could not redeeme him nor all the Patriarches and holy Men but it must be the blood of the Sonne of God and all his blood and in so great extremity as we have heard From the consideration of this we have the more cause to be thankefull unto him as Ioh. 13. Peter wonders at the humility of Christ that he would stoope so low to wash his Disciples feete or hee that was the Lord of all higher than the Heavens should stoope so low to wash my feete so wee may much more wonder and admire at this love of Christ that he would dye for us and dye such a cursed death O Lord wilt thou interpose thy soule for mine and thy body for my body and dye for mee that I might live still and therefore wee have no cause to bee offended at the crosse of Christ but we have cause to be the more thankfull to God for it and to say as Saint Iohn saith Hee hath loved us and hath washed away our sinnes in his blood as it is Esay 53. All we like sheepe have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne waies and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquite of us all Ambrose confesseth that he was more beholding to God for the worke of Redemption for redeeming him with his blood when he was lost by sinne than for creating him by his Power Therefore this may take away the scandall of the crosse because it was of necessitie that he must suffer Now that which tooke away the scandall of Christs crosse may take away the scandall of our crosse for many times a Christian man is at a stand and at a maze in himselfe and saith as the Disciples said We trusted it should have beene hee that should have delivered Israel so I trusted and hoped once that I should have beene saved but there bee so many crosses and so many troubles come upon me that I doubt I make a doubt of it whether I shall be saved or no. And that it is needfull wee should suffer as Christ did these reasons plainely shew First it is of Necessity that we should suffer because we should be conformable to him for as the head suffered so must the members as Christ speaketh Matth. 16. If any man will follow me saith he let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow me so Col. 1. 24. Now rejoyce I in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behinde of the affliction of Christ in my flesh as Christ suffered in the flesh in himselfe so Paul suffered in his members and therefore it is of necessity that we should suffer Secondly because there be a number of sinnes that be so sunke and soken into the flesh that they cannot be purged out but by the crosse so David saith Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word so Esai 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Iaakob be purged and this is all the fruite the taking away his sinnes hence there be a number you see of sinnes that are so sunke and soken into the flesh that they cannot bee purged out but by the crosse as if gold bee rust and canker-fretted it cannot bee helpt but it must be cast into the fire so there be some sinnes that cannot be purged out but it must be by the fire of affliction Thirdly it was of Necessity that we should suffer To prevent sinne in us so wee see Gen. 20. the Lord came in a dreame to Abimelech and told him that hee did keepe him that hee should not sinne against God and how did God keepe him by laying his judgements upon him so 2 Cor. 12. when Paul was carried into the third heavens and saw things that could not bee uttered lest he should bee lifted up above measure the Lord sent the prick of the flesh and the messenger of Sathan to buffet him to keepe downe this naturall pride so wee see there is a necessity of the crosse and therefore have no cause to bee offended at it The second thing that Christ doth informe them of is the good utility end and issue that the crosse hath that it is so farre from taking away any thing as that it doth open away to the kingome of heaven as Phil. 2. 8 9. Paul shewes he humbled himselâ—e and â—â—â—me obedient to the death even to the death of the crosse wherefore God hath also â—â—ghly exalted him and given him a Name above all other Names here is another consideration to take away the scandall of the crosse because it was by it that Christ entred into his glory so if we will goe to glory we must goe the same way there is no other there is no neerer way to heaven but by the crosse as it is Act. 14. Through many troubles and afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven so Matth. 20. when the woman came with her two children she makes this request to Christ that the one may sit at his right hand and the other at his left Christ answeres by way of question Can ye drinke of the cup that I must drinke of and be baptized with the baptisme that I must be baptized with for before ye drinke of the cup of glory ye must drinke of the cup of affliction therefore no man ought to be discouraged at afflictions or crosses seeing it is the way whereby we enter into glory 2 King 2. 11. when Elias was taken into heaven he was not carried in a golden chariot as the Papists say that Henoch was but it was a chariot of fire and horses of fire and yet hee was not afraid of them because they were the horses and the chariot that should carry him to heaven so when wee see the firy horses of afflictions and of death to come we should not be afraid of them because they be the horses and chariots that carry us into glory therefore this is that which should make us goe cheerefully thorough all troubles and afflictions this is that which made Paul say that he counted all things but dung and drosse that he might win Christ and that he might come to glory so whatsoever it cost a man though it cost him his life and his blood yet all is well bestowed so he may win Christ and come to glory Now to this information he doth annex a Confirmation and proves it by the Scriptures and so begins at Moses and the Prophets and doth interpret all the things that are spoken of him Now herein we may observe many things first hee doth labour to sound the faith of the Disciples on the Scriptures hee might have discovered himselfe at the first and said I am hee or might have shewed them his hands or his sides as he did afterwards in this chapter but hee goes on and leades them through the Scripture and doth interpret unto them all the places that were spoken of
there is alwayes a seede and a roote of faith left though hee may feele the losse of the comfortable assurance yet there is the Sanctity and effects of faith still there is an hatred of sinne a love of goodnesse a desire of the presence of God and of his love and favour which may be his comfort We read Acts 20. 10. that Eutichus fell out of a window and was taken up dead but Paul went downe and fell upon him and imbracing him said Trouble not your selves for his life is in him so we may say of all the fals of Gods people There is life in them This may bee their comfort that in all their fals there is a seed of faith there is the sanctitie of faith still remaining in them this must be their stay and comfort in all their spirituall afflictions and desertions whatsoever The second is that although they lose the feeling of Gods favour yet it is not perpetuall but for a short time So it is said Psal 55. Hee will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever and Psal 94. 18. When I said my foote slippeth thy mercy O Lord held and stayed me up Trees in a great winde are shaken and beate this way and that way as if they would breake but if the windes goe downe and there bee a calme they come to their former estate againe so it is in faith in the time of temptation we may be shaken and carried this way and that way but when the temptation is at an end wee come unto our former estate againe and to as comfortable apprehension of the Love of God and of his favor as before so Zech. 10. 6. the Lord promised the same powerfull grace to his people after their fals as before for saith he And I will strengthen the house of Iudah and I will preserve the house of Ioseph and I will bring them againe for I pittie them and they shall be as though I had not cast them off for I am the Lord their God and will heare them And therefore seeing it is not perpetuall but for a little time this may comfort them and glad their hearts The third is The wise providence of God who disposeth all things to the good of his servants A man ye know when he plants a tree he casteth moulds about it puls and shakes it this way and that way and yet it is but to settle the tree so the Lord doth when he plants a man hee puls him this way and that way and all is but to settle him that he may be the better rooted and grounded as it is Rom. 8. 28. All things worke together for the good of those that love God Therefore let a man love God and then all things shall worke together for his good There be strange workes of God and some that seeme to bee against men and yet by a secret hand of God they are all carried and worke together for the good of them that love him As ye see in a Clocke there be some wheeles turne one way and some another way and yet all tend to one end to make the Clocke goe well so sometimes God sends a man adversity and sometimes prosperity sometimes he deales one way with us sometimes another and yet all is but to draw us neerer unto him in holinesse and obedience The fourth thing that may comfort them is that they cannot be at quiet or at rest till they have returned to the Lord againe still there is a thirsting of the heart after God and they cannot bee at rest till they bee returned againe so we see David Psal 119. ver ult saith I have gone astray like a sheepe that is lost oh seeke me for I have not forgotten thy Commandements as a lost sheepe cannot be at rest but he runnes here and there hee cries to the sheepheard and is not at rest and quiet till he be returned home unto the sheepfold so the people of God when they have gone astray cannot be at rest till they have runne here and there and cried to the sheepherd they can never be at quiet till they be returned home unto God therefore so long as a man cannot be at quiet in his fals and sinnes but that there is a thirsting of the heart after God and hee takes no rest till he be returned this may give him comfort We see in nature that if the shipmans needle be touched with the Loadstone it cannot be at rest nor at quiet till it looke upon the North Pole if it be hindred with any little thing it standeth trembling and shaking as if it were discontented so if a mans heart be touched and set a fire with faith in Christ it doth alwayes gather to Christ and if it be hindred by any meanes it is not at rest but it is discontented untill it come home to him When a man is in danger of drowning hee will fling out his armes and catch hold of every straw to save himselfe so we should doe when wee perceive our selves to be in danger of hell we should fling out our armes abroad and catch hold of Christ and so save our selves Now if any man should aske how he should recover againe when he is in this estate I answer first he must repent him of his sinnes and turne to God Secondly he must cry to God for his former falling so we see David did Psal 51. saith he Restore me to the joy of thy Salvation and Psal 4. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thirdly strive against the infidelitie of thy owne heart as David did Psal 42. saith he Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou thus disquieted within me waite still on God Fourthly to strengthen our faith from the former mercies and kindnesse of God as Rom. 11. 29. The graces and gifts of God are without Repentance And in another place Those whom the Lord loveth hee loveth unto the end and therefore if ever thou canst approve to thine own heart that God hath loved thee he will love thee still unto the end The third step and degree of faith is The full assurance of faith when a man is at this top and degree he is as it were at the top of the hill for as you know that a man being at the top of an hill hee may see the whole countrey round about him the latitude and length of it both by sea and land euen so when a man comes at this step and degree of faith he shal see the latitude and length of Gods love in Christ heaven open and Christ ready to receive him the holy Apostles ready to carry his soule into heaven as Lazarus was and all the Saints and Martyrs ready to entertaine him Now this Metaphor is taken from a ship at sea that hath sea roome enough being past rockes and sands and so out of danger saileth safely unto
a learned man saith there be two crucifiers There bee invisible and visible crucifiers the visible crucifiers are the Iewes the invisible are the people of all ages Wherefore seeing our sinnes have brought Christ to his death we should the more hate and detest them Augustine saith If a man should kill father or mother would we let him lie in our bosomes set him at our table let him be in our houses No we would hate abhorre and never abide him why man saith he thy sinnes have not killed thy father and thy mother only but thy Lord and Master one that hath done more for thee than all the world besides wherefore then wilt thou let sinne lye in thy bosome wilt thou nourish it and entertaine it still nay rather hate detest and spit at it Fourthly The end why Christ suffered was either generall to bring us home to God or particular to reconcile us to him and to abolish sinne The Generall end was to bring us to God that we might have communion and fellowship with him for all our happinesse consists in this bringing us to God and all our misery in this that we be strangers from him for by the reason of our sinnes we have no communion with him as Adam was cast out of Paradise so we be all cast from the presence of God and as he ranne away from Gods presence hid himselfe and could not abide it so we are all runne away from God we cannot abide his presence nor stand before God nor speake unto him but Christ hath suffered to this end to bring us unto him and hath appeased his anger so that now he doth looke after us and we may be bold to goe to him and speake to him in prayer Here we may observe three things First that we be strangers from God and dare not come into his presence but are abashed to stand before him or speake unto him before Christ hath carried and presented us to him As in Gen. 47. 2. when Iacob was come into Aegypt to see Ioseph he presented five of his brethren with his father Iacob to King Pharaoh because he was a stranger so seeing we be strangers from God who did not know us the true Ioseph doth present us unto him I but doth not God know us Doth he not know the creatures that he hath made This is a heavie thing that God should not know us To this I answer that sinne hath put upon us such a fearfull ugly face and so deformed that God doth not acknowledge us to be the creatures he made at first therefore the true Ioseph doth bring us to God and present us in his bloud saying O Father accept of them these be they for whose sake I was nine moneths in the dark wombe of the Virgin borne in a stable laid in a manger these be they for whose sakes I died that same cursed death on the crosse Father for my sake accept them and let my paines be their ease my shame their glory my death their life and my condemnation their absolution so that it is Christ that bringeth us home unto God which is the generall end of his sufferings In Ephes 2. 12. it is said Remember that at that time yee were without Christ being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Iesus yee who sometimes were afarre off are made nigh to him by the blood of Christ so it is the great price that Christ hath paid for us that brings us into favour with God even his most precious blood Secondly herein we may see the marvellous love of Christ that hee would bring us home to God and into favour againe and that not with a word speaking but by dying and suffering for us it had beene a great love of Christ if he had but spoke for us although he had done no more but what a great love was this to suffer such great things that it cost him his life and blood hee was not at rest till he had wrought our redemption as Luk. 12. 15. saith he But I have a Baptisme to be baptized with and how am I straightned till it be accomplished And hee did it not by speaking for us but he did it by dying and suffering for us Exod 32. 32. saith Moses pleading for the people Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sinne thy mercy shall appeare But if not blot me I pray thee out of thy booke which thou hast written So saith Christ Father spare thy people or else wipe me out of the land of the liuing let my life goe for theirs spare them and take me Psal 40. 6 7. wee see that it is not the blood of calves and of goates and beasts that can redeeme us but Christ knew it must bee a more precious blood that must doe it and therefore doth hee offer his owne blood and saith take my life and my blood and let my people goe free Hence wee may see the marvelous love of Christ that hee did not redeeme us by speaking but by suffering and dying for us therefore seeing he loved us we should be content to love againe and to doe any thing that he requires of us Saint Andrew when he was charged of the Gentiles that he did not love their gods he made this answer Let me see if your gods can make mee such a heaven and earth and doe so much for me as my God hath done then I will love your gods but if they cannot then they are not to bee respected nor regarded so wee may say to our vile lusts and to our sinnes if ye can doe so much for me as Christ hath done then I will bestow my love upon you but if you cannot then you are not to be regarded nor respected He shall have my heart that hath done these great things for me Thirdly seeing Christ hath suffered to bring us to God wee must take heede we doe not defeate him of his labour which we doe if we hang still in our sinnes Deut. 24. 15. The Lord accounts the retaining and keeping of the labourers hire a great and grievous sinne even a crying sinne let us consider this that Christ hath laboured for us not for our meate nor money but to bring us to God to repentance and to heaven but if we hang still in our sinnes and doe not repent us of them nor bee brought home to God we defeate him and will not let him have for his labour what hee hath travelled for as it is said Esai 5. 31. Hee shall see of the travell of his soule and shall bee satisfied Christ hath travelled but to what end to bring us to God to Repentance to faith in Christ to make us conscionable in our courses this will satisfie him but if men be not brought home unto God if they doe not repent walke conscionably in
kingdome Secondly All our good workes shall bee remembred and rewarded at the day of judgement and Christ will make rehearsall of them there is never a good deed we have done but it shall be remembred and rewarded so that our labour shall not bee in vaine as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15. ult so Revel 20. 12. it is said And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of Life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes So the Lord hath all the good deeds of his servants written in a booke which shall bee remembred reported and rewarded therefore what a comfort is this to a poor Christian that in the hearing of all the world all his good deeds shall be reported how many painefull Iourneyes they have taken to heare the Word how many houres they have spent in prayer how many teares they have wept for sinne that they have entertained the Saints that they have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sicke what a great inticement this is to doe good to thinke what honor it is that all their good deeds shall be remembred and rewarded Matth. 26. 15. Christ saith of the woman when she had powred the ointment on him that this which shee had done should bee spoken of her wheresoever this Gospell shall bee preached for a memoriall of her But what is the speech of men to the speech of Christ the praise of men to the praise of Christ when hee shall stand out and make a report of all our good deeds wee have done therefore what a comfort will this be I but have not the people of God sinne I answer they have their sinnes and their great sinnes too even the best men that be but here is the comfort when the day of judgment commeth they shall not bee remembred but pardoned and carried on the shoulders and necke of Christ and our good deeds onely shall be remembred As Esay 33. ult it is said The people that dwell therein shall have their iniquity forgiven So Ieremie 31. 33 34. saith the Lord I will make a new Covenant with them and I will write my lawes in their hearts and I will bee their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know mee from the greatest to the least saith the Lord and I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sinnes no more Here is the comfort of Christians that all their sinnes shall be forgotten onely their vertues shall be remembred Exodus 34. Moses put a veile on his face that the children of Israel should not see the glory of it but Christ hath hanged a veile over our sinnes that they should not be seene even his holinesse and sanctifie that the world should not see nor behold them for they are all pardoned remitted and covered with the Robe of his righteousnesse Thirdly the judgement which shall passe upon us shall bee according to the workes of mercie and not only workes of mercie but all other good workes shall have a reward as Malach. 3. 16. it is said Then spake they that feared God every one to his neighbour and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared God and thought upon his Name So there was a booke written of all the good deeds of them that did feare God and so Matth. 5. 11 12. saith our Saviour Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Names sake falsly Rejoyce and bee glad for great is your reward in Heaven as also Matth. 10. 32. Whosoever shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my Father which is in Heaven So then wee see all our good workes shall be rewarded But why doth Christ mention onely workes of mercie I answere there be two reasons of it First because the Lord doth not accept of any worke we doe of hearing of the Word of praying nor of any other good dutie we doe if wee doe not shew mercie and compassion to our brethren As 1 Cor. 13. 3. And though I feede the poore with all my goods and though I give my body that it bee burnt and have not love it profiteth me nothing and Esay 1. 14. saith God My soule hateth your new Moones and your appointed Feasts they are a burthen to me I am wearie of bearing them and the reason was because they did not shew compassion to their brethren as may be gathered out of the 15. verse In like manner the Prophet bringeth in the people expostulating with God and he answering them Esay 58. 3. Wherefore have we fasted and thou seeft not wherefore have we punished our selves and thou regardest is not c Is not this the fasting that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heavie burthens is let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke verse 6 7. Is it not to breake thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander unto thy house and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh and therefore wee may assure our selves the Lord will accept of none of our workes without we be mercifull to our brethren Secondly because as it is Hos 6. 6. The Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice when both may stand together then God will have both But if they cannot he will have mercy shewed hee had rather lose his owne part than a poore man should lose his So the command is Heb. 13. 16. But to doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Such is the tendernesse of God that hee is contented to abate of his owne service rather than man should want of his comfort As Matth. 5. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leave there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Hence we see though it be a great dutie that we owe to God yet for mans good hee will bee contented to stay for his owne service Philosophers say that the fire which is farthest remooved is the hottest and most vehement so it is in love that love which is furthest remooved from God is the hottest and the most vehement love of all other It is an easie matter to love God in himselfe O but for a man to love God in his poore distressed members to love him in his poore Saints and People this is the hottest
so as no life flowes from the head to it hee will rubb and chafe it to bring heate and Spirits into it againe so when wee see our selves hang by as dead members and that hardly any life of grace flowes unto us wee should never bee at rest but use all the meanes wee can to heare the word pray repent of our sinnes get faith in Christ never to bee at quiet till wee feele a derivation of the graces of Christ unto us The third consequent is that seeing Christ is the head of the Church and the Church his body Therefore hee will preserve all the members of it There is never a little toe finger or a bone in the body of Christ that shall perish but hee will preserve them all We see in nature that the head will labour to preserve the rest of the members that they doe not perish much more will Christ preserve his mysticall body Hence therefore is our comfort that wee stand not by our own power but by the power of Christ and the life that wee live in grace wee have not by the power of nature but by Christ therefore hee will preserve us and keepe us as Iohn 17. 12. saith Christ of those that thou hast given mee have I lost none Wee are all dead by Adam but we are made alive by Christ so Revel 2. 16. Christ is called the roote and the generation of David It is a Metaphor taken from herbes in a garden that although the stalke and the leafe die in the winter time yet they are preserved in the roote and when the spring time commeth they will put forth againe so though wee die in our selves yet wee are preserved in the roote which is Christ although the stalke and the leafe die yet wee are safe in the roote The use is Seeing that the Church is the body of Christ therefore all injuries and wrongs that are done unto the Church Christ takes as if they were done to himselfe not onely the injuries and wrongs that the world puts on them but also the disgraces and shames that Christians bring upon themselves therefore thou that art a Christian consider with thy selfe thou art a member of Christ looke what disgrace thou bringest on thy selfe thou bringest on Christ as 1 Cor. 6. 15. saith S. Paul Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid or shall wee abuse them to drunkennesse looke what disgrace we cast on our selves we bring on Christ because we bee Christs Members Therefore Chrysostome saith well O man by thy sinne thou dost not disgrace thy owne selfe but another and the shame doth not rest on thy owne body but it rests on another mans that is on the body of thy Lord and Master Iesus Christ So Augustine saith if thou have no care of thine owne selfe yet have care of Christ and if thou care not for defiling of thine owne body and disgracing of it yet take heede of defiling and disgracing of the body of Christ rest not on thy selfe but on Christ therefore how carefull should we be that we doe not defile our bodies SERMON LXIII EPHESIANS 5. 25. Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it THere bee five things wherein the dignitie of the Church consists 1. It is called the Citie of God or the House of of God because there is a speciall presence of Gods Spirit 2. It is called the Body of Christ 3. The Spouse of Christ or the Bride 4. It is the Pillar and ground of Truth 5. It is like unto Noah his Arke that there is no salvation without it Two of these wee haue intreated of already and now are come to speake of the third which is this That the Church is the Spouse and the Bride of Christ because it hath pleased Christ to bestow himselfe on the Church to marry and to adjoine himselfe to it in the most neerest bond that may be Man and Wife are not neerer tyed one to another by the bonde of marriage than Christ hath tied and bound himselfe to her by the bond of the Spirit therefore the Church may well bee tearmed the Spouse and the bride of Christ as Cantic 5. 1. I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse so Iohn 3. 29. He that hath the bride is a bridegrome but the friend of the bridegome which standeth and heareth him rejoyceth because of the bridegroomes voyce So Revel 21. 9. saith he Come I will shew thee the Bride the Lambes wife What a great comfort is this that such silly people as we be should be advanced to this honour as 1 Sam 25. 41. when David sent to Abigall to take her to wife saith she Let thy handmaid be a servant to wash the feete of thy servants of my Lord so wee may say what Lord wilt thou make mee thy Spouse and they Bride it is honour and glory enough for me to be a poore servant to wash the feete of the meanest of thy servants Now as many lines come from one Center so there may be many points deducted out of this point First seeing the Church is the Spouse and the Bride of Christ therefore He loves the Church the love betweene man and wife is great but the greatest love is betweene Christ and his Church as it is Gen. 2. 24. Therefore shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife the greatest bond in nature is betweene them and the greatest bond in grace is betweene Christ and the Church It is said Esay 43. 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast beene honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give Man for thee and People for thy sake So Revel 3. 9. I will make them that they shall come and worship before thy feete and to know that I have loved thee In my Text we see Christ hath not onely loved the Church but hath made declaration of his love wee read Milac 1. 2. that the Lord saith to the people I have loved you and the people say to God Wherein hast thou loved us But thankes be to God wee need not say so for Christ hath not onely loved us but he hath made declaration of his Love that we may feele it and see it If Christ should have loved us and we should not have knowne it it had beene a great matter But the comfort is the greater that hee makes declaration of his Love to us Now in three things Christ makes declaration of his Love to the Church First in that Christ hath spared no paines nor labour nay hath given his owne life and blood to redeeme it greater love than this could no man shew than to give his life for his friend But Christ sets out his love towards us seeing whilst we were yet sinners He
8. it is said that Lots soule was vexed every day with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites dwelling amongst them and yet they did not hurt with their hands If one man should set up a number of goodly lights and one should come and make a smoke in the roome it would dimme the lights so the Lord hath set up a number of Saints to shine as lights in this World and the Divell he thrusts in a number of vile and wicked men to make a smoke to dampe their light which although they cannot quite quench yet they much dimme this doth hinder and allay the sweete and comfortable communion that the Saints should have one with another Now in the Kingdome of Heaven there shall be no such matter as Matth. 13. 41. It is said that Christ will thrust out of his kingdome all things that offend so there shall not bee a wicked man left to hurt nor offend them so Esay 11. 9. it is said They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine and likewise Revel 21. 27. it is said And there shall enter into it no uncleane thing neither whosoever worketh abomination or telleth lies againe Revel 22. 15. saith he For without shall be dogges inchanters whoremongers murtherers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh lies So all the wicked shall be excluded and shut out of the kingdome of God there shall be no body to hurt the Saints nor to grieve and offend them O how comfortable will the communion of Saints bee in Heaven Secondly Imperfectio bonorum the imperfection of good men for they be not perfectly sanctified in this world they are regenerated but in part partly flesh and partly spirit so by reason hereof there bee many jarres and brangles that doe arise amongst them as Gregory saith out of Psal. 10. that many times friends have much adoe to agree for wee see Abraham and Lot were both sanctified and holy men and yet there was a jarre betweene them they were glad to be parted Gen. 13. 8. so Paul and Barnabas wee both good and holy men and yet they were so at oddes one with another that they parted company Acts 15. 39. Damascen observeth that as there is no rose since the fall of Man but hath his prickles so there is no man even the best that is but hath some thing or other in him that is distastefull but in Heaven all these infirmities shall be taken away and then there will bee infinite matter of comfort As Gen. 21. 10. yee see that there was a jarre betweene Abraham and Sarah about the bondwoman and her childe who when shee was cast out all was at peace so many times there is contention and strife betweene Christians all being about the bondwoman and her Childe that is the reliques and remainders of corruptions in the flesh but when they shall be taken from us then wee shall have sweet agreement therefore if the communion of Saints be comfortable here how much more comfortable will it be in Heaven Thirdly distantia locorum that they live in remote places one from another and yet there is a providence of God in it For the People of God are said to be the salt of the Earth Salt must not be laid all in one place but it is sprinkled and scattered in every place to make meat seasonable and savoury that is unto many so the Godly doe not live all in one Towne Countrie and Place but are scattered and sprinkled all the world over to season the hearts of their brethren and their soules to make them savoury unto God so because they be thus scattered and hindered one from another this doth hinder and allay the sweet and comfortable communion that they should have one of another It is said Iudges 5. 16. For the divisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart for Reuben was placed on the other side of Iordan so that they could not get mutuall helpe from them because there was a River betweene them In like manner because there is a Iordan betweene the People of God in this World some living in one Countrie and some in another so that they cannot lend their mutuall helpe one to another this maketh great thoughts of heart and allayeth the comfort that they might have one of another but at the day of death they shall all goe into the kingdome of God and live in one place As Matth. 8. Christ shewes that they shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob in the Kingdome of God Wee see how comfortable it is when a few Christians are met together to conferre pray and sing Psalmes who notwithstanding have their weaknesse and frailties and if it be so comfortable here what will it be when all the People of God shall meete together in Heaven If one see an infinite number of godly Diamonds shinning scattered here and there and they bee all brought into one roome what a light and lustre would there bee So the People of God are as a company of shinning Pearles or Diamonds that are seated here in this world but one day when all they are gathered together and brought into Heaven then what a wonderfull glory and shining will there be Fourthly Angustia amorum the narrownesse of their love for the People of God are bound to love as brethren and to tender the good one of another Now there is such a narrownesse in our love that we have much adoe to love our friends much lesse all the Saints for there be a number of Saints that we know not neither doe wee love all we know as we should doe but at the day of death when wee shall all meete together in Heaven then our love shall be inlarged and we shall love the whole Israel of God no brother loveth his brother so dearely as we shall love one another yea though we never saw them before nor heard of them then consider how great will our comfort be at that day when we shall part from this world and live together in Heaven Now besides all these there is a double communion wee have with the Saints 1. A communion with them in Grace 2. A communion with them in Glorie Therefore it must be every mans care to labour to appertaine to the communion of saints in grace that so they may come to have cōmunion with them in the kingdome of glory Indeed all men desire to appertain to the communion of saints in glory to go to the kingdome of Heaven like Balaam that desired to die the death of the righteous to be in glory and happinesse with the People of God but cared not to live godlily here But if ever wee expect to have communion with the Saints hereafter in the kingdome of Glory wee must bee sure to have communion with them here in the kingdome of Grace And therefore let us labour to repent us
Gods favour yet it shewes us that this forsaking is but for a time as it is said Esai 54. 8. For a little while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee for a moment in mine anger I hide my face from thee for a season but with ever lasting mercie I have had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer And therefore although wee feele not the Love of God at the present yet Faith must uphold us and wee must perswade our selves it is but for a little time And so likewise Psal 55. 22. it is said He will not suffer the righteous to fall for ever Howsoever they may fall yet they shall rise againe And Mic. 7. 8. The Church doth sustaine her selfe by this Rejoyce not against me O mine enemie although I fall yet I shall rise againe If a man fall into a swoond that he neither breathe nor pant yet bring him to the fire and chafe him put a little Aquavitae into his mouth and he will recover againe if there be any life in him even so if a man fall into a spirituall swoond that he neither breathe nor pant yet if he be brought to the use of good meanes as prayer preaching and the Sacraments if there be the life of grace in him he will recover againe This we see in David and Peter that when Nathan came to David and told him of his fault he straightway recovered and so Peter that had but a looke of Christ recovered If a man cast mud into a fountaine it will in time worke it selfe cleere So in Ioh. 4. 14. A Christian is compared to a fountaine in which although there be mud cast yet it will worke it selfe cleere The third action whereby faith sustaineth us in spiritual desertions is that al is for their good that God is departed from them For Ioh. 16. it is said It is expedient for you that I goe away from you So the absence of Christ from the Church is for their good that they may the more long for him when he is departed earnestly seeke after him and set the greater price upon him when they have him If a man have poysoned himselfe a Physition cannot helpe him but by giving him some ranke poyson even so the Lord lets us fall into some great sinne to expell some other sinnes And therefore as Christ said Ioh. 11. of Lazarus his sickenesse That it was not unto Death but for the glory of God So wee may say of all the falls of Gods people that there falls are not unto death but for the glory of God Now for worldly crosses faith sustaineth foure wayes First it perswadeth us that all the judgements of God that fal upon us are just and that he doth us no wrong thereby therefore that we must quiet our selves yeelding to the good will of God So we see the Church doth in Micah 7. 9. I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him So Ier. 10. saith he It is my sorrow and I must beare it As though he should say it is mine owne sinne I may thanke mine owne selfe for it it is my sorrow and I will beare it The good Theefe Luk. 23. 41. confesses Wee are indeed justly punished heere for wee receive things worthy for that we have done And therefore let us never murmur nor grieve at it we are heere righteously these things be justly come upon us Thus Faith makes us to quiet our selves in looking at the good will of God The second way whereby Faith sustaineth us in worldly crosses is that it makes us shut up our eyes and wholly to relie upon God So David in the Psal 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever So Psal 119. 49 50. Remember thy promise made unto thy servant wherein thou hast made me to hope It is my comfort in my trouble for thy promises have quickened me And so likewise Iob saith Though hee kill me yet I will trust in him Faith it makes believe one contrary in another that although we die and rot yet wee shall live and we shall live againe and rise againe though God doth seeme to be our enemie yet Faith doth perswade us that he is our friend and although wee bee miserable yet that wee are blessed and happie thus Faith makes us beleeve one contrary in another Thirdly Faith doth hereby sustaine us in worldly crosses because it assures us that God is present with us in all our troubles in our sicknesse about our beds in our graves and in the gaole Even as God was with Moses in the bush and with the three children in the fiery sornace so God is with all his servants in all their troubles and afflictions The want of this consideration that God was not present with Saul made his affliction the greater saith he The Philistims made warre against me and God is departed from mee therefore when Faith shall assure us that in all our troubles and afflictions God is present with us this is a mighty meanes to sustaine and uphold us So sayes David Psalme 23. 4. Yea though I should walke through the valley and shaddow of Death yet I will feare none ill thy rod thy staffe they comfort me and Rom. 8. 31. If God be with us saith he who can bee against us When old Iacob was sent for into Egypt as wee may see Gen. 46. 3. The Lord spake in a vision to Iacob and said Feare not Iacob to goe downe into Egypt for I will goe with thee Even so when the Lord shall say to us feare not to goe into the grave for I will bee with you or into the dennes of death or into the gaole or into any other trouble whatsoever seeing hee will bee present to sustaine and to uphold us we ought to doe it cheerefully Fourthly Faith doth sustaine us in worldly crosses with this consideration and comfort that when all temporall things faile yet wee shall bee made partakers of spirituall and heavenly things Thus wee see Iob did sustaine himselfe when all temporall things failed him when hee had lost his children his goods and all then he comforteth himselfe in this I know that my Redeemer liveth And although after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh c. So David in the person of Christ in Psal 16. 9. Howsoever they deprived him of these temporall things and killed him yet saith hee comfortably My heart is glad and my tongue rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my soule in grave neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption And Psal 27. 13. I should have fainted but that I beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living and therefore howsoever temporall things faile us yet Faith perswadeth us of most happy and heavenly
labour to please men but wee must please Christ for he is our Lord we must give up our accounts to him If we should give up our accounts to men to kings or to great men wee should seeke to please them as 2 Cor. 5. 9. 10. Wherefore we labour that both dwelling at home and remooving from home we may be acceptable to him for wee shall all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ c. therefore wee must labour to approve our selves to him Saint Augustine saies servants will labour to please their masters whom if they can please they care not whether it please others or no so wee should labour to please Christ and care not though all the world were displeased with us so he bee pleased for we must not give an account to the world but to him If a man hold his lands and livings from any man he will be afraid to displease him or to fell a tree off his ground lest he make a forfeiture of his coppihold so seeing we hold all from God we must take heede we doe not make forfeiture and displease him lest he turne us out of all Fourthly seeing Christ is our Lord it was not a servant that died for us but it was the Lord If it had been a servant that had died wee had beene bound in duty and in love to him But seeing it was Christ our Lord that died how are we bound in love and duty unto him Iohn 13. when Christwashed his Disciples feete Peter saith inadmiration Lord wilt thou wash my seete so wee may say Lord wilt thou shead thy blood for me what shall I render unto thee or what duty shall I performe unto thee for so many surpassing mercies Fifthly seeing Christ is our Lord we must bee carefull to render our soules c. backe againe unto him in as good estate as he gave them to us If a man borrow any thing it is a shame it hee carry it not home againe in as good estate as hee had it so seeing wee have received our soules from him and they are but borrowed wee must take heed wee doe not marre them by our sinnes and so returne them worse home than we had them wee see in experience if a man should send his servant to the Indies to fetch gold give him a ship to fill and bee at great costs and charges twenty or thirty yeeres together and when the servant comes there he does not gather in gold and pearles into his ship but gravell and sand muck and moulde if this servant comes home will his master take it well may hee not looke for a cold welcome home so as it were the Lord hath sent us to the Indies for gold and pearles with a ship and is at great cost with us many a yeere together Now the ship is our soule and the graces of his spirit are the gold and pearles the world is the Indies and heere we may have the same gold the graces of his Spirit if therefore wee doe not fill our ships with gold and pearles but with gravell and sand muck and mould God will not take it well at our hands we may looke for a cold welcome home when wee come to deliver our ship againe Sixthly seeing Christ is our Lord we must leave all and be ready to depart this life when Christ will have us for servants bee at the command of their masters if a master send his servant to trade and to traffique beyond the Sea as long as his master will have him to traffique and trade so long he must but when his master will have him to come home and leave all he must then be ready to doe so so seeing we bee servants to God and he sends us to traffique and trade as long as he will have us stay here we must be contented but when hee will have us leave all and come home we should be ready to doe so Seventhly seeing Christ is our Lord then beleeve of all men Christians are the most happy all the glory of this life is not comparable to that which the Lord presents upon a Christian as Canticles 5. when the Church was making such inquiry after Christ there is a question demanded What is thy beloved more than another beloved that wee may seeke Him with thee all the happinesse of this world is not like to it first because Christ is their Protector other protectors drop away they dye and so leave us but Christ is with us continually Secondly because Christ hath the bread of sufficiency as Luke 15. saith the prodigall sonne How many hired servants hath my father who have bread enough and I dye for hunger And therefore this is a comfort to them that when other starve for hunger they have bread enough enough of all comforts and contentments Thirdly in regard of their reward other kings and Lords give meane things to their servants and reserve the chiefest to themselves but Christ hee bestowes great things upon his servants and makes them partakers of the same glory with himselfe therefore Paul saith Thankes be to our God which hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ when things bee at the worst then Christ will bring them unto victory and therefore it must bee our care to bee servants unto him SERMON IX PHILIP 2. 7. But made Himselfe of no Reputation and tooke upon Him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men TWo wayes Christ is described to us in the Creed 1. By His Properties or Titles 2. By His twofold estate The Titles are foure in number whereof two of them shew His Offices two of them His Dignity Of His Offices and Dignity we have already spoken and now in order are come to speake of His twofold estate 1. Of His Hamiliation 2. Of His Exaltation In his estate of Humiliation there bee divers steppes and degrees Even as a king when hee commeth from his Royall throne commeth down step by step til he come at the last or lowest step so the Son of God comming downe from His Royall throne to the estate of Humiliation descended by certaine steppes and degrees till hee came at the lowest step as the Apostle sheweth in this place that he tooke upon him the nature of man was like a servant and humbled himselfe to the death for us and so came to the lowest step of Humiliation The first degree of His Humiliation was that he became a man for us for howsoever wee thinke of the dignity of Christ yet it was a great abasement for the sonne of God to take upon him the nature of man what would wee thinke if a king should for the good of his subjects be made a toad or a frog or the meanest creature this were a great abasement but it is a greater matter for the sonne of God to take our nature upon him for betweene the meanest of the creatures
belong to the rich also To this I answere that the grace of the Gospell is like to a Vine that runnes low first at the bottome of the tree and by little and little windes and twists it selfe up till it gets to the top so at first the grace of the Gospell began low it did as it were creepe along on the ground with poore men and after it did winde and twist up till it came at the top and so did winde within Scepters and crownes of kings which is the highest step that it can come to in this world Secondly in what disposition they were found the text saith they were keeping their flockes not Idle in their houses nor asleepe in their beds but attending their flockes in their callings Here we may see what a good thing it is for a man to be upon his calling If we looke into the Bible we shall see all the goodly apparitions that appeared were when they were upon their callings when was it that Iaakob saw in a vision Angels ascending and descending when he was in his journey upon his calling so Moses Exod. 2. when did the Lord appeare unto him as hee was keeping his flocke and so the Angell did appeare to Gedeon when hee was a threshing wheate in his calling so the Lord tooke David from following the sheepe great with young And when were the Disciples called was it not when they were a fishing in their calling not when they were idle which may shew us what an excellent thing it is for a man to be upon his calling to performe the duties of it if there be any blessing stirring or any good thing for the Angell of God to impart hee shall be sure to have his part in it at that time so saith our Saviour Blessed is that servant who when his Master shall come shall be found well doing and it was a good saying that a learned man had when his friends told him hee studied too much saith hee What would yee have the Lord come and finde mee Idle Thirdly by whom the birth of Christ was made manifest by the Angels when the Priests were silent in the Temple the Angels were not they could not keepe it here we may see how ready the Angels are to doe any service to Christ there is not an Angell nor an Archangell but is ready to doe service to him therefore much more should men be ready to serve and obey Him But it is otherwise with us for we be ready to doe service to sinne and to our lusts rather than unto Christ Matth. 21. when Iesus rode to Ierusalem upon an Asse some strowed garments in the way some did cut downe boughs and branches crying Hosanna there was not a childe playing in the streets but was ready to doe service unto Christ in like manner let us stirre up and quicken our selves to doe in the service of Christ and not as we were wont give our selves wholly to sin to the deceitfull lusts and vaine pleasures of this world Fourthly the time when Christs birth was made manifest the same night an Angel came post from heaven to make it knowne it was the love of God that he would not hold it till day any long time but presently he makes it knowne We read Gen. 18. of Gods love to his servants saith the Lord Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I doe c For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after Him and they shall keepe the way of the Lord c. God would not conceale any thing from his servant Abraham so it was his love that he would not conceale the birth of Christ but make it knowne the same night Therefore seeing God made hast to send this message we should make hast to receive it as soone as may bee seeke him and not rest till wee have found him and as the Shepheards went out to Bethlem to see Christ so let us go forth to see him although he be not at Bethlem yet in his word there we may see Christ borne in a stable laid in a cratch praying in the mount sweating in the garden crowned with a crowne of thornes bleeding on the crosse hanging in paines and torments and gloriously sitting on his throne and as old Simeon tooke Christ in his armes and imbraced him so let us take him and lay hold on him by the hand of Faith and bring him into our hearts so as we may say with Paul Gal. 20. 2. The life which I now liue in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God c. so never part with Christ till the day of death for no man can have comfort although hee should see Christ borne in the stable laid in the cratch sitting in the lap of his mother praying in the mount bleeding on the crosse sitting gloriously on his throne unlesse hee can apply Christ and make him his owne by faith Fifthly the manner of the manifestation of his birth by a speciall message where two things are to be considered 1. That the Angell moveth attention 2. The message it selfe Now the Angell moveth attention two wayes 1. By remooving that which should hinder attention 2. By quickning up the affections in this word Behold First of the message it selfe which was that the Angels did bring them tidings of great Ioy. 1. It was tidings of joy 2. Of great joy 3. Not to one people nor to one nation but to all people And therefore seeing there is such an excellent message come wee should attend it Heere wee may observe what is the greatest joy that is that Christ is borne into the world this is the joy of us Christians to know that Christ is come into the world to save penitent and poore sinners he will heare us in our troubles releeve us when we bee poore give us health when we be sicke will be all in all unto us O let us then labour to joy in Christ for there is no true joy but in him therefore howsoever the covetous mans joy is in his goods the fleshly mans in his pleasures the usurers in his mony yet let the Christian more joy in Christ than in any thing and let every man labour to get him make him sure and then he shall joy in life in death in sicknesse health plenty and adversity SERMON XI LVKE 2. 15. And it came to passe as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the shepheards said one to another Let us goe now even unto Bethlem and see this thing which is come to passe which the Lord hath made knowne unto us OF the manifestation of Christs birth we spake the last day onely one thing more there is to be added which is the Specification of the Angels speech they doe not onely say that Christ is borne but by way of appropriation that Christ is borne to you you bee the men the parties that Christ was borne for
all would come to confusion if God should not restraine him 1 Sam. 25. 32. when David was in his heate hee thought to have killed Nabal and all his houshold but when hee met with Abigail and was come to himselfe Blessed be the Lord God of Israel saith hee which hath sent thee this day to meete mee And blessed bee thy advice and blessed bee thou which hast kept mee this day from comming to shed blood and from avenging my selfe with mine owne hand So when we be in our heate then we care not what we doe but if we once come to our selves then we can say O blessed be God for such a man and such a woman that kept me from sinning against him When Balaam went to curse the People of God for a bribe if the Asse had not spoken to him and made a stoppe the Angell of the Lord had killed him The Asse saw the danger but hee saw it not therefore the Lord gave Balaam cause to blesse God for his Asse even so if there bee any thing that stops us from committing sinne and though it be but an Asse we have cause to blesse God for it The fourth generall point that wee observed in Christs condemnation was What made Pilate to condemne Christ And that appeares to be 1. The importunitie of the Iewes 2. The feare of losing Caesars favour First the importunitie of the Iewes for the more hee pleaded for him the worse they were the more they cried out crucifie him crucifie him At last being wearied with their importunacie hee yeelds to them and condemneth him Here we may see what a wicked thing it is to yeeld to any bad thing for any importunitie whatsoever Adam yeeldeth to his wife and so brought death upon himselfe and his posteritie and was thrust out of Paradise So Sampson yeeldeth to Delilah and lost both his eyes If a man yeeld because hee would have rest he shall bee condemned for it If it bee good to stand out in the cause of Christ the first and the second time it is good to stand out to the end As if one be set to keepe away birds he cannot excuse himselfe to say the birds are busie and I cannot make them leave but the more busie the birds be the more busie he should be to suppresse them So the more wee be importuned to sinne aud the more busie the Divell is to tempt us the more busie we should be in Prayer and meditation to suppresse the temptations of the Divell It was Iosephs glory that notwithstanding his Mistris lay at him day by day yet he yeelded not to her So this shall be the glory of a Christian that notwithstanding ghee bee tempted to sinne from day to day hee yeelds not to it It is noted of Christ that when the Tempter ended the Angels came and ministred unto him So when wee have stood out in temptations and they be ended the Angels will come and minister to us a Cup of comfort or a Crowne of glory But Pilate because he stood not out in the cause of Christ as hee had begunne but yeelded lost all his glory therefore it is said in our Creede He suffered under Pontius Pilate which is a marke of disgrace unto him to the Worlds end The second thing that drew Pilate to condemne Christ was feare of losing Caesars favour for when the Iewes told him that if he let him goe hee was not Caesars friend this did so perplexe and amaze him that he sinnes against his conscience and inclines to the worser side Hee had good affections and stood out in the cause of Christ when all were against him but when it came to this that if he stood out still he should lose Caesars favor or else Gods favour He makes choyse of Caesars favour So it is with the world still so long as God and Caesar goe together so long as the world and religion goe together so long they hold but when it comes to this that they must lose Caesars favour or Gods favour they will leave God and choose Caesars favour But it is remarkable and worthy our observation that he that will make himselfe a friend to the world may have indeed Caesars favour for a time but he shall be sure to have God his enemie and then perhaps Caesar too as we may see in Pilate who laboured for Caesars favour and chose that before Gods favour yet through the just judgement of God he lost Caesars also for upon complaint made he was sent for and put from his Office banished the Land and so through griefe and vexation laying hands upon himselfe desperately killeth himselfe Let men take heed of this how they keepe mens favour and lose Gods for if it be so with them they may looke for Pilates judgement to have neither of them both because the doe not choose Gods favour above all SERMON XIX MATTH 27. 31. And after that they had mocked him they tooke the Robe off from him and put his owne raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him HAving spoken of the sufferings and condemnation of Christ in the next place we come to speake of his Crucifying wherein divers things are to bee considered 1. Why he must die the death of the Crosse 2. How he was led to be Crucified 3. The place where he was Crucified 4. The time and manner when 5. How Christ carried himselfe upon the Crosse First why of all other deaths He must die the cursed death of the Crosse for foure Reasons First because of all other deaths this was accursed by the Law of God none else was burning stoning dying by the sword or any other there is no curse annexed unto but to this one onely Cursed is every one that hangeth on tree Gal. 3. 13. Deut. 21. 23. So that he died not the least death but the worst that might be even the cursed death of the crosse and it was because he would take our curse upon him for by reason of our sins we deserved to be cursed both in life and death that we might be blessed in our deaths and freed of the curse hee was contented to take this same accursed death upon him Let us therefore never forget this great love of Christ to us yea remember what Saint Paul saith to Philemon concerning Onesimus If he oweth thee any thing set it on my skore I will satisfie thee for it So Christ doth ingage himselfe to God for us to take our curse on him that we may be blessed to die for us that we may live to be forsaken of God that wee may be received of God therefore let us never forget this love of Christ to us as Iohn 13. Saint Peter wonders at Christs humility Wilt thou wash my feet So we may much more wonder at the humility of Christ that he that was the Sonne of God higher than the Angels would die the cursed death
grapes and thy teeth are set on edge with them It is I that have sinned but Lord thou hast done nothing worthy of these great paines therefore O Lord that I may never forget this great love of thine though I cannot perfume thy body as Mary did with sweet spices yet will I never cease to wash it with the daily teares of true repentance for my sinnes But alas we can weepe for the losse of our wives of our children but we cannot weepe for our sinnes therefore we should doe as the Physitian who when hee findeth men dangerously bleeding at the nose lets them bloud in another place and so turnes the course of the bloud another way so our weeping for worldly losses we should turne to weeping for our sinnes and for the losse of Gods favour that thus Christ was crucified for them Secondly seeing Christ was crucified we should labour to see all our spirituall enemies crucified with him for when Christ was upon the Crosse he pulled the Devill sinne death and damnation to the Crosse with him and so also were crucified so Christ was not crucified alone but all the enemies of mans salvation with him So the Apostle Coloss 2. 14. speaking hereof saith And putting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us he even tooke it out of the way and fastned it to his crosse and having spoiled the principalities and powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it therefore the same Crosse that served to crucifie Christ the same hath served to crucifie our spirituall enemies and though the Iewes saw none but Christ upon the Crosse thou that art a Christian must goe further and see all the enemies of mans salvation the Devill damnation and sinne crucified with him Thirdly seeing Christ was crucified upon the crosse we must be contented to crucifie our selves and therefore after a spirituall manner we must goe to the Crosse of Christ and naile our hands and feet unto the Crosse that we may not move a hand or a foot to displease God Nay we must goe further and crucifie our sinfull and carnall lusts and inordinate affections for the Apostle saith that they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof So that there is not a true Christian but hath beene upon the crosse already and hath carried his corruptions thither to be crucified therefore looke how busie the Iewes were in crucifying of Christ be thou as busie to crucifie thy sinnes and corruptions howsoever men may talke of the crucifying of Christ yet if thou have no care to crucifie thy sinnes and thy carnall lusts thou canst have no comfort by it be sure then as the Iewes did apprehend Christ condemned him set a crowne of thornes upon his head spet on his face nailed him to the Crosse killed him and flung him into the grave even so doe thou by thy sinnes labour thou to apprehend thy sinnes to condemne them set a crowne of thornes upon them spet at them doe all the disgrace that may be to them naile them to the crosse and bury them in the grave of Christ that so they never rise againe Fourthly seeing Christ was crucified and suffered such extremities This must teach us to see what extremitie all unrepentant sinners must looke for at the day of judgement for if Christ suffered such extremitie that had but the imputation of our sinnes upon him what shall become of them that live in their sinnes inherit them Our Saviour wee know saith If they doe this to the greene tree what shall become of the dry If they did so to Christ that had no sinne what shall become of thee I will tell thee if thou be found in thy sins and have not repented them thou must looke for no mercy for if he spared not his Sonne then look that he will not spare thee For as the Apostle saith Rom. 11. 21. if God spared not the naturall branches but cut them off take heed lest he spare not thee who art a wilde olive tree Fifthly seeing Christ was crucified and suffered such extremitie for the saving of thy soule then thou must be contented to suffer any thing to be saved For did Christ suffer for thee And art not thou that art a Christian contented to suffer any thing that thy soule may be saved If men did know the true value of their soules they would be contented to suffer any thing to save them as the Apostle ssaith Philip. 3. I count all things as dung and drosse to be found in Christ And so the holy Martyrs Hebr. 11. it is said Some of them were racked some were sawne asunder and would not be delivered that they might obtaine a better resurrection The third thing that the Evangelist shewes in his crucifying is how they did strip him they did pull off his clothes we see first they put off the purple robes and put on his owne garments and now when they naile him to the Crosse they strip off his owne garments and let him hang naked on the Crosse This sheweth the merit of our sinnes that wee deserve not the least bit of bread nor the meanest coat that may be to live or to die in hence we may learne that every must labour to finde this guiltinesse in himselfe for it is the Lords mercie that we have any thing as Christ was stripped at his death so we deserve to be stripped of all comfort at the day of death and as Iaakob said Lord I am lesse than the least of thy mercies so we may say Lord I am not worthy of the least bid of bread nor of the meanest coat nor of the least comfort that may be Thus the Prophet declares Gods goodnesse Lament 13. It is the Lords mercy that wee are not consumed and it is Gods mercy that we have a coat to put on our backes that we have a bit of bread to put in our mouths a bed to lye in an house to put our heads in and if we have any thing more than others we must acknowledge it is the Lords great mercy to us and wee are to blesse God for it that he hath made our life any way comfortable to us And the same Prophet Ieremie complaines of this neglect in his dayes Chap. 5. 24. Neither say they in their hearts let us now feare the Lord our God who gave us raine both early and late and appointed unto us the weekes of harvest And even so the Lord bestowes on us abundance of his blessings O that men would feare the Lord for those his blessings that from day to day they live in but we have our hearts hardened like them who Marke 6. 52. had not considered the matter of the loaves because their hearts were hardened Secondly seeing Christ was naked on the Crosse this must teach us how naked we are in the sight of God that wee have not a
redeemed us by his Sonne not onely by his life but by his death also And therefore as S. Andrew saith I am more beholding to thee O Lord for the worke of my redemption by the death of thy Sonne than for the power by which I was created therefore if a man should be thankfull for his creation much more should he be for the worke of his redemption for it was a marvellous love of Christ the hee tooke our nature upon him to come into the world to worke our redemption to lose his life to finish and perfect it and therefore how thankefull ought we to be for so great a mercy Secondly seeing our redemption and salvation is perfected and finished by the death of Christ wee may see the grievousnesse and greatnesse of our sinnes that when we had sinned against God all the powers in heaven and earth could not doe it but it must bee Christ that eternall Sonne of God and it was not with his life only but with his death wee thinke much of suffering any little affliction or trouble but Christ must die to expiate sinne and to abolish it whereas neither Angels nor Archangels nor all the Saints and holy men in the world could have done it therfore seeing Christ paid so deare for it we must take heed we doe not account it a light matter to sinne Therefore let us take heed how we grieve him by our sinne seeing hee was contented to lose his life and to shed his heart blood for us SERMON XXV LVKE 23. 46. And when Iesus had cryed with a loud voyce hee said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And having said thus he gave up the ghost OF the seven last words which Christ spake on the crosse this is the last which containes an holy Resignation of the soule and spirit of Christ into the hands of his Father wherein something in generall and something in particular is to bee considered The generall is this That all the speeches and words that Christ did speake on the crosse from the first to the last were holy and good so hee did not onely begin well but did end well also he made an holy close of his life when he came to breathe out his last breath which must teach us what the care of a Christian should be when he is in sicknesse and trouble not onely to begin well but to continue well till he come to dye and breathe out his last breath and then to make an holy close of his life this is that which Christ speaketh of Mat. 24. Hee that continueth unto the end shall bee saved and the spirit of God Revel 2. 10. Bee thou faithfull to the death and I will give thee a crowne of life An Archer though hee ayme and draw well yet if hee in the loose let his hand slip or sinke downe he will be wide of the marke so though we begin and ayme well yet if we start aside or sinke downe when wee come to die wee lose all our glory therefore it must bee our care not onely to begin but to end well also It is in sanctified motions as it is with wheeles that bee swiftest at the first and afterwards slower and slower till the wheele stand still so it is in sanctified motions they bee swiftest at the first and afterward by little and little they abate till at last they dye if they bee not supplied by good meanes therefore it is good not onely to begin well but also to end well too when we breathe out our last breath Iohn 2. Christ set out the best wine at the last But quite contrary it is the manner of the world to bee best at first and worst at last with the people of God it must not be so for if there bee any worst it must bee the first and the best at the last Indeed it is the fashion of the world to begin well and to end ill but the people of God must not doe so they must not onely begin well but also continue well and end well and so make an holy close of their life when they breathe out their last breath and when they shut up their eyes from the light of this world they may see the kingdome of heaven The next thing to be considered is the practice of Christ when hee came to dye In which observe five things 1. To whom he commended his spirit to his Father 2. What it was he commended his spirit 3. When he commended his spirit at the instant of his death 4. Vpon what ground he commended his spirit upon a perswasion that he was his Father 5. What comfort wee may have by the commending of his spirit into the hands of his Father First to whom hee commended his spirit the Text sheweth to his Father When we be alive we commend our selves to our friends in hope of comfort but when we come to die we must commend ourselves to God only therefore as Christ when hee came to dye shut up his eyes and did not looke upon his mother nor his disciples nor upon any beloved but hee did wholly commend himselfe into the hands of his Father in hope of comfort so when wee come to dye wee must shut up our eyes and not comfort our selves in our wives children friends and those we love deareliest but we must commend our soules into the hands of God Yea the people of God have good cause to doe so in regard he is all in all to us as David saith Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee therefore hee cast himselfe upon God in hope of comfort so a man while he liveth may have many friends to commend himselfe to but when hee commeth to dye there is none but God that we can commend our soules to Therefore seeing no man hath any body to commend his soule to at last but God onely it must be our wisedome to keepe God our friend for if we despise him in our health it is just with him to despise and reject us when we come to die We read Iudg 10. 14. when the Children of Israel had forsaken the Lord and followed Baalam and Astaroth and served them in their distresse when they came and cried to God to save them out of the hands of their enemies the Lord said unto them Goe and crie unto the gods whom ye have chosen Let them save you in the time of your tribulation In like manner the Lord will say to us when wee have despised him in the time of our health and have followed our pleasures profits and our old sinnes goe and crie unto the gods whom yee have served see if your money will save and helpe you you that have made your pleasures your belly and your sinnes your God now see if these will helpe you for if ye despised God in your life time it is just with
hands of God upon a perswasion of the Fatherly care of God that God was his Father this made him bold to commend his soule into the hands of God and may teach us that all that commend their soules to God must commend them upon a good ground we must not commend them upon a merry conceit without a ground but wee must have a ground for it Now there bee three grounds upon which a man may comfortably commend himselfe to God First because he is the Father of Spirits and the God of all mens soules our bodies wee have mediately from our parents but our soules immediately from God therefore he is called the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. and Eccles. 12. it is said The soule goeth to God that gave it therefore seeing God gave them and made them wee may bee bold upon this ground to commend our spirits backe againe unto him for every workeman will preserve his owne worke therefore let us commend our soules to God as a faithfull Creator for seeing he made them he will preserve them if we will commit them to him Secondly a perswasion that God is our Father by the meanes of Christ if God be our Father we may be bold to commend our soules to him for with whom may one bee bold if a childe may not with his father therefore as hee is the Father of Christs so labour to make him thy Father and then mayst thou with comfort commend thy selfe into the hands of God Christ when hee would comfort his Disciples saith to them Tell my brethren I goe to my Father and to your Father to my God and 〈◊〉 your God when we can finde this that hee is not onely the Father of Christ but my Father we may be bold to commend out soules into his hands upon this ground Thirdly we may be bold to commend our soules to God upon the former experience we have had of Gods favour and mercy towards us this made David bold to commend himselfe to God Psal 31. 5. Into thy hands Lord I commend my spirit because thou hast redeemed my soule O Lord God of truth I have had experience of thy love and mercy therefore into thine hands I commend my spirit In like manner when we have experience of Gods goodnesse and mercy it makes us bold to commend our soules into the hands of God And these be the grounds for we must not doe it of nothing or of a meere conceit but of a good ground as Christ did so must we Fifthly What comfort we may have by the practises of Christ in commending his soule into the hands of God I answer we may have a two-fold comfort First as Christ did not commend his owne soule only into the hands of God but my soule thy soule and all the soules of the faithfull men in the world because all the soules of the faithfull are bound in a bundle with his therefore deposing and laying downe his soule in the hands of God all the soules of the faithfull are deposed and laid downe with it for as his body was a pawne and a pledge for our bodies so his soule is a pawne and a pledge for our soules therefore Athanasius saith well Our Lord Iesus when he did commend his soule into the hands of God he did not onely commend his owne soule but with it all the soules of the faithfull men in the world for as they die in Christs death and rise in his resurrection and ascend by his ascension so by his deposing and laying downe his soule into the hands of God hee doth with it commend all the soules of the faithfull men in the world which may be a great comfort to a Christian at all times that his soule is safely deposed in the hands of God when he dies Secondly seeing he laid downe his owne soule in the hands of God and with it our soules therefore when men die their soules doe not sleepe in their bodies nor wander about the graves nor passe up and downe in the world nor are in a place of torment as the Papists say but they be in the hands of God I think there is no man here but takes this speech to be a metaphor and borrowed speech for God hath no hands but by hands is meant that they are under Gods protection in safetie and securitie For as a man that hath a Iewell will not lay it down at his friends feet but he will put it into his hands for the more safetie so Christ hath put all the soules of the faithfull into the hands of God to bee kept in safetie till the resurrection and the last day of judgement Act. 5. Wee may see when the people had sold their possessions they laid downe their money at the Apostles feet but the soules of the faithfull servants of God are not laid downe at the feet of God but are put into the hands of God for more safety and securitie as Revel 1. it is said that Christ holds the seven Stars in his right hand to shew that he that puls away a preacher he must pull him out of the hands of God and so Ioh. 10. 29. saith Christ My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands neither wicked man nor devill no power can plucke them out of my hands therefore it is a sweet comfort that when a Christian dies his soule goeth into the hands of God if it were in our owne keeping then it were subject to the temptations of the Devill and a number of troubles and much hurt but being in the hands of God they shall be kept from all danger all the powers in heaven and earth shall not be able to hurt them And thus wee have heard briefly and with a great deale of weaknesse the seven last Words of Christ expounded which he spake on the Crosse SERMON XXVI IOHN 19. 30. VVhen Jesus therefore had received the vineger he said It is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost HAving spoken of the Crucifying of Christ now in the next place we are to speake of his Death for when he had hung three houres in paines and torments on the Crosse Hee bowed downe his head and gave up the ghost that is he died as wee doe his soule and bodie were parted Now in the Death of Christ there be divers things to be considered 1. Why it was needfull that Christ should die 2. The time when he died 3. The manner of his death 4. The manifestation of it 5. The power of it 6. The effects of it First Why it was needfull Christ should die of which there was three causes that made a necessitie of his death First To satisfie the justice of God for mans sinne for such was the hainousnesse of mans sinnes sentence being
passed that heaven and earth could not reverse it therefore either we must die in our own persons or Christ must die for us he took our nature upon him died for us and so gave satisfaction to the justice of God In the Law we see when lots were cast for the Goats he that the lot fell on was killed and the other escaped so there were lots cast whether we should die or he it pleased God that the lot fell on Christ hee was killed and we escaped wherein we may see the infinite love of Christ that died to satisfie the justice of God that we might not die we reade 2 Sam. 10. 33. David cried out O my sonne Absalom my sonne my sonne Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my sonne my sonne wherein he shewed the true affection of a father Now that which David desired for his sonne Christ hath performed for us and therefore when wee thinke of the death of Christ we may thinke of the infinite love of God to us If one should commit such a fault against the King that he should lose his head or his eye or some part of him how farre should a man goe to finde such a friend to take his punishment upon him and so free him But Christ doth more for us than this he hath not only lost an eye or an hand for us but hee died for us therefore as often as wee thinke of the death of Christ so often wee should thinke of the love of God The Centurion Luke 7. sent the Elders of the Iewes to Christ to tell him of one that loved their nation and builded them a Synagogue but Christ hath done more for us than to build a Synagogue for he hath loved us and wished away our sinnes in his bloud as Saint Iohn saith Revel 1. 5. And therefore as often as we thinke of the death of Christ so often let us thinke of the infinite love of Christ that he would die for us to satisfie the justice of God for sinne Secondly it was needfull that Christ should die that our sinnes might die in his death for he tooke all our sinnes upon him as Saint Peter saith Who in his owne body bare our sinnes upon the Crosse when he went to die on the crosse all our sinnes were bound unto him who carried them up with him unto the crosse that they might be crucified with him and die in his death this was another thing that made a necessity of the death of Christ therefore if we live in sinne what doe we but pull downe our sinnes from the crosse of Christ bring them to the fire rub and chafe them as it were put Aqua-vitae into the mouth of them that they may live againe Iosua 7. we read that Achan stole away a wedge of gold and a Babylonish garment of the spoile when Iericho was destroyed and that proved his owne destruction in the end so if wee steale our sinnes from the crosse of Christ notwithstanding Christ died that sin might die with him then these same stolne sinnes will be our destruction Thirdly it was needfull that Christ shold die to seale unto true beleevers the promises that God hath made in the Gospell God hath bequeathed life everlasting and Christ heaven and happinesse to those that repent and beleeve In the law there is nothing but death and destruction promised to those that did transgresse and breake it but in the new testament God hath promised to them that repent and beleeve life and salvation heaven and happinesse Therefore that these promises might be sealed and confirmed Christ must die for as long as the testator liveth the testament is of no force As it is Heb. 9. 16. For saith he the testament is confirmed when men be dead because it is of no force as long as he that made it is alive therefore that the promises of God might stand good unto us it pleased the sonne of God to die for us and to seale it with his blood all which is to sustaine and comfort us for although wee have nothing here but misery and trouble yet one day we shall bee put in possession of heaven and happinesse as a man that hath a patent or a sealed deed that hee shall have such lands and livings one day though hee have not any thing to help himselfe yet he wil comfort himselfe with that which is to come so though we be put in possession on these promises presently yet let us comfort our selves that one day they shall be verified unto us and although wee endure troubles and afflictions in this world yet we may bodly stand up and say Lord I thanke thee I have a sealed deed to shew that one day I shall enjoy the promises that thou hast made in the Gospell here we see for the comfort of a Christian it was needfull for Christ to die and to seale with his blood the promises that are made in the Gospell Secondly the time when he died when he had finished the worke of mans redemption and done the worke hee came for a long time did he hang on the crosse in paines and torments yet he dyed not till hee had done the worke hee came for which must teach us that wee should bee willing to die when we have done our worke when wee have repented of our sinnes and made Christ sure to us then we should be willing to die and never till then so it is said of David Act. 13. 36. After he had served his generation by the counsell of God he fell on sleepe and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption so the Lord said to Moses Numb 31. 2. Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites and afterwards shalt thou be gathered unto thy people in like manner we must doe the will of God and fulfill the worke he sent us to doe and then we shall be willing to dye and never till then If a master should send his servant beyond sea to deale for him in his businesse if hee come home and doe the halfe onely and leave the other halfe undone hee must looke for a cold welcome home so God hath sent us into this world to doe his businesse whereof if we doe but the halfe leaving the rest undone we may looke for a cold welcome when wee come to dye 1 King 19. 4. we read that Elias laid him downe under a Iuniper tree and desired that he might die saying it is enough O Lord take away my life for I am no better than my fathers at which time an Angell came unto him and said Vp Elias eate and drinke for thy journey is too great for thee so many times a Christian may have a desire to dye when troubles and griefes are upon him but the Spirit of God comes unto him and bids him arise for God hath another service for him to doe We see Christ was not willing to dye
David saith Psal 59. that their throates are an open sepulcher even like an open grave a stinking place a place of rottennesse and Matth. 23. 27. our Saviour saith that the Pharisees were like painted graves that looke gloriously without but within were lothsome and filthy therefore because the grave is the lothsommest and filthiest place in it selfe Christ was buried that hee might perfume and sweeten our graves so wee see that Christ hath altered the nature of the grave for that whereas it was a place of rottennesse now he hath made it a sweet resting place to his servants Chrysostome saith well that which was a prison house of a severe Iudge he hath made a storehouse to lay up his treasure in for the grave was a prison house wherein men lay bound under the chaines of death untill the day of judgement now hee hath made it a storehouse to treasure up his servants till the time of Resurrection as Esay 57. 2. saith the Prophet Hee shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds every one that walketh before me so the grave is as the bed for his servants to rest in till Christ bring them to glory and happinesse If a man were to passe into another countrey and must goe through dennes graves and hollow places in the earth if one could espy the footsteps of one of our deare friends that had passed that way this would give a man comfort to follow after so wee are to passe into another countrey to heaven and wee must goe through the dennes caves and hollow places of the earth if wee can see by the eye of faith that Christ hath gone the same way there bee footsteps and markes that he hath left behinde him this will give a man courage and comfort therefore howsoever death may be terrible and dreadfull to the eye of sense and to be trodden and trampled under feet of death is a fearefull thing yet by the eye of faith wee may see that Christ hath perfumed the grave and made it a sweete resting place to his servants and therefore this may comfort us Fourthly that wee might have power and strength to bury sinne for wee must not onely have power to kill sinne and worke the death of it which is much but there must also bee as it were a buriall of sinne there must be a consuming of it by little and little till it be utterly wasted as a dead man when hee is laid into the grave and buried consumes by little and little so wee must bury sinne till it bee consumed and wasted for as it is with man so it is with sinne in a man there be two things the life and the body of man take away the life from the body and that is nothing but a lumpe of earth if it remaine unburied it will poyson the ayre so there is in every man the life of sinne and the body of sinne the life of sinne is the raigning of it and the body of sinne is the lumpe of lust and corruption therefore when the life or rather raigning of sin is taken away still there remaines the body sinne this wee must bury or else it will infect us so the Apostle Paul faith Rom. 6. that we doe not onely dye to sinne in the death of Christ but we are also buried with him therefore let us carry this same body of sinne unto the grave of Christ and bury it in his grave And you that have beene at the buriall of your friends turne againe to bury your sinnes every one must addresse himselfe to this buriall that so it may be wasted and consumed wee read Ezek. 39. 14. of a strange speech that there were scearchers appointed to goe through the land who if they found any dead mens bones they were to set up a sticke till the buriers did come and bury them so a Christian must doe his conscience must bee the scearcher it must finde out our sinnes which be as dead mens bones and when wee have found them wee must set stickes up by them for markes and never be at rest till they bee buried and may rot and consume to nothing therefore seeing Christ was buried that wee might have power and strength to bury sinne we must take heed that we doe not roote them out of the grave againe and uncover the moulds to this end let every man pray for grace that he may suffer his sinnes to be buryed If a man should rake a man out of the grave that had lyen there foure dayes as Lazarus did hee would poyson the ayre and infect the countrey so our sinnes if we should root them out that have beene buried these hundred yeeres they would bee ready to infect all the country therefore wee must pray to God that our sinnes may be buried and kept downe by the power of Christs buriall that so they may never rise againe The second thing observed was the parties that buried Christ Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus now these were great rich men Senatours honorable men and Counsellors who buried Christ with their owne hands they did it not by a servant Ioseph he begs the body of Christ and tooke it downe in all likelihood with his owne hands and Nicodemus brought an hundreth pound of sweete odours of Myrrh and Aloes to imbalme the body of Christ It is a strange thing that these honorable persons would stoope to so meane a service as this but it was the love that they bare to Christ that made them and it may teach us that if wee truely love Christ wee will stoope to any meane duty and service for Christ or his members as Gen. 18. when the Angels came to Abrahams house he made them a feast and he waited on them as if hee had beene a servant because of the love he did beare to them so in Exod. 2. 11. wee read Moses was the adopted sonne of Pharoahs daughter and yet he did not scorne to goe out and looke on the burthens of his brethren and when there was injury offered unto them he did labour to right it so also Zacheus hee was a rich man who when hee did heare that Christ came by gets himselfe into a fig-tree to see Christ now one should have thought that such a man would have scorned such a thing to climbe up into a tree amongst boyes and girles and yet love to Christ made him doe it in like manner our Saviour Christ Iohn 13. did rise from the Table and tooke a towell and girding it about him washed his Disciples feet and after he had done he said ye call me Lord and Master as I am indeede if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feete yee ought much more to wash one anothers feete if there be any love in us to Christ we will stoope to any meane duty or service for Christ or his members one would have thought that such an honorable person as Ioseph
in the comparison I shewed you a little before though a man turne his backe upon the Sunne and goe away from it yet the Sunne followes him with his heat light and beames so when we are going away from Christ he followes us with his kindnesse and followes us with his goodnesse and mercie so Christ did manifest himselfe to these two Disciples when they were going from him therefore let us thinke of the kindnesse and goodnesse of Christ Esay 55. saith the Lord I was found of them that sought me not It is a great mercy of God that he will be found of them that seeke him but a greater mercy that when men goe away from him and have not a thought of him then he to seeke after them The second circumstance is that although they were going from Christ and from Ierusalem yet they were talking of him by the way there was some sparkes and seeds of goodnesse left Now this Towne they went to was not a Towne of Religion though a Countrie Towne and it is very like that they went about country businesse yet as they went by the way they talked of Christ 〈◊〉 must teach us what manner of talke a Christian must have though 〈…〉 worldly businesse going to a Faire or to a Market or any other journey We read 2 Kings 2. 11. when Elias and Elisha went together they went walking and talking till a firie Chariot came and parted them tooke away Elias and left Elisha on his calling And what were they talking of not of money matters but of immortalitie and of Heavenly things so in the Acts when the Eunuch was on his way riding in his Chariot and had no body to talke with hee puls out his Bible and would have God to talke with him and to this end Deuter. 6. 7. wee have a Commandement from God to speake of his Word When wee rise when we lie downe when we goe by the way and when we be at our meate Thus Psal 37. 30. David saith The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his talke will be of judgement and he gives a reason of it because the Law of God is in his heart so a righteous mans mouth will speake of good things hee will be talking of Religion If a man have a Spring in his ground hee can hardly hold it but it breakes foorth into other grounds in like manner if there be a spring of grace and of goodnesse in a mans heart he cannot hold it but it will breake foorth and flow out to others therefore when men goe up and downe and never speake of the Word it shewes there is not a Spring of grace in them It is a good thing for a Christian to talke of Christ and of the worke of Redemption and of the great things that God hath prepared for them even when they are about their worldly businesse and labors and if it be a good thing to speake of Christ and of the Word when we be about our labors and businesse then it is much better to talke of the Word when we come from a Sermon and from hearing the Word preached on the Sabbath day or at other times Nehem. 8. 1◠It is said The people rejoyced that they had heard the law read unto them and that they did understand the sense of it so when wee heare the Word of God preached we should goe away rejoycing that we have heard it and understood the sense of it Luk. 2. 44. When they returned from Ierusalem from the feast they went in Troopes and a great company together the reason was because they might speake of the good things that they had heard so it is a Christians dutie to goe in companies together to conferre of the good things they have heard We see when men come from the Sea they will speake of the Sea or from the Warre they will speake of the Warre or from the Market they will talke of the Market and if men have beene at their worke they will talke of their worke but many times wee goe to a Sermon and speake not a word of that the Marriner may speake of the Sea the Souldier of his Warre the Husbandman of his Markets but it is a pittifull thing that Christians will not speake of the good things they have heard out of the Word of God There be three causes why men doe not speake of it The first a prophane contempt of God and goodnesse because they desire to have as little to doe with him as may be as the divels Matth. 8. 29. cryed out and said What have wee to doe with thee Iesus thou Sonne of God so they say What have we to doe with God and goodnesse and as in Iob 21. 15. the wicked said who is the Almightie that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we should pray to him The second is want of caution that 〈…〉 watchfull over their wayes but suffer a great deale of idle speech to come from them as the waste water of a conduit for many men doe not consider that they shall answere for every idle word not onely for the bad words but for the idle also that tend to no good end Wee see in a conduit there is not onely a pipe to let out the water but a cocke also to hold it in so we must have a cocke as it were to keepe in our speeches therefore as David praieth Psal 141. 3. Lord set a watch before the doore of my lips so we must goe to God and pray him to set a watch before the doore of our lips The third is want of love to our brethren because wee doe not love them therefore wee doe not speake of good things to them for if wee did love them then wee would be ready to impart the good things that God hath made knowne to us The second generall point is how he did manifest himselfe unto them and that was first when they were talking of Christ by the way then hee came and did joyne himselfe unto them Here wee see the blessing of God upon good talke let men talke of Christ when they be going on their way and when they be at their labours when they be journeying and they shall finde the blessing of God upon their speeches therefore wouldest thou have Christ present at thy table and at thy labors and as thou goest by the way then speake of him for there is such a drawing power in good speech as it will draw Christ to thee and let us speake of him and of Religion and then we shall finde the blessing of God upon us but as long as there is filthy speech and cursing amongst us Christ will not come to us but that will drive him away from us Secondly in the manner we may observe that Christ did manifest himselfe and they did not know of it their eyes were
a holy life then as Christ did rise and afterwards ascend so shalt thou but if thou dost not Christ shall ascend and leave thee heere nay well it were if thou mightest remaine in this life but Christ shall ascend to heaven and thou shalt goe to hell and therefore let every one labour to rise out of his sinnes here in this life that he may ascend with Christ into heaven There be a number of people in the world thinke to ascend to heaven and goe to God but if they doe not rise out of their sinnes but continue in them still they are like to perish in them Heb. 11. 5. It is said By faith Enoch was translated that hee might not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he was reported of that he pleased God so labour thou to please God in a good course and walke with him so farre foorth as frailty will permit and then when thou parts from this world thou shalt be sure to goe to God The second circumstance is that it was forty daies after he rose as it is Act. 1. 3. Christ had right to heaven so soone as hee rose but for the good of his Church and of his Disciples he was content to tarry from it for a time which must teach us to bee content to tarry from heaven for a time for the good of them amongst whom wee live so wee see Paul did as it is Phil. 3. Neverthelesse to abide in the flesh is more needfull for you and having this confidence I know that I shal abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of saith so 2 King 20. 2. it is said of Hezekiah Then â—e turned his face to the wall and prayed Why did Hezekiah weepe and pray to the Lord that he might live I answer not that he was affraid of death but hee desired to live for the good of the Church because Religion and the worship of God was in danger which he desired to establish as Martin a bishop in France when he came to dye for the good of the Church desired to turne into the world againe Now these examples may serve to make us contented to tarry out of heaven for a time for the good of others if Christ tarried forty daies for the good of the Church much more should wee bee contented to leave places of honour and of preferment for the good of the Church for there bee too many men that will not step one foot from their preferment for the good of their brethren as Nehem. 5. hee laies it as a great fault on the rich men that they would not ease their poore brethren and there is a curse denounced against such Iudg. 5. 23. Curse yee Meroz saith the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not out to helpe the Lord against the mighty unto which many are now liable who will hazard nothing for the love of Christ The third circumstance is that before Christ ascended hee gave a change and a commandement to his Disciples as we may read Act. 1. 2. Vntill the day in which hee was taken up after that hee through the holy Ghost had given commandement unto the Apostles whom hee had chosen And what was the charge he gave them It was concerning the kingdome of God religion and the worship of God which may teach us before wee ascend and death take us away we must give charge to our children to our servants and to those which doe concerne us touching Religion and the worship of God that they bee faithfull in the covenant of God when we be dead and gone and then we may comfortably ascend to heaven so we see David did 1 Chron. 28. 9. when he came to dye he gave a charge and a commandement to his sonne Solomon saith he And thou Solomon my sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts If thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cost thee off for ever so likewise Moses did Numb 27. 18. And the Lord said unto Moses Take thee Ioshua the sonne of Nun a man in whom is the Spirit and put thy hand upon him and set him before Eleazer the Priest and before all the congregation and give him a charge in their sight so every governour and every master and father should give charge and commandement concerning Religion and the worship of God to those which doe concerne them that they may bee faithfull in the covenant and hold out Religion when they be dead and gone and then they may comfortably ascend as Christ did Thirdly The place from whence he ascended now in every motion there is the place from whence they goe and the place whither they goe the place a quo from whence Christ ascended was Bethanie as Saint Luk. 24. 50 The mount of Olives as it is Act. 1. which was the place whence a little before he went to his Passion it was the place where he sweat water and blood and where hee was apprehended yet heere it is said to bee the place from which hee ascended to heaven which may teach us that iâ— wee be faithfull and walke carefully and conscionably before God the places that he places of trouble and of torment to us he will make them Mount Olives places of comfort and therefore doest thou lye on thy sicke bed art thou troubled with paine and sicknesse and hast beene many yeeres together bee faith fall and God can make thy sicke bed Bethania to thee a place to ascend to heaven from and so likewise art thou in prison or in any other base place bee faithfull and of good comfort the Lord can make it like the Mount Olives a place to ascend to heaven from doest thou dwell in a poore cottage and a smoaky house be of good comfort God can make this a meanes to ascend to heaven by and goe to God Secondly the place ad quem whither he ascended and that is into heaven so the Angels say Act. 1. 11. Yee men of Galilee why stand yee gazing into heaven this same Iesus which is taken from you into heaven shall so come as yee have seene him goe to heaven so againe Peter saith of him Act. 3. 21. Whom the heavens must containe untill the time that all things be restored and Paul Heb. 9. 24. Hee is gone to appeare in the presence of God for us so it is cleare by all these Scriptures that Christ is gone to heaven Now if he be gone to heaven then it is in vaine to seeke him heere in this world The Papists say that the bread in the Sacrament after the words of consecration are turned into the body of Christ nay into the very flesh as hee was borne of the
God and hee shall not onely bee blessed in this world but be pronounced also blessed at the great assembly when heaven and earth and hell shall meet together before God and all the blessed Angels and holy men even by that sweet mouth of Christ which shall chace and drive thousands to hell and shall curse the wicked but shall say to such Come ye blessed my Father receive the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning therefore labour thou whosoever thou art to be thus blessed of Christ and then thou art fenced against all the injuries and wrongs that this world doth afford us Secondly wee did observe in the Manner of Christs ascension that when hee departed hee went not suddainely away from them as he did from the Disciples that went to Emmaus but he departed by little and little leasurely till a cloud came and tooke him out of their sight Now in severall ages there were some that ascended as Henoch in the time of Nature Elias in the time of the Law and Christ in the time of the Gospell To teach us that heaven is the house prepared for the faithfull in all ages But there was great difference in their ascensions Others ascended by means as we may see in the 2 Kin. 2. 12. Elias was carried up in a firie chariot but Christ did ascend by His owne power and vertue without the helpe of any and so in Luk. 16. 22. When Lazarus was dead he was carried of the Angels into heaven But Christ ascended by his owne power which may teach us that al others have need of help to ascend to heavē but Christ had none Secondly Others ascended before death ceased on them as Elias but Christ ascended after hee was killed and crucified and put into the grave hence we learne all the people of God shall rise and ascend but first death must kill them and they must be laid into the grave and then they shall rise and after that ascend as Revel 11. 9. it is said That the bodies of the two Prophets lay in the streets three daies and an halfe and after life came into them againe and the world wondred at it and ver 12. it is shewed how they rose That they heard a voyce from heaven saying Come up hither and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud in like manner labour thou to be joyned with Christ and as Christ ascended so shalt thou ascend Thirdly Others went onely themselves to heaven but made no way for any body els but when Christ ascended he made way for others to ascend and follow him he did not as Lot Gen. 19. who when he had taken in the angel shut the doore but Christ when he entred into heaven left the doore open for others to enter in so it is said Heb. 10. 20. Hee entred by the new and living way which hee prepared for us through the veile that is his flesh even by the veile of his flesh hath he dedicated a way for us to heaven therefore Chrysostome saith well Christ hath entred into heaven at the narrow hole of his passions and hath left a broad doore for his members to follow Fourthly Others when they were ascended could do nothing there though they could work miracles on earth but Christ being ascended is as powerfull to administer to his people in this kingdome as if he were with them in this world for Act. 2. 33. hee being ascended sent downe the gifts and graces of his spirit upon his Disciples others being ascended can doe nothing their power being confined to the place where they bee but Christ being ascended as is powerfull here as if he were present Fifthly Others went away on a suddaine as wee see 2 King 2. that Elias ascended in a Whirlewind but Christ ascended by little and little by degrees till a cloud came and tooke him out of their sight Now there be two reasons why Christ did not ascend into heaven suddainely but by little and little first that they might sensibly see hee had left this world and was ascended into heaven therefore wee should not looke for him here it behoveth the Church to know that Christ is ascended into heaven and that for their good to prepare a place for them to send downe the gifts and graces of his spirit so Ioh. 6. wee may see the Disciples when Christ told them that he should go away from them sorrowed and mourned for it I but when they did consider that hee was ascended for their good to prepare a place for them and to hold the possession of heaven till they were ready and to send the holy spirit into their hearts this was a great matter of joy and comfort to make them glad Secondly to take away an error in the world that many an one thinkes hee shall goe to heaven in a whirle-wind out of the midst of their sinnes and of their prophanenesse nay looke on Christ hee ascended by little and little and made many ascensions before hee came at heaven so must thou doe and therefore thou must not thinke to goe in a whirle-wind into heaven out of the midst of thy lusts and of thy sinnes but thou must make many ascensions every day in thy care zeale faith and thy repentance It is Christs speech Can. 3. Who is this that ascends up out of the wildernes perfumed with myrrh c. so the people of God ascend up leasurely till God receive them as S. Ierome saies speaking of the 42. journies of the children of Israel to the land of Canaan so we must not think to goe to heaven with ease but it will cost many a journey and a Christian must be every day rising in his care in his zeale in his faith in his repentance and in his love till at last he come at heaven gates Thirdly A cloud came and tooke him out of their sight so Saint Luke saies Act. 1. 9. And when hee had spoken these things whilst they beheld him hee was taken up for a cloud tooke him out of their sight that is it came under the foot of Christ and so did cover him and as hee went away in a cloud so Hee shall come againe at the day of judgement so the Angels said the Prophet Dan. 7. 13. saith I beheld in a vision by night and behold one like to the Son of man came in the clouds of heaven so Mat. 24. 30. And then shall appeare the signe of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the hindreds of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man comming in the clouds of heaven Now the use of this point is that seeing Christ ascended by a cloud into heaven and as he ascended so will come to judgement therfore so often as we looke on the clouds wee may consider that these bee the chariots that shall bring Christ to judgement however they now bring us winde and raine and snow
Christ doth defer the judgement day seeing all Creatures groane and long for the comming of it as Paul saith Rom. 8. the creatures they groane by the instinct of Nature and the people of God by the instinct of Grace therefore we may marvell that God doth deferre the judgement day I answere there be three causes or reasons of this delay 1. Gods patience in waiting for mans repentance 2. His goodnesse to his Creature 3. His care of the Elect. First it ariseth out of the patience of God in that he waits for our repentance as Peter sheweth 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering towards us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance so Gen. 6. the Lord gave the old world an hundred and twentie yeeres to repent in this S. Peter cals the patience of God in his first Epistle Chap. 3. verse 20. Because the Lord doth give us time to repent and doth deferre his judgements and waits with patience from yeere to yeere and from day to day to see when we will returne to him So then this delation of the judgement day ariseth out of the patience of God Revel 2. 21. it is said of the woman Iezabel that God gave her time to repent her of her fornications and when she did not the Lord did threaten to cast her into a bed of sicknesse so all the time that God gives us here is that we may repent and turne to him but if we doe not but despise the patience and kindnesse of God he will not onely cast us into a bed of sicknesse but he will cast us into hell Secondly it ariseth out of the goodnesse of God to his creature which hee extendeth to the reprobate so farre forth as it doth not impeach his justice for seeing it is a long time to lye in hell for ever and ever in torments where there shall bee no mitigation or intermission of paines but all the wicked shall be tormented day and night they shall have no Sabbath of rest nay they shall not have the least moment of ease therefore the Lord out of his goodnesse doth deferre the judgement day Mat. 8. the devils desired to be kept from hell and the Lord shewes his goodnesse to them Now if the Lord shewed his goodnesse to Divels much more to men Thirdly this delay ariseth out of the care and love that God hath of his Elect. There bee a number of men that bee yet unborne and a number now living unconverted therefore it pleaseth Christ to deferre the judgement day till the number of them bee accomplished It is said Revel 6. 9 10. The soules of them that lie under the Altar did crie unto the Lord saying How long O Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them which dwell on the Earth and answer was made that they should rest for a season untill their brethren and fellow-servants should be killed as they were so there be a number of them that bee yet unborne and not yet converted that the patience of God stayes for and therefore the judgement is delayed as Gen. 19. the Angell could doe nothing to Sodome till Lot was in Zoar set in safety so the Lord Iesus will doe nothing till hee hath set his Elect people in safetie Wee see a Ship that takes in passengers lies at Anchor till the last passenger be come in then they hoist up saile and away they goe so the Lord Iesus lies as it were at Anchor here in this world to take in passengers for the number of his Elect and when the last man is come then the judgement day shall be But some man will say if the judgement day be not yet then it will make men secure To this I answere that although the judgement bee not yet yet we know not how soone the day of death may come therefore we should prepare our selves for it repent us of our sinnes get faith in Christ for As the day of death leaves us so the judgement day shall finde us It is almost sixteene hundred yeeres since Iudas dyed and yet he shall stand before God in the same condition he dyed in an unrepentant man and in the same condition and estate hee shall stand before God in judgement Augustine saith well on Psal 36. Suppose that the day of judgement cannot bee yet yet the day of death cannot bee farre off therefore O man prepare for it for looke in what estate death leaves us in the â—ame estate shall judgement finde us I but yee will say though the judgement day be not yet yet it is good to keepe men in feare of it To this I answer that Christ would not have his Disciples build on a false ground and Paul saith 2 Thes 2. 1. Now wee beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling unto him that you be not soone shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as though the day of the Lord were at hand Let no man deceive you by any meanes for that day shall not come except there come a departing first and that man of sin be disclosed so he would not have their feare grounded on a false ground and I accordingly excite every Christian man or woman to be quickned hereby that as death leaves him so judgement shall finde him therefore we should so shut up our eyes here in this world as that they may be opened againe in the kingdome of God Fifthly The persons that shall be judged be the quicke and the dead that is all the men and women that are dead and all them that are alive at his comming for all men shall stand before him of what estate and condition soever they be rich and poore high and low we which are present and they which are absent as S. Paul saith We shall all appear before the judgement seat of Christ no man can be absent from it there were many exempted from the marriage but there is no man that can bee exempted from this the mountaines cannot hide us hell cannot hold us but we must all appeare before Christ in judgement and I would to God this were written in our hearts with the point of a Diamond that it might not be forgotten There be many wayes to shift mens Courts and Tribunals they may flie the countrey or bribe the Iudge or compound and agree with their adversary or if this doe it not they may be prevented by death O but we cannot shifts Gods judgement barre wee cannot fly the countrey for whither shall wee goe but hee will finde us out hell cannot hide us from his presence we cannot bribe the Iudge because he is an heavenly and a righteous Iudge and will give to every man according to his workes neither can we
Dragon that old Serpent which is the Divell and Satan and he bound him a thousand yeeres and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and he shut him up and sealed the doore upon him c. Thus we see it is Christ that is this Angell that hath the key of Hell in his hand to shut up the Divell and the damned and the wicked into Hell so that there shall not be left a Devill nor a wicked man nor any of the damned to annoy or hurt any good man So Matth. 15. 41. The Sonne of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquitie Now in this world in the most sanctified Church and best reformed there is a number of disorders and corruptions that doth trouble toyle and offend the People of God but at the last day every thing that offends shall bee taken away the Divell the Damned and Wicked men shall bee shut into Hell so that a dogge as it were shall not so much as moove his tongue at one of Gods People Secondly the wicked shall not onely bee shut into Hell but Christ hath a key also to open Heaven and to let in the godly as Iohn 14. 3. He saith to his Disciples I goe to prepare a place for you and if I goe to prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there may you be also So when he hath locked up the wicked and ungodly in Hell then hee will make a way to Heaven and open it to his Servants as 2 Kings 10. 15. When Iehu had slaine Ahabs seventie sons and Ahaziahs brethren and the blood was yet warme upon his hands meeting with a good man Iehonadah the sonne of Rechab He blessed him and said unto him Is thine heart upright as mine is towards thine and Iehonadab answered It is If it be give me thine hand and he gave him his hand and tooke him into his Chariot so the Lord will doe when hee hath chased all the wicked to Hell and the blood of them is yet warme as it were on his hands meeting with a good man he will say You are a good man your heart is upright then he will take him up into his Chariot that is into Heaven so God will honour all his servants Thus a Thes 1. 10. it is said That he will come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marvellous in all them that beleeve Hee will not account himselfe glorified till hee hath glorified his Saints therefore he will not be onely glorious in himselfe but he will also make his Saints glorious The Uses are First seeing Christ communicates his glory to his Saints therefore they should comfort themselves with the hope of this that one day there will bee a time of glory howsoever they are kept downe here in this world with many crosses and afflictions so Col. 3. 3. it is said Yee are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God there is a life in a Christian and that a glorious one too though the world cannot see it because it is hid in Christ yet it is truely in him as the beauty and life of the flower lieth hid in the roote all the winter-time so the life of a Christian and his glory lies hid in Christ but when he commeth then he shall be perspicuous then his glory shal appeare When Christ came before Pilate he asked him if he were a King sure he thought him but a poor king Christ answeres My kingdome is not of this world so a Christian may say in all his disgraces my kingdome is not of this world but is above the clouds a kingdome of glory and happinesse Chrysostome saith in this world is the place of conflict and combate therefore we must looke for nothing but blowes wounds and blood but when the combate is at an end then we may looke for crownes and rewards therefore wee may comfort our selves in the hope of this that one day we shall have glory Secondly seeing that Christ communicates his glory to his Saints all true Christians have good cause to long for his comming the wicked care not how long it bee ere hee come the longer hee tarries they thinke it the better O but the people of God they care not how soone he come because it is the better for them for when he comes they shall have glory therefore Saint Paul saith Rom. 8. that the creatures groane and the Saints groane desiring and longing when this time of glory will be as Iob 14. 14. saith he If a man dye shall he rise againe all the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my change come c. So Christians looke and waite for a change from mortality to immortality from an estate of humility to an estate of glory therefore they desire and long for Christs comming as Sisera's mother did waite and long for Sisera Iudg. 5. 28. where it is said The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and shee did cry out at the latise why is his chariot so long a comming and why tarrieth the wheeles of his chariot so the people of God long for Christs comming and when they looke out of their doores and windowes they may say O when will Christ come in his glory that wee may be glorified with him Thirdly seeing that Christ communicates his glory to his Saints and to his people doe thou labour to be one of them and it will be a comfortable day to thee therefore David saith Psal. 119. ult I have gone astray like a lost sheepe seeke thy servant for I have not forgot thy Commandements as if he should say I have gone astray I have beene a sinner but Lord seeke me and make me one of thy servants so a Christian may say with the holy father Bernard O Lord Iesus make me one of thy servants and receive mee and as thou tookest away the sinnes of thy people so doe thou now take away mine and Lord breede conscience and care in me that when thou glorifiest thy Saints I may be glorified with them there be many masters strive for my service as pride vaine-glory and covetousnesse but I strive against them all and I renounce them and bid farewell to them for I will bestow my love only on thee Christ shall be my king he shall be my Lord and Master and so when he comes in glory I shall have glory with him SERMON XLVII MATTHEW 24. 30 31. And they shall see the Sonne of Man comming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory And Hee shall send His Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together His Elect from the foure winds from one end of Heaven to the other WEE heard the last day that Christ shall come in glory to judge the whole world before hee came in the estate
me So this is the Reason of the Assignement The Popish Church lay hold on these words and would prove thereby that their workes merit at the hands of God because Christ gives heaven to those that doe good to his servants and because they shall be judged by their workes To which I answer although this be the reason why the Lord assignes heaven to them that they did workes of mercy and although we shall be judged by our workes yet workes are not the meritorious cause of it why he gives us heaven but the signes and tokens who be the persons so qualified that shall have heaven such as love Christ and shew mercy to his needy members and doe good to them I will cleere it you by an example The King of England makes a promise to bestow on his subjects a great reward out of his bountie and there came before him his subjects and his enemies and he saith to his subjects I will bestow this gift on you for when I was in France ye did attend on me and shewed your love to mee â—ow this gift shewes who be the subjects of the King and who be the enemies So at the last day when the good and bad shall be before Christ and Christ shall tell them this is the reason why I bestow heaven on you because I was hungry and yee gave mee meat this is not the cause of it but it shewes onely who be the persons that God hath assigned heaven to to those that love him and regard him in his members therefore one sayes well Christ shewes not for what he bestowes heaven in this place but on what kinde of persons he will bestow it And Chrysostome saith though the Saints doe a thousand such things as these yet they deserve nothing at the hands of God it is his bountie to bestow heaven on them for so small and meane things as these So then we see workes are not the cause why Christ assignes heaven to us And there be foure grounds for it The first groundâ— is from the estate and condition we be in all are servants Therefore whatsoever we doe is but our dutie and if it be our duty we cannot merit any thing at the hand of God So saith Christ Luke 17. 10. When yee have done all these things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our dutie to doe Therefore the very estate and condition that wee are in doth shâ—w that wee cannot merit any thing at the hands of God And Chrysostome saith No man is able to shew such an holy conversation of life to deserve any thing at the hands of God but when he hath done all he is but an unprofitable servant The Papists reply against this and say That although a man cannot merit any thing being in the estate of a servant yet if of a servant hee become a friend hee may merit Now that hee may bee a friend it is plaine by the words of Christ Iohn 15. 15. Hence call I you no servants for the servant knoweth not what his master doth but I have called you friends and in the verse before Yee are my friends To this I answer we are servants still though it please God to accept of us as his friends we are only made friends by acceptance in the merit of Iesus Christ which alters not the former condition of duty and service as may be proved by these places Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sinne yee are made the servants of righteousnesse and in the 1 Pet. 2. 16. he exhorteth them As free and not using the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God And Christ saith Ioh. 15. 19. Yee are my friends if yee doe whatsoever I command you therefore because we be servants still and remaine in the same estate and condition wee cannot merit any thing but when wee have done all wee doe but our dutie The second ground is our owne impotencie that we are not able to doe any good thing of our selves much lesse can wee merit anything Now that we can doe no good thing it is plaine by the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am And 2 Cor. 3. 5. saith he Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God So Phil. 2. 13. For it is God that worketh in you both the will and the dead even of his good pleasure Now then if all we doe is by the power of grace and if it is God onely which worketh both the will and the deed then we are beholding to God for it and God is not beholding to us Origen saith well No workes of man can deserve any thing at Gods hand because they cannot thinke any good or doe any good but it must be from God The Papists reply and say that God may give a man grace which he may so husband as that hee may deserve any thing at Gods hand and they make it plaine by this similitude A father gives a farme to his son and gives him a stocke now the sonne may so raise the stocke and play the good husband as he may purchase any thing that the father hath in like manner say they God may give a man grace and hee may so husband it as he may purchase any thing at Gods hand To this I answer If a father should give his sonne a farme and a stock to use and when he had done so his childe could not earne a penny but it must be the father and the son could not stirre a foot or a hand without the father then the father is not beholding to the sonne but the son to the father This is the case betweene God and us for when he gives us any grace he must give us a second grace to use and to imploy it wel and therefore it is manifest we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands it is the doctrine of the Schoole-men and Aquinas makes it plaine hee puts the question and resolves it saith he A man may receive a benefit from another and may deserve it at his hands as a man may give one an house which he may deserve but if a man when he hath given another an house must give him also power to use the house and wisdome to governe the same that man cannot be beholding to him that receives but the receiver must needs be beholding to him that gave it so although God give a man grace which he cannot use well unlesse he also give him power to use it Therefore God is not beholding to us for any thing but we are to God and therefore we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands The third ground is our imperfection that in every thing we doe we sinne against God and if we sinne against him then we cannot merit any
Spirit then all we did would savour of the Spirit but because there is flesh therefore all that wee doe will have a tang and a tast of the flesh Cyrill doth observe that there is no rocke or stone so hard but it hath some seames in it whereby weeds may spring up and grow in it so there is no mans heart so filled with grace but there will some sinne or corruption appeare by one occasion or other as matter to humble us and yet to comfort us in that wee see and hate it The second conclusion is that it is but a small portion of the Spirit and measure of grace that God giveth at the first to his servants for all the great workes of God begin in weakenesse all the glory of this world was but a confused heape man was made of a lumpe of earth and Christ which is God over all blessed for ever Amen he was a little childe for as it is in the life of Nature so it is in the life of Grace in the life of Nature at the first when a childe is borne it hath all the parts of a man a face eyes hands and feete which though they bee but little at the beginning yet after in time they grow to the full growth that God hath appointed in him at first there are the true parts of a man though they are not come to the full perfection so it is in the life of Grace there is in a Christian at his first conversion Faith and Repentance Love Zeale and all the graces of the Spirit though but in weake measure yet truely and really which afterwards will grow up to a greater degree of strength till they come to full perfection and therefore as the man said Mark 9. I beleeve Lord but helpe mine unbeleefe so may every weake Christian say Lord I have faith but helpe the weakenesse of my faith I have repentance but helpe the weakenesse of my repentance I have love but helpe the weakenesse of my love so then all the graces of God begin in weakenesse But here some man may say what is the least measure of Grace that God giveth to any man that he saveth I answer there are two degrees of it First a desire to beleeve to repent and obey for generally Divines say that the desire of faith is faith it selfe the desire of repentance is repentance it self and the desire that we have to obey God is obedience it self not in deed and in act but in Gods acceptance because it pleaseth him to accept the will for the deede according to that which the Apostle Paul saith 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not so if there bee but a desire to beleeve repent and obey if they be constant setled and fleeting without doubt it shall be accepted and this is the least measure of grace that he giveth to any that he saveth Secondly the least measure of saving grace is to mourne and to grieve that wee cannot repent and beleeve in this case one mourneth and grieveth that hee findeth such hardnesse of heart in himselfe whereof the Church of God complaineth Esai 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare when a man findes this there is surely a beginning of grace in him wee see a little Childe though it want power and strength to goe to the mother yet it will cry and moane it selfe to her so although a Christian wants power and strength to goe to God yet if they can cry to God and bemoane themselves to him they may have comfort and these be the least measures of grace that he giveth to any man that he saveth Now come we to make use of this point First that seeing God giveth but a small measure of grace at the first therefore no man ought to be discouraged for the small and weake beginnings of grace he finds in himselfe for Matth. 13. 31. the graces of God are likened to Seede now seeds are not trees by and by but they grow by little and little till they come to perfection so the graces of God are small at the beginning come not to perfection at the first but grow by little and little and therefore no man is to be discouraged though he feele but small and weake beginnings of grace Secondly seeing God giveth but a small portion of grace at the first no man must despise any for the smal and weake beginnings that he sees in his brethren Zech. 4. 10. saith the Prophet Who hath despised the day of small things but they shall rejoyce c. so Rom. 14. 1 we are enjoyned to the contrary him that is weake in faith receive unto thee doe not despise him because God is able to increase and to effect grace in him and therefore no man must despise the small and weake beginnings in any of his brethrn Thirdly seeing God giveth but a small portion or measure of grace at first therefore it must be every mans care to husband his graces well he that had but one Talent given him should have beene the best husband and ought to have beene so but indeed he was the worst so we contrary to his practice seeing wee have but a small measure of grace should labour therefore to increase it and to bee the better husbands Wee see young men that have but a little stocke when they begin the world will omit no time for their owne good if any man shall say to them why doe you labour thus and take so great paines they reply presently Alas I had but a small stocke and therefore I had need to take the more paines in like manner wee because wee have but a small beginning of grace should labour to increase it The third conclusion is that although God give but a small measure of grace yet it doth grow and increase in a Christian as I told you even now the graces of God are compared to Seed Matth. 13. 31. and not to a stone because a stone groweth not but seed if it bee sowne will grow and increase so if a man have the graces of God in him they will grow and increase if they be nourished by the use of good meanes therefore if thou finde not an increase and a growth of grace thou may'st doubt whether thou hast the graces of God or no we see when a man sowes seed in his garden if he water them and they grow not he saith Sure the seed was naught in like manner if we finde not a growth and increase of grace in us but are as ignorant and no more forward now than we were seven yeares agoe in the practise of knowledge and duties of faith and repentance wee justly may say the seed was not good and truly
doubt our selves that our case is bad seeing wee cannot finde the graces of God in us for of a truth they will not lye hid but will grow and increase if they be nourished by the use of good meanes But here may be an objection made many a Christian complaineth he cannot feele there is a growth and an increase of grace in him to this I answer two things First a Christian may grow though he feele not the growth in one grace or other even as a tree groweth continually till it commeth to a perfection and to his full growth but it doth not alwayes grow in one place sometimes it groweth in the body sometimes in the bough and branches and sometime close and secret in the rootes which close and secret growth is as needfull for the tree as that which is sensible and visible so a Christian growes continually but not alwayes in one grace sometimes in one and sometimes in another sometimes in the body and sometimes in the branches and sometimes in the roote close and secret that is in humility which close and secret growth in a Christian is as needfull as that which is visible and sensible Secondly I answer that a Christian sees not his growth because there be some impediments that hinder the same we see in experience that a Childe may feed on good meat and yet he may not grow nor thrive with it and the reason is because it doth secretly eate chalke or coales or dirt or salt and then it will not grow even so it is in a Christian though he feed on good meat on the Word of eternall life yet because he feeds on chalke or coales or dirt or salt secretly that is he hath close and secret sins which he commits unseene and this it is that hindereth his growth in grace but if he leave his sinnes and repent of them then he shall feele a growth and an increase of grace in him The foruth conclusion is although the graces of God grow and in crease in a man yet they come not to perfection in any here in this life as Rom. 8. 23. saith the Apostle and not only the creatures but al we which have received the first fruits of the Spirit even wee which are Apostles and Teachers of the Church doe sigh and groane c. we see Numb 13. 23. that the Children of Israel being in the wildernesse sent certaine men to spy out the land who when they returned home brought with them a cluster of grapes that they might taste of the fruit of the land and so long possesse it so the Lord hath given us a taste of the Spirit and of heaven here in the wildernesse of this world that we might long for enjoying thereof and be in love with it Here an objection may be made is there no man full of the Spirit of God we see Act. 6. that Steven was full of the Spirit of God and Act. 11. Barnabas was full of the Spirit of God Now this may be answered three wayes First Comparatively in comparison of others they were said to bee full in regard they had a greater measure of the Spirit than others as Phil. 3. 12. the Apostle saith of himselfe that he is not yet perfect but he striveth to perfection and yet afterward he saith as many as be perfect let them be thus minded that is that are perfect in regard of others so they were full of the Spirit in comparison of others Secondly they were full in regard of the stirring and working of the Spirit fill a vessell brim-full and it will runne over fill a pot with water halfe full and set it on the fire and the heate of the fire will make it goe over and fill the pot so although a man bee not full of the Spirit yet hee may be full in regard of the working and stirring of the Spirit so they might be full of the Spirit Thirdly they might be full of the Spirit in regard of some particular act as the Schoolemen say that is that they were fitted for the place and office they were appointed to and so Stephan was full of the Spirit of God because he was fit for the office he was appointed and so likewise of Barnabas Now there be two consequents that arise from this Doctrine of which the next time if God please SERMON LV. ROMANS 8. 9. But yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so bee that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his TWo questions have beene handled already concerning the Holy Ghost first how a man may come by the Holy Ghost and secondly in what measure hee is given to the Faithfull the answer thereunto we laid downe in foure conclusions first That there is but a portion of the Spirit given to the Faithfull here in this life Secondly as it is but a portion of the Spirit that is given so it is but a little portion and a little measure because all the workes of God beginne in weakenesse Thirdly though it begin in weakenesse yet it growes and increases Fourthly though grace growes in a Christian yet that it never comes to fulnesse of spirit they doe receiver but the first fruits and beginnings of the Spirit Now follow the two consequents of this Doctrine First That seeing no man hath fulnesse of Spirit in this world therefore no man hath fulnesse of joy for all our comfort is mixed with sorrow like as in the cup that Christ did drinke of at this passion vineger and gall were mingled together So the cup of every man comfort here is mingled with griefe and sorrow If we had fulnesse of Spirit then wee should have fulnesse of joy but because wee have not therefore our joy is mingled with griefe Secondly that seeing no man hath fulnesse of the Spirit in this world therefore there is no man that is perfectly regenerated or perfectly sanctified in this world all the people of God lie under the burthen of their corruption groning as the Apostle Paul complaineth of himselfe Rom. 7. 22. When I would doe good evill is present with mee Many times when a prisoner is let out of prison his chaines and bolts are not straight knocked off but hee is glad to trayle them about with him till he hath begged his fees so although a man bee freed by the Spirit of God yet he must traile his chaines and his fetters about with him till hee hath begged his fees that is till the clogs and fetters of his sinnes bee knocked off by mortalitie and death hence wee conclude there is no freedome from this burthen till wee come to heaven The third Question is How wee may know whether wee have the holy Ghost iâ— us or no which is a point worthy our learning because it is the Holy Ghost that seales us
the cry in the eares of the parents so it is with a Christian if hee bee strong hee makes the stronger crye in the eares of God Thirdly A strong Christian is bold to confesse Christ in the time of trouble as the Apostle did Acts 5. so it is said of the Saints Revel 12. That they loved not their lives to the death Fourthly A strong Christian is contented with any thing that God sends as Phil. 4. saith the Apostle I have learned in all estates therewith to be contented to want and to abound to be full and to be emptie so old Eli said 1 Sam. 3. It is the Lord let him doe as it pleaseth him Now these are in a Christian either stronger or weaker according as he is weakned with temptations And therefore let us labour to feele these workes of the Spirit for the Spirit is all the evidence we have of Heaven and happinesse therefore let us looke to have the spirit that we be not deceived A man that hath house and land would be loth to have his deeds and his evidences to prove naught and so to lose his house and land much more should we be loth to have our evidence that we have of Heaven and happinesse to prove naught Here it will be worthy our inquiry How a Christian that was strong and is weakned by sinne may know that the Holy Ghost is in him In all the declinings and fallings of the faithfull there is a roote of grace left although the Diuell cut off the Boughes and the Branches yet the root is safe as Daniel 4. Nabuchadnezzar is compared to a tree which the Angell is sent to cut downe the body and the branches but to let the stumpe of it remaine and bee bound with iron so though the Divell cut downe the boughes and branches yet the roote is fast which is a comfort to the Church that in all their falls there is a roote of grace remaining But how may a man know this I answere three wayes First If ever he had the workes of grace in him at any time though hee see or feele nothing yet there is a roote of grace remaining I have shewed you if God give his Spirit hee will never quite take it away therefore if hee can finde this that there hath beene a worke of grace in him it is certaine there is a roote left if he can finde but a few live-coales raked up in the dead ashes there is hope of fire and some comfort though he see nothing for the present therefore we must looke backe to see whether ever we have felt the worke of grace or no if wee can finde wee have we may assure our selves that the spirit of God is in us and that there is a roote of grace left in us This was Davids comfort Psal 77. saith hee I thought on the time past and my soule received comfort If a man put fish into a Pond and comes thither againe and sees them not yet he is perswaded that they are there though covered with water so if a man be once stored with the graces of God though hee sees and feeles them not yet must he be perswaded that he hath them still it is a corruption in the estate of weaknesse to thinke the Divell hath deceived them and that all was nothing that was in them but wee must take heed of this that we doe not bely God We read Malach. 1. How the Lord saith That he hath loved the people and they say wherein hast thou loved us Therefore it is a good thing when the Lord shall love us in our conversion and in our repentance that we doe acknowledge it Secondly A man may know it by the desires of grace that there is a roote left which are foure in number First to grieve that wee cannot grieve for sinne and to mourne that we cannot mourne If we desire to weepe as others doe this is a desire of grace nature will not doe this So Esay 63. 17. The Church of God complaines of this saying O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare Secondly to desire the reconciliation and love and favour of God above all things which though he feeles not yet hee longs for it and desires it above all worldly things whatsoever and would give a world to have the sense and feeling of Gods favour Thus we see the Church Cant. 3. when she had lost Christ she seekes after him and she runnes here and there to find him so when we have lost Christ we long for him and our desire is after him this of a suretie is a desire of grace so Matth. 5. saith Christ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse though they have it not yet they shall be satisfied A man in the time of his weakenesse thinkes his case to bee but miserable and yet the Spirit of God pronounceth him a happy man Thirdly a desire to beleeve though a man doe not beleeve for the present yet he desireth to beleeve and striveth against infidelity this is a desire of grace if a man feeles this hee may assure himselfe there is a roote of grace left in him Mark 9. saith Christ unto the man canst thou beleeve Lord saith he I beleeve but helpe my unbeleefe Fourthly a desire to please God in all our courses though wee have some sinnes and corruptions yet wee desire to bee rid of them and to walke with God these desires of new obedience doe shew there is a roote of grace left As Psal 119. saith David O that my heart were directed to keepe thy Law and Psal 40. I desire to doe thy will O Lord indeed Lord I confesse I doe not thy will but I desire to doe it by these desires wee may know that there is a roote of grace left But here may be an Objection made Had not Herod good desires and Balaam yet these had no roote of Grace in them To this I answere Balaam had good desires hee desired the end but not the meanes that tends to the end he desired to be happy but he did not desire to be holy The wicked desire grace but they doe not use the meanes to come to it A carnall man may deceive himselfe in this therefore if men desire grace Heaven and happinesse they must vse the meanes to come by it which is by Prayer and hearing the Word preached receiving the Sacraments reading of the Word and such like duties The third meanes whereby a man may know that there is a roote of grace left in him is If he can finde some working of the Spirit in this estate the roote is fast As a man may know the Sunne is up though hee see not the Sunne but a little glimpse of it so by some little workings of the Spirit he may
sanctified graces In other cities there be markets for the body but in this citie the Lord keepes open market with spirituall graces to furnish our soules and therefore thirdly herein this citie excels all other cities in the world Fourthly in many other cities there be many other liberties and immunities all these immunities are but to free them from toyle and tribute but the Church of God doth not thus free men for Christ himselfe payed tribute Matth. 17. 27. and Paul exhorts us Rom. 13. 7. Give unto all men therefore their dues tribute to whom yee owe tribute custome to whom custome The Church of God doth not free men from taxes and tributes due to earthly powers and Potentates but from the bondage of sinne from the accusations of an evill conscience from the Devill and from Hell Thus Iohn 8. 36. saith Christ If the Sonne make you free yee shall bee free indeed And Gal. 4. 26. saith the Apostle But Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all A man may bee a citizen of a great citie and yet lye in bondage to sinne and the Devill bee a slave to his lusts and be troubled with the accusation of an evill conscience But if a man bee a citizen of this citie hee shall bee free from sinne the Devill Hell the accusation of a bad conscience and from his wild lusts therefore in the fourth place this citie excels all other cities in the world The uses are First seeing the citie of God excels all the cities of the world therefore wee should account it a marvellous blessing that it pleaseth God to make us citizens of this citie as Ruth 2. 12. Boaz said unto Ruth the Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward bee given unto thee of the God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust So happy is the man over whom the Lord doth spread the wings of his love Wee see Psal 84. Davids affection that hee had rather bee a doore keeper in the house of God than to dwell in the Tents of wicked men hee had rather bee a meane man and a true member of the Church than to bee a great wicked man Therefore wee may bee sure that it is a greater blessing to bee a poore man and a member of the Church than to bee a great rich man in the world and no true member of the Church Secondly seeing the citie of God excels all the cities of the world therefore every man must have care to hold communion with it and take heed hee doe not suffer the Devill to draw him away from it because God dwells there by the presence of his Spirit Peter could say to Christ Ioh. 6. 68. Master to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life heere is fulnesse of joy here is comfort to bee had and therefore howsoever others start out let us hold to it Thirdly seeing the citie of God excels all other cities therefore it must bee our care to live like such citizens Hath God made thee a citizen of such a citie live then happy man like such a citizen conforme thy selfe to the lawes of it and walke worthy of this heavenly citie The author to the Hebrews maketh the same use of it Hebr. 12. 22. But saith hee yee are come unto the Mount Zion and to the citie of the living God c. And therefore see that yee despise not him that speaketh for if they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth much more shall not wee escape if wee turne away from him that speaketh from heaven You bee of the citie of God and therefore doe not you live like the vild men of the world in your sinnes and corruptions but live like Saints and citizens of such a citie thus much of the first dignitie that the Church is called the citie of God because there is the presence of God in grace The second Dignitie of the Church of God is that it is called the body of Christ now there is a naturall body of Christ which hath parts and ligaments as our bodies have hands and feete c. And there is a mysticall body of Christ which are the company of true beleevers which are made one with Christ by faith through the communion of the Spirit which mysticall body is more deare to Christ than his naturall body for hee gave his naturall body to die for his mysticall body and to redeeme it the Church is this mysticall body as 1 Cor. 12. 27. now yee are the body of Christ and members in particular so Coloss 1. 14. Now I rejoyce in my sufferings and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church So then the Church of God is the bodie of Christ whence ariseth divers consequents First that hee is the onely head of the Church and no other but hee as Ephes 1. 22. saith the Apostle of Christ And hath made all things subject under his feete and hath appointed him over all things to bee the head of the Church so Colos 1. 18. hee is the head of the bodie of the Church for as the head ruleth the bodie so Christ rules his mysticall body Now that Christ is the onely head of the Church it may bee seen in three things First because the grace of God is most eminent in him for as life is most eminent in the head so the graces of God are most eminent in him hee excells all men and Angels therfore the Apostle saith Colos 1. 19. that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell Secondly because of the neere conjunction that is between the head and the members the naturall head may bee parted with a blow from the body but the Devill and all the damned cannot part Christ and his mysticall body Thirdly in regard of ministration for as the head doth communicate life and motion unto the body so Christ doth the life of grace and the Spirit So it is a Royaltie onely belonging to the head not to Archangell nor Angell therefore away with the Pope The second consequent is that seeing Christ is head of the Church therefore as the head communicates life and motion into the body so from Christ flowes spirituall life and grace into the Church there is never a true member but Christ communicates life and grace unto him therefore every true Christian must feele a derivation of grace and spirituall life in him every one that would have true comfort must feele this and to say as Saint Paul doth Galath 2. 20. Thus I live yet not I now but Christ liveth in mee and in that I now live in the flâ—sh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God who hath loved mee and given himselfe for mee Wee see if a man hath any member that hangs dead and numb'd
a time when divers men were excluded from the Congregation of the Lord as Num. 22. the Ammonites the Moabites because they did not meete the people of the Lord with bread and water but now it hath pleased God to take in all sorts of men so that no man is excluded unlesse hee will exclude himselfe as it is said Esai 65. 25. That the Wolfe and the Lambe shall feed together and the Lion shall eate straw like the Bullock and to the Serpent dust shall bee his meat the sense is that in the time of the Gospell the Lord will alter the naughtinesse of mens hearts and bring them to joine in holy sweet communion one with another but if they would not attend him but desire rather to live in their sinnes still than they should live in Gods curse the Serpent shall eate dust hence wee are taught seeing God doth exclude no man wee must take heede wee doe not exclude our selves If a man comes to a Kings Court in meane apparell and have no good attendance he can have small hope of accesse to the King oh but let him come to Gods court though hee come never so meanely and basely apparelled if hee bee well attended with faith and the graces of his Spirit then he shall have accesse into the presence Chamber of Almightie God therefore seeing no man is excluded doe not thou exclude thy selfe If a gift grant or pardon should come from the King to certaine persons that would claime it there is no man that would exclude himselfe and say it doth not belong to mee but every man would labour to have his part in it so the Lord hath given a gift and a grant to bestow pardon of sinnes the love and favour of God heaven and happinesse to all that will repent and beleeve in Christ Therefore no man must exclude himselfe and say it doth not belong to mee but labour to have his part in it Thus the Church is Catholike in regard of the persons Thirdly the Church of God is Catholike in regard of time for it hath beene in all ages and so shall continue to the end of the world it began in Adams time and shall continue to the last man that shall live it hath bin in all times and it shall continue so long as the world doth last For this world was made for the good of the Church therefore God lets it stand for their sakes and as soone as the people of God be gathered home then this world shall have an end as the Prophet David hath it Psal 48. O God according to thy Name so is thy praise unto the worlds end so also Psal 89. thy seed will I establish for ever and set up thy Throne from generation to generation and Dan. 2. 44. it is said And in the dayes of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdome that shall not be destroyed a Kingdome that shall not bee given to another but that shall breake and destroy all those Kingdomes and it shall stand for ever Here wee may see the honour that God brings us to to bee of that Communion and fellowship that all the Saints are of to bee of that Church that Adam Abel Henoch Noah Abraham Moses and all the rest of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and Christ himselfe were of and all the holy men that have lived as Ephes 1. 11. saith the Apostle Now therefore yee are no more strangers nor forrenners but citizens with the Saints and of the household of God and are builded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone so Heb. 12. 17. Saint Paul saith for yee are not come to the mount that might bee touched c. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne whose names are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all men and to the Spirits of just and perfect men So then wee see that this is the honour that God hath brought us to to bee of the same Church and company that the Prophets Apostles holy men and Christ himselfe were of Therefore to apply it first let us not lose the graces of God like a slight huswife that keepes the emptie caske and boxe and loseth the Iewell but let us labour to partake of the same graces with them seeing wee are of the same Church that they bee of Secondly seeing the Church hath beene in all times past and shall continue to the worlds end therefore it may bee our comfort in all the troubles that doe befall it when wee see men conspire against and labour to destroy it yet notwithstanding all that they can doe it shall stand and continue to the worlds end It hath bin in all times and it shall continue for ever as Psal 48. 8. David saith As wee have heard so have wee seene in the citie of the Lord of Hosts in the citie of our God God will establish it for ever Therefore seeing hee hath established the Church it shall stand though all the world were set against it Augustine saith well The enemies of the Church though they come and gather themselves together to destroy and roote it out yet this is the comfort Christ will keepe it hee hath a sword to defend it he will tye up the devill and shut up hell that they shall not trouble the Church therefore though wee doe not see the Church visbile it not being patent and openly seene but sometime hidden as it was in the time of Elias from the fury of the world yee we must beleeve that the Church of God is Catholike or Universall that it hath beene in all times and it shall continue to the worlds end Now the Papists adde somewhat unto this Article and say that wee must beleeve in the Catholike Romish Church but this is first absurd in Religion and secondly absurd in Reason it is absurd in Religion because the Romish Church must fall in the time of Antichrist as the Scripture sheweth and as the Papists themselves say but the true Catholike Church that shall ever continue therefore it is absurd in religion to beleeve in the Catholike Romish Church Secondly it is absurd in Reason because that Rome when it was at the best could but be a part of the Church and a part cannot bee the whole Church as Scholars know therefore it is absurd in Reason But they say that the name of Catholike doth properly belong to them to this I answer as Christ did to some that lived in the Church Revel 2. 4. that said they were Iewes but saith Christ they are the Synagogue of Sathan so I may say of them though they terme themselves to be true Catholikes yet they be but a conspiracie against Christ Now by three reasons I
death and merit so that whatsoever is due to Christ in regard of the right of his death and merit wee may claime at Gods hand the favour of God the pardon of our sins and the glory of Heaven is due to us in regard of the merit of his death as Peter saith By his stripes we are healed so a Christian may be bold to say Christ is mine and his death mine his life is mine and his crosse mine and his paines mine to my eternall comfort therfore in the troubles of conscience and accusations of the Divell we may goe to God and tender before him the death and merits of Christ if we should tender our owne righteousnesse this would shame and disgrace us If a man should be imprisoned for a debt which was payed by a suretie if he could finde the suretie he would bring him to the Iudge and say here is the Man that did discharge my debt here are the empty bagges that the money came out of that paid my creditor surely any Iudge would acquit that Man so when the Devill shall implead us for our sinnes we may goe to God and shew him Christ and we may quiet and stay our selves here saying This is he that hath paid my debt here is the emptie purse here are the empty veines that the blood came out of and then without all doubt God will acquit us Therefore we must tender the merits of Christ to God spread them before him and stand to them To this purpose saith Chrysostome Christ hath taken away the hand-writing which was against us and hath given us another bill bond or new writing whereby we may claime Christ He hath not done by us as the unjust Steward did by abatement but hee having quite wiped out all hath given us a new bill and hath made God a debtor to us Thirdly the power of our spirituall life We indeed are able by nature to move and stirre and to do the duties of our calling to buy and sell c. but are not able to stir a foote to Heaven to looke after that nor move towards it till Christ communicates a spirituall life unto us So 1 Iohn 5. 12. saith he He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life as 2 King 12. 21. the dead Souldier was not able to move or stir till being laid in the Sepulchre of Elisha he touched his loynes and then he revived and stood upon his feete so we are dead by nature and not able to move or stirre a foote in the wayes of God till we touch the Body of Christ by Faith then we revive and stand up life comes into us againe Fourthly the dignitie of his owne estate for by nature Christ is the Son of God and he makes us the Sonnes and Daughters of God by Adoption and Grace and drawes us into the same dignitie and honour with him to be called the Sonnes of God But it is a harder matter for us to be made the Sonnes of God than for Christ to bee made the Sonne of Man Now as Christ communicates something to us so wee something to him We communicate to him three things first our Nature secondly our sinnes thirdly our troubles and afflictions Here wee see what an exchange wee make with Christ Hee communicates to us himselfe the right of his death merit and spirituall life and the dignitie of his owne State and we communicate to him our nature our sinnes and troubles First wee communicate to him our Nature and that not in the best estate when it was in integrity but since it was disgraced and subject to sicknesses diseases and troubles this is the change wee make with Christ like Hiram and Salomon Hiram gave to Salomon gold and silver and Firre trees and what the heart of the King could desire and Salomon gave to him a few dirty Cities In like manner Christ giveth to us what our heart can desire his owne selfe the right of his death merit and spirituall life the dignitie of his owne estate and we give him a few dirty cloathes our bad nature disgraced with sinne subject to troubles and afflictions If wee would have communicated any thing it should have beene of the best because He is God blessed for ever Amen it should have beene when our nature had beene in the best estate but we communicate to him our sinnes and troubles therefore wee should admire Christs love and goodnesse to us that will accept of this exchange Secondly we have communicated a worse thing than this our sins as 1 Pet. 2. 14. who his own selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree c. all the wicked shall carry their owne sins on their backe to Hell with them but the sinnes of the godly are laid on the backe of Christ he bare them the cruell Souldiers laid the Crosse on Christ and made him to beare it but we laid a greater burthen than that on him the burthen of our sins for the weight of the crosse is nothing to the weight of our sinnes Thirdly we communicate to Christ our troubles and dangers as Esay 63. 9. In all their troubles he was troubled and Col. 1. 24. Now I rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake so Christ suffereth still in his members by compassion and fellow feeling And these be the goodly things that we communicate to Christ nothing but our nature and sins our troubles and dangers as I told you a little before out of 1 Kings 9. 11. there was an exchange betweene king Salomon and Hiram he gave Salomon gold silver Firre trees and Cedar trees and all that the heart of the king could wish and Salomon gave Hiram twentie dirty cities in the land of Galile but it is a better exchange that Christ makes with us for he giveth all that the heart of a Christian can wish his wisedome righteousnesse himselfe his merits and death a spirituall life and the same dignitie and honour with him but we againe repay him with our nature sins and dangers therefore hence let us learn to admire this great kindnesse and love of Christ to us that will be content therewith Now as the Saints have communion with God and with Christ so have they communion with one another by meanes of love as Exod. 25. We see the golden Cherubim did so looke towards the Arke and the Mercy seat as that they looked one towards another So wee must looke to God and to Christ by the eye of faith as we must have one eye also to one another by love This societie is comfortable for Gen. 2. 18. God saith It is not good that man should be alone therefore if it were a good thing for man to have communion and societie in the life of nature much better is
it in the life of grace We see in a house the posts that are compact together are a great stay against the winde and weather so the Communion and societie of the Saints one with another is a great stay and strength against the temptations of the Divell It is a good saying that Chrysostome hath Naturally a Man hath but one head to advise him one tongue to speake for him two eyes to foresee dangers two hands to worke with and two feete to goe with now saith he if a man had this skill and cunning that hee could make that head a thousand heads to advise him that tongue a thousand tongues to speak for him his eyes a thousand eyes to foresee dangers his hands a thousand hands to helpe him and his feete a thousand feete to goe for him hee would hardly be circumvented by any policies Therefore it is a good thing to labour to have communion with the Saints and to bee gathered into it Now the Communion of Saints one with another stands in three things 1. Of the living with the living 2. Of the living with the dead 3. Of the Dead with the Dead First the communion of the living with the living which stands in five things first in communion of affection for they love and desire the good one of another and wish well one to another they rejoyce for the welfare and grieve for the troubles and dangers that befall one another they wish wel to those that be a thousand miles off them and love them they never saw To this purpose David saith Psal 16. 3. All my delight it with the Saints that be on the earth so Colos 2. 1. saith Saint Paul For I would ye knew what great fighting I have for your sakes and for them of Laâ—dicea and for as many as have not seene my person in the flesh We see in nature that if one member suffers all the rest suffer so saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 12. 26. Therefore if the Communion of nature worke such affection in one member towards another much more there should be the same affection amongst the members of Christ in the Communion of grace Ezek. 1. 24. it is said when the beasts went the wheeles went and when the beasts were lifted up the wheeles were lifted up the reason whereof is there given because the spirit of the beast was in the wheeles so because the same spirit that is in one Christian is in another therefore there is the like affections to procure the good of one another as much as may be Now I doe not say they be all of one judgement for there is diversitie of judgements but they be of like affection and good will one towards another there is difference of judgement as Rom. 14. 5. This man esteemes one day above another and another man accounts every day alike so verse 2. One beleeveth that hee may eate of all things and another which is weeke eateth hearbs so wee may see that there is difference in judgement amongst them but this I may be bold to say though there be difference in judgement yet there is unitie of affection so that they desire the good and wish well one to another It is Pauls rule Rom. 14. 5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde and else where hee saith Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if any be otherwise minded God shall reveale the same things unto him Aquinas saith that the effect of charitie is not concord in judgement but in mens wils and affections that wish well one to another as divers Physitians be sent for to a sicke person some of them thinke that the best way to cure the party is to take away all the corrupt blood at once others thinke that it is better not to take it away all at one time but by a little and little now here is difference in judgement but yet unitie in will and affection in that all of them intend the good of the sicke party so it is in the sins and corruptions of the Church some thinke that it is best to take away all the sinnes and corruptions of the Church at one time but the sober minded thinke that it is best taken away by little and little here is a difference of judgement but unitie of will and affection all intend the good of the Church Therefore when men for every little matter and diversitie of judgement shall part brotherly love wee may suspect that they doe not belong to the Communion of Saints Secondly in communicating of their gifts and graces one to another as 1 Pet. 4. 10. Let every man as hee hath received the gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God so then such are exhorted as bee the people of God to bee ready to communicate good things one to another so Matth. 2. when Christ was risen and had appeared to Mary shee could not hold but shee telleth it to the Disciples so also Iohn 20. when the Disciples had seene Christ they could not hold but as soone as they saw Thomas say they Oh Wee have seene the Lord in like manner when wee have any good thing made knowne to us wee should not hold it to our selves but make it knowne to our friends and acquaintance Wee see in nature if a Bird find but a worme shee will carry it to her young ones and make them partakers of it so when wee have got any good thing wee should carry it home to our wife and children and make them partakers of it as Luk. 5. the Disciples were partakers in fishing and there was a compact and league between them that what one did get in fishing it should tend to the common good of that whole societie so whatsoever wee get out of the preaching of the word it should goe to the common good of those that wee are over a man should not keepe it to himselfe but impart it to the coÌ„mon good of his friends acquaintance or wife and children as in the law the shelled fishes were uncleane because though the meat was good yet a man had much adoe to come by it so when men have good things and are not ready to impart and communicate to one another they bee so far uncleane men Thirdly in spirituall Sacrifices the Saints bee free men and yet they bee every bodies servants as far as their ability serveth as Colos 5. 13. saith hee by love serve one another Wee have heard out of Exodus that if one household were too little for the eating of the Paschall Lambe they should joine with another house so if wee bee not fit for Prayer and conference and other holy duties wee should desire the helpe of our brethren that have better graces than our selves Now these spirituall Sacrifices that wee owe to the Saints stand in foure things
no man can give grace unlesse he first take away the bar and stop that hindreth grace As a River being stopped cannot runne unlesse the stop that did hinder it be removed so it is in grace now that which is the bar and stop that hindreth grace is the guilt of sinne but no man can take away the guilt of sinne but it is Christ onely that must save his people from their sinnes as the Angell said therefore if no man can take away the guilt of sinne no man can give grace if hee cannot give grace he cannot be a Saviour if hee cannot be a Saviour he cannot merit for any man Thirdly all that the People of God can doe is little enough for themselves and if it be little enough for themselves then they have no overplus for others that they have little enough for themselves it may appeare by the speech of the wise Virgins to the foolish Matth. 2. 5. And the foolish said to the wise Give us of your oyle for our lampes are out But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us Saint Hilary in that place saith Get oyle in your lampes for no man can be helped by the good deeds of another therefore if good men have little enough for themselves then they can have no overplus for others Moreover it is a strange thing that the same men deny the imputation of Christs righteousnesse for they say that Christs righteousnesse cannot be imputed to us and yet they hold that the righteousnesse of the Saints may bee communicated so then they attribute more to the Saints than unto Christ Would any man thinke that a man of judgement discretion and knowledge should fall upon such rockes and sands but no marvel for when men will not beleeve the truth then God gives them up to strange delusions to beleeve lies Now though the Saints doe not communicate their merits one unto another yet thankes bee to God they doe communicate their graces and gifts one to another they do exhort admonish and pray for one another The use of this is first that seeing there is a communion of Saints therefore it must be our care to uphold good things to incourage one another and to quicken them in the life of Iesus We see what communion there is amongst the drunkards of our age to swill and swagger how much more should Christians have communion together to strengthen and helpe one another to Heaven Therefore wee should doe as poore people doe lay all the ends together to nourish the little sparkes that be in us Secondly seeing that there is a Communion of Saints therefore we must desire to appertaine to that body and societie that so wee may partake of those Roiall Privileges with them naturally a man hath but one head to advise him and give him counsell one tongue to speake for him two eyes to forsee dangers two hands to releeve him in any neede and two feete to goe for him but by the Communion of Saints a man hath ten thousand heads to advise him and give him counsell ten thousand eyes to forsee dangers ten thousand tongues to speake for him therefore it must bee every mans care to repent him of his sinnes to remove them and to get faith in Christ that hee may appertaine to them Wee see in a great citie there bee divers companies and some there bee that have greater Priviledges than other whereof men desire chiefly to bee free so in the spirituall citie the invisible Church there bee many immunities and privileges above other companies which Gods deare children should labour to enjoy and have societie and fellowship therein Wee are now come to the second thing The Communion of the living with the dead which consists chiefly in two things first That the Saints departed wish well to those that be living desire their consummation in glorie for it is the nature of charitie to wish well to others Now in the Saints it is not diminished but increased as S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13. 12. For wee know but in part and wee prophecie but in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be abolished So then in generall they wish well to us indeed they doe not know our particular estate as Iob 14. 21. thou changest his face and sendest him away and hee knowes not if his sonnes shall be honorable neither shall bee understand any thing concerning them whether they bee of low degree and so Esai 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham he ignorant of us and Israel know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer hence it is manifest that though the Saints departed know not our particular wants yet in generall they wish well unto us and dsire that wee may come to the same glorie that they enjoy and may arrive at the same Haven of Happinesse and doe also looke every day for us till the finall consummation shall come this is comfortable to consider that the whole bodie of the Saints in Heaven wish well unto us and looke every day when wee shall come to them as men in a Shipwracke when some bee scaped gotten to the shore they remaine longing and looking when the rest of their company shall arrive so the Godly having escaped Shipwracke in this world stand upon the shore of their own happinesse and every day looke when the rest of their brethren shall arrive at the same place with them therefore why should holy people be afraid to die though they lose their earthly friends yet they shall goe to all the Saints departed to such as wish well to them and looke every day for them they shall goe to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and to all the holy men departed this is the first thing that the living with the dead have Communion in Secondly the living and the dead have Communion in the same hope faith and love conversing with them in Heaven even with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and all the holy people and Saints so S. Paul saith Now therefore yee are no more strangers and forreners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and Heb. 12. 22. but yee are come to the mount Sion and to the citie of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem and to the Company of Innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the Spirits of just and perfect men This is the honour of a true Christian that hee shall not onely have Communion with weake and fraile men such as wee bee but also with Angells and Archangells and all the Saints departed conversing with them in their faith hope and love Wee see in a great house there bee many Roomes and lodgings there bee some that lodge in the upper some in the lower Roomes and yet they bee
communion two things are to bee looked unto First that wee have communion with Christ and then with his members that wee may have communion with Christ wee must labour to get the Spirit of Christ for as Saint Paul saith Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his Now the meanes to come by it is by the Word and Sacraments which be the conduits and channels to convey the Spirit into us therefore wee must apply our selves to the hearing of the Word preached and to the receiving of the Sacraments and so often as wee use these meanes we should labour to feele the Power of Christ in us that wee may say with Saint Paul Gal. 2. I live not but Christ liveth in me If a man take Physicke the next question that useth to bee asked is what doth the Physicke worke for if it doth not it is very dangerous to him that taketh it and if he mend not speedily after it and gather strength they doe suspect the man to bee but a dead man even so the Word and Sacraments are Gods Physicke which when we have received the next thing that wee should enquire into is whether they worke upon us or no if they doe not stirre our bad humors as it were and bee a meanes to remove our sinnes and to get strength against them that we may be quickned in our soules with holy graces if wee doe not mend I say upon it our estate is full of danger Therefore it must bee our care to profit by the use these good meanes that we may feele the Power of Christ in us to kill sinne and to quicken up all the graces that are in us for the more wee increase in communion with Christ the lesse wee shall have communion with our sinnes To explaine this to you give me leave to use a familiar similitude A certaine man there was that had a foule yard who got gravell and stones to mend it yet still his yard was foule then having a little spring in it he opens that and turnes the streame through his yard which carried away all the rubbish filth and dirt so when wee feele and see our hearts to bee uncleane the way to mend them is not to put gravell stones upon them but there is a little spring of the blood of Christ which we must labor to turne into them and this will bee sure to carry all the filth rubbish and corruption that is in us Againe those that make opticke glasses they say can gather all the Sunne beames so together as by reflecting them on a ship they can set it on fire in like manner if we can gather all the gratious beames of the graces of Christ into our hearts though it doe not burne the ship yet it will burne up all our sinnes and corruptions therefore it must be our care by the use of good meanes to nourish this holy Communion that we have with Christ by the Spirit Now as we have communion with Christ so also with his Members by love I shewed that there is a threefold Communion of the living with the living of the living with the dead and of the dead with the dead which was twofold in their bodies and soules But of this sufficiently before for of the severall Communions of Saints one with another I have at divers times spoken my intention at this present is onely to prosecute such necessary consequences as depend upon this Doctrine which also I doe reduce chiefly to these three heads First That the soule of man dieth not against Atheists Secondly That the soule sleepeth not with the Body against Anabaptists Thirdly That the soule goeth not to Purgatorie against Papists Of these in Order and first That the soule of a man dieth not against the Atheists of this time who say that the soule dieth together with the body indeed it were well with them that their soules might die with their bodies as a beast dieth for it goeth but to the ground and there is an end of them but their soules I meane Atheists shall goe into paines and torments Now because this is a weightie point and of some importance I will prove it to you first by the Scripture and secondly by Reason by the Scripture for your sakes for they care not for the Scriptures and by Reason for their sakes because they may bee left without excuse First by the Scriptures Eccl. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth and the Spirit to God that gave it likewise Christ saith to the theefe This day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Luk. 23. Now this could not bee spoken of his bodie for that was in the hands of the Souldiers to burie therefore it was spoken in regard of his soule Secondly by Reasons which are chiefly three First That which is corrupted is corrupted by the contrarie of it but there is nothing contrarie to the soule but sinne as 1 Pet. 2. 11. S. Peter exhorts the brethren Dearly beloved I beseech your as Pilgrims strangers abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against the soule Now sinne is not contrarie to the substance of the soule but to the puritie sanctitie thereof therefore though sinne destroy the puritie of the soule it cannot destroy the subtance of the soule and consequently the soule still liveth Secondly That if the soule may doe any action in the body that depends not of the body without the helpe of it then it may subsist without the body which wee may easily perceive aswell by demonstration out of the rules of Philosophy as by evident notes and markes proceeding from the operation of our soule within our selves as the severall operations of the intellectuall faculties that doe not depend at all on the body even so it is in existing but the soule may doe some action in the body that doth not depend on it as the judgement and the will therefore it may exist without the body Thirdly a thing that corrupteth must corrupt to something or to nothing If they say it doth corrupt to some thing then it will dissolve to the same thing that it was made of but it was not made of the foure Elements for then it would bee some thing nor of the temper of the Elements for then it should bee compounded but all Divines hold that the soule is not a compound thing but a thing undividable therefore the soule doth not corrupt to something And it doth not corrupt to nothing for of nothing nothing can bee made by the power of nature but by his owne power God is able to make something of nothing So this opinion is false therefore if the Atheists cannot tell us what becommeth of the soule and whether it dieth or not Gods word can tell that the soule doth not dye but that it is immortall The Use is seeing the soule liveth when it is out
of the body therefore all our care must be for the salvation of our soules whatsoever becommeth of our bodies our care must bee for our soules yet wee see what a-doe there is about the body all our care is for to cloath and feed it and yet that shall come to the dust for a while and the soule shall live for ever in glorie or in paine therefore our chiefest care must bee for that Wee see the theefe on the crosse makes his Request to Christ that hee would remember him when hee comes in his Kingdome all his care was for the saving of his soule hee doth not pray Christ to pull the nayles and the splinters out of his hands and feete to asswage and mitigate his bodily paines but all his care is for saving of his soule in like manner when wee come to die our request must bee that God would save our soules whatsoever becommeth of the body I did shew you the other day that if a house were burnt downe and the men in it should escape wee use to say thankes bee to God for it so though our bodies goe to the dust yet prayse God that our soules goe to heaven into eternall joy and glorie The second thing that I will demonstrate is that the soule doth not sleepe in the body when it is dead this is against the is Anabaptists who say that the soule sleepes in the body when it is in the grave but I know no ground for this opinion for whereas Christ sayes Iohn 11. our friend Lazarus sleepeth c. that cannot bee meant of the soule but of the death of the body so Matth. 27. it is said that the Saints that slept arose so then they have no Scripture for their opinion but against them Now wee will see what Reason wee have against them First see what is the cause of sleeping for it is by reason of certaine vapours that arise from the bottome of the stomack and ascend into the head where they binde the senses Now this cause is not in the soule and therefore that cannot sleepe Againe if the soule should sleepe it must sleepe in the body for cast out of the body it cannot sleepe because as long as the soule is in the body there is life in a man as S. Paul saith Act. 20. 9. of Eutichus Trouble not your selves saith he for there is life in him when he fell out of the window and every one thought hee had beene dead If they say that the soule sleepes out of the body it must sleepe in Heaven or in Hell or in this world or in the grave It can not sleepe in Heaven for there is joy nor in Hell for there is paine nor in this world for there is labour and paine nor in the grave for there is corruption therefore away with this sleepy opinion Now there is another kinde of sleepe of the soule in the body which S. Paul speaketh of Ephes 5. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life therefore it is good for men to awake while they bee here out of this sleepe of sinne lest they bee fearefully awaked at the dreadfull day of judgement with this fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed into Hell fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The third thing that I will demonstrate unto you is That the soules doe not goe to a middle place as the Papists say if men have done well then they goe to Heaven presently but if they have committed great faults then they rest in a middle place The Scriptures shew otherwise Eccle. 12. it is said that dust goeth to the earth and the soule to God that gave it and Christ said to the theefe This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Origen saith that that which Christ spake to the theefe on the Crosse hee spake to all his people that when they died their soules goe presently to joy and S. Paul shewes the same where hee saith 2 Cor. 6. 7. Therefore wee are bold and love rather to remove out of the body and to dwell with God Hence then wee see it plaine in the Scripture that so soone as a man dieth his soule goeth home to God to glorie and happinesse if hee bee a true beleever Therefore seeing the soule doth not die neither with the body as the Atheists say nor sleepe in the body as the Anabaptists say nor rest in a middle place as the Papists say it is a certaine truth that the soules of the Godly are gathered presently after death into the Kingdome of Heaven O then what a joyfull meeting will that be when my soule and thy soule and all the soules of Gods Children shall bee gathered to Angels and Archangels to the Patriarchs and Prophets to Abraham Isaak and Iaakob and all the Holy men of God that are departed in the faith of Christ therfore above all things my brethren labour to have Communion with the Saints here in the Kingdome of Grace that thou mayest have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie for if it bee a sweet thing to have Communion with the Saints here in this life much more it is a sweet and joyfull thing to have Communion with them in the Kingdome of glorie Now there are foure things in this life that hinder and allay the comfortable Communion that the Saints should have one with another 1. The mixture of wicked men 2. The Imperfection of good men 3. The Distance of place 4. The narrownesse of their love The first thing that taketh downe and allaieth the comfortable communion of the People of God in this World is mixture malorum The mixture of evill men and that in two respects First because they hurt and vexe them with their wrongs of the People of God be as Lambes amongst Wolves innocent and harmelesse and the wicked Ezekiel 34. 21. They are called Rammes that thrust with side and with shoulder and push at the weake with their hornes untill they have scattered them Therefore David complaines of the wicked Psal 144 That they eate Gods People as a man eats bread so also Psal 41. 9. saith he Yea my familiar friends whom I trusted which did eate of my bread have lift up the heele against me they that were of the same communion with him did much wrong him Saint Basil observeth that a ship in the Sea is in more danger of those rockes that are hidden with water than with those that may be seene a great way off so saith he the close and secret enemies of the Church and such as live amongst them are more dangerous than they that be open and apparent to be seene Secondly they grieve and offend them with their sinnes though they do not wrong nor hurt them otherwise yet with their sinnes and their uncivill conversation they doe vexe and grieve them as 2 Pet. 2.
sinnes are pardoned is to conside with ones selfe if his heart hath beene set at peace by the use of good meanes whereas before hee hath beene troubled in conscience for his sinnes if he hath repented of them and prayed unto God for the pardon of them if his heart hath beene set at peace in the use of these meanes hee may assure himselfe that his sinnes are pardoned this is Pauls Reason Rom. 5. 1. Then being justified by faith wee have peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ therefore if a man can finde peace in his conscience upon the use of good meanes this is an evidence that his sinnes are pardoned If a man be run in debt and danger and the kings writs be out against him the Bayliffes lying in every bush to take arrest and carry him into prison so that he cannot be at rest nor quiet for them now if this partie hath a friend to go to London to compound the matter and to agree it the question is how a man shall know whether his friend hath composed the matter or no I answer if the Bailiffes be gone home againe and the man at rest and quiet againe by this hee may bee sure that his friend hath composed and agreed the matter In like manner when we are runne in the Briers of debt and danger and heare that Gods writs are out against us the judgements of God lying in every bush as it were like Bayliffes to arrest us and carry us to prison if we can send a friend to compose the matter and agree it that is if we can send our prayers up to Heaven to compose the matter with God if upon this one finde his conscience to bee set at peace and the judgements of God to cease and be removed from him this is a comfortable evidence that his sinnes are pardoned therefore although a man may bee a sinner yet if a man can repent of them and finde by comfortable effects that his sinnes are pardoned hee shall have comfort both in life and death and when he hath lived here a few dayes in this world shall goe home to God to live with Abraham Isaak and Iaakob in the Kingdome of Heaven SERMON LXXII IOHN 11. 23 24. Jesus saith unto her Thy Brother shall rise againe Martha said unto him I know that he shall rise againe in the Resurrection at the last day IT was my purpose to have spoken no more at this time of Forgivenesse of sinnes but upon further meditation there is something more that I must impart unto you which is To know what that comfort is that a Christian man may have when hee beleeves his sins are pardoned and that he is acquitted and discharged for them before the judgement seat of God I answer that the comfort is exceeding great First because if a man knowes by infallible evidence that his sinnes are pardoned then he knowes he shall bee saved and death shall be as no death to him and that after this life hee shall goe into Heaven to glory and happinesse Seeing nothing can hinder a man from Heaven but sinne as it is Revel 21. ult And there shall enter in no uncleane thing Therefore if we know that our sinnes are pardoned we may be comforted for as soone as we leave this world we shall goe to God As Luke 23. as soone as the good Theefe had obtained pardon for his sinnes the next thing that Christ saith to him is This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and therefore if we know that our sinnes are pardoned then we know wee shall be saved and wee shall goe into the Kingdome of Heaven Secondly if our sinnes bee pardoned then wee know that all that God â—â—nds unto us comes of Love and that all our crosses and troubles he will turne to our good so that they bee not the wounds of an enemy but the love-tokens of a friend like the arrowes that were shot by Ionathan not to hurt but to forewarne so all crosses and troubles of this life shal turne to his good As soone as David had found the pardon and forgivenesse of his sinnes hee could say Of very faithfulnesse the Lord had afflicted him As a loving father giveth a bitter potion to his childe hee will put a peece of sugar into his hand secretly to allay the bitternesse of it so though the Lord give us a bitter potion that is a number of troubles and afflictions here in this life he puts into our hands as it were secretly a peece of sugar that is an assurance that all the troubles and afflictions of this life are sent in love to us and that they shall not hurt us but shall turne to our good Thirdly Then we know that as God hath taken away our sinne hee will take away the taile which followes it that is the punishment of sinne for the punishment of sinne followeth the act of it as the shadow doth the bodie for if we would remove the shadow wee must remove the body so God when he doth remove the body of sinne then the shadow must needs follow it We read Matth. 5. that when they brought a lame man to Christ the first thing that he saith to him is Sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee after which the next words are Take up thy bed and walke So when the Lord takes away our sinnes he will take away the punishment of sinne Therefore in all the crosses and troubles that befall us we are not to deale with the shadow but with the body of sinne if we remove that we may be sure the shadow will be removed These be the three comforts that a man may have by the knowledge of forgivenesse of his sinnes therefore it is a good thing for a man to know in particular that his sinnes are forgiven Now wee come to speake of the other two blessings and benefits which the Lord doth give and grant to the Church in the life to come and the one is The raising of our bodies at the last day the other Life everlasting and these two blessings he hath reserved till the day of judgement closing up and making an end of all with them yet not a finall end for they shall have no end because the Lord will bestow eternall happinesse on them so that that day though it be a dolefull day to others yet it shall be a joyfull day to the Church of God and a day that they have many a day looked for and desired Now in handling of it we are first to consider The order of Gods distribution that he giveth us First the benefits and blessings of this life and then those of eternall life Hence we are instructed that that which is the order of Gods distribution must be the order in our intention for wee must labor to have communion with the saints here in this life and to have
sure it is therefore that he will restore any part that his friend should lose for his names sake as Heb. 11. 35. it is said of the holy men that they would not bee delivered from those paines and torments which the wicked had devised against them that they might receive a better resurrection and in the story of the Macchabees we read a strange and worthy narration recorded also by Iosephus that when one of the seven Children of the mother came to suffer and was to have his tongue and other parts to be cut off he saith These have I received from the Heavens but now for the Law of God I despise them and trust that I shall receive them againe so because wee know that if wee lose any part for the Name of Christ he will restore it to us at the day of judgement Therefore wee should not bee affraid to lose it but contented and willing to part with all for Christ Now if any man should object that wee shall not then have all our parts restored againe because Christ saith Matth. 18. that a man were better to goe halt and lame into the Kingdome of God than having two hands and two feete to be cast into everlasting fire To this I answere That Christ doth not speake positively but by supposition for he doth not say ye shall goe halt and lame into life but hee saith it were better for a man to goe in any meane and base condition to God as blinde lame naked and poore than to goe into everlasting fire with all the glory that this world can afford Secondly I answer It is to be understood of the estate of the soule and not of the body for if a man were to lose his hands or feete yea all the parts of his body for this end onely to have his soule goe to Heaven it were better than that he should have all the parts of his body and go with the wrecke of his soule and conscience into everlasting fire Secondly the glory of the body consists in this that it shall be beautifull and lovely howsoever now our bodies may bee rotten deformed and ill-favoured especially when we be dead at which time the bodies of the best and beautifullest are ill-favoured to looke on We see good Abraham when Sara was dead desired to have a place to bury her out of his sight so lothsome and ill-favoured we be when we be dead but at the resurrection then our bodies shall bee made beautifull and lovely no man or woman is now so beautifull as we shall be then and that for two Reasons First Looke what estate Adam was in in the time of innocencie in the same estate shall the bodies of the Saints be at the resurrection but the body of man was so beautifull and glorious so full of brightnesse and spendor which issued from it as all the Beasts of the field stood gazing and looking on him in the same estate shall all the bodies of the Saints be at the resurrection Secondly all deformities blackenesse ill-favourednesse and crookednesse are punishments and penalties for sinne but when our sinnes and our corruptions shall cease then the penaltie and punishment shall cease Oh how should this quicken up our care to repent of our sinnes to get faith in Christ to walke holily here that wee may have our portion with the Saints Wee see here when men and womens bodies bee crooked and deformed they weare iron bodies and will indure any thing to make them straight againe besides if they be not well-favored they will send into Spaine and Italy to buy complexion which when they have it doth not help nature but they be the worse for it because it eats out their favour But if men will feare God repent their sinnes get faith in Christ and walke holily here our Lord Iesus Christ will repaire all and make our bodies beautifull and lovely when Salomon had built the Temple the Chaldeans came and destroyed it afterwards when it was built againe it came not to the former glory that it had but it shall not be so with the bodies of the Saints for they shall bee restored to a more beautifull and glorious estate than ever they had before Thirdly the glory of the bodies of the Saints shall consist in this that they shall be filled with brightnesse and splender now their bodies are darke and obscure but then they shall be like so many bright starres and shining Lampes when all the bodies of the wicked shall gather blackenesse and darknesse and shall looke like filthy scroules all the bodies of the Saints shall be like so many bright Stars as Daniel 12. 3. it is said And they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres for ever and ever this Christ doth further inlarge Matth. 13. 43. The Iust shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father the Sunne did never looke more glorious upon this world than the bodies of the Saints shall shine with glory at that day therefore what a comfortable estate shall our bodies be in at that time We see when Moses had talked with God forty daies by the reflexion of Gods glory upon him his face did shine so that the children of Israel were not able to behold it how much more will the glory of Saints be when they shall abide with God not forty daies but for ever and ever if there shall be such glory and brightnesse in the bodies of the Saints how superexcellent shall the glory of the Soule bee then The use is that a Christian should solace himselfe in the meditation of this and not thinke his time lost in the Service of God but abstract his heart from the love of this world and worldly things to thinke on the future glory that God hath prepared for the Saints and cheare up thy heart with it as Gen. 13. the Lord makes an excellent promise to Abraham concerning the land of Canaan bidding him Arise and walke through the land in the length and breadth thereof so the Lord makes goodly promises to a Christian concerning Heaven Therefore though hee hath not put us in possession of it hitherto yet we should arise and walke through the land in the length and breadth of it that is meditate and thinke on the glory and goodly delights of it and solace our soules therewith Secondly seeing the Lord will honour our bodies then with such a deale of glory we must be carefull to spend our time well to live in all holinesse and righteousnesse while wee live here for how can wee looke that God should honour us when wee are not carefull to keepe our bodies holy and labor to honor them our selves It is a rule in Art that they that would finish their colors in brightnesse must lay grounds sutable so if thou
the Name Iesus is implied Christ to be our Savior No other Iesus but he He is our Iesus and will save us 72. Sinnes of ignorance lesse than sinnes of knowledge 228. * Commission of sinne after illumination dangerous 193. ¶ Impenitence worse than wormewood or â—all to Christ 250. * Importunitie prevailes with wicked men to any thing that is bad 210. * Impossibilities in nature are possibilities in the power of God 109. ¶ Our Heavenly Inheritance comes from God our Father 57. Our title to Heaven is by inheritance 452. Foure testimonies of Christs Innocencie 195. We ought to beware of wronging the Innocent 206. ¶ Iosephs grave in his garden why 279. How Christ makes intercession for us 457. It is finished Christs song of gratulation 250. ¶ Of Iudas's betraying Christ 181. Christ onely the Iudge at last day 394. ¶ Comforts from Christ being our Iudge 394. ¶ Two things required in a Iudge sufficient Knowledge to know all things Power to punish all offendors 391. Of Christs comming to Iudgement 385. The glory of Christs comming to Iudgement consists in His traine Brightnesse of his Body Eminencie of his soveraigne Power 422 There shall be a Iudgement day 386. The day of Iudgement not far off 400. ¶ The Earth the generall place where the last Iudgement shall be 395. * The Time Certaintie Signes of the last Iudgement 399. c. Two signes yet to come of the last Iudgement 403. Reasons of the delay of the day of Iudgement are Gods 1. Patience in waiting for mans redemption 2. Goodnesse to his creatures 3. Care of the Elect. 404. The persons that shall be Iudged 405. The manner of the last Iudgement 409. The sentence of the last Iudgement 443. The last Iudgement shall bee according to good workes 458. ¶ Difference in Iudgement may happen to the Saints but not in affection as in Physitians about a sicke Patient 585. ¶ Gods Children must bee affected with his Iudgements 168. ¶ All that desire to see Christ and to depart in peace must be Iust men 139. †Iustice and Religion must goe together 139. ¶ K NO doores or iron gates can keepe out Christ 339. * Christ hath two keyes 1. To lock the wicked into hel 2. To open heaveÌ„ to the godly 423 Christ a King to Gather Governe Doe good to Defend his Church and People 86. c. The Kingdome of Heaven prepared onely for the Elect. 451. Three properties of the Kingdome of Heaven 448. Gods attributes set aworke to furnish the Kingdome of Heaven 448. ¶ Foure excellencies of the Kingdome of Heaven 449. Gods goodnesse to his people to bring them out of the divels kingdome into Christs 87. †Christs Kingdome not of this world 115. †198. †Some kisse religion at Church as Iudas did Christ and betray it at home 184. †That we shall know one another at the Resurrection 630. Two defects in knowledge or illumination 496. Christ must bee made knowne abroad noâ— conceald in private 127. †Wee must make conscience of knowne truthes 284. * L NO labour too great to come to Christ 129. ¶ If we continue in sinne unrepentant Christ hath lost his labour 151. ¶ A Christian a shining lampe 589. * The Canon Law makes it unlawfull to sell Spirituall things What belongs to another 182. ¶ God sometimes leaves us to see how we love him 332. A man loses the Spirit as leaves fall off a tree 521. †An evill member of the Church compared to a wodden legge 537. * Why Christs legges were broken 266. No lets should binder Christians from comming to Christ 126. †Christs Letter to his Father 74. How a man may be busied for provision for this life 648. †Mans life compared to Weavers warpe 45. ¶ Life twofold of Nature Grace 171. * The time of this life the time of mercie and grace 444. This life compared to a drawbridge ibid. Of life everlasting 648. God promiseth to his People life Naturall in this world Spirituall in the world to come 649. ¶ Two degrees of spirituall life of Grace Glorie 650. †The continuance of life everlasting 669. Life everlasting no blessing but torment to the wicked 648. ¶ Christ by his life aswell as death wrought out our salvation 254. †As the Soule is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule 649. Sinners deserve not to have the light of the Sunne or Moone to shine on them 167. ¶ Christ Lord of the world in regard of Soveraigntie Service 95. Christ as Lord will dispose all to the good of his Church 96. †Christ our Lord by right of Creation Redemption Donation Voluntarie service 97. The abatements of the graces of the Spirit in a man whereby hee thinkes them lost 518. †Love beares with a number of faults as a mother with her childe 595. The marvellous love of Christ to die and suffer for us 151. * True love to Christ Endures no holding backe Followes Christ in bonds 190. True love to Christ stoopes to the meanest service for his members 276. †Christ loves his enemies much more his friends 226. ¶ Every man like the Iewes preferre their lusts before Christ 203. M IF Christ restored an Eare to Malchus his enemy much more will he be mercifull to his friends 638. ¶ God had rather abate of his Service thaâ— Man wâ—nt his comfort 459. Gods fitting a Man to his Kingdome compared to a Carpenters hewing of timber 500. ¶ The meanenesse of Mans beginning 67. God made Man last of all creatures to Honour him Teach him Further him in the best things 70. †Christ was made Man in regard of Necessitie Equitie Fitnesse 103. The Manhood of Christ darkned by the Godhead as a candle by the Sunne 477. * The manner of the manifestation of Christs birth 123. Three reasons why Christ was manifested first to the poorer sort 120. ¶ The Virgin Mary more blessed for bearing Christ in her heart than in her wombe 112. †Notes of Mary Magdalens love to Christ are her seeking him Continually when others gave over With teares for losse of him With diligence With complaint for not finding him With publishing her sorrow With proffer of any paines to enjoy him 306. c. Why Mary could not see Christ 310. Why Christ appeares first to Mary 313. ¶ Constant using the meanes a sure way to finde Christ 307. The meanes are to the Spirit as would to the nourishing of a tree 520. †The conscionable use of the meanes gives us comfortable hope of a blessing 538. * The office of a Mediator ceases when Christ renders up his Kingdome 476. †The Mediatorship compared to silke before sore eyes 476. ¶ All men are sinners 610. See Sinne and Sinners Mercie in the midst of wrath 58. Three reasons that no man can merit for another 596. Man can merit nothing 252. ¶ Watchfulnesse requisite to the members of the Church militant 531. ¶ GOD the Author of all Ministery 342. ¶ Christs
died for us as Saint Paul saith Rom. 5. 8. It was love and a great love too that made Iaakob serve seven yeeres for a wife in Syria which hee thought nothing much more it was love and great love in Christ that hee would be contented to bee borne in a Stable to bee laid in a Manger to sweat blood and water in the garden to die that accursed death of the crosse and to bee laid in the ground for us all which Christ accounts as nothing so we may be saved and brought home to God Esay 53. 11. it is said He shall see the travell of his soule and shall be satisfied so we may be saved and brought home to God this will satisfie Christ he will thinke all his paines as nothing Secondly Christ hath made declaration of his Love in that he doth wash away our sins from day to day in his blood for whereas nothing in this world can wash away our sins but his blood it hath pleased him to dippe a handkerchiefe as it were in his blood to wipe away our sinnes this is another evidence that he loveth us as Revel 1. 5. it is said that he hath loved us and washed away our sins in his blood therefore whosoever doth not feele his soule and conscience to be cleansed and the blood of Christ to eate out the venome of his sinne Christ hath not declared his love unto him as yet in any comfortable manner Thirdly Christ declares his love to the Church in that hee sends love tokens unto her which are the gifts and graces of his Spirit A loving husband if hee bee in a farre Countrie will send love tokens to his wife there is never a messenger that comes but he will send some Iewell or peece of gold so Christ doth to his Church send love tokens from day to day as Ephes 4. 8. it is said When he ascended up on high he led captivitie captive and gave gifts unto men so when he came at the highest top of glory hee did not forget his poore Church but sent gifts to it as Acts 2. 35. it is said Since then that he by the right hand of God hath beene exalted and hath received of his Father the Holy Ghost hee hath shewed forth this which you now see and heare This is a plaine evidence that his heart is upon us and that he doth not onely love us but makes declaration of his love that we may see and feele it from day to day Hence we may inferre though Christians bee despised in the eyes of the world and not regarded yet they be deare in the eyes of Christ he regardeth and loveth them Wee see a good wife if her husband love her shee cares not who hates her so her husband bee pleased shee cares not who is displeased so it should bee with a Christian if Christ love him hee should not care though the world hate him so Christ be pleased hee need not care who be displeased with him Secondly seeing the Church is the Spouse and Body of Christ therefore he will richly indue the Church Wee see when a man marrieth with a woman the marriage deeds be made he gives her an interest in his lands and indowes her with his goods so Christ doth indue the Church with his righteousnesse holinesse with his merits Thus Phil. â— 9. Paul desireth that he might be found in Christ that is not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through faith in Christ So also 1 Cor. 1. 30. saith the Apostle But yee are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that according as it is written Hee that rejoyceth let him rejoyce in the Lord this is another comfort to a Christian that though he be poore in himselfe yet he shall be rich in Christ If a poore Maid marry with a rich Husband though her father left her nothing nor never a friend yet she thinkes her selfe well provided for so though we bee poore in our selves our father Adam having left us nothing but sinne yet if weâ— can marry with Christ hee will richly indow us with all his Graces Thirdly seeing the Church is the Spouse and the Bride of Christ therefore hee will adorne it with all his graces It is said Esai 61. 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord and my soule shall bee joyfull in my God for he hath cloathed mee with the garments of salvation and covered mee with the Robe of Righteousnesse hee hath decked me as a Bridegroome and as a Bride tireth her self with her Iewels And to the same effect wee read Revel 19. 8. unto her was granted that shee should bee arayed with pure fine linnen and shining for the fine linnen is the Righteousnesse of Saints so then the Lord will not leave the Church naked but will beautifie and adorne it with his graces therefore wee must labour to feele this and see it for if our conscience shall tell us that wee are naked not having one grace of his Spirit then wee doe not belong to him for without this golden garment of Christs righteousnesse wee shall not bee set at the right hand of Christ as it is Psal 45. 9. but as long as wee bee naked and have not this golden garment on wee doe not belong to Christ for if wee did hee would adorne and beautifie us with all his graces in some measure Fourthly seeing the Church is the bodie and spouse of Christ therefore hee will discharge the Churches duties A woman that is in debt when she is maried to a man all her debts are devolved unto her Husband she shall not answer the debt but her husband because shee is under his covert so the Church shall not answer for her debts but Christ shall as 1 Pet. 2. 24. it is said Who his own selfe bare our sinnes in his own bodie on the tree and Rom 8. 3. saith the Apostle for that which was unpossible to the law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the similitude of sinnefull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh Therefore seeing Christ hath discharged our debt and tooke it upon him it is a comfort to the Church that they shall not answere for it Hence wee may learne that when the Divell shall impleade us for our sinnes and debts wee must not deny the debt and say it is not so but answer him wee bee not the parties that are loiable to the Law but hee must goe to our he band Christ hee hath taken our debt upon him and will answere whatsoever can be required of us To make this plaine as wee reade 2 King 4. there was a poore Widow that was impleaded for her debt who comes to the Prophet and tels him of it Hee askes her what shee had