heart onely giueth a rellish to this of our Prophet Blessed is the man whose sinne is forgiuen And in whose Spirit there is no guile HEere is an inseparable fruite of a iustified person and a note of a blessed man First by spirit referred to man is sometime meant the mindes or vnderstanding part of the soule with the most inward cogitations of it so 1. Thes. 5. 23. that your whole spirit soule and body c. and in all places where spirit and soule are mentioned together Secondly sometimes for the heart and inward affections Rom. 1. 9. whom I serue in my spirit Thirdly sometimes for the soule it selfe God inspired into Adam a liuing spirt Genes 2. Luk. 23. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit 1. Pet. 3. 19. He preached to the spirits in prison that is soules So here it is to be taken with the vnderstanding heart will conscience affections and the rest of the faculties and the soule is called by this name to shew the nature of it that it is a spirit as the Angels nay God himselfe is farre more excellent then the body and yet much more neglected Secondly by guile is meant three things in the Scripture First in words and promises deceit and false-hood when one thing is spoken another meant 1. Pet. 2. 22. in whose mouth was found no guile Secondly in actions and practice when one thing is done another pretended 1. Pet. 2. 1. Lay aside all guile and dissimulation Thirdly in thoughts and purposes when the reasonings and inward frame of the heart is vnfound and deceitfull This last is here meant for the better vnderstanding of which we must enquire First what it is secondly some seuerall practice of it thirdly the vses First the guile of the spirit is an inward corruption in the soule of man whereby he dealeth deceitfully vvith himselfe before God in the matter of saluation I say it is an inward corruption in the soule which sheweth both the kinde and seate of it First for the kinde it is a spirituall deceit and opposite to inward sinceritie and vprightnesse Secondly the seate of it is the soule and heart which since the fall is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things Iere. 17. 9. hence Iames calleth sinners double-minded chap. 4. 8. and hypocrites are described by two hearts And this may sufficiently cast downe proud flesh seeing this guile hath taken the chiefe holds euery mans soule hath in it the seeds of all sinne against the first and second Table none excepted Whosoeuer comes of Adam hath all Adams corruptions whereof this guile is compact so that if a man looke onely at himselfe hee that is to day a Protestant may to morrow be a Papist to day a Christian to morrow a Diuell were it not for the promise and power of God that preferues his to saluation And in that this deceit lyeth at the roote of the heart it is more fearefull both in that it hath chosen a secret hold and scarcely can be discerned as also is in place secretly to infect and poyson whatsoeuer can proceede from that roote as indeede it doth Yet few or none complaine of this deadly disease or will bee knowne to bee annoyed with it the nature of which is that the more raging and killing it is the lesse it is felt Further I say by this guile a man dealeth deceitfully with himfelfe in the matter of saluation For there is a guile betweene man and man but this is more sinfull and dangerous both because it is a deceiuing of himselfe by the lying and slattering of his owne heart as also that it is before God as if hee would deceiue him too as also in regard of the subiects in the matter of saluation To deceiue one selfe of his goods lands or outward profit is an ouer-sight but nothing to the losse of his soule heauen and happinesse and this is that our Text aimeth at if these words looke to the former hee is a blessed man that hath pardon of sinne and is not deceiued by the guile of his heart in this point plainely implying that there is such guile in a mans heart about this perswasion of the pardon of sinne that not onely others but himselfe also may bee deceiued in his owne estate and so kept from feeling or seeking his blessednesse in Gods fauour Many are pittifully beguiled and thinke surely to be saued and cry Lord Lord but are sent away with workers of iniquitie GOD knowes them not The Church of Laodicea beguiles her selfe with conceit and confidence in her owne sufficiencie being but poore naked and miserable and such is the power of this corruption in the heart of a naturall man that when his sin is found hatefull hee flattereth himselfe in his owne eyes and hath pretences and colours to turne off vprightnesse Psal. 36. 2. The particular practices hereof wee will referre to foure heads the first in respect of a mans estate before God secondly in respect of sinne thirdly of vertue and grace and fourthly in respect of the worke of the word and Spirit That wee may better know the nature hereof we will cast eye vpon some notable parts of this deceit which in all this regard it sendeth out in the most from the which in some degree the best are not exempted First when a man is a vile and wicked person in Gods eyes this guile makes him thinke himselfe highly in fauour with God Iohn 8. The Iewes bragged they vvere the sonnes of Abraham when Christ told them they were of their father the Diuell The Pharise could say Lord I am not as this Publicane when hee was a limbe of the Diuell And this guile is fed by sundry other delusions As first by a conceit of righteousnesse while men measure themselues with themselues or with some great sinners so did the Pharise or by the crooked rule of ciuill righteousnesse he looked at extortioners vniust adulterers and the Publicane the common speech is now I am no swearer no theefe no drunkard no I would not for all the world bee so bad as some of these professors so couetous contentious such a dissembler So for outward righteousnesse as the Pharise looked at the Law hee paid tithe of all and dealt iustly these pay tithes and dues truely giue euery man his owne keep their words are good to their neighbors and good to the poore keepe good hospitalitie but all this while are aliue as Paul saith without the Law not considering what righteousnesse God there requires and not seeing the corruptions of their hearts neglect inward lusts rising vp against God and his Law Whence onely it is that poore men who liue in the breach of all Gods Lawes despise the Word neglect Prayer prophane the Sabboth sweare without sense or touch and serue their lusts yet can carry all with this conceit they meane no harme whereas if God euer open their eyes to see their faces in a true glasse they shall see how sinne
not thinke now that the false heart hath chosen her selfe good Schoole-masters For who euer heard that chastitie was learned in the Stewes or honestie at Playes He is a mad man that can no other way trie the heat of fire then by leaping into it Fourthly consider the greatnesse of deceit within the snares without and the effects of being taken by them and the hardnesse to recouer the heart once let loose All this will inforce the doctrine strongly First the deceit within is wonderfull seeing the whole frame is euill the vnderstanding conscience memorie will and affections our Temples by the fall are become a stable yea all euill dwells in the soule a vast Chaos and confusion inclinable to most odious and lothsome sinnes whensoeuer Satan shall mooue vs who by his interest in our flesh and our acquaintance with sinne from the beginning is seldome disappointed Secondly the suares without are euery where All places are full the Street the House the Boord the Bed the Closet the Church and Pulpit All duties are full as Prayer Almes Feasting Fasting All actions Eating Drinking Trading and Sporting so as no watch can be sufficient Thirdly the effects of being taken as shame griefe wounds of conscience broken bones sharpe corrections which are to follow torment of Soule and without serious repentance of Soule and Body in Hell this is the sowre sauce appointed for such sweet meate Fourthly once let the bridle of watchfulnesse goe the heart will runne away like a wilde Horse and a long time ere thou canst catch it againe and bring it into temper and tune for so good seruice againe Fifthly the heart must bee still kept that the whole course may giue comfort for the heart of the wicked may be vpright in some particular action as Abimelech in taking Sarah Gen. 20. 6. but it is not the ayme of our liues but the godly howsoeuer in some particular actions they may shew deceit yet their comfort is that the mayne course and carriage of their liues is vpright as Dauid was vpright in all things saue only in the matter of Vriah generall guile possessed him not but in one particular action But by what meanes shall I thus keepe my heart First often heare and reade the Word the sincere Milke in it selfe and in the effect Heb. 4. 12. The Word is liuely a discerner of the thoughts it makes a man better acquainted with himselfe and grow vp in sincerity it is the hearts glasse by it as by the Lords Heifer wee shal know the riddles and deeps of our hearts 1. Cor. 14 Pauls idiot seeing the thoughts of his heart reuealed falls downe and saith God is in you The Word of God first yeelds thee light it is as a light in a candle-sticke nothing is hid which before it is not reuealed Secondly it humbles the heart no gold can bee rid of drosse till it be molten and dissolued crooked things are made right by wresting and wringing so the Word brings the heart to vprightnesse by bowing and terrifying it Thirdly it purifies the heart by working confirming and increasing Faith Secondly set thy selfe often before God and him at thy right hand whose eyes see the hearts and secrets of men to shew himselfe strong with the vpright 2. Chron. 16. 9. Abraham if he would be vpright must first walke with God Moses saw him that was inuisible And indeed hypocrisie riseth from secret Atheisme Ananias and Sapphira tempted God in their hypocrisie and impossible it is for a man to speake and doe in Gods presence and not sincerely Thirdly set before thee often the last Iudgement in which all things and persons shall appeare naked and be not as they seeme but seeme as they are thou mayest collude with men but Gods pure eyes cannot bee deceiued see Pauls example 2. Cor. 5. So thinke of after-recknings and how narrowly things shall be look't too and what a hard man the Master is Fourthly call thy selfe often to examination trie thy heart and reines to see thy guile cleerer to bewaile and striue against it Trie thy workes of obedience obserue thy comfort and peace in them obserue how thou art affected when thou takest thy selfe tardy in them Say to thy selfe Oh my worke must be cleane though it be not fine it may not be blurr'd with hypocrisie Take account of thy selfe Morning and Euening bee seuere in examining it keep an audit in thy conscience summon thy senses looke to the windowes let not in any deceit by them or if thou hast thrust it out and looke better and the rather because of the vntrustinesse of thy heart he that is trustie needes seldomer to bee reckoned with and therefore Iosiah 2. King 22. 7. gaue charge that no reckoning should be taken of them that had the money for they dealt faithfully but an vntrustie Pilferer or a slippery Gehazi such as our heart is had need be reckoned with euery day Fifthly marke the wayes and frequent the company of the Godly and vpright these will neither flatter thee in thy corruptions nor suffer them vpon thee if thou wilt take vp either their Precepts or Example This Dauid knew was a good helpe to keepe himselfe vpright Psal. 119. 79 80. Let such as feare thee turne vnto me and such as know thy testimonies Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes c. Psal. 101. 6 7. Mine eyes shall be on the faithfull he that walkes in the perfect way shall cleaue to me Sixthly deale with thy heart as with a slippery man whom thou darest not to trust take bonds on him so here binde it by vowes and promises cause it to enter couenant with God Psal. 119. 106. I haue sworne and will performe to keepe thy statutes Register these bonds reuiew them At such a time on such an occasion of sicknesse I promised thus and thus Oh false heart how hast thou forgotten thy vow Seuenthly being to deale with so vnconstant a thing as the heart is doe as with an vnconstant man we take him when we find him in a good veine and lay hold on the opportunitie for let him goe an houre he will be of another minde so with thy variable heart when it is warme with any good motion let it not slip when thy heart is prepared to prayer sorrow reading let not the opportunitie die but as Dauid Psal. 57. 7. O Lord my heart is prepared I will arise and giue thankes if the Spirit be quenched he will be grieued Eighthly pray often that God would open thine eyes to see thy hidden corruptions and anoint them with eye-salue that thou mayest discerne thy sinnes euen when thy deceitfull heart hath apparelled them with the cloke of vertues Pray with DAVID Lord renew a right Spirit within me In one word to perswade to these practices Consider how we are troubled to be called hypocrites but what else doth the Lord but call the best of vs so when hee saith the heart is deceitfull
not Gods glory and good of the Church for its end but a mans owne glory for many vpon slight occasion will confesse their faults that themselues may bee better thought of for it and to conciliate a good opinion of themselues Therefore in thy confession to others take these rules with thee See the ground affection the manner and ends be good and iust else thy heart is not eased but burdened the more Secondly we may hence note that a guilefull security may hold the conscience of a conuerted person in a slumber of soule so as hee shall be hindred from repentance till God by some forcible affliction waken him This wee may see in Dauid here So Iosephs brethren held a long time the sinne of selling their brother till the affliction wakened them before which time they could tell their Father and their Brother Wee are twelue brethren and one is not and One is dead as if they had not sold him Ionah sleepes vnder the hatches though the stormes rise the waues beate and the ship be troubled and the goods lost till God by the Mariners bid him Vp sleeper and the lot finde him out So Professors often leaue their first works and slack their first loue till God come against them c. A reason hereof is First ignorance and blindnesse in the best which suffers them not to see sinne in the nature and degree of it onely light discouers darkenesse and therefore being light but in part euen the best cannot but faile in finding out their owne sinnes Secondly a kinde of hypocrisie and guile in the heart of the best which Dauid here acknowledgeth for the best would often seeme better then they are and would rather bee sinners then so reputed Thirdly an affection to sinne through an old acquaintance with it for euery mans nature so farre as it is vnregenerate is in loue with sinne Iob calls it 20 12. a sweet morsell which the wicked hold vnder their tongue and will not let goe And the regenerate themselues part with sinne indeede but as our Sauiour implieth as from their eies and right hands Fourthly because of the effect of it for sinne discouered brings shame What fruit had yee of those things whereof ye are now ashamed And to auoid this shame men would hide their sinne which is a filthinesse and a nakednesse Fifthly a security and negligence in the heart men are loth to dig so deepe to search narrowly their hearts to finde out sinne a tedious worke it is of mortification and so are loth to trouble their sinne or themselues Sixtly and lastly because the nature of sinne to which the best giue way is to dead the heart to quench the Spirit and to extinguish his graces And therefore first beleeuers must not flatter themselues but bee still awaking themselues to seeke after God we must enter into our hearts and consider our waies we will keepe reckoning what we runne on the score with men but rare are they which thinke how deepe they are in Gods bookes such bad husbands are we for our soules Secondly wee should vse meanes against this guile which preuailes against the best first the counsels of the Word must not be neglected Secondly the motions of the Spirit must be entertained and cherished for that is a monitor in the eare and sets before vs the way and our aberrations Thirdly the checkes and prickes of conscience which attended vnto would often awake vs and saith Thou art the man This and that sinne lies at the doore Thirdly we must not bid adieu to the remembrance of sinnes past and pardoned but euer beare them in minde so farre as to work out godly sorrow holy bashfulnesse and lowlinesse of minde and so farre as may be a spurre to more fruitfull obedience for time to come Thus Dauid though his sinne was forgiuen him as Nathan told him at first yet euer remembred and set before him his murther and adulterie Thus Israel acknowledged the desire of a King to be their sinne Thus Paul often remembred his blasphemy and persecuting For this let vs be often opening and looking on our wounds seeing the neglect of them and hiding of them is lewd carelesnesse and mortally dangerous It is no newes that a souldier is shot or wounded but to see him goe with it neuer regard nor dresse it is a forelorne negligence and condemned as a desperate folly so for vs fighting in this world to come by knockes and maimes is no maruell but to hide them and let them goe and ranckle and fester not complaining of them not vncouering them to the Surgeon Phisicion of soules is spirituall frensie and madnesse See we not that our soules in their swaruing from God are like bones beside the ioynt the longer they go they prooue more painefull therefore take them betimes they are set more easily Thirdly note in that Dauid is said to bee silent and not confesse his sinnes of murther and adultery almost of an whole yeere that a man euen Gods child may hold some outward parts of godlinesse and yet for a time by a slumber of conscience lie silent and not indeed come to see and confesse sinnes All this yeere Dauid came to the Temple there prayed and praised God and confessed sinnes he laid not aside all his family-duties but out of doubt performed some or the most of them yet he confesseth he was silent for while a man lies in sinne his prayer is as no prayer his confession is no confession first his prayer is not accepted before God Psalme 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer Secondly the Sacraments doe him no more good then they did Iudas Thirdly Gods word because it is not mingled with faith is vnprofitable it is as pure liquor put into a fustie vessell and lastly sinne separateth betweene God and him Isai. 59. 2. Thou commest to heare the Word to pray to keepe the Sabbath in the publike seruice of it and thou thinkest thou hast done a great matter but if thou commest with an impenitent heart a sleepie and slumbring conscience thy prayer and confession is all silence God heares nothing if thou speakest to God speake with thy heart else he heareth thee not Thinke we not that Iosephs brethren held on a forme of Religion while their sinne troubled them not for so many yeeres and what was all their prayers and confessions all that while but silence and so many Christians who fall from many goodly beginnings will take such order that they will keepe so much religion as they may bee thought to haue some feare of God in them but either couetousnesse or some other sinne holds them which they repent not of as hindreth for the timely seeking of reconciliation with God Many also goe on in a forme of Religion confesse their sinnes in the Church and ioyne in other good exercises in priuate yet
their whole course How peruert they authoritie to iniustice wrong oppression How doe they by meanes of their wealth swell in pride and arme themselues to contentions to contempt of inferiours equals and betters and to tumble in all voluptuousnesse and lusts so strengthning themselues against God Some blaspheme GOD in his goodnesse in stead of thankes as the Israelites did Deut. 1. 27. saying Because the Lord hated vs hee brought vs out of Egypt to destroy vs What could bee greater blasphemie then this yet this is our horrible sinne also to receiue good things of God and repay euill Secondly as many of vs faile in doing the dutie First when wee can vse some common tearmes of thankefulnesse as many can thanke God for all but first without all affection beseeming the dutie there is no heartie acknowledgement nor glad entertainment of the mercie wee are farre from these Songs of deliuerance we tell not of Gods goodnesse as Dauid did Psal. 66. 14. Come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soule and as Moses told Iethro what God had done for them Exod. 18. 8. If a friend should doe vs a kindnesse wee would reioyce in it and tell others what such a one hath done for vs and according to our ioy in it would our care be to testifie thankefulnesse and our sorrow and accusing of our selues to bee backeward herein Secondly without all action as though wee would pay all our debt to God with good wordes whereas soundnesse of thankefulnesse is seene in actions and the life of the dutie is not in a sound of wordes but in the carriage of the life and course Dauid did loue the Lord because he had heard him Ps. 116. 1. Euerie new mercie is a new testimonie of Gods loue and a nevv spurre of our loue to God as Dauid in the same place would pay his vowes to God which hee made in affliction to set forth Gods prayse he would keepe his iudgements and doe righteously alwayes Psal. 106. 3. see Psalme 111. 1. 2. to the 10. This is that which GOD requires of his people when hee hath giuen them the good land and accomplished all his promises that they should not forget him but feare him and walke in his wayes Deut. 6. 10. 11. If a Land-lord should come to demand his Rent and the Tenant thinke to please him with good words but neither pay him his due nor regard any of the conditions of his Lease agreed vpon should not hee both deceiue himselfe and cause the Lord to re-enter for not paying Would God we were so wise to acknowledge that the Lord lookes for another manner of Rent then words and that as wee will not let Leases goe for not paying of Rent to man so wee would giue the Lord no iust cause to straine vpon vs and all that wee haue for breaking our conditions with him To him that doth vs a great pleasure we professe our selues in his debt and acknowledge our selues at his command to the vttermost of our power Oh let vs blush and be ashamed to be so superficiall in actuall and substantiall thankefulnesse towards our God! Secondly a number make shew of many thankes but all is in pride and hypocrisie and can thanke God for that they neuer had and much lesse the sense of it The Pharise praysed God for that he neuer had Luc. 18. 11. Oh he was neuer so bad as the Publicā no Extortioner nor an vniust person like others Ciuill men will thanke God they doe no man harme come to Church liue in compasse and good fashion they thanke God they beleeue as well as the best without all doubting they be good subiects and they loue God with all their hearts Here is a Pharise iustifying himselfe but hee goes not away so he departs not iustifyed But the poore Leper fell downe humbly on his face at Christs feet praysing God and the Publican at the Church-doore Iaakob is lesse then the least of Gods mercies and Abraham before God is but dust and ashes The Papists make shew of thankes to God for their saluation which yet they can merit for themselues all one as to thanke God for nothing for they must come to Heauen by their owne good deeds and what needes then the mercie of God Some of our ignorant people thanke God they can serue God and say their Prayers as well as any but what Prayers the tenne Commandements and Creed the Aue-Mary A Popish thankesgiuing when there is not a word of prayer in them all Thirdly euen the best of vs are infinitely wanting in this dutie when wee set our selues to the best performance of it as appeareth by these things First in our prayses wee cast our eye chiefly on temporall things and are more feeling and feruent in our prayses for them then for spirituall mercies wee dote too much vpon them as the Israelites did Numb 11. 5. saying Wee remember the Fish which wee did eate in Egypt freely the Cucumbers Leekes Onyons and Garlicke that wee had there but now our soules are dryed away and there is nothing but this Mannah Whereas the Apostle counted all things but doung for Christ and in comparison of spirituall blessings wherewith he beginneth his prayses Phil. 3. 5. and Ephes. 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things and so he goeth on in this Argument as one that cannot get out of it Wee had cause of comfort in our affections if wee could forget the things that are below in comparison of heauenly blessings Secondly how partiall are wee in our thankesgiuing for a great blessing wee can giue some thankes but those that wee count smaller wee passe sleightly whereas were our eyes so cleere as they ought wee could not but see God in the least of them Besides wee can sometime giue thankes for a present mercie with some affection but wee forget eaten bread whereas Salomon gaue thankes as well for the promise made to Dauid as the accomplishment of it to himselfe 2. Chron. 6. 10. but the great workes of GODS mercie are to vs but nine dayes wonder Further whereas wee are bound to thankefulnesse euen for those mercies which GOD hauing promised hath in store for vs how doe wee confine our thoughts to the present not looking beyond the day to prouoke our selues to this dutie Dauid goes further and sayth Oh how great good things hast thou laid vp in store for them that feare thee especially seeing they are such as eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neyther can enter into the heart of man to conceiue 3. When we set our selues to be thankful how sleight how short are we in this dutie part of Gods worship we can in the grosse lumpe turne ouer a great heape of mercies not willing to trouble our selues with the particular recounting of fauours which would bee a speciall helpe to the dutie Iaakob farre otherwise Gen. 32. 10. I am
them forewarnes the wicked of their danger For if iudgement begin there where shall the wicked appeare Secondly hee most manifesteth his power in his childrens weakenesse in supporting their soules and bodies Now if his power and mercie were not aboue the iudgement they should perish in it Secondly he traines and betters his children which is great mercie by the iudgement first he scowres and purgeth their sinne afflictions are as Gods laundrie wherin his children by beating scowring and rubbing are made whiter and whiter Venimous creatures breed not in winter nay a sharpe winter kils the Vermine so afflictions nip and stay our corruptions This is another mercie aboue the iudgement Secondly by them hee exerciseth and stirreth vp the grace that is in them as the winde blowes vp the sparkes of fire yea manifests the synceritie of their hearts to themselues and others for a man is that indeed which he is in triall Thirdly he fits them by afflictions to comfort others in triall with the same comforts wherewith hee hath comforted them A great mercie to fit them to mercifulnesse and to set out Gods mercie to others See Exod. 23. 9. Fourthly he teacheth them to esteeme more of his blessings in the want of them Is there not an ouer-ruling mercie in all this that whereas afflictions are in themselues euill and reuenges of sinne yet they make the godly better now whatsoeuer makes vs better is from a hand of mercie Thirdly the Lord by his seruants trouble would teach all first that the euils chiefly esteemed so in the world are not so indeed for the godly are exempted from the greatest euils if only wicked men were blind blindnesse would bee thought a fearefull iudgement therefore to confute that Isaac must bee blinde Secondly how such euils should be borne It is a mercie that by the godly the world may bee taught how to beare the hand of God Thirdly an infallible marke of the resurrection Luc. 16. 25. Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and Lazarus euill things therefore now hee is comforted and thou art tormented Fourthly that all their miseries end in mercie and are turned to their best Marke and consider the godly man for his end is peace his light afflictions are recompensed with an eternall weight of glory From all which we may conclude that if godly men in the midst of their miseries bee so compassed with mercie in the beginning carriage and conclusion of them that the doctrine propounded is most true But if we turne our selues to the second branch and consider those kindes of mercies which shall meete vs in the life to come we can looke no way but we are intrenched with such mercies as eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither can enter into the heart of man to conceiue much lesse can wee speake of them as they are but must breake out into Dauids admiration Psal. 31. 9. O how great is that goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee But yet as Moses wee may see the good land a farre off and with the searchers let you see by a cluster or two and giue a taste of the good things therin If God loue vs sayd they he will bring vs vnto it so many as God loueth shall be brought to it and not onely taste as here how good and gracious God is but shall drinke plentifully of the riuers of his house for with him is the Well of life and in his light wee shall see light First how can the Elect but be compassed with mercie when all the miserie and sorrow with all the causes and effects wherewith they are now compassed shall be abolished and vtterly chafed away Now we are vexed with the remembrance of euils past with the sense of euils present and with the feare of euils to come but all these first things must passe away and all teares must be wiped from our eyes In our bodies all weakenesse naturall infirmitie sickenesse labour mortality and corruption shall bee remooued they shall need neither meate nor cloth for which here we toyle so much nor Marriage nor Physicke nor sleepe there shall be no care for the familie no toyle in the calling for they rest from their labours no labour spent in teaching or learning in preaching or hearing mortalitie hath put on immortalitie and death being destroyed it can dye no more The soule shall be from all sinne and sinfull passions from ignorance vnbeliefe pride enuie and all the workes of the flesh yea not onely from sin but from the power of sinning the will hath no freedome to euill being perfectly freed to good neither can the affections set themselues vpon any other obiect In our names we are now lyable to many contumelies and reproches and slanders as our Lord himselfe was numbred among the wicked Hee was not knowne no more are wee but then shall our innocencie breake out as the light and it shall be manifest what we are 1. Ioh. 3. 2. When Christ our Head shall appeare we also shall appeare with him in glory Now wee are in spirituall combat but then wee shall bee perfectly freed from the deuil from his Angels from sinne and sinners from the world and the lusts that are in it and God shall fully and finally tread Satan vnder our feete Secondly If wee be so happie in Priuatiue mercies what shall we be in Positiue how shall we be compassed with them First how shall wee be beset with mercie yea and glory in enioying the immediate fellowship and vision of God in whose face is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euermore If a man had all the paines of hell vpon him this blessed vision of God would make him an happie man We see God now but as in a glasse and yet that sight of him vpholds vs in all our troubles how much more shall we be fully happy when we shall see him as he is face to face euen so fully as being glorified we shall be capable of So many mercies compasse the Elect in this one as if I had a thousand tongues and should doe nothing but speake them till the day of Iudgement I could not recount them Secondly what a wonderfull mercie shall compasse vs in our immediate vnion and coniunction with Christ our Head by which we shall be like him not like him as he was a man of sorrowes and in the shape of a seruant for thus he was like vs but like him as hee is now the glorified Head of his Church not equall to him but like him both in soule and body Our soules perfect in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse and standing in a perfect image of God like to the perfect holinesse of Christ himselfe Our bodies clothed with beauty strength shining agilitie and glorie as his is He walketh in white so shall wee His face is shining and glorious so shall ours As hee sits on his Fathers