinke joye cannot come except wee get it in our earthly body And this is one part of our miserie Now in the next verse in a parenthesis he casteth in the cause why hee is absent from GOD and a pilgrime heere and saieth For wee walke by faith and not by sight As if hee woulde saye All the sight which I haue of Him is afarre of looke how farre the Heauens are distant from the earth also as far is IESVS distaÌ„t from the eye of the faithful soule there is onely a farre sight of Him heere all the sight of Heauenly glory which wee haue here is like a more in respect of that sight we shall geâ— it is so farre from thee that it seemeth not to bee the thousand part of that fulnes that it is indeed Thou seest it now as it were a more but thou shalt once see it as a mountaine in great fulnesse So Paul saith I see my LORD but afarre of there is a great distance betwixt the eye of my soule and Him besides this farnes such a mist ariseth out of the stinking body of corruption betwixt my LORD and me like a cloude that it hideth my LORDS face from me So there are two impedimentes which hinder vs from the full sight of CHRIST the first is the farre distance of place betwixt Him me the second is the smoke mist of my corruptioÌ„ that goeth in betwixt me Him and taketh the sight of my LORD from me Find yee not this in your selues by experience In the beginning of an houre thou shalt haue a sight of Him and againe ere the halfe houre bee past the sight of Him is away let bee a day or halfe a day Then maruell not suppose Paule complaineth of this that he cannot see CHRIST in respect of the farnesse and smoke that commeth betwixt them Would to GOD wee had a sense of this Who is he that once groneth for this and saieth Alas I am a pilgrime it is a farre sight which I haue of my LORD O! if my soule were loosed from my bodie that I might bee with Him Who can saye this No wee are all sleeping and there is none eye lifted vp to CHRIST in this great misâ—rie Wilt thou alwayes crie peace in such a miserie at last thou shalt be pressed downe to Hell Yet to insist vpon this verse We walke saith he by faith and not by sight Yee see heere then the condition of a Christian is walking not sitting nor sleeping hee must be afoote This worde is euer in the Apostles mouth 1. Thessal â— 6. Colloss 4. 2. c. Euer walking a pilgrime must not sit downe Thou art a pilgrime vpon thy journey towardes another countrey thou must not sit downe for otherwise thou shalt neuer come to thy journeys ende The seconde thing which I marke heere This walking must not be in darknesse but it must bee in light Woe to him that walketh in darkenesse for if hee were neuer so well occupied hee shall die in darknesse hee that walketh in darkenesse he shall get Hell for Hâ—ll is darknesse so that walking must be in light The light is of two sorts they are both set downe in â—…hrse The first is the light and knowledge of â—â—â—â—â— The second the light of presence and sight The knowledge of Faith is but a glimmering in respect of the other light that is by sight wheÌ„ thou shalt see CHRIST in His presence is a wonderfull light when Hee shall looke to thee and thou to Him the beames of His glory shall so strike on thee and cause thee shine that thou shalt bee astonished There is no soule but assoone as it commeth in His presence it will bee astonished and maruell that euer there was such a light in CHRIST Faith hath but a small light but the light by presence is marueilous Hâ—e shall translate vs to a marueilou light 1. Pet. 2. 9. All the Angels wonder at the light which is about the Lambe and thy soule when it shall come into glory shall stand wondering at such a glory and thy body when it shall followe shall wonder and all shall bee wondering at such a passing glory These are the two sights Would GOD wee coulde take heede to get a glaunce of that Heauenly glory then all the pleasures of this earth would bee but vanitie dirt and pelffrie to vs. The Lord yet open our eyes to get a sight of this glory These are two lights and as there is two lights so there is two kindes of walking The one is in this life the other in Heauen in the life to come In this life wee haue a small glimmering without any Sunne a blincke of light enuironed about with darknesse Therefore because of the want of light there is such stumbling in our walking in this life but when we shall walke in the Heauens with that Hâ—auâ—ly light of GOD with the countenance of CHRIST before our eyes then no staggering neither to this side nor to that because of that light that is in the face of CHRIST euer shining in our eyes The darknesse yee see is vnpleasant but the light is pleasant It is a wonderfull thing that wee shall get leaue to walke in that inaccessible light of GOD wherein the Father and the Sonne doe walke Brethren thinke on these things for these are the chiefe points of all All earthly thinges euanish when the Sunne goeth downe and darknesse commeth Therefore set your eyes vpon that glory which neuer shall euanish nor decay as euer ye wold desire to reign there These dayes require this preparation Certainely preaching and hearing will euanish and preaching beeing taken away faith will faile and without faith how can meÌ„ attaine to glory Therefore to keepe in the glory of this light we should earnestly crie LORD GIVE VS THIS WORD For if it bee taken away wee shall bee worse than they of Sodome and Gomorrha Now the Apostle hauing shewed this he commeth backe againe and saith Neuerthelesse we haue confidence c. He that hath confidence he will rejoyce to speake of it it swelleth so in his heart that of necessity it must bee vttered and hee will say once twise thrise I haue confidence â—uâ— nowe with confidence hee joyneth another thing to wit his loue to die and to slit out of the bodie to reigne with CHRIST Loue to die is the companion of confidence Hee saieth I haue confidence but I loue rather
to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD There are two good thinges The one confidence the other light The Apostle maketh a choise heere he will leaue confidence here in the bodie and hee chooseth to die that he may attaine to the light and in this respect he would change all the confidence hee hath with death Thou wilâ— not change a foot of earth with death but th' Apostle will change confidence with death and confidence is more preciou than all y e earth Few will doe this and yet thou wi 't die and thou hadst sworne it Well is that bodie that is so resolued to die as Paule was But maketh Paule a choise of death for death it selfe Certainely no man wil choose death for death it selfe for except the LORD lighten death and transforme it it is an entrie to Hell And if thou haue none other respect in death but to be quite of this miserable life as some will sâ—y Would GOD I were dead that I might bee quite of this miserie thou shalt bee in greater miserie after death than euer thou was whilst thou was liuing What then should bee the speciall cause that should mooue a man to say Would GOD I were dissolued euen this I am burthened with sinne I am burthened with mortalitie This burthen should bee a great motiue Well is the soule that is freede of sinne What pleasure is it to a soule that woulde faine serue GOD to liue euer in sinne Nay no pleasure This is the speciall motiue that should mooue vs to make choise of death To bee with IESVS CHRIST to dwell with Him and to bee in His companie in the participation of that glorie that is in the countenance of CHRIST For that caâ—se I would flit that I might bee with my LORD and embrace that joye So as the miserie of this worlde will put thee forwarde to GOD. so the sweetenesse of CHRISTS companie will draw thee forward Then to ende The Apostle hath preconceaued in himselfe a wonderfull joye of that glorie when hee sawe it not yet so must wee doe All his walking was by faith and not by sight but hee seeth before the hand an Heauenlie joy and pleasure in respect of that â—ruition that he shall once get of the countenance of CHRIST This shoulde learne thee to looke euer for more than thou â—eest thinke not that thou hast seene all the glorie that shall come to thee and hast felt all the pleasures that are laid vp for thee in Heauen But thinke that there is greater joye and glorie there thaÌ„ euer thou couldi heare of for CHRIST him selfe neuer vttered al the glory that is laid vp for the Sainctes All that wee see heere is but in a mirrour All the glorie of CHRIST in the Scripture is but in a mirrour liâ—e as when the Sunne shineth in the mirrour thou lookest not to the Sunne that shineth but to the glauncing thereof in the mirrour And as there is greater shining in the Sunne than in the glauncing thereof which thou seest so thinke euer there is greater glorie in Heauen than euer thou hearde of in the Scripture Suppose not that thou canst thinke of the joyes of Heauen as men on earth thinke on earthly thinges Who can thinke a thing greater than it is No the glory of Heauen and the joye with CHRIST mounteth vp aboue the reach of thy faith and hope and all thing that is able to conceiue the same It mounteth vp higher that the Heauen of Heauens is aboue the earth Therefore thinke not with thy selfe it is too much that I looke for Thou failest only in narrownesse thy Faith and Hope is so narrowe that they cannot comprehende the thousande part of that glorie And so wee should say I hope and I belieue more than I am able to comprehend And here is the cause that thou canst not get that full sight of glorie that is laide vp for thee The weake begunne grace of Faith and the Spirite of GOD in thee is not able to attaine to the thousand part of that glorie The LORD giue vs grace to preconceaue this glorie in some measure that wee may seeke the same and say with PAVL I haue Faith and Hope but that glorie passeth all The LORD grant vs this euen for CHRISTES sake So bee it THE THIRD SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 9 Whereâ—ore also we couet that both dwelling at home and remoouing from home wee may bee acceptable to Him verse 10 For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of CHRIST that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that that he hath done whether it be good or euill verse 11 Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD wee perswade men and wee are made manifest vnto GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences WEe haue hearde Brethren these dayes past the remedie that the Apostle setteth downe against this temporall death the dissolution of the body In a worde it is a full assurance and perswasion of the heart that when we are dead concerning the body yet we shall liue againe and shall receiue at the handes of God a more glorious body than euer this bodie was It is an harde matter to get this assurance for the naturall reason of man cannot nor will not perswade him that hee once beeing dead the bodie beeing dissolued in ashes that euer that bodie shall bee recouered againe Therefore the Apostle bringeth in three argumentes of this assurance The first is the earnest desire that the Godly haue in this life to be glorified It is a thing impossible that this desire can bee in vaine Hee that giueth thee a desire of glorie and sighing for it He must giue thee the life and glorie that is desired and sighed for For otherwise Hee would neuer giue thee grace to sigh once for this life and glorie except Hee were purposed to put thee in possession of that glorie one day The second argument is taken from our regenâ—ration or the end of our regeneration GOD is Hee that maketh vs of new againe after we were dismaide by the fall of Adam Hee createth vs of newe againe to this ende that wee should liue the first creation It ended indeede and wee haue lost the right thereof euen in the first creation Wee were created to liue euerlastingly yet wee died But the second creation in IESUS will neuer breake but as in him wee are renewed to life liue shall wee in the Heauens euerlastingly it can neuer faile Peter saith in his first epist chap. 1. vers 3. Wee are regenerate againe into that liuely hope The third argument is the Spirit of CHRIST whereby GOD worketh in vs both the desire and regeneration hauing once giuen vs that Spirit He taketh Him not from vs againe but letteth Him dwell in soule and bodie to bee an earnest-pennie in vs assuring vs He shal neuer leaue vs till the whole promises in
part it is the hope of that life and glory to come and an eye to Heauen that maketh a Pilgrime to liue well in this life where this eye to Heauen is not there is no good life Wherefore should we speake further Alas these euill liues of men these murthers adulteries thefts tell vs plainely there is no sight of Heauen nor regarde of the life to come Thou that passest thy time taking thy pleasure in the displeasing of GOD testifiest that thine eye was neuer on Heauen that the eye of thy soule was neuer lifted vp aboue thy bodie and assure thy selfe if thou liue on so thou shalt neuer see Heauen Now in the next verse hee subjoyneth another argument moouing him to bee ambitious to bee with that LORD of life The first argument was because hee was to dwell with that LORD in Heauen The second is that terrible Iudgement that all flesh shall see except they endeuour themselues to serue GOD in this life For saieth hee wee must all appeare before the Iudgement-seate of CHRIST Learne a lesson of the pith of this argument As there is a force in the hope of the life to come so there is a force in the feare of a terrible Iudgement to mooue a man to liue well here Looke howe needefull the one is to cause thee to liue well in this life as needefull also is the other Hope of life is needful feare of judgemēt is needful what should be the cause of this knowest thou not thy nature how backward froward it is so that except thou be pricked forward with terrors of judgement thou wilt neuer addresse thy selfe to Heauen but wilt linguer sit downe by the way Brethren There are two things in Heauen and two thinges in earth both seruing to mooue vs to liue well heere in this life In Heauen there is two seates one of Grace which is called the Throne of grace The other a seate of Iudgement a Tribunall Fie on all tribunals in the earth in respect of that Heauenly Tribunall The Throne of grace is spoken of to the Hebrewes Chapt. 4. vers 16. Let vs goe boldly to the Throne of grace that wee may get mercie But this will not suffice except the Tribunall of judgement be also before thee to draw thee forward both must bee before thee and as thou lookest to the Throne of grace with the one eye so look to the Throne of judgement with the other eye There are also in like maner two thinges in earth to draw thee forward The one the Gospell of grace The other the Law threatning judgement The Gospel drawing thee louinglie to GOD the Lawe threatning thee to goe forwarde or else thou shalt die The Gospell gently alluring thee forwarde promising that thou shalt get life The Lawe standing about the Gospell as a fire to terrifie thee and if thou goe out of the right way it will burne thee It will not bee the Gospell alone that will serue the turne Indeede if there were no canker in thee the Gospell would serue the turne but in respect of this wicked canker in thy nature thou must be threatned with the Lawe Seest thou not thy nature fairnes will not serue the turne thou must be pulled forward by the haire or else thou wilt fall into damnation Take me away the rebukes of the Law if thou bee a king or a Monarch it is but a dead Gospel to thee such is the corrupt nature of man Take away the canker of the nature of man I shall speake nothing of the Lawe but as long as this canker remaineth the Law must threaten all from the king to the begger I were a false Doctor if I vsed not the threatning of the Lawe to rebuke this canker of nature Who is more holie than Paule was He looking vp to Heauen seeing the Mercie-seate likewise seeth the Iudgement-seate and if hee had not seene the Iudgement-seate and beene terrified therewith hee shoulde neuer haue gotten a sight of that Mercie-seate so must it bee with vs wee must see that Iudgement-seate as well as that Mercie-seate This is wonderfull Hee was euen nowe speaking of CHRIST as a sweete LORD and faine would bee at Him and nowe againe hee setteth Him vp as a Iudge to terrifie men Is this the LORD at whom he would bee Who desireth to appeare before a terrible Iudge Who hath life and death in his handes Take heede this is Paules meaning The LORD IESVS Hee is both terrible to men and joyous to men and Hee must bee both joyous and mercifull indeede to thee who endeuoureth thy selfe to please Him in this life Terrible to them who endeuoureth them not to please Him in this life Wouldest thou haue Him mercifull to thee studie then to liue well serue Him sincerely in thy calling Wilt thou haue Him terrible to thee thou shalt indeede finde Him terrible to thee and thou shalt shake tremble at His countenance in case thou seeke not to please Him in this life And this shall bee the first sight that euer the wicked who desired not to please Him in this life shall get of Him Heauen and Hell are thought jests mocks now adayes this Tribunall is not looked too but certainely thou must appeare either before the Throne of Mercie or the Tribunal of Iudgement Yet to goe forward in the wordes I shall only touch them without discoursing on that generall judgement Then first heere to let you see the terriblenesse of that judgement there is an Appearance whereof Esaias in his 45. Chapter and the 23. verse thereof and Paule Roman 14. 11. speaketh As I liue saieth the LORD all knees shall how to Mee and all thinges shall confesse Mee to bee GOD. There is the reuerence that shall bee at that appearance all kinges in the earth shall bow their knees the tongue that would not speake in this earth to GODS glory shall then bee compelled to speake to His glorie Then there is first an appearance Secondly an necessitie Thou must appeare Thirdly an vniuersalitie all shall appear without exception all shall be called and all must answere Hic sum I AM HEERE None shall bee away man nor womā rich nor poore from Adam the first man to the last man borne on the earth Then fourthly The seate before the which this appearance must bee is a Tribunall the Iudge is CHRIST IEHOVAH GOD not man onely all knees shall bow to Him as GOD and not only to CHRIST as GOD but to CHRIST in our nature as man he shall sit as a glorious Iudge as it is saide Iohn 5. 22. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Sonne And as there shall bee one appearance of all so there must be one receiuing none shall appeare but something they shall receiue What shall bee receiued A reward of thy actions and doinges in thy bodie which rewarde shall appertaine to the bodie as well as to the soule because thou didst them in
to Iesus discerne betwixt dead men and liuing men in this world Dead men are they who are natural men and no more Hast thou no more but nature with all the prerogatiues that can followe nature thou art dead although thou bee a king Liuing men are they who are borne againe by Christ Hast thou the Spirit of Christ thou liuest wantest thou the Spirit of Christ thou art but dead So there is a speciall point of Christes seruice discerne betwixt liuing men and dead men thou art in the middest of them and liuing men on the one hand dead men on the other hand Discerne betwixt them Count not of the dead man although hee had all the prerogatiues vnder Heauen If he haue no more but nature call him not blessed The liuing man is hee that hath the Spirit of Christ in him albeit he be a begger and the men who make an account of their worldlie prerogatiues and follow nature and the olde generation are but naturall men thou that accountest of dead men thou art dead thy self as thou art dead so all thine estimation is of dead men To goe forward to the wordes Hee amplifieth this by the example of Christ and saieth How beit I accounted once of Christ after the flesh before â— knewe Him well yet from hencefoorth I will knowe Him no more after the flesh and therefore why should wee knowe men after the flesh who are inferiours to Christ the head of all flesh Nowe â—o speake of this Lord When He was in this worlde Hee was clothed with these earthlie prerogatiues as other men yea I thinke Hee had these outwarde prerogatiues in His owne person in greatest measure aboue all men For neuer man descended of a more excellent rase and genealogie than He did Then looke to his beautie albeit it bee not set downe in the Scripture yet I thinke there was neuer man so faire in beautie as He He was most wise most eloquent of all meÌ„ therefore y e Apostles held Him in admiration for these prerogatiues But from once by His glorious resurrection as the Apostle â—aieth Roman 1. 4. Hee was declared mightily to be the Sonne of GOD then all these thing euanished and the onelie admiration remained of that glorie which Hee declared by His resurrection All these earthlie prerogatiues saieth Paule then passed out of their eyes and the graces of CHRIST onlie remained to be marueiled at The lesson is plain The LORD IESVS is the rule of the estimation of all flesh In thine estimation hold thine eye alwayes vpon CHRIST or els thou shalt fall First cast thine eyes vp to Heauen and then caâ—â— downe thine eyes on man who is but a worme on the earâ—â— Looke vp to a glorious GOD IESVS the Mediator and then to a worme on this earth though hee bee a king and say Those thinges that I will not count of in IESVS which He had beeing in Gâ—â—lâ—e and in the earth I will not count of them in thee that art but a worme I will not doe it But by the contrarie that thing which I esteeme of in Him that passing glorie which is in Him when I looke to thee and see a glaunce thereof in thee indeede for that little resemblance which I see in thee like to my LORD resembling Him in grace I will esteeme of thee otherwise I may well giue thee this worldlie reuerence bâ—â— if thou wantest this resemblance I will neuer count thee happie albeit thou hadst all the earthly prerogatiues in the world And certainelie they who hold men in â—…miration for their earthly prerogatiues neuer â—â—â—â— CHRIST nor His glorie Thou that wilt see a Tribunall a Monarch heere and maruell thereat thou neuer saw the Tribunall of CHRIST So the thing that causeth people to esteeme of men for their earthly prerogatiues is because they see not the glorie graces of CHRIST Would the people haue esteemed so much of Herod if they had knowne the Majestie of the Great GOD when they called him a god Acts 12. 22. No not for all the world and therefore seeke a sight of the glorie of GOD if ye would rightlie esteeme of men and giue them only their owne place Nowe to goe forward Yee haue heard of the purpose that the Apostle taketh in seruing of his LORD by the right esteeming of men in this world among whome hee liueth In the next verse he commeth to the estate of this world sheweth what alteration was made in the world by the alteration made in the person of IESVS for when IESVS altered all creatures altered with Him when He went from the earth to the Heauen and left behinde Him all these earthly pleasures there followed a wonderfull change and alteration in all the creatures But to come to the wordes Hee first speaketh of the estate of man and secondly of the estate of the rest of the creatures in the earth As for man hâ—â— saieth Therefore if anie man be in Christ let him â—â—â— a newe creature Marke this If anie man bee in CHRIST hee is a new creature hee is changed he is altered and wonderfully altered he is changed from an olde creature to a new creature from an olde dead creature to a newe liuing creature from nature to grace from death to life from Hel to HeaueÌ„ What shold become of an old rotteÌ„ stok but be casten into the fire So if thou hadst continued an olde rotten creature thou hadst beene brunt in that fire which is vnquenchable He setteth downe the meanes how this change is made First thou must be in Christ as euer thou sawe an impe ingraffed in a tree so thou must be planted and ingraffed in Him Being planted in Him then commeth that fresh sap out of Him into thee and transformeth thee and maketh thee a newe creature Then learne of this first looke the force of the alteration of IESVS when Hee altered from earthlie things to Heauenlie glorie man especiallie altered with Him Then looke secondly the dignitie of man among all creatures hee hath the first place of changing Christ was first effectuall in man to make him a newe creature And this preferment hath man aboue all the Heauens and aboue al the creatures The maner how this commeth to passe is this Ere thou bee altered thou must bee raised vp to Him and joyned with Him and ingraffed in Him as an impe in a tree then He and thou and thou and Hee being made one the glorie that is in Iesus spreadeth her selfe oued thee couereth thee But if thou bee not in Him thou shalt neuer get any part of His glory Looke that thou be in Him by faith for faith ingraffeth thee in Him and beeing in Him thou shalt get a part of His glory and yet thou art but a creature and not a creator The difference is in newnesse thou was made before olde but now made newe greene liuelie being once ingraffed planted in Christ thou art flourishing It is
true all these things are not seene yet and this flourishing of vs in Christ is not found yet perfectlie and this conjunction of Him with vs is not so sensible as it shall be but this shall once be found true we shall find that wee were the sonnes of God and newe creatures when wee were on this earth and wee shall get the accomplishment of our felicitie in Heauen when we are reigning in glory with Him Now as to the rest of the creatures hee saith Olde thinges are past by behold all thinges are become newe He saith Beholde Marke the word hereby stirring vp their hearts to see the alteration and renewing of these creatures seing it is a thing difficill to be belieued by men There is no creature neither Angell nor man no the dumbe senselesse creatures as the Heauen earth fire water aâ—â—e but they were all benefited by that change made in Christ and by His glorious resurrection and ascension they receiued some alteration from the worse to the better The Angels who were before in glorie were bettered and their glorie was augmented by the rising of Christ The Apostle Eph. 1. 10. and 3. 10. and Col. 1. 20. sheweth tâ—â—â— But to speake of the inferiour creatures and their estate of this Heauen Sunne Moone Starres Earth Water c. that were created for the vse of man these creatures from the beginning euer altered with man When man was created in the beginning in perfection these creatures were in their perfectioÌ„ the Heauen in his perfection the Sunne in his perfection c. When man fell they fell also the Heauen fell from his perfection c. the earth was accursed for man Rom. 8. 20. As man grew olde that is as hee grewe in sinne vnto the time that sinne came to the height which fell in that same period of time when CHRIST came into the world then the Apostle saieth sinne superabounded and all was vnder sinne And surelie I thinke if the LORD had not come at that period of time wheÌ„ the world superabounded in sinne and sinne was come to the height the world had presentlie perished So I saye as men grewe olde by sinne the Heauens the Sunne the Moone and all the rest of the creatures grew olde Alasâ—man by sinne defileth the aire the Heauens c. When thou O man for whome all the rest of the creatures were made runnest forward in offending thy Creator thou drawest on all the rest of the creatures after thee And againe at the comming of CHRIST the old creatures beganne to be made new creatures and the creatures that were made to the vse of man were benefited with that benefite of man got a renewing as man their lord was renewed Againe after CHRISTS comming when man beganne of new to degenerate and grow olde then the creatures also beganne to grow olde So man growing in sinne draweth after him the creatures and as he decayeth the earth and all creatures decay also and therefore Paul Rom. 8. 19. 22. saieth that the senselesse dumbe creatures grone and make a mone for sin mourning as a woman traueiling of birth faine would be deliuered so the earth would faine be quite of thee O sinfull man that art made of the earth and treadest on y â— belly of the earth she groneth vnder the weight of thee for sin Fy on thee that caÌ„st not grone for sin thou shalt either grone here in this life and get relief or thou shalt grone after this life for euer without reliefe This is the groning that the poore creature maketh for the bearing of thee the earth would â—aine serue God in her own kind but shee is made subject to thy vanitie Rom. 8. 20 and therfore she groneth so the senslesse creatures are wearie and cry Lord put an end to this vanity and are crying this day this same houre But man for whome the earth and all is made subject to this miserie and vanitie is going playing him on the earth without groning Well at last when the sonnes of GOD shall bee reuealed and shall bee glorified Coloss Chap. 3. vers 4. then the earth which groned with them when they groned shall bee glorified with them and then the Sunne and the Moone shall receiue newnesse and as Peter saieth 2. epist 3. 〈◊〉 The sonnes of God shal receiue this same Heauen in substance but it shal be new and the earth shal be new then the earth shal be no loÌ„ger capable of a sinfull man Thou sinner shalt not get leaue to looke to this HeaueÌ„ only the sonnes of God that shall be glorified shal get this priuiledge they shal be kings of this newe earth Yee see then the estate of the creatures euanisheth according to mans estate and altereth as man doeth and in the ende the creatures shall haue the participatioÌ„ with man of that glorie which they longed for This for the opening vp of the Text. Learne here ye see y e creatures get renewing as well as man but marke the difference in the second roome Man is first renewed then the creatures are renewed MaÌ„ hath his preferment first next the creatures are renewed but not after that maner that maÌ„ is renewed and preferred for man is first graffed in Christ and he is made one with Him Iesus the Head y e Church the body and euery faithfull man and womans member of that body Eph. 1. 22. 23. But the creatures when they are renewed they are not ingraffed in Christ The Heauen when it is renewed is not called to that honor to be ingraffed in Christ it is no part of the body of Christ The earth when it is renewed is no part of the body of Christ No no such conjunction is betwixt Christ and those creatures as is betwixt Him His Church Then seeing these creatures that are renewed with maÌ„ are not honoured with that conjunction which is with Christ the Lord it must follow that the glory of the creatures is not equall with y â— glory of man When the Heauens shal be made new very glorious yet all shall be nothing to that glory of maÌ„ Thou O man shalt shine in body aboue the glorie of the Sun by a thousand stages Matth. 13. 43. The conjunction of Christ not being so made with the creatures as it is with man the glory of them cannot be compared with y e glory of man but al the glory of the creatures shall be as a participatioÌ„ of the glory of man Thou maÌ„ shalt be glorified with the glory of Iesus Christ himself the creatures shal bee glorified but with thy glory All this telleth vs what glory wee should looke for seeing this Lord that maketh this renovation is so glorious It is certain that at the coÌ„ming of Christ in the world and His passing vp to the Heauens a renewing of all the creatures in the world was made al things were renewed This is a ground that we must hold if we belieue that Christ
graces is mine In the end of the verse hee setteth downe the ende wherefore GOD hath giuen vs this Spirit The end is this To make vs to know the things which are giueÌ„ vnto vs by God I see here the Spirit of Iesus when He maketh our eye to looke in to that deepnesse of God to that store of mercie He will let vs see nothing in GOD but meere grace mercy As this Euangell preacheth nothing but meere grace and mercie so the Spirit of Iesus when He letteth thee see al the hidden things in GOD Hee letteth thee see nothing but meere mercie and grace And therefore hee that will tell the people of the merits of men or of the Saints that they are not justified by meere grace but must ad to their own deseruings I wil tell you my judgmeÌ„t of such a man suppose he be neuer so glorious a Doctor neuer so sacond or so learned hee neuer spake by the Spirite of IESVS Papist Doctors who leade men to leane to their owne merites and to the merites of Saincts neuer spake nor wrote by the Spirit of Iesus For the Spirite of Iesus letteth thee see nothing in God but meeâ—e mercie for one merite of man will destroye all grace so contratie is the Spirit of God the spirit of man the grace of Christ the merit of man And this is y e spirit that men striue to put amoÌ„gst vs againe for if they bring in Papistrie amoÌ„gst vs again farewell y e Spirit of Iesus No I speak it from mine heart if that Idolatrie come in againe I shall stand vp in my last Preaching and saye Farewell the Spirit of Iesus For no more than Hell can accompanie Heauen no more can that blessed Spirit of Iesus accompanie that dirt dung of mans doctrine Therefore as thou wouldest keepe the Spirit of Iesus holde abacke these men for thou shalt not enjoye them both in despite of thine heart The Lord Iesus cannot remaine amongst Idolaters and if thou haue not His Spirite thou art not His Roman 8. 9. if thou be not His thou art the Deuils and shalt goe to euerlasting damnation Therefore I say ouer againe Holde them away as thou wouldest keepe that blessed Spirit of IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holie Ghost be all Honour Praise Power Glorie and Dominion both now and euer worlde without ende AMEN THE EIGHT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. IIII. verse 3 If our Gospell bee then hidden it is hidden to them that are lost verse 4 In whome the god of this worlde hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infideles that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them verse 5 For wee preach not our selues but CHRIST IESUS the LORD and our selues your seruants for IESUS sake IN the verse immediatelie going before this Text which wee haue read in your audience the Apostle hath beene speaking of that sinceritie of that plainnesse which hee vsed in the preaching of the Gospell of CHRIST which he vttered with such an euidence that whosoeuer hearde him might vnderstand him might haue seene the light of the Gospell and haue apprehended it Nowe because this people of Corinth were stiffe-necked hard to conceiue full of conceits and liked nothing but humane wisdome and eloquence scorning mocking the euidence of the Spirit Therefore some of them might haue objected immediatelie Paule thou speakest of thy plainnesse in vttering the Gospel yet for thy plainnesse there is manie amongst vs who knowe not what thou speakest thy Gospell is hidden to manie manie vnderstand thee not The Apostle meeteth this in the first wordes which wee haue read If our Gospell be hidden it is hidden to them that perish A sore sentence as if hee woulde saye Corinthians blame me not nor my Gospell the fault is in that miserable corruption which is in you yee cannot see the light of my gospel because ye are adjudged to perdition and damnation so the blame is in your blindnesse who are appointed to damnation before all eternity So this verse being plaine let vs obserue some lessons The first is this There hath beene and is many in the world in all ages that neuer saw seeth nor shall see the light of the Gospell Ye haue an example of these Corinthians howbeit the Gospel should shine clearer than y e Sunne at noone time of the day it shall neuer be seene of them it will be hidden to them howbeit it should bee as a booke laide open before them yet it will bee a clasped booke to them Let euerie man beware of himselfe for this is a necessitie laide vpon the multitude of this worlde A multitude hath bene in all ages a multitude is in this age a multitude shal be in euerie age to come who shal neuer see the light of the Gospell The next lesson is These folke haue this propertie and disposition beeing pleasurers of themselues they are euer quarreling with the Gospell amongst all the hearers of the worlde they are the most quarrellous they I say who get the least good of it are alwayes the moste quarrellous and euermore laying the fault either vpon the Gospel or vpon the teachers thereof because they neither get light nor consolation thereby Beware of this quarrellous complexion I marke thirdlie where is the fault or in whome They blame the Gospell and the teachers therof but where is the fault indeed Paule telleth thee heere If my Gospell bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish That perdition and destruction wherunto thou art appointed from all eternitie is the cause wherefore thou receiuest no consolation no light in thy soule thorow the Gospell of Iesus Christ Thou layest the fault where it is not thou art like a blinde man that will stand vp against the Sunne shining at the noone time of the daye and accuse it because it shineth not when in the meane time it is shining vpon the face of him Thou art a vessel of perdition if there bee not a remedie and because the sentence is past therefore as when a thiefe or a murtherer is once condemned to death the gracious presence of the Prince is with-drawne from him that hee may looke on him no more Euen so if once a creature bee adjudged to death the gracious countenance of Iesus Christ is with-drawne from him lest hee should beholde it in the Gospell Another thing followeth There are manie tokens of damnation that men and women are adjudged to death Amongst the rest this is a sure token If the Gospell be hidden to thee euen as it is preached in SCOTLAND wee haue neither Peter nor Paul to teach vnto vs yet if it be hidden to thee if thou receiue neither light nor consolation by it as it is now preached if thou continue so till thy life be in thy lips as wee speake till the last gaspe thou hast a seale in thine owne bosome of euerlasting damnation thine heart
is marked with the marke of perdition yea if thou bee a king thou art a vessell ordained for shame and ignominie Then Brethren learne here seeing there must be a number that must perish and a number of all estates in the worlde must die that must goe to Hell ordained from all eternitie to perdition beguile not your selues and seeing to this number the Gospel must bee hidden and must be a closed booke they can neuer haue coÌ„solation of it Then thou that delitest to walke in the light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ thinke thou not euill of this Gospell thinke thou not euill of this Ministerie Ioyne these two together that cannot bee seuered the Gospel and the Ministery Thou that thinkest euill of y e Ministerie thou thinkest euill of the Gospell bee thou not ashamed of the Ministers nor of their bondes nor of their captiuitie nor of their death nor of no crosse that can be laid vpon them the 2. Epist to Timot. and the 8. Chapter For the multitude of the worlde thinketh shame of the Gospell and of the Ministers thereof when affliction once commeth vpon them Thou that louest the Gospel keepe thy comfort in thine own bosome and assure thy selfe there is none other way to Heauen and knowing well that this must bee the hazarde of the Gospell and of the Ministers take all these troubles for sure tokens of the trueth of God I loue not the Gospell that hath the countenance of the Princes of this world and hath the confluence of the multitude The Princes and multitude of this worlde hath euer borne the pure Gospell of Iesus Christ at hatred Thus sarre for the first cause wherefore the Gospell of Iesus Christ is hiddeÌ„ from manie to wit that perdition whereunto they are adjudged from all eternitie Nowe take vp in the next verse another cause wherefore the Gospel is hidden to many In whom saith he the god of this world hath blinded their minds The second cause is excecation blind-folding putting out of the eyes and all to this ende that they shoulde not get a sight of the glorious light of the Gospel and so be saued But how commeth this to passe howe are they blinded I shall tell you Once beeing adjudged to die and ordained in the counsell of God to perdition in commeth the god of this worlde that is the Deuill whome this worlde maketh a god of the God of Heauen sendeth him Whome to sendeth Hee him Vnto that catiue that miserable creature that is ordained for perdition as a torturer persecuter an hang-man to put that eternall decree in execution And what doeth hee when he commeth in The first turne that euer hee doeth hee bindeth him What bindeth hee his handes or his feete No he letteth them louse and letteth him worke on with them his owne ruine and runne on vnto his owne perdition But hee bindeth his eyes or rather pulleth them out that the miserable bodie may not see the gracious face of Christ Wherefore is he sent vnto him The cause is not onelie in the ordinance of God but in the catiue himselfe that maliciously repineth to the light and will not receiue the Gospell therefore the GOD of Heauen sendeth the Deuil to put out his eyes that he should not see Mark then the lesson They that are adjudged to die to perditioÌ„ in the world to come in this worlde ere euer they goe out of this life they are bounde like thieues and murtherers to bee presented bound to that damnation that is to ensue they are reserued in chaines till that great Daye What chaines are these Chaines of darknesse their eyes are plucked out that blindlinges in that great Day they may bee cast into Hell into that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer There is neuer a soule y â— goeth to damnation in the worlde to come but in this life it is blinded Yee know the Ethnickes saying Quos perdere vult IVPITER iis mentem solet adimere It is a true saying and therefore take vp a sure note of perdition to come excecation blindnesse so that if thou canst not see that gracious face of CHRIST in the Gospel at no time for all thine hearing for all this Ministery that is in the world take heede to thy selfe and feare that euerlasting damnation Bee neuer at quiet night nor daye till thou seest a light in thy minde by the Gospell otherwise thy conscience shall condemne thee as a vessell of perdition The Gospell is not sent for nothing either shall it bee vnto thee a sauour of life vnto Life or a sauour of death vnto Death and this shall bee justified one day And except thou get light thou shalt curse the time that euer thou hearde the Gospell when it commeth to that damnation Another thing marke heere When commeth the god of this worlde to blinde men Looke to the order of the Text The first cause is counted perdition GODS ordinance then commeth in the Deuill When commeth in the Deuill When GOD hath first saide the worde I will haue this bodie perishing and will bee glorified in his perdition then commeth in the torturer and plucketh out his eyes So the Deuill is nothing to GOD but a persecuter a minister of His wrath when Hee is angrie than is the lowne at hande as a slaue to put in execution that wrath But it is a sore pitie to consider the miserable bodie on whome this wrath is executed When the hang-man commeth to bind the hands of a bodie that bodie is sorrowfull and sad but when the Deuill is binding thee thou art merrie in the meane time when he is a Deuil to thee thou thinkest hee is a God to thee Thou neuer rejoycest but in blindnes look to experience The multitude of this Land is neuer merrier than when he is binding them and drawing them to filthinesse to murther and villanie to gluttonie and dronkennesse Count not of such a man but saye or thinke if thou dare not say it O miserable catâ—ue the Deuill is blinding thee and leading thee to perdition Nowe marke in the thirde roome the causes which hasten this damnation and which must passe before the god of this worlde come as a torturer to put in execution the sentence of GOD. There must goe before this excecation and that damnation that followeth this excecation a cause in thy selfe thou must euer bee the causer of thine owne death notwithstanding the ordinance of God yet thou neuer perishest till thou be worthie of thine own death and merite thine own damnation What bringeth on this blindnesse A malicious false infidell heart repugning to the Gospel for thou first despisest it and rejectest it so maliciouslie and despiteâ—ullâ—e that in a maner thou wouldest spit on the face of Christ Iesus which shineth in the Gospell This hasteneth the wrath For wheÌ„ the Lord seeth the despitefulnes of thine heart that thou wilt not see not look in the light when it is offered to
That hee was a Iew a Pharisee his father a Pharisee of the Tribe of Ben-jamin none so zealous of the Lawe as hee c. manie aduantages and great prerogatiues but after that hee once commeth to CHRIST and getteth Him hee sayeth All is but dung in respect of that excellent knowledge of that aduantage of IESVS CHRIST As I counted much would he say of these earthlie aduantages before I knew Christ euen so after that â— once had gotten a sight of Him I counted them nothing but dirt and dung And therefore hee telleth out the aduantages and gaines that hee founde in Christ That saith he I may be found in Him that is not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith There is the first aduantage Thou art justified before the Tribunall of GOD. What king can giue thee that aduantage to set thee vp as a free-man before the Tribunall of God And albeit thou hadst gotten all the aduantages that kings can giue thee if thou gettest not this aduantage to stand before that Tribunall cloathed with Christ thou shalt goe to damnation Then hee addeth to another aduantage That I may knowe Him and the vertue of His resurrection and the fellowship of His afflictions and bee made conformable vnto His death if by any meanes I might attaine to the resurrection of the dead There is the second aduantage thou art made like vnto Him in holinesse and both in suffering and in glory thou art comformed vnto Him Well is y e man that can get this aduantage to be glorified What are all aduaÌ„tages to be couÌ„ted of that can come to thee in this life in respect of this aduantage that when thou art lying a vilde bodie in the graue Christ shall take thee vp and set thee in that glory which is prepared for the sonnes of GOD. Alas if men coulde see the aduantages which are in CHRIST For all faileth for fault of sight If men got but one blink of CHRIST they woulde not giue that sight for all the kingdomes in the earth Wee want spirituall eyes and senses These spirituall aduantages in CHRIST are seene onelie with a spirituall eye and for fault of that spirituall sight wee see not the aduantages which are in Him There is nothing which wee shoulde more desire than these spirituall senses wherewith wee maye get a sight and fore-taste of these thinges which are in IESVS CHRIST Nowe in the next verse taking occasion of the wordes that CHRIST was aduantage to him both in life and death hee beginneth to doubt whether it were better for him to liue or die And whether saieth hee to liue in the flesh were profitable for mee or what to choose I knowe not I thinke I woulde bee dead to see mine aduantage which I will get in death for my gaine which I get liuing is nothing to that aduantage which I will get in death But I am straited whether to liue in the flesh or to goe out of the bodie Then he bringeth in the reason It is better for mee to bee loosed and to bee with CHRIST I will bee at Him yet hee saieth I am in doubt and not resolued Neuerthelesse to remaine in the flesh is more needefull for you For albeit it bee better for me to be dead yet when I looke to you it is worse for you After this doubting and reasoning hee concludeth I will liue then and the LORD will keepe mee for your weale Then Brethren I will marke heere one or two thinges and so I shall ende Yee see a doubting in PAVL whether hee shoulde liue or die which distracteth his minde This doubting is common to manie For sometimes wee woulde liue and other whiles wee woulde bee dead But looke to the cause that distracted PAVLES minde and made him to doubt whether hee shoulde desire to liue or die Some men woulde die because there is nothing in this worlde but miserie Some men woulde die for other causes because of sicknesse some because of shame following some offense for the life is tedious to a miserable bodie the life which shoulde bee comfortable is tedious in distresse But howe manie commeth to this point To desire to bee dissolued for the glorie that is with IESVS and saieth If I were away I woulde get this aduantage of glorie Who woulde be awaye for the glorie of Heauen and aduantage that is laide vp there It is a rare grace to get this desire No question thinke as yee will infinite joy glorie and passing aduantage is in Heauen Againe some men woulde liue wherefore because they are fresh greene and able men they would passe their time yet Some men would liue because they haue wife and children and woulde care for them I condemne not lawfull care but all this desire is vaine Where wilt thou get that man that would liue to help the poore Church of CHRIST with his labour How manie will come on with this to liue onelie for the weale of the Church of CHRIST I desire such a Pastor who is minded to liue for the care y t he hath to leade manie by the hand to Heauen ere he goe away that he may winne manie soules to CHRIST that hee may bee the welcomer when hee commeth there himselfe He is happie It is the sight of that Heauenlie glorie that maketh men to haue this foresaide desire Howe manie seeth that Heauenlie glorie Fie on vs seeing such a glorie laide vp in Heauen for vs that yet will not make a meane to get it wee perish for fault of sense There is â—o lacke of aduantage in CHRIST but the lacke is in me in thee I haue no desire of that glorie thou hast no desire of that glorie and so wee perishe Therefore get this sense of glorie in time or else thy soule shall bee drawne out of thy bodie Doe accordinglie Wouldest thou haue it sweetlie loosed Then get in time a sense of this glorie Wouldest thou haue it pulled out by force TheÌ„ neglect the sense and sight of this glorie Obserue another thing of the care of Paul He counted nothing of all these afflictions in respect of the care which he had of the Church of God I wonder at this care of his considering now our carelesnesse For if euer care was dead out of the hearts of men it is now dead Farewell the care of the Church of God in Scotland for fault of y e zeale of Gods glory the care of the Church of God I see this Land and the Church of GOD therein decaying Learne another thing of PAVLES resolution Yet he resolueth to liue that for the weale of the Church of Christ Marke it There is none of vs but wee should desire to haue the fruition of the glory and joye that is in the face of Iesus yet we who may profite in the Church of God in this life are bounde to
take it vpon thee it will presse thee to euerlasting damnation Then there is the meane of our saluation The mercie of GOD. Next hee laieth out the partes of our saluation abroade one by one that yee may see what saluation meaneth hee saieth By the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost There is the first part It is a washing of vs when GOD putteth to His hand to saue vs. Yee knowe washing presupponeth foulenesse therefore it must follow when GOD beganne to saue vs we were vnclene full of byles and botches conceiued and borne in filthinesse and then warbling and wallowing in our owne sinne and filthinesse and euer the longer wee liue we are still the filthier It is a maruell that that Holy GOD should euer sustaine to looke to thy filthy byles or to put His holie and pure hand to thy vile botches or to sende downe His cleane Spirit to dwell in thine vncleane heart or that any wayes His purity should meddle with thine impurity Amongst all the argumentes of His loue this is one When Hee putteth to His fair baÌ„d to thee that art so foule Findest thou thy sinnes pardoned and thy selfe purged washed assure thy selfe thou art safe and GOD hath loued thee For except the loue of GOD had beene all the greater towardes thee Hee woulde neuer haue purged thee from thy sinnes It is a sure token of His loue towards thee that it is infinite exceeding that He hath not loathed thee and thy filthie byles botches I see heere two washings one outwarde another inwarde the first in these wordes The lauer of regeneration the next Therenewing of the Holie Spirite The first is our Baptisme the next the inward washing and renewing by the Holie Spirite represented by this outwarde Baptisme As the vvater vvasheth away the filth from the bodie so the Holie Spirite purgeth vvasheth the heart from sinne I vvill speake but thus farre shortly of Baptisme The outwarde vvashing in Baptisme is not to bee looked to lightlie the powring on of the vvater is but a base signe to looke to yet it is not a bare signe of the vvashing of the Holie Spirite but it is the instrument that God taketh in His hand vvhereby He applieth â—o vs the inwarde vvashing of the Holie Spirite Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4 hee ascribeth our regeneration to Baptisme Wee by Baptisme are buried vvith Christ risen vvith Christ and if this meane bee conâ—emned there shall bee no regeneration if a man lightlie this Baptisme I affirme there shall be no renewing inwardlie by the Holie Spirit and if he be not renewed hee shall neuer bee saued for vvithout regeneration no saluation Ye see 2. Kin. 5. 10 vvhat vvas injoyned to Naaman the Syrien vvhen hee sought cleansing the Prophet bad him goe to the Iordane and vvash him seuen times But hee thought vvith himselfe What is this Are not there faire Riuers at home at Damascus Yea hee would not goe till hee tooke better counsell but so soone as hee vvent and vvashed himselfe seuen times hee vvas cleansed Euen so it is in Baptisme if a man contemne the outward vvashing hee shall neuer be cleansed by the Spirit This same is also true of the Sacrament of the Supper Count not therefore little of the Sacraments because God hath promised to giue Himselfe vvith the Sacrament if it bee rightly receiued Now looke howe long our regeneration is in working in this life the force of Baptisme continueth as long thou must be continually renewed tiâ—l thy last breath therefore the force of Baptisme must continue vvith thee to thy last breath It is a vanitie to thinke that the force of Baptisme standeth in the ministration of the action onelie no it leaueth vs neuer after wee haue once receiued it till vve be placed vvith Iesus Christ Haue thine eye still vpon Baptisme for it is a meane vvhereby the Lord vvill saue thee Further Brethren hee beginneth heere at regeneration Yee may see then the necessitie of regeneration Wouldest thou be safe looke that there bee a newe birth looke that thou bee borne ouer againe as Christ said to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Verilie I say vnto you except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. If thou bee not a new creature thou art not in CHRIST but without CHRIST and without IESVS CHRIST there is no saluation Yee see men woulde beguile themselues if they shoulde saye when yee aske of them Whether they will goe to Heauen or not They will answere Wee will goe to Heauen and yet in the meane time they will holde on the olde man and will neuer change their maners but that vaine opinion wil deceiue them 2. Corin. 6. 9. Bee not beguiled for no â—ornicaters adulterers murtherers drunkardes c. shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen If thou holde on the olde man thou shalt neuer bee safe IESVS CHRIST must beget thee a newe againe or els thou shalt neuer enter within the gates of Heauen Now when hee hath spoken of this inward and outward washing hee insisteth in this point concerning the Spirit and declareth from whom this Spirit commeth which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour We haue Him not our selues He that washeth vs is He that powreth on the precious lauer of the Spirit vvherby vve are vvashen Then the Spirit is from GOD. Is that Spirit from the Father immediately No He powreth Him in through IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour so immediatly this Spirit commeth from IESVS CHRIST but mediately from GOD as the Fountaine Hee commeth from the Father to the Sonne from the Sonne to vs. Iohn 15. 26. The cause of this order is this Hee is our Sauiour and hath bought vs vvith a deare price the Spirite is bought to vs by the blood of IESVS CHRIST His blood hath bought all which vve receiue and get by Him so He giueth His holy Spirit vvith all His graces by the hand of IESVS CHRIST the man Then if ye would haue the Spirit dresse your selues to that treasure in HeaueÌ„ and beseech God that He would vouchsafe to send that Spirit vpon you through IESVS CHRIST and giue you His grace by the hand of the man CHRIST Yet to open vp the vvordes more narrowly Which Hee powreth out c. He speaketh of the Spirit as it were of vvater the Spirite heere is compared to vvater because of the vvashing for as the one vvasheth the filth of the body so the other vvasheth the filth of the soule Hee is not content to say Hee powreth out the Spirit simply but hee saith aboundantly in a great measure as a flood in aboundance This teacheth two things to vs first the liberality of GOD Hee giueth not grace niggardly as men but vvhatsoeuer vvee gette it is in aboundance His loue is rich His mercy is rich the Spirit vvhich He giueth vnto vs is rich so Hee is liberall vnto vs. Then it followeth of this also that vve
verse lastly from the seuenth verse to the ende he recommendeth this duetie to Israel that is to the Church of GOD to waite vpon the LORD and with the recommendation hee giueth in forceable reasons to mooue them To come to the first part first hee saith that in his greatest danger hee cryed to the Lord IEHOVAH Next hee setteth downe the prayer To come to the proposition he saith Out of the deepe yet more Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee O IEHOVAH By these deepe places hee vnderstandeth great miseries great dangers wherein his body was great terror and feare in his conscience for his sinne offerding of God for the Scripture as ye may see Psal 69. 2. 3 compareth great afflictions to deepe waters wherein a man is like to drowne and manie a time when the body is in danger the soule will bee like to drowne in desperation No doubt the greatnesse of the danger made him to vtter to the Lord voyces coÌ„ming from the very deapth of the heart If we felt our selues in great daÌ„ger we wold call from the deapth of our hearts to God he vttered not a voyce onely but a lowde voyce with a crie This is the meaning of the words We so here first that the children of God whom God loueth most intirely are many times subject to great and extreame dangers and troubles and if euer thou thinkest to come to Heauen make thee in thine owne course to suffer one trouble or other Let no man thersore judge euill of a man because he suffereth Next we see the greater the danger bee the heauier y e distresse the afflictioÌ„ wherwith y e godlie is exercised bee the more vehement feruent earnest will their prayer be they haue to God and howe commeth this to passe Euen in this maner by these degrees OppressioÌ„ afflictioÌ„ worketh in the hearts of the faithfull a sense of y e common misery of nature WheÌ„ the hand of y e Lord is vpon afaithful man then he begins to feele his sinne corruption And except the LORD exercise vs in this life either one way or other the best of vs all will fall into such a sound sleepe that we will neither remember what we haue bene what wee are nor what wee shall bee neither acknowledge our selues to be sinners So there is a necessity of afflictions for affliction bringeth vs to a feeling of our misery Next when through affliction the heart is prepared and brought to some sense of sin then it is capable of grace theÌ„ it prayeth to God Look neuer to come to Heauen if thou feelest not thy finne yea and that thou art a miserable sinner Then if once thine heart bee prepared with some sense of sinne and miserie then commeth in that holy Spirit of Iesus Christ which in y e Scripture is called the Spirit of adoption who finding y e heart dejected and made lowlie the Spirite will nerer looke in to a proude heart beginneth to worke to touch the heart of the miserable sinner with a sweet sense of mercie through Iesus hee beginneth to shedde abroade the loue of Christ into the soule and when once the heart hath tasted of the sweetnesse of mercie and as Peter saieth hath tasted how sweet and gracious the Lord is and findeth this passing loue of God in Iesus Christ then iâ—…eth a boldnesse and beginneth with confidence peartnesse to present itselfe before God and to put vp prayers and requestes Roman 8. 26. When once that Spirite hath giuen libertie then we crie with an open mouth for the heart is wide opened Abba Father Roman 8. 15. Because wee haue gotten a sense of that fatherlie loue in Iesus Christ The prayer of the faithfull is most effectuall when they are in greatest danger and then the voyce is lowdest for it is the Spirit of GOD who maketh intercession for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed but God knoweth the meaning of his Spirit Now Brethren surely few of vs haue yet beene in this deepnesse and extreamitie of miserie the Lord hath not yet so pressed vs with His hand as Hee hath done many others and therefore â—eâ—â— there is amongst vs who hath this feeling of sinne and miserie and consequently few of vs can pray so earnestly Howe many are there amongst you that dare say that yee feele sensibly the common miserie of nature Goe to your hearts and looke if yee feele it not sleeping in sinne and so long as thou sleepest thus and knowest not thy miserie howe wilt thou bee carefull to feele the loue of Christ and how wilt thou earnestly pray to God And certainly I take this coldnesse in prayer to be a fore-runner of a judgement to ouer-take this Land No it were better to bee swimming in the waters of affliction praying earnestly to GOD than to bee this way lying in prosperitie without prayer Nowe I goe forward After hee hath proponed that out of the deepnesse hee cryed to IEHOVAH then to let vs see his cryes hee setteth downe the forme of prayer that hee vsed in his great miseries first he saieth O Lord heare my voyce Next in the other wordes hee doubleth ouer the same petition Attende to the voyce of my prayers for hee prayeth not coldly but hee cryeth earnestly certainly the doubling of the crie would be opened vp from the ground Wee should gripe downe to the heart from whence the prayers of the godlie do flow that when we heare them or reade them we may get such an heart disposition in prayer as they had The doubling of the prayer and the mouth wide opening commeth of the doubling of the graces of the Spirite of GOD in the heart and of a double opening of the heart for except the heart be opened in prayer the mouth cannot be opened with pleasure otherwise if thou speake anie thing I will not giue one pennie for it So the opening of the mouth commeth from the opening of the heart When the Holy Spirit so sweetly maketh manifest the loue of God to the creature then y e tongue is loosed the second cry coÌ„meth of the second grace of y e second opening of the heart so oft as thou cryest so oft is there a new grace motion within the heart wrought by the Holy Spirite for it is Hee onely that openeth the mouth piece and piece to speake to God for take this for a certainty that Paul saith There is none that can call Iesus Lord without that Spirit come in 1. Corin. 12. 3. And againe hee saith We knowe not what wee should pray or how wee ought to pray without that Spirit teach vs Romanes chap. 8. verse 26. And if Hee teach not no man or woman is able once to open the mouth with confidence and liberty to pray And so Brethren if yee would speake well pray well or doe well looke euer to the disposition of the heart and night and daye pray for that
without all impediment shall cry with the blessed Angels Holy holy holy is y e God of heaueÌ„ the Whole World is full of his glory There shall it find in his countenance saciety of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euer Marke here last I shal end with it that the seeling of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ bringeth out obedience chearful seruice of God yea of al argumeÌ„ts to moue a man to abstein from sin to serue the Lord with pleasure that is y e most pithie forcible The shame of y e world the feare of temporal judgement the horror of conscience the feare of the paines of hel wil not be so steadable it may be â— they represse raging lusts furious affections â—â—r a time but they wil not mortify sin slay corruptioÌ„ wil neuer cause a man with pleasure to serue obey God but if a man hath fouÌ„d â— God hath loued him so well that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to dy that he might liue it is not possible but that maÌ„ in some measure wil set himself with alacrity chearfulnes to serue God Therfore the Apostle wheÌ„ he wold perswade christiaÌ„s to abstein from sin to serue God what argument vseth he chiefly read Rom. 12. 1. he proponeth the mercy of God offering Iesus to die for them for there hee saith I beseech you brethreÌ„ through the mercies of God â— ye offer vp your selues a liuing sacrifice therfore if thou wouldest couet to do y e Lords wil chearfully pray the Lord that he would not so much threateÌ„ thee propone terrors to thee as that he would make thee sensible of His mercies in Iesus Christ The vaine Papist speakes litle or nothing almost to the people of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ but propones to the people the pains of hell fire of purgatory to stay them from sin to make them serue God and do good works but if there be no more it wil neuer make them to bring forth such obedience as either is acceptable to God or yet profitable to themselues The Lord therfore make vs to bee sensible of his vnspeakeable loue in Iesus that wee may set our selues with pleasure to serue and glorify him here that so we may be assured that hee shall glorify vs in the kingdome of Heauen which Iesus hath purchased to vs by his precious blood To this Iesus with the Father the H. Spirit be all praise honor and glory for euer Amen THE XIII SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 5 I haue waited on the LORD my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word verse 6 My soule waiteth on the LORD more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning verse 7 Let Israel wait on the LORD for with the LORD is mercie and with Him is great redemption verse 8 And He shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities WELBELOVED in the LORD IESVS The last day we diuided this Psalme into these three partes First the proposition whosoeuer hee was that writ this Psalme hee maketh mention and rehearsall of that prayer that hee made to his God in the time of his great danger and this hee doeth to the fift verse Then finding in experience a comfortable answere and howe good a thing it was to pray to God and to waite on Him he professeth that as before he had awaited on Him so still in time comming hee woulde awaite on Him and this hee doeth to the seuenth verse In the third and last part he turneth him to Israel to the Church and exhorteth them to await on God as hee had done promising them mercie and redemption from all their iniquities if they would awaite on Him The last day we ended the first part so wee haue now to follow out the other two parts which remaine Then as for the second The prophet finding in experience the fruite of his prayer hee professeth that hee will yet still waite on the Lord I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word As though he would saye I depend yet still on His word for the presence of the Lord that wee haue in this life is in His worde and in His Holy Spirite that accompanieth it So all the dependance we haue on GOD is in His worde and promise Take that away and then wee haue no sight no presence no faith here till wee see Him face to face Yet the wordes are better to bee marked hee saith I haue waited on the Lord Then hee saith My soule hath waited on the Lord as if he woulde saye I haue not awaited on the Lord onely with my bodily eyes but with mine heart and secrete inward affections I haue depended on Him from my verie heart For Brethren marke it well It is the heart of a man or woman that draweth GOD downe from Heauen sucketh in His presence Marueilous is the power that a faithful heart hath when it sendeth vp sighes and sobbes to Heauen for grace to pull down Gods presence and grace if there be no more but the eye it will not doe the turne but where the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart it maketh it to â—igh with sobbes that cannot be expressed It is not possible but GOD who giueth His Spirite to no man in vaine and who knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirite will grant that for which the Spirit maketh intercession Paul in the 8. chap. to the Rom. setting downe the waiting on of the godly how they wait on the Lord he setteth downe both the forceable operation of Gods Spirit in our hearts as also the fruit of his operation Wee sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies there the vvaiting on of the godly is conjoyned vvith sighes and sobbes Then after hee letteth vs see what followeth vpon that What to seeke wee knowe not but when the Spirite of the Lord interceadeth for vs with sighes and sobbes vnspeakeable then the Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit granteth that thing for the which the Spirite maketh intercession for what els meaneth that vnspeakeable joye vvhich many a time the Saincts of God finde before they haue ended their prayers but that their prayers are fauourably accepted What meaneth that vnspeakeable joy when he saith Belieuing we rejoyce with joy vnspeakeable and glorious That joye witnesseth that the Lord giueth his presence for there is a sure ground There is no true joy but in the presence of God and so the joy testifieth to thee that thou sighest not so soone but the Lord giueth his presence to thee Now when hee hath saide My soule hath waited then he subjoyneth I will waite still vpon His word I will hold vp mine eare to Heauen as it were and heare what He wil speake vnto me There is no consolation nor joy in this world but in the hearing of His
of misery that scorne in their hearts a poore sinner y t seeketh mercy of y e Lord hold in dirision our fasting our humiliation and all our preaching which they heare And therfore as thou wouldest not bee culpable of such scorning and wouldest not be inuolued in y t judgement that tarieth that scornfull number seeke I beseech thee to get these two sighs say Lord I am but a miserable body am vnworthy to look vp to y e Heauen then get a sense of the mercy of the Lord and then thou shalt bee â—o farre from scorning grace in thine heart that thou shalt bee faine to creep in with all humility to get a part portion of the grace that is spoken of The Pharisie yet hath not bene one of the worst of them hee was not an open blasphemer but an hypocrite I doubt not but y e Lord hath had mercie on him but what how and when his conuersion hath bene the Lord knoweth Now I go forward to y e part of the Lord first toward the Pharisie and then toward the poore woman The Pharisie conceiued not this so quietlie secretly within his owne heart but the Lord the searcher of the heart that made y e heart draweth it to light and saith Simon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee I know what thou thinkest well enough no man needeth to tell me thine heart therefore I will speake somthing vnto thee Simon answereth Lord saye on Brethren striue to present holie thoughts before GOD thinke it not enough to keepe thine hand holie thy tongue from blasphemie but keepe an holy heart vnto the LORD begin not to play the counterfeit to speak holily and to haue a faire shewe outwardly and then to keepe a foule heart and if an euill thought escape thee as who will not haue a thousand euill thoughts if a blasphemie against GOD escape thee as who blasphemeth not God in their heart as well as the Pharisie bee sorrowfull for it away with it let it not tarie but say as Paule saieth Rom. 7. 17. It is not I that doeth it but the corruption of my nature which remaineth within mee Renounce that foule birth and take it neuer vnto thee and this is that battell which we should haue night day to get that vile canker and corruption which vttereth it selfe so violently against that inuiolable Majestie repressed and put away Now when He hath thus spoken He beginneth to let Simon see that that same very woman of whom hee counted so disâ—â—ainfully was not so vile a woman as he thought as though He would say Simon thou thinkest there is not so vile a sinner in the world as she is but I sâ—y vnto thee shee is not so sinfull I haue cleansed her I haue giuen her remission of all her sinnes Who dare call a sinner foule that the Lord hath called cleane darest thou call a penitent sinner foule who hath washen my feere with teares and repenteth vnfainedly Then subsuming He saith This woman repenteth vnfainedly and testifieth her repentance in louing me so exceedingly Therefore He concludeth All her sinnes are forgiuen her Therefore Simon disdaine her not no more than I doe But to consider more narrowly first the ground of the proposition then the assumption last that joyfull conclusion The ground of his reason is this To whome a great debt is forgiuen that person will loue exceedingly To make vs to vnderstand this the better Hee bringeth in a familiar example a parable There was a certaine lender who had two debters the one ought fiue hundreth pence and the other fiftie And when they had nothing to pay hee forgaue them both Which of them therefore tell mee will loue him most Hee saith Simon to whome hee forgaue most Well saieth the Lord then I take this proposition out of thy mouth Hee to whome much is forgiuen he loueth exceedinglie he loueth much And certainly if thou haue no sense of debt if thou thinkest in thine owne conceite that thou owest nothing I saye to thee Thou louest not God thou hast no loue towards Him A wanton sinner that feales not the burthen of sinne hee hath no more loue to God nor to Christ than a dogge hath fie on thee dogge fie on thee that hast not a sense of sinne for thou hast no loue to God Next againe suppose thou haue a sense of sinne feelest some burthen therof yet if thou but thinkest that thou hast a pennie in thy purse to paye GOD for thy debt thou wilt neuer loue thy God And I saye to thee I could neuer thinke in mine heart that a Papist a vaine lowne who will boast of his merites who glorieth in his owne workes and thinketh hee can pay God for his redemption I saye I could neuer be perswaded that such a one could loue the Lord. Next except with the sense of thy debt thou find also a free remissioÌ„ of all thy debt alas thou canst haue no loue to GOD feele thy sinne and thy pouerty as much as thou wilt if thou findest not a free remission and pardon of all thy debt thou wilt neuer loue Him but He is a terror vnto thee so oft as thou thinkest of Him and thou wouldest flee out of the world to escape His handes Then thirdly thou that feelest thy debt and then feelest thine owne pouertie that thou hast not one pennie to giue Him suppose thou bee a King all thy Kingdome will not ransome thy soule nâ— sell Heauen and the earth and all they will not ransom the soule of one creature they will not fill vp one penny of the summe to ransome the soule of one sinner and theÌ„ with the sense of the pouertie seeleth a free remission and heareth the Lord say I forgiue thee all I will haue none of thy siluer but I forgiue thee all in the precious blood of my deare Sonne the Lord Iesus there is the ransome and I adjudge thee to damnation that seekest any other ransome then thou wilt loue the Lord exceedingly These three things being felt first with grones and sobbes feeling the debt and burthen Next thy pouerty and vnhabilitie to pay and last a free remission and disburthening that sinner would bestowe all his goods and land and life and all that hee hath for the loue that hee beareth to the LORD IESVS thine heart will be sweetly loosed with a loue to y e Lord. Who is able to expresse that loue and that vnspeakeable joye that will bee in the heart of a sinner that feeleth the remission of his sinnes Brethren There is yet more than this in the comparison Hee to whome little is forgiuen hee will loue little and hee to whome much is forgiuen will loue much Hee or shee that will come in and confesse their sinnes but will in the meane time extenuate it and saye it is but a little sinne it is but a veniall sinne and manie one hath done twise as much that bodie I saye that
blessed that inuiolable Majesty were and what the Euangell is how glorious how liuely howe powerfull in operation and then what our selues are how vnworthie we are now Lord what would wee account of Iesus Christ this heart that now is bound vp would then bee loosed to thankfulnesse But wee see not what GOD is and if we haue not found glorie and the power of the Gospell Looke what great coÌ„mendation this Apostle giueth to the Gospell 2. Cor. 3. 6. where hee compareth the Lawe with the Gospell and calleth the Gospell the Ministerie of the Spirit the Ministerie of righteousnesse y â— Ministerie of life Then againe wee see not what our selues are how vile how filthie and vncleane we are we see not that mysterie of sinne that is in vs and therefore we account so little of the Gospell and are so little moued when the Lord threatneth the away-taking of it And to the ende men may knowe howe they ought to esteeme of this Ministerie of this Gospell committed vnto them which now the world so much contemneth and disdaineth we shall speake a litle of the dignitie excellencie thereof To haue the Gospel of Iesus Christ coÌ„mitted to a mans charge is no small thing No there is no fleshe worthie of such dignitie and honour no not the Angels in Heauen let be sillie mortall creatures Is the creature worthy to dispose the treasures of saluation Is a man worthy to reconsile God and the world Is anie man worthy to bee an instrument to bring remission of sinnes peace of conscience and joye in the Holie Ghoste to the soule of man Is anie worthy to beare witnesse to the soule of man that life euerlasting appertaineth vnto him and is laid vp for him in the Heauens And this mooued the Apostle to crie out when hee considered this Who can be found meet for these thinges 2. Cor. 2. 16. And so if wee knewe all that is contained in the Gospell wee woulde saye that the Angels themselues are not worthie to beare such a message to dispense the secrete and hidden thinges of GOD to confirme forgiuenesse of sinnes to put poore sinners out of doubt that the LORD loueth them and taketh them for His children and last that Hee will crowne them with saluation and euerlasting life And the consideration of this should moue them whom the Lord hath set in His seruice to follow the example of th'Apostle Paul and day and night to bee thankfull to God vvho chooseth such fraile and poore creatures to such an high excellent and glorious office as to offer saluation to them who before were condemned and cast-awayes Next this consideration should mooue men faithfullie and carefullie to execute that charge which is committed vnto them as also to pray y â— Lord earnestlie that Hee would blesse them with graces and strength according to the weightinesse of the calling that they maye bee â—ound faithfull in that Great daye for man of himselfe cannot doe so much as to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. Chap. 3. vers 5. let be to haue such graces by nature as to furnish such an high and glorious a calling And as the Pastors haue their duetie to learne heere so the people also may and should make their vse of it that is when they come to heare the word of God to the ende that the Gospell and the promises of mercy may profit and edifie them they shoulde bee resolued in themselues that it is God that sendeth men vnto them and maketh them meete who were vnmeet And in this place the Apostles minde is not onely to humble Preachers to acknowledge the grace bestowed vpon them but also to resolue all men that hee that preacheth is sent from God otherwise the preaching of the Gospell will neâ—er profit them And last this serueth to reprooue the vaine thoughtes and vngodly speaches of the common multitude for they thinke this Ministery to bee but a base and contemptible calling and say Who should be placed into it who but such fooles and vnworthy bodies as cannot bee meete for another calling who but kinlesse bodies But if a Gentleman an Esquires sonne a lordes brother c. take on this calling hee is disgraced and abased therewith But. O vnworthy wretch No Emperour no Monarch nor no flesh whatsoeuer is worthy of so great a calling no the Angels in Heauen honour not so much the commission as the commission honoureth them If thou continuest in counting basely of it to the ende thou shalt finde it at the last to bee the most glorious thing that euer was but it shall be to thy confusion and destruction Nowe I goe forward Hee commeth to a reason of his thankfulnesse Who hath strengthened me saith hee that is of a weake body full of imperfection blottes and sinnes which might haue hindered mee from that calling Hee made mee strong and able So the Apostle compareth his estate by nature with that estate which he found of grace and when hee was in nature hee saieth hee was weake and vnder the worde of weaknesse hee comprehendeth his blasphemy persecution and oppression which hee setteth downe heereafter And heereby wee maye see that men will neuer knowe the grace of God well nor accompt worthily of it vntill they consider what men are when GOD leaueth them to their owne estate And when men get a sight either of themselues or of others they will see that there is no goodnesse nothing worthie of praise but much mischiefe misery both in themselues and in others And when men once seeth and knoweth this then it will bee an easie thing to them to judge of the grace of GOD which supplieth and remedieth all wantes and vices When Paule looked to himselfe hee sawe no goodnesse that that had appearance of goodnesse was nothing but euanishing smoake and therefore confesseth that whatsoeuer was in him by nature was corrected and so hee giueth the praise of all to God Againe I see that none will account of IESVS CHRIST and His Gospell but they who finde a power and strength in the Gospell There is a power in the Gospell which all the faithfull finde for by the Gospell he that was weake to any good deede is made strong by the Gospell he that was dead is quickened and beginneth to liue This constrained the Apostle Paule to giue such glorious and powerfull stiles to the Gospell hee calleth it the power of God to life and saluation Rom 2. 16. he calleth it liuely and mighty in operation Heb. 14. 12. The children of God find it powerfull to ouerthrow and cast downe the imaginations of man and euery strong holde which is raised vp against Iesus And whosoeuer findeth this of necessity they must be thankfull Alas that there should be such a power and strength in the Gospell and that we should finde so little of it for if wee found it it could not bee possible but wee woulde testifie and practise by mouth and hand by word and
action our thankefulnesse otherwise than we doe Nowe wee come to the next argument which moued the Apostle to be thankfull hee saith that our Lord Jesus Christ counted him faithfull and set him in His seruice hee meaneth not here that the Lord fore-sawe that there would bee some worthinesse goodnesse and faithfulnesse into him and therefore Hee employed him as vaine and ignorant men doe affirme for are not all corrupt are not all children of wrath and subject to Sathan what goodnesse then can God see in anie of vs except Hee put it into vs and what can moue Him to make a choyse of one more than another but onlie His good pleasure and free-liking But this he saith to meete and stoppe the mouthes of wicked and malicious men who went about to disgrace his person and office and to make his preaching fruitlesse The world is now full of such persons as if hee had said Let men reproach mee disdaine me set themselues against me yet this is sufficient for me that Iesus Christ who hath all authoritie and who is supreame Iudge who onelie can absolue and condemne and from whose sentence none can appeale is on my side and hath declared by putting me into His seruice and by calling me immediatelie with His owne mouth that Hee would vse my Ministerie and declared that where I was vnfaithfull before Hee accounted me faithfull He accounted more of me than I was worthy of So by this th' Apostle importeth a double grace which hee got from Christ first that whereas hee was ynfaithfull the Lord gaue him saith and so accounted him faithfull Next that he had manifested by calling him to bee an Apostle that Hee had a liking that he should be in His seruice Then heere yee see that as before hee thanked GOD for the power and strength that hee founde so heere hee thanketh GOD for that exceeding mercie vttered in forgiuing him his sinnes and in calling him to bee an Apostle Hence wee perceiue Brethren that no man will euer account of IESVS CHRIST except he first finde that CHRIST hath accounted of him yea except he finde that Christ hath accounted of him that which he is not whereas he is vnfaithfull hee must finde that Iesus counteth him faithfull whereas hee is vnjust hee must find that Christ counted him just Yee see by common experience that when one man loueth another exceedingly hee will account more of him than hee is to bee counted of indeede for loue ouer-seeth and hideth many infirmities and offences Was there euer such a loue as Christ Iesus carried vnto vs vnworthy wretches For when wee were vile wretched sinners euer offending the Majestie of God and procuring His wrath the Lord Iesus in the multitude of His mercies and infinite deepenesse of His loue couered our sinnes and hid our iniquities that they should not beesâ—ene by God So when the Lord Iesus hath once extended the mantle of His mercy and compassion vpon His chosen children then albeit they were replenished with neuer so many vile and grosse sinnes yet the Lord will not laye them to their charge but in Iesus Hee will count them just righteous and innocent so Hee will account more of them than they are worthy of For except that euery one of vs be perswaded of this that we are greater men in the account of Iesus Christ than wee are in our selues we shall perish in our sinnes for euer The Pope and that crew of his shamelesse-ones scorne this doctrine of the imputation of the righteousnesse of IESVS they will haue men to bee justified by their inherent righteousnesse in Gods presence But I denounce in the Name of the Great GOD that if they goe on so if they leane to their own righteousnesse and if they find not the righteousnesse of Iesus to be imputed vnto them they shall neuer taste of mercy But howe knoweth the Apostle that the Lord accounteth so much of him The last words of the verse declareth Hee put mee into His seruice therefore I knowe that Hee hath accounted more of mee than I am Wouldest thou knowe that the Lord hath accounted more of thee than thou art hath the Lord Iesus put thee into his seruice then He accounted of thee Indeede I grant that there are many who are called to offices both in Church and Policy who cannot nor may not say that therefore the Lord hath counted them faithfull for there are many who are not sent of God but who runneth vnsent and are thrust out by their owne corrupt affections as by ambition by vaine glory by desire of preferment by couetousnesse Often times yee see that many who haue the place and name of Pastors set themselues to trouble the estate of the Church and to giue offence vnto the weake ones to speake nothing of their negligence in that calling And such like in the seate of Iustice yee will see men without regard of God conscience nature and common honesty to giue out wicked judgement and maintaine manifest hainous crimes and to stand directlie in contrarie tearmes with the Majestie of God contra-manding where Hee hath commanded Therefore such persons cannot alleadge that the Lord hath counted them faithfull And men cannot saye that they are set into these offices by Gods hand but as it were by Sathan Therefore to the ende that thou mayest know whether y e Lord counteth thee faithfull or not Looke and see that thou haue these signes testimonies which may beare witnesse that the Lord hath called thee It is true men now adayes cannot haue such a perswasion as Paul had for he was called immediatly by the mouth of Iesus Christ from Heauen therefore he might speake confidently but it is as true there are none whome the Lord calleth but they haue some signes thereof Looke therefore if thou haue an earnest desire to glorifie the Lord in the riches of His mercy to propagate the kingdome of Iesus to draw meÌ„ from darknesse to light from miserie to felicitie from death to life from Hell to Heauen Look if thou hast grace in some measure for such a calling looke if the Lord accompanieth thy Ministery with euidencie demonstration of the Spirite and by thy preaching hath acquired subjectes to His kingdome Looke if thou doe the worke of the Lord chearfullie If thou haue these tokens thou mayest be assured in thy conscience and other men also may bee perswaded that thou runnest not vnsent But if thou hast not these tokens then boast not of this that thou art in a calling And to speake more generally to all them who are called Christians Wouldest thou know in what estate and calling soeuer thou art into whether priuate or publike whether the Lord account more of thee than thou art worthie whether Hee accounteth thee faithfull or not Looke to the markes signes and tokens of a true Christian if thou finde them in thee as namely whether thou hast a pleasure in body and soule through infirmitie to serue
a man is looking to heauen he will not be without temptation no not Paul himselfe nor none other man nor woman that haue their conuersation in heauen And the special temptation of him who wold faine haue life is death and the dreadfull sight of death and death is euer in his eye Hee was neuer borne but death will tempt him death wil be terrible to flesh and blood and when hee is looking vp to that light and glorie in heauen it will come in betwixt his eye and the sight of heauen as it were a terrible blacke cloude and sometime will sunder him and that sight of Heauen As when a man is looking vp to the Sunne a cloude will come euen suddenlie and take the sight of the Sunne from him Euen so when a man is looking vp to the Sunne of righteousnes CHRIST IESVS that cloude of death will come in and catch the sight of CHRIST from him This is our estate here there is none acquainted with Heauenlie things but hee will find this in experience as PAVL did But what is the remedie In the first word of the Text that we haue read he sâ—ieth Wee knowe and wee are assured for the worde importeth a full assurance and faith and a full perswasion Then the remedie against this temptation of death is onelie Faith a full perswasion and light in the minde of the knowledge of the glorie of GOD in the face of CHRIST with a gryping and apprehension thereof this is the onelie remedie The man that lyeth in ignorance and hath not this knowledge hee is oppressed by death So euer seeke and seeke earnestlie for light CHRIST is light and let your pleasure bee in light for death is darkenesse and smootheâ—â—th the soule except it bee lightned with this light that commeâ—h from the face of IESVS But to bee more speciall what light and knowledge must this bee what assurance must this be Thou must knowe and bee assured not that thou wilt bee free from death naye beguile not thy selfe die thou must and therefore resolue thy selfe to die so it must not be such an assurance as to be perswaded that thou shalt not die opponing thy self to death saying I wil not die I shal not die Then what assurance knowledge must this be Euer this that after I am dead I shall rise againe to life It is true O death thou shalt cease vpon my bodie and thou shalt not leaue it till it bee dissolued into dust but when thou hast gotten this body dissolued I shall recouer a new glorious bodie There is the meeting of this temptation assure thy selfe of life after death Seeke this assurance and labour to pierce with the eye of Faith thorow the clouds of temptation to see that life in Christ which is hid vp aboue those cloudes Seeke that eye of Faith to pierce in through those cloudes to shew thee that life and the Sunne of righteousnes Christ Iesus Nowe the wordes would be weighed particularly and first marke a description of this death and of the temptations that woulde separate thee from that life eternall The words are these If our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolued Then what is death a dissolution and loosing of a thing that was joyned together a dissoluing and scattering of the partes of it it is not an vtter destruction of it the thing that it dissolueth it destroyeth not vtterlie It lyeth not in the handes of death to destroye the thing it dissolueth it may well loose it and cast it asunder but it cannot destroye it Then death is a dissolution and not a destruction a dissoluing whereof not of the soule it lieth not in the power of death to loose thy soule or sunder the parts thereof thou hast that aduantage Death will dissolue and loose thine house the lodging that thou dwellest in that is this bodie which clotheth thy soule Thou art termed by thy soule and the soule properlie maketh a man to be a man it is y e chiefe part of man and the bodie is called the lodging of the soule and the soule dwelleth in it as in an house So death is the dissolution of the bodie of the house which it looseth into powder yea it wil loose all the members and parts of the house O! but marke when it commeth to powder and asshes it lieth not in the handes of death to destroy the powder and ashes of the bodie but that powder and ashes in despite of death will be gathered and set together in a more glorious forme of bodie than euer it was before Yet looke howe the Apostle describeth this house First from the matter secondlie from the forme thereof As for the matter he calleth it our earthlie house This bodie is but claye euen a lumpe of that claye and earth whereupon thou goest esteeme of it as thou wilt yee see the matter of this bodie is vile and contemptible as for the forme thereof it is an house not an house that hath a foundation or builded on a ground-stone but a tabernacle and flitting tent it is set down here to day tomorrow taken vp and set downe in another place thy body is a pauilion that men transport hither and thither as they please Then thou seest that thy bodie is a thing litle worth whether thou looke to the matter whereof it is made of the earth or to the form thereof an vnstable tent or pauilion Now marke this well brethren who speaketh this it is Paul how speaketh he it by faith speaketh the bodie this no what then the soule that dwelleth in the bodie as in a lodging speaketh it The soule is speaking of the bodie the faithfull soule of Paul is speaking of his fraile bodie Then learne how little faith counteth of death Learne also how little the faithfull soule counteth of the body yea euen then when it is dwelling in the bodie it will lightlie the lodging thereof it will call it a lumpe of claye a tabernacle a tent a fraile house it will count no more thereof than a glorious king will count of a cottage he hauing manie faire palaces We 'l brethren it is faith that doth this it is not the soule alone that can count so lightlie of death or of the fraile body if thou hast onely the soule in the bodie and want this faith the soule will thinke the bodie sweet to dwell in It is faith and the faithfull soule that doeth the turne and there is not a better argument than this to see if thy soule bee faithfull or not Looke what estimation thou hast of thy bodie and carcasse what account thou makest thereof I saye to thee if thou hast thy chiefe pleasure in esteeming of thy body decking and feeding it following thine appetite wallowing in the lust thereof if thou liuest in such estimation of thy body I say thou hast a faithlesse soule remaining within thy bodie Woe to that faithlesse man that hath none other pleasure not can gripe