that they were as willing to be devoured by the Lions as the people were desirous of their destruction by the Lyons Eusebius tells us that when as the Proconsul exhorted Germanicus to relent admonishing him of his tender yeares praying him to pitie his owne case being now in the flower of his youth he without intermission inticed the beast to devoure him Eusebius fourth book of the Eccl. Hist What steeled the spirits of these men and carried them above carnall reason and the weak principles of nature but a strong and powerfull perswasion in their spirits that they should have a glorious and joyfull resurrection at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ This is that that the Apostle proves to us Heb. 11.35 Some were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection He informeth us that when deliverance was offered they would not accept of it What was the reason they expected a resurrection Threatnings could not terrifie them from the truth nor promises draw them to errour because they were without wavering perswaded of a resurrection This was that that made Polycarpus the Martyr so willing todie for the Lord Jesus Christ which appeareth by his speech when he was tied at the stake I thanke thee that thou hast graciously vouchsafed this day to allot me a portion among the number of Martyrs among the people of Christ unto the resurrection of the everlasting life both of body and soule c. Euseb This was that likewise that made the Saints to be so merry and chearfull upon their death-beds When Hilarion lay sick and in his flesh did feele a little feare of death he presently reproves himselfe and breaketh forth into these words Egredere egredere anima goe forth goe forth my soule hast thou served Christ so many yeares and now art thou afraid to die What difference could there be between the death of Saints and of wicked prophane unbelieving men if there were no resurrection of the dead at all and therefore as you desire to live comfortably and to die happily in the bosome of Christ rejoycing upon your death-beds live constantly in the assurance of the truth of this Doctrine of the resurrection and while others that have seduced ignorant and poore people into Familisme with a brazen face all their dayes shall tremble upon their death-beds being afraid of death and dreading a judgement day which they have denyed like the Emperour Hadrian Animula vagula blandula Quae nunc abibis in loca Pallidula rigida nudula Poore wandring pale quivering soule whither shalt thou goe Platina in the lives of the Popes You shall call for death and not looke on death as a way to the infernall prison but as a passage to immortality in Heaven ye shall see the Lyon death slaine and find nothing but honey in the carkasse you shall rejoyce in confidence that your bodies shall be raised while they shall tremble for feare of a resurrection For I would have you to take notice that God seldome suffers men that are growne to this height of unbeliefe and ungodlinesse to deny the resurrection and Christs coming in the flesh to die without galled and troubled consciences As it is observed by some of many that were professed Atheists who when they came to their death beds though they in their health and strength swimming in a world of pleasure and contentments asserted that there was no god yet when they came to lie on their death-beds none seemed to be more afraid of a God and to tremble so much at his power as these men so none are more afraid of death Hell and a resurrection then some of these that have denyed that there is any Hell or a resurrection I remember the speech of Zeno the Philosopher if I would perswade any man frō Atheisme said he I would lead him to the death-bed of an Atheist when he is gasping out his last breath So if I had not sufficiently perswaded you that there shall be a resurrectiō of the body by what I have brought out of the word of truth if I knew where any of these did lie sick I would carry you to their death-beds and you might see some of them troubled and galled in their conscience that have blasphemously professed that there is no Christ come in the flesh and that there shal be no resurrection of the body hereafter I shall not need at the present to adde many more words for I hope better things of you and such things which accompanie salvation I hope there are few such spirits as these in this Congregation yet I know the Devill is so subtle that where he thinks people are most spirituall and know God most and are acquainted with Christ he sends his imps his Sadduces to trouble and assault them he doth not set so much upon any people to draw them away as upon those that make profession of the Gospel of Christ The Devill knowes such whom he hath safe within his owne command and many of these are not assaulted by these imps but when men seeme to be heirs and boast of the Lord Jesus and professe themselves to be in the spirit of glory and adoption and to have their names written in Heaven and that none are able to separate them from the love of God the Devill sends his evill Angells to such men as these Therefore knowing that you should meet with such spirits I thought good to speake somewhat before that being forewarned you might be fore-armed praemoniti praemuniti that you may goe on in the power of God and the strength of his might though the Devill may buffet you for a time by these wicked instruments and cast his fiery darts into your hearts and spirits to perswade you that there is no resurrection and may certainly know that if there be any truth in the history of the Gospel this is a truth concerning the resurrection And it is the desire of my soule that ye may live continually and constantly in the confidence and assurance of the resurrection of your bodies which being joyned with a lively Faith in Christs death and resurrection will sweeten your lives and crowne your deaths with happinesse Death which came in upon men as a legall curse shall be turned into a blessing unto you it shall not be your feare but desire with Paul ye shall desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ But this Doctrine being layd aside as of no worth or value Christ will appeare unto you but a shadow fancy and forged Chymera of mans braine As the wicked Pope was perswaded who did thus glory in his riches What great riches have we gotten by this fable of Christ Wherefore as you desire to breath forth your soules with joy into the bosome of the Lord Jesus live in the comforts of the resurrection through Christ That will make you say in the midst of the pangs of death with Simeon Lord let thy servant now depart for mine eyes
Masters then his owne so Christ being the Lord of the resurrection we shall be more his then our owne we shall be raised as those in whom Christ hath a propriety and Interest we shall be looked on as the inheritance of the Lord Jesus he shall be King and Lord over us all and rule over us His Scepter of glory shall be set up in every heart and his Throne shall be exalted in every spirit Thus My dead body they shall rise They shall rise as mine they are my dead men and they shall be my living men Here you see that Christ will owne them for his when they are in the dust There are some that shall speak to Christ at the resurrection as though they were familiarly acquainted with him whom he will not owne saving Depart from me I know you not yee workers of iniquitie But Christ will owne his Saints Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts when I make up my Jewells or speciall treasure and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him As men will not part with their Jewells so Christ will not lose the bodies of his Saints they are part of his speciall treasure The fourth consideration is this the bodies of the Saints that shall be raised may be called the body of the Lord Jesus for this reason because Christ in the Spirit shall be the life soule and forme that shall give life and being to the bodies of the Saints at the resurrection As the body is called the body of the Spirit that dwells in it so Christ Jesus dwelling in the bodies of his Saints by his Spirit their bodies may be said to be his body And as a man may say this is my body it belongs to that humane spirit in me because his humane spirit moves lives in it and doth as a Divine power act in it so our bodies being raised may be said to be the bodies of Christ because he shall act as the Spirit forme and soule in them Christ shall be the soule which shall give life and being to all Saints which shall be raised by him The fifth consideration Death cannot dissolve the union which is between Christ and a believer The love of the Father is the urneinâ— which the ashes of dead Saints are preserved Rom. 8.38 39. I am perswaded saith Paul that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Man doth consist of a naturall body and humane spirit And death cannot make a separation between Gods love and our bodies no more then it can make a separation between his love and our soules Among the things which God hath bestowed upon us in Christ the Apostle doth reckon up death 1 Cor. 3.22 which sheweth that it is not a curse but a blessing to Saints It would be a curse unto us did it bring an irrecoverable ruine and destruction to our bodies Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Deaths disability to cast our bodies out of Gods love and protection is that which doth convert death through Christ into a blessing unto us Paul calleth Saints in respect of their bodily death 1 Thess 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those that sleep in Christ As leep doth not bereave men of life so death doth not take away from Saints their life which is in Christ As a Philosopher told a tyrant he might kill him but not hurt him so death may kill but cannot hurt a Saint because the union between God and him is in dissolvible Rom. 14.8 Whether we live or diâ— we are the Lords And therefore it may be truely said My dead body shall they arise Sixt consideration The bodies of Saint are sanctified by Christ and therefore he cannot but owne them Sanctification is the marke or seale of Christ As merchants doâ— set their seales and markes upon their good which they will owne so Christ will for ever owne that upon which he hath set the seaâ— and marke of his sanctifying Spirit The spirit of a Saint and Christ will never cease tâ— own his own house and the place which 〈◊〉 hath chosen for his habitation God doth nâ—â— only honour our bodies by calling them hâ—â— 19. Know yee not that your body is the Temple 〈◊〉 the holy Spirit It is not a paradoxe then in Dâ—vinity that Christ at the resurrection should owne them as his owne Seventh consideration Christ should 〈◊〉 incompleat A man that wanteth a membeâ— is incompleat and imperfect so Christ should be imperfect and incompleat were he defective in any of his members at the resurrection And therefore all the bodies of the Saints must be raised as his body It is an Argument that some of the Schoole-men make use of to prove the necessity of a resurrection of bodies from the incompleatnesse of the soule when it is separated from its proper body which it did informe and with which in union it made one compositum So the bodies of Saints must be raised that Christ may be compleat in his mysticall body as he is in his owne person The Church is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulnesse of Christ Eph. 1. last because as a body is not full and compleat in his being that wants a member so Christ should not be compleat if any part of him were wanting And therefore the bodies of all Saints must be raised that Christ may appeare in his glory and compleatnesse at the resurrection And thus having opened this Doctrine and illustrated it by these considerations I shall draw some usefull conclusions from it Vse 1. Seeing Christians shall be one body at the resurrection this should teach us to be one here in the bond of love That one member should oppose and fight against another member is against nature And that one Christian should fight against another or take his fellow-member by the throat is against the principles of grace In the 13. of Gen. and the 8. ver Abram doth thus speake unto his brother Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee between mee and thee for we are Brethren Christians should not strive or contend one against another because they are fellow-members It is reported of John that in his old age being unable by weaknesse to speake long unto the Congregation he would stand up and in stead of a long Sermon ingeminate this Precept Diligite filioli diligite Litle Children love love one another There can be no stronger Argument to love then the consideration of our union Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also yee are called in one body Warre among members is unnaturall that love and peace may reigne and rule in the hearts of Christians God doth make them all one body so the Apostle in
Familisticall spirits are puffed up with a conceit of their knowledge notions and speculations when indeed they are wholy carnall and understand not the deepe things of Gods grace in the face of Jesus Christ But he that truly walks with God faithfully that man walks humbly with his God True Faith as it exalts us and shewes us our priviledges and honour by the grace of God in Christ so it humbles us by the sight of what is in our selves The light of grace will as well discover what wee are in our fleshly part as what wee are by the grace of God in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ And these that are thus enlightned shall never fall totally and finally from the pure and simple Gospel of Christ the Spirit in them doth assure them that they shall abide in him John 2.27 Therefore beware of pride the bane of Angels and the ruine of men and the mother of Familisme But grow in humility conceit not that you are full when you are empty As long as the Widow had empty vessels the oyle did still run so as long as there is an empty vessel in thy heart the oyle of grace shall flow in unto thee The fourth Direction Take heed that thou dost not embrace the Doctrines of free will and falling away from grace some of the Familists of the City have been great sticklers to uphold these points and to revive Arminian Tenets among Professors before they did arrive to the top and height of Familisme That man will not stand long who hath no strength but his owne legs to uphold him Neither will that man stand long for Christ who stands more by the strength of his owne will then by the power of Gods grace Adam standing in his owne strength lost his happinesse when he was wise and righteous and canst thou maintaine thy selfe in an happy condition by thine owne strength when thou art unrighteous True Saints are kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a keeping of any thing as by a Guard Gods grace is a guard by which he doth keepe all his in the way of salvation so that it is impossible they should fall away from his grace It is no wonder then if they fall way from grace to Familisme who doe maintaine that Saints may fall away from grace The fift Direction Be not loose or licentious in life or neglective of Sanctification under the profession of the Doctrines of Free-grace and Justification Many of the professed Familists which we meet with have been loose Professors of the Doctrine of Grace The Libertine doth live next dore to the Familist and Libertinisme is the broad road and high-way or beaten-path to Familisme Lastly take heed of vaine janglings and disputings in matters of Religion Religion is more in practise then Controversies or speculation Be more conscientious to practise what thou knowest then curious in disputing about things that thou knowest not And let thine eare be rather open to those that will instruct thee then to those that will dispute with thee The Disputes and Controversies of the times have made many Atheists and Familists in these times Origen speaking of these words in the 21. Exod. 22. If men strive and hurt a woman with child so that her fruit depart from her c. doth thus allegorize them The woman with child saith he are weake Christians who are with child and ready to bring forth truth The men that strive are Professors that with bitternesse and violence doe contend for their opinions and while they strive in heat and bitternesse for their opinions the Christian miscarries and doth not bring forth truth How many who did seeme to have Christ almost formed in them have miscarried and fallen to Familisme by the strivings and contentions of Professors that thou mayst therefore learne wisdome by their folly and stand more stedfastly by their fall treasure up the truths which have been delivered and imprint them upon your memories and because reasons precepts exhortations and Rules doe little advantage us to preserve us in the Profession of the Truth without the power of him who is truth looke unto him to preserve in the Faith of your union with himselfe and his Father in the Spirit and to ascertaine you of your resurrections as part of his body and to enable you as his members to glorifie him and his Father in the Spirit for evermore Amen The great Joy of Saints in the great Day of the Resurrection SERMON III. Preach'd on a Thanks-giving DAY ISAIAH 26.19 Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the Earth shall cast forth her dead I Have shewed unto you that these words are a present comfort or cordiall given by God unto his people for the refreshment of their languishing spirits and sad hearts in the midst of their afflictions And have proved that the bodies of the Saints shall arise and that they shall arise as the body of the Lord Jesus He is their head they shall rise as his menbers He dyed to bring his people to a sprituall onenesse with himselfe and his Father They are his possession and inheritance And as a body may properly be called the body of that soule which doth informe it so Christ shall be the spirituall forme and soule to those that shal be raised at the great day of the generall resurrection By these and other spirituall considerations I did evidence this truth that the bodies of the Saints shall he raised as the dead bodie of their blessed Siviour My dead body shall they rise I shall now by the Assistance of Gods grace briefly open unto you the words that follow in the Text and make choyse of one proposition from them which may heighten your spirituall joy this day upon which I shall enlarge my selfe and so shall commend you and what I shall deliver to you to the blessing of the Almighty The next word which doth present it selfe to us in the Text is this Awake which doth afford us this observation that Death is but a sleep It is night for a time with the Saints while they sleep in their graves but they shall awake at the morning of the resurrection The grave is a bed of rest perfumed and made sweet to all Saints by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ who hath taken away whatsoever is bitter and unpleasant in it It is no longer a curse to the Saints but rather a part of their happinesse Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Rev. 14.4.13 As the Psalmist speakes Psal 17. When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse that is at the great day of the resurrection after I have had a long sleep in the dust when the night is past and the day of the resurrection shall shine I shall awake and then I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse Isa 57.2
thee For other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. Though a spirituall man can make a good use of marks and signes as of love to God and Saints when he seeth them in the light of the Spirit as fruits proceeding from faith as the roote yet by drawing a conclusion from the sight of such things which we apprehend to be in our selves of our happinesse and good estate before God wee shall not so truely comfort as certainly deceive our selves Fourthly This is for the reprehension of blind ignorant Formalists who place Religion rather in conformity to outward formes of Government and submission to externall Ordinances then in the faith of the Gospel which is operative by love Justification doth not lye in our obedience to the Ordinances of Jesus Christ but in Jesus Christ Wee are not made Saints by being made members of any Church or Congregation but by faith in the head of the Church Woe to him that maketh his obedience and submission to any Ordinance the ground of his comfort as too many zealous Formalists do who run from Congregation to Congregation from one Ordinance to another to get solid comfort to their soules apprehending that they are undone creatures and cannot be true Saints unlesse they be under the true practise of all Ordinances whereas it is a plaine truth revealed in the Gospel of truth that neither submitting to an Ordinance can make a true Saint nor the want of Ordinances un-saint any man that is made one with Christ in beleeving He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.28 29. So he is a true Saint who is not a visible member of a Congregation but he whose life of faith is hidden in Jesus Christ He is baptized not whose body is washed with water but whose soule is washed in the bloud of Christ 1 Pet. 3.21 He is a good Communicant and breaks bread who doth not breake bread outwardly but by faith doth inwardly feed upon the bread of life Wee are not justified by works of the Law done before or after justification nor by yeelding obedience to any command concerning outward Ordinances but by our submitting in our Judgements to the truth of Gods Grace in Jesus Christ for justification without these I would not here be mistaken as though I did speake against any Saints or any who are spirituall and faithfull in the observation of any externall Ordinances But against zealous Formalists who doe make Saintship and fellowship to depend upon these things and are not spiritually acquainted with the truth of Gods Grace but are perverters of the Gospel In the next place here lyeth Consolation for all that heare me this day in that which I have delivered if God shall give unto them beleeving hearts Hast thou never done any good worke hast thou hated the wayes of God and his people hast thou never looked after the discipline government and ordinances of Christ Yet here is a ground for thee to come in unto Christ we are justified by grace through believing not through working Therefore let it be supposed that thou art without works yet thou hast good ground to take comfort in that which hath bin delivered believe and thou art in a happy condition though thou hast never done a good worke Thou art not to come to Jesus Christ as a righteous man But thou are to come unto him that thou maist be made a righteous man If thou seest thy selfe a vile sinner cast thy selfe into the armes of the grace of the Father by Jesus Christ and thou shalt be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. Promises of Grace are left by God upon record in the Scripture of truth for sinners for ignorant sinners Isa 29.24 They that erred in Spirit shall come to understanding For sinners that murmure against him his wayes truths Prophets as it followeth in the same verse They that murmured shall learne Doctrine For backsliding sinners Hosea 14.4 I will heale their back flidings I will love them freely Him that cometh unto him he will in nowise cast out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here are two Negatives in the Greeke which doe strengthen the Negation Iohn 6.37 By which speech our Saviour doth assure poore sinfull creatures that if in truth they come unto him they shall not be rejected by him or ejected from the armes of his love and mercy Christ's invitation is to all sinners All that will may lay hold of him not only the righteous but the unrighteous If thou canst not love God thou maist looke on the Grace of God and take comfort that God loves thee Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners the cheifest and vilest of sinners to repentance Therefore come as a sinner as the cheifest of sinners come I say and welcome The Lord Jesus keeps open-house for all commers the blinde the lame shall not finde the doores shut upon them They shall be wellcome as sinners that cannot be entertained as Saints It is reported of Romes first Founder that wanting Subjects he sent forth some to make known his will to all people who lived about him that if any malefactors or such who were oppressed in the places where they lived did come in unto him they should live peaceably in his Kingdome and he would protect them against any that should pursue them and by this meanes he became suddenly the King of a numerous people So Christ doth send forth his Proclamations to assure sinners and vile malefactors that if they will come under his Scepter they shall live peaceably under his Government and that hee will safe-guard them from all their enemies which shall pursue them and by this meanes his dominions are enlarged from Sea to Sea and sinners doe rejoyce in the King of Sion This doctrine if it were received would answer all the objections which are raised in the hearts of men against their happinesse by Jesus Christ Is there any sad comfortlesse soule which would not be comforted if this truth were received What canst thou object against thy selfe to bereave thy selfe of peace which would not be removed if this were throughly believed Art thou a sinner Christ offereth himselfe to sinners Art thou an old sinner An old sinner is but a sinner Hast thou bin a Pharisee like Paul persecuting Christ and the doctrine of Grace A persecuting Pharisee is but a sinner And Paul was received to mercy that such might not be without hope of mercy 1 Tim. 1.16 Art thou an Hypocrite An Hypocrite may come as a sinner to Christ Bring what objection thou canst and a perswasion concerning the truth of Gods grace shall answer it and if thou doest believe thou hast as good
sight of himselfe his sonne and grace the mouth of conscience is stopped and wee see all our sins swallowed up in his love Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us saith Philip. Joh. 14.8 When God sheweth us himselfe our spirits are at rest When Grace is discovered and Gods light doth shine upon the soule Sin death damnation cannot terrifie the soule But they are filled with a spirit of joy in beleeving their free justification who before through feare of death were subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 Grace appeareth greater and stronger to bring salvation then sinne powerfull to bring damnation Our sins the sins of all the man of the world being the acts of creatures are finite but grace that justifieth us is the grace of an infinite God and is boundlesse and infinite Men are unassured of their salvation unlesse this Grace be presented to the eye of their spirits And men and Devills cannot prevaile against us to enforce us to question our justification and salvation when wee looke upon it That peace which the world cannot take from us nor give unto us that joy which neither the Law nor the workes of the Law can convery unto us nor bereave us off that salvation which damned Feinds can never rob us of is communicated to us by the beholding of Gods grace in the face of the Lord Jesus The soule when it hath a sight of this grace it stands with boldnesse at the Throne of Grace and though it feele hellish sin in it selfe yet it is able to dispute with all the Divels in Hell and to maintaine the freenesse fulnesse and compleatnesse of its own justification from all sin by the grace of God in Jesus Christ If the Divell shall then suggest this to a man that he is a sinner The beleeving soule will make this answer It is true I am a sinner but I am not terrified to desparation because I am ungodly but I rejoyce in this that God justifieth the ungodly by his grace Rom. 4.5 If the Divell shall reply But thou art a great sinner and there is a great damnation The believing soule will returne I am not tormented by the great damnation prepared for great sinners but comforted by the great salvation Heb. 2.3 which is for the greatest and cheifest of sinners by Gods grace in Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 1.15 If the Divell shall still assault a man to perswade him that he is a damned soule having mispent his time and strength in the service of sin having no good workes to commend him unto God that he may finde favour from him The beleeving soule will be easily able in the strength of God when it is upon the mountaine of his Grace to silence the Accuser by lying downe in the lap of that God who maketh him the object of his Grace who worketh not for justification Rom. 4. but beleiveth in God who justifieth sinners in his Grace without workes And because wee are justified and comforted in the Court of our owne Consciences by grace The spirit which is given forth in the Ministry of the Gospel is called a spirit of grace It being the worke of the Spirit to reveale the grace of the Father for the comfort of his children according to that of the Apostle 2 Thess 2.16 17. Our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts Heere the Apostle sheweth us that the Saints have consolation and that this consolation is everlasting and that this everlasting consolation is only by grace Goe to all the true Saints in the world and aske them how they received the Comforter whether by the observation of moral precepts or by the doctrine of grace they will informe you that they received him by the Gospel of grace and not by the law of works Some Saints are able to acquaint you with their own experience can tell you how they laboured for holiness to bring them to happinesse to love God that they might assure themselves that they were in the love of God and that they found darknesse instead of expected light death instead of life horrour bondage instead of joy and liberty untill they were enabled to come unto God as sinners without workes disclaming their owne righteousnesse deserts and endeavours and laying the head-stone of their peace and happinesse in the free favour of God crying Grace Grace Zech 4 7. Exalting the free grace of God in their justification and overthrowing overturning their own works and legal righteousnesse It is grace and grace alone which bringeth salvation Tit 2.11 and therefore not our workes Grace and workes are inconsistent in this point of justification they can no more stand together then the Arke of God and Dagon Let grace stand up in its glory workes will quickly be overthrown and set up works and yee destroy the doctrine of grace By eternall grace wee were elected and made vessells of mercy from eternitie by grace we were saved before God in heaven in the presence of the Lord Iesus by grace wee were saved in the person of Christ before faith By the revelation of grace unto us through faith wee are saved in foro conscientiae in the Court of our owne consciences By grace salvation is inchoated here and compleated and perfected hereafter Rom. 6. ult The gift of God is cternall life through Jesu Christ our Lord. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a gift flowing from Grace or free favour In these severall acceptations of the word grace we are saved by grace I might now lay downe many reasons for the proofe of this poynt but those which I gave to proove that wee are not justified by workes will bee sufficient for the confirmation of this And when I shall handle the doctrine of beleiving some reasons will fall in which will more fully illustrate this truth I shall therefore for the present onely present unto you a reason or two and hasten to the use 1 Reason First it being supposed that man is a sinner it is impossible that man should bee saved by any thing but by the knowledge of Grace The Law in this particular would not deale with us considering what good hath bin done by us but what evill And therefore when the Apostle had proved Bom. 3.23 that devout Jews as well as prophane Gentiles had sinned and come short of the glory of God he takes it for granted as a thing undeniable and unquestionable that wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ And if we could bring our selves into a state of perfection after we have once sinned wee could not be justified by that perfection in us which is required by the Law but should be condemned for our sinnes and imperfections in breaking of the Law If a man have done good service for the Common-wealth and yet be found guilty
and these urgodly men are of the number of the damned We wonder to see a generation of men sprung up among us that make nothing of Christ or the Father wee wonder to see men undervaluing and vilifying the grace of God neglecting all Christian duties and denying the word of God to be the word of God But it was so in the Apostles times there were such crept into their Congregations and why should it seeme a strange thing unto us that it is so now in these dayes of Babylonish confusion and Egyptian-darknesse seeing it was so in the bright dayes of light in which the Apostles lived who Prophecyed that in these latter dayes perilous times should come and men should depart from the faith That wee may not stumble in our Christian race at these abusers and scandalizers of grace let us know that grace is grace though men abuse it think not that grace is not grace because it is abused but know that the true doctrine of grace may and must be abused by wicked and ungodly men As the spider sucks poyson where the Bee sucks honey So where the Saints suck sweetnesse and honey the wicked and ungodly men suck poyson Where the godly fetch all their joy and comfort delight and refreshment there wicked men meet with their ruine and destruction The wayes of Gods truth and grace are right and the just and faithfull shall walke safely in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hosea 14.9 Marke the place and what God speaketh In the same way in which the Saint doth walke to salvation the wicked shall stumble and fall into condemnation A Libertine hearing the doctrine of Grace sucks nothing but his bane from it Though the word be the savour of life unto life to them that believe yet is it the savour of death unto death to some 2 Cor. 2.16 I remember one saith of Medicaments that if they be given by a skilfull Physitian they are the helpfull hands of God auxiliares dei manus but if by one that is unskilfull they are poyson So the doctrine of grace when it is skilfully applyed when the Spirit of God teacheth us to make a right use of it it is the power of God to salvation as the Apostle saith I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 But when it is unskilfully applyed when the flesh only makes use of this doctrine of grace and there is not the spirit of God to teach us to make a right use of it wee turne it into venome and wee are poysoned to our destruction But let us not be offended at the doctrine of Christ for this It hath bin so formerly it is so and will be so Neverthelesse let us continue in the grace of God and looke up to God that wee may continue in it I have one worde now to speake unto those who for the present are not apprehendors and partakers of this grace and shall conclude for this present You see it is onely by grace that you are saved it is only grace that brings salvation to the sonnes and daughters of men Therefore if God hath convinced you that you are sinners now is the day of grace now is the day of salvation I will shew a short and compendious but a true way to happinesse happy are all you that beleeve what is brought to your eares this day concerning Gods free grace God promised to meet his people at the mercy-Seate Exod. 25. which was a type of Christ and wee can never meet with God to the salvation of our soules but by meeting with his grace in the Lord Jesus The Law is the ministery of death it is the Gospel of grace which is the ministery of life and salvation Looke therefore beyond the Law which is a ministery of condemnation 2 Cor. beyond thy own righteousnesse which is impurity to the eye of Justice beholding thee under the Law beyond thy selfe who art an object of misery horrour and confusion and by a spirituall eye of Gods owne making behold his grace in Christ for lost and undone sinners Hearken to what God speakes to thee he invites thee exhorts thee and beseecheth thee to be reconciled he tells thee that thou canst not be justified by thine owne workes but by his free grace that thou art not to be saved by what thou hast done but by what Christ hath done and suffered Though thou hast broaken the Law Jesus Christ hath kept it He is the end of the Law for righteousnesse for every one that beleeveth in and by the grace of God Behold God standing at the doore of thy heart in the Ministery of the Gospel of grace and salvation let the doore of thy hears fly open unto him by beleeving and he will feast thy soule As Christ said to Zacheus so I may say to thee who beleevest what I speake this day salvation is come into thine house God is the God of grace therefore thinke not to please him by any thing but by eyeing of his grace Christ is the Sonne of grace he came to reveale the grace of his Father If thou wouldest with Simeon take Christ and salvation in thine armes graspe not thine owne workes for justification but beleeve what is proclaymed forth to the world concerning salvation onely by grace The Spirit is the Spirit of grace and if thou beleeve thou shalt be assured of sealed to redemption by grace There is no salvation but by grace and no apprehension of grace but by beleeving which is the next thing presented in the Text to our consideration Salvation is not by working but beleeving yee are saved by grace through faith But wee must be enforced to let alone the fuller enlarging of this point untill God shall give us another opportunity For the present I have done * ⎠* Salvation onely by Beleeving SERMON III. Ephesians 2.8 9. c. For by grace yee are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God IT hath allready been proved unto us that good workes cannot save us And likewise the grace of God for the salvation of sinners without works hath presented it selfe unto us with the strength sufficiency and glory of it It may now be questioned by some by what meanes the Grace of God in Christ may bee applyed unto our selves and apprehended by us Our Apostle doth fully satisfie us concerning this affirming that it is not through working but beleiving Yee are saved by grace through faith The Apostle doth not affirme that wee are saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter fidem for our faith for the worth merit dignity or excellency of it But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per fidem through faith faith being the gift of grace by which grace is revealed and applyed unto us Grace is the principall cause of our justification faith is the Organ or instrument given unto us by God for the
temptation and all his other fierie darts we may hold forth this buckler of truth That wee are saved by grace through faith Answer him therefore from this truth and he will be silenced Resist him in believing this trueth and hec will flee from thee Jam. 4.7 And the spirit will flie into thy soule to comfort thee So long as Abraham lived he lived as a justified man by faith So long as Paul lived he lived by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2. We dye rather then live when we are not under the power of the spirit enabling us to beleeve We lye downe either in the bed of carnall security or Familisticall Antichristianisme or fal under the bondage of the Law when we step aside from the plaine Doctrine of salvation by faith in our Lord Jesus And therefore the flesh and the Devill the great enemies to a Saints comfort doe joyne themselves together to oppose the doctrine of faith Sathan knoweth that faith and works are inconsistent in point of justification And when hee observeth that we are in some measure convinced that salvation is by faith he endeavours to perswade us that it is by faith and workes And would divide our Justification between faith and works As the harlet cryed out 1 King 3.26 concerning the child Neither mine nor thine but divide it So the Devill would have us divide our Justification attribute halfe of it to faith and give the other part to workes But the beleeving man seeth that there is salvation in Christ and not in any other and that no other name under heaven is given among men whereby they must be saved Acts 4.12 And that we rest upon this name for salvation only by faith In Christ we have boldness accesse with confidence by the faith of him Ephesians 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee are manuduced and lead by the hand as it were with perswasion of Christs goodness to us by faith in Christ Continue in that faith by which Paul was justified who believed that Christ loved him and gave himselfe for him and thy comforts and peace shall be continued unto the. It it Melancthons observation that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate faith doth most usually signifie a firme assent unto a thing usitatissimum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro firma ascensione dicere doubting is that which is contrary to faith Jam. 1.6 Believe therefore strongly and thou shalt have a strong peace Rom. 5. Beleeve that there is no remission of sinne but by Gods indulgence but beleeve this withall that by him thy sins are forgiven thee sed adde ut credas et hoc quod per ipsum peccata tibi donantur Bern. This is the faith which bringeth peace and consolation to the soule By this we are brought from fin to Christs righteousnesse from mount Sanai to mount Sion from the dominion of the Law to the region of grace from bondage to liberty from death to life from the feare of hell to the assurance of heaven and happinesse Archimedes was so delighted in the study of the Mathematiques that when the enemie who besieged the place where he lived broke in unto it he heard not the noyse and shouting of the souldiers nor the cries of the people So the soule that by faith liveth in Jesus Christ shall be carryed above the noise and troubles of the world and shall enjoy peace in Jesus Christ Let us therefore waite in the heavenly Hierusalem for more of the spirit by faith This lesson will appeare to be very necessary for the Saints if wee consider that the spirit of grace may be so quenched in Saints that they may not for the present be able to goe into the presence of God as Saints but as poore sinners And by the beliefe of this Doctrine a Saint doth easily get out of temptation For hee is taught of God in the Gospell to come unto him as a sinner without works when he cannot come as a Saint And in this way his joy with all the gifts of Gods grace are restored unto him And when they are restored hee doth keepe them by the resting upon God who saveth sinners by grace through faith And therefore the Apostle Peter when hee exhorted Saints to grow in grace doth adde and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 By which he doth seem to inform them that there can be no growing in grace unlesse there be a growing in faith which is the knowledge of Christ and the love of his Father in him In the last place here is a foundation of Salvation for all that have eares to heare and hearts to entertaine the report which you have heard of Gods grace which is manifested to sinners through faith Let not any man goe away with a heart of unbeliefe but the Lord open your eares and hearts as he did Lydia's that you may believe what is reported For truly if you believe what I have delivered you may goe away rejoycing and assured of Gods grace beholding your names written in the booke of life The true Gospell believed will remove all objections against your peace and all doubtings out of your spirit If as children of Abraham ye believe as he did Salvation will lye down in your bosomes and the true God in Jesus Christ will give you an answer to whatsoever you can object bring against your own salvation and justification It is not the sight of sinne that shall take away your comfort but you shall rejoyce that Iesus Christ did dye for sinners It is not the want of works that shall send you away without assurance or justification but you shall see that you have good right to lay hold upon Jesus Christ though you have no works because hee justifies none but those that have no works before justification The true God is not a justifier of the holy and righteous but of the ungodly God knoweth that the wisdome of the proud flesh doth strongly perswade sinners to seeke salvation in themselves and their own works The Jaylors question Acts 16. What shall I doe to be saved and the Rulers quaere Luke 18.18 What shall I doe to inherit eternall life is in the heart of every naturall man who is perswaded that there is an eternall life Man thinketh that as he became miserable by his evill works that so hee must be made happy by his good works And therefore God hath given his Law which requireth perfection to bring downe the pride of the flesh ad domandam Superbiam Aug. and confidence in our own works and discovered his free favour to the worst of sinners in the Gospel God hath blocked and stopped up all other ways to life besides the way of his grace in Christ and hath left this way open for the worst of sinners to turne in unto it for salvation So that as good works cannot save us without Christ being but glittering and gilded sins so evill works cannot prejudice the
29.11 Wherefore let us be willing to receive Christ by faith and to receive faith as a gift God must cloath thee with his Sonne and give thee faith to put him on Refuse not this glorious garment because God will give it thee freely But bee contented to be made partaker of Christ and faith according to Gods own pleasure Think not with Simon Magus to buy the gifts of the Spirit faith is a free gift God will not sell a Diamond for dung Faith is a precious Diamond in a Christians crown workes before faith but dung Phil. 3. Cease then from thinking by thine owne workes to purchase that faith which God doth intend freely to give unto men because men can give no considerable price for it Make no more words in bargaining with God for faith He will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Rev. 21.6 Let no man be kept back by his old age or sinnes from hoping to obtaine salvation through faith While we are in this world no repentance is too late there is a way to mercy Nec quisquam aut peccatis retardebitur aut annis ad salutem consequendam In isto adhuc mundo manenti paenitentia nulla sera est Patet ad indulgentiam additus Ciprian Object But if faith be such a free gift why doth not God give the same measure of faith unto all believers Answ Hee may doe what hee will with his owne He may give him the greatest measure of faith who deserves faith lest Ephes 4.7 Vnto every one of us is given faith according to the measure of the gift of Christ As a man that giveth measures of wheate freely to beggars may give one more and another lesse without doing any wrong So God may measure forth faith unto us largely according to his owne will wlthout wronging those who have done more for him and receive lesse We have no cause to complaine or murmure against God because hee is abundantly gracious to whom he pleaseth but should rather admire his free grace And seeing faith with every act and degree of it is a gift of unmerited grace let us who doe believe waite for the encrease of faith as a gift ceasing from our own workes understanding and abilities Yet here lest I should be mistaken let me adde this caution That we should not neglect Gospel-duties by hearing of Gospel-promises Promises should not prove occasions of sloth to to the faithfull but should be arguments and incentives to spirituall activity 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us clense our selves from all filthiuesse c. Seventhly Let us prize faith as a gift wee prize gifts because there is usually some preciousnesse and goodnesse in them or else for the givers sake Faith is precious in it selfe 1 Pet. 1.1 Gods gifts have something of his owne goodnesse in them and faith is to be prized because it is from him It is said of Elkanah that he gave portions to Peninnah and her sonnes and daughteas but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved her 1 Sam. 1.4 5. So God doth give portions to the men of the world but his worthy portion of love to his Saints through faith and therefore prize it Imitate those blessed soules who have shewed unto us by their good examples how they prized faith who were contented to part rather with their honours pleasures riches preserments yea their owne lives then the faith of the glorious Gospel of Christ They loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 8ly Faith is a great gift which if thou hast it thou knowest that thou hast freely received it Fides magnum aliquid est quam si habes profecto accepisti Aug. And therefore look up unto God for wretched unbelieving creatures think that they may recâ—ve faith as a gift which they will never be able to deserve as a reward This may strengthen faith much when we are before the Throne of grace begging faith for poore sinners if wee consider that faith is a free gift Jeremiah made use of such an argument to strengthen his faith Jer. 14.7 Though our iniquities doe testifie against us doe for thy Names sake O the happinesse of those who are acquainted with free grace they may expect all things for themselves and others as free gifts to be given unto them though they can expect nothing as deserved wages Lastly Give glory to God for his unspcakable grace in giving faith unto thee My faith O Lord saith one hath called upon thee which thou hast given unto mee and which thou hast inspired into me Invoeavit te demine fides mea quam dedisti mihi quam inspirasti mihi Aug. Cons So blesse God with that faith and for that faith which God hath freely given thee The Sonne of God hath given us an understanding to know God 1 Joh. 5.20 And this knowledg is the gift of faith Quid aliud est fides quam vera de Deo cognitio Cyp. And therefore blesse God in the Sonne for this faith Thou mightest have laine in the darke dungeon of an unbelieving heart to this day and thou art brought into the wonderful light of the liberty of the Gospell through faith The Soune hath made thee free and thou art free indeed by believing Be free in rendring largely the tribute of praise to him who through faith hath knocked off the shackles setters of bondage from thy soule Give thy selfe to him who hath given himselfe and his Sonne to thee through faith And begin to live the heavenly life of glory in giving glory and praise to him who hath given thee the glory of union with himselfe in his Sonne through faith Joh. 17. Give praise to the King of Zion who hath redeemed thee to God by his own blood and made thee a King and Priest and hath assured thee that thou shalt reigne upon the earth Say of faith and all the gifts of his Spirit as Iacob of his children these are children which God hath graciously given unto his servant Ascribe nothing to thy selfe but all to him from whom are all things Crye with a loud voyce Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lambe and sing in faith with all Saints who love Christ in sincerity Revel 6.12 Blessing and Glory and Wisedome and Thankes giving and Honour and Power and Might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen SERMON VI. The Heaven-borne man sinneth not 1 JOHN 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God GOd in his grace hath shined into my spirit by reading of these words which hath inclined my spirit to speake from these words The truths of Christ are likely to prove powerfull upon the hearts of the hearers when they are seconded with the experience of the speaker I am therefore emboldned to acquaint you with the truth which is wrapt up in these
doe evill And on the other side they that doe good are first borne of God and receive of his nature and seed and by the reason of that nature and seed are first good before they doe good by the same rule And Christ who is contrary to the Devill came to destroy the works of the Devill in us and to give us a new birth a new nature and to sow new seed in us that we should by reason of that birth sinne no more And he hath a paralell place to this in the same exposition of this Epistle As there is no sin saith he in Christ the stock so can there be none in the quicke members that live and grow in him by faith Calvin in his instruction against the Libertines bringing in this place of John as an argument of theirs to prove that they doe never sin doth answer them by this exposition of the words Johns words doe signifie nothing else but this That a man as farre as he is regenerated of God cannot sin Johannis verba nihil aliud significant quam hominem quatenus regeneratus est a Deo non peccare I might multiply Authors speaking sometimes to this purpose but for my part I doe not approve this way of Preaching or frequent quoting of Authors in Sermons yet sometimes I am necessitated unto it and for the hardnesse of hearts of hearers doe thinke that something may be done in this way for the gaining of them in unto truth As Amesius doth deliver his judgment in his cases of conscience But secondly I must professe ingenuously that most men whom I might bring in to speake to this truth doe seeme to contradict in other places of their writings what they have delivered concerning this truth And therefore I shall only bring Scripture to prove what I doe desire to desend for the truth of God knowing that Scripture is sufficient of it self for the confirmation of truth And that the judgements and opinions of all the learned men that ever were or shall be are nothing at all without it As David said of the sword of Goliah 1 Sam. 21.9 There is none like that So no sword or bow of men is like unto the Scripture by which errour is hewen down and truth exalted Wherfore I shall give you more fully my plaine and naked meaning in this point and then shall shew you what Scripture will come in to beare witnesse to the truth which I have received from the Lord. First We are to take notice that man in Scripture is considered physically as he hath a rationall spirit joyned to an humane body And when we thus speake of man wee doe acknowledge that every man sinneth Lot David Peter Paul and the like according to that of James Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all Secondly We may looke upon man theologically And if we thus consider him wee shall finde that in a spirituall sense every Christian man hath two men in him a new man and and an olde man and these two of contrary natures and operations And as sometimes we speake of a man as having two physicall beings in him and doe attribute unto him what is proper to his corporall and spirituall part as when we say a man heareth seeth walketh understandeth and the like And then again doe distinguish these two attributing to the body what is proper to the body and to the soule what is proper to the soule So somtimes the Scripture doth speak of man as having two contrary natures and then doth againe attribute that to the new or divine nature which is proper unto that and that unto the sinfull and fleshly nature which is proper unto it In the olde and unregenerated nature there is nothing but sin and the seed and spawn of all filthinesse and uncleannesse And in the regenerated part or new man there is nothing but purity and holinesse In this nature he doth no sin nor cannot sin as he cannot doe good it the other nature So that I apprehend that the man borne of God is not sinfull in his nature or in any of his actings workings or operations Hee is light in his understanding holy in his will pure in his thoughts sanctified in his affections It is well observed by Bullinger That God doth allude to the nature of seede the nature of which is retained by those things which spring out of it Alludit ad seminis naturam quamea referunt quae ex eo nascuntur The seed being holy that which ariseth from it is likewise holy as our Saviour doth informe us John 3.6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit iâ— spirit Not that the new-born man is wholly turned into the eternall spirit and is nothing else but the spirit as some deluded and deluding spirits have affirmed but the abstract is taken for the concrete which manner of speech is very frequent in Scripture That which is borne of the Spirit is said to be spirit because it is made spirituall by the presence of the holy Spirit in it Having acquainted you with my meaning and given you the spirituall interpretation of the words I shall draw the marrow and substance of the particulars which I named into one Conclusion which I shall endeavour to make good by spirituall arguments which I shall draw from Scripture and spirituall reason The conclusion is this The spiritual man or the man born of God in his spirituall and godly nature motions actings towards God in Christ doth not nor cannot sin Arg. 1. His seed is holy in him therefore his fruit is holy this is the argument of the Apostle His seed abideth in him and therefore he cannot sin Christ is the seed in us 1 Pet. 1.23 Every true Christian can say with Paul Gal. 2.20 That Christ liveth in him and Christ in us doth not suffer us to live sinfully but maketh us to live holily he becomming the principle of an holy life and sanctification in us A Christian is powerfully acted by an holy principle and therefore his actings are holy Christ is a pure fountaine of holinesse in us as well to fill our souls with the streames of holinesse by the Spirit as to wash away the uncleaness of our souls in our Justification And this sountaine cannot send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter Jam. 3.11 The streames doe retaine the pure nature of the fountain from whence they flow Reader I must inform thee that since I Preached this Sermon I received objections from my learned friend Mr. R. L. against my arguments which I thought good to print with my Arguments Ob. Against this argument this is objected The argument from the seed to the fruit wil not follow unlesse the soyl be also answerable otherwise sorry fruit may come from good seed Answ As there is good seed so there is a good soile the spirituall heart and therefore the argument will follow This I prove Ezek. 36.26
was the speech of one of the Ancients that grace in some Saints is like a spark in the Ocean And thus I have apprehended it in my selfe Yet I see that as it is wrought by grace so it is accepted by grace being not under the law as delivered in the first covenant and yet not without the law to God but under the law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 And this hath been a strong motive unto mee to hunger and thirst after the righteousnesse of sanctification commanded and promised in the new Covenant which doth comfort mee with an assurance and confidence that that which is perfected here in part inchoatively shall be perfected in degrees consummatively I can say with David Psal 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me he will not forsake the works of his owne hand And seeing the strength and power of the flesh in mee I am carried up in spirit to admire and wonder at Gods omnipotent grace by which through faith which worketh by love I am preserved together with all Saints unto the day of salvation in Christ Jesus who is over all Rom. 9.5 God blessed for ever Amen FINIS SERMON I. ESAY 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast forth her dead THE beliefe of the resurrection is a present comfort in the midst of misery Resurrectio mortuorum fiducia Christianorun Tertul. The resurrection of the dead is the joy confidence and boasting of Christians And therefore when the people of God had made a sad complaint of their low condition in the words preceding my Text our Evangelicall Prophet for their comfort and consolation doth from the mouth of God present them with this sweet and precious promise of a glorious resurrection of their bodies Let poore Saints bee full of complaints let the billowes of misery and trouble be ready to overwhelme their soules and let God but breake in upon their spirits and give them assurance of a blessed resurrection by his grace and all their trouble all their discomforts all their miseries by the light of this Sunne will presently vanish away You may read the complaint in the precedent verse where the Church complaines that she had been like a woman with child in great paine verse 17. Like as a woman with Child that draweth neere the time of her delivery is in paine and crieth out in her pangs so have we been in thy sight O Lord We know the paines of a woman in travell are the greatest paines and the Church to set forth her trouble compares it to the paines and pangs of a woman in travell But that which doth heighten the trouble and misery of the Church is this that though she were thus like a woman in travell and paine and expected to bring forth some great thing and to doe something in the world which might be left as a lasting monument to the praise of God and be a refreshment to her selfe after her throwes and languishment She finds that all was a false conception therefore she saith in the next verse vers 18. We have been with child we have been in paine we have as it were brought forth the wind She swelled big with expectation and thought she should have brought forth some glorious birth into the world but alas all that she hath brought forth hath been but as it were wind we see nothing but a false conception We have not wrought any deliverance in the Earth neither have the Inhabitants of the world fallen ver 18. Here wee see the sad complaint of the Church And in the words I have read to you you may likewise read the Prophet laying downe that which might comfort and cheare the sad and drouping spirits of the people of God in this sad and lamentable complaint of theirs And that is drawne from a sweet promise that God makes to them of a resurrection as if the Prophet had said let it never trouble you though you be the poorest vilest and miserablest creatures here upon the Earth looke beyond the Earth looke for the accomplishment of Gods promise beyond this present life and then you shall see as much cause to rejoyce as you apprehended cause of mourning before What though you doe no great thing for the present on Earth what though your Enemies prevaile over you what though their cursed devices Counsells and Machinations doe take effect against you what though you fall by their hands and can doe no great things to set up Trophees of glory below remember this Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise c. Thus you see what coherence these words have with the context In the words be pleased to take notice of these parts First here is a promise made to the people of God of a blessed resurrection Thy dead men shall live Secondly the confirmation of this that is as some interpret it from the resurrection of the Lord Jesus My dead body shall rise therefore they shall not lye long in the dust together with my dead body shall they arise or else thus if wee leave out together and with which are not in the Originall then this is the meaning Thy dead men shall live my dead body shall they arise at the resurrection they shall rise as my very dead body I have consulted with the Hebrew text and I find no more but that I see no reason wee should put in together with seeing it is not found in the first copy Thirdly the nature of the resurrection is expressed to us Awake The Saints doe as it were awake out of their sleep Death is nothing but sleep to the people of God The Prophet here to take away the sharpnesse and bitternesse of death compares it to a bed wherein a man sweetly reposeth himselfe and after he is refreshed riseth out againe so after the Saints have layne a while in their beds in their graves they awake as the Psalmist saith As for mee I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Psal 17. ult that is at the resurrection when I awake then I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse I doe not enjoy so much of thee here as I desire to doe but then when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse Fourthly here is the great joy set forth that shall be when the Saints doe arise and that is expressed in that they are bid to Awake and sing When the Saints are raised they are to have a song in their mouthes of joy and the glory of God in their hearts awake and sing But it is otherwise with wicked and ungodly ones they must awake and houle they must awake when they had rather sleepe an everlasting sleep and wish it might be a continuall and an ever induring midnight to their poore soules but
men shall live that is all those Saints that shall die shall live againe by the power of Christ who shall be their life Thirdly Thy dead men shall live The Prophet doth not speak here of a resurrection of soules but when he saith Thy dead men he meanes onely the bodies of the Saints As our age hath been fertile to bring forth all monstrous tenents and opinions that other ages have exploded so it hath brought forth this abominable errour which many Heathens by the dimme light of nature have opposed that the soule is mortall They that are acquainted with people here in this City will meet with some that will affirme that the soule as well as the body is mortall and this is one of the places that they make use of Thy dead men Now they say man is a compositum of soule and body therefore seeing dead men must live it followes that the soule or humane spirit as well as the body must die But consider this is against other places of Scripture doth not the wise man tell us of the body returning to the dust and the spirit returning to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 Doth not Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1 23. It is evident therefore that he had a perswasion that as soon as his spirit did take leave of his body his Spirit should be happy in the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus Doth not our Saviour tell us that as soone as Lazarus died the Angels carried him into Abrahams bosome he came presently to the enjoyment of some happinesse in the enjoyment of God Therefore we are to know here in this place that God speaketh unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men God speaking to men speaketh unto them in the language of men And as we ordinarily call the carkasse of the dead a dead man so God when he saith thy dead men shall live his meaning is not that there shall be a resurrection of spirits as though the soule of man were mortall like the soule of a beast and did die with the body but the meaning is that the dead bodies of the Saints shall arise Thy dead men shall live For the proofe of this I will present you with places taken out of the Scripture of truth Hosea 13.14 there the Spirit by the Prophet speakes most plainly of the resurrection I will ransome them from the power of the grave I will redeeme them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction c. which the Apostle 2 Cor. 15. cites and proves that this Promise shall be fully accomplished to the people of God at the generall resurrrection So likewise God teacheth his holy servant Ezekiel this lesson in a holy vision Ezek. 37. The hand of the Lord was upon mee and carryed me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me downe in the middest of the valley which was full of bones and caused me to passe by them round about and behold there were very many in the open valley and loe they were very dry And he said unto me Son of man can these bones live And I answered O Lord God thou knowest Againe he said unto me Prophecie upon these bones and say unto them O yee drie bones heare the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and ye shall live And I will lay sinewes upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and ye shall live and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Ezek. 37.1 Here the Prophet doth speak of the resurrection and shewes that a Spirit of life and power shall come upon the drie bones and dust of the Saints and that they shall live againe in the presence of God What was Jobs Faith and confidence in the middest of his sufferings but in the resurrection Job 19.25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my skin wormes shall destroy this body yet in my flesh I shall see God Here is a plaine place in which the Doctrine of the resurrection is held forth to us He professeth that he believed the resurrection of the dead and speaking by the Spirit of Christ who is eternall life the wisdome of the Father made flesh he saith I shall see him with what eyes with these eyes and no other with these very eyes I urged this place to two men and I had two severall Answers from them One that denyed the resurrection gave this Answer I might tremble to speake it Job spake as a crazie old man he knew not what and therefore this was no solid place to prove the resurrection The second said he did not speak of the resurrection because he saith in my flesh I shall see God now God is not seene with fleshly eyes But the Answer to this is easie he speaks of Christ as God-man so we are said to see God when we see God in Jesus Christ as it is Rev. 1.7 Behold he commeth with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him And all kindreds of the earth shall waile because of him With bodily eyes we may see the Lord Jesus Christ in his body and with that spirituall eye and in that spirituall body which we shal have given unto us at the resurrection with that spirituall eye and in that spiritual body we shall be able to see that spirituall body that the Lord Jesus Christ hath so seeing Christ we see God because Christ is God manifested in the flesh as the Apostle calls him 1 Tim. 3.16 The places are infinite almost in the New-Testament nothing being so much preached by the Apostles as the Doctrine of the resurrection Paul comes to Athens among the Epicures and Stoicks great Schollers that were fooles and ignorant in Religion he preacheth the resurrection that God would judge the world by the man Christ Jesus so they were to be witnesses of the resurrection and to preach Christ risen from the dead to give evidence and assurance to men that they should rise likewise as well as the Lord Jesus In the 1 Cor. 15. there were men crept into that Congregation that denyed the resurrection therefore what strong Arguments doth Paul lay downe to prove the resurrection He shewes that Christ dyed in vaine and that all Religion is in vaine that the Apostles were impostors and liers who preached that Christ was risen and that the Saints by the power of Christ should rise if there were no resurrection So in 1 Thess 4.17 The Apostle speaks of the same subject and shewes the manner of the resurrection and how Christ shall come from Heaven The Lord himselfe shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Arch-angel and the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall
a heap worth nothing yet he knoweth by the Art of the refyner to bring a choyse and precious vessell out of that dust So though the bodies of the Saints have laine as a heape of dust and wee see no glory in it yet God the refyner of Heaven by the power of his Arme is able to extract the filings and dust of his Saints out of the earth and to restore their dust to an immortall spirituall and glorious body Looke to the power of God nothing will be impossible Therefore when the Sadduces cavilled against the Doctrine of the resurrection our Saviour strikes at the root of their errour which was this because they questioned the power of God concerning this Ye erre saith he not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. Qui potest facere potest reficere c. saith Tertullian he that was able to make the bodie out of nothing is able to remake it he that was able to give a being out of no being is able to give a being out of that that hath a being It is easier to make a thing out of that that hath a being then out of that that hath no being God hath done the first why should we distrust him concerning the second Therefore you shall find the Apostle when he preached this Doctrine that we shall be raised and in our bodies made like the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ and knowing that there would be carnall objections arise in the spirits of men against this Doctrine he presently fits and shapes an answer for it from the power of God Phil. 3. ult we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shal change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue even all things to himselfe Here that the mouth of unbeliefe and carnall reason may be stopped he tells us that he will make our bodies like unto his glorious bodie and question not but he will doe it for he will doe it by his mighty power by which he is able to subdue all things to himselfe thus farre in answer to the first sort of Adversaries The objections of the spirituall Enemies or rather diabolicall Enemies though they pretend to spirituality are drawn from Scripture And this is no wonder for their Father the Devill doth quote Scripture sometimes too The first place which they alleadge is in the 1 Cor. 15.50 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption from whence they conclude that our corruptible and fleshly body shal not be raised And therefore that there is no such resurrection to be expected which we waite for But that the Apostle in this Chapter and all other places speaking of the resurrection doth treat of it spiritually allegorically And that he never did hold forth such a carnall and grosse resurrection as we in our muddie braines doe grossely apprehend he did In answer to which objection we shall grant that the Apostle in sundry places doth speake of a resurrection figuratively As in the 3. Col. 1. If ye be risen with Christ seelie those things which are above where he speaketh of a resurrection to a new life in the spirit by faith And in this sense we grant that Saints are already risen There being no happinesse for such at the second resurrection hereafter who are not first raised here and made partakers of the first resurrection Yet this doth not weaken our assertion nor overthrow our Faith And therefore give me leave to put in an answer to their objection First It is true flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdome of God What doth he meane he meanes sinfull flesh and bloud shall not inherit whatsoever is sinne and flesh in this respect shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Secondly flesh and blood may be taken for the weaknesses and infirmities that cleave to our bodies for the present and flesh and blood our bodies of flesh and blood if wee looke on them in their frailties infirmities and weaknesses so they shall not inherit the Kingdome of God But otherwise it is certaine these bodies which are flesh and blood shall inherit the Kingdome of God For as our Lord Christ is now in glory in the same body though it be a spirituall glorious body in Heaven in which he suffered on the Crosse so we who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be raised goe to Heaven and enjoy God in happinesse in these very bodies that we carrie about us we shall see God with these eyes and no other we shall have the same feet hands and members c. And though there shall be no sinne frailty weaknesse or infirmitie no imperfection lamenesse deafnesse or blindnesse yet the same numericall body shall be raised againe And if God would but open their eyes to read and understand what is spoken they shall have an answer from the pen of him whom they through their blindnesse doe misunderstand in the 53. verse of the same chapter This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality The same mortall body by him who is immortall must be made immortall and incorruptible This was the confession of the African Churches Credimus resurrectionem carnis hujus we believe the resurrection of this flesh which is consonant to the truth delivered by Paul 2 Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad The same persons must appeare we that consist of a materiall body and spirituall soule must appeare in the same body and soule or else it is not we that shall appeare but some body else which shall appeare which is contrary to the mind of God and his Apostle in this place The second objection which they bring is this that we that professe Christ and a resurrection by him in this way are carnall and know Christ after the flesh whereas the Apostle saith in the 2 Cor. 5.16 That he is to be knowne so no more To which I answer that this is one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the things hard to be understood in Paul which Peter speaketh of 2 Pet. 3.16 which they being unstable wrest as they doe other Scriptures unto their owne destruction Paul hath no such meaning which they carnally draw from the letter of the word which will appeare if we consider the Christ which he preached who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 crucified in the flesh for our sinnes 2. Cor. 13.4 risen from the dead for our Justification Rom. 4.25 1 Cor. 15.20 ascended in our humane nature in which he suffered and descended into the lower parts of the earth 4. Eph. and in that humane nature doth make Intercession for us at his Fathers right hand
cadaver meum resurgent They shall arise as my carkasse or dead body which I shall enlarge by some considerations First consideration Christ and his members are one therefore the Saints shall be raised as the body of the Lord Jesus Christ The members of the body are the members of the head Christ Jesus he is the head of the body therefore the bodies of the Saints being raised they are raised as the body of the Lord Christ Ephes 5.30 We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones The body of a Saint is the body of the Lord Jesus the flesh of a Saint is the flesh of the Lord Jesus and the spirit of a Saint is one with the spirit of Jesus Paul persecuted the Saints and cast their bodies into prison Christ calls to him from heaven Why persecutest thou me When the body of a Saint is imprisoned Christ is then shut up in prison so when the bodies of the Saints are raised the body of the Lord Jesus Christ is raised As the Animall spirits lie in the head by which motion is conveyed to the members so the spirit of power lies in the Lord Jesus Christ by which we are moved by which we are raised in which spirit we both in body and spirit are made one with the Lord Christ This Doctrine of our union with Christ is likewise set forth by Paul 1. Cor. 6.15 Know you not saith the Apostle that your bodies are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot As the hand or foot of a man may be said to be part of the man so the bodies of the Saints may be said to be part of the Lord Jesus For as the head and all the members of the body make one naturall body in that one spirit that is in them all and acts in them all so Christ and all believers make one in flesh and spirit by that one spirit which dwells in the flesh of Christ and in the flesh and spirit of every true believer 1. Cor. 12.12 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ Here you see that the Apostle calls the members of Christ Christ mysticall so also is Christ saith he he gives the Church the name of Christ by reason of this neare union which is between Christ Jesus and all his members Againe the Saints they are married to the Lord Jesus as the body of the wise may be said to be the husbands so the bodies of the Saints as wel as their souls belong to the Lord Jesus and are one with him And as Adam when Eve was brought to him said This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh so Christ when the dead bodies of the Saints shall be raised raises his owne body and will say This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh then shall be the great marriage of the Lamb then it shall be solemnized in a most glorious manner and then Christ shall owne all those who were given to him by the Father and there in a solemne manner shall he marrie them to himselfe he shall owne them all for his own wife and they all shall be looked on as one in him Likewise the bodies of the Saints that are raised are the body of Christ as the sprigs of a tree or the branches of a vine may be said to be part of the tree or part of the vine Our Saviour sets forth this similie to us Joh. 15. where he compares himself to a vine and all believers to branches in this vine Christ shall be as the great vine in the resurrection and all believers shall be branches and sprigs sprouting out of this vine from that life power and spirit that God shall put forth through the body of the Lord Jesus This union is not by the confusion of things which are united as the ignorant Familists doe fondly conceive but by the union of things which are different in their personall beings and individuall natures which will appeare by the similitudes which God doth make use of for the illustrating of this truth unto us As of body and members though all the members doe make but one body yet every member doth retaine its proper place office and being in the body so that the hand is not the foot nor the foot the arme or head so it is between Christ and his people Christ still remaineth in his owne person as head and they as severall members belonging to that head The spirit and body make one man yet the spirit is not the body nor the body the spirit The vine and branches are one yet the vine is not the branch nor the branch the vine The Husband and wife are one yet the Husband is not the wife nor the wife the Husband The second consideration for the amplifying of this point may be this because that whatsoever he did or suffered was that he might bring all believers to an onenesse with himselfe and the Father and this is that he prayes for Joh. 17. The glory that thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one Christ did therefore beare our sinnes Christ did therefore put himselfe under all the curses due to us for our enormities he did therefore manifest himselfe as a conquerour over all the Enemies that opposed us that all things that might bee any hindrance to our union or hinder our spirituall communion with God being removed in him Eph. 12.14 we might be brought to an onenesse and see our selves as one body and one spirit with him Our happinesse lyeth in our onenesse with Father Word and Spirit which are but one Man made himselfe miserable by disuniting himselfe from God who is but one Mar. 12.29 and Christ doth make him happy by bringing him back again to that onenesse which he had with God It was the office and employment of Christ to bring all things from disunion to union and onenesse with himselfe and the Father which he hath effected for us and therefore they shall be raised as the body of the Lord Jesus Christ My dead body shall they rise The third consideration is this they shall rise as his dead body because they shall rise as the proper goods possession and inheritance of the Lord Jesus Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession they shall be raised as the body of Christ because Christ shall have a right propriety and Interest in them Ye are not your owne yee are bought with a price your bodies as well as your spirits are Gods c. 1 Cor. 6.20 the Apostle gives this reason why Christ died and revived and rose againe that he might be Lord of the quick and dead Rom. 14.9 that as a servant is more his
on the Crosse was raised from thâ— dead and enemies to the Doctrine of the resurrection which is to be wrought by his power and that you may see how little I regard the speeches of these enemies of Christ and the glorious resurrection of Saints I would not seeme for their sakes to desert my discourse therefore I did resolve to goe on with it this day Then thirdly I apprehend it may much further the worke of the day for if we have remembred God aright in our prayses having made mention of his goodnesse to the Land and Nation we have done it spiritually and have more rejoyced in spirituall then temporall mercies And if our joy should end in rejoycing only for teporal mercies we should rejoyce rather carnally then spiritually Therefore having in the beginning of the day rejoyced for the mercies that God hath shewed to the Land I thinke I shall doe well if I raise you in your spirits by what I shall speake from these words and from the sight of Nationall mercies and temporall deliverances take occasion to draw your eyes to behold by Faith how you and all Saints shall rejoyce when you are delivered from all enemies at the resurrection that so I may sublimate your joy by carrying you higher in â—he spirit to rejoice in the spirituall things spoken of in the text Awake and sing Ye know we expresse our joy by singing as we may gather from that place Psal 126.1 when the Lord turned againe the captivitie â—â— Sion we were like them that dreame then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Singing in Scripture is an expression of great joy If any be merrie let him sing saith James So my Evangelicall Prophet to shew what great joy there shall bâ— at the resurrection when the bodies of thâ— Saints shal be raised he bids us awake and sing So that this is the point there will be great joy at the resurrection For the amplifying oâ— which point I shall shew you what cause oâ— rejoycing there will be at the resurrection The spirits and the bodies of the Saints will then be reunited together again which were disunited for many yeares And as the Spirit doth with some regret griefe and unwillingnesse leave the bodie having a natural desire and appetite being planted into it by the hand of the Creator after union with the bodie so the spirit cannot but rejoyce when it is united againe to the bodie Therefore you shall find the spirits of Saints under the Altar in the Revelation 6.10 crying How long holy and true intimating their desire to be reunited to their bodies And iâ— 2 Cor. 5.4 The Apostle there shewes us that though the Saints be willing to live with thâ— Lord Jesus Christ yet there is an unwilling nesse in them to leave their bodies therefore they had rather have â—â— mortalitie swallowed up of life then to lay downe their bodies in the grave if it were the will of God We that are in this Tabernacle saith he groane being burthened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life There seemes in these words to be held forth an unwillingnes in the Saints to be uncloathed of their bodies to put off the cloathing of the flesh We observe in Philosophie that there is a naturall appetite in the soule or forme to be united to that bodie that it once informed and as it leaves the bodie with some unwillingnesse so there is a desire of reunion when they are parted so that re-union will be a cause of joy For as there is joy at the meeting of friends so the body and soule that were long together in this world shall rejoyce when they shall meet together againe This is one ground of joy from their meeting the bodie and the spirit shall meet together there shall be a reunion after there hath been a disunion between them But in the next place there will be a cause of great joy because there will be an absolute perfection both in the body and in the soule God shall be perfection in the Spirit in every facultie of it and God in his glory shall dwell likewise in the body The soule shall be full of God here we have but an imperfect knowledge of God there the soule shall be free from all ignorance having the full vision of God Here we see as in a glasse darkly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enigmatically as the Apostle speaks there we shall see face to face Here we do but as it were see the back parts of God with Moses As the Kings of Persia in State used to keep themselves from the sight of the people God doth as it were hide his face here in comparison of the full discovery which hee will make of himselfe hereafter We doe but sip of the cup of spirituall joy here but there wee shall be filled with the rivers of the pleasures of God Here we have as Austin saith guttulas but little drops of joy but there we shall be filled with joy Here we have a sight of God which doth not fully satisfie but still we desire to know more of God and more of the Lord Jesus Christ but there wee shall be satisfied with the likenesse of God as the Apostle saith Col. 3. v. 4. When Christ which is our life shall appeare then we also shall appeare with him iâ— glorie The Apostle saith 1 Joh. 3.2 Yet it doth not appeare what we shall be it is not evident to us what glorie there shall be in oâ—â— understandings how our affections shall be ravished and enamoured with the love of God and the Lord Jesus Christ it doth not appear what shal be in our spirits but we know that when he shall appeare wee shall be like him for wee shall see him as he is O what tongue of Rhetorick can expresse this what it is to be like the Lord Jesus Christ to see him as he is there is more in it then the Eloquence of Angels can set forth unto you As they shall have such unspeakable glory in their spirits so likewise there shall be a glory on their bodies Alas our bodies now are but vile bodies weake bodies but what saith the Apostle Phil. 3. ult God shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body or to his body of glory for so it is in the originall As the body of the Lord Jesus Christ at his transfiguration was changed and his face did shine and his whole body did shine with heavenly brightnesse and Celestiall glory so the bodies of the Saints shall be bodies of glory there shall be a heavenly brightnesse on them Therefore Daniel speaking of the Saints at the resurrection hee saith Dan. 12.3 that they that are wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the Stars of Heaven As the Starres are glorious creatures and the brightnesse of the
firmament is a great glory to our eyes so there shall be a Celestiall Star-like glory upon the bodies of the Saints they shall not be grosse lumpish and heavie bodies as they are now but spirituall bodies as swift as a Seraphim The bodie is now a clog and weight to the soule it is ergastulum animae as the Platonists say it keepeth the spirit under and presseth it down with the weight of it but then the bodie shall be a spirituall body so that in this body the Saints shall ascend into the aire as in a Charriot of triumph and glory to meet the Lord Jesus As Elias was carried up to Heaven so shall the Saints in these bodies of theirs rife in glorie to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the ayre Now they are subject to diseases then they shall be freed from all diseases now they are subject to death then death shall be swallowed up and every Saint in his owne person shall appeare as a Conquerour of death and of the grave every Saint shall have this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this song of triumph in his mouth O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thanks he unto God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Our bodies then shall be incorruptible wholly like the body of Christ therefore the Apostle saith that the bodie it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. last conformable in likenesse to the glorious bodie of the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe you see what perfection there shall be in the bodies of the Saints though they be vile now they shall be honourable and glorious then though they be now as pieces of earth they shall be then more bright then the Starres of Heaven or the Sunne in the firmament This glorie God will put upon the bodies of the Saints and being thus made happy in their bodies and spirits when they shall see themselvs in this happy condition filled in their bodies and spirits with the glory of God it cannot but cause great joy If a man lye sick a long while and have a weake distempered crazie bodie when he is restored he rejoyceth that he hath health and strength and is freed from the weaknesse that was upon him shall not there be great joy then when the Saints shall rise when they that had weake crazie and vile mortall bodies here shall see themselves in bodies of glory in bodies as glorious as the body of the Lord Jesus Againe there will be great cause of joy to these Saints when they shall be thus united in their bodies and soules and shall meet the Lord Jesus Christ because they shall have great dignitie put upon their persons they shall bee raised as no meane persons As wicked ungodly and unbelieving men shall be raised as slaves and vassals and be brought forth in chaines and fetters before the dreadfull tribunall of the Lord Jesus Christ so the Saints shall all come forth a◠Kings every one of them shall be dignified with the glorie and Majestie of a King This is that that is spoken of in the Revelation where it is said that Christ hath made 〈◊〉 Kings and Priests and wee shall reigne upon earth We shall reigne in our bodies As a◠Ambassadour said of the Senate of Rome that he apprehended that there were as many Kings as Senators in the Senate-house Quo◠Senatores tot Reges So there shall be as many Kings as Saints at the resurrection and every one shall have Kingly glory and Majesty every one together with the Lord Jesus reigning as a King upon the earth Rev. 5.10 Therefore if men rejoyce in the enjoyment of earthly Kingdomes and Crowne◠which are lined with cares that a King professed that if men knew the troubles which attended upon a Crowne no man would stoop to take it up what joy will there be when wee shall reigne as spirituall and heavenly Kings with the Lord Jesus Againe there will be great joy because all things that may occasion any sorrow or sadnesse shall be quite removed away all teares must then be wiped from the eyes of all the Saints Rev. 7.17 there must be no more sighing no more griefe no more sorrow All earthly infirmities and weaknesses which are accompanied with griefe and paine shall be removed for our bodies shall be Celestiall bodies 1 Cor. 15.40 raised up in incorruption 1 Cor. 15.42 And there shall be no more blindnesse or blacknesse upon our spirits Here so long as wee carrie sinne about us though we know it is pardoned though we know it shall be remembred no more Heb. 8.12 though we know in point of Justification that it may be sought for and cannot be found Jer. 50.20 yet so long as wee feele it opposing the Spirit of glory and holinesse in us by the filthy nature of it so long it will occasion sorrow griefe and some trouble to the soule but at the generall resurrection as sinne is now compleatly taken away in our Justification to those that believe in the Lord Jesus such being those blessed ones spoken of in the 32. Psal whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered So then sinne shall be wholly taken away to our owne sense feeling and apprehension by the Spirit of Sanctification There shall be no corner then in the soule spirit or body for any lust or uncleannesse and consequently no place for sorrow Sinne is like the evill spirit that possessed Saul that made him melancholy and sad and afflicted him in his spirit But when the Lord Jesus Christ shall appeare then all sinne shall be done away to our sense and feeling as it is done away now in our Justification Then we shall be as perfectly sanctified throughout both in bodie and spirit as wee are now perfectly justified Now the life that wee live in the flesh is by Faith in the Sonne of God by seeing how compleatly we are justified from sinnes lusts corruptions those enemies to the Lord Jesus Christ that wee carrie in our bosomes but then wee shall be as perfect in respect of the life of sanctification as wee are now perfect and compleat in respect of our Justification So that the cause of sorrow and trouble shall quite be taken away There shall be no place then left for Evangelicall sorrow the sorrow that now is wrought in the Saints is Evangelicall not Legall but the joy and glory which doth remaine for the Saints hereafter shall be so great that there shall be no place then left for Evangelicall griefe for any sinne that we have committed And as sin shall not then bring any sorrow upon us so neither shall the Devill who is the troubler of the Israel of God be able to afflict us Here he is permitted to afflict us as he did Job for the tryall of our Faith and patience and though for the present when we looke on Christ
So doth this Doctrine of the resurrection for if wee consider seriously that the bodie shall be raised and we shall be happie at the resurrection in enjoying of God will not this raise up the spirit of a man to thankfulnesse and where there is true thankfulnesse will not that thankfulnesse be legible in obedience Therefore seeing God intends to glorifie thee with himselfe in bodie and in spirit since thou shalt be ever happie with him shouldest thou not glorifie this God while thou art here in thy life and conversation As the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.13 14. We according to his promise looke for new Heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse What is the use of this Wherefore beloved seeing ye looke for such things be diligent that â—e may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse A true assurance of salvation given by the Spirit of grace doth not make us negligent in the performance of good duties it doth not make us loose and licentious in our lives but that assurance that is a right assurance which is wrought in us by the Spirit of grace will as well teach us to be holy as assure our hearts that we shall be happy Lucian speaking scoffingly of the zeale of Christians and their readinesse to help one another doth give this as the reason of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These miserable men saith he believe that in bodie and soule they shall be immortall The scoffing Atheist did speake truth in this and found out the true â—ause of the zeale which was in primitive Christians There can be no holinesse without a perswasion of happinesse for men after this life If there be no resurrection saith Paul Let us eat and drinke 1 Cor. 15. But when a man is perswaded of this He wil purifie himselfe as Christ is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Againe this shewes the different condition between a Saint and a sinner Looke upon Saints and sinners eye them onely with carnall eye in respect of the present condition and it may be you shall apprehend a sinner in a better condition then a Saint Gâ—â— oft-times gives temporall blessings to them which he denies to his owne people they aâ— the worlds happie creatures But looke oâ— Saints in this condition and then you shaâ— see a vast difference between the condition of a believer and of a man that is an enemâ— to Christ the one shall awake and sing 〈◊〉 shall awake at the resurrection to be fillâ— with joy to be crowned as a King with in mortall glorie The other shall awake an houle As Agag when he thought and wâ— perswaded that the bitternesse of death wâ— past was hewen in pieces so Epicures anâ— prophane men that sing away sorrow feaâ— of Hell and damnation spending their dayes mirth in a moment they goe downe to the gravâ— Job 21.13 and are raised from thence 〈◊〉 suffer torments to eternitie But the Sainâ— sleeping for a while in the grave are raised felicitie This is elegantly set forth in the book of Wisdome 5. Chap. We fooles thought their lives madnesse and their end without honour and behold they are become the children of God speaking of the Saints vers 6. And in the 8. v. speaking of themselves they doe thus complaine What hath our pride profited us what hath our pomp and riches brought unto us The time will come that wicked men shall wish that they had never been else that some mountaine would be so propitious as to fall on them that they might never come into the presence of God and his Sonne Jesus Christ that shall sit upon the Throne O what a dolefull noyse will it make in the eares of wicked and ungodly men when they shall be called forth to the resurrection of Damnation while the Saints shall be bid to awake to the resurrection of life Who would bee envious at wicked men that grow rich and prosper and flourish in the world that get great estates and leave their estates and houses to their heires if they did but consider that at the resurrection they shall be enforced to take hell as part of their purchase and shall be drawne and dragged as slaves to eternall torments I remember what the Heathen said It is a miserable thing for a man to have been happie Fuisse faelicem miserrimum est Boeth It grieves a man when he comes to povertie to remember that he was once rich when a man is in a disgracefull condition to thinke with himselfe I was honourable this is double misery Remember saith Abraham to the rich man that thou in thy life time didst enjoy riches and poore Lazarus lying at thy gate was denied the crummes falling from thy Table This was the aggravation of the rich mans misery to be put in minde that he had been happy and rich upon the earth Consider this and you shall plainly see that rich and great men without Christ though they live happily to the eye of the world yet they are in a miserable condition and the meanest Sainâ— is in a farre better condition then they Thâ—â— wicked rich men shall awake to howling and screeching to misery and torment eternall the poore Saint to joy rejoycing and happâ—nesse for evermore Wicked men are like the Persians slave whâ— for a day was feasted and had all things provided to delight him that they used to provide for the Emperour and at night he wâ— put to death So wicked men God feaâ— them as slaves here they have furnished tablâ— and servants children and musicke bâ— poore wretches night comes upon them aâ— death takes off their heads and they are miserable to eternitie Therefore James saith They are nourished as against the day of slaughter God doth but fat them as men use to fat beasts for sacrifice or slaughter so God suffers them to swim in pleasures to live in vanities to get riches to grow fat in the earth but it is to destroy them they are fatted for the day of damnation In this glasse or mirrour see the difference between Saints and sinners Then in the next place seeing it is thus that the people of God shall be made partakers of such happinesse at the resurrection let me exhort you to waite in expectation and desire of it A Ward that knows that when he shall live beyond the dayes of his wardship he shall have his Lands and possessions in his own hands he desires that the time may be expired that he may have all in his own hands that now is in the hands of his Guardian who it may be keepes him to a short allowance though he be an heire to great possessions Wee are Wards as yee heard even now and wee are under a guardian though wee are rich in reversion happinesse and heaven and all things being â—urs yet God keepes us low here Let us desire that the time of our wardship may be exâ—ired that wee may come to that happinesse which he hath promised that wee may
awake and sing and be happie in a more full enjoyment of God and this is the desire of those that are truly faithfull When Christ saith He will come and appeare What doe the Saints answer Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 22.2 If a naturall carnall man should speake forth that which lies at the bottome of his heart when Christ saith He will come he would say O Lord never come I am not conformed to thine Image I am not made a new creature by hearing of thy Gospel O let me never see the face of Christ But the man that knows the love of God and truly understands the everlasting Gospel when he heares Christ say I come presently there is this eccho by which he answereth the Lord Christ in his owne Spirit Even so come Lord Jesus come quickly When the Judges are in their circuits malefactors tremble and quake but an innocent man that hath a good cause expects and desires to have it heard and is glad that they are come so wicked and ungodly men who are theeves robbers murtherers and malefactors guiltie of all sinnes and lie in imprisoned shackled in their own consciences when they heare that the Lord Jesus shall rid his circuit and appeare as a Judge unless◠they have seared consciences they cannot but tremble and quake But the other when Christ shall be as a Judge to the wicked he shall be as a Saviour to them therefore they cannot but desire the coming and appearing of the Lord. Wherefore let us desire the appearing of the Lord Jesus let us not live as the men of the world that are afraid and tremble quake when they heare of a Judgement day Christ coming to judge every man according to his workes but let us continue in the assurance of Gods grace beleeving that our sinnes are pardoned Let not the coming of Christ be our feare but our desire let us desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wait as one doth upon one that he would speake with for the Sonne who shall deliver us from the wrath to come and shall put a Crowne of glory on our heads which he hath promised to all those that love him Againe that I may draw to a conclusion let this sweeten all miseries troubles and afflictions that we shall meet with here below If wee meet with persecution with imprisonment with hatred in the world with reproaches from men let this be sufficient to sweeten all Consider the day is coming it is at hand Christ is at the dore Jam. 5.10 and you shall awake and sing while these that now rejoyce shall howle and lament Beloved Thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you But rejoyce in as much as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed yee may be glad also with exceeding joy 1 Pet. 4.13 14. God leads his people to happinesse by straits Heaven is a Palace of glory a spacious place but the way to it is narrow the gate is straite by which wee must enter in unto it Let the joyes provided for us at the end of our journey sweeten unto us the troubles and difficulties of the way God intended to make Job a great man but before God brings him to his full height of greatnesse God first brings him to the dunghill So God will bring us first to the dunghill he will lay us in the dust and then make us such glorious creatures as you have heard the Saints shall be at the resurrection Joseph was to be ruler in Aegypt but first he must be laid in prison so God layes his first in prison he brings them to a low condition to be nothing in the world and afterward layes them in the prison of the grave and then hee raiseth them to be Kings Priests Rulers and Judges with the Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore let this meditation of the resurrection sweeten trouble and persume the grave unto us And let it likewise sweeten all the comforts that wee enjoy here by looking upon them as pledges of the joy which wee shall have at the resurrection Let it sweeten the mercies of this day which will have little relish in them without this Alas what is it to looke on Nationall deliverances mercies victories and conquests over our enemies unlesse you see your happinesse in the Lord Jesus What is it if the Land have peace if thou hast not peace of conscience by beleeving What is it if the enemies of thy body of the State and Kingdome be wholly routed and put under the feete of those that desire to stand for the liberties of the Subject if in the meane while thou be a vassall and a slave to the Prince of darknesse What is it for thee to be free from corporall enemies and yet to be under the power and led captive by the enemy of thy soule What is it if thou be a freeman in thy body and a slave in thy soule to all lusts filthinesse and ungodlinesse What is it to keepe such a day as this and to rejoyce in a carnall way for outward mercies when thou doest not spiritually rejoyce in the first place that God hath freed thee from the enemies of thy eternall salvation Rejoyce not onely as a Heathen may for nationall blessings but rejoyce as a Christian seeing God reconciled to thee in the Sonne of his love let the joy of the resurrection both sweeten thy troubles and adde spirituall fewell to the flame of thy joy for temporall mercies Truly wee then rejoyce in temporall things and in creature-comforts and mercies aright when we rejoyce in them in a spirituall way when wee see all sweetened to us in the Lord Jesus Therefore improve to the full this doctrine for the heightening of your joyes this day Let there not be an evill heart of unbeliefe in any to keepe him from rejoycing Though there were great plentie of Corne in Samaria yet the Lord that would not beleeve what the Prophet said though he saw it he did not taste of it 2 Kings 7.19 I tell you of great plentie and happinesse I have set it before your eyes as God hath enabled me but unlesse you beleeve you shall never taste of this heavenly Manna you shall never drinke of these rivers of pleasure Here is a cup of salvation you that have the lips of faith drinke and your soules shall be refreshed and comforted in the enjoyment of it but if you lie in unbeliefe you may want the joy and comfort that you might have of it here and you may want the enjoyment of it to all eternitie Therefore beleeve what hath been spoken what God hath promised and rejoyce in it here being confident that thou shalt enjoy what God hath promised And what thou hast in spe in hope here thou shalt hereafter have in re in full fruition serving God chearfully joyfully and comfortably in the assurance of
ambages or circuit of words you are to break off their speech and to aske what they meane And if they goe on to draw forth their tale with the same length and circuit of words as their manner is to darken their speech by turning winding and wreathing their words as the Serpent doth his taile they are to be brought forth to the light as a thiefe and malefactor is brought out of his lurking-hole Chap. 11. They affirme that there is but one Spirit of God which is and liveth in all creatures destroying the souls of men and the being and essence of Angels They affirme that Angels are nothing else but inspirations and motions not creatures who have any being Chap. 12. They affirm that the Devill world and sin is an imagination which is nothing They affirme that Devils are nothing but vain thoughts which as dreams are to be buâ—â—ried in forgetfulness They hold that sin is nothing but an opination conceit or fancie Chap. 13. They hold that the Spirit doth all things not meaning what the Scripture doth when thus speaketh of him to wit That all thing subsist in him are governed by him are subject his providence and in their order are serviceable his will But whatsoever is done in the work they maintaine it to be his worke to the dâ—â—stroying of mans will as though hee were stone and to the taking away the different betwen good and evill so that nothing can 〈◊〉 done sinfully according to their judgment bâ—cause God is the Author of all things So Quintinus when hee came into a place where oâ— was murthered and being asked who did he presently replied I have done it Are you said the other such a wicked wretch and thâ—â— he answered it is not I but God Thou hâ— done it I have done it God hath done it câ— Chap. 14. They do not only confound earth and hâ—â—ven but God and the Devill Chap. 15. They hold that all things being done by 〈◊〉 will that nothing can displease him as though God were mutable or did contradict himself or were a dissembler if he should be displeased with any thing seeing all things according to them are done with his approbation They maintain that it is a foolish thing to be affraid lest we should offend him seeing we doe nothing good or evill but he doth all things in us Chap. 16. From the same principle they conclude that men doe evill who doe blame any man for doing any thing Chap. 17. Though they would seem to be extollers of Christ with excellent words yet they place our whole redemption in this that Christ was only a type image or patterne in whom wee may behold those things done which the Scripture requireth to our salvation They imagine that every St is Jesus Christ and that which was done in him is done in us When Quintin was asked how he did he usually answered How can Jesus Christ be sicke c. They hold that it is blasphemy for a man to be grieved or troubled for any thing Chap. 18. They acknowledge with us that a man cannot be the Son of God unlesse he be born again And at the first they seem to hold what we do if wee looke onely upon their words and doâ— make use of Scripture-expressions to this purpose But they hold that a man is regenerated when he seeth no difference between black and white good and evill for that say they is the sin of Adam So that if a man be grieved iâ— his spirit for doing any sin they use to say to him O Adam thou still seest something The old man is not yet crucified in thee Pomi gustum habes Thou hast the tast and rellish 〈◊〉 the apple in thy mouth stil take heed that that mouthfull doe not choak you They hold that our redemption by Christ is the destruction of the conceits which meâ— have by which they thinke that there is such thing as sin c. Eu in quo constituunt benefiâ—cium redemptionis per Christum factae nempe quâ— opinationem illam destruxit quae Adami culpâ â—mundum ingressa erat c. And for this reason they maintain that every regenerate maâ— is without sin in him When any man reprehendeth them for anâ— sin they make use of this proverb which theâ— have among them That it is not they but 〈◊〉 asse Although this be inconsistent with thâ—â— which they maintaine concerning the perfeâ—â— state of a Christian Chap. 19. They stretch Christian liberty to this That they maintain all things are lawful to a man without any exception They hold it lawfull for a man to bow his knee before an Idoll to offer candles to goe in pilgrimage to the temples of the Saints to celebrate masse and to feign that they doe consent to all the abominations of the Papists though they doe deride and laugh at them as fooles Chap. 20. Paul admonisheth Christians 1 Cor. 7.2 That they should abide in that calling unto which they are called These wretched men doe pervert this speech that they may perswade men that every man ought to follow his naturall inclination and so doe and live as he listeth or as it shall seeme good unto him in his owne eyes From whence approving all unlawfull callings of Monkes and Fryers When Quintin was present at the solemn Masse of a Cardinall hee said that he saw the glory of God And by this pretext they do not only approve all kind of callings which are repugnant to the truth of the holy Scripture but those which the Heathens condemned by the light of nature Let the Pander say they follow his employment let the thiefe steal boldly for it is consonant to reason that every man should follow his calling They allow men and women to joyn themselves to whom they please and that they call spirituall Matrimonie and such men and women new spirituall husbands and wives c. Chap. 21. They hold community to be the communion of Saints when no man possesseth any thing as his owne but when every one taketh that to himselfe which he can lay hold on Chap. 22. They laugh at all hopes which men have of a resurrection say that men have that which they expect If it be demanded how they understand that they say it is by believing his soule is an immortall Spirit alwaies living in heaven and that Christ by his death hath done away opination c. From Eccl. 12.7 they conclude that the soule doth returne to the essence of God and is joyned unto him so that there remaineth but one Spirit Chap. 23. They interpret that place Rom. 8.10 I Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse afteâ— this manner He justifieth us as we are the samâ— spirit Calvin saith of Pocquius who was onâ— of the heads of them that there is no sentencâ— so excellent in Scripture which hee doth noâ— wrest and draw to his beastly affection They