there a certaine time to be perfumed and then they were brought to the kings house so the king of Heaven hath two houses as it were one of preparation here in this world the other of fruition hereafter in Heaven therefore wee must live here a certaine time and be perfumed with the graces of Gods spirit ere wee bee taken to the second house a place of glory and happinesse to live with God for ever Thirdly in what estate hee would die in hee would dye the servant of God so let us labour to dye in this estate servants to God for if wee dye thus wee passe from men to God from earth to heaven from an estate of misery to a place of happinesse and joy but if wee dye the servants of sinne then wee goe not to God but to the devill and the damned therfore let us labour to be the servants of God to dye in his favour to bee members of Christ and then when our soules part from our bodies they shall goe to God Deut. 34. 5. it is said So Moses the servant of the Lord died it is the greatest credit that may bee to dye the servant of God although we dye not worth one penny yet we shall be happy and blessed Heb. 11. it is said that all these died in faith they died not all of a lingring sicknesse nor in their beds but they died all in faith this was their honour and glory that they died beleevers so this is the honour and glory of a man when he dieth in faith the servant of God repentant for his sinnes therefore whatsoever thy death be and wheresoever the place thereof be yet if thou dye Gods servant if thou dye repentant for thy sinnes if thou dye in faith thou art a happy man there bee many contented to dye but if they dye not Gods servants thy might better a thousand times desire life Secondly he did desire to dye in peace now let thy servant depart in peace Simeon desired to dye but how in peace of conscience in the feeling of Gods favour there be a number desire to dye in the world but let them take with them this example let them labour to dye in the peace of a good Conscience in the feeling of Gods favour in the pardon and forgivenesse of their sinnes O it is a fearefull thing when a man dieth in his sinnes as our Saviour saith to the Iewes Ye shall dye in your sinnes this was a fearefull sentence and an heavy judgement that befell the hard-hearted Iewes and I pray God it may be a warning unto us to make us beware how we incurre the like that so we may provide and labour to die in peae and in the feeling of Gods favour in faith and repentance for our sinnes and then we shall be happy men and blessed The fourth thing was the reason why hee did desire to dye when hee had seene Christ for mine eyes saith he hath seene thy salvation I have seene Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of Mankinde and have embraced him in mine armes now Lord let thy servant depart in peace hee had not alway this affection in him to desire to dye but when hee had seene Christ and imbraced him in his armes then hee had lived long enough then he was willing to dye Which should teach us to know when we should be willing to dye we have no reason to desire death till we have seene Christ and laid hold on him by faith and then when wee have done so wee have lived long enough therefore wee must remember that the especiall end why God doth let us live here is not to eate and drinke to seeke our profits pleasures and ease but to get Christ to make heaven and happinesse sure unto us to repent us of our sinnes A number thinke they live to no other end but to eate and drinke to seeke their pleasures and profits but to see Christ and to lay hold upon him they thinke not of therefore as the blinde man desired Christ to open his eyes so we should desire Christ to open the eyes of our minde that we may see him by the eyes of our faith if then this bee the end why he doth let us live then it is not to eate and drinke onely to buy and sell to passe away our daies in joy and delight but to repent in to lay hold on Christ which if we doe then wee shall be blessed in it SERMON XIII 1 PET. 1. 18 19. Forasmuch as yee know that yee were not Redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fathers But with the pretious bloud of Christ as of a lambe without blemish and without spot HAving spoken of the birth of Christ now wee come to speake of His sufferings for this is the next point in our Christian faith But here a question may be demanded why there is mention made of his sufferings and none of his miracles seeing it was the miracles that mooved the world these they did wonder and admire at but they despised him for his sufferings as Esai 53. 2. For hee shall grow up before him as a branch and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor comlinesse and when wee shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe we hid our faces as it were from him hee was despised and we esteemed him not so Luk. 24. 21. the two Disciples that went to Emmaus thought that Christ should have beene an earthly king Wee trusted that it had beene he that should have redeemed Israel and now his sufferings doth dash all thus Christ was despised for his sufferings To this wee answer two things first although his Miracles were more admirable yet his sufferings were more profitable for it is by his sufferings that wee are sayed Esai 53. 5. But hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was broken for our infirmities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed and 1 Pet. 1. 24. saith hee Who in his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being delivered from sinne should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes wee are healed so then we are saved notby Christs walking on the water the raising up of the dead clensing the Lepers casting out of devils but His sweating in the garden bleeding on the crosse dying for us so it is Christs sufferings his dying and bleeding on the crosse for us that saves us Secondly his Miracles were profitable chiefly to the people of that age and time hee lived in but his sufferings are profitable to all the succeeding ages that be to come for to this day we have the fruit and benefit of them therefore although wee doe not see Christ raising the dead clensing the Lepers
things The use is that if a man have Faith hee must labour to live by his Faith a number have saith and yet doe not labour to live in faith and therefore hast thou faith labour to live in faith all that thou doest doe in faith and all which thou sufferest suffer in faith The fourth use of faith in the life of a Christian is to die in Faith for as I have shewed you before a man can never looke to die thus except hee live by his faith for when a man hath lived by it here in this world then he is sure to die in faith and so be saved by it at the day of judgement therefore this is a good comfort for us that when all shall leave us when we shall part with our goods our friends and with this world then wee shall be saved by our faith when others shall desire the hils and mountaines to fall upon them then our faith will bee a cup of comfort for us Let a man have houses and lands goods and cattle silver and gold and plate and all the rich jewels that may bee when death comes all is gone hee must part from all and then what comfort can hee have of them when death seazes upon him and hell is readie to swallow him up But if a man have lived in faith and died in faith this will bee a comfort unto him that hee shall also bee saved by his faith that hee shall see the heavenly vision as Stephan saw heaven opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God I have shewed you before that if a man lye upon his death-bed and make his will hee giveth some of his goods to one and some to another and so leaveth himselfe nothing now if hee hath not faith to comfort him what a pittifull case is this man in hee is a miserable man and thrice miserable if hee hath not faith whatsoever the party is whether he be King or Lord. Now foure waies we must die in faith as wee may see in Heb. 11. 13. First they did acknowledge they were but strangers and pilgrimes and had but a little time to tarry here that heaven was their home so al the holy men have done before us David Psal 39. 12. For I am a stranger and sojourner as were all my fathers And so in the 1 Pet. 2. 11. hee exhorts Dearely beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule And therefore seeing wee are strangers and pilgrimes here wee should bee contented to leave the world when God would have us it is a pittifull thing to see that men hang on the world as if they were borne to continne here for ever Secondly the holy people of God that died in faith did see the promises of God afarre off and did thankefully rejoyce in them it is a Metaphor taken from men when they bee at sea one goeth up the mast to see if hee can see the sea shore if hee can spy it it makes his heart leape in his belly even so when we lye on our death-beds if we can get upon the mast of faith and see the shore of heaven and happinesse this will make us to rejoyce So we see Stephan saw at the time of his death heaven opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God to helpe him and receive him And so also Iacob when he went to Syria when he tooke a stone and laid it at his head and slept in the open fields he saw a heavenly vision a ladder reared up to heaven and the Angels ascending and descending by it so this will be a great comfort to us when we lie on our death-beds and shall see such heavenly visions a ladder reared up to heaven where the Angels of God ascend and descend ready to receive our soules and to carry them up to heaven Gen. 2. Wee see the Cherubins were set to keepe paradise that a man should not come in there but now it is comfortable that they shall be ready to receive our soules and carry them to heaven Thirdly if we die in faith we must seeke for a heavenly country it makes us to let all goe and to seeke for heaven so we see the Theefe upon the crosse hanging in paines and torments he lets all goe and laboreth for the saving of his soule Lord saith hee remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome So likewise the Apostle Philip. 3. 8. saith I haue counted all things losse and doe judge them to be dung that I might winne Christ If a man should lie floating on the Sea ready to be drowned if one should cast out a planke to save him that man would bee ready to let all goe and to lay hold on the planke to save himselfe even so wee are all floating in the sea of this world and God hath as it were throwne a planke out unto us which are ready to bee drowned which is his Sonne Iesus Christ Therefore at the houre of death wee should be ready to let all goe and to lay hold on him Fourthly to die in faith we must seeke death in life and make a way through the dens of death to life put a hound upon a sent and although we see nothing yet the hound will follow the sent and even so put faith upon a sent of Christ although we see him not yet faith will follow and pursue till it come at Christ and so lay hold on him The uses are first that we labour above all things to get faith whatsoever it cost us seeing wee are justified before God and sanctified in this world we must live in faith and we must die in faith therefore above all things labor to get faith If a man goe to the market if he heare there is a commodity that hee can make some great advantage by hee will have it whatsoever it cost him so seeing wee heare there is such great advantage to bee made of faith let us labour above all things to get it whatsoever the price be or whatsoever it cost The second use is that seeing we have such use of our faith here in this life that wee nourish it by prayer and meditations and by all the good meanes If a man did hang out of an high Tower out of the top of it by a cord or threed and were like to fall into a pit of fire how afraide would that man be of every hand that should come to breake this threed or cord even so faith is the threed or cord wee hang by over the pit of hell how afraid then should we be of every hand or any thing that should breake the threed and cord of faith SERMON II. 1 TIM 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfained HAving spoken of the utility of Faith and of the great use thereof
and he had thought to have tarried there till this came into his thought this is not the holy land nor the holy city and so he departed thence then he came to another city where he saw goodly houses fine women good cheere where he thought to have tarried but he remembred this was not the holy land nor holy city so a Christian must doe when hee comes at the pleasures and profits of this life his heart must not bee intangled with them but this must come into his minde that this is not the holy land nor the holy citie that we looke for The second respect is to please the Lord of the countrey especially and the Lord of the soile that he is to passe through that so he may be at peace so it must be our care to please the Lord of the soile and countrey that wee passe through and seeing God is the Lord of the Earth it must bee our care to please him that so wee may with peace passe through this earth to heaven lest we be arrested and stayed in our journey The third respect is that a Pilgrime is ever hasting what company soever he comes in he is still gathering home whatsoever hee doth his minde is of home so we should be like Pilgrimes in this respect that what company soever we come into or whatsoever we doe our minde should still be gathering home as in the Philip. 1. 23. the Apostle Paul desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ Iob 14. 14. saith All the daies of my appointed time I will waite till my change shall be The fourth respect is that a Pilgrime hath no care but this one to have so much foode as may serve him in his journey till he come at home that so he doe not starve so seeing we are strangers and Pilgrimes here in this world this must teach us to be carefull to get so much food knowledge faith as may serve us till we come at home be brought to heaven and happinesse there is much talke of faith and many thinke that they have it but when God shall bring us downe to the waters as Gideon did his men we shall finde but a few to have true faith if wee try our selves by these effects SERMON IIII. IOH. 14. 1. Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me WE see in nature that rivers runne till at length they run into the Sea Even so wee have runne upon many points of Faith till now wee are come into an Ocean Sea of Faith The great Object thereof God in Trinitie of Persons considered We have spoken of the of Faith 1. Vtilitie 2. Kindes 3. Nature 4. Degrees 5. Effects And now lastly we come to the 6. Extention and Object of it The Object of Faith in the largest measure is to beleeve the whole Word of God and not to deny any point of it But the Object of saving faith and of our holy Religion is comprised in the Articles of our Creede The summe whereof is first to beleeve in God distinguished into three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and that this God hath gathered a Church or a Company of people out of this world on whom he will bestow his graces here in this world and glory in the life to come this is the summe of the faith that wee are justified and saved by And if any deny but one Article of this faith he doth as it were rase the foundation deny the Faith and destroy it in a house a man may pluck downe a sparre or pluck a lath off and the house may stand but if they take away a maine pillar or rase downe the foundation the house will fall so it is in faith a man may deny some points of Faith which be not the foundations of Religion but if he doe denie any of these articles that are comprised in the Creed any that are the grounds he denies all as it is said of some that they destroyed and denied the faith when indeed they denied but one point of it The first point is To beleeve in God Now God is to bee considered two wayes 1. Absolute in himselfe 2. By Relation to us Five things we are to beleeve concerning God as he is absolute in himselfe 1. That there is a God 2. That there is but one God 3. The true God 4. Our God 5. That we shall be the better for him And therefore wee put our selves our soules and bodies and them that appertaine unto us our trust and confidence in him First wee beleeve that there is a God for although wee doe not see him or feele him yet wee beleeve it through the light of nature and the light of the spirit This is the foundation of all Religion which foundation if it bee once laid that there is a God then the heart of man will bee ready to beginne and to looke after Relgion and I doe not doubt but that if a man come once to this to beleeve there is God then it is an easie matter to bring him to this that this God must bee served feared and honoured I doe not insist in this because I doubt or thinke that any doubt of this whether there bee any God or no but because there be some remaines and remnants of blindnesse and ignorance in us the divell also having his temptations but I doe in this as men that have planted young trees they shake the trees and tread the moulds downe to settle the tree so I doe as it were tread downe the moulds and settle the tree even you the more in this point that there is a God Which we may prove by these five things 1. By the workes of God 2. By the place where he is 3. By the nature of the Creatures 4. By our conscience 5. By our experience First by the works of God Rom. 1. For the invisible things of him his eternal power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world so the workes of God declare there is a God Now the workes of God are of two sorts 1. The workes of Creation 2. The workes of Government First the workes of Creation shew there is a God the Creatures could not make it the birds and beasts could not nor man could not for then the part should make the whole nor it made not it selfe but it was God that made it If a man should come into a strange Countrey and see a number of goodly houses and yet see no man there he would not say that the birds and beasts built them but he would thinke that it was some greater power that of men that built it so when wee see this goodly frame of heaven and earth shall we say that the birds and beasts did make it or man Nay it was some greater power even that of God Origen saith that if we should aske the Creatures who made them they if they could speake would tell us that God
our friend then the more power there is in God the more is our comfort but if God be our enemy and displeased with us for our sinnes then our terrour is the greater because hee is so much the more powerfull to destroy and bring us to nothing therefore let us labour to make God our friend and father and then the more power there is in God the more will bee our comfort Now we come to speake of the second Attribute that he is the Maker of heaven and Earth in this there be divers particulars to be observed 1. Who made heaven and earth And that was God 2. What he made Heaven and earth and all things in them 3. How hee made them or with what Instrument With his Word 4. Of what he made the world Of nothing 5. In what estate he made the world In a good estate 6. In what time he made it In six daies whereas hee might have made it in a moment or in six houres but for singular cause he was six daies a making the world 7. In what order he made Heaven and Earth at first The Heaven for man to rest in and Earth for man to labour in 8. To what end he made it To convey his glory and his goodnesse to his creatures First who made Heaven and Earth It was God no man nor Angell made it nor it made not it selfe but God made it Genesis 1. 1. In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth and so Paul saith in this place that I have read unto you I preach unto you that ye should turne from these vaine idols unto the living God that made heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things that in them are so Heb. 3. 4. For every house is builded by some man but he that hath builded all things is God so then the point is cleared none can deny it Now let us come to make use of it First seeing God made the world and it was not made by man nor Angell neither did it make it selfe but God made it therefore if there be any comfort or any delight to bee found in any creature God is the Author of it and to be thanked for it for we cannot make a sticke nor a straw a feather an eare of corne nor a stalke of grasse therefore seeing God hath made a number of good things for our comfort and benefit God is to bee thanked for it If a man should set up an house for a poore man to dwell in so often as hee looketh on the house he thinkes of the good will of him that set up the house so God hath set up heaven as it were to cover us earth to beare us sea and land to feed us therefore so often as we looke on any of these we are to be thankfull So David Psal 8. 1. O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the world Who hast set thy glory above the heavans and verse 4. What is man that thou art so mindefull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him So Davids affections were swallowed up in the consideration of it Secondly seeing God made heaven and earth take heed we doe not displease him for hee that made all is able to destroy all As it is Gen. 6. 7. And the Lord said I will destroy from the earth the man whom I have created from man to beast and to the fowles of the heaven and to the creeping things therefore seeing he made all take heed we doe not sinne against him remembring what is said Esai 51. 12. I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest feare a mortall man and the sonne of man who shall bee made as grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker c. Wee see men are afraid of men to displease them but we ought to bee much more afraid of the power of God who is able to destroy all if a man should hang from the top of an high tower by a twine threed and in such manner as if he that held him should let it goe he would dash him all to peeces how afraid would hee bee to offend him and how glad to please him So wee all hang as it were out of an high tower by the threed of our life God holds the threed who if he should forgoe his hold wee fall and dash to nothing therefore how afraid should we be to offend or to displease him with our sinnes and carefull to please him in all our courses if men had grace to consider this they would not live in knowne sinnes as they doe Thirdly seeing he made all hee is able to dispose of all at his owne will and pleasure for the workeman is able and may dispose of his owne worke wee are the workemanship of God and therefore wee should bee content with his disposing whatsoever it bee sicknesse or health prosperity or adversity Esay 45. 9. it is written Woe be to him that striveth with his maker let the potsheard with the potsheards of the earth Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it What makest thou c and therefore we should labour to be content with Gods disposing whatsoever it be he made all he may dispose of all as it best pleaseth him The second point is What he made he made the heaven and the earth the heavens where God and his Angels be and the lower world where sinfull men and women are he made visible and invisible things and whatsoever is within the compasse of heaven and earth So saith Paul Act. 14. 15. I preach unto you that you should turne from your vaine Idols to the living God who made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is and so it is written Iohn 1. 3. All things were made by it and without it was nothing made that was made The use of this is seeing God made all things take heed we doe not injurie and wrong God with them saith Paul Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid so say you shall wee take the Creatures that God hath made and abuse them and so wrong God God forbid This provokes God to vengeance as it is Hoseah 2. 9. Therefore will I returne and take away my Corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my flaxe and wooll lent to her to recover her shame therefore if we abuse Gods blessings and turne them to the dishonour of his name he will take them from us Secondly seeing God made all things therefore we should acknowledge them as the gifts of God put into our hands by the Lord and to receive them as from his hands The rivers receive their waters from the sea by secret passages and againe runne into the sea and so carry it backe againe thither in like manner as we receive all from the hands of
thanke our selves and our sinnes for it thus much the very Heathen could tell Ionas that because there was a disorder in the creatures a great tempest causing the Sea to rage they thought there was somewhat amisse amongst them therefore they cast lots to see for whose cause it was And this shall bee the first use that seeing God made all good if there bee any defect in the creatures wee may thanke our selves and our sinnes Secondly Seeing God made all the creatures good wee must take heede wee doe not abuse and turne them to evill ends for God made apparell to cover our shame and to keepe us warme therefore wee must take heede we doe not use it to pride He made our meate to feede us and nourish us wee must take heede that wee abuse it not to gluttony and drunkennesse and so of the rest If a servant should be allowed a candle to doe his businesse by and should therewith goe and set the house on fire this were not the masters sinne but the servants hee shall answere for it for his master gave him a candle to doe his businesse by and not to set his house on fire so 〈◊〉 we abuse the creatures of God and turne them to wrong ends the fault is not in God that gave them but it is our fault and we shall answere for it Thirdly seeing God made all the world good wee should wish to reduce them to their former state which seeing wee cannot doe wee should labour to bring our selves to our former estate and goodnesse againe And should therefore apply our selves to the use of good meanes as preaching prayer reading of the word meditation the use of the Sacraments and the like If a man should make an Image or picture and it should bee defaced the eyes plucked out or the face deformed or wanting a hand or a part of it if the picture had life and reason whether would it goe to be renewed but to him that made it so seeing sinne hath defaced us whither should wee goe to be renewed but to him that made us As David makes his request Psal 119. 73. Thine hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learne thy commandements even so should we if we feele any defects or wants in our selves goe to God and desire him to restore us againe so that although wee cannot reduce the creatures to their former estate yet we must labour to restore our selves againe Sixthly In what time the Lord made heaven and earth hee could have made it in a moment in sixe houres but hee was sixe dayes in making it Here wee may see the great power of God that he was able to doe that in sixe dayes that all the powers of heaven and earth are not able to doe in sixe thousand yeares nay not at all it is a long time since the world was made and yet all the creatures in the world could not make such an heaven and earth in all this time we can doe nothing without time although wee bee willing to doe for our friend yet we will say I pray you give mee time I must have time to doe it in Solomon was thirteene yeares in building the Temple and the Iewes were fortie yeares but God made the world in sixe daies Men must have time for all things so we see Moses was a long time in delivering the people out of Egypt and Ioshua was seven yeares in placing of them and Daniel must have time to interpret the dreame but Gods power is not tyed to any time hee is able at an instant to helpe us and therefore wee must take heed we doe not tye the power of God unto time Matth. 19. 20. The woman that had a bloody issue did but touch the hemme of Christs garment and was made whole and Luk. 5. 13. He did but touch the Leper and he was made clean and Mat. 8. when his Disciples were at the sea in great distresse when the winds blew and the ship was in danger of sinking and drowning Christ did but speake a word and there was a great calme such a change the Lord can make still that if there be any danger upon our persons or in our estates hee is able to remove it and to make a great calme in a moment therefore wee are not to tye Gods power to any time hee can doe great matters in a short time God made the world and all things in it in sixe dayes but hee was thirty three yeeres in redeeming of us therefore the worke of our redemption is a greater worke than the worke of our creation So S. Ambrose saith O Lord I am more beholding to thee for that thou hast redeemed me by thy blood of thy Sonne when I was lost by sinne than I am for that thou hast created mee by the hand of thy power Therefore it is a pittifull thing that neither the worke of our creation nor the worke of our redemption can moove us the Lord may say to us as hee did to the children of Israel in Esai 5. 4. What is it that I can doe more for my vineyard that I have not done so the Lord may say to us what could I have done more for you I have created you and made you reasonable creatures and when ye were lost by sinne I have redeemed you I was content to bee borne of a Virgin to bee laid in a manger to shead my blood and to dye for you what could I have done more for you Wee read Gen. 30. 16. Leah said unto Iacob Come in unto mee for I have bought thee and have paid for thee with my sonnes mandrakes such a claime and challenge the Lord may lay to us Come unto mee live and abide with me for I have bought you and paid for you I have not onely bought you with mandrakes but I have bought you with mine owne blood The Lord was but sixe dayes in making the world but he was thirty three years in redeeming of it hence this Question But why was the Lord sixe dayes in making of this world he could have made it in a moment in sixe houres I answer it was to determine the time of mans labor that seeing God did labour sixe daies together before hee rested and then rested the seventh day so wee should labour sixe dayes and rest the seventh day as Leviticus 23. 3. Sixe daies shall worke bee done but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest Againe hee was sixe dayes to shew the ordinary course of Gods labour that God brings not things together at once but by little and little even as a man when hee filleth a bottle or vessell first hee filleth it to the quarterne and then to the halfe and then unto the top so it is in the worke of grace it is not perfect at an instant but in time it shall bee perfect for as the Lord was sixe daies in
God to despise you when you come to die therefore it is good to make God our friend whilest we be alive This is the counsell that Christ giveth us Luk. 16. 9. Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse the Fathers take it for the poore that wee should make friends of the poore But the meaning is that we should make God our friend in our life time that we may have a friend of him when we come to die therefore because every man must commend himselfe to God when he dies it is good to please him and to walke holily in all our courses that we may commend with boldnesse our soule to him at the last gaspe Secondly what it was bee commended into the hands of God His Spirit his body he left to Pilates mercy but all his care was for his soule therefore he commends that into the hands of God which may teach us two things first though our bodies dye yet our soules doe live all the Scriptures shew this Eccles. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the Spirit shall returne to God who gave it so Revel 6. 9. And when hee had opened the fifth seale I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the Word of God and for the Testimonie which they mainetained so also Heb. 12. 22. For yee are not come to the mount that might bee touched c. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the city of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels and to the congregation and Church of the first borne whose names are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect So it is a plaine truth in Christianity that though our bodies dye our soules are immortall therefore seeing our soules never dye but shall live for ever how carefull ought we to be for them and to passe our time in holinesse and feare before God as they may live with God for ever in heaven Indeed if our soules might dye our care might bee the lesse but seeing they shall never dye it is a wondrous corruption amongst most to see how they cloath the body feed and physick that runne from market to market to make provision for it which yet must dye and their immortall soules they take no care for therefore one saith well O man of all thy parts take care of thy immortall part that which never dieth Secondly it teacheth us that seeing Christ commended his Spirit into the hands of God wee see what the especiall care of a Christian should bee not to care so much what become of his body so his soule may be saved Christ he left his body to Pilates mercy but he commended his soule into the hands of God so a Christians care must be especially that his soule may be saved that it may come safe into the hands of God what soever become of the body this was the care of the holy theefe Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule it being provided for hee cares not what become of his body we see when a mans house is on fire if he have a pretious jewell he will labour to save that though the rest perish so seeing the soule is the most pretious jewell whatsoever thy labour and paines be labour to lay up thy soule safe in the hands of God as Steven did when a storme of stones came about his eares hee bowed himselfe downe and said Lord Iesus receive my soule all his care was for the saving thereof that it might come safe into the hands of God as if he should say Lord receive my soule I care not what becommeth of my body so that thou save my soule all shall be well this will content me Thirdly the time when he commended his Spirit at the time of his death which was the very close of his life when he was ready to breathe out his last breath which may teach us that every man should make this his practise when hee comes to dye to bee sure to make a holy close of his life then it is a time to commend his soule to God Now there bee other times for a man to commend his soule to God as first in the time of danger and perill so David did when he was in perill of Saul Psalm 31. 5. saith he Lord into thy hands doe I commend my spirit because I have no body else to commend it to nor no body to trust it with in assurance of safety therefore Lord into thy hands I commend it likewise Psalm 10. 14. the poore committeth himselfe unto the Lord seeing no man regards him nor cares for him hee commends himselfe to the care of God so that the time of distresse and danger is a time to commend our soules to God There is also another time that wee should commend our soules to God and that is daily because our life is uncertaine therefore wee should every morning when we doe rise and every night when we goe to bed not knowing not what will befall us in the day commend our soules to God there bee a number of men in the world that bee greatly overtaken in this they never commend their soules into the hands of God if a nurse goe abroad and leave her childe and doe not commit it to the care of some body to keepe and to looke after it if the childe catch any hurt they will blame the nurse for it so if wee doe not commit our selves our wives and children to God in the morning and at night if any hurt befall them we may thanke our selves for it the blame lieth upon our selves 1 Sam. 18. 28. we see when David came into the host to his brethren they asked him this question with whom hast thou left those few sheepe So we should commend our temporall estate to the keeping of some body where it may be safe and if we should commend that to keeping much more must we commend oursoules to God Now as at these times wee should commit our soules to God yet more especially we must doe it when we come to dye because the devill will then bee busie and wee have a long journey to goe if a man were to passe into France and to carry all his goods with him that hee hath scraped together all his life time hee would looke into what ship hee did commit his goods and if hee had a rotten bottome hee would beware how he committed his goods to it so seeing we are to passe from earth to heaven a long journey we must take heed wee doe not commit our soules to a rotten bottome but bee carefull to lay them up into the hands of God that so they may remaine safe there Fourthly upon what ground he commends his soule into the
could not redeeme him nor all the Patriarches and holy Men but it must be the blood of the Sonne of God and all his blood and in so great extremity as we have heard From the consideration of this we have the more cause to be thankefull unto him as Ioh. 13. Peter wonders at the humility of Christ that he would stoope so low to wash his Disciples feete or hee that was the Lord of all higher than the Heavens should stoope so low to wash my feete so wee may much more wonder and admire at this love of Christ that he would dye for us and dye such a cursed death O Lord wilt thou interpose thy soule for mine and thy body for my body and dye for mee that I might live still and therefore wee have no cause to bee offended at the crosse of Christ but we have cause to be the more thankfull to God for it and to say as Saint Iohn saith Hee hath loved us and hath washed away our sinnes in his blood as it is Esay 53. All we like sheepe have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne waies and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquite of us all Ambrose confesseth that he was more beholding to God for the worke of Redemption for redeeming him with his blood when he was lost by sinne than for creating him by his Power Therefore this may take away the scandall of the crosse because it was of necessitie that he must suffer Now that which tooke away the scandall of Christs crosse may take away the scandall of our crosse for many times a Christian man is at a stand and at a maze in himselfe and saith as the Disciples said We trusted it should have beene hee that should have delivered Israel so I trusted and hoped once that I should have beene saved but there bee so many crosses and so many troubles come upon me that I doubt I make a doubt of it whether I shall be saved or no. And that it is needfull wee should suffer as Christ did these reasons plainely shew First it is of Necessity that we should suffer because we should be conformable to him for as the head suffered so must the members as Christ speaketh Matth. 16. If any man will follow me saith he let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow me so Col. 1. 24. Now rejoyce I in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behinde of the affliction of Christ in my flesh as Christ suffered in the flesh in himselfe so Paul suffered in his members and therefore it is of necessity that we should suffer Secondly because there be a number of sinnes that be so sunke and soken into the flesh that they cannot be purged out but by the crosse so David saith Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word so Esai 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Iaakob be purged and this is all the fruite the taking away his sinnes hence there be a number you see of sinnes that are so sunke and soken into the flesh that they cannot bee purged out but by the crosse as if gold bee rust and canker-fretted it cannot bee helpt but it must be cast into the fire so there be some sinnes that cannot be purged out but it must be by the fire of affliction Thirdly it was of Necessity that we should suffer To prevent sinne in us so wee see Gen. 20. the Lord came in a dreame to Abimelech and told him that hee did keepe him that hee should not sinne against God and how did God keepe him by laying his judgements upon him so 2 Cor. 12. when Paul was carried into the third heavens and saw things that could not bee uttered lest he should bee lifted up above measure the Lord sent the prick of the flesh and the messenger of Sathan to buffet him to keepe downe this naturall pride so wee see there is a necessity of the crosse and therefore have no cause to bee offended at it The second thing that Christ doth informe them of is the good utility end and issue that the crosse hath that it is so farre from taking away any thing as that it doth open away to the kingome of heaven as Phil. 2. 8 9. Paul shewes he humbled himselâ—e and â—â—â—me obedient to the death even to the death of the crosse wherefore God hath also â—â—ghly exalted him and given him a Name above all other Names here is another consideration to take away the scandall of the crosse because it was by it that Christ entred into his glory so if we will goe to glory we must goe the same way there is no other there is no neerer way to heaven but by the crosse as it is Act. 14. Through many troubles and afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven so Matth. 20. when the woman came with her two children she makes this request to Christ that the one may sit at his right hand and the other at his left Christ answeres by way of question Can ye drinke of the cup that I must drinke of and be baptized with the baptisme that I must be baptized with for before ye drinke of the cup of glory ye must drinke of the cup of affliction therefore no man ought to be discouraged at afflictions or crosses seeing it is the way whereby we enter into glory 2 King 2. 11. when Elias was taken into heaven he was not carried in a golden chariot as the Papists say that Henoch was but it was a chariot of fire and horses of fire and yet hee was not afraid of them because they were the horses and the chariot that should carry him to heaven so when wee see the firy horses of afflictions and of death to come we should not be afraid of them because they be the horses and chariots that carry us into glory therefore this is that which should make us goe cheerefully thorough all troubles and afflictions this is that which made Paul say that he counted all things but dung and drosse that he might win Christ and that he might come to glory so whatsoever it cost a man though it cost him his life and his blood yet all is well bestowed so he may win Christ and come to glory Now to this information he doth annex a Confirmation and proves it by the Scriptures and so begins at Moses and the Prophets and doth interpret all the things that are spoken of him Now herein we may observe many things first hee doth labour to sound the faith of the Disciples on the Scriptures hee might have discovered himselfe at the first and said I am hee or might have shewed them his hands or his sides as he did afterwards in this chapter but hee goes on and leades them through the Scripture and doth interpret unto them all the places that were spoken of
and haile as Genes 45. 24. When Iaakob saw the Chariots that Ioseph had sent for him his Spirit revived againe so when we looke on the Chariots that shall bring Christ to judgement our hearts will or should revive therefore so often as we cast up our eyes to Heaven wee should thinke of this Now we will come to speake of the fifth point the use and benefit wee should make of Christs ascension and I would I had an hundred tongues to speake and that I had the words of motion that I might make you feele and see the excellent things that God doth offer unto us by the Ascension of Christ First The ascension of Christ must cause a spirituall assension in us for as the body of Christ did ascend to Heaven so our hearts and minds and affections must ascend and although our bodies be here yet our hearts and mindes and affections must be in Heaven so saith Paul Colos. 3. 1. If ye bee risen with Christ seeke those things that be above where Christ is as if he should say Christ is in Heaven let not your hearts therefore and your mindes bee on the Earth but let them ascend to Heaven so it is said Philip. 3. But our conversation is in Heaven There be a number of men in the world that grovell on the ground their hearts bee glued and tyed to the world Oh but a Christian man whiles he is in this world he must have his conversation in Heaven by living justly and holily in this world Therefore whilest wee live here our hearts and minds must ascend to Heaven because our soules shall not ascend till the day of death Nay if our soules doe not ascend whiles wee live here our bodies shall not ascend at the day of judgement for every man must begin his Heaven here therefore Christs ascension must cause a Spirituall ascension in us But what shall wee say of such men as for their lives cannot lift up their hearts and their mindes to Heaven wee may say as God sayes to Adâ—m Gen. 3. Earth thou art and to Earth thou shalt returne Dust thou art and to Dust thou shalt returne Nay it were well with them if they might returne to Earth but they shall goe both soule and body to Hell without repentance and therefore labour to ascend in thy heart and affections whilest thou livest here pittifull is the state of these men I but what shall then the people of God doe when they cannot feele their hearts to ascend they may say O Lord Iesus thou art ascended and I am grubbling on the Earth therefore I will pray as the Prophet David doth Psal 119. Lord quicken mee and raise mee that I may ascend in my heart minde and affections while I live here Now the rules to know whether wee be ascended with Christ in the holinesse of our lives and conversations here on Earth that so wee may ascend to him hereafter in glory are chiefly these two 1. By an Opticke rule a rule of humane learning 2. By a rule of Scripture First By a rule of humane learning or an Opticke rule In all ascensions the higher a man goes the greater the things above seeme to be and the things below seeme the lesser As for example if a man goe to the top of an high Castle the things above seeme great and the things beneath seeme small if hee looke downe I but if he goe up to the Mountaines then the Castle seemes small or lesser but if it were possible that hee could goe up as high as the Sunne or the Moone or Starres how great would the Starres and Spheares and the amplitude of Heaven appeare to bee when as this Earth would hardly bee seene thither and if seene would it seeme scarce so big as a little Moule-hill so it is in our spirituall ascension the neerer wee come to Heaven the greater Heavenly things seeme to bee and the further we goe from these worldly things the lesser and lesser will they seeme to us and therefore the pardon of thy sinnes and the favour of God and the hope of Heaven are these great in thine eyes and the things of this life like little motes flying in the Sunne bee of good comfort thou art ascended but if the things of this life bee great in thine eyes and the things of Heaven small then thou art not ascended as yet And thus by this rule we may give a true judgement of our selves Secondly A rule of Scripture Ephes 4. 9. it is said Hee that ascended is the same that did descend first into the lower parts of the Earth So by S. Pauls rule before there can be an ascension to Heaven they must first descend and that to the lower parts Pauls words bee plaine that a man must first descend before he can ascend and therefore every man must consider with himselfe whether hee hath descended into the lower parts whether he hath beene cast downe with the burden of his sinnes in the sense and feeling of them and that hee hath beene brought as low as Hell and the Grave and into the Dungeon of GODS wrath and displeasure if thus then thou hast ascended but if thou hast not descended into Hell and as low as the Grave in the sense and feeling of thy sinnes If thou hast not beene in the dungeon of Gods wrath and displeasure then thy ascension is yet to come I have shewed you heretofore that a man that would bring water to the top of an high Castle or Tower hee first makes it fall exceeding low so every man that would ascend hee must first descend and come downe low in the sense and feeling of his owne sinnes and then hee is fit to ascend Therefore looke into thy owne selfe and consider whither thou hast descended and hast beene brought low in the sense and feeling of thy owne sinnes If thou hast thou hast ascended but if not thy ascension is yet to come David beginnes one Psalme with De profuâ—dis Psal 130. Out of the deepe places have I called unto the Lord so wee must bee brought to call to God out of the deepes Secondly seeing Christ is ascended into Heaven Let us bee willing to goe to Christ as soone as may be we see in nature that all the members will have recourse to the head because that gives life and motion to the rest of the members so because Christ our Head is gone before to Heaven we should be willing to ascend to him we know and have often heard how willing old Iacob was to goe into Egypt his spirit revived when he saw the Chariots of his sonne Ioseph came for him so we should be willing to leave all and to ascend to Heaven and how should our spirits revive when we see the chariots of death come for us But yet there must be a moderation this way for as a good servant will not goe away till he have a
that the Heaven and the earth shall be changed even as a man when hee puts on a garment is changed and that is onely in the outward view not in the substance of his body And Saint Peter me thinkes is very strongly for it in this Chapter vers 6. and 7. where he sheweth as the world was once destroyed with water so it shall bee againe with fire how was that even in the outward view onely the outward beauty and glory thereof shall be destroyed but the substance shall remaine as a Christian is said to be a new creature though hee bee not new in regard of substance but in regard of his affection and disposition so 2 Cor. 5. 17. every man saith he that is in Christ is a new creature so the Heavens are the same in substance and new onely in quality and disposition Now the heavens are said to be new first in regard of the use of them now they bring us raine and snow and haile at the time appointed but at the day of judgement they shall bring Christ and exhibite him to the world the goodliest sight that ever mortall eye saw as Matth. 26. 64. saith Christ I say unto you hereafter shall you see the Sonne of man sitting at the Right hand of the power of God and comming in the clouds of the Heaven c. so we see that the heavens shall be changed in regard of the use of them Secondly the heavens shall be new in regard of a new disposition now they never stand still but wind and turne up somewhat of the thread of mans life but then when the expiration is come and all time ceases then they shall stand still so that there shall bee no more time which is manifest Revel 10. 6. Where the Angell sweareth by him that liveth evermore which created Heaven and the things that are therein and the earth and the things that are therein and the sea and the things that are therein that Time shall be no more And the Philosophers say that Time is nothing else but the mooving of the heavens and revolution of them therefore when all time ceases and eternity is come then the heavens must needs stand still Thirdly the heavens shall bee new in regard of new effects for now they bee the storehouse of judgements and his armorie-house from whence he brings his judgements upon the world as Psal 29. The Lord makes it to thunder from heaven c. But at the day of judgement they shall no more bee the armorie-house of His judgements but the Lord shall there cause to flow out abundance of goodnesse and kindenesse therefore the Prophet saith that at the day of judgement the mountaines shall drop downe new wine and the hils shall flow with milke so that the influence of Gods goodnesse shall bee distilled out from the clouds And thus much for the renewing of the Heavens wee proceed now to the Earth The Earth shall be new in foure regards first we see that now there is a great deale of it wast and barren possessed with wilde beasts Serpents and Ostriges for the sinne of man as Psalm 107. 34. A fruitfull Land is made barren for the sinnes of the people so now there is a great part of it wast and barren for the sinnes of men but when mans sinnes are taken away then the earth shall bee made fertile and every place shall bee replenished Secondly now the earth yeelds nothing without mans labour and paines because of the curse that was laid upon it for sinne but at the day of judgement there shall bee no more curse for then it shall yeeld fruit without labour and paines Thirdly now the earth is the valley of teares where the best men have most trouble but at the last day it shall bee a doore to let us into glory as Iosh 2. 15. the Lord doth promise to the Children of Israel to give them the valley of Achor for a doore of hope so this earth shall be the doore of our hope to let us in to glory here wee shall begin the glory which afterwards we shall have perfect and consummate in Heaven Fourthly the earth now is walled and paled and hedged in a great part of it wherein every man labours to draw the commodity of it to himselfe but at the last day all shall be laid common there shall not need to bee any statute against enclosures but all shall bee laid open for his Saints and people Now heere may a question arise seeing the just shall goe to heaven and the wicked to hell To what end shall this Earth be renewed I answer there be three causes of it 1 In Regard of Christ 2 In Regard of the Godly 3 In Regard of the wicked First In Regard of Christ because he shall set up his throne here in this earth and make it his judgement seat now we may not thinke that it can stand with the glory of Christ to set up his judgment seat on the dead cinders and fruitlesse ashes of this sinfull world therefore it shall be renewed to make it a fit place for Christ to sit in judgement as when Iudges come to sit in Iudgement though the place be mean and unhandsome before yet then they hang it with tapestry decke it and strew it to make it a fit place for the Iudges to sit in so this Earth shall bee renewed in regard of Christ Secondly the Earth shall be renewed In Regard of the Godly that they may see that there was nothing lost by Adam but it is made good againe by Christ for whatsoever was lost by the first is restored againe by the second Adam In the Law the yeare of Iubile being come when the trumpet sounded and liberty was proclaimed every owner returned to his possession againe that hee had beene kept from a long time so at the last Iudgement when the trumpet shall sound and liberty shall be proclaimed all the people of God shall returne againe to their possessions from which they have beene with-held ever since it was lost by the first Adam But why shall the earth be renewed for the Godly seeing they shall be in heaven I answer as Chrysostome saith great Kings and Princes though they keepe in their great chambers of estate yet they passe into them through some gallery or some court-yard so saith he though the people of God shall dwell in the great chamber of heaven yet because this earth is the gallery and court-yard that they must passe through therefore it shall be renewed Secondly For a further increase of glory as it is a glory and an honour to our king that hee is king and Lord of a great many of countryes though it may bee hee meanes never to come into them but dwells here in this land so this is a great honour to the people of God that they be kings and
lords of this earth though they stay not there Thirdly the Earth shall bee renewed in regard of the wicked that they may the more sensibly see what a deale of glory their sins have deprived them of they shall not come into heaven to see that for Revel 21. it is said No uncleane thing shall come there therefore the Earth shall be renewed that by it they may have a glance of Heaven and a slash of the glory that shall bee in Heaven as it were through a Crevis that so it might bee a further vexation to them We read 2 Kings 7. 9. when there was great plenty of victuals and other things foretold by the Prophet which the Prince there would not beleeve the Prophet saith to him Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not taste thereof so it shall be unto the wicked surely not without great anguish and terrour when they shall see the Earth renewed and themselves to have no part in it Now the Vses hereof may be First seeing there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth wee should labour to be new Creatures because none but such dwell in this new Heaven and new Earth For the Text saith Wee looke for a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise wherein dwels righteousnesse that is righteous men such as bee renewed by the Spirit and grace of God Here in this World there is a mixture of good and bad together as in Adams house Cain and Abel in Abrahams Ishmael and Iacob and amongst Christs Disciples Iohn and Iudas But in this new Heaven and Earth there shall dwell never a wicked man therefore labour thou whosoever thou art to be renewed by the Spirit of Grace and to repent thee of thy sinnes to returne unto God and thou shalt have thy part in this new Heaven and new Earth for evermore Secondly that seeing the Heaven and the Earth shall be renewed there is never a wicked man that can claime or challenge a foote of it to himselfe here in this world they may have hundreds and thousands of Acres of Land they may say in such and such a place I have so much land here is the Patrimonie that my Father gave me here is that which I did purchase Oh but in the new World they cannot claime a foote of it Therefore they may see what a faire threed they have spun to deprive themselves of all their lands even such as have had great revenewes here of the old Earth shall not have a foote of this new Earth It is reported by some Historians of a certaine Nation that every yeere did elect and chuse themselves a king who had as goodly attendance as might bee rich apparell and all things fit and meete for a king but when the yeere was expired they did turne him naked into an Iland where hee did endure extreame misery Now there was one of them who was wiser than the rest that had closely and secretly before his yeere was expired conveyed into this Iland rich apparell and servants to attend on him and had builded him a house and sent all things fitte and meete for him thither beforehand so that when his yeere was expired and they had turned him into this Iland naked he having provided for himselfe before was not distressed The truth of this I stand not to discusse but the morall I am sure may be profitable for this Kingdome is a Type and figure of this World where there bee a number of men that have all things that their hearts can desire but when death commeth then they are turned as it were into a wast Wildernesse naked there to endure extreeme misery and therefore it must bee our wisedome to doe as the wise kings did every day to send something before and to provide comfortably for our selves that when we are turned out of this World wee may have comfort in the World to come Thirdly seeing there shall be a new Heaven and Earth this may bee a comfort to poore Christians that though they have but a small portion here in this World yet they may have a great portion of the new Heaven and Earth if they please God and walke conscionably before him as Revel 21. 7. It is said Hee that overcommeth shall inherit all things c. What is that which he shall inherit Saint Iohn tels us that hee saw a new Heaven and a new Earth namely the things that are spoken of before To him that overcommeth that is To him who can overcome his lusts his sinnes and his corruptions and is not carried away with the bad examples of the World the new Heaven and Earth shall bee for a possession as Dauid doth acknowledge with thankfulnesse to God that hee had given unto him the Land of Canaan much more should wee acknowledge with thankefulnesse that the Lord hath assigned to us a Celestiall Canaan therefore comfort you your selves O yee holy people of God in this that you shall have your parts in the New Heaven and new Earth It is this that which Paul saith Eye hath not seene nor Eare heard nor Tongue is able to expresse the great joyes that God hath prepared for them that love him as The Queene of the South when shee came and heard the wisedome of Salomon said The one halfe was not told her which she found So the holy people of God they shall say that good people did not tell them the one halfe of the joy and comfort that they shall finde therefore beware you doe not â—ell this for toyes and trifles for what a comfort shall it be when Christ shall looke out of the Clouds and hee shall say unto the Godly Come yee blessed of my Father receive the kingdome prepared for you when he shall chase and drive all the wicked to Hell and shall say unto them Goe ye cursed of my Father into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels And here let every one of us be exhorted to repent his sinnes for now is the time yet the gate is not shut Hereafter thou if thou now refusest thou shalt not inherit with the people of God but mayest with the foolish Virgins knocke too late when Heavens gates shall for ever be shut upon thee SERMON XLVI MATTHEVV 24. 30 31. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of Man comming in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great glory And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the foure winds from one end of Heaven to the other HEretofore yee have heard of the two Acts considered in the manner of the last judgement First The burning of the whole World Secondly The renewing of the Heaven and the Earth whence at this present wee are to proceed
power of men and heaven beyond this earth so far is the glory and excellency of this Kingdome beyond all the Kingdomes of this world Now in foure things the excellencie of this Kingdome goeth beyond all earthly Kingdomes First in regard of the bounds and Limits for all earthly Kingdomes have their bounds and limits set them as it is said of the Kingdome of Salomon that it reached from river to river from the river Nilus to Euphrates And so likewise in Hester it is said of the Kingdome of Ahashuerosh that he raigned from India to Ethiopia over an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces But of this Kingdome there is no bounds or limits assigned for Rev. 21. 7. it is said he that overcommeth shall inherit all things not a little house or a little land or a little Kingdome of this world but hee shall inherit the new heaven and the new earth So there shall bee no bounds nor limits to this Kingdome Secondly it doth excell all other kingdomes in regard of time because the former at length are swallowed up of the latter but this Kingdome shall continue for ever and ever So we read Dan. 2. 44. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed And this Kingdome shall not be given to other people that is it shall not passe from one people to another but it shall continue for ever and ever Thiâ—dly all other Kingdomes have their wants and defects though they may abound with many things we see Salomons Kingdome that did excell all other Kingdomes yet it had wants as 1 King 10. hee had his gold out of Ophir and his horses out of Egypt But in the Kingdome of God there is no want nor defect all things are there that the heart of man can wish as Psal 16. saith the Prophet in thy presence is the fulnesse of joy and at thy right band are pleasures for evermore Fourthly all other Kingdomes have their terrors and feares Cantic 3. 7. Behold the bed which is Salomons Threescore strong men are round about it of the valiant men of Israel they all handle the sword and are expert in war every one both his sword upon his thigh for feare by night So wee see Salomons Kingdome was not without his terrors and feares though it were a peaceable Kingdome But this Kingdome is without all feare for Revel 24. 25. it is said that the gates of this citie shall stand open day and night So they are not afraid of any enemies whatsoever I but seeing this Kingdome excels all the Kingdomes of the World why doe not men respect it and seeke for it more but rather are in love with the Kingdomes of this world I answer by an Opticke Rule because things that bee afar off seeme to bee but small and things that bee nigh seeme great Therefore because men dwell amongst the Kingdomes of this world touch them are far off from this Kingdome therefore they do not respect it so much but let a man change his standing and get within the Clouds and draw neere to God then it will bee great in his eyes and hee shall see it doth excell all the kingdomes of the World The Vses hereof are these following First seeing this kingdome excels all the kingdomes of this world therefore wee have a better estate by Christ and greater honour than ever we lost by Adam For first we lost by him Paradise but by Christ we have Heaven Secondly Adam was lord onely of the Earth and we of heaven Thirdly he had it but on his good behavior we shal have it without condition Fourthly he lived amongst Beasts and Birds and we shall live amongst the Angels Fifthly he had the presence of God but by fits and we shall enjoy it continually Sixthly when hee had all thing he had neede of a help but God shall be all in all to us Therefore as a learned man saith O happy fall of Man that wee have received all this good by This therefore may serve to informe our judgement that we may see that our estate by Christ is better than that which Adam lost Secondly seeing this Kingdome excels all the kingdomes in this World why doe not men seeke and labour after it as Iudg. 18. 9. there were spies sent to discover the land who came and told the people the land was a good land and said to them Why sit you still and why are you slothfull to enter in and possesse the land So seeing all the Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles and Christ himselfe are the spies of this good land and they tell us that Heaven is a good land and excels all the kingdomes of this World why doe ye sit still and why are yee slothfull to enter in and to possesse it This is the use that Saint Paul makes of it Heb. 12. 28. Wherefore seeing wee receive a kingdome that cannot be shaken Let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare therefore seeing it is not a mutable and a changeable kingdome as the best kingdomes are in this World why doe we not labor to please God to spend our time well here attend him that wee may have it and enjoy this kingdome We see what labour and paines men will take for lesse matters than a kingdome for a little foode and rayment how early men rise in the morning and goe late to bed to get in a little corne and men doe well in it much more should wee labour and take paines that we may enjoy this Heavenly Kingdome Thirdly seeing this Kingdome excels all the kingdomes of this world therefore Christians must comfort themselves with the hope of this though they be meane and poore and it may bee have not house or land yet let them comfort themselves I say with the hope of this that God will bestow a kingdome that doth far excell all the kingdoms of this World if they can repent of their sinnes have saith in Christ if they walke with care and conscience before him therefore let every Christian stay himselfe with the hope of this and let us enter into the veile and lay hold with the Anchors of the Soule as Saint Paul saith Heb. 6. 19. To hold fast the hope that is set before us which we have as an Aâ—chor of the Soule both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the veile Saint Basill saith The hope of reward will carry us through any affliction in this World with comfort art thou afraide of shame and reproach for the Gospell sake God will grace thee before men and Angels art thou afraid thou shalt lose thy friends God will bee thy friend art thou affraid thou shalt lose thy goods and thy wealth God will bestow Heaven on thee therefore thinke on the riches that God hath
it but for the unbeleevers sake if any should be here I will give foure reasons to prove it First because it is proper to none but God to be in all places at one time as Ierem. 23. 24. Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord This is the propertie onely of God on bodily substance can because they cannot be but in one place at one time and must be bounded in their owne essence but the Holy Ghost is in all places he is in heaven and earth and in the hearts of the faithfull all the world over therefore the Holy Ghost is God I but some man may say the light of the Sunne is all the world over To this I answer although the light of the Sunne be all the world over yet there are divers parts of it But the Holy Ghost is all one and the same and is not divided but he fils heaven and earth and hee is in the hearts of the godly all the world over and therefore the holy Ghost is God Secondly Because none but God can create and make things of nothing none but God knoweth all things none but God can give gifts of grace to his servants but the Holy Ghost doth all this and therefore the Holy Ghost is God First we may see the Holy Ghost creates as well as the Father and the Sonne as Iob 33. 4. The Spirit of the Lord hath made mee and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life So Psal. 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the heaven and the earth made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Secondly no man knoweth the things of God but God the Holy Ghost knoweth all and therefore he is God as 1 Cor. 2. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Thirdly none but God gives gifts of grace to men but the Holy Ghost doth therefore the Holy Ghost is God Now that the Holy Ghost doth give gifts and graces it is plaine 1 Cor. 12. 6. There are diversities of operations but God is the same that worketh all seeing then it is the Holy Ghost that doth create that knoweth the things of God and that gives gifts of grace into the hearts of men therefore the holy Ghost is God Thirdly No man is to be baptised into the name of any creature but into Gods only but wee are commanded to be baptised into the name of the Holy Ghost therefore the Holy Ghost Now that no man is to be baptised into the name of any creature it is plaine by the Apostles words 1 Cor. 1. 13. where he demands Were yee baptised into the name of Paul I baptised I thanke God name of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any man should say that I baptised into mine owne name Againe We that be baptised are grafted into another stocke and so draw spirituall grace into our selves but if a man be baptised into any other name he cannot draw spirituall grace and therefore wee are to be baptised into none other name but into Gods Name besides there is an expresse charge and command to baptise in no other name but in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is God Now I spend the more time in this that yee might have your Christian faith grounded for Matth. 13. wee see that the seed that was sowen in the stony ground withered and came to nothing because it wanted a root of judgement so if our knowledge be not rooted and grounded it will come to nothing every temptation will shake it and therefore we must labour to have our knowledge grounded Let us come to make use of it First seeing the holy Ghost is God therefore we must take heed we doe not grieve him with our sins and our corruptions this is the use Saint Paul makes of it Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption It is a great fault to grieve man but it is a greater to grieve God it is said in the Law that the people grieved God and Moses his servant and Esay 7. 10. the question is asked Is it a small thing to grieve man but ye will also grieve my God Now there is never a sinne we commit but wee grieve God every oath wee sweare every lye we tell c. and therefore we must take heed we doe not sin to grieve the holy Spirit and to cause him to depart from us as Heb. 3. 10. God complaines Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation c. so it is our sinnes that grieve the holy Ghost If a man hath a guest that commeth to his house to tarry but a night he will be wary lest hee offend him much more wee should be loth to offend the holy Ghost seeing he commeth to dwell with us not a night but for ever consider with thy selfe O man if thou have a friend that will helpe thee in all times of extremitie and releeve thee wilt thou offend him nay thou wouldst labour to please him So the holy Ghost is a friend to us and will speake comfortably and kindly to us at the day of death and in our troubles therefore if we grieve him what comfort can we looke for at the day of death and in the time of trouble Secondly seeing the holy Ghost is God we must take heed that we doe not destroy the temple of the holy Ghost now our bodies be the temples of the holy Ghost therefore we must take heed we doe not destroy the So 1 Cor. 3. 16. saith the Apostle Know ye not that yee are the temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you and if any man destroy this temple God will destroy him which is done first by pulling downe the wals and then by defacing of it which bloudy tyrants doe when they kill good people and deface them If a Noble-man have his house pulled downe over his head he will not take it well at their hands but he will labour to destroy them who did it so if tyrants pull downe Gods Temple he will not take it well at their hands but will destroy them Secondly we may destroy this temple by polluting it for though they let the wals stand yet they may destroy Gods temple by destroying the sanctitie and the holinesse of it by their bad lusts and vile sinnes that they doe commit and then God will destroy them as Iohn 2. you see how angry Christ was that hee made a whip and did scourge them out of the Temple that brought oxen and sheepe and doves to sell there now if Christ were angry with them that defiled the materiall Temple with their oxen sheepe and
say they If the same bodies rise then they rise with a number of needlesse parts for what shall a man need teeth seeing they shall eate no meate and what shall they need a stomacke seeing there is no concoction or digestion and what shall a man need bowels seeing there is no redundance to fill them Augustine shall answer this saith he concerning the teeth they bee needfull for a man hath two uses of them they serve to eate with and they are to helpe our speech therefore though we have no need of teeth in regard of eating yet we shall have need of them to speake with for in Heaven we shall praise God and sing the song of Moses and of the Lambe so then all our teeth are needfull Now for the other parts of the body they are saith hee for sight and comelinesse for though there be no need of the stomacke to concoct or of bowels because there is no redundance yet these shall bee as ornaments to the body to adorne and beautifie it for even in this life there are some things which a man hath that are not needfull as a mans beard it is not a needfull thing for a man might live without it hee might speake without it yet nature hath given us it for an ornament and comelinesse So likewise a woman shee hath breasts necessarily for to nourish and feede her child therewithall but why a man should have the like that seeing he hath no use or need of them we see no other reason but they are for an ornament and to beautifie the body In like manner though we shall not neede after this life a stomacke to concoct nor bowels to receive and disperse yet they shall bee for ornament to our bodies Thirdly say they the same bodies doe not rise because they be heavy and ponderous bodies for how shall heavie and ponderous bodies stay above the Clouds in the pure Heaven which is more pure and thin than the Ayre To this I answer that if a man may fill a great vessell of lead and make it swim above water by drawing the Ayre into it why then may not God draw his Spirit into us and fill us therewith so making our heavie bodies abide above the Clouds as well as a man can make a vessell of lead to swimme above the water Secondly I answer that every thing abides in his owne proper place at Gods appointment As the Clouds which are heavie and full of wet would fall downe to the ground if God had not appointed the Ayre to bee the proper place for them so likewise the water would bee above the land but that the Sea is the place that God hath appointed for the water so it is Gods assignement that makes the proper place of a thing And therefore because Heaven is the proper place of a glorified body as the Earth of a mortall body therefore I say our bodies shall remaine here till the day of judgement in this Earth and then when our bodies are made glorified bodies they shall abide in the Heavens As Psal 115. 16. David saith The Heavens even the Heavens are the Lords but He hath given the Earth to the Sonnes of Men so then the proper place of our mortall bodies is the Earth but when our bodies are glorified then they shall be as naturally in Heaven and live and abide there as they doe now on the Earth The uses are three First seeing wee shall rise with the same bodies therefore wee must be carefull to keepe them well that they may bee pure and unspotted without sinne It is Pauls conclusion 1 Cor. 6. 18. Flie fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but hee that commits fornication sinneth against the body so because we shall rise againe let us flie every sin and corruption and keepe our bodies unspotted that so wee may bee presented pure and holy before him at that day for what a shame will it be to stand before God in judgement when wee have wronged God by our sinnes grieved and offended him and when our heavenly Iudge shall say unto us Are not these the eyes that yee have let in lust with and looked after vanitie Are not these the tongues that yee have told so many lies with Are not these the mouthes that yee have sworne and blasphemed my Name with Are not these the hands yee have wrought wickednesse with Are not these the feete that have carried you to sinne and vanitie to places of disorder and then how shall wee be able to answer the Lord Therefore beloved how carefull should we be to live well to keepe our bodies unspotted that wee may have comfortat that day We see 2 Chron. 36. 8. when Iehoiakim was dead there was found the characters markes and prints of his â—orcery howsoever he could beare it out because he was a King and smother up the matter and keepe it close yet when hee was dead there was the markes and prints of his forcery found on his body so howsoever sinners may hide their sins and beare them out while they live yet when they be dead there shall be found the markes and prints and Characters of their foule sinnes that they have committed therefore let us keepe our bodies pure and unspotted that wee may have comfort at that day Secondly seeing the same bodies which wee lay downe shall rise againe therefore we should depose and lay them downe well at the day of death and make a holy close of our lives to die in Faith and Repentance that so we may goe to God If a man put off his garment and meanes to put it on againe he will not rend it off his backe and teare it but will put it off tenderly and lay it up safe that so it may doe him service againe and grace him before his friends so seeing our bodies are as garments for our soules when we put them off let us labor to depose and lay them downe well at the day of death to die in Faith and Repentance that our bodies may grace us and do us credit at the day of judgement before God To this purpose 2 Pet. 1. 14. saith Saint Peter I thinke it meete as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in minde seeing I know that the time is at hand that I must lay downe this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me so also S. Paul 2 Cor. 5. saith for we know that if this earthly house of our Tabernacle be dissolved we have a building given us of God c. There is great difference betweene a souldier destroying of an house and one that dissolves a house he that destroyes an house will pull downe the timber and stones and careth not where he flings them nor what becommeth of them because he doth not purpose to use them againe But a man that dissolves an
sure it is therefore that he will restore any part that his friend should lose for his names sake as Heb. 11. 35. it is said of the holy men that they would not bee delivered from those paines and torments which the wicked had devised against them that they might receive a better resurrection and in the story of the Macchabees we read a strange and worthy narration recorded also by Iosephus that when one of the seven Children of the mother came to suffer and was to have his tongue and other parts to be cut off he saith These have I received from the Heavens but now for the Law of God I despise them and trust that I shall receive them againe so because wee know that if wee lose any part for the Name of Christ he will restore it to us at the day of judgement Therefore wee should not bee affraid to lose it but contented and willing to part with all for Christ Now if any man should object that wee shall not then have all our parts restored againe because Christ saith Matth. 18. that a man were better to goe halt and lame into the Kingdome of God than having two hands and two feete to be cast into everlasting fire To this I answere That Christ doth not speake positively but by supposition for he doth not say ye shall goe halt and lame into life but hee saith it were better for a man to goe in any meane and base condition to God as blinde lame naked and poore than to goe into everlasting fire with all the glory that this world can afford Secondly I answer It is to be understood of the estate of the soule and not of the body for if a man were to lose his hands or feete yea all the parts of his body for this end onely to have his soule goe to Heaven it were better than that he should have all the parts of his body and go with the wrecke of his soule and conscience into everlasting fire Secondly the glory of the body consists in this that it shall be beautifull and lovely howsoever now our bodies may bee rotten deformed and ill-favoured especially when we be dead at which time the bodies of the best and beautifullest are ill-favoured to looke on We see good Abraham when Sara was dead desired to have a place to bury her out of his sight so lothsome and ill-favoured we be when we be dead but at the resurrection then our bodies shall bee made beautifull and lovely no man or woman is now so beautifull as we shall be then and that for two Reasons First Looke what estate Adam was in in the time of innocencie in the same estate shall the bodies of the Saints be at the resurrection but the body of man was so beautifull and glorious so full of brightnesse and spendor which issued from it as all the Beasts of the field stood gazing and looking on him in the same estate shall all the bodies of the Saints be at the resurrection Secondly all deformities blackenesse ill-favourednesse and crookednesse are punishments and penalties for sinne but when our sinnes and our corruptions shall cease then the penaltie and punishment shall cease Oh how should this quicken up our care to repent of our sinnes to get faith in Christ to walke holily here that wee may have our portion with the Saints Wee see here when men and womens bodies bee crooked and deformed they weare iron bodies and will indure any thing to make them straight againe besides if they be not well-favored they will send into Spaine and Italy to buy complexion which when they have it doth not help nature but they be the worse for it because it eats out their favour But if men will feare God repent their sinnes get faith in Christ and walke holily here our Lord Iesus Christ will repaire all and make our bodies beautifull and lovely when Salomon had built the Temple the Chaldeans came and destroyed it afterwards when it was built againe it came not to the former glory that it had but it shall not be so with the bodies of the Saints for they shall bee restored to a more beautifull and glorious estate than ever they had before Thirdly the glory of the bodies of the Saints shall consist in this that they shall be filled with brightnesse and splender now their bodies are darke and obscure but then they shall be like so many bright starres and shining Lampes when all the bodies of the wicked shall gather blackenesse and darknesse and shall looke like filthy scroules all the bodies of the Saints shall be like so many bright Stars as Daniel 12. 3. it is said And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres for ever and ever this Christ doth further inlarge Matth. 13. 43. The Iust shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father the Sunne did never looke more glorious upon this world than the bodies of the Saints shall shine with glory at that day therefore what a comfortable estate shall our bodies be in at that time We see when Moses had talked with God forty daies by the reflexion of Gods glory upon him his face did shine so that the children of Israel were not able to behold it how much more will the glory of Saints be when they shall abide with God not forty daies but for ever and ever if there shall be such glory and brightnesse in the bodies of the Saints how superexcellent shall the glory of the Soule bee then The use is that a Christian should solace himselfe in the meditation of this and not thinke his time lost in the Service of God but abstract his heart from the love of this world and worldly things to thinke on the future glory that God hath prepared for the Saints and cheare up thy heart with it as Gen. 13. the Lord makes an excellent promise to Abraham concerning the land of Canaan bidding him Arise and walke through the land in the length and breadth thereof so the Lord makes goodly promises to a Christian concerning Heaven Therefore though hee hath not put us in possession of it hitherto yet we should arise and walke through the land in the length and breadth of it that is meditate and thinke on the glory and goodly delights of it and solace our soules therewith Secondly seeing the Lord will honour our bodies then with such a deale of glory we must be carefull to spend our time well to live in all holinesse and righteousnesse while wee live here for how can wee looke that God should honour us when wee are not carefull to keepe our bodies holy and labor to honor them our selves It is a rule in Art that they that would finish their colors in brightnesse must lay grounds sutable so if thou
because men know not his worth 182. †Things of inestimable price aâ— the Graces of the spirit Kingdome of heaven Soules of men Favour of God unlawfull to be sold 182 183. The great dignity to bee the Sonnes of God 46. Christ the Sonne of God not by creation as Angels nor by adoption as men but by communication of nature and essence 92. ¶ Wee should labour to become the Sonnes of God 93. * Christs sorrow on the crosse a dreadfull sorrow 155. ¶ Three causes thereof 156. The immortalitle of the soule 257. * 602. The soules of the faithfull goe to Heaven immediately after death 243. †260 * Our soules ought to bee rendred up in as good a case as they were given us 99. * Christs Soule a pledgâ— and pawne for ours 259. ¶ Christ sometime is â—ound of them that sought how not 316. ¶ Idle speeches like the â—aste water of a Conduit 310. †God speeches must â—t bee quenched but cherisht 320. †God gives but a portie of the Spirit in this life 488. †¶ No fulnesse of the Spiâ—â—â— in this life 489. †Fulnesse of Spirit is â—even c. what 392. ¶ c. Degrees of the Spirit 501. The right worke of the â—irit in a Weake Strong Christian wherein it consists 501. 503. As fire by too much wâ—lâ— and a Ship by too great a burthen so 〈◊〉 Spirit quenched by too many worldly â—res 522. †Of the Starre that appeâ—ed to the Wisemâ—n 135. The Scriptures and faâ—â—full Ministers 〈◊〉 Starres to direct us 〈◊〉 Christ 136. †A Christian should deâ—e God to stay with him in time of Trouble Death 33. Stirring up one anotâ— to good duties 125. * Reasons theâ—of ibid. ¶ Wicked mens hearts â—rder than stones 271. †Ill successe shâ—ld bee no hindrance in our search for Christ 134. * Of Christs suâ—â—rings in generall 145. Christ suffeâ—d from 〈◊〉 The cup of malediction Desertion on the Crosse 153. Apprehension Arraignement Condemnation Execution 177. God suffere In humane Not divine nature 147. ¶ Of Christs â—â—ferings Duplex necessita Pretii or paying the price of mans redemption Exempli or good example 146. 327. The utilitie Christs sufferings 329. Christs 〈◊〉 more admirable his sufferings not profitable 145. ¶ Christ suâ—â—ed that mee might not suffer 146. ¶ Whatsoeverâ— fell Christ in his sufferings not due 〈◊〉 149. * From Christ sufferings we must learne 〈…〉 of our salvation â—e grievâ—â—snesse of our sinnes suffer our selves â—or sinne 148. Christ suffer to bring us 〈◊〉 to God 150. The 〈…〉 of Christs sufferings was to Râ—â—â—ncile us to God 〈◊〉 sinne 152. Wee must suffeâ—â— to Bee 〈◊〉 to Chr. Purge â— sinne Prevâ—â—â—nt 328. The end of alâ—â—r sufferings must bee to abolish sinne 152. ¶ Reasons to enable us to suffer from men are because All is by Gods appointment We have deserved all of them All shall tend to our good 176. ¶ As too much sumptuousnesse so too much sluttishnesse is to bee avoyded 281. †Of the Sunnes darknesse at Christs passion 165. No naturall cause thereof 166. ¶ Of Christs sweat in the Garden the Cause Carriage Manner End 161. c. T IN worldly businesse our talke should bee of Christ 317. †Men abstaine from talking of God and goodnesse because they Contâ—â—â—â— GOD and desire to have as little to doe with him as may bee Are not watchfull over their waies Waâ—t love to their Brethren 318. He that hath once tasted of the goodnesse of Christ will not let him goe upon any termes 333. * All men under the taxe of Gods wrath 116. †Christ teacheth 〈◊〉 by his Word Sacraments 84. Christ found no where but in the Temple 141. * How men destroyes the Temple of God 481. Two times the Divell chiefly tempts a Christian at His entrance into grace His going out of the world 161. ¶ The stronger the temptations the earnester our prayers 161. ¶ Christ exerciseth his Church with trials and temptations to Set aworke their graces Pull downe spirituall pride Keepe them from sinne The great terrour and torment of the wicked when they shall be shut out from the presence of Christ 464. †Thankefulnesse due to Christ for our redemption 254. ¶ Thankefulnesse due to Christ that hath freed us from the curse 95. * The conversion of the theefe on the crosse 233. Why Christ suffered betweene two theeves 222. All men good and bad figured in the two theeves 240. ¶ Of Christ thirst on the crosse the naturall causes Long abstinence Exiâ—cation from losse of blood Extremitie of griefe 246. The morall causes of Christs thirst That wee might not thirst To fulfill a Scripture That wee might thirst for the Spirit of grace 247. The good thirst of a Christian 248. †Of Christs appearing to Thomas 347. There is a fulnesse of time for the accomplishment of Gods promises 113. Why Christ would not be touched 312. ¶ Reasons against transubstantiation 319. * Trials to know whether Christs will bee gone from us or no. 330. Christ sold for a trifle 183. †Christ the joy of the world a trouble to some 132. †Of the Trumpet sounding to judgement 426. Christ condemned for the Truth 196. †The Holy Ghost a Tutor to us 510. * V THe Veile of the Tempâ—rent to Make an entrance inâ—â— Heaven Abrogate the cereâ—â—iall Law Shew Christ had taâ—n away the separatioâ— betweene God and us Shew the veile of ignorance in the Law was â—â—ken away 270. How the Kingdome of Heaveâ— suffers violence 253. ¶ Christ did not passe througâ— the Virgin Mary as water through aâ—â—nduit pipe 105. †Christ conceived of a Virgin at he might Be free from siâ—â— Fulfill the propheâ—s of him Awaken the â—ld by the strangenes of â— birth 108. The Virgin Marie considered her Stocke of the Lineagâ— David Estate poore and meane 110. Vivification wherein it consist 504. †Actions done voluntarily inâ—bedience to God are most acceptable 265. ¶ Thomas's unbeleefe 348. W WEE ought to waitâ—atiently â—atiently for Christs commiâ— 140. †Weake brethren not to be disâ—ed 277. †Weaknesse of Faith see 〈◊〉 Christ yeelds to mans weakâ—esse though on unequall termes 251. ¶ The wicked sparing for goâ—â—ses prodigall for bad 182. †We must be content to suffeâ— the hands of wicked men 177. †The wicked hurt the Saiâ—by their Wrongs Sinnes 60 The wicked labour to geâ—â— of their troubles by bad meanes 133. ¶ The wickedsâ—dition â—dition worse than Nabuchadnezzarâ—mong â—mong the Oxen. 472. * The wicked liâ— fishes in the Sea live in the Church â—ut are neither seasoned by it nor taste the power thereof 567. * A terrour aâ—confusion to the wicked when they 〈◊〉 be separated from Christ to the Divâ—nd his angels 433. ¶ The wicked aâ—r the resurrection shall bee subject to â—â—ecessities of nature 644. The wicked 〈◊〉 bee shut out of the Earth at the end the world 465. The wicked 〈◊〉 bee shut out of Heaven at the presen◠〈◊〉 Christ 464. The wickedsâ—â—panions â—â—panions hereafter
Esai 53. 11. of Christ hee shall see of the travell of his soule and shall bee satisfied and therefore if men bee brought to God if they live a holy life if they bee conscionable in their waâ—â—s and carefull to please God in their courses then this will satisfie Christ But if wee live in our sinnes in our prophanenesse in our lusts still then it shall grieve Him that ever he was borne into the world sweate in the garden died and shed his blood on the Crosse for us Thirdly wee are to consider of the manner of his death that it was in the greatest extremity that might be so Paul saith Philip 2. 8. Hee humbled himselfe and became obedient to that cursed death on the crosse and so in Esai 5 3. 12. it is said He hath powred out his soule unto death c. Now the greatest extremity that Christ suffered may make us consider of two things First the greatnesse of our sinnes And secondly the greatnesse of Gods mercie First wee may consider the greatnesse of our sinnes that when wee have sinned against God nothing will bring us into favour againe but it must cost blood and the blood of the Sonne of God therefore howsoever men make but a light matter of sinne yet when we have sinned all the powers of Heaven and earth cannot bring us into favour againe all the Angels in heaven cannot doe it nor all the blood of the Saints but it must bee the blood of the Sonne of God that must doe it if the king should make a law that if a man told a lye or sowre an oath or committed a sinne he should lose a droppe of his blood how afraid would he be of sinning Now when we sinne although it doth not cost us blood yet it cost the blood of the Sonne of God and therefore wee should bee afraid to sinne lest wee bee more wastfull of the blood of Christ than of our owne Secondly wee are to consider of the greatnesse of Gods mercie that when wee had sinned hee would send his owne Sonne to die for us as 1 Iohn 4. 10. Herein is Love not that wee loved God but that hee loved us and sent his Sonne to bee a reconciliation for our sinnes and so in Rom. 5. 8. But God setteth out his love towards us seeing that whiles we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us and therfore seeing God hath so loved us that he was content to part with his Sonne for us let us never sticke to part with our sinnes and lusts to serve him but we see it otherwise that God doth not sticke to part with his sonne to die for us and yet we sticke to part from our sinnes to serve him The second way that faith doth stirre up holy motions is because it doth combine and knit us unto Christ so it is by combination by being made one with Christ for as from the head doth flow into the rest of the members life even so Christ doth extend unto us his graces and vertues In the second of the Kings wee see that when the dead body of the Prophet did touch the dead body of the man life came into him much more if we went downe into the grave of Christ and touched him wee shall live being joyned with the living body of Christ who hath gloriously and triumphantly overcome death hell and the divell We see in experience that if a man would have water flow into his field he will make a trench and dig into the ground till he comes at the fountaine and then the fountaine will flow water into the field even so if men would have the graces of Christ to bee distilled into them let them never be at rest till they have joyned themselves to Iesus Christ and then hee will distill all his graces and vertues into them so faith never leaveth us till it brings us unto Christ Now the use of this point is that seeing we are sanctified in this world by faith as we find other uses thereof so we should labour to find this use and benefit of it and therfore whereas men thinke that some are too precise and too strict it is a sure thing that unlesse we be sanctified in this world we cannot be justified before God and yet do not looke to be sanctified before men And therefore search thy selfe oh man or woman I pray thee art thou brought to the hatred of sinne Or is it weakned in thee Doest thou labour to lead an holy life in the sight of men here Then thou art justified in the sight of God but if thou livest in sin and makest no conscience in thy waies but livest loosely never then looke to be justified in the sight of God It is a good observation that a learned man hath out of the eighth of the Romans of the golden chaine saith he There be foure Linkes of it two he hath in his owne hands and two he hath put out to us to lay hold on the two linkes that he hath in his hands are Predestination and Glorification the first and the last linkes and the two middle he hath left for us to lay hold on Vocation and Iustification and therefore doe thou oh man cast out thy hands and lay hold on these two linkes that thou mayst be called and justified that so thou maiest be glorified in the world to come This is comfortable that God hath left these two linkes for every man whereby hee may be drawne up to Heaven The third vse of faith is that which Paul speaketh of here Rom. 1. 17. The just man shall live by his faith so a man must not onely be justified by faith in the sight of God and sanctified in this world but he must live by his faith as Paul saith Thus I live yet not I now but Christ liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Sonne of God who hath loved mee and gave Himselfe for mee A man may live the life of nature without faith hee may buy and sell and doe the workes of his calling hee may eate and drinke c. But he cannot live the life of grace without faith the greatest part of men care not to live in faith but they desire to die in faith They would die a comfortable death like Balaam that would desire to die the death of the righteous but care not to live so strict a life therefore if men doe not care to live in faith they cannot die in faith for this is the true use of faith to live by it so the prophet Habakuk saith the just shall live by his faith a man that hath lived by it hee shall die in faith also Heb. 11. 39. it is said all those dyed in Faith because as they had lived in faith so they died in faith too therefore if wee will die in faith wee must labour to live in faith and then
there is alwayes a seede and a roote of faith left though hee may feele the losse of the comfortable assurance yet there is the Sanctity and effects of faith still there is an hatred of sinne a love of goodnesse a desire of the presence of God and of his love and favour which may be his comfort We read Acts 20. 10. that Eutichus fell out of a window and was taken up dead but Paul went downe and fell upon him and imbracing him said Trouble not your selves for his life is in him so we may say of all the fals of Gods people There is life in them This may bee their comfort that in all their fals there is a seed of faith there is the sanctitie of faith still remaining in them this must be their stay and comfort in all their spirituall afflictions and desertions whatsoever The second is that although they lose the feeling of Gods favour yet it is not perpetuall but for a short time So it is said Psal 55. Hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever and Psal 94. 18. When I said my foote slippeth thy mercy O Lord held and stayed me up Trees in a great winde are shaken and beate this way and that way as if they would breake but if the windes goe downe and there bee a calme they come to their former estate againe so it is in faith in the time of temptation we may be shaken and carried this way and that way but when the temptation is at an end wee come unto our former estate againe and to as comfortable apprehension of the Love of God and of his favor as before so Zech. 10. 6. the Lord promised the same powerfull grace to his people after their fals as before for saith he And I will strengthen the house of Iudah and I will preserve the house of Ioseph and I will bring them againe for I pittie them and they shall be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and will heare them And therefore seeing it is not perpetuall but for a little time this may comfort them and glad their hearts The third is The wise providence of God who disposeth all things to the good of his servants A man ye know when he plants a tree he casteth moulds about it puls and shakes it this way and that way and yet it is but to settle the tree so the Lord doth when he plants a man hee puls him this way and that way and all is but to settle him that he may be the better rooted and grounded as it is Rom. 8. 28. All things worke together for the good of those that love God Therefore let a man love God and then all things shall worke together for his good There be strange workes of God and some that seeme to bee against men and yet by a secret hand of God they are all carried and worke together for the good of them that love him As ye see in a Clocke there be some wheeles turne one way and some another way and yet all tend to one end to make the Clocke goe well so sometimes God sends a man adversity and sometimes prosperity sometimes he deales one way with us sometimes another and yet all is but to draw us neerer unto him in holinesse and obedience The fourth thing that may comfort them is that they cannot be at quiet or at rest till they have returned to the Lord againe still there is a thirsting of the heart after God and they cannot bee at rest till they bee returned againe so we see David Psal 119. ver ult saith I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost oh seeke me for I have not forgotten thy Commandements as a lost sheepe cannot be at rest but he runnes here and there hee cries to the sheepheard and is not at rest and quiet till he be returned home unto the sheepfold so the people of God when they have gone astray cannot be at rest till they have runne here and there and cried to the sheepherd they can never be at quiet till they be returned home unto God therefore so long as a man cannot be at quiet in his fals and sinnes but that there is a thirsting of the heart after God and hee takes no rest till he be returned this may give him comfort We see in nature that if the shipmans needle be touched with the Loadstone it cannot be at rest nor at quiet till it looke upon the North Pole if it be hindred with any little thing it standeth trembling and shaking as if it were discontented so if a mans heart be touched and set a fire with faith in Christ it doth alwayes gather to Christ and if it be hindred by any meanes it is not at rest but it is discontented untill it come home to him When a man is in danger of drowning hee will fling out his armes and catch hold of every straw to save himselfe so we should doe when wee perceive our selves to be in danger of hell we should fling out our armes abroad and catch hold of Christ and so save our selves Now if any man should aske how he should recover againe when he is in this estate I answer first he must repent him of his sinnes and turne to God Secondly he must cry to God for his former falling so we see David did Psal 51. saith he Restore me to the joy of thy Salvation and Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thirdly strive against the infidelitie of thy owne heart as David did Psal 42. saith he Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou thus disquieted within me waite still on God Fourthly to strengthen our faith from the former mercies and kindnesse of God as Rom. 11. 29. The graces and gifts of God are without Repentance And in another place Those whom the Lord loveth hee loveth unto the end and therefore if ever thou canst approve to thine own heart that God hath loved thee he will love thee still unto the end The third step and degree of faith is The full assurance of faith when a man is at this top and degree he is as it were at the top of the hill for as you know that a man being at the top of an hill hee may see the whole countrey round about him the latitude and length of it both by sea and land euen so when a man comes at this step and degree of faith he shal see the latitude and length of Gods love in Christ heaven open and Christ ready to receive him the holy Apostles ready to carry his soule into heaven as Lazarus was and all the Saints and Martyrs ready to entertaine him Now this Metaphor is taken from a ship at sea that hath sea roome enough being past rockes and sands and so out of danger saileth safely unto
is no Father in time of need will doe more for his child than God will doe for us nor no Father so ready to helpe his child as wee shall have helpe of God Psal 103. 13. As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him and Esai 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham bee ignorant of us and Israel know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer and therefore great is the comfort that wee shall finde seeing hee is our Father it is a comfort in the time of mutation of friends when they leave and forsake and cast us off yet wee may say with comfort Lord I thanke thee thou art my Father thou wilt not leave mee nor cast me off but stand by me when the world will forsake me and my worldly friends The third is that seeing God is our Father hee will give us an heavenly inheritance a father wil not die and leave his childe nothing if he be able so God will not be a Father and leave us nothing but he will bequeath unto us an heavenly inheritance so our Saviour saith Luke 12. 23. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers will to give you a kingdome So also Heb. 11. 16. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God would have us men be ashamed to call him father if he had nothing to give us but seeing he hath prepared for us a City hee is not ashamed to bee called our Father therefore seeing hee hath provided such a heavenly inheritance it is a comfort to us art thou a poore man and hast thou little to live on or art thou a yonger brother and hast thou no inheritance labour to have God thy Father and although thou bee a meane man here yet thou shalt be great in heaven Christ shall be thy brother and heaven shall be thine inheritance The fourth is that seeing God is our Father all his chastisements shall turne to our good so Heb. 12. 6. the Apostle saith For whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and he scourgeth every sonne he receiveth If a father correct his childe it is for his good and amendment or at least-wise he would have us to thinke so in like manner as we would have others to thinke of us when wee are correcting of our children that wee doe it for their good let us be perswaded and thinke so of God that it shall turne to our good If a friend should temper a potion and give us it into our hands to drinke although it should worke furiously upon us yet wee would thinke that it shall turne to our good so seeing God is our friend and our father though our afflictions worke strongly upon us yet wee must bee perswaded that it shall turne to our good We heard in the morning out of the story of Abraham that Abimelich the King sought to Abraham to make a league with him at that time when hee was a great heavinesse for the losse of Ismael for Hagar and Ismael were cast out of his doores The Doctrine from hence was That the Lord never sendeth extraordinary crosses and troubles but he sends his servants extraordinary comfort and this ariseth of his fatherly care towards us if a Father gives to his child a sowre cup or a bitter cup he will secretly convey into his hand a peace of sugar to allay the bitternesse and sowrenesse so the Lord doth when he giveth us a bitter cup to drinke hee conveyeth into our hearts secretly as it were a peece of sugar some comfort to allay the bitternesse of it Chrysostome saith There were no man able to saile at Sea if there were no havens and shores and harbors for ships to lye in in the time of tempest so saith hee it were not possible for a Christian to passe this earth through if God should not give him comfort in the time of his trouble The fifth comfort is that seeing God is our Father wee may with comfort at the day of death lay downe our soules and bodies into his hands so wee see Christ doth Luke 23. 46. And Iesus cryed with a loud voyce Father into thy hands I commend my spirit this must teach us when wee come to die to commit our spirits into the hands of God It is the disposition of a childe if hee hath any Iewell in the time of danger to runne and put it into his father hands where he thinkes it a thousand times safer than in his owne so wee should doe seeing wee have but one jewell our soules in the time of danger wee should runne to God and commit it into his hands and thinke it a thousand times more safe than in our owne keeping Now having spoken of the Person of the Father the next in order and course is to speake of his Attributes which are two mentioned in this place 1. That he is Almighty 2. That he is the maker of Heaven and Earth First that he is Almightie Now God is said to be Almighty because he hath power in himselfe to doe whatsoever he will Psal 111. 3. But our God is in heaven and doth whatsoever he will and Psal 135. 6. Whatsoever pleaseth the Lord that did hee in heaven and in earth and in the sea so also Ephes. 3. 20. Vnto him therefore that is able to doe abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us be praise and Glory Philip. 3. 21. saith the Apostle Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himselfe Here a question may be moved why we are taught to beleeve that God is almighty seeing the minde of man is finite and it is not able to conceive of an infinite thing such as is the power of God I answere as a man may stand on the sea shore and looke on the sea where though hee be not able to see the length and breadth of it yet he may see it is a goodly spâ—tious and a large thing so howsoever we are not able to conceive the greatnesse of God and his Almightinesse to see the largenesse of him yet apprehending of him as wee may we shall see him to bee great yea the further wee goe the greater we shall see him to be though we be not able to see his length and depth yet we may perceive the Almightinesse of him as if a man come to a mountaine which hee is not able to comprehend in his armes yet hee is able to apprehend it and to lay hold on it with his hands so howsoever we are not able to comprehend the Almightinesse of God yet we may apprehend it and lay hold on it Now God is said to bee Almighty foure
the defect here is not in the power of man but in the glasse for hee was as able to powre out all of it as one drop but the glasse could not receive it Againe God cannot doe any thing that implyes contradiction as to cause a thing to bee and not to bee as the Sunne to shine and not to shine all at one time or a body to be in a place and not to be or to be in divers places at one time The uses are for Instruction and Comfort The first Instruction is that seeing God is Almighty all men must stoope and bow before him in the consideration of his great power as Esa 25. 3. Therfore shall the mighty people give glory unto thee the city of the strong nations shall feare thee Ier. 10. 7. Who would not feare thee O King of nations For to thee appertaineth the dominion for among all the wise men of the Gentiles and in all their kingdomes there is none like unto thee So Psal 95. 6. Come let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our Maker therefore the great power that is in God must humble us bring us low and make us fall downe before him Secondly that seeing God is Almighty labour to make him thy friend and to be in his favour for nothing is almighty in this world but God wee see how men labour to bee in favour with Noblemen thinking thereby to procure some great matter to themselves but there is none greater than God therefore labour to have his favour This is that a Christian desires above all the things in this world so David Psal 4. 6. Lord saith hee lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and that shall make my heart more glad than they that have their corne and wine and oyle increased So Psal 80. 19. Turne us O Lord God of hostes cause thy face to shine upon us and wee shall be safe In which Psalme it is thrice repeated as the onely desire of a Christian Thirdly that seeing God is Almighty therefore above all things take heed we doe not sinne against and offend him for all the creatures are not able to doe the thousand part of that hurt that God can doe unto thee why then are men commonly so afraid of great men and of the hurt they can doe to them our Saviour tels them whom to feare Luk. 12. 4. saith hee Feare not him that can kill the body and after that is able to doe no more but feare him that is able to destroy both Soule and body and to cast them into hell fire him wee ought to feare therefore the power that is in God should make us afraid to offend him Wee see Iob saith Gods judgements were fearefull to mee and I could not bee delivered from his highnesse so we see the consideration of the power that was in God made Iob stand in awe of him a number of men never stand in awe of God are never afraid of his great power indeed they feare an earthly power are afraid of breaking the Princes lawes and the commandements of men but O that men could bee afraid of the great power that is in God who is able to destroy both soule and body Fourthly seeing God is Almighty therefore in all extremities wee are to rest and relie on the power that is in him for howsoever men runne here and there for helpe yet no man is able to helpe but hee A Christian must beleeve that God is able to helpe by meanes as Noah was saved in a wooden Arke and Moses in an Arke of reed so likewise wee must beleeve that God is able to helpe us without meanes against meanes or beyond meanes and above the meanes so as with the Apostle Paul we may say If God be on our side who can be against us Now the next thing observed was comfort First that seeing God is Almighty therefore our Salvation is in the hands of God if it were in our owne wee might lose it but seeing it is in Gods keeping it is safe as 1 Pet. 1. 5. it is said Wee are kept by the power of God In the time of mans innocency Adam had the keeping of his owne Salvation it was in his owne hands and hee lost it but now it is in Gods keeping and therefore we are sure we shall not lose it seeing his power is Almighty Secondly that seeing God is Almighty therefore wee shall bee safe under his protection so David saith Psal 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my Salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I bee afraid And Psal 23. 4. Yea though I should walke through the valley of the shaddow of death yet I will feare none evill for thou art my God and thou art with mee If God bee our friend wee need not to care who is our foe for Gods power is Almighty Thirdly that seeing Gods power is Almighty therefore all his promises shall bee fulfilled in due time so Gen. 21. 1. Now the Lord visited Sarah as hee had said and the Lord did unto her according as hee had promised And Gen. 18. 14. saith the Angell shall any thing bee hard unto the Lord therefore seeing all Gods promises shall bee performed in due time and nothing is hard for him comfort thy selfe therein for hast thou a promise that God will raise thee out of the grave to glory and happinesse or hast thou any other promise it is most sure it shall be fulfilled in the due time by God Fourthly that seeing God is Almighty therefore we shall not need to doubt or feare but that hee is able to destroy our adversaries power whosoever shall rise against him or us Rev. 18. 8. Therefore shall her plagues come one day death and sorrow and famine and shee shall bee burne with fire for strong is the Lord our God which shall condemne her SERMON VI. ACT. 14. 15. That yee should turne from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are therein COncerning the Almightinesse of God which is His first Attribute we have already spoken now wee come to the second which is Maker of Heaven and earth I will directly fall upon the point without any repetition onely remember wee that the more power there is in God the more is our true comfort for when a man knowes that all the power that is in God is for his good then the more there is in God the more is his comfort As if a man should see a great deale of armour laid up in the hands of his friend he might thinke it were the better for him he shall be the safer by it but if he see a great deale in the hands of his enemie this may strike a terrour into him so if we can finde that God is our Father and
making of the world and filling it even so the Lord is many dayes in furnishing the soule of man with graces though grace bee but weake at first in us yet it shall be perfect in time therefore the graces of God are compared to a seede that is but little at the first and not to a stone for a stone groweth not but a seede albeit it bee little at the beginning yet it will grow greater No man therefore ought to bee discouraged at small beginnings of grace for although they bee little at first yet they shall bee perfect in time And although things depend on the power of nature yet they doe much more depend on the power of God for before the Lord made the Sunne and Moone and the starres he made the trees to bud and hearbs to grow where nature was wanting his power was assistant Psal 78. 19. say the children of Israel Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse they looked not to the power of God so likewise of Moses who was a good man Numb 20. 11. it is said Hee stroke the rocke twice hee looked to the power of nature but the power of God is beyond the power of nature when the power of nature faileth yet the power of God is able to doe anything and therefore wee see Abraham beleeved God when the power of nature failed Rom. 4. Hee considered not the deadnesse of his owne body which was almost an hundred yeers old nor the deadnes of Sarahs womb neither doubted he of the promise of God through unbeleefe but was strengthened in the faith and gave glory to God being fully assured that he that had promised was able to performe it so thou that art a Christian never doubt but that God is able to raise thee out of thy sins or out of the grave and to give thee life for things depend not so much on the power of nature but much more on the power of God Seventhly the order first hee made the heavens and then the earth as we see Gen. 1. And therefore where God beginnes his worke first there a Christian must beginne his care to seeke for heaven our Saviour saith Matth. 6. 33. First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all other things shall be ministred unto you so that where God beginnes his worke there a Christian must beginne his care to make heaven sure to himselfe which when hee hath done hee may the better looke for these earthly things it is a corruption that men seeke for these earthly things first and never seek for heavenly till they be sick or come to dye Secondly in the order that God made the world wee may observe that God made all the creatures before he made man hee was the last some man may say Why was He the last that was made I answere there be three reasons of it 1. It was to honour man 2. To teach him 3. To further him in the best things First it was to honour man for it was a great honour to man that God did not bring him into a bare and naked world but that hee had first furnished it with all things needefull for mans use and delight Even as a king when he is purposed to goe to a towne or place his provision goeth before all is furnished and made ready before hee comes which makes for the honour of the King so God had made all for mans use and had furnished the world with them before he made man This serves for the honour of man and therefore seeing God hath honoured man let us labour to honour him againe Secondly to teach man that hee was not the maker of them for if all the creatures were made before man was made he being the last and there found them all before this is a plaine evidence that man made them not and therefore if there be any creature that is comfortable or delightfull to us God is to be thanked and praised for it not our selves Thirdly to further man in the best things for the Lord provided all things for the use of man to delight him that he might take the more time to provide for heavenly things for the richer a man is and the more plentifull the Lord hath provided for Him the better heart and encouragement hee may take to looke after the things of eternall life and the greater vantage hee hath in the worship and service of God Therefore when as God doth give a man riches and furnish him with all things needefull for his life he should not misspend them neither in wantonnesse or prophanenesse in swilling or drinking and such like but he should take the more time for things of eternal life as Deu. 10. 12. And now O Israel what doth the Lord require at thy hands but to feare the Lord thy God and to walke in all his waies and to love him and to serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soule when they had filled their barnes and houses with corne and other fruites of the earth saith the Lord And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare him and to walke in all his wayes so when God hath filled our barnes with corne and hath made a supply of things needefull then the Lord lookes we should love feare and serve him for if we will not serve the Lord for his blessings we shall serve our enemies in want so we see in Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and with a good heart for the abundance of all things Therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord thy God shall send upon thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednesse c. Eighthly the end why God made this world and all things It was for mans good and mans benefit It was to do good to mankinde that God made Heaven and earth the Sunne Moone and starres that hee made all the creatures And whereas God was most blessed in himselfe before there was a Heaven or earth and needed not to have beene grieved with our sinnes yet notwithstanding Hee was not content to bee blessed in himselfe and to keepe it but hee would communicate his goodnesse and his blessednesse to his creatures and draw man into communion with him and therefore wee should bee ashamed to grieve God with our sinnes seeing hee powreth out his goodnesse and his blessings unto us dayly SERM. VII MATTH 1. 21. And thou shalt call his Name Jesus c. THe faith of a Christian is like the Fishes in a pond that as long as there is water in it so long they tarry but if the water goe out of the Pond then the Fishes goe with it so is the faith of a Christian God the Father hee is the fountaine of the Deity therefore as long as the Deity remained in the Fountaine so long our faith was there but when
was laied on Christ He was killed and wee goe free Iesus saveth us by giving his life for us as Matth. 20. 28. His patterne is proposed unto us Even as the Sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for the ransome of many so 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that wee being delivered from sinne should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed Iesus did save us by giving his soule and body as a ransome for us our sinnes were put upon him he tooke our roome and place and so stood as a malefactor before God arraigned and condemned for us and suffered the torment that we should have suffered thus did Iesus save us by interposing and giving himselfe to pay for us whatsoever God would require at our hands and therefore as Rebekkah said to her sonne Iacob Gen. 27. 12. when he was loth to goe to his father to steale the blessing On me my sonne bee the curse if there be any blessing or benefit to be found on thee bee the blessing but on mee the curse so Christ saith to his people if there be any blessing or if there be any good or benefit on you be the blessing on you be the good and benefit but on mee my people be the curse Thus Christ taketh the sowre and leaves us the sweet this is the royall exchange wee make with Christ When Onesimus was runne away from his Master Philemon and had stolne away things from him being converted Saint Paul sent him home againe with a letter as wee see Philemon 18. and saith If he hath done thee any wrong or any injury set it upon my score I will pay thee I Paul have written it with my owne hand so Iesus doth to us wee bee all runne away from God have done injury and wrong to him Christ meets with us and sends us backe againe with a Letter in our hands to this effect Father if they have done thee any wrong or injury doe not require it at their hands but put it on my crosse put it on my score I will answere thee I Iesus have not written it with inke and paper but with my owne Blood Therefore seeing he hath saved us by dying for us let us take heede wee doe not despise this great salvation which Iesus hath wrought for us Esay 53. 11. it is said he shall see the travell of his soule and shall be satisfied Christ hath laboured and travelled for us and it cost him sore labour too now he hath not laboured for our meate money nor our goods but hee hath laboured for our soules to bring us to repentance to faith and unto God therefore if wee bee brought to repentance if to faith if to God this will satisfie Christ this will rejoyce him but if he cannot see the travell of his soule then it will repent and grieve him that ever he swet in the garden dyed on the crosse for us therefore let Christ see the travell of his soule and this will satisfie Iesus and thus Christ saved us not by strong hand by fighting for us but by suffering and dying for us Thirdly from what hee saved us He saved us from our sinnes It is a sweet thing to bee saved from sicknesse from fire and water from the sword but it is a greater matter to be saved from our sinnes than to bee saved from sword fire and water for wee may bee saved from these things and yet our soules may perish therefore the greatest matter is to bee saved from our sinnes which howsoever we doe not see it now yet one day wee shall for one of these dayes wee shall dye wee know not how soone and then we shall see what a great matter it is to bee saved from our sinnes and at the day of judgement when the heavens shall melt with fire and the earth shall bee dissolved and heaven open above us and hell underneath us and the divell ready to accuse us Then we shall see what a great blessing the pardon of sinnes is from other things therebee divers wayes and meanes to save us but to save us from our sinnes there is but one meanes and that is the blood of Christ therefore howsoever we are thankfull to God for other deliverances yet above all let us be thankfull that God hath saved us from our sinnes for he is a blessed man that is thus saved from his sinnes whatsoever his estate be in this world So Psal 32. 1. Blessed is hee whose wickednesse is forgiven and whose sinne is covered he that is saved from his sinnes is a blessed and a happy man There bee two dangerous things in sinne the Guilt of sinne and the Power of sinne both these wee are saved from the Guilt of sinne is the binding of a man over to answer for it at the judgement seate of God and the Power of sinne is the ruling and raging of sinne in a man Now both these Christ saveth us from from the Guilt of sinne and the Power of sinne for hee saveth no man from the Guilt of sinne but in some measure he saveth him from the Power of sinne it is true indeed that therebee sinnes and weaknesses in the people of God and will be so long as wee carry fraile flesh about us for wee are regenerated but in part therefore if there bee a striving against sinne if there be a hatred a loathing and a distasting of them then we are in some measure saved from the Power of sinne and from the Guilt thereof but if wee doe not finde this striving against it this hatred and loathing of it then wee are not saved as yet from the Power of sinne nor the Guilt thereof How shall a man know that lyeth in the jayle whether his friend hath procured a pardon from the king or no if the Iaylor come and knocke off the manacles on his hands and the chaines off his feet by this hee shall know his friend hath procured a pardon for him but if this party lye in the jayle still bound in his fetters and chaines then it shewes there is no pardon come So we may know when Christ hath procured a pardon for us or not if wee feele the chaines and fetters of sinne to be taken off from us a hatred and loathing of them a striving against them it is a good signe but if wee finde our selves fast bound in our sinnes and continue in them then as yet wee cannot assure our selves they be pardoned The second thing that is implyed in the title Iesus is That there is no other Iesus but this Iesus in the matters of salvation and redemption for there is no salvation to bee found but onely in him as Act. 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for among men there is given no other name under heaven whereby wee must bee saved In the time of the
could that God would send his Sonne therefore seeing he hath sent him wee must heare him unlesse wee will perish But how can wee heare Christ he is in heaven I answere two waies Christ reacheth his Church here 1. By His Word 2. By the Sacraments First Hee teacheth his Church by his Word for the Word is nothing else but the very voyce of Christ and therefore when wee read the Word wee ought to reverence it as the voyce of Christ speaking to us Secondly he teacheth his Church by the mystery of the Sacraments which when they speake to us in his name it is the voyce of Christ so 1 Pet. 3. 19. By the which Spirit he went preached to the spirits that were in prison c. Christ did not preach unto them in his own Person but by man so Ephes. 2. 17. it is said that Christ came and preached peace to them afarre off and to them that were neere Now Christ did not preach to the Gentiles in his owne Person but by the Ministery of his servants therefore as often as his servants come to us in his name with his word in their mouths it is Christ that teacheth us and then so often as we heare we heare the voyce of Christ as the Church saith in the Can. 5. 2. It is the voyce of my beloved The greatest part of the world do not beleeve this they are not perswaded when the minister speaketh unto them from the word of God that it is the voyce of Christ therefore they condemne it and doe not regard it but when we know that Christ speaketh unto us by the Ministery of his Word or by his servants we should say as Samuel said Speake Lord for thy servant heareth so Psal 85. David saith I will harken what God saith for he speakes peace to his people let the world speake of their pleasures profits and talke what they will of me I will hearke what God saith so a Christian must doe whatsoever the world talke and speake yet he must harke what Christ speaketh unto him Secondly he was Anointed to be a Priest as Psal 110. 4. Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech so Heb. 7. 26. For such an high priest it become us to have which is holy harmelesse undefiled separated from sinners made higher than the heavens Of his Priestly office there bee two parts 1. To reconcile and make us at one with God 2. To make intercession for us In the Law when a man had sinned hee brought an offering to the Priest the Priest must offer for him and so make reconciliation betweene God and him so when we have sinned against God it must bee Christ that must reconcile us and make us at one againe with God But there is a great difference betweene Christs sacrifice and the Priests for the Priests in the Law made an atonement with the bloud of beasts but Christ makes an atonement with his owne bloud there was never a Priest in the Law that would shed his bloud for the best of the people but Christ hath shed his bloud for the meanest of his servants and therefore we have great cause to esteeme of the Priesthood of Christ for all the joy we have in God and hope of heaven hangs on him for when a man hath sinned against God there is no man dare stand before God till Christ hath ingaged himselfe answered God and made him at one with him when a man hath sinned against God all the Angels cannot make Atonement for him nor all the powers in heaven and earth all the gold in Ophir câ—â—â—ot redeeme a soule but it must be Christ with his owne blood that mâ—â—t make reconciliation with God for us therefore wee are highly to esteeme of the Priesthood of Christ for all other comforts and joy depend on it The second Priestly duty is that hee makes intercession for us being entred into the heavens within the clouds to appeare before God and to make intercession for us so we see Heb. 1. 25. Wherefore he is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them so Heb. 9. 24. for Christ is not entred into places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true sanctuary but is entred into the heavens to appeare now in the sight of God for us there bee two bloods that cry unto God the blood of the Martyrs and the blood of Christ the blood of the Martyrs cries for to be revenged but the blood of Christ cries for mercie it cryeth not onely from the crosse for mercy but it cryeth now as freshly within the throne and the vaile as ever it did he makes request for us and as Austen saith hee makes request after this manner Good Lord grant mercy to them Father forgive them I have bought them with my bloud they be my poore servants Therefore here is a comfort to us when wee cannot pray as we ought nor wee have none that can helpe us this is the comfort that we Christians may have that Christ is ascended to heaven and makes intercession for us The use is that seeing we have such a benefit by the high priesthood of Christ it should make us hold fast our profession this is the use that Paul maketh saith he Seeing then we have a great high Priest which is carriâ—â— into heaven even Iesus the Sonne of God Let us hold fast our profession Let us therefore goe boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and finde grace to helpe in the time of neede therefore let us not doubt but that wee shall be saved Indeede if the matter lay in us then wee might doubt of it but seeing Christ hath undertaken it we must not doubt unlesse wee will be so prophane to thinke that Christ will faile us I but what may a man doe that Christ may undertake the matter for him he must doe as a man that goeth to a Lawyer he tels him his case and he prayeth the Lawyer to undertake the matter for him so a Christian must doe hee must goe to Christ and make his case knowne to him and pray him to undertake the matter and so commit it unto him and then Christ will not faile him SERM. VIII HEBREWES 1. 8 9. But unto the sonne He saith Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of Righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy kingdome Thou hast loved Righteousnesse and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath Anointed thee with the Oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes IN the Anointing of Christ there were five things offered to our consideration first what is meant by the anointing secondly with what he was anointed thirdly what it was that did anoint him fourthly to what he was anointed fifthly what benefit we have by his anointing He was Anointed to bee a Prophet a Priest and a King How Christ is the
and the king there is not so great disproportion it is all one hand that made them they were all made of one matter of the earth and when they are turned to the earth againe there is no difference betweene them but there is no proportion betweene the sonne of God and the nature of man for the Philosophers could say There is no proportion betweene an infinite thing and a finite therefore it was a greater matter that God would take our nature upon him than a king to become the meanest creature for the good of his subjects We read 1 King 8. 27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth Behold the heaven of heavens cannot containe thee c. If Salomon did admire and wonder that God would dwell in the Temple which was all glorious as the wit of man could devise how then may we admire and wonder that God would dwell in mans fraile and weake nature when it was fallen into disgrace if he had taken our nature upon him when our first parents stood in their innocency when all the Creatures did service to them then it had not beene so great a matter But when mans nature was in disgrace had sinned against God and was bound over to the diuell it was a great abasing to the sonne of God If a man should take a noblemans colours and cloth as long as a nobleman is in favour with the king it were no disgrace to him but if a man should take his colours or cloth when hee is proclaimed to be a Traytor this were a great disgrace to him so when mans nature was in favour with God then it was not such a disgrace but for Christ to take it when it had sinned against God and when it was so deformed was a great humiliation The Use is twofold First seeing the sonne of God was contented to be humbled for us to the estate of a servant how should we be contented to be humbled and to stoope to any service and dutie to become nothing to our selves to doe him service The Apostle Phil. 4. 12. saith I have learned in all estates to be contented how to want and how to abound In all things I am instructed c. and David Psal 22. 6. I am a worme and no man c. David saw the Son of God should be abased and humbled hence he humbleth himselfe therefore seeing Christ was contented to be humbled for us wee should be humbled for him It is our sinne that we cannot abide to bee humbled or to stoope to any condition of humilitie Now if Christ was contented to be a servant for us we must be contented to be poore for his sake to stoope to any estate he appoints for us Secondly that seeing the Sonne of God was humbled for us we must be contented to be humbled one for another which our Saviour teacheth us Iohn 13. 14. If your Lord and Master wash your feet how ought you to wash one anothers feete so Philip. 2. 5. Let the same minde bee in you that was in Christ why what was that Who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equall with God yet he tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made like a man and humbled himselfe to the death of the Crosse Those that keepe sweete wines must keepe them in deepe Cellars and low vaults or else they will lose their good taste and relish so if we would keepe the good graces of God in our hearts wee must keepe them in a broken heart and humble spirit for if we be high-minded then our graces will lose their good taste and relish And therefore we must lay them in humble hearts low in our owne conceit as Christ humbled himselfe for us so we should humble our selves one for another Now in the first degree of Christs Humiliation in the taking of the nature of man upon him we observe 1. How farre forth he tooke mans nature upon him 2. The reasons why he was man 3. The speciall ends why he tooke our nature upon him 4. The manner of it First how farre he tooke mans nature upon him This is laid downe in two conclusions First that he tooke the nature of man wholly upon him not a part of mans nature but the whole nature of man both a body and a soule He tooke a body to him as Col. 1. 21 22. And you that were sometime alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked workes yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight so 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that wee being dead to sinnes should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes wee are healed Hence wee see it is out of question hee had a body so also it is most certaine Hee had a soule as he said Matth. 26. 38. My soule is heavy unto death And in another place My soule is troubled within me so that he had the whole nature of man a body and a soule The Fathers argue well against the heretikes in those dayes If Christ had taken but one part of mans nature then hee could have redeemed but one part And therefore Irenaeus saith well Hee gave his body for our bodies and his soule for our soules and Athanasius It was unpossible that if he had taken but one part he could have redeemed us Hee had therefore a body to redeeme our bodies and a soule to redeeme our soules so that he had the whole nature of man The second conclusion is that he had not onely the whole nature of man but the infirmities of man the fraileties and weakenesse of our nature so we read that he was hungry thirsty weary c. Here wee may wonder at the kindnesse mercy and compassion of Christ that hee would not take the best only but the worst things even our weakenesses and infirmities men can bee contented to take the honour of Christ but are loth to take his shame This must teach us therefore that wee should not be contented to take the best things onely for Christ but even the worst things also for his sake Now wee must understand with a distinction how Christ tooke our infirmities first there be infirmities that be sinfull and secondly that be unblameable passions Christ tooke not the first sort of infirmities but the latter of which there be two sorts 1. Some that be common to all men 2. Some that be personall Now Christ tooke not our sinfull infirmities upon him for the sanctitie of his nature doth exclude them as water being dropped or powred on hot coales it doth drinke up the water so the sanctitie of his nature doth exclude sinne for hee could not take our sinfull infirmities as 1 Pet. 2. 22. it is said Who did not sinne neither was there guilt found in his mouth
there was no way to recover us but he must send His owne sonne to dye for us Secondly we may see the infinite justice of God that Hee would not let sinne be unpunished but would punish it though in his Sonne Thirdly the infinite wisedome of God to devise a way and a meanes to save man when all the heavenly powers stood at a stand Fourthly the infinite power of God in making that punishment temporall that was eternall and man which was as low as the earth to make higher than the heavens we be contented to looke into a glasse to see the goodly and gay things in it therefore wee should bee desirous to looke into this glasse wherein we may see the goodnesse the Iustice the wisedome and power of God in the Incarnation of Christ The fourth thing observed was the manner how to tooke flesh expressed two waies In His 1 Conception 2 Birth In his Conception we observe three things 1. Of what he was Conceived 2. By what power he was Conceived 3. What adoe there was about his Conception For the first hee was conceived of the flesh of the Virgin so it was not made of nothing nor of the earth raysed out of that as Adam was nor did hee bring his flesh from heaven but it was made of the flesh of the Virgin as Gal. 4. 4. But when the fulnesse of time was come God Sent his sonne made of a Woman and made under the Law c. so Luk. 1. 31. saith the Angell For loe thou shalt conceive in thy wombe and beare a Sonne and vers 35. That holy thing which shall be borne of thee that is of thy substance and of thy flesh so the Greeke word is shall bee called the Sonne of God The Anabaptists hold that Christ brought his flesh from heaven and that as water passeth through a conduite pipe so Christ passed through the Virgin Mary but we Christians beleeve that Christ was conceived and made of the flesh of the Virgin because if he had brought it from heaven or tooke other strange flesh then it had not beene fit to redeeme us for by order of divine justice the same nature that had sinned must suffer and bee punished but it was man that had sinned therefore it must bee man that must be punished which is the reason why he must take his flesh of the Virgin Mary The consideration hereof may cause us to think of a further point that is as Christ was conceived in the wombe of the Virgin so he must be conceived spiritually in the heart of a Christian as Paul Gal. 4. 19. My little children of whom I travell in birth againe till Christ be formed in you as if hee should say this I labour for that Christ may bee conceived in your hearts therefore Chrysostome saith well What am I the better to know that Christ is conceived of the flesh of the Virgin unlesse I know he is conceived in my heart and soule for wee can have no comfort in the day of death and judgement unlesse he be conceived in our hearts But how shall wee know that hee is conceived in our hearts even as a mother knowes that she is with childe by the stirring or moving of the childe so we may know when Christ is conceived in our hearts by the stirring or moving of Christ And therefore we must get these two things First wee must get the seede of Christ in us for there is a certaine seede that will breede Christ a man that will have good plants and trees in his garden must get seedes and plants to plant therein and water them from day to day so if we would have Christ conceived in our hearts we must get of that seede for there is a certaine seede that will breede Christ which is the Word of God therefore let us get this into our hearts and water it from day to day by the use of good meanes and it will breede Christ This is the first way The second is wee must have faith to retaine him or else he will slip away from us and as Mary conceived Christ by faith for assoone as the Angell told her she beleeved and straightway she conceived Christ so wee must conceive Christ by faith in beleeving the Word of God therfore hath God made promise to thee that he will not leave thee nor forsake thee that he will give an issue out of temptation that hee will save thee at the day of judgement or at the day of death that hee will blesse thee in the use of good meanes lay hold on these promises and this is the way to conceive Christ Ephe. 3. 17. it is said that Christ dwels in our hearts by faith let us get faith and this will make Christ to stirre and moove in us Secondly by what power hee was conceived by the power of the holy Ghost for it was not any power of nature that conceived Christ but the power of the holy Ghost so we see Luk. 1. 35. And the Angell answered and said unto her The holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most high shall overshadow thee so Matth. 1. 20. For that which is conceived of her is of the holy Ghost so it was by the power of the holy Ghost that Christ was conceived not by any power of nature Many have a great deale of the power of nature in them and yet Christ can never be conceived in them unlesse the power of the holy Ghost come upon them therefore 1 Cor. 12. 3. it is said That no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost wherefore if men stand meerely in the strength of nature they can never have Christ conceived in them but it must be by the power of the holy Ghost But how was Christ conceived by the holy Ghost Three waies first the Godhead did sanctifie that part of the flesh of the Virgin that Christ was made of that is he did sever it and purifie it from corruption and from sinne As a cunning Artificer doth draw away all the drosse from the gold so the holy Ghost did purifie and sanctifie that part of the flesh of the Virgin that Christ was made of Secondly hee did fashion and frame that part of the flesh of the Virgin that he had fanctified and made it a fit house and Temple for his Godhead to dwell in Thirdly he did unite and knit the humane nature to his Divine Person and so made one person of both what may this teach us That as the holy Ghost did fanctifie that part of the Virgin which Christ was made of and did fashion and frame it to bee a fit Temple of God to dwell in so it must be the holy Ghost that must sanctifie our flesh and make us fit temples for God to dwell in or els we shall be no better than sties and stables for a habitation to the divell
sanctified from the impurity of our birth by the birth of Christ Secondly to fulfill the prophesies made of him as Esai 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and shall call his name Emanuel c. So Gen. 3. 15. God promiseth that The seede of the Woman shall breake the head of the serpent therefore when there was such a seede of a Woman that came without the helpe of man it appeared this was the partie that God had assigned for the breaking of the serpents head and this is the note or marke that God hath given whereby the Messias the Saviour of the world might be knowne This was not onely the love of God to send Christ into the world to save us but to set visible markes and notes upon him that so we might know him wee read Gen. 4. 15. The Lord set a marke upon Caine and Exod. 12. the doore posts were sprinkled with the bloud of the Pascall Lambe that so the Augell of destruction might passe over them so also in Ezekiel those were marked which did mourne for the sinnes of the people that they might not be destroyed but preserved in like manner God hath set a visible marke upon Christ that he might be discerned therefore seeing God hath set visible markes and notes upon Him that we may know him we must so receive and so accept of Him Thirdly that the strangenesse of his birth might awaken and stirre up the world to looke for strange things by his life which was the reason why some of the holy people had such strange births as Isaac Iaakob Moses Samuel Sampson and Iohn Baptist that the strangenesse of their birth might awake he world and stirre them up to looke for extraordinary matters in their lives so Christ had a rare birth that hee might awaken and stirre up the world to looke for strange things by his life as at the Shepheards relation when they had published the things that they had seene by the Childe the people wondered so wee should wonder at the rarenesse of his birth for there bee strange things in the birth of Christ that hee must be sent to earth to bring us to Heaven that Hee who was uncorruptible must be made corruptible to make us uncorruptible that he must be made the Sonne of a Woman that we might be made the sonnes of God The Vses shall bee two First for instruction seeing Christ was borne of a Virgin without the helpe of man therefore that which is impossible by the course of nature is possible by the power of God it was impossible by the power of nature that ever Christ should bee borne of the Virgin without the helpe of man but it was possible to God Wee see in Sarah it was impossible in nature that she should beare a childe in her old age when her wombe was dead and yet it was possible by the power of God so Moses when hee strucke the rocke with his staffe that it gushed water one would have thought rather that it would have given out fire but that which was impossible to be effected by nature was possible by the power of God so likewise we read 2 King 7. when there was a dearth in Samaria Elisha prophesied of a great plenty which one Prince who did heare it was so farre from beleeving that he said it was impossible it should bee although the windowes of heaven should be opened indeede to nature it was but not to God Now this must be the rest and stay of a Christian in other hard cases in nature it is a thing impossible that euer one that is dead and rotten should rise againe but it is possible by the power of God so art thou weake though it bee impossible for a weake and fraile man to withstand the temptations of the devill yet know the power of God is able to make thee strong to overcome the devill remember therfore the power of God in all his promises hast thou a promise that if thou doe repent and beleeve thou shalt bee saved that he will lay no more upon thee than thou art able to beare that he will raise up thy body at the last day Consider that which is impossible to nature is possible to the power of God as the Apostle saith He is able to make all grace abound in us Secondly seeing Christ was borne of a Virgin so he must be spiritually borne in our hearts and consciences for I have shewed you before as Christ must be spiritually conceived in the heart of a Christian so also he must be borne for it is nothing to know that Christ was conceived in the wombe of the Virgin and to be borne of her unlesse thou know also Christ to be spiritually conceived and borne in thy heart therfore as Augustine saith What shall it profit mee to know that Christ is come in the flesh that hee was conceived in the wombe of the Virgin and borne of her unlesse I know Christ to bee conceived in my flesh and borne in my heart and soule so that it is not enough to have Christ conceived in our hearts unlesse hee bee borne and brought forth in us there bee a number that as it were conceive Christ that have good motions and good desires but they doe not bring them forth Christ is not borne in them and therefore they die But we must labour to bring him forth in our lives and in our actions We read of a wonder in Heaven Revel 12. 1. the Church is described to be travelling in paine to bring forth Christ so every Christian must travell bee in paine and bring Him forth in his life and in his actions wee must goe to Bethlem with the shepheards to finde Christ and when wee have found him wee must take him and make our hearts the cradle or cratch to lay Christ in and say as the Apostle Paul saith The life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Sonne of God The next thing is that hee was borne of the Virgin Mary wherein two things are to be considered 1. Of what stocke shee came 2. What was her estate First for her stocke she came of the stocke and lineage of David as Matth. 1. 20. In Luk. 2. 4. it is said That Ioseph also went up from Galilee a city of Nazareth unto Iudea unto the city of David which is called Bethlem because he was of the house and Lineage of David Ioseph and Mary both sprang from hence Matthew hee sets downe how Ioseph came of the race and line of David Saint Luke shewes how Mary came of David and both to this end to shew that Christ is the Sonne of David according to the flesh and therefore the true Messiah and Saviour of the world for the true Messiah was to come of the house and line of David this we must beleeve and confesse him to bee the true Messias and Saviour as the blinde men in
the armes of Ioseph in the lap of Mary in the armes of the Preachers or of other good Christians but wee must labour to have him in our owne armes the armes of our faith for though we may see Christ in the armes of our teachers yet for all this wee may perish and therefore so much the rather ought wee to receive and get him into our armes and apply him into our hearts because hee comes to present himselfe to thee and to me therefore if we doe not receive him wee shall be guilty of his blood If we should bee in a roome and a childe should cry to come unto us would wee neglect the childe would not we cast away that which wee had in our hands and take the childe into our owne armes I doe not say if it were the childe of a king we would doe so but if it were the childe of an honest poore man and therefore much more should we receive the Childe Christ beloved this Chide Christ doth in a sort cry to come unto us and saith as it were thus O good people receive me into your hearts receive me into your soules I doe not desire it for my owne sake but you shall be the better for it therefore O good people why doe ye not receive me if we doe not wee are like to perish and we shall be guilty of his blood and therefore this is our duty when Christ doth offer himselfe unto us we should bee ready to receive him so old Simeon did for it is nothing to see him unlesse wee get him in our armes by our faith and embrace him therefore why doe we not fling away all things that doe hinder us and receive him into our hearts and lay hold on him which is life and salvation offered to us The second was that when he had seene Christ he praiseth God for it that although he had seene a great deale of trouble and felt a great deale of sorrow yet that he lived to see those happy daies wherein he might see Christ so howsoever we have lived to see a great deale of trouble and sorrow yet wee should praise God that hee hath let us live to see Christ in the face of the Gospell therefore wee have great cause to praise God that hee hath let us live till this time to repent us of our sinnes to get faith in Christ howsoever we have had a great deale of sorrow and trouble in this world yet the comfort is that we have repented of our sinnes and lived to make heaven and happinesse sure unto us Matth. 13. 16. saith our Saviour But blessed be your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare as if he should say O blessed be God for this happy time wherein we live to see that wee see and to heare that which we heare so Iohn 20. when the Disciples had seene Christ they told Thomas of it They were glad that after a great deale of trouble they had seene Christ at last so it is said Act. 8. 39. the Eunuch went away rejoycing when Christ was made knowne to him therefore whatsoever wee have beene before yet if wee can repent of our sinnes get Christ into our hearts by faith wee have great cause to praise and to thanke God that wee have lived to see these daies hast thou beene a swearer or a drunkard or a bad liver and repented of thy sinnes lay hold on Christ thou hast great cause to praise God and to thanke him that he hath let thee live to see these happy daies The third effect was that he did utter these speeches Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. Now this saying of Simeon was the first song in the new Testament that was sung in the Temple wherein foure things may be observed 1. His willingnesse and profession to dye 2. What account he made of death 3. In what disposition he doth desire to dye 4. The Reason why he was willing to dye The first is a profession of his willingnesse to dye Now Lord I am willing to dye I am well contented to depart in peace for I have seene enough I have seene the Saviour and redeemer of the world I have embraced him in my armes and therefore I am willing to dye now So when we have seene Christ we should bee willing to dye for wee have seene enough for our salvation as long as God would have us live wee should be willing to live and when he would have us dye we should be willing to depart we see if a master send his servant to trade and traffique beyond sea so long as his master will have him to trade and traffique so long hee will trade but when his master will have him come home hee will packe up all and come away so as long as God will have us trade and traffique heere we should be content but when hee will have us packe up all and come home wee should be contented to doe so In the Gospell we finde that Christ fled from death and danger when God would have him fly but when the time of his death came he went out to meete it so likewise Moses hee could have beene contented to passe over Iordan but when God told him that he should not but he must goe and dye in the mount Nebo hee went as willingly up as any man goeth to a feast or banquet therefore it is a pitifull thing to see how men doe hang upon the world at that time when God would have them dye Secondly what account he made of death men make much adoe about it are afraid of it but Simeon accounteth it but a departing out of this one roome into another a departing from men to God from earth to heaven from mortality to immortality therefore wee may see what account wee should make of it The Philosophers say that death is the most terrible thing that may be because they thinke it is an utter destruction of nature but Simeon accounts of it as of a remooving or departure from one place to another therefore he is not afraid of it but embraceth it as a doore or gate to passe from earth to heaven from men to God from mortality to immortality and this is the account that all men should make of death Gen. 15. 15. saith the Lord to Abraham but thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace and shalt be buried in a good old age so that death is nothing but a going to the holy men those that have died in faith before and Christ accounts of it Ioh. 17. 13. but as a going to God to the blessed Angels and holy Spirits departed so also Paul in one of his epistles Neverthelesse wee are bold and love rather to remoove out of this body and to dwell with the Lord. Ahasuerus Hester 2. 13 14. had two houses for his women one was the house of sweete perfumes and odors that they might bee
it is a corruption that men are loth to part from any thing for good uses and yet they will part from their money to vex a good Preacher or a good Christian so many can be content to part with their money to buy Cards or Dice but they will not part with any to buy a Bible therefore Hosea 2. 9. saith the Lord I will returne and take away my corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wooll and my flax c. because they bestowed it on Baal on bad uses to spend it on their lusts we see the bad servant in the Gospell that hid his talent in a napkin when his master came to take account of him there came an extent to him to take away his talent and then to binde him hand and foot and to cast him into utter darknesse Now if this came upon him for hiding his talent what shall become of those that abuse their talents and put them to bad uses Thirdly the ware he sold Christ the riches and glory of the world the greatest treasure on earth in regard whereof Paul counts all things to bee dung and drosse and yet Iudas sold Christ for a trifle so many men sell Christ the riches of the world for a trifle because men doe not know the true value of Christ and of his graces which if they did they would not lose the possession of him for a thousand worlds but they would take heed of the selling of Christ Now this ware was unlawfull to be sold for the Canon Law saith that it is unlawfull to sell a spirituall thing therfore Saint Peter saith to Simon Magus when hee would have bought the holy Ghost with his money thy money perish with thee Act. 8. Now Christ is the fountaine of all spirituall things therefore to sell him it was unlawfull Secondly the Canon Law saith that it is unlawfull to sell that of which the right belongs to another If a man have right unto a thing he may sell it but Iudas had no right to sell Christ for he was to dispose of himselfe saith he I have power to lay downe my life and I have power to take it up againe And therefore seeing hee was to dispose of himselfe it was unlawfull for Iudas to sell him Thirdly as Divines say there be things of inestimable value and prise which nothing in the world can countervaile therefore to sell those things it is unlawfull As first the gifts and graces of the Spirit as Acts 8. Simon Magus would have bought the Holy Ghost Secondly the kingdome of heaven is unlawfull to be sold for Mat. 13. it is likened to a pearle that a man goes and sels all that he hath to buy Thirdly the Soules of men be unlawfull to be sold as Matth. 16. it is said What shall it profit a man to win the whole world and lose his soule all the world it not comparable to it Fourthly to sell the loving favour and kindnesse of God is unlawfull as in the Psal 63. 3. saith David Thy Loving kindnesse is better than life to sell a mans life is unlawfull for as the Devill saith of Iob Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life surely nothing in the world was comparable to Christs life therefore to sell him it was unlawfull Lastly very nature abhorreth that a man should be sold to punishment and paines it had beene much if Christ had beene sold for a slave but that he was sold to the greatest paines and torments the paines of the Crosse this was the greatest indignitie that might bee Iudas is condemned of all men for selling his Master for thirty pence But O what doe men now but even sell heaven and happinesse for a penny matter for a little profit and pleasure and although men cannot sell Christ to the Priests yet they sell their soules to the Devill for trifling things therefore when men will be readie for a little pleasure or a little profit for a penny matter to sell heaven and happinesse what doe they but sell Christ Now in all our bargaines we should consider two things 1. What we gaine 2. What we forgoe It may be we may gaine a little wordly ease and peace and lose our peace with God we may gaine favour with men but lose favour with God and then we make but a bad match for his favour is more worth than all the world besides therefore the world makes but a bad match of this to forgoe Christ heaven and happinesse for a little transitory and fading things of this world so Iudas match was but a bad one to forgoe his Master for thirty pence Fourthly What the price was he was sold for thirtie pence the price of a slave if he had sold him for thousands the sinne had beene lesse but to sell Christ the riches and treasure of the world for a trifle for thirty pence this made the sinne the greater Now these peeces of silver in Hebrew bee Shekels of which there be two sorts the Shekels of the Sanctuary and the common Shekels as we may see Levit. 27. 25. and Numb 3. 47. Now the Shekels of the Sanctuary were double the weight of the common Shekels halfe as much more to teach us that in all the matters of Religion we must give God down-weight as he gives us down-weight of his blessings so we must give him downe-weight of our service and dutie that we are to performe unto him Now the ordinary and common Shekel was but fifteene pence so the price that Christ was sold for was the price of a slave And this was done to fulfill the Scripture Zech. 11. 12. So they weighed for my price thirtie peeces of silver and the Lord said unto me Cast it unto the Potter a goodly price that I was prized at of them and I tooke the thirtie peeces of silver and cast them to the Potter in the house of the Lord. Now there be two reasons why this price is specified First seeing Christ stood in our roome and place and tooke on him our sinnes it was to teach us that God esteemed no better of us than slaves therefore howsoever we set an high price of our selves yet wee were no better than slaves in Gods account Secondly to shew the great sinne of Iudas that he would be so vile to sell Christ for a trifle Esau is condemned of all men that he would sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage Heb. 12. 16. and Prov. 28. A wicked man saith Salomon will transgresse for a morsell of bread every little matter will make him sinne I know all men condemne Iudas for selling his Master for a trifle but how much may we be condemned to sell heaven for trifling things Indeed we cannot sell Christ to the Priests for thirtie peeces of silver but yet wee sell our soules to the devill for a penny
Esai 53. wee are all like sheepe that are gone out of the way To this purpose is that of Chrysostome If thou wilt be a Iudge set up a throne in thine owne heart and arraigne thy selfe God hath not made thee a Iudge of another man but of thy owne life thus the arraignment of Christ should teach us to arraigne our selves Thirdly the manner how judicially under a colour of law as if they did intend justice whereas they intended nothing lesse under this colour they condemne the innocent and I would it were not so still in the world that under the shew of law they destroy the innocent that it was so of old appeares 1 King 21. where Ahab killed Naboth under colour of law and Act. 7. 23. Steven was before Ananias yea and now also are there a number of such Caiphas's in the world that will say they doe nothing but law and yet under the colour thereof destroy the innocent but this may be a comfort to a Christian that though he be condemned in the court of man yet hee is cleare in the great court of God where he shall be acquitted from all unjust taxations Now there be foure testimonies of Christs innocency First that they sought picked matter against Him they had none before they had taken him now they seeke matter against him and therefore they examine him of his Disciples and of his Doctrine thinking thereby to picke out something that they might lay to his charge and finde him guilty thereupon but hee who was the wisedome of the Father staves them off and keepes them from taking any occasion from his words by his wise and discreet answer as shall appeare if we take into consideration these two things 1. His holy concealement 2. His holy defence First for His holy concealement he doth not discover his Disciples but answers onely for his Doctrine not a word of them hee might have said One of them betraied him and another had denied him and that they all fled from him and ranne away but because he could not speake any good of them therefore Hee rather would say nothing would to God men would thinke of this when they speake of their neighbours if they cannot speake any good of them rather not to speake at all but it is a corruption in nature that men had rather speake of their neighbours vices than of their vertues contrary to that precept Tit. 2. to speake evill of no man Secondly His holy defence he defends his doctrine and sends them to al the common people that they might testifie of it saith hee I spake openly to the world I ever taught openly in the Synagogues and in the Temple whither the Iewes resorted continually And in secret places have I said nothing aske them that heard me he cared not who should judge him though if were his enemies which should teach us that wee should so live as that our enemies can have no just cause against us so Paul carried himselfe 1 Thes 2. 10. Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves amongst you and the Prophet 1 Sam. 12. 3. Behold saith hee here am I witnesse against me before the Lord and before his annointed whose exe have I taken c Secondly that they sought for witnesses against him there were enow of witnesses for him but they seeke for witnesses against him if they had asked Nicodemus he could have told that no man could have done those miracles except God were with him So if they had asked the blinde man Ioh. 9. 33. or the people Mark 7. 37. they would have told them Hee hath done all things well or the officers and sergeants and they would have answered Never man spake like this man Ioh. 7. 46. they might have found enough to cleare Christs innocency but they were bent the other way The third was that they got witnesses but their witnesses did not agree for howsoever the Priests had plotted the matter and put into their mouths yet they disagreed so let men take heed how they bee false witnesses they may plot the matter and yet be confounded in their speech and so bring a reproch to themselves and let such remember what is written Prov. 19. 9. That a false witnesse shall not be unpunished c. Now the Evangelists declare the matter further by an example of two false witnesses that came in against him the one alleaging this man said I can destroy the Temple of God and build it againe in three daies Marke relates it we heard him say I will destroy this Temple that is made with hands and in three daies I will build another made without hands Now the Spirit of God calleth them false witnesses for though Christ spake some such words yet it was contrary to this sense and meaning for they spake of the materiall Temple and Hee of the Temple of his body And this must make us take heed how we report the words of Christ lest wee be false witnesses against him as the Papists are who literally taking these words This is my body say that the bread is the reall body of Christ as he was borne of the Virgin Mary Christ meaneth spiritually that it is a signe of his body though they take it for the materiall body of Christ so also the Arrians are false witnesses because Christ saith My father is greater than I they say Christ is not equall with the Father but he spake in regard of his humanity The fourth testimony of his innocencie was that Hee was condemned for the truth for he said he was the Sonne of God as he was indeed and so he died an innocent man But why doth Christ inlarge this answer for two causes 1. To comfort himselfe 2. To terrifie his enemies First to comfort himselfe that howsoever hee stood now as a poore prisoner arraigned and condemned at their barre yet one day they shall come before him to be arraigned of him there he doth comfort himselfe with future glory now as Christ did comfort himselfe even so should all Christians in the time of their afflictions when they be sicke poore and in distresse whatsoever thy estate be meane or poore yet one day thinke I shall be with God where I shall not want anything thus Christ comforts his Disciples Matth. 19. Verely I say unto you that when the Sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his majesty ye which have followed mee in the regeneration shall sit upon twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel so Stephen comforts himselfe when a showre of stones came about him in that he saw heaven open and Christ standing at Gods right hand ready to helpe him and receive his soule Secondly to terrifie his enemies for howsoever they thought themselves great men yet one day they were to have Christ to bee their Iudge even this same poore Iesus O that the world would thinke
18. 32. saith the lord I forgave thee thy debts because thou didst pray me And David Psal 120. 1. I called upon the Lord in the time of my trouble and hee heard me so Psal 11. I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voyce c. This is a great incouragement for a Christian man to pray unto God because prayer shall not want his due fruit but the Lord will heare him and make a supplie of his wants as shall be meet for his glory and our good Secondly to whom he made his promise to a poore penitent Theefe one that was a vile liver This is a sweet comfort and incouragement that Christ will promise heaven to a poore penitent sinner upon his repentance and put him in possession of it All the comforts and commodities in this life all pleasures and delights cannot doe it let the wantons set their minions before them the worldly man his goods the covetous man his money the hatefull man his reuenge and the proud man his fine apparell all these cannot doe it but upon repentance Christ promises heaven and puts us in possession of it nay the kings favour cannot doe it hee may put us in possession of lands and goods while we live here after death he cannot but repentance will put one in possession after death Thirdly what he promised he promised two things 1 Paradise 2 His owne companie First hee promised Paradise there were two Paradises spoken of in Scripture an earthly and an heavenly Paradise now it was not the earthly paradise for that was laid waste many thousands yeeres before Christ was borne but it was the heavenly Paradise of which Paul speaketh 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ above foureteene yeeres 〈◊〉 whither in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth which was taken up into the third heavens Hence arise two points of instruction First wee may see what a goodly change a Christian makes at the time of death for all the while he liveth here he hangeth on the crosse as the theefe did in trouble and affliction in paines and in sicknesse but when death comes it sets an end of all it takes a man off the crosse it enters a man into heaven therefore a Christian hath no cause to bee afraid of death for if a man be prophane and live in his sinnes he hath cause to be afraid of death because it is an ugly gate to let him into hell but if hee be a man of repentance then death is onely a gate to let him into heaven therefore a Christian hath no cause to bee afraid of it If a King should promise one that if he would come unto him hee would bestow some great office or place upon him if there should bee at the palace gate an ugly and grisly Porter to let him in he would not cast his eye on the ugly porter but upon the Kings palace even so death is as this ugly and grisly porter to let a man into heaven let us not therefore looke upon the ugly face of death but upon heaven the place we are going to We see when Elias was taken up into heaven there came a firy chariot and horses of fire to fetch him and yet he was not afraid because it was the chariot and horses that should carry him to heaven So death though it came like a firy chariot and bring horses of fire with it yet let us not be afraid of it because it is the chariot and horses which shall carry us to heaven The second instruction is That a Christians estate is better than Adams was in the time of his innocencie for he had an earthly Paradise but a Christian shal have an heavenly Paradise therefore seeing we would be contented to take any paines to be put into possession of the earthly Paradise if it were possible how much more then should wee labour and take paines to be put into possession of the heavenly Paradise Secondly He promises him his company that he shall fare no worse than he fares and shall goe where he goes And this is a sweet comfort to a Christian that Christ hath made such a promise that he shall have his company as Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that they which thou hast given mee be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory So Ioh. 14. 3. And if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there you may be also Therefore let a man labour to be joyned to Christ here in the use of good meanes in the kingdome of grace and he shall be joyned to him in the kingdome of glory he shall goe where Christ goes shall fare as Christ fares and shall bee where Christ is Fourthly The time when he promiseth Paradise and his company This day he would not deferre it for moneths and for yeares but This day Which may teach us that the soules of the faithfull when they die goe into heaven immediately the Papists say that there is a middle place that their soules must go to where they must stay a time til they be throughly purged from their sinnes but this errour is refuted in the example of the Theefe for when he died his soule went into Paradise immediately I but some object and say that this was a speciall priviledge of the theefe and to none other To this I answer that the same priviledge is to every faithfull man as we may see Luke 16. 22. when Lazarus was dead hee was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome into a place of rest and joy And the Rich-man when hee died was carried into hell a place of torment there are but these two places to goe to when a man is dead that the Scripture makes mention of there is no middle place when men die they goe either to Heaven or to Hell for we know that all men that die in the state of repentance goe to heaven they which die impenitent to hell and therefore it is a vaine thing to pray for them for their estates cannot be altered I but is there any hurt to pray for our dead friends I answer if thou knowest not I will tell thee what hurt there is by it it shewes thy infidelity and unbeleefe that thou doest not beleeve the Scriptures I but may I not speake of my dead friends would you have me say nothing of them If thou doest not know what to say of them say as Paul saith of the godly that they are asleepe in the Lord so we see what we may say of our friends that they be now asleepe in the Lord Or as Salomon saith that the remembrance of the just are blessed such an one is of holy remembrance such an one was an holy man The use of this point is seeing after death the godly goe
to heaven a place of glory and happinesse we therefore must labour to be obedient to God to doe his will and to be content to endure the troubles of this life with patience as the children of Israel walked in the wildernesse forty yeares together following God in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night enduring many troubles and afflictions till they came to the Land of Canaan so we must follow God labour to doe his will and be contented to endure the troubles and afflictions of this life be it forty or fifty yeares together till wee come to this heavenly Canaan The fourth words of Christ on the Crosse were My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee But having spoken of these words not long since I shall not need to speake of them againe at this time Onely I will give you the heads of them which are foure 1. What it is to be forsaken of God 2. How farre forth a true Christian may be forsaken 3 What a grievous thing it is to be forsaken of God 4. How a Christian should carry himselfe when hee is forsaken First What it is to be forsaken of God that is to want the gratefull and the acceptable presence of God which is two-fold First There is a presence of God in power to uphold his creatures and to give a being to them Secondly There is a presence of God in goodnesse and grace to want this presence is to be forsaken of God Secondly How farre forth a true Christian may be forsaken In the life of nature he may be forsaken in the life grace he cannot finally or totally for there is the power of grace and there is the comfortable feeling of grace Now every true Christian hath the power of grace but many times want the comfortable feeling of it and so farre a true Christian may be forsaken Thirdly What a grievous thing it is to be forsaken of God for if he have forsaken us whom shall we make our moane to it was the complaint of Saul that the Philistines were come upon him and God was departed from him wee count it a great matter to be forsaken of our kindred or of our friends O but it is a far greater matter to be forsaken of God therefore though our â—â—ndred our friends and the world forsake us yet pray to God that he doe not forsake us Fourthly How a Christian is to carry himselfe when he feeles himselfe forsaken which was shewed in the example of Christ First he carried himselfe mournefully Secondly he carried himselfe holily he rested himselfe on God by faith Thirdly he laboured to recover himselfe by prayer SERMON XXIII IOHN 19. 28 29. After this Iesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst Now there was set a vessell full of vineger And they filled a spunge with vineger and put it upon hyssope and put it to his mouth IN 1 Pet. 2. 21. the Apostle Peter doth offer to our consideration all that Christ did upon the Crosse Hee did not all as the price of salvation onely but also as an example of holy life and Christian vertues therefore looke how Christ carried himselfe when hee was on the Crosse so we must carry our selves when we be under our crosses in any affliction or trouble Many testimonies Christ shewed in his life time of love patience humilitie zeale pietie and number of other vertues yet when hee comes to die and was on the Crosse then all his graces were gloriously dispersed and displayed So howsoever a Christian is to shew many testimonies in his life time of faith patience and of pietie yet especially when he comes to die then all his graces must bee gloriously displayed and made to shine forth Now the Holy carriage of Christ is seene in the seven last words of Christ on the Crosse The first was his prayer for his enemies The second the care he had of his friends The third the promise he made the theefe upon his conversion at the houre of his death whereby all the people of God have assurance of a blessed and a happie change after death though they hang on the crosse in trouble and affliction in paines and in sicknesse here yet death shall take them downe from the crosse and shall transforme them from men to God from earth to heaven from mortalitie to immortalitie from paines to ease from sorrow to joy from shame to glory and as he said to the Theefe on the Crosse This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise so hee saith to his servants on their sicke beds this day shalt thou be at ease and rest Of these I have already spoken as also of the fourth His desertion when hee cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And now I am come to handle the fifth words of Christ on the Crosse containing a complaint that he made of bodily thirst wherein we are to consider foure things 1. What were the causes of his thirst 2. How he carried himselfe in his thirst 3. When he complained of thirst 4. What were the effects of his thirst First What were the causes of his thirst and they were two 1. Naturall 2. Morall The Naturall causes were these The first was long abstinence from meat and drinke hee was a whole night and day without any refreshing Hee never ate bit from the time hee ate the Passeover till this time this was a great matter especially in that Country for we read Luk. 13. 15. How the Iewes did loose their Oxen and their Asses on the Sabbath and had them to the water they could not well tarrie a day without drinking therefore it was a great matter for a man to tarrie without meate and drinke so long especially being so tossed and tumbled as Christ was indeede if he had beene idle and done nothing he might the better have borne it But Christ was in action and in imployment for they puld him in the Garden from thence hurried him to Annas and from Annas to Caiaphas and in the morning from Caiaphas to Pilate from Pilate to Herod from Herod backe againe to Pilate and then to the Crosse So Christ was in action and motion and yet all that while tooke no sustenance he was without any refreshing this could not chuse but make him thirsty When Sampson had killed a thousand Philistins hee cried out give me water or I shall die for thirst so when Christ had encountred not with the Philistins but with our spirituall enemies the Divell Sinne Death Hell and Damnation and had overcome them all he cried out I thirst The second reason was Exiccation or drinesse within him for he had lost much blood some in the Garden and some in Pilates Hall and on the Crosse for as the Philosophers say the blood is the Charriot of the Spirits which wanting moysture drieth up and then the spirits must needs
of Israel through the red sea and had drowned their enemies then they sung a song of thankes-giving for their deliverance Exod. 15. And so likewise Deborah and Barak Iudges 3. 1. when they had overcome Sisera sang a song of thankes-giving so also the holy people Revel 15. when they had passed through the glassy sea mingled with fire and were delivered out of trouble then they sang a song of thankes-giving to the Lord in like maner here Christ when he had conquered all our spirituall enemies death hell sinne and the devill sung this song on the crosse to the joy of the world It is finished Now is mans salvation accomplished and perfected As if he should say All this while it hath beene but a working out For this cause was I nine moneths in the wombe of the Virgin borne in a stable laid in a â—anger fasted forty dayes together prayed on the mount swet in the garden and did hang three houres together on the crosse in paines and torments but now I have finished and perfected mans salvation now it is at an end sinne is abolished death is destroyed hell is conquered the devill is subdued heaven is opened God is pacified and pleased this is that hee uttered in these words Now for the better understanding of them we are to consider three things 1. What he meant when he saith It is finished 2. The time when he saith It is finished 3. By what actions it was finished First what he meant when he saith It is finished The full meaning is not expressed in this place but it was some secret and close action that was in the minde and thought of Christ that he had an eye to the perfecting and fulfilling of Now what was that all these Scriptures shew us Luk 19. 10. The Sonne of man is come to seâ—ke and to save that which was lost Mat. 20. 28. The Sonne of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life for the râ—nsome of many and Hebr. 9. 12. Neither by the blood of Goats and â—alves but by his owne blood entered he once into the holy place and obtained eternall salvation and redemption for us these were in the heart and minde of Christ therefore it is out of question that Christ by saying It is finished meant the finishing and perfecting of the great worke of mans Redemption which the Apostle intimates Hebr. 10. 14. With one oblation and offering hath bee consecrated for ever them that are sanctified Alluding to this very action of Christ so that by this saying of Christ It is finished is to bee understood the finishing and perfecting of mans salvation and redemption Now besides this consummation or finishing there is another consummation that is spoken of Gen. 2. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the â—ost of them which finishing is of the worke of Creation but what comfort could a manhave that God hath made the heavens to cover us and the earth to beare us sea and land to feede us the sunne and moone and the starres to give us light if Christ also had not finished and perfected mans salvation and redemption on the crosse There is also another consummation and finishing which is spoken of Revel 10. 7. That the mysterie of God shall be finished as he hath declared to his servants the Prophets Now what is this mysterie of God It is the end of the world But alas what availes it us for the world to have an end if this redemption and salvation be not finished and perfected by Christ therefore all other consummation is nothing without this for what is it to finish a great building or to finish ones estate in greatnesse or to finish all his dayes in joy and delights unlesse hee have finished his salvation and applied Christ unto himselfe This is the happiest consummation that is this is the joy and content of a Christian when he lyeth on his death-bed he can say Lord I thanke thee I know my salvation is finished in Christ I have applied him unto my selfe and I finde by the merit of his death and passion my salvation to be perfected Therefore into thy hands will I commend my spirit stedfastly beleeving that at the latter resurrection I shall enjoy the blessed presence of my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Happie yea thrice happy is the estate of such a man that shall thus depart in the Lord. The uses to be made hereof are these following First seeing our salvation and redemption is perfected and finished in Christ as the Apostle concludes Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to those that be in Christ Iesus Why because Christ hath answered the justice of God and hath beene condemned already therefore hee that is in Christ shall not be condemned As Esay 53. 5. It is said the chastisements of our peace is upon him and with his stripes we are healed and vers 6. All wee like sheepe have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquitie of us all Wee see Iohn 18. when the souldiers came to take Christ saith he If yee seeke for me let these goe let me suffer and let these goe free So Christ doth interpose himselfe to the Iustice of God and saith Father let my people goe free let me suffer that which they should suffer and beare that which they should beare Thus we see our salvation is made sure in the holy Person of Christ and there is no condemnation belongs to them who are in him therefore let us labor to be in Christ that wee may say with the Apostle The life which I live now in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God c. and then there is no condemnation belongs to us but life and salvation is sure because all is finished in the holy person of Christ Secondly seeing our salvation is perfected and finished in Christ all our care must be to apply and to lay hold on Christ for though hee hath purchased salvation for us yet if wee doe not apply him and lay hold on him we are never the better for it If a man should stand in the cold starke naked and one come by and see him who should show compassion to him and get clothes and put it to make for him how would this man carry his eye all the while to the workeman and when hee saw it all was finished would lay hold of it with both his hands and put it on his backe to cover his nakednesse so we ought to carrâ—e our eyes on Christ seeing salvation is wrought in the midst of us as the Psalmist saith therefore we ought to put forth both our hands and to lay hold on this salvation finished and perfected by Christ It is a strange corruption that many know it and heare of it that it is finished but they so attend their pleasures profits and
David saith Psal 59. that their throates are an open sepulcher even like an open grave a stinking place a place of rottennesse and Matth. 23. 27. our Saviour saith that the Pharisees were like painted graves that looke gloriously without but within were lothsome and filthy therefore because the grave is the lothsommest and filthiest place in it selfe Christ was buried that hee might perfume and sweeten our graves so wee see that Christ hath altered the nature of the grave for that whereas it was a place of rottennesse now he hath made it a sweet resting place to his servants Chrysostome saith well that which was a prison house of a severe Iudge he hath made a storehouse to lay up his treasure in for the grave was a prison house wherein men lay bound under the chaines of death untill the day of judgement now hee hath made it a storehouse to treasure up his servants till the time of Resurrection as Esay 57. 2. saith the Prophet Hee shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before me so the grave is as the bed for his servants to rest in till Christ bring them to glory and happinesse If a man were to passe into another countrey and must goe through dennes graves and hollow places in the earth if one could espy the footsteps of one of our deare friends that had passed that way this would give a man comfort to follow after so wee are to passe into another countrey to heaven and wee must goe through the dennes caves and hollow places of the earth if wee can see by the eye of faith that Christ hath gone the same way there bee footsteps and markes that he hath left behinde him this will give a man courage and comfort therefore howsoever death may be terrible and dreadfull to the eye of sense and to be trodden and trampled under feet of death is a fearefull thing yet by the eye of faith wee may see that Christ hath perfumed the grave and made it a sweete resting place to his servants and therefore this may comfort us Fourthly that wee might have power and strength to bury sinne for wee must not onely have power to kill sinne and worke the death of it which is much but there must also bee as it were a buriall of sinne there must be a consuming of it by little and little till it be utterly wasted as a dead man when hee is laid into the grave and buried consumes by little and little so wee must bury sinne till it bee consumed and wasted for as it is with man so it is with sinne in a man there be two things the life and the body of man take away the life from the body and that is nothing but a lumpe of earth if it remaine unburied it will poyson the ayre so there is in every man the life of sinne and the body of sinne the life of sinne is the raigning of it and the body of sinne is the lumpe of lust and corruption therefore when the life or rather raigning of sin is taken away still there remaines the body sinne this wee must bury or else it will infect us so the Apostle Paul faith Rom. 6. that we doe not onely dye to sinne in the death of Christ but we are also buried with him therefore let us carry this same body of sinne unto the grave of Christ and bury it in his grave And you that have beene at the buriall of your friends turne againe to bury your sinnes every one must addresse himselfe to this buriall that so it may be wasted and consumed wee read Ezek. 39. 14. of a strange speech that there were scearchers appointed to goe through the land who if they found any dead mens bones they were to set up a sticke till the buriers did come and bury them so a Christian must doe his conscience must bee the scearcher it must finde out our sinnes which be as dead mens bones and when wee have found them wee must set stickes up by them for markes and never be at rest till they bee buried and may rot and consume to nothing therefore seeing Christ was buried that wee might have power and strength to bury sinne we must take heed that we doe not roote them out of the grave againe and uncover the moulds to this end let every man pray for grace that he may suffer his sinnes to be buryed If a man should rake a man out of the grave that had lyen there foure dayes as Lazarus did hee would poyson the ayre and infect the countrey so our sinnes if we should root them out that have beene buried these hundred yeeres they would bee ready to infect all the country therefore wee must pray to God that our sinnes may be buried and kept downe by the power of Christs buriall that so they may never rise againe The second thing observed was the parties that buried Christ Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus now these were great rich men Senatours honorable men and Counsellors who buried Christ with their owne hands they did it not by a servant Ioseph he begs the body of Christ and tooke it downe in all likelihood with his owne hands and Nicodemus brought an hundreth pound of sweete odours of Myrrh and Aloes to imbalme the body of Christ It is a strange thing that these honorable persons would stoope to so meane a service as this but it was the love that they bare to Christ that made them and it may teach us that if wee truely love Christ wee will stoope to any meane duty and service for Christ or his members as Gen. 18. when the Angels came to Abrahams house he made them a feast and he waited on them as if hee had beene a servant because of the love he did beare to them so in Exod. 2. 11. wee read Moses was the adopted sonne of Pharoahs daughter and yet he did not scorne to goe out and looke on the burthens of his brethren and when there was injury offered unto them he did labour to right it so also Zacheus hee was a rich man who when hee did heare that Christ came by gets himselfe into a fig-tree to see Christ now one should have thought that such a man would have scorned such a thing to climbe up into a tree amongst boyes and girles and yet love to Christ made him doe it in like manner our Saviour Christ Iohn 13. did rise from the Table and tooke a towell and girding it about him washed his Disciples feet and after he had done he said ye call me Lord and Master as I am indeede if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feete yee ought much more to wash one anothers feete if there be any love in us to Christ we will stoope to any meane duty or service for Christ or his members one would have thought that such an honorable person as Ioseph
it is now therefore in the Revelation it is said He is the Lamb slaine from the beginning because it was effectual and vertuall in Gods account As when a man is arrested and carried to prison for a great summe of money and meets with his friend who askes him whither he is going he tels him he is going to prison who thus pleads with the man that this party was indebted to If ye let him goe I will pay the debt I have not so much money about mee as will pay thee now but at such a time I will pay all that money well he keepes the day and payes the money and all is well So wee be infinitely indebted to God and were going to prison Christ promiseth to God hee will satisfie him at the time appointed he brought him a bag of money that is of his merits then we were discharged God was pacified and pleased Thus yee have heard of those foure opinions that I cannot assent unto now we are to speake of that which in my poore judgement is neerer the truth and carries some probabilitie for it First That Christ descended into hell to subdue the Devill and conquer him in his owne house this is more probable than any of the other and there be learned men that do hold so but I dare not yeeld to it because I have reason to the contrary First because most of all Divines hold that Christs descension into hell is the lowest step and degree of his abasement yet let it be what it will be David rejoyceth at it as a thing of great deliverance that he had escaped the grave Therefore saith he my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in grave neither yet wilt thou let thine Holy One see corruption And Augustine saith that by this poverty of our Lord Iesus Christ wee are enriched But if Christ descended into hell to triumph over the Devill in his owne house then it is not the lowest step of his humiliation and abasement but it will appeare that he had the first beginning of his Kingdome and first step of his exaltation in hell therefore in my judgement this cannot be the true sense of it Secondly all the Scriptures shew that his soule went not into hell but into heaven as Luke 23. Christ saith to the theefe on the crosse This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise so the soule of Christ went to Paradise not into hell and in the same chapter when Christ gave up the ghost he commended his soule into the hands of God so Christs soule was not in hell but was laid downe in the hands of God and his body remained here till he was taken up and Augustine saith if we thinke that the soule of the Theefe went to heaven then it were our sin to thinke that Christs soule did not as well as his Some shifts this and say his soule went to heaven first and presently after he was buried he descended into hell and some againe say his soule went to hell first and after it went to heaven but this is against that Scripture Luke 16. it is the speech betweene Abraham and Dives that there is a great space beeweene us that they which are here cannot come there and they which are there cannot come here there is no entercourse betweene them And Bellarmine saith he was in heaven and in hell all at one time but he that is in heaven cannot be in hell and hee that is in hell cannot bee in heaven because it is proper onely to the Godhead to be in all places at one time Thirdly Origen saith hee triumphed on the crosse and in this world over all his spirituall enemies and if hee did it in this world and upon the crosse then hee need not descend into hell to triumph over the divell and to subdue him In the Colossians the Apostle shewes how Christ did triumph on the crosse over principallities and powers there hee vanquished and overcame them and there hee trod downe all his spirituall enemies But here may an Objection arise how could he overcome them seeing he was overcome himselfe of death I answer hee overcame them in his soule by his holy graces he carryed away a glorious triumph though they seized upon his body so it is said of meaner men than Christ Rom. 8. 36. All the day long we are killed and are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter and yet for all this they were more than conquerours by the holy graces they had by their faith patience and care so they carried away the glorious triumph Now if men did triumph on the crosse much more Christ which must teach us that seeing Christ did triumph on the crosse every Christian should doe so when he is under the crosse then he should triumph over his spirituall enemies by his faith and holy graces so to carry away a glorious victory So Matth. 5. 29. our Saviour saith If thine eye offend thee plucke it out and if thine hand offend thee cut it off for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should bee cast into hell It is an easie matter to the world when they be in health and in peace to tread downe all the spirituall enemies but a difficult taske when they bee in sicknesse and in paines yet a Christian we see if hee will follow the example of his Lord and master Iesus Christ must triumph on the crosse Fourthly Saint Luke saith Act. 1. 1. I have made the former treatise O Theophilus of all that Iesus began both to doe and teach untill the day that hee was taken up now if Saint Luke did write of all that Christ did till the time hee was taken up then he would have wrote of this it being an act of Christ to descend downe into hell but Saint Luke hath not recorded it he hath not written of this and therefore Christ did not descend into hell to subdue the divell there Augustine saith well whatsoever our Saviour Christ would have us to beleeve he hath commanded his Disciples to record it but they have recorded no such thing therefore it is not to be beleeved Fifthly there be many Divines say that all the devils be in this world till the last day and then they bee not in hell Now I dare not say that all of them be in this world but I thinke the greatest part bee here for Ephes. 6. the devill is said to be in high places that is in the aire and Iob 1. the Lord asketh the devill from whence he came whose reply is from compassing the earth so the devill is in the earth and Matth. 8. our Saviour Christ cast out a devill out of a man and hee asked him what his name was and hee said Legion because there was alegion of devils is that a great number
so that the greatest part of the devils bee in this world therefore hee needed not to descend into hell to subdue the devils the most of which might be subdued here Lastly all the articles of our Christian faith are confirmed by plaine places of Scripture but there is no plaine place of Scripture to confirme this that Christ went downe into hell to subdue him in his owne house and Augustine saith that all those points of faith that are fit for a Christian to beleeve are confirmed by plaine places of Scripture but this is not so confirmed therefore not to be beleeved Now against this there bee three Scriptures alleaged the first is taken out of Psal 16. Thou wilt not leave my soule in grave or in hell neither wilt thou let thy holy One see corruption where by soule is meant life and by hell is meant the grave for the sense is thou wilt not leave my life in the grave Now that this is the true sense it may appeare by these two reasons First out of Psal 88. where the like phrase of Scripture is My soule draweth neere to hell that is my life draweth neere to the grave as appeares plainely by the words following I am counted amongst them that goe downe into the pit free among the dead like the slaine lying in the grave Secondly it may appeare by the same words that Peter brings in to proove the resurrection of Christ Act. 2. the Apostle there makes an opposition betweene Christ and David that Christ is ascended up into Heaven but David was not his body remaining in the grave so Christ was where David was not therefore wee cannot proove by this that Christs soule was in hell The second Scripture is out of Rom. 10. 7. Who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead Now by the deepe is not meant the deepe of hell but of the grave the depth of the grave where the dead lye The third is out of Ephes. 4. 9. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest parts of the earth Chrysostome expounds the place and saith it is the very grave for in the Hebrew tongue there be two parts of the earth there is the face of the earth which is the place where we be and the lower part and that is the grave so that the lowest part of the earth that Christ did ascend to is the grave The second more probable opinion is that Christ descended into hell when hee left the paines of hell in the garden and on the crosse this is a true ground but it doth not agree with the order of the Creed for his descension into hell was a thing that was done after he was buryed and his sufferings in the garden and on the crosse was before now it was not repeated againe for in so short a confession men use not to repeat therefore it was something that was after his death and buriall Now that which I take to be the truth in my judgment is that Christ lay in the grave three daies together trampled and troden downe of death so that the descension of Christ into hell is nothing else but the captivating of Christ under death for a time For our instruction there bee two uses to bee made of this point first that as Christ descended lower and lower till he came to the lowest step of abasement before he ascended into glory so every one must labour to be contented to descend lower and lower till he come at the lowest step of humiliation before hee ascend into glory to this effect Paul saith of Christ he that descended is the same that ascended farre above all heavens so that a Christian must descend first before he can ascend Now there be two descents of a Christian the one is in his soule and the other is in his body the first is in soule to descend low into our selves and to sinke downe as low as Hell in the sense and feeling of our sinnes and vilenesse before God that God may advance and lift us up so the Prophet David did and other holy Saints recorded in the sacred Scripture and therefore Origen saith that those which God doth purpose to advance hee doth first make them descend low into themselves to become as no body that so they may be lifted up to glory secondly they must descend in their bodies they must be contented to descend into the grave and to lye in the dust many yeeres together kept under of death and then afterward they shall be raised to glory Secondly that as Christ descended lower and lower so wee should bee contented to come downe to the lowest degree that God shall assigne us there be many that be contented to come downe somewhat but to lose all and to part with all our goods there is not one of a thousand that will be contented when David daunced before the Arke Michal despised him for it unto whom he makes this answere that if it bee a vile thing to doe so he would be more vile so should we doe bee contented to become more vile in our owne eyes to come to any estate that it shall please God to bring upon us that so he may advance us as Iob 19. 25. when he was despised of his servants and all his goods lost yet hee was contented with it and cheareth up himselfe by faith saying I know my Redeemer liveth and in my flesh I shall see God so if wee be contented to be humbled here in the kingdome of grace we shall be advanced in the kingdome of glory SERMON XXX 1 CORINTHIANS 15. 4. And that hee was buried and that he rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures HAving spoken of the degrees of Christ Humiliaation now we are to speake of the degrees of his Exaltation but before wee speake of this the consideration of both of them together will not be unprofitable for us because from thence wee may learne this good instruction that as there was a time of humiliation and a time of exaltation unto Christ so all the people of God in severall ages have had these two times a time of humiliation and a time of exaltation so saith the Prophet Ierem. 30. Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Iaakobs trouble yet he shall be delivered out of it there is a time of trouble and a time of deliverance from trouble as Psal 105. 18 19. Ioseph had his feet in the stockes and was laid in Irons till his appointed time came and the Lords word had tryed him so there was a time of his trouble and a time of his deliverance out of his troubles This may be the comfort of all the people of God that as there is a time of humiliation so there is a time of exaltation which they may
thought that it had not beene Christ but some other And therefore whiles the matter was fresh and the Souldiers about the Grave Christ rose Secondly That the faith of the Disciples might not faint nor stagger for we see Luke 24. 21. that two of them say We trusted that it had beene hee that should have delivered Israel and besides all this to day is the third day so their faith began to stagger and therefore Christ rose that hee might strengthen their faith this is the great goodnesse and kindnesse of God to his servants In the Scripture it is said Hee remembred that we bee but dust Now as Christ had a care of the faith of his Disciples so hee hath a care of the faith of us Christians for hee might have deferred his rising till wee shall rise and then we might have doubted whether we should rise againe or no therefore lest wee should doubt of our resurrection Christ would tarrie no longer and so by this meanes to strengthen our faith that as he arose at his time so we shall arise at our time Thirdly That he might apply it and therefore the Angels give a charge to the woman that she should goe and tell his Disciples he was risen Fourthly Because it was the time that God had appointed Hee stirred not the first day nor the second hee lay dead without motion there was not a word of his rising but when the third day came then Christ rose with majestie and power to give us comfortable hope that wee shall rise one day out of trouble for although there bee little hope of comfort to day or the next day yet when the time commeth that God hath appointed we shall have ease and wee shall have comfort And therefore as Christ was contented to tarry his time so wee must bee contented to tarry the time God hath appointed for our ease comfort and deliverance Thirdly The manner how he rose wherein be three speciall things to bee observed First That though he died in weaknesse yet he rose in power which was seen in this that hee rose notwithstanding all the oppositions the Iewes made for they rowled a stone upon the mouth of the grave and they sealed it and set a watch to keepe him downe and yet he rose in spight of them all which must teach us that Religion shall rise and the Gospell shall rise notwithstanding all the opposition that is made to the contrarie though they rowle a great stone upon it and labour to keepe it downe all the powers in Hell shall not prevaile against it but the Gospell shall rise and Religion shall be advanced in all times so we see in Exod. 1. that notwithstanding Pharaoh made lawes for the vexing and troubling of the Iewes yet they did increase and multiply and this may bee our comfort that as Christ did rise notwithstanding all the oppositions to the contrary so Religion and the Gospell shall rise notwithstanding all oppositions that can be made against it It shall breake through the stones an armed power nor all the Divels in Hell are not able to keepe it downe so our saviour saith Math. 16. Thou art Peter and upon this rocke will I build my Church anâ— the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it much lesse then shall worldly power be able to overcome it So Esay 54. 7. saith he All the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and every tongue that shall rise up against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne As also the Prophet Zechary 12. 3. saith And in that day will I make Ierusalem an heavy stone for all people All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in peeces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it which Chrysostome saith was a Metaphor taken from the custome of the Iewes whose manner was to have a great stone lie at every gate to trie their strength by lifting at it which if a man was not able to lift the more hee did strive and struggle the more hee crushed himselfe with it so the Lord will make the Church and holy Religion to be such a stone that the more they strive and struggle with the more it shall crush them which is a great comfort to the people of God that religion the Gospell and holy profession shall rise in spight of all that make opposition against it Exod. 3. 2. Moses saw the bush burne and yet not waste because God was in it so all the troubles and afflictions of the Church doe not waste it because God is in the middest of the Church for as Christ rose so the Gospell shall rise notwithstanding all the oppositions against it Secondly the power of Christs rising is seene in this that then there was an Earth quake the earth did shake and quake which shewes that death had not taken away any of the power of Christ or abated or diminished it it was as great when he rose as it was before his death we see that all the great Emperours that have died were not able to stirre a cloud or to move the earth but Christ did he made the earth to quake and tremble Death could not keepe him under so Matth. 28. Christ saith All power is given me in heaven and earth and Revel 1. 18. it is said I am alive but was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and I have the keyes of hell and death Wee therefore seeing there is such power in Christ should labour to be under his defence and then we shall be safe from danger as Christ saith Iohn 10. My sheepe heare my voice they follow me and I give them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any one plucke them out of my hands Therefore as a man in the time of danger runnes unto a rocke or sure place of defence so in the time of danger let us runne to Christ and we shall be safe from danger by making him our defence Againe the grave had detained Christ but three dayes and yet wee see how the earth did quake and tremble therefore O thou that hast not kept downe Christ three dayes together but many dayes how oughtest thou to quake many dayes Christ hath beene rising in thy heart by the motions of his Spirit and yet thou hast suppressed and kept him under learne thou therefore of the dumbe earth that quaked and trembled for keeping Christ under but three dayes learne I say to quake and tremble for thy great hardnesse of heart that hast kept him under not dayes onely but many yeeres together as the three Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn Matth. 17. when they saw the great glory that was put upon Christ in his transfiguration on the mount and heard a voice saying This is my welbeloved Sonne heare him they fell on their faces and were afraid because they had not formerly attended Christ nor regarded him as
with Christ but I cannot see how this should be because there was none but Christ seene when hee rose againe it is said that the earth and the sea gave up their dead but we doe not read that the heavens gave up their dead The use hereof is that seeing the Angels and these Saints were contented when they had done the businesse and the worke of God they came for to lay aside their bodies and that they should dissolve and come to dust againe so when wee have done the worke of God wee came for in this world we should be contented meekely and patiently with the rest of our brethren to lay aside our bodies that they may dissolve and come to dust and ashes untill the time of the generall resurrection Having spoken thus of the manner of Christs rising now we come to the manifestation thereof for though no man saw him at the very instant when he rose yet when he was risen hee did manifest himselfe to the world so farre forth as was fit which may teach us that although the world doe not see the very instant or moment when we be humbled or when wee repent and turne to God or when wee are brought to an estate of Grace yet when we be converted and have turned unto God we must let the world see the fruits of our conversion so wee see the Theefe did as soone as he was converted hee did shew the fruits of his conversion for hee reprooved his fellow confessed his sinnes cleareth Gods judgements and pleadeth for Christ so Saint Iames saith shew me thy faith never talke thou hast faith unlesse thou shew it let the world see it shew it in thy speeches in thy actions and in thy life that thou art converted and turned unto God to this effect the same Apostle saith Chap. 3. 13. Who so is a wise man and is indued with knowledge amongst you let him shew it by good conversation so if thou hast repented and turned to God shew it in thy life and in thy speeches let thy words shew the fruits of it this is that which Christ himselfe exhorts to Matth. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven for it is not enough to have light in our selves but wee must let our light shine Christ did rise and no man saw the very instant and moment and yet when he was risen he did manifest himselfe to the world so though no man see the instant when wee were converted yet when we be converted we should shew the fruits of our conversion for as it is in the life of nature that a man cannot have life in him but it will appeare either by stirring breathing or panting so it is in the life of grace if a man have life in him it will bee seene by one meanes or other Secondly this may serve as matter of comfort Christ was not seene at the instant or moment when hee did rise and yet did shew by infallible tokens that he was risen many an one are troubled that they know not the very instant or moment of their conversion and therefore make question of their Christian calling but this example is fit to relieve such that although a man knowes not the very instant or moment when he was converted yet if he can proove by infallible tokens and markes he is converted he may resolve undoubtedly that he is called We see in nature that a childe hath life and yet the mother doth not know the instant ormoment of its life quickning but by the stirrings movings shee doth know there is life initiated in her childe so it is in the life of grace there may bee life in a man though he know not the very instant and moment when hee first received that life yet if hee have evident markes of it hee may have comfort that hee is converted though hee know not the time of it Now there were twelve severall times that Christ did appeare wherein he did manifest himselfe to the world it is too long to speake of all therefore I will speake of them that are most fit for our instruction There were five severall times that Christ appeared that day hee rose in 1. To Mary Magdalen 2. To the two women going from the grave 3. To the two Disciples going to Emmaus 4. To Simon Peter 5. To the Disciples being together onely Thomas away Now what is the reason that Christ appeared so many times that day he did rise on so that all the day long hee did appeare to one or other at one place or another to his followers and did spend it in holy exercises and in holy apparitions I answere it was to dedicate and institute the Christian Sabbath therefore Christ did so many times appeare that day it is a great question amongst Divines who it was that did alter the Sabbath some thinke that it was the tradition of the Church but it is not the Church nor all the Churches in the world that can alter it it must be Christ onely that must doe it therefore he did appeare so many times that day to set it apart to holy uses by his owne example the Apostles did not institute the day nor dedicate it of themselves but gathered together by the divine knowledge they had that it was Christs meaning and will to teach them by his appearing so many times in one day to appoint that day for the Christian Sabbath and therefore the Apostle did put it in practise so wee see Act. 7. 20. and 1 Cor. 16. 2. and Revel 1. 10. where the name is given to it as the first day of the weeke and the Lords day whence it is manifest that Christ did dedicate and sanctifie the Christian Sabbath as Augustine saith well that by the resurrection of Christ on that day it was consecrated to be the Christian Sabbath The first appearing was to Mary Magdalen out of whom he cast seven devils And there bee three things to bee observed in this point of his appearing 1 The Cause why he did appeare to her 2 The Manner of his appearing 3 The end of it First The cause why hee did appeare to her not because shee was a great stateswoman a rich woman or a more holy woman than the rest for there was Mary the Mother of Christ an holier woman one would have thought hee would have appeared to Caesar or to Emperours and Kings to Noble men and to great men of the world or to the holiest and most sanctified women in the world or that he should have appeared to his Mother but he did appeare first to Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast seven devils one that was infamous and a great sinner yet she was penitent for her sinnes and a true convert as appeares in that she did shew such speciall love to Christ upon her conversion in attending
poore woman and yet shee did informe them of one of the greatest mysteries of Salvation the Resurrection of Christ which may teach us how meane soever the person be not to despise to learne any good of them so we see Exod. 18. that Moses was contented to take the counsell of Iethro his father in law one that was infinitely short of the gifts and graces of Moses so also Acts 18. Apollos was instructed by Aquila and Priscilla poore Tent-makers therefore it must bee the wisedome and humilitie of a Christian to take good by the meanest persons that may be Secondly whom shee must tell his brethren this is a strange thing that Christ calls them his brethren he might have said Goe and tell my Disciples my revolters backsliders and such as have denied and forsaken mee yet wee see the goodnesse and kindenesse of Christ that hee puts a speciall tearme of dignity upon them Go and tell my brethren partakers of the same glory and immortality with mee whereas hee might have said One of them did betray me and another denied mee and all of them did shamefully forsake me yet he is contented to swallow up all because though they had sinned yet they sinned of weakenesse they had repented for it and wept bitterly therefore Christ sends such sweete termes and cals them brethren Which may teach us that although wee fall into great sinnes if we fall of weakenesse and if we have repented for it hee will take us for his brethren we see in experience that although a man turnes his backe upon the Sunne and is going from it yet the Sunne followes him with his heate light and with his beames so when we turne our backes on God and are going away from him yet he followes us with his beames of goodnesse kindenesse and with his love though we forsake him yet he doth not forsake us Thirdly what the message was that shee should tell his brethren That I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God From hence ariseth a twofold comfort First Goe and tell my brethren that I ascend what is this such a comfort that Christ ascends that he goes away and leaves them yea it is a comfort and a great comfort too as appeares First because hee is ascended to Heaven as a pledge and pawne to take possession and to prepare our place till we come there As Augustine saith the Head going before all his Members shall follow Christ ascended as a pledge and pawne to hold possession for us So Iohn 14. 2. 3. I go to to prepare a place for you and if I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe and take you up to my selfe that where I am there you may be also So it is a comfort to a Christian to know that Christ as ascended Secondly it is a comfort to know that Christ is ascended for our good to befriend us in the Court of Heaven to procure the graces of his Spirit to reconcile us unto God and to make Intercession for us therefore howsoever some men may thinke it to bee a great comfort to have Christ on the Earth amongst us yet it is a farre greater comfort that Christ is ascended into Heaven to procure the graces of his Spirit to reconcile us unto God as our Saviour saith Iohn 16. 7. It is expedient for you that I go away to reconcile you to God to procure the graces of his Spirit to make intercession for you Therefore it is a comfort unto us that Christ is ascended to Heaven The second comfort is that Christ saith Hee ascended to my Father and to your Father to my God and your God For when wee know the Father of Christ is become our Father and the God of Christ is become our God by the meanes of him wee cannot chuse but hee comforted There was a time when God was our enemy by reason of our sinnes but now Christ saith I ascend to my Father and to your Father to my God and your God therefore this is a great comfort that wee have such a Father as is able to blesse us and to doe us good for seeing he is become our Father He will make a supply of all our wants as shall bee needfull for us A Christian may say Lord Iesus doe thou ascend into Heaven to hold a place for mee against I come to procure the graces of thy Spirit to reconcile mee unto God to make intercession for mee and then I shall bee happie And thus wee see it is for the good of Christians that Christ is ascended SERMON XXXIII LVKE 24. 13. And behold two of them went that same day to a Village called Emmaus which was from Ierusalem about threescore furlongs TWelve severall times Christ did manifest himselfe after his resurrection five whereof were in one day The first was to Marie Magdalen The second To the women comming from the grave Of these two wee have spoken and are come to the third to these two Disciples going to Emmaus In which manifestation there are diverse things to be considered First what disposition Christ did finde them in laid downe in two circumstances First That they went to a Towne called Emmaus that was about threescore furlongs off Ierusalem They did not attend the grave and seeke for Christ as Marie did but they were going away from him and from Ierusalem as men cleane out of heart Here we are to consider the kindnesse and goodnesse of Christ that he did not onely manifest himselfe to them that sought him and did attend the grave but to them also that did go away from him so wee see the disciples were in another condition they heard a brute of Christs rising yet they were not wise to nourish this same sparke but they were as men out of hope and yet Christ goes after them and leaves them not till hee had brought them home to the companie of beleevers So here is the goodnesse and kindnesse of Christ not onely to manifest himselfe to those that seeke him and attend upon good meanes but also to those that goe away and have not a thought of him so we see Iohn 7. the woman of Samaria that came to draw water shee had not a thought of Christ and yet he did manifest himselfe unto her and Luke 2. 8. the Sheepheards were tending their flockes by night they had not a thought of Christs comming but the Angels came unto them and told them that Christ was borne when they looked not for it so also Matth. 8. when Matthew was about his bagges and his money matters he had not a thought of Christ yet then he called him Here wee may see it is Gods mercie to prevent us with his love when wee have not a thought of him but are busie about our profits and pleasures then he seekes us and brings us home unto himselfe even when we are going from him as
strike terrour into the hearts of men to doe any injury to Ministers when they know the Lord sent them and although there bee nothing in themselves to cause us men to doe it yet wee must receive them for Christs sake The Apostles saith 2 Cor. 5. 20. Now then are we Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you through us We pray you in Christs stead that yee would bee reconciled unto God And therefore seeing Christ sends the Ministers and they come of the Lords message it should be your care thankefully to receive them Secondly their Commission to what end they were sent to the same end that Christ was As my Father sent me so send I you Luk. 19. 10. it is said The sonne of man is come to seeke and to save that which was lost Now all true Preachers are sent to the same end to seeke and to save that which is lost Men are lost in sinne and runne away from God the Preachers therefore are sent to seeke that which is lost and to bring them home againe so it is an easie matter to go into the wildernesse but it is a hard matter to finde the way out againe It is an easie matter to goe into the world O but it is a hard matter to be brought to God therefore when men have lost themselves in their sinnes and runne away from God as farre as the prodigall sonne ran from his Father the true Preachers are sent to seeke them up againe and to bring them to God Secondly Christ was sent not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance as appeares Mat. 9. 13. to the same end all true Preachers are sent to bring men to Repentance to convert them to God and to turne them from their evill courses to a hatred and detestation of sinne and wickednesse Thirdly Christ came To preach deliverance to the captives as appeares Luk. 4. 18. All men by nature are become captives to the devill and slaves to sinne being unable to helpe themselves whrefore God seeing mans misery sent his onely Sonne Iesus Christ to take mans nature upon him thereby to set at liberty and free mankinde out of the vassalage of sinne and Satan and to this end also are the Preachers sent as the Apostle Paul witnesses 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing those that oppose if God peradventure will give them repentance that they may know the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devill who are are taken captive by him at his will therefore let us not stand in our owne light but let us now arise to lay hold on so great a good as the redemption of our soules and bodies from the miserable slavery of sinne and Satan which now is offered unto us by the Ministers of the Word of God Thirdly the Ability Christ gave them to performe their charge hee breathed on them and said to them Receive the holy Ghost wherein two things are to be observed 1 What He gives them 2 By what signe First What he gives them the holy Ghost all our preaching can doe no good till it pleaseth Christ to send the holy Ghost and to mingle his spirit with our speeches and words that it may be effectuall to convert men to beget faith and increase grace in us This is an excellent blessing that it pleaseth Christ to mingle his Spirit with our words so that the spirit of Christ attends the Ministerie of his word as the apostle saith 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who also hath made 〈◊〉 able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life It is called the Ministration of the spirit because the holy Ghost doth attend it and make it fruitfull and effectuall Therefore this is excellent comfort to all Gods people that it pleaseth Christ to mingle his spirit with the words of the Preacher for if a Preacher have but a little sparke of the spirit of Christ he is able to doe much We see if a man have but a little sparke of fire let him come to a house of gun-powder and this sparke will be a meanes to dissolve and bring the whole fabricke to nothing by blowing it up So if a Preacher have but a little sparke of the spirit of Christ it will dissolve this same huge house of corruption that the divell hath and at length bring it to nothing Therefore it is good for men to attend the word and regard it for Christ doth not send the bare Ministery of his word only but he giveth his spirit with it also Secondly by what signe he gave the holy Ghost He breathed on them Now we are not to thinke that this breath was the Holy Ghost it selfe for it was but a meere winde or aire but we may safely say and thinke it was a signe of it so wee see Esai 6. 7. And he laid it upon my mouth and said Loe this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquitie shall bee taken away and thy sinnes shall be purged wee may not thinke that the Prophets sinnes were taken away by touching his lips with a coale from the Altar for it was onely a signe of it so also Zech. 3. 3 4. Now Ioshua was cloathed with filthy garments and he stood before the Angell And hee answered and spake unto those that stood before him Take away the filthy garments from him And unto him he said Behold I have caused thine iniquities to depart frō thee Here we are not to thinke the Angell tooke away Ioshuas sinne by the outward act of taking away his filthy garments for this was nothing but a signe of it that as he tooke away those filthy garments from him so God did by his inward grace take from him all his sins and iniquities in like manner Christ by breathing on the Disciples gave them a signe that hee would also give them the holy Ghost But why did Christ give it by a signe that men might know that they had received of the same spirit which was in Christ we see when Moses did ordaine Elders Hee laid his hands upon them that men might know that they received of the same spirit that Moses had so Christ did breathe on them that they might know they had of the same spirit of Christ in them Secondly it was for the more assurance that he gave it by an outward signe for when men doe know that the spirit of Christ is in them and are perswaded of it it makes them regard and attend it Fourthly The authoritie whose sinnes yee binde on Earth shall bee bound in Heaven and whose sinnes yee retaine shall be retained Now here is great power given Whose sinnes ye binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whose sinnes ye loose on Earth shal be loosed in Heaven But yee Must know this power is not given to our persons but to our
cleansing of the Lepers but in Christs bleeding and dying on the crosse so the comfort of a Christian is from the wounds of Christ. The fourth generall point is The effect and fruit of his appearing Thomas conversion for he presently saith with great affection my Lord and my God as if he should say what a pitifull estate was I in I might have perished in mine infidelity and unbeleefe if thou hadst not condescended to my weakenesse therefore seeing thou hast shewed so great mercy Thou art my God and my Lord so a Christian may say when he feeles the goodnesse and the mercy of Christ unto him in the pardon of his sinnes O Lord I thanke thee I might have perished in mine ignorance and blindnesse I was going the broad way to hell and it hath pleased thee to give me faith in thy promises repentance for my sinnes care to walke before thee in newnesse of life thou art therefore my God and my Lord I am glad and I rejoyce in it SERMON XXXVII ACTS 1. 9 10 11. And when hee had spoken these things while they beheld hee was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as hee went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell Which also said Yee men of Galilee why stand yee gazing up into heaven This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seene him goe into heaven WEe heard the last day that though wee have not kept our Easter with Christ and his Disciples the first day that he rose yet that we should labour to keepe it with Thomas the eighth day that is if we cannot bee of the first ranke of those that have repented and beleeved yet to labour to be of the second ranke if not of the second then yet of the third yea labour to be of the last sort rather than none at all and though wee cannot see Christ in his rising the first day with the Disciples nor yet with Thomas the eighth day yet let us cleare our eyes and see Iesus Christ triumphantly ascending into heaven Now having spoken of the Resurrection of Christ wee come to speake of his Ascension wherein we are to observe these particulars 1. Why it was needfull Christ should Ascend 2. The time when he did Ascend 3. The place from whence he did Ascend 4. The manner of his Ascension 5. The fruits and benefits of his Ascension First Why it was needfull that Christ should Ascend Howsoever wee may thinke it had beene better for Christ to converse with us here yet Christ tels us that it is for our good and benefit that he doth ascend Iohn 16. 7. It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you For as the Sunne doth us more good being in the Skie than if it were amongst us because then every Hill and House and every Barne would keepe the light from us so if Christ were personally heere amongst us then hee would be confined to one Countrey Towne House or to one Man and when he were present in one place he would be absent in another Therefore as the Sunne being in the Skie doth send out his light heate and beames to all So Christ being in Heaven doth infuse his graces unto all his people every where Now this argument of utility may make us quietly rest on God for as a mother when she is going from her childe uses to still and quiet it by saying hold thy peace I will fetch thee a good thing so Christ did still his Disciples when they were in heavinesse It is for your good that I goe away to convey the rich graces of my Spirit to you There be five reasons why Christ ascended First To prepare a place for us for wee cannot alwaies live here in this World a time will come when wee must away and therefore Christ is gone to prepare a place for us that when Earth excludes us Heaven may receive us when we part with men wee may goe to God and when wee leave these Earthly houses wee may have in Heaven a Mansion house As Christ saith Iohn 14. 4. I goe to prepare a place for you If I goe not away the Comforter will not come But if I goe I will come againe and receive you to my selfe that where I am there may ye be also For as I said Christ is gone to prepare a place for us and to hold possession for us till wee bee ready to enter and take possession our selves As Genes 45. it is said That Ioseph was sent into Egypt to prepare a place for his old father and for his bretheren and to take up the best of the land So the true Ioseph Christ is gone into Heaven to prepare a place for us even the best Heaven it selfe and to take possesion till we come and enter our selves 1 Pet. 1. 4. To an inheritance immortall and undefiled and that fadeth not reserved in Heaven for us This inheritance is kept in the hands of our Lord Iesus till wee bee ready for it who will faithfully deliver it to us Even as a Guardian doth not take up land for himselfe but for the Heire who when the time doth come doth willingly resigne it againe to him So Christ is ascended into Heaven to take possession of it for us and when the time comes hee will faithfully deliver it to us Ephes 2. 6. It is said God hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Iesus Christ Here Augustine saith we sit not in our selves nor in our owne persons but Christ sits in our right till wee bee ready for it This is a sweet comfort to a Christian in all extremitie that Heaven is our inheritance and Christ sits there in our right till wee bee ready for it well may death take away our lives bad neighbors our good name theeves our goods but they cannot take Heaven from us Therefore a poore christian may say though I am not a great man in this world though I have no great Revenewes Lands or Livings yet I thanke God Heaven is mine Inheritance Christ doth keepe possession of it till I am ready And when he lookes up to Heaven he may say There is my Countrey there is my house Christ holds possession of it and one day hee will faithfully deliver it to me If a stranger should goe into a farre countrey if he should see a number of little Cabbins or Cottages and but one brave Building and asking whose house it is a poore man should answere and say It is mine house a good friend did purchase it with a great deale of gold and silver for mee and one day I shall have it would not this man thinke that his estate were good though hee dwelt now in a Cottage a
the fruite will tumble at our feete so the rootes of Christ bee here amongst us in this earth here hee was conceived borne and here he died and rose againe I but the fruit of Christ is in Heaven above our reach but if we touch him by the hand of faith and tongue of praier then all the fruites tumble at our feete This is a great comfort that Christ is ascended to give gifts to men to fill all places with his goodnesse Now as Christs ascension was for the good of the Church and to make men the better for it so every man must make his ascension like to Christs that the Church and the whole countrey may be the better for it And therefore hast thou any ascension from being a meane man Art thou become a gentleman from a meane man a knight from a gentleman or lord c Then make thy ascension like to Christs make the Church the better for it and the countrey where thou dwellest not to take gifts but to give gifts so that the Church and Countrey may have comfort by thine honour and by thine ascension Fifthly Christ ascended To make intercession for us hee did prostrate himselfe in the Garden and upon the crosse in the vale of his flesh for us and now hee is ascended into Heaven to make the Court of Heaven friendly and favourable unto us for we know if we have a matter in the law or a friend on the bench then the court of rigour is turned into a court of favour so seeing we have Christ our friend who is ascended into Heaven to make the Court of Heaven friendly to us wee may bee comforted in that the Court of Iustice is turned into the Court of mercie and the Court of rigor is become a Court of favour Revel 4. 3. wee see the Throne of God was compassed with a Rainbow Now the Rainbow was a token of Gods mercy and of his favor to teach us that that which was a Throne of Iustice now is made by the means of Christ a Throne of mercie and therefore Paul askes the question Rom. 8. 34. Who shall condemne us It is Christ that dyed yea or rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God to make intercession for us Hence therefore let us comfort our selves when we cannot pray yet Christ prayes for us But how doth Christ make intercession for us I answere there bee two kinds of prayer vocall prayer and reall prayer now wee are not to thinke that Christ makes any vocall prayer that hee doth prostitute himselfe at the feet of God as hee did in the garden for this will not stand with the majestie of Christ who is the Iudge of all men and God hath put all judgement into his hands but it is a reall prayer that hee makes and for your apprehension I will shew by a similitude what Reall prayer is Exod. 2. little Moses was put into an Arke and throwne into the water Pharaohs daughter comming downe to wash her saw this Arke and caused it to bee brought her and when she had opened it she saw the childe weepe now the childe spake never a word and yet this weeping of the childe was reall prayer unto her to shew mercy to it so though Christ speake never a word yet the presenting of his body before God is a Reall prayer effected two waies in his intercession First by presenting his pierced sides his nailed hands and feet and his bloody wounds so Christs body doth speake for us when we cannot speake and his blood cries when wee cannot cry for what was it that did uphold Peter in his dangerous fall but the fruite of Christs prayer as wee see Luk. 22. 32. Hee saith unto him I have prayed that thy faith faile not and so it is still the fruit of Christs prayer that doth uphold us in confidence whereof we may say as Christ did to the Woman in the Gospell Some body hath touched me for I feele vertue to goe out of me even so may wee say when we feele strength against sinne and grace increased it comes not by my selfe nor by mine owne vertue but by the intercession of Christ whose blood as Saint Paul Heb. 12. 24. saith speakes better things than the blood of Abel for that cried for vengeance but the blood of Christ for mercy Secondly Christ doth not onely present his owne person but also every faithfull man and woman as Exod. 28. 29. we see when the high Priest went into the holy place hee carried before him the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel so Christ doth not onely present the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel but the particular name of every faithfull man and woman therefore let this be our comfort when wee are dull and cannot pray that Christ is ascended into heaven and presents us dayly before God The unthankefull Butler did not remember Ioseph notwithstanding his kindenesse O but Ioseph did not forget his old Father and his brethren when he was advanced but he saith to Pharaoh Sir I have a poore father and poore brethren in the land of Canaan they are like to be famished they want bread I pray thee sir that I may have chariots to fetch them hither that they may dwell in the best of the land and even so the true Ioseph Iesus Christ remembers us to God saith he Father I have a number of poore servants in the world troubled and afflicted I pray thee send for them and let them enjoy the happinesse I have prepared for them And this is the blessing wee have by the ascension of Christ The second point is the time when Christ ascended laid downe in three circumstances First after he was risen so it is in the order of the Creed he was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell the third day he rose againe from the dead and then he ascended into heaven which must teach us that we must never looke to ascend to heaven till we be risen for as Christ rose out of the grave before he ascended so we must rise out of the grave of our sins and corruptions before we ascend therfore Saint Iohn saith Rev. 20. 6. Blessed are they that have their part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power now there be two resurrections there is the rising of the soule out of sin in this life to newnesse and holinesse of life and the rising of the body at the day of judgement to immortality and everlasting life therefore whosoever thou bee that dost not labour to rise in thy soule out of the grave of thy sinnes to rise I say to repentance and a turning to God in the care of an holy life then thy body shall not bee raised to immortality and life everlasting but if thou labour to rise out of thy grave of sinne and wickednesse to
God and hee shall not onely bee blessed in this world but be pronounced also blessed at the great assembly when heaven and earth and hell shall meet together before God and all the blessed Angels and holy men even by that sweet mouth of Christ which shall chace and drive thousands to hell and shall curse the wicked but shall say to such Come ye blessed my Father receive the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning therefore labour thou whosoever thou art to be thus blessed of Christ and then thou art fenced against all the injuries and wrongs that this world doth afford us Secondly wee did observe in the Manner of Christs ascension that when hee departed hee went not suddainely away from them as he did from the Disciples that went to Emmaus but he departed by little and little leasurely till a cloud came and tooke him out of their sight Now in severall ages there were some that ascended as Henoch in the time of Nature Elias in the time of the Law and Christ in the time of the Gospell To teach us that heaven is the house prepared for the faithfull in all ages But there was great difference in their ascensions Others ascended by means as we may see in the 2 Kin. 2. 12. Elias was carried up in a firie chariot but Christ did ascend by His owne power and vertue without the helpe of any and so in Luk. 16. 22. When Lazarus was dead he was carried of the Angels into heaven But Christ ascended by his owne power which may teach us that al others have need of help to ascend to heavē but Christ had none Secondly Others ascended before death ceased on them as Elias but Christ ascended after hee was killed and crucified and put into the grave hence we learne all the people of God shall rise and ascend but first death must kill them and they must be laid into the grave and then they shall rise and after that ascend as Revel 11. 9. it is said That the bodies of the two Prophets lay in the streets three daies and an halfe and after life came into them againe and the world wondred at it and ver 12. it is shewed how they rose That they heard a voyce from heaven saying Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud in like manner labour thou to be joyned with Christ and as Christ ascended so shalt thou ascend Thirdly Others went onely themselves to heaven but made no way for any body els but when Christ ascended he made way for others to ascend and follow him he did not as Lot Gen. 19. who when he had taken in the angel shut the doore but Christ when he entred into heaven left the doore open for others to enter in so it is said Heb. 10. 20. Hee entred by the new and living way which hee prepared for us through the veile that is his flesh even by the veile of his flesh hath he dedicated a way for us to heaven therefore Chrysostome saith well Christ hath entred into heaven at the narrow hole of his passions and hath left a broad doore for his members to follow Fourthly Others when they were ascended could do nothing there though they could work miracles on earth but Christ being ascended is as powerfull to administer to his people in this kingdome as if he were with them in this world for Act. 2. 33. hee being ascended sent downe the gifts and graces of his spirit upon his Disciples others being ascended can doe nothing their power being confined to the place where they bee but Christ being ascended as is powerfull here as if he were present Fifthly Others went away on a suddaine as wee see 2 King 2. that Elias ascended in a Whirlewind but Christ ascended by little and little by degrees till a cloud came and tooke him out of their sight Now there be two reasons why Christ did not ascend into heaven suddainely but by little and little first that they might sensibly see hee had left this world and was ascended into heaven therefore wee should not looke for him here it behoveth the Church to know that Christ is ascended into heaven and that for their good to prepare a place for them to send downe the gifts and graces of his spirit so Ioh. 6. wee may see the Disciples when Christ told them that he should go away from them sorrowed and mourned for it I but when they did consider that hee was ascended for their good to prepare a place for them and to hold the possession of heaven till they were ready and to send the holy spirit into their hearts this was a great matter of joy and comfort to make them glad Secondly to take away an error in the world that many an one thinkes hee shall goe to heaven in a whirle-wind out of the midst of their sinnes and of their prophanenesse nay looke on Christ hee ascended by little and little and made many ascensions before hee came at heaven so must thou doe and therefore thou must not thinke to goe in a whirle-wind into heaven out of the midst of thy lusts and of thy sinnes but thou must make many ascensions every day in thy care zeale faith and thy repentance It is Christs speech Can. 3. Who is this that ascends up out of the wildernes perfumed with myrrh c. so the people of God ascend up leasurely till God receive them as S. Ierome saies speaking of the 42. journies of the children of Israel to the land of Canaan so we must not think to goe to heaven with ease but it will cost many a journey and a Christian must be every day rising in his care in his zeale in his faith in his repentance and in his love till at last he come at heaven gates Thirdly A cloud came and tooke him out of their sight so Saint Luke saies Act. 1. 9. And when hee had spoken these things whilst they beheld him hee was taken up for a cloud tooke him out of their sight that is it came under the foot of Christ and so did cover him and as hee went away in a cloud so Hee shall come againe at the day of judgement so the Angels said the Prophet Dan. 7. 13. saith I beheld in a vision by night and behold one like to the Son of man came in the clouds of heaven so Mat. 24. 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the hindreds of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man comming in the clouds of heaven Now the use of this point is that seeing Christ ascended by a cloud into heaven and as he ascended so will come to judgement therfore so often as we looke on the clouds wee may consider that these bee the chariots that shall bring Christ to judgement however they now bring us winde and raine and snow
discharge from his master though hee long for the time of his freedome and looke to the shore of the Sea to see when the Ship would come to carry him away and thinke every day seven and every yeere seven till the time come yet he goes not before his master calls so it should be with a Christian though hee be willing to goe to God and to leave all yet Hee must not take downe the Tent himselfe but hee must tarry till the Lord give him a discharge and then thinke every day seven daies and every yeere seven yeeres till the time come and when it is come he must willingly goe to Christ It is an infinite wonder notwithstanding all the happinesse men shall enjoy by ascending with Christ that they cannot by any perswasions be induced to forsake and leave off this hanging on the world I doe not meane onely when God would have them to live but even when men lie on their sicke beds and are readye to depart this World Thirdly seeing Christ is ascended wee must labour to feele the vertue and Power of Christs ascension there bee many that can talke and tell long stories of it but this is nothing unlesse they can find the vertue and power of it Phil. 3. 9 10. saith Paul I desire that I may be found in him and that I may know him and the vertue of his resurrection c. So wee must desire that we may feele the Power of Christs ascension as Psal 68. 18. It is said that when Christ ascended up on high he led captivity captive that is as yee heard before that when hee ascended hee did triumph overall our spirituall enemies and they were bound and tyed to the triumphant Chariot of Christ in fetters and chaines like slaves Now everyman must feele this triumph and conquest in himselfe therefore dost thou feele the Divell to be bound and Hell to bee stopped Death to be weakned and the power of thy lusts and sinnes abated then thou dost truely feele the vertue and the power of Christs ascension but if thou doe not feele the Divell to bee bound Hell stopped Death to bee weakned and thy lusts and corruptions to be abated then hast thou no vertue by Christs ascension Saint Bernard saith well If thou doest not feele the vertue and power of Christs ascension hee is not ascended for thee thou shalt have no good nor bee a penny the better for it therefore let every man labour to finde the vertue and the power of Christs ascension in himselfe as Hell to be stopped Death to be weakned and Sinne to bee abated and then hee may have comfort by Christs ascension Now there is another vertue we must finde by Christs ascension spoken of Psal 68. 18. at his ascension Hee gave gifts to man and what gifts were they of two sorts First Royall gifts and Secondly Personall gifts Personall gifts bee such as Teachers and Preachers have Royall gifts be such as be in a Christian as Knowledge Spirituall wisedome Vnderstanding Faith Repentance Love Zeale and the gift of Prayer Therefore hast thou knowledge spirituall wisedome understanding faith and repentance hast thou love and zeale and hast thou a gift in Prayer Then thou dost feele of the vertue and power of Christs ascension but if thou bee an ignorant and a blockish man and hast no knowledge or understanding no faith or repentance no gift in prayer then thou art not one pennie the better by Christs ascension neither canst thou have any comfort in it Fourthly seeing Christ is ascended what must we doe till he come againe to us the Papists tell us wee must have an Image or a picture of him and must keepe it to put us in minde of him till hee come againe but this is against the second Commandement And 2 Corinth 5. 16. the Apostle Paul tels us that wee should no more know Christ after the flesh saith hee yea though we had knowne Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth we know him no more so that this is not the way the Papists tell us to have an image or a crucifixe of Christ But there is another way for the Lord hath left us the glasse of the Gospell as 1 Corinth 13. 12. But now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face Therefore we must looke well into this glasse for there wee shall see Christ borne in a Stable and laid in a Manger praying on the Mount bleeding in the Garden hanging on the Crosse laid into the Grave and rising from Death and gloriously ascending into Heaven Therefore wee must not doe as the Papists tell us but we must keepe us to this glasse hold us to it and looke into it and at last Iesus will come and joyne himselfe to us nay he will stand by us and transport our bodies and make them like to his glorious body Now the next uses are uses of Comfort First that seeing Christ is ascended into Heaven this may give us comfort that one day we shall rise and ascend also for He is our pawne and pledge and hath taken possession of heaven for us which is a great comfort to a Christian that where Christ is there hee shall bee also as Christ saith Ioh. 14. 3. I go to prepare a place for you and I will come againe unto you and take you unto my selfe that where I am there you may be also therefore seeing Christ is in heaven he wil draw all his members after him so Ioh. 17. in that sweete prayer that Christ makes he saith Father I will that they which thou hast given me may be with me even where I am that they may behold my glory Tertullian saith well Christ the Mediator of God and man hath taken the pawne of our flesh and hath carried it into heaven and hath left us the pawne of his Spirit therefore now flesh and blood be secure in Christ and Athanasius saith God hath repealed this heavy sentence Earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne againe dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt returne againe for Christ hath carried thy flesh into heaven and hath taken possession of it and holds it till thou art ready therefore let not a Christian be afraid of the troubles and afflictions that hee meets with in this world for as Christ is ascended so one day he shall ascend when the time comes this is a sweet comfort to a poore Christian when he lyes on his sicke bed when he meets with many troubles and afflictions in this world unto whom I may say as Christ said to the Church of Smyrna Revel 2. 10. Feare none of these things that thou shalt suffer even so I may say feare none of these things that thou shalt suffer feare not trouble affliction sicknesse death nor any thing Art thou a poore man and dost thou want a house to dwell in why Heaven is thy house dost thou want friends God is thy
the power of God is in all places but the humanitie of Christ is confined to one place onely therefore this cannot bee the true sense indeede it is said Matth. 26. 64. Neverthelesse ye shall see the Sonne of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and comming in the Clouds the meaning whereof is expressed afterwards chap. 28. 18. that all power and authoritie is given unto him of God Secondly the Right hand of God is taken for The goodnesse and glory of beaven and happinesse as Psal 16. 11. At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore but it cannot be so taken in this place for though it bee true that Christ is blessed in the kingdome of heaven in joy and happinesse yet this is common to all the Angels and Saints for they enjoy all the pleasures in heaven but to sit at the right hand of God is peculiar to Christ onely as it is Heb. 1. 13. To which of his Angels said he at any time Sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole Thirdly the right hand of God is taken for the Next place to God in dignity and honor Rule and government It is the manner of Kings and Princes when they doe advance any to office next themselves to set them at their right hand as 2 King 19. Salomon caused a seate to be set for the Kings mother and set her at his right hand And Psal 45. 9. it is said Vpon thy right hand did sit the Queene in a garment of gold so to sit at the right hand of God is to be in the next place to God in Dignity and Honour in Rule and Government And this is heere meant for this sitting at the right hand of God is nothing else but a dignity and honour given him of the Father whereby hee is indued with a power to rule and governe all things immediately both in heaven and earth Secondly how hee is said to sit at the Right hand of God and that is because he is in the highest place next to God in dignitie and honour administration and government of this whole world and also particularly of the Church of God so to sit at the Right hand of God implyes two things First That Christ is in the next place to God in dignity and honour as Phil. 2. 9. saith the Apostle Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given a name unto him above all names that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of both things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth which is to bee understood not onely of the outward gesture and reverence to bee used at the Name of Iesus but chiefly of the internall soveraignty and authority of Iesus because hee should set his throne above all thrones in that all powers shall bee subject to him both in heaven and earth and so all knees shall bow unto him Secondly That hee is in Rule and Government in the highest place next to God Ephes 1. 20 21. it is said That God hath set him at his Right hand in heavenly places farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not in this world only but also in that which is to come and hath made all things subject under his feet and hath appointed him over all things to be the head to the Church These bee the two things implyed in his sitting at the Right hand of God whence wee are to take notice of two things First That Christ hath enobled our nature and hath lifted it up above Angels and Archangels therefore seeing Christ hath thus dignified and enobled the nature of man in setting it above Angels and Archangels what shall wee answer to God if wee abase it and bring it below the meanest of the creatures I doe not say below the Sunne and Moone and Starres which are constant in their motions and courses but below the dumbe creatures for they doe moderate themselves in their appetites they will take no more meat and drinke than will doe them good and will bee moderate in their sleepe therfore what shall wee answer to God for our excesse But I would to God we could stay here Christ hath lifted up our nature above the Angels and we imbase it and bring it below the devils for when men bee ruled by the devill they make themselves slaves to him and so bring themselves below the devill as wee see hee could no sooner bid Adam eat but he did eat and Caine kill his brother but he kils him and Iudas betray his Master but he betrayed him so he can no sooner bid men sweare but they will sweare or lye but they will lye or prophane the Sabbath but they will doe it therefore when men are thus ruled by him what is it but to make themselves slaves to the devill and then how shall men answer this injury and wrong done to Christ we read Prov. 31. 4. Bathsheba saith to her sonne It is not for Kings O Lemuel to drinke wine nor for princes to drinke strong drinke lest they drinke and forget the law so is not for Christians to sweare to lye to deceive one another to prophane the Sabbaths for Christ hath graced them and therefore they must take heed they doe not disgrace their selves Christ hath innobled their nature and set it up above the Angels and therefore they must take heed they doe not disgrace it by a sinfull life Secondly we are to take notice that seeing Iesus Christ is in the next place to God in administration and government so he is in honour not onely next unto God but also hath all at his command hee is the ruler and governour of this whole world and therefore will governe it for the good of the Church and of his people and one day thou shalt blesse God and bow thy knees and thanke him that hee hath put the government into his hands Rom. 8. 24. it is said that all things shall worke together for the best or good of them that love him the whole world shall winde and turne to his good if a man be a friend to God and love him there be number of strange turnings and motions in this world all which shall turne and winde unto the good of the Church as in a clocke there be some wheeles turne one way and some another way they being crosse and contrary one to the other and yet by the skilfull and cunning workeman they turne all to one end to make the clocke goe so in this world there be many strange turnings and motions that seeme to runne crosse and contrary one to the other yet by the skilfull workeman Iesus Christ all is carried to the good of the Church therefore great is the comfort that the Church may have by this for what shall the Church doe in the time of trouble runne to Christ and pray him to turne all
to the good of them because the government is in his hands Wee see in experience when there is a cunning Pilot set at the stearne of a ship though it bee tossed with the waves and troubled with winds yet hee will carry the ship safe into the harbour even so as long as Iesus Christ is our Pilot and sits at the sterne of heaven though there be many winds and waves beate on the ship that is though there be many troubles and afflictions that doe arise yet he safely brings both soule and body to the haven or harbour of rest It is a good meditation that the learned have out of Matth. 8. the Disciples were in a ship at sea where arose a great tempest so that the waves beate on the ship which was in danger whilest Christ was asleepe in the ship Then they cried to him and awaked him and he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calme so say they the Church is compared to a ship and this world to the sea the troubles and afflictions of this life to the winds and waves that beate upon the ship and indanger it therefore we must doe as the Disciples did runne to Christ awake him by our praiers and stirre him up by our repentance and then he will arise and rebuke the winds and the sea and there shall he a great calme therefore in all the troubles and rages of the world we are to consider that Christ sits at the right hand of God and hath the government of the people of the whole world and he will turne all to the good of his Church and people Now the consideration of this will make feare flye from thee as the darkenesse doth from a candle Thirdly why Christ is said to sit and not to stand at the right hand of God Of which there be three reasons First To shew unto us that hee hath now finished the worke of mans redemption and having done all he is set downe at the right hand of God this is that he would have the whole world to see that now mans redemption is finished and perfected so Heb. 10. 12. But this man after hee had offered one sacrifice for sinnes sate downe for ever at the right hand of God Now although Christ hath wrought the redemption of man and is set at the right hand of God yet wee must not sit downe too but seeing he hath done his part we must doe our parts though he be set yet we must not sit but labour to lay hold on that which he hath purchased and apply it to our selves for although Christ hath purchased it yet if wee doe not apply it we shall be never the better for it If a man lye bound hand and foote in a deepe dungeon and a Iaylor come and set open the prison doores bidding him come to him and he will take the Gives and Bolts off from his hands feet and when he hath done so the Iaylor sits himselfe downe with the keyes in his lap now doe you thinke though the Iaylor sits still the prisoner will no I warrant you but rather would labour to creepe out of the stinking prison so seeing Christ hath opened the prison doores and hath knocked off the Gives and the Bolts of sinne and is set downe at the right hand of God with the keies of hell and of death we must not sit downe too but apply our selves to come out of our sinnes and to lay hold on the mercy that is offered to us Secondly because there is a judiciarie Power committed unto Him that is a power of judgement he sits to arraigne men and to give judgement and sentence against them and as earthly Iudges sit to order and to determine of all things that are done â— so Ioh. 5. 22. it is said The Father judgth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Sonne therefore because Christ holds a court of judgement to judge the whole world wee must be carefull to passe the whole time of our life and dwelling heere in feare and holinesse before God because Hee sits to judge us and though we bee not afraid of earthly Iudges yet let us bee afraid of the heavenly Iudge for howsoever men may shift the matter and blinde an earthly Iudge yet they cannot blinde the heavenly therfore every man must consider when he is drinking deceiving lying swearing and the like that Christ will judge him for it Thirdly because he is in the continuall act of judgement hee is alwaies on the judgment seat alwaies ready to administer judgement to the world earthly Iudges bee not alwaies on the judgement-seate but they have their vacation times out of tearme as they say that is they have certaine times of hearing O but Christ is in the act of judgement and on his charge continually Moses sate from morning till night to heare the people but he was weary of that but Christ sits continually and is never weary in the act of judgement Hence wee may learne these good instructions following First to comfort us in afflictions and crosses that Christ is alwaies ready to waite and attend on the causes of his servants and people a man may come at an unseasonable time to men as Luk. 11. it is said the man came to his friend at midnight and he was rebuked of his friend O but we cannot come at any unseasonable time to Christ hee sits night and day on the throne and will bee ready to heare us therefore in all our troubles this may give comfort Secondly to strike terrour into the hearts of men and to make them afraid of sinne and to offend him because he sits on the throne still and is ready to execute judgement If a theefe should steale or cut a purse when the Iudge is on the bench hee in worthy to be hanged sentence is ready to passe upon him presently so seeing Christ is on the bench and in the act of judgment if a man sinne against him sentence is ready to be passed hee may presently have execution done upon him and indeed all the judgments that come from day to day upon us come from Christ the executions be in the country but the writs and sentences amongst us come from a higher court from London so here in this world be all the executions but the sentence and the writs come from above they come from the court of heaven Fourthly To what end Christ sits at the right-hand of God for two ends first To make intercession for us as Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are similitudes of the true Sanctuary but is entred into heaven to appeare now in the sight of God for us We see in Samuel that Saul was angry with David many times and would have killed him but still Ionathan interposed himselfe and laboureth to pacifie his fathers
see in experience if a man have a weighty matter to try in the court of justice if he heare the chiefe of his counsell is become the Iudge hee that was his advocate and pleaded the matter a long time he hopes that it will goe well with him so wee have a weighty matter to try in the court of Heaven it concernes our life and salvation and Christ hee that was the chiefe of our counsell is become our Iudge he that was our advocate and pleaded our matter a long time before God this may give us comfort that it shall goe well with us Saint Ierome saith well the day shall come when the whole world shall weepe and waile and mourne and grieve when thou that art a Christian shalt bee glad and rejoyce when Plato and Aristotle and others shall say we did not know him and the Iewes we tooke him for a bare man the Gentiles we thought it silly to beeleeve in One that died upon the crosse and the cold Christians shall say wee have loved the world and have not regarded him then the true Christians shall comfortably say This is our Saviour and Redeemer this is our God and we have waited for him The third point the place where he shall judge us The place is to be considered two waies generally and particularly generally the place where wee shall bee judged is in this earth therefore wee say in the Articles of our Christian saith from thence hee shall come to judge both the quicke and the dead and Act. 11. 1. the Angels tell us that this Iesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come as yee have seene him goe into heaven so also Iude 24. Henoch tels us that the Lord shall come with thousand of his Saints to give judgement against all men so that this world is the place of judgment and moreover I will prove it by these two reasons First because this is the ordinary course of Iustice for where men commit their offences in the same places they are judged as wee see in the same countries where men have done their faults there the Assises are kept so seeing we have sinned against God in this earth here wee shall be judged as 1 Sam. 7. 6. it is said Samuel went about yeare by yeare to Bethel Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places Secondly because it is the fittest and meetest place for it it cannot bee in hell or in Heaven not in Heaven because the unjust cannot come there not in hell because the just cannot come thither as we see Luk. 16. 26. Abraham saith to Dives Betweene you and us there is a great gulfe set so that they which would goe from hence to you cannot neither can they come from thence to us and therefore seeing they which are in heaven cannot come in hell and they which bee in hell cannot come to Heaven there must bee a middle place to judge the world in and that is this earth Now there be two uses to be made of this point 1. A terrour to the wicked 2. A comfort to the godly First it shall bee a terrour to the wicked to bee judged in the same place where they dishonored God and blasphemed his Name and where they have committed most grievous sinnes in the sight of their fine houses gallant gardens friends and acquaintance they shall bee judged if it were in a corner that no body should see them their griefe were the lesse or if it were in a farre country but seeing it shall bee in this world where they have sinned against God in the sight of their friends and acquaintance this shall be the greater terrour as Hest 7. 11. Haman was hanged on the gallowes which he had set up for Mordecai it had bin shame enough for him to have died in another place but to dye at his owne house in the sight of his wife and children servants and by the meanes of his goods this made his terrour the greater so the wicked shall be judged here in this world in the sight of their wives and children and in the sight of their friends and acquaintance this makes for the terrour of them Secondly comfort to the godly that in the same place where they have beene despised and and disgraced there they shall be honoured Iosephs honour was the greater that he was advanced in the same place where he was a poore slave therefore it shall be for the comfort of the godly that they shall be judged in the place where they have beene disgraced It was the manner of the Romans in their triumphs that they began in some private place without the city and thence went into every street till they came in the high and capitall streets so the people of God have their honour begun in this world whence the Lord doth carrie them thorough the clouds and firie region till hee bring them to the capitall street to heaven this is a great comfort to the godly where they have beene disgraced and despised there they be honoured SERMON XLIII ACTS 17. 3â— 3â— But now commandeth all men every where to repent Because hee hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained WEE spake the last day concerning the last judgement of the place where it shall be all Divines agree that the place in generall shall be on the earth not in heaven nor in hell nor in any remote place out of knowledge but in this earth where wee have passed our daies and where wee have sinned against God therefore according to our usuall phrase in the Creed it is said from thence he shall come David saith of his childe 2 Sam. 12. 23. I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me but it is not a sure thing that wee shall goe first to Christ till he come to us So in generall we all agree that in this earth shall be erected a glorious throne for Iesus Christ to sit upon and to judge the whole world where we have lived and where wee have passed our daies where we have sinned and dishonoured God The Uses whereof were matter of terrour and matter of comfort which I handled then therefore I proceed To the particular In what place of the world men shall bee judged This is a thing uncertaine and the best Divines hold it cannot be determined out of the Scriptures in what place it shall be but onely by probability Therefore in things of this nature it is good to take Saint Pauls rule Rom. 12. 3. Sapere ad sobrietatem to thinke soberly not above what wee ought to thinke We should not prie and looke into Gods Arke that is into his secret Counsell more than is meete but wee must content our selves with things revealed as Genes 32. 13. Iaakob said of his sheepe that hee would not overdrive them lest they die so
Clerke staid all with a word as it were saying We stand in jeopardie to be accused of this daies sedition So if men would thinke of this when they be in the heate of their affections and in the course of sinne it would stoppe them that one day they shall come to judgement and give in their accounts for all that they have done there is no man that can escape it no man that can avoide it When we have sinned through weaknesse and infirmity wee should not be at rest till we have gotten a pardon for it sealed with the blood of Christ As a man that is guilty of Treason cannot take contentment in any thing hee cannot eate drinke or sleepe in rest till hee hath gotten a pardon from the King so seeing we are guilty of Treason before God and have sinned many wayes against him wee should not bee at rest till wee have a pardon sealed with the blood of Christ and shewed it to God saying Lord I confesse I have sinned against thee but here is a pardon sealed with the blood of Christ I know thou wilt not deny it Sixthly The manner of the judgement whereto there belong divers Actions so that at the day of judgement there shall not be one Act onely but divers The first The burning up of the whole World even the whole frame of Nature all Creatures visible and sensible shall be destroied and brought downe into the dust Once the World was destroyed by water and now it shall be destroyed by fire God that set Sodome and Gomorrah on a fire in an instant and destroyed it shall set this whole World on a fire and no man shall be able to quench it and put it out David saith Psal 50. 3. Our God shall come and shall not keepe silence A fire shall devoure before him and a mightie tempest shall be moved round about him Daniel 7. 9. And he ancient of dayes did fit whose Garment was as white as snow and the haire of his head like purple wooll his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheeles like the burning flame A firie streame issued and came forth So 2 Thes. 1. it is said When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them which know not God nor obey him in the Gospell so that in small time the whole World shall be consumed and all the glory of it shall be brought to nothing Now if any man shall demand and say What be the particulars that shall be destroyed I answer The Apostle sheweth 2 Pet. 3. 10. That the earth with all the workes thereof shall bee consumed and burnt up all the habitations where we now dwell shall bee consumed and come to nothing many times if ordinary and slight houses be burnt such as be of bricke and stone escape but at the day of judgement not only the slight buildings shall be burned but also the stronger houses such as are made of no combustible matter of bricke and stone We see 1 King 18. The fire that came downe upon Elias his sacrifice did not onely burne up the sacrifice and the wood but it did licke up the water and burne up the stones and the dust so the fire of heaven will not onely burne the slight buildings but also the strongest houses that bee made of solid matter of bricke and stone and marble yea if they were houses of iron they shall be destroyed and dissolved and brought to the matter they were made of so all the world shall be dissolved and burnt up From hence wee learne these Uses First seeing the earth with all the workes thereof shall be consumed and burnt therefore this should teach us to moderate our care for the things of this life that wee bee not so eager and greedy of them as to scrape and scratch together these things unconscionably seeing the fire of Gods wrath shall fall upon them and consume them they shall bee dissolved and burnt up all these goodly houses and gardens hawkes and hounds all shall be burned with fire therefore we should moderate our selves in the things of this life For which cause Matth. 20. when the Disciples came to Christ and shewed him the goodly buildings of the Temple saith Christ Doe yee so admire these things and dote upon them the time shall come that there shall not be left one stone on another so may we say when men dote on the things of this life and doe not seeke after heaven and happinesse Why doe yee so dote on these things the time shall come that there shall not bee a stone left upon a stone Zerxes when hee had a purpose to goe to warre did muster his men in a place and he saw seven hundred thousand men whom he went up unto an hil to take view of and at the sight of them wept his nobles asked him why hee did weepe he said that hee wept to consider how in the revolution of an hundred yeares there should not one of all these be left so it is good for a man to doe as Zerxes did to muster up all his delights pleasures and profits to take a view of them and to consider that after the revolution of a few yeares all shall come to nothing Secondly seeing this earth with all the workes thereof shall be burnt up therefore to labour for the rich graces of Christ which is the use Saint Peter makes thereof 2 Pet. 3. 11. Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to bee in holy conversation and godlinesse and indeed how ought we to labour to get Faith and Repentance to be brought to an estate of grace that so we may be saved and stand with comfort at that day If a man should gather a great deale of wealth together and put it into an house if one should come and set the house on fire and burne up all he would cry I am undone I am undone so if we lay up all our comfort and joy here in this world when the fire of Gods wrath shall come downe from heaven and consume all these things wee may cry out Wee are undone and therefore it must bee our wisedome to lay up our treasure in heaven and then it will be safe this is the counsell that Christ gives us Matth. 6. Lay not up for your selves treasure upon earth where the moths and canker corrupt and where theeves digge through and steale but lay up treasure for your selves in heaven where neither the moth nor the canker corrupteth and where theeves neither dig through or steale Hereupon Augustine saith well there was a friend that came to a friends house that he had laid up his Corne in a low darke roome telling him that if hee laid it there it must needs corrupt and putrifie but lay it up on an high loft and then it will keepe
safe so saith he Christ is this friend that commeth to a friends house hee sees that we lay up our treasures in this World where they will corrupt and come to nothing therefore he gives us this Counsell that wee should lay up our treasures in Heaven in an high loft where wee may bee sure they will be safe If any man here make a doubt and put this question What is there nothing but this world and the workes thereof that shall bee consumed and burnt I answere him from the same place of Peter not onely the earth and the workes thereof but the heavens shall melt with heate and the elements so much as is visible and sensible even those that are most true and regular and constant in their courses clockes may deceive us but these will not they be true in their courses and yet these shall melt with heare and shall passe and runne away from the presence of Christ Heere we may see the lothsomenesse of sinne that doth not rest in the center of the earth but goeth thorough the clouds and doth infect the ayre almost to the seate of God himselfe I would to God men would thinke of this when wee see a man strangely taken away by untimely death or a house on fire we thinke it strange but for the sinne of man God will destroy the heavens and the earth Wee see in the Law that if a man had the Leprosie upon him he should bee shut up and the wals of the house should bee scraped and if it brake out againe then the house should be pulled downe and the timber and the stones and the 〈◊〉 carried away that it might not infect the people Levit. 40. 41. so the Lord doth scrape us as it were by his judgements but because sinne breakes out still he will pull downe the house even destroy this whole world so that at the last day no man shall know his former house or his land to say here is my house or here is my land as Iob speakes When a man dyeth he knoweth neither house nor land Now heere another question may be demanded seeing the heaven and the earth shall be dissolved and burnt up what shall become of the people of God To this I answere out of the Apostle Pauls words where he tels us as a Mystery We shall not all sleepe but we shall all be changed 〈◊〉 is all shall not dye for those that bee alive or that bee living at Christs comming shall be changed from mortality to immortality this shall be their estate at that day the creatures appointed for the fire shall bee burned and the fire shall fall on the wicked but all the people of God shall be preserved as the three Children were in the firy furnace Hence we learne what a comfortable thing it will be when Gods people shall see all the world on a fire about them over their heads and under their feet but it shall not touch them Moses told the Children of Israel that the Lord would bring great plagues on the Egyptians which should not touch any of them so the Lord at the day of judgement will bring downe fire on the wicked and the ungodly which shall not touch any of the people of God howsoever they be set light by here not accounted of nor regarded yet at that day they shall see what a comfortable thing it is to be a Christian Thirdly seeing the heavens and the earth shall bee dissolved and burnt with fire let us labour to be found in Christ to be one of the people of God and then the Lord will worke strangely for us if a towne or a country should be on fire and there should be a little house of stone where whosoever could get into it should be preserved from the fire O how men would thr◠and throng thither Beloved Christ is as a little house of stone and whosoever is in him shall bee preserved from the fire when the fire shall fall on the wicked and ungodly and burne them then they that be in Christ shall bee safe from danger therefore every man should labour to be in Christ that so hee may be saved we see Phil. 3. the Apostle Paul saith that hee accompts of all things to bee but dung and drosse that he may be found of Christ so it should be with a Christian to esteeme all things but dung and drosse that he may be found in Christ let who will take the world with all the delights and pleasures thereof wee must labour to lay up our comfort in Christ and to make God our friend and then we shall bee preserved when this world shall be dissolved When the unjust steward in the Gospell knew his master would turne him out of his office hee made a friend with his masters goods so because we know not how soone the Lord may turne us out of our offices out of our dwellings therefore let us labour to make God our friend and then it shall goe well with us howsoever SERMON XLV 2 PETER 3. 13. Neverthelesse wee according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse THe last day wee began to speake of the actions that belong to the great day of judgement and then we discoursed at large of the first of them which is the burning up of the whole world and dissolution of the whole frame of nature together with the severall uses and instructions that did arise therefrom now therefore to avoid further repetition I will proceed to the actions following The second action is the renewing of Heaven and earth for as soone as this world is dissolved by the power of Christ it shall bee renewed againe as you see it is said in the words read unto you But we looke for a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse The people of God they know this though the men of the world bee blinded as birds are blinded with snow but we that be Christians know it and looke for it as a promise from God as Esai 65. 17. For loe I will create a new Heaven and a new Eart◠and the former shall not bee remembred and to put it out of all doubt Saint Iohn saw it Revel 21. 1. so then it is plaine by the Scripture that wee shall have a new Heaven and a new Earth But how shall it bee new I answer not in regard of substance but in regard of quality whence we see the reason why the creatures are said to groane Rom. 8. 22. that is they have a kinde of longing or desire to have this time come when they shall be set at liberty by this renewing brought into as glorious a state as they were in before they were brought under the bondage of sin Psal 102. 26. it is said The heavens shall bee changed as a vesture c. whereupon one saith well
stand before God in this great assembly therefore labour thou to repent of thy sinnes and to get faith in Christ and to be prepared for that day I would to God I could perswade you a little to sequester your thoughts from the world and to thinke of the day of the Lord that all men shall bee gathered together before the Lord and arraigned to give an accompt of all his actions that he hath done how would this worke on our hearts to lay up comfort for that day Esai 10. 3. The Prophet demands What shall yee doe now in the day of your visitation and of destruction so the wicked may say what shall we doe at that day when we shall be convicted and found haters of God despisers of good things contemners of religion and deceivers of our neighbours so the consideration of this might make every one to be prepared for it Thus we see that not onely the elect shall be gathered but the wicked also Secondly by whom they shall bee gathered by the Angels Now the Angels doe service to us first when we be living secondly when wee bee dead thirdly at the day of judgement First they doe us service whilst wee are living they attend us and carry us in their hands as it is said Psal 91. For hee shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone so Psal 34. 7. The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and delivereth them Secondly at the day of death they bee round about our houses attend our chambers and our sicke beds and when wee are dead they carry our Soules into Heaven as we may see Luke 16. in the story of Lazarus Thirdly they doe us srvice at the day of judgement to open our graves to digge and pull away the mould and to conduct and carry us into the presence of Christ therefore doe thou labour to bee a servant of Christ and to feare God and the Angels shall not only attend thee while thou livest here but shall digge thee out of thy grave and take away the moulds and shall conduct and bring thee into the presence of Christ as Acts 12. when Peter was in prison the Angell came and opened the prison doore and there was a light did shine round about him and he smote off his fetters and chaines and led him into the streets of the Citie so the Angels shall do to the godly at the day of judgement they shall open their graves which is a Prison and shall knocke off the Gives of mortalitie a light shall shine round about them and they shall take them by the hand as it were and lead them from countrey to countrey till they come at the presence of Christ to the new Ierusalem to enjoy fellowship with God and his blessed Angels Thirdly to whom we shall be gathered To Christ first as to the Head and then one to another as to the members First wee shall bee gathered to Christ our Head there shall not one of his members bee wanting which may be a great comfort to all Christians for this is that they desire that all their praiers they conceive all the Sermons they heare all their labours and paines tend to it is the center of their desires for this they sigh and long to bee gathered home to their Head Iesus Christ So Phil. 1. Paul desireth to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ though it be with the losse of life or goods he was contented Gen. 45. 1. wee see when Ioseph and his brethren met together what joy there was Ioseph did weepe on his brethrens neckes and they on his so when Christ and his members meete O what joy there shall bee at the day of judgement they shall not weepe one upon anothers necke but there shall be joy unspeakeable and glorious Secondly they shall be gathered one to another as to members though they live now in diverse Countreyes and Kingdomes in diverse Townes and Houses and by reason of some corruptions it may be wee may have little comfort one of another yet at the day of judgement all shall meete together againe and then we shall rejoyce in the company of each other then we shall meet with all the Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles Martyrs Confessors and all our godly friends and acquaintance that ever wee knew came of or heard of wee see when friends have beene absent a long time one from another and meete together againe how welcome are they one to another and how doe they rejoyce in the company of each other So at the day of judgement when we shall meete with our godly friends and acquaintance that have beene absent from us a long time what joy and comfort will there bee Wee see also when friends meete together at a Feast what joy there is one with another O but there shall be greater joy at the day of judgement when all the godly meete together and when every mans joy shall bee our joy So it shall bee a comfortable assembly to bee gathered to Christ and one Christian to another wee see here on Earth when Christians are met together to pray and conferre and to sing Psalmes what joy and comfort is there and yet there is many times meanes of discontentment but when all weaknesse shall be at an end and all imperfections shall cease much more joy and comfort in Heaven shall wee take one in another Therefore if wee have any wit in our heads or grace in our hearts let every one of us labour to be one of Gods people to be a member of Christ and then we shall bee gathered first to Christ our Head and then to one another as fellow-members Now we shall not only be aggregated and gathered together but there shall be also a separation for all the World shall be divided into two flockes or Heards the Sheepe shall be set at the right hand and the Goats at the left and they shall bee separated as a Shepheard separateth the Sheepe from the Goates who although they feede all the day long in one pasture drinke all of one water and are refreshed all under one shaddow yet when the night commeth hee gathereth the Sheepe into the Fold and leaves the Goates to bee devoured of the Wolves so the Lord Iesus Christ shall separate the good from the bad howsoever they lived together here in this world may sit all at one table and lie in one bed yet when the day of judgement comes hee will gather his sheepe into his fold and leave the wicked to be tormented with the Divell Now in this separation we observe three things 1 That there shall be a separation 2 The Time when it shall be 3 Who shall be separated First there shall bee a separation of the good from the bad by
gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God and you your selves shut out of doores That is ye shall see holy and good people goe to Heaven when you shall goe to Hell they shall goe to possesse eternall glory and you to possesse eternall shame so the terrour shall be the greater that wee shall bee excluded and shut out when others shall be admitted into his presence I but is it such a punishment to bee cast out of Gods presence Indeed to a godly and a good man it is for his delight joy and comfort is to be with Christ As we see Psal 80. ult Shew us thy face and we shall be saved O but a wicked man he doth not desire the presence of God I answere there is a two-fold presence of Christ there is a presence of God in grace and a presence of God in glory now wicked men although they doe not desire to be present with God in grace as a number of men doe not desire to be in the house of God or to be neere him in his ordinances preaching prayer and administration of the Sacraments like the Gargesiâ—es when they lost their swine they would have Christ depart from them and in Iob we reade that the wicked say to God Away from us therfore the wicked care not for this presence of God I but though they care not for the presence of God in grace yet there is never a wicked man but would have the presence of God in glory they wish and long for this as Gen. 4. Cain cared not for the presence of God in grace for it is said He went out from the presence of God but he desired the presence of God in goodnesse he would have God to protect him hee would have a marke set on him so likewise Balaam he cared not for the presence of God in grace but he desired the presence of God in glory he desired that he might die the death of the righteous to have that glory and comfort that they have but he cared not to lead their life So Augustine saith Every man is glad of life but every man is not glad of the meanes that leads to life therefore because they doe not desire the presence of God in grace they shall want the presence of God in glory which they so much desire and long for Secondly they shall not onely be shut out of heaven but they shall be excluded and shut out of this earth also for Chrest shall come to judge this world here on earth as Iob 19. 25. For I am sure that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand the last on the earth Christ will call all the godly unto him but will drive all the wicked â—nto hell they shall not onely be debarred and shut out of heaven but shall also be expelled and driven out of this earth so that they shall not so much as gather up the crummes that Gods people leave behinde them howsoever that the perfection of the glory of the Saints shall be in heaven yet here in this world they have their inchoation and beginning of glory but the wicked shall not be left here to gather up the crummes that are left behinde them when they goe to heaven O it were well with them if they might live here and tarry on this earth but they shall nor enjoy the least commoditie that Gods people leave behinde them We reade Gen. 3. 23. that Adam was cast out of Paradise to till the earth from whence he was taken this was a grievous and great punishment yet if the wicked of this world were but cast into the field to till the earth from whence they were taken or if they might be put into a cave a dungeon a prison or any strait place it were well with them but they shall not remaine in any part of the earth but shall be driven all into hell this is a torment of all torments not onely to be expelled out of the glorious presence of Christ but also to be driven out of this earth into hell The use is seeing all the wicked of the world shall be banished out of the presence of Christ this must teach us to love the presence of Christ in grace for it is a sure thing if wee love not the presence of Christ in grace we shall never enjoy his presence in glory if we love Gods ordinances love to be at the preaching of the Word love the Sacraments love prayer and the societie of Gods people this is a comfortable testimony that we shall live in the kingdome of glory we have heard out of Hester 2. that Abashuerosh had two houses there was the house of sweet perfume and the Kings house and this was the order of them that first the Virgins were perfumed and trimmed in the house of sweet odors and then were brought home to the Kings house so the Lord hath two houses the house of grace and the house of glory whereof this is the order in the first wee must be perfumed with all the sweet graces of the Spirit so when wee have lived here a time in the Kingdome of grace we may be taken into the second house of the kingdome of glory Secondly seeing the wicked shall be cast out of Gods presence at the day of Iudgement we must be carefull to cast away our sinnes or else our sinnes will cast us out of Gods presence It is a good saying of one O man destroy thy sinnes or thy sinnes will destroy thee If a man had a servant that would rob him at night of all hee had if hee knew it hee would be sure to cast him out of doores before night came such a servant Sinne is that it will rob us of all when night commeth when the day of death and when the judgement is come it will cause us to be cast out of heaven out of the presence of Christ and out of this earth and will not leave us a bit of bread nor a draught of drinke to comfort us therefore let us before the day of death and judgement come cast sinne out of the doores for it will not only take away Christ and heaven from us but all our earthly comfort also The second punishment or paine is Malediction or Gods Curse So they shall not only be cast from the presence of Christ but they shal goe away with the curse of God upon them even the sweet mouth of Christ that shall blesse all the godly it shall curse all the vile and wicked people of the world swearers lyars drunkards and bad livers c. therefore consider what an heavie thing it is to goe away with Christs curse upon them 2 King 2. 24 we reade that Elisha cursed the children that mocked him and there came two Beares out of the Forrest and devoured them O but it is a more heavie
desired to die the death of the righteous and secondly Matth. 19. 16. of the young man that came to Christ and said unto him Master what shall I doe to be saved so a man may have a desire to be saved and to be in heaven and happinesse and yet want the spirit of God Here therefore as before so now let us see what the defect is I answer it is in three things First It is a fleeting desire not constant and setled Balaam had a good desire but it was but in a mood or a fit he desired hee might die the death of the righteous and it was but once that he did so that we reade of and that also when hee saw the glory of the Saints this is the first defect that their desires are but for a fit Secondly they were idle desires they desired heaven but were loth to take any paines as it is said of the Sluggard Prov. 13. 4. The sluggard lusteth but his soule hath nought though hee desire such and such things yet he goes without them because he would not take pains for them therefore we must see that our desires be such as will put us upon any paines and labour so we may be saved Thirdly Such have not earnest desires but those that every little matter will put over we see if a childe askes the brest or meat the mother sometimes will give him a booke into his hand when this quiets the childe it shewes that it was but a flight desire that the childe had for if it had beene an earnest desire nothing would quiet the childe till it had the brest or some meat So it is with many men they desire to be saved and to have heaven and then the devill puts as it were a booke into their hands matter of pleasure and profit which quiets them this shewes that their desires were but slight for if they had beene earnest nothing would content them till they had had the thing that they desired And thus much of the false markes SERMON LVI ROMANS 8. 9. But yee are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his NOw the point of inquiry is how a man may know whether the Spirit of God and the Spirit grace be in him or no because it is the Spirit of God that seales our redemption as Saint Paul saith Ephes 4. 30. and all our hope of heaven hangs on the Spirit therefore it will be very necessary and profitable for every man to know what be the true markes and signes of the holy Ghost his being in us And this we may discover by considering it two wayes 1. Generally 2. Particularly First Wheresoever the holy Ghost is in what man soever he makes a sensible and a through change and alters him in his will affections and in every part as Matth. 8. Christ saith unto the Centurion If I come I will heale thy servant I will not be idle and doe nothing but if I come I will heale him so if the holy Ghost come into a man hee will not be idle but hee will heale him of his sinnes and make a sensible and a through change in him in all parts So Iohn 3. 7. Christ shewes that no man can enter into the kingdome of heaven unlesse there be a second birth of the holy Ghost in him and 2 Cor. 5. 17. Paul saith that every one that is in Christ must be a new creature So then there must be a second birth of the Spirit people must become new men and women It is a ground in nature that the generation of one thing is the corruption of another as Ice when it turnes to water there is corruption of the Ice so when Christ turned water into wine there was corruption of the water even so it is in the worke of the Spirit as there is encrease of holinesse wrought in a man so there is a decrease of sinne and corruption Wee see in the Gospell that those that were brought to Christ who lay and wanted their feet went away with them such as were blinde went away with their eyes opened such as were deafe and dumbe went away speaking and hearing and such as were dead went away alive so when the Spirit of God comes into a man though hee were lame and not able to walke in the wayes of God yet that will inable him if he were blinde and ignorant that will open his understanding and give him heavenly knowledge if he were dead in sinnes that will put the life of grace and holines into him thus the holy Ghost will make a through change therefore every man must labour to see whether this change be wrought in him or no as 1 Cor. 6. 10 11. it is said that no theeves covetous persons drunkards railers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God Here was a change indeed wrought in these men So also 1 Tim. 1. 13. Saint Paul saith Before I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and an oppressour but I was received to mercy because I did it ignorantly now I thanke God it is otherwise with me when a man can feele this change and alteration in him that he can say indeed I have beene a bad liver I have beene a swearer and a lyar and a drunkard but now Lord I thanke thee it is otherwise with me I am changed and altered this is a good evidence that the holy Ghost is in him but if a man be not changed and altered but remaines the same man that ever he was the holy Ghost is not in him for where the holy Ghost is there he makes a sensible and a through change Secondly If the Spirit of God come into a man it will stirre and move a man to good things as Act. 2. when the Spirit of God came downe upon the Apostles in firy tongues they began to speake with new tongues the holy Ghost did worke in their hearts and on their tongues so Gal. 4. 6. saith the Apostle God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts which crieth Abba Father even so if a man hath the Spirit of God in him it will stirre him to repentance and to the duties of prayer and holinesse therefore we are to consider no man can have the Spirit of God but he shall feele movings and stirrings of the Spirit for as it is in the naturall life that there cannot be life in us but it will be seene by breathing or panting stirring or moving there will be operations of life so it is in the life of grace there cannot be the Spirit of God in a man but there
might have perished with the world therefore what cause have wee to be thankefull to God for so great a mercy The fourth thing that was observed in the parts of the Church is that they are called out of the condemned multitude of the world to blessednesse and happinesse to bee saved by Christ so Saint Paul saith in this place And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saved there is all the harme the Lord means us to save and to bring us to blessednesse and happinesse therefore every man must take heed hee doth not despise this holy Calling when the Lord invites him to repentance faith and to an estate of grace We see Mark 10. 9. when Christ cals the blinde man he flung away his cloake and got upon his legges and followed him so it should bee the care of every one when Christ cals him to fling away his sinnes and corruptions and make all hast to follow him for if the blinde man did follow him for the curing of his body much more should we for the curing of both soule and body First therefore let us take heed we doe not despisse this Call of God seeing all the harme he meanes us is to save us Secondly seeing Christ cals us to enjoy blessednesse and happinesse and to live in communion with him therefore there is no damned man that can be a member of Christ it is true indeed that the wicked may live in the Church as bad humors be in the body but they are no parts of the body the Scripture is cleere for it as 1 Iob. 2. 19. they went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would have continued with us but they went out that it might bee made manifest that they were not all of us as if he had said if they had communion of grace and of the Spirit with us then they would have continued but because they had not therefore they went away The Papists say that a damned man may be a member of Christ but wee see it otherwise Col. 2. 19. saith the Apostle and not holding the head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increasing of God and Austine saith that there is no damned man can bee a true member of Christ because Christ is the Saviour of the body therefore let us labour to bee members of Christs body and then wee shall be saved but if we be not then wee are like to perish although wee should be the greatest Princes in the world but if we be true members of Iesus Christ then we doe beleeve that one day we shall bee blessed and happie whatsoever our estate be here therefore if there bee but one or two saved in a towne let us labour to be one of them if men should suffer Shipwrack and there should bee a boat found that would hold no more than tenne every one would labour to be one of the tenne so wee all have suffered shipwracke by the sin of Adam in the sea of this world now to save us the Lord hath given us a little boate which is his Church that whosoever can get into it shall be saved therefore if there bee but two in a country or one in a towne that is saved wee must labour to bee one of the number SERMON LX. ACTS 2. 47. And the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saved A Good hearer is like to dry powder that every little sparke of fire will make it kindle but wet powder must bee often touched before it will take so the unfitter that men be to heare and unprepared the more paines it is to the speaker to worke affection in them Wee shewed you the last day that the faith of a Christian consists in two things in God and the Church of God and that the Church of God is a company of people called out of the damned multitude of this world whom God will eternally save with his owne selfe Whence these considerations offered themselves unto us first What the Church of God is in his owne Nature which wee did then dispatch secondly What bee the parts or the divers estates of the Church of God here in this world whereof wee are to speake at this present The Church considered according to its parts is twofold 1. The triumphant 2. The militant Church The Church triumphant is that which is blessed and happy with God in heaven so called because it is not in conflict and combate as we be warring against sinne lusts the devill and the world but having overcome all are now blessed in heaven Hereof the Apostle speakes Heb. 12. 22. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the Citty of the living God the Celesticall Ierusalem to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first borne whose names are written in heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect so Col. 1. 20. saith he For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell and having made peace by the blood of his Crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe c. It is an opinion in the Greeke Church that the Saints are nor glorified in heaven till the judgement day but this opinion of theirs is false for it is first against the Scripture and secondly against reason First It is against the Scripture as Eccles 12. 7. Dust returnes to dust and the Soule returnes to God that gave it now this must needs be spoken of the blessed presence of God that the soule goes to in regard of power for God was present with it before so Luk. 23. 45. Christ said to the Theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise marke saith Saint Augustine Christ doth not delay the Theefe but even from this woodden crosse he is translated into his heavenly kingdome so Paul speakes Phil. 1. 23. desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ and not onely speakes he this of himselfe but also of all the faithfull people of God as 2 Cor. 5. 8. Neverthelesse we are bold and be willing rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with God thus it is cleare by the Scripture that the soules of the beleeving and faithfull goe to heaven immediately to glory So then the Greeke opinion is false it cannot be denied but that some Scriptures seeme to looke this way as that Matth. 20. 6. when the evening was come every one had his penny they received their hire so that Col. 3. 4. When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory Now these Scriptures and the like are to be understood of the glory of the body or else of the declaration of the glory that soule and body
shall have at the day of judgement at this present the soules of the faithfull are in glory and the world sees it not but a the day of judgement there shall be further declaration of it So then wee see the former opinion is false Now it is not onely against Scriptures but against reason and that both naturall reason and sanctified or rectified reason First it is against naturall reason because all motions are without cessations till they come to their proper place unlesse they be hindred by some violence as a stone flung down a hill rests not till it comes at the bottome unlesse it be hindered by violence so the proper place of the Saints is heaven thither they move unlesse they be hindered now there is nothing can hinder them but sinne but when they are dead they have no sinne therefore they must needs goe to heaven that they have no sinne it is plaine by the Scripture as Rom. 6. 7. for he that is dead is free from sinne and Augustine saith wee live not without sinne so long as wee bee here but when we be out of this life then sinne ceaseth to this the Schoolemen agree that all sinne ceaseth in a Christian when he is dead In the estate of grace there is no man without sinne but when this life is ended then sinne ceaseth Now if any shall say that the decree of God is hinderance enough I answer there is no such decree set downe in the booke of God Secondly it might seeme injustice in God to delay glory where there is not cause to keepe them from it so the Greekes opinion is against naturall reason Secondly it is against rectified or sanctified reason for the Lord is more inclined to mercy than to judgement as soone as the wicked are dead their soules goe into hell as Luke 16. the soule of the rich man as soone as he was dead was carried into hell while his brethren were alive and had Moses and the Prophets to speake to them therefore it is agreeable to justice that the soules of the just should goe to heaven so soone seeing he is inclined more to mercy than to judgement Augustine saith the soule of a good man goeth to God when hee is dead to enjoy blessednesse and happinesse and the soules of the wicked goe to hell therefore it is out of question that the soules of the godly goe to heaven before the judgement day Secondly the Church Militant is that part of the Church which is a warring and fighting in this world against sinne the devill the world and temptations where although it pleaseth God to give them many victories conquests and triumphs in this world as the Apostle â—aith Rom. 8. In all these things we are more than conquerers yet because it is not without paine and labour toyle and trouble yea not without blood as is shewed Heb. 12. 4. Yâ—â— have not yet resisted unto blood the Church of God hath a number of these incursions and conflicts and as one saith that the devils follow them like a number of barking and bawling dogs and are never at rest therefore it is called the militant Church To this purpose 1 Tim. 6. 12. Paul exhorts Timothie to fight the good fight of faith laying hold of eternall life and 2 Tim. 2. 3. Thou therefore suffer affliction as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ the people of God bee never at rest here the devill will follow and pursue them the world will have a â—ing at them and their sinnes will trouble and annoy them therefore they must lye in campe against all their enemies These are the two maine parts of the Church and this is the order betweene them that the Church militant is a doore gate or poâ—ch to the Church triumphant for wee must be members first of the Church militant before wee come to bee members of the Church triumphant as Dan. 1. 4. there were certaine of the Children of Israel fed with the kings meate that at three yeeres end they might stand before the king so it pleaseth God the great King of Heaven and Earth to feed us here in the militant Church that one day wee may stand before him in the Church triumphant We have heard heretofore out of the Booke of Ester that king Ahashuerosh had two houses for his Maides there was a house of sweete perfume where they were kept for a season before they were brought to the kings house so God hath two houses there is the militant Church and the Church triumphant whereof this is the order that first they must live in the Church militant being perfumed with the graces of his Spirit before they can come to live in the Church triumphant therefore it must be the care of every man so to carry himselfe in the militant church as that be may come to live in the Church Triumphant Thus much of the doctrine now for the use First seeing the Church of God is Militant here in this world therefore wee must looke for no perfect peace here although it pleaseth God sometimes to give the Church rest as it is said Acts 9. 31. That the Churches had rest yet usually it is but a little breathing time it will not be long we must prepare for a new encounter for 1 Cor. 15. it is said The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death Therefore till death come that we may lie downe in the grave we must looke for vexation and trouble never to be at rest till then for when the Divell doth cease tempting of us and the world is at quiet with us then we have our owne lusts and sinnes to trouble us Augustine saith well the life of a Christian here in this world is nothing but a warfare this is not the place of triumph for what are these but the speeches of warre The good things that I would doe that doe I not but what I hate that doe I and againe I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde leading mee captive to the Law of sinne and death Here is nothing but speech of leading captive and rebellion and he askes the question when will this warre be at an end His answere is When this corruption shall put on incorruption and when this mortall shall put on immortalitie Therefore we must looke for no perfect peace in this World for our sinnes and corruptions will trouble us the world will be against us and the Divell will barke and bawle against us so that a Christian cannot be at quiet while he lives here There be some weake Christians who thinke that because they have many temptations troubles and afflictions that therefore they are no members of Christ nor of the Church of God for if they were they think they should be at peace but here the Divell proceeds against them with false Logicke for they ought rather thus to argue because we live in
sanctified graces In other cities there be markets for the body but in this citie the Lord keepes open market with spirituall graces to furnish our soules and therefore thirdly herein this citie excels all other cities in the world Fourthly in many other cities there be many other liberties and immunities all these immunities are but to free them from toyle and tribute but the Church of God doth not thus free men for Christ himselfe payed tribute Matth. 17. 27. and Paul exhorts us Rom. 13. 7. Give unto all men therefore their dues tribute to whom yee owe tribute custome to whom custome The Church of God doth not free men from taxes and tributes due to earthly powers and Potentates but from the bondage of sinne from the accusations of an evill conscience from the Devill and from Hell Thus Iohn 8. 36. saith Christ If the Sonne make you free yee shall bee free indeed And Gal. 4. 26. saith the Apostle But Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all A man may bee a citizen of a great citie and yet lye in bondage to sinne and the Devill bee a slave to his lusts and be troubled with the accusation of an evill conscience But if a man bee a citizen of this citie hee shall bee free from sinne the Devill Hell the accusation of a bad conscience and from his wild lusts therefore in the fourth place this citie excels all other cities in the world The uses are First seeing the citie of God excels all the cities of the world therefore wee should account it a marvellous blessing that it pleaseth God to make us citizens of this citie as Ruth 2. 12. Boaz said unto Ruth the Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward bee given unto thee of the God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust So happy is the man over whom the Lord doth spread the wings of his love Wee see Psal 84. Davids affection that hee had rather bee a doore keeper in the house of God than to dwell in the Tents of wicked men hee had rather bee a meane man and a true member of the Church than to bee a great wicked man Therefore wee may bee sure that it is a greater blessing to bee a poore man and a member of the Church than to bee a great rich man in the world and no true member of the Church Secondly seeing the citie of God excels all the cities of the world therefore every man must have care to hold communion with it and take heed hee doe not suffer the Devill to draw him away from it because God dwells there by the presence of his Spirit Peter could say to Christ Ioh. 6. 68. Master to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life heere is fulnesse of joy here is comfort to bee had and therefore howsoever others start out let us hold to it Thirdly seeing the citie of God excels all other cities therefore it must bee our care to live like such citizens Hath God made thee a citizen of such a citie live then happy man like such a citizen conforme thy selfe to the lawes of it and walke worthy of this heavenly citie The author to the Hebrews maketh the same use of it Hebr. 12. 22. But saith hee yee are come unto the Mount Zion and to the citie of the living God c. And therefore see that yee despise not him that speaketh for if they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth much more shall not wee escape if wee turne away from him that speaketh from heaven You bee of the citie of God and therefore doe not you live like the vild men of the world in your sinnes and corruptions but live like Saints and citizens of such a citie thus much of the first dignitie that the Church is called the citie of God because there is the presence of God in grace The second Dignitie of the Church of God is that it is called the body of Christ now there is a naturall body of Christ which hath parts and ligaments as our bodies have hands and feete c. And there is a mysticall body of Christ which are the company of true beleevers which are made one with Christ by faith through the communion of the Spirit which mysticall body is more deare to Christ than his naturall body for hee gave his naturall body to die for his mysticall body and to redeeme it the Church is this mysticall body as 1 Cor. 12. 27. now yee are the body of Christ and members in particular so Coloss 1. 14. Now I rejoyce in my sufferings and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church So then the Church of God is the bodie of Christ whence ariseth divers consequents First that hee is the onely head of the Church and no other but hee as Ephes 1. 22. saith the Apostle of Christ And hath made all things subject under his feete and hath appointed him over all things to bee the head of the Church so Colos 1. 18. hee is the head of the bodie of the Church for as the head ruleth the bodie so Christ rules his mysticall body Now that Christ is the onely head of the Church it may bee seen in three things First because the grace of God is most eminent in him for as life is most eminent in the head so the graces of God are most eminent in him hee excells all men and Angels therfore the Apostle saith Colos 1. 19. that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell Secondly because of the neere conjunction that is between the head and the members the naturall head may bee parted with a blow from the body but the Devill and all the damned cannot part Christ and his mysticall body Thirdly in regard of ministration for as the head doth communicate life and motion unto the body so Christ doth the life of grace and the Spirit So it is a Royaltie onely belonging to the head not to Archangell nor Angell therefore away with the Pope The second consequent is that seeing Christ is head of the Church therefore as the head communicates life and motion into the body so from Christ flowes spirituall life and grace into the Church there is never a true member but Christ communicates life and grace unto him therefore every true Christian must feele a derivation of grace and spirituall life in him every one that would have true comfort must feele this and to say as Saint Paul doth Galath 2. 20. Thus I live yet not I now but Christ liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flâ—sh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loved mee and given himselfe for mee Wee see if a man hath any member that hangs dead and numb'd
left she replies that shee had nothing left but a little cruse and a little oyle in it where upon the Prophet bids her goe and borrow vessels of her neighbours then shut the doores to her selfe and powre into those vessels and fill them which she did and so payed her creditours and lived of the rest This is the Churches case the Divell impleade her for debt and the Church hath nothing left but as it were a little Pitcher the body of Christ and yet out of this there hath runne out such a deale of oyle as that it hath sufficiently discharged all the debt of the Church and this is another comfort to her that hee will discharge all her debts Fiftly seeing the Church is the body and the spouse of Christ that one day wee shall bee brought home unto him to live with him for ever as Psal 45. 14 it is said shee shall bee brought to the King in â—aâ—ment of needle worke and in the next verse With gladnesse and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace Therefore this is a comfort to the Church that although she cannot see him because she lives here on earth and Christ in Heaven yet there will be a time when shee shall live for ever with him in glorie and happinesse It was Christs request Iohn 17. 24. Father I will that those which thou hast given mee bee with mee even where I am that they may behold my glorie which thou hast given mee it was one of Christ last suits to his father that we should be brought home unto him This is another comfort to the Church that one day they shall enjoy Christ and live with him for ever in glory howsoever they may have a great deale of trouble and affliction here as Revel 19. 6 7. there was a great voyce like a clap of Thunder saying Halleluiah for our Lord God Almighty hath raigned let us bee glad and rejoice and give glorie to him for the mariage of the Lambe is come and his Wife hath made her sâ—lfe ready All harts should bee filled with joy for this and all soules should bee replenished with glâ—dnesse for that one day the marriage shall bee solemnized when wee shall bee brought home unto him to live with him for ever Lastly seeing the Church is the Bride and the Spouse of Christ therefore he will not bee ashamed of us no good man will be ashamed of his wife though she be but meane in any place nor before any company no more will Christ be ashamed of us but will confesse us before God though we be but meane as Heb. 2. 11. For both he that sanctifieth and they which are sanctified are all of one wherefore hee is not ashamed to call them brethren saying I will declare thy Name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praises unto thee And againe behold here am I and the children that thou hast given me so Luk. 12. 8. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him shall the Sonne of Man confesse before God and his Angels As Ioseph confessed his father and brethren before Pharoah and was not affraid of them so will Christ one day acknowledge his Brethren the Elect of God this is another comfort that Christ will not be ashamed of us howsoever wee are not respected and regarded here yet one day we shall be highly promoted Christ will say to us Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the World Therefore beloved brethren sequester your thoughts from things present and think on the things to come think upon this joyfull meeting of Christ and all the holy people of God consider how great will our comfort be at that time therefore love Iesus Christ be carefull to passe your time here in holinesse and feare labour to repent of your sinnes and to get faith in Christ that yee may finde favour with God at that time Now there is another thing that I would commend unto you in regard of the time That seeing Christ is such a comfortable Husband to us let us take heed we doe not displease him we see a good wife will be loth to displease her husband at any time if she hath given him any occasion of offence she will not be at rest till she be reconciled and her husband pacified and pleased with her so seeing it is manifest at this present by evident tokens that our loving Husband is displeased by taking away the comforts of the Earth for what a thing is it that wee should live on the Earth and yet not see the fruits of it comfortably but be strangers from it in regard of the multitude of our sinnes therefore I say seeing we see him displeased with us let us not be at rest till we be reconciled unto him let us repent us of our sinnes pray unto him and never give over till he be pacified and pleased with us SERMON LXIV 1 TIMOTHY 3. 15. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth THe greater the Church of God is the more is our comfort to be members of it therefore I hope it will not be tedious to any to speake further of the dignities and priviledges of the Church for if one have a stately House or a fruitfull Field hee will not bee weary to heare one tell him of the goodly Scituation and Commodities that doth belong unto it so because the glory of the Church is our glory therefore it shall not be amisse nor I hope tedious to any that I insist to speake of the dignities of the Church of God Fourthly the dignitie of the Church is conspicuous in that it is called the Pillar and ground of Truth A metaphor taken from building that as a Pillar sustaines and upholds the house from falling so the Church of God is a Pillar to uphold the Scripture and the Gospell which otherwise the prophane multitude of the World would let fall and it cannot stand with another Societie but only with the Church of God because there God is knowne so we see Psal 76. It is said God is knowne is Iuda his Name is great in Israel For in Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Zion So also Psal 147. 19. Hee sheweth his Word unto Iaakob His Statutes and his Iudgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation neither have they knowne his Iudgements so then it is an honour peculiar belonging to the Church of God to uphold and maintaine the doctrine of saving truth which otherwise would bee extinguished by the prophane multitude of the World Now two wayes the Church is the Ground and Pillar of Truth 1. Because it doth preserve and keepe the Tables of Truth 2. Because it doth deliver the doctrine of Truth
to all her Children by the meanes of Pastors and Teachers which the Apostle delivers unto us Ephes 4. 11. where he saith When hee ascended up on high bee led captivitie captive hee gave gifts unto Men c. He therefore gave some to bee Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edification of the Body of Christ that henceforth we be not Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in waite to deceive For the first it doth keepe and preserve the Tables of Truth in three respects 1. It keepes the letters of the Scripture 2. The true Canon of the Scripture that is the true number of the Canonicall Bookes 3. The Authoritie of the Scriptures First It keepes the letters of the Scriptures for the Scripture is the chiefest rich Iewell and Treasure that Christ hath left his people therefore it hath beene the care of the Church the Spouse to preserve and keepe the Scripture as the chiefest Iewell and Treasure left of her husband Christ we see in experience if a man leave a Iewell or some other treasure with his wife when he goes into a farre countrie she will be carefull to keepe it till he come home againe shee will locke it up or lay it in some Boxe or Chest so because the Scripture is a rich Iewell left unto the Church by her Husband Christ therefore there can be no doubt but the Church was carefull at all times to preserve and keepe it to this purpose Exod. 25. 16. The Lord commanded Moses to make an Arke of Shittim wood to put the Tables of the Covenant in that is the written Law of God and why should they put it into an Arke or Chest of Cedar But because it is the durablest wood which will not rot to teach us that the Lord would have the Scriptures preserved therefore S. Paul saith Rom. 3. 4. That the Lord hath of trust committed the Oracles of Truth unto the Iewes which were the Church of God so that it is the dutie of the Church to preserve and keepe them None hath done it but the Church which hath not failed in any point If a tender mother should have a spring that she and her Children live by to drinke of how carefull would she be to kepe it from all annoyances so because the Scripture is as a Spring that the Church lives by and drinkes of she and her children Therefore there can be no question but that the Church hath beene carefull to keepe it from all annoyances It hath beene an opinion of the Papists that the Scripture was corrupted by the Iewes in the Originall Text but if this opinion were true it were enough to bring in Atheisme and all prophanenes for no body can deny but if that the letters of the Scripture were corrupted in the Originall then that which is translated cannot be right Here then to confute this opinion of the Papists which is enough to bring in flat Atheisme and superstition I will shew you divers arguments and reasons to proove that the Scripture hath not beene corrupted which because it is a point of learning and a high one therefore as God when he gave the Law to the People came downe upon the Mount as low as might bee to deliver it to them so I will come downe as low as I can to make it plaine to your Capacities who heare me The first Is drawne by comparison from a King There is no King that would suffer his Statute lawes to be corrupted in the fundimentall Points and his publike Records if hee could helpe it but God is our King and the Scripture is the Statute-Law of God and his publike Records whereby he makes his Will knowne to Men and governes them and therefore can we thinke that the Lord will suffer any to corrupt it seeing he hath Power in his hand to help it unlesse we thinke that God hath lesse care than an earthly king would have of his lawes Iosephus reports and also Eusebius of a certaine Poet that tooke upon him to apply a Holy sentence to a wrong end who was stricken with blindnesse till he made confession of his fault And of another that tooke a peece of Scripture to make a jest of it who was taken with a phreneticall madnesse and hardly ever recovered againe Now therefore if God doe punish those that do prophane the Scripture then how much more will he punish them that doe corrupt it seeing God hath set this seale to it This God makes good Revel 22. 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the prophesie of this book If any Man shall adde to these things God shall adde to him the plagues that are written in this booke and if any Man shall take away from the words of the booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life therefore who durst meddle to corrupt it The second reason is drawen from the Promise of Christ in Matth. 5. 18. For verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth perish one jot or one title of the Law shall not escape till all things be fulfilled now by the law he meanes the written Law of God here we have the promise of Christ that as long as Heaven and Earth indures there is not one jot or title of the Law that shall be corrupted The third is taken from the continuall practise of the Prophets Apostles and of Christ himselfe that still send the People of God to the Scriptures as the most sincere Iudges as Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which ye doe well that ye take heede as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. and Christ Iohn 5. 39. saith Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke to have Eternall Life they are they which testifie of me So wee see that Christ the Prophets and Apostles call us to the Scriptures as to the sincerest Iudge Now if the scriptures had beene corrupted and depraved they would not have sent us to them for there is no man that will send his servant to sea but hee will tell him the danger of it and of the Shelves Rockes and Sands and where they be that so hee may avoyde them so if the Scriptures had beene corrupted Christ the Prophets and the Apostles would not have sent us to the Scriptures but would have told us where the Rockes and Shelves and where the dangers had beene nay if Christ had knowne the Scriptures had beene corrupted he would have made it knowne or if
elect Angells are pure and Holy and cannot lye Now for the Booke of Iudith that is a storie devised for the Credit of the Iewes for there was never such a King as is there spoken of amongst the Iewes nor such a high Priest nor so long a time of tranquillitie and peace for so many yeeres together as is spoken of Chap. 6. 7 8. And for Ecclesiasticus Chap. 24. 12. there the eternall wisedome is said to bee a creature Therefore hereby it may appeare that although there bee some good things in them yet they rast of the vessell of earth whence they came and shew that they came not from heaven as the Canonicall did therefore the Church had good reason and ground not to receive these Bookes as the Scripture and also to preserve the true Canon of the Scripture without addition or subtraction and indeed it is well when the two Testaments may meet together without parting that their lippes may kisse each other to joine Moses and Christ the Law and the Gospell together seeing that the last words of the Old Testament ends with a Curse and the New beginneth with a blessing this is the generation of Iesus Christ the Sonne of David the Sonne of Abraham The uses are Seeing it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the true rule and Canon of the Scripture without addition or distraction wee should blesse God and bee thankfull that hee hath not left us without a rule in so many worldly distractions where Kingdome is set against Kingdome one learned man against another in such varietie of opinions yet hee hath not left us without a guide to direct both our lives and consciences in the right way if wee will obey it as it is Esai 8. 29. To the Law and to the Testimonies if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so Iohn 5. 39. saith Christ search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of mee to the same purpose also 2 Pet. 1. 19. saith hee Wee have also a most sure word of the Prophets to the which yee doe well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Therefore we see that God hath given us a rule to direct us by in the time of distraction and danger If one should have a long jorney to goe and one should put into his hand a glasse that would shew him every step hee should take that hee might not step one step awry how thankfull would this man bee such a glasse is the Scripture for wee have a long journey to goe from earth to Heaven wherefore the Lord hath put this glasse into our hands that is hee hath given us the Scripture to shew us every step which wee should take that if wee set but one foot awry wee may see it Therefore how thankfull should wee bee to God for it Act. 17. 11. when Paul had preached the word there being opposition amongst them they got to the Bible and searched out the truth of the matter whether it were so or no whereupon it is said many of them beleeved So when the learned men and preachers have oppositions there being distraction and diversities of opinions amongst them the Lord hath given us a rule Wee must to the Scriptures Therefore thankes bee to God hee hath not left us to erre and wander but hath given us a direction to guide us Augustin saith well concerning this point if there bee any distraction or opposition about this thing or that thing let Christ bee the Iudge for hee speaketh in the Scripture therefore this is an excellent blessing which we are to bee thankfull for that God hath given us a Rule to walke by The second use is seeing God hath given us a rule to walk by therefore no man can excuse himselfe and say I would have done it if I had knowen it or if some body had told it mee or if I had a rule to goe by Now there is no man can excuse himselfe and say hee hath not a Rule for God hath left him one in his word which makes all unexcusable as Iohn 15. 22. Christ speakes If I had not come and spoken to them they should not have had sinne but now their sinne abideth so if God had not left us a rule and a direction to guide our selves by in the Bible wee should have had no sinne but because God hath given us such a rule to walke by therefore if wee walke not according to it wee have no cloake for our sinne Seeing God hath left us a rule to walke by It must bee our wisedome to make use of this rule in our thoughts speeches and actions Wee see a man is much the better that hath a rule to worke by for hee will stick it at his backe worke by aime and not by ghesse so Psal 119. 33. saith David Teach mee O Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end As if hee should say let mee but know thy will and I am contented to doe it If once wee know Gods will wee must direct all our speeches and actions to bee ruled by it It is a great infamy to any man to come into an order and not to hold him to his order as to bee a Soldier or a Scholler but much more to bee a Christian and yet not to humble ones self to the rules of Christianitie how just shall our condemnation bee the Rule of Gods Word teacheth a man to bee temperate and not to bee overtaken with surfeting and drunkennesse to bee mercifull to deale conscionably in our wayes and not to mispend our time to repent of our sinnes and therefore when men will not hold them to their rule to live temperatly walk holily and to make conscience of their wayes to deale truly and justly with men to take heede they doe not mispend their time to repent them of their sinnes if they doe not these things they are fallen from their rule and shamed in that they hold not to it Augustin saith there bee a number of things that seeme to bee straight but bring them to the rule and then wee may see their obliquities so there bee a number of things that seeme to be straight and good but lay them to the Rule bring them to the Scriptures and to the Law of God then wee may see a number of obliquities in them and how short they come of the Rule as 1 King 17. when Elias applied himselfe to the Child 's dead bodie his face to the Childs and his hands to the Childs hands then did appeare the dissimilitude between them and how short the Child came of him So when we shall compare our actions with the Law of God then wee shall see the dissimilitude and disproportions betweene them and when wee see how short
we have Communion one with another First we have Communion with God whereas before we were strangers by nature and had not to doe with God nay there was none that could bring us into favor with him but by Christ so S. Iohn saith in this place and it is said Eph. 2. 13. But now in Christ Iesus ye which were once afarre off are made neere by the blood of Christ so also Heb. 12. 23. saith the Apostle But now ye are come to Mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first borne whose names are in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all This communion is the comfortablest communion that is in this world therefore above all things let us be thankefull to God for it because other communions of this world though the best are not fit to compare with this for to have communion with kings princes and great men in the world with Angels Archangels and Saints and not to have communion with God all this were nothing because In his presence is fulnesse of joy and at his right hand pleasures for evermore We see holy Ruth was contented to forsake her Countrie and kindred and to live a poore life to have communion and fellowship with the People of God so much more we should be contented to leave our sinnes and corruptions and to endure some hardship to have communion with God as David Psal 84. had rather be a meane man in the Communion of Saints than to live in great estate without it the Queene of Sheba pronounced them happy and blessed that did stand in the presence of Salomon but how blessed and happy may they be pronounced that stand in the presence of God and have communion with him therefore above all things labour to have communion with God by his Spirit and doe not deprive thy selfe thereof by thy sinnes but nourish it in your selves by all good meanes Now this communion that we have with God stands in two things first He communicates to us his Wisedome Power Iustice Mercy and Glory so that there is not a drop or dramme of goodnesse in God but it is for the good of his servants and people as his Power to defend them his Wisedome to direct them his Mercie to save them and his Glory to impart to them so Psal 23. David saith The Lord is my Shepheard I shall not want and elsewhere The Lord is my light and my salvation the Lord is the strength of my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid so Hannah saith 1 Sam. 2. Hee hath raised up the poore out of the dust and lifted up the begger out of the Dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of glory for the pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the World on them so then the People of God have Communion with him in that hee communicates all good things to them The second thing wherein our communion with God stands is that we may communicate all our griefes sorrowes troubles wants and necessities unto him and lay them downe in his lappe therefore in all our wants sorrowes and griefes let us goe to God and he will ease and releeve us as David saith Psal 34. 4. I sought the Lord and he heard me yea he delivered mee out of all my feare so we are exhorted 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your care on him for hee careth for you And therefore dost thou want food to feed thy body or clothes seeke to God he will releeve thee dost thou finde troubles art grieved goe to God he will ease thee when a man hath any griefe or trouble in his minde it is an ease to him if he have a trustie friend to breake his minde to and many times there is somewhat that troubles a man that he dares not tell his friend lest hee should upbraid him with it or cast it in his teeth and againe a man may make his mind knowne to his friend who cannot ease him nor supply his wants but if we communicate our griefes to God hee will not cast us in the teeth with them but will ease us and supply all our wants and he is not only able but willing also to helpe us in what thing soever wee stand in need of therefore it is a blessed thing to have communion with God in that a man may communicate all his griefes sorrowes and wants to him Wee see that Adam had communion with God but when hee had sinned against him he lost it and hid himselfe from God therefore when we have communion with God let us take heed that we doe not sinne against him and lose our Communion with him but if wee bee overtaken let us labour to repent and so recover our selves againe this is the first part of our Communion The second part of our Communion is with Christ and indeed wee can have no communion with God but it must be by meanes of Christ for we are all sinners and great offenders so that wee are become enemies to God and there is no way to reconcile us but by a Mediator that is by Iesus Christ Philosophers say that things that be in extremes cannot be brought together but by some middle matter so God and sinnefull Man are two extremes whom none but Christ could bring together Iaakob saw in a vision a Ladder that reacht from Earth to Heaven this Ladder Saint Iohn tells us that brought Heaven and Earth together is Christ so all our communion with God is by meanes of Christ Now in our communion with Christ there are some things that Christ communicat's to us and there are some things that we communicate to him Foure things Christ communicates to us First Himselfe not his Spirit and his graces onely but Himselfe also therefore seeing that Christ giveth Himselfe let us be ready to receive him for this is the greatest blessing that can bee given us as Esay 9. 6. For unto us a Childe is borne and unto us a Sonne is given But some man may aske by what meanes is Christ given I answere by our willingnesse in receiving him offered in the preaching of the Word and in the use of the Sacraments Even as a father that meanes to give his childe house and land the father is willing to give it and the childe to receive it in both there is a mutuall agreement so God for his part is willing to give us Christ if we be willing to receive him and by this mutuall agreement Christ becomes ours and then we may say I thanke God Christ is mine even as sure as the meat I eat or the Coate I put on my backe or any lands or livings my father hath left me Secondly the right of his
of the body therefore all our care must be for the salvation of our soules whatsoever becommeth of our bodies our care must bee for our soules yet wee see what a-doe there is about the body all our care is for to cloath and feed it and yet that shall come to the dust for a while and the soule shall live for ever in glorie or in paine therefore our chiefest care must bee for that Wee see the theefe on the crosse makes his Request to Christ that hee would remember him when hee comes in his Kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule hee doth not pray Christ to pull the nayles and the splinters out of his hands and feete to asswage and mitigate his bodily paines but all his care is for saving of his soule in like manner when wee come to die our request must bee that God would save our soules whatsoever becommeth of the body I did shew you the other day that if a house were burnt downe and the men in it should escape wee use to say thankes bee to God for it so though our bodies goe to the dust yet prayse God that our soules goe to heaven into eternall joy and glorie The second thing that I will demonstrate is that the soule doth not sleepe in the body when it is dead this is against the is Anabaptists who say that the soule sleepes in the body when it is in the grave but I know no ground for this opinion for whereas Christ sayes Iohn 11. our friend Lazarus sleepeth c. that cannot bee meant of the soule but of the death of the body so Matth. 27. it is said that the Saints that slept arose so then they have no Scripture for their opinion but against them Now wee will see what Reason wee have against them First see what is the cause of sleeping for it is by reason of certaine vapours that arise from the bottome of the stomack and ascend into the head where they binde the senses Now this cause is not in the soule and therefore that cannot sleepe Againe if the soule should sleepe it must sleepe in the body for cast out of the body it cannot sleepe because as long as the soule is in the body there is life in a man as S. Paul saith Act. 20. 9. of Eutichus Trouble not your selves saith he for there is life in him when he fell out of the window and every one thought hee had beene dead If they say that the soule sleepes out of the body it must sleepe in Heaven or in Hell or in this world or in the grave It can not sleepe in Heaven for there is joy nor in Hell for there is paine nor in this world for there is labour and paine nor in the grave for there is corruption therefore away with this sleepy opinion Now there is another kinde of sleepe of the soule in the body which S. Paul speaketh of Ephes 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life therefore it is good for men to awake while they bee here out of this sleepe of sinne lest they bee fearefully awaked at the dreadfull day of judgement with this fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed into Hell fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The third thing that I will demonstrate unto you is That the soules doe not goe to a middle place as the Papists say if men have done well then they goe to Heaven presently but if they have committed great faults then they rest in a middle place The Scriptures shew otherwise Eccle. 12. it is said that dust goeth to the earth and the soule to God that gave it and Christ said to the theefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Origen saith that that which Christ spake to the theefe on the Crosse hee spake to all his people that when they died their soules goe presently to joy and S. Paul shewes the same where hee saith 2 Cor. 6. 7. Therefore wee are bold and love rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with God Hence then wee see it plaine in the Scripture that so soone as a man dieth his soule goeth home to God to glorie and happinesse if hee bee a true beleever Therefore seeing the soule doth not die neither with the body as the Atheists say nor sleepe in the body as the Anabaptists say nor rest in a middle place as the Papists say it is a certaine truth that the soules of the Godly are gathered presently after death into the Kingdome of Heaven O then what a joyfull meeting will that be when my soule and thy soule and all the soules of Gods Children shall bee gathered to Angels and Archangels to the Patriarchs and Prophets to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and all the Holy men of God that are departed in the faith of Christ therfore above all things my brethren labour to have Communion with the Saints here in the Kingdome of Grace that thou mayest have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie for if it bee a sweet thing to have Communion with the Saints here in this life much more it is a sweet and joyfull thing to have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie Now there are foure things in this life that hinder and allay the comfortable Communion that the Saints should have one with another 1. The mixture of wicked men 2. The Imperfection of good men 3. The Distance of place 4. The narrownesse of their love The first thing that taketh downe and allaieth the comfortable communion of the People of God in this World is mixture malorum The mixture of evill men and that in two respects First because they hurt and vexe them with their wrongs of the People of God be as Lambes amongst Wolves innocent and harmelesse and the wicked Ezekiel 34. 21. They are called Rammes that thrust with side and with shoulder and push at the weake with their hornes untill they have scattered them Therefore David complaines of the wicked Psal 144 That they eate Gods People as a man eats bread so also Psal 41. 9. saith he Yea my familiar friends whom I trusted which did eate of my bread have lift up the heele against me they that were of the same communion with him did much wrong him Saint Basil observeth that a ship in the Sea is in more danger of those rockes that are hidden with water than with those that may be seene a great way off so saith he the close and secret enemies of the Church and such as live amongst them are more dangerous than they that be open and apparent to be seene Secondly they grieve and offend them with their sinnes though they do not wrong nor hurt them otherwise yet with their sinnes and their uncivill conversation they doe vexe and grieve them as 2 Pet. 2.
and be affraid theeves but if wee dwell in the houses of God wee neede not bee affraid of any such things for God will be a defence to such How shall a man be blessed in doing any thing our workes which wee doe here there is necessity in the doing of them but there is no necessitie in Heaven where all shall be done willingly For take away jarres and brawles and there is no need of Lawyers take away wounds and hurts and there is no neede of a Chirurgeon take away diseases and there is no neede of a Physitian take away hunger and we shall not need to plow nor sow take away thirst and wee shall not need drinke Nay let us come to things of a higher nature as to feede the hungry cloth the naked visit the sicke they shall doe none of these things but shall sing prayses unto God and give thankes to him for his mercy and goodnesse to them so they shall be every way blessed And therefore thinke if thou canst thinke what a happy and blessed life this will be First that wee shall enjoy God and have immediate societie with Him Secondly that we shall have the presence of Christ And thirdly that we shall have societie with al the holy People of God Forthly that we shal have dominion lordship over his whole world And lastly that we shall keepe a continuall Sabbath to the Lord where we shall continually praise him and spend all our time in lauding of him Now the next thing is the continuance of this life how long wee shall enjoy it It shall not bee for dayes moneths yeeres and ages onely but it shall bee everlasting as the Scripture tells us not for a few dayes and yeeres but it is for ever and ever For when a man hath lived so many thousand ages as there are piles of grasse on the ground piles of sand on the shore Starres in the Skie they shall bee as new to beginne againe as the first day and therefore thinke if thou canst thinke what a life it is that God wil give us Now it is called everlasting life in opposition to the fraile and fickle life that we live here which is not everlasting but a dying and a decaying life whereof one sayes well as soone as a man is borne he is a dying and the further we grow into this life the nearer we are to death As a man that hath taken a Lease as soone as it is taken it beginnes to expire and never rests till it comes to an end so this life as soone as we enter in it it beginnes to expire and never ceaseth wasting till it is runne to an end So the life which we live here is a decaying life which every little disaster may take away a slip with a mans foote a fall off an horse a stone out of a wall a tile off an house a crum of bread going awry c. But the life which God giveth us in Heaven shall be everlasting as long as there is God and Christ who giveth it whose glory shall not bee greater at the first then afterwards But the same as great for ever the joy and comfort which we shall have when we have beene there 1000. thousand yeeres as great as it was the same day wee came thither All the things in this life though we take delight in them yet in time wee we shall be weary of them As when a man commeth into a fine Garden being delighted with the pleasant walkes and flowers yet when he hath beene there a while he becomes weary of it so likewise when a man is weary and goes to bed he is delighted with it a while and in time he is weary and loves to rise though it bee never so soft But the joyes of Heaven and the glory thereof we shall never be weary of them but when wee have beene there as many yeeres as there is sands on the Sea shore it will bee as comfortable as it was the first day wee came thither And therefore as Saint Peter saith seeing wee are borne a-new not of mortall seed but of immortall by the Word of God to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us let us so love and serve God in sinceritie as we may come thither for the life that we shall live in Heaven shall be everlasting the glory whereof shall never decay And therefore stand still yee people of God and behold the great things that God hath prepared for you let goe all the pleasures and profits of this life and lay hold on eternall life and bee not slothfull to come and possesse it Augustine saith well All men can bee contented with life everlasting to see God and to behold him in glory but they are not carefull to walke in the way that leadeth to life Therefore it must be the care of every Christian to repent of his sinnes to get faith in Christ to passe his time in holinesse and feare before God that so when he commeth to die hee may make a happy exchange to passe from Earth to Heaven from Men to God from an estate of misery to an estate of happinesse and glory from a temporall life to a life eternall And now that wee are ready to dismisse this assembly and finish this long worke the Lord knowing whether ever we shall meete together againe all in this place seeing upon the least occasions we see such examples from time to time of our mortalitie and shortnesse of life therefore let us so passe our time here in holinesse before God so as that we may meete together in glory and happines in the life to come which I beseech the Lord to bring us to for Christs sake FINIS The Table Containing al the chiefe and remarkable Doctrines and Vses of the whole Treatise together with some of the queintest Similies exquisitely illustrating the matter Alphabetically disposed for the case and furtherance of the Christian Reader wherein the figures direct you to the Page the markes to what part of the Page where the Notes are wanting so that if you turne to any of the leaves to finde the matter you desire where you see this * looke to the upper part where this †looke to the middle where this ¶ looke to the lower part of the Page A NO place good to abide in where Christ is not 135. None ought to abuse the creatures seeing God hath made them 67. Our accounts must bee given to Christ our Lord. 98. †The acceptance of our actions depends on our willingnesse 265. ¶ Acknowledgement due to God for all his gifts 65. †Our estate better than Adams in his innocencie 243. * 450. Christ free from sinne though the Sonne of Adam 107. ¶ Adoption in Christ brings comfort to a Christian 53. Christians should comfort one another in affliction 229. †No Mans afflictions equall to Christs 204. ¶ Gods mercy in
ought to keepe God our friend in this life if we expect to have him so at oâ—r death 256. †¶ Fulnesse of time 113. ¶ Christ came not till the fulnesse of time 114. ¶ G CHrist apprehended in a Garden because 1. Sinne began in a Garden 2. Christ prayed in the Garden 3. It was a place knowne to Iudas 177. c. The calling of the Gentiles in the wise mens comming to Christ 129. †That the Holy Ghost is God proved by Reason Scripture 479. The holy Ghost a Person really subsisting 481. distinct from father and Sonne 482. The holy Ghost really and actually in us 487. The holy Ghost Teacheth Governeth Comforteth us 509. c. The graces of the holy Ghost inestimably good 487. †The benefits wee receive by the holy Ghost 508. How the holy Ghost may be lost 515. †The meanes to come by the holy Ghost 488. The true markes to know whether the holy Ghost be in us or no. 489. Discovery of the false markes of the holy Ghosts being in us 494. The Defect Excesse of giving 593. Christ gave gifts personal to the Ministers royall to euery man 367. The life of Glory 650. The Saints Glory by Christs pronouncing them blessed at the end of the world 447. * Differences of Christs and Moses Glory 419. Foure properties of Goates 436. That there is a God proved by The workes of God The place where God is The nature of the creatures Our conscience Our experience 42. c. That there is but one God 46. How God is said to be Almighty 59. Things that imply Incapability Weaknesse Contradiction God caÌ„not doe 60. Vses of Instruction Comfort from Gods being Almighty 61. God is a true God inregard of his Nature Properties 48. We must beleeve God is our God in particular 49. God the Father of Christ 52. Vnion with Christ makes God our Father 53. Comforts that arise from Gods being our Father 56. Some men make their bellies their gods 46. ¶ A distinction of the Persons in the Godhead 50. †The Father the fountaine of the Godhead 51. ¶ Golgotha why so called 216. Many hindrances when wee goe about any thing that is good 340. †How God the Father communicates his goodnesse to the Sonne and holy Ghost 52. * The Church the Goshen of God therein light onely all the world besides being darke 565. ¶ The Gospell like a Vine in his growth 122. * The Gospell compared to a great glasse 219. †Christ more glorious in the preaching of the Gospell than in his bodily presence on Earth 130. * The wicked disobedient to Christs government 87. ¶ Christ governes his Church by 1. Drawing them to himselfe 375. 2. Guiding them the right way 377. 3. Exercising them with trials for their good 378. 4. Defending them from their enemies 380. Foure grounds that the true graces of Gods Spirit are never finally lost 518. In all Gods People a roote of Grace remains to be discerned three waies 505. * Common graces of the Spirit may bee lost 517. †Five meanes how to nourish the graces of the Spirit 520. No power in man to doe any thing unlesse God give him grace 445. Two things a weake beginner in grace must looke to 501. Grace at first small increases like seedâ— sowne 490. * Degrees of grace 490. †Growth of grace imperceptible 491. ¶ If grace be in the heart it will shew it selfe 190. * When wee rise in grace wee must leave the sinnes of nature behinde us 298. * The Papists opinion of the incertainty of grace confuted 494. Two defects in restraining grace 495. The graces of the Spirit compared to Oyle 81. Desire of grace fourefold 505. ¶ Comforts in the lying in our graves 633. Christs grave why new 279. Every man though hee have no house hath a grave to be buried in 278. * Christ at first made knowne to the poorer sort not great men 120. ¶ All sinne is a griefe to God 481. * The sinnes of Gods People doe more grieve Christ than of the prophaner sort 18. †The Spirit grieved by sinne against knowledge and disobedience 520. H THe right hand of God signifies 1. His Power 2. The glory of Heaven 3. Propinquitie of place to God in dignity 371. By Christs sitting at Gods right hand is implied His enobling our nature His governement of the Church 372. Christ sits at Gods right hand 1. To shew the worke of mans redemption is finished 2. All judiciary power is committed to him 3. He is in continuall act of judgement 374. Never can a man make too much haste to come to Christ 126. ¶ A good hearer like dry powder 528. ¶ How to know whether Christ bee conceived in the heart 105. ¶ The great stirre that is at the conception of Christ in the heart of a Christian 108. †The heart hardned in sinne nothing will do good upon 185. ¶ Pilate an Heathen goes beyond most Christians in fearing to sinne against God 209. * God the maker of Heaven and Earth 64 65. Of the reâ—â—ing of the Heavens and the Earth 412. All that come to Heaven must come by Christ 286. ¶ Heaven promised to sinners upon repentance 242. * Heaven prepared for the Elect before they were borne 451. Gods Children must be content to stay from Heaven for the good of those they live amongst 359. †In Heaven we shall be freed from 1. All necessities of nature 652. 2. All labours of this life ibid. 3. Originall sinne 653. 4. All worldly power and authoritie 654. 5. All society with the wicked ibid. 6. All sicknesses and diseases 655. The Heavens shall be new in regard of Vse Disposition Effects 413. In Heaven we shall enjoy 1. Immediate society with God 655. 2. Eternall presence of Christ ibid. 3. Societie of Saints and Angels 657. 4. Lordship over the world ibid. 5. A continuall Sabbath to the Lord. 658. Christ suffered the paines of Hell but not in place of Hell 242. * Women when good helps 206. * Christ borne when Herod was king to shew His Kingdome was not of this world The Iewes kingdome was at the lowest 115. Why Herod was troubled at Christs comming 132. †Herod desired to see Christ not for love but for his miracles sake 201. ¶ The holy Ghost the onely Author of holinesse 482. Sixe meanes whereby the holy Ghost workes holinesse in us 484. Two defects of Popish holinesse 572. All our hope and comfort must bee in Christ 140. * We ought to bee humbled seeing Christ was humbled for us 101. †Christs humiliation the first degree 100. The humilitie of Christ in his birth 117. ¶ None can hurt us but from power given from God 60. 179. * I THe Valley of Iehoshaphat not the place of the last judgement 398. Christ will deale with good men as Iehu with Iehonadab 447. ¶ Humane reason brought the wise men to Ierusalem divine to Bethlehem 130. †Why the Iewes were troubled at Christs birth 132. ¶ In