the weake Christian for every crosse strikes at his heart and at the foundation of his faith making him presently doubt of Gods love and favour to him Sixthly A growne Christian he is experienced to finde out Sathans devises and plots and can put a difference betweene the motions of the flesh and the spirit and therefore knowes what corruption to weaken and what grace to strengthen when as new beginners for want of practice and experience sees not these things and therefore ere hee is aware runnes into many offences and lookes for no remedie Seventhly A well grounded Christian can withstand the bitter blasts and oppositions of this world nothing could move Paul nor separate him from the love of God but a weake Christian either is blowne away or at the least shaken with every blast as it is in yong trees newly planted Eightly A grounded Christian beares with the infirmities he sees in others he pities them and helpes them if he can but judges not of them as those that are weake who for the most part are captious you that are spirituall must restore saith the Apostle those that are weake with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 So as it is the weake ones that are scandalized and as they are soone offended so doe they soone give occasion of offence to others by their ill example but the growne Christian indeavours to live free from offence in the least things hee is watchfull against Satans wiles Ninthly a perfect man doth most of all others see into his particular wants and lookes hence after a further degree of grace and therefore the Apostle bids such as are perfect to forget things past not to looke on those that are behinde but to see what is yet before to bee attained unto and to presse forward thereunto Tenthly A strong Christian is of abilitie and indeavour still to beget other Christians It s the propertie of a growne creature to beget its like a weake Christian hath enough to doe to looke to himselfe there may be many more signes named but these will suffice Le ts come to the meanes whereby we may grow to this strength and perfection And first of all we must know there must bee an order we are to grow in fundamentall graces in the first place for we water not the leaves but the root of our plants and the graces that are the foundation of all workes being gotten and diligently cherished the workes which are but as leaves will soone put forth The maine fundamentall grace of all is faith which we are principally to looke after First in getting assurance of our salvation to this end walke holily for many live in sinnes against conscience and so can have no assurance of the pardon of their sinnes and how dead and blockish are they David though a man after Gods own heart yet losing the comfortable assurance by his sinning against conscience of the pardon of sinne thought Gods holy spirit had quite forsaken him therefore he prayes Take not thy holy spirit from mee Psal. 51.11 Therefore labour for assurance of pardon of sinne for where the soule is wounded with the guilt of sinne it cannot inlarge it selfe in love but is possest with a fearfull expectation of judgement but when the soule is assured of the pardon of its sinnes it breeds love to Christ and there it s said of Marie shee loved much for many sins were forgiven her In the next place we are to labour for faith in the promises of the forgivenesse of sinne and Gods goodnesse to us that hee will give grace and glorie and that wee shall want nothing this will put courage into us And as we are to labour for faith so also for love which is cherished by meditation of Gods mercies and his love to us and this will set us on fire in all good workes and so much of this grace as wee have in us with so much strength and intention of spirit shall wee indeavour to please God in all things and this argument the Apostle used to stirre up the Corinthians 1 Cor 7.1 Having these promises le ts clense our selves from all filthinesse perfecting holinesse in the feare of God In the next place Whatsoever wee doe le ts labour to doe it with the best advantage labouring to practice and exercise as much grace and as many as we can as in giving give in zeale to Gods honour in love to mercie towards our brother that is in need and in regard of justice we owe it to him God hath commanded us to give him and he will reward it for we lend to the Lord when wee give to the poore If we are to abstaine from any evill we are to abstaine from it with a perfect hatred thereof and consider how it will offend it will breake peace of conscience and dishonour religion scandalize those that are weake dishonour God and bring shame to our selves yea wee must remember that the talents that God gives us do increase in the use of them the more we strive to doe things exactly the more perfection we shall attaine to in the use of performances Thirdly Let us not neglect litle things either ingood or ill omit no occasion of doing good and take heed of the least beginnings of ill abstâ—ine from all occasions and appearance of evill for though in comparison they seeme small they are of great consequence Fourthly Wee must keepe our affections to holy exercises and meanes for God workes by meanes neglect none for so much perfection thou losest thereby and consider what meanes will fit our disposition when we are indisposed are we dull in prayer then reade if that will not be endured then use the communion of Saints and still remember that we be not wearied with prayer for God sends not his away emptie and that those things may be the more effectuall observe some motives to stirre us up And to this end consider the priviledge of a perfect Christian He is as Mount Sion which cannot be moved if wee tell him of death it s his hearts desire tell him of afflictions he is resolute he lookes for them he knowes he lives Gods childe and so he shall die when a weak professor feares afflictions feares ill tidings feares death and when it comes seekes for comfort and hardly findes it Secondly a perfect Christian is a beautifull example and makes others in love with Religion he is throughly exercised and practised the weakling is scandalous makes men offended at Religion soone takes offence soone stumbles and gets many knockes so as his life is bitter Thirdly the perfect man honours God and gets him much glorie by hearing reading praying and such duties now as parents love those children best that are most like unto them so those whom the Lord findes like unto him hee will make them more neeâ—e to him in likenesse Fourthly the perfecter a man is the more neere communion he hath with Christ and hath
God what if we part with them if it be for his cause he will bring us to a better life which shall not be taken away from us and this life we must part with ere long and thus we ought to worke on our selves by often meditating of them as the Saints have done In the fourth place we are to labour to strengthen three graces in us especially Faith to assure us that wee are the children of God and that we have heaven and all things belonging thereto laid up for us and we are to labour to see more and more into the valew of them and then we are to strengthen our Hope which makes us cheerfully to undergoe and doe any thing for Gods cause through our expectation of that which faith beleeves Lastly let us cherish our love of Christ this made St. Paul desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which was best of all And this love comes from Faith and Hope and these together will breed a largenesse of heart that cares for no worldly thing and will bee daunted with no affliction or crosses what ever But how farre are we here from did St. Paul part with life It pertaines not to us no not to leave a new fangled fashion nor an oath whereby wee teare Gods name dayly alas where is faith what corruption is here overcome which of us will ever be of Paul or Davids minde to become vile or base for Gods cause where is he that will indure a scoffe or scorne for religion let us beg of God this large spirit and large affections the children of heaven have a free spirit basely esteeming all worldly things Zacheus when hee is called cares not for his goods nor Paul for his priviledges The Stoicks commend this resolution in men to be willing and readie to die alas crosses and afflictions Paul esteemed not so as he might attaine to the resurrection of the dead these are the things that the Stoicks feared most and it was the feare of these made them so willing and readie to die together with a base servitude to pride but a Christian heart is more noble it not only feares not these but it contemnes them yea cares not for life without afflictions but with joy can undergoe all manner of torments Let us therefore take heed how wee quiet our selves in our earthly dwellings here supposing our estate to be happie surely it is the maine ground of Apostacie wee shall never come to see the price of religion nor the excellencie of a peaceable conscience nor the vanitie of these things so long as we blesse our selves in them And contrarily let us exercise our graces in the dayly trials we meet with here doth favour of great men doth pleasure profit or honour crosse and oppose thy conscience let the peace thereof be preferred above all evermore else shalt thou never come to Pauls holy resolution And dreame not of a vaine emptie faith thou hast no more than thou dost practise it s not Lord Lord that will prevaile at the day of judgement but Christ will be ashamed of them at the day of judgement that made no more account of him while they lived than to preferre every vaine idle wanton delight and pleasure before his honour VERS 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect IT is a correction of the Apostle hee formerly spake of his desire choice and esteeme of Christs death and resurrection and the force thereof hee found in him Now lest secret insinuating proud conceits might arise either in himselfe or in them concerning his holinesse hee crosses them with a Not as shewing that the best estate of Gods children in this world is imperfect there is ever some thing to doe or suffer some lust to conquer or some grace to strengthen There is no absolute perfection but onely in God himselfe yet in Christians there is a kind of derivative spirituall perfection which consisteth chiefly in the parts a Christian hath this perfection he hath all grace in some measure we have no other perfection no not so much as perfectio viae though the Papists say they have it indeed we are so far from it that never could Christian keepe the rules of nature much lesse can we attaine to the perfection of obedience to the law for by it we are all cursed nay in Christ none attaines to evangelicall perfection of grace so as thereby wee can be justified as by a worke of our owne for our righteousnesse is but in part and this perfectio viae which they boast of so much differs not from their perfectio finis no more than love to a man raised by good report of him differeth from love caused by the good I finde in him by personall communicating with him and this is onely in degrees in nature they are the same love But why or how is it that there is no perfection of grace in this life Because there is and ever shall be in us during this life a perpetuall combate betweene the flesh and spirit so as one weakens and hinders the other Paul at the best found a law in his members warring against the law of his minde Rom. 7.23 the flesh continually lusting against the spirit Gal. 5.23 Hindering us from doing good or in doing good or in doing thereof from doing it in a right manner But the Papists object love is the fulfilling of the law we may love ergo we may fulfill the law and consequently be perfect I answer love in the abstract being perfect is the fulfilling of the law but in this or that subject it s not perfect Pauls love nor Peters love was not the fulfilling of the law They urge further all Gods workes are perfect ergo the grace that is in us It s true Gods workes are perfect but in their times when they are finished grace at length shall be perfect in us Secondly all Gods workes without us are perfect as justification and glorification they are perfect for we are perfectly justified even now but his workes within us such as are his sanctifying graces are not perfected till our time of glorification for he suffers the old Adam to be within us for divers reasons so long as we live in this earthly Tabernacle For use hereof observe this as a ground for justification by faith Paul Rom. 5.9 proves that even now he was justified and in this place he denies and disclaims absolute perfection and therefore could not be justified by it and therefore must needs be justified by faith if it were his case it is much more ours who come not to that measure of the fulnesse of grace that hee attained to Secondly this may serve to comfort Christians that finde themselves burthened with diverse wants with dulnesse and frowardnesse of spirit and with manifold corruptions and are induced thereby to call in question their Christian estate let them looke upon a better patterne than themselves they may bee growne
Christians and yet complaine with Paul of corruptions Nay the most strong Christians see most deeply and cleerely into their corruptions and finde most opposition There is in all men by nature a spring of Poperie they would faine deserve heaven by a perfect and holy life without blot and God to humble them suffers corruption to checke them and to keepe them under who else would bee lifted up through good conceipt and esteeme of themselves Thirdly it may serve as a caution to many who being reproved justly for their faults what say they we are not Angels you have your owne imperfections as well as I. And stirre them up to any good dutie they are presently so good as those that are better than they are too precise and too nice St. Paul contrarily rests in no degree of goodnesse but strives on to perfection and it s the devils sophistrie to turne that to a plea for negligence which should stirre us up to be more diligent watchfull and carefull VERS 12. But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I also an apprehended of Christ Iesus THe word that is translated I follow after signifies properly to labour with earnest intention of the heart and affections and the lesson that we may hence learne is That the life of a Christian is a laborious and painfull life for in what proportion the things we labour for are more excellent than these worldly things so much greater our desire and labour should bee in the obtaining of them than in the obtaining this worlds goods and to this end the Scripture ever inforceth this dutie with words sutable to our worke Labour for the meat that perisheth not strive to enter in at the straight gate give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Those that will take no paines it s a sure signe they finde no sweetnesse in the thing and therefore in such there can bee no true goodnesse and hence we may observe a difference between the desires of men some are effectuall some uneffectuall those that are uneffectuall commonly desire and delight in the thing they desire but will none of the meanes let me die the death of the righteous sayes the wicked man glory and happinesse is excellent but the gate is narrow the way is tedious and full of trouble he will none of that we will laugh at one that shall wish his work and jorney were done when as he will sit downe and never goe about it why should wee not much more laugh at such sluggards that wish dayly O that they might bee saved when as they doe not onely not further but hinder their salvation But where true desire of grace is there will will be joyned thereto an indeavour with jealousie over our corruptions with griefe and shame for them and for our backwardnesse and want of goodnesse for else hell itself is full of good wishes and desires if we meane to be better we must use all meanes undertake all paines and travaile with vehemencie even as those that pursue gains with delight they follow through thicke and thin especially if the gaine bee in the eye and those that goe for companie they are soone tired and thus did Paul hee went through fire and water through all manner of dangers good and ill report his gaine is still in his eye hee lookes not after the way if by any meanes hee may attaine his desired marke But how shall we come to this grace I answer get first Faith for by it the weake are made strong Heb. 11. Get assurance that Heaven is thine and God hath promised thee grace sufficient and this is Pauls argument be yee constant and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing you labour shall not be in vain where hope of reward is in the use of the meanes it will stir us up to a constant use of the meanes 1 Cor. 15. last Secondly get a fervent love for it is a strong affection if lust so prevaile with us as we will omit no meanes to accomplish it then a love in it selfe is much more powerfull nothing being too hard for it it hath an enlarging knitting and cōmunicating power it makes a man bestow all and rejoyce more in doing good by much then in receiving It s a grace cōprehends a number under it and therfore Christ comprehended all the law under love of God and our neighbour Thirdly cut off all superfluities men thinke they are happy when they have much to doe when indeed they were happie if they had lesse to doe then they have Sathan he does as Cyrus did with the waters of Babylon hee diverts and separates our affections that hee might passe over As Nurses they hurt themselves and the children too when they keep over many so doe men hurt themselves with overmuch businesse The Lord hath not made us all for the world but hath reserved one day in Seven for his service For shame le ts shew we have some respect of Religion and goodnesse seeing God requires but one in seven let us not bee so unjust as to denie him his service on that day Well let those that professe themselves of another world by all meanes pursue it In Nature every thing tends to his center and place heavie things goe downward light things ascend upward in handicrafts and arts every one lookes after excellencie shall it bee thus with them shall mediocritie in other arts merit dispraise and is it onely praise-worthy in Religion The wicked they labour for hell venturing losse of credit strength and estate and is there not better gain in goodnesse have we such rich promises and doe we esteeme of them no more are not the afflictions wee shall meet with many and great and doe wee thinke to undergoe them with ordinarie grace gotten without labour and watchfulnesse But le ts goe on to the next words That I may apprehend Whence we may observe that the maine scope of a Christian is to apprehend Christ here by revellation that we may apprehend him hereafter by vision many there are that may follow good things and use good meanes yet wanting these apprehending graces of faith and love which makes us have communion with Christ they perish notwithstanding humane knowledge is commendable yet is it no other than as a scaffold in this building it helpes but the building once done it s for little use apprehend we therefore him by knowledge of his truth relye on him by faith and imbrace him by love and then if we be chased by him we may as Ioab lay hold on the hornes of the Altar Christ Iesus and there live and die and as we have dayly breaches even so get more and more hold on him and this will make us desire with Simeon Lord let me now depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Let us therefore dayly learne to see our owne foulnesse and goe to him the rock of our refuge O
before the comming of Christ as that the Gospell should bee preached in all places that the conversion of the Iewes might be hastened and the downefall of Antichrist might speedily come to passe And this hope will also incourage us and put us forward that in our severall callings and standings we should helpe on the performance of them as much as is in our power to performe by helping on the building of the Church and the inlargement of Christs kingdome and the confusion of his enemies Lastly this hope will worke in us a sweet and comfortable carriage in all estates and conditions carrying us through all impediments with courage For yet a little while and hee that shall come will come and will not tarrie and hee will come full handed My reward is with me saith Christ and lest we should thinke it long before he comes hee told us long agoe that those were the latter dayes and that the ends of the world were then come upon them Doe men then molest us persecute and vexe us let us be comforted hee comes that will tread all our enemies under our feet Do we find that we have but short spirits that our graces are but weake let us not dishearten our selves hee that keepes heaven for us will give us necessarie graces to bring us thither if we want goe to the God of faith and love hee hath promised to give us his spirit to make all grace abound in us never to leave us nor forsake us till he hath perfected his worke in setting us with him in glorie But to proceed to the object of this expectation it is Christ who is described unto us by the Saviour whom hee calles also Iesus which signifies a Saviour and this he doth to impresse it the deeper into his affections But some may say Christ hath saved us already what need is there therefore of his second comming I answer it is to perfect our salvation for redemption of our bodies and glorious libertie are reserved to his second comming wee looke not that he should die any more but appeare as a Lord of glorie in glorie without humiliation for sinne having already gotten victorie of it The observation is that Christ is a Saviour and the Saviour by way of excellencie he saves all that are of his mysticall body from all evill and preserves them to all good hee saves their bodies and their soules now from the power of all evill and hereafter hee will free them from all evill he is the everlasting Saviour while we live here his bloud runnes continually this is the fountaine opened for the house of Iudah for sinne and uncleannesse in it are we cleansed from the guilt and damnation of sinne what would wee have more Wee are kept by faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Let this raise up our soules Are wee swallowed up with the sense of any miserie Let us know that we trust a Saviour that is every way absolute that invites those that are sicke with sinne to come unto him and how can wee escape if wee neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 Away therefore with all â—opish conceipts of meriting by our works All glorie must bee given onely to his mercie all that hee did for us was to the glorie of his grace Ephes. 1.6 Lastly this should comfort us when wee thinke of the last day to thinke withall that he shall be our judge that is our Saviour and therefore should cast away all terrour from us knowing that our head will not destroy his members but that hee our husband being a great King will also crowne us his spouse with a glorious crowne therefore when wee see the fore-going signes come to passe let us lift up our heads knowing our redemption draweth neere To goe on in the next place Christ is not only our Saviour but he is our Lord wherein we may see the Apostles Christian wisedome hee useth such titles as may most of all strengthen his faith and affection of the present meditation which being a point of the resurrection a thing seeming contrarie to reason to flesh and bloud hee strengthens himselfe in this consideration that he is the Lord who haâ—h all power and authority committed to him Math. 28.18 Secondly he is Lord by title of redemption so as we are no more our owne but his for he hath bought us with a price Thirdly he is Lord of the world and of the divell by conquest Heb. 2.14 Fourthly hee is Lord over his Church by marriage hee is our husband governing his Church with sweetnesse and love He is also the Lord by way of excellencie above others depending on no creature hee is Lord of Lords Secondly he is Lord of body and soule and conscience punishing with terrors here and damnation hereafter Thirdly he is Lord eternall hee indures for ever and cannot die Fourthly he is such a Lord as cannot abuse his authority he cannot tyrannize his grace and vertue are of equall extent with his power Fifthly he is a holy Lord holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth that is Lord of hosts In all these hee is farre above any earthly man yea above all creatures And therefore it s a sweet estate to bee under government and rule They then that are Lords here on earth must consider though they rule and are above others yet are they under the Lord thus did Ioseph Therefore they must rule but in the Lord it is his will that must rule their wils Secondly this should comfort Christians that they have such a Lord as is Lord of Angels at whom the divells tremble whom stormes windes seas sicknesse death and all creatures doe obey Yet wee cannot challenge this comfort but upon condition of our obedience the Apostle joynes Lord and Saviour together to shew that he is a Saviour onely to those that take him for their Lord to governe and rule them as he is our Priest he must also be our King he comes by water to purge and wash us as well as by bloud to suffer for us The wicked they will not have this man rule over them but they shall not say nay God wil be a Lord over them ruling by his power with a rod of iron hee will bruise them in peeces none shall deliver them If we will avoid this miserable estate let us make him Lord in us thus shall we crowne him and then he will crowne us with himselfe VERS 21. Who shall change our vile bodie THe words are plaine and shall need no exposition therefore wee will briefly come to the doctrines And first we may observe hence That our bodies are base and thus are the bodies not onely of wicked prophane men but of the servants and dearest children of God all are vile and that in these respects First in life our originall is base wee are dust and to dust wee must returne and our continuance is full of change subject to diversitie of estates sicknesse health paine ease
by private friends Nay canst thou desire this search that thou maist know thy â—inne more and more for this end that thou mayst truely hate it with a more perfect hatred Canst thou truely appeale to God as Peter did to Christ thou knowest that I love and preferre thee above all It is a sure signe of thy sinceritie which the world cannot have and therefore when they see their sinnes laid open they spurne at the ordinances and spite the Minister and their true friends that put them in minde of their faults accounting them as their onely enemies Surely they shall never be able to indure the search of God hereafter and the last day when he shall lay them open they shall be overcome with shame A fourth signe is That at the houre of thy death this spiritual worshipping of God will give thee content when nothing else can Thou mayst say with comfort as Hezekiah did Lord remember how I have walked before thee in sinceritie When down-right affliction comes outward verball profession vanisheth with all the comforts thereof then perisheth the hope of the hypocrite Two things upheld Iob in comfort in his great extremity he was first assured that his redeemer lived and secondly he knew his innocency in those things that his friends charged him with and such times will fall on us all either at the time of death or before when nothing but innocencie and sincerity shall be able to uphold us Labour therefore for sincerity and spirituall worship Worship God in spirit but let it be done outwardly also But first bring thy heart and intention to what thou dost and that will stirre up the outward man to its duty and for the performance hereof follow these directions First learne to know God aright For worship is answerable to knowledge for how can we reverence God aright when we know neither his goodnesse nor his greatnesse how can we trust on God when we see not his truth in the performance of his promises in the Scriptures and in our owne experience those that doe not these know not God for as the heart affects according to knowledge So also its true in divinitie as we know his justice wee shall feare as we know his mercy wee shall love him and as we know his truth we shall trust on him Psal. 9.10 They that know thy name shall trust in thee and in other places of the said Psalme the Lord is knowne in the judgement he executeth vers 16. Secondly know God to be the first mover and cause of all men ordinarily feare the creature attributing that to it which belongs to the Creator But God he is the giver of all and Christians looke on the secondary means as to the first author and ground of all the rest they behold the Magistrate as in God feare them no otherwise but in the Lord. Atheists they will not sticke at any sinne whatsoever to get the love of those that may bring them any worldly commodity A Christian hee pleases and seekes the love of him that can make enemies friends when he lists and when it s for our good he knowes in him we live move and have our being Thirdly make much of spirituall meanes God he works by meanes by his word attend to it it works love feare joy and reverence in us and therefore no marvaile if those that neglect these meanes are not acquainted with these graces of Gods spirit 4 Fourthly Lift up thy heart to Christ the quickening spirit 1 Cor. 15. Our hearts naturally are dead Christ is our life when thou art most especially called to love to feare to humilitie pray to him to move thee and yeeld thy selfe to him and then shalt thou pray in spirit as it is said in Iude 20. heare in spirit doe all in spirit doe outward workes of thy calling in spirit for a true worshipper will out of spirituall grounds doe all outward works of his particular calling as well as the workes of his generall Christian vocation Let us therefore doe all things from our hearts to God and to our neighbour else will not God accept of our workes It is the Iew inwardly who shall have praise of God The want of this sincerity hath extinguished the light of many a glorious professour and thereby hath brought a great scandall upon the true worshippers of God in spirit VERS 3. And rejoyce in Christ. THe word rejoyce implyes a boasting or glorying of the heart manifesting it selfe in outward countenance and gesture as also in speech it also implies a resting on and contenting in the thing we glory in proceeding from an assurance that we glory in a thing worthy of glory for they are fooles that delight in bables Observe hence therefore That those that will worship Christ aright must glorie in him For the worship of Christ is a thing that requires incouragement and nothing can worke this incouragement like the glorying in Christ and therefore Paul in the first part of his Epistle to the Romans having shewed that God had elected them freely and had begun the worke of sanctification in their hearts he comes in the 12. Chapter I beseech you saith he present your selves as a holy living and acceptable sacrifice to God And in Tit. 2.11 The grace of God teacheth by incouraging us to deny ungodlines to walk unblameably soberly righteously and godlily in this present world And therefore whensoever wee grow dull or dead think of the great benefits that we have by Christ and it will quicken us and all our performances In the next place observe That Christ is the matter and subject of true glory and rejoycing and onely Christ for they well goe together a full and large affection with a full and large object boasting is a full affection the object is every way as full First as he is God and man he is God full of all things he is man full of all grace and void of all sinne he is Christ anointed to performe all his offices he is a Prophet all-sufficient in all wisedome in him are the treasures of wisedome he teaches us not onely how to doe but he teaches the very deed he is our High-priest he is the sacrifice the altar and the Priest and he is our eternall Priest in Heaven and on earth on earth as suffering for us in Heaven as mediating for our peace Who shall condemne us it is Christ that dyeth yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 He is also our King he is King of all King of kings and Lord of lords a King for ever and at all times subduing all rebellions within us and all enemies without us and he is all these so as none is like him and therefore is worthy of our glory Secondly Christ is communicative in all these he is Prophet Priest King for us he is God man he is Christ for us he
instruct us And thirdly it teaches us the benefit of his offices exercising them in his state of humiliation and exaltation Fourthly It teaches us to know our duties to entertaine him rest on him glory in him only and that all other things are losse in comparison of him This knowledge is better than other knowledge in the effects it hath it being a transforming knowledge 2 Cor. 3.18 It makes glorious happy full of comfort carrying the spirit with it which changes us into his similitude and therefore is it called the word of the spirit In the fourth place it s better than other knowledge In regard of the depth of the knowledge and therefore called The manifold wisedome of God Ephes. 3.10 That a virgin is a mother God is become man this is farre above naturall reach and therefore Christ may well be called wonderfull Esay 9.6 who being God should be also man die rise and ascend farre above all power Fifthly This knowledge is a sweet knowledge and therefore excellent It telles us who were miserable and lost it telles us also of redemption of a kingdome of a Saviour How sweet are thy testimonies to my mouth Psal. 119.103 And if the promises here bee so sweet to us what shall then the accomplishment of them be to us hereafter This knowledge furthermore is excellent In regard of the continuance thereof the knowledge of other things dies with the things the world must perish and what use is there then of our skill in the nature thereof onely this knowledge abideth for ever working grace love heavenly mindednesse and brings us t is to glorie In the seventh place This knowledge of Christ teacheth us to know God aright his justice in punishing sinne his wisedome and mercie in reconciling us to him and in willing that Christ should become man and dye for us Neither could we know these things but by knowing Christ who is the ingraved image of his father Furthermore It teaches us to know our selves our filthinesse our ignorance in esteeming triâ—lingly of sinnes counting them veniall But great surely must the sore be that necessarily requires such a salve and such a Physitian as Christ and his blood to be shed for the curing thereof In the next place This knowledge is altogether sufficient in it self without all other knowledge and none without this to make a man wise to salvation both of soule and body and all men without this are but fooles For Use hereof This improves the shallow conceit men have of Divinitie that the knowledge is but shallow that every man may know it and that any man may soone have enough thereof But alas St. Paul had a large heart and had more inâ—ight into the deepe mysteries of this knowledge than such how ever they boast and yet he desires more and could not pierce to the depth therof for none ever could doe it but Christ Iesus onely Nay the very Angels they desire to pry and look into and to know more of these deepe mysteries 1 Pet. 1.12 It s therefore no shallow knowledge In the second place This ought to put us in minde to put apart times to meditate of the excellencie of this knowledge and to this end we are to emptie our selves of whatsoever fills us Especially we are to emptie us of sinne and of care for the world and the vanities thereof and the knowledge of them because both it and they shall all perish make no excuses of venturing displeasure or suffering discommodity true love pretends no delayes nor will indure them Behold Lord halfe of my goods I doe give to the poore and I doe restore to every man his owne said Zacheus In the next place We must call upon God to open our eyes that we may see and know his nature his offices his benefits and our duties to know more distinctly effectually and setledly to see the wonders of his law that we may be even ravished when we behold his fulnesse We In the fourth place are to frequent places where we shall have a fuller knowledge of Christ such places where the commerce is betweene Christ and the Church in the 5. Cant. 1. vers Christ had made love to his Church and woed her by his gracious promises she in the 2. ver being drowsie pretends excuses Hereupon Christ goes away but leaves a gracious scent of his quickening spirit enough to stirre her up to seek after her well-beloved that was gone to the 8. vers who asking after her well beloved those whom she enquired of enquired of her who he was and upon her description of him are enamoured with him and stirred up to seeke him also where by the way marke the benefit of conference Cant. 6.1 and are told that he is gone into his garden to the beds of spices that is into the congregation and assembly of his Saints If we will know Christ therefore wee must goe into these gardens where hee is ever present and there will he teach us And then shall we be stirred up to magnifie Gods goodnesse and mercie that hath reserved us to these times of knowledge and this marvailous light wherein we are more blessed than Iohn who was the greatest of those borne of women we see more than he saw Christ our Saviour already ascended to bee our eternall high-priest VERS 8. My Lord. THis is the end of all our knowledge to know Christ to be our Lord for else the Divels knew Christ Paul I know and Christ I know said he to those Conjurers but he could not know Christ to be his Lord. My Lord. Not onely for his title that he hath in me but My Lord for the title I have in him My Beloved is mine and I am his Mine he is for he made himselfe mine by redeeming me and paying the price for me My head from whom I receive force and vigour my husband my head of eminenciâ— briefly my Lord making me his and stirring up in me a love and desire to make him mine and to rest upon him by faith In the Covenant of grace therefore there is a mutuall consent betweene God and us he is ours we are his by faith to trust on him and by love to imbrace him which stirres up the whole man to obedience we may not think that this proceeded from a spirituall pride in the Apostle as though he thought himselfe the onely darling of Christ no they are the words of a particular faith and love in the Apostle not excluding others from the like for every Christian must labour for this faith that we may know Christ to be our Iesus our Saviour which we shall be assured of for if he makes us his hee will make us to love him and to say from our hearts my Lord and my head his love of us is the cause of our love to him we love him because he loved us first hiâ— knowlâ—dge is the cause of ours he chose us and therefore we chuse him and
In the fourth place let us consider how this being in Christ is a ground of doing of all dutie I say therfore it will direct us in duties to God towards men and to our selves First in duties towards God how thankfull ought we to be to him for taking us to himself for being Emmanuel God with us so that wee are become bone of his boneâ— what need wee now Saints or Angels to intercede for us who should Christ heare above his owne flesh For duties towards men this ought to stirre us to duties of peace and unitie shall wee be so unnaturall as to fall out with the members of our owne body Non est concors cum Christo ubi est discors cum Christiano Secondly it ought to stirre us up to duties of respect to each other considering they are members of Christ as we are and shall so be found in him ere long Thirdly this should stirre us up to charitie to the poore members of Christ they being his members are fellow members and in loving them and doing them good we shâ—w our love to Christ himselfe And in the last place towards our selves we are to carry our selves with more respect and not to prostitute our selves to every base pleasure consider in whom am I to what I am redeemed and with what price shall I make my bodie the member of an harlot who am the member of Christ this pride and high esteeme of our selves above base pleasures and lusts this is commendable and therefore the Apostle had good reason thus to account of these earthly things to bee drosse and dung In the second place this will teach us to see our residence in Christ and growth in him for if we be in Christ wee will have an especiall eye to our conversation that we be not feet of iron and clay under a golden head as many base licentious drunkards and filthie persons esteeme of themselves will Christ owne such members as these think we no those that are in Christ Christ will be in them discovering himselfe by ruling in them his house is holy if we bee of his house we will not desire grieve nor affect but by the sway of his spirit In the last place How shall we come to be found in Christ I answer we must first come where he is we shall finde him in the Temple teaching and strengthening our faith and love and so in our judgements and affections we shall bee in him Secondly we must separate our selves from the contrary to Christ as a loyall wife will from all doubtful acquaintance we must depart from Antichrist our owne corruptions and lusts and dayly we must labour to get ground of them And from the words this wee may learne First that a Christian is continually under Christs wing till he be in heaven else how could the Apostle desire to be found in him at the day of judgement Secondly we learne that there is such a time when God will as it were with a Candle search men out and lay them open as they are This is not thought upon men now shuffle it off I shall be saved as well as any other and this and that good company I am acquainted withall trust not I say to good acquaintance there is a time of separation when thou shalt bee found out as thou art in thine owne colours Thirdly hence we learne that the foundation of future happinesse must be laid now before we can be with Christ in the Kingdome of glorie we must be his members in the Kingdome of grace dost thou live therfore a corrupt and carnall life here never thinke to be found in him hereafter And therefore let the uncertainty of this life be a spurre to thee to watch over thy wayes so as thou be such at this and all other times as you would be willing to bee found at that day many boast hereof but their lives savour nothing hereof but are knit altogether to their lusts or to Antichrist woe to such they shall goe on the left hand But snch as Christ findes in him it must needs go well with them Christ will not judge them for whom he died but shall set them on his right hand for ever more VERS 9. Not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law IN these words and those following the Apostle layes downe summarily his desire fiâ—st negatively in these words he desired not to be found in Christ trusting to his own righteousnesse implying a difference and distinction betweene his righteousnesse by the Law and that by Christ the righteousnesse by the Law he disclaimes as any way meritorious and that as well habituall wrought by God in him or actuall righteousnesse consisting in the outward workes that he did and that with good reason for first mans righteousnesse is but finite and therefore unfit to worke or deserve infinitely and impossible to deserve heaven and the joyes thereof Secondly this righteousnesse is imperfect and stayned as a menstruous cloth and unable to quiet or satisfie our owne consciences much lesse God who is greater than our owne consciences and therefore the Saints prayed Enter not into judgement with thy servants Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh be justified But the Papists answer the worke of God is perfect but our righteousnesse is the worke of God and therefore perfect We say that the workes of God are within us or without us the works of God without us are perfect but those that are within us are imperfect still savouring of our polution and corruption by reason that the old man in us perverteth all that is good in us and therefore partus sequitur ventrem Secondly it is true that the workes of God within us are so farre perfect as tend to the end hee workes them for in us but our righteousnesse was never ordained of God to that end as to save us by them and therfore they cannot accomplish that end but God workes this righteousnesse in us to convince us of our owne weaknesse and to be a testimonie of the presence of his spirit in us Paul therefore sayes not I will not have mine owne righteousnesse but I desire not to be found in my righteousnesse so as to merit salvation thereby VERS 9. But that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith that I may know him and the power of his Resurrection THat is that righteousnesse which is in Christ but laid hold on of me and apprehended by faith and all that righteousnesse that he had both active and passive as Mediatour but especially his passive for he was born obedience lived and dyed for us and this is that which St. Paul desired to be found in and this is that which we must trust to But how can this righteousnesse performed wholly by him be mine I answer by faith it s made ours for if Christ be ours all his righteousnesse must consequently be made ours But
to force men tyrannically to our opinions in lesser matters but leave them to Gods time of revelation And lastly as this hope of revelation is promised so are wee to expect it and waite for it for to him that hath more shall be given and therefore let them that have beginnings of grace bee comforted to walke on and for those that are not entred let them not be discouraged God will reveale But upon what condition it followes VERS 16. Neverthelesse whereto wee have already attained let us walke by the same rule THe word Neverthelesse some reade it Onely as if it were a condition but it implyes both a precept and a condition shewing that those that looke for revelation of further knowledge and goodnesse they must walke according to that measure of knowledge they have The word Rule implyes in generall the Scripture more particularly a company of sound truthes concerning faith love and hope There is a great Bible which is the whole Word of God the little Bible is the grounds of Religion and these are not onely to be understood in the Booke but comprehended and invested in our understanding and affections and according to these we must walke Truth is no guide to us being onely in the Booke but as it is seated in the heart But le ts come to some observations first we may learne that God out of his goodnesse hath left to his Church a rule of faith and manners there is a rule whereby men must walk otherwise should we be in a labarinth of errors continually having no other light but this torch-light of Nature to guide us in this thick darknesse wherein we are by nature The properties of this rule are divers First it s a fixt and unchangeable rule and therefore we must bring all to it not it to all Secondly this rule is a perspicuous and cleere rule thy word is a lanthorne to my steps and a light to my pathes Thirdly this rule is homogeneall all things therein are spirituall all holy all pure and therefore when the question is about Religion we must have recourse thereto as the onely absolute compleat rule And therefore we must know this rule and then be led by it for the word Rule implyes that there must bee a thing to be ruled else what needs rule or to what use should it serve an instrument is in vaine without use its true many men make religion and Scripture but a meere object of discourse But their example ought to be no rule to us if we looke to be saved it must be by walking according to this rule and therefore a Christian life is no licentious life though hee be freed from the law yet must he serve God day and night therefore it is that the Christian prospers not nor thrives in this world because he will not lie nor sweare nor have a broad conscience as the children of this world have that take all occasion and scope to bee rich but a Christian lives by rule he hath little and it is blest to him for he lookes at riches and profits of another kinde In the second place wee may observe that a Christian walketh by this rule he thinkes it not sufficient to take a step but keeps a right course stedfastly onward But how may this bee done may some men say I answer let us use the meanes as first let us treasure up the word in our consciences let us get the rule within us get the articles of faith and assurance of the promises and let this bee betimes whiles we are yong it s the ordinarie cry the Scriptures are hard they cannot understand them But what 's the reason they are bred up in earthly businesses and are stuffed with them so as they finde no place for the Word and its a miracle to see men thus brought up to live by this rule Secondly when wee have once treasured up the knowledge of these things wee must learne to apply them upon severall occasions for where no practice is there knowledge is idle and makes us worthy of more stripes many have generall truthes in their mindes but comming to apply them they finde a great want David knew adulterie was a sinne and Peter knew it was dangerous for a man to relye on himselfe yet how foulely did they fall Thirdly let us compare our experience with our rule wee shall finde there is nothing therein but is fulfilled that there is no suffering but for some sinne or other and that besides heaven hereafter God rewards particular obedience here with particular rewards and particular sin with particular corrections we shall know that his judgements are not scarcrowes the worke of the wicked is accursed but it shall goe well with the righteous and by this meanes we shall bee incouraged to good and scared from bad courses Fourthly bee inquisitive and watchfull over our particular steps take and heare admonitions and instructions and bee inquisitive after them those that are otherwise minded no marvaile if they like libertines spurne against all instruction and advice and accordingly feele the smart of their wayes before they see it Fifthly get a wonderfull jealousie over our hearts wee often offend in thoughts and desires which God the searcher of the heart lookes into and we must therefore be jealous of idle thoughts and words not only of othes for so an hypocrite may be But loose persons will say O this is an unpleasant course we must bid all joy farewell when we come to this I answer no the wayes of wisedome are wayes of comfort and pleasure God approves of them and our consciences will tell us so and thereby will fit us for life or death and will so settle us that no estate shall bee unwelcome to us and as Psal. 50.23 To such as order their conversation aright God will shew his saluation and as in the text fore-going God will reveale himselfe more and more so as if we be faithfull and conscionable in little wee shall have greater matters revealed to us and and contrarily if we be unfaithfully and carelesse God will take from us the key of knowledge and the use thereof and will give us up to foule vices even sinnes against nature as he punished the Gentiles and to beleeve lyes as Paul sayes 2 Thes. 2.11 And will answer us as he did the Idolaters even according to their multitude of Idols Ezek. 14.4 So as would we have favour in our sinnes and teachers that shall bolster us up in them and not crosse our vaine courses God will let us have our hearts desire but we must know this is an unevitable way to a desperate estate and therefore marvaile not so much at the loose liver because of his good breeding for as they desire the ill so they have and are justly punished therewith VERS 16. Let us minde the same thing OBserve here that wee are not only to walke sutable to others but wee must minde the same
thing that others of our profession doe So as this is a direction to concord shewing that a Christian is a member of Christ as his head and of the mysticall bodie the Church faith ties him to Christ love ties him to the body so as he must walke with Christ and also with the body hee must looke to himselfe first and then to the body the ground of this union is laid downe here to bee first an union of minde and affection and this must bee in good or else wee are brethren in evill It s no marvaile the world complains of want of love when there is no agreement in the rule of our love when there is no agreement in the objects of our love it s not riotous fellowship but fellowship in the gospell that unites us let us minde this same thing and then we shall affect one another and because our knowledge doth not extend to every particular alike let us agree in the maine points and let not lesse things breake us off one from another If wee did walke according to our measure of knowledge in those things wherein wee agree betweene us and the Lutherans would not bee that bitternesse of spirit that there is all censures and distempers would cease and its a â—ault in manie Christians though bred up well in knowledge yet being of a harsh spirit and nature while hee walkes not according to the same rule and mindes not the same things in the maine as hee should doe he growes to be bitter as for those that would be sincere they must indeavour to bee united in one as they have one God one faith one baptisme for a Christian loves not to goe to heaven alone and when he is there he knowes he shall be one with Christ and one with the holy Saints and therefore will indeavour to be in perfect unitie here considering there is no good he hath but he injoyes it as being a member of the body of Christ he knowes its a horrible thing that members of the same bodie should fall out one with another and therefore what shall separate or divide us shall infirmities Alas we are all sicke of this disease veniam petimus damusque are they too hot we are too cold why should we not stoope and yeeld Christ he stooped from heaven to us Shall errors why the time will come God will reveale himselfe more fully Shall sinne Wee know what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.1 those that are spiriâ—uall must restore such with the spirit of meeknesse wee must not cut off members for every sore Shall injuries It s the honour of a man to passe by such doe wee looke Christ should forgive us when wee will not forgive others consider it is the practice of all holy men Paul became all things to all men if by any meanes hee might winne some Peter received reproofe of him yet fell not out with him some there are of such a perverse spirit as if they see in any one any infirmitie presently they breake out into these or the like words I will not be of that mans profession thus forsaking all the good in the holy profession because of some weaknesse in the professors If they will needs be separating let them separate from the world from scandalous carelesse riotous persons else Sathan rules in division he knowes hee is best able to deale with them that are alone and therefore drawes Eve from Adam and one Christian from another and so quickly overcomes them If in companie one fall another may helpe him up if hee be cold another may warme him by exhortation and example Consider therefore who are best minded and minde the best things with them if we finde we have attained to a greater degree in grace than others indeavour to bring them to us the Communion of Saints is an Article of our faith every one beleeves it but few knowes what it meanes and therefore no marvaile they desire it not VERS 17. Brethren be followers together of mee THese words containe another exhortation with a friendly compellation which I passe over having heretofore had often occasion to speake of it the exhortation is to imitation of the Apostle follow me And because I cannot ever be with you therefore follow those among you that walke as I doe Whence wee learâ—â— that together with the rules of religion wee must propound Gods graces in us as examples for others to imitate and this arises not from pride but from confidence of truth and holinesse in our owne hearts and conversations and religion maketh this a vertue and dutie without which it were boasting and so it doth make many things of themselves not seemely very fitting Davids dance was in worldly esteeme counted but folly yet having respect to Gods glory is commendable and therefore we must not be captious when we see such things in others that men ordinarily count indiscretion but mark their ground and by it esteeme of them and accordingly follow such Bee yee followers of mee saith St. Paul that is observe what my doctrine is and what I doe and acknowledge follow and imitate me The Apostles doctrine consists chiefly of three heads whereof the first concerneth our naturall condition as Rom. 1 2 3. chapters and Ephes. 2. And the second concerneth our remedy by Christ Iesus God and man being King Priest and Prophet as in the Heb. And the third the maÌ„ner how Christ is become ours by imputation and is laid hold on by faith which is given to us by God who being unchangeable and true we persevere in this rule and course of obedience by the mercies of God though with many combatings and strivings even to fulnesse of glorie The Apostles example see in part in this chapter in holinesse of life and death 〈◊〉 sinne and esteeme of the goods of this world as base In the Acts see his paines in the Ministerie his calling his heavenly and holy mind in the next verse And therefore let us reade these often and consider them they are an excellent glasse that will transforme us into an holy forme and fashion many things there are in him that are extraordinarie and not immitable he wrought in another calling for his living he was an Apostle had extraordinarie gifts by revelation and indeed not so much by studie as the Miniters of the Gospell now to whom God gives guifts but in the faithfull and painfull use of the meanes and therefore are they not bound to imitate the Apostle in this thing as in other things which he did as an Apostle But to proceed to particulars imitation implyes foure things First a doing that which another doth Second a doing it in the same manner Third a doing thereof grounded upon the same affections not as in a stage play where hee that acteth the person of a King is often a varlet but it implies such an imitation as is in a childe that indeavoureth to be like the father in disposition as well of
abasement for us and shall not wee indure for a while here seeing it is also for our owne good and we are gainers thereby and considering that Christ called us to suffer for while wee live here and imbrace true religion there will ever be a crosse and shame in the world accompanying the profession thereof if it bee sincere Preachers therfore that preach not Christ plainly and boldly and hearers that come to the hearing of the Word rather for Rhetoricall flourishes wittie sentences fit onely for discourse sake even thus farre they are enemies For if Christ bee not preached mainly and chiefly to this end to amend the lives of men to winne soules to Christ. And if men comming to heare come not even for this end mainly to be bettered in their salvation to bee strengthened in grace they shall be damned as enemies for this that the meanes of salvation they prophane and despise And therefore let us abase our selves for our sinnes and magnifie Gods goodnesse in affording meanes of salvation Labour also to shew how wee profit by suffering for the Gospell and count it an honour and rejoyce that wee are worthie to suffer for Christ labour to overcome the world and our lusts and to honour Christ even in his meanest children If the love of Christ will not constraine us no motives will draw us VERS 19. Whose end is destruction THe word signifies a rewâ—rd and is translated and taken often for an end because reward is given at the end of the worke and thus is salvation called a reward for goodnesse because it is given at the end of a holy life The other word signifies damnation or destruction which implyes all things tending to or accompanying the punishment of a wicked life and the connexion of these words with the former may be thus framed hee that is an enemie to the cause of life is an enemie to life but those that are enemies to the crosse of Christ are enemies to the cause of life and to that which saves them and therefore they must needs be destroyed this made the Apostle judge of them thus and withall be saw they were void of grace and were incorrigible and from hence we may inferie That wee may in some sort judge of the spirituall estate of men even while they are alive for as Astronomers can judge of eclipses and statesmen of the continuance or danger of the state and Physitians of the event of diseases by the course of naturall causes so in religion there are predictions on good grounds what will follow of ill courses tending to dam nation But more particularly there is a three-fold judgement First one by Faith which concerning our selves brings certainty and so wee are able to judge of our selves Secondly there is a judgement by fruits comparing mens disposition and state with their fruits and so wee say if men walke riotously we can inferre surely he is in no good estate by their fruits shall you know them saith Christ. Thirdly there is a particular revelation of Gods spirit this the Prophets and Apostles had but now we have no such rule yet by the fruits and course of men it s an easie matter to judge what the end of those men will be following those courses for Gods word is the same now that it was then Indeed when wee judge men in things indifferent this is rash and condemned by the Apostle Rom. 14. For Use hereof let us learne to judge our selves and know if wee breake wilfully the knowne rules of salvation we are in a fearfull estate And we should also submit to the judgement of Gods ministers while we are here and amend for else looke assuredly for the sentence of death hereafter from God himselfe when there will be no revoking thereof For though punishment may be deferred a while yet assuredly it shâ—ll not goe well with the wicked Eccles. 8.13 at the last In the next place observe There is an end to every way for it is taken for granted that they have an end and surely wee will not nor cannot be alwayes as we are wee are labourers and there is a time of payment of our wages And therefore wee should looke whether our wayes doe tend there will bee an end of this life but damnation shall be without end We should also bee inquisitive to see if wee be out of this way that we may be reformed for these worldly pleasures must end in eternall vengeance and this life is but a way to that end And in the third place learne to bee patient when wee see the wicked runne on in a broad high way what though they be admired here and lifted up they are but condemned persons and therefore envie them not seeing we would be loath upon serious deliberation to change estates with them Observe wee further from these words that God will judge eternally not onely for grosse scandalous sinnes in the course of our life but even for errors in judgement For wee must judge aright as well as affect aright and God hath no service from corrupt judgements Those that joyne mans merits with Christs merits they cannot relye on God alone neither can they rejoyce in Christ Christ hath but halfe of them therefore let us keepe the virginitie of our judgements prostitute them not to lyes but reserve them chaste and pure to Christ. And secondly take we heed how wee converse with such as are of corrupt judgements they are Gods and Christs enemies and will labour to bring us into their wayes and then assuredly let us looke for their end It s reason that those with whom we converse here wee should converse withall hereafter VERS 19. Whose God is their belly THese words doe partly shew the inward disposition of these mâ—n by Bellie in this place hee meanes in generall all contentments and worldly pleasures whereof these Teachers being satisfied they lived at large and at ease But how may they be said to make their bellie their God I answer we may be said to make any thing our God First when we count it one as some of the Papists have esteemed of the Pope as of an essence betweene man and God and some Emperours have required themselves to be so esteemed and adored as a Dietie Secondly when wee give such affections to it as are onely due and proper to God as to trust in it to repose content in it to joy in it and so is that sentence true amor tuus Deus tuus Thirdly when wee use actions of invocation and adoration thereto and thus the Papists make Saints their God attributing such power in working to them as is onely proper to God Fourthly when wee bestow all labour to givâ— satisfaction thereunto for explication these men gave the intention of their most inward affections to procure content to their lusts all their labour was to this end and so quieted themselves in the injoyment of them and as they made their bellie their God so
mindes something to this end that our affections may bee wrought upon to forsake the world with detestation and to love and imbrace heaven and for this dutie wee ought to redeeme some time continually Thus principally Enoch walked with God and David though a King meditated in Gods law day and night And from this dutie let us bee brought to a holy use of soliloquies checking and shaming our selves for following these pleasures for unthankfulnesse and want of cheerefulnesse as David why art thou cast down O my soule why art thou so disquieted By these recollections a Christian is indeed himselfe and for the present even seated in heaven In the last place besides ejaculations use dayly a set prayer for thereby wee ascend into heaven and are fitted thereby to be more and more heavenly it s the trade of Citizens that make them rich this is our trade to trade by prayer with that heavenly Citie where our treasure is and by it wee shall grow dayly in riches Thus is our soule strengthened and our affections stirred up to converse with God and thus come wee to set our faith in heaven together with our love where our father is where Angels and Saints our Citie and eternall happinesse is thus is our hope strengthened which carries us through all afflictions undauntedly and so is a heaven to us before heaâ—ven and thus are our â—esires in heaven to be at rest to bee with Christ which is best of all But some will say wee cannot alwayes intend such things as these we have our callings and are busied about earthly matters and cares I answer true it is yet in the use of these things wee may bee heavenly minded for God in mercie appoints us callings to busie our mindes about which else would bee delving in the idle pleasures of sinne onely he requires that we in the first place seeke for heaven we shall not continue here but wee are travelling still and therefore it is good for us ever to redeeme some time for heaven that wee may come with more speed to our journeyes end Secondly as a helpe to us hee hath left us his Saboths in pitie to our soules which else would altogether be rooting in the earth Let us have a care of the well spending of them for by this we pay homage to heaven and are put in minde thereof Thirdly everie day redeeme sometime for meditation of the vanitie of this world hereby will our untunable soules be still set in tune and for our callings every day sanctifie them by prayer and then all is cleane Fourthly goe about them as in obedience to God knowing that God hath placed us in these callings and he looks for service in imploying those talents bestowed on us and in our serving one another And let us indeavour to shew what our religion is in avoiding the corruptions of our callings Labour also to see God in every thing in crossing us in incouraging and assisting us and this will stirre us up accordingly to pray continually in al things to give thanks and it will make us feare alwayes for the same care and love of God that brings us to heaven doth guide us in our particular actions and callings And in other matters use our selves so as we by these things raise our mindes on high for there is a double use of the creatures First temporall and from thence a spirituall use is raised thus did Christ by considering water he was raised to think of spirituall regeneration and washing and thus we should doe labour to see God in his creatures and thus shall wee helpe our soules by our bodies God will have it thus and therefore setteth downe heavenly things in earthly comparisons Lastly wee must indeavour to make a spirituall use of all things as God doth doth God send crosses on us then before they leave us beg a blessing that they may worke his intended effect in bettering us Doth God blesse us with prosperitie pray that God would sanctifie it to incourage us on to good duties so as in all estates wee may have our conversation in heaven Let no man therefore make pretence that he is poore that he hath no time for this no grace workes matter out of every thing poore Paul nay Paul a prisoner see how he is busied And the truth is that worldly prosperitie is the greatest enemie to a heavenly minde that can bee But the weake Christian will complaine that he cannot finde this in him but he is still carried away with worldly matters though hee strive against it never so much yet the world goes away with him To such I answer strength of grace this way is not in every Christian neither is it at the first Paul had his destractions Rom. 7. from 15. to 24. yet must our labours and indeavors be that way the sinne that is in us cannot hurt us if we strive against it God suffers his children to see their weaknesse as he did deale with Solomon to humble us and make us learne his lesson that all is vanitie and vexation of spirit Let not such therefore bee discouraged but cheerefully goe on in a good course wherein the more we labour and strive the more wee beautifie Religion and credit our Citie and draw on others to bee fellow Citizens with us And thus shall we free our selves from terrors of conscience and from the snares of the divell even as birds when they soare aloft need feare no snares Thus also shall wee get a portion here for its the promise of the God of truth that if we first seek the Kingdome of heaven al these things shal be cast upon us Thus also shall wee be sure of Gods gracious and faithfull protection who hath said hee will keepe us in our wayes And lastly thus shall wee end our dayes with comfort woe bee to him that dies not to the world before hee goes hence but to him that hath his soule in heaven even while it is in his bodie this life is but a pilgrimage and death is advantage VERS 20. From whence wee also looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. THese words lay downe such an estate of a Christian as is both a cause and a signe of heavenly conversation and in them we may consider First that Christ is in heaven Secondly that there is a second comming of Christ. Thirdly that Christians expect it Fourthly that this expectation is a cause of heavenly carriage For the first that Christ is in heaven wee have the Scripture to warrant it but the text is pregnant herein we looke for him from heaven ergo he is in heaven And therefore it s a grosse conceipt of the Papists that dreame that his bodie is every where in the bread or with the bread as the Lutherans would hâ—ve it the scripture determines that the heavens must contain him that he sitteth now on the right hand of God that he shall hereafter come to
here wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie it s but a guest use it not basely it s no ill guest it gives us sight taste speech motion when it goes away our body is but a dumbe dull base lumpe of earth Nay when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection and of glorifying it in a holy eternall and happy estate Secondly out of the words wee may observe That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed this we receive as anarticle of our faith and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men contrary to that they are now and howsoever it is not imbraced yet it remaines a grounded truth that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption shall rise incorruptible 1 Cor. 1.15 It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death which is the last enemie it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights It was beleeved of all the fathers Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch and after the floud Elias were taken up in their bodies And besides it is not contrarie to reason I doe not say that reason can reach unto it for Christ he is alive still the dust whereof we are made and whether we goe is preserved it is not annihilated and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust as at the first make it out of dust why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first and especially seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end till the day of his second comming Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature we see every yeere summer comes out of winter day out of night youth out of infancie mans age out of youth And the Apostle in the Corinthians Thou foole the corne is not quickned except it die nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects The use therefore is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died for change is of qualities it abolisheth not substances and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold speaking of Christ so is it 2 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and the ancient Creeds had credore surrectionem carnis hujus Secondly it s very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe and another bodie should be honoured or damned its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them that they shall rise againe and wee shall injoy them for ever Thirdly Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie A second use is for comfort is this a life of changes let it not daunt us but know they are all to end in glorie and they all tend to bring us thither we ever change for the better and the last change of all is the best of all and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart In the third place who is the Authour of this change in us the Text saith that Christ shall change us Iob. 6.39 and 40. I will raise them up at the last day saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him Hee is furthermore our head now wee know the body must be conformable to the head if it bee crowned the body is crowned and therefore Rom. 8.11 the Apostle saith that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him the spirit that raised him up will raise us up also Thirdly Christ is a whole Saviour he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules for he is the Saviour of both he hath delivered both from hell hee will raise up both to heaven Fourthly he is the second Adam as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie Fifthly hee is the seed of the wowan that must breake the serpents head and therefore hee must worke this change Sixthly Christ changed his owne bodie being burthened with all our sinnes and therefore as an exemplarie cause shall much more raise us up for sinne being once overcome which is the sting of death what can keepe us in the grave Let this strengthen our faith in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love nor to take us out of his hande Secondly make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies not making them instruments of sinne against him but so to use them that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming to change these our vile bodies Thirdly let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change in this resurrection This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us the same spirit that raised up him if it bee in us will raise us up also Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second and he that findes his understanding in lightned his will pliable his affections set upon right objects will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie Secondly if wee hope for this change and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it to cleanse our selves Thirdly if wee grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.11 it is a siâ—ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome for God doth ever honour growth with assurance of a blessed estate Fourthly this should comfort us in time of death considering wee lose nothing but basenesse and our bodies are but sowne in the earth and this depositum which God committeth to the fire ayre earth and the water they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen to burne the Martyrs bodies and to cast their ashes into the water thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water as out of earth Fifthly this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life knowing that they are not lost that the earth is but a house and a hiding place