giuen of them These are they which are not defiled with women for they are Virgins these follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth these are bought from men being the first fruits vnto God and to the Lambe Reu. 14.4 Thus you see how we should goe after Christ and be well content to leaue all the world to follow him The reasons to moue vs herevnto are these First Reason because he is our husband and we are his wife Ephes 5.26 For the wife must follow her husband and forsaking all other friends must cleaue onely vnto him Gen. 2.25 Secondly because he will then take a great delight in vs and satisfie himselfe in our loue according to that which is in Psal 45.11.12 where it is said Hearken O daughter and consider encline thine eare forget also thine owne people thy fathers house So shal the King haue pleasure in thy bewtie for hee is thy Lord and reuerence thou him Thirdly because wee are dead to the world and a liue in him Câ—l 3.3.4 Lastly because he will liberally reward all such as doe come after him Verily saith he I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shall sit in the throne of his Maiestie ye which followed me in the regeneration shall sit also vpon twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel And whosoeuer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake he shall receiue an hundred-fold more and shall inherit euerlasting life This reproues those that care not for Christ Vse but followes this world altogither Whatsoeuer they be whether rich or poor high or low wise or vnwise bond or free male or female certaine it is that they are none of Christs Hee will disclaime them and not approue them for his owne If any man saith he come to mee and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also he cannot be my Disciple And whosoeuer beareth not his crosse and commeth after mee cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14.26.27 wherefore let this worke repentance in the harts of worldly men and turne them to the louing Lord. As this doth serue to reproue all such as preferre the world before Christ so it may serue also to prouoke vs all to preferre Christ before the world Surely it should moue vs to set him still before vs and pricke vs forward to goe after him if a man were in a farre country farre from his friends and neerest kinsfolkes though his eyes did behold the fairest pictures his eares heare the sweetest musicke his mouth tast the daintiest meate his body lie vpon the softest bed and all his senses compassed about with the rarest obiects of tenne thousand yet would his heart be at home vnlesse hee were bewitched as the poets faine of Vlisses whom the cups of Circe did make to forget his natiue country and faithfull wife So cuen so vnlesse we be inchanted with the witchcraft of the deuill all the trash and pelfe of this world cannot hold vs here below but our harts will mount vpward and be fixed vpon our Bride-grome in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore and all our trauell will especially tend to attaine vnto our country in the heauens and to celestiall Ierusalem that is aboue For wee are here as strangers and pilgrimes vpon the earth 1 Pet. 2.11 and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or corporation whereof wee are members is in the heauen Phil. 3.20 Surely our earthly houses are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rather an Inne to lodge in then a permanent mansion to abide in 2 Cor. 5.1 wherefore I pray you let vs euermore set our hearts vpon Christ and follow him It is recorded in the greeke and Romaine stories that Hypsicrataea did so excedingly loue her busband Mâ—â—hridates King of Pontus that when hee was put to flight and enforced to wander vp and downe the woodes and deserts to saue his life she attyred in mans apparrell did follow him euery way through thâ—â—â—e and thinne reputing her kingdome her wealth her country and her happinesse to be there where her husband was So after the same manner if we be so faithfully affected to our most sweet and louing husband in the heauens we must not settle vpon our lees nor set our affections on things that are below but follow on hard though it be through the thorny path of persecution or the strait way that hee is gone before vs wee must count all things but dunge and drosse in respect of him Phil. 7.8 If any man would here know how wee must goe after Christ Obiection the answere is that we must doe it first by contemplation Answere secondly by desideration thirdly by determination fourthly by conuersation or imitation By contemplation wee euermore thinking of him and hauing our thoughts in heauen where hee is 2 Cor. 4.18 By desideration wee euermore desiring to be in his presence and to haue a fellowship with him in ioyes vnspeakeable Col. 7.1 Phil. 1.23 2 Cor. 5.8 By determination we euermore resoluing with our selues to cleaue continually to him and to repute all things but trash in respect of him Act. 11.23 Phil. 3.8 Reu. 12.11 By conuersation or imitation wee euermore labouring to doe as he hath done and to walke in such steps as hee is gone before vs. Ephes 5.2 Ioh. 13.15 Math. 11.29 Oh my brethren striue and contend to follow Christ after these waves if there be any thing that will hinder you from the same cast it away Heb. 12.1 Be it that the right hand or the right eye should cause you to offend herein yet spare them not cut off the one and pull out the other Math. 18.8.9 There are many Lords doubtlesse striuing for vs. The world with her pleasures allures many to follow her but pretend what she will in truth her word is Decipion I will deceiue you The flesh would haue man a seruant to her lusts shee wants not her baites wherewith to beguile him but in truth her word is Inficiam I will infect you Satan strongest of the three vsurpes superiority ouer man hee craues that man should fall downe and vvorship him he vvante not promises enough faire in shew but in truth his word is Interficiam I will destroy you Iesus Christ our lawfull Lord bee also calls vpon vs and exhorts vs to serue him he hath life in the one hand durable riches and honour in the other and in truth his word is Reficiam I will refresh you Now in this strife to vvhom shall vvee yeeld our selues but vnto him vvho cries Reficiam Let vs therefore doe as vve are here vvilled for to doe come away and then doubtlesse vvee shall vvant nothing Habent enim omnia qui habent Christum habentem omnia For they haue all vvho doe enioy Christ the Lord of all And so I end and commend you to God and to the vvord of his grace vvhich is able to build further and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified To the vvhich inheritance the Lord bring vs all for his sonnes sake to vvhom vvith the father and the holy Ghost one eternall God and three distinct persons be all honour and glory ascribed both novv and euermore Amen FINIS
liued long enough to know how to be saued and as for seruing of God they haue had a good deuotion euer since they were borne and they trust they haue as good hearts to God-ward and as good a beleefe in him as the best of them all that can talke so much of the Scriptures Alas poore silly people their case is lamentable whatsoeuer they imagine for all the while they intertaine so good a conceit of themselues they cannot possibly flie vnto God for mercy in Christ Iesus Ephes 2.2 but are strangers from the couenants of promise and howsoeuer they brag of their hope of eternall life yet as the Apostle sayth they are without hope and without God in the world and therefore if euer they looke to be cured by the great Physition of our soules Christ Iesus let them labour to see their spirituall maladies for he came not to heale those that thinke themselues whole but such alone as feele themselues to be sicke and doe esteeme it a singular benefit to haue a through cure wrought vpon their soules Secondly the promise is forsaken through infidelity when men thinke it to be bootelesse for them to apprehend the same and that there is not therein vertue sufficient to bring them vnto heauen whence it comes to passe that if they be set vpon by feares and terrors they sinke vnder the same as Iudas did notwithstanding all the sweet promises which hee hard from his Maister And as for their soules so for their estate if they be poore and behinde hand or any other way distressed they imagine it to be a folly for them to cast their care vpon God and to rest vpon his promise who hath said that hee vvill not faile nor forsake those that depend vpon him they will neuer put him to it nor try what he will doe for them as wicked Ahaz professed when hee was in danger of the enemy Isa 7.12 but they will rather shift for themselues and vse falshood and lying whatsoeuer ill meanes they can deuise for the releiuing of themselues this also is to reiect the promise Thirdly they also are guilty of the same crime that doe preferre earthly things before heauenly Luk. 14.26 Hee that doth not forsake father and mother wife and children lands and goods and all that he hath or might haue for Christ his sake and the Gospels Luk. 14.24 is not worthy of him And therefore were they reiected as vnmeete guests for the heauenly banquet who made more account of their farmes their oxen and such like outvvard things than they did of those spirituall comforts which the Lord offered vnto them And in like sort shall they be iudged and condemned as contemners of the promises of life who doe more greedily seeke after gold and siluer and perishable substance than they doe after the treasures of a better life which are permanent and euerlasting Indeede Gods people are oftentimes ouercaried with an immoderate affection towards the things of this world and lust breaketh in vpon them but they giue no harbour nor lodging therevnto in their hearts neither doe they loue these lying vanities more than grace and godlinesse but would willingly giue the Maister a place aboue the seruants though they as rude and vnmannerly guests doe striue for the chiefe roome in their soules they would gladly preferre the glory of God and the meanes of their saluation before all the kingdomes of the earth desire these outward things onely as helpes and furtherances thereunto And thus wee see how the promises may be reiected Now a second vse of this point shal be for our instruction Vse 2 that seeing the hearing of the promises is not sufficient for the procuring of our eternall happinesse but the apprehending and applying of the same is also required of vs therefore wee should with all earnestnesse take hold thereof and by faith make them our owne preferring them before all that this world can afford vs and being content to relinquish whatsoeuer wee possesse for the purchasing of this precious pearle And when once we haue obtained it Math. 13. let vs hide the same within our hearts and keepe it as our very life neuer making shipwracke of a good conscience least thereby our saith and comfort in the promises be much weakened and diminished but holding on a constant course in the wayes of pietie that so our inward ioy and assurance of Gods fauour may be still continued and dayly increased And for the same end let vs be often meditating and conferring of the promises and be willing to hearken vnto others that either in publike or in priuate doe their best endeuour to adde further strength vnto our faith Thus if vvee can doe wee shal be sure of a portion in the heauenly promises vvhen others shal be punished for refusing of the same Of entring into his rest That is into eternall blessednesse in the heauens and the assurance of enioying the same here vpon the earth according to that in the 3. Verse Wee that beleeue are entring into rest Whence wee may learne this doctrine that The state of Christianity is a state of rest Doct. 6 The land of Canaan Christianity is a state of rest whereinto the children of Israel entred after their long and tedious trauell in the wildernsse was a tipe thereof and therefore is it called Gods rest but he doth not so greatly stand vpon that because reprobates were admitted into it as well as his chosen people but he putteth vs in minde of a better rest euen the state of grace and of glory which his elect and they alone shall haue the fruition of our Sauiour confirmeth this point vnto vs where he sayth Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden Matth. 11.28 and I will ease you Take my yoake on you c. and you shall finde rest vnto your soules Heere wee see what an happy case they are in that betake themselues vnto Christ for reliefe and comfort submitting themselues vnto his holy gouernment though they haue manisold troubles and aduersities without yet they haue quietnesse within so long and so farre as they can disburden their soules of all their sorrowes and cares by casting them vpon Christ Iesus as hee would haue them all that while they are euen like men that inhabite in a strong and inuincible Castle who in the middes of blustering stormes and windes that are round about them and of violent aduersaries that doe lay continuall seige against them are merry and cheerefull and fall to their foode and betake them to their rest without any feare and distraction at all as knowing that they are safe and sure how soeuer they be assayled and opposed against such is the case of all godly men what outward trials soeuer they haue their consciences are at quiet within as being confidently assured that nothing can befall them for their hurt for indeed euery sanctified Christian is as safe from all mischiefe
and possessions Hee that hath all these is a complet blessed man vvith vs. For hee wanteth nothing that may tend to the perfection of his happy estate in the iudgement of flesh and blood Now those that are the Lords people and doe loue Christ well as they should doe haue all these First they are out of debt for Christ hath discharged them from all their sinnes which are their debts 1 Peter 2.24 2 Cor. 5.21 Secondly they fare well they haue a rich table for the Lord of hosts doth make for all his people a feast of fat things euen a feast of fined wines and of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified He also doth satisfie them with the fatnesse of his house and giue them drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures Psal 36.8 Prou. 9.2 Esay 25.6 Thirdly they goe fine for they are clothed with the golden and silken robes of Iesus Christ and of his Spirit The woman whereunto the Church is compared is clothed with the Sunne hauing the Moone vnder her feete and a crowne of twelue Starres vpon her head Reuel 12.1 So the Spouse or Wife of Christ is said to be arrayed with pure fine linnen and shining Reuel 19.8 Fourthly they are attended vpon by many seruants for the gloricus Angels that are aboue do euermore waite vpon them as nurses doe vpon children to keepe them still in safetie and in peace and to doe such seruices vnto them as are needfull for them Psal 34.7 Psal 91.11.12 Hebr. 1.14 So that there is no Noble man in the Land that hath a goodlier traine to attend vpon him then Gods childe hath Fiftly they are able to giue to others for God hath bestowed vpon them such a treasure of grace that they are able not onely to edifie themselues but others also in the wayes of their saluation Ephes 4.7.16 This is worthily seene as in other stories so in the example of Aquila and Priscilla who brought great light and vnderstanding vnto Apollos himselfe who was an eloquent man and mightie in the Scriptures when they tooke him vnto them and expounded vnto him the way of God more perfectly Act. 18.26 Sixtly they are out of Law and trouble and haue peace both within and without for God is now reconciled to them and so they haue a peace not onely with God himselfe and his creatures but also with themselues and in their owne soules and consciences 2 Cor. 5.19 Ephes 2.14.16 Hosea 2.18 Rom. 5.1 Phil. 4.7 Seauenthly they enioy their health for their soules within are sound and well as who doe not so much liue in themselues as in Christ Gal. 2.20 nor yet shrinke away from the Commandements of their God but carefully still obserue the same Psalm 44.17.18 Hebr. 10.39 They goe as it were from strength to strength till they appeare perfect in Sion Psal 84.7 And their good workes are more at the last then at the first Reuelat 2.19 Eightly they are in authoritie of high place to command or rule for Christ hath made them Kings and Priests vnto God euen his Father Reuelat. 1.6 So that they are great Officers and Commanders in the world like Priests and Kings which haue the Chiefest roomes of all Lastly they haue great lands and possessions for all the world is theirs whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come euen all are yours saith Paul to the godly Corinthians 1 Cor. 3.22 Peter tels vs that there is an inheritance immortall which is vndefiled and fadeth not away reserued in heauen for vs 1 Peter 1.4 And our Sauiour sheweth that God his Father hath prepared for vs a Kingdome from the foundations of the world Matth. 25.34 Wherefore by this wee may see vnlesse we will wilfully be blinde and measure euery thing by the narrow span of our owne naturall reason that the condition of Gods childe is the best condition in the world and that they are most happie persons who are vnited vnto Christ But what then shall we say vnto their afflictions which are many in this world haue not wee iust cause to reiect Iesus Christ for them and to accept of some other before him No in no case First because they doe not impaire our happie estate but rather better the same and that in three respects First because they doe not take away the fruit and benefit of those outward goods which are taken away from vs but rather encrease them for they make vs to enioy them an hundred fold more as it is in Mark 10.30 So that in the middest of them all we haue great ioy and comfort Act. 5.41 Rom. 5.3 Hebr. 10.34 Secondly because they serue to purge vs from our drosse and corruption that we might be made partakers of Gods holinesse Hebr. 12.10 and not be damned with the world 1 Cor. 11.32 Thirdly and lastly because they are meanes to augment our happines in the heauens aboue and to worke out for vs a farre more excellent and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Secondly because this time wherein we now liue in this world is not the time of our marriage but the time onely of our espousalls As yet we are not with Christ but we liue as it were with our friends among whom wee may be euilly intreated and be hardly dealt withall as Ioseph was among his owne brethren A poore Virgin you know that is but onely betrothed to a noble person of great state and wealth and not yet married vnto him may liue but a simple and miserable kinde of life vntill the day of their marriage doth come For as shee may fare and lie hard and be but meantly attired in her fathers house who is but a poore man and vnable to maintaine her better so shee may fall sicke of loue and withall enter into many doubtfull thoughts and feares lest her beloued should cast her off and preferre some other noble person before her whereby it comes to passe that her heart is much wounded and her spirit euen vexed to the death it selfe Yet for all this shee had no iust cause to haue refused him at the first neither yet hath any to reiect him now at the last considering especially that this her trouble will shortly end and much continuall ioy come in the place thereof So after the same manner though heere in this world wee haue some afflictions yet we are not for that cause to alienate our selues from the Sauiour of the world especially considering that he will end them quickely and come and marrie with vs at what time we shall haue ioy and happinesse for euermore Hitherto of those that make exceptions against the state of such as loue Christ Now let vs come to those that boast of their loue towards Christ and yet doe want it We finde by experience that there are too many such in all places wheresoeuer we come Though they hate him in their soules