the stroke of death beause it must needs be so for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality and to assure us of the necessity of the glory that shall be it cannot faile but it must needs come so to passe as the Lord hath promised Oportet it must be so There are certaine bonds that have passed from God to man by the promise of the Almighty that bindes him to it For the word of a King is a King to a man as Demosthenes saith Demost Therefore God hath bound himselfe unto us by his word and by the promises he hath made and likewise we are againe bound by the necessity of congruitie by the necessity of fitnesse that these things should be so For it is of absolute necessity in regard of the fall of Adam and of our corruption that wee have contracted thence that we should not enter into that blessed incorruption till wee have put off this corruption which wee have contracted There is no medling for a sound man to come to them that are in the Pest-house nor there is no conversing for a man that is well in his wits with them that are in Bedlam there is no mingling of Sheepe and Goats together there is no blending of light and darknesse of Christ and Beliall there can be no communion and fellowship betweene corruption and incorruption It is impossible that the corrupt body of man should be able to entertaine and receive that incorruptible crowne of heaven it will burst him in his feeble abilities As is said of Semele that when Iupiter appeared unto â—â—r in his full glorie shee was exhausted by meanes of his Majestie shee expired and lost her life So it is true and certaine this weake vessell cannot endure heaven this corrupt body cannot abide incorruption no more than Gunpowder can endure the approach of fire for it will be swallowed up of it Therefore the Lord prepared a habitation and tabernacle for it in the earth that by the earth hee may bring it to be capacious of the glory they shall receive Therefore there is this necessity that the Apostle saith It must be thus And this necessity is in three respects First in respect of the soule when it is seperate from the body The soule is a part of a man and the body is a part of a man as well as the soule although it be not so great and so excellent a part as that but seeing that God hath appointed that a body and a soule shall alway make a man we cannot say therefore that the body is a man or that the soule is a man but onely by way of eminencie But we must needs take the soule as long as it is seperate from the body to be a thing imperfect for it is not so much blessed as it shall be when the body shall be re-united unto it It is blessed as much intensively but not extensively not in respect of the societie company with the body with the glory and beauty and that joy of the holy Ghost which shall be extended every where as well to the body as to the soul This the soul wants and therefore they lie continually lingring thirsting in expectation Apoc. 6.10 How long Lord holy and true They desire to be restored to their bodies they be naked now the sword is out of his scabbard now the Lord hath drawne them assunder notwithstanding they are both in â—â—e hand of God But then the Lord will again return the sword into his scabbard when he hath clensed pollished it that it shal never afterward be seperated In this regard it must needs be that corruption must put on incorruption For the soule by the hand of God is made uncorruptible and immortall but the body is made both corruptible and mortall therefore that the one may fit the other the Lord must make it by a strange wondrous change he must make this corruption put on incorruption that is he shall so mold the body by lying in the earth that he shall make it by the power of his hand hee shall make it capable of that great incorruption which hee shall give it when the soule and the body shall meete together in one The second reason of this necessity is this because the good God hath ordained in justice to performe all things and that according to that which a man hath done in this flesh 2 Cor. 5.10 for we mst receive according to the things that we have done in this flesh whether they be good or evill as the holy Apostle saith Therfore the Lord will have this corrupt body which hath suffered paine here on earth this body which hath suffered for Gods cause this body which hath suffered death this body which hath endured the flame and persecution this body which hath suffered hunger and thirst and nakednesse this body that hath suffered infamy and ignominy reviling and opprobries as the Lord Iesus did for our sakes this body which hath bin so brought under and made as it were a laughing stock to the world which hath bin made a refuge of scornes this body which beares the prints marks of the Lord Iesus Christ about with it Gal. 6.17 this body which hath bin in martyrdom so ignominious to the sight of the world though it have beene noble in the sight of God this body that hath born all the brunt and toyl labour in affliction this body must be glorified againe for that it stands with Gods justice that every man shall receive according as hee hath done in this flesh whether it be good or evill Therefore it must needs be that this corruption must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality this very body that hath suffered must be honoured that as it hath suffered many evill things for Gods cause so it may receive many good things for its owne cause for the mercy of God which shall be revealed upon it And lastly it is necessary it should be thus Oportet it must needs be that the body must goe to incorruption Aquin. by the way of corruption as Aquinas well noteth because of the conformity of the members to the head Our Lord Iesus Christ went this way therefore we that are his servants must not look to be above our Master Luke 6.40 it is enough that the servant be equall to his Master Christ is our head he is our Master he could not come to immortality but first he died he was mortall before he was immortall and though he were not corruptible although there was no change in his body to corruption yet he was mortall there was a change in the colour there was a change in his strength and life these things were in him for hee was dead these things cannot consist but in him that is dead So much as he was corruptible hee had it for our sakes hee was mortall hee
into a good body but if the Patient bee froward and will not be ruled or his body bee distempered hee is not the better by it Now the fault is not in the Physician nor in the Physick they be both very good but the fault is resident in the party that was not prepared for it or that would not receive it and convert it to that use for which it was given him So the Law of God of it selfe is a light unto our feet Psal 119.105 and a lanterne to our paths and the light of life it selfe if we be able to follow it but because of our owne indisposition it comes to passe that the Law which should pull downe sinne gives strength unto it the Law that was made to kill sin it gives life unto it as the Apostle tells us at large Rom. 7. Rom. 7.9 hee saith That sinne was dead untill the Law came in For where there is no Law there is no transgression and sinne was dead untill such time as the Law came in place but when the Law came then sinne revived then sinne began to hew and hack then it began to kill and slay and to leade into captivity which is a worthy point for our consideration and therefore I must stand a little longer upon it How should it bee that the Law of God which is so pure and so holy in it selfe that it should give any life or any strength unto sinne which it hates and condemnes I say it comes to passe upon occasion of our weaknesse and sinfulnesse which takes not the Law of God for that end which he gave it for but to a contrary end The first reason why the Law by occasion becomes the strength of sinne is this Chrysost as Chrysostome saith that it makes our sinnes manifest a man that is detected growes the more desperate as long as he can keepe himselfe quiet and be secret and unseene hee is more modest but when hee comes once to be opened when he comes to be discovered to the knowledge of Gods Law and to the knowledge of men then hee begins to ruffle with God and with the Law and he will approve and make a defence for those things that are damnable the Apostle doth insinuate the reason Rom. 8.9 Rom. 8.9 where hee saith till the Law of God came he did not know concupiscence except the Law had said thou shalt not lust This you know by experience that there is great difference betweene a foolish and an understanding servant The Lord Iesus saith the understanding servant that knowes his masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes As long as sinne is not knowne it lies hid it is asleepe it workes faintly but when the Law comes and gives light to a mans understanding that he knows himselfe that hee knowes God and the promises of the Gospel now sinne multiplies there is no such sinner as a wise sinner there is no such sinfull person as the learned person because his knowledge makes his sinne apparant and makes him detected of the world and so inrageth him to maintaine and make that good which is evill and naught in it selfe A simple ignorant man although he carry the Devill about him yet hee is not troubled so much he sinnes more easily he hath weak passions hee sinnes within compasse hee sinnes as bruit beasts doe which seldome or never transcend the limits of nature and they exceed mankinde in many respects in moderating their lusts and concupiscence but when the Law of God comes in place it rouzeth a man from his ignorance which would damne him and shewes him the good will of God it shewes him the acceptable yeare of the Lord and what the hope is which he is called unto and what are the treasures of the Gospel It shewes himselfe to himselfe and now the rage of sinne is more impetuous and violent then before For now hee lives hee was dead in those former times when he was ignorant he was quiet When the strong man keepes the house all is quiet but when a stronger comes to thrust him out then there is an uproare and tumult in the house S. Chrysost Againe another reason is saith St. Chrysostom in this that God doth stretch forth his prohibition the nature of man is alway to desire and long after that which is forbidden and there is nothing that inflames his affections so as the prohibition of the things hee desires Would you have a booke sell well get it prohibited the onely way to make a woman to be a blabb is to bid her keep counsell it is the nature of man still to affect things unlawfull and interdicted and so much the stronger the interdiction is so much the more they are inflamed in the desire they have to accomplish it To conclude this point because we cannot endure that our free-will should bee curbed and restrained it comes to passe that the Law of God by occasion is the reviving and increasing of sinne for we cannot indure the liberty of our will should be curbed and checked but we would live as we list every body and this wee see was in the first temptation of our first parents Satan comes to them What hath God made you to live as slaves under governement doth he keepe you under the rodde doth hee keepe you within the pale hath hee forbid you one fruit of the garden As if hee should say because he had forbidden them one it was as good as if he had forbid all so our first Parents they could not indure this they could not abide to bee kept under to bee made boyes and children to be under a Pedagogue to bee under a Tutor governour as it were not to make choice of their owne affections if God had made them to their owne choice well and good but now the Lord hath made them under the governement of others he hath made them under a Law and they cannot abide that And so it continues in the mind of man still he will have his owne mind though it be contrary to the will of God and though he hinder himselfe he will have it if it be to the damnation of his owne soule if hee get hell for his will yet he will have his will This poyson being in our nature makes good the doctrine that we speak of that sinne revives for the Law of God beats upon our sinnes and makes us say and confesse if wee will follow the guidance of it Not my will but thine be done Let me not seek after mine own will which is base and corrupt but after thy will which is holy and just The Law of God would teach a man to say thus but contrariwise that which flowes from a mans selfe it seeks it selfe and seeing hee cannot please God norman he will please his own soule As the Poet saith Delight thy owne soule care not what other men speak or doe or think against thee This is
and difficult is more easily atchieved and effected by the hand of God And he proves it out of Matth. 9.5 Mat. 9.5 where our Lord discoursing with the Pharisees when they had said who can forgive sinnes he askes them whether it were easier to say to the sicke of the Palsie take up thy bed and walke or to say thy sinnes are forgiven thee where our Lord clearely gives us to understand that it is a harder matter and a more powerfull thing to say thy sinnes are forgiven thee then to give limbs to him to walke and to take up his bed and goe his way For sicknesses are the punishments of sinne and the Lord removing that once he takes away the cause which is greater than the effect But although this be followed with so many so great and so worthy Interpreters yet me thinkes it hath no congruity with the purpose of the Apostle in this place for as I said before the Apostles meaning is not here to instruct us in the renovation of the soule of newnesse of life in holinesse and sanctification but to tell us of the resurrection of the flesh that is his chiefe argument the maine point he insisteth precisely upon Therefore to say to be baptised for dead is to be baptised for the name of a dead Christ it is too farre fetched and I cannot see how it can be brought in Therefore without prejudice to these glorious and goodly writers we proceed to further examination of these words There be some others that cannot indure what hath beene said before but they must devise trickes of their owne They say Saint Paul alludes to the Leviticall Law Numb 19. Numb 19. when a man had touched any dead carkasse he was to be cleansed before the even but suppose say they that the man dyed by casualty before night before he could come to the Priest before he could have gotten the matter of his purification what was then to be done Then say they his neighbour was to be cleansed for him and so they fall upon an opinion before named But what is their purpose certainly to bring in prayer for the dead because they thinke that as there was baptisme for the dead so there should be prayer for the dead And if the one fall to be so the other must needs be so too For I rather thinke that there should be prayer for the dead than that there should be baptising for them to speake in a sacramentall sence They doe it to bring in their superstitions of holy-water and sprinkling the graves and sepulchers and coffins of dead persons thereby to make them more pure before God and that which is more ridiculous that the Priest should undertake in times past and it may be now too in our times when he was sent for to a sicke body to give him the host and that the party were dead before he came he in the presence of the company was to eate it for him that was deceased and thought that that would be availeable to him for the forgivenesse of his sinnes and for the receiving him into heaven These things have no ground nor warrant neither in this Epistle nor in the old Law There is no such thing that there was any such purification by a proxie but it was alway done in a mans owne person and there was no friâ—nd admitted in any such action Therefore in that devise they make one lye to salve another as their custome is in other of their proceedings Further there is yet another opinion that saith that baptising for the dead it is meant of those that came and offered themselves voluntarily to afflictions and persecution And this is more neare the point for indeed in the Scripture it is a most usuall and common saying to call afflictions by the name of baptisme So Math. 20. Math. 20. Mark 9. Mar. 9. when the sonnes of Zebede come to our Lord and desire a boone of him requesting that one of them might sit at his right hand and the other at his left in his kingdome Christ answers them againe that they knew not what they asked And he proceeds further saith he Can ye drinke of that Cup whereof I shall drinke and can ye be baptised with the baptisme that I shall be baptised withall and they answer againe they could Christ tels them again that indeed they should drinke of that cup and be baptised with that baptisme but to sit at his right hand and at his left c. where we may see he speakes of the baptisme of fire and trouble and persecution That which is intended in those words the same also by comparison may be taught here and interpreted in this place They that are baptised for dead that is those that scorned their lives that cared not for them those that were ready to drinke the cup of Christ that were ready to throw themselves into danger for the glory of their Lord and Master To what end are they thus forward if there be no resurrection from the dead There be many things that favour this interpretation as the sequell that followes in the next words Where the Apostle saith why are we in danger or jeopardie every houre if the dead rise not as if he would bring the argument from abroad home to himselfe and then the sence of the place is this To what purpose doe men adventure their lives and cast themselves into apparant danger of death except they have a certaine hope of the resurrection to life and that that God that takes away their life now can give it them againe with advantage in the world to come This is true but whether it be fully proper or no to rest in this baptisme as absolute I thinke it lyes not in any mans power by any strong and full authority to determine It is true our Lord saith Luke 10. Luke 10. I have a baptisme to be baptised with and how am I pained till it be past Where he meanes in the same sence the baptisme of affliction For a man in affliction is as it were a dead man a man in prison as though he were in the bottome of the water in another element when there is persecution and trouble on every side But yet there is another opinion which shall be the last that at this time I will trouble you withall that is of Beza Beza and others that hold with him that all this that is spoken of baptisme here is not meant of any sacramentall washing but as the word is often used for a legall washing and purifying common and ordinary at the carrying forth of the dead as in Heb. 9. Heb. 9. there are many washings and the word is thus used in divers places in the Gospell As where Christ saith the Scribes and Pharisees when they come from the market they baptised their hands and they baptised their Cups and their Platters and Dishes It is the same word there and it signifieth
breeds So there is no ague that alway holds a man except it quickly dispatch him but there is some kinde of intervall there is some interim and space betweene one fit and another there is seldome in the world such a plague that still lyes as a heavy burden upon mens shoulders But the children of God are sure to have it so not onely to have dangers but to have one upon another Psal 42.7 one deepe cals upon another because of the noyse of the water pipes as the Prophet speakes they shall have feares without and terrours within the end of one evill is but the beginning of another succeeding evill Behold then your calling that whereunto you are called saith Saint Chrysostome we are set out for the purpose not onely to be vexed in this world but to be vexed continually That we cannot eate our meate nor drinke our drinke without vexation The Lord mingles our bread with teares Psalm 80.5 and our drinke with weeping It is the property of the wicked to feed without feare but even in our feeding and repast we are possest with feares and terrours Iude 12. And saith Saint Bernard Know thy portion know thy portion Math. 10.25 Oh Christian in the Crosse of Christ it was his case and it must be thine it is enough for the servant to be as his Master it is no reason he should be above his Master This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every houre is that which God requires at our hands if we doe good for him we must doe it every houre if we suffer ill for his sake we must suffer every houre The Crowne of all our actions and of all our obedience is this perseverance and continuance Every houre It is not for an houre or for some few houres of a day but all the time of our life we must be under the Crosse and have the hand of God to pound and bray and beat upon us to get out those sweet smelling spices of patience and godlinesse which the holy Ghost hath infused into us This is the tryall of a Christian to be every houre in ieopardy and to be more constant in suffering than his adversaries can be in tormenting to be so compleat in that panoplia the Armour of the spirit of God that so long as the world can strike he can indure the stroke and be greater at length than all his temptations It is the miserable condition of all our services they be not lasting We are weary of well-doing Galat. 6.9 when we are in prayer we are weary before we can raise our selves to any kinde of zeale in our hearts we have done before we begin When we are in meditation it is a wearinesse to flesh and bloud When we are doing of good deeds to Christ in his poor members we are weary and say come no more I have done so much and so much for you already These are the cut-throats of obedience This noysomnesse and tediousnesse and faintnesse of ours deprives us of all hope of reward Therefore the Apostle saith Gal. 6. Be not weary of well-doing for we shall receive in time Galat. 6.9 if we faint not he that gives every houre and moment to the service of God shall have an eternall houre that is of blessednesse and continuance of felicity in the power of God Almighty But as I said it is with this condition If we faint not we shall receive Implying that if we faint we shall not receive all our precedent benefits all our good deeds that we have done in former time if we hold not on they have no place or acceptance with God Perseverance is the Crowne of the graces of God to be every houre every momēt of time addicted to the glory of God it is the glory of Gods servants It is to no purpose to give a poore creature a small piece of money or some little meanes to helpe him if afterward seeing him in the same case and being as able to helpe him we leave him For his life still continues and as long as life and occasion continues so long must our charity continue or else it is to no purpose It were in vaine for a woman to nurse a childe a quarter or halfe a yeare if she doe it not till it be brought to some reasonable age and strength that it be able to helpe it selfe It is better not to begin a thing than not to finish it after it is begun for a man to lay a foundation of a house and not to be able to build it up is to make himselfe a meere mockery to the common people Luke 14.30 to say This man began to build and was not able to finish it as our Saviour saith so in the matters of God whether we doe good or suffer ill for his name it must either be continually done or else it is not done at all Luke 9.62 To looke backe when we have laid our hand to the Plow is to loose our reward He is a bad debtor that payes his debts by halves he is a bad servant that will doe but halfe his service that will not give account for the whole time his Master hath conferred on him and put him in trust withall So they must needs be accounted base sufferers and runnagate Souldiers that when they have once put their hand to the action for feare of danger flye backe The Lord takes up no such Souldiers Therefore let us pay God his service with a full hand for so his gifts deserve The blessings of God are so infinite that they deserve not a perfunctory service a kinde of time-service to be now up and now downe but as the blessings of God be eternall upon the soule of man so the service and the affections of man should be eternall to God againe This little short life that we have is our eternitie the eternity which God hath is unspeakable without end As God hath promised us life eternall ioy eternall blessednesse eternall so let us labour that all that we doe may be as much as in us lies eternall Let our prayers be eternall our devotion eternall our patience eternall our charity eternall There is nothing tending to the praise of God that should be for a short time but as his blessings and promises are eternall so we should stretch and extend our selves as much as may be to make our services eternall The glory of a Christian is constancie and perseverance he hath constancy against the number of the dangers that come and perseverance against the continuance of them This was the glory of the Apostle when he saith that he was in ieopardy every houre we wrastle with great difficulties the dangers are great and many therein we shew our constancie Againe we know they be long and durable or else we might the better beare them Every moment we are oppressed every houre of our life it waites upon us as a heavy burthen upon our shoulders And
into all the parts of Christs mysticall body in all the parts of the world The communion of Saints is taught us here Christ is alike to every one Our reioycing mine in Asia yours in Europe mine in Ephesus yours in Corinth mine on this side the sea yours beyond the sea My reioycing or our reioycing in our common Lord and Saviour It is ours because Christ is ours because he is the Lilly of the field Cant. 2.1 and the Lilly of the valley he is the Lilly of the field not of the garden a garden is a private place reserved for the particular owner of it but he is the flowre of the field that all passengers may take him up and smell to his sweetnesse He is the Lilly of the valley who conveyes grace and sweetnesse and beauty and maiesty to all that approach him He rules in the midst of the seven golden Candlestickes because his vertue may be equally diffused as lines from the center to the circumference all concurring together in the center So all nations and people in the world have seene the salvation of God because they have met together in the center our Lord Iesus Christ By our reioycing in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The ground of this reioycing Here is the ground and foundation Christ Iesus our Lord. Christ is that fountaine from whence all streames If the old man worke death the new man shall worke life and we have put off the old man that we may put on the new that is that wee might be more invested with the one and lesse with the other By our reioycing in the Lord Iesus This common sunne which is the ioy of the world is sometimes ours and sometimes not ours When it riseth to us it sets in another place to another world of people The Antipodes have not the sunne when we have it and againe when they have it we want it because of day and night and intercourse of times For the sunne compassing the globe of the earth must of necessity by interposing the shadow make this difference so that the Sunne is not alway ours although it be the light of the world But the Sunne of righteousnesse is alway ours he is alway above our horizon alway beneath our horizon to the Antipodes as well as to us and to as many as the Lord shall call that Lord is the same he is the bright morning starre that was yesterday to day and for ever the same Heb. 13.8 Apoc. 1.8 He is Alpha and Omega By the reioycing that I have in Christ Iesus our Lord. And herein wee are to observe the causes of this joy for first he is Iesus and then he is Christ and then he is our Lord all this makes up the fulnesse of our joy If he were not Iesus he could not worke this miracle in our frayle tabernacles For as he is God he is called Iesus as he is man he is called Christ He is called Iesus because hee is a Saviour now man cannot save He is called Christ because he was annoynted and God cannot be annoynted It is the property of a man to receive annoynting from a higher thing This makes the fulnesse of our ioy for being Iesus he is able to conferre upon us streames of joy being the omnipotent fountaine of life all that we receive being from him from him we receive grace for grace as it is Ioh. 1. Ioh. 1.16 he being the fulnesse of joy from God the Father at whose birth the Angels sang Glory to God on high ioy on earth to men good will Luke 2.14 It followes therefore that hee is able to worke joy in the spirits of men that he can give light in darkenesse There is nothing difficult to him but his spirit can make all things lightsome he can make a man reioyce in tribulation and affliction as he is Iesus And then Christ that is annoynted Psal 45.7 for hee is annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes And what is that annoynting but the oyle of ioy and gladnesse that is that great fulnesse of ioy wherewith he is annoynted that it should not stay upon the head of Aaron or his beard Psal 133.2 but should runne downe to the skirts of his cloathing that all the body of the Priest should be filled with joy As our Saviour saith to his Disciples that when they came to a house Luke 10.5 they were to salute it and to say Peace be to this house When Christ comes once to a man hee brings joy he is that annoynted one he takes of that oyle of gladnesse and gives it to his fellowes that is to the followers of his salvation Lastly he is our Lord. Therefore he is a good Master and wisheth well to his servants he hath a horne of oyle and he poures it out that Amalthean horne of ioy and comfort and consolation for all the elect of God And hee is willing to doe it for us because we acknowledge him to be our Lord. Therefore we must examine our selves by this whom wee acknowledge to be our Lord. And we shall soone see the reason why we want this joy if a man be under the divell and acknowledge him to be his Lord he hath nothing to give him but misery and terrour and discomfort sorrow and distresse a man can receive nothing else there because he serves a bad Master but if thy Master be Christ the annoynted of God he shall bring thee ioy and peace of conscience and then certainly it will manifest it selfe It will appeare in thy countenance in thy words in thy patience in suffering with Gods Saints it will appeare in all the passages of a mans life that men may perceive that the oyle of grace is poured out upon him and is infused into him and it opens it selfe plainely and manifestly in every thing that passeth from him that is indued with the spirit of God Let us therefore labour which is the last poynt of the Text to preserve the force of this argument 4 The force of the Aâ—gument that we may be sure of our salvation and of our reioycing in Christ And if need be to protest and sweare it to lay it to pledge as a man doth his lands and estate When he would make a thing certaine he infeoffes a man in those things that are most neare and deare to him the best things that he hath So the best thing that the Apostle had it was his reioycing in Christ his comfort of conscience the peace of God which farre transcended his passions and sweetned his afflictions and made him reioyce in tribulation that comfort of Christ that hee had within in his spirit and from abroad by the proficiency of his Schollars to see them grow up in the feare of God in the knowledge of Christ in the profession of the faith this is the reioycing the Apostle speakes of I would that we all had this reioycing espeeially those that stand
in the Apostles place that they would Vse 1 follow his steps to have their reioycing in this one Lord and master to have no ioy in the world or in men in goods and profits in pleasures honours or in preferments which the world usually buyes and sels To have no reioycing in these but as they bee men that belong to God so let them reioyce onely in God And there is all the poynt of gloriation Therefore let not the rich man boast in his riches Ier. 9.23 or the strong man in his strength but let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord for it is he that executes iudgement and iustice and that sheweth mercy to those that reioyce in him as the Lord speakes Vse 2 Againe this must teach us to mingle these two together as the holy Apostle doth Reioycing and death we must labour by the study of pleasing Almighty God to keepe this sweet temper in us Wee are sure of the one but we must labour for the other I wonder not when I heare thee say as the Apostle doth here I dye daily for every man doth so there is not the most sensuall man but he hath a touch of death every day eyther by sensible misery or by the touch of conscience by bringing of his sinnes to his view That is incident to nature and a consequent of sinne to dye But what is thy reioycing what comfort hast thou in Christ This is that we should desire and call upon God continually for even to make this temper and mixture in us for the one is as necessarie as the other and God is as ready to give the one as our nature is ready to draw the other upon it selfe And this must be by this one meanes the making Iesus Christ thy Lord knowing no other Lord besides him no nor none against him nor none with him but that he may have the preheminence and be all in all as he is to his children in the world and shall be for ever in another world So thou must make him all thy ayme all that thou desirest all thy gloriation because thou must or canst desire nothing but it is seated in him To conclude with the time here is a modell of a christian mans estate death and life sorrow and ioy he is composed of such strange differences as the understanding of man cannot attaine unto But yet assuredly the Lord is never so heavy to him in iudgment but he is withall rich in mercy sorrow of heart shall never so surround him but he shall have the ioy of the holy Ghost to survive him As Saint Augustine Augustine saith upon that place of Paul Redeeme the time because the dayes are evill I saith he it is true the time in this world is evill but all the dayes that are in Christ are good dayes all the dayes of the Lord are good all the dayes of sinne are evill Let us sell them then he that redeemes parts with one thing to get another Let us sell these evill dayes in this world that we may get those good dayes in the grace of Christ And as Saint Gregory Gregory saith Good Iesus hee that hath thee looseth nothing and though he be in the midst of death yet he shall be recompenced with life although hee be in the midst and swallowed up with sorrow and deepe pangs of conscience yet thy spirit is there to remove that sorrow for though sorrow indureth for a night yet ioy commeth in the morning Psal 30. Psal 30.5 And in thy light wee shall see light thy wrath indures for the twinckling of an eye but in thy pleasure there is life for evermore This is the blessed state that every Christian is called unto and the Lord make it every one of our portions for Iesus Christs sake Amen FINIS 1 COR. 15.32 If I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men what doth it availe me if there be no resurrection from the dead THis is now the conclusion of that argument which Saint Paul draws from his owne person For drawing his principall argument from the sufferings of the Church to prove the resurrection of the dead he begins first with the generall and then he descends to the particular and last of all he comes to the personall First the generall was verse 29. What shall they doe that are baptised for the dead Then in the next verse he comes to the Colledge of the Apostles and saith We also are in ieopardy every day And for his owne particular he protests he dyes daily in the verse before the Text. And now he comes to explaine this how it should be taken saith he If I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men Because he had spoken of a thing unlikely and unusuall and unwonted and therefore it might be offensive to Atticke eares such as were at Corinth to say that he lived and yet was dead therefore now he tempers his speech and mitigates it by this exposition when he saith He received the sentence of death against himselfe for hee was cast to beasts to fight with them eyther indeed according to the letter as it was a kinde of punishment and torment that the Pagan persecutors assigned the Christians unto or by way of metaphore as many and most of the Fathers of the Church interpret it But how ever the force of the argument is all one For whether he were cast to beasts and suffered to take his weapons and to defend himselfe and so by the mercy of God to escape without hurt from them or whether he meane by fighting with beasts beastly minded men as the phrase of Scripture often insinuates the strength of the argument is all one For often times a man were better bee cast unto beasts then to men there being more mercy and lesse fury in the pawes of the very beasts than in the working braines of men and the malicious conveyances that they have in the world So whether wee take it for beasts literally or for men that were beasts metaphorically the force of the argument is equall For saith he if there were no hope of the Resurrection then I would doe as the world doth and I would say as they say I would accommodate my selfe to all mens humours I would be so farre from casting my selfe into such dangers as to sight with beasts or with beastly men as that I would seeke to recover my owne which I had once being a Pharisie I would live a quiet and peaceable life among my brethren as I did then when I was rather ready to doe others hurt than to suffer any I would much rather choose that state of life than thus to be plagued and plunged and drowned in misery if there were not a hope of a Resurrection but the vigour and life of that hope duls all the pangs in this world and sweetens the cup of affliction which else would eate out my very intrayles If
harmelesse humour although when it is too extreame and violent it is full of sinne yet it is construed to a good sense that they desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all that is to say not to be dissolved after the fashion of the common death as S. Paul did but to have a kinde of light mutation and change and so to be translated unto glory You see in 2 Cor. 5.4 2 Cor. 5.4 where the Apostle tells us We would not be spoiled of this body that is we would not die but supervestiri wee would have a garment or vestment of glory and immortality to be put upon this body without death As if hee should say we would have corruption to enter into incorruption and we would be made capable of heaven with these bodies unchanged by death To that the Apostle answers in these words No saith he these things are contrary naturall and spirituall and it is impossible for a naturall body to be capable of spirituall qualities or a spirituall body of naturall qualities we must needs leave off the one before we can take the other we must lay downe the rags of this flesh before we can take the garment or vestment of glory and eternity in that blessed life that followes And although we have a great desire to goe unto life without death yet wee must mortifie that desire for it is as vaine as nurses wishes As nurses that wish the most eminent and excellent things to their children so we delight our selves in this imagination But the Apostle tells us that wee must take things in order for that God hath made all things in order First we are to taste of the naturals and then to be made partakers of the spirituals so we cannot be borne into this world but by nature and we cannot be borne into our spirituall possession at the first but first we must have a kinde of naturall life and by the grace of God that prepares us unto the life spirituall So God hath appointed and ordained every thing to goe by succession that all things should not be done at once but every thing in its time For saith he that which is spirituall is not first but that which is naturall and then that which is spirituall And to this purpose hee brings in the two great fountaines and seminaries of mankinde the one for the life of nature the other for the life of grace a man and a man both of them being men but yet being diversly qualified and both leaving their qualities to those that be their followers For saith the Apostle the causers of all this great difference of naturall and spirituall be the two Adams the one was meerely naturall and was no more but a man The other although he were naturall yet he was spirituall too he was both God and man The one wrought unto death the other wrought unto life the one was bent and inclined to sinne the other was full of all grace the one left an inheritance of misery the other left great demeanes of glory to all those that are his followers Now as these causes bee contrary in themselves there being as much difference betweene them as there is betweene East and West so wee must imagine the effects to be different too For if the one did work to hell and damnation the other wrought to heaven a glorious redemption and salvation for all Gods people and if the wickednesse of the one were derivable upon his posterity in the flesh much more the goodnesse and righteousnesse of the other is derived unto them that are true beleevers and followers of him The first man was of the earth earthly the second man was the Lord from heaven And as they be so be their disciples as is he that is earthly so are they that are earthly and as was the heavenly so are they that are heavenly They are to follow their masters cue and to be of the same condition as their Chieftaine and Soveraigne The carnall man dies in Adam the spirituall lives in Christ even to life everlasting This is the substance of the words read unto you Now to proceed in order of the Text. First Division into 3. parts 1. The order of the PropositioÌ„ 2. The comparison betweene the 2. Adams 3. The conformity of their members we are to consider the verity and truth of the order of this proposition how the Apostle intends that that which is spirituall is not first but that which is naturall For it seemes that the best things should be first and spirituall things being best therefore it seemes they should be first yea it seems to be a disparagement unto things spirituall and heavenly to come in time after things naturall But the Apostle saith no God hath appointed it so and hee gives no further reason as St. Chrysostom observes that they may give themselves content in this that it is Gods will it shall be so that is a reason sufficient they need seek no further Secondly we are to consider the comparison betweene the two heads and roots and fountaines of mankinde the first man and the latter man and they are compared in foure things The first is in respect of their order and succession the first and the last or the first and the second The second is in respect of the place of their nativity whence they come the first from the earth the second from heaven The third is in the quantity of their difference and excellencie the first came as a servant the second came as a Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And though the word servant be not noted in the Text yet it is to be understood by this that he saith The Lord himselfe Therefore the first came not as a Lord but as a servant but the second came as a Lord in all points yea as the Lord himselfe from heaven Then lastly for their qualities the one is earthly the other is heavenly The third part of the Text is the conformity of the members that belong to these heads with their heads For as there are two great foundations of mankinde so likewise they have members answerable to them Those that be of Adam that is naturall men they be as their father is such as the earthly is so they are that are earthly and those that be of Christs retinue they be such as their Master is too For as is the heavenly so are they also that are heavenly which is not meant of the manners and condition of men here in this world for the Apostle meddles not with that in all this Chapter but it is spoken of the bodies that shall be raised at that day thâ—t as all men be earthly by nature the best Saints of God here are in an earthly condition and must be dissolved into earth and as we have that by means of the first Adam from whence wee descend so from the second Adam wee have a hope and shall
as God hath made him which knew not sinne to be sinne for us that is he hath made him a sacrifice for sinne and hee was accounted a sinner as he was made sinne for us so this is the effect of this account and imputation of our sins upon him it shall be the imputation of his righteousnesse upon us as the holy Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6. He was made sin for us which knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God Now after this he hath shewed us the enemies he begins to shew us the use of all this he drawes to a conclusion and he saith God hath given us victory Thanks be to God that hath given us victory through Christ Iesus our Lord. As if hee should say if we had indeed the remnants of sin in us still wee were foolish to make any insultation over death for death would triumph over us for as long as sinne remaines death must needs ensue and as long as the law is put upon us to curbe and contradict us sin will be but now God be thanked that hath given us victory through Iesus Christ our Lord For he hath destroyed the one and hee hath fulfilled the other he hath destroyed the one by his gracious conversation and he hath fulfilled the law he hath appeased the wrath of God that now there remaines no more enemy but the field is cleare and we are masters of the field for ever Therefore God be thanked which hath given us victory through Iesus Christ our Lord. Wherein wee are to consider First the gift that is given It is victory Division of the Text into 5. parts an absolute and compleat victory over these fierce enemies Secondly whence this victory comes from God God hath given us victory It is from the whole Trinity Thirdly the manner how it comes by way of gift not by way of merit blessed be God that hath given us the victory Fourthly the meanes through whom it comes through Christ Thanks be to God that hath given us victory through Christ Iesus our Lord. It is by the arme of Christ Fiftly the end and use of all Thanks be to God For the blessings of God require thankfulnesse therefore the Apostle gives glory to him that glorifieth us he gives conquest to him that is a conquerour for us Thanks be to God that hath given us victory through Iesus Christ The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law This former part of the Text describes the Adversaries extinct and vanquished that which hee speaks of a sting is diversly translated by Interpreters some call it morsum the biting comparing it to a serpent that poysoneth and infecteth and killeth by biting so sinne was represented to us in the garden by the serpent that gave the apple unto Eve Some take it for the sting of a waspe the Hebrew word Kota in Hosea 13. Hosea 13.14 signifieth that which is sharp as a stelletto a thing that makes a present impression and by the puncture it pierceth into the inward parts and brings sudden death So by divers Translators it is thus read I will be a plague unto thee oh death and I will be thy destruction oh hell Many and sundry wayes it is translated but it is sufficient for us to take that which the last and best translation affords and so we call it the sting because indeed death was never nor it could not be sharp unto us except it come to be armed with sinne nor there is no calamity in the world no misery that a man suffers but he suffers it willingly if he have a cleare conscience it being the onely rule of peace and quiet to be free from the cause and from deserving that thing that is imputed and cast upon a man But when miseries come not onely tedious of themselves but they come armed with the condignity of sinne that they have a certaine correspondence in commutative justice that he that hath done evill must suffer evill Now it becomes of all calamities the extreamest and most miserable Therefore it is said here The sting of death is sinne as though death it self were nothing unwelcome and harsh to the flesh of man but that it is inflicted for sin and as the wages of sin But here a man may very well make a stand and aske how can this be how should sin be the sting of death seeing it is rather contrary death is the sting of sinne for which is first was not sinne before death saith St. Austin in his 7. Tom. in his 3. S. Aug. Tom. 7. lib. 3. d◠peceat remiss Booke De peccatis remissione peccatorum saith he we sinne not because wee die it is no sinne to die because it is the fulfilling of the judgement of God upon sinne We sinne not in dying but we die for sinning for from that comes our death therefore seeing sinne was the cause of death and that death is a thing of nothing a thing that followes afte◠sinne it seemes therefore that sinne being first and sin being the cause of death it followes that it must use death as a sting unto it and not on the contrary that it should be a sting unto death But for this there is no great matter in the phrase for as St. Austin Aug. and the rest of Divines accord with him the Apostle calls sinne the sting of death not that death made it but that death is made with it and it is made by it so it is called the sting of death that is a deadly sting that brings death with it As a cup of poyson we call it a cup of death not as though death made the cup but because death is with it that he that takes that cup shall die with it So the tree of life and the tree of knowledge the meaning is not as though life were made by the tree or that knowledge were made by the tree but because the fruit of that tree would have brought life and would have brought the knowledge of good and evill This therefore is the meaning of the Apostles words that sinne by the just permission of God and by the deputation that God gave unto sathan to execute judgement upon sinners it comes upon every man armed and it is armed with death the most desperate weapon that can be that destroyes the very nature of man and brings him to his very foundation to a matter of nothing This is that sting that must prick us all at length as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Therefore let us learne while wee are now in this world to prepare our selves for this sting that we doe not kick against the pricks as our Lord saith Acts 9. Acts 9.5 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks Let us therefore never grumble against the necessity of sicknesse disease and miseries for alas these are nothing in comparison of death we
the poore and so it is according to the advise of the wise man Give of that which thou hast If thou have but little doe thy diligence to give of that little and notwithstanding the great authority of that most holy father and the rest that hold with him I thinke there is no necessity of this consequence for I take it that God bindes no man to impossibilities I know this that there are many men whose meanes are so poore as that they are fitter to be receivers to take from others then to be givers and for servants it is certaine many of their meanes and wages are so slender as that they have scarce enough to maintaine their owne bodies Therefore seeing the great God that sets men to worke will never call them to a worke that is impossible he will not call men to a necessity of inconvenience to their persons and states but he would have men to consider their place to consider the state they are in Certainely the Lord doth not call to such a generall collection as that all should give but according to their place and ability Therefore I take it this universall Terme Every man is to be restrained to that which followeth according as God hath inabled him Now God hath not inabled every man therfore every man is not bound to make this collection It is true if you know him a man fit to be a receiver you ought to give somewhat but because there be divers sorts and rankes of men some God hath made to be givers and some to be receivers therefore I conclude that every man cannot be a giver because then the distinction of difference should be taken away The second member of the distinction should be taken away and there could be no receivers for one begger to help another it is impossible indeed by admonition and counsell one may doe it to another but by way of helpe and worldly support they cannot doe so therefore I take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be referred onely to him that God hath inabled out of that superfluity and abundance God hath given him to give something to the poore Saints Now for the Act 2 The act he saith they must lay up they be words of exceeding comfort that he must lay it up as a thing never to be taken from him and hee must lay it up as a treasure he must lay it up as a thing that shall be of much advantage to him lay it up as in a treasure Citie lay it up as a thing against to morrow that is against future time because a man is still doubtfull of the future he hath for the present but he knowes not what he may need after therefore a treasure is laid up for a time he knowes not of for an evill time So then the holy Ghost would give us comfort in this that man that layes up for the poore he layes up treasure Matth. 6. Lay not up treasure here on earth but lay up your treasure in heaven And this treasure it must be made of the richest things either of iewels or of gold or silver because they be of most price because they are contained in the least roome a man makes no treasure of other fruits of the earth he makes not a treasure of corne or fruit but of gold and silver that is a treasure where much wealth may lye in a little compasse So the holy Ghost hath taught this for our comfort that that man that gives to the poore he hath great wealth in a small roome although thou canst give but little yet notwithstanding if thou give according to that which God hath inabled thee it is not the quantity of the gift but the quality and minde of the giver that is accepted with the Lord. He must lay up by himselfe Why by himselfe why should he not bring it to the poore mans box why should he not bring it to the Church-Wardens to the Overseers for the poore to the Collectors for the poore Because there were no such officers appointed then in the Church the Church was but young it was but then in the cradle and by reason that they were many of them poore men that could lay up but every weeke a little they would have beene ashamed to have brought so little therefore the Apostle bids them lay it up keepe it by them that many littles might make a mickle as the Proverbe is and that so many crums might come to be a whole loafe and then to present it when it was an acceptable gift when it might carry some shew with it But here we may see what was the wonderfull goodnesse and conscience of the Church in those times every man was his owne Lord Almner his owne Treasurer he laid up for God and for himselfe what he could well spare for the Saints of God he laid it up every weeke If the men of our times were put to this passage they would abate from it for their owne allowance and when their friends and acquaintance should come to them they would draw some thing from the treasure that they had laid up for God Let us be ashamed of these base and vile exorbitances and aspire as much as we may to that sincere zeale and affection that was in Gods people in former times which were true accounters to the Lord God and laid up every weeke what they could spare for the honour of God and for the good of his people at the command of the Apostles that they should be masters of it they layed it down at their feet when they called for it and they would never take any part from it for then the Apostles would not have trusted them with their owne for a man may be good this weeke and lay up somewhat for a good purpose the next week hee may be a drunkard and spend that he layed up before but they were still constant that which they had layed up and consecrated to the wayes of God they were as carefull in the keeping of it Let every man lay up by himselfe Vpon this Saint Chrysostome Câ—rysost worthily comments I pray thee good Christian know thy honour thy Church is thy house and thy house is made a Church by this meanes for that that is given to Saints they are holy goods they are holy gifts and the Lord hath made thee a Deacon to thy selfe behold thy great honour the Lord hath chosen thee to be a Deacon and a collector for the poore to be a Treasurer for the state of the Church Now then let us labour also for this perfection that whatsoever we vow to God whatsoever wee do to him that we keepe and hold it When a man is to go on a journey hee saith if God will send me well on my journey I will give so much to the poore this vow stands upon record in heauen the Lord takes notice of it when he comes home againe he forgets his vow and
that wondrous and unwearied peregrination which he made in the world for he went from place to place and still was winning countries to the obedience and service of his Lord and master he might therefore ill loose so much time as should be spent in carrying the money from Corinth to Ierusalem or from Ephesus where it seemeth he now was because many countries in the world were not yet discovered there were many Nations that were not yet brought to the faith and obedience of Christ and he was sent to be a Preacher to the Gentiles and therefore he was to preach to all the Gentiles that he could extend himselfe unto being as Chrysostome saith like unto the sunne in the firmament that riseth in the one part of the world and in twenty foure houres compasseth all the round such an one was the Apostle which was sent and instituted by our Saviour and therefore it was much for him to lose so much time as this action would require to carry it so farre as to Ierusalem but now that the love of the brethren was so great and their necessitie was so important and exigent that he thought it not amisse for the time to lay aside the care of the greater office and to stoupe to this which was the lesser for it is true indeed the Apostle which way soever he went he gained soules to his master and it was all one for him howbeit there is great difference in this in planting of a new foundation where Christ was never heard of and in confirming of those places where Christ had beene taught and received and embraced Therefore there was some oddes and disadvantage in this that he should spend so much time as to go backe to Ierusalem whereas all those places were now already wonne to Christ and he should have gone and marched forward toward the North parts of the world where Christ had not as yet beene heard of and yet he sets all the care of this aside for the present and urgent necessitie that his brethren were in at Ierusalem and he thinkes that the works of mercie that belong to the Saints of God are to possesse and to take up the time of a man rather then some higher thing What then the preaching of the Gospell was not that the greatest part that belonged to his function Quest why then should he leave that seeing it was contrary to the rule that the Apostles themselves gave Act. 6.2 where there was a mutiny among the Greeks and the Hebrews because there was a neglect of their women in the common ministration and the Apostles to prevent such a mischiefe which was now growing among them and to take away the viper of discention and division which now troubled the Church they made this generall rule and principle that it was not fit that they should leave the Word of God to serve tables Behold this rule it bound all men it included all the Ministers of the Church and all the Apostles themselves therefore the Minâ—sters or Apostles should not leave the Word of God their daily function Apostolicall to serve tables And yet we see the Apostle leaves the word of God the preaching of the Gospell and other matters of great concernment the calling of the world to the faith of Christ he leaves this to serve tables that is to carry the money that was gathered at Corinth to Ierusalem which in effect was nothing else but to serve tables This therefore hath beene a question among Divines in all times how farre it should be extended and whether Saint Paul exceeded the limits or no or whether that that he did were well or no for some have thought that either he forgat that rule or else that he was not bound unto it Answ But this is easily answered It is true as long as the Church of God suffers no detriment by a mans absence no notable detriment and so long as it is otherwise well provided and so long as the businesse swallows up no great length of time but that with convenient speed the party may returne to his former calling so long the Apostles themselves were bound to intend the works of mercie and to serve tables It is true the Apostle was not to leave the Gospell and to serve tables because the greater work must be first intended except there be present necessity but in the second place he ought to intend that and if so be they can be joyned both together the preaching of the word and the serving of tables as Saint Paul did in this action for it is manifest they did concurre together both If a man can do thus it makes a more gratefull smell in the nostrils of God As Saint Austin said that he did not take accounts and reckonings because he bent his study to answer Hereticks he carried no keyes nor rings to seale daily matters and every commoditie of victuall in his house which they used to seale with a ring he carried none of these but he gave all the charge of them to his Steward but saith hee if God should give me a vacant time I know that this belongs to my charge too And Synetius Bishop of Pentapolis saith he I am farre from condemning those Bishops that take upon them the care of orphans and seculer poore and of almes houses and hospitals I am so farre from condemning their holy actions that I do admire at it and much wish that my selfe were fit for both but I know mine owne infirmitie they can passe through them both without pollution but if I should enter into these reckonings and summes to take care for these things I should lacke the whole sea the whole Ocean could not bee sufficient to cleanse mee from the pollution I should contract thereby And the Quinisex Councell in Cannon 35. Concil Quini sex Can. 35. they ordained that the Bishop should looke to the provision for the poore either in his owne person either himselfe or else by his Prelate or Archdeacon that was under him these things are so manifest as that no man of sence can deny it but those of the new fangled opinion of late would draw Ecclesiasticall persons from medling with temporall things yet surely these things are not meerly temporall but are ecclesiasticall for it is the gathering and collection of men that are spiritually minded and it is imployed for a spirituall purpose for the maintenance of the Church which are the sonnes and daughters of the Spirit of God It is true there was somewhat more in Saint Paul then in another man because he was not tyed to any place he had no fixed seat but he might go through the world therefore much more might hee passe such a journey and backe againe wheras our Bishops now have their setled residence and their little compasse therefore he might better do it then other men ordinary Bishops in that oeconomicall Province which the Lord put him in trust with Church men may tend secular
was most acceptable to them To others he came as welcome as water into the shippe nay they had a great hope that he would never come there but that his occasions would so intangle him that hee should never set foot that way So we see that Saint Pauls veniam is expounded according to the contrary dispositions and qualities of men and accordingly it occasioned matter of joy or sorrow in Corinth Now if Saint Pauls comming to visite were a matter of such emphasis Vse as to make his friends rejoyce and to cause his enemies to repine and murmure what then shall be the veniam of the Lord Iesus the master of Saint Paul and the master of us all which will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 which comes unto us every day and visites us every houre if we had but sence to perceive it whose footsteps are at our doores who comes in mercie giving us long peace from the broyles and garboyles of warre he comes unto us in his judgements in these unseasonable seasons threatning us with this abundance of raine and deluges he comes to us in the judgement of scarsitie and want and many kinde of defects whereof every man complaines and whines and is in misery and yet no man can tell the cause or reason why certainly it is a steppe of the comming of the Lord Iesus he comes also in the ratling and tumults of warre therein the Sonne of God seemes to have girt his sword upon his thigh as the Prophet saith Psal 45. And he will make head hee will march and go forward and never leave the field untill his horse goeth up to the bridle in bloud as Saint Iohn prophesieth in the Revelation Thus the Lord comes and draweth neare unto us any man of wit or understanding may easily see him and may heare the noyse of his horse heeles as the Prophet Isaiah saith concerning the King of Babylon But suppose he do not come thus or that men will be deafe that they will not heare this nor perceive it yet there is another veniam his comming to judgement which shall certainly be and wee know not how soone it shall be for these things are fore-runners and presages of that dismall comming and that comming shall be as this veniam of Saint Paul with acceptation to his friends but with terrour to his enemies the comming of Christ to them shall be more terrible then all the Armadoes and Invasions of the world if they were all joyned together they are nothing comparable to the comming of the Sonne of man in the clouds To those that are perfect and just men that waite for his comming he saith Behold I come and my reward is with me Revel 22. Hebr. 11.5 Behold he that shall come will come and will not tarry saith Saint Paul And to this the Church in an earnest eccho replyes Yea come and come quickly Lord Iesus for they waite and expect that great visitation of mankinde when he shall come to root all the weeds out of his garden and shall make an everlasting spring of grace and shall settle his plants so strongly that they shall no more be subject to extirpation On the other side his enemies shall have a fearfull sentence at that veniam the wicked men of this world they would then give all to avoyd that fearfull comming of the Lambe of God and wish that he might never appeare nor come to judgement As for the godly they know that when their glory When Christ which is their glory shall appeare Col 3.4 then they shall appeare with him in glory So the enemies of the Lord they know that when he which is judge both of the quicke and dead shall come that he shall passe a sentence of judgement against them Matth. 25. Go ye cursed into hell-fire prepared for the divell and his angels Let therefore this sound be alway in our eares that whether it be men as Saint Paul that come to visit us let that keepe us in awe if Saint Paul say he will come certainly it will make a man look to himselfe the better for there are many men that can indure no visitation a man that lives and goes on in sinne and impietie these sacrilegious patrons these Lords and Ladies that maintaine the Priests with old shoes as the Prophet speaks that take all his livelyhood from him these cannot endure to heare of a visitation they are afraid lest their sacrilegious acts should be called in question Although they be secure enough and carelesse in these kinde of acts and there is no law that can take hold of them for it yet they do not love to have the memorie of them rubbed afresh they do not love to have themselves proposed and traduced they cannot endure to have other men to blaze it There are many other simonicall contracts that are come into the Church not by the doore but they come another way they take downe the tiles as the men did for the poore man that came to bee healed of Christ they tooke downe the tyles of the house and so let him downe so there are a number of simonicall Priests that come not in by the doore but are entred into the Church another way they climbe in at the windowes like theeves and robbers and these cannot endure to be visited if Saint Paul say hee will come it is likely they will flee if Paul come they will go they cannot consist together in one place because they live in sinne and in open profession of their impenitency Therefore it is good whatsoever a man do in this life to thinke still that there will come a visitation upon him and he is an happie man that can endure the visitation although it be but the visitation of a mortall man But when Christ shall come to visite and to visite all the world when he shall come with his fanne in his hand he shall purge his floore and gather the corne into his garner he shall come to plucke the proud feathers of the potentates of this world that could not be quiet and peaceable but were still disturbing each other he shall then come and heare the cries and lamentations of the afflicted he shall come to redresse the cause of the fatherlesse and widdow he shall come to remove all scandalous doctrine from his Church and to plant his owne truth there to flourish for evermore This shall bee the great and wondrous apparition this is that admirable marching and procession this is that comming that shall worke wonders this comming shall bee more terrible to the consciences of wicked men then the comming of all the power and glory in the world if they should come all together Therefore let this sound in our eares as Hierome saith that he did alwayes thinke he heard the trumpet sound in his eares Surgite mortui Arise ye dead and come to judgement Certainly beloved we must looke for a visitation either from men or from God or
qualifie his speech with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may chance or perhaps I will come to you and if the Lord permit I will doe thus or thus for as it is the phrase of the faithfull never to be peremptory in any of these contingent things of this world to say this I will doe and that I will doe without limitation So S. Paul gives us here the same example in himselfe that hee was not certaine of his owne actions he was not sure how God would dispose of him and so being not the Lord and Master of his journeyes and intendiments but resting still at the disposall of God he seasons his speech with this gracious qualification and saith if God permit if God will have it so I will doe it for the will of God is that unknowne and hidden cause of causes which must be fulfilled Whatsoever men imagine or wish or desire yet if it be not according to Gods will it shall never stand Iam. 4. therefore as S. Iames saith Chap. 4. Woe be to you that say this yeare and the next yeare we will goe to such a Citie and dwell there and traffique there and yet you know not whether ye shall live till to morrow For this you ought to say If God will and if the Lord permit and if we live we will doe thus or thus shewing unto us how the life of a Christian man ought ever to hang before him still to be in anxiety in this world because we have no certaine dwelling here but we expect an abiding place hereafter The Apostle therefore hath taught us by his gracious example that all these things that may be so or so wee should not grow to any confidence in them but wee should referre all to the will of God that governes and guides us and all the parts of the world according to his secret judgement and counsell and whose will can never be sounded till it be effectuate in the world For when wee see things come to passe we understand that it was Gods will they should be so but till they come to passe in particular we cannot dive into it The will of God it must be that Cynosura that load-starre that must guide the barke amidst the sea of this world It must be as the cloud about the Arke of God when the Arke was to remove that removed and it never stirred till the cloud removed before and the moving of the cloud caused the moving of the Ark and the staying of the cloud caused the staying of the Ark still as the cloud carried it selfe so was the Ark demeaned so should our heart and life be which is the Arke of God the temple of the holy Ghost in which God vouchsafeth to dwell we should not offer to presume upon any thing further than the will of God is but to yeeld our selves in all things and to say as our Lord and Saviour teacheth us in that most holy Prayer Thy will be done not mine Math. 6. but thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven It seems therefore that it was not the wil of God although it were the wil of Paul though he had a will to come to Corinth to stay with them and to winter there as he had said before yet God had another purpose which made the Apostle speak in these doubtfull termes for by the relation of S. Luke which he makes in Act. 20. Acts 20. and by likelihood of all circumstances in the Acts of the Apostles the Apostle Paul never came at Ephesus any more but wrote this Epistle from Philippi a Citie in the North of Macedonia And he excuseth himselfe in the second Epistle that hee could not come to Corinth as he intended and hee gives the reasons of it Now that I may proceed in order Parts of the text and so as your memories and understandings may goe along in the parcells of the Text we will consider here First a resolution and purpose that the Apostle had And then the reasons and arguments to confirme that The resolution that hee had was this to stay at Ephesus till Whitsontide till Pentecost The reason of it why because a great doore was open to him that is a large and faire oportunity for the winning of soules to God And besides that there were many adversaries among whom hee should get great glory to God by the confusion of the adverse power by the light and glory of the Gospell of Christ In the first part the resolution we are to consider two things First where the Apostle was when he wrote this Epistle because hee saith hee will stay at Ephesus therefore it seemeth that hee was now there and that he wrote from that place to the Corinthians Secondly we are to consider also the time that he had in his resolution and purpose how long hee would stay there I will stay at Ephesus till the day of Pentecost till the feast of Pentecost that is till such time come that he might saile from Ephesus to Ierusalem and get thither by Pentecost for so I must needs understand these words for the Apostles purpose was not to be at Ephesus at Pentecost for so he should have lost his occasion and oportunity His occasion was then to be at Ierusalem because of the great concourse and assembly of people that gathered together to keepe the feast and to offer up their sacrifice and there as Peter he was to launch into the deepe where the Sea was deepe and where there was aboundance of fish there to become a fisher of men so the summe of his resolution was this I will stay at Ephesus till Pentecost that is if the Lord further my desires I will stay at that Citie till I shall have sufficient leasure to goe to Ierusalem and to be there at Pentecost that was his intention to be at Ierusalem that was the place of his great victory The second part of the text is his reasons inducing him to stay at Ephesus till such time as hee might get to Ierusalem by Pentecost the reason is because a doore is opened to me Where we are First to consider what is meant by this doore Secondly who opened it he doth not say I have opened a doore but it is opened to my hand that is God hath opened a doore Thirdly the quality of this doore a great doore and effectuall and a powerfull one And lastly the noble spirit that he had to undertake the battaile and skirmish against the enemies The adversaries are many a man would think that therefore hee should not goe because there were many enemies Who would thrust himselfe into the hands of his enemies but the spirit of God was most noble in the Apostle and hee made that one motive or reason that because there were many adversaries therefore hee would goe to confront them all and to out-face the falshood and prevarication of the superstitious Iewes and to plant the Gospell of Christ the word of