the Lord from the seruant the indweller from the lodger â—or in the iudgment of Gods spirit the body is no more but the house the man is hee that dwelles in the bodie and looke what difference there is betweene a house and him that dwelles in it such are wee to put betweene the soule and the body in exteriall dangers thogh the house bee burnt and blowne downe with windes if the indweller be safe we account that the losse is the lesse and much more if the soule escape when the house of the body is throwne downe by death are we to esteeme that the losse is but small It is reasonable indeed that the soule should loue the body but so that it neglect not the owne selfe let Aâ—am loue his Euah but so that hee hearken not vnto her voice more then to the Lords if we seeke the welfare of our bodies with neglect of our soules we shall lose theÌ„ both but if we subdue the body by discipline that the soule may be safe then shall the body also bee partaker of her glory Earthly The second general obserued here is that the Apostle cals our body an house of earth and this he doth for two causes first in regard of the matter for it was made of the earth next in regard of the means by which our bodies are continued and vpholden for they are earthly As to the first that man is made of earth which is manifest out of the second of Genesis it doeth highly commend the great power of the Creator to doe great thinges by great meanes is no great matter but when by smallest meanes greatest things are done it doth argue without all doubt the great excellency of the worker as that God made all things of nothing and that of the basest matter he had made before man hee made man a more excellent creature then any other that hee had brought out before him hee made him of clay but in many respects more honourable then that whereof he made him in this that he hath giuen to man Vt sit aliquid sua origine gloriosius Hee hath set out the glorie of his power and wisedome As likewise in that hee hath placed such a Grace and Maiestie in that same face which hee framed of Clay that the feare and terrour of him was vppon all liuing creatures which they acknowledged by their first comperance before him at his calling to receiue names from him as it pleased him to improue them and yet euen after the fall by the benefite of restitution wee haue in CHRIST they so reuerence man that albeit in nature there can bee none stronger then the Elephant stowter then the Lyon fiercer then the Tygre yet all these dooth seruice to man Et naturam suam humana institutione deponunt Secondly we learne heere GODS Soueraignty ouer man he is but a vessell of earth framed by the hand of God therfore VVoe must be vnto him if he striue with his Maker a vessell of clay is not so easily broken by the Potter as man is confounded by his Maker if once his wrath kindle in his breast against him It were therefore good for man before hee enter into enmitie with God to bethinke himselfe of an answere to that question of the Apostles Do ye prouoke God vnto anger are yee stronger then he The Sidonians would not make warre with Herod because they were nourished by the kings land and it might more iustly be a reason to keep vain man from waging battel with the Lord that he holds his life of the Lord that if he do but take his breth out of our nostrils wee fal incontinent as dead vnto the ground Surely of all follies in the world this is the greatest for a man to cast himselfe in danger of Gods wrath which he is neyther able by flying to eschâ—e nor yet by suffering to endure Thirdly the consideration of our originall learnes vs humility siâ—ce wee are of the earth why shal we wax proude specially for any quality of our body which was taken from the earth and must returne to earth againe Therefore God gaue vnto the first man the name of Adam signifying redde earth that as oft as hee heard his name he might remeÌ„ber his originall and and his posterity also considering the Rocke froÌ„ whence they came might let fall the comb of their naturall pride Which if we cannot learne by looking to our originall let vs at least remeÌ„ber our end it shall learne vs that we are but dust yea much more vile then common dust for as beautifull Snow when it is resolued into water whereof it was congealed becomes fouler water then any other else so man being turned again into earth it becomes viler earth then any other earth whatsoeuer so that the flesh which in life is most beloued death causes to be most abhorred Abraham loued Sarah well but froÌ„ the time that her soule departed from her bodie hee was glad to entreate the Hittites for a Sepulchre that hee might burie his dead out of his sight And truely if as Gregory councels vs Vnusquisque hoc quod viuum diligit quid sit mortuum pensaret euery man would pondâ—r what that creatur is being dead which so greatly man loueth while it liueth it would serue to represse in vs the immoderate desires of our affections O man why wilt thou bee bewitched with that which in the bodie seemes worthy to bee loued Is it for the strength or the beautie or stature therof that thou art delighted with it I pray thee consider what these are Is not the strength of the body weakenes Ere it be long the grashopper shall be a burden to the strongest And as to beauty is it not deceitfull All flesh is grasse and the glorie thereof as the flowre of the field As a wall of clay plastered ouer and painted after that a little winde and raine hath beaten vponit the Lime fals away and the clay appeareth so is it with the most pleasant bodie which now being trimmed with the colours of God seemes very beautifull but after that the storms and showers of diseases hath beaten vppon it then shall it appear that which it is to wit but Clay indeede and though for stature thou were like to the sonnes of Anack yet neither art thou for that the more pretious for the highest trees are not most fruitfull the mightie Oakes of Basan beares fruit for Swine where the little Vine-tree renders comfortable fruite for man neither can thy height protect thee against death for euen gold thristy Babel which grewe vp like a great tree so high that the fowles of heauen made their nests vnder it was at leÌ„gth broght to the graue like an abhominable branch so shall it bee with the pompe of all flesh the wormes shall be spread vnder thee and the Wormes shall couer
and Prayer the forsaking of our sinnes which haue diuided vs from God for who can think with any reason that he truly desires to be with the Lord who neyther delights to hear the Lord in his word nor to speake to the Lord by prayer and is not carefull to remooue these impediments which may stay his peace and reconciliation with God An example of true desire we haue in Zacheus who being desirous to see CHRIST and finding himselfe impeded by the multitude ranne before and climed vp vppon a tree to supply the wants of his lowe stature and when hee was called vpon by IESVS hee obeyed the calling resoluing to parte from his euill gotten goods that hee might keepe still the Lorde Iesus So is it with eâ—eriâ— soule which earnestly longs to enioy the Lorde it runneth by all impediments vseth all lawfull meanes and refuses no required condition so that they are euen content to denie themselues take vp his crosse and follow him Wheras the men of this world if they haue any desire of Iesus Christ it is like vnto that which Merchants haue who hauing tasted wines like them very well but refuse to buy them for the greatnesse of the price so they hauing tasted of the powers of the life to come haue a desire to bee partakers of them but when they heare it cannot be but vpon this condition that they denie themselues mortifie their earthly lustes they refuse with that young man who being called by Christ to forsake all follow him did first craue license to goe and kisse his father thus are they deceiued with a vain hope that a man may ouertake both that is embrace the perishing pleasures of sin in this life and after be partakers of the enduring pleasures of the life to come Clothed with our house That state of glorie which before he compared to an house hee now compares to a garment for it is a customable thing to Gods spirit to shadow that glory to come vnder sundry similitudes The Apostle saies it is a glory to be reuealed Now it is shaddowed but now it is not reâ—ealed Whatsoeuer is spoken of it is as much lesse then it selfe as a shadowe is lesse then the body wee see the shadows by which it is figured and heare of them but the glorie it selfe is such as the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard it is pondus aeteruÌ„ gloriae an eternall weight of glory saith the Apostle Non enim gloriosa vestis aut gloriosa domus sed gloriaipsa promittitur siquid vero illoruÌ„ aut similiuÌ„ aliquando dicitur figura est it is neither a glorious garment nor a glorious house â—hat God promises to vs but glorie it selfe and if at any time mention bee made of any such thing as house or garment it is a figure And yet for our information the spirit of God is forced to vse such figures as are borrowâ—d from most delectable things and best knowne vnto vs some way to mak vs coÌ„ceiue that which fully wee cannot vnderstaÌ„d somtime calling it a buildding somtime a house somtime a City sometime a garmeÌ„t somtime an inheritance it is ay one thing which is promised but many maner of waies exprest To the Church of Ephesus is promised the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God to the Church of Smyrna is promised immunity from the second death to the Church of Pergamus is promised hidden Manna a white stone and a new name which no man knows but he who receiues it to the Church of Thyatira is promised the ruling Scepter and the morning Starre to the Church of Sardis is promised the writing of their name in the booke of life to the Church of Philadelphia is promised the honor of a Pillar in the Temple of God and to the Church of Laodicea is promised a place with Christ on his Throne That the spirite of God speakes of one thing vnder so many similitudes is to declare that the glory of that Kingdome and riches of that Inheritance is greater then that any similitude is able to expresse it And hitherto tends the manner of speech vsed here by the Apostle it is strangâ—to heare that a man should bee clothed with an house seeing in common speech men are said to bee clothed with garments and not with houses but wee must consider that no order of wordes can be kept in speaking of that which passes vnderstanding It is said of those three disciples who saw the glory of Christ on mount Tabor that being rauished there with they spake and knewe not what they said so doth the contemplation of the glorie to come transport Gods children that they beecome as the Psalmist sayes Inâ—briati ab vbertate domus dei so drunken with the pleasures of Gods house that they forget where they are they speake not looke not doe not after the cusâ—â—me of nature so long as their mindes are carried after heauenly things and these small beginnings may witnes vnto vs the excellency of that life which at length shall change vs wonderfully from that which now we are Ver. 3. If so be wee shall be found clothed and not naked Because in the former verse the Apostle had said he desired to be clothed vppon with his house which is from heauen that is hee desired not to lay aside his bodie but keeping it still hee wished to be clothed aboue it with immortalitie and glory he subioynes now a certaine correction of it I desire it saies he if so it may stand with the Lords dispensation that when I shall be receiued into that glory I be found Clothed to wit with my body which way Henoch and Elijah entred into glory and all the faithfull wâ—o shall bee found a hue at Christs second comming shal also the same way enter into glory for they shal not lay aside their bodies but keeping them still as garments and couerings to their soule shal vpon them be clothed with the garment of immortality and glory if this way saies the Apostle I bee found clothed and not Naked that is if I bee found without a body which way Adam Abraham and the rest of the Fathers Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles entred into glory they were indeede clothed with their house from Heauen but were not superuested or clothed vpon which here the Apostle protests he desired if it might stand with the Lords dispensation And of this condition which here the Apostle subioynes for correction of his former speach wee may learne how the godly in desiring of thinges not absolutly promised to all Gods children albeit giuen to some of them do so temper and moderate their desires that they submit their will to Gods most holy will whereor we are admonish'd how much more we ought to mortifie in our selues the vnlawfull desires of things absolutly prohibit as being against the will of God Since the Apostle
of the hinderances which it hath by the body compares the body to that fiâ—h called Remora which retaynes the greatest Ship notwithstanding she be vnder saile and makes her stand still so is it with the body that it presses downe the soule and holdes it backe from the Lord yea though her affection be intended to be with the Lord for no man can liue in the body and see the Lord and therefore like men oppressed captiued and violently kept backe from our God with whom faine wee would bee should we liue in the body lamenting and mourning with the Apostle O miserable men that we are who shal deliuer vs from the body of death Againe if this be the condition of the Godly that notwithstanding by faith they haue a most sweete fellowship with God as ye shall afterwards here yet while they are in the body they are absent from God in what miserable condition I pray you are the wicked who being without faith are in a more fearefull maner strangers from the life of God through the ignorance of God that is in them for if euen they who beleeue while they are in the body are absent from the Lord what shal we say if the the Lord in this life and will not know his way vpon earth to walke in it shall against their will in the life to come be banished from him and cast into the vtter borders of darkenesse from his ioyfull face from which most vnhappy condition the Lord deliuer vs But as to our absence from â—od it shal shortly be recompenced with the most comfortable fruition of his presence if so bee in the time of our absence wee so liueas euer present beforehim studying to doe his holy will that so we mâ—y bee acceptable to him VER 7. For we walke by faith c. BEcause he said before that in the body wee are absent froÌ„ the Lord and it might haue beene obiected to him how can this bee seeing not onely with the rest of mankinde wee liue and mooue and haue our beeing in him but that this also is the particular priuiledge of a Christian that he is the Temple and habitation of God wherein hee dwells by his holy spirit how then can we be said to bee absent from him This doubt here in this Parenthesis hee loseth by distinguishing that presence of God which they inioy which are in heauen from that which wee haue who are on earth shewing that the most familiarpresence of god which wee haue on earth if it be compared with that which we shal haue in heauen is but absence from God for we that are in the body walke by faith where they that are out of the body enioye him by sight So that in this verse we hauea briefe discription both of our life who are militant here on earth and of theirs who are glorified and triumphant in heauen we are walking they are resting wee beleeue we looke for the promised kingdome but they doe presently inioy it Heere then wee haue three things to consider first how our life is â— walking secondly a walking by faith thirdly how it is not by sight As to the first our best estate in this life is walking Seeing we are not yet at home to enioy the sight of our fathers face our next best is to be walking homeward they are blessed who are in Patria and in the second roome blessed also who are in via ad paâ—riam And here we are admonished to looke to the â—ourse of our life that we be surewe are in the right way otherway our life is not a walkinâ— by faith but a wandring in infidelity the way is Christ I am the way the verity and the life a wonderfull secret quod ipse rex patriae fâ—ctus est via ad patriam that the king of the Country is become the way to the Country therfore since he is life we must walke to him since hee is the way and the verity wee must walke in him and be in him then do we walke in him when we beleeue in him keep his commaundement declyning euill following good vsing thinges indifferent to the gory of God and edification of our neighbour if in any of these three wee faile we are to know ' it is a step out of the way vnto the which againe wee haue to returne by repentance By faith The second thing here is that wee walke by faith and this wee are said to doe first because faith by the light of the word lets vs see the way to Gods face secondly because it allures our hearts and makes them willing to enter into it thirdly it confirmes vs against all wearinesse that may arise of the longsomnesse of our iourney though we cannot come to the end thereof as soone as we would faith makes vs through patience to waiâ—e for it As likewise it sâ—staines vs against all impediments and offences that are in the way for it is as a staffe in the hand of a Pilgrime which so soone as our iourney is ended wee shall lay from vs or faith shall cease when we shal take vp the Lord by sight Not by sight The third thing in this discription of ouâ— life here on earth is that wee walke not by sight that is not by such sight as they haue who haue ended their walking and rest in the Lord other way we are nâ—t to think that faith by which wee walke leades vs blindlings and without light or that in this earth wee haue no sight of God For first heere hee is seene in his workes the invisible things of God that is his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world forthis numerosity of so many kindes of creatures and the variety of their formes what els it but as the Plato niques called euery beautifull created thing Splendor summi illius boni or as Bernarâ— calls them Radij Diuinitatis monstrantes quod vere sit a quo sunt quid autem sit non plane definientes Secondly it pleased God by sundry apparitions to shew himselfe to men from the beginning appearing vnto them Non sicuti est sed sicut dignatus â—â—t for if they had seene him as he is then al of them had seene him after one manner because hee is one and this sight of God was also externall being exhibited Per imagines forinsecus apparentes seu voces sonantes Thirdly it hath pleased him in more comfortable manner to reueale himselfe to his Saints by his word by which they behold his beauty in his temple and with open face see his image as it is represented to them in the myrror of the Gospell and are transformed into the same And last of all hee is seene of his owne children by inward contemplation quum per seipsum dignatur invisere animam quaerentem se when by himselfe without externall meanes
such heauy crosses as are vpon their bodies or else because they cannot endure the terrours of a iust accusing conscience for these causes oftentimes they haue beeene forced to seeke reliefe by making their refuge to the bosome of death as did Saul Achitophell and Iudas but all in vaine for by new sins the worme of conscience is further wakened but not extinguished the breath of naturall life thereby maybe suffocate but the giltinesse of an euill conscience is encreased so that in this their refuge of vanity they finde no more ease to their weary spirits then if a man to eschew death by water should leap into the fire which is no other thing in effect but to exchange a smaller paine with a greater it being most certaine that all the paines which wicked men sustaine in this life if they bee compared with the paines of Hell are but like vnto reeke or smoake which goes before the fire If in the body they may not abide the smoake of Gods wrath how shall they abide to bee burnt with the fire thereof in hell Yet in this confused and perturbed estate goe they out of the world finding and feeling they are not well where they are and forwarned by their conscience that a worse abides them Two things then are requisite to make vs willing with comfort to remooue out of the body The first is that the sense of our miserie makes vs wearie of this life seeing here wee are absent from the Lord the next is that the hope of a better makes vs willing to remooue knowing that we shall dwell with the Lord The one is as a hand behind vs to put vs out of the world The other is as a hand stretched out before to receiue vs into a better if the sense of misery put vs not out we shal be lik Israel delighting rather ot bide vnder banishmeÌ„t in Babell then to follow Gods calling to Canaan and againe if the sense of mercy make vs not certaine of a better we shall bee like them who finding a hand behind them to put them out but none before them to take a gripe of them and pull them ouer cannot but in most miserable manner fall downe into that pit and gulfe which is betweene the two prepared for the damned And dwell with the Lord. Here we see that the soules of the godly after their remoouing out of the body haue their dwelling with the Lord it is not then as some suppose that the soules haue any other resting place but heauen wherin they are till Christ his second comming with which wrong opinion some of the learned haue bin stained whose names with theiâ— nakednesse we delight not to discouer but as the Israelites did to the Egyptians wee will borrow their Gold and Siluer and vse it as our owne leauing their Claye and Bricke vnto themselues and will rest vpon this most sure word of the Lord that our Soules remoouing out of the body shall dwell with the Lord. What our Sauiour said to that Conuert on the Crosse belongs also after Death to all the rest of his children This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise Non enim propter solam latroniâ— animam Christus Deus noster paradis um aperuit Sed ob reliquas etiam Sanctorum animas Againe wee learne here that seeing Saints departed are but flitted to dwell wiâ—h the Lord we should so moderate our mourning for them that we lament not their estate seeing they haue changed for a better but our owne who sustaine by their departure a twofold losse First that such notable instrumeÌ„ts of comfort as haue bin pledges to vs of Gods fauour should bee taken from vs suâ—h was the mourning of the Faithfull for S. Stephen and of the Elders of Ephesus for Saint Paul when hee tolde them that they should see his face no more Secondly because the taken away of godly men is a forerunner of euill dayes to follow the godly are as Pillars in a Citie like as Lot was in Sodome to hold backe the iudgement of God from it thus wee see how in the death of others beloued of vs the causes of mourning should respect our selues and not them and as for that which may concerne them if any cause of mourning be it should bee before their death and not after it as Dauid did who when his child was stroken with the hand of God he fasted and mourned for him seauen daies together but when hee saw that the Lord would not bee intreated to spare him his seruants hauing tolde him that the childe was dead then he arose and refreshed himselfe with meate teaching vs that the best time of mourning for those whom we loue is to mourne for them while they are aliue that so we may entreat the Lord to spare them or then to receive them into his fauour and not to take them away in the continuance of his anger but the contrary commonly is done by vs for then doe wee begin our mourning wheÌ„ the time of mourning for them is past that is when the iudgement is giuen out both vpon their soules and bodies which by no intreaty of ours can be reuoked Last of all comfortable is it that our estate after this life is called a dwelling with the Lord it is not a soiourning in a tabernacle as heere we are but a dwelling in an euerlasting habitation the Lord Iesus shall stablish vs there as well grounded pillars in the temple of our God and we shal neuer any more goe out and againe seeing that is the place of the dwelling of God with his Saints and of them with him it offereth to our consideration that great variety of good without any want which there abydes vs for if vpon earth Men of power haue their dwelling places aboundantly furnished with all necessary good what shall wee looke for in the dwelling house of our God Blessed is hee whom thou chusest and causest to come to thee hee shall dwell in thy courts and we shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine house The best creatures which serue vs now shall not get that honour as to serue vs there There is no neede of the Sunne nor of the Moone to shine in that Citie for the glory of God doth light it and the Lambe is the light thereof The Lord himselfe shall bee all things in all vnto vs In a word then Anima Animae erit Deus God shall bee the soule of our soule he onely shall mooue it he only shall possesse it with him onely shall it be delighted filled and fully satisfied We conclude then with Dauid How excellent is thy mercy O God therefore the children of men trust vnder the shadow of thy winges They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thine house and thou shalt giue them drinke out of the riuers of thy pleasures for with thee is
they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labour But we haue also Chariots which our eldest Brother hath sent to attend vs and conuey vs in our iourney these are his holy Angels who conueyed the Soule of Lazarus from the dunghill vnto Abrahams bosom euen these same fierie Chariotes which tooke vp Elijah into heauen waite vpon vs also to carie vs vp when the time of our Transmigration shall come Besides that we haue also with vs the holy Spirit of promise who as he is sent in our harts to witnesse the loue of God vnto vs so doeth he remaine with vs in the troubles of our life hee comforts vs in the terrours of Death hee strengthens vs and in al the way wherein wee haue to walke he guides and conducts vs till atlength he put vs in possession of that inheritance whereunto hee hath Sealed vs wherof then shall we bee afraide Seing then wee are compassed with so many and great comforts let vs in time transport our affections vpward towards heauen where Christ is at the right hand of God let vs liue in the body ready to go out of the body when God shall call vs watching and praying continually for we know not the hower Beware that wee lie not downe into the hollow of our hearts to sleepe in carelesse securitie as Ionus sleeped in the sides of the Ship least the fearefull tempest of Gods wrath come vpon vs vnwares to wallow vs and wrap vs vp in endlesse confussion woe be to him that shall bee found sleeping in his sinâ—es when the Lord cals vpon him to come out of the body But let vs stand prepared like Israel at the Passeouer with our loynes girded vp and our staffe in our hand waiting when the Lord shall warne vs to remooue As the Birds which are desirous to flie stretch out their wings so the Soule that would be with the Lord should first stretch out her affections toward him Or as Abraham sitting in the doore of his Tabernacle when the Angels came to him and Elâ—iah standing in the mouthe of his Caue that hee might meete with the Lord so should we soiourn in the body that we come out to the dore to the mouth of the borders of it ready alway to remoue out of it that wee may be with the Lord Blessed are these seruants whom the Lord when hâ—e comes shall finde waking And thus much concerning these reasons which makes the Godly willing to remoue out of the body haue wee obserued not onely for the comfort of Gods children but aâ—so to distinguish the death of the worldling from the death of the Christian for oftentimes in naturall men there is seene a carnall boldnes to die by which they enforce themselues to dye couragious and as they cal it like men which neither workes in them for the present any inward contentment nor yet assures theÌ„ of any greater comfort when they goe out of the body it is no more but the last puffe of their naturall pride which soone euanishes and is not Christian Magnanimitie flowing from inward consolation of the Spirit Surely neither in suffering nor in doing doth the Lord regard the outward shew of Godlines but the power Non enim florem interrogat sed radicem Neither are we to thinke much of those who being but Martyrs Satanice Virtutis doe in externall appearance dy with boldnes as may be seene in many who being of an euill conuersation die for the maintenance of an euill cause neither ashamed of the one nor the other these may pretend courage in the face but be sure can haue no comfort in the conscience VER 9. Wherefore also wee Couet that c. WE come now to the 3. conclusioÌ„ which the Apostle inferres vpon his former ground of coÌ„fort which is that the certain knowledg of the glory to com wrought in him a care both in life and death to be acceptable to god and this conclusion is very well annexed to the former they cannot be seperat he that loues to dwell with the Lord no doubt will haue a care to please him wee see by experience how carefull we are to please those with whome wee are to dwell but a short while vpon earth much more will we be careful to please the Lord if so be we desire for euer to dwell with him and againe where there is in the life a care to please the Lord there is also in death a boldnesse to go to him whereas an euill conscience desires not to heare the Lord farrelesse dare it â—ee bold to see him We Couet The word which here the Apostle vâ—es commonly signifies an ambitious coueting of honour but here the Apostle vses it to the best to expresse his most earnest and sincere affection which caried him to loue this honour that he might bee in fauour with the Lord his God esteeming it the highest honour to bee acceptable to the Lord his God not to be greatwith men ofworldly power which is the greatest designe of those who can mount no higher then the earth bâ—t to bee â—â—eat with God therefore protests hee that where away soeuer the affections of other men goe this is the honour which hee loued that both in life and death he might be acceptable to God As to that honour which may come to vs from the countenance ofman by courting with them it is but an euâ—nishing shadow they themselues in their best estate are altogether vanity they are but like vnto grasse and their glory fades as a flower of the field and what true honour then can they communicate to vs let the most glorious Monarch who euer liued in the world be presented to vs let him bee placed in his Chariot of Triumph decked in most gorgeous maner with all magnificence that can be devised two questions propounded to him shall quickely discouer his vanitie First what hath he here which is his owne let that which â—ee borrowed from the creature to make vp his begged glory bee taken from him and what behinde shall remaine vnto him Next that state ofhonour wherein he stands how long shal he continue in it that Samaritan Prince who this day leaned on the KINGES shoulder and the next day was trampled vnder the peoples feete may serue among many other inumerable examples to shew how short and vaine the glory of flesh is as Nebuchadnezarsâ—mage â—mage had a head of Gold but feere oâ— yron and clay so is it with all the glorious pompe of worldlings golden in the beginning but the ende thereof is dust and ashes If wee compare the Christian the worldling together wee shall see that both of them shoots at life riches and honour these are the common endes of all mens actions but where the one pursues after apparens bonum the other foâ—lowes after Reuer a bonum they folow shewes the other â—â—e substance they are busied about
into the Riuer hee answered him Pray for me to morrow what a misery is this the plague of God is vpon him and God offers by his seruaÌ„t to take it froÌ„ him at such a time as hee himselfe shold appoint yet the blind hard hatred maÌ„ hath no grace presently to seeke the remedy but puts it of til to morrow but truely more miserable are they to whom God by his Gospel euery day offers mercy and grace saying as much to them in effect as when wilt thou that I shal take thy sins from thee when wilt thou that I deliuer thee from the death vnder which thou lyest but truely the answer which is giuen to the Lord is worse then that answere of Pharao for in effect this it is no till the morrow yea no till the next yeare and which is worst of al no til mine old age Let me first go and kisse my father then wil I come and follow thee let me first delight my selfe with the pleasurâ— of corrupt nature and then shall I amend my life and become godly â—issoluta certe paralytica vox est de crastina cogitare conuersione hodiernam negligere Our carefull expedition to preuent all euills may befal to our bodies may iustly conuict vs for this carelessnes that we haue of our owne saluation no man beares a burden longer then conuenieÌ„tly he may be quit of it no man is soonâ—r wounded in his body but incontâ—nent he cries for a Phisitian and if fire enter into the house there is hast made for water to quench it shall we be so wise in thinges pertaining to our bodies and prooue foolish as concerning our souls why delight we to beare the burden of our sinnes any longer since the Lord Iesus offers to reliue vs of it wee are wounded to the death and will not receiue the Oyle of that sweet Samaritan that we may be cured the fire of Gods wrath is kindled against vs and we make no hast to get water out of tâ—â— fountaine of Dauids house which only is able to quench slaken it So soone as the Angell troubled the waters of Siloam so soone such as were diseased hasted to step downe into it that they might be healed the liuely and wholesome waters of Shiloh able to curâ— all out sperituall diseases flowes aboundantly among vs but alas we delay to seek our health in them But if it bee so that thou liuest in hope thy dayes will be long why wilt thou not fall to in â—â—me and make them also good for if God make thy daies loâ—g and thou thy self make them euill by continuall sinning doâ—t thou not turn good into euâ—ll and so increaâ—eft double wrath and iudgment vpon thy selfe Take heed to thy selfe and consider how euery thing which is thine thou wouldst faine haue it good and preâ—sest dayly to make it better if thou haue children thou wouldst haue them good if thou haue land thou woulst haue it good thy house thy garments and all that thiâ—â— is thou wilt haue them good onely heere thou forgets thy selfe that thy owne life thou suffers to be euill and so Intâ—r omnia bona tua ipse malus es in the midâ—le of all thy good thinges thou thy selfe onely art found euill The late repentance of the wicked falles out commonly to bee like vnto that of Esau hee sought the blessing with teares but hee found it not â—and it is the common iudgâ—ment of all â—he wicked â—ee loued cursing and it shal come vpon him he loueâ— not blessing and it shall bee far from him they farre deceiue themselâ—s who tâ—inke they may when they will euen in an instant returne to the Lord Many knotts that are surely casten are not easily loosed the heart which Satan hath bouÌ„d of along time with the cords of manifold transgressions is not easily mâ—de free againe Ioseph and Mary lost Christ at Ierusalem and went a daies iournâ—y from him but sought him againâ— three daies before thâ—â— could finde him and thinkest thou who aâ—l thy daies hast liued in rebellion against God that it is easie in a moment to be reconciled with him Wee see by daily experience howe often it comes to passâ— Vt hac anim duersione percutâ—atur peccator vt morienâ— obliuiscatur sui qui dum viueret oblitus est Dei That with this fearefull iudgement a sinner is stricken that in death he forgets hiâ—â—elfe who in â—is life did forget the â—ord as we see many of tâ—em suddenly taken away in their sinnes in such sort that not onely sense but reson and memory also is taken from them Men for their pleasure do iâ— such fort diuide their life and death that they liue in that state wherein neither intend they to die neither dare they dye and God for their punishment forsakes them letting them die in that same sinful estate wherein they liued Thus betwâ—ene two they fall into hell whilâ— in their young yeareâ— they will not in theiâ— olde age they cannot repent But if we with the Apostle will not delay in our life carefully to please him then in our death shall we be acceptable to him If our life be the life of the righteous out of doubt wee shall dye the death of righteous and bee welcommed of God with that ioyfull sentence Come to me thou faithfull seruant which God of his mercy graunt to vs for Iesus Christs sake to whome be praise and glory for euer FINIS 1 Cor. 15.19 Psal. 17.14 Luk 6.24 Luke 16. Eccles. 7.8 Reu. 18.14 1. Pet. 1. As our death is so shall our estate be after it eternally Reu. 14.13 Eccles. 11.3 August Hesych Epist. 80 Our life shold make our death good and our death should make our resurrection happy Aug. de ciuit Deâ— l. 1. c. 11. If that our life be not first good our death shall neuer be good and be the contrary Luke 23.40 How the life and death of the godly each one of them helpe another Ioh 11.25 Ioh 5 2â— Gregor moral lib. 13. Bern. The Apostles purpose and manner of proceeding herâ— offers two things 1 Preseruatiues against the â—eare of death 2 Instructions for a godly liâ—e Two waies know we that a better estate abides vs after death â—oh 14.2 Onely the Christian walkes in light the râ—st of the world are in darkâ—nesse Naturalists knew some thing of mans misery in the body but had no certaine knowledge of a better life The doctrine of the Româ—sh Churchleaues her disciples comfortlesse in death It is otherwise with the Christian taught by the word os God Abraham followed God calling to a countrey which hâ— knew not How much more should we being called to â— Countrey which we know Some godly men beâ—ore vs haue been taken away and their bodies not dissolued by death after the common manner Deu. 34.7 But wâ—e must not dreame of any such priuiledge to our selues But
must looke to other of the Fathers who dâ—ed the common course of death Gen. 27.1 Gen. 49.33 The godly also aliue at Christs comming shal not be dissolued But we haue no warrant that wee shall be of that number For before Chriâ—ts comming the Iâ—wes must be recallâ—d Rom. 11.24 It is out of al doubt our bodies must be dissolued by death Heb. 13.14 Al fortification against death is in vaine Deu. 28. marg As Adam was the first liuing man so the first that died by the course of nature But now so many haue gone through death before vs that it is a shame for vs to scare at it Seneca By the earthly house our body here is to be vnderstood For two causes is our body called an house I For the câ—mly and orderly workmanship thereof Other creatures were made by the word of God but to the making of man God put too his hand also And consultation among the persons of the blessed Trinity goes before Basil hexam hâ—m 10. Tortul de resur car This preparation before shewes that some great thâ—ng was to follow as it did indeed Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 10. cap. 12. Man an excellent workmanship euen iâ— respect of his bodie Gregor mâ—ral l. 32. Sect 13. Bernard A short view of the excelleÌ„t workmanship of mans body as it is giuen by Salomon Psal. 139. Man euen in regard of his body is a world of wonders Eccles. 12. VVe should not dâ—shonour the bodie which God hath honouredso highly 2 The bodie is called a house in respect of the soule dwelling in it Man for his two substances whereof he consists is a compend of all Gods creatures But the coniunction of these two substances is more marueilous Bern. in die â— Natal dom er 2. Nazian That flâ—sh and spirit should agree so well together That the soule shâ—uld be kept in the bodie by blood and breth yet not liuing by them Carnal men so liue as if they were nothing but flâ—sh onely Ierem. 15. VVhâ—reas the body is but the house the man is he who dwels in the bodie Let vs so care for the house that much more wâ—â—â—re for him who dwâ—ls in it The bodie is called an earthly house First because it was made of the earth And herein appeares Gods power and wisdome that of so base a matter hath made so excellent a creature Tertul. de resurrect car Gen. 2. Ambros. hexam l. 6. cap. 6. The soueraignty of God ouer man is more thâ—n that which the Potter hath ouer his clay 1. Cor. 10.22 Therefore wo to him who liues in â—nmity with God Act. 12 20. The consideration of our originall does leâ—rne vs humility They who will not learn it by their originall â—et them looke to their end and they shal see no cause of pride Gen. 23.4 Greg. moral l. 16. sect 105 Neither is there strength nor beauty nor stature of the body to be delighted in Esa. 40.6 The body like a wall of clay plastered ouer and painted with colours Esa. 14.11.19 Remâ—mbrance of that which we haue bin should keepe vs from waxing proud for that which we arâ— Secondly the bâ—dy is called an earthly house because it is vphoâ—den by earthly meanes Our body is called a Tabâ—rnacle first because we haue here a couering but not a foundation Ber. parui Sermones Esa. 4.6 Heb. 11. Ibid. Sâ—condly because we should vse it as a Sconse or Tent for the warfare Basil. ser. 10. in Psal. qui habitat Thirdly because it is not fixed in one place as an house but is made for transporting That death whâ—rein all deaths concurre is the proper punâ—shment of sinne Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 13. cap 12. Of the two kindes of death mentioned in holy scripture Eph 4. Eph. 2. 2. Tim. Reuel 3. Death of the whole man what it is It is demanded seeing the soule and body of the wicked shâ—ll be vniâ—ed in the resurrectâ—on how shall they be punished with the second death Gregor moral l. 15. Sect 55. It is answered that this â—nion of their â—oule and body is for their greater punishment Aug. de ciuit dei l. 13. c. 13 A great difference betweene the death of the Christian and the wicked The Christian shall neuer die that death which is the punishment of the wicked And the wicked cannot free themselues of that death which they inflict on the godly â— beside that a worse abides them By death we get deliuerance from our present euils Aug. de ciuit Dei l. 9. cap. 10. VVhat a great benefit it is that our bodies are mortall By death we are set at libertie to enioy our greatest good Aug. de ciuit dei l. 9. c. 20. Athanas in qâ—estionibus quaest 18. Many lookes to the dissolution but not to the coniuction made by death and therefore are affraid at it Two things remoued which make death fearefull 1 The feare of punishment after death Ambr. de bono mortis c. 8 But indeede death is not to be blamed for thatwhich comes after it 2 An apprehension that death destroyes man Ambros. ibid. Death it self is not terrible but the opinion of death Nazian orat de funere patris Greg. moral l. 4. sect 47. Death should not be looked vpon in the glasse of the law but in the mirrour of the Gospell Comfortable phrases by which death is described by the spirit of God Gen. 25.8 Deu 31.16 Psal. 16.9 Luke 2. Pet. 1.14 S. Paul expresses the nature of our death by thrâ—e similitudes 1. He compares it to the changing of a garment To the sowing of seed in the earth thaâ— it may grow againe 1. Cor. 15. 3 To a flitting from one house to another Albeit death be certaine yet the time place and kinde thereoâ— is vncertaine Many dreame of more daies theÌ„ they haue are far deceiued at the length Aug. Ber. de fallatia vitae praesentis Time of our death left vncertaine to make vs the more vigilant Gregor The life of man is but a life that turnes vpon seuen daies and in one of them man must die Therefore shâ—ld he take heed to them all The place of death vncertaine VVe can come to no place in the which some haue not died before vs. Bernard The kinde of death is also vncertaine that for all deaths we might be prepared VVe come all into the world by one way but we go out of it by many VVe should not much care for the kind of death but for the way we goe after death Aug. de ciuit dei l. 1. c. 11. Men should not be violeÌ„t actors of their owne death but patient sufferers Gen. 9. 2. Mac 14. A selfe murtherer neuer allowed but condemned in holy scripâ—â—re The second parâ— oâ—â—he verse conteynes the vantage we â—aue by death The comfort giuen here against death concernes the soule onely Comfort concerning the losse of our bodies by death is to be sought â—n other places of Scripture The Lord will noâ— forsake that body whiâ—h was
appointed vs to that end buâ— also by his owne working in vs perfils vs to it He finished the first creatioÌ„ against al impediments so shall he doe the second 2. Cor. 4.6 Comfortable iâ— it to vs that the certainty of our life stands in Gods purpose which cannot be altered Esa. 46.10 This shoulâ— vphold vs against Sà tans temptations VVhat a shamelesse tempter Satan is Satan was the enemy of gods glory ere euer hee became the enemy of oâ—r saluation Rom 16. But wâ— are not to regard him seeing God hath taken in hand to worke the worke of our saluation 1. Pet. 1. 2. He proues it by thâ— earnest of the spirit which God hath giuen vs vp 〈◊〉 his word VVithout this earnest of the spirit we can haue no surety of our saluation There is a couenant of God â—which man knoweth by his workes another by his word only the third by his word Spirit Foure things to be considered in this argument 1. â—hat is meant by the Spirit to wit that special grace of the Spirit by which Gods children are renued and confirmed How this grace of 〈◊〉 spirit is called the earnest of the spirit for two causes The first is â—ecause â—hat now we haue it but in small measure Yâ—t the smal begining of grace we haue is not small in SataÌ„ his eiâ—s yea more then he is able to quench The next is in â—egard of the vse thereof which is to bind â— o th the giuer and receiuer 3. How this Spirit is giuen and received The giuer is God by the meanes of his word Act. 8.27 Act. 10.1 VVeâ— must not despise the word if we desire to reeiue the spirit Rom. 10.13.14 4. How may we know we haue receiued this spirit Many in this age haue heard the Testimony of God who neuâ—r receiued the seal therâ—of 1 Cor. 6. Eph. 1.13 Act. 19.2 The spirit is God his seale and he imprints the image of God in all who receiues him Rom. 6.17 This proues that licentious men haue not receiuâ—d Christs spirit The second fruit of godlines which the Aopstle gathered of his Generall ground of Comfort is A willing contentmâ— to remooâ—â— out of the body Of our Christian confidence in death VVhat strong enemies wee must fight withall that through death we may wonne to our Lord 1. Pet 3 â—â— 8 Boldnesse of the Christian in death wherfrom proceedes it The confident â—oldnesse of Ignatius in death â—â—en lib. 5. cont valent Euseb. lib. 4. ca 16. The confident boldnesse of Policarpus in death The confident boldnesse of Basilius in death Nazian de vita Basil. It is demanded if such boldnesse be in Gods children as is wâ—thout all feare It is answered foreâ—en our Sauiour though hee longd for death yet he suffered it not without feare Mar 14.33 It is true there is no Comparison betweene his death and ours Yet must our death someway be conformable to his both in outward and inward sufferings Rom. 8. And therfore shall we be exercised with our owne feares also VVhat made the Apostle willing to remoue out of the body Of the two Cities or Fellowshiâ— of people whereof the one is in the earth the other in heauen Death is but a râ—moving from a Burges-ship on earth to a better Burges-ship in heauen Our life on earth is a Pilgrimage in heauen is our hâ—me If there were no more to make us loath this life this is sufficient that it holds vs from God Nazianzen de cala animae suae How the bodie is Remora Animae Exod. 33. Rom. 7. If euen the godlie in the â—â—dy be 〈◊〉 from God in what miserabâ—e absence aâ—e the wicked Ephe. 4. Act. 17. VVe haue now God present with vs but that presence is absence in respect of that which is to come Our lâ—fe on earth is a walking Take heede we be in the right way otherway our life is not a walking but a â—andring Iohn 14.6 How our life is a walking by faith And not by sight which is not simply spoken but in comparison For heere wâ—â—re not witâ—out the sight of God Rom. 1. 1. First we see God in his workes Ber. in Cant Ser. 31. 2. The Fathers haue seene him â—y sundry Visions Ibid. 3. In his Church he is seene by his word Psal. 27.4 1. Cor. 3.18 His Saints see him by inward CoÌ„tempâ—ation Yet this sight if it be â—ompared â—â—th the â—ight we shal get is no sight Aug. de Consen Evang Gregory And the sight of faith which presently we haue lets vs see a better to come And prepares also the eye of our mind for it Ber. in Cant. Serm 31. â— The order appâ—inted by God is that by faith we walke to sight by â—earing to seeing A corroboratiue against such temptations as come from the world Seeing wee walkâ— by faâ—â—h no shew of worldly pleasâ—re falâ—ing vnder ouâ— sight should allâ—re vs. VVhat euer the world can offer to our sense is lesse then that which wee hope to see Iob. 19.27 A threefold precept to be obserued in vsing the things of this world 1. Cor. 7.3 1. Cor. 6.12 Ibid. The wicked walke by sight here and not by Faith they shall neuer see better things nor these they see now The Vanity of worldly pleasures discouered in two thinges Eccles. 1.8 The Apostle returnes to finish his second conclusion How the impedimeÌ„ts of our faith tends to the greater commendation thereof Bâ—ering of present euill whereof we wouâ—â— faine be releeued our faith is tryed 1. Pet. 1. By the Delay of good things promised which faine we would haue our faith is also tryed It is greatest faith to beleeue where least is felt or seene Of two loues the stronger ouercomes the weaâ—â— in the Apostle The readiâ—st way to be quit of the perturâ—ation of our affections is to set them vpon the rightâ— obiects The strong loue of Christ that was in the Apostle condemnes the cold loue that we haue to â—im How is it likely we wil giue our life for him who will not quit thâ— superfluities of our life for him How death is discribed in regard of her effects toward the body and toward the soule The death of the wicked is not a voluntary but a compelled remouing Luk. 12.20 Cyprian de mortal This different death of the godly and 〈◊〉 is shâ—dowed in the â—ourth câ—mming of Pharao his Butler and Bâ—ker out oâ— prison Chrisost in Math. 〈◊〉 Or if the wicked die willingly they die impatiently not for any loue to be with Christ. 〈◊〉 reliefe 〈◊〉 wicked get by putting hand in them selfs is no better nor if a man â—o saue himselfe from water shold leape in the fire Paines of this life compared with paines of hell are but like reeke going before the fire He cannot remooue willingly and well out of the body who finds not a hand behind him to put him out and another before him to receiue him Soules of good men remouing out of the body dwelt with the Lord.
A DEFIANCE TO DEATH WHEREIN BESIDES SVNNDRY HEAVENLY Instructions for a godly life we haue strong and notable comforts to vphold vs in death BY Mr. WILLIAM COVVPER Minister of GODS WORD PHIL. 3.20.21 But our conuersation is in Heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ. VVho shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is euen able to subdue all things vnto himselfe LONDON Printed by I.W. for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at his shoppe at Britaines Bursse 1610. TO THE RIGHT Honorable Sir Thomas Stewart of Gairntilie and his vertuous Ladie Grizzell Mercer Grace and peace from God the father through our Lord Iesus CHRIST IT is a notable saying of the Apostle If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ wee are of all meÌ„ the most miserable For whereas others being ignorant of betâ—er things to come set their harts on these which are present if wee despising such comforts as now we may enioy should also be disapointed of those which afterwards we looke for Our case indeede were most lamentable but praised be God it is farre otherwise for where the comfoâ—t of the worldling ends there the greatest comfort of the Christian beginnes The men of this world saies Dauid haue their portion in this life yea our Sauiour saith They haue receiued their consolation here It was spoken in that Parable by Abraham to Diues Remember that in thy life thou receiuedst thy pleasures And it appertaines to all the wicked better things then these which prâ—sently they see neede they neuer to looke for And therfore no maruell that as the taste of the Coloquint or wilde Gourd made the children of the Prophets abhor theiâ— meat so the taste of death make all the pleasures refreshments of their life loathsome to them Or as the hand which wrote to Beltazar on the wall his imminent iudgment did in a moment turn all the solace of that house into sorrow for the Kings countenance was chaunged his thoughts troubled his Princes astonished his Musitians silenced his seruants amazed their delightfull drinking became despised and all the house disordered and in a worde his Banquet concluded with a cuppe of wrath sent to him from the Lord so is it vnto all the wicked the smallest signification of death interrupts their greatest ioyes and causes them with the Peacocke looking to his feet let fall the proude feathers of their hie conceâ—tes within their owne mindes what euer they pretend in countenance As is the noise of thornes vnder the potte so is the laughter of fooles saieth Salomon both the one and the other quickely vanishes and death like that worme which eated vp the gourd of Ionas deuoures at length all their Worme-eaten pleasures and then woe be to them When all these fat and excellent things after which their soule lusted are departed from them and not so much as any hope of better remaines vnto them But vnto the Christian death can doe no more but demolish this parpen wall of clay within the which the soule is captiued for a time it opens the doore of the prison and giues liberty to the soule to goe out and returne to her Maker as shal at greater length appeare in the Treatis following which I haue offered and presented to your Honour partly to testifie my vnfeined affection toward you in the Lord for that vnfeined and incorrupt loue which in so corrupt a time ye haue alway carried toward the truth of the Gospell and by which also ye haue liued as rare examples of pietie and loue godly liberality and partly that ye may be remembred of these instructions concerning life and death wâ—ich ye receiued from vs by hearing during your residence with vs and vnto the practise whereof shortly ye must be called for albeit it is not long since it pleased the Lord beyond all expectation of man to deliuer you out of the handes of the Sergeants officers of death which had violently seased vpon you and threatned to slay you both your selfe by sickenesse your Ladie by the sorrow of desolation more heauie then death vnto her yet are yee to knowe and I doubt not are preparing â—oâ— for it that the same battell will shortly bee renued against you wherin both of you must bee diuorced from other and diuided from your owne bodies that yee may bee married and conioyneâ— with your Lord whom ye haue not yet seene but long to see him because ye loue him and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakable and glorious And herein if these little fruites of my Ministery may serue any way to confirme you in the end as some way they haue comforted you in the iourney and if for your sake they may bee profitable to others who coÌ„stantly keeps with you the same course toward the face of Iesus Christ it shall be no small comfort vnto me knowing thereby that I haue not runne nor laboured in vaine for there is no thing in the world I desire more then that I may put my talent to the vttermost profite fulfilling with ioy the Ministration I haue receiued and so may be welcommed of my Lord as one who hath beene faithfull in little But because all encrease comes from God I humbly commend you and alâ— that loue the Lord Iesus to the grace of God which is able to build you further and giue you inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith in Christ and so rest Your H. in the Lord Iesus M. William Cowper Minist at Perth A DEFIANCETO DEATH Mine helpe is in the name of the Lord. 2. COR. 5.1 For wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heauens IT is appointed sayeth the Apostle for all men once to die and it is certain that in whatsoeuer estate we die in it wee shall remaine for where the tree falleth there it shall lie said Salomon He that dies in the Lorde is blessed for he rests froÌ„ his labours and shall remaine for euer in Abrahams bosom which is the Paradice of God hee that dies in his sins goes downe to the prison out of which is no redemption and shall neuer get licence to come backe to learn to die ouer againe Qualis in nouissimo vitae die quis que moritur talis in nouissimo mundi die iudicabitur such as euery man dies in the last day of his life such shal he be iudged in the last day of the world It is therefore a special point of wisedom so to liue that by liuing wee may learne to die that a godly life may prepare the way to an happy death and happy death may make vs sure of a ioyfull resurrection these three follow one vpon another inseparable if the life be good the death
dissolued by death after the common manner before the flood HENOCH was taken away and hee sawe no death after the flood ELIIAH was transported into a Chariote of fire and strange is it that is written of MOSES that when hee died on the toppe of Pâ—sgah beeing an hundred and twentie yeare olde his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated But we haue not vppon these to fansie vnto our selues a priuiledge whereof God hath not assured vs neither are wee to thinke wee are the lesse beloued of God because after the same singular maner he takes vs not away out of the world but we must looke on the other hand to the remanent Patriarches Prophets and worthie Apostles who finished their daies as Ioshua speakes after the way of all flesh so Abrâ—ham the father of the faithfull died being worne with the infirmities of his age and Isaac thorough weaknes waxed blinde before he died and Iacob that famous Patriarch being in his bed by ordinary death pulled vp his feet vnto him and we must bee content after the same manner to suffer the dissolution of our bodies by diseases which are the Sergeants and officers of death It is true also that they who shal be found aliue at the second comming of Christ shall not be dissolued but suddenly transchanged but this priuiledg in like maner we are not to looke for hauing no warrant that we shall continue alike vntill that day for that man of sinne is not yet so weakened by the Gospell as hee must bee Neyther are our eldest brethren the Iewes conuerted to the faith of Christ as in likelihood they wil be before Christs second appearing Sixteene hundred yeares were they in the couenant when we were strangers from it During that space sundrie of the Gentiles in sundrie partes of the World became Proselytes as Naaman in Syria and Ebedmelech in Ethiopia but that was not the accomplishment of the promised calling of the Gentiles till the bodie of IAPHETS house were perswaded to dwell in the Tentes of SEM. And now other sixteene hundred yeares haue wee beene within the couenant they strangers from it in which space sundry of them also haue embraced the faith of the Gospel but that as wee conceiue is not the performance of the promised recalling of the Iewes but the body of that people shall be conuerted that the prophecy may be fulfilled And there shall be one Shepheard and one Sheepe folde then shall our Lord appeare the second time for our full redemption So that these words of the Apostle doe not make any peraduenture of our death farre lesse doe they giue vs any exemption from death but rather assures vs that our bodies must be dissolued Our life on earth is no inheritance our breath is but a vapour wee haue heere no continuing Citie Men may preasse to repine and sit the summonds of death made by sundrie diseases as long as they can and do all they may to fortifie themselues against the dart of death but it shall not bee eschued These daintie women which wil not suffer so much as their soles to touch the earth must at length lay down not the soles of their feete onely but the Crowne of their head also to be couered by it The labour of man in his life is to turne ouer the earth in the sweate of his brow seeking in her bowels food and fewell materials for building and Mineralles of sundrie mettals for his other vses in all which shee renders to man her seruice receiuing at leÌ„gth for a recompence man in her bosome to fil vp her wants whose finest flesh is turned by her without difficulty into dust If we were as AdaÌ„ who neuer saw one die before him by the course of nature for Abel was takeÌ„ away by violence it were somwhat more tollerable then now it is to doubt whether if or not wee shall bee dissolued It was threatned against him that if he brake the commandemeÌ„t he shold die yet after the transgression he liued a bodily life I meane nine hundred and thirty yeares euen to the eight generation a father of many children in both the houses of Caine and Seth as he was the first man that liued in the world so it seemeth he was the first that died by the ordinary course of nature But now death is become Via trita a paide gate All generations of men since the beginning of the world haue walked through it Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and all that Congregation of the first borne who stand as witnesses that there is no danger in death and shal we onely scare at it and stand affraid as though it would deuoure vs yea euen the very Ethniks esteemed death to bee Non supplicium sed tributum viuendi Not a punishment but a tribute which euery man must pay for his life and therefore said one of them Quod debeo paratus sum soluere vbi me faenerator appellat I am ready to pay my debt when he who lent mee it shall call vppon me and require it And if notwithstanding oâ— al this we liue in securitie as if we were in couenant with death and it would not long come neere vs in verie truth wee deserue that we should perish in it Our earthly house Somtime both the soule bodie of man are compared to an house and that is in regard ofGod dwelling in them by his spirit but heere by thâ— house the bodie alone is to bee vnderstood in regard of the soule that soiournes in it and this is cleare in that also he calles it an earthlyhouse And here wee haue three things to consider First that the bodie is called a house next a house of earth and thirdly a Tabernacle and the reasons why Our bodie is called an house for two respects first in respect of the comely and orderly work-manshippe thereof for as Artificers out of an inordinate heape of things amassed together do rais vp most pleasant buildings by walling out one of them from another by preparing theÌ„ and placing euery thing in the owne roome and making them by line and measure one of them proportionall and answerable to anoâ—her so that now they make vp a comely house pleasant to looke vnto wher before they were a dissordered masse So is it with the body of man which of a confused lumpe of clay without forme God hath builded vp in this pleasant forme and comely order wherein now it stands It is true al the works of God are very wonderfull what euer is done by him cannot bee but very excellent and good hee himselfe being most excellent and infinitly good But a singular wisedome goodnesse hath God showne in the creation of man for hee came out in the last roome as the perfection of Gods workes and last design of the thoughts of God and therefore was he not created after the
common order which God obserued in the rest for where other creatures were made by his word onely he puts too his hand to the making of man Consultation also among the persons of the blessed Trinity going before which was not in the creation of any other creature whereof thou mayst learne O man Quantitu vnus venias estâ—mandus in what great account thou art in regard of all the rest of his creatures all other like seruants were brought out by naked commandement homo tanquam eorum dominus ipsa Dei manu est instructus Man as their Lord is built vp by Gods owne hand All this preparation going before was to shew that some great thing was to follow as indeede it did for man is so made a worke of God his wisdome that he is a compend of all Gods creatures admired by those who had no more but natures light as a little world but more highlycommended bythose who had also the light of the word whereby to discerne him Omni miraculo quod fit per hominem maius miraculum est ipse homo Man himselfe said Augustine is a greater miracle then any miracle that euer was done by man And this not onely in regard of his soule but euen of his bodie also which here the Apostle calleth a comely house If there were no more to commend it yet as saieth Gregory this wereenough Quod a corpore humano in se similitudinem trahat deus That God borrows Similitudes from the body of a man to expresse and shaddowe himselfe vnto vs a scribing to himself an eye a mouth a hand and such like which we are not to thinke with the Anthropomorphites that hee hath per naturam sed per effectum But beside this if we doe take but a short view of the workmanship of man his bodie we shall be compelled euery one for himselfe to say with Dauid O Lord I am fearefull and wonderfull made The entrie to this house is the mouth which God hath fenced with a folding doore of the lips opening and closing most commodiously at the will of the Indweller Next vnto it are the grinders which God hath set in the entrie to prepare food for the whole man to nourish him the third roome hee hath assigned to the tongue which he hath made most artificially and set in the thorough gate of the houâ—e as the Trenchman and Messenger of the soule to declare his will vnto all that come neere And he hâ—tâ— set the head as an eminent Towre in the bodie wherein hee hath placed the seat of foure most excellent senses euery one oâ— them neere vnto another and not one of them impeding the function of another he hath locked vp the brain within it as a treasure and fenced it not onely with a couering of haire of skinne and of bone without but hath also spread ouer it within the Golden Ewer the least rupture whereof importeth death and because the windowes and watchmen are also in it hee hath made it to turne like a Wheele pleasantly and without paine to preuent all dangers that from any side may come vnto the body and if wee shall yet goe further in into this house and consider the daughters of singing which hee hath made most artificially for modulation of the voice if wee looke to the siluer cord stretched throughout the length of his body if we coÌ„sider the Well how it prepares and furnishes blood to all the members of the bodie if wee looke to the Pitchers by which as thorough Conduits it is conueyed through the whole body If we consider the Cesterne which is the heart the fountaine of life if this manner of way I say with Salomon we view the building of mans body beside other innumerable thinges which Naturalists and Theologs haue marked concerning it wee shall bee compelled to acknowledge that man euen as concerning his body is a world of wonders And this haue I but briefly marked that wee might learne to possesse our vesselles in honour acounting it a great shame vnto vs to pollute and defile this bodie in any dishonorable manner which GOD hath created so honorable comely and pleasant Secondly The bodie is called an house in respect of the soule which dwelles in it and this also highly commends the excellencie of the workemanshippe of man marueilous for the substances wherof it consists more marueilous for the wonderful vnion and coniunction of them in heauen there are vnderstaÌ„ding spirits without bodies as Angels In earth are bodies without vnderstanding spirits as beastes in man ye shall find them both wherefore one affirmed man to be all things for there is no creaâ—ure which liues but man partakes of the liâ—e thereof the plants and trees haue a life vegetiue by which they grow the beastes a life sensitiue by which they heare see smell taste and touch the Angels a life reasonable by which they vnderstaÌ„d in the first two man coÌ„municates with earthly creatures in the third he transcends them and is companion to Angels But the coniunction of these two substances and the habitation of the one into the other is yet more marueilous commonly the honourable and the ignoble the foolish and the wise thestrong the weake agree no better then Iron and Clay Non sic in opere tuo non sic in commixtione tua O Domine Not so in thy worke O Lord not so in the mixture which thou hast made for heere the Lord hath ioyned in most maruelous manner Spirite with flesh a heauenly substance with an earthly so that Communio haec mentis ad corpus inâ—ffabilis sit incomprehenâ—ibilis intellectu This communion of the minde and bodie can neyther bee conceiued by our vnderstanding nor vttered by our speech the soule being so in the bodie that yet it is not mixed with the bodie it is within vs and yet goes thorough all things that are without vs it is kept in the bodie by blood and breath and yet liues not by blood and breath beeing a Spirituall thing it giues vnderstanding to anie other Spirite by the earthly Organ of the tongue and receiues againe intelligence froÌ„ another spirite by the earthly Organ of the eare God hath done it we feele it but know not the reason of it all these and many moe â—hould moue vs to reuerence the goodnesse and wonderfull wisedome of our Maker â—hewed in the creation of man And of this we learn how farre the iudgement of Gods spirite differs from the iudgement of man and that euen as concerning man himselfe It is thought among carnall men that the body is the man Sic dediti sunt carni ac sanguini ac si nihil aliud quam carnem se esse reputarent and therefore are they so giuen to pamper flesh as if they were no other thing but flesh these do not separate the vile from the pretious
thee Let it therefore bee farre from vs to glorie eyther in the strength or beauty or stature of our mortall bodies they are but rotten and ruinous habitations nothing is there in them to puff vp our pride if we consider them aright but much matter to humble vs. It is written of Agathocles who of a Potter was made a King that he caused to furnish his table with vessels some of Golde and some of Loame that by the one he might be serued as a King and by the other admonished that hee was once a Potter and it much more becomes vs who now are called to the high dignity of the sonnes of God to remember what wee were before that so we may bee humbled in our selues be thankfull to our God Secondly the bodie is called an earthly houâ—e because by earthly meanes it is susteyned and vpholden so that the verie food by which we liue dooth warne vs of the fragility of our mortall bodiâ— the fowles of the ayre and beastes of the earth are slaine to feed vs they must quit the silly life they haue before they can bee conuenient foode for vs And I pray you what enduring life can they cause vnto vs which must die before they can helpe our life yea within short time if they bee let alone they corrupt and putrifie of their owne accord thus euerie creature that feedes vs testifies to vs in their kinde that our life is but a silly life the ende whereof is death and filthy rottennesse Of this Tabernacle the third generall point we marked heere is how our body is called a Tabernacle And that first for some similitude of the building a Tabernacle being such a soiourning place as Tectum habeat non fundamentum hath a couering but not a foundation to warne vs that how euer in this life wâ—e haue aboue vs the protection of God as a Couert for the storme and for the raine yet beneath there is heere no foundation whereon we may rest and settle our selues but we are with Abraham Isaac and Iacob to looke for that Citie aboue hauing a Foundation that is our Temples building in which without danger wee may lay vp our treasure hauing both a roofe a foundation fundamentum est stabilitas aeternae beatitudinis tectum consummatio perfectio ipsius Secondly our bodies care called Tabernacles in regard of the vse of them since our life is a warfare wee should soiourne in the body as souldiers in their Sconses Tents that out and in them wee may watch for vantage ouer our enemies to annoy them and defend our selues from them but it is to bee lamented that our bodies which should be vsed as Tabernacles for warre are turned in domicilia turpissimae captiuitatis in little houses of seruitude bondage And thirdly to shew their mortality they are compared to Tabernacles for they are moueable at the will and arbitrement of God who hath pitched them we haue here no continuing City but should liue in the body as ready euery houre to bee transported for wee know not when it shal please the Lord to pull vp the stakes of our Tabernacle to slake the cordes and folde vp the couering therof which shortly must bee done to euery one of vs but our comfort is that as the Arke of God which in the Wildernesse dwelt in a moueable Tabernacle was afterward placed in a fixed and stablished Temple in Canaan so our soules shall bee translated from this earthly Tabernacle to haue their dwelling in that Temple of God in heauen Great ioy was in Ierusalem when Salomon transported the Arke from the Tabernacle to the Temple but greater ioy shall be to our soules when God shall carrie them from this earthly Tent to that heauenly and eternall habitation Be dissolued Heere we see that in the Christian death dooth no more but dissolue his earthly Tabernacle It is demaunded by Augustine what kinde of death it was which God denouÌ„ced to man in paradise if he did eat of the forbidden tree Vtrum corporis an animae an totius hominis an illa quae dicitur secunda And he aunswers that into that death which is the proper punishment of sinne all kinds of death concurres for as the whole earth coÌ„sists sayes he of many earths the Catholike Church consists of many particular Churches so vniuersal death which is the proper punishmeÌ„t of sin consists of all sorts of death Now the Scripture makes mention chiefly of two sorts oâ— death the first and second the first death hath in it two deaths the one of the soule the other of the body the death of the soule is when the soule quickening the body is not quickened of God but is as the Apostle speakes a straÌ„ger froÌ„ the life of God by this death many are dead who in regard of their bodies seem to be liuing as is spokeÌ„ of the Ephesians before their calling of the waÌ„toÌ„ widows who liuing are dead of the Angel of Sardis the death of the body is the separatioÌ„ of the soule from the body So then the death of the whole maÌ„ is Cum anima sine deo corpore ad tempus paenas luit but the second death which is so called because by many degâ—ees it is greater then the other and there is not any other behinde it is Cum anima sine Deo cum corpore aeternas paenas luit Where that we may yet more cleerely distinguish the death of a Christian from the death of the wicked it is to be enquired seeing in the resurrection the wicked shall haue their soules and bodies vnited together how shall they be punished with death The aunswer is that this vnion of their soules and bodies shall be with such a fearfull diuision from God among themselues that they shall rather wish to be extinguished and turned into nothing then be vnited againe Ad augmentum tormenti hic de corporenolens educitur impius illic in corpore tenetur inuitus In this life the wicked is taken out of the body against his will and in the life to come hee is kept in the bodie against his will and by both of these his torment is encreased In the first creation God conioyned soule and body that they might be a mutuall comfort one to other but in the second death by the coÌ„trary they are vnited for the mutual punishment one of another so that the body shall bee for no other ende quickened by the soule but to make it feeling and sensible of horrible paine for if euen now in this life it bee come vpon man as a iust punishment of his rebellion against God that the body is not so seruiceable to the soule as it was in the beginning Anima quippe quia supâ—riorem DominuÌ„ suo arbitrio deseruit inferiorem famulum sibi subiectuÌ„ non habet how much
more shall it bee so in the last recoÌ„pense that either of themshal become a griefe and burden to others Here is then to bee taken vp that greate difference which is between the death of the Christian and of the worldling in the death of the wicked all sorts of deathes concurres â—hereas the Christian suffers but Aliquid mortis a peece of death to wit the dissolution of his earthly house the Serpent can doe no more to him but manducare terram eius fasten his teeth vpon his earthly parte as to the heauenly soule it falles not vnder the danger of death So that the vantage is greate which the Christian hath ouer his enemies in that the death which the wicked shall die the Christian is exempted from it but that parte of death which hee shall suffer and they are able to inflict vpon him they themselues shall shall not escape it Iezabel may make her vow to haue the head of Elijah but how little effect there is in such furie of flesh is manifest in that same example for God preserued his seruant safe and her own head was giuen in a prey to the dogges and they like the Burrios of the Lord deuoured her leauing nothing but the skull of her head and palms of her hands why then shall we bee affraid of them who are not exempted from that doome which in their greatest anger they giue vpon vs when it was tolde Anaxagoras the Philosopher that by his enemies meanes he was condemned to die he neuer troubled himself for the matter but made this answere Iam olim istam sententiam tulit natura in illos aeque ac in me that long since nature had giuen out the sentence of death vppon them as well as vppon him If such strength was in any Ethnik what should there bee in any Christian But beside this the excellent benefits wee receiue by death should confirme vs against all the terrors and paines thereof for first it relieues vs of much euill for by it our dayes of sinne are finished and wee are deliuered from the miseries of this life If wee had beene immortall in this this miserable mortality our estate had been most lamentable euen the Ethniks by the light of â—ature vnderstood that it was a great benefite that the bodie was but Mortale vinculuÌ„ animae a temporal or mortall band of the soule and they gaue the reason Ne semper huius vitae miserijs anima tener etur least the soule should be for euer deteyned vnder the miseries of this wretched life but praised bee God this comfort is made sure to vs by a clearer light that our soules shall not for euer be deteyned in the bodie as in a house of bondage but that shortly they shall bee deliuered and that in so wonderfull a manner that death which is the daughter of sinne shall become the destroyer of her owne mother for vnto the Christian death is a perfite mortification of all his earthly members Neither are we by it onely deliuered from euill but also entred to the fruition of our greatest good for as a cloud dissolued giues vs cleare sight of the Sun which before was obscured froÌ„ vs or as the doors of the prison being opened by the Angel made a faire way to Peter to come out and enter into IerusaleÌ„ so is it dissolutio corporis absolutio est animae the dissolution of the body is the absolution of the soule as the snare being broken the bird escapeth so the body being dissolued Euadit reclusa intus columba hoc est anima the soule hath a readie way to the face of God There is wrought by death as saith the Apostle both a dissolution and a coniunction The cause why death seemes terrible to many is for that they look to the dissolution and not to the coÌ„iunction the dissolution is of the soule froÌ„ the body the coniunction is of the soule with Christ if theÌ„ we be affraid when wee looke to the dissolution let vs also looke to the coniunction and be comforted I desire to bee dissolued there the dissolution and to be with Christ there the coniunction VVe vse commonly to call death a departure and so it is a departure from them who are deere vnto vs but to them who are more deere and therefore should we not so much be grieued at our departure from that company we leaue behinde vs as reioyced by thinking of that blessed fellowship which is before vs for we returne to our father from whom we came to our eldest brother whom we haue not yet seene but long to see him because we loue him to the company of innumerable Angels to the Congregation of the first borne and to the Spirits of iust and perfite men But here two things must bee remooued which impaire this comfort and makes death seeme much more terrible then it is indeede The first is the fear of punishment after death but in verie deede quid hoc ad mortem quod post mortem est Why shall death bee blamed for that which falles out after death Acerbitas non mortis est sed culpae the bitternesse is not in death but in sinne let a man therefore purge his conscience and death shall neither bee fearefull nor bitter vnto him As a Serpent wanting the sting may be put in our bosom without perrill so if sinne which is the sting of death be taken away wee may boldly welcome death yea embrace it without feare it cannot hurt vs. The other cause is that men apprehend death to be the destruction of man but in very truth it is not so but rather as I said the absolution of man it is neyther totall for it onely dissolues the bodie nor yet perpetuall Some Ethnikes falsly called it Aeternus Somnus it is a sleepe indeed but not eternall for in the resurrection the body shall bee wakened and raised vp againe so then Non mors ipsa sed opinio de morte est terribilis it is not death it selfe but an opinion of death which is terrible for since it translates vs from this present euill world vnto euerlasting life I know not said Nazianzen how it can be called death it being Nomine magis quaÌ„ re sormidabilis fearefull in name rather then in deede The separation of the soule from God that is death the separation of the soule from the body Vmbra tantummodo est mortis is onely the shaddow of death and therefore such as are dead not in â—he soule but in the flesh non vera morte sed vmbra tantum mortis oâ—eriri dicuntur are not said to be truely dead but only couered with the shaddow of death VVe are not then to looke vpon death in the glasse of the lawe but in the mirrour of the Gospel life looked vpon with the eyes of nature seemes a better thing then it is couered as it
were with a white vaile though in deede it bee very blacke for if the pleasures thereof be compared with the paines it will bee found that the paines exceede the pleasures both for their number greatnesse and continuance it being most certaine that no pleasure in the earth hath beene found to endure so long as the paines of a feuer whereas on the other hand if death bee looked vpon with the eyes of nature it seemes to be very terrible as it were couered with a blacke vaile but is white indeed being to the godly but a finishing of our miseries entrance to our endlesse glorie And this shall be euident if we mark these phrases by which the spirit of God describes death to vs in holy scripture the death of Abraham is called a gathering of him to his fathers the death of Moses a sleeping with his fathers Dauid calles the death oâ— his bodie a resting of his flesh in hope S. Luke calles the death of our Lord the time of his assumption S. Peter cals it the deposition of an earthly Tabernacle Now I pray you what here is terrible vnlesse to be gathered to our fathers to let our bodies sleepe for a time and rest in hope that our soules may be assumed vp into heauen be terrible to vs. But most cleerly doth S. Paul by three proper similitudes expressethe nature of death vnto vs for first he compares it to the laying aside of an old rotten garment in stead whereof wee put on a better teaching vs thereby that as no poore man will grudge to lay aside his contemptible garment when a better is offered vnto him far lesse shold a Christian murmure when God vncloths him of his corruptible bodie since he doth it that hee may cloth him with a more excellent garment of glorie and â—mmortalitie Secondly he compares the laying of our bodies in the graue to the sowing of seede in the earth teaching vs thereby that suppose our bodies being couered with moulds rot putrifie vnder the earth yet they shall spring vp again and theâ—fore we shold willingly render our bodies to the Lord that great husbandmaÌ„ to be dimpled like pickles of liuely seede by his owne hand in any parte of the earth hee pleases yea if it were in the bottome of the sea seeing the whole world is the Lords husbandry which he can cause to bring out fruite to him at his pleasure At his word both the earth and water brought out to him liuing creatures which neuer had been and shal we not thinke that at his word they wil render to him these creatures which haue bin before And thirdly he cals it here a flitting from one house to another a remoouing from our cot house on earth to a Palace of glorie in heauen Now this being spoken vpon the worde Dissolued for our comfort in death somthing further must we marke out of it for our preparation to death Howeuer death be most certaine yet the Apostle speaks indefinitly of it both in regard of the time the place and the kinde of death it is out of al doubt our bodies must bee dissolued but wee know not when nor where nor how in these three respects death is vncertaine As to the time of our death God hath hidden it from our eies Nihil certius morte nihil incertius hora mortis Many goe out of the body being disapointed as concerning the time lipning and looking in their owne thought for a longer time then they find ordeined for them In this folly by nature wee are all followers of that rich man who dreamed to himselfe that he had many daies to the fore when in very deed hee had not one for that same night his soule was taken from him Vita haec multipliciter illudit hominibus longam se simulat vt fallat Alway the vncertainty of death in regard of time God hath done it in wisedome to make vs the more carefull Ignoratur vnus dies vt obseruentur multi Hee hath made one day vnknowne that many daies may be obserued If the good man of the house had known what houre the thiefe would come hee would haue watched not suffred his house to be digged through Be ye therfore prepared the house is the body the theef that breakes it is death the treasure thou keepst in it is thy soule therfore watch pray the conclusion of the Parable telles vs that God hath hid the houre of death from vs not to snare vs but to stirre vs to vigilance Ideo voluit horam mortis incertam esse vt semper sit nobis suspecta God hath made the houre of death vncertaine because hee will haue it alway suspected The life of man on earth is but a life of seauen daies how manie yeares soeuer he liue yet hath hee but these same dayes multiplied vnto him As he therfore who hauing seuen seruants to serue him if he be aduertised that one of the seauen will slay him takes seruice from them with the narrower obserâ—ation of euerie one of them when they come by course to serue him so man whose life runnes vpon seauen dayes in the weeke which together with their shaddowes serue him by course since he is tolde that in one of them hee must die and he knows not which it is he shold the more carefully obserue them all to liue holily and godly in them let all of them be passed ouer in feare let none of them want their owne exercises of godlinesse so shall we die peaceably and with comfort in any of theÌ„ wherein it shall please God to call vpon vs. Secondly in regard of the place death is also so vncertain somehaue died in the wombe wherein they tooke life some in the Cradle as the infants of Bethlem some in the bedde as Ishboseth some in the Parlour as Eglon some on the stoole as Arrius some at the table as Ammon some in the Chappell as Sennacherib some in the Temple as Ioab In a word what place is there wherin we can come in the which or the like of it some men haue not died before vs and this to warne vs how in euery place we shold be prepared Vbique te expectatmors tu si sapiens fueris vbique cam expectabis Thirdly the kinde of our death is also left vncertaine vnto vs that against all kinds of death wee may be prepared there is one way by which we all come into the worlde but many wayes by which wee goe out of it for some die in the water as Pharao some in the fire as the King of Edom some by Lions as the disobedient Prophet some by Beares as the railing children some by dogges as cruell Iezabel some by vermine as proude Herod some by the sword as swift Azahel some smothered in the house as the children of Iob some by the fall
of a wall as those eighteene men slaine by Siloam Tower some by the cast of a stone as Abimelech some of a paine in their head as the Shunamits sonne some of a paine in their belly as Antiocâ—hus some of a Gowte â—n their feete as Asa â—ome by the priuate corruption of their owne distemperate humors some by distemperature of publicke humours which are corrupt lawes In a word so fraile a vessell is man that easily by innumerable wayes hee is broken and all these haue we seene before vs that for aâ—l them wee might be prepared making readie our selues to die referring the kinde of our death to the good pleasure of God Non est multum curandum necessariò morituro qua morte moriatur sed quò post mortem ire Compellatur since of necessity wee must die let vs not care much for the kinde of death but rather of the way which after death wee are to goe And for this cause did our blessed Sauiour vndergoe a cursed death that euery death might bee made blessed to them who die in the faith of the Lord. Be dissolued Last of all wee obserue here that the word which the Apostle vses being passiue wee are taught that men shold not bee violent Actors of their owne death but patient sufferers at the good pleasure of God In all the Booke of God there is not asillable allowing selfe-murther The law which forbids to kill dooth first of all forbidde to kill thy selfe I wil require saith the Lorde your bloode at the handes of Beastes at the handes of a man himselfe at the hands of euery brother will I require it And heereby that storie of the Maccabâ—es commending RAZIS for selfe murther may bee knowne to bee but a bastard breath being so discordant fâ—om the rest of Scripture breathed by diuine inspiration of the holy Ghost Ethnikes counted it magnanimity in desperate troubles to dispatch themselues but indeed it is pusillanimity that is a great mind which can endure trouble with patience and it is but a feeble spirit which being impatient of trouble seekes by selfe-murther to eschue it Properly did Ierome call such Martyres slultae philosphiae As to Samsons fact it was singular no more to bee followed then Abraham his offring of his sonne or Israels policie in spoyling the Egyptians which had their owne warrants but cannot warrant vs to transgresse the knowne and common commaundements of God Wee haue a building Now followes the second part of the verse conteyning the vantage we get by that exchange wee make in death to wit that by it wee are translated into a better building where before we enter into the wordes if it bee demaunded what then Is there no more to bee done to the bodie When it is dissolued must it lie still in Dust and Ashes And haue wee no further comfort concerning it The aunswere is that the comfort which here is giueÌ„ doth only concern the soule but if we wil conioyne with this other places of Scripture wee shall finde full and perfite comfort both for body and soule For not only know wee that our bodies shall bee raised vp againe in the last day but that when they shall sleepe in the graue the holy Ghost who now dwelles in them shall watch ouer them to preserue them to immortality from the time wee be dead our bodies are neglected and forsaken of these who loued vs most deerly in our life after that they haue laid vs in the graue they returne to eate and drinke and in their wonted manner to refresh themselues and within short time they quit all remembrance of vs But as to the Lord our God he will neuer nâ—glect nor forsake nor forget that body which he honored to bee his owne Temple dwelling in it by his holy spirite but wil keepe the very dust thereof till he restore it againe to life An example whereof wee haue in the fauourable dealing of God with Iacob who dyed in Egypt and was conueyed to Canaan by Ioseph and Pharaoh his Chariots yet vnto none of them wil God giue the praise of the buriall of Iacobs corps hee is not ashamed to take to himselfe according to the promise hee made vnto his seruant that he would not onely go with him downe to Egypt but also would bring him vp againe to Canaan therby declaring how pretious in his sight the death of his Saints is and how honorable he esteemes these bodies which haue bin the Temples of his holy spirit Now in these words wee haue three things to be considered first what is meant by this building secoÌ„dly how saies the Apostle that we haue it Thirdly what are the properties by which it is described By this building some vnderstands that immortall and glorified body which shal be giuen vs in heauen the same body in substance which now wee haue but transformed and made like vnto Christs glorious bodie and indeede vnto it agrees this description for that body is of God not made with handes not preserued by the helpe of secondarie meanes as is this body which was begotten by our father conceiued by our mother nourished and brought vp to the state wherein now it is by the helpe of hands and again where this mortall body is a temporal Tabernacle the immortall shall bee an eternall habitation All these are true but because our soules shall not dwell in these bodies till the resurrection they cannot bee meant here by this building to the which wee are transported incontinent after death By this building then wee are to vnderstand that place of glory which in the third heauens God hath prepared for his children called in the Gospell the euerlasting habitations and by our Sauiour his Fathers house wherin are many Mansions called by Saint Paul a Citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God and by Saint Iohn called the New Ierusalem a City hauing the glorie of God in it a Citie foure squared in leÌ„gth breadth and height equall a Citie wherein al the Citizens sees the face of God through the streets wherof runs the water of life and in euery side thereof the tree of life this is the glorious building into the which our soules are carried by Angels so soone as they depart out of the body The second thing we proposed here to speak of was how is it that the Apostle saies We haue this building hee saies not we shal get it but that presently wee haue it The reason is because presently wee haue the rights and securities If worldlings account theÌ„selues sure enough of earthly inheritances wheÌ„they haue the charter seazing coÌ„firmation and possession of them how much more arewesure of that heaueÌ„ly building who haue already receiued all these rights and securities thereof from the Lord our God The Charter of our heauenly inheritance is the good worde of God wherein the
Lord of his speciall grace fauour hath disponed it vnto vs Feare not little flocke it is the fathers will to giue you the kingdome besides that the same is left to vs in legacie by our elder brother Iesus Christ who before that hee offered himselfe in a Sacrifice for our sinns vpon the Crosse did first commend vs to his father by an euerlasting prayer Father I will that these whom thou hast giuen me bee where I am that they may see the glory I had with thee from the beginning O most sweete O most sure word What sweeter word can there be thâ—n this that the Sonne in his latter Will will haue vs to bee with him what surer word It is spoken by him in whom the Father proclaimes himselfe to be well pleased and who then will reuoke or annull it Surely most comfortable is it that we haue not onely the Father bidding the son aske what he will and promising to giue it but wee haue also the Sonne asking and in his asking crauing no other thing but that we may be with him Is not then our heauenly Inheritance sure enough vnto vs But we haue yet more beside this disposition made vs of God strong Confirmations thereof for the father hath coÌ„firmed the disposition made by him with an oath that as the Apostle saies to shew to the heyres of promise the stability of his Counsell Again the Legacy made by the sonne hee hath ratified by his owne bloode and the death of the Testator interuening hath made the TestameÌ„t vnchangable and both of them are sealed in our hearts by the holy Spirite of promise whom God hath giuen vs as his witnes his earnest and his seale to assure vs of that which hee hath promised And thirdly the Lord our God by his Stewards seruants whoÌ„ hee hath ordeyned to gouerne his house deliuering to vs in the Sacrament the Symbols of tâ—e body and blood of Christ Iesus hath thereby seazed vs and giuen vs inuestment of our heauenly Kingdome Last of all hee hath put vs in present possession thereof by deliuering vnto vs the keys of the Kingdom which are Faith and prayer by which euery Christian enters in at the doore of that building and gets familiar accesse to the Throne of Grace â—uppose he be on earth he hath his conuersation in heauen talkes familiarly with God his father and viewes to the great delight of his soule that glorious inheritance into the which after death hee knowes hee shall fully be perfited In all these respects it is that the Apostle here sayes not only we shal haue but wee haue alreadie a building in heauen The Third thing to be considered heere is the description of this building wherein first we see how the builder and maker thereof is said to bee God Secondly the maner therof it is not made with hands Thirdly the endurance thereof it is eternal and fourthly the place thereof it is in heauen First then that God is called the Author maker of this building it leades vs to forethink with our selues what a glorious and excellent building it must be Among men theirworks are according to their power and greatnesse â—f Kings goe to build they build Palaces if they prepare banquets they make them royal esteeming it no honourable thing for them to do that which without difficultie may bee performed by the common sort of people When King Ahasuerus made a banquet to shewe the riches and glory of his Kingdom and honour of his Maiestie hee prepared it in a very pleasant place the Court of the Garden of the Kings Palace was decked with Tapestrie of white greene and blew clothes fastned with cords of fine linnen and purple in siluer ringes and pillars of Mâ—rble the beddes were of golde and siluer vpon a pauement of Porphyrie and Marble and Alablaster in blew color the banquet was made to his Princes of an hundred and twenty Prouinces and it lasted one hundred and foure score daies Now if such prouision was made by a mortall man to shew his glory what shal we thinke of that preparation which the eternall God hath made for declaration of his glorie not into the vtter Court of his Palace which is this visible world but in the inner Court thereof the heauen of heauens not in a banquet to last for an hundred and foure score daies but for euer and euer Salomon built a Temple which was iustly counted the glory of the world but God furnished vnto him both the matter for in his dayes he made gold as rife as stones as also the engine for hee gaue vnto Hiram and other Artificers to worke all manner curious worke in Golde Siluer Brasse what euer was excellent in that building was done by the wisedome of God in the Artificer which is but a small sparkle of that infinite knowledge and wisedome which is in God himselfe yet seeing of these earthly materials with the small sparkles of his owne light such excellent workes haue beene done by men as drawes others in admiration of them may wee not thinke that it is a worke farre surpassing in glorie and aboue the reach of all our vnderstanding which hee himselfe without helpe of handes hath built in heauen for the comfort of his children and declaration of the honour of his Maiestie Beside this in iudging of the workes of God we must lay this for a sure ground that the inuisible works of God are alway most excellent In man there is a soule and body both of them very beautifull workemanshippes but that the invisible soule is a far more excellent workemanshippe then the visible body appears in this that whatsoeuer beauty sense agilitie or any other worthy commendation the body hath it hath it from the quickning vertue of the soule without which the most beautifull bodie is but for matter a lumpe of clay for forme like an Idoll hauing eyes but see not eares and hear not feet and walke not And so is it in all the rest of Gods workes the inuisible being euer more excelleÌ„t then the visible this Vniuerse with the plenishing and furniture therof is indeede a comely workemanshippe the Grecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the ornaments thereof the Latines called it Mundus for the cleanenesse and tightnesse thereof but the Apostle comparing it with that building which is aboue calles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is but a figure of a better and more enduring substance which is not seene The most pleasaÌ„t part of this lodging is the sylering thereof the firmament which God hath garnished with the Sun Moone and Stars as it were with shining pearles to giue light by course to all that dwell in it yet is it no more but the nethermost part of the Pauement of our heauenly Palace yea the Sunne which now is the most pleasant and profitable creature that
shame and confusion should be vpon vs and if wee preuent it not we may certainly looke for it Quo enim diutius expectat Deus eo districtius indâ—cabit The second reason that hath mooued the godly sometime to desire a prolongation of their daies is that they might doe the greater good in the body and therefore Dauid considering that they who are gone to the graue cannot praise God to witâ—punc as we doe who are clad with our bodies on earth â—e praies God to releeâ—e him of the heauie sicknesse vndeâ— which he lay And this same also made the holy Apostle to doubt what he should chuse whether to liue in thâ— flesh or to bee loosed from the body thâ— one beeing best foâ— himselfe the othâ—r better for the Church oâ— God And herein alsâ— we are admonished to embrace the Apostleâ— counsell while ye haue time be doing good to all men eâ—pecially to them who are of the family of faith and our Sauiours warning that wee should worke so long as the twelue howers of the day laste But this conuinces thâ— blockish stupiditie of many whom God hath suffred to liue but they do no more praise him nor if they were dead and buried And the thiâ—d motiue is the loue of the body Ineffahilis enim est animi ad corpus affectus And no maruell is it that the soul be loath to sunder from the owne body consâ—dering that the body was created in the greate wisedome and goodnesse of God to bee a companion to the soul and this reason the Apostle touches heere in the subsequent words while he saith because wee would not bee vnclothed for heerein hee declares that the cause why with sighing hee desired to bee clothed with his hoâ—se which is from heauen was not any mislâ—king hee had of the body for hee protests now if it might please the Lord he desired not to want it And this desire in it selfe is not euill otherway it could not bee in those soules which are glorified in heauen for euen they long for their bodies as beeing imperfect without them for by the first creation â—s I said they were made companions and therefore the one of them without the other cannot rest in contentment the body without the soule it is as we see but a dead stocke or carrion of flesh whatsoeuer thing is pleasant in the body be it quicknesse of sense agilitie colour or beauty it hath it all of the presence of the soul in it the soule againe suppose glorified in heauen yet rests not in full contentment till it bee revnitâ—d againe with the body declaring therby that without it it cannot be perfited Consortium enim carnis spiritus non requireret si absque illa consummaretur The soule would not desire the fellowship of flesh if without it it could be perfited but God hath so prouided that souls without their bodies nec velint nec valeant consummari neither will nor can be consummat And therefore is it that the souls while they haue their bodies desire not to want them and while they want them are not content till againe they receaue them And of al this we are warned what great neede wee haue to prepare our selues in time with willingnesse to remoue out of the body for since the Apostle protests that it was greuous to him to suffer the want of his body wee may easily thinke that in regarde of our greater infirmities it wil be much more greeuous vnto vs and therefore are wee to endeuour by grace to make our selues willing to die since by nature we are so vnwilling to it And to this end let vs reuerence the working of our God who seasons the pleasures of our life with many paines and giues vs much bitternesse as Nahomi spake of herselfe to abate the comfort of our beauty while as by heauy troubles crosses hee makes our life vnpleasant and our bodies a burden to our selues This the Lord doth for no other ende but that wee may bee made coÌ„tent willingly to quit our bodies for a time whereas other way if they continued in their vigour and health we wold be loath to want them That mortality might be swallowed vp The Apostle makes cleare in these words that which he hath spoken before obscurely hee wishes so to enter into life if it might please the Lord that he went not to it by the way of mortality but so that mortality might be swallowed vp of that life hee desires not then to keepe still the body and sinne and death in the body this were to put on a garment of immortality vpon the rotten ragges of mortall flesh this were to desire to be glorious without while in the meane time filthy rottennesse and corruption is within the Apostle craues no such thing neither indeede can any such thing be but his desire is so to haue his body preserued and translated into that life that sinne in the body and mortality flowing from sinne were swallowed vp in such sort that no footestep neither of the one nor of the other were â—emaining in the body And this desire also at the length wil be performed in all the children of God when â—his triumphant song shall bee put in their mouthes O Death where is thy Sting O' Graue where is thy victory The Sting of Death is Sinne the strength of Sinne is the Law But thankes bee to God who hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Againe wee are to marke here the excellencie of that life whereunto wee are begotten againe that it is such a life as shall swallow vp all mortality and not suffer so much as any antecedent or consequent of death to remaine in vs The Apostle saieth that death hath raigned from the dayes of Adam like a tyrant swallowing vp in the wide mouth gulfe of mortalitie al generations that haue beene sensyne like the great depth of the Ocean supping vp in her bosome al the riuers of the earth but there wil be a chaÌ„ge for that life for which we hope shal at length swallow vp Mortality death in her bosome all the paines and dolors that goes before it all the rottennesse and corruption that followes after it yea not so much as a teare shall be left in the face of Gods children far les shall any remanents of that poyson wherewith Satan infected our nature bee left in it the Lord shall so illuminate vs with his light that no darkenesse shall be left in vs he shal so reuiue and quicken vs with his life that death shall vtterly bee abolished and he shall so refresh vs with the ioy of his countenance that all sorrow shall flye away yea so wonderfull shall the change be that as a drop of water powred into a great quantity of Wine doth lose the vâ—ry nature of it dum saporem vini inauit colorem and
presence of euill whereof now we would faine be releeued and yet it lyeth still vpon vs. Concerning this last it is a notable saying the Apostle hath we are now in heauines through manifold tentations that the tryall of our faith being much more precious then Gold when it is tryed by fire might bee found to our praise honour and glory at the appearing of Christ there we see that the end of euills which now are suffered to lie vpon vs is the tryall of our faith and thaâ— for our owne greater praise and glory for where no fire is how can gold bee purged where no trouble is how can faith be tryed and where faith is not yet tryed how can it be praised And as to the other when these good things which God hath promised are not seene of vs but hidden from our eyes and delayed to bee performed vnto vs this is also for the tryall of our faith for where we see saluation what praise â—s it to beleeue but where we can neither see nor feele thâ—â—e good things which God hath promised but rather are exercised with contrary terrours and feares if yet wee still cleaue to the truth of the wordofgod that certainely is an argument of a great faith and such was the faith of that woman of Canaan who beeing not onely refused but as it were disdainefully reiected by Christ did so trust vnto the truth of Gods word that constantly shee looked foâ— mercy at the hand oâ— Christ who strongly by word had denied it vnto her and therefore receiued this commendation in the end O woman great is thy faith Thus we see how in â—he children of God all these hinderances which wee hâ—ue to stay vs from beleeuing do so much the more commend and approue our faith vnto God Wee loue rather Of two loues wee see in the Apostle the stronger ouercomming the weaker he loued his body protested before he had no will to want it but he loued the Lord Iesus better then his body and therfore perceiuing that hee cannot now enioy them both together for while hee was in the body he was absent from the Lord he is now very wel content to remoue out of the body that he might dwell with the Lord there is nothing naturally a man loues more then his body nothing he feares more then death because it imports a dissolution of his body but where the loue of Christ is strong in the heart it casts out not onely the feare of death but ouer comes also all other loue whatsoeuer And here haue wee a point of holy wisedome discouered vnto vs by which we may cure that vnquietnesse of minde which arises in vs of the wandring of our affections after secondary obiects the best way to remedy it is to set our affections vpon the right obiects if the loue of the creature haue snared thee set thy loue on the Lord and bend thy affection toward him and the otheâ— shall not troble thee If the feare of men terrifie thee learne to sanctifie the Lord God in thine hart make him thy feare and and thou shalt not feare what flesh can doe vnto thee and if the care of the world disquiet thee cast thy care vpon God and labour by continuance in prayer how to feele the sense of his loue toward thee in Christ and thou shalt finde that where the one care like thornes did pricke thee with sorrowes the other shall bring contentment peace and ioy vnto thee But to returne when we consider this strong loue of Christ that was in the Apostle wee we haue great cause to be ashamed of that weak and little loue which in our heartes wee feele towardes our LORD how many this day professe that they loue him who for his loue will not want the superfluities of this life and what hope then is there that for his sake they will lay down the life it selfe if smaller crosses be vnpleasant to vs and his loue be not so strong in vs as to make vs reioice in them how shall death be welcommed of vs wherin there is a concurse of all crosses into one Wee must therefore learne for the loue of Christ to inure our selues with the beginnings of mortification not onely to slay the vnlawful affections but also to want ouâ— wills euen in those things which are lawful that so by degrees we may be inabled willingly to want the body and all that euer we loued in the body for Iesus Christs sake To remooue out of the body Two manner of waies in this treatise doth the Apostle discribe death first in regard of that which it doth to the body and then he calleth it a dissolution of our earthly Tabernacle Next in regard of that which it doth to the soule and so he calles it a remouing out of the body so that if we will think of death as the spirit of God doth teach vs there is no cause why wee should bee discouraged with it Againe we see heare that the death of the godly is a voluntary remoouing out of the bcdy to dwell with the Lord as to the wicked like as they liue in disobedience so they die in disobedience their death is involuntary that which is spoken of that one wicked rich man O foole this night they will take thy soule from thee is true in all the wicked their spirits are taken from them against their will exeunt istinc necessitatis vinculo non voluntatis obsequio whereas the Godly willingly commend their spirits into the handes of GOD offering vp both soule and body to him in death in a full free and voluntarie oblation This difference betweene the death of the Godly and wicked men may be commodiously shadowed by the fourth comming of Pharao his Butler and Baker out of prison whereof the one knew he shold be restored to serue the king his Master and therefore went out with ioy the other knew by Iosephs Prophesies hee should be hanged within three dayes and therefore if it had beene giue to his choice would still haue remained in prison rather then to haue come foorth to be hanged euen so is it with the godly who are certified before hand that they are receiued into fauor and after death shall haue plaâ—â— to stand about the throne of God there to serue him by praising him continually are well content wheÌ„ the Lord cals them to remoue out of the body whereas the other having receiued a sentence of condemnation within themselues no maruaile they go out of the body with feare and trembling like malefactors going from the prison to the place of execution vincti impliciti catenis variorum peccatorum ad terribâ—le illud iudicium trahuntur Or otherway if at any time the wicked bee willing to dye it is not for any loue or knowledge they haue that they shall be with the Lord but either els because they are impatient of
the well of life and in thy light shall we see light O what a loue of God is here discouered vnto vs Angells made Apostasie from God and mercy neuer 〈◊〉 to them to restore them Man also made Apostasie from God mercy is both offered giuen vnto him to restore him Angells left their habitation and are now reserued in chaines vnder daâ—kenesse to the iudgement of the great day Man is translated from the Kingdome of darkenesse to be raysed vp to the place from which Angels fell And where that state of glory was not made sure to Angels for they lâ—ft their first estate it is made sure to man wee shall so be placed there that we shal dwel there neuer any more to bee remooued from it so hath the Lord declared the riches of his mercy vpon vs his holy name be praised therefore Now out of all this let vs tak vp in one short Sum the reasons which here moued the Apostle and makes all the rest of Gods children willingly content to remoue out of the body we reduce theÌ„ to three First the miserie vnder which weely while wee are in the body Next the Felicity to which we goe when wee remoue out of the body and thirdly the helpes wee haue to carry vs on in this iourney froÌ„ the body to the Lord and these are not vnlike those 3. motiues which made Iacob willing to depart froÌ„ Canaan suppose it was the Land of promise to the land of Egypt wherin he knew his seed shold be afflicted 1. the scarsity and famine which was in Canaan Next the plenty that was in Egypt whereof Ioseph his beloued sonne was gouernor and dispenser liuing there in great honour notwithstanding that all his fathers house supposed him to haue beene dead and rotten and thirdly the oracle of God warrnting him to goe and the Chariots which were sent by Ioseph to helpe him in the iourney but we haue as I said three greater motiues to make vs willing to goe from this Egypt a land of darkenesse a house of vile seruitude and bondage to our heauenly Canaan For 1. what haue we here in this life but a feâ—refull famine and scarsitie of all thinges which are truely good it is not worthy of the name of good which commonly among men is esteemed good non solum quia facilem habeat ad res contrarias conuerâ—ionem seâ— quod etiam possessores suos meliores red dere non valeat not onely because it is easily turned into a contrary euil but also for that it is not able to make the possessors there of any better and what a good I pray you can that bee by which he is not made good that possesses it Beatus ille qui post illa non abiit quae assequi miserum est quia possessa oner ant amata inquinant amissa crusiant happy is he that walkes not after these things which to obtaine is a misery because being possessed they burden vs being loued they defile vs being lost they torment vs and truely no better are the best thinges which growe heere in this land of our Pilgrimage and absence from God Our life is but an exchanging of many sorrowes we liue in the body like Israel in the Wildernesse in danger to bee sting'de euery houre with fiery Serpents like Daniell in the Den in danger to be deuoured by Lyons like Lot in SodoÌ„ vexed with the vncleannesse which is within vs in our selues without vs in others But were it so that we had abundance of good things in this life yet shold webe coÌ„tent to go from them seeing we know that by so doing we shal exchange for a a better for euen now while we are in by body we may finde the experience that at no time wee haue such ioy in the spirit as when by feruent prayer and heauenly contemplation after a sort wee are rauished and transported out of the body to walke with God and haue familiar conuersatioÌ„ with him whereas otherway when the soule comes downe from contemplation to exercice her function by externall senses toward these things which are below then is shee incontinent disquieted with perturbations so that she cannot looke out by the eye and not be infected nor heare by the eare and not bee distracted nor touch by the hand and not be defiled Thus if the soul take a view of the thinges of this world by the senses a world of strange cogitations are wakened in her which quickly againe euanishes if the soule forsaking the familiar vse of the senses by continuance in prayer ascend vnto God Tunâ— anima non fallitur quando solium veritatis attingit quando se sâ—cernit ab isto corpore decipiturenim visu oculorum auditu aurium That same reason by which Athanasius did prooue that the Soule liues out of the body may serue to prooue that it shall liue in greatest peace and ioye out of the body Si enim connexa corpori extra Corpus vitam agit corpore enim in lectulo cubante as velut in morte quiescente ipsa naturam corporis transilit For if the Soule euen while it is knit to the body liues a life without the body as may bee seene in that while the body is sleeping and as it were resting in death the Soule transcends the nature of the body howe much more shall wee thinke that out of the body it liues the own quiet and peaceable life deliuered from this waltring Sea of restâ—esse temptations wherein it is tossed too and fro so long as it is in the body And as to the second if wee looke to these things which are before vs in heauen there is our most louing Father in whose face is the fulnesse of ioye and at whose right hand are pleasures for euer More there is not our yonger but our elder brother liuing and rayning in glorie he once died for our Sinnes but he is risen againe and gone vp before vs to prepare a place for vs. Since hee is the fairest among the children of men and we haue not yet scene him if we loue him why doe wee not long to goe to him Many also of our beloued are gone there before vs to that assembly and Congregation of the first â—orne wherin are the Spirits of iust and perfect men and to the which all these Sonnes of God which shall remaine behind vs shall shortly bee gathered and shall it be grieuous to vs to remooue to so sweete a fellowlowship when it shall please GOD in our coursâ— to call vpon vs. And thirdly we haue most notable helpes giuen of God to aduance vs in our iourney for not onely haue wee the Oracle of God to warrant vs from all euill which may follow vpon our remoouing and to assure vs of a ioyfull welcome Come thou faithfull seruant and enter into thy Masters rest And againe Blessed are
the Temple of hâ—â— spirit â—ut will keâ—pe the dâ—st thereof Iâ—cobs dead body honourably buried by God Three things to be considered here The fiâ—st thing to be considered here is what is meant by this building By this building is not to be vnderstood our glorisied bodies for those we get not till the resurrection But that place of glory into which we are transated aftâ—r death Luke Ioh. Hebr. Reuel The second thing to be considered here is how saies the Apostle we haue this building The reason is because presently we have the rights and â—ecurities of it which are Charter Confirmation Seazing and Possession Of the Charters of our heauenly building Luke 12.32 Most comfortable Meditations Ioh. Psal. 2. Of the confirmation we haue receiued vpon our Charter Heb. 6.17 Of our seazing and inuestment in our heauenly building Of our present possession we haue of that building The 3 thing to be considered here is the description of the building wherein are foure things Fiâ—st God is called the Authour and maker of this building and theâ—efore it must be a glorious house Ahasuerus made a royal banquet in a very pleasant place to shew his glorie Esth. 1. VVhat shall we then thinke of that building and banquet God hath prepared for declaration of his glory The glorie of Sa'omons Temple may lead vs to consider of the glorie of our heauenly building 1. K. 7.14 It is taken for a sure â—ule that the inuisible works of God are most excellent This we may see in the workemanship of man The same is to be vnderstood in the Fabric of this world which is very pleasant and yet but a figure in respect of that which is aboue How farre this visible world is inferiour to that invisible building The 2. thing in this description is the manner of the building Mat. 25.34 The Lord hath prepared that house for vs and also prepares vs for it The glory of both the creations belong to God only Iob. 38.4 Of all Gods workes he craâ—es no more but the praise giues vs the profite Psal. 116. The third thing in the description of this building is the eternity thereof Our present life is but for a moment Basil. in Psal. 143. Our life is finished by many deaths This is made cleaâ—e by parting our life into â—oure ages euery one whereof doth die before we enter to another Since by nature wee loue a long life and care for it why wil we not loue an eternall life The last thing in the description of this building is the situaâ—ion thereof Psal. 16 Dwelling places assigned to men according to the disposition of their persons If such comforts be on earth what may we looke for in heauen Cant. The place of our dwelling admonishes vs that we should be holy and heauenly 2. Pet. The Apostle now comes to shew a threefold fruit of godlines which the knowledge of the glory to come workes in the children of God The first is â—n earnest desire of that glory to come The nature of the liuely knowledge wrought in vs by the Gospell It is not only a mirrour whereby we see God but it is his power whereby we are carried after him How the two lights of heauen shadow two sorts of knowledge in the minde of man The knowlâ—â—ge of many woâ—kes nothing but their conuiction 2 Pet. 2.21 T. â—â—godly while they sigh for things that are to come do thereby declare that they finde no contentment in these which are present Desires in the godly goe besore satisfaction Psal. 145.19 Our perfection vponâ— earth consists rather in desiring to doe as we should then in doing it Aug. in Ioan. tract 4. Rom. 7. God accepts our desires for deeds â—ut this is to â—e vnderstood of true desires which aâ—e discerned from vâ—ine desires two waies 1 True desires are ay the longer the greater 2 True desire uses all meanes lawfull to bring vs to the thing desired An example thereof in Zacheus Luk. 19.2 The desire which worldlings haue of Christ is described The 〈◊〉 of glory â—o come is shâ—dowed to vs by sundâ—y similitudes Rom. 8. No glorious thing but glory it selfe is promised vnto vs. Beâ—â—de fall ac pâ—â—sen vitae The spirit of God vses many similitudes to declare that no similitude can expresse that glory The godly speake oâ—â—e glory to come like men transported For no order of words can be kept in speaking of that which passes vnderstanding Psal. 36.8 The Apostle expones what he meant by wishing to be clothed vpon The Godly in desiring things not absolutely promised submit their will to Gods will Vnlawfull desire of things simply agaâ—nâ—t Gods will shâ—uld be sâ—r srom vs. All Gods children shall come to one end suppose not in one maner Reuel 14.13 The Apostle dâ—sires not â—to want the body if it might stand with the Lords dispâ—nsation How this plâ—ce agrees with Philip. 〈◊〉 where hee dâ—sires to bee dâ—ssolued and loosed from the body Delay of of death is som time desirâ—d of the Godly for three respects 1. That thâ—y may bâ— bâ—tter prepaâ—ed to 〈◊〉 Psal. 39.13 Nazian od suum Animum Nazianzâ—ns doubt whether he should desire life or death A meditation how as Dauiâ— spared Saul sleâ—ping in the campe So God maâ—y â— time hath found vs sleepâ—ng in our sins and hath not sâ—â—ine vs â—ut waknâ—d vs. But our wakâ—ng hath beene no bâ—tter nor Sâ—â—ls working in vâ— a tâ—mpoâ—all râ—pâ—nâ—ance 2 Pet. 2.22 How we should vse the time of life granted vs on eâ—rth is shâ—wâ—d by tâ—e example of Dauidâ— ambaâ—sadors Aug. 2. They desire delay of death that they may doe the greater good in the body Psal. 6. Phil. 1. Gala. 6.10 Iohn 11.19 3. Thâ—y desire delay of death for the â—oue they haâ—e to the body wâ—ich they desire not to want This loue of â—â—e body is not euill in it selfe For â—uen the glorified soule rests not in ful contentment so long as it waÌ„ts the bod Ber tract de diligendo deum Ibid. Vhat great need there is to prepare our selues to die with willingnesse For this cause God seasons to his children the plâ—asurs of their life with bitter paines Yet the Apostle wishes not to kâ—epe the body with the sin and mortality of the body But so that sin and mortality might be swallowed vp in the body by that life as at length it shall be 1 Cor. 15.55 The excelleâ—sy of the life to come it shall not leauâ— any remanent of sinne or death in the body Death like a tyrant hath deuoured al since Adam but shall be deuoured by that life Reuel 21.4 This is expressed by the similitude of a little water turned in to wine â—â—r ser. de diligendo Deo Comfort against the feare of death He prooues that this desire which he had was no vain desire by two reasons 1. First because by Gods ordinance we are appointed to tâ—at immortall liâ—e both in the first and second creation Neitherâ— hath God only