Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	body_n	soul_n	true_a	7,689	5	4.8842	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77498	The drinking of the bitter cup: or, The hardest lesson in Christ's school, learned and taught by himself, passive obedience. Wherein, besides divers doctrinall truths of great importance, many practicall directions are held forth, for the teaching of Christians how to submit to their heavenly father in suffering his will, both in life and death, patiently, obediently, willingly. / As it was lately presented to the church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel there.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1660 (1660)	Wing B4713; Thomason E1838_1; ESTC R210133	201,893	311

who preferred Barrabas before him Not this man but Barrabas now Barrabas saith the Text was a Robber Joh 18.41 Thus was he despised and rejected of men as the Prophet Isai foretold it Isai 53.3 Made a scorn and laughing stock having a scarlet or Purple Robe put upon him a Rod put into his hand instead of a Scepter a Crown of Thornes set upon his head instead of a Crown of Gold as the story sets it forth Mat. 27. v. 28.29 all to make him a scorn to the people who in defiance spit upon him as it there followeth Thus did he suffer in his Name And so in his Body being buffe●ed and caned as we find it Matth. 26 67. and 27.30 as also scourged v. 26. Now all these were ingredients in this Cup parts of his suffering But the two principals which made this his Cup so exceedingly bitter were these his suffering in Soule and his suffering of death Yet doth he thus submit to both these And the like are Christians to doe if ever God shall call them to the like tryals Christians to imitate him in suffering of both The latter of which they are all sure to meet with what man liveth and shall not see death Psal 89.48 And for the former none are sure of being exempted from it Now as to these two particulars being of so great importance and having so just an occasion offered from the Text give me leave to speak to them severally Begin with the former Suffering in Soul Thus did our blessed Saviour suffer Suffering in Soul not only in the outward man but also in the inward not only in his Body but in his Soul When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin Isai 53.10 that is the whole person of Christ not bis body only but his soul also which suffered in this his passion And that not only by way of Sympathie and fellow feeling with the Body as Socinions would have it but immediately As man afflicted the one so did God the other It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief saith the Prophet in the text last named Afflicting him as in his Body so in his Soul Which he did by inflicting on him a double Punishment such as the damned in Hell lye under a Punishment of Losse and a Punishment of Sense Of Losse hiding and withdrawing himself from him as to his sense and feeling Which he did fully upon the Crosse where being left under a cloud of spirituall desertion he cryeth out in the anguish of his soul My God My God why hast thou forsaken me Of sense pouring a viall of wrath into his soul such as was due unto those sins which he had undertaken So as now even The sorrows of Hell compassed him about as David in another sense speaks of himself Psal 18.8 This Cup did he drink upon the Crosse a Cup of divine wrath Which he had before tasted of even here in the Garden Where we find him in a strange and unparrallelled agonie sweating as it were drops of bloud falling to the ground as before we heard And what could it be that should thus affect his Body but the anguish of his soul then conflicting with the apprehension of that wrath which he was now to feele the wrath of God due unto sinners in whose room he was now to stand as a surety and Redeemer Thus were these waters even come into his soul as David in a different sense speaks it of himself Psal 69.1 And that as I said in an Immediate way Hence is it that he complaines unto his Disciples that his soul was exceeding sorrowfull Matth. 26.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beset and surrounded with grief and anguish And St Mark reporting the same story tels us that he began to be sore amaz'd and very heavy Mark 14.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expavescere gravissime ang● to be in great horrour and anguish Now what could it be that should thus affect him surely not barely the apprehension of those Corporall punishments which he was to suffer This were a thing very dishonourable to imagine that whereas many of the Martyrs have gone triumphing to the stake or gibbet going singing to the induring of far greater torments more cruell deaths then this was that he who was their Leader the Captain of their salvation should fall so far below them in resolution and courage as thus to tremble at the thought of his Crosse Surely there was somewhat more in this Cup which made it so bitter to him And what should that be But his suffering in soul And yet see how having recollected his spirits he here submitteth to the drinking of this Cup the suffering whatever his Father should please to inflict upon him The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it And thus are Gods Children to submit to the will of their heavenly Father if he shall call them to the tasting of this Cup. The tasting of it I say As for the drinking it off that they never shall Christ having drunk off this Cup hath freed those who are his from drinking in the like way that he did They being justified by his bloud shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 This Cup is reserved for wicked and ungodly men who being Children of disobedience are also Children of wrath as the Apostle calls them Ephes 2.23 having wrath for their Portion The wrath of God commeth upon the Children of disobedience Eph. 5.6 This shall be the portion of their Cup which they shall drink and drink it off even wringing out the dregs thereof But so shall not those that are Christs They being Gods Children and Children by Grace the Grace of Adoption they are freed and delivered from wrath Yet not so but that they also may taste of this Cup which sometimes some of them doe Even the best of Saints being subject to spirituall desertions soul sufferings wherein God hiding his face with-holding from them the sweet sense and feeling of his love and favour writes bitter things against them setting their sins in order before them and letting some drops of his wrath as it were fall upon their souls filling them with inward horrour and terrour A bitter Cup of all Cups the bitterest of all tryals the sharpest There being two things principally which make it so 1. Because it seizeth immediately upon the soul Suffering in soul the greatest suffering upon the spirit Those wounds in the body which come nearest the heart are looked upon as most deadly Reas 1 And so is it with those sufferings which come nearest the soul It seizeth upon the spirit The Sword reacheth unto the Soul saith Jeremy Jer. 4.10 It is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart saith the 18. v. there explaining the former And so doth this Tryall it seizeth upon the soul and that immediately As Hectick Feavers and some other diseases in the body which seize more immediately upon

must needs reflect upon their profession What doth the Christian profess which he doth to look upon this World as a troublesome and tempestuous Sea and upon Heaven as his harbour which he is continually bending his course to and shall he yet be unwilling to leave the one and put in for the other when providence cals him to it Such practise doth not answer the Christians Profession 2. A disparagement to Gods Religion Neither is it a small disparagement to Gods Religion What shall Pagans and Heathens who have nothing but false principles to ground their resolution upon viz. that there is no life after death or some airye fances as that by dying in an honourable cause for their Country or the like they shall merit eternall honour to themselves so living when they are dead or some vain dreames such as those Poeticall fictions of the Elysian fields or of Mahomets Paradise an imaginary happiness after death shall these I say upon such grounds be able to incounter this Enemy to look death in the face nay to make a mock and a scorn of it as some of them have done And shall Christians tremble at the thoughts of it What a dishonour is this to Gods Religion As also unto Jesus Christ the Captain of their salvation whose Souldiers they professe themselves to be Which taking notice of let all those who professe themselves the Disciples of Christ labour to work their hearts to such a well grounded Resolution that they may be not unwilling to lay down their body and yeild up their Soules when God shall call for them Q I but you will say how shall a Christian attain hereunto Q. How shall a Christian attain hereunto It is a thing indeed to be much desired that the heart might be thus setled and stablished against the fear of death I but how shall it be brought to this frame this temper thus to look this last enemy in the face with such an unapalled countenance thus to drink this bitter Cup as our blessed Saviour here did with such Resolution such Willingnesse A. A point of great importance A. being of a general an universal concernment Helps prescrib●d well worthy of my paines in speaking and your attention in hearing Were it so that the heart of a Christian were once brought to such a frame that he might stand upon such tearms with death as not to be afraid of it how happy should he be both in life and in death Life would be sweet to him and death would not be bitter To help you therefore and my self therein give me leave to present unto you some brief directions which may be usefull in this way Of these we may meet with many there being no one there more copious then this I shall only gleane as Ruth is said to have done among the sheaves which others have gathered taking up some of those handfuls which they have let fall selecting some which are obvious and usefull These for the help of your memories I shall as in the former point reduce to those two heads of Contemplation By way of contemplation and Practise and Practise Begin with the former 1. Contemplation Where we shall find many useful truths Contemplations which being wrought upon the heart Seriously pondered and considered may serve as so many Antidotes for the preventing or expelling of that slavish and inordinate fear which hinders this resolution Of these some are Morall others Divine 1. Morall Morall or Naturall Considerations such as Sense and Reason hold forth Of this kind are those two obvious ones touching the Commonness of death and the Inevitablenesse of it 1. The Commonnesse of it This is a Common Cup which all our Fore-Fathers have drunk of Death a common Cup. A suffering which daily experience tels us that all sorts and conditions of persons are alike subject unto Be they young or old rich or poore Prince or Peasant Wise or simple How dieth the Wiseman Even as the fool Eccle. 2.16 In this no difference Do not all go to one place Eccles 6.6 And shal we see such crouds going before us and yet be afraid to follow after them Have those who have been before us gone off from the stage of this world to make room for us And shall we be unwilling to do the like for those that are to come after us 2. The Inevitablenesse unavoidablenesse of it Al must drink of it As this is a common Cup so all must drink it As all sorts so all individuals every particular person What man is he that liveth and shall not see death and shall he deliver his Soul from the hand of the grave Psa 89.48 I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living Job 30.23 Now as the Moralist reasoneth Stultum est timere quod vitari non potest A vain and foolish thing it is to fear what we cannot shun Whereunto may be added two other of the like kind viz. The Vanity and Misery of Life 3. The Vanity of this life there being nothing upon earth that can give any true contentment to the Soul Vanity of Vanities saith the Preacher The Vanity of life Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity that is the Tekel which the wisest of men out of his own experience sets upon the world and all things in it Eccl. 1.2 He had tryed all things as he there telleth us what ever might promise any contentment but he could never find what he sought for But the contrary So he informs us verse 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of Spirit Not only not giving any true contentment but creating a great deal of trouble and disquietment to the Soul which is inordinately addicted to them or afflicted with them So as there is nothing which this life affords which being weighed in a right ballance should make a man so in love with it as not to be willing to part with it 4. Nay there is enough in it to wean the soul from it The misery of it viz. the misery of it This Job renders as a Reason why he himself was not desirous to live but rather to dye I am made saith he to possesse months of Vanity and wearisome nights are appointed to me Job 7.3 He found not only no delight and contentment in his condition but a great deal of trouble and misery which made him even weary of his life And the like troubles in some kind or other are all men here subject to Man is born to trouble as the sparks flye upward saith Eliphaz Job 5.7 Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble saith Job Job 14.1 Few and evill have the dayes of the years of my life been saith the Patriarch Jacob Gen. 47.9 Few in comparison with many of his fore-fathers and evill in regard of the manifold

conditions This is the Anchor which he rideth by in whatever storms and tempests When sense and feeling fail he lives by Faith And thus let us learn to live So lived our blessed Saviour in his Passion upon the Crosse when sense and feeling failed him so as he did not finde those sweet influences and gracious communications from God his Father as formerly he had done as to his present apprehension he had even forsaken him of which he complains yet even then he lives by Faith setting that awork still calling God his God My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 Thus did he by this eye of Faith see one contrary in and through another Mercy in the midst of Judgement a tender Father in the habit of an angry Judge And thus learn we of him to live This is the proper life of a Christian to live here not by sense but by Faith The life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God saith Paul of himself Gal. 2.20 Whilest he lived in the Flesh in the body he lived by Faith Faith in Christ resting and relying upon Gods grace through him And thus let us live and that in all estates Whatever our condition be however the Lord be pleased to deal with us Suppose as Hezekiah complains Isa 38.13 he breaketh all our bones as a Lyon or that with Job we feel the Arrowes of the Almighty sticking in us the Poyson whereof drinketh up our spirits and the terrors of God set themselves in array against us as he speaks Job 6.4 or that with Paul we are troubled on every side having fightings without and terrors within as it was with him 2 Cor. 7.5 being exercised both with Temporall and Spirituall conflicts in the outward and inward man both which God 's dearest children are subject to in this life yet even in this condition set faith awork to look through all these clouds that so we may behold our Fathers face see the light of the countenance of a reconciled God and Father in Christ making discovery of his yet continued love and favour to us Q. But how shall Faith make this discovery A. Why by looking through the Glasse of the Promise which represents God as he is not as he seemeth to be And this let us have recourse unto hearkening what the Promise will say to us In our saddest extremities when sense and feeling represent God unto us as an Enemy now hear what the Promise saith That will give us assurance of what we have heard that being once our Father he will be ever our Father So as though he may be angry with us yet he will not utterly reject those whom he hath taken into Covenant with himself If they break my Statutes c. I will visit their transgressions with the Rod and their iniquities with stripes neverthelesse my loving kindenesse will I not utterly take from him so runs that Promise forecited Now the word of Promise is a sure word a word of truth which God will not fail in the performance of I will not suffer my faithfulnesse to fail my Covenant will I not break so it there followeth And therefore whatever sense and feeling say hear what the Promise saith casting our Anchor upon that ground living by Faith in it It is the want of this that maketh Christians so dejected under their afflictions and troubles as often they are Living by Sense a cause of great dejections They live by sense and feeling apprehending God to be as they feel him Whereas if Faith were acted and set a work as it might be what a constant clear Sunshine day might the life of a Christian be Were a man aloft above the Clouds he should see the Sun shining clearly in the darkest gloomiest day of Winter and were the soul mounted as it might be by Faith upon the wings of the Promises what a constant apprehension of Gods love and favour might it injoy beholding God as a reconciled Father even then when there is nothing but wrath and anger in his face Which let all his Children endeavour to doe To close up this point Vse 3 in the last place Is God thus a Father when he strikes Christians to receive correct on from God as from a Father then receive we correction from him as from the hand of a Father So our blessed Saviour here taketh this Cup as from the hand of his Father And so take we all those Cups which he shall reach forth unto us all those Afflictions and Crosses wherewith he shall please to exercise us take them as from the hand of a Father Q. And how is that A. Why With a quiet and humble submission with a reverent and humble submission and subjection neither slighting of them nor fainting under them My Son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction saith the Wise man to his Son Prov. 3.11 But quietly and contentedly submit to his Dispensations Humbling our selves under his hand as St. Peter exhorts 1 Pet. 5.6 So do children if ingenuous well-natured and nurtured receive correction from the hands of their naturall Parents and in like manner receive we chastisements from the hand of our heavenly Father That is the Exhortation which the Apostle presseth and that upon this very ground Heb. 12.9 Moreover saith he we have had Fathers of our bodies which corrected us and we gave them reverence should we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits For within the next Verse he subjoyneth a Reason For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their pleasure but he doth it for our profit that we might be partakers of his holynesse vers 11. Naturall Parents sometimes prove unnaturall to their children correcting them in passion it may be out of some mistake or out of a corrupt judgement so doing more hurt then good by their Corrections But so doth not our heavenly Father who being a wise and mercifull God never correcteth his children but where need is and then he doth it in such a manner as may be for their spiritual advantage so as they may be the better for it And therefore whatever the Rod be kisse it whatever the Cup be take it as from the hand of a Father drinking it not only patiently but willingly submitting our wills to his will So doth our heavenly Pattern our blessed Lord and Saviour However he could have wished that this Cup might have passed from him yet he submits his will to the will of his heavenly Father Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt Mat. 26.39 And this he doth willingly The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it But of this I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter Thus I have done with the Agent who it was that presented this Cup to our Saviour My Father Come we now in the next place to the Action it self

Taking notice of this errour in comparing our selves with others do it in a clean contrary way In spirituals look at those who are above us better then our selves that will breed in us a holy emulation In temporals looke at those who are beneath us in worse condition then our selves of which fort still we shall find some or other this will breed in us a holy contentation Thus stay we our hearts against all those repining murmuring thoughts which might arise in them at the drinking of this Cup. Which is the second Caveat that I propounded Take heed of Murmuring And so in the third place of Fainting Caveat 3 Take heed of fainting A needfull Caveat it being a thing which the best of Gods Saints as I have shewn you are subject to in the drinking of this Cup to faint This we finde Eliphaz charging upon his friend Job cap. 4. v. 5. Now it is come upon thee and thou faintest And there was a truth in the Charge The evil which he greatly feared was come upon him as himself telleth us in the Chapter foregoing v. 25. great trouble and affliction was befallen him and he was not able to bear it Notwithstanding he had been a Comforter of others in their afflictions as the Verses here foregoing have it Cap. 4. v. 3 4. Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees yet now that it came to his own turn now that the Cup was put to his mouth he fainted at the drinking of it Now it is come unto thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled And truly so fareth it sometimes with the best of Saints though strong men in Christ such as have been able to comfort others in their afflictions yet when they come to act the same part themselves God leaving them to the experience of their own weaknesse they droop they cannot bear up head and heart as they should do they are inordinately affected even fainting under their burdens But this Gods people are not to give way to but strive against My Son saith Solomon in the Text forecited Prov. 3.11 despise not thou the chastisement of the Lord neither be weary of his Correction Nor faint when thou art rebuked of him so the Apostle citeth that Text Heb. 12.5 Despising sleighting of chastisements and fainting under them are two Extremes like Scylla and Charibdis a Rock and a Gulf the one opposite to the other Now where Satan cannot dash men against the one he will endeavour to drive them into the other Where he cannot bring them to sleight Gods chastisements he will endeavour to make them sink under them Let Christians beware equally of both Not despising Corrections Chastisements let them not be weary of them faint under them Which two words we finde the Apostle putting together vers 3. of that Chapter Heb. 12. Consider him that indured such contradictions of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your mindes Thus do men being wearyed in their bodies they faint in their spirits Let it not be so with Christians under their Afflictions Though they be heavy and long yet let not them be so weary of them as to faint under them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though they be broken in the outward man in their Bodies in their Estates c. yet let the Inward man be kept whole Ne frangantur animo let them not be broken in their mindes so as to faint under their burdens This is the Apostles advise concerning well-doing Gal. 6.9 Let us not be weary of well-doing for we shall reap if we faint not And make we use of it as to well-suffering Be not weary under Gods Corrections so as to faint when we are rebuked of him To faint under any Tryals To faint under tryals a thing unbeseeming a Christian yea to be inordinately affected with them it is a thing unbeseeming a Christian being dishonourable and unsuteable to his Profession What is it A losse in Estate that thus affecteth him Why he professeth to have laid up his best treasure in heaven where he hath a better and an induring substance as the Apostle calleth heavenly glory Heb. 10.34 Is it the losse of some near or dear Relation Friend Childe Parent Husband Wife a thing which often sitteth as near the heart as any other tryall whatever Why his Profession is to believe the Doctrine of the Resurrection And therefore how is it that he or she should sorrow as others which have no hope as the Apostle saith of Christians immoderate mourning for the dead 1 Thess 4.13 And so is it in other cases Whatever the affliction be yet to have the heart not only drencht which it may be but drowned in sorrow so as thereby to be rendered and made unfit for the duties both of generall and particular calling as often it is it is a thing unsuteable to a Christians profession and no small disparagement to Gods Religion Much it is that Nature being well tutoured is able to do in this way Histories tell us of Heathens such as knew not God never heard of the name of Christ what an excellent temper some of them had brought their Affections and Passions unto so as not to be inordinately transported distempered by any accidents that could betide them And we see it in daily experience how meer civil men such as know not what the work of Grace means have nothing but Reason to steer their course by yet what an evennesse of spirit what moderation and temper do they oft times shew in bea●ing the burdens the afflictions which befall them And shall Nature be able to bear up the spirit in such cases and shall not Grace much more do it Shall Reason moderate Affections and Passions and shall not Religion do it Great cause have Christians many times to check and shame themselves upon this account Alas with what shaking hands what trembling hearts do they often take those Cups which their heavenly Father holdeth forth to them Their hearts even faint at the thought and apprehension of them before they come at them So was it not with our heavenly Pattern here Here was a bitter Cup coming towards him which he had tasted of already and was now to drink it off And see with what a steady hand what a strong and confident resolution doth he receive it The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Herein let it be the endeavour of all those who professe themselves to be his Disciples to imitate him to receive and drink their Cups without fainting Q. Q. I you may say this is a thing indeed which Christians are to endeavour How the soul may be kept from fainting under Afflictions but how shall they attain unto it Sometimes many times it so falleth out that their burden far exceedeth their strength So it fared with the

the spirits and in that regard are more deadly So doth this Tryall seize immediately upon the soul and in that respect is the more grievous and insupportable It is the soul the spirit of a man that beareth up his head in all his sufferings so as if that be wounded and broken what shall support it The spirit of a man will sustein his Infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear saith that Text forecited Prov. 18.14 2. Reason 2 And again in this Tryall God himself seemeth to turn Enemy to a man In this tryall God appears an enemy Whereas in other Affliions he standeth by his people comforting and strengthning them taking part with them or else standing Neuter in this he takes up Arms against them fighteth against them and that in a more immediate way then in other conflicts And upon this account this Cup must needs be more bitter then any other Cup. Yet if God shall please to hold forth this Cup unto his people Yet to be submitted to it is their duty even herein to submit unto his will and pleasure Which they are to doe as not despising it which they doe who looking upon this Affliction of spirit only as some Melancholick Passion sleight it so not murmuring at it nor yet fainting under it Q. How this may be done without fainting I but how shall a Christian be able to do this to bear up under such a tryall without fainting A. A great and a difficult work to doe I confess yet through grace possible To help you herein if ever God shall call any of you to it let me briefly propound unto you somewhat to be considered and somewhat to be practised 1. By way of Consideration seriously meditate upon these three particulars Considerations usefull to this end 1. Look upon others who have had experience of the like conflicts This is not such a Cup but others have tasted of it before us Consid 1 Even this affliction hath been accomplished in many of our brethren Look upon others wh● have had experience of the like in some of the dearest Saints and servants of God Yea few there be but at some time or other do tast of this Cup and some drink deep of it So did Job and David both which among other their sufferings had experience of this this Soul tryall of a spirituall desertion God hiding himself from them seeming to have forsaken them and to be turned against them So we may hear Job complaining Cap. 6. v. 4. The Arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrours of God do set themselves in array against me And again Cap. 13. v. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine Enemy And v. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquitys of my youth And the like sad complaints we may hear from David My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 22.1 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 Mine Iniquities have gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me Psal 38.4 Mine Iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to looke up they are more then the haires of my head therefore mine heart faileth me Psal 40.12 And we shall find that holy man Homan the Ezrite joyning in consort with them Psa 88. Lord why casteth thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me v. 14. While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted v. 15. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrours have cut me off v. 16. Thus were they exercised not only in the outward man but also in the inward having sore conflicts in their soules with apprehensions of divine wrath Now if God shall bring us into a like condition look we upon them and upon the end of the Lord as St James speaks Jam. 5.11 the issue of these their temptations which was very comfortable the Sun in due time breaking out from under those clouds God lifting up the light of his countenance upon them as formerly But above all look we up as the Apostle directs us unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith Specially look upon Christ who suffered the like nay infinitely more of this kind in the Garden and upon the Cross as you have heard Now where a Patient seeth his Physitian but taste of his Cup it is some incouragement to him to drink it And this hath Christ done for us nay he hath not only tasted of this Cup but drunk it off So then if God will have us to pledge him to taste of the like Cup be not dishartened and discouraged by it Taking notice 1. That this is a part of our conformity to Christ And 2. That Christ having been thus tempted himself which he was how else saith the Apostle that he was in all points tempted like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we are Heb 4 15. having had experience of this soul-conflict he knoweth both how to pity and how to succour those who are thus tempted as the same Apostle tels us Heb. 2.18 Obj. Obs I But Christ had no sins of his own set before him Christ had no sins of his own which we have So as his condition was different from ours A. A. Though he had no sins of his own yet he had the sins of others Our sins were made his our sins charged upon him as being our surety which by this meanes were made his own He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 5.21 However he knew no sin experimentally as being guilty of it in himself yet he was made sin viz. by way of imputation having the sins of all his elect people put upon his account in whose room he then stood He his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree or to the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tree of the Crosse Consid 2 1 Pet. 2.24 Now this was all one as if these sins had been his own What is it that a Christian liveth by not Assurance but Faith as to the guilt of them But to pass on Let a second Consideration be What it is that a Christian liveth by what it is that his salvation depends upon Not Assurance but Faith The just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Now Assurance and Faith are two different things Assurance not being of the Essence of Faith as by some it hath been mistaken Faith being properly a Recumbencie a Reliance and resting of the soul upon Christ This is Faith true justyfying and saving faith A believing in Christ or on him God so loved the World that be gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish Joh. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In eum on him Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉

see all in him see all things after another manner then here it doth When that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.10 And as perfect knowledge so perfect Love Love Seeing God as he is it cannot be but the soul must be inflamed with Love to him And so perfect Holinesse This Christians are here called upon to endeavour after Holinesse Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holynesse in the fear of God so the Apostle exhorts 2 Cor. 7.1 But this while we are here we shall never attain unto But comming to see God now shall we be like him holy as he is holy being perfectly restored to that Image of God wherein man at the first was created consisting in Knowledge Holinesse and Righteousnesse Such is the perfection of Grace which the soul attaines by this beatificall vision 2. And as Grace so of Glory Like as silver or gold being set against the Sun Of glory by the beames thereof cast upon it it becommeth radiant and shining So shall it be with the soul by beholding the glory of God it shall it self be made glorious Such a glory had Moses put upon his face when he beheld the glory of the Lord having so near a communion with him upon Mount Sina the skin of his face did shine saith the story so as Aaron and the rest of the Children of Israel were not able to behold him Exod. 34.29.30 Such shall be the glory of the glorified soul having communion with God in Heaven and there beholding his glory it shall be made glorious This office doth death perform unto the believer it letteth in his soul into the presence of God whereby it becommeth perfect with perfection of Grace and Glory 2. The believer by death brought into the presence of Jesus Christ to have a full communion with him To this add It brings him also into the presence of Jesus Christ from whom while he is here he is absent While we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. 2 Cor. 5.6 But now death brings the soul into his presence to have a sweet communion with him A consideration which made the Apostle not only averse to death but desirous of it I desire to depart and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 This it was that made him so confident and resolute as he was not to regard life or fear death as he there telleth his Corinthians 2 Cor. 5 6.8 Therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that whilest we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord Which elswhere he concludes to be far better for him then to live here Phil 1.23 To see Christ to be with him to injoy him to have a full communion with him what happinesse shall this be to the soul And this doth death bring the believer to 3. As also to Communion and Fellowship with blessed Saints and Angels Also to Communion with Saints and Angels With them the believer hath Vnion whilest here upon earth Ye are come unto mount Sion saith the Apostle to his believing Heb●ews and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.22 23. Being true believers they were now made members of the Mystical body the Church whereof the one part is upon earth the other in heaven they had union with Saints and Angels being united to them by faith and Love which all Believers are But now by death they come to have a full Communion with them to see them to injoy them to have converse and society with them joyning with that heavenly Quire in singing Halelujahs to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for Ever and Ever Here is now the good which death bringeth the believer to and putteth him in possession of The thought whereof being seriously set on upon the soul it cannot but work it to a willing receiving and imbracing of such a messenger as bringeth tidings of so great good unto it Anticonsiderations or Objections answered I but it may be said though it be thus with the Soul yet in the mean time what becomes of the poor Body Obj. 1 Though the soul gain by death yet the body looseth Though the soul he a gainer by death yet the Body is a looser by it Though that return to God that gave it yet this goeth to the grave where it is subject to Corruption Which maketh our Saviours case and ours far different As for him he knew that though his Body being severed from his Soul for a time should lye under the power of death yet it should not see corruption So David had foretold it Psal 16.10 Where personating of Christ as Peter expounds it Act. 2.31 He foretelleth what manner of death his should be Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor suffer thine Holy one to see corruption And this our Saviour himself well knew who foretold his Disciples how though he were killed yet he should rise again the third day Mat. 16.21 And upon this account he might be more willing to dye But it is otherwise with other of the sons of men That which Paul saith of David that he saw Corruption Act. 13.36 is noe less true of others Be their Bodies never so richly embalmed yet will not that preserve them from putrefaction So much the Psalmist willeth the great men of the world to take notice of Psal 49.6 7. They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches None of them saith he can by any meanes redeeme his brother and so not themselves that he should still live for ever and not see corruption Such is the common fate None but must expect to have their bodies lye rotting in the grave in that land of forgetfulnesse as the Psalmist calleth it Psal 88.12 Where as they forget all that was done upon earth so they are forgotten by those they leave behind them Being laid up in the earth there the worm feedeth sweetly on them and they shall be no more remembred as Job faith of the cruell Oppressours Job 24.20 Now this is a thing which flesh and bloud cannot but look upon with great reluctancy the thought whereof may well make it loath to lay down the body upon such tearms To return an answer to this and some other Anticonsiderations or Objections of like nature which men are ready to take up and make use of in this way as discouragements hindring them that they cannot so willingly drink this Cup submit to the stroake of death as