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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68672	Certaine sermons, vpon seuerall texts of Scripture: preached by that reuerend and faithfull seruant of Iesus Christ M. Robert Rollok, minister of the Church (and rector of the Colledge) of Edinburgh. Whereof the first eleuen were before published, and the remnant seuen, are newly adjoyned thereunto; Certaine sermons upon severall places of the Epistles of Paul	Rollock, Robert, 1555?-1599.; Charteris, Henry, 1565-1628.; Arthur, William, fl. 1606-1619.	1616 (1616)	STC 21272; ESTC S116139	202,286	389

to remooue out of the bodie and to dwell with the LORD There are two good thinges The one confidence the other light The Apostle maketh a choise heere he will leaue confidence here in the bodie and hee chooseth to die that he may attaine to the light and in this respect he would change all the confidence hee hath with death Thou wil● not change a foot of earth with death but th' Apostle will change confidence with death and confidence is more preciou than all y e earth Few will doe this and yet thou wi 't die and thou hadst sworne it Well is that bodie that is so resolued to die as Paule was But maketh Paule a choise of death for death it selfe Certainely no man wil choose death for death it selfe for except the LORD lighten death and transforme it it is an entrie to Hell And if thou haue none other respect in death but to be quite of this miserable life as some will s●y Would GOD I were dead that I might bee quite of this miserie thou shalt bee in greater miserie after death than euer thou was whilst thou was liuing What then should bee the speciall cause that should mooue a man to say Would GOD I were dissolued euen this I am burthened with sinne I am burthened with mortalitie This burthen should bee a great motiue Well is the soule that is freede of sinne What pleasure is it to a soule that woulde faine serue GOD to liue euer in sinne Nay no pleasure This is the speciall motiue that should mooue vs to make choise of death To bee with IESVS CHRIST to dwell with Him and to bee in His companie in the participation of that glorie that is in the countenance of CHRIST For that ca●se I would flit that I might bee with my LORD and embrace that joye So as the miserie of this worlde will put thee forwarde to GOD. so the sweetenesse of CHRISTS companie will draw thee forward Then to ende The Apostle hath preconceaued in himselfe a wonderfull joye of that glorie when hee sawe it not yet so must wee doe All his walking was by faith and not by sight but hee seeth before the hand an Heauenlie joy and pleasure in respect of that ●ruition that he shall once get of the countenance of CHRIST This shoulde learne thee to looke euer for more than thou ●eest thinke not that thou hast seene all the glorie that shall come to thee and hast felt all the pleasures that are laid vp for thee in Heauen But thinke that there is greater joye and glorie there thā euer thou couldi heare of for CHRIST him selfe neuer vttered al the glory that is laid vp for the Sainctes All that wee see heere is but in a mirrour All the glorie of CHRIST in the Scripture is but in a mirrour li●e as when the Sunne shineth in the mirrour thou lookest not to the Sunne that shineth but to the glauncing thereof in the mirrour And as there is greater shining in the Sunne than in the glauncing thereof which thou seest so thinke euer there is greater glorie in Heauen than euer thou hearde of in the Scripture Suppose not that thou canst thinke of the joyes of Heauen as men on earth thinke on earthly thinges Who can thinke a thing greater than it is No the glory of Heauen and the joye with CHRIST mounteth vp aboue the reach of thy faith and hope and all thing that is able to conceiue the same It mounteth vp higher that the Heauen of Heauens is aboue the earth Therefore thinke not with thy selfe it is too much that I looke for Thou failest only in narrownesse thy Faith and Hope is so narrowe that they cannot comprehende the thousande part of that glorie And so wee should say I hope and I belieue more than I am able to comprehend And here is the cause that thou canst not get that full sight of glorie that is laide vp for thee The weake begunne grace of Faith and the Spirite of GOD in thee is not able to attaine to the thousand part of that glorie The LORD giue vs grace to preconceaue this glorie in some measure that wee may seeke the same and say with PAVL I haue Faith and Hope but that glorie passeth all The LORD grant vs this euen for CHRISTES sake So bee it THE THIRD SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 9 Where●ore also we couet that both dwelling at home and remoouing from home wee may bee acceptable to Him verse 10 For we must all appeare before the judgement seate of CHRIST that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his bodie according to that that he hath done whether it be good or euill verse 11 Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORD wee perswade men and wee are made manifest vnto GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences WEe haue hearde Brethren these dayes past the remedie that the Apostle setteth downe against this temporall death the dissolution of the body In a worde it is a full assurance and perswasion of the heart that when we are dead concerning the body yet we shall liue againe and shall receiue at the handes of God a more glorious body than euer this bodie was It is an harde matter to get this assurance for the naturall reason of man cannot nor will not perswade him that hee once beeing dead the bodie beeing dissolued in ashes that euer that bodie shall bee recouered againe Therefore the Apostle bringeth in three argumentes of this assurance The first is the earnest desire that the Godly haue in this life to be glorified It is a thing impossible that this desire can bee in vaine Hee that giueth thee a desire of glorie and sighing for it He must giue thee the life and glorie that is desired and sighed for For otherwise Hee would neuer giue thee grace to sigh once for this life and glorie except Hee were purposed to put thee in possession of that glorie one day The second argument is taken from our regen●ration or the end of our regeneration GOD is Hee that maketh vs of new againe after we were dismaide by the fall of Adam Hee createth vs of newe againe to this ende that wee should liue the first creation It ended indeede and wee haue lost the right thereof euen in the first creation Wee were created to liue euerlastingly yet wee died But the second creation in IESUS will neuer breake but as in him wee are renewed to life liue shall wee in the Heauens euerlastingly it can neuer faile Peter saith in his first epist chap. 1. vers 3. Wee are regenerate againe into that liuely hope The third argument is the Spirit of CHRIST whereby GOD worketh in vs both the desire and regeneration hauing once giuen vs that Spirit He taketh Him not from vs againe but letteth Him dwell in soule and bodie to bee an earnest-pennie in vs assuring vs He shal neuer leaue vs till the whole promises in

nor seek to none other thing but to the pleasing of that fleshly body without regarde of the precious soule alas in pleasuring thy bodie thou losest thy soule thou makest thy bodie thy Heauen and thou testifiest plainly that thou wantest that light and sense of that Heauenly bodie which shall be after this life Thus farre for the description of the death of the body which is the house of the soule learning vs to esteeme of the soule and body as they are indeed and that not with a fleshly sense but with the Spirituall eyes of Faith Nowe wee come to the life that is contrarie to death There is two partes of man his soule and bodie this glorie of the which wee speake is not the glorie of the soule onely but the glorie of the bodie likewise a glorie belonging both to soule and bodie Wee saieth hee shall get a building not a sillie house as this earthly body was but a faire building Hee calleth the body which wee haue presently an house but the body which we shall get hee termeth it a building Thou gottest this bodie from nature that other is aboue nature nature cannot giue thee that other bodie GOD shall giue thee it aboue nature and against nature What building is this It is an house not builded with the hands of men it is builded with GODS owne hand the LORD immediatelie with his owne hand builded vp this building The former house of this body was vnstable and had no abiding for this body passeth away but this second building is an house that shall neuer fall nor slit but shall be eternall When thou shalt get this building thou shalt not need to be afraid for the dissolution thereof it shall neuer be dissolued Where shall this building be builded men regard much situation in building this house in the which we dwel here it is builded in the earth and it is a tabernacle pitched somtimes in this place somtimes in that place but the situatiō of this building shall bee in the Heauen for I assure thee when a man is once glorified entereth into that glorie hee shall no more returne to the earth The earth cannot beare a glorified person Christ beeing glorified coulde not abide in the earth but He went to that glorious mansion in the Heauens Thou shalt no sooner bee glorified but thou shalt mount vp to Heauen as CHRIST did Well then there is the glorie and there is no worde heere but it aggregeth that passing glorie Euerie worde l●tteth vs see the greatnesse of that glorie and yet it is not all tolde Nay Paul cannot tell thee all the glorie that shall bee in the glorified bodie he hath giuen but a little inckling of it It is but a building whereof hee telleth thee Yet marke Who is this that speaketh this It is Paul How speaketh he it by faith Is it his mouth that speaketh it no it is the soule that lodgeth in the bodie that falleth out in the extolling of that building that it shall dwell in As a sillie man in a cottage appointed to glorye shoulde saye I am nowe sitting in a sillie house but I shall once sit in a glorious Palace So marke Faith will cause the soule mount vp aboue the bodie and whilst the soule is in the bodie Faith and Hope will lift it vp and put it in a maner into Heauen Therefore this same Paul saith in the third Chapt. to the Phillip the 30 vers By Faith and Hope hee had his conuersation in Heauen while hee was yet dwelling on the earth Get therefore Faith and Hope that entereth thee into the possessiō of that glorie and before the soule bee seuered from the bodie they will in a maner put thee in possession thereof It is the too-looke to heauen that maketh the soule of Paul to rejoyce in this glorie The cottager that hath not a too-looke to a better house is a foole to despise his cottage but hee that hath a too-looke to a better who can blame him to despise this cottage I will tell thee my counsell before thou dislodge out of this bodie for as fraile as it is be assured of a better goe not out of the house doore except thou knowe that thou shalt enter into a glorious house I assure thee if thou bee not prouided for a better house and haue not Faith and Hope of a better than that which thou lodgest in thou shalt enter in a worse thou shalt get that bodie againe which was euill before but then it shall bee a thousande times worse for the soule shall bee shot into that bodie againe and then thou shalt be shot both soule and bodie into that foule dungeon of Hell So brethren looke for a glorious building thou that esteemest not of this bodie bee carefull for a better A vaine prodigall man will cast his soule out of this bodie and in the meane time will not bee prouided for a better lodging thereto Hee is not esteemed a man in these dayes that wil not hazard and cast out his life for an euill cause and quarell Trustest thou that that soule of thine shall get any better lodging hereafter and thou not prouided thereof by Faith and Hope here nay nay O blessed is that man that dieth in a good cause And what better cause can be than Christes cause who is the God of life Assure thee thou that wilt die for Christs cause thou shalt get a building in Heauen thou that takest no care of this life for Christs cause death shall be aduantage to thee The Lord graunt vs a too-looking to that Heauenlie building an assurance of that Heauenlie life Thus much for the assurance that Paule hath that hee shall dwell in Heauen Nowe in the verse following learne howe hee groundeth this assurance and what warrande hee hath for him Faith is not a word as to say I belieue and Hope is not a word as to say I hope Nay but thou must haue a warrand of thy saluation in this life or else I assure thee in the Name of GOD thou shalt neuer get Heauen It is a straite way to come to Heauen and it is wondrous hard to get the assurance of it It is no small matter to get an assurance of life euerlasting after death Then looke what warrandes this man PAVLE had that thou mayest preasse to haue the like The first grounde of his assurance is in this seconde verse For this cause saieth hee wee sigh desiring to bee clothed to put on as it were a garment Wherewith With our house which is from Heaven These are his wordes Then his first warrande and ground of his assurance is a desire of that same glory What sort of desire An earrest desire with sighing and sobbing not a colde desire but day and night crying and sobbing for life Thinkest thou so easily to get Heauen that canst neuer say earnestly in thine heart GOD giue mee that Heauenly life no thou wilt bee

it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakenesse and is raised in power The weakest bodie in Heauen shall be stronger than the strongest man in earth Then saieth hee it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie So the change is in qualitie and therefore he saith to the Philippians chap. 3. vers 21. When CHRIST commeth Hee shall transforme not abolish but transforme in qualitie our vile bodies like to His owne glorious body Christ keepeth in y e Heauen that same very body which he had in the earth thou shalt keep the same bodie in Heauē which thou hast in earth but it shall be altered in qualitie as far as y e Heauē earth is different Brethrē this ministreth comfort there is none of vs but naturally we loue this body then let this comfort thee that suppose thy soule shall bee for a time without this bodie yet thou shalt get it again Another comfort death cannot destroy it the graue shall not bee able to swallow vp that body but the graue shal keep it the dust substance thereof till the comming of Christ then it shall be compelled to render it againe Life shall swallow vp death but death nor the graue shall not be able to swallow vp the bodie of God● Elect But the reprobate shall be swallowed vp of death both in soule bodie In the 8. chap. to the ROMANES the 10. and 11. verses Paul ministreth these two consolations against death Hee saieth The bodie must die because of sinne but hee subjoyneth The soule in the meane time shall liue and the Spirit of Iesus shall take it couer it with that blood And albeit it was a sinfull soule yet assoone as the Father blinketh vpon it wimpled and wrapped as it were in the blood of Iesus immediately hee biddeth it passe to glorie He goeth forward And where it might haue bene said shall we haue no consolation in the body He answereth If the Spirite of Him that raised Iesus from the dead dwell in your mortall body what then He that is GOD the Father that raised vp Christ from the dead He by His Spirit shall raise your bodies that same body that is dead and laid in graue that same body by Gods Spirit for the Spirit of Iesus and the Spirite of the Father is all one shall be raised vp Learne then if this holy Spirit of God once take lodging in you He shall neuer leaue you in soule nor body He shal accompanie the body in the graue and conuoy the soule to Heauen The Spirit of Iesus shall goe with y e soule lift it vp The earth getteth the body when the soule is separated from it yet the Holy Spirit shall goe to the graue with the body and shall remain with it in the graue and with the least part of the dust thereof And when Christ shall come He shall gather it together and make it a whole body So happy are they that haue once lodged this guest in their soules for neither fire nor water nor none other power euer shall bee able to destroy them because that Holy Spirit euer remaineth with thē Now in the next verse because it might haue bene said and objected Thou wouldst not want the bodie why sighest thou then and what meaneth this desire if thou wouldst keepe the body Wee the faithfull that are in this tabernacle we sigh are burthened but marke our desire because wee would not be vnclothed as some will say Soule to God and bones to the dung-hill in contempt of the body but thinkest thou to be glorified in Heauē without a body No but would be clothed vpon that mortalitie might bee swallowed vp of Life As if hee would say I wold haue this faire cloke of glory put vpon this body that it might consume and swallow vp all this stinke of sinne that is in the body Learne then first the body as it is now is a burthen Hee saieth Wee that are in this tabernacle sigh and are burthened It is a loade laide vpon the backe of the soule it is a tabernacle but a burthenable tabernacle as an house smoothering him down and he holding the same vpon his shoulders that appearantly it would be better for him to bee out of it Learne secondly the estate of them that dwell in this tabernacle If the body be a burthen then the soule must sigh grone as a man vnder a heauie burthen And the body is nothing but an house of mourning to the faithfull soule as long as it dwelleth therein The wanton light man thinketh this body which he beareth about to bee no burthen and will run and leape with it as though this carcasse were as light as a fether Alas hee feeleth not the burthen hee is senselesse and like one in a feuer and in a rage that knoweth not what hee doeth nor what hee suffereth A mountaine is lying vpon him and hee feeleth it not Woe to those men that are so wanton vnder this miserie Amend in time or the LORD sh●ll thrust thee downe to Hell Fye on thee that dwellest in Bethania the house of mourning canst not mourn Mourne in time or else I assure thee thou shalt mourne for euer This beeing the condition of men who dwell in this tabernacle sighing and desiring as a wom●n with childe to bee relieued what is the ende of this desire The ende of the mourning of the Godlie is not that they woulde bee quite of the house as manie desire that were wrong for manie will mourne vnder this house desperatelie and the bodie will bee a burthen to the soule in them and their life will be vnpleasant to them they will thinke to get a reliefe of the burthen by the want of this present life and will put hand in themselues but then beginneth their euerlasting mourning for they neuer knew what mourning was till that end come So then this is not the way to bee deliuered of the burthen but the way is To seeke to put on a cloathing on this bodie and heere is the ende of our desire It is clothed with mortalitie and that is all the matter of thy mourning It is not the substance of the bodie that causeth thee to mourne but sinne that possesseth thy bodie and corrupteth the marowe of thy bones death accompanying sinne Then this mortalitie beeing an accident of sinne which is the chiefe cause thereof the remedie is Seeke to bee cloathed with the life that commeth from Christ Sucke in by Faith a droppe of that life of Christ This will not destroy thy bodie but it will destroy the death sinne that possesseth thy bodie And the life of Iesus Christ in a moment wil swallowe vp all that death and sinne and all that miserie that laye on thee There is the way to dwell with ease in the bodie Seeke not to destroy the bodie But seeke the slaughter of that sinne and death that lieth

thee and holden vp before thine eyes then He sendeth His torturer saith Go thy wayes Sathan and plucke out the eyes of this bodie then hee plucketh out the eyes of thy mind immediately and God giueth thee ouer to a reprobate sense and this is it which the Apostle saith of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 28. It pleased them not to retaine God in knowledge therefore God gaue them ouer to a reprobate sense And Ephes 4. 18. Hauing saith he their cogitations darkned and beeing strangers from the life of God thorow the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heartes There plainlie hee letteth vs see that the hardnesse malice of their heartes bringeth on this ignorance and blindnesse Therefore beware of this malice and put it out of thine heart or else thou shalt bee carried blindlinges to euerlasting damnation suppose thou bee an Earle or a King what regarde hath GOD of persons Now Brethrē there are some words that I must weigh to you as the Lord shall giue me the grace I shall repeat them marke ye with me if they be not weighty That the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God shuld not shine vnto thē or spread His beames vpō them ye know anie man y t hath knowledge knoweth that this might haue bene spokē in fewer baser words but the Apo. cōtents not himself with base words in such a matter but saith that y e light of the glorious gospel c. Well is there one word here in vaine and is there any chāge of words made for nothing are simple base words changed into glorious words for nothing no alas we cannot see this and it is one of the things in the world that I would fainest haue you to vnderstand what moueth the Apostles and Prophets to vse such an high language and set vp a thing in such glorious tearmes the which they might vtter in baser tearmes Thinke not that the men of God Prophets and Apostles haue spoken as we say hyperbolicè great and loftie words greater than the matter These wordes are borrowed words and they are borrowed from the most glorious thing in the earth and yet they attaine not to the thousand part of the things which by them he would expresse All the high wordes that a man can vse to expresse y e glorie of Christ are not able to expresse the thousand part of that glorie But to come to the purpose Ye haue set down first in glorious tearmes the effect of the Gospell it is set down in shining and beames thereafter ye haue set downe the Gospell it selfe To come to the first The most glorious thing that a man can see in this earth is the shining of the Sunn which the Lord hath fixed in the Heauens The pleasandest thing that a man can looke to when he hath looked to all these earthlie thinges is the glauncing of the Sunne in a faire day And therefore ye see the glorie of the Sunne is described very highlie by Dauid in the 19. Psalme To applie this Euen so the effect of the Gospell beeing the most glorious effect that euer was wrought the Spirite of God setteth it out by the most glorious thing in the world the spreading of the Sunne beames And surelie suppose there were no more but this word Shyning it letteth vs see a wonderfull effect of the Gospell in the hearts of men and women Ye see by experience the beames of the Sunne suppose they were neuer so bright will neuer alter the bodie which they shine vpon nor make it bright like themselues the sunne hath shined this long time in the world but yet by shining it could neuer so trans-change any creature that it coulde become as bright as the Sunne it selfe It may well let thee see the bodie that is opacum as wee saye darke obscure so long as it shineth but as soone as it is remooued the bodie is darke as it was before But as to the Gospell The Gospell with the beames of it not onelie maketh the object wherevpon it shineth to be seene and to appeare but it doeth more it transformeth the soule of the man or woman into that same light and brightnesse that is in it That is to say The face of IESVS the Sunne of righteousnesse that shineth in the Gospell when the beames of it striketh vpon thy soule they make it lightsome and bright like the face of Iesus they turne the soule in the shape of the face of IESVS that shineth in the Gospell Would yee haue Scripture for this looke the last verse of the chapter going before We behold saieth hee as in a mirrour the glorie of God with an open face and are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie as by the Spirit of the Lord. And this is done in such a sort O would to God wee knew the power of the Gospell that thou who hadst nothing but darknesse within thee art made a shining light casting out thy beames and ouer-shadowing sillie darke bodies Hee that brought light out of darknesse saith Paul by His word Hee hath shined in mine heart that I may minister the knowledge of Iesus Christ to others So is it moste certaine thou in whome the Gospell is so powerfull art made a light in the world to illuminate darke soules Nowe to come to the next the Gospell it selfe How expresseth he the Gospell Hee calleth it not simplie and barelie with a meane word The Gospell all these meane words and sillie simple speaches of such a glorie telleth what feeling men haue in their heartes of the effectualnesse of the Gospell but hee calleth it The light of the Gospell The Gospell is a light and it is the light of lightes The Sunne albeit it be bright was neuer comparable to it in shining and therefore it casteth out such glorious beames in the soules of men and women What is the cause that it is a light The cause is in the subject of it The subject of it is glorie What will make a light if glory will not make it The Gospell is the Gospell of glory and all that is within it is glorie What glorie ●● this The glory of CHRIST the King of king● his glory must be a great glory what kind of person is this Christ He is y e Image of God He neuer resteth mounting vp till he come to that diuinity Lo how he riseth he climbeth from the Gospel to the Mediator from y e Mediator to that glorious Majesty So all the glorie that shineth in y e Gospel is y e glory of God and all the light of the Gospel is that light of God which th'Apo 1. Tim. 6. 16. calleth y t light which hath none accesse neuer man had accesse to it till this Iesus brought it down without this light thou art but darknesse and shalt end in exteriour vtter darknesse All the beames of the Sunne are but darknesse in

his intention be to glorifie God Christ whatsoeuer anie man or woman doeth let them looke aboue all things that in doing their intention be to glorifie God as euer they would looke for thanks at His hands This is a lesson I see here another thing The Gospell is aduanced IESVS CHRIST is glorified in Paules hurt and who is a dearer man to Christ than ` Paul The lesson then is this Wee see the Lord is glorified when those whom He loueth best is damnified in this world in their hurt and domage Hee getteth His glorie that thing which is done against them in malice the Lord therein is glorified Well then I learne by the example of Paule If so bee that my GOD is glorified in mine hurt if He getteth aduantage by my damnage skathe then vnderstanding that glorie redoundeth vnto Him by my suffering and it were by my death I am bound to rejoyce I rejoyce saieth the Apostle and shall rejoyce I am bound to rejoyce and thou art bound to rejoyce still in glorifying God to the ende So aboue all thinges the glory of Christ shold be sought What am I to be respected my shame hurt death what art thou to be respected thy shame hurt and death if it redound to y e glory of Him who made me and thee for His glorie Now when he hath shewed his joye and mind concerning these two sortes of men in the next verse he commeth to the cause of his joye in that the LORD was glorified in his hurt and domage For saieth hee I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation c. That thing that is done to mine hurt it shall bee so chaunged and turned about that against the expectation of men who woulde hurt mee the LORD shall worke out my saluation There is the lesson If I can rejoyce thou canst rejoyce that the LORD getteth glory by thine or mine hurt or skathe wee may bee assured that our trouble shall be wonderfullie altered changed that which was done to our hurt shall turne to our saluation The Apostle Paul saieth in the 8. chapter of the epistle to the Romanes verse 28. To them who loueth God all things commeth for the best For if the glorie of GOD bee deare to thee if thou preferre His glory aboue thy saluation be assured thy life and saluation shall bee deare vnto Him yea thy saluation shall bee dearer vnto Him than His glorie can bee vnto thee for thou canst not loue Him so well as He loueth thee Moses Exod. 32. 32. vttereth a wonderfull zeale to GODS glorie and saieth Ere Thou destroye this people raze mee out of the booke of Life that is altogether destroye mee But what answere gets hee No Moses I had rather raze them out of my booke who haue sinned against mee Paul desireth that he may be an Anathema Rom. 9. 3. and that for the zeale hee had to the glorie of God But Mose shall neuer bee scraped out of the booke of God because hee loueth Gods glorie Paul shall neuer bee accursed because hee loueth Gods glorie And if thou wilt looke to His glorie all that euill which thou canst wish to thee for His glory shall be turned to thine health and saluation Then yee see there is nothing that we can lose by seeking of Gods glorie Our damnage shal be euer turned to our aduantage In the next part of the verse and the verse following is set downe the maner and the ordinarie manes whereby the hurt and domage that the godlie suffer for the glorie of God is turned ouer to their good The Lord onelie is able to turne it to their good Who is able to turne darknesse into light death into life ignominie into honour but Hee It passeth the cunning of all the creatures to make this wonderfull change The Lord onlie is able to make this change And certainlie the shame trouble and affliction that the godlie suffer in this life woulde all bee the beginning of Hell except that moste skilfull crafts-man the Lord come in and made this wonderfull alteration and turned all these thinges to their aduantage except Hee turned death to life ignominie to honour and trouble to joye the estate of the godlie in their sufferinges were moste miserable Thinke not that these thinges are good in themselues No death is not good of it selfe it is a punishment for sinne Rom. 6. 23. The Lord onlie maketh the change and maketh death to bee the entrie to life but the Lord doeth all this by ordinarie meanes and middle and yet all the meanes which Hee vseth derogateth nothing to His glorie because they all come of Him and Hee hath the glorie of all Seeing then in making of this wonderfull chāge of darknesse into light of death into life of woe into joye c. there must bee ordinarie meanes woe be to thee that contemnest the meanes for if thou doe it the trouble shall lie still on thee till thou bee troubled in Hell Sicknesse shall bee sicknesse indeede to thee death shall bee death indeede and the beginning of Hell to thee Then let vs take vp the meanes as they lie here in order Yee haue heard of one alreadie to wit Rejoycing that God is glorified in trouble If as I haue saide thou canst haue that heart and care of His glorie that thou canst rejoyce in thy trouble that thy trouble glorifieth Him bee assured a wonderfull alteration shall bee made of thy trouble Trouble shall be no trouble affliction shall be no affliction death shall bee no death Onelie get thou this desire of His glorie Nowe followeth the next meane The Apostle saith I am assured that this thing shall turne to my saluation through your prayers As the care to the glorie of God is a meane to make this alteration and to turne our troubles to our saluation so the care and solicity of the body of the Church the intercession and prayer that the godlie maketh for vs who lye in trouble is another meane for the prayers of the godlie for anie member of the bodie of the Church hath a wonderfull effect They will turne miserie into joye darknesse into light yea death into life Yet howbeit others haue care of thee lying in distresse if thou thy selfe contemnest and despisest their care if thou regardest not whether they pray for thee or not no body make intercession at GODS handes for thee there shall bee nothing but trouble to thee trouble shall alwayes continue trouble affliction shall alwayes remaine affliction And as thou contemnest and despisest the prayers of the Sainctes and the godlie for thee so thou shalt lye still in miserie and drowne in miserie at last It is a follie to a man to thinke that his owne care onelie for himselfe will serue the turne contemning and despising the care of all others for him I cannot thinke that such a one hath one spunke of godlinesse in him who will cōtemne the care of others For it is