enough they would be wiser than he and of deeper reach And thus even within the pâ—le of the Church what a scandall is it that men should glorie in a gracelesse grace of swearing filling up rotten discourse with new devised othes And others glorie in their foolish conceipted gallant apparell which was for no other end but principally to cover shame is not this to glorie in shame And much more those that blaming as it were God for making them no fairer will mend the workmanship of God by painting these while they seeke to keepe outward blemishes from the eyes of men doe discover to the whole world that they have a spotted rotten heart within them And indeed it s too common for men ill-bred up to thinke admirably of themselves when all their courses are meere vanitie He is the onely man of accompt that cannot put up a crosse word without bloud is not this to glorie in shame when as its the glory of a man to passe by an offence and they are the best men that can overcome themselves And as helpers on of this vaine boasting we have a generation of ignorant unsetled understandings that admire at such shamelesse boasters and so are causes of strengthening such in their vain-glory such are flatterers of great men let them remember what is denounced against such woe be to them that call evill good and good evill In the next place shame is not onely the object of vaine glorie but the end they that are vaine-glorious shall bee brought to shame at length thus is it sayd of Babylon in Esay and mysticall Babylon in the Revelations Though she say I sit as a Queene and shall seenâ— mourning yet stall her plagues come in one day death and destruction and mournlng Isa. 47.9 51.19 Revel 18.8 For God hath knit vaine-glory and shame a punishment proportionable and fitting to the sinne and striking the offender most neere even to the heart and thus did God meete with Achitophel Absalom Haman they sought vain-glory and their ends were shamefull such shall be the end of all such as boast that they can doe mischiefe like Doeg Psa. 52. And the righteous shall see and feare laugh at them For use to our selves therefore let us take heed of this sinne For by nature the best of us are subject to it we are all inclinable either to glory in such things as we should not or to receive glory from such things as wee ought not or else to glorie after an inordinate manner and in that measure we glorie amisse in that measure wee consult shame to our selves glory we may but it must bee well grounded and in a right manner And to the attaining thereto we must first labour for a sound knowledge of God and for a sound dependance upon him in all things and also labour for to see our owne estate and our many wants for wanting this knowledge men glorie in merits while they live but when they die they grow ashamed of their courses and blinde judgement for while they live they judge of themselves by their owne conceipt of themselves which is grounded either by comparing of themselves with those that are worse than themselves as the Pharisee that thanked God he was not as the Publican or else upon the conceipt that shallow persons have of them But these are not rules for us to follow look rather what sayes the humbled conscience what sayes Gods Word and his Iustice and take example of the Apostles and holy men of God that gloried in the Lord reconciled to us in Christ who is made to us wisedome sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 30.31 Rejoyce that our names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 Rejoyce that we understand and know God to be â—ust and mercifull Ier. 9.23.24 Glorie in the testimonie of a good conscience that we are true Christians though but weake 2 Cor. 1.12 Secondly we should be content with the judgement and approbation of God and hearken to the admonitions of his Ministers and care not for the censures of the world Thirdly take wee heed of the first beginnings and motions of sinne at the first they are ever modest the worst man that ever was was not shamelesse in sinne at the beginning but giving way to sinne by little and little loses all shame and causes at last corruption in judgement and justifying a mans selfe in wicked courses pleasures riches and such things they are like a vizard onely an outside of beautie or like one that vaunteth himselfe hee can act the person of a King but is in himselfe a bondslave they act their parts here on this worldly Stage for an houre and leave all their followers in eternall bondage forever Therefore let us not bee ashamed for Christs cause but stand out labour for sinceritie now and wee shall have glorie hereafter which as the light shall increase when as the candle of the wicked shall be put out VERS 19. Who minde earthly things TO Minde in this place is taken largely to thinke upon remember desire joy and to have all the soule exercised Earthly things that is lusts of the flesh lusts of the eyes pride of life pleasures and profits and honours which are therefore called earthly because they are conversant about earthly things and because they make their followers earthly minded and lastly they are called earthly in opposition to those that are heavenly and thus in particular those that minde honour are ambitious those that minde riches are covetous if pleasure then they are voluptuous and all of them are earthly For as the Ocean is but one and yet divers parts thereof have severall names so worldlinesse is but one sinne yet having many kindes it hath also divers names The observation that hence we may gather is that the earthly disposition and minde is the temper of that man who is in the estate of damnation for the minde of such doe shew a dead soule estranged from the life of God to be carnally minded is death saith the Apostle Rom. 8.6 For a man lives as hee mindes and loves Secondly earthly disposition is opposite to God so Rom. 8.7 The carnall minde is enmitie against God Observe we further the Apostle describes not these by any notorious grosse scandalous sinne but by the inward disposition of the heart for outward actions are onely effects and rivers flowing from the spring of corruption in our hearts Whence we may note that God lookes to the inward frame of the soule in men and therefore though in the eyes of men a man may be without spot yet is his corruption that is within open and manifest to the all-seeing eye of God And therefore from hence we are to be stirred up to humble our selves before God by examining our hearts and laying open our most secret corruptions And secondly this ought to comfort us that though in our dayly practice we often fall yet God in his goodnesse lookes at the inward frame
pleasure when alas we are farre deceived God denies not pleasure to us but will give us whatsoever is good for us we shall delight and rejoyce but with a joy spirituall and wee shall see nothing in this world that may any way deserve our delight therein A third hinderance is a dispaire of ever going through this race this settles upon some strangely making them cast away all care and desperately trust to Christs mercie This made Cyprian to complaine of his corruptions saying they were bred and brought up with him and therefore feared they would hardly give place to grace being but a stranger while men consider how great and powerfull their corruption is they with the Israelites despaire of ever entring into the land of Canaan these sons of Anak doe so terrifie them But consider we withall that God is above all our corruptions that he can make of a Lion a Lambe and that if wee will trust upon him in his time he will helpe us and wee shall overcome these Giant-like corruptions Christ he hath conquered them already and though while we live wee cannot wholly overcoâ—e them yet Davids house shall grow stronger and stronger and Sauls house weaker we shall have grace sufficient for us God will sweeten Religion to us that wee shall delight therein and Christ will not leade us into temptation till he hath fitted us to it by his grace and then we shall rejoyce as the Apostles did Acts 5. that we are accounted worthy to suffer Contrary to this humour some thinke it so easie a matter to runne this race as they thinke they cannot be out of it or tired therein when as indeed they never set foot therein let such looke to themselves if they be in this race they shall finde it no easie matter But thus much concerning rules or lawes for preparation to this race now there are lawes to be observed of those that are in the race as First they must resolve to hold on without discontinuance of their course of good duties for some by omitting good duties now and then upon slight occasions do come through Gods just sufferance to leave them off and never take them up againe and thereby whiles they are not getting ground by continuing their course they doe lose thereby even as water-men rowing against the streame if they doe not row but rest never so little the streame carries them backe againe and they cannot recover themselves but with great difficultie so it is in this Christian race a little interruption of dutie causes thrice so much paines to recover our former estate therefore we are to take up a holy resolution not to be interrupted in good duties The next law is that wee must looke to gaine ground still to grow from grace to grace It s the Apostles ayme still to grow better than himselfe contrary to this many forsake their first love they thinke themselves wise but are fooles such as the Lord will spew out of his mouth as he threatens the Church of Laodicea And indeed the most men at the best are but civill and doe but provide for their owne ease and can indure any mixture of religion or company and the ground of this coldnesse is a selfe-conceit whereby men thinke well of themselves and their estate Paul he was of another spirit ever pressing forward A third law is that we doe things with all our might that we runne this race with all our earnest indeavour there is no bodily exercise that profiteth but it must be with putting forth of our strength so our Christian actions should shew even outwardly that we doe things as if we intended thereby to honour God indeed and to this end wee are to depend on God by prayer that he would give us strength and mindes to put forth our strength for gaining most honour to his Majestie and this will bring great assurance and comfort to us in time of need A fourth rule is that wee are to runne this race with a cheerfull and speedie course a dead performance of duties is no part of our race yea as many goe to hell by ill performance of good duties as by committing sinnes that are scandalously evill for this resting in the work done is the cause of hardnesse of heart and there by of despaire and at the best never brings any sound comfort at all to us and therfore we are injoyned to doe good duties and to doe them in a good manner Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup and so runne that you may obtaine It s no lingring we know not how long we shall live how soone we shall die and therefore let us make haste to doe our worke before God takes away time from us by taking us out of the world And those especially are to look to this that have lived long in their owne courses and are but lately reclaimed they are much behinde and had need make haste the journey is long their time but short And to this end looke we not what wee have done and how farre we have gone but looke what remaines to be done and know we have done nothing till we have done all But it will be asked what may wee not thinke of duties that are past I answer we may thinke of them by way of defence and to give God the glorie and also to incourage us on but not to rest or solace our selves on them till we have done all But men may say what is there no pause is there no Sabboth I answer yes when we are dead Blessed are the dead in the Lord it s they that rest from their labours heaven is a sufficient reward for all the paines we can any way take here besides the comforts that wee have here are many which none knowes but them that injoy them And God hath promised the continuall assistance of his blessed spirit that shal incourage us and leade us into all truth alas what comfort have we of all that we have done if we continue not but sit down and take up our rests here what good got they that came out of Egypt and died in the wildernesse it may be even in the border of the land of promise yet never saw it It will assuredly fall out with us as it did with them if wee harbour any infidelitie in our hearts we shall be cast out that we shall never see this good land the spirituall Canaan In the next place take we heed of such hinderances as may make us eyther slacke or intermit this race of ours As first wee must take heed of idle scruples and temptations these are no other than as dust cast in the eyes of the runners and as stones that gaule their feet interpret them to bee the subtilties of the devill and therefore shake them off and intend thy dutie thou art about and pray for wisedome to discerne aright of
them from evill in the world and not that thou shouldst take them out of the world Ioh 17.15 If we be under crosses if this spirit and power of Christ be in us it will enable us to beare all patiently it will keepe us from murmuring and fretting It will also convince us of our naturall estate so as wee shall see evident necessitie of Gods almighty power to change us this made the Apostle Paul and the Iaylor to looke about them for helpe Lord what wouldest thou have me to doe and thus it will make us never to give God rest nor Christ respite till that power that shall raise up our bodies doe raise up also our soules and he shine in us by his spirit that did bring light out of darknes and fashion us as in his wisedome shall be most meet In the next place the consideration of Gods Almightie power should teach us not to be dejected or cast downe at the reports of the afflicted state of the Church abroad it should bring us rather to God to rely upon his goodnes and power for God is ever God almighty and the same mercifull God that ever he was and therfore we should pray for the Church the more instantly that God would give them beautie instead of ashes wee should urge him with his promise of building up and defending of his Church and destroying of Antichrist and let us make the resurrection of the body a ground to strengthen us in the beleefe thereof as the returne of the children of Israel from Babylon was sealed by the resurrection of the dry bones Ezek. 37. as also the Apostle from the resurrection of the dead gathereth that God by that power hath and will deliver him 2 Cor. 1.9 10. Furthermore when wee are oppressed with any extremitie though never so great by continuall meditation of his promises wee should strengthen our selves and apply them to our present estate and condition knowing that he that raised us out of dust will not suffer us to bee buried in miserie but will with the triall give us a gracious issue at the last by raising up our bodies at the last day by his almighty power which made also the Patriarch Abraham to hope above hope what though our helpes be few its no matter what the instrument is so as Christ is the chief worker In the next place This should incourage us to stand out sted fast in a good cause for the truth do not think with our selves alas I am but one and a weake sillie man what can I doe against a multitude let not such thoughts discourage thee thinke of Luther a poore Monke who alone set himselfe against the whole world and wrought that effect that wee have all cause at this day to honour the memorie of him it is not thou but God in thee that is able to confound all thine enemies and therefore with Moses behold him that is invisible Yet further this should bee observed by a Christian as a ground of his perseverance to the end for when wee know we are Christians what can bereave us of our blessings what can make our faith faile its Gods power that will keepe us to salvation and he that beleeveth shall have life and shall not come into condemnation Ioh. 6.39 40.44.47 and many other places and Christ by his almighty power swayes all our life to our building up to salvation and therefore in contraries we should beleeve contraries that death will worke life miserie happinesse corruption incorruption and this vilenesse glorie for its Gods order to worke by contraries that his power might the more appeare And at the houre of death then behold him that is thus able and all-sufficient that shall presently glorifie our soule and at length will raise up our bodie also and unite it to our soule to partake with it in glorie and happinesse that will then quit us of all sinne corruption death change all our enemies shall bee troden under our foote and all this by his almightie power whereby he is able to doe farre above that wee are able to think and therefore let us with a holy admiration thereof say with the Apostle Ephes. 3.20 To him be glorie for evermore Amen FINIS Loâ—uere ut videa 1 Cor. 8.5 Animus â—ujusque is est quisqueâ— 1 The Appellation 2 Exhortation 3 Limitation Meanes to get Ioy. Answ. 1. Ob. Answ. Psal. 120.5 Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Note 3. Doct. 4. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Rev. 1. and 2 3. Doctr. 1. 1 John 4.1 Quest. Answ. Ob. Answ. A threefold judgment to wit I Of Discretion II Of Directiâ—n III Of Jurisdiction Doctrine Quest. Answ. Rev. 22.15 Remedies against seducers Remedy 1. Remedy 2. Remedy 3. Remedy 4. Meanes and waies to mortifie sinne Three parts viz. 1 The Act Worship 2 The Object God 3 The most part viz. in Spirit Reasons why God must be worshipped in Spirit Vse Reasons why outward worship is so well liked and loved Ob. Answ. Signes of spirituall worshippers Helps unto spiritual worship Doctr. 1. Doct. 2. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Quest. Answ. Causes of true joy Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Answ. Signes of true Christian joy 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe Quest. Answ. Doctrine Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4 Reason 5. Quest. Answ. Signes of fleshly confidence St. Pauls prerogatives Obj. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Wherein and how the knowledge of Christ exceeds humane knowledge Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Signes of the choice of Christ. Quest. Answ. Obj. Answ. Answ. The meanes how to be united to Christ. Vse 1. Signes of mortification Quest. Answ. Obj. 1. Obj. 2. Ob. Answ. Doctrine Vse 1. 1. Direct 2. 3. 2. Hind 3. Hind Direct 1. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Hind 4. Hind Doctrine Vse Doct. Vse 2. Doctr. Vse Doctr. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. 1 Signe 2. Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doct. 1. Signe 2 Signe 3. Signe 4. Signe 5. Signe 6. Signe 7. Signe 9 Signe 10. Signe Meanes unto perfection Motives to the use of the meanes and unto perfection Doctrine How to walk according to the Rule Ob. Answ. Doct. Wherein imitation consists Why examples are laid downe in Scripture Vse 1. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Who were enemies to Christs crosse Gal. 5.4 A threefold judgment Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Reason 1. Helpes Remedies against vaine-glory Rules Signes Doctr. Quest. Answ. 1. Dir. 2. Dir. 3. Dir. 4. Direct 5. Dir. 6. Dir. Obj. Answ. 7. Dir. Ob. Answ. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Vsâ— Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Doctrine Doctr. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse Quâ—st Answ. Obj. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Vse 5. Vse 6. Vse 7. Doctrine 1.
the naturall sonne in whom is no blemish should suffer and the adopted sonnes who are the causes of all offence should goe free It is equitie that we having taken Christ for our husband he should bee accompanied by us in sicknesse and in health in dishonour as in honour Thirdly it is long agoe decreed of God and predestinated and therefore cannot bee avoyded Rom. 8. â— 9 Whom hee did fore-know them he predestinated to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne Fourthly its equall that if hee were conformed to us we should be conformable to him now he was conformed to us in that hee suffered that which wee should have suffered and did that for us which we were to do and could not he having drunke deepe of the cup prepared for us let us therefore at the least taste of it Yea let us suffer any thing with an undaunted courage when we are called thereto for Christ he will come with comforts he is not emptie he will make us like him hee will prepare us hereby for glorie feare not therefore God will turne all thy troubles to thy good And thus we doe fill up the measures of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh Col. 1.24 And are made partakers of Christs sufferings 1 Pet. 4.13 We have the like exhortations hereunto 1 Pet. 2.21 1 Pet. 3.14 to 18. Thus did Paul 2 Cor. 4.10 hee carryed the dying of Christ about with him Let no Christian therefore promise to himselfe immunitie from crosses he that will be a Christian must be conformable to Christ and he that will be like to him in glorie he must be like to him in drinking the Cup hee dranke of while hee was here in the flesh VERS 10. If by any meanes I might attaine to the Resurrection of the dead BY Resurrection of the dead he meanes the glorious estate after this life whereas the resurrection is but the beginning and the words sound as much in effect as if the Apostle had said I know I shall be happie at length but betweene this time and that I know I shall meet with troubles with many crosses yet let the way be never so difficult I passe not by any meanes to come to such an excellent end as the resurrection of the dead is in which words wee will First consider that there is a happie estate reserved hereafter which begins with the resurrection of the bodie whereby wee are farre more happie than the Angels that fell and also more happie than we were in our first estate in Adam which we lost and therefore our hearts should be inlarged with thankes to God that respects us above the Angels whom hee hath left without hope of recoverie In the next place consider that the beginning of our blessed estate hereafter is at the resurrection which is called the day of restoring of all things and a time of refreshing Acts 3.19 It s a day when all good shall be perfected and all evill shall cease all griefe of minde all trouble of body and death it selfe shall be swallowed up into victorie But why are we not happie before our resurrection I answer because our bodies and soules are partakers of miserie and sinne here and therefore cannot partake of fulnesse of happinesse before they be united together again God will have us to stay while all his familie of blessed Saints shall meet together as well us that are now alive as our seed and posteritie after us In the third place observe that the Apostle makes resurrection of the dead the last thing establishing thereby an order that there must be meanes to the resurrection and then the resurrection it selfe Ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter into his glorie Math. 28. And if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him the second resurrection must begin with the first we are sonnes and Saints hereafter but so we must also be here onely a difference there will be in degree of holinesse this resurrection doth not follow every manner of life although men ordinarily expect a crowne without crosses and never looke for justification and sanctification but thinke they shall be in heaven at an instant without them But we must suffer with Christ in Mount Calvarie before wee come with him to the Mount Olivet In the fourth place wee may likewise note that its hard to come to heaven because of this order established by God not in comparison of the end for that surmounteth in excellencie the hardnesse of the meanes but in respect of the meanes some by faire death with many crosses in their life some not by many outward crosses yet have store of inward troubles of the minde by reason of their inward corruption that doth trouble them others by violent deathes and by martyrdome the wayes are so many and the meanes so diverse as there is no certainty which way wee shall passe As St. Paul knew not the meanes so he cared not what the means were for he was content to go thither by any meanes let the cup of affliction be never so bitter the glorie insuing will sweeten all Away therefore with all idle and secure thoughts of sparing our selves Pitie thy selfe said Peter to Christ but was answered sharpely get thee behinde me sathan no the way is very hard we must come to health by physick the end is so amiable as it will sweeten all sowre meanes and therefore its good for us to be afflicted crosses bring at length the sweetest comforts Denie wee our selves therefore in Christs cause know no bodie looke upon God and Christs promises and promise wee ourselves no more than God promises it s beyond our knowledge what God will doe with us he promises no immunitie from crosses Nay the Saints and the Apostles chose crosses and afflictions rather than the pleasures of sinne who were wise and had triall of both kindes and yet accounts these momentanie afflictions not worthy of comparison with the glory that shall bee revealed they were but light 2 Cor. 4.17 Rom. 8.18 And if wee would truly beleeve this it would be easie for us to be resolved as St. Paul was to come to heaven by all assurances and to come to all manner of assurances by any meanes for no worldly thing can bring content like these heavenly assurances of the presence of the light of Gods love which the children of God will by no meanes lose Secondly in all crosses let us not looke into the state we are in so much as that we are going into we are going to a Pallace let us not bee dejected in the consideration of the narrownesse of the way that leadeth thereto God will not suffer this fierie triall to consume any thing but drosse and therefore let us with Christ suffer the crosse and despise the shame Heb. 12. Thirdly labour for a right esteeme of the things of this world they are but momentarie and fading yea our lives they are given to us by
God what if we part with them if it be for his cause he will bring us to a better life which shall not be taken away from us and this life we must part with ere long and thus we ought to worke on our selves by often meditating of them as the Saints have done In the fourth place we are to labour to strengthen three graces in us especially Faith to assure us that wee are the children of God and that we have heaven and all things belonging thereto laid up for us and we are to labour to see more and more into the valew of them and then we are to strengthen our Hope which makes us cheerfully to undergoe and doe any thing for Gods cause through our expectation of that which faith beleeves Lastly let us cherish our love of Christ this made St. Paul desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ which was best of all And this love comes from Faith and Hope and these together will breed a largenesse of heart that cares for no worldly thing and will bee daunted with no affliction or crosses what ever But how farre are we here from did St. Paul part with life It pertaines not to us no not to leave a new fangled fashion nor an oath whereby wee teare Gods name dayly alas where is faith what corruption is here overcome which of us will ever be of Paul or Davids minde to become vile or base for Gods cause where is he that will indure a scoffe or scorne for religion let us beg of God this large spirit and large affections the children of heaven have a free spirit basely esteeming all worldly things Zacheus when hee is called cares not for his goods nor Paul for his priviledges The Stoicks commend this resolution in men to be willing and readie to die alas crosses and afflictions Paul esteemed not so as he might attaine to the resurrection of the dead these are the things that the Stoicks feared most and it was the feare of these made them so willing and readie to die together with a base servitude to pride but a Christian heart is more noble it not only feares not these but it contemnes them yea cares not for life without afflictions but with joy can undergoe all manner of torments Let us therefore take heed how wee quiet our selves in our earthly dwellings here supposing our estate to be happie surely it is the maine ground of Apostacie wee shall never come to see the price of religion nor the excellencie of a peaceable conscience nor the vanitie of these things so long as we blesse our selves in them And contrarily let us exercise our graces in the dayly trials we meet with here doth favour of great men doth pleasure profit or honour crosse and oppose thy conscience let the peace thereof be preferred above all evermore else shalt thou never come to Pauls holy resolution And dreame not of a vaine emptie faith thou hast no more than thou dost practise it s not Lord Lord that will prevaile at the day of judgement but Christ will be ashamed of them at the day of judgement that made no more account of him while they lived than to preferre every vaine idle wanton delight and pleasure before his honour VERS 12. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect IT is a correction of the Apostle hee formerly spake of his desire choice and esteeme of Christs death and resurrection and the force thereof hee found in him Now lest secret insinuating proud conceits might arise either in himselfe or in them concerning his holinesse hee crosses them with a Not as shewing that the best estate of Gods children in this world is imperfect there is ever some thing to doe or suffer some lust to conquer or some grace to strengthen There is no absolute perfection but onely in God himselfe yet in Christians there is a kind of derivative spirituall perfection which consisteth chiefly in the parts a Christian hath this perfection he hath all grace in some measure we have no other perfection no not so much as perfectio viae though the Papists say they have it indeed we are so far from it that never could Christian keepe the rules of nature much lesse can we attaine to the perfection of obedience to the law for by it we are all cursed nay in Christ none attaines to evangelicall perfection of grace so as thereby wee can be justified as by a worke of our owne for our righteousnesse is but in part and this perfectio viae which they boast of so much differs not from their perfectio finis no more than love to a man raised by good report of him differeth from love caused by the good I finde in him by personall communicating with him and this is onely in degrees in nature they are the same love But why or how is it that there is no perfection of grace in this life Because there is and ever shall be in us during this life a perpetuall combate betweene the flesh and spirit so as one weakens and hinders the other Paul at the best found a law in his members warring against the law of his minde Rom. 7.23 the flesh continually lusting against the spirit Gal. 5.23 Hindering us from doing good or in doing good or in doing thereof from doing it in a right manner But the Papists object love is the fulfilling of the law we may love ergo we may fulfill the law and consequently be perfect I answer love in the abstract being perfect is the fulfilling of the law but in this or that subject it s not perfect Pauls love nor Peters love was not the fulfilling of the law They urge further all Gods workes are perfect ergo the grace that is in us It s true Gods workes are perfect but in their times when they are finished grace at length shall be perfect in us Secondly all Gods workes without us are perfect as justification and glorification they are perfect for we are perfectly justified even now but his workes within us such as are his sanctifying graces are not perfected till our time of glorification for he suffers the old Adam to be within us for divers reasons so long as we live in this earthly Tabernacle For use hereof observe this as a ground for justification by faith Paul Rom. 5.9 proves that even now he was justified and in this place he denies and disclaims absolute perfection and therefore could not be justified by it and therefore must needs be justified by faith if it were his case it is much more ours who come not to that measure of the fulnesse of grace that hee attained to Secondly this may serve to comfort Christians that finde themselves burthened with diverse wants with dulnesse and frowardnesse of spirit and with manifold corruptions and are induced thereby to call in question their Christian estate let them looke upon a better patterne than themselves they may bee growne
hunger fulnesse And base wee are because wee are upheld by inferiour creatures We enter into the world by one way but goe out by divers deaths some violent some more naturall and by divers sicknesses lothsome to the eyes to the nosthrils and especially when wee are nearest our end when as our countenance is pale our members tremble all our beautie is gone But after wee are departed so lothsome is this our carcasse it must bee had out of sight yea though it bee the body of the Patriarch Abraham Gen. 23.4 For as the bodie of man is the best temper so the corruption thereof is the most vile the best countenances of the greatest personages are the most ugly gastly objects of all others by so much the more by how much they were the more excellent so much the greater is their change And yet are wee not to conceive of this bodie so as though there were no glorie belonging to it for first its Gods workmanship therefore excellent and so excellent as the heathen man Galen being stricken into admiration at the admirable frame thereof breakes out into a hymne in praise of the maker And David could not expresse it but sayes I am wonderfully made God made this his last worke as an Epitomie of all the rest Secondly we are told that we owe glorie to our bodies and therefore we are bidden that wee should not wrong our bodies and the Scripture speakes infamously of selfe-murtherers as of Iudas Saul Achitophel they are branded with a note of shame and reproach And God to shew the respect we owe to our bodies hath provided to every sense pleasing recreations as flowers for the smell light for the eyes musicke for the eare to be briefe hee made all things for the bodily use of man Thirdly these bodies of ours are members of Christ redeemed and sanctified Temples of the holy Ghost as well as our soules And therefore we must take heed when wee read of the base termes that are given to the bodie that we doe not mistake For it is true in regard it keepes the soule from heaven it is the grave of the soule but indeed it is the house the temple and instrument of the soule but being misused it proves an unto ward darke house an unweldie instrument Wee are to take heed therefore of the error of those who afflict it by writing and declaiming against it or by whipping of it when alasse it is the sinne of the soule the unruly lusts and affections that are the causes of all rebellions in us and if the body doth rebell as often it doth come to passe since the fall this proceeds from the corruption of the soule yeelding to the bodie ayde to serve the lusts and God hath appointed a religious abstinence as a meanes to tame such lusts and weaken them which it were to be wished were used oftener than it is But it will be said are the bodies of Christians base for whom Christ shed his most precious bloud I answer while we live here we are in no better condition than others as concerning our bodies Hezekiah is sicke Lazarus hath his sores David and Iob troubled with lothsome diseases and thus its fitting it should fare with us For first Christ laid us this example he tooke our base ragged nature on him hee hungred and thirsted was pained and death had a little power over him and shall we desire a better estate than our master our head had or doe we ever thinke to partake with him in happinesse that will not partake with him in his mean estate the decree of God is that to dust wee must as all the rest of our fellow Saints and servants shall Secondly hereby God doth exercise our faith and hope causing us to looke and expect a better resurrection and by this meanes are our desires edged to a better life for else would we set up our rest here and make this our Paradise Thirdly as yet there is sinne in us from the danger whereof though wee be deliuered yet there is a corruption that remaineth behinde in us and by this hee will teach us the contagion of sinne and teach us to see how the divell hath deceived us by the effects thereof bringing paine torment and lothsomnesse Forthly it shewes Gods wisedome in vanquishing sinne by death which is the childe of sinne for by it shall we be purged from sinne from corruption both of bodie and minde and thus is our base estate made a way to our excellent estate hereafter Wee must therefore moderate our affections to the best things of this life health is changeable and will not continue beautie is a flower of a stalke the flower quickly fades away and perisheth the stalke that is more base continues longest flesh is grasse either cut downe by violent deart or if by age the longer it lives the baser it is and increases continually therein till death when as it is most base It is therefore foolish for any to swell because of beautie or strength which at the best are but curious excellencies of a base bodie and farre more sottish are they that thinke to resist old age and Gods decree by trimming up and painting a withered stocke this is not the way to conquer vilenesse But if we will be rid thereof labour for the meat that perisheth not Ioh. 6.27 But that which maketh us indure to everlasting life is with Marie to chuse the better part that shall not be taken away meat for the belly and the belly for meate but God shall destroy both the one and the other And let this be as a cooler to quench the base wild-fire of love and conâ—ider what is it wee so affect it s but beautifull dust a painted sepulchre a body that after death will bee vilenesse it selfe that while it breathes its full of rottennesse the matter of wormes supported it may be by a carrion soule that whether it willeth or nilleth must leave it and goe into a farre worse place And contrarily in the last place it should teach us to be at a point cheerefully to honour God by sacrificing our selves to him when hee calles for us count it no shame with David to be vile in the eyes of men for Gods cause if the worst could be imagined which cannot be we had as good perish with usage aswith rust But this is the onely way to be glorious to avoid vilenesse even to sacrifice our bodies and all in a good cause what though the world esteem vilely of us as good for nothing but the shambles Rom. 8.36 shall wee feare them no feare him that can destroy both body and soule it s better to goe to heaven without a limbe than to goe to hell with a sound healthfull bodie therefore men temptation of the world doe begin to provoke thee say to thy flesh with Bernard stay thy time the time is not yet to be happie And therefore conclude our soule is but a stranger
here wee must entertaine it well into this house of our bodie it s but a guest use it not basely it s no ill guest it gives us sight taste speech motion when it goes away our body is but a dumbe dull base lumpe of earth Nay when it is gone whilst the body is in the ground the soule having a most vehement and earnest desire to be knit to it again puts God continually in minde of raising it up at the last day of the generall resurrection and of glorifying it in a holy eternall and happy estate Secondly out of the words wee may observe That these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed this we receive as anarticle of our faith and yet were it beleeved truely as it ought it would worke a strange alteration in the mindes and manners of men contrary to that they are now and howsoever it is not imbraced yet it remaines a grounded truth that these bodies of ours sowne in corruption shall rise incorruptible 1 Cor. 1.15 It was foretold in way of consequence in Paradice for the head of the serpent could not bee broken but by conquering death which is the last enemie it was figured out unto us in Aarons dead seare rod that budded and Ionahs deliverance out of the bellie of the fish where he had beene 3. dayes and three nights It was beleeved of all the fathers Heb. 12. And for securitie before the floud Enoch and after the floud Elias were taken up in their bodies And besides it is not contrarie to reason I doe not say that reason can reach unto it for Christ he is alive still the dust whereof we are made and whether we goe is preserved it is not annihilated and why cannot Christ raise a body out of the dust as at the first make it out of dust why should he not be as able to quicken dust now as at the first and especially seeing the soule is reserved in heaven to this end till the day of his second comming Nay it is not contrarie to the course of nature we see every yeere summer comes out of winter day out of night youth out of infancie mans age out of youth And the Apostle in the Corinthians Thou foole the corne is not quickned except it die nay wee see what strange changes are dayly wrought by Art and shall wee thinke Gods almighty power cannot worke farre more strange effects The use therefore is to instruct us if we beleeve that Christ shall change these vile bodies Then sure the same bodies shall rise that died for change is of qualities it abolisheth not substances and therfore Iobs confidence herein is remarkable Iob. 19. Whom I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold speaking of Christ so is it 2 Cor. 15.53 This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie and the ancient Creeds had credore surrectionem carnis hujus Secondly it s very unequall that one body should honour or defile it selfe and another bodie should be honoured or damned its comfortable therefore to us that love our bodies and honor them that they shall rise againe and wee shall injoy them for ever Thirdly Christ our surety hee raised the same body that was crucified and therefore the same bodies here that fulfill the measure of the sufferings of Christ here shall partake of his fulnesse in glorie A second use is for comfort is this a life of changes let it not daunt us but know they are all to end in glorie and they all tend to bring us thither we ever change for the better and the last change of all is the best of all and therefore let us indure these changes with a light heart In the third place who is the Authour of this change in us the Text saith that Christ shall change us Iob. 6.39 and 40. I will raise them up at the last day saith Christ of those that know him and beleeve on him Hee is furthermore our head now wee know the body must be conformable to the head if it bee crowned the body is crowned and therefore Rom. 8.11 the Apostle saith that if the spirit dwell in us that did dwell in him the spirit that raised him up will raise us up also Thirdly Christ is a whole Saviour he therefore will raise up our bodies as well our soules for he is the Saviour of both he hath delivered both from hell hee will raise up both to heaven Fourthly he is the second Adam as wee did beare the image of the first Adam in corruption so must we beare the image of the second Adam in glorie Fifthly hee is the seed of the wowan that must breake the serpents head and therefore hee must worke this change Sixthly Christ changed his owne bodie being burthened with all our sinnes and therefore as an exemplarie cause shall much more raise us up for sinne being once overcome which is the sting of death what can keepe us in the grave Let this strengthen our faith in the consideration that wee have such a strong Saviour that nothing shall bee able to separate us from his love nor to take us out of his hande Secondly make it a ground how to direct us how to honour our bodies not making them instruments of sinne against him but so to use them that we may with comfort and joy expect and desire his comming to change these our vile bodies Thirdly let us labour to assure our selves of our parts in this change in this resurrection This we shall know if we finde Christs spirit in us the same spirit that raised up him if it bee in us will raise us up also Rom. 8. for the first resurrection is an argument of the second and he that findes his understanding in lightned his will pliable his affections set upon right objects will easily beleeve the second resurrection of his bodie Secondly if wee hope for this change and so hope that we are stirred up thereby to fit our selves for it to cleanse our selves Thirdly if wee grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.11 it is a siâ—ne that wee have an entrance into Christs kingdome for God doth ever honour growth with assurance of a blessed estate Fourthly this should comfort us in time of death considering wee lose nothing but basenesse and our bodies are but sowne in the earth and this depositum which God committeth to the fire ayre earth and the water they must render up againe pure and changed by Christ and therefore it was a foolish conceipt of the heathen to burne the Martyrs bodies and to cast their ashes into the water thereby to put them out of hope of their resurrection not knowing God is as able to raise them out of fire and water as out of earth Fifthly this ought to administer comfort to us at the death and departure of our friends out of this life knowing that they are not lost that the earth is but a house and a hiding place
for them to sleepe in and that at length God will not forget to raise them up with the residue of his Saints hee will change them and make them like his glorious bodie and this was the use made by the Apostle 1 Thes. 4.18 And lastly pray to God to teach us to number our dayes so as we may apply our hearts to wisedome But when is the time of this blessed change It is not laid downe onely it is implyed by the word Shall that the time is to come but out of all question it is meant at the last day and not before First because all are to bee gathered together even those that were baried 4000. yeers agone must stay till the number bee fulfilled and it will make for Gods glorie that we should all meet together to attend on him with multitude of Angels so as they cannot be perfected without or before us and wee shall not prevent those that are asleepe Secondly it is for the comfort of Christians that are weake that the Martyrs and constant professors of Christ should be pledges of their rising who continually cry how long Lord Thirdly God wils that things should now bee carried as in a cloud and that the last day should bee a day of revelation which could not be if before there should be this change For use this must teach us to desire that day and pray for the hastening thereof till when the soules in heaven are not perfectly happy for all must be brought in before they can be made perfect and therefore they desire and hope for and pray for to be united to those bodies again that they lived withall and so deerely loved But who are these that shall be thus changed The Text saith our bodies that is our bodies that have had our conversation in heaven and therefore those that have had no part in the first resurrection they shall have no pâ—rt in the second the Baker and Butler of Pharaoh all shall arise and be lifted out of prison but some to the resurrection of life and others to the resurrection of condemnation But to proceed VERS 21. That wee may bee fashioned like unto his glorious bodie SO that Christ shall be the exemplary cause as well as the efficient cause of our resurrection for he is our head and our husband and it is reason we should bee sutable to him and be ruled by him he came not to make himselfe like us but us like him he first must be a King blessed and anointed and a sonne the head makes us like to him Kings blessed and glorious and sonnes Enoch and Elias though before his reall incarnation yet they ascended by vertue of his resurrection and so shall we they are glorious like to him so shall wee in his good time and pleasure But how I answer in these particulars First as he is immortall never to die againe so shall we we shall bee freed from all sinne and so consequently from all mortalitie Secondly we shall be uncorruptible wee shall have no corruption whithin us or without us as it is 1 Cor. 15.53 We shall be embalmed with the spirit that shall cause us to remaine for ever incorruptible Thirdly we shall be unchangeable alwayes the same without sicknesse of bodie or indisposednesse of minde Then in the fourth place wee shall bee in perfect strength here we contract to our selves weaknesse by every little thing as alteration of â—ire study and the like there the body shall be inabled to every thing but here we are weak unfit and soone wearie of any dutie soone tired in prayer wearie of hearing so as even Moses his armes must be supported Fifthly we shall have beautie and comelinesse the most lovely complexion and proportion of parts there shall be no dregges in our body all shall be spent by death farre better than after Physicke which notwithstanding brings the body into a quiet repose all wants shall be supplyed what is misplaced shall be reduced into right order and therefore what though we lose limbes for Christs â—ake he will not be indepted to us none shall goe thither maimed But some will say Christ himselfe retained wounds after his resurrection and therefore much more shall we be imperfect I answer this was a voluntarie dispensation he suffered them to appeare for the faith of Thomas not of necessitie Sixthly these bodies of ours shall be spirituall as it is 1 Cor. 15. a naturall bodie is upheld by naturall meanes as meate drinke Physicke but then shall there be no need of such things Christ shall be al in all to us and again our body shal obey the spirit now the body keeps the spirit in slavery but theÌ„ shal it readily yeâ—ld to everie motion of the spirit The Vbiquitaries when they speak of the spiritualitie of Christs body they would have it in all places But they may as well conclude because wee shall have spirituall bodies therefore our bodies also shall be in all places like to Christs bodie The ground of the glorie of these our bodies shall be the beatificall vision and our union with Christ if our beholding him here in his ordinances bee of such a power as to transforme us from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.18 What a change shall be wrought in us when we shall see him as he is and if his first comming had that power to make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 much more when hee commeth the second time in glory shall he make all things new and glorious This therefore in the first place should incourage us in all causes of dismay and trouble rather than wee will offend God to lose our bodies knowing that wee give them to God and shall receive them againe with advantage Secondly labour wee to make our bodies instruments of his honour that honours us and let us honour our bodies wherein are the seeds of immortalitie and glory in so using them as that they bee carried to the grave with honour Let us also honour the bodies of the deceased Saints of God and the places of their sepulture as Cabinets wherein the precions dust of the holy Saints are laid up in keeping And let us not be like them without faith that thinke the bodies are lost for ever that are cast into the grave like children that seeing the silver cast into the furnace thinke it utterly cast away till they see it come out againe a pure vessell And when wee die let us not trouble our mindes with the discomfortable thoughts of wormes rottennesse darknesse and the like but with the eye of faith let us looke beyond these on the haven whether wee are going this made Iob though covered all over with ulcers to say with a cheerfull heart My redeemer liveth though after my skinne wormes consume this flesh If wee want limbes to our bodies comfort our selves the resurrection will restore all things Furthermore let us serve here with our