vses this same similitude Iohn 15. And in it we haue these things to consider First who is the stock or root secondly who are the grafts or branches ingrafted thirdly what is the manner of the ingrafting fourthly some comforts and instructions arising hereof The root or stocke whereinto this ingrafting is made is Iesus Christ called by himselfe the true Vine by the Apostles 1 The stocke or roote Iohn 15. 1. Rom. 11. 17. Isaiah 11. 1. the true Oliue by the Prophets the roote of Iesse and the righteous branch this roote that great husbandman the eternall God prepared to be as a stocke of life wherein he ingrafts all of Adams lost posteritie whom he hath concluded to saue to the praise and glory of his mercie After that in the fulnes of time God had sent him into the world clad with our nature and he had done the work for which he came the Lord laid him in the graue and as it were set him in the graue but at once like a liuely roote he sprang vp and rested not till his branches spred to the vttermost ends of the earth and till his top mounted vp vnto heauen for there now he sits and raignes in life who before was humbled to death The branches or graftes ingrafted in him are of two 2 The branches whereof some are only externally ingrafted these may be cut off Rom. 11. 22. sorts first all the members of the Church visible who by externall Baptisme are entred to a profession of Christ baptised with water but not with the holy Ghost this kinde of ingrafting will suffer a cutting off if thou continue not in his bountifulnesse thou shalt also be cut off For they haue not the sap of grace ministred to them from the stocke of life but are as dead trees hauing leaues without fruit they haue 2. Tim. 3 5. a shew of Godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof These are no better then Esau who lay in the same wombe with Iacob borne and brought vp in the same Family of Isaac which was the Church of God marked also with the same sacrament of Circumcision Nam sicut ille ex legittima mater natus gratiam superbe spreuit reprobatus est ita qui in Aug. de bap cont Donatist lib. 10. cap. 10. vera Ecclesia baptizantur gratiam Deâ— non amplectuntur cum Esauo reijciuntur For as hee being borne of a lawfull Mother proudely despised Grace and was cast off so they who are baptised into the true Church of God and embrace not the grace of God shall be reiected with Esau neyther shall it auaile them that by an externall kinde of ingrafting they haue beene adioyned to the fellowship of the visible Church The other sort are they who beside the outward ingrafting Others internally ingrafted and to these belongs this comfort whereof we haue spoken are also inwardly grafted by the holy Ghost in Iesus Christ in such sort that Christ is in them and they in Christ and can say with the Apostle Now I liue yet not I any more but Christ Iesus liueth in me these haue in them that same minde which was in Iesus the Gal. 2. 20. onely sure argument of our spirituall vnion with him for if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is not his and they who are quickned and ruled by his spirit are assuredly his As for the manner of the ingrafting it is spiritual wrought 3 The manner of the ingrafting it is made by the word spirit by the holy Ghost who creating faith in our heart by hearing of the Gospell makes vs to goe out of our selues transire in Christum so to relie vpon him that by his light we are illuminated by his spirit we are quickned by the continuall furniture of his grace we perseuere and increase in spirituall strength in a word so we liue that in our selues we dye Euery lampe of the golden candlesticke hath his Zach. 4. owne pipe through which these two oliues that stand with the ruler of the whole world emptie themselues into the gold that is euery member of the Church of Christ receiues grace from that fulnesse of Grace which is in him through the secret conduits of the spirit whereby he causeth vs to grow and preserueth our soules in life Though he be in heauen and we on earth no distance Distance of place staies not our vnion with him of place can stay this vnion for seeing the members of the body howsoeuer scattered through sundry parts of the world so farre that many of them haue neuer seene others in the face are notwithstanding knit together by the band of one spirit into one holy communion why should it be denyed but that the head and members of this mysticall body are also one by the same Spirit suppose the head be in heauen and the members on earth or what need is there to enforce for effecting of this vnion such a corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament as cannot stand with the truth of Gods word Now the comforts that ariseth vnto vs of our communion 4 Comforts arising of this our vnion with Christ with Christ are exceeding great for first we haue with him a communion of natures he hath taken vpon him ours and hath communicated his nature vnto vs. Of the first after a sort all mankind may glory forasmuch as Christ tooke not on the nature of Angels but the nature 1 Communion of Natures of man yet if there be no more the comfort is small yea the condemnation of man is the greater that the Lord Iesus came vnto man in mans nature and man would not receiue him But as for the godly let them reioyce in this that the Lord Iesus hath not onely assumed our nature but also made vs pertakers of the diuine nature before he assumed 2. Pet. 1 4. our nature he sanctified it and now hauing by his owne spirit ioyned vs to himselfe we may be out of doubt hee shall not cease till he hath sanctified vs. It is a notable comfort that the worke of our perfect A notable comfort the Lord who sanctified our nature that he might assume it will also sanctifie vs seeing he hath vnited vs to himselfe Phil. 1. 6. sanctification is not left vnto vs to doe the Lord Iesus hath taken it into his owne hand to performe it what then shall hinder it I am perswaded that he who hath begunne this good worke in you will performe it against the day of Iesus Christ He who at his pleasure turned water into Wine he who made the bitter waters to become sweete he who makes the wildernesse a fruitfull land and the barren woman to become the mother of many children in a word he who calles things which are not and causeth them to be is hee notable to make sinners become Saints or shall hee not perfect that worke of the new creation
pannell before the Iudge to vnder-lye the law which craued that our sinnes should be punished to the death The decree according to the law is executed death yea an accursed death as the punishment of sinne is laide vpon Christ whereupon there followes of equitie an absolution of all those for whom the Lord Iesus suffered as Cautioner their sinne is condemned and made of no force to condemne them hereafter The other generall iustice court 2 In the second the persons of all the wicked shall be condemned will be holden in the last day wherein all flesh must appeare before the Lord as their superiour and in that supreame and last Court of iustice shall be condemned the persons of all those whose sinnes were not condemned before in Christ Iesus onely therefore blessed are they who are in Christ He that heares my words and belieues in him that sent me hath Ioh. 5. 24. euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life And lastly we may obserue here what a powerfull Sauiour Christ did greatest works when to mans iudgement he was weakest wee haue when to the iudgement of man hee was weakest then did hee the greatest worke that euer was done in the world hee was powerfull in working of miracles in his life but more powerfull in his death for then he darâ—ened the Sunne he shooke the earth hee made the rockes to cleaue he rent the vale of the temple a sunder and caused the dead to rise Mortuum Caesarem quis metuâ—t sed morte Cyp. de duplici mâ—rtirio Christi quid efficacius if Caesar be once dead who will feare Christ euen when he is dead is terrible to his enemies nothing can be more effectuall then his death By it he did a greater worke than was the creation of the world by it he brought in new heauens and a new earth by suffering death he destroyed him who had the power of death when hee was condemned of man he condemned sinne that it should not condemne man passus est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis August de temp ser 7. Macar hom 11. he suffered as a weake man but wrought as a strong one â—icut serpens mortum c. As that Serpent without life erected by Moses in the wildernesse ouercame the liuing Serpents that stung Israell so the Lord Iesus by suffering death hath slaine that serpent that liuing in vs had stung vs Chris hom 2. in Math. vnto death Hic vides mortem morte peremptam maledictum maledicto extinctum per quae Diabolus iam antea valebat per ea ipsa tyrannidem ipsius esse destructam here thou seest saith Chrisostome death slaine by death and the tyrannie of Sathan destroyed by those same meanes by which before most of all he preuailed O wonderfull worke surely the weakenesse of God is Christ a powerfull Sauiour stronger then Sampson yea stronger then that strong one stronger then man he is that strong One indeed stronger then Sampson When the Philistines thought they had him sure within the ports of Azzah he arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the Cittie and the two posts and carried them away with the bars thereof on his shoulders vp to the top of the mountaine which is before Iudg. 16. 1. Hebron but our mighty Conquerour and deliuerer the Lord Iesus hath in a more excellent manner magnified his power for being closed in the graue clasped in the bands of death and a stone rolled to the mouth of the graue the Sepulcher sealed and guarded with souldiers he rose againe the third day before the rising of the Sunne he carried like a victor the bars and posts of death away as vpon his shoulders and vpon the mount of Oliues he ascended on high leading captiuitie captiue Like as therefore wee receiued before great comfort Christs power yeelds vs great comfort through the consideration of Christs incomprehensible loue toward vs so is it now confirmed by the meditation of his power Let Sathan boast like Rabsache that the Lord 2. Reg. 18. 35. is not able to deliuer Ierusalem out of his hands hee is but a blasphemous Lyar the Lord will rebuke him and will shortly tread Sathan vnder our feete it is the curse of the wicked he shall be oppressed and there shall be none to deliuer Deut. 28. 29. him but blessed be the Lord who hath prouided a strong deliuerer for vs who certainly shall set vs free from our enemies and destroy all the oppressours of our soules Psal 143. 12. Glory therefore be vnto him for euer Verse 4. That the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit THe Apostle hauing taught vs in the former 2 Here followes the second member of the explication wherein hee shewes how we are deliuered from the commanding power of sinne Ephes 5. 26. verse how the Lord Iesus hath freed vs from the condemning power of sin doth now let vs see how wee are freed also from the commanding power of sin for he sets downe this to be the first and neerest end of Christs death in respect of vs the renouation of our nature and conformity thereof with God his holy law which he expresses more cleerely in another place when he saith that Christ gaue himselfe to the death for his Church that he might sanctifie it and make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame This is the end which Christ hath proposed vnto himselfe and whereof he cannot be frustrate as he hath begun it so he shall finish it he shall conforme vs to the law the righteousnesse thereof shall be fulfilled in vs there shall not be left in our nature so much as a sinfull motion or desire but hee shall at the last present vs pure and without blame to his Father This righteousnesse of the law I vnderstand to be that How the riâ—hteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in vs. perfect obedience to the Commandements thereof which the law requires flowing from the perfect loue of God and our neighbour and it is fulfilled in vs two manner of wayes first by application or imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs he is our head and we his members and are so vnited with him that now we are not to be taken as sundry but as one body with him By vertue of the which communion it comes to passe that that which is ours is his that which is his is ours so that in our head wee haue fulfilled the law satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes Secondly it will be fulfilled in vs by our perfect sanctification though now we haue but begun obedience and in part the Lord Iesus at the last shall bring it in vs to perfection The Iesuites of Rhemes in their marginall
of his bone and flesh of his flesh albeit he had neuer seene her before and shall we thinke that the second Adam restoreth lesse knowledge to his redeemed than they lost in the first Adam The consideration of the place shewes the greatnesse of that glory Last of all the consideration of the place vvherein wee shall be glorified will leade vs to consider the excellency of that glorie As for the place our Sauiour sometime calleth it Paradise there being no meeter place in the earth to shadow it then was that Garden of Eden the habitation of man in the state of innocencie sometime he calleth it his fathers house wherein are many mansions sometime the euerlasting habitations The Apostle calleth it the third heauens a house not made vvith hands but eternall in the heauens Wee see in this composition of the world that finest things are situate in highest places the earth as grosest is put in the lowest roome the water aboue the earth the ayre aboue the water the fire aboue the ayre the spheres of heauen purer then any of them aboue the rest but the place of our glorie is aboue them all in the heauen of heauens which doth not onely note the excellent purity therof but shewes also what excellent puritie is required in all them who are to inhabite it There are three places saith one wherein the sonnes Three places of our residence the first is our mothers wombe the second is the earth the third is the heauens of God at three sundry times makes residence according to Gods good pleasure The first is in our mothers wombe the second is this Earth the third is that pallace of glorie which is aboue from the first the Lord hath brought vs to the second and from the second wee rest in hope that the Lord â—n his owne good time vvill bring vs to the third If vvee compare these three together in time in bounds and in beautie vvee shall finde the second doth not so farre excell the first as the third excels the second The ordinarie time of our remayning in our mothers wombe is nine Compared together in time months the time of our soiourning in our second house is farre longer threescore and tenne times twelue months but in our third house neyther dayes months nor yeeres shall be reckoned vnto vs for it is the place of our euerlasting habitation If againe we compare them in bounds and largenesse of Compared in bounds place vvee shall finde that as the belly of a vvoman is but of narrow bounds in regard of this ample vniuerse so this is nothing in comparison of that high pallace wherein are innumerable mansions prepared for many thousands of elect men and Angels For if one starre be more than the vvhole earth vvhat is the firmament vvhich containes so many starres and if the firmament be so large vvhat shall we thinke of the heauen of heauens which hath no limites vvithin which it is bounded And last if wee compare them in beautie and pleasure Compared in beautie and pleasure O then what a difference shall arise when thou wast in thy mothers belly though thy body vvas indued with those same organes of senses yet what sawest thou or heardest thou there euery sense wanting the owne naturall obiect could breed thee no delight but this thy second house thou seest it replenished with varietie of all necessarie and pleasant things no sense wanting innumerable obiects that may delight thee and yet all the beautie and pleasure of this earth is as farre inferiour to that which is aboue as it is superiour to that which the infant had in the mothers belly The firmament which is the seeling of our second house The seeling of our second house is but the pauement of our third house beautified vvith the Sunne Moone and Starres set in it by the hand of God and shining more gloriously than all the precious stones in the world shal be no other thing but the neather side of the pauement of our Palace Iohn the Baptist sprung for ioy in the belly of his mother Elizabeth when Luke 1. 14. the Lord Iesus came into the house in the wombe of his mother Mary but afterward when hee saw the Lord Iesus more clearely face to face and pointed him out with the finger behold the Lambe of God when hee stood by him as Iohn 1. 36. a friend and heard the voyce of the Bridegroome he reioyced in another manner so in very truth all the reioycing that wee haue in the house of our pilgrimage is but like the springing of Iohn Baptist in the mothers vvombe in comparison of those infinite ioyes wherewith vve shall be replenished when we shall meete vvith our bridegroome in our Fathers house wherein wee shall see him face to face and abide vvith him for euer It is vvritten of Ahashuerus that he made a great banquet Ahashuerus banquet not comparable to our marriage banquet to his Princes and Nobles which lasted for the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes and when he had done with that hee made another banquet to his Commons for the space of seauen dayes the place was the outmost court of the Kings Palace the Tapestry vvas of all sorts of colours Esth 1. white greene and blew fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple through rings and pillars of siluer and marble the beds were of gold and siluer the pauement of porphire marble alablaster and blew colour the vessels wherein they dranke vvere all of Gold all this hee did that he might shew the glorie of his kingdome and the honor of his maiestie If a worm of the earth hath done so much for declaring his begged glory as rauished men into admiration thereof how I pray you shall the Lord our God the great King declare his glorie when he shall make his banquet couer his Table and gather his Princes that is his Sonnes thereunto not for a few dayes but for euer not in the outmost Court but in the inner Court of his Palace Surely no tongue can expresse it for seeing hee hath decked this If the outward court of Gods palace be so furnished as we see what is the inner vvorld vvherein vve soiourne and which I haue called the outmost Court of this Palace in so rich and glorious manner that hee hath ordained lights both by day and night to shine in it and hath prepared a store-house of Fowles in the ayre another of Beasts in the earth and the third of Fishes in the Sea for our necessitie beside innumerable pleasures for delectation what glory and varietie of pleasures may vvee looke for when hee shall separate vs fully from the children of vvrath and assemble vs all into the inner Court of his owne Palace into the chamber of his presence vvee may vvell thinke vvith the Apostle that the heart of man is not able to vnderstand those things which God hath prepared for vs and
of our hearts vncleane cogitations and affections whereby we haue trode in the filth of sinne before we pray for those are neuer lawfull but most vnlawfull in the time of prayer As for worldly cogitations they are sometimes lawfull but neuer in the time of prayer As Abraham vsed his Asses to serue him for his iourney but when he came to Mount Moriah the place of the vvorship he left them at the foote of the hill so the thoughts of the vvorld are sometime tollerable if we vse them as seruants to carry vs through in our iourney from the earth to heauen but we must not take them with vs into the holy place wherein the Lord is to be worshipped To help vs to the preparation before prayer let vs consider Motiues to preparation first that he to whom we speake is the Father of light and we are by nature but the children of darknes call therfore vpon him in the sinceritie and vprightnesse of thine heart for he loues truth in the inward affections Secondly he is the Father of glory come therefore before him with feare and reuerence for thou art but dust and ashes Thirdly hee is the Father of mercy repent thee therefore of thy sinnes and then draw neere vvith a true heart in assurance of Faith The second thing requisit is attention in Prayer the Lord 2 That there be attention in Prayer to whom we speake is the searcher of the heart and therefore we should beware that wee speake nothing to him with our mouth which our heart hath not conceiued For it is a great mockerie to the Lord to desire him to consider those petitions vvhich wee haue not considered our selues we scarcely heare what we say our selues and how then shall we craue the Lord may heare vs We finde by experience that it is not an easie thing to gather together in one and keepe vnited the powers of our soule in prayer vnto God Sathan knowes that the gathering of our forces is the weakening of his kingdome and that then we are strongest when vve are most feruent in prayer and therefore doth hee labour all that hee can to slacke the earnestnesse of our affection and so to make vs more remisse in prayer by stealing into our hearts if not a prophane at least an impertinent cogitation so that vnlesse wee fight without ceasing against the incursion of our enemie like Abraham driuing away the rauening birds from his sacrifice vnlesse vve expell them speedily as oft as they come vpon vs it is not possible that wee can entertaine conference with God by prayer And thirdly after thy prayer thou shouldst come away with reuerent thanksgiuing It is the fault of many carelesse 3 That after prayer there be thanksgiuing to God vvorshippers they goe vnto God as men goe to a Well to refresh them when they are thirstie they go to it and their face toward it but being refreshed they returne with their backe vpon it euen so doe they sit downe to their prayers without preparation powre them out without attention and deuotion and when they haue done goes away without reuerent thanksgiuing whereas indeed euery accesse to God by prayer should kindle in our hearts a new affection toward him if we consider that when vve pray and gets any accesse so oft are we confirmed in this that he vvho hath the keyes of the house of Dauid and opens and no man shuts hath opened to vs an entrance to the throne of grace vvhich shall neuer be closed againe vpon vs whereof there should arise in our hearts a dayly encrease of ioy vvhich should make vs to abound in thanksgiuing Makes request for the Saints Wee haue further to learne The curse of Moab is vpon prophane men they pray and preuailes not that none are partakers of the grace of Prayer but men sanctified in Christ Iesus the Spirit requests for Saints not for prophane and impenitent men howsoeuer sometime they babble for themselues yet are their prayers turned into sinne The curse of Moab is vpon them they pray and preuailes not As without sanctification we cannot see God so vvithout sanctification vve cannot pray to God euery one that calles on the name of the Lord should depart from iniquitie Doe we not feele it by experience that the further we goe from our sinnes the neerer accesse we get vnto the Lord and on the contrarie doth not the Lord protest against his people the Iewes albeit yee make many prayers yet Esay 1. 15. Ierem. 7. 9. I will not heare you for your hands are full of bloud Will you steale murther and commit adulterie and come and stand before mee in this house where my name is called vpon before your eyes behold euen I see it and will for this cause cast you out of my sight But here seeing it is for Saints onely that the Spirit requests Seeing the spirit requests for Saints onely how shall we know that he requests for vs who are sinners 1 Ioh. 1. 8. vvhat shall then become of mee may the vveake Christian say who am the chiefe of all sinners To this I answere that in vs vvho are militant here vpon earth both of these are true vve are sinners and vve are Saints but in sundry respects If we say wee haue no sinne wee lye and the truth of God is not in vs. And if our aduersarie say that there is nothing in vs but sinne hee is also a lyer That therefore we may know how these are to be reconciled let vs consider that the Euangelist Saint Iohn saith hee that is borne of 1 Ioh. 5. 18. God sinneth not and in the same Epistle speaking also of men that are regenerate and borne of God he saith if wee say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues The Apostle Saint Paul speaking of himselfe in one and the selfe same place affirmes that he did the euill which he would not and yet incontinent Rom. 7. 15. 17. hee protests that it was not hee but sinne dwelling in him The resolution of this doubt vvill arise by considering In the christian man are two men the new and the old that in the Christian man are two men the new man and the old the one the workmanship of God the other the workmanship of Sathan the one but young little weake in respect of the other like little Dauid compared to the Gyant Goliah Yet the new man vvho is weakest hath this vantage that he is daily growing whereas the other is dayly decaying the life of the new man vvaxeth stronger and stronger the life of the olde man vveaker and weaker the one tending to perfection the other vvearing to a finall destruction Now the Lord in iudging of the Christian lookes not God iudges of the Christian by the new man and not by the old to the remanents of sinne in him which are dayly decaying but to the new workmanship of his owne grace in him vvhich is daily
reserued by the power of God through Faith Of this it is euident that our best is not yet vvrought it is onely in the vvorking and therefore vvee are not to looke for it in this life There is a great difference in this betweene the godly A wicked man is at his best when he is first borne for the longer he liues the more sins he multiplyes and the wicked the one inioyes their best in this life the other not so but looketh for it If it should be demaunded vvhen a wicked man is at his best I would answere his best is euill enough but then is he at his best vvhen he comes first into the world for then his sinnes are fewest his iudgement easiest it had beene good for him that the knees had not preuented him but that hee had dyed in the birth For as a riuer vvhich is smallest at the beginning increases as it proceedes by the accession of other waters vnto it so the wicked the longer he liueth waxeth worse and worse deceiuing Ierem. 9. 3. and being deceiued proceeding from euill to worse till at length he be swallowed vp in that lake that burnes vvith fire and brimstone And this the Apostle expresseth most significantly when A man continuing in sinne compared to one gathering a treasure Rom. 2. hee compares the vvicked man vnto one gathering a treasure wherein hee heapeth vp wrath vnto himselfe against the day of wrath for euen as the worldling who euery day casteth a piece of money into his treasure in few yeares multiplyes such a summe that hee himselfe is not able to keepe in minde the particulars thereof but when hee breaketh vp his boxe he findes in it sundry sorts of coyne which vvere quite out of his remembrance euen so it is and worse vvith thee O impenitent man who not onely euery day but euery houre and moment of the day doest multiply thy transgressions and defile thy conscience by hoording vp into it some dead worke or other to what a reckoning thinkest thou shall thy sinnes amount in the end though thou doest forget them as thou committest them yet the Apostle tels thee that thou hast laid them vp in a treasurie Yea not onely hast thou laid vp in store thy sinnes but With euery new sinne he gathers a new portion of wrath vvith euery sinne hast gathered a portion of vvrath proportionable to thy sinne vvhich thou shalt know in that day vvherein the Lord shall breake vp thy treasure and open the booke of thy conscience and set thy sinnes in order before thee then shall thine owne wickednesse correct Ierem. 2. thee and thy turning backe shall reproue thee then shalt thou know and behold that it is an euill thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Thou shalt be astonished to see such a multitude of vvitnesses standing vp against thee those sinnes vvhich thou hast cast behind thy backe thou shalt see them set in the light of the countenance of God woe then shall be vnto thee for the Lord then shall turne thine owne wayes vpon thine head the Lord shall giue thee to drincke of that cuppe vvhich thou hast filled vvith thine owne hand when thou shalt haue accomplished the measure of thine iniquitie and he shall double his stripes vpon thee according to the number of thy transgressions But as for the children of God if yee doe aske vvhen A Christians best begins in the day of his conuersion they are at the best I answere praised be God our vvorst is gone our good is begunne our best is at hand As our Sauiour said to his kinsmen so may vve say to the vvorldlings your time is alway but my time is not yet come We were Ioh. 6. 3. at the vvorst immediately before our conuersion for our vvhole life till then vvas a walking with the children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to perdition then we were at the worst when we had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse for then wee were furthest from God Our best began in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his vvord and holy Spirit called vpon vs and made vs change our course turning our backes vpon Sathan and our faces toward the Lord and so caused vs to part company vvith the children of disobedience that vvhere they â—ent on in their sinnes to iudgement vve came home with the penitent forlorne vnto our Fathers familie That was a happy day of diuision betweene vs and our sinnes in that The day of our conuersion was a day of diuision betweene vs and our olde sinnes which we should not forget day with Israel wee entred into the borders of Canaan to Gilgall there were we circumcised and the shame of Egipt taken from vs euen our sinne which is our shame indeed and which wee brought vvith vs euen from our mothers wombe The Lord grant that we may keepe it in thankefull remembrance and that we may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egypt to serue any more that Prince of darknesse in bricke and clay that is to haue fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but that like the redeemed of the Lord wee may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion Alway this difference of estates betweene the godly and Seeing our best is not in this life let vs possesse our soules in patience wicked should learne vs patience let vs not seeke that in the earth which our gracious Father in his most wise dispensation hath reserued for vs in heauen Let vs not be like the foolish Iewes who loued the place of their banishment in Babell better than their home Now our life is hid with God in Christ and wee know not yet what we shall be but we know when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercie and bring vs by his strength into the holy habitation he shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance euen the place which he hath prepared and sanctuarie which hee hath established then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our head and sorrow and mourning shall flye from vs for euer And now till the Lord haue accomplished his worke in vs let vs not faint because the wicked floruish how euer they prosper they are to be pittied more than enuied let them eate and drinke and be merry sure it is they will neuer see a better life then that which presently they enioy they haue receiued their consolation in this life and haue gotten their portion in this present world Surely no tongue can expresse their miserie and yet â—s How they are to be pittied who reioyce in things present as in their best things Samuel mourned for Saul when God reiected him and Ieremie wept in secret for the pride of his people that would not repent of their sinnes how
agreement betweene Faith and good vvorkes but if this be the question for which of them it is that God doth iustifie vs there we must oppone them affirming with the Apostle that wee are iustified by Faith and not by works alway the opposition is not simple but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their second euasion is a distinction of the works of the Workes not of the Ceremoniall Law onely but of the Morall also excluded from Iustification Law Morall and Ceremoniall It is true say they that the vvorks of the law ceremoniall iustifies not but the vvorkes of the Law Morall iustifies But the Apostle in his conclusion excludes from iustification the works of the Law Morall for these reasons hee excludes those vvorkes of which he hath proued both Iewes and Gentiles to be guilty but so it is he hath proued them to be guilty of the transgression of the Law Morall as is euident out of the sinnes wherewith he charges them therefore c. Secondly hee excludes from iustification the vvorks of that Law by vvhich comes the knowledge of sinne but so it is the knowledge of sinne comes by the Law Morall therefore c. I had not knowne saith the Apostle that concupiscence is a sinne except the law had said thou shalt not couet Now it is euident that this is a precept of the Law Morall Their third euasion is by a distinction of the first and The distinction of the first and second Iustification improued second iustification the first vvhereof say they is by Faith but the second is by vvorkes But this twofold iustification is also forged for iustificatio est actus indiuidius simul totus there is no first and last in the act of iustification he that is once condemned iudicially stands so and he that is absolued stands so Againe this distinction confounds two benefits Iustification and Sanctification vvhich Iustification Sanctification distinct benefits to them is the second Iustification That they are distinct benefits the Apostle doth teach vs Christ is made to vs righteousnesse and sanctification but they inconsiderately confound them for if these new qualities infused by Grace into the soule of man and good vvorkes flowing therefrom be the matter they say of mans second Iustification then let them tell vs vvhat is the matter of his Sanctification To conclude this these are two inseperable benefits to Iustification Sanctification inseperably conioyned whomsoeuer the Lord imputes the righteousnesse of Christ and giues them Faith to accept it as their owne like as for it he absolues them from sinne and death and adiudges them vnto life so also incontinent works he in them by his holy spirit an inherent righteousnesse by vvhich they become new creatures so that our Iustification hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification But this Sanctification of ours is so imperfect that howsoeuer it be accepted of the Father for the righteousnesse of Christ yet is it not so perfect nor sufficient that for the merit thereof wee dare seeke to be absolued from our sinnes and receiued into fauour Them be also glorified Glorification the last lincke of the Glorification our last and highest estate out of which we shall neuer be changed chaine is the last and highest benefit that we haue by Christ by vvhich both our soule and body shall be restored to a greater glory and more happy than euer vvee enioyed in Adam He had his owne most excellent priuiledges hee had this inward glory that he vvas created to the image of God hee had also for outward glory a dominion and Lordship ouer all the creatures of God the heauens were made beautifull for his sake the earth made fruitfull Paradise assigned to him as a speciall garden of pleasure and all the creatures ordained to serue him but by our second creation we are beautified with more excellent priuiledges that same image is restored to vs new heauens and new earth created for our sake and vvith all these vvee shall haue the Crowne of perseuerance vvhich Adam had not for glorification is our last and highest happy estate out of which we shall neuer be transchanged and therefore the Apostle goes not beyond it And herein appeares the Lords wonderfull power and How the glorification of our bodies shewes Gods wonderfull goodnesse and power goodnesse vvho of the fall of man takes occasion to make man better than he was before the fall Our bodies shall not be raised like to Adams body for euen in the state of innocencie he was mortall but they shall be raised vp like to the glorious body of Christ Salomon built a Temple the Chaldeans destroyed it and it was neuer againe restored to the former glory which moued the auncient men to mourne when they saw how the glory of the second Temple was not like the glory of the first but it shall be the great ioy of our auncient Father Adam who saw the glory of the first creation when hee shall see how farre the glory of the second creation shall exceed the glory of the first Of this Glorification the Apostle speakes in the time Three degrees of eternall life past partly to declare the certaintie thereof and partly because it is already begun for there are three degrees of that Glory The first in this life and that is our sanctification called by S. Iohn the first resurrection and by Saint Paul our transformation into the glorious image of God The second is in the houre of death and that is a neerer vnion of our soules with Iesus The third will be in the last day vvherein both soule and body shall be glorified this is the highest step of Salomons throne vnto the which wee must ascend by the former degrees As for the beginning The first degree is in this life hath in it these three 1. Righteousnesse 2. Peace 3. Ioy. of this glory which now we haue it consists in these three Righteousnesse Peace and Ioy there is a ioy which is no presumption flowing from a peace vvhich is not securitie bred of righteousnesse which is not hypocrisie in these three stands the beginning of eternall life here vpon earth and in the perfection of them shall consist the perfection of eternall life afterward in heauen perseuerance in righteousnesse in peace in ioy and glory being adioyned vnto them This ioy which is the highest degree of eternall life vve A three-fold ioy we haue in this life can attaine to here vpon earth hath also these three degrees first there is a Ioy which ariseth of beleeuing wee haue not as yet seene the Lord Iesus yet dâ—e wee beleeue in him 1 Pet. 1. and reioyce in him with Ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Secondly there is a Ioy which ariseâ—h of feeling and tasting taste and consider how gracious the Lord is and this feeling is much more than beleeuing Thirdly there is a ioy which ariseth of sight of spirituall embracing such was the ioy of
HEAVEN OPENED VVHEREIN THE COVNSAILE OF GOD CONCERNING mans Saluation is yet more cleerely manifested so that they that haue eyes may come and see the Christian possessed and crowned in his heauenly Kingdome Which is the greatest and last benefit we haue by Christ Iesus our Lord. Come and see First written and now newly amended and enlarged by Mr. William Cowper Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Thomas Archer and are to be sould at his shop in Popes-head Pallace 1611. TO THE MOST SACRED CHRISTIAN TRVELY CATHOLIKE AND mightie Prince JAMES King of Great Britaine France and Ireland defender of the Faith c. SIR The Apostle S. Paule that Act. 9. 15. chosen vessell of God and his ambassadour sent forth into the world to bring in the house of Iapheth into the tents of Sem Gen. 9. 27. hauing in his peregrination vndertaken for preaching from Ierusalem vnto Illyricu seene Rom. 15. 19. the most pleasant parts of the world and in an extasie transported from earth into the third heauen seene also 2 Cor. 12. the pleasures of Paradise as one who knew both not by naked speculation but experience giues out his iudgement of both that the most excellent things of this world Philip. 3. 8. were but dung in respect of the Lord Iesus and that whatsoeuer pleasure on earth may delight the eye or eare 1 Cor. â— 9. of man is by infinite degrees inferiour to those which God hath prepared for his children and therefore passing by both the pleasures of life and terrors of death he fixed his eyes stedfastly vpon that prize of the high calling of Philip. 3. 14. God forgetting all other things he became carefull onely of this one so to runne and fulfill his course with ioy that Act. 20. 24. he might obtaine that crowne This as hee had learned 1. Cor. 9. 25. like a good disciple in the schoole of Christ so like a faithfull Doctor doth he here deliuer it vnto others letting vs see that the onely comfort of a Christian on earth consists in this to know that his name is written in heauen in the booke of life which as in this treatise he confirmeth vnto vs by the inseparable commixion of the lincks of the golden chaine of saluation specially of our calling with our election and glorification so he endeuors to draw the hearts of all the children of God toward it as that maine and onely point wherein true peace and ioy is to be found and without which all other comforts in the world yea Luke 20. 20 though it were superioritie ouer all the Angels of darkenesse in hell and all the bodies of men on earth shall be Iob. 16. 2. found in the end but miserable comforters I may truly say what I haue found in experience that this the Apostles most comfortable treatise to such as can Come and see shall not onely be as the top of Pisgah Deut. 34 to Moses out of which hee saw the promised Canaan but that also the man effectually called shall heare in it the testimony of the heauenly oracle speyking to his heart as cleerely as the Angel did vnto Daniel that hee is a Dan. 9. 13. man beloued of God elected an heire of grace and glory And therefore hauing resolued to make common for the vse of others those comfortable meditations which it pleased God out of this excellent treatise to communicate vnto me I was also after long haesitation emboldned to present them to your Maiestie not as of minde to bring by them any good vnto your Highnesse but begging to them from your sacred name fauourable protection For I humbly acknowledge that from so base a minde as mine is nothing can proceede worthy so great a Maiestie as God hath made you not so much in regard of those famous Kingdomes ouer which your Highnesse stretches out your Scepter as of those gifts of gouernment by which ye rule Your Highnesse hauing receiued from God cum Diademate diuinum oleum cum Sceptro oculum Kingly authoritie with Christian wisedome sacred Maiestie with singular meekenesse being so euident in your Highnesse that by them the worst sort of your Maiesties subiects haue been wonderfully conuinced the better sort confirmed to feare you as their King to loue you as their Father A conquest aboue which no greater can be Cum amari coli diligi maius sit imperio And this is it which hath ouercome in me all contrarie feares arising of the conscience of my weaknesse that when yâ—ur Highnesse great wisedome shall perceiue in these labours my great infirmities yet your Maiestie of your rare meeknesse will fauourably censure them Euen the starres which are obscured in presence of the sunne are profitable in his absence to giue light to the earth and howsoeuer any light that is in these discourses shall vnder your Highnesse eye be indeede but darkenesse yet if with your Highnesse fauor they be allowed to giue such glimmering light as they haue vnto others it shal be no small comfort vnto me and my greatest thankefulnesse shal be declared in my dayly prayers vnto the Lord God for your Maiestie that the name of Iacobs God may defend you from all euill and the Lord may send you help out of his Sanctuarie in all your need according as hee hath done Psal 20. 1. O King beloued of God hated of none but for Gods sake Psal 21. 1. keepe still your heart in the loue of God and his truth Reioyce in the strength of your God and feare not Psal 56. 4. what flesh can doe vnto you Is it not the Lord who Psal 18. 43. set your Highnesse on the throne to be a feeder of his people Israel Is it not the Lord who hath deliuered your Maiestie from the contentions of the people and secret snares of your cursed enimies though the Archers Gen. 49. 23. grieued you hated you and shot at you were not the hands of your armes strengthened by the hands of the Gen. 49. 25. mightie God of Iacob Is it not the almightie who hath blessed your Maiesty with heauenly blessings from aboue with blessings of the depth that lyes beneath with blessings Psal 21. 3. of the breast and wombe Sir let his liberall blessings wherewith the Lord your God hath preuented you be so many obligations binding Psal 18. 50 your Highnesse to honour the Lord who hath honoured Gen. 12. 1. you Let his fore past manifold deliuerances be as so many confirmations that if your Maiestie rest in him and Psal 68. 20. not in man he will still be a buckler vnto you Let Abaddon the King of the Locusts that Romish vsurper rage Reuel 9. 11. Vnto the Lord belongs the issues of death Can Balaam curse where God hath blessed yea can Sathan Numb 23. 8. hurt the man who is hedged by the Lord Let the Iob. 1. 10. Ambassadours
consider what thou hopest to be after this 2 What we hope to be after this life life dost thou not hope to raigne as a King in the heauens and wilt thou now liue as a slaue to Sathan vpon earth Is any man crowned except he sâ—riue as he ought or doth he receiue the prize who runnes not the race or can hee obtaine the victorie who neuer wrestled why then fightest thou not why runnest thou not why beginnest thou not to raigne in earth as a king ouer thy lusts seeing thou hopest to raigne as a king in heauen in glory Doe not deceiue thy selfe that crowne is for conquerours not for captiues Non sperare potest regnum coelorum cui supra propria membra regnare Ber. de persecutione sustineÌ„da cap. 11. 1. Iohn 3. 2. non donatur hee cannot looke for that heauenly kingdome to whom it is not giuen to raigne ouer his own earthly members Wee know that when Iesus shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is and hee that hath this hope in himselfe purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pâ—re Certainly if the Lord through Grace prepare thee not for his Heauenly Kingdome thou canst neuer say with a warrant that the Lord hath prepared that kingdome for thee And thirdly the consideration of the present occasion 3 What presently we may be should waken vs to goe out of this house of bondage for now the Sonne of God offers to make vs free a Prince of greater power is content to enter into confederacie with vs hee promiseth to restore vs to all the priuiledges wee lost in Adam yea to giue vs much more than euer we had in him and shall we neglect so faire an occasion When Cyrus king of Persia proclaymed liberty to the Iewes to goe from Babell the place of their captiuitie homeward to Ierusalem it is said that all those went forward whose spirit God had raised vp and now when the Lords annoynted proclaymes liberty to the captiues and the opening of the door to them that are in prison I know that none shall follow his calling but such whose spirit the Lord hath raised vp the rest being miserably blind delight to lye still in captiuitie thinking their bondage liberty The Lord giue vs grace that we may discerne the time of our visitation that with Dauid we may aduance our eyes toward the Lord who hath begunne to plucke our feet out of the nâ—t and that still we may lift vp and stretch out our hands vnto him till hee haue deliuered vs fully from the power of the enemie This being spoken of the bondage we are now to consider Our deliuerance from this bondage is to be ascribed vnto Christ only Heb. 13. 9. Reuel 7. 1â— Isai 42. 8. that our deliuerance from it is here ascribed to Iesus Christ Thy perdition is of thy selfe O Israell But our saluation belongs to the Lord and to the Lambe that sits vpon the throne Let no man therefore be so vnthankfull as to ascribe any part of this glory to another my glory will I not giue to another saith the Lord the glory of a temporall deliuerance God will not giue it vnto man hee would not saue Israell vnder Gideon with thirtie two thousand and why least Israell should vaunt against the Lord and say my right hand hath done it Or euer he entred his people Israell into the land of Canaan he forewarned them that they should not say it was for their righteousnesse and will hee then thinke yee giue the praise of this most notable deliuerance to the Creature No the whole booke of God witnesseth that it is not for our righteousnesse but for the praise of the glory of his rich mercie that we are entred into heauenly Canaan Did Peter Iames and Iohn helpe the Lord Iesus in that agonie which he suffered in the garden no surely be bad them watch with him and pray but when hee was sweating blood they were sleeping when he was buffeted in Caiphas hall did not Peter deny him when he went to the Crosse did not all his disciples forsake him and those who loued him most dearely did they not stand a farre off from him Certainely he alone troad the wine-presse of the wrath of God he alone bare the punishment of our sinnes in his blessed body on the Crosse to him therfore alone pertayneth the glory of our saluation As for the persons to whom this deliuerance pertaines Mercies of god shewed vpon others should confirme vs if we repent to looke for the like to our selues the Apostle names himselfe among them hath freed vs not to exclude but rather to confirme all others who are in Iesus Christ For he confesses of himselfe that he was receiued to mercy for this end that God might shew vpon him an example of long suffering to them who shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life therefore it is that hee speakes of this deliuerance in his owne person for the confirmation 2. Tim. 1. 16. of others who hauing beene before as hee was notorious sinners are now become such as repents and beleeues And indeed euery example of GODS mercy shewed vnto others should serue to strengthen vs. Audientâ—s Christum non horruisse confitentem latronem c. when we Bernard heare sayth Bernard that the Lord Iesus abhorred not the penitent Theefe on the Crosse that hee despised not the sinfull Cananitish woman when she made supplication nor the woman taken in Adulterie nor him that sat at the receipt of Custome nor the Publicane when hee sought mercie nor the Disciple that denyed him neither yet the persecuter of his Disciples in odore horum vnguentorum â—urramus post cum in the sweet smell of these oyntments let vs runne after him Alwaies we see that the Apostle doth speake vnto others Preachers not pertakers of that mercy which they of a deliuerance obtayned by Christ as being also pertaker thereof himselfe As he was a Preacher of Christ so he was a follower of Christ he beate downe his body by discipline least that preaching vnto others hee should haue beene a pronounce to others are most miserable reprobate himselfe and therfore he now speaks as one who is sure that hee also hath his portion in Christ Otherwise what comfort can it be either to Preacher or professor to speake of that life and grace which commeth by Christ Iesus they themselues in the meane time being like to that miserable Atheist Simon Magus to whom Peter gaue out that fearefull sentence thou hast neither part nor fellowship in Acts. 8. 21. this businesse or like those Priests in Ierusalem in the dayes of Herod who directed others to Bethleem by the light of the word to worship Christ but went not themselues or those builders of Noahs Arke who helped to build a vessel for preseruation of others but perished in the deluge themselues or like Bilhah and Zilpah who brought
and holinesse the reason why the Israelites bound 2. Sam. 19. 9. themselues to giue subiection and obedience to Dauid was that he had deliuered them from the hand of the Philistins the same reason Ezra vsed to the Iewes returned from captiuitie to make them obedient to the Lord Seeing thou O Ezra 9. 13. Lord hath giuen vs such deliuerances shall we returne any more to breake thy Commaundements but much more should it binde vs to doe seruice to our Lord Iesus seeing hee hath made vs free by his blood shall we againe make our selues the seruants of sinne The Lord neuer shewed a greater Professors conuinced that serue him not mercie on man then this that he gaue his sonne Iesus Christ vnto the death for vs and there can be no higher contempt done to God by man then if after so great a loue shewed vs wee shall still refuse to be his seruants much will be required of him to whom much is giuen those Gentiles to whom the Lord reuealed himselfe in goodnesse onely as their Creator because they did not glorifie him the Apostle saith that the wrath of God was reuealed from heauen vpon them and what wrath then maist thou looke for to whom the Lord hath manifested himselfe in mercy also as thy Redeemer in Christ and yet thou will not glorifie him thou receiuest not him whom thy Father hath sent vnto thee neyther wilt thou liue vnto him that gaue himselfe to dye for thee but by thy wicked life thou crucifiest againe the Sonne of God and treadest vnder thy feet the blood of the new couenant certainely Sodome and Gomorrha shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then the wicked of this generation For in this last age the Lord hath spoken to vs by his Son he hath none greater to send after him those labourers of the vineyard that slew the Seruants of the great King were not for that instantly punished but when the Sonne came and they had murthered him also then was their iudgement no longer delayed It was not written for the Iewes onely in whom it was first accomplished but for vs also to whom the Father in this last age hath sent his owne Sonne and by whom hee hath spoken vnto vs from himselfe if we despise him there remaines no more but a violent looking for of iudgement The third dutie is that for Christs sake we loue vnfainedly Loue to those whom he hath bidden loue for his sake those whom hee hath recommended vnto vs our goodnesse cannot extend vnto the Lord neither haue wee him walking with vs vpon earth that we may minister vnto him may wash his feete and annoint his blessed bodie with precious oyntments therefore should our delight be vpon those his excellent ones that are vpon earth When Ionathan was dead Dauid for Ionathans sake shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth our Ionathan is not dead hee liues and raignes in heauen yet can we not declare our kindnesse to himselfe let vs seeke some Mephibosheth some of Christs little weake and impotent children of whom he hath said what ye doe to one of these little ones for my sake is done to me and let vs shew kindnesse vnto them for the great loue which the Lord Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. And that for sinne These words containe the end of Christ came to destroy sin cursed are they who nourish it Christs manifestation in the flesh which is that in our nature he might beare the punishment of our sinnes satisfie the iustice of God and so abolish sinne Sanit Iohn makes this cleare when he saith that he appeared to destroy the workes of the diuell that is sinne for sinne being remooued there is nothing in man but the workmanship of God By this it is euident how highly they offend God who abuse the death of Christ to nourish themselues in their sinne being the bolder to commit sinne because Christ dyed for them surely this is to turne the grace of God into wantonnesse The Lord came to abolish sinne not to nourish it 1. Pet. 3. 18. Christ once suffered the iust for the vniust not that we should still abide vniust but that he might bring vs to God Thou therefore who continuest vniust mayst say as thou hast heard that there is a Sauiour come into the world but can not say in truth that there is a Sauiour come to thee For where Christ comes he worketh that worke for which hee came namely he destroyes the worke of the diuell that is he enfeebles and abolishes at the last the power of sinne Condemned sinne Sin by a metaphor is said to be condemned How Christ hath condemned sinne for as thy who are condemned are depriued of all the liberty power and priuiledges they had before and haue no more any place to appeare in iudgement so hath the Lord Iesus disanulled sinne that it hath now no power to commaund and condemne vs hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the Crosse Colos 2. 24. and hath nayled vnto it the obligation of ordinances which was against vs and so sustulit illam quasi authoritatem peccati Ambrose in hunc locum qua homines detinebat in inferno hath taken away that power and authoritie of sinne whereby it detained men vnder damnation This hath he done most lawfully and in iudgement as we shall heare bearing our sinnes in his blessed bodie on the Crosse he hath suffered that punishment which the law required to be inflicted on man for sinne and that in the flesh that is in the same nature of man which had offended For this word of Condemnation imports a iust and lawful Two head or chiefe iustice Courts holden by God proceeding of a Iudge in iudgement which that we may the better vnderstand let vs consider that there are two generall and head iustice Courts which the Lord hath set vnto men the one is holden already the other is to be holden 1 In the first the sinnes of all Gods elect are condemned in the first the sinnes of all the elect are lawfully condemned that themselues may be absolued in the second the persons of all the reprobate shall be iustly condemned In the first by the ordinance of God the Father our sinnes were laid vpon the backe of Iesus Christ and a law imposed to him which was neuer giuen to any other neither Angell or man to wit the law of a Mediator that he should make vp peace betweene God and man loue God in such sort that he should by suffering preserue the glory of his Fathers iustice and yet make manifest the glory of his mercy that he should loue his brethren in such sort that hee should take the burden of their transgressions vpon him which as by the Father it was enioyned vnto him so did he willingly vndertake it And therefore hauing our sinnes imputed vnto him he presented himselfe for vs vpon the Crosse as vpon a
He lets vs see the miserable estate of them who walke after the one and illustrates it by the happy estate of those who walke after the other and then concludes that they who are in the flesh cannot please God vers 5 6. 7. 8. Secondly he comforts the godly least that they considering the remanent fleshly corruption which is in them should be discouraged with his former conclusion verse 9. 10. 11. And thirdly he subioynes the exhortation by sundry reasons disswading vs from walking after the flesh First then the Apostle oppones the disposition of a carnal and spirituall man as contraries which may not consist the carnall man sauours carnall things that is he vnderstands Two sorts of fleshly things which the naturall man sauours no other he liketh no other he inclyneth to no other For the word which he vses in the originall is tranâ—ferred to all the faculties of the soule reason will appetite and sense and whatsoeuer is in him is all carnally affected and these carnall things which he sauours are of two sorts the first are absolutely euill to wit the sinfull lusts of corrupt nature the second are those carnall things which pertaine to this life not simply euill of their owne nature but in regard of their abuse they become euill to the wicked First because they seeke them in the first place which is due to God and things heauenly Secondly because they are bound to them with a slauish and immoderate affection Thirdly because they seeke them for wrong ends to make them seruants vnto their lusts In a word they doe so walke after these carnall things that they goe a whoring from God they seeke their portion in this present world hauing neither hope to looke for nor heart to follow those things which are aboue Yea of so contrary dispositions are the spirituall and the carnall man that looke what is the reioycing of the one is a wearinesse to the other surely there is no greater difference betweene the naturall man and the bruit beast than is The life of the Christian and carnall man as different as the life of the brut beast and the carnall man betweene the spirituall man and the naturall for the beast cannot conceiue nor vnderstand the excellencie of that spirituall life whereby the Christian liues and is not so much as touched in his affection with a desire thereof Giue vnto the beast those things whereunto the nature thereof is inclyned it craues no more giue vnto a naturall man the vaine pleasures of sinne and perishing things of this earth he cares not for the pearles of the kingdome of heauen It is true the spirituall man knoweth how miserable the life of the naturall man is because he liued once that life himselfe but the naturall man cannot know what the life of the Christian man is And here we haue occasion to consider more deepely The feareful peruerse estate whereinto man is come by falling from God of that fearefull estate wherein Sathan did cast vs by the meanes of sinne and of that ioyfull benefite of restitution we haue by the Grace of our Lord Iesus The casting of Adams body out of Paradise was a small losse if it be compared with the downe throwing of his soule from all heauenly disposition The Grecians considering the workmanship of mans body compared him to a tree inuerted his head and haire resembling the root being vpmost his hands and feet that grew from it as branches being downe most and therefore they called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a creature inuerted or turned vp side downe but if we shall looke to the peruerted estate of the soule of man shall we not see there a more pittifull change the heauenly mind is become earthly he that walked with God for the similitude of his nature is now become a companion of Beastes the soule which fed before vpon heauenly Manna is now fed with the husks of akecornes meeter for swine then for men that is it sauours onely carnall things meeter for beasts of the earth then men who are the generation of God As Ieremie lamented the desolation which the sinnes of Israell had brought vpon them so may we lament that fearefull estate whereinto we are fallen by our Apostacie O how is Lament 2. 1. 4. 2. 7. 8. the beautie of Israell cast downe from the heauen to the earth how are the Noble men of Sion comparable to fine gold esteemed as earthly pitchers her Nazarites that were purer then snow and whiter then milke now their visage is blacker then the coale where is that glorious image wherwith man was beautified by his creation how is his light turned into darknesse how is he couered with shame in stead of glory his visage is withered his beautie cast downe from heauen to earth The body made of earth standeth vpright and can looke to heauen the soule which is from aboue hath forgotten her originall is crooked to the earth and like a Serpent creeping on many feet so walketh it after the dust with all her affections fauouring onely those things which are carnall This is mans miserable estate by nature The Lord open our eyes that we may see how farre wee are fallen by our apostacie how deadly wee are wounded that in time we may make our recourse to the Physition of our soules who now offers by Grace to restore vs. But to returne this diuersitie of dispositions in the man The diuers disposition of the Christian and carnall man flowes from the diuersitie of their generations Iohn 3. 6. naturall and spirituall the Apostle designes to flow from the diuersitie of their generations they who are after the flesh that is as our Sauiour expounds it that which is borne of the flesh is flesh so then the cause why they are carnall and sauours onely the things of the flesh is because they are onely pertakers of a carnall generation Euery creature as ye may see hath an inclination to follow the owne kind some liues in the earth some in the water euery one of them by instinct of that nature which they receiued in their generation following so earnestly their owne kinde that a contrarie education cannot make them to forsake it The Fowle whose kinde is to liue in the waters though she be brought vp vnder the wings of another damme whose kinde is to liue on the earth so soone as she is strengthened with feathers forsaking her education followes her kinde so also in euery man the disposition of his affections and actions is answerable to the nature of his life If he haue no more but a naturall life his cogitations counsels resolutions and actions are onely carnall but if he haue also a spirituall life then shall he be able to mount aboue nature hauing an inclination to heauenly things for euery one who is risen with Iesus seekes those things which are aboue Now this difference of their dispositions flowing from The contrary disposition
not done by vs assuredly it shall be done vpon vs. De his qui faciunt quae Miserable is that man who maintaines a contrary will to Gods will Aug. de cor gra ca. 14. non vult facit ipse quae vult the Lord saith Augustine in a meruailous manner doth his will on them who doe that which hee will not and therefore woe shall be vnto all which are opposit to God his most holy will Quid tam paenale quam semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit what greater punishment can there be then this euermore to desire that which neuer shall be and alway to dislike that which for euer shall be a wicked man shall neuer obtain that which he desires but shall suffer for euer that which he dislikes For remedy of this rebellion our Sauiour hath taught vs daily to pray thy will be done in earth as it is in heauenâ— so we pray and the Lord giue vs grace that we may practise it that in euery action of our life denying our selues we make looke to our heauenly Father enquire for his will and follow it saying with our blessed Sauiour not my will O Lord but thine be done Mat. 26. 39. Verse 8. So then they that are after the flesh cannot please God HEre the Apostle concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh affirming He concludes the miserable estate of them who walke after the flesh that doe what they will they cannot please God To be in the flesh sometime is taken in a good part for it is all one with this to liue in the body but here it is taken in an euill part for to be in the flesh and to be in Christ are opposit one to another so that to be in the flesh is to be in the state of nature vnregenerate a stranger from the grace of Christ and the phrase is very significant for it imports an vniuersall thraldome of mans nature vnto the lusts of the flesh That speach of the Apostle to Simon Magus I see that thou art altogether in the Act. 8. 23. gall of bitternesse signifies much more than if he had said the gall of bitternesse was in him and the spirit of God when he sayes that man is in his sinne or in the flesh doth thereby What it is to be in the flesh expresse a farre greater corruption of his wretched nature then if he did say that sinne and fleshly corruption is in him Syricius Bishop of Rome expounds this place of married Syricius expounds this of the state of marriage wrongfully persons affirming that they are in the flesh and so cannot please God flatly against the Apostles owne commentarie for he wrote this Epistle to the godly Romanes among whom were many married persons such as Aquila and Priscilla whom afterward he commends for godlinesse and of whom he sayes verse 9. yee are not in the flesh because the spirit of God dwels in you so doth the Apostle expound it himselfe and therefore the Pope is but a peruerse interpreter of the Apostles minde and his fauourers are but seducers who will haue vs to seeke out of the boxe of his breast the true sense and meaning of all scripture Alwayes leauing them let vs marke againe here the miserable The best actions of wicked men please not God estate of such as are strangers from Christ What an vnhappy condition is this that a man should liue in that state of life wherein doe what he will he cannot please God Let Cain sacrifice with Abel the Lord shall not accept Gen. 4. 5. Gen. 27. 38. Heb. 12. 17. Gen 32. 26. Hos 12. 4. Luke 18. 11. Luke 16. it let Esau his teares seeking a blessing from his father be shed as aboundantly as Iacobs were when he sought a blessing from the Angell yet shall he not preuaile he shall not be blessed let the Pharise pray in the Temple with the Publicane he shall not goe home iustified and for worldly glory let him be neuer so high among men he is but abhomination vnto God yea oftentimes worldlings to whom Psal waters are wrung out of a full cuppe are counted blessed and happie yet is it but ignorance that maks men account much of them that are despised in the eyes of God Ideo malus Aug. in Ioan cap. 7. tra 28. foelix putatur quia quod sit foelicitas ignoratur for this cause is an euill man counted happie because men know not what happinesse is But what euer men be thought of by others eyther for his shew of Godlinesse or his shew of worldly glory vnder which two shadowes the most part of men deceiue the remanent it is certaine that he onely is blessed with whom the Lord is pleased If the tree be not good it cannot bring forth good fruit and if the person be not Godly his actions cannot be acceptable vnto God It is in Christ Iesus onely that the Father is well pleased except we be in Christ neyther can our persons nor actions please the Lord. The Lord translate vs yet further out of this vnhappy estate of nature the Lord roote vs and ground vs in Christ Iesus and stablish vs to abide in him for euer Verse 9. Now ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit because the Spirit of God dwelleth in you but if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is not his THE Apostle hauing discoursed of the miserable The second part of his application containes consolation for the godly that twofold estate of them who walke after the flesh doth now turne him toward the godly to comfort them least they should be discouraged with that remanent carnall corruption which they finde within themselues he shewes them that what he hath spoken of the vnhappy condition of carnall men doth no way 1 Consolation against the remanents of carnall corruption that are in vs. concerne them for they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit In this verse the comfort is first set downe and then a caution annexed vnto it the comfort is for the weake Christian the Caution for the presumptuous professor the Apostle so terrifies the wicked that he reserues comfort for the Godly and he so comforts the Godly that he confirmes not the wicked in their sinnes No sort of men are sooner moued with the sharpe speaches of the word of God then are the children of God He hath said before thy who are in the flesh cannot please God least this should terrifie the Godly he subioynes but as for you yee are not in the flesh for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Againe no sort of men are more ready to appropriate vnto themselues the comforts of God then they to whom they belong not and therefore for their saks the Apostle subioynes the Caution If any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same
vs but that we haue by nature our estate were most miserable but seeing beside nature there is in vs a new workmanship of grace from the which the Lord accounts vs new spirituall men we haue thanks be to God matter of comfort As Sathan is a lyer in denying the name of spirituall men Papists will haue none called spirituall men but their Cleargie to men regenerate so his supposts aduersaries of the truth of Christ are lying deceiuers and vniust robbers when they restraine this name to such as are of their Cleargie which here the Apostle makes competent to euery man in whom the spirit of Christ dwelleth Spiritualâ—m non facit vestis locus Ferus â—fficium opus sed Spiritus it is neither garment sayes one of their owne nor place nor office nor externall worke that makes a man spirituall but the holy Spirit dwelling in him Because the Spirit of God dwels in you Hee subioynes The spirit of God where he dwels works wher he works he workes not in vaine therefore they cannot but be spiritual in whom he dwels here the confirmation of his former comfort he hath said vnto them yee are not in the flesh he proues it the Spirit of God dwels in you therefore yee are not in the flesh nor carnall but spirituall The necessity of the consequence depends vpon this middest that the spirit of God where he dwels is not idle but works where he works he works not in vaine but effectuates that which he intends he transformes them in whom he dwels into the similitude of his owne Image he is compared to fire that giues light euen to them who are farre of and heate to them who are neere hand but transchangeth those things into the nature of fire which are cast into it with so meruailous a vertue that yron which is colde by nature being put into the fire becomes hot and burning so doth that holy Spirit illuminate euery one who comes into the world but he changeth all those in whom he dwelleth he transformeth them into his owne similitude and endueth them with an holy and heauenly disposition then his argument is sure the Spirit of God dwelleth in you therefore yee are not carnall but spirituall In the end of the last Chapter the Apostle said that Strange that two guests of so contrary natures as sinne and the holy spirit should dwell in one man Rom. 7. 17. The soule of man regenerate compared to the house of Abraham sinne dwelleth in the man regenerate it is not I but sinne that dwelleth in me and here he sayes that the spirit of God dwelleth in the man regenerate this is strange that two guests of so contrary natures should both at one time haue their dwelling in man I compare the soule of man regenerate to the house of Abraham wherein there was both a free woman Sarah and a bond woman Hagar with their children Ismael the sonne of the bond woman borne after the flesh is older and stronger then Isaac the sonne of the free woman borne after the spirit that is according to the promise hee disdaines little Isaac as weaker and persecutes him yet the comfort of Isaac is that though Ismaell dwell in the house of Abraham for a while hee shall not remaine the sonne of the bond woman shall be cast out and shall not inherit the promise with the sonne of the free woman such a house is the soule of a Christian there dwelleth in it at one time both old nature and new grace with their children the olde man at the first being older and stronger than the new man doth persecute him and seekes by all meanes to oppresse him but at the last he shall be cast out This Metaphor of dwelling doth also yeeld vnto vs exceeding Meruailous that the inhabiter is larger than the habitation great comfort in all other habitations the lodging is larger than the inhabiter but this is meruailous that the lodging here is so little and the inhabiter so great that infinite maiestie whom the heauen of heauens cannot contain who hath the heauen for his throne and the earth for his footestoole hath chosen for his dwelling and place of rest the soule of him that is poore contrite and trembles at his word A wonderfull mercy that the highest maiestie should so farre dimit the selfe as that passing by all his other creatures hee should make choyse of man to be his pleasant sanctuarie From this it is euident that this dwelling doth designe The speâ—iall glory of a Christian is that God dwels in him some speciall presence of God with his own children which he shewes not vnto others it is true he is present in euery place bounded within no place he containes all things vncontayned of any where he dwelleth not as a Father there hee sits as a Iudge and is a terrour which manner of way the damned are continually vexed with his presence but in the Christian he dwels as a maister in his owne family as a Father with his children quickning ruling and preseruing them and prouiding for them Worldings may match Worldlings may exceede him in worldly gifts but cannot match him in this the Christian in externall gifts but cannot compare with him in this internall glory though without hee be but an earthen vessell yet hath he within an heauenly treasure for he is the habitation of God in whom the Lord dwels by his spirit It was Beniamin his glory that the Lord should dwell betweene his shoulders and the glory of Ierusalem Deut. 33. 12. that there the Lord dwelt betweene the Cherubins but most of all the glory of a Christian that the Lord dwelleth betweene the secrets of his soule let worldlings reioyce in their outward priuiledges and in their presumptuous minds leape like the mighty mountaines esteeming themselues high as mount Basan yet this is the glory of a Christian that God delights to dwell in him Let vs therfore make much of them who feare the Lord They should be honoured in whom Christ dwels Dan. 6. though in regard of their outward estate they were neuer so base we should not be ashamed to doe them honour for his sake who dwelleth in them Darius preferred Daniel because the spirit was excellent in him and Pharaoh honoured Gen. 41. 42. Ioseph because the Spirit of God was in him yea the Angels are content to be Seruants and Ministers to them who feare the Lord they honoured Shepheards for Christs sake with their presence which they did not vnto King Herod for all his glory and shall not wee delight in Gods excellent ones vpon earth surely he shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God in Psal 15. whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them who feare the Lord. Hereby we know that wee are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Not onely doth this Metaphor of dwelling import a familiar The Metaphor
whose then shall Sinne causes the Lord to deny his owne creatures hee be certainely hee is the vassall of Sathan the Lord shall deny him the Lord shall disclaime him as not belonging to him depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie I know not whence you are O the bitter fruit of sinne which Luke 13. 27. causes the Lord to deny that creature to be his which once he made to his owne image Let vs therefore hate our sinne vnto death let vs in time make hast to depart from iniquitie which shall at the last draw on that sentence vpon the wicked depart from me The Lord deliuer vs from it through Iesus Christ Verse 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is lifâ— for righteousnesse sake HItherto hath the Apostle comforted the Christian 2 Consolation against the fruit of sin specially against death whereunto we are subiect against the remanents of sinne now he comforts him against the fruites and effects of sinne which he findeth in himselfe The godly might haue obiected ye haue said before the fruit of carnall wisedome is death are wee not subiect vnto death and so of the fruites and effects of sinne what can we iudge but that we are carnall To this he answeres first by a confession it is true that the body is dead because of sinne but if Christ be in you the spirit through his righteousnesse is endued with life yee are not therfore so much to conclude that yee are carnall because death through sinne is entred into your bodies as to confirme your selues in this that life through the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated to your soule and so the summe of his comfort will be this the death whereunto you are subiect is neither totall The death whereunto we are subiect is neither totall nor perpetuall nor perpetuall that it is not totall he declares in this verse for it strikes not vpon the whole man but vpon the weakest part of man which is his body as for his most excellent part which is his soule it is partaker of a life that is not subiect vnto death That it is not perpetuall he declares in the next verse our bodies shall not bide for euer vnder the bands of death the spirit of Christ that now dwels in them shall at the last raise them vp from death and cloath them with immortality and incorruptibility If Christ be in you Before the Apostle bring in his comfort The Comforts of God are not common to all men indifferently Mat. 10. 12. 13. he permits a condition to teach vs that the comforts of God belong not indifferently vnto all men he who is a stranger from Christ hath nothing to doe with these comforts When our Sauiour commaunded his Disciples to proclaime peace vnto euery house they came to he foretold them it should abide onely with the sonnes of peace he forbad them in like manner to giue those things which were holy vnto dogs or to cast pearles before Swine This Math. 7. 6. stands a perpetuall Law to all Preachers that they presume not to proclaime peace to the impenitent and vnbeleeuing but as Iehu spake to Iehorams horseman What hast thou to doe with peace so are we to tell the wicked who walke still 2. Kin. 9. 18. on in their sinnes that they haue nothing to doe with that peace preached by the Gospell Secondly if we compare the former verse with this t we Christ dwelling in vs is by his spirit no carnall presence required to make our vnion with him shall see that the manner of Christs dwelling in his children is by his Spirit To make vp our vnion with Christ it is not needfull that his humane nature should be drawne down from heauen or that his body should be euery where as the Vbiquitaries affirme or that in the Sacrament the bread should be transubstantiate into his body as the Papists imagine his dwelling in vs is by his spirit and our vnion with him is spirituall neyther yet by so saying doe we diuide his two natures for they are inseparably vnited in one personall vnion which vnion doth not for all that import that his humane nature is extended ouer all as his diuine nature is The heauens must containe him till he come againe Noli dubitare ibi esse hominem Christum vnde venturus est Act. 3. 21. Aug. epist 57 ad Dardan Put it out of doubt that the man Christ Iesus is in that place from whence he shall come Keepe faithfully that Christian confession He is risen from the death ascended vnto Heauen and sits at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come from no other place but from Heauen to iudge the quicke and the dead and he addeth that which the Angell said to his Disciples this Iesus who is taken vp from you Act. 1. 11. into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen that is saith Augustine in eadem carnis forma atque substantia cui profecto immortalitatem dedit naturam non abstulit that is in that same forme substance of flesh to the which he hath giuen immortalitie but hath not taken away the nature thereof Secundum hanc non est putandum quod vbique est diffusus vbique per id quod Deus in coelo autem per id quod homo according to his nature we are not to thinke that he is in euery place it is true that as God hee is euery where but as man he is in the heauens and this for the condition Now to the comfort we haue by Iesus Christ a threefold The comfort of Ethnikes ahainst death not comparable to ours and our courage inferior to theirs comfort against death whereof two onely here are touched The first that the death whereunto we are subiect is not totall The second that the nature and qualitie of our bodilie death is changed The third that it is not perpetuall the body shall not for euer lye vnder death The Ethnicks had also their owne silly comforts but nothing comparable to ours Nazianzen records that Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt demaunding of certaine learned men what kinde of death was without the bitter sense of paine receiued this answere there is no death without dolour but that death was most gentle which was brought on by the Serpent Aspis and namely that kinde thereof which is called Hypnale be cause they whose flesh is enuenomed with the poyson therof doe incontinently sleepe vnto death for which cause also shee made choyse of it And Seneca being by Nero to be executed to death got it left to his owne pleasure as great fauour shewed vnto him to make choyse of any death he pleased he chose to bleed to death in hote water Others among them that offered themselues to most fearefull deaths such as Curtius Regulus and others had no comfort to sustaine them but a
silly hope of immortall fame of their affection to their country It was saith Augustine the silly comfort of the Gentiles against the want of buriall Coelo tegitur qui non habet vrnam and as comfortlesse is the comfort of many bastard Christians which stands onely in a fayre Sepulcher prouided before hand for themselues in an honourable buriall commanded expected of them before death and in abundance of worldly things which they leaue to theirs behinde them all which as saith the same Father viuorum sunt solatia non mortuorum are comforts to them that liue behinde but no help to them who are dead I note this that considering the magnanimitie of these Ethnicks in suffering of death notwithstanding the weake and small comforts which they had to sustaine them we may be ashamed of our pusillanimitie who hauing from Christ most excellent comforts against death are afraide at the smallest remembrance thereof An euident argument that albeit Tit. 1. 16. many proâ—â—sse him yet few are pertakers of his power life and grace that many hath him dwelling in their mouths in whose hearts he dwelleth not by his spirit The body is dead Hee sayes not the body is subiect to Our bodies are not onely mortall but deâ—d death but by a more significant manner of speech he saith the body is dead There is a difference betweene a mortall body and a dead body Adams body before the fall was mortall that is subiect to a possibility of dying but now after the fall our bodies are so mortall that they are subiect to a necessity of dying yea if wee will here with the Apostle esteeme of death by the beginning thereof our bodies are dead already The Officers and Sergeants of death which are dolours infirmities and heauie diseases hath câ—ased already The Officers of death hath bound vs already vpon our bodies marked them as lodgings which shortly must be the habitation of death so that there is no man who is not presently dead in some part or other of his body Not onely is the sentence giuen out against vs thou â—rt dust and to dust thou shalt returne but is begun to be Gen. 3. 19. executed our carkasses are bound with cords by the Officers of death and our life is but like that short time which is graunted to a condemned man betweene his doome and his execution all which the Apostle liuely expresses when he sayes the body is dâ—ad 1 Thereâ—ore should we liue in the body vnder feare 1. Pet. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 12. Whereof there arises vnto vs many profitable instructions and first what great neede wee haue as wee are commaunded to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare working out our owne saluation in feare and trembling seeing our sinnes haue cast vs into the hands of the first death shall we not cry without ceasing that we may be deliuered from the power of the second Alas it is pittifull that man should so farre forget himselfe as to reioyce in the time of his miserie to passe ouer the dayes of his mortall life in vanity and wantonnesse considering how the first death is already entred into his carkasse nor foreseeing how hee may be The pittifull securitie of carnall professâ—rs deliuered from the second but liues carelesse like to the Apostates of the old world who in the middest of their sinfull pleasures were sodainly washed away with the waters of the wrath of God and their spirits for disobedience sent vnto the prison where now they are and like those Philistims who banquetting in the platforme of their house of Dagon their God hauing minde of nothing but eating drinking and sporting not knowing that their enemie was within were sodainely ouerthrowne and their banquetting house made their buriall place so shall it be with all the wicked who liuing in a dead body cares for nothing but how to please themselues in their sinne the pillar of their Psal 58. 9. Psal 73. 19. house shall be pulled downe destruction shall come vpon him like a whirlewind and in a moment shall sodaine desolation ouertake them 2 Death entred into the body should represse our naturall pride And let this same meditation represse in vs that poyson of pride the first sinne that euer sprung forth of our nature next to infidelitie and last in rooting out Wilt thou consider O man that thou art but dead and that thy body be it neuer so strong or beautifull is but a lodging of death and what cause shalt thou haue to waxe proud for any thing Bernard that is in the flesh quid tu superbis terra cinis si superbientibus Angelis non pepercit deus quanto minus tibi putredo vermis what hast thou to doe to be proud O dust and ashes if God spared not the Angels when they waxed proud will he spare thee who art but a rotten creature yea Vermis crastino moriturus a worme that must dye to morrow Au. ser 21. If so was done to an Angell saith Bernard what shall become of me ille intumuit in coelo ego in sterquilinio he was pust vp in heauen and therefore was cast downe from the place of his abhomination if I waxe proud lying in a dung-hill shall I not be punished and cast downe into hell So oft therefore as corrupt nature stirreth vp the heart of man to pride because of the flowers of beautie and strength that grow out of it let this humble thee thy flowers O man cannot but wither for the roote from which they spring is dead already And lastly is the body dead then learne temperance and 3 Should learne vs temperance and sobrietie sobrietie what auaileth it to pamper that carkasse of thine with excessiue seeding which is possessed by death already if men tooke the tenth part of that care to present their spirits holy and without blame vnto the Lord which they take to make their bodies fat and beautifull in the eyes of men they might in short time make greater progresse in godlinesse then they haue done but herein is their folly Carnem preciosis rebus impinguant c. they make fat their Bernard flesh with delicate things which within few dayes the worms shall deuoure Animam vero non adornant bonis operibus but beautifies not the Soule with good works which shortly is to be presented vnto God Let vs refraine from the immoderate pampering of this flesh Meates are ordained for the belly and the belly for meates but God will destroy them 1 Cor. 6. 13. both We haue here moreouer discouered vnto vs the shamelesse Sathans shamelesse impudencie discouered impudencie of Sathan who daily tempting man to sin promiseth vnto him some good by committing of it as boldly as if he had neuer falsified his promise before He promised to our Parents in Paradise that if they did eate of the fruit of the forbidden tree they should become like vnto
he casts not off the care of the body but preserneth the very dust and ashes thereof till the day of the resurrection vvherein he shall quicken it againe restore it to the owne soule and glorifie both which is the third and last degree of eternall life Surely there was neuer a house hyre so wel payd in the world thou who sets thy soule body There was neuer a house hire so well paid as lodging for a short vvhile here on earth that he may dwell in it O vvhat recompence hast thou to looke for he dwels vvith the on earth and thou shalt dwell vvith him in heauen thou didst lend him a lodging for a few yeers and he shall receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations and thou shalt be for euer with the Lord. Neyther shall he shew his mercy vpon thy soule onely The holy spirit shall keepe the body wherein he dwelt euen when it is laid in the graue but as I haue said vpon thy body also it vvould seeme that the Lord hath deserted it as a â—ontemptible thing vvhen it is laid downe in the graue but be assured that hee who dwelt in it vvill not leaue it nor cast off â—he care thereof no not when it is turned into dust and ashes Comfortable is that vvhich the Lord promised to Iacob vvhen he bad him goe downe to Egypt Feare not to goe for I will go downe with thee and I will bring thee vp againe He forewarned him that he should dye in Egypt and that Ioseph should close Gen. 46. 4. his eyes but he promiseth to bring vp againe his dead body vnto Canaan O what a kindnesse is it that the Lord will honour the dead bodyes of his Children The praise of the O what a kindnes conuoy of Iacobs corps the Lord will neither giue it to Ioseph nor to Pharaohs Seruants with their Chariots who in great number accompanied him the Lord takes it vnto himselfe I will bring thee vp againe saith the Lord the like kindnesse and truth doth the Lord keepe for all the remanent of his seruants Is thy body consecrated is it a vessell of honour a house and temple wherein God is daily serued he shall honour it againe he shall not leaue it in the graue neither cast off the care thereof but shall vvatch ouer the dust thereof though it tast of corruption it shall not perish in corruption The holy Spirit who dwelt in the body shall be vnto it He is a holy balme wherby the body shall be preserued immortall as a balme to preserue thee to immortalitie this same flesh and no other for it though it shall be dissolued into innumerable pickles of dust shall be raised againe and quicned by the omnipotent power of this Spirit It is a pittie to see by what silly meanes naturall men seeke the immortall conseruation of their bodyes and cannot obtaine it there is no helpe nature may yeeld to prolong the death of the body but they vse it and because they see that deat cannot be eschewed their next care is how to keepe it in the graue longest from rottennesse and corruption and how vvhen themselues are gone to preserue their names in immortall remembrance with the posteritie thus by the very instinct of nature are men carried away with a desire of eternitie Worldings seeke immortalitie the wrong way Esay 55. 2. but herein are they foolish that they seeke it the wrong way they lay out their siluer but not for bread they spend their labour and are not satisfied immortalitie and life is to be sought there where the word of the Lord directs vs let the Spirit of Christ dwell in thee and thou shalt liue otherwise though thou wert the greatest Monarch of the word though all thy meate were soueraigne medicines though thy body were laid in graue with as great externall pompe as worldly glory can afford to any creature and thy flesh were embalmed with the costliest oyntments these are but miserable comforts perishing preseruatiues thou shalt lye downe in dishonour and shalt be raised in greater dishonour to euerlasting shame and endlesse confusion Now as we haue these three degrees of eternall life by Life is first restored to the soule and then to the body the Spirit dwelling in vs so are we to marke the order by vvhich he proceedes in communicating them vnto vs first he restores life to the soule and secondly he shall restore life vnto the body saith the Apostle where the one is done be assured the other shall be done the one is the proper end of his first comming therefore his Heraulds cryed before him Behâ—ld the Lambe of God who taketh away the sins Iohn 1. 29. of the world In his second comming shall be the redemption Phil. 2. 21. of our bodyes when he shall appeare hee shall change our vile bodyes and make them like to his owne glorious body Let this reforme the prosperous care of man art thou desirous that thy body should liue be first carefull that life be communicated to the soule for surely the redemption of thy body shall not follow vnlesse the restitution of thy soule goe before O porteâ— cor nostrum conformari humilitati cordis Bern. de aduen dom serm 4. Christi priusquam corpus conformetur glorioso corpori eius our heart must first be conformed to the humilitie of Christs heart before that our body be configurated to his glorious body this is the first resurrection blessed are they that are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power But it is out of doubt qui non resurgit in animaâ— resurget in corpore ad poenam he that riseth not now in his soule from his sinnes shall rise hereafter in his body to iudgement But now leauing the condition to come to the comfort he that raysed vp Christ from the dead saith the Apostle shall also quicken your mortall bodies What necessity is there here What necessity is here that hee who raysed Christ shall also raise vs that he vvho raysed Christ shall raise vs yes indeede the necessitie is great the head and the members of the misticall body cannot be sundred seeing the head is raysed from the dead no member can be left vnder death the Lord vvorkes in euery member according to that same mightie Ephe. 1. 29. power by vvhich he wrought in the head his resurrection necessarily imports ours seeing he arose not as a priuate man but as the head of all his members full of power to draw the body after him and to communicate that same life to euery member which he hath declared in himselfe Christ is risen from the dead and is made the first fruits of them that 1 Cor. 15. 20 sleepe the first fruit is risen the after fruit shall in like manner follow Vixit in coelum carnem nostram tanquam arhabonem pignus tâ—tuâ—s summae illuc quandoqueâ—redigendae the
Tertul. de resur carnâ—â— Lord Iesus hath carryed our flesh into heauen as an earnest and pâ—edge of the vvhole summe vvhich afterward is to be brought thither he hath not thought it inough to giue his spirit vnto vs here on earth as the earnest of our inheritance but to put vs out of all doubt he hath carried vp our flesh into heauen and possest it in the kingdome in the name of all his members Who raysed vp Iesus from the dead Then vve see that our Seeing our Lord was among the dead let vs not feare when God cals vs to lye down among them also Lord was once among the dead but now is risen from them let vs not then be afraid vvhen God shall call vs to lye down among the dead also shall the seruant be ashamed of his Masters condition or vvill the patient refuse to drink that potion vvhich the Phisition hath tasted before him No we must follow our Lord through the miseries of this life through the dolours of death through the horrours of the graue if vve looke to follow him in his resurrection in his ascension to be amongst those hundred fortie and foure thousand in mount Sion vvho hauing his fathers name vvritten in their foreheads follow the Lambe whersoeuer he goâ—th Reuel 7 singing that new song vvhich none can sing but they whom he hath bought from the earth When those women came to seeke the Lord Iesus in the What comfort Christs resurrection giues vs against death Sepulchre all the feare they had conceiued concerning Christs death the Angels remoues it by sending them to meditate on the resurrection why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead hee is not here but hee is risen Wee are not Mat. 28. 5. 6 yet laid downe among the dead but or euer we goe to the graue we haue this comfort that the Lord by his power shall raise vs out of it where the head growes through the members will follow Per angustum passionis foramâ—n transiuit Christus vt latum praeberet ingrâ—ssum sequentibus membris Our Lord is gone through the narrow passage of death that hee might make it the wider and easier to all his members who are to follow him We see by experience the body of a man drownes not though it be vnder the water as long as the head is borne aboue many of the members of Christ are here in this valley of death tost too fro in this sea of tribulation with continuall tentations yet our comfort is we cannot perish for our head is aboue and a great part of the body liuing and raigning with him in glory there is life in him to draw forth out of these miseries all his members and hee shall doe it by that same power by which he raised himselfe from the dead For we are taught here that our resurrection is a worke not to be done by man not the power of nature but by Resurrection is a work of God and nâ—â— of man the power of God we are not therefore to hearken to the deceitfull motions of our infidelitie which calles in doubt this article of our Faith we must not consider the imbecillitie and weaknesse of nature neither measure heauenly and supernaturall things with the narrow span of naturall reason but as it is Abrahams praise the father of the faithfull Rom. 4. 19. that when God promised him a sonne in his old age hee was not weake in faith hee considered not his owne body which was dead neither the deadnesse of Saraahs wombe but was strengthned in the faith and gaue glory to God being fully assured that hee who had promised was also able to doe it so should we sanctifie the Lord God in our harts looking to the word and promise of the euerliuing God to Cyr. cate 18. whom those things are possible which are impossible vnto vs for the Lord saith the Prophet hath the whole earth in Isay 40. 12. his fist and it is more easie to him to discerne one pickle of dust from another then it is to any man hauing his hand full of sundry seedes to open his hand and gather euery kind thereof into one by themselues seperate and distinct from the rest When thou hearest sayth Augustine that the dead shall be raised suppose it be a great thing yet count it no incredible thing but consider who it is that takes in hand to doe it ille suscitabit te qui creauit te the Lord who created Aug. ser 64 thee he it is that shall raise thee And for our further confirmation let vs consider how Resurrection confirmed by Scripture by types by practises of God in nature the spirit of God hath taught this article of our resurrection in sundry places of holy scripture hath shadowed it by types and figures hath cleared it by examples and last of all by the practise and working of God in nature As for Scripture both Prophets and Apostles as it were with one 1 Our resurrection is confirmed by Scripture Dan. 12. 13. Hos 13. 14. 15. mouths breathes out this veritie They that sleepe in the dust saith Daniel shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting shame and perpetuall contempt I will redeeme thee saith the Lord by Hosea from the power of the graue I wil deliuer thee from death O death I will be thy death O graue I will be thy destrustiom Patient Iob in his greatest extremitie Iob. 19. 25. gaue out this notable confession of his faith I am sure that my redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee though my reynes are consumed within me And if we come to the new Testament most cleare is that testimonie of the Lord Iesus The houre shall Iohn 5 28. come in the which all that are in the graue shall heare his voyce and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation The Apostles in like manner beare witnesse to their Master If in this life onely wee had hope in Christ of all men we were most miserable but now is Iesus 1 Cor. 15. 19. 20. 21. 22. risen from the dead and was mâ—â—â— the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all lye so in Christ all are made aliue And againe Behold I shew you a secret we shal Ibid. 51. 52. 53. not all sleepe but we shall alâ— be changed In a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet shal blow and the dead shall be raised vp incorruptible and we shal be changed For this corruptible must
to his glorious body They who conuert many to righteousnesse shall shine like the starres in the firmament yea the iust saith our Sauiour shal shine like the Sunne in the firmament A shadow of this glory we haue in Christs transfiguration on mount Tabor his face shined as the Sunne and Mat. 17. his cloathes were white as the light Moses after forty dayes talking with God on the Mount came downe with so bright a shining countenance that the Israelites might not behold him what then may we think shall be the glory of the children of God when they shall be transchanged with the light of Gods countenance shining vpon them not forty dayes onely but for euer and euer And if euery one of their faces shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament O how great light and glory shall be among them all and if their bodies shal be so glorious what shall be the glory of their soule surely no heart can conceiue it not tongue is able to expresse it Fourthly our body shall be raysed spirituall which is 4 They shall be spirituall not so to be vnderstood as if our bodies should loose a corporall substance and receiue a spirituall substance but then shall our bodies be spirituall as now our Spirits by nature are carnall vvhich are so called because they are subiect to carnall corruption pressed downe and carryed away after earthly and carnall things so shall our bodies then be spirituall because without contradiction they shall obey the motions of the spirit the body shall be no burthen no prison no impediment to the soule as now it is the soule shall carry the body where it will without resistance where now it is earthly heauie and rends downeward it shall then be restored so lightsome and quicke that without difficultie it shall mount from the earth to meet our Lord in the Aire As our head ascended on the mount of Oliues and went through the cloudes into heauen so shall Acts. 1 11. his members ascend that they may be with the Lord they shall follow the Lambe where euer he goes Let vs beleeue it and giue glory vnto God for hee who is the worker of our resurrection is also the worker of our ascension If the wit of man be able to frame a vessell of sundry mettals that naturally sinckes to the ground to swimme aboue in the water how much more saith Augustine is God able to make our bodies to ascend vpward and to bide aboue albeit in regard of their naturall motion being heauie they tend downward Fiftly our bodies shall be raised impassionable free I 5 They shall be impassionable meane from such passions as may hurt or offend them such as terrour feare or griefe but not from the passions of ioy for no sense of the body shall want the owne obiect of pleasure to delight it and all for the greater augmentation of our glory Let vs therefore yet againe be admonished to vse our bodies in all holy and honorable manner vpon earth seeing the Lord hath concluded to make vs so honourable in heauen where otherwise thou that defilest thy body with vncleannesse is it not a righteous thing with the Lord to send thee to Gehenna a valley of vncleannesse looke for it assuredly if thou continue filthy still the Lord shall exclude thee out of heauenly Ierusalem thou shalt not enter into his holy Reu. 21. 8. habitation but thy portion shall be with the vnbeleeuing with dogs and with the abhominable who shall haue their part in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Last of all seeing the Apostle ascribes the cause of our Resurrection of the godly and wicked different resurrection to the spirit of Christ dwelling in vs it is to be enquired how then shall the wicked rise in whom Christ neuer dwelt by his spirit to this I answere that both the 1 In their causes the one rises by the citation of God the other â—y vertue of their vnion with Christ godly and the wicked shall rise but their resurrections shall be farre different in the cause manner and ends thereof As for the cause the godly shall rise by the efficacie of that quickning spirit of Christ dwelling in them they shall rise by vertue of their vnion with their head the Lord Iesus as his members receiuing that promised life from him for which they haue looked long and in hope whereof they laid downe their bodies willingly in the graue but the wicked shall rise by vertue of the powerfull citation of God by the blast of his trumpet to appeare in iudgement which they shal not be able to eschew They differ againe in the manner of their resurrection 2 In the manner the one with ioy the other with feare and terror for the one shall rise with ioy the other with terrour and feare the wicked shall no sooner looke out of their graues and see the face of the Iudge standing in the ayre but at once shame and confusion shall couer them that day of the Lord shall be vnto them a day of blacknesse and darknesse Their soules as soone as they enter into the body shall be vexed with new horrible feares hauing experience of that wrath which already they haue sustained out of the body the feare of that full wrath which they know in the last day is to be powred vpon them shall wonderfully astonish them glad would they be if they might creepe into their graues againe Reu. 6. 16. they shall wish that hils and mountaines would fall vpon them and couer them but all in vaine because they did in the body that vvhich they vvould they shall now by constraint suffer in the body that vvhich they vvould not And thirdly the ends of their resurrection are different 3 In their ends the one to glory the other to shame figured in Pharaohs two Seruants the one shall rise to life the other to shame and of this it is euident that the resurrection of the wicked is no benefite to them properly it is no resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactor out of prison to be executed on the scaffold can be called a deliuerie for their resurrection is to cast them out of one miserable condition into a worse they are taken out of the graue that they may be cast into the bottomlesse pâ—t of the wrath of God and this was properly figured in Pharaoh his two Seruants the Baker and Gen. 40. Butler both of them were taken out of prison but the one to be restored vnto his Office to minister before the King the other to be executed vnto death so shall both the godly and vvicked come out of the graue but the one to be for euer with the Lord to stand before his Throne ministring praises vnto him and comforted with the fulnes of ioy which is in his face the other to be banished from Gods presence and sent to euerlasting condemnation And
and life As no This life is a thorow-way or middle passage eyther to heauen or hell man commeth eyther to a Pallace or a Prison but by the entry thereof so no man goeth eyther to heauen or hell but by the way thereof A wicked life is as a thorow-way to that prison and place of darknesse he who goes on in it without returning shall out of all doubt vvhen hee hath passed the path-way enter into the prison and a godly life is the very way to heauen hee that walkes in it persâ—uering to the end shall enter at last into that Pallace of Glory which is the Paradise of God Salomon saith that where the Eccles 11. 3. tree fals there it lyes and experience teacheth vs that it fals to that side on vvhich the branches thereof grow thickest if the greatest growth of our affections and actions spring out after the Spirit out of doubt wee shall fall to the right hand and shall be blessed but if otherwise thy affections grow downward and thou walke after the flesh then assuredly thou shalt fall to the left hand and die in sin vnder the curse of God But seeing they who walke after the flesh are dead already They who liue in sin are dead and yet a worse death abides them in hell how saith the Apostle they shall dye To this I answere both are true presently they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abides them That they who liue in their sinnes are dead already wee shewde before for sinne is that vnto the soule of man vvhich fire and vvater are to the body that is to say an vnkindely Element in the which it cannot liue but certainely a more fearefull death abides them which the spirit of God calleth the second death vvherein they shall not onely liue depriued of life wanting all sense yea and all hope of the mercy of God but shal also feele the full measure of his wrath due to their sinnes powred out vpon them Now albeit they be dead in sinne and depriued of the fauour of the Creator yet the vaine comforts of the creatures doth so betwitch and blinde them that they know not how wretched and miserable they are but when the last sentence of damnation shall be pronounced vpon them they shall not onely be banished from the presence of God into euerlasting perdition where the fire of the Lords indignation shall perpetually torment them but also the comfort of all Gods creatures which now they haue shall foâ—sake them The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull The least degree of their punishment shall be a fearefull famine of all worldly comforts Ioel. 1. 12. Reu. 18. 14. famine of worldly comforts The Pomegranat Tree the Palme Tree the Apple Tree shall wither The Apples after which now their soule lusteth shall depart from them they shall finde none of them yea if a cup full of colde vvater might comfort them it shall not be giuen vnto them thus you see how they are dead and yet a more fearefull death abideth them Therefore the spirit of God to expresse the fearefulnesse Why that second death is called a wrath and a wrath to come of that second death he calleth it a wrath and giues it these two titles first hee calleth it a vvrath prepared by God Salomon saith the wrath of a King is the messenger of death what then shall we say of the wrath of God Secondly he cals it a wrath to come to teach vs that it farre exceedes all that wrath that we haue heard or seene The drowning of the originall world the burning of Sodome a great wrath but nothing comparable to the wrath which is to come Beside this both the place the vniuersality and the eternity The place of the damned shewes the greatnesse of their iudgement Reu. 21. 8. Esa 30. 33. of their punishment serues to let vs see if wee looke to them how horrible this death is which here is threatned against them who liue after the flesh As for the place it is called the wineprâ—ssâ— of the wrath of God the lake that bâ—rnes with â—ire and brimstone Tophet prepared of old deepe and large the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone â—oth kindle it It is that great deepe which the damned spirits themselues abhor they know it to be the place appointed for their torment all that they craue was onely that the Lord would not send them thether to be tormented before the time It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a place wherein is no light to see therefore Iude called it blacknesse of darknesse and our Sauiour called it vtter darknesse Iude verse 6. Mark 9. 48. 1 Pet. 3. 19. Math. 5. 22. there is in it a burning fire but without light a gnawing worme without rest Saint Peter cals it a prison and our Sauiour cals it Gehenna for the horrible scrieches of them who are burnt in it and the vile and stinking filthinesse wherwith it is replenished And as for the vâ—â—uersality of their paine It is certaine The vnâ—â—uersality of it Nothing in man shall be without paine all Gods plagues shall concor to punish him that as euery thing in them sinned so euery thing in them shall be punished No power of their soule no member of their body shall be free from that wrath Surely it should astonish man to consider this for if now any one of Gods ordinary plagues inflicted vpon any one member of the body be so insufferable how intollerable vvill that paine be he who now is payned with the tooth-ach takes some comfort when he sees another tormented with the collicke and he also if he see another burnt vp with Anthonies fire beares his owne crosse the more patiently because he sees a greater laid vpon another No man in this life suffereth all things one cryeth with the Shunamites sonne for excessiue dolour alas my head my head another with Antiochus my belly the third with Asa my feete my feete but what are all these comparable to that paine vvherein head and belly and feet yea the whole man shall be racked vpon the torments of Gods wrath and that not with one plague onely but with manifold for as all the waters of the earth runne into the great Ocean so all the plagues of God shall concurre and meete together in hell for the punishment of the damned But yet the eternity of that paine doth still increase the The eternitie of it horrour thereof there shall be no end of their punishment their fire shall neuer be quenched their worme shall neuer dye they shall seeke death as a benefite and shall not finde it The fire of Sodome was ended in a day the deluge of water that drowned the originall world lasted but a yeare the famine that plagued Aegypt lasted but seauen yeares the captiuity of Israell was ended in seauenty yeares but this wrath of GOD vpon the damned shall endure for
benefite hee receiues of vs for nothing can accresse by the meanes of any creature to that most high and al-sufficient maiestie Sâ—d vt haberit in quem sua benefiâ—ia collâ—caret but that hee might haue some vpon whom to bestow his benefits for the declaration of the glorie of his rich mercie Yet both the Adoptions agrees in this that they flow The naturall giues to the Adopted the priuiledges of a sonne from the pleasure and good will of him vvho is the adoptant and that they giue to him who is adopted the priuiledges of a Sonne which by nature he hath not but where the naturall adoptant cannot change the nature of that man whom hee hath adopted to be his Sonne no more then Moses qui Aethiopissam duxit sed non potuit Aethiopissae mutare colorem who married an Aethiopian vvoman but could not change the Aethiopians colour but the Lord our God were wee neuer so blacke if hee marry vs hee shall make vs beautifull if by the grace of Adoption he make But the spirituall giues also the new nature and conditions of a Sonne vs his sonnes by the grace of Regeneration hee shall also make vs new creatures all the sonnes of GOD are made partakers of the Diuine nature Take heede therefore vnto your liues and conuersations for if ye goe on to spend the remanent of your dayes after the inordinate lusts of the flesh and walke on in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnes in adulterie in strife and enuy in couctousnesse and such other workes of vncleannesse wherein many among you doe yet continue wee must say vnto you that ye haue not God for your Father but ye are of your father the Diuell because ye doe his workes except wee see in you the Image and superscription of God and that ye haue engrauen in your conuersation as Aaron Exod. 28. 36. had vpon his frontlet Holinesse to the Lord we cannot blesse you in the name of the Lord nor acknowledge you for such as are his by Adoption And of this againe wee marke that the sonnes of God The Sonnes of God after their receiuing the Spirit of Adoption know that God is their Father know most certainely that God is become their heauenly Father for in this they are taught of God by his owne spirit to acknowledge him and call vpon him with boldnesse as vpon their Father It is therefore a vile errour which that most comfortlesse religion of the Papists renders to them who seeke comfort in it that no man in this life can know whether he be beloued or hated of God nor can haue any certaine knowledge of his owne saluation except it be by extraordinarie reuelation we improued it at length in the ninth verse It is true naturall children may be ignorant of their earthly Father and puft vp with a vaine conceit that they are descended of a more noble parentage then indeed they are as the â—latterers of Alexander would haue him to thinke that hee was the Sonne of Iupiter and not of Phillip but being wounded in a battell hee was taught by experience that hee was the mortall Sonne of a mortall Father and therefore smyling vpon his â—latterers hee said vnto them this bloud seemeth to mee not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not like the strong bloud of GOD but the bloud of man But as for the Children of God they can not be deceiued of their generation they know that God is their Father and with greater homelinesse and more freedome of spirit yea and surer knowledge they call God their Father then any son in the world is able to call on his earthly Father Whereby we cry The Apostle here doth teach vs that it No prayer to God without the spirit of God is by the spirit of Adoption wee pray vnto God without that Spirit men may speake of God but without him they cannot speake vnto God Prayer is a proper action of the sons of God The Apostle describing them who are Saints by calling saith they are sanctified by Christ and call vpon the name of the Lord Iesus hee ioynes these two together to tell vs that they who are not called by God and sanctified in Christ cannot call vpon him as for prophane men it is certain they cannot pray though they repeat that prayer Our father which art in heauen what else doe they but multiply lyes as they multiply words Onely the spirit of Adoption teacheth the Children of How the godly sometime are transported in Prayer 2 King 2. God to pray Prayer is vnto them like that firie Chariot in the which Eliah was caried from earth to heauen by it they are transported to haue their conuersation with God and speake to him in so familiar a manner that they know not those things which are beside them neyther see they those things which are before them being in the body they are caried out of the body they present to the Lord sighs which cannot be expressed and vtters to the Lord such words as they themselues are not able to repeat againe and that all this proceedes from the operation of the Spirit who bends vp their affections and teacheth them to pray is euident by this that when this holy Spirit intermits or relents his working in them they become senselesse and heauy harted more readie to sleepe with Peter Iames and Iohn than to watch Mat. 26. 38. and pray with Iesus yea suppose it were in the very houre of tentation Wee cry c. The Apostle you see reckons himselfe among The godly should cry together not one against an other others who cryes by this Spirit of Adoption though the children of God be many yet seeing they all are led by one spirit they should all cry for one thing vnto God the assemblies of the Church militant on earth should resemble as neere as they can the glorious assemblies of the Church triumphant in heauen many are they who followes the Lambe their voyce is like vnto the voyce of many waters yet they all sing but one song so should there be among vs that are Christians but one voyce specially when we meete in the publike assemblies of the Church though wee were Vnion of desires in prayer commended neuer so many yet our affections and desires should concur in one and all of vs send vp one voyce to the Lord. Wee see that in nature coniunction of things which are of one kinde makes them much stronger many flames of fire vnited in one are not easily quenched many springs of water if they meet together in one make the stronger riuer but being deuided are the more easily ouercome Saint Iames Iames 5. 16. saith the prayer of one righteous man auailes much if it be powred out in faith what then shall we thinke of the prayers of many Oh what a blessing might wee looke for if vvee could ioyne in
improued pray to none but to our Father whom shall wee follow as Schoole-maisters in prayer If wee vvill be instructed of Psal 50. 15. the Lord. Call vpon â—ee in the day of thy trouble and I shall deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee If wee vvill be taught by Iesus Christ after this manner saith hee shall yee pray Mat. 6. 9. Our Father which art in Heauen If yee would know how the Spirit teacheth vs to pray the Apostle here telleth you hee teacheth vs to cry Abba Father these three are one and deliuers vnto vs one truth what better Schoole-maisters to teach vs a true forme of acceptable Prayer vnto God can wee haue then these and therefore that doctrine which teacheth to pray to Angels or Saints departed must proceed from the spirit of errour for wee are here otherwise taught of God we cannot saith the Apostle call vpon him in whom we beleeue not As for the Angels wee beleeue that they are which the Saduces did not but we beleeue not in them and therefore will not pray vnto them In all the old testament we read no prayer made to Abraham albeit In all the scripture no prayer to Abraham Moses c. nor to Cherubin nor Seraphin hee was the father of the saithfull none to Isaac or Iacob or Moses or any other of the Fathers departed In a hundreth and fiftie Psalmes no prayer is made to Cherube or Seraphin though they in their Psalter of the Virgin haue turned ouer all the prayses and petitions made to the Lord into petitions to our Lady as if where Dauid saith O Lord Psal 6. 1. rebuke mee not in thine anger wee were all to say O Ladie rebuke me not in thine anger and O Lord thou art my righteousnesse Psal 4. 1. O Lady thou art my righteousnesse and so forth in the rest but wee may boldly say with Bernard libenter Bernard certè gloriosa virgo tali honore carebit the glorious Virgin is willingly content to want such honour The Angell would not suffer Iohn to prostrate before him doe it not saith hee I am but thy fellow seruant this one of those blessed spirits Reu. 19. 10. witnesses to vs in the name of all the rest that it is the will of the Saints of God in heauen that wee who are vpon earth should reserue to the Lord his owne worship and giue no part thereof to creatures yea they are offended when that honour is offered to them which is due to the Lord. Where if that common obiection be brought which Ambrose It is not in the court of heauen as in the courts of earthly kings Ambros in epist ad Rom. did obuiate in his time posse nos per istos ire ad Deum sicut comites peruenitur ad regem that men by such mediators may goe to God as they goe to Kings by those who are honorable in their courts to them we answere with him hoc est misera vâ—i excusatione this is to pretend a miserable excuse for men goe to kings by courtiers because the king is but a man ad Deum autem quem nihil latet promirendum suffragatore non opus est sed mente deuota but as for the Lord from whom nothing is hid there needs no such procutor to make him fauourable vnto vs onely there is required a deuout minde for in whatsoeuer place hee who is truely godly speakes vnto God the Lord shall answere him And lastly that the Apostle here ioyneth two words of Euery tongue and language is sanctified for prayer if we vnderstand it sundry languages Abba Father it is to teach vs that euery tongue is sanctified to the vse of Gods children and that it is lawfull for vs to pray in any language if so be wee vnderstand it but to binde people to pray in a language they vnderstand not or for him that should be the mouth of God in the exercise of diuine worship to speake to the people in a strange language which they vnderstand not is a sacrilegious tyranâ—ie That which God powred out as a curse on They are builders of Babell who speake to the people in a language they vnderstand not the first Babell that one of them vnderstood not what another said and the people knew not what the builderâ—â—raued in the second Babel is receiued as a blessing The Caldeans a fierce and cruell nation were sent against the Iewes speaking to them in a language which they vnderstood not to punish in them the contempt of the voice of God which they would not learne nor vnderstand and now the messengers of Antichrist a cruell and mercilesse people are come out speaking to the world in an vncouth language for punishment of them that receiued not the loue of the truth A faithfull seruant of the Lord had he neuer so many languages had rather speake in the Church fiue words with vnderstanding that others might be instructed than ten thousand otherwaies he is but an hireling and a false Apostle that purposely speakes to a people in a language they vnderstand not We giue thankes to God who hath deliuered vs from this most fearefull captiuitie and confusion of Babell Verse 16. The same spirit beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God ALbeit this operation of the Spirit whereby he witnesses vnto vs that wee are the Children of God be set downe in the last place yet in order of working it goes before the other for certainely vnlesse his holy spirit testifie vnto vs that God is become our father and hath made vs his children we dare not go neere him to craue good things from him The beginning of our acquaintance with GOD flowes from him herein is loue not that wee loued him first but that bee loued 1 Ioh. 4. 10. Rom. 11. 35. vâ— Who hath first giuen vnto him and he shall be recompensed We must first receiue from God some secret information of his loue and fatherly affection or euer we be able to returne vnto him the desires the words and the deedes of his louing children Here first appeareth the fatherly indulgence of the Lord The great loue of our father which hee hath shewed by sending his spirit into our harts our God towards vs we are here in a vally of death in heauines through continuall afflictions the time is not yet come wherein the Lord will communicate to vs his glorious presence to fill vs with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his face the time is not yet come wherein wee must ascend to our Father yet to keepe vs in the meane time that wee faint not the Lord hath sent downe his holy Spirit into our harts to comfort vs. O fatherly care O wonderfull loue when Israel was yet in the wildernesse the Lord sent them some of the fruits of Canaan to comfort them by the hand of Ioshua and Caleb but what was that if it be compared
to come giues his iudgement here of both thus much after reasoning I conclude or after iust reckoning this is the summe which I collect and gather here then are two circumstances which greatly amplifies his purpose one that hee sets not downe this as an vncertaine opinion but as a most sure conclusion gathered out of good reason And againe that it is the conclusion of such a one as by experience knew both what experience the Apostle had of our present suffering hee telleth vs 2 Cor. 11. what experience he had of the glory to be reuealed he tels vs 2 Cor. 12. so that his words wee are to consider this way let other men count and reckon as they will this is my reckoning who haue proued them both there is no comparison betweene them What knowledge hee had of the weight of our present sufferings he tels you by a three-fold vniuersalitie first that he had suffered all kinde of crosses hunger thirst colde nakednesse rods stonings imprisonings secondly that he suffered in all places in the sea in the land in the Citie in the wildernesse where euer he came to preach the Gospell there was he persecuted by some one sort of trouble or other thirdly that hee suffered of all sorts of persons both of the Gentiles and of his owne nation both of open enemies and of false brethren Againe as for his experience of the glory to be reuealed hee tels you how he was taken vp into Paradise and there heard such words as cannot be reuealed This conclusion therefore is the more The one he tasted in his iourney from Ierusalem to Illiricum the other in his iourney from earth to heauen to be esteemed of vs because hee who giues out this iudgement of the excellencie of the one aboue the other is such a one as had experience of them both hee made a iourney on earth from Ierusalem to Illiricum all which way preaching the Gospell hee suffered many afflictions he made another iourney from earth to heauen whether in the body or out of the body hee could not tâ—ll and there he saw that inutterable glory and comparing with himselfe these two together hee giues out this for a finall sentence that all our present afflictions are but light in respect of that infinite weight of glory to be reuealed As for worldlings we are not to stand vpon their testimonie for as hee cannot giue out right sentence between two parties that heares not both their causes so cannot the worldling who knowes something both of the pleasures and sorrowes of this life but nothing of the ioyes which are to come consider how farre the life to come is to be preferred before this and therefore albeit in the conclusions of his heart he giue out sentence in fauour of the life present wee are not to regard it because he hath not heard nor considered that which tends to the commendation of the other Wee see then here how that our strength in trouble is How the certaintie of the glory to come mittigates our present trouble greatly encreased by the sight at least by the certainty of that glory which will be the end of our trouble this sight made the Apostle count light of his present sufferings let Stephen haue his eyes in prayer to see the Heauens opened and Iesus standing at the right hand of God and he shal not be moued with the stones which the Iewes violently throw at him let Moses see him who is inuisible and he shall not feare Pharaoh let him see that recompence of reward and he shal be better contented to suffer rebuke with the people of God than to enioy the treasures of Egypt this is that which made the Martyres stand exulting reioycing euen then when Infidels tormented their bodies If they had been in the body they had felt the paine and it had disquieted them nunc vero non mirum si exules a corpore dolores non sentiant Ber. in Cant. ser 61. corporis but now no meruaile that being out of the body they felt not the dolors of the body and where thinke yee was then the soule of the Martyr certainely in a sure place euen in Petra in the rocke inuincible in the bowels of Christ non sua sentit dum Christi vulner a intuetur he feeleth not his owne wounds while as stedfastly hee sixeth his eyes vpon the wounds of Christ neither will he be afraid for the losse of this life who hath laid hold vpon eternall life and is made sure of a better Let vs therefore pray vnto God diligently that our eyes It should make vs despise both the threatnings allurements of men may be opened to see the riches of that glorious inheritance that as wee speake and heare of it so in like manner wee may see and feele it for the sight thereof makes all trouble easie yea causeth the bitternesse of death to passe away if the world threaten vs with her terrours let vs remember they are not comparable to Gods terrours let vs Mat. 10. â—8 not feare them who killeth the body and are able to doe no more but let vs feare him who is able to cast both soule and body into hell fire Mâ—naâ—ur homo carcerem Dâ—us gehennam for vvhat comparison is here vvhen a man threatens thee with prison and God threatens thee with hell And if againe the world promise reward and allure vs with her pleasures let vs remember they are not comparable to Gods pleasures In all such tentations wherein wee shall be solicited to loose a good conscience for the gaine or glory of the world let vs answere our tempters as those forty Martyres answered the Emperours deputie who by promising many rewards would haue entised them to make Apostasie from Iesus Christ putas ne te tantum posse dâ—re quantum cripere contendis thinke yee said they that yee are able to giue vs Men cannot giue vs so much as they would take from vs. so much as yee would take from vs non â—ccipimus honorem vnde nobis nascetur ignominia wee will none of that honour out of which ignomie and shame shall arise vnto vs a worthie answere indeede for though we should gaine the whole world and loose our owne soule what recompence can that be vnto vs Afflictions The Apostle commonly by two names expresseth How afflictions are Gods wine-presse to the godly to presse out and make manifest his grace in them our troubles sometime hee cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first name they receiue in regard of the malice of our persecuters who presse vs and are vnto the Godly the wine-presse of God to presse out that sap and iuice of grace which is in them which how euer they doe for the worst the Lord turnes it vnto the best making thereby that grace which lurked in them before manifest vnto others like vnto the good vvine berryes of
to confirme them that the sight of the other should not confound them Somtime againe the Lord in the middest of trouble giues his children such comfort as deuoures all their present sorrowes to Peter in the prison there appeared an Angel and a light shining round about him and Iacob banished from his Fathers house sees a more comfortable vision at Bethel than any that euer hee had seene at home but albeit the Lord deales not alway with all his children as hee did with these yet are they all sure of this comfort glory shall be the end of their sufferings To be reuealed The Apostle calleth it a glory to be reuealed Our glory is prepared but not reuealed hee telleth vs in another place that it is prepared already yea it was prepared before the foundation of the world but it is not yet reuealed beatitudo illa comparari hic Aug. de Sanctâ—s ser 46. potest possideri non potest that felicitie may be obtayned here but cannot be possessed here Ne itaque quaeras in via quod tibi seruator in patria seeke not therefore that in the vvay which is kept for thee till thou come to thy countrey let vs possesse our Soules in patience waiting for that which in this life is neyther reuealed nor can be possessed Moses besought the Lord to shew him his glory and he receiued Exod 33. 18. this answere No man can see it and liue and vvhen that glory filled the Tabernacle it is said that Moses could Exod. 40. 38. Moriamur vt viuamus not enter into it Seeing it is so that our wretched nature can not abide that glory and we cannot liue and see the Lord let vs prepare our selues with ioy and contentment to dye that we may see him And in the meane time by that glory which God hath Yet by the glory reuealed we may iudge of that glory which is not reuealed Aug. de temp ser 9. 9. reuealed in his workes let vs iudge of that which is not reuealed if these workes of God vvhich wee see be so beautifull what shall wee thinke of those we see not out of all doubt among all the workes of God those which are inuisible are most excellent as the body of man is a beautifull vvork manship but not comparable to the soule This glory I count it the highest degree of eternall life the first is Righteousnesse the second Peace the third Ioy the fourth is Glory Righteousnesse breeds Peace and Peace breedes Ioy and our Ioy shall be crowned with glorie if the doing of the workes of righteousnesse bring such comfort to the minde as the godly finde in experience how shall our comfort abound when we receiue the reward of righteousnesse Ber. in Cant. Ser. 47. God is good to them who seek him much more vnto theÌ„ who finde him which is Glory Si sic bonus es quaerentibus te qualis es assequentibus if thou Lord be so good to them who seeke thee vvhat shalt thou be to them vvho finde thee vve may be assured that these first fruits of the Spirit and the earnest of our heauenly inheritance wherin now stands our greatest comfort shall appeare as nothing vvhen that masse of glory shall be taken vp and communicated vnto vs. As the light of the Sunne when it ariseth obscures the light of the Moone and Starres so that glorie when it shall be reuealed shall obscure those our ioyes which now we esteeme to be greatest Adeo enim pulchra est facies illa vt illa visa Aug. de temp ser 49. nihil aliud possit delectare for so pleasant is that face of God that they vvho once see it can be delighted vvith no other thing The Queene of the South heard very much of Salomâ—ns wisedome and of the glorie of his Kingdome but as she confesseth herselfe the halfe of his glory vvas not told We shall see much more in heauen than we can heare of it her and so shal we one day not onely say with the Psalmist As we haue heard so haue we seene in the Cittie of our God but shall be compelled to acknowledge that the glory prepared for vs by innumerable degrees excels all that euer we heard of it Semper enim maiora tribuit Deus quam promittit Basil hexam for the Lord our God giues alwayes greater things than he promiseth And yet albeit we cannot speake of it as wee should let Meditation of the Glory to come recommended to vs. vs meditate vpon it as vvee may where the Apostle is silent vvho can speake when hee was rauished to the third heauens hee heard such vvords as hee could not vtter and againe the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard those things which God hath prepared for them who loue him facilâ—â—s inuenimus quid ibi non sit quam quid sit it is more easie to Aug. de verb. dom ser 64. tell what that life is not than to tell what it is yet certainly the Lord would neuer vse it as an argument to comfort vs in trouble were it not that it is his will that wee exercise our mindes in the consideration thereof When the Lord first promised to giue Abraham the land of Canaan for inheritance hee commanded him to rise and walke through the land to view the length and the breadth thereof albeit he was not to put him in a present possession thereof yet the Lord vvill haue him to view it that the sight of that which GOD had promised might sustaine and comfort him till the day of possession came so vvee though vve be not presently to be entered into possession of our heauenly Canaan yet seeing the Lord hath so commanded vs let vs now and then goe with Moses to the toppe of Pisgah and view it that is let vs separate our soules from the earth and ascend by prayer and spirituall meditation and delight our selues with some sight of that land as it shall please the Lord to giue it vnto vs. There are foure principall names by vvhich the holy Our estate in heauen expressed vnder foure most comfortable names Spirit in Scripture expresses that felicitie of the Saints of God in heauen first it is called a life and such a life as is eternall secondly it is called a glory and such a glory as is a crowne of glory and that of infinite vvaight thirdly it is called a kingdome and such a kingdome as cannot be shaken Heb. 12. 28. fourthly it is called an inheritance and such an inheritance as is immortall vndefiled and that fades not away Tell O man what is it thine heart vvould haue Is there any thing thou louest better than life is there any better life then a life of glory is there any greater glory than a kingdome of glory is there any surer kingdome than that which is thine by the right of an immortall and permanent inheritance and yet these are the excellent
therefore will rest vvith Dauid Psal 65. Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come vnto thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house This being spoken as concerning the excellency of that 2 The eternitie of it life in that it is called a life of glory the next thing to be considered here is the eternitie thereof for there is here a secret opposition betweene our present sufferings of which the Apostle here saith they are but for now and betweene that Glory which 2 Cor. 4 hee cals eternall but herein vve insist not hauing spoken of it before The third thing concerning this Glory here touched 3 The claritie perspicuitie of it Col. 3. 3. 1 Iohn 3. is the claritie and perspicuitie therof â—t shall bâ— reuealed and not obscured any more as now it is Now our life is hid with Christ in God Now are wee the sonnes of God but it appeares not what wee shall be As our head being the God of glory came into the world in the shape of a seruant so his members liue here in earth in a contemptible estate farre inferiour to their glory therfore Gregorie Nazianzen compares the Mans life on earth a stage play wherein men are disguised seeming to be that which they are not life of man vpon earth to a stage play wherein oftentimes the gentleman appeares in a beggars weede and the beggar comes in with the royall robe and scepter of a King in the time of action they cannot be discerned the honourable person being disguised is euill intreated as if no honour were due vnto him and hee is placed in the seate of honour who is not a man of honour but when the play is done and the disguising garments laid away then euery man is known to be such as indeed he is and returneth to his owne place it is euen so in this present world the sonnes of GOD appeare in most contemptible shapes and on the other part none more honourable than those of vvhom wee may say Psal with the Psalmist when they are exalted it is a shame for the sonnes of men But when the play shall be ended the maskes and vailes shall be taken from the faces of men and euerie one shall appeare that which he is the beggarly garment of Lazarus shall be taken from him he shall be declared to be the sonne of God and gathered vnto Abrahams bosome the purple garment of the rich glutton shall in like manner be laid aside and then hee who seemed honourable in the world shall be sent vnto hell and couered with shame and confusion The last thing to be considered here concerning this 4 The veritie and soliditie of it it is within vs. glory is the veritie and soliditie thereof it shall not onely be reuealed vnto vs but saith the Apostle it shall be reuealed in vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where we haue to put a difference betweene the glorie of a Christian and the vaine glory of the worldling Psal the glory of Ierusalem is within the Kings daughter is all glorioâ—s within but the glory of worldlings is without them for they either place their glory in the multitude of their attendants the glory of a King consists in the multitude of Pro. 13. his subiects if they haue no people to honor and obey them their glory goeth to the ground or in the testimonie and commendation of men counting it their glory to be praised of men As the Camelion liues on the ayre so liue they on Silly glory of worldlings is without them either in their followers the breath of other mens mouthes if men commend them they are puft vp if men speake euil of them they are cast downe O silly glorie that is made vp and downe by the breath of another mans mouth surely it can neither be stedfast nor stable For as the Moone stands neuer in one state but changes continually because it hath no light of the owne but borrowes it from the Sunne and therefore shineth more or lesse as it is in aspect with the Sunne so is it vvith them whose glorie depends vpon the testimonie of others their greatnesse is made vp or downe according to the praise or dispraise of men but hee who with Iob knoweth that his witnesse is in heauen wil place all his reioycing in the testimonie of a good Conscience for that which at length will be our glory must be reuealed vnto vs. Others againe are so foolishly vaine glorious that they Or in their gorgeous garments place their glory in their garments This is a begd and vanishing glory from the Wormes man borrowes silkes to decore him from the shel-fish Pearles from the earth siluer and gold from the Sheepe wool to be his garment from the Oxen their skinne to be his shooes from the Foules feathers to dresse him like a foole Thus being clad like Herode on his birth-day he would seeme to be an honourable man foolishly reioycing in that which is the witnesse of his shame and should be the matter of his humiliation thus men hauing lost that glorie which GOD gaue them in the beginning sollicite huc illuc circumeunt aliunde sibi Chri. in Mat. hom 4. gloriam colligentes omni irrisione dignâ—ssimam runnes vp and downe with great care gathering from other things a glorie to themselues most worthy to be scorned Now to conclude as wee haue some way seene the greatnesse Vse of this doctrine is to moue vs to exchange things present with things to come of this glory prepared for vs so are wee to labour to haue our harts inflamed with such a loue and desire thereof that we may despise the best things of this earth as doung and account the greatest glorie of flesh to be as withering grasse in comparison of it may resolue patiently to beare yea and to reioyce in our present afflictions vnder hope of that glory to be reuealed in vs. There is no man we see that will refuse to change for the better he exchanges siluer for gold and giues leade for precious stones though the better hee gets be but in opinion and shall not vve be content like the wise men of God to forgoe the earth and the pleasures thereof that we may enioy heauen As for worldlings What taste worldlings haue of the ioyes to come it is no maruaile to see them take a dunghill of earth in their armes and say vnto it thou art my ioy and my portion for they not being illuminated with the light of the liuing make choyse of that vvhich according to their light they esteeme to be best or if at any time they haue tasted of the powers of the life to come yet are they like those Marchants who hauing tasted wines which pleased them vvell refuse to buy them being scared vvith the greatnesse of the price which must be giuen for them euen
Where for the comfort of the weake Christian vve are The wounded cōscience euen of the godly desires not death to consider whether the godly be alway in this estate that they dare lift vp their heads with ioy and pray for Christs second appearance or not To this I answere that their disposition herein is according to the estate of their conscience as the eye being hurt is content to be couered with a vaile and desireth not to behold the light vvherein otherwise it reioyceth so the conscience of the godly being any way wounded is afraid to stand before the light of the countenance of God till the time that it be cured againe And this made Dauid to craue that the Lord would spare him a Psal 51. 9. Psal 86. 3. little and giue him space to recouer his strength but after mourning and earnest calling for mercie the conscience being pacified then doe the godly say vvith Simeon Now Lord let thy Seruant depart for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Luke 2. 29. For the Adoption He said before that we haue receiued Adoption is either begun as now or accomplished as we looke for it the spirit of Adoption and now he saith that vve waite for Adoption but vve must vnderstand that there is a begun Adoption vvhereby vve are made the sonnes of God and that vve haue receiued already there is in like manner a consummate Adoption vvhereby we are manifested to be the sonnes of God and entred into the full possession of our fathers inheritance and that we waite for The redemption of our bodies As there is a two-fold adoption There is also a two-fold redemption first of the soule frō sin secondly of the body from death Ephes 1. so also a two-fold redemption the first is defined by the Apostle to be the remission of our sinnes and that we haue receiued already the second is called in that same Chapter the redemption of the possession and here the redemption of our bodies and this wee looke for to come As the soule was first wounded by sinne and then the bodie vvith mortalitie and corruption so the Lord Iesus the restorer who came to repaire the wound which Sathan inflicted on man doth first of all restore life to the soule by the remission of sins which hee hath obtayned by his suffering in the flesh and therefore the Herald of his first comming Ioh. 1. 29. Reu. 20. 5. 6. cryed before him behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world This is the first Resurrection blessed are they who are partakers of it for vpon such the second death shall haue no power but in his second comming we shal also be partakers of the second redemption hee shall redeeme our bodyes from the power of the graue wherein now they lye captiued and deliuer them from the shame of mortalitie and corruption Let this comfort vs against the present base and contemptible Cōfort against the present base estate of our bodies state of our bodies now they are but filthy sinckes of corruption and vessels so full of vncleanenes that the Lord hath appointed in the body fiue conduits to purge the naturall filth thereof and after this they are to be laid downe in the bed of corruption the wormes spread vnder them and aboue them as it is said of the King of Ashur shall deuoure 2 King 19. and consume their flesh the earth shall eate vp their bones and turne them into dust the braine which was the seat of many proud and vaine imaginations becomes after death oftentimes the seat of the vgly toad the reynes that were the seat of concupiscence engendreth serpents and the bowels vvhich could neuer be gotten satisfied with meate and drinke shall be replenished vvith armies of crawling wormes but against all these vve haue this comfort that as presently we haue obtained remission of our sinnes so are we assured of a glorious redemption of our bodies qui enim Bernard resurgit in anima resurget in corpore ad vitam for he that riseth now in his soule shall hereafter rise in his body to eternall life And of this euery man is admonished that if he loue his He who hath the first redemption shall be sure of the second body he should in time take heed to the estate of his soule see that it be partaker of the first redemption which is the remission of sinnes and be sure thy body shall be partaker of the second redemption It is a pittifull thing to see what preposterous care is taken by men for conseruation of their bodily life there is nothing they leaue vndone vt differant mortem quam auferre non-possunt that they may at the least Bernard prolong and delay death which they cannot cut away but if men take so much paines and suffer so strait a dyet of body and bestow so great expenses that they may liue a short while longer vpon earth what should men doe that they may liue for euer in heauen Verse 24. For wee are saued by hope but hope that is seene is not hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth IN this verse and the subsequent the Apostle An obiection answered answeres an obiection seeing hee said before that wee haue receiued the Spirit of adoption how hath hee said now that wee are still waiting for adoption He doth therefore teach vs that both these are true we are saued now and we look for a more full saluation hereafter we are adopted now and wee looke for the perfection of our adoption hereafter and that it is so hee proues here by this reason the saluation that now we haue is by hope therefore it is not yet come nor perfected The necessitie of this consequence depends vpon the nature of hope which is of things that are not seene nor as yet come to passe This place is abused by the aduersaries to impugne the This verse abused to impugne Iustification by Faith doctrine of iustification by Faith we are saued say they by hope and therefore not by Faith onely That wee may see the weakenesse of their reason wee will first compare Faith and Hope in that relation which they haue to Christ secondly in that relation which they haue mutually among themselues For we deny not that Faith Hope and Loue each one of them haue a place in the worke of our saluation but the question betweene vs and them is concerning the right placing of them First then it is certaine that both Faith Hope compared in their relation to Christ Faith and Hope looke vnto Christ Iesus Christ and that vvhich hee hath conquered vnto vs is the obiect of them both but diuersly for faith enters vs into a present possession of Christ and his benefits he that beleeueth in me saith Ioh. 3. 36. our Sauiour hath eternall life hee saith not onely hee shall haue it but also that presently hee
hath it Hope againe lookes for a future possession of Christ which shall be much more excellent than that which presently we enioy for the possession of Christ which now I haue by Faith is 1 Cor. 13. 9. 10. imperfect and mediate by Faith I know Christ but in part by Faith I apprehend him but in part also and this possession I haue it mediately to wit by the meanes of the Word and Sacraments but my hope directs mee to looke for a more excellent possession of Christ within a short while in whom I shall enioy much more than now by the knowledge of my Faith I can see in him or yet by apprehension of my Faith I can comprehend of him And this is that perfect and immediate possession of Christ which by Hope we looke for Now as for their mutuall relation among themselues Faith and hope compared in their mutuall relation betweene themselues Faith is of things past present and to come Hope is onely of things to come Faith is more largely extended than Hope we hope for nothing vvhich vve beleeue not but something vvee beleeue for vvhich vve hope not vve beleeue that the paines of hell abide the wicked but we hope them not for hope is an expectation of good to come they may fall vnder feare but come not vnder hope Againe Faith is the mother of Hope for of that imperfect knowledge and apprehension of Christ which I haue by Faith there ariseth in mee an hope and expectation of a better Hope againe is not onely the daughter of Faith but the conseruer and nourisher of Faith the piller that vnderprops it when it faints for in this life wee are beset vvith so manifold tentations the worke of God seeming oftentimes contrary to his word and things appearing to fall out otherwise than the Lord hath promised that our Faith thereby is wonderfully daunted and therefore hath need to be supported by Hope vvhich teacheth alwayes with patience to depend vpon Gods truth and to looke for a better As for example the Lord saith Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble Psal 50. 15. I will heare thee and deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me according to this promise the Christian calling vpon God and yet not finding deliuerance his Faith begins to faint but then Hope comes in and succoureth Faith and her counsell is the vision is for an appointed time at last it shall Habak 2. 3. speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and not stay and this Faith being strengthened by Hope continues her prayers to God vntill she obtaine her promised and desired deliuerance And of this it is euident in what sense it is that the Apostle The right place assigned to euery one of these three Faith Hope Loue in the worke of saluation saith wee are saued by Hope to vvit because by it vvee are vpholden in trouble for he is not here disputing of the manner of our Iustification which he hath done before but discoursing of those comforts vvhich we haue to sustaine vs in affliction If ye aske by which of these three Faith Hope and Loue we are iustified that is by which of them we apprehend Christs righteousnes offered to vs in the Gospell the Apostle hath aunswered already wee are iustified by Faith If ye demand which of these three chiefely sustaines vs in affliction the Apostle here telleth you that vvhen Faith is weake Hope saues vs that vve despaire not and if yee demand which of these three declares vs to be men iustified by Faith in Christ the Apostle telleth you vvee must declare our Faith by good workes for Faith vvorketh by Loue these are the right places which these three excellent graces of the Spirit hath in the worke of our saluation and they goe so ioyntly together that they cannot be sundred When we say that a man is iustified by Faith onely vve doe not therefore make the iustified man to be vvithout Hope and Loue. For albeit in the action of the apprehending The doctrine of Iustification by faith onely takes not away Hope Loue. and applying of Christs righteousnesse Faith onely workes for which we say truely wee are iustified by Faith onely yet Hope and Loue haue other actions pertaining to saluation necessarily requisite in the iustified man And this doth cleare vs of that false calumnie wherewith the aduersaries doe charge vs as if we did teach that Faith might Calumnie of the aduersarie concerning this confuted be without Hope or Loue. because we affirme that vve are iustified by Faith onely I say most truely vvhen I say that among all the members of the body the eye onely sees but if any man collect of my speech that the eye is onely in the body without eare or hand he concludes wrong For albeit in the facultie of seeing I say the eye onely sees yet doe I not for that seperate it from the communion of the rest of the members of the body In the Sunne heat and light goe inseparably together of these two it is the heat onely that warmes vs doe I therefore say that the heat is without the light Among all the graces of the Spirit when I say that Faith onely iustifies I doe but point out the proper action of Faith but doe not therefore seperate it from Hope and Loue. So farre iniurious are the aduersaries of the truth vnto vs when they accuse vs for maintaining a Faith which is without Hope and doth not worke by Loue which we neuer affirmed Of this now it is euident that the Hope of a Christian Hope of a Christian is a strong thing depending on sure warrants must be very strong seeing it sustaines him in trouble it is a pillar that sustaines the whole building and a most sure anchor which being fastned vpon the rocke Christ Iesus holds vs so fast that we who are weake vessels tost too and fro vvith restles tribulations cannot be ouercome it leanes vpon most certaine vvarrants vvhereof now we will onely consider a few The first vvarrant of our hope is the vvord of GOD The first warrant of our Hope is the word of God 1 Pet 7. 4. whereof novv onely vve vvill touch these two comfortable places The Apostle saith there is reserued for vs in heauen an immortall inheritance vnto the which wee also are kept by the power of God through faith A word certainely full of all comfort that inheritance which the Lord keepes for me in heauen who can disappoint me of it and seeing I am kept by his power on earth for that same inheritance vvho can take me out of his hand he reserues my portion in heauen for me he keepes me on earth for it what then is there that is able to disappoint me of this hope Againe compare me these two together that the Father speaking from heauen saith of Christ this is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well
Mark 9. 7. pleaseâ— heare him the Sonne againe to vvhom the Father hath sent you he saith feare not little flocke it is my Fathers Luke 12. 32. will to giue you a kingdome not for your worthinesse but for the good pleasure of his owne will O what a strong consolation and fortresse of our Hope haue wee heere the Father commands vs to heare his Sonne the sonne assures vs that it is his Fathers vvill to giue vs a kingdome therefore will vve casting away faithlesse feare possesse our soules in patience looking by a constant hope for performance of that kingdome vvhich he hath promised vs. The second warrant of our hope is the Oath of God The second warrant of our hope is the oath of God surely the vvord of GOD in it selfe is as true when it is spoken as when it is sworne but for the strengthening of our vveake faith it hath pleased the Lord to ioyne his oath with his word being willing to shew vnto the heyres of promise Heb. 6. 18. more aboundantly the stabilitie of his counsell hath bound himselfe by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye wee might haue strong consolation vvho haue our refuge to hold fast the hope vvhich is set before vs. The third vvarrant of our hope is the legacâ—e and testament The third warrant of our hope is the legacy of Christ of Christ in the vvhich he doth not onely by prayer recommend vs to Gods eternal mercy but more particularly he assures vs that he is gone to prepare a place for vs and that he will come againe to receiue vs vnto himselfe that where he is there also we may be And further speaking vnto his Father he saith Father I will that those whom thou hast giuen mee be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Shall we thinke that the Father will disannul the testament of his Sonne O how comfortable is it to compare these two the Father saith vnto the Sonne Aske of me what thou wilt and I will giue it thee the Sonne againe asketh of the Father that they who are his may be where he is shall wee not then rest in hope assured to be glorified vvith him The fourth pillar of our hope is the bloud of Iesus The fourth is the bloud of the Lord Iesus Christ shed for vs by vvhich he hath subscribed and sealed all the promises of GOD to be yea and Amen A testament saith the Apostle is ratified by the death of a testator and the Lord Iesus by his death hath confirmed the testament that bloud vvhich hee hath poured out as the price of our redemption cryes continually vnto God for vs vntill the redemption of our soules and bodies be perfected The fift warrant of our hope is the pledge of the Spirit The fift is the pledge of the Spirit giuen vs on earth vvhich the Lord Iesus according to his promise hath sent downe into our hearts By him saith the Apostle wee are sealed against the day of redemption hee is an earnest giuen vs from him who is faithfull and true and therefore may vve assuredly looke to receiue the principal summe Praesentia gratiae attestatur foelicitatem promissae gloriae sine dubio sequuturam the presence of grace now testifyeth vnto vs that the felicitie of the promised Glory shall certainely follow And the last warrant is the pledge of our nature which The sixt is the pledge of our nature taken vp into heauen the Lord Iesus hath carryed from earth vnto heauen and hath placed at the right hand of his Father and therein hath taken possession for vs and in our name therefore the Apostle saith that hee hath entred into heauen as our fore-runner calling him so in regard of vs who through him are also to enter in after him these are the sixe pillars and strong confirmations of our hope vvhich in all troubles sustaine it vnder a certaine expectation of that redemption of the possession which is to come But hope that is seene is not hope The Apostle to confirme A short description of the Nature of Hope his reason subioynes a short description of the nature of hope that it is of things vvhich are to come and not yet seene for that which is present and a man seeth he cannot be said to hope for it yea then shall hope cease vvhen wee shall enioy that which we hope for Spes tunc non erit quando August erit res In the first of these words Hope is put for the thing Hoped in the second for the vertue of Hope it selfe and thus much of Hope Verse 25. But if wee hope for that which we see not wee doe with patience abide for it THe Apostle here concludes not onely this his The conclusion of his first principall argument of comfort against the crosse last purpose vvherein he hath taught vs that the very nature of hope leades vs to looke for some better thing which is to come but also he concludes his first principall argument of comfort making this to be the end of all that it becomes vs with patience to abide our promised deliuerance And albeit for memories sake wee haue reduced all that hee hath spoken into one principall argument yet may wee see how vnder this one many particular reasons are heaped vp together tending all to this one conclusion that we should abide it with patience First wee haue heard that the nature of Sixe seuerall reasons of comfort lurking vnder this one our sufferings are so changed that they are now made sufferings with Christ Secondly that the end of them is to be glorified with Christ Thirdly that the glory to come doth farre exceede in waight and eternitie our present sufferings Fourthly that the creatures haue a feruent desire of the reuelation of that glory Fiftly that they also vvho haue receiued the first fruites of the Spirit are wearie of their present misery and wait for the redemption to come And last that in all our troubles we are saued and sustained with the hope of that vvhich is to come and not vvith a present possession of that which we would haue In all these respects it becomes vs not onely to be of good comfort for the present but also patiently to looke for a better The Apostle brings in his conclusion vpon his last argument but we are to consider that it hath an eye vnto all that goes before and that euery one of those reasons aforesaid serueth to strengthen this conclusion that if wee hope for that which is to come then will we with patience abide for it We haue first to marke a difference betweene the Christian The worldlings comfort is in things that are seene the Christians not so and the Worldling the Worldling hath his affection on things which are seene hee cannot mount aboue them hee hath receiued his consolation
not preuent him Let vs therefore vse our libertie well and see wee neglect not to begin in time our acquaintance with the Lord by frequent speaking vnto him if so be we looke hereafter for euer to remaine with him Verse 28. Also we know that all things worke together for the best to them who loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose NOw followeth the Apostles third and last principall The third principall argument of comfort is from the prouidence of God working all things to the good of his owne argument of comfort taken from the prouidence of God which so ouer-ruleth all things that fall out in the world that he causeth them to worke together and that for the best vnto those who loue him and among the rest our afflictions are so farre from being preiudiciall to our saluation that by the prouidence of God which is the daily executer of his purpose working all things according to the counsell of his wil they become meanes helping vs forward to that end namely conformitie with Christ whereunto God hath appointed vs. The comfort is summarily set downe in these words All things worke together for the best to them who loue God the confirmation thereof is broken vp in these words euen to them who are called according to his purpose and the explication is subioyned in the two subsequent Verses Also That is beside all the comfort which I haue giuen Manifold blessings of God are vpon the Godly Psal 34. 19. you before I giue you yet this further not one but manifold are the comforts which the Lord hath discouered for his children in holy Scriptures Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers him out of them all that is for euery trouble the Lord hath a seueral deliuerance Euery 1 Cor. 10. 13. tentation saith the Apostle hath the owne issue euery horne that riseth against vs to push vs hath an hammer attending Zach. 1. 21. vpon it to represse it saith the Prophet Esau mourned on Isaac albeit he was prophane yet hee cryed pittifully Hast thou but one blessing me Father but we with the holy Apostle may blesse our heauenly Father who doth so comfort vs in all our tribulations that as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolations abound through Christ The store-house of his consolations can neuer be emptied The Lord our God hath not dealt niggardly nor sparingly If the first fruits of our comfort be so sweet what shall the full masse be with vs but a good measure of consolation pressed downe and running ouer hath he giuen vs in our bosome his holy name be praised therfore And yet how little is all this which now we receiue in comparison of those inestimable ioyes prepared for vs the like whereof the eye neuer saw the eare neuer heard the heart did neuer vnderstand Surely the greatest measure of comfort we haue in this life is but the earnest penny of that principall which shal be giuen vs hereafter if the first fruits of heauenly Canaan be so delectable how shall the full masse thereof abundantly content vs when we shall behold the face of our God in righteousnesse and shall be filled with his image and with that fulnesse of ioy which is in his presence and those pleasures which are at his right hand for euermore We know If yee ponder the Apostles words yee shall None but a Christian can know the mysteries of the Gospell 1 Cor 9. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 5. 6. finde that by an Emphasis bee restraines this knowledge to the Children of God excluding worldlings and naturalists from it The spirituall man discerneth all things but hee himselfe is iudged of no man A naturall man cannot vnderstand the things that are of God The Gospell is wisedome indeed but wisedome in a mistâ—rie and wisedome among them that are perfect Euery article of our Faith and point of Christian doctrine euery priuiledge of a Christian is a mysterie no meruaile therfore that the Gospel be foolishnes to the naturall man who perisheth the excellent things of Christianitie can be knowne of none but those who possesse them the Pearles which none know but they who haue them value or rather vanitie of earthly Iewels hath beene better knowne of some who neuer had them than of others who haue enioyed them but the Iewels of Gods Children such as Peace Righteousnesse and ioy in the holy Ghost can be knowne of none but of him who doth possesse them the new Name none can know but hee vvho hath it neyther can any man know the sweetnesse of hid Manna vnlesse he taste it If you goe and speake to a Worldling of inward peace Worldlings speake of them like birds counterfaiting the voyce of man and spirituall ioy or of the priuiledges of a Christian yee shall seeme to him a Barbarian or one that speakes a strange language which he doth not vnderstand or if he himselfe speake of them as hee hath learned by hearing or reading yet shall he speake like a Bird vttering voyces which he vnderstandeth not As the brute beast knowes not the excellencie of mans life and therefore doth delight it selfe with Hay and Prouender seeking no better because it knoweth no better so the naturall man knoweth not the excellencie of a Christian and therefore doth disdaine him and esteeme him a foole a mad man and the off-scowring of the world he takes the doung of the earth in his armes for his inheritance if he can obtaine the portion of Esau that the fatnesse of the earth may be his dwelling place if his wheat and his oyle abound to him hee careth for no more hee knoweth not what it is to haue his soule made glad with the light of the countenance of God This is your miserable condition O yee wretched Worldlings yee are cursed with Worldlings cursed with the curse of the Serpent the curse of the Serpent yee creepe as it were vpon your bellies and yee lick the dust of the earth all the dayes of your life yee haue not an eye to looke vp vnto heauen nor an heart to seeke those things which are aboue Most fearefull is your estate we warne you of it but it is the Lord who must deliuer you from it This resolute knowledge is the mother of spirituall courage constancie and patience for why shall he feare in the euill day yea though the earth should be remoued and the Sure knowledge of Christian comfort is the mother of patience Reuel 4. mountaines fall into the middest of the sea who sees the Lord sitting on his throne and the glassie sea of the world before him gouerning all the waltrings changes and euents of things therein to the good of them who loue him Oh that we had profited so much in the schoole of Christ all our dayes that without doubting or making any exception we could beleeue this which here
they sit downe to their banquetting tables to refresh them or lyes downe in their beds to rest them The Apostle who suffered all sorts of affliction for the Gospell giues this for a reason that the loue of Iesus constrayned him Thus much concerning the effects of holy loue by which wee are to make sure our calling and consequently our election for our euerlasting comfort Euen to them that are called according to his purpose Hitherto the Apostle hath summarily set downe his third principall A confirmatiō of his third and last argument of comfort argument of comfort and now in the end of this verse he shortly breakes vp the confirmation thereof which is this they who loue God are called according to his purpose therfore all things must worke for the best vnto them The necessitie of this reason shall appeare if wee consider that the Lord cannot be frustrated of his end Those whom the Lord in his immutable purpose hath ordayned to glory and whom according to that purpose he hath called in time how can it be but all things must worke vnto their good for the vvorking prouidence of God vvhich is the executer of his purpose doth so ouer-rule all incidents which fall out in the world and doth so gouerne all secondary and inferiour causes that of necessitie they are directed to that end whereunto the supreame cause of all to wit the purpose and vvill of God hath ordayned them This is shortly set downe in these vvords and more largely explaned in the two verses following It is the last reason of comfort and the highest for now the Apostle leades vs out of our selues and sets vs vpon that rocke vvhich is higher than vve hee carries vs by the hand as it vvere out of the earth vp into heauen and lets vs see how our saluation is so grounded in Gods eternall purpose that no accident in the vvorld can change it Wee haue here then three things euery one of them depending Comfort that the ground of our saluation is in God the tokens thereof in our selues vpon another the loue of God flowing from the calling of God and the calling of God comming from the purpose of God vnto vvhich the Apostle here drawes vs that we casting our anchor with the vaile and resting in the Lords immutable purpose may haue comfort in all our present tentations It is most expedient for the godly to marke this that our manifolde changes doe not interrupt our peace let vs consider that the Lord hath in such sort dispensed our saluation that the ground thereof is laid in his owne immutable purpose but the markes and tokens thereof are placed in vs after our calling the markes and tokens are changeable like as wee our selues in vvhom they are are changeable but the ground holdes fast being laid in that vnchangeable God in whom falles no shadow of alteration Esay 46. Ioh. 10. 2 Tim. 2. I am God and am not changed My sheepe none can take out of my hand The counsell of the Lord shall stand and his foundation remaines sure It is true that the tokens of election cannot be sully taken away from any that is effectually called nay not in the greatest desertion yet haue they in vs their owne intention and remission And this should comfort vs against our daily vicissitudes and changes when wee feele that our Faith doth saint our life languishes our hope houers and vvee are like to sincke in the tentation vvith Peter and our feeble hands fall downe with Moses yet let vs not dispaire no change in vs can alter Gods vnchangeable purpose he who hath begun the worke in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed saith Mal. 3. 6. the Lord therefore is it that yee O sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This purpose of God is called otherwise the will of God Our calling conuersion flowes from Gods purpose therefore all the praise of it belongs to the Lord. and the good pleasure of his Will In that the Apostle saith our calling is according to his purpose it teacheth vs to ascribe the whole praise of our saluation to the good pleasure of his will and not to our owne foreseene merits That poyson of pride vvhich Sathan poured into our first Parents and by vvhich they aspyred to be equall with God doth yet breake forth in their posterity the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this to seeke vnto himselfe either in part or in whole the power and praise of his owne saluation This is to start vp into the roome of God and to vsurpe that glory which belongs to the Lord and he will not giue to any other than the which no greater sacriledge can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee with that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone vvhich hee reserues vnto himselfe My peace saith the Lord I giue to you my glory I will not giue to any other The first Preachers of the Gospell were Angels they proclaymed glory and peace but glory they gaue to God which is on high and peace they cryed to the children of his good will which are vpon earth It is enough that peace and saluation is giuen to be thine but as for the glory of saluation let it remain to the Lord. Hee is for this called the Father of mercie because mercie For this cause he is called the Father of Mercie and not of Iudgement 2 Tim. 1. 9. bred in his owne bosome Hee hath found many causes vvithout himselfe mouing him to execute iustice but a cause mouing him to shew mercie hee neuer found but the good pleasure of his will therefore the Apostle saith the Lord hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Surely except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs wee had beene like to Sodome and Gomorrha but it pleased him of his owne good will of the same lumpe of clay to make vs vessels of honour vvhereof hee made others vessels of dishonour And who is able sufficiently to ponder so great a benefit and therefore howsoeuer the blinded Pharisee sacrifice to his owne net and make his mouth to kisse his hand as if his owne hand had done it yet let the redeemed of the Lord praise the Lord let them cry out with a louder voyce than Dauid did O Lord what are wee that thou art so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindnesse and thy truth for our saluation comes from God that sits vpon the throne and from the Lambe To thee O Lord be praise and honour and glorie for euer Now as for the calling wee are to know that the calling Our calling is twofold and the inward calling is a declaration of our election of God is twofold outward and inward He speakes not here of the outward calling of which our Sauiour
ex meritis nostris quod principium bonorum operum est ex nobis consummatio ex Deo To affirme that any merit vpon our part must be presupposed the prescience whereof was the cause of predestination is no other thing but to affirme that grace were giuen of our merits and that the beginning of good workes were of our selues and the consummation thereof were of God therefore saith hee the words are to be read this way more conueniently whom he fore-knew them he also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his Sonne vt ista conformitas non sit ratio praedestinationis sed effectus that so this conformitie be not a cause of predestination but an effect But beside these this errour is conuinced by manifold Sanctification is an effect of predestination and therefore not a cause of it Ephes 1. 4. proofes of holy Scripture the Apostle saith hee hath chosen vs in Christ therefore not in our selues he saith againe that wee should be holy and without blam hee saith not he chose vs because he foresaw that wee would be holy so hee sets downe sanctification as an effect of Predestination Now it is certaine that one effect of Predestination may well be the cause of an other posterior effect as the preaching of the word is a cause of faith and faith is a certaine cause of iustification but no effect of Predestination can be cause of it Againe he saith The Lord hath saued vs and called vs with 2 Tim. 1. 9. an holy calling not according to our workes here yee see that in our calling our workes and Gods purpose are manifestly opponed so that the putting of the one is the remouing of the other thus neyther in our Election before time nor in our calling in time hath the Lord regarded our workes or foreseene rectitude of our will but the good pleasure of his owne will And I pray you what other thing could the Lord foresee The calling of God finds euery man in an euill estate Esay 48. 8. in vs than that vvhich hee foresaw in the Israelites I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an iron sinew and thy browe brasse I knew that thou wouldest grieuously transgresse therefore I called thee a transgressor from the wombe yet for my Names sake will I deferre my wrath and for my praise will I refraine it from thee that I cut thee not off yea in so many places of holy Scripture doth the Lord plead the cause of his owne glory that it cannot be but a most fearefull sacriledge against so cleare a light for a man eyther in part or in whole to make his own merits a cause of saluation When the Lord called Abraham hee found him an Idolater when hee called Paul hee found him a persecuter when he called Matthew hee found him a Publican when hee called Mary he found her possessed with Diuels all that euer receiued grace stand vp as so many witnesses of his glory Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be Psal 115. 1. the praise And to these obiections which the braine of man hath Obiections of men against Gods predestination answered brought out against this truth of God to cleare themselues and charge the Lord with vnrighteousnes they are all sufficiently answered by the Apostle that the Lord by reason of his absolute authoritie ouer all his creatures hath power of the same lumpe to make one vessell of honour for to Rom. 9. 10. shew the glory of his mercy and an other vessell of dishonour to shew the glory of his iustice seeing this power is not denyed to the potter ouer his clay how dare man speak against it in the Lord ouer his creature O man who art thou that pleadect with God Woe be to him that striueth with his Maker If I dispute with thee O Lord thou art righteous how euer I iudge of thy counsell and of the manner of thy working thou art asway righteous Si non vis errare if thou Aug. in Ioan. tract 26. wilt not erre saith Augustine iudge not the Lord why one is saued the Apostle tels you I haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy Misericordia eius misericordiae causa why another Aug. Epist 59. ad Paulin is reiected Causa potest esse occulta iniusta esse non potest the cause may be secret but cannot be vniust qui infactis Dei rationem non videt infirmitatem suam considerans cur Gregor in Iob cap. 9. non videt rationem videat hee that seeth not a reason of the Lords doing let him looke to his own infirmitie and he shall see a reason why hee seeth it not The Lord hath hid euen from most wicked men the purpose of their owne reprobation till it come to the execution and then shall they receiue an answere from their owne consciences to stop their mouthes which now they will not receiue from man Euery one of the damned shall be compelled to acknowledge that the iudgement executed vpon them is righteous But now to returne to the doctrine wee haue first to obserue Predestination takes not away the second causes and meanes of saluation out of the signification of the vvord which I marked before that the Lords determinate counsell and predestination takes not away the nature properties nor necessities of secondarie causes and meanes of saluation but rather establishes them for those whom God hath appointed to saluation he hath also appointed to those meanes which may bring them vnto it It is therefore a blasphemie which is frequent in the mouthes of carnall professors if I be elected howsoeuer I liue I shall be saued and if otherwise I be a reprobate liue as I will I cannot mend it this is no other thing but Sathans diuinitie if thou be the Sonne of God Sathans diuinitie teacheth Atheists to despise the means of saluation cast thy selfe downe from the Temple thou shalt not dash thy foote against a stone as if the sonnes of God were licensed to despise the second and ordinarie meanes and not rather bound to vse them but in very deed as it is against the nature of fire to be cold so is it impossible that the elect man effectually called can reason after this manner yea the more he heares of election the more hee endeauours to make it sure by vvell doing knowing that no man can attaine to the end of our Faith which is the saluation of our soule but by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes Both temporall and spirituall blessings the Lord wil haue God giues his blessing by meanes therefore they shuld not neglect the meanes who seeke the blessing Hos 2. 21. vs to seeke them by the lawfull and ordinarie meanes the Cornes cannot serue Israel except the earth beare them the earth cannot beare them except the heauens giue raine the heauens can giue no raine except the Lord command them Therefore vvhen the
the word In the carnall brotherhoode though the parents be one yet the inheritance is not one though the seede of the flesh be one yet the soule that quickneth the body in both is not one but in the spirituall brotherhood the parents are one the inheritance one the seede vvhereof they are begotten is one and the spirit which quickeneth them all is one It is not then Baptisme nor externall profession which proueth a man to be the kinsman and brother of Christ it is the spirit of Iesus which whosoeuer hath not the same is not his and whosoeuer hath him it is certaine they become new creatures Great is that dignitie certainely whereunto we are called The greatnes of Christs loue toward vs in making vs his brethren and matchlesse is that loue which the Lord Iesus hath carried toward vs who not content to make vs his seruants hath made vs his brethren If he had shewed vs no more kindnesse then Abraham did Lot his kinsman yet euen for that had hee beene worthy to be loued for euer but behold what a greater loue our Lord hath shewed vnto vs we forsooke him more vnkindly than Lot did Abraham yet did hee still retayne his kindly affection toward vs when we were carried away captiue by spirituall Chedarlaomer he did not onely hazard but laid downe his life for our Redemption Moses is greatly praised for that vvhen hee was honourable in Aegypt he left the Court of Pharaoh to visit his brethren esteeming the rebuke of Christ in his people greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt and Ioseph is also commended that being second person vnder Pharaoh in the kingdome of Aegypt yet hee was not ashamed of his Father and brethren albeit they for their trade being sheepekeepers were abhomination to the Aegyptians But all these are not comparable to that loue which the Lord Iesus hath borne toward vs in that notwithstanding our base estate hee hath not beene ashamed to call vs his brethren The Lord make vs thankefull and shed abroad in our hearts the sense of that loue vvhich hee hath borne toward vs that wee neuer be ashamed of him for no Crosse that for his sake can be laid vpon vs. Verse 30. Moreouer whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and whom he iustified them also he glorified THere is no part of holy Scripture vvhich is What a cleare sight of saluation is here discouered to the Christian not stored with the words of eternall life but as that part of earth which is rich of minerals of gold and siluer is more esteemed than other land vvere it neuer so fruitfull so ought this place of holy Scripture to be accounted of vs all as containing in it a most rich minerall not of gold siluer or precious stones but of a more precious saluation wherein the deeper thou art able to digge the stronger clearer and greater sight of saluation ariseth vnto thee there is not in all the booke of God a place of holy Scripture vvhich presents to the childe of God so cleare and certaine a sight of his election and glorification as this place doth wherein now we are trauailing for the holy Apostle in this golden chaine of Saluation doth in such sort knit our effectuall Calling with our Election and Glorification that the Christian vpon earth may euidently see what God in the heauens hath decreed toward him we haue spoken of the first two lincks of the Chaine Prescience and Predestination now we proceed to speake of the third to wit our Calling Where first of all for our greater comfort let vs stand The prerogatiues of a Christian are farre more honourable than any that worldlings can claime and consider how great and glorious are the benefits which God hath bestowed on the Christian before time the Lord hath chosen him after time the Lord will glorifie him in time the Lord doth can and iustifie him Worldlings also haue their owne prerogatiues wherin they place their glory those among them that haue most ample and ancient inheritances are counted most honourable but thou vvho art named a Christian if thou be so indeede looke to thine owne priuiledges and thou shalt see that the glorie of a Christian doth far exceed the glorie of the most honorable Worldling as the Psalmist spake of Ierusalem so may wee of the Christian Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou man Psal 87. 3. of God Election is the first and most auncient charter of the The most sure and auncient Charters of a Christian to his inheritance right of Gods Children to their Fathers inheritance Calling is the second by it we are knowne to be the Sonnes of God and our Election secret in it selfe is manifested to vs and others Iustification is the third by it wee are infest in Iesus Christ and made partakers of all that is his Glorification is the last by it wee are entred heyres to our Father and fully possessed in his inheritance No King vpon earth can produce so auncient a right to his Crowne though vvith the Egyptian thou shouldest reckon thy beginning so many yeares before the creation of the world yet canst thou not match the Christian hee hath the most auncient charter of the most ample inheritance neither can any man vpon earth be knowne his Fathers heyre vpon such sufficient warrand as the Christian for in the regeneration the Father communicateth to him his Image his Nature his Spirit whereby he beginneth from feeling to call God his Father and in life and manners to resemble him No freeholder so surely infest in his lands nor hath receiued so many confirmations thereupon as the Christian iustified who vpon his gift of righteousnesse and life hath also receiued the earnest the pledge the scale and the witnesse of the great King And last of all the Christian shall be entred to the full possession of his Fathers inheritance vvith such ioy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints as the like was neuer seene in the world no not in Ierusalem that day wherein Salomon entred heyre to his Father Dauid then the earth rang for ioy but nothing comparable to that ioy wherewith the heauens shall ring when all the Sonnes of God shall be caught from the earth into the ayre to meet the Lord Iesus and to be inuested in the Kingdome of their Father But now wee are to speake of this Calling wherein consists all our comfort for it is the middle lincke of this indiuisible Calling is the first manifestation of our Election and forerunner of our Glorification Chaine he that hath it is sure of both the ends Our Calling is the first manifestation of our secret Election and it is a sure forerunner of our Glorification being in effect the voyce of GOD fore-telling vs that he will glorifie vs. As the best way in a maine land to finde the sea is to walke by a riuer
Simeon when he saw that promised saluation and embraced the Lord Iesus in hâ—s armes Hereof ariseth to vs first a lesson of comfort if the beginnings By the ioyfull first fruits of eternall life we may iudge of the fulnesse thereof Bern. in cap. ieiun Ser. 2. of this glorie be so great that as S. Peter saith they bring vs to ioy vnspeakeable and glorious what shal the fulnesse thereof be let this waken in vs a loathing of these vaine perishing pleasures and a longing for that better and more enduring substance Certe non sunt tibi nota futura gaudâ—â— si non renuit consâ—lari anima tua donec veniant thou knowest not those ioyes which are to come if thy soule doe not refuse all comfort till they come vnto thee Certe si sempiterna Basil ser in Gord. Mart. essent haec terrena tamen prae coelestibus essent commntanda Certainely albeit these earthly things were eternall yet were they to be exchanged with those that are heauenly And therefore let the little tast of that ioy which wee haue now worke in vs a greater hunger and thirst after the fulnes thereof And againe we are here to be remembred that as pearles This ioy is not found but in the depth of a contrite heart are found in the bottome of the water and gold is not gotten in the superfice but bosome of the earth so this ioy is not to be found but in the inward parts of a broken contrite spirit many speake of this ioy who neuer felt it Righteousnesse is the mother of Peace and Peace the mother of Ioy they who haue not learned to doe well and cannot mourne for the euill which they haue done how shall they taste of the ioyes of God we must pierce by the hammer of contrition into the very inward of our hearts or euer wee can finde the refreshing springs of Gods sweet consolations arising vnto vs. It deceiues many that they think eternall life is not begunne but after death but assuredly except now thou get the beginnings thou shalt neuer hereafter attaine to the perfections thereof and therefore looke to it in time As for the second degree of this glory which is a neerer Of the second and third degree of eternal Life vnion of our soules vvith Iesus Christ after our dissolution by death it is not my purpose now to insist in it As for the third degree which consists in the glorification both of our soules and bodies wee haue spoken of it before specially in the 18. verse Now the Tabernacle of God is vvith men but then shall our securitie be without feare and our glory consummated when we shall dwell in the Tabernacle of God vnto the which the Lord bring vs all for Iesus Christs sake Amen TO THE MOST EXCELLENT VERTVOVS AND GRACIOVS PRINCE HENRY by the Grace of God Prince of Wales and Heyre Apparent vnto the most famous Kingdomes of England Scotland France and Ireland All happinesse in this life and eternall Glory in the life to come THat which the Apostle hath seuerally deliuered in the two former Discourses dedicated to your most Royall Parents hee now in this last Treatise collects and conioynes in one which therfore of right can appertaine to none more then to you Sir who being by them both the happy fruit of heauenly prouidence and deerest pledge of their mutuall loue and ioy may iustly challenge interest in the smallest good ouer which their names are named Sir here is the way to that Crowne of Triumph which the more you know the more I hope shall you place your glory in it Crownes of earthly Kingdomes are indeede the gifts of God but such as bring not so much Honour as they breed vnquietnesse O nobilem magis quam foelicem pannum said Antigonus If the cares which dwell in the Diadem were knowne no man would stoope to the ground to take it vp said Seleucus And albeit it be not giuen to all to know this in their entrie to Honour yet are they all compelled to acknowledge it in the end Seuerus Monarch of the world found his Crownes but comfortlesse to him in death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue said he beene all things and it profiteth me nothing Not onely the teares of Xerxes but the laments of Salomon may witnesse to all the world that the end of the worme-eaten pleasures of this life is heauie displeasure yea the golden head of Babell had at length worms spread ouer him worms to couer him Esa 14. For all flesh is grasse and the glory thereof as the flowre of the field Onely the word of the Lord endures for euer By which that same God who hath called you to be an apparant Heyre of the most famous Kingdomes on earth doth also call your Grace to a more certaine inheritance of a better Kingdome in heauen which cannot be shaken whereby aboue other Princes and Rulers of the earth yee are blessed if so be yee answere your Calling endeauouring to be no lesse than you are named Principem te agnosce ne seruias affectibus It is vnseemely in any but most of all in a Prince to become a seruant eyther to the corrupt humours of men without him who creeping in into the Courts of Kings like wormes into the bosome of excellent trees doe nothing but consume them whom godly Constantine properly called Tineas Sorices palatij subtile peruerters of the good inclination of Princes in manners and Religion where they can preuaile or yet to the disordered affections of his owne heart which if they be not restrained doe quickly turne the glory of a man into shame What did it profit Cham that hee was the Sonne of Noah the Monarch of the world and Patriarch of the Church in his time or that hee was the Heyre of the third part Chrysost of the world vitia siquidem voluntatis vicerunt priuilegia naturae his owne vndantoned will bursting out in contempt of his Father brought vpon him that curse and shamefull name A seruant of Seruants which was neuer taken from him Seeing God as saith the Apostle is the glory of man what honour can make that man glorious who carries not the image of God consisting in righteousnesse and true holinesse but especially a King whom the very Ethnicks called Animata Dei imago in terris should carefully keep that Image which keepes his glory Naturally facilius alijs quam nobis imperamus but in very deede he shall neuer be a skilfull Ruler of others who is not first taught of God to rule himselfe decet eum qui alijs praefectus est interiora sua decenter Basil adornare The best remedy against both these euils is to embrace that wholesome counsell giuen by God to the Gouernors of his people Let not the booke of the Law depart from thee but meditate in it day and night that thou maist do according to all that is written therein turne not
vvord of God her sentence is diuine and wee are to regard it if otherwise shee accuse vpon vvrong information it is the errour of conscience and we are to remedie it by sending conscience to seeke the warrant of her sentence out of the word of God It is very expedient that vvee put a difference betweene Conscience error of conscience to be distinguished conscience and the errour of conscience vvhere conscience discernes not according to the Law of the supreame Iudge it cannot but erre eyther in being ouer large and then shee pronounceth those things lawfull vvhich are vnlawfull or ouer strait and so she declares those things vnlawfull vvhich are lawfull for if this be not obserued vve shall be disquieted while wee hearken to the errours of conscience as if they vvere the iust and lawfull accusations of conscience Sometime againe conscience presents to men sins which Why the Lord leaues remembrance of a sin in the conscience after that it is pardoned they haue done many yeares agoe and vvhereof they haue repented for vvee are to know that albeit the Lord after repentance forgiue the guiltinesse of sinne yet he will haue the memorie thereof to remaine in that conseruing facultie of conscience called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may both serue to humble vs for the euill vve haue done as also to preserue vs from sinne for the time to come And sinne this manner of way retayned in the memory I compare it to thornes and bryers which in the middest of a garden are hurtfull and hinder the growth of good fruit but being put in the hedge are profitable to preserue them so sinne as long as it is in Sin euill in the affect on but good in the memory the affection is very pernitious for then it chokes the seed of the word of God in them but being taken out of the affection and set in the memory is as a hedge to the soule to preserue it from wilde and raging beasts that would come in and deuoure it thus for our humiliation the Lord keepes in vs a remembrance euen of those sinnes vvhich hee hath pardoned but so that vvith the remembrance of the euill which we haue done our conscience doth also excuse and comfort vs with the remembrance of our vnfained repentance toward God And if otherwise the conscience accuse vs for those euill deeds which we haue done and whereof we haue not repented it is of Gods great mercy toward vs vvho by inward 1 Cor. 11. 31. trouble wakens vs to iudge our selues now that wee should not be iudged of the Lord in the world to come As this is the comfort of Gods chosen so doth it point As no creature hath place to accuse the godly so by the contrary all shall stand vp and accuse the wicked Malach. 3. 5. Ioh. 5. 45. Luke 9. 5. Iosh 24. 27. Deut. 4. 26. Iam. 5. 3. Math. 23. 3. vnto vs the contrary miserable estate of the reprobate for there is nothing in heauen and earth which shall not stand vp against them to accuse them the Lord himselfe shall come neere them as a swift witnesse against them O miserable are they to whom the Lord is a Partie a Iudge and a Witnesse as our Sauiour said to the Iewes Moses and all the seruants of God shall be witnesses against them yea the dust of the feete of those who brought the glad tidings of peace shall witnesse against them the stones of the field said Ioshua the heauens and earth said Moses their moth-eaten garments said S. Iames yea they themselues said our Sauiour shall vvitnesse against themselues vvoe be vnto them they must be presented to iudgement but shall haue none eyther in heauen or earth to speake for them nothing vvithout them nothing within them which shall not be a witnesse against them when they are iudged they shall be condemned and their owne conscience shall say righteous is the Lord and iust are his iudgements It is God that iustifies Of this ye may see clearely that The arguments of our comfort are not brought from our innocencie but Gods mercy Iustification as the Apostle vseth it here is a iudicial terme for he oppones it to accusation and condemnation but leauing that because vvee marked it before in the poynt of Iustification we will adde this more that the Apostle brings not the reason of his comfort from his owne innocencie but from Gods mercy he saith not there is nothing in mee worthy to be accused or to be condemned but his comfort is that whateuer it be God hath pardoned it This is it that breedes vnquietnesse and perturbation in many weake consciences they seeke vvithin themselues that which should commend them to God as if they could not be saued vnlesse they were perfect this commeth of Sathans singular subtiltie who labours to creepe in betweene vs and our warrant as if our owne innocencie were the warrant of our saluation and not Gods mercy nor Christs merit It is true It becomes vs for our greater comfort to nourish within our selues the tokens of Grace but to conclude that because they are weake therefore wee cannot be saued it is Sathans sophistrie with which wee should not suffer our soules to be abused Verse 34. Who shall condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs. THe Apostle insists in his particular triumph The death resurrection ascention and glorification of Christ assures vs of immunity from condemnation against sinne and he demaunds now who shall condemne it may be as we heard there be some bold to accuse but is there any saith the Apostle that hath power to condemne none at all and that he proues from the death resurrection exaltation and intercession of Christ for as all these were done for vs so do euery one of them render vnto vs the sweet fruit of consolation Of the comfort arising from Christs death we haue spoken before The next is his resurrection we haue comfort saith the The great cōfort wee haue of Christs resurrection Apostle in his death but much more comfort in his resurrection therefore saith the Apostle It is Christ who is dead or rather who is risen againe for if wee looke to Iesus dying albeit in death hee shewed himselfe a powerfull Sauiour yet in his death his glory was greatly obscured vnder the couering of mortalitie which againe in his resurrection was more cleerely manifested for hee was declared mightily to be the Sonne of God by his resurrection and hath made Rom. 1. 4. vs sure of the remission of our sinnes for he had not come out of the prison of the graue if hee had not payed the vttermost 1 Cor. 15. 17. farthing of our debt If Christ saith the Apostle be not yet risen then are we yet in our sinnes thanks be to God we may turne it
to our comfort Iesus is already risen therefore we are not in our sinnes As for his exaltation the Apostle saith hee sits at the Of Christs exaltation at the right hand of God right hand of God to speake properly the Lord who is a Spirit hath neyther right hand nor left but by these borrowed speeches the Lord who dwelleth in light inaccessible to whom wee cannot ascend by our selues that wee should know him descends vnto vs and speakes of his vnspeakeable Maiestie vnto vs in such manner as wee are best able to conceiue it so that when eyes and eares and hands are ascribed to the Lord wee are to thinke these hee hath per Papists blasphemous who set out the maiestie of God in the similitude of a corruptible man Deut. 4. 15. effectum non per naturam And this may rebuke that bould blasphemie of the Papists who presume to paint the incomprehensible Maiestie of God vnder the similitude of an aged and worne creature expresly contrary to Gods commandement In that day saith the Lord that I spake vnto thee out of the mountaine thou heardest a voyce but saw no Image beware therefore thou make none and in many places is the same presumption condemned by the Prophets Where if they excuse themselues that they paint the Lord Their fact not warranted by any appairtion of the diuine maiestie in the shape of man in such a similitude as hee appeared vnto Daniel and no other-way I answere first this is false for sometime which is horrible to speake they paint him in the shape of an humane body hauing three heads but albeit it were true which they say yet doth it not excuse them for the Lords extraordinary facts are not to be vsed as vvarrants to breake his ordinary and eternall Commaundements neyther doth it any more excuse them than that deed of the Lord whereby hee caused the Israelites to take from the Egyptians their siluer gold and Iewels which they neuer rendred can excuse them that doe borrow steale and robbe from others but neuer restore But howeuer they excuse themselues as long as the word They are conuinced by the Apostle of Idolatry Heb. 1. 11. of the Apostle stands true they shall not rubb off them the blot of idolatry they turne the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The Maiestie of God is eternall the heauens waxe olde but hee remaines the same why then do they paint him vnder the similitude of a worne creature weakened by the length of dayes The Iesuites of Rhemes conuinced of darknesse are ashamed of the light that shines in this place of Scripture and passe by it without an answer they excuse the making of the Image of Christ and of his Saints but speake not one word to defend the grosse Idolatry wherby they turne the glory of the inuisible God into the image of a corruptible man It had beene good for them they had beene as dumbe in the defence of the rest of their abhominations as they are in this This speech therefore to sit at the right hand of God The sitting of Christ at Gods right hand imports his high honour and dignity 1 King 2. 19. is a borrowed speech the Metaphor being taken from Kings who vse to set on their right hand those whom they honour most as Salomon did his mother Bathsheba and so the phrase vvill import that high honour and dignitie whereunto Christ Iesus as man is exalted being crowned with glory both aboue Angels and man This right hand of God whereat Christ sits is expounded Errour of Vbiquitaries improued by other places of Scripture to be the high and heauenly places which serueth to improue that paralogisme of the Vbiquitaries who will haue Christs naturall bodie to be in euery place because the right hand of GOD is in euery place It is true indeed Christ sits at thâ— right hand of Heb 1. 3. Ephes 1. 20. God but so that he sits in the high and heauenly places The right hand of GOD that is the power and glorie of GOD stretches throughout the whole world but wee are plainly taught that the place of the residence of Christ Iesus the man is in the heauenly places and not in earthly places in the high places to which he is ascended and not in the low places in which wee soiourne for the heauens most contayne Acts 3. 21. him vntill the day of refreshment come And makes request also for vs. Christ our Lord hath entred Christ makes request for vs in heauen into heauen not to enioy for himselfe a blessed life only but to appeare in the presence of God for vs. As the high Priest when he entred into the most holy place had grauen in stones vpon his breast the names of the twelue tribes of Israel so the Lord Iesus presents to his father the names of all his elect that by the merit of his death he may procure mercy vnto them Here againe wee are taught that Iesus Christ is described No Mediator of intercession but Iesus Christ to vs in holy Scripture as our mediator of intercession and that there is no other beside him recommended vnto vs. In al the old testament no prayer is made to Henoch Moses nor Eliah who ended their dayes not after the common course of men no prayer to Abraham albeit hee was the Father of the faithfull yea no prayer to Cherubin nor Seraphin though now the Apostate Church of Rome haue made as many aduocates for vs in heauen as there are Saints departed and hath framed particular prayers vnto them and which is more ridiculous hath parted among them the patrocinie of sundry sorts of sicknesse and diseases It is true indeed that the Saints which are departed haue Saints departed haue their owne desires which they craue to be fulfilled but knowes not our necessities not as yet all their desires fulfilled and shall not be perfected without vs wherefore also it is that they long for the full gathering together of the Saints and for the restitution of their bodies and for the last day of iudgement but that they know the particular troubles of Gods children our greatest troubles being inward tentations and wrestlings of conscience neither knowne to man nor Angell but only to God who is the searcher of the heart or that we can in faith vse them as mediators vnto God for vs wee iustly deny it Where if they take them vnto their common refuge that ther is but one mediator of redemption but many mediators of intercession to this wee answere that in the same place wherin the Apostle saith there is one mediatour betweene God 1 Tim. 2. 5. and man the subiect whereof he entreats is Prayer so that euen in prayer he will haue vs to acknowledge no mediator of intercession but Iesus Christ And beside this Augustine doth so desine a mediator of A Mediator of intercession as he
able to turne him Now from the body it is translated to the minde to expresse the straitnesse of the afflictions of the children of God out of vvhich oft-times they themselues can see no passage that which Dauid said to Ionathan As the Lord liueth there is 1 Sam. 20. 3. but one step betweene me and death so sareth it many a time with the Children of God but the Lord commeth in vvith vnlooked for deliuerance in their most desperate distresse vvhich not onely relieueth them for the present but doth confirme them for the time to come Wee receiued saith 2 Cor. 1 9. 10. the Apostle the sentence of death in our selues because wee should not trust in our selues but in God who raiseth the dead who dâ—liuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that he will deliuer vs. The third is Persecution The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 3 They are persecuted chased from place to place that sort of affliction by which the Children of God are persecuted and chased from one place to another the world hath neuer thought them worthy of a roome among them and therefore haue they beene forced to liue in caues and dennes and wildernesses but our comfort is that the God most familiar with his children when they are banished by men Lord hath alwaies shewed himselfe most familiar with his Children when the world hath been most hard vnto them Iacob is banished from his fathers house by the crueltie of Esau and his heauenly Father receiued him into his house comforting him by such a familiar reuelation of his presence as hee neuer had felt before so long as hee dwelt at home and Iohn being banished by Dâ—mitian into Pathmos found also the Lord reuealing himself vnto him more familiarly than he had done before What part of the world is there wherein tyrants can banish the Children of GOD from accesse to their Comforter they know that in their owne house they are strangers as Abraham vvas in Canaan the Land of his inheritance and therefore can be the better content as strangers to liue in any other part of the world Basil being threatned by Modestâ—s the Deputie of the Emperour with banishment Nihil inquiâ— horum quae Nazian de vita Basil dixisti timeo I feare none of these things whereof thou hast spoken nihil pâ—ssâ—â—ens ab exilij mâ—tu liber sum vnum hominuÌ„ cognoscens esse patriam Paradisum Omnem autem terram commune â—spicimus naturae exilium possessing nothing I am free from the feare of banishment knowing that Paradise is the onely countrey of men and the whole earth is a common place of banishment to vs all The fourth is Famine which of it own nature is one of the 4 Famine is one of Gods ordinary plagues and with it also the godly are tryed plagues of God but lesse than his other ordinary plagues of the sword pestilence therfore the Lord who best knowes the waight of his owne rods accounts three dayes of pestilence three months of the sword and three yeeres of famine equiualent Many wayes hath the Lord by which he bringeth famine vpon a people for sometime he maketh Leuit. 26. 19. the heauen aboue as brasse and the earth beneath as yron so that albeit men labour and sow yet they receiue no encrease Deu. 11. 14. sometime againe he giues in due season the first and latter raine so that the earth renders abundance but the Lord by blasting-windes or by the Cater-piller Canker-worme and Grasse-hopper doth consume them who commeth out as exacters and officers sent from God to poind Miserable are they whose gaine is to â—ncrease Famine they are Caterpillers in the Land Basil ser 1. in Auar men in their goods because with them they would not honour the Lord which I marke by the way that those vnnaturall men vvho doe what they can to encrease famine in the Land may know they are but Caterpillers scourges and roddes of the wrath of God or aâ— Basil calleth them Mâ—rcatores humanarum calumnitatem making their priuat gaine a common calamitie and vsing that as a benefite to themselues which God hath threatned as a plague to the people assuredly vnlesse they repent the Lord shall cast them at length into the fire as the roddes of his wrath But we are to know that famine which in the owne nature The Lord who changed the serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed cursed famine into a blessed crosse to his children is a curse and plague of God to the godly is changed the Lord who made the bitter waters of Mâ—rah sweet and turned a biting serpent into a flourishing rod hath changed the nature of all those euils which sinne hath brought vpon vs now they worke for our good and are become like Waspes wanting stings profitable to waken vs and exercise our faith but not able to seperate vs from the loue of God Among those famine is a great tentation Nature being impatient of the want of necessaries and therfore Sathan who picks out the time and place of tentations as may be most for his vantage tempted our blessed Sauiour when he began to vvaxe hungry It is a rare grace in want to praise the Mat. 4 3. Lord and trust in his fatherly prouidence Salomon neuer felt it yet hee knew it was a rare tentation therefore he Prou. 30. 8. prayed that the Lord would neither giue him pouertie nor riches least the one make him full and cause him deny God and the other should cause him to steale and take the name of God in vaine yet no extremitie of this tentation can separate them from the loue of God for eyther in their greatest necessities the Lord marueilously prouides for them or then strengthens them vvith patience and inward comfort to sustaine it For sometime the earth hath been as iron but the heauens How the Lord prouides in famine for his children hath ministred food to Gods people as in that barren wildernesse vvherein Israel soiourned the earth yeelded no fruit but the heauens rained downe Manna and Quailes and sometimes the heauens haue beene as brasse yet in the earth hath the Lord prouided nourishment as he did by the Rauens and the Widdow of Sarepta for Eliah and if otherwise it please the Lord by famine to inflict death vpon his children then he strengthens their spirits with the bread of life and comforts their hearts with hid Manna so that they can say to Worldlings as our Sauiour said to his Disciples I haue bread to eate that ye know not of and so no famine can Ioh. 4. 32. separate them from the loue of God Nakednesse This is also a great tentation partly for the 5 Christians tryed also with Nakednesse shame and partly for the decay of naturall life which followes it Before the Iewes crucified Christ they stripped him naked of his garments Basil makes
mention of fortie Martyrs who being striped naked were put foorth in the night to be pined with cold and afterward burnt with fire in the day Of these it is euident that nakednesse is one of those tentations whereby Sathan seekes to trouble our faith and patience but he who hath put on the Lord Iesus for a garment neither shame nor losse of naturall life procured by nakednesse can seperate him from the Loue of God Where wee may perceiue how different the dispositions The begged glory of world lings is in their apparell of the Châ—istian and the Worldlings are The men of this vvorld esteemes nakednesse their shame and places a great part of their glory in gorgeous garments and no maruell quia de proprio non habent decorem necesse est vt aliunde mendicent Bern. in cant serm 41. for hauing no glory of their owne they must borrow glory from others From the beasts of the earth they borrow skins and wool from the Fowles of heauen they borrow feathers from the Wormes they borrow silk from the Earth siluer and gold from the Waters pearles and of these doth man make vp his begged glory vvhose glorie in the beginning vvas to be clad in the image of God but what is it decor qui cum veste induitur vt cum veste deponitur Ber. ad Soph. Virg. epi. 113 vestis est non vestiti that beauty which is put on and put off with the garment is not the beauty of the person but of the garment Yet are these but licitae quodammodo insaniae if they be Vnder pretence of hiding their nakednes they shew forth their Nakednesse Cypri trac 2. de habi virg compared vvith the madnesse of others vvho alter by artifice the shape and colour of the countenance vvhich God hath giuen them Manus deo inferunt cum illud quod formauit reformare conantur for they put hands as it were into God while they prease to reforme that which GOD hath formed Nâ—scientes quia opus dei est â—mne quod nascitur diaboli quod mutatur I know they excuse their fact with the couerings of comelinesse and necessitie but praetexâ—u tâ—gâ—ndae turpitudinis Cyril catch 4. in matâ—rem turpitudinem incidunt for worldlings are neuer so naked as when they are best apparelled As for men truely godly they vvill thinke shame of wickednes but not of nakednesse imprâ—bum vocari te pudeat non pauperem Nazian sent aut ignobilem blind Egyptians may account sheepekeepers abhomination but true Israelits will thinke shame to be prophane but no man to be poore those godly ones in the wildernesse clad with sheepes skins and goates skins Hâ—b 11. 37. Acts 12. 21. were more honourable in the eyes of God than Herod in his royall robe of shining siluer glancing the more brightly by the shining of the Sun vpon it if wee will credit Iosâ—phus But what of all this our vnwillingnesse to want superfluitie of apparell argues that we are euill prepared to endure nakednesse for Christs sake Crosses should not be assumed by our selues but patiently borne when God layes them on Againe wee learne here that seeing nakednesse is one of those crosses whereby the Lord tryes the faith and patience of his children and that then it is time for vs to endure a crosse when God layes it vpon vs it cannot be good religion to impone it to our selues where God layes it not vpon vs. It is a hard thing to keepe mediocritie not to be either too remisse in religion or too superstitious Wil-worship what euer shew of godlinesse it hath in the eyes of men is but abhominable idolatry in the eyes of God and we are not to place true religion in those things which he hath not False Prophets weares rough garments to deceiue so they did of old and so they doe stil required the false Prophets ware a rough garment but it vvas to deceiue the Priests of Baal spared not to lance their owne flesh but it is reiected by God as blinde zeale to walke bare-footed or weare a garment of haire without linnen or vvool next the skinne to carry on our head a Franciscanes hood and at last to be buried in it If these things haue in them such holinesse as they pretend is it not a maruell their holy Father the Pope is not careful to make himselfe more holy by changing his triple Crowne vvith a Franciscanes hood or that his Cardinals are so inconsiderate as to redeeme by so excessiue prices a Cardinals hat the haire garment being better cheape and much more meritorious of eternall life Perils The life of a Christian is full of perils euery place 6 The Christian in euery place subiect to perils 2 Cor. 11. 16. vnto him is a palaestra in the sea in the land in the citie in the wildernes goe where he will he shall encounter with perils These are so many probations of our Faith and Patience of Gods truth and prouidence Our preseruation depends on our protector euen the Watch-man of Israel who neither slumbers nor sleepes As a Father hath compassion Comfort for the Christian in all perils on his children so hath the Lord on them who feare him and wee know that a naturall Father doth neuer looke more pittifully vpon his Child than when he sees him in greatest danger and shall we expect lesse kindnesse from our heauenly Father The men of this world when they send out their seruants in commission goes not with them themselues knowes not their danger and are not able to preserue them but the Lord our God when he sends out his seruants fore-sees the perill and goes with them to preserue them Feare not for when thou passest through the water I will be Esay 43. 2. with thee through the flouds that they doe not ouer flow thee The more perils we fall into the more experience haue we of Gods louing preseruing vs for the which wee may say perils may well make vs grow in the sense of the loue of God but cannot seperate vs from him Sword This is the last and by it the Apostle expresses 7 The Christian subiect also to violent death any kinde of violent death for vnto these also the seruants of God and his best beloued Children haue beene subiect euer from the beginning The Apostle glories that no kind of death can seperate vs from Christ yea as hee saith in another place it conioynes vs more neerely vnto him as Nebuchadnezzars Dan. 3. 25. fire loosed the bonds of the three children but hurt not their bodyes so death inflicted by man may loose our bodily bonds but cannot hurt our soules Non sunt â—mâ—nda spiritâ—i quae fiunt in carne quae extra nos est quasi vestimentum let not our spirit feare those things which are done in the flesh which is as a garment without vs. Thus we see how no kinde of crosse can seperate vs
it craues no more but as for the soule all the delicate and pleasant things of this world cannot satisfie or content it Non esurientes animas sed esuriem ipsam pascunt animarum they Bern. de persecuquutione sustinenda cap. 22. feed not the hungry soule but rather feedes and augments the hunger of the soule And lastly wee see in experience that the soule now when it is within the body hath his owne working and liuely operation euen then when the body is a sleepe and the senses thereof closed vp which also is also confirmed by that conference which Salâ—mon had with the Lord when his body was sleeping beside many other And hereof Tertullian concluded the immortality of the Tertul. de resur carnis Soule â—e in somnium quidem cadit anima cum corpore quomodâ— in veritatem mortis cadâ—t quae nec in imaginem eius ruit The soule doth not fall a sleepe with the body how then shal we thinke that it can verily die it selfe which cannot so much as fall vnder the shadow and similitude of death Thus the Atheist being put bâ— the doubt still remaines A twofold immortall life of the Soule whereof the one is proper to the godly the other pertaines to the wicked Seeing euery mans soule liues an immortall life what comfort is this giuen here to the Christian that though his body be dead his soule is liuing To this I answere there is a two-fold life of the Soule one of nature another of grace by the one it liuâ—s for euer by the other it lâ—ues for euer in happinesse the one is common to all men the other is proper to the children of God an immortall happy life they haue it not of nature but of grace as here the Apostle saith through the righteousnesse of Christ communicated vnto them As for that naturall life of the soule the spirit of God as we said accounts it but a death when they are liuing in the body he saith they are dead â—â— sinne and trespasseâ— and when Ephe. 2. 1. they are gone out of the body though they liue yet he cals their life but an euerlasting death thus are the wicked miserable while they are in the body more miserable when they remoue out of the body therefore Salomon comparing them among themselues accounts them happiest that neuer Eccles 4. 3. haue beene Secondly we see here that man is a creature consisting Man a compound creature of a soule and a body vvhere first it is to be admired how two creatures of such contrary kindes and qualities as is the soule and the body should concurre together to make vp one man and secondly how this fearefull diuorcement is come betweene them once so straitly vnited by God that where the one is partaker of life the other should be possest by death Most meruailous of all the creatures both in regard of his two substances As for the first the Lord hath created man in such sort that he hath made him a compend of all his creatures in respect of his body he hath some affinity with earthly creaturs because hee was made to rule ouer them and in respect of his soule hee is a companion to the Angels for this cause the Naturalists called man a little vvorld and Augustine counted man a greater miracle than any miracle that euer vvas vvrought among men vvhere other creatures vvere made by the simple commandement of God before the creation of man the Lord is said to vse consultation to declare saith Basile that the Lord esteemes more of man than Basil hexam hom 10. of all the rest of his creatures neither is it said that the Lord put his hand to the making of any creature saue onely to the making of man and this also saith Tertullian to declare Tertull. de resur carnis As also of their meruailous coniunction his excellencie Yet is not man so meruailous in regard of his two substances as in regard of their coniunction Among all the workes of God the like of this is not to be found againe a Masse of clay quickned by the spirit of life and these two vnited together to make vp one man Commonly sayth Bernard the honorable agrees not with the ignoble the strong ouergoes the weake the liuing and the dead dwels not together Non Bern. in die natal dom serm 2. This doctrine knowne but not considered sic in opere tuo dâ—mine non sic in commixtione tua it is not so in thy worke O Lord it is not so in thy commixtion This is a doctrine commonly talked of that man consists of a soule and a body but is not so duely considered as it should It is a fearefull punishment which by nature lyes vpon the soule seeing she turned her selfe willingly away from God she is so farre deserted of God that she regards not her selfe though it be a very common prouerbe in the mouthes of men I haue a soule to keepe yet hast thou such a soule as can teach thee to keepe any other thing better than it selfe a fearefull plague that because as I haue said the soule continued not in the loue of God it is now so farre deserted that it regards not the owne selfe This haue I touched onely to waken vs that wee may more deepely consider of that doctrine which men thinke they haue learned and know sufficiently already namely that man is a compound creature consisting of a soule and a body But to returne seeing at the first these two the soule and How that harmony which was betweene the soule and body by creation is now turned into disagreement Foure estates of mans soule body vnited body were conioyned together by the hand of the Creator and agreed together in one happy harmony among themselues whence comes this disagreement that the soule being pertaker of life the body should be possest by death I answere we are to consider these foure estates of mans soule and body vnited The first is their estate by creation wherein both of them concurred in a happy agreement to serue their Maker The second is the estate of Apostasie wherein both of them in one cursed band conioyned fell away from God the faculties of the soule rebelling against God and abusing all the members of the body as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to offend him The third is the estate of grace wherein the soule being reconciled with God by the mediation of Christ and quickned againe by his holy Spirit the body is left for a while vnder the bands of death The fourth is the estate of glory wherein both of them being ioyned together againe shall be restored to a more happy life than that which they enioyed by creation As for the first estate we haue lost it as for the second the reprobate stands in it and therefore miserable is their condition as for the third it is the estate of the Saints of God vpon earth as
for the fourth it shall be the estate of the Saints of God in heauen Let not therefore the children of God be discouraged by Comfort our estate in this life is neither our last nor best estate looking either â—pon the remanents of sinne in their soule or the beginning of death in their body for why this estate wherein now we are is neither our last nor our best estate out of this we shall be transchanged into the blessed estate of glorious immortality our soules without all spot or wrinckle shall dwell in the body freed from mortality and corruption made like vnto Christs owne glorious body which the Lord our God who hath translated vs out of our second miserable estate into this third shall not faile to accomplish in his time Againe it comes to be considered here seeing by Iesus Christ life is restored to the soule presently why is it not also restored to the body vvhy is the body lâ—st vnder the Our soules being quickned yet our bodies are left vnder death for foure causes power of death to be turned into dust and ashes vvas it not as easie to the Lord to haue done the one as the other To this I answere that at any time life should be restored to our bodies is a mercy greater then wee are able to consider if wee will looke to our desâ—ruing that for a while hee will haue them subiected to the power of death the Lord in his wise dispensation hath thought it good for many causes First for performance of his truth 〈◊〉 but dust Gen. 3. 21. and to dust thou shalt returne If man had dyed no manner of way how should the truth of GOD appeare and if that death due to man had not beene inflicted vpon him how 1 Fâ—r reconciliation of Gods mercy truth Ber. in annuÌ„ Mar. ser 1. should his mercy beene manifested this controuersie God in his meruailous wisedome hath setled Fâ—at mors bona habet vtraque quâ—d petit let death become good and so both his mercy and his truth hath that which they craue for in the changing of the cursed nature of death and making that temporall which was eternall doth his mercy appeare and in the dissolution of mans body into dust for a time doth his truth appeare Secondly the Lord hath done it for manifestation of his 2 For the cleerer declaration of Gods power owne power accounting it a greater glory to destroy sinne by death then by any other meanes Death is the fruit of sinne and the weapon whereby Sathan intended to destroy mankinde and so deface the glory of the Creator but the Lord cutteth off the head of this Gâ—liah vvith his owne sword hee turneth his vveapon against himselfe by death he destroyes that same sinne in his children which brought Chrisost in Mat. hom 2. forth death A meruailous conquest that Sathan is not onely ouercome but ouercome by the same meanes by vvhich before hee tyrannized ouer men And thirdly the Lord 3 For our instruction that wee may know what great mercy God hath shewed vpon vs. suffers our bodies to taste of death that we may the better consider that excellent benefite vvhich vve haue by Iesus Christ for if the death of the body notwithstanding that the nature thereof is changed be so fearefull as vve see in experience how miserable should vvee haue beene if the Lord had inflicted deserued death both of soule and body 4 For our conformitie with Christ vpon vs And last that we might be conformed to him who is the first borne among many brethren it behoueth vs by death also to enter into his kingdome For righteousnesse sake This righteousnesse that bringeth The life our soule hath flowes from Christs righteousnesse Rom. 5. 21 Hos 13. 9 Reu. 7. 10. life is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by Grace as iâ— euident out of that As sinne had raigned vnto death so might grace also raygne by righteousnesse vnto eternall life Sinne which causeth death is our owne but that righteousnesse which bringeth life is of Grace Our perdition is of our selues but our saluation commeth from the Lord and from the L 〈…〉 be that sitteth vpon the Throne No preseruatiue then against death but this righteousnesse it presently giues life vnto our soule and afterward shall restore our dodyes from the power of the graue such therefore as are the children of wisedome will be carefull in time to be partakers This righteousnesse is known by sanctificatioÌ„ of this Iewell This righteousnesse hath inseperably annexed with it Sanctification by thy sanctification try thy selfe and see whether or no thou hast gotten life through the righteousnesse of Christ deceiue not thine owne hart in the matter of saluation assure thy selfe so far forth thou doest liue as thou art sanctified As health is to the body so is holines to the Soule a body without health fals out of one paine into another till it dye and a Soule without holines is polluted with one lust after another till it dye As the Moone hath lightlesse or more according as it is in aspect with the Sunne so the Soule of man enioyes life lesse or more according as it is turned or auerted to or from the Lord thus let euery man iudge by his sanctification whether if or not hee be partaker of that righteousnesse of Iesus which bringeth life vnto the soule Miserable are those wicked ones who want it they are twise dead saith Saint Iude that is Iude. ver 12. both in soule and body not so much as a heauenly breath or motion is in them but wee ought to giue thankes vnto God who hath giuen a beginning of eternall life vnto vs. Last of all there is here a notable comfort for all the Comfort wee haue a life which no death can extinguish children of God that there is begun in vs a life which no death shall euer be able to extinguish albeit death inuade the naturall vitall powers of our bodies and suppresse them one after one yea though at the length he breake in vpon this lodging of clay and demolish it to the ground yet the man of God who dwels in the body shall escape with his life the Tabernacle is cast downe that is the most our enimie can doe but he who dwelt in it remoues vnto a better as the Bird escapes out of the snare of the Fowler so the The prison of the body being broken the soule that was prisoner doth escape soule in death slighters out and flies away with ioy to her maker yea dissoluing of the bodie to the man of God it is but the vnfolding of the net and breaking open the prison wherein hee hath beene detayned that he himselfe may be deliuered The Apostle knew this well and therefore Phil. 1. 21. desired to be dissolued that he might be with Christ As in the battell betweene our Sauiour and Sathan Sathans head