an Atheist is the most wicked creature that is because hee takes away God from us By the law of the land if a man bee condemned by twelve men hee must die the death but worthily may hee die that is not onely condemned of twelve men but of twelve thousand creatures If a man doubt there is a God let him step but one step out of this life and hee shall feele there is a God Chrysostome saith if thou doest not beleeve there is a God what doest thou O man in the house of God saith hee pay thine hire and get thee out of his house tread not on his ground feede not of his creatures but get thee another place Secondly seeing there is a God why doe a number of men live as if there were no God at all men cry out of the Atheists that say there is no God and thou saist there is a God and yet doest not serve and obey him here is the difference betwixt thee and him thou art an Atheist in practice and hee is an Atheist in judgement so although thou doest acknowledge in judgement there is a God yet in thy practice thou doest deny him The Apostle Paul saith Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God but by their workes they deny him being abhominable and disobedient and unto every good worke reprobate Thirdly seeing their is a God it is a sure thing that every man should looke after God and labour to serve and worship him to give him that glory which is due for he is the fountaine of all our comfort It was the condemnation of the world Rom. 1. when men knew there was a God yet did not worship and give him that glory which was due unto him so this is the condemnation of the world still that when men know there is a God they doe not worship him and give him that glory which is due If a man dwell in the Kings house and yet will not come at the kings Leetes to doe him service hee shall bee turned out of the kings house and service so if wee dwell here as in Gods house he being our Land-lord if wee doe not performe our service and duty to him giving him his due it were just with God to turne us out of his house and home Wee see the creatures obey God and doe that they were made for even those that have not that sense reason or knowledge that wee have being guided by the instinct of nature onely whereas wee having knowledge sense and faith doe not obey God and give him that honour that is his due but neglect and despise him from day to day It is a laudable custome among us that before wee beginne the harvest wee beginne in the Temple and that for two causes 1. To acknowledge the Soveraignty of God 2. That wee may shew wee desire to enjoy these blessings but with his love and leave Esai 38. 12. The life of man is compared to a Weavers Warpe which the beame windes up and so is filled which if they doe not fill it is found full of flawes bancks bracks and gaules when it is cut off so our life is the warpe and every day is as the beame to winde up somewhat of the life wee live Wherefore every day wee must bee doing somewhat to fill our warpe lest when wee bee cut off wee should not bee found filled but full of bracks gaules and flawes Now to helpe you this way wee have spent a great deale of time in the doctrine of faith and repentance which bee the fillings of our lives therefore let us not passe a day without renewing of repentance and faith Secondly wee beleeve that there is but one God as it is Deut. 4. 39. Vnderstand therefore and consider in thine heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath there is none other And 1 Cor. 8. 4. Wee know that an Idoll is nothing in the world and that there is no other God but one So 1 Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Iesus thus wee see there is but one God The heathen had a number of Gods the Romans had great Gods and little Gods the Grecians had heavenly Gods and earthly Gods Gods for the sea and Gods for the land but wee beleeve there is but one God Athanasius hath a pretty saying an instrument that hath many strings take many men to strike the strings and they have no order consent or sweet harmony betweene but take a man that hath cunning and skill to strike upon the strings then there appeares a sweet order consent and harmony so saith hee this world and the creatures bee as it were an instrument with a number of strings take men to strike upon the strings of the creatures then there is no order nor consent amongst them but let one God strike upon the strings of the creatures and then there is a sweet consent and agreement betweene them Now if a man should say why is there not more Gods than one This were a frivolous question we acknowledge divers persons and but one God in substance essence and power wee read 1 Ioh. 5. 7. There bee three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one A good Divine doth thus illustrate it water is but one thing in nature and yet hath divers beings as it is in the fountaine as it runnes into the river as it is conveied home to the house in pipes payles or buckets so the three persons are one in nature and essence but it is in the Father as the Fountaine in Christ as the River in the holy Ghost as a pipe or a payle to convey and bring it into our hearts So it is in a diverse manner but all one in essence substance nature and power The uses are first seeing there is but one God wee must take heed wee make not many Gods that wee make not a God of our pleasures of our goods of our bellies or of our sinnes as the Apostle complaines Phil. 3. 19. Whose belly is their God and whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things I but some man may say is there any man so bad to make his pleasure his belly his sinnes and his goods his god I answer it may be proved by these two Evidences First whatsoever he loveth above God that he maketh his god but it is evident that many a man loveth his pleasures more than God or his goods or his belly or his sinnes and therefore hee maketh them his gods If a man should set a Childe betweene two men let them both call the childe and looke which the childe loveth unto him will the childe runne so let a man be set betweene God and his pleasures God and his mony God and his sinnes which now a man runnes unto that he loveth
Church by hiding of them The Papists demand of us where our Church was before Luthers dayes To this I answer the Lord did hide them in the wildernesse all the time of the rage of Antichrist Saint Hilarie saith Yee doe not well to love the wals of the Church and to make such accompt of the Temple know yee not that Antichrist shall fit in the Temple of God boasting himselfe as if he were God therefore saith hee looke not for the true Church of God in the Temples but looke for it in mines caves and secret places The third meanes whereby Christ defends his Church is Miraculously and wonderously so the Lord delivered the Church out of Egypt from Pharoah and so likewise The three children out of the Firie fornace and Daniel out of the Lions den and Peter out of Prison when hee should have beene brought out the next day to execution Yea the Lord doth not onely defend his Church wonderfully but also gratiously as 1 Sam. 13. 26. it was told to Saul that David was in the wildernesse of Maon presently Saul and his men followed him and Saul with his men were on the one side of the mountaine and David with his men were on the other side but there came a messenger to Saul saying Haste thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the land so David was delivered gratiously though it were not miraculous and wonderfull but by a rumour and report onely heere wee see though the Lord doe not deliver us miraculously and wonderfully yet hee doth gratiously in making our greatest and chiefest enemies friendly unto us and so gives us peace The fourth meanes whereby Christ doth defend and protect the Church is By giving them invincible courage to endure all that the world shall put upon them so although they bee slaine at the foote of the Lambe and the blood come downe at their heeles yet they goe away with a glorious conquest So Paul Rom. 8. saith For thy sake are wee killed all the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter neverthelesse in all these things wee are more than conquerours through him that hath loved us for through their Christian courage they carry away the conquest Revelation 12. 11. it is said But they overcame him by the blood of the Lambe and by the Word of their testimony and they loved not their lives to the death Cyprian saith well God would let the world see that though Christians be slaine and trodden under foot for the Gospell and for the testimony of the truth yet they cannot overcome them because they bee not affraid to dye in the cause of Christ for as Christ by dying overcame death so all his members must overcome by dying Augustine makes this question whether the Tyrant doth overcome or the Christian in the eye of sense and reason one would thinke that the Tyrant hath the better because hee takes away life and blood but it is the Christian that doth overcome because the Tyrant aimes doth not somuch at the life or blood but he labours to take away God Christ the hope of heaven and to destroy Faith and Religion but the Tyrant though hee take away liberty or blood or life yet he cannot take away God nor Christ nor the hope of heaven nor the pardon of their sinnes from them therefore a Christian is the conquerour hee hath the better As wee see in nature a man comes to kill a serpent hee strikes at the serpent the serpent labours to fence his head because his life lyes in his head hee will take a wound any where before hee will take it there now as long as the serpent fences his head and keepes his life hee hath the better because the man fought to take away his life and yet he keepes it so when a Tyrant labors to take away Christ God and faith from a Christian yet as long as hee can keepe Christ and his graces it is sufficient because hee is the head and life lyes in him though hee bee wounded in his name or in his goods or his life taken from him yet a Christian hath the better I will further shew it you in an example of Scripture wee see that the Divell was as it were let loose on Iob hee tooke away his children and his goods and hee left him nothing but the stench of his teeth yet Iob had the better because the divell did labour to take away his faith and comfort in God which he could not and therefore seeing Iob did keepe this God sets the crowne on his head and hee goes away the conquerour so though sicknesse take away a mans health and usurers his money and theeves his goods and tyrants his life and blood yet as long as a man keepes God Christ his faith and hope of heaven he hath the better The fifth meanes is By destroying and confounding all their enemies for although it pleased God to use them for the chastening of his children yet at last hee will destroy them a father useth a rod to chasten his sonne for his amendment yet at last hee will destroy the rod so wee see Exod. 5. what grievous taskes were laid on the children of Israel by Pharoah to make them willing to depart the land the Lord was faine to doe as men doe by bees to smoke them out to make them leave their hives so the Lord did smoke them out of the place and at last Pharaoh the rod it selfe was drowned in the red sea so Dan. 8. wee see the Little horne which was the King of Macedonia hee did overcome for a time and tread under the people of God yet at last his horne was broken so also Revelation 12. The Beast that had seven heads and ten hornes that did labour to devoure the woman hee also shall goe to destruction and therefore let not Christians be discouraged and dismaied though they see the Church hath great enemies for God will defend and protect them against all their enemies if they walke worthy of the Gospell and labour to please God in all their courses these bee the foure actions whereby Christ doth rule and governe the Church which for your memories sake I will briefly recapitulate unto you First that hee doth draw and pull them out of the condemned multitude of the world and bring them to an estate of grace secondly hee doth guide and governe them by his Word and Spirit Thirdly he doth exercise them with divers temptations and trials Lastly hee doth protect and defend them against all their enemies The Vses wee are to make of Christs sitting at the right hand of God are first that seeing Christ sits in the highest place next to God therefore wee must labour to submit our selves unto him sinke downe at the feet of Christ and bee contented to bee ruled and guided by him but they that are ruled by their owne lusts and sinnes they doe as it were pull downe Christ
power of men and heaven beyond this earth so far is the glory and excellency of this Kingdome beyond all the Kingdomes of this world Now in foure things the excellencie of this Kingdome goeth beyond all earthly Kingdomes First in regard of the bounds and Limits for all earthly Kingdomes have their bounds and limits set them as it is said of the Kingdome of Salomon that it reached from river to river from the river Nilus to Euphrates And so likewise in Hester it is said of the Kingdome of Ahashuerosh that he raigned from India to Ethiopia over an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces But of this Kingdome there is no bounds or limits assigned for Rev. 21. 7. it is said he that overcommeth shall inherit all things not a little house or a little land or a little Kingdome of this world but hee shall inherit the new heaven and the new earth So there shall bee no bounds nor limits to this Kingdome Secondly it doth excell all other kingdomes in regard of time because the former at length are swallowed up of the latter but this Kingdome shall continue for ever and ever So we read Dan. 2. 44. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed And this Kingdome shall not be given to other people that is it shall not passe from one people to another but it shall continue for ever and ever Thiâ—dly all other Kingdomes have their wants and defects though they may abound with many things we see Salomons Kingdome that did excell all other Kingdomes yet it had wants as 1 King 10. hee had his gold out of Ophir and his horses out of Egypt But in the Kingdome of God there is no want nor defect all things are there that the heart of man can wish as Psal 16. saith the Prophet in thy presence is the fulnesse of joy and at thy right band are pleasures for evermore Fourthly all other Kingdomes have their terrors and feares Cantic 3. 7. Behold the bed which is Salomons Threescore strong men are round about it of the valiant men of Israel they all handle the sword and are expert in war every one both his sword upon his thigh for feare by night So wee see Salomons Kingdome was not without his terrors and feares though it were a peaceable Kingdome But this Kingdome is without all feare for Revel 24. 25. it is said that the gates of this citie shall stand open day and night So they are not afraid of any enemies whatsoever I but seeing this Kingdome excels all the Kingdomes of the World why doe not men respect it and seeke for it more but rather are in love with the Kingdomes of this world I answer by an Opticke Rule because things that bee afar off seeme to bee but small and things that bee nigh seeme great Therefore because men dwell amongst the Kingdomes of this world touch them are far off from this Kingdome therefore they do not respect it so much but let a man change his standing and get within the Clouds and draw neere to God then it will bee great in his eyes and hee shall see it doth excell all the kingdomes of the World The Vses hereof are these following First seeing this kingdome excels all the kingdomes of this world therefore wee have a better estate by Christ and greater honour than ever we lost by Adam For first we lost by him Paradise but by Christ we have Heaven Secondly Adam was lord onely of the Earth and we of heaven Thirdly he had it but on his good behavior we shal have it without condition Fourthly he lived amongst Beasts and Birds and we shall live amongst the Angels Fifthly he had the presence of God but by fits and we shall enjoy it continually Sixthly when hee had all thing he had neede of a help but God shall be all in all to us Therefore as a learned man saith O happy fall of Man that wee have received all this good by This therefore may serve to informe our judgement that we may see that our estate by Christ is better than that which Adam lost Secondly seeing this Kingdome excels all the kingdomes in this World why doe not men seeke and labour after it as Iudg. 18. 9. there were spies sent to discover the land who came and told the people the land was a good land and said to them Why sit you still and why are you slothfull to enter in and possesse the land So seeing all the Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles and Christ himselfe are the spies of this good land and they tell us that Heaven is a good land and excels all the kingdomes of this World why doe ye sit still and why are yee slothfull to enter in and to possesse it This is the use that Saint Paul makes of it Heb. 12. 28. Wherefore seeing wee receive a kingdome that cannot be shaken Let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare therefore seeing it is not a mutable and a changeable kingdome as the best kingdomes are in this World why doe we not labor to please God to spend our time well here attend him that wee may have it and enjoy this kingdome We see what labour and paines men will take for lesse matters than a kingdome for a little foode and rayment how early men rise in the morning and goe late to bed to get in a little corne and men doe well in it much more should wee labour and take paines that we may enjoy this Heavenly Kingdome Thirdly seeing this Kingdome excels all the kingdomes of this world therefore Christians must comfort themselves with the hope of this though they be meane and poore and it may bee have not house or land yet let them comfort themselves I say with the hope of this that God will bestow a kingdome that doth far excell all the kingdoms of this World if they can repent of their sinnes have saith in Christ if they walke with care and conscience before him therefore let every Christian stay himselfe with the hope of this and let us enter into the veile and lay hold with the Anchors of the Soule as Saint Paul saith Heb. 6. 19. To hold fast the hope that is set before us which we have as an Aâ—chor of the Soule both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the veile Saint Basill saith The hope of reward will carry us through any affliction in this World with comfort art thou afraide of shame and reproach for the Gospell sake God will grace thee before men and Angels art thou afraid thou shalt lose thy friends God will bee thy friend art thou affraid thou shalt lose thy goods and thy wealth God will bestow Heaven on thee therefore thinke on the riches that God hath
it in all true beleevers The corrupt nature of man is ready to oppose against it so that we shall have much adoe to hold our faith and to keepe it By experience every man may finde this in himselfe that even when temptations cease hee shall have much adoe to holde and keepe his faith therefore in the Revelation it is said Hold fast that which thou hast and let no man take away thy crowne And in Iâ—de Strive for the maintenance of faith once given to the Saints Let a man attend to preaching prayer and the use of good meanes yet hee shall have much adoe to hold his faith but it is an easie matter to hold the faith of the world there is no opposition made against it and therefore it is not the true and saving faith One opposition against true faith is sinne for this alwayes weakens faith in a true beleever so in Psalme 51. Wee see Davids faith was weakened by the reason of his sinnes Cast mee not away from thy presence and so likewise Iob 13. 26. his faith staggered by the meanes of his sinnes saith hee Thou writest bitter things against mee and makest mee to possesse the Iuiquities of my youth But the faith of the world is not weakened by sinne for although they commit never so many sinnes and grievous yet their faith is not weakened but it is as strong as ever it was and as confident in God and therefore this faith is not true faith The sixth point whereby wee may discerne true faith from the faith of the world is by the power of faith for whatsoever they suffer or endure they bee contented with it and labour to quiet themselves with the good will of God This wee see in Iob Though thou killest mee yet will I trust in thee And so the good Theefe Lâ—k 23. We are indeed righteously here for wee receive things worthy of that wee have done so they never murmur nor grudge at it but quiet themselves with the good will of God Now there is no such matter in the faith of the world for let trouble come and they bee at their wits end they have no comfort in God nor in Christ and therefore it is no true faith The Philosophers tell us how wee should know true gold from that which the Alchymists make although it cannot be discerned by the colour touch or by the weight yet take it in extremitie and it will comfort the heart it is cordiall but counterfeit gold will not And even so wee may discerne of true faith from the faith of the world for in extremitie it is cordiall it will comfort the heart The seventh signe whereby wee may discerne true faith from the faith of the world is by the companions of faith and holy traine that doth attend it and they bee five First Ioy unspeakable and glorious that God hath given us faith whereby wee may bee saved and that hee will respect us never was any child so glad of his fathers lands and livings and of that his father did bequeath him as they are glad that God hath bequeathed Christ life and eternall happinesse unto them so wee see Paul Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed us with all blessings in heavenly things And 1 Peter 1. 3. Blessed bee God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortall undefiled c. The 2. companion in the traine of faith is Holy admiration and admiring and wondering at the kindnesse and mercie of God that hath refused others and chosen us that he hath made of us that were slaves servants of servants sonnes of sonnes heires and heires with his sonne Christ Ioh. 14. As Iudas saith there What is the cause that thou shewest thy selfe to us and not unto the world Even so wee may admire and wonder at the kindnesse and mercie of God why hee should shew himselfe unto us and passe by others that be better than we The third companion in the traine of faith is Exceeding love to God Seeing he hath done so much for us we cannot doe too much for him and therefore we must be ready to do his will in all things that he commandeth The fourth companion in the traine of faith is Forsaking of the world and to lay all downe at the feete of Christ and to be contented that hee should dispose of our health and of our goods and of our lives and to say with David here am I doe as it pleaseth thee dispose of my health and of my goods and of my life I am contented with it The fifth companion in the traine of faith is A desire to have a more neere conjunction with Christ in heaven whereby men are contented to leave all behinde and to goe with him and much more will it bee when wee shall live with him for ever and ever and therefore the Apostle desireth to be with him saying I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ but the faith of the world hath not such companions and such a traine to attend it If a Lady comes to a poore mans house how shall wee know whether shee be there still and see her not wee may know it by her traine and those that attend her although we see her not yet if we see her traine it is certaine she is there still and even so a man may know whether there be faith in his heart or no although he cannot see it if there be the companions and traine of faith then it is certaine that there is faith still Therefore every man should try and examine himselfe by these signes whether hee hath true faith or no that hee may not be deceived for wee all shall die at the time appointed either sooner or later and if wee have it not wee are like to perish for ever for wee must stand before God and the divell and our consciences will bee ready to accuse us for our sinnes and then if wee have not Faith to stand by us and to pull out a bagge of the merits of Christ for us a pardon sealed with his blood we shal surely be condemned at that day The uses are foure seeing true Faith is accompanyed with such a traine and with such companions First to rejoyce in God Secondly to admire at the mercy of God Thirdly to love God Fourthly to forsake the world Fifthly to desire a more neere conjunction with God Now the Faith of the world hath not this traine nor abundance and therefore let us take heed that wee bee not deceived with a false Faith instead of the true Faith If a man were to passe into another countrey and hee should put his whole estate into a ship even all that ever hee hath if hee should
Christ and the pardon of his sinnes and assurance of his salvation he cannot be at rest The second propertie is That they bee constant and setled desires They give not over till they have the things they desire many have desires but they bee floating and unsetled they give over before they have the thing that they desire where there are such desires there is not weake Faith but no Faith The third propertie is That they bee lively and actuall they bee contented to take any paines and labour for to have the things that they desire In the Proverbes it is said The sluggard hee lusteth and yet he hath not what wants hee hee hath desires but he is loth to take any paines or labour to come by that which hee desireth and therefore he goeth without But the desires of a Christian bee lively will put them upon any paines and labor they will not sticke at any thing so that they may have the things that they desire The second signe whereby we may know that wee have weake Faith from no Faith is That it worketh according to the measure of weaknesse as Matt. 8. when the Disciples were in the ship and in danger of drowning they goe to Christ and cry unto him Helpe Master wee perish Christ doth not reprove them because they had no Faith but because they had but little Faith it was but weake and yet this weake Faith did worke in them and drove them to Christ to cry to him for helpe this was true Faith though weake so if wee cry to Christ in extremity and seeke to him for helpe there is true Faith but when men seeke to witches as Saul did and sorcerers for helpe there is not weake Faith but no Faith The third thing whereby we may know weake Faith from no Faith is That it doth desire to encrease and to get strength by the use of good meanes Even as a tree being set into the ground it sends downe its rootes and spreads them this way and that way to get strength and nourishment unto it selfe that it may grow so weake Faith it doth desire to encrease by all good meanes by prayer preaching the use of the Sacraments reading and such like things So wee see the Disciples came to Christ and say Lord encrease our Faith And the man in the Gospell I beleeve Lord helpe my unbeleefe So wee see weake Faith that desires to encrease and therefore if we doe not desire to encrease our Faith there is not weake Faith but no Faith The fourth thing whereby we may know weake Faith from no Faith is That it is ready to lay hold upon every little helpe even as the vine is ready to catch hold of every post and every wall and every sticke and sprig with her windes about it to rest upon it even so true Faith laies hold on every little helpe and every little word as Iohn 2. It was but a little word and a sowre word that Christ spake to Marie Woman my houre is not yet come and yet the Faith of Marie laid hold upon it for shee did beleeve that hee had his houre for she saith after to the the servants whatsoever hee biddeth you doe that doe yee And so in Matth. 15. It was but a word that Christ spake to the woman of Canaan and a sowre word it was too It is not lawfull to take the childrens bread and to give it unto dogs and yet her Faith laid hold of it and therefore what shal we say of the Faith of the world Doe they profit by the meanes God giveth them hath not God sent his mercies and his judgements amongst us wee have preaching and teaching and yet wee doe not lay hold of it profit by it be not brought to walke conscionablie before God shall wee say there is weake Faith in us Nay there is no Faith for weake Faith will grow and encrease and lay hold upon every little meanes of helpe SERMON III. ROM 1. 17. For thereby is the righteousnesse of God revealed from Faith to Faith AS it was in the Temple so it is in Faith in it there was certaine steps and staires whereby as men ascended higher and higher the neerer they came to the presence of God so there be certaine steps and staires in Faith that the higher wee mount therein the neerer wee come to Gods presence and a view of his love in Christ even as a man ascending up some steepe high hill The first step he sees somewhat when he is higher he sees more but when he is at the top of the hill then he sees the whole Countrie round about him flatnesse length breadth Latitude both of Sea and Land So when wee have weake Faith we see somewhat when strong Faith we see more but when wee come to the full assurance of Faith to the top of the hill as it were then wee see the length and breadth of Gods love in Christ Hauing spoken of weake Faith and how it may bee discerned wee are now come in the next place to speake of strong Faith which is another degree of Faith but first by your patience I desire to shew you some trialls and markes how a man shall discover his weakenesse of Faith for every man that would know this weakenesse must doe these two things he must labour 1. To finde it out 2. To helpe it as soone as may be First one shall finde and know weakenesse of Faith in himselfe when hee doubteth of the favour of God that hee cannot rejoyce nor have his heart made glad with it and standeth in doubt of his own salvation this doth shew weaknesse of Faith as Peter Mat. 14. 30. When he saw the wind arise hee was afraid of drowning which did shew weaknesse of Faith in him so Iames 1. 6. saith hee But let him aske in Faith and waver not so then if a man aske any thing at Gods hand and standeth in doubt of it here is weake Faith The second thing whereby wee may know weake Faith in our selves is when wee trust God for one thing and not for another when wee trust God for the saving of our soules but not for the feeding and cloathing of our bodies and of the saving of them So Abraham he beleeved God in one thing doubted in another he beleeved God for the saving of his soule but doubted of a child as wee see Gen. 15. And Matth. 8. the disciples were afraid that their bodies should perish and therefore when wee trust God for one thing and will not for another this doth shew weaknesse of Faith in us or if wee trust him in one trouble and when another is comming faint this is weaknesse of Faith The third thing whereby wee may know weaknesse of Faith in our selves is When we are comfortable to our selves in time of peace but faint hearted in the time of trouble as it is Proverbs 24. 10. If thou faint in the
there is alwayes a seede and a roote of faith left though hee may feele the losse of the comfortable assurance yet there is the Sanctity and effects of faith still there is an hatred of sinne a love of goodnesse a desire of the presence of God and of his love and favour which may be his comfort We read Acts 20. 10. that Eutichus fell out of a window and was taken up dead but Paul went downe and fell upon him and imbracing him said Trouble not your selves for his life is in him so we may say of all the fals of Gods people There is life in them This may bee their comfort that in all their fals there is a seed of faith there is the sanctitie of faith still remaining in them this must be their stay and comfort in all their spirituall afflictions and desertions whatsoever The second is that although they lose the feeling of Gods favour yet it is not perpetuall but for a short time So it is said Psal 55. Hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever and Psal 94. 18. When I said my foote slippeth thy mercy O Lord held and stayed me up Trees in a great winde are shaken and beate this way and that way as if they would breake but if the windes goe downe and there bee a calme they come to their former estate againe so it is in faith in the time of temptation we may be shaken and carried this way and that way but when the temptation is at an end wee come unto our former estate againe and to as comfortable apprehension of the Love of God and of his favor as before so Zech. 10. 6. the Lord promised the same powerfull grace to his people after their fals as before for saith he And I will strengthen the house of Iudah and I will preserve the house of Ioseph and I will bring them againe for I pittie them and they shall be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and will heare them And therefore seeing it is not perpetuall but for a little time this may comfort them and glad their hearts The third is The wise providence of God who disposeth all things to the good of his servants A man ye know when he plants a tree he casteth moulds about it puls and shakes it this way and that way and yet it is but to settle the tree so the Lord doth when he plants a man hee puls him this way and that way and all is but to settle him that he may be the better rooted and grounded as it is Rom. 8. 28. All things worke together for the good of those that love God Therefore let a man love God and then all things shall worke together for his good There be strange workes of God and some that seeme to bee against men and yet by a secret hand of God they are all carried and worke together for the good of them that love him As ye see in a Clocke there be some wheeles turne one way and some another way and yet all tend to one end to make the Clocke goe well so sometimes God sends a man adversity and sometimes prosperity sometimes he deales one way with us sometimes another and yet all is but to draw us neerer unto him in holinesse and obedience The fourth thing that may comfort them is that they cannot be at quiet or at rest till they have returned to the Lord againe still there is a thirsting of the heart after God and they cannot bee at rest till they bee returned againe so we see David Psal 119. ver ult saith I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost oh seeke me for I have not forgotten thy Commandements as a lost sheepe cannot be at rest but he runnes here and there hee cries to the sheepheard and is not at rest and quiet till he be returned home unto the sheepfold so the people of God when they have gone astray cannot be at rest till they have runne here and there and cried to the sheepherd they can never be at quiet till they be returned home unto God therefore so long as a man cannot be at quiet in his fals and sinnes but that there is a thirsting of the heart after God and hee takes no rest till he be returned this may give him comfort We see in nature that if the shipmans needle be touched with the Loadstone it cannot be at rest nor at quiet till it looke upon the North Pole if it be hindred with any little thing it standeth trembling and shaking as if it were discontented so if a mans heart be touched and set a fire with faith in Christ it doth alwayes gather to Christ and if it be hindred by any meanes it is not at rest but it is discontented untill it come home to him When a man is in danger of drowning hee will fling out his armes and catch hold of every straw to save himselfe so we should doe when wee perceive our selves to be in danger of hell we should fling out our armes abroad and catch hold of Christ and so save our selves Now if any man should aske how he should recover againe when he is in this estate I answer first he must repent him of his sinnes and turne to God Secondly he must cry to God for his former falling so we see David did Psal 51. saith he Restore me to the joy of thy Salvation and Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thirdly strive against the infidelitie of thy owne heart as David did Psal 42. saith he Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou thus disquieted within me waite still on God Fourthly to strengthen our faith from the former mercies and kindnesse of God as Rom. 11. 29. The graces and gifts of God are without Repentance And in another place Those whom the Lord loveth hee loveth unto the end and therefore if ever thou canst approve to thine own heart that God hath loved thee he will love thee still unto the end The third step and degree of faith is The full assurance of faith when a man is at this top and degree he is as it were at the top of the hill for as you know that a man being at the top of an hill hee may see the whole countrey round about him the latitude and length of it both by sea and land euen so when a man comes at this step and degree of faith he shal see the latitude and length of Gods love in Christ heaven open and Christ ready to receive him the holy Apostles ready to carry his soule into heaven as Lazarus was and all the Saints and Martyrs ready to entertaine him Now this Metaphor is taken from a ship at sea that hath sea roome enough being past rockes and sands and so out of danger saileth safely unto
and he had thought to have tarried there till this came into his thought this is not the holy land nor the holy city and so he departed thence then he came to another city where he saw goodly houses fine women good cheere where he thought to have tarried but he remembred this was not the holy land nor holy city so a Christian must doe when hee comes at the pleasures and profits of this life his heart must not bee intangled with them but this must come into his minde that this is not the holy land nor the holy citie that we looke for The second respect is to please the Lord of the countrey especially and the Lord of the soile that he is to passe through that so he may be at peace so it must be our care to please the Lord of the soile and countrey that wee passe through and seeing God is the Lord of the Earth it must bee our care to please him that so wee may with peace passe through this earth to heaven lest we be arrested and stayed in our journey The third respect is that a Pilgrime is ever hasting what company soever he comes in he is still gathering home whatsoever hee doth his minde is of home so we should be like Pilgrimes in this respect that what company soever we come into or whatsoever we doe our minde should still be gathering home as in the Philip. 1. 23. the Apostle Paul desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ Iob 14. 14. saith All the daies of my appointed time I will waite till my change shall be The fourth respect is that a Pilgrime hath no care but this one to have so much foode as may serve him in his journey till he come at home that so he doe not starve so seeing we are strangers and Pilgrimes here in this world this must teach us to be carefull to get so much food knowledge faith as may serve us till we come at home be brought to heaven and happinesse there is much talke of faith and many thinke that they have it but when God shall bring us downe to the waters as Gideon did his men we shall finde but a few to have true faith if wee try our selves by these effects SERMON IIII. IOH. 14. 1. Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me WE see in nature that rivers runne till at length they run into the Sea Even so wee have runne upon many points of Faith till now wee are come into an Ocean Sea of Faith The great Object thereof God in Trinitie of Persons considered We have spoken of the of Faith 1. Vtilitie 2. Kindes 3. Nature 4. Degrees 5. Effects And now lastly we come to the 6. Extention and Object of it The Object of Faith in the largest measure is to beleeve the whole Word of God and not to deny any point of it But the Object of saving faith and of our holy Religion is comprised in the Articles of our Creede The summe whereof is first to beleeve in God distinguished into three Persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost and that this God hath gathered a Church or a Company of people out of this world on whom he will bestow his graces here in this world and glory in the life to come this is the summe of the faith that wee are justified and saved by And if any deny but one Article of this faith he doth as it were rase the foundation deny the Faith and destroy it in a house a man may pluck downe a sparre or pluck a lath off and the house may stand but if they take away a maine pillar or rase downe the foundation the house will fall so it is in faith a man may deny some points of Faith which be not the foundations of Religion but if he doe denie any of these articles that are comprised in the Creed any that are the grounds he denies all as it is said of some that they destroyed and denied the faith when indeed they denied but one point of it The first point is To beleeve in God Now God is to bee considered two wayes 1. Absolute in himselfe 2. By Relation to us Five things we are to beleeve concerning God as he is absolute in himselfe 1. That there is a God 2. That there is but one God 3. The true God 4. Our God 5. That we shall be the better for him And therefore wee put our selves our soules and bodies and them that appertaine unto us our trust and confidence in him First wee beleeve that there is a God for although wee doe not see him or feele him yet wee beleeve it through the light of nature and the light of the spirit This is the foundation of all Religion which foundation if it bee once laid that there is a God then the heart of man will bee ready to beginne and to looke after Relgion and I doe not doubt but that if a man come once to this to beleeve there is God then it is an easie matter to bring him to this that this God must bee served feared and honoured I doe not insist in this because I doubt or thinke that any doubt of this whether there bee any God or no but because there be some remaines and remnants of blindnesse and ignorance in us the divell also having his temptations but I doe in this as men that have planted young trees they shake the trees and tread the moulds downe to settle the tree so I doe as it were tread downe the moulds and settle the tree even you the more in this point that there is a God Which we may prove by these five things 1. By the workes of God 2. By the place where he is 3. By the nature of the Creatures 4. By our conscience 5. By our experience First by the works of God Rom. 1. For the invisible things of him his eternal power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world so the workes of God declare there is a God Now the workes of God are of two sorts 1. The workes of Creation 2. The workes of Government First the workes of Creation shew there is a God the Creatures could not make it the birds and beasts could not nor man could not for then the part should make the whole nor it made not it selfe but it was God that made it If a man should come into a strange Countrey and see a number of goodly houses and yet see no man there he would not say that the birds and beasts built them but he would thinke that it was some greater power that of men that built it so when wee see this goodly frame of heaven and earth shall we say that the birds and beasts did make it or man Nay it was some greater power even that of God Origen saith that if we should aske the Creatures who made them they if they could speake would tell us that God
Law there were divers Saviours as wee may see Iud. 2. 16. it is said that the Lord raised up Iudges to deliver or to save them out of their oppressors hands but all these Saviours were but petty Saviours in regard of Iesus for they could not save their bodies or their goods but Iesus saveth our soules as Psal 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him and upon them that trust in his mercy to deliver their soules from death and to preserve them in famine Secondly these Saviours can but save us from tyrants and worldly misery but Iesus saveth us from hell the divell and damnation As Luk. 1. 74. That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies should serve him without feare all the daies of our life Thirdly they could but save them for a time for when they were dead straight way they were oppressed againe but Christ hath wrought eternall redemption for us so it is said Heb. 5. 9. And being consecrated he was made the Author of eternall Salvation unto all them that obey him Fourthly these Saviours can save but for one age they could not save them that were before them nor them that come after them but Iesus saveth men in all ages from the beginning of the world to the latter end of it Fifthly although they saved others yet they could not save themselves as Ioshua was discomfited when hee went to Aye and Sampson had his eyes plucked out therefore all these Saviours were but petty Saviours in respect of Iesus and beside Iesus there is no Saviour in the matters of salvation and redemption The use is first that seeing there is no Iesus can save us but this Iesus wee may see the horriblenesse of our sinnes and the grievousnesse of them for when wee have sinned no Angell could save us no Saint nor all the powers in heaven or earth but it must cast the blood of the Sonne of God it must be hee that must make atonement for us therefore as Augustine saith O man by the greatnesse of the price that was paid for thee thou maiest consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes for it was not a small matter that made God to kill his owne Sonne and therefore by the greatnesse of the price consider the greatnesse of thy sinnes Secondly seeing there is no Iesus can save us but this Iesus we should be carefull to avoide every sinne and to decline from it for when wee have sinned there is no power in heaven and earth whereby we can bee saved but it must cost the blood of Christ If a man should for every lye hee told or every sinne committed lose but a drop of his owne blood how affraid would he be of sinning Now there is never a sinne that we doe commit but it hath cost blood either it will cost our blood or the blood of the Sonne of God and therefore how affraid should we be of sinning against God lest we should be more lavish of the blood of Christ than we would be of our owne Thirdly we beleeve that as he is Iesus in generall so he will bee our Iesus and will save us at the day of death and judgement This is our comfort when wee are perswaded that Iesus is not onely a Saviour to others but hee is a Saviour to us Thomas could have no true comfort till he could say My God and my Lord and this it was that comforted Iob I know my Redeemer liveth c. This also was a comfort to David saith he I should have fainted but that I beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the Land of the living here then is the comfort of a Christian when he can apply and appropriate Christ to himselfe A man can have but little comfort of a house or land when hee is shewed it unlesse it bee his owne so we can have but little comfort by Christ unlesse we can say that Christ is as truly ours as this house or land wee enjoy is ours and as truely may a Christian say that all Christs merits is his as a man may say his coate on his backe is his But how shall we come to know that Christ is ours I answere if wee bee his people if we be contented to be guided and governed by him if we will obey his voyce then we be his people but if we will not be gathered home unto him to live under his government be guided by him and obey his voyce we are none of his neither can we rightly apply him to our comfort The second thing we beleeve of Iesus is that this Iesus that was the Sonne of Mary and borne at Bethlem is the Christ as Peter shewes Therefore let all the house of Israel for a surely know that God hath made him both Lord and Christ this is also the confession the Disciples made of him Ioh. 6. 69. And we beleeve and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the living God and Act. 9. 22. But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Iewes that dwelt at Damascus proving that this was the Christ and so the Angels proclaime him Luk. 2. 10. Be not afraid saith the Angell unto them for behold I bring you tydings of great joy that shall be to all people That is That unto you this day is borne in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord so the Angell proclaimed that Iesus was the Sonne of Mary and borne at Bethlem the devils also confesse him to be Christ Luk. 4 41. so then there can be no question of this but that Iesus is the Christ Now Christ is a Greeke word and doth signifie Anointed as Psal 103. 15. Touch not mine Anointed c. Anointed is as much as to say Christ Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same in the Old as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the new Testament as Ioh. 1. 41. We have found the Messias which is by interpretation the Christ and the Samaritans make this confession of him Ioh. 4 42. For we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeede the Christ the Saviour of the world so that Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Anointed and the Messias hee that was set apart for the great worke of redemption From hence that Christ is the Messias or the Anointed five things are to be considered 1. What is meant by Anointing 2. With what he was Anointed 3. By whom he was Anointed 4. To what he was Anointed 5. What benefit we haue by his Anointing First what is meant by Anointing In the Law were three things implied in Anointing 1. That the Party Anointed was designated or appointed to that worke or calling by God 2. A declaration that God had enabled him with graces to discharge or execute fitly that worke or calling that was assigned him 3. That the Party anointed was
labour to please men but wee must please Christ for he is our Lord we must give up our accounts to him If we should give up our accounts to men to kings or to great men wee should seeke to please them as 2 Cor. 5. 9. 10. Wherefore we labour that both dwelling at home and remooving from home we may be acceptable to him for wee shall all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ c. therefore wee must labour to approve our selves to him Saint Augustine saies servants will labour to please their masters whom if they can please they care not whether it please others or no so wee should labour to please Christ and care not though all the world were displeased with us so he bee pleased for we must not give an account to the world but to him If a man hold his lands and livings from any man he will be afraid to displease him or to fell a tree off his ground lest he make a forfeiture of his coppihold so seeing we hold all from God we must take heede we doe not make forfeiture and displease him lest he turne us out of all Fourthly seeing Christ is our Lord it was not a servant that died for us but it was the Lord If it had been a servant that had died wee had beene bound in duty and in love to him But seeing it was Christ our Lord that died how are we bound in love and duty unto him Iohn 13. when Christwashed his Disciples feete Peter saith inadmiration Lord wilt thou wash my seete so wee may say Lord wilt thou shead thy blood for me what shall I render unto thee or what duty shall I performe unto thee for so many surpassing mercies Fifthly seeing Christ is our Lord we must bee carefull to render our soules c. backe againe unto him in as good estate as he gave them to us If a man borrow any thing it is a shame it hee carry it not home againe in as good estate as hee had it so seeing wee have received our soules from him and they are but borrowed wee must take heed wee doe not marre them by our sinnes and so returne them worse home than we had them wee see in experience if a man should send his servant to the Indies to fetch gold give him a ship to fill and bee at great costs and charges twenty or thirty yeeres together and when the servant comes there he does not gather in gold and pearles into his ship but gravell and sand muck and moulde if this servant comes home will his master take it well may hee not looke for a cold welcome home so as it were the Lord hath sent us to the Indies for gold and pearles with a ship and is at great cost with us many a yeere together Now the ship is our soule and the graces of his spirit are the gold and pearles the world is the Indies and heere we may have the same gold the graces of his Spirit if therefore wee doe not fill our ships with gold and pearles but with gravell and sand muck and mould God will not take it well at our hands we may looke for a cold welcome home when wee come to deliver our ship againe Sixthly seeing Christ is our Lord we must leave all and be ready to depart this life when Christ will have us for servants bee at the command of their masters if a master send his servant to trade and to traffique beyond the Sea as long as his master will have him to traffique and trade so long he must but when his master will have him to come home and leave all he must then be ready to doe so so seeing we bee servants to God and he sends us to traffique and trade as long as he will have us stay here we must be contented but when hee will have us leave all and come home we should be ready to doe so Seventhly seeing Christ is our Lord then beleeve of all men Christians are the most happy all the glory of this life is not comparable to that which the Lord presents upon a Christian as Canticles 5. when the Church was making such inquiry after Christ there is a question demanded What is thy beloved more than another beloved that wee may seeke Him with thee all the happinesse of this world is not like to it first because Christ is their Protector other protectors drop away they dye and so leave us but Christ is with us continually Secondly because Christ hath the bread of sufficiency as Luke 15. saith the prodigall sonne How many hired servants hath my father who have bread enough and I dye for hunger And therefore this is a comfort to them that when other starve for hunger they have bread enough enough of all comforts and contentments Thirdly in regard of their reward other kings and Lords give meane things to their servants and reserve the chiefest to themselves but Christ hee bestowes great things upon his servants and makes them partakers of the same glory with himselfe therefore Paul saith Thankes be to our God which hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ when things bee at the worst then Christ will bring them unto victory and therefore it must bee our care to bee servants unto him SERMON IX PHILIP 2. 7. But made Himselfe of no Reputation and tooke upon Him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men TWo wayes Christ is described to us in the Creed 1. By His Properties or Titles 2. By His twofold estate The Titles are foure in number whereof two of them shew His Offices two of them His Dignity Of His Offices and Dignity we have already spoken and now in order are come to speake of His twofold estate 1. Of His Hamiliation 2. Of His Exaltation In his estate of Humiliation there bee divers steppes and degrees Even as a king when hee commeth from his Royall throne commeth down step by step til he come at the last or lowest step so the Son of God comming downe from His Royall throne to the estate of Humiliation descended by certaine steppes and degrees till hee came at the lowest step as the Apostle sheweth in this place that he tooke upon him the nature of man was like a servant and humbled himselfe to the death for us and so came to the lowest step of Humiliation The first degree of His Humiliation was that he became a man for us for howsoever wee thinke of the dignity of Christ yet it was a great abasement for the sonne of God to take upon him the nature of man what would wee thinke if a king should for the good of his subjects be made a toad or a frog or the meanest creature this were a great abasement but it is a greater matter for the sonne of God to take our nature upon him for betweene the meanest of the creatures
therefore we must pray God that the holy Ghost may come upon us and make us fit temples for his Spirit to dwell in for as I shewed you in the morning one sparke of the Spirit of God is able to destroy a whole heape and lumpe of corruption Bring a man to a house full of powder there is matter enough to doe a great deale of mischiefe to blow up many cities and townes but bring but a little sparke of fire and put to it and it is all gone with a blast so there is power enough in the devill in our corruption and nature to doe a great deale of mischiefe I but bring to it a little sparke of the holy Ghost and it will bring all the power of nature to nothing therefore let us heartily pray to God we may have a little of the power of the Spirit given which is able to bring our corrupt nature to nothing and so much the rather let us pray for this because the judgements of God bee heavy upon the land and upon our neighbours in which case if the Lord doe not sanctifie our flesh it is like he will destroy us therefore let us pray to God that we may have a little of the Spirit of God to destroy our corruptions But why was Christ conceived by the holy Ghost That he might be pure and without sinne for all that are conceived by ordinary generation are sinfull as David Psal 51. 5. I was conceived in sinne and borne in iniquity so Iob Wee are all corrupted and who can bring a pure thing out of a corrupt fountaine why then was not Christ conceived ordinarily as the sons of Adam are but by the holy Ghost It was that hee might bee pure and holy Christ was the first that purified mans nature for sin and it were so joyned together that none could take mans nature but he must take his sinne now Christ hee hath parted mans nature and sinne and all that be in Christ shall feele this parting power of Christ to part mans nature and sinne these are so combined together as we dayly see that reprove a man of any sinne hee will presently answere it is my nature I pray you beare with wee I can doe no otherwise I cannot leave it Now if we be in Christ we shall feele this dividing power to part mans nature and sinne So saith Paul Roman 7. 19. The good thing that I would doe that doe I not and the evill thing that I would not doe that doe I so then it is no more I but sinne that dwelleth in me so sinne was one thing and mans nature was another thing Therefore wee must pray to God that wee may have this parting power of Christ that howsoever wee keepe the nature of man yet that sinne may be parted from us and this was the reason why Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost Now there is one thing that may be objected against this How could Christ be free from sinne seeing hee tooke mans nature upon him and was according to his humanity in the loynes of Adam for Rom. 5. it is said of Adam In whom all have sinned and Hebrew 7. that Levi also who received tithes paid tithes in Abraham For hee was yet in the loynes of his father when Melchizedech met him so that which Abraham did that Levi did being in his loynes thus Christ being in his humane nature in the loynes of Adam how could he be free from sinne To this I answere that if he had beene conceived and made by the power of nature he could not be without sin but he was conceived by the power of the holy Ghost and so made by it for the power of nature could not have brought forth Christ As we see in nature that the Substance of a chaire of State was in the tree and yet the Tree could not bring forth such a chaire of State fit for the king to sit in though it should grow a thousand yeeres but it must bee made and fashioned out by the skill and cunning of the Workeman for it could never grow to be one but is made one out of a tree by the workeman so though Christ were in the loynes of Adam yet nature could never bee able to bring forth Christ but it must be by the power of the holy Ghost Thirdly what adoe there was at Christs conception as wee know Ioseph could not sleepe Mary she must be called in question for her honestie and the Angell must come downe from heaven to quiet all so it is stil if Christ be conceived in the heart of a man all the country must heare and ring of it he must be table-talke and they say he is melancholy or mad there is such adoe about it yea there was never more adoe at the conception of Christ in the wombe of the Virgin than there is at the conception of Christ in the heart of a Christian Examples wee have Act. 2. when the Spirit of God came upon the Disciples who were but poore fishermen in firy tongues how did the people wonder and admire at it some said They were drunke some mad so it is still Christ cannot bee conceived in the heart of a Christian but the world runnes in a rout together and some say the party is mad some melancholy and some one thing and some another And thus much for the conception of Christ Now we come to speake of his birth wherein observe these five things 1. Of whom he was borne 2. The time when 3. The place where 4. The manner of his birth 5. The manifestation of it First of whom he was borne He was borne of the Virgin Mary as it is in the profession of our Christian faith and Matth. 1. 23. Hence two things are to be observed 1. That Christs was borne of a Virgin 2. That He was borne of the Virgin Mary First He was borne of a Virgin Of which there may bee given three reasons first that he might be freed of the guilt of sinne which comes by the course of nature for all that are borne according to the course of nature are sinfull therefore Christ was borne of a Virgin not by the course of nature all that were in the loynes of Adam as he sinned so did they as we may see in another case Heb. 7. Levi paid tithes to Melchisedech when he was in the loynes of Abraham so that which Abraham did Levi did being in his loynes in like manner Paul speaking of Adam saith In whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. therefore all that were in the loynes of Adam as he sinned so did they But Christ that hee might take mans nature upon him and be freed from sinne was borne of a Virgin as Augustine saith hee tooke mans nature without sinne that the purity of his birth might sanctifie the impurity of our birth for wee are conceived in sinne and borne in iniquity so David saith Psalm 51. now we are
that they have roome in their houses for others but no roome for Christ at this time let us looke into the houses of Gentlemen and great men they have roome enough for swaggerers and swearers dicers and carders and mummers but no roome for Christ Religion prayer or for the Bible but Christ thy redeemer is as it were turned into the stable I beseech God that no such accusation may bee laid to us at the day of judgement therefore whosoever thou bee that keepest a roome to entertaine thy friend bee sure thou keepe a roome in thy house to entertaine Christ even his poore members to entertaine Religion prayer and all other Christian duties The Shunamite is commended in the 2 King 4. 10. for keeping a chamber for the man of God even this shall be thy commendations that thou keepest a roome in thy house to entertaine Christs members but if thou canst not keepe thus a chamber in thy house yet keepe a little roome or corner in thy heart for Christ wee see a number of men have roome in their hearts for every vile sinne and lust but no roome for Christ whatsoever wee doe let us not turne out Christ and let him have a roome to seeke but rather let us turne out our sinnes that so Christ may dwell with us and that we may dwell with him eternally The last thing observed in the birth of Christ was the manifestation thereof for seeing Christ was so obscurely borne in a stable laid in a cratch we may wonder how the world came to know it it was manifested three waies 1. By the Angels to the shepheards 2. By a Starre to the Wisemen 3. By a secret motion of the Spirit to Simeon and Anna in the Temple In the first manifestation of Christ to the shepheards we observe two things 1. The manifestation it selfe 2. The effects of it In the manifestation we may observe six things 1. To whom Christ was made manifest To the shepheards 2. What disposition they were in upon their calling watching their flocks 3. By whom by an Angell when the Priests were silent in the Temple 4. The time when The very same night 5. The manner of it By bringing a speciall message 6. The speech of the Angell First to whom Christ was made manifest not to the great men of the world nor to the priests contemners of grace but unto poore Shepheards one would have thought hee would first have manifested himselfe to kings and Queens and to the great men of the land and not unto poore shepheards Of which there be three Reasons First because it was one of the parts of the degrees of Christs Humiliation that hee had not the great men of the world to grace him at his birth but onely poore shepheards yea this is a great stumbling blocke still because poore men receive the Gospell it hinders many a man from receiving the truth or embracing Religion but let no man be offended at it it was so when Christ came into the world The Pharises aske the question Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beeleved on him those that bee learned it is but a company of poore men and 1 Cor. 1. 26. saith the Apostle For ye see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise c. therefroe labour to be one of Christs Disciples and he will not despise thee although thou be poore and meane Secondly to shew that there is no condition or estate so bad that can hinder a man from Christ whatsoever it be tradseman shepheard or how meane soever he will not despise thee for thy meanenesse some would thinke that such great things should be ingrossed for the great men of this world as we see that the best things bee gathered up all the country over and ingrossed for kings and Queens and because the best thing of all is Christ therefore that kings and Queenes should have had the chiefe ineterst in him and the poore have gone without but we may see that no meane condition can hinder a man from Christ but the poore man hath as great a part in him as the rich We read Gen. 2. 9. The tree of life stood in the middest of the garden of Paradise that it might equally impart it selfe to all sorts and conditions of men and so Revel 22. 2. In the Heavenly Ierusalem there is a tree of life said to be in the middest of the street equally to impart it selfe to all sorts poore and rich therefore this may bee a comfort that no meane condition or estate doth hinder a man from Christ There bee many poore people will not come at Church because they have not good apparell it is good indeede that there bee as much decencie in this as may be that men and women when they come to the house of God should come as comely and handsomely as they can but if men have not decent and comely apparell to come in let them not refraine from comming to the Church because they want apparell to come but let them looke to the heart and conscience and then Iesus will be a Iesus to them Thirdly to shew that he must be the poore mans portion the rich man hath his portion in goods and in lands but the poore mans portion is in Christ so Iam. 2. 5. Hath not God chosen the poore of the world that they should be rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that love him and therefore this may bee a great comfort to a poore man although he hath not a great deale of goods and lands for his portion yet he may say I thanke God that Christ is my portion his birth cradle cratch life death passion and his merits are mine this it was that made Ieremy to rejoyce in his trouble Lamen 3. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him and so Psalm 16. 5. saith David The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance therefore thou that art a poore man and hast but a little goods or lands labour to make Christ thy portion take him home into thy heart apply him by faith and then thou hast an excellent portion if a man fall into the hands of his enemies or of theeves who rob him and take away his goods yet if he have a Iewell of great price lest about him hee may say Lord I thanke thee though they have taken away my money and goods yet they have left me may Iewell so howsoever the world may take away from a man his goods peace or his good name yet a Christian may have comfort and say Lord I thanke thee that I have still my Iewell they have not taken away Christ from me If any object and say is Christ the poore mans portion onely doth not he
came out of their owne country to seeke Christ as it was the providence of God to stir up these Wisemen that so the Iewes might also bee provoked to seeke for him for when they did see these Wisemen came so farre and take such paines to seeke Christ it might much more have provoked them to seeke Him seeing hee was amongst them so it is now the providence of God to stirre up such strangers to seeke to this place where the Gospell is preached that so we may bee the more provoked to seeke Christ for if strangers take such paines to come to heare much more should we especially now when it is amongst us because wee have not onely a little inkling of Christs birth but we know the time of it and wee can talke of it therefore let us labour to seeke Christ let the worldly man seeke after his profits the covetous after his goods the fleshly man after his pleasures the usurer after his mony yet let us seeke after Christ Matth. 28. 5. saith the Angell to the Women I know that yee seeke Iesus which was crucified so it is a good thing when the very lookes and behaviour of men doe testifie that they looke and seeke for Christ not for any worldly matter but for Him onely Now there be three reasons that should move us to seeke for Christ First because Christ seeketh us Luk. 19. 10. The Sonne of man is come saith hee to seeke and to save that which is lost Is the Lord come to save us Then we againe must labour to seeke him we see if a sheepe bee lost the shepheard doth not onely seeke it but it in some measure doth againe seeke the shepheard for it doth bleate and is not at rest till it be in the fold againe so seeing we be like lost sheepe we must seeke Christ and never be at rest till we be in his fold David Psalm 119. ult saith I have gone astray like a lost sheepe seeke thy servant for I doe not forget thy commandements Secondly because of the precious and rich graces that be in Christ as Col. 1. 19. saith the Apostle For it pleaseth the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell so that there is not any grace wee neede but it is to bee found in him he is the common treasury of the Church as Cantic 6. 1. when the Church had commended Christ and had shewed foorth his excellency straightway the daughters of Ierusalem demand Whither is thy welbeloved gone O thou fayrest among Women whither is thy welbeloved turned aside that we may seeke him with thee so when we heare of the excellency that is in Christ the rich graces that bee in him this should make us inquire and seeke after him Thirdly because he giveth us salvation therefore there is great reason why we should seeke to him that we may enjoy eternall life and salvation by him If a man have a hundred acres of land given him the first inquiry that he makes is where it lyeth which when he knoweth then he labours to come to see it so must wee doe God hath given us salvation when we know where it lyeth and it lyeth in Iesus Christ then we must seeke for Him and so make Him sure to our selves Fifthly What moved the Wisemen to seeke to Christ it was but the sight of the starre wee would thinke that it was some great matter should have mooved them to come out of their country and take such a great journey upon them The shepheards were mooved by the Angell Simeon and Anna by a vision in the Temple but there was no Angell to moove the Wisemen no vision no light shining but the apparition of a starre Which should teach us to take hold on every little meanes which may bring us to Christ it is the nature of the Vine to catch hold on every little sticke twig and post to advance it selfe by so must we like the Vine catch hold on every little meanes to bring us to Christ the Wisemen had but one starre and we have a number of bright ones shining about us the Bible is a starre and every faithfull Pastor is a starre and yet these cannot bring us to Christ The Wisemen saw Christ in the cradle wee see him working of miracles changing water into wine raysing of the dead cleansing of the lepers giving sight to the blinde restoring of the lame giving health to the sicke We have seene his starre in the east say the Wisemen thus they sought Christ when the starre vanished away they sought him not onely when they had a starre to direct them but when the starre was gone and out of sight which may teach us a further point of consideration not onely hold on in the profession of the Gospell and to seeke Christ as long as all things goe well with us having our guides but also when we have lost them There is a corruptiō in the world that as long as men have stars to guide them they can keepe within compasse but if they have lost their starre then they give over they will seeke no further as wee read in Iosh 24. 31. Israel served the Lord all the dayes of Ioshua and all the dayes of the Elders c. But when Ioshua was gone then they fell to their sinnes Hence we may learne not onely to seeke Christ and be religious whilest our good pastors are amongst us but when they be gone and taken from us Now the effect of their inquiry is twofold 1. In Herod and the Iewes 2. In the Wisemen First In Herod and the Iewes this was a strange thing that any man should bee troubled at the birth of Christ which should bee the joy of the whole world the Angels sung praises to God for it the Shepheards rejoyced and the Wisemen sought Christ Abraham desired to see his day and rejoyced and yet Herod was troubled at his birth even so it is still with wicked and vile men with the Herods of this world they be grieved to see religion florish the Gospell to take rooting amongst us to whom is this a trouble to Herod to drunkards to covetous persons to vile livers but good people be glad to see the Gospell promoted religion to thrive amongst them and therefore consider with thy selfe O man art thou troubled at the sight of Christ canst thou not away to have religion to florish then hast thou a naughty heart Herods heart and Herods affections But why was Herod thus troubled there is no man the worse for Christ but a great many the better for him why then should Herod be troubled I answere he was an Vsurper and an intruder into the kingdome hee had a bad conscience this was that that troubled him so if we come by things fraudulently and badly Christ comming will be a trouble to us when he shall come with joy to others it will be to us terrible We see
would not bee mooved with the bad example of others so if thou be one out of whom Christ hath cast out a devill cast out thy sinnes thou wilt not bee moved with the bad example of others it was Ioshuas resolution howsoever others did yet hee and his houshold would serve the Lord so Mich. 4. 5. it is said For all people will walke every one in the name of his god and wee will walke in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and for ever I have shewed you heretofore when a floud commeth it will carry away straw and light stuffe loose timber moveable things but if they bee rooted then they stand so bad example is like to a streame it carrieth away all loose and moveable things before it but if men bee rooted in grace then they shall stand when others are floating in the streame of evill company therefore if men will perish let them perish labour thou to be rooted in Grace and then thou shalt stand when others are carried away Now from whence did the Wisemen depart from Ierusalem which Ierusalem was a great royall city of the kingdome the glory of the country yet they departed from thence because Christ was not there which must teach us that let the place bee what it will if Christ bee not there it is no place for us to rest in I have shewed you what was Isaacks complaint Father saith he heere is fire and woode but where is the Lambe so when men remoove from one towne to another and finde there are good grounds sweet waters and other good commodities yet let them aske where is the Lambe where is the preaching of the Word so when a servant commeth to a house he may say here is a good master and a good mistresse and good meate but where is the Lambe where is prayer religion reading of the Scriptures and such like therefore as the Wisemen from Ierusalem when they found not Christ departed so wee should depart from such places where wee cannot finde Him or religious dueties performed The second thing was the blessing of God upon their endeavours they saw the starre and it was before them and directed them to the house where the Childe was 1. They saw the Starre 2. It was that which they saw in the East 3. It went before them 4. It went before them till it came to the very house where the Childe was As soone as they were departed and had put themselves upon good meanes when there was not a man to tell them nor one that stirred out to seeke Christ God sent the starre to direct them to the place where Hee was which may teach us that if we endevour and set our selves upon good courses wee shall finde Gods blessing upon us we see Exod. 13. when the Children of Israel put themselves upon their journey the Lord sent them a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to conduct and guide them to the land of Canaan so Act. 8. 28 29. The Eunuch was reading the Scriptures when Philip was sent to expound the meaning of it to him he put himselfe upon a good course and the Lord did blesse him in it the Scripture is plentifull for this Mark 16. women were desirous to see what was become of Christ they set themselves on a good course but they tooke care and were troubled about this who should roule away the stone and behold an Angell came and was sent to roule it away thus wee see how ready the Lord is to blesse our good intentions and therefore let us set our selves upon good endeavours and God will send a pillar or a starre to direct us Thirdly with what affection they received it they rejoyced exceedingly and that for two causes 1. For the appearing of the Starre 2 For the standing of the Starre First for the appearing of the Starre that there was a meanes to guide and direct them to Christ whereas otherwise they might have wandered up and downe and not have found him for they might have gone to Bethlehem and when they were there it may be not have found him therefore they rejoyced for the appearing of the Starre and were glad that there was a meanes to direct them Which should teach us that we should rejoyce and bee glad when we see any starre to direct us to Christ now the Scripture is a starre and the faithfull Ministers bee Starres therefore when wee see the Bible and good Preachers wee should bee glad and rejoyce and blesse God that he hath sent these Starres to direct us to Christ And as Esay saith they shall blesse the messengers of peace Secondly they were glad for the standing of the Starre because they knew that Christ was there for though they had spent a great deale of money and many a weary step in a long journey yet they were exceedingly glad that they had found Christ notwithstanding al their paines and cost so many poore soules are glad after a long search for Christ to finde him and feele the power of his grace in their hearts having a long time sought him in prayer being truely humbled for their sinnes if once they feele the power of his grace in their hearts it makes them rejoyce exceedingly they thinke all their labour well bestowed this way as Iohn 20. wee see how Mary stood by the sepulcher weeping when she had lost Christ but when he came to her and she had found Him she rejoyced exceedingly saying Rabboni O Master as if shee should say O master I am glad that I have found thee As Marriners when they have beene at Sea tossed up and downe in a storme if once they come where they see the shore or land it makes them leape for joy so it is with a Christian when he is tossed up and downe if once he can but see the shore I meane the assurance of his salvation if hee can by faith spy Heaven this will make him to rejoyce exceedingly and lay fast hold on him so Cantic 3. 4. when the Church had lost Christ shee seekes and having found him she catcheth fast hold on him and would not let him goe Now for their behaviour having found Christ First they did worship him which must teach us that we must not despise Christ for his poverty for though they found Him in a poore estate having no court nor traine to attend him yet they did not despise his poverty no more must wee for his poverty is our riches his shame our glory his abasement our exaltation his death our life and as no man is to despise Christ for his poverty so no man should bee offended at he meanenesse of any Christian let their estate and condition be what it will if the Spirit of Christ and the graces of God bee in them wee ought to regard and honour them Secondly they did not onely worship Christ but they did offer to him they did impart their wealth
a learned man saith there be two crucifiers There bee invisible and visible crucifiers the visible crucifiers are the Iewes the invisible are the people of all ages Wherefore seeing our sinnes have brought Christ to his death we should the more hate and detest them Augustine saith If a man should kill father or mother would we let him lie in our bosomes set him at our table let him be in our houses No we would hate abhorre and never abide him why man saith he thy sinnes have not killed thy father and thy mother only but thy Lord and Master one that hath done more for thee than all the world besides wherefore then wilt thou let sinne lye in thy bosome wilt thou nourish it and entertaine it still nay rather hate detest and spit at it Fourthly The end why Christ suffered was either generall to bring us home to God or particular to reconcile us to him and to abolish sinne The Generall end was to bring us to God that we might have communion and fellowship with him for all our happinesse consists in this bringing us to God and all our misery in this that we be strangers from him for by the reason of our sinnes we have no communion with him as Adam was cast out of Paradise so we be all cast from the presence of God and as he ranne away from Gods presence hid himselfe and could not abide it so we are all runne away from God we cannot abide his presence nor stand before God nor speake unto him but Christ hath suffered to this end to bring us unto him and hath appeased his anger so that now he doth looke after us and we may be bold to goe to him and speake to him in prayer Here we may observe three things First that we be strangers from God and dare not come into his presence but are abashed to stand before him or speake unto him before Christ hath carried and presented us to him As in Gen. 47. 2. when Iacob was come into Aegypt to see Ioseph he presented five of his brethren with his father Iacob to King Pharaoh because he was a stranger so seeing we be strangers from God who did not know us the true Ioseph doth present us unto him I but doth not God know us Doth he not know the creatures that he hath made This is a heavie thing that God should not know us To this I answer that sinne hath put upon us such a fearfull ugly face and so deformed that God doth not acknowledge us to be the creatures he made at first therefore the true Ioseph doth bring us to God and present us in his bloud saying O Father accept of them these be they for whose sake I was nine moneths in the dark wombe of the Virgin borne in a stable laid in a manger these be they for whose sakes I died that same cursed death on the crosse Father for my sake accept them and let my paines be their ease my shame their glory my death their life and my condemnation their absolution so that it is Christ that bringeth us home unto God which is the generall end of his sufferings In Ephes 2. 12. it is said Remember that at that time yee were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Iesus yee who sometimes were afarre off are made nigh to him by the blood of Christ so it is the great price that Christ hath paid for us that brings us into favour with God even his most precious blood Secondly herein we may see the marvellous love of Christ that hee would bring us home to God and into favour againe and that not with a word speaking but by dying and suffering for us it had beene a great love of Christ if he had but spoke for us although he had done no more but what a great love was this to suffer such great things that it cost him his life and blood hee was not at rest till he had wrought our redemption as Luk. 12. 15. saith he But I have a Baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straightned till it be accomplished And hee did it not by speaking for us but he did it by dying and suffering for us Exod 32. 32. saith Moses pleading for the people Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sinne thy mercy shall appeare But if not blot me I pray thee out of thy booke which thou hast written So saith Christ Father spare thy people or else wipe me out of the land of the liuing let my life goe for theirs spare them and take me Psal 40. 6 7. wee see that it is not the blood of calves and of goates and beasts that can redeeme us but Christ knew it must bee a more precious blood that must doe it and therefore doth hee offer his owne blood and saith take my life and my blood and let my people goe free Hence wee may see the marvelous love of Christ that hee did not redeeme us by speaking but by suffering and dying for us therefore seeing he loved us we should be content to love againe and to doe any thing that he requires of us Saint Andrew when he was charged of the Gentiles that he did not love their gods he made this answer Let me see if your gods can make mee such a heaven and earth and doe so much for me as my God hath done then I will love your gods but if they cannot then they are not to bee respected nor regarded so wee may say to our vile lusts and to our sinnes if ye can doe so much for me as Christ hath done then I will bestow my love upon you but if you cannot then you are not to be regarded nor respected He shall have my heart that hath done these great things for me Thirdly seeing Christ hath suffered to bring us to God wee must take heede we doe not defeate him of his labour which we doe if we hang still in our sinnes Deut. 24. 15. The Lord accounts the retaining and keeping of the labourers hire a great and grievous sinne even a crying sinne let us consider this that Christ hath laboured for us not for our meate nor money but to bring us to God to repentance and to heaven but if we hang still in our sinnes and doe not repent us of them nor bee brought home to God we defeate him and will not let him have for his labour what hee hath travelled for as it is said Esai 5. 31. Hee shall see of the travell of his soule and shall bee satisfied Christ hath travelled but to what end to bring us to God to Repentance to faith in Christ to make us conscionable in our courses this will satisfie him but if men be not brought home unto God if they doe not repent walke conscionably in
cause of this darknesse but it was onely the hand of God that did restraine it even as he did restraine the heat of the fire when the three Children were cast into the firy furnace there was fire but God restrained the heat thereof that it could not burne so there was the Sunne at that time but God restrained the light of it three houres together Againe as the Philosophers say the second cause cannot work without the vertue of the first therefore if the first cease the second must needs cease as we see in a clocke if there be a stand in the great wheeles there must needs be a stay in the lesser because the great wheeles carry about the little ones so as I may say God is as the great wheele that carrieth about the creatures therefore when there is a stay or an cessation in God there must needs bee a stay and cessation in the creatures This therefore should make us afraid to sin against God and displease him because hee is able in a moment to destroy all the creatures or to restraine them therefore wee have cause to be afraid to offend or displease him we see how afraid men be to sinne against the King and offend him who yet can but kill the body but God is able to kill both foule and body and cast them into hell fire All the Kings are not able to restraine the influence of the heavenly bodies but God we see is able to doe it he can restraine as Iob saith the influence of the Pleiades and Orion And therefore how afraid should we be to snne against him Indeed so much the more because we have made a covenant with God of new obedience we see if a man have given one a peece of gold or silver upon a condition that if he doe such and such things hee shall double the gold if he be tempted he will say I dare not doe it because I am bound to the contrary so if we be inticed to any sinne we should say I dare not doe so because I am bound to the contrary if a man set a bowle well at the first it is like to runne well but if it be not set well it cannot possibly runne well so if we set our selves in a good course at the first it is like we shall continue well but if we doe not how is it possible we should come in a good course Thirdly The end of it Some say the Sunne was darkened because it was ashamed to behold the death of the Sonne of God and therefore was darkened even as Hagar would not see the death of her childe some say that the end was to deterre the Iewes from the death of Christ As a man when he would not have his servant to leave worke he will not put out the candle so say they it was to keepe the Iewes from so vile a thing as to kill the Sonne of God therefore the Sunne was darkned but in my minde there is another end howsoever these may bee probable and that is this that seeing Christ was to suffer for us and for our sins therefore God did darken the Sun upon him To teach us that we deserve not to have the light of the Sunne Moone or Stars to shine on us therefore when as we looke upon our gardens wives children lands or goods we must confesse and say O Lord we deserve that thou shouldest have wrapped up all in darknesse and that we should not have any light to have seene any thy blessings This should stirre us up to be thankfull to God for the light of the Sunne Moone and Starres yea for the light of a candle even for the least light we enjoy SERMON XV. MATTH 27. 46. And about the ninth houre Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli lamesabachthani that is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee IN the Gospell when our Saviour had fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fishes he bids them gather up the fragments that nothing be lost So we should doe in the sufferings of Christ gather them up so that nothing bee lost never a drop of bloud that hee shed in the Garden never a sigh or sobbe or word on the Crosse should fall to the ground this must bee our care as also that we get cleane hearts and soules to keepe all in That which Christ suffered at the hands of God was two-fold In the Garden and on the Crosse of which we have spoken The next thing we are to speake of is the bitter complaint of Christ on the crosse wherein two things are to be considered 1. The time when he complained 2. What hee complained of The time may be considered in three particulars First that he complained at the ninth houre of the day after the fearefull darkenesse there was none of the souldiers that complained nor any of the Iewes that were moved with it but we see Christ complaines when he saw how the wrath of God came against him for our sinnes Which must teach us that though the world be not moved nor touched with the present judgements that bee upon them yet wee should take them to heart and labour to make a good use of them the Prophet complaines of this Thou hast smitten them and they have not mourned c. And Ierem. 8. 6. I. harkened and heard that they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done And Zeph. 3. 5. Every morning doth he bring his judgements to light he faileth not but the wicked will not learne to bee ashamed There is not one day that commeth over our heads but there is one judgment or other that befals our selves or others therefore howsoever others are not moved at it nor take it to heart yet wee should there be a number of strange judgements come upon us from time to time which though the wicked let slip and never regard yet the people of God must be wise to make a good use both of the judgements that come upon themselves and others if a man heare the kings writs bee out against him will he let the matter alone No but hee will make agreement or else hee knoweth it will come to a greater charge so the judgements of God are Gods writs as it were what shall we let them alone No but agree quickly lest it cost us a great deale of paines and labour afterwards But what was it that made Christ complaine It was in him the power of grace that brought it home to his heart in like manner if the power of grace be in our hearts it will teach us to make a good use of all the judgements of God Secondly hee complained on the crosse it was not in the garden for there was some distance of time betweene that which Christ suffered on the crosse and that in the garden so that hee did not
suffer of good but of bad men divers bee well enough contented to suffer of good men as David Psalm 141. Let the righteous smite me Lord and that shall bee good for me but for drunkards and vile persons to doe it they cannot endure it Oh say some men if they had been good men that had done it it would never have grieved us but to suffer of such bad men as they this trouble us well but we must be contented to suffer of the basest sort wee see sometimes it fals out that a noble man suffers at the hand of a baser man than himselfe to have his head taken off but he knowes that his power is directed by a greater power than his which makes him submit himselfe to suffer so many times a Christian may suffer at the hands of one baser than himselfe but hee must know that the power that he doth it by is directed by a power farre greater than his owne Now that which Christ suffered of men may bee considered in three things 1. His apprehension 2. His arraignement 3. His condemnation In the apprehension of Christ we observe foure things 1. The place where 2. The time when 3. His preparation for it 4. The meanes and manner of it First the place where Christ was apprehended the text saith In the Garden not in the city for there is a specification of the place and that is in the garden Of which there be three Reasons why Christ was apprehended in the garden First because sinne began in the garden the first Adam did begin sinne there that as a learned man saith where the wound began there the medicine might begin also Secondly because the garden was the place where Christ had prayed and meditated in and therefore he would be apprehended there teaching us all herein this most excellent instruction that it is a good thing when death or danger comes that it findes us in the place where we have repented of our sinnes and most constantly walked with God by holy meditation and prayer where we have prayed to God and humbled our selves so Dan. 6. wee see that his accusers did not onely finde him in the place but in the act of prayer this also gave comfort to Saint Paul in his trouble Act. 24. 18. that He was found in the Temple as if hee should say O Lord I thanke thee that I was not found in the place of drunkennesse of dishonesty and prophanenesse but in the Temple the place of prayer When Ioseph and Mary sought for Christ Luke 2. among their kindred they could not finde him there but they sought him in the Temple and there they found him so if any seeke for us it were good that we were found in the Temple in the place of preaching prayer and holy duties but I feare me if some were to be sought for they should not finde them in the Temple nor in the place of prayer but idle at home or a swaggering at the alehouse in places of drunkennesse and prophanenesse when Elias 1 King 19. was come into the cave there came a voyce unto him What dost thou here Elias thou art a Prophet of God this is not a fit place for thee to be in so when men are in prophane places of disorders the Spirit of God comes to them by the motions of it and saith What dost thou here thou art a Christian this is not a fit place for thee to be here therefore as Christ was found in the place of meditation and prayer when hee was apprehended so we should labour to be found when death and danger comes in the place where we have repented of our sinnes and where we have prayed in Thirdly because it was a knowne place to Iudas for Iesus resorted thither with his Disciples to shew that Christ went willingly to his death for if hee had not been willing hee would have gone to some other place more secret at other times hee shunned death but now hee was willing to dye which should teach us that so long as God would have us to live we should be contented to live and when he would have us to dye we should also be contented to dye when wee perceive the houre and the time is I have shewed you heretofore that if a merchant hath sent his servant to trade and traffique beyond the sea so long as his master will have him trade hee trades but when his master will have him pack up all and come away he doth so thus must a Christian doe so long as God will have us to trade here in this world wee should bee contented but when he will have us pack up all and returne we should be contented to doe so too Secondly The time when Christ was apprehended when his houre was come so Ioh. 19. 28. When Iesus knew all things were fulfilled of him addressed himselfe to dye So hee saith Luk. 22. 53. When I was dayly in the Temple yee tooke mee not but this is your houre hee was in danger many times and yet there was none that touched him because his houre was not yet come This is an excellent comfort to a Christian that there is no man can doe him any harme or take away his life till the very time come that God hath appointed So saith David Psal 31. My times are in thy hands as if he should say if they were in the hands of mine enemies then it might come shortly or if they might take me unawares but my time is in thy hands therefore untill our time be come there is no man can doe us any harme though they rage and take on nay all the devils in hell are not able to doe us any hurt or take away our lives till the very houre be come that God hath appointed Thirdly Christs preparation for it he did prepare and strengthen himselfe by prayer and meditation Now as he strengthened and prepared himselfe for his apprehension so wee should prepare our selves for the time of our death for if Christ which was the Sonne of God prepared himselfe much more ought wee for he was strong and full of holy courage and magnanimity wee poore and weake and besides that hee knew the time when hee should die the place where and the manner how but we are ignorant of all First we know not the time when whether in the day or night when we are yong or old whether this yeere or the next Secondly wee know not the place where whether we shall dye amongst our friends or foes whether in the fields or in the house whether on the sea or on the land Thirdly we know not the manner how whether wee shall dye sodainely or of a lingring disease of the plague or of the feaver therefore seeing we know none of these we ought to prepare our selves to repent of our sinnes to get faith patience and obedience so to further our reckoning for if Christ prepared himselfe
soule for this is the last charge that Christ gave to us to feed and to nourish our soules but if we neglect starve and famish them how shall we be able to looke on him at the day of judgement Now we come to the third speech of Christ on the crosse which was to the Theefe that was crucified with him wherein two things are to bee observed 1. The occasion of the speech 2. The speech it selfe First the occasion of the speech it was concerning the conversion of the Theefe for there were two theeves crucified with him of whom the one blasphemed and rayled on Christ because hee would not save his body nor asswage or mitigate his paines the other applied himselfe to Christ for the saving of his soule and did not care what became of his body so his soule were saved hee did not pray Christ to pull out they spickes out of his hands and feet nor to asswage his paines but his prayer was for the saving of his soule In which two are figured out all men when the come to die some desire to have their body saved and to have paines mitigated to be restored againe to their health and because they be not some of them murmure against God the other sort desire to have their soules saved and care not what become of their bodies so their soules may bee saved they desire not so much to have health and ease but let all goe so they may have their sinnes pardoned and have the salvation of their soules to come into Gods kingdome Now in the occasion of the speech which was the conversion of the theefe we may observe three things 1. The Party that was converted 2. The time when he was converted 3. The fruits and effects of his conversion First the party that was converted it was a Theefe a notorious offender and a bad liver and a naughty man all his life time yet now he is converted unto God and saved therefore let no man despaire of Gods mercies whatsoever thy sinnes be it may be thou hast been a vile liver all thy life time haply thou hast lived a whooremaster a drunkard haply thou hast been a scoffer of Religion a hater of good things a covetous person a coozener of thy neighbours doe not despaire of Gods mercy if thou canst repent and turne to God thou shalt be saved so Paul saith that it is a worthy saying and worthy of all men to be embraced that Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the cheife therefore seeing Christ came into the world to save sinners no man must exclude himselfe from Gods mercy so likewise Ier. 3. 1. saith the Lord If a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and become another mans shall he returne againe unto her shall not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord In like manner 1 Sam. 12. 20. The Prophet speaketh unto the people Feare not yee have done all this wickednesse yet depart not from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your hearts c. So howsoever men have lived wickedly and done badly yet let them not turne away from serving the Lord but let them be desirous to please him to repent of their sinnes and they shall finde mercy with God when Caine had killed Abel he cryes out My punishment is greater than I can beare upon which words Augustine Thou lyest Caine the Lords mercy is greater than any mans sinnes if he can repent Bernard saith well We know right well O Lord thou dost not reject the Theefe that confessed the sinfull woman that wept unto thee nor the Canaanitish woman that did humble herselfe before thee nor the wicked Adultresse brought unto thee nor the Toller or Tribute gatherer that did follow thee nor the Publicane that repaired unto thee nor the Disciple that denied thee nor Saul that did persecute thee nor thy Tormentors that did nayle thy sacred body to the crosse O Lord all these are fragrant fruits of thy most sweete mercy and by the sent of these sweet ointments we runne unto thee and doe follow thee And from hence wee conclude that no man must wilfully exclude himselfe from Gods mercy Secondly The time when he was converted which is to be considered in three circumstances first it was when others did scoffe and scorne Christ and when the Iewes did mocke raile and revile at him with his fellow theefe then at that time hee was converted This should teach us that we be not carried away with the bad examples that be amongst us that although others set not a flye by Christ nor care for his precious blood which hee hath shed for us but rather despise it yet wee must regard it and set it at a high price and desire to have our parts in him as Gen. 6. the Lord said unto Noah Make thee an Arke when the world attended their pleasures and profits and did what they would hee provided an Arke so doe thou make thee an Arke labour to repent thee of thy sinnes and to turne unto God and to get faith in Christ that thou maist be saved though all the world does otherwise wee see by experience when a flood comes loose things and such as are not rooted and unsetled or light things are carried away with the streame but such as are rooted and setled these remaine the poore theefe was then converted when others did mocke at Christ railing at him and reviling him Secondly when Christ was on the crosse in his greatest humility and abasement not when he was walking on the sea or on the water or working of miracles giving sight to the blind making the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare cleansing of Lepers casting out devils raising the dead not when hee was giving life to others but when others were taking life from him even then the theefe was converted Hereupon Augustine saith well Moses beleeved God but when was it when he spake out of the firy Mount and Abraham was obedient to God to goe out of his countrey and from his kindred into a strange land when God spake from heaven the Patriarches beleeved when he spake in dreames and visions the Disciples and Mary saw the wonderous miracles the Centurion he was converted and beleeved when the veile of the Temple rent when the rockes did flye asunder and when the graves did open but the poore Theefe hee was converted when hee saw none of these wonders but when Christ was in the greatest abasement that might be now if the Theefe was converted to God when Christ was on the crosse in his humility and abasement how shall wee answer to God at the day of judgement that we are not converted to him now he is in his glory As Matth. 12. 41. our Saviour saith That the Ninivites shall rise up in judgement and
gives them to performe their charge 4 The Authoritie First before Christ sends his Disciples He armes them saith he Peace be unto you It is a strange thing that seeing there is such great good offered in the Gospell that it should be so unwelcome one would have thought it would have beene entertained and received joyfully but Christ knew that of all messages this is unwelcomest and therefore Christ faies Behold I send you as sheepe among wolves though yee bee as sheepe yet yee shall meete with wolves and what is that he comforts thē with that God is at peace with them this is all the armor he fences them with against the unkindnesse and hard dealings of the world to know that God is at peace with them and loves them by the meanes of Christ so Ioh. 16. he saith In the world ye shall have trouble but in me ye shall have peace be of good comfort for I have overcome the world this may teach us that if a Christian bee at peace with God and knowes that his sinnes bee pardoned and that God loves him by the meanes of Christ here is enough to beare him out against al the encounters and unkindnesses that the world affords therefore when a Christian man is in any trouble or affliction let him descend into his owne heart and see if God be at peace with him by the meanes of Christ that his sinnes are pardoned and that he knowes he shall bee saved this will give a man comfort so we see Lam. 3. the Church did and Ier. 14. saith he in the greatest distresse that might be The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him I have shewed you heretofore that if a man fall into the hands of theeves and robbers and they robbe him and take away his goods or his money if hee hath a jewell of infinite price about him and they leave him that hee will say Lord I thanke thee I have my jewell still howsoever I have lost my goods and my money so a man may say though sicknesse had taken away my health and bad neighbours my money yet Lord I thanke thee I have my jewell I have my peace with thee and assurance that my sinnes bee pardoned Heb. 10. 34. it is said of the good people That they suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance so as long as a man hath peace of conscience pardon of his sinnes hope of Heaven he is armed and fenced against all troubles and all the unkindnesses the world can offer unto him The second is the Commission As the Father sent me so send I you here are two things to be considered 1. Who it is that sends 2. To what end he sends First by whom they were sent by Christ As my Father sent me so send I you thence we learne It is Christ that is the Authour of all Ministery he it is that sends Ministers to the Church as Matt. 23. 34. Behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men Scribes c. so Esay saith The Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me so it is Christ that is the Author of all Ministery as Ephes. 4. 14. When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men And these were the gifts He therfore gave some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists some Pastors and some Teachers so it is Christ that sends Ministers at this day but yet there is a difference for he sent the Apostles immediately by himselfe and hee sends Ministers at this day mediatly by the meanes and authority of the Church Now there are good uses to be made of this point some that do concerne us Ministers and some that doe concerne you First seeing it is Christ that sends us hee will assist and blesse us in our labours as Matth. 28. Goe and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost And loe I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Secondly seeing it is Christ that sends us we must doe the businesse and the worke he sends us to doe so Christ saith of himselfe Iohn 5. 30. Because I seeke not mine owne will but the will of my Father that sent mee If a Merchant should send his servant beyond sea to bee a Factor for him who should apply himselfe to gather money and to make an estate to himselfe neglecting his master hee may looke for a cold welcome home so seeing he hath sent us to bee Factors for him and to doe his businesse if wee shall apply our selves to get money and to make an estate to our selves and so leave the Lords businesse undone wee may looke for a cold welcome home when we shall goe to God Thirdly seeing it is Christ that sent us we must give our accompt to him at the day of judgement for every man must give account to him that sends him we see Luke 10. that the Disciples being sent of Christ to preach they returne againe and give account of that they have done And so in Iob. 2. the divell being sent of God returnes againe to tell what he hath done Now the uses that concerne you be these First seeing it is Christ that sends Preachers yee must learne to acknowledge the great goodnesse of Christ that he would make any sending to such as ye be it had beene much if he had sent to us men when we had sought him and turned to him but that he should send when we had not a thought of him but were sinning against him this is a farre greater mercy therefore how thankefull should we be to Christ that he sends to us Daniel chap. 6. 22. doth acknowledge this as a great blessing saith he My God hath sent his Angell and hath shut the mouthes of the Lions that they have not hurt me so wee are to acknowledge it a great mercy and kindnesse of God to send his Preachers and Ministers not when wee lay bound in the Lions denne but when wee lay fast bound with the divels and hath preserved us from them It was a great kindnesse and favour that Ioseph would send to his father and to his brethren and bade them leave all and come into the land of Egypt and willed them that they should not care for their stuffe for they should have the best of the land notwithstanding the unkindenesse of his brethren Iosephs brethren were not so unkinde to him as wee bee to Christ and yet wee may see the goodnesse and the mercy of the Lord Iesus that hee should send to such as we be Secondly seeing Christ sent Preachers and Teachers then it is your duties to receive them Esay saith The Lord sent me and Ieremie said so when the people would have stoned him one would thinke it were enough to
friend and all the Angels and Saints dost thou want comfort God will bee thy comfort and therefore bee not afraid of trouble nor of death but bee like the five wise Virgins that had their lamps ready burning and their loyns girt ready to enter into their Masters joy Secondly seeing Christ is ascended into Heaven our salvation is the neerer to him wee see in nature as long as the head is above the water the body cannot be drowned in like manner so long as our Head is safe in Heaven he will save all his members To this effect Paul saith Ephes 2. 6. That hee hath set us together in heavenly places and how hath hee set us together in heavenly places not in our owne persons but in the Person of Christ he holds it and hee will one day faithfully deliver it into our hands Thirdly seeing Christ is ascended we may bee bold in the time of our neede trouble and affliction to go to God in Prayer and may have comfort that Christ will heare us and that we shall be regarded This is the use Saint Paul makes of it Heb. 4. 14. where he saith Seeing we have a great high Priest which is entred into Heaven even Iesus Christ the Son of God Let us goe boldly to the Throne of Grace that wee may finde mercie and receive grace to helpe in the time of neede So chapter 10. 19. saith hee Seeing therefore Brethren that by the blood of Christ wee may bee bold to enter into the holy places by the new and living way which hee hath prepared for us through the veile that is his flesh let us draw neere c. If a man had a great suit at Court and did know no body there a man may looke for small comfort when he comes thither but if he knew that the Kings sonne would be ready to speake for him to his father and to grace him before all the company this will give him comfort so if we go to God as to a Stranger then we can looke but for cold comfort I but if we know that Christ will speake for us to God grace us and bring us into favor with him this may comfort us and make us with boldnesse goe to the Throne of Grace There was great difference betwixt the time when Iosephs brethren knew him and when they knew him not for when Ioseph would not acknowledge them for his brethren hee handled them roughly and tooke them for Spies but when he did acknowledge them to be his brethren then he did kindly entertaine them and did fill their sackes with corne that they might bee preserved till they came into Aegypt so there is great difference when wee be strangers and when Christ doth acknowledge us for when hee knowes us he will speake to God for us and grace us will fill our sackes with the best of Heaven therefore the true Christian may have great comfort to go to God in Prayer in the time of his need and he shall be heard and regarded of God SERMON XXXIX MARKE 16. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them Hee was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God AS in the climbing of a Tree a man will catch hold of the upper boughes and so will goe higher and higher till hee come at the toppe so wee must doe in the rising of Christ wee must rise in our affections as hee rises and therefore having followed him in two degrees of his exaltation his resurrection from the Dead and ascension into Heaven wee will proceed now unto the third which is his Session at the right hand of God as if wee were got within the veile to see Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father in glory and majestie as Cantic 3. 11. The daughters of Sion are called out to behold king Salomon crowned with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his Espousalls and in the day of the gladnesse of his heart So I may say come forth all yee people of the land out of your houses and out of your Townes and places where yee dwell and behold Iesus Christ the true Salomon fitting at the right hand of God crowned with honor and glory so that when others shall aske ye what ye went out to see as Christ asked the people yee may say and answere againe we went to see Christ crowned with honour and glory Heb. 2. 8. Thus Iohn 20. 25. the Disciples tell Thomas as a matter of great joy that they had seene the Lord and yet they had seene him but rising out of the grave and out of the denne of death therefore much more should we be glad and rejoyce that wee have seene the Lord not rising out of the Grave or out of the dens of death but sitting at the right hand of God for the good of the Church And therefore I say good Brethren stir up your selves to behold Christ within the veile sitting at the right hand of God for the good of the Church Now in speaking hereof we will observe five things 1. What is meant by the right hand of God 2. What it is to sit at the right hand of God 3. Why he is said to sit and not to stand 4. To what end he sits at Gods right hand 5. The fruites and benefits wee have by his sitting at Gods right hand First what is meant by the right hand of God To speake properly God hath neither right hand nor left hand for he is a spirit as it is Iohn 4. 24. Therefore seeing he is a Spirit he hath no bodily parts nor dimensions and therefore neither right hand nor left but it is a borrowed speech taken from the manner of Kings and Princes who are wont to advance their favourites next to their selves in any office or dignity Augustine saith well If it be a wicked thing to make an image or a picture of God to make him like an old man with hands and feete and to set it up in a Church or a Temple seeing God is a Spirit much more saith he is it a vilde thing to frame an Image of him in a mans heart seeing it is a Temple for God and his Spirit to dwell in Now the right hand of God is taken in three senses in Scripture First the right hand of God doth signifie his power because the chiefest power and strength of a man lies in his right hand for by this right hand he doth worke and bring things to passe so by the right hand of God is meant the power of God by the which he is able to doe whatsoever he will So Exod. 15. The right hand of God is glorious in power the right hand of the Lord hath bruised the enemies and Psal 118. 15. The right hand of God is taken for the Power of God but it cannot so bee understood in this place because
safe so saith he Christ is this friend that commeth to a friends house hee sees that we lay up our treasures in this World where they will corrupt and come to nothing therefore he gives us this Counsell that wee should lay up our treasures in Heaven in an high loft where wee may bee sure they will be safe If any man here make a doubt and put this question What is there nothing but this world and the workes thereof that shall bee consumed and burnt I answere him from the same place of Peter not onely the earth and the workes thereof but the heavens shall melt with heate and the elements so much as is visible and sensible even those that are most true and regular and constant in their courses clockes may deceive us but these will not they be true in their courses and yet these shall melt with heare and shall passe and runne away from the presence of Christ Heere we may see the lothsomenesse of sinne that doth not rest in the center of the earth but goeth thorough the clouds and doth infect the ayre almost to the seate of God himselfe I would to God men would thinke of this when wee see a man strangely taken away by untimely death or a house on fire we thinke it strange but for the sinne of man God will destroy the heavens and the earth Wee see in the Law that if a man had the Leprosie upon him he should bee shut up and the wals of the house should bee scraped and if it brake out againe then the house should be pulled downe and the timber and the stones and the 〈◊〉 carried away that it might not infect the people Levit. 40. 41. so the Lord doth scrape us as it were by his judgements but because sinne breakes out still he will pull downe the house even destroy this whole world so that at the last day no man shall know his former house or his land to say here is my house or here is my land as Iob speakes When a man dyeth he knoweth neither house nor land Now heere another question may be demanded seeing the heaven and the earth shall be dissolved and burnt up what shall become of the people of God To this I answere out of the Apostle Pauls words where he tels us as a Mystery We shall not all sleepe but we shall all be changed 〈◊〉 is all shall not dye for those that bee alive or that bee living at Christs comming shall be changed from mortality to immortality this shall be their estate at that day the creatures appointed for the fire shall bee burned and the fire shall fall on the wicked but all the people of God shall be preserved as the three Children were in the firy furnace Hence we learne what a comfortable thing it will be when Gods people shall see all the world on a fire about them over their heads and under their feet but it shall not touch them Moses told the Children of Israel that the Lord would bring great plagues on the Egyptians which should not touch any of them so the Lord at the day of judgement will bring downe fire on the wicked and the ungodly which shall not touch any of the people of God howsoever they be set light by here not accounted of nor regarded yet at that day they shall see what a comfortable thing it is to be a Christian Thirdly seeing the heavens and the earth shall bee dissolved and burnt with fire let us labour to be found in Christ to be one of the people of God and then the Lord will worke strangely for us if a towne or a country should be on fire and there should be a little house of stone where whosoever could get into it should be preserved from the fire O how men would thr◠and throng thither Beloved Christ is as a little house of stone and whosoever is in him shall bee preserved from the fire when the fire shall fall on the wicked and ungodly and burne them then they that be in Christ shall bee safe from danger therefore every man should labour to be in Christ that so hee may be saved we see Phil. 3. the Apostle Paul saith that hee accompts of all things to bee but dung and drosse that he may be found of Christ so it should be with a Christian to esteeme all things but dung and drosse that he may be found in Christ let who will take the world with all the delights and pleasures thereof wee must labour to lay up our comfort in Christ and to make God our friend and then we shall bee preserved when this world shall be dissolved When the unjust steward in the Gospell knew his master would turne him out of his office hee made a friend with his masters goods so because we know not how soone the Lord may turne us out of our offices out of our dwellings therefore let us labour to make God our friend and then it shall goe well with us howsoever SERMON XLV 2 PETER 3. 13. Neverthelesse wee according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse THe last day wee began to speake of the actions that belong to the great day of judgement and then we discoursed at large of the first of them which is the burning up of the whole world and dissolution of the whole frame of nature together with the severall uses and instructions that did arise therefrom now therefore to avoid further repetition I will proceed to the actions following The second action is the renewing of Heaven and earth for as soone as this world is dissolved by the power of Christ it shall bee renewed againe as you see it is said in the words read unto you But we looke for a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse The people of God they know this though the men of the world bee blinded as birds are blinded with snow but we that be Christians know it and looke for it as a promise from God as Esai 65. 17. For loe I will create a new Heaven and a new Eart◠and the former shall not bee remembred and to put it out of all doubt Saint Iohn saw it Revel 21. 1. so then it is plaine by the Scripture that wee shall have a new Heaven and a new Earth But how shall it bee new I answer not in regard of substance but in regard of quality whence we see the reason why the creatures are said to groane Rom. 8. 22. that is they have a kinde of longing or desire to have this time come when they shall be set at liberty by this renewing brought into as glorious a state as they were in before they were brought under the bondage of sin Psal 102. 26. it is said The heavens shall bee changed as a vesture c. whereupon one saith well
lords of this earth though they stay not there Thirdly the Earth shall bee renewed in regard of the wicked that they may the more sensibly see what a deale of glory their sins have deprived them of they shall not come into heaven to see that for Revel 21. it is said No uncleane thing shall come there therefore the Earth shall be renewed that by it they may have a glance of Heaven and a slash of the glory that shall bee in Heaven as it were through a Crevis that so it might bee a further vexation to them We read 2 Kings 7. 9. when there was great plenty of victuals and other things foretold by the Prophet which the Prince there would not beleeve the Prophet saith to him Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not taste thereof so it shall be unto the wicked surely not without great anguish and terrour when they shall see the Earth renewed and themselves to have no part in it Now the Vses hereof may be First seeing there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth wee should labour to be new Creatures because none but such dwell in this new Heaven and new Earth For the Text saith Wee looke for a new Heaven and a new Earth according to his promise wherein dwels righteousnesse that is righteous men such as bee renewed by the Spirit and grace of God Here in this World there is a mixture of good and bad together as in Adams house Cain and Abel in Abrahams Ishmael and Iacob and amongst Christs Disciples Iohn and Iudas But in this new Heaven and Earth there shall dwell never a wicked man therefore labour thou whosoever thou art to be renewed by the Spirit of Grace and to repent thee of thy sinnes to returne unto God and thou shalt have thy part in this new Heaven and new Earth for evermore Secondly that seeing the Heaven and the Earth shall be renewed there is never a wicked man that can claime or challenge a foote of it to himselfe here in this world they may have hundreds and thousands of Acres of Land they may say in such and such a place I have so much land here is the Patrimonie that my Father gave me here is that which I did purchase Oh but in the new World they cannot claime a foote of it Therefore they may see what a faire threed they have spun to deprive themselves of all their lands even such as have had great revenewes here of the old Earth shall not have a foote of this new Earth It is reported by some Historians of a certaine Nation that every yeere did elect and chuse themselves a king who had as goodly attendance as might bee rich apparell and all things fit and meete for a king but when the yeere was expired they did turne him naked into an Iland where hee did endure extreame misery Now there was one of them who was wiser than the rest that had closely and secretly before his yeere was expired conveyed into this Iland rich apparell and servants to attend on him and had builded him a house and sent all things fitte and meete for him thither beforehand so that when his yeere was expired and they had turned him into this Iland naked he having provided for himselfe before was not distressed The truth of this I stand not to discusse but the morall I am sure may be profitable for this Kingdome is a Type and figure of this World where there bee a number of men that have all things that their hearts can desire but when death commeth then they are turned as it were into a wast Wildernesse naked there to endure extreeme misery and therefore it must bee our wisedome to doe as the wise kings did every day to send something before and to provide comfortably for our selves that when we are turned out of this World wee may have comfort in the World to come Thirdly seeing there shall be a new Heaven and Earth this may bee a comfort to poore Christians that though they have but a small portion here in this World yet they may have a great portion of the new Heaven and Earth if they please God and walke conscionably before him as Revel 21. 7. It is said Hee that overcommeth shall inherit all things c. What is that which he shall inherit Saint Iohn tels us that hee saw a new Heaven and a new Earth namely the things that are spoken of before To him that overcommeth that is To him who can overcome his lusts his sinnes and his corruptions and is not carried away with the bad examples of the World the new Heaven and Earth shall bee for a possession as Dauid doth acknowledge with thankfulnesse to God that hee had given unto him the Land of Canaan much more should wee acknowledge with thankefulnesse that the Lord hath assigned to us a Celestiall Canaan therefore comfort you your selves O yee holy people of God in this that you shall have your parts in the New Heaven and new Earth It is this that which Paul saith Eye hath not seene nor Eare heard nor Tongue is able to expresse the great joyes that God hath prepared for them that love him as The Queene of the South when shee came and heard the wisedome of Salomon said The one halfe was not told her which she found So the holy people of God they shall say that good people did not tell them the one halfe of the joy and comfort that they shall finde therefore beware you doe not â—ell this for toyes and trifles for what a comfort shall it be when Christ shall looke out of the Clouds and hee shall say unto the Godly Come yee blessed of my Father receive the kingdome prepared for you when he shall chase and drive all the wicked to Hell and shall say unto them Goe ye cursed of my Father into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels And here let every one of us be exhorted to repent his sinnes for now is the time yet the gate is not shut Hereafter thou if thou now refusest thou shalt not inherit with the people of God but mayest with the foolish Virgins knocke too late when Heavens gates shall for ever be shut upon thee SERMON XLVI MATTHEVV 24. 30 31. And then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of Man comming in the Clouds of Heaven with Power and great glory And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the foure winds from one end of Heaven to the other HEretofore yee have heard of the two Acts considered in the manner of the last judgement First The burning of the whole World Secondly The renewing of the Heaven and the Earth whence at this present wee are to proceed
hosts O how shall men quake and tremble and how terrible will that day be To illustrate this unto you and presse it home to your consciences give me leave to relate a story the truth whereof is not to the purpose to enquire for the morall is that which I intend and you may make profitable use of and this it is There was a certaine king that did weepe and was heavie and sad which when his brother saw he asked him why he was so heavie and sad Saith hee because I have judged others and now I must bee judged my selfe Why saith his brother art thou so heavie and sad for this it will be a long time ere that day come and besides that it is but a slight matter the king said little to it for the present now it was the order in that country when any man had committed any treason there was a Trumpet sounded at his doore in the night time and he was brought out the next day to bee executed now the king commanded a Trumpet to bee sounded at his brothers doore in the night time who waking out of his sleepe when hee heard it arose and came quaking and trembling to the king How now saith the king what is the matter you quake and tremble and are so afraid I am attached of treason answers he and I shall be executed the next morning why saith the king to him againe art thou so afraid and dost thou so tremble at that knowing that thou shalt bee judged by thy brother and for a matter that thy conscience tells thee thou art cleare of how much more therefore may I be affraid seeing that God shall judge me and not in a matter that my conscience frees me in but of that which I am guilty of and besides this if the worst come it is but a temporary death that thou shouldest dye but the death I am subject to is eternall both of body and soule Hereby wee may see what terrour will bee to a guilty conscience that hath not repented of his sinnes how dreadfull will that day bee when the bookes shall bee opened and all the thoughts words and works of every man shall be manifested as well the secretest lusts of the heart-adultery as the shamelesse blasphemies of open profanenes aswel the private corruptions of bribed justice as the publike gratings of heard-hearted oppression then neither poverty nor riches neither meanenesse nor honour no state or condition shall free us all must appeare and answere for themselves But what shall we doe in this case may some man say I answer we must doe as Iaakob did when his brother Esau came against him with foure hundred men Genes 34. I will pacifie his wrath with a present if I have found grace in thy sight then receive my gift so when wee know that God is comming our against us not with foure hundred men but with thousand thousands of his Angels we must doe as Iaakob did say I will give him a gift I will pacifie his wrath with a present that so I may finde favour in his sight to compose the matter with him before that great and terrible day come Now the next thing that shall be at the day of judgement is the assembling and gathering together of all men at that day so that which we heare now with our eares wee shall see then with our eyes for the Angels shall gather together God elect from the one end of heaven to the other so the words of Christ be In which gathering together of the elect wee observe three things 1. What they be that shall be gathered 2. By whom they shall be gathered 3. To whom they shall be gathered First who they bee that shall be gathered Gods elect as the text sheweth now it is out of all question that not onely Gods elect shall be gathered but the wicked also which Christ shewes in two parables first of the tares Matth. 13. 41. for as the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world saith our Saviour The Sonne of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and then vers 44. in the parable of the draw-net that is cast into the Sea and gathereth of all kinde of fishes which when it is full men draw to land and sit and gather the good into vessels and cast away the bad so the wicked shall bee gathered too I but seeing the wicked shall bee gathered aswell as the godly why is it said that the Angels shall gather together the elect onely I answer to shew the tender care that Christ hath of the elect that he would not have so much as a little bone lost or a finger or a toe or a haire of their heads such a tender care hath he of them as David gave a charge to his Captaines 2 Sam. 18. 5. concerning Absalom If you meet with the young man intreat him kindly for my sake such a charge Christ shall give to his Angels intreat the elect well for my sake have a tender care of them that there be not one of them wanting Now what is the reason that Christ hath such a tender care of the elect I answer because they be his mysticall members and he will bee compleat in all his members therefore if we be of hsi elect there shall not a bone or a finger or a little toe nor so much as the haire of their heads bee wanting such a tender care God hath of his elect but the wicked they shall be hurried and haled to the barre as theeves villaines and traytors when the other shall bee brought tenderly by the hands of Angels Therefore seeing there shall be such an assembly of all men both good and bad at that day how great should our care bee to provide our selves against that dreadfull appearance O man whoever thou art doe but consider with thy selfe and thinke what a number of men there have beene of the Romans since it was Rome what a number of men there have beene in England since it was inhabited or in France and so of all other Countries and then thinke of all the men that have beene in all ages and at all times from the beginning of the world to the latter end and that all these shall bee gathered together before Christ and then how canst thou chuse but bee carefull how thou passe thy daies heere that thou may'st stand with comfort before Christ in such an assembly David saith Psalm 1. the wicked shall not stand in the Iudgement if a man be a wicked man though he be a king or a lord or a kinght or whatsoever he be hee shall not bee able to hold up his head in judgement but the godly man though he be a poore man he shall lift up his head with comfort whereas there is never a man that is wicked which shall
judgments of this world for the world counts him a blessed and a happy man that is rich that hath his barnes full of corne that hath a great deale of Land and money O but indeed he is the blessed and happy man that is in favour with God hath repented of his sinnes made conscience of his wayes and therefore why doe men so dote on this world to rake and gather together a deale of pelfe that will not stand them in stead at that day Then they shall see that the godly man is the blessed and happy man and that a dramme of Religion and of true saving faith is better than all the world besides and will doe them more good If a man were to goe into France and did heare that the coine in this Land would not goe there he would goe and change all his money for the coine of that country so seeing we are to goe into another countrey where our goods lands and money will not goe let us labour to change all that we have for that which will passe at that day let us get repentance faith and sanctified grace and then we shall finde comfort when this whole world will afford us none Now when the godly be pronounced happy and blessed by Christ then all the wicked shall be driven to Hell where they shall goe to paines and torments and this shall make their happinesse the greater Matth. 28. 4 5. when the Angel of God came downe from heaven and appeared in glory the keepers were astonied and became as dead men But the Angel answered and said to the women Bee not afraid for I know that ye seeke Iesus that was cruciâ—â—ed Even so when Christ shall appeare to judge the world they shall be as dead men before him but he shall say to the holy people be not afraid for I know whom ye seeke ye seeke Iesus that was crucified and now him that ye have so long looked for ye shall enjoy as 2 Kings 10. 15. when Iohn was in a great fury and had killed the two Kings yâ—t meeting with 〈◊〉 the Sonne of Rechab he tooke him by the hand and lifts him up into his chariot even so Christ shall doe when he hath driven all the wicked into Hell and meets with a good man he will say You are a good 〈◊〉 you are a blessed man and he wil take him up into his Throne to sit in glory with him And this is the glory that the Saints shall have when all the wicked shall be driven into Hell Thirdly The assignation wherein we are to observe two things 1. What is assigned a Kingdome 2. By what Title by Inheritance First what it is that is assigned it is no lesse than a Kingdome that God hath promised his people as Luk. 12. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome so Dan. 7. 27. it is said and the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome â—â—dee the whole â—eaven shall be given to the holy people of the most high whose Kingdome is everlasting Earthly Kings and Princes though they bâ—stow great gifts on their subjects yet they keepe the Kingdome to themselves meaner matters serve than a Kingdome so wee see although Pharoah did bestow great honor on Ioseph and did advance him yet he kept the Kingdome to himselfe none might sit on the Throne but the King but here is the bounty of Christ that hee bestowes a Kingdome on his servants It was a large proffer that Ahashuerosh made Hester 5. 6. in that hee would give Hester one halfe of his Kingdome but God hath made a larger promise to us not that wee shall have one halfe of his Kingdome but he will give us his whole Kingdome We read Luk. 12. 13. There was a Man that came to Christ and said unto him Master bid my brother divide the inheritance with me but Christ will not divide his Kingdome to his servants but will give it whole and the glory of it to them therefore men must labour to become converted and bee the servants of God because he will bestow a Kingdome on them Most men will labour and toyle in this world for lesse matters than a Kingdome some are scattered all the world over to gather straw and stubble as the children of Israel were and therefore how much more should men labour to repent of their sinnes to get faith in Christ to become one of Gods servants and then he will bestow a Kingdome on them But some man may be ready to say although it be a Kingdome that God will give his people yet it may be so meane as it is not worth the labour of obtaining therefore Christ tels us what a Kingdome it is it is an heavenly Kingdome a Kingdome prepared of God So it is such a Kingdome as is worth all our labour and paines Now this Kingdome is set out to us by three properties 1 It is a Kingdome prepared of God 2 It is prepared for his elect and chosen 3 It was prepared before the foundation of the world First it is a Kingdome prepared of God Therefore it is a most glorious Kingdome Saint Paul saith of it 1 Cor. 2. 9. The things which the eye hath not seene neither eare heard neither came into mans hart is that which God hath prepared for them that love him No tongue is able to expresse nor heart of man to conceive of the glory and excellency of this Kingdome so it is Psal. 31. 19. O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd up for them that feare thee done to them that trust in thee before the Sonnes of Men We may well thinke it is no small matter that all Gods attributes are set aâ—worke to furnish this Kingdome his wisedome power mercy and justice Therefore we may will conceive thereby the excellency and glory of it We see the more magnificent wise and potent that the first founders were of Kingdomes and cities the more famous excellent and noble were the Kingdomes founded by them Therefore it is said Genes 10. 10. of Nimrod that the beginning of his Kingdome was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calâ—eh in the Land of Shinar that is famous and noble cities and so likewise Nabuchadnezzar was a golden head in regard of the other Kings that did follow him Salomon also was a wise King and of great power of whose Kingdome it is said 1 Kings 10. 17. That he gave Silver as stones and Cedars as the wild figtrees that grow abundantly in the plaine that is as the crabtrees amongst us So then the more magnificent wise and potent the first founders were the more excellent were their countries and Kingdomes which granted it must necessarily follow that because no mans wisedome is able to compare with Gods wisedome no power with his power therefore as much as he wisedome of God goes beyond the wisedome of men and his power beyond the
let you goe but by strong hand the new translation hath it And the king of Egypt will not let you goe no not by a strong hand now how may a man know which is the better I answer hee may know it although he have no other helpe than his owne let him looke into Exod. 6. 1. there the Lord saith to Moses now shalt thou see what I will doe to Pharoah for by a strong hand shall be let them goe so herein the ordinary Bibles are the better from these wee inferre a wise Christian may helpe himselfe by the helpe of his minister in any doubt about the difference of texts of Scripture and to shut up all in a word it is plaine and manifest by these premises that the true Church throughout all ages hath preserved the letter and text of the Scripture from all annoiances taint of corruption or the least soile that may bee The use hereof is First seeing it hath beene the care of the Church in all times to preserve the letter of Scriptures therefore it must be every mans care to read it be acquainted with it and to meditate therein so to profit by it as Ioh. 5. 39. Christ counsels us Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to have eternall life they are they which testifie of me so 2 Tim. 3. 15. Timothie was commended for that he had knowne the Scriptures of a Childe which were able to make him wise unto salvation in like manner wee must know the Scriptures and be acquainted with them to make us truely wise Augustine saith well to this purpose that the two testaments are the two breasts of the Church that every Christian man must sucke to draw spirituall nourishment from that he may live eternally by it and another learned man saith that the holy Scripture is an Epistle sent from the Creator to the creature if an earthly king should send us a letter what would we let it lye by us would we not bestow some time to read meditate of it and bee acquainted with it to know what were the kings will with us so saith he the holy Scripture is the letter and Epistle of Almighty God let us labour to bee acquainted with it bestow some time to read it and meditate therein another learned man saith Now the Paradise of God is in this world the bookes of the Scriptures are the trees of Life whereof no man is forbidden to eate therefore it must be our care to heare the Scriptures read and to reade them our selves meditate in them and tell the good things that wee learne from thence one to another Secondly seeing it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the Scripture it must bee our care not onely to reade and to meditate in it but also to beleeve it and to put it in practice as Psal 124. David did where hee saith by the words of thy lips I kept mee from the pathes of the cruell man and againe Psal 119. 11. I have hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee See wee must learne by the Scriptures to put it in practice to sanctifie us in our wayes to keep us from sinning against God and to direct us in all the things wee take in hand this fruit and benefit wee must draw out from it saith Christ to the Iewes I will not accuse you but there is one will accuse you even Moses in whom yee trust How shall Moses accuse them not in his person but by his Bookes and Doctrine for that they did not beleeve nor practise but neglect the things that were commended to them therein so Moses shall accuse them and draw such a fearefull bill against them as they shall not bee able to answer so wee that bee your Pastours and teachers wee doe not accuse you but Moses Paul and Peter doth accuse you and will write such a fearefull bill of indictment against you as you shall not bee able to answere Therefore labour yee to repent of your sinnes to make conscience of your wayes to put in practice the good things that have beene taught you that so there bee not framed a fearfull bill of indictment against you which yee shall not bee able to answer especially remember it at this time to make use of it seeing yee see by evident tokens that God is displeased with us doe not thinke that time will weare it out but search into your hearts and into your lives to see what is amisse repent of your sinnes and turne to God that he may turne away this fearefull judgment that is come upon this land Oh my good brethren let us not passe away these things and make no accompt of them but let us labour to put them in practise seeing wee know them lest there bee such a fearefull bill of indictment framed against us as wee shall not be able to answer SERMON LXV 1 TIMOTHY 3. 15. That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy selfe in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Pillar and ground of the Truth WEE heard the last day that the Church hath three wayes preserved the tables of truth First in preserving the Letter of the Scripture which I then dispatched Secondly in preserving the Canon of the Scripture I meane the true number of Canonicall Books Thirdly in preserving the Authoritie of the Scriptures Wee come now to the next Point which is that the Church hath preserved the true Canon of the Scripture that is the true number of the Canonicall Bookes without adding or diminishing Canonicall Scripture is that which is given us of God is bee a rule of faith and good life by the which yee may bee sure wee may please God The word Canon is a Greeke word signifying a Rule so the Scripture is a rule to square out our actions by Those which worke in curious buildings doe not work by aime and ghesse but by rule so in the spirituall building of a mans soule and conscience in making a spirituall house for God wee must not goe by aime and ghesse but by rule Wee must hold us to our rule so saith S. Paul Gal. 6. 16. As many as walke according to this rule peace shall bee upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And Exod. 25. 40. saith the Lord to Moses Looke therefore that thou make all after the pattern that was shewed thee in the mount There the Lord had given Moses a paterne Such a charge as this comes to every Christian concerning all his actions see that thou doest it according to the paterne which the Lord hath lest thee in the Scriptures to bee a rule of faith and good life and to build up thy soule and conscience in the assurance of thy salvation and hope of an heavenly life Therefore it hath beene the care of the Church to preserve the true number of the Canonicall Bookes intire Paul tells
death and merit so that whatsoever is due to Christ in regard of the right of his death and merit wee may claime at Gods hand the favour of God the pardon of our sins and the glory of Heaven is due to us in regard of the merit of his death as Peter saith By his stripes we are healed so a Christian may be bold to say Christ is mine and his death mine his life is mine and his crosse mine and his paines mine to my eternall comfort therfore in the troubles of conscience and accusations of the Divell we may goe to God and tender before him the death and merits of Christ if we should tender our owne righteousnesse this would shame and disgrace us If a man should be imprisoned for a debt which was payed by a suretie if he could finde the suretie he would bring him to the Iudge and say here is the Man that did discharge my debt here are the empty bagges that the money came out of that paid my creditor surely any Iudge would acquit that Man so when the Devill shall implead us for our sinnes we may goe to God and shew him Christ and we may quiet and stay our selves here saying This is he that hath paid my debt here is the emptie purse here are the empty veines that the blood came out of and then without all doubt God will acquit us Therefore we must tender the merits of Christ to God spread them before him and stand to them To this purpose saith Chrysostome Christ hath taken away the hand-writing which was against us and hath given us another bill bond or new writing whereby we may claime Christ He hath not done by us as the unjust Steward did by abatement but hee having quite wiped out all hath given us a new bill and hath made God a debtor to us Thirdly the power of our spirituall life We indeed are able by nature to move and stirre and to do the duties of our calling to buy and sell c. but are not able to stir a foote to Heaven to looke after that nor move towards it till Christ communicates a spirituall life unto us So 1 Iohn 5. 12. saith he He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life as 2 King 12. 21. the dead Souldier was not able to move or stir till being laid in the Sepulchre of Elisha he touched his loynes and then he revived and stood upon his feete so we are dead by nature and not able to move or stirre a foote in the wayes of God till we touch the Body of Christ by Faith then we revive and stand up life comes into us againe Fourthly the dignitie of his owne estate for by nature Christ is the Son of God and he makes us the Sonnes and Daughters of God by Adoption and Grace and drawes us into the same dignitie and honour with him to be called the Sonnes of God But it is a harder matter for us to be made the Sonnes of God than for Christ to bee made the Sonne of Man Now as Christ communicates something to us so wee something to him We communicate to him three things first our Nature secondly our sinnes thirdly our troubles and afflictions Here wee see what an exchange wee make with Christ Hee communicates to us himselfe the right of his death merit and spirituall life and the dignitie of his owne State and we communicate to him our nature our sinnes and troubles First wee communicate to him our Nature and that not in the best estate when it was in integrity but since it was disgraced and subject to sicknesses diseases and troubles this is the change wee make with Christ like Hiram and Salomon Hiram gave to Salomon gold and silver and Firre trees and what the heart of the King could desire and Salomon gave to him a few dirty Cities In like manner Christ giveth to us what our heart can desire his owne selfe the right of his death merit and spirituall life the dignitie of his owne estate and we give him a few dirty cloathes our bad nature disgraced with sinne subject to troubles and afflictions If wee would have communicated any thing it should have beene of the best because He is God blessed for ever Amen it should have beene when our nature had beene in the best estate but we communicate to him our sinnes and troubles therefore wee should admire Christs love and goodnesse to us that will accept of this exchange Secondly we have communicated a worse thing than this our sins as 1 Pet. 2. 14. who his own selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree c. all the wicked shall carry their owne sins on their backe to Hell with them but the sinnes of the godly are laid on the backe of Christ he bare them the cruell Souldiers laid the Crosse on Christ and made him to beare it but we laid a greater burthen than that on him the burthen of our sins for the weight of the crosse is nothing to the weight of our sinnes Thirdly we communicate to Christ our troubles and dangers as Esay 63. 9. In all their troubles he was troubled and Col. 1. 24. Now I rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake so Christ suffereth still in his members by compassion and fellow feeling And these be the goodly things that we communicate to Christ nothing but our nature and sins our troubles and dangers as I told you a little before out of 1 Kings 9. 11. there was an exchange betweene king Salomon and Hiram he gave Salomon gold silver Firre trees and Cedar trees and all that the heart of the king could wish and Salomon gave Hiram twentie dirty cities in the land of Galile but it is a better exchange that Christ makes with us for he giveth all that the heart of a Christian can wish his wisedome righteousnesse himselfe his merits and death a spirituall life and the same dignitie and honour with him but we againe repay him with our nature sins and dangers therefore hence let us learn to admire this great kindnesse and love of Christ to us that will be content therewith Now as the Saints have communion with God and with Christ so have they communion with one another by meanes of love as Exod. 25. We see the golden Cherubim did so looke towards the Arke and the Mercy seat as that they looked one towards another So wee must looke to God and to Christ by the eye of faith as we must have one eye also to one another by love This societie is comfortable for Gen. 2. 18. God saith It is not good that man should be alone therefore if it were a good thing for man to have communion and societie in the life of nature much better is
sure it is therefore that he will restore any part that his friend should lose for his names sake as Heb. 11. 35. it is said of the holy men that they would not bee delivered from those paines and torments which the wicked had devised against them that they might receive a better resurrection and in the story of the Macchabees we read a strange and worthy narration recorded also by Iosephus that when one of the seven Children of the mother came to suffer and was to have his tongue and other parts to be cut off he saith These have I received from the Heavens but now for the Law of God I despise them and trust that I shall receive them againe so because wee know that if wee lose any part for the Name of Christ he will restore it to us at the day of judgement Therefore wee should not bee affraid to lose it but contented and willing to part with all for Christ Now if any man should object that wee shall not then have all our parts restored againe because Christ saith Matth. 18. that a man were better to goe halt and lame into the Kingdome of God than having two hands and two feete to be cast into everlasting fire To this I answere That Christ doth not speake positively but by supposition for he doth not say ye shall goe halt and lame into life but hee saith it were better for a man to goe in any meane and base condition to God as blinde lame naked and poore than to goe into everlasting fire with all the glory that this world can afford Secondly I answer It is to be understood of the estate of the soule and not of the body for if a man were to lose his hands or feete yea all the parts of his body for this end onely to have his soule goe to Heaven it were better than that he should have all the parts of his body and go with the wrecke of his soule and conscience into everlasting fire Secondly the glory of the body consists in this that it shall be beautifull and lovely howsoever now our bodies may bee rotten deformed and ill-favoured especially when we be dead at which time the bodies of the best and beautifullest are ill-favoured to looke on We see good Abraham when Sara was dead desired to have a place to bury her out of his sight so lothsome and ill-favoured we be when we be dead but at the resurrection then our bodies shall bee made beautifull and lovely no man or woman is now so beautifull as we shall be then and that for two Reasons First Looke what estate Adam was in in the time of innocencie in the same estate shall the bodies of the Saints be at the resurrection but the body of man was so beautifull and glorious so full of brightnesse and spendor which issued from it as all the Beasts of the field stood gazing and looking on him in the same estate shall all the bodies of the Saints be at the resurrection Secondly all deformities blackenesse ill-favourednesse and crookednesse are punishments and penalties for sinne but when our sinnes and our corruptions shall cease then the penaltie and punishment shall cease Oh how should this quicken up our care to repent of our sinnes to get faith in Christ to walke holily here that wee may have our portion with the Saints Wee see here when men and womens bodies bee crooked and deformed they weare iron bodies and will indure any thing to make them straight againe besides if they be not well-favored they will send into Spaine and Italy to buy complexion which when they have it doth not help nature but they be the worse for it because it eats out their favour But if men will feare God repent their sinnes get faith in Christ and walke holily here our Lord Iesus Christ will repaire all and make our bodies beautifull and lovely when Salomon had built the Temple the Chaldeans came and destroyed it afterwards when it was built againe it came not to the former glory that it had but it shall not be so with the bodies of the Saints for they shall bee restored to a more beautifull and glorious estate than ever they had before Thirdly the glory of the bodies of the Saints shall consist in this that they shall be filled with brightnesse and splender now their bodies are darke and obscure but then they shall be like so many bright starres and shining Lampes when all the bodies of the wicked shall gather blackenesse and darknesse and shall looke like filthy scroules all the bodies of the Saints shall be like so many bright Stars as Daniel 12. 3. it is said And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres for ever and ever this Christ doth further inlarge Matth. 13. 43. The Iust shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father the Sunne did never looke more glorious upon this world than the bodies of the Saints shall shine with glory at that day therefore what a comfortable estate shall our bodies be in at that time We see when Moses had talked with God forty daies by the reflexion of Gods glory upon him his face did shine so that the children of Israel were not able to behold it how much more will the glory of Saints be when they shall abide with God not forty daies but for ever and ever if there shall be such glory and brightnesse in the bodies of the Saints how superexcellent shall the glory of the Soule bee then The use is that a Christian should solace himselfe in the meditation of this and not thinke his time lost in the Service of God but abstract his heart from the love of this world and worldly things to thinke on the future glory that God hath prepared for the Saints and cheare up thy heart with it as Gen. 13. the Lord makes an excellent promise to Abraham concerning the land of Canaan bidding him Arise and walke through the land in the length and breadth thereof so the Lord makes goodly promises to a Christian concerning Heaven Therefore though hee hath not put us in possession of it hitherto yet we should arise and walke through the land in the length and breadth of it that is meditate and thinke on the glory and goodly delights of it and solace our soules therewith Secondly seeing the Lord will honour our bodies then with such a deale of glory we must be carefull to spend our time well to live in all holinesse and righteousnesse while wee live here for how can wee looke that God should honour us when wee are not carefull to keepe our bodies holy and labor to honor them our selves It is a rule in Art that they that would finish their colors in brightnesse must lay grounds sutable so if thou
that the Heaven and the earth shall be changed even as a man when hee puts on a garment is changed and that is onely in the outward view not in the substance of his body And Saint Peter me thinkes is very strongly for it in this Chapter vers 6. and 7. where he sheweth as the world was once destroyed with water so it shall bee againe with fire how was that even in the outward view onely the outward beauty and glory thereof shall be destroyed but the substance shall remaine as a Christian is said to be a new creature though hee bee not new in regard of substance but in regard of his affection and disposition so 2 Cor. 5. 17. every man saith he that is in Christ is a new creature so the Heavens are the same in substance and new onely in quality and disposition Now the heavens are said to be new first in regard of the use of them now they bring us raine and snow and haile at the time appointed but at the day of judgement they shall bring Christ and exhibite him to the world the goodliest sight that ever mortall eye saw as Matth. 26. 64. saith Christ I say unto you hereafter shall you see the Sonne of man sitting at the Right hand of the power of God and comming in the clouds of the Heaven c. so we see that the heavens shall be changed in regard of the use of them Secondly the heavens shall be new in regard of a new disposition now they never stand still but wind and turne up somewhat of the thread of mans life but then when the expiration is come and all time ceases then they shall stand still so that there shall bee no more time which is manifest Revel 10. 6. Where the Angell sweareth by him that liveth evermore which created Heaven and the things that are therein and the earth and the things that are therein and the sea and the things that are therein that Time shall be no more And the Philosophers say that Time is nothing else but the mooving of the heavens and revolution of them therefore when all time ceases and eternity is come then the heavens must needs stand still Thirdly the heavens shall bee new in regard of new effects for now they bee the storehouse of judgements and his armorie-house from whence he brings his judgements upon the world as Psal 29. The Lord makes it to thunder from heaven c. But at the day of judgement they shall no more bee the armorie-house of His judgements but the Lord shall there cause to flow out abundance of goodnesse and kindenesse therefore the Prophet saith that at the day of judgement the mountaines shall drop downe new wine and the hils shall flow with milke so that the influence of Gods goodnesse shall bee distilled out from the clouds And thus much for the renewing of the Heavens wee proceed now to the Earth The Earth shall be new in foure regards first we see that now there is a great deale of it wast and barren possessed with wilde beasts Serpents and Ostriges for the sinne of man as Psalm 107. 34. A fruitfull Land is made barren for the sinnes of the people so now there is a great part of it wast and barren for the sinnes of men but when mans sinnes are taken away then the earth shall bee made fertile and every place shall bee replenished Secondly now the earth yeelds nothing without mans labour and paines because of the curse that was laid upon it for sinne but at the day of judgement there shall bee no more curse for then it shall yeeld fruit without labour and paines Thirdly now the earth is the valley of teares where the best men have most trouble but at the last day it shall bee a doore to let us into glory as Iosh 2. 15. the Lord doth promise to the Children of Israel to give them the valley of Achor for a doore of hope so this earth shall be the doore of our hope to let us in to glory here wee shall begin the glory which afterwards we shall have perfect and consummate in Heaven Fourthly the earth now is walled and paled and hedged in a great part of it wherein every man labours to draw the commodity of it to himselfe but at the last day all shall be laid common there shall not need to bee any statute against enclosures but all shall bee laid open for his Saints and people Now heere may a question arise seeing the just shall goe to heaven and the wicked to hell To what end shall this Earth be renewed I answer there be three causes of it 1 In Regard of Christ 2 In Regard of the Godly 3 In Regard of the wicked First In Regard of Christ because he shall set up his throne here in this earth and make it his judgement seat now we may not thinke that it can stand with the glory of Christ to set up his judgment seat on the dead cinders and fruitlesse ashes of this sinfull world therefore it shall be renewed to make it a fit place for Christ to sit in judgement as when Iudges come to sit in Iudgement though the place be mean and unhandsome before yet then they hang it with tapestry decke it and strew it to make it a fit place for the Iudges to sit in so this Earth shall bee renewed in regard of Christ Secondly the Earth shall be renewed In Regard of the Godly that they may see that there was nothing lost by Adam but it is made good againe by Christ for whatsoever was lost by the first is restored againe by the second Adam In the Law the yeare of Iubile being come when the trumpet sounded and liberty was proclaimed every owner returned to his possession againe that hee had beene kept from a long time so at the last Iudgement when the trumpet shall sound and liberty shall be proclaimed all the people of God shall returne againe to their possessions from which they have beene with-held ever since it was lost by the first Adam But why shall the earth be renewed for the Godly seeing they shall be in heaven I answer as Chrysostome saith great Kings and Princes though they keepe in their great chambers of estate yet they passe into them through some gallery or some court-yard so saith he though the people of God shall dwell in the great chamber of heaven yet because this earth is the gallery and court-yard that they must passe through therefore it shall be renewed Secondly For a further increase of glory as it is a glory and an honour to our king that hee is king and Lord of a great many of countryes though it may bee hee meanes never to come into them but dwells here in this land so this is a great honour to the people of God that they be kings and