the well of life and in thy light shall we see light O what a loue of God is here discouered vnto vs Angells made Apostasie from God and mercy neuer 〈◊〉 to them to restore them Man also made Apostasie from God mercy is both offered giuen vnto him to restore him Angells left their habitation and are now reserued in chaines vnder daâ—kenesse to the iudgement of the great day Man is translated from the Kingdome of darkenesse to be raysed vp to the place from which Angels fell And where that state of glory was not made sure to Angels for they lâ—ft their first estate it is made sure to man wee shall so be placed there that we shal dwel there neuer any more to bee remooued from it so hath the Lord declared the riches of his mercy vpon vs his holy name be praised therefore Now out of all this let vs tak vp in one short Sum the reasons which here moued the Apostle and makes all the rest of Gods children willingly content to remoue out of the body we reduce theÌ„ to three First the miserie vnder which weely while wee are in the body Next the Felicity to which we goe when wee remoue out of the body and thirdly the helpes wee haue to carry vs on in this iourney froÌ„ the body to the Lord and these are not vnlike those 3. motiues which made Iacob willing to depart froÌ„ Canaan suppose it was the Land of promise to the land of Egypt wherin he knew his seed shold be afflicted 1. the scarsity and famine which was in Canaan Next the plenty that was in Egypt whereof Ioseph his beloued sonne was gouernor and dispenser liuing there in great honour notwithstanding that all his fathers house supposed him to haue beene dead and rotten and thirdly the oracle of God warrnting him to goe and the Chariots which were sent by Ioseph to helpe him in the iourney but we haue as I said three greater motiues to make vs willing to goe from this Egypt a land of darkenesse a house of vile seruitude and bondage to our heauenly Canaan For 1. what haue we here in this life but a feâ—refull famine and scarsitie of all thinges which are truely good it is not worthy of the name of good which commonly among men is esteemed good non solum quia facilem habeat ad res contrarias conuerâ—ionem seâ— quod etiam possessores suos meliores red dere non valeat not onely because it is easily turned into a contrary euil but also for that it is not able to make the possessors there of any better and what a good I pray you can that bee by which he is not made good that possesses it Beatus ille qui post illa non abiit quae assequi miserum est quia possessa oner ant amata inquinant amissa crusiant happy is he that walkes not after these things which to obtaine is a misery because being possessed they burden vs being loued they defile vs being lost they torment vs and truely no better are the best thinges which growe heere in this land of our Pilgrimage and absence from God Our life is but an exchanging of many sorrowes we liue in the body like Israel in the Wildernesse in danger to bee sting'de euery houre with fiery Serpents like Daniell in the Den in danger to be deuoured by Lyons like Lot in SodoÌ„ vexed with the vncleannesse which is within vs in our selues without vs in others But were it so that we had abundance of good things in this life yet shold webe coÌ„tent to go from them seeing we know that by so doing we shal exchange for a a better for euen now while we are in by body we may finde the experience that at no time wee haue such ioy in the spirit as when by feruent prayer and heauenly contemplation after a sort wee are rauished and transported out of the body to walke with God and haue familiar conuersatioÌ„ with him whereas otherway when the soule comes downe from contemplation to exercice her function by externall senses toward these things which are below then is shee incontinent disquieted with perturbations so that she cannot looke out by the eye and not be infected nor heare by the eare and not bee distracted nor touch by the hand and not be defiled Thus if the soul take a view of the thinges of this world by the senses a world of strange cogitations are wakened in her which quickly againe euanishes if the soule forsaking the familiar vse of the senses by continuance in prayer ascend vnto God Tunâ— anima non fallitur quando solium veritatis attingit quando se sâ—cernit ab isto corpore decipiturenim visu oculorum auditu aurium That same reason by which Athanasius did prooue that the Soule liues out of the body may serue to prooue that it shall liue in greatest peace and ioye out of the body Si enim connexa corpori extra Corpus vitam agit corpore enim in lectulo cubante as velut in morte quiescente ipsa naturam corporis transilit For if the Soule euen while it is knit to the body liues a life without the body as may bee seene in that while the body is sleeping and as it were resting in death the Soule transcends the nature of the body howe much more shall wee thinke that out of the body it liues the own quiet and peaceable life deliuered from this waltring Sea of restâ—esse temptations wherein it is tossed too and fro so long as it is in the body And as to the second if wee looke to these things which are before vs in heauen there is our most louing Father in whose face is the fulnesse of ioye and at whose right hand are pleasures for euer More there is not our yonger but our elder brother liuing and rayning in glorie he once died for our Sinnes but he is risen againe and gone vp before vs to prepare a place for vs. Since hee is the fairest among the children of men and we haue not yet scene him if we loue him why doe wee not long to goe to him Many also of our beloued are gone there before vs to that assembly and Congregation of the first â—orne wherin are the Spirits of iust and perfect men and to the which all these Sonnes of God which shall remaine behind vs shall shortly bee gathered and shall it be grieuous to vs to remooue to so sweete a fellowlowship when it shall please GOD in our coursâ— to call vpon vs. And thirdly we haue most notable helpes giuen of God to aduance vs in our iourney for not onely haue wee the Oracle of God to warrant vs from all euill which may follow vpon our remoouing and to assure vs of a ioyfull welcome Come thou faithfull seruant and enter into thy Masters rest And againe Blessed are
the Chaffe the Christian is seeking the Corne externall things cannot content him frumentum paâ—eis mensura minus est led natura pretio sius as Corne suppose it to be lesse iâ— measure then the Chaffe yet is it more pretious in Nature so doe they know that inward spirituall inuisible goods are the most excellent With me saies Wisedome are durable riches and honour this life is but a shaddow but Wisedome calles vs to the fellowsâ—ip of an euerlasting life all the honour that is from the worlds endes in shame but the honour which is from God is durable fugiamus ergo hinc vbi nihil est vbi inane est omne quod magnificum putatur vbi qui seputat aliquid esse nihil est let us therefore flie out of this world in the which there is nothing in the which that which is thoght to be most magnified is indeed but vanity and he who thinkes himselfe to bee something in very deed is nothing reliâ—quamus vmbram qui soleÌ„ querimus let vs forsake the shadow who seeke the Sun and follow those things which by true light are discouered to vs to bee best Againe we see here how religion takes not away from the ChristiaÌ„ naturall affections but only rectifies them the Lord who in the 1. creation made them in the regeneratioÌ„ doth renue them tempering theÌ„ in measure and setting â—heÌ„ vpon the right obiects for the affections so long as they are either distempered and out of measure or then diuerted from their own proper obiects they breed in vs manifolde restlesse perturbations euen as the strings of an instrumentpunc beeing distempered if ye touch them send out a very vngrateâ—ull sound where o her way being rightly set by the hand of the Musitian they end out most pleasant melodie so is it with the aâ—fections if they be temperedby the spirit of God and set vpon the right obiects they worke in vs a quiet meeke and peaceablâ— spirit and this is the great benefite wee haue by religion and godlines that our affections which are like to furious Beastes are tamed to our hand since by nature we are covetous of honour religion teaches how to câ—uet the best honour and where by nature we cannot be without care religion teaches vs how to bend our care to please God that godly care may cause coÌ„fort to vs where the carnal is thorny that doth but prick disquiet vs and so â—orth of the 〈◊〉 of the affections Now for this moderation of our affections because they are sooner commoued then water is with the winde Two things are most necessarie One is that we haue continually in our mind some short precepts of the word commanding vs how to temper them and next that with the precepts we bee instant in Prayer to God the whole nature of beasts hath beene tamed by the nature of man but the nature of man no man is able to tame what is spoken of the tongue is true of our whole nature it is an vnruly euill wee must therefore seeke it may be done by God which is not possible to bee done by man That both dwelling at home c. But now to returne The Apostle protests that both dwelling at home and remooving from home that is both in life and in death it was his greatest desire to bee acceptable to GOD. It is certaine that Ioab as prophane a man as hee was in his life yet when he was straited by death ranne to the hornes of the Aâ—tar so the most prophane and wicked men when they come to the point of Death would giue al the world if they had it for the favour of God then are they content to heare the Preacher then desire they some comfort of the word and that Prayers by the Church shold be made vnto God for them In a word those same meanes of reconciliation with God which they despised in their life they desiâ—â— them in death but here is wisedome in time to do that which we must bee faine to doe at the length I see no other difference betwene these wise and foolish Virgins in that Parable but that the one did that in time which the other would faine haue done out of time but in vaine And the Apostle here stands vnto vs for an example of this holy wisedome he offered vp himselfe in a whole burnt offering to GOD keeping nothing backe nor diuiding euill as the maner of foolish men is What greater folly then this that thy dying dayes thou resoluest to offer them vnto God and the dayes of thy life thou giuest them to the seruice of Satan and sin for euill diuiding Saule lost his Kingdome for euill diuiding Ananias and Saphira lost their liues but worse diuiders are they who will giue their young yeeres vnto Satan and their old and feeble age to the Lord this is to incurre that fearefull curse Cursed be he that hath a male in his flocke and vowes and Sacrifices a corrupt thing vnto the LORD Surely as the carelesse Husband-man whoe sowes nothing in spring time Reapes nothing in Haruest So he who in his life sowes not the seede of teares out of a penitent heart how shal hee gather in death the fruit oâ— ioy yea rather as the idolatrous Israelites when by many Apostasies they had prouoked the Lord to anger got this fearefull answere from him Goe to the gods whom yee haue chosen let them saue you in the time of your tribulation So may they looke for the like aunswere who in their life liue as Rebels vnto God and then in death wil pray the Lord to receiue them No goe your way to the Masters whome yee haue serued and let them receiue you Now all this delay of Repentance whereby men defer to doe that in their life which faine they would do in death comes to pâ—sse of Satans sinâ—gular Policie who craftily steales away from men the time of Grace he dare not be so impudent as to say plainely to the wicked man yee neede not repent at all he craues no more but a supersedere yee neede not to repent as yet euery day hee tempts thee with a new baite and so makes thee put off from day to day till the last day come wherein thou arT suddenly taken away before thou canst put order to thy thoughts for then a multitude of sins gathers against thee and confounds thee where if thou hadst fought against theÌ„ seuerally before thou mightst easilyhaue ouercome them As in bodily diseases protract of time makes them the more incureable so is it in the spirituall for no sinne ends there where it begins but if it bee suffered to continue makes a progresse alwayes to the worse It is written of Pharao that being plagued with Frogges that Moses offered to him Concerning me command when thou wilt that I shall pray for thee and the Frogges shall bee taken from thee and sent
the grace by which we come to it that the praise of all may returne vnto himselfe alone Who hath also giuen vs the earnest of the Spirit The second argument by which the Apostle prooues that the desire of immortality in the godly is no vaine desire is here that God hatâ— not onely in his word promised to giue it but hath also therevpon geuen vs the earnest of his Spirit and therefore of necessitie it must be performed for God is not as man that he shouldlye or repent the Lord is faithfull and will doe as he speakes This is the greatesâ— argument of comfort that we haue in this life to susteine vs It is indeed much that we haue the word the promises and the Oath of God sounded in our eares and that we haue the sacraments as the seales of God presented to our eares but none of these can make vs sure of a better life after this vnlesse with them we haue receiued the earnest of the spirit into our harts By the workes and word of God wee may know that vniuersall couenant which God hath made with all mankind â—hat he wâ—ll not drown the worlâ— againe with waters for as God in his word hath promised it so hath hee also set his rainebow in the firmament for a witnesse to confiâ—me it By the word and Sacraments all that are in the visible Church may know that speciall cauenant which God hath made with his adopted children but that this same couenant of grace is particularly bound vp with thee thou canst not know except with the Sacraments thou hast also receiued the spirâ—t Now to make this comfort the more sensible vnto vs we are here to consider these foure things first what is meant here by this Spirit Secondly why is it called an earnest Thirdly how is it receiued Fourthly wherby may we know whether wee haue receiued it or not By the Spirit here we vnderstand that speciall grace of the holy Spirit by which the Lord renews strengthens stablishes and confirmes his own children which for the purging vertue that is in it to make cleane them who receiue it is compared to fire and water and for the corroboratins and strengthening vertue that it hath is compared to holy oyntment for the vertue it hath to stablish and confirme our hearts against all doubting is caled the earnest the Seale and the 〈◊〉 And this grace of the spirit is called the earnest of the spirit first for the measure next for the nature and vse therof for now we haue it in a small measure in comparison of that which we shall receiue hereafter And wee are to obserue it against the customable policie of Satan who casts vp to Gods children the smalnes of their faith loue and other graces of the spirit of purpose to driue them to dispaire as if they had no grace at all because it is but small and little which they haue but we are to remember against him that the best measure of grace we haue in this life is compared to an earnest pennie wee will not therefore faint because now wee haue not the fulnesse but rather will be comforted knowing assuredly that the Lord who now hath giuen vs the earnest will afterward giue vs the principall for the Kingdome of God in vs proceedes to perfection from smal beginnings and therefore is the groúth thereof coÌ„pared by our Lord to the grouth of a little grain of mustard seede which in the beginning is small but by time increases to an high tree And truly that same little beginning of grace which god hath wroght in vs howsoeuer SataÌ„ extenuates it labours to make it seeme little in our eies yet is it not smal in our owne eyes but much more theÌ„ he wold with to be in vs therfore doth hee what hee can vtterly to quench it but in vaine this same seed of grace in vs how little soeuer yet is it blessed of God shal grow and increase to cast Sacan vtterly out of that Kingdome which once he possessed in vs for if the beginnings of grace inable vs to resist Satan shall not the perfection thereof much more inable vs to oueâ—come him Now the nature and vse of the earnest is as we know to binde both the giuer and receiuer the giuer is bound by it to stand to his word and promise whats'euer that he hath made the receiuer againe is bound to staÌ„d to the conditioÌ„ whervpon he receiued it here we are admonished that if on Gods part wee would haue his earnest valid to binde him to stand to his promises wee must on our part declare that they are forcible to binde vs to stand to our promised dueties But alas in this generation men liue as if the Lord were onely bound to bee mercifull to them and they were not bound to be seruiceable to him but it were free to them to liue as pleases them The Lord giue vs wise vnderstanding hearts and sanctified memories to remember it as oft as our enemies would solicite vs to transgresse the commaundements of our God that by the bond of creation by the right of redemption by our oath in baptisme by receiuing the earnest of God in our regeneration beside innumerable other obligations wee are bound seruants to the Lord our God with a solemne renuntiation of the Deuill the world and the flesh As to the third the giuing and receiuing of this Spirit it is certaine that the giuing is euery where ascrybed to God as Eph. 1.13.2 Cor. for the ministry of grace God hath reserued it to himselfe the Ministry of the word by which hee giueth grace he hath concredited to men Moses gaue the law but grace comes by Christ Iohn baptises with water Iesus baptises with the holy Ghost Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must giue the increase Yet is it much that it pleses god to giue his grace by the ministery of the word and therfore if we loue the one we must not mislike the other That same holy spirit who commanded Philip to ioyne himselfe to the Eunuches Charioâ— to teach him might by himselfe haue taught the Eunuch but he would do it by the minstery of a man And the Lord might haue caused th' Angel whoÌ„ he sent to Cornelius to haue taught him but he would do it by the ministry of Peter and notable is it that while Peter is preaching the holy Ghost descended vpon Cornelius and his friends Thus we see how God who giues the grace giues it by the ministrie of the word God hath linked in one chain all the meanes of saluation and man should not presse to sunder them they who call on the name of the Lord shall be saued but how shall they call on him on whom they beleeue not how shal they beleeue but by hearing how shal they heare but by preaching and how shall men preach