others which have no hope he forbiddeth you not to be waile your dead for it is impossible to fight against the motions of nature Did not u Gen. 23.2 Abraham the father of the faithfull mourne and weepe for Saâ—ra Did not x Gen. 50 1.10 Ioseph weepe upon his dead father and kisse him did not all his sonnes bury him with a very great and sore lamentation Did not y Num. 20.29 all the congregation of Israel mourne for Aaron thirty dayes Did a Deut. 34.8 they not weep for Moses as many dayes Did not David weepe for b v 2. Sam. 1.17 Saul for x 2. Sam. 3.32 Abner and for his sonne y 2. Sam. 18.33 Absalom and did not our Lord Iesus Christ a Ioh. 11.35 weep for Lazarus Did not b Act. 8.32 the devout men of Ierusalem make great lamentations over Steven Did not c Act. 9.39 the Christian widdowes of Lydda weepe for Dorcas when she was dead V. The thing which the Apostle forbiddeth is weeping such as is the weeping of the Gentiles which is immoderate because they have no hope One of them seeing hee must needes pay the last tribute to nature go the way of all the earth as he was dying made an heavy mone for his soul saying d Spartiani Adrianus Animula vagula blandula Hospes comesque corporis Quae nune abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Nec ut soles dabis iocos O my restlesse my gentle my sweet soule soule which hast been a friendly guest and companion of my body O how wanne how cold how bare and empty is the place whither thou must now goe neyther shalt thou hereafter make me merry The rest had no better hope if they spake not so they thought no lesse But we know that e Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life therefore we must not weepe for our dead immoderately as Gentiles doe but moderately as Christians doe In f Ier 9.17 18. Ieremiah his time there was an heathnish custome among the Iewes Praficae mulieres to hire mourning women who were accustomed to take up a wailing for their dead and that g Chrysost ad Popul Antiochen homil 69. 70. profane custome was in the Church in S. Chrysostomes dayes It is now banished out of the Church But that w eh we doe is not much unlike unto it wee teare our faces with our nails we pull the haire out of our heads we rend our clothes wee yell wee roare wee howle like beasts and shew indeed that wee are without hope so great hypocrites or that we consisider not what wee are doing Chrysostome said that h Ex ostentatione potius ambitione inani gloria sunt c. there is more ostentation ambition and vaine glory than true sorrow in such weeping for a man may weep bitterly in his closet and not make such a shew Yea in such weeping there is great shame and great offence offered to our most holy religion For how shall we speak of the immortality of the soule to them which beleeve no such thing how shall wee perswade them to beleeve i Tertull. de Resurrect Carnis Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio mortuorum the rising again faith of Christians when by such yelling wee make them to beleeve that death is as horrible unto us as unto them for they heed not what we beleeve but what we doe And how shall we our selves contemne death if wee shew so great impatience when our friends die IV. Hearken then and learne how to weep for the dead doe yee consider death as it is k Rom 6.23 the wages of sin Weep Consider it also as it is through Christ l Ioh. 5.24 a passage to life and weep not Doe ye consider how your dear friend whom ye loved so tenderly is by death become so ugly and loathsome that ye are constrained with m Gen. 23.4 Abraham to bury him out of your sight lest he become suddenly a stinking carrion Weep CoÌ„sider also that through Christ his grave is made a Doctor unto him and weepe not Doth experieÌ„ce make you to say that by and by he shall bee dust and ashes Weepe But send for faith and it will tell you that though hee sleep now in the dust of the earth n Dan. 12.2 he shal awake to everlasting life according to the comfortable saying of Christ to Martha o Iohn 11 25 26 I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in mee though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never dye For in that blessed day of the resurrection of the righteous Christ p Phil. 3.21 shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Heer is the comfort of your faith The Pagans speaking of a dead man were wont to say q Scal. Castigat in Festum verbo AbitioneÌ„ FUIT He was because they were without hope for the time to come But your r Rom. 5 5. hope which maketh not ashamed teacheth you to say ERIT He shall be They said also m Tert. de testimonio animae adver Gent. c. 4. Abijt iam sed reverti debet Hee is gone but he will come again not shewing that they had any hope of the resurrection as Tertullian deemed but seeking Euphemisms fair words having a sense repugnaÌ„t to their mind to shew that they esteemed all dead men to be lost In that same sense they said VIXIT He did live and therefore they called him n Ibid. Cúm alicuius defuncti recordaris miselluÌ„ vocas cum miserable If yee consider your dead brother as departed out of this life because of sinne say He did live and weep but knowe ye not that o 1. Sam. 25.29 his soule is bound in the bundle of life with the Lord his God Therfore say VIVIT Hee liveth say Hee is blessed and weep not p Rev. 14 13 For blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Beleeve yee not that they are past from death to life Wherefore then weep ye Will ye bee injurious to our Lord Iesus Christ Will yee deny the vertue of his death Will ye forsake the merit thereof Knowe yee not that his death is to us which beleeve the death of our death and the life of our life Then weep not O but he was my loving husband she was my vertuous wife thou hast had some losse weep but thy losse is their gaine They are gone to the marriage-supper of the Sonne of God and it is written Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God Therefore weep not Alas hee was mine onely sonne the heire of all my goods and now alas to whom shall I leave them
such disciples of ryot are an ample Commentary u Eccles 3.12 There is nothing better for a man than to reioyce and to do good to himselfe in his life and also that every man should eat and drink and enioy the good of his labour it is the gift of God This was the Philosophie of another rich man in the Gospell x Luke 16 19 who was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously everie day and ere hee was aware was buried in the bottomelesse pit of hel where one drop of that sweet water wherein poore Lazarus doth swim would bee more welcom to him to cool his tongue than all the deceiving pleasures which hee enjoyed during the flying dayes of his short life That is the place ordained to all his school-fellows where then if not till then they shall condemne all their former courses and with Salomon y Eccles 2.2 say of laughter It is mad and of mirth what doth it VIII Oh that the force of reason could move them if they will not be moved with the authority of Scriptures How can riches bee mans blessednes a Aug. de mor. Eccles cathol Hominis optimū deterìus esse quà m ipsae homo non potest Mans blessednesse cannot bee worse than man himself Are not the best riches worse than the worst man What are they but b Hab. 2.6 thick clay as Habacuc cals thē which c Bern. Qua possessa onerant aemata inquinant amissa cruciant if ye possesse they are a heavy load unto you which if yee love they defile you which if yee lose they are a crosse unto you Surely if they could speake they would say d Thom. 12a q. 2. art 1. in conclus Man is not made for us but wee are made for man as it is written e Psal 8.6 Thou hast put all things under his feet Therefore man is our end and blessednesse but wee are not the end wee are not the blessednesse of man How can honour bee mans blessednes f Arist 1 Aethic c. 5 Blessednes is in him who is happy but honour is not in him who is honoured it is rather in him who doth honour Moreover g Thom. ib. art 2. in conclus honour is given to some excellencie there is no excellencie to be compared with blessednes whereof all kinde of excellencie is a part wherefore honor is a publike testimony rendred to blessednes is not so good as blessednesse is The same may bee saide of glory of good fame which follow mans blessednesse such as he may have in this world but are no part of it How can h Ibid. Art 4. Power and Authoritie bee mans blessednesse Is it not particular to some few And among all men are there any so vexed with troubles without with cares and griefe within as such men are In blessednesse there is no care no vexation of spirit but full content Who will say that i Ibid. 6. Conclus mans reasonable and immortall soule cannot come to blessednesse but by wallowing like a sow in the muddye pleasures of the mortal body They like Scorpions have stinging tailes as Salomon who knew them better than any man saith affirming that k Pro. 14.13 the end of mirth is heavines I might run through all the faculties and gifts both of body and soule and shew you that blessednesse is not in any of them apart nor in thē all together but that which I have said is sufficient to convince all them which hold for Principles and Maximes of their faith that blessed are they that are rich that are full that laugh c. and cry Woe woe woe unto them that are poore that are hungry that mourne c. CHAP. II. 1. Iesus Christ curseth them which laugh c and calleth them blessed which weepe 2. Three necessarie properties required in blessednes 3. They cannot be found but in God alone 4. Our blessednesse is the vision or fruition of God 5. What men are not blessed 6. Who are blessed I. SEe now iudge that God hath not said without a pregnant cause to such men 1 Esa 55.8 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts For our Lord Iesus Christ in the Gospel of S. Luke curseth them whom they doe blesse and cryeth m Luk. 6.24 Woe unto you that are rich woe unto you that are full wo unto you that laugh now On the other part hee blesseth them whom they curse saying n Luk. 6.21 Blessed bee yee poore for yours is the kingdome of God blessed are ye that hunger now for ye shall be filled and in my text Blessed are ye that weepe now for ye shall laugh or as the words are in S. Matthew Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted These sentences are paradoxes and giddie conceits to the world but to the Church they are Maximes of truth and propositions more firme than the heaven which o Iob 37.18 is strong as a molten looking-glasse and more immoveable than the earth which p Psal 104 5. God hath founded upon her bases that it should not be remooved for ever For they were conceived in the breast of God the Father who is wisedome it selfe and were pronounced by the Sonne of God who is the substantiall word of the Father even q 1. Ioh. 5.20 the true God and eternall life Let us then be deaf to the hoggish sayings of men but let us I pray you let us this day and all the dayes of our lives listen seriously to our Lord Iesus Christ saying that those which weepe and mourne are blessed and shewing that their weeping shall be turned into joy because they shal be comforted O then give care to the wisedome of God teaching you by me this day what persons are blessed that thereafter he may cheere up your hearts with the most comfortable doctrine of the comforts wherein their blessednes consisteth II. Blessednesse is to bee considered eyther in the obiect or in the fruition and enioying of it The obiect of it is all good things that a godly mans heart can desire By good things understand not any of those visible creatures of God which we now enioy for r Rom. 14.17 the kingdome of God the possessing wherof is our blessednesse is not meat and drinke that is it consisteth not in any outward thing but is righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost proceeding from things more excellent as it is written ſ 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him This then is their first propertie that they are not of this world Moreover they must be eternall and exempt from all alteration and corruption
they which mourn shall be comforted III. Our comfort is our blessednesse and all blessednesse is of God to whose prayse we cry aloud with the holy Apostle f Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ So all our comforts are of God who g Isa 51.3 shall comfort Sion For he is h 2 Cor. 1.4 the God of all comfort who comforteth vs in all our tribulation He comforteth vs by his deare Sonne Iesus Christ who saith that the Lord hath sent him i Isa 61.2 to comfort all that mourn and as he came into the world for that end so he doth that wherefore he came as he said to his Disciples k Ioh. 14.18 I will not leaue you Orphanes that is comfortlesse I will come to you He cometh to vs by his Spirit who is the true Comforter For he ascended into heauen thence he l Tertull. de praescript cap. 11. Misit vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat hath sent in stead of himselfe the power of the holy Spirit by whom the beleeuers are led according to his promise m Ioh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer IV. Here is the certaintie of our comforts God hath promised that we shall be comforted n Heb. 10.23 He is faithfull that promised and o 1 Thes 5.24 also will do it He giueth not that charge to another His owne selfe doth it p Isa 46.10.11 My counsell sayth he shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure I haue spoken it I will also bring it to passe I haue purposed it I will also doe it Hee doth it by his owno Spirit As q Ioh. 3.8 the wind so the Spirit bloweth where it listeth If he will comfort vs who can grieue vs Men will doe what they can to make vs weepe But saith Christ r Ioh. 16.25 Your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man taketh from you If we hold our eyes vpon our selues we see our own weaknesse and we know we may loose our ioy But Christ hath prayed that ſ Ioh. 17.13 wee may haue his ioy full filled in our selues And the Comforter himselfe abideth in vs who then shall take the fruits of our teares from vs O most precious pearles of your eyes O teares most acceptable to God! The French Virgin is not so curious to keepe the teares of the vine wherwith a Plin. l. 23. cap. 1. Cutem in facie mulierum purgant Ibid. Vitia cutis in facie varosque lentignes emendant she takes away the speckes and pimples and other spots of her face and hands keepeth their skin soft and faire As God is carefull to keepe the teares which trill from the spiritual branches ingraffed into Iesus Christ who b Ioh. 15.1 is the true Vine c Psal 56.8 Hee putteth them into his bottle Are they not in his Booke d Ctesias in Indicis When the teares distilling from the Indian tree called Siptachora fall into the riuer Hyparchus they are congealed there and turned into most excellent Amber So when our teares fall into the riuer of the mercies of God they become there a most precious iewell And as the Sunne drawing salt vapours out of the Sea vp into the aire turneth them into pleasāt showers of raine e Isa 55.10 which watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may giue seed to the sower and bread to the eater So f Mala. 4.2 the Sunne of righteousness our Lord Iesus Christ draweth vp to heauen our sighs our groans the salt vapours of our deuotion the bitter teares of our godly sorrow which we poure out before him and keepeth them in his bottles till being all gathered together hee powre them downe vpon vs againe in a mos sweet and well-come shower of all kinde of heauenly comforts which are our blessednesse both in this world and in the world to come V. Be not deceiued with the errour of Papists Imagine not that there is any merit in teares as that word is taken by Papists that in them there is any satisfaction as Papists speake of satisfaction that they wash out the blots of the soule which are our sinnes as water cleanseth and taketh away the spots of the body as Papists dare too boldly and ignorantly affirme they haue not in themselues any such efficacy neither hath God made vnto thē any such promise Nothing can satisfie the wrath of God but the death of the son God Nothing is of worth and value before his eyes to be rewarded with glory but the obedience of the Lord of glory No water can purge and take away sinnes g Ioh. 1.29 It is the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world VI. If ye aske who hath satisfied the wrath of God I answere with Isaiah Christ h Isa 53.5 was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities iquities the chastisement of our peace was vpō him with his stripes we are healed If ye aske again by what means by what deserts ye obtaine eternall life Christ himself answereth i Ioh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life i.e. The true way to eternall life And the Apostle faith that k 1 Cor. 1.30.31 of God ye are in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Finally if ye aske which is the riuer which is the poole wherein we are clensed of all our sinnes so perfectly that there remaineth no spot no blemish in vs The Disciple which lay in Christs bosome was priuie to all his secrets faith that l 1. Ioh. 1.7 the bloud of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne He only is the riuer of Iordan wherein the leprosie of sin is cured m 2 Kings 5.14 The riuer Iordan in the land of Canaan did neuer clense any man of the leprosie of the body but Naamās the Syrian This Iordan of the heauenly Canaan clenseth perfectly all leprous sinners which wash and dippe themselues in it At n Ioh. 5.4 the poole of Bethesda he onely was made whole of his disease who first after the troubling of the water stepped in But when soeuer a sinner shal repent of his sinnes that he hath committed and cast himselfe into this vndraynable poole of the bloud of the sonne of God his sicknes shall be cured and his soule shal be healed Yee read in the Legendes that Constantine the great being leprous was councelled to wash in a bath made of the bloud of little children that he might be made cleane That bath was nothing else but the bloud
of the Sonne of God wherein he washt by faith and was made cleane of the incurable leprosie of sinne So then if ye aske by whose satisfaction merits ye obtaine eternall life the Scripture answereth absolutely that it is by the onely satisfaction and merits of our Lord Iesus Christ o Act. 4.12 Neither is there Saluation in any other for there is none other Name vnder heauen giuen among men whereby we must be saued VII But if we aske to whom this saluation is giuen That is another question where vnto the Scripture maketh another answere and faith as Elizabeth said to the Virgin Marie p Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that beleeued q 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and in Christ are Amen vnto the glory of God And r Gal. 3.14 we receiue the promise of the Spirit through faith Neither haue we any other hand to receiue Christ who is promised vnto vs but faith Therefore it is written that ſ Eph. 2.8 by grace ye are saued by faith And because our last and principall blessednesse is our saluation it is also written that they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham t Act. 15.9 The hearts are purified by faith Therefre it is written u Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart The heart by faith is broken and bruised with the sense of sinne and with x 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow for sinne Therefore it is written y Math. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Faith looketh vp to heaven with a weeping eye Faith calleth vpon God with prayers steeped in teares Faith stretcheth soorth to the throne of grace hands dipped in the bitter and salt waters of repentance And therefore it is written Blessed are they that mourne If faith did not repent sigh weepe pray repentēce weeping sighing prayer should be sinnes For a Rom. 14.23 whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne So the teares of Esau were sinnes So when David prayeth against the wicked man b Psal 109.7 Let his prayer become sinne he teacheth vs that prayers of wicked and vnbeleeuing men are sinnes for to such men c Tit. 1.15 nothing is pure but euen their mind and conscience is defiled And what can come from such a puddle but filth and stincking putrefaction h Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by loue and is rich in good workes Therefore it is written l Psal 1.2 blessed is the man whose delight is the Law of the Lord m Psal 119.1 Blessed are the vndefiled in the way n Psal 128.1 Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord c. Yee see what persons are blessed And what qualities are required in you if you desire to be partakers of blessednes The first must be faith For o Heb. 11.6 without faith it is impossible to please God From faith springs forrow for sin repentance weeping prayers good workes p Eph. 2.10 which God hath prepared that we should walke in them All those which are adorned and inriched with those good qualities are blessed but the cause wherfore they are blessed is the merite of Christ Iesus in whom they beleeue by whom they pray for whom they weepe and by whose spirit they are lead in the way of the Lord doe good workes For to them q Zech 12.10 that mourne in Ierusalem Zechariah saith that r Zech. 13.1 there shall be a fountaine opened for sinne and for vncleannesse what are not their eyes a fountaine To weepe for sinne they may be To blot out and abolish the slaine of sinne they cannot be The only side of Christ which was pierced in his death was made a fountain of bloud to wash in it the sinnes of all them which to weepe for their sinnes make of their heads a fountaine of teares VIII Therefore when ye read in the Homilies of the Doctors of the Church either auncient or moderne that teares are a satisfaction for sinne that they wash it away and blot it out and many such hyperbolicall speeches yee must vnderstand them f Cum graeno salis with a graine of salt as the Iurisconsults speake of some sayings of their Doctors and know that either they speake of satisfaction giuen to the Church or attribute to the effect that which is proper to the cause which is frequent amongst orators and in speeches gilt and beautified with Rhetoricke Consider that in my text blessednesse is attributed to them which weepe not to weeping to the tree not to the fruit to the worker not to the worke And when yee seeke the causes of your blessednesse looke not downeward to your selues but vpward to the mercie of God and with a sincere heart and true mouth follow the holy Apostle and say t Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs with al spirituall blessings in heauenly places in Christ u Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things To whom be glory for euer Amen If yee remember this distinctiō betweene the qualification of the persons which are to be saued the causes wherfore they are saued as also the chāging of attributions when the effects are honoured with the glorious titles which belong to their causes ye wil not easily be seduced with Papistry nor troubled with som speeches which the Doctors vttered hyperbolically which the Papists wrest vnlearnedly which ye must vnderstand x Rom. 12.6 according to the proportion of faith soundly CHAPTER II. I. ALl our comforts are called Life and wherefore II. Item wherefore that life which is our onely comfort is called euerlasting III. What eternall life is IV. T is imperfect in this world and perfect in the world to come V. He that hath not the beginnings of eternall life in this world shal neuer come to the perfection thereof in the world to come I. BVT to leaue of disputing against Papists which is not fit for this day wherin we are assembled to dispute against our owne sinnes and to let alone the hyperbolicall speeches of Doctors let vs come to Christs comforts wherin our blessednesse consisteth Our Blessednesse in holy Scripture is called Life Euerlasting T is called Life not because we shall act liue and moue by it as we doe now during our abode in the earthly tabernacles of our mortall bodies but because it is a most glorious happie and blessed estate our soueraigne good and felicitie the full perforformance of all our desires the longed-for wish of our vnsatiable hearts the center and last resting place of all the agitations of our stirring and vnquiet soules There is nothing that man loueth better then life For how can he loue what can he loue if he liue not Life is the spring of loue life is the enioyer life is the vser of all the things which we loue As we cannot loue without life So life
is loathsome vnto vs without the fruition of those things which we loue The Diuels and the damned liue in hell But that life is called Death because all the euils which they would gladly shake off fall thicke and lye close together vpon them and all the goods which they desire most earnestly with groanes and sighs flee away from them T is a liuing death a dying life Therefore Dauid asketh a Psal 34.12 what man is he that desireth life And loueth many dayes that he may see good Take good from life And men will chuse death to be freed of life In the state whereof we speake we see good because in it we see God b Psal 36.9 with whom is the fountaine of life and in whose light we see light c August de verbis Apostoli Serm. 6. Omnino non mesatiaret Deus nisi promitteret mihi seipsum Deum c. Certainely God could neuer satisfie me if hee promised not to giue himselfe vnto mee For whatso euer God promiseth vnto thee 't is of no value without himselfe what is the whole earth What is the whole Sea What is heauen What are all the starres What is the Sun what is the Moone what the Hostes of Angels without him I know him to be the creator of all those things Ipsum sitio Ipsum esurio Ipsi dico quoniam apud te est sons vitae I thirst after him I hunger after him To him I say with thee is the fountaine of life d Bernard deproemio patr coelest Esse cum deo esse in deo Viuere cum Deo viuero de Deo c. To be with God to be in God to liue with God to liue by God to haue God who is the soueraigne Good is soueraigne blessednesse is life it selfe II. This Life is called Euerlasting because as it cometh of God and is nothing but the enioying of him so it is like vnto him e Iam 1.17 with him there is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning T is so with their life It may grow better and shal be better in the resurrection It knoweth no interchangeable course of seasons T is al at once the spring time of most pleasant sights the Summer all kind of pleasures the haruest of al blessings which feare no withering by the biting frost of a cold mistie winter God is eternall by nature This life is eternall through his grace God is eternall without beginning without ending f Reu. 1.8 which is and which was and which is to come This life hath a beginning but shall neuer haue an end T is rather euerlasting then eternall So is the death of the wicked to whom the great Iudge shall say at the last day g Math. 25.41 depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuel and his Angels O happy would they thinke themselues if death could cut the thread of their life Woe woe be vnto them h Reu. 9 6. In those dayes men shall seeke death and shall not find it And shall desire to die and death shall flee from them This shall be the fulnesse of their misery that they shall disire to die and know that they shal neuer die But in this shall be the fulnesse of our felicitie that liuing in God we shall know that we shall liue with him for euer and euer * Barnard de modo bene viuendi Serm. 69. Atterna vitaest vitalis ista est mortalis Idem in Psal Qui habitat Serm. 17. Est finis sine sine This life whereby we liue in in those houses of clay is mortall But eternall life is vitall and liuely T is an end without end III. For eternall life is a full and euerlasting possession and fruition of al things which God hath promised vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Son ye may reduce them all to this one i Reu. 21.3 Behold the Taber nacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Or as S. Paul saith in fewer words k 1 Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all l August de Verbis Apostoli Serm. 16. Quicquid hic quaerebas quicquid hic promagno habebas ipse tibi erit c What is that all in all Whatsoeuer thou didst seeke here whatsoeuer thou didst make great accompt of here his owne selfe shal it vnto thee m Idem concio 1. in Psal 36. That which is gold cannot be siluer vnto thee That which is wine cannot be bread vnto thee that which is light cānot be drinke vnto thee Thy God shall be all vnto thee Thou sha't eate him that thou hunger not thou shalt drinke him that thou thirst not thou shalt be inlightened by him that thou be not blind thousha't be holden vp by him that thou faint not Posssidebit te totum integrum totus integer He entire and whole shal possesse thee intire and whole he shall be al in thee all thou shalt be all in him all Totum habebis Totum ille habebit quia tu ille vnuus eritis Thou shalt haue him all he shall haue thee all because thou and hee shall be one IV. This eternall life which is the possession of all good in God through Iesus Christ and the onely comfort of them which weepe and mourne though it be alwayes one and the same and not of sundry sorts yet it hath some degrees we are now in this land of the dying Viatores Trauellers and way-faring men and in it wee haue the beginnings of eternall life In heauen which is the land of the liuing wee shall be Comprehensores Owners and peaceable possessors of the entire and whole felicitie which GOD hath prepared for his deare ones The Lord Iesus hath he not said in his prayer to his Father n Ioh. 17.3 This is life eternall that they might know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent If eternall life be in the knowledge of God as Christ saith And if o 1 Cor. 13.9.10 we know in part as the Apostle saith we haue alreadie eternall life but in part only till that which is perfect come and that which is in part may be done away or rather swallowed vp in that profound Ocean of perfect blessednesse Now we f Rom. 8.23 haue the first fruits of the Spirit Then we shall haue a most plentifull haruest Now we haue g 2 Cor. 1.2 the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts as a part and therefore a most assured pawne of the totall summe which shall be giuen vs then Now we say one to another h Psal 34.6 O taste and see that the Lord is good Then i Cyprian de Laude Martyrij Ibi non gustabunt quāsuanis sit Deus sed implebuntur et satiabuntur dalcedine mirificâ Nihil deerit nihil
assigneth not blessednes vnto them but vnto the forgiuenesse of sins Therefore let vs cry after him with sweet Bernard i Bernard in Cantica Ser. 23. O solus vere beatus cui non imputauit Dominus peccatum O the onely O the true blessed man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne For who is without sinne None no not one ALL haue sinned and come short of the glory of God Neuerthelesse who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect T is sufficient to me in stead of all righteousnesse to haue God alone propitious vnto me because to him alone I haue sinned What 's oeuer he hath decreed not to impute vnto men is as if it had neuer beene non peccare Dei iustitia est Hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei Not to sinne is the righteousness of God The righteousness of man is Gods indulgence Gods mercifull fauour whereby hee forgiueth sinne is my blessedness IV. This was the iudgement of a man who had beene an adulterer and a murtherer Such also was the iudgement of a woman whom the Scripture calleth k Luk. 7.37 A Sinner She came to the Pharisees house where Christ was The Pharisees of all men were most affectionate to the Law l Gal. 3.24 The Law is a pedagogue to Christ m Rom. 10.4 who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth See the wisedome of the woman when shee is in the Pharisees house shee goeth not to him who taught who beleeued that man is saued by the righteousness of the Law She said in her heart with David n Psal 51.3 I acknowledg my transgression my sinne is euer before mee I haue transgressed the Law I find no good workes in my life which hath bin so lewd that I dare not trust in it Therefore O Pharisee I am come to thy house but not to thee Thou speakest of perfection of righteousnesse thou preachest of rewards thou bragst of merites I cry to my God o Psal 130.3.4 If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquitie O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiuenesse with thee that thou mayest he feared My misery is my sinne my blessedness is his mercy I haue need of forgiuenesse I come to craue mercy I haue hoised the sailes of my faith towards the only haven which God hath ordained for sinners I flie to the port of Salvation where the stormie windes of the law tearing asunder the mountaines and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord blow not where the still and small voice of the Gospel refresheth the conscience which thirsteth after thee O my God like a drie land I am come ô Pharisee to him who p 1 Tim. 1.15 is come into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe He is in thy house He is not of thy house So she thought so hâ—â— hart spake Out of hand she runneth to her Sauiour And to apply to her with the alteratioÌ„ of two words that which S. Chrysostome hath written of the woman of Canaan * Chrysost tom 2. Ex varijs in Matthaum locis homil 16. See the wisedome of the woman Shee intreats not Iames shee prayeth not to Iohn shee goeth not to Peter shee looketh not to the company of the Apostles shee sought not a Mediatour In stead of them all she tooke repentance with her for companion which was to her in stead of an aduocate and so she goeth straight to the Soueraigne Spring for this saith she is he come downe from heauen for this hath hee taken our flesh for this was he made man that I may be bold to goe vnto him In the heauens aboue the Cherubims tremble before him the Seraphims feare him and here below a Whoore goeth vnto him She speaketh not she cryeth not with her mouth as the Woman of Canaan did q Mat. 15 22. Haue mercy on mee O Lord thou sonne of David Her humility spake for her She stood at his feet behind him Her godly sorrow for sinne cryed aloud vnto him She washt his feet with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head Her loue was a most ardent prayer She kissed them she anointed them with oyntment each of those actions was a sensible prayer O Lord O sweet Iesus haue mercy on mee Thou art come into the world to haue mercy on sinners O sonne of God haue mercy on me Thou hast taken our flesh thou art become that which I am to haue mercy on sinners O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee Thou art still that which thou wast thou art become that which thou wast not Now thou art both in one person O Immanuel O God and man haue mercy on me Woman what ayles thee What cause hast thou to weepe Iudge by Christs answer to her weeping prayers what was the cause of her praying teares r Luk. 7.48.50 Thy sinnes saith he are forgiuen For her sinne she wept because her sinne was her misery Her sin was forgiuen her because forgiuenesse of sinne was her felicitie Simon the Pharisee made vnto him a feast of flâ—sh filled vnto him cups of wine The Lord had no stomacke for Simons meate no thirst for his drinke This woman like vnto Å¿ Gen. 27.9 Rebecca who could make sauourie meat to Isaac such as he loved knowing that t Ioh 4.34 his meat and drinke was to comfort and to saue repenting sinners filleth vnto him a bowle of teares mingled with faith and he pledgeth her in u Psal 116.13 the cup of salvation saying vnto her Thy faith hath saued thee Goe in peace Deare brethren if this day wee weepe as this sinner did our fasting will bee feasting to Christ our teares will be his drinke If we cry to God as David did x Psal 6.1.4.8 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Returne O Lord deliver my soule oh saue me for thy mercies sake The Lord will come and speake to our soules and wee shall returne home saying with David Depart from mee all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping V. I say if ye pray so the Lord will heare you If ye weepe so the Lord will comfort you If yee trust not in the prayers one of another If ye rely not vpon the prayers of the Church but if euery one pray for himselfe Heed what I say I doe not forbid you to pray and to weepe one for another for I haue taught you that the Saints did weepe and pray when their brethren sinned did not God say to Iobs friends y Iob. 42.8 Goe to my servant Iob and offer vp for your selues a burnt offering and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept He commanded them to goe to Iob whom they had offended and to require his prayers He commanded them also to offer vp for themselues a burnt offering to teach vs three most profitable lessons The first that
oberit Omne desiderium eorum Christus praesens implebit we shall not onely taste how sweet God is but we shall be filled and satisfied with a wonderfull sweetnesse then nothing shall be wanting vnto vs nothing shall hurt vs because Christ by his presence shall fill all our desires V. Be not therefore deceiued for if ye haue not the beginnings of eternall life in this barren wildernesse of your pilgrimage ye shall neuer come to the compleatness thereof in the pleasant and fruitfull land of your rest wherof it is written k Ps 25.13 His soule shall lodge in goodness and his seed shall inherite the earth Obiect not the words which wee reade in the first Epistle of S. Iohn l Ioh. 3.2 It doth not yet appeare what we shall be for he speaketh of the full manifestation and fruition of our blessednesse of the beginnings whereof he writeth in that same Chapter m Vers 14. We know that we haue passed from death vnto life because we loue the brethren Euen as Christ affirmed * Ioh 5.24 Verily verily I say vnto you He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life Consider and see how by faith in Christ by loue to our brethren for Christ we haue already eternall life and blesse God who hath giuen you faith and loue CHAP. III. I. OVr first comfort and blessednesse in this world is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes II. Which is declared by the example of David III. Who affirmeth that mans blessednesse is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes IV. The same is verified by the example of a woman which was a Sinner V. To obtaine this first degree of blessednes we must be reconciled with our brethren VI. Laudable custome of the Primitiue Church to end their publicke prayers with a kisse VII We must weepe and pray to God one for another for our ownselues VIII Exhortation I. Our first comfort therfore the first degree of eternall life or of our blessednesse in this world is forgiuenesse of sinne Because our first misery is sinne Ye haue heard that eternall life is in God ye heare Isaiah saying a Isa 59.2 Your iniquities haue separated between you and your God And your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare If then a man be separated from God as he is by sinne his life is gone his blessednesse is lost misery is become his portion and death his inheritance wherfore he cannot be restored to his blessednesse but by forgiuenesse of sin wherby he is reconciled with God receiued againe into his fauour inlightned with the brightnes of his countenance quickned with his life blessed with his grace graced with all his blessings This is the first gate of heauen This is the first entrance into the kingdome of glory Blessed should we be if we could be without sinne Seeing that cannot be because b Iam. 3.2 in many things wee offend all blessed are wee if our sinnes be forgiuen vs. This is known of them onely that know what sinne is and whose eyes godly sorrow changeth into fountains of teares making their hearts to sigh their eyes to weep their tongues to cry incessantly for forgiuenes of sinne which was neuer refused to any that did aske it with a contrite and broken heart Can yee name me one among so many millions of sinners who did weepe before God and lost his teares Who did offer his supplication to the Father of mercies with a sound and single spirit and was reiected Saith he not that c Isa 66.2 He will looke to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit He hath said it and who wil say that he must not or will not doe it II. Which of you is ignorant of Davids sin Was it not most hainous in it selfe Was it not exceeding sinfull horrible aboue measure in such a man who was so many wayes beholden vnto his God Who can tell vs better then himselfe how hatefull it was He confesseth in the fiftie and one Psalme that by it he had lost the fauour of his Sauiour and fallen from the heauen of all felicitie into the hell of all misery and therefore feeling the damnation wherein he was ingulsed and desiring to recouer the saluation which he had lost he maketh with moaning and mourning this true confession to Nathan whom the Lord had sent to rebuke him d 2 Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned against the Lord. And knowing that a confession made to a mortall man was not sufficient to repaire one offence committed against the immortall God he rūneth straight to the throne of grace he couereth his bodie with sackcloth hee sprinckleth dust and ashes vpon his head hee taketh the apparell the countenance the words of a prisoner at the Bar of a malefactor condemned to die He cryeth with many teares to his Iudge e Psal 51.1 Haue mercie vpon me O God Scarcely is the word out of his mouth when God who knew the desire of his heart blessed him with this comfortable answer vttered by a man but proceeding from the bowels of mercie from mercies owne selfe The Lord also hath put away thy sin Thou shalt not die Then his heart was filled with ioy then his bruised bones were healed and moistned with the marrow of gladnesse then his face shined then his eyes were two glistering diamonds between his browes Then he leapt then hee triumphed then he sang When I sinned I was miserable Now my sinnes are forgiuen me and I am blessed III. Then f Rom 4.6.7.8 he described the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying g Psal 32.1.2 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne h August in Psal 31. Conc. 2. He saith not blessed are they in whom no sinnes are found but whose sinnes are couered Sinnes are they couered They are abolished If God hath couered our sinnes noluit aduertere he would not behold them Si noluit aduertere noluit animaduertere If he would not be hold them he would not take notice of them Si noluit animaduertere noluit punire if he would not take notice of them he would not punish them Noluit agnoscere maluit ignoscere Hee would not know them he choosed rather to forgiue them Oh consider I pray you this example and this saying of David He had great store of riches he was mightie in force he ouerpeered all men in wisedome God had put on his head a crowne of fine gold he was peaceable at home victorious and triumphant abroad he had wise Captaines valiant Souldiers faith full Serjeants obedient Subjects His children were like Oliue plants round about his Table no worldly Commodities were wanting to his desires and loe they are dung vnto him Loe he
from the holy commandement delivered vnto them I will not compare the true Christian to a tree in the kingdome of Congo called by the Portugalians f Arbor tristis The sorrowfull tree because it neither buds nor blossomes nor brings forth fruit but in the night and in the day is without fruit flowers or leaues as if it were dead for the Christian is like vnto the Palme-tree which is greene both day and night though his godlinesse shineth more brightly like a Diamond in the night of his aduersitie then in the day of his prosperitie But well may I compare those painted Christians to the herbe called Heliotropium or Turnesol be cause it turneth with the Sunne both arising and going downe For so long as prosperous dayes shine vpon them they follow Christ who is t Mal. 4.2 the Sun of righteousnesse But if to put his children to a triall of their faith he hide himselfe for a little while in a darke night of persecution forthwith they turne their backes vnto him and forsake him Great and wailefull is their losse Neverthelesse the Church findeth in it a great gaine in weeping for them matter of ioy for her selfe For what are they but super fluous and vnprofitable u Ezech. 5.1.2 haire of the mystical body of Christ which he burnes with fire or scattereth in the wind when he taketh a rasour to trimme the head and the beard of his Church but x Ezech. 22.18 brasse tinne yron lead drosses which are euaporated vanish away in stincking pestilent smoak when y Mal. 3.3 the refiner and purifier of the sonnes of Levi taketh his gold and his siluer to melt and purge them in the furnace of triall but the scum which the Cauldron of the Church casteth out when it seeths and bubbles at the fire of persecution but a Psal 1.4 chaffe which the winde driueth away when the Lord taketh b Mat. 3.12 his fann◠in his hand a broome to sweepe and purge throughly his floare but c Ioh. 15.1 the fruitlesse branches of the true vine which the heavenly Vine-dresser takes away and casts into the fire of his indignation but d August in Epist Iohan. tract 3. Non de carne mea praecisi sunt sed pectus mihi premebant cum inessent c. ill humours which lay heavie vpon the stomacke of the Church but noisome and rotten deiections which shee avoyds into the iakes of the world when the Physician of the soule hath giuen her to drink a bitter potion in the cup of tribulation When such filthy excrements are euacuated she is not so grosse so swollen and puffed vp as she was but shee is more healthful Finally what are they but like vnto woodden legs or to a Creple-mans staffe which when he is cured of his disease he casteth away and not only looseth nothing of his owne but also receiueth a benefit and thankes God that they are not more behoouefull vnto him CHAP. V. 1 OVr first comfort in heaven is that wee shall be without sinne 2 The second that we shall be free from all miserie 3 The third that our faith and hope shall bee changed into the reall possession of the thing beleeved and hoped for 4 What shall bee then the blessednes of our soules 5 And of our bodies 6 Eternall life more fully described by seven circumstances 7 Then the wicked shall see the glory of Gods children who also shall see the torments of the wicked and praise God incessantly 8 Exhortation praier I. AS at the marriage e Ioh. 2.10 in Cana of Galilee all the wine was good but that which was given last was the best so all those comforts whereof I have spoken are most excellent but the last which God giveth to his children at the last day of their lives and which he shall fill to them in the unmeasurable bowles of his infinit mercies at the last day of the world surpasseth them all Our comfort and our blessednes is now that our sinnes are forgiven us our comfort our blessednes shall be then that we shall be without sinne f Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours Their first their last their most continuall and toilsome labour is their sinne from it they rest And therfore the holy Apostle g Rom. 7 24 desired to die that his blessednes which consisted onely in forgivenesse of sinne by death might bee changed into the blessednesse of abolishment of sinne for then there shall bee no sinne because there shall bee no inticement no allurement to sin h Rev. 21 27 There shall in no wise enter into the holy City any thing that defileth Nothing is able to defile us but sinne and therefore to it wee shall say in that day Get thee hence stād without i Rev. 22 15 For without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie What is sinne but a lie What is a sinner but a lover but a maker of lies But within are they of whom it is written k Esay 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous they shall inherit the land for ever the branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified O Lord l Psalm 118.9 20 open to me the gates of righteousnes I will go into them and I wil praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter I wil praise thee for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation II. Our comfort and our blessednes is now that when m Rev. 17 4 the Whore of Babylon drinketh unto us in the cup of her abominations and fornications not the health but the death of our soules God strengtheneth us with n Esa 11.2 the spirit of might which maketh us to say to him o Psalm 73.27 28 Loe they that are farre from thee shall perish Thou hast destroied all them that goe awhoring from thee but it is good for mee to draw neer to God I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare al thy works Our comfort and our blessednes is now that when our enemies make us to drink great bowles of salt teares in stead of wine we drink stoutly and are not drunk and stagger not any way from our profession when they bait us they cannot abate us when they presse us they cannot oppresse us when they cut the thread of our mortall life vvee rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory because we know that God will knit and fasten our soules to the thread of immortalitie which his owne hands have spun Our comfort our blessednes will be then that p Rev. 21 4. God shal wipe away all teares from our eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain q Rem
happy is that people that is in such a case happy is that people whose God is the Lord But woe and alas is to us now and for evermore The Church also shall see and know al her persecuters and having all teares wipt from her eyes shall sing r Rev. 5.9 a new song which shall never waxe old even Å¿ Rev. 15.3 Exod. 15. the song of Moses the servant of God which shall bee continually in their mouthes to praise God the Lamb who hath guided them by his strength thorow the red sea of bloody persecution and planted them in the mountaine of his inheritance in the Sanctuary which his hand hath established IIX Deare brethren what shal we render unto the Lord our God for so many comforts which hee hath already bestowed upon us and for this last comfort which he hath prepared for us t Aug. de verbis Apost sâ—â—th 16. Praedestinavit antequaÌ„ essemus vocavit cùm aversi essemus iustificavit cùm peccatores essemus glorificavit cùm mortales essemus He did predestinate us before wee were hee called us when our backes were turned unto him hee iustified us when wee were sinners hee glorified us when we were subiect to death This last benefit is but begun in us in this world we looke for the accomplishment thereof in the world to come where God shall be unto us u Bern. in Vigil nativit Domini sâ—â—m 5. omne iucundum omne utile omne honestum whatsoever is delectable profitable and honest and therefore whatsoever our hearts can desire x Aug. ibid. In his quae iam habemus laudemus Deum largitore In his quae nondum habemus tenemus debitorem Let us then I pray you praise God for that which wee have received and trust in him as in a most sufficient debtour of the rest which is to be received Debitor enim factus est non aliquid à nobis accipiendo sed quod ei placuit promittendo for hee is become our debtor not by receiving any thing from us but by promising that which of his owne good pleasure he is willing to give us And because y Idem de Symbolo ad catech lib. 3. cap. 11. Si in cor hominis non ascendit cor hominis illuc ascendat the things which hee hath prepared for us cannot ascend into our hearts let our hearts ascend unto him with whom they are For that effect let us now even now purifie our hearts for every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3.3 Yea let us lay downe willingly this present transitorie life that wee may attaine to the other which is eternall for by the small losse of this life wee enter into the glorious joyfull possession of the other O God z Idem Confess lib. 10. cap. 22. Ipsa est beata vita gaudere ad te de te propter te ipsa est non est altera The onely blessed and eternall life is to reioyce to thee in thee of thee for thee there is no other life Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visite me with thy salvation that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may reioyce in the gladnesse of thy nation that I may glory with thine inheritance O eternall God Psal 106.4 5. O Father of mercies heare our prayers which wee powre out before thee that we may froÌ„ henceforth and for evermore sing unto thee Davids song Thou hast turned from me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackecloth and girded mee with gladnesse Psal 30.11 O Father of Christ heare us for Christ thy Sonnes sake to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all glory honour and praise both now and for evermore Amen FINIS