except they bee sent I will not so be content with preaching that I neglect prayer because the ministrie is of men but the grace is from God neither will I so depend on prayer that I despise preaching for hee can neuer receaue grace froÌ„ God who despises the means by which it pleases God to giue it Now as to the fourth whereof wee promised to speake it is a point most necessary to bee knowne for our comfort how we may know whether if or not wee haue receiued this spirit there are many in this age who haue heard the Testimony of God in his Gospell who as yet haue not receiued the seale and Testimony A very lamentable thing indeed for albeit the Gospell be a doctrine of ioyful tydings yet what comfort can it bring to theÌ„ who are not assured they belong vnto theÌ„ The Apostle writing to the Corinthians thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they had hard the word but because the testimony of God was confirmed vnto theÌ„ suchlâ—ke to the â— phefiaÌ„s he thaÌ„ks God not onely for that they heard the word of truth which is the Gospel of saluation but álso for that after they had beleeued they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise but truly as the disciples at Ephesus being asked if they had receiued the holy Ghost answered we know not if there be such a thing as an holy Ghost so is it with many in this age who haue heard the gospel which is the testimonie of Gods loue if they bee asked whether if or not they haue receaued the earnest of the Spirit which is the seale and confirmation of the testimonie shall bee found not to knowe what the earnest of the Spirit is But now to shew in one worde how it may be knowne wheâ—her if or not wee haue receaued him let vs remember that the same holy Spirit which is heere called the earnest of God is also called the seale of God Now the nature and vse of a seale is that it leaues behinde it in that which is stamped by it and impression of that same forme which it hath in it selfe Euen so also the Spirit of God imprints the very image of God in the hearts of so many as are sealed by him in which sense the Apostle sayes that the Romanes were deliuered vnto a forme of doctrine whereunto from the heart they had been obedient thereby declaring that euen as wax is made conforme to the print of the seale vnto which it is deâ—iuered so the hearts of the Godly are made conforme to the Image of God so soone as they are stamped with his holy spirit So that they who liue licenâ—iously after the lusts of the flesh declare themselues to be of their father the deuill because as our Sauiour said to the carnall Iewes they doe his workes and it is but a lying presumption when the like to these men dare say that they haue receiued the earnest of the spirit VER 6. Therefore we are bold FOllowes now the 2. conclusioÌ„ which the certain knowledge of that glory to come wrought in the Apostle to wiâ—te a contentment with boldnes to remooue out of the body that hee might dwel with the Lord and this hath in it more tâ—en is in the former for where in the 1. he protested only he had a desire to that glory yet so that he had no wil to want the body but now hee goes further considering that hee was not able to enioy them both together he protests he was gladly conteÌ„t to remoue out of the body that hee might dwell with the Lorde This meaning of the wordes shall bee cleare if after the sixt verse wee reade the eight passing by the parenthesis which is in the seuenth verse The word the Apostle vses heere signifies such a boldnes as stout-hearted men vse to set against great daungers for where there is no cause of feare where can the praise of boldnesse be there is then will the Apostle say matter of great feare in death I see before mee a terrible deepe and gulfe of mortality through which I must goe many fearefull enemies with whom I must fight before I wonne to my Lord yet am I not affraid to encounter with them Against me is Satan with his principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse but I know that the seede of the woman hath brused the head of the Serpent Against mee are a greate multitude of my sinnes â—nd the terrors of a gilty conscience but I know that Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust that â—ee might bring vs to God so that now there is no condemnation to tâ—em which are in him Against me stands in my way dreadfull death with the horrors of the graue but I know my Lord hath taken away the sting of death and spoiled the graue of victorie Shall I then bee afraide No certainely but through the vally of death will I walke with boldnâ—s â—ill I come to the Lord my God And this boldnesse against death in the godly proceedes not onely from the sure knowledgâ— of a better life but from the present sense and feeling of the same life begunne in them which they know cannot be extinguished by death Notable examples haue we therof in all ages to proue that it is no vaine content but the effectuall power of God working in his children Ignatius Bishop of Antioch beiâ—g brought to Rome in the third persecution which was vnder Traian gaue a proofe of his boldnesse for being condemned to be cast to the beasts to bee deuoured by them hee gaue this answere nihil visibilium nihil inuisibilium moror modo Christum acquiram I stand sayes hee vpon nothing visible nothing inuisible so that I may finde and obtaine the Lord Iesus let fire come let the crosse let beasts let the breaking of my bones the convulsion of my members the grinding of my body yea let all the torments of Satan come vpon me I care not for them so that I may inioy the Lord Iesus And Policarpe who suffered in the fourth persecution vnder Aurelius Antoninus beeing brought to the place of execution and desired by the Emperours Deputy to blaspheme Christ and he would let him goe answered these fourescore and sixe yeares haue I serued Christ and haue found him a good Master to mee how then can I curse my king who hath saued me But if ye will not saide the deputy I will cast thee to wilde Beasts who shall teare thee Call them when thou wilt said the Martyr it is fixed and determinat with mee that from good thinges by repentance I will neuer goe back vnto worse But if ye feare not beasts said the Deputy I shall bridle and danton you with fire thou boasts me said the Martyr with a fire that burnes for an houre and shortly after will be extinguished but knowes not that fire of the iudgement to
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
the grace by which we come to it that the praise of all may returne vnto himselfe alone Who hath also giuen vs the earnest of the Spirit The second argument by which the Apostle prooues that the desire of immortality in the godly is no vaine desire is here that God hatâ— not onely in his word promised to giue it but hath also therevpon geuen vs the earnest of his Spirit and therefore of necessitie it must be performed for God is not as man that he shouldlye or repent the Lord is faithfull and will doe as he speakes This is the greatesâ— argument of comfort that we haue in this life to susteine vs It is indeed much that we haue the word the promises and the Oath of God sounded in our eares and that we haue the sacraments as the seales of God presented to our eares but none of these can make vs sure of a better life after this vnlesse with them we haue receiued the earnest of the spirit into our harts By the workes and word of God wee may know that vniuersall couenant which God hath made with all mankind â—hat he wâ—ll not drown the worlâ— againe with waters for as God in his word hath promised it so hath hee also set his rainebow in the firmament for a witnesse to confiâ—me it By the word and Sacraments all that are in the visible Church may know that speciall cauenant which God hath made with his adopted children but that this same couenant of grace is particularly bound vp with thee thou canst not know except with the Sacraments thou hast also receiued the spirâ—t Now to make this comfort the more sensible vnto vs we are here to consider these foure things first what is meant here by this Spirit Secondly why is it called an earnest Thirdly how is it receiued Fourthly wherby may we know whether wee haue receiued it or not By the Spirit here we vnderstand that speciall grace of the holy Spirit by which the Lord renews strengthens stablishes and confirmes his own children which for the purging vertue that is in it to make cleane them who receiue it is compared to fire and water and for the corroboratins and strengthening vertue that it hath is compared to holy oyntment for the vertue it hath to stablish and confirme our hearts against all doubting is caled the earnest the Seale and the 〈◊〉 And this grace of the spirit is called the earnest of the spirit first for the measure next for the nature and vse therof for now we haue it in a small measure in comparison of that which we shall receiue hereafter And wee are to obserue it against the customable policie of Satan who casts vp to Gods children the smalnes of their faith loue and other graces of the spirit of purpose to driue them to dispaire as if they had no grace at all because it is but small and little which they haue but we are to remember against him that the best measure of grace we haue in this life is compared to an earnest pennie wee will not therefore faint because now wee haue not the fulnesse but rather will be comforted knowing assuredly that the Lord who now hath giuen vs the earnest will afterward giue vs the principall for the Kingdome of God in vs proceedes to perfection from smal beginnings and therefore is the groúth thereof coÌ„pared by our Lord to the grouth of a little grain of mustard seede which in the beginning is small but by time increases to an high tree And truly that same little beginning of grace which god hath wroght in vs howsoeuer SataÌ„ extenuates it labours to make it seeme little in our eies yet is it not smal in our owne eyes but much more theÌ„ he wold with to be in vs therfore doth hee what hee can vtterly to quench it but in vaine this same seed of grace in vs how little soeuer yet is it blessed of God shal grow and increase to cast Sacan vtterly out of that Kingdome which once he possessed in vs for if the beginnings of grace inable vs to resist Satan shall not the perfection thereof much more inable vs to oueâ—come him Now the nature and vse of the earnest is as we know to binde both the giuer and receiuer the giuer is bound by it to stand to his word and promise whats'euer that he hath made the receiuer againe is bound to staÌ„d to the conditioÌ„ whervpon he receiued it here we are admonished that if on Gods part wee would haue his earnest valid to binde him to stand to his promises wee must on our part declare that they are forcible to binde vs to stand to our promised dueties But alas in this generation men liue as if the Lord were onely bound to bee mercifull to them and they were not bound to be seruiceable to him but it were free to them to liue as pleases them The Lord giue vs wise vnderstanding hearts and sanctified memories to remember it as oft as our enemies would solicite vs to transgresse the commaundements of our God that by the bond of creation by the right of redemption by our oath in baptisme by receiuing the earnest of God in our regeneration beside innumerable other obligations wee are bound seruants to the Lord our God with a solemne renuntiation of the Deuill the world and the flesh As to the third the giuing and receiuing of this Spirit it is certaine that the giuing is euery where ascrybed to God as Eph. 1.13.2 Cor. for the ministry of grace God hath reserued it to himselfe the Ministry of the word by which hee giueth grace he hath concredited to men Moses gaue the law but grace comes by Christ Iohn baptises with water Iesus baptises with the holy Ghost Paul may plant and Apollo water but God must giue the increase Yet is it much that it pleses god to giue his grace by the ministery of the word and therfore if we loue the one we must not mislike the other That same holy spirit who commanded Philip to ioyne himselfe to the Eunuches Charioâ— to teach him might by himselfe haue taught the Eunuch but he would do it by the minstery of a man And the Lord might haue caused th' Angel whoÌ„ he sent to Cornelius to haue taught him but he would do it by the ministry of Peter and notable is it that while Peter is preaching the holy Ghost descended vpon Cornelius and his friends Thus we see how God who giues the grace giues it by the ministrie of the word God hath linked in one chain all the meanes of saluation and man should not presse to sunder them they who call on the name of the Lord shall be saued but how shall they call on him on whom they beleeue not how shal they beleeue but by hearing how shal they heare but by preaching and how shall men preach
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.