flesh to the floure of the grasse because as the grasse withereth and the floure falleth away Esai 40.6 so doeth also all flesh and all the glorie of flesh wither and fall away and so by time is worne out The consideration of this poynt made Moses the man of God to lament the miserie of mans life laying it out before the Lord saying Man in the morning he groweth like the grasse inde the morning it florisheth and groweth but in the evening it is cut downe and withereth the time of our life is threescore yeares and tenne Psal 90.5 and if they be of strength foure score yeares yet the strength is but labour and sorrow for it is cut of quicklie and we flie away Now although a life were everlasting and exempt from sinne yet could it not bring perfect contentement to man except it were such as could suffer no alteration If the strong man could continew eternallie in his strength and not become weake he might have ioy in his estate and so also the beautifull man the rich man the honorable man c. but let a man be in never so good estate in this life and as contented with his estae as flesh can be yet all his contentement is taken from him by the necessitie of Change whereto all things vnder the sunne are subiect Therefore for fulfilling of our ioye our God hath prepared a life and inheritance for vs in Christ which withereth not but looke what glorie strength power and maiestie wee shal be indewed with at the comming of Christ in that same glorie strentgh power and beautie of life and in that same measure wee shall continew for ever without changes our life and inheritance suffering neither diminution nor alteration of strength nor beautie nor glorie but still florishing in the perfection of strength beautie glorie and riches and honour This sheweth and teacheth vs what is the difference betwixt this present life and the life to come This life is not perfited at the first but receyved increase and grouth till we come to the perfite stature and strength of a man Therefore it continueth not so but admitteth decrease daylie diminution till at length after long withering it bee all consumed but in heavē at the first we are exalted to the accōplished perfectiō of felicite in that perfectiō we shal continew etenallie our glorie never becōming lesse our ioye never diminishing our beautie never fading our strength never impairing What would not a man suffer for such a life and what would he not forsake to the end he might enioy this life The world must either bee blinde or beastlie without measure that doth not long to be out of this world that they may enioye this blessed estate that never changeth This serveth to comfort vs in the changes of this present lyfe because we know that our estate in heaven shal be exempt from all changes and to incourage vs against al feare that can come vpon the change that came vpon Adam his life in Paradise who being without shame yet was turned to a shamefull state But to cōclude this point the Apostle to the Corinthes setteth forth most livelie these three properties of our estate in heaven in the description of our Resurrection from the dead opponing the present condition of our bodies to the future qualities in heaven and comprehendeth the difference in these three speciallie 1 Cor. 15.42 That our bodies are sowen in corruption are raised in incorruption they are sowen in dishonour are raised in glorie they are sowen in weaknes raysed in power And he concludeth by the fourth point which is as it were the cause of the other three to wit that they are sowen naturall bodies are raised spirituall bodyes Hereby incorruption is expressed the first propertie of our inheritance here mentioned which is immortalitie in the second is comprehended vndefilednes and in the third this vnchangeablenes For our lyfe shal be immortall because we shal be raised in incorruption and our vile bodies dishonorable for sinne and frutes thereof shal be raised in glorie and therefore free from being defiled any more the cause why our life shall not wither is because that our bodyes that are here weake shal be raised in power the cause of all these three consisteth in the different manner of living that we have here and shall have in the heavens because our bodies here are naturall bodies or animate bodies after the life of Adam who was created a living soule therfore is our lyfe subiect to mortalitie dishonour and changes for a soule can not give immortalitie puritie nor vnchangeablenes to a body but in the heavens our bodyes shal be spirituall bodyes after the life of Christ who was made a quickening spirit for by the spirit of life that is in Christ Iesus shall wee live altogither in heaven God being all in all The principall vse of this poynt besides these before spoken is to comfort vs in tentations of this present life when we finde our spirituall changes evē of our life in Christ for the spirituall man is not at all tymes alike his faith being sometimes so strong that he dareth boast with David that although he walked throw the Galley of the shadow of death yet would he feare none evill Psal 23.4 and though an hoast pitcheth against him Psal 27.3 yet his hart should not be afraid At other times his faith becommeth so weake being sore assaulted that his heart fayleth him yea even at small occasions Peter that even now did boast though all the world should forsake his Lord yet would he never forsake him At the voyce of a maide is brought to forsweare him The spirituall man sustayning the same changes that doth the naturall man The naturall life which now doth florish in strength and beautie doth suffer changes by sicknes by age and by affliction that sometimes it weakneth sometimes it seemeth to be quite away when it is oppressed so that the body lyeth as dead in a tranuce even so the spirituall lyfe hath the same fits sometimes the Christian having great difficultie to hold his hope and sometimes being forced to mourne as one alreadie among the dead and one casteth cleane away from the presence of God all sence of the life of God being removed by some extraordinarie tentation or to great securitie in spirituall exercises This doth even the spirituall man finde that in his spirituall life although it never be taken away yet doth it many wayes seeme to decay and sometymes vtterlie to be gone against this griefe have we to comfort our selves with the hope of this estate in the which our life shall never any more be subiect to changes Psal 77. Psal 98. neither shall our soules be vexed with such tentations as now doe bring the strongest Christian oftentimes to a most pitifull weaknes so that their soule refuseth comfort and become so astonished that they can
For which cause the kingdome of heauen is likened to a sower that went foorth to sowe his seed Hither should we resort for God is in the middes of her But let vs remember that it is Ierusalem that is aboue and which is free which is the mother of vs all as sayeth the Apostle For Ismael who was borne of the bound woman Hagar who was the type of earthlie Ierusalem was not the heire but Isaac who was borne of Sara the free woman who was the type of the heauenly Ierusalem the mother of all the children of God He was the heire that is they who are the children of the Law and doe remaine in the bondage thereof are not truely borne of God to the hope of lyfe but they who are begotten by the Gospell in the bosome of the Church set at libertie and walking in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free Gal. 5.1 they are truly begotten of God to this blessed hope because they are after the maner of Isaac children of the promise Gal. 42.3 whereas the other are borne after the flesh The third poynt touching the Lord who begetteth vs to this hope doth teach vs what sort of generation it is that maketh vs to haue this hope to wit a spirituall and no fleshlie birth For as Christ sayeth to Nicodemus in the third of Iohn That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit And it is playne by the Apostle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15. â—0 That flesh and blood can not inherite the kingdome ef God Therefore is it necessary that we be borne as sayeth our Sauiour in the third of Iohn by water and of the spirit that is of the spirit of God who is of the same force and nature spirituall toward the soule touching the spirituall filth of sinne that water is toward the body in bodily filth in washing and purging of it Therefore also is the same spirit in the 4. of Esay called the spirit of burning because as fire to gold so the spirit to vs doeth effectually purge the drosse of sinne For this cause is it also that Iohn the Baptist sayeth Mat. 3.11 That Christ shall baptize vs with the holy spirit and fire for we must be the children of God Rom. 8.17 before we can be his heirs as withnesseth the Apostle both to the Romanes and Galathians Therefore doth the Apostle here giue thanks to God Gal. 4 7. euen for this that he hath begetten vs and so hath made vs his children that we may haue hope to inherite his kingdome The vse hereof is to learne that it is the greatest dignitie and highest prerogatiue that maÌ„ caÌ„ attaine too to be made the children of God Therfore doth Iohn call this a gift of power in the first of his Gospell saying to those that receyved him he gaue theÌ„ this power to be the sonnes of God And in the third Chapter of his first Epistle he esteemeth it the testimony of Gods greatest love to man saying Beholde brethren howe great a love the Father hath given vs that we should bee called the sonnes of God We haue next to consider that this birth must bee after a former birth because it is said that God hath begotten vs againe And Christ to Nicodemus saith plainelie that he that is not borne againe can not see the kingdome of God For our first birth neither maketh vs the children of God neither putteth vs in hope of eternall life Wee may well be the children of Kings of great Lords and Princes and so haue hope of their inheritance by our first birth but though an Emperour haue begotten thee it maketh thee not the sonne of God nor heire of his kingdome And though a begger have begotten thee thou art no farther from the kingdom of God then he that is borne of a king seeing the first birth helpeth nothing to this prerogatiue but it is the second birth that giveth it The estate of man be he what hee will Iewe or Gentile great or small poore or riche noble or ignoble in his first birth which is declared by the Apostle to the Ephesians to wit Ephe. 2.3 that he is the child of wrath by nature therefore can haue no hope but of wrath For as David confesseth of himselfe it is true of all flesh Beholde I was borne in iniquitie Psal 51.5 Rom. 6.23 and in sinne hath my mother conceyved me and the wages of sinne sayeth the Apostle is death this is the inheritance that cometh to vs by our earthly and naturall Parentes of what degree dignity or estate soeuer they be in this world The vse hereof of is twofolde First it serveth to beate downe the pride of al flesh to teach men not to glorie in their bloud nor kinred seeing it is not by bloud nor by the will of man nor by the will of flesh that we are borne the children of God For though a maÌ„ might reckon to Abraham as did the Scribes Pharisees in the 8. of Iohn as to their Father in the flesh yet may hee be still the childe of the Devill as witnesseth Christ of them selves in that same place For as the Apostle sayeth They are not all Israell that are of Israell neyther are they all children that are of the seed of Abraham Yea though a man might reckon his kinred to Adam yet hath he not wherin to glorie seeing as sayeth the Apostle to the Romanes by that one Man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and not only entted but by his only sinne all are made sinners death went over all men Therfore let vs learne the lesson which Iohn the Baptist teacheth the Pharisees and Sadducees in the Gospell according to Matthew Let vs not thinke to say with our selves Mat. 3.9 We haue Abraham to our Father For God is able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham but rather with the Apostle Paul to the Philippians Phil. 3.3 Let vs glorie in Christ Iesus and put no confidence in the flesh although we had all matter of glorying in the flesh that ever man had Let vs learn with the Apostle in that place To esteeme all fleshly prerogative to bee losse yea to be dunge for Chrisles sake that we may gaine him The second vse hereof is to teach vs that there can be no hope of life in a man who is not Regenerate by God and begotten of him againe seeing this is the meane by which the the Lord bringeth vs to this hope and therefore the boasting of the wicked that they hope to goe to heauen is nothing but vanitie and all the confidence they haue is nothing els but a vaine and deceitfull thought of a blinde foolish braine thinking they shall goe to heaven because Christ dyed for sinners not remembring that all who are partakers of his death must needes be renewed in the spirit of
resurrection If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable for besides the crosses and calamities wherevnto we are subiect in this life death cometh in betwixt vs our hope in Christ and it seemeth to cutt vs vtterlie from him all fruition of his blisse For if death had dominion over vs so that the sorrowes thereof could not be loosed but that we should be holden of it what avayled it vs to be in ieopardie everie houre 1 Cor. 19.18 and wherefore should we suffer affliction for the name of Iesus for all that sleepe in him were perished as saith the Apostle in the same place to the Corinthians If there were no Resurrection Therefore to comfort vs not only againstal the afflictions of this present life but chieflie against that last and most fearfull tentation of death the Lord doth instruct vs in the resurrection from the dead This was the comfort that Iob had in all his miseries as he saieth himself That although after his skinne wormes destroy his bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see and my eyes beholde and none other for me though my reynes are consumed within me This also saith the Apostle to the Corinthi was the cause which made him not onely to faint ◠Cor 5.1 but also to sighe Desiring to be dissolved even because he did know If this earthly house of this tabernacle were destroyed he had a building given vs of God an house not made with handes but eternall in the heavens So that death was no terrour at all to him who did know that he which raised the Lord Iesus should raise him vp also and give him a glorious bodie And for this cause is it that Christ Iesus in the sixt chap. of Iohn willing to confirme his assertion and saying That of all which the Father had given him he should loose nothing so oft bringeth in this promise And I will raise him vp at the last day And with this he comforted Martha Iohn 11.2 mourning for the death of her brother Lazarus saying Thy brother shal rise againe And the Apostle Paul writing to the Thessalonians willing to comfort them to stay their excessiue mourning for the dead doth bring in this same reason That they which are a sleepe 1 Thes 4.13 shal rise at the cōming of the Lord. This point therefore must we carefullie hold since without it we can haue no comfort And to this effect we haue next to consider what it is that doth assure vs and certifie our soules that we shall rise againe For it is a matter harde to be beleeved The assurance of our resurrection dependeth vpō the resurrectiō of Christ that the body which is once dead turned into dust shal raise againe The thing that giveth certaine hope to vs of out resurrection is the Resurrection of Iesus Christ our Sauiour If he had not risen frō the dead we could never have had any hope that ever our bodies shuld haue received life after death For this is a sure grounde which we must stedfastlie hold that our God mindeth to doe nothing to vs which hee hath not first done to Iesus Christ our head and Prince of our salvation for our cause For he is as the first fruits in all things Col. 1.18 for in all things he hath the preheminence as saith the Apostle to the Colossians therefore also is hee the beginning and first begottē among the dead And againe to the Corinthians the Apostle sheweth vs that he is made the first frutes of them that sleepe 1. Cor. 19.20 Seeing then that in the first frutes the whole is sanctified no otherwayes It must needs follow that Christ behooved to 〈◊〉 so from the dead before wee could be raised our resurrection depending vpon his flowing from his For as saieth the Apostle in that same place to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15.21 As by man came death so also by man cometh the resurrection from the dead For as in Adam all dye so in Christ shall all be made aliue but euerie one saith he in his owne order the first fruites is Christ thereafter they that are Christes at his appearing Therefore doeth he call him selfe in the 11. Iohn 11.25 chapter of Iohn speaking to Martha The Resurrection and Lyfe Herof it followeth that he who knoweth not Christ to be risen from the dead and beleeveth not that he is risen can no wayes beleeve that ever he shall rise againe to life 1. Pet. 1.21 For this same Apostle Peter in this same Chapter hereafter plainlie witnesseth that God hath raised Christ from the dead and hath giuen him glorie that our faith hope should be in God Wherby he teacheth vs two things concerning our hope First that it must bee in God Secondlie that it can not bee in God but through Christ and therefore that wee could not hope in God that he would raise vs from the dead if he had not first raised Christ our head seeing wee must beleeve in God through him The vse of this point is twofolde First it learneth vs to discerne the trueth and veritie of our hope from the right ground and foundation of it Colos 1.21 For every mans hope must have a foundation to vpholde it even as our faith and hope is the foundation whereby we are vpholden as saith the Apostle to the Colossians Frō the which if we fall we fall from God and from life so our hope hath the same foundation whereby it is vpholden in vs that wee doe not cast away our confidence and reioycing of our hope albeit assailed with innumerable and grievous tentations this foūdation is Christ himself And therfore whyle the Apostle doth exhort vs to constancy in our hope and patient running of the race that is layed before vs vnto the end he willeth vs to looke still vpon Iesus Christ the authour finisher of our faith For if our sight be cast vpon any thing besides him Rom. 4.18 so that we drawe our eyes from be holding him then must our hope faile vs. It is said of Abraham the Father of the faithfull who aboue hope beleeved vnder hope that he should bee the Father of many nations according to the promise that hee considered not his owne body which nowe was dead beeing almost an hundreth yeares old neither the deadnes of Saraes wombe neither did he doubt of the promise but did looke to him who did promise being fullie assured that he was able to performe herein this promise made to Abraham If Abraham had not cast his sight on him that promised that is the Sonne of God but had looked to him selfe or Sara he could haue had no hope of the promise So in the promise of our Resurrection frō the dead to eternall life if we cast our eyes vpon our selues our bodies dying and cōsuming and turning into dust whereof they
conceive of death having no sence nor sight nor hope of a permanent and endles life but the godly man who findeth his inward man renewing daylie and feeling in himselfe the powers of the world to come and being established by hope he is so farre from fainting with present afflictions that he reioyceth in them as saith the Apostle to the Romanes Rom. 5.3 and so farre is hee from being discouraged or affraid of death that he chuseth rather to be dissolved yea many haue refused to be delivered from death that they might receive a better resurrection O if this wretched world did knowe what great advantage the man renewed hath aboue him who is not renewed in the time of trouble and affliction and speciallie in the houre of death which putteth an end to all the ioyes of this life howe much would they esteeme of that renewing grace that bringeth men to the hope of an inheritance immortall and how carefull would they be to finde themselves begotten againe to the hope of this inheritance before that heavie day of death doe come vpō them that they might have comfort against the terrour of it by the sence and feeling of the life of God begunne in their soules which never can be ended but rather perfited by the death of our flesh the soule that hopeth even in dying apprehending eternall life so the hope of this inheritāce which is immortall doth comfort vs against the mortalitie of our present estate and future ruine and destruction of this present world The second vse is to comfort vs against that which we might feare should happē to vs being possest againe with the life of God in heavē evē the losse of that life againe the grounds of this feare may be the experience past in Adam and in Angells Adam being created to the likenes of God being placed in Paradise did nevertheles lose his perfection and lyfe and was thrust out of Paradise Thus left to himselfe hee could neither keepe his lyfe nor the possession of Paradise but loosed both by obeying Sathan who did slay him in making him to sinne Iud. 6. The Angels that were in heaven with God did not keepe their first estate wherein they were created which they did enioy in the presence of God and now are reserved vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Who would not feare at these examples to be deprived of lyfe although once possessed with it that also in heaven Death having overthrowen the life both of man Angell even then when they enioyed all perfection of life the one in Paradise the other in heaven What then is our consolation evē this that our lyfe which in Christ we recover is more sure then the life which Adam had even then the life whiche Angells had by creation for theirs was subiect to hasarde but our life is exempt from all hasard of death therefore are we not to feare that it shall befall so to vs any more as it did to them For our inheritance which we looke for is permanent and immortall therefore after our resurrection wee shall bee no more in feare nor daunger of death For this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shal put on immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 and then shall death be swallowed vp into victory mortality shal be swallowed vp of lyfe 1 Cor. 5.4 and death it selfe that last enemie in that day shal be destroyed for death and hell shal be cast into the lake of fire 1 Cor. 15.26 Revel 20.14 1 Cor. 15.55 which is the seconde death then shal we sing most ioyfully that song of triumph O death where is they sting O grave wher is thy victory Thus this first point doth enceedingly comfort vs giveth vs ample matter of glorifying God that hee called vs who are mortall and corruptible creatures frō this miserable estate to a life that endureth for ever yet doth this next property of this life and inheritance much more comfort the true children of God who have no further pleasure in life it self then so farre as it doeth serve to the glory of God albeit the wicked take no care of dishonoring God so being they may live For hee that is truely wyse knoweth that the life which serveth no wayes to the honour of God shall never procure honour to him that enioyeth it And whē the Authour of his lyfe is nothing benefited by his lyfe it were better for him never to have had lyfe seeing it must needes in the end procure his greater harme and therefore seeing God is holines it selfe and so by consequence a mortall enemie of all vncleannes there can be no happines in a lyfe that is vncleane and polluted For it standeth sure which the Apostle sayeth Heb. 12.14 That without holines no man shall see God For this cause it is that the Saints sighe continuallie in this life 2 Cor. 5.4 because of the burdē of sin wherewith they are burdened knowing that a necessitie of sinning is laid vpon vs whyle we walk in this earthly tabernacle and therefore with the Apostle to the Romanes Rom. 7.24 finding that we are solde vnder sin so that in our flesh ther dwelleth no goodnes and albeit by the grace of God to will be present with vs yet we finde no meanes to performe that which is good because although we delite in the Law of God cōcerning the inward man yet we stil see another law in our mēbers rebelling against the law of the minde and leading vs captive vnto the law of sinne which is in our members Therfore I say with the Apostle wee are compelled to crie out against our lyfe O wretched men that we are who shall deliver vs from this body of death ever wishing and desiring to be freed from this lyfe that is polluted and in the which wee can not preserve our selves from vncleanes And this is the second cause why this present life is miserable in all men of what soever estate they be all men without exception being defiled with sinne even from their first conception Psal 51.5 as being both conceyved and berne in sinne and therefore is it that the Saintes desire to be dissolved because they know as saith the Apostle that if their earthlie house of this tabernacle were destroyed 2 Cor. 5.1 they haue a building given of God that is an house not made with hādes but eternal in the heavens In which house they shall sinne no more because corruption shal be swallowed vp of incorruption By this difference now betwixt this present sinful life that blessed life in holines to the which wee are begotten againe doeth appeare the excellēcie of the one aboue the other so doth give iust occasion to al the godlie to cast the love of this life all things in it farre from them being so disposed by the grace of God that they can not love nor like that whereby their