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
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
necessarily die and how can we receive grace from Christ as our head but by union of our selves to the bodie whereof Christ is the head It must be our dutie to beware of all manner of seducers and to this end let us First get fundamentall truthes into our hearts affect and love truth for want hereof the Easterne Churches were given up to Mahomet and Antichrist ruled over many in these Westerne Churches because they loved not the truth 2. Thes. 2.10 For none are seduced that are not cold in love Secondly let us labour to practice that wee know and God will give us a fuller measure of knowledge whereby we shall learn to finde and know seducers Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe his will he shall know Thirdly Pray to God for wisedome to discern of Schismes and Heresies and ill disposed persons God hath promised us any thing that is necessary for our strengthening and bringing us to Heaven God will not deny us so necessary an aide as this is Fourthly let us looke that we keepe in us a holy feare and reverence of God Psal. 15.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way he shall chuse And those things are we duly to observe the rather because we shall ever finde seducers it will ever be a hard matter for men to finde the way to Heaven And though the doctrine and profession of Religion be not ever in all places opposed yet shall we ever finde the practisers thereof maligned As it is in these dayes where none are accounted of to be Protestants that are not loose libertines and thus instead of Concision from Religion they joyne that with it which is quite contrary to the power thereof Beware also of such for their courses of life are as pernicious as fundamentall errors for none shall be saved for his knowledge VERS 3. For wee are the Circumcision IN these words and those that follow our Apostle describes who are truely circumcised We are the true Israel the circumcised Sonnes of Abraham who are members of Christ. The Philippians they were not circumcised outwardly yet were they truely circumcised they had the truth of it even as they that were under the cloud and in the Sea were said to be truely baptized in the Cloud and in the Sea The Sacraments therefore before and after Christ were in substance all one as the Church was one and the same they may be said to be baptized as we and we circumcised as they the difference was only in the outward Ceremony and shew which the Church being then young had need of It is the same Religion cloathed diversly Bellarmin saith that their government was carnall the promises to them were carnall but it is carnally spoken of him Heb. 11. The Fathers before Christ had respect to the recompence of reward and in vers 35. they accepted not deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection are these carnall promises The Anabaptists they presse rebaptizing not considering that the same Covenant was before Christ and after in substance So as every true Christian is spiritually circumcised being once regenerate before indeed he is uncircumcised and a spirituall leprosie over spreads all his frame of body and minde which must be washed pared and cut off Wee must part with uncircumcised hearts eares and lippes that is such eares as doe delight themselves to heare corrupt lewd discourse such a tongue and lippes as delight to uâ—ter and let out words savouring of a rotten and uncircumcised heart such eyes as doe delight thâ—mselves in the beholding of lustfull and sinfull â—bjects whereby the heart is kindled inâ—o vaine dâ—sires I say a Christian must circumcise himselfe his heart and those parts that are uncircumcised before hee can ever thinke to goe to Heaven whither nothing that is corrupt or uncleane entreth Religion therefore is no easie thing Circumcision is painfull and bloody Mortification is very hard corruption it must be cut off though the blood follow else it will kill thee at length Wherefore wee are also to labour for circumcised hearts to understand Gods truth his will and commandements Cut off all extravagant desires who by litâ—le and little take away comfort and communion with God it s no mercy therefore to spare them Circumcise thy eyes pray with David Turne away mine eyes from regarding vanity Stoppe thy â—ares at the charming of such objects as may infect thy soule we can never injoy that beatificall vision hereafter if we weane not our selves from the liking of these things And though we cannot while we are in this house of clay come to that perfection we should yet indeavour to it earnestly and God will accept our very indeavours and will further them yea we shall get the victory at length If sinne begins to fall it shall surely fall the house of David in us shall grow stronger and the house of Saul shall dayly be weakened The meanes to this dutie are First know thy sinne and thy particular sinne by thy checks of conscience and by the checks we receive from our enemies who will spie what they can in us thereby to scandalize us As also observe what thy thoughts worke most upon what is the maine thing that generally takes up your cogitations When thou hast found out thy sinne Make it as odious as thou canst For Circumcision implies a thing that is odious and superfluous now all sinnes that be cherisht in us may well be odious to us for that it hinders us from all good and clothes us with all evill and makes all outward things evill to us who otherwise are no further ill than as they strengthen our corruptions It hinders us from all good duties pride of heart and corruption doe dogge us this made Paul cry not of temporall bonds but of the bonds of sinne and of death Who shall deliver me wretched man that I am saith he Rom. 7.23.24 Thirdly having found out thy sinnes and the abominablenesse of them Complaine of them to God as Hezekiah did of the blasphemous letter that Senacherib wrote and challenge the fruit of Gods promise For hee that bids us circumcise Deut. 10.16 Promised that he himselfe will doe it Deut. 30.6 Faith in the promises is an effectuall meanes to attain to them Men come with doubtings they see a great deale of corruption they think their labour is vaine they cannot be releeved against them they are deceived Touch but thou the hemme of Christs garment flie to God in his name and thou shalt finde this issue of sinne though not wholly dried up yet much abated And here is the excellencie of Faith that assures us of all the promises concerning sanctification here as concerning glory hereafter VERS 3. Which worship God THe Apostle places â—ircumcision before worship for unlesse there bee a cutting off we cannot bring our corruption to performe duties of Gods worship aright The words containe a description of
sides St. Cyprian saith also that he is either Superbus or Stultus that sayes or thinkes he is perfect And good reason for that which shines in the eyes of mâ—n in Gods esteeme is base In thy sight shall no flesh be justified Now there are divers degrees of judgements in Gods judgement none shâ—ll be justified nor in judgement of lâ—w for in many things we offend all and for the judgement of the world what is it if it cleare us can that â—cquit us if God and the law condemns us for the judgment of our owne consciences if they be cleared they will condemne us Yea the Papists are not satisfied in their own consciences for this point For if there may be a perfect fulfilling of the law in this life by a mans owne inherent righteousnesse why doe they teach the doctrine of Doubting as necessary to salvation But how ever they may brâ—bble in schooles to maintaine this their assertion yet when death comes they must flye those shifts and lay hold onely on Gods love Some will say what are the graces of Gods spirit are the sacrifices the sweet odours and ornaments of the spouse are these dung I answer Things admit of one esteeme simply considered and of another comparatively starres in the day are not seene yet in the night are great lights So workes in regard of Christs workes are not visible are nothing but in themselves are good Secondly I say there are two courts one of justification another of sanctification in the Court of justification merits are nothing worth insufficient but in the Court of sanctification as they are ensignes of a sanctified course so they are jewels and ornaments But the ignorant Papist objects against us saying that we discourage men from good workes because we doe so basely esteeme of them I answer A sick man cannot eate meat but it breeds humours that strengthens the disease shall he therfore forbeare all manner of meats No for meat strengthens nature and makes it able to overcome the power of the disease So by reason of our corruption we have within us we halt in every good worke we put our hand to shall we not therefore worke at all Yes for notwithstanding our weaknesse though we merit not any good yet God he over-lookes the ill-nesse of our workes and accepts and rewards the good that is in them giving us comfort and assurance of our justification by the sanctified fruites which though imperfect yet are true To conclude Seeing we cannot have Christ putting any confidence in outward things Let us labour to get an esteeme of the weaknesse and imperfections that are in them as also in our persons and actions that wee may hunger after Christ. To this end dayly renew we our repentance and examination of our hearts and when we doe any good Examine what weaknesse want of zeale want of affection or attention hath possessed us in our performances of praying hearing reading the Word and the like and want of watchfulnesse in our courses and then shall we be of St. Pauls mind all will be naught And take heed of spirituall pride and conceit of any good in us for it hinders spirituall comfort from us Let us meditate of the greatnesse of Gods love to us and the infinite reward and it will make us ashamed of our weake requitance of Gods love to us Consider the multitude of our sinnes before the time we were called and consider of our pronenesse to spirituall pride let us by all meanes abase our selves For those that God loves he will have them vile in their owne esteeme for it is his method First to beate downe then to raise up And therefore Iohn he comes thundering Hypocrites generation of vipers Then comes Christ Blessed are the poore those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse as if onely they were blessed that feele their wants We must disdaine any other titles to any good but onely in Gods mercy and accordingly give the glory of all to him Thus did the Church militant Not to us not unto us Lord but to thy Name and thus doe the Church triumphant Rev. 7.12 Honour glory and power bee to the Lambe those that doe not thus are no members of the Church Last of all Let us take heed of extenuating sinne the Papists tell us of divers sins that are veniall such are surreptitious thoughts taking of pinnes stealing of points and the like these they call veniall But we must know to admit that sinne as a sinne to be veniall is a contradiction though God doe pardon it for that is out of his free mercy these surreptitious stealing motions that unawares doe creepe into us though the Papists doe make them of small account God may punish with his fierce indignation Moses his anger kept him out of Canaan Adam his apple cast him out of paradice every sinne is a breach of the law the least sinne soiles us we must give account of idle words and the wages of any sinne though never so small is death VERS 8. For the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesus THat is either all things are losse to me that hinder me from the knowledge of Christ Iesus or all things are losse in comparison of Christ Iesus Wherefore before wee can know Christ as we ought wee must know all other things to be losse for when we learne to know Christ aright we then cast those things out of our affections which would else keepe Christ out of our heart Wherefore it s no wonder that great Schollers should bee erronious in many points of Religion for looke to their lives and we shall see them envious and ambitious they maintaine Idols in their hearts they account not those things losse which must be losse or else they must account Christ losse Secondly This knowledge of Christ is an excellent knowledge better than the Iewes who had all their knowledge shadowed out in ceremonies but this is unvailed and therefore Christ said Blessed are the eyes that see those things that you see And as the estate of the Church growes more excellent now than before Christs comming and shall be most excellent hereafter in heaven even so our knowledge doth and shall grow in its excellent perfection It s better also than humane arts and sciences not in regard of the Authour for all knowledge is from God but First in regard of the manner of revealing therof for whereas we come to the other by the light of nature and reason this is inspired into us by the spirit Secondly In regard of the matter of this knowledge which is farre beyond the other for this teaches the natures and person of Christ God and man in one person which may swallow up the thoughts of man Great is the misterie of godlinesse In the next place It teaches us his offices that he is a King to rule over us and deliver us a Priest to make us acceptable to God a Prophet to teach and
if he loved me when I hated him surely now I love him he must needs love me Againe we shall know that we are Christs for then there will be a likenesse of Christ wrought in our hearts For that spirit that stirres us up to own Christ doth ever worke the Image of Christ in our soules as a seale it imprinâ—s on our soule the image of Christ in all graces of love meeknesse heavenly mindednâ—sse and goodnesse if we be the spouse of Christ we shall represent and shew forth his glory for the woman is the glory of the man Else what ere we boast wee are therein but hypocrites wee must forsake all in regard of Christ. VERS 8. For whom I have suffered the losse of all things HEre St. Paul confirmes his resolution and judgement of the value of Christ above all other things first he said he accompted him gaine and all other things losse lest men should thinke these were but brags he inferres he had suffered the losse of all for him and therefore did so highly esteeme of him and then it was he was for Christs sake stripped of all he was in want hungry naked went in danger of his death often nay he willingly suffered the losse of his priviledges he was an Apostle yet not worthy of the name as he sayes and for his care in his office though he were very diligent yet by it did hee not looke to merit he suffered the losse of all willingly he wrought this on his heart to lose all for Christ which is the dutie that a Christian must learne not to be onely a patient but willingly to lose to part with all and therefore wee are bidden to examine our selves to judge and condemn our selves and though the Lord hath not called us to the losse of all yet winne thus much of thy minde as to be prepared for to lose all when we shall be called thereunto and that in regard thereof we may say we have parted with all for in that we part with themin our affections God beholdes it and takes notice thereof and likes it and lookes for it and therefore he bids us leave all and follow him and if we forsake not all honour credit yea our lives we cannot be his Disciples VERS 8. And doe count them but dung SHewing his lothing of them and that he could not in dure the thought of them but did abhorre it as dogges vomit or dogges meat accounting it fit meat for none but such dogges as he spake before of if therefore we love Christ there will bee a detestation of those things that crosse the power of Christs merits in the same degree that we love Christ and we will expresse our degree of love of him by expressing the degree of hatred we beare to other things in comparison of him But why doth the Apostle so often inculcate these words To shew the expression of the largenesse of his owne heart and thereby to worke an impression thereof in the hearts of the Philippians Secondly to shew the power of the spirit that where it once leades it leades further and further to a higher degree of love of Christ that the longer he is loved the greater will love grow and more fervent so as the spirit constraines the person where it rules that he cannot but speake Acts 4.20 Thirdly to shew the excellencie of the subject he dwels upon it that we should thinke highly of it Also Fourthly to shew the necessitie thereof without which we cannot looke for salvation Fifthly to shew the difficultie of comming to this esteeme of Christ and to subdue our proud imaginations of our owne selves which however it will prove a hard and difficult matter Lastly in regard of the Philippians he knew it would be a difficult matter for them and therefore he sought out fit words to expresse the nature of the subject and the truth of his esteeme thus did the wise man Eccles. 12.10 11. who knew that the words of the wise man are as goades it s our dutie to take notice hereof therefore and to learne in what respect these outward things are good and to ranke them in their right places VERS 8. That I may winne Christ. TO winne Christ in this place is to get a more neere Communion with Christ a fuller assurance of him and a larger portion in him for St. Paul had Christ already and that made him desire a fuller injoyment of him though his heart was not large enough to entertaine all Christ yet he desired to be satisfied with his fulnesse First then it is here to be granted that Christ is gaine else why should the Apostle desire to winne him He is gaine I say both in himselfe considered and having respect to us In himselfe considered for no jewell is comparable to God-man to a Mediator he was inriched with all graces that the manhood was capable of But much more in regard of us for first he is our ransome from the wrath of God now we know a ransome must bee a gainfull thing and of no small price that must satisfie Gods wrath Secondly He is not only our ransome but our purchase purchasing Gods favour and heaven to us Thirdly he is our treasure for all things for this present life as also for a better in him are the treasures of heavenly wisedome and of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace he is our comfort in trouble and direction in all our perplexities Fourthly he is of that precious vertue as he turnes all to gold all things are sanctified to us death grave crosses all which though we be not freed from yet he turnes them all to worke our good Fifthly by him we are made heires and have title to all things he is our Lord and hee that hath given Christ to us how shall he not with him give us all things so as in all our wants we may boldly come to the throne of grace Sixthly We by Christ gaine such offices as he himselfe had we are Kings we are Priests we are over the greatest of our enemies no more thrals to lust or to the world we may freely offer sacrifice for ourselves and others in the name of this our high-priest Seventhly we have communion with all that are good the Angels the Saints the Ministers they are all ours to defend and pray for us had the yong rich man this spirit of St. Paul he would have thought it the best bargain that ever he made though hee had parted with all if he had gotten Christ. But it may be said true Christ is gaine but what hope is there for us to attaine hereunto it may be as Paradise in it selfe yet kept from us by a flaming sword I answer no this gaine may be gotten which is the thing I propound to speake of Christ is a treasure in a field if any one will seek he may finde we had a Saviour before we were borne he was elected thereunto
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
sought not his owne it was his communicative goodnesse that drew him from Heaven to take our nature Thirdly he is present and ready to doe all good for us he is present with us to the end of the world nay Fourthly we are his members he is in us we are his wife nay we are him Saul why persecutest thou me 1 Cor. 12. We are all one body with Christ. Fifthly We are even whiles we are here glorified with Christ he is our husband if hee be honoured we his spouse also are advanced if he be our King we are his Queene if the head be crowned the body is honoured and Sixthly all this is from God and freely comes from him Christ is anointed by the spirit and sent from the father 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to us And Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father who hath sent me draw him and it is further said that God sealed him So that we may rejoyce in Christ because that thereby we come to joy in God for he reconciles us to God who called him to this office which was witnessed at his baptisme when as the whole Trinity bare witnesse thereof But it may be questioned What may wee not joy in any other thing else but in Christ. I answer there may be two causes of our joy One principall the other lesse principall We must onely rejoyce in Christ as the maine and principall cause of our happinesse But we may rejoyce in creatures so farre forth as they are testimonies of Christs love and in peace of conscience as comming from Christ and in the word of God as it is the Gospell of the revelation of Christ to us For use We may observe this doctrine as a ground of the necessitie of particular faith For none can boast but the boasting must arise from a particular faith which onely is the true ground of every mans particular assurance Secondly let it serve as a direction to every Christian that will rejoyce let him goe out of himselfe and rejoyce in Christ his King his Priest and his Prophet let him observe what he hath done for him and what he will doe for him and thereby see himselfe perfectly happy and In the third place Let us first boast that we have Christ and then in his benefits and blessings that folloâ— him First rejoyce that we have the field then rejoyce in the pearle And therefore the Apoâ—tle sayes not rejoyce in faith or in obedience but in Christ who being once mine how shall I not have all things with him Those that are burdened with sorrow for their sinne let them consider Why doe they grieve doe their sinnes trouble them Christ hee came to dye for sinne he is their high-Priest he came to save sinners Doth the devill accuse them let them know Christ chose them he pleades for them who can lay any thing to their charge Christ he is dead risen nay he is ascended into Heaven Are they troubled with crosses That is the best time to rejoyce in Christ. We joy in tribulation Rom. 5.3 When nothing comforts us then hath Christ sweetest communion with our hearts St. Steven when the stones â—lew about him and Paul in the dungeon had the most sweet consolation and comfortable presence of Gods spirit that upheld them Nay in death wee may glory most of all it lets us into that state into that sweet society with our Saviour and the Saints the very hope whereof doth now sustaine us and cause us to glory here as in Rom. 5.2 And death now is but a droane the sting is gone all enemies are conquered In the fifth place See wherein the glory of a man of a nation of a kingdome consists it is in Christ and that which exhibites Christ. What made the Iewes rejoyce marke the prerogatives they had Rom. 9.3 Adoption covenant promises and Christ. What made the house of Iuda so famous and Mary so blesse her selfe All generations shall call me blessed Christ that vouchsafed to proceed out of her loynes and from that stocke Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day though he saw it a farre off by the eye of faith And what should we glory in above the Iewes above other nations but in this the vaile is taken away Christ shines and we have the Gospell in its puritie This the Apostle lookes for in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2.3 Having confidence that my joy is the joy of you all Now what was Pauls joy God forbid saith he that I should rejoyce but in the crosse of Christ Gal. 6.14 Let us not therefore rejoyce in peace or plenty fortified places or the like No if we had not Christ to rejoyce in we were no better than Turkes Happy is the people whose God is the Lord for in him shall we have fulnesse of joy and comfort make use of this in time of temptation When the divell would robbe us of our joy fly to Christ oppose him against all oppose the second Adam against the first he came to doe what ever the other did undoe Learne to see the subtilty of the divell and thine owne heart and fill thy heart with the Scriptures and with meditations of the promises and they will cause our love to be so fervent as all our service of God will seeme to be easie to us As the time that Iacob served seemed nothing for the love he bare to Rachel But how shall wee know whether wee rejoyce in Christ or not I answer by these signes First when we glorie see the ground whence it arises whether from God reconciled to us or not If otherwise remember that of Ier. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength all such rejoycing is evill But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord. Secondly If we glory in the Lord it will stirre us up to thankes What we joy in we will praise if we joy in Christ we shall like the Spouse in Canticles ever be setting forth the praises of our beloved Thus did Paul Ephes. 1.3 and Peter 1 Pet. 1.3 and therefore where deadnesse and dulnesse is it shewes no true Christian joy Thirdly Our glorying will be seene in dutie delight ever implies the intention to doe any good worke and diligence Fourthly if we glory in Christ aright we shall not indure any addition to Christ and therefore we shall abhorre that Popish Tenent which puts so many additions to Christ in the meritorious worke of our salvation A true rejoycer in Christ sees such all-sufficiency in Christs merits and worke that he abhorres purgatorie and such trash and so much the more by how much his glorying in Christ is the more fervent and sincere Christ is our husband we are his spouse if we cleave to any other than
of abundance and he may live in the world though not to the world which is a dutie easily spoken of yet not easily performed neither was it easily wrought in our Apostle who being a persecutor of the Church was powerfully altered and changed from Heaven and thus doth God deale with his children whom hee doth first cast downe and afflict that they may finde by experience that these outward things can stand us in no stead it may be hee suffers them to fall into some grievous scandalous sinne that they might see the bodie of sinne that lies in them and seeing no good nor help in themselves their desires are stirred up to the imbracing of some better thing wherein they may finde comfort then doth God reveale Christ to us to whom he will have us to flie and say Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe So as this power of changing our selves is not in our selves but it is an almightie power If we thinke therefore that wee are selfe-lovers goe to God present thy selfe in the meanes and then our eyes shall be opened to see and discerne good and evill For God hath promised to annex his spirit to the use of the meanes if that wee in obedience submit our selves to them VERS 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse THe words containe a kinde of correction as if in few words he had said All things whatsoever I formerly boasted in nay my very priviledges I count them not onely dung but I doe count them to be losse to me nay I have suffered the losse of them all in comparison and for Christ my â—ord Yea I desire to expresse the earnest intention of my affections by my desire to win him to know hâ—m to be found in him and to formable to his death In generall observe The Apostles resolution and zeale his assured certainty his large heart being not able to expresse his affection but by many words viz. his love of Christ and hate of all outward things whatsoever Therefore we also in maine fundamentall points must be resolute carrying a full saile as in the truth of the thing there is a certainty so in us there must be an assured perswasion thereof For even from these uncertaine irresolute hearts comes Apostacie men being not grounded are carried about with every winde of doctrine and hence also comes different measures of grace in Christians some say with Paul Doubtlesse others are of doubting hearts But the end of the word is to settle us Ephes. 4.13 And though it be never so true yet if we not beleeve it though the foundation be sure yet if we not build on it the tru hand force of it is not good unto us In the second place fâ—om the Apostles example We are to learne in fundamentall truthes to be zealous The Apostle speaking of any thing that â—eâ—kes competition with Christ for value how doth he vilisie it that he hath not words sufficient to eâ—prâ—sse his fervent hatred thereof For zeale is such an affection as causes a constant hatred against any thing that opposes that which we intirely love even such a hatred as will cause us not to indure to heare of it And God therefore promiseth Ephraim he shall so abhorre Idols as he shall not have to doe with them And indeed a jealous God and a zealous heart doe well agree when wee have to doe with any one that opposes God in his â—ruth we are not to be cold but to be zealously affected In the third place Wee are to learne to bee large hearted in expressing our affection wee beare to the truth and therefore we are to bee ashamed of our shortnesse of breath in speaking or meditating of Gods honour and glory and his truth But particularly from our Apostles esteeme wee may learne That Gods children have sanctified and regenerate thoughts and esteemes For with new soules they have new eyes new senses new affections and judgements what they saw before to be gaine they see now to be losse Beasts we know conceive not of mens matters neither doe weake simple men of state matters that which weake silly men admire the Apostle scornes and contemnes Moses accounted of the afflictions with the children of God more than of the pleasure of Egypt We may observe this as a marke to know our estates by what is high in thy esteeme is honour riches pleasure or the like thou art not yet throughly sanctified for if thou wert thou wouldst have a sanctified judgement But some may say did Paul esteem all things to be losse yea his good workes I answer good workes in their own nature are good but weighing them with Christ as Paul did they are also drosse and dung Secondly it teaches us that wee are not righteous or justified by any workes ceremoniall or morall either before or after our conversion The Papists alledge works as meritorious we contrarily doe disclaime them As to that purpose I say they you meane ceremoniall works we say no we meane also morall For Paul was unblameable as concerning the works of the law and yet counts them dung O say they St. Paul meaned those works before his conversion and not those after his conversion I answer yes all things in respect of Christ I doe now account them as drosse and losse To prove this the fuller If nothing after conversion bee perfect then cannot they intitle us to heaven but all our best works in state of regeneration are imperfect to prove this See the examples of David a man after Gods owne heart Psal. 143.2 None righteous in thy sight and who can say his heart is cleane And Esay 64.6 Wee are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthie ragges O but Bellarmine sayes the Prophet speakes this in the person of the wicked I hope he will not put the Prophet into that number for he saith wee and our and our righteousnesse not our ill deeds and all our righteousnesse Nay of himselfe in particular Esay saith as much in Esay 6.5 And besides the wicked doe not use to pray as the whole Chapter is to that end And Daniel also includes himselfe in his confession Dan. 9.20 And to prove this by reason We know that weake and corrupt principles must needs produce imperfect effects now the principles of all our motions are evilly affected our understandings memomories affections all are corrupt and weake Corruptions make combates in all parts of the soule and body in whatsoever therefore we doe there is flesh and spirit and their owne Authours agree hereunto as Ferus and Catharen a Cardinall of their owne sayes there is donatajustitia and inhaerens When the question is what we must leane to it must be onely on Christ and his righteousnesse wherewith from him we are indowed And a Pope of theirs Adrian the fourth saith that all our righteousnesse is as the reed of Egypt which will not onely faile us if we rest on it but will pierce our
enough they would be wiser than he and of deeper reach And thus even within the pâ—le of the Church what a scandall is it that men should glorie in a gracelesse grace of swearing filling up rotten discourse with new devised othes And others glorie in their foolish conceipted gallant apparell which was for no other end but principally to cover shame is not this to glorie in shame And much more those that blaming as it were God for making them no fairer will mend the workmanship of God by painting these while they seeke to keepe outward blemishes from the eyes of men doe discover to the whole world that they have a spotted rotten heart within them And indeed it s too common for men ill-bred up to thinke admirably of themselves when all their courses are meere vanitie He is the onely man of accompt that cannot put up a crosse word without bloud is not this to glorie in shame when as its the glory of a man to passe by an offence and they are the best men that can overcome themselves And as helpers on of this vaine boasting we have a generation of ignorant unsetled understandings that admire at such shamelesse boasters and so are causes of strengthening such in their vain-glory such are flatterers of great men let them remember what is denounced against such woe be to them that call evill good and good evill In the next place shame is not onely the object of vaine glorie but the end they that are vaine-glorious shall bee brought to shame at length thus is it sayd of Babylon in Esay and mysticall Babylon in the Revelations Though she say I sit as a Queene and shall seenâ— mourning yet stall her plagues come in one day death and destruction and mournlng Isa. 47.9 51.19 Revel 18.8 For God hath knit vaine-glory and shame a punishment proportionable and fitting to the sinne and striking the offender most neere even to the heart and thus did God meete with Achitophel Absalom Haman they sought vain-glory and their ends were shamefull such shall be the end of all such as boast that they can doe mischiefe like Doeg Psa. 52. And the righteous shall see and feare laugh at them For use to our selves therefore let us take heed of this sinne For by nature the best of us are subject to it we are all inclinable either to glory in such things as we should not or to receive glory from such things as wee ought not or else to glorie after an inordinate manner and in that measure we glorie amisse in that measure wee consult shame to our selves glory we may but it must bee well grounded and in a right manner And to the attaining thereto we must first labour for a sound knowledge of God and for a sound dependance upon him in all things and also labour for to see our owne estate and our many wants for wanting this knowledge men glorie in merits while they live but when they die they grow ashamed of their courses and blinde judgement for while they live they judge of themselves by their owne conceipt of themselves which is grounded either by comparing of themselves with those that are worse than themselves as the Pharisee that thanked God he was not as the Publican or else upon the conceipt that shallow persons have of them But these are not rules for us to follow look rather what sayes the humbled conscience what sayes Gods Word and his Iustice and take example of the Apostles and holy men of God that gloried in the Lord reconciled to us in Christ who is made to us wisedome sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 30.31 Rejoyce that our names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 Rejoyce that we understand and know God to be â—ust and mercifull Ier. 9.23.24 Glorie in the testimonie of a good conscience that we are true Christians though but weake 2 Cor. 1.12 Secondly we should be content with the judgement and approbation of God and hearken to the admonitions of his Ministers and care not for the censures of the world Thirdly take wee heed of the first beginnings and motions of sinne at the first they are ever modest the worst man that ever was was not shamelesse in sinne at the beginning but giving way to sinne by little and little loses all shame and causes at last corruption in judgement and justifying a mans selfe in wicked courses pleasures riches and such things they are like a vizard onely an outside of beautie or like one that vaunteth himselfe hee can act the person of a King but is in himselfe a bondslave they act their parts here on this worldly Stage for an houre and leave all their followers in eternall bondage forever Therefore let us not bee ashamed for Christs cause but stand out labour for sinceritie now and wee shall have glorie hereafter which as the light shall increase when as the candle of the wicked shall be put out VERS 19. Who minde earthly things TO Minde in this place is taken largely to thinke upon remember desire joy and to have all the soule exercised Earthly things that is lusts of the flesh lusts of the eyes pride of life pleasures and profits and honours which are therefore called earthly because they are conversant about earthly things and because they make their followers earthly minded and lastly they are called earthly in opposition to those that are heavenly and thus in particular those that minde honour are ambitious those that minde riches are covetous if pleasure then they are voluptuous and all of them are earthly For as the Ocean is but one and yet divers parts thereof have severall names so worldlinesse is but one sinne yet having many kindes it hath also divers names The observation that hence we may gather is that the earthly disposition and minde is the temper of that man who is in the estate of damnation for the minde of such doe shew a dead soule estranged from the life of God to be carnally minded is death saith the Apostle Rom. 8.6 For a man lives as hee mindes and loves Secondly earthly disposition is opposite to God so Rom. 8.7 The carnall minde is enmitie against God Observe we further the Apostle describes not these by any notorious grosse scandalous sinne but by the inward disposition of the heart for outward actions are onely effects and rivers flowing from the spring of corruption in our hearts Whence we may note that God lookes to the inward frame of the soule in men and therefore though in the eyes of men a man may be without spot yet is his corruption that is within open and manifest to the all-seeing eye of God And therefore from hence we are to be stirred up to humble our selves before God by examining our hearts and laying open our most secret corruptions And secondly this ought to comfort us that though in our dayly practice we often fall yet God in his goodnesse lookes at the inward frame
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