whereas the scripture saith expresly that Christ shall come from Heaven with his Saints and wee read in Scripture that there are the Spirits of just men made perfect as well as the innumerable company of Angels Fifthly this would follow that it would bee a great discomfort to a godly man on his death-bed to think he should bee so many hundred yeares soule and body in the grave before Christ would bring him to Heaven it would bee a very uncomfortable Doctrine for a man to thinke on that I shall die like a beast that my soule after death shall not bee taken up into Heaven And thus I have proved that immediately after the godly die their soules are received into heaven I have proved it by pregnant instances in the Scripture by generall expressions in the Scripture and by those expresse passages in Scripture and have given you those absurdities that will arise in case it should be denyed A word now from what hath been spoken If it bee that Christ doth receive thee O thou beleever to himselfe before the totall and compleat reception I would then give you this use for to comfort you Use First fear not a dying time let not death bee dreadfull and terrible to thee Beloved were this true indeed that when thou diest thy soule should perish with thy body then a Life is not worth the having but when thou shalt thinke on thy death-bed here now is a disease consuming thy body and sending of thee to thy grave and now there is but a little time betweene thee and Heaven that when I am a dying I am in the very Suburbs of Heaven a little breath between mee and Heaven O how should this comfort a dying man when that hee hath good evidences for Heaven O this should greatly comfort thee against thou comest to die to thinke that thy dead-bed is the very Suburbs of heaven I have read what John said that wrote the Revelarions when hee was ready to die I doe beleeve saith hee that in this very day my soule shall be presented before the Lord Jesus Christ O thinke now thou art leaving thy friends it will not bee a day before Christ and I shall meet in heaven As in the Booke of Martyrs wee read that in Queene Maries time two friends were put to death together One of them was fearfull to thinke that the flames should scorch his flesh O saith the other bee of good comfort for halfe an houre hence thou shalt bee in Heaven O thinke though thou art weake and sick even unto death yet that thou shalt shortly bee with Jesus Christ doubt not of the truth of this For I could even pawn my soul of the truth of it that the soules of the Elect are taken up into heaven immediately after death O then let not death trouble you Doct. 4 The fourth Doctrine here mentioned is the benefit of Christs coming and that is to raise your bodies from the dead and receive them to himselfe This is the particular that I am now to insist upon and receive you to my selfe Obser The Observation is this that the maine end of Christs coming againe is for to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe not onely to save the Soule immediately after death but to raise the body also There are two Queries in the Doctrinall part of this point touching the end of Christs coming which is to raise the bodies of the Elect and to receive them to himselfe First Why Jesus Christ must raise the bodies of the Elect and receive them to himselfe as well as the soules Secondly when Christ doth receive the body to himself then what endowments doth the body receive as now it hath not First why must Christ receive the body to himselfe as well as the soule There are four reasons First because of the Resurrection of his own body Christs own body is raised from the dead and received up into heaven and therefore the bodies of the Elect must be there also where Christ is there must his members be Christ the head is raised from the dead and received up into glory The Apostle doth give this reason 1 Cor. 15. 12. Now if Christ bee preached that hee rose from the dead c. As if he should have said Christ being risen from the dead doth argue that our bodies must rise from the Grave though they be dead there In 1 Cor. 6. 14. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Thess 4. 14. For if wee beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose againe even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him So that because Jesus Christs body is raised from the dead and received up into Heaven therfore our bodies must bee raised up and received into glory with him Secondly the bodies of the Elect must be raised because of the inhabitation of the Spirit the Spirit doth sanctifie the bodies of the Elect as well as the soules the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your soule Spirit and Body bee kept blamelesse unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 6. 18 19 20. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the body but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own body What know yee not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee have of God and yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price Therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods Now the spirit of God having a gracious worke in the body as well as the soule Therefore the body must be raised up from the dead as well as the soule and this the Scripture makes an Argument of the resurrection in Rom. 8. 11. But if the spirit of him that raised up Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you So that spirit that raised up Christ from the dead if that dwelleth in you and the graces of the spirit that spirit shall quicken your mortall bodies therefore the bodies of the Elect shall be raised from the dead and received into glory with the soule Thirdly because the body hath a conjunction and co-operation with the soule in all gracious working the body shall bee partner with the Soule being received unto Jesus Christ because the body doth co-operate with the Soule Rom. 8. 13. For if yee live after the flesh yee shall die but if yee through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the flesh yee shall live Now being that the godly doe mortifie the deeds of the body and do expose their bodies to tortures and torments for Jesus Christ now because the bodies of the Elect doe co-operate with the soule in good therefore the body shall be co-partner with the soule in good
to make entrance into the fourth Fundamentall Doctrine in these words And receive you to my selfe These words containe in them that great Fundamentall point touching the Resurrection of mans Body that not onely the Soule shall goe to Heaven but also the bodies of the godly men shall goe to Heaven Christ shal come out of heaven for this end to receive the bodies as well as the Soules unto himselfe I will come again and receive you unto my selfe There is some difference betweene a few Interpreters touching the sense of these words one carrieth it this way that here the promise of Christs coming made a little before hee was to die referreth not to the last coming but they referre it to that forty daies that hee was upon the Earth after his resurrection to the Ascension they say that this promise was accomplished when Christ after his resurrection did come to his Disciples and did eate a broyled Fish with them and stayed forty daies with them Why what comfort would this bee to the Disciples to thinke of Christs going away and coming againe and stay but forty daies and then bee seen no more this would have made them the more sorrowfull that they should never have seen him more Here are two or three reasons from the Text why that cannot bee the sense of the place because here was a promise before that hee was going to his Fathers House to receive them there Now that living upon the Earth forty daies after his Resurrection cannot bee his Fathers House this cannot therefore bee meant of Christs coming againe at that time to them Againe that it is said where hee was to goe hee was to prepare a place for them now if his meaning had been that hee would come againe at forty daies it should have been an Earthly place that hee had prepared for them But the current of Interpreters seeing the weaknesse of that gives many consequent reasons why it must necessarily be referred to Christs last coming and everlasting receiving of them when the Body shall bee raised and at that coming he hath promised the Elect that hee will receive them unto himselfe as if hee should have said though I leave your bodies behind mee in the world for a season though they may bee mangled and massacred by cruell persecutors and though you may bee without my bodily presence for a while yet I doe not goe to Heaven to stay there for ever but I promise you I will come againe and then I will take you into Heaven with mee They would faine have had Christ to have received them into Heaven and that they might have gone with him The Disciples when they heard Christ speake of going to his Fathers house they were all on fire to go with Christ into Heaven O no saith Christ I will come againe to judge the world and then I will receive your very bodies into Heaven with mee that as my body is in Heaven so your bodies shall bee there also with me The Observation is this that it is one great end of Christs coming again for to receive the bodies of all the Elect unto himselfe into Heaven with him I come again and receive you unto my selfe I shall not follow the common place in handling the Resurrection of the body I shall onely handle this point practically in shewing you what the happinesse of the Elect of God is in their bodies as well as their Soules Now because this Text is made use of to pervert many Scriptures I shall handle this practicall Question before I come to handle the Doctrine Quest The Question is this that seeing Jesus Christ doth only promise that hee will receive the Elect unto himselfe at his coming againe Then what becomes of all the godly immediately after death before Christs coming againe to judgement Those that hold for the sleeping of the Soule on this Text doe ground that there is no receiving neither one or other the one to life the other to death the wicked are not tormented till then nor the godly glorified till then Therefore it is needfull that seeing Christ doth here speake of receiving them unto himselfe not till his coming to shew what becomes of the Souls of dead Men before the coming of Christ Answ Before I give you the Answer take this distinction There is a twofold receiving First There is a partiall and incompleat receiving and this is done immediately after death that when the soule doth depart from the body the soule is received by Jesus Christ into Heaven and that is the reason of those Speeches in Acts 7. There is a receiving them before Christs coming and this is called a partiall and incompleat reception it is only a receiving of the spirit and not of the body Secondly there is a totall and compleat reception both of the body and soule into glory and it is this that the Text here speakes of though it is true there is not a totall reception of a beleever till Christs coming to judgement yet there is a partiall reception I doe not now speak to those that say the soul is mortall and that it shall never live after the death of the body but to those that say the soule shall sleep and the soul doth perish with the body untill the Resurrection Now against these that plead for the sleeping of the soule till Christs coming againe take these four waies how to strengthen you First there are pregnant instances in Scripture that after the godly die their souls are received into heaven before Christ comes Secondly there are generall expressions in the Scripture as well as particular instances to prove this Thirdly there are expresse passages in the Scripture to confirme this Fourthly there are absurd inconsequences that will arise in case it should be denied First there are Pregnant instances or examples in the Scripture to prove that after death the soule is received into Heaven Take three instances First that knowne Text Luke 23. 43. And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee To day thou shall bee with mee in Paradise That day Christ dyed that day Christ went to Heaven therefore that day the soul of that converted thiefe did go to Heaven Now beloved there are two Evasions that those who plead for the soules cessation for the soules sleeping make to avoide this Text and take off this Instance First is by altering the comma or stop in the Text and read it thus I say unto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise that to day they doe not refer it that the Thiefe should be in Paradise Peter Martyr doth give two answers to this Evasion First saith hee it is not safe to alter a comma or stop in Scripture for so you may pervert the Scripture and make it speake what it never meant if men at their pleasure disagreeing from all Copies alter comma's in the translation Another Answer that it appeares this cannot bee the sense of it to referre to
shall return to God who gave it Marke here are two things Here is the end of Godly men the body shall goe to the dust and the soule to God Then the time when it shal be is when that man goeth to his long home when the keepers of the house shall tremble that is the hands and armes and the strong men shall bow themselves that is the feet and the thighs and the grinders shall cease that is the teeth and they that looke out at the windowes shall bee darkened that is the eyes when nature decayes and the body perisheth by Diseases and dyes then shall the body go to the dust and the Spirit to God that gave it Thirdly I shall prove it to you from expresse passages in the Scripture that doe confirme this that the soules of the Elect after death before Christs coming are received into heaven for this I will give foure or five expresse Scriptures The first is in Iohn 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent mee that every one that seeth the Sonne and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here are two distinct promises First a promise of everlasting life Secondly a promise of raising up at the last day First a promise of everlasting life is made distinct from the other Divines say that before the raising up at the last day there is an everlasting life that his soule shall live before the last day and his body shall be raised up at the last day Another Text is in Luke 16. 9. And I say unto you make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when yee faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations Chemnitius makes great use of this Text to prove what I am now arguing for that immediately after death the soule of an Elect man is received into Heaven Marke make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that is of your wealth called so either because it is unrighteously gotten or unrighteously kept use your wealth well that when you die you may bee received into everlasting habitations It is questionable whether it bee referred to Angels or to the poor which shall pray for us that wee bee received into Heaven but saith Chemnitius use your wealth well that you may bee received into everlasting habitations upon your failing upon dying the Lord receives the Elect into everlasting habitations This Chemnitius doth build on that the soule doth goe to Heaven immediately after Death A third Scripture is in Phil. 3. 23. For I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to bee with Christ which is far better The Apostle doth Conjoyne these two conclusions a departing out of the world out of this life and a desire to be with Jesus Christ he mentions no middle place for a good soul to goe to he mentions no Purgatory nor Limbus Patrum And so likewise a fourth Text you have in 2 Cor. 6. 8 9. Therefore wee are alwaies confident knowing that whilst wee are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. Wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord wherefore wee labour that whether present or absent wee may be accepted of him Marke the Apostle desires to be absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord so that the soule is present with the Lord whilest absent from the body Then againe that Prayer of Stephen proves it likewise in Acts 7. 59. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit It had been uncomfortable for him to have thought that he should have been stoned for Jesus Christ and it must have been above 1600 yeares before Christ should have received his soule but hee prayed Lord Jesus Christ receive my soule which hee would not have done if hee had not beleeved that his soul would have been received by Jesus Christ immediately after death And thus I leave those Scriptures to confirme you in this that the soule doth not sleep in the body but at the departure from the body it doth immediately go to Heaven Fourthly I prove it to you by shewing those grosse absurdities and inconveniencies that will arise in case it should bee denyed that God doth not receive the soule of any Elect man till he doth come to judge the world First it will follow that the godly will bee in a worse condition after they are dead then they were in when they were alive for when they were alive to live is Christ Christ dwelt in their hearts by Faith Now if the soule doth sleep with the body and perish with the body then Christ doth not live in them Christ doth not dwell there by Faith so that this would be uncomfortable that a beleever after death should bee in a worse condition then during this life for here hee lives in Christ by Faith Secondly then it wil follow that God the Father would be more cruell to his people then he would have other men be to their servants which have done their worke Marke that Text Levit. 19. 13. Thou shalt not defraud thy Neighbour neither rob him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night untill the morning That the Master was not to keep the hire of the Labourer long from him that the Master should not keep the servants wages long from him Now will the great God keep from you who are his servants that have served him here in this world and have done him faithfull service any reward till his last coming No but when you have ended your life and done your worke you receive your wages when your worke is done you have your reward Thirdly observe this if this should bee true that the soules of the Elect men doe not goe to Heaven after death then it will follow that the soules of wicked men doe not goe to Hell after death and how repugnant this is to the Scripture you well know when the Scripture saith in the Epistle of Jude That the men of Sodome and Gomorâ—ha suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And of Judas Acts 25. That hee may take part of this ministery and Apostle-ship from which Judas by transgression fell that hee might goe to his owne place I could give you a multitude of instances where it is shewn the wicked are in Hell 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in Prison Which sometimes were disobedient when once the long suffering of God waiting in the daies of Noah while the Arke was a preparing wherein few that is eight soules were saved by water To say that a godly man doth not goe to Heaven immediately after death it will follow that a wicked man doth not goe to Hell immediately after death Fourthly it would follow that there should be onely Angels in Heaven and no saints
also Fourthly it proceeds from that neer Union which is betweene a Beleever and Jesus Christ Christ is the head and Beleevers are the members now the members must bee raised and received up to Jesus Christ to make his body a perfect body Thus much for the Reasons why that Jesus Christ at the second coming shall raise and receive the bodies of the Elect to himself as well as the soules The second query is this but what benefit is it to the body what endowments shall the body receive by this when Christ comes First in generall I shall say this to you that the body shall receive more glorious endowments then ever it could bee capable to receive and enjoy here in this world it may bee thy body is endowed with a comely feature yet when Christ comes to receive thy body it shall bee endowed better then now it is Chrysostome saith take Wooll and let this Wooll be dyed into a Scarlet or purple colour dyed in graine yet the Wooll is the same Wooll as it was before when it was white but yet there is a more goodly lustre put upon it Thy body shall bee the same body but thy body shall have more illustrious endowments then now it hath And thus much onely in the generall now to come to particulars I shall resolve this question in these six Particulars There are six glorious endowments that the body shall receive from Jesus Christ at his second coming when he receives the body to himselfe First from being a naturall body as it is now it shall bee made by Christ a spirituall body that is the first endowment thou shalt cast off thy old Apparell of corruptible flesh and blood and shalt bee cloathed with robes of glory it is no contradiction to say a spirituall body because the Apostle useth the expression 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body The meaning is the body as it lives here is a naturall body needing naturall refreshments but saith the Apostle is shall be raised a spirituall body it shall have no more need of naturall refreshments which the naturall body requireth when it is a spirituall body it stands in no more need of meat no more need of drinke nor sleep and other naturall refreshments it shall bee raised a spirituall body Mat 22. 30. For in the resurrection they neither Marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven The Angels have no need of food and stand in no need of outward helps Rev. 7. 15 16. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and hee that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate Therefore O beleeving soule behold thy happiness of soule and body in glory they shall bee no more standing in need of naturall refreshments then spirits doe when the Scripture saith that your bodies should be received by Christ The Platonick Philosophers understand the body shall bee turned into a spirit into a ghost or into winde or aire but that is not the reason of it it shall bee of the same substance as it is upon the Earth but it shall be refined Secondly the bodies of the Elect when Christ receiveth them to himselfe of vile bodies they shall bee made beautifull it may bee thou hast some deformity but Christ shall refine that body and new varnish and make it beautifull Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himselfe The body of Christ is a beautifull body neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in it thy body shall bee like Christs glorious Body 1 Cor. 15. 43. It is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weaknesse it is raised in power Here thy body it is a vile body Elâ—phaz cals the body a house of clay and Job cals it a house of Earth It is the Opinion of Gerrard and he gives strong reasons for it that if there bee any defects upon the body in this world if any of the members of the body be wanting it shall be restored to thee at the resurrection and there are these reasons to be given for it First because our bodies are promised to bee like Christs Body now Christs Body hath no redundant and defective member defect is but the product of sinne and the result of sinne therefore our bodies being said to to bee like Christs Body there shall bee no defect in it Secondly some members are necessarily required to make up the happiness of the Elect in Heaven suppose an Elect man should bee borne blind or lost his eies by casualty if this man should not have his eyes he could never see Christ in Heaven we shall see with these very eyes the Body of Christ The third reason is this because the bodies of the Elect shall bee as Adams body was in innocency Adams body was created perfect by God when Christ raiseth thy body it shall never want a member nor abound in a member thy vile body shall bee beautifull what though others bee 〈◊〉 then thee and clearer skin'd then thee what though others mens Earth bee painted better then thine yet when Christ receives thy body it shall be a beautifull a glorious body therefore you have that phrase Mat. 13. 43. Thâ—â— shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father Thirdly from being a mortall body it shall bee by him an immortall body the body as it is here it is a mortall body dying and rotting in the grave but it shall bee made by Christ immortall 1 Cor. 15. 52 53. In a Moment in the Twinkling of an eye at the last trump for the Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall bee raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortality Those mortall bodies that must die must bee made immortall and those incorruptible bodies made incorruptible and never die this is the great happiness of the elect that their bodies shall bee made immortall bodies Fourthly the bodies of the elect from being lyable to sorrows and sufferings in the world shall bee made impassive bodies the body here is exposed to Diseases Aches Consumptions and what not the body it is an Hospitall of Diseases a Magazine of all Infirmities but the Lord shall make this body impassive lyable to no sufferings God shall then wipe a way all teares from our eies no sorrows no crying nor no paine there is the great happinesse of the body it shall be made impassive not lyable to hunger thirst paine Diseases and the like Fifthly thy body from being a
bodies unto himselfe at the last day The Event shall bee this an everlasting enjoyment of Christ that is the result and consequent of Christs coming to bee ever with him that where I am there you may be also I shall open the words for there is some difficulty in one Expression where I am you see it is a word in the present sense where I am and though it bee a word of the present Tense it doth not denote thus much that that they should bee at Jerusalem with Christ for Christ was then at Jerusalem but as Grotius saith that here the word of the present Tense is to be understood of the suture Tense that is where I shall be shortly after I leave this world where I shall be there you shall be and so hee doth bring that Text to prove it Joh. 7. 34. Ye shall seeke me and shall not finde mee and where I am thither yee cannot come It cannot bee taken in the present Tense for he was then 〈◊〉 Jerusalem but it is to bee understood in the future Tense where I shall bee I goe but I come againe that where I shall bee when I come to my Fathers House in Heaven I may have all your companies to be personally present with mee in Heaven that is the scope of the word Obser Observe that when ever Christ speakes of being in Heaven though hee was on the Earth yet he speakes in the present Tense as if hee were in Heaven already John 3. 13 And no man hath ascended up to Heaven but hee that came downe from Heaven even the Sonne of man which is in Heaven Christ was not in Heaven hee was speaking on Earth to them in his Person in his Humane Nature so likewise in John 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given Mee be with mee where I am that they may behold my Glory which then hast given mee for thou lovedst mee before the Foundation of the World Gerrard doth raise this Question here Why doth Christ say that he is in Heaven when yet he was in his body on the Earth First that Christ saith I am denotes the certainty of Christs going to Heaven that hee should bee there as sure as if he were there Babylon is fallen why the the Popedome is not fallen yet it shall be as sure as if it were fallen It is to note Secondly the suddennesse of it Christ was shortly to bee in Heaven there was but one day betweene Christ and his being in Heaven things suddenly to bee done they are said to be done things that are neer a doing are said to bee done Thirdly which is the reason the Gerrard gives Christ doth expresse it in the present Tense where I am though hee were on Earth to shew that Christ was truly God as well as man and in regard of his Divine Nature hee was truly in Heaven as in regard of his Human Nature hee was on Earth Thus much for the manner of expression that where I am there you may bee also the latter part is this that they might be with Christ where hee is One thing observe that in Scripture Language there is a great difference between Christs being with us and our being with Christ That Christ is said to be with us doth not denote a personall presence but a presence by his Spirit Mat. 28. last vers Teaching them to obserâ—â— all things whatsoever I shall command you and loe I am with you alwaies even unto the end of the World It was not in person for hee left them but I am with you in my blessings in my Spirit but when the Scripture speaketh of our being with Christ it notes a personall presence a being with Christ in person Therefore Paul saith I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ Christ was with Paul because Christ converted him but Paul was not with Christ but desired to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ our being with the Lord it notes a personall presence an enjoying of the presence of the Lord. Obser The Observation is this That Christ at his second coming receives the Elect unto himselfe in body and soule that they might bee for ever present where Jesus Christ is in Heaven that where I am there you may be also This Doctrine it is out of the common place Here in setting out to you that this shall bee the consequent of Christs great and last coming to receive the Elect unto himselfe that where Christ is there ye may be also I shall shew you the great blessednesse in this condition in these eight or nine particulars First that you will be more happy in being present with Jesus Christ in Heaven then if you had been present with Adam in a state of Innocency wee should have thought our selves happy to be as Adam was to have had the immediate presence of God wee should have thought this a very happy and glorious Estate Indeed so it was but now to bee present with Christ in Heaven thou art more happy ten thousand times then if thou hadst been made when Adam was made to have lived with him in Innocency First Adam when hee was made by God in Innocency hee was instated only into an earthly Paradise but now thou being with Christ art stated into an everlasting kingdome Againe Adam was placed in Innocency yet so as to bee lyable to lose that blessed and glorious condition hee was in and did lose it though he were a perfect Creature yet hee lay under a capacity to lose all his excellency but when God brings thee to bee present with Jesus Christ thou art instated into a Kingdome that cannot bee shaken into a happy condition that cannot bee lost Againe thirdly when hee was made by God Innocency hee enjoyed onely the society of Beasts on the Earth and Birds of the Ayre but when God brings thee where Christ is hee doth instate thee into a condition where God the Father God the Son and all the Saints and Angels are thy companions Secondly here is another part of thy happinesse by being where Christ is that thou shalt enjoy the society of Christ in his Humane Nature where Christ is thou shalt bee the meaning of that expression is John 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given Mee bee with Mee where I am that they may behold my Glory Beloved this is the Beatificall vision this referres to seeing the Glory of Christs person in his Humane Nature not the glory of his God head but the Glory of his Man hood that they may behold my glorified body the Glory of my Humane Nature that was so contemned and so despised when I was on the Earth I beseech thee let all the Elect that long for mee and for to bee with mee I beseech thee that they may bee with mee where I am to behold my glory It was a solemn wish of Austine a little before his Death he wisht that he might see three
was at Jerusalem it was where Paul should have learnt to know better things for there the Apostles were and taught the Doctrine of Christ and of Christianity Sixthly If you consider the extent of Pauls malice saith he When they were put to death I gave my voice against them Pauls vote was against the Christians to put them to death Seventhly Pauls rage did goe against their soules as well as their bodies for saith he I did compell them to blaspheme Christ he laboured to damn their souls as well as destroy their bodies Eighthly saith he I was exceeding mad against them he was even mad with rage and exceeding mad with rage Ninthly He drove them from house to house I drove them into strange Cities And then Tenthly which was worst of all he did through their sides strike at the honour of Jesus Christ for why did Paul doe this to the Saints saith he I thought with myself to doe many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth there was the person he aymed at yet Paul a man forgiven for all this for he saith when he aggravates his sin in 1 Tim. 1. 11 12 13. According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithfull putting me into the Ministery who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly its unbelief Thus I have done with the Doctrinal part of my Text laying down to you an induction of instances I am the larger in this because I know perplexed consciences in trouble of mind are apt but to greaten their own sins but can you aggravate it worse then David Paul or Peter could do yet behold those sinnes and those aggravated sinnes were forgiven by Jesus Christ I have four words to say in this Sermon by way of Application there may be in such an Assembly as this is whom God might suffer either before conversion or after conversion to be unclean with David to deny Christ with Peter it may be to swear to a lye to swear to a falshood nay it may be to engage to a lye to a falshood O take heed of false Oathes it may be to persecute the Saints of Christ with Paul Four Consolations First O know it for thy comfort O thou disconsolate heart let thy sin be never so great yet the mercies of God are greater A learned Interpreter gives to my hand which is his instance Lord my fault is great but thy mercies are greater Beloved I may say to you though thy sin be great yet the mercy of God is greater then thy sin and thou canst not have so many circumstances to greaten thy sin as can be produced in God to greaten his own mercy you shall read what he saith himselfe in Isa 44. 22. I have blotted ouâ— as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee Suppose thy sin be not onely a little cloud but suppose it be a great cloud a thick cloud saith God I doe not only blot sins out like a little cloud but I will blot ouâ— transgressions that are like a thick cloud great sins as well as small doth the mercies of God cover The Sea can as well cover great rocks as little peble stones high mountaines as well as mole-hills Gods mercy is an Ocean that can cover great enormities as well as lesser infirmities The glorious body of the Sun in the Heavens can scatter the greatest mist as well as the thinnest vapours great sins as well as small are pardoned by infinite mercy It is worthy your notice what Moses speaks of the Mercy-seat It covered the whole Ark wherein the Law was kept To note saith a Divine though thou art a man or a woman guilty of all the Lawes breach not onely of one command but of all the commands yet the Mercy-Seat covered all the commands to teach you this that the mercy of God can pardon the greatest violation of the Law therefore that wherein the Law was kept was all covered by the Mercy-Seat 2. Take this for thy comfort O thou perplexed Conscience it may be when thou art in a corner none but God and thine own soule together thou dost aggravate thy sin and thinkest no mans sin so grievous as thine then take this for thy comfort let thy sin be never so great yet the satisfaction and sufferings of Christ are far greater The blood of Christ saith the Apostle cleanseth us from all sin the Red Sea did with as much ease drown Pharaoh and all his hoast as it could doe a single man the red Sea of Christs blood can drown a whole hoast and a huge multitude of sins as well as a small lust Though thou hast need to shed more teares for sin in a way of contriâ—ion yet Christ need not shed more blood for sin in a way of redemption for he hath saved them to the utmost that come unto God by him the Apostle triumphing in the 5. of the Romans he meanes there that there is not so much evil in sin to damn us as there is good in the gift in Christ for to save because thy sin is he guilt of a creature and Christs satisfaction is the satisfaction of a God thy sin the sin of a finite creature and his sufferings the sufferings of an infinite Mediator Third Consolation is this to you that are perplexed in conscience that you have committed hainous and aggravated sinfulnesse yet that Jesus Christ doth wipe away the infamy and the ignominy of thy most horrid and scandalous sins committed before conversion Suppose thou hast been a notorious infamous creature yet Christ takes off the ignominy and the infamy of thy sin when he justifies thy person and doth sanctifie thy nature It is observable of Mary Magdalen as is conceived she was a notorious whore every one that saw her knew she was a common harlot there was a woman that was a sinner the meaning was she was an infamous notorious harlot What is done when Christ converted this woman Luk. 7. 47. Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgâ—ven for she loved much Christ did delight to wipe away the ignominy of her harlotry in her after-life It is worthy observation that four women are reckoned in the Genealogy of Christ what women were they they were women that were infamous the best of them did fill into much scandal and gave much offence there you find mention of Thamar Rachab Ruth and Bathsheba no more in the Genealogy but these what were all these women Begin with Thamar she committed uncleannesse with her Father in Law an infamous woman as you have the story in Gen. 38. 18. And he said What pledge shall I give thee and she said thy Signet and the Bracelets and thy Staffe that is in thine hand and be
not depart away from him c. A promise to Solomon I will be his father and he shall be my son but if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with rods And the Psalmist when he quotes this expression referres it to all the godly Psal 89. 31 32. If they break my Statutes and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes It was not onely true of Solomon but it is spoken of all the Church If they commit iniquity I will chastise them with rods See here a Solomon may be chastned with rods if he commits iniquity nay not only one man but all the Church 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therfore I will punish you for all your iniquities If God be severe it is with his own people to make them smart for sin he may spare wicked men and not punish them here because he hath his hell for them hereafter but this shall be all the hell of a godly man and all their punishment I but this is Old Testament and thus the Antinomians take off and evade this Scripture but doth God so in the New Testament Yes in the New Testament Rom. 8. 20 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin He speaks of the beleeving Romans that death on their bodies was because of sin And then the Apostle speaks to the godly Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation or judgement to himselfe not discerning the Lords body For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleep Many godly men were sick and weak for their prophaning the Lords Supper and this is under the New Testament that the Apostle saith as approving the righteous judgement of God let not us commit fornication as some of them commited 1 Cor. 10. Let not us fall as they fell and many of them it is probable among the 23 thousand were good men The Apostle approves of Gods Judgement to bee righteous in that Act. Only one objection against this Doth not the Scripture say in Isa 53. That the chastisement of our peace was laid on Christ now if all those chastisments that were due to us for sin were laid on Christ doth not this derogate from Christs sufferings that hee must suffer too doth not this intimate that Christs sufferings were not satisfactory The Answer is easie That when we say we suffer for sin and are punished for sin understand it thus there is a great deal of difference between our suffering for sin and Christs suffering for sin we doe not suffer for sin as Christ did because our punishments for sin are not by way of satisfaction to Divine Justice but onely by way of castigation from Divine Justice when God doth punish a pardoned man with some outward Judgement for sin it is no satisfaction no compensation when the text saith that our chastisements are laid upon Christ the meaning is Christ suffers for sin by way of satisfaction he appealeth Gods wrath he satisfies Gods Justice for the sins that we have done should we lose our bloud for a sin should we give the fruit of our body for the sins of our soule yet this cannot make a compensation for sin therefore it may well consist that God punished Christ for our sins by way of satisfaction to his Justice and may punish us by way of castigation as a father his children Now to ratifie and satisfie your thoughts the more in this that though God doth pardon a sin yet hee will punish for a sin take some reasons for it First Because wicked men that are punished for sin would accuse God of partiality and injustice should he punish them and not his own people for the same sin wicked men would account God partiall but the wicked shall say I see Gods own people are punished in this life more severely then I am the Lord doth it to vindicate the impartiality of his Justice that he will not spare sin where ever finds it A second Reason is Because God doth command Magistrates to execute punishments in this life for sin even upon good men therefore if he commands a Magistrate to punish a good man for his sin surely he doth approve of their punishment Suppose a good man should commit adultery he was to dye for it suppose he should commit murder he was to dye for it if God did command that pâ—â—nall punishment should be inflicted on good men in this life then surely he might doe it much more himself Case 3 The third Case of Conscience is this Whether doth pardon of sin go before faith and repentance or else follow after I doe not speak now of the priority of nature but of the priority of time This is a usefull question There are many Books in Print made by severall Antinomians that plead for this and they say that repentance is not a condition to qualifie the subject to obtain forgivenesse but onely a signe to manifest that sin is forgiven and that a man is pardoned from all eternity that before a man beleeves and repents he is pardoned which is a falshood for to a beleever the Apostle doth confine pardon Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to bee a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God For sins that are past those sins you have committed and have repented of he gives you pardon for all them He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall fiade mercy and he that doth not so shall not find mercy He that hideth his sin shall not prosper I answer to this query that God doth pardon sin after a man repents and beleeves not before and to give you a proofe for this First I shall give you the grounds from the Scripture then absurdities that would follow if this were not so First from the Scripture Observe that the Scripture doth limit and confine pardon to a repenting state Act. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sin may be blotted out No blotting out of sin without repentance Repent that your sin may be blotted out Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me So that till thou beest turned from darknesse to light untill thou beest turned from Satan to God thou hast not received forgivenesse of sins mark the antecedent word hee opens their eyes c. therefore God expresly doth tye forgivenesse of sin to repentance and so in Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse There is first a confession this is
go away Fourthly the Doctrine of Christs going up to heaven is confirmed by the Testimony of the Apostles who were eie-witnesses of Christs Ascension Gerrard notes saying Jesus Christ did rise invisible none saw him Rise the Scripture telleth you that the Souldiers that watched were asleep yet Christ gathereth all his eleven Apostles that they might be eie-witnesses of his ascension that they saw him ascend to Heaven Acts 1. 9 10. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell and so the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 3. 22. Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being subject unto him So Paul tels you in Ephesians 4. 10. He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things So in Hebrewes 9. the Author of that book tels you that Jesus Christ is not gone into the holy place but is gone into Heaven it selfe In verse 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversy great is the mystery of Godlinesse God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory And in Mark 16. 19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them he was received up into Heaven and sate on the right hand of God I take the more pains to prove this because of what ancient Heresies there have been to overthrow this great comfortable doctrin of Christs going bodily into heaven having our flesh in heaven this very day Fifthly it may be proved by the concurrent Testimonies of the Angels who were witnesses of this truth Acts 1. 10. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparell These two men were Angels the Angels did give in their concurrent Testimonies that Jesus Christ did goe into Heaven and the same Jesus Christ that did go shall come againe Beloved I know not any one point in all the Bible that is so proved and strengthened as Christs personall and bodily going up to Heaven and thus much for the strengthning of you in the proof of the point I lay that for the foundation because if the proof of it be not well grounded then the fruit of it will not be well regarded Secondly what is the reason that Christ must have his body and soul go up to heaven First Christ in his bodilie presence must goe to Heaven lest his Disciples should be taken too much with his bodily presence and never look after the Communication of his Spirit Therefore they ask Christ Lord when wilt thou restore the Kingdome to Israel They expected that Christ would take away the Roman Emperour which was a heathen and expected that he would be King himselfe Acts 1. 6. When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel It is for this reason say Interpreters because the Disciples should not dote on Jesus Christ as to look on him as a temporall King and look on him for a temporall Kingdome but that they might look after the Kingdome where he is therefore Paul hath a passage in 2 Cor. 5. 16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more As if he should say it may bee those that lived in Christs time that knew him according to the flesh as a lovelie person but saith Paul we know him in a spirituall way to look after heaven by Christ to look after salvation by Christ Secondly Christ must be taken up into Heaven in his body to make a compensation and a recompence to himselfe for his sufferings in his body Phil. 2. 8 9. And being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name Therefore God did exalt Christ and raise him from the dead and bring him to Heaven because he obeied to the death of the Crosse and took on him the form of a servant Psal 110. last verse He shall drink of the brook in the way thersfore shall he lift up the Head Because thou diedst and sufferedst therefore thou shalt lift up thy head therefore thou shalt ascend up to Heaven Heb. 2. 9. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should tast death for every man For suffering of death hee was crowned with Glory and Honour and translated bodily into Heaven that is a second Argument Thirdly Christ was taken up bodily to heaven it was manifest to the world that Christ was God as well as man to manifest the God-head of Jesus Christ therefore taken up bodily to heaven Eph. 4. 9 10. Now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things There the Apostle proves that Christ going up to Heaven it was an Argument that Christ came down from heaven So in John 6. 62. What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before That shews that Christ was in Heaven before therefore must he be God Coequall and Coeternall with God the Father and thus you have the second point dispatched to you shewing the reasons why Jesus Christ must go bodily into Heaven The third point is I but what benefit and comfort is that to us that Jesus Christ is now bodily in Heaven what comfort was this to the Disciples that Jesus Christ should leave them that he must go from them unto his Fathers house There are seven particulars that it is great ground of comfort to all the people of God that Jesus Christ is gone bodily to heaven The first ground of comfort is this Christs going to heaven bodily it assures you of Christs full Triumph and compleat conquest over all your spirituall Enemies This the Apostle lays down as a ground of comfort upon Christ Ascension Eph. 4. 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men That is the Devill and sin that carried you captive Christ by his going up to heaven hath led them captive that is hath led your spirituall enemies that carried
you captive Christ alluded to the custome among the Romans when the Roman Conquerour rode to the Capitol of Rome to rejoyce in his victory over his enemies the Conquerour did use to tie his Captives to the Chariots wheels So Christ did carry his captives by his wheeles as it were he led captivity captive Colos 2. 15. And having spoyled Principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly Triumphing over them in it So that beloved here is one great comfort that Christ by going up to heaven doth manifest and declare to all the world that he hath overcome the Grave Death Devill and Sinne. Secondly Christs going bodily to heaven It is a pledge to you that Christ will one day bring your bodys to heaven I go to heaven that I may receive you to my self that you may be bodily in heaven where Christ is In Joh. 14. 19. Yet a little while the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also As if he should say wel I must leave you and I must goe to Heaven before you but because I live in heaven and live there bodily you shal also live with me in heaven with your bodies Tertullian doth make this use of it to comfort the Christians in his dayes saith hee Jesus Christ did carry our flesh into heaven with him and he is of our flesh and of our bone Now saith Tertullian Jesus Christ hath carried flesh into heaven and this is a good pledge unto us that our flesh shall be in heaven where Christ is also Therefore O flesh and bloud doe thou rejoyce that hast possest heaven in Christ already And Christ would be imperfect in heaven should not the bodies of beleevers come there also because he lives in heaven you shall live there also Thirdly Christs going bodily to heaven it is a ground of comfort to you in this because Christ is gone bodily into heaven to performe and accomplish his Sacerdotall Office that is as a high Preist hee is now in heaven to performe the Office of a high Priest to make intercession to God his Father in your behalfe that your sinnes might be pardoned that your soules might bee saved that your bodies might he raised and received into heaven with him in Glory Heb. 9. 24. For Christ is not entred into the Holy places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Christ is entred into the very heavens that he might appeare before God for us so in Heb. 7. 26. For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heavens It became us to have a high Priest in Heaven Therefore observe though it was a great benefit to the Disciples to have Christs bodily presence yet Jesus Christ could never have fulfiled the office of the Priest-hood to make intercession for all the Elect if Christ had not gone bodily into heaven Will you observe one Text in Heb. 8 4. For if he were on earth hee should not be a priest seeing there are Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Christ must goe to heaven and there hee is a Priest now if hee were upon the earth hee could not be a Priest for us therefore we have great advantage by CHRISTS going into heaven O beloved then looke on this as a great comfort that our Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven in his body flesh and bloud appearing before God making Intercession for all his people this was typified out under the Law Exod. 28. 9 10 11 and 12. verses And thou shalt take two Onix stones grave them on the names of the children of Israel Six of their Names on one stone and the other six Names of the rest on the other stone according to their Birth With the work of an ingraver in stone like the ingravings of a signet shalt thou ingrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel thou shalt make them to be set in Ouches of Gold And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the Ephod for stones of memoriall unto the children of Israel And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memoriall This is a type of Jesus Christ our high Priest who is gone into that which is so in it selfe the Holy of Holiest and there he hath not onely the names of al the elect of God throughout the world on his breast but hath them in his heart and there he makes intercession for them to his father This is a third ground of comfort that they have of Christs going bodily into heaven A Fourth ground of comfort you have by Christs going into Heaven is this That Jesus Christ is gone into heaven to convey to you a fuller communication of the gifts and graces of his spirit which was bestowed on his people whilest he was upon the Earth Ephes 4 ver 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave giftes unto men It is an allusion to the Roman custome that when the conquerour rode in Triumph towards the Capitoll he did not onely lead the Prisoners by the Charet wheeles but likewise scattered mony to the Spectators that saw him ride along in triumph so the Lord Jesus Christ having by his Ascension spoiled death and the Devil thus Jesus Christ doth cast his gifts unto men dispenseth his graces in a greater measure into the hearts of his people not that we are to run into the Sociâ—ian errour because of this text they gather that before Christs Ascension into heaven there was no saving gift of the spirit and they ground it on that text Ioh. 7. ver 38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake he of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified The Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus Christ was not yet glorified but this Text is not to be taken simply then it will follow that Abraham Isaac and Jacob had not the spirit and then they could not bee in Heaven but the meaning is that the gifts of the Holy Ghost in that abundant measure was not given because Christ was not yet ascended Christ did reserve the full giving of the Holy Ghost to the time of his Ascension and untill he was glorified therefore the Apostles soon after his ascension received the Holy Ghost in a greater measure then was given to the people of old and beloved not onely gifts to bring you to Heaven but also Ministeriall gifts to qualifie men fit for the Ministery you are to looke on this also as the fruit of Ascension Ephesians 4. 10 11 12. vers He that descended is the
Christ did ascend hee was speaking to his Disciples things that did appertaine to the Kingdome of God and as he was blessing of them he was taken up before their eyes Acts 1. 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight Whilest he was blessing of his Disciples and whilest he was speaking to them things appertaining to the Kingdome of God hee was taken away I would give you this note from thence that when you come towards the time of your departure out of this world make Christ your example Christ as hee was going away he spake of things appertaining to the Kingdome of God so let your hearts be full fraught with Divine contemplation do you leave good counsell behinde you when you come to dye that so some body may say these are the last words of a dying Friend I might extend this example of Christ before his departure out of the world unto Master of families that when you come towards your end leave good counsel behind you Let not your speech be filled about worldly affairs but let them bee setled before but leave good counsell with your children Jacob when he was to die he called all his children about him gave good counsel unto them blessed them Likewise David 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts if thou seeke him hee will be found of thee but if thou forsake him hee will cast thee off for ever And thus wee see in the instances of Isaac and many other Servants of God Moses to Joshua when he was to dye I but especially take Christs example that when you are to leave the world you may have your minds possessed with nothing else but with things appertaining to the Kingdome of God as Christ was Fourthly there is instruction to be gathered from the manner of Christs leaving the world the manner was in Act. 1. 9. And when he had spoken these things while they beheld hee was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight they saw him by degrees ascend into Heaven this must not passe our Meditation that a cloud should take Jesus Christ out of our sight it is for a reliefe to your Meditations that when you see the clouds to thinke that these clouds that I see hover in the Heaven they are Christs Chariot that did once carry him to Heaven and they are the chariots that shall carry Jesus Christ to judg the world O labour to have your Meditations on Divine things he went up in a cloud therfore the clouds are called Gods Chariots Fifthly note that circumstance in Christs ascension that he would call all his Friends about him it is expresly said all the eleven Apostles were with him Acts 1. And an Interpreter doth think that there was an hundred and twenty with Jesus Christ when he ascended up into Heaven and he gathered it from Acts 1. 15. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples and said the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty Now learned men doe thinke that there was an hundred and twenty that did see Jesus Christ ascend up to heaven it is clear that there were the eleven Apostles there and if this be so that Christ gathered about him his friends when hee was to leave the world I gather thence that when you are drawing towards your end and departing out of the world Labour to have your friends about you that you might give them the advice of a dying friend and it is a great blessing for to dye amongst your friends Christ before that he would goe up to Heaven and leave the world hee would have his friends about him and then he was taken up from them I now come to draw out more practicall application of this point If it be so that Christs going up bodily into Heaven bee a ground of such great comfort unto the people of God upon Earth the use that I shall draw it shall be to deduce four doctrinall and four practicall inferences from this point First this point confuteth the opinion of the Selucians and Hermiani that hold that Christs Body is not in heaven but that it is in the beautifull and splendent body of the Sun and they say that is the reason the Sun doth cast such a glorious light o're that the Moon doth and truly this old Heresie is again revived amongst us and I have seen it in a booke called Divine Light when indeed it is nothing but darknesse but Christ is above the Sun Christ is above all the visible Heavens Christ sits in the third Heaven as Paul calls it therefore if Christs Body bee gone into Heaven they are in an errour Secondly this point will confute those who hold that Christs Body hath been on Earth since his ascension into Heaven some in Germany held that they were the very Christ and thus in King Henry the Eights days there was one held that hee was the Christ and his side was pierc'd and there was the print of Nayles seen in his hand c. I but if men say lo here is Christ and there is Christ believe them not for Christ was never on the Earth since his ascension Thirdly that Christs Body is now in heaven it overthrowes the Doctrine of the Popish Religion touching Transubstantiation or the reall presence that Jesus Christ is bodily present at the Sacrament say the Papists we bodily eat Christs flesh and drinke Christs bloud that Christ is as bodily present at the Sacrament as hee was on the Crosse If there were no other argument to overthrow this opinion but this that the body of Christ is now in Heaven it were enough then that opinion of Transubstatiation is hereby confuted Christs body cannot be in Heaven and on the earth both at one time Fourthly the ascension of Christ it overthrowes the opinion of the Carpacratiami that hold that onely his soule did goe to heaven and his body perished as others and this cannot be for the Disciples said that they saw Christ ascend and this must bee his body for they could not see his soule for the soule is a spirit Now you see the reason why I spent so much time in the morning in giving you many Texts of Scripture to prove this point because there are so many Hereticks that doe oppugne this Doctrine of CHRISTS Ascension I now come to give you three or four practical deductions First is Christs body now in heaven then I infer O thou that canst lay a well-grounded clayme for an interest in Jesus Christ O be not thou afraid to dye because thy Christ is in heaven and when thou diest death is but a Trap-doore to let thee into endlesse joy where Christ
Fifthly if Christ comes personally out of Heaven to reigne a thousand yeares this incongruity will follow that either the Saints and Angels must come or not come with Christ if they must come with Christ then it is a losse to them for them to leave the immediate presence of God and come upon the Earth where wicked men shall bee amongst them or if they must not come with Jesus Christ yet it is a loss to them to remaine there they shall lose for a thousand yeares the bodily presence of Christ if Christ bee on the Earth â—ee cannot bee in Heaven the same time Therefore it would be a losse to the Saints and Angels for them to bee a thousand yeares in Heaven without the company of Jesus Christ not to have the person of Jesus Christ with them A Sixth Incongruity will follow that if Christ shall come to reigne upon the Earth then Christs Kingdome must bee a worldly and terrene Kingdome then it will bee against the word of God hee must be a visible King to the Jewes and a visible King to all the world besides this would follow then that Christs Kingdom must not be aspirituall Kingdome but a Terrene a worldly pompous Kingdome John 18. 36. Jesus answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world then would my Servants fight that I should not bee delivered to the Jews but now is my Kingdome not from hence Luke 17. 20. And when hee was demanded of the Pharisees when the Kingdome of God should come hee answered them and said the Kingdome of God cometh not with Observation Would not all the world observe this for Christ to come bodily from Heaven and in the Majesty of a Monarch Now Christs Kingdome doth not come with Observation When the Disciples looked after an Earthly Kingdome No saith Christ my Kingdome is for to Rule and Reigne in your hearts you shall never see me for to be an outward Pompous King in the world for Christs Kingdome it is a spiritual Kingdome Seventhly that if Jesus Christ shall come to take a Kingdome on the Earth for a thousand yeares then this would intimate as if Jesus Christ had not a Kingdome and were not a King on Earth all this while hee is in Heaven they deny that place in Daniel and all those phrases in the new Testament that the Kingdome of the world is become the Kingdome of the Lord they deny that Christ is a King in Heaven When hee was in the Cratch and borne in the Stable he was a King at that very hour Psalme 2. The Apostle referres it to Christs Birth and Christs Resurrection Christ when hee arose from the Dead hee was a King then and the Gospell under Christs time is called a Kingdome It is remarkable in John 18. 37. Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a King then Jesus answered thou sayest that I am a King Christ was a King though hee would not bee an Earthly King to destroy Earthly Governments therefore when the people in a tumult would have made him a King yet hee would not Zech. 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion shout O Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee hee is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the fole of an Asse Hee was King when hee was on that slow contemptible creature so that now to say Christ shall come to reigne as King it is to intimate to the world as if Christ were not a King at this day and whereas he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in Heaven therefore he cannot come a thousand years to reigne upon the Earth Now I will deale fairely to shew you the strongest Scripture that hath most shew of reason for the maintaining of this Opinion and shall labour to take them off and cleare it to you There are multitudes of quotations that varieties of mens thoughts fasten upon to prove this poynt yet those they most stand to I shall fasten upon their chiefe Pillar is in Revel 20. 2 3 5 6. And hee laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devill and Satan and bound him a thousand yeares And I saw thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given uuto them and I saw the Soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the word God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his Image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand yeares But the rest of the Dead lived not again untill the thousand yeares were finished This is the first Resurrection blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power but they shall bee Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand yeares Now from this Text which is the chiefest in the Scripture they seeme to build these two things upon First That Jesus Christ shall live upon the Earth and the Saints reigne with him for a thousand yeares Secondly Those that were Martyrs by Antichrist shall rise from the Dead and come upon the Earth these thousand yeares to continue with Jesus Christ This they build much upon That Christ shall come to reign a thousand yeares upon the Earth But I shall shew you this cannot bee the sense of it and I shall give you Six Answers First that though the Scripture doth say that the Saints that were beheaded should live with Christ a thousand yeares yet the Text doth not say that Christ shall come to reigne with them a thousand yeares Secondly though the Text saith that they should live and reigne with Christ a thousand years yet the Text doth not say that they shall reigne with him here upon the Earth Thirdly that though it bee said that the Saints shall live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares yet living and reigning with Christ doth not necessarily imply to bee in the same place where Jesus Christ is for then you would pervert many Scriptures For loe saith Christ I am with you to the end of the World it doth not therfore follow from that time hee will bee upon the Earth to the end of the world but Christ being with us or wee with him it is by his spirit Romans 8. 17. And if Children then Heires of God and joynt Heires with Christ if so bee that wee suffer with him that wee may bee also glorified together The Text it doth not denote the sameness of place and the oneness of scituation I give this to take off that which is made of this Text. Fourthly it is evident that this Scripture cannot bee a Foundation to build on that Christ shall come to reign a thousand yeares upon the Earth because then it will not onely follow that men shall live so long but shall reigne with Christ so long on the Earth Methuselah
lived but nine hundred sixty and nine yeares and David saith the life of man is cut shorter The Text saith they shall live and reigne with Christ in that sense taking living properly and all the phrases properly they must necessarily say that men shall live when that time comes a thousand yeares together Againe it cannot bee the sense of this Scripture because that cannot bee the sense of this Scripture which crosseth the sense of other Scriptures to make this Scripture to affirme that Christ shall reigne on the Earth a thousand yeares and other Scriptures tell you that Christ shall stay in Heaven in person till all men shall rise from the Dead every man shall rise then cometh the end 1 Cor. 15. 23 24. But every man in his owne order Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are Christs at his coming Then cometh the end c. 2 Thess 2. 1. Now wee beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him Then besides it doth crosse the Scripture to say that at Christs coming onely some men shal rise but not all Job 14 10 11 12. But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is hee As the waters faile from the Sea and the Flood decayeth and dryeth up So man lieth down and riseth not till the Heavens bee no more they shall not awake nor bee raised out of their sleepe Job telleth you expresly That the Dead shall not bee raised till the Heavens bee no more and that cannot bee the thousand yeares for there will bee a Earth and a Heaven then and in Peters phrase The Heavens shall melt away like a scrowle c. Now to make a Resurrection before a Resurrection it is that which the Scripture doth no where mention John 5. 28 29. Marvell not at this for the houre is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall heare his Voyce and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation The judging of the just and unjust shall bee the same houre and upon Christs coming all men shall bee judged 2 Tim. 4 1. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome So that Christs appearing and Christs coming is a judging of the quick and the dead Now beloved then to make this Scripture to say that Christ shall come on the Earth before his last coming this is to crosse other Scriptures then of necessity therefore it cannot bee the scope of thâ—s for there is no jarring between one phrase of the Scripture and another Fifthly when the scripture saith here That they live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares it is not spoken whether it bee a reigning with Christ in Heaven or on Earth so the phrase neither carrieth it one way or another Sixthly John doth not say that hee saw the bodies of men that were beheaded and they reigned with Christ but he dâ—d in a vision see the Souls of them that were beheaded now to say they must come to reigne on the Earth for a thousand yeares it were a great inconveniency to them it is said I saw the soules of them The thousand yeares cannot bee applied to Christs Personall Reigne For so Jesus Christ hath an eternall Kingdome he doth not reigne a thousand yeares on Earth or in Heaven but everlastingly Kingdomes and States of this world have lasted a thousand yeares and to make Christs Kingdome to last no longer it is to give Christs Kingdome too narrow a confine I have consulted with many Authors and I finde the current of Interpreters generally runne this way though some doe fancy that Text speakes of the binding of the Devill for a thousand years and during this time the Saints should live and reigne with Christ a thousand yeares The sense and scope of this place is this The period of time when this time began that the Devill was bound Interpreters doe unanimously give this Opinion that it began in the reigne of Constantine the Great hee being the first Christian Emperour in the World hee coming after 300 yeares Persecution by the Roman Emperours who made great massacre and havock in the Church of God in so much that in the booke of Martyrs wee reade that there may bee for every day in the yeare five thousand Christians slaine this is a dreadfull Persecution and the Devill raged and stirred much Now upon Constantines reigne the Devill was bound up that is the Roman Emperours who were acted by the Devill to all this cruelty when Constantine a Christian Emperour came to reigne hee gvae out imperiall Edicts and Lawes for establishment of the Christian Religion and that put an end to the Persecution of the Roman Emperours and to this Opinion many Interpreters give in their consent Brightman Napier Gerard and these thousand yeares when the Devill was bound did end 300 yeares ago and more and this is given to be the scope and sense of the Scripture Object I but then you will say though the Devill was bound how comes the Devill to be loose againe Answ They answered this that in the yeare 1300 the Turkish Emperour began to beare sway Gog and Magog called the Turke prevailed and hath gotten the greatest part of the world within his power and hee was the Gog and Magog that did persecute the Saints and did spread almost over all the Earth and truly comparing Scripture and story together this seemes to be the neerest and the truest sense of this place and this interpreters doe generally concurre in Two Objections by those who plead for a thousand yeares First is this we read in the Century of the Church that the Church of God was pestered by Valens the Emperour after these 300 yeares and of Julian the Apostate that did greatly persecute the Christians and how can this be true when we read of so much persecution after the Devil was bound up Answer that when it is said the Devil is bound up it is not meant simply that there should bee no temptation to sinne for that there should bee Valens the Emperour did establish Arrianisme and troubled the Church of God One answereth it was nothing like the persecution of the Roman Emperours it was nothing so long nor so tedious as the persecution under the Roman Emperours for for every day in the year 5000 Christians were put to death In Dioclesians reigne there were 17000 Christians killed in one Moneth there was some sprinkling persecution in the time of Valens and Iulian the Apostate but it was nothing to that of the Roman Emperours Object Another Objection is this I but the Scripture saith that this is the first Resurrection that the Saints living and reigning with Christ a thousand yeares this is the first Resurrection how can it bee said that after
when men shall bee eating and drinking possessing and adding muck to muck when men are secure and never thinke of Christs coming to burn all with fire then the powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the world be set on fire Hence it is that you read in Scripture in five or six places Christs coming it shall be as a Thiefe in the night a Thiefe will come in the dead time of the Night as Christ said to his Disciples in Luke 21. 34. The coming of Christ it is an unexpected coming thus you have six Particulars of Christs coming Use Now a word of Application Having shewed you how this Doctrine of Christs coming it is a Doctrine of comfort I shall finish this point in shewing you how this Doctrine of Christs coming is a Doctrine of terrour and of dread and to whom It is observeable that the word is not compared onely to Milke and Honey but the word is compared also to Salt which also hath an efficacy to make smart Beloved you have heard the Hony of this Doctrine what great comfort it will afford to Godly men but remember the word is Salt also and it is of a smart efficacy to terrifie and fret the conscience Now the Doctrine of Christs coming it is a terrible Doctrine in these four things To all wicked men Christs coming again it is a terrible Doctrine because first al the secretst sins that ever a wicked man hath committed in this world they shal be made manifest to all I confesse it is a contest among learned men whether the sinnes of good men as well as bad shall not be known and there are strong arguments that all shall be made known but the Scripture is full in this that at the day of Judgement the sinnes that a wicked man hath done in this world shall bee published to all the Saints and Angels in Heaven and all the men that were on Earth It may bee thou goest for an honest man amongst thy Neighbours yet thou lovest thy Neighbours wife and goest in unto her if thou hast been so or thou hast deceived in thy Trade why for all thy secresie here yet then all the world shall know thy deceit and uncleannes it is built upon that Text Luk. 8. 17. For nothing is secret that shall not bee made manifest neither any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come abroad Here a thousand things are hid that men do not know here thou carriest it fairly and squarely in the world that men cannot say black is thine Eye but then they may say shame to thy Face this is dreadfull Secondly Christs coming it shall bee dreadfull in regard of thy Separation from all the Elect of God In Mat. 25. 32. 33. And before him shal be gathered all Nations and hee shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his sheepe from the Goates And hee shall set the sheep on his right hand but the Goates on the left Here thou art mingled it may bee thou livest in the same house with a godly man and lyest in the same bed with a godly man but remember a parting time is coming that as the Shepherd parteth the Sheepe from the Goats so doth Christ part the wicked from the godly Thirdly Christs coming againe it is dreadfull to wicked men in regard it shall be the time of the promulgation of thy Sentence A Thiefe in Newgate is a miserable creature a Thiefe at Bar is in a sad condition but a Thiefe when the Sentence of death is past upon him then hee is in a hopelesse condition O thou wicked man at thy dying day thou art a Malefactor but at thy Sentence giving thou art an undone man thou art in a hopelesse condition Fourthly Christs coming it is the time of the reuniting of thy body and soule together and of thy taking possession of Hell when thy body and soule that have been so many hundred yeares parted shall come to meet together and your meeting to bee but a going into Infernall torments this makes the coming of Christ to be a dreadfull coming I but you will say it is true indeed A Felix may tremble when Paul shall Preach to him of Judgement to come but have wee Christians cause of feare Yes you that are Christians in case you bee found under these particulars that I am now naming to you the day of Judgement will be dreadfull to you Christs coming againe to judge the world is not onely a dreadfull Doctrine to a Felix but may make thee a Christian to tremble in these cases First The Doctrine of Christs coming may make men tremble who are guilty of Acts of Oppression and Violence in Courts of Judicature Eccle. 3. 16 17. And moreover I saw under the Sun the place of Judgement that wickednesse was there and the place of righteousness that iniquity was there I said in my heart God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and every worke That is to judge every purpose and every worke When God shall come to places of Judgement and places of Judicature and shall say wickednesse is there and shall say bribery is there and the deferring of the cause of the poor is there woe bee to all Oppressions of the poore and grinding their Faces in Courts of Judicature many whereof are Seats of violence and not Courts of Judicature Christ shall come to judge things that men will not judge men will not judge Adulterers but whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Men will not judge men for Heresie but God will judge them Christs coming is dreadfull to all men that live by Oppression and Violence in Courts of judicature Secondly Christs coming to judgement is dreadfull to all them who to save their worldly advantage are ashamed to professe the Gospell of Christ O! Christs coming is a dreadfull time to these In Mark 8. 38. Whosoever therefore shall bee ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Son of man bee ashamed when hee cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels I pray you marke here are two answers to an Objection in these words First men might say why blessed Jesus who would bee ashamed of thee if Christ were on the Earth wee would never bee ashamed of Christ Therefore Christ addes whosoever is ashamed of mee and of my words though you might not bee ashamed of Christs person yet you might bee ashamed of his words Then men may Object and say why truly if it were a peaceable time a safe time to professe Christ but what when wee live in a wicked place and among a wicked people will not Christ bear with us to hold down our heads a little and to sleep in a whole Skin no saith Christ whosoever shall be ashamed of mee and of my words in this Adulterous and sinfull Generation of him also shall the Sonne of man c.
day to the time that Christ spake and not the time that the thiefe should bee in Heaven for saith Gerrard marke the thiefs prayer in ver 42. And hee said unto Jesus Lord remember mee when thou comest into thy Kingdome Marke there is the thiefs when that when Christ should come to Heaven Christ should remember him Christs Hodie must answer to his Quando or else hee did not answer his prayer Christs to day must answer the thiefs when that when Christ came to Heaven then to remember the thiefe And Jesus said unto him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thirdly it is needlesse for Christ to say to day to tell him the time when hee spake hee knew Christ spake to him then but to speak of the time when the thiefe should bee in Heaven it was needfull I say to thee this day thou shalt be with me in Heaven The second Evasion is this It is true Christ promised thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise but Christ doth not say thou shalt be with me in Heaven There are three answers to confute this Evasion First that those that will not by Paradise understand Heaven by this Text they then fall in with the Papists either for Purgatory or a Limbus Patrum Secondly take this answer that in other Scriptures when Paradise is mentioned it is to be understood Heaven and so the Apostle doth expound it 2 Cor. 12. 2 4 I knew a man in Christ above fourteene yeares agoe whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third Heaven How that hee was caught up into Paradise and beard unspeakable words which it is not lawfull for a man to utter So that the Apostle by Paradise doth meane Heaven Revel 2. 7. Hee that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches To him that overcometh will I give to eate of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God That is he shall enjoy Jesus Christ Christ in Heaven is the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God Thirdly it cannot be any Earthly Paradise as the Paradise Adam was in before his fall for the Earthly Paradise was destroyed by the Flood therfore of necessity when Christ tells the thiefe To day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise it must referre to the thiefes going to Heaven at that day with Jesus Christ A second instance it is in Luke 16. 22. And it came to passe that the Begger dyed and was carried by the Angels into Ahrahams bosom the rich man also dyed and was buried This is another instance that the souls of the elect after death they goe to Heaven There are two Evasions made upon this Text. First they say that this Text it is a parable and not an Historicall Narration To this I answer though some men doe say it is a Parable yet many say it is a History Jerome and many following him doth give many arguments to prove that it was a History and not a parable And Tertullian is confident that this is an exact History of what was really done And Peter Martyr doth quote Tertullian saith hee Tertullian is so confident that this is a History that hee undertakes to tell you who were the men saith hee the Rich man was Herod and the Beggar was John the Baptist But Suppose it be a parable and not a History yet parables doe carry the resemblance of truth parables take their Foundations from truth that there are some men in Hell some men in Heaven that in Hell there is torment and in heaven there is joy that as the beggar went to Heaven after death so shall the godly and as the rich man went to Hell so shall all the wicked The other Evasion is this that this beggar is said to be carried into Abrahams bosome I answer First it is more then probable that Abrahams bosome is Heaven now Abraham being in heaven all his children are in Heaven that are in his bosome that is the answer that Gerrard gives Againe it is said that they are carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome therefore Abrahams bosom must be in Heaven certainly the good Angels carry a good soule into Heaven and the wicked Angels carry a damned soule into Hell and thus you have two instances that immediately after death the soules of the Elect go to Heaven A third instance is in Mat. 22. 31 32. But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living I argue from that instance that therfore Abraham Isaac and Jacob were living at that time though not in their bodies if you marke the reason of that Text it was not to prove a Resurrection of the body only which the Sadduces deny but also to prove the immortality of the soule The Sadduces deny Spirits and Angels too Acts 23. 8. For the Sadduces say that there is no Resurrection neither Angell nor Spirit but the Pharisees confesse both Christ doth prove that there shall bee a Resurrection of the body and hee likewises proves that the soule doth not dye when the body dyeth Indeed there is a quotation that I have read of a learned man that doth make use of this instance Gen. 25. 8. Then Abraham gave up the ghost and dyed in a good old age an old man and full of yeares and was gathered to his people Abraham was not gathered to his Fathers nor to be gathered in the grave where his fore-fathers were how then can this be true that the Scripture saith Abraham was gathered unto his Fathers Divines say it must be in his soule that Abraham went to heaven as his godly fore-fathers went that is the meaning of that phrase his soule was to be bound up in the bundle of Life to go to Heaven as their fore-fathers did And thus much for particular instances The second way to prove that the soules of the Elect men goe to Heaven immediately after death It is by generall expressions in Scripture Two generall passages one is in Heb. 12. 23. To the generall Assembly and Church of the first borne which are writen in Heaven and to God the judge of all and to the Spirits of just men made perfect thence I argue that Apostle makes mention and proves that there were the Spirits of just men made perfect Now if their Soules did perish with their bodies then the Apostle should say that their Spirits are annihilated with the body but it is the spirits of just men made perfect The Scripture takes notice in generall expressions that just men have their Soules made perfect And then in Eccle. 12. 7. Then shall the dust returne to the Earth as it was and the Spirit
heavy and lumpish body as now it is shall bee made an agile and swift body the Eagle shall not flee so strongly as the bodies of the Elect shall flee from place to place and it is grounded from that Scripture 1 Thess 4. 14. for if wee beleeve that Jesus Christ dyed and rose againe even them also which sleep in Iesus will God bring with him Which the body could not doe if the body did not lose its lumpishnesse and heavinesse which it hath here Zanchy doth illustrate it by this comparison â— saith he the body is like the Chick in the agge the Bird in the egge strives not but when it is flusht then it can flie so when thou arâ— raised thou canst goe from one part of the world to another in a moment so was Christs body when it was raised Christ was taken immediately up into heaven which is as Astronomers say if wee may beleeve their guesâ—es above 40 Millions of Miles now the soule hath a lumpish body that it cannot follow the soule therefore the body shall bee made conformable to the Soule the body is now a tyred Jade to the Soule but then it shall not be so Sixthly from being a weak body it shal be made a strong body 1 Cor. 15. 44. It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weaknesse it is raised in power The body of man is a weake fleshly thing Anselâ—e is of this Opinion on this Text 1 Cor. 15. saith hee mans body shall bee so strong that hee shall bee able to tosse a mountaine as a child would tosse a tennis ball this is the great glory that God puts on the body that being a natural Bodie it shall bee made by Christ a spirituall Body of being a vile Body it shall made by Christ a beautifull Body from being a mortall Body it shall be made an immortall Body from being lyable to sorrowes and sufferings in this world it shall bee made impassive being a heavy lumpish Body it shall bee made an agile Body and from being a weak Body it shall be made a strong Body Now before I come to the Application there are two Objections which lye in the way As in the primitive times there were the Sadduces that held there was no resurrection and after Christs time there was Hymeneus and Philetus which said that the Resurrection was past already and the Church of Corinth was tainted with this Error if Christ be risen from the dead how say some amongst you that there is no Resurrection of the dead Now in the Primitive and Christs time there was this Opinion that there was no Resurrection of the Body and so made this meerely but a poeticall fiction and to be no reall and undoubted truth The Scripture which they urge is this you talke of the Body being raised by Christ how can this bee when the Apostle saith expresly the Body is made of flesh and blood 1 Cor. 15. 50. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Therefore if flesh and blood cannot come to Gods Kingdom how then can the Body come there First I answer it cannot bee the Apostles intent to impugne the bodies rising for the drift of the whole Chapter is to prove that the Body shall be raised therefore it is not imaginable that in one breath the Apostle should deny and affirme the same thing Secondly the Apostle doth understand by flesh and blood the bodies of men as they have sinfull infirmities cleaving to them in this world the body as it is now a sinfull body an infirme body a weak mortall body as it is now shal never come to Heaven the generality of Interpreters run this way by flesh and blood is understood the bodies of men as lyable to sinne as in this world they shall not be raised up they shall not come to Heaven but we shall bee changed we shall not all sleep but bee changed the Apostle proves this 1 Cor. 15. 50 51. Now this I say Brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Behold I shew you a mystery wee shall not all sleep but wee shall all bee changed Our corruptible Bodies shall not come to Heaven as they are corruptible but come to Heaven by being incorruptible but we shall all be changed that is our Bodies shall be changed from being mortall corruptible and being weake and sinfull to bee holy and Immortall so that flesh and blood as now it is sinfull corruptible till changed and made glorious and pure shall not come to Heaven Second Text which they urge against the Body being glorified and say it is but a fancy Job 14. 7 8. 9. For there is hope of a Tree if it bee cut downe that it shall sprouâ— againe and that the tender branch thereof will not cease Though the root thereof wax old in the Earth and the stock thereof die in the ground yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth Bought like a plant But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is heeâ—â— A Tree faith Iob if that dies it may live again but if man dies hee vanisheth away and where is man on this they build that man shall never live againe To this take this cleare Answer That when Iob speakes Though a tree dies it lives againe but if man dies hee lives not Iob understands it by living againe in this World so there is more hope of a Tree then of a Man But you will aske me how do you prove this for to be Iobs intent I prove it to you from Iobs words in the 12. vers So man lieth down and riseth not till the heavens bee no more they shall not awake nor bee raised out of their sleep So that here Iob speakes of a rising when the Heavens shall bee no more when the world shall be burnt with fire then man shall bee awakned and in the 14. vers If a man die shall bee live againe All the daies of my appointed time will I waite till my change come Iob speaks in this Chapter of the change of the Body and of the raising of the Body Tertullian and Austine say well that there is no Doctrine of Religion is more repugnant to sense and reason There is this reason that may seeme to be against the raising of the Body How is it possible that the Bodies of men can be raised when that they are so confounded together as they are in the Earth Suppose a Man bee killed and devoured by a Wolfe a Lyon eates that Wolfe suppose that the Lyon dyes and the Fowles of the aire eate that Lyon and men eate those Fowles how can the bodies of Men be raised being thus confounded Suppose a Man bee drowned in the Sea and the Fishes in the Sea eat that man how can his substance be gathered
together at the last Day Answer it is the answer of Perkins First much may bee done by Nature by art First an Illustration from a Refiner put before Refiner a masse of mettall and there shall bee in that one Lumpe a veyne of Silver a veyne of Brasse of Gold of Tyn of Iron and the like and these Mettals are all mingled together Now a Refiner by his art he can distinctly sever the Silver from the Gold and the Iron from the Lead Now can art do this and shall not the God of Nature sever this man from that man God shall sever them though they are heaped together Againe a Gardner soweth varietie of Seeds yet doe you come to the Garden and let one aske you what seed lieth in that Bed or in this Bed as roâ—ting in the ground you cannot tell But come to the Gardner and aske him what Seed is in that Bed and hee can tell you distinctly the Seed in every Bed And cannot the the great God doe this hee that made us knowes our shape wee cannot tell what mans dust this is in the Grave I but God that laid it in the Grave he knowes hee knowes which shall bee my dust and which shall be thy dust and which every mans dust hee knowes what body shall spring up thence Therefore labour to exalt Faith in the great Mystery of raising and glorifying your bodies I have now a practicall application to make of this The Uses First this is it so that Jesus Christ shall raise your bodies and receive them to himselfe at his second coming Then let this comfort you against your sufferings in the body Suppose thou art exposed to violent Sufferings to Torments Tortures to Racks Fire and Faggots Suppose thy body undergoeth this for the sake of Jesus Christ yet remember thy body shall be raised and glorified by Jesus Christ Let it not trouble thee then that thy body shall be a crucified body because at Christs second coming it shall be a glorious body Again it may bee comfort to thee by reason of thy naturall infirmities Suppose thy body be a sâ—â—kly body suppose thy body bee full of Aâ—hes Agues Consumptions Diseases and the like suppose thy body bee maimed Blinde and Lame yet remember thy body that is vile deformed and sickly it shall have fresh Robes of glory upon it and be made like to the glorious Body of Jesus Christ We read in the book of Martyrs of two Martyrs that were to be burnt at Stratford Bow neer Lordon one Hugh Laborocke and Iohn Price the one blind the other lame this Price being full of feare when the fire was about him saith Hugh unto him bee not troubled though thou blinde and I lame yet remember death will heale thee of thy Blindenesse and mee of Lamenesse Suppose thou art blinde lame and maymed Christs receiving of thy body will cure all and truly there were comfort to a man under a bodily distemper when a man should thinke that this body of mine should rot in the Grave and never be raised from the dead But thy deformed body it should bee a beautifull body that which is a sickly body shal be made a healthful body and freed from all diseases A second Inference is this will Jesus Christ at his comign raise thy body and receive thy whole man unto himselfe Then learne to have a thirsting and longing soule after the second coming of Jesus Christ doe not desire to continue here upon Barth but to bee dissolved and to bee with Jesus Christ will any man bee grieved for changing of an old sute for a new Death doth this thou hast here an old rotten ragge of flesh about thee Christ will put a new sute on thee therefore the Apostle calls it the desire of the body to bee cloathed upon wee doe not desire to bee in Heaven without Bodies but wee desire to bee cloathed upon with those glorious endowments where with the elect shall bee clad in glory Therefore bee not unwilling to die doe not be unwilling to leave an old rotten Carcasse a sickly Body a Diseased Body Put a Bird into a Cage though the Cage bee made of Silver of Gold yet the Bird had rather flie abroad then be tied up in the Cage Whilest in the Body thou art in a Cage thou hadst better have thy Body in a glorified capacity then now it is Thirdly bee not afraid nor unwilling to die because thy Body shall bee changed by Death if thy Body should not die it would never be a glorified Body keep your Corne in your House and you will never have a Crop but cast your Corne into the ground and let it die there saith the Apostle that thou sowest is never quickened till it die let your Body bee kept alive here in the world and it shall never be raised to glory O do not thâ—n be unwilling to die because death to an Elect man is as a laying of Corne in the Earth As Corne doth rot in the ground to spring againe against the Harvest So doth thy Body rot in the Grave to spring againe at the Resurrection Fourthly if this be true that Jesus Christ will raise thy Body unto glory O then doe not abuse these Bodies of yours they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost these Bodies of yours shall one day bee raised and received by Jesus Christ It is an argument that the Apostle raiseth 1 Cor. 6. 14 15. vers And God hath both raised up the Lord by his own Power know ye not that your bodies are the Members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the Members of Harlots God forbid This is the Apostles Argument The Apostle would reason against Adultery and Uncleannesse in the body what argument doth hee use Know yee this Christ will raise up our bodies and shall wee take these Members of our bodies and make them the members of a Where So then Beloved let the Doctrine of your Resurrection and of your bodies being raised and received to Jesus Christ provoke you that you doe not abse your Bodies He that keeps company with a Harlot sinneth against his owne Body 1 Cor. 6. 18. Flee Fornication every sinne that a man doth is without the Body but hee that committeth Fornication sinneth against his owne body For a man to lie and sweare it is against his Soule but for a man to bee uncleane it is to sinne against his Body O doe not die with an uncleane Body with an Adulterous Body and doe not abuse thy Body doe not abuse those Eyes of thine to bee windowes of lust that shall one day behold Jesus Christ do not abuse that body that must have a sweet communion with Christ in Heaven I am now come to handle the last point in the Text the last Clause that where I am there you may bee also These words they note unto you the Event or Consequent what shall follow upon Christs coming againe and receiving our
things and then if he might die he did not care I wish saith hee First that I might see Rome in its beauty and to see Paul in the Pulpit and to see Christ in the flesh every Beleever shall see the Lord Jesus in the flesh Iob tells you of his confidence long before Christ was borne I know my Redeemer liveth and with these eyes I shall see my Redeemer here is thy happinesse that being where Jesus Christ is thou hast a society with Christ in his humane Nature 1 John 3. 2. Beloved now wee are the Sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what wee shall bee but wee know that when hee shall appeare wee shall bee like him for wee shall see him as hee is Wee do not know what Christ is wee shall know him then we shall see him as he is glorified in Heaven A third thing that makes much for the blessednesse of the Elect that in thy being present with Jesus Christ God gives thee more honour then ever thou couldest bee capable of in former time God gives thee Glory by vertue of thy being with Jesus Christ a notable Text Joh. 1. 26 verse If any man serve mee let him follow mee and where I am there shall also my servant bee If any man serve mee him will my Father honour That is where I shall bee in Heaven Beloved the time is now of giving honour to God and giving Glory to God but thy being where Christ is God then gives thee Glory and gives thee Honour Fourthly thy happinesse in being present with Christ where hee is is that thou shalt stand in no need of Ordinances beloved here the highest growne Christian and the strongest Beleever in the World doth stand in more need of Ordinances then a lame man doth of Crutches to goe by but when thou comest to have this accomplishment that thou shalt bee where Christ is thou then standest in no need of Ordinances then what needs the Candlestick of Sermons what needs the Candlestick of Preaching and the Candlestick of Praying when thou art present with Christ the Sun of righteousnesse there is no need of conduit pipes when thou art by the Fountain head thou needst no Ordinances the conduit pipes are the Ordinances there is no need of Ordinances any longer then thou art absent from the Fountaine which is Jesus Christ the ceremoniall Law is all Gospell it is a darke Gospell the Evangelists are the explained Gospel the ceremoniall Law is a darke Gospell Exodus 25. Meaning the holy place There was to be golden Candlesticks which Typified the Preaching of the Word In the Holy place there was the Incense Dishes to wit Christs Intercession this was only in the holy place but in the holy of holiest there was no Candlestick no Incense Dishes there to shew that whilest you are on this side Heaven in the Church of God you need the Candlestick you need Preaching and praying but in the holy of holiest there was none of this to shew that it was a Type of Heaven and when Christ beings thee there then thou art above Ordinances and never till then this is a Fourth particular A Fifth Priviledg of thy being where Christ is is this that thou shalt have a full communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ in Person Beloved here wee have our communion with Christ but it is a communion far different from that which we shall have in Heaven First it shall bee different in regard of the manner of its enjoyment in this world thou enjoyest Christ mediately by Ordinances thou doest but see him as in the Apostles phrase in a glasse darkely but in Heaven thou shalt enjoy Christ personally and have communion immediately with Christ in Heaven Secondly in regard of the measure of your enjoyment here you enjoy but a parcell of Christ you here enjoy Christs spirit by drops you shall then enjoy the fullness of the Ocean Thirdly it differs in regard of its time and duration Here you doe enjoy Christ it is true but it is by fits and starts you injoy him now in an Ordinance but you have interrupted fellowship and communion with Christ but when thou art with him in Heaven there is no interruption in thy communion with Christ Fourthly it is different in regard of its expectation herein Heaven thou enjoyest Christ by way of of possession Fifthly in regard of place here there is a great distance of place betweene Christ and us here wee enjoy Christ hee in Heaven and wee on Earth but then we shall enjoy Christ in one place hee in Heaven and wee in Heaven here thou mayest thinke much of Christ but if thou wert nearer Christ thou shouldest see and know more of his glory Sixtly there shall bee a difference in regard of thy companions and those that are in fellowship with thee in Heaven they are saints and Angels but on Earth though thou doest enjoy Christ yet thou art inforc'd to discourse and commerce with wicked men A sixth particular is this thy being present with Jesus Christ there is this to attend thee there shall bee gladnesse and rejoycing among all the Angels in Heaven If the Angels in Heaven shall rejoyce at a sinners conversion they shall much rejoyce at a sinners inauguration in Heaven they and we shall make but one fold to glorifie the great Shepherd of our soules the Lord Jesus what great joy shall there bee among Angels Archangels Thrones c. Singing Hallelujah to God making you partners of their glory Seventhly our being with Christ shall put us into a state of exemption from sin from the causes of sin and from the punishments of sin First from sinne here thy beautifull soule is bespoted with the spots of Leprosie I mean with foule and deformed lusts but when thou art with Jesus Christ thou art exempted from sin no more sin Secondly thou shalt be exempted from the causes of sin the Divel shall deceive no more there but here thou lyest exposed to all temptations Thirdly there shall bee no more punishments for sin here thou art punished in thy body by Diseases and the like here punishments by trouble of Soul but in Heaven thou art freed from internal punishments and externall punishments this was prefigured under the Law 1 Kings 33. The Palme-tree is an Embleme of victory Therfore the victorious are said to wear Palmes in their hands triumphing Revelation 7. to shew that you can never bee compleat Conquerours to wear signals of triumph and signals of conquest in your hands till you come to enter into the holy of holiest Then you have conquered over sin and over Temptation to sinne and conquered over all punishments for sinne The Morall Philosophers say that Raine Haile Storme and Tempests are engendred in the middle Region but above the middle Region there is no Winde no storme or Tempest whilest thou art here below there are stormes Winde and blustring Temptations but when God takes thee above this middle Region there is